Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-11
In q three-headed BODY like the board of

New York 0hce: Room 90, Tribune Building
In three-hesded body like the board of Dis
trict Commissioners some friction is perhaps
inevitable. But the danger OF such friction ID
largely increased by the provisions of law
which seem to dignity the Commissioner Sc
lected from the army a: the expense Of the
civilian Commissioners, who are by law chosen
from citizens presumably identified with the
interests Of the District. The fact that the law
positively determines that an officer detailed
from the army shall be engineer Commissioner
gives some color to the claim that
II u declaration by Congress Of an intention
to confer upon him control Of all work involv-
ing engineering skill, and hence that his voice
shall be specially potential in determining
where and what kind OF carriage and footways
and sewers, &c, &C., shall be laid. While this
view can be modified somewhat by the general
powers granted the Commissioners over the
streets, avenues and alleys Of the city, il is by
no means certain that when the law specially
provides that one Of the three Commissioners
shall be an officer of the army detailed
from the engineer corps Is the Engineer Com
missioner it did not intend to clothe him with
extraordinary powers, and draw a line between
him and the other Commissioners, in his rela-
ton to such municipal work as comes more
nearly within the scope OF a civil engineer.
This deduction from the language of the law
30 far referred to is very greatly strengthened
by the provision that two other officers of the
engineer corps shall be detailed TO assist the
Engineer Commissioner-thus removing two
among the most important subordinate officers
of the District government from the control of
the Commissioners and placing them under the
exclusive control Of the Engineer Commis-
sioner. One Of these assistants has charge Of
highways, streets, avenues and alleys, roads,
bridges, railroads, telegraph and telephone
lines, and street lighting and the operation of
the parking commission. The other has charge
Of the water, sewer and pump divis ion, the
survey Of the District, the harbor front and
minor matters. Both of them are entirely in
dependent OF the majority of the Commission
ers and take orders from and report to the En-
gineer Commissioner only.
This power claimed for the army Commits
sioner has heretofore been practically conceded
Even orders Of great importance are issued
by order OF the Engineer Commissioner"
Whereas it requires an order signed by both
the other Commissioners Cor at least by two
COMMISSIONER to remove a dead cat from an
alley, or to accomplish anything else of public
concern And such acts are by order OF the
Commissioners'-the Engineer Commissioner
taking one-third the glory
Probably the water supply and collection of
water rates is as difficult and requires as much
care and attention as any branch of District
work. Yet the law gives the Commissioners
only general control. 1t places the water de-
partment under the direct charge of the En-
gineer Commissioner. And so of other import
ant matters touching the people closely The
danger OF unseemly clashing of authority or its
attempted exercise-among the Commissioners
by reason Of the above unwise provisions of
the law is apparent, and there seems to be no
good reason for such discrimination between
the Commissioners. Practical Inconvenience
result from this condition Of the law. Having
no Engineer Commissioner there can be
no assistants and have been none since
Maj. Raymond's term expired on the
Sd instant There can be none until Col.
Robert reporS to the Chief Of Engineers
for duty as Engineer Commissioner. The in
convenience that necessarily follows from such
a state Of things and the confusion that is liza
BILE to follow are apparent. Substantially the
same result follows in case of the absence of
the Engineer Commissioner from sickness or
otherwise, for he is the only one to whom the
assistants are accountable under the law or to
whom, as military officers, they can report for
duty.
Ii one Of the Commissioners is to be detailed
rom the army let him be detailed as such, and
let the board be permitted as a body to de-
sermine the distribution of work among its
members. The engineering ability of the
military Commissioner will naturally suggest
that, in subordination to the board collectively,
he should handle as his assignment engineer
Ing matters and that the other army officers
detailed assistants should engage in the
same line OF work. But no opportunity for
clash Of authority between the engineer
Commissioner and the Board of Commissioners
should be permitted to remain. As to all mat
tiers Of municipal government the people look
to the Commissioners as a body for its proper
administration. and hold each one responsible
therefor. The law should in no way discrimi-
nate between them in its grant of power and
prevent the people from justly holding them
thus responsible