Evening star., 1939-04-16
.Griffenhagen
Plan 0. K. by
President Seen
His Decision to Be
Given to Kennedy
Early This Week
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
One of the recurrent efforts to
reramp the District government
took shape this year in plan
devised by Gri1enhagen As
sociates OF Chicago, whose pro-
Dtstons haze been Uidely &C.
Dated. Apparently awaiting
settlement OF the issue, Presi-
dent Roosevelt had delayed fH-
ing a Dacancy that has eristed
seueral months in the District
Commission.
Several major features of the Grit
fenhagen plan for undermining the
District government, which calls for
scrapping the present commission
form and substitution of citv
council as the governing body and a
city manager as the administrator,
are expected to be approved this
week by President Roosevelt, 1t was
reported last night in reliable quar-
tiers.
The Presidents decision probably
will be revealed Tuesday or Wednes-
day when Representative Kennedy,
Democrat, of Maryland, is scheduled
to return to the White House to
learn Mr.. Roosevelt's views on the
proposed streamlining plan. Mr.,
Kennedy is chairman of the Reor-
ganization Subcommittee of the
House District Committee. He and
Representative Nichols, Democrat.
OF Oklahoma, a member of the SUBJ
committee, spent more than a half
an hour at the White House last
week discussing the plan with the
President.
Decision This Week.
Mr.. Roosevelt, 1t is understood,
has indicated a keen interest in the
reorganization scheme and told Rep
resentative Kennedy to return to the
White House early this week to learn
his definite views on the proposed
new setup in its entirety. Despite
the seriousness of the international
situation, the President promised to
study the Grif1enhagen plan in de-
tail over the week end.
During the initial conference with
Representative Kennedy, however.
Mr.. Roosevelt Is said to have ex-
pressed tentative approval, at least,
OF the proposal for a city council of
seven members and a city manager
as the chief executive officer of the
proposed new form Of District gov
ernment. The President, however.
said the only information he had re-
ceived about the reorganization plan
was contained in newspaper articles
he had read in the Washington
papers.
The President, it was learned, did
not make any expression with re-
spect to the proposal to consolidate
the existing heterogeneous array of
81 municipal agencies and place
them under II department heads.
Some of these agencies. notably the
Board of Education and the Board
of Public Library Trustees. would be
stripped, under the Griffenhegen
plan. of their present autonomy and
independence.
Selection Of Council.
Mr.. Roosevelt, however, it was
said, did make some reference to the
setup Of the park systems under the
proposed plan of reorganization.
The President also is understood
to have discussed in some detail an
other feature of the moderniza ton
plan relating to the method of Sc
lecting the members Of the proposed
city council. The proposed new Or
ganic act for the District embodied
in the so-called committee print"
of the reorganization bill, provided
that the council members may either
be appointed by the President or
elected by popular vote on the basis
OF proportionate representation if
Congress should decide the latter
arrangement is preferable.
In either case, the council mem.
bers would have to be bona fide resi-
dents OF the District for the imme-
diofo y,roroIi,,o fI,ra4 ,,oo~z