Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-09
WOULD SUBSTITUTE
SINGLE EXECUTIVE
]. B. Reynolds Recommendations on
District Affairs.

single responsible executive. While in GER
tain respects the District has the govern
ment of a territory, it Is, in fact, large
city, and its administration should conform
to the methods adopted In other large cities
of this country. After careful consideration
of the subject and conference with many
citizens Of the District, and of other cities,
l recommend a serious consideration of the
substitution of a single chief executive for
the present Board of Commissioners. For
this official the title of governor has been
suggested. as he would be governor of the
District of Columbia as we'll as mayor of
the city of Washington, the duties of both
offices now devolving upon the three Dis
trict Commissioners. He should receive
compensation in proportion to the impor-
lance of the Office and the arduouS duties
which it would impose.
1 also recommend that eligibility for the
Office of governor be extended. OF the
present District Commissioners, two must
have been actual residents of the District
for three years next before their appoint
ment. and have during that period claimed
residence nowhere else" The third is de-
tailed from time to time from the Engineer
Corps Of the United States army by the
President of the United States. While resi-
dents of the District should naturally have
preference. l believe the President should
be free to consider the availability of sue
ceSsful and experienced mayors in other
cities of the country who might be espe-
cially qualified to become the chief execu-
tive officer of the national capital
II IS mink, generally recognized tnat
the best governed cities Of the world are
those Of Germany In that country the
mayors of the larger cities are selected
from the mayors of smaller cities who have
demonstrated their knowledge of municipal
affairs and their executive efficiency. The
present mayor of Berlin, for instance, served
very successfully as mayor Of two smaller
cities before he reached his present position.
zig had also distinguished records as mayors
in other cities. Those familiar with mu-
nicipal progress in our country are aware
Of the increasing number Of able municipal
executives who are being developed in our
large cities. Such executives, at the end of
one or two terms. have no further oppor-
tunity for public service in the line of their
successful experience. From them might
be chosen an executive worthy Of the high
honor of being the chief executive of the
national capital. therefore recommend
that eligibility be extended to include those
who have served not less than one term as
mayor in a city Of not less $4,000 inhabi-
tants.
Administration Of City Departments.
The present size Of the District of Co
lumbia Imposes large and important re-
spensibilities upon the different depart
ments Of its governpent and demands we'll
organized departments, with efficient ex-
ecutive heads. For this reason, and in ac-
cordance with the suggestion of single
chief executive, I therefore recommend the
establishment Of the following departments
under Independent commissioners, to be
appointed by the President upon nomina-
ton by the governor of the District Of CO.
lumbia: Department of health, department
of police and fire, department of street en-
cheering, department of charities, depart
ment Of corrections, department of build
ings and public works, department of hous-
ing and labor.
AS 1 have already presented to you a re-
port regarding the department Of educa-
ov,6 hat dan nv hoe BOO
Gently recognized by the Congress, I have
thought 1t not wise to make any recon-
mendations regarding it until the present
law has been more thoroughly tested, but
believe it should ultimately be brought
within the proposed scheme of reorganiza-
ton.
did not include the finance and law de-
partments in my plan Of reorganization
since my Investigations have related pri-
marily to problems Of social reform. But
1 should hope that consideration would be
given to the adoption Of the standard sys-
tenn of public accounting now employed in
creasingly in our cities. The purpose Of
this system is the simplif1cation of mu-
nicipal accounts so that they may be more
Ineligible to the public and may furnish
a basis for useful comparison between
cities.
The guiding purpose in the plan Of reor-
ganiZation that l suggest Is to define,
locate and centraliZe more exactly official
responsibility, and to extend the power of
the government of the District to better
protect the health of it's wage-earners and
remove existing inequalities of oppOrtu-
nifty. In the further presentation of this
plan i wish to comment briefly upon the
actual and proposed work OF the various
departments named above.
I. Department of Health
1t has been urged by many citizens that
this department, already rendering a val
liable service needs reorganization, in
creased efficiency and an enlargement OF
its force. The number of working sanitary
inspectors Undoubtedly should be in
creased and the scope of the department
extended.
II. Department Of Police and Fire.
The efficiency and good conduct of the
Washington police department in the per-
Torrance of regular patrol duty and the
excellence of its administration seem to me
to merit the high praise both have re-
ceived. Police administration however in
the large cities of the world has of late
years extended its responsibilities beyond
that of patrol service. The police force is
no longer a band of civil soldiers to catch
thieves and break up mobs. In the best
governed cities of Europe the criminal di-
vision of the police service Is a well-organ-
| lied detective bureau and is independent of
the patrol division. Other bureaus have
! been added to regulate crowds, transporta-
ton and tra1nc, TO license CABS, carriages,
express wagons, trucks, pushcarts, street
stands, shows, exhibitions, markets, etc.
Some of these bureaus are already needed
in Washington and would locate responsible
ity and promote efficiency and good order in
street service.
The need of a national police bureau of in
formation at Washington has already been
recognized by the CommiS- toner's and chief
of police. Its enlargement and extension
would be a most important service to the
whole country. Even to meet adequately
its present obligations of patrol service the
police force should be enlarged The Com
missioners have recommended to the Con-
gress an increase in the number of patrol
men. To meet their recommendation sup
ported by numerous petitions for better pro-
lection and to carry out the suggestions
that i proposed below, an addition of one
hundred to the force is needed.
/ suggest the establishment of the follow
| ing bureaus under the police department.:
Bureau of transportation-This bureau
| should enforce all ordinances in relation to
street traffic, licensing of cabs, carriages,
express wagons. trucks, pushcarts, street
stands and have care of lost articles II
should give particular attention to the en-
, forcement of ordinances regulating the use
of the public highway by carriages, trucks,
automobiles and bicycles. In the considera-
| ton OF this subject I have had the aid of
Mr.. William p. Emo. who rendered valuable
II tAA H. 4nfx telNs H. - "