Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-22
Law Regulating
Party Delegate
Elections Urged
Case Bill Backed
With Some Minor
Changes at Hearing


Legislation to regulate the
election Of delegates from the
District to national political
conventions was widely sup
ported in principle today by sew
eral witnesses before a Senate
District subcommittee.
The bill, sponsored by Chair
man Case Of the Senate District
Committee and the committees
ranking Democrat, Senator
Nicely Of West Virginia, drew
praise from 10 witnesses, some
OF whom suggested minor
amendments.
The subcommittee, presided
over by Senator Nicely, asked the
committee staff to submit in
formation as to the regulations in
effect in the different States for
electing delegates.
See Step Toward Home Rule.
Several of the witnesses ex-
pressed hope for passage Of the
bill as a step toward further en-
reimbursement of District resi-
dents. Some insisted on home
rule, others spoke for both home
rule and national representation
later.
Senator Nicely and Senator
Morse, Independent, of Oregon.
stressed the need for enfran-
chisement of WashingtonianS to
scotch what they said was COM
munistic propaganda against
the democratic form of govern
ment. The Communists, they
emphasized, were pointing with
scorn to Observation-Disclosures of
the residents of the Nations
Capital.
Witnesses on the delegate bill
included:
District Commissioner Samuel
Spencer, Melvin Hildreth. Dem
ocratic national committeeman
for the District: Woolsey Hall
and Culver Chamberlain of the
Democratic Central Committee:
Edward Burling and Judge
James Cobb of the Citizens for
Eisenhower; Sturgis Warner,
Washington Home Rule Com
mittee: Mrs. j. j. Eigenmann Of
the District League of Women
Voters; Mrs. Edward Morris, Sec
retary of the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations.
Also DR.. Benjamin P. Spiro.
Washington Chapter. Americans
for Democratic Action; Eugene
F. Mullin. jr.. Young Democratic
Club of the District, and Huber
Brown, chairman of the Legisla-
tive Committee of the District
Federation of Civic Associations.
Six Other Bills Discussed.
The subcommittee also heard
testimony on six other District
bills. Virtually the only oppo-
Sition to any of these other
measures came on a House.
passed measure to exempt from
taxation the property of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars on
FIRST street NE. facing the Capt.
toll Plaza.
Assistant Corporation Counsel
irving Bryan, speaking for the
District Commissioners, and Mrs.
Morris for the Federation. OPP
posed further tax-exempt prop
erty. A plea for exemption of the
site on which a memorial WASH
ington headquarters is to be
built, was filed with the subcom-
mittee by VFW Legislative OFF,
Ger Adm M. Downer.
A House-passed bill to permit
policemen, flremen and teachers
to waive part of their annuitieS,
relief or retirement compensa-
ton to qualify for military pen
sions, was tentatively amended
to strike out the teachers, on
request of Miss Selma Borchard
of the American Federation of
Teachers. She favored the meas
ure, however, with the teachers
eliminated.
Objects to House Bill.
Woolsey Hall objected to a
House-passed bill to authorize
the Commissioners to hire two
assistant tax assessors from the
Greater Washington area rather
than the District only. The
measure was requested by Dis
trict officials and supported in a
statement filed with the sub
) committee by Charles A. Beard,
jr.. deputy assessor.
Judge Luther w. Youngdahl
of the U. s. District Court for
the District of Columbia, strongly
urged a House-passed bill to
provide District Court Judges
with the services of psychiatrists
and psychologists. Mr.. Bryan for
the Commissioners asked that
the bill be amended to limit
such services for jurists to
criminal cases only.
Two Senate bills were sup
ported by witnesses without OPP
position of any sort. They would
provide for a better registration
of births and give the Commits
sioners more authority over the
Recorder of Deeds Office, in
GLIDING the appointment Of en-
ployes. Supporting the Record
er's bill with minor amendments
was Mr.. Bryan for the Commis-
sionerS. The Recorder, John B,
Duncan. asked for passage OF
the bill.
Rl FILL