Evening star., 1947-01-16

Among the new Democratic men,
bers of the committee, Representa-
tive Klein of New York declared he
is heartily in favor" of the right
of District people to elect their own
municipal officers, to vote for
President and Vice President and
to have representatives in Con-
gress. He said he would have to
study District conditions more
closely before making up his mind
on fiscal measures. The sales tax,
he remarked, has worked pretty
well' in his State and might be a
practical method here in view of
current revenue difficulties.
Defeated Steel.
Mr.. Klein first came to the House
in 194l but lost out in 1914 after
redistricting in New York. Last
year he was elected to serve the
unexpired term of former Repre-
sentative Dickstein and in the regu-
lar election defeated Johannes Steel,
who had the Endorsement of former
Secretary of Commerce Henry A.
Wallace. Mr.. Klein, who is ~, is
married and has two daughters In
the early years of the New Deal,
he was an attorney for the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission but
worked mostly in New York.
Representative league of Texas is
a former colonel who received II
decorations and was a patient at
Walter Reed Hospital when elected
for an uneXpired term in4 the
Seventy ninth Congress last Sep
tember. said he intends to be open
minded" and study the situation
thoroughly before making a final de-
cision on national representation
and home rule. At present, he said,
he is inclined to be against self
government" unless further study
and arguments convince him it
would be best for the District and
the country.
He has no opposition to the sales
tax in principle but prefers to look
more thoroughly into the problem
here, he said.
Sees NOnpayers Tapped.
zone of the best arguments I have
heard for it in the District" he said,
is that 1t would be a good way to
have some District residents chip in
for the cost of District government
If they don't pay other taxes here. "
Representative league is 36, is
married and has three children. He
was born in Woodward, Okla. and
attended Texas A. and M. College.
During the war, he served with the
10th Division and was wounded six
times.
Representative Deane of North
Carolina said he asked for member
ship on the District Committee. He
lived here in 1889 when employed
in the Wages and Hours Division
of the Labor Department. He also
was in Washington frequently from
1888 to 1887 as compiler of the
Congressional Directory. He is 48, is
married and has two children.
Reserves Comment.
He preferred not to comment on
District issues as yet, but said he
was highly impressed by the lead
ership of the Washington business
and professional people" who are
urging home rule and national rep
resentation. He declared Congress
should give most serious considera-
ton to any proposals from these
Washington people.
Representative Kennedy of Massa-
chusetts is son of Joseph P. Ken
nedy, former SEC chairman and
one-time Ambassador to Great Brit
ain. He said he is greatly interested
in municipal problems and is glad
to serve on the District Committee
Pending further study of issues here
he preferred to make no comment.
Mr.. Kennedy is 20, graduate of
Harvard and author of a book.
Why England Slept" During the
war, he commanded a PIT boat in
the Pacific and served with the
Navy for four years before being
retired because of injuries in March,
1915. He represented newspapers at
the San Francisco Conference of
the United Nations and in covering
the British elections in 1945.
France has greatly increased i'm
port duties on gasoline from Amer