Evening star., 1949-07-07
Home Ru|eP| an
Is Analysed at
House Heariinq
a Newspapers, Civic
Groups Give Views
On Kefuuver Bill
By Don S. Worren

proposals Tor a limited 10TH VA
home rule for the District were
subjected to critical analysis in
which both support and opposition
were registered at hearing today
before a House subcommittee.
Witnesses appearing before the
judiciary Subcommittee of the
House District Committee included
editors or spokesmen for the four
Washington newspapers and rep
resentatives of several civic groups.
They developed a wide variety OF
views on many aspects OF the plan
for an elected city government.
A sharp attack on the council
manager city government plan
came from Rufus S. Lusk, presi-
dent of the Taxpayers Association,
who declared in a prepared state
ment that substantial elements OF
Washington's population opposed
home rule.
Listing numerous groups that
have not spoken for local suffrage.
Mr.. Lusk declared their silence
is a shout
Graham Supports Bill.
B. M. McKelway. editor of The
Star, and Frank c. Waldrop.
editor in chief of the Times
Herald, appeared and expressed
belief that there would be no final
answer to the suffrage issue until
the District is given representation
in Congress.
Philip L. Graham. publisher OF
the Washington Post. staunchly
defended the Kefauver home rule
bill passed by the Senate and pre-
dicted Washington would have
better government if District resi-
dents were given the right to par
ticipate in it.
Mr.. Graham saw suffrage on the
local affairs level here as a step
toward fuller suffrage rights later.
in national elections and in repre-
sentation in Congress.
Milton Berliner, Capitol Hill re-
porter for the News, speaking for
it's editor, made a brief statement
in which he said the News had
stood for suffrage for Is years.
Questioned by Harris.
Jerome B. McK2e, representing
the District Department of the
American Legion. reiterated the
opposition of his group to the
pending home rule bills. One
reason for the Legion's opposition.
he said. was that the plan would
not really create "home rule"
C. Melvin Sharpe, speaking as
chairman of the Committe Of 100
on the Federal City of the Ameri-
can Planning and Civic AsSocia-
ton, opposed home rule and de-
clared Congress should give the
District vote for President and
Vice President and representa-
ton in Congress. He said the
home-rule bills would not, in fact.
transfer responsibility from Con-
gress to the proposed city coun-
Gil, except in minor matters.
Mr.. McKelway. the first witness.
made no formal statement, re-
minding the subcommittee that he
had testified twice before, during
the last Congress. when the Auch-
incloss home rule subcommittee
of the House was drafting suf-
frage plan.
Offering to answer any ques-
tions, however, he was questioned
at some length by Representative
Harris, Democrat. of Arkansas.
subcommittee chairman.
, Mr.. McKelway said that in the
former hearings he had raised
questions about some of obvious
difficulties" that the subcom-
mittee would encounter in deal
ing with the suffrage question in
city as unique as Washington.
He said he found the bill drafted
by the Auchincloss group last year
was better home rule measure
than had been written up to that
time. He termed the bill passed
(See HOME RULE, Page A-4D