Evening star., 1940-04-19
Municipal
Government
Discussed
Wallerstein Favors
Manager.Council
Plan for District

"prOpably tne most democratic form
of municipal government yet de-
vised," Morton L. Wallerstein, execu-
tive director of the League of Vir-
ginia Municipalities, expressed the
belief yesterday that the relation of
Congress to the District of Columbia
should not prove barrier to adopt
Ing the plan here.
It's democracy consists in the elec-
torate selecting council, which, in
turn, selects manager, who holds
Office at will of the council, he ex-
planned.
If the State can not only vest in
municipal corporation its powers,
but also give it the right to select
through popular election those who
shall make its policies. there would
seem no reason why Congress could
not do the same thing as to the Dis
trict. he declared
Mr.. Wallerstein, who reviewed va
rious plans for reorganization of
the District, declared "the funda-
mental error that has been made in
the District is to assume that condi-
tions here are different from the re-
lationship of the average State to a
city"
Exception to this view was taken
by Jesse c. Suter of the Citizens
Joint Committee on District of Co.
lumbia National Representation who
contended that because the Dis
trict lacks voting representation in
both houses of Congress, general
yardsticks cannot be applied to the
situation here Mr.. Suter further
declared that Congress, without a
constitutional amendment, could
not delegate to District govern
ment powers similar to those q
State legislature could give a mu-
nicipal government it might charter.
Addresses Luncheon Meeting.
Mr.. Wallerstein, who spoke before
an open luncheon meeting arranged
by the Department of Government
and Its Operation of the Voteless
District League of Women Voters,
made plea for efficient local gov
ernments, responsive to the public
will, IF our democracy is to per-
sist."
He saw as one of two outstand-
Ing weaknesses in the Griffenhagen
report on District reorganization
It's omission of any recommendation
as to mode of selecting the govern
ing body. 1T would seem to be
impossible to obtain truly respon-
sive government without such selec-
ton by a vote of the people," he
declared.
He also criticized the Griffen-
hagen proposal for II municipal de-
partments. This number would
trend to diffuse responsibility and
to lessen probability of real co-or-
dination among departments, he
said
The Seal plan, he said, seems to
be smoke-screen to satisfy those
who demand government by the
local people and the manager plan" p"
THE former can be secured only
by election; the latter only by ap-
pointment by those elected" he con-
tinued. The bill provides for
neither, but suggests substitutes that
are plausible, but impossible to
justify on any sound basis of pub
lie administration"
Set-up Suggested.
Mr.. Wallerstein offered as a
proposition" for District: The
grant of charter by Congress
similar to our better municipal
charters, requiring election of a
single body small council, probably
not to exceed nine, by the people;
appointment by that council of city
manager with full power to appoint
department heads and to administer
the government without interfer-
ence from the governing body whose
sole job will be to fix the policies.
This, of course" he continued,
'would carry with it the right to
make available by contract or other
wise, in order to effect economy
Federal services existing in the Dis
trict and, of course, provide for the
application of the merit system to
the District employees"
One of the advantages of the
council-manager plan is that the
manager manages" he said. Off
cial and ceremonial duties are car
ried out by the mayor" who is a
member and presiding officer of the
council, he explained. The plan
provides fixed responsibility gov
ernment and is directly answerable
to the people through the elected
council, he said Five hundred COM
nunities now have the council
manager form of government, first
adopted in 1903, he reported.
The speaker was introduced by
Mrs. Joseph Low, department chair
man, after the league president
Mrs. M. o. Lorenz, had opened the
meeting, held at the Y. w. c. A.