Evening star., 1953-01-06
Legislators Honored
By Board Of Trade;
Judge Bastian Speaks

and gently reminded that the
Federal payment toward the
District budget was not big
enough.
Judge Walter M. Bastian of
the U. S. District Court for the
District of Columbia delivered
the welcoming address. He kept
his speech geared to a friendly
greeting to the new Congress-
men, who included 10 Senators
and 78 freshmen Representa-
tives.
But. at one point during the
Mayhower Hotel dinner, he did
comment:
"You will know in time why
the Federal Government an
nually makes a payment toward
the upkeep of the District. You
will learn, in time, that many
of the people do not consider
that sum large enough.
"You will learn in time that,
to fulfill critical and unmet
civic improvements, our District
government leaders will present
to you a 1919 million public
works program.
1--WE will undoubtedly learn.
in time, that this may not meet
with instantaneous approval by
your NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. We ex-
pect this area of disagreement.
In many respects it augurs well
for our Republican form of gov
ernment that thinking peoples
do have divergent points Of
view."
Has Nothing to Sell.
Judge Bastian also told the
Congressman that the Board of
Trade had nothing to sell and
no axes to grind.
Perhaps some of you may ask
why should the Board of Trade
do this; why should it and its
members bother with politicians
and politics?" he commented,
adding:
There is, unfortunately, to-
day an attitude of indifference
toward politics. So many people
are too busy to bother about
politics. All great factors which
determine peace or war, the mat
ter Of taxes. monetary policies.
policies of production and dis
tribution, service of health, social
benefits, industrial security,
these and a hundred other great
elements are the product of the
applied science of politics.
I'm the daily life of the plain
citizen, there is scarcely one hour
or one activity unaffected by
what our political leaders de-
termine in the executive and
legislative branches of our Gov
ernment.
THAT is why believe politics
is such an important and re-
Sponsible civic activity to which
any person may devote his char
acter, his talents and his en-
ergy. We must elevate politics
into statecraft.
Statesman should not be
confined to leaders but should
refer also to any man who gives
honorable and patriotic service
in public affairs. We cannot
sensibly devote l per cent Of our
time to something that affects
SO per cent of our lives.
$50 we must, of necessity, take
an interest in those who are
to administer our national Gov
ernment, make our laws, and we
must unself1shly assist them as
best we can
Purpose of Dinner Explained.
F. Gloyd Await, chairman of
the Board of Trades Congress
sional Relations Committee, out
lined briefly the purpose of the
dinner. He pointed out that it
was only to welcome the new
Congressman and create cordial
spirit of cooperation between
District citizens and the city's
legislative council, Congress.
Our committee was organized
in 1945," Mr.. Await said. "At
that time we felt that the transi-
ton from your homes to Wash
ington was at times abrupt and
often led to feeling that Wash
ington was a chilly place in
which to live. And. by chilly,
I do not refer to the weather.
This feeling sometimes led
to misunderstanding which we
desired to avoid. We hope and
believe that since the inaugura-
ton of the boards congressional
relations program much of that
feeling has vanished in the good
will generated by our efforts to
assist you men and women
newly elected legislators-to fit
more easily into our local pat
tern of life"
E. D. Merrill, president of the
Board of Trade, presided.
In extending his greetings,
Commissioner F. Joseph Dono-
hue termed the new legislators
members of the "City Council"
He said that in order that their
council duties may not be bur-
densome," the Commissioners,
10000 municipal employees and
the city's entire population
pledge their help and support.
Griswold and Dodd Respond.
Responding for the legislators
were Senator Griswold, Republic
can, of Nebraska, and Represent
ative Dodd, Democrat, of Con-
necticut.
Senator Griswold said the
freshman class on Capitol Hill"
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