Evening star., 1934-05-10
PEOR[E'SCOUNSE[
OUTLINES POLICY
Roberts Says He Will Help
Obtain Best Possible
Results.

al IllS llot PubAAS oPSSSA1 oA'S~ -o
confirmed by the Senate late yester-
day as peoples counsel, William A.
Roberts last night declared he would
administer his new post to help OBJ
tain for the people of Washington
from public utilities the best possible
service at the lowest possible prices
according to law"
Speaking to the American Univer-
sity Park Citizens Association at
Hurst Hall, on the college campus,
Roberts pledged himself to consider
carefully every complaint and request
for service.
IF the request is right" he said,
"it's my duty to fight for it and to get
the Public Utilities Commission to
grant the request If the request is
wrong, it will be my duty to present
it to the commission anyway, for the
commissions decision"
Public utility commissions through
out the country Roberts declared to
be the representatives of all the peo-
pie. These commissions. with a per-
sonnel of about 300 men and women,
and with legal staffs totaling not
more than about so altogether, he
said consisted of the representatives
of the people to control interests rep
resenting investments of $200,000,-
100000.
To Be Defender.
Explaining he would continue in the
same attitude he had assumed on pub
lie utility matters in the past, Roberts
declared he would still be the ''Wgor-
GUS defender of the rights of the
people"
He called on organized citizenry to
support the Utilities Commission with
adequate legislation, with teeth in
it," and then back up the commission
without continually trying to under
mine its standing with Congress. Rob-
erts referred to the pending telephone
rate case, declaring that two recent
decisions of the Supreme Court of
the United States had given new hope
to the local commission. He reiter-
ated his belief that the city should
build large public garages to help re-
lieve the parking congestion.
On motion of Henry A. Donovan
the association in a resolution urged
the Utilities Commission be supplied
with adequate appropriations, deplored
the arbitrary reduction" of funds for
the commission by the Bureau of the
Budget, commended the Senate Dis
trict Committee for restoring the ap-
preparation to $4,000 after it hao
been cut by the House, and asked the
Senate to appropriate the full amount
Approves Cleanup Week.
The association, on motion of Will
liam T. Belts, chairman of the Sani-
tation and Beautifcation Committee
approved both the Cleanup week
campaign of the Chamber of Com
merce and the Better Homes Contest
of The Evening Star.
The next meeting of the Garden
Club, under auspices of the Citizens
Association. will be held the first
Tuesday in June, at the home of Jet
Whalen.
F. S. Sanford, president of the asso
ciation, announced appointment of {
Junior Garden Committee, consistin,
of Mrs. F. F. Lilly, o. L. Kramer anc
Dallas Burch, to supervise a contest
among children's gardens. The sixth
annual lawn, flower and garden con.
test. was announced, with a series o,
prizes to be awarded at the October
meeting.
The association disapproved of the
proposed all-night parking ban pro.
posed by District officials, votine
againg against such a prohibition both
In the associations territory and
throughout the city.
A resolution of thanks was sent to
the Capital Transit Co. for extension
OF the bus line from the community
to a new downtown terminus.
D. o. Woolf of the Streets and
Highways Committee submitted a list
of street improvements which the
committee will request of the munich
pality, as follows: Brandywine street,
Forty-ninth street to Western avenue:
Chesapeake street, Forty-fifth to
Forty-seventh street; Forty-seventh
street, from Davenport to Fessenden;
Forty-sixth street throughout the
community, and Davenport street
from Forty-f1fth street to River road
Complaint on Alleys.
Thomas E. Lodge complained of the
closing of alleys in the neighborhooo
for months. without completion oi
grading and paving. He expressed
appreciation for new alleys in the
neighborhood, but criticized a lack of
planning" which, he said, had re-
suited in more alley paving in places
where they were less needed. and none
in more populated sections.
The association authorized plans for
q celebration of the Fourth of July
with an afternoon of games and con-
&C.