Evening star., 1949-01-30
DC. Democrats
Draft Suffrage
Bill for McGrath
Kefuuver Presses
For Action by April
On Home Rule Plan
By Jerry O'Leory, Jr.


The District Democratic Gen.
trail Committee, at the request
of Chairman McGrath of the
Senate District Committee, has
prepared a bill to grant voteless
Washington local suffrage.
This was disclosed last night by
A. L. Wheeler, chairman of both the
Central Committee and the organi-
zation's suffrage subcommittee. The
bill, which the subcommittee ex-
poets to complete this week, will be
handed to Senator McGrath a week
from tomorrow when he returns
from Florida.
Meanwhile, it is known that chair
man Kefauver of the Home Rule and
Reorganization Subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee, is await
ing home rule bill which he hopes
to have ready for Senate action by
April l. The Senator plans to hold
two sets of hearings prior to this
date, but both would be brief.
Referendum Provided.
Major provisions of the home ruls
or local suffrage bill of the Demo-
cratic committee are as follows:
l. That referendum of all WASH
ington residents be held to see II
the majority favor local self-gov-
ernment.
2. That, if the referendum shows
the desire, city manager form Of
government be established here in
conjunction with a 12-man District
Council to be elected by residents.
The councilmen would have to be
domiciled here and all would be
elected at large.
3. That acts of the council would
be subject to reputation by the
Congress which could overrule local
decisions.
4. That the Senate and House
District Committees would continue
to function. Retention of the pro-
posed Congressional control would
conform to the Constitution and
make amendments unnecessary to
grant the District suffrage.
Put Local Suffrage First,
Mr.. Wheeler said the WASHINGTON
Democrats decided to omit any ref
erence to National representation
at this time to avoid the necessity
Tor amending the Constitution.
We decided it would be best To
hight all-out for local suffrage first"
Mr.. Wheeler said. I'VE felt that any
attempt to get National represen-
tatlon In the Senate and House
would raise collateral issues that
might defeat the entire project from
the outset"
The conversations between the
Rhode Island Senator, who is also
chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, and the Washing.
ton Democrats, began when Con-
gress was still attempting to fill
the Senate District Committee chair
manship.
Representatives of the Democratic
Central Committee went to Senator
McGrath and asked him to accept
the Craftsmanship because he al
ready was on record as favoring
local self-government for Washing
ton.
Others Considered Hostile.
The other eligible Senators
Johnston of South Carolina and
Sparkman of Alabama-were con-
sidered hostile to District suffrage.
When Senator McGrath accepted
the post, Mr.. Wheeler said, he
called the District Democrats and
asked them to prepare and sub
NIT q suffrage bill.
Mr.. Wheeler said the Democratic
Central Committee, which is COM
mitted to an intensive drive for
local self-government here, then
assigned the task of preparing the
bills to his Suffrage Subcommittee.
On the subcommittee with Chair
man Wheeler are j. C. Turner, Ger
hard Van Arkel, Benjamin C. Sigal
and Harry Bouvier. The finishing
touches on the 80-page bill will be
put on at an all-day meeting of
the subcommittee scheduled to be
held today at the home of Mr.. Van
Arkel.
House Bill Introduced.
A simplified and shortened Dis
trict home rule bill already has been
introduced in the House by Repre-
sentative Auchincloss, Republican,
of New Jersey. Last year, the Auch-
incloss plan survived tests in the
House District and Rules Commit
tees but failed of final action on the
House floor because of Southern
opposition.
This same opposition is present in
the new Congress except that the
opponents now are members of
the majority instead of the minority
party.