Evening star., 1946-01-03
Meeting Maps
Drive 10 Win
d. {. Suffrage
Civic. Business and
Labor Groups Plan
New Organization


dents the right to voteawas launched
last night by representatives of
civic, business and labor groups as
they met in the District Building to
map plans for creation of an organi-
zation devoted exclusively to this
goal.
Those present voted unanimously
to form such an organization and a
tentative title, Central Suffrage
Conference, was adopted. Slated
only as a preliminary meeting, it
was agreed at the session to hold a
larger meeting in approximately
three weeks. to which every organi-
zation in the District interested in
the question of suffrage for the Dis
trict, including national representa-
tion or local vote for city officials,
will be invited to send two delegates
Last nights meeting authorized
Wilbur S. Finch, president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations
and chairman of the session, to ap-
point a Steering Committee to Sc
lect the time and site of the next
rally and to draft the groups state
ment of principles.
Hold Time Now Ripe"
Mr. Finch appointed a commit
tee to promote citizen interest ir
the Senate Judiciary Committee
session January % on the Sum.
newspaper resolution to grant the
District national representation.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee al.
ready has reported favorably or
the measure.
Mr.. Finch told the group The
time was now ripe to achieve a vote
for the District. He pointed to the
recent statement Of President Tru.
man favoring suffrage for Wash.
ington and the recent Senate Ju.
dietary Subcommittee action.
Questioned on what form of suf.
frage the conference would sup.
port, Mr.. Finch replied:
II take the position that WI
should support both national rep.
resentation and local suffrage
Supporters of either proposal shoulc
work together in common cause
to see to it that we get some kline
| of a vote"
Harry S Wender, former fedora.
ton president, urged that differ.
ences of opinion on the kind O.
suffrage for Washington should no
interfere with the conferences OBJ.
| jective.
About Effort Urged.
''If we ever want the vote, nov
is the time to push for it, he said
Conditions have never before beer
so favorable. If we miss our oppor
tunity now it may be another 5,
years before we get as favorable .
chance"
Both Mr.. Wender and Mr.. Fincl
stressed that all-out effort shoul
be made in support of the nationa
representation resolution now be
fore the Senate committee.
At the next meeting delegates O
the organizations attending Wi
have the opportunity to vote on tn
statement of principles and also OF
the methods of obtaining tn
groups objectives, 1t was announced
That citizens here desire the righ
to vote was stressed by Mr.. Finch
who pointed to the unofficial ref
erendum held few wears ago, whel
WashingtonianS balloted overwhel
mingly for the right to vote.
Those Attending.
Those attending last nights meet
ing and the organizations they rep
resented were: George w. Hodg
kins, Kalorama Citizens Associa
ton; Oliver T. Palmer and Rober
Sherman, Washington Industris
Union Council, CIO: Harry N. Stul
Federation of Citizens Associations
Mrs. Robert F. Leonard and Mr.,
Milton Dunn, District League @
Women Voters; Woolsey w. Ha
and Austin L. Fickling, District Fed
Grafton of Civic Associations: Cor
nelia H. Hill, District Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs; Edwar
j. Clarke of 1901 Connecticut ave
nue.. representing himself; j. s
Beattie, Junior Board of Commerc
and the AMVETS; Kenneth T
Armstrong, District Suffrage Asso
citation, and Mr.. Wender, Southwes
Citizens Association.