Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-08
NOT SUBJECT TO CABINET
Field Of Aspirants Limited by Pas
sage of Utilities Bill Law.
CANDIDATES ARE SUGGESTED
Array of Names Probably Will Be
Brought Before President for
the Two Places.

President Wilson's decision to refer Of
ficeseekerS to the heads Of the various
government departments probably will be
waived when the question of naming
Commissioners for the District of Colum-
bia comes up for consideration. The
heads of the local government are not
answerable to any member Of the
cabinet. so that II Is likely that the chief
executive personally will attend to the
problem of selecting the men who are to
govern the District.
The field of aspirants for the places
vacated when the terms of Commits
sioners Johnston and Rudolph expired
last January may be narrowed as a re-
suit of the passage of the public utilities
bill law. which requires, in addition to
other things. that no Commissioner shall
be interested, directly or indirectly, in
any public utility within the District or
elsewhere.
This law, it is conceded, may have a
far-reaching effect in prescribing she
serve as Commissioners of the District
of Columbia.
One of the objections raised to the pro-
posed nomination by President Taft OF
d. J. Callahan to succeed Gen. Johnston
as District Commissioner was that Mr..
Callahan was connected with a tranSpOr-
tation company. This was before the
law went into effect.
Bar Put Up by Law.
The law is sweeping, and will make in
eligible for a place on the board Of Com
miss1oners any person who is interested
even remotely and indirectly in public
utility outside the District.
The provision which thus establishes
new qualifications to be met by those
who would be paced at the head OF the
local government is as follows:
mo Commissioner shall be directly or
indirectly interested in any public utility
or in any stock, bond, mortgage, security
or contract OF any such public utility; and
IL any such Commissioner shall voluntarily
become so interested his ofiice shall ipso
facto become vacant; and IL any such
Commissioner shall become so interested
otherwise than voluntarily he shall, with
In reasonable time. divest himself OF
such interest. and II he falls SO to do his
oh1ce shall become vacant.
Before entering upon the duties of
his Office each Commissioner. the Sec
retary Of the commission, the counsel
of the commtSston and every employo
OF said commission shall take and
ONCE, and shall. In addition thereto,
make oath or affirmation before and
file wi III the clerk OF the Supreme
Court of the District OF Columbia that
he is not pecuniarily Interested. vo1un-
.
utility In the District of Columbia or
elsewhere.
Question to Come Up Shortly.
Following the failure of the Senate
to confirm the nominations by President
Taft OF Capt. James F. Oyster to sue
ceed Gen. Johnston and Cuno H.
Rudolph to succeed himself as Commis-
e;onor.s of the District of Columbia the
whole question Of the appointment of
officers to fill these vacancies is ex-
pected to be opened up shortly.
: President Wilson has in his cabinet
two men who are familiar with local
conditions. and he may consult them In
regard to the commissionership prob
lem. They are Postmaster General
Burleson and Secretary of Commerce
Redfield. The former was chairman or
the subcommittee Of the appropriation
committee of the House which report
ed out the District of Columbia applo-
nriat ton bill, while Mr.. Redfield se<ved
as member Of the House District COM
mittee.
II is expected that the frienls of the
various candidates will put forth active
efforts in their behalf. Capt. Oyster IS
believed to stand a good show of being
nominated. and the friends OF Commits
sioncr Rudolph are equally confident that
when President Wilson has considered the
record of this official, Mr.. Rudolph Will
be given another term as>Commissloner.
Both Capt Oyster and Commissioner
Rudolph are understood TO be receptive
randidates. The names Of w. Y. Cox, A.
Leftwich Sinclair, NJ. l. Weller, VINO was
chairman of the public comfort COM
mittee Of the inaugurauon; Cndr1eS w.
Darr. William NICK. Clayton and others
have been mentioned In connecaoii Win
the vacant commissionersnips.