Evening star., 1951-03-13
Donohue Given
Supervision Of
Liquor Board
Will Be Acting Head
Of Commissioners
When Young Is Absen'

The Board of Commissioners
reorganized itself today to fit in its
newest member, F. Joseph Dono-
hue.
Commissioner John Russell
Young was reelected president of
the board, a post he has held since
1941, and Mr.. Donohue was named
to act as president when Mr..
Young is absent.
Guy Mason. whom Mr.. Donohue
succeeded yesterday, formerly had
acted as president in Mr.. Young's
absence.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon
r. Young is the third member of
the board.
G. Adolph Turner, special as
sistant to Mr.. Young, announced
today'S action and said the city
heads had decided for the present
not to change the practice of di-
viding among themselves super
visory assignments of District de-
partments.
Assigned 16 Departments.
" Mr.. Donohue thus inherits su-
pervision of the 16 departments
formerly assigned to Mr.. Mason.
These are the Alcoholic Bever-
age Control Board, Board of Pa
role, Board of Public Welfare,
Boxing Commission, coroner, pur-
chasing Office Examining Board,
poundmaster, insurance depart
ment, Health Department, Mini
mum Wage and Industrial Safety
Board, public library, public
schools. recreation department,
rent administrator and Depart
ment of Corrections.
The organization chart notes
that supervision of the Minimum
Wage Board, the library, the
schools and the Recreation De-
partment is concerned with
budget and expenditure only.
Represented Liquor Interests.
Speculation arose after Mr..
Donohue'S nomination as to
whether he would supervise the
work of the ABC Board in view of
his long service as legal counsel
for liquor interests here.
The question was explored at
length at hearings on his noraina-
ton, and Mr.. Donohue promised
that. If confirmed, he and his law
partners would sever any ccnnec-
tlons with liquor interests. He
also pledged that he would consid-
er his duty to the public above any
sympathy or consideration for any
former client.
The Board of Commissioners.
under the law, must act as board
on all matters affecting the various
departments. No one Commits
sioner has the final say on any
problem coming before the Board.
For convenience. however. and
because of the multiplicity of de-
tails in the city government, the
Commissioners have divided up
among themselves direct SUPER
vision over the various depart
mentS.
Pledges Good Government.
Officials of the department have
reported directly, or at least first,
to the particular Commissioner
supervising" their work. But any
board action could be taken only
on decision of the majority of the
board.
Commissioner Donohue reported
for his first day or work. pledged
to strive for a good and courte-
GUS government" for the people of
Washington.
The veteran Washington attor-
ney was sworn into Office before
a large gathering in the District
Building yesterday. The oath
was administered by Mr.. Dono-
hue's former law partner, Mu-
nicipal Court Judge Milton S.
Kronheim, ir.
Judge Kronheim declared that.
when Commissioner Donohue was
his senior partner, he "set for me
an example of propriety and cor
rect conduct of the law" Among
the firms chief clients was the
wholesale liquor company of Mil
ton S. Kronheim, sr., the judges
father.
Judge Kronheim added that I'VE
have, and will have in the future.
the cleanest big city in the world"
Thanked Gathering.
"The President could not have
found a person more able and
likely to continue this tradition
than Commissioner F. Joseph
Donohue." said Judge Kronheim.
The new Commissioner thanked
the gathering of some 300 District
employees for coming Ito see me
take this solemn oath"
ITO you who are my friends, 4"
he said "I nrornisa will ...,x,