Evening star., 1948-01-18

This subject is beyond the scope OF
the District committees. The new
charter measure, therefore, does not
touch these questions.
The delegation of powers to the
elected city government necessarily
would be limited. Congress, under
it's constitutional responsibilities,
would retain its ultimate authority
over the District where 1t has exclu-
sive legislative powers.
Any member of Congress would
be free, as now, to introduce bills
affecting the District in any way.
Legislative proposals of the District
council, or resulting from initiative
procedures, would be subject to vote
by either the House or Senate, or by
the President. In addition, the
charter Is, subject to amendment or
repeal by Congress through the ira
ditional legislative process.
Congress Could Intervene.
II Congress didn't like the new
system or the performance, it could
Immediately or at any future date
wipe out the whole system of dele
gated self-government and restore
the appointed commissioner plan, or
set up plan of its own choosing.
While broad powers would be
granted the elected council, all of
its legislative acts-beyond the level
of local ordinances such as are con-
ferred on municipal councils else
where in the United States-would
be subject to legislative or presi-
Dental review. Only loca. ordi-
nances of the character now vested
in the Board Of Commissioners would
become Immediately effective with
out reference to Congress.
Legislative proposals Of general
character-tax acts are specifically
listed-would have to be submitted
by the council to the new Congress
sional Joint Committee on the Dis
trict, to lie before Congress for 80
days of sessions. If either House or
Senate within that time adopted a
resolution of objection, the councils
act Legislative proposaD would be
vetoed.
If Congress failed to veto, the
measure then would 60 to the White
House, where the President would
have 10 additional days to veto or
let it become law.
Two major object1ves stand out
in the voluminous report of the
Home Rule Subcommittee of the
House District Committee, author OF
the pending charter bill now await
ing House hearings and action. One
is to relieve Congress of the task
of acting as "city council" for the
District without giving up essential
overriding controls. The other Is
to extend the democratic system to
the daily management Of this big
city.
subcommittee Statement.
The House subcommittee, headed
by Representative Auchincloss. Re-
publican, of New Jersey, believes 1t
has found the answer. As to the
proposed delegation of powers and
the new legislative proposal system,
it declares in its report to Congress:
This device retains essential con-
troll by Congress and the President
over legislation for the District. AS
it may for the Territories of the
United States, Congress could at
any time void any legislation for
the District, including ordinances
which. under this proposal, are not
subject to routine review.
Congress could, as at present,
initiate any legislation of any char
acter for the District because, under
the Constitution, it is the supreme
legislative authority.
by delegating the initiative to
the District, Congress will for the
most part confine its attention to
matters of major substance and then
only to insure that the proposed
legislatiorr~is not in conflict with
Federal interests in the District as
the Nations Capital.
"The locale for laborious sitting OF
the annual grist of District bills will
be shifted from the present stand
ing committees of the House and
Senate to the legislative body OF the
District government"
The job Of Congress, the repor'
emphasizes, would be to serve as an