Evening star., 1939-12-19
Monday Evening Club
Hears Finch Outline
Seal Plan Objections
A.
Speaker Calls for
Elective Governing
Body for District

Wilbur S. Finch, president of
the District of ( olumbia Suffrage
Association and chairman of the
Reorganization Committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
last night presented to the Mon
day Evening Club a critical study
of two of the current plans to
reorganize the District of Columbia
government and said that in any
such reorganization the groups he
represented recon- m n dee d two
things:
First. that all municipal legisla-
tive power be placed in a govern
ing body. all members of which
shall be elected by the people.
Second, that the number OF mem
bers to compose the governing body
shall be sufficient to represent the
geographical sections of the city
as we'll as the various points Of
view Of the citizens.
Mr.. Finch said the most important
element Of progress in any COM
munity-that of s-f-government-
had been "comple y ignored" with
regard to the District, and laid
the blame for this to parliamentary
procedure" in Congress.
Accuses Small Minority.
Mr.. Finch declared a majority
of members of Congress favored
government reorganization for the
District. but charged certain few.
whom he did not name. with pre-
venting the subject from being
brought to popular vote.
OF the Seal plan. Mr.. Finch said:
1T seems to be cross between the
commission plan and the council
manager plan, with important fea-
lures of both eliminated"
He said the Seal plan differed
radically from the commission plan
in that it advocates commissioners
with administrative power who are
not actual department heads, and
department heads who are not COM
missioners and who are not even
to have real administrative power
over their own departments.
This, he said, was "a far cry from
satisfactory form of commission
government"
Sees Radical Difference.
Comparing the Seal plan with the
council-manager type Of municipal
government, Mr.. Finch said they
differed radically in that the Seal
plan failed to provide "the two most
important features Of that type OF
government, namely, a single chief
executive ir. whom all executive
power is concentrated" and by "re-
stricting the powers of the governing
body to policy-making only
Mr.. Finch then held up for exami-
nation plan to reorganize the local
government introduced to Congress
July 6, 1899, by Representative Ken
nedy, Democrat, of Maryland, after
study by the firm of Griffenhagen
g. Associates.
He said the Kennedy plan adopts
the two basic principles we have
advocated" but objected to clause
in it which, as does similar pro-
vision in the Seal plan, gives the
Commissioners increased powers.
Oppose Range of Powers.
1--WE have consistently opposed
and will vigorously object" he de-
clared, ito granting to an appointed
board executive officers powers
having such a direct relation to the
welfare of the citizens as the levy
ing, assessing, collecting and adjust
ing of taxes, or appropriation of
municipal funds, or enacting regula-
tions to secure and promote the
general welfare of the inhabitants
of the District by them deemed
proper for the safety, health, peace,
good order, comfort, convenience
and morals of the District"
The Monday Evening Club met in
the Y. w. G. A.