Evening star., 1927-11-09
CITIZENS COUNCIL
ANSWERS
Holds Oath Is Unnecessary to
. Work, but Denies Board Is
Non.Representative.

The Citizens ADVISORY SouHSli 81"
snitted to the District commissioners
TODAY a letter replying to the recent
attack on it by the major trade or
ranizations of the District which con
tanned. with other things, an ohel
To relinouish the voluntary oath SUI
scribed to by its members.
The unofficial oath, regarded as one
of the factors which gave the cou.'I',
semi.official status, was the priielp'i
target of the criticism OF the lraue
organizations. In fact, the trSue vi
panizations questioned the authofleS
nj the Commissioners to administer
such an oath. 49,. .,.+
The council took the position that
+l,a administration of the oath Is
neither vital nor important 10 Its
work and seemed to be a trivial mat
tar to inspire an attack by the traoe
bodies.
Denies Incompetency Charge.
..Tne council" it said, feels that II
tt we're unable TO proceed with 10
constructive work without a VoiuIi'
tary oath of office, this would lndeeo ue
a sad commentary upon II py tue
~oig,horhood organizations that nom
,naIed It's members, and upon the ieo,
erations that elected its memoersuIp'.
Denial also was made by the councli
70 the charge Of the trace Organize
tions that it is not competent TO repre-
sent the views of the entire com
munity with an assertion that II Is
as nearly a representative pooy as
can be created under our presen' LUZ -
of local government.
The text of the councils letteI'
drawn up at a special meeting last
night. follows: .,. of
the Citizens Advisory Council that
certain members of some of the locai
business organizations, headed pv
Edwin C. Graham of the washington
Board Of Trade, recently hled Win
Won a statement, which the pupllc
press characterised as 'veiled attack
on the Citizens Advisory Council
Three Points Cited.
"Using the press as our guloe as
TO what was contained IN the state'
ment filed with your honorable body,
only three points, in our oplhloh' axe
worthy of consideration, VIZ:
..cO That proposals have been MADE
to enlarge the advisory powers OF
certain bodies representing part OF
the interests Of the citizens or the
District of Columbia
.The Citizens Advisory Councii is
not aware of any proposal TO eniarse
its powers. 1t was created at the IN
stance of the Commissioners OF tne
District of Columbia. The plan gov
erning its creation was submitted u
and approved by the Commissioners
The approved plan provided for the
name the council now bears; the duties
of advisory council; the quaiiflcatlons
Of its members; the term OF once; the
conditions under which nominations
shall be made; the mode of election, OF
certifcation, of filling vacancies ana
the recall for members.
"2. That no one organization is
competent to express the views OF the
entire community nor competent 10
pass upon many special problems OF
more direct interest to certain groups
than to others
THE Citizens Advisory Council as
created is representative Of the citi.
gems of the District of Columbia with
out regard to race, color, creed. voca-
ton or politics. 1t is as nearly a
representative body as can be created
under our present form of local gov
ernment. 1t represents no one group
nor special interests as such. Its
members are nominated by the local
citizens associations and elected by
their accredited representatives to the
two federations Of these local asso-
ciations.
Oath Held Unnecessary.
"3. That we look with concern
upon the delegation of quasi official
powers to any one group
The council understands that the
Commissioners authority to admin
lister an oath to the members OF the
council is here questioned.
THE administration of an oath to
the members Of the council is small
matter, neither vital nor important to
the work of the council. The act OF
administering the oath was generous
~ conceived; it is an appropriate and
inspiring formality designed to symbo.
iize mutual understanding, confidence
and loyalty, and solemnly to emphasize
the seriousness of the obligation and
responsibilities of the councilmen to
study assiduously and to consider in.
dividually and Jointly all questions
and matters submitted to them and
in the light of the functions conferred
TO interpret the same as Is COM
mensurate with the representative
character Of the council.
1.-The council feels that il it were
unable to proceed with its constructive
work without a voluntary oath Of Of
fee, this would indeed be a sad COM
mentary upon it, upon the neighbor-
hood organization that nominated its
members and upon the federations
that elected its membership
THE Citizens Advisory Council
feels. due to the numerous testi-
monials from the citizens OF the
National Capital, that IT has per-
formed. and is performing, useful
function in and for the community
as a whole.
1T is the desire of the council, how
ever, to function without being irk.
some to any group. Therefore. the
council wishes to say that it has no
objection to the oath being omitted
in the future, not because its men,
bers are unwilling to pledge their
fealty to the Commissioners and to the
citizens Of the District of Columbia
and to the Federal Government, but
because it believes the fealty Of the
members of the council to be so self
evident as to be beyond question.
The council will in no wise be
handicapped, nor will it's activities.
in any wise. be circumscribed in the
absence of such an oath. and 1t
wishes to remove any ground for
criticism. particularly of so trivial
nature"