Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-27
HOW WORK IS DIVIDED
Daily Routine at the District
Building.
BUSINESS METHODS
EACH COMMISSIONER IN CHARGE
OF SPECIFIED BUREAUS.
But Act as a Board on All Matters
Of General Impor-
lance.
BUSINESS METHODS

District building. and from remarks heard
generally when the lively topic of District
affairs Is under discussion, 1t Is evident
that many people residing in the capital
city know nothing of the division Of duties
between the three District Commissioners.
The general public evidently has very
vague notions at best about the organiza-
ton and operation OF the District govern
ment, and on this point only those who are
employed in the District government or
who have great deal Of business with
1t seem to be well informed. The popular
idea seems to be that each Of the three
District Commissioners administers indis-
criminately any Of the departments of the
District government, or all Of them at once
or else that each department Is directly
administered by all three Commissioners.
1t needs only a little examination to show
that confusion, delay and ineffectiveness
would follow any such arrangement and
that the practice which has prevailed since
the beginning of the District government
is businesslike and promotes efficiency.
The commissioners. acting as board,
decide all questions of general policy and
prepare their estimates and reports to Con-
gress, but in every instance their action
Is taken upon the recommendation of the
Commissioner in charge of the particular
branch of the District government affected
agree with him. his recommendation Is
adopted; If not, 1t is defeated or deferred
for future consideration.
The Daily Routine
The immediate daily administration Of
the different departments is carried on by
the Commissioner under whose supervision
they come. Until he makes recommended
ton to his colleagues, as he must do to Sc
cure board action, which is required in all
important cases, or unless an appeal is
taken from his decision to the full board,
his colleagues have practically nothing to
do with his departments. Each of the
Commissioners is so engrossed by the press
ing business of his own departments, to-
gether with the large miscellaneous cor
respondence and the constant interruption
OF the numberleSs VISITORS and offlceseekers,
that he has no time to spare. The personal
relations between the Commissioners dur
been so agreeable that entire cooperation
prevailed, and that each member of the
board welcomed any suggestions this his
colleague might be able to make which
would be mutually helpful
All three Commissioners, of course, share
full responsibility for action taken by the
board, and, therefore. for all the general
acts of the District government while each
Of the departments Immediately under his
care and for any recommendations which
he may make respecting them. The heads
of those departments report to him, and
through him to the board of Commissioners.
AS rule, the assignment Of departments
to the different Commissioners, which is
always made by the full board Of Commits
sioners, Is changed every time new Com
missioner comes into Office. but for over
three years there has been no change in the
assignment Of duties, when Commissioner
mcfarland went into Office in May. 1900.
Division of Duties.
Capt Beach continued at the head Of the
the engineer department, while Commits
sioner Ross and the new Commissioner d.
vided the other departments between them
Commissioner Ross. who had been for years
in charge Of certain departments. desired
to retain them. especially those of the audi
tor, the collector, the assessor and board
of assistant assessors, the property clerk
the street cleaning and refuse department.
the corporation counsel and the Washington
Asylum. Besides these, Mr.. Ross took the
police department and minor services.
To Commissioner mcfarland was as
signed the board of education, the board Of
charities. the health department, the fire
department.. the electrical and lighting de-
partment, the excise board, the coroner
the harbormaster and minor offices. The
of insurance was added to his
LIST of January, 1902. AS president Of the
board, Mr. Macfarland was required to
perform all the duties not assigned to the
other Commissioners and especially to act
as spokesman as we'll as the presiding Of
ficer Of the board.
Take Up Work Of Predecessors.
When Commissioner Beach retired in No.
vember. 1901, Col. Biddle took over the
engineer department without change It
Is entirely possible that any of the divisions
of the engineer department might be as
signed to one of other Commissioners
or that any of Their departments might be
assigned to the engineer department From
time to time such changes have been made
but for the most part the Engineer Com
missioner has been at the head OF all the
divisions now called the engineer depart
ment. When Commissioner West came into
ONCE in October last ne succeeded to the
supervision of the departments which had
been assigned to Commissioner Ross, SO