Evening star., 1939-05-18
A Wise Decision

In view of strong objections voiced
against enactment of the Griffen-
hagen Reorganization Plan in its
entirety, either as originally pro-
posed or as subsequently amended,
the decision of Representative Ken
nedy and his colleagues, as reported
in Yesterdays Star, to make only a
partial attempt at reorganization
legislation in this session of Congress
Is eminently wise.
The nub of the legislation now
proposed is to retain the commission
form of government, to enlarge the
powers of the Commissioners by del
egating to them some of those now
exercised exclusively by Congress
and to provide for the selection of a
City Administrator who would give
administrative effect to the policies
formulated by the Board Of Com
missioners.
This is, in substance, the plan ad-
vanced by the Commissioners them
selves, by former Corporation Coun-
sci Prettyman and by the Board of
Trade. In addition to being sound
plan on it's merits, it already bears
the Endorsement in advance of those
who have given detailed study to
municipal reorganization.
There has been no controversy in
or out of Congress as to the desir-
ability of enlarging the powers of
the Commissioners, thus promising
more expeditions disposal of ques-
tionS important to the community
while relieving Congress of trivial
and burdensome detail to which so
many of its members have voiced
opposition. The only source of con-
troversy is the uncertainty, on the
basis of past court decisions, regard
ing the extent to which Congress
may go in delegating powers to the
Commissioners which might be con-
sidered as reserved to Congress alone
under the exclusive legislation clause
of the Constitution. The best way to
settle this controversy is to provide
for the delegation of powers in legis-
lation such as Mr. Kennedy proposes
and then to see what the courts will
say now.
Mr.. Kennedy is reported as having
decided to drop from the new reor-
ganization legislation such highly
controversial proposals as those in
volving changes in the school and
library systems. Public sentiment is
plainly against such changes. There
are other changes, which, while not
causing so much discussion, have
created grave apprehension in the
minds of those chiefly affected. These
include the proposed reorganization
of the United States Attorneys Of
flee, which in the opinion of COM
petent observers would weaken law
enforcement; changes in the Juvenile
Court set up which would undo what
recent legislation in that quarter &C
complished; the abolition, in effect,
of the Parole Board, the Alley DWELL
ing Authority and a few other semi
independent agencies which were
brought into being to deal with spe-
cific problems.
Would it not be sound procedure
on the part of Mr.. Kennedy and his
colleagues to concentrate their legis-
lative efforts at this session on the
enlargement of powers for the Com
missioners and the duties of the City
Administrator, either giving them
power to effect functional reorgani-
zation within the municipal govern
ment or leaving until later the enact
ment of legislation dealing with such
reorganization? Given as a part of
their broader powers the authority
to reorganize the municipal govern
ment within specific limits, the Com
miSsioners would have every incen-
tive to effect reorganization them
selves in the interests of efficiency
and economy.