Evening star., 1926-12-12
Value of Citizens Associations

associations, both external and In
ternal, and the protection or the Wnoie
movement from it's greatest threat or
danger, both may be found in the
same thing-greater membership.
Again / say: Every Washingtonian
with the slightest public interest or
public spirit ought to join a citizens
association.
But" says the inquiring reader,
"you have given no reason for your
faith in these citizens associations.
You haven't told me why you think
the associations are valuable in them
selves, and you haven't told me why
YOU think I should take the trouble to
join one. What good are they? what
do they do?'
Before I answer those questions
would like to say frankly that Will
OF give the same answers that L
ould have given on that day, little
lore than six years ago. that lalo
own the commissionership.
Then 4 would have said. no doubt.
hat since the people of the District Of
Columbia have no vote and no voice
n their local affairs, the citizens as
;ociations were a crude substitute for
he ballot box, and that a citizen Who
couldn't express his views with re-
,pect to local affairs at the polls ought,
as q matter of duty, to do the next
best thing and join a citizens associ-
alton.
Then I would have gone on; no
doubt, and would have cited instance
after instance of the important mat
ters in which the advice of the citi'
zens' associations had assisted the
Commissioners and, through them.
Congress in solving District problems.
[ would then, no doubt, If had been
in a candid frame of mind, told of a
few instances in which the interven-
ton of, the citizens association had
gummed the game for some particular
branch of community progress.
But did not at that time, six years
ago. have sufficient knowledge and eX-
perience to appreciate the citizens
associations for their intrinsic worth.
For all Of that six years except the
last few months I have been the ex-
ecutive and administrative head of a
city, for three years and a little more
the city manager of Petersburg, Va.
and for nearly three years the city
manager of Knoxville, Tenn.
Both of those cities have, naturally,
the ballot box. In both Of them the
citizens go to the polls at stated pc
riods to express themselves with re-
spect to the policies of the commun.
ity. They have all the privileges of
the elector, including the devices OF
the initiative. the referendum and the
recall.
My administrative experience in
these three cities-Washingto and
Petersburg and Knoxville - has
taught me that the problems of cities,
whether large or small. whether vot-
ing or not voting, are the same prob
lens. They may differ, and do differ,
Of course. in degree. but they are the
same in kind. The community prob
lens of these three cities certainly
are the same problems.
% I found, however, that In the ma
chinery provided for attempting the
solution of these problems there was
a great difference. 1t was a long time
before recognized the nature Of one
of the chief difficulties In Petersburg
and in Knoxville. / thought that
some things were so much more diff
cult to do than in Washington -
cause the cities were smaller than
Washington.
But as time went on I found that
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