Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-05
Home Rule Bill
Due for Action
In Senate Group
MeGroth TO Coll Up
Plan Today During
Sales Tex Study
By Harold B. Rooers

.Jhe Senate District Committee
1ned to take up for action late
tc&ay a revised bill to give Wash.
ington an elected and streamlinec
city government.
This was slated by Chairman
McGrath in midst of committee
consideration of the pending sales
tax bill.
When the committee adjourned
for lunch Senator McGrath an
nounced he wanted the group tc
bring up the measure laid before
it already by Senator Kefauver
Democrat. of Tennessee.
The bill. in revised form, was
understood to provide for a city
council of II, of whom 9 would be
elected and would be appointed
by the President subject to con.
firmation by the Senate.
Copies of the measure as revised
by the Kefauver Subcommittee or
Home Rule and Reorganization OF
the District Government were dis
tributed to members of the full
District Committee while they
we're considering the sales tax
Full details of the bill we're to be
disclosed when officially brought
up for action.
The full committee was ex-
pected to reach the home rule bill
Sfter action on the sales tax, prob
sly around 5 or 6 o'clock.
The measure was understood to
contain at the present time no
provision for a Federal payment
to the District of Columbia. But
consideration was reported to be
centered on two-part attack on
this problem.
Decision had not been reached
finally but discussion was center
ing early this afternoon on the
possibility of including in the
home rule bill a general ste tement
of principle as to the obligation
of the Federal Government toward
municipal costs. In addition, it
was reported. separate resolu-
ton may be drafted to fix for
mula of some kind by which to
compute the Federal payment
each year.
Some provisions of the Auchin-
Gloss bill developed on the House
side last year during the 80th
Congress were reported to be in
corporated in the new version.
Among these were supposed to
be stronger restrictions on the
right of the city to float bond
issues for capital improvements
and to issue short-term notes to
meet emergency financing.
One important change from a
previous Kefauver bill provision
would provide that legislative pro-
posals of the city government
could only be killed by concur
rent resolution approved BY both
houses of Congress. Under the
previous Kefauver draft the city
councils proposed legislation could
become law unless vetoed by act
of either the House, the Senate or
a presidential veto.
The time limit under which an
act of the council could be voided
by Congress was curtailed. 1t was
understood. from a previous 60
day period to As days.
Whether the revised measure
would be approved by the Senate
District Committee late today was
question. 1t was believed that 9
slight majority of the committee
might vote for approval. but some
strong opposition was sure to come
from at least two members anc
maybe more.
The Home Rule legislation hac
been under serious consideration
since the opening of the 80th Con-
gress two years ago. when Repre-
sentative Dirksen. Republican, OIL
Illinois, then chairman of the
House District Committee, set up 6
subcommittee on home rule anc
reorganization. Headed by Repre-
sentative Auchincloss, Republican
/of New Jersey, this subcommittee
conducted lengthy hearings. A bill
was reported to the House by the
full House District Committee and
weathered bitter fight on the
floor. but never reached a final
vote before the Both Congress Quit