Evening star., 1944-09-08
Letters to The Star
The Grifenhalen Plan Defended
% Local Government Reform


% Local Government Reform
re the 1ditsr Of The star:
As participant In the movement for
local government reform in the District
Of Columbia, have taken deep In
tsrest In the contest now going on IN
adjacent Montgomery County In Mary.
land. over the proposed charter form
Of government for that county While
] must maintain discreet silence over
that contest, since 1t Is none OF my
business what the people of Montgomery
County do about their own local gov
ernment I cannot pass unnoticed the
statement attributed In The Star to
10 v. Morgan, former one-man Board
OF Tax Appeals for the District, con-
corning the so-called Griffenhagen re-
port recommending charter form OF
government for this city.
Mr.. Morgan points out that he was
. member of the committee appointed
by the District Commissioners to study
that report and that, after study Of
the plan and its operations in the few
localities where 1t had been adopted
that 1t was not only impracticable ana
cumbersome, but resulted in substantial
increase In the cost Of government. It
was discarded"
Lest perhaps too many might be
misled into taking those statements
too seriously and acting too hastily
upon them, few facts concerning this
reform movement in the District might
not be out of place. @
The so-called Grinenhagen report to
which Mr.. Morgan refers was the result
of efforts put forth by = former infiu-
entail member of the Committee on the
District Of Columbia of the House OF
Representatives. This CONGRESSMAN,
after years of experience on the Dis
trict Committee, had become 80 dis
gusted with the way our local gov
ernment was run that he called in q
arm Of municipal experts. headed by
Mr.. Grinenhagen, to make an i'm
partial survey Of the local government
and recommend improvements in the
interest pf efnciency and economy.
This report was opposed from the
moment Of its inception by the top
ranking officers Of the local govern
ment, OF which Mr.. Morgan, though q
resident Of Maryland, was one. After
some hearings on the 0ri9enhasen
plan. the House subcommittee in charge
OF 1t gave the District Commissioners
an opportunity over q period of several
months to study 1t and bring IN their
recommendations concerning 1t. At the
end OF tina period. instead of obeyins
the mandate Of the House subcomnnit.
tee, the Commissioners presented for
pubic consideration their own plan of
local government reform which had
been prepared for them by a commit
tee, which the people of the District
called the Commissioners kitchen cab
met" This Is the committee of which
Mr.. Morgan says he was a member.
. The primary objects Of the so-called
Kitchen cabinet" plan was to increase
the powers and salaries of the District
commissioners and to perpetuate by
legislation some Of the jobs and salaries
OF other local ofncials. The balance Of
the plan simply made for more con.
fusion In IN already hodge -podge gov
ernlnent.
While the writer kept in close touch
with the situation here In ths District
ne does not recall having seen or heard
OF . report by the committee of which
Mr.. Morgan was . member upon their
mSestisation Of other jurisdictions where
any plans by 0rtnenhasen had been
put into operation. It would be inter
estang to have him name some of those
cities. especially whore he states thev
were mpracticahls md .cumbsrsome and
resulted In substantial increase In cost
OF government. Al matter Of fact.
investigation would disclose, / have heen
informed, that where such conditions
exist under so-called Gri3enhasen
pan OF government, that plan had been
emasculated in the interest Of the
local city ofncials or party in power
oeiore they would permit 1t to be nut
unto erect. WILBUR s. FINCH
Wants Someone With Power
10 the Editor Of The Star:
Plans for the international postwar
peace organization, as far as has been
stated are; AN assembly. composed of
representatives of all peace-lovinr ma
ions; . council composed Of a smaller
number OF members In which the prin-
eipa states win Be Joined by number
OF other states to be elected periodically:
enect,ve means for the peaceful settle
ment OF disputes. including IN interna-
uonaI court Of justice for the adtudica-