Evening star., 1939-11-29

ers, the hearings have developed
wide agreement on four issues raised
by the report of the kitchen cabi-
net Many witnesses have agreed:
l. That the one-man Board Of
Tax Appeals should be continued as
an independent agency.
Would Continue Traffic Unit.
2. That the Department of We
hicles and Traffic should be contin-
ued as a separate agency, directly
responsible to the governing body of
the District instead of placing its
engineer facilities under either the
Police Department or the Engi-
neer Department and shifting its
fiscal services to the License Depart
ment.
3. That jurisdiction over munich
pal hospitals and contract medical
services should remain in the Health
Department.
4. That there should be created
a labor department in the munich
pal setup to take over the admins
tration of all labor laws, including
the services of the District Unem-
ployment Compensation Board, the
District Employment Center, en-
forcement of the District child labor
laws, the minimum wage law and
perhaps others. The kitchen cab
met" at first considered such a
plan, but struck it from its recon-
mendations on the ground that
creation of such department might
lead to move to transfer from the
United States to the District the
costs of administration of the un-
employment compensation and en-
ployment center. estimated roughly
to run perhaps to near S500000. Not
anywhere near all the witnesses
discussed this subject, but a con-
siderable list urged creation of a
labor department.
Demands for an elected city
council-city manager form of gov
ernment, as substitute for the
commission form, which he con-
demned, were voiced yesterday aft
ernoon by Kenneth P. Armstrong
speaking for the Burroughs Citi-
zens' Association He declared his
group was generally in accord
with proposals for further depart
naturalization of the municipal set
up, but Insisted such a reorganiza-
ton would not go far to cure the
fundamental fault of governing
body not responsible to the District
residents.
Urges Elective Council of FL.
While objecting to the commission
form, he also insisted that it was
impossible for Congress to legislate
for a city of more than 100000
population. Urging the adoption of
a plan for an elected city council of
81 members, or one otherwise large
enough to give representation of all
shades of public opinion, to operate
with a city manager, Mr. Armstrong
protested that his group would be
opposed to the commission form,
even if the Commissioners were
elected.
In the commission plan. he said,
the executive and legislative func-
tions were performed by the same
body. Such plan, he argued, does
not operate efficiently in city as
large as Washington. Later, he
added that the Commissioners now
exercise few legislative powers, most
of these being reserved to Congress
and this, he asserted, is one of the
present difficulties.
Mr.. Armstrong stated also that
to confer legislative authority on
an appointed body would be con-
trary to the American system OF
government. Questions from Com
missioner George E. Allen brought
out that Mr.. Armstrong and other
civic leaders favored an elected
council, although the plan offered
by E. o. Griffenhagen left the
alternative of either an elected or
an appointed council.
Mr.. Armstrong described as highly
desirable the provision in the Seal
plan for municipal civil service
but suggested that veterans of foreign
wars should be given the same
preference that are given under the
Federal civil service system.
Mrs. Ernest Howard, speaking fol
the District Federation of Women's
Clubs, made a brief argument fol
keeping jurisdiction over the NUM-
cipal hospitals in the Health De-
partment, instead of shifting the
control back to the Board of Public
Welfare
Strong support for retention of the
Board of Tax Appeals as an inde-
pendent agency came from two
spokesmen for the District Bar AS
sociation-W. E. Hayes and A. H
Gardiner of the Tax Committee OF
the association. Both insisted tina,
without an independent Beard Of
Tax Appeals there would be no pro-
vision for an impartial review Of
District tax levies, except in a court
action.
To give to the District Law De.
partment the duty of reviewing
levies made by District agents, they
asserted, would result in placing ad-
ministrative agents in the position
of serving both as judge and jury or
appeals by the taxpayer. Questioned
by the Commissioners as to one.
man agency, the witnesses insisted
this made no difference, so long a!
the agency was independent. With
increased work expected to result
from the income and estate levies
they agreed, there might be reason
for adding other members to the
board. but still one of the members
could properly be permitted to han.
die cases alone.
Mr.. Hayes complied with request
to supply additional information al
to other jurisdictions having one
man tax appeals boards. Mr.. Hayes
reported that the position he out.
lined had been adopted unanimously
at largely attended meeting OF the