The Washington times., 1922-10-19
Committee To
UNITE D. {. FOR
WORK ON HILL
Civic Organizations Join Forces
to Present Local Needs to
Congress Properly.

cember consideration of all matters
relating to the welfare Of voteless
Washington will be presented to the
Senate and House District Commit
tees by a centralized agency, repre-
sentative of the city's best interests.
Today formal announcement was
made Of the organization of the Joint
Committee for Civic Betterment, com
posed Of duly appointed representa-
tives of the Rotary, Kiwanis, Civitan,
Lions. Cosmopolitan. and Optimists
Clubs, the Chamber Of Commerce
and the Merchants and Manufac,
! turers Association. all OF which are
vitally interested in the welfare OF
the District.
| While the joint committee will not
| speak in the name of the organiza'
tions that are now or may later be
affiliated with II. except when
specifically authorized to do so. IL
was pointed out today that its con
certed action will be productive OF
strong pressure in legislative mat.
tiers before tho Congressional bodies
In charge OF District matters.
Functions Of Committee.
Here are the five functions Of
! the Joint Committee:
| To coordinate civic endeavor
so that the constituent organiza-
tions NAV be heard as one
through this Joint Committee.
To consider questions of public
welfare and make suitable report
to constituent organizations
To investigate or cause 10 be
investigated I.ublic and individual
undertakings and max" report on
the same. said reports TO be avail
able to all constituent orSaniz1.
tons.
To strive for the elimination OF
the useless and waStcfHl ana
Coordinat" til" energy of the CON
stitu"It organizations in pro.
duCtirC ana constructive direct.
| ions.
Final action cannot bc had on
any matter until "A InL iOrity OF
/ the ConSti,ue mt organiZa ton5 have
! authorized the same.
! The Orga niZHtiOn of tho ioint com.
| mitte". II was explained today by
| the sponsors of the plan. is the be-
ginning of a long sought movement
for the CentralizatiOn Of organized
activity in the District to promote
and unity effort on broad public i'm.
provements.
The constitution and bylaws OF the
committee will provide that there
shall he two representatives from
each club or orga niziltion. one Of
whom shall be the president and tn"
| other n delegate. There will be no
permanent chairman, the presidents
of the constituent organizations in
turn acting as Chairmcn. rotating in
the order in which the organizations
| appear on the committees roster.
Columbus as Secretary.
Charles J. Columbus. secretary of
| the Merchants and Fanufa cturers
Association. is the newly.eleCted
chairman of the joint committee and
will serve in this capacity for one
year. Headquarters have been es.
tablished on the fourth floor of the
Star Building, Eleventh street and
Pennsylvania avenue.
No dues ar" paid by the Constit
| uent clubs and organizations or
| delegates. The bylaws further pro
vide that meetings shall bc hold
bonthly. Special meetings may be
| called at the request of three mem
bers who shall designate time, place
and purpose of the meeting
The following constitute the
membership of the Joint Committee
for Civic Retirement:
James p. Schick, Seton. Dair,
Rudolph Jose, NJ. A. Lesse. Michael
Heister. 7. l.. Goldhcim. John
Poole. a. f. Seymour. w. Knowles
Cooper, Gen. Anton stephen,
Charles Roberts. Albert Srhult"is.
Claude Woodward, Frank Parsons,
Joseph Burkart, and Charles j.
Columbus.
Prevents Crossed Wires.
The centralized committee. it was
explained, will hereafter take preCe.
dence over all individual bodies in
appearing before the House and Dis.
trict committees in support of legiS.
lation.
1t also was forecast that the com.
mittee. representing the consensus
Of opinion on civic improvements,
will be able to obtain much greater
cooperation from Congress in the
future. for in the past there has been
considerable "wire.crossing" by diff
ferent representatives who appeared
before the Senate and House District
Committees, with the result that
pending measures have been ShClNch
IN disgust. This condition, it was
asserted. will be eliminated at hear.
ings in the future, and 1t is believed
that aneely artion IN NODDED lpplS-