Evening star., 1950-01-03
Board Of Trade Asks
House Opposition 10
kefauver Petition

The Washington Board of Trade
has asked members of the House
not to sign discharge petition
which would bring the Senate
approved Kefauver home rule bill
to the House floor for a vote.
The request was made in letters
sent to the homes Of all House
members early last month. Signed
by William H. Press. Board of
Trade executive secretary. the let
ters were attached to a brief set
ting forth the boards reasons for
opposing the home rule measure
sponsored by Senator Kefauver,
Democrat, Of Tennessee.
Mr.. Press said the brief stressed
the belief that national repre-
sentation for the District is a pre-
requisite to any form of suffrage"
here.
Reluctance to Sign Noted.
Mr.. Press said replies have been
received from about 20 per cent
of the 435 House Members. An
absolute majority of signatures
-2l8-is required to bring the
bill, disapproved by the House
District Committee, to the floor.
The replies. Mr.. Press said,
show IAN apparent great reluc-
tance to sign discharge petitions. :"
There probably are many
members who would vote for the
bill If it was on the floor" he
said. But many of them write
back and say they don't believe
in signing discharge petitions"
Proponents Push Drive.
Meanwhile. organized propo-
nents of home rule gathered in
force at their new headquarters,
308 Pennsylvania avenue S.E.,- to
begin their drive for signatures
on the petition .
Culver Chamberlain, chairman
of the Central Suffrage Confer
ence, said pledges already had
been received from about so or
more House members that they
would sign the petition today.
Among the groups represented
in the drive are the Central Suf-
frage Conference, District of Co.
lumbia League of Women Voters,
Washington Home Rule Commit
tee, Democratic Central Commit
tee, CIO Political Action Com
mittee, Americans for Democratic
Action, Young Democrats of the
District and Young Republicans
of the District.
Representatives of these groups
met first at the new Home Rule
headquarters. planned to see men,
bers of the House and report back
later in the day on results of
their interviews.
The home rule bill is before the
Judiciary subcommittee of the Dis
trict Committee. Representative
Harris. Democrat. of Arkansas, the
subcommittee chairman, had moth
ing to say today about the plans
Of his subcommittee, He. said he
would make no plans until he had
consulted with the other commit
tee members.
Text of Letter.
The Board Of Trade letter sent
to House members reads:
"Home rule as represented by
the Kefauver bill, which was the
subject Of much controversy dur
ing the first session of the 81st
Congress, is again being discussed
pro and con. Therefore. we hope
you will permit us to call this
matter to your early attention.
Proponents Of the Kefauver
bill Is 152D are attempting to
secure the signatures of the major
ity Of the members of the House on
a petition to discharge the District
of Columbia Committee from fur
ther consideration of it. This
effort comes after the: committee
gave the bill serious and lengthy
consideration and on August 1e,
1949, voted against 1t. Is to 8.
Opposed to Measure.
'The Board of Trade Is firmly
convinced that s 1877 should not
become a law. We have gone to
a great deal of trouble and ex-
pense over a period of nearly 40
years to analyze home rule pro-
posals and to develop a sound
method for giving District of CO.
lumbia residents participation in
their government.
"Our views in this matter and
our objections to s 1927 were
clearly set forth in hearings be-
fore the District of Columbia
Committee in July. A copy of the
brief prepared and submitted by
our general counsel with the ap-
proval of the Board of Trade is
attached.
Il sincerely hope you will have
an opportunity to read this brief.
We will welcome your inquiries
for clarif1cation Of any phase of
the home rule issue.
I'VE urge you to permit this
matter to be handled In orderly
fashion by the District Commit
tee and not to support the dis
charge petition"
US. Is Sending japan