The Washington herald., 1910-04-13
Chamber Turns Down Re-
port of It's Committee.
FINDS OBJECTION TO PLAN
Long Discussion About Formation
of Citizens Body to Register Pub
lie Opinion on Local Questions
Approves Defense of school Board
and Condemns Capital Punishment.


central body Of citizens TO register pub
lie opinion upon questions affecting the
local government and the community.
To tell how this conclusion was reached
last night would be TO follow the course
Of a tortuous debate twists of parlia-
mentary order, and the final tableins OF
the motion 10 adopt the recommendations
Of the committee Of fifteen.
Ernest Daniel! chairman OF the commit
tee. submitted the report. which rected
what the committee had done in pur-
suance of the motion creating it at the
November meeting Of the Chamber, its
views or plan Of action being embodied
I'm a resolution declaring that the forma-
ton Of central body was desirable, that
a meeting had been called by representa-
tives OF the citizens associations on April
, 16. and recommending that the Chamber
appoint a delegate and alternate TO at
tend the meeting.
Members Oppose Project
No sooner had the report been submit
- ted than strenuous opposition appeared
20 the plan proposed II found express
sion first in a speech by Charles w. Darr
who painted and magnihed the danger 10
the body by doing the thing recommend
ed Mr. Darr's chief objection was based
! on the inequality Of representation in the
proposed central body.
John DOlph followed by just as vigor-
GUS a speech in favor OF the proposition.
saying that he had seen the operation OF
such a central committee Of civic bodies
in other cities which were doing a great
e In civ q
formal way 20 the sentiment OF the COM
, | munity.
i Henry H Classic and f. Y Worthing-
ton spoke in d,sapproval Of the PROPOSE
ton. Mr. Worthington putting it upon
the ground that the Chamber was organ
r lied for commercial and Industrial pur-
poses and had nothing 10 do with civic
matters as such. George W. Sullivan also
spoke against the adoption OF the report
Shannon Defends Plan.
z William 2. Shannon, father OF the
movement, made a ringing speech in its
favor. defending it against criticism and
declaring that whether the Chamber par
tlcipated in the movement or not. the
citizens would form the proposed body
and work 1t. he believed, 10 success. Mr.
y shannon intimated that inside of a year
:. the Chamber would be knocking at The
- door Of the larger and more Influential
body and begging 20 come in.
Chaplin Brown called attention 20 tn,
provision OF the constitution which allow!
= OF subsidiary bodies being formed IN III,
" Chamber Of Commerce to carry on thel
specific work. and suggested that nj
citizens should form the proposed bod!
I'm the Chamber itself and voice its opin
ion on public questions through tina
- channel
c. c. Lancaster favored the motion q
adopt and spoke at some length in it
=. defense.
- About this time the parliamentary trou
\. BILE began, when Mr.. Daniel moved tia
:, the motion 10 adopt the report be Iai
-, upon the table. This was put 20 vote an
carried Then il was discovered that
meeting had been appointed for April Il
n, and a motion was made 20 cTe- IN
20 rooms of the Chamber 10 the citizens
7, ! and a long discussion followed as 70 VIVA
attitude the Chamber should take towar
that meeting, Il was finally decided tina
:. the chairman Of the committee of fiftec
=, should attend the meeting OF the dele
- gates and inform them that the Chambe
. was I'm sympathy with the formation Z
n. the central body. but that Its cOnstitJ
80, ton prevented participation In it. en-
80 that the Chamber stood ready at all time
10 20 cooperate in matters affecting ii
40, public welfare.
Defends school board.
nd Before the report Of the committee
ere fifteen was submitted Percival Brow
tn submitted a recommendation from Il
ere committee on schools adverse to Ii
Peters bill changing the authority ov,
,as public education from a board of educS
rs ton to the District Commissioners. NJ
III Brown made a spirited defense Of Il
d. board OF education and its acts, and h
WIN report and recommendation were unan
let mously adopted.
hat Joseph SrasbUrger submitted a repO
has from the retail trade committee urgir
the board Of education and the principa
and faculties of private schools and CO
p leges 10 buy their supplies and such oth'
n articles as they might need Of the loo
merchants on the ground that these me
chants generally place advertising
school papers, programmes, and 9th
nm publications, which was adopted
Would stop Capital Punishment.
hi J. Miller Kenyon reported from su
committee OF the committee on law al
legislation adversely upon legislatit
II pending in Congress providing for 4
substitution of electrOcutOn for hangil
in executing the capital sentence up
criminals convicted Of murder, The +
port condemned the proposed chans
spoke strongly against capital punis
ment in any form, and contained a re
ommendation with an accompanying b
TO be introduced in Congress substitute
ii life Imprisonment for capital punishme
II in the District of Columbia.
iii Albert Schulties submitted a report
the Improvement OF the Anacostia fla
i'm which the appreciation Of the Char
III Der was expressed for the appropriate
in the rivers and harbors bill OF 800,
for completing the dredging Of the An
costa channel to the navy yard birds
Hi The Chamber also recommended, at {
III instance Of the committee. that the /
providing for the construction Of a 70
from Nichols avenue along the wat
front TO Poplar Point and from t
grounds Of the Government Hospital
iii the Insane to Memphis street.