Evening star., 1938-01-02
BY Jesse C.. SITTER.

Va SoAl6A COO W ALA lSBA-
lar session that one is re-
- minded Of that famous tele-
gram sent the foreman Of the
wrecking crew on the railroad
"On agin, on ag'in, gone ag'in.
Finnigan." Congress did get away
long enough to let District people
celebrate Christmas and New
Year Day.
The regular session convening
tomorrow is expected to recognize
that it will now be in order to
consider District Of Columbia busi-
ness. The several-times-postponed
hearing on the District budget is
scheduled to begin tomorrow at 10
am. Chairman Ross Collins
has announced that the committee
will meet and begin hearing the
Commissioners and the auditor.
With the sending to Congress Of
the Presidents budget message the
terrible secret of the District budget
will become known to the people
who will have to pay about 80 per
cent of the amount. This will be
only a glimpse, for the proceedings
before the District Subcommittee of
the Houe Committee on Appropria-
tions, If it adheres to custom, will
be held in executive session. Thus
the taxpayers will continue to
grope in the dark. There are some
citizens who claim to be unable
to understand just why there
should be so much secrecy about
the public's business and private
individuals at the same time be
required to make complete disclo-
sure Of their private business.
The chairman of the House Dis
trict Committee has announced
that he has completed the new sub
committee set-up OF his committee.
Mr.. Palmisano is quoted as being
very sympathetic with the proposal
to require the payment of tuition
for all nonresident children en-
rolled in the District schools.
Representative Jack Nichols,
Democrat, Of Oklahoma, new chair
man of the Subcommittee on Tax
alton, has announced as his belief
that taxation legislation will be
given the right of way and disposed
of before the proposals for a re-
organization of the District govern
ment will be taken up.
The heavy traffic death toll for
1887 has focused attention anew on
traffic control to increase the safety
Of the streets. Many have been the
suggestions as to how this may be
accomplished One of the latest is
to increase the legal speed of ve-
hicles and then enforce them rig
idly. As this is written it Is re-
ported that the Commissioners hes
itate to approve recommendation
of the chief Of police for this
change.
1t Is reported that the chair
man of the Public Utilities Com
mittee Of the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations is to demand
reopening of the question of the
rates of fare on the lines of the
Capital Transit Co. He also tndi-
Gates that proposal will be re-
newed for a try-out of scent
fare. The committee is expected to
meet early in the week, and both 1t
and the Federation must pass on
these questions before they may be
officially presented to the Public
Utilities Commission.
President Carruthers Of the
Federation of Citizens Associations
has called a meeting Of the Ex-
ecutive Committee of that body to
meet on Tuesday afternoon in the
conference room in The Evening
Star Building. This will be the
first meeting of the Executive Com
mittee in the new administration.
The Committee on Education Of
the federation has adopted a new
policy as to its meetings. Regular
meetings will be held on the third
Wednesday Of each month in The
Stars conference room, where a
number of civic organization COM
mittees are now meeting.
Connecticut Women Cooperate for
ID. c. Federal Suffrage.
THE Voteless D. c. League Of
Women Voters in their news
letter for January, print a letter
from the Connecticut League OF
Women Voters which is encourag-
ing to the voteless and unrepre-
sented people of the District Of
Columbia. The letter tells that
meetings are to be held in the vari-
GUS counties of the State during
January for the purpose of explain
ing to the local leagues the federal
support items on the program to
which the State body has pledged
its support. It states that very good
use Is being made of the excellent
material sent from Washington on
national representation.
The writer, the vice president in
charge Of program, suggests that 1t
would add greatly to the interest in
the subject and be worthwhile If
the District of Columbia organiza-
ton would send some one to Con-
necticut to present the Districts
case to the members. This idea
has impressed the local body so
favorably that call has been made
for contributions to cover the ex-
pense of sending such missionary
over into Connecticut.
This instance directs attention
to a need of long standing In the
campaign to Americanize the WASH
ingtonian. The folks back home,"
as our legislators on Capitol Hill
call them, need to be told of our
plight and of our aspirations. Mis-
sionaries are needed to be sent
throughout the country and money
is required to carry out suoh a
plan. The people of the United
States, as q general rule, do not
understand the conditions which
obtain in the National Capital. As
q matter of fact they know" far
more about the District Of Columbia
that is untrue than the true story.
Many do not know that we have
no vote in either local or national
e1ertjons Some who admit know.