Evening star., 1921-12-08
HOME FOLKS JOIN
IN FIGHT FOR CITY
Veteran Residents Birthday
Celebration an Enthusiastic
Civic Gathering.
BEACH URGES LIBERALlTY
Chief Army Engineer, Commls'
sioners and Others Cite Needs
. of Capital.

The fifty-sixth anniversary OF the
birth of the Association OF oiaest AL
habitapts of the District OF COLUMBIA
celebrated at the Ebbitt Hotel with
a banquet last night, developed into
an enthusiastic home-folk satherihs
of Commissioners, an eN-Cominlssioher
and civic leaders. working together
for a greater Washington
, Setting aside the formalitics OF SIM
liar public occasions, officials ana cltl-
zens Joined in coming together for
discussion Of the things which wash
ineton needs and for which they have
been fighting. to make II capital
city in keeping with the dignity or
the United States.
The dominant thought OF the evening
was voiced by Maj. Gen. Lansing ii.
Beach, chief of engineers of the Army 4.
when ha declared that members OF
Congress in legislating for the DIS.
trict should think of it as the capital
of the nation and not as q munici-
pality.
Commissioners Cuno II. Rudolph,
James f. Oyster and Col. Charles kel-
Ter joined with Gen. Beach in Voicing
the hope that Washington will be de-
veloped with a view to making 1t the
most beautiful capital of the world.
Asks Recognition of Rights.
Theodore W. Noyes. president of
the Association of Oldest Inhabitants.
in opening the discussion which fol-
lowed the dinner sought to impress
upon his audience the necessity for
recognizing the political and financial
rights of the more than 100000 per-
sons who live-isl the National Capital
His declaration of Washinstons >
right to representation in Congress
and to have tine federal government
meet a reasonable proportion of the
cost of maintaining the federal city
received the hearty Endorsement Of
the heads of various civic organiza-
tionS who spoke.
Those speakers included Thomas
Bradley, president of the Board of
Trade: Albert SShulteis, president of
the Chamber of Commerce.; Charles
of Citizens A ssociations; Z. c.
Graham, head Of the City Club, and
Jesse c. Suter, president of the So
ciety of Natives of the District of CO.
lumbia.
Business Session.
The banquet at the Ebbitt was
preceded by a hrief business session
at the Union engine house. 18th and
H streets. at which officers for the
ensuing year "Stc eicClcu Inc oHly
changes in the staff Of officers were:
Matthew Trimble& made a vice presi-
dent in place of Henry c. Coburn. de-
ceased; Gen. Charles H. Ourand, made
marshal, vice Mr.. Trimble-
Rev. william Tayloe Snyder opened
the banquet program with an invoca-
ton, after which John Clagett Proc
tor read an original and entertaining
poem, I'VE Are Always Alert" which
was generously arplauded.
Gives Organizathrn's Watchworo. :
In opening his address. President
Noyes called attention that the asso-
citation was celebrating its fifty-sixth
birthday anniversary. He said that the
watchword of the organization is fair
play and prosperity-fhlancial and politi-
cal equfty-for Washin gtonians"-
"Since our last anniversary dinner our
campaign for voting repreSentati ton in
Congress and the electoral college, with
out disturbance Of national control of
the nations city has recorded two bat
ties" said the president. ''In January,
before the Heuse judiciary committee,
cur citizens Joint COMMITTEES on national
ali the city's strong civic organiza tions,
including. Of course, the Oldest Inhab-
itants, made a most effective presenta-
ton of our case. Among the spokesmen
for Washington on the occasion the Old
est Inhabitants Association was worth
lily represented by Patriarch Washington
Topham, who made a fbrcible and ef-
fective speech.
To-day we are engaged in a similar
he.,ring before the Senate District COM
mAttes. The Districts case has here