Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-28
kennbersUrge
D. C.toDissoIve
Loyalty Board
Moher Group Says
Existing Machinery
Is Adequate


Is Adequate
The District Commissioners 10y.
atty Board today informed the city
heads there is no reason for con-
tinued existence of the panel and
that it be dissolved.
The Loyalty Board, which Is head.
ed by Special Assistant Corporation
Counsel Daniel B. Maher, reached
this decision at a closed meeting in
the District Building yesterday.
Last April, the board decided there
was no necessity for general loyalty
of District employees.
The eight-man committee did.
however. receive a go-ahead signal
last spring to make a survey of all
District agencies to determine II
any positions or installations can DO
deemed sensitive to national Sc
curity.
The Commissioners at that time
quickly agreed with the recoms
of the Maher Commit.
tee and are expected to approve tbs
proposed dissolution Of the board.
Machinery Believed Adequate.
In reporting actions of the board
to the Commissioners, Mr.. Maher
said the committee believes there Ii
now in existence adequate legal ma
chinery for the removal Of disloyal
persons from the District govern.
ment He cited the original Hatch
Act of 1889 which prevents per-
nicious political activity and speci.
fles its applicability to the District.
Mr.. Maher pointed out that the
various District appropriation acts,
including the present act, contain
a mandate that no part Of any ap.
preparation shall be used to pay the
salary or wages of any person who
advocates or who is a member OF
an organization which advocates the
overthrow of the Government by
force or violence.
Other members OF the COMMITTEES
are Charles Stofberg, special assist
ant to Commissioner John Russell
Young; School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning 1t. Col. Kenneth E. Mad.
sen, assistant engineer commits
sioner; Godfrey M. Thornett, Sec
rotary to the Board of Commission.
ers; Donald M. Clemmer, director Of
the Department of Corrections; In.
spector Floyd A. Truscott, assistant
superintendent of police. and Victor
Howard secretary OF the District
Personnel Board.
3,01S Positions Listed.
Mr., Maher said the survey, made
to determine sensitive positions
last April alert the general investi.
cation of all employees was aban.
doned. determined that 3,ol9 posi-
tons were considered sensitive
Commissioner John Russell Young,
listing the entire forces Of the Pc.
lice and Fire Departments, reported
2,619 employees. would come within
the criteria. EngisIeersC Commissioners
Gordon r. Young Anumerated 500
positions andA Commissioner Guy
Mason reported only five positions
within his departments which might
be deemed sensitive" -.1 .s-.
f. Thereafter, Mr. Maherssaad, IN
held conferences .with the FBI and
the Federal Loyalty Review Board.
Both organizations made available
to the District loyalty group data
dealing with the investigative ana
procedural regulations they use.
The Federal Loyalty Board, Mr..
Maher added, also offered to give
a training course in the investiga.
ton Of suspected disloyal persons to
such officers who might be desig.
mated by the District to conduct the
inquiry.
The District loyalty program.
however, was held in allegiance to
enable the committee to have the
benefit of the Federal experience be.
fore launching its own inquiry. On
January 3, the District Loyalty COM
mittee met to discuss its future
course and to determine whether II
should re-evaluate sensitive" posi-.
tions in the light Of the Federal ex-
perience.
Would Cost $29,s8S.
Mr.. Maher said his study of tbs
Federal loyalty program disclosed
an investigation of only 3 in every
1000 employees. OF this number, s
persons out of 10000 investigated
were employees or prospective ena-
ployes charged with disloyalty.
If the experience of the Federal
loyalty program was applied to tbs
number of employees to be investi.
gated under the District program.
Mr.. Maher told the Commissioners,
it would mean that only nine per-
sons would have to be subjected to
a field investigation and not one
would be charged.
A name and record check costs
an average Of $3.50 for each person
investigated, Mr.. Maher said. Such
a check of District personnel in
sensitive" positions, thus would cost
approximately $29,888.
Mr.. Maher said a full field IN.
vestigation costs approximately $t67.