Evening star., 1923-02-17
CITIZENS SCORE
KELLER insult"
:,
"Uninvited",. Attack of Com
missioner Rouses Central
Associations Ire.
RIGHT TO GOVERN
Committee to Be Named to Work
Out Plan to Elect Admins
- traitors Of District.

Indignation was expressed by the
Central Citizens Association at a
meeting last night at the Juvenile
Court, 2o3 I street northwest. in re-
gard to the statement in Engineer
Commissioner Keller's paper. read be-
fore the American Electric Associa-
tion at the New willard Hotel yester-
day, in which he characterized the
attitude OF human beings, otherwise
reasonable. as unreasonable in regard
to public utilities companies. especial
ly street car companies, and declared
this attitude is exaggerated by the
"demagogue whose stock in trade it
Is to attack the public utilities rates
without reference to fairness"
The association will forward copies
OF protest against Commissioner Kel-
lers statement to the chief OF the
corps Of engineers, United States
Army. Maj. Gen. L. H. Beach, the Fed
Grafton OF Citizens Associations and
Commissioner Keller.
Score Keller 'InsuIt-~
Thomas J. Donovan. president Of
tho association, declared citizens
ought to have q right to dispense
with such men as Commissioners, who
como to the city unacquainted with
its sentiments and traditions and arc
merely assigned here because OF spe-
cial training in the Army service"
to elect a man who has less respect
for the citizens Of the District, but
they could soon remedy that. de-
clared Mr.: Donovan. referring to a
system whereby the people would
elect the Commissioners. Mr.. Dono-
van referred to the Commissioners
statement as IAN absolutely unin-
vited insult to the citizens of the Dis
trict" j. B. Fitzpatrick. in denounc.
ing the Commissioners statement
said. that calumny was the resource
of the witless'
In discussing the mo mali
order Of the Post once Department
the association decided to bring legal
proceedings at the first refusal to
deliver the mail, as, in the opinion
be an overstepping OF authority.
The resolution embodytng these
sentiments will be forwarded to the
President and to Congress.
Seek Plan for Election.
A plan for a committee OF nine to
create means to bring about certain
changes IN the DlStrlCl government
was approved. Those who will be
selected for the committee will rep
resent certain sections of the city
rather than any organization, and
they must have resided in the Dis
trict one year and not claim a vote
in any state. The aims of the COM
mfttee, as outlined by Mr.. Donovan,
will be to bring about suffrage in the
District. as we'll as the right to elect
all administrative officers In the local
government: to determine the num-
Der of commissioners to be elected:
to divide the District into sections
for the purpose Of elections:- to rec
ommend q plan to eliminate the pres
ent method Of selecting judges, court
officers. the register OF wills and the
recorder OF deeds. to work for a five-
cent car fare, ample schools and play
grounds, an increase in teachers sal
aries. better lighting system, better
street car equipm ent, with the elm
ination Of the "one-man" car, the re-
turn to pre-war telephone rates and
the cultivation of the spirit of civic
PRIDE
The committee is to be called by
the president of the Central Citizens
Association within thirty days and
invitations are extended to the press,
individuals and organizations to CO.
operate and to communicate the
names OF those who may be selected
for the preliminary committee.