Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-25
D. E. Heads Get
Draft Of Order
On Sums Rule
Health Department
Still Fights Decision
On Responsibility
49,. 49,.
By Miriom Gutenberg

The Commissioners today got
the reorganization order to carry
out their decision to Ak all re-
sponsibility for housing in a sin
gle agency.
Enclosed with the order, pre-
pared by the General Admins
tration Department.. were the
changes in it requested by the
affected departments.
1t was obvious from the
changes demanded that the
Health Department is still wag-
ing war on the Commissioners
decision to put all housing mat
tiers in the Department OF
Licenses and Inspections.
Can't Satisfy ALI.
General Administration Di-
rector Schuyler Lowe. in a memo
randum with the order, told the
Commissioners:
TN working out these recon-
mendations we have carefully
considered the many deficiencies
that have been the cause of
Washington Slums being notori-
Gus for generations. We also
have considered the comments
of the departments who are con-
cerned with this matter and have
drawn the following conclusions
as to organization:
"(a) We do not believe it pos
sible to develop a sound plan OF
organization that also would
meet the desires of all the in
terested departments.
"(b) The housing problem is
an intensely difficult one that re-
quires a concerted, hard-hitting
attack if we expect to make real
progress"
Personnel Need Stressed.
Mr.. Lowe also stressed the i'm
portance of putting only the best
qualified men in key positions
and said that since his depart
ment has been unable to elimi-
nate all interdepartmental &C
tons on housing, realistic prog
ress reports should be required
periodically.
He proposed that the Commits
sionerS hear the views of the af-
fected departments. preferably
Monday, since the reorganization
order requires a board decision
not later than Wednesday.
The General Administration
Department based it's decisions to
go along with or oppose the de-
mands of the affected depart
ments on a set of guiding prin-
ciples" which were it's interpreta-
ton of the Commissioners deci-
sion.
Fixed Responsibility Asked.
Among these guiding princi-
Piles, it listed:
/. Responsibility for admin
istering and interpreting the
city's housing program should be
centralized in Licenses and In
spectionS and assigned to q
housing division there. ~.
2. The Health Department
should be responsible for de-
veloping and giving the Com
miSSionerS the public health
standards and regulations re-
lating to the public health as
poets of the housing program.
3. Licenses and Inspections
should have no power to act on
Health Department decisions
based on inspections in the
health field and the Health De-
partment should have no power
to control Licenses and Inspec-
tons decisions in the housing
field.
4. The two departments should
cooperate with each other both
in their day-to-day and long
range operations.
5. Decisions on details on
which the two departments have
been unable to agree during
negotiations extending over the
past six months cannot be
reached between now and June
80 but will have to be worked
out on a cooperative basis later
6. A single individual should
have the say in approving appli-
cations for licenses and permits
throughout the whole field of Ii
censeS but suspensions or revo-
cations should be determined by
a group of individuals.
Any board of appeals anc
review from decisions of ar
operating department should bt
set up outside that department
to assure impartial review anC
fair decisions.
The Commissioners were tolC
that where the General Admin.
istration Department diSregardeC
a change demanded by an af
fected agency, the change no
only was inconsistent will
these guiding principles but ais,
was unacceptable to the othe
department concerned.
In opposing one of man.
changes advocated by tn
Health Department, the reor
ganizatlon drafters said the,
did not agree with the Healtl
Department implication tina
greater duplication of effor
would result because lit is diff
cult to conceive of a create
amount of duplication in thi
a,.oo than vaAxx,