Evening star., 1937-02-23
A Good Idea.

Commissioner Hazen's suggestion for
an investigation of the municipal gov
ernment by strong committee of local
taxpayers contains the psychological
advantage of coming from within, in
stead of from outside, the District
Building.
Somebody is forever wanting to in
vestigate the municipal government and
turn it wrong side out in order to sub
stitute one set of bright new ideas for
another set of older ideas. The result
is to place the Commissioners and their
subordinates Immediately on the de-
fensive. That feeling naturally per-
meates the rank and file of municipal
employees. No one willingly places him.
self on the griddle for somebody else to
fry.
On the other hand, if the Commis-
sioners and select committee OF the
taxpayers who pay their salaries sat
down together with the common aim of
finding ways to increase the efficiency
of their municipal government the
results might be very helpful, to the
Commissioners, to the taxpayers and to
Congress Whether the results would
be beneficial would depend, of course,
on Congress.
Those who have lived with the munich
pal government for many years are not
as quick to find fault with its function
Ing as some of our many visitors who
examine it for the first time through a
microscope that permits of no perspec-
tive. Considering some of the circum-
stances of its operation under the largely
absentee direction of Congress and with
authority and responsibility distributed
among Federal agencies that have only
incidental connection with the local
government, 1t is remarkable that the
municipal government gets along as well
as it does. Some other cities have sought
the advantages Of an autocracy-with
proper checks on the autocrat-by
adopting the city manager form of gov
ernment. Here we have some 435 city
managers in the House alone, not to
mention the ninety-six in the Senate
and the dozens of associates scattered
through the Federal departments and
bureaus.
The incentive for economy, for eff
cient government, for quick adoption OF
new and better methods is RESPONSE
bility-responsibil for the achieve
ment Of results and responsibility to the
taxpayers if such results are not
achieved. That incentive is not always
present here because the administrative
authority is itself divided between the
Commissioners and others and because
Congress, which delegates this authority,
has no direct responsibility to the local
taxpayers.
Chairman Collins of the House Sub
committee on District Appropriations
and the members who are serving with
him for the first time want to give the
District new deal. Instead Of rebuff
ing local taxpayers, they have asked for
their suggestions and cooperation.
They would doubtless approve Mr..
Hazen's proposed investigation of the
local government by local taxpayers.
And their attitude would be to welcome
as helpful suggestions the resulting
recommendations.
Such an investigation would, Of
course, extend beyond the usual search
for ways and means to transfer and
reassign functions and duties. The
mechanics of District government are in
honest and for the most part capable
hands. The investigation would naturally
include ways and means for strengthen
ing the Commissioners authority and
coupling 1t with the necessary powers, in
the exercise of which there would be
responsibility to the local taxpayers as