Evening star., 1940-04-23
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

'eSSSfe PfOPooubo'
BY JAMES E. CHINN.
The full House District Commit
tee today approved the modified
plan for reorganizing the municipal
governmental plan designed to in.
crease efficiency and economy.
Action was taken at an executive
session that lasted nearly 21a hours
and was attended by two members
of the Kitchen cabinet" of the
Commissioners-Co Corporation Coun-
sci Eiwood Seal and Capt. H. c.
Whitehurst, director of highways.
The reorganization legislation now
will be placed on the House calen-
dar in time for consideration the
next District day." May 13.
The plan approved by the commit
tee is substantially the one recon-
mended by the Commissioners and
revised slightly by the Special Sub
committee on Reorganization, head
ed by Representative Kennedy,
Democrat, of Maryland. 1t bears
little resemblance to the original
program for revamping the munici-
pal machine as proposed by the
Chicago firm of E. o. Griffenhagen
& Associates, which made a COM
prehensive study of the present set
up more than a year ago at the
direction of the Senate and House
District Committees.
One Major Change.
Only one major change was made
by the full committee in the reor-
ganization plan as finally approved
by the subcommittee. 1t deleted en-
tirely section that would have es-
tablished a little Hatch Act in the
District-a section forbidding mu-
nicipal employees to participate in
pernicious political activities. The
committee decided such a provision
had no place in a reorganization
plan.
The other charges, all minor in
character, were made to clarity the
reorganization bill.
In final form, the modernization
program will not disturb the top set
up of the municipal government.
The Commissioners will continue as
both the governing and policy.
making body with slightly increased
powers. The revised plan, however,
provides for the creation of an ad-
ministrative assistant to the Com
missioners whose chief duty will be
to make detailed studies and inves-
legations of all departments to en-
able them to determine what future
changes should be made in the mu-
nicipal setup to increase efficiency
and economy.
IL Departments.
The plan also calls for a reshuf-
fling and consolidation of the het.
erogenous array of municipal agen-
cies into II basic administrative de.
partments which will be under the
general control Of the Commits
sioners. These departments would
be:
Finance, Law, Engineering and
Public Works, Personnel, Police,
Fire, Health, Insurance, Licenses,
Public Welfare and Vehicles and
Traffic.
Another feature of the moderniza.
ton program would divorce the Bud
get Bureau from its present control
over the District budget. The reor-
ganization bill specifically provides
that the Commissioners shall submit
the budget directly to Congress on
the first day of each regular session.
Although the proposed legislation
gives the Commissioners authority to
abolish or create any department or
bureau or realign and consolidate
departments, this cannot be done
without the specific authority Of
Congress.
The bill provides the reorganiza-
ton plan shall be put into effect by
the Commissioners within 90 days
after enactment of the legislation.
The Original Plan.
The original reorganization plan
sponsored by Representative Ken
nedy was based on recommendation
OF the Griffenhagen firm. 1t called
for sweeping changes in the exist
ing municipal setup.
One of its fundamental proposals
was the creation. of a city manager
to serve as the executive head of the
District, leaving the Commissioners
to function as the governing body
only.
The Commissioners, in their own
reorganization program, developed
by the Kitchen cabinet" proposed
creation of paid council of nine
citizens to advise them on tax,
budget and legislative problems. The
subcommittee, however, sjiked that
recommendation before the revised
plan reached the full committee.
Approval by the full committee Of
the revised reorganization plan rep
resents victory for Representative
Kennedy, who for several years has
fought for changes in the munich
pal machine that would increase its
efficiency and at the same time save
taxpayers of the District thousands
of dollars year.