The Washington herald., 1921-11-06
Live Organization Boasts of
100 Per Cent Membership
Enrolls Every Male Resident of Locality Since
Starting With Eighty-six Charter
Members in April, 1919.
By MARY meDUFFIE HAMPTON.

By MARY MeDUFFIE HAMILTON
ours Is the best citizens associa-
ton Of them ALL" Is the unmistak-
able meaning seen by all visitors
TO the Sixteenth Street Highlands
CitiSsSs' Association OF course
other citizens associations think the
same thing, but the members of
the Sixteenth Street Association
seem to have an Unborn feeling that
their community and their homes
and their organization Is the best.
A hundred per cent membership
Is the record of the organization. In
the big membership drive in which
they too took their active part ten
new members were added to the or
ganization- The chairman Of men,
bershIp committee looked very sad
when he explained.
I'VE couldn't win more than ten
in our drive, because there were
only ten here who did not belong,
newcomers to the locality. But
they belong now-we all belong out
here"
The Sixteenth Street Highlands
Citizens Association Is thought of
by washIngtonians more generally
in connection with their recent fight
for the abolition OF the Fourteenth
street loop and proper traffic pre-
cautions at the crossings of Ken
needy and Fourteenth streets and
Colorado avenue, where Leslie Pratt,
$500 Thirteenth street was recent
ly killed.
That is one of the most dagger
Gus crossings in Washington" ex-
claim each and every citizen out
there as they point to the fatal cor
ner. The question of the loop Is
one that causes genuine agitation
among ali the members of the asso-
ciation-and It is problem being
fought by them now.
Boy Recently Killed.
Two months ago a 12-year-old
son of one of the members of that
community was killed on the cross
ing before the eyes of several
prominent citizens. And that was
not the first but one of long Sc
ries of accidents.
The organization was spurred to
action as vigorous as the accident
had been horrible. and the result is
the present agitation against the
loop.
Not only several streets. two OF
which are steeply graded. intersect
at that corner. but the street car
line makes a very sharp turn. the
Fourteenth street loop, crossing the
sidewalk on part of its route.
IT have treated seven serious in
juries to persons which happened at
the corner" said Dr. L ]. Battle.
one OF the most active members OF
the association and whose home
faces the dangerous corner.
Dangerous to Motorists.
'T have seen endless minor acct
dents there too, which only by the
grace of Heaven were not fatal. and
within the last few days I have
counted twenty occasions when the
brakes OF machines had to be
thrown on so quickly that the
screeching could be heard up in my
office" he Said.
DIR. Battle is one of those char
acters which endear a community to
its members. He was the first pres
ident OF the association and from
that time has been one of the most
active leaders.
When little Leslie Pratt was
killed the climax OF feeling was
reached out here" he said. Point
ing to his operating table he said.
They brought him in here with his
little ribs crushed and he died on
the way in the ambulance"
The accident according 30 the
citizens. had been due wholly to the
situation OF the loop. A committee
was Immediately appointed by the
citizens Association, headed by Dr..
Rattle which visited the street car
company and the Commissioners
with their petition.
They have now given us a street
turtle no bigger than an ordinary
virginia mince pie-too small to OBJ
serve by day and impossible to see
at night" he exclaimed Indignant
~. We ought to have a traffic
policeman at that corner and the
loop removed. We must have a
semaphore. at least" he said.
By constant calls on the public
utilities committee results are
dawning in the fight The commit
tee has ordered the Capital Trac-
ton Company to abolish the loop
and build a switch in it's place, and
Commissioner Oyster has promised
Or. Battle, in his most recent cali
that the association shall have a
semaphore as soon as possible.
Elect New OnIcer..
Last week brought in the fourth
set OF executive officers in the his
tory of the organization, with c. r..
Asher as president. The chairmen
OF the committees are as follows.
Membership committee, ]. NJ. Man
pin; taxation and assessments. p
NJ Dealer; press and postal facili-
ties, W. f. Coleman; streets, alley,
sidewalks and lights, F. p. Weller.
sewers and water. B. r. StIckney:
IRE and police protection, B. /.
Balch; education, J. c. BENJAMIN.
parks and parking, w. E. Daudt:
public health, DR.. L. J. Battle:
transportation, L. J. Julihn; laws
and legislation, C. W. Darr.
The Sixteenth Street Highlands
Citizens Association was created in
April. 1919, with eighty-six charter
members. DR.. Battle was the main
ngure in drawing together the
group into this organization and
accordingly he was elected presi-
dent. The other officers were Paul
r. Grove, first vice president:
Francis r. Weller, second vice pres
ident; Maj. C. f. Edwards, treas
urer, and Capt c. H. Johnston, sec
rotary.
From the time of its o<.5sn the
organization has been active in Sc
curing improvements for the local
ity and carrying out the aims OF the
association, which are:
Aims of the Association.
The object of this. association
shall be to devise and cooperate in
carrying into effect measures for