Evening Star Newspaper, February 18, 1931, Page 17

@he Foening Star WASHI NGTON, D. ¢ L) WEDN ESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 General 8, 1931. PAGE B-1 BILL WOULD FORCE D.C. TO PAY SS000 TOALEXANDRIALINE Corporation Counsel’s Office Plans Indemnifying Rail Company for Terminal. U. S. BUILDING PROGRAM MAY BRING ABANDONMENT Present Owner of Property, Under Plan, Would Realize $137,500 From Cash Transactions. The finishing touchss are now being, put on a bill providing, among other | things, for the payment of $98,000 cash | from the funds of the District of Co-; lumbia to Mount Vernop, Alexandria & Washington Railway Co., when the railway company vacates its tracks in the District. The railway line furnishes service from Alexandria to Washington, its Washington terminus being ai Twelfth and D streets. This is within the area solected by the Federal Government | for its building program, and the com- pany has been served with notice that it must get out of its terminal and | remove its tracks east of Fourteenth street by April 1. The line, which at that time fur- nished service as far South as Mount | Verncn, Va., was bought March 1, 1930, | from a trustee for receivers for $262,- | 500. Some time later the Mount Ver-, nen divisicn, south of Alexandria, was sold to the Federal Government for use as part of the Mount Vernon Boule- vard for $150,000. To Receive Cash Payment. Robert L. May, the owner of the line, has succeeded in reaching an agree- ment with representatives of the cor- poration counsel's office on the terms of the bill, which will call for the cash | payment to him when the expansion of the Federal Government’s building activities forces him out of his present terminal. The theory behind the payment is) understood to be that the District is; virtually forcing the line out of town | by not allowing it a new terminal rorth of Pennsylvania avenue. A petition for this purpose is before the Public Utili- ties Commission, and although it has not formally b:en acted on, it seems conceded on all hands that the per- mission: will never be granted. The cars on the Alexandria line are of the heavy interurban type. If it were al- lowed to et up a terminal north of Fourteenth street, it would carry with it the husiness of the Arlington-Fairfax Railway, operating a similar type of cars to Falls Church, Vienna, Fairfax and way points. In all, there would be 68 of these cars crossing_ Pennsylvania avenue at | Fourteenth street each day, making a | right tumn into E strcet and making a letf turn from E street buck into Four- teenth street on the outbound trip. Public_Utilities Commission cfficials say that this would be a physical impossi- bility with the congested traffic now present at that corner. Tracks in Bad Condition. The company would not be satisfied | with a terminal south of Pennsylvania | avenue, and so the only apparent alternative is to get out altogether. Another complicating circumstance is that the company's tracks, south of ‘Water street, are in excruciatingly bad condition, and have been so for years. It would cost several hundred thousand | dollars to rebuild them. Repairing is considered out of the question. The ! company is said not to e in financial | condition to make the renewal. “We would never have allowed any | other railway in town to get its tracks | into that condition,” said Capt. Herbert ! C. Whitehurst, District highway en- gineer, “except for special circum- stances. “There have been plans on foot for some time, underpass where East Potomac drive enters Fourteenth street extended. These plans are now virtually perfected. At the same time there are plans for ex-| tensive changes in grade in this part| of Fourteenth street. made the company rebuild its tracks two years ago if these plans had not| been pending. but we asked the Pub- lic Utilities Commission to hold the| order in abeyance so that the company would not be compelled to pay twi for some of its work—once on the t grades and once after our new | e plans are perfected | “But it makes not the slightest differ- | ence to us whether the tracks are th We are going to improve Four- ce treet during the calendar year of 1932. If the tracks are there the company must rebuild them, that's all. | There will be practically no difference | in price of the paving and grading job | to us whether the tracks are removed | or not.” | Total Payment, $250,000. Besides the payment to be made by | the L for th | | | Sistrict, the bill contains provisions payment of $102,000 to the com- | the Federal Government and | the Washington Railw 0., the latier amount for nth street between street and B street north, owned by the Alexandria company and used by the | Washi: company. | Thus the total payment to be made | 10 the company, under the terms of the | bill, is $250,000, or nearly as much as’ was paid for the entire property by its| present owner less than two years ago, | Assuming that the bill is enacted and the company abandons operation. it will| have received $400.000 on its originai| nvestment of $262500 and will still| have left valuable property, consisting | of its right of way from the south end of Highway B; to the city limits of Alexandria and its car barn at Four- | Mile Run. Va. togeiher with all of its equipment and rolling stoc The line i+ now being operated with great_econc Shortly after Mr. May bought it aised the fares, reduc all sched ated the manage- ment wit { his bus lines to Alexandria and shifted over almost Wwholly to one-man car operation. Ane other reduction in schedules will also | be made in the near fulure. ASKS HEARING IN RAIL CASE. Says Abandonment of Line Is Matter of Public Interest. In a letter written today to the Vir- ginia State Corporation Commission, Commonwealth Attorney Willlam €. Gloth of Arlington County states that he is informed that R. L. May, owner of the Mount Vernon, Alexandria & Washington Railway Co., has made ap- plication to the former body for per- mission to discontinue the service on Gloth |them on the shape, area and value of NEW PAVING COST AND TRAFFIC MEASURES PASSED BY SENATE Several Other Bills of Local Interest Also Approved by Upper House During Last Night. The new street paving assessment bill is ready to be sent to the President, and the new traffic measure is entering the final stages of conference today, both having passed the Senate last night, along with several other bills of local interest. The Senate amendments to traffic bill are not of a serious nature and a prompt agreement in conference is looked for. The paving assessment plan was not amended in the Senate, S0 that it needs only the President's signa- ture to make it law. The House resolution to give B street from Arlington Memorial Bridge to Union Station plaza the name of Con- stitution avenue, passed the Senate last | night. but with an amendment sub- stituting the name of Louisiana avenue. | This sent the resolution to conference. The assessment bill, which seeks to | bolster up the Borland law to overcome objections raised against it in court, | pacsed the Senate late in the evening | without debate, after several previous efforts to get action on it had failed. 1iad Been Held Invalid. The Borland law has been held un- constitutional to such an extent that | the municipal officials felt there were | comparatively few properties that could | have been asscssed without this new legislation. The Borland law levied half the cost | of a paving against abutting property, | without regard to tne shape or value of | the lot. This bill sceks to overcome | discrimination in assessments by basing | | the abutting land. An important feature of the measure | is that 1t cancels all paving assessments | made during the last three vears in or- | der to allow for a reassessment ¢f those cases on the basis of the formula in the new legislation. This will result in low- er assessments and, if the original as- sessment was paid, the Commissioners | would refund the difference between the | amcunt paid and the new assessment. This will give the city heads a method | of settling_ the numerous claims that have been filed by property owners since | the several court decisions wers handd | down against the old law. | New Traffic Provisions. } The traffic measure also went through the Senate without debate. It dos the following essential things, sets up a de- partment of vehicles to handle permits, revocations and titling of cars; requires all cars to be titled after next January; places direct and final authority to make regulations in the Board of Com- missioners; defines the authority of the Utilities Commission to regulate the routes of busses and other common carriers; provides for a joint board com- posed of the District Commissioners and the Utilities Commission to de- termine questions which affect both | street trafic and utility operation: eliminates minimum fines and increases maximum penalties in certain traffic offenses, thereby giving the court more leeway in administering justice in traf- fic_cases. The bill must go to conference be- fore final enactment, because the Scn- ate struck out the House clause for | the issuance of special motor tags to| members of Congress, and also adopted | an amendment by Senator Blaine of | Wisconsin relating to reporting acci- | dents. Senator Blaine’s amendment provides that when accidents occur the motorists must stop and give all necessary information to the others involved if there has been injury to persons or substantial damage to prop- erty. ‘The important part of this amendment is the reference to “sub- | stantial damage.” It was felt that | under the original language reports | would- have been required where there is only a scratching of fenders. | Changed to Louisiana. The resolution to call B street Con- stitution avenue was changed to Louisi- ana avenue on motion of Senator Brous- | sard of Louisiana. Conferces will have | to settle this difference. The Senate also passed and sent to the President a House bill authorizing | | 5539648 FORD.C. 1$2,069,031 for Salary | | by existing appropriations. ment law, but no one requested its re- consideration, so the measure will go to the President for his signature. Senator Bingham of Connecticut, at whosé request the bill was acted on last night, told the Senate today that he had been misinformed inadvertently when he said that a similar bill had tecently passed the Senate. He said that In order to be fair to his colleagues he wanted to invite any one who so desired to move a reconsideration. INDEFICIENCY BILL n-! creases to U. S. Employes Under Brookhart Plan. In the $59.000,000 deficiency appro- | priation bill for the current fiscal year, reported to the House today, there is $5,539,648 for items for the District government and other projects of par- | ticular interest to residents of the Na- | tional Capital. These include $2,069,031 for salary increases to Government employes dur- ing the current fiscal year under the | Brookhart pay bill. i An item of $2,500,000 for enlargement | of the Washington Post Office. For mu- | nicipal government expenditures, $866.- | 617.56, and for the George Washington | Bicentennial Commission. $77,000. Under the Office of Public Buildings and Parks of the National Capital there | also is included $750,000 for a central ! heating plant for the entire Potomac | group cf buildings north of B street ! and west of Seventeenth street, to re- place the present temporary plant now located on the square the use of which has been granted to the Pan-American Union for an annex. Provisions for Increases. In his report on this deficiency bill | Chairman_Wood of the House Appro- | priations Ccmmittee points out that ‘he | act of Ju'y 3, 1930, known as the Brook- hart act, amending the classification | act of 1923 as amended, provided salary increase for certain Government em- ployes. The total costs in the various departments and _estblishments und:: the act for the fiscal year 1931 s $3.- | 982,433.30. This act was effective com- mencing July, 1930, and the increases have been paid from existing appro- priations. The amount recommended in this bill on account of such increases aggregates $2,096,031. The difference between this sum and the total cost of the increase, | namely $1,886,402.30, has been absorbed The total amount included in this bill for the municipal activities of the District is $866,617.56. This sum in- cludes $253.900 for salaries of the Police Department; $225,600 for salaries of the Fire Department, and $15900 for sal- | arfes of the park police, due to the legis- lation of last session increasing the pay of such personnel. The bill also includes $118.317.40 for | expenses of the Supreme Court of the | District for 1931. $77,000 For Bicentennial. The amount recommended for the Bi- | centennial commission is $77,000, which | is $10,560 less than the budget esti- mates. The recommendation includes $5,000 for stationery and office supplies, $25,000 for printing and binding, $15- 000 for reproductions of busts and pho- | tographs, $23,500 for agricultural fairs, | county fairs, State fairs, farm organi- zations and so forth; $6,500 for boys’ and girls' clubs, and $2,000 for office equipment. Under the Office of Public Bulldings | This had the effect of reducing the the Government to exchange lands with | the Rosslyn Connecting Rallroad, in and Parks of the National Capital, the order to relocate the tracks to improve sum. $239,072, is recommended for gen- | the Virginia approach to the Arlington | eral expenses. | Memorial Bridge. |~ The sum of $13,100 is included in lieu | Another bill sent on its way to the of the budget estimate of $19,655 for | President, following Senate approval, | the police force to patrol the new Mount jof authorizes the Bureau of Standards to establish near the District of Columbia | however, for making an|two experimental radio stations, at an|buildings under the One would yprogram for the National Capital is estimated cost of $147,000. be for receiving and the other for |$150.000,000. transmitting. The bureau is desirous of conducting research on the problems | of “fading,” changes in direction, which We would have|is of importance in navigating ships and | Agriculture, increase in the limit of aircraft, the behavior of short waves, Passed Two Other Bills. | Senate passed two other bills | i1l require Hous: action, name- To amend the Federal condemna- tion law to expedite the acquisition of sites for the new Post Office Depart- ment, the new Interstate Commerce Commission Building, the site for one the new Agriculture Department buildings and lands to be included in the relocated Botanic Garden, and to enable the Government to obtain two smali parcels of land still needed to| round out the Union Station Plaga parkway. . ‘The rule of assessment laid down in the new Borland measure provides that the maximum front foot assessment shall not exceed $3.50 per linear foot t the total assessment shall not ex- ceed the number of square feet multi- plied by 1 cent of the front foot essment; and shall not exce:d 20 per ent of the value of the land assessed assessments assessments d and on unsubdivided property, based the square fool or assesse valu= shz'l not include land lying more than 100 icet back of the roadway. Opportunity to Reconsider. An oppoitunity was given the Senate when it met today to reconsider its action on the new street paving assess- P asks that before any action Is taken a date for a hearing be set, so that the Board of Supervisors and representa- tives ot the citizens of Arlington County may be heard in opposition to the scrapping of the road “The Board of Supervisors of Arling- | ton County has instructed me to use | my best efforts to prevent any such action,” the letter states. “The discon- tinuing of this road, in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors, would be a severe blow to the fuiure of this county.” Gloth informs the State Corporation Commission of the action of the Board of Supervisors in ling protests to the | closing of the road with the Public | Utilities Commission and Board Commissioners of the District of Colum~ b, which he did yesterday. Gloth’s action is taken despite an announcement made today by the Arlington & Fairfax Rallway Co., which uses the lines of the Mount Vernon, Alexandria & Washington Rallway Co. to reach Washington, that they will make no further protests as to the abandonment of the tragks in Wash- ington. Gloth and the Board of Super- visors feel that the matter is one of | | | the railroad. In view of this information, Gloth public interest rather than that of a problem fac! the nu’ companies alone. s ¥ A | to date is $83518,741. Vernon Memorial Highway. The total general authorization for Federal bullding The bill reported today carries authorization as follows: Central heating plant, $5,749. Extensible building, Department of costs, $7,000,050. Coast Guard Building or other Gov- ernment activity, $3,000,000. Department of Justice Building, In- crease in limit of cost to‘ provide a cross-wing. $2,000,000 Water mains and other utilities, ! $300.000. { This makes a total limit of costs on District projects in the present bill, $18.000,099. The specific projects charged against | the total authorization of $150,000,000 | After including | the total of $18,000,099 in this bill there will still remain in the general authori- zation for the District a total of $48,- 382,259 to cover future projects. The House Appropriations Committee has eliminated from this bill an amend- | ment to the authorization for remod- eling the Department of State Build- ing so as to provide for a library, a conference room and parking space in such building. TRAFFIC SURVEY FUND IS GROWING| Prince Georges Contribution of $1,000 Brings Total Sum With- in $3,000 of Total. Hy a Staff Correspondent of The Star. UPPER MARLBORO, Md., February 18. But $3.000 of the $40,000 fund asked by the Washington Regional Highway Commission for a compre- hensive survey of the Washington area, including Maryland and Virginia terr- tory, remained to be obtained following the apprepriation of $1,000 toward the fund by the county commissioners of Prince Georges County here yesterday. Of the $3,000 yet to be subscribed, the highway commission has asked Arlington and Fairfax Countles and Alexandria City, Va., to contribute $1,- 1000 each to the fund. The appropriation of Prince Georges County was authorized by the commis- sloners following the appearance of J. Enos Ray, a member of the high- w commission, before the board. The estimated cost of $40,000 will be met one-half by Federal "appropria- tion and the remainder by the State Roads Commission, of Maryland, the State Highway Department of Virginia, Montgomery and Prince Georges Coun- ties, Md., the three Virginia jurisdic- tions previously mentioned and the Na- llw‘;n‘l Capital Park and Planning Com- mission. CONFEREES EIVEN 0.C.BILCARRYIG S0 FUND Amendments in Senate Slash Increase of Committee by $200,837. AGREEMENT SLATED TO BE REACHED SOON Senators Cut $111,520 Pay Raise and $120,000 Janney School Items From Measure. The District appropriation bill was sent to conference today, having passed the Senate last night carrying $45,890.- i 000, or only $200,000 more than the House allowed. | As it came from the Senate Com-| mittee a few days ago the local supply | bill contained $46.090.837, which was an increase of $474,000 over the House | bill. During the two days the meas- ure was before the Senate, however, changes were made which had the| effect of cutting to half the increase added in committee | The first thing the Senate did was | to cut out $111,520 for salary increases in underaverage grades, which are also | being climinted from the other de-! partmental supply bills. $120,000 Saved. Last night Senator Bingham, Re- | publicany of Connecticut, in charge of | the bill, had it amended to provide that unexpended balances of prior appro- ' riations could be used to build the| new building at the Janney School. | total of new appropriations by $120,000. | Debate between Senators Bingham | and King developed the information | that the authoritles have found it pos- sible to erect two junior high schools for about $120,000 less than they would have cost a year ago, and the balances to be left from those appropriaticns will be applied to the new Janney project. The Senate added two amendments last night on motlons of Senator Tyd- ings, Democrat, cf Maryland, as fol- lows: To widen Seventeenth street be- tween H street and Pennsylvania | avenue, $17.044, and to grade Eastern | avenue from Bunker Hill to Queens | Chapel roads northeast, $7,740. Slated to Pass Soon. In view of the fact that the House | and Senzte have declared a truce on | District and Federal fiscal relations | this year by agreeing to continue the present Federal contributicn of $9.500.- | 000 pending a report from the Mapes | Investigating Committee, it is expected | conferees will work out a final agree- ment on the local appropriation bill without delay. The Senate last night appeinted its | conferees as follows: Senators Bingham, | Phipps of Colorado, Capper of Kansas. | Glass of Virginia and Kendrick of | Wyoming. On motion of Chairman Simmons of the subcommittee in charge of the | District_appropriation bill, that meas- | ur was sent to conference by the House today. The entire subcommittee wiil serve as conferees. ‘The members are: Repres:ntatives Simmons, Ne- braska; Holaday, Illinois; Thatcher, Kentucky; Cannon, Missouri, and Col ssippl. ROW IN U. S. OFFICE | NETS SUSPENSIONS Commerce Foreign Tariff Chief and Woman Secretary Stage Altercation. Mystery still shrouds detalls of a| personal encounter in an office at the | Department of Commerce, out of Whlch\‘ Henry Chalmers, chief of the division | of foreign tarifls, and Miss Helen Reed, | his secretary, emerged, his glasses knocked off and her nose bleeding. The affair took place last Friday, but has just come to light. An investigation by O. P. Hopkins, assistant director of the Bureau of Foreljgn and Domestic Commerce, followed and & suspension | of four weeks for Chalmers and two weeks for Miss Reed was the immediate outcome. When the suspension period is up, it is expected Chalmers will return to his | post, but Miss Reed will not. as it is| thought it would be advisable to give her a transfer to another job some- where else in the department. Both participants are said by officials to be highly efficient in their work, and will not be penalized further than the sus- pension. The argument was belleved to have arisen_over a minor detail of work in the office. One thing led to another. She claims she started out of the office and that he blocked the way. He claims, to the contrary, it was he who started out and that she blocked the way. He claims she knocked off his glasses, but she does not remember slapping him. She says he slapped her. If her nose was struck he thinks it must have been accidentally when he lifted his elbow. At any rate, when they ap- peared for the investigation her nose still was bleeding. Chalmers lives at 5335 Forty-third street. Miss Reed resides at the All- States Hotel. WOMAN IS ARRESTED ON NARCOTIC CHARGE | Mrs. Virginia Katherine Sounders, 28, was arrested on a charge of violat- ing the Harrison narcotic law early today when Federal and District agents raided her apartment at 1402 N street; and reported finding a small quantity of drugs. i Mrs. Sounders, a waitress, was taken into custody with Howard Beasley Wells, 21 years old, also of the N street address, by Headquarters Detectives | Robert Sanders and Deniel H. Jones of ; the Detective Bureau narcotic squad and Fred H. Farrar, Federal agent. Mrs. Sounders will be arraigned be- fore United States Commissioner Need- ham C. Turnage this afternoon for a hearing on the narcotic charge, while she and Wells will be taken into Police Court tomorrow for trial on statutory charges. The Reid subcommittee on insurance yesterday ordered a favorable report to the House District Committee on the Senate bill to amend the workmen’s compensation act, exempting part-time employes and members of [fraternal, veterans and soclal or clvic organiza- tions. At the request of all interested par- ties, including the commissioner of in- surance, the corporation counsel and representatives of huun'n:'e‘ fipnnlu. proposed n of the insurance code for the Dlrm was tabled. { James, 'SCHEME FOR PARKING REPORTS DELAYED ON NEEDY PUPLS FREE MEALS PLAN Ballou Not to Give Data to Board of Education at Meeting Today. PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO CONSIDER SITUATION Officers of Congress Willing to Con- tinue Present Plan Used for School Relief. With no more than half of the re- ports on the extent of the provision of free lunches and breakfasts to needy | puplls in the hands of school officers | today at noon, Dr. Frank W. Ballou, | superintendent, declared he would not | attempt to present any facts on ths current survey of undernourished chil- | dren to the Board of Education at its | regular meeting this afternoon. However, the question of needy chil- dren is being introduced at the meet- | ing by the District of Columbia Con- | gress of Parents and Teachers, which is | offering its official and formal co-opera- | tion with the school authorities in the | proposals to relieve the suffering it is charged is predominant among Wash- ington school children. Officers of the Parent-Teacher Con- | gress conferred with Dr. Ballou this | morning, at which time they reiterated | their willingness to continue the relief | which their organization at present is ' giving and to increase that if the sur-| vey shows an urgent need for more | meals for children. They assert>d also that their organization would willingly | co-operate in the establishing and oper- | ation of any central agency which | might be set us as a result of the | survey to provide more general assist- ance. Dr. Ballou said today that even after all reports on the survey have been| made by senior and junior high school principals and by the elementary school | supervising principals have been re- ceived, the detailed findings probably will not be made public. His explana- tion was that too exact details which would point out the ncighborhoods and schools most in need might prove em- barrassing to the residents of the va- rious communities, and_particularly to the parents of the children in the, schools shown to have bad conditions. He said, however, that general condi- tions and the tofal figures which will show those conditions will be released — MAN BREAKS BACK; PROBE IS LAUNCHED | | Police Investigate Report James 0'Brien Was Thrown From Train. Suffering from a fractured ba O'Brien, 38 years old, of 722 Ninth street, l1ay in a serious condition at Emergency Hospital today, while | police of the tourth precinct station in- | vestigate a report that he was thrown! from a Richmond, Fredericksburg & cll’()‘«')milc Railroad Co. train here yester- ay. O'Brien, police were told. boarded the train at the Seventh street and Mar; land avenue southwest station to deliver a funeral spray to Mrs. Mary Maggio. 505 E stre<t southwest, which had be purchased in the store where he is em- ployed. The messenger failed to find Mrs Maggio, and he was still aboard when the train moved away from the station Some one pulled the signal cord, stop- ping the train, and a man shoved O'Brien through the entrance of a coach, it was reported to police. The messenger fell to the platform and was rushed to Emergency Hospital, where an examination disclosed a fractured back. Detective Nelson G. Thayer of the fourth precinct was investigating the case today and planned to interview members of the train crew to determine what they know of the case. DOUBLE IS DEFEATED | New Definition for Commercial Ve- | hicles Bars Salesmen’s Cars From “B” Tag Class. The District Commissioners yesterday approved a stricter definition” of what is a “commercial vehicle” in order to discourage persons owning pleasure ve- | hicles from buying B tags so as to| avail themselves of the privilege of parking - double to make sales. The definition as amended is: “Commercial vehicle—Shall include all motor vehi- cles designed and regularly used for carrying freight or merchandise.” In recommending this change, Traffic Director William H. Harland wrote: “Under existing regulations commercial vehicles are allowed to park abreast for a limited period when such vehi- cles are actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise. It appears that & number of owners of passenger automobiles, who use their cars in busi- ness as salesmen, have obtained from the License Bureau B tags for use on those vehicles with the idea that this will permit them to come under the class of commercial vehicles and enable them to_park double on the streets.” The Commissioners made Massachu- setts avenue a boulevard highway to the District Jail, instead of stopping af Stanton square, and Michigan avenue, from Monroe to North Capitol street, an arterial highway, with a 30-mile speed limit, and certain minor parking changes. PRISONER SEEKS DEATH Jacob Gold, 45, Slashes Self While Being Held at Sixth Precinct. A small penknife on the person of Jacob Gold, 45 years old, overlooked by police of the sixth precinct when he was taken to the station house last night on a charge of intoxication, was used by the prisoner early this morning in an attsmpt to end his life, Gold, who occupled a room in a Pennsylvania avenue rooming house where he was arrested, was suffering from two slight wounds in his throat when discovered after the attempt at suicide. He was taken to Gall lnfi: Hospital, where physicians said condition was not serious. 1 scns down fire ladders o | Lhe Little Gloria Rejoices MISSING PET | Gloria Sacasa, daughter of the Nicaraguan Minister, photographed with Nicolai. HERE was rejoicing in the home of the Nicaraguan Minister, Dr. Don Juan B. S: sa, today at at_the return of Nicolai. Nicolal is a great, white wolf- | hound, the particular pet of 12-year- old Gloria, the Minister's youngast daughter, who disappeared from his home on Monday. It was feared by members of the family that the dcg. valued at $1,000, had been stolen and a report of his disappearance was made to the police. It developed today that since last | Monday evening the wolfhound has | been well cared for by the Warhington 9 ESCAPE BLAZE | INE STREET CAFE Fire Starting in Basement Does $2,000 Damage to Restaurant. Members of two truck companies and the rescue squad assisted about 25 per- a smoke- filled staircase to safety ht when a stubborn blaze developed in the base- ment of Noblle's Restaurant at 1004 E street. The basement and ground-floor restaurant of the three-story brick building were | damaged to the extent of $2,000, police estimated. | The fire was discovered by Vincent Salemi, 18 years old. He smelled the smoke while” washing dishes in the kitchen of the restaurant and ran up the steps to all floors of the building, | warning the occupants of rooms above the restaurant, Building Fills With Smoke. Salemi then returned to the and liberated a dog kept the meantime the flames had gained uch headway in the basement his own | belongings were destroyed, he said. First arrivals of the ‘two truck and four engine companies summoned to the scene found the building filled with | dense black smoke. Ladders were | thrown up to, the windows while mem- bers of the rescue squad donned gas masks and searched the upper floors. | The smoke also penetrated the ad-| joining buildings, the Alton Hotel at| Tenth and E streets and the Musicians’ | Hall. Some 50 guests in the hotel did not find it necessary to leave the bufld- | ing, although they were warned to be | in readiness in case the flames spread. In the second-floor bed room Mr. and | Mrs. Jack Goldberg and their 3-year- | old child were sleeping. Firemen broke | in their door and helped them down the | stairs to the street while other occu- pants of the building waited at win- dows above. Flames Start in Trash. Eight or ten men and women, includ- ing a paralytic, were assisted down the fire ladders. None of those helped from the building was affected by smoke. The flames were confined to the basement and restaurant on the first floor, al- though smoke caused slight damage on the upper floors. ‘ Antony de Gregorio, proprietor of the | restaurant, was on the premises when | the fire was discovered and spread a warning to patrons and waiters, Tie flames, firemen said, started in & pile of trash in the basement. Bat- talion Chiefs P. W. Nichol:on and Charles E. Schrom were in charge at the fire. While the ladders were up a large crowd of spectators collected on E street and at the Tenth street inter- section. CAB DRIVER HURT Reckless After Hitting Two Cars. A taxicab driven by Harry Chatl 21 years old, of 1358 H street northeast, | last night, about 11:30 o'clock, crashed | into two automobiles parked irr front of | 6 Massachusetts avenue northeast. | The three vehicles were badly damaged | and Chatlin was seriously injured. His nose was broken, his face was cut, and his skull possibly fractured. Chatlin was given first aid at Casu- alty Hospital before police took him to | Gallinger Hospital. A charge of reck- less driving was preferred against him. | st \ Driving Charge| Faces ASKED TO CONFERENCE Montgomery 'Nutritionist to At- tend Child Health Discussions. By a Staff Correspondent of The Star. ROCKVILLE, Md., February 18.— Miss Grace England, newly appointed Red Cross nutritionist for Montgomery County, has been invited to the White House Conference on Child Health, being held this week. In order to attend the conference, she has been relieved of routine duties. It was announced at county Red Cross _headquariers today that a check for $35 has been received from the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. of Baltimore, as its contribution of 1 per cent d® the amount raised in the county for drought relief, Italian-American | | of the 1300 block of D street northeast, IS RETURN —Star Staff Photo. | | Animal “Rescue League, where | sent by Rola 3 Clifton Terrace, who reported ty the league that the dog had followed her home from Fifteenth and Euclid streets. Nicolai was presented to Gloria about | a year ago by Mrs. George de la Barra, | wife of the first sccratary of the lega- | tion, who knew that the little girl was ! grieving gver a pet she had recently ost. Since that time, he has been Gloria's constant companicn, even accompany- | ing her to dancing school and taking | part in an interpret2tive Russian dance. | NEVITT APPROVES JURY SUEGESTIONS, Coroner Says Present Force ‘Is Inadequate for Serv- ice in Capital. he was | The Limerick grand jury's recommen- | dations to b:tter conditions at the Dis- | trict Coroner’s Office met with approval | by Coroner J. Ramsey Nevitt today. | "Dr. Nevitt announced that his answer to the jury’s recommendations would be filed in the form of a written report to Gen. Herb:rt B. Crosby, police commis- sioner, some time today. | Existing Conditions Deplored. In expressing his approval, Dr. Nevitt de‘plurcd the existing conditions at his {office. Ke pointed out that only three m:n and at times only two are forced to handle all the work of the coroner’s of- ice. He compared the District coroner's | office with the Baltimore office. He said Baltimore has at present one coroner-at-larg: and at least 12 deputy coroners. He said that one of the dep- uties is assigned to traffic cases alone. “I am hoping that at last, after these many years in office, that the coroner's office will be augmented with at least | several assistants, It is quite a task to handle all the work here with the present force.” Report to Be Published. The coroner said that the recom- mendations of the jury were theoretical- ly practicable, but it would rest to be seen whether or not the office would function properly without several changes in the recommendations. Coroner Nevitt declined to make public just what specifically is con- tained in his report to Gen. Crosby. He said the report would be made public after it has passed through the hands of the Police Commissioner. POLICE RUM RAIDS END IN 8 ARRESTS Man Who Resists Cut on Head With Blackjack—One ‘Woman Is Held. | During a series of raids yesterday and last night police seized about 300 quarts of alleged whisky and beer and arrest- ed eight persons, one of whom, they re- ported, had to be subdued with a black- Harry Harrison Reid, 28 years old, was_treated at Georgetown University Hospital last night for a scalp lacera- tion and was released on $300 collateral, posted after his arrest on a charge of possession of 1 gallon of whisky during a raid on a house in the 3500 block of M street. ‘The officers said Reld was struck with a blackjack when he resisted arrest. James Lawrence McKeon, 28 years old, was apprehended at the same time on a similar_charge, A Taid in the 700 ®lock of A street northeast, resulted in the seizure of several quarts of alleged whisky and 45 bottles of alleged beer, and in charges of possession against Harry J. old, 1300 block of Carroll, 36 years Emerson street northeast; Milford Clff Bradley, 23 wars old, and W. W. Williams, 38" years old, both of the A street addr Policemen T. B. T. Morrow and S. H. Hartung of No. 8 precinct un- covered and confiscated 246 quarts of alleged whisky in a vacant house at 1938 Eleventh strect yesterday, book- ing a charge of possession against Ray Hunter, colored, 25 years old, of the 1600 biock of Fourth street. Hunter made $500 bond. A raiding party arrested Helen Camp- bell, 23 years old, and Rollin McKenzie, 49 years old, both colored, in a house in the 1800 block of Fourteenth street yesterday. They were charged with the Dossession of two quarts of whisky. Zionists to Meet Sunday. NEWPQRT NEWS, V&, “ggbruary 18 (#).—Representative Zion m seven | States will gather here. in a ‘gegional | Zionist Conference Sunday and Monday. Delegates were expected frol r- PLANNING GROUP | SEEKS RELEASE OF 100,000 FOR MALL Col. Grant Desires Fund for Construction of Roads and Grading. PROPOSES TO USE EARTH FROM TRIANGLE AS FILL Olmsted Maps Plan to Use Trees and Shrubs on Agricultural Grounds. Grading and construction of new roads as the next step in the improve- ment of the Mall is planned by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is hoped that a part of an appro- priation of $100,000 carried in the in- dependent offices appropriation bill may be made available for the construction of additional highways in the Mall, as part of the general program to have four thoroughfares running the length of the Mall. Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3rd, director of public_ buildings and public parks, is sceking the co-operation of the Department of Agriculture in having this fund made available. Seeks Earth for Fill. Col. Grant said today that the co- operation of the Department of Agri- culture also is being sought to have the earth that will be excavated from the foundation of the Archives Building, the new Department of Labor, the new Post Office Department and the new Depart- ment of Justice buildings in the triangle utilized for grading the Mall. The earth from these buildings, Col. |Grant said, can be used to great ad- vantage for filling the area south of the present green houses between Twelftn and Fourtleenth streets. The south toad has recently been completed between Fourteenth street and the Smithsonian Institution and another road would be constructed south of the green houses, near B strest, north. after the grade has been raised, by filling in with the excavated earth. The commission s secking the assist- ance of Secretary Hyde to maks vos- sible the use of the earth in that arca in the excavations in the triangle. Maps Plan for Use of Trees. Frederick Law Olmsted of Brookline, Mass., a member of the commission, is now at work mapping out a plan to use the trees and shrubs now on the Mall and place them in front of the new De- partment of Agriculture Building. Re- moval of the trees in certain sections of the Mall, between Twelfth and Four- teenth streets, would clear the vista to {the Capitol and at the same time get some of the trees out of the way, so that the dumping ef the cxcavated earth might vroceed, as soon as con= struction starts actively. Mr. Olmstead was in Washington this week, making a first-hand study of the situation, assisted by Lecn Zach. Clear Vista to Capitol. Commission officials explained that the contractors have to haul away the excavated earth and would likely be glad to have such a convenient dump- ing place for it Charles W. Eliot, 2d, director of planning of the commissicn, said today that there is a clear vista to the Cap- itol at present, from Third to Seventh streets, and that east of Third street the Botanical Gardens intervenc. The vista is clear, he said, except for the smoke stacks. The buildings in that secticn of the mall, Mr. Eliot said, have been placed on the line of the future trees that will grow between the road- ways on either side cf the open space. CATHEDRAL RECEIVES $5,000 UNDER WILL Bequest Is Revealed in Filing of Papers in Estate of T. S. Orndorff. ‘The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation is given $5.000 by the will of Thomas S. Orndorff of Brookeville, Md., a certified copy of which was filed today in the District Supreme Court. Josua Evans, jr., local banker, is to have $1,000 in appreciation of advice as to investments. Mr. Orndorff owned premises 1325 Twenty-first street, assessed at $11,511, and real estate in Brookeville worth $7,500, and investments and other per- sonal ' property are estimated at $77,029.50, according to the petition of his executors for ancillary letters. The nephew, Frank O. Parker, is given property at Brookeville and cer- tain household effects. Premises 1325 ‘Twenty-first st-eet is to be held in trust by Frank O. Parker and Joshua Evans, jr., to permit a sister, Susan I. Parker, to occupy it for life and at her death to go to Walter Parker and Frank O. Parker, nephews, A trust fund of $6,000 is providsd for“the life benefit of an- other sister, Catherine O. Howard, at her death to be paid to Salem M. E. Church, Brookeville. The testator’s residence and house- hold effects are to be held for use of his nieces, Eva and Margaret Howard, dur- ing the life of the survivor, then to be conveyed to Catherine Henderson, A brother, John Adams Orndorff, has not becn heard from for 20 years and & legacy of $5 is provided for him and a similar provision is made for each of the nieces and nephews not specifically mentioned in the will. ‘The remaining estate is to be held for the sisters, Susan I, Parker and Mary E. Meeds. B STREET PARKING BAN A ban on parking bet” ~en Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets on B street north was in effect today. Congestion of the thoroughfare, w*'h out-of-town cars becoming confused by two-way traffic on the south half of the street, was given by officials as the reason for the order, which was approved by Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, director of public buildings and public parks. The north side of B street is paved with cobblestones and trucks have been using this section of the street. All- day parking will be permitted by the® park police on the north side of B street, as heretofore. ‘The District government is expected to start the paving of B street in that area In the Spring, for the roadway is to be widened under plans approved by the National Capital Park and Plan- ning Commission and legislation is pending in Congréss to change the name to Constitution avenue, as this ginia, Maryland, District of Colubia, North and South Carolina, Florida'gnd Georgla. tho;glhflte. leading to Arli n M mos Bridge, will be one’ of avenues of the city in the