Evening star., 1917-12-05
DECLARES FAVOR
Of D. c. SUFFRAGE
Columbia Heights Association
Records Affirmative Vote
After Spirited Debate.
ADDRESS BY Mr.. GARDINER

diner, the guest of the evening, declin-s
ing to speak upon the question. the Co
ilumbia Heights Citizens' Association
last night adopted the report of its leg
islative committee, approving national
representation in Congress and the
electoral college for the District and
the franchise for the people Of the Ma
tional Capital
'I am going to keep OF the suffrage
and the dog and cat question tonight"
said Commissioner Gardiner, in begin
ming his address to the citizens meet
ing in the Powell School. He kept his
word. Although exciting debate arose.
following his address. upon the matter
of national representation, the Commits
sioner smiled through it all. Even dur
ing the last moments of the meeting,
when citizen introduced a resolution
asking the association to express its
disapproval of Commissioner Gardeners
proposed ten-dollar tax on dogs,--the |
author of the big-tax-on-canines idea
again smiled.
Talks Of Burdens Hard to Garry.
Two burdens hard to carry for the |
! District Commissioners these days. |
Commissioner Gardiner told the citi- |
zens, are the street railways and the |
telephone situation. The latter. he safd |
picket Question" Z
The Commissioners were petitioned |
today by the Chesapeake and Potomac |
Telephone Company that they be al
phone" said the speaker. 'They say
they can't live" He intimated that the |
public utilities commission, composed |
of the Commissioners, Is facing a hard |
deavor to do justice to all concerned.
Street Railway Situation.
Speaking of the street railway situa-
tion. Commissioner Gardiner said:
ut is serious question. But I can't
pie have come into the city since the |
war began. The government could not |
have anticipated that.
But how now to relieve the ,situa- |
come so serious that we have been
forced to get experts to. devise some
system to adequately handle the traf- |
flc. There are some lines in the city |
that are not giving the good service |
they ought.
Some plan is needed, certainly. Il
don't believe we can. relieve the situa- |
tion on the trackage We have. You
vania avenue or 18th street than there
are there now" >,
The Commissioner warmly praised |
the tn, citizens, slia associations Of the city.
community like this. whore we have
no vote. it is important that we |
have such associations"
Suffrage Resolution introduced.
Harry A. L. Barker, chairman of the
laws and legislative committee,
brought In the report favoring rep
resentation In Congress for the Dis
trict, and suffrage here and pointed |
out that several years ago the asso-
with but one dissenting vote.
! c. C.. Lancaster spoke AGAINST the
proposition, calling residents Of Wash.
ington simply sQuatter.." and urging
prime reason for no suffrage here.
A. Leftwich Sinclair and other citil 1
% Gems bitterly opposed Mr.. ,Lancaster's
rThe time has arrived for us to demand
national representation in the electoral
college and In Congress-" declared MI.
we want our manhood" said another
At this point Commissioner Gardiner
came In, and debate was suspended while
he addressed the association. But the
moment ne finished Mr.. Lancaster again
Cannot Agree With Mr.. Lancaster.
President Frederick ". Rice arosa ard
expressed In strong terms his condemna-
ton OF MIR. Lancaster's views on local
suffrage. Aoeo
..The very idea Of any one rising and
taking the negative side Of a question that
means so much to the citizens of the
National Capital" President Rica said
He "apologized. he said. to Commis-
sioner Gardiner that he had to listen to
such an address.
The president of the association then
called upon the members to pass the
resolution with not more than one dis
senting vote. as in former days.
A large chorus of ayes" followed.
When mo" was called for, there was
plainly more than one vote in the mega
Mr.. Payne's Suggestion. I
E. W. Payne calmed troubled waters
with short address. pointing out the |
benefits of free and disspassionate dis
cussion of all questions. He expressed |
the opinion that suffrage for the Dis |
trict would be a fine thing. With
other benefits. he said. the vote
would tend to make Washington a |
city of home-makers." whereas at |
present there is large floating popu-