Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-02
Which Mr.. F. o. Beckett, Dis
trict Property Clerk,
HAD BETTER HEED.
Numerous Complaints OF His Arbi'
trary Rulings Annoying Delays in
Forwarding Merchants Bills, and
His Scant Courtesy to Persons Hav.
ing Business i'm His OfHice-A Case of
Dyspepsia or Swelled Head

Complaints have been numerous aud
persistent by persons having business at
the property clerks Office in the District
building touching their treatment by the
clerk, Mr. f. O. Beckett. Through Mr..
Beckett's Office as property clerk contrac.
tors and others who have made the District
their debtor must file their bills 70 secure
warrants from the auditor Il Is in the filing
ofthese bills one Of the complaints against
Mr.. Beckett lies but the more serious one
alleged against him is his arbitrary ruling
on such bills and his unwarrantable and H.
legal interference with the terms of the con.
tract. For instance a merchant who
has the contract to supply the Dis
trict with a certain weight and texture
of blanket at a specified price is held up
by Mr.. Beckett and peremptorily ordered
to furnish better or superior quality Of
blanket On being demonstrated with by
the merchant he imperiously waves his
arms and dismsses the complainant much
after the manner of an Oriental Paddishaw
Another serious complaint against Mr.
Beckett Is the fact that he permits mer-
chants bills to accumulate for mouths in
fact until they are covered with dust Mean.
while the creditor dances attendance on the
property clerk, who gives him a dyspeptic
stare and takes his own good time to o. K
and forward the bill to the auditor
The GLOBE knows Of a prominent paper
house in Washington which refuses credit to
the District, and declines to fill orders un
less the said orders are accompanied by
cash This is due to the delay they we're
subjected to by Mr.. Beckett who kept
them sometimes three months waiting for
payment Of goods delivered on a cash basis
Of profit
Contractors, printers, paper houses and
general merchants are unanimous in their
condemnation Of the manner in which bust.
ness is conducted in the Property Clerks
Office, and there seems to be no relief. Mr..
Beckett seems to be paramount and his ipse
dixit is not appealable
Complaints of his arbitrary rulings are
accompanied By allegations Of his discour-
tesy or "fipness" to persons who have
bills collectable.
Some of our informants ascribe this con-
duct to indigestion or dyspepsia while
others allege it to be a case of swelled head
Whatever the cause, Mr.. Beckett should re-
member that tax payers are entitled to not
only prompt service on his part but respect.
full treatment, inasmuch as they pay him his
salary and he is the servant of the public.
If he does not like this meuial term he can
resign and become tax payer instead of
tax eater. So long, however, as he draws a
salary he is the servant Of the public and is
not warranted in triaing with public busi-
ness or assuming proprietary interest in
the District Building Every citizen in
Washington owns just the same proportion
Of the District Building that Mr.. Beckett
does. The GLOBE has numberless com
plants against Mr. Beckett filed in this
Office by merchants, contractors and busi-
ness men, but deems the foregoing sufficient
for the present, and it will await the result
of this public protest and the Commission
ers' action in the matter before going into
further details.