Evening star., 1939-10-22
Bv JESSE C, SUTER.

BY JESSE c. SUTER.
Corporation Counsel Elwood
Seal appears to have been the
star performer last week at the
District Building so far as civic
problems are concerned. The
Commissioners have given unani-
nous approval to his plan to put
q stop t0 the fixing of tickets of
traffic violators. The names Of
those holding the lucky tickets,
the names of those requesting
the fixing and the reason for
fixing are all to be made public
through the press.
If the scheme is to really work
In this voteless and unrepresent-
ed realm of privileged classes
some of the citizens are inclined
to believe that the day of mir
acles is at hand.
AS the craftsman of new ideas
In the kitchen cabinet" plans
for the revamping of the Dis
trict government Mr.. Seal has
also been conspicuous. Some of
his proposals are said to be con-
troversial and to be contrary
to the ideas of some of the Dis
trict officials. Seals plans. so far
as disclosed, appear to meet a
number of objections from the
citizenry at large.
On the whole the proposals of
Mr.. Seal, which are to be in
corporated in bill for introduce
ton to Congress, meet with rath-
er general approval. Like all of
the other proposals for a reor-
ganization of the District gov
eminent there is no provision
contemplated for participation in
either the local or national gov
ernments by the residents of the
District. Such omissions are apt
to result in antagonism from the
suffrage groups.
Some legislators, local officials
and local citizens see a natural
demarcation between the mere
functional and departmental re-
organization and the substitu-
ton of new form of local gov
ernment. OF course to recon-
mend the granting of national
representation to the District
would involve no change in local
government; it would simply give
District residents the same part
IN the local government as pos
sessed by the citizens of the
States. The setting up of a local
elective government would be an
entirely different matter.
The President was quoted last
week as determined to push the
so-called streamlining of the
District government this winter.
District Commissioner George E.
Allen is supposed to put this job
over before he can be released
to return to his more lucrative
insurance and bonding business.
Everybody in the District is sup
posed to put their shoulder to the
wheel and help George do it.
The past week saw the first
meetings of the season of the
1nter-Federation Conference and
the Monday Evening Club, and
also the celebration of the 21st
birthday anniversary of the Po-
lice Womens Bureau. This bu-
reau has thus reached its ma
tority without ever having been
regularly established by legisla-
ton.
The District Suffrage Associa-
tion held its first meeting since
becoming an incorporated body
and elected officers for the en-
suing year. The chief objects of
the organization, as set forth in
the bylaws are: Cd To secure
self-government for the residents
of the District of Columbia. CD
to promote the District of Colum-
bias representation in Congress
and the participation of its resi-
dents in national elections, and
90 to stimulate popular interest
IN the complete enfranchisement
Of the residents of the District of
Columbia.