Evening star., 1905-11-06
REPORT OF EXAMINERS
Business Methods in District
Building Considered.
EXPLANATORY LETTER
MATTER FORMALLY BEFORE THE
COMMISSIONERS.
Committee Surprised at Display of
Antagonism to Suggestions
Betterment of Service.
EXPLANATORY LETTER

methods of the different branches of the
District government with view to their
| Improvement appointed by the Commission
| ers, on the motion of Commissioner Mac
farland, in August. 1903. submitted to the
Commissioners today its supplementary and
final report. Its first report was submitted
a year ago in a typewriter document OF
1J0 pages, setting forth in detail the busi-
ness methods of the fifty or more divisions
of the District service. after a years care
full study, together with their recommen-
dations for improvements where they
thought such recommendations necessary.
A number Of improvements were at once
adopted by the order of the Commission
ers, and some were recommended to Con-
gress and part provided. But as to other
recommendations there was dissent on the
part of the heads of the offices affected,
and the Commissioners submitted the rec
concentrations to the different boards and
bureaus for their comment. AS these com
ments were received they were referred by
the Commissioners to the committee which.
after careful consideration of them has
now reported upon them all.
Commissioners to Decide.
The Commissioners will take up this sup
Elemental report and consider 1t in con-
nection with the comments and decide
what shall be done in each case Some
orders and legislation by Congress. The
members of the committee are DR.. W. c.
woodward, health officer; j. R. Garrison
auoltor; Major r. d. Smms formerly su-
perintendent of property, with DR.. William
IinoaII, recorder. Major Simms was so in
terested in the subject that he gave his
time TO the completion of the report in the
month leave OF absence given him by the
commissioners after he submitted his res
lgnation when he was elected treasurer OF
the capital Traction Company and the ac-
tual work of the committee was practically
completed when his resignation finally took
elect @ october IL. although 1t has taken
some DAYS since to put the report in type-
Writing Major Simms visited the District
building today to affx his signature.
commissioner Macfarand said he appre-
GATED very much this extra service of Maj
Sinins, which was in the spirit shown by
all the members of the committee who had
worked many nights as well as on holt
Gays, ana overtime on every day, in order
10 perform this task in addition to their
regular duties The Importance of thair ev
ANIMATION and report, he thought, Justified
the personal sacrifices which they mad
made. ' u
Mr. Macfarland proposed the examina-
tlon as a fitting means of celebratins tho
tWenty-hfh year of the present FORM of
the district government, because there had
leter net'sa, oeen any such presentation of the
~aotuai ~ cohultlons or any general report OF
recommendations for Improvement He
spoke OF it as particularly gratifying first
tliat there was nothing found seriousIv de-
lective in the District goyernment,s b,,sI-
ness methods, and second that tbera 80
many improvements which might be made
TO modernze and unity them.
Explanatory Letter.
In submitting its report to the Coro,,,,s-
sioners the committee forwarded coinci-
oentaily an explanatory letter In the
course Of which it said.
Due weight has been given to the on,n
IONS expressed by the heads of the variou.
departments and offices respecting the sew
erai special recommendations of the COM
mlttee, and further Investigation haS haa,
| made of the questions Involved wbsroe'an
| Qufre 1t. ~ ie-
1t 1T has been a source of surprise to the
committee to find that the recommenda-
lions which 1t made in the first Instance
nave IN many cases apparently been con-
sldered and reported upon in spirit Of
ahlaSonlSm rather than of co-operation nv
the heads of the departments and of1ices
to which they relate. The sole purpose for
Whlch the committee was appointed and
the one end that 1t had in view was tba
betterment of the public service
Without Regard to Inconvenience.
Accordingly, the committees recon-
mendatfons were made without regard to
the temporary Inconvenience incident To
changes in existing methods or to possible
done in certain offices or in the force re-
quired for the performance thereof 1t
appeared to the committee, however from
observations made by it during the prog
ress of its inquiry, that the working force
in the service of the District government
was not distributed among the several de-
partments and offices equally in proportion
to the amount OF work devolving on such
departments and Offices.
THE recommendations of the committee
represented the opinions of the committee
formed after mature deliberation and after
full information as to the conditions ana
practices existing not merely in one depart
ment or Office Of the District government,
but in each and every department and Of
flee thereof. These recommendations nee
essarily suggested changes in prevailing
methods, and to that extent, of course,
were open to construction as criticisms OF
such methods. Amy recommendation for
Improvement in the service, however nsc-
essarily implies changes in existing meth
DDS. and any suggestion of such changes
necessarily indicates that such methods are
not recognized the best. ManifestIy.
therefore. no recommendation whatsoever er
could have been made by the committee
without carrying with 1t some implied critl-