Evening star., 1939-02-12
Presidents Views
ToHe|p DecideFate
Of fGriffenhagen Plan
Roosevelt Said to Favor
Single Administrator,
As Urged in Report
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES f. CHINN.
President Roosevelt's ideas as to
how the District government should
be reorganized will play an impor-
tant part in determining the fate
of the Griffenhagen reorganization
plan, it was revealed last night by
members of the House District Com
mittee.
Chairman Kennedy of a special
mittee in charge of reorganization
legislation, said he particularly would
like to have the Presidents "sug-
gestions"
1t is Mr.. Kennedy's hope that Mr..
Roosevelt will find time to outline
his views before leaving Washing
ton this week.
A month ago, 1t was reported in
authoritative quarters, Mr.. Roosevelt
favored single administrator"
form of government for the District.
That is precisely what the Griffen-
hagen plan proposes-an admins
traitor as the executive head of the
government, with council or gov
erning body" to shape the legislative
policies.
Views on Council Unknown.
1t has never been disclosed, how
ever, whether the President favors
an appointed council or one elected
by District residents. The Griffen-
hagen plan leaves that question open
to congressional decision.
Representative Kennedy also an
nounced there would be delay Of
several days in starting public hear
ings on the plan. Originally, he had
arranged to begin the hearings
the first part of this week. Now, he
does not believe it will be possible
to start before Thursday.
Several unforeseen developments.
he said, have contributed to the
postponement. First. members of
his subcommittee have not yet been
furnished with copies of the Griff-
enhagen report. Second, two Re-
publican members who plan to take
an active part in the hearings
AeN pi LII hoCll Vi
and Bates of Massachusetts,
been called away from Washington
and are not expected to return be-
fore Wednesday.
One thousand copies of the report
are now being printed at the Gov
ernment Printing Office. None will
be available, however, until Tues
day.
Legislation Being Worked On.
Attaches of E. O. Griffenhagen
and Associates the Chicago firm
which was paid IS 900 to draw up
the new reorganization program. are
now working on legislation that
would carry out the plan
All Of the changes proposed it
was said, will be embodied in an
omnibus bill which also will con-
tain provisions for amending the
District governments organic act to
give the proposed new governing
body broader powers than now
vested in the Commissioners.
The Griffenhagen experts are de-
pending largely on Corporation
Counsel ElWood H. Seal to aid them
in framing the legislation. Other
District officials. however, are to be
called on from time to time for sug-
gestlons on shifting the existing
heterogeneous array of IS munich
pal agencies under the proposed II
new departments
The experts admit the most diff
cult job confronting them is legis-
lation to extend legislative authority
to the proposed new governing body
Degree of Power a Problem.
One OF the major problems to be
solved is just how. far the powers
can be increased. For instance. the
new council or governing body
would be called on to perform the
! functions of county and State
government, as we'll as city gov
eminent. In such a case. the ex-
perts ask: Should the governing
body in the District have the power
to enact criminal statutes?"
Customarily, enacting criminal
statutes is a State function. But
in the District the more important
| criminal cases are handled bv the
Federal Courts. the United States
Attorneys Office and the Depart
ment of Justice.
The budget procedure under the
proposed new setup. however, has
been definitely chartered, if Con-
gress decides to divorce the Feredal
Budget Bureau from its present con-
troll over District finances.
The experts explain that depart
ment heads could continue to pre-
pare annual estimates which ,.nnld