Evening star., 1948-01-27
By Nelson M. Shepard

Sharpe Hits "AbdlcatlOn."
Chairman C. Melvin Sharpe, busi-
ness1nan and member Of the Board
Of Education, expressed the view
point of most Of the 80 men and
women attending the report meet
ing, when he declared:
"The Auchincloss report is a COM
plete abdication of responsibility by
the Federal Government"
Mr. Sharpe broke into another
discussion to explain the commit
tees report does not deny the home
rule idea but only limits it," He
added that it opposed turning
everything over to a general man
ager.
In summarizing its report, the
committee said it opposes the home
rule provisions of the bill that would
transfer from Congress to a locally
elected council the principal re-
sponsibility for legislation for the
District Government, limited only
by the veto of Congress when in
session and the veto of the Presi-
dent"
Representation Endorsed.
While on the subject of home rule,
the Committee of 100 declared that
Justice to local citizens" calls for
the right of District residents to
vote for national representation in
Congress and for the President.
THE committee recognizes the de-
sire to render justice to the resi-
dents and taxpayers of the District"
the report said, land realizes that
the instructions under which the
preliminary report (of the House
subcommittee was prepared pre-
cluded discussion of suffrage other
than for home rule. f
But the committee submits that
the principal act of justice for resi-
dents of the District who do not
maintain citizenship in any of the
States or Territories, would be to
confer on them the right to vote for
representation in Congress and for
the President of the United States.
For no principle of justice is in
volved by transferring Federal re-
sponsibility and imposing 1t upon
the resident citizens Of the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Gwen If all or part of the citizens
were willing to accept these re-
sponsibilities, with the accompany
ing financial obligations, this would
in no way justify Congress in the
REIMBURSEMENT of the direct duty
and power entrusted to it by the
Constitution"
Vote is 13 to ).
A bare quorum of the committee
adopted the report by vote of 13 to
3, after some sharp dissents. Most
active opponent was Mrs. c. D. Lowe
of the District Federation of Wom-
ems Clubs.
Opposition to the proposal to elect
the Board of Education, now ap-
pointed by the District Court JUS
tices, was expressed in the committee
report. Mrs. Lowe demanded a
separate vote, protesting: II don't
see how we could be opposed to an
elected school board" She failed to
reverse the action of the committee.
Col. A. B. Barber of the United
States Chamber of Commerce was
chairman of the committee that
drew up the report. 1t will be SUBJ
miuted by tomorrow to the House
District Subcommittee on Home Rule
and Reorganization in the District
as representing the views OF the
Committee of 100. Others associated
with Col. Barber, who explained 1t,
were Fischer Black, Robert Woods
Bliss, John A. Danaher, Mrs. Henry
Grattan Doyle, Joshua Evans, jr.;
John Ihlder, E. D. Merrill and
Horace Peaselee.
Serving as -officio members were
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III, Miss
Harlean James and Mr.. Sharpe.
The Committee of 100 is an agency
of the American Planning and Civic
Association, and for a quarter of a
century it has stressed the Federal
responsibility for Washington.
Fair u. S. Share Advocated.
A high light of the report was ad-
vocacy of a requirement that the
Federal Government pay the same
tax rate on its property in the Dis
trict as private property owners.
AN adequate Federal share OF the
budget of the Federal City Is the
crux of a fair financial setup," 1t
contended.
II also opposed provisions in the
bill by which the District budget, in
cluding the Federal contribution,
would be adopted by locally elect
ed council and advocated continued
congressional responsibility for adop-
tion of the District budget.
The $4,000, 900 Federal share in
the current appropriation may be
inadequate, the report stated, but
it is more liberal than in recent
years.
Because the Federal Government
actually owns more than 40 per cent
of the area of the District, the COM
mittee said it believes that any fair
formula will define the area actually
used by the Federal Government
and LIN computing the Federal share,
Federal property will be assessed on
the same basis and at the same rate
as private property"
There is no reason why the Fed
ersl Government should not pay its