Evening star., 1952-06-29
Reorganization
Act Takes Effect
Tomorrow Night
D. c. Commissioners
To Assume Power in
Midnight Ceremony
BY John Stepp

effect then.
al that moment the city,
leaders, meeting in extraordinar!
session in the District Building
Board Room, must sign a brie
order authorizing all existing cit,
!. agencies and officials to continu,
fdnctioning until actual reorgani.
kation is achieved.
The order reads:
Pursuant to authority con.
tanned in Reorganization Plar
No. 5 of 1852, it is hereby
"ORDERED THAT:
"All functions, duties, power.
and authority vested in any off.
Ger, agency, or employe of the
government Of the District Of
Columbia at the time of the tax.
ing effect of Reorganization Plar
No. of 1852, and which were
transferred to the Board of Com.
missioners of the District o1
Columbia by said plan, are hereby
delegated to, and shall until other
wise ordered continue to be
vested in, such officer, agency OF
employee"
Officials to See Ceremony.
Scores Of Washington officials
have been invited to witness the
ceremony. Some-notably those
instrumental in winning the re-
organization fight-will make q
few remarks.
The Commissioners. with their
new powers. then will commit
their first official act. They will
announce the names OF the new
nine-member citizens advisory
council.
After that. the entire gathering
will cross Pennsylvania avenue to
the roof garden Of the Washington
Hotel for q celebrative buffet
supper"
Real Fight Just Starting.
Only one cloud will mar the
occasion. Although the nine
month battle for reorganization
will be ended, the fight to put it
into complete operation is only
beginning. While Congress has
tacitly approved the Commission
ers' reorganization plan. the House
has knocked out the 100000 ap-
preparation requested to start the
plan rolling.
Brig. Gen. Bernard L. Robinson,
architect of the program, says
that without the funds it will be
impossible to proceed beyond ap-
pointing the advisory council.
The Engineer Commissioner
points out that the appropriation
primarily Is needed to pay the
salaries Of at least three brand
new poSitionS-director Of the new
Department of General Admin
iStration and the section chiefs of
the personnel and management.
Setting up the Department OF
Administration Is the first and
essential move toward conSolidat-
ing or reforming scores of city
agencies. This department will
handle the governments person.
mel, expenditures and accounting
Stymied by Differing Views.
The House apparently feels nc
special appropriation is needed
for the new key jobs of that de-
partment-that the city can use
available funds. The Commits
sioners. on the other hand, are
convinced that since the jobs are
new they cannot legally be pro-
,,yided for without Congressiona.
action.
For this reason, the Commits
.sioners have been feverishly
knocking on Senators doors tC
get the 100000 reinstated.
But though they may have only
q paper" reorganization as oi
midnight tomorrow. the Commis-
sioners will have at least one
primary stage of their plan COM
plete-formation of the advisory
council.
Z This group will be called mo-
only to advise the Commissioner!
on administrative policy but t.
NOf1er suggestions-on behalf o.
s2he citizenry-in the complicated
reorganization operation itself.
The Commissioners will not bt
bound by the councils recommen.
dations. But the present Board o.
Commissioners has vowed it viii
listen closely to the councils views
1t is designed as a sort of liaisor
between city executives and the
people.
Won't Replace Other Groups.
The Commissioners also have
emphasized that this council will
not replace or intrude on function!
of existing adsivory groups, such
as the Building Code Advisory
Committee and the Traffic Ad.
visory Board of the Advisory Com
mittee on Public Works. It ha.
been pointed out that groups lik,
the latter handle special, rather
than overall, problems.
Members of the new advisor,
council already have been Sc
lected. Basis for their choice ha
been that they are citizens havin,
ability, high standing in the com
munity. knowledge Of the Distric
and are individuals of high cali
ber whose stature and proven civil
consciousness will insure thei
continued and overall interest il
the District Of Columbia as
whole"
In statement released yester
day. the Commissioners declare,
they have greatest optimism" TO
the effectiveness of the council.
1T is believed" the statemen
declared, that it will be a yer,
valuable adjunct to the Govern
ment Of the District Of Columbi,
and will go far toward formaliz
ing citizen participation in tina
government