Evening star., 1920-11-16
CAPL.0Ys7ERURGES'
D. C. VOTING RIGHTS.
Board of Trade Head Pleads
for National Representa-,
ton and Other Changes.

National representation for Wash
ington; immediate provision iof
schoolhouse construction on scale
adeouate to the needs Of the commu-
nity. increased water supply; pubhc
nt;lities commission. separate and in
denendeut. and more pay for govern :
mont workers were urged last nlsht
nv president James F. oyster. speak
ing to 1,0O8 members OF the w asnins
ton Board of Trade at the thirtieth an :
nual meeting of that organization. at
the Willard Hotel. Besides the annual
report of the president. the reports or
the secretary and treasurer were SUD
rnitted and ten directors were eiecteu
for three-year terms.
"R.duced to the minimum essen
tiaIs." said Capt. oyster, the situa-
tiou regarding national representa-
tion is this: Our common councii, tne
Congress of the United states Is ae-
orived Of the authentic voice of the
district of Columbia on the floor when
District questions of great pith and
moment are up for discussion ana set
tlement This should not De. TO deiay
action longer VIII prove d ealahie9
to our people.
s.,uf. OYSTER Discusses ID. C. Suffrage.
.rhe fear Of indiscriminate suffrage
has probably impelled Congress to de-
Law action nile personally De
leye that every man ana woman
whose citizenship is unimpaired oy
mental deIect or crime Is eh'i.l.u
fn saving that qualifications for SUI
frage would not be unacceptable 70
our people. That IS TO say. there
might be properly qualifications. edu-
SaIional qualifications ana cunuia-
fiy, poll tax The essential thing IS
Ia secure at the earliest possible mo-
ment as large a measure or sell-goV-
ernment for the people OF the Dlstrict
of Columbia as the Congress IS WILL
ing to grant.
elected November =. and functioning
after March 4, may reasonably anu
confidently be expected to grant Us
what we ask and to Amerlcanlze the
un-Americans of the District Oh Co
lumbia." ot
have the Board of Trade. at the pres
ent time, commit itself to any speclnc
procedure for the raising OF money ~
finance an adequate building scheoule
for school buildings for the DistrlCt.
H. pointed out that the use OF the
sIrnIns money now in the United
STATES Treasury to the credit OF the
District, totallng s4,000,0o0. II used
under the half-and-half plan. making
approximateIy Ss,0OU.Ooo, Woulu y.
prudent; but he advised against shut
ting the door to Il BOND issue 10 faise
money for this purpose.
Would Complete School Program.
Il think it wise, however. SAID
Can't. Oyster. that the board shouio
go on record as unanimously IN
dorsing the completion of the build
ing program of the achoolhouse COM
mission of 1906. together with such
aupplementation as recent deNeiop-
ments convince the board OF eouca
!tion to be essential
ire president said that while ne
had been devoting the attention ol
the board primarily to the need OF
a,.hooIhouse construction, he was NOT
unmipd1ul of the necessity Tor hisner
rates of pay for the teaching stan OF
m. schools. and for the supervising
and administrative corps.
Due 10 the increase in population
@ba demand upon the water supply
of the District has more tnan once
reached the danger point and IN some
instances passed it. according 10 capt.
.Whatever investment may be requi-
site" said the speaker. snouio pc
made without avoidable delay IN
order to give the, nations capital an
abundant water supply in the resi-
dental sections for househoid pur-
poses.
rrre. Pay Raise for U. 8. Employees.
In regard to an increase in salaries for
,ovsrnment employees, Capt. Oyster
said that living expenses had Increased
90 such an extent that an increase
SHOULD be Immediately adopted. he
nointed out that in order to carry on