Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-10
TURMOIL SURVIVED
BY RETIRING HEADS
Dougherty and TaIiaferro
Leave Office With Record
of Progress.

Commissioners Proctor L. Dougherty
and Sidney r. Taliaferro retire from
public life today leaving behind them
In the archives Of the District Building
Q proud record of achievements and
fast fading memories of the turmoil
and disturbances that marked the early
days Of their administration.
It was fate, perhaps that brought
Dougherty and Taliaferro into office
to face q period that developed into
one Of the most disturbing in the
but they leave happy in the thought
stored and that their successors, Mai
Gen. Herbert B. Crosby and DR.. Luther
II. Reichelderfer, are taking over
smooth functioning machine.
Municipal Center Great Achievement.
The annual District budgets increased
materially during the regime of Dough-
erty and Taliaferro and marked i'm
provements were made in the highway
and street lighting systems, but in
retrospect, they look back upon the
gigantic municipal center Is the out
standing achievement Of the board Of
Commissioners during their administra-
ton.
Nearly one-half Of the four-square
site for the development already has
been acquired on the initial $1,000, 900
appropriation, and the 1891 appropFia-
ton bill, based on the budget framed
by the retiring Commissioners and En-
gineer Commissioner William B. Ladue
carries another 100000 to complete
purchase Of the area.
Commissioner Dougherty, whose in
tnYngt WyrQRVAAA RhiaAu Ia he
Police and Fire Departments, over which
he had administrative jurisdiction,
counts among his individual achieve
mentS the initiation of movements which
resulted in reorganization Of the Police
and Fire Department Trial Board and
the introduction Of Q system of COM
petitive examinations for promotion of
members Of the departments. Reorgan-
iSation of the trial boards had the Of.
feet Of tightening discipline. increasing
effectiveness and efficiency and improv-
ing the morale. The police Trial Board
alone dismissed 90 men from the force
during Dougherty's tenure.
Taliaferro Effected improvements.
Reorganization Of the corporation
counsel's ONCE which had long been adj
vocated In Congress, and reforms In
the system Of distribution Of tax bills
are numbered among the improvements
initiated by Commissioner Taliaferro.
He also was largely instrumental In
formulating the plea Of the Board Of
years for restoration Of the 60-40 prin.
ciple Of fiscal relations between the
District and Federal governments.
These matters were Of his particular
concern because he had administrative
Jurisdiction over the financial depart
nients Of the Municipal government
the tax assessors once, the tax collec-
tors once and the auditors once.
In addition the Board of Public We'll
fare and the corporation counsel's once
were under his supervision.
Dougherty took ONCE August &, 1925,
under q recess appointment as successor
to Frederick A. Fenning, who resigned
after a long and sensational attack on
him In Congress led by former Repre-
sentative Thomas L. Blanton Of Texas.
who also resigned. His term In once
was just four months shorter than that
OF Dougherty, He became Q Comnais.
sioner December 4, 1925.
Traffic Light Purchase Caused Row.
The uproar that preceded the passing
OF Fenning had hardly subsidized when
the spotlight Of public attention was
again focused on the District Building
as result Of an expose by the now de.
funct Gibson subcommittee Of the
House Of irregularities in the purchase
OF TRANCE signal lights. An investiga-
ton resulted in q shake up in the traf-
nc department and the appointment Of
William H. Harland as trafIlc director.
The Police Department was next to
come under congressional fire. Charges
were banded about that the conduct
of some policemen was not what It
should be. and that the department was
not making satisfactory progress In its
campaign to rid Washington Of aarib-
ling houses. Reorganization OF the
Police Trial Board followed.
Again the Police Department became
the target OF congressional criticism in
1929, which gave the Commissioners
grave concern. Out of this came the
Burlingane case and an attack on Ed
win b. HeSse, former superintendent of
police. As an unhappy aftermath to
1t all was the Mcpherson case, which
involved Inspector william 8. Shelby
and Lieut.. Edward ]. Kelly, two police
veterans.
All Of these disturbing conditions
were settled, however, and the last few
months Of the administration Of
Dougherty and Taliaferro were COM
paratively quiet. They 60 out Of once
confident that despite the turmoil Of
the last three years their administxa-
ton was one Of material progress.
a