Evening star., 1940-01-14
Reorganization
Continued From First Page)

been reported previously, provides
for continuation of the independ-
ence of the Board of Education and
the Board of Trustees for the Free
Public Library.
Instead of city manager, as sug-
gested in the plan of Griffenhagen
& Associates, the reorganization ex-
perts, the Commissioners program
is said to call for an administrative
| assistant to the Board of Commits
sioners, who would be given only
such powers as determined by the
Commissioners.
The plan also envisioned further
departmentalization of the various
District services, but, it was said, the
Department of Vehicles and Traffic
would remain separate unit, under
the general direction of the Com
missioners, and the Board of Tax
Appeals would be left in its present
independent status. Also, it was said.
the Commissioners had disapproved
the suggestion in the plan of Elwood
II. Seal, corporation counsel, for
transferring jurisdiction over the
municipal hospitals from the Health
Department back to the Board of
Public Welfare.
Council Suggested Before.
An advisory council to the Com
missioners is not a new idea. Some
years ago the plan was given an eX-
perimental treatment at the sugges-
ton of Col. j. Franklin Bell, then
the Engineer Commissioner of the
District.
Reorganization legislation has been
given the No. l position on the cal
endar of the House District Commit
tee, and Chairman Randolph has
promised to cooperate In every way
with Representative Kennedy in get
ting to the House floor program to
modernize the municipal machine.
There had been no discussion of
change in Health Department con-
troll in November, when the Com
missioners held public hearings on
the reorganization proposals of their
So-called Kitchen cabinet" headed
by Mr.. Seal. Apparently, the idea
was developed following the hear
ingS.
Some weeks after the public hear
ings were held Commissioner Allen
had conference at the White House
with the President. Thereafter it was
reported the President had made 1t
very definite he was anxious to have
| tho l0UiC Clo 10y, nontp1 OF
sion of Congress but that he was
mot so much interested in details"
as he was in getting action"
DIR. Rutland Told.
1t was reported at the time that
Mr.. Allen had discussed health
matters with the President, and that
the President was reported as being
interested in improving health and
sanitary conditions In the District.
The Commissioners idea for
placing the Health Department
under control of a Federal official,
it was reported yesterday, was told
to DR.. Rutland a week or more
ago. 1t was said they felt he was
entitled to know what their plans
were, but DR.. Rutland, like the
other few persons who knew of the
Commissioners plans, was said to
have been placed in confidence. He
was reported yesterday as being
out of the city, due to the death
of relative.
So far as is known, the Com
missioners, as of yesterday, at least,
had not yet revealed the details
of their plans even to Representa-
tive Kennedy.
DR.. Rutland was named health
officer about five years ago. He was
suggested by a committee of the
District Medical Society, which had
been invited by the Commissioners
to search the field and propose
appointment of the best qualified
and available physician who could
be found. The Commissioners had
insisted they would not let politics
play any part in the selection of
new health officer. The recommen-
dation of the Medical Society COM
mittee was approved.
DR.. Rutland had been in health
administration work previously in
New York State and other places.
His requests for increased funds