Evening Star Newspaper, April 16, 1930, Page 17

Washington News DISTRICT SCHOOLS COMPLETE LIST OF CRATORY WINNERS Miss Dorothy Zepp Is Named to Represent Business High in Finals. SECOND-PLACE AWARD GIVEN RUTH L. BYRD Eileen Haltigan, Daughter of House Reading Clerk, Represents St. Paul's Academy. ‘The list of contestants from the local high schools was completed this morn- ing when Dorothy M. Zepp, 17-year-old junior, was chosen to represent Business High School on The Star area finals of the National Oratorical Contest. Only orators of the Maryland, Virginia 'and private and parochial districts remain to be picked. ‘The contest this morning in the au- ditorium at Business High was partici- pated in by three speakers, two girls and a boy, who delivered their orations before the entire student body. i p in her prepared speech @he Foening Stap WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, APRIL Reproduction of Clas ep) discussed “The Liberty Offered to the Forelgner by the Constitution of the | United States and in her extemporane- ous address told of the significance of the designation of America as a “great melting pot.” During the course of both orations she pictured the Constitution as the force welding together and de- veloping into a Nation the various re- ligious, racial and cultural elements of our population. Graduates Next Year. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs, Carroll 8. Zepp of 4918 Illinois avenue. DOROTHY ZEPP. Mr. Zepp is a policeman. Following her graduation from high school next year Miss Zepp expects to up steno- graphic work. | Second place was awarded to Ruth L. Byrd, 15, who spoke on the subjects, “The Constitution: Its Privileges to the Youth of Today” and “The Significance of Calling the First Ten Amendments the ‘Bill of Rights.’” The third orator, Fred E. Schaeffer, 17, discussed in his prepared speech “The Significance of the Constitution™ and explained in his extemporaneous address “How the Rights of Mankind Are Expressed in the Constitution.” Principal Alan Davis presided and in- troduced the speakers. The judges were Mrs. Gertrude McClintock of the | Americanization School, James Kirk- land, an assistant United States district attorney, and Alfred hy, local real estate’ operator. The latter two are alumni of the school. Eileen Haltigan Wins. [ Eileen Haltifian, 18-year-old daugh- ter of Patrick g Haltigan, the reading elerk of the’ ‘ of Representatives, was selected yesterday afternoon by & score of Georgetown University stu- dents, acting as judges, to represent the second up of the private and paro- chial !cgoofl]l of the city in later elimi- nations of the National Oratorical Con- ‘The - ,‘hzl?'ln Gaston wfl:é_l 'niversity, was con! :3 clou;; there being little to choose between the four girl orators who took Miss Haltigan, who represented St. Paul’s Academy, spoke with composure and reserve before an audience com- posed of the students of the competing schools which filled the auditorium. Her subject was “The Citizen; His Privileges and Duties Under the Constittuion.” Second place was awarded to Eleanor M. mmnr&. 16 mr; ol'db:kf the swred"n“ Heart Academy, who e on Constitution; l. Guaranty of Liberty for the Individual” Other orators and the subjects of their orations were Mary Smith of St. Patrick’s Academy, “Unity,, the Key- stone of the Constitution,” and Blanche Lee Lyddane, Holy Trinity High School, “The Origin of the Constitution.” Plans Business Career. “The winner resides at 1860 California She is a senior at the academy, street. and following her graduation in June she intends to pursue & business career. Rev, John J. Toohey, 8. J., of - town University presided and prr%&d the speake ers. The jydges were student members of the Philodemic Society, old- est college debating organization in the United States. nzllcttxhvoud by"'rmgn ballot, rating all of the speakers. Music wnl'.l furnished by the Holy Trinity School Orchestra. SHOE MEN WILL STRESS PROPER GARE OF FEET Retailers Here Arrange Plans for Participation in National Foot Health Week. Plans for local' participation in *national Foot-heaith week,” beginning ‘Monday, were completed yesterday by the Washington Shoe Retailers’ Asso- ciation and an educational program out- lined to impress the public with the necessity of proper. care of the feet. “Poot-health week,” from ' April 21 to 26, sponsored throughout the coun- try by the committee for the promotion of foot health, has the indorsement of public welfare organizations, chirop- odists and physicians. Speakers at yesterday's meeting in the Harrington Hotel pointed out that surveys among school children between the ages of 8 and 14 years revealed that about 75 per cent of them had more or less defective feet. Most of the defects, the speaker said, ean be corrected if treatment is not delayed too long. PLAN EASTER BANQUET Buddah Chapter Will Celebrate With Ritualistic Exercises. undy Thursday and Easter will be e‘l‘l::rl':’d by Buddah Chapter, No. 1, Rose Croix, under auspices of Jonathan Davis Consistory, No. 1, Ancient and d Scottish Rite, for the Southemn Jurisdiction, with a banquet tomorrow night, after ritualistic exercises, at Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1633 Eleventh street, and at Lincoln Congregational Church Sunday morning, followed by Easter breakfast at the cathedral. Ladies of the Golden Circle will be guests at the breakfast. . THIEF TAKES JEWELRY Knocking the glass from the basement door of Mae A. Schnurr’s residence, at 1340 Quincy place, a thief entered the house and made off with more than 1250 worth of jewelry during the fam- ’s absence last night. The loot, De- EILEEN HALTIGAN. BAS MERGER 0. K. WILL BE REPORTED Senate District Committee Favers Plan to Consolidate Local Companies. A favorable report én the bill to con- solidate the Washington and George- town Gas Light Companies will be recommended by members of the Sen- ate District committee who conducted a public hearing on the measure yesterday afternoon, subject to a poll of absent | members of the committee. Frederick 8. Burroughs and Attorney | Wilton J. Lambert, who explained the bill on behalf of the companies, repeated the ‘prediction made before the Public Utilities Commisison that the merger would be followed by & cut of about 10 per cent in the price of gas. Opposition to the bill was expressed by Evan H. Tucker, president of the Northeast Washington Citizens’ Associa- tion and by C. C. Mayer, an individual. | Commission Urges Passage. ‘The Utilities Commission, through Chairman Patrick, recommended pas- sage of the bill. Gen. Patrick said the | commisison decided following its own hearing that the rights of all, including the public, were protected by the bill. Richrhond B. Keech, people’s counsel, also approved ‘the measure. Senator Capper, chairman of the committee, and Senator Robsion of Ken- tucky, .questioned ' Lambert and Bur- roushs regarding recent purchase of local gas stock by a group of new own- ers, inquiting in detail about the price | of the stock. Mr. Lambert told the committee that since 1928 a group of bankers have acquired 108,000 shares of the local gas stock, which is held by the Seaboard Investment Trust. Answering inquiries by Senator Capper, Mr. Lambert said the market value of the stock in 1928 was about $75 or $80 a share, ‘and that Iast ‘Summer purchases were made at | Mr. Burroughs, treasurer of the | Seaboard Investment Trust, said his assoclates considered Washington a splendid mnrkit for use of gas, and ;law a possibility of increasing its use ere. price of the stack, Mr. Burroughs said he found it could not be bought cheaper. Holds Duplication Expensive, Mr. Lambert sald the Washington { company already owns the stock of the Georgetown company, and Mr. Bur- roughs explained it was felt that there is an unnecessary duplication of ex- pense in maintaining a separate George- town company. He saild there may be a saving of $50,000 a year through con- solidation. Mr. Burroughs also told | the committee consideration was being | given to bringing natural gas into | Washington, or of develog:n‘ a by- product plant. He said tl company will seek to earn its return by reducing ;utu and incregsing the volume of ess. Mr. Tucker sald his association had dhhp?mcd the merger bill on a belief that it is not in the interest of citizens of Wllhlnmn, He said it was the understand! of his association that most of the District is served by the Washington company, but that the | Georgetown wmgmy has outlying ex- | tensions. He took the view they should be_kept separate. ‘The Senate committee also had ex- pected to hold a hearing yesterday on the bill to give the Utilities Commission tective Sergt. Willlam Messer was told ‘when hzwltnvuuz-ud, included five e} iord o hronclet broader powers in the taxi- cab Ivuallv;:u in Lhe"”lf\ct.‘vhuc post- Toh un GREY-HAIRED “STUDENTS" ' ARE BUSY “SEEING™ CAPITAL at Interior Department Tomorrow Night by North Carolinians. | adopted a definite’ program and stuck |to it over a period of years, whereas so, |to accomplish miracles overnight and $125 a share. | Discussing .the increase in the, s Scene Will Be Given BY THOMAS R. HENRY. A real life drama, with 100 actors, will be presented at the Interior De- partment auditorium tomorrow night. It will be a reproduction of a school robm scene—reading, writing, spelling, singing and arithmetic—from the moun- tain schools of Buncombe County, N. C. ‘The school boys and school girls, in common with thousands of others from all parts of the country, have come to Washington on an Easter vacation trip to shake hands with the President and see the cherry blossoms. But some of the “boys” have white hair and some of the “girls” are grandmothers. The average age is 30 years, and it is the first time many of them ever have been out of the mountains. ‘Best Scholars Won Trip. The best “scholars” were awarded this free trip to the National Capital. Com- petition was keen between children and adults, for in Buncombe County every- body is & schoolboy or schoolgirl. They represent, according to Dr. L. R. Alder- man of the Bureau of Education. prob- gbly the world’s most successful ex- periment in the education of illiterate adults. They are coming in their school clothes, ready to say their lessons just as they say them in the school back home. Coming over the road by truck, they will stay at the tourist camp in Potomac Park and plan to put in a busy few days “seeing Washington.” With typical mountaineer independence, they are not at all embarrassed at the pros- pect of meeting the President and tell- ing him how they turned to reading and writing, many of them in the afternoon of life. Their experience fits ideally into Mr. Hoover’s plans for wip- ing out the disgrace of adult illiteracy in the United States. Exhihit A for Educators. The “scholars” are accompanied to Washington by Mrs. Elizabeth Morriss, chairman’ of the State Commission on Adult Tlliteracy, whose 10-year effort is largely responsible for their progress. Today Buncombe County is exhibit A for all educators who insist that adults can be taught to read and write with- out great expense and without interfer- ing with their livelthood. Buncombe County lies in the moun- tains above Asheville. It never had lost touch with civilization. as had some of the mountain communities farther back, but the schools were few and far between, the majority of the people were illiterate, and they had no great respect for “book learning.” Mrs. Morriss faced what seemed to be a ilu-' couraging situation. She succeeded, says Dr. Alderman, largely because she| many adult education projects expect | are spasmodic, with frequent changes of plan and leaders. Adults Followed Children. The first step was to go among the isolated clusters of log cabins on the mountainsides and bring in the chil- dren, who under the State law must attend school. They had to be kept in school regularly until they began to accomplish something. Then, following them into the homes, gradually the adults became interested. A few at d| time, they drifted to the schools. Spe- cial classes were established for them, with reading. writing and arithmetic lessons on adult experience. Adult men and women were not asked to think in terms of dolls, but of pigs and potatoes. They had to be followed up day after day and kept at it. The result is that ost complete illiteracy has been replaced by almost complete literacy. There were more than 7,000 adults, mostly white, who could not read and write when the ex- periment started. It was almost the entire population of the rural sections of the county, Today all but 1 per cent have been educated. The attitude toward book learning has been changed from one of contempt to pride. . They still dwell in the little log cabins, but| these have been enlarged and the home | surroundings greatly improved. 100 Lessons in First Course. ‘The preliminary course for adults consists of 100 lessons. At the end of the first grade the pupil can read and write all the letters, with name, ad- dress and short sentences. He also can change print to script, spell 50 words, write and read the numbers up to 1,000 ll'lld do simple addition involving car- rying. At the end of the second-grade course the pypil can write both a short per- sonal ® and business letter, ordering something from a store; read the sec- ond reader. spell 150 words, read and write numbers to 10,000 and subtract numbers of five or six figures involving the arithmetical principle of “borrow- ing.” At the end of the third grade he can read passages from the Bible and from a newspaper, recognize and write figures up to 1,000,000 and do long division of three-figure numbers into those with six or seven figures. May Continue Work. At this point the adult is considered “literate.” Provisions are made, how- ever, for continuing the education if the student cares to go on. Most of the students display keen intelligence, de- spite the long lack of opportunity. The Buncombe County mountaineers, says Dr. Alderman, are affected much more prafoundly by their experience than merely becoming able to read and write. Folks age rapidly under the hard living conditions of the mountains, but the schools have made them children | at heart again, competing for and look- ing forward to the Washington trip with all the eagerness of girls and boys in_their teens. The trip to Washington is a part of | their education. A special text book, iwxm reading, writing and arithmetic lessons, has been made up, based on what they will see here. —_——— ASSOCIATION TO MEET Michigan Park Citizens Urged to Attend Session Tonight. Ralph Endicott, president of the Michigan Park Citizens’ Association, today called upon residents in his area to attend the meeting of the association to be held at 3912 Twelfth street north- east, this evening at 8 o'clock. “You well know some of the projects now being sought—a playground, fully equipped for the benefit of the many children in this area; the elimination of the grade crossing on Michigan avenue, which, if accomplished, will mean much to each of you; the procurement of a new fire truck company to serve the section; the planting of trees on all streets, etc.,” the call for the meeting asserted. o Child Hurt by Passing Truck. Mildred Harrls, 6 years old, of the 300 block of K street escaped with minor cuts and bruises late yesterday after- noon when & truck driven by Fred Marshall of the 1300 block of D street n , struck her at Third and M e eaethwest RECREATION PLANS 10 BE CONSIDERED BYD. C. PARK GROUP Landscape Architect to Pre- sent Layout for Brook- land Center. FUTURE OF ZOOLOGICAL PARK ALSO COMING UP Proposal to Bring Dewey’s Flag- ship Here on Calendar of Commission. ‘The National Capital Park and Plan- ning Commission will be asked at its meeting on Friday to approve the first of a series of recreation centers over the city in a program designed to utilize a_combination of school buildings and playgrounds. A map and detailed re- port on the Brookland recreation center, prepared by C. L. Wirth, landscape architect of the commission, will be laid before the commission, and, if approved, will be forwarded to the Dis- trict Commissioners and the municipal architect, as well as the school board, for approval. ‘The Brookland recreation center, to be located on South Dakota avenue, Otis street, Queens Chapel road and Eighteenth street, would be developed in conjunction with the proposed new junior high school to be built in the area near where the extension of Quincy street would intersect at Eight- eenth street. The Wirth plan calls for one area for major sports, another for basket ball and minor sports, a swim- ming pool and bath houses, a wading pool, croquet courts, facilities for horse- shoe pitching, three tennis courts and a small children’s playground back of the proposed new junior high school. Entails Trading Land. ‘The new school building would face the playground area, under the pro- gram, which contemplates economy of land and -extensive recreational facili- ties for the children. A swap of small parcels of land would be entailed in the development. The pending District appropriation bill would authorize the appropriation of $14,000 for the im- provement of the Brookland recreation center. Another major project to be consid- ered by the commission at its one-day April meeting is the general question of what is to be the future of the Na- tional Zoological Park in Rock Creek Park Expansion programs are being considered, as well as the proposal to provide for a.through highway to en- able motorists to get through the Zoo grounds to and from the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. More adequate approaches to the Zoo will be consid- ered and the commission is expected to g0 into the whole general question of what program it desires to map out. The committee on standard paving widths for different types of develop- ment is expected to make a report. This committee consists of the two commis- sion members, J. C. Nichols of Kansas City, Mo., and Frederick Law Olmsted of Brookline, Mass. This report will be in the nature of a preliminary program, it was explained today by Charles W. Eliot, 2d, city planner of the commis- sion. Engineer’s Report. Capt. E. N. Chisolm, jr., the com- mission’s engineer, will bring to the attention of the commission the pro- posal now pending in Congress to pur- chase a portion of the Dean tract at the conjunction of Florida and Con- necticut avenues. It is proposed to develop this for park purposes, particu- larly along Connecticut avenue. ‘The legislative proposal to bring the U. 8. 8. Olympia, the famous flagship of Admiral Dewey, to Washington will be considered, and in this connection a report by the co-ordimating commit- tee on the subject will be laid before the commission by Capt. Chisolm. This report has not as yet been made public. The report of the Board of Trade committee on streets and avenues will be considered by the commission. Dur- ing the past seven weeks this commit- tee has been co-operating with the in- terested authorities on a thoroughfare development plan and this is now ready to be submitted to the commissioners, to the Board of Trade and to the District Commissioners. TALKS ON ELECTRICITY ‘The importance of adequate qualifica- tions for the electrical engineering pro- fessfon and the value of fundamentdl knowledge, or theory, in worthwhile electrical work were stressed by E. W. Bond, secretary-treasurer of the Bliss Electrical School of Takoma Park, D. C., addressing the vocational guidance committee of the Kiwanis Club yester- day. His talk was broadcast over sta- tion WRC at 5:45 o'clock. 16, 1930. MOTHERS START PLANS FOR SUMMER Society and General “ROUND-UP” Upper: Members of the District of Columbia Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associations who met at the Burlington yesterday and started to work on the campaign which will open on May 1 to correct physical de- fects in school children. Lower: Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter, pres- ident of the congress, and Mrs. Walter C. Jones, chairman of the convention to be held here April 22-23. —Star Staft Photo OBECTS TOWONE ASGRAND RORS Attorney Mackey, in Court Plea, Holds They Are In- eligible for Service. Special emphasis is laid on the ineli- gibility of women to serve as grand jurors in a plea in abatement flled by Attorney Crandal Mackey on behalf of Policeman Ardie Swortzell and John Elgin, who, with James Crotts, weie recently indicted for an alleged con- spiracy to extort: money from two women. The lawyer claims that the act giving women the right to sit on petit juries did not include grand jury service and points to State laws which specifically provide for grand jury service for wom- en in addition to trial jury service. In the absence of such special legis- lation, he asserts, women have been held by State courts to be ineligible for grand jury service. . The point was raised in the appel- late court, in the murder appeal cf Malcolm Howard, but was disregarded because not raised before the conviction of Howard. . A number of other ‘objections are contained in the plea in abatement in- cluding the presence in the grand jury room during the taking of testimony of a deputy United States marshal. A similar motion has been filed by Attorney Raymond Neudecker on be- half of Crotts, who was shot by 8. F. Gravelly, a detective of the third pre- cinct, in front of the home of one of the women whom he is said to have been attempting to “shake down.” LETTERMAN INQUIRY DELAYED FOR WEEK Mrs. leck Harmon, One of Com- plainants, Ill and Unable to Appear Today. ‘The Police Trial Board this morning continued until next Wednesday the hearing of charges against Sergt. Oscar J. Letterman, head of the vice squad, which grew out of Letterman's war- rantless raid on the § street apartment :; Mr. and Mrs. Eleck Harmon March At the request of Mrs. Harmon, who was reported ill and unable to appear, the trial board advised witnesses to ap- pear again Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon are complainants against Let- terman, charging that his raid on their premises was unjustified. Letterman explained to his superior officers that he went to the apartment in search of & man for whom he had a warrant, and that while there he no- ticed a quantity of alleged liquor, which he confiscated. vaged from articles turned over to :ah um_m.mtchnlm. Here, Jerry “Uncle Sam” Lost As Army Messenger Test Proves Success By the Associated Press. “Uncle Sam,” a special Army messenger, is missing at sea be- cause of an experiment which the authorities view as satisfactory. “Uncle Sam” is, or perhaps was, a fleet carrier pigeon. With a companion, “Doughboy, jr.,” he was released last Saturday from the deck of a transport bound from New York to the Philip- pines to carry a message that the radio was out and the ship sink- ing—just an experiment, of course. “Doughboy, jr.” checked in, but not “Uncle Sam.” The War Department announces satisfac- tory results in “an experiment in fl;e promotion of safety of life at sea.” ADVERTISER GROUP PLANNING PARLEY i pected Here to Attend Fed- eration Convention. Five thousand delegates are expected |to attend the twenty-sixth convention |here mext month of the Advertising Federation of America, it was an- nounced yesterday at a meeting of the Washington Advertising Club in the National Press Club Building. Delegates are expected from South America, Mexico and Canada, as well |as from most of the clubs in this country. | Chairmen of the various convention | subcommittees of the Washington or- ganization, who will act as host to the visitors, were presented at yesterday's meeting by President Ernest S. John- ston. James W. S. Hardy, chairman of the reception committee, announced that his committee will establish offices at Union Station and the Willard Hotel, the con- vention headquarters. Highway entrances will bear words of Feetmg. It also was decided to simi- arly prepare air flelds, on learn| that 75 women will come to Washington from Philadelphia via airplanes. Most of the delegates are expected to reach the city May 17. An elaborate program of entertain- ment is being planned to supplement the business sessions. James Rotto, first vice president of the Washington organization; President Johnston and Col. Leroy W. Herron constitute the executive committee. and will be distributed are choosing their Rtar Gtaf Dhatn, Five Thousand Delegates Ex- | REGIMENTAL DRILL SET FOR TOMORROW +Annual Competition Between School Cadets Will Be Held at Wilson Stadium. The annual competitive regimental drill of the Washington High School Cadet Corps will be held in Wilson Stadium at Central High School at 3:30 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. At the same time trophies of three previous cadet competitions held this year will be presented the winning organizations and their commanding officers. ‘The drill will be launched when the Central High School unit takes the fleld, under command of Lieut. Col. John P. Wiley. The 2d Regiment of McKinley High, under command of Lieut. Col. Enlow Carter, will next take the field, followed by the 3d Regiment of Eastern, under Lieut. Col. Lewis W. McGruder, and the Western High Regiment, under Lieut. Col. Joseph W. Keating. The { winning regiment will receive the Mili- tary Instructors’ Silver Cup, while its commander will be awarded a gold medal. Judges will be Maj. Thomson Lawrence, Capt. Alexander R. Bolling, First Lieut. James C. White and Second %fie\é:.y Thomas H. Allen, all of the In- antry. Ballou to Present Awards. Awards for previous competitions will be presented by Dr. Frank W. Ballou, superintendenit of schools. Company I of Business High School, victor in the recent war game series, will receive the Gen. Anton Stephan silver cup, | while_its wmmsndlnf officer, Lieut. Russell Settle, will receive a gold medal. Central's first regimental band will be presented with the Military Instruc- tors’ silver cup, and its officer, Capt. George W. Bogikes, will receive a gold medal. This organization won the an- nual band competition. McKinley High School’s 2d Battalion of the 2d Regiment, victor in the an- nual battalion drill competition, will receive the Col. Craigie silver cup, given by Lieut. Col. Wallace M. Craigie, professor of military science and tactics in the schools. Maj. Edward Gibbs, commander of the McKinley battslion, will be presented with a gold medal. Hold Company Drill Next Month. All the gold medals to be given | commanding officers of the various regiments tomorrow were purchased | from funds remaining from moneys re- ceived through the annual company competitive drill at the ball park last Spring. & The annual company competitive drill this year, star attraction of the cadet activities for the year, will be held as usual at the American League Park next month. SO NOISE OF AIRPLANES NEAR CEMETERY HIT Legion Post Protests Location of Temporary Airports Near Arlington. Chnrxt:fnthlt airplanes from tempo- rary landing flelds nearby frequently interrupt ceremonies and annoy officials participati in exercises in Arlington Cemetery, orge Washington Post of the American Legion, went on record last night against establishment of a municipal airport in the cemetery vicin- ity and recommended that the present flelds there be abandoned. The resolution pointed out that the roposed airport would.cause a concen- ation of air traffic near the cemetery and would serve “to multiply and in- tensify the annoyances necessarily re- sulting from the noise and confusion.” ‘The resolution, copies of which were sent to the District and National head- quarters of the Legion, to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, as well as to the two District com- mittees of Congress, was offered by Ho‘t"rd 8. PFisk, past commander of the post. G. W. U. DEBATERS LOSE TO GROUP FROM BOSTON First Defeat of Season for Local Team—Vote Is 2tol. George Washington University de- baters were defeated last night by a team from Boston University when it contended that “the nations of the world should adopt a policy of complete disarmament, except such forces as are needed for police purposes.” The vote of the judges was 2 to 1 in favor of ‘g" lelltyom It was the first loss for George Wi ’s debaters were Andrew Howard, Robert Parsons and Hearst Duncan, while Boston Univer- sity's team was composed of Willlam Davis, Donald Potter and Louis Nevins The judges were James A. Sourwine, Albert W. Atwood and J. Hicks Bald- win. Mr. Sourwine and Mr. Baldwin commended the debaters, following the tilt, as the most intellectually alert and evenly matched teams they ever had EECH WILL OPPOSE MOVE 10 RESTRCT NUMBER OF TAXS People’s Counsel Declares Limitation Would Serve to Stifle Competition. REGARDS PLAN AS BAR TO NEW COMPANIES Proposed Amendment Is Termed Unfair to Public as Well as Cab Operators. Plans to oppose strenuously proposed legislation which would authorize the Public Utilities Commission to limit the number of taxicabs in the District were announced today by Richmond B, Keech, people’s counsel. An amendment to an act of February 4, 1913, creating the commission, em- bodying the suggested broadening in its power will be considered by the Senate District committee at a public hearing next week. Members of the commission have indicated they would endeavor to have the committee take favorable ac- tion. The hearing, set for yesterday, was postponed. The proposed lation, known as “the public convenience and necessity” amendment, follows: “No vehicle included within the terms jof paragraph 2-A shall hereinafter op- erate in said service without first having obtained from the commission a cer- tificate that public convenience and necessity require such operation, but a certificate shall be granted when it ap- pears to the satisfaction of the commis- sion that the owner or operator of any such vehicle or vehicles was actually operating in good faith such a service on ——, 1930, and had complied as of that date with all la ers of the wiul commission in regulating Fears Stifled Competition. Mr. Keech declared he was afraid such legislation might stifie competi- tion. He pointed out that under its provisions the commission would be able to prevent new companies from operating taxicabs. He said this might result in a serious situation from the standpoint of the public. “My attitude,” Mr. Keech explained, “is that any person or company capa- ble of and willing to obey reasonable regulations should be permitted to start taxicab service at any time. The more cabs we have the lower rates the public will get because of keen competition. There is absolutely no necessity for this Im;fildment. "n would be unfair to the public as well as to those who e; in the taxicab business.” e Favors Requiring Responsibility. Mr. Keech added he was in favor of the general plan of tife commission to require all taxicab companies to be fi- nancially responsible in case of acci- dents. He said he had studied various plans suggested, but had not decided on which specific proposal he would support. He said he favored another amend- ment nsored commission which would give the body power to regulate the routes of busses operating within the District. This amendment also will be considered at an early ::le:uu:l of the Senate District com- OFFICER IS ACCUSED OF ABUSING PATROL Principal and Pupils of Gordon Junior High Appear Against Pvt. Padgett. Charges of using abusive language to members of the schoolboy patrols of Gordoa Junior High School and Fil- more School and with failure to re- port for traffic duty either at the schools or at the precinct at 3 o'clock on the afternoon of Pehmfilfi were being of Pvt. Ray- D. Padgett, of the seventh pre- fln“' b:lfof: the dl;oliee ‘Trial Board lor “conduct prejudicial to order of_the Police Dep.nment."m F. A. Woodward, principal of Gordon Junior High School, and six pupils of :l;fhtwu schools appeared lllhu{ Pad- $20,000 MORE FOR RIVER SURVEY IS ALLOTTED Acting Secretary of War’s De- cision Follows Report en Poto- mac Undertaking. . Following the recommendation of Gen. Lytle Brown, chief of Army Engi- neers, the Acting Secretary of War, F. Trubee Davison, today allotted $20,000 for continuation of a survey of the navigability of the Potomac River region above Great Falls, which has been under way for several years. It was estimated that this survey would cost $150,000 and a recent report | on the subject showed that $130,000 had been previously allotted for the study and recommended the use of an addi- tional $20,000. POLICEMAN {NJURED WHEN STRUCK BY CAR Motor Cycle Officer Charles W. Sine Suffers Fractured Leg in Thomas Circle Mishap. Struck by an automobile at Thomas Circle this morning, Motor Cycle Police- man Charles W. Sine, attached to the me Bureau, received a fractured eft leg. Sine was removed to Emergency Hos- pital by Willlam H. Clark, 17, 3 3427 ‘Wisconsin avenue, who, police say, was driving the machine which struck Sine. The injured officer, who was treated Dr. Louis Pfanner, lives at 126 Eighteenth street southeat. i WILL AWARD CADET C. of C. Directors Again to Pre sent Naylor Medal. In accordance with the custom of g:evlnul years, the Washington Cham- r of Commerce directors voted m terday to provide and award the to the of the heard in competition. Prof. Willlam xm’-w Yeager, Depew ppofessor of pub- af it Wi Tnivasefty, was chairman of the meet, Be" bestowed ukon. a Washinglon. cadet o4 A and ble interest has attached 1= peagenenting