Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-05
Citizens Listen to Address by
w. V. Cox.
COMMITTEES NAMED
DISCUSSION OF CRoss-TowN RAIL
WAY PROJECT.
Resolution Prescribing Route Tabled
for Further Consideration-The
Opening of Streets.

evening at the Rhode Island Nj. p. Church,
corner Of LIST and Rhode Island avenue.
President Emig presided and three new
members were received. one woman. The
membership of the association includes
quite a number of women and their number
Is fast increasing. 1t is said to be the only
association in the District that admits wo-
men to membership without requiring pay
ment of the usual admission fees and an
Eual dues.
The leading feature of the meeting last
evening an address by President w. V.
Cox of the Washington Board of Trade.
General George II. Harries. who was also
TO have delivered an address. sent word that
he was unavoidably detained from being
present. President Cox's address was in
part as follows:
The citizens associations in the District
OF Columbia have performed an important
part in recent years i'll developing the ma
tional capital Our associations differ frocIi
tn" town improvement aSSocia lions OF Other
cities that are doing much for nea tness
and health by eliminating the tin from
vacant lots, moving the dumps and sub
stituttnS for them parks. shrubs and flow
ers. The scope of work of the citizens as
scciation Is much broader than that of the
town Improvement association.
Here in the District Of Columbia where
We have not the right of franchise, the
~
and suburbs represented by strong syndi-
Gates and the favored few. was at one
time great that the old parts of the
tCwr that did not appeal to them We're
neglected. To counterbalance this influence
assoca tons primarily for self-preserva-
ton were formed; meetings conducted at
first much like the town meetings of New
England, were held. and. through ran
and sympa thetc press, which gave public
ity to the proceedings, soon made the asso
Citations recognized as an efficient means
oi reaching the public, the Commissioners
and Congress. Their potency and useful
ness was largely increased by new func-
tons which by general consent they soon
assumed not the least of which was that
o. exploiting and promoting their environ
Tent
Thus far the citizens associations have
been for good to the District of Columbia.
They have prevented powerful influences
from absorbing the bulk of the District ap-
preparations, and have caused a better
geographic distribution of improvements.
50 that localities that never had any prlVl-
lege but that of paying taxes nave peeh
improved and made habitable, and others,
lei us hope, will be-
Federation Proposed.
..Nany efforts have been made to form
federation of citizens associations to Sc
cure unity of action. This plan seems easy
and success certain, but the clash of inter-
est has Invariably defeated the object OF
the promoters. Only one organization has
weathered these storms and that organiza-
ton is the Washington Board or Trace,
which was organized on broad plan Tor
the development of the ma tional capital on
general lines 1t is composed OF broad
minded public-spirited citizens from all
parts of the District and of representative
men from almost every trade, business ana
profession. with ability to consider and de-
termine matters of general interest Tor the
advancement of our city, and the promo
of pnblic improvements. LII mas SHOWN
that 1t is capable of acting with conserVa-
tsm and discretion as medium OF COM
munciation between the board OF commas
sloners and Congress also, as TO the needs
of our people and of the capital OF the
nation.
Most of the leading men of the citizens
associations are included in it's rank, ana
many of them have been and are now
prominent and forceful in its deliberations
IT'S chairmen of committees nave. as q
rule, received their training in your meet
ings For years the board has stood for
what is wisest and best in the long strug-
gle for the development of the District or
Columbia into a place worthy to be the
capital of a great country.
The Law of '78.
"Strict construction of the organic law
of 1873 is the first plank in the platform
of the Board of Trade. Current revenues
for current expenses. extraordinary i'm
provements to be met by federal advance
to he promptly repaid at maturity, Is the
second plank. We believe that more fire.
lighting apparatus and fire fighters are
necessary We have championed the es-
Establishment of high pressure water serV-
ice for fire purposes. and also nre Doats,
mechanical means instead CT gravity ii
that seems best.
Eve think Major Sylvester should have
more police with better pay. We think
more school houses are required Tor thc
lower grade pupils and better pay for the
\ No ink
Anacostia should be continued and the
swamps give way to parks and drives ffee
from malaria. We think a tuberculosis
hospital is of the greatest necessity Tor
patieut and public. We believe that the
leading thoroughiares to and from wash
ington should be put and kept in at least
Il passable condition. and where required
new streets should be opened we nave
stood shoulder to shoulder with you in the
campaign to open up Rhode Island ave-
nue. The Board of Trade inaugurated the
movement that resulted in establishing the
park commission and it's plans. and it in
sists that parks shall not be taken for
public buildings; for that reason IT has
for years advocated the taking of the
south side of Pennsylvania avenue for the
systematic locating of future public build
ings We have protested against placing
the Police Court in the new municipal
building and we have hopes that the pro
test viii! not be in vain.
Cross-Town Railway.
The Board of Trade Is on record again
this year as favoring an east and west
cross-town electric road to be built for
the upper northwest section of the city.
which should be continued as a north and
south cross-town line for the eastern sec
tion. The report says: 1t is not thought
wise that a new company should be char
tered for this purpose. but Congress should
require one of the existing systems to con-
struct and operate such line as part
of It's service.
There is no phase in municipal affairs
that the committees OF the Board of Trade
do not consider for the good of all and of
those to come In conclusion. ii Is my wish
that you may meet with the same success
that has hitherto characterized your eff
forts and that cSery member of your as
sociation and the Board of Trade will con-
tinue to work together for the symmetr-
cal development of greater Washington.
Reports of Committees.
Reports were made by the several commit
tee chairmen regarding what Congress has
done and is likely to do in the pending ap-
preparation bill for the section within the
jurisdiction OF the association. 1t was ex-
planned that there Is apparently no hope of
securing the opening of w and Albany
streets except by the purchase of the ceme-
terry land through which they run. and that
II had been generally understood the Deud-