Evening star., 1944-09-17
Says
DC. Jobs Should
|Goto Residents
Debute Continues
On Confirmation Of
Recorder of Deeds
BY DON s. WARREN.

A declaration that all District
Government jobs should be re-
stricted to bona fide residents Of
the District came yesterday from
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, as debate continued over
impending confirmation OF q Phila-
delphia clergyman as Washington's
next $S.000-a-year Recorder Of
Deeds.
The Nevada Senator, a champion
OF home rule" for the District and
sponsor Of q plan for an elected
city council. said he would vote for
confirmation of the colored Phila-
delphia preacher when the issue is
tested Tuesday.
He said he felt the nominee, the
Rev. Marshall L. Shepard, was
qualified and that there was MOTH
ing unusual or improper in the fact
the nomination was reported favor
ably by the District Committee,
after q poll, without a committee
meeting
Basic Question Needs Settlement.
But the basic question of appoint
ment Of outsiders" to District Gov
ernment jobs, he said, should be
settled by Congress in favor of
District residents and taxpayers.
He said he hoped bill would be
brought before Congress for con-
sideration which would limit ap-
pointment to the District service to
persons who had been bona fide
residents Of the District for at least
f1ve years. Such rule would ex-
clude not only those domiciled else
where but persons actually living
here but claiming legal residence
in their "home" States.
Senator McCarran said he planned
to draft such plan, but added
there was little likelihood of getting
any consideration of such an issue
in the remainder of this session.
1T Is a matter of simple Justice, :"
he said. District Government Jobs
should go to qualified residents of
the District. Certainly, with Wash
ington now having q population of
nearly 100000 1t should be easy to
find qualified residents who are
highly qualified and available for
any job in the District service"
Would Include Justices.
He said he would include in this
category the justices of the United
States District Court "and all other
Jobs up and down the line"
His position Is somewhat like that
OF Senator Chavez, Democrat, of
New Mexico, who told the Senate
Friday that while he would vote to
confirm Mr.. Shepard he didn't like
carpet bagging," whether it was in
1865 or 1914.
During Fridays flareup on the
Senate floor. when the Shepard
nomination was reported, Senator
Clark, Democrat. of Missouri,
brought out that justices OF the Dis
trict Court, as well as earlier record
ers and other jobholders, had been
named from outside the District.
There Is no law against it." he de-
clared, Congress never has required
viz AACoidCllC W llldke Ills SeleCClOQ
from those residing in the District" !"
Partisanship Denied.
And while denying the charges of
Senator Bridges, Republican, of New
Hampshire, that the election of Mr..
Shepard was partisan move to
round up colored votes for Presi-
dent Roosevelt, Majority Leader
Barkley asserted the District did not
belong merely to the people of the
District. He said he imagined this
was the reason Congress had not
seen fit to bar citizens of the States
from District positions, adding II
doubt whether it ever will"
Capitol Hill observers pointed out
there are notable exceptions to the
lack OF bars to "carpetbag" appoint
ments to city government positions.
Under the Districts organic act per-
sons appointed as civilian members
OF the Board of Commissioners must