Evening star., 1945-06-15
DC. Should Run
|ts0wn Affairs,
Burton Says
Fovors Home Rule
And Representation
In Congress

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Ohio, today told the Joint Commit.
tee to Reorganize Congress that it !
an impossible" situation for Con,
gress to attempt to govern the Dis.
trict in the light OF its national OBJ
legations and urged the passage o
legislation which would give Wash.
ington citizens the right to run theil
own affairs.
The Ohio Senator went on record
approving both the McCarran home
rule bill, which would set up loca
government, and the Sumners-Cap-
per resolution calling for District
representation in Congress. The
suffrage resolution was recently re-
ported unfavorably by the House
Judiciary Committee on the basis Of
a 9-to-0 vote.
Local suffrage should be granted
and can be granted" Senator Bur-
ton said. Such legislation should
be adopted as a matter of simple
self preservation for Congress-"
Difficult to Get Quorum.
He pointed out that under the
present system it is difficult to get
a quorum at meetings of congress
sional District committees, with the
result that one or two members
largely run the affairs of the Dis
trict.
This is obviously not the kind
of government the city should
have" he said. Local government
is the very foundation of the Ameri-
can democratic system"
Senator Burton said the question
of providing Federal suffrage for
the District was distinct from that
of giving the city home rule.
My opinion is that District citi-
zens should be allowed to vote, and
believe the approach to this prob
lem is the one made in the Summers
Capper resolution" he said.
Advocates District Senator.
He advocated one Senator for the
District and proportionate repre-
sentation based on population in the
House.
These matters" he added, should
be considered in justice to the resi-
dents of the District
Senator Burton also asked the
committee to provide better school
facilities for congressional pages in
the page school operated in the
Capitol When he first came to the
Senate, he said, he found the school
quarters in disreptable condition
Since then, Improvements have been
made, he conceded, but the school
still lacks many normal facilities
such as laboratories and library.
Senator Burton pointed out that
apparently no one is responsible for
the welfare of the pages. Congress
has provided only the quarters for
the school, he said, and the boys
themselves pay SIS a month each
for their instruction.
; Owe Obligation to Boys.
!. "We owe a direct obligation to-
those boys,n he said. "The pages
are the only group of minors for
whom we are directly and PERSONAL
ly responsible
For 80 per cent of the pages, he
said, the experience of working in
Congress was an advantage; but for
the other 10 per cent, "it is a trag-
edy. He recalled that one of the
pages committed suicide year ago.
Other recommendations advanced
by Senator Burton included:
A pay raise for members of Con-
gress to $4,000 when wage stabili-
zation permits. He suggested, how
ever, that such raise be made in
applicable during the session in
which the legislation was passed
Pensions for Congressman on the
basis of contributions made by
them.
More adequate stats for members
of Congress.
| Outlawing of flibusters in the
Senate.
Improved acoustics in the two
chambers.
More committee responsibilities
Tor freshman members.
Flag Confuses Public.
Removal of the American flag
over the Senate and House when
the bodies are not actually meet
ing. Presence of the flag at times
when the chambers are in recess
is confusing to the public, Senator
Burton contended.
The joint committee will meet
again at 10 am. Monday to hear
Robert Heller, Cleveland, author of
the Heller report on Strengthening
the Congress" The following day,
testimony will be given by Beardsley
Ruml, chairman of the business
committee of the National Planning
association. and author of the cele-
brated Ruml plan for putting in
come taxes on pay-as- -you-go
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