Evening star., 1937-02-28
District Government Survey
By Committee of Citizens.


DECIDEDLY refreshing and re-
assuring to this voteless and
unrepresented community is the
suggestion from Commissioner
Hazen for an investigation of the
local government by a strong COM
mittee of local taxpayers. Many
have been the compliments paid
our District government by our
national and local legislators, who
have created it and exercised ex-
elusive control over it. Many have
been the complaints of our average
citizen and taxpayer against some
features of this government.
Brookings Institute, the so-called
Jacobs Committee and a commit
tee Of District and Federal officials
have made surveys of the District
government and some recommen-
dations for notifications have re-
suited from some Of these. It is
believed that In each Of these
studies with accompanying recon-
mendations there may be found i'm
provements in organization and
practice which would tend to
greater efficiency and economy.
The present Board of District
Commissioners has on several oc-
casions shown a desire to give the
citizen and taxpayer an opportu-
nifty for the expression of his views
regarding District affairs. The
holding of public hearings on all
proposed District legislation and
appropriations have been popular
moves on the part Of the Commis-
sioners. Then, 1t Is recalled that
In the early days Of the alcoholic
beverage control act the Commits
sioners arranged for public ref
erendum in the Takoma section to
determine the sentiment regarding
the issuance Of alcoholic beverage
licenses in that area. OF course,
this later became ineffective
through restraining order Of the
court.
In various civic groups there have
been numerous complaints raised
against specific departments or
functions of the District govern
ment There are some who believe
that if such cases are submitted to
the Commissioners for reference to
the proposed citizens committee
they may prove of value in directing
the committees attention to some
matters which might otherwise be
overlooked.
As some civic workers see it, the
success Of a study by a selected
committee Of taxpayers will neces-
sarily depend upon the respective
character of the personnel. Cap
tains Of industry. experienced ex-
ecutives Of big business and others
Of like prominence are needed on
such committee. as well as the
more humble taxpayer who has
had frequent contact with the
workings of the various depart
ments of the District government.
In other words. the belief iS that
this Citizens Committee should be
so representative Of the community
that its findings would have COM
plete community backing.
Some 10 years ago the District
Commissioners called into being an
unofficial body known as the Cit
liens Advisory Council" Its per-
Sonnel was selected by the Fedora
ton Of Citizens Associations and
the Federation of Civic Associa-
tions. AS all residents of the Dis
trict were eligible to membership
In these two federations through
the payment Of q small annual fee.
these two bodies were regarded as
representing. potentially, the en-
tire community. The Advisory
Council, during its first two years.
proved itself to be q most uSeIuI
agency. 1t was helpful to the Com
missioners and to committees OF
both houses of Congress.
The Advisory Council failed and
passed out of existence because it
was not actually representative OF
the large business interests OF the
community, and further due to the
fact that it was a strictly unofficial
body.
Some citizens hope that, in the
formation Of the proposed Citizens
COMMITTEES for survey Of our local
government, there viii be no repe-
tition Of the mistake made in the
creation Of the Citizens Advisory