Evening star., 1919-05-04
Federation Advises Affiliated
Bodies Not to Pay the
Increases.
REPEAL OF B0RLAND
PAVING LAW PROPOSED
Financial Help Also Urged in
Campaign for Enfranchise-
ment Of District.

! The Federation OF Citizens Associa-
tions last night authorized an sppro-
priation to carry its fight against in
creased telephone rates to the courts.
! 1T also adopted unanimously a resolu-
/ ton advising the members Of the several
! associations affiliated with the fedora
! tien not to pay the increases called for
in their telephone bills until further no.
! tice.
The membership of these bodies is esti-
mated at 10000 persons.
| Establishing a new precedent with re
/ gard to expenditures. the federation also
decided to call on the constituent bodies
for financial help in waging its campaign
for the enfranchisemcnt of the people Of
/ the District
Appoints Special Committee.
Appointment of special committee
| to work for the repeal of the Borland
law for street paving was authorized.
| while the law and legislation COM
mittee was instructed to confer with
the Commissioners in an effort to in
crease the usefulness of the municipal
| fish market as retail market.
While no formal policy as to ex-
penditures was outlined, it was evil
| denced at the meeting that the or
ganlzation is preparing to spend
money to accomplish the important
! reforms 1T has declared for Its funds
are limited, but the individual asso-
Citations are to be asked to make the
necessary contributions
Jesse p. Crawford. chairman of tn.
suffrage committee. was successful in
getting through resolution calling
on the individual associations for
help in the suffrage campaign. Thi.
committee is planning to go into the
states with an appeal to the American
people to confer the rights OF, Ameri-
can citizenship on the voteIess wash
| ingtonian.
Given an Appropriation.
Charles S. Shreve. chairman Of the
special committee appointed to deal
with the telephone situation. present
ed the request for an appropriation.
This will be paid out of the treasury
of the federation, and will cover the
necessary court costs. There will be
no attorney fees. Mr.. Shreve said.
| Both President Westlake OF the fed
GRAFTON and Mr.. Shreve predicted that
the federation will be successful in
it's effort to have set aside the order
of the Postmaster General increasing
telephone rates.
1t was stated that the telephone
| company already has mailed out the
May bills calling for the increases.
Rather than pay the additional
| charges under protest, the fedora
tion will advise the members Of the
individual associations to ignore
them pending the outcome Of the
mandamus proceedings to be insti-
tuted this week by the federation.
Will Fight Borland Law.
Effort to obtain the repeal of the
Borland law was proposed by Will.
liam NICK. Clayton. This law requires
owners of abutting property to meet
one half the cost Of street paving up
to a width of forty feet Since 1915.
when it went into effect, property
owners have been assessed $s53.1S7.
Mr. Clayton said, and this in face
of the fact that little street paving
was done during the war.
The amount to be levied against
property owners this year and next.
he said, would be much greater. Mr..
~ ole ota tod hat fha m.
$4,000. 900 of unexpended tax money
has been turned back into the Treas
ury during the past three years. and
that with this financial condition OBJ
tanning there is no justification for
requiring property owners to stand
the cost of street paving.
President westlake appointed Mr..
Clayton, Charles A. Baker and J.
Clinton Hiatt committee to urge tho
repeal of the Borland law. Every
citizens association IN the District
will be asked to select a representa-
tive to serve on the committee.
Discuss Fish Market
There was considerable discussion
market, where. It was claimed, suf-
ficient encouragement is not given the
producer to sell direct to the con-
sumer The municipal authorities, it
was charged, have not developed the
retail features of the market to the
extent that it is of any great ad
vantage to local consumers. The law
and legislation committee will seek
an early conference with the Commits
sioners to propose that fishermen be
permitted to rent retail stalls in the
market at a nominal figure. The Com
missioners will be asked to make reg
ulations which will stimulate retail
trade at the market and tend to lower
food costs.