Evening star., 1937-05-06
MRS, NORTON HITS
HUFF'S SELECTION
AS PRISONS HEAD
Hoped Post Would Be Filled
by Promotion From
Ranks, She Says.
NOMINEES ELIGIBILITY
NO LONGER is IN DOUBT
Lawyers Find Nothing Prevents
Him and Wife From Holding
D. c. Positions.


trict Committee today criticized the
Commissioners for appointing Ray l..
Huff general superintendent of penal
institutions instead of promoting some
one already in the service to fill the
vacancy created by the retirement of
Capt. M M. Barnard.
Il have always been in favor of
promotion in the ranks" said Mrs.
Norton. Ever since I became ac-
qua1nted with the operation of the
Lorton Reformatory, I have been i'm
pressed with the qualifications of Col.
w. L. Peak, the present superintend-
ent. I had hoped he would succeed
Capt. Barnard as general superin-
tendent of penal institutions.
Il believe in promotion in the ranks
only. of course. when the qualifications
are met. In the case of Col. Peak.
those qualifications were met. I had
sincerely hoped his ability and eff
cheney would be recognized"
Huff probably will take Office within
month. At present, he is in Mont
gomery. Ala, on business, but is ex-
pected to return to Washington by the
end of this week. District officials
anticipate he will ask for several
weeks time in which to close up his
activities with the Federal agency
District government lawyers mean
while, agreed informally there would
be no question of the legality of Dis
trlct government jobs being held both
by Huff and his wife, Mrs. Florence
HUH, under the terms of section 213
of the economy act of 1882.
The question was raised after Huff's
appointment when it was recalled that
Mrs. Huff has been serving as super
visor of the Pennsylvania avenue sta
tlon of the Public Assistance Division
OF the District Welfare Department.
District lawyers turned to the mar
riage clause" of the economy act and
Civil Service Commission rulings to
make certain there was no technical
violation of the law. They agreed
there was none.
District Service Does Not Apply.
They found the Civil Service Com
mission had ruled the District gov
ernment is not in the Federal or
classified (competitive) service, and
that section 2l3 does not apply to
appointment or reinstatement of
person in the District service. Further
more, they found that under the
executive order of 1890, which re-
quires that new District appointees
must be drawn from the eligible lists
nf tho civil Coruion hn
position of general superintendent
Of penal institutions was specifically
exempted, along with other depart
ment heads.
Huff has been supervisor of paroles
for the Federal Bureau of Prisons
for more than six years and during
the past three he has served also as
parole executive for the Federal
Parole Board
Huff's appointment was recon-
mended by the Board of Public We'll
fare. Under the District statutes,
this appointment is made by the Com
mtssioners, but on recommendation
by the Welfare Board. His entrance
salary will be $500.
There has been a contest Of two
years over the selection of Capt.
Barnards successor. Huff was chosen
by the Welfare Board in preference
to Col. Peak and Capt. Thomas M.
Rives, head of the District Jail.
Kirby Acting as Chief.
Paul L. Kirby, assistant director of
the Welfare Board, has been serving
as acting penal director since Barnard
went on leave about two months ago.
Huff came to Washington in 1881,
when he became associated with the
Bureau of Prisons, and he lived for
two years within the District, but
about four years ago he built home
at Belle Haven, Va, on the outskirts
Of Alexandria, where he now resides.
Huff, Al, is native of Pittsburgh
He attended public schools there and
then took bachelor of science and
master of arts degrees at the Uni
versity of Pittsburgh. As part of
the work for the masters degree he
served an interneship in the Western
State Penitentiary. at Pittsburgh.
He also took graduate studies at the
Alabama, Harvard and George Wash
1ngton Universities.
During the war he served overseas
with the 9Th Field Artillery with the
1st Division and was twice wounded.
He received the Order of the Purple
Heart. He is member of Lincoln
Post of the American Legion
After his war discharge Huff served
for some years as teacher of economics,
political science and as principal of a
Pittsburgh public school center for
physically and mentally defective chill
dren. From 1920 to 1928 he was an
instructor at the Southern Methodist
University, Dallas. After year there
he became director of the Bureau of
Correction for Pennsylvania. He came
to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in
1881.
At present, he is an instructor in
treatment of delinquency in the School
Of Social Work of Catholic Uni
versity, where he teaches one hour a
week. He served last year as chair
man OF the Washington Chapter of
the American Association of Social
Work. For the past two years he
has been chairman of the Corrections
Committee of the Washington Council
of Social Agencies.
Huff has been secretary of the
American Parole Association since
1888 He was recommended for the
District post by Sanford Bates former
director of the Federal Bureau of
Prisons, and by James v. Bennett,