Evening star., 1923-02-22
GREAT MONUMENT
LACKS4STONES
Society in Custody of Shaft,
at Brief Session, Notes
Western States Delay.

| owing to the illness of several Of
| ficers. the ninetieth annual meeting
of the Washington National Monu-
ment Society. held at noon today,
| lacked a quorum and was Immediately
adjourned until a date in the near
! future. The short session was held
at the home of Frederick Ls Harvey,
secretary, FLAG Florida avenue north
west.
! Before adjournment Secretary Har-
vey read the roll of members who
died during the past year. They were
DR.. Francis NJ. Gunnell, surgeon gen
eral of the Navy, retired, and Thomas
I Nelson Page. Tribute to the lives
| and works of these men was paid.
President Harding is president of
( the society by virtue of his office;
Justice Van Devanter is first vice
president: Charles &. Glover, second
vice president; Theodore w. Noyes.
! treasurer, and Frederick l.. Harvey,
secretary. Governors of the various
| states are ex-officio vice presidents
! Secretary Harvey, in an interview
with a representative of The Star to-
day, pointed out that Idaho. Arizona,
North Dakota and New Mexico have
+, not piaced state stones in the Shaft
iof the Washington Monument The
South Dakota stone was placed in the
Monument last year with appropriate
ceremonies, and Idaho is expected to
place its state stone in tn" Shaf' some
: time this year. The legislature. of
! Idaho is in session and the attorney
general of that state has informed
Mr.. Harvey that the governor is eX-
pected TO sign the act providing for
IL today.
Arizona Is Active.
f., Secretary Harvey said he has been
advised that the state stone of ArI-
f! zona will be a block Of the famous
| petrifed forests. and that the block
| had been transferred TO the railroads.
! and was to be sent 10 Los Angeles
I for carving. as that city alone had
tools of sufficient keeness to cut this
! tremendously hard substance.
The Governor of North Dakota has
taken up the matter of a stone for
/ that state with the officers of the
| Washington National Monument So
ciety. but to date nothing definite
has been done in the matter. Mr..
Harvey said he hoped the Legislature
of the state would pass act this
winter providing for a stone for the
Washington Monument. The fact
that the sister state Of South Dakota
placed its stone in 1922. with appro-
pirate ceremonies Will hasten the
,
, 1t is hoped.
Nothing definite could be reported
by Secretary Harvey concerning the
stone from New Mexico. Although
the matter was taken up with former
Gov. Mcdonald at Santa Fe. and mes
! sages have been sent 10 the New
Mexico legislature on several occa-
sions and commission appointed
for the purpose Of investigating the
matter. nothing has come of it.
The corner stone Of the Washing
, ton Monument was laid on July 4,
1S4S. State stones were placed rap
! idly from then until 1885.
OF the states west Of the Missis-
sippi river. only California asd the
by 1885. 1t has taken from that day
to date to get placed the stones of
| wyoming. Montana. Nevada. Colo
| rado. Oklahoma and South Dakota,
Mr.. Harvey said.
President Andrew Jackson was the
, first President to preside over meet
! ing of the Washington National Mon
! ument Society. The society was or
ganized in 1888. By joint resolution
| of Congress a commission was ap-
| pointed. consisting of five senators,
! eight representatives and three mem
bers of the Washington National
Monument Society Ito make arrange
; ments for the dedication of the Mon
ument." This resolution was ap-
proved May 10. 1884.
The following persons composed the
! commission: John sherman. Justin :
| Morrill,. William B. Allison. Thomas
F. Bayard, Lucius Q. c. Lamar, Will
liam Dorsheimer, John Randolph
Tucker. John II. Reagan. Patrick Col
Inns. Nathaniel B. Eldridge. Henry II.
Bingham. Joseph G. Cannon, James
Laird. W. w. Corcoran. James c.
yelling and DR.. Joseph NJ. Toner. OF
! these men, Joseph G. Cannon is the
only one living.
I Custody OF Monument
The society was chartered by Con-
gress in 1859, and continued by acts
Of Congress Of August 1. 1876. and
| October 2. 1888, in IAN advisory and
cooperative capacity with the Secre-
| tary of War" in whose care and Gus
today the Monument is by law placed
The membership is limited to eight
cen. The President of the United
States is eX-officio president of the
society, and the governors of the sew
| eral states ex-ofiicio vice presidents.
| The society. in effect, stands as an
| honor guard for the shaft. Its mem
| various classes of society-the Army,
the Navy. the church. the Legislative,
judicial and executive branches of tho
! government. the business world and
the citizen ship.
The Washington National Monument
| Society is the oldest organization in
the District, aside from the Masonic
| fraternity. and perhaps one or two
! other secret organizations. 1t has
had on it's rolls men of great dis
tinction-Chief Justice John Marshall.
! Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller, Al
dis B. Browne, James Madison, MIR.
Justice Cranch, Mr.. Justice Lamar.
, Mr.. Justice Strong and MIR. Justice
| Brown, Gems Grant and Sherman,
| Prof. Henry, Prof. Asaph Hall, Prof
Langley, W. w Corcoran. Admirals
Rogers, Powell and Dewey, Alexander
r. Shepherd, Crosby S. Noyes and