Evening star., 1951-02-24
Senator Monroney's Fish Story

One argument for home rule is based on
the theory that Congress devotes too much time
to the trivia of local legislation. This may be
true There are practical and unutilized methods
of reducing the time thus spent which have
nothing to do with home rule.
But when such an outstanding member of
Congress as Senator Monroney libels the sue
culent rockfsh of our own Potomac River as
waster of golden Congressional hours, the time
has come to protest. A number of fish stories
about home rule have been told to Senator Nicely
in the past few days, but here is the specific
whopper that Mr.. Monroney told:
"One of the examples that think points
this up most clearly was two or three years ago
when we had the question of the British loan.
Some billions of dollars was involved therein,
and high international policy. We had to quit
In the middle of that loan so that we could
spend a whole afternoon discussing whether
rockfish of 10 or IL inches long could be sold in
the District and we spent the whole afternoon
on the subject of rockfish 80"
Now Mr. Monroney! The rockfsh bill amend
ing statute of 1901 and changing from 10 to II
inches the minimum length of rockfish legally
sold in Washington was passed by the House on
Monday September "a, 1945. That was District
Day. There are two such days set aside each
month for the disposal of local legislation If
there is any, and If nothing else Of importance
is pending
Jennings Randolph, then chairman of the
House District Committee, looking around at the
empty seats which are a distinguishing feature
of District Day, announced that there was some
local legislation but that two distinguished
members wished to speak on matters OF national
Importance. So, he said, he would yield part
of his time to them in the hope that more men,
bers would stick around and listen
He brought up the rockfish bill and immedi-
ately yielded to Mr.. May of Kentucky, who made
a speech about demobization centers. He
then yielded to Delegate Romulo, who made
a speech on Philippine American trade relations.
Mr. Randolph then answered two questions about
the rockflsh bill. It was passed without debate
and without dissent The whole business took
less space in the Congressional Record than the
Chaplain had taken that morning in asking
divine guidance for the House From the House
the fish bill went to the Senate, where it was
passed without objection and sent to the Pres
ident, who signed 1t without recorded comment.
That same day the House disposed of
few more routine local bills without spending
more than few minutes on any of them Most
of the time was given over to debating health
program for Federal employees, which was not
local legislation. AS for the British loan, Mr..
Monroney is possibly confused-but aren't we all?
We do not lend money to the British or any,
body else We give 1t away
Senator McCarran, incidentally, has been
trying for year or more to get another rocktish
bill enacted. That may be bad news for Mr..
Monroney. It would prohibit the sale of over
size rockfish-laden with roe-in the District of
Columbia, such sales now being prohibited in
Maryland and Virginia. The commercial fisher
men, who dump these forbidden fish on the
District market, may object through their repre-
sentativeS in Congress But it Is an irnOOrtant
conservation measure and should be passed.
The rockf1sh may be all gone by that time,
however, like the sturgeon that once swan in
the Potomac.
But the rockfsh are not to be blamed. They
did not hold up the British loan. Nor would
home rule change the situation one way or
another.