The Washington herald., 1921-09-04
CITIZENS BODIES
GAIN INFLUENCE
WITH CONGRESS
Achieve Unity After
r. Many Years of
Failure.
STAND FOR PUBLIC
Traction Merger and Utilities
Commission Early OBJ
-, jectives.
STAND FOR PUBLIC

A visitor looking in on a session
OF the Federation OF Citizens Asso-
4 ciattons' meeting on a Saturday
night in the District Building would
scarcely guess that this now thriv-
Ing and substantial organization
was attempted 70 less than four or
nve times before 1t succeeded
Neither would he suppose that,
though Washington has had citizens
associations for approximately forty
years this central body or union
Is barely eleven years old.
II would be a long story to re-
count the details OF all the attempts
that failed They may be summed
up In the brief statement that the
great difficulty each time was that
the neighborhood bodies feared that
thsy would be absorbed and their
Identity lost in the bigger body
Petty jealo1usies had a part, but only
minor part in the thought that
etner associations might
AI OF hese things were soon for
gotten when the federation plan
was actually under way.
Trade Body Calls Meeting.
Instead of having one of the citi-
Eens' associations send out the call
proposing that representatives meet
and discuss plans for a union. as
, nSd been done each time before, the
washington Chamber of Commerce
was approached. Tom Grant, then Its
secretary, readily consented to is
sue the letter and it was sent to all
civic and trade bodies.
Mr.. Grant at that time knew LITTLE
about citizens associations, but he
snered into the suggestion with en-
thusiasm. such enthusiasm in fact
that the embryo federation found it.
self face to face at the initial meet
Ing with an amusing but none the
less serious predicament.
In the goodness of his heart Mr..
Grant had sought out the names of
all the citizens associations, with
their officers, in the city of Wash
iugton.
CoIored Citizens Invited.
1t so happened that there were
then as now some twelve or thir-
teen colored citizens associations in
the District and they received Mr..
Grants invitation in the same sin
Cere spirit in which il was sent.
After comforting to make sure that
other colored societies had been in
vited. they selected delegates and
We're represented in force at the
meeting, dressed as befitted the oc-
casiOn.
William NICK Clayton, as tempo
rary chairman OF the meeting, un-
dErstOOd the situation. Carefully
squelching the ardor of some of the
whites who in their local associa-
tiOns had occasionally preached
Jim Crow" cars for the District, he
explained to all the delegates the
advantages of two federations in
stead of one, and also the difficulties
In this city Of a mixed body, with
! the result that the colored dele
gates withdrew in good humor and
proceeded with plans for a citizens
federation of their own
Momentous Question at Outset.
Without a settled plan, the first
meetings of the federation faced
vital problems of policy at the out
set. She aid this union be broad
enough to include all civic bodies.
such as the Board of Trade and
Chamber of Commerce. or should II
be confined to citizens associations
strictly?
should the number of delegates
from each association be a fixed
number or should the constituent
bodies have representation in pro-
portion to their size?
The facts that determined were
these: But sixteen citizens as
sOciations had responded to this
hrst invitation. some with one
delegate. others with two and
three II the trade bodies were
admitted and given representation
In proportion to their size the citi-
zens' associations. IL seemed. would
be swallowed and lost. The local
citizens associations had smaller
memberships then than now. And
a number of the larger citizens
associations at that first meeting
were holding aloof, waiting to see
what the attempt at combining
WOtid amount to-
Proposed sSenate PIan.-
4 This prospect of being COM
HIetely overshadowed and perhaps
fubmerged by the trade bodies de-
Ecrmined the matter of representa-
tion for the citizens association
Delegates. They were for the sen
ate plan" a fixed number Of dele
rates for each association regard
less of its size.
Ehe question of whether or not
trade bodies should be admitted at
once shrunk to insignificant pro
portions. Instead of being acted
upon positively II was left open and
10 this day trade bodies may send
delegates 70 the Federation of Citi-
Eens' Associations should they so
iesfre.
Another question bothered the
1elegates-what should they call the
infant? Before they could adopt a
constitution and bylaws they must
have a name. Some wanted to call
Il -a-''council." others a house of
representatives." The council" ad-
gocates for the most part insisted
that Eproperly every member of a
citizens association should be re-
garded as a member OF the fedora
lion and the delegates to the fede-
= ration were really members OF a
council and were not the whole fed
sration. The possibility that this
might revive the question of rep
tesenfation caused its defeat and
he hame Federation of Citizens
Associations OF the District of Co.
Iumbla was adopted.
Federation Ofieers Visit Locals.
The provisions of the constitution
we're not all adopted when a care
En campaign to interest the out
side citizens associations was
started by the officers and more
Ictivs spirits in the federation.
Each neighborhood association in
turn was visited. and the plan of
the union explained. The objec-
Hon that the central body was
destined to take over all the func-