Evening star., 1926-11-02
CITIZENS CRITICIZE
COMMISSION MEN
Dupont Body Would Dust
Merchants and Return
Stalls to Farmers.

The divorce of the farmers and the
commission men, and the fish mer-
chants and the commission men as
co-occupantS of the same market. the
placing Of that market on the South
west site, and the restoration to- the
District of the $3.50 taxation ratio
were advocated yesterday afternoon
by the Dupont Citizens Association
in it's first meeting of the season held
at RauScherS
According to SnOwden Ashford the
commission men have for years
usurDed the rights of farmers in U.S.
ing the space which was set aside for
their use. and at the same time they
have forced higher prices on food
stuffS by re-prlclro the goods they
have bought of 'le farmers in guam.
titles. The Same condition exists, Mr.
SnOwden said. in the Municipal Fish
Market which was built for the direct
sale to the public of sea foods brought
up the river
Declaring that it was the right of
the District Commissioners to rout
the commission men from the retail
mems stalls by refusing to rent space
to them in the newly established
market, Mr.. Ashford urged the asso-
citation to include that recommended
tion with their advocation of the
Southwest Site Favored.
Just before Mr.. Ashford launched
his attack upon the commission men.
the Dupont Citizens Association had
voted. for the site adjoining the NUM-
clpal Fish Market in the Southwest
as the logical location of the new
market Mr.. Ashfords plea came as
perfection of what the association
GDnGj6pyS a N
because of its water and rail facilities
The members voted unanimously to
include with their resolution a recon-
mendatlOn of the removal of the com.
mission men, to be prepared by Mai
clayton II. EmiG, secretary of the as
sociation.
The $3.50 ratio of taxation for the
district was urged by Admiral vii.
liam Ledyard Rodgers. L. S. ~, presi
dent OF the association. who declared
that 1t was fitting that Washincton's
expenses should be shared equally
with the local residents by the Federal
Government. Pointing out that Wash
lngton has no great industrial corpora.
tlonS to pay large taxes, and that
washington is the place of all Amer
lean reSortS-WhoSe hotels are daily
crowded with Out-of-town business
men here to aid their industries by
doing business with their Govern.
ment," Admiral Rodgers asked the
association to send communication
to the special House committee urg-
Ing the adoption of such a method of
taxation.
Oppose Suffrage Here.
In the same recommendation the
association opposed suffrage for the
District and approved of the appoint
ment of the members of the Board of
Education by the District CommiS-
sioners.
Mr.. Ashford submitted a report on
the conditions In the public schools of
Washington based upon the recent
hearings before the House committee,
which, he declared, showed the schools
of this city to be in a "deplorable"
state.
Blame for these conditions, brought
about by the lack Of sufficient money
with which to make necessary i'm
provementS in the buildings and to
maintain strict sanitation through
proper cleaning was caused, he de-
clared. by the failure of the Board of
Education to fulfill it's duty, as pre-.
scribed in the law, which says that
the board shall determine all ques-
tions of policy relating to schools;
shall appoint the executive officers,
define their duties and direct expendi.
lures"
AS an example of improper eXpendi.
lures. Mr.. Ashford cited use of an
$4,000 repair fund for the redecora.
ton of one new building and the con-
struction of steps for another new
building. In short, he declared that
the prevalent unsatisfactory con.
dtions We're the direct result of bad
management by the Board of Edu
cation, and the denunciation of the
board was used by him as an argu.
ment for the appointment of its
members by the commissioners.