Evening star., 1924-10-08
WOULD. KEEP CHECK
ON LOCAL HEADS
Commerce Chamber Op.
poses Big Increase in Pow
er for Commissioners.

Any great increase u the present
powers of the District Commissioners
was opposed by the board of directors
of the Washington Chamber of Com
inerce at stormy session last night,
when they considered the report Of
the organizations committee on law
and legislation i'll respect to the pro-
posed bill TO extend the powers of
the city heads.
A scathing attack was made upon
any attempt of "aggrandisement" in
respect to the Commissioners author
ity by Henry H. Classic and Chaplin
Brown, two members of the board of
directors. These two men were par
ticularly emphatic in regard to any
exercise Of power over the Board of
Education by the Commissioners, and
were supported in the report of the
law and Legislative committee which
was unanimously adopted after con-
siderable debate over each of its sec
tions.
The Chamber of Commerce in
adopting the report went on record
as unanimously opposing the sug-
ton contained in the proposed leg!s-
lation that the Commissioners be
given power to appoint the judges of
the Police, Municipal and Juvenile
Courts. the recorder of deeds and the
Board of Education. 1t approved the
Board of Charities.
Favor Court Appointment.
The chamber insisted that the ap-
pointees be given office by the Su-
preme Court of the District OF Co.
lumbia as heretofore.
Giving most attention In the re-
port on section l of the bill in regard
to the Commissioners power of ap-
pointment as it would be if the bill
became law, the report adopted by
the chamber went in to lengthy rea-
sons for its opposition to any such
power by the city heads. In respect
10 the Board of Education, the ham
ber in it's report declared "the trans
fer of such power of appointment to
the Commissioners would not tend to
promote the interests OF public edu-
cation in the District or insure the
maintenance of an Independent Board
of Educat ton Of the accepted Ameri-
can type" The report states: "As
pointed out by your committee on
public schools in its report on this
section of the proposed bill, public
education is not a subject for mu-
nicipal control, but is rightful ac-
tivity belonging to the State"
Declaring that it's feelings on the
matter were mot in any degree as a
reflection upon the character or ahil-
sioners. and that it was not a mat
ter of personality, the chamber,
through the adoption of the report
states that the people of the District
desire an autonomous school board
directly responsible to the legisla-
ture on the one hand and the people
on the other. They point out that
such would not be the case if the
board was placed in the hands of
1in nfG
wage battles for ordinary municipal
appropriations.
Cites Past Operation.
The chamber in the report cites
that the Commissioners appointed the
board up until 1906, when the results
of that mode of appointment to-
gether with other circumstances, led
Congress to take the powers from
the Commissioners and lodge it in the
members of the court" The present
system of appointment by the courts,
the chamber states, is calculated to
result in the creation of a represent
ative independent board, free from
special influence"
Embodied in the report before it
was adopted was request that in the
bill be inserted provision that the
board of education consist of three
members appointed by the District
supreme court at a salary of $500.
After lengthy discussion in which
Chaplin Brown and Henry II. Classic
spoke against the proposed change
and Charles w. Darr spoke for the
change. Mr.. Darr pointed that there
would be an efficient body of paid
servants under the suggested plan,
that would eliminate any buck pass
ing" and insure proper service on
the part of the board by reason of
their being paid public servants.
Both Mr.. Classic and Mr.. Chaplin Brown
were strenuous in their arguments
against this provision, which was
stricken from the report and not
adopted, they were also strongly
against any power being exercised
by the Commissioners over the board.
The discussion over the board con-
tinued for some time until James T.
Lloyd, vice president of the Chamber
of Commerce, and president of Board
of Education. who presided at the
meeting, explained that there was
the now fullest accord between the
Education.
Section 16 of the bill which would
give the Commissioners power to en-
force all municipal laws and regula-
tions by the imposition of a fine and
Imprisonment as they deem proper
after one week publication, was dis
approved.
Mr.. Classic scored this section bitter
ly, saying, IF we adopt this absurd