Evening star., 1952-03-19
Plan 10 Return
Most Of Dc. 10
Maryland Urged
Bursts Of Laughter
Mark Debate at
Home Rule Hearing
By Don S. Worren

Proposals to return to Maryland
all or most Of the National Cap
ital took the spotlight away from
Washington home rule at today's
hearing by a House District sub
committee on bills for an elected
city government.
There were frequent bursts of
laughter during two hours of
debate but two members of the
subcommittee insisted they were
quite serious" They were Rep
reSentatives Abernethy of Missis-
Sippi and league of Texas, both
Democrats and both opposed to
District self-government.
Shortly after noon the hearing
adjourned till 10 am. tomorrow.
These committeeman announced
they would introduce bills pro-
viding for return of the District
to Maryland. This idea appar-
emily stems from move made
In the Senate January % by SEN
ator Smith, Democrat, of North
Carolina to recommit the Neely-
Case home rule bill to require
the District committee to study
retrocession. That move was de-
feated by the close vote Of II
to IS.
Warned by Chairman,
The declarations bv Mr.. Aher.
nethy and Mr.. league brought a
warning from Chairman Harris,
Democrat. Of Arkansas, that if a
move was developing to recede the
District to Maryland it involved
very serious considerations" and
should be given very careful
thought"
IT don't know that I would be
for it, he said.
And Representative Allen, Re-
publican, Of California protested
he thought people of his and other
States were entitled to have zone
place in the country" where the
Representatives could meet with
out domination from local groups"
Lloyd N. Cutler, representing
the Washington Home Rule Com
m1ttee. was testifying in solid sup
port Of the Senate-passed bill for
an elected city government. After
a brief discussion of this bill, Mr..
Abernethy said he wanted the wit
nesses' views on retrocession.
Outlines Boundry Proposal.
Mr.. Abernethy suggested that
all OF the District beyond New
Hampshire avenue, Florida ave-
nue., Benning road and Fifteenth
street Sc. might be given back
to Maryland. j
THAT would move me into
Maryland by one block. protested
Mr.. Cutler. II am happy to re-
main a resident Of the District"
Under pressure from MIR. Aber-
nethy, the witness finally agreed
to submit a map showing what
portion Of the District he would
prefer to be receded if that is to be
done. Mr.. Abernethy said he
would base o retrocession bill on
such a map and introduce it. He
didn't, however. commit himself
to such a measure.
Mr.. Cutler protested he did not
know why such q method should
be adopted when local suffrage
could be granted by the simple"
method involved in the Nicely
Case bill.
Mr.. Abernethy shot back: "Why
then you could have statehood,
countyhood, cityhood and all of
the responsibilities that go with
them, not just part of the re-
Sponsibilities."
Wanted: Frank Answers"
The next witness, Rufus S..
Lusk, president of the Washington
Taxpayers Association, declared
himself dramatically opposed to
any kind of an elected city coun-
Gil" Then he, too, was asked
about retrocession.
'.Do you want frank answer?"
he asked.
II do," said Mr.. Abernethy. "and
! am going to ask a lot Of other
witnesses for frank answers"
"All right" said Mr.. Lusk.
"You1l get one from me.
II like crab flake Maryland. I
like oysters from Maryland and
I like the whisky Maryland has
and the women in Maryland are
beautiful. But I don't want to
be receded to Maryland."