Evening star., 1923-01-17

active support of the Chamber of
Commerce was given to the building
program then framed by the super
intendent and the board of education
as a step toward removing the tre-
mendous handicaps upon the adequate
The chamber has never weakened in
Its adherence to that program.
Urged Restoration of Estimates.
'The five members sent by the
chamber to the meeting of civic ac-
sociation representatives. called on
December 3. 1922, under the auspices
of the board Of educa tion, went to
that meeting instructed TO do every
thing in their power to assist in re-
storing the school building estimates.
which all citizens recognized as rep
resenting the bare minimum of our
requirements. When the joint citi-
zens' committee OF five, created by
that meeting, came to be selected the
chairman of our public schools COM
mittee was chosen as its chairman.
During the closing weeks of 1922
that committee. as is well known.
was actively engaged in endeavoring z
to bring home to the appropriations
committee OF the House the indis-
putable needs of our public schools
in the way OF housing accommoda-
tions. Denied an oral hearing be-
AoIO Lhc lne ClI1Z6US
joint committee submitted in writing
S short and temperate statement of
existing conditions as they are
known to all our people. The state
ment. afterward made public. was
strictly limited TO the question of
suasive argument was made for the
restoration OF the various buildings
and grounds items eliminated from
the estimates by the bureau of the
budget. None of these items. how
over, was restored. But il is graft
flying to note that the appropria-
tions committee, in reporting the Dis
trict appropriation bill to the House
of Representatives. admitted that it
was impressed with the need of ex-
pansion in this direction anu. al
though making serious. cuts in other
school items, refrained from making
any reduction in the buildings and
grounds items recomm ended in the
budget. Unfortunately. many of these
items were afterward struck out
on a so-calIed point of order raised
by single member.
The process of getting Congress to
visualize the school needs of this
community Is a slow and. at times. a
most discouraging task. But the
members of the Chamber of Com
merce, and. II is believed. all of the
people of the District. will continue
to struggle increasingly for proper
provision for the training OF the gem
Grafton who are TO succeed us in up
holding the intellectual, moral and
economic life of this community. Edu-
cation Is the first concern of a civil
liZed people. The people of the Dis
trtct. who themselves have never re-
fused to come forward with their
money for the maintenance and i'm
provement of the schools, are deter
mined to see that the development OF
the children of the National Capital
shall not be hampered and dwarfed
by mere inability to provide them
with ordinary and indispensable
school-housing accommodations.
Representation Necessary.
The absolute necessity for repre-
sentation in Congress has never been
more apparent to the people of the
District of Columbia than now. The
District needs some one in each
branch of the federal Congress to
champion its cause and fight for its
interests. No matter how favorably
disposed toward the District indi-
vtdual members may be, it is iuevi-
table that their own concerns should
be placed first.
Here are nearly a half million
people with no representation in the
law-making body of the country OF
which they are part. We are salts
fled that there is a rapidly growing
public sentiment in favor of national
representation for the District OF
Colum bia-
There are a number of bliss ow
in Congress dealing with this subject
We sincerely hope that sentiment
will be crystallized in favor of the
proposed constitutional amendment
which will give the District repre-
sentatfon in both houses of Congre SIS
and the electoral college. Our or
ganization is pledged to this measure. "
The report of Secretary Arthur Z.
Seymour dealt with the following sub
jects: Committee service; woman mem
bers: directors and chamber meetings;
Greater Washington. the magazine
published by the chamber; Office work
of the secretary, and membership.
The tntaI mileage of the streets of