Evening star., 1927-02-16

ON D. c. MATTERS
Senator Says Commissioners
Should Be Possessed OF
Rare Qualities.

Senator Royal S. Copeland. IN ar
address before the Petworth Cltlzens
Association in Joppa Lodge han
Ninth and Upshur streets, last night
explained his reasons for delaying lht
confirmation OF the newly appoinleo
District Commissioners. lie said ne
desired to determine from persona
contact with the men appointed Whetn
er he deemed them capable or tullli4
ing the position. In view or me Vc.e
less plight of the residents mere ne
said, men to serve as ComnlSsioiiei
should be possessed of rare QUALITIES
and always be willing to lend an at
tentlve ear.
Residents Not Helpless.
People in the District, though lack
ing the right Of suffrage, are not
tongueless nor hrainless, he said. out
can shane the affairs of the Nat1on'
especiallv the Capital city, TO large
extent by banding together In citl'
zens' organizations and making their
weight felt in the halls OF congress
He urged the citizens to continue tneT
activities. warning that in TINS CITY
as in other large cities, real estate
onerators. bankers and other lnf1uen-
slight opportunity.
He said he sometimes loses patience
with the citizens for allowing dis
agreeable things to occur without pro-
test. and pointed to the new Mckinley
High School as an example OF TINS
laxity. In this structure, he declared.
It did not require the application
of art, architecture or engineering
knowledge to see that the placing or
a heating plant and large smokestack
on the most prominent corner was oo-
jectionab!e.
Senator Copeland defended an
amendment he proposed some time
ago to permit the exemption from tax
alton Of persons stricken with Ill
ness, where doctor. medicine and hos
pital bills mount up to tax the fam-
fly budget.
He lauded the citizens movement
and stated that it might be we'll to
compel members of Congress to at
tend these meetings regularly in or
der to gain an insight into what Is
going on and needed in the city.
Fling at Lame Ducks.
Charles I. Stengle, delegate to the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
attacked the act of the Senate in at
taching to the appropriation bill
provision for a. corporation counsel
for the District to be appointed by the
President and confirmed by the Sen
ate and providing no specifications
for residence in the city. He said he
believed a lame-duck Senator wanted
the job and the only advantage of
the provision will be an increase in the
ever-growing population of ex-Senators
and exRepresentatives in Washing
ton.
Action was taken urging the Senate
and House District committees to ex-
clude this provision and to continue
to permit the Commissioners to Sc
lect their own corporation counsel.
The Federation OF Citizens Associa-
tions will be asked to take up this
matter.
Because of the practice Of the ex.
press companies here charging what
was said to be double rates in some
sections of the community, it was
voted to request the companies to ex-
tend their free-seryice limits as far
north as Hamilton street and east to
Rock Creek Church road. A motion
was adopted opposing the granting Of
privilege of erecting structures in ex-
cess of the present building height at
Fifteenth and H streets northwest.
New members elected were: Paul
A. Stewart, George +. Harris, Sam.
uel Fingerbutt. T. =. Beck. c. c..
Poss, c. T. Gellogg, Mrs. NJ. o. Bead,
e. L. Wittstatt. jesse L. Bunck, Gar
rett j. Tucker, Jane A. Taggart. John
, Ruthven. Domenico Cicala, Max Ro-
senblum. Edwin r. Lusby, v. A. Car
lin. Henry G.. Nau. Charles Morgans-
ton and Harlow Bacon
Clyde J. Nichols president of the
association, presided.