Evening star., 1947-12-09
District Warned
Home-RuIe Plan
Might Not Pass
Drive Mapped After
RoIIy Is Told Selling
Job Must Be Done
By Don S. Warren

AAoA4AO u4C PAoA& 4ll1SIlt 1d1l Ill
Congress unless District resi-
dents demonstrate they really
want 1t, suffrage leaders today
were mapping a campaign for
its adoption.
Appeals to individual members OF
Congress and the holding ef some
kind of a citizens referendum were
among suggested moves.
General Endorsement of the pro-
posal for an elected city govern
ment, as outlined by the Home
Rule Subcommittee of the House
District Committee, was voted at a
rally staged last night by the Cen
trail Suffrage Conference at the In.
terror Department Auditorium.
Stimulated by congressional warn
ings that there is a big selling job
yet to pe done, the meeting OF
about 125 persons also voted au-
thority for the conference trustees
to wage an active campaign for
approval. Details were left to be
worked out.
Bills Not Yet Framed.
Although the House subcommittee
has outlined its plan in 3O,000-word
report, the plan yet is to be reduced
to legislative bills. Public hearings
are planned by the subcommittee
after bills are introduced in the
regular session Of Congress in Janu-
ary.
Four members of the Auchincloss
Subcommittee who are supporting
the self-government proposals and
who attended the meeting were
agreed the District must make a
convincing demonstration If 1t likes
the charter plan.
Representative Deane. Democrat
OF North Carolina bluntly told the
gathering:
II am not too enthusiastic over the
chances Congress will approve our
plan, even though I consider it well
organized and well thought out.
About rs per cent of the people
OF Washington who have come to see
me say they don't want home rule
and are satisfied with what we have
got here"
Action Urged on Supporters.
Seeking to spark fighting spirit
among suffrage advocates, Mr.. Deane
continued: "If you are interested in
any type of home rule, you should
become aggressively active in its
cause" He made clear that much
of the selling job must be done by
District residents.
He said that some members of
the District Committee itself are
opposed to the home rule proposal,
though they haven't attended our
meetings and don't know what they
are talking about"
Representative Allen, Republican,
of California, said he was mot so
pessimistic" about the chances of
congressional approval. But he also
counseled that those interested
should be active In crystalizing
sentiment.
Representative McGarvey, Repub-
hcan, Of Pennsylvania said he thinks
the people of Washington ought to
do some hustling." The subcom-
mittee is working hard, he con-
tinued, "but their plan will need
some pushing"
Jones Sees Selling Job.
Representative Jones, Republican,
of Washington said he is inclined
to agree with Mr. Deane and
stressed the need. for selling the
plan" to the people and to Congress.
Mr.. Deane said he had seen no
indications of any organized lobby
ing campaign" directed against the
home rule move. He said there is
q need for lot Of citizen group
meetings 'to generate fighting
spirit"
Wilbur S. Finch, president of the
conference, declared, What we
need Is a referendum"
The Auchincloss Subcommittee
considered, but has laid aside, q
proposal to require formal refer
endum vote by citizens before the
plan became effective. The reason
given was that under the Constitu-
ton it is the exclusive responsibility
of Congress to legislate for the Ma
tional Capital.
Plan Outlined.
The rally opened quietly with a
lengthy outline of the home rule
plan, as now revised, by DR.. George
B. Galloway, Library of Congress
legislative expert and staff director
to the subcommittee.
He told of the plans for a council
Of II, an elected school board and
a streamlined and departmentalized
city government, with most execu-
tive functions centered in city
manager. Government under the
present commission form, he said
Is incredibly complicated, confused
and cumbersome.
Harry s. Wender. Suffrage Con-
ference trustee and chairman of the
District Recreation Board, protested
the proposed $1,000 salary of council
members would be too low. He also
questioned whether one meeting a
week for the council would be sufh-
cinet for the work.
Spokesman for the United Public
Workers of America (CIO) raised
questions Of minority representation
and bans on race segregation. On
the latter point DR.. Galloway told
Mary Maring Of Local 10, UPWA,
that the Auchincloss plan had gone
to the printer before the release
of the Presidents Committee on
Civil Rights. The subcommittee, he
said, is still open to suggestion.
Proposed Transfer Questioned.
j. c. Turner, a conference trustee
and member of the Home Rule
Subcommittee Of the Central Labor
Union (AFI), questioned the rea-
soning behind proposals to abolish
the Minimum Wage and Unemploy-
ment Compensation Boards and to
transfer their work to the director
Of a labor department.
A spokesman for the Hillcrest
Citizens Association asked why the
new fiscal formula proposed in the
Auehincloss report called for using
tax rate of $1.75 in measuring the
size Of the Federal payment to the
District whereas r,riyafe nrona,.tx