Evening Star Newspaper, February 19, 1922, Page 1

TO GIVE AUTHORITY ville and motion pictures. Columbia—F nstreet between 1ith and 12th, Motion pictures. Maryland—Oth street between TO REVEAL DEFECTS Pope’s place, has purely executive and not legislative power. HELD POSSIBLE RESULT > - B | . HE ; W:L‘:THIIZR.M“ i} Member of the Associated Press “ motrow’ clekring: moderate. tomper- || T b or epubiieation of s mewrs Gipatehre ature. \ e credited to it or pot otherwise credited In this Temperature for twenty-two hours d also the local news published berein. ep}icg“;-:slo’g.m last night: Highest, Al rights of publication of epecial S et o Eags € _] e No. 882.—No. 28,420. Preredos St om Do . WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 19, 1922. FIVE CENTS. ¢ } AMERICAN CARDINALS 'I'AR"_'F B"-I- ELAS POLICE CLOSE SEVEN THEATERS VERGAN CATOWALS T FOR POPES IN FUTURE : .~ BY ORDER OF COMMISSIONERS; o R FOPES W FUTURE iy o7 BTN 4 2 2, ‘ebruary .—The care l-I nals of the American continent have f | R S le!ngme‘:\ing !heh p:rk:: !;h:ll l;r:u:t [ 1 elapse between the deal o he 'ope + District Heads Act| |Theaters Ordered Closed. || Naya0ers Protest, i orier 10" catte e l:ogflm;American R i 2 2 . . apel elections in the future. | Quickly on Report | e = = > = || But Will Abide epallcinstonahinl e SN aluation Plan in Y 2 P Polls—Pennaylvania avenue h A favorably and. according to reports| Permanent Measure Stirs of Committee. e vt egmare. SR by the Order. period from ten to fitteon days, deem- Up Lively Opposition - - tween Stk and 10th. Motion ple- :ngg it :f‘r;:'lsti mh leda.\'e ;he‘ ;:lr;u;crfl . tures. onger w -nu a head, espec :m Te ADOPT REGULATION | |, Commoreansnivanta svemne | |MEETING TOMORROW e i e o ates tne| LONG DELAY IN PASSAGE Halt Evening Perform- ances as Detectives Serve Notice of Close. Seven theaters were closed last night by the District Commissioners “in the interest of public safet: They are: Pol ew National, Cosmos, Columbia, Metropolitan, Mary- land and Foraker, the last a colored theater on 20th street near L street. Ten or twelve other theaters will be examined further, Engineer Commis- eioner Keller announced. Climax to Conference. These announcements were made at € o'clock last evening as the climax to a three-hour conference be- tween Commissioners Rudolph, Keller and Oyster and the committee of un- official experts which made an inspec- tion of all amusement places at the request of the District government. t As soon as the decision was reached | the¥ had planned to attend closed! TInspector Clifford L. Grant, chief of | detectives, was summoned to the Com- missioners’ office and handed seven copies of the order. Serves Notice on Managers. Accompanied by Detective Sergeant Scrivener, he immediately went to each of the seven theaters and served the notice on the managers in charge. The notice read: “To Maj. Daniel Sullivan, major and muperintendent of police: You are here- by directed to notify the owners, managers or lessees of the following theaters that their licenses to operate said theaters are hereby suspended until further notice in the interests of public safety, and you are instructed to prevent any performance in said theaters during the period of sus- pension. “Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia, by Secretary Daniel E. Garges.” Finding Not Made Pgblic. - The Commissioners did not make publjc the findings of the investigat- igg committee, but, in answer to stions of newspaper men, Engineer missioner Keller stated that the g of these seven places was based both on structural conditions and fire risk. Col. Keller was asked if these seven theaters couid be remodeled or changed so as to make them safe in the opinion of the Commissioners. He replied that all of them could be put in condition to enable them to be reopened. It will be entirely 2 question of how much money will have to be spent on each one, he said. Others Under Inquiry. Col. Keller said the owners of each theater would be informed as to the exact conditions found by the inves- tigating committee which led to the closing order. “Does this mean that all of the theaters mot closed are regarded as safe by the Commissioners?” Col. Keller was asked. He replied that it did not. There is a list of possibly ten or twelve other theaters, he said, on Which the committee reported conditions which should be further inquired into, The Commissioners decided, the colonel said, that immediate action should be taken only regarding the seven ordered closed. Special Regulation Adopted. Several days ago the Commis- sioners were advised by Corporation Counsel Stephens that they had no authority under existing regulations to revoke or temporarily suspend the licenses of theaters regarded as unsate. The city heads directed Mr. Ste- phens to draft an amendment to the buildjps regulations givipg them such authority, and this regulation was adopted yesterday afternon be- fore the closing order was issued. This regulation gives the Commis- #ioners authority temporarily to sus- ‘pend the license of any theater when the exigencies of a particular case justify such action. Entitled to Hearing. 1t is then provided in the regula- tion that when a theater is thus glosed the owner or lessee shall be éntitled to a hearing before the Com- mmissioners, or such person or persons as the Commissioners shall appoint for that purpose. The text of the new regulation on which the theaters wére ordered closed follows: “Hereafter, no building, or part thereof, shall be operated, main- tained or used as a theater, or other place of public assembly, unless the same be fully fireproof- ed in accordance with the law and the building regulations and oth- erwise fully complies with law and regulations as to the struc- tural safety of such building and every part thereof. The Commis- sioners may at any time Tevoke the license for any such building, or part of building, and prohibit the use thereof for such purpose, which fails to conform to the fore- going requirements, and may zum- marily and immediately close any such bullding, or .part thereof, when, in their judgment, such (Continued on Page:3, Column 4.) b PO g O F and G. Motion pictures. Foraker—Colored, 20th strect | mear L. Motion picturcs. |GAY THOUSANDS TURNED BACK AT THEATER DOOR Many Parties Find Police Guarding Playhouses. Several thousand light-hearted theatergoers journeyed downtown last night only to find the playhouses and Blue-coated guardians of the law stationed outside. Scores of gay theater parties drove up to the New National and Poli's theaters in limousines. Still ignorant jof the fact that an hour before these theaters had been closed by order of the Commissioners, they entered the lobbies, chatting and laughing in eager anticipation of a pleasant even- ing. Inside the doors their hopes were shattered as attendants informed them that there could be no perform- ances under the Commissioners’ or- ders, and in many instances money was refunded to the ticket holders. Both of these legitimate houses were presenting drawing card at- tractions last week, and the usual large Saturday night crowds were on hand. Get Unweleome News. ét the f\'william Gillette % booked e Dream Maker,” and there wers many disappointed on¥W -in the crowd that had to be turned away. within the half hour preceding the time for the ‘evening performance, 5 b A block away, at Poli's, a similar scene was being enacted, as hundreds arrived for the Iast performance of Willlam Faversham in “The Squaw Man” to receive the same unwelcome news that the theater had been closed. At the Cosmos vaudeville house and the Metropolitan, Columbia and Mary- land movie theaters there was less commotion. These performances are continuous and the night patrons came in small groups from 7 to 9 o'clock. Police There As Form. The managers of these amusement places found it a much’easier problem to handle their patrons than the man- agers of Poli's and the National, where hundreds of men and women arrived within a short space of time before the opening of the performances. Merely as a matter of form, a po- liceman was detaiied from the first precinct to each of the six downtown theaters closed by the Commissioners’ action. Outside of the banned movie the- aters curious groups of youths gath- ered as they were turned away from the box offices and discussed the un- expected development, This street gossip traveled rapidly, 1and within half an hour the theate: closing order was the one topic of conversation on street corners and in stores. “WISE PRECAUTION,” CAPPER’S COMMENT ON THEATER CLOSING Senator Capper of Kansas, mem- ber of the District committee and author of the resolution introduced after the collapse of the Knicker- bocker Theater for an investiga- tion of the disaster, when inform- ed of the order of the Commission- ers closing seven theaters here last night, said: “I think it was a good thing to do. It is a wise precaution. It may work a hardship on the theater people, but I think it is better to take no chances of another dis- aster. I know there has been a lot of distrust among people here since the wreck of the Knicker- bocker Theater. Many of them have told me of their belief that some of the theaters were unsafe. “Not enough attention has been paid in the past to the safety of places of amusement where large crowds gather. I hope now that the matter will be gone into thor- oughly. Some of the structures were erected in-times when com- paratively little attention was paid to the matter of safeguards for the public. The public was not think- ing then of these matters as it is today. Some other members of the Dis- trict committee, however, were in- clined last night to believe that it would have been wiser to permit the theaters to go ahead and rec- tify any defects which the commit- tee of experts had found, without taking such a drastic step imme- diately, . Suddenness of Decision Causes Surprise—No 1 2 Previous Hint Given. of the seven last evening Owners and managers theaters ordered closed by the Commissioners, following a meeting in the office of Harry Cran- dall, announced that they would take no legal action to contest the closing order. They protested generally at the sud- denness of the order, and at the fail- ure of the Commissioners to, give them a hint as to defects of their theaters before issuance of the order, declaring they would have been will- ing t6 comply with any request. Will Meet Commissioners. The owners will confer with the Commissioners &t the District bulld- !ing tomorrow to obtain details of the Ireasons for the closing. Following the meeting, Mr. Cran- dall, owner of the Metropolitan, said: “The Metropolitan Theater was built lat a cost of $804,000, and T had no! way of knowing the safety of the building but by the 'O. K." which has | I been annually given us by the fire| marshal, the electric department and the building department. Had I any doubt of the safety of the Metropoli- : tan I would have immediately closed it;: I have employed the services of two engineers, Mr. Tom Marshall and Col. Strickler, who for the last ten days have been going .over the plans, construction and every matter con- nected with the theater's construc- tion in the most minute detail. In fact, at 5 o'clock this evening they phoned me that they were within two hours of completing their report, and that they had found everything | in perfect order and would be able| to give a favorable statement on the | building to issue to the public. Safety First Concern. “Why and where THETfort of the men who came to examine the theater on Monday at the behest of the Com- missioners differed from the report of the engineers employed by me 1 do ngt know: I certainly; would haVe im- had informed me of any defects at that time. The safety of the patrons of my theaters is my frst concern.” Mr. Crandall recalled that the Metropolitan was closed for five days in respect for the Knickerbocker Theater victims and pointed out that there would have been ample time for examination then. Alexander Wolf, attorney for the Motion Picture Theater Owners' As- sociation of the District of Columbia, which is composed of thirty motion picture houses, the Cosmos, Colum- bia and Mctropolitan being members, said: “We have no intention of resorting to any legal proceedings in this mat- ter. We only wish to do that which is in the best interests of the public.” Mr. Wolf added that had any sug- gestion as to defects in any of the buildings been given all of the own- ers that he represents would have been only too willing to comply with such requests voluntarily. No Hint as to Defects. “We object to any suspension order when the same purpose could have been accomplished by suggestions that would have been promptly met, but as it was there was no hint as to any defects before the issuance of the closing orders,” he said. “The theater owners wish to adopt every safeguard for their patrons, but they do object to being injured by such an issuance of suspension orders when other means could have been used.” A. Julian Brylawski, manager of the Cosmos, said: “I was astounded to receive the or- dér in regard to the Cosmos, as there was never any suggestion as to the safety of the theater when I was in conference with the experts who went through the building. 1If, how- ever, the Commissioners point out the defects they shall be remedied immediately.” License Only Two Weeks Old. Lawrence Beatus, manager director of Loew's Columbia, expressed his surprise at the order. “The license for the Columbia was issued only two weeks ago and all must have certainly been ‘O. K.’ at that time or the license would not have been issued. I do not even know what is wrong with the building, and I am sure if Mr. Loew had known of any defects it would not have been necessary for officials to have or- dered the closing.” All at the meeting expressed their intention of co-operating with the officials and endeavoring in every way to assist in complying with all the re- quirements necessary. At the Poli's and National thea- ters last night it was said that the shows scheduled there for this week would arrive as usual. The scenery will be stored until it is definitely de- termined just what the detailed fauits are in the theater structures. Several Hundred Lose Work. Manager Crearin of Poli’s said that he hoped that the matter would be cleared up early in the week and that the show scheduled there would be allowed to proceed. He said that he had not yet received the details from (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) mediately closed the.theater if they| PUBL N DISTRCT T0 BE PROTECTED Col. Charles Keller Tells of Precautions Taken to Pre- vent Disasters. CRASH CAUSES ARE GIVEN Blames ““Criminal Engineering” at Knickerbocker in Address Be- fore Traffic Club. Every precaution is now beifig taken and will be taken in the future to prevent such accidents as the Knickerbocker disaster, Col. Charles Keller, Engin¢er Commtssioner of the District, asserted in an address last night at the anpugl banquet of the Washington/Trafic Club at the Ra- leigh Hotel. Lightening of the burden on a féw men charged with tremendous re- sponsibility in the office of the inspec- tor of buildings will prevent such ac- cidents, Col. Keller said. In the course of his address he touched on the investigations con- ducted under the authorization of the Commissioners, which culminated last evening in the closing of seven thea- ters in Washington. Three fundamental causes were re- sponsible for the Knickerbocker dis- aster, Col. Keller said. These were a badly overworked force in the build- ing inspector’s office, which put too much responsibility on a few men; “criminal engineering” and bad ar- chitecture. He added that in all probability the roof would have fallen, if not on the evening of Jan- uary 28, some other time, and said that the theater was structurally wrong. Other Places Inspected. Col. Keller explained that after he had supervised the work of remov- ing the dead and injured at the theater he immediately took in hand the task of assuring that other places of public assembly in the city were not in a similar condition, with the result that seven theaters have been found lacking in the essentials of safety. He said the result of the in- | REIGN OF DEBAUCHERY IN STUDENT DANCING MOURNED BY EDUCATOR By the Assoctated Press. MADISON, Wis., February 18.— “Licentiousness and luxurious- ness” have come into the schools of the nation through student dances, which must he curped if there is to be a solution of the moral problems of the country, Dr. Jay William Hudson of the University of Missouri declared today in addressing the Southern Wisconsin Teachers' Association meeting. “We have come upon a reign of moral looseness and debauchery,” Dr. Hudson said. “Students dance as people were not allowed to dance in the worst resorts twenty years ago. There is a heathenish trend. “It has never been so hard to get a child to go the way he should €¢" the speaker continued. . “If there is any solution for the: problems,” he said, “it must come from the schools, the institutions that express the ideals of America and democracy.” BANDIT RS STORE MANAGER O 161 J. I. Starnes Held Up on Street—Suspect Arrested.. Said to Have Confessed. While a traffic policeman stood at his post not fifty feet away, a lone bandit held up John I Starnes of 524 Park road, in charge of the Piggly Wiggly store at the Arcade Market, about 10 o'clock last night, on the southwest corner of 7th street and Pennsylvania avenue, and escaped with $1,061.36 in cash, representing the day’s receipts at the store. Starnes had stepped off a street car at Tth street and Pennsylvania, ave- nue and had crossed to the soutfi side- walk. A white man approached him, poked a revolver in Starnes’ ribs and demanded the envelope which he car- ried. Starnes gave it to him, and, ac- { ! i | ! i i quiry conducted by the committee ap- i cording to Inspector Blackburn of pointed by the Commissioners had been checked up by building inspec- tors and that in some cases the con- ditions were found worse than rep- resented by the committee, and as bad in practically all cases. The District Commissioners took the step, he said, with full knowledge of the result to the amusement business here. Col. Keller insisted, however, that the public of Washington would be protected at whatever cost, and he declared that the Commissioners were prepared to defend their decision regarding the theater closings in any court of law, if mecessary. The in- quiry has been confined for the pres- ent to theaters, he added, because these places were more in use than other places of public assembly. More Care to Be Asked. Commissioner Keller promised more care and foresight in the scanning of building plans in the future. He said there was no fault with the present inspection force, but that it had been Sverworked and that care would be taken to remedy this condition. Commissioner Oyster said he felt T (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) ! el i CAN’T BOB HAIR OR SKIRTS National Cash Register Co. Declines to Be “Peek-a-Boo Parlor.” By the Associated Press. 0 DAYTON, Ohlo, February 18.— Girls employed by the National Cash Register Company here have been asked by the company' to forego bobbed hair, short skirts and—it is whispered—silk hose and peek-a-boo walsts. In explanation of the Tequests an official of the company said today: «“We had to call a halt—didn't want to make the plant a peek-a-boo ‘parlor.” The ruling is being. com plied with, | the Capital Traction Company, sta- tioned at that corner, Starnes watched the hold-up man proceed across the street before he recovered from the shock sufficiently to call to Traffic Policeman W-. A. Miller, whose atten- tion had not been attracted by the quietly moving bandit. Chases Bandit in Auto. Starnes said last night that he called to the traffic policeman three times before the latter's attention could be directed to the hold-up man. Policeman Miller hailed a passing au- tomobile, jumped in and started after the bandit. The latter ran up 7th to D street and disappeared at that point. Search of the neighborhood proved fruitless. Lieut. Plemmons, night chief of de- | tectives, ordered a general descrip- tion of the man telephoned to police- (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) —— BANDITS FIRE ON CROWD. Man Dead, Two Women Wounded in Chicago Outrage. - CHICAGO, February 18.—Pouring & hail of bullets-into a crowd waiting for a street car tonight, five uni dentified men killed one man and se- iously wounded two women. The dead man was belleved to have been the victim sought by the assailants, the women having been accidentally hit by the flying bullets. As the panic-stricken spectators fled the gunmen ran to a waiting au- | tomobile and esomped, leaving their three victims lying in the streets. The attack occurred on an outlying street during the evening rush hour. The polic® were unable to find any possible motive, although expressing the opinien Shat the murder resulted from a veadetta or feud in oge of the city’s foreign distebell, STRIKE THREAT IN POLICY Propesals Aim to Keep Scale for Soft Coal Workers and Get In- crease in Anthracite Field. | | i Renewed Demand Adopted by Delegates Over Opposition l of All Leaders. By the Associated Press. INDIANAPOLIS, February - 18.— Renewal of the demand of union coal {mioers for a six-hour day, five-day week, a proposal that was made be- fore the 1918 strike, was adopted to- day by the comvention of-the United Mine Workers of America as'a part of the policy the union will seek to have included in new wage agreements, ef- fective April 1. This demand had the united opposition of the union’s lead- ers, including all district presidents. The convention action for the shorter work day, however, was the only radical change in the wage PRlicy proposed by the union's scale commitee, which centered the union's policy proposals toward retaining present basic wages for soft coal miners and gaining increases for anthracite workers under threat of a general strike. The strike and wage proposals by the committee were adopted by overwhelming votes. The strike declaration, however, provided for its submission to a referendum vote of the union membership before any walkout is ordered by officials. Bitter Criticism of Officers. In declaring for the six-hour day, the delegates overrode the comm tee recommendation for an eight- hour day underground, and also voted a proposal limiting acfual work time to seven hours a day. Bitter criticisth of the. union’s of- ficers was made by delegates in urg- ing adoption of the six-hour da; but several officals took the floor, ap- pealing for favorable acticn on the committee’s eight-hour demand. Vice President Philip Murray ask- ed for the defeat of the six-hour day proposal, so the union *“can defend its demand before the American peo- ple,” while Fred Mooney, secretary of the West Virginia district, declar- ed that adoption of the six-hour day meant “suicide.” John Hessler and Lee Hall, presidents of the Indiana and Ohio districts, respectively, also fought ‘the six-hour proposal. But the delegates argued that the six- hour proposal meant more continuous work, and called on.the oficers to “carry out our wishes.” Anthracite Status Uncertain. ‘Whether ‘the six-hour day demand obtains for the anthracite districts was an-unanswered question raised from the floor by a delegate, who pointed out that the anthracite work- ers were not pressing the proposal. President John L. Dewls, replying to the question, said he was unable to advise the delegate as to the six-hour day as affecting anthracite workers. + Aside from the action of the six- hour day, the delegates also recorded an intention to stiffen up some of the minor demands recommended by the scale committée by substi.uting “demand” for “recummend” where it appeared in the committee report. Other Demands~Adopted. Besides. the workday and ‘wage proposals adopted by the convention, its other demands, as adopted, in- cluded the following: ' Removal of “inequitable differen- tials” in wages, which would result in .increased wages in -some fields; pay and one-half for overtime work, double pay for Sunday and holiday work; elimination of the automatic penalty - clause of present agree- ments providing for fining miners or operators for violation of contracts, and all new contracts to obtain for VWw pesre, beginning next April 1 | | i | 1 i i i | iof PRESIDENT READY TOTELL OF PAC Expected to Reply to Senator Hitchcock’s Resolution Tomorrow. ANTAGONISM CROPS OUT Length of Consideration Will De- pend Upon Time Mr. Harding's ° Explanation Is Submitted. *BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. Upon President Harding's reply to the Hitcheock resolution asking for full information regarding the nego- tiations leading up to the final draft- ing of the four-power Pacific treaty will depend. to a considerable extent, the time the foreign relations com- mittee will have the Washington con- ference treaties before it The President's reply is expected tomorrow. 1f it is full and contains data from the State Department re- lating to the negotiations. then it is probable that the foreign relations committee will be able to go ahead with its consideration of the four- power pact quickly. But if the Pres dent replies that no minutes or notes the negotiations are available. then there may be considerable dela; The next move in such an event, it was said last night, probably will be to request Secretary Hughes to ap-| pear before the committee in person and give information regarding the negotiations. Secretary Hughes is at present in Bermuda resting after the labors of the conference. Hitcheock Going West. Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, ranking democratic member of the foreign relations committee, plans to leave here tomorrow afternoon for the west and will be gone, for a week. Although he offered the resolution adopted by the Senate requesting the President to inform the Senate re- garding the negotiations of the four- power pact, he made it clear last night that his action was not to be considered as lining him up against the ratification of this treaty. He intimated, in fact, that he hoped to be able to support it. But he desired all the information necessary to in- telligent action on the treaty. Senator Borah of Idaho, republican, who is strongly opposed to the four- power treaty on the ground that it| will involve the United States in a entangling foreign alliance, is angling for democratic support in his fight. He must have it if he is to make a successful attack on the treaty, for so far it is apparent he will have only three other republicans, possibly four, siding with him against the pact. And the democrats, so far, have not indicated that they will join in the opposition to the treat: Antagonistic Position Indicated. The introduction of the Hitchcock resolution, if not at the suggestion of Senator Borah, at least may be considered a step toward placing the democrats in a position of antagonism toward the treaty. Senator Borah has fresh in his memory the gradual development of opposition to the league of nations covenant, which in the early days after its submission to the Senate by President Wilson was regarded as sure of ratification. He is convinced that the four-power treaty lends itself to stronger argu- (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) THEODORE MARBURG, JR., SHOOTS HIMSELF IN HEAD Telegram to Family From Mexico Ranch Says He Is in Critical Condition. By the Assoclated Press. BALTIMORE, February 18.—Theo- dorg Marburg, jr., son of the former minister to Belgium, world war vet- eran and prominent socially, shot him- self in the head on his ranch in Mex- ico. . When the shooting occurred is not known to his relatives or friends here. A telegram notifying the fam- ily of the occurrence merely stated what he had done, and added that he was in & critical condition. His wife, formerly Miss Harriet de Forest Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Brown, whom he mar- ried January 3 last, is prostrated with grief at the Marburg home. The tele- gram to the family was filed at Mag- dalena, State of Sonora, Mexico, by Beckford W. Kibbey, who, with Mr. Marburg, owns a ranch near that station. On receipt of the telegram the father, Theodore Marburg. prepared to_hasten to his son’s side, and left {Ad Valorem Rates Being Scaled | Upward—Fordrey Sums Up Puzzling Situation. By the Associsted Press, A row between the House and Sen- ate over American valuation was fore- cast yesterday after it became known that republican members of the Sen- ate finance committee, in rewriting the so-called permanent tariff bill, | had agreed tentatively on continuing the present principle of basing duties on foreign market value. Chairman Fordney of the House ways and means committee declared that if this kind of a tariff measure was passed by the Senate the House would write a new bill, with an Amer- {ican valuation clause, and “let the {Senate try again.” If this should i happen, it was said. there would be {little prospect of a tariff bill at this ! session unless Congress remained ou | the job throughout most of the con- gressional election campaign. Fordney Explains Views. Declaring that the House ways and means committee had written a bill |on the American valuation plan only jafter full agreement with all of the { republican members of the Senate Ecommrlte-—, except Senator La Follette | of Wisconsin, Representative Fordney |said the abandonment of this principle | by the Senate committee majority was “a thing the gentlemen of the ways and means committee would not have done without consulting the finance committee.” “If they send a biil over here based on foreign valuations,” he added. “they may expect that it will be sent to the ways and means committee, which will send back to the Senate a bill also based on American valua- tion. “I'll never agree to any foreign valuation and I do not know of any | republican member of the House who i will or who wants foreign valuation. | The valuation plan as framed in the House bill was abandoned some time ago by majority members of the Sen- ate committee, who have been con- sidering two plans, based largely on the recommendations of President Harding in his annual message to Congress last December. The execu- tive sald then, regarding American valuation, that there could not be ig- nored “the danger of such valuation™ making American tariffs prohibitive. In the light of the President's po- sition it was suggested that in the event of a disagreement between the House and Senate on the valuation question the matter might be referred to the executive in an effort to bring about an agreement before such an impasse as that suggested by Mr. Fordney would be brought about. The Senate committee majority be- gan yesterday the rewriting of the ad valorem rates in the Fordney bill on the basis of foreign valuation. Senators said that many of the rates were being scaled upward, since the original figures were predicated upon an assessment of duties on the basis of the value of articles produced in this country comparable to those im- ported. Smoot's Valuation Scheme. The valuation plan as tentatively agreed upon, known as the Smoot plan, carries provisions designed to meet unusual conditions now exist- ing in world trade. These provisions include proclaimed American valua- tion; flexible rates within a radius of 50 per cent of the figures fixed in the bill and a depreciated cur- rency provision. There also are sec- tions designed to prevent unfair com- petition 1n importation and discrim- ination against American foreign commerce. It was said that a final vote on the Smoot plan was being delayed pend- ing further information from the State Pepartment as to whether the depreciated currency provisions would be in violation of the “favored na- tion” clauses of existing commercial treaties. There is some doubt in the committee now on that score and this provision may have to be modified. Under the other valuation plan which the committee members have ‘been considering for Some weeks duties would have been based upon the wholesale selling price in the American markets of the imported ar- ticle. This plan also contemplates the bolstering provisions in the Smoot amendments. It was urged by mem- bers of the Tariff Commission and the Court of Customs Appeals, but was op- posed by officials of the customs di- vision of the Treasury, who held out - for the Smoot plan. Some proponents of the proposal tentatively agreed upon have argued that the present bill was designed as a “permanent” ofiec and that it would not be wise to adopt a principle framed to meet existing conditions which might be removed within & few vears. Many Other arguments, in- cluding difficulty of administration, Were urged against the American market value proposal. | | | i FILE $50,000,000 CHARTER DOVER, Del.,, February 18.—A char- ter was filed at the state department today for the National Discoin Corpo- ex- et ration, authorizing it to give and s rposes amounts to $50,000,000, on =3 paid to the Baltimore on the first train for the 'N‘.;u & fee of $2,600 was D south, state. Toe