Evening star., 1951-01-24
Drive Develops
For ReviivedbiI|
On Home Rule
House and Senute
Measures Ask D C.
Elected Government
By Don S. Warren

By Don S. Warren
A new drive was under way in
Congress today for passage of a
limited form of Washington home
rule. calling for an elected and
streamlined city government.
Such plans were killed in the
80th and the 81st Congresses but
have been resurrected with both
old and new supporters.
A dozen Senators Joined late
yesterday in co-sponsoring a
Kefauver-Taft revival of the bill
the Senate passed on May 81.
1949. only to be buried last year
in the House District Committee.
A companion bill was offered yes
terday by Representative Bu-
chanan, Democrat, of Pennsyl-
vania, member of the House
District Committee.
City Council Of Eleven.
The bills call for a city council
of II to replace the appointed
Board Of Commissioners, With
nine elected ard two to be ap-
pointed by the President to rep
resent the national interests in
the District gov ernment.
Also, there would be an elected
school board of seven members to
replace the court-appc;nted exist
ing board.
The measures were refered to
the House and Senate District
Committees.
Early consideration is planned
on the Senate side. There are
no such plans IN the House Dis
trict Committee, where home-lule
opponents still apparently are in
control. But sponsors will seek
action there too.
Never Really Buried"
One old-t timel on Capitol Hill,
who has seen Congress year after
year Shelve District representa-
ton Or local suffrage bills COM
mented
These bills get killed here or
there, but somehow they never
seem to get really buried"
The 82d Congress already has
before IL bills for both national
representation and local home rule
measures, along with proposals for
an elected but non-voting District
delegate in the House reorganiza-
ton of the departments Of the
city government and an elected
School Board.
The House District Committee
again loomed as the principal
hurdle. but this did no. deter the
proponents.
Ten members of the Senate
some of them newcomers, joined
in sponsoring the revival of the
local home rule bill under the
leadership of Senator Kefauver.
Democrat, of Tennessee and Sena-
tor Taft, Republican, of Ohio. the
latter chairman of the Senate
Republican Policy Committee.
The 10 others were:
Chairman Nicely of the Senate
District Committee, Democratic
Senators Lehman of New York,
Chavez of New Mexico, O'Conor
Of Maryland, Humphrey Of Mn
nesota and Pastore of Rhode Is
land, and Republican Senators
Margaret Chase Smith of Maine
Hendrickson of New Jersey, Carl
son of Kansas and Duff of Penn
sylvania.
Greater Strength Seen.
A statement issued by Senator
kefauver, as ne revived the home
rule issue, said: Our interna-
tional struggle against totai-
tarianism can be materially aided
by strengthening democracy at
home. Home rule and self-gov-
ernment for the District of Ccium-
bia will demonstrate that we prac-
tice what we preach"
Culver B. Chamberlain, president
Of the Central Suffrage Confer
ence. one of the WASHINGTON
groups fighting for an elected city
government. protested that, while
District residents now pay about
500 million a year in taxes, they
have no control over how the
money is spent.
"One way the citizens here could
aid the defense effort" he sug-
gested, would be to relieve Con-
gress Of the burden of running
their local government"
He added reminder that both
the Democratic and Republican
1948 conventions supported Dis
trict suffrage moves.
Opposition by Some Groups.
The local home rule bills, op-
posed by some established District
groups, including the Board of
Trade, provide that the suggested
city council could propose major
city legislation, as well as adopt
purely local regulations.
The legislative proposals would
become law unless vetoed within
IS days by the House and Senate,
or by the President within 10 days
after the measures reached the
White House.
The council, under the Kefauver-
Taft plan, would adopt the city
budget, but any change in taxes
would be a legislative proposal
requiring Congressional review.
Should Congress adopt the pro-
posed District charter, it would
be subject to approval in refer
endum vote by District residents
before it could become law. If
the bill were to pass early enough
this year, the charter referendum
would be held next November 15