Evening star., 1947-04-30
Views on Home Rule
Daylight Saving Bill Seen as Embodyine That
Principle for Washington

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slider from the District? oh. We have
had bill to regulate the hours Of bar
bers in the District. We have had one
Tor the undertakers. We have a bill
10 get rid OF the starlings In Washing
ton. I can tell you how to get rid OF the
English sparrows, but not over this
microphone. Yes, we have a bill to re-
quire sanitary straws In the District.
Now it Is ridiculous that all of those
little matters-I call them chicken-feed
bills-should come before the Congress
for decision. 1t takes time of the COM
mittee and it takes the time OF this Con-
gress. But the Commissioners must
bring all these little problems to the
Congress. If you believe in the right
of home rule and that the Commits
sioners should handle the affairs of the
District. and If you believe that they
ought to have the right to hold hear
ings on whether or not the District
should have dayiight-saving time, then
you should have no objection to this bill.
Personally, would be opposed to bill
OF this sort in the western part of my
State because my people do not want it,
but If they did, would support it.
Mr.. Brehm (of Ohio. The first speech
ever attempted to make on the floor of
this Congress was against daylight
Ing time, because the people of Ohio did
not want it. 1t was a definite hardship
upon those people. also helped to vote
the repeal of daylight-saving time. I
also voted against this bill two weeks ago
today. However, 1t was different propo-
yza upf fhaf ;,l,
Is before us today. Today we are simply
saying that the people of the District
shall have right to determine the mat
ter for themselves. and who am I OK
who Is any member of this Congress t.
say they shall not have that right?
Therefore, 1 now reverse my position. I
am still opposed to daylight saving in
my district and State, but I would not
deny any one the right to decide on 1t
himself. Therefore, shall vote for the
bill.
Mr.. Edwin Arthur Hall (of New York..
The issue, as some gentlemen have said,
goes much further into the scheme of
things OF our representative form OF
government. AS one who has always
been violently partisan as. far as the
csampioning of the rights of men and
women all over the country to enjoy
their privilege Of participating in rep
resentative form Of government, T feel
that the time has come for us to con-
slider representative government in the
District OF Columbia, which I believe is
the only place in the entire country that
does not enjoy such constitutional
privilege. I want to 60 on record here
today as being in favor of the nearly
100000 inhabitants of the District of
Columbia who are good, patriotic Amer
leans and who are able to decide for
themselves the vital issues they are
concerned with. think the Congress is
making history by taking this position
1t Is evidencing its interest in the same
Kind OF government which we have back
In our home districts in every township,
county and subdivision of government,
In the various States, and, finally, in
the Federal Government itself. It is a
challenge-and I believe this question
presents the very beginning of that
challenge-that 100000 inhabitants of
the District OF Columbia, now voteless,
now without any expression of opinion
In government, now without any oppor-
tunity to rule themselves-this question
goes to the heart of this issue. Home rule
and representative government 20 hand
in-hand. Home rule is the issue which
already the people Of the United States
nave decided upon and which they feel
ought to be given to themselves. Finally,
when residents of the District of Column
bia obtain that blessed privilege Of rep
resenting themselves, I believe that the
problem OF constitutional government in
the United States will be solved,
Mr.. Abernethy tof Mississippi). Al
though member of the District Com
mlttee, 1t is very seldom that I make
statement on the floor of this House
with reference to District legislation.
But I have feeling in my heart about
this matter and cannot pass the oppor-
tunity to make a short statement.
I have served on the Committee on
the District of Columbia for about four
years. I have enjoyed that service. For
that service the members of the District
Committee, except from the District citi-
zens themselves, receive no praise. I
have thought several times of resigning
from the committee but it is lob that
somebody in this Congress has to do
ana there are not many of you that want
to do it. IT you had been sent to this
Congress to represent the people OF the
District of Columbia, by the votes of the
people of the District of Columbia, we
would not have spent three minutes on
this little bill today; not three minutes. I
just want you to quietly ask yourselves,
not your neighbors, but just ask your
selves this question: If I had been sent
to this Congress by the votes of the peo-
pie of the District of Columbia, what
would I do with this bill?
see no harm and no wrong in the
commissioners of the District, after call
ing in the residents of the District. de-
termining themselves whether or not
they should have daylight saving time.
What is wrong with it?
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