Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-17
Many Would Be Chosen Dis
trict Commissioner.
FEW DECLINE THE HONOR
Men Who Do Business With District
Not Eligible.
RULES BAR MANY ASPIRANTS
Health Of{icer Woodward and Clar-
ence Wilson Are New Entries.
Moran's Friends See President.

There are many citizens Of the District
who would not object to serve the COM
munity as Commissioner. This is shown
by the frightening list of candidates to
fill the places to be vacated by VI. r. r.
Mcfarland and II. L. West. Compare
lively few are the declarations.
Many petitions are circulating for sig
natures In the interest of one or other
aspirant. Numerous letters have been
written to President Taft. Citizens as
socdations and other organizations at
their next meetings II is assured, will
indorse their preferences
Bar to Candidacy.
disqualification which may bar manv
business men who are candidates for
commissioner Is a provision OF law which
requires that no Commissioner shall he
personally interested in any contracts
Tor supplies or for work made by the
Commissioners for the District govern.
uent.
NNfzferous business men have beer
prominently mentioned as candidates
several are known to have contracts or
to be interested in contracts with the
District
In the law in which q board of public
works FOR the District Is created there is
a provision which says:
All contracts made by said board in
which any member Of said board shall
De personally interested. shall be void
ana no payment shall be made thereon
oy said District or any officers thereof"
When a temporary board of Commits
sloners was created by the act OF luna
~. 1874. an act Of Congress provided thar
these commissioners shall be subject to
the same restrictions as the board of
public works. These restrictions were
mace binding on the present board Of
commissioners by the law OF June II.
1878, providing for a permanent form of
government for the District
AIter providing for the appointment NJ
the board OF Commissioners, the act saws.
And who Uhe Commissioners. from
anu anu aIter July i. 1878, shall exercise all
the powers and authority now vested i'm
the temporary Commissioners of said
district except as hereinafter limited or
provided. and shall be subject to ali re-
strictions and limitations and duties
which are now imposed upon said (tem-
porary) Commissioners"
DR.. w. c. Woodward 10 Entered.
One Of the latest candidates is DIR. w.
{. woodward, District health officer. II.
is Doth a lawyer and q physician, ana
was born and bred in the District Of Co.
lumbia.
The name OF Clarence Wilson WAS aI.o
brought out today. He would be accent
aDIe TO the engineer department OF the
Dlst7ct government, II Is believed.
An influential advocate presented the
, u,aims or 4. Moran for one OF the COM
mlssionerehfps at the White House TODAY.
Many citizens Of the District are orraan
i.ins 70 work in Mr.. Morans interests.
II is reported.
Mr.. Moran IL forty-five wears ~ as.
native Of Limerick, Ireland. and cane ~
washington when he was six years OF
s ake. a poor boy. he Is now worth about
%yUO mostly in District properties
He Is q national director Of the Ancient
Order Of Hibernians and is also affiiiateS
With the Knights OF Columbus. the Fyks.
chamber OF Commerce and other assoc
cartons. He is said to stand well with the
committee has been formed renre-
senting the supporters OF A. f. L. Leckie.
~ 10 the purpose OF the committee to see
Tn tnat MS candidacy is properly presented
say. six organizations In the District have
inoorsed him for appointment to one of
the places to be vacated.
The name Of Cuno II. Rudolph former
president of the Washington Board of
Trade. Is still prominently mentioned for
one or the appointments. Many infiuen-
tiai men are interesting themselves in be-
The supporters of Hopewell H. OAR
nellie are also rallying to his support.
They say he would make a most accept.
able republican Commissioner
Many Washington democrats have start.
eo boom Tor Capt. James F. Oyster for
appointment as the democratic member OF
the board OF Commissioners. William v
Bank. is also looming I'D strong, his
friends say. for the democratic commits
sionership. and citizens Of East Washing
ton are booming NJ. /. Weller
Col. A z. Randle Too Busy.
Col. Arthur E. Randle. Endorsed as a
candidate by citizens associations in the
eastern section Of the District, today
made the following statement:
My friends have kindly put forward
my name for one of the vacant conmis-
sionerships. 1t was done without nv
knowledge or consent. Under no circum-
stances would 1 accept the appointment
as District Commissioner
MY two principal reasons would be:
FIRST: 1 have undertaken the largest
real estate developments ever started N
the District Of Columbia. which require
my entire time. as II is my ambition and
intention to make the United States
Realty Company the strongest financial
in Washington. i would not
accept any office or enter into any other
enterprise that would divert my purpose.
My motto is, Concentration is the back
bone of success
Second Everything In the line Of prog.
ress. expansion and advancement I'm the
District of Columbia comes under an
army ofhcer. under the present allotment
OF duties Of the Commissioners The
Commissioners selected from civil life are
simply the Commissioners OF the police
and fire departments and such other
duties that require discipline, which prop
erly should come under an army officer.
However. IL the Engineer Commission
ers were all like Maj. Judson this objec-
ton could not be raised. IL the District
Of Columbia form Of government is to be
with one-man government.
the President could not do better than
appoint Maj. Judson.
Commissioners Mcfarland and West
have made extraordinarily good Commits
sioners Their resignation regard as
to the District. Their clean. hon
orable and businesslike administration
will stand monument TO their good
sense and fair treatment OF the disfran-
chised citizens Of the District OF Column
bia.
1.-The present District government with
three Commissioners, such as We have.
Is the best government under the sun, but
with three narrow, contracted and auto
cratic Commissioners Il would be worse
than the autonomy offered Cuba by
Spain.
President Taft, the broadcast gagged
man ever in the White House, has no
doubt a policy to carry out In regard to
the District government Probably no
one will know what this Is until his mes.
sC m tn