The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-31
Increasing the Membership Of
the P. u. G.
By BILL PRICE.

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The District Commissioners have approved uan proposed
BY Engineer Commissioner BELL to increase the Public
Utilities Commission by mebers-6ne 20 be laNver
and engineer The Engineer Commissioners and the two
civilian Commissioner Of the District would still retain mem
bershp the proposition should be enacted into law
The idea better than putting all the work Of the
Public Utilities Commission upon the three Commissioners Of
the District whose due city managers are ample enough
70 keep them busy without having bother with utilities
propositions
when commission entirely separate from the District Com
ssoners could be created by having three men 70 copose
the o. or Both the civilian Commissioners nave heretofore
expressed the view that the Public Utilities Commission should
be separate and distinct from the municipal governors Of the
District Their original idea the best one and the one
that Congress should adopt
There Is no reason why the District Commissioners should
retain membership the Public Utilities Commission There
are many good reasons why they should do So One main
reason that the three Commissioners of the District devote
their whole time to municipal administration THEY'VE rot
enough to do Public welfare will be benefited thew are
not tied up with other matters It not humanity possible for
these three men to serve the public properly as District Com
isoners and also Public Utilities Commissioners Il is
manifest thai to do all this must suffer through
Inability to give the necessary time.
Ihe Public Utilities Commission should be composed Of man
VINO have nothing else to do but to keep constant touch
W1tn public utilities problems constantly arising in this big
y which Is growing larger In population by leaps and
bounds Among their duties too should be those Of giving
respectful and conderate attention to letters and
complaints relative to service rendered by utilities corpor
lions
Tho District Commissioners with the exception Of the En-
eneer Commissioner political appontees Their terms Of
Office are three years It is often that two
serve together over ono term each Changes in national adj
manifestations mean that the party in power takes over the
Conisgonership jobs The Engineer Commissioner like ali
army Officers subject to orders sending him elsewhere He
may have accumulated much valuable information ON utilities
subjects and be IN position to most efficiently when
the CHIEF OF engineers Of the army decides to send him else
where
Colonel KUTz who Engineer Commissioner until Com
missioner BELL was named had the utilities questions Of the
s1ct 90 his fingers ends. he knew the game so wen that
ne could not be bufd diverted from his duty Just a. he
became most useful to Washington he was transferred els
where The experiences and information he gained 90 with
him.
The loser the city Of Washington particularly the whole
people OF washington Utilities questions are matters between
well organized corporations and the public The corporations
retain their efficient employees They seldom swap horses
Their trained from engineers presidents and able
counsel are familiar with their interests and do nothing but
represent those interests They wathfu and alert They
never sleep They never get the Of any natter
The Public Utilities Commission should be composed oY man
Just as well posted They become that ay except
through experience and steady application They should
know The past histories Of the local corporations fact
connected with them past present This not possible
under personnel which subject to political or other changes
30 the wise thing would be independent Commission
OF three menone possibly lawyer another an engineer
and the third JUST PLAIN CITIZEN WITH MUCH COM
MON SENSE all three Of them with plenty Of rugged honesty
these three appointed by the President for To-
begin with terms OF four and two years respectively there
would be assurance OF two Of the members being
thoroughly familiar at all times with every phase Of oca
utilities problems would be far better they could be
elected by the people, but until get suffrage they should
Of course be named by the President after consultation Viz
the people Of the District.