Evening star., 1934-04-26
ARTICLE No. 1.

AnIICLE No. L.
The degree of time and attention
members of the House and Senate are
now devoting to a wide variety OF
suggested changes in the Districts
municipal government and the basic
laws governing the Capital indicates
that before long some of these pro-
posals will begin to take definite shape
in the form of legislation of far
reaching importance to the hall MIL
lion residents of Washington.
The amount of urgent national
legislation remaining to be acted on
probably will leave the House ana
Senate with little or no time to go
deeply into District reorganization
plans at this session, although few
measures altering the existing set-up
may be considered before adjourn
ment.
It might be we'll both for the resi-
dents of the District and for Congress
if most of the pending proposals al
fecting the fundamental structure OF
the city government have to go over
until the next session. The various
organizations through which the vote
lbSS ItSluCllJo ChplCoo
would then have a period OF six
months in which to weigh from every
angle the advantages and disadvan-
tages of each proposed change, ana
be prepared to lay conclusions and
constructive suggestions before House
and Senate Committees when they
return next January.
Recess Study Useful.
The members of the House and
Senate who give unSelfishly of their
time and energy in the study of Dis
trict problems also could use the
period of the recess to acquaint them
selves with the details of these bills
and reports which affect the form OF
District government.
1t is not likely the present session
will continue much beyond six weeks,
or two months, at the outside. And
the nearer Congress gets to the clos
ing date the more time will its mem
berS have to devote to the pressing
national problems awaiting last-min-
ute solution. This is an added reason
why the next session OF Congress is
more likely to be marked by serious
discussion of remodeling the District
government and its fundamental laws
than would appear possible or feasible
in the rush of winding up the present
session.
Some Measures Now Pending.
Among the more important meas
ures now pending in Congress affect
ing the manner of governing the Ma
tional Capital are the following:
The Capper- Norton joint resolution
proposing a constitutional amendment
that would empower Congress to grant
the residents of the District represen-
tation in House and Senate and the
right to vote for President and Vice
President.
The King Mcleod bill to confer
broad general powers on the Commis-
sioners to make and enforce munich
pal regulations.
The King bill to abolish the Office
of Engineer Commissioner and sub
stitute a third Commissioner ap-
pointed on the same terms required
in respect to the other two Commits
sionerS.
The Capper-Gasque bill to provide
for election of the Board of Educa
ton by the people of the District, in
lieu of appointment by the justices
of the District Supreme Court.
Aside from these pending bills and
resolutions there is now drawing to a
close a comprehensive reorganization
survey of the municipal structure in
its entirety. which was ordered by the
Senate District Committee last Spring
at the instance of Chairman King.
The officials designated to conduct
this survey have not yet submitted
their conclusions to the Senate Commit
tee, but the mere fact that the survey
was ordered has focused unusual at
tention on District affairs both in
Congress and Throughout the city, and
has given rise to much speculation as
to possible recommendations that may
grow out of the study. This survey
has been made by Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel w. A. Roberts, District
Auditor D. j. Donovan and F. J..
Bailey of the Budget Bureau.
While these officials have submitted
no final conclusions, they devoted
large part of one of their preliminary
fact-finding reports to description
of the city manager or councl-mana-
ger, form of government as trleo IN
various communities throughout the
country during the past Is years. AS
a part of this historical account they
obtained the personal viewpoint TO-
ward that form of government OF
more than a score of House members
and more than a dozen Senators who
live in cities which have tried the
city-manager system.
Whether the attention devoted to
the council-manager plan in this pre-
limlnary report is any indication OF
what will be proposed in the final re-
port. due within 4 few weeks. has not
been revealed by the investigators and
will not be known until their conclu-
sions are drafted.
Period of Change.
1t is. however, one manifestation OF
the fact that Washington is passing
through one of those periods, such as
/ have arisen at varying intervals in It's
past history, in which efforts have
been made to change the form OF
, municipal government here or to de-
wise a new set of rules for the opera
ton of the Capital City.
Chairman King of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, who will play an i'm
portant role in the consideration OF
any program that is brought forth
dealing with proposed reorganization
of the local government, has indicated
he would be opposed to substituting
one-man control in place of the board
Of three Commissioners, although he
has said he might be willing to have
a sort of city manager post created
to carry out the policies of the Board
, of Commissioners.
Regardless of whether the survey
results in any recommendations that