Evening star., 1955-02-26
Citizen Council
Calls for DC.
Representation.
Says Nicely Bill
Fuiis to Provide
Reel Home Rule

Fails to Provide
ReuI Home Rule
The Citizens Advisory Coun-
ell has urged the District Com
missioners to work for a consti-
tutional amendment to give
Washingtonians voting repre-
sentation in the House and Sem
ate and a vote for the President
and Vice President.
At the same time. in a report
released yesterday by Commis-
sioner Samuel Spencer, the
council charged that the cur
rent home rule" bill to give
Washington an elected city gov
ernment "does not grant any
real measure of home rule to
the District of Columbia"
To back up the view the coun-
ell proposed nine changes in the
bill. introduced recently by
Chairman Nicely of the Senate
District Committee, upon which
three hearings have already been
held
The measure would replace
the present commission form of
government with an elected
mayor, nine-member city coun-
Gil, school board and non-yot-
ing delegate in the House.
Changes Proposed.
The council proposed the fol-
lowing changes in the measure:
/. Elimination of "the dual
voting provisions of the bill"
2. Action to correct the '1ack
Of any mention in the bill of
the responsibility of the Fed
eral Government to contribute,
upon some equitable plan. to the
operating cost of the District of
Columbia"
3. Elimination of "the right
reserved to the Congress to re-
peal or amend any act of the
council" declaring there should
be further Interpretation of the
extent of the power the council
would have in q legislative
capacity"
4. Dropping of the "the au-
thority of the National Capital
Planning Commission to disap-
prove any zoning act of the
council"
S. Elimination of "the conflict
of policy IN allowing the Board
of Education to determine the
salary of its secretary when all
other salaries are determined by
the council"
Boundary Conflict.
6. Elimination of the conflict
in Title II. Section 201, with the
Boundary Act as to the territory
involved" (The bill used an
early definition of the boundary
between the District and Vir-
ginia, ignoring a later correction
Of the line)
T. Abandoning the necessity
Of having the Board of Elections
appointed by the President with
the consent of the Senate after
the initial election, instead of
being selected on local level"
8. Elimination of the "neces-
sity of having the President ap-
point the judges of the Municipal
Court, members of the Public
Utilities Commission, members of
the National Capital Housing
Agency and members of the Re-
development Land Agency"
9. Correction of the failure to
state the future relationship Of
the United States Corps of En-
gineers to the government of the
District of Columbia"
The council also urged that
a provision should be added that
all bonds issued by the District
Of Columbia should be free from
all income taxes" This would
give the city's bonds equal
status with most municipal
bonds, which are tax free.
Views to Go to Congress.
Although the District Com
missioners recently testified in
support of the Neely bill. urging
only the addition of a provision
to spell out obligations of the
Federal Government to share in
the cost of running the Capital
City, Mr.. Spencer said he per-
sonally feels the Commissioners
should transmit the councils
views to the Senate committee"
Disclosure of the councils &C.
tion followed soon after the ad-
visory group had voted to keep
1t secret until delivered to and
released by the Commissioners.
Earlier, J. C. Turner, vice
president of the Central Labor
Union, had walked angrily out
of the closed door meeting and
departed from the District
Building after an unsuccessful
effort to confer with Mr.. Spen-
Ger.
Mr.. Turner. who has testified
frequently in support of meas
ures to give the District an
elected city government, said he
had voted against the statement
that this particular bill does
not grant any real measure of
home rule to the District of
Columbia
OF the proposal that the Com
misSioners urge Congress to back
constitutional amendment to
give the District national repre-
sentation, Mr.. Turner said that
kind Of recommendation Is in
line with what opponents of
home rule have always said"
1T looks as though the council
seems to be completely out Of
step with the whole city," he
added. ...