Evening star., 1939-04-09
Griffenhogen

Griffenhogen
Continued From First Page)
of the Municipal, Police and Juve-
nile Courts. but only one of the
present clerks of the three courts
would become clerk of the unified
court.
Council of Seven Members.
AS contemplated in the original
reorganization plan, the proposed
new organic act provides for coun-
Gil Of seven members, appointed by
the President. to act as the District
governing body. An alternative pro-
vision also is carried in the bill in
the event Congress should decide
that members of the council should
be elected by popular vote In this
connection, however, the committee
print suggests that the council
members be elected on the basis OF
proportional representation.
A note on this subject, included
in the committee print said, in
part:
If local election of the council
members is provided for. their cleo
ton at large. rather than by dis
tricts. is to be preferred for the pur-
pose of avoiding the evils that have
come to be associated with ward
politics. Proportional representation
is recommended. The number OF
members should not be increased be-
yond nine at most, as greater num-
bers would make the council un-
Wieldy and necessitate the evils Of
committee methods of action with
their resulting delays and insuffl-
cient consideration of matters by the
membership as whole.
Terms for Councilmen.
Members Of the council. whether
appointed or elected, would have to
be bona fde residents of the District
for at least three years preceding
appointment or election. II ap-
pointed they would serve for terms
OF seven years. If elected the term
would be for two years. Council
members would be paid either $40
for each meeting attended, or sal
ary of not more than $500 a year
each.
Provision, also is made in the
committee print for appointment
of the District Commissioners in Of
flee at the time the reorganization
plan goes into effect as members of
the first council.
The proposed council would elect
a mayor and vice mayor. These Of
tlcers would be designated as the
official and ceremonial heads" of
the District government.
The District administrator or
executive head of the municipal gov
eminent under the reorganiZa ton
plan, as originally contemplated by
the Griffenhagen firm, would be ap-
pointed by the council. No residence
requirement is provided The COM
mittee print" merely stipulates that
the administrator shall be appointed
ION the basis of his qualifications to
manage the affairs of the District
and without regard to his political
opinions or affiliations"
$4,000 a Year Salary.
The administrator also would be
appointed to serve without term,
but could be removed by the coun-
Gil. The salary of the administra-
tor is fixed at not less than $4,000
a year.
The administrator would be en-
powered to appoint heads of the
proposed II new departments, to
serve without term. No residence
requirement is provided in their
case. The directors. according to
the committee print" of the bill,
would be appointed ION the sole
basis of their qualifications to ad-
minister the affairs of their respec-
tive departments, and subject to
removal only for cause. in accord
ance with such laws and ordinances
as may be provided relating to the
civil service of the District"
Instead of advisory committees as
substitutes for the Board of Edu-
cation and the Board of Library
Trustees, as recommended in the
original Griffenhagen plan. the
committee print" of the bill pro-
vides for boards of nine members
each. in both cases. The board
members would have to be residents
of the District and would be ap-
pointed by the council for six years.
with overlapping terms, ION the
basis of their interest in public af-
fairs with particular reference to the
subject matter involved" The coun-
Gil could remove them for ineff1-
cheney. neglect of duty, or malfeas-
ance in office
Originally the Griffenhagen plan
provided so-called advisory COM
mlttees" as substitutes for both the
Board OF Education and the Board
OF Library Trustees. The advisory
committees, as originally contem-
plated, would be created to con-
slider any matters involved in the
administration of their respective
departments that may be referred to
them for the purpose by the gov
erning body. the administrative Of
flcer or the directors of such depart
ments, and render such advice In
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