Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
Reorganization
Plans Stir New
Opposition
Keneipp Also Seeking
To Control Parking;
Health Shift Hit


Controversial reorganization
plans for traffic and health &C
tivities of the District Govern
ment encountered more OPPOSE
ton yesterday. .
Traffic Director George e.
Keneipp. whose Department Of
Vehicles and Traffic faces
adjustment under the plans,
called not only for its retention
but for the addition of parking
responsibilities.
In the health field, a United
Community Services Committee
opposed removal of various in
spection responsibilities from the
Health Department.
Wants Parking Agency.
Mr.. Keneipp recommended to
the Citizens Advisory Council
that the administrative and
planning functions of the Motor
Vehicle Parking Agency be
transferred to his department.
He said also that the Com
missioners should adopt a policy
statement clearly defining func-
tons of the Highway Depart
ment with respect to traffic
engineering activities.
Present reorganization plans
would, however, combine the
traffic engineering activities Of
both departments in a new
Department of Highways and
Traffic, and put licensing and in
spection activities in a new De-
partment Of Licenses and
Inspections.
Both Sides Claim Economy
Mr.. Keneipp said that proper
alignment of the duties of the
Highway Department and his
own department could save the
District more than 100000 a
year.
The District reorganizers
maintain that this much could
be saved by taking the engineer
ing functions out of the Traffic
Department and putting them in
the Highway Department.
Also opposing dispersal of the
Traffic Department before the
council was the Commissioners
Traffic Advisory Board.
Arthur J. Sundlun, board chair
man, presented a strongly worded
report prepared by a special sub
committee. He declared the
planners are "in effect attempt
ing to make the tail wag the dog"
The board charged that the
Highway Department has usurped
various functions of the Traffic
Department directly contrary to
the Traffic Act and other con-
greSsional mandates.
Say Spending Would Increase.
The proposed reorganization
would not save money, the board
contended, but would cause more
spending for personnel who SIM
ply would take over already ex-
listing functions with the same
general chain of command.
"As we view the proposed re-
organization of the Department
of Vehicles and Traffic" the
board said, ut would appear that
instead of the active co-opera-
ton of the Engineer Commits
sioner with his experienced en-
cheering assistants as the super
visory head of both highways
and traffic, there would be sub
stituted a single director which
would in effect create a so-called
palace guard, which would elimi-
nate adequate control by the
Commissioner selected for such
purpose"
Oppose Food Transfer.
The health committee of UCS
recommended to Commissioner
Samuel Spencer that supervision
and regulation of environmental
sanitation, protection of the
food, milk and water supply and
related services remain in the
Health Department.
The committee had met Tues
day in a special session to dis
cuSs the reorganization proposal
to take food inspection and sani-
tary engineering out of the
Health Department and put
them in a new Department Of
Licenses.
In a letter to Mr.. Spencer, it
said its conclusion was based on
the premises that the aims and
detectives of environmental
health were more than the is
suance of license or routine in
| spections. They are contained
in the primary detectives of the
Health Department ITSELF" it de-
clared.