Evening star., 1952-05-02
For a Better-Monoqed City

Only the cooperation of Congress is required
now to assure the District of the first really COM
prehensive reorganization of its government
since the commission form was established rs
years ago. All in all, Washington's unique gov
ernmental setup has functioned we'll during the
past three-quarterS of century. But stresses
and strains have developed as the city has
grown. The machinery has been patched and
strengthened from time to time to meet new
conditions. general overhaul has become badly
needed-and that is what the Presidents re-
organization plan calls for.
The plan sent to Congress yesterday is SUBJ
stantially that which the District Commissioners
originally submitted to the White House and
which met with Budget Bureau disapproval. The
battle which developed between the bureau and
the Commissioners over the bureaus proposed
council-manager substitute for the commission
form is history. The forwarding to the Capitol
OF the Commissioners plan, with appropriate
reviSions, marks happy ending to the citizens
fight to retain the Commission form of gov
ernment.
Actually, the plan recommended by the Pres
1dent Is far from complete blueprint. Details
of the reorganization would be worked out after
the legislation becomes law. BaSically, however,
the present commission form of government
would be retained, but modernized along lines
designed to improve administrative efficiency
and make clear the lines of authority and re-
SponSibility. To pave the way for this r~6derni-
cation, the Commissioners would be given the
power to rearrange the numerous and varied
municipal agencies and activities into new de-
partmentS-with certain exceptions. Properly
exempted from this merger would be such inde-
pendent or neutrality-suspicious. agencies as the
courts, the Public Utilities Commission, the Zon-
ing Board, the Board of Education, the Board of
Library Trustees, the Recreation Board and the
National Guard.
OF particular Importance is section limit
ing the authority which the Board of Commits
sioners may delegate to any one of its members
or to any other District officials The board as
q whole, would exercise sole responsibility for
regulatory ordinances or functions, for approv-
ing contracts in excess of $4,000, for approving
the budget and for appointing or firing heads
Of departments. These provisions were written
into the plan to guard against tendency in the
past to divide board responsibilities among the
individual Commissioners
Another important provision, added during
the conferences at the White House, would enable
the Commissioners to pay higher salaries to GER
tain key officials under the new system. The
salary ceiling now is $4,000 year. Added bur-
dens and responsibilities logically call for more
pay.
Under the 1949 Reorganization Act, the plan
will become effective within go days unless either
house rejects it by constitutional majority. The
chances of such rejection as slim as would
have been the chances of defeating the ll-Starred
Budget Bureau plan The prospect, therefore,
is for an early start on the much needed program
for putting the District government on more
up-to- date, businesslike operating basis.