Evening star., 1909-06-02
URGES SAFE FOURTH OF JULY
MR.. MACFARLAND HEARD ON
CURRENT LOCAL TOPIC.
Addresses Members of the Lincoln
Park Citizens Association-Asser
Necessity of Such Organizations.

| Commissioner Macfarland received a
hearty welcome last night at the meeting
of the Lincoln Park Citizens Association
held in the Church of the Nativity. Mas
1 sachusetts avenue. and 14th street south
| east. Mr.. Macfarland had accepted an
| invitation to be present and address the
association, which is the youngest and
/ perhaps one of the best attended organi-
cations OF its kind In the city, and D. A
| Edwards. president of the association.
| said few words of praise in welcoming
him. He congratulated the people of
the District in having Commissioner
who mingled with the people and ex-
changed ideas with them.
/ Il am always delighted at the sight of
1 ladies at the meetings of such associa-
| tions.'' said Commissioner Macfarland
| addressing his remarks to the ladies in
| attendance, 'and the model associations
are the ones where most ladies are in at
| tendance. Recently l had occasion to
| attend a meeting of the Congress Heights
| Citizens Association and found more
| ladies than men present. Ladies always
| take deep interest in affairs and usually
succeed in accomplishing what they un-
! dertake."
Commissioner Macfarland spoke of the
value of citizens associations in the COM
munity. saying they are indispensable
| They are actually necessary, he declared
/ for the proper conduct of the government
as 1t is through the work of such organi
cations that the needs OF the people are
| brought directly home to those In power
| He said the Commissioners are glad to
receive the people and listen to their ap
peals' for improvements. cautioning hem
| that they should not be eXtravagan in
their demands.
| Safe Fourth of July Urged.
The question of the people assisting in
the matter of endeavoring to have safe
| and sane Fourth of July was brought
| forcibly to the notice of the association
| by the Commissioner who read an edi-
torfal from last Saturdays issue of The
| Evening Star. The editorial, he an
nounced, gave some idea of the record of
slaughter that has been carried on in
| the United States during the past ten
years in the name of patriotism. The
record for one day the speaker stated,
| would indicate one great battle in war.
ell told of the trouble experienced by
| the police and fire departments on the
| Fourth of July and of the great amount
| of suffering and destruction of property
caused by the use of fireworks.
THE figures given in the editorial Mr..
Macfarland stated, show an awful death
toll"
Commissioner Macfarland told of the
program that has been arranged for the
coming Fourth. 1t includes speechmaktng
by two members of the cabinet. Secre-
taries Nagel and Dickinson, both of whom
are excellent orators. The program, he
stated, includes other attractive features
and will close with an exhibition of fire
works in the evening. He importuned
members OF the association and their
friends to render what assistance they
can to make the celebration success
Members of the association were also
asked to study more closely the details
of the District government, Mr.. Mac
farland giving brief outline of the gov
ary,r 1ny,f 11r <h4 II
the time when part of Virginia was ceded
back to the state, and said he was not
wholly satisfied that that act was con-
Sututional.
Commissioner Macfarland for the inter-
est he had taken in the association.
Mr.. Edwards. replying to his remarks
about the proposed safe and sane Fourth
of July, said he was a member OF the
| finance committee in charge of the cele-
| bration and was ready to accept funds to
| be used for that purpose.
Relief From Mosquitoes.
| DR.. w. F. Hemler, chairman of the
committee on public health, presented a
report in which the reclamation of the
Anacostia flats was urged. His report
| declared that when the pools of stagnant
| water in the eastern section of the city
are filled the mosquitoes will not be SO
| annoying to the residents of the vicinity
OF Lincoln Park.
| George ]. Linkins presented a resoIu-
| ton dealing with a proposed change in
| the assessment laws. He believed that
| property owners and the government
| should have the benefit Of changed con-
ditions each year instead of every three
! years. His resolution was referred to the
| appropriate committee.
| Chairman Smith of the committee on
| schools discussed the question of q kin
| dergarten at the Thomas B. Bryan School
| building.
| THE need Of such a school in this sec
tion.'' he said. lis far greater than the
| accommodations"
| That" said President Edwards, "is a
| good showing for our section. 1t shows
| that our people are carrying out the
| Rooseveltian idea.'
| D. NJ. Hildreth. chairman of the COM
mittee on schools of the East Washing
| ton Citizens Association told Of what
is being done by the latter association In
| the effort to obtain additional facilities
at the Eastern High School
| President Edwards told of trip he had
/ made through the eastern section of the
| city with Commissioner Judson and Rep
resentative Smith, the latter recently
| chairman of the House District commit
| tee. He thinks they were deeply impress
| ed with the need for street Improvement
| and that the trip will result in benefit
| A general complaint was made about
| the narrowing of roadways in the eastern
| section of the city. 1t was stated that the
| roadway on 14th street had recently been
/ If such work had not been done in vio-
| lation of the decision of the Court of Ap-
| peals. The question is to be investigated
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