Evening star., 1953-01-11

AIRCRAFT CARRIER WITH
after completion Of alteration
port side. The new "canted"
directing her planes away fro
are being worked out with the
aid of his administrative assis-
tant. Robert Albrook, former
South Dakota newspaperman.
who Is slated to be clerk of the
Senate District Committee.
Senator Case said he had not
yet discussed his ideas with Sen
ate Majority Leader Taft or with
any other Senators.
The 1852 Neely-Case home
rule bill provided for the elec-
ton of city council ct Is men,
bers. nominated by wards but
elected at large. Senator Case
indicated his plan for election
of members of the commission
erS' advisory council probably
would follow similar pattern.
This home rule bill also pro-
vided for an elected Board of
Education of five members and
for a non-voting District dele
gate in the House.
Mayor Would Be Named.
AS the administrative head of
the city government there would
be a mayor appointed by the
President and confirmed by the
Senate.
Such an elected form Of city
government would be authorized
to tax and budget and spend on
city programs and to enact city
ordinances, but the suffrage
measure still would recognize
that Congress has constitutional
control over the National Capt.
tai.
AS to the proposed expansion
Of the Board of Commissioners.
Senator Case pointed out that
the present three members are
burdened with the problems Of
a growing and already pretty
big" metropolitan center.
He stressed that there was no
other American city Of such size
where administration was CEN
tered in so small a board. He
noted that the new engineer
commissioner, Brig. Gen. Louis
Prentiss, had said he must spend
some time on his job merely to
learn his duties.
Senator Case pointed out that
while there are IL women men,
bers of the House, no woman has
been named to the Board of
Commissioners for many years.
One Woman Commissioner.
The District has had one wom-
an Commissioner, Miss Mabel T.
Boardman who was appointed by
President Woodrow Wilson to-
ward the end of his regime.
There are many special district
problems, which are of special
interest to women, and especially
mothers, Senator Case said. He
mentioned operation of the
school and playground systems.
Senator Case said he feels
members of the Advisory Council.
now numbering nine, should be
elected so that they would rep
resent the tax-paying public in
stead Of the officials who named
them as advisers.
The present council, he said,
is valuable even though appoint
ed by the officials it was named
to advise. But he voiced fears
that over a period of years the
tendency might develop in an
appointed council to be too will
ing to agree to proposals of the
administration officials.
He added there would be a
collateral value to having the
advisory council members elected
in that it would set up machinery
for election here. This, he said,
could be used later as a basis
for an elected city council, en-
bodied in the Washington home
rule measure.
Quotes Platonic Philosophy.
On the general thought that
public administrators should be
elected. Senator Case quoted
from a Plato philosophy that
"The penalty good men pay for
Indifference to public affairs is
to be ruled by evil men," He
hastened to add that this had
no reference to present District
Commissioners or their advisers
but that he meant that election
of the council would make 1t
responsible to the people.
Asked If he expected congress
sional approval for his program,
Senator Case said he did not
see how there could be any seri-
Gus arguments against the first
three items: Enlargement of the
Board of Commissioners. an in
crease in their powers and elec-
ton Of the advisory council.
He said he thought there were
some legislative matters, now
subject to action by Congess,
that could be handled by the
Commissioners as regulations in
stead of law. He did not specify,