Evening star., 1948-08-08
Congress Fails
ToAct on ANY
D. Measures
Leaders Planning
To Press for EMIy
Passage in 1949
By Harold B. Rooers

The special session of Congress
ended last night without enacting
q single piece Of District legislation
but District leaders on Capitol Hill
predicted the city's financial dilem-
ma, pay raises for municipal work
ers and home rule for Washington
would receive attention early in the
Eighty-flrst Congress next year.
Attempts to finance pay raises
for District employees failed in the
special session despite efforts in
both the Senate and House. But
study will be given in the Congress
convening January 3, to taxation
for funds to provide salary in
creases retroactive to July /, this
year.
District workers were denied
raises granted Federal workers when
a proposed combination Sales-in-
come tax to provide funds for such
city increases was blocked by Sena-
tor Johnston, Democrat. of South
Carolina. He threatened to fill.
buster against this measure again
IN the special session, and it was
not called up.
Loan Bills Failed.
Bills were introduced in both
the House and Senate to authorize
a Federal loan to the District from
the Federal government to meet
such pay raise costs. But these
never got out of the House and
Senate District committees.
Federal workers here in the clas-
sified service are receiving an in
crease of $3.50 a year and postal
workers $3.50 a year. Some en-
ployes of Federal agencies paid out
Of District revenues also are getting
the $3.50 one-y6ar raise.
Far-reaching legislation to affect
all Federal workers here by reclas-
sification and changing their pay
scales was introduced in the spe-
cial session by Chairman LANCER
Of the Senate Post Office and Civil
Service Committee. 1t will come
up for hearings and action early in
the new Congress, the North Da-
kota Republican announced.
Three Bills Printed.
The reclassification and pay scale
legislation in the form of three
separate bills has been printed and
will be available, Senator Langer
said, for study by all persons con-
cerned before Congress takes up the
new problem presented.
Pay raises for city workers will
be the first things considered by
both House and Senate leaders
handling municipal problems when
Congress convenes.
This was promised last night by
both Chairman Bates and Cain Of
the House and Senate District Sub
committees on District Affairs.
Senator Cain. Republican, of
Washington, continues in Congress
next session for the third year of
his six-year term and already is
laying plans for action on District
affairs. He plans to make study
OF city finances and probably will
champion the sales tax as one of the
best answers to the deficit facing
the city.
Bates Up for Reelection.
Representative Bates, Republican,
of Massachusetts,, like all other
members of the House, is up for
reelection in November, but his
friends confidently predict he will
be returned to his seat.
If he returns, Mr.. Bates has said
he will concentrate first on the seri-
GUS financial situation facing the
District. Under the seniority sys-
tenn in Congress he would become
chairman of the House District
Committee succeeding Representa-
tive Dirksen, Republican. of Illinois.
Mr.. Dirksen is not running for re-
election because Of his health. He
retires from Congress when the
Eightieth Congress dies early in
January.
Mr.. Bates, believing that there
should be more efficiency in Con-
gressional handling of city affairs,
said he favors home RUE for the
District. He said he voted in the
House for the Auchincloss bill for
a reorganized municipal government.
He hopes to see 1t enacted by the
next Congress.
Joint Committee Urged.
Another proposal for more eff
cheney in Congressional handling of
city affairs, Mr.. Bates believes,
would be a consolidation of all four
committees on Capitol Hill handling
District affairs.
While the Auchincioss Home Rule
bill provides for joint Congress
sional committee on the District, Mr..
Bates said that he hopes to get
consideration for a bill he will in
troduce in the new Congress for a
different kind of Joint committee
His bill would put into one unit the
House and Senate District Commit
tees handling legislative matters and
the District subcommittee of the
House and Senate Appropriations
committees which handle the budget.
With this one unit said Mr.
Bates. I'VE could tackle the problems
of the District and solve them in
the same place"
The Massachusetts, legislator was
not ready to discuss in detail the
differences between his proposal and
that Of the home rule bill for a
reorganization of the congressional
committees.
Bill to Be Reintroduced.
Representative AuchincloSs, Re.
publican, of New Jersey, author OF
the home-rule bill. said he planned
to reintroduce a revised version oi
1t early in the new Congress. Dur
ing the summer he expects to care
fully study the document Of more
than l80 pages to make some re.
finements" in the measure.
These changes, he explained
would probably be more in the ma.
ture of perfecting the bill, but pre-.
dicted that the general purpose anc
intent of the measure to give limitee
self government to Washington ane
reorganize the city government
would be retained.