Evening Star Newspaper, October 20, 1929, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8 Weather Bureau Porecast.) Mlflmamfimlfl- creasing ly showers. e!onflinul$u ly : ym-mm—x est, 71 at 3 p.m. y; lowest, 30 at 7 a.m. yesterday. Full report on page 7. “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star is delivered every evening and Sunday morning to Washington homes by The Star's exclusive carrier service. Phone National 5000 to start immediate delivery. he Sund WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION g ' % (/) Means Associated Press. No. 1,283—No. 31,218. CHECK BEING MADE OF ALIBIS OFFERED INMPHERSON CASE Federal Agents Turn Again to Account Given by Accused Husband of Nurse. MEMBERS OF FAMILY QUESTIONED IN PROBE Friend of Dead Woman Expected Today to Give Testimony to Officers. The Government's inquiry into the | mysterious death by strangulation of Mrs. Virginia McPherson again has turned to a check on the alibis furnished by her husband, charged by a grand jury with her murder. Reams of testimony have been taken for the purpose of testing the soundness of theories that persons other than Robert A. McPherson, jr., might have been implicated. Nothing so far has been uncovered warranting the arrest of any other man or woman. Having put that much of their task behind * themi, the Federal operatives have turned attention to the specific charges against the only person jailed as a result of the Park Lane tragedy. Before the protracted investigation is over it is expected McPherson, himself, will have been questioned, with the con- sent of the prisoner's attorney, William E. Leahy. Leahy announced yesterday he would offer no objection if the Gov- ernment desired to interview his client. Will Check Whereabouts. The Department of Justice is inter- ested particularly in determining be- sond a doubt the exact whereabouts, at all times, of the husband on the tragic night of September 12, when the young nurse was choked to death at the Park Lane apertments with a pajama belt tied tightly around her neck. With that end in view the Bureau of Investigation yesterday devoted much time to the examination of so-called witnesses. Prominent among these witnesses were members of the McPherson family other than the par- ents of the boy. The latter were gues: Friday. . Mr. and X Don;l’d ‘McPherson, at whose home the husband. says he paid @ brief vigit E{m rzupn:’;;ttl:’e‘mme nts afteg midni Sep- umbo“ hh\;.i:‘m Eonterence for some time murderer, completed ho were interrogated by agenis :It“t.m'nep‘rtmem of Justice yesterday evening. Recounts Activities. Young McPherson, in his 1 ac- ‘counting of his movements on night of his wug'a‘mu':jwuld of hat several club of visl his aunt tiring Eflm parents’ residence. All persons having information bear- 4ng on this version of how McPherson epent the evening are being sought. for estioning. qu“e fl:‘:l move in this effort to trace the movements of the husband prob- ably will be the questfoning of Mc- Pherson himself. Until Leahy let it be known yesterday ‘e would gladly per- mit the Federal nts to talk with T ibility of an inter- his client, &h! poss y o exceedingly regretted hav- fng-been called into the case too late to gain the benefit of an Interview with d. 'h;o?n‘::lbfi?mey. special assistant to the Attorney General. who has been as- signed to prosecute McPherson, ref! to say definitely whether the courtesy extended by !;ugy would be accepted. e said cryptically: B nd When we desire’ to question | McPherson, Mr. Leahy will be so ld-l vised.” Will Talk to Nurse. Mrs. Billie Lindsay, nurse, said to have been an acquaintance of Mrs. | McPherson, was to be interviewed to- day st the Department of Justice, Mrs. Lindsay is coming here voluntarily from New York City. Formerly she resided at the Park Lane apartments, moving from there about two weeks before her friend came to her death. An important development tomorrow will be the receipt from North Carolina of the offcial findings of chemists who | have been seeking possible traces of | poisons or drugs.in the body of the| dead nurse, Tissues removed from the i corpse at the time of the second autopsy 8 week ago have been under mlenuflc‘ serutiny during the past week. "The report of expert roentgenologists who have been studying X-ray photo- graphs of all parts of the body also is expected to be received at the Bureau of Investigation tomorrow. A prelimi- nary and unscientific examination of the plates is understood to have dts-! closed “something important,” and this has lent tremendous interest to the re- of the experts. wlrrtl the midst of its huge task of tak- ing thousands of words of testimony. the Department of Justice has been given a new worry. Controller General MeCarl has ruled that no authority exists for the employment of outside stenographers to_Teport the proceed- ings, although a firm of court reporters have taken down great piles of steno- graphie copy. J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Bureau of Investigation, said yesterday the decision of the controller general had been conveyed to “higher suthorities” and that he had received no instructions to discontinue the pres- ent method of recording testimony. Has Worry Enough. p enough worry on my mind e e Case, without something else,’ worrying about Hoover remarked. “ Senate added another worry Hoover's collection yesterday, however, by requesting aid of his bureau in con- ducting an investigation of the local Police Department. The est was contained in a let- ter received by Attorney General Mitchell from Senator Sackett. chair- man of a subcommittee assigned to in- uire into of inefficiency leveled the police administration here. ter asked that a Fede: ;| France and Italy and the United States second class matter Washington. D. C. WASHINGTO D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 20, 1929138 PAGES. x FIVE CENTS l TEN CENTS FLSEWHERE WASHINGTON AND SUBURBS She Has Been Followed by Detectives. Loitered About Her Apartment Door. Also Says Strangers Have| strangers loltering around her apart- | ment door, investigation of her private | affairs, and a deluge of police tickets | for traffic violations—these have heen the rewards to Mrs. Roy Heavrin of the Park Lane Apartment for testify- ing before the grand jury which in- | vestigated the mysterious death of Mrs. | Virginia McPherson, according to a complaint she made yesterday to Maj Henry G. Pratt, superintendent of police. Mrs. Heavrin is the witness who told of hearing the painful screams of a woman on the night Mrs. McPherson met her death in an apartment near the one she occupies. Ever since the grand jury returned an indictment for murder against Rob- ert A. McPherson, jr, husband of the dead nurse, Mrs. Heavrin said she had been “shadowed,’ and on one occasion two detectives and a uniformed police- man trailed her to Georgetown, Aside from these annoyances, Mrs, Heavrin declared her life h been made miserable by the strangers who loiter around her apartment door, and one of them made an attempt several nights ago to break into the apart- ment. She also said she had been threat- ened, but declined to reveal the nature Shadowed by detectives, harassed by | McPHERSON WITNESS REPORTS HARASSMENT SINCE TESTIMONY/ Mrs. Roy Heavrin Declares| MRS, ROY HEAVRIN. —Star Stafl Photo. of the threats. And in ‘addition, she charged the police apparently were tak- :”llx pleasure in ticketing her automo- . In the last three weeks, Mrs. Heavrin sald, she had received more tickets and deposited more collateral for traffic vio- lations than for a period of two years. Last Friday morning, she declared, she went to get her car parked in the rear of the Park Lane, and found three policemen pushing it, whila on the windshield there was a ticket for im- proper parking. Mrs. Heavrin and her husband both appeared to be visibly nervous as a re- sult of these experiences, although they declared they were unafraid. Soon after receiving Mrs. Heavrin's complaint, Maj. Pratt assigned Lieut. H. H. Groves and Headquarters Detec- tive Harvey G. Callahan to make an in- | vestigation. U. S-JAPAN NAVAL TALKS EXPECTED Conversations Preliminary to! London Parley Would Smooth Way for Pact. The United States and Japan, brought into cleser understanding by their mutual desire to reduce worid navies, will in all probability hold con- versations preliminary to the five- naval conference, somewhat as and Great Britain have undertaken Jointly in advance to remove obstacles in the path of a general naval agree- ¢ ‘Fapanese embassy was authority for the word yesterday that the Japa- ‘hese tion “very probably”: would: atop over in Washington for a few days en route to the London parley. In such an event, they will improve the opportunity to confer with Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of State, who is to head the American delegation, and pos- sibly with President Hoover. ‘While there is no outstanding naval problem between the United States and Japan in particular, these two powers lack & common viewpoint of the sub- marine question, and the suggested in- formal meeting in Washington would give an opportunity to American of- ficials Yo state our position with respect to this and some other questions. May Seek Compromise. Reconciled to the probability that total abolition of submarines by inter- national agreement is not to be ex- pected, President Hoover and Ramsay Macdonald, prime minister of Great Britain, will strive for a compromise to reduce submarine forces substaatially, it is said in informed administration quarters. On the submarine question, Japan Jines up with France and Italy in op- position to the Anglo-American plan for absolute scrapping of undersea craft as of little value except to sink merchantmen, in.view of the develop- ment of depth bombs and airplanes, to say nothing of destroyers. These three smaller powers consider the submarine indispensable to their peculiar national defense needs, but in practically every other respect Japan appears to be in agreement with the United States and Great Britain. In fact, it was Japan which first proposed to Secretary Stimson that an attempt be made to extend the life of capital ships from 20 to 25 years or longer, which is one of the questions to be con- sidered in the conference to begin in London in the third week of January. France and Ttaly, it is thought, will | offer no objection to such a capital ship plan and, indeed, might not object to abolition of the dreadnaught type of warships. See End of Big Ships. ‘There are many naval experts in the United States and Great Britain who agree with French, Italian and Jap- anese experts that the days of big war- ships as a type of naval craft are num- bered, in view of the development of the large cruiser types which, sense, led to the conference now pro- Jected. cussion will be one of several in prog- ress between different groups of the five naticns that are to sit around the coun- cil table in London and try to cut down world navies. With an Anglo-American naval ac- cord developed, -the most important of these preliminaries fs the attempt of Prance and Italy to come to a naval agreement between themselves. An adjustment of the differénces be- tween these two Mediterransan powers is virtually a prerequisite to a general agreement assuring reduction as veell as | and to in a ‘The American-Japanese advance di!-' (Continued on Page 2, Column REPARATIONS BANK FUNCTIONSARE SET Care Is Shown to Prevent Institution From -Branch- ing Out Top Far. By the Associated Press. BADEN-BADEN, Germany, October 19.—The outlines of the bank for inter- national settlements projected by the Young plan for reparations stand out clearly tonight at the end of another weelk- of conference. Every care has ap- parently been exercised to prevent the bank from branching out too far. It will be limited to an international ex- change bank operating as & clearing between central national banks A reparations recelving and dis- tributing station. With its functions thus clearly de- fined, with efforts against eredit crea- tion, speculation and note issuance, and with a clear veto clause for central banks adopted, the viewpoint expressed by Melvin A. Traylor of Chicago that “the location of the bank is secondary,” would seem justified. ‘Won't Handle Gold. ‘This is all the more so since the bank apparently will never have much gold in its coffers, but will be rather a reg- istry station showing in what parts of the world gold is “earmarksd” and for whom, and in keeping the central banks advised of i*s movements. Nevertheless negotiations for the honor of domiciling the bank continue merrily. Belgian Delegate Franck went to Brussels yesterday with the demands of the conference for tax immunities in his pocket, evidently hoping to return with agreement by his government. No nation will have a majority of votes in the directorate of the interna- tional bank. The conferees have even provided that the nine directors to be selected from nations not included among the seven original supporters | must be of nine nationalities. Financial Not Political. It is further evident that the Interna- tional Bank will be purely financial and not political. Directors of the central banks will dictate its policies or veto undesirable policies, the International Bank clearly acting as the servant and not as the master. ‘That the conference has now reached a decisive stage is reflected in the ap- pearance incognito of experts and ad- visers. Thus one representative from each of the German finance, economics and foreign ministries hover around the Stephanie Hotel, as do a group of Prenchmen. apartment for the most part. ‘The sudden departure for Paris of I. A. Desanchez, an American expert, indicates that important discussions are going on with persons outside the In- ternational Bank conference. Will Give Memorandum. Notice by Dr. Hjalmer Schacht, chief German delegate, today that he would submit a memorandum early next week giving the Ger: views on the problem of the trust agreement and charter occasioned some surprise. It was understood that he opposed the French effort to leave much unsettled and wants everything contained in the Young plan safely anchored in either the statutes, charter or trust agree- ment. He also insists on’a general emphatic statement somewhere in one of these to the effect that points not touched by this conference must be settled in the spirit of the Young plan. IF IT’S “LAST By the Associaled Press. TORONTO, October 19.—If it's the last thing Sir Thomas Lipton does, the achtman and tea magnate said today, is going to get the America Cup. “Tha, mug,” he said, “has bfin 'n:m gland for 78 years now: I' ve :;yi‘ginl to get it back, if only for & ¥ Bhamrock V. with' which I'm going to compete next year, is being built near LIPTON GOING TO LIFT “THAT CUP” THING” HE DOES Yacht Shamrock V. Is Being Built for Next Year’s ! Competition. Southampton. I can't give away my plans, but I can tell you the new boat will have all the latest, most modern equipment that can be found. “And they tell me the Americans are now building four boats to beat me with. They won't do it this time.” Sir Thomas said he would not sail the Shamrock V across the ocean him- self. “I always look for the biggest boats when I cross the water,” he sald. Jay E. Crane, represent- | ing the Federal Reserve of the United | States, is also here, but keeps to his | | Feeling DEBENTURE ADDS T0 SENATE SNARL IN'TARIFF DEBATE Coalition Votes Plan Into Bill Despite Opposition by House and Hoover. DEMOCRATS TO SUPPORT WESTERN PROGRESSIVES in Some Circles Legislation Will Fail in End. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN, The Senate zdded still further to the snarl in which the tariff bill finds it- self when it adopted yesterday Senator Norris’ amendment providing for the debenture brand of farm relief. ‘Taking the bit in its teeth again the Democratic-Republican-progressive coa- lition which not long ago struck out of the bill the so-called flexible provisions of the tariff law, which the House in- serted in the bill and which have the indorsement of Mr. Hoover. End Not in Sight. What's going to come of the situa- tion and of the tariff bill itself none of the leaders of the various Senate groups are willing to predict with any great certainty. In some quarters a real hopelessness existed last night; & feeling that tariff legislation would fail in the end. But the end is not yet in sight. The Senate has still to tackle the rate provisions of the tariff bill. There is a deal of politics as well as “protection” in tariff making. It is conceivable that the Democrats, for political purposes, would like to see the Republican President sign the worst, from the Democratic point of view, possible tariff bill. It would not aid the Democrats to have the President veto the tariff bill. If the bill were bad enough to bring a veto, it might well add to the prestige of the Republican President. ‘The vote in the Senate yesterday showed the Democrats almost solidly aligned with the Republican Progressives from the West in support of the de- benture amendment, sponsored by Sen- ator Noiris of Nebraska, a Republican, who supported Al Smith in the last tional “campaign. Three Democ) voted against debenture and one was “paired” against it. The four who op- posed debenture are Senators Kendrick of Wyoming, Ransdell of Louisia Wagner of New York and Walsh of usetts. debenture plan of the tariff bill | is different from that at issue in the farm bill debate in that it would grard against s lation in the certificates by permitting the Secretary of the Treasury to redeem them at nct less| than 98 per cent of their face velue, ‘The certificates would be issued by t! asury on recommendation of tha Federal Farm Board whenever, in the board's opinion, the farmers were en- titled to them. They would be issued onl{‘ on exports and in an amount equal to half the tariff on similar imported products. ‘They also would be issuable on ex- ports of products manufactured from iarm commodities and in the case of cotton, on which there is no duty, the debenture would be 2 cents a poind. The debentures would be receivable at their face value by any customs collec- tor in payment of duties collectable against articles imported by the deben- ture holder, ‘To discourage overproduction of a commodity on which the debenture has been operative, the plan provides a graduated scale of debenture reductions when production shall have increased more than 20 per cent. Republicans Support Debenture, ‘When debenture was before the Sen- ate last May in connection with the farm relief bill, Senator Kendrick was paired for debenture. The other three Demo- crats then voted as they did yesterday. ‘They were joined by a fourth Democrat, Senator King of Utah, at that time. But yesterday Senator King was paired for the debenture amendment with Senator Ransdell, who was against the debenture. In all 15 Republican Senators were found supporting the debenture yester- day, 14 actually casting their votes for it and one of them, Blaine of Wiscon- sin, being paired for it. Thomas of Idaho and Cutting of New Mexico, who had voted against debenture when the farm bill was before the Senate, yester- al;v shifted over to the pro-debenture side. man of Colorado, who formerly voted against debenture, yesterday was ab- sent and unpaired. With all 95 Se; ators accounted for—there is one v: cancy from Pennsylvania—the suppor ers of debenture would have won by seven votes. Last May debenture was carried by a three-vote margin in the Senate. That Roll Call in Senate. The roll call in the Senate Yesterday showed debenture winning by 42 to 34. It follows: For debenture: Republicans—Borah, Brookhart, Cut- ting, Frazier, Howell, Johnson, La Fol- lette, McMaster, Norbeck, Noiris, Nye, Pine, Schall and Thomas of Idaho. Democrats—Ashurst, Barkley, Black, Bratton, Brock, Broussard, Caraway, Connally, Dill, Fletcher, George, Harris, Harrison, Hawes, Hayden, Heflin, Mc- Kellar, Overman, Pittman, Robinson of Arkansas, Sheppard, Simmons, Steck, Stephens, Thomas of Oklahoma, Tram- Page 2, Column 4.) The Whole Family —is interested in The Star every day. It costs thousands of dol- lars each day to collect and print the worthwhile news, articles and features and you can have it all delivered at your door every evening and Sunday morning for 60 cents a month (65 cents when 5 Sundays in a month). Telephone National 5000, and the service will start im- mediately. One Republican, Senator Water- | WHERE <X po THEY ;) COME FROM G2 THE WIZARD. OCEANIC ZEPPELIN ROUTE IS FINANCED National City Bank Is Re- ported Behind Company to Run Dirigible Service. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, October 19.—The New York Herald-Tribune tomorrow will say the day of regular transoceanic Zep- pelin service, carrying passengers, mail and possibly small package freight has been brought nearer by the incorpora- tion in Delaware yesterday of the In- ternational Zeppelin Transport Co., backed by the powerful National City Bank interests. Officials of the bank refused today to discuss the details of the forma- tion of the com; , which now has a nominal capitalization of 1,000 shares, but it was learned they would be made public in two weeks. Charles E. Mitchell, chairman of the National City Bank, has been in Eu- rope conferring with German bankers, the Herald- ne will believed German capital will in the development of operation of the service. It was recalled that in Au- gust Dr. Hugo Eckener, commander of the Graf Zeppelin, conferred with Na- tional City Bank officials. ‘The newspaper also will say it has gained further information of the roject sponsored by another group of local bankers for the inauguration of a Zeppelin transport line on the Pacific, extending at first to Hawali and later to_the lent. Numbered among the interests which are pushing plans for this service are Lehman Bros, Goyson M. P, Murphy & Co., Harriman Brothers & Co., and Pynchon & Co., Western Air Express, Aviation Corporation and the Goodyes Zeppelin Co. also are expected to pa: ticipate in the perfection of the plan. The backers of the plan have applied to the Post Office Department for a mail contract, it was learned, and have sought the approval of President Hoo- ver for the service. Before Government support can be procured, enabling legis- Iation by Congress will be necessary and the bankers were reported to feel that with the approval of the President and the Postmaster General, Congress would be the more willing to pass the neces- iy laws. fore the inauguration of the Zep- pelin service to Hawali the bankers | plan, it was sald, to draw up agreements with several railroads, ncluding the Northern Pacific, Southern Pacific, New York Central and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and with two or three imj tant steamship lines to enlist t) peration as feeders” of the Zep- pelin line. TODAY’S STAR PART ONE—32 PAGES. General News—Local, National Foreign. Schools and Colleges—Page 20, PART TWO—12 PAGES. Editorial Section—Editorials and Edi- torial Features. E Notes of Art and Artists—Page 4. Review of New Books—Page 4. Spanish War Veterans—Page 7. Parent-Teacher Activities—Page 9. Clubwomen of the Nation—Page 10. Army and Navy News—Page 10, Organized Reserves—Page 10. PART THREE—16 PAGES. Society. PART FOUR—18 PAGES. Amusement Section—Theater, and Music. In the Motor World—Pages 5, 6 and 7. Aviation Activities—Pages 8 and 9. Veterans of Great War—Page 11, District National Guard—Page 12, At Community Centers—Page 13. Y. W. C. A. Notes—Page 12. District of Columbia Naval Reserve— Page 12. W. C. T. U. Activities—Page 12. Fraternities—Page 13. Marine Corps Notes—Page 13, News of the Clubs—Page 14. Serial Story, “Death Treasure’—Page 14 Radio News—Pages 14, 15, 16 and 17. PART FIVE—10 PAGES, Sports and Financial. D. A. R. Activities—Page 10. PART SIX—10 PAGES. Classified Advertising. PART SEVEN—24 PAGES. Magazine Section. Y Cross-word Puzzle—Page 20, GRAVURE SECTION—$ PAGES. World Events in Pictures. COLOR SECTION—S PAGES. Moon Mullins; Mutt and Jeff; 'lar Annie: Bty Somebody's. Sienos H : 's 3 High Lights of History. and Screen LORD ARNOLD TALKED TO SUCCEED SIR ESME| British Paymaster General Sir Robert Vansittart Men- tioned for Ambassadorship. LONDON. October 19 (#).—Lord Arnold. British paymaster general, who accompanied Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald to America to see President Hoover, is being prominently mentioned in Labor party circles as a possible suc- cessor to Sir Esme Howard, the British Ambassador to the United States, who is soon to return from Washington. Lord Arnold, like many other office holders in the present government, was for a long time a member of the Liberal party. He was formerly a stockbroker. Sir Robert Vansittart, undersecre- tary at the foreign office, who also ac- companied the prime minister as prin- cipal private secretary, has also been mentioned for the Washington post. .S AGENTS TO AID INLOBBYING PROBE Caraway to CHll on Justice Department to Get “Cross- Section” View. and By the Associated Press. Determined to get a “cross-tection” | picture of lobbying activities in Wash- ington, Chairman Caraway of the Sen- ate lobby investigating .committee an- | nounced yesterday that he would ask the Department of Justice to assist. The d!g:nm!nt investigators prob- ably will be working with the commit- | tee as it resumes its inquiry this week | into the relations between the Connec- tleut Manufacturers’ Association a) Senator Bingham, Republican, of Con- | necticut, who was “loaned” a man hy the manufacturers to assist him in his share of framing the tariff bill. Caraway Wants Action. Senator Caraway explained he was asking Government aid for the commit- tee with a determination to go thor- oughly into such lobbying activities as the committee is able to examine. “It will be impossible to into all lobbying activities,” he explained. “I | want to get a cross section of it before the public but I want to get it thoroughly.” E. Kent Hubbard, president, and Rob- ert C. Buell, secretary and treasurer of the Connecticut Manufacturers’ Asso- clation, will be called tomorrow. Charles L. Eyanson, assistant to Hubbard. was | “loaned” to Senator Bingham last Sum- | mer. He was on the pay roll of the Con- | necticut association while assisting | Bingham, and his expenses in Wash- ton were paid by the assoclation. Bing- ham is a member of the finance com- | mittee which framed the tariff mea- | sure, Grundy fo Be Called. Henry M. Barry, clerk of the com- | mittee on territories, whose place on'| the Government pay roll was taken by Eyanson while he was with Bingham, also may be called tomorrow. Eyanson sald he turned his pay over to Barry. Senator Bingham said he put Eyanson on the Government pay roll at the time he took him into the secret rate-mak- ing sesslons of the finance committee “in order to subject Eyanson to Sen- ate discipline.” Joseph R. Grundy, representative of the American Tariff League, who, Eyanson told the committee, urged him to return to Washington and resume his work with Senator Bingham, will be called probably on Tuesday. Liner Pennsylvania Sails, NEW YORK, October 19 (#).—The Pennsylvania, largest American-built liner, sailed today on her maiden voy- age, ‘carrying to California a capacity passenger list of 750. | humanistic sciences.” | published last year, was prepared by | ierest attaches D. C. GOVERNMENT CHANGE IS URGED Research Body Recommends Reorganization Under City Manager in Report. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. Reorganization of the government of the District of Columbia, under a city manager, with the Board of Commis- sioners abolished, with the District bud- get removed from the jurisdiction ©f the Federal Budget Bureau, with the school- board and the board of library trustees abolished, creation of departments of education and law enforcement, is recommended by the Institute for Gov- ernment Research in a report in book form today laid before Congress and the administrative authorities. ‘This is the second velume in the re- port made on the District government by this agency of the Brookings Insti- tution, “devoted to public service throygh research and training i the The first volume, Laurence F. Schmeckebier, which was wholly descriptive in character and its whole purpose was to present a history of the successive provisions for govern- ment of the National Capital and a de- tailed account of the existing form of govermment. New Volume Critical. The new volume by Mr. Schmecke- bier ana Willam ¥. Willognby, director of the institute, Tepresen.s u cruieal examination 10 weiernune ine exient Lo whnich the existing government is un- atistaclory and recummenaauions ior “a better governmental and aamimistra- tive organization.” Attenyon has been concenirated on the basic Ifeawures ol the governmental structure, it is ex- plained, ratner tnan upon more secona- ary matters of internal organizaiion and procedure of the several operating units, which have recently been subject to study by other agencies, such as tne Gibson subcommitiee of the House District committee and the United States Bureau of Efficiency. ‘Two matters of general importance which have, for years, attracied atten- tion of citizens of the District—the question of local suffrage and fiscal re- lations or the proportionate amount that the Federal Government shail con- tribute to the support of the Nation's Capital—have not been discussed in this report, because—“important as ‘they are, they do not have to do di- rectly with the structure of the District government.” In view of the present controversy over the Police Department and the distriet attorney's office, particular in- to the revolutionary recommendation for a “department of law enforcement.” The line of thought expressed by Mr. Willoughby being that when you have a big-task of govern- ment, ‘there ought to be a special de- ariment for th's work—such as a alth department, a department of public works. The proposed depart- ment of law enforcement for the Dis- trict would be equivalent to the De- partment of Justice in the Federal Government, with the police force act- ing as field agents, the same as we now have prohibition enforcement agents and agents of the Forest Service. The man at head of this department would be held responsible, it is emphasized, and should carry the blame for any failure within his department, even though he must depend on the work of others. It would be his duty to see that they all did their work right. Would Create Council. In abolishing the Board of District Commissioners, the Institute for Gov- ernment Research recommends the (Continued on Page 2, Column 2. BESIEGED WOMAN STICKS TO GUNS AS COURT ORDERS HER TOPAY RENT Refuses to Move, Continuing to Block Wrecking Crews and Apartment. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, October 19.—The siege of 420 West Twenty-third street, with Mrs. Tillie Hart as the besieged, was still in progress today. Last night, after her landlords had obtained a court order directing her to pay up $600 back rent or move within five days, Mrs. Hart said: “There's one thing in the world I can't do, and that's raise $600. I'm going away from here.” 7 T am ?n';”’ owned “But today, surveying the surround- tn‘ terrain, present just a lot of big holes in the ground where there is going to be built a big apartment hotel as soon as she gets out of the way, she wm whu’ mind. ,:hl went back to until her lease expires next Jume, let wrecking crews come as they will. She’: looking for the $600. e M"m k;JoV;,"pfll:!‘;;ld . “It's & matter of 12 " house occupies &fi Was by Clement Moore, wrote “'T'was the Night Before Christmas.” ' p— IFLEHARTY SCORES - FARERAE PLEAIN ASKNG DISWSSAL Immediate Revaluation of Street Railway Systems Is Recommended. ADVOCATES UNIFIED OPERATION OF LINES Increase in Rate Would Fail, Peo- ple’s Counsel Says, by Re- ducing Passengers, Ralph B. Fleharty, people's counsel be(fir! gm lPuhllc Stmn:}:ommusm took a final and virile wallop yesterday at the .Capital Traction Co.’s applica= tion for a higher fare. In a 4,000-word brief, filed with the commission, Fleharty contended that the increased fare petition should be dismissed “in the light of all existing circumstances” and recommended an immediate revaluation of the properties of the street railway system: of the District. The brief, teeming with pertinent comment on the transit situation, con- tains a number of other recommenda- | tions, which, if carried out, according to the 'fi?p‘i:! rnu:dsefl, pn;b-bly ‘would remove the increased fare bugaboo, and in all likelihood result in the - l'l:)ughl merger of the street railway lines. Fleharty firmly maintained that an | increase in fare is not a solution of the ! financial difficulties of the _traction | companies as it undoubtedly would cause a decided reduction in pas- sengers, and suggested as a better a unified or other improved mef {of operation. In this connection, he declared if the companies deliberately fail to negotiate a new merger - ment their rights to relief they ogat- wise might have probably will be forfeited. “In view of the downward trend in revenue passengers,” Fleharty said in the conclusions in his brief, “it is be- lieved that nothing should be done to aggravate that condition. An increase in rates of fare would do that, and hence such a step is not the solution of the difficulties being encountered by the companies. “A better plan than increased fares would be to consider the financial bene- fits that might accrue from unified operation and other improved methods of operation. The employment of ex- pert traffic engineers for determining probable benefits is recommended. “Would Forfeit Rights.” “If the companies deliberately fail to negotiate a new merger agreement it is felt that- they ‘will forfeit whatever rights to relief they might otherwise have. Their responsibility is clear; it is to render the best possible service at lowest possible cost consistent withm | earning of ‘a reasonable return by | companies. If they do not try to- ! a merger they fail to give the | these fundamentals. And, after all, any | method to alleviate financial stress of mleid cc:;npnn;eshmn llllrs‘ .nmm.‘ m solidation of the two princ |1s but a maksshift of temporary value only, and in the long run futile.” In other conclusions, Fleharty recom- | mended that uniform accounting meth- ods be ordered for both street railway | systems, which was done by the com- | mission lest week. to become effective January 1, and that depreciation be ac- ! crued on the same basis for both com- | panies. He suggested the straight-line | method #s bzing more in the interest of the public than the sinking-fund | method. i Raises Legal Point. Fleharty also raised a heretofore over- | looked legal point in ecnnection with the higher fare application, that the companies by their claim for financial | relief on the theory that the present | rate of fare constitutes confiscation of property, while at the same' time ask- ing for an increase which will not pro- duce a fair return. have waived their right to appeal to the courts for an in- crease in the event the commissiont denies the application. “While it is true that under the pending applications both companies have attempted to base their claim for relief on the theory that the present rates of fare constitute confiscation of the properties of the companies,” Fle- harty said, “yet in view of the fact that both companies in their briefs and by their testimony make the positive statements that the proj in fare would still therefore be con- fiscatory, it is perfectly apparent that neither of the applications is based upon the legal right of the comj es to receive a rate of fare which will prevent confiscation of their properties. It is submitted that in fact the real basis of the applications is as was stated by the president of the Capital Trac- tion Co. in his application made June 14, 1928, which later became formal case No. 201, in which letter he said: Quotes Traction Company. ““The Capital Traction Co. has de- jcided to ask now only for such relief | as is required to meet its present needs’ and which is further am by his testimony in that case whersn he stated: ‘We decided that we would not apply for a rate to which we con- sidered ourselves entitled at the present time, and we based our claims on 3 sufficient amount to take care of our 7 per cent dividend requirements.’ “If, then, the present applications are not susceptible of sustaining the theory that the companies are asking for their legal rights, namely, a rate of fare which will produce a rate of return sufficient to avoid confiscation, then the applications must of necessity be ad- dressed only to the discretion of the Public Utilities Commission as & legis- lative and not a judicial body: and, as the companies have made out their case, the commission is not required to consider the question of confiscation. “Rate making is a legisiative not a Jjudicial function, and courts do not fix m except nudlnbc!dcnul to a rate fixed by a commission is confiscatory. In the ordin: case the only power or function of the ‘woul not judieial action the Federal courts Jurisdiction amendment would not selves about. So that this case will arise statutory right of a) the act of March 4, 1913, ties act, namely, the to review from the sf ‘ative redsonableness public utilities on & and in