Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-06
DISTRICT
DISTRICT
Time Again
For Task of
Teaching
BY HECTOR MCLEAN

Washington is a city run by
strangers.
This is being demonstrated again
as Congress. which serves the Dis
trict as city council and state legis-
lature as we'll as national legisla-
ture, once more returns to its home
base.
Also, 1t raises the perennial prob
lem for career District officials of
educating new members of Con-
greSS in the unique problems of the
city
The kickoff in such a campaign
is supplied regularly by the Wash
ington Board of Trade. which held
its traditional dinner for freshmen
members of Congress last Wednes-
day.
President Robert E. Mclaughlin
OF the District Board of Commits
sioners gave them some background
on the problems of Washington as a
municipality in a formal speech.
He was backed up on the social
level by all the old line Washing
tonians among the dinner guests,
who also were trying to make the
new members of Congress feel at
home.
Unique Problem
The problem of acquainting the
newcomers with the complex ris-
trict municipal setup is a difficult
one. In the average city, decisions
are made by local politicians who
fight for Office. Whether venal or
not, they cannot be accused of be-
ing unfamiliar with their city's
problems
In Washington, on the other
hand. critical decisions-on flnanc-
ing, taxation and even on public
transit-are made by relative
strangers. although there are few
veterans with feelings of obligation
to Washington who maintain their
memberships on committees which
deal with the District.
Unfortunately, the House and
Senate District Committees gen.
orally are not popular assignments
and produce few votes at home for
the men who serve on them.
In the Senate, the stampede is
already on to get off the District
Committee. With a new Congress
on the verge of juggling its COM
mittee assignments, at least four
members of the nine-man body are
trying to get away.
They are Senators Gordon Allott,
Republican of Colorado; Roman L.
Hruska. Republican of Nebraska;
Clifford P. Case, Republican of New
Jersey, and Pat Mcnamara Demo-
crat of Michigan.
The latter two were principal
actors in last sessions hullabaloo
over transit, and unquestionably
are not anxious to repeat that in
volvement in Washington affairs.
The only Republican who wants
to remain on the committee is j.
Glenn Beall of Maryland. to whom
the city is almost a second home
and whose suburban constituents
are vitality interested in Washing
ton.
The biggest surprise among the
stay-putS is Senator Wayne Morse,
Democrat of Oregon, who fought
like the proverbial steer to avoid
going on the committee when he
was deprived of his other commit
tee posts as punishment for desert
ing the Republican Party.
He Decided to Stick
Even when he was restored to
grace two years ago, however, and
reassigned to other major COM
mittees. he decided to stick with
the District Committee, which badly
needs the help OF men familiar
with its problems.
In the House, the 25-man Dis
trict Committee already has two
vacancies and formal reorganiZa-
ton has yet to be completed There
hard core of veteran members
sticks with the body to provide
some continuity of District expert
ence, buttreSSed usually by subur-
ban Congressman in the same posi-
ton with their constituents as Sem
ator Beall.
Perhaps the most difficult task
for District career officials is deal
ing with new members of the sub
committees on the District OF the
House and Senate Appropriations
Committees. Each year, invariably,
they have to rejustify the idea of
a Federal payment to help finance
municipal operations of the
Nations Capital, which lacks tax
revenue because of the presence of
the untaXable Federal Government.
Now the biennial seminar is
starting again. Perhaps in two
years it will be possible to assess its
value.