Evening star., 1941-06-20
Col. McCoach's S Work
For DistrictPraised
Al Farewell Dinner
Engineer Ex-Commissioner
Luuds Personnel in
Service Of City

Washington last night said fare
well to Dave and Annie McCoach."
In ceremonies in which dignity
and good humor were intermingled,
some 900 persons from District Of
ficials, members of Congress and
representative of the Army to pri-
vate capital and labor, paid tribute
TO the man who was the Districts
Engineer Commissioner from Sep
tember, 1888, to last month, and
his sllvery-haired wife.
Mrs. McCoach and I will ever
remember this night" Col. McCoach
told the applauding group IN the
Mayfiower Hotel. Being Engineer
Commissioner is the grandest as
signment any Army officer could
have"
One by one the men with whom
he worked stepped up to the micro
phone to pay him tribute. Senator
Overton, chairman of the Senate
subcommittee on District Appro-
priations, described the dinner as
deserving tribute to a deserving
man" Representative Randolph,
chairman of the House District
Committee, said the former Com
missioner had made an impress on
the people of the District and the
members of Congress who knew
him.
Young MOurns Loss.
"Washington owes more to the
corps of engineers than to the rest
of the Army combined" declared
Representative Mahon, chairman OF
the House subcommittee on District
Appropriations. He described the
guest of honor as IAN old COMMAND
with plenty "of savvy," which he
said was a real tribute in his State
of Texas.
"I was broken-hearted when he
left" declared Commissioner John
Russell Young. 1T wasn't just pc
cause he did all the work. don't
know of any association that mas
been more pleasant than mine with
Dave McCoach."
From the Army Engineer Corps
came Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Robins
to praise Col. McCoachs record
as an Army officer. John Locher,
president of the Central LABOR
Union, toasted his fairness and i'm
partiality in handling labor matters.
Harry N. Stull president OF the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
lauded his approachability. And
Charles H. Tompkins, private con-
tractor. told the colonels engineer
Ing abilities in the District.
Fleming Reviews Work.
Toastmaster Fred H, Smith ex-
planned at the outset that the testl-
monial dinner had resulted from
spontaneous desire to pay tribute
to Col. McCoach on the part OF
local citizens.
Designated as principal speaker
was Robert V. Fleming, District
banker, who reviewed the accom-
pllshnentS of the McCoach engineer
administration He spoke OF the
S18.OOO,000 P. w. A. program which
he pushed forward speedily to COM
pletion. New schools, sewers, addi-
tions to Gallinger Hospital, wing
of the Municipal Center, the new
Juvenile and Municipal Court build
ings have been added to the munich
pal plant. He mentioned Col. Nc
CoachS work on the Inaugural Com
mittee, how he obtained reduction
of interest in P. w. A. loans to
the District, thus saving the tax
payers thousands of dollars, and
many other accomplishments.
The engineer department, he de-
clared, has given the District ira
ditionally a clean, sound admins
tration.
I'VE we're indeed fortunate when
the President appointed Col. Nc
Coach" he said, because, in addi-
ton to his background of familiar
ity with Washington, he brought
with him a wealth of experience
gained from other important as
signments in his career as an officer
in the United States Army"
AS a tangible token of esteem,
Mr.. Fleming presented for the group
a set of fiat silver and silver goblets
to the McCoaches.
Throughout the tributes paid him,
Col McCoach drew on a cigar and
stared at the table while Mrs. Nc
Coach blushed each time her name
was included in the praise.
In his response, Col. McCoach
praised the personnel in the Dis
trict service as the equal or su-
perior to any like organization in the
country" Through the interest of
the citizens in their government,
he said, there need be no fear of
anything being put over in the Dis
trict by anybody.
He Urged that the same sIinncrt