The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-23
Advisory Committee to Com
missiOners and Suffrage
for the District
By BILL PRICE.

The idea of citizens advisory committee to the District
Commissioners aid preparing the annual budget est1-
mates and in passing proposed local legislation an
Outcoppng of the knowledge the part OF our
appointed city fathers that the people of this city feel most
keeny their lack of direct participation in matters SO closely
affecting them.
just how far hand picked advisory
committee composed of having the fullest conf
dence of the Washington public will appease local sentiment
Experience here has that these more or less secon
sued local questions hang to the supposed
honors of their positions long after they have ceased to De rep
resentatve of public thought.
In suffrage and public expression to men
and affairs there of telling just how far such men
do coincide with genuine sentiment. There nothing re-
curing that they shall be responsive the real wishes OF the
people, the duly elected representatives of the
people who turned of office when their actions sour
the voters.
Engineer Commissioner BELL who conceived advisory
committee plan has proved himself real servant of the
people of the District in sympathy with public opinion and
earnestly endeavorng to District citizens to the best OF
his abilities AS Engineer Commissioner he presumed to
take little part in purely civic matters unrelated to engineer
ing problems assigned his office It is all the
gratifying that he willing maintain attentive to
the peoples wishes all local subjects and that he realizes
there question Of deeper to them than their
votessness and their utter inability to pass suffrage udg
the things vitality touching their welfare.
The Federal Government is annually unloading and
more of the burden of financial upkeep of this purely
City upon the citizens of Washington. While Wash
ington making wonderful strides increased population
expanding AS the business of the nation in
does the business of government in Washington yet
Federal participation in financing this municipality is
dwind1ng.
additional burdens imposed local citizens
the lust and fair thing for Congress give them
body that their interests might be
their heard in the halls of the national
legislature they treated with less consideration than
the Indian wards of the nation the faraway Fpinos the
nearby Porto Ricans
In coming fiscal year the direct taxation this
community municipal maintenance and improvements will
total at least 000 including special assessments
water taxes Nobody in this fair city begrudges
reasonable be expended for progress and
Identification The pride Of people in this National
City is intense
There is widespread resentment however people
machinery haven't word to say to how the shall
be used
Sefgovernment and democracy thrilling terms when
up before the peoples of Europe Asia and
the whole world as what this republic stands for.
paying overwhelming share of local taxes for
identifying this nations Capital the people of the District
pay Federal personal and corporation incomes
Congress by Senators and probably
than half the membership of the august House of Representa-
tives.
and Congressman from these twenty
would head revolution against the republic taxed
without being given representation voice in national af
fairs glorious principles of free Americans their
Fourth of July and other occasions when
earnestly spill little of the thing in be-
half Americans in the District of Columbia
might be directly advising Congress of wants
instead of having these leak into that body
directly through the District Commissioners and advisory
committee of citizens.