Evening star., 1947-03-08
f. 5. Weaver, 0usted
BY Recorder, Backs
D. {. Rule Of Office

The House Appropriations Sub
committee proposal that the re-
corder OF deeds Office be placed un-
der control Of the District Commis-
sioners gained support today from
Frederick S. Weaver, who was "dis-
missed summarily" last August as
first deputy recorder.
Mr.. Weaver disclosed that the re-
cent subcommittee investigation of
the Office resulted from charges he
sent to Chairman Koran on Feb
ruary 3. He praised the subcom-
mittee's report that the Office "pre-
sents a fragrant example of inefi-
cheney"
Renewing some specific charges
not covered in the report, he also
took issue with First Deputy Re-
corder A.. Oliver Thornton and
others who, he said, interpreted the
report as clearing DR.. Marshall l..
Shepard, the present recorder, of
serious blame.
Notes FIB Probe.
| His Endorsement of the House sub
committees findings was qualified
by comment that the investiga-
ton apparently was only a "cursory
examination of fiscal matters"
He noted that the FBI made q
broader investigation last July. He
urged that the "unedited and unex-
purgated" reports of the FBI as well
as the House group be made public
because "the local citizens, bearing
the burden of maintaining the Re-
corder's Office in the luxury which
surrounds it, are entitled to all the
facts"
Mr.. Weaver described himself as
victim yof the pattAnage system
he acuseds Dr.. Shepard of practicing
to an unprecedented degree at the
Recorders Office.
He said he began as an unskilled
worker in the Office in 1885 and was
ousted without written or stated
cause by DR.. Shepard last August
26, less than month after DR..
Shepard gave him rating of excel
lent as first deputy.
Accusing DR.. Shepard of arbi-
trarily dismissing low-paid employees
to make room for personal ap-
pointees and to create high-paying
executive jobs, he asserted that rs
per cent Of the Office personnel was
discharged during the first two years
of DR.. Shepard's tenure.
First Scandal"
But, he declared, the Office should
be transferred to control of the Dis
trict Commissioners because "it be-
longs there" and not merely because
Of the mistakes" of DR.. Shepard or
the subcommittee disclosures of in
efficiency at this time.
"The Office should be transferred
even if it were being operated ef-
flciently,": he said. With but one
exception, Negroes have held this
Office with glory and honor since
1881. This is the first scandal to
come from the Recorder of Deeds
Office. The previous performance
OF other Recorders demonstrates
that the present mess is not charac-
teristic Of the Nego as an admins
TRAITOR.
IT more jobs of the rank of Re-
corder were open to Negroes in both
local and Federal governments,
Negroes throughout the country
would not today be oposing efforts
to transfer the Office to the Commits
sioners. They cannot be wholly
blamed for having this suspicion
because there is not a comparable
job, nor one closely akin, which any
Board Of Commissioners has ever
given to a Negro"
The Recorder of Deeds, in Mr..
Weaver's opinion, should be WASH
ington man.
Subcommittee Chairman Horan
announced earlier this week he has
asked Corporation Counsel Vernon
E. West to draft a bill for pro-
posed reorganization of the Office.
The recorder would be appointed by
the Commissioners, the personnel
would be under civil service, office
accounts would be subject to ex-
animation by the District auditor,
and the auto lien division would
be transferred to the District traffic
department.