Evening star., 1939-08-04
District Women Ask
States Aid Drive for
Representation
Mrs. Daniel Mails
Letters to Other
Federutions

The District of Columbia Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs today began
mailing out to each of the State
presidents of the General Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs a plea for
renewed and careful consideration
of the Districts need for national
representation.
The request is in the form of a
letter to the State presidents over
the signature of Mrs. Ernest Hum
phrey Daniel, president of the local
federation.
Mrs. Daniel pointed out that the
subject of national representation
for the District has been on the
study program of the General Fed
Grafton since 1885. She said she was
recalling the project to their Atten-
ton because of the "seriousf situa-
ton" in which the District was
placed by the indifferent or ire
sponsible behavior of majority of
the Congress" in allowing the Capt.
tai to run for two weeks from July
without funds or revenue pro-
gram.
Mrs. Daniel made it plain, how
ever that number of members
of both houses of Congress are
''alive" to the situation, as shown
by the introduction this session OF
no fewer than six measures favoring
national representation for the COM
munity.
Cites Recent Crisis.
She described the recent financial
crisis of the District as "the IN
tenable situation of this unrepre-
sented and impotent community OF
627 900 American citizens"
Citing the exclusive and under
legable powers of Congress over the
District conferred by the Constitu-
ton, she declared:
During this past winter and
spring the Congress delayed passing
the District Supply bill for the
reason that the costs of operating
and maintaining the city have in
creased beyond the carrying power
of the property owners and private
business upon whom the tax burden
has always rested, and additional
sources of income had to be found.
The Congress at first refused either
sales tax or an income tax for the
announced reason that neither they
nor their visiting constituents would
pay taxes to the District of Colum-
bia. Also. the House of Representa-
tives, at this time, refused to in
crease the Federal payment for mu-
nicipal services, known as the Fed
eral contribution beyond S500,000
although the services received are
admittedly valued at approximately
twice that amount.
without Legal Government.
Incredible as it may SEEM" Mrs
Daniel declared, due to a contro-
versy over an expenditure of $500 900
for services to be received, the Ma
tion's Capital was left without legal
government for IA days" In at least
one court, she said. the legality of
the judicial acts of the presiding
judge was openly attacked by coun-
sell
The urge of self-preservation, -
she said, is squirting the people of the
District to renewed efforts in behalf
OF representation in Congress and
she expressed confidence in the sup
port of the State presidents.
To be forwarded also to the presi-
dents under separate cover, Mrs
Daniel said, will be a Michigan pa
per's editorial which was published
in the Congressional Record as evi-
dence of the. sort of misinforma-
ton" which is widely disseminated
throughout the Nation. Also to be
sent is the answer by The Star to
the Michigan editorial.