Evening star., 1940-07-07
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Power Of ".h. | tsa,,, ~ 49,. 10y ~. ~ ~ D;s
engineer trict Commissioner select
Officer ed from the Army is given
by law or custom too great power in the
plan OF local government, and the man
ner in which this power has been exer-
cised and asserted by some of the prede-
cessors of the present Engineer Com
missioner has at times provoked the
people to inquire why the Army should
be called upon at all to perform purely
municipal functions, for which military
training and experience do not furnish
the slightest preparation. It is not now
possible to divide the board into civil and
uncivil Commissioners, but the feeling is
still strong that without reference to
the individual who may fll the ONCE.
the Engineer Commissioner should, If
the Army is to continue to furnish one
of the board, be at least no more pow
erful than his civil colleagues.
THE Star expressed its view of the
matter editorially Just before Col Robert
succeeded Maj. Raymond. Influenced by
this opinion. 1t has seen with satisfaction
the lively interest which the Engineer
with the assent of his colleagues, in
matters outside of the engineering de-
partment. The public has had the bene-
fit of his diligent service and by breaking
down of his own accord the real or i'm
aginery barriers between the spheres of
the civd and military Commissioners, he
has opened up to his colleagues the
quality of privilege in the far more i'm
portant departments over which he has
been treated as having special control
and has rendered logical their request
that his assistants in this department be
made the assistants of the board
THE Star does not think 1t wise to
discourage action Of the Army Commits
sioner outside of what is properly called
the engineering department. 1t does not
believe that the act of 1874 gives any
binding indication of the duties of the
Engineer Commissioner, created by the
act of 1878, establishing the permanent
form of government. Under the make
shift act Of 1874 there was no Engineer
Commissioner and the office, whose du-
ties 1t is sought to transfer to the Engi-
neer Commissioner of 1875 was abol-
ished by that act and there is no indica-
ton in the act that the Engineer Com
missioner succeeds merely to the former
engineer assistants duties. In appor-
tioning functions among the Commis-
sioners engineering matters would natu-
fo11 To- pal1 - r.
act of 1873 proceeds on this assumption
by referring to him as Engineer Com
missioner and by giving him two assist
ants from the Engineer Corps to aid him
in the discharge of the special duties
imposed upon him by the provisions Of
this act
"The expression special duties must
have reference to the fact that the
duties of District Commissioner are when
assigned to member of the Engineering
Corps special in relation to his duties as
an Army officer. 1t cannot indicate that
the Engineer Commissioner has under
the provisions of the act special duties
which distinguish him from his COL
leagues, for there is no statement of such
duties in the act and there is abundant
evidence that he is on an equal footing
with them in respect to the general du-
ties Of Commissioners. Provision is
made for the Commissioner who shall
be an oflcer' as specifically as for the
two persons appointed from civil life
Any one of said three Commissioners
may be chosen president Of the board.
There is nothing anywhere in the act
to indicate that the Engineer Commits
sioner has less authority in the general
duties Of the board than either of his
colleagues. II he has special powers as
Engineer Commissioner they must be in
addition to those which he possesses as
one-third Of the board. The Star is op-
posed to a construction Of the law which
would turn over to him control Of by far
the most important District concerns.
"T1e Star hopes that the law will be
20 construed that all Of the Commission.
ers may be treated - precisely on the