Evening star., 1933-08-30
GRAySON REPORTED
CITY HEAD
Job BY ROOSEVELT
Former Rear Admiral De.
cIared to Have Declined
to Govern District.
DOUBT IF PRESIDENT
CAN ALTER LOCAL RULE
Chief Executive Silent on Board Of
Trade Plea to Preserve
Representation.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Former Rear Admiral Cary T. Gray
son was offered the Office of city man.
ager governor or whatever title one
man government of the District Of
Columbia would carry with it, by Presi-
dent Roosevelt sometime ago, it was
reported here today on high authority.
Admiral Grayson at that time de-
clined the honor, it is understood.
Whether he could be prevailed upon
to change his mind should President
Roosevelt go through with the plan to
provide for a single head Of the Dis
trict Government, instead of the pres
ent Board of Three Commissioners, only
the future could tell.
Admiral Grayson, long time friend
Of President Roosevelt and chairman
of the Inaugural Committee, has been a
strong hacker of Melvin Hazea. sur
veyor of the District, for appointment
as one Of the Board Of Commissioners.
Authority Doubted.
The prevailing impression on Capitol
Hill is that the President would have
no authority to change the form Of gov
ernment for the District without obtain
ing a new law from Congress. The
present authority conferred upon the
President by Congress to reorganiZe the
executive establishments of the Fed
eral Government does not apply to the
District, it was said.
1t was recalled today that the Presi-
dent desired to appoint as Governor Of
the Territory of Hawaii nonresident
Of the islands during the special ses-
sion of Congress last Spring. He
sought to have law granting him such
power passed by Congress. It was the
only request of the President for legis-
lation that was turned down.
In view of the known opposition on
the part of Chairman King of the Sem
ate District Committee and other mem
bers of Congress to the proposal for a
one-man government in the National
Capital. it seems doubtful that the
President could obtain from Congress
/ change in the law for the District
government.
District Not Mentioned.
The authority given the President to
reorganiZe the executive departments
makes no mention of the District, nor
does it apparently apply to any change
in the form of government set up by
Congress for the territories. This au-
thority is contained in title of the
Treasury and Post Office appropriation
bills, for the present fiscal year, as
amended by the so-called economy act.
The President is given authority to
investigate the present organization ''of
all executive and administrative agencies
of government" and to determine what
changes therein are necessary to &C
complish reduction in expenditures, in
Nrno tr3 nfa- -nyn 1n nrli int, and
consolidation, etc. Executive agency,
the law says, means any commission,
independent establishment, board. bu-
reau. division, service or Office in the
executive branch of the Government,
and, except as provided in section 403,
includes the executive departments
Under section 403, the President Is
denied the authority to abolish or
transfer an executive department.
Power in Congress.
The Constitution gives to Congress
exclusive legislative jurisdiction over
the National Capital. Its language is
as follows:
To exercise exclusive legislation In
all cases whatsoever over such District
(not exceeding 10 square miles, as may,
by cession of particular States, and the
acceptance of Congress, become the
seat of Government of the United
States
In some quarters, it is believed the
President may have been advised his
powers to reorganize the Government
extend to a reorganization of the Dis
trict government. and the substitution
of one city manager for the present
Board of Commissioners.
Appointments Expected Soon.
Despite reports emanating from Hyde
Park, some of the Democratic Senators
now in Washington continue to express
confidence that the President will,
within short time, appoint the Dis
trict Commissioners, to succeed the
present board, in accordance with the
so-called organic act of the District.
The economy act as it relates to the
Presidents powers to reorganize the
Government, provides that when the
President makes an executive order,
this shall be presented to Congress
while in session, and shall not become
effective until after the expiration Of so
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