Evening star., 1921-06-07
AID
PROMISED DISTRICT
Senator Ball Gives Encour-
agement to North Washing
ton Citizens Association.

Promise that the present Senate
committee on the District of Columbia
will do its best to bring about what it
believes necessary legislation for bet
terment of the District was given by
Senator Ball of Delaware. its chairman.
at b meeting of the North Washington
Citizens Association last night, at the
United Brethren Church
senator Bail spoke on extension Of
tne Ball rent act. which he introduced; !;
q merger OF the two street car sys-
TENS IN the District and the need for
expansion and upbuilding of the Dis
tr1ct school system
He said he believed residents of
washington should not have a direct
vote for their District Commissioners.
vote for President of the United
States. He added that he believed the
power OF appointment of the board of
commissioners and the board of educa-
ton should be vested in the President.
Praises Citizens Associations.
Citizens associations" Senator Ball
SAID. afford Congress one of the best
means OF knowing what the residents
OF the District really want. Washing
ton was located and built with the idea
OF being the workshop of the federal
government. Its population is COM
posed IN large part of federal workers
or those whose work is directly related
10 that of the government. For those
reasons the government Of Washing
Ton is tightly different from that of
other cities.
BUT II the government is going to
govern Washington it must assume
the responsibility"
w. Turning to District fiscal relations
with the federal government, Senator
Ball said there is bill now in the
senate to restore the half-and- half
method of appropriations, which, he
said, will probably pass. Il stand
armly Tor the half-and half method of
financing, Senator Ball said. The
government owns almost half of the
improved property in Washington, and
II the government of the city were
turned over to the citizens the cost of
supporting the municipality would be
more than most of the residents could
stand"
Speaking of the housing situation,
Senator Ball said the Senate is now
holding hearings on extension of the
BAH rent act and said he believed the
emergency under which the act was
passed still exists. Protection of
government employees against extor-
tlonate rents is moral obligation on
congress-. he asserted. Yet the cap
ital must be encouraged to build"
1t is the opinion of the Senate District
committee that by merger of the two
street car companies the car fare could
be reduced from to 6 cents, Senator
Ball said. adding. however. that the
basis on which to force a merger is
hard to find.
Elimination of some of the suburban
lines of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company would only make the
housing situation in Washington worse.
he said. Under a merger, however, he
said Scent fare would provide capital
for extension and maintenance of the
suburban lines.
Turning to the public schools, Senator
Ball said there is a disposition in Con-
gress to make any necessary appropria-
tions for the public schools Of the Dis
trict. II can tell the association" he
said. that the school problems Of the
District will be solved satisfactorily.
The Washington schools, in my opinion
should be model for the nation"
The association went on record in
favor of oiling of North Capitol street
from v street north to Michigan avenue
A motion favoring building of an island
of safety at the intersection of Rhode
Island avenue and 1st street northwest
was passed. One candidate was elected
to membership. Charles H. Mayors pre-
sided.