Evening star., 1948-02-09
Home Rule
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sNV4h~ y
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administration as one of the prim
objectives of the bill. The Glove
report stressed there were dezens O
examples at hand to illustrate "hov
petty" are many Of the municipa
problems laid before Congress eacl
year.
There are bills before you now,
the report continued, dealing with
such questions as the elimination
of starlings and a proposal tina
drinking straws be served only with
paper slip covers" ..$- E
The group maintained that Wash.
ington could elect people who
would do a better job than the Dis
trict Commissioners. If they do moi
do better Job, at least we will bs
able to turn them out mad try some
body else"
The Glover committee report
agreed that even the best plan fol
District government would be "se-
riously handicapped" unless II
assured Federal payment CON-
mensurate.. with Federal eresponsi-
bilities here?..
Calls Formula Inadequate.
1t called the proposed formuls
In the bill inadequate and set ur
as minimum requirement that
the theoritical tax rate to be used
in calculating the Federal tax
share should be the same as. ap-
piled to private propertyrsoWners
and that the Federal land base
should include not only ali Federal
lands and improvements here, bui
also those Of. foreign governments
here. .s4g
One earlyswitness was Frank Il
Jellef1, Washington merchant, who
said the measure presented "an ex.
cellent plan ana one that all Of the
people Of the District, should gel
behind" -
Referring to criticisms leveled al
the measure by some earlier wit
nesses, he said "if all the horrible
things happened that some say viii
result from this plan, it would cost
me a lot of money and a lot Of
taxes-but I am not afraid of that
Recalls Recent Plebiscite.
He recalled that the Board oi
Trade and its affiliate. the Junior
Board of Commerce, had recon-
mended that enactment of the
measure be made contingent on a
plebiscite vote by District people
There was a recent referendum on
the general election question of an
elected city government, he recalled
which indicated Washington wants
a voice in its government
when we hear people insisting
on another referendum" he con-
tinued, "it seems just like stalling.
If We are to be afraid Of this and
afraid of that and have to hold a
referendum on all these, we will
never get anywhere. @
II am not afraid the city will get
hopelessly In debt I think you In
Congress and we in the city are too
smart for that"
Not Afraid of Dictatorship.
"I am not afraid we will have a
dictator in the position of city MAN.
ager merely because he would serve
an unspecified term, for we could
get rid of him if we didn't like his
performance, and if we did like his
service. we could keep him as long
as possible"
Mr.. Jelleff said the city govern.
ment certainly needs streamlining'
and recalled that in one study after
another, such proposals have been
drafted. Referring to the recon-
mendations of commissioners
committee headed by former Cor
poration Counsel E. Barrett Pretty
man (now on the United States
Court of Appeals for the DISTRICT
the witness said this was a good
plan but that he never could find
any member of Congress who had
read it,
80 you can see we are making
progress" he said, referring to the
fact ne had drafted the pending
plan.
Fa ors National Representation.
Mr.. Jellef said he favored ma
tional representation for the Dis
trict, but contended the city suffrage
plan should not be delayed until
Congress granted the other.
Similar testimony was given by
Elmer Davis, radio commentator,
who headed the wartime Once OF
War Information; l.. Corrin Strong
property owner and business execu-
tive: and j. Bernard Wyckoff, mar
keting research employe of the Agri-
culture Department. formerly with
the Washington Housing Associa-
ton.
Mr.. Davis told the joint. commit
tee II am not an expert on mu-
nicipal government. I am merely
citizen who would like to vote"
Would Like Right to Vote.
Mr.. Davis said he was one of 6
large class of persons who hac
come here in recent years from
jurisdictions where they had beer
permitted to vote and would like
the same right in Washington.
He reminded them that should the
self government plan here prove
unsatisfactory. Congress could with
draw the whole scheme.
Chairman Auchincloss and other
members Of the congressional unit
asked him about the provisions fol-
o nonpartisan ballot which would
ban dissemination of information as
to the party affiliation Of a candi.
date. They vanted to know If thi,