The Washington times., 1904-12-26
NAMES THAT MEAN
some HING ELSE
Inappropriate Designation Of
District Offices.
CURIOUS INC0NGRUITIEs
Plan to Simplify and Organize the
Work and Titles OF District
Government.
CURIOUS INC0NGRUITIEs

Some strange anomalies present them
selves in the system of nomenclature
prevailing in the District government
To stranger coming in contact for
the first time with the different offices
under the coutrol of the three Commits
sicners, the discrepancies which have
been brought about in the gathering
years OF the District government are
particularly striking. 1t IS as if each
successive Congress had planned 70 add
its patch to The crazy quilt cf District
administrator.
While the machinery of affairs runs
smoothly. tie Inconsistencies II the
method Of RAINING the various cogs and
wheels of The machinery are none the
less remarkable. The original scheme of
administrative organization seems to
have been lost sight OF in later years.
and new divisions have been born and
ehristened with a cheerful disregard of
proportion or the appropriateness OF the
new designations,
Departments and clce9.
Departments make reports to off
ces-" Divisions IN which thousands ard
Millions or dollars of expenditures are
directed every year are legally desig-
T.sl.ei Offices while officials whose
chief expenditure IS for salary and pos
tage STAMPS ard whose scope cf admin
istrative work Is comparatively small
are placed al control CT divisions which
labor under the distinguished title of
departments
ASIDE iro-n this feature there is
growing tendency on tie Part CT some
Official heads n the District govern
trent to claim titles not accorded in
law. Moreover, these titles are being
generally recognized by custom ana
where the newly assumed cognouens
are not in accordance with the duties
of the Office or the general scheme OF
the organization in the District Build
ing, legislation may be necilcd to ef
feet 2 remedy
Legislation Needed.
Such legislation was recommended by
the investigating committee which
spent year or more examining the
methods Of District business. and made
its report last month. 1t was urged
by Dr. Woodward and his committee
that an effort be made TO procure leg
islation assigning to each Office and
department CT the District government
title indicS,t tive of the work of such
Office or department and OF the status
OF the Office IN the general scheme OF
iaunicipal organization - is under
stood that Inc Commissioners approve
this recommendation.
As an Illustration of the lack of ra-
uonal distinction between 'depart-
ments and Offices" ii is pointed out
tflat the superintendent CT insurance,
who was FIRST appointed two years ago.
llesldes over the y spartfnent Of In
sur3nce, winch annually receives and
eXPe1ds an appropriation of only $3.50
In contrast with this the engineer
commissioner himself controls the pub
lie works OF the District. costing an
luelly several million dollars and yet
as the Engineers Office. When it is
spoken q as the Engineer Department
II IS only so by courtesy.
me Mater Departn. ent Is directly I'M
Ger control OF the Engineers Once.
Only al "oHce"
There Is no such thing N the eye OF
tie law as the street cleaning depart
ment Superintendent stutler pres:des
over the Street Cleaning Office Appro-
pri2t:oBs are made for the Fire Depart
Iaent but not for the Police Department.
It5c-44rG s. ives-cr's o1ici1i tit.e Is Ma or
a.iG StlpeEi.2-e Ileieli- Of the Metropolitan
Police.
'rhe growing tendency of offices. to
gst--t : 1.C1,or unto themselves by Sec2nn-
ing EEoHn * -ae5artEnen.s'' is evil
ce4icea . i:ca the Office of Corporation
Ceun sei. 4s ii \ n1c3ed IN the appro-
1A-fae-taA b-ttfs oIJJAt-.l u d5 LIE La !.
IS=tI;, r.Ci,-I... - hs.s n certiv come int
custom i.le Exc c,.t1ye Office is now
r1ferTsd Ia as the Executive Depart
met
!, has been suggested as the possible
bi-S4; ot 2 TeCr ganiZariOn that all Givi-
slo1.7 T.f.lcl report directly to TIE Com
msssiSaers or ANY one q them he torn
ca .,'a,'-e}e:s-s ard al Sub Jrdilia te
disIzloEs l9hich Eoa!d taen report 4
heads II depart .n@ncs content them
selves WIKI The title Office
In the sane connection II Is noted thai
tie euiTs appropriation bill contains
fe-1c OF re tEne Mdcn the ;tdministTsi-
tinA Il cubic work "4s divided int
tar aSs's. tne record division. ths
surface division, and the subsurface divi.
s.p,..
The list two rave been abolished. bu,
The E.-cord d.T.si5a sin rensins a..C
to9Et. 81 with &c c-lief c,erk, Clerks and
E3eS'ti. GERS Eyat f.rGpor.y belong 70 tfle
Classification tie engineer Of highways.
ass St7l.f engineers. superintendent ~
stree :. sn3f"!Etc rdeHt Of parks SUPER
lat ffe,' ." s"wer-: ard irSrectO-S nj
streets, asphalt. gas. and meters. aLt
s,z"cls al s,l1 appropriated Tor undo;
ne ciaSslfi,-a1cn Of record division
ASS foT Coy of Booklet,
''Sc,.2e Facts About Wills Simply Told. "
pIe5c3fcd Sr.f-s BY Union Trust K Stor-
age Co. IN I 81 nv
"--------------