Evening star., 1937-08-15
Civic Problems, Civic Bodies
Small Calendar of District Business Not Disposed
of by Honse-BM to Amend Liquor
Act DELAYS Action

with Federal funds. The tract to
be acquired comprises 2,50O acres
and the sum Of S3,2es,250 Is au-
thorized to be expended in the de-
velopment Of the air terminal.
The House has passed the May
bill to improve the Washington
Hoover Airport. This bill closes
the Military road, adds 56 acres OF
the Arlington Experimental Farm
and the Boundary Channel Lagoon.
The passage Of this bill by the
House is the result OF an agree
ment reached with the authorities
Of Arlington County and includes a
provision for the building OF q
substitute road for Military road
which will be abandoned.
While the resulting airport, in
many respects, would not be ideal,
1t will lose some Of the present
dangers and the addition of acre
age Of the Arlington Experimental
Farm and the Channel Lagoon will
be great improvement over the
present restricted area.
The Copeland bill, which has
some points Of similarity to the
May bill, will probably be sub
stituted for that measure by the
Senate. 1t is considered a much
more workable plan for providing
immediate, improved airport facili-
ties than the bill as passed by the
House.
The prospect for some kind OF
airport legislation seems brighter
than for number Of years.
Kennedy Reorganization Proposals
Submitted for Civic Study.
THE outline of the proposals
Of Representative Ambrose J.
Kennedy, Democrat, of Maryland
are presented in a compact form.
During number Of years, various
proposals have been made for en-
larging the powers of the District
Commissioners and many varieties
OF plans for reorganization Of the
District of Columbia government.
But Kennedy has put the matter in
a more tangible form for considera-
ton by the citizens than any pro-
posals heretofore made.
Expressions of appreciation have
been heard from various civic lead
ers regarding KenRdy's work.
He appears to have made an inten-
sive study of the proposal, has for
mulated plan and has had the
good grace to submit it in tenta-
tive form for discussion. The Dis
trlct's legisla tors are not always so
considerate in giving the voteleSs
and unrepresented District an op-
portunity to consider such meas
ures before an attempt is made
to put them on the statute books.
The proposed reorganizati ton plans,
it is believed, will be the subject
Of painstaking and sympathetic
study by the various civic groups
when they resume their activities
in the Fall.
The committee appointed by the
commissioners several years ago,
composed OF District officials, made
an extensive survey Of the District
government, its history, the func-
tions Of the various departments
and agencies and many incidental
matters. The results of its work
ended with the compilation of
number OF large volumes of mimeo-
graphed matter. The final volume
was supposed to contain the def
mite reorganization recommended
tions. But that volume never ap-
peared, for the reason, it is under
stood. that the members of the
committee were unable to agree.
The most recent activity along
the line Of reorganization at the
District Building was the creation
by the Commissioners of commit
tee OF citizens headed by former
Corporation Counsel E. Barrett
Prettyman. 1t is anticipated that
this committee may turn out re-
port in the Fall and be considered
by the public in connection with
the Kennedy proposals. The re-
ganization OF the District govern
ment Is clearly one OF the most
important problems in our civic
affairs.