Evening Star Newspaper, November 26, 1926, Page 2

» ANTI-TRUST LAW PROBLEMS GREAT ‘Holiday St e ! Competiticn Changes Broad- | ed Field for Doubt Despite | Many Court Decisions. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Althiough the Sheiman i-trust e h son interpreed again and gain by the Supreme Court of the “nited States, the ever-changing fac- tors of competition and large combi. tion fave increased rather than di- hed the arca of doubt as to what may or may not be done legaily. The Departnent of Jusmce is anx- susiv awmiiing the dec of the court of the lind on several inding anti-irust cases, of which have been in the courts {he time George W. Wickersham Attoraey General, Hroadly sy coine of the main principles on e is doubt at present are: the combination of two com- panies, each of which has valuable | patents, make it possible for the nerged concern to fix prices arbitrari theory that what 1wo com Lot do in competition they n sanvly by fall £ a patened With the Christmas shopping sea. ALy under way beginning to v, at least a week ler than ever sporting a total Christmas savinge 1dy to be distributed next Washington merchants to handle one of the s funds all re Wednesday, tory of this ity _More than 72.000 persons joined the ; hristmas savings clubs ablished hy | put each pay day during the vear has mounted now to a most at- tractive sun for every member to spend on Santa Claus' wares. Both in the total amount saved and in number of subscribers, the savin clubs this vear far exceed those of previous years, | A total of &6, members saved $4.447,000 in local clubs last vear, | while two vears ago $£3.000,000 was saved Ly 49,3855 thrifty pe . These that the Chr side dwiing the past year out- D those of the year hefore by more han $1,000.000. e ighest if the m uch 1 9 v on the anies 1 back on the vticl Does npeting po of stock in @ constitute ~ a the outright | ok constitute a acquiring ihe the same (uisition coneern ana wou'd such od ¢ buginess of the ¢ Stores Ready for Rush. Merchants everywhere, however, are re to take care of the Christ- {mas rush. They had on display this | morning, ready for the first shoppers, ; siot their full supplies of Yuletide stoc i l(.“‘_,;\.‘.i the ‘;‘,'l“”"""‘;m:u l.;].l nlh v were prepared to broadeast on ¢ compe he slogan: “Buy W, E v, Vade assoclations WIthout | ang Get Better Sarvicer T¢ tners m: nding as to the (xing of | Qictions that this will be Washinston- to the consumer “greatest Christma are fuliilled, Actions Start Early. early preparations also will make it the sanest Christmas. Sxmlll'_ neously with announcement that savings here would approximate $5.500,000, it was learned that Christ- #s savings for the whole country in the past vear reach a total of $398,- 2F§X.'4’>1A. This represents a gain of $85,000,000 over 1925, or 27 per cent. | Nearly 8,000,000 persons enrolled in the clubs throughout the country. fmate 1 woperty and competiior Is nfons Thro unde prie the These illustrate the ramifications of | modern business at a time when ex- ! pansion both in_ the domestic and veign tield has driven large competi- < Into each others’ arms to elimi- nate economic waste The fict that the Government cannot without considerable difficulty mrotect the publ interes against <orbitant prices when once it re- oves its 10 a large com- Buy-Karly Move Pushed. \ion of business is the governing | The shop-early movement s heing the many actions begun by [pushed by the Merchants and Manu tment of Justice to prevent n restraint of trade.’”| Tnder the present administration, Col. Willian Donovan, Assistant At t Genernl, who is in direct antitrust work, is taking the words “to prevent” com- in vestraint of trade. He & Government's duty to a :ombination or mer- ifs operations on a rmerged basis, His theory is that it is nuch more dificult to obtain a disso. lution later, and infinitely more ex- |t pensive to all coneerned, Including the | CAURKE in the jam at post office sta- thn to enjoin competitors at | ”"A"" foom following w” at may - 16 a monopolistic ractice, | ted, e he Dej B ‘f,,-‘ co-operation of many other interested agencies. Postmaster W, M. Mooney of Washington has appointed a com- | mittee of postal officlals to move even | farther forward the “peak’ of Christ- |mas mall. Last vear, through con- {certed appeals and ‘warnings, the peak load” of mall was moved up to December 18, three days earller than in previous . and consequently, it is suid, thousands of letters were delivered ‘on or before the holiday otherwise would have been churze « serivusly binations considers it t net even before zer has begun | = illmt public the outset easily Lect is sumy instructive me mailing schedules has been sent to all o tat ‘ais pro.|Lurla ‘and teuchers of the public : - schools by Postmaster Mooney. ¥ ceupeelimingten ont Tl "v‘,'ll""‘:“;'!:lr‘lu,rlmz that “Early ln‘mil‘i‘lig‘m:”;r'm:’e: eatures of {rist Drose, ntiemy | confusion in your homes just prior to that w el proceeding revent I8 Christmas, insures prompt and safe cither approved by the coukts or dis-| gelivery of your parcels and elimi- approved Tefore o criminal act is DT | nates congestion in post office.” orime: ; | “Gifts should be securely wrapped,” The de as<ociations| the instructions read, “and St are being watched with care v theltied, using corrugated pasteboard department. not because they are |Loxes. Fragile articles should be care- looked upon improper factors in! fully cked; addresses should e (he modern development of business. | plainly written in the lower right por for thelr economic value is enthusias|tion of the address side, with the tically recognized, but because it iS|name of the sender and his return ad- feared that wrong interpretations of [dress in the upper left corner, pre- recent decisions may cause some of |ceded by the word ‘from.’ " l|h\~~] associations to overstep the | Expects 5,000,000 Cards bounds. 2 s 5,000, 2 g s | Mr. Mooney estimated that the cit Danger Lies in Price Fixing. | post office. will handle 5000000 Chrlst It u ociations were merely to|mas cards in the several days before exchange daia on costs and give 'Pm.“i(‘hnslm: in addition to Christmas other information which cannot be IM("} l-'";" and r‘egu!ar‘m;xu. ! constriied as price fixing, there would | Greeting cards must be posted on e igior wf prosccutions, The dif-{or before December 21 to insure de- feulty 1t in the informal confer-|livery, even in this city, Mr. Mooney ‘nees understandings are reached by | Warns. There will be no delivery by . leen in eontrol of an industry to|letter carriers after noon Christmas. i iees un 1 definnee of the laws|In order to insure delivery before of fupply and demand. | Christmas all mail should be posted Perliaps the most delicate point in-{on or before the following dates, he volved in the bz trust cases is that |announced: Letters and packages go- relating to the rights that flow from |ing to California and the Far West The manufacturer | and Southwest, December 14; Ilinols, ‘1o hus fixed his prices arbitrar-|10wa and the Middle West, December Ehedhe ot IthENt Southern States, Ohio, Indiana and .specially i€ he has had Kentucky, December 16; New Eng- wasilv imitated. There is a |land States, December 17; New York, when an Imitator does | Pennsylvania and_New Jersey, Decem: erze with the compet. | ber 18: Virginia, Maryland, West Vir- i1l be virtue of the both patents |Binta and North Carolina, December Jeen the prices high enough for| 20, and Washington, December 21. to mak coneiderable profit 1 Seventy-five thousand coples of this ge containing ities of s b tempatic come ftor o both t prosperous Yuletides in the his- | local banks and the dollar or so | the | facturers’ Assoclation with the active | THE EVENING $5.544,000 CHRISTMAS SAVINGS . TO BE DISTRIBUTED WEDNF"DAY ning Week Earlier This Year—Post Office Co-operating to Help Shoppers. schedule have heen distributed here. Alrendy the public, profiting by past :xper ences, s responding to the {aarly offerings in stores where selec { tion” of gifts mav be he maddeninz crowd.” A noticeable | increase in the number of shoppers |is to be seen in the downtown sec | tion, and the; are stepping a bit {livelier than at { vear. | More Clerks Employed. One merchant 1eports his Christmas | business now is 10 per cent ahead of last year, and others report con- | siderable advances also. Three of | the largest stores now have [sales clerks at maximum Christmas {n {taken on from 1 to 10 per cent addi- { tional help. While the number of | patrons today mav not justify so large {an incrense of clerks, managers point |out that new clerks must have sev- eral weeks' experlence in order to | zive efficient service later in the sea- | son. Plins for placing on sale today com- plete Christmas stocks were made by | the shop early committee of the Mer- chants and Manufacturers’ Assocla- | tion, of which Charles A. Geldsmith is | chairman. A serfes of meetings have | been held recently with representa- | tives of 24 shops in conference. The | post office committee, which has met with the merchants, includes Willlam H. Haycock, assistant city postmaster, | chairman: Col. G. L. Tate of the Penn- sylvania avenue branch office, Edgar Church, examiner of station; Fred- erick Sillers, assistant superintendent of mafls, and H. E. Riley of the Con- necticut avenue branch. Ross P. Andrews, president of the Merchants and Manufacturers’ Asso- clation, in a statement today urging Washington to join whole-heartedly in the early shobping plan, ascribed to the public itself the present completed arrangements of the merchants for placing their entire Christmas stocks on sale the day following Thanksgiv- | inz. The plan, he said. is in response | to the ever-growing demand of the | shopping public for an opportunity to do its gift buying well in advance of the usual Christmas rush. | Some Buyers Alwa; | There ure, however, two c { shops which seem unable to attract | their Christmas buyers until the very | verge of Christmas. Thev are the jewelers and the bookstore keepers. This is explained by the merchants as being due in the first instance to the refusal or inability of the man shoppers, buying jewelry for thelr wives or sweethearts to find time to select desired articles until the last minute. : George W. Swift, manager of one well known bookshop, is nonplussed | at this feature of human nature. “You just can't drag people to do their hook buying for Christmas until the last minute,” he says. “We now have doubled our sales force and have our entlre stocks of books on hand— and people aren't buying yet. They come at the last minute, get their feet trampled on in the crowds, their hats crushed—and often are told the books they want are sold out.” Savings Paid Earlier. Edward D. Shaw, secretary of the association, points to the earlier dis- tribution of the Christmas savings de- posits by local banks as an indica- | tion of the demand for earlier shop- ping on the part of the shoppers them- selves. When the savings plan first be- came popular a few years ago, he says, it was the universal custom to make the annual distribution of this money on December 15, or even later. A survey of the operations in many cities of the country, however, now shows that the funds will be distrib- uted this year in virtually all cases about Decémber 1. “Bankers have been quick,” he said, o respond to the demand of their depositors in these clubs for an earlier distribution each year. The | depositors found that where distrib | tion was delaved until December 15 {or later they were losing the best of the Christmas shopping opportunities. Their money was not available until the merchandise stocks in their city | had been somewhat depleted, and they were forced to compete with the tremendous crowds which thronged | the stores during the latter part of the Christmas shopping season.” W ere it not for the patent feature, | " herman antlivust . sovormme | TORNADO KILLS 53, INJURES HUNDREDS, SWEEPING 3 STATES moncpoly. Its . niee point whether | the existence of patents in a pool de- (Continued from First Page) prives the Government of its point of ttack on monopolistic grounds. The Department of Justice is inclined to | he view that protection of the pub- He requires that no point in the ‘volution of business should the th of wonopoly be permitted to hie disadvantge of the consumer, but | he courts will, of course, have’ the | inal word as to how far the rights of ¢ patented article can carry. (Covvright. 1926.) AUTOIST IS FREED IN DEATH OF BUHLE Boyd Haiglu;; 'fix:nemted Blame—Stone Carver. 77. Walked Into Truck. Y teen blocks of dwellings were demolished. The majority of the eight Moscow were believed to be OWN DEAD IN MIS | ST LOUTS, November 26 (®).—Five | persons are known to have hLeen killed {and an undetermined number injured |by a tornado which swept over the {southern part of Missouri late vester- {day and last night. Reports of 1033 of life and property damage were re- reported dead in negroes. SOURI: 3 of arated points. Three dead and 20 injured was the known toll of the storm at Brands- ville, @bout 10 miles north of the Arkansas line. Practically every busi- ‘nefl% building in the town was de- s Bord Haislup, 40 vears old. 1214 N | and'n ehurch. street, exconerated by coro- | Competition, northwest of Brands- T Bieie Ba1g ut {viile and about &0 miles from the £ 1 Inquest held at the | (G108 line, listed two dead and an lay in the death of Charles | yndetermined number injured. Many yes 1 sculptor | of the homes and business houses o carver. who was fatally | there were destroyed and others badly Wednes rnoon A a | damaged. of walking against Haislup's | The storm was believed to be an off- Thuch mear Twentyfirst and |shoat of the tornado which struck et | Arkansas late in the day. Telephone SRy |and telegraph wires were down over Wtk | the section, and reports of the storm | was a te tod tnjured result motor M was ined at No. 3 until police learned the s of ident. Thev to t that the wgainst the truck, rected that | : . reached Springfield, location of Frisco Rallrond offices, largely by messenger. Late reports there were that a num- ber of towns between Brandsville and Rulla were in the path of the storm, but it was impossible to establish communication with the poin |"The storm found most of the vie- S frac- | yims at thelr evening meal. John tured both legs and pelvis of Bubler | johngon, a Thayer business man, one Funeral services will be conducted |o¢ tne ‘victims at Brandsville, ' was t. Stephen's Church at 10 o'clock | yjeq when the storm wrecked his morning. Interment Wil | 3 ytomobile while he was driving home BbuntFOINEL Cobiery. {and crushed his body in the wreck- | age. partic ported pedestrian walked whereupon the coror he Le paroled in cust of his at- torney to uppear the inguest. | Tt developed that u rear wheel of | the vehi passed over at My tomor: be in Wife Seeks Divorce. naluct and Margaret Oue Killed at Knobview. naming a| ROLLA. Mo. November 25 (®) — Grimes, | oy ynidentified man was killed when t. teday filed suit in {4 ornado struck Knobview, 15 miles Supreme Court against|);.iheast of Rolla, last night, reports Grimes, Center Market,| . qjved here today said. The Frisco divorce and alimany. | jepor and other buildings were re- They were married in this citv April | FOROL, 800 00 (% P riking about § 18, 1921, and Ll\‘r‘ n; (‘)?.J-h'en- At o'clock, the storm tore & path ap- torney W. A. Coombe uppears for| . imately 2 miles wide, demolish- B Ing houses, barns and timber. Town Wiped Out. Alleging co-respondent, 604 Aspen stre the District Su George A for an absolute mise Out of Condition. - rom the Boston Herald CROCKER, Mo., November 26 (P). 3 Ir:'r-herl 3 aged 7. ca i from | —Big Piney, a small inland town 20 school ohe rainy afternoon looking | miles southeast of here, was virtu- Father pale, and 1 anxiously inquired |ally wipea out Ly a tornado lust how he was. & | night, according to meager reports “Oh, T don't ¥ received here today. A hotel build- maybe my sid & was reported to be the only #1on.” W is all mama. *1 guess out of condi- ilding left standing. |ceived from several rather widely sep- | ved, including the community hall | ANTI-COLLAR LEAGUE ORGANIZED IN PARIS Stiff Article Declared Instrument of Torture by Writers in New Club. By the Associated Press. 5 PARIS, November 26.—That the starched collar i{s an instrument of torture, a strait-jacket for the neck, and must disappear is the first article in the bylaws of the Anti-Collar | League, recently organized in Paris. The founders are all writers of some note, but the collarless fashion is mak- ing timid progress. At the first meeting of the league Andre Antoine, a noted author and | theatrical critic, was elected president and an executive commlttee formed. Press photographers in attendance picture. When the picture appeared in the newspapers it was found that 7 out of 8 on the committee were wear- ing stiff colors. The attention of the president was called to the fact. He declared: ““This was not an oversight; it was done on purpose to show how miser- able we were and how uncomfortable we looked and felt.” e, GERMAN FILM STARS: IN EXODUS TO AMERICA By the Associated Press. BERLIN, November 26.—Movie fans and critics are getting worrled about | the exodus of film stars and directors to the United States. “If the pace | keeps up,” said one reviewer, “the | German film industry will be crippled. There will be so many new and un- known faces on the screen that movies will lose their drawing power.” | Eight directors of note have gone or ;hu\‘e contracted to go to the States, ) including Ewald Andre Dupont, the first movie critic in Germany and now regarded as one of the greatest film directors in the world. Of the stars Germany has lost, at least temporarily, Emil Jannings, Conrad Veidt, Paul Wegener and Goesta Eckmann. Eliza beth Bergner has gone on the legiti- mate stage for this season. About the only popular star left is Mady Chris- tian, who is considering signing an American contract. | _Henrich Krause, a former teacher at | Broskau, is showing the world that ! one can still play the piano at the age | of 100. Though he gave up regular i teaching 27 years ago, he continues to | play for an hour or more every day, | and his interpretation of the classics | like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart is taid to be an inspiration to stu- dents whe come to hear him B3 home. aade free from ' the same time last| their | mmbers, and smailer institutions have | | asked\the committee to pose for a | m) STAR, WA HINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1926. INO. M. BROWNING, INVENTOR, . DES Famed Firearms Expert Ex- pires in Belgium While Perfecting New Idea. By the Assoclated Press. OGDEN, Utah, November M. Browning, world famous inventor ot firearms, is dead in Belgium, a cablegram to relatives in Ogden an nounced. Browning went to Liege, Belglum, a few weeks ago to perfect his latest in- vention, an “‘over-and-under” doublc- barreled shotgun, and the message telling of his death came from Liege. The gun had one barrel above the other, instead of two horizontal bar- rels. It was to be manufactured in the Liege plant. It was this piant which in 1413 manufactured the mil- lionth Browning automatic pistol. In honor of this achievement, King Al- bert conferred upon Browning the title of Chevalier of the Order of Leopold. Unlike many great inventors who were deprived of the fruits of their creations, Mr. Browning, origina of the famous machine gun which bears his name, has been described las a “success from the start.” The Browning water-cooled ma- chine gun, the .45 caliber automatic | pistol adopted by the United States { Army and the machine gun rifle, all Browning inventions, were sup- {plied to the Americah and allied {armies by the million, and played a tremendous part in winning the war from Germany. Browning inventions never lacked a market. From the time he manu- factured his first gun at the age of 13 until the World War made him nore widely known, Browning re- ceived flattering offers for his ideas and inventions almost as soon as they had taken definite shape on the work. bench. Rifle Maker’s Son. The son of a rifle manufacturer. Browning devoted much of his time as a child fashioning simple toys from scraps of metal picked up around his father's shop in Ogden, Utah. Tt w from such scraps that he made his first gun—a single-shot weapon t proved effective in shooting rabbits. Ten vears l:l(ervh“ had invented and manufactured 600 rifies, which later became Known as the Winchester single-shot model. From then on the Winchester com- pany bought every model young Browning was willing to sell. Turning his attention to automatic pistols, he produced in lflflb. the model used by the United States Army in both the Spanish-American and European wars. The manufac- turing rights for this weapon were secured by the Colt Arms Manu- cturing Co. o More than a_century before Browning's time inventors had been experimenting with rapid-fire repeat- ing guns. The most notable survivor, | \When Browning turned his attention to such a rifle in the early nineties. wag the Gatling gun. produced by Richard Jordan Gatling before the American Civil War, and used even as late as the Spanish-American War. The firat machine gun turned out by Browning was made famous dur- ing the Spanish-American conflict, and through its effective work in both land and naval battles around Santi- ago, became known as “the peace- maker.” Perfects Machine Gun. After the Spanish-American War Browning devoted his time to improve- ments in pistols, rifles and shotguns. When the European war began he again turned his attention to machine guns, realizing that such weapons would become of first importance in the conflic The Browning water- cooled, rapid-fire gun, capable of firing 600 shots a minute, was the result of his experimentation. Then followed the machine-gun rifle and still later the airplane arrangement, by which three guns, controlled by one trigger, can discharge 3,600 bullets a minute. These devices were used by the armies of the United States, Iingland, France, Belgium, Italy and Russia. In the United States Mr. Browning was honored with the John Scott legacy, awarded by the Franklin In- stitute of Philadelphia. Mr. Browning was born in Ogden. Utah, in 1854. . While regarding Ogden as his home, he spent a great- er part of his time during and after the war in Hartford, Conn., headquar ters of the big plants which manu- facture many of his inventions. Early in life he married Rachael Child. They had seven children, John Browning, Mrs. B. L. Ford, Mrs. B. F. Ballantyne, Mrs. Joseph Olson and Val, Kenneth and Elizabeth Browning. OCTOBER PASSES JUNE FOR PARIS MARRIAGES Dressmakers Blamed by Some French Writers for Attempt to Sell Clothes. By the Associated Press. PARIS, November 26.—Wedding bells Jingling merrily and continuously. since the beginning of the month and the unprecedented number of mar- rlage notices posted at the mayories of the ultrasmart wards of Paris show that, although June may con- tinue to be known as the month of brides and roses, October has passed it in the number of actual marriages. Licenses issued in the aristocratic eighth and sixteenth wards were far in excess of the number for the cor- responding period last June. October brides are not married in fluffy chif- fon or georgette dresses, and the dressmakers have been doing a rush- ing business in woolen fabrics. Some French writer even charges that the dressmakers are responsible for the October marriage craze, so as to create a market for their heavler materials. Sports types and modern models have even been chosen by some brides for the city hall ceremony, but the long train, slim, graceful fitting dress still rules for the church func- tion. Velvet predominates TORBERT HEADS GROUP. The appointment of William S. Tor- bert of the Rhode Island Avenue Citi- zens' Association as chairman of the committee on fiscal relations of the Federatlon of Citizens’ Associations was announced today by James G. Yaden, president of the federation. Mr. Yaden made known his selec- tion of Mr. Torbert to head this im-. portant committee in a communication to the District Commissioners asking them to make use of this committee, as well as the Citizens’ Advisory Council, in their efforts to procure legislation to establish permanent and equitable fiscal relations between the District and Federal governments. — BAND CONCERT TOMORROW, By the United States Soldiers’ Home Band Orchestra, at Stanley Hall, 5:45 o'clock, Jehn S. M. Zinuner- mann, leader; Emil A. Fenstad, sccond leader. | Inventor Dead JOHN M. BROW WHARF OF MORGUE WILL BE REPAIRED 1$2,006 of Emergency Fund 1o Be Used to Recondition Bulkhead Wall. The use of $2,000 of the District’s emergency fund for the immediate reconditioning of the bulkhead wall of the morgue wharf was authorized today by the Commissione David E. McComb, superintendent of bridges of the District, and Maj. L. B. Atkins, Assistant’ Engineer nniissioner, urged the repair of the bulkhead wall because of its re- u al resting on it. death of De Serivener of the of the structure into the of the The inquest tective Serzt. Arthur held in the hoardroom trict Building becausc condition. In his report to the Commissioners, { Muj. Atkins said the piling under the wharf has rotted to such an extent that it is impracticable to make further repairs, and it should be en- tirely renewed “Pending approval of the pla the development of the harbe “it is not desirable to rebuild the wharf at this time. The whart will undoubtedly stand for a year or two if no concentrated loads are placed thercon, and no one should be allowed on the wharf except on official business. Automobiles are already prohibited. It should be borne in mind that the present unsafe condition of the wharf in no way affects the stability of the morsue building.” TWO SUE PEPCO. Moses Reichgutt, 1300 Spring road, today filed suit in the District Su preme Court to recover ages from the Potomuc Ele * Co. and the District of Columbia for alleged personal injuries, sustained October 4, last, he says, when he tell over a pile of dirt and lumber near an excavation at Fourteenth and U streets, which, he charges, was not properly gnarded. e is repre- sented by Attorney T. Morris Wam- pler. The Potomac also was named suit to recover port s for de- Blectric Power Co. as defendant in a 5,000 damages filed by Bdward M. Kunkle, 1307 Third street. Kunkle w > employ of the company At and while he was working on all of the company's property a plank of the scaffolding zave way and threw him to the concrete floor, inflicting permanent injurv, the plaintiff savs. He is represented by Attorney Jacob N. Halper. BOWIE ENTRIES FOR SATURDAY. T RACE—S$1.500: claiming furlongs: (out of ‘chute) 105 Paulotta . 100 103 3Woodeo o 108 also 98 Pomonkey .. o 104 Contemplate ... 11 10 iR ) 101 Dexter. | 112 0% B0 101 o ¥ Jones 0 100 Arden” 0 2-year- +Med Mise St Star Mirthy +¥. J. Buchanan and Mis. A. ;5. MeAmbrage and J. W SECOND_ RACE—$1,300 ages: By furione. Sumsard anita - LAY Glideeii pig Heart Grierson ... Aol T an +False Prie It 3 {Wiheome . Fathien Crorhy 1 tMrs. S. Bennet and B. B. Stable entrs. THIRD RACE—S1.300: the Golden Gate Purse: le and 70 vards. Urea Maior Lehizh Valle on .. Sarapion Vatal Dart Re/ i enation Rolls Rosce - Tnerid Comet . Cannae FOURTH_ RACE—The can $10.000 added: 2-ye contemplate ... 102 108 02 Swenke en- Bean entry. claiming: all Also eiigit) Evermore .. ‘mkhana durance Handi- olds: 1 mile. $Maid of Mist. <100 Houmon 0108 ROl Mg 6 “Tefie 108 ot Col erglow . Tonia © Play Pinther o K v Forward . gz Minst 2E M Byers and J. MeE. Bowman entry. Walter 3. Saimon entry’ & TH RACE—S$2.000: the Marsland Fi- el B eapr Divear-oids wnd up v miles. Harry Baker Arbitration Smoke Copiapo 128 Cloudland 110 Peanuts SIXTH RACE—S1300: claiming olds and up: 175 nules. ed Wi 108 Fleetwood E(andx e 105 Dream Powder ... 108 in Pl ho Knovs Me 104 Belphrizonia 9o $Zeod ... - 109 Drumbent #sam Smith 130uth Breeze.’ ir Leonid Pt S Galal Al Kriow W, K. L ry. SEVENTH RACE—S1.300; cesiolds and up: 17 miles Banco Suivi 1 1 1 claiming; 3- 108 106 105 1th 2d sCupid’s Cu awk, Panorr tGatewood . Hri Flamingo Farm entry. g *Avprentice allowance Weather cloudy: track fa | ported unsafe condition for the sup-| 'MOVEMENT FOR WIDER POWER . FOR D. C. HEADS TO BE PUSHED Many Obsolete Regulations Are I:lamper- ing Activities of City—Congress Bur- dened by Minor Details. KENNEDY. Legislation peuding in both House and Senate to enlarze the powers of {the District Commissioners by allow- | ing them to enact ordinances with | reference to a great many matters of purely local concern. which are now with by Congress, is to be hed in the coming session of Con with the support of the Gibson | subcommiittee the House District | committee, which has be:n making a | 1 study of the municipal admin- BY WILI } | its in with a definite program affirmative proposals, on which a i majority of the citizenship of the tional Capital is in accord for im- wement of the loeal government. considerations are given tional representation in the law- | making body and equitable and just determination of the fiscal relations between the Federal Government and | the taxpayers in the onal Capital ure the rockbottom needs for putting the administration of the municipality of the Distriet of Columbia on o truly { American basis of absolute justice and the establishing of a desirable en tente cordiale between the residents of the District of Columbia and Congr 3 H The enfranchisement of the voteless residents of Washington and the ac- knowledgment by Congress of its moral obligation to contribute propor- tionately to the support of the Capital re linked together, because, in 1878, | Congr by statute, admitted its ob- ligation toward the Federal city in dopting the fifty-fifty principle of aring the costs, as an important and essential part of the contract which took away all rights of local suffrage, then enjoyed. from District residents. dents. It has recently indirectly, abrogated the percentage principle of sharing the costs, but has not relin- quished its complete domination by restoring the right of suffrage to the ! people. | Wider Powers Urged. In order to expedite legislation for the District, especially since Congress still retains authority in even the minute details of municipal adminis- tration, and to obviate the irritation and vexation of members of Congress because they are so frequently hothered by relatively trivial matters for the District when matters of great national and general interest are pending, there should be a joint committee of House ate to handle the District legislative budget and dispose of it with less | bother to Congress. This would mean expediting District ss and keep- ing Congress in a pleasanter frame of mind, besides leaving more time for more, important general legisla- tion. S0 nmow we come naturally to the third step in the interests of justice and of economy and efficiency in_the administration of the Distriet Gov- ernment—enlarging the powers of the District Commissioner: This legislation was framed as a result of the unanimous opinion of members of the Senate District com- mittee that many matters of local character might properly be dealt with by the Commissioners and thus relieve Congress of such responsibil- ity and duty. A subcommittee com- posed of Senators Ball, Capper and King on February 2, 1924, asked the co-operation of the District Commis- sioners. The Commissioners appoint- ed a committee consisting of the cor- poration counsel, the secretary of the Board of Commissioners and the auditor, who in turn held a confer- ence of the heads of various depart. ments of the District government, so that the pending bill represents the best inside information as to what en: larged powers should be given the District executives. Many Obsolete Laws. These recommendations are based on this line of reasoning; That Con- gress as the National Legislature is concerned with ast variety of subjects of importance that merely local municipal matte should be left to the municipal au- thorities, who can act promptly on situations demanding redress. The bill as drafted by the District government _interdepartmental com- mittee would give the District Com- missioners power to set aside anti- quated or outgrown laws of Con- gress that do not fit the present-day conditions. This refers to a great many laws passed by Congress in the nature of municipal ordinances, some away back in the ‘early 70s, which are entirely unsuitable’ for present exigencies. Congress will, “as it should, be most careful in giving any such blanket authority to set aside acts of Congress. What Congress should do, and probably will do, is to call on the corporation counsel's of- fice to present a statement on all of these out-of-date laws so that they can be corrected by specific legisla- tion, and this will be checked over refuly in connection with the codi- ation of District laws which is be- made for the House committee on revision of the laws. Another authority asked for the District Commissioners is to_appoint the judges of local inferior courts, police, municipal and juvenile, and the officers and members of all local boards, recorder of deeds, Board of iducation, etc. This has met with considerable opposition by local citi- zens' assoclati and is a moot question. It is one that infringes on the appointive power of Iederal of- ficials. Would Handle License Fees. Tmposition of license fees upon trades and professions is a strictly municipal function generally exer- cised by municipal authorities throughout the country, and should be controlled by the Commissioners. This is because the Commissioners are better acquainted with local con- | ditions and are qualified to adopt regulations for the conduct of such trades and professions, and can do so promptly when circumstances re- { quire an adjustment to meet chang- ing conditions. Inequalities existing under present law could thus be properly corrected. The corporation counsel’s office has been for many years attempting to have a fund with which to compro- mise claims brought against the Dis- trict. There has been opportunity frequently to compromise these claims for small amounts, but the | claims were afterwards forced to trial and the District compelled to pay a judgment of two or three times the amount at which compromise could have been effected. It is be- lieved that a considerable amount can be saved if the Commissioners have the power to adjust claims out of court. It should be made clear and definite that the Commissioners have to define the distinction between venders, peddlers and hucksters, and to make all needful regulations to control such business in the streets. The courts have held that a person with a peddler's license may sell on | the public streets in view of the fact that Congress has mnot specifically barred him from doing so. although | the intent of Congress in the license act of 1902 was that persons holding | peddlers’ licenses should confine | themselves to making sales from house to Certain parks and park areas of the fi ing | jeet | sents a varying fraction city States and policed by a separate Fed eral force, the park police. The Metro- politan. or local police foree, has no jurisdiction over these areas, except perhaps in _the matter ol police. These are not used for Federal purposes and should be sib. to municipal authority, as parks are in ecities, and should be policed by the local police force. The Commissioners should o power to sell or lease propery. for the reason that it frequently happens that their inability to do so at present results in valuable property lying idle without benefit to any one. The Commissioners should have au- thority to enact regulations as they may deem proper to meet exigencies attendant upon inaugurations, con- ventlons, processions or other such oc- casions or emergencies. It s now ¢ in each such case for the oners to recommend and for Congress to pass special legislation dealing with each particular occasion. Want Fire Safety Contro Authority is also asked for the Com- stioners to enact regulations cover- erection of fire escapes and other fire protection measures, including the fireproofing of buildings. This is de- signed to cover types of buildings not included under the present law, and for additional fireproofing. The pres- ent law was passed many years ago and does not meet conditions as they exist today ard does not enable ‘the Comrmissioners to afford proper protec- tion for occupants of certain classes of buildings. The Commissioners arc now em- powered by law to make rules and regulations “‘respecting the productio use and control of electricity for light, heat and power purposes.” It is claimed that this authority should be broadened, as uses not contemplated when the act was passed by Congress in 1904 are now present. For example, radio communication involves certain hazards to person and property, but it seems the Commissioners are without authority to regulate it. At the present time a permit to in- stall electrical work may issue to any person regardless of age or compe- tency. and as a result much work is done by incompetent persons, causing a public complaint. It is proposed that the Commissioners be authorized to limit electrical work to persons licensed by them and to require pub- lic service corporations or others fur- nishing current for clectrical purpo to any building to cease such service on failure of the owner or agent to correct defective or dangerous wires or apparatus. Want Tax Leeway. Authority {s asked for the Commis- sioners to remit penalties and interests which may have accrued on overdue xes and to cancel taxes when their judgment it would serve the public interest so to do. This author ity 1s desired because of the fact that there are a number of pieces of prop- erty on the tax ledgers on which inte est and penaities have accrued to suck an extent that no one is willing to buy the properties, and the District is un- able to sell them at a tax sale because usually ha are under control of the United | misde- | meanors, and no control over the park | ITEN WORKERS DIE WHEN DAM BURSTS Heavy Rains Cause Collapse, Sending Swift Floods Through Tunnel. By the Associated Press MARTINEZ, Calif., N Ten men sudden death Contra hills last night San Pablo Creek, swollen by rain, burst a ter ember m ot met Costa a heav: prary din and sen a torent of water rushin nel in which they were workin The workmen, a shift boss and nine laborers, had not lives. They were working in the far end of the bore, 2200 feet from the entrance, and tie flood, coming with barely an instant’s warning, inguifed them. The victims' bodies still are in the tunnel with no chance of being re covered until the flood recedes and the water can be pumped from the bore. into a tun a chance for thei Three Men Make Escape. ‘Three men working at the base of a shaft which extends upward from th tunnel at a point about 700 feet frowm the entrance escaped by jumping into an elevator nd ascending as the swirling torrent roared in on them The tunnel, 7 miles south of a project to carry was a part of domestic water from the Mokelumne River to Oakland and other East B cities. The mouth of the hore star ed in the hottom of a deep gul through which runs the creek. ° prevent the creek from running into the tunnel a temporary dam had been erected i the gully. As a result of the pressure caused by today’s heavy rain the dam burst. The downpour was general in the San Francisco Bay district, flooding streets and basements, stopping street cars and automobiles and _turning sewers into geysers. San Franclsco observers reported .44 of an inch of rain fell in 13 minutes, setting what is believed to be a record for pre- cipitation there. One San Francisco man was hurt when a truck, skidding in the blind ing rain, struck him, and two girls were nearly drowned when the auto mobile in which they were riding over turned, casting them into a mintatur: lake. Another machine was buried when it was caught in a landslide. SOUTH CLAIMS FIRST STEEL PLATE SHIP Spacial Dispateh to The Star. WILMINGTO] €. Now, —Facts have been unearthed by of ficials of the Chamber of Commerce which refute the claim that Phila delphia is the birthplace of the first steamship constructed of steel plates. A member of the Chamber of Com- merce recently informed General Man ager Garrish Gassaway that several ars ago while touring in the South ern section of the country, he traveled on the Cape Fear River in a ve sel which bore a nameplate showing that it had been built by the Pusey Jones Co. in 1853. Then ame of the the purchaser is unwilling to pay the|steamer was the A. P. Hurt. accrued taxes and penalties, which is required before a tax deed can be | the Chamber of Commere of W rommunicated with Imin, Mr. Gassawa issued. The result is that current taxes | ton, N. C., and learned that the A. 1" are not being paid. Thus the property does mnot bear its proportion of the cost of government. The assessor, col- lector of taxes and the corporation counsel have for a number of years united in a request for legislation that will remedy this condition. . In a number of cases the accumula- tion of taxes, penalties and interest is more than the property is worth. Under present law the Engineer De- partment of the District is seriously handicapped by the necessity of con- fining its day-labor work to amounts less than $1,000. A limitation of $100 was set by Congress in 1878 and raised to $1,000 about 15 years ago, when a job could be done for $1,000 that now costs more than $4,000. This applies to sewer work, street work and repairs to municipal build- ings. Certain work that must now be given out on contracts under competi tive bidding could be better and more economically performed by day labor, it is c Tt is asked that the limitation be changed from $1,000 to $5,000. One measure passed in the last ses- sion illustrates how the broader powers to the Commissioners Is ex- pected to operate. Due to the high- way plan adopted for the entire Dis- trict many of the old original country roads of a narow width were rendered useless and unneces: So Congress has authorized the Commissioners to abandon these roads on the consent of all property owners abutting, to whom_title to the roadbed would re- vert. This permits of a better division of the land into lots. blocks, alleys, etc., in addition to making the general street plan and development more uniform and convenient and create a better general appearance, besides re- lieving the District of the responsi- bility and care of these unnecessary old highways. Permanent Law Sought. Similarly authority is given in the current appropriation act allowing the Commissioners to widen or narrow roadways and sidewalks, to name or rename streets, except those lettered or numbered streets and avenues which were named prior to the act of June 11, 1878, and proper extensions thereof, and to control and make proper regulations for the laying of pipes, wires and conduits across or along public highways for private pur- poses. This latter clause is especlally desirable. An act of Congress permits refrigerating fluid to be conducted acréss Seventh street from Center Market to the east side of that street for use by merchants. It frequently happens that merchants and manufac turers In other parts of the city d sire similar privileges. Under the present method of zoning and in the mercantile district of the city this privilege should not be refused to business men when it can be granted without interference in the use of the streets by the public. This is desired as permanent law instead of as a rider +n an appropriation bill. Authority is also asked for the Commissioners, in permanent law, to fix the rates of assessment for insta- lation and construction of sewers, water mains, sidewalks, curbs, paving of roadways and alleys. Under exist- ing law there is levied for service sew- ers, $3 per front foot; for water mains, $2 per front foot. The assessment is one-halt the total cost for sidewalks, curbs and alley paving, and for road- ways one-half the cost up to 40 fest wide and excluding street intersections and space between and 2 feet exterior to street railway tracks. Rates of as- sessment for public work that are fixed in dollars and cents (such as sewers and water mains) should be re- vised by the Commissioners, because a fixed’ sum is not continuously a mieasure of service supplled. As costs vary, a fixed-sum assessment repre- of the e: penditure and a relative inequity as between properties assessed thereun- der befors and after the variation. The appointgent of speciul police- men is contru by legislation some of which is nearly half a century old, and is not apjuicable to present con- Hurt had plied the Cape Fear River for a number of vears. About three years ago the boat sank at the Orange Street Wharf In the South ern city and has not been salvaged. The records of the Pusey & Jones Co. show that the A. P. Hurt vas built by it in 1859 and was the first ship to be constructed of steel plates. While fron plates had been used since 1843, records indi cate that this was the first time that steel plates were used in ship con struction. The Hurt was the twenty- third boat built by the company here. The vessel was 100 feet long, with a beam of 17 feet and a draft of 4 feet. 1t was constructed for the Cape Tear tSeamboat Co. Co- incidentally the first iron steamship built by the Pusey & Jones Co. was in 1833 for the Cape Fear Steamboat Co. About 12 years ago the A. P. Hurt was_overhaule the Skinner Co. in Wilmington, N. ., at which time it was renamed the H. L. Lyon. Later, the name was changed back to A. P. Hurt. After rebuilding, the vessel ran until three vears ago. The vessel was built to run_be- tween \Wilmington, N.'C., and Fay etteville, N. ., 110 miles up the Cape Fear River and from information re ceived, was always the most success ful boat ever run on the upper Cape Fear River. ditions and is rather narrow in its lim- its. It is highly desirable that regu ations should be made which will bet ter apply to present conditions and enable the Commissioners to appoint special policemen under circumstances which urge that step, but which are now not covered by existing laws In addition to the powers specifi- cally outlined, it is asked that the Cominissioners be empowered to make all regulations and odrinances that they may deem necessary and proper for the effective administration of the munietpality or which they may deem proper for the protection of life, limb, health, comfort and guiet of all per- sons and the protection of all prop- erty within the District, and to en- foree all municipal laws and regula tions by the unposition of a fine or by imprisonment, as they may deem proper. Congress will carefully study this proposal, because it is a principle of municipal law that municipal au thorities may not enforce their regu- lations by imprisonment unless they have specific authority to impose such a punishment. A much more effective enforcement of police regulations would be possible, it is claimed, if the Commissioners are given the power to punish by imprisonment. There s decided opposition to this proposed provision. Specific_and definite statement in law that “the fact that Congress has already leglslated upon any of the subjects mentioned above, or may hereafter legislate, shall not be deem a limitation upun the powers of the Commissioners to make other and further regulations upon the same subject.” It is explained that this is desirable because of certain decisions of the Court of Appeals. For exam- ple, that court had declared that two acts of Congress relating to the re- moval of ice and snow were unconsti- tutional and then had denled the right of the District Commissioners to pass regulations upon the same subject because, the court said, this subject had been withdrawn from mu- nicipal action by Congress, which had taken it into its own hands to regu- late the subject. In another case the court denied the right of the Com- missioners to revoke the license of a plumber who had flagrantly violated the plumbing regulations, upon the ground that the statute provided only for a fine in the police court for such violations. A definite and positive statement by Congress of its intent is asked ag part of the legislation that is expected to be enacted enlarging the powers of the Commissioners, making the action conc.uslve to date.