The Washington times., 1922-06-25
COURT TOJUDGE|
|. # PARTY HANDS,
out D. c. jobs
Discharged commissioner Of
Insurance VIII Fight Case
As Political Move.

The, District Supreme Court this
week is going to get chance to de.
eide lust how much politics--or
rather alleged politics--is going 20
interfere with positions under The
District government. "
The case comes up tomorrow, when
DIR. Lewis A. Griffith. discharged
Superintendent Of Insurance. seeks
an injunction ordering the District
Commissioners to restore him 70 his
former position. 80.
Every District official andy en-,
ploye is interested In the case. .It'4
not often District official is fired,
And It's most unusual to find the
fired official seeking recourse
The court may make some dsci.
sion as to what politics can or cannot
DO. But this Is doubtful, very doubt.
full. However, the courts at least
going to decide whether the comnnis'
si0ners have the power to discharge
subordinate officials.
Other Changes Few.
There has been q change In vir.
tually every District department
within the last few years. But ap-
parentiy none Of the changes w.re
political. Politics only seems 10 af.
feet the clerk. the stenographer or
the other low-saiaried employees.
OF late the District Commissioner
have been rewardins faithful and Of.
ficient employees. Politics have been
playing little, II any. part IN ap.
pointments OF officials.
Recently the chief OF police, Harry
L. Gessford, was retired. Rumors OF
pull. !" drag" and the like flew thick
and fast. There was talk that the
White House. Senators and Congress.
men were each pushing candidates.
But pull didn't seem to help much.
The Commissioners promoted Assist.
ant Superintendent Daniel Sullivan
to the post. =
Other important changes were:
Alonzo Tweedale. District Auditor.
resigned. Daniel J. Donovan, who
was secretary to the Board Of Com
missioners and who previously work.
ed In this office. was promoted to the
DR.. william C. woodward, Health
Officer. resigned: DIR. William c.
Fowler. Assistant Health Officer.
promoted 70 the post.
Ben L. Prince. Collectoy Of Tnxes,
resigned: Chatham Toweh, Deputy
Collector. promoted to the post.
Mrs. Clara M. Byar, secretary to
the Minimum Wage Board. resigned:
Miss Elizabeth Brandeis. assistant,
promoted. s=zlHE
Conrad H. .syme. District corpo.
ration Counsel. resigned; succeeded
by his assistant, Frank II. stephens.
Frank J. Wagner, Chief OF Fire
Department. retired. and succeeded
by George Watson, Fire Marshal.
Once Politics Ruled.
Not many years ago tho District
government was a regular hotbeti
for politics. But In recent years
politics has taken but snail part
in the work Of the District govern.
ment.
When Louis Browniow was Com.
missioner he prided himself on the
fact that in most Of the offices un.
der him promotions were made when
vacancies, occurred.
OF course, there IL politics In the
District government as in other Gov.
srnment branches, but not 90 much
as In the Federal Government de.
partments.
Whether DR.. Griffith's discharge
was due to politics is something for
the court to decide. The Commis.
sioners contend IL was not q political
move. They declare DR., Griffith has
had little experience IN insurance
and that his successor, burt A.
Miller. is q trained insurance man.
having spent twenty-five years in
the work. 2
w. Gwynn Gardiner IL DR.. Grif.
f!th's attorney. This makes the dis.
n,issal more interesting, for Gardiner
was responsible for the mans ap.
rointment. In fact, GarJ,nc: actual.
ly made the appointment, being DIS.
| tr.ct Commissioner q. the time.