Evening star., 1939-02-05

PnA 10 NdleCA Ihi AhA6 oSCA SocSoeAoAA,
library service and sundry other
functions to semi-independent
boards) and to head each fractional
government with super city man.
ager-Who would also be a one
man city council and responsible to
no other governing body, the pro-
posal undoubtedly would be char
acterized as absurd, impractical and
improper. To maintain such an ar
rangement is no better than it would
be to adopt it."
Basic Assumptions Discussed.
Discussing the basic assumptions
underlying the proposed plan of ad-
| ministrative organization, the report
declared:
In view of the multiple attributes
and aspects of the government for
the District, it is impossible to de-
wise suitable plan of administra-
tive organization except on the basis
OF certain assumptions as to the
nature and function of the District
government and the principles that
should determine its powers and its
relationships to the national Gov
ernment. In other words, it must
first be made clear what it is that
Is to be organized. Some of the
assumptions SO made to provide a
foundation for the suggestions in
this report are deemed to be in the
nature of axioms. Among them are
the following:
I'D That the United States
Government must make provision
Tor the maintenance OF the District
as safe and convenient place for
the National capital.
"(2D That the United States
Government and the people of the
country as a whole have an interest
In the maintenance of order and
beauty in the capital city.
"(3) That since the people resid
ing In the area have no control of
the organization or of the admin
1stration of local public services. the
congress has the responsibility OF
providing the type of organization
under which those services can be
conducted most effectively and eco
nomically.
Local Problems Separate.
90 That 1t is unreasonable, how
ever, to expect or permit the pom
derous machinery of the Federal
Government to be utilized for the
management of the affairs of the
local community; that the problems
OF administering the services needed
by the residents of the District are
su1nclently distinct from National
problems to justify their assignment
10 separate agency of local govern
ment, an agency that will be self
contained in most respects and take
the local problems "off the hands
OF Congress to the fullest extent
practicable. ct is believed that this
Is sensible and desirable measure
OF delegation that would be fully
justified even If the question OF
providing the machinery for pur-
poses of local self-government IA
disregarded)
t5) That, as logical conclusion
from the last-stated assumption. II
IS desirable to constitute a single
clearly defined Government agency
TO administer the services necessary
to make the District a safe, COM
1ortable. healthy and beautiful place
OF residence for the people of the
tnstrlct. This implies the setting
up OF a local government unit under
an authority with full powers as
municipal corporation assigned to
1t by general legislation in the form
OF a carefully drawn, well-rounded
organic act similar to the charter
OF a municipal government of the
most modern type.
"(6) That such organic act should
IN general terms, confer upon the
municipal corporation so established
tne powers necessary to enable it to
carry out its purposes, should i'm
pose such general restriction as are
deemed to be warranted, should pre-
scribe the general form of its oroan-
lzation, and should require the gov
ernlng authority so established to
work out the details in accordance
with the general plan SO established.
Full Powers to Control.
"D That the local governing
authority so established should be
self-contained and have full powers
OF local government, subject only
to the limitations imposed by the
organic act, over all matters of local
government within the District: that
the powers so granted should extend
to all such functions of government
in the District as are commonly
considered to be functions Of county,
municipal and special district gov
ernments elsewhere, and most of
the administrative functions of q
State government, in order that full
responsibility for all phases of local
government may be provided for
and unified and systematic admin
istration may be provided.
"0 That there should be pro-
vided, in the organic act, a clear
separation Of legislative and admin
istrative functions. The body to
which legislative functions are as
signed should relieve the Congress
of most of the burden of acting as a
city. council.
"(9 That provision should be
made for securing of services by the
District government from Federal
agencies (and the rendering Of
services to Federal agencies) on a
contractual basis.
600 That where the paramount
interests OF the National Govern
ment should control-as in plan
ming for the capital and for the
metropolitan region-the function
involved should be assigned to Q
Federal agency. And that Federal