Evening star., 1934-05-27

uecuS Oh Tie DlStTlcC. experienced
civic workers recognize this as most
valuable advice. Many of the civic
groups follow the practice of hav-
ing members of Congress as guest
speakers at their meetings. Too
frequently many important men In
the Senate and House are over
looked while members of the Dis
trict Committees are sometimes
overworked as speakers. To awaken
q real interest In District affairs,
among members Of the Ways and
Means and other important COM
mittees would In the long run be
helpful to the faithful friends who
serve on the District Committees.
d. C. Federal Suffrage League
Receiving Practical Support.
THE D. c. Federal Suffrage League
of the Citizens Joint Commit
Tee on National Representation for
the District of Columbia is receiv-
ing most practical support from
some of the leading organizations
composing the joint committee.
Both the Board of Trade and
Chamber of Commerce are under
taking to solicit all their members
to join. The Society of Natives
Of the District has voted to do like
wise. Miss Eta L. Taggart. chair
man of the Committee on National
Representation of the Federation
of Citizens Associations. has al
ready enlisted a number OF So
licitors of members of the new
organization.
Those who enroll as members of
the league sign an enrolment
blank reading: The undersigned
enrolls as a member of the District
of Columbia Federal Suffrage
League and pays the annual en-
rollment fee OF 81 for the year
1884. hereby pledge my best ef-
fort to aid in obtaining those
American basic rights, now denied
District residents, and for which
the Citizens Joint Committee on
National Representation Is striv-
ing" Below the name and address
whether the person enrolling is a
voteless D. c. resident or Is a voter
and also space for any former
State residence. These blanks are
put up in books of 10 for the use of
volunteer solicitors, though some
loose blanks have been supplied the
Board of Trade and Chamber of
Commerce for use in connection
with a letter they are each sending
to their members.
A meeting of the board of d.
rectors of the league is to be held
this week, when complete plans for
propagation of the organization
will be adopted.
What the league and the Citi-
zens' Joint Committee are working
for is the granting to the District
of voting representation in the
Senate and House of Representa-
tives. the vote for President and
Vice President of the United States
and to give District residents the
same access to the courts of the
United States as possessed by the
citizens OF a State. These plans
have nothing whatever to do with
the local government of the Dis
trict. Putting through this pro-
gram would not change the form of
the local government.
Fish Wharf and Market Contest
Settled by the Commissioners.
CITIZENS generally approve the
decision of the Commissioners
to continue the time-honored prac-
tice OF permitting the boatmen
bringing sea food and other prod
ucts to the Municipal Fish Wharf
to sell either at wholesale or retail
direct to the consumer without the
intervention of the commission
men who are tenants In the Munic-
ipal Fish Market. The action of
the Commissioners appears to be
in keeping with the intent of Con-
gress in authorizing the building
of the wharf and market at the
expense of the taxpayers, includ-
ing Federal contribution.
The present wharves and mar
ket replaced delapidated struc-
lures which had been operated by
private parties under q lease. The
District took over these activities
in March, 1918, from w. w. Riley,
whose family had held it under
lease for ITO years. Some tenn
porary repairs were made at the
time and some of the unsanitary
shacks demolished. A movement
was Immediately launched for
erection of modern sanitary
wharf and market where the pub
lie might buy sea food and other
products coming up the river both
direct as well as from regular
dealers who were to be provided
with convenient and sanitary space
in the market. 1t was at that
time estimated that the revenue
from rentals and wharfage charges
would be considerable.
The attractive Municipal Fish
Market, completed and occupied in
June, 1918, was to be the first unit
of the attractive water front devel-
opment which the House Commit
tee on Rivers and Harbors has only
recently reported to the House.
The District code restricts the
landing of fish and oysters to this
wharf and authorizes the Commis-
sioners to make regulations gov
erning their handling.
Additional Advantages Of
Excess Condemnafion Bill.
CCORDING to the committee
AZ report. the use of excess con-
demnation may often make pos
sible and profitable the opening of
streets through congested territory.
the widening of old streets and
sometimes the destruction of IN
sanitary buildings by opening
small parks and Fairgrounds. and
the improvement of such land next