Evening star., 1922-02-05
CONGRESS NEGLECT
OF D. c. DENOUNCED
Senator Gooding Pictures
Washington as Helpless
and SuppIicant Child.
STORM BREWS ION HILL"
City Declared to Be Denied Chance
Number of Champions Ex-
pected to Come Forth.
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY.

Suffering and failing from the
malnutrition of the scant attention
Of Congress. denied the nourishment
of appropriations to do its work, but
continually suppressed and con-
demned by its foster parent, the
national legislature, when II falls
crumbling at it's feet under the
pressing load of disaster. villiied and
denounced for it's failure to perform
the functions of a full-grown munich
pality, Washington stands today, as
supplicant child. begging for
chance To do its duty.
This was the picture of the Capital
city painted last night by Senator
Gooding of Idaho, member OF the
Senate District committee, and one of
the most Jealous workers in Con-
gress for the District. and one who
frankly says that Washington has
never had chance. Ii lacks civic
responsibility, he says. and leans
like a pampered child on the Con-
gress. always waiting for some one
else to do things for it.
Blame Put ON Congress-.
Senator Gooding was vehement in
his denunciation of the system which
permits in the great United States
a group Of people who are bound
by shackles which do not permit
them to assume civic responsibility.
1t took disaster to jolt Congress, or
at least a few members. he said, to
a realization of the fact that the
District is helpless and that on the
shoulders of Congress rests the
blame. Senator Gooding squarely
puts it there.
Already volcanic rumblings, fig
uratively speaking. can be heard
around the Senate, of the conditions
in the District for which, Senator
Gooding says. Congress is to blame.
Ii may burst out any time. Even
now it is known that some senators
are giving serious thought to getting
up on the floor of the Senate and
blandly discriminating the national
legislatu ture for shirking its RESPONSE
bility. by refusing the District Of
20
duty as a municipality. They have
voiced their sentiments to the writer
in strong language. and frankly ad-
NIT that they are sick and tired of
seeing the District of Columbia at
tackled in the halls of Congress for
conditions which Congress is alone
responsible.
First to State Views.
Senator Gooding is, one of that
group Of senators. He has discussed
the matter with them, but he is the
first to allow his views to be made
public. and then only reluctantly
after persistent requests. While the
senator from Idaho speaks only for
himself. it is known from talks with
others who are not yet ready to ex-
press themselves publicly that the
sentiments and opinions which he
voices are substantially those OF other
senators in the group.
City Fails in Test.
"It seems that every time the city
is placed to a test under trying con-
ditiOnS 1t 1allS, Sdiu SeHdtoI Hoou'
TT is true that it has taken terrible
tragedy to bring it out. But there
was the Knickerbocker Theater.
city failed in it's inspections. There
was the Armistice day jam. and later
the snowstorm. 1t could not handle
them. What more does it take to
show any member of Congress that
something is wrong. 1t will never
be better until the people are given
responsibility.
'In looking over the ruins of the ter
rib.e catastrophe at the knickIrbocker
Theater with other senator's the other
day, 1 was then and am now thorough
ly convinced that there was an utter
lack of proper inspection and safe
guards. AS with the Knickerbocker. so
it is with other construction in the city.
LAS know the people of the District
of Columbia, they are group of more
than the average intelligence. he con-
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