The Washington times., 1902-07-27
His Signature Needed to
Make District Contracts
Effective.
AFFECTS ALL DEPARTMENTS
Supplies Running Low-Comptroller Of
Treasury Asked to Give Opinion Re-
garding Power of President of Beard
to Act in Emergency.

| The District government is practically
at q standstill, SO far as entering lntt
contracts and completing arrangements
for public work is concerned. This con
dition OF affairs has been brought about
by the serious Illness Of Commissioner
Ross, which confines him to his home
and makes it impossible for him to afiS
his signature to official papers.
All the contracts for general supplies
several similar agreements for the con-
struction of new buildings, and those foI
furnishing materials for work upon the
streets, sewers and water mains are as
yet unsigned. From present indications
1t will not be possible to go ahead with
the contracts until Mr.. Ross is in har-
ness again. which may be weeks or
months hence.
Unanimous Consent Required.
Under the provisions OF the organic
act of 1873. the law nroviies that con
tracts for all items Of more than SlO0
shall have the unanimous consent Of the
Commissioners, and shall be signed by
them In practice it has been held
heretofore that a contract to be valid
must be signed by the Commissioners
severallv.
Such is the view held now by the Com
missioners and accounting officers OF the
District. But the need of getting some
of the contracts through is so urgent
that Commissioners Macfarland and Bid
die yesterday decided to refer the matter
to the Comptroller of the Treasury for
an opinion whether the president of the
board could be directed by a quorum to
afIix the signature of the Commissioners
TO a contract and to other papers requir-
ing the signatures of all the members
of the board.
nishing supplies. etc, expire on July l
or August !, and the District govern
ment is already considerably embar-
rassed by the condition OF affairs pre-
sented. II Is stated that forage for the
horses in the Fire Department. and that
some supplies In other departments. are
running low, and unless some way Is
found 10 make contracts valid, signed by
two Commissioners, or by the president
of the board for his colleagues. the
business OF the District government will
have to await the recovery OF Comm,s-
sioner Ross. or. In case of his death.
the naming Of his successor In Office.
A Quorum of the BoaId.
BY law enacted in 1898 It was pro-
vided that two members of the Board
of District Commissioners should con-
stitute a quorum for certain purposes.
and the object Of the appeal 10 the
Comptroller OF the Treasury is to OBJ
tain q ruling upon the authority of the
Commissioners to sign contracts under
that law.
The crisis of affairs presented Illus
trates In a striking manner the need OF
the enactment of the law proposed at
the last session of Congress. providing
for the appointment OF secretary of
the District of Columbia, with q salary
of 81, 900 year, and that he should be
empowered to oct in the place OF either
one OF the civil Commissioners in their
absence or at times when either OF them
should be indisposed.
The need of this law was emphasized
last year when the entire Board of Com
missioners was absent from duty for
few days at the Buffalo Exposition.
There was no one In authority either
to sign requisition or to perform any
of the many acts required daily by the
Commissioners. At that time the Dis
trict government did not suffer. because
everything was so effectually anticipat-
ed that no disturbing questions arose.
At the present time. however, the
government would be practically help
less. If. during the Illness of Mr.. Ross,
Commissioner Macfarland also should be
taken Ill.
One Emergency Provided For.
The law provides for the absence OF
the Engineer Commissioner. In permit
ting either OF his assistants to act in
his stead. For example. during the
seven weeks absence OF Colonel Biddle
in Europe. Capt. II. c. Newcomer and
Capt. Chester Harding. by turns have
been acting Engineer Commissioner.
But no such provision Is made for the
civil Commissioners, under the suppo-
sition that one of them at least would
be always on duty. Now. however. an
exigency has arisen which shows con-
clusively that the law ought to be chang
ed so as to provide for some official,
II not the proposed secretary. to become
temporarily acting Commissioner In the
absence or during the indisposition of
one or both of the civil Commissioners.