The Washington times., 1917-10-02
NEW DC. HEAD.
FULLOF PEP
TO TELL CITY
F. OF HIS VIEWS
By BILL PRICE.

W. Gwynn Gardiner. the newly Sc
lected Commissioner OF the District.
succeeding Major o. P. Newman. will
tell the people of the District his
views on three big problems and sew
eral lesser ones Immediately upon as
Stunning the oath Of office.
Mr.. Gardiner is not going to pussy
foot in his new position. He has
views. and he Is willing that the PEG
pie shall know exactly what they are;
know, too, at The very outset of his
administration. Those who know Mr..
Gardiner intimately will assure you,
also, that his views are decidedly in
teresting. simply because they will
be clear and explicit.
Mr.. Gardiner today did not think
1t would be proper to intimate now
what he Is going to say when he takes
the oath, but he told The Times that
he will say something. He believes
he will be confirmed by the Senate.
Until this confirmation occurs. he does
not think 1t will be wise to talk on
policies
Full Of Real Pep.
That the people may get a further
glimpse Of the newly named Commits
sioner, 1t might just as well be said
now that he has pep and energy
galore; that he will be on the Job 100
per cent OF the time; that his batting
average for District activities will
exceed that Of Ty Cobb in the American
League. In other words, there will
be something doing all the time, with
few dull moments. He has big and
aggressive ideas for the District and
unrelenting determination to see them
carried into effect.
Whether Mr.. Gardiner will become
president Of the Board OF Commits
sioners will not be determined until
the FIRST meeting Of the Commission
ers after he takes the oath OF office.
Commissioner Brownlow is now act
ing president and also chairman OF
the Public Utilities Commission In
some quarters friends OF Mr.. Gardiner
today assumed that the President
had named him successor to Major
Newman in every sense of the word
that meaning presidency of the board
and carrying with It preponderating
prestige and power. At the District
building the assumption IL that the
three members of the board will elect
the president, without any hint from
the White House as to who should be
executive head.
For Unexpired Term.
Mr.. GARDENERS nomination is for the
unexpired term Of Commissioner New
man. Major Newman was first named
July 10, 1918, his first three-yesr term
expiring last July. His second term
would have expired July Is, 1919. Mr..
Gardeners incumbency will be for
that length OF time.
Mr.. Gardiner was today continuing
his efforts to arrange his legal and
business affairs SO that he may take
the oath within a week or ten days
after his confirmation. He has some
important cases in the higher courts
that he may have to continue with
to the finish, concluding, them after
he becomes Commissioner. At con-
ferences with judicial and legal
friends today It was determined that
he can do this with propriety, and
should do II as a measure of justice
to his clients. Two OF these cases
are in the Supreme Court of the
United States.
Two of the three big questions
Mr.. Gardiner will announce his views
upon at the OUTSET VI MS hoHinibua-
ton will be suffrage for the District
and municipal ownership of public
utilities. AS to suffrage, the board
OF Commissioners, with Major New
man at the head, was not sympathetic
to a broad degree. At no time has
the board been willing to go be-
yond recommending the election OF
a delegate for the District. 1t has
not believed that conditions were
ripe for more than that for some
time, and that a delegate, elected d.
rectIy by the people, would be suf-
ficient to test out the question of
fuller suffrage for the District.
On mUicipal ownership the Board
was outspoken for taking over all
public utilities in the District and
operating them under municipal con