Evening star., 1952-01-20
Senate Vote Expected
On District Home Rule
Early This Week
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NDAY, JANUARY To- 1862 s.
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| Early This Week
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tngton residents full suffrage, to
vote for President, Vice President,
governor and all local officer he
said,
Asked what he would do If his
motion to -recommit should fail,
Senator Smith declared: IT think
! I would vote against the bill"
Senator Johnston, Democrat. of
South Carolina. who attacked the
bill for most of two days last week,
said last night he expected. to re-
sumo his attack Tuesday.
Expects Support.
he expects to have support from
Senators Eastland Of Mississippi.
and Maybank of South Carolina.
both Democrats.
Its an unavoidable bill, full of
holes.: unconstitutional" Senator
johnston declared. "If propon-
ents pass it in present form it
may run up a blind alley"
7 A somewhat different home rule
bill passed the Senate in the 81st
Congress, but was buried in the
House District Committee.
-. The measures supporters hope
F3or passage. but are prepared for
lively debate Tuesday.
Senator case. Republican, of
South Dakota, a sponsor of the
bills said he will reserve his princi-
pal arguments for Tuesday.
Pleased. With Debate.
Personally I was pleased with
the thoughtful debate during the
past week." he said. IT look
forward to the voting with conf
dence because I do not see how
majority of the Senate can
avoid the conviction that the
people of the Capitol City of the
country which leads the fight for
selt-government in the world de-
serve a voice in ther own local
government"
II realize" he added, "that
questions arise IN the details of
any plan. but we have tried to
bring together the various, OBJ
1ectfves in workable way.
Il "our problem essentially is
sf1is: to devise a bill which pro-
rides the people of Washington
with an effective voice In their
local government, and at the same
time permits Congress TO meet
IT'S constitutional responsibility
to protect and express the interest
OF the entire country IN It's Capt.
tai City. This I think we have
done in the pending bill"
Neely to Enter Debate.
Chairman Nicely of the Senate
District Committee. 3 long time
champion OF home rule, plans to
enter the debate T Tuesiay. He has
had little time to be on the floor
because Of his committees crime
investigation. - t
Senator Saltonstall, Republican.
1na Massachusetts, will offer his
pending amendment to strike q
-.proviso fixing the Federal pay
.ment at 20 per cent of the Dis
-trfct's own tax revenues. He said
ne hoped to vote for, the bill.
District Commissioner F. Joseph
DonDhue last night criticized COM
gressional opponents Of the bin
for taking the view that "the
Capital City belongs to the Ma
ton"
Says q. s. Share Drops.
ut is curious to note" Mr..
Donohue said, that. despite that
sentiment, when it come to financ-
ing the District, Washington
belongs to ,Washingtonians with |
respect to taxation"
He pointed out that Federal
payments toward the city's upkeep
have steadily dropped from so per
cent between 1879 and 1920 to a
present low of 8 per cent.
Mr.. Donohue added, in response
to a reporters question, that while
home rule would not solve the Dis
trict's financial problems, the city's
loss of Federal payment as low
as eight per cent "wouldn't make |
much difference" in financing the
municipal operation.
Commissioner Donohue also OBJ
served that if Washington had
home rule Congress wouldn't have
to be wasting its time" on the
purely local matter of the current
crime inquiry.
I'VE would do it ourselves" he
said.
Mr.. Donohue spoke during hisl
weekly broadcast last night over
station WWDC. :e