The Washington times., 1915-12-16
'BROWNLOW SEES
MORE EFFICIENCY.
CENTRAL BOARD
conGentration Of Power In Con-
o ~
n1issioners Aimed to EIimin-
lie All Politics, He Says.

The first detailed explanation OF the
desires of the Commissioners in ad-
-ocat!ng the concentration OF au-
thority in the Board of Commission
"rs to control and direct "all officers,
boards, and other ORGANIZATIONS
charged with the performance or
municipal duties" is available today
az result of Commissioner Brown
lows speech last evening before the
Washington Association Of Credit
Men.
The Commissioner spoke on Pros
pective Legislation for the District"
and analyzed the estimates recently
sent to Congress proposing, among
other things, that the Board of Edu-
cation. the Board Of Cherlties, and
similar branches of the District gov
eminent be put under the direct
supervision of the Commissioners.
Increased efficiency. said Commits
sioner Brownlow, would follow con-
centration Of authority in the Com
rlissioners. Congress is a legislative
body and cannot attend to admin
istrative details, the Commissioner
said. in discussing the existing ar
rangement.
No Thought of Politics.
Commissioner Brownlow said there
was no intention to inject politics into
the public school system or charities. or
any other District service, but the pro-
posed move. If authorized would elirri-
nate such politics as now exist in such
organiZatio tions.
The Commissioners believe. that all
officers, boards, or other organizations
charged with the performance of mu
ncipal duties should be subject to the
direction and control Of the executive
board of the District government, which
Is the Board of Commissioners In this
belief. we are sustained by the expert
cnce of other cities of the country, and,
indeed. by the general progress of gov
ernmental functions everywhere. Divi-
sion of power means waste of energy:
waste of energy means waste of money,
and l believe that every taxpayer and
every citizen wants to get as much for
his dollar as he possibly can in mu-
nicipal service, as well as in anything
Under the present system. the va
rious branches of the municipal govern
ment under the Commissioners are CO.
ordinated only in Congress, and Con-
sress has neither the time nor the de-
tailed Information sufficient to make
the theoretical co-ordinatior effective:
What we want is co-ordination. and If
anyone can sCggest any other body
cxercis, effectively this all-inportant
function we will be content to accept
mains that there ought to be, co-or-
dination and central control and what.
ever body that power is vested In VIII
be the real governing BODY Tf Ma,icS me c,ty;
body and csnnct in the very nature Of
things perform this function.
Take, for instance, the BCaId or
Education. 1t is composed Of nine mem-
hers appointed by the Judges of the Su-
premr Court Of the District Of Column
hia, hut is not responslbl, either to
the appointing power Or to any other
body. The expenditures for public edu-
eaton form the largest SinGl" item of
th., District budget The District Com
..e >ners pay out every cent OF the
~ y buy everything used in the
.houls from lead pencil to a new
i-r school building. pay the salaries
.' ;e teachers and janitors. and yet
...av" nothing whatever to say with re
a1.s, to the uses to which this money
gu lis property shall be put
!, only do the Commissioners be-
air-, hat economy and efficiency in the
r... system would be promoted by
cr Solldation of the general powers
,f 9. ecton in the Board of Commits
.,i.. J. but they also believe that there
is great waste Of energy. to say the
least. in the present system whereby
the Board of Education It itself the
executive head of the schools. We pro-
pose that the Board of Education shall
be abolished: that a director of educa-
tion. appointed bv the Commissioners
shall be the sole executive head OF the
school system, and that a Board Of Edu-
cation with advisory functions only. be
named bv the Commissioners.
81 do believe that 1t is highly desir-
able to have q Board of Education
composed of citizens, men and women
who have the interests of the schoCI
children of the community at heart
who will be able to keep in touch with
the various sections and elements oi
the city life. and who will he able tt
advise. with knowledge and WISDOM the
executive head OF the schools But
when that board Is charged with tAe
actual administrative work. there arise!
the possibility Of strife and dissensor
over administrative matters that gree t.
" lessons their capacity for disnterest
cd advice.
Critics In Error.
since the recommendations of th'
Commissioners concerning the Consoli
dation Of municipal functions have beer
made public, serious criticisms have
been heard in various quarters IN th'
District, based alpon an absolutel,
erroneous conception of what we arr
trying to do.
Let me saw. here and now and
sneak not only for myself but for m,
two colleagues on the board that ther
trntion of injecting politics into the ad
ninistration of the public schools O
the charities or of any OF the othe
functions now centralized hy 70