Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-03
MUCH HANDLING OF PAPERS
Ten to Fifteen Days Consumed Be-
fore Action Is Taken.
TELLS OF HIS OWN SYSTEM
Laundry Work Unsatisfactory.
Would Have It Done in
Workhouse.

A. r. McGonegal. inspector Of plumb
ing. has made the feature Of his annual
report the request that old and cumber-
some methods OF chasing papers through
all the District departments before an
swering them be discontinued.
Under present arrangements every Com
missioner has to sign recommendation.
either for approval or disapproval- This
results in two weeks delay In every case
where the papers take the regular course.
Course of an Application.
The plumbing rules make II necessary
that iron piping be used. A man builds
a house in the country. somewhere.
hundred yards from the line of trees
along the walk, utterly avoiding all dan
ger of having the roots Of trees get into
the Joints Of q terra Gotta pipe; SO he
asks permission to lay that sort of pipe.
He makes his request by letter. 1t gees
to the office of DR.. Tindall, secretary to
the Commissioners. 1t Is put In q Jacket.
II is sent to Daniel E. Garges. chief clerk
OF the engineer department.
II il recorded and stamped and sent
of to Capt Markham. assistant engineer
commissioner. He probably sends It to
Mr.. McGonegal, who sends IT back 10
the captain.
Then back to Mr.. Garges' once and
thence to Dr. Tindali. thence to Com
missioner Judson and back to DR.. TIN
dali. then to Commissioner Johnston and
back again. to DIR. Tindall. and nnaiiy 20
Commissioner Rudolph. And after 1T
tie more pirouetting around among vari-
Gus clerks the man in the country re-
sumes his plumbing installation after
fortnights rest.
McGonegal Pleads for Promptness
Mr.. McGonegal has asked that this sort
OF thing be abolished. In these words:
THE best service in the District OF
Columbia should be extended to its citi-
zens who are called upon to do business
with II. I would recommend that meas
ures be taken TO centralize authority as
much as possible. and especially to expe-
dite papers requiring action Of several
officers in addition to the action Of the
Commissioners. to the end that certain
promptness will result. which Is not now
obtainable."
One-third OF all letters addressed TO
the engineer department at the District
building go to the inspector or plumbing.
The letters which can be answered direct
from the office are answered Immediately.
according to Mr.. McGonegal.
the inspectors ONCE Is explained In the
This ONCE has made every effort to
cut down as much as possible the clerf-
| cal work OF handling papers. making one
of the ONCE force responsible for some
| of the work and discouraging as far as
possible the writing of letters OF COM
plant and requests for exceptions to the
regulatinss. thus cutting down volumi-
nous repors and Endorsements In this Of
| nee and also in the Offices through which
the papers would have to pass
Work Of His Once.
The report covers q multitude Of de-
tails of the operations OF the department
1t shows that 1850 outdoor inspectors
were made by the field force: 400 by Mr.
McGonegA and his predecessor. H. B.
Davis: 1.Ts2 on District structures
schools, etc, and various other miscel-