Evening star., 1934-08-19
Civic Leaders Agreed on
Some REORGANIZATION Ideas.

Civic Leaders Agreed on
Some Reorganization Ideas.
CUBSTANTIAL agreement has
y been shown regarding two fea-
lures for inclusion in any re-
organization plans for the District
government In the interviews with
civic leaders appearing on this
page during the past several weeks.
All include Endorsement Of national
representation for the District and
all ask that the present citizen
Boards of Education, Welfare and
Library Trustees be retained with
powers unimpaired.
The District Commissioners in
1915 recommended to Congress that
they be given authority to appoint
all of these boards and either abol-
ish them outright or so rob them
of all real power rs in effect to
abolish them. This observer the
other day came across q clipping
OF Star editorial Of December IA,
1915, which is so pertinent to the
present discussion that 1t deserves
to be passed on for the use of the
civic bodies, If these boards are
seriously endangered.
The editorial is headed "Elimi-
mating the Washingtonian" and
reads, in part, as follows:
THE boards Of District citizens
performing certain municipal func-
tions under existing law should
perhaps be appointed by the Dis
trict Commissioners and thus be
subordinated to them. but should
not be abolished, either directly
or indirectly, by deprivation Of all
substantial power, unless special
and definite reasons for this elimi-
nation exist and are openly stated
in each case. AS a rule 1t is highly
beneficial to the Capital and to
the people constituting the Capital
community that public-spirited
citizens should render maximum
of practically uncompensated serv-
ice to Washington in respect to
education, charities and other
similar municipal concerns. The
greater the number of Washing
tonians performing, in subordi-
nation to the Commissioners, in
telligent, sympathetic and effective
work in these municipal functions
the more wholesome the result
both in. what is actually accom-
plished and in the promotion Of
local public spirit. Subject to the
supreme legislative control Of Con-
gress, representing the Nation, the
greater the participation of WASH
ingtonians in the management Of
their local affairs, even indirectly,
the wiser and more equitable and
more American the government Of
this unrepresented community be-
comes.
"The people of Washington do
not wish to be thus eliminated as
a factor in the municipal equation,
but desire to participate more
largely in self-government and
self-taxation and in every Amer
lean right and privilege consistent
with full control of the Nations
city by the Nation through Con-
gress. Instead of surrendering
cheerfully the eligibility provision
which limits the President to
Washingtonians in appointing the
civilian Commissioners most Of
them wish even to elect these
Commissioners or at least to have
power Of recall IN respect to them.
Instead of turning over their
schools and their Public Library,
for example, to the possibly i'm
ported Commissioners Of the fu-
ture or to a bureau of a national
department, to become in either
case national, political and parti-
san spoils, they wish in the in
terest Of public education and the
welfare of the Capital to keep
these institutions out of politics,
and to this end to preserve In due
subordination to the Commits
sioners every one of these citizen
boards.
The movement toward efface-
ment Of the WaShingtonian and
toward a Capitalization Of all
municipal power at the District
Building, with a weakening of the
home-rule safeguards, In no wise
reflects the sentiment Of the COM
munity, which is being manifested
strongly through various mediums
Of expression. Following the re-
cent discussion Of the general sub
ject Of the Districts relationship
to the Federal Government there
now prevails in the District an un-
deniable and a strong sentiment
for greater participation, direct or
indirect, by the community in the
management of municipal affairs
and of vigorous opposition to any
reduction of the meager participa-
ton now enjoyed" :