Evening star., 1937-02-20
DISTRICT WORKERS
WARNED BY HAzEN
On EVE Of INQUIRY
"May Be Some Dead Timber
in Set-up," Commits
sioner Declares.
WHOLESALE SLASHES"
ARE NOT EXPECTED
Committee of Is to 20 Citizens
Will Be Named to Study Eff
cheney of Government.

! Pursuing his plan for an offensive
investigation Of the efficiency OF the
District government, to bf made by a
group of civic and business leaders,
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen today
suggested there may bt some dead
timber in our set-up"
Figurately takins up the ak, the
| Commissioner JaSsed out the word
District emplcyes have got to toe the
mark" and indicated if the COM
mittee found inefficiency some heads
may be chopped off"
He added promptly however. he did
| not expect there would be any whole
sale slashes" and did not anticipate
any scandal"
Decision 60 appoint a committee Of
citizens Of from Is 10 20 to study pos
sible reorganization Of the District
government the efficiency Of the pres
ent set-up and possible consultations,
was announced late yesterday by
Hazen after he mad consulted with a
group Of District officials and tive
prominent residents.
Larger Powers Topic.
The committee also may consider
the oft-repeated proposal for enlarging
the powers of the Commissioners.
This has raised suggestions that the
Commissioners again may be contem-
plating ideas Of taking over control Of
the citizens boards. such as the Board
Of Education, the Board Of Public
Welfare and the Board Of Library
Trustees.
Such legislative proposals were con-
sidered about two years ago, but were
abandoned by the Commissioners when
there was public protest against re-
moval Of the partiil independence
now held by such bot rds
There has been a .ot of loose talk
lately about inefficiency Of the District
government and thr overlapping OF
the work Of sonc bureaus and divi-
sions," said HsLen. We don't know.
Our department officials nearly all in
sist they need more personnel. We
want this committee Of citizens to in
vestigate the whole set-up and give
US their finding"
The Commissio Ter indicated that he
Is considering Offering the post Of
chairman Of thr committee to Robert
v. Fleming. president of Riggs National
Bank: Lloyd B. Wilson, president OF
the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
Co.. or Lr. William Mcclellan. head
Of the Pol omac Electric Power Co.
One res friction Is to be placed on
the comm Itteeis work. Hazen said it
would not be asked to consider legiSla-
ton concerning the Districts tax and
financial problems. Action on those
matters are being delayed to await
the decision of Congress on the Jacobs
Fiscal Committee report, now before
Congress.
Consultation Precedes Decision.
Decision to name civic committee
for the study was reached late yes
terday after Hazen and Assistant En-.
gineer Commissioner Patrick Henry
Tansey had consulted with Flem-
ing, e. Barrett Prettyman, former
corporation counsel; Richmond B.
Keech, vice chairman Of the Public
Utilities Commission; Corporation
COUNSEL Elwood H. Seal and Capt, H.
c. Whitehurst, director of highways
Fleming and Prettyman will be
among those asked to conduct the ,
study. The rest of the membership
will be selected within few days after
Engineer Commissioner Dan I. Sui. c
tan returns from brief leave. =
Survey Asked by King.
Chairman King of the Senate Dis ,
trict Committee has asked for an ap-
preparation of $4,000 for investiga-
ton Of the District government or F.
ganization. This now is before the
Senate Committee on Audit and
Finance.
Suggestions that there is overlap -
ping in the present District govern
msnt set-up were made in the Jacobs
Fiscal Relations Committee report.
The civic group may study this as well
as others made by the old Bureau Of
Efficiency, the Brookings Institution
and the study made for the Senate .
District Committee several years ago
by former Budget Director Lewis .
Douglas, District Auditor Daniel j.,
Donovan and former Peoples Counsel.
William A. Roberts. The later study
was never completed. Roberts SUBJ
mitted most Of the reports and his
recommendations did not bear the in--
dorsement of either Douglas or Maj.
Donovan.