Evening star., 1938-10-30
By JESSE C. SUTER.

commissioner HaZen was de-
tanned at home last week by slight
indisposition and this necessitated
postponement of several matters
which the Board of District Com
missioners had intended taking up.
The existing vacancy on the board,
caused by the resignation of George
E. Allen, imposes an extra heavy
burden on Mr.. Hazen as the only
civilian member. The law makes
provision for the assistants to the
Engineer Commissioner acting with
full authority in his absence. The
law requires that two Commission
ers shall constitute quorum and
therefore one civilian must always
be on the job. Maintaining a
quorum, whether physically fit or
not, imposes burden on Mr.. Hazen
never contemplated by the law cre-
ating the commission form of gov
eminent.
Among the matters going over to
later date is the discussion be-
tween District officials of a legis-
lative program to be presented to
Congress this winter. presumably,
if the Bureau of the Budget ap-
proves. 1t is also presumed the
Commissioners will hold public
hearings on this program.
Conspicuous among the civic
news of the week is the discussion
of the proposal to bring pedestrians
under control of the law or police
regulation as safety measure. A
number of officials and organi-
cations have recorded their ap-
proval.
Advocates of an armory for the
National Guard had both a dis
couragement and an encourage
ment during the week. The first
blow was struck by the Commits
sioners, who, it was reported, had
declined to include in their budget
recommendation an item for the
erection of an armory. Then came
the cheering news that a combined
public auditorium and Guard
armory may be built as Federal
project with P. w. A. funds This
is linked with the proposal of the
President that large auditorium
be erected in which the inaugural
ceremonies might be held This
idea is looked upon with IA
vor by the civic groups, who,
while friendly to the National
Guard, have all along felt that the
District National Guard is purely
Federal institution and as such
should be provided with an armory
by the United States Government.
The Washington Airport is
problem over which the Board of
Trade, Federation of Citizens AS
sociations and other bodies, includ-
ing committees of Congress, have
been wrestling for some time. They
were all agreed that the best loca-
ton for the airport was at Gravelly
Point. Now the President has
stepped into the picture and de-
cided to proceed at once to build
a great national airport at Gravelly
Point as Federal project
There are many other problems
that local citizens are trying to
handle which are far beyond the
ability of the community. There
exists belief among a number Of
the civic minded that if the Dis
trict's exclusive legislators and the
President could only get the true
perspective many an apparent local
problem would just naturally dis
solve into one Of Uncle Sans own.
Halloween Celebration
A Protective Measure.
Once more the Halloween Com
mittee has done good job in per-
fecting plans for a great celebra-
ton. The beautiful Halloween
queen and her royal court have
been selected and of course there
has been king chosen also.
Reviewing stands are in place,
floats decorated, marching units
costumed and drilled and many are
the trophies and valuable presents
offered to the participants.
Every neighborhood in the Dis
trict is expected to be represented
in this great and colorful pageant.
Its success as a pageant and as the
solution of serious civic problem
will depend upon just how well all Of
these neighborhoods are repre-
sented.
The idea of the community cele-
bration of the night Of the ghosts
and hobgobblins originated as q
public order measure. It was to
provide Young America the oppor-