Evening star., 1947-07-24
Home Rule Seen
NOT Affecting
D. {. Boards
Young Urges Merging
OfHeoIine Commission
With Health Agency

Commissioner John Russell Young
today told House District subcom-
nittee considering homerule that
the various examining boards in
Washington could continue to func-
ton as at present, but the Healing
Arts Commission should be made
an integral part of the Health
Department"
The Commissioner was asked If
there are any reasons why the neces-
sary expenses of the commission
should not be subject to budget con-
troll by the District government and
included in the District Appropria-
ton Act. Mr.. Young replied there
are no fundamental reasons" why 1t
should not be subject to such control
and included in the act.
The Healing Arts Commission
passes on the licenses of physicians
and surgeons.
Financed by Fees.
The commission is now financed
by license fees paid in by applicants
for the practice of medicine and
other forms of healing. BY law, the
commission members are the presi-
dent of the Board of District Com
missioners, the United States Com
missioner of Education, the United
States. district attorney and the
superintendent of schools and the
District health officer.
1.-THE objectives of the Healing
Arts Commission" Mr.. Young said,
ARE so closely related to those of
the Health Department that closer
cooperation between these two
functions might be desirable from
the standpoint of better municipal
administration"
A survey of real estate fees paid
to the supervising Government agen-
cies in other cities will be made by
the Real Estate Commission here, as
a result of a subcommittee request
made today.
Asked About Fees.
Edward A. Dent, District assessor
who also is chairman of the Real
Estate Commission, declared funds
for the commission should be under
the District Appropriation Act.
Subcommittee members wanted to
know how license fees charged real
estate men for operating here COM
pared with other cities. Mr.. Dent
said he did not know what the situ-
alton was elsewhere, but agreed to
make survey.
The commission here consists of
three members, with the collector OF
taxes as its treasurer, Mr.. Dent ex-
planned. The treasurer deposits
commission funds periodically in the
National Metropolitan Bank and any
surplus at the end of the year is
turned in to the Federal Treasury
exeept 81 900 for operating costs, Mr..
Dent said. The funds come from
fees obtained from licensees.
Some $4,000 was paid into the
Treasury in the year just ended, Mr..
Dent said, adding that for the fiscal
year 1916, 5000 was collected by
the commission and $4,000 turned
i2 to the Treasury.
Public Interest Stressed.
Mr.. Dent said he does not think
that a surplus such as the commits
soin has should be taken from a
particular group, as the commits
sion's function is not revenue rails
ing. He told the subcommittee,
however, that there had been no
Objection raised by any of the
licensees over the sum required.
He said the act is designed for the
protection of the public as we'll as
the real estate operators, who want
to keep out undesirable elements.
Although the superintendent of
licenses here licenses some so
types of businesses, Mr.. Dent said
that his commission holds public
hearings and revokes licenses, but
pointed out this function could not
be handled well by the superinten-
dent.
Another possibility, Mr.. Dent
said, would be the placing of the
commissions functions under the
Corporation Counsel's Office. which
could handle prosecutions in police
court. He pointed out, however,
that his commission now considers
60 to IS complaints annually that
are settled satisfactorily between
the public and the real estate
brokers concerned.
Harvey L. Miller, chairman of the
District Boxing Commission, testi-
fed that while the Districts mis-
cellaneous fund and the tax COL
lector benefit from the surplus of
his commission, the commission is
charged with the responsibility for
raising this money
Procedure Criticized.
However, there are no other ap-
parent reasons for this procedure" "
Mr.. Miller said. IF the boxing
commissions salaries and operating
expenses were paid from District
budgeted funds and profits from
boxing were turned in as District
miscellaneous revenues. it would
involve a shift of responsibility
from the boxing commission to
general District authority" Op-
Grating expenses would be payable
regardless of the financial success
of boxing, he said. -.