Evening star., 1927-04-08
BRIDE IS APPOINTED
NEW CORPORATION
COUNSEL FOR CITY
Stephens viii Step Down to
Subordinate Post After
July |.
REORGANIZATION IS SEEN
IN DISTRICT LAW BRANCH
New Head Is internationally
Known Attorney, With Wide
Experience Abroad.

William w. Bride, internationally
known lawyer. was appointed cor
poration counsel Of the District by
the Commissioners today to succeed
Francis II. Stephens who will be re-
duced to a subordinate position In the
corporation counsel's Office. The
change will become effective July 1.
The appointment of Mr.. Bride IL
was announced. presages a sweeping
reorganization of the corporation coun-
sells office. Already plans have basn
made to promote Ringgold Hart TO be
first assistant corporation counsel, to
succeed Robert l.. Williams. who will
be denoted. Other changes also are
contemplated. but the Commissioners
have not yet definitely completed
plans for the drastic shake-up.
Result of Attacks.
The reorganization was planned as
result of attacks on the corpora
tion counsel's office and Mr.. Stephens
in person in the last Congress. Com
missioner Sidney +. Taliaferro. who
has direct supervision over the COR
poration counsers office. also let 1t
be known that he has not been satis-
fed with the prosecution of the Dis
trict's condemnation cases. which
accumulated so rapidly that Mr.. Hart
was especially detailed to this work
in an effort to dispose OF them.
A direct outgrowth of the criticism
of the corporation counsels office in
Congress was the inclusion in the
District appropriation act for the
next fiscal year of an item of $500
for the salary of a corporation
counsel, an increase of $500 over
the present compensation of that
position. Inferentially. the Commis-
sioners interpreted this action of
Congress to mean that the removal
of Mr.. stephens was desired
The demotion of Mr.. stephens will
cost him a reduction in salary of
| $4,000 a year. AS corporation coun-
| sci he has been receiving $4,000 an
nually, and his new assignment viii
| pay him $4,000.
Statement by TaliaferrO.
A statement issued by Commissioned
/ Taliaferro concerning the appoints
ment OF Mr.. Bride said, in part:
| The business Of the District Of
| Columbia has increased very rapidly
| in the last few years. The Commits
sioners desire and intend to meet that
! development by such changes as may
/ be necessary to conduct the public
business in the most efficient and sat
/ isfactory manner. Congress has ap-
propriated in the appropriation act for
| the next fiscal year for a corporation
| counsel, who shall also be the general
! counsel for the Public Utilities Com
! mum, at salary of $1,000 per an
mum, which is recognition of the in
creasing responsibilities Of that 20.
sition
"Mr. Bride is an accomplished sue.
! cessful lawyer, who looks upon his ap-
! pointment as corporation counsel as
an opportunity for public service. His
| appointment is made now in order
| that he may have reasonable time to
close his law Office. which he intends
| to do. and also that he may, before
| assuming the duties of the office, to
some extent familiarize himself with
the work which he will take over. /
consider the District government ex-
| ceedlngly fortunate in being able to
announce the appointment Of Mr..
| Bride.
"Mr. Francis H. Stephens. who has
for many years performed faithful
and valuable service for the District
of Columbia. viii, / am glad to state,
continue upon the staff of that Office
Began as Law Clerk.
Mr.. Stephens has been corporation
counsel since December 80, 1919. En-.
tering the District service as a law
clerk in the corporation counsel's
Office July 1, 1903. he has been con-
nected with that Office ever since.
He had served only one year as a law
clerk when he was made the fourth
assistant corporation counsel, and on
May 26, 1905. he was advanced to the
third assistant The Commissioners
again promoted him to be first assist
ant February 1, 1907.
Since the adjournment of Congress
the Commissioners have been quietly
casting about for a new corporation
counsel, and Mr.. Taliaferro said that
he thought the District was fortunate
in obtaining the services Of such a
distinguished lawyer as Mr.. Bride.
The new corporation counsel will give
up his private practice and devote his
entire time to the District service.
Has Wide Practice.
Mr.. Bride has had a wide practice,
which began in Washington in Sep
tember, 1905, when he associated him.
self with Charles A. Douglas. The
first years of his professional career
were devoted TO work before the
courts of the District, the Court OF
Claims and the Supreme Court of the
United States. His practice was quite
anu nlI0 expert
ence in all classes of litigation. His
subsequent career has been an un-
usually varied one and gained for him
an international reputation. He spe-
cialized, however. in various phases
of international law
A native of the District, Mr.. Bride
now lives at Dawn Cottage, Edge
moor, Bethesda. Md. He was born
September 8. 1881, the son of Cotter
7. and Louise Henrietta Bride. After
his elementary education MIR. Bride
attended ST. Johns College in Wash
ington and was awarded an A. B.
degree in 1899, Subsequently he re-
ceived a degree of Ill. b. from
Georgetown University in 1904. He
also studied at George Washington
University and the University Of
Nebraska. In March. 1905, he married
Miss Lula Mae Fairbanks. The cou-
pie have four children. Mrs. Dorothy
Fairbanks Felix, Adelaide Witthaft
Bride, William Witthaft Bride and
Noel Crawford Bride.
Mr.. Brides first experience which
had an international aspect occurred
In 1908, when he was sent on a mis-
sion TO Honduras by clients for some
important negotiations with the gov
ernment there. In 1913 George Won
l.. Myer, then Secretary OF the Navy.
sent him upon special mission 70
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