Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-25
INFORMATION REQUESTED
Mr.. Dockery Throws His Net Over District
Building
Asks If the Work is In Arrears and
III So, Why-SomethinEO of ~
COmmOtiO1 Created.
The clerks at the District building are

The clerks at the District building are
uneasy.
Chairman Dockery of the joint commission
to inquire into the laws organizing the
executive departments has thrown the
arms of the investigating octopus about the
District government. and wants to know
how the Commissioners run the local gov
ernment, together with many other things.
Representative Dockery is not beloved by
the general run of clerks, and his investiSa-
ton of the Treasury Department with the
subsequent inauguration of new systems,
which resulted in the dismissal of a num-
ber of clerks, is still fresh in every ones
mind. Heretofore the clerks looked upon
these Investigations with Indifference. They
felt comfortable in the belief that he could
not investigate them and inaugurate new
nethods which would deprive them of their
places. But now change has come across
the spirit of their dreams, and they picture
to themselves awful possibilities
The letter of inquiry came this morning
with the first batch of mail. and set the
Commissioners thinking. This IS what tne
letter. signed by Mr.. Dockery, said: II
have the honor to request that You Will,
for the information OF the joint comHliS-
sion of Congress to inquire into laws or
ganizing the executive departments, &c,
send me. at your earliest convenience,
statement as to the condition Of the busl-
ness of the District government, showing
whether any part of the same is in arrears;
ii so, in what offices or bureaus of the DIS
trict government such arrears exist, the
extent thereof and the reasons thereof.
Caused u Stir.
1t did not require a herald to spread the
news. The air seemed heavy with 1T i'm
me diatcly and it pervaded every office in
the building. What did it mean? That's
" hat every one wanted to know. One clerk
bolder than the rest asked what right the
commission has to investigate the District
&c overnmeI:t. The District was not an eX-
ecutive department of the government
Meanwhile the Commissioners We're think
ing. They thought long ard earnestly.
Finally it was decided to comply with the
request, and the secretary was directed
to prepare a number of duplicates of the
letter and send one to every department of
the local government. with instructions to
Immediately report as to the condition of
the office with respect to the inquiry.
No one volunteered an explanation of
the letter. One official thought the COM
ssion was only anxious to find out how
much in need of additional clerks the Dis
trict was.
Work Well Up.
A reporter of The Star visited each de-
partment of the District this afternoon and
interviewed the chiefs. All were up to date
in the work. The assessor said he was up
to date. but that was no argument against
an increase in his working force. The
clerks would soon be put to work getting
ready for the May taxes and would be COM
PEELED to work nights. He wanted at least
three additional clerks.
The Commissioners do not understand the
letter of Representative DOckery and do
not care to express an opinion upon it just
yet.
Sent to All.
Mr.. Dockery said today that a similar let
ter has been addressed to the heads of the
several departments and that it is designed
merely to ascertain information relative to
the condition of the work in the several
departments of the government.