Evening star., 1954-01-07
Asks National
Representation
And Home Rule
By Harold B. Rogers

President. Eisenhower today
urged Congress to grant the Dis
trict national suffrage. local self
government, and to revise city
revenue laws for financing new
public works.
In his State of the Union
message, the President told leg
| iSlatorS:
I'm the District Of Columbia.
the time is long overdue for
granting national suffrage to its
citizens, and also applying the
principle of local Self-govern-
ment to the Nations capital.
II urge the Congress to move
promptly in this direction and
also to revise District revenue
measures to provide needed pub
lie works improvements"
President Eisenhower also re-
ferred to the District in another
part of his message regarding his
previously announced policies to
end segregation here.
The President told Congress
segregation was on the way out
in the Armed Forces and other
Federal activities. adding:
"We have also made progress
towards its abolition in the Dis
trict of Columbia"
Such progress, the President
said, were steps in the continu-
ing effort to eliminate inter-
racial difficulty"
Legislation for both national
suffrage and home rule already
is pending on Capitol Hill.
The bills include:
For National Suffrage.
Bills by Representative Hale,
Republican. Of Maine; Repre-
sentative league. Democrat. of
Texas, and Representative Pow
ell. Democrat, of New York. All
the bills are similar.
For Home Rule.
Pending before the Senate is
a bill for an elected city council,
school board and mayor. Intro
duced by Senator Case. Repub-
lican. of South Dakota.
Before the House District Ju-
dietary subcommittee is a bill for
an elected District council and
school board and a council-ap-
pointed city manager. Intro
duced by Representative Klein
Democrat, of New York.
For Elected Delegate.
Senator Cases bill for an
elected, non-voting D. C.. dele
gate. passed by Senate but ta-
bled by House District Commit
tee.
A bill by Representative Au-
chincloss. Republican. of New
Jersey, for non-voting House
delegate, now before House Dis
trict subcommittee.
A bill by Representative Aber-
nethy, Democrat. of Mississippi
for non-voting Senate delegate
now before same subcommittee
The District Commissioners
10-year. $306 million public
works program is expected to be
before Congress shortly. It was
worked out by city heads and re-
vlsed with approval of the Bu-
reau of the Budget.
Sponsors Of all three of the
Presidents recommendations for
District legislation were expected
to greet his plea to Congress
with satisfaction.
It was the first time President
Eisenhower had formally asked
Congress to enact legislation
leading to District votes for
President and Vice President. In
his first state-o the Union mes
sage to Congress in February last
year, he did not mention the
subject. But he appealed at that
time for "a system to provide an
effective voice in local self-gov-
ernment."
Conforms to Platform.
In giving national representa-
ton prominence in his message
today, the President was in line
with declaration of the Repub-
lican Party in its platform of
July, 1852, on which he was
elected.
The Democratic platform of
(See SUFFRAGE, Page A-6.)
First Lines Do