Evening star., 1923-03-18
CITIZENS. DISCUSS
/ SHIFT OF STATUES
Committee Instructed to
Sound Public Sentiment on
! Proposed Transfer.
REVIVE .IMPOUNDlNG CASE
Plan Will Be Made to Raise Reve-
nue. for Paying
Syme.

With Congress at rest and the ques-
tions of District legislation in the
background. the Federation of Citi-
zens' Association last night shunted
its deliberations to a more esthetic
subject--that OF the merits and
feasibility Of the plan proposed by
Lieut.. C. o. Sheriff., officer in charge
Of public buildings and grounds, to
transfer Gen. WashinEton's statue to
the position now held by the statue
of Gen. Jackson In the center of
\ Lafayette Square.
\ discussion on this question was
precipitated when Delegate George A.
Finch of the Piney Branch Citizens
Association painted vivid Verhal
picture of the artistic beauty and the
tittingress Of Col. Sherrilrs plan. He
pointed out that all the statues
in Lafayette Park arc memorials to
revolutionary heroes. with the eN-
ception of Gen. Jack sons. BY replacing
it with Washington statue every
memorial would then be of a reVo-
lutfonary hero. he said, and the park
could appropriately be renamed In
dependence Square.
Some Oppose Plan.
Daniel A Edwards. delegate from
the Lincoln Park Association. then
took the floor and told of what a fine
thing it would be to have Washing
toms statue in the center of Lafayette
Park directly facing the White
House"
There are several, however. who
voiced objection to the plan. one did
so on the ground that in the. process
of transferring the statues they may
be damaged, and cited in illustration
the historic fact that lapel on the
coat of the statue OF Abraham Llncoln
was broken off in its removal to ana
the GATEWAY CITY hall.
Another delegate pictured the lone
lineSS of Gen. JacksonS statue on
the site where Gen. WashingtonS 3 mem
orial is standing in Washington Cir
transfer in statues is made Gen. Jack
sons horse should be bridled.
After a somewhat lengthy debate
along these lines. the federation re-
ferred the question to its committee
on highways. parkings and waterways,
and instructed it to sound out public
sentiment.
The public utilities committee of
the federation was charged with the
duty of ascertaining the proper meth =
Cd Of procedure in raising sufficient
revenue to retain Conrad H. Syme
to continue the defense of the Dis
trict citizens in the $4,000, 600 i'm
pounded by the Potomac Electric
Power Company and now pending in
q case before the United States Su-
preme Court. The original motion of
Thomas J. Donovan of the Central
Citizens Association to have a spe-
cial committee appointed for this
work was voted down.
Capt. Clayton E. Emig of the Du-
pont Circle Citizens Association OBJ
jected to the retention of Mr.. Syme's
services, expressing the belief that 1t
would reflect on the office of the cor
poration counsel william B. West
lake, however, said in his opinion 1t
would not be a reflection on the cor
poration counSel's office. because Com
missioner Keller had suggested that
the citizens associations retain Mr..
Syme to prosecute the case to It's
end.
BY vote of % to z, the federation
approved the action of President
Charles Baker in appointing Snowden
Ashford. chairman of the committee
on education. to represent the body
at the meeting in the Franklin school
Wednesday night of the citizens CEN
trail committee on school betterme mt
Jesse C. Suter questioned the propriety
of the federation sending a delegate
to the meeting.
The federation discharged it's spe
cial committee on increase in pay for
statutory employees of the District
with vote of thanks.