The Washington herald., 1906-11-21
Inspection Service in the District.


| Col Archibald Hopkins, the genial
and whole-souled clerk OF the Court Of
Claims, has challenged the perfect wisdom
! and benefcence of our valued contempo-
rary, the District government. There IS
much in what he says. as everybody
knows, but It will not do to follow too far
afield the reckless and impulsive leader
ship of these hot-headed Boston paladins.
We still think there may be something TO
say upon the other side.
What the colonel says is, in effect. that
the governmental machinery Of the Dis
triet is not as harmonious and precise in
its operations as it might be. BY way
of Illustration. he tells US about the In
spectors" Of this and that, with whom, by
the way. Washington is more abundantly
blest than it really deserves. You are put
ting in an elevator. for example. When
il is all ready TO begin-acCOTding TO the
contractors, at least-an inspector
comes around. Usually, he walks In with
his hat on, smoking a more or less balmy
cigar. and in various other ways giving
you the impression that he has not yet
made up his mind 10 let you live on any
however, after much endearment and gen
uflexion, so that he issues a royal permit.
cocks his hat afresh, lights another per-
fectO, and swaggers off to subdue and
browbeat some new unfortunate citizen
and taxpayer But even this Is not all.
Before your elevator fairly gets in motion.
another inspector bulges in. He be-
slows a disparaging glare on yourself and
your domestic arrangements generally,
and then informs you. de haut en- bas.
that the other fellows permit don't 60"
He intimates that the latter is a duffer OF
purest ray serene, and that you must do
all sorts of new stunts and expend all
sorts of much-needed money before your
elevator can turn another wheel Then he
stalks out, leaving you properly impressed
with your own miserable and helpless in
feTiOTity. And there you are.
Thus, Col. Archibald Hopkins; and We
haven't a doubt that every word he says
is true. There are others who have felt
the wrench Of tyranny. But has the
colonel ever considered the possibility
that these inspectors, like so many others
of our local rulers, may have good reason
for their bitterness? We have no means
of knowing, for example, whether the first
inspector has a horse and carriage. while
the second inspector is reduced to the vul-
gar eXpedient Of the street cars. Almost
everybody of any position in the District
government has a rattletrap Of some sort,
with a snorting horse and a ferocious col
ored person on the box. Shall We wonder
when the Inspector without a vehicle ex-
hibits animosity in respect of the inspec-
tor who has one, and incidentally insults
and hectOrs those who have previously
harbored his favored predecessor? This is
worthy of serious consideration. Perhaps
the second inspector has a grievance
which all right-minded men are under OBJ
legations 10 respect.
We do not question the statement of
Col Archibald Hopkins. Indeed, in our
opinion, it possesses all the engaging
qualities Of probability But shall we re-
fuse our sympathies 20 an inspector OF
anything who hasn't been furnished with
a horse and carriage? This Is where We
pause for reply.