Evening star., 1949-01-25
Home Rule Bill
Report Certain,
KefauverSays
Newly Appointed
Chuirmon Studies
Record Of Hearings

kecoro or hearings
Assurances that q Washington
suffrage bill will be reported were
voiced today by Senator Kefauver,
Democrat, of Tennessee, chairman
Of the Home Rule and District
Reorganization Subcommittee Of
the Senate District Committee.
He was named chairman of the
unit late yesterday by Chairman
McGrath of the full District Com
mittee. Serving with him are Sena-
tors Nicely. Democrat, of West
Virginia and Margaret Chase Smith,
Republican. of Maine.
I'VE certainly are going to bring
out bill for home rule for Wash
ington," said Senator Kefauver.
He said he already is making q
study Of last years extensive joint
hearings on the subject and indi-
Gated Senate hearings this year
probably will be held to obtain
only supplemental material.
Revenue Studies Begin.
Studies of the Districts crucial
revenue needs also were instituted
today by members of the Senate
Committee. Senator Hunt, Demo-
crat, Of Wyoming, named chairman
of the Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee,
planned conferences with members
of the staff of the District Com
mittee for a review of last years
extensive hearings on the sales tax
and other revenue proposals.
Serving with him on the fiscal
group are Senator's Frear, Demo-
crat, of Delaware, and Schoeppel,
Republican, of Kansas.
While taking no final stand yet
for a sales tax here as q means Of
meeting the rising deficit forecasts,
Senator Hunt recalls that his State
has a 2 per cent sales levy that
affords no exemptions.
Senators Hunt, Frear and Schoep-
pei. by reason Of their places on
the Fiscal Subcommittee Of the leg
islative group, will serve as ex-
oficio. members of the Senate APP
propriations Committee for work
on the District budget.
McGrath Leaves City.
Assignment of District commit
teemen to subcommittee work was
announced late yesterday by Chair
man McGrath shortly before he left
the city for about two weeks. He
said he hopes the subcommittee
on Fiscal Affairs and Home Rule
will find it possible to go ahead
with their work promptly.
Senator Kefauver said he plans
to call a meeting Of the home rule
group soon to begin work on specific
plans. He anticipated that new
bill will be introduced in the Senate
and referred to his subcommittee
before hearings are scheduled.
A somewhat revised and stream
lined city suffrage measure has
been introduced in the House by
Representative Auchincloss, Repub-
lican, of New Jersey, author OF the
bill considered last year in the
House. How this and any similar
home-rule measure is to be handled
by the House District Committee
is to be charted at a session called
by Chairman Mcmillan for tomor-
row.
Favor d. C. Suffrage.
Both of Senator Kefauver's sub
committee colleagues have expressed
themselves in favor of suffrage.
Senator Neely is willing to give the
franchise to Washington on the
ground it would be lin harmony"
with the spirit of the times. Sem
ator Smith, while reserving judg-
ment on any specific plan, has
asserted the right Of every citizen
to suffrage, nationally and locally.
Senator Smith, although on the
minority party side, was named
chairman of one of the subcommit-
tees-that on Public Health, Educa-
ton and Recreation. In the past
Congress, when Republicans were in
control, District Committee Chair
man Buck named a Democrat, Sem
ator McGrath, to head one of the
subcommittee.
Other Assignments.
Serving with Mrs. Smith on the
Public Health group are Senator's
Miller, Democrat, of Idaho and
Hendrickson, Republican, OF New
Jersey.
Senator Nicely was designated
chairman Of the Subcommittee on
the Judiciary. The two other mem
bers are Senators Johnston, Demo-
crat, Of South Carolina and Nc
Carthy, Republican, of Wisconsin.
Senator Johnston heads the SUBJ
committee on Public Service, Streets
and Traffic. Other members are
Senators Miller and Mundt, Republic
can, of South Dakota.
Senator Frear was named chair
man Of the Subcommittee on Public
Utilities, Insurance and Banking.
Serving with him are Senators Hunt
and Williams. Republican. of Dela-
ware.