Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-13

will Not Join Proposed Central
I Body of Citizens.
A CENTRAL BODY ITSELF
Members Believe It Meets Require
ments of District.
PRAISE OF SCHOOL SYSTEM
Commercial Chamber Does Not
Favor Abolishing Board
! of Education.
Relieving that there are already good
and sufficient methods of centralizing
public opinion on matters affecting the
! District OF Columbia. the Chamber OF
| Commerce voted last night to take no
! part in the movement to form central
body of citizens associations and other
organizations. The vote was 90 to II, and
the decision was not reached without
| plenty of discussion. The chamber did
not say that it was out of sympathy with
| the idea, but held that 1.-THE Chamber OF
| Commerce is in itself a central body for
| he Toll izin Of
that there is no need for endeavoring to
| form another similar body.
| The matter was brought up in formal
manner by the reading of the report of
the committee appointed several weeks
| ago to start the wheels going, and which
| called together a citizens meeting where
presidents of citizens associations agree
| to back the idea originally proposed by
! William +. Shannon.
Voted Down First Plan.
The first efforts of friends of the plan
were made some time before the appoint
ment of Commissioners Rudolph and
Johnston, when it was suggested that
there should be some way by which the
President could find out exactly what
| the sentiment of the District of Columbia
was in regard to appointments to the
The plan as then prepared was voted
down.
Out Of it grew the proposition to form
| central body which would be the last
word in announcing the Districts wishes
The objections to ii as expressed by MEM
| bers of the Chamber Of Commerce seem
to be that the chamber is itself just
such body.
The first speech in opposition to the
idea last night was made nv Charles
Ia toll fhn <,l,n ,1,n,. hat f1,avA
would be danger in such an organiza ton.
and dwelt with emphasis on the unequal
representation of citizens from various
sections of the city. He also said the
matters affecting the public welfare and
should not make itself a subservent
part of any other organization. He asked
that the matter be dropped entirely.
Thinks Chamber Sufficient.
Henry H. Classic expressed belief that
a central organization is practicable and
perhaps necessary, but he shared the
view Of Mr.. Darr that the Chamber of
Commerce should by no means become
part of an organization smaller than it
self, and was strong in his statements
| that the chamber is already one of the
the District. A. Y. Worthington also
spoke against the chamber becoming
part Of the proposed central body.
Mr.. Worthington reminded the chamber
| that it was an organization to deal with
commercial matters principally, and
should. according to his views. take no
part in matters that ordinarily are fought
out by citizens associations. Another
objection to the idea was made by George
w. Sullivan. He pointed out that the
Chamber of Commerce would suffer a loss
of dignity by becoming a part of an or
ganization smaller than itself.
Strong as these objections seemed TO
the members of the chamber. the friends
of the proposition were vigorous in de-
Tense of their plan. William f. Shannon
told the chamber he believed that If the
| chamber should not take part in the
| movement it would be subjected to strong
| criticism; that the citizens associations
| are preparing to form q central body re-
| CARELESS of the Chamber of Commerce,
and that within a year this central body
would be influential that the chamber
| would be sorry, indeed, not to have
| Joined.