Evening Star Newspaper, March 15, 1922, Page 1

- WEATHER. Fair tonight and tomorrow; colder tonight; lowest temperature near freezing. Temperature for twenty-four hours ended at 2 p.! 4 p.m. yesterday: lowest, , today—Highest, 61, 37, at 10 a.m. today. Full report on page 7. Closing New York Stocks, Page 29 No. $10,000 000 BLALE DESTROYS CHIGAGO DOWNTOWNBLOCK Full Square of Business Houses Just Outside “Ldop” Prey of Flames. 25,000 LEFT JOBLESS; ONE FIREMAN IS KILLED 98 444. post office Wa Sparks Set Dozen New Fires—Man Held as Incendiary—Six Mil- lions in Burned Bank Vaults. By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, March 15.—A spectacular early morning fire today destroyed a full square of business buildings just outside Chicago's “loop,” or down- town, district, with a loss estimateq at from $10,000;000 to $15,000,000. ‘The fire, of unknown origin, started in the center of the block bounded by ‘Van Buren, Canal and Clinton streets and West Jackson boulevard, burned every structure in that area. leaped north across Jackson and wrecked the twenty-one-story Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad's general office building, which also houses the Mer- cantile Trust and Savings Bank, and. under burden of a strong wind, dipped over Van Buren street southward and burned nearly through to Harrison street. Fighting Dozen Fires at Once. The fire was not brought under control until nearly 5 o'clock, and even then firemen were fighting a dozen different fires and others broke out intermittently as the wind waft- ed sparks about. One fireman was killed, another seriously injured, ten or more slight- ly hurt and an known number of the hundred thousand spectators who thronged the burning district slight- ‘ly hurt by falling bricks, burning +timbers or sparks. The fire for a time threatened to "assume virtually unlimited propor- tions and every piece of fire-fighting apparatus within five miles was called out in a series of ten alarms. Spread With Great Speed. “The rapidity with which the fire spread was astounding,” Marshail Buckley, assistant fire chief, said. “The fire actually seemed to run ‘from us.” That the original blaze from which the conflagration grew possible was of incendiary origin was the state- ment of Shirley P. High, city fir torney, who early today announcéd the arrest of an unnamed man on in- formation supplied by H. T. Schiff, president of the Confectionery Spe- cialty Company, at 521 West Jackson boulevard, where the fire started. Mr. High refused to divuige the name of the man arrested, but sald that he was being questioned regard- ing threatening letters Mr. Schiff said the man. a former employe, had sent to him. Mr. Schiff told Mr. High the man was discharged when he became incensed over refusal to permit him to purchase stock in the company, and within the past two months had made a serfes of threats. Mr. Schiff placed his personal loss at $50,000. Places Loss Near $15,000,000. Mr. High summoned several of his aides while the fire was at its height and said an investigation would be begun immediately. He placed the total loss at from $10,000,000 to $15, 000.000. Traversing the main burned area, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated line today was seriously handicapped in delivering its thousands of patrons; to the downtown district, as was the Aurora and Elgin Electric Interurban line, which also used the four-track structure which was caught in the midst of the fire. The huge Burlington office building, called 2 fireproof structure: held the fire from spreading westward, while progress of the flames toward the south was ended by the access the firemen had to the smaller buildings —to six stories—which begin south of Van Buren street. A vacant lot, the site of the new Unlon depot, kept the fire from spreading northward. - The Chicago river runs a block east of the burned district, but would have afforded but little protection-had the wind veered the sweep of the flames toward the main business section. Heat Drives Away Police Guard. Heat from the burning buildings across the street cracked out the win- dows of the Merchntile Trust and Savings Bank before the Burlington building itself was afire. A heavy po- lice guard was thrown about the bank, but was driven away quickly when the building caught fire. Cash and securities valued at ap- proximately $6,000.000 are said to be in the bank's vaults, and it may be several days before they can be ex- amined. The Burlington building caught firy at about the eighth story and burned up and down. No stream of water ‘was powerful enough to fight the fire in the upper stories. Elevated Supports st White Heat. So Intense was the heat in the burning district that the steel sup- ot of the elevated structure could e seen at white heat. Despite the/ calling out of extra policemen, automobiles of spectators quickly jammed’the streets about the ! burning district. The flames, leaping high and puffed by the gusts of wind, were visible for more than twenty miles. The Van Buren street tunnel of the Chicago surface lines, under the Chi- cago river, debouches just at tife burned area, and for hours a stream of water poured into it until the tun- nel was filled to street level. The union depot mail terminal was not reached by the flames, but postal employes hurriedly removed all mail ‘when it appeared that the fire district eould not be restricted. Cash in Vault Safe. The Mercantile Trust and Savings Bank later announced that the cash and securities in its vaults were am- ply protected by heavy steel, cement and asbestos walls and that they were quite safe. Arrangements were made to have another bank take care of I business until new quarters could be obtained. The new Burlington building with- 8tood a heat so terrific that the fire escaps on the side facing the flames across the street became red hot and own weight. {5»3"‘ estimated that more thran persons were made. Entered as second-class matter shington, D. C. RAIL MERGER BY TAX BILL AUTHORIZED BY SENATE COMMITTEE The Senate District committee this afternoon’ authoriged Chair- man Ball to Introduce and report favorably from the committee a new bill authorizing the merger of the street raflways of the Dis- | trict and providing for a new sys- tem of taxation for the street car companies, In accordance with the suggestions of the District Commissioners. As soon as the bill has been prepared Senator Ball will intro- duce it and report it. The new bill will contain the pro- visions of the bill authorizing the street railway merger, walch Is al- ready on the Senate calendar and in addition to those provisions will do away with the present tax and substitute for it a tax of 50 per cent on net incomes In excees of 6 per cent and not in excess of 7 per cent and a tax of 75 per cent on met in- comes in excess of 7 per cent. \DISTRICT GETS GIFT OF 18MOTORGYCLES The police war on bootleggers, au- tomobile speeders and other violators of law will be made jnore effective by the receipt of eighteen motor .cycles from the federal government. Commissioner Oyster was notified |today by the chief co-ordinator of supplies for Uncle Sam that the Post Office Department has agreed to turn over to the local police department its surplus of motor cyc_le equipment. These additional machines, repre- senting in value more than $5,000, will be avallable as soon as the city of- ficlals send to Toledo a bill of lading for their shipment. Both Commissioner Oyster and Maj. Sullivan were elated today when these tidings were received. Maj. Sullivan pointed out' that eighteen more ma- chines will practically double the present motor cycle squad; consisting of twenty-four men. With the steady development of high-powered automobiles, it has be- come almost impossible for the bi- cycle police to apprehend speeders and whisky runners. Thus the big task has devolved principally upon the motor cycle squad. Present Inadequacy. When twenty-four moter cycles are divided among eleven precincts and allowance is made for men on lelV‘lm the inadequacy of the present num- ber becomes apparent. The generous loffer of -the postal authorities will lmnka possible the detailing of two more motor cycles to the precincts having large suburban territories, and at least one to each precinct. Commissioner. Oyster believes the ew' motor cyecles will give the de- ;‘nrlmenl a big advantage in coping nz-rfl\!h high-powered automobiles used bootleggers. by'l'hs mn’tfi preacinct fornishes an_ex- ample of the hahdidap under which the police find themselves in attampt- ing ‘to prevent smuggling ligusr into e District. That precinét covers :a‘v‘-:ctlca"y the entire mortheast boundary of the city, with many roads leading in from Maryland. Too Many Roads to Guard. * At the present time when the offi- cers have reason to suspect that a whisky runner is headed this way from Maryland they cannot possibly watch all of the east-end approaches to the city and must rely largely on chance to cover the right roads. With more motor cycle equipment this { handlicap will be removed to a con- iderable extent. “'The Commissioners are extremely grateful to the federal government for the spirit of co-operation shown recently in giving the municipality badly needed equipmente left over from the war period. The ofter of eighteen motor cycles without cost 1s the second valuable contribution the government has imade to the protection of life and propert in Washington. A few weeks ugo the War Department agreed to turn over to the fire, department a varied assortment of equipment, from motor apparatus to small fire-fighting implements. —_— PROBE OF DIVORCE CASES HALTED UNTIL SATURDAY ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 15— Hearing of arguments, scheduled for today, was postvoned until Saturday morning at 10 o'clock by the special committee of seven of the Alexandria Bar Association engaged in probing the divorce situation here. The post- ' ponement was made owing_to_the in- ability of Attorney John S. Barbour of Fairfax county, representing Judge Moncure, to be here, he being ill. The committee, on motion of Attor-| ney J. Randail Caton, & member of the committee, adopted a resolution that Judge Moncure be requested to forego his purpose of presenting to the grand jury, selected and sum- moned for Friday, March 17, all mat- ters pertaining to the divorce situa- _tion now being investigated by the committee, until a report of this committee has been filed. 'Thé jury, however, will meet and in- vestigate the criminal cases, and Judge Moncure probably will have ! them begin a probe of the divorce situation early next week. Just after the committee adjourned, court convened and Judge Moncure called A. Cloyd Gill, a Washington newspaper man, and directed Sergt. Cox to have Mr. Gill give 2 bond in | the sum of $500 to appear before the grand jury to testify as to what he knew about divorce conditions here. Mr. Gill a_short time afterward had Attorney Gardner L. Boothe, who is !a member of the probe committee, ! go on his bond. i The court taok this action because of the fact that Mr. Gill is a non- resident of the state of Virginia, his ihome being in Washington. The {court is anxious that he appear be- | fore the grand jury. Former Senator Sherman of Illi- nols, who worked with the budget bureau on the estimates for the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 1923, who was at. the Capltol today, expressed a hope that the conferees on the District appro- priation bill would approve the Senate amendments for an _in- crease in the water supply. Sen- ator Sherman pointed out that the appropriation for an increased water supply wag imperative. “There may bé some ground- for differences as to the appropria- tions for ' sald Senator ¢ U.S.TOSET FORTH WAR CLAIN VIEWS INALLIED CAPITALS Ambassadors - in . Londop, Paris and Rome to Explain Unyielding Demand. WILL MEET ARGUMENTS FRIENDLY, BUT FIRMLY . Demand Not to Be Pressed When Once Recognized, Views in Of- ficial Quarters Here. BY EDWARD PRICE BELL. By Cable to The Star and Chicago Dally News. Copyright, 192 LONDON, March 16.—The viewpoint |af the United States touching its claim of a share of the moneys due from Germany for the maintenance of the armies of accupation on the Rhine will be represented in identjcal terms by the American ambaseadors In London, Paris and Romea Amb: , sador Harvey will see Lord Curson Thursday, provided the British for- eign minister is not too ill to attend to public business. d Admits of No Question. The American clalm will be set forth as admitting of mo question in law or |in morals. Unless unexpected opposition is encountered the American ambassa- dor will go no furtier than to cite the facts of the situation. If arguments against the American claims are ad- duced they will be met in a friendly but unyielding spirit. The case of the United States rests upon a ‘“legal tripod.” First, relmburseinent for American outlays on the Rhine, as well as for [ those of Britain and France, was | guaranteed In the terms of the armi- stice; second, these terms were re- affirmed in the treaty of Versailles a “armistice #rticles still In force” third. “the separate treaty of the United States with Germany commits Germany explicitly to rccognition of all American rights under the armi- stice and the treaty of Versailles. i Regard Case as Strong. These are the fundamehtals of the American lcgal case. bassadors deem them invincible. Morally they regard the case as equally strong. While the American people were eager for the return of American troops, the government vielded to the appeals of the allies that the American Army remain on the Rhine evidence of the solidarity of the ne that won the war. Certain cynic: nd politically un- intelligent pe: in London ary counseling th ritish government to take an offensive .attitude on the American ¢laim. It is impoasible t6 believe that this advice will have any | weight in Downing street, because the dullest man in the ministry could hardly fail to appreciate the peril with which it is fraught. U. S. Not Disposed to Press Claim at Present. By the Assoclated Press. Recognition by other governments of the | United States in connéction with dls- tribution of German reparations was all that was sought at this time in the recent demand upon the allied finance ministers for payment of $241,000,000 expenses of the American interested army of occupation, it was stated today by a high administration official. 2 Having “established its case,” it was said, the United States will not press further now its demands for lplymel\l of the bill. Note Serves Notice, 1 Presentation of the demand last week before the allied finance min- isterseis regarded by this govern- ment as serving notice that its rights must be respected, it was said, and recognition of that attitude by the government was all that was desired. There has been no protest from re- sponsible quarters against the United States obtaining equal rights with the allied governments through Gper- ation of the separate treaty of peace with Germany, it was explained, and the matter of payment for the Amer- ican forces in the Rhineland will be allowed to take its due course. AID OF LABOR PLEDGED. Will Assist Legion in Relief of Unemployed Veterans. By the Assoclated Press. INDIANAPOLIS, March 15.—Samuel Gompers today informed the national headquarters of the American Legion that organized labor would give every encouragement to the legiop cam- paign to relieve unemployment among veterans of the world war. The cam- paign ends next Monday. “This is a most worthy object, ‘wrote Mr. Gompers, referring to the legion's campaign. “You know, how- ever, that the membership of the American Federation of Labor is com- posed of wage earners only. our membership cannot give employ- ment to the unemployed members of the American Legion there is no doubt that every encouragement will be given to bring about the desired results.” Thousands of members of the American Legion are also mem- bers of the trade unions and the sympathy of the wage earners will &0 out to those who did so'much for not only our own country but for the | entire world.” BUDGET BUREAU OFFICIAL URGES $3,000,000 FOR WATER SUPPLY muddy streets if 'necessary, but the city must be provided with an adequate supply of water, and it is absolutely necessary that $3.- 000,000 should be maie available for this purpose, -to be used dur- ing the next year or two,” Senator Sherman said also that he hoped the conferees would agree to the Senate amendment authorizing the erection of & for caring fesble-minded. - He said- it was not - economy to out such items from. the bill. A A America’s am- RECOGNITION ALONE SOUGHT. | rights of the| Py WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION RENEW ATTENPTS TOAMEND TREATY New Proposal Provides for Calling In Other Nations for “Consideration.” For the third time the Senate de- feated today an effort to amend the four-power treaty to permit varticipation of outside nations in internntional conferences over con- troverniea arising in the Pacific. An amendment for that purpose by Senator Pittman. democ) ¥ defeated, 50 to 27. he treaty opponents indicated, | however. that they would brink { the proposal forward again later in the form of a rexervation fn the hope they might secure the support of § number of memators whe objeet to all Amendments as a matter of principle. “The attempt to amend the four- wor treaty so that outside nations olld be cailed into congultation re- i newed in the Senate today despite the | defeat yesterday of two amendmnts | for that purpose. A new amendment, more limited in | scope than those already rejected. was presented by Senator Pittma {democrat, Nevada. It provided that {In any future controversy outside na- | tions having interests in the Pacific | would he called into conference “for consideration” of the subject. In the two previous proposals the words {“for consideration and adjustment | were used and the participating pow- |ers were not limited to those hav- |ing interests in_the Pacific. The practical effect of the amendment, Senator Pittman said. would be to con- fine the group of natlonas affected to Russia, China, the Netherlands and Por- tugal. ' He explained that he offered it | proposals were so broad as to virtually bring the whole world upder the scope | of the treaty. Should such a change be made, the yNevada senator argued, it might be | made by a textural amendment of the treaty and not by reservation, as some have suggested. It was indl- cated, however, that should all { tion would be brought forward later in the form of a compromise reserva- tion with the hope of gaining the support of some of those who do not favor actual amendment of the pact. A “propaganda” favoring unquali- fled ratification of the four-power treaty was charged by Senator Pitt- man, who said that those responsible | apparently were well meaning, but did not know what the pact actually contained. “Great church bodies,” he said, “represented by executive committees composed of perhaps a dozen men and claiming to represent hundreds of thousands of Deople are signing petitions for ratification of this treaty as it is. “How many of those hundreds of thousands have read the treaty? How many of those Christian people do you think would ask for ratification if they knew that it contained no pro- ivision for consultation except be- tween four powers?” Opposed by Underwood. Senator Underwood of Alabama, the democratic leader, opposed the amend- ment, although he said he was not inclined to disagree with it “in prin- ciple.” To amend the treaty, he said, would be to reopen the field of neg tiation and “might destroy the treaty. He pointed out that other govern- ‘ments refused to recognize the Rus- an government. 'i--w:uc the United States might enter into a contract with a government we don’t recognize,” said Senator Under- “I doubt if other nations would, and that would mean delay for the treaty. It may destroy it. The amend- ment is not of sufficient value to take ancer.” m".’h’ih.t the signatories had exchanged notes giving to Netherlands the benefit of the treaty was pointed out by Senator Underwood. The Netherlands, he said, did not ask to be a party to the treaty and did not request participation uniil after the treaty was sign It _would be reasonable to’ believe, (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) —— Today’s News In Brief ittes depicts needs of orphans c‘l’x’:"‘:’m east and appeals for funds. Page accused by Page Alabama Power Company Representative Oliver. Seek possible May day plot in radi- cal’s death by bomb. Page 3 Negro pours kerosene on woman and lights it. Page 3 Fosdick, former league official, sup- ports four-power pact. Page 3 oman civil service employes see waqnlln rights in reclassification. 5 Page 17 blicity assooiation to boost capital P ed by W B. Calloway. B. & O nger expert. Page 17 orm death toll is placed at 24. Page1s Commisstoners oppose increass - Page 3 “gor District teachers: garding Pacific controversies was re- | because of objections that yesterday's! WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1922—FORTY-FOUR PAGES. {“DOLLAR MARK LURING WIVES TO STEER THEIR i HUSBANDS INTO JAIL” | By the Associated Iress. NEW YORK, March 15.—"Greed for diamonds and furs is the curse of the times,” Judge Louis D. Gibbs of the Bronx coungy court declared today in suspending sentence on Saul Zukor. millinery dealer, who | pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods. “Modern women, yes, a great majority of them,” he szaid, “are using the doilar mark to steer Just as 1 - their husbands into jail. | lo s the men of the family me the money no questions are asked. The trouble with the man of today Iv that he is too eager to make money.to supply his wife or daughter with diamonds - and furs. He is _bound to get it somehow—honestfy or by criminal methods, Judge Gibbs" modern ] { ! . | condemnation of i tendencies was delivercd | ‘after Mrs. Zukor, the prisoner's | wife. had been called to the stand. { Attired in an expensive fur coat ! and her fingers covered with rings, i she indignuntly) denied that sh 7 bad knowledge of ler Lusbandls i crime. though admitting that mhe | had charge of her husband's store. i Judge Gibbs accused her of being i in icugue with her husband, and ! ordered her fram the couftroom. He explained that senténce was suspended because the prisoner had four small children to support. -mmmm -~ UTILITIES BOARD i i iCol. Keller Says Little Could | Be Accomplished Due i to Litigation. | There is little that a separate public utilities commission could accomplish {1in the District as long as the valua- !tions of several of the largest cor- i porations are involved in litigation, sioner Keller, who is also chairman of the utilities commission. Col. Keller voiced this belief today when asked for an expression on the a utilities commission be created, not composed of the Board of Commis- sioners. The chairman sald the only thing which he sees could be done by a new commission that has not already been done would be to change the polick of a uniform rate of fare for both street car com- panies by giving each company the rate it would need to earn a rea- sonable return. Duties Do %ot Interfere, The colonel indicated that he does not believe the duty of serving on the utilities commission unduly bur- dens the Distriét Commissioners. For a short period of the year when rates come up for revision the Commis- sioners are kept busy serving in the dual capacity. But during the balance of the twelye months, it was pointed out at the District building today, a sepa- rate utilitles commission composed of three men would find little to occupy its time. Except during the short intervals when rates are under revision, the meetings of the utilities commission consist principally of locating car stop signs, approving applications for Jitneys and similar routine matters. Officials also called attention to the fact that the utilities commission probably has passed through the busiest period of its career. The enormous task of valuing the prop- erties of the companies has been completed, and, the country gradu- lly returns to normal conditions rate cases will not have to be heard since fhs war. Car Rate Long Unchanged. Before the war, Keller pointed out, when the nation's equillbrium was not upset, the strest car rate of six tickets for 25 cents remained unchanged for many years. .r;nr did other utilities need changing ra settles back to a e hagts e utilities aleowill becom bilized and require less at- t.nuon. tnr:m the utilitles board, it is belie: Commissioner Rudlolnh. who was ‘mm. ing his first term nine years ago when L?n{‘ utilities law waé being drafted, believed :hen that the utilities board should be composed of others than the District commission. He has reiterated that view llnu'nluml.n‘ to office. arm Thres $9,000 from & ‘A-uhfilfl i proposal suggested to Congress that | 80 often as they were during and| Foening Sfar. l ore ! INEW STREET PAVING, ' TOSTART MONDAY Spring Periqd of Improve- ! ment Projects About to Be- gin—Repairs to Be Made. The District engineer department wlll begin its spring period of street paving and repair work Monday. Maj. F. S. Benson, assistant engineer com- missioner, stated today. On that day the Cranford Paving! i | Company expects to begin on lnllrj | important resurfacing jobs, as fol- | lows: Connecticut avenue and Columbial | road, east side, from Florida avenue | | to California street. C street southeast, streets. A street northeast from ith to 9th streets. The Commissioners also have ordered | the resurfacing of the following streets béfore- the expifation of lhel current fiscal year in June: Nortawest—Seventeenth street from | Massachusetts avenue to F street, $3.600, 13Lh stheet, Mussachusetts ave- nue 1o 1 street, $2.300; E street. 10th | 10 11th street, $2.000; Massachusetis avenue, 18th sireet to Dupont Circle | $9.000; Massachuseits avenue, 22d | street to Sheridan Circle, $7.; R | | street, Massachusetts avenue to 20th | | street. $10,800. | Northeast—Ninth street. Massachu- setts avenue to Maryland avenue, $23,000. Southeast—Canal street, South Capi- | tol to E street, §2,000; D street, north side, from 2d to 3d streets, and North Carolina avenue, 3d sireet to Pennsy!- vania avenue. Other streets have been recommend- ed to the Commissioners for resurfac- ing and probably will be ordered soon. In addition to these resurfacing jobs, the engineer department will have its regular minor repair gangs at work during the spring patching the bad spots in existing streets. ISCORES FLEE RENO HOTEL from 2d to 3d amendments be defeated, the proposi-|in the opinion of Engineer Commis- |Largest Hotel Destroyed by Fire. Firemen Rescue Many. RENO, Nev., March 15.—Scores of guests escaped from upper windowe in their nightclothes when the River- side Hotel, the largest hotel here. was destroyed by fire early this morning. At § o'clock the building still was a furnace, and the ruins could not be searched, but a check was started to learn if any guests were missing. No serious injuries were reported. The fire, believed to have started in the engine room, broke out shortly after 2 o'clock. The flames spread upward quickly and the guests, aroused by the smoke, found the stairways cut off. Most of them | were rescued by firemen with ladde The firemen prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings, but could not save the hotel. Several thrilling rescues were re- ported, among them that of two chil- dren from a blazing room. The scan- tily clad guests were cared for in surrounding houses. A mild night saved them much suffering from ex- posure. Member of the Assoclated Press The Associnted Press is exclusively entitied to the use for republication of all mews dispatches credited to 1t or not otherwise credited in-this paper and also the local news published berein. . Al rights of publication of speeial dispatches herein are also reserved. Yesterday’s NON-PARTISAN BLOC IN U. S. CITIZENSHIP URGED BY McADOO LOS ANGELES, Calif, March 15—What he termed the “Intol- erant partisan basis on which our government functions” was deprecated in the first speech de- livered here by William G. Mec- Adoo, former Secretary of the Treasury and director general of railroads, since he came to Los Angeles to make his home. In a speech before the City Club he declared all matters taken be- fore Congress or other legislative bodies were settled upon political bases, often much to the detri- ment of the purposes. “What we’ should have in the TUnited States,” he said, “is a large body of intelligent citizens, who are not affiliated with any party and who could hold the balance of power. Such citizens would be Americans first and their check on the' big parties would be most valuable.” —_ HARD-GOAL MINER MEET OPERATORS STRKE PREDICTED 19 Demands of Men to Be Presented and Answer Made on Friday. By the Assoclated Press. SPRINGFIELD, IiL, March 15— Disapproval of the appointment of a governmental commission to ef- fect o mettiement of the threatened coal strike, April 1, was exoresxsed in a telegram sent Secretary of Labor Davis. by President Frank Farrington of the Iliinois Mine Workers at noon today. NEW YORK, March 15.—Anthracite miners and operators were prepared today to begin negotiations for a new wage agreement to take the place of the two-year contract which expires at the end of this month. A large number of operators arrived to par- ticipate in the first joint conference this afternoon. A majority of the representatives of the miners com- prising the scale committee have been in the city several days conferring, the, last to arrive being President John L. Lewis of the international organization of the United Mine Workers. nineteen demands of the The miners, formulated at their .conven- tion in Shainokin, Pa.. in January and ratified by the international con- vention at Indianapolis lagt mopth, are to be formally presented to the coal operators and explained in detail Ly officers of the union. The opera- tors are expected to immediately_ take them under considerati6n and make a statement of their position on Friday. The miners are asking for a 20 per cent increase on contract rates, among other things, while the mine with other things, while the mine decrease below the present working basis. No Referendum Taken. It is not expected that an agree- ment will be reached before the end of the month, and in that event the scale cominittee of the hard coal workers is under instructions of the Sbamokin conyvention to order a sus- pension of mining until a satisfac- tory agreement is in sight. A refer- endum on the question of suspension ‘was not taken in the anthracite fieids, the action of the convention having expresscd wishes of the men. The national policy committee of the mine workers has the power to set aside a suspension, if it sees fit, but, ac- cording to union leaders here, such action is not like of miners and man, that a suspension fields of Pennsy is certain. it comes, it is eap d there will be a complete cessativn of production, as on two formér occasions wihoen nego- tiations were dragged cver many weeks. A shortage of anthracite coal is not anticipated uniess the expected suspension should run into the summer, which is not looked for by the miners. The demand for coal during the win- ter was below normal, due to mild weather and high prices, but despit> this the anthracite mines have been kept steadily at work, in contrast to those in the bituminous flelds, and there is a fair supp!y of coa! on hand, both in the big storage yards uf the mining companies and in the : r retail yards of the east, it -was said. ‘Wil Resist Any Caut. ‘The miners enter the joint confer- ence determined, they said, to resist with all their power any effort Lo re- duce their present wage scale as in- dicated by the operators. “There must be no backward step,” President Lewis has said, and the miners have declared themselves as unanimous in supporting him. Beyond the general statement that (Continued on Page 2, Column 1.) 1t is the opinion of the operators the hard coal | SEPARATE ROOM FOR JURY WOMEN | SAID TO LEAD TO MORE MISTRIALS Special Dispatch to The Star. LOS ANGELES, March 15.—The “mixed jury” is having a cruclal test| here. Nine men and three women uo' about to decide the fate of Madalynne Obenchain, charged with the murder of her sweetheart, J. Belton Kennedy. It is the first time so far as known ! that women have sat upon a jury in judgment of another woman stand- ing in the shadow of a death sen- tence. Should the women on the Obenchalx Jury bring about & mistrial, as womez. already have done in so many crimi- nal cases in California during the last three years, it Is ‘extremely doubtful whether mixed juries longer can be employed where & capital crime is the issue. ; If Callfornia’s experience counts fot anything it may be stated that.the communities which belleve lh.y_' solved the “housing problem™ “for mixéd juries by segregating the mer and the women, are doomed to disap- pointment. - : It has been found here that with the men and women separated in dif- ferent apartments the men at times reach one decision ‘and the women arrive at smother.. When the jury gets together again the differences are irreconclisble and e mistrial re- suirs, o tE 5 the case in which Mrs. Obenchain is concerned today. Arthur Burch was indicted jointly with her for the mur- der of Kennedy, but demanded a sep- arate trial. Women predominated on the jury, which was locked up for many weary hours, men and women separately, but without avail. The breach was found to be widened when the full jury met. There was nothing to do but dismiss the jury after a very expensive and hard-fought trial. On the segregation phaee. of the mixed jury problem the California legislature has‘done its part, even to the pink of propriety. In 1919, when women —were first made eligible for jury duty, the lawmakers directed each county should provide “a room for the feminine members of the jury which shall be separate and apart from_ the room provided for the male members.” Rooms Lock Imside. ‘This provision has been lived up to in the e in letter and spirit 1n the deliberations of all mixed juri In the courtroom here where thé most important criminal cases are heard there is a rodm for the deliberations of the jurors and a stairway leading to two separate apartments above, one for women and one for men, with cots for sleeping. These dormitories are arrangea so they can be locked from the inside. Juries faken to hotels for the night are quartered two in a room as & rule, with a bailif on guard in the hall. . - _Presiding Judge Frank R. Willis of 2Coutinued on Fage 2, Colums 5.2 Net Circalation, 93,328 TWO CENTS. ISENATE T0 SHELVE HOUSE BONUS BILL FOR THIS SESSION Senior Body Expected to Heed Economic Warning of Secretary Mellon. PRESIDENT WOULD VETO MEASURE AS IT STANDS Representatives Consider Fall Elections and Pass on Re- sponsibility for Issue. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. The House will pass a bonus bill and the Senate will shelve it for this ses- sion at least. That is the outlook now that the House ways and means committes has recelved and ignored the advicd of the Secretary of the Treasury. the icentroder of the currency and the Zovernor of the Federal Reserve Board to the effect that the bonus bill in the form proposed would be a bad thing for the economic condi- tion. of the country. It does not happen often that a committee so important as the ways and means summons a- Secretary of the Treasury of its own political af- filiation and after listening to his ex- position of the Treasury's condition goes ahead in exactly the opposite direction. It does not happen often that a repu- diation of the Secretary of the Treasury is voiced by a whole body in Congress, but that is what 18 coming now. In a parliamentary torm of government it would mean the resignation of Mr. Mellon, but the House of Representa- tives has passed many a bill that died in the Senate, and resignations never are in order here unless the Presi- dent himself fails to stand by a cab- inet officer. In this instance, the President is squarely behind Mr. Mel- lon, and if the Senate should follow the House a veto is certain for the bonus bill. Maneuver for Delay. But the Senate will not ignore Mr. Mellon’s advice. Over in the cloak- rooms of the upper house the word “bonus” is rarely spoken. It hangs over the Senate like impending doom. Just how the senior body will handie the question is not yet determined, but a tacit understanding seems to prevail that by one parliamentar] maneuver or another something wil delay passage of the bouus. It was the Senate, which last sum- mer blocked the bonus bill. and prob- ably upon_more words of warning from the White House the measurs will be set aside until the finances of the government are in better condi- tion. As for the issue itself, it is ex- j pected to bob up again in 1924 when the next presidential primaries are under way. By that time, however, some republican leaders hope to re- vise the entire revenue program and to make special provision for a fund to par the bonus. This revision will be attempted by means of a sales tax, which Mr. Harding now openly favors for the soldier bonus. This commit- went to the principle of the sales tax compes at a time when revenue laws |are not being revised, but, just the { same, it has brought deep satisfaction to the proponents of such tax who would have been greatly assisted & few months ago when they tried to get a presidential declaration on the subject to help them substitute a sales tax for all the other kinds of taxes which finaily found their way into the 1921 revenue law. Fordney Shu Advice. There is a significant bit of infor- mation, incidentally, in the statement of Representative Fordney, chairman of the House ways and mcans com- mittee, that he did not expect Speaker Gillett, who is now in Florida with the Chief Executive, to bring back an informal message to the House on the bonus question. Mr. Fordrey knows the President’s views, and would pre- fer mot to have them at this time. He could have had them when he visited Mr. Harding just before the latter left for Florida. The President told callers afterward that the bonus question was discussed only inci- dentally, and that he did not outline bis views to Mr. Fordney because they were already well kno ‘This incident, together h Mr. Fordney's declaration that he is not expecting word from the President, is generally taken to mean that the chairman of the House ways and means committee believed it impor- tant for the success of the republican party this fall to go ahead and pass a bonus bill in the House, where 435 members of both parties are up for re-election. Too strong opposition from the President might hinder the passage of the bonus bill in the House and spoil the record of the party there, at least, where it is ever so much more important than in the Senate, where only one-third of the member- ship changes in the fall elections, and of that number certain mem- bers will be re-elected irrespective of how they vote on the bonus ques- tion. The politics of the situation is to permit the House to express itself and thereby place upon the Senate and the executive the re- sponsibilily for postponement of the cash bonus. (Copyright, 1922) PLAN FOR PROCEDURE. Democrats Expected to, Cause Some Trouble. Speaker Gillett, before his depar-. ture for Florida with President Hard- ing, told Chairman Fordney not to de- pend entirely upon a suspension of the rules as a means of getting the bonus bill before the House. This was disclosed today by Mr. Fordney after his attention had been’ alled to the dispatches from Palm Beach. Mr. Fordney explained that the bill could be taken up Tuesday or later under a special rule, and added that he was not opposed to ful]l and. free discussion on the floor. y “I am willing that the sunlight be turned on the bill,” sald the Mich- igan member, who will direct Iits course in the House. “I recall that we put the first bonus bill through under a suspension of the rules and that there was not a ripple on the water about Prepare for Dela; There Is a growing sentiment among the republican mewbers in the House against having ithe bill come up under suxpensicn of the rules, Several of the recoguized par- liamentary authorilies on the repub- lican side are preparing them: es to delay any action upon ths hawty ~—tinued ‘on Page 2, Colutiu wb House 1 3 1 |