The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-10-06
CITIZENS OPPOSE
! PROPOSED MERCER
Federation of Citizens' Associations
Meets and Discusses Topics
Of the Day.
ARE AGAINST SUFFRAGE
UNDER CONDITIONS
Opening Of School Buildings for
Civic and Recreation Pur-
poses Talked Over.

civic and recreation purposes, were some
of the subjects discussed and acted upor
at the meeting OF the Federation Of Citi'
\ zenS Associations. at the rooms OF the
Chamber of Commerce, last night. VII
liam Mex. Clayton presided and z. c
Dutton was secretary. The discussions
were at times animated. humorous, and
serious, and a good volume Of business
was disposed of.
Suffrage came before the meeting un-
der unfinished business when the ClaytQn
resolution. presented at the last meeting.
was debated at length and adopted. This
resolution set forth that 1t was the sense
of the Federation that any plan proposed
or to be proposed for suffrage In the Dis
trict that would impair or imperil the
financial relations subsisting between
Congress and the District would be in
imical to the best interests of the CITY,"
The plea presented by Mr.. Clayton was
that the federation should place itself on
record as opposed to any plan Of suffrage
or other change In the existing order of
things which would limit or destroy the
half-and-half principle OF meeting mu-
nicipal expenditures.
A diversity Of view developed. some
Of the members taking the ground that
what Congress would do when any
change from the present laws should be
forced upon II would be to repudiate
the basic principle of the law Of 1878. By
most OF the members the right of suf-
frage was looked upon as a small recon-
pense for the half-andhalf principle and
could not be welcomed by the District
G. NJ. Oyster called attention to the
movement among the citizens associa-
tons in 1905, in which some twelve Of
them took part, sanctioning a plan of
suffrage and recommending to Congress
a change of the law which would give
delegate In Congress and restore the
ballot to the citizenship of the District.
He also called attention to the fact that
the labor organizations Of the city at
that time adopted a similar plan in
which they advocated universal suffrage,
including the woman vote
At the end of the discussion the Clay
ton resolution was unanimously adopted
as the sense Of the federation.
Merger Is Opposed.
The merger OF utilities was brought
forward under suspension of rules. ar
gued at length. and referred to a COM
mittee to be appointed by the president
for investigation and report. Mr.. Clay
ton presented the resolution. which in
effect recorded the opposition Of the fed
Grafton to any public utility stock or
bond issue without the sanction and ap-
prevail of a public utilities commission.
before which the interests of the people
OF the District can be represented as well
as those Of the corporation seeking the
privilege.
A majority of the delegates seemed to
favor the proposition and putting il
through under suspension OF rules-that
is, last night: but because of the lack Of
definite knowledge regarding the plans
and purposes of the company having the
merger in view, and because the public
utilities commission does not at present
exist. a motion passed by a bare ma
jority of the delegates voting to refer
the subject to a special committee that
should submit a report al the next meet
ing.
In the discussion the members divided
for and against the principle of merging
utilities. II seemed the sense of the
meeting that combination of corpora
tons under single management with
economy Of management and
larger resources with which to work,
was not evil in principle. What the dele
gates stuck upon was the Overlooking OF
a holding and operating corporation with
securities. and this principal was COM
hated with fervor and eloquence. z. s
Clarkson. James W. Dyer. and G. NJ.
Oyster spoke against the merger and
urged the passage Of the resolution. c.
c. Lancaster stood out vigorously for
the corporations, claiming they have the
right to do what they will on the basis
of sound business judgment for the up
building of the public utilities. He in
stanced the former consolidation of lines
and properties forming the Washington
and Electric Company. and
pointed out what had been done in the
way OF extensions, improvements OF ser
vice, and general public benefit.
William Campbell took issue with Mr..
Lancaster in the view that the former
resulted in issues of stock
and bonds Of about 500. 900 to cover old
of the properties and pro-
vide for extensions and improvements.
He said the company had now just about |
caught up with itself and was able to
pay small dividends upon its common
stock. Now, Mr.. Campbell said, comes |
along another proposed merger. with ad-
iitional issues Of stock and bonds, which |
will increase fixed charges on the prop |
critics about ten times the amount saved |
n the way Of management and salaries |
10 heads of the corporations. He was
opposed to these issues of stock and bonds |
by a paper company against properties OF |
zeal value until public utilities commits
zion or some other recognized authority |
las passed upon the question Of the value
amounts of securities which that value
would warrant
Open School Buildings.
The opening of school buildings to
public use for civic and recreation
purposes developed an interesting dis
.ussion on the need Of this departure
n Washington. The matter came be-
lore the federation at the instance Of
he Park View Citizens Association.
which recently adopted a resolution on
he subject and presented 1t to the fed
grafton for adoption. The fact was
out that in many cities the
school buildings are used for these
purposes. notably in Rochester. N. Y,
Detroit, and other Western towns. The
delegates saw no reason why the privi-
eye should be denied in Washington,
specially because there was a demand
chools for meetings for neighborhood
purposes. The resolution calls for per-
mission of the authorities and a change
II existing law to allow the privilege,
inder regulations to be made by the
3oard of 3Acation.
A REF from the Northwest
suburb Citi> ms Association setting
orthf 01ez Fscon1mendations embodied in
he Henry 0eorEe report on taxation in
he District and the change of existing
egufatiena was referred to the special
payipg charge Of this sub
ect This cpp4nittee submitted a par
Ial report D the effect that it had not
ompleted its labors, but would try TO
o 30 by the next meeting
An extensive report was submitted by I