Evening star., 1952-01-15
Senate Debate
On Home Rule
Enters I'd Day
Vote Not Expected
Before Tomorrow;
Johnston Holds Floor
By Don S. Worren


The Senate today headed into
its second full day of debate over
the compromise plan for an
elected District Government that
still would be subject to Congress
sional dictates.
A Senate vote was not expected
before tomorrow but this de-
pended on how much debate de-
veloped and how many Interrupt
tionS for national affairs.
Senator Johnston, Democrat, of
South Carolina, who held the
floor for more than three hours
Yesterday with attacks on the
limited city suffrage bill, said he
was only about half through with
his 93-page prepared speech.
Seeking More Support.
He has been promised help to-
day, with talk by Senator Smith,
Democrat, of North Carolina, ard
was searching for more support.
He won encouragement and
promises of at least some support
from the Southern Democratic
contingent in the Senate.
This group, under the leader
ship of Senator Russell, Democrat.
of Georgia, held a closed-door
conference this morning to plan
strategy on the pending legislative
program. Senator Johnston, fight
ing an uphill battle against home
rule advocates. appealed to the
Southern group for help. The
measure was discussed but no
action was taken.
Senator Johnston came out of
the meeting saying he thought a
good many of the group would
vote against the bill and that some
might speak against it.
Senator Russell said he would
not attempt to say how the South
ern group was divided on the
home-rule question.
Senator johnson took the floor
again today. He stopped yester-
day on Page So. In addition,
he is reading numerous editorials
from Washington newspapers and
excerpts from the old Federalist
papers.
Sponsors of the bill. Jointly
offered by bipartisan group of
% Senators. seemed convinced the
bill would win Senate approval.
Two proponents were planning
to debate issues today after SEN
ator Johnston has finished. They
are Republican Senators Case of
South Dakota and Smith of New
Jersey.
Few Senators on Floor.
Yesterdays session produced
little new in argument and engen-
dered no enthusiasm. During most
of the four hours devoted to the
only a few Senators were
IN the floor. At one time, only two
were in the chamber.
Senator Kefauver, Democrat, Of
Tennessee, led off the debate with
3O-minute outline of the bill
and its objectives. The time has
come, he declared, for Congress
to redeem the suffrage pledges
written into both the Democratic
and Republican platforms.
He argued that the plans for an
elected city council and school
board, an appointed mayor and a
non-voting District delegate in
the House would provide adequate
safeguards for both the Federal
interests here and the Districts
financial security.
Raps Board of Trade.
The Constitutionality of the
compromise bill, he said. is mot
open to any real question" He
said a spokesman for the Board
of Trade, "arch enemy of all
home rule legislation" had agreed
that Congress could delegate it's
District legislative powers, sub
ject to veto action by the House
or Senate.
Under the pending plan, the
proposed council could enact all
purely local legislation without
reference to Congress, but Con-
gress would retain it's authority to
legislate as it wished on any
District issue.
Senator Johnston took the op-
posite view that Congress could
not delegate to an agent-the
proposed city council-the "ex-
elusive jurisdiction" the Consti-
tuition placed in Congress over the
District.
Senator Kefauver argued that
Congress today does not have the
time to devote to District prob
lens. But Senator Johnston con-
tended that, if the bill was
intended to relieve Congress of
its National Capital problems, "it
will fail miserably."