Evening star., 1939-03-14
Nichols Criticizes
Griffenhagen Plan
For Lack Of Detail
Hits Failure to Show
How Council Members
Would Be Chosen
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Representative Nichols, Democrat,
of Oklahoma, today criticized the
Griffenhagen plan for reorganizing
the District government because it
lacks certain details for putting 1t
into operation.
He was especially critical of the
failure of the program to recon-
mend how members of the proposed
City Council would be selected.
With Frank o. Everett, vice presi-
dent of the firm of Griffenhagen
and associates, which developed the
modernization plan, on the witness
stand as public hearings were re-
sumed on the program before the
special Reorganization Subcommit-
tee OF the House District Committee
Mr.. Nichols declared:
Unless the plan goes the whole
way 1t seems to me we are left with
a bigger job than the one Griffen-
hagen had on their hands"
Mr. Everett said the method of
selecting members of the proposed
city council was expressly left out
of the plan because that subject
went beyond the scope of the firm s
assignment.
Functions of City Council.
Mr.. Nichols also declared the
Griffenhagen report contained no
recommendations as to what the
functions of the city council would
be and how much policy making
power should be delegated to it by
Congress. Neither does the pro-
gram, he said, detail the functions
of the administrative officer who
would be the executive head of the
Government under the proposed
new setup.
Looking at a chart prepared by
the Griffenhagen firm depicting the
proposed new organization, Mr..
Nichols declared:
1--WE can't pass bill on this chart.
We've got to say whether members
of the council are to be elected by
the people or appointed by the
President"
Mr.. Everett said he could ex-
press an idea as an individual as
to how the council should be Sc
lected. He was not asked to do so,
however.
In annalyzing the plan in detail,
Mr.. Everett said the present Board
of Education system has several
glaring faults"
Two Examiner Boards.
Mr.. Everett cited one of the
faults of the present system is that
there are two boards of examiners,
and the superintendent of schools
is member of both. These boards,
he explained, are composed of
teacher-members and not personnel
experts, and that these teacher men,
bers pass on the qualifications of
their own colleagues.
Mr.. Everett pointed out that be-
cause of the high type of personnel
under the present setup nothing has
happened, but said the system
would permit superintendent of
not so high a type as DR.. Frank
w. Ballou to manipulate it as to his
own uses.
Later, Mr.. Nichols told Mr.. Everett
that the Griffenhagen report failed
to show the cost of putting the reor-
ganization plan into operation.
Mr.. Nichols said without that in
formation the subcommittee could
not make intelligent recommends
tons to Congress or defend intelli-
gently any plan that might be de-
veloped out of the Griffenhagen
program.
Matter of Cost.
Mr.. Everett explained that the
matter of cost is closely tied in with
budget matters and detailed studies.
and that the information would only
be developed as a result of detailed
studies.
Who's going to make these de-
tailed studies?" Mr.. Nichols asked.
That's not for us to say" Mr.. Ev-
erett replied.
well, unless that is done and ac-
companies your report" Mr.. Nichols
answered, you have done what you
previously said you didn't want to
do-make pretty pictures"