Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-05
POST
POLL IS STARTED
Citizens Committee Seeking
a Public Choice to Fill
Vacancies.

Seeking by public rather than private
suggestion to give the District a voice
in the appointment of members of the
Public Utilities Commission, to fill one
vacancy which already has occurred
and another which will occur on June
30 poll committee has acquainted
President Hoover with its plans and
placed in the hands of the various citi-
ZenS organizations of the city and with
the newspapers, forms for public
selection Of names to be suggested for
these posts.
Nine names have been chosen by the
poll committee. including: William
NICK. Clayton, Martin S. Gusts, James
j. Noonan. Mrs. Grace Hays Riley. Will
liam A. Roberts. Mrs. Virginia White
Speel, Ethelbert Stuart, Mrs. Lyman B.
Swormstedt and Fred S. Walker. The
names were chosen by the committee
which were announced as Tench T.
Marye, chairman: Miss Selma Bor-
chardt, DR.. George G. Havenner, Mrs.
Edgar B. Merritt. George H. Richard
son and Miss E. Grace Wood, secretary.
Statement by Board.
In its letterhead the poll committee
states that its members are serving as
individuals and not as representatives of
any organizations they might hold office
in.
In the poll forms sent out to citizens
organizations it is suggested that the
citizens may choose from the suggested
list or vote for any other legally quail
flied person. The poll closes April 4,
and the names of the five leading NOM
inees will be certified to President
Hoover on April 6, along with the sug-
gestion that these names be considered
in appointment to the office of Public
Utility Commissioner.
The poll committee expects to reach
through the press those citizens not
affiliated with any citizens organiza-
tions.
Confirmation by the Senate of the
nomination of Col. Harrison w. Brand
for reappointment was not ordered be-
fore the upper legislative body ad-
iourned yesterday. The term of John
w. Childress will expire on June 80.
1t Is the announced intention of the
poll committee to present the names of
the leading candidates disclosed by the
poll to President Hoover for appoint
ment to these two positions.
DIR. Havenner's Disclaimer.
DR.. Havenner, president of the Fed
Grafton OF Citizens Associations, said
today that the use of his name as
member of the poll committee was not
authorized.
II received telephone call from
gentleman who asked to attend meet
ing of this poll committee, DR.. Haven
ner said. AT that time I was confined
to my home with influenza and replied
that would not be able to attend the
meeting. On Saturday night when an
effort was made to have the federation
nominate candidates for Public Utilities
Commissioner first found out that my
name had been used as a member of
the committee representing the Fedora
ton of Citizens Associations. This was
after the federation's meeting was over
or would have announced to the dele
gates that the use had been unauthor-
lied.
THE matter of indorsing people for
public Office has often come up in the
Federation before, and my recollection
is that the Federation has invariably
declined to do so. With this in mind
1t would be impossible for me to give
my consent to the use of my name as
president of the Federation to a COM
mittee having to do with the indorse-
ment of a candidate for public office"