Evening star., 1901-10-31
The Engineer Commissionership.

change is about to occur In the office of
Engineer Commissioner of the District An
excellent official, trained in the duties OF
his office, is to step aside at the height of
his usefulness to make room for new in
cumbent who. despite his natural ability
and recognized qualifications, will neverthe-
less approach his task with diffidence ana
will not master it's intricacies for many
months. Such a change, under the cir.
cumstances. necessarily means more or less
of disturbance of the administrative ma
chinery. The War Department has unfor-
tunately come to regard the post of Enssl-
neer Commissioner of the District as one OF
the routine assignments for officers of the
corps designated by the law to supply this
office. 1t is thus placed on plane with the
lighthouse districts and the river and har-
Dor divisions, which require special engt-
neering talent and which are in the main
alike in their demands. Officers are trans
ferred from one to another of these assign
ments on an approximately equitable sys-
tenn according to personal preferences and
the needs of the department. 1t is possible.
without seriously interfering with the efli.
cheney of the administration of the service
to observe a regular routine of changes OF
personnel in accordance with a "tour-or-
duty scheme. But the Washington as
signment is essentially different. Here the
engineering questions are not of char
acter similar to those in the light house or
river and harbor districts. Nor are they
the paramount factor in the work of the
Commissioner. He must serve as more
even than a fractional mayor of Wash
lnSton, for he is consulted by Congress as
TO the appropriations for the capital and in
regard to general legislation. He thus acts
IN an advisory capacity to the legislature
as well as an executive of it's laws. He
must meet and deal with the people, ana
consequently, to fill the office to their salts
faction, must study their needs and ways
He requires a degree of administrative
talent not always to be found even in Off
GERS OF the corps so eminently fitted to take
charge of difficult engineering problems.
Special capacity to meet these requirements
is not to be attained in a few weeks Cap
tain Beach served as assistant to the Engi-
neer Commissioner long enough to familiar
ize himself with the duties of the office in
chief and so when a change took place and
he promoted to the commissionership
there was no marked lapse such as might
otherwise have occurred. His service in
the office he now leaves has been eminentIy
satisfactory to the people, who with sincere
regret now part with this capable, efficient
and popular official. The War Department
might well take cognizance of this expert
ence, If it insists upon considering the Dis
trict assignment as of routine nature and
prepare future Engineer Commissioners by
giving them service as assistants, thus
keeping In hand constantly a supply OF
available men who will not require the pre-
liminary training in the office itself which
off ;rIyc lotl
and to the citizens.
Washington's regret at the loss of Capt.
Beach involves. of course, no dminution OF
the cOrdiality of the welcome to Major
Biddle. from whom a record of intelligent
and effective development of the national
capital is reasonably and confidently an
ticipated. and whose future departure from
Washington in due course of assignment
shifting at the time when his services are
of most value to the capital, will be SINH
larly deDlored