Evening star., 1936-11-29
BY Jesse C. SUTER.


For years the leading civic,
= labor and business organi-
cations of the District Of Columbia
have supported the movement for
national representation for the Dis
trict Of Columbia. It has been
on their legislative programs, but
has not always occupied that No.
place which its Importance de-
serves.
Since our recent voteless ma.
tional election day there has been
q general awakening among the
organizations and the local press.
This interest during the past two
weeks has been also reflected in
the press "out in the United
States" This really appears to be
the most noteworthy matter Of i'm
mediate civic interest.
Standing out conspicuously in
the advancement Of the cause is
the word which has been received
from the great convention of the
American Federation of Labor.
BY a unanimous vote its action of
many years is reafflrmed, and
stronger than ever is its deter
mination to end this system Of
tyranny which has too long con.
tinued at the. Capital Of our Nation.
Final announcement was made
during the week that the Com
missioners Of the District of CO.
lumbia will put into operation on
March l. next. a system of licensing
OF public parking lots and garages.
This. 1t is expected, will bring
them under rigid inspection and
regulation. Places for storing four
vehicles or less are not included.
The fees are graduated on ca
pacity basis and are intended to
cover the cost of inspection and
regulation. Just how these fees
are to take care Of such costs is
something which some citizens are
unable to see. Receipts from these
parking places will have to be
deposited in the Treasury of the
United States and can only be
expended through appropriation by
Congress. To provide an adequate
inspection force will require con-
gressional approval.
Some Of these civic wise ones
claim that many commendable
rules and regulations for the pro-
lection of the community fail
through the lack of ana <adequate
inspection force. So here's another
little problem for solution.
Dismissal by Justice O'Donoghue
Of the petition for injunction Of
the Pioneer Novelty Distribution
Corp. is hailed in civic circles as
a very definite blow at a wide
spread form Of gambling. The
corporation sought to have the
police restrained from seizing the
10000 pin ball machines being op-
Grated throughout the District.
Justice ODonoghue, in the
course Of his discussion Of the
case. gave as his conservative es-
innate that these machines here
have been doing a business OF
$30,000,000 year. The case
is expected to be appealed to the
Court Of Appeals, but the Judge
declined to restrain the police
until the case is decided by the
appellate court.
United States Attorney Garnett
has persistently pushed this mat
ter and Immediately upon the dis
missal Of the injunction proceed
ings requested the Police Depart
ment to give operators "a hours
notice to remove such gambling
machines. Mr.. Garnett is being
highly commended for the way
in which he has handled the mat
ter.
The Zoning Commission, after a
public hearing. has adopted
amendments to the zoning regu-
lations to apply particularly to the
erection OF the large abattoir at
Benling. 1t also further restricts
or prohibits the erection or opera
tion Of a number of manufacture
ing businesses.
The action Of the Zoning Com
mission further emphasizes the
fact that Washington Is unlike
other cities with which attempts
are made to compare it. In pre-
senting the plea for fiscal equity
for the District, representatives of
the Citizens Joint Committee on
Fiscal Relations has called atten-
ton to the fact that manufac.
lures are discouraged in the Dis
trict. Other peculiar conditions
obtaining here have been cited
and the action of the commission
Is only another confirmation of
our committees contention.
Voteless d. C. Women
Enlist influential Allies.
ORGANIZATIONS of mere men
or those of the mixed va
riety can learn q very practial
plan for effective use, in the inter.
est of District legislation, from the
Voteless District of Columbia
League Of Women Voters. At the
recent luncheon meeting of the
Executive Board they had as their
special guests the presidents of the
State leagues of both Maryland and
Virginia, accompanied by the heads
Of some Of the general departments
of these State leagues. In all
there were 18 of these women who
came to Washington for the meet
ing.
It was truly q good-fellowship
meeting, and these sisters seemed
to get real pleasure through this
neighborly contact. Everybody
was made acquainted, and each Of
the visitors was fittingly and de-
scriptively introduced to the as
semblage.
This was all perfectly regular.
but the visitors were told at the
outset by the president, Mrs. VIII
liam Kittle, that they were not
expected to make any speeches.
She told them that they had been
invited over to hear some reports