Evening star., 1922-04-18
SOCIETY OF DISTRICT NATIVES
HOLDS FIRST ANNUAL BANQUET
Anniversary of Laying of Cornerstone
by Capital City Observed by
Washingtonians.
women interest themselves in affairs

, women interest themselves In affairs.
Figures ON Natives.
Mr. Noyes took occasion in his ad-
dress to submit figures In refutation
of the statement that Washington has
no native element, but Is made up OF
immigrants from every state in the
Union. On this point he said:
How many are there of us natives?
Who of US has not been confronted
with the popular delusion that WASH
ington is populated by alien tran
sients, and that the native Washing
tonian is a rare bird, or another wild
man from Borneo, the sole specimen
"The census of 1920 shows that of
the Districts 437.571 population f60,-
055 were born in the District (36.6 per
cent?, and that of the 326.s60 whites
in the District population 113,4S6 were
born in the District (34.7 per cent?.
The Districts relation to Maryland
and Virginia is SO intimate that Dis
trict residents born in these states
are near-natives, and are at least not
! to be classed as alien transients, col
lecting here solely for government
and temporary purposes
"If the District residents born in
Maryland are added to those born IN
the District the aggregate Is 20S.9s9,
or AIT per cent Of total population. III
District residents born in Virginia
are added to those born in the Dis
trict and in Maryland the total is
271,SS7. or 62.1 per cent of total popu-
lation. Un 1920 only 63.9 per cent OF
the population of New York was born
in the state. and only 63.1 per cent
of Lllinois.) But 2s.54s District resi-
dents are of foreign birth. and by
that fact are removed largely from
the category of transient visitors
from the states. Subtracting. this
!'number from the total population 1t
appears that the District residents OF
home birth--that is, birth in the Dis
trict, Maryland and Virginia-number
271.sS7. as against 137.036 born in all
the other states of the Union.
War Workers Gone.
When we consider how many
thousands of this 1906 have be-
come identified with the District as
isolated Washingtonians having no
connection with the state of their
birth, and when we consider how
many thousands of war workers from
| remote states were brought here in
| the war emergency and were still
here in 1920. this number of 137,036
Is not strikingly large. When dis
| counted as suggested 1t becomes
| small
Extraordinarily large numbers of
natives of the District remain at
home when the inducements or the
compulsions to self-exile are con-
sidered. Under the operation of the
| apportionment of offices law in con-
junction with the congressional pol
icy of discouraging commerce and in
i dustrial enterprise in the District.
| the District youth must go abroad in
order to get employment in the
classified service at home. And
| through the constitutional denial of
national representation to the Dis
! trict the Washingtonian must exile
| himself in order to be represented
and to participate in his national
local home government. For the
| purpose of admission to the Society
/ sible eligibles today and in reserve
for the future. A very substantial
and gratifying eligible list"
/ Evenings Program.
Rev. William Tayloe Snyder opened
/; the evenings program with an invo-
/, cation. The diners then Joined in re-
citing the salute to the flag.
Jesse c. Suter, president and one of
the founders of the society, made a
brief address of welcome, in which he
explained that the organization of
| natives has filled a need, in that it
has banded together Washingtonians
by birth who have not reached the
age of admission to the Association
of Oldest Inhabitants of the District.
George Washington Zachary of
Alexandria w Washington Lodge of
Masons read an interesting account
of the laying of the corner stone of
the National Capital at Jones Point,
below Alexandria, April Is. 1871.
Lee d. I.atimer presented to the
associat ton on behalf of William H.
Grovermann a silver-plated gavel.
| made from the wood of the old Morse
elm tree, which stood for more than a
century at 14th street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue. The tree derived it's
name from Prof. Samuel B. Morse, in
ventor of the telegraph. who is said
to have expounded his theory of send
| ing messages by wire under the shady
branches of the tree daily.
Miss Frances Scherger rendered a
number of soprano solos, accompanied
by Mrs. q. w. Alderman. Recitations
were given by Arthur B. White.