Evening star., 1945-02-10
Civic Leaders Urged
To Attend Hearings
|0n Vote for District

SAV4S 8AUAHo Al 8NA aAA 1S10tl Nv C1ble
zens interested in Obtaining the
right to vote for themselves and
their neighbors to attend hearings
of House Judiciary Subcommittee
beginning at 10:30 am. Wednesday.
Plans for representation at the
hearings were developed yesterday
at meeting OF civic leaders in the
Offices Of the Washington Board Of
Trade.
Representative Daughton, Demo-
|crat, OF Virginia, a new member Of
Congress, who, as a native of WASH
ington, obtained his right to vote by
moving across the Potomac, will be
lone Of the witnesses who will testify
ION national representation for the
District at the hearing.
Many Slated to Testify.
Other witnesses will be Commis-
sioner John Russell Young, Malcolm
s. McConihe, Democratic commit
teeman for the District; Edward F.
Colladay, Republican committeeman
for the District; F. Barrett Pretty
man, president of the Board of
Trade; Wilbur 8. Finch, president
OF the Federation Of Citizens Asso-
Citations; Harry s. Wender and
James r. Kirkland for the District
Bar Association, Mrs. Eugene Duf-
field, president of the Voteless Dis
trict Of Columbia League of Women
Voters; Mrs. Gertrude Parks and
Miss Cornelia Hill Of the Federation
of Women's Clubs and Miss Eta l..
Taggart of the Society of Natives.
Representative Celler, Democrat,
Of New York is chairman of the
subcommittee, which includes these
Democrats: Tolan of California,
Russell of Texas and Gorski of Illi-
nois, and these Republicans: Niche
ner of Michigan, Robsion of Ken
lucky and Graha moi Pennsylvania.
All members of the subcommittee,
1t is reported, have shown a friendly
interest in the reintroduced Sum-
newspaper resolution which would
send to the States a proposed
amendment to the Constitution CIV
ing Congress the power to provide
that there shall be in Congress and
among the electors Of the President
and Vice President members elected
by the people Of the District"
In Democratic Platform.
Melvin d. Hildreth, vice chair
man Of the District Democratic
Committee. pointed out at yester-
days meeting that national repre-
sentation for the District is a plank
in the Democratic platform and it
was a solemn obligation" of every
Democrat in Congress to vote for it.
Jesse Suter, vice chairman of the
Citizens Joint Committee on Ma
tional Representation, made up of
representatives of more than a score
of Washington civic organization,
said he had been told on the Hill
that members of Congress did no.
believe that Washington residents
were greatly interested because I'VE
have not swamped them with let
ters and resolutions"
Mr.. Wender said that the trial
voting of several years ago, in which
almost 100000 citizens went to
polling places" showed the interest
Of the citizens.
Also at the meeting were Mr..
Prettyman and Mrs. M. Dunn, League
Of Women Voters; B. M. Nickel
way, George F. Bowerman, Odell S.
Smit, E. w. Beitzell and Marie C.
Rogers Of the Board of Trade; Mr..
Kirkland and Guilford Jameson for
the Bar Association, Miss Taggart
and Elizabeth T. Sullivan for the
Progressive Citizens Association and
Proctor L. Dougherty, former Dis
trict Commissioner, and Horace j
Phelps Of the Petworth Citizens
Association.
Russell E. Balderson and Evan n
Tucker of the Northeast Citizens
Association. Clara Wright Smith OF
the District of Columbia Informa-
ton Service, Mrs. Parks and Miss
Hill Of the Federation of Women's
Clubs, Mrs. Walter F. Bhambail
secretary and treasurer of the Dis
trict Central Committee; Mrs. Eliz-
abeth M. Cox, president of the
Washington Zonta Club; Merlo J.
Pusey of the Washington Post and
Mrs. Anna E. Hendley of the Vote
less League of Women Voters.