Evening star., 1943-11-18
Suffrage Committee
Backs Home.Ru|e Bill
Amendments
Holman Resolution Aims
Can Be Accomplished at
Hearings, Unit Reports

The Local Suffrage Committee of
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tions today went on record in sup
port of the McCarran home rule"
bill in principle, but recommended
a number of amendments.
The committee, which also studied
the Holman resolution to enable
District residents to express their
preference for a form of municipal
government, will present the report
made public today at the Federation
meeting Saturday night.
The committee said it believed
the purpose of the Holman resolu-
ton would be substantially accom-
plished by full and open Senate
District Committee hearings on the
McCarran bill, from which the
home rule" measure could be re-
vised to meet the views of District
citizens.
Hearings on the. McCarren bill.
which provides for a city manager
and elected council, are scheduled
to begin November 80.
When the legislation is revised to
take in the preferences OF District
residents, the committee added, a
provision should be included requir-
ing that it be submitted to a refer
endum Of District residents and
become effective within given
time after it has been approved bv
ma jority vote.
The committee said it agreed
that the McCarran bill while not
perfect, is nevertheless an appro-
pirate step in the right direction
and would. if adopted, with certain
amendments, pave the way to better
government in the District and af-
ford a channel through which could
flow the efforts of all of us toward
full participation through the ballot
in both local and national affairs"
Among the recommendations for
McCarran bill revisions were:
To provide that members of the
governing body called for in the bill
be called councilmen instead of
commissioners.
To increase the number of men,
bers of the governing body to pro-
vide wider representation of the cit
liens.
To reduce the annual pay provided
for members of the governing body.
A salary of $4,000 is now provided in
the bill.
To make provision for members Of
the governing body to choose a
president and other necessary Of
fcers.
To provide that nominating petit
tions be filed with the Election
Commission called for in the bill
instead of with the recorder of
deeds; to reduce the number of resi-
dents required to approve nominat-
ing petitions and to insure that
there shall be no party designation
of nominees
To strike out the provision requir-
ing Senate "advice and consent" in
the appointment of the city mana
ger called for in the bill.
To include provision requiring
that heads of District departments.
bureaus and commissions be ap-
pointed by the city manager by and
with the advice and consent of the
governing body. =.
To provide that the city manager
be appointed without term, and be
subject to removal for cause" in
stead of misconduct" as now pro-
vided in the bill, after public hear
ing by two thirds vote of the gov
erning body, instead of concurrence
of any five members.
The committee pointed out that
the Federation long has been on
record in favor of reorganizing the
District government mot only IN.
the interest of efficiency and econ
omy, but primarily in the interest
of representative local government"
"The dismissal of public officials"
said the committees report, sub
mitted by Chairman Wilbur p.
Finch, will not cure the District
government of its ills. There must
be major operation which will
graft upon it the most important
element of government as we under
stand it in the United States,
namely, the will and responsibility
Of the people,"
If acts of commission or commission
IAN be charged to District officials,
he committee observed, "the blame
les largely, If not wholly, upon the
system OF local government,
which is a relic of days long passed,
S incapable of meeting satisfactorily
he complexities of modern munich
pal government and, because Of its
Ack OF q centralized authority re.