Evening star., 1935-01-20
BY JESSE C. SUFFER-.

"O THE civic minded the
week Just closed has been
one of absorbing interest.
i High lights have been the
rule. A large meeting Of
the Board of Trade on Tuesday
evening was addressed by the new
Governor of Maryland, Harry
w. Nice, Wednesday the District
Commissioners heard the views OF
representatives of organized civic
Washington on the bill to expand
the powers of the Commissioners
of the District Of Columbia. On
the same day the subcommittee ON
the District appropriation bill OF
the House Committee on Appro-
priations reported the 1896 budget
to the House and began considera-
ton Of that measure. The House
District Committee also on We'd
nesday held its first meeting OF
the 74th Congress and formed q
number of subcommittees.
Thursday the District appropria-
ton bill continued before the House
and the Cosmopolitan Club awarded
to Thomas p. Littlepage its medal
for the most outstanding service
to Washington in 1884. That day
was also marked by the Treasury
Department experts delivering to
Secretary Morgenthau the compar-
ative tax survey on the District
taxation, which was made at the
request of the President. The con-
tents of this report. 1t is expected,
will be made public this week.
A number Of important meetings
were held by neighborhood and
sectional groups, the week closing
with the important meeting OF the
Federation Of Citizens Associa-
tions held at the District Building
last night and reported In another
column Of today's Star.
This brief outline fails to do JUS
tice to the subject as the civic
news made q remarkable showing
both in volume and matters of in
terest In the keen competition with
the demand for space by numerous
matters Of great national interest.
Even Those Who Foot the Bills
Now Know d. C. Budget Secrets.
WITH the reporting Of the
" 1896 District appropriation
bill the District taxpayers,
who foot the bills, for the first
time learn the proposals Of the
subcommittee and what transpired
at its hearings. This information
becomes available at such time
as to be Of little, If any. value so
far as appealing to the House for
more liberal treatment Is con-
cerned. Had the hearings on this
bill been open to the public or the
press opportunity would have been
afforded this voteless and unrep-
resented American community to
have made some effective showing
to emphasize urgent needs which
have not been provided for by the
committee.
Civic leaders have never been
able to understand the necessity
for the dark mystery which sur
rounds the preparation Of the pro-
gram for the expenditure Of the
FUNDS raised through local taxa
ton. Open proceedings seem to be
the order of the day in most other
things, but In this matter Of such
vital interest to the people who
pay more than 80 per cent Of the
budget they are kept absolutely IN
the dark until It Is practically too
late to remedy gross injustices.
Organized civic Washington feels
very keenly its degradation In be-
ing treated in this un-American
fashion. Under the Constitution
the men and women In the Con-
gress are made our exclusive legs-
lators. We voteless ones have none
other than this indirect Representa-
ton chosen by other Americans
all except those Of the District Of
Columbia. In theory and in effect,
we residents Of the District are the
constituents Of the Senators and
Representatives In Congress. Dis
trict residents generally believe
that our very heIplessness should
prompt every member Of Congress
to treat these their voteless con-
stituents precisely as they treat
those whose votes sent them to
Washington. Some In Congress do
follow such a course, but they are
not many.
These voteless constituents can
not promise to send their faithful
friends in Senate and House back
for another term but they can as
sure them Of the sincere gratitude
Of as fine q body Of fellow Ameri-
cans as have ever lived on the
continent.
Cixiv~,rs Ravn~ Tv,1an>ud>u<