Evening star., 1950-06-02

Criticism of
Home RuIeBiII

Home RuIeBill
Trade Boord Attack
Strange Senator
Says in RebuttuI
The Senate-passed Washington
home rule bill is being stoutly de-
Tended by Senator Kefauver, Dem
ocrat. of Tennessee against attack
made on it by the Washington
Board of Trade.
In a statement appearing IL
today's Congressional Record, tn,
Senator, who sponsored the meas
ure in the Senate, replied to man,
criticisms filed by the trade body
Filing his rebuttal late yester.
day, the legislator told his col
leagues on the floor that the Boare
Of Trade, "for some strange rea.
son, is opposed to home rule fol
the very people whom the boare
is supposed to be representing"
The measure, providing for al
elected city council, city manager
and elected school board, wa.
tabled by the House District Com.
mittee last year. A petition Il
force the bill out of COMMITTEES
onto the floor for action still
lacks more than 30 signatures O.
the 218 necessary to make il
effective.
Pamphlet Attacks Measure.
The Trade Board had circular
lied members of the House with
a printed pamphlet, attacking tht
measure from several angles. Thi!
statement was placed in the Con.
gressional Record by Representa-
tive league, Democrat. of Texa.
and was one reason why Senator
kefauver said he asked for hi.
reply to be printed in the record
Denying what he said wers
charges that the Kefauver bill
would bring "carpetbag rule" e
Washington, meaning local gov.
ernment by outsiders, the Senator
pointed out that, under his bill
members of the City Council-tht
governing body-"must reside anc
be domiciled in the District"
1T does not matter" he added
where the city manager and the
IL department heads come from
so long as they are subordinate :.
a locally elected legislature com.
posed of local residents"
To answer the argument tha-
no real home rule would be DOS
sible under the Kefauver bill, the
Senator said the essence of hons
rule, as it is understood through
out the United States, is the max.
ing of local policies by local.,
elected officials" He pointed ou
that the measure transfers the 10,
cal lawmaking power of the Dis.
trict commissioners to a locally
elected council.
Cites Scope of Bill.
undsr the ordinance makiri.
powers. the lawmaker pointed out
the council would cover 80 ne;
cent OF all local matters, not sub,
ject to, congressional or presi.
dental review. The other 10 pc
cent, like legislation on the Stat,
level, he explained, would becom,
effective in As days under the bill
in the absence of negative actor
by concurrent resolution of Con
gress or subsequent veto by tn,
President.
To argue that genuine home rul,
for Washington could be obtained
only through national representa-
ton of the District in Congress
Senator Kefauver declared, put!
the cart before the horse"
Before the States have beer
admitted into the Union, since it.
creation by the original 13 State.
in 1889. he pointed out, 'they have
had to prove their capacity tt
govern themselves competently il
their local affairs"
The Senator took issue with
criticism against the provision
that registered voters in othel
places might vote in local Distric
affairs. if they have lived here
one year. The chief purpose O.
the so-called dual voting pro.
vision" he explained, would be tt
increase the size and improve ths
composition of the District elec.
torate by allowing some 100,O0t
Federal employees to vote in Dis
trict elections, if they reside here
but maintain legal domiciles il
the States.
Have Vital Stake.
These people have a vital stake
in this community, "he declared
because they own property ane
pay taxes here, send their chill
dren to local schools, and depend
upon local municipal services"
Replying to criticisms that th'
pending bill does not provide ma
tional representation for resident!
here, Senator Kefauver said such
representation could be conferred
only by Constitutional amend
ment, the adoption of which HI
characterized as "slim."
ITO ask that home rule be sus'
pended until the District has beer
granted national representation
as the general counsel of tht
Board of Trade has DONE" de-
clared the Senator, sis to fly il
the face of both history and com
mon sense and to classify Oneself
as an obstructionist against any
form of District suffrage"
Defending the city manager
form of government, the Tennes'
see lawmaker said it has been sue
IceSSful. The city manager, he de.