Evening star., 1936-06-21
Civic Bodies, Civic Problems
Mingled Feelings Meet Actions of Congress-
Citizen Leaders to attend Roberts Public
Utilities inference on June 70.

is to investigate telephone rates.
Roberts expects this to result In
elimination Of the charge for hand
sets and lower cost of extensions
to both domestic and commercial
service and possibly a reduction in
the basic rate for domestic phones.
Roberts, in his capacity as the
Peoples counsel, endeavors to rep
resent faithfully the views of the
citizens. He finds the organized
civic bodies the most satisfactory
channels for obtaining the peoples
viewpoint.
Aiken Proposes 10 Capture
Democratic National Convention.
WITH plans all set and his ad-
vance guard already in Phila-
delphia, Commissioner George E.
Allen Is determined to capture the
Democratic National Convention
Tor District national representa-
tion, or know the reason why,
Delegates and visitors to the con-
vention will have no difficulty in
learning that there is still taxa
tion without representation at the
National Capital: that these feI-
low-Americans have no part in
the councils Of the Nation ex-
cept through their delegates at the
conventions which nominate can
didates for President and Vice
President.
Packages of tea with Informative
tags attached. hand bills. repro
auctions of famous cartoons. BAN
ners and slogans will tell the story,
This promises to be the most
carefully planned, sensational and
elaborate attempt ever made to in
terest party convention in a Solu-
ton Of the District of Columbia
problem number /.
Organized civic Washington has
Tor years seen as the only solution
OF this problem an amendment to
the Constitution Of the United
States, empowering Congress to
grant to the people of the District
OF Columbia voting representation
IN the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives. the vote for President
and Vice President and the same
right OF access to the Courts of
the United States as possessed bv
the citizens Of a State. Members
OF civic bodies are planning to
hSten-m very carefully to the
proceedings in Philadelphia this
week with the hope that at last
they may get plank in the Ma
tional Democratic platform COM
mitting that great organization to
the application Of American prin-
ciples to the National Capital.
Making the Country Understand
The Districts Difficulties.
JUST how to make the country
understand the Districts diff
flculties is one Of the knottiest
OF our civic problems. Whenever
the District is in a jam over de-
layed or denied legislative action or
a situation like the QUESTIONABLE
to the teachers, some wise one in
another community rises up and
tells what his people in his COM
munity would do about it. Such
people look with pity at the Dis
trict because 1t does not go and do
likewise.
In every such instance the
course of action suggested is based
upon an effective control by the
voters of the community over the
delinquent or offending legislators.
The franchise in every case is the
effective weapon and these we'll
meaning ones who look upon the
District citizens as weaklings ap-
pear innocent Of any knowledge
that our legislators are elected by
the voters in remote parts of the
country-that they are wished on
us without our advice or consent.
Baltimore is said to have a fine
public school association formed to
keep politics out of the schools.
Through the effective use of pol
itics. through the ballot box. the
Baltimore schools are said to have
been completely protected from
such menace.
In the District We have a public
school association and a large and
energetic Congress of Parent
Teacher Associations but these
bodies, armed only with the right
Of humble petition, cannot begin to
produce results possible in a COM
munity like Baltimore.
The freQuence with which cit
liens Of neighboring and remote
cities suggest what they would do
II confronted by some of the Dis
trict's difficulties indicates a desire
on their part to help. To acquaint
them with the underlying causes is
big job but very necessary one.
The problem is. just how and by
whom is this to be done. The
people of the country have not the
remotest idea as to the un-Amer-
ican conditions under which the
District people live. There is an
abiding faith among many in the
civic ranks that a host of good
Americans would aid in our rescue
l.