Evening star., 1951-07-24
Where Hearings Would Help

10OSe VINO favored the heIauVer nome rule
bill probably favor the new version that has
been prepared for the Senate District Committee.
Those who opposed that bill undoubtedly are
opposed to the new one. If hearings on this new
bill were held, testimony of the pros and the
cons would be largely repetition of what has
been said already concerning the principle of
home rule.
But if this new bill is to be the measure
reported to the Senate, every effort should be
made to perfect it. And 1t might be very
sound idea for the committee to arrange for
hearings in which testimony would be limited
specifically to the terms of the bill. Such testi-
mony might clarity parts of the bill that now
are vague.
For example:
Section 1101 leaves to the Mayor, presi-
Dental appointee and to the Federal Bureau Of
the Budget the negotiation of agreements be-
tween the District and Federal Governments
covering the cost of services rendered by one to
the other. Although local revenues are involved,
the elected City Council which is made respon-
sibe for raising revenue and spending 1t is
assigned no part in reviewing or approving these
agreements.
Section 4o2 gives the appointed Mayor power
to remove personnel in the executive departments
of the District Government. The power should
be spelled out to avoid conflict with rules of the
Civil Service Commission which would apply to
District personnel. It would be wise, moreover,
to state the conditions under which the Mayor,
himself might be removed.
The Mayor can veto bills passed by the City
Council The City Council has authority to pass
resolutions. Does the Mayors veto extend to the
resolutions also?
The Council meets once q week, except in
July and August, when 1t would meet twice
month. But who, in case of some emergency,
can summon the Council to a special meeting?
The bill does not say. The bill states that in
time of emergency Council bill would become
effective in 80 days (instead of the normal so
days for non-emergency bills). Thirty days is
long time to wait for legislation designed to deal
with an emergency.
The Council takes over the zoning power.
No mention is made in the bill of the Zoning
Advisory Board or the Zoning Adjustment Board,
both of which perform important functions In
zoning. While ordinances would be submitted
to the Park and Planning Commission by the
Council to determine II they conflict with Federal
interests, the commissions disapproval could be
overridden by the Council. Should not the Fine
Arts Commission also be consulted?
There is an implication in the bill that the
Council can, by passing new laws, nulify existing
acts Of Congress, or at least amend them. This
Is evident In the CouncllS power to change boaroS
and administrative agencies established by act
of Congress. The bills wording in this respect
raises doubt as to whether validity of such
legislative acts of the Council, repeating or
amending acts of Congress, has been sufficiently
examined.
Candidates for the Council can be nominated
by petition signed by not less than per cent
of the voters in any ward, and those for the
Board of Education by petition bearing at least
200 signatures. Each candidate is entitled to one
watcher in each polling place at election time
There would be fifteen candidates elected to the
Council every two years If there are as many as
Is candidates, their watchers in the polling
places may occupy 50 much room that the voters
will have hard time squeezing in.
There are other examples which could be
cited here to show the need for the sort OF
Qualification that public hearings are supposed
to produce. After all, this new version OF a
home rule bill is more radical in the
changes proposed in local government, than its
predecessors and should be subject to no mis-
understanding or lack of understanding.