Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-12
House Unit Gets
Senate Bill for
D. {. Delegate
EorIy Hearing Seen
For Measure, but
Future Is in Doubt

N~sS - W ~V0DA
Senate approved legislation
for election of District delegate
to the House appeared headed
for hearings before the House
District Committee soon.
Committee Chairman Simp-
son referred the question to the
Judiciary subcommittee which
will handle the bill. Repre-
sentative O'Hara. Republican, Of
Minnesota, head of that group,
said hearings would be held as
soon as possible.
He said he had not had a
chance to study the provisions
of the Senate Bill. passed yes
terday, 88 to O. Comment from
other members of the subcom-
mittee also clouded the future
of the measure. which won Sem
ate approval without a contest.
4 IndOrse Move.
Endorsing it were Representa-
tive AuchincloSs, Republican, Of
New Jersey, for years a cham
pion of District suffrage; Repre-
sentative Allen, Republican, of
California; Representative Hyde,
Republican. of Maryland, and
Representative Harris, Demo-
crat, of Maryland.
But Representative Aber-
nathy. Democrat. of Mississippi.
longtime opponent of home
rule for Washington. expressed
strong opposition. He said he
would submit an amendment to
the Senate bill providing that
the proposed delegate serve in
the Senate.
Representative Jones, Demo-
crat, of Alabama said he had al
ways opposed a non-voting
delegate for the District.
Representative league, Demo-
crat. of Texas said he did not
want to state definite position
on the measure now, but at first
glance he tended to favor it.
Representative Patterson, Re-
publican of Connecticut, was out
of town.
May Wait for Easter.
There was a possibility that
House hearings might have to
be delayed until after Easter,
April S.
The Nicely bill for the
election of a non-voting District
delegate in the House was the
only business scheduled for yes
terday's Senate session. It was
taken up early in the session on
the motion of Majority Leader
Taft, but passage did not come
until about three hours later.
Before the vote, Senator Morse.
independent, of Oregon, how
ever, made a call for a quorum.
saying the matter was too i'm
portant for a vote with only a
dozen members on the floor.
After two runs through the
Senate list, a quorum was at
tanned. With a good majority
present, the bill was passed by
voice vote, with no opposition
heard.
Johnston Paves Way.
Passage had been expected
earlier, after Senator Johnston.
Democrat, of South Carolina.
arch foe of Washington home
rule bills, told the Senate he
probably would vote for the dele
gate bill.
Senate District Chairman Case
championed the bill as one that
would give the District a voice
in the House. He outlined its
provisions and said the bill was
supported overwhelmingly at the
recent night hearing. He said
some witnesses had testified that
District suffrage would come
much faster.
Senator Case said the delegate
bill is in keeping with the WASH
ington home rule bill the Senate
passed a year ago. That bill later
was killed in the House District
Committee.
No Substitute, Says Nicely.
The case for the delegate bill
was put in more dramatic
light by Senator Nicely. He told
the Senate no one should be
under any Misrepresentation
about the pending bill.
1T is no shadow of a substitute
for home rule, of which the Dis
trict disgracefully long has been
deprived" he said.
"It is a miraculously difficult
matter to get either full repre-
sentation in the House or WASH
ington home rule"
Senator Morse likewise was
philosophical about the dis
reimbursement of District resi-
dents. He supported the bill but
counSeled the Senate not to stop
with a delegate. He said en-
actment of the delegate bill
should not handicap the move
ment for Washington home rule.
Senator Morse won Senate ap-
prevail of an amendment lower
ing from 1000 to 500 the number
of signatures to be required for