Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-26
CONTRACTS HELD UP
ILLNESS OF COMMISSIONER ROSS
THE CAUSE.
The Approval and Signatures Of All
Members Of the Board
Required. ---

A serious situation of affairs has arisen
| with regard to the letting of District con-
tracts for the present fiscal year. This
situation has been brought about by the
serious Illness of Commissioner Ross and
the prospect that it will be quite while
before he Is able to return to work. "A
provision in the organic act creating the
government of the District provides that
contracts for all items involving more than
500 shall have the Unanimous" consent
Of the Commissioners and shall be signed
by them. 1t has been held heretofore that
all three Commissioners were thus required
to afix their signatures to the instruments
to make them binding. -.
1t has been the custom and necessity In
the past to complete the execution OF all
the principal District contracts during the
| month of July. Such a course will be inn
possible this year, and the Commissioners
are preparing to take the matter up Off
cially with the Treasury Department Off
GERS to see If there is not some way out of
the difficulty. Mr.. J. T. Petty, the District
auditor has already had an informal con-
ference with the controller of the treasury
concerning the matter. and the latter Off
cial, after reading the law over casually.
said 1t seemed TO require the signatures OF
all the Commissioners. He has not looked
into the matter very deeply, however, and
will not unless 1t is presented to him Off
cially.
Emphasizes Need. ID"
The serious and extended illness of Mr.
Ross at this time tends to emphasize the
need of the law which the Commissioners
asked Congress to adopt at the last session,
and which was favorably reported on by
the Senate committee of the District Of Co
lumbia The law provided for the appoint
ment Of secretary Of the District OF CO,
lumbia' at salary Of 5000 year, and
gave to him the power to act In the place
of either Of the two civilian Commissioners
Practically every action concerning the
District requires the consent OF a quorum
of the board. and sometimes unanimous
consent is required. Under these circum-
stances the District would be In an almost
helpless condition in the event OF both the
same time. If Mr.. Mcfarland should be-
come indisposed just now, for instance.
there would be no Commissioner on hand
except the Engineer Commissioner. ihere
is already provision of law which pro-
vides for emergencies and absences In the
engineer department. for either OF the two
assistants to the Engineer Commissioner
may act in his stead. There Is no one
however, designated to act for civilian
Commissioner, and hence the need or the
law as recommended by the Commissioners
Mr. Macfarland is at present directing the
affairs of all the departments OF the Dis
trict government supervised by Mr.. Ross.
The return Of Commissioner Biddle today
greatly relieves the situation as far as the
executive work Is concerned. Col. Blddfe
at once offered to take up the work of any
of Mr.. Ross departments, but Mr.. Macfar-
land having the matters well in hand now,
said he would continue to conduct them I'M
til the work became too heavy for him.
Questions Awaiting Decision.
There are a number of important ques-
lions awaiting the decision Of the Commits
sioners, and these will now be taken up by
Messrs Mcfarland and Biddle. One of
these ques tions is in regard to the Saturday
half holiday problem. The Commissioners
have not yet acted on the opinion of the
corporation council in which it Is held that
Saturday is a half holiday, according TO
the language of the amended code for all
purposes
Another question is in regard to the gas
lighting In the District. Counsel Duvall has
rendered an opinion, in which he holds that
the gas company Is not compelled to erect
and maintain new lamp posts at the ~
a year rate prescribed by Congress. He
says the District can do the work out OF
the general appropra ton. This opinion has
not been acted upon, either Col B1ddie
was present al the hearing before the ap-
propriations committee on the subject and
is we'll acquainted with the views of Con-
gress in regard to the matter.
Colonel Biddle will be present with Mr..
mcfarland al the second conference at the
treasury next Tuesday on the new District
bTildiDg