Evening star., 1926-10-20
Chairman of Commissioners
Tells President He Seeks
Rest After Years of Work
in Washington Affairs.
STAYS IN OFFICE UNTIL
SUCCESSOR IS PICKED
Planned to Quit Year Ago, But
Remained Until Fight in Con-
gress Over Local Government
and Fenning Was Finally Clear
ed Up.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.

BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Cuno Fl. Rudolph, rounding out his
third term as District Commissioner
and now the chairman Of the Board
of Commissioners, has asked Presi-
dent Coolidge to relieve him of his
duties and to accept his resignation.
President Coolidge, after hearing
the Commissioner request today
and his wishes for wanting to be re-
!ieved, agreed to accept his resigna
ton, but asked the Commis ssioner. at
the same time, to Withhold formal
resignation indehnitely-at least. un-
til he has had an opportunity to CON
slider the question of a suitable sue
cessOr.
Mr.. Rudolph has worked hard all
his life, and the years he has given
as one of the civilian heads of the
local government have been especial
ly active ones, and he thinks the
time has arrived when he should rest,
and possibly play a little. His plans
for retirement have included trip
to Europe and other foreign lands
with Mrs. Rudolph, and when he was
discussing his resignation today he
admitted that he hopes to take the
trip in the immediate future.
The Commissioner wrote to Presi-
dent Coolidge two days ago intimating
his desires and requesting an appoint
ment with him when he could more
adequately explain his position. He
said today that he was especially
anxious to let the President know
that he had been contemplating re-
signing for nearly a year and that he
had postponed taking any action when
the District government and the
board of Commissioners were under
attack by several members of the
House.
Stayed Through Storm.
He told the President he very
quickly put out of his mind all
thoughts Of retiring when this con-
gressional assault was launched, and
even after Congress had adjourned
and his colleague. Frederick A. Fen
ming, resigned during the Summer he
decided to stand by his post, for the
time being.
President Coolidge was reminded by
Mr. Rudolph that when the congress
sional fire had subsided. and after
Commissioner Fenning had retired. he
could have taken that as an oppor-
tune moment to respond to his own
desires and resign. Although the
moment seemed to many as an ap-
propriate one for his contemplated
step, he personally deemed it his duty
to remain at his post. Changes with
the view to lettering the running nf
the local government were to be made
Besides this. he argued with himself
that such a step would be not only
disloyal but cowardly.
To have quit then would have
been disloyal, according to the way
Mr.. Rudolph viewed the situation. be
cause the Board of Commissioners
would have had two new civilian
Commissioners, which would have
been extremely unfortunate, because
the local administration was facing
period when q thorough knowledge
of District affairs and experience in
the affairs of the local government
were absolutely necessary. The Com
missioner added that he also argued
that the President was considerably
Inconvenience in selecting the caliber
Of man he wanted on the board to
succeed Mr. Fenning. and he person
ally did not wish to contribute to the
Presidents problem by having two
vacancies to fill.
Was Personally Assailed.
Furthermore, the Commissioner
said it would have been cowardly to
retire last Summer just because
the smoke of the fight on the
Commissioners at the Capitol had
cleared away, even for q temporary
period. He personally had been at
tackled. Insinuations had been made
in connection with contracts the
Rudolph G. West Hardware Co., in
which he is financially interested, had
with the sDistrict government. AS
pensions had been made during the
inquiry being conducted by the spe-
cial committee of the House. To have
resigned then would have been like
running to cover, he explained. He
had nothing to fear; his record was
clear and his service as Commission
er honorable to the last degree, he
stated. But to quit then might
very naturally have caused many
citizens of Washington who did not
know him SO well to think that
he was seeking this leans as the
easiest way OUT VI oil ugly
He argued further that those who
did not know him would have thought
that he was running because he was
guilty of something.
ITO run, then. would have been the
last thing l would have thought of
doing" Commissioner Rudolph said
with much emphasis while discussing
this part of his last year as Commits
sioner. Besides. what l considered
my duty. my appreciation of the post
to which the President had appointed
to me and to which 1 had subscribed
by oath, / was determined to stick
then and fight 1t out because my own
honor was at stake. My good name
had been besmirched. l owed it to
myself as we'll as TO my Office to re-
main.''
The fact that Commissioner Ru-
dolph has been entertaining a desire
for the past year or more to retire to
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