Evening star., 1925-10-19
BELL ASKS BACKING
OF CITIZENS BODY
IN PLAN OF REFORM
Urges New Fiscal Program
Between u. S. and D. C..
Governments.
WANTS COMMISSIONERS
TO HAVE MORE POWER
Change in Method of Dealing With
Budget and Legislation by
Congress Requested.

| Three questions of vital interest to
! the people of Washington should be
/ considered by Joint committee of the
Senate and House at the forthcoming
session Of Congress, Engineer Commits.
sloner Bell declared today in letter
to the Citizens Advisory Council re-
questing that organization to recon-
mend a legislative program.
The trio of matters are:
The fiscal relations between the
nited States and District govern
ments.
The proposal to increase the general
/ powers OF the Commissioners over
many municipal questions which now
require action by Congress.
Some modification of the methods
used in dealing with the budget and
legislation for the District.
Foresees Success.
After citing these three matters Col.
Bell concluded his letter with this
comment:
In my opinion, the preparation of
a budget and a program of legislation.
with the advice of the advisory coun-
Gil and with public discussion of i'm
portant matters under consideration,
is sound policy and will result in Con-
sress conferrlng increased authority
on the District government"
The Commissioner did not indicate
now he believes the question of fiscal
relations should be settled For the
past two years Congress has tempo
rarIly departed from the substantive
law providing for a 60-40 division of
the expenses of the National Capital
and has substituted an arbitrary lump
sum contribution nf n0n mn
Wants 60-4O Ratio Back.
The advisory council. in submitting
ITS recommendation for the next ap-
preparation bill, already has gone on
record as urging Congress TO return
To the 60-49 ratio pending a careful
study and definite settlement of tn.
! question of the extent to which the
! Federal Government should share in
! the development of the Nations City.
The city heads more than a year
ago listed a score of municipal func-
ions over which they thought the
Board or commissioners should have
more authority. These matters were
never actually drafted into a bill for
presentation to Congress, but Col.
Bell . letter indicates they will be re
vived this Winter.
The Engineer Commissioner did
not specify how he thought the
methods of dealing with the annual
budget and with legislation for the
District should be modified. but pro-
posed that such modification be in
quired into by Congress.
Offers Other Plans.
In addition to these three outstand-
ing questions, Col. Bell sent TO the
! council a list of various proposed
bills affecting the Engineer Depart
ment, with the request that the coun-
ell study them and recommend the
ones which should be given prece-
dence of consideration by Congress
Col. Bell told the council that meas
ures of little Importance and no
great urgency should not be allowed
to crowd out questions where the
public interest is suffering because
of lack of legislation.
The Engineer Commissioner sug-
SeScted that not more than eight of
the bills affecting the Engineer De-
partment should be listed for pref
erence or preferential consideration at
the opening of Congress. y few others
could be submitted at later date,
he said.
Il believe we would have secured
more legislation in the past if less
had been submitted Col. Bell de
clared. Some meritorious bills have
remained unacted upon for years
while time was taken up in the dis.
cussion of bills that should have been
more thoroughly studied and formu-
lated prior to submission.
Confident of Cooperation.
Il am confident that the Senate
and House District committees will
cooperate with us and give prece-
dence to legislation thus proposed by
the Commissioners, with the advice of
| the Advisory Council, and let other
proposed legislation watt
Among the engineering bills sub.
mitted to the council by Col. Bell TO.
day were the following:
To provide for the opening or wild
ening of streets in cases where con.
demnation juries cannot find benefit
equal to damages. Col. Bell men.
toned nine streets which might be
Continued on Page ., Column g.