Evening star., 1943-03-10

SuPrSsg 'f@SQsi osSS
Greater DC. Authority
Senator Calls for Vote,
While Commissioner Cites
Need Of Tighter Control
Senator Capper, Republican, Of
Kansas and Commissioner Mason
last night urged that the District
and its citizens be given greater
voice in the city's affairs. in ad-
dresses before The Bar Association
of the District at a District OF
Columbia Night observance.
With some 500 in attendance In
the MavfloWer Hotel to constitute
what was described as the associa-
TONS largest regular meeting. aside
from annual ones, the members and
their guests first heard Senator
Capper declare it "unthnkable" that
the citizens here should be denied
the right to vote Then, Commis-
sioner Mason launched into
lengthy criticism of Congress for
not exercising sufficient caution in
the creation of agencies which have
| control over affairs here, and urged
greater centralization of power in
| the Commissioners. Many iurists
| and District officials listened intent
| ly as the Senator and Commissioner
spoke.
Senator Capper declared that
throughout his service here he has
been convinced the best thing that
could happen would be to give the
people here the right to participate
in their Government He asserted
/ that he had grown stronger on
that idea during successive Con-
crosses in which he has served.
Praises d. c. Committees.
Commissioner Mason first praised
the members of the Senate and
House District Committees for their
interest in District affairs. Describ-
ing powers vested in the MANY
Federal agencies, he declared: with
respect to liberalization, we are
either the beneficiaries or the VIC
TINS, whichever way you may look
at the subject
1T appears" the Commissioner
SAID, that some Of the Federal de-
partments look on our local institu-
tons, all Of which were created bv
Congress, as some sort of a guinea
pig by which PHILOSOPHERS and the
orles may be tried.
AS lawyers, it is your duty to ex-
anime these proposals as they appear
and determine, at least to your satis-
faction, whether 100000 people here
should be inoculated every "a hours
with new idea, and if, in your mass
judgment, they should or should not
be, 1t is your bounden duty as law
yers in the National Capital to voice
your mass opinion. You should voice
1t in two places, to Congress and the
President. / add the latter" he said
because it is the Presidents obli-
CATION to enforce the mandates of
Congress-"
Sees Lack of Caution,
Declaring he was saying it with
due respect" Commissioner Mason
asserted Congress has not exer-
cised sufficient caution in the crea-
ton of agencies"
Elaboratlng, he declared: There
Is no activity without a single excep-
ton that is not tinctured with some
Federal impulse"
He then asserted the Police. Fire
the Health and Welfare Depart
mehtS are not only under constant
Federal pressure, but frequent Fed
eral influence. He attributed this
situation to the lack of line of
clear demarcation of what is Federal
and what is local, adding:
AS administrative officers the
District Commissioners, or whom
ever Shall succeed them in form, will
always have this pressure"
Declaring whether you are for or
against centrallzation makes no diff
terence" Commissioner Mason said,
there never was time in the his
tory of our city when lawyers, who,
as l have said, had participated in
the formation Of the organic laws of
the Government Of the United
States, should be more alert to
what is taking place than pres
entity"
Points to Welfare Board.
Commissioner Mason declared
the Board of Public Welfare
should be a department of the
municipal government" and went
into detail how the District Com
missloners lack authority in many
other instances because that au-
thority is vested in various agencies.
He pointed out that a bill had
been introduced during the last
Congress to relieve the Board of
Public Welfare of many of its pow
ers, but that 1t had failed to pass.
A new bill will be introduced shortly,
however, he said, Ito transfer to
the Commissioners all of the pow
ers and authority now exercised by
the board" and to give the latter
only advisory and visitorial pow
erS."
Commissioner Mason said the Com
mlS5lonerS get the hook when any
| thing goes wrong despite their lack
Of power to cope with situations.
| Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee, in brief ad-
dress, declared early action is con-
templated on a bill to place on
sliding scale the employers payment
| toward unemployment compensa-
ton. Under the measure. he ex-
planned. the present 27 per cent of
pay rolls the employers have to pay
would be applicable to employers