Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-13
I'M STREET NARROWING CASE
Declared to Be Fad of Subordinate
District Official.
LOCAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT
Proposed Change Disoussed-Police
Protection for II Street Subway
Improved Mail Facilities

! Washington Citizens Association last even
| ing in Northeast Temple Mr. Evan II.
| Tucker. president Of the association, speak
| ing chairman of the executive commit
| tee told of the victory gained by the asso-
| citation in the matter of the suit against
! the District Commissioners to prevent the
| narrowing of certain streets.
The matter of narrowing the streets in
the northeast section" he said, was a fad
| of one of the subordinates of the engineer
! department.
The District Commissioners. the speaker
stated, seemed to be ignorant of what was
! going on in the matter of narrowing the
| streets. The Engineer Commissioner, it
| was remarked was out of the city at the
! time the narrowing of the streets was
| started, and the civilian members of the
| board protested ignorance Of what had
| been done
And So" the president stated, II say it
| is fad of subordinate of the engineer
| department, in which branch of the Dis
| trct government the work was started
President Tucker told of the work that
| had been done in this connection on E and
| c Streets an electric car line being upon
| the latter street. In other sections, he
stated, the tendency is to widen streets
| upon which there are car lines. After the
several streets had been narrowed the Com
missioners promised to give the association
! information in future cases in which 1t was
| contemplated to lessen the width of streets
| This information was given, and injunction
proceedings were instituted. Justice Stat
| ford, Mr.. Tucker said, heard the case and
decided in favor of the District Commits
sioners, but counsel for the association, At
torneys Mason n. Richardson and H. Clay
Stewart, thought the law was all right on
the side of the association, and the case
was appealed.
And I am happy to say the President
concluded, that l can report that the as
ISOLATION won a well-earned victory.
But" Mr.. Willard inquired, didn't the
Commissioners APPEAR
Nothing Further to Fear.
They did" Mr. Tucker replied, but we
have nothing to fear from that. The ap-
peal was only one for rehearing, and 1t
is unlikely that the Court Of Appeals Will
overrule itself"
BY a unanimous vote of the association
the members of the executive committee
were Instructed to keep in touch with the
court proceedings and with what is done
the Commissioners in the matter of mar
rowing the streets. and to take what action
is necessary in order to protect the resi-
dents of the northeast section.
Secretary Sowerbutts read the report Of
the executive committee upon several
measures pending in Congress. In regard
to the bill presented by Senator Overman
providing for q change in the form OF gov
eminent for the District of Columbia the
committee expresses the belief that IL would
not be to the best interests of the aSsoCia-
ton or of the people of the District to ad-
yocate any radical change in the form of
government.
The principal objects of the association
being to advance the interests of Northeast
Washington and promote the general wei
fare of its citizens the report sets forth,
we believe that the association can bet
ter subserve these objects by cooperating
with the officials of the District government
to secure needed improvements ana better
ment of existing conditions as we have
done in the past than by endeaVorlng 10
change the form of government whlch
might tend to place the assoclauoh III =
position antagonistic to the ofhclals, ana
thereby weaken our influence with them
LAS there does not seem to be any genera
sentiment of the citizens of the District III
favor of such change, such as Is proposed
in the bill 1t is the opinion of your commit
tee that there would be little, II any, pros
pect OF securing the enactment of such
measure even If It had the approval OF the
association. and the expenditure of time
and energy in its advocacy would not be
justified"
the chief change proposed in the bill is
that which provides for seven Commission
ers and delegate in Congress. 1t is also
stated that the District was once represent
ed by delegate and the advantage was
not sufficiently manifest to justify Its con
tiuuance. The committee reported an In
dorsement of the police bill.
MI Millard's Regrets.
Mr.. Willard said he regretted that the
association wanted to disapprove the bill
which provides for the change in the form
of government. He said he had had the
bill drawn after giving the question much
thought.
I'VE certainly need change" said Mr.
Willard, which will give the citizens some
rights other than that to pay taxes.
Mr.. Golden spoke in favor of the bill and
referred to the government OF London,
where, he said. the affairs of the city are
conducted in an admirable manner
Mr.. J. Fleming spoke at length upon the
subject of the present and proposed forms
of government,
The present form Of government in the
Districa of Columbia" he declared, lis
about as nearly perfect as 1t can be-
| He spoke of the question of suffrage and
said he would certainly oppose anything
Ike unqualified suffrage. He thought the
| scenes enacted at some of the primaries
| held here should be enough to make people
| oppose suffrage.
Mr.. Millard said he did not agree with
| Mr.. Fleming that the present form OF gov
| eminent Is so nearly perfect.
IF 1t is so nearly perfect" he said why
| don't the cities all over the country adopt
| It? The Gar Of Russia is not clothed with
as much authority as is a Commissioner of
| the District of Columbia"
Several members of the association par
| ticipated in discussion of the question
| the statement being made by Mr. Golden
| that persons holding positions in other
l.. II
| ing said that no persons in this city would
| want to serve without pay Mr. Millard
! spoke of the work done IN the District by
| the late Alexander Shepherd, to whom he
referred as "the grand old man"
| TheNeport Of the executive was adopted.
President Tucker reported upon the status
| OF q number NQf bills pending In Congress-
speaking especially of the favorable ac-
| ton taken regarding the reclamation of the
| Anacostia flats.
Mr.. Fleming said he was member of a
| committee of the Business Mems Associa-
| ton that is considering the questions of re-
| claiming the Anacostia flats and the closing
of Rock creek in Georgetown. He stated
| that bill is soon to be introduced in the
Senate by Senator Scott which viii pro-
| vide for the covering of Rock creek ana
the Strengthening of the course.
Union Station Police Protection.
DR.. L. d. Walter. chairman of the com
mittee on police affairs. reported that he
had had an interview with Major Sylvester
and had been assured that there would be
ample police protection given the subway on
II street. The superintendent of police told
him that he was handicapped because he had