Evening star., 1934-12-02
FEDERATION GROUP
FORMED ON ADVICE.
OF CONGRESSMAN.
Organization Took Place in
1910, With William Nick.
Clayton as Founder.

some show of authority. speak for the
mass of citizens of the District, denied
their right to do so by the ballot box,
was relatively late in maturing.
1t was in 1910 that the Federation
of Citizens Associations was finally
launched. The man who launched
it "a years ago is still delegate, and
most of the historical material herein
come direct from his lips William
NICK. Clayton was the founder and
first president serving from 1910
through 1912. In 1910 Senator Gal
linger, chairman of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, suggested that it
might be a good idea if there could
be some central body to speak for the
citizens associations before his COM
mittee as to projects really desired
by the city. Representatives of in
dividual associations often appeared
before the committee with sharply
diverging claims. statements and ef-
forts. Representative Sam F. Smith
of New Hampshire, chairman OF the
House District Committee, supported
the idea.
Call Is Issued.
So Clayton caused call to be sent
out to all citizens associations by the
Chamber of Commerce. then a newly
organized body. The meeting was
held in February. 1910, in Brentano's s
Building, Twelfth and streets, and
about IS citizens associations were
represented.
It proved difficult to persuade the
older and larger citizens associations
to come in. Some, such as the Rhode
Island and the Columbia Heights,
stayed out for long time. feeling the
influence OF their associations would
be dwarfed by the new body. The
Northeast Citizens Association has
not Joined to this day But with this
exception, the rest since have joined.
There are now 63 associations in the
federation, each sending two delegates.
Clayton was elected first president,
Glenn Brown, architect, vice-presi-
dent; Eugene E. Thompson. repre-
senting the Anacostia Citizens Asso-
citation. was elected secretary and the
late Charles E. Lancaster, Of the
Northwest Suburban Association,
treasurer. There was some talk of the
Central Labor Union coming in. but
since this body wanted two delegates
for each of its constituent bodies, this
finally fell through.
The tactics of the federation in its
early days were to concentrate on one
single big issue, and the issue selected
was regulation of public utilities
Clayton, with assistance from the late
Edward H. Thomas, then corporation
counsel. wrote the draft of the act
creating the Public Utilities Com
mission, and backed by the fedora
ton. began to lobby industriously on
Capitol Hill for the enactment of this
measure. 1t was a long fight and vic
tory was always elusive However, the
approval of President Taft was
secured for the measure. and, three
years after the fight started. the bill
was made into law on March 3, 1918.
Since that time the federation's
interest in utilities matters has always
been very keen. After retiring from
the presidency, Clayton was made
nittee, a job which he still holds.
Utilities Proposal Adopted.
sponsored a bill to name two addi-
tional public utilities commissioners
Cthe original law made the District
Commissioners the Utilities Commits
Sion) and to create the office of peo-
pies counsel 1t has conducted an
almost constant warfare against
increasing rates for utilities service
and in favor of decreasing the rates
1t fought the Harley Wilson s50,000,-
600 merger plan and succeeded in
getting through Congress a bill to
merge the street railways, with most
of the Objectionable features of the
Wilson plan removed 1t secured
reductions in gas rates which cut
consumers bills more than 81 100000
in the past two years.
Under its rules, the federation only
oeals with matters of city-Wide
interest Local questions, such as
the repair of sidewalk in front of
a citizens home, are not taken up
Every year the Committee on High
ways, Parks and Waterways makes a
comprehensive study of the entire
street and bridge system of the city,
and makes its recommendations to
the Highway Department and the
appropriate committees of Congress
Questions relating to desired new
legislation are referred to the Com
mittee on Laws and Legislation, now
headed by George E. Sullivan, which
is intrusted with the duty of heading
off unfavorable legislation and spon-
soring favorable legislation for the
District before Congress This COM
mittee recently managed to prevent
enactment of a bill to legalize horse
racing in the District of Columbia
something to which the federation is
much opposed.
The Committee on Fiscal Relations.
under L. A. Carruthers, handles sthe
troubled questions of tax rates, Fed
eral payment, assessments, estimates
proposed new tax measures, and the
like. Throughout its history the fed
GRAFTON has fought to keep down
taxes on small property holders and
to stave off the introduction of addi-
tional tax measures such as were
being considered by the Mapes Com
mittee of the House in 1882.
1t has fought for greater Federal
payments and for suitable appropria-
tions for schools and Fairgrounds.
Its Education Committee, under Harry
N Stull, is constantly before the
Board of Education and the Legisla-
tive and Appropriations Committees
of Congress demanding better deal
for the Districts school children.
The federation meets on the first
Saturday Of May, June, October, No.
vember and December, and the first
and third Saturdays of January,
February, March and April in the
board room of the District Building.
Its present officers are: James G.
Yaden, president; L. A. Carruthers,
first vice president; Miss Eta Tag
CART. second vice president; David