The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-09-17
COUNCIL OF THREE
Government Of District Of Column
bia, U. S. A.
BUILDING UP OF SYSTEM
selection Of Commissioners - Non Partisan
BOdy-Manifold Duties Of
the Board.
washington Starr

PCOpiS u the DlSJIlCL are VIII
their municipal government. both a.
TO its personnel and as to its many anc
various departments. So limited in.
deed, is this acquaintance that it would
appear that most persons do not even
know just where the District building
the official home of their municipal
officers, is situated And. when they
have occasion to call there it is re-
markable how utterly at sea they are
as to which official it is necessary for
them to see in order to accomplish the
purpose of their calls. Most people.
1T would appear, have a vague idea that
the District is governed by three Com
missiOners, and that is about all But
as to the duties of the Commissioners,
how divided, how performed no we'll
settled idea seems to be possessed by
large number of the residents of the
District
The official home of the District gov
eminent is in the six-story brick build
ing known as AGA Louisiana avenue
and there the three men known as the
umbia officially have their home, to-
gether with majority of the subordin-
ate officials of the District. From 1902
until 1871 the government of the Dis
trict was that of the ordinary munich
pal character, with its mayor and
board of aldermen and common coun-
Gil. But in 1871 Congress, which has
exclusive jurisdiction over the District,
established what is known as a territOr-
ial form of government, so called be-
cause it resembled in its general feat
ures that provided for the territories
of the United States, the charters of
the cities of Washington and George
town being abolished, together with
the levy court. This territorial form
of government was abolished by Con-
gress through an act approved June
20, 1874, the President of the United
States being authorized and directed,
with the advice and consent of the
Senate, to appoint a commission COM
posed of three persons selected from
civil life The President was also au-
thorized to detail an officer of the en-
gineer corps of the United States army,
who, subject to the general supervis
ion and direction of the Commissioners,
was to perform the duties formerly
performed by the chief engineer of the
board of public works, he to appoint
three assistants from civil life.
This what was known as the tenn
porary form of government of the Dis
trict, and continued until Congress, by
the act of June Il, 1913, established
what is known as the permanent form
of government, and that is with some
changes, the government of the Dis |
trict as it exists today. The board OF
commissioners was continued by the !
act of 1878 with this provision: Two |
of the Commissioners to be appointed |
by the President, by and with the adj |
vice and consent of the Senate, from |
civil life the third Commissioner to |
be an officer detailed by the President |
from among the captains or officers of !
higher grade having served at least |
fifteen years in the Corps of Engineers |
of the United States army. The Pre- |
sident was also authorized to detail |
three army engineer officers of junior |
rank to the Engineer Commissioner as |
his assistants. In the appointment OF |
the civil Commissioners the President |
was and is vet required to select them |
from those citizens of the United |
States who at the time of their seIec-
ton were actual residents OF the DIS
trict for three years next before their |
appointment and having during that
period claimed residence nowhere else.
They are appointed for term OF three
wears: but contrary to an impression
which appears to widely prevail, the
President is not required to select as
civil Commissioners men of different
political faith. Nevertheless, 1t has
come to be an unwritten rule that one
of the Commissioners appointed from
civil life shall be of one of the great
noliticaI parties and the other from the
other great party, the idea being TO
government free !
from political bias as possible.
Under the latest assignment OF the |
business and offices of the District gov
eminent Commissioner Wight has I'M
mediate supervision of the following !
danartments: Inspection of boilers,
chimney sweeping, inspection OF coal,
ex-officio trustee of Columbia Hospital
for Women, coroner and assistant cor
oner. board of dental examiners, drug
eists to the poor, excise board, fire de-
Dartment. inspection of flour, inspec-
tion of food, collection and disposal of !
garbage. hack stands, harbOr master,
hav scales. health office, insurance.
companies. liquor licenses, inspection
of lumber, markets, including Hay
Market square; board of medical eN-
aniners. care of municipal building, |
TRANSPORTATION of paupers, physicians
tn the poor, commissioners OF pharma-
CIV police, disposal OF ponce IeWdIuS'
poundmaster, board of control of Rock |
Greek Park, sealer of weights and |
measures, board of examiners of steam
engineers, surgeons of police and fire f.
departments, veterinary surgeons, tele-
oraph and telephone service, inspeC- /
ton and measuring of wood.
commissioner Ross: AlmshOuse, |
ASYLUM Hospital, Washington; assess
ments of general taxes and special |
assessments other than water assess
and rnnts. aSSpsSOr. assistant |