Evening star., 1940-10-24

No Immediate Action
A. R. PiIkerton and
WiIding to Garry
On Temporarily
AS speculations were heard in Off.
cial quarters on the manner II
which the various posts held by
Maj. Daniel j. Donovan will be filled
the Commissioners indicated today
that no immediate action is contem.
plated
Arthur R. Pilkerton. 42-year-olc
principal assistant auditor, however
is to be officially designated acting
auditor-the post he has been fill
irag since Maj. Donovan's illness, anc
signature plates CT Ma. Donovan al
the Treasury will be replaced by
plates with Mr.. Pilkerton's signature
for District check payments. Will
liam Wilding. Mai Donovan's as
sistant budget officer. is performing
duties as budget adviser to the Com.
missioners.
While no official statement has
been given out, rumo-s that the po-
sitions OF auditor ana budget officer
held at the same time bv Maj Dono-
van. will be split up continued
at the District Building Reliable
quarters say, however. that since
splitting the jobs will require a
change in the salarv schedule car
ried in the budget final decision or
the matter may be delayed until
congressional action is taken on the
1912 budget.
Several Mentioned.
/ The rumors link the name OF
Byers M. Bachman, deputy assessor
and one time chief accountant OF
/ the Public Utilities Commission
with the position of auditor and
Capt. H. C. Whitehurst. now director
of highways, as a possible budget
/ officer.
Because of the feeling, however
that the budget officer should be a
man of executive as we'll as account
ing ability. some quarters considered
/ it a possibility that the city heads
might go outside the system for the
position.
If the two Offices are split up, ii
was considered likely the bulge,
officer would be made responsible
directly to the Commissioners.
According to reliable sources. the
principal difficulty will probably
develop over the question of salary
Maj. Donovan. because of the heavy
responsibilities which he carried
received a salary of $4,000 a year
a sum equal to the salary of the
Commissioners.
If the salary were split among
the two positions, or even if the
general agreement on the salaries
of two such positions amounted tc
a little more than that in aggre-
gate, the amount might be less than
that now being received by some
Of those mentioned as likely sue
cessors to the major, it was pointed
out.
/ Carried Third Position.
In addition to the positions oi
budget officer and auditor Maj
Donovan was also chairman of the
District Personnel Board. 1t was
thought this job would 60 to the
Budget officer if the positions were
split.
Mr.. Pilkerton the acting auditor
entered the District service in 1898
in the position of principal assistant
auditor. He is graduate of Strayer
/ College of Accountancy and holds
master OF laws and master of patent
law degrees from Georgetown Uni
versity.
Mr.. Wilding. who has been ad-
vising the Commissioners on budget
matters during Maj. Donovan's i'll
ness, entered District service ir
1915 as secretary in the electrical
department. He served in the Army
during the war and came back to
the District service from a job in
the State Department in 1923. He
has been Maj. Donovan's budget
assistant since then.
Mr.. Pilkerton lives at 4645 Alton
place NV, is married and has a
son, A. R. Pilkerton, jr. Mr.. Wild
ing, who is 40, lives in Hillandale,
Md. He is married and has three
children-one an adopted daughter
Public officials and citizens of
Washington in all walks of life
Joined today in expressing their
sorrow over the death of Mai
Donovan.
He was one of the ablest of Of
flcials I've encountered in my Is
years connection with the District
government" said Senator King of
Utah, chairman of the Senate Dis
trict Committee. II am very shocked
and distressed. The last time 1 saw
Maj. Donovan I warned him not to
work too hard"
Relied Upon by Congress.
Congress relied on his knowledge
of financial affairs more than on
any other Official On a number of
occasions expressed the hope that
he would be appointed a Commits
sioner. AS the District auditor.
however, he was tower of
strength"
Commissioner HaZen said:
81 have lost a very dear friend
man who has been associated closely
with me for a half century. The
District has lost a man who cannot
be replaced. He had the most won-
derful memory Of any one I have
ever known and had an exceedingly