Evening star., 1925-02-08
CITIZENS ENDORSE
TELEPHONE RADIO
Federation of Associations in
Lively Discussion on
Public Utilities.

icy of the Bell Telephone System In
maintaining radio broadcasting sta
tions, the Federation of Citizens As
sociations went on record at a meet
ing last night in the District Build
Ing as favoring the continued opera
ton Of WCAP, even though the ex-
pense is paid indirectly by Wash
ington telephone subscribers.
The federation took its action on
the favorable report of the public
utilities committee, which was sub
mitted by William NICK. Clayton. The
report emphasized that the cost of
operating the broadcasting stations
of the Bell system, of which WCAP
of the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele- "
phone Company is g. link, lis of little
consequence" as compared with the
large and rapidly increasing value OF
radio as an educational force, ire
spective Of anus ement features.
Two lively and protracted discus
sions marked the federation's session
One concerned the admission to mem
bership of the recently organized
Takoma Park Citizens Association of
the District, and the other grew out
of Mr.. Clayton's testimony at a hear
ing conducted by the Public Utilities
Commission Wednesday on the pro
posals of the Washington Rapid Tran
sit Company and tho Washington
Railway and Electric Company to
establish cross-town bus lines.
Defer Action on Takoma Park.
The application of the Takoma Park
Citizens Association of the District
for membership in the federation was
made the special order of business,
and after a spirited debate, action
was deferred until the March meet
ing. The application was embodied
in q report of the membership com
mi rryh lob olc Ad
vision designed to preclude the GUST
ing OF an officer of the association if
situation again arose such as con
fronted President Jesse c. SYter soon
after his election when the organiZar
| tion he represented failed to returh
him as delegate. Mr.. Suter was
delegate from the original Takomts
| Park Citizens Association a the time
| of his election as president of the
| federation. but now is holding that
| office by virtue of being the repre-
| sentative of the Society of Natives OF
\ the District.
| The committees report dealing with
| Mr.. Suter's situation, recommended that
a committee Of five be appointed to
! draft and propose such an amendment
| TO the constitution as may be deemed
necessary to carry out the real design
| of the federation and safeguard its
| rights, privileges, powers and peroga
| tives. :
| Objections Raised to Section
| While sentiment was in favor of The
! admission to membership of the new
| Takoma Park association, strong OBJ
jections were made to the above see
! ton of the report, which several mem
bers construed as an Interpretation Of
the constitution of the federation. The
principal objections to this feature OF
/ fsfa Nv nal sosg
William G. Henderson of the North
Capitol and lexington Citizens Asso-
! citation, and Gilbert Hall.
President Suter relinquished the chair
| to Vice President George Finch dur
| ing the argument Even after the re-
port was amended whereby all clauses
! except the one relating TO the admission
/ Of the new association had been stricken
out, the debate continued and Mr.. Suter
| moved that action be deferred until th..
| next meeting of the federation. The
| motion was adopted.
| The federation also sidestepped action
| on the proposal of Col. J. Franklin Bell.
| District Engineer Commissioner, TO create
an advisory city council to assist the
Commissioners in the preparation OF es-
| mates and the formation of legislation,
by authorizing President Suter TO ap-
point special committee of five. mem
| bers to consider the plan and report a.
| the March meeting.
! Question CIayton's Authority.
| The discussion over the bus hearing
| was precipitated when Mr.. Clayton was
| asked what authority he had 10 repre-
| sent the federation as favoring the
Washington Railway and Electric Co.
| Mr.. Clayton cited action taken by the
organization about four years ago, rec
ommending that the traction companies
l he given exclusive
busses in the District, if they so desired.
A motion was then made by Delegate
| Finch to have the federal tion's attitude
| reconstdered and 1t was adopted with
| an amendment proposed by Delegate
James G. Yaden of Petworth, which re-
| ferred the question to the public utili-
| ties committee for report at the next
meeting
! DR.. George F. Bowerman, librarian Of
the Public Library, appealed to the fed
| Grafton to support the library's esti-
| mates as approved by the bureau of
| the budget. AS a result it was voted to
instruct the committees on education
and legislation to exert every effort to
| have the items eliminated by the House
| restored by the Senate.
Among the many reports adopted by
| the federation was one indorsing safe
and adequate building for District rec
| ords, and the creation of an emergency
! snow removal fund, appropriated on the
| $3.50 basis-5o per cent by the Fed
| eral Government and so per cent by the
| District.
! Adopt Traffic Report.
A comprehensive report on traffic
| presented by George A Kicker also
was adopted. 1t provides:
| l. That any traffic bill be continu-
ously effective to meet changing condi-
tions promptly, should be solely the,
| character of broad enabling act not
that of detailed city ordnance.
2. That it should provide for the
needed improvement in law enforce
| ment by creating a traffic court sub
stantially as proposed.
| 8. That it should provide for ade-.
quate standards of efficiency in modern
traffic control
4. That it should provide for the in
stitution of & competent traffic com
mission with a single paid executive
head or traffic director. competent in,
engineering, training and experience in.
| traffic and transportation, whose du-
ties are to conduct engineering investi-
cations, develop suitable traffic and
| thoroughfare plans, scientific methods
| of traffic organization and control and
administer these measures (subject to
the control of the District Commission
through the traffic force; other mem
bers Of the commission to comprise
liason officers OF the District, particu-
| larly legal public utility and parks or
| city planning departments.
| The report also recommended that
the traffic director be appointed by the
District traffic commission, and that
funds be appropriated to carry out the
commissions work without embar-
i ocgv trir laIo