Evening star., 1948-05-04
Home-Ru|e Bill
Approved, 14:8,
ByConnnnittee
Special House Action
To Be Sought Before
Next District Day
By Don S. Worren

py 1OH ,. warren
The House District Committee,
by a vote OF IA to 8, ordered a
favorable report today on the
Auchincloss bill for District
home rule.
7 The committee did not announce
how members voted on a roll call
on its final action. All but three
members of the 25-man group voted
or left proxies stating their position
Chairman Dirksen announced the
committee had given him authority
to take the legislation promptly be-
fore the House Rules Committee for
a special order for House consid-
Grafton of the charter bill, without
waiting for action at the next Dis
trict day.
The action came at l pm. fol-
lowing three hours of debate over
some important changes and the
question of favorable report.
Literacy Test Provided.
This was the fifth session of the
full committee, behind closed doors,
to consider the revised bill as
drafted by the Home Rule Subcom-
mittee, headed by Representative
Auchincloss. Republican, of New
Jersey.
Several important changes were
made in the bill at todays session.
One OF these is to insert a pro-
vision for nominal sort of literacy
test as a qualification for District
'-ters. This will require that a can
didate for the right to vote in CITY
elections shall make out a voters
registration form in his own hand
writing, without any assistance from
others, and that he sign the regis
tration certificate.
AS explained by Chairman Dirk
sen, this will not involve, by any
stretch OF the imagination, any test
such an an explanation of the
meaning of the Federal Constitution
or State Constitution. Such tests
are used in some of the States.
Referendum Set in November.
Another change. ordered in the
hnal session, would eliminate the
proposed fiscal formula for measur-
ing the size of the Federal payment
toward the Capital from the ref
erendum that is set as the final test
OF approval of the District charter
bill.
In other words, while the fiscal
formula was approved as a part of
the charter bill, 1t is to become i'm
mediately effective on passage of the
charter legislation by Congress, al
though the measure generally, with
this exception, Is TO be contingent
on approval by a majority of quail
fed District voters.
The referendum would be held
next November if the bill Is passed
by Congress and signed by the Pres
1dent before the end of this Con-
gress.
Dual Voting Left In.
Considerable debate developed to-
day over the so-called dual voting
plan" which would permit persons
living here for one year and other
wise qualified to vote in city cleo
tions even though they maintained
the claim to legal domicile in their
home States.
This provision was left in the
bill although the vote on this was
closer than on any other issue
debated in the full committee. Off,
cials said the dual voting plan was
retained by vote of II to IL.
The bill gives the District a linn
tied form of self-government while
still retaining all final authority in
Congress, in keeping with the con-
stitutional provisions.
1t would abolish the appointed
Board of Commissioners and set up
an elected council of II members
as the cjty's policy-making body.
The council would name a city
manager to take charge of all ad-
ministrative functions of the city
government generally. There would
be an elected Board of Education of
eight members, to succeed to all of
the powers and duties of the present
appointed School Board.