The Washington times., 1913-04-06
DISTRICT RULE IS
/ CAUSE OF DISPUTE
Civic Bodies Are Split as to
Methods to Be Pursued in
Governing Capital.

Allen Z. Davis, Snowden Ashford. W.
n. Cromwell, w. B. Crawford and c. G.
Lancaster constitute special commit
tee from the Federation of Citizens As
sociations which has been delegated to
look into the advisability of changing
the form of government i'm the District.
II the committee decides il is wise to
change the present form, IL will report
TO the federation which plan is deemed
wisest to adopt
Any number of plans were suggested
AT the meeting of the federation last
night. Allen E. Davis.~of the South
east Citizens Association. presented
new plan which received the indorse-
ment of a number of other delegates.
1t proposes that the District shall con-
tinue to be governed by a commission
of three, of which the Engineer Com
present. But the other civilian Com
missioners shall be appointed as at
present. uBt the other civilian Com
missioner is to be elected by the people
and is to be the president of the Board
of Commissioners.
1t proposes further to grant the right
to all these Commissioners to appear on
the floor of the House and Senate when
ever District matters are under discus
sion In this way, IL is argued by one
election, the people of the District Will
have a non-voting representative in
both branches of Congress, yet the gov
ernment of the District will still be un-
der the supervision of Congress.
Finances Left to Congress.
The finances, under this plan, would
lie arranged by Congress granting an
appropriation from the Treasury OF
the United States equal to the revenue
obtained from the District. whatever
that revenue might be.
Another plan, approved by repre-
sentatives of fourteen citizens asso-
ciations in 1909. would create the
office of governor and a board of
commissioners of ten, five of whom
would be appointed by the President
and five elected by the people This
plan was advocated by E w. Oyster.
There were many other plans sue-
Rested at last nights meeting. Will
ham J. Neale thought if suffrage IS
granted in the District it should be
conditional on the payment of a poll
tax OF at least $50. Snowden Ashford
opposed any change in the present
form Of government, a nd said that al
though he had talked with many peo-
pie who want change, he had never
heard advanced a reasonable objection
TO the present system.
William NICK Clayton thought the
trouble with the present system is
thai the civilian Commissioners allow
themselves to be too much domin-
ated by the Engineer Commissioner,
who has no personal interest in the
District c. c. Lancaster thinks Con-
gress ought to have complete control
of the District and ought to pay at
least two-thirds of the taxes.
Advocate Half and Half System.
A resolution originating from the
Randall Highlands Citizens Associa-
tion asking that the half-and half
system be carried out in the purchase
OF all parks, and claiming discrimina-
tion against that section of the city in
recent park developments, was adopt
ed by the association.
a resolution presented by w. H
Richardson was unanimously adopted
thanking Congress for the passage Of
the public utilities act for which the
federation has long fought, and
thanking William Nick Clayton for
his untiring activities in that direc
tion.