Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-15
New Board of Commissioners
Eventually Must Decide
Controversy.
DEVELOP PMENTS ALARM F
SOME TRADE LEADERS
Doubt Whether Body Should Re-
port to Congress or Only
Commissioners.
BY BEN McKELWAY.

W hen Col. W IIiam B. Ladue takes
Office June 90 as Engineer Commits.
sioner Of the District, the slate will
have been wiped clean Of the old
Board of Commissioners who, two
years ago this month, sanctioned the
formation of a new experiment in
citizens representation in Washing
ton, the Citizens Advisory Council.
While the board which gave it birth
will have gone, the council has grown
and matured. It has become a recog-
nized force in shaping the affairs OF
the District.
But with this growth a feeling akin
to alarm has developed, especially
among the city's trade organizations.
representative of the city's business
men. 1t is not antagonistic in spirit,
but there is a we'll defined movement
TO have the Citizens Advisory Cou11-
ell so shorn Of its newly gained power
and prestige that it will revert TO
what many believe was It's orlglilaI
status-that merely of an executive
committee speaking only for the Fed.
Grafton of Citizens Associations ana
tba Federation of Civi, Associations.
and advising the Commissioners: not
Congress. of the views OF these
bodies.
The agitation in this direction. now
confined largely to executive confer
ences among the leaders in the city
trade bodies, may never reach the
stage Of a knock down and drag
out fight between the trade bodies
and the Citizens Advisory Council.
Nothing. i'm fact. is so little desired
by the trade bodies. But the Com
missioners, when the new board is
established, are to be told very frank
Iv that the Citizens Advisory Coun-
Gil has assumed prerogatives which
are not based on any fundamental
right. And Congress is to be told
the same thing.
Oldest Trade Organization.
The Board of Trade. Washington's
oldest and most powerful trade organ
ization, representing some 5000 busi-
| ness men, is at present quietly direct
| ing the movement aimed at curbing
the power Of the Citizens Advisory
Council. Leaders in other trade asso-
Citations have been acquainted with It's
aims and are reported generally to be
in sympathy with them. Further sup
port is expected from within the Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations it.
self. for there have been recurrent
rumblings which indicate TINT some
of its members are rot in Sympathy
with the broad powers which have
been taken by the council. President
Yaden of the fedora ton (and chair
man also Of the new advisory counciD
publicly protested that the council
was monopolizing the spotlight even
to the exclusion Of the federation,
which created it.
At the outset it should be under
stood, however. that the trade asso-
Citations and other critics are not BIT
ter nor antagonistic toward the Citi-
zens' Advisory Council. Nor is there
any personal feeling against those
who constitute it's membership. The
business men who have been willing
to express themselves privately are In
thorough sympathy with the purpose
for which the council originally was
created On every hand there is
praise for the civic interest which in
spired the formation, first of the citi-
zens' associations, then of the fedora
tions. and finally of the present ad-
visory council. But that this council
now shows tendencies of becoming the
city's official mouthpiece, speaking as
with authority for the whole com
munity, a.rouses indignant protest in
the city's business leaders.
Interesting Development.
The growth in prestige OF the Citi-
zens' Advisory Council is an interest
ing development. The council was
fostered at the start by Commissioner
Bell. 1t is his own child. At the time
of its birth Commissioner Bell found
himself overburdened with work. The
protracted and disabling illness of
Commissioner OystNr imposed addi-
T1I< "a
sioners, and the gr later part of the.
burden resting -pon the Public
Utilities Commission fell upon the
Engineer Commissioner, its chairman.
The advice Commissioner Bell re-
ceiYed upon varioEs District measures
came almost wholly from the different
subdivisions of tue District Govern
ment. Obtaining advice from the
federation was q rather long-drawn-
out process, and he found that in
many instances tie complaint was re-
ceived from citizens associations that
the Commissioners acted without ask
ing their opinions. Advice from the
federation involved tedious work in
committee in addition to the tradi-
tional wrangling on the floor. Com
missioner Bells idea at first was an
informal advisory council which would
give the Commissioners the taxpayers
views on matters which affected them.
When his sounding out of the pro-
posal drew little response from the
trade organizations, he found that the
Federation of Citizens Associations
was anxious and eager to help. And
the council was formed.
But instead of acting as spokesman
for the two federations and simply
advising the Commissioners on ques-
tionable items in District measures,
the council broadened it's powers con-
siderably. In a manner, the councils
growth in Importance received inn
petus from the attacks made on Mr..
Fenning, who succeeded Mr.. Oyster
An attitude of suspicion and doubt
concerning the ability and the motives
of the Board of Commissioners de-
yeloped and was deliberately fOstered
by some Congressman, who took the
position that the Commissioners did
not represent or attempt to represent
the views of the citizens OF the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The result was that during the first
session of the last Congress the chair
man of the House District committee
began referring bills affecting the Dis
trict direct to the Citizens Advisory
Council as well as to the Commission-
ers. This method was adopted upon
the request of the Advisory Council,
by the chairman of the Senate Dis
trict committee during the last ses-
sion of Congress. The process then
became standardization being re-
ferred to the Advisory Council indie
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