Evening star., 1924-03-18
CLUB HEARS TALKS
ON CIVIC Welfare
Monday Evening Organization
!. Conducts Annual Banquet at
Rauscher's.
PROMINENT GUESTS SPEAK
Need of Unity in Pleas for Legis-
lation Stressed by ALI.

The annual banquet of the Monday
Evening Club was held at Rauscher's
last evening. The assembly was called
to order by Mrs. Nina G.. Van Wrinkle,
who introduced Mrs. Archibald Hopkins
as toastmistress. The invocation was de- /
livered by Rev. Jason Noble Pierce.
The honor guests included William
Mather Lewis. president Of George
Washington University; James L. West.
chief scout executive Of the Boy Scouts
of America; William L. Hodson of the
Russell Sage Foundation, Mrs. Emily
Newell Blair. vice chairman democratic
national committee; George 4. Lewis.
chairman of the executive committee Of
civic clubs: Senator Arthur L. Capper of
Kansas, Representatives II - +.
Rathbone of Illinois. Charles Ii. Davis of
Minnesota, Stuart F. Reed Of West Vir-
ginia. Oscar L. Keller of Minnesota and
Frederick y. ZiGinlan Of Maryland, and
Gen. Herbert VI. Lord director OF the
bureau of the budget
Mrs. Van Wrinkle made the welcoming
address. stating that the theme would
hc Social Legislation for the District
ol Columbia. The head of the woman s
bureau OF the police department said
she would be willing to head a move
ment for the raising OF $4,000 for the
purpose of paying d professional lobby
ist to work for social welfare. legislation
for the District and named Thomas r
Marshall as the man for the job.
Need of Agreement.
Washington should be established
as the leading city of the nation, and
legislation should be sought leading
to the Improvement of social condi-
tions William Mather Lewis said.
This can be accomplished only when
all petty differences arc laid aside
and all cooperate in the cause. Mr..
Lewis said hs did not blame Con-
gress for sighting District measures
il the past. when the citize MS them
selves d" not know what they
want
He pointed 10 the social welfare
work as conducted by the George
Washington University as an effort
to improve social conditions, stating
that the university now had its
police and firemrn. The interest that
the school iS taking in the problems
OF proper housing, hygiene and health
conditions is another Indication that
this institution is linked up With
social welfare work.
Standard for Nation.
When We legislats for the Dis
trict We are setting a standard for
the entire United States" Represent
ative Rathbone told the assembly. He
said that pride in the Capital city is
felt in all sections and that the city
Is set up as model. He stressed
the need for Fairgrounds. A city of
better men and women would be Gre
"pestilentual holes back in the al
leys, he said. and he would allow the
residents of the District the privilege
Of molding their own destinies
through the granting of suffrage.
Debt He Owed City.
Mt. West spoke of the debt he
owed the city. He was horn in Co.
reared in the Washington City Or
phan Asylum. He has tried TO repay
this debt through numerous welfare
activities. \ great difficulty with So
ciaI workers. he said, is the division
Of power, ana said that when Con-
gress is sought by u unified body II
will receive earnest consideration.
He urged that children be given first
thought in all things. Referring to
the Boy Scouts. he said that scouting
does not mean the glamour of the
uniform. the camp or the hike, but
rather that citizens of character are
being produced who will respect and
work for the moral upbuilding of the
ration.
Great division of powers in the va
rious welfare organizations points 10
the: need of the application of bust
ness principles to this work, Mr.. Hod-
son said. Many matters of improve
Tnent have gone by the boards. he
said for the lack of public support.
Organic unity should b. maintained
to save the taxpayers huge sums an
nually.
The National Training Scnoul for
Girls was pointed out as an example
OF this lack of unified control, the
Attorney General, the Department of
Justice. the District Commissioners
and the budget bureau each having
a hand in it's operation. Congress
must be made to appreciate the wants
of the city through the activities of
united body.
Use of Lever ON Congress-.
Mrs. Blair explained that there are
two means of securing desired fegis-
lation from Congre and
the lever methods. The latter, she
said, may be the most effective, hay
ing beeu demonstrated on numerous
occasions, when the lever had been
placed in operation to pry some Off
cial loose from political life after
he has failed to heed the wishes of
the voters. 'In d country as rich
as we are we should have at least
one model city. and that city should
be Washington she said.
Representative Keller also pledged
his support to the work of securing
social welfare legislation. George A.
Lewis. who represented Il large group
of civic clubs. said that the work OF
the clubs was misunderstood, as each
orga niZation had one particular bet
terment to work for, but that all
bodies are glad To cooperate in any
l.