Evening star., 1948-05-09
Home Rule Bill
Faces Battle 10
Avert FiIibuster
ProceduruI Contest
Expected Tomorrow
In House Committee
By Don S. Warren

A hot fight is expected tomor-
row before the House Rules
Committee on the Auchincloss
bill for an elected and reorgan-
ized District Government.
Both sponsors and opponents OF
the charter bill are prepared for a
battle over a request of leaders of
the District Committee for special
rule for House consideration to keep
it from being fllibustered to death
on the House floor.
Authors of the measure were con-
fident they would get a green light
from the Rules Committee, on the
ground that the House should have
real chance to vote on the home
rule issue. Opponents, however.
served notice they would fight the
bill at every step.
Joint Hearings Set on Sales Tax.
Another major District issue
additional taxes to meet an impend-
ing big revenue deficit-comes up
for joint House-Senate hearings
Wednesday and Thursday on the
proposed adoption of per cent
sales levy.
This also is expected to stir up a
contest, although increasing num-
bers of members of Congress have
voiced acceptance of the sales tax
as the only adequate and practical
means OF raising the extra millions
needed.
Representative SABBATH, Democrat.
of Illinois, ranking minority MEM
ber of the House Rules Committee.
Yesterday promised to support the
move for a reasonable limit on
House debate on the charter meas
ure.
"A Lot of People Are Afraid"
"I think the members of the
House should have chance to vote
on the BILL" he said. Mr.. SABBATH
said he was not familiar with all the
provisions of the measure and had
been advised that "a lot of people
are afraid of it." But he concluded
the House should have its chance
to decide.
The home rule plan will be sup
ported by number of District COM
mitteemen, including Chairman
Dirksen, Chairman Auchincloss OF
the Home Rule subcommittee and
Representative Allen, Republican, OF
California, one of it's authors.
Representative Mcmillan, Demo-
crat, of South Carolina, former
chairman of the District group, is
expected to lead the opposition.
While House rules are much more
rigid than those of the Senate, as to
debating time, it is possible to talk
bill to death on District days since
each member recognized may spak
for an hour-unless special rule is
adopted.
Limit on Debate Sought.
Under the procedure requested
of the Rules Committee, general
debate in the House would be limited
to one or two hours each for sup
porters and opponents. This would
be followed by reading of the bill
for amendments, with five minutes
allowed for each member proposing
or opposing a suggested change.
Under the plan, also, points OF
order would be waived to prevent
disastrous delays from moves to
rewrite and expand the report on
the home rule bill to include long
sections of existing laws that are
mentioned in the charter bill.
Representative Bates, Republican.
of Massachusetts,, chairman of the
fiscal subcommittee of the District
Committee. came out last night in
favor of creation of joint District
Committe of Congress to take
charge of all city legislation, revenue
and budget matters.
This is one of the proposals OF
the charter plan for limited home
rule. Mr.. Bates said he was having
a separate bill drawn up for this
objective and would push for its
enactment should Congress fail to
pass the charter bill at this session
"As 1t is now," Mr.. Bates said
general city legislation is consid-
cred by the House and Senate Dis
j (See D. C LEGISLATION, P. A-5.)