Evening star., 1925-03-22
To the Editor of The Star:

The Commissioners of the District
of Columbia having suggested to the
president of the Federation of Citi-
zens the organization of a council of
citizens to advise with and assist
them in considering legislation af-
fecting the District of Columbia, the
president of the federation appoint
ed committee which submitted a
plan that met with unanimous ap-
proval of the federation at its regu-
lar session February al. The COM
mittee on the city council again re-
ported to the federation at it's next
regular meeting on March Z a COM
plete scheme for the election, gov
ernment and functioning of the coun-
ell as proposed.
The report of the committee, which
provided for a council of nine men,
bers, of which the president Of the
federation, ex-officio, should be chair
man, and composed further of six
citizens TO be selected from the
membership of the Federation of Citi-
zenS' Associations and two from the
membership OF the Federation of
Civic Associations (colored), was re-
ferred back to the committee with
instructions to report at the first
meeting of the federation in April.
The discussion which led to this re-
suit lasted for about two hours, but
did not in any specific manner deal
with the election scheme contained
in the report but was concerned
mainly with the general proposition
that had been unanimously approved
a the preceding meeting of the fed
Grafton. Some of the delegates who
had been present at the meeting
February 81 and others who had not
attended that meeting appeared to
have acquired some doubts as to the
wisdom of the whole proceedings.
Because the Commissioners desired
the early appointment Of the proposed
council, the committee and others VINO
favored the plan pressed for imme-
diate action so that the scheme Tor
nomination and election of the coun-
Gil might be put to work promptly.
Believe. .MisunderstandingE Exists.
The delay of nearly month which
will result from this postponement
will permit further consideration py
member associations. Many OF US
believe the formation of this ad-
visory committee, or council, Is not
only in the interest of the citizens
of the District, but a signal op-
portunity for the Federation of Citi-
zens and it's constituent member
value to the Commissioners and the
District of Columbia. Personally, 1
am of the opinion that the doubts
or misgivings of those who would
seek to delay or defeat this plan are
based upon certain misunderstanding
to which I wish to refer.
The first doubt is occasioned, 1 be-
lieve, by the psychological effect Of
what 1 regard as an unfortunate
selection of a name suggested by the
Commissioners, which was The City
Council of the District OF Colum bia."
The name city Council suggests an
elected board of councilmen, and for
one reason or another boards of coun-
cilmen in other cities have become
more or less unpopular and in many
instances have given way to commits
sions or city managers. Commissions
are usually elected by the citizens
and the work of administering local
governments divided between them.
or they, in turn, select an especially
qualified man or men to direct mu-
nicipal work under their supervision.
Many of the larger cities of the
United States have adopted the COM
mission, or city manager, form of
government. Where city councils
are maintained they are often elected
from the citizens at large and bear
no resemblance whatever to the old
form of ward representation. Such
commissions or councils are usually
made up of a small number of from
five to nine members.
City Manager Plan Here.
What we really have in Washington
now is a city manager form of gov
ernment, with "a council made up Of
members of the United States Con-
gress. In no proper sense. can our
present local government be called
a commission form of government.
We have, in fact, three city managers,
who divide up the work of admins
tering the city under certain rules or
laws Of Congress, and to facilitate
the execution Of these laws the Con-
gress appoints from its two branches
District committees, which, working
jointly, really constitute a board of
councilmen, superimposed upon the
District Because this board of
councilmen and the greater body of
Congress owe their election to other
constituencies their attention is
divided between the District and the
peoples who elect them, often to the
disadvantage of the District.
The powers given to the Commits
sioners of the District OF Columbia.
who are our city managers without
our consent and approval" are in
many instances greater than are
usually given to other city managers.
Their responsibilities are very great
and their duties onerous. During the
past few years there has grown to be
a better understanding between the
Commissioners Of the District and the
citizens, very largely as the result OF
the establishment OF citizens asso-
Citations and the federation of Cit
liens. Never to my knowledge has
there been such sympathy with the
citizens in their local problems and
such a desire to work together for
the general welfare as now exists be-
tween the Commissioners of the Dis
trict and the citizenship of Wash
ington.
Sees No Menace TO Vote Fight.
Out of this sympathetic understand
ing has come the desire on the part
of the Commissioners for more init
mate corporation with the citizen
Ship and hence the suggestion for an
organization of a small body of truly
representative citizens to meet with