Evening star., 1934-07-22
Modification of Present ID. c. Government
And Vote for Residents Are 4drOcated
Trade Board Study and
Report Planned on
Reorganization.
CiuiIiGH City Heads and
Electric Council
Ciren Support.

ttous regarding proposed TeorcGUi-
cation OF the District ooUcTnmcrt.
4 study OF this subject - being
made at the request OF the Senate
bp O committee composed Of Mai.
Daniel J. DonoDGn. District at
ditor. William A. Roberts. peoples
counsel. and r J. Bailey, iUho rep
resents Budget Director Douglas.
The committee has submitted a
number OF uoiumes on the history
Of the district government and
plans TO submit another on Sug-
Cested changes To fHctte public
suggestions. Roberts recently broad
cast an appeal for citizens 10 iDrtte
in their ideas.
- ONTINUATTON OF the com
mission form Of government
with several notifications, is
~ advocated for the District by
James z Colliflower, presi-
dent of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association.
interviewed last week for their ideas
on proposed District government re-
organization, Mr. Collifiower and
Robert " Fleming. president of the
Board of Trade. both emphasized the
keystone for improved District govern
ment would lie in national representa-
ton, approval of which has been the
only recommendation made by their
respective associations.
Mr.. Fleming declared he felt expires
sion OF his support for the plan &c
give District residents a vote in
national elections and representation
in Congress was as far as he is
privileged TO speak on the subject.
1T is a question important enough.
he said, ito warrant thorough study
and I will soon appoint a committee
to go into the matter and submit q
comprehensive report"
Pending this study he was unwilling
to commit himself or the board any
further on the subject.
Mr.. Colliflower, who has also had
extensive dealings with the District
government, has some pronounced
personal views on the subject Of i'm
provements.
II favor the continuance of the COM
mission form of government" he said
"and regard it as far more efficient
than other forms, whether Of the
mayor and council plan or the city
manager type. do not consider the
city manager type at all suitable for
the District. If practicable, l would
prefer the election of the Commits
sioners to their appointment. as /
believe the President seldom has suf-
flcient familiarity with either District
affairs or District people to make wise
selections of such officers.
Il also think it would be an i'm
provement to have three civilian Com
misSioners chosen from our own cit
liens instead of two with an Army
engineer as at present"
Mr.. Colliflower believes the talent
Of the Army Engineers might be made
available without having one serve as
a Commissioner. He says the idea
Of a civil government, operated by
civilians, has always appealed to him.
Another improvement. he thinks,
would be the erection of an elective
council representing different sections
of the District, This council would
have power to enact municipal or
dinances and regulations and perform
such other minor legislative functions
as Congress may legally delegate. The
council should lay down definite regu-
lations governing the letting of con-
tracts both for construction work and
the purchase of supplies. In this
connection he says that as a business
man he sees a real necessity for a
local body responsible to the local
community handling the matter of
these District contracts for the pro-
lection of both the community and
local business interests.
Finally, Mr.. Colliflower would like
to have the District budget taken
from the Bureau of Budget and sent
direct to Congress. He says he can
see no logical reason for the present
practice but can see many reasons for
the change he suggests.
But always, I regard as of fun
damental importance" said Mr.. Colli-
flower, that we be given the right
to voting representation in both
houses of Congress and the right to
vote for President and Vice Presi-
dent. The Congress is the body which
has the real power over the District
and that is where we want and should
by right have representation on an
equal footing with the citizens of the
States. We also have a right to vote
for the President, especially since it
is he who appoints our administrative
and judicial officers"
Without such representation in
the legislative and executive branches
of the Federal Government Mr.
CollifloWer said he could see little
hope for real improvement in the
local government itself
In his statement on the subject of
national representation, Mr. Fleming
said: The Board of Trade is a
charter member of the Citizens Joint
Committee on National Representa-
ton and has throughout the years
been an active and consistent sup
porter of the movement. Personally,
l have for q number Of years been a
member of the Executive Committee
of the joint committee and doing
what I can to help obtain for the
District voting representation in our
National Government