Evening star., 1935-04-14

munity. They are still hoping for
the best.
Southeast Washington Insists
On Holding Spotlight.
CITIZENS of the Southeast are
u to be asked to pass on the
question of whether they
want busses substituted for street
cars in that entire section. 1t
appears that extensive track re-
building is due throughout that
section and the peoples counsel
has suggested the citizens reaching
a decision in the matter in order
that if busses are preferred the
money may be expended for busses
instead of track renewal. With
the close cooperation at present
existing between the Southeast Or
ganizations, through the council,
it is believed that the consensus
on this question will be determined
in short order.
The Southeast Washington Citi-
Zens' Association last week staged
an interesting entertainment at the
Hine Junior High School. Besides
a fine program by troupe of boys
and girls. there we're staged two
outstanding civic events.
Allan Davis. principal of Roose-
welt High School, and a charter
member of the association, was
awarded a certificate of civic
achievement for his long continued
service for the association and the
section it represents. The diploma
was presented by Henry I. Quinn,
who paid eloquent tribute to this
eminent and busy educator who had
had had the inclination and had
found the time to work for the
neighborhood in which he lived as
well as for the betterment of the
entire District.
1t is interesting that the idea of
this civic award was conceived and
introduced in the association by
Mr.. Davis many years ago.
Many civic leaders from other
sections were attracted to this
gathering to hear the debate on
suffrage in the District. Argu-
ments for the affirmative were
made by Louis F. Frick and Rich
ard B. English and for the mega
tive by J. c. L. Ritter and c. G.
Degman. From the start the af-
firmative had the best of the con-
test. as they clearly had the crowd
with them. Many school children
we're in attendance and they were
very prompt to register their ap-
proval of every point made.
Mr.. English was particularly ap-
pealing to the assemblage. The
main trend of his argument was
based on the comparatively large
amount paid by the District in
federal taxes. He contrasted what
the District wanted and what
Southeast wanted and what they
got. He then would tell of how
the money contributed in national
taxes was expended in the States
which made a smaller contribution
to such revenues. He predicted
the early granting of national rep
resentation for the District and
brought down the house when he
announced himself as a candidate
for the House from Southeast
Washington. He told what he
would do for the section if elected
and was cheered to the echo.
Mr.. Frick made a very telling
address, based on fundamental
American grounds. and showed
that in numbers. wealth and quail
ity of the population the District
is ready and deserves to be granted
such rights.
The negative did not get down
to cases. and both Mr.. Ritter and
Mr.. Degman we're not in good
form. Among the group of OBJ
servers from other sections of the
District the opinion was expressed
that the many admissions by the
negative speakers that contentious
of the affirmative were sound, in
dicated that Messrs. Ritter and
Degman were not in sympathy
with the end of the argument they
were attempting to uphold. The
vote of the adults in the audience
was 14l for suffrage to Is against.
Northeast Conference
Firm Against Grade Crossings.
NNCE more the Union Station
~ act of 1903 is brought to
light and attention called to
the fact that the program therein
has never been carried to compile
tion. It was in that act provided
that all grade crossings should be
abolished within the city. This
was considered merely the be-
ginning of a general elimination
of all such crossings throughout
the District. However. many of the
most dangerous have been suffered
to remain until, through heavy
loss Of life, an aroused public sem
timent has by insistent de-
mand obtained the required legis-
lation and relief.
The Northeast groups repre-
Sented by the conference raise
serious objection to the proposal
to lay surface tracks on the public
streets in the vicinity of West Vir-
ginia and New York avenues. Two
bills pending in the House Dis
trict Committee provide for an
under-paSs connection between
West Virginia and New York ave-
nues and also the construction Of
a bridge over the railway tracks
connecting Brentwood road and T
street northeast The Pennsyl-
vania and B. & o. railroads would
bear the expense of the construc-
ton and the District the mainte-
nance of both projects.
The conference, in invoking the
terminal act, calls attention to the
requirement of three bridges In the
vicinity of Fifth, Twelfth and
Seventeenth streets northeast. The
conference now suggests compli-
ance with the act and thus per-
mitting access between communi-
ties located on opposite sides of
the railroad right of way. In this
they are looking to the peoples
counsel for aid.