Evening star., 1952-04-24
Victory for Sound Government

President Trumans wise decision in favor
OF the Commissioners reorganization plan for
the District is a victory for sound government
for tried and proved system of running the
National Capital as against new and untested
system favored by the Budget Bureau. 1t is a
victory, too, for the people of Washington who
rose up in almost unanimous protest against the
strange efforts of the Budget Bureau to railroad
Its vague councn-manager scheme into law
It had been truthfully said that there was
no middle ground for a compromise between
the commisSion-form plan and that pushed by
the Budget Bureau. The President, apparently
aware of this irreconcilability, made no attempt
TO work out a compromise. It is no secret that
ne was under strong pressure from some of his
advisers to recommend to Congress the abolish
ment of Washington's 70-year-old commission
form of government in favor of a presidentially
appointed part-time council and city manager.
Moreover, he was urged by these advisers to
use the Reorganization Act of 1949 as vehicle
for rushing this revolutionary change through
Congress within so days. This procedure placed
District citizens under the disadvantage of try
ing to mobilize a constitutional majority of
either house against the plan in order to kill
it-a impossible task in a time of con-
gressional preoccupation with conventions and
other things.
The reaction of the citizens of Washington
to this high-handed method of imposing on
them radical change in government was
prompt and vociferous. They properly stressed
that whereas the Commissioners plan for mod
ernizng the present commission form had been
carefully considered by District officials, civic
organizations and many other groups and indi-
viduals the Budget Bureau had sprung its own
sketchy plan without giving these vitally inter-
ested parties any chance to examine it in
n&@
the President to give thoughtful study to both
plans and to recognize the validity Of the many
objections raised to the Budget Bureaus pro-
posal. It is to Mr.. Truman's credit that his
choice of the Commissioners plan was made
without hesitation when the final showdown
came yesterday.
Some reviSons of the Commissioners plan
are necessary before 1t goes to the Capitol but
no difficulty is expected in working out these
changes with the Budget Bureau-now that the
President has made his ruling. One important
revision OF the original draft will make it clear
that the Commissioners cannot shift response
b1lity for major decisions among themselves
that all are equally accountable for policies,
ordinances and the like. Another will assure the
Recreation Board of continued independence.
Several other notifications may be advisable.
Basically, however, the plan calls for retention
OF the successful commission form, system
for which the public here has expressed its over
whelming preference Use of the Reorganiza-
tion Act procedure to enact reasonable improve
ments in the established commission form of
government for Washington is not Objectionable
Since the people of this city have shown that
they favor these Improvements, there is no need
to worry about winning the support of consti-
tutional maiorities in Congress. For the plan
which the President submits can become law
within go days without necessity of affirmative
action by either house. Only rejection by 40
Senators or 218 Representatives could kill it
and such action is highly improbable.