Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
Control of Local Affairs.


Budget Bureau control Of local estimates
and budgets, which naturally extends to
controS IN other matters, should prove
of value for the light that 1t viii throw
upon q constantly broadening process
Of Matchmaking the affairs of this
community of American citizens. The
investigation might take in the part
that another Federal bureau, the Bureau
of Efficiency, has come to exercise in
municipal business. But, after all, the
i, important question is not whether
washington is controlled by one or Q
dozen Federal bureaus and Federal
officials, but, why some of the power
represented in such control is not
vested In the citizens themselves.
Each Of the steps toward national
ization Of the Capital community Of
taxpayers acts to deprive the citizens
Of some Of the few methods Of self
expression left to them, such as those
Of petition or dissent. The matter Of
initiating or changing policies has be-
come 80 involved that the source OF
initiation or change is hard to ind.
Is the Budget Bureau. or are the Com
missioners, responsible for budget rec
concentrations and fiscal policy recon-
mendations that finally reach Congress?
Are the Commissioners or Is the Bureau
of Eniciency responsible for methods
and procedure adopted at the District
Building? Is the Board Of Education,
or are the chairman Of the House and
Senate subcommittee on District APP
preparations, responsible for major
changes In educational policies of the
public schools, dictated by the members
of Congress in lengthy correspondence
with the superintendent Of schools?
The one thing emphasized through
out Ia the lack Of power, even Of ex-
preston. on the part Of the taxpayers
themselves. There are many cooks with
their fingers in the pie. But those who
furnish the ingredients Of the pie, and
who must eat it down TO the crust, are
shut out Of the kitchen
The Board Of Trade might with ad-
vantage include, IS part Of its gem
eral inquiry, consideration Of the value
to this community, without dilninuticn
of the exclusive control OF District af-
fairs By Congress, Of the power Of
initiative, referendum and recall. The
Commissioners now possess the power
Of initiating local appropriation bills.
They report on matters Of local legis-
lation customarily referred to them
by the District Committees. They pro-
pose amendments, or new legislation.
This power might with propriety be ex-
tended, so that reference Of local legis-
lation to the Commissioners would be
compulsory. Coupled with the pow.
er Of the Commissioner to tniti-
ate legislation should be that Of refer"
endum to the community in respect
to important local legislation or 1inan-
cial policies. And as the Commits
sioners are now in no way responsible
to the local community which they
represent, there should be given TO
the community the power OF recall over
them, such recall not being operative
in itself, but addressed with persuasive
force 70 the President, the appointing
power, who would either I'LL the vacancy
caused by the recall or veto the vote
Of the citizens.
In applying the initiative, referendum
and recall to washington there would
be recognition Of the American attri-
butas in the Americans who live In
washington, promising benefit rather
than injury to the local community.
There would be no constitutional DIFF
ficulties involved, and Is the action
Of citizens in every case would be ad-
visory, no curtailment OF the power
either Of the appointing executive or
the legislating Congress would result.
It would provide an excellent medium
for experiment here with some SEM
blance of representation, in preparation
for that day when washingtonians Will
be given the right to representation IN
Congress and vote In national affairs.
Such methods Of obtaining the adj
vice and consent Of taxed Americans
here In matters that directly concern
their welfare and in which they now
are voiceless, are more important even
than the number or nature Of the
Federal bureaus concerned in the busi-
ness Of governing the American Capital.
Get an eyeful Of this item: Cuba has
inst started of the Winter fruit ship