The Washington times., 1923-05-12
CENTRAL GROUP
Of CITIZENS
FIGHTERS
Ask and Give No Quarter in
Battles for Community and
D. c. Benefit.
BY GEORGE FRANKLIN.


volving many street Improvement
problems in the vicinity of North
Capitol street and Massachusetts
avenue, the Central Citizens AS
ISOLATION was organized, in July,
1903, at a meeting held in the
building now occupied by the
Aloysius Club. The first officers
elected were DR.. j. J.. Kilroy, presi-
dent; DR.. D. u. MuIcahey, vice
president: j. w. Neale, secretary
and Henry G. Reinhardt, treasurer.
The latter officer has served con.
tinuously since the organization of
the association.
Much constructive work has been
accomplished by the association.
following the remodeling OF many
buildings in this section for com
mercial purposes. This was &C.
complished through the suggestions
and advice of. the association in
way, it Is declared, which has re.
suited in there having been no
iessening Of the populations Of the
neighborhood.
Many Hard Fights.
''The association has been com.
PEELED by stress of circumstances
on many occasions to take a com.
bative position and when 1t entered
into a fight no quarter was asked
or given, said Thomas =. Donovan,
president, today.
This was demonstrated when
commissioner Kutz wished to
purchase the square of ground at
First and N streets northeast. to
locate the trash plant, the general
stables, asphalt plant and other
noxi0us factors in the neishborhood
adjoining the terminal right .of-way.
"A red hot fight also was made
on the proposal to permit the rail-
roads to extend tracks across First
street northeast. The plan embraced
the formation of a warehouse sec.
ton, stone yards and other facili.
ties, OF an undesirable character,
extended to within a short distance
OF Sibley Hospital. It was seen
thar the proposed extension would
result in practically destroying the
usefulness Of that splendid institu-
ton. It was also santicipated that
1t would dead to business acquiring
all of the property between New
York avenue and the present city
poatoffice.
While nothing definite has re-
suited from the opposition Of the
association in this direction It is
believed that the project has been
completely knocked out. But we
are taking no chances with any
such uncertainty and the firing line
has the situation under range at
all tines
Work for Suffrage.
CSrNA fraea W(A-
lumbia is an article of faith &C.
cepted by members of the associa-
ton. In discussing its attitude
toward this political feature in
Washington. President Donovan
said:
"One Of the outstanding articles
of faith accepted by the members
of this association is the justice of
local suffrage. Why there has been
cultivated a spirit of indifference to
the cardinal ideal of American spirit
within the city of Washington,
where many residents are willing
to sell their birthright of indie
pendence in the form Of the ballot
for the. paltry hypocracy manifested
In the thought that to demand suf-
frage would be to have Congress
take away it's appropriations toward
the maintenance of the city is in
comprehensive.
LAS a result of this abiding faith
in American ideals, the first resolu-
ton to be taken up and acted upon
each succeeding year following the
annual election of officers reiterates
our faith in the justice Of the de.
mand that citizens Of the District
;rrIag 80
suffrage, and suffrage to this asso.
citation means the right to select
every administrative officer of the
local government.
There is little definite sentiment
in the proposal to foster a Consti-
tutional amendment to secure the
right which was exercised for more
than seventy years, and many in
deed look upon this proposal as a
subterfuge to avoid the possibility
Of honest and concentrated efforts
being made to secure local suffrage.
The strange part Of this campaign
is that, many good citizens have
been lulled into the belief that only
through this means can anything
at all be secured that will SAVIOR of
suffrage.
Scores Tax Dodgers.
1.-The time is coming when the
tax dodgers and spectators who
have made millions out of condi.
tons citizens cannot correct will be
brought to an accounting; when the
demand that Washington be Ameri-
canfzed will be recognized in accord
ance with the traditions Of the
founders Of the Government and
the ideals which cost in blood and
treasure a price so vast that the
mind cannot retain a comprehen-
sion Of it save for a fleeting mo.
ment."
Taking the position that the Cen.
trail Association Of itself may not
be able to make Washington a Vot-
ing city, President Donovan de-
clares the organization, neverthe-
| less, will keep everlastingly cam
paigning for that end. He predicts
the time coming when the National
Capital will be given the same pc.
litical standing as other American
cities, and that when that time
comes, the association will have
played a patriotic part which will
forever be source of qualification
| to it's members.
Fairgrounds for the section OF
the city represented by the asso