Evening star., 1939-02-05
Randolph and King
Pledge Careful Study
OF Reorganization
Griffenhoeen Report Is
Commented Upon by
District Leaders

District Leuders
A promise of careful consideration
for the Griffenhagen report came
last from Representative Randolph,
Democrat, of West Virginia and
Senator King, Democrat, of Utah as
the plan for revamping the District
government was made public.
Neither was willing to comment
on the report without further study.
District leaders generally received
the findings with open mind. The
proposal to remove the District
budget from control of the Budget
Bureau found favor, as did the sug-
gested experimentation of the
governmental structure.
Some of the comment follows:
Chairman Randolp-"This report,
can promise. will form the basis
for consideration by the House Dis
trict Committee and Congress OF
possible changes in the District gov
ernment. There is no doubt there
are improvements that can be made.
Certainly the study and the findings
by Mr.. Griffenhagen will be given
careful consideration and may form
the basis for legislative proposals.
During the preparation Of the
| report, the House District Commit
tee took the position that it should
| not interfere with the study. and
that the reorganizati ton report should
stand on its own At the proper
| time and in the near future, will
not hesitate to express my honest
opinion of the report and the spe-
ci1lc proposals made. Until members
Of Congress and residents of Wash
ington are given opportunity to
study the report. my committee GER
tainly wants to withhold snap judg-
ment and thoroughly digest what
has been done.
Il have complete confidence In
Representative Kennedy, whom I
have appointed as chairman Of the
Subcommittee on Reorganization to
which the report has been referred y
Chairman King-"I have not read
the reorganiza ton report, and do
not believe it would be fair for me
to comment without knowing its i'm
plications A copy Of the study is
on my desk and I expect to spend
part of tomorrow reading it and OBJ
tanning an understanding of what
it proposes.
without commenting on the pro-
posal to scrap the commission form
of government and substituting a
council and an executive admins
traitor. would like to point out that
there has been lot said in favor of
an administrative officer. and many
cities have adopted such plan with
not care to offer any further state
ments until have gone through
the report. I can give assurance
that the Senate District Committee
will give the study careful consid-
Grafton"
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen-
"Of course. haven't yet received
a copy of the report, but I can say
emphatically that am heartily in
favor of taking the District appro-
priation bill out of the hands Of
the Federal Budget Bureau. a move
I understand Mr.. Grif1enhagens re-
port recommends.
In regard to the city council and
executive administrator plan sug-
gested. I still feel that the commits
sion form Of government is far and
away the best. I do believe, how
ever. that the Board of Com
missioners should be given more
power OF administration I also feel
strongly that there is need for some
consolidation of municipal depart
ments. but along with this there
should be greater GENERALIZATION of
administrative authority AS far as
the other recommendations are con-
cerned, would prefer to wait until
have seen the 4eport."
Francis G. Addison, jr.. president
Of the Board of Trade-"Before I
would say whether 1 oppose or favor
the proposed city council I would
want to know whether such a group
would be given greater administra-
tive authority than the Commission
ers now possess under the present
system. With respect to the pro-
posal to take the local supply bill
out Of the hands of the Budget
Bureau I'm in favor of this in theory,
but, at the same time, would like
to point out that this bureau. which
is not connected with or Influenced
by any political group, has done
some wonderful things for the mu-
nicipal government. I do feel that
there is room for consolidation of
District government departments
and agencies"
Senator Clark of Idaho. a new
member Of the Senate District Com
mittee-"I have no comment other
than that I will give the report
serious consideration"
Edgar Morris. past president of
the Board Of Trade-"I have not
read the report, but as far as chang
ing the present commissioner form
of government is concerned, I ques-
ton whether this would be a wise
step. This is the best form of city
government we have in this coun-
try. 1t is free from collusion and
graft, and is not influenced by poll
tics or by politicians"
Mrs. William Kittle, chairman of
the Minimum Wage Board-"Inas-
much as a great many organizations
and particularly labor groups favor
q department of labor, I would feel
that the report had met that need
If under its department of occu-
pational standards it meant to
create bona f1de department of
labor. On that condition, would
favor it,"
Elwood Street, director of the
Board of Public Welfare-"Every-
body knows that the government
Of the District of Columbia has
been clumsy and unwieldy and