Evening star., 1937-12-13
BY DON s. WARREN.

BY DON s. WARREN.
Holding that District residents
should be given direct voice in their
government, consistent with constitu-
tional limitations. the Committee on
Efficiency today filed with the Board
OF Commissioners comprehensive re-
port calling for a score of major
changes in the city administration.
Elected voting representation in
Congress; creation OF a City Council,
consisting of the three Commissioners
and two of the Districts proposed
representatives in the House; freedom
of the District budget from domina-
ton by the Federal Budget Bureau
and establishment of a separate Dis
trict Civil Service Administration are
among major proposals.
Other proposals call for depart
naturalization of the municipal ad.
ministration, merger of the Park and
Metropolitan Police, conversion Of the
Board of Public Welfare into an ad-
visory board and T strict representa-
ton on the National Fine Arts Com
mission.
Pending adoption of constitutional
amendment to give the District elected
voting representation in Congress, the
committee recommended that Con-
gress adopt a measure to give the
Commissioners broader powers to
make purely District ordinances, which
now must pass through the con-
gressional machinery.
System Held Cumbersome.
Congress should be relieved Of these
relatively minor but nevertheless i'm
portant and numerous questions" the
committee declared Congressional
consideration of them is too cumber-
some and slow to be effective and
moreover they are an undue burden
on Congress"
These powers should be lodged with
the Commissioners pending creation
of the city council, the committee
held.
Such powers, 1t was added, should
be specific, granting the city admin
istration power to make ordinances
and regulations dealing with police,
fire, traffic, health, sanitation, parks,
streets, safety, welfare, licensed busi-
ness and so forth.
Such plan (the proposed City
CounciD would give. the people repre-
sentatives upon the ordinance-making
body and create valuable direct con-
nection between Congress and the
District government, while at the same
time preserving to the Federal Gov
ernment ultimate control OF the opera
| ton of the seat of that government
| for use in case the exercise of such
| control ever became essential in dis
pute or an emergency" it continued.
The committee also recommended
| that the maintenance and operation
of all parks, squares and other public
properties, except the large national
park areas, such as Rock Greek, East
and West Potomac Parks, the Mall
and Anacostia Park, be transferred
from the National Park Service to the
District government.
The committee, consisting Of Il
business and professional leaders of
the District, recommended no change
| in the administration of the public
school system and the Free Public
| Library and suggested no change in
the administration of the District by
q Board of Commissioners.
Hoping for prompt consideration Of
the document by Congress, the Com
missioners announced they would send
| it to House and Senate District Com
mittees with a report asking early
consideration. Commissioners Hagen,
Allen and Sultan approved the report
in principal, and declared it to be the
most comprehensive and instructive
document ever dealing with the city
administration.
Anticipating that the House and
Senate District Committees would
hold public hearings on the proposals
at an early date, the Commissioners
agreed to await for congressional ac-
ton rather than hold hearings Of
their own.
without making any specific recon-
mendation as to the Federal payment
toward the cost Of development Of
LAAC 1NdtiUIldl Snpitdl, tAaC COAAAAk4ttCo
protested that the financing Of the
District was "basically Federal prob
lem"
Federal Character.
During discussion Of the definitely
Federal character Of the District the
committee stressed that sane solu-
ton (of the city finance problem) can
hardly be reached by approaching it
from the viewpoint Of contribution
by the Federal Government to the
conduct Of q local municipality, as
though the latter were an independent
entity and the former its guest only"
The committee held that the Dis
trict's estimates should be prepared
by the Commissioners, after hearings
CONTINUED On Psge A-6)