Evening star., 1933-12-20
PETWORTHFAVORS
LOCAL RULE STUDY
Citizens Group Would Deny
Congress Veto Over Dis
trict, However.

tTICI, however.
The Petworth Citizens Association
last night went on record in favor OF
proposing for the District Of Columbia
% government independent Of any Fed
eral control in its purely local affairs"
This action was taken at the associa-
ton's meeting in the Barnard Scnool
when it approved a report presented by
q special committee to make study
Of q proposed plan for local government
as recently advanced by the Burroughs
Citizens Association.
The Petworth group disapproyed CIV
ing Congress veto power in local mat
ters If local government is established
and turned down sections of the Bur-
roughs Citizens proposal, which would
give Congress such powers.
The report of the special commlS lee
adopted recommended leaving the Fed
eral Government the right to establish
whatever Federal areas it may consider
necessary. over which areas 1t may eXer-
else full control"
Need OF Control Changed.
Referring to the manner in which the
District originally came under Federal
control, the committees report said:
The question of the necessity for
complete control over the District by
the Federal Government as a means of
safeguarding the safety of Federal OFF,
cials resolved itself into the proposition
that there is now not the same need
for Federal conrol over such an area as
was in Philadelphia at the meeting of
the Continental Congress"
While the Petworth groups held In
abeyance any detailed plan for local
government, it was pointed out in
the committee report that the aSsocia-
ton already has gone on record in
favor of national representation for the
District and an elective school board.
The report was presented by Max
Tender, chairman of the associations
Committee on National Representation
and member of the joint committee
bers of the Joint committee are: j. A.
Burks. chairman of the Committee on
Taxation; Elmer l.. Mantz, member of
the Committee on Taxation; j. L. Carr,
chairman of the Legislative Commit
tee, and John T. Thomas president OF
the association
Congress Probe Disapproved.
A resolution was adopted disapprov-
ing congressional investigation OF the
Fire Department in connection with
charges brought against Chief Engineer
George S. Watson by the City Fire
Fighters Association through Attorney
Paul z. Jameson.
he 10 association ia
vored the investigation by the District
Commissioners as already proposed. The
association voted to send a letter ex-
pressing its views on the subject to
Representative Virginia E. Jenckes,
member of the House District Commit
tee. who has sought opinions of the
citizens on the matter.
Thanking Representative Jenckes for
her interest in the subject, the assocla-
ton approved the report OF Senes b.
passmore, chairman of its Fire Depart
nent Committee, who said In part OF
the charges:
I'm general, similar charges could De
made against any public official without
containing any tangible proof that the
rights of the personnel had been in
terfered with or without showing that
the efficiency Of the department has
been in any way impaired"
To give the Federation Of Citizens
Associations more funds in the treasury
the association adopted a resolution
urging that the federation be author
lied to levy and collect assessments
from citizens associations, based on
membership, in addition to the regular
$40 annual dues now paid it by the
member associations, ,
The resolution also urged that the
federation publish annually directory
Of the organized citizenship OF the DIS
trict Of Columbia and that each con-
stituent body be required to report an
nually a complete list Of its member
ship.
Army Appointee Question.
A resolution urging that the associa-
tion support proposed legislation to do
away with the appointment OF an Army
man as District Engineer Commissioner
was referred to the associations Com
mittee on Law and Legislation. Tne
latter resolution was introduced by
James G. Yaden. member Of the asso-
citation and president of the Federation
Of Citizens Associations.
George H. Cole, assistant to the d1-
rector of sanitary engineering for the
District, spoke on the new sewer TO
be built in the Petworth and P1ney
Branch sections. which is calculated to
do away with food conditions during
heavy precipitation as well as serve as
a sanitary sewer. The new sewer Will
serve to relieve the present system OF
much of its burden.
Charles I. Stengle, former member
of the association, was elected an
honorary member and the name OF Ed
ward r. williams was proposed for elec-
ton to honorary membership in the
near future Allan Davis, principal of
Roosevelt High School, was a guest at
the meeting and related briefly some OF
the needs of the school.
Mr.. Thomas, president Of the asso-
cfation presided