The Washington times., 1903-08-01
Our Advice Taken.
The Commissioners Order to Overhaul
District Offices.

LIZ NOLLiIAAssIOheIS Order to Overhaul
District Offices.
In view of the fact that the Com
mlssioners have acted upon the adj
vice Of The Times and ordered an ex-
animation of every bureau under the
District government for the purpose,
as they express it, Of effecting I'm
provement either by action of the
Commissioners or by action of Con-
eress,' 1t would perhaps be ungra-
elous on our part to find fault with
them for not taking this action soon
er. To cut loose from old traditions
and abandon the well-worn ruts of
time; to turn on the light Of pub
lefty and illuminate the dark corners
INTO which abuses have crept 10 avoid
exposure; 10 disturb the pleasant
dreams of public servants grown gray
III the service, and to risk the friend
ships OF a lifetime in the perform
2nee Of a sworn duty-to do all this
requires, We presume, courage. Let
us admit, then, that the road
OF the Feformer Is anything but a
primrose path of daIliance," and
that 1t is mot given to everybody to
tread it. We should be, and are. as
a matter of feet. grateful, therefore.
and not disposed to be too censonous
because the Commissioners have an
nounced their determination at last
to turn, at our suggestion, into the
path of reform. We shall watch the
progress of their journey with IN
terest and await the outcome Of their
peregrinations with solicitude.
And now, while wishing Godspeed
tc our valiant Commissioners, and
leaving them TO make all necessary
preparations for their journey, we
cannot resist the temptation Of draw
ing attention to the singular silence
which one of our esteemed eontem-
poraries has maintained for SO many
weeks regarding this an-important
subject of reform Of the District gov
eminent. We have no desire to spec
ulate as to the reasons why the ''Star"
had nothing to say on this subject.
beyond venturing the suggestion that,
possibly, it was too busy looking for
another specimen in its collection of
"unseltish and warn-hearted philan-
thropists," TO pay attention to mat
tiers affecting the welfare of the Dis
trict. We simply content ourselves
with recording the fact that silence
reigned supreme, as might, indeed,
have been expected, perhaps, within
the precincts of whited sepulcher.
As early as June 10 last, soon after
the Watson defalcation became pub
lie, we pointed out that there was
something radically wrong with a sys-
TEN under which such a defaleation
was possible. mo business" we said
then, lis more urgent just now thar
this Of thoroughly overhauling the
system Of audit and account in use in
the District office" A few days later
-on June lin discussing what we
then thought, and still think, is one
Of the chief causes of all official sir
regularity secrecy mongering-
said, referring more particularly to
Auditor Petty's attempt to effect
settlement with Watson's people,
without informing his superiors of
his having taken such a step, that
such a thing was "wrong-wrong in
principle, wrong in morals, wrong
from any and every conceivable point |
OF view," and that it suggested the
existence of conditions which stood |
in need of reforming.
Again, on June %, referring 10 the
Board of Education requisition which |
called = Ids rever