The Washington herald., 1912-11-24
CIVIC WORKERS
PLAN CAMPAIGN
District Council of Organization of
Federation, Recently Organized
Here, Ready for Work.
PROMINENT CITIZENS
INTERESTED IN WORK
Part of Programme Outlined for
Year Is of Vital Interest
to the District.

Plans for a winter OF marked activity
along lines indicated in the programme
OF the National Civic Federation are
being mapped out by the District Coun-
Gil OF the organization, which recently
mas been organized here at the sugges-
ton of Seth Low, OF New York, presi-
dent OF the national body.
The local council which bears the same
relation to the national body as State
councils throughout the country, is head
ed by former Commissioner Henry B.
F. Macfarland, and numbers among its
officers and members many of the most
prominent civic workers in this city.
Other officers are as follows: First
vice President. Rear Admiral c. H.
Stockton L. S. N. retired, president Of
George Washington University; second
vice president, George Y. McLanahan. a
prominent local attorney and civic work
cr: third vice president, Arnold Hague.
Chief Of the Bureau of Geology, United
States Geological Survey; fourth vice
president, DIR. Charles p. Neil, United
States Commissioner of Labor; secre-
tary, Frederick L. Siddons widely
known in civic improvement circles and
prominent Washington attorney. and
treasurer. George w. White. president
Of the National Metropolitan Bank.
Standing COmmIttces.
The standing committees and their
chairmen are: reform of legal proceed
ure, Henry B. F. MaCfarland; uniform
commercial laws. Walter c. Clephane;
regulation OF industrial corpora tions,
Col Archibald Hopkins: regulation of
railroads and qUasi-pubiC utilities, Va
cant: good roads and automobile regu-
latiOns, William Phelps Emo: pure food
and drugs, DIR. Harvey w Wiley; COM
pensatiOn for industrial accidents. Grant
H1nnlto$ of the American Federation
"i Labor; taxation and pensions. DIR.
Ralph Jenkins: insurance. John Dolph;
banking, Henry c. Perkins
The purpose of the national body at
the time of its organization ten years
ago. was to work for a better under
standing between capital and labor
largely through legislation looking TO
better industrial conditions. This in
wolves not :" much national as uniform
state legislation and upon this fact the
plan of organization depended. The gen.
eral policy Of the federation is deter
mined upon at annual conventions, at
tended by delegates from each State
council. Then the national executive
committee works out programme based
upon the policy determined upon at the
annual convention and this programme
is given to each State council to be
worked into legislation.
From the programme indicated in the
list of standing committees it will be
seen that there are several points OF
the programme in which the District
is vitalIy Interested
For instance, the work of the COM
mittee on the regulation OF railroads
and quasi-public utilities, the cham
pionship of which is at present vacant,
may be potent influence in obtaining
the passage of the public utilities bill
by the House this winter. 1t is under
stood that this committee chairman
ship later will be offered to a lawyer
of the highest standing in the Dis
trict. who is not now at liberty to re-
ceiVe the offer. The committee on
good roads and automobiles, headed by
the recognized world authority on the
subject of traffic regulations. William
Phelps Emo. should take a leading
part in the campaign now on foot to
revise and improve the present system
of traffic regulations. The committee
on taxation and pensions, now headed
by DR.. Ralph Jenkins. may be sepa-
rated into two committees, in which
event DIR. Jenkins would be placed at
the head of the committee on pensions.
This question is a burning one in the
District. and Congress Is expected to
lake the lead in solving ii for the other
State councils which are striving for
uniform pension laws for State en-
DlOVeS