Evening star., 1943-12-21
Wender Backs
McCarran Bill
For Home Rule
Unofficial 1893 Poll
Cited to Show I
Attitude of Public
BY DON S. WARREN.

approval OF Ine McCdrrAn nome
rule" plan for he District was urgeC
today by Harry S. Wender, president
Of the Federation of Citizens AS.
sociations, who cited the 1898 suf.
frage referendum as proof of tht
desire of District residents to elect
their city officials.
Testifying before the Senate Dis.
trict subcommittee at continued
hearings on the proposal for ar
elected council-city manager plan
Mr.. Wender filed results of that
unoficial voting to show that 49,.
977 residents voluntarily had gone
to the polls to favor local suffrage
with 10,937 voting against it; thai
81 ,O92 voted TO irrational representa-
ton and 6,832 against.
Mr.. Wender offered this as ar
answer to the oft-repeated question
OF Chairman McCarran as tt
whether Washington residents really
want the right to elect their Com.
missioners.
Offers Federation Records.
Mr.. Wender brought with him q
considerable stack of records of the
Federation and the District Suffrage
Association for use in the hearing
saying he was prepared to answer
opposition arguments that had been
presented to the McCarran Com
mittee.
Earlier. the committee heard di-
vergent views on the issue from Mrs
Leslie Wright, speaking for the
District Federation of Women's
Clubs, who declared local elections
without representation in Congress
would be an empty she'll" and
John H. Connaughton, for the Pet
worth Citizens Association, who in
sisted Washington residents want to
elect their city officials.
Mrs. Wright, who said the fedora
ton represented 6,l00 women in
more than 80 clubs, read from the
body's recent resolution: 1T is
doubtful If large majority of the
residents of the District would sur
render the right to vote in national
elections for the privilege of voting
for members of the Board of Com
missioners. Inasmuch as any
law or ordinance promulgated by the
Commissioners must be approved by
Congress and all funds for the Dis
trict machinery of government must
come from Congress. there would be
no local autonomy"
Chairman McCarran suggested
that Mrs. Wright was seeking a
State setup for the District in ask
ing for election of members of Con-
gress for the District, adding that
such move would require a consti-
tutional amendment.
Called Dangerous Thing"
Mrs. Wright declared the vote for
local officials would be dangerous
thing" because there would be many
"malcontents" among newcomers
to Washington who come here to
take Government jobs. To let them
vote, she asserted. wouldn't be SO
good" She added the womenis
clubs had no concern over the Negro
vote.
Mr.. Connaughton declared there
was no question but that the|"over-
whelming' sentiment among or
ganized citizens was in favor of the
McCarran plan. The Citizens Fed
Grafton, he said, represents more
people and gives a better cross-sec-
ton OF Washington people than any
other organizatio
The Petworth spokesman urged
that the entire portions of the bill
providing for congressional check
on the ordinance-making powers OF
the elected Commissioners be
stricken from the bill, arguing that
the measure would confer no legis-
lative powers at all on the Commits
sioners that do not now prevail
However, if amendment of the bill
would jeopardize its passage, ii
should be left unchanged, he added