The Washington times., 1903-07-13
IMBECILITY SHOWN
IN DISTRICT AFFAIRS
Carelessness and Neglect in Local Man
agement Not Surpassed in
Any City.
To the Editor Of The Washington Times:

To tire Editor Of The Washington Times:
The taxpayers Of the District are fully
alive to their obligation to The Times
for championing their interests against
such carelessness and neglect as have
not been surpassed in the municipal af-
fairs Of any other city Of the land. No
one charges corrupt management. but
Iobecility is painfully apparent
Since Mr.. West took hold. and began
to discover and make known the start
ling conditions which have so long been
hidden from the public. our citizens are
beginning to feel that abuses VIII se
corrected and the public interests pro-
teeted- 1t Is well understood that Colo-
mel Biddle has considered the Engineer
ing Department his special field ard
mat he has left the other branches II
the District government chiefly TO fha
civilian Commissioners.
There has been considerable criticism
OF the appointment Of newspaper men on
the District Commission. But Mr..
Vests energy suggests that all depends
upon the kind OF newspaper man Sc
lected
Il was not developed ia the sensa.
tional disclosures recently made regard
ing St Louis, Minneapolis. and Phila-
delphia that the total revenues for FIVE
years had been wholly unprotected bv
hondsmen or that no auditing had taken
place for years in the Offices OF the col
lectoT. the assessor. or OF the funds dis
bursed by the auditor himself.
fs very frre - -
awake from what seemed the "sIeep OF
death. so far as general District inter-
ests were concerned. long enough to be-
labor the Commissioners for declining
to appoint an officer who had been act
ing upon the accounts of a firm of con-
tractors for District supplies Of which
he was a member, and conducting its
business from his desk in the Auditors
office. Curiosity as TO this unexpected
and isolated outbreak will not be salts
fed until the Stars" exact interest IN
this case is discovered.
The discussion over the use Of penalty
envelopes by private citizens chosen by
Mr. Mcfarland to organize his Fourth OF
July celebration has some interesting
features. few days since il was an
nounced that the Law officer OF the Dis
trict argued that fictitious acquisitions
and fake vouchers by which school funds
of the District were illegally used was
not an ofTense against United States law.
although half the funds 50 used in de-
fianee Of Law was money OF the United
States. And upon this decision the stat
ute of limitations was allowed TO run
frnfn
United States law.
Now. Mr. Macfarland is insisting that
the District government is not only
equal with the United States in the rs.
Of Government franks, but that it has
some rights which the Government itself
does not possess or attempt to exercise.
namely. TO delegate the use OF the frank
20 private citizens. as in the case of tie
chairman of the finance committee So
liciting subscriptions, and some other
chairman distributing tickets to the
White House grounds under cover OF the
Government frank
1t Is reported by those who should
know. that Commissioner MacfarIand
called his first meetings and appointed
his committees on the Fourth Of July
celebration without notification to his
associates. and that in the earlier stages
OF organizing the necessary machinery
their only knowledge OF the project was
derived from the public press If Mr.
Maefarland is right about the penalty
envelopes. then his law officer will have
something to answer for, and vice versa.
CITIZEN.
Washington. D. c.. July II. 1903.