Evening star., 1920-03-14
mount PLEASANT
ASSOCIATION MEETS
Citizens Regret Thurston
Resignation-Discuss
Civic Needs.

The Mount Pleasant Citizens Asso-
citation. at a meeting last night at the
Johnson-Powell School. went on rec
ord favoring the administration of the
public schools of the District Of Co
lumbia by Ernest L. Thurston, and ex-
pressing regret that his resignation
had been asked for. Copies Of the reSo-
luton were directed to be sent to DR..
John Van Schaick, jr. president of
the board of education to Mr.. Thurs
ton and to Senator Harrison of the
Senate committee investigating the
public schools of the District of Co.
lumbi
Proposal that the association adbpt
resolution favoring the appoint
ment of Inspector Clifford L. Grant as
| major and superintendent of police
aroused protest from various mem
i bers of the association. William P
Rayner introduced the resolution and
1t was seconded by Rudolph Jose
Capt w. +. Bancroft precipitated
| discussion by offering an amendment
that the association should not go on
record as favoring any one man, but
shouid Hdorse selection of new ma :
Jor of police from the ranks of the
force. This motion was finally adopt
ea py the association after discus
SIoi Dy MeSSrs. jose. Rayner and
William Henry White. the latter
speaking in support of the amended
motion and the former two support
ing the original motion. An attempt
TO limit the field of selection to fill
the office of major of police from the
five inspectors was defeated by q
large vote.
Committee to Attend HEARINGS.
The association Instructed it's public
utilities committee TO attend hearings
soon TO be held before the Public
otihties Commission on increases in
rates for gas and an increase in car
tafe from four tickets for a quart er
transfers. \ motion by w. NJ Lewis
70 instruct the members of the public
utilities committee to oppose all
raises IN rates either of gas or of
street car riding was lost and the
delegates were instructed to use their
own Judgment as to opposition by the
ASSOCIATION as to increases. President
Sappinston urged all members of the
association to attend the hearings as
matter of public benefit
IN explaining the instructions to the
members of the public utilities com
.nittee Dr. Sappington said he
thought every one would be willing
to grant increased revenue to the
ashington Railway and Electric
Company if the service was corre-
spondingly improved. He said, how
ever. he had not seen any indication
or Improvement in service since the
raise 10 the present rate of fare
Urges Street Car Merger.
william Henry White, when called
upon oy the president 70 explain to
the association as repI sentative at
other hearings the whole matter of
the traction situation, said he thought
the only logical and possible way to
secure better street car service in
Washington is to get merger
what we have got to do to solve
the street car problem" Mr.. White
said. lis to pay the companies enough
to make fair return on their prop
erty. BY this 1 do not mean on their
stock, but on the operating value of
the properties. This does not mean
we should pay the Capital Traction
Company more than they want. but
that we should pay the Washington
Railway and Electric Company enough
to live on. The only possible solution
is merger" q
+. c. Coldren. chairman of the as
sociation committee on parks and
parking, said that from recent observa-
tion by him there is no chance for legis-
lation to purchase park sites favored by
the Board of Trade at the present
session of Congress.
On motion of DR.. C. B. Campbell.
chairman of the association commit
| tee on sanitation, the organization
went on record in favor of diversion
Of sewage into other channels than
Rock creek. He said children bathing
In Rock creek are endangered by
sewage emptied into the stream.
Condition of the north and south
car tracks at 7th street and Pennsyl-
va mia avenue northwest formed the
subject of complaint by Maj Rob
ert H. Young. Maj. Young claimed
automobiles are subjected to serious
danger of breakage when crossing the
tracks by reason of the rough char
acter of the crossing. William Henry
White was elected delegate to the
Federation Of Citizens Associations,
vice Herman A: Phillips, resigned.