The Washington bee., 1901-07-27
A SENSIBLE SPEECH.
COMMISSIONER MACFARLAND'S
GOOD ADVICE.
He KaOws What to Talk About and How
to Talk.

while the District of Columbia.
with It's seventy-one square miles Of
land and water, IS smaller than any of
the States or Territories, it has a
larger population than Delaware,
ldaho. Montana, Nevada, Utah, or
wyoming, each of which is now a
sovereign State, and larger than that
OF any OF the Territories. There is
every reason why the residents of the
District should be as proud of it as if
IL were a State or Territory. Thew
ought to see that il is treated with the
same respect as States, and that it is
not claSSed with cities. This is one
reason for making much of District of
Columbia Day at the Pan-American
Exposition on September :, when the
District Will be given the hOnors given
to States on their DAYS.
"As the business of Congress grows
with the growth of the country, and
the business increases with its growth,
Congress relies more and more upon
the advice of the Commissioners in
the exercise of the constitutional leg
iSlatiYe authority over the District.
A part of this authority II has formally
given 10 the Commissioners in the
power to make an enforce all reason.
able regulations for the public safety,
health and comfort, although the
penalties depend upon the action Of
the courts. Very few executive gov
ernments have this broad legislative
! power.
Beyond appointing the Commits
! sioners, the judges, and a few other
| officers, the President of the United
States has no official part in the affairs
of the District of Columbia. The
United States Supreme Court has
expressly held that the District gov
eminent is not part of the national
govern uent, and this is why the Pres
ident has not been able to extend the
civil service rules over the District
government. ButeVeTy President has
taken personal interest in the Dis
trict, and the present President, having
lived so much of his lIfei in the District,
is especially friendly 10 the District in
every way and has done more for it
than any other President, since Wash
ingtOn, with the possible exception of
Grant.
TAXES UP COMMISSIONERS TINE.
"An important duty, which takes
half their time is receiving callers
bringing advice, complaints, appliCa-
tiOnS for office, and requests OF many
kinds. Much of this time is proftably
spent, for the Commissioners. knowing
that the District is and ought to be
governed by public opinion, welcome
all suggestions from citizens. They
desire and maintain close and friendly
relations with all organizations of cit
liens aiming TO improve the DistsiCt,
and they endedvOr in every possible
way to learn the public will But
much of the time taken by applicants
for employment under the District IS
practically wasted, since applications
in writing, answer every purpose. The
Commissioners have absolute power
of appointment to all offices under
the District government, except the
few filled by the appointment of the
President and those under the board
of education, whose members are ape
pointed by the Commissioners.
They have not been able TO get the
civil service act extended over the
District offices, Notwithstanding re-
peated efforts, which will be kept up.
But they have maintained merit sys-
TEN of appointment and promotion.
They naturally want the best they can
get in making appointment and they
try to maintain high standard. Good
men are always kept, and there are
few vacancies at any time, and none
at most times. When vacancies occur
all appropriate applications are care
fully considered and the best appli-
Cants are appointed. From 100 to 800
persons call on the Commissioners
personally every day, as a rule, be-
sides many more who are content to
their business through the
or some other Official. On
some days an even larger number call
On the Commissioners. On an average
half of them come to ask FOR offices
'Or themselves or their friends. At
lines it is difficult for the Commiss-
oners to attend to more important
business because of the calls Of office
seekers. who in most cases can not
nope for anything but sympathy"