Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-25
Morse Upsets
Lowe Demotion
Move in Senate
Plan Making Fowler
Reorganization Boss
In District Beaten
A-24 THE EVENING STAR
:" Washington, D. G.
SATURDAY, JULY rs, 1888

Reorganization Boss
In District Beaten
The Senate last night knocked
out an Appropriations Commit
tee proviso in the District supply
bin that would have switched
control Of the Government reor-
ganization program to Budget
Oficer Walter L. Fowler.
MIR. Fowler an old-line Dis
trict employe, was made reor-
ganization boss, superceding
General Administration Director
Schuyler Lowe, who has been on
the job less than a year in earlier
action by a Senate committee.
Morse Challenge.
Senator Morse, Independent, of
Oregon raised a point of order
that beat back the committee
recommendation last night.
The point at issue called for
combining the budget Office with
the management Office and set
ting up Mr.. Fowler as the chief.
This would have taken the budget
officer from his present Subordi-
nate position to Mr.. Lowe. and
enabled him to report direct to
the Commissioners on budgetary
and management matters.
At present, the management
office, which works out the de-
tails Of the reorganization pro-
gram and reports to Mr.. Lowe,
is entirely separate from the
budget Office in the General Adj
miniStration Department. In its
proposed changeover. the COM
mittee urged abolition of the
$4,000 yearly top job, now held
by William K. Holl.
Complaints From officials.
The Senate action followed
complaints from the District
Commissioners and the Commits
sioners' Advisory Council against
the move.
The Advisory Council deplored
what it called an attempt to
legiSlate in an appropriation bill.
The council issued a statement
defending the present setup with
Mr.. Lowe as reorganization boss.
In a milder tone, the Commits
sioners met and then announced
they do hope" things would be
left as is.
I'VE do .hope that on the floor
of the Senate or in committee
conference that the language of
the bill as it now stands will be
changed to continue these two
Offices under the General Admin
istration Department" Commits
Sioner Spencer said.
To allow these changes, Sem
ator Morse charged, would
amount to using an appropria-
ton bill as a means of amend
ing a substantive law
Referring to the authority tus-
sic between Mr.. Lowe and Mr..
Fowler, Senator Morse said he
suspects we are dealing with
personality problem"
1--WE are really purporting to
settle a personnel question that
exists at the District Building,
and that is not a matter that
ought to be handled in an ap-
preparation bill"
Reduction in Authority.
The legislator said he saw the
committee recommendation as
an effort to take reorganization
authority from the Commission
erS and declared, 1--WE ought to
impose more responsibility on
the Commissioners instead of
less.
If the Commissioners can't
handle personnel problems then
we ought to get some new ones"
He said that as he understood
it the real issue boiled down to a
matter between Mr.. Lowe and
Mr.. Fowler of who is above
who" And, Senator Morse en-
phasized, he does not know
either Mr.. Lowe or Mr.. Fowler.
Mr.. Fowler, through long years
in the District government and
many appearances before con-
gressional committees, has many
friends on Capitol Hill. In fact,
Senator Case vigorously backed
Mr.. Fowler for appointment as
District Commissioner earlier this
year.
Mr.. Lowe was brought to
Washington last year by former
Engineer Commissioner Bernard
L. Robinson to spearhead the
reorganization. He had worked
with Gen. Robinson in Atlanta.
DirkSen DiSagreeS.
In a running, though quiet de-
bate with the oregon legislator,
Senator DirkSen, Republican, Of
Illinois, commended that the pro-
posed grant of authority to Mr..
Fowler constituted mo great
change" over the setup before
reorganization came into being.
1T is important that budget
airy and management matters be
closer to the Commissioners"
he declared. Under the commit
tee proposal, Mr.. Fowler would
have reported directly to the
Commissioners instead of to Mr..