Evening star., 1951-12-04
|Donohue 10 Ask
School Powers
For D. {. Heads
Would Take Control
Of Board Awoy
From District Court

| Commissioner F. Joseph Dono.
hue wants to take from Distric
Court judges the power to appoin
the Board of Education and turr
the function over to the Boare
Iof Commissioners.
In a discussion with reporter.
late yesterday, Mr.. Donohue sale
he intends to lay his views before
Congress. whether or not he get.
any support from his govern.
mental colleagues.
Mr.. Donohue said at first that
he considered taking up the sub.
Ject with Engineer Commissioner
Bernard L. Robinson and Com
missioner John Russell Young al
a meeting scheduled for today
This meeting is to deal with Gen
Robinson's plan to reorganize
District government.
Will Skip Issue Today.
But in a talk last night before
the Dupont Circle Citizens Asso.
citation. Mr.. Donohue indicated hi
would not raise the school boart
appointment issue at today's meet.
ing so that the reorganization
plan may be speedily approved
today.
He told the Dupont Circle citi-
zens that he was certain that "at
least majority" of the Commits.
sloners' board would approve the
reorganization proposal. He indi-
Gated Commissioner Young's was
the only doubtful vote.
Since the plan must be acted
on as soon as possible, Mr.. Dono-
hue said, he already has scheduled
a meeting with department heads
at 2::30 pm. to explain the new
organization to them, rather than
seek their views, as he originally
had wished.
In his discussion of the schoo.
board, Commissioner Donohue em.
phaSized that his view was moi
prompted by any recent contro.
versies. He said he always" has
felt the appointive power should
lie with the Commissioners in.
stead of the judges.
"Cloistered and Aloof."
"1n all due respect to the judges
I feel they do not have any pecu.
liar qualifications for picking the
board" he said.
Judges, he added, are "tradi.
tionally clustered and aloof" from
the public. whereas the Commits.
sioners are supposed" at least
to be close to the public.
Mr.. Donohue pointed out that
while the School Board is an in
dependent branch of the District
government. the Commissioners
still must study and approve all
budgetary matters pertaining to
schools.
Il think it would be better If
board members were selected by
people better informed of the
Districts needs" he added.
Mr.. Donohue conceded that he
was not familiar with the back
ground for Congress original de-
cision to delegate the appointment
power to the judges.
"I have simply felt all along
that the present appointment
method is an anachromism," Mr.
Donohue said.
Would Pay Members.
At the same time he said he
believed School Board members
should be paid for the meeting.
they attend.
"It is unfair to take even sue
cessful people and make then
serve free as they now do," Mr.
Donohue said.
In his talk to the citizens, Mr.
Donohue said the budget bureau
has assured him that a "two-way
street" would be open between
the bureau and the Commissioner,
after the plan is submitted, anr
the changes may then be made
as a result of the suggestions o1
the department heads and public
hearings to be held later.
The time factors, always a prob.
lem in this reorganization at.
tempt, has become more difficult
because Gen. Robinson is leaving
the city on a military assignment
Sunday to be away "a week OF
10 days" This, in effect, moved
up the deadline on the submission
OF the plan a week from the pre-.
set December Is, Mr.. Don.
ohue stated.
Mr.. Donohue cautioned the
group not to expect any consid-
cradle saving of money by the
District by the new streamlined
method of operation, even if it
is put into effect. On the con-
trary, he said, it may even cost
between 100000 and s15O.0oO
per year more at first.
Seeks Improved Services.
The basic purpose of the reor-
ganization, he emphasized, is to
improve municipal services
though it may save some money
in the long run.
The plan will have to be ap-
proved by the Budget Bureau
President Truman, and, at least
negatively, by Congress. Com
missioner Donohue said he did
not expect any trouble anywhere
along the line, and added that one
OF the reasons the new scheme
does not include bringing under
the Commissioners the Board OF
Education and other agencies sci
up by Congress is to avoid any
such trouble. 4
The plan will become law il
Congress takes no action on il
within a certain time. ..
The Commissioners hope te
bring such agencies under thei,
control later, when the reorgani.
zatlon is an accomplished fact
MIR. Donohue said.
IOfficer KilIed Hr..L