Evening star., 1923-04-04
LLERQU|TSPOST
AS commissioner
Maj. +. S. Besson to Serve
Until New Appointment
Is Made.
HAS BIG JOB IN WEST
Engineer Is Praised for His Work
in District During
Short Regime.
HAS BIG JOB IN WEST

Col Charles Keller will leave the
Of the District. and with the consent
OF the chief of engineers. to accept
position with large water-power
development company in the west.
MAI. F. S. Besson. who has been an
assistant Engineer Commissioner for
four years. will take his place until
Gen. Lansing Beach. chief of en-
gineers. recommends his successor to
the President for appointment
Col Keller's announcement came as
distinct surprise both to officials at
the District building and to the COM
munity. For several hours this morn
Ing his office was crowded with heads
OF departments. who called to wish
him success in his undertaking.
Commissioners Rudolph and Oyster
both issued statements in which they
paid tribute to the character and abil-
ity OF the retiring engineer officer
and expressed regret at his departure.
In his statement announcing his
plans. Col. Keller did not disclose the
name OF the corporation with which
he affiliated himself. but Ii Is under
stood TO be an engineering firm that
Is developing a large water-power
project in California.
The trip which the colonel made to
the Pacific coast several weeks ago
Is said to have been a forerunner TO
his departure from the service of the
District
Expert on Electricity.
Col. Keller for years has been in
terested in electrical power For a
number of years, on behalf of the
War Department. he supervised the
operations OF the power companies
at Niagara Falls. Later he was the
representative OF the War Depart
ment in drafting. the federal power
act. under which water power devel-
opment on navigable rivers and In
the public domain was placed upon a
commercially practicable basis.
During the war before going to
France as deputy chief engineer Of
the A. L. F.. Col. Keller. then a
alarming and growing shortage Of
electrical power for manufacture of
war materials. suggested and organ
lied the power section of the war
industries board for the purpose of
controlling and conserving the avail
able supply of power and of putting
II to Its highest use. For this and
other services he was later awarded
the distinguished service medal.
II - interesting to note that the
published record of the form of or
ganization and activities of this
power section prepared by Col. Kel-
ler after his return from France has
been regarded worthy of perpetual
tion by the War Department in It's
peace-time work of keeping in close
terials and manufacturing capacity.
Regrets Leaving Post.
The colonel declared today that he
regretted deeply his departure from
the District government. He said
he found his three-fold duty as Com
missioner. public utilities chairman
and zoning head one of absorbing In
terest
Improvement of theaters following
the collapse Of the Knickerbocke er
and an enlargement of the personn ell
of the building inspection once are
probably the outstanding events of
Col. Keller's brief but active period Of
service here.
He came to the District govern
ment as successor to Col. Charles
Kutz. in October. 1921, only a few
months before the Knickerbocker dis
aster.
Nine grade schools and one high
school have been completed under his
regime and many others started.
In leaving Col. Keller took occasion
to congratulate the people of Wash
ington upon the we'll qualified and
efficient corps of employees they have
In the service of the municipalfty.
Many of these city workers, he said,
are regrettably underpaid. compar ed
similar work in other cities"
Rudolph Praises Skill.
The statement issued by Commis-
sioner Rudolph, chairman of the
board. follows:
Col. Keller's proposed retirement
(Continued on Pare 2 Column -