Evening star., 1926-09-27

These prices are subject TO Il 10 per
cent war tax.
phases might he susceptible tn i'm
provement.
lie pointed out that here the organ
ization and system is cumbersome OF
account of the dual Federal control
and municipal administration and the
size of Congress. with Legislation nf
National scope and for purely munici-
pal matters coming into a clash when
there was much legislation under con
siderat ton and little time in which to
get action by an unwieldly Congress.
Mr.. BrOwnlow gave as Illustrations
the municipal hospital and the public
library system Of the District te show
how important branches of the local
Government were delayed in develop
ment on account of this CumherSom"
system requiring congressional action.
He said that the subcommittee should
be on its guard because conditions can
not be improved by increasing the
compleXity of machinery, but that
considerable improvement might be
made by simplification of the machin
cry.
He advocated survey and furnish
ad the subcommittee with the names
of three important national associa-
municipal surveys.
Questioned regarding local suffrage
by Mr.. Mcleod, Mr.. RroWnlOw said
that home rule implies the right of
the local residents tn elect their own
legislative representatives. and that
any one of the various forms of suf-
frage which have been advocated
would in his opinion have Il different
effect.
NIotA al
self lf-sovernment." he said. the most
important question which would inn
mediately arise would he how the
chief industry and biggest factor in
the city would pay taxes, the husi-
ness of the United States Govern
ment."
Congress Little Interested.
In direct reply to Mr.. McLeods
suggestion of purely local government
Mr. RrownlOw said that it would
| make such radical change that 1t
would he impossible for any one to
say in advance whether il would i'm
prove or injure the efficiency of the
government. If the question was one
! of setting up an ideal local govern
ment it would he entirely a different
| answer. Mr.. Rrownlow said
In answering some of Mr.. Reid's
questions whether Congress took too
much interest in the District, Mr..
BrOwnlow said. on the contrary. he
believed Congress took too little inter
est in the District. lie pointed out
in detail that as far as Legislative
problems are concerned Washington
is absolutely unique, hut that as far as
it's functional activities are concerned
! it doesn't make any difference
whether the people vote or do not
| 4 haN
the minds of the people here have
cha nced nightly in the six years
since he was District commissioner
they would not want the kind Of suf
frace Mr.. Mcleod suggested giving
them. He said that undoubtedly any
such form of suffrage would result in
multiplying by thousands of times the
"kicks" to Congress.
TO Study Books.
Both Mr.. Brownlow and Dr. George
/ f.. Rowcrman, the libra rian of the
| Public Library. promised to provide
! Mr.. Reid with a list of articles and
! books on municipal government
! which the subcommittee should study.
| In emphasizing that Washington is
| one of the most efficient Governments
| in the world. Mr.. Brownlnw stated
that part of the inefficiency must he
| traced back to the fact that Congress
does not take enough interest in thr
Capital City.
He was asked at considerab bic length
regarding the counciI-manaGer form
of government, which is now in opera
! ton in some 300 cities. only ! of
which have abandoned this system
after adopting it ny charter, and only
| of these Akron. Ohio, being a large
city.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Reid.
regarding whether the subcommittee
should go into the question of civil
service in It's survey, Mr. BrOwnloW
said that entrance bars as set up by
the Federal civil service system should
he retained, but that the exit bars
should he let down so that the mt
nicipal ma ma cement would have easier
opportunity TO get rid of undesirable
employees. This. he pointed out was
due to the fact that the employees come
into much closer contact directly with
the people under the District Govern
ment than under the Federal depart
ments. He advised that the civil serv-
ice employees Of the District should
come under n chief of personnel. sub
ject to the District commissioners or
whatever administrative authority
may be in charge. !
j. c. Yaden. chief of the examining
division of the civil service, a mem
ber of the school board and dele
gate to the Federation of Citizens
Associations from the PctWorth citi-
zens' Association, was granted per-
mission To insert in the record. the
Civil Service Commissions answer
to Mr. BrownIow recommendations
regarding the bars on the back doors
of the civil service.
Mr. Yaden also advised a careful
study of the municipal architects Of
fee. He advocated that either there
should be more assistants or that the
municipal architect be allowed to
have plans for municipal buildings
drawn by outside architects. EIe COM
planned against delays in the school
building proStom, against the method
OF assessing faxes. and against zOn-
ing regulations in which the prop
erty ownefs had no voice
The subcommittee adjourned for
two weeks with Mr. Reid authorized
To call the meeting. as ne is the only
one of the seven members on the sub
committee who now expects 70 10 IN