Evening star., 1937-01-08

form has been eclipsed in the last 20
years by the more effective managerial
type Of government"
Supporting suggestions for changes
in the form and operation Of the Dis
trict, the committee found there was
diffusion of responsibility and lack Of
cohesion in the existing structure. In
its conclusions in a section on the
organization of the city government,
it said the original commission govern
ment established in 1878, apparently
was the nucleus to which various
boards. commissions and officers had
been added from time to time.
Detailed criticisms Of the existing
organization had been made oy several
agencies within the last Is years." it
said. Apart from lack of Co-ordina-
tion and internal diffusion of RESPONSE
bility in some departments the District
government suffers under division of
responsibility for local affairs between
the Commissioners, semi-independent
boards and Federal authority
District Unitary Organization.
The committee said, however, that
in comparison with local and State
governments in other Jurisdictions, the
District has "the special merit" of
being unitary organization, combin.
ing in one corporate body interest and
activities ordinarily split between the
States and several layers Of overlap
ping independent local governments
having costly Implications Of powers
and services.
1t made also this finding: "Since
the District government has broader
scope than ordinary city governments
its finances are not directly compar-
able with those of city governments
in other communities. Some adjust
ments of figures for revenues and ex-
penditures are necessary before ac-
curate and valid comparisons with
other municipalities can be made"
In the section devoted to admins
trative and fiscal reorganization of the
District government the committee
also said recommended tons of past sur
veys indicate there is a fertile field for
an intensive and comprehensive analy-
sis of the organization and admins
tratiOn with view to developing a
well-thought out and modern plan of
administrative government adapted to
the requirements of the District and
designed to establish it as the model
Of municipal administration.
The committee suggested such an
investigation should take up the fol-
lowing major points:
/. Coordination of administrative
departments. Consolidation of like
services and elimination of unneces-
sary positions.
2. Transfer Of various local func-
tions from agencies of the Federal
Government to eliminate overlapping
organizations.
8. Application of an effective merit
system to the entire District service.
4. Effective budgetary procedure.
S. Simplified and improved admins
trative techniques.
6. Unification of accounting and
financial control.
z. Centralized purchasing in .
single District agency.
8. Periodic and unified reporting of
services and costs.
Joint Advisory Committee.
Studies of this character might be
made in the first instance, the COM
mittee said, by staff connected with
neither the District nor the Federal
Government, but operating with the
assistance and cooperation of a spe-
cial advisory committee representing
both governments. This would per-
NIT employment of specialists familiar
with recent developments in govern
mental organization and procedure
throughout the country, and whose
conclusions, it was explained. would
not be affected by their relationships
with officials Of the two governments.
This comprehensive survey, the
committee said, should be followed
by continuing analyses by perma-
nent staff agency that will aid the
administrative ofilcials in maintain.
ing. the District not only as the most
beautiful Federal city, but also as the
model local government.
As long as the Budget Bureau con-
tinues under its present obligation
to scrutinize details of the .Distric:
budget, the committee suggested that
any permanent municipal survey
agency which may be established
should be a section of that bureau.
One section Of the report deals
with the relationships Of foreign gov
ernments with their capitals. It
pointed out that no government recog-
nizes q legal responsibility for the
development and maintenance of lis