Evening star., 1939-03-17
Committee Hits
Griffenhagen
Plan
Prettymon Group
Finds Is Specific
Points FouIty

FONTS FouIty
An attack on major principles in
volved in the Grif1enhagen plan for
District government reorganization
was adopted early last night by the
Citizens Efnciency Committee as 1t
gave general support to the position
Of the District Commissioners.
The body, consisting Of 81 leaders
in civic, business and professional
groups and headed by Former Cor
poration Counsel E. Barrett Pretty
man, disagreed with Grif1enhagen
e. Associates on 16 specific points
although agreeing with much" OF
the report.
Failure of the Grif1enhagen plan
to determine whether the suggested
city council should be elected or ap-
pointed was cited as the most funda-
mental weakness in the report and
on this ground, the group protested
that the plan for an appointed city
manager, with broad executive pow
ers, was neither wise nor SAFE"
Urge Delegates for District.
While proposing continuation OF
the Board of Commissioners as the
executive heads Of the District, the
Prettyman group called for election
of District delegates in Congress
two of whom would sit with the full
time Commissioners as the Districts
ordinance making body. The group
previously had recommended grant,
ing of national representation for
District residents.
The committee also challenged
the repeated suggestions in the Crit
fenhagen report that the proposed
city council should be given 'legis-
lativev powers. The Prettymall
group declared this could not be done
without q constitutional amend
ment.
It recommended that until Dis
trict delegates are elected to Con-
gress either two or four part-time
"councilmen" be appointed from the
several sections Of the District to
sit with the Commissioners for or
dinance-making purposes.
The Prettyman body found nu-
merous points of the Griffenhagen
plan we're identical with its own
proposals as reported to the Com
missioners in December. 1887.
Would Untagle Governments.
1t agreed that the basic functions
Of the executive branch should be
departmentalized, that overlapping
activities of the District and Fed
eral Governments be untangled, that
the municipal government be given
the full measure" of power pos
sible undertake constitutional re-
striction, that the District govern
ment be given q larger measure Of
financial independence, that there
be improvement in administration of
matters relating to personnel, that
there be moderniZation of the tax
assessment and collection agencies
and that there be a larger measure
of local voice in the District govern
ment.
The committee urged sympathetic
consideration of three Grif1enhagen
proposals: That there be contrac-
tural arrangements for services
performed by some agencies out
side the municipal government: that
the Municipal Court and Police
Court be combined (but disagreed
with the suggestion that the Juve-
nile Court be included, and that the
Federal payment be fixed by fair
formula.
The Prettyman group disagreed
flatly with the proposal that the
public schools and the Free Public
Library be placed in District depart
ments under the control of the city
manager and the part-time city
council. 1t held that this plar
runs counter to the almost unani-
nous public opinion" and declared
"the almost universal experience
throughout the country is that
school systems and libraries should
be vested In independent boards"
Suggests 9 Major Departments.
The group approved further de-
DECENTRALIZATION Of the District
government, but suggested that nine
major departments would be sum-
cient, as against the Griffenhagen
plan for II.
Creation Of 4 department Of labor
was proposed.
The Prettyman group would place
the Trafhc Department under a pro.
posed public safety department, in.
cluding also the present Police ane
Fire Departments, but opposed the
Grinenhagen plan for splitting
functions Of the present Traffic De.
partment among three divisions.
It held that since the Alley Dwell.
ing Authority Is, in large part, q
Federal enterprise, financed with
Federal funds, 1t should remain an
Independent agency.
1t urged also that the Parole
Board, being quasi-judicial body
should remain an independent body
and should be given separate bud.
get. It recommended that the cor.
poration counsel remain responsible
only to the Commissioners.
The Citizens Committee held that
adoption of the Griffenhagen plar
to transform the Public Utilitie.
Commission into department
under an administrative ofacer, witt
an auxiliary board charged with
handling matters presented to 1t By
its director, would be serious mis-.
take"
Separate Tax Board Urged.
The group also declared tn,
Board of Tax Appeals should not b.
made subservient to any department
head, whose decision it might be re.
qutred to review, but should have tn,
maximum possible independence
recommended that the Alcohol,
Beverage Control Board be retained
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