Evening star., 1939-12-01


in lieu Of trying to act themselves
under the general authority granted.
The power In (p) to levy, assess
collect and adjust taxes is inap-
propriate except as related to gen.
eral law. and probably Is outside the
constitutional authority Of Congress
to grant.
More important to the functioning
Of the District as q Government en-
tity is the power to control its own
expenditures, which involves ap-
propriating its own funds, a power
withheld by this draft.
Defects in provisions for financial
administration: Under title III. q
much more effective code of finan-
cial administration could have been
prepared, by specialists in the sub
ject, more up to date and more in
line with the best accepted principles
and practices.
Definitions Vague.
Why are the definitions limited to
this one title when at least most of
them should apply as well to other
titles7 And what is the municipal
ity Of the District Of Columbian
Does it include the schools and Ii
braries and many other agencies
embraced by the definition of de
partment" that are ignored in title
II? In the absence Of more exact
definition Of "the District" so far as
the agencies embraced are con-
cerned, 1t is difficult to determine
what the budget. the estimates and
statements of expenditures, receipts,
ETC., are required to embrace, or to
reconcile their scope with that OF
the extent Of the government of the
District" covered by the title of the
bill and by title II.
The bill, after defining depart
ment" in section 301, proceeds to
ignore the definition in sections 308,
800 and $40.
Section 311 uses some of the
phraseology of the Kennedy bill.
Why was that phraseology not used
elsewhere, where there was no par
ticular object in changing and where
the changes made were causes lead
ing to some Of the absurd incon-
sistencies that have been cited?
BY Section 311, the functions Of
the general accounting omce would
be limited to post-auditing, but no
provision for the other functions
now exercised by that ohice is made.
Also, by the same section, the
Commissioners, tbs disbursing officer
and the auditor would be given the
right to obtain advance decisions
from the controller general. But no
duty to render such decisions is i'm
posed on the controller general.
Finance Director Not Authorized.
Was it overlooked in this section
that, with the enactment of this bill,
the ofices of auditor and that of
disbursing officer would become sub
ordinate to that Of the director of
finance through whom, as head Of
the department, it would seem that
the action mentioned would most
properly be taken? But the director
Of finance Is not even mentioned in
the authorization.
Defects in provisions for personnel
administrations: Title Nv would es-
tablish q civil service system for the
District covering all personnel proc
esses, except that employees subject
to the United States Classification
Act of 1923 would continue to be so
subject, and with some other ex-
ceptions not clearly stated that con-
flict with provisions Of Section 205.
This is a subject deserving Of q
separate act and not properly part
Of an act intended to set up a new
organization structure for the Dis
trict government.
Any one conversant with modern
personnel procedures would know
that the continuance Of the United
States Classification Act, for some
positions, would result in two civil
service systems, not one. Classifl-
cation Of positions is the backbone
Of civil service administration. With
two systems Of classification exist
ing side by side, applicable to diff
ferent positions in the same service,
administered by different authori-
ties, uniform and consistent basis
for fixing relative pay rates, for
determining eligibility for transfer,
promotion, etc., and for other per-
sonnel processes, could not possibly
be maintained.
Means Six Systems.
As q matter of fact, the situation
would be still worse by reason of the
fact that the so-called merit sys-
TENS relating to the schools and
libraries and the police and fire de-
pArtments would be continued,
making at least six civil service
systems in effect instead Of the uni
form and eomprehensive civil oefv.