Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-31
Committee Expected
To Debate SeIf.RuIe
Plan for D. {. Today
BY DON s. WARREN.

Possibilities of some form of flu
ture suffrage for disfranchised Dis
trict residents was scheduled for de-
bate today by members of the La
Toilette Monroney Joint Commit
tee on Reorganization of Congress.
AS it proceeded In executive, ses-
sion with consideration of "a ten
tative draft of its proposed recon-
mendations to "streafnline" con-
gressional machinery, the 12-man
group was expected to reach a Sec
ton suggesting means of relieving
Congress as Washington's city
council. ~"
Because the group is not a legis-
lative committee, there is no men,
ton of either the pending Summers
Capper national representation pro-
posal nor the McCarran plan for a
mostly elected city council form of
government here.
Proposes Draft of Charter.
AS now drafted, the still secret
tentative report proposes the crea-
ton of a commission of District
residents to draft a suitable city
charter" which might be submitted
by Congress to the people of the
District for adoption or rejection in
formal referendum.
1t declares more time often is de-
voted by Congress to serving as a
city council for the District than is
spent on matters involving great
importance" 1t links purely pri-
vate claim bills" along with District
affairs as matters of relative in
consequence.
In suggesting that Congress divest
itself of the task of governing the
District, the tentative draft declares
that Congress is drifting away from
its time-honored function as a truly
representative assembly, and that
the Nation cannot afford the lux
ury" of having the national legisla-
ture and its committees function rs
a city council for the District.
Seh-Rule Plan Recommended.
1t adds:
I'm order to relieve Congress of
this extraneous workload and en-
able it to devote full attention to
national legislation, we recommend
that a plan for self-rule for the Dis
trict be provided as early as pos
sible.
1--WE do not assume the RESPONSE
bility of debating what plan should
be adopted for the handling of
municipal affairs of the District, but
we do recommend that steps be
taken Immediately to provide for the
establishment of commission of
Washington residents to prepare a
suitable city charter and that it be
submitted by referendum to the citi-
zens of the District for their ap-
proval or rejection.
1--WE recommend that Congress
authorize this referendum as soon
as a satisfactory self governments
city charter is provided and that
on its adoption legislation be intro
duced to make it effective"
The group yesterday considered,
without decision as yet, the con-
troversial proposal that the power
of the House Rules Committee be
trimmed by requiring favorable or
unfavorable reports to the House
within 20 days after it receives
them from legislative committees.
Less controversial proposals con-
sidered yesterday include these:
To provide larger, more expert
stats for the reorganized commit
tees of the House and Senate, the
number of which would be dras-
tically cut under an earlier pro-
posal. ',-
To expand the stats of the Con-
gressional Legislative Council and
the legislating drafting service.
To provide each member of Con-
gress with a "high-caliber" assist
ant at $1,000 a year, to relieve the
member of chores for constituents.
To create majority and minority
party policy committees in the
House and Senate to make the
leading parties more accountable
for carrying out promised legisla-
tive programs.
To revise the present system in
many respects to establish stronger
financial controls.