Evening star., 1932-01-31
Right Shoulder, Arms!

resentative Simmons of Nebraska, Rep
resentative Cannon Of Missouri and
! the director of the Bureau of the
Budget. 1t may be accepted therefore,
as a sound plan, capable of increas-
| ing efficiency of administration at the
District Building. 1t is to be assumed
| thai the discharge of two loW-Salaried
employees, the reduction in salary OF the
municipal architect and the failure to
fill vacant subordinate positions in
order to create funds for the hire OF
new executives were considered from
the angles of both justice and neces-
sitv. The advantage of having perma-
nent officials in charge Of work that
should be planned far in advance, TO
| be gained through this reorganization,
| is obvious. Heretofore the District has
! suffered through the constant change
of Army officers, who, just rs they
became familiar with work in progress
and plans for the future, were ordered
away on new assignments.
The reorganization, however, and the
manner in which it was made effective,
serve TO emphasize the unique position
of the municipal government as a
Federal agency, pure and simple, to
which Congress has delegated some OF
it's administrative powers. That TINS
form of government can be efficient is
not open to question; that it can eliml-
nate much waste and needless expense
for which other municipalities pay IN
their taxes is granted.
! But from its very nature, and from
such processes as that manifested in
! the reorganization, it should be ap-
parent that here we have a municipal
government responsive to the VIII OF
| Congress and not to the will OF the
| taxpayers; representative Of the Con-
gress, which supervises its work, au-
! thorizes its expenditures, expresses It's
pleasure and it's displeasure over the
manner in which it carries out the
workout not representative of the
community that is governed. AS bu-
reau chiefs, the municipal officials are
anxious for all the money they can
spend-a characteristic common to bu-
reau chiefs in general. And the man
ner of their selection serves more and
more to place them in the category OF
bureau chiefs whose chief interest Is
to obtain from Congress the funds
that will enable them to 40 things
regardless of the source of such funds.
A few years ago Capt. H. c. White
hurst, then assigned to the District as
an Assistant Engineer Commissioner,
resigned from the Army to take ci-
william position, at much higher sal
airy, in the municipal governments
position he has filled with skill and
ability. Now Capt. Hugh P. Dram, an
other Assistant Engineer Commissioner,
an efficient and respected Army otflcer,
is to resign to take another clVlllah
position created by the reorganization,
and at a much higher salary than his
Army pay The District is hiring M.
Harold w. Baker, director Of the Rocn-
ester, N. Y, Department OF Public
Works, who will come here to super
wise construction of local public works,
including the Municipal Center, and
who will assume the important job OF
land buying Mr.. Baker has been
highly recommended for the job by
Mai. Carey H. Brown, U. S. A, re-
signed, now holding a civilian position
in Rochester. OF the four men to be
assigned to the new positions under the
new set-up, Sanitary Engineer GORDON
alone was selected from the Washing
tonians at the District Building.
over these four new positions there
will be the four Army officers assigned
to the Municipal Building as Engineer
| Commissioners. The most recent of
those so assigned is young lieutenant,
now serving on the West Coast. When
he comes here he will be assigned
either to the Zoning Commission or the
Co-ordinating Committee Of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, or placed over the man In
charge of buying land. Two other va
cancies among the Army officers soon
must be filled The appointeeS will
probably not be selected according to
rank or standing on the Army lists, rs
precedent has been well established
now for departure from that custom.
The Army officers selected will un-
doubtedIy represent somebody's personal
preference.
These, with the retired Army general
now a member of the Board of Com
missioners, the retired Army general
now chairman of the Public Utilities
Commission, the retired Army general
now the superintendent of police and
the two resigned Army officers now to
supervise other municipal agencies,
working in close cooperation with the
Army officer in charge of water supply
and the Army officer in charge OF
parks and park purchases, will In addi-
moSphere in the District, coordinate
work efficiently.
There is much to be said in favor of
autocracy as a form of government.
! It's chief disadvantage, in the District
of Columbia, is the misunderstanding
resulting from its confusion, in the
minds of strangers and new members
I Of Congress, with a democratic form
of government. There are, of course, a
number Of differences.
|
No headline writer, so far as known
has yet seemed able to combine the
words attack" "abject," apology"
"Abyssinia" and "Addis-A -Ababa" all into