Evening star., 1939-10-08

the Commissioners threw in the
waste basket at the insistence Of the
Real Estate Board. Who Is re-
sponsible for this refusal to accept
$18, ,0O0, 900? Who is responsible for
the housing code? The banks who
control the mortgages the insur-
ance companies.
"The relief situation Is q sheer
massacre. There are some $4,000
unemployed, $4,000 getting some
form Of relief. The otheS 5000 are
left to starve. At the same time
that big business cries that there Is
no money, the real estate tax rate is
one Of the lowest in the United
States.
The Communist party and the
progressive movement was able to
some extent to rectify the situation.
When Ihlder refused to accept the
$4,000, 900 we raised hell and he was
forced to accept. -
On the Relief Hearing.
AN interesting situation was the
relief hearing. A number of peccle
testified before the Senate commit
tee on relief. Collins of Alabama
(probably means Representative COL
Inns of Mississippi thought it was
dangerous to increase the appro-
priations for relief. He proposed
$500 900, which would simply con-
tinue the present situation. Usually
when a party representative testi-
fies they give him 10 minutes. Yet
this time I was given an hour to
testify and the Senate committee
recommended three of the four
points pressed for by the c. p, the
G. /. o. and the citizens association.
This shows that even though reac-
ton is pretty powerful, even though
monopoly controls every branch of
life in the District, the progressive
movement can have an influence on
the course of Developments"
Special emphasis was placed in the
report on the efforts of the Com
munist party to have Congress pro-
vide suffrage for the District. On
this subject, 1t said:
In our struggle to break the con-
troll of big business over the life of
Washington. to end the rule by the
Board OF Trade, ETC., to end con-
spiracy against helpless silent popu-
lation, our suffrage work assumes
special importance. We might say
that the recent scandals have done q
great service in exposing the made
quacies OF the present government
setup and the need for a vote.
Pushed Suffrage Sentiments.
1T is now about two and one-halt
years since the people have been
waging a consistent struggle for
self-government in the District. AT
first. about year and a half ago
what was our major problem? To
work up program to unite the va
rious elements around it, to arouse
the people. And this was a period
of mass meetings, conferences, the
dramatic poll. In the more recent
period our work for suffrage centered
around the question of legislative
action and developing a fight in
Congress.
1T seems that the national ad-
ministration for various reasons is
not ready to go ahead and support
the fight for suffrage in the District
and 1t is very interesting how the
reactionaries are making use of this
They are utilizing this by saying
that Roosevelt refuses to give the
people in his own backyard suffrage
In other words, reaction is trying tc
embarrass the administration and
will probably make use Of it in the
1910 elections.
I'VE know what a tremendous eff.
feet 1t would have throughout tn,
South in the fight for this franchis,
and its effect in the general flgh,
for democracy. To win the sup.
port of all progressive elements ma
tionally as well as in the District
is now indispensable for victory ane
becomes q major task facing thu
suffrage movement at the presen
time"
The report warned that an at.
tempt to introduce a people S
front program" on taxation or re-
lief, would split the suffrage move.
ment," and added:
1T is apparent today that there
is a very strong need for uniting
the progressive movement into 6
center that can speak for the peo.
pie of Washington instead of con.