The Washington times., 1915-12-16
'BROWN[OW SEES
MORE EFFICIENCY
IN CENTRAL BOARD
Concentration. Of Power In Con-
n,issloneTS Aimed to EIimin-
ate All Politics, He Says.

The frst detailed explanation OF the
desires OF the Commissioners In ad-
~ocatinE the concentration OF au-
thority in the Board of Commission
ars to control and direct "all officers,
boards, and other ORGANIZATIONS
charged with the performance OF
municipal duties" is available today
az a result of Commissioner Brown :
lows speech last evening before the
Washington Association of Credit
Men.
The Commissioner spoke on Pros
pectlve Legislation for the District"
and analysed the estimates recently
cent to Congress proposing, among
other things, that the Board of Edu-
cation, the Board Of Charities, and
similar branches of the District gov
ernmont 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
istratiye 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. II authorized would elirri-
nate such politics as now exist in such
organizations.
Commissioner Brownlow said. in part:
The Commissioners believe, that all
ontcers, boards, or other organizations
charged with the performance of mu.
nicipal 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
ence of other cities of the country, and
indeed, by the general progress of gov
ernmental functions everywhere. Dlvi-
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
else he buys.
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 coordination effective
What we want is coordination. and II
anyone can suggest any other bod!
than the Board of Commissioners tC
exercise effectively this ail-importan
function, we will be content to accept
such a suggestion. Put the fact re-
mains that there ought to be co-or
dination. and central control. and what
ever body that power Is vested In vii
be the real governing body NJ the city
Congress has done well by the NatioLa
Capital but Congress is a leEts!attv'
SS6y and Snn't tb,H IN f9cton fm9 T@Ty hS'fe
Take, for instance, the Beard n
Education. 1t is composed OF nine mem
bers appointed by the Judges of the Su
premc Court OF the District Of Colum
hia, but is not responsible either t
the appointing power or to any othe
body. The expenditures for public edu
cation form the largest Singl" Item o
the District budget The District Com
m,saioners pay out every cent OF IN
acbouls from a lead pencil to a new
uiCh school building, pay the salarie
of the teachers ard janitors. and ye
4iave nothing whatever to say with % re
gnect to the uses to which this none,
ana his property shall be put.
Not only do the Commissioners be
Iirtc that economy and efficiency in tn
gehoH system would be promoted b.
ecu u5olidation of the general power
OF direction in the Board of Commits
si0L-73, but they also believe that ther
is great waste Of energy, to say tn
least, in the present system whereof
executive head of the schools. We Pre-
pose that the Board of Education shal
be abolished; that a director of educa
ton, appointed, by the Commissionerl
school system, and that Board Of Edu
cation with advisory functions only, b
named bv the Commissioners.
.''I do believe that 1t is highly deSiI
able to have a Board of Educatio
composed of citizens, men and womeI
who have the interests of the schot
children of the community at hear
who will be able to keep in touch wit
the city life, and who will be able |
advise. with knowledge and wisdom, th
executive head of the schools. b.
when that board is charged with t.
actual administrative work, there arise
the possibility of .strife and dissensiu
over administrative matters that grec
" lessons their capacity for disinteTes
ed advice.
Critics In Error.
''Since the recommendations of tn
Commissioners concerning the consol
dation cf municipal functions have bee
made public, serious criticisms hay
been heard in various quarters In II
District, based NIpon an absolute
erroneous conception OF what we al
trying to do.
Let me say. here and now. and
sneak not only for myself but for n
two colleagues on the board. that the
has been no thought and there is no Il
tention OF injecting politics into the a.
ministration of the public schools
the charities or of any OF the 9th
functions now controlled by separate al
more less independent boards The oI
compensation that the people OF Was
ington have for their complete lack
a voice in thesr own government is Il
absence of petty municipal politics.
"It is to get rid of such politics
far as may be. 1t is to lessen the c
feet of such politics. that the Commit
sioners hope to see the administrati
and executive functions of the scho
system vested in one man. a director
education. Then all the responsible
being placed upon him. when anYthiI
goes wrong in the public schools. ever
body will know who is responsible. a
he will be made to paV the price. .
IL Is now. there is neither means I
discovering who is responsible for VIII
goes wrong. nor power to punish tho
responsible, even If their identity COT
be discovered.
Clever Feat.