Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
citizen LEADERS
DEBATE ON BALLOT
Federation Votes $25 to Aid
Movement Here for Ma.
tionaI Representation.

The Federation OF Citizens Associa.
tons spent an hour OF debate at its
meeting last night over the respective
merits Of national representation and
local suffrage for the District. So hot
did the fight become that President
George c. Havenner left the char to
debate the matter with his predecessor
In once. James O. Yaden Of Petworth.
representation and Mr.. Yaden took up
the cudgels for local suffrage. The as
sociation ultimately voted $25 to aid
the work for national representation
here.
1t all started when William NICK.
Clayton, another former president of
the federation. and its delegate to the
committee on national representation,
asked for an appropriation of SIS for
the committees work in connection with
the Inauguration program. The motion
was opposed by A. H. Gregory the fed
eration's treasurer, and others, and was
lost. l8 to "a. Mr. Clayton then asked
to be permitted to donate $25 in the
name of the federation. Louis Gelb-
man, Congress Heights, objected, and
there was a chorus OF mos" L. S.
Hege, Chevy Chase, said this would
leave an unfortunate impression. and
moved that the federation reiterate its
stand in favor of national representa-
ton. E. j. Brennan, Michigan Park.
moved to add an Endorsement of local
suffrage. This amendment failed, 16
to %. and a group of delegates, led by
Mr.. Yaden, irked at what they declared
an affront to local suffrage, started a
fllibuster to prevent consideration of
Mr.. Hege's motion.
Points of order, Of no quorum. mo-
tions to adjourn, and other bits of par
liamentary strategy were called into
play, and so hot did the battle become
that the votes on two motions, which
were recognized. were entirely lost In
the shuttle. DR.. Havenner, angered at
the course of events installed Vice
President B. A. Bowles in the chair and
then criticized the filibusters as help
ing to make the federation look
ridiculous
twenty-five dollars will not break
this federation" he shouted. Many OF
lis love the cause of citizenship so well
that if there isn't money in the treas
ury to meet it we will put 1t there.
stand ready to put as much as any
other delegate"
When Yaden rose to reply he re-
minded the federation that his asso-
citation had donated 800 to the ma
tional representation work and said
that he could speak free from the ac-
cusation that he was opposed to It.
But do not intend to stand here
and see local suffrage crucified," he
cried. TT is beyond my comprehension
how any man can stand here ana vote
for one while opposing the other: II
there is anything q man should have
the right to vote for it is those who
govern him directly. This is funda-
mental. The other can come later. I
propose to stay here all night. If nee
essary. and do anything necessary to
prevent this motion from being
adopted"
AS nearly an hour had already been
taken up In the sparring. several dele
gates made an attempt at compromise.
a motion offered by Capt. B. B. Bierer,
Richmond Park, to reconsider the mat
Ter finally prevailed. It was quickly
fo!lnwed by the adoption Of q motion by
J B. Hopkins Chillum Heights, to re.
e7irm the federation's stand on local
suffrage and appropriate the $25 for
thu national representation work.
The federation opposed erection OF
hospital on 6-acre tract in the ter
ritorv Of the Conduit Road Association
on the Palisades Of the Potomac River,
purposes. The hospital is proposed to be
erected, according to william A. Rob-
erts Conduit road, by the Childrens
Country Home ct cost OF $4,000.
Mrs. May D. Lghtfoot, q delegate to
the federation and member Of the board
of governors of the home. said she had
not heard Of the project to build the
hospital She said the plan was to have
poor children take q two-week outing
there with their mothers.
An effort to secure nomination by the
federation Of candidates for the post
of public utilities commissioner. made
by committee sponsored by the Wash
ington Consumers Guild, failed. A
representative Of the committee at
tempted to get the floor to explain the
project, but several delegates objected.
The federation passed q resolution
favoring the retention of Capt. Herbert
c. Whitehurst as an official Of the Dis
trict. appointed Hugh M. Frampton,
Cathedral Heights. recording secretary.
and named a committee. headed by
Walter I. Swanton OF the American As
ISOLATION of Engineers, to draw up q
map of the boundaries of the various
associations.