Evening star., 1939-11-03
By DON S. WARREN.

Extension of broad new powers to
the Board of Commissioners, includ-
ing levying, assessing, collecting and
adjusting taxes-was proposed today
by Corporation Counsel Elwood H.
Seal in the final draft of his plan for
reorganization of the District gov
ernment as the Commissioners
kitchen cabinet" held its first
formal meeting to pass on the
scheme. Mr.. Seal is chairman Of
the advisory group.
Aside from providing the Com
missioners with authority to act on
many details of the city's physical
operation, which now cause annoy
ance to members and committees Of
Congress, the Seal plan carries a
provision giving the Commissioners
drastic power to prevent invasion Of
the District by groups of persons
having no ostensible means of sup
port" and of persons who may be
dangerous to the peace and safety
OF the District-this suggestion re.
calling past experiences of the Dis
trlct with the hunger marchers"
and the bonus army" Mr.. Seal
explained it might also be needed
some day to handle possible inf1uxes
OF INDECENT persons from the South
who might seek to flood into the
District to get on relief.
Could Require Train Bond.
This clause would give the Com
missioners power to require the cap
tain or master Of any vessel or the
conductor of any train bringing such
passengers into the District ito enter
bond with satisfactory security that
such persons shall not become
chargeable to the District, and may
compel such captain, master or con-
ductor to take them back from
whence they came"
Members of the Kitchen cabinet"
in addition to Mr.. Seal, are Maj.
Daniel j. Donovan, District auditor:
Richmond B. Keech, vice chairman
OF the Public Utilities Commission,
and Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, director
OF highways. Little progress was
made at the morning session.
The Seal plan provides for dozen
departments, and while the sugges-
tions generally are expected to meet
with approval, disputes are antici.
pated over several of the more con-
troversial suggestions. These latter
include Mr.. Seals proposal for
transfer of the District hospitals
from the Health Department back to
the jurisdiction of the Board Of
Public Welfare, which will be op-
posed by Health Officer George C.
Ruhland; the proposed abolition of
the now separate Department of
Vehicles and Traffic and the trans
fer of most of its functions to a unit
in the Police Department, which is
expected to be opposed by Traffic
Director William A. Van Duzer,
among others, and details of the
proposed new Labor Department,
over which disagreement exists be-
tween spokesmen for officials of the
A. F. of L. and c. I. o.
Budget Proviso Included.
More general approval is expected
at the District Building of propo-
sails to give the Commissioners
power to formulate the District
budget and to send it direct to
Congress, to retain the Board Of
Commissioners as it is now consti-
tuted and provide them with an
administrative assistant rather
than city manager; the proposed
creation of a municipal civil service,
under which the proposed District
personnel department could draw
upon the United States Civil Serv-
ice Commission for examining and
other services, at cost; merger of the
Municipal and Police Courts into q
combined City Court; and to minor
numerous independent offices and
boards under one or another of the
proposed departments. The Seal
Icno DEODCANII0 ATYON Dr. A 1oI