Evening star., 1948-04-22
Home Rule Bill
Faces Changes
In Committee
Further Meetings
To DeIoy Action for
About q Week
By Don S. Warren

n WCCh VA uCldy Ill x1ouCC |lo-
trict Committee action and moves
for amendments today faced spon-
sors of the Washington home rule
bill but left them still optimistic as
to the final result.
In sight were at least two prob
able amendments. One would strike
the proposed dual voting rights"
and the other would put heavier
restraints on bonded debt provi-
sions.
For a variety Of reasons the mea-
sure yesterday failed to get decisive
committee action. Most important
was the fact the revised bill runs to
173 pages and contains a multitude
of details as to the administration
Of big city. On this point, District
Committee Chairman Dirksen COM
mented: 1T will have to be a labor
Of patience"
For four solid hours yesterday
the District Committee scrutinized
the bill. The group got through six
Of the "a titles of the measure for a
first review, but the points remained
subject to re-reading later for
amendments.
Next Meeting Monday.
Committee leaders said it probably
would require three or four addi-
tional meetings before a final COM
mittee vote could be taken. The next
committee meeting will be at 10 IN.
Monday.
Chairman Dirksen told reporters
ne is mot unhappy" over the situa-
ton. since it Is recognized the bill
is long and complicated, especially
for committeeman who had not kept
current with the multitude of details
and subcommittee changes.
He added that he sees no reason
to believe the bill will not receive
final sanction of the full committee.
Representative OHara, Repub-
lican, of Minnesota, as yet unclassi-
fed as either an opponent or pro-
ponent of the bill, said he would
offer or support an amendment to
limit voting rights here under the
proposed elected city administration
to persons actually domiciled in the
District.
The bill, as reported from the
Auchincloss subcommittee, would
permit persons otherwise qualified
and resident here for at least a year,
but claiming legal domicile in one
of the States, to vote in the election
of city councilmen and members OF
the Board of Education.
Harris Opposes Dual Voting.
Representative Harris, Democrat,
Of Arkansas, told reporters later the
voting plan seems very compli-
Gated" He added that he thought
the bills authors were being more
idealistic than realistic" He said it
appeared to him that q resident
should owe allegiance to one place
or to another, and that he shouldn't
be allowed to vote In two places.
Representative -Abernethy, Demo-
crat, of Mississippi said he recog-
nized that a lot of people resident
here for years claim legal domicile
in their home States. His comment
was that it might be fair to let these
people have a participation in Dis
trict affairs but added that the dual
voting right might prove dangerous
in some legal aspects.
Representative Bates, Republican,
of Massachusetts,, who heads the
fiscal subcommittee of the District
Committee, and is the prospective
new chairman of the full commit
tee next year, is planning an
amendment on the finance phases
of the bill. The revised measure
would cut the maximum bonded
debt from 10 to per cent Of the
assessed value of the taxable real
property in the District.
Specific Debt Favored.
Mr.. Bates said he would be in
clined to strike this provision and
substitute one permitting issuance
of bonds for specific permanent i'm
provement projects. under posi-
tive limitation but not under a
plan which would require full
year Of delay before the funds
could be provided.
Representative Auchincloss, Re-
publican, of New Jersey. leading the
drive for enactment OF the home
rule plan, told reporters he is very
much encouraged by the construc-
tive interest displayed" at yester-