Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-26
URGE MORE POWER
FOR SCHOOL BOARD
lexington Citizens Disapprove
Change Recommended by
Commissioners.
OVERRIDE COMMITTEE
AND FAVOR PROHIBITION
Efforts of "Wets' in Association to
Prevent Action Taken Causes an
Extended Debate.

lexington Citizens Association last
night at its regular meeting in the
Emory School approve the present sys-
tenn of school administration but 1t
recommended that additional powers be
| given to the board of education. The
association, after extended debate.
went on record as favoring prohibition
! in the District of Columbia.
| The school question came up as re-
| port from the executive committee and
was adopted without debate. The COM
| mittee report recommended that the
government of the public schools by the
| board of education be continued, and
that the board be given additional
powers. where necessary. to make its
administration more efficient; for in
stance, the selection of sites and the
naming of schools and SO forth. and
disappearing of the present plan of the
Commissioners to place the control of
the public schools entirely within their
hands,"
The executive committees recon-
mendation on the matter of prohibition
was that Congress should provide for
| the submission of the same to vote
of the people of the District, as has
been done in most of the states.
A substitute offered by Rev. H. L.
Brundage. that the association favor
the adoption by Congress of a pro-
| hibitory law was carried by vote of
ten to seven.
Extended Debate on Prohibition.
There was extended debate on the
question. A. o. Tingley expressed the
fear that a fair vote could not be OBJ
! tanned on the question because of the
large negro population. He charged
| that the colored people favored liquor,
and expressed the belief that the ques-
ton should not be left to vote of the
entire people Of the District.
B. J. Waters said that Washington,
| above all, is a city that should not be-
come dry. He said that there were
thousands of excursionists who came to
Washington in the course of a year.
and they would want to get their
draught of liquor once in a while.
The association. according to w. G.
Henderson, should not undertake to de-
eide the question, but should ask Con-
gress to submit it to the whole mass
of the people. He said he had little
fear of the color line in settling the
question.
Rev. Mr.. Brundage said that if pro-
hibition law should be adopted the
sobriety here would have a good eff
feet on the. people who came here. and
it's effect also would be felt the coun-
try over. He expressed the fear that
If the question were submitted to a
voice of the people. and they should
vote against 1t. this action alone. might
be taken by Congress as an excuse
against further action. He charged
that the liquor interests knew how the
people would vote, for they were ad-
vocating its submission to the whole
people.
Complaints About Sidewalks.
Several complaints against bad side
walks and the lack of sidewalks were
referred to the committee on streets,
sidewalks and lights for action. One
was a complaint against the muddy
condition of the sidewalk on the west
side of Lincoln road between street
and Todd place, caused by mud being
washed from a bank adjacent to the
walk. 1t was necessary, it was al
and endanser their lives. There is no
sidewalk on the east side of the
thoroughfare. P. H. Walsh complained
of the bad sidewalk on u street from
Lincoln road to Summit place.
The association gave a little of its
time last night to listening to argu-
ments as to why it should join the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
presented by E. F. Colladay, president
of the association. and William NICK.
Clayton, the first president of the
body. No action was taken on the
question last night.
Action on the proposal to increase the
rate of interest for small loans in the
District by amending the loan shark"
law was deferred until the next meet
ing. The question was referred to the
executive committee for action and re-
port at that time.
The question of favoring the passage
by Congress of an adequate pension
law for flremen and policemen also
| was referred to the executive commit
| tee.
Appointment Of Committees.
The following committees were ap-
pointed:
Executive committee-Dr. Edgar D.
Thompson. chairman; Selden NJ. Ely,
Edward Foulke, Herman f. Blau, AL
| bert F. Mcdowell. William G. Hender-
son, A. o. Tingley and A. Coulter Wells.
| Membership-C. A: Bowman. chair
D. Yoakley. U. G. Perry, A. H. Jaeger
and P. H. Walsh.
| Railways-W. G. Henderson. chair
man: julius e. Rockwell. w. ]. Hughes
and A. v. Scholes.
Press-Albert D. Spangler, chairman;
r. L. Grace. Jay F. Bancroft and Charles
E. Kern.
| Streets, sidewalks and lights-Herman
e. Blau, chairman; Charles Gersdorff,
A. o. Tingley. w. ]. Armstrong. w. L.
| Mantz, W. F. Finn and T. H. Hall.
| Sewers and water-H. S. Meekham.
! chairman: S. T. Farmer, H. ]. Redfeld,
! e. g. Bruce and F. B. McGivern.
| Fire and police-Arnold L. Burd. chair
man; j. b. Corridor, J. w. Loveless, w.
J. Frizzell and r. ]. Mawhinney.
| School and schoolhouses - Martin