Evening Star Newspaper, January 3, 1929, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 5. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Cloudy and warmer tonight and to- , morrow; lowest temperature about 35 degrees. ‘Temperature: Highest, 32, at noon to- day; lowest, 22, at Full report on page 9. Closing N.Y. Markets, Pages 13,14&15 6:30 a.m. today. £ WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITIONg tar, “From Press to Home . Within the Hour” The Star's carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 106,099 post office, Wa: No. 30,928. Entered as second class matte = C. shington, D. WASHINGTON, D. C, '{'EURSDAY, JANUARY a Oy 1929 —FOR WO PAGES. - (#) Means Associated Press. TWO CENTS. B1RD CELEBRATES NEW YEAR ON ICE WITH BEAN DINNER Makes 25-Mile Exploration Journey Over Barrier of Antarctica. PECULIAR VISIBILITY PUZZLES OLD-TIMERS B T H “Mountains Miles Away” Often} Mere Hummocks Few Feet | Off, Party Discovers. BY COMDR. RICHARD E. BYRD. | By Wireless 1o The Star end New York Times. |+ i CAMP ON ICE BARRIER,| Antarctica, January 1 (Via Bark City of New York, January 2).— Vaughan| and I several hours ago returned here | to our tent after a 20-mile dog-team | trip of exploration, We found Petersen and Balchen preparing our New Year dinner. Our meal consisted of pork and beans, bread and buter, peanut but- ter and canned applesauce for dessert. Strange as it may seem, no feast of | wine, turkey and cranberry sauce would have tasted any better, for we were very hungry after our long jour- ney over the snow; and now we would not walk around the tent to get the best dish that Broadway produces. We drank the New Year in with sev- eral hot cups of tea. That is a great cold-weather drink and nothing could be more satisfying. Dogs Howl in Unison. The only New Year resolutions I made was to wash the dishes for the night; and now we are sitting "snug and comfortable, all happy in our littlc four-man tent with the Eskimo dogs curled up outside, sleeping after a heavy meal of dog pemmican. Every now and then, apparently ac- cording to some predetermined signal, they all howl in unison, and then they go back to sleep again. We have a temporary radio an- tenna up with a bamboo mast stuck in the snow, and Petersen is sitting tapping away at the key, sending some insiructions and New Year greetings to our- shipmates on the City of New York and to the members of the ex- pedmcn'on the Eleanor Bolling in New L The radio is one of the things that at the moment impress me. The wender of the thing—that I can sit out here on this God-forsaken hunk n)(m\:emhlx a small tex'l:givinx lnstrfi some of them 2,700 statute miles away: zad what comlumngy thln}g it must e for on the City of New York, who but for the radio would certainly be worried about us, since we disap- peared several days ago over the ice into the haze that lies between us and the ship. Visibility Conditions Puzzle. Another thing which at the moment impresses me is the extraordinary con- ditions of visibility that seem frequent- 1y to exist down here. We just stepped out of the tent and took a look around and cowld not prevent a slight eerie sensation, due to the impossibility of judging with the eve the distance or shapes of the snow covered areas that surround us. This great hunk of ice, the barrier, on a low part of which we are en- camped, arises to the north, east and south of us, in some places to about 200 feet. We appear to be in a kind of bowl; but it is impossible to. tell how far away the rim of it is or where or how the valley to the westward, through which we came, meets and merges into the barrier. ¢ The few vague lines that can be seen might be several feet away, or . miles away. . We glide over the surface with our skiis, and all of a sudden stumble over a little upward slope that is impossible to see; and when we reach a depres- sion we are sliding down in-before we know it is there. All of this happens in broad daylight, because, of course, it is nearly as light at midnight here as it is in midday. “Mountain” May Be Hummock. We see in the distance a_mountain of snow apparently miles off; but in a few minutes we reach this moun- tain and find it is a snow hummock no higher than our chin. Again we see a pressure ridge ap- pearing close aboard, but find it miles off. No one of us who has been in the Arctic has experienced exactly this kind of thing, and even the Norwegians who have lived in the snow are remarking about it. ] But the weather is not always like this. The sun has shone once or twice and visibility is then remarkably good. At such times one is impressed with the extraordinary forces that nature exerts down here. Great massive blocks of ice ‘are shoved up on the ice barrier. by an immovable area of (what must be) jand-locked ice, holding hundreds of miles of water-borne ice carried by wind and current and other forces. And then the bay here, which is about fifteen miles square, is criss- May Be Adviser NAT, PHOTS HENRY P. FLETCHER, FLETCHER SLATED FOR ADVSER POST Assistance Rendered by Am- bassador on Southern Tour | Freves Pleasing to Hoover. . BY JAMES L. WEST. Assoclated Press Staft Writer. H ABOARD U. S. S. UTAH, EN ROUTE TO HAMPTON ROADS, January 3.— The assistance rendered by Henry P. Fletcher, Ambassador to Italy, to Her- bert Hoover on his Latin American good-will tour probably will result in his becoming one of the chief advisers to the new President in foreign affairs, particularly in Central and-South Amer- | ican relations. > “While there has been some talk of Mr. Fletcher for a cabinet position, just what place he will have in theg new ad- | ministration is’for the President-elect | to decide and he is keeping his own counsel. However, it is known that he regards the Ambassador as one of the ablest of the diplomatic career men and i highly pleased with his work as a member of the good-will mission. Since one of the major foreign poli- cies of Hoover's administration will be | dations, it has been held that the the fostering .of better tions. with. other American republics, it is expected that Mr. Flétcher's advice and counsel will bz called for frequently. as he hasa very wide circle of friends among the governments of the Latin American re- publics. Mr. Hoover has known Mr. Fletcher for many years and Kept his eye upon his work both in the diplomatic serv- ice and in the Americas and in Europe, where he was Ambassador to Belgium as well as Italy, having been sent over- seas after a term as Undersecretary of State. Knows Latin America Intimately. Besides representing the State De- partment in Chile as Minister and Am- bassador and in Mexico during a de! cate period of the World . War,* Mr. Fletcher has been a‘delegate to pra tically all Pan-American conferences held in recent years. Adept at diplo- macy, breezy of manner and direct in speech, he also has a wide knowledge | of people znd conditions in Latin Amer- ica and this was one of the major factors in the decision of President- elect Hoover to personally request Sec- retary Kellogg to let him have the serv- ices of the Ambassador for the good-will tour. Mr. Fletcher had been called to Washington from Rome for the Pan- American Conference on Arbitration and Conciliation and consequently was avail- able for the assignment with Mr. Hoo- ver. Everywhere during the tour he was hailed as a friend by officials of the various governments, and the fact that the President-elect brought him along apparently was accepted as further evidence of his sincere desire to sympathetically study conditions m Latin America and to understand the people and their problems. Both in Chile and in the larger cities of other countries visited, the new: papers devoted special articles to Am- bassador Fletcher and in Santiago the papers had editortals' welcoming him. ‘Welcoming Ceremony Not Planned. Still clipping off 1512 knots an hour, the Utah was approaching home waters today. It was approximately 900 miles due east of Florida and only little more i than 1,000 miles from the Virginia Capes. Weather conditions continue good, but the trade winds are still kick- ing up sufficient sea to give the ship a long, easy roll with some pitch. Entirely carefree, Mr. and Mrs. Hoo- ver seem to be enjoying the trip more as they swing toward the United States coast. They have a few guests in to each meal and Mrs, Hoover seryes tea on deck daily, while she and the Presi- blocks of pressul dent-elect stroll about chatting with " (Continued on Page 4, Column 4). Trresistible Force Lands Haymaker As Immovable Object Knocks Him Out By the Associated Press. TAMPA, Fla., January 3.—The ques- tion of what would happen if an ir- resistible force struck an immovable ob- Ject, a puzzle for scientists for ages, was near a solution here last night when | Billy Long of Philadelphia and Al Trout of Cleveland, negro middleweights, si- multaneously delivered a knockout blow upon the person of each other in the nineteenth round of a finish fight. In seven ring engagements the dusky exponents of the art made famous by the Marquis of Queensberry hed won one decision, the other matches tnding in draws. As a result they agreed to a finish engagement, winner take all. Under Florida law 10 rounds is the limit for boxing matches, but this statute was evaded by a rest of 5 min- utes between each 10 rounds. “If they jare on their feet at the end of 10 rounds,” the announcer bawled, “there will be a rest of 5 minutes, and a sec- ord fight will be held. These battles will continue until one i5 ouk”~__ s The first ten was a furious battle— just plain and persistent fighting. Four times the boxers refused to heed the bell and the referee took several on the chin in prying them apart. A 5-minute rest and they were re- inroduced as if the crowd had -never seen them before. In the seventeenth both went to their knees, but .ontinued the fight in that position. Therg was no lapse in the blows as cach struggled to his feet. Then the camax. There were widely different versions of what happened, but this {5 certain—they met —they socked—they fell. Long appear- ed to catch a haymaker on the chin; Trout seemed to take a straight one to the' solar plexus. Everybody but Bill and Al knew the fight was over. The referee could easily have counted 15 before each staggered to his feet, glared at his enemy with glassy eyes ABOUT FRANCHISES | today by Chairman Capper of the Sen- «| lished rate base would be in effect, if a CAPPER ASKS DATA IN GASE OF MERGER Maltbie and Fleharty Ques- tioned About Duration of Arrangement. SAUNDERS AND CLAYTON OPINIONS ARE SOUGHT Rights New Company Would Ob- tain Under Consolidation Reso- lutions Being Investigated. Detailed information was celled for ate District commiitee as to whether the pending merger legislation would give the new company a perpetual fran- chise and whether it would be advisable to limit the franchise to a definite period of years. The Senator put these questions in letters to Dr. Milo R. Maltbie, the com- mittee’s expert consultant, and to Ralph E. Fleharty, people’s counsel be- | fore the Public Utilities Comffission. At the same time the Senator wrote to Willilam McK. Clayton, of the util- ities committee of the Federation of Citizens' Association, asking him to submit any recommendations he may wish to make regarding changes in the unification agreement. The question of franchise rights the new company would obtain under the merger resolution as it now stands was’ raised by the Senator in the following letter to Dr. Maltbie: . Letter to Maltbie. ‘Attention has recently been called to the possibility that passage of the resolution ratifying the unification agreement might give the new company a perpetual, or, at least, indeterminate franchise. This possibility is not dis- cussed in your report, nor in that of the Bureau of Efficiency. “As you know, the agreement calls for incorparation of the new company under subchapter 4 of chapter XVIII of | the District Code. Paragraph 2 of sec- | tion 606 of that subchapter provides that the corporations formed thereun- der shall state in their certificates ‘the term of its existence, which may be per- petual.” “I note on page 5 of the unification agreement reference to the ‘franchises’ of the new company, and there is also | reference ‘to franchises on pages 9, 12 and 16. I am informed that in the cases of some mergers or consoli- benefit of fi longest franchise ob- taimed. What franchise the bus com- pany may claim is not stated in your report, nor the term of its existence under its Delawsre charter. “Under the circumstances it seeins that there may be serious question as to what rights the new company may claim to the e of the streets of the District, The suggestion has been made -that the agreement or resolution should limit the use or franchise to a definite period of years, say 25 or 30. We shall be glad to have your comment on this. You are undoubtedly familiar with what has been done elsewhere; whether it is the practice to grant per- petual or indeterminate franchises to street railway companies; and, if, not, what restrictions are usual or custom- In his letter to People's Counsel Fleharty Senator Capper inguired if there is available definite information as to the term of franchises or charters 20w held by the principal and subsidiary companies involved in the proposed merger. The Senator asked Mr. Fleharty for his legal opinion on the points raised regarding length of fran- chise, suggesting that this particular problem may have been discussed either in the hearings before the utilities com- mission or the House District commit- tee. ~ Note to Clayton. In the letter to Mr. Clayton Senator Capper said the subcommittee directly in charge of the merger plan “desires to take action as speedily as possible, consistent, of course, with the public in- terest and welfare.” “I think you will understand,” the letter to Mr. Clayton concluded, “that we are not so much interested in gen- eral discussion of the situation as we are in definite, specific proposals for changes or alterations. You will un- derstand, of course, that the subcom- mittee has not yet determined what, if any, changes should be made.” Senator Capper also included in his letter to Dr. Maltbie a request for com- ment cn the suggestion of Henry J. Saunders, a consuiting engineer, for a new rate base clause that would con- template a revaluation of the new company within one year after thc. merger. | The Bureau of Efficiency and Dr. Maltbie are expected to file within a | few days their answers to the letter from the companies, and the subcom- mittee is likely to meet Tuesday or Wednesday to begin its deliberations. ‘The companies’ letter eliminated some of the points of difference. but defended | the fairness of the $50,000,000 valua- tion and contended the companies are entitled to have an established rate base. The agreement contained a sugges- tion that the companies believe the most they should be asked to do would be to shorten the time for which the estab- revaluation could be completed in less time. The plan now provides for con- tinuance of the rate base for 10 years. S “FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.” Ragman Fined as Neighbors Ob- ject to Shouting His Wares. BOSTON, January 3 (#).— Harry Gear, Roxbury ragman, was fined $10 in Municipal Court here yesterday for “crying out loud.” .Witnesses testified that although Gear had a license to cry his -wares, he shouted so loud he upset. the whole neighborhood. The charge was based on an old regula- tion against “crying out loud.” Freighter Calls Help. , NEW YORK, January 3 (#).—The Italian freight steamer Kobe, which left Philadelphia December 28 for Venice, sent out a distress call today, 1,200 miles- east of New York, saying and started fighting again. The referee and other officials put an end to that. Newspapermen said the battle was the ever staged heres "= o the fastest, most furious ind most even | that her rudder was broken. The steamer Anselma de Larrinaga, from Shields, England, for Galveston, .re- COMMITTEE 0. K'S DRAFT PROTOCOL also Votes Approval of Muti- lateral Treaty Providing for Arbitration of Disputes. BY the Associated Press. ¢ The committee on arbitration treaties of the Pan-American Conference today approved a draft multilateral treaty and an additional protocol of progres- sive arbitration, whereby American re- publics could gradually amplify this system of pacific settlement of inter- national disputes. The action was con- sidered equivalent to approval by tle conference as a whole, since all the | countries are represented on the com- mittee. | Debate on the treaty was confined | exclusively to questions of style and | phraseology. ‘The protocol of progres- sive arbitration was sdo{)ted with no discussion at all, The arbitration treaty excepts in its text only matters of do- mestic jurisdiction .and controversies o erous delegations to- day, however, announced that they would introduce individual ‘reservations at the time of signing it. Reservations Are Made. Santo Domingo, Vénezuela and lucz- ico said they would feserve all disputes in" which national courts had juris- diction to settle unless’a case of denial of justice was made. Other countries are known to intend to make the same reservations at the proper time, among them Colombia. Delegations of Bolivia, Honduras, Sal- vador and Nicaragua said they would have some reservations to make, but did not “specify today what they would be. Charles Evans Hughes announced that the United States would sign the treaty with no reservations, and the Panama delegate declared likewise. A committee composed of a Pana- manian and a Venezuelan delegate was appointed to amend certain words in the draft which delegates thought could be improved upon. The revised text will be submitted to a plenary session of the conference for final adoption with- out being again submitted to the com- mittee. The protocol of progressive arbitra- "(Continued on Page 2, Column 7. THOMAS W. MILLER PAROLE DISAPPROVED Reasons for His Action Are With- held by Attorney General Sargent. By the Associated Press. Attorney General Sargent today dis- approved a recommendation by the Pa- role Board that Thomas W. Miller, for- mer alien property gustodian, b2 pa- roled from the Atlanta prison. The Attorney General did not explain ‘his reasons for disapproving the rec- ommendation. Miller was sentenced to 18 months after his conviction in March, 1927, in | New York, on charges of defrauding | the Government of his honest and un- biased services in connection with his handling of funds as alien property | custodian. MENDEZ PLANE CRASHES.| Colombian Flyer Escapes Injury | as Craft Ts Wrecked. GIRARDOT, Colombia, January 2 (#) (delayed).—The dream of Licut. Benja- | min Mendez, American-trained chief pilot of the Colombian Air Service, of flying from New York to Bogota ended ; here yesterday in a crash, a scant 75} miles from his goal. Lieut. Mendez, who took off from | Mitchel Field November 23 on his 4,600-mile flight, left Girardot late yes- terday afternoon, but a few minutes later met with disaster when the plane crashed into a tree and was destroyed. Lieut. Mendez was not injured. Later ; e took off for Bogota in an army| lane sent to his aid. 56 KILLED IN STORM. 'TOKIO, Japap, January 3 (#).—Storms on the Japanese seacoast southwest of Niigata were reported today to have killed 56 persons. Several hundred | houses were destroyed. ‘The railway department in Tokio re- ceived information that at least 20 vil- | liages were inundated by high seas yes- terday. Niigata is on a sandy st:") of land at h P the mouth of the Shinano River. There are canals in the conter of the streets | 1o assist traffic. Tea is grown through- ported that she was on her way to assist the frelgh! s . out, the district and there are oil wells in, the Vumw‘s AUTO USED TO KIDNAP OFFICER HERE DISCOVERED ABANDONED OFFICER CARL LASSITER. —Star Staff Photo. = IVATON PARADE ON ARCH 4 URGED Plan for Great Air Demon: stration at Inaugural to Be Studied. A sky parade, which will probably be the greatest air display Washington has ever seen, is being considered as an ad- ditional feature to the celebration being planned for the inauguration of Her- bert Hoover on March 4. The proposal of using airplanes inci- dental to the inaugural parade itself is at present ‘n tentative form, but will be worked out more definitely by Col. Paul Henderson, vice president of the Trans- continental Air Transport Co., who has been appointed to the general inaugural committee. The adoption of the pro- posed sky parade plans will remain for the committee on entertainment _of which Edward C. Graham is chairman. It ‘was announced at the inaugural headquarters today that one - plane from each of the 50 commercial plane operating companies in this country has been asked by Col. Henderson. It is intended that these planes circle the Capitol before and after the inaugural ceremonies, and then escort the proces- sion along Pennsylvania avenue past the White House, which will mean about two hours of flying. As a final part of the feature of this parade it has been suggested that the planes circle the White House several times after President Hoover has taken pos- session. Meeting This Afternoon. Letters to these commercial com- panies already have been sent and, by virtue of Col. Henderson's activities in air circles, this display in the sky on Inauguration day is quite certain of developing. This proposed entertainment feature along with many others ‘that are being considered in copnection with the pro- gram to be arranged for the entertain- ment of many thousands of visitors who will be in Washington for the inaugura- tion period will be among the various subjects to be discussed at the meeting of the officers and committee chairmen of the general inaugural committee at the headquarters at the Willard Hotel at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, chairman of the inaugural committee, will preside. He said today that this meeting is not for the members of the general commit- tee. He expeets to call a meeting of that body probably next week. Mis Mabel T. Boardman has been inamed chairman of a committee on historic sites and points of interest which will see to it that the various places of a historical background at the seat of the Government will be ap- propriately marked. for the benefit of the strangers in this city during in- (Ce . TROTSKY RUMOR DENIED. MOSCOW January 3 (#).—Rumors that Leon Trotsky was sick and that he was to be transferred from Alma Ata to a health resort were denied by the authorities today as well as by persons who recently returned from Alma Ata, where they recently saw the former head of the Red armies personally. These travelers said that Trotsky was in health and was devoting much of his time to writing. He was hunting in his spare hours. . I Radio Programs—Page 29 Tag Violator Escapes After| Leaving Policeman in Semi- | Conscious Condition. Victim to Resume Duty To- night After Receiving Hos- pital Treatment. ‘With cvery policeman in Washlngton' and nearby towns oh the lookout for him,, the man who last night kidnaped Traffic Officer Carl Lassiter from his post of duty at Ninth and F streets and took him to'the rear of the District | Jail, where he left him lying on the | | ground in a semi-conscious condition, after beating him on the head with the butt of a revolver, had apparently slipped through the police eordon today un’%h made good his escape. L o e car bearing mlm abandoned in- the 100 ;‘f‘%ud street northeast this afternoon and identified by Lassiter. The search for the owner of the ma- chine was further intensified by word from Columbus that the tags had been issued to George Moore Dawnbrooke, Hotel Cleveland, Clevelard, Obio. Lassiter reported to his superiors that the man he stopped last night carried a license issued to George Moore and | that he told him he had traded his car for another and that accounted for the old 5 , ace to Columbus dispatches, were issued for a car of another make. Y The kidnaping was the most audac- jous in local police annals. Lassiter, who has been a member of the«department for two years, was di- refting traffic at his_customary post, (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) SO EADURANCE PLANE BEGNS THRD DAY Question Mark Upsets U. S.| Refueling Time—Seeks World Record. By the Associated Press. METROPOLITAN AIRPORT, Los Angeles, January 3.—The third day of the refueling endurance flight by the Army’'s monoplane Question Mark be- | gan at 7:26 o'clock this morning, just after it had taken on a new supply of fuel from refueling plane No. 2. ‘The refueling plane, piloted by Lieut. Odas Moon, passed 150 gallons of gaso- line to the Question Mark i. a six- minute contact shortly after 7 a.m. The Question Mark's three motors were reported to be working perfectly | after 48 hours of duty. Reports of fog over San Diego forced the plane to keep within a short dis- ta- - of its base here late last night, and although the weather was sald to be clearing to the south this morning, the Question Mark kept between here and the San Fernando Valley. Signals for Fuel. About an hour and a half of ma- neuvering on the part of refueling plane No. 2 was necessitated early to- day when the Question Mark soared over the airport and dropped a signal calling for fuel. RETROACTIVE PAY INCREASE FOR U. S WORKERS IS URGED Amendment to Welch Law Referred by Senate to Civil Service Committee. BROOKHART OUTLINES READJUSTMENT NEED Would Add as Many Salary Steps as Were Eliminated by Measure. Retroactive salary increases for Gov- ernment employes to the level they | would have received under the Senate bill last year would be provided for un- der an amendment to the Welch law in- troducéd in the Senate this afternoon | by Senator Brookhart, Republican of | Towa. It was referred to the Senate | civil service committee for considera- tion. The Brookhart amendment, in sub- stance, aims to carry out now what the Senate advocated when the Welch law was being written last year, namely, the adding of as many salary steps at the top of each grade as were elimi- nated at the bottom of the grade. Promotion Is Safeguarded. After setting forth in detail the actual salary rates that would be necessary in each grade under the classification law to carry out this theory, the Brookhart bill provides: “The heads of the several executive departments and independent establish- ments of the Government whose duty it is to carry into effect the provisions of this act are hereby directed to so administer the same that employes whose positions are in the grades affect- ed hereby, who were in said positions on June 30, 1928, and, who under the act of May 28, 1928, did not receive an in- crease in salary the equivalent of two steps or salary rates-in their respective grades, shall be given such additional step or steps or salary rates, within the grade, effective from July 1, 1928, as may be necessary to equal such increase. “Provided that nothing herein shall prevent. or operate to revoke the pro- motion or allocation for an emp]'?e to a higher salary rate or grade. Provided ' further, that nothing con- tained in this act shall operate to de- crease the pay of any present employe, nor deprive any employe of any ad- vancement authorized by law and for which funds are available.” Senator Brookhart explained that urider. his bill an employe who received an increase of only one salary step within his grade last July would receive another step up under this bjll. May Confer With Dale. The Brookhart amendment also carries a provision to make similar | corrections in the salaries of ‘employes in_the fleld services cutside of Wash- ington:. Senator Brookhart probably will confer within a few days with Chairman Dale of the civil service committee regarding plans for obtain- ing action at this session. During the last sossion, when the Welch law was being drafted, members of the Senate civil service committee advocated this plan of giving all employes an increase of two salary steps, but in conference with the House the Scnate amendments were modified. PUBLIC DEBT REDUCED $726,603,316 IN YEAR Total at End of €alendar Year 1928 Reported at $17,- 309,749,135. The public debt of the United States, which reached its peak of more than $26,000,000,000 in August, 1919, was cut down by the end of the calendar year 1928 to $17,309,749,135. ‘The reduction in the public debt for the last calendar year, according to Treasury Department figures today, amounted to $726,603,316. Although the Government’s balance sheet of December 31 showed a paper deficit of $168,475,696, as against a surplus of $65,509,371 on December 31, 1927, Treasury officials are still hope- ful that the present fiscal year ending June 30 will show no deficit. ADAMSON “VERY LOW.” Former Representative From Geor- gia Pneumonia Victim. NEW YORK, January 3 (#).—Former Representative William C. Adamson of Georgia, who sponSored the wailroad act nemed for him, was reported ‘‘very low” from an attack of pneumonia at | the Presbyterian Hospital today. Judge Adamson, who is nearly 75 years -old, entered the hospital in a weakened' condition last week. Mem- bers of his family came to New York. INFLUENZAOGAIN SEEN. 118 New Cases Is Largest Number Here in Day. Reports of influenza cases in the Dis- trict for the first time exceeded 100 to- day, when 118 cases were reported to the Health Departthent. No deaths MISUSE OF PUBLE AUTOS IN DISTRICT CHARCED INREPORT Bureau of Efficiency Finds City Cars and Trucks Do- ing Private Daty. AUTOMOBILE BOARD SHARPLY CRITICIZED Creation of New Officer to Control Purchases and Use of Ma- chines Suggested. Alleged misuse of public-owned ve- hicles by officials and employes of *he District government is vigorously con- demned by the Federal Sureau of Ef- ficiency in a report made pubiic today by Representative Gibson of Verment, chairman of the subcommittez of the House District committes. The report also criticizes rather sharply the automobile board of the District, organized last year, which, de- spite its broad stated powers, the bus reau declared, “exercises little real cons trol, over acquisition of motor vehicles for the city and no coatroi whatever over their use or there servicing.” New Office Urged. . Creation of a new municipal officer to be designated as controller of motct transportation is recommended by tk3 bureau. The controller would not re- place the automobile board which wou’1 continue to function for the purpose «f reviewing specifications for the purcha: ¢ of motor vehicles and recommend: purchase awards, but he would assum: general authority over the -acquisition use and servicing of all types of motol vehicles owned and operated by the District government. “The automobile board has no au- thority to study usage and eliminate needless automobile travel or trucking,” said the report. “It cannot stamp out use of city-owned passenger cars for private transportation purposes between office and home, to ball games, to Rock Creck Park, and even out-of-city resorts. Private Use Common. “It is roughly computed that several of the District-owned passenger cars are driven from (one-fourth to two- thirds of their total annual mileage in cal officers or employes from home to ffice and back at night and other personal uses. City-owned cars may be seen taking the whole family downtown in the morning or to church or on a Sunday ride. - B Y ‘*We have evidence in our ion to show that city owned trucks are used for trane) heavy materials for private usc, in some cases using Gov- ernment time of the driver. The only existing control of such misuse of Gov- ernment property lies in the depart- ments where officers are often too busy, too indifferent, or too personally con- cerned to, exercise such control.” Examples Are Cited. Geveral examples of the automobile board's failure to exercise control over the acquisition and servicing of motor vehicles are cited in the report. One of the outstanding citations is that two men, one a blacksmith and the other a truck driver, are kept by the Water Department exclusively on motor vehicle repairs, although neither of them is an automobile mechanic. Not only are ad- justments and minor repairs undertaken by these men, the report declared, but at times major overhauling jobs as well. Other cxamples used in the repori follow: “1—The purchase of new Mack trucks under the guise of repairs and withou: competition for the city refuse division and the attempt to do the same for the Sewer department. The transactions were approved by the automobile board. “2—Continuous purchases of small cars for passenger use from appropria- tions made for non-passenger-carrying vehicles, these cars being camouflaged by so-called ‘slip-on bodies’ of about equal capacity with that of a small touring car tonneau. “3. A recent attempt, stopped by crder of the director of public welfare at the suggestion of the bureau, to build up a Cadillac roadster from an engine and other parts received as surplus and a second-hand frame and body which had been purchased. In this case a small light car was all that was needed and the attempt to build up a heavy high-power car would have resulted in needless expense both in the bullding- up process and in operation. The auto- mobile board knew nothing of this transaction, which would have nullified the supposed control of acquisition of passenger cars from the contingent fund. Obviously it is not legal to build up an additional car with funds allotted for repairs to motor vehicles.” Qualifications Outlined. The report was written by A. G, Thomas and is based on the result cf an exhaustive investization made of the District’s motor transportation activities, Aside from recommending the creation of the office of controller of motor transportation. which the report said should ‘be sought in the appropriation act, it outlined the qualifications of sucli an officer as well as his duties. The controller of motor transportas tion, the report declared, should be &p- pointed by- the Commissioners and should be responsible to them thriugh the Epginter Commissioner. He should be an expert, it said, in all that talny to the acquisition, use and servicing of motor vehicles, and in addition to as- suming general authority over the ac- Moon lost contact in his first at- tempt and after landing took off again to carry 100 gallons up to the ship. He said he found the air extremely rough. Moon reported that Maj. Carl Spatz, commander aboard the Question Mark, had watched the refueling process care- fully and had checked repeatedly with another member of her crew stationed at the fuel tanks. Ground officers as- sumed that the Question Mark had ac- cumulated a reserve supply of gasoline from the frequent refillings, and that it did not need the full 170 gallons which Moon had taken up. Upsets U. S. Record. Question Mark surpassed the time record set in the only previous American refueling endurance ht at 8:45 o'clock last night, and the next goal was the world’s endurance record The were reported. Yesterday 73 cases were reported and Tuesday 96. quisition, use and servicing of all t{pg\s of motor _yehicles owned and operated (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) No Traffic Deaths Here in December, Record Unequa Decemaber, 1928, was the first month since statistics have been kept of traf- fic accidents in Washington when there were no traffic fatalities, Traffic Direc~ tor William H. Harland said today. The year closed with the same total num- led in City Statisties Mr. Harland said he hoped that might be other months this year when no traffic deaths would be ber of deaths as 1927—elghty-four. The | Loe best previous month on the records was September, 1925, when two traffic of 60 hours 7 minutes, which can be broken by flight until 9:31 o’clock- to- ni ight. Because of circling over the airpor's in" the refueling operations, however, the actual mileage had been cut to un- der 50 miles an hour. If the fiyers keep the ;hne in the air 300 hours they will fly a distance nearly equal to erence ,0f carth, 1926, 6,485; and 192 deaths occurred. Mr. Harland also pointed with pride |are to the great decrease in cases of per- sonal injury from traffic ac- cidents. During 1928 there were 2,618 such injuries reported. The injuries re- ported in other yeary were: 1927, 4.947; 3, 8,49 lna. 8,331; 1924, 9,131, |can do