Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-21
Asserts Present
Government Is
Best for City
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star stan Writer

trlct judiciary Subcommittee.
In a three-page letter to
| S u b com mittee chairman
Hartke. Democrat of Indiana,
Board President Victor o.
Schinnerer said his business
organization wanted:
/. The present presidential
disappointed Board of Com
missioners retained. The
Commissioner form of govern
ment under which we have OPP
Grated since 1878 is best suited
for this unusual city," the let
ter said.
2. A constitutional amend
ment giving District residents
the right to vote for President,
Vice President and delegates
to Congress.
3. Abandonment of the admin
iStration bill to convert the
District to a territory. I'VE
here reiterate our conviction
that there can be no meaning
full home rule in the District of
Columbia without representa-
ton in the body which exer-
cises exclusive legislative juris-
diction over the Federal City"
Mr.. Schinnerer wrote.
Amendment Held Essential
He insisted that a constitu-
tional amendment was IAN abb
solutely essential prerequisite"
to passage of any of the home
rule bills introduced in many
previous Congresses.
The subcommittee was re-
minded that the board, organ
lied in 1890. was the largest
representative body in contin-
uouS operation for a longer
period of time than any other
citizen group in Washington"
1t has 1000 members who rep
resent $500 business enter
priSes.
Our basic premise is that
the primary purpose of the Dis
trict is to serve as the seat Of
government of the United
States" Mr.. Schinnerer wrote.
This purpose is overwhelming
ly accepted" by Congress, he
maintained. and imposes a host
of unusual characteristics upon
the city.
Specifically, the board urged
favorable consideration of a
resolution sponsored by Sena-
tor Case, Republican of South
Dakota, to amend the Consti-
tuition so that Washington citi-
zenS could choose three dele
gates to the House and three
presidential electors. The res
olution is before the Judiciary
Committee rather than the Dis
trict Committee.
AFL-CIO Takes Same Stand
The letter was the first for
nlidable opposition to home rule
received by the subcommittee
since Senator Hartke opened
hearings last Wednesday. The
only organization of compare
tive size to join the majority
Of witnesses favoring home rule
has been the AFL-CIO.
Senator Hartke, a self
avowed champion of self-gov-
eminent, has said he hoped for
Senate action on some munich
pal reform bill within 80 days.
He will hear Senator Morse,
Democrat of Oregon, tomorrow.
which is scheduled to be the
last day of formal hearings.
The board warned that more
locally controlled government
would shrink the annual Fed
eral payments granted the city
by Congress.
Fears Financial Burdens
Mr.. Schinnerer. He said con-
ment would prejudice the Dis
trict in fulfilling its basic func-
ton as a. Federal city, he
noted, In turn, added financial
burdens on local residents
would drive more people and
business outside the District to
the suburbs, he argued.
The District School Board
meanwhile. expressed mixed
feelings over three home rule
bills
Senator Hartke asked Board
President Walter N. Tobriner
to poll the board on the three
bills and today received the re-
suits. They were as follows:
Board Members Mrs. Frank
S. Phillips, Rowland F. Kinks
and Carl c. Smuck said they
did not favor any of the three
bills