Evening star., 1929-01-03
MISUSE Of PUBLIC
AUTOS IN DISTRICT
CHARGED IN REPORT
Bureau of Efficiency Finds
City Cars and Trucks Do
ing Private D1ty.
AUTOMOBILE BOARD
SHARPLY CRITICIZED
Creation of New officer to Control
Purchases and Use of Ma
chimes Suggested.

Alleged misuse of public-owned ve-
hicles by officials and employees of the
District government is vigorously con-
demned by the Federal Bureau of Eff
ficicncy in a report made public today
by Representative Gibson of Vermont,
chairman of the subcommittee of the
House District COMMITTEES.
The report also criticizes rather
sharply the automobile board of the
District, organized last year, which. de-
spite its broad stated powers, the bu-
reau declared, exercises little real CON-
troll over acquisition of motor vehiclas
for the city and no control whatever
over their use or there servicing."
New Office Urged.
Creation of a new municipal officer
to be designated as controller of motor
transportation is recommended by tE3
bureau. The controller would not re-
place the automobile board which wou'i
continue to function for the purpose Il
reviewing specifications for the purcha'i
of motor vehicles and recommendin;
purchase awards, but he would aSSum;
general authority over the acquisition
use and servicing of all types Of motor
vehicles owned and operated by the
District government.
1.-The automobile board has no au-
thority to study usage and eliminate
needless automobile travel or trucking"
said the report 1T cannot stamp cut
use of city-owned passenger cars for
Orfa
Office and home. to ball games, to Rock
Creek Park, and even out-of-city
resorts.
Private Use Common.
"It is roughly computed that several
of the District-owned passenger cars
are driven from one-fourth to two
thirds of their total annual mileage In
carrying officers or employees from home
to office and back at night and other
personal uses. City-owned cars may be
seen taking the whole family downtown
in the morning or to church or on a
Sunday ride.
1--WE have evidence In our possession
to show that city owned trucks are used
for transporting heavy materials for
private use, in some cases using Gov
ernment time of the driver. The onlT
existing control of such misuse of Gov
ernment property lies in the depart
ments where officers are often too busy.
too Indifferent, or too personally coll
cerned to. exercise such control"
Examples Are Cited.
Several examples of the automobile
boards failure to exercise control over
the acquisition and servicing of motor
vehicles are cited in the report. One OF
the outstanding citations is that two
men, one a blacksmith and the other
truck driver, are kept by the Water
Department exclusively on motor vehicle
repairs, although neither OF them Is an
automobile mechanic. Not only are adj
justments and minor repairs undertaken
by these men, the report declared, but
at times major overhauling jobs as Wen.
Other examples used in the repori
follow:
1.-THE purchase of new Mack trucks
under the guise Of repairs and withoui
competition for the city refuse division
and the attempt to do the same for the
Sewer department. The transactions
were approved by the automobile board.
'2-ContinuouS purchases of small
cars for passenger use from appropria-
tions made for non-passenger-carrying
vehicles. these cars being camouf1aged
by so-called 'slip-on bodies of about
equal capacity with that Of a small
touring car tonneau.
'3. A recent attempt, stopped by
order of the director of public welfare
at the suggestion of the bureau, to build
up Cadillac roadster from an engine
and other parts received as surplus and
a secondhand frame and body which
had been purchased In this case a
small light car was all that was needed
and the attempt to build up heavy
high power car would have resulted in
needless expense both in the building
up process and in operation. The auto
mobile board knew nothing of this
transaction, which would have nullif1ed
the supposed control of acquisition Of
passenger cars from the contingent
fund Obviously it is not legal to build
up an additional car with funds allotted
for repairs to motor vehicles"
Qualifications Outlined.
The report was written by A. G..
Thomas and is based on the result CT
an exhaustive investigation made of the
Districts motor transportation activities.
Aside from recommending the creation
of the Office of controller of motor
transportation. which the report said
should be sought in the appropriation
act, it outlined the qualifications of such
an officer as well as his duties.
The controller of motor Transports
ton, the report declared, should be ap-
pointed by the Commissioners and
should be responsible to them through
the Engineer Commissioner He should
be an expert, IL said, in all that pertains
to the acquisition. use and Serviciug Of
motor vehicles, and in addition to as
Stunning general authority over the ac-
QUESTION. use and servicing of all types
of motor vehicles owned and operated
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