Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-09
Truman Directs
Further Study Of
D. {. Changes
President Confers on
Two RivuI Plans for
Reorganization Here

0U-HllnuCe discussion OF the con.
f1icting plans of the District Com
missionerS and the Budget Bureau
for reorganizing the District Gov
eminent. He then directed both
agencies to make a further Joint
study of the issue and meet with
him again.
Budget Director Frederick ].
Lawton. who sat in on the meet
ing. said an effort would be made
to get together with the Commits
sioners promptly. Officials hope
to get action at the present ses-
sion.
Under the Reorganization Act
through which any changes would
be effected, the plan would have
to lie before Congress for 60 DAYS
Tor either rejection or approval.
Mr.. LaWton told reporters I'VE
discussed the outline of the two
plans generally" but he stressed
that no conclusions were reached.
Young Not Present.
Engineer Commissioner Ber-
nard L. Robinson. Col. Thomas j.
Hayes Assistant Engineer Com
missioner, and Commissioner F..
Joseph Donohue represented the
district government. j. Russell
Young, retiring president of the
Board of Commissioners, did not
take part.
Mr.. Lawton said the President
urged further conferences by Dis
trict budget officials Ito see If any
changes or notifications in the
Iplans were desirable" He said
the President said he wanted ito
lclarify his own thinking" on the
subject In reaching a decision.
The budget director and Gen.
Robinson stressed that the Presi.
dent did not instruct them to get
together on q single plan, al
though Mr.. Lawton conceded that
would be a very desirable goal.
AS the Presidents conferees de.
parted Mr.. Truman held a brief
meeting with Robert v. Fleming.
president Of Riggs National Bank.
MI. Fleming told reporters that
he had come to the White House
to discuss reorganization, but he
said that any details Of his con-
Iversation with the President would
have to come from the Chief Ex-
ecutive.
Touch on Home Rule.
The presidential conferees said
District home rule was touched
on at today's meeting, but only
Casually They added that Mr..
Truman repeated that he favored
home rule here.
The White House conference
followed lengthy reorganizational
studies by District and budget Of
ficials.
The so-called Commissioners
plan is largely the work of Com
missioner Robinson.
1t would set up new machinery
within the framework of the pres
ent commission form of Govern
ment. The District agencies
would be classed under II de-
partments which in turn would be
topped by three bureaus-Public
Welfare, Public Safety and Public
Works.
One Commissioner would head
each bureau and the city heads
would sit together as a policy
making board.
There also would be an advisory
council of an indeterminate num-
Der OF members.
City Manager Set-up.
The Budget Bureau plan is a
council-city manager
proposition.
The President would appoint a
council of from five to nine mem
bers and they in turn would name
"a city manager.
1t also proposes departmental
cation of District functions with
perhaps 10 departments set up.
although Mr.. LaWton said today
this is not definite. AS Mr.. Law
ton explained it the council would
work on a part-time basis and it's
members probably would get from
SO, 900 to $4,000 a year. Mr.. Law
ton told reporters that a salary
of perhaps $4,000 for the city
manager had been discussed.
Under both plans. the Board Of
Education and certain other agen-
cieS would be excluded from re-
organization.
While the Budget Bureau plan
has been described in some quar-
tiers as a step facilitating home
rule government. Mr.. Lawton en-
phasized that Mr.. Truman is not
committed to 1t or any other plan.
The conferees were asked: rs
there anything definite on which
the President wants clarifica-
tion?"
"Specifically-no," Mr.. Lawton
responded.
Commissioner Donohue took no
part in the discussion with re-
porters. Asked if he was salts
fled with the mornings develop
ments he responded, II couldn't
do anything else but be (satis-
fed"