Evening Star Newspaper, December 19, 1928, Page 17

D. C. WEDNFSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1928 THE EVENING STAR, 'WASTINGTON, The submarine S-4 seen from the U. S. S. Falcon as it went down in the test dive Monday in Great South Pond, off Block Island. The crewless hulk of the vessel in which 40 men Jost their lives is equipped with lifting hooks as a safety feature for raising it after accidental submersion. ~—Associated Press and Wide World Photos. At right: A diver being lowered from the Falcon to attach pontoon cables to the lift- ing hooks on the submarine S-4, by means of which she was partly raised yesterday, bow first. —Associated Press and Wide World Photos. President-elect Hoover in Lima as he drove with President Leguia to the presidential palace in the Peruvian tapital. The carriage is seen making its way through the streets as thousands gath- ered along the way to cheer the President-elect on his good-will visit. —Copyright by P. & A. Photos. ek SEEK TO REVIVE - VALUATION APPEAL Washington and Georgetown Gas and Light Companies {Fight Utilities Body Order. ¢ The Washington Gas Light Co. and e Georgetown Gas Light Co., through ttorneys Benjamin S. Minor, George P. Hoover and Swager Sherley, today led & motion in the District Supreme ACourt to revive the appeals of the two companies from orders of the Public Utilities Commission fixing valuations of the properties of the companies. The suits were instituted August 14, 1917, and have lain dormant pending disposi- #lon by the court of the questions in- volved in the appeals of the Potomac Electric Power Co from utility valua- tions. ‘The defendants named in the original buit were the then District Commis- sioners, who formed the utilities com- Anission, so the court was asked to sub- stitute the names of the present, Public Utilities Commissioners for those of the woriginal defendants. Counsel also served motice on the commission®that they will all the motion to the attention of Dustice Peyton Gordon on Friday. Counsel for the gas companies in an Mdavit in support of their motion, in which they ask for a speedy hearing of She appeals when revived, tell the court that after the final decision in the Potomac Electric Power Co. case, it was considered advisable to have the com- gission make a new valuation rather than to proceed with the pending appeals. January 19, 1926, they say, the com- nies petitioned the commission to ave a new valuation made at which time the commission was advised of the pendency of the appeal. Thz commis- sion did not order the valuation pro- ceeding until after Congress passed the act requiring the company to pay all the expenses of the investigation and Rhe valuation. July 2, 1928, they point out, the commission gave notice that August 13, 1928, it would prozeed to consider the valuation of the properties of the companies. Meanwhile, inventories and apprais- als had been made by engineers ap- pointed by the commission as well as independent engineers selected by the companies. During the course of the hearings,” the commission ruled that it ‘would not proceed further with the val- uation unless and until the pending cases in court were disposed of. Counsel for the companies state that they have been at all times ready to roceed with the cases in court, but ve refrained from doing so because it was considered owing to lapse of time that a revaluation would be more de- sirable. hadiri 33 CASES IN DISTRICT. Health Office Report on Influenza Today—No Deaths, SEVEN NAVY DIVERS 10 BE GRADUATED First Class Will Be Sent to Posts on Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. Seven men who have taken the first course in the Navy's deep sea diving school at the Washington Navy Yard will be graduated Saturday and sent to posts on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. The men have been studying and en- gaging in diving since July of this year and have performed satisfactorily all the feats which constitute: the regula- tions for Navy divers. With a steel cylinder tank in which conditions similar to depths up to 150 feet in open water can be reproduced, the men have been through a complete course in salvage, rescue and repair work. They also have studied the usc of hand and power tools, the physics of diving, the care and preservation and upkeep of material and the calculation of air supply. Another important course given the men is one in first aid to divers and treatment of men for the “bends” or caisson disease, a malady which sometimes afflicts those sub- jected to the strain of high air pressures, On alternating weeks the students have gone out into the Potomac with the diving boat Crilley. All of the men to be graduated are warrant or petty officers, and, prior to their taking the course, they had had diving experience. ‘They are: Warrant Gunner F. C. Church, Warrant Carpenter William Shipman, Torpedoman, first class, David H. Boyd, Chief Gunner's Mate Joseph E. Hanson, Gunner's Mate, first class, Joseph Zieolkiewiez, Torpedoman, third class, Alton M. Chamberlin and Tor- pedoman, third class, W. Caldwell. The men have been studying under Lieut. Henry Hartley. HOLDS STREET CARS UNDER TRAFFIC LAWS Court Overrules Motorman Charg- ed With Failure to Slow Down at Intersection. Prince George of England (1éft) and William Beebe, the maturalist, with his monkey mascot Chiriqui during the recent visit of the'prince in Bermuda. The royal visitor displayed great interest in Mr. Beebe’s exploration of the tropical sea bottom there, and spent some time under the sea himself. —Wide World Photos. Hauling up the wreckage of the giant plane Santos-Dumont in which. 10 persons met death when it crashed into the bay oft Rio de Janeiro. The crash occurred when the plane went out to meet the arriving Brazilian aviation pioneer, Alberto Santos- Dumont, ~—Wide World Photos. Henry E. Dixey, appearing in the revival of “The Beaux’ Stratagem” at the National Theater this week, was pleasantly reminded of a benefit per- formance of the play in which he appeared here on March 18, 1886, for the Elks' Lodge, when he was presented with a cane yesterday by the local lodge. Left to right: George W. Harrison, charter member of the lodge; Mr. Dixey, M. G. McCormick, treasurer of the lodge, presenting the gift, and John D. Fitzgerald, lodge member. 2 NORRIS COMPILES INSULL’S INTEREST List of Applications Will Be Pre- sented to Committee Consider- ing West's Nomination. By the Associated Press. A long list of the applications of the Samuel Insull interest pending before the Federal Power Commission, of which Secretary West of the Interior Depart- ment is a member, has been, prepared by Senator Norris of Nebraska, and will be presented to the Senate public lands committee, which is considering Mr. ‘West’s nomination. The Secretary was questioned recent- ly by the committee as to his former holdings of Insull companies’ stock. He sald he had invested about $67,000 in this way, but had sold his holding for about $118,000 when he became a member of the cabinet. Chairman Nye of the committee, who A motion to quash a ruling that street cars are not _subject to traffic regula- tions of the District, was overruled by Judge Gus A. Schuldt in Police Coutt today. Attorneys for William Padgett, em- ploye of the Washington Rallway & Electric Co. and motormbn charged with failure to slow down at an inter- section, contended that street cars were subject to rules made by the Public will present the compilation on behalf of Senator Norris, has not computed the value of power which might be gen- erated by the proposed leases. A meeting of the committee has been called for late today. to give further consideration to Mr. West's: nomina- tion. . Hold-up Suspect Released. FAIRFAX, Va., December 19.—Wil- liam Rowe of California, arrested last week for investigation of the hold-up Utilities Commission, and not the Traffic act. Judge Schuldt said fhat while the ‘Thirty-three cases of influenza were geported to the District Health Depart- ment today. No new deaths have been geported sinee one on Saturday, commission exercised control over the operation and equipment of street cars, this did not exempt them from the pro- visions of the act, of the Chantilly general store, was re- leased from custody yesterday on failure of witnesses to identify him as one of the three robbers and proofs from the Department of Justice fingerprint ex- pert that his story of having been paroled in that State was true, Berger Would Restore Citizenship To 1,500 Penalized Under War-Time Laws By the Assoclated Press. A resolution to restore the rights of citizenship to approximately 1,500' men and women who were convicted under the war time esplonage act for utter- ances disapproving the war was intro- duced today by Representative Berger, Soclalist, Wisconsin. Berger ~was indicted five time on charges growing out of alleged acts of disloyalty during the war, and was sentenced for 20 years in the peni- tentiary by former Judge Kenesaw M. Landis in Chicago. The verdict was later reversed by the Supreme Court. His measure would request the Presi- dent to proclaim a full pardon and amnesty, with restoration of civil rights, to all persons, who, during the war, “were convicted of utterances in speech or writing deemed to be prejudicial to the conduct of the war, or of con- spiracies’ to violate war laws in which no_acts of violence were involved.” Berger said not one of the 1,500 men and women convicted had committed an act of violence. He added that a general proclamation of amnesty fol- lowed the Civil War and that he sup- posed another would follow the World War. ment. advertisement appears. When Y our Valued Clerk Leaves The quickest and most reliable way to fill the vacancy is by the proven route of The Star Help Wanted advertise- The Star is issued every afternoon and is delivered in the home within an hour. possible to choose the successor the same afternoon the Help Wanted advertisements are accepted up to 11 o'clock the evening before issue. It is, therefore, entirely EVIDENCE LACKING, ACCUSED MAN FREED Court Orders Release of Burgess F. Hart,"Who Was Arrested by Dry Raiders. Insufficient -evidence resulted in the freeing of Burgess F. Hart, one of four defendants arrested when police raided the Ambassador Oyster House. August 3. This action was taken by Judge Gus A, Schuldt in Police Court today. Assistant United States Attorney R. F. Camalier asked for a directed verdict in the case of Hart and lack of suf- ficent evidence was given as the grounds for the dropping of the possession charge, Hart having been in the oyster bar on the first floor of the house dur- ing the entire raid. The others arrested are charged with sale and possession. They are, William Deegan, . 29; Francis Deegan, 21, and Clarence Myers, 35. During the course of the trial, At- torney Denny Hughes, counsel for the defense, was asked by the prosecuting attorney to produce certain notes as evidence. THes¢ notes were made by Prohibition Agent Doyle during the raid, Attorney Hughes having made the same request of the Government yester- day, alleging that the memory of Doyle might be less clear than when the raid was made. Prosecuting Attorney Camalier pro- duced’ the notes, written on a small sheet of paper, and laid them on the table for future reference. Hughes, not knowing ~their value, destroyed the notes. After relatihg the incident to the court, counsel were told by the court they should allow. the testimony o(“l:.oyle to be used instead of his ol Looking over the beach pajama styles at Miami. Pleated trousers, tucked-in blouses and coolie coats form these dazzling ensembles, with either the square or the conventional round para- sol to top off the effect. The colors match everything in the rainbow. —Copyright by P. & A. Photos. UTLITY DEPOSITS HIT AT HEARING Reigel Says Gas Was Cut Off at His Home When He Re- fused to Put Up Cash, E. C. Reigel, identifying himself as director of the Washington Consumers' Guild, 26 Jackson place, occupied most of the hearing before the Public Util- ities Commission today on the equity and reasonableness of utility com- panies requiring deposits from pro- tices of the Washington Gas Light Co., Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. and Potomac Electric Power Co. In a series of tilts with lawyers rep- resenting these concerns, he made blanket charges of “trickery and petty larceny” against the concerns, and at one stage of the hearing Chairman John W. Childress of the commission threatened to halt the hearing if Mr. Reigel cohtinued 'in lis attitude. Im- mediately before the threat Mr. Reigel had stated that he did not intend to pay any attention to the attorneys’ ob- Jjections. Silent on Membership. Mr. Reigel testified that the Consum- ers’ Guild was a non-profit corporation incorporated five days ago in the Dis- trict, but refused to answer a question by Commissioner Harrison Brand, who sought to find out how many members there were in the guild. He said that the Washington Gas Light Co. had discontinued service to his home in the Potomac Park Apart- ments when he refused to make a de- posit for the same. As director of the Consumers’ Guild, "he said, he had ! asked the Chesapeake & Potomac Tele- phone Co. to install service, but'the company had refused to do so because he would not make a deposit. JHe exhibited a bill for 23 cents ren- dered by the Potomac Electric Power Co. for electricity and stated that the charge for the service should have been 18 cents, but that 23 cents was the minimum charge. . Cites Losses on’Bills. ‘Testimony as to deposits was intro- duced by the telephone and power com- panies. According to the first, there are 150,000 telephone stations in Wash- ington, and of these 10,436 are repre- sented by deposits. In 1928 the amount charged off to loss through failure to collect bills amounted to $32,000. ‘The power company charged off $7,229.75 to uncollectable 'bills in 1926, $10,582.24 in 1927 and $10,047.22 thus far in 1928. William F. Ham, president of the power company, testified that in his opinion if no deposit were charged to assure payments of bills the losses through uncollectable bills would be many times greater than the amounts stated above. All the losses were calculated, he sald, after first deducting the deposits put up as guarantees of the payment of bills. If no such deposits had been put up, the losses this year would have been ati least $10,000 more, he said, spective customers in attacking the prac- | DEATH OF 7GRS CHARCED TO TR | Driver and One of Occupants of Auto in Accident Con- fess, Police Say. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 19.—Two alleged confessions yesterday solved the mystery of the death of two girls whose bodies were found early Monday near the. Annapolis road near here. Earl Shelsby, 22, of 1620 Benhill ave- nue, Curtis Bay, confessed, police say, that he was the driver of the auto- mobile which struck the girls. William Jefferson, 24, of Curtis Creek, and his brother, Albert Jefferson, 27, of Curtis Bay, were other occupants of the' car. Shelsby’s damaged and blood-stained car was found in & garage. Marie Stolba, 15, and Thelma Vlack, 16, were the victims. Albert Jefferson is said to have con- fessed to details of the tragedy, follow- ing his arrest, and Shelsby is sald to have remarked: “Well, Albert usually tells the truth.” The three were taken to Annapolis, where they were charged with causing the deaths of the girls. Shelsby was arrested by Corpl. Bar- nickol and Investigator Hart of the State police. The corporal was driv- ing near Glenburnie Sunday night while off duty, when he passed an auto with one headlight out. He hailed the driver, and when the car sped on, gave chase. At Glenburnie the fugitives turned down the Annapolis road at high speed. Barnickol forced them to stop after a mile chase. Three men got out of the machine, the corporal said, while he inspected their car, finding the fender and the headlight smashed.- They said the ma- chine had been in an accident in Balti- more the previous night and had not been repaired. Barnickol made a note of their registration cards and tags before releasing them. LEHLBACH SEEKS DATA ON WELCH BILL PROTESTS Budget Bureau and Personnel Clas- sification Board Asked to Fur- nish Information. Chairman Lehlbach of the House civil service committee today gave an emergency call to the Budget Bureau and the Personnel Classification Board asking them to get in his hands if pos- sible today the data concerning and in answer to protest and complaints over the gperltlon of the Welch pay bill, which he needs before drafting a reme- dial bill. Mr. Lehlbach advised these two agen- cles that if this data is not dy today it should be sent to him a: his home in Newark, N. J, so thal i« can be working upon the new bill Guving the Christmas recess. He had boped to introduce the bill before the Christmas recess,