Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-07
DISTRICT:
DISTRICT:
Alderman
Role Rough
On Congress
By HECTOR MCLEAN

by HECIOh MCLEAN
The yoke of its duty as city
council and State legislature
for the District rubbed hard
est on the neck of Congress
last Tuesday as it strained at
the traces to depart Wash
ington for the summer adj
journment.
The load was especially
heavy in the House, which
found itself waiting on Dis
trict transit legislation as al
most the last bill it really had
to pass.
Home rule opponents among
the House members made the
most of the opportunity to
drive home the argument that
Congress should not have to
waste its time with the mu-
nicipal affairs of Washington.
The obligation to do 30 was
clear. however. It was spelled
out not only by members Of
the House District Committee,
but by others not identified
with District affairs.
John Francis Shelley, a
San Francisco Democrat, de-
clared, 1--WE have an obliga-
ton to the public in Wash
ington, D. c. If we do not
pass this bill now, you will
have a strike situation that
may go on for months and
months"
Home Rule Appeal
Another to spell it out was
Arthur @. Klein, New York
Democrat and District COM
mittee member, who also used
it to reinforce his traditional
pitch for home rule. He said:
I'VE really have gotten our
selves into a beautiful mess in
the closing days of the ses-
sion, with so many other mat
tiers of Importance pending,
because we have got to take
time out to deal with a purely
local situation. such as this
strike. I admit that it is a very
important matter, but unfor-
tunately under the law we are
charged with the responsibility
of governing the District of
Columbia, This responsibility
comes with 1t. -.
Something must be done
in this purely local contro-
versy. and adnittedly it must
be done by US, because there
Is nobody else to do it. But
why should we have this kind
of situation? Why should we
have to worry about the Capt.
tai Transit strike and other
local matters?"
Urging establishment Of a
city council, he came to the
crux of one OF the home rule
arguments:
If they had a city council
or some other local body. they
would have to worry about
this themselves"
Two answers to the home
rulers questions-one> legal
and the other strictly prac-
tical - came from District
Committee m m bers Oren
Harris. a Democrat from Ar
kansas. and Sid Simpson,
former Republican chairman
of the committee.
Mr.. Harris reminded the
House that the Constitution
of the United States when it
was written by our Founding
Fathers provided that the Con-
gress of the United States
shall have exclusive juris-
diction over legislation affect
ing the District of Columbia.
Therefore, it is the responsible
ity of the Congress to meet
this problem along with the
many other problems that
come before U.S."
Mr.. Simpsons reply was
more Immediately practical:
We will not be able to settle
the transportation problem
here or help settle it if we get
into a debate on home rule for
the District of Columbia. If
we do that, we will be here until
Christmas"
Perhaps more basic answer
came in a discussion of who is
going to pay the bill for meet
ing any Capital Transit losses.
Fundamentally. it involved the
Federal share in the costs of
running the National Capital.
Question of Deficit
A Georgia Democrat brought
1t up. Elijah Lewis (Tic) For
roster declared. Il am con-
WINGED there is going to be a
deficit" and insisted it would
be "Tweedledee and Tweedle-
dun" whether the bill would be
paio by the District Govern
ment as distinguished from
the Federal Government.
He was seconded by H. r.
Gross. an Iowa Republican,
who declared. 1T does not
make any difference how thick
or hoy thin they slice it.
They will be in here asking
for an appropriation"
The gentlemen are obviously
correct. With the District al
ready put into the red this year
by Congress, which faces the
problem Of heavily increasing
District taxes early next ses-
sion. a bid for increased Fed
eral payment-or at least res
toration of this years slashes-
Is clearly in the works.
The necessity of making up
Capital Transit deficits would
be another strong argument
not only for more taxes, but
for more Federal payment.
So far. the home-rule sup
porters have not explained,
from a practical standpoint.