Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-03
Congress Shows
No Enthusiasm
For Council Plan
Decision by Truman
May Come Soon on
D. c. Reorganization
By Don S. Worren

proposals LndC PRESIDENT Tru.
man use his reorganization pow
erS to replace the Board of Com
miSSioners with an appointed
Icouncil-manager city government
form, pending the day when the
District might have home rule"
have inspired no enthusiasm so
far in Congress.
Such a plan, it was revealed in
The Star yesterday, is under study
at the Budget Bureau as an al
Tentative to the Commissioners
plan for streamlining their de-
partments.
A final decision may come soon.
since President Truman is sched-
uled to confer on the matter next
Wednesday with the Commission
ers and Budget Director Frederick
j. LaWton.
Capitol Hill comments general
~ were cautious, since the Presi-
dent has not yet announced any
commitment on the new reorgan-
lzation plan, nor has he sent it
TO Congress. One home rule adj
vocate, however. did look askance
at the idea of going back to the
city manager plan, which had
been dropped from the Senate
home rule bill.
Move Launched for Action.
Meanwhile, move was launched
to force the Senate-passed home
rule bill out of the control of the
House District Committee, where
1t seems destined to be buried.
and onto the House floor for &C
ton.
A discharge petition was filed by
Representative Granger, Demo-
crat, of Utah a former member of
the District Committee, where he
, was an ardent but unsuccessful
} suffrage advocate. He was the
lone signer Of the petition yester-
, day, but more names are expected
| TO be added from day to day.
r To force the bill to the House
floor, the signatures of 218, or a
= majority of the House member
ship. are required. A similar move
failed in the 81st Congress.
The Judiciary Subcommittee of
the House District Committee has
just concluded three weeks of
hearings on the Senate-passed
bill and various substitute ideas.
District Committee Chairman
Mcmillan. commenting on the
Granger discharge move, noted
that the District Committee has
= not yet had chance to vote on
d the Senate home rule bill. He
O said he thought advocates of the
bill should have waited until they
j. did.
, Truman Could Force Action.
Il Should President Truman de-
eide to send up the reorganization
S plan involving the creation of an
i appointed council of nine men,
e bers. who would name a city
e manager, it would force action.
e Such a plan would become law,
4 unless rejected within 60 days by
a Constitutional majority vote by
4 either the House or Senate. This
e would be 218 in the House and 40
|. in the Senate.
: Capitol Hill officials said such
0 a proposal no Doubt would be re-
|, ferred. not to the District Com
. mittees, but to the Expenditures
|, Committees.
1 The idea is not suggested as any
substitute for home rule, which
President Truman several times
has backed. In fact, it developed
! that Budget Bureau agents have
! made inquiries on Capitol Hill as
to whether such a reorganization
t move would interfere with the
!, home rule legislation.
: The reaction yesterday was
mixed. Some thought the crea-
ton of an appointed council would
set up the framework for an elect
ed council, if and when local suf-
frage was enacted. Others Sug-
geSted the submission of such
plan now would look like a con-
fession that the House again will
d fail to 60 along with the Senate
= on home rule.
i Bureau Government Seen.
!. Senator Case. Republican, Of
e South Dakota, one of the principal
j sponsors of the compromise home
4 rule bill passed on January % by
4 the Senate, said the city manager
plan tends to promote the bureau
type OF government, instead of
o one more responsive to the peo-
+ ple."
+ Senator Case last year took a
s stand against the city manager
provision in the earlier Kefauver
home rule bill, which was snagged
= in the Senate District Committee
on a tie vote. He also insisted
that the streamlining of the city
government departments should
: be left to an elected city council.
9 He won on both points in the
. compromise bill, later approved
:, :. by the Senate.
:. Senate District Committee
Chairman Nicely withheld COM
: ment.
Harris Reserves Judgment.
4 Chairman Harris of the House
District Judiciary subcommittee
said he has been a consistent be-
lever in streamlining the city de-
partmentS. But he reserved judy
: ment on the executive order re-
+ organization, noting it would go
, to the Expenditures Committee.
Representative. Smith, Demo-
G crat, of Virginia, a member Of
the House Rules Committee, as
! well as of the District Committee,
said the reorganization plan, if
, it comes up, will be given very
careful and very thorough con-
r sideration."
Representative Furcolo, Demo.
! crat, of Massachusetts,, a mem
Der of the House Appropriations
, Committee, detailed to District
: budget work, said the reorgactLa-
/ ton order might be step to.
wards home rule"