Evening star., 1939-04-09

requested by the referring author
tiles"
The proposed organic act, how
ever, provides that the school board
snail have the power to prescribe
the rules for the conduct of the
work of the department education
Department.. to determine programs,
approve budgets and otherwise to
prescribe the general policies of the
department, subject to the general
policies of the department, subject
to the provisions of law and Or
dlnances and the appropriations
provided" 1t also requires that
one-third of the members of the
school board shall be women. and a
third shall be of the Negro race.
AS to the Board of Library Trus-
tees. the proposed organic act pro-
vides it shall have power to pre-
scribe rules for the conduct of the
work of the department, to deter
mine programs, approve budgets and
otherwise to prescribe the general
policies of the department, subject
to the provisions of law and ordi-
nances and appropriations pro-
vided"
The administrative head or city
manager. however, would still have
authority to select the superintend-
ent Of schools and the librarian of
the Public Library. as originally
planned. and no change was made in
the recommendation for the trans
fer of certain functions of these
two agencies.
For instance the bill provides that
the Community Center Department
of the public schools be transferred
to the proposed department of parks
and recreation. that the functions
of the Board OF Examiners of both
the white and colored schools be
shifted to the proposed department
of personnel and that the custodial
force be placed under the proposed
department of public works.
The Board of Library Trustees
under the bill would lose control
of the function of the division of
buildings and grounds which would
go to the department of public
works; those of personnel admins
tration which would be vested in the
personnel department and those of
the financial administration which
would be placed under the pro-
posed department of finance.
Approval by Boards.
In the exercise of their powers
neither the School Board nor the
Board of Library Trustees. nor any
other board set up for specific de-
partments. would be subject to con-
troll by director of the depart nent.
aud no ru.es promulgated by the
director OF any department pr )V!ded
with boa. would become effective
Until app. owed by the boards.
In addition to these specific pow
ers. the bill declared lit is intended
that the District shall have - all
municipal powers within and with
out the territorial area Of the Dis
trict that may be reasonably neces-
sary and proper for the govern
ment and regulation of its inhabi-
tants and it's local affairs and for
the rendering of local public services,
not inconsistent with the law, to the
end that complete, harmonious
and effective municipal government
may be maintained and operated,
and thereby the rights. interests,
safety, morals, health, comfort, edu-
cation and welfare of the District
and its inhabitants may be pro-
NOTED and safeguarded."
No attempt is made in the bill to
settle the long pending controversy
over whether the District boundary
on the south is at the high or low
water mark on the Virginia side of
the Potomac. Its definition of the
territorial area of the District fol-
lows: The District of Columbia is
that portion of the territory of the
United States ceded by the State
of Maryland for the permanent seat
of government of the United States,
including the River Potomac in its
course through the District, the
lands hereunder and the islands
therein"