Evening star., 1934-04-15
Commissioners Authority
Would Be Broadened in
Two Directions.
SIX BILLS APPROVED
BY UNANIMOUS VOTE
One Transfers Authority of Board
of Public Welfare-All Re-
quire House Action.

The authority of the District Com
missioners would be broadened in two
important directions if bills passed by
the Senate yesterday afternoon be-
come law. One transfers the powers
of the Board OF Public Welfare to the
city heads and the other gives them
the right to change the rates in the
recorder of deeds office as we'll as to
appoint the recorder and all Subordi-
nate employees.
Six District measures, in all, were
put through the Senate during the
afternoon by unanimous consent, at
the request of Chairman King of the
District Committee. The purposes of
the four others are:
To enable the Commissioners to
issue and enforce harbor regulations
to govern the entire water front of
the District.
Would Cut Storage Costs.
To shorten the periods of time the
property clerk of the Police Depart
ment must keep abandoned property
before disposing Of it, to reduce stor-
age costs.
To change the name of Four -and-a-
half street southwest to Fourth street.
To empower the Health Department
to permit the opening of graves and
reinterment of bodies under certain
conditions
All six bills, which were approved
after explanations by Senator King,
still require action by the House.
The bill relating to the Board Of
Public Welfare would leave that
agency in existence, but only as an
advisory board to study social and
welfare problems and report the re-
suits to the Commissioners. The
board could perform such other
duties, make such other recommended
tions and exercise such power and
authority as to subjects relating to
the public welfare of the District of
Columbia as the Commissioners may
direct"
King Explains Bill.
At the request of Senator Costigan,
Democrat of Colorado, for an ex-
planation of the bill, Senator King
read letter from the Commissioners
to the Senate Committee, stating that
the Board OF Public Welfare is at
present an independent body, having
supervision over the jail, workhouse,
reformatory and various welfare in
stitutions. The letter also stated that
employees of the Board of Public We'll
fare may be appointed by the Commits
sioners, upon the nomination of the
board, and may be discharged by the
Commissioners only upon the recon-
mendation of the board.
The Commissioners being response
BILE for the general welfare of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, their powers should
equal their responsibility" the letter
concluded.
Under the Senate bill, all employees
OF the Welfare Board. including the
director, would become employees of
the Commissioners for such time as
their services may be deemed neces-
sary. ." The employees could be
replaced without recommendation of
the Welfare Board.
Now Nominated by President.
Under existing law, the recorder of
deeds is nominated by the President
and confirmed by the Senate. The
recorder appoints the deputy record
ers, and he may fix the number of
other employees. with the approval of
the Attorney Generals office.
The Senate bill, first, gives the Com
missioners broad power, on and after
July l, to change from time to time
the rates charged for recording vari-
Gus legal instruments, with a view to
keeping the Office on a Self-sustaining
basis. 1t also provides that ION and
after said date the recorder of deeds
of the District of Columbia and all
employees in the Office of the recorder
shall be appointed by, and be under
the administrative control of the Com
missioners of the District of Column
bia,"
Appointment Recently Made.
The President recently appointed a
new recorder of deeds, William J.
Thompkins, colored, of Kansas City,
Mo, and the appointment was con-
firmed by the Senate few days ago
There is no definite term of service
for the Office of recorder.
Discussing the harbor regulation bill
yesterday, Corporation Counsel E.
Barrett Prettyman explained that one
of its objects is to enable the Com
missioners to make rules governing
the anchoring of yachts and other
small craft, in order to increase the
available anchorage space. These
rules would be somewhat in the ma
ture Of aquatic parking regulations