Evening star., 1914-03-13
Devising Methods of Defeat
ing Pending Legislation
InimicaI to the District.
APPEAL TO CIVIC BODIES
TO JOIN IN MOVEMENT
Concerted Action Proposed to Arouse
Interest Of the Country in
National Capital.

lhe executive committee OF the commit
tee of 1oD will hold meeting tonight al
:, clock at the offices of Henry Il. T.
MacfarlaHd, chairman of the executive
committee, in the Evans building TO acr
on number of important matters il,
connection with District legislation pend
ing before Congress
me first of these, according to a
statement made this afternoon by Mr.
Mcfarland, Will be to ask the Board OF
Trade and the Chamber of Commerce
as constituent members of the Chamber
Of Commerce of the United States 10
appeal to the latter body to jolu in !.
national protest against any measure.
mat VIII stop the progress of the Ma
tiohaI capital by upsetting the half
and-haIf plan.
The second will he the production of
complete list Of all national organiza-
tons having HEADQUARTERS in Washing
.of. with an account OF the particular
purposes for which they We're created
ana to decide which of these organiza-
tlons shall be asked TO Join in the pro-
test and in the campaign of education
belng organized by the committee of
100. A few Of these associations il j.
expected VIII not he able to take par
III the protest but il is hoDed that a
the others, when the matter is properly
presented 10 them. Will be able to do So
Civic Association to Report.
The third matter to come I'D at tn.
meeting this evening will be a report Of
conference which was held today be
tween Mr.. Macfar!and and Richard 4
Natrous. secretary of the American Civic
Association, which organization has been
WORKING FOR six weeks 10 arouse interest
throughout the United States in the situ-
alton with regard to pending legislation
III Congress affecting the District
The fourth subject To be taken up is
n tAs..l ffa1a
tional League of Womens Press Clubs TO
hold a meeting at the Raleigh Hotel a
week from tonight for the purpose of in
forming its members of the situation with
regard to pending legislation here. Mr.
Macfarland has been asked to address the
proposed meeting.
The National League of women's Press
Clubs is the fourth national organization
having headquarters in Washington act
lively to take An interest in the pending
legislation, the first having been the
American Civic Association. the second
, the Southern Commercial Congress anG
, the third the Woman's National Demo
cratic League.
Richard +. Watrous. secretary OF the
American Civic Association, returned las;
| evening from trip to Florida He was
absent week, during which time he ad
dressed meetings on the subject of civics
in five different cities.
Referring to the pending legisla ton in
Congress affecting Washington Mr.. Wat
rouS said today:
During my absence our Office has
been getting ready TO send out to our
entire membership CO. es Of the PAM
phlet containing articles by Henry L. T.
Macfarland relating 10 the finances OF
the District OF Columbia. With those
pamphlets will go letter from the as
sociation calling the especial attention
Of our members to the present situation
and asking that they express themselves
as in favor of the most generous treat
l,- q of ha lBEf-i n
Columbia not so much in behalf of the
residents of the District as in their own
behalf as the real owners of the National
Capital
attention, Of our members has been called
to Washington and It's needs for tn
letter will De in strict conformity 10 III.
established stand Of the association since
its BIRTH. We have always contended
that Washington should, by a wise ami
generous expenditure, lie made not onii
Lie most beautiful city III America. hui
eventually the most beautiful capita!
city in the world. our association was
one of the first to urge the creation some
wears ago, of the commission OF hne
arts. which was a distinct step forward.
Discussed at Conventions.
"At our various conventions we have
as rule. had special addresses on
Wa shington.s the Federal City. and last
wear at our sconyention in Baltimore thst
address was made by Henry u. F. Mae
iarlar.d Of this city. ~ tnat time we re
stated our belief that the development "f
Washington should he along Very lars'
and constructive lines and that by al
means everything possible TO be done
should be done TO carry out tue orlsina.
plan of Washington as provided BY KS
first President.
washington sets tie only notable ex
ample to all other American cities OF
comprehensive city planning, and this as
sociation is constantly citing Washington
as a model to be copied by all cities IN
their physical construction
Because what is known as the half-
alid-nalf' plan, by which the general gov
erument shares equally with the District
in the eXnenses of the District has IN the
past seemed a fair and equitable basis;
we are urging that that plan he continued
and that no departure be made from y.
surely not al least, until. after very care
full consideration ana Nesusatoh Y
competent authorities, ii shall be demon
strated that some better plan can be de-
vised.
.Ny. are glad Of the opportunity TO bs
of service to Washington at TINS tlme
and because our members are all edu-
Gated TO the Importance of large ailc
things for Washington W
feel that there will be i prompt and cor
dial expression by them right now. when
such All expression is needed.
Appeals Made in Five Cities
..Durins my trip TO Florida il has been
nv measure 10 make appeal on be-
half Of Washington to representative
dies in five cities Of the state, and ia
.s.,ci, instance to state that ] was making
an appeal TO the real owners OF the cap
ital and those whose influence was more
,,ntent for results than any efforts that
couia IL. nut forth by those who happen
10 he merely residents of the District or
.AuI it is always gratifying to note
tbe uuick response that comes from
such audiences when Washington IS
III is very apparent that there is a
national pride in the Capital City and
tbat the voters of the far distant cities
ave Jealous for its larger expansion
Thev realize that Washington is diff
ferent from the ordinary municipality
that 1t is the federal city-and they
are willing and anxious to be con-
tributers, as they are on the half-and-
half plan. to its maintenance on a
larger and greater scale than they
indorse for their own imnedi-
ate places of residence.
II might say that our membership In
cludes not only several thousand ind!-
yiduals but several hundred affiliated or
among them many Of the
leading boards Of trade and chambers
of commerce Of the United States, be
sides civic leagues, womens clubs and
other organizations devoted to the bet