Evening Star Newspaper, January 2, 1930, Page 15

RULES TIGHTENED 10 CURB ILLEGAL - LIQUOR SEARCHES IAssistant Attorney Hart to ‘Drop Cases Involving Small Amount of Evidence. DISORDERLY HOUSE [ WARRANTS ABUSED |@ack of Limit to Meaning of Word Offers Opportunity for Complications. Cases made by police or prohlhitlcn{ Bgents where persons are charged w)lhl wiolation of the prohibition law tcllo!‘-} Ing entry into private residences through | muthority of disérderly house warrants | or arrest warrants other than those of search, in which small amounts of whisky are involved, will be thrown out ©of court, according to an announcement made today by Assistant United States Attorney David A. Hart. This is the first step in a revived effort to prevent, as far as possible, 4llegal searches of private quarters and seizures of contraband after law en- forcement units had no authority to take such actions, Hart intimated. Po- Jice for many months have been taking advantage of the authority invested in these warrants to make prohibition 'cases. More of this type of case have ‘been apparent in the court of late and '3t is understood that the District attor- Tey’s office wx“ forced to take some te action. ‘lmmmedh Hart and his first assistant, James R. Kirkland, said they have always tried, especially where small quantities of liquor are concerned, to keep these cases out of court, they have Jet quite a 'few of them get by as there has been no hard and fast rule for- ‘bidding police from arresting persons aunder authority of this kind and follow- up 1 court. mmu&nr‘lly of the disorderly ‘Touse warrant is especially abused and used by police in searching private dwellings for whisky, as there are so many legal definitions for disorder in this instance, Hart declared. There is no set limit to the meaning of the word #disorder.” er. Hart points out that he will use the ‘whisky Wm in these raids and searches as evidence in convicting property operators of running a dis- orderly house, in cases where large quantities of whisky are seized and 4t is apparent that the contraband was wvisible to police without a search. —_—————— PURSE SNATCHERS GET SMALL LOOT AND ESCAPE Three Victims Report Street Cor- ner Losses Over Night to Dis- trict Police. Five purse snatchers participated in Yobberies on Washington streets last night and evaded arrest today, police | Teported. Jennie Tibbs, 627 Gordon avenue northeast, was walting for a bus at th and B streets northeast when . itified colored man grabbed . The loss near Division avenue and Foote street northeast. Mrs. Delia Thomas, 712 Seventh street southwest, ‘was at Ninth and B streets southwest when three colored men ap- proached. One of them snatched her | rse and all three ran. The bag con- | ined a small sum of money and a ‘bank book. TREATED F.OR INJURY. %0-Year-Old Tells Police Garage Door Fell on Him. 'WAR DEPARTMENT @he Foening Staf | . Society and General WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1930. FODTPRINTS FAIL 10 IDENTIFY BABY Police Search Gallinger Files in Vain Hunt for Child’s Parents Here. Police were making little headway | old “Robert V. Gordon,” found Monday | in an automobile in front of 1306 V those of several other babies born cently at Gallinger Hospital. Information in the hands of Head- quarters Detective John W. Wise led him to believe that young Robert might have been born at Gallinger. Accordingly, he went there yesterday and compared the foundling’s prints with those in the hospital's files. Selecting _several imj ons which seemed to resemble Robert’s, Detective Wise took them to headquarters for enmi;;flo& by Detective Fred Sand- berg, identification expert. The footprints on one record Wore a slight resemblance to those which the detectives had taken of Robert, and Sergt. went to interview the re- mother im question. He found her, however, with her new-born baby in arms. Meanwhile, the foundling, who was dubbed “Robert V. Gordon” by ly became a favorite to thrive at by William early Monday and later ital by Policeman Dewey A. Davis of No. 8 precinct. Detective James W. Casey, also of No. 8 precinct, has been assisting the o quarters officers with their investigation. o TO MAKE SHIFTS Several Offices Involved by Changes to Former Southern Rail- way Building, A section of the War Department will start in the new year tomorrow by camp, which it has occupied for years, for it will be moving day. Maj. V. L. Peterson, acting director of the office of public buildings and public parks, announced today that G-1, G-2 of the Army general staff, the office of the chief of chaplains, the inspector general's office and the office of the judge advocate general are in- volved in the change of quarters to the former Southern Railway Building, at Thirteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue. . Claiming to have been injured when | a garage door fell on him, William | Clawford, 70 years old, 301 H street | northeast, was found walking on Ridge street, near Fourth street, yesterday morning and taken by second precinct | ‘police to Emergency Hospital, where he | ‘was treated for cuts on the head and | hands. He told police the door of a| rage he had been repairing fell on Em. but officers sent to investigate were ‘unable to locate the garage. TWO SUFFER BURNS. Gasoline Explosion and Furnace Backfire Cause of Injuries. ‘While clean! clothing in his home Yyesterday Fred S. Skinner, 34 years old, of 3601 Nichols gvenue southeast, was seriously burned when the gasoline he ‘was using explloded. He was taken to Casualty Hospital and treated for burns on his face and hands. E. Elmore Rabbitt, 22 years old, of | 524 hth street northeast also re-| ceived burns yesterday when the fur-| nace in his home, into which he was stuffing paper, backfired. He was taken | to Casualty Hospital. | This change is made necessary partly by the fact that President Hoover has moved his executive offices into the State, War and Navy Building, but more generally because of the expand- ing needs of the State Department. The war plans division of the War Department has moved into the Barr Building and the American Battle Monuments Commission, of which Gen- John J. Pershing is chairman, has al- ready moved into the old Southern Railway Building. The War Depart- ment unit scheduled to move tomorrow will occupy the fifth and sixth floors of the old Southern Railway Bujlding, Maj. Peterson said. WILL TALK ON HAITI. Capt. John Houston Craig, Former Marine, to Deliver Address. Interesting experiences during long service in the West Indies will be drawn on by Capt. John Houston Craig in a bewx h::m;rrow r;ichz at t}:‘}s o'clock lore the National Geographic Societ; in the Washington Auditorium. He 'fl]; discuss “Haitl—the FEnigma of the! Indies.” Capt. Craig formerly served in the | Marines in Haiti and the Garde d’Halti. | ORIGINAL EARLY LADY BIRD Hunefeld Graciously Allows Hand First at Reception. ‘The “orginal early bird of these parts,” alas, did not get the worm yesterday. J. W. Hunefeld, 225 C street, whose claim to that title remains valid, yester- day found out for the second time in This life that the early bird gets the worm only when 1t's a lady bird. For, after rising at 5:30 o'clock in the morning, getting No. 1 position at ‘the White House gate and waiting there four long and weary hours to’be the first to greet President Hoover in the annual New Year public reception, Hunefeld was not the first, nor even the ®econd to greet the President. ‘The honors went to two members of the feminine sex, who arrived at the ‘White House gate at 10 o'clock yester- day morning, where, for two hours Hunefeld had valiantly held his post, welcomed newspaper reporters with a BIRD FINDS FIRST AFTER ALL | Women to Shake President’s Hunefeld had to be content with No. 3 gonmnn in the final scheme of things. t was Mrs. George A. Barrett, 1809 Kalorama road, who first shook the President’s hand at the public recep- tion through a combination of eircum- stances in which the feminine pre- rogative of preceding a mere man and the chivalrous attitude which once be- fore lost for Hunefeld the coveted No. 1 position played large parts. Hunefeld graciously allowed a friend of Mrs. Barrett also to precede him. “I'm & man alone—a widower,” Hume- feld confided among other things when anting his interview to reporters as e took up his stand at 8 o’clock yes- terday morning. “Twice before T've been first in this line, in 1926 and 1928. I'd have been first in 1927, but I let a lady have the place and was second in the line.” Hunefeld will continue to be an early bird, regardless of the fact that he is certain the only early bird is a lady ready written story, and posed proudly dor any and el camera men. bird. “I get up at 5:; street, by comparing his footprints with | ' today in their efforts to identify 3-week- | The footprints above, made for Gal- linger Hospital records, were compared by police with those of a foundling dubbed “Robert V. Gordon,” but they failed to identify “Robert V.” The lower picture is of “Robert V.” himself. —=Star Staff Photo. 1030 EMPLOYMENT SURVEY IS HOPEFUL Highway Department - Will! Add $3,483,000 to Private Wages. Steady employment is looked for in the District of Columbia during 1930 by | Francis 1. Jones, director general of the United States Employment Service. In a synopsis of employment condi- tions in Washington, as viewed by the Employment Service at the beginning of new year, Mr. Jones said a fairly satisfactory outlook prevails, although it is not believed that the volume of employment in 1930 will exceed that mufnwned in 1929 to any great extent. ‘The Federal building program will continue and will offer employment to a large number of skilled, as well as un- skilled, laborers, of whom a plentiful supply exists. What industrial estab- lishments are located in Washington should continue to engage their usual forces on full-time schedule, Mr. Jones said. The Highway Department of the Dis- trict of Columbia has more than $3- 483,000 available for road and street improvements. Private building projects to be undertaken during the year, Mr. Jones estimates, will involve an ex- penditure of nearly $40,000,000. No shortage of any class of labor is antici- pated. Maryland Outlook Bright. ‘The 1930 industrial-employment out- look in Maryland is regarded as brigh! with practically all localities anticipa ing sufficient employment for resident skilled workers and a possibility that there may be some increase in the de- mand for unskilled help. An increase in the volume of building is practically assured and resident building craftsmen should be well employed in all localities. All indications in Virginia point to existence of . satisfactory operations in the State during the year, with some improvement expected in the textile in- dustry and an active building program. Work on the erection of an airport at Norfolk should provide employment op- portunities for large numbers of men and much’ construction work is under way or contemplated at Richmond. The employment outlook for skilled and un- skilled labor is considered bright. ‘West Virginia Optimistic. An optimistic outlook prevails as re- gards employment in 1930 for West Vir- ginia. An increase in the volume of building and municipal improvements is expected and much work on road- ways will go forward. On employment prospects throughout the Nation, Mr. Jones said that even though industry receded and unemploy~ ment became pronounced toward the close of the year, the new year prom- ises to be a splendid employment year. “There will, however, be some unem- ployment, particularly among those who have passed the apparent discrimina- tory age of 45 years and also those who are not prepared to take advantage of the kinds and classes of opportunities presented,” he said. D. C. ENGINEER SUCCUMBS Sybert Warfield Hendrick, 49, Dies in Asheville S8anitorium. Sybert Warfleld Hendrick, 49 years old, contractor and construction engi- neer, of Washington, died last night in a sanitorium at Asheville, N. C. He was a native of Clarksville, Tenn., and came here 36 years ago. Mr. Hen- drick is survived by a brother, J.-T. Hendrick; his widow, Mrs. Helen Clem- entina Hill Hendrick, daughter of a so- clally prominent Virginia family; his mother, Mrs. Davis Stewart Hendrick, sr.; a brother, David Stewart Hen- drick, jr, and by three sisters, Mrs, E. D. nston of Baltimore, Mrs, Royal Thomas McKenna of Washington and Mrs. Franz von Match of Vienna, Austria, Funeral services will be held Saturday at the Church of the Covenant, with Dr. John D. Gregory officlating. Burial Ty morning, Sundays and all,” m’mfuu \ will be private in the National Cemetery at Arlingtome AUTOISTS WARNED AGAINST MARYLAND 1923 TAGS IN D.C. State Grants 31 Days’ Grace to Capital Motorists, but Asks Arrests Here. VIRGINIA CARS GET UNTIL JANUARY 15! 01d Dominion Agrees to Becognize; Washington Until February 1, Under Ney System. Motorists with 1929 Maryland license | | plates on their cars have been liable| to arrest in the District since midnight New Year eve on charges of driving with dead tags, in spite of the fact that | Maryland has granted 31 days' grace for District motorists to procure their 1930 tags, it was announced today by the Traffic Bureau. Maryland authorities have asked the | District not to recognize the 1929 Mary- | land license plates. ‘While there had been no arrests this morning, many motorists from the neighboring State have been warned | to get their 1930 tags on their cars or arrested. . Traffic Bureau officers have been stopping the Maryland cars | with 1929 licenses and warning the | drivers. Allowed Until the 15th. On a reciprocity agreement with Vir- ginia State highway officials, the Dis- trict officials will not regard 1929 Vir- ginia tags as dead until January 15, the Virginia motorists having until that | time to get their 1930 licenses. | Virginia also has agreed to recognize | the 1929 District tags until February 1, because of th: inauguration of the new system of tag issuance here. Maryland officials hold that the resi- dents of that State have had ample time to pay their tax and put their new plates on their cars, an din asking the District police to pick up drivers with 1929 Maryland tags have sought aid in enforcing their own law, which makes the old tags dead after December 31. $10 Minimum Penalty. ‘The charge of driving with dead tags involves a minimum penalty of a cash collateral of $10. Thirteen States besides Virginia have reciprocity agreements with the District, allowing various lengths of time for the motorists to secure their tags. Utah, in spite of asking the District to recognize its 1920 tags until March 30, announced in the same communica- tion that District motorists must have their new tags on by January 1. DR. SIMON TO ANSWER CRIME WAVE CHARGES Will Reply to Judge Nathan Cay- ton in Defense of Jewish People. Speaking on “Jewish Self-Criticism,” Dr. Abram Simon will take issue with charges made by Judge Nathan Cay- ton of Municipal Court recently, to- morrow night at 8 o'clock in the Eighth Street Temple. Dr. Simon announced today that he would elaborate in his address on his opinion that there is no Jewish crime wave, that the Jews have done their duty by their country in the past and that prohibition has taken no part in “the so-called increase of lawlessness.” VETERAN CUT BY DOOR REPORTED IMPROVED Madison L. Hill Undergoes Blood Transfusion Following Sever- ing of Artery. Marked improvement was shown to- day in the condition of Madison L. Hill, 47-year-old local attorney, injured early yesierday when pushed from behind | while leaving the Raleigh Hotel through a revolving door. Physicians at Emergency Hospital found a blood transfusion necessary be- cause of a severed artery. Both legs were badly cut by jagged glass. The patient was severely weakened by loss of blood. o As finance officer of the District De- artment of the American Legion, Hill widely known among ex-service men. | He is a veteran of the Spanish and | World wars. ROBBERS TAKE LOOT | VALUED AT NEAR $600 Three Washington Homes Made! Victims of Thieves. Who Steal Clothing and Jewels. Almost $600 worth of clothing, jewel: and other articles were stolen last night | from three Washington homes. The largest robbery reported to po- lice was at the apartment of Bryant C. Brown, 1631 Euclid street. He placed the value of the loot at more than $300. Charles W. Roman, 1831 Wiltberger street, told eighth precinct police that | thieves entered his home and took clothing, jewelry, a saxaphone and a re- | volver, valued at approximately $157. Eight radio tubes and several piec of jewelry were taken from the apa: ment of Mrs. Nellie Smith, 211 ware avenue southeast, she reported at | | fourth precinct. REPORTS ARE AWAITED: Dupont Circle Citizens Will Dis-| cuss Several Matters. Important reports by committees in- vestigating street car service, restriction | of parking automobiles and . preserva- tion of the woods along the Potomac for park purposes will be among the sev- eral subjects to be taken up at the next meeting of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, which meets Monday after- noon at 4:45 o'clock in the Jefferson room of the Mayflower Hotel. Admiral acting .president preside. LEGION HEA.D TO TALK. “The National Defense Policies of the American Legion” will be the subject of an addres st obe delivered by O. L. Bodenhamer, . national commander of the American n, before the Army War College Friday, January 10, at 9:10 am. . On the same evening Comdr. Boden- hamer will address the annual banquet of the National Sojgurners at the May- fiower Hotel. w. yard Rodgers. . of the assoclation, will EARLY CANDIDATES FOR DISTRICT AUTOMOBILE TAGS Above: The line which greeted early arriving clerks at the District Building Auto Tag Bureau this morning when the tags were put on sale. Below, left ht: William P. Storty, 2507 K chauffeur for Mrs. James La , and D. W. Graffius, 17 U street. Storty took up his position in a chair at 9:30 o'clock last night and was joined by Graffius at 1:30 this morning. —Star Staff Photo.s TAG SALE OPENS WITH 130 IN LINE Mrs. James La Fontaine’s| Chauffeur Waits From 9 P.M. to Be First. A crowd of approximately 150 per- sons was waiting this morning when the issuance of automobile license tags for 1930 began at 8:20 o'clock at the Dis- trict Building. At the head of the line was William P. Storty, 2507 K street, chauffeur for Mrs. James La Fontaine, who had been waiting since 9 o'clock last night. ‘The crowd was orderly and well be- haved. There was no pushing or trying to get in front of others in an effort to get the coveted low numbers. The first woman in line, Miss Betty ‘Whitfield of the Park Lane Apartments, arrived at the District Building about 3 o'clock this morning and found four men ahead of her. For the past three years she has been the first woman to whom a set of tags was issued. Storty's Second Year. ‘Today marked the second consecutive year Storty has obtained tag number E-1, the lowest license issued to a pri- vate motor vehicle. Year before last, Storty said. he would have gotten E-1, but the policeman handling the crowd started the line in the wrong place. Storty spent the night dozing in a chair. He came to the District Build- ing with applications for six sets of licenses, and the exact change for the | ayment of the taxes. This morning e had coffee and sandwiches sent him for breakfast. Second Position Surrendered. Second to arrive was Francis Mc- Daniel, 31 Q street northeast, who took his place in line about midnight. Due to a misunderstanding concerning the mmem of personal property tax on car, however, he surrendered his position but managed to get the fourth place in line. Tag No. E-2 was issued to Donald W. Graffius, 17 U street, who arrived about 1 o'clock this morning. None of those who waited hours for the low-numbered tag had any par- ticular reason for wanting them, but seemed to consider the race a gain and the single-number licenses a fetish. Only one set of tags was issued to each of the first 10 in line. Since most of them had applications for other licenses, these 10 were allowed to again file past the window from which the tags were being issued be- fore the others were issued tags. ACCORD ON COURTS ABOLITION IS SEEN Stimson Says Study of Note Shows China in Agreement With United States. By the Assoctated Press. Secretary Stimson said today that a study of the recent Chinese proclama- tion on extraterritoriality showed that government to be in accord with the American position on abolition of these rights. Reports from China that the action of the Nanking government was taken to end all extraterritorial rights on January 1, Mr. Stimsop said, were not borne out by the text of proclama- tion, which he interpreted to mean that the chinese wished January 1 to be the | starting point for gradual elimination of the extraterritorial rights of the for- elgn powers. This, he said, was exactly in keeping with the conversations which have been conducted in Washington between the State Department and Minister of i China. These conversations will continue even during the period that Mr. Stim- son is in London attending the Naval . CONTRACTORS FILE WHITE HOUSE BIDS Six bidders, of which the €. H. Tompkins Co. of Washington was the lowest with the offer to do the job for $74,880 in 90 days, today séught the contract for repairing the White House executive offices burned in a Christmas eve fire, 2 . J. C. Mehaffey, assistant to Lleut. Col. U. 8. Grant, 3d, director of the Office of Public Buildings and Pub- lic Parks, who is directly responsible to President Hoover for the upkeep of the White House, supervised the open- ing of bids at the Navy Department Building and immediately afterward ar- ranged to wire Col. Grant, who is tak- ing a short vacation at Clinton, N. Y. The contract will likely be awarded when word is received from Col. Grant. The executive offices will, when re- constructed, be of fireproof material, save for the floors and partitions of the first floor. The contract calls for reinforced con- crete and steel construction for the roof and also fer fireproof construction under the main walting room. Lack 0{ Cashiers M BY DAN DE SOUZA. It took me 2 hours and 31 minutes to buy an automobile tag today—and I was one of the lucky ones at that. I presented myself at the end of the proper line at exactly 9 o'clock. At 11:31 o'clock I proudly shouldered my way through the mob at the end of the line with E-1175. Since the dis- tribution started with E-1 at 8:30 a.m,, a little arithmetic will show that they are being distributed at the rate of a trifle more than six tags per minute. The end of the first line at 9 o'clock was in the corridor at_the southeast corner of the building. It wound itself around by slow stages, and in 50 min- utes I reached the desk where the blanks were to be filled out. I duly filled mine out, had the car valued, and got at the end of the second line. Pursued Winding Course. ‘This was at the northeast corner of the building. It had to wind itself down to the southeast corner, around the short corridor going west to the Water Registrar's office, back to the north-and-south corridor and thence north to the elevators. Then went west to the Fourteenth street entrance to the District Building, south to the south- west corner of the building, east again to the cashler's desks where the number was stamped on my blank, and then east to the end of the long desk where my tag was given to me. By the time I got to the Fourteenth street entrance I realized how lucky I was. If I had started to get my tag at 10 o'clock, I would have been com- pelled to go out into Fourteenth street to get to the end of my second line after a wait in Thirteen-and-a-half street to get into the first. The two main causes of the intoler- able slowness seemed to be that only two cashlers were on duty during the first hour. A third was then placed 4 line, but this helped very little. It seemed that there should have been at least six or seven. The snappiest part of the whole business was getting the tag after the number had been stamped. The clerks on that duty could have handled the work had it come their way three or four times as fast. Many in Wrong Line. ‘With the lines doubled and redoubled | as they were, many unfortunates stood in the wrong line for hours, only to be thrown out at the psychological mo- ment and sent hunting for the end of the right line. - A dozen policemen were on hand to augment the full force of the guards of the huilding to guide the tag seekers to the right places. They did their perspiring best, but the mcb and the slow work of stamping the | tags made their task a tough one. The second cause of the slowness was | that many hundreds of persons had filled out their blanks and secured vi uatiops on their cars previous to tod: These formed a long line in front of the cashier’s windows and when those who arrived today succeeded in having their cars valued, they had to get to the end of that line. That made it very nice for those in the first line, but didn't help the second line at all. There was more confusion beceuse only pleasure car tags were issued cn the ground floor, and those seeking tags for ‘taxis, ‘busses, trucks and motor cycles were sent up to the first foor. Immediately in front of me for 50 minutes stood a taxi driver, waiting to get his taxi valued. When he arrived at the valuation desk, he found & sign telling him he <hould be upstairs. His language was forceful and extremely pl;:;:reaque. but nobody seemed to mind. Few Women in Line. About nine tenths of those in the lines were mien. The women, many of them gray-haired, stood the long wait patiently. One had a little 3-year-old girl with her, who stood still casionally _shuffied forward a incl with her mother with angelic patience. The building's enthusiastic stokers had the radiators which line the hall up to @fput 250 degrees. It was neces- sary fofevery one to make long waits TWO HOURS AND 31 MINUTES REQUIRED TO BUY AUTO TAGS ain Cause for Delay as Purchasers Wind Way Through Corridors. against these, and get thoroughly roast- ed. At other times they were call on to wait beside open doors with cold blasts of air on their backs. When I got to the end of the line, I met Wade Coombs, superintendent of licenses. “How long have you been in line?” e asked. & “Two hours and thirty minutes” “Well,” he sald, “that's not so bad.” $35,348 TAX RETURNED TO ELECTRIC COMPANY Refund Results from Overassess- ment of Income and Property for Year of 1918, The National Electric Supply Co. of this city has been awarded a refund of taxes in the amount of $35,348.08, it was announced today by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Treasury Department. The refund was paid to the company as a result of a decision in which it was held that there has been an “over- assessment, of income and property taxes” for the year 1918, GOVERNMENT RN,FUNCES CIVIL SERVICE VACANCIES Examinations to Be Held in Seven Branches of Federal De- partments. Open competitive examinations for positions in at least seven branches of | the Government have been announced he F street, as follows: Hospital librarian, hospitals of the Veterans' Bureau throughout the coun- try, $1,800 a year. Matron, $1,200 a year; assistant ma- tron, $1,080 a vear, and girls' adviser, $1,500 to $1,860 a year,” Indian Field Service. Associate aquatic biologist, $3,200 to $3.700 a year; assistant aquatic biologist, :3{:20 to $3,100 a year, Bureau of Fish- Senior radio electrician, $2,000 to $2,500 a year; radio electrician, $1,800 t0 $2,100 a year, and junior radio oper- ator, $1,620 to $1,920 a year, Airway: Division, Lighthouse Service. for various sections of ‘the countr: cluding the District of Columbia, Junior home economics specialist (foods and nutrition), $2,000 to $2,500 & year, Bureau of Home Economics, De- partment of Agriculture. Junior scientific positions requiring agricultural college training, $2,000 to | $2.500 a year, Department of Agricul- ure. | Special agricultural writer, $4,600 & year, Department of Agriculture. by the Civil Service Commission, 1724 Immigrant inspector, $2,100 a year, | PAGE B—1 TURNIG OF BT INTD CEREMONAL AVENUE 1S BEGUN 80-Foot Boulevard Will Ex- tend From Capitol to Memorial Bridge. ELMS WIEI; LINE CURB WHEN WORK IS FINISHED Widening of Street Designed to Accommodate Platoon Front in Military Parades. The first step in making B street into_the great ceremonial avenue of the National Capital, from the Capitol Building to the Arlington Memorial Bridge, was started today with the cutting down of trees between Four- teenth and Seventeenth streets on the south side, that are in the way of the ambitious development. Officials of the office of public build- ings and public parks, who are having the work done, explained that the Dis- trict government has agreed to take down the trees on the north side of B street. About 30 trees are involved in the program on the south side of the street, Charles Henlock, chief of the horticultural division of the office of public buildings and public parks, is in charge of the work which necessitates the closing of B street to traffic directly east of Seventeenth street. When completely widened B street will have a maximum width of 80 feet. ‘apt. E. N. Chisolm, jr. engineer of the National Capital Park and Plan- ning Commission, and Charles W. Eliot, 2d, its city planner, explained today the plans that have been worked out for the development of B street. Street Will Be 80 Feet Wide. Between the Senate Office Building and Pennsylvania avenue, the. present south curb will be kept in place and widening will be to the northward, the street being 72 feet wide at that point. The street will be 80 feet wide from the intersection with the new avenue from the Union Station to the Mall, at a point about the present Second street, down to Virginia avenue. B street will again be 72 feet wide from Virginia avenue to the Potomac River. Capt. Chisolm and Mr. Eliot ex- plained that the width of 72 feet was arrived at because it will take an even number of trafic lanes and will like- wise accommodate a platoon front of service' men in a parade, for it is con- templated that the B street of thc future will be the great parade ground for funerals and parades from the Union Station down B street, acros: Arlington Bridge to Arlington National Cemetery. For this reason, the width of B street has been designed with rei- erence to a military parade, The widening of B street will be part- Iy on the north side and partly on the south side, and the two experts of th National Capital Park and Plann Commission e: ined that this is nec essary in order to straighten the pres- ent street. Between the Senate Office Building and Pennsylvania avenue th- present south curb will remain anc widening will be to the north. The street will cut through the St. James Hotel, at Sixth street and Pennsylvania avenue, this property having been pur- chased recently by the Government. Between Sixth and Seventh streets the present north curb will be held and Widening will be on the south side. Be- tween Seventh and Ninth streets the present south curb will be maintained and widening will be accomplished on the north side. Between Ninth street and Vi ia avenue the present north curb will be undisturbed and widening will be done on the south side, Elms to Line Highway. From Virginia avenue west, down i the Potomac River, widening will be done on both sides of B street. Mr. Eliot pointed out that the whlc'; :re whbe cut down will moved in such a way as to permit the big elms in the Washington finnument Grounds to become the tree lining at th;t('arb of the widened street. necessary to remove the lar trees at this time, he said, for thepzor?ph reasons that the trees are dead or de- caving, that they are dangerous by rea- son of being likely to be toppled over by storms, and that they are in the way of the great construction work that is an important link in the beautifica- tion program of the National Capital. | VERTIGO VIC poplars be re- TIM INJURED. Fractured Skull May Be Result of Fall From Porch. Albert M. Jamacan, 70 years old, of 118 G street southwest is'in a serious condition at Casualty Hospital as a re- sult of a fall yesterday when he was stricken with an attack of vertigo while standing on the front porch of his home. His head struck the pavement at the bottom of a short flight of steps. Hos- pital physiclans say his skull may be fractured. BUILDING RECORDS DROP. | Special Dispateh to The Star. ROCKVILLE, Md., January 2.—Berry . Clark, clerk, Tuesday afternoon | presented to the county commissioners At their weekly meeting here a state- ment showing that 449 building per- | mits were 1ssued in Montgomery County | during the year 1929 and that the esti | mated cost of construction thereunder | was $2,550.085. The num| of the proi | tion_estimat for 1928. of permits fell 90 short o vear, while construc- Te $705,705 less than | Saws Off Topmost Branches One more attempt to solve the bafing starling problem was under way today. Clifford Lanham, superintendent of trees and parkings, has spent years in considering the problem. His observa- tions showed that the starl selects the very topmost branches of his trees in which to roost. From this observa- tion it was an easy step to the conclu- sion that if he cut off,the topmost branches the starlings would have no place to roost. Accordingly he selected eight oriental lane trees in the neighborhood of Pu- laski Square, where the birds do their greatest damage, and instructed his men to cut off five or six ##ét of the tender wood at the top. 'PARK SUPERINTENDENT TRYING NEW SCHEME TO OUTWIT BIRDS of Starlings’ Favorite Roosts, Oriental Plane Trees in Pulaski Square. The experiment was completed today and .t remains for tonight to show how 1t works. In any case, Mr. Lanham observed today, no harm would be done, Cut- ting out the crown of the trees would be a great benefit to them, he said. The topmost branches are those which attract the sycamore locust, an insect Which feeds on the tender wood and causes various tree diseases. F street merchants several days ago complained to the Commissioners, that the starlings now were roosting in the tops of their buildings. Mr. Lanham's remedy being obviously impossible in this case, the merchants today wer speculating on a wholesale exodus trol; Pennsylvania avenue to F street.