Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-15

| and the little body of local taxpayers
| should surely not be saddled with more
| than one-haH-the business OF MAINTAIN
| ing the dignity and beauty of the city
THE United States IS too great ma
ton to be penurious in its very capital:
TN order to withdraw municipal gov
eminent from party. politics and to con- con.
centrate power and responsibility cry
government has been placed in the hahoS
of boards of commissioners in aol Amerl-
can municipalities scattered i'm thirty-four
states. That the nationwide movement
toward the commission plan has been
largely influenced by the admirable eN-
ample set by the capital of the nation Is
beyond the shadow of doubt. And vel
strange to say. of the cnt commission
governed cities in the states there Is not
one, so far as | can discover. in Whlch
the commission is not vested with great
er power and consequently greater re-
sponsibiity than tire board of commits
sioners of the District of Columbia.
Questions of the Day.
Whether the suffrage should be granted
in any form to the people of Washington
whether we should again be represented
in Congress by delegate. whether the
half -and-haf system of providing for the
revenue of the District is indispensa BILE
to maintaining this city in such dignity
and beauty as to be the worthy capital of
'.n@.'sp of people to ?J.0W0GO-these and
similar questions are not to be deter
mined except with the governmental.
financial and social history of Washing
ton since 1900 background.
Act of Retrocession.
President oyster took up the act of
retrocession to Virginia. giving its history
and pointing out that President Taft had
| recognized the fact that the area origi-
nally containsd in the District of Column
| ba and given to Virginia, should again
become part of the federal District
President Oyster said:
There is an urgent necessity that we
should re-enter into possession of the
great eXpanse between the Long bridge
and Alexandria. with its six trunk lines
of railroad. in order that it may become
the seat OF manufacturing enterprise s
that will add vastly to the wealth and
importance of the capital without. in any
way. impairing its beauty
"tn6 | am happy to be able to inform
| you that movement is now afoot that
our hopes.
Petition to Be Filed.
"a petition signed by about 500 of the
| residents and property owners within that
soon to be presented to the President
| with the urgent request that he at once
direct the Attorney General to file in the
Supreme Court of the United States an
original suit against the state of Virginia
| in which the constitutiOnality of the re-
PROCESSION act of 1916 may be determined.
This petition will put the matter be-
fore the President i'm an entirely new
aspect. This great matter can never be
put at rest until it is passed upon by the
Supreme Court. Certainly, no one should
shrink from such solution AS the
President has publicly expressed the
opinion that the act is unconstitutional.
he will. no doubt. find a way before the
close of his administration in which the
matter may be adjudicated."
Favors More Parks.
President oyster spoke of the part
| which the Chamber of Commerce and the
committee of 100 on the future develop
ment of Washington have played in the
fight to have the Mcmillan park com
mission plan carried into effect. He
spoke particularly of the necessity of
purchasing more land for public parks
in Washington and referred in this con-
nection in commentators terms to the
unselftsh labors of c. c. Glover in 1906 in
endea roring to connect Potomac Park
and Rock Creek Park.
Chambers Activities.
Turning to other activities of the Cham
her of Commerce, President Oyster. said:
"Our treasury is in good condition and
we have no debts.
Il must make note of the organHa ton
of the Retail Merchants Association in
September. This interesting rganiZation
is working in cordial and helpful cA-oper-
alton with the chamber and is happily
housed under the same roof.
During the first seven months of 1872
over 500 was paid to the Maryland
authorities by District motorists for au-
tomobile licenses, and the District mo-
florists have a serious grievance. Mary
land discriminates unfairly against the
vor of states such Pennsylvania and
West Virginia. which are allowed for a
few days free and unlimited license;
Autoists Badly Treated.
Our autoists have suffered treatment
that may fairly be called outra geous at
the hands of officious Maryland consta-
bles. consumed with eagerness to collect
their percentage of the fines. The Dis
trict has right to ask and to expect re-
ciprocity in the enforcement of the license
law. I am glad that the Automobile Club
Of MARYLAND has taken this matter up
ana IHdl NION. dOloSDOtOUSH hopCS ~ put
an end to the unwarrantable annoyances
to which our motorists are subjected
when they cross. the District line north
ward Retaliatory measures breed bit
terness. and it is to be hoped that the
Maryland authorities will render them
needless.
at should be matter of qualification for
the Chamber Of Commerce to recall the
assistance which its representatives on
the joint committee under the chairman
ship Of John Dolph rendered the Wash