Evening star., 1947-04-18
Home RuIeFaces
Vote in Senate
Within I Weeks
Bill Put on Calendar
After Committee
Reports FovorubIy
By Harold B. ROGERS

By Harold B. Rogers
Chairman Buck OF the Senate Dis
trict Committee plans to call up the
District home rule bill for Senate
action within q week or two.
The Delaware Republican filed his
committees favorable report on the
measure late yesterday. It went on
the Senate calendar to await action.
The measure, sponsored by Sena-
tor McCarran, Democrat, Of Nevada
was adopted recently In amended
form by the District Committee
with only one dissenting vote.
Senator McCarran said he would
support the measure on the floor
by all means"
This is the first definite step to-
ward enfranchisement of the peo-
pie of the District" he asserted.
Step Toward Representation.
"In the first place, it would give
them voice In their own govern
ment and an opportunity to express
their choice for those who, In the
future, would govern them.
Secondly, this Is a long-range
measure toward giving people here
q vote for national officers. It
would look toward setting up local
government and the machinery fos
an election"
Asked If this meant the measure
eventually pointed to national rep
resentation, the Senator replied, "It
certainly does"
Senator McCarran has cham
pioned home rule for Washington
for years, but consistently has voted
against measures which would have
granted national representation be-
fore local self government.
Opposed Capper Resolution.
He voted against the pending
Capper resolution which has been
pigeonholed in the Senate Judiciary
Committee. The Capper resolution
would have provided for a Consti-
tutional Amendment to give Con-
gress the right to grant to the
District the vote for President and
Vice President and for its own rep
resentatives in Congress.
Senator Buck said he wanted to
leave the home rule bill before the
Senate for week or two to enable
members to study It's provisions. He
hopes this will result in more favor
able reaction when the bill comes up
for debate and vote on the floor.
The committee report filed with
the Senate explains at length al
provisions of the bill. A Federal
charter commission Of II persons
would be established as a corpora
ton to draft proposed charter for
the District. The charter would be
submitted to Congress for approval
# Endorsed by Congress, it would
then be sent to the residents of the
District for referendum.
Limitations Cited.
1.-THE matter of the referendum
has been provided for" the Conn.,
mittee report explains, "and it Ii
expected that under the rules and
regulations to be laid down by tn.
Congress :. the commission wiz
also draw upon its information and
experience to assist in the conduct
of such referendum, to the end that
each interested adult citizen Of ths
District of Columbia may have hts
chance in democratic way to ex-
press his opinion on the proposed
new charter for the government Of
the District of Columbia"
Most pertinent is section 8, de.
fining and limiting the corporation
and authority of the commission in
its framing of nonpartisan home
rule government for the District Of
Columbia, with due and appropriate
recognition of the tremendous in
terest of the Government of the
United States therein.
while no particular form OF mu-
|nicipality is suggested by the bill,
the committee contemplates that
the commission will make surveys
of other municipalities and engage
in research of the functioning OF
various types Of local governments
and will devise a pattern or plan
of government recognizing the posi-
tion of local government and the
corresponding need of the United
States Government to maintain its
sovereignty in the Federal CITY,"
Touches on Financing.
The full committee report to the
Senate was similar to the recent
subcommittee favorable report.
It pointed out that, while theirs
is some legal question as to whether
a charter for the District Of CO.
lumbia could embrace the power and
the right to levy taxes and to au-
thorize the expenditure Of funds, It
was the opinion of the COMMITTEES
that this should be. suggested by
the bill in the hope that out of
their study, the members OF the
commission might formulate q plan
which would assist both the govern
ments of the United States and the
District of Columbia in solving the
local financial problems of the City
Of Washington.
Senator Buck also introduced in
the Senate two bills requested by
the District Commissioners. One
would give the Commissioners ex-
tended powers for inspection of boil
ers. The other would define and
clarity laws on exemption Of real
property from taxation.
'cture AvaiIabIe!