Evening star., 1942-06-18
Keech Upho|ds Ban
By D. T.. Heads on
Policy Attacks
Corporation Counsel
Says Honest Answers
Not Necessarily Barred

Corporation Counsel Richmond
B. Keech today upheld, in in
formal discussion, the right of the
| Commissioners to issue their May !
order to their subordinates banning
campaigns" for causes contrary to
the established policies of the
Board of Commissioners.
Mr. Keech said, however, he had
no doubt but that correct inter-
probation of the city heads orders
would be that no subordinate offlcer
of the municipal government would
be barred from making an honest,
fortnight" answer to questions as
| to his views on any legislative mat
| ter-unless he "instigated' plan
| to undermine" an established pol
icy of the District government.
1t was disclosed yesterday in The
Star that the Commissioners on
| May / had issued formal instruc-
| tions, as warnings to their depart
ment heads and other subordinates.
| that they must not "agitate" for
appropriations or other legislation
contrary to the Commissioners
policies unless they asked and OBJ
tanned permission to do so.
Gag" Rule Denied.
Commissioners Young and Mason
declared yesterday that this did not
constitute a gag" rule and that
| there had been no intention to keep
the order from public notice MINI
eographed copies of the order had
been sent to all departments. but
no formal announcement was made
of it.
There were some indications the
city heads were moved to issue the
order because of a contest with
Health Officer George c. Rutland
over appropriations for his depart
ment, but 1t was recalled later that
there had been issues of similar
character with the heads of some
other municipal divisions. including
the Public Utilities Commission.
Pressed by reporters for an
dIldl1 SlS VI Vic WllOlC OltudtiOii,
Corporation Counsel Keech said it
appeared some Interpretation was
needed" for the clause of the Com
misSioners' order which forbids de-
partment executives or their sub
ordinates to further agitate or dis
Gus" the matter either within or
without the District government
either officially or unofflcially. He
said:
I'm my opinion, the order was
not intended to mean that respon-
sible heads of the District depart
ments should be barred from making
honest, fortnight answers to legit-
innate questions put to them regard
ing matters or policies under their
Jurisdictions
Shuts Back Door,
''As I construe the order, it is
intended to prevent back-door
methods of agitation designed to
undermine the policies which have
been determined by the responsible
heads of the District government,
the Board of Commissioners"
He indicated he was somewhat
bothered by the use of the word
discus" in the city heads ban on
agitation on programs contrary to
established District policies, but said
he did not believe this should be
construed as to prevent subordinate
officials from answering frankly any
questions from the press, citizens
groups, members Of Congress or
private citizens, so long as this did
not constitute an inspired cam
paign to upset a policy formally
adopted by the Commissioners"
The best guide" he said, may
be that the governing body of the
District should be responsible for
determining the general policies Of
the municipal government and that
subordinates should not be per-
mitted to instigate campaigns de-
signed to upset that program"