Evening Star Newspaper, August 17, 1922, Page 1

J WEATHER. 5 Partly’ cloudy tonight and t - Tow; no ange in mwnuzr’fiu t ntv-four ifnurs ended at 2 p.m. s Highest,!93, at oweat, 61, Yag 6:40 7 No. 28,599. Entered as s'#.ond-class matter post office "4 ashington, D. C. PLAN TO %N D STRIKE ON ROAYS DRAWN UP BY HEADS < s Meet in Nev; York in Fifth / Effort to BT; Peaqe.' RAIL CHI'SFS TO GET PROP/)SALS TODAY Text of.v"Likely Settlement l Guagrded by Big Four Mediators. : ated Press. NFW YORK. August 17.—The scene of fegotiations toward peace on the r2 firoads again shifted from Wash- ifgton to New York today, when carrier presidents and union chiefs mssembled for a conference which will smark the fifth attempt of an outside egency to offer a solution to the se- niority riddle. The Labor Board has failed in at- tempts to end the strike by direct ne- xotiations, and twice President Hard- ing has been unsuccessful in his ef- forts as a volunteer mediator to end the controversy. Proposal for Settlement. Today the big four brotherhoods. OF UNIONS Strike atflt-l G ia,nce By the Assocated Press. Developruents today in the rall strike situation eds Union p the transportation brotherhoods of the roads went into formal comferemce in New York to devise pimns for ending the whoperafts strike. Plans to be submitted to romd ex- ecutives Inte today. President Hardinz understcod to have completed mexxage to Con- &Tean on rall situation, but defer- Ting itx presentation pending out- come of New York comference.” , PRESIDENT DEFERS CONGRESS ADDRESS, UNTIL TOMORROW Desires Every Effort to End Strikes Given Chance Be- fore Stating Plans. President Harding today decided “big brothers” of the seven striking shopcrafts unions. will seek. through their national officials, to piace be- fore a committee of the Association of Railway Executives a proposal fo- setilement which will be acceptable 1o both sides. Heading the employers is T. De Witt | Cuvler, chalrman of the mational as- sociation, with a committee of nine presidents. Warren S. Stone, national head of the Brotherhood of Locomo. tive Engineers, was attended by chiefs of the other big four running crafts. [ Outside the conference, but within the v and within call of the conference, will be Bert M. Jewell. president of the seven shoperafts’ strike organiza- tions and chairman of the department of rallway employes, American Feder- ation of Labor. He was expected to arrive from Washington before noon. accompanied by all but two of the; seven heads of the shopcrafts unions. Chiefs of the big four arriving for the meeting declared they were with- out a definite plan for solution of the: Seniority question. They had “several y Ex to defer his address to Congress on the industrial situation until tomor- row or a later date. Word as to the President's deci- sion was received by Senator Wat- son, republican, Indiana, member of the interstate commerce committee and one of the executive's advisers{ in the rail strike situation, shortly before the Senate convened. Similar information had been’ received earlier by other congressional leaders, cluding Representative Mondell of Wyoming, republican leader in the House, who called at the White House early in the da Wants Every Chance Given. The President was represented by those who talked with him to feel that every effort toward settiement of the rail strike should be allowed in- half-formed proposals” to make. but | to take its course before'he went be- none which they were prepared to 1ake public. Senlority and Pension. Notwithstanding the futility of all | nexotiations to date, both sides recog- nized that the situation they have to meet is one in which the strikers, having asreed to return to their jabs on the basis of the Labor Board's scale, imsist that.all-be taken back | with seniority and pension rights un- impaired. The executive's assoclation. they also agree, has announced it will take back only as many men as the va- rious roads need to bring shop forces back to normal, demanding that they return to work without seniority rights, demanding, however, freedom to bring their demands for reinstated seniority before the Labor Board later. One possible plan by which the recads might maintain their policy of rewarding loyal and new employes with seniority preference over re- turning strikers, and still effect a compromise with the shopcrafts, ap- peared in the mass of unofficial dis- cussion in railway circles pfior to the conference. Likely Plan. Such a plan, which, it was believed, would be acceptable to the crafts, was outlined by certain executives, as fol- lows: (1) That the railroads, instead of being bound by the majority action of the Assoclation of Railway Execu- tives, be permitted to take back as many of the strikers as needs of indi- vidual roads dictated. This would as. sure jobs to all the strikers on most of he roads in the country, particu- larly in the southeast and through- out the west. (2) That the roads and unions agree to recognize the seniority rights of loyal employes who refused to strike. (3) That the seniority status of re- turning strikers and so-called “new men” be fixed through agreements be- | tween unions and managements or in- dividual roads. governed partly by standards of efficiency of individual employes in both classes. (4) That all pension rights be re- stored to the pre-strike status. No official sponsor appeared for this plan, however. Members of the ex- ecutives' committee declined to dis- cuss its merits and the big four rep- resentatives took a similar attitude. Preliminary Meeting. Four members of the committee of railway brotherhoods which will meet representatives of the executives this afternoon, held an informal conference this raorning, but adopted no cut-and- dried plan to offer the carriers. One of the members said they had merely put into more definite form some of their tentative ideas. Flve brotherhood leaders, represent- ing the running trades of American rallroads, today went into formal con- ference to draw up a program for end- ing of the nation-wide shopmen’s strike, to be submitted this afternoon t0_executives representing 148 roads. The formal conference, which had ‘been preceded b( a more informal as- sembly, was called up on arrival of ‘Warren R. Stone, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. What the proposal of the brotherhood chiefs, assumnig the role of mediators, ‘would be, could not be learned from them when they closed the doors be- hind them. Proposal Guarded. | he might present it to Congress i close fore Congress to deliver a report on the government's interests in the matter and to present an outline of | the pollcy decided upen By the ad- ministration. The effort taward set- tlement the President wa$ said to have particularly iz mind yas the conferenee in New Yorx today be- tween representatives of the rullroad 5. was \con. lurmg\; the said to be rapid- appraaching completion. he President. it was sald. desired\to have it in completad form, so that t any time that he was convinced am appropriate time had come. In the meantime mediation activi- tics, which have been in progress here for the past week, were prac- tically suspended, as most of the striking shop crafts representatives and heads. of the four big non-strik ing unfons, who have bsen enacting the role of mediators, were in New York to meet the executives' com- mittee today. When they left here the brotherhood officials' who, and not the striking crafts Beads, will actually confer with the executives, said they were not taking. a pre. pared proposition to the meetin; and added that if they were the: would not make it public. Sees No Modification.) L. E. Sheppard, chief of tile con- ductors’ organization, said, hawever, that the demand of the striliérs for full senfority status in case {of their return to work coud mot be miodified, and the strike leaders appejred In full accord with that view. 1 In preparing his message t\» Con- gress, President Harding Is yinder- steod to have decided against making a request for legislation to deal with the strike sizuation at this | time, though it was Tegarded as possilile he would assure Congress if such Ivgis- Jation is needed he will not hesitate in asking it. ‘It was said the mestpge would expluln the entire industirial situation as the President and ihis advisers had found it by reason.’of invertigation and contact and that it further would express the de- termination of the administration to give full ald of the federal govern- ment to efforts to keep the raflroads running in event the latest strike set- tlement parley fails. REPARATIONS MEMBERS' SEEKING COMPROMISE Hold Informal Discussion in Effort to Satisfy Both France and England. By the Associated Press. PARIS, August 17.—The members of the reparations commission met in- formally today to discuss the possi- bility of reaching some compromise on the German reparations question which will be acceptable to both France and Great Britain. An official meeting of the commis- sion had been scheduled for today, but it was postponed until tomarrow in the hope that the plans now under consideration will be ready fgr formal submission ‘at that time. —_—— Work on the message tinued by ‘the President morning, and it wa Representatives of the stationary| BRITAIN HELD UNLIKELY trades,” however, who were watching closely the brotherhood conferenc indicated that they expected the run: ning crafts not to suggest any com- promise on the matter of seniority rights, which has proyed the big stumbling block in peace efforts thus far. ‘While none of th would permit themselves to be quot- ‘ed. they indica: hat they did.not expect the brotherhoods to suggest TO0 RECOGNIZE OBREGON London Times Bl‘pl Mexico’s Fail- ure to Honor Debts of Huerta nq‘xmu. LONDON, August \17—The Times declares there still are hindrances in any patched-up compromise to' the|the way of British recognition of executives, nor that the brothe, hoods would promise to exert their influence to the shopmen to. re- Mexico. One of them, according to the paper, is that the British gov- turn if nnru rights were 'not | ernment desires to work hand-in- ri guaranteed strikers. ‘When President Harding first pro- posed restoration of strikers with full seniority rights, th rejected the suggestion. ‘When the President put :I. second pro for a rail peace, o back the forward bor Board define th: on a4 i executives flatly | ment 1 od that the carriers take| ccrtioment eir striking shopmen and let|ciaims of British -?- Lal ® | Mexico, which Great Britain hand with the Wash! ment_in the matter; reason is.that th ington govern- but the_ chiet £23 govern- not prepared to recogni: foreign loans entered ynto by the De Huerta government and is en- deavoring further ta exclude from certain .egtenflel of sub! agsinst is trying to arrange. X WAGE AGREEMENT EXPECTED AS COAL . PARLEY IS OPENED | Anthracite Operators and Miners Gather to Discuss | Terms of Contract. :BOTH SIDES WILLING TO MAKE CONCESSIONS Close Observers Say Men Will Re- turn for Scale Paid in 1821. By the Assoclated Press. PHILADELPHIA, Pa. August 17. —John L. Lewis, president of the |iUnited Mine Workers, and the dis- trict presidents of the anthrace region arrived here shortly before 11 o'clock today for their confer- ence with the hard coal operators this afternoon in the office of Samuel D. Warriner, president of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company sand head of the operators’ negotiations ! commfttee. The miners’ chief established head- {auarters at the Bellevue-Stratford | Hotel and planned to confer with the other union leaders prior to the |meeting with the operators. i Hopeful of Agreement. “1 am not going to talk,” said Mr. Lewis, “because I don't belleve in {talk before this conference. Il venture no prognostications, but T am hopeful an adjustment will be jeffected. The situation in the hituminous flelds is developing satis- j factorily.” The operators also held a separate {conference in Mr. Warriner's office. Mr. Warriner said he was confident »n_ agreement would be reached. The miners, through their scale committee, have been asking a 20 per cent increase in pay. per- ators wanted a reduction ges. | Both sides, it was indicated, as the {canference was about to convene, | were ready to recede from their stand, {and close observers declared that | there was a likelihood of the 1921 wage scale being adopted for an- other term. { _In addition to Mr. Lewis. the min- { ers were to be represented by W. J. Rrennan, president of district No. 1; Thomas Kennedy, president of dis- trict No. 7, ang C. J. Golden, presi- ident of district No. 9. i If the operators’ and miners’ rep- | resentatives reach an agreement this | week it was believed that a call { would be lssued at once for a tri- district meeting at Wilkes-Barre to ratify such action. Aeccording to the terms of the Shamokin convention. agreed to by the miner: anuary 20,—either a conven!w Tefér- endum vote is necemsary before the men are ordered back to work. Mines in Bad Shape. Many of the anthracite mines were today declared to be in bad as a result of thé long suspension of work. Operators were quoted as saying that in some instances it would take them from a month to six weeks to get them in a safe condition for joperation, and that it would take | even longer before normal condition could be resumed—probabl: - | fore October. 2 MaE D President Kennedy of district No. 7, in a statement issued at Hasleton last night, said that the miners would en- ter the Philadelphia negotiations on the basis submitted to President Har- ding in a reply to his Invitation. This embraced a no-arbitration basis and the retention of wage scales of the contract that expired March 31 last. —_— ENVER PASHA FOUND SLAIN IN BATTLE Former Turk War Minister and Al- lies’ Foe Dies in British Uni- form Fighting Soviets. By the Associated Press. MOSCOW, August 17.—Enver Pasha, former Turkish minister of war and recently chief antagonist to bolshev- ist.grule in the Transcaucasus, was fourid dead on the battlefield in east- ern Bokhara, according to advices re- {celved by the government here to- | day. He was attired in a British uni- form when found. He was stabbed five times on August 4, in fighting against the bolsheviki. Enver Pasha was one of the most romantic and adventurous figures in Islam. He began his career as an agitator among the Young Turks, and was one of the triumvirate which made a successful coup d'etat and de- throned Sultan Abdul Hamid. He became chief of staff of the Turkish army in January, 1913. In a British government white paper he was blamed for Turkey's entrance into the war on the side of Germany. He held several conferences during the war with the German high com- mand_and with Emperor William himself. He had unbounded confl- \dence in the impenetrability of the Dardanelles. \In 1917 he became minister of war. fter peace was concluded, he was forced to flee from Turkey, where he s accused of war profiteering and kindred activities. D. C. HEARING TUESDAY. Joint Committee on Surplus In- vestigation to Meet. The joint congressional committee investigating the sufplus revenue of the District of Columbia is to meet Tuesday morning, Senator Phipps, chairman, announced today. He sald that the expert account- ants, who have been auditing the ac- counts of the District, have en making good progress, and that they will_ meet with the joint committee on Tuesday. He said, too, that H. J. Galloway of the Department of Jus. tice, who is alding the committee, also will be present. PERU: APPROVES TREATY. % _ Action of Chamber of Deputies Al- most Unanimous. LIMA, Peru, August 17.—Theham- ber of deputies last night voted al- most unanimously the approval of the Tacna-Arica agreement between Chile and:Peru, following an address dellv- ered by Foreign = Minister Alberto Salomon. - The senate already has sm unanimous approval: of the ent, ARl ¥ R s e {MEADE TROOPS 10 PARADE IN CAPITAL 1,000 Student Soldiers May Be Reviewed by President Harding Here Monday. START HIKE ON SUNDAY To Bivouac at College Park Over Night—Batteries and Cavalry to Be Mounted. Announcement of plans for a grand parade and review on the Ellipse next Monday of the members of the citi- zens’ military training camp at Camp Meade, with Secretary of War Weaeks, Gen. Pershing. and it is hoped, Presi- dant Harding, as the reviewing officers, was made today by the War ftment. *l\- announcement was not general- 1y expected, as it had previously been stated that there were no government ¢ [ funds avallable to defray the expenses of transporting the young men in training from Camp Meade to this olty. The Evening Star Company, however, has appropriated the sum of $500 to cover transportation charges of_the men. There are 1,080 men, comprising eight companies of infantry, three batteries of field artillery and two troops of cavalry, who will partici- te. The infantry will be conveyed o the White House terminal of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapo- 1is railway, at 15th and H streets, on special rates offered to the men through the courtesy of that rallway company. The regular charge of $2.50 person was reduced to 50 cents in accordance with this offer. Tt is planned to have the men ‘march from 15th and H streets to the Ellipse, where the review will begin promptly &i 11 o'clock. Secretary Weeks already has expressed his in- tention of reviewing the men, sig- nifying his interest in the work be- ing done by the young men of the District of Columbia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland in pre- paring themselves, under War De- Partment supervision, for national emergencies. Await President’s Anewer. Definite word as to whether Presi- dent Harding will find it possible to pacsonally review the med in com- pany with the War Secretary and Gen. Pershing is expected within a short time. The infantrymen will entrain at Camp Meade Monday morning for the trip to the capital. Their fellow trainees, composing the cavalry and field artillery, however, will leave the camp Sunday on horseback, camping overnight at College Park. Md., and completing their journey to the cap- ital Monday morning. 'The dashing appearance put on by these miounted men at Wednesday's review, although they have had but about one week's experience on their ‘mounts, go impressed Maj. Gen. J. H. McRae, Ueputy chief of staff, that his enthusiasm easily won Secretary Weeks' consent to attend the review, it was explained today. Efforts are being made to obtain the presence of the full personnel of the military affairs committees of the House and Senate. Representa- tive Mondell and Senator Wadsworth, chairmen of the committees, aiready have agreed to view the performance. The boys went into_training about three weeks' age. Their course is nearly complete. D’ANNUNZIO IMPROVES. GARDONE, Riviers, Italy, August 17 —Gepriele d'Annunzio’s condition, although still grave, is perceptibly lmprmfin ‘Yesterday he recavered from his totpor for a few minutes and was able to pronounce a few words. He understood what was said to him, -and the doctors were able to get him to swallow a little milk and mineral water. ; MemberoivflleAuochu‘Pna The Associated Press is ‘exclusively entltied to _the use for republication of all news diapatches eredited 1o it or not otherwise credited in tiis Paper and also the local news publised herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. ‘ Yesterday’s Net Circu'ation, 83,820 French Debt Commission Recalled; Surprise to U. S. By the Associated Pres | PARIS, August 17.—Premier Poin- care has ordered the French debt com- ‘mlulon, headed by Jean V. Parmen- tier, to return to Parls from Wash- ington immediately, it gas learned today. M. Parmentier and his aides are ex- pected to [2ave New York within the next few days. He has been ordered | home to report to the premier the re- sults of conversations with American officials regarding the liquidation of the French debt to the United States. May Return in Autumn. The commission probably will re- turn’o Americe in the autumn, it was said today, prepared to give a definite answer as to when France can com- mence making payments of interest and principal on the French debt. M. Parmentier’s mnegotiations at ‘Washington have been closely follow- ed by officials here, who have recefved frequent reports from hi e latest, few days ago, defining the situation efore the American nding Com- mission. T ¢ Attitude Made Clear. Premier Poincare's attitude was de- fined In a speech to the senate on the eve of M. Parmentier’s sailing early in July. The premier then said that all the allies had profited equally by the use of the money borrowed from the United States. France does not repudiate her share, he declared, but if France is expected to pay fully she in turn expects to be paid not only the sums she lent to other allies, but also the reparations due her from Germany. The premier referred to the fact that 3 KILLED N RAIL STRIKE DISORDERS Violence Spreads as “Big Four” Unions End West- ern Tie-Ups. By the Associated Press. CHIGAGO, August 17.—An end to the strike of big four transportation brotherhood on western railroads, an improved outlook, for peace in the New York confefence today, shoot- ings, bombing and burning were high lights in the nation’s rallway crisis during the last twenty-four hours. Blockades and tie-ups on the Atchi- son, Topeka and Santa Fe, the Union Pacific, Western Pacific and Southern Pacific cleared up when striking train crews called off their walkout and opened the way to immediate restora- tion of trafic on lines which were paralyzed by the strike of the big four ‘brotherhoods. Stranded Santa Fe trains moved out of Albuquerque, N. M., an trainmen at Prescott, Ariz. notified Santa Fe officials that strikers would return to work. These moves follow- ed earlier developments toward end- ing the tie-up on the Santa Fe. The Union Pacifics trafic knot unraveled rapidly_after trainmen on the Las Veges division called off thelr strike. Other western roads restored trans- portation activities to the basis which had been in effect since the shopmen’s strike began July 1. L. & N. Strike May End. Tentative agreements looking to- ward an end to the trainmen’s strike on the Cumberland Valley division of the Loulsville and Nashville were an- nounced at Corbin, Ky. ‘With the train service strike break- ing up in other sections of the coun- try, trainmen who interrupted traffic on the Missouri Pacific, at Vanburen, Ark,, refused toreturn to work while ards remained on duty,in the yards. (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) were d WOMAN AND WEASEL IN FIGHT TO FINISH FOR PLUMP PULLE Special Dispatch to The Star. CULPEPER, Va., August 17.—A weasel wanted & nice, plump pullet and so did the owner of the fowl, Mra. Willlam Dizon of near Brightwood, and therein lay the cause for war in which the weasel had to be decapi- tated to release its needle-like teeth sunk deep into Mrs. Dixo; hand. Arising before other members of this morning, Mrs. Dixon pan of the fam! ood to the chicken t to a weasel emerge bend a w'wm'u. seise & pullet and run towards the hole from which he Had come. Mrs. Dixon hastened in pur- suit and caught the chicken just as it was about! to disappear. This so angered the weasel that it released the chicken and. sank its teeth deeply into her right hand. 'ith her free hand she choked the little animal, but ‘without, succeas. Her screams quickly brought her husband to her aid, and he tried with both hands to release the weasel, but could riot do so. He finally secured a | age! butcher knife from the kitchen and severed the weasel's head, and even then its jaws had .to: b ied open before its hold on Mrs. hand could be broken, = 3 e . the international bankers interrupted their recept deliberations concerning an international loan for Germany when France announced that she could not abandon any part of her reparations claims. France, it was intimated by M. Poincare at that time, feels that any settlement of the interallied debt sit- uation must be a general one, in which she is not the only loser. WILL SAIL WEDNESDAY. Debt Commission to Return From France in September. By the Associated Press. The French debt funding commis- sion will sail for home next Wednoc- L day in response to directions of Pic- mier Poincare, Jut will return to_the TUnited States probably late in Sep- tember, Jean V. Parmentier, head of the commission. announced today af- ter a conference with Secretary Mel- lon, chairman of the American debt commission. Mr. Mgllon issued & statement after the conference, in which he said he had advised M. Parmentier that bene- ficial results might be obtained from direct erences between the com- mission and its government. Prior to M. Parmentier's visit to the Tre ury and after receipt of press di patches from Paris saving that the commission had been called home, of- ficials had expressed surprise at the new development in the debt funding n-gotiations. “Mr. Parmentier and his associate. Mr. Le Nevue, conferred informally today with the chairman of the world war forelgn debt commission,” said Mr. Mellon's statement. “Mr. Par- (Continued on Tenth Page.) PTAIN ABSOLVED IN STEAMER RIOT Officers of the steamer Charles Mac- alester “did about all in their power to preserve and maintain order” on the night of June 14, when a riot took place on the vessel resulting in the killing of one man and the wounding of several others, accord- ing to a report submitted today to the steamboat inspection service of the Department of Commerce by an in- vestigating board composed of Charles W. Wright and Michael Stan- ton, inspectors, attached to the Bal- timore office of the service. On the basis of the report the De- | partment of Commerce will take no further action in the case, although D. N. Hoover, deputy supervising in- spector general, is reviewing the tes- timony taken before the examining board in order to ascertain whether any further facts can be developed. Ship's Master Cleared. The report clears J. H. Turner, the master of the vessel, from any culpa- bility in the case. Evidence taken shows that two special officers em- ployed by the steamship company, three employes from Marshall Hall, the two mates of the vessel and the quartermaster patrolled the main deck of the steamer, where the major part of the rioting took place. Capt. Tu ner, according to the report, was en- | gaged in docking the vessel at @Alex- andria when the fatal affray occur- ed. The evidence ih general, the report says, appears to be that a number of the passengers on board the vessel were under the influence of liguor. o serious difficulty occurred, how- ver, until the steamer was about to make a landing at Alexandria en route to Washington. Then the more serious controversies arose be- tween the passengers, but in such a manner and with weapons so secre- tively used that:they were discovered by few or possibly no one on board, the report says. * - * Nineteen Witnesses Heard. Nineteen witnesses were examrined, one being Detective Sergt. Springman of the Wasihngton detective bureau, who, was detailed on the case as a re- sult of the question of jurisdiction brought up after the fatal riot. Among the passengers on the vessel were students and friends of the McKinley Manual Traini Hi School of Washington and the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks of ‘Alexandria. Alexandria policemen tes- tified that they Tesponded to a call from the wharfs. They found no dis- turbance on the steamer after she had docked, and John F. Bailey, mate of the vessel, took them to a room where they saw a man who had been out and other in the room with him. The Investigating board said “It appears to us that the two special officers placed on board by the man- ment, together with the two mates and one quagtermaster, assisted by three other employes, gave about as much ‘protection td those on board a8 could be expected under the con- dittons.” TWO CENTS. CHINA’S POPULAR GOVERNMENT FIGHT NEARING COLLAPSE By the Associated Press. g PEKING, August 17.—The attempt to revive popular government in China is on the verge of collapse, ac- cording to a survey of conditions brought to the attention of the for- eign legations. Military leaders are openly defying cabinet ministers are the government, refusing to assume the responsibili- tiés of their posts, the treasury is empty and civil employes, unpaid, have quit their jobs. SO0 oLMIT ON 0. C. EXPENSES Federal Park Projects and Other Items Expected to Total $4,500,000. . As the Commissioners entered upon the second day of the cutting process on their estimates they began to realize the serious effect of the order to reduce the city budget to $24,500,000. It was reliably reported today that when allowance has been made for continuing work on the new water conduit, for the Rock Creek-Potomac Park project and for other items not under control of the Commissioners, there will remain only about $20.000,- 000 for the various activities of the District government if the limit fixed by the budget bureau stands. Will Proiest Cut. It is understood officials of the budget office have advised the Com- missioners that when they submit the estimates of $24,500,000 they may also transmit a sort of supplemental list of urgent items eliminated in getting down to the limit above mentioned. At the hearing which the director of the budget has agreed to give the Commissioners after the estimates go to the Treasury, the city fathers prob- ably will endeavor to show the fed- eral officers that municipal improve- ments are accumulating at such a rate that the city wili be years in catching up. at the present rate of appropriations. ‘Among the outside items which the Commissioners must make allowance for in_reducing the budget to less than $25000,000 are the allotments for Zoological Park, for maintenance of public buildings and grounds and for the Rent Commission. Estimates Are Trimmed. Working until late yesterday after- noon, the Commissioners went over 20 per cent of the estimates, trimming hard as they went. They planned to resume the task this afternoon and hope to be finished this week, as En- gineer Commissioner Keller expects 1o leave the city Saturday. If the estimates should remain at the level of §24,500,000 when they go to Congress from the Treasury, the Commissioners are Mopeful that the appropriations committees of the Sen- ate and House will take cognisance of the drastic cut made by the budget bureau and not cut the items still lower. COAL PRICE GURB SEEN IN PUBLICITY Law Planned to Force Op- erators to Post Sales to Dealers. Legislation to curb profiteering in coal, by operators and retallers both, in case they seek to take advantage of the coal shortage due to the long strike, is expected to be passed by Congress. Such legislation may be national, and there also may be leg- islation dealing with the District of Columbia. Members of the Senate al- ready are aroused Over reports of high prices being charged in a num- ber of places. z What form of legislation will take probably will not be dtermined until after the President has dressed the _Congress on the strike situation, according to Senator Borah of Idaho, chairman of the committee on education and labor, who yester- day addressed a letter to Secretary | Hoover, of the Department of Com- merce asking suggestions for legis- lation with which to curb profiteer- ing in coal. Main Plan Advanced. Whether price-fixing legislation will be necessary remains to be seen. In some quarters the opinion was ex- pressed today that it might not be necessary to go to that extent. A law which would compel the oper- ators to state the cost of production and the prices they charge for the coal and the names of the people to whom they sold their coal, it is be- lieved, would go far to solving the problem. These reports from the op- erators would be made public. In the face of publicity of this kind the chances of profitecring would dimin ish, it was contended. But there are senators who are pre- ared to go through with price-fix- ing legislation if the situation should warrant it. They believe that the power of Congress to deal with inter- state commerce gives the national legislature at the authority needed to handle tois matter. So far as the District of Columbia is concerned Congress has absolute authority in all matters of legisla- tion. District of Columbia committee, When the coal situation was called to his attention today, sald that if the prices of coal were increased to an Rinreasonable” extent in the District, undoubtedly the District committee Would take cognizance of it and seek P to find_a way to protect the resi-| dents here. He is the author of the District rent act, which was put through to prevent profiteering in ‘rents in_ the District of Columbia and has been held constitutional by the Supreme Coart of the United States. Coal is as much of a necessity to the resi- dénts of the District as shelter, it was pointed out. Senstor Calder of New York, who Is iving the coal situation close study, S50} bel passed up or down this road before lieves that steps should als0 B Srevent profiteering. He said foday that he would consult Secretary Hoover in regard to possible legisla- tion to deal with the national situation and indicated that he would give at- tention to conditions that may arise in hington. A strong feeling exists in some re- publican quarters that If Congress Puts through the. tariff bill and the Soldiers’ bonus bill and then adjoruns without doing anything to protect the publiey against high prices in coal, or %o see there is & proper distribution also of coal, the democrats will sweep the J country in the coming election. Senator Ball, chairman of the| INDAN NEAR SCENE OF BRIDE SLAVING NEW MURDER CLUE Coroner Now Convinced Oil Man Was Killed Near Where Body Was Found. WOMAN SAW AUTO LEAVE; THREE MEN ARE SOUGHT “Lovers’ Lane” Believed to Have Protected Assassins From Closer Scrutiny on Night. Two important facts have been un- covered in the lats twenty-four hours by investigators who are attempting to solve the mystery surrounding the slaying of Barney A. McBride, whose knife-hacked body was found along a road near Meadows, Md., just one week ago today. They are: 1. At 6 o'clock last Thursday morning—the day McBride was supposed to have been murdered—a woman saw two white men and an Indian driving away in an automo- bile from the road along which the dead man was dropped. ac- cording to Thomas Garrison, Maryland constable, assigned to the investigation. 2. McBride could not possibly have been murdered in the District and his body carried to such a dis- tant ;point as Meadows and there still "remain in his veins suffi- cient blood to saturate the ground around his corpse for a distance of several feet, in the opinion of Coroner J. E. Stansbury and an eminent Washington physician. Discovery Is Important. In view of the previously advanced theory that McBride was murdere«d by an old-time ememy or at the in- stance of clandestine political or- ganizations which are mixed up in the war between the Indians and oil interests in Oklahoma, discovery of the fact that an Indian was in the | vicinity of Meadows the morning of | the murder is regarded as of first importance. Constable Garrison was seem at Hyattsville last night and refused to give the name of the woman who saw the trio, declaring that she had withheld the information until yes- terday morning for fear of her name being mixed up in the case. She lives on the Bright Seat road, onto which the highway where the body was found leads. Seen Early in Morning. “Two white men sat in the front seat and the Indian in the rear,” Gar- rison said the woman told him. “They were on the road leading from Lango to Bright Seat. which is really the back road to Biad The time was batween 5:30 Thursday morning headed toward Bladensburg. would mean they had come directly over the road near Meadows. The woman said she had time to get a g00d view of the men, as they seemed tired and were not driving very fast.” The police have been working on the theory that McBride was murder- ed near the District line somewhere and his body carried to the spot where it was found. This would be impossible, according to one of Washington's best known physicians, who asked that his name be kept out of the case for obvious reasons. Rarely do persons bleed after death occurs,” he said. though sometimes blood might come from a large artery that had been severed. This would soon be drained. however. and the flow of blood would cease altogether. May Have Been Attacked Here. It is just as highly improbable, con- tinued this expert, that the man was rendered unconscious in the District, carried to the Meadows road and there permitted to die. The nearest point from the District line to the Meadows road. by automobile or wagon, is seven miles. With seventeen knife wounds. seven of which penetrated the skull, in a vital place. this physician thinks it is virtually impossible that McBride would not have bled to death hefore he even reached his improvised tomb. Bearing in mind_the previous state- ment that the flow of blood stops almost immediately after death ge- curs, this fact does not square with the fact that blood stains were found |all around the body and that several {of the wounds were still bleeding slightly when the body was found. Coroner Agreex With Vie: “It is more " the physiclan | continued, “that Mr. McBride was at- tacked near where the blood stains on | the road started. * That could prob- ably not have happened more than a few hours before the body was found, and it is also highly probable that death did not occur for several hours after the attack., as you say several of the wounds were still bleeding slightly. In other words. I should say McBrids died a very short time before the boy who found him happened along.” With this view Coroner Stansburv lof Prince Georges county. the first physician to view the body. agrees. Dr. Stansbury arrived at the Meadows road a short time after the body was found. He thoroughly agreed with the Washington physician in declar- ing McBride was undoubtedly mur- dered in Maryland and not very far from where the body lay. Lovers' Lane Shiel The fate that guided McBride's as- sassins to the Meadows road must ! have been an ironical one. That place !is known as “Lover's Lane” and any night, according to old ~residents, autofmobiles by the score come out from Washington and park all around the very culvert behind which the oil operator wes partly buried. “That's why we would not have noticed anything strange about a | machine stopping at the culvert.” said | Wesley Harrison, colored, who oe- {cubies the farmhouse nearest the frot. “All night long we're used to sreing the tail lights of lot of ma- chines, and hearing the doors open- |ing qnd shutting. 1 saw a machine at the culvert about 11 o'clock last Thursday night, but, of ‘course, I paid no attention to it. Sure No Wagon Passed. “] am sure, however, that no wagon i i midnight. We seldom see wagons here even in the day time and on Would have been sure to attract at- tention. McBride's estate, which is valued at not less than $500,000, will go to hi brother, who is in a St. Louis ho: pital suffering from a mnervous ool- lepse. according to information ob- tained by The Star from Muskogee. The oil man left no will and there- {grfl Miss Ellen e so fond, will not share in the estate. She, right, P