Evening star., 1937-03-01
PRESIDENTS BILL
TAKES D. c. RULE
FROM CONGRESS
Reorganization Measure
Would Permit Roosevelt
to Scatter Jurisdiction.
ENDS CONFIRMATION
OF COMMISSIONERS
Joint Committee Will Meet in Ex-
ecutive Session to Consider
Administration Bill.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
The new administration reorgani-
Eation bill, on which the joint COM
mittee of l8 members will meet in ex-
ecutive session, probably tomorrow,
would let the President do anything
he pleaSes about the municipal gov
ernment of the District of Columbia.
short of absolutely abolishing it or
transferring all of its functions to
some other Federal Government estab-
lishment.
Congress has always treasured most
1ealously the exclusive jurisdiction
over the seat Of Government. en-
trusted to it by the Constitution.
Now the President asks Congress to
turn that authority over to him,
without restrictions, to be under such
Jurisdiction as he wills.
. The Presidents bill, giving him
complete power to abolish or transfer
all agencies of the Government, ex-
cept the new general auditing office,
which he himself proposes, and to
redistribute functions says:
THE provisions of this title shall
not be construed to authorize the
abolition of any executive depart
ment, the municipal government of
the District of Columbia or the Fed
eral Reserve Board, or the transfer
Of all of the functions of any execu-
tive department of such municipal
government, or any of the functions
Of the Federal Reserve Board"
Limitations Interpreted.
Some members Of the joint COM
mittee seem to think that the limita-
tion of not allowing the transfer of
''all' of the functions of the District
government might properly be UNDER
stood to mean that so long as the
President left one or several rela-
lively small functions to exercise its
exclusive control" over, he may be
permitted to reanocate all the others.
Yet there are those in Congress
who protest that the District Of Co.
lumbia was established under the au-
thority and direction of acts of Con-
gress approved July 16. 1870. and
March 3, 1871, which was passed to
give effect to the decisions of the
founding fathers as expressed in the
eighth section of the first article of
the Constitution of the United States
giving Congress power
To exercise exclusive legislation in
all cases whatsoever over such District
(not exceeding 10 miles square) as
may by cession of particular States,
and the acceptance of Congress, be-
come the seat of the Government of
the United States
The first legislation by Congress for
the government of the District of
Columbia following the removal of
the Federal Government to this per-
manent seat of Government was on
February q. 1901. The present form
of municipal government for the Dis
trict Of Columbia was created by act
of Congress approved June II, 1878
GO Stat 1922.
Complete Transfer Barred.
The power of the President to make
transfers is in the broadest terms:
whenever the President, after in
vestigation (hiS own shall find and
declare that any transfer, retransfer,
regrouping, coordination, consolida-
tion, reorganization, segregation or
abolition of the whole or any part
of any agency, or the functions
thereof, is necessary to accomplish
any of the purposes of this title he
may by executive order transfer or
retransfer the whole or any part of
any agency or the functions thereof
to the jurisdiction and control of
any other agency" The only limit
with respect to the District govern
ment is that he cannot abolish it
outright, and he cannot transfer
"all' of its functions.
Representative Clarence Cannon,
Democrat, of Missouri, the new men,
ber of the joint committee, has
q direct and quite detailed knowledge
of the District government organiza-
ton, having formerly had charge of
the District appropriation bill He
also is familiar with the Constitution
and House prerogatives, having been
parliamentarian and editor of the
House Manual and Digest.
Takes Power From Senate.
The Presidents bill also takes away
from the Senate its check for the
legislative branch of the Government
on the Presidents appointment Of Dis
trict Commissioners, where now the
Senate confirms these appointments,
under the new bill that right would be
removed
The Budget Bureau, a presidential
agency, has been Tightening its grip
and control over the District govern
ment by holding a tight rein over
estimates of appropriations, and the
District government no longer may
send to Congress requests for legis-
lation without the approval of the
Budget Bureau. Members Of Congress
who are in close touch with District
affairs have realized this and resented
the encroachment on the exclusive
control" by Congress, and have sug-
gested removing the District govern
ment from the budget control, and
permitting the Commissioners to send
In their estimates direct to Con-
gress.
There has been some speculation as
to what effect the granting of this
broad authority to the President
might have on the District.
What Might Happen.
Following are some Of the sugges-
tions:
He might transfer the Police De-
partment to the War Department
and place the District under martial
law, or the traffic control might be
placed in the Marine Corps; much
of the administration might even be
given to the Office Of Indian Affairs,
making the residents of the Capital
City wards of the Nation. All audit
ing and accounting work might be
shifted to the proposed new Bureau
Of Finance in the Treasury Depart,r
Ment; also, the municipal architects