Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-05
c. OF c. DIRECTORS
HIT HOWELL BILL
Appointment of Service Man
as Commissioner Meets
Strong Opposition.

Sharp attacks on Senator Howells
dry-law bill for the District and Sen
ator Jones bill changing the qualif1ca-
tions of prospective District Commits
sioners featured the regular meeting last
night of directors of the Washington
Chamber of Commerce.
In a discussion of the Jones bill the
directors also made it clear they oppose
appointment Of Maj. Gen. Herbert Cros-
by or any other Army or Navy officer,
to succeed Commissioner Proctor L.
Dougherty. President Charles w. Darr
was instructed to write President Hoover
expressing the hope of the chamber
that Gen. Crosby would not be ap-
pointed.
1.-THE newspapers have confidently an
nounced," Mr.. Darr said, that an Army
officer now in the Army is to be ap-
pointed a civil Commissioner of the
District. I believe the law is that such
an appointee must have been civilian
resident of the District for at least three
years prior to his appointment. l do
not believe Gen. Crosby is eligible for
this post
Send Resolution to Hoover.
The following resolution concerning
the Jones bill, submitted by Walter G.
Balderson, was adopted and ordered
sent to the President, the Senate ana
the House of Representatives:
Whereas, we believe the aforesaid
bill Is inimical to the interests of the
residents Of the District of Columbia:
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that 1t
is the sense of this meeting that we be-
lieve the law as now in force in the Dis
trict of Columbia with respect to the
appointment and qualifications OF the
Commissioners of the District of Column
bia especially with respect to the two
Commissioners provided for from civil
life, was enacted for the protection and
benefit of the District of Columbia and
its residents and that the three years
residenceship therein provided is of the
utmost importance and is necessary TO
properly safeguard the rights of the
residents of this District and their
property; that the successful admins
tration of local affairs can best be OBJ
tanned by those who are and have been
residents of the District of Columbia
over a period of. years and qualified by
experience and intimate knowledge OF
the requirements of the District of CO.
lumbia and its local affairs: that to
have the affairs of the District of Co
lumbia conducted and administered by
person of persons not residents for the
required time of three years or more, as
provided in the present law, would be
subversive of the rights and interests
of the residents of the District of Co
cal and extravagant administration OF
the local government"
Howell Bill Termed Insult.
President Darr termed Senator
Howell's dry bill an insult and menace
to the people of the District.
This law" he said, passed for the
exclusive benefit of the voteleSS District,
would nullify the basic doctrines of per-
sonal liberty, which have been incor-
porated in our code of laws since the
earliest days of our history. The time
has come to protest in the strongest
language.
Il am a prohibitionist and I have
always been a prohibitionist, but am
unalterably opposed to this bill. The
right of search should be rigid
" restricted to houses that have
become a public nuisance or to homes
in which it is known that a crime is
being committed. And this knowledge
should be based upon fact. not mere
supposition. If man can't be secure
in his own home he might as well close
the shutters and call liberty a failure"
President Darr announced that sill
yer loving cup has been donated for
presentation to the individual member
securing the greatest number of new
memberships during the next three
months.
Other resolutions adopted supported
Senator Capper's bill for new Center
Market, urged that DR.. William B. Tin
dali be retained in the Districts service
beyond his impending retirement and
fixed November 2 as a tentative date
for the opening of the 1880 Industrial
Exposition. The chamber also decided
to enter a decorated float in the cherry
blossom festival this Spring.