Evening star., 1940-02-19
BY JAMES f. CHINN.

The Commissioners today re-
turned to Congress their revised
plan for recognizing the municipal
government, refusing to yield to
proposals of Federal officials for
changes in provisions affecting GER
tain Federal agencies.
THE comments and suggestions
by Federal agencies, as recorded by
their replies, have been given most
careful consideration by the Conn
missioners," said the letter of trans
initial. They represent in most
instances, the Commissioners be-
lieve, merely differences of opinion.
Consequently, the proponents of the
proposed bill adhere to the views as
expressed by them in the proposed
bill. as amended. and submit the
same to the Congress, together with
the attached comments, for what
ever action the Congress desires to
take"
In the letter transmitting the re.
vised edition of the reorganization
program to Speaker Bankhead, the
Commissioners called special atten-
tion to paragraph in letter adj
dressed to them by Harold D. Smith,
director of the Budget Bureau. It
read:
I'm view of the intimate relation
ship between the Federal Govern
mAnt through progress and certain
OF the executive departments and
agencies, and the Government of the
District of Columbia, it may be un-
wise to remove some of the existing
ties between the two governments as
contemplated in the proposed bill
and in this connection the attention
of Congress should be specially in
vited to title of the draft which
proposes to exempt the District Of
Columbia from the budget and ac-
counting act"
Advisory Council Proposed.
Correspondence of other Federal
officials who reviewed the reorgan-
ization program which was attached
to the letter of transmittal, also dis
closed that objection was registered
chiefly to proposals of the Commits
sioners to create paid citizens ad-
visory council to be appointed by
them and to place disbursements of
appropriations for certain Federal
activities in the District under offi-
GERS of the municipal government.
The suggestion was made that the
advisory council be appointed by the
President and that its members not
receive any compensation.
The correspondence shows that
Secretary of War Woodring objected
to provision in the proposed legis-
lation that disbursements of appro-
priations for the District militia,
National Capital parks, National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, National Geological Park,
the Washington Aqueduct and other
appropriations expended under di-
rection of the chief of engineers Of
the Army should be made only by
accounting Offices of the municipal
government. .-
Enactment of such provision,
Secretary Woodring said, would,
affect the operations now committed
to the chief of engineers principally
in connection with the Washington
Aqueduct, Anacostia Park and the
Washington Channel water front.
Complications Feared.
"The placing of disbursement of
funds for these projects in the hands
OF the accounting officers of the Dis
trict of Columbia would complicate
the administration of these oper-
ations," he declared. Furthermore,
considerable delays might be exper-
fenced by contractors, material men,
and laborers in receiving payment
for their services. In connection
with the Washington Channel water
front improvement, the District of
Columbia, as prescribed measure
OF local cooperation, is required to
provide portion of the funds for
this improvement. To prescribe that
the disbursing Of these funds shall
be made only by the disbursing Of
f1cer Of the District Of Columbia
would be contrary to the intent Of
the congressional authorization for
this project, and would place the
District of Columbia in an entirely
different category from other local
communities where local cooper
alton is required. ~.
THE disbursing of funds as pres
emily administered by the district
engineer of the Washington district
has functioned smoothly and ef.
ficiently and no useful purpose
would be served by transferring the
administration Of such funds to the
District Of Columbia"
Acting Secretary OF Interior Bur.
lew also objected strongly to the
proposal to give District ofncials
authority to make disbursement.
purchases and receive collection for
(see REORGANIZATION, Page A-35