Evening star., 1928-12-10
.FENN|NG CHARGES
D. c. IS HAMSTRUNG
Congress Members FIayed by
Former Commissioner
After Silence.

Frederick A. Fenning, former presi-
dent of the Board of District CommiS-
sioners, a central figure in one of the
most sensational Investigations ever
held by committee of Congress into
the operations of the District govern
ment has broken his silence of almost
two years, and uttered scathing de-
nunciation of Congress and the system
Of coercion which he says virtually sets
up the national legislative body as the
board of management of the Capital.
Under his own signature in the New
York World appeared yesterday morn
ing an article of more than three col
umns in length in which Mr.. Fenning
goes deeply into conditions which he
claims are ''hamstringing" the District
government and destroying the conf
dence of the citizens of Washington in
that government as we'll as disrupting
the efficiency of the District employees.
He wieldS caustic pen, and spares no
group leveling his shafts of criticism
particularly at "a small subcommittee
which has been sitting for two years
and at the Bureau Of Efficiency.
Throughout the article runs thread
Of recommendations addressed to Pres
ident-elect Hoover that he may lead
the way to the establishment of a
strong and virile District government.
On the other hand he may determine
that the United States itself conduct oil
Of the affairs Of that portion of the
country which was set aside to house
the Nations workshop"
He ends his article with the state
ment that "a national need cries aloud
for the strength Of his leadership and
A~. ,r,s1l 81 III Lafn f,ao iNrN
With the conVening Of the new Con-
gress, the friends of home rule for the
District of Columbia are hopeful that
some measure for relief will be started
in their behalf Mr. Fenning says.
"Hodgepodge of Complaint"
"Mr Hoover has lived in Washington
for the past eight years. During much
of this time there have been congress
sional Investigations, public school
squabbles, appeals for the right to vote
and a general spirit of criticism OF
everything In the District Of Columbia.
including the courts. President Cool
idges contribution to the hodgepodge
Of complaint was to express regret that
under the law he was limited in the
appointment of civilian Commissioners
to bona fide residents of the District.
THE District of Columbia has OUT
grown the form of Government devised
so years ago. 1t needs form of local
or municipal government, with a single
executive head possessing and exercts-
Ing authority; or else It needs to be
taken over bodily and run by the gen.
eral Government.
Can Mr. Hoover throw OF the
shackles now binding the District Gov
ernment?
whether the new President can do
this or whether he cannot do 1t, the
fact Is that the issue Ii live one and
II must be met Furthermore, the
clamor for relief Is so insistent that
Mr.. Hoover viii find 1t necessary to
give. it attention soon after he enters
the White House. This clamor has
reached his ears. Evidence Of unrest,
of chickering's, of inefticiency, Of divided
authority and usurpation Of authority
are not far to seek.
Specific Instances Cited.
Mr.. Fenning then cites many specific
instances of what he calls the process
of "hamstringing" the District govern
ment. dealing with school site pur-
chases, the Police Department, the In
veStigations Of the Bureau +ef Eth
cheney and coercive attempts OF men,
bers Of Congress to force the Commits
sioners TO bow to their will In matters
OF administration.
who halnstrung the District govern
ment? The answer Is that this oper-
alton was performed and is being per-
formed by those exercising assumed
authority IN directing municipal admin.
istration. The principal Offenders are
members of Congress In their individual
capacities,
"The superintendent Of police Is ap-
pointed to run the Police Department.,
and the District Commissioners are ap-
pointed as the executive heads OF the
entire municipal establishment, but
members of Congress constitute an In.
definite number OF self-estahl1shed
courts Of appeal, AS matter OF TACT,
District Commissioners carries direct
and positive responsibility under nus
oath Of ofiice, but he has very little,
affairs of the District than the average
citizen Of the country at large. And
1t would be most fortunate, In this view
of the situation, II the Commissioners
might get the advice and suggestions
Of citizens of the land instead Of the
dictates of Congressmen. People who
live In Washington for any length OF
time come to q sincere appreciation OF
the fact that the average American ctti.
zen ranks higher morally, economically
and socially than the average congress-
man.
"New Hamstringing Method"
Tn very recent years new and ad.
ditionai method for hamstringing the
District government has been devised
hy come members Of Congress, This u
both sinister and subtle In aspect, for
while instigated and abetted by Con-
gressmen, It has the Senhlance OF dis.
interestedness. Under this method o
committee on one house will arrange
that the Bureau of Efheiency investi.
gate any one or more OF the municipal
activities,
Throughout the past year the Bureau
ofsEficiency has been cooperating WIN
small subcommittee OF the House OF
Representatives In investigating many
District agencies. The smokescreen ex.
cuse offered to the public as reason
for thus using the public funds Is that
the bureau will be able to make rec
concentrations which will lead to the
adoption of more buSineSslike methods
in the departments Of the District gov
ernment.
I'm investigating the Police Depart
4nent these so-called efficiency experts
proceeded with true bureaucratic zeal.
They spent great amount Of time, they
delved into records, they traversed the
District of Columbia with amateur
sleuthing vigilance, The Congressman
who had inspired the investigation had
taken care that the people Of Wash
ington--and particularly the voters In
their own congressional districts-be
fully advised of the important revela-
tions that were to be expected from
this far-reaching and exhaustive in
quiry. Came the day when the re-
port was filed. Eagerly 1t was examined
for evidences of naladministration and
for valuable up-to-date suggestions as
to how the Police Department should be
conducted. Well, the Bureau Of EN-.
cheney had been busy. 1t had investi-
mntal VAnartAd that thA