Evening star., 1947-07-01
Rayburn Slated
ToTestifyonD.C.
House Subcommittee
Resumes Home Rule
Hearings Tomorrow
By Harold B. Rooers

By Harold B. Rogers
Minority Leader Rayburn is ex-
pected to be one of the principal
witnesses tomorrow as the House
District Subcommittee on Home
Rule and Reorganization of City
Government here resumes public
hearings.
The group, which opened its
lengthy series of sessions yesterday,
hopes to hear in person from Repre-
sentative Rayburn, former Speaker
OF the House. If legislative business
prevents, he has promised to send
a statement.
Other witnesses will include rep
resentatives of the four major
Washington newspapers.
The three District Commissioners
who testified yesterday through
Chairman j. Russell Young, will
return later to complete testimony.
City Rule Explored.
During the questioning of Com
missioner Young yesterday by COM
mittee members, the complex or
ganization of the District govern
ment and its relationship to the
Federal Government were explored
briefly from several angles.
Representativ Deane, Democrat,
of North Carolina referred to the
big three dimension chart of the
municipal organization hanging on
the committee wall.
Aren't you faced with serious
problems oftentimes, as to just
where to put your finger on the
responsible .authority?" asked Mr..
Deane.
Definitely yes" responded Mr..
Young. I'VE face a lot of problems.
For instance We don't have any acl-
ministrative control of the Public
Welfare Board" He added that
bill is pending in Congress to trans
fer most of the powers of the board
to the Commissioners and to set up
a new Department of Public We'll
fare. The bill has been approved by
a House District subcommittee.
Doesn't Know Authority.
Aren't you criticized sometimes
for not carrying out authority, when
you don't know exactly what your
authority is?" pursued Mr.. Deane.
That's absolutely true" replied
Mr.. Young.
When DR.. George Galloway, sub
committee staff director. attempted
to learn on what specific subjects
Congress had delegated Ordinance
making" powers to the Commits
sioners, Vernon E. West, corporation
counsel, said that was hard to
answer"
In general authority granted by
Congress, Mr.. West said, the Com
missioners had been given broad
power but Congress has been limit
ing such authority by special acts.
The Public Welfare Board has some
authority of its own, now, Mr.. West
pointed out, as does the Minimum
Wage Board, in its ability to make
regulations.
Asked about presidential ap-
pointees in the District, Commis-
sioner Young said the Public Utili-
ties Commissioners were members
of commission which properly is
independent of the Commissioners.
The Recorder of Deeds, appointed
by the President and confirmed by
the Senate, Mr. Young said, was not
under administrative supervision Of
the Commissioners. A bill is pend
ing in Congress to place the Recorder
of Deeds under the District Com
missioners.
Quizzed on Requests.
Representative Allen, Republican.
of California, questioned Mr.. Young
about what requests or demands
were made upon the District govern
ment by the executive or legislative
branch of the Federal Government.
Among services rendered, Mr.. Young
said, were police and fire protection
outside of Federal buildings, water
supply to the Federal, Government
and co-oepration with Federal agen-
cies in protection of the President
of the United States.
Commissioner Young stressed that
the District government lis an
agency of Congress, and responsive
to legislative orders and requests. "
"As an actual fact" said DR.. CAL
loway, "the District government has
several bosses, The President makes
appointments; the Bureau of the
Budget controls its fiscal affairs; the
District is subordinate to District
committees of the House and Sem
ate; it has to look to appropriation
committees of Congress for funds.
and looks to the entire Congress
for approval of measures affecting
the municipality"
Formal Reply.
In the Commissioners formal re-
ply to a set of questions about the
city's form of government, they cited
constitutional and court authorities
for the relationship between the
Federal and city governments, and
recommended the District should be
granted all power and authority
which the Legislature of a Stats
would ordinarily grant to munich
pality.
Under present statutes, the Com
missioners said, the city was bound
to support activities Of specified
Federal agencies operating in the
District, but they insisted they knew
Of no Federal agencies operated ex-
clusively for persons in the District
toward which the city should pay
expenses.
The District, they said, should be
required to pay for services it re-
ceives from Federal agencies under
contracts, where the city lacks its
own facilities, such as st. Elizabeths
Hospital, the National Training
School for Boys and Freedmen S
Hospital.
But the Commissioners were en-
phatic in denying that the city
should contribute to the support of