Evening star., 1954-12-19
kefauver Says
He'll Support
Home Rule Bill
Predicts Measure
Will Be Submitted
TO Congress Early
By Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
Senator Kefauver. Democrat
of Tennessee. last night pledged
his support to legislation In the
new 84th Congress giving home
rule to the District.
The longtime advocate OF
home rule predicted in a state
ment that a bill for this purpose
will be introduced at the begin
ming Of the session in January
He promised he would do
Everything possible" to sup
port it.
Declaring some objections to
the legislation had faded with
time" the Senator pointed to
the Supreme Courts decision
aholishing segregation in Wash
ir1gton restaurants.
He expressed hope that Presi-
dent Eisenhower would continue
his sponsorship OF the cause. The
White House recently announced
the President would recommend
In his state of the Union mes
sage to Congress Legislation
dealing with suffrage and self
government In the District Of
Columbia"
Text Of Statement.
Senator Kefauver In his state
ment said:
II have noticed with consider
able interest the news items
stating that. home rule for the
District of Columbia would be
part of President Eisenhower's
legislative program for the COM
ing session of Congress. have
long supported home rule and
have introduced and joined in
sponsoring the bills which were
passed by the Senate during the
8lst and '82d Congresses. Natur-
ally, I am still keenly interested
In doing everything possible to
obtain self-government for the
District of Columbia.
Both the Democratic and Re-
publican Party platforms con-
tained statements in favor of
home rule in 1852, and both
parties are thus pledged to sup
port this cause. ! know that the
Democrats in the Senate will
see that a home rule bill is in
troduced promptly after the be-
ginning of the new Congress. and
will do everything possible to
support the bill and try to have
1t enacted into law. Since this
measure already has National
bipartisan support. I sincerely
hope that the President and his
entire administration will lend
their strength to the cause and
will support the bill once it has
been introduced.
There never have been sig
nificant objections to home rule.
However, even those objections
which were made over recent
years have faded with time. For
example. there is no longer any
doubt. thsnks to the Supreme
Court decision in the Thompson
Restaurant case. that a dele
cation by Congress of local legis-
lative power to a locally elected
council in the District of Colum-
bia is perfectly constitutional.
Similarly. an increasing number
Of responsible local groups. such
as the District Of Columbia Bar
Association, are now on record
in favor of home rule.
1T is time to restore self
government to the citizens of the
Nations capital. / urge the Pres
ident to lead the bipartisan
effort to enact a home rule bill
In the 8ith Congress-"
Committee Presses Ahead.
Meanwhile, the Washington
Home Rule Committee continued
its campaign for passage of a
self-government bill when Con-
gress returns. Plans are under
way for a dinner for newly
elected members of Congress,
where pleas for the cause will be
voiced. .-..
Also a house Ito house canvass
and doorbell ringing move is to
be launched by the committee.
Printed letters are being sent
widely throughout the city by
the committee with latest Home
Rule News.
Headquarters of the commit
tee are now at 1928 L street NV.
The latest news letter says:
"1'he bipartisan home rule
bill is now being reviewed in the
light of recent changes in the
financial and operating situation
in the District. It will remain
basically a bill to allow the Dis
trict rather than the Congress
to frame legislation for the city,
The committee also said that
its spokesmen between January
and June hoped to call personal
ly on every member Of Congress
in the interest of self-govern-
ment.
The Senate has passed home
rule legislation, but it has always
r3iol II, fho UrIIro