Evening star., 1935-01-11
EDUCATION BOARD
ISSUE ADVANCED
FOR OPEN HEARING
Allen Would Decide Question
of Appointment by Com
missioners.
MANY GROUPS FIGHT
POWERS PROPOSED
Bill to Expand Authority Of Dis.
trict Heads Involves Many
Similar Questions.

A proposal that the Commissioners
be given the power to appoint men,
bers Of the Board of Education was
George E. Allen. to be considered at
the forthcoming public hearing on the
bill to expand the authority Of the
District heads.
Such a change would make more or
less complete the proposal of the
Commissioners that the Board of
Education and other semi-independ-
ent agencies be made subservient to
them.
Members of the Board of Education
now are appointed by justices of Dis
trict Supreme Court. Power of ap-
pointment was placed there nearly 20
years ago in move to take the ap-
pointive power as far as possible from
political influence.
Protested by Groups.
A storm of protest already has come
from the Board of Education and civic
groups against the clause Of the Com
misisoners' bill which would give to
the District heads veto and directional
authority over the acts of the Board
of Education and other governmental
agencies which are supported out Of
local tax revenues.
The Commissioners have stated
they have not as yet committed them
selves to details of the proposed legis-
lation, which was drafted, at their
request, by Corporation Counsel E.
Barrett Prettyman. 1t has been
known for some time. however. the
Commissioners believed they should
be given the power Of appointing
members of the Board of Education.
In one quarter today the new sug-
gestion of Commissioner Allen was
regarded as a reply to the definite
statement of opposition to the pro-
posal that the Commissioners be given
control over the Board of Education,
which came in letter from Dr. Hay
den Johnson president of the School
Board. Members Of the board Wednes-
day upheld the position of their
president.
It developed today at the District
Building also there is a considerable
question even in the minds of District
oAlCldlO dS W IlOh AdT LIE
sioners' authority would extend over
certain government units under the
present blanket terms of the bill as
now drawn. For instance, no one at
the District Building could say def
nitely Just what power the Commits
sioners would have over such agen-
cies as the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission or the National
Capital Parks ONCE of the Interior
Department, if the bill Is passed in
its present form.
One official suggested that the
Commissioners might have in mind
control only over administration prof.
ects on which District funds are spent.
He also doubted whether the Com
missionerS had any thought of trying
TO assume the power Of appointing
members of the Planning Commission.
Parole Board independence.
Wilbur La Roe, jr., member of the
Parole Board, is resisting the move to
take away the independence of that
body. The Commissioners now ap-
point members of the Welfare Board,
but do not have legal authority over
decisions Of that board. In actual
practice, however, there is a close re-
lationship now existing. The power
of appointment is generally regarded
as carrying with it the power of dis
nllsSal OF an appointee The District
now has three of the five positions on
the Zon1ng Commission, so that that
point is not regarded as so important
as those pertaining to the Board of
Education, the Parole Board and the
two Federal agencies engaged in local
operations.
A public hearing was scheduled for
next Wednesday morning, but a post
ponement is expected to be ordered
until after the Federation of Citizens
Associations meets January 10 and is
given q chance to act prior to the
public session.