The Washington times., 1913-12-03
SEGREGATION TALK
ST|RS UP CHARGES
Property Sold Without Owners
knowledge of Future Ten
ants, Heights Men Hear.

Charges that certain persons. acting
as agents. make a practice of attempt
ing to SELL and frequently do sell. prop
erty in white resident sections of the
city to colored persons without the own
er of the property knowing to whom it
is to be transferred were made by DR..
J. X. p. Gleason at a meeting of the
Columbia Heights Citizens Association
last night in st. Stephens Hall.
The charges were made during live
ly discussion of the question of race Sc
gregation in the District. A resolution,
in which it is charged that the lack Of
a race segregation law in the District is
responsible for the depreciation of real
estate values in residential sections, has
been before the association for a month
At the last meeting it was referred to
the committee on law and order for 4
report.
The law and order committee, through
its vice chairman, William R. Harr, re-
ported the resolution back to the associa-
ton last night for a further report. This
resulted in a heated debate, and on mo-
ton of Col. Charles c. Lancaster the
resolution was referred back to the COM
mittee with instructions that report as
to the advisability of acting on the reso-
luton be made at the next meeting.
Mail Is Problem.
Dr. Gleason called the attention Of
members of the association to alleged
lack of facilities for delivering and col
lecting mail on Columbia Heights, and
a committee was appointed to take the
matter up with the city postmaster.
In speaking of the service, Secretary
Gertman said that letter could be
mailed in Washington and delivered in
New York In quicker time than it would
be delivered at Columbia Heights.
The executive committee reported
favorably on a resolution of Colonel
Lancaster favoring ''home rue" for the
District, and a resolution was adopted
calling upon Congress to pass a law
placing the recorder of deeds under the
Commissioners of the District and max
ing three years residence in the Dis
trict a necessary qualification for a
holder of the office.
Members of the association charged
that the smoke Law is being continually
violated by apartment house owners on
the heights and one of the committees
was instructed to bring the matter to
the attention of the Health Department.
Ask Traffic Bureau.
]. Clinton hiatt introduced a resolu-
tion calling upon Congress and the
Commissioners to establish a bureau of
traffic in the Police Department The
resolution read:
Whereas, owing to the rapid growth
of the city of Washington, and the in
PRODUCTION of thousands of motor We
hicles as a means Of transit. and the
great freedom accorded pedestrians who
patronize the wide and well-paved
thoroughfares, the time IS opportune
for the organization of bureau in the
Police Department, to be under the di-
rection of an inspector, looking to the
control of all matters pertaining TO
traffic, the reporting on applications for
drivers licenses, the keeping of records
of all licenses and vehicle numbers.
the direction and supervision of officers
detailed at intersecting streets and of
the bicycle operators in the congested
districts: and.
Whereas, aside from these require
ments. such a bureau could be charged
with investigating and reporting upon
applications for information, which
cover multitudinous questions OF every
conceivable kind. and which call for
considerable correspondence;
Therefore, be il resolved, That the
members of the Columbia Heights Citi-
zens' Association do hereby favor and
indorse such bureau of traffic de-
scribed in this resolution as it would
aid very greatly in the prevention of
death and accident TO human life in the
Capital of the Nation.