Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-26
Home Rule Backers
Cheered by Truman S
Letter on Subject
Continued From First Page

Continued From First PageD
out, the House hearings will ent
tomorrow. He said he plans II
call all remaining witnesses whit
insist on oral testimony and asl
others to file statements but tina
he will not arbitrarily cut of
hearings, if additional witnesSe
demand to be heard.
Sure People Want 1t.
President Truman. in his lettel
to the Speaker, expressed hope tina
the House would complete legis-
lative action on a home-rule bill
so he might sign it into law be.
fore the end of this session.
Il am sure that the great
majority of the people of Wash
ington want home rule" the
President said.
Il am equally sure that they
ought to have it without further
delay. I hope that the House will
not adjourn this session without
completing action on this i'm
portant measure"
Mr.. Truman noted the Kefauv-
er bill passed by the Senate May
81 has three major purposes:
!. To relieve Congress las much
as possible of the burden of Dis
trict affairs without surrendering
it's constitutional powers.
2. To create representative 10
cal government chosen by quail
fed electors.
3. To provide an efficient and
economical government for the
District.
Takes Up Time of Congress.
Voicing approval of all these OBJ
jectives the President said:
1T is little short of fantastic
that the Congress of the United
States should-as it now does
devote a substantial percentage of
its time to acting as a city council
for the District"
On this point, he noted that,
during the past two years, when
Congress was confronted with
many major problems of national
and international Importance 1t
had to find time to deal with such
District matters as parking lots,
regulation of BARRIERS, removal of
street distractions and an appro-
priation for the Police Depart
ment.
Representative MCMILLAN said
he had no comment to make as
yet on the Presidents letter. He
said it would be up to the Dis
trict Committee Ito take what
action it wants to take" on the
home-rule issue.
Representative Harris. Demo-
crat, of Arkansas. head of the
subcommittee handling home rule.
when informed of the Presidents
statement, said his group had
asked for suggestions and Ger
tainly" would be glad to receive
those from the President.
To Be Entered in Transcript.
Mr.. Harris said he would be
glad to include the Presidents
statement in the transcript Of the
hearings of the House subcommit-
tee.
The President is a very impor-
tant part of the Government" he
added. He has his duties and
responsibilities to make recon-
mendations that he deems advis-
able, just as the subcommittee and
the full District Committee have
their own responsibilities to study
and report on issues, and to do
what they think best under the
circumstances.
But he said he believes it very
strange that the President would
send up special message at this
particular time on this particular
subject on which a House sub
committee is about to conclude it's
hearings" |
us there some particular pres
sure group trying to pressure
somebody into action?" he asked.
Says Efficiency Praised.
Noting that the President had
expressed a desire for more eff.
Gent and economical District
Government, Mr.. Harris said he
had not heard any witness say
that the District did not have an
efficient government.
Everybody who said anything
on the subject has been high in
praise of it's efficiency" Mr.. Harris
said.
IF there is any great hurry
about doing something about city
efficiency" he added,
IT assume the President could use
his reorganization powers to bring
about more governmental efh-
cheney"
Representative league. Demo-
crat, of Texas, member OF the
Harris subcommittee, said fatty:
IT am not going to vote for any
home rule like that proposed In
the Kefauver bill, or in the Mar
cantonio bill, or in the Auchin-
Gloss bill
He said he would vote for a
Constitutional amendment that
would give the District complete
home rule" or for a move to cede
the nongovernmental portion OF
the District back to Maryland.
Mr.. league said that, unless
some such steps were taken. he
did not believe that Congress
could get rid of the exclusive leg
islation" responsibility over the
District that the Constitution
places on Congress.
Against Reporting Bills.
He said he thinks the District
has "darned good government
and that he does not propose te
vote to report any of the pending
bills out of the subcommittee OF