Evening star., 1934-04-05
Senator Kings Bill.

A civilian Commissioner, meeting
the required residence qualifications,
would doubtless be more in touch with
and responsive to the sentiments of
the local community than an Army
oficer whose appointment as Engineer
Commissioner is merely another as
signment to temporary duty away
from troops. That is doubtless the
main thought behind Senator Kings
bill to substitute the appointment of
q civilian Commissioner for the prac-
tice of detailing Army officers to the
post from the Corps Of Engineers.
The effort would be to improve the
system, and is not to be construed as
criticism Of the performance of duty
by individual Army officers, past and
present. who have filled the post
Some Of these have left behind them
many warm friends In the COM
munity, which benefited by their as
alignment here.
There are technical duties associated
with the post of Engineer Commis-
sioner which, under the present ar
rangement, demand the professional
training of an engineer. But this very
point becomes a defect in the system
of appointing engineer officers Of the
Army for limited period Of duty here.
Many Of the engineering problems
in relation to city development are
continuing problems, and it has been
pointed out that no sooner does the
Engineer Commissioner become thor
oughly familiar with the various plans
and projects which he is to supervise
than he is transferred to another post,
and his successor must start from the
beginning of each problem. The duties
Of technical administration which fall
to the Engineer Commissioner could
be as we'll performed by creation of
the permanent post of city engineer.
In this connection Senator King be-
Neves the Presidents hands should
not be tied by the stipulation that one
Of the three Commissioners must be
an Army engineer. The Army Engi-
neer Commissioner is not confined
under the law to the handling Of en-
gineering problems, but shares jointly
with the civilian Commissioners power
and responsibility in deciding taxation
and appropriation problems, questions
affecting the community health, the
semi-legislative powers of enacting
certain municipal regulations and
semi judicial functions, as for example
in acting as a public utilities COM
mission. Three civilian Commission
ers. Senator King contends, would
bring the municipal government a
little closer to the citizens.
The suggestion of this change in
the law has been made frequently in
the past. Protest has been strongest
when some Army Engineer Commis-
sioner has found difficulty in ad-
justing himself to new relations with
civilian subordinates and with the
community of civilians whom he
served. And protest has died away
when some Army Engineer Commis-
sioner has practically thrown off
military methods of dealing with sub
ordinates and the local community
and has shown himself more sympa-
thetic with and considerate of the
people Of the unrepresented District
than some civilian Commissioners
themselves. Not long ago. when the
appointment of an Army officer to one
of the two civilian commissionerships
caused the board to pass obviously
under military control, the protest was
for time strong.
Discarding all consideration Of indi-
viduals in decision and weighing the
merits and dement's of the system
only, it would doubtless be in promo
ton of community welfare if the Pres
ident were not compelled to appoint
one Commissioner from the Army, but
had freedom to appoint all three
Commissioners from bona fide resi-
dents of the District, with unlimited
power of selection, subject only to the
absolutely essential local residence re-
euirement.