Evening star., 1921-03-25
Col. PARKER TELLS
HOW TO RUN DC.
Board of Trade GreetS First
President at New
! Willard.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Meeting Takes Form Of a Recep-
ton to New Heads of the
& District.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT

. District Commissioners Rudolph and
Oyster, former presidents of the Board
of Trade. last night sat at the feet Oh
Col. Myron NJ. Parker. the first pres1-
dent of the Board of Trade, and also
a former District Commissioner. and
received a paternalistic lesson in how
to manage the municipal government
successfully. Several hundred other
members of the board were onlookers
in the small ballroom of the New
Willard Hotel.
Col. Parker, a republican. indorsed
the policy of a non-partisan admins
tration when he said that during his
service as Commissioner. during the
term of former President Cleveland.
he was told by Mr.. Cleveland to keep
republicans and democrats alike in
, office. rs long as they proved eff
cient- He sprang distinct surprise
when he entered a vigorous objection
to the establishment of suffrage in
the District, although he said it would
be desirable if the District could be
represented in both the Senate and
House by delegates to be appointed
by the President.
Commissioner Oyster unequivocally
Endorsed national representation for
the District along the lines proposed
by the citizens joint committee.
Commissioner Rudolph and Col John
Temple Graves were the other speak
ers.
Large Gathering.
The gathering of the board members
one of the largest in the history of
the organization-took the form of a
reception to the new civilian Commits
sioners. President Thomas Bradley
presided. The evening opened with a
business session. at which Odell S.
Smith. chairman. reported progress for
the public order committee in it's eff
forts to draw up practical bill for
presentation to Congress designed to
end gun-toting. For the committee on
bridges George w. Offutt, jr.. chair
man. presented resolution. which was
adopted. that Key bridge. now in
course of construction. be reserved ex-
clusively for vehicular and pedestrian
traffic. with Aqueduct bridge to be re-
tanned by the traction company now
using it. and maintained at the expense
of the company. A buffet luncheon
brought the program to close.
Commissioner Rudolph, in a brief
address. assured the board Of the de-
sire of the new Commissioners to eff
ciently serve the District He said
Capt. Oyster had been selected as the
orator of the District government. and
would do the bulk of the talking for
the Commissioners at public gatherings.
To this Commissioner Oyster en-
tered a demurrer. He produced a pre-
pared address which he said Commits
sioner Rudolph had given him as they
entered the room, with the request
that he read il. The Commissioner
then produced pair of tortoise rim
med spectacles, new acquisition
since he began his official career at
the municipal building, and proceeded
TO expound some of the principles
which he and his colleagues, he said,
would stand on and back up with
team play during their tenure; Of 6ffce.
Stresses School Needs.
The Commissioner stressed the Dis
frict's school needs and said every ef-
fort will be made at the special ses-
sion of Congress, beginning next
month. to obtain appropriations for a
comprehensive building program. He
asked the board members to regard
the municipal building as the city
home and to feel free to give the
Commissioners at all time helpful sug-
gestions and constructive criticisms
Projects for which l pressed as a
member of the board" said Commits
sioner Oyster. will not be forgotten
by me now in the hour of my offic' al
responsibility. No act Of the new
Commissioners will ever forfeit your
esteem. Our business is to make this
city a fitting symbol Of democracy"
Commissioners Rudolph and Oy.st er
were given a great reception as thew
entered the hall. The members Of the
board stood and cheered for several
minutes COmmi SSioner Rudolph was
escorted to the platform by George n
; Macdonald, while Commissioner Oys-