Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-08
GREETED BY OLD FRIENDS
Army Officer Promoted While En-
Route to Capital.
UTILITIES BODY TO BE FORMED
Connections May Bar Johnston From
Serving on Commission Created
by Recent Act Of Congress.

Col. Chester Harding. designated by
the War Department to succeed Col. Will
liam v. Judson as Engineer Commission
er of the District of Columbia, arrived in
Washington from Panama this morning
and Immediately entered upon his duties
here.
The new District official served five
years as assistant engineer commissioner
Of the District, leaving in 1907 for the
Canal Zone. He was greeted this morn
ing by scores of District officials and em-
ployes who were associated with him dur
ing his previous assignment here.
One Of the first things Col. Harding
learned upon his arrival was that he had
been promoted. When he left Panama
where he took the oath of Office of En-
sfneer Commissioner, he was a major,
but in the meantime Congress confirmed
his nomination by the War Department to
be q lieutenant colonel.
Commission to Be Formed.
With the arrival of Col. Harding ar
rangements were completed to organize
the new public utilities commission in ac-
cordance with the law recently passed
by Congress.
missioner Rurolph will be sworn in as
members of the commission at 10 o'clock
Monday morning.
It was learned today that Commissioner
Johnston probably will not be a member
of this body. The law provides that no
Commissioner shall be eligible to men,
bership who is interested directly or in
directly in any public utility within the
<~l< ale 4 t.
that Commissioner Johnston is trustee of
a large estate outside the District which
IS interested financially in public util-
ity.
Corporation Counsel Thomas has been
asked to render an opinion as to whether
this fact would make the Commissioners
ineligible to serve on the new board.
The decision has not been made public
but 1t is understood that Mr.. Thomas
viii hold that Gen. Johnston is not ELI
stble to become member Of the COM
mission.
Cor Harding has been engaged in i'm
portant work In Panama, where he was
assistant division engineer in charge of
the Atlantic division In this CAPACITY
he was the rfght-hand man of Col. ST.
bert. one OF the members of the isthmian
canal commission.
Previous Work Here.
During his former service as an off,
cial Of the District of Columbia, Col.
Harding, as assistant engineer commits
eioner, was in charge of the subsurface
division of the engineer department.. He
served i've years as an assistant engineer
commissioner, relinquishing the Office in
the tall of 1905. Immediately thereafter
he vas transferred to duty at the wash
ington narra-ks, where he was instructor
of c.yil engineering in the engineer
school
AT the same time he was placed in
charge Of the construction of the new
Municipal building. Col. Harding left
for Panama August 3, 1907. too soon
20 sec the completion of this work.
Col Harding is married and has two
sons and daughter. Mrs. Harding and
his daughter are visiting relatives in
Massachusetts,, but will shortly come to
Washington to make their home. The
boys are in school at Phillips Exeter.
Confers With Gen. Bixby.
Col. Harding spent much Of the fore
noon at the War Department in con-
ference with Gen. Bixby. chief of en-
gineers, and his assistants. He re-
Bixby and said that In compliance with
telegraphic Instructions he had quail
fled as District Engineer Commissioner
February 2S, the day of his departure
from Colon for New York. While at
the War Department Col. Harding paid
his respects to Secretary Garrison. He
also received his commission as u
lieutenant colonel in the Corps Of En-
Sineers.