Evening star., 1938-11-13
Civic Problems, Civic Bodies
Citizens Asked to Consider Proposed
Chain Store Legislation

the two vacancies leave six places
to be Allied.
Representative Bates of Massa-
chusetts, for many years mayor
OF Salem, a valuable member of
the committee, has asked to be
relieved. There are probably
others who likewise wish to retire
as the work on the District Com
mittee is considered by most
Representatives as a thankless
task which produces no political
dividends.
Most of the citizen groups have
from time to time tried to see II
something could be done to in
fluence the appointment to the
District Committee of members
OF influence, having special quail
f1cations for the work and possess
ing a friendly attitude toward
and sympathy for the District.
All such efforts have, however,
failed to produce results. This
Is expected to continue to be the
case until the District takes its
place in the councils of the Ma
tion with voting representatives
In both House and Senate. There
appears to be no other solution
Tor the problem.
The Senate Committee on the
District of Columbia will con-
tinue to be headed by Senator
William H. King Of Utah, unless
he retires because of the press of
national business. The Senator
was seriously handicapped in
handling District matters dur
ing the Seventy-Sixt Congress
through the heavy demands on
his time by national matters of
the first magnitude.
The late Senator Royal S.
Copeland was next to Senator
Glass as the ranking majority
member. Senator Glass is chair
man Of the Senate Appropria-
tlons Committee so that will leave
Senator Millard E. Tydings as the
most likely successor if Chairman
King retires from the position.
The only vacancy on the COM
mlttee is the one caused by the
death of Senator Copeland
though there will probably be
some shifts of members to other
committees which will make va
cancles for some new Senators.
AS to the appropriations sub
committees for the District it is
understood that Representative
Ross A. Collins Of Mississippi will
continue as chairman. Senator
Elmer w. Thomas of Oklahoma
is known to desire to retire from
this post, in which he has rend-
cred such fine service. There is
a widespread hope that he may
be induced to continue.
Getting the President
To Know Our Needs.
Organized civic Washington
regards as a major problem the
way to get the President of the
United States to know the needs
OF the District of Columbia.
Among these needs is the filing
promptly important official posi-
tlons with competent officers TO
administer the laws as enacted
by Congress.
Attention has been called by
many organized bodies to the
need for the filling of the post of
District Commissioner, vacated
on September /, 1898, by George
=. Allen, who resigned effective
that day. The operation OF the
District government has been Sc
rlously handicapped, with only
two Commissioners when the law
requires three, with two to make
q quorum.
In some groups it has been
suggested that it may be that
the President does not favor the
present form Of government in
the District and is holding of
until he can get it shanged. But
they also call attention to the
fact that the present commission
form is all with which Congress
has provided the District ana it
Is necessary for the TRANSACTION
OF business to have the legal
corps of administrators until q
new form is established.
Many names have been SUBJ
mitted for consideration for ap-
pointment to the vacant commits
sionership, some of whom are
fully qualified for the Office. If
none of those submitted are
deemed satisfactory, organized
civic Washington is ready to To-
cate a citizen who will meet the
specifications the President will
lay down.
There are some who fear that
the President has not yet heard
that there is q vacancy in the
Office of District Commissioner
and also in that of peoples
counsel. The problem is, how
can Washington get the Presi-
dents ear? Some think we will
first have to get the vote.
Penal Reorganization Program
To Be Formulated Soon.
There will shortly be formu-
lated by the special Penal Re-
organization Committee, which
was created last summer by the
Corrections Committee of the
Council Of Social Agencies. This
Is a campaign committee which
after formulating a program
through study of the local con-
ditions by the Prison Industries
Reorganization Administration
will launch an educational cam
paisn In IA endavor to line up
the civic and social welfare