Evening star., 1933-11-08
VOTE SUBSTITUTE
OFFERED BY LEESE
c. of c. Told to Build up ReIa,
tions With Congress to
Get Consideration.

Emphasizing that the trade bodie,
of the Capital constitute a leadin,
medium through which the voice of thu
disenfranchised citizens of Washington
is heard, Martin A. Leese, presiden
of the Washington Chamber of Com.
merce, yesterday called upon member.
to build up a greater friendship Will
members of Congress, the citys "boarc
of aldermen"
Addressing directors Of the trade
body, Mr.. Leese, who was elected presi-
dent last month, declared the Chamber
of Commerce sis very definitely needed
in this community, where we have nc
vote in affairs of either our local or
national government"
Mr.. Leese urged members of the
chamber to form contacts with men,
bers of the House and Senate District
Committees and other members of Con-
gress interested in the welfare of the
Capital and its people. In the new
Congress, he said, are many Senators
and Representatives who are new 10
the city, and he felt it was the duty
of the citizens, through their organi-
cations, to make friends with them and
acQuaint them with Washington, Its
government and its people.
Street widening Favored.
The group took issue with the stand
OF the Federation OF Citizens Associa-
tions in opposing the widening of F
street between Seventh and Ninth
streets, and reiterated its previous stand
favoring the plan to open the thor
oughfare to two-way traffic by cutting
back the north curb, narrowing the
sidewalk and rounding back the cor
ners at Seventh and Ninth streets.
The federation last week disap-
proved this plan, which is indorsed by
District highway officials, declaring a
better plan would be to ask Congress
sional appropriation of funds to re-
move the Patent Office steps on the
north side of street and make the
street the same width throughout.
The street widening as favored by
the chamber group was proposed by
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, highway engi-
neer, and has the approval of the Mer-
chants & Manunfacturers' Associa-
ton, Board Of Trade and other groups
Understood not to require sanction Of
the Fine Arts Commission or any
Federal group, the project would cost
approximately $4,000, which funds are
now available Approval by the Dis
trict Commissioners would permit the
work to begin.
0cOlSc E. heneIpp, cldlTInHH OF the
chambers Transportation Committee,
pointed out that much delay would re-
suit if efforts to alter the physical
structure of the old Patent Office were
projected. ..........
The board failed to approve the use
OF public school gymnasiums for college
boxing bouts, "on the basis of infor-
nation before it." The group had been
asked by the Board of Education to
express its views on the matter.
Col. U. S. Grant. Sd. recently made
director of the chamber, presented
the trade body with gavel made Of
wood taken from the White House.
Heads of the six bureaus of the
chamber for the coming year named
yesterday are: Civic-Federal affairs,
Thomas p. Iittlepage; community ad-
vertising, Col. Grant; industrial devei-
opment, Marcy L. Sperry: traffic and
transportation, Col Wrisley Brown;
trade promotion, A. Lee Thompson, and
membership forum, Harry T. Peters.
Committee Appointments.
Committee chairmen and vice chair
men appointed follow: Anacostia
Flats-Maurice Otterback, chairman;
r. F. Bradbury, vice chairman, Audit