Evening star., 1916-01-08
Members to Act on Resolution
Favoring Referendum Vote
on Prohibition in District.
MONTHLY Meeting DATE
IS SET FOR JANUARY rs
Other Matters Of Importance, In
cluding Several Annual Reports,
Also on the Program.

January 25 has been set as the date
for the monthly meeting Of the WASH
ington Board of Trade, at which reso-
luton favoring a referendum vote to
decide the question of prohibition In
the District will be submitted to the
full membership of the organization
The meeting will be held in the ball
room of the New willard Hotel.
Great interest is being manifested in
the Forthcoming meeting by reason of
the referendum resolution. 1t will be
the first time the Board of Trade has
ever considered matter having
bearing on the prohibition question
The resolution was introduced recently
at meeting of the board Of directors
by Chris j. Gockeler; the directors de-
cided to submit the matter to the full
membership.
Seeks Direct Vote Here.
The resolution asks that Congress
direct that the residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia be given an oppor-
tunity to vote on the matter of prohi-
bition in the National Capital. In its
present form it would mean that all
residents of the District would he per-
mitted to cast a vote, in the opinion
of some members of the board who
have read the resolution. since 1t does
not specifically state that only male
residents" shall be permitted to vote
BY reason of the wording of the reso-
luton it is believed by some members
of the board that the matter of woman
suffrage will be injected into the dis
cussion when the resolution Is submit
ted to the organization. Whether the
resolution will be adopted by the board
in it's original form is a matter which
will be left to the full membership to
decide.
Annual Reports to Come Up.
A special report on bad check law"
and the annual reports of the commit
tees on bridges, streets and avenues
and public health, which were to have
been considered at the December meet
ing of the board, are to be submitted at
the meeting called for January 25. The
annual report of the committee on pub
lie schools also will be submitted.
Announcement was made today that
on the night of January 20 the mem
bership committee of the board will
give a dinner to E. F. Colladay. retir-
ing chairman of the committee. at the
Continental Hotel, in recognition of his
services to the committee. The com
mittee in charge of arrangements for
the dinner is planning number of sur
prises to be included in the program
of entertainment for the evening.
New Auto Tax Favored.
At a luncheon rendered the members
Of the transportation committee of the
board by its chairman, Charles F.
Wood, at the Commercial Club yester-
| day afternoon 1t was decided to author
ize a subcommittee to prepare reso-
luton recommending that the board
approve the annual registration of au-
tome obiles at nominal fixed sum, but
oppose the levying of a tax based on
the horsepower of the machine. or on
any other basis to be fixed by the COM
missioners in lieu of the personal tax.
The subcommittee consists of Charles
F.. Wood, Charles Conradis, E. c. Gra-
ham. C. Phillips Hill, o. G. Staples and
Robert S. Hume.
Active steps are to be taken by the
committee of industrial interests of the
board in the fight being waged against
itinerant merchants and fake auction
houses. The committee Is to hold a
meeting next Tuesday for the purpose
of deciding upon the initial steps to be
taken in the matter.