Evening star., 1939-07-07

and Firemen's Retiring and Relief
Board of the District Government,
and the Civil Service Commission
and the Employment Compensation
Commission OF the United States
Government. The central personnel
functions of the Board of Education
and the Board of Library Trustees
with respect to their professional
stats, other than classification and
compensation functions, would be
excepted. not on grounds of principle
or on practical grounds, but because
of what is believed to be short
sighted opposition to GENERALIZATION
Of those functions, which ignores the
true principles and practical con-
siderations involved.
Licensing of Professions
Would Be Transferred.
As to examining and licensing for
professions and vocations, the func-
tions of the commission on licensure
to practice the healing art and the
examining boards for different occu-
pations. and those of the health Of
ficer, the Engineer Department and
the Fire Department, with respect to
examining and licensing for specific
occupations, would be so transferred
and those Of the Board Of Commits
sioners and the courts in relation to
certain occupations.
The department would be headed
by director of personnel who
would be required to be a qualified
personnel administrator. A Board
of Personnel would be established,
and the several examining boards
would be continued as boards of the
department with functions limited
to their several occupations. The
department would be organized
into separate examining, investi-
eating and record-keeping divisions
and be equipped with the most mod
ern and effective techniques and
procedures.
Administration, under q unified
and comprehensive system. of all tax
and other revenue laws of the Dis
trict, except as administration may
be assigned to other departments
for more convenient and effective
handling; tax research; the receiv-
ing and safekeeping of, and the ac-
counting for, cash and securities:
and the depositing, disbursing, and
investing of cash. Licensing, In
general, would be included within
the functions of the department
because of its revenue bearing and
because the routine could readily
be handled by much the same type
OF clerical and field investigating
staf1s, but not licensing for occu-
pations requiring tests of qualifica-
tions, which would call for special
jzed techniques. Title and incor-
poration recording would be in
cluded, not because of similarity of
purpose, but because they involve
much the same kinds OF ministerial
tasks, and could be handled effec.
lively under the same supervision
All such functions would be trans
ferred from other agencies now exer-
cising them including, specifically
the assessor and his staff, the Lii
cense Bureau, the collector Of taxes,
the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board, the Boxing Commission, the
Department Of Vehicles and Traffic,
the disbursing officer, the recorder of
deeds of the District, and the several
boards associated with them. The
functions Of the Treasurer of the
United States with respect to funds
Of the District also would be in
cluded.
Board of Revenue Would
Coordinate With Director.
The department would be headed
by director Of revenue who would
be required to be a qualified tax ad-
ministrator. A Board of Revenue
would be provided, and the Boxing
Commission and the Alcoholic Bev-
erage Control Board would be con-
tinued as boards of the department.
The department would be organized
into specialized divisions properly
integrated to provide for systematic
handling Of the work with the most
modern and effective procedures.
Interpretation Of law and con-
duct of legal actions for all de-
partments Of the District govern
ment as the chief law authority
and prosecution Of criminal cases
involving all offenses against
laws of special application to the
District.
Such functions of other agencies
would be transferred to the depart
ment including specifically those of
the corporation counsel, the coroner
Gas to inquests to determine whether
crimes have been committe6, and
the Board Of Commissioner on uni
form State laws Of the District, and