Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-13
Continued From First Page.)
phone and asking, "Are we going
to take this lying DOWN."
Cites Magazine Articles,

phone and asking, "Are we going
to take this lying DOWN."
Cites Magazine Articles.
The witness said that several
years ago he had opposed the
appointment of Mr.. Young as Dis
trict Commissioner and the Com
missioners' appointment of Maj.
Robert j. Barrett as superin-
tendent of police.
He questioned whether the Dis
trict was doing all it could for
law enforcement" and said that
recent magazine articles on law
enforcement conditions here and
statements made by radio COM
mentators had caused him lex
ceeding distress"
1--WE can have the kind of civic
government that we want, but
we need the right kind of officials
in charge" said DR.. Reissig. He
then asked Senator Nicely, Demo-
crat, of West Virginia, the COM
mittee chairman, Cant we do
something about it?"
Chairman Nicely, who at the
outset of the hearing had criti-
cized Washington residents for
failing to make a fight for home
rule. told DR.. Reissig that he
would suggest some old fashioned
mass meetings to arouse interest
in the people in District affairs"
He protested there was feeling
OF "abject resignation" on the
part of District people. Senator
Nicely recalled that he had op-
posed the reappointment of Com
missioner Young at the end of his
last term but added II don't
know what the committee can do
about it,"
Suggested Use of Hall.
The Senator suggested the use
OF Constitution Hall for citizens
mass meeting or the staging of
such an event on the steps in
front of the Capitol.
On the law enforcement ques-
ton, DR.. Reissig commended that
it District officials were on their
toes and meant business, we could
have an entirely different kind of
city,"
DR.. Reissig expressed the opin-
ion that the transfer of super
vision" over the ABC Board from
Commissioner designate Donohue
to Commissioner Young would not
answer the question. Senator
Nicely said he agreed.
DR.. Reissig made a number of
other proposals. One of these was
for establishment for commission
on human rights, such as proposed
by Senator Nicely. That bill died
in the past Congress but has been
revived.
He also asked for a study of a
program of rehabilitation for Dis
trict prisoners. He proposed the
employment Of three full-time
chaplains to promote rehabilita-
ton through spiritual training.
Sees Lack of Understanding.
On this point, DR.. Reissig said
he was disturbed by statement
by the Commissioners that they
were not responsible for the pris-
oners' spiritual welfare, but only
for their physical welfare. He
said the Commissioners said this
was not financial problem with
them, but rather a matter of prin-
ciple. DR.. Reissig put this down
as a ''lack of understanding"
Chairman Nicely took the OPP
portunity at the opening of the
session to reiterate his stand on
home rule, calling attention to the
Kefauver bill. which was passed
by the Senate early in the last
Congress, but buried in the House
District Committee. He protested
that the people of the District
"have failed miserably to demon
strate any manifest interest in a
move to get rid of their political
restitution"
He added that "multitudes of
the District people apparently
have no desire to get rid of their
political ailments" On this point
Senator Nicely declared, Even a
jackass has the right to be vocal
and to speak out on one occasion"
Nicely Protests Small Attendance.
The hearing today was opened
by prayer by the Rev. DR.. Fred
erick Brown Harris, chaplain of
the Senate.
Fewer than 40 persons were
present when the session opened,
and this brought a protest from
Chairman Nicely that unless the
clinics attracted a wider interest
they would not run very long.
Suffrage demands were outlined
by A. L. Wheeler, chairman Of
the Democratic Central Commit
tee for the District, and a former