Evening star., 1947-01-09
Letters to The Star
Does Congress Share Mr.. Bilbo's
View of District Franchise?

Does Congress Share Mr.. Bilbo's
View of District Franchise?
To the Editor OF The Star:
The Senate War Investigating Com
mittee may have overlooked one thing
that some folks in Washington know
| is most important concerning Senator
Bilbo.
On December 10 The Star pub
| lished report by Mr.. Walsh regard
| ing the inspection of Senator Bilbo's
activities by the investigating COM
| mittee.
In one sentence Senator Bilbo said:
"They want Bilbo destroyed and un-
seated because of my convictions and
| ideologies" =.
Some people think the Senator has
un-American convictions and ideolo-
| gies.
An example was reported In The
Star on December 10. 1945. 1T was a
conversation between Senator Bilbo and
a group of Washington leaders
A spokesman for the Federation of
Citizens Associations said concerning
bill which was likely to be passed: ''If
the citizens do not want it, the bill
should not be enacted"
Senator Bilbo replied: IT take issue
with that statement. It is not the
question of what the people want, but
what is good for them.
For example, the people here want
the right to vote, but we know that it
is not good for them"
That statement is in direct opposition
to Abraham Lincoln's concept of the
American form of government.
President Lincoln said: mo man is
good enough to govern another with
out that others consent. I say this is
the leading principle, the sheet anchor
of American republicanism."
On November 5. the residents of
Washington held plebiscite on both
national and local suffrage. This
showed that District residents want ma
tional and local suffrage.
Why can't the new Congress, which
questions Senator Bilbo's convictions
and ideologies, grant Washingtonians
the right to vote for their President,
their Congressman, their mayor and
their city councilmen?
DAVID r. MIDDLETON.
inexpensive Apartments Urged
To the Editor of The Star:
Recently read In The Star of the
numerous apartment buildings which
were to be erected in the near future,
and it made me wonder whether or not
they would be available to the class of
people who really are needing homes
at this time.
Washington is full of women Govern
ment employees who have worked long
and faithfully on small salaries and
I am sure they felt as did when they
heard large apartment building was
to be erected to house Federal employees,
and were just as disappointed as I was
to learn any one making less than
GAIA would not be permitted to live in
it, as the rents were entirely too high
for moderate income.
The need at present is to house the
servicemen and the people with small
incomes. Why can't some contractor
erect good substantial apartment
building, without enormous lounges the
full length of the apartment, marble
panels, powder rooms cafeteria, dining
room, etc, and rent the rooms at modest
rates? A small Office and lobby would
suffice. For the women provide bachelor
apartments, one large room, small
kitchen, bath and combined closet and
dressing room, unfurnished, so that we
who previously have had homes of our
own could have some familiar furniture
or selections of our own to express our
individuality. have talked to dozens
of women situated as T am, eachsl living
In one room because decent housing is
beyond our means.
I would greatly appreciate it if interest
could be aroused sufficiently to provide
such living quarters. Having lived here
five years without ''home" and taking
all of my meals "out" makes me more
than eager to find such place to live,
and the idea should appeal to some one
with business sense who wishes a good
return on his investment.
EDNA L. MADDUx.
Favors Fact-Finding Inquiries
To the Editor of The Star:
Permit me to urge early consideration
of so much of President Truman's mes
sage as is contained in point No.
relative to enactment of provisions
to promote fact-f1nding investigations
of prolonged labor disputes to ascertain
the causes of such disputes and the
reasons for their existence and contin-
uance.
When I was member of the Massa-
chusetts Board of Cancellation and
Arbitration, revised the section of the
statute to confer compulsory authority
upon the board to make such investiga-
tions In less than year the number
of strikes had abated 80 per cent and
both parties in dispute substantially had