Evening star., 1949-01-06
DC. Committees
To Seek Early
FinanceSo|ution
Senate Unit Expected
To Consider Suffrage
Issue Promptly
By Don S. Worren

An early attack on this city's
problems is expected to be made
by both House and Senate District
Committees, as soon as the member
ship of the units is completed prob
ably within the next few days.
Studies of the increasingly serious
revenue problems are expected to
be tackled promptly by the commit
tees at both ends of the Capitol.
Early consideration of suffrage
issues also Is anticipated on the
Senate side-but not in the House
Committee.
Some indications of attitudes on
the perennial suffrage issues were
given yesterday, after the Demo-
Gratis picked their slate of members
of the Senate District Committee,
headed by Senator McGrath of
Rhode Island.
Favored by McGrath.
Senator McGrath favors both
home rule here and representation
in Congress for the District. Sem
ators Kefauver of Tennessee and
Nicely of West Virginia have taken
stands for allowing voting here.
Senator Hunt of Wyoming, was SYM
pathetic but withheld any commit
ment for the time being.
Two others, Senators Frear of
Delaware and Miller of Idaho, re-
served judgment until they could
learn more about Washington. AL
are Democrats.
Definitely opposed to District suf-
frage is Senator Johnston, Democrat,
of South Carolina.
Senator McGrath interpreted one
brief portion of President Truman's
state Of the Union message to Con-
gress yesterday as renewed advocacy
of suffrage for the District. He
found this in President Truman's
declaration that he was reiterating
his call to the 80th Congress for
adoption of his civil rights program.
Want Sales Tax Facts.
Comments from the Democratic
slate of Senate District committee
men indicated a desire for facts
before judgment on the coming issue
of a sales tax as means of meeting
the city's recurring revenue head
ache.
There was a general disposition,
however, to find some means of CIV
ing District employees the $3.50 cost
of-living pay raise already granted
to Federal workers. Most of the
Democratic committee appointees
said they will support it; none
offered any objection. 1t was made
clear the only problem Is how to
finance it.
Senator Kefauver, who established
a liberal record in his service in the
House. did not tie himself to any
specific suffrage plan, but he re-
reporters: Il have always
felt that the people Of the District
should have suffrage and represent
tation in Congress
He said he would favor District
"home rule"
"As far as I'm concerned" he said,
'the people of the District have
been neglected considerably in many
ways for quite a while. The eyes of
the world are on the District of Co.
lumbia, and want to help to make
it the model CITY,"
Neely Favors Vote.
Senator Nicely told reporters, II
am going to be for the franchise for
District residents. He said he feels
the giving of the vote here would be
in harmony with the spirit of the
times"
Senator Nicely said he was dead
set against the sales tax and re-
reporters he had fought
against it in West Virginia. In his
earlier service in the Senate he
served on the District Committee.
Senator Hunt startled reporters
somewhat when he said he had
asked" for ar assignment to the
District Committee. Except for a
chairman, this almost
never has happened, Most mem
oers of Congress shy away from any
District assignment
The Wyoming Senator, a former
Governor of his State. said he had
asked for the assignment because
he believes every American should
nave great interest in its National
Capital"