Evening star., 1943-12-07
McCarran Criticizes
Present D. {. Rule
As Unfortunate
Senate Committee
Opens Hearings on
Suffrage Bill
BY DON S. WARREN.

Opening public hearings on
his bill to provide for an elected
commission-city manager form
OF home rule for District resi-
dents, Chairman McCarran of
the Senate District Committee
today declared the need for
such step was brought vivid =
ly' to his attention by disclosure
OF "deplorable' conditions at
Gallinger Municipal Hospital.
investigation by the IHolman)
subcommittee of at least one instl-
tuition that demands complete and
rigid reformation, that deal with the
poor and afflicted. revealed the pres
ent conditions are deplorable," he
said.
Personally" he continued. 81
think that home rule-imperfect
though it may be-certainly would
be an improvement over what we
have at the present time. 1t is un-
fortunate that We have the kind OF
government that we now have, but
I do not propose to dwell on that
now"
Drawbacks Cited.
Senator McCarran agreed with the
first witness. Dr. Meyer Jacobstein
OF the Brookings Institution staff
former member of Congress from
New York. but now a voteless Dis
trlct reSident-that it is "physically
impossible for members of Con-
gress to act effectively as a city
council for the District.
AS DR.. Jacohstein put it. under
the present situation. Congress
makes the laws, but the thought
that 53l members of the House and
Senate can act as common council
is as silly As it is impractica AS
Senator Burton. Republican. of Ohio
said at hearings on the delegate bill
Congress just can't function that
way.
Congress can't do it intelligently
and efficiently, so why not say so?'
Chairman McCarran declared
complaints come to the District
Committee almost daily that We
know should be attended to. but it Is
physically impossible. We are pow
erless."
Committee Attendance Low.
He said it was rare that as MANY
as four or five members attend Dis.
trlct Committee meetings, but that
this was not a criticism against
members. since they have other
pressing duties demanding attention
When the witness remarked that
District residents once had self-gov-
ernment, but lost it 10 years ago
the Nevada Senator said that though
some lawyers might smile at the
idea. he had question in his mine
whether, when the District area was
carved out of the territory of two
States, it was intended the people
should lose their previous rights.
Senator McCarran emphasized
his bill was in the nature of a skele.
ton form of home rule. as was
the Charter Commission bill O,
Senator Holman, Republican O.
oregon, neither being presumed BY
thelr authors to approach perfec.
ton.
He added his studies of the situa
ton as a member of the Judiciar,
Committee convinced him Congress
cannot give the District full rep.
resentation comparable with a
state, that nothing short of a con-
stltutlonal amendment would max.
possible a state form of government
mere. He added he did not think i
was the intent of the trainers oil
the Constitution that Washington
should nave the status of a state
Witness Suggests Changes.
"A constitutional amen dmen,
might be put through. but it woule
require long time and might be
defeated" he said If the people
OF the District want self govern.
ment, the opportunity is here now
but it must not be foisted upor
them"
DR.. Jacobstein, who served as E
member of the Charter Commission
which drafted the city manager
plan for Rochester. N. Y. about /;
years ago, suggested a number o1
changes in the McCarran bill. At the
outset he said:
1T is sad commentary that resi-
dents OF the Capital City of the
Nation should have no voice in thei,
local government. What a paradox
it is that men and women who are
supposed to be intelligent enough,
and loyal enough enough to help run
the Federal Government should
have nothing to say about their own
local affairs
Describing the McCarran bill a.
(eee D. o. SUFFRAGE, Page A-3.)