Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-05

An excellent reform was suggested by
the members of the East Washington Citi-
Zens Association at their meeting last
night when they adopted resolutions rela-
tive to the administratio ton of the Office
of recorder of deeds and the method of
appointing that official. The present plan
of presidential selection for that office has
never worked to the satisfaction of the
people of the District. who are in "a pecu-
liar sense interested in the Individuality of
the incumbent and the character of his
administration. No other local Office IS
more closely in touch with the personal in
tere5ts of the citizens. The recorder of
deeds should not only be a citizen of the
District, and long enough a resident to be
well acquainted with all its concerns,
but should be selected by the Commission
ers. who. being themselves residents and
citizens. know far better than can any
President the necessary qualifications for
the Office. The presidential character of
the Office of recorder of deeds Is relic of
the days when that bureau was part of
the judicial system of the District The
only other office of a strictly local char
acter that is retained within the patronage
Of the President, outside of the Commits
soners themselves Is that of register of
Wills, whose functions are much more
nearly allied with those of the courts than
are the duties of the recorder of deeds.
A sensible and modern plan would be for
the Commissioners to appoint the recorder
as they appoint several other quite as
important officials. Including the assessors,
collector of taxes, chief of police. chief of
the fire department, health officer, build
ing inspector and great number Of heads
of bureaus. Whatever reason there may
have been at any time for the inclusion Of
the recorder among the gifts Of the Presi-
dent, thus making 1t a plum of patronage
to be tossed to some political favorite. for
whom office can not be found in his own
locality. that reason has long ago disap-
peared. except perhaps from the point of
view of the President himself, who is pos
siby reluctant to contemplate any cur
tailmert Of the valuable privilege Of re-
warding parhsans at the expense Of the
taxpayers of the District.
There Is merit, too, in the other features
Of this scheme suggested In the resolu-
lions of the East Washington Association
relative to the methods Of transacting the
business of the recorders Office. Every
argument that may be raised in favor Of
a more careful selection of the chief Of
this bureau. based upon the importance Of
the work to the people of the District, may
be applied with equal force to considera-
lions affecting the administration of the
establishment which, 1t Is greatly to be
feared Is not now run on those good bust
ness principles that should enter into every
detail of the work done. Attention may
well be paid by the authorities to the
recommendation of the association that in
struments Of conveyance should be photo
Autographed or copied by some other me-
chanical process, thus insuring absolute
accuracy. This plan has been in vogue for
many years in the patent Office, where the
need of care in the duplication of patent
specifications is no greater than in the reg
lstering CT documents that relate to the
ownership of land and so involve interests
OF great financial value. 1t Is to be feared
that many other reforms would be found
necessary by committee Investigating the
present condition of the recorders office.
Taken altogether the situation is impor-
tant enough to warrant somebody in au-
thority in interesting himself in the mat
ter.