Evening star., 1901-02-20
Members Of That Body Meet Socially
With Washington Citizens,
RECEPTION OF THE BOARD OF TRADE
Bright and Witty Speeches Fol-
lowed by a Luncheon.
A DISTINGUISHED COMPANY

evening by the Board OF Trade was one OF
the most delightful of these annual affairs
in the history of that organization. Guests
as well as members were present in large
numbers, and owing to the admirable ar
rangements so skilfully worked out by the
committee in charge, the large crowd was
Handled in such a way as to contribute in
the highest degree to the comfort and en-
joyment of each individual In addition, the
speeches were crisp, witty and entertain
ing and from the time the company began
to come into the parlOrs until the hour of
separa ton there was not a dull moment
The committee on reception stood near
the entrance door Each guest received a
hearty welcome and was made to feel that
he was among friends. While the company
was assembling there was an opportunity
for acquaintances to be formed between the
members of the board and their guests
the latter being principally members of the
Senate and of the House. Later in the
evening the doors of the banquet room were
thrown open, and fine buffet lunch was
discussed. Here the sociability of the COM
pany was at Its height
The decorations Of the parlors as well as
of the banquet room were of an unusually
elaborate character and afforded a setting
for this aSSemblage SO represent atiVe of the
city and of its legislature.
Chairs were arranged in the suite of par
lors, and here the guests were seated. After
the company had assembled Mr.. John Joy
Edison asked for attention, and in the
course of few brief. pertinent. remarks he
set forth the nature of the gathering which
he said. was to afford opportunity for
the citizens of the District to make the ac-
quaintance of their legislative fathers. In
other cities. he said. the members of the
city councils know their constituents and
the latter know their representatives but
here these two classes are unfortunately
too largely strangers. He then referred to
some of the pressing needs of the District,
such as municipal building. the compile
ton of the sewer system and water fill
tration plan, and said that in other places
when large sums of money are needed
bond issue IS provided. so that the burden
Will not fall entirely on the present genera
ton Here, however, owing to the relations
existing between the District and the gen
eral government, the same result may be
reached by Congress advancing the money
the District TO pay interest on the half
winch would be its share of the public i'm
proVements under the 10 per cent principle
Some provision, equitable in its nature
could be made for the payment in INSTALL
ments of the Districts share In this way
Mr. Edison said the funds needed could be
secured.
Not Merely Seat of Government
lie then introduced Mr.. O. T. Crosby. who
made suggestive speech, which was forct-
bly, expressed, and which laid emphasis on
the fact that this city is not merely the
seat Of the national government but is the
home of a large population. For seventy
years the speaker explained, there was
practically only political Washington For
the past quarter Of century, there has
been growing in numbers and Importance
another " aShtngton-What might be term
ed private Washington. All traditions were
overlhroWn in order TO establish form of
government for this population and so sat
isfactory has been the workings of the
municipal machinery thus set going that
the speaker believed, there was no one to-
day who would care TO radically change
existing conditions. This utterance was
greeted with rounds of applause.
The speaker went on to say that the
Board of Trade is the representative of the
citizens of the District, the men who work
for their living; for this is not merely a
city of pleasure. of legislation, of wealth
Like Americans elsewhere, the citizens of
washington are workers. and as place of
business and trade 1t is expanding Those
who are inclined to regard these movements
toward expansion with suspicion should not
be alarmed, as the process is natural de-
Neiopment and an inevitable form in the
upbuilding and growth Of a progressive CITY
IKE NaShingt on. Mr.. Crosby urged that
the phases Of the business and commercial
side of Washington should bs. emphasized
and such an opportunity as will be present.
ed when people come here during the IMAM
guFal week from all parts Of the country
should be avaiied Of to point uut the 0Den-
inss here for wholesale merchants and
manufacturers He spoke Of such prop,sed
Improvements as the filtration system and
the memorial bridge. and said that these
are all bound to come. and also that there
would he a code of laws provided for the
District He closed with an eloquent de-
scriptOn of the city's future based ON Tho
substantial business interests that are now
here AZ"
ON ia iss !Hner Wac cfar!and.s Address
AT this point il was proposed that some
views he displayed on a screen and as
Secretary iarries had the lights .ur,.d
down and while the parors were shrou led
IN darkness Commissioner MacfarIand ,yaS
introduced. who referred wittilv TO the an
sence OF light in the room as not intended
TO Symbolic the mental condition, of tbosa
present in the presentation of the tonics
however, the energetic secretary of the
poard was instructed to defer his pictures
ana presently the electric lights flashed
out ana Commissioner Macfar!and nrn-
ceedlng, expressed with much approDriate
ness the appreciation of the citizens of the
District for the consideration their affairs
haa received at the present session OF Con-
sress After referring to the favorable he
ginning which had been made towa ri leeis
iation for the sewers and filtration sys-
tenn, he spoke Of the importance of a mu-
mclpai building and said that for thirty
years the District Of Columbia had had q
government, but in all that time the Dis
trict government has never had home of
Its own. No other important government
M thC NiNIiZSd "OIlu IS tNuS homeless, he
added For thirty years 1t has boarded
around In an undignified and inconyenient
manner 1t has paid out in rents for in
adequate and unbecoming quarters money
enough to construct very respectable
District building.
The government of the national capital
Is now housed in private office buildings"
he went on to say, 'for which it Is paving
large rents. and which are neither attrac-
tive, commodious nor fireproofs The price
less records of the District of Columbia
including the only data of the underground
constructions, which must be kept in the
District building because they are In daily
and hourly use, are liable to destruction |
any day. But it Is not necessary to en-
large upon the necessity for a District
building. 1t is evident to every intelligent
citizen; 1t is admitted by every intelligent
senator and representative. Why, then. has
not Congress authorized It? For at least
twenty years bills providing for It have
been pending. and they have at one fine
or another received favorable considera-
tion in one house or the other. But the
project has been put off from session to
session, In the wisdom and power of Com
gress, which are, perhaps, both infinite.
Sometimes there was not enough money In
the treasury and sometimes there was 30
much money that projects for the states