The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-04

CITIzENSDEbATE :
CITY'S CONTROL
Federation Holds Heated Dis
cussion on Form Of Dis
trict Government.
REPORT IS NOT ADOPTED
One Civilian Commissioner to Be
Ela.I L. D>>sl>. U~k> l.
REPORT IS NOT ADOPTED
One Civilian Commissioner to Be
Elected BY Popular Vote Is
Advocated. J

form of District government shouio pe
changed members of the Federation OF
Citizens Associations had. perhaps. the
warmest debate in the history Of their
organization at their meeting in the
Chamber Of Commerce rooms last night
concerning what form of government
should be substituted.
The discussion was opened by the read
ing of a report on this question drawn
I'D by special committee, which rec
commended four changes In the present
form of local government This report
and amendments to this report were con-
sidered for more than two hours, after
which Il was decided to let the matter
go over until fall meeting.
Many plans for the administration OF
the District government were submitted
during the course OF the discussion. All
were attacked. Provision for local self
government was not a part OF all the
| plans submitted. Col Charles Calvert
Lancaster, delegate from the Northwest
Suburban Association. in submitting mis-
plan for reforming the local government
said:
"The people of the District should
have no rights whatever in its govern
ment. The Federal government should
exercise entire control here. and exer-
else this control directly. The time Is
near when Congress must assume entire
responsibility for the District govern
ment.
Half and Half Plan Absurd.
ct was a mistake, at first. to let the
people own property here. Inc Unteo
States should own all the land In the
District. and should lease 1t to such
people as have permits from the FEEDER
al government to live within the Dis
trict. The half and half plan Is ab-
surd. The Federal government snouio
bear the full expenses of the Nationai
City, and should purchase all the prop
| erty here
Several delegates nodded approval to
| Mr. Lancaster's idea that the Ma
tional City should be not only merely
the CAPITAL of the nation but. also.
the nations property.
The principal change recommended oy
the special committee was that the peo-
pIe of the District should be given the
! right to elect one OF the civilian COM
nissioners the other two to be appointed
by the President as heretofore. III
! further recommended that the Distrlc'
Commissioners should be given the priv
ileges of the floor of both houses Of Con-
gress. when District matters were under
consideration and that the funds appro-
| priated by Congress for the expenses OF
the local government should be placed
| under the control of the board or Com
| missioners. This last recommendation
was withdrawn by the chairman OF the
committee with the consent Of the other
members after a strong attack upon It
! Col. Lancaster made his attack upor
the idea OF any form of self-governmen'
for the District Immediately following
the reading of the report.
Substitute Is Offered.
William NJ Cromwell. delegate from
the Petworth Association, offered tn
so-called Oyster plan OF government
as a substitute for the committees re
port. He explained this plan as caliinf
for the election of the governor for, TN
District by a male electorate, with prop
ertv and educational qualifications; thu
| election of five Commissioners by tn
people and the appointment of five Com
nissioners by the President and tn
election by the people of delegate Il
Congress.
Motion was made to lay this substi
tute motion on the table, following
talk in its favor by E. w. Oyster, VIII
said that he favored change in thi
plan, making both men and wome'
equally admissible to the electorate
suggestions were made that the fed
| GRAFTON endeavor to interest the Boar
of Trade. the Chamber of Commerce
the Retail Merchants, and other clvi
organizations in Washington in workln
ont a co-operative draft for a new sys
tenn of government. This was defeated
Although several members of the fed
Grafton were strongly opposed to furthe
postponement of the question, 1t was de
lcided to let it go over. and 1t also wa
decided to send a copy of the repoc
brought in by the special committee t
each citizens association, asking tnei
opinion Of its proposals.
Those who signed the report were Ana
Davis, Southeast Association Jesse
Crawford, Connecticut Avenue Associa
ton. Ind w. N. Cromwell of the Pet
worth Association. Col. c. c. Lancaste
!. and Snowden Ashford, Municipal Archi
tect, the other members of the commit