Evening star., 1935-11-17
VOTE FOR DISTRICT
SENTIMENT GROWS.
SeIden NJ. Ely Believes
Movement Under Way in
City and Congress.

vision of public schools.
Notwithstanding the representa-
ton afforded by the local associa-
tions and the federation he says,
"the trend of thought in the District
Of Columbia and in the Congress is
toward giving Washington a more
representative control and one more
typical of the best forms to be found
in our most progressive States and
cities"
The movement is under way in
both the District and in the Congress,
he believes. A handicap is that too
many District residents, especially the
new ones, are afraid Washington will
become a part of the United States in
its political relationships.
1T is intended and it is wise that
the District of Columbia should be
more Immediately responsive in its
control to the Federal Government.
but there is no sound reason why it
Should be more responsive than
Maine, Texas or Oregon" he declared
in a radio address over Station WMAL
last Thursday evening.
Explains Plus as SUBJECT.
In explanation for the subject of
his address, entitled PLUS" Ely de-
Clared; In the study of numbers the
sign We learn first is plus. Plus sig
nifies an increase by some quantity.
The sign stands for a positive rather
than a negative number, which is in
dicated by a minus The sign minus
for my purposes tonight means to
take away or destroy, and that has
no place in my thought. The sign of
multiplication indicated for my pur-
poses too rapid increase, possibly an
unwholesome, dishonest. selfish build
up. The sign of division means a
breakup more rapid than that indi-
Gated by minus. 1t is opposed to
unity, which signifies a pulling to-
gether for the welfare of the whole.
We use popularly the phrase, signs of
the times. As a sign of the times,
plus serves my purpose"
In reviewing the plus or gain in
America he went back to the colonial
ton of America. When the colonies
became harassed by the tenets of
their home government we say revolu-
tion was necessary, he declared How
ever, he said, in broad sense, it was
not revolution but a restatement Of,
and stand for, established principles
of law and social relationships; the
establishment of plus conditions
The outcome taught England and
other European states to avoid, for a
long period Of time, more eXploita-
ton Of the colonies.
Government is Ideal.
1T appears to be the duty Of Amer
lea he stated. more than ever be-
fore to maintain the ideal Of self
government, because individual self
improvement is inseparable from DEM
ocratic control"
The thinkers of the Constitutional
Convention provided for the District
of Columbia. 1t has a fascinating
history to both the adult and the
child. He mentioned Indian lore of
nearby areas and the association of
the District with many characters in
history. Georgetown had its tea party
the same as the one in Boston, which
was made more famous by local con-
ditionS in Massachusetts, he stated.
The public school system has had
a part in the development of the Dis
trict and is part of our heritage
It was definitely founded in 1905 with
Thomas jefferson, then President of
the United States, the first president
Of our Board of Education. Our
school system has had a teaching per-
sonnel second to none in the United
States, he asserted
Present Status Outlined.
AS is we'll known. Washington has
not the essential feature of a rep
sentative government-suffrage Wash
ington has. however, a system of rep
resentation. There are local citizens
associations with boundaries largely
determined by geological reasons.
There are city-Wide professional and
civic organizations interested in the
development of our National Capital
Some of these city-wide organizations
with direct civic activities have rep
resentation in the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations. Of course, each
local association has two delegates In
these two types of representation in
the federation we are typical of politi-
cal conditions in commonwealths and
in our National Government. The
findings of our civic associations have
no legislative validity. yet their con-
clusions influence the Commissioners
the Congress and the President Un-
doubtedly the federation typifies rep
resentative government in the District
of Columbia better than any other
organization"
Next weeks speaker in the weekly
series of civic addresses over Sta ton
WMAL will be Thomas Ellis Lodge,
newly elected president of the Fedora
ton of Citizens Associations. In his
address, Lodge will enumerate upon
the 16 issues facing the federation
published in The Star last Sunday.