Evening star., 1947-01-25
Offers
Revised Charter
Commission Bill
5 Men, 2 Women
Named to Study
Plan for District
By Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, has introduced his bill
for a Federal City Charter Com
which would be authorized
to recommend city council-city
manager form of local government.
The measure authorizes -expend-
iture of $4,000 to establish and
operate such a commission to con-
sist of five men and two women,
who are named.
They are directed to prepare
within one year charter to provide
for city council and city man
ager to be appointed by the council.
The charter would be sent to Con-
gress for approval. If approved, it
would be submitted to a referendum
of the people of the District.
One important change from the
bill introduced in the last Congress
was made by Senator McCarran.
He struck from the former measure
a provision requiring that mot less
than one-third Of the city council
would be appointed by the President,
with advice and consent of the
Senate, and the remainder elected
by popular vote" 0
Goes to d. C. Committee
This elimination, it was explained,
leaves wide open the question of
how the city council would be
chosen. The charter commission
would be given authority.
under this new measure, to make
its own decision on this point and
submit it to Congress. Some objec-
tion had been registered last year
to the previous requirements on
selection of the council. !
The measure was referred to the
Senate District Committee, instead
of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
which considered the senator's
earlier city charter bill.
New emphasis has been given to
the Importance of local suffrage as
an issue in this Congress by leaders
of both the House and Senate Dis
trict Committees.
Chairman Dirksen, on the House
Committee stressed the problem as
one of such Importance he was
setting up a special subcommittee
on home rule to deal with 1t, even
though no measure was pending.
Later Chairman Buck OF the
Senate District Committee announc-
ed he would follow the Dirksen line
of subcommittee and name similar
units, including one on home rule.
He may do this early next week.
Study Begun.
Representative Auchincloss, Re-
publican, of New Jersey, Chairman
of the House Subcommittee on home
rule, said today he already had be-
gun a careful study OF the organl-
cation of the District and the pro-
posals for local suffrage advanced
in the past. No local suffrage legis-
lation has been introduced so lar
in the House.
Senator McCarran said he offered
the proposed legislation to give the
people of the District a chance to
set up a charter, if they Wish.,
Members of the proposed City
Charter Commission named IN the
new bill are the same as those IN
the former measure. They are:
Renah Camalier, attorney, who
formerly was counsel to the Senate
District Committee; Wilbur S. Finch.
former president of the Federation
Of Citizens Associations, and now
president of the Central Suffrage
Woolsey w. Hall, presi-
dent of the Federation of Civic As
Jesse B. Manbeck, presi-
dent of Columbia Typographical
Union (AFL), who is secretary OF
the Central Suffrage Conference;
Joseph c. McGarraghy, president OF
the Washington Board of Trade;
Mrs. Louis Gutenberg, and Mrs.
Charles Weston, leaders in women's
organizations of the city.
Could Levy Taxes.
Authority of the proposed coun-
Gil would include "the power to levy
taxes, and the power to authorize
expenditure of city funds"
The preliminary Charter Commits
sion would be set up as a corpora
ton to handle its own funds, and
do necessary business. 1t would have
a life of two years, unless earlier
dissolved by an act of Congress.
This measure is entirely different
from a previous home rule bill in
troduced by Senator McCarran in
1943. That bill would have given
Washington home rule with an
elected board of seven commits
sioners. and a city manager. The
commissioners, elected from seven
wards laid out ON the basis Of a
census map, would have appointed
the city manager for six-year term
at $4,000 a year, subject to Senate
confirmation. Each elected commits
sioner would have received $1,000