Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-08
Reorganization
Asks City Heads
Be Paid $4,000
Seals Plan Also Calls
For II Departments,
Eliminating Labor
BY DON S. WARREN.

ny OoAN w TAASAsG~Ns
The Commissioners Kitchen cab
met" has incorporated in its munic-
ipal reorganization plan a pro-
posal for increasing the salaries OF
the Commissioners from $4,000 to
$4,000 per year, it was announced
today as Corporation Counsel FL
wood H. Seal began preparation Of a
final draft of the proposed reor-
ganization plan.
One municipal officer, the super
intendnent of schools, now receives
more than the city heads. He is
paid $4,000 year.
The final reorganization draft
will be somewhat streamlined form
of Mr.. Seals personal idea for
streamlining the local government.
Revision of the Seal plan as die
tated by the majority of the COM
mittee calls for II municipal de-
partments instead of Is, the COM
mittee having agreed to eliminate
the proposed department of labor,
which Mr.. Seal had urged to take
over the functions of the Dis
tricts Unemployment Compensation
Board, the Minimum Wage Board
and the Employment Center. as well
as enforcement of other District la
Dor laws.
May Be Revived.
However, demands for labor de-
partment may be revived, since both
spokesman for local A. F. of L. and
c. I. o. units have made proposals
in this direction, though in different
form.
During an executive session that
lasted until late yesterday, the
group also called for the abolition
of the District Board of Tax Appeals
and the transfer of its functions to
the corporation counsels Office and
to the Board of Commissioners. The
majority disagreed with Mr.. Seals
plan for a transfer of jurisdiction
over the municipal hospitals from
the Health Department back to the
Board of Public Welfare, this action
having been anticipated by earlier
statements by some members of the
cabinet"
Commissioners Powers.
Some changes in the original draft
of the section to increase the powers
op the Commissioners also were in
dictated.
The group agreed to eliminate
| from the draft q section giving the
Commissioners drastic powers to
halt at the borders of the District
individuals or groups of individuals
without obvious means Of support
who might become charges on the
District. The committee was split.
two to two. on Mr.. Seals proposal
that the Commissioners be given
power to levy taxes.
Fear that the District might be
compelled to assume an annual cost
up to 100000 for the administration
of various labor laws was said to
have motivated the committees de-
cision to eliminate the labor de-
partment. The District government
now pays hardly any of the cost Of
the administration of the unemploy-
ment compensation law or the serv-
ices of the District Employment
Center. 1t was said the group felt
/ the benefits to be obtained were
not commensurate with probable
cost.
On the Seal proposal to transfer
the hospital administration to the
Welfare Department, adverse votes
were cast by Maj. Daniel j. Dono-
van, auditor; Capt. H. c. White
hurst, director of highways, and
Richmond B. Keech, vice chairman
of the Public Utilities Commission,
while Mr.. Seal stood pat on his plan.
In this case, as in some others Of
disagreement, Mr.. Seal plans to send
his own recommendations to the
t Commissioners, along with reports
of the actions of other members of
the committee This applies to his
proposal for abolition of the Depart
ment of Vehicles and Traffic and the
transfer of it's functions, other than
licensing work, to the Police Depart
ment, over which there is a three
way split in the committee.
Mr.. Seal hopes to complete the
new draft within day or so and
to file it with the Commissioners
at least by Monday.
AS the plan now is being shaped.
the Be rd of Commissioners would
be retained, they would be provided
an administrative assistant (not a
city manager, the position of bud
get officer would be created, as
we'll as director of public works,
this to be a permanent officer. not
the Engineer Commissioner or one
of his assistants. The Commission
ers would be given power to formu-
late an annual budget and send
it directly to Congress rather than
subject it to control by the Budget
Bureau.
A municipal civil service would be
created. with the Commissioners au-
thorized to obtain examining and
other services from the United
States Civil Service Commission and
costs. The police and municipal
courts would be merged into a
combined city court. to be under the
control of one presiding judge, and
the Office of coroner would be abol-
ished and the Office of medical ex-
aminer substituted.
The Departments.
The II departments would be
those of finance, law, public works,
personnel, police, fire, health, license,
insurance, corporations, welfare and
recreation.
The Finance Department would
include the auditor, assessor, COL
lector of taxes, purchasing and dis
bursting Offices, as well as the new
budget officer. The Department of
Corporations would be created to
handle the chartering and incorpo.
ration of business firms operating
under District charters.
Under the new plan. as to aboli-
ton of the Board of Tax Appeals,
the sole member of which is 10 ".