Evening star., 1933-05-07
VOTE FOR DISTRICT
FIGHT IS GAINING
SUPPORT IN HOUSE
Report to Citizens Fedora
tiOn Cites Recent Dec.
Iaration by Members.
MOVE TO LOWER REALTY
ASSESSMENTS BACKED
Gas Merger Opposed Until valua.
tions Of Two Companies Are
Completed.

The cause Of national representation
for the District Is winning adherents
in the House, according to report pre-
sented to the Federation of Citizens
Associations last night by its Committee
on National Representation.
The report specifically called atten-
tion to the fact that Representative
Mary T. Norton, Democrat Of New
Jersey, had introduced a national rep
resentation bill in the House Identical
with that introduced by Senator Cap
per, Republican Of Kansas, in the Sem
ate. 1t pointed out that Representatives
Jennings Randolph of West Virginia
and Virginia Jenckes of Indiana have
made open declaration of their belief
in, and advocacy Of. national represent
tation for the District.
The federation also unanimously
adopted resolution brought in by its
Law and Legislation Committee direct
ing its Executive Committee to call on
the proper officials and demand a 20
per cent reduction in the general level
of real estate assessments in the Dis
trict under the levels Of 1928-1929, ex-
cept In cases where the assessments
already have been lowered as a result
Of appeals
The preamble to the resolution states
that real estate assessments have re.
mained at the 1928-l929 level in spite
OF the known reduction In real estate
values on the open market and in spite
Of the law requiring annual assessments
to be made.
Gas Merger Delay Favored.
In another resolution, offered by
William G. Gath and unanimously
adopted, the federation opposed merger
OF the Washington and Georgetown Gas
Light Companies until after completion
Of the valuations of the two companies
now pending Speakers contended the
officials of the merged company would
seek to claim a valuation larger than
the sum Of the valuations of the two
merging companies, and that the latter
figures should be established first.
BY vote of 36 to II, the federation
approved the principle OF retiring police
men and firemen from active service at
the age Of 64. Its Committee on Police
and Fire Protection had brought in a
report in favor of abolishing any definite
age limit, but after considerable debate
the report was rejected. There is now
no age limit In effect, the 64-year rule
having been suspended for one year by
action Of the District Commissioners.
The report Of the National Repre-.
sentation Committee quoted Repre-
sentative Norton as saying:
1T Is only matter Of justice and
fairness that since they District citi-
zens) bear burdens Of taxation and
military service in support Of the Ma
ton in times Of war and peace COM
parable with that carried by any other
citizens, the residents of Washington
should be given equal rights in max
ing the laws and In selecting the ofd-
GERS Of the Government"
Result Of Careful Study.
After stating that Representatives
Jenckes and Randolph were favorable
to national representation, the report
continued:
These declarations we're not made
casually or thoughtlessly, or by way
of mere courteous gesture, but as the
result Of most careful study and an
alysis In fact, 1t is noteworthy that
the best minds and hearts in both
branches of Congress invariably find
it impossible to doubt the undeniable
justice Of our cause, once the matter
is really grasped by them In It's true
light.
IL Vic ECocIdl oLSIllCL were lOCdIeo
in, or carved out of, the State of ILL
nois for example, and had developed,
as we have, into q community more
populous than eight States, would any
one think Of denying them representa-
ton in accordance with their popula-
ton In the National Congress. which
acts not only as the National Legisla-
ture, but also as the local legislation for
such district, or Of denying them SINH
lar representation in the electoral coll
lege? Assuredly not. because no justi-
fable reason can possible be assigned
for such denial, which would inexcus-
ably violate the inherent and funda-
mental principle that taxation without
representation Is tyranny"
Fiscal Committee Named.
The report Of the committee, rendered
by Miss Eta Taggart, concluded with
q warm personal tribute to Theodore
w. Noyes, chairman of the Citizens
Joint Committee on National Repre-
sentation, for his half century of striv-
ing in the cause Of national repre-
sentation. Several delegates added
their individual tributes to Mr.. Noyes
and to The Star. of which he Is editor.
They were George E. Sullivan, Fred A.
Emery, w. j. Neale, Marvin NJ Nc
Lean and Edwin s. Hege.
On motion Of Miss Taggert, President
James G. Yaden appointed the Com
mittee on Fiscal Relations, headed by L.
A. Carruthers, as q committee to inves-
tigate the situation of the closed banks
in the District and report back at the
next meeting.
The federation adopted q resolution,
presented by the Committee on Educa-
ton, favoring retention of an appro-
priation Of $4,000 for the Community
Center Department Of the public schools
for the 1884 fiscal year, instead Of
$4,000 as proposed In the pending