Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-24
President Finds Appointment
White Elephant on His
Hands, He Indicates.
INCENSED AT ATTITUDE
OF MEMBERS OF HOUSE
Expects to Find Right Man for
Post Despite Handicap of Avail
able Mems Shyness to Accept.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Staff Correspondent Of The Star.
WHITE PINE CAMP, n. Y, July
24.-It is made apparent by President
Coolidge that he is thoroughly dis
pleased at the attitude of some mem.
bers of Congress toward those who
are intrusted with the administration
of the affairs of the government of
the District of Columbia. He is resent
full of the threatened continuance Of
attacks upon the District Commits
sioners. It begins to look as If the
vacancy on the Board of Commission
ers is something of a white elephant.
Whether or not there Is room for
any great amount of improvement in
the manner in which the affairs of
the District are being administered
President Coolidge has not intimated.
Several times since he has been con-
sidering the filling OF the place made
vacant by the resignation OF Commits
sioner Fenning, the President has in
timated that it is probable some i'm
provements might be in order as a
means of promoting the efficiency OF
the local administration, but nothing
has been mentioned specifically. 1t IS
very plain, however, that he would
much prefer seeing these reforms
brought about without interference on
the part of a few members OF
Congress.
Attacks Hurt Morale.
The President is known to be OF the
opinion that a continual attack upon
the service and personal conduct or
the members of the Board of Com
missioners will not bring about the
results desired. On the contrary, he
has given those about him the I'M
preston that he is convinced that
this continued pilloring Of the Com
missioners by Congress will be de-
cidedly harmful: that it will seriously
affect the morale of the employees
of the local government and will give
rise to a wrong feeling among many
of the more easily Influenced citizens
of the Capital. Moreover, President
Coolidge has found. since casting
about for the type of man he wants
to succeed Mr.. Fenning, that this
attitude on the part of some men,
bers of Congress and the threats on
the part Of others, that they are go
ing to renew their assault upon the
District Building. is serving seriously
to embarrass him.
More than ono man in Washing
ton, of the type being sought by Mr..
Coolidge for the commissionership,
has given this as a reason for not
wanting to be considered for the
place.
Six Reject Offer.
There is no way of knowing ac-
curately just how many men have
refused to be considered for the COM
missionership, but the writer has been
informed authoritatively that the
number has been sufficient greatly to
disturb the President At least half
a dozen indirect offers are understood
to have been turned down. Practically
all of these gave the same reason for
wanting TO be excused-that they did
not care to accept an office and then
become the target of members of
Congress.
This prevailing feeling and the fact
that he is especially anxious to secure
the services of a really big man for
the place-one thoroughly seasoned in
business and financial affairs and who
is at the same time a trained eXecu-
tive-are serving to make the Presi-
dents. task of choosing q successor to
Mr.. Fenning an extremely difficult
one.
The President himself admits this.
At his bi-weekly conference with
newspaper correspondents at the f.
ecutive Office here late yesterday
afternoon he made il very plain tnst
he had reached no decision in the
matter of a selection and intimated
that he has no idea just how long it
is going TO take him. He gave the
impression that he is giving the sub
ject an unusual amount OF study, and
at the moment he is a long way from
reaching a decision.
Expects to Get Right Man.
The ill-luck and the embarrassment
he has encountered since entering
upon this undertaking has not tended
to cause him to become discouraged
or to- lose hope. He said through his
spokesman that he expects to land
the sort of Commissioner he is looking
for, sooner or later. He is satisfied
that he could have done better had
he been back in Washington instead
of up here in the wilds of the Adiron-
dack Mountains.
L. was explained in this connection
bv the Presidents spokesman that
had the President been back at the
White House he could have carried
on his negotiations incident to max
ing a SGl0CliOtl III d LItOiC Sdt6AdSlOiy
manner; he could have personally In
terviewed those whom he considered
as possibly available. He would not
have been compelled to resort to cor.
resepondence and to second and thru
handed interviews with these pros
poets However, as a result or ms
being away from Washington. the
President has had to depend princi-
pally upon Attorney General Sargent
and one or two others to attend 10
this work for him.
The fact that the President is
showing no Encouragement, despite
the fact that this task is becoming
more perplexing each day, Is made
evident from the remark he made
through his spokesman to the enect
that he knows there are plenty or
GOOD men in Washington of the type
and caliber he is seeking, and that
he feels very sure he will eventually
land one of them.