Evening star., 1931-12-08
POLITICAL EQUITY
ASKEDFORD|STR|C
Oldest Inhabitants Hear Plea
by Theodore W. Noyes-Dr.
Grosvenor Speaks.


tonian, financial equity and politica
equity"
The suggestion was advanced that al
organizations represented there includ
ing the leading trade bodies and or
ganized city-wide groups, band togethe'
TO carry forward a program with
united front to obtain from Congress
what the city needs In these directions
The invocation was delivered by Rt
Rev. Mgr Edward Buckley, pastor o.
st. Matthews Church.
Theodore w. Noyes, president of tn,
association, sounded the keynote Of th'
evening by declaring the occasion {
local home folks gathering" He out
lined program for the future o
Washington, which, he declared, shoulc
include national representation. TIT
association, Mr. Noyes explained. fight
for three things for Washington, ''po
litical equity, financial equity ant
physical and spiritual health ano
beauty"
DR.. Gilbert Grosvencr, president Of
the National Geographic Society, paint
ed many-colored word picture of the
fascinating past of this city, pra.sso
its present great strides forward ano
predicted that, like the biblical house
founded on a rex, when foods came
and winds beat upon a certain house
1t fell not, for it was founded on
rock. Modern Washington will be like
that" declared the speaker, God
willing"
The rebuilding Of the modern Wash
ington, DR.. Grosvenor said, resembles
the reconstruction of Paris by Ma
poleon III, rs years ago.
Maj. Gen. Herbert B. Crosby, Dis
trict Commissioner, praised the Asso-
citation of Oldest Inhabitants for its
program, appreciated the support II
was giving worthwhile causes and pre-
dicted that Washingtonians would get
the vote. Heads Of trade bodies and
city-wide organizations also spoke.
Address by Mr.. Noyes.
In his annual address opening the
discussion of the evening, Mr.. Noyes
said:
"Tonight's celebration of the associa-
tion's 66th birthday is conspicuously a
local home folks gathering.
Few here tonight need to be re-
minded that the association Is 66 years
old, that its membership is nearing the
500 mark, that the average age Of its
members approximates 10, and that II
proudly claims as its most venerable
patriarchs six members over 30 years
of age, headed by our venerated Gen.
tenarian, Maj. Saxton, with l02 years
behind him
From the nature of its makeup the
association becomes the champion and
defender Of the Washingtonian as q
man. II emphasizes the existence
sometimes doubted, the oneness and
the worthiness OF the fine American
community which has developed at the
seat of Government.
Pair play for the Washingtonian Is
the watchword OF the Oldest Inhabit-
ants. Financial equity and political
equity are blazoned upon its standards
"Our association thus fights to win
for Washington % political equity, (2)
financial equity, and (3) physical and
spiritual health and beauty.
"Washingtonians glory in the won-
derful development Of the City Beauti-
full, the inanimate city, the city of
buildings, OF parks, OF boulevards, of
monuments.
"Washingtonians urge as great con-
Germ for the development of the animate
as of the inanimate city. In the glori-
fication of the City Beautiful the well
fare of the people of the city is not to
be sacrificed Financial equity is to
cause a just apportionment Of the
cost of the city's maintenance and
extraordinary material development on
national lines. Political equity is to
raise the Washingtonian from the polit-
ical status of the convict and lunatic tc
that of an American sovereign, with
power to participate f-protectingly
and justly in the National Government
which taxes him, makes all laws for
him and sends him to war.
Beauty Is City's Strength.
Much of Washington's strength, like
that of woman, is in its beauty-its
face Is its fortune. Experience vindi-
Gates the wisdom of those who labor II
increase the city's material prosperity
by developing its external attractive
ness. Its wooded parks and reserya-
tions framing memorial monuments anc
fountains constitute the citys conspic-
uous and characteristic charm, and
also one of its most valuable assets as
a residence and show city.
'Washington's policy has ever beer
to preserve its priced park heritage, tf
protect its existing parks, Its public
breathing places, against all injurious
trespassers, whether railroads, or indi.
viduals, or the stone, brick and mortal
Of public buildings, and to enlarge, I'M
prove and adorn its park areas.
The wonderful work Of Capital de.
veiopment in public buildings, as wei
as in parks and reservations, has beer
glorious feature Of the Coolidge anc
the Hoover administrations. In spitt
Of the depression, this good work goe!
on at high speed. Indeed, the work no
only adorns the Capital but gives life
saving employment to thousands of the
unemployed. Thus two birds are killed
with one stone.
While working enthusiastically fol
and glorying in today's grand develop
ment OF the inanimate city, Washing
tonians urge that financial equity b.
done in apportioning the cost of thes,
expensive projects; that not an unfai
percentage OF the cost be imposed upoi
the unrepresented Washingtonians
whether as national or local taxpayers
and that in exploiting the material in
animate Washington the animate city
the city Of its people, be not injured o.
neglected.
In measuring eouitably what Wash
| ington's contribution in this connection
| should be 1t is to be remembered tha
the taxpayers Of the Capital pay OF
both sides of the account. As nationa
taxpayers they contributed in 1893
more than any one of Is (more thai
| half) OF the States, and as local tax
payers they contribute all OF the munic
ipal taxes, and, being unrepresented II
Congress and lacking political equity
they have not a particle of representa-
| tive participation in the councils whicl
| determine how much and in what man
ner they shall be taxed and how tn
tax money shall be spent.
In this connection the financing o
| the new Municipal Center should b