Evening star., 1947-12-20
Home Rule Plan
Proposals Hit
ByGen. Grant
Committee of 100
To Make Study of
AuehineIoss Report

VIGOROUS OppOSltlOn 10 proposals
In the Auchincloss Report on Home
Rule and Reorganization of the
District Government came yesterday
afternoon from influential members
of the Committee of 100 on the
Federal City, under the new chair
manship of c. Melvin Sharpe.
Maj Gen. U. S.. Grant III, in
leading opposition. assailed the plan
as grossly extravagant" in salary
payments, lacking in proper safe
guards and threatening to the Dis
tricts vital source of water supply
in time of emergency. On his mo-
ton, Chairman Sharpe was author
led to name a committee to make
a thorough study of the report and
make recommendations at another
meeting.
This action indicated the Commit
tee of 100. influential in planning for
Washington and the Metropolitan
Area. intends to draw up a severe
indictment of the Auchincloss report
for presentation to the House sub
committee. Mr.. Sharpe said at the
outset of the meeting in the parish
hall of ST. Johns Church at Six
teenth and H streets NV, that a
study Of the plan was the first order
of future business.
Galloway Reviews Report.
The opposition was touched of
when the House subcommittee
chief research specialist, DR.. George
Galloway, reviewed the report and
emphasized four main safeguards
provided in it for the national in
terests in the District.
These he enumerated as: The
substitution of a Joint Standing
Committee of the District in place
of the present House and Senate
committees, the presidential veto
power the right of either House
to disallow District legislation. and
the right of Congress to amend OF
repeal the District charter.
DR.. Galloway defended as a good
formula for determining the fsca
yardstick, the recommendation that
the Federal contribution be the
equivalent of a SITS tax rate or
Government-oWne real estate anC
improvements. That amount woulo
have contributed s15,5OO,0OO during
the current year, he said, instead
of S12,0OO,000.
A plea by Gen. Grant that the
District government be headed by
a. chief executive or governor ap-
pointed by the President came as
a high light of the meeting Il
think the mayor, as designated here
is simply the chairman Of the
board" Gen. Grant said He also
contended the proposed city man
ager could not be properly regarded
as an official, but merely as a hired
man"
Gen. Grant recommended that
the executive branch of the pro-
posed District government be rep
resented among the eX-ofhcio men,
bers of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, which
he heads. The plan provides repre-
sentation for the director of public
works and the director of recreation.
Increased Costs Criticized.
Protesting against the continued
increase in the cost of government
and maintenance of the District" p"
now S71 100000, he said, the Auchin-
Gloss report provides for too many
highly paid officials. He protested
q $25, 900 salary for the proposed
city manager, not an official, but a
hired man" Gen. Grant declared.
Other salaries would include $4,000
for an assistant city manager, II di-
rectcrs of departments at $4,000.
all with added staffs, he complained.
This will all add very materially
to the cost of the District" Gen.
Grant warned.
DR.. Galloway, however, declared
that, despite those large salaries,
the reorganization plan actually
would save money.
Gen. Grant declared it would be
a mistake to transfer the United
States Park Police to the District
government. as proposed, and pro-
tested also that an Army engineer
should continue in charge of District
public works.
Fearful for Recreation.
Gen. Grant said he is fearful for
the future of the District recreation
program under the Auchincloss plan.
He was opposed, he said, to de-
priving the NCPPC of it's authority
to buy park and recreation land,
contending the Federal Govern
ment can negotiate purchases more
easily than the proposed District
department of public works.
Jesse c. Suter of The Evening
Star, invited to discuss the home
rule plan, declared the plan seemed
satisfactory from the viewpoint of
protecting Federal interests.
What I am afraid Of" he said,
sis that the voteless people of the
District may not get a fair deal
"A busy little Tom Blanton type
could do as much harm under this
plan as under the present commits
sion form of government.
Its called home rule, but there
can be no real home rule unless the
people of the District have repre-
sentation in the Senate and House
and can vote for President" Mr..
Suter insisted that the Constitu-
ton guarantees protection for Fed
eral interests In the District, re-
gardless of the Auchincloss plan,
but national representation, he de-
clared, is the only real safeguard
for the District.
Galloway Emissions Economies.
DR.. Galloway, in answering ques-
tions, declared he believed the local
suffrage" provided in the plan will
prove stepping stone to national
representation" To Gen. Grant S
criticisms of District costs, he de-
clared great economies would be
effected through the streamlining
of the present hodge-podg setup
of the District government"
John Nicholas Brown, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy for Air, and
1t. Gen. Raymond A. Wheeler, chief
of Army engineers, were announced
as new honorary members of the
committee. Active members added
since the last meeting are John A.