Evening star., 1950-06-02
KefauverHits
Criticism Of
Home Ru|eBiII
Trade Board Attack
Strange Senator
Says in RebuttoI

The Senate-passed Washington
home rule bill is being stoutly de-
Tended by Senator Kefauver, Dem
ocrat, of Tennessee against attacks
made on it by the Washington
Board of Trade.
In a statement appearing in
today's Congressional Record, the
Senator. who sponsored the meas
ure in the Senate, replied to many
criticisms filed by the trade body
Filing his rebuttal late yester-
day, the legislator told his COL
leagues on the floor that the Board
of Trade, "for some strange rea-
son, is opposed to home rule for
the very people whom the board
is supposed to be representing"
The measure, providing for an
elected city council, city manager
and elected school board, was
tabled by the House District Com
mittee last year. A petition to
force the bill out of committee
onto the floor for action still
lacks more than 80 signatures of
the 218 necessary to make it
effective.
Pamphlet Attacks Measure.
The Trade Board had circular
lied members of the House with
a printed pamphlet, attacking the
measure from several angles. This
statement was placed in the Con-
gressional Record by Representa-
tive league. Democrat, of Texas
and was one reason why Senator
Kefauver said he asked for his
reply to be printed in the record.
Denying what he said were
charges that the Kefauver bill
would bring "carpetbag rule" 20
Washington, meaning local gov
ernment by outsiders, the Senator
pointed out that, under his bill,
members of the City Council-the
governing body-"must reside and
be domiciled in the District"
"It does not matter" he added
where the city manager and the
IL department heads come from
so long as they are subordinate to
a locally elected legislature COM
posed Of local residents"
To answer the argument that
no real home rule would be pos
sible under the Kefauver bill, the
Senator said the essence of home
rule, as it is understood through
out the United States, is the max
ing of local policies by locally
elected officials" He pointed out
that the measure transfers the To-
cal laWmaking power of the Dis
trict Commissioners to a locally
elected council.
Cites Scope of Bill.
Under the ordinance making
powers. the lawmaker pointed out,
the council would cover 80 per
cent of all local matters, not sub
ject to congressional or presi-
Dental review. The other 10 per
cent, like legislation on the State
level, he explained, would become
effective in As days under the bill,
In the absence of negative action
by concurrent resolution of Con-
greSs or subsequent veto by the
President.
To argue that genuine home rule
for Washington could be obtained
only through national representa-
ton of the District in Congress,
Senator Kefauver declared. puts
the cart before the horse"
Before the States have been
admitted into the Union, since it's
creation by the original 13 States
in 1889, he pointed out, they have
had to prove their capacity to
govern themselves competently in
their local affairs"
The Senator took issue with
criticism against the provision
that registered voters in other
places might vote in local District
affairs, if they have lived here
one year. The chief purpose of
the so-called dual voting pro-
vision" he explained, would be to
increase the size and improve the
composition of the District elec-
torate by allowing some 100000
Federal employees to vote in Dis
trict elections, if they reside here
but maintain legal domiciles in
the States.
Have Vital Stake.
"These people have vital stake
In. this community, "he declared
because they own property ano
pay taxes here, send their chill
dren to local schools, and depend
upon local municipal services"
Replying to criticisms that the
pending bill does not provide ma
tional representation for resident!
here, Senator Kefauver said Sucf
representation could be conferred
only by Constitutional amend
ment, the adoption of which HI
characterized as slim"
"To ask that home rule be suS
pended until the District has beer
granted national representation
as the general counsel of thu
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 onesel
as an obstructionist against an!
form of District suffrage"
Defending the city manager
form of government, the Tennes'
see lawmaker said it has been sue
cessful. The city manager, he de-
clared, could not become "the all
powerful boss of Washington" be-
cause he is subject to the cit.
council.
Instead of reducing or elimi
mating the annual Federal pay
ment to the city. the Kefauver bill
would increase that payment, i
i i