Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-17
FAvORS
S|NGLE-HEAD RULE
Continued from First Page

District government, Mr.. Reynolds pro-
| poses:
| after careful consideration of the sub
| ject and conference with many citizens of
the District and of other cities I recon-
| mend serious consideration of the SUB
| stitution 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 officers now devolvng upon the
three District Commissioners
/ II also recommend that eligibility for
! the office of governor be extended.
| While residents of the District should nat
| urally have preference / believe the
President should he free to consider the
| availability OF successful and experienced
! mayors in other cities of the country
| who might he especially qualified to be-
! come the chief executive officer of the
| National capital
/ Those familiar with municipal
/ progress IN our country are aware Of the
! increasing number of able municipal eX-
| ecutives who are being developed i'm our
| large cities. Such executives at the end
| OF one or two terms have no further op-
| portunity for public service in the line of
| their successful experience From them
might he chosen an executive worthy OF
the hlgh honor of being the chief execu-
| tive OF the National capital I therefore
| recommend that eligibility be extended to
include those who have served not less
! than one term mayor in a city of not
| less than 10000 inhabitants
Housing and Labor.
| AS to the proposed department of hous-
ing and labor, the Presidents special adj
visor reports:
The present government of tie District
contains no adequate means for the col
lection of information I'm relation to hous-
! ing and labor. The special supervision of
| their poorer quarters established in some
clt!eS and the bureaus of labor found in
most states are aSo lacking The office of
| ne commissioner of insurance might also
be organized into bureau and anpropri-
| ate!y included in this department.
To meet the above requirements T sug-
gest that the following bureaus be consti-
| tuted under this department.
| Bureau Of Statistics. - This bureau
should obtain and publish information on
such matters as child labor. women's
labor. pawnsilops, industrial Insurance
and other forms of industrial savings.
| hours and conditions of labor and other
matters relative to the condition and vel
| fare of Wage-earnerS. II should also col
lect and publish reports housing and
| allied problems of the District
| Bureau of Housing.-This bureau should
enforce the laws regarding tenements.
| small houses. alley shacks and alleys.
| The recent experience of the New York
| city tenement house department shows
! that the supervision of these houses by a
| special department defines responsibility
and brings better results than when a
general building department controls all
classes of private buildings.
Bureau of Labor.
Bureau of I.abor.-This bureau should
have the oversight of pawnShops loan
companies. employment agencies and the
enforcement of laws relating to factories
workshops and stores. Such a bureau is
greatly needed for the sake of all who re-
sort to the various agencies above named
and for all those. including women and
children. who should have the protection
of adequate factory laws.
'Pawnshops and loan companies a
necessity TO people of limited means but
the former, as we'll AS the latter ALWAYS
require careful inspection. I am told that
the loan companies as they exist at pres
ent. have been the undoing of many in the
public service at Washington.
THE adjustment of the supply and de-
mand of Ia Dor is of the highest impOr-
lance. The public machinery for this adj
Justmcnt is licensed employment agencies
which should have far more serious con-
sideration in this country than they re-
ceive at present A careful canvass Of the
employment agencies of the District of
Columbia last spring indicated that these
agencies are no better and probably no
| worse than those Of other cities but their
value is far below what it might be to
| their patrons. both employers and en-
ployes. They require more than mere
police inspection. and should have espe-
cially qualified supervision to prevent
abuses and to enlarge their utility.
THE growth of the National capital
and the increase of trade and manufac-
ture necessitate proper factory and shop
laws and definite responsibility for their
enforcement.
Bureau of InSurance-Tn place of
commissioner of insurance. with one or
two clerks. a fully organized bureau with
a chief and adequate staff is needed
Particular attention should be given to
the economic effects of industrial insur-
ance, while other means Of saving. such
as banking. insurance ard postal savings
should properly come under the attention
and inspection of the bureau.
ut will be noted that | have made no
detailed comment on the fire depa TT nent
beyond combining it with the police de-
paTtment. | have also made no comments
on other existing departments exceDt
where such comments were required as
basis for recommendations in my survey
have found several isolated Offices in the
District government. such as coal inspect
| or inspector of weights and measures and
sanitary inspector. These offices should
be Joined TO some appropriate depa tment
above named to whose commissioner they
should be responsible
| Happenings IN ALEXANDRIA