Evening star., 1935-11-07
AcquittaI Brings Proposal
to Take Administrative
Work Off Dram.
ALLEN TO MAKE STUDY
OF ALL CHARGES MADE
Commission Wants to Read Ten
Accusations of Green Not
Tried at Bar.

control over the Office of inspector of
buildings was heard today at the
District Building as one of several re-
actions from the acquittal of Building
Inspector John w. Oehmann OF
charges of misfeasance.
The nine charges tried before Com
missioner George E. Allen and H.
Winship Wheatley, president OF the
District Bar Association. involved Col.
Oehmann and not Capt. Dram.
Developments at the trial. however,
raised the question of the official rela-
tions between the director Of inspec-
ton and the inspector of buildings,
officials say.
Capt. Dram, as director OF inspec-
ton, has administrative authority over
the inspection of buildings, officials ex-
planned, but is on the pay roll OF the
inspector of buildings, which Col.
Oehmann must sign, due to the meth
ods employed in creating the position
of director Of inspection in 1892.
Talk in District Building corridors
today was to the effect the Commis-
sioners may give consideration to the
'kinks' in the present administrative
control, totally aside from the ques-
ton of other possible reorganization"
of the staff of the building inspection
division.
Commissioners Work on Budget.
Commissioners Melvin c. Hazen and
Dan l. Sultan today were at the
Budget Bureau on the 1887 estimates.
Commissioner George E. Allen was sick
at home with a cold, his Office said.
There were other angles of the case
left unsettled, aside from the admin
lstrative control problem, officials said.
When Allen returns to his desk, he
Is expected to ask for the complete file
on the charges preferred against Dis
trict officials by William I. Green,
engineer at Eastern High School. who
is an officer of local unit of the
International Union of Operating En-
gineers.
It was said he wishes to read the 10
charges which were not brought to
trial. Whether the other Commis-
sioners will do the same was not
known. There were expressions of
to any further trials" at the District
Building.
Col. Sultan said last night he would
take no action on any phase of the
case, and have no statement, until he
had opportunity to read the record
of the trial. He is expected to ap-
prove the findings of the two-man
court
Col. Sultan, however, is said to be
aware of complications resulting from
the division of authority between Col
Oehmann and Capt. Dram.
10 Of "a Charges in Writing.
Green is said to have preferred "a
charges in all. Nineteen of these are
said to have been in writing. Elwood
Seal, assistant corporation counsel,
who prosecuted the charges, together
with Chester H. Gray, another as
sistant corporation counsel, has taken
''full responsibility for drafting the
nine charges which were tried.
Seal said today he has not dropped
the other charges and that it was his
purpose to investigate the others. He
is withholding action, however, to
await possible further instructions
from the Commissioners after they act
on the trial report.
Green, on the stand at the last ses-
sion of the trial, refused to outline his
complaints in detail or to tell whom
he consulted at the District Building
in drafting them. He said his COM
plants were directed at Capt. Dram
as well as at Col Oehmann.
Seal, in the course of the trial,
declared he had not found that Capt.
Dram was to be held culpable in any
Of the complaints and therefore did
not involve him in the nine charges
that were prepared for trial
Would Restrict Duties.
The suggestion discussed at the Dis
trict Building today was that Capt.
Grams duties be restricted to his work
as executive officer of the District
zoning Commission, or at least to
work not affecting activities of the
building inspector.
There has been i'll will between the
two officials. the Commissioners have
been informed, since creation of Capt.
oIdlA POoltlOu ny al APPROPRIATION
procedure.
Capt. Dram came to District service
first as Assistant Engineer Commis-
sioner. In 1882 he was named director
of inspection and was ranked above the
building inspector, as a part of the
reorganization of the official engineer
staff. His salary for the time being
was made up by dropping of several
employees on Col. Oehmann's staff.
In the 1884 appropriation act there
was official provision for his salary
through statements of justification Of
positions submitted to the Budget Bu-
reau and District subcommittee Of
the House and Senate Appropriation
Committees, it is explained.
The 1884 budget justification state
lnent. the record shows, contained in
the list Of positions under the building
inspector, this line: Grade z, $500
to $500, average $1,000, chief en-
gineer director of inSpection). Capt.
Grams actual salary then was $500,
and is the same now. Col. Oehmann's
salary is $500.