Evening Star Newspaper, February 26, 1931, Page 1

WEAT (U. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.) minimum temperature about 30 degrees; tomorrow fair. ‘Temperatures—Highest, ‘51, p.m. yesterday; lowest, day. Full report on page 9. Closing N.Y. Markets, Pages13,14 & 15 Fair tonight; -— N Sntered as sec ANo. ost office, 31,712, Washington, HER. 30, at 7 ond class matter - C, PRESIDENT VETOES BONUS AS UNWISE FOR VETERANS AND GENERAL WELFARE Message to Congress Brands; as False Assumption Each! Ex-Service Man Can Bor-| row $500 Under Bill. Bonus Veto Text President’s Message Reviews Compensation Act. Text of President Hoover's message vetoing the bonus bill follows: To the House of Representatives: I return herewith, without my approval, H. R. 17054, ‘an act to increase the loan basis of adjusted service certificates.” In order that it may be clearly understood, I may review that the adjusted compensation act (bonus bill) passed on May 19, 1924, awarded to 3,498,000 veterans ap- proximately $1,365,000,000 further compensation for war service. To this sum was added 25 per cent, said to be consideration for deferring the payment until about 1945, the whole bearing 4 per cent compound inter- cst. Immediate payment to depend- ents upon death was included, thus creating an endowment insurance policy represented by certificates to each veteran showing the sum pay- able at the end of the period—the ESTIMATES $200 LOAN | LIMIT FOR 800,000 House Plans to Take Action on Overriding- Disapproval After Reading of Message, With Pas-| sage Seen by Leaders—Slim Chance Seen in Senate, However. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. President Hoover today vetoed the soldiers’ bonus loan bill. The Chief Executive in his mes- | sage to the House announcing| that he returned the measure with | out his approval, said: | “I regard the bill under con- | sideration as unwise from the| standpoint of the veterans them- | selves, and unwise from the stand- | point of the welfare of all the| people.” | The President pointed out that | “the utility of this legislation as Telief to those in distress is far| less than has been disclosed.” Al-| though the popular assumption has been that as the certificates | average $1,000, each veteran will be able to obtain $500, the 50 per | cent loan permitted in the bill, the fact of the matter, the Presi- | dent said, was that over 800000‘ men will be able to borrow less| than $200 and of these over 200,- | 000 will be able to borrow only an average of $75. At the same time, the President said, according to the administrator of | veterans' affairs, Gen. Hines, “the prob- | able number who will avail themselves | of the privilege under this bill will re- qQuire approximately $1,000,000,000. Must Borrow or Add Taxes. “There not being a penny in the ;’ said ‘Treasury to the Presiden must borrow this through the of the | Teserve fund segurities together with | further issues or we must impose fur- ther taxation.” < In this language the President an- swered the statements of members of Congress who have been insisting that the money to make the loans to the | :'uenm was to be found in the Treas- ry. The House, which originally passed | the bill by a vote of 363 to 39, planned | o take action on the vetoed bill as | soon as the reading of the message to | that body was completed. The House leaders have expressed complete con- fdence that the measu passed over the veto and by more than the necessary two-thirds vote. Slim Chance in Senate. The Senate, where the vote stood 72 | 10 12 when the bill was passed by that | body, was prepared to take up the vetoed bill as soon as it should be notified by the House that it had put | through the bill notwithstanding ‘he | presidential disapproval. Administra- tion leaders in the Upper House ad- mitted there seemed no chance of sus- taining the veto there, President Hoover ir. his message made no suggestion that Congress would have to be called in specizl session after March 4, if no provision were made for | financing the bonus lcans. He made it clear. however, that Congrsss was lay- ing the problem of financing the loans | on the door step of the executive branch of the Government, and its=If was mak- ng no provision for such financing Under the rules of the House, a vetoed bill may be debated for one hour before | the vote is taken. By unanimous con- | sent this time could be extended. Bonus Law Reviewed. The President in his message pointed out that when the adjusted compensa- tion act commonly known as the “bonus law” was passed in 1924 it awarded 1 ~ 3.498,000 veterans approximately $1,365,000.000 further compensation for service. ‘To this sum.,” said the President, “was added 25 per cent, said to be con- sideration for deferring the payment | until about 1945, the whole bearing 4 per cent compound interest. The total ‘face value' of the outstanding certifi- cates today after paying the sums due of less than $50 and payments in full | 10 dependents. is $3,426,000,000, held by 3.397,000 veterans, or an average of | about $1.000 each.” The President sald that under the bonus law the burden upon the country was to be an amount each year suffi- clent “as a yearly premium to provide (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) re would be | i plained that Mr. Block not only had {cluded a contract with the trustees ‘face value” The total ‘face value’ of the outstanding certificates today after paying the sums due of less than $50 and payments in full to de- pendents is $3,426,000,000, held by 3,397,000, or an average of about $1,000 each. Loan Basis Now 22!; Per Cent. The burden upon the country was to be an amount each year sufficient as a yearly premium to provide for the payment of the ‘face value’ of these certificates in about 1945, and to date has Invnlvgdwznno:'ppropr-l:- ticn averaging $112,000,000 per an- o, " The accamulaticn of these 8p- « propriations is represented by Gov- ernment obligations deposited in a Te! e fund, which fund now amounts to about $750,000,000. A loan basis to certificate holders was established equal to 90 per cent of the reserve value of the certificates, such loans now in the sixth year be- ing authorized to 22%; per cent of the ‘face value.' When the Jponus act was passed it was upon the explicit understand- ing of the Congress that the matter was closed and the Government would not be called upon to make subsequent enlargements. It is now proposed to enlarge the loan rate to 50 per cent of the ‘face value' at a low rate of interest, thus im- posing a potential cash outlay upon the Government of about $1,700,- 000,000, if all veterans apply for loans, less about $330,000,000 already loaned. According to the admin- istrator of veteran affairs, the prob- able number who will avail them- selves of the privilege under this bill will require approximately $1,- 000,000, There not being a penny in the Treasury to meet such a demand, the Government must borrow this sum through the sale of the reserve fund securities, to- gether with further issues, or we must need impose further taxation. “The sole appeal made for the re- opening of the bonus act, is.the claim " (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) . BLOCK WITHDRANS OFFER FOR WORLD Employes’ Plan to Buy Paper Given as One Reason for Publisher’s Action. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 26.—Paul Block, publisher, announced today he had withdrawn his offer to purchase the New York World newspapers. He made his announcement through Max D. Steuer, his attorney, who ex- decided not to purchase the newspapers for himself, but also to withdraw the offer he made to buy them and allow the employes of the World 45 days within which to purchase them without profit to himself. Surrogate James A. Foley will de- cide today whether the will of Joseph Pulitzer may be broken to allow the sale of the newspapers. The with- drawal of Mr. Block means that the employes, who have made a bid for the Worlds, must arrange their financing without his assistance. “When Mr. Block made an offer for the purchase of the Worlds, he was on the coast and he knew nothing of what had here transpired since December be- tween Roy Howard and the Messre. Pulitzer,” Mr. Steuer sald. Howard Contract Cited. “Nor did he learn anything concern- ing it until last evening. He has now ascertained that Mr. Howard had con- of the Pulitzer estate and he does not want to be put in the position of hay- ing interfered for the purpose of break- ing up an existing contract. He did want in good falth to purchase the three papers, but he does not want in any sense to interfere with a contract already concluded. “He is also moved by the plea on behalf of the employes. He would not make a move to deprive them of the opportunity of getting these papers. On the contrary, he had announced publicly that if he did purchase them he would give the employes 45 days within which to make arrangements to take the glpers over without 1 cent of profit to im or even reimburse him for his counsel fees and other disbursements. “Not wishing to interfere with ar- rangements already concluded, he is notifying—indeed, has already verball, notified—and will now follow it up wi a written notification to counsel for the " (Continued on Page 3, Column 4.) KINLEY BROTHERS SEEK TO CHECK FLAMING GASSER IN OKLAHOMA Plan to Fire Shot of Nitrogl Long Enough to By the Associated Press. WEWOKA, Okla., February 26—A battle of titians began here today as two brothers, conquerors of many un- ruly monsters of the midcontinent ofl fields, sought to snuff out a flaming deep rock gasser one mile south of town. Ped by an estimated flow of 81,000~ 000 cubic feet of gas dally since it caught fire Tuesday, the flames con- tinued to spout 200 or more feet into the air as the brothers—M. M. and Harry Kinley of Tulsa, strove to clear away the molten debris preparatory to firing & shot of nitroglycerine expected uff out the biaze. The white-hot would reignite the gas imme- :’;ore or so of families living in Che WASHINGTON, D. FRAZER CONFESSES: SPENT NIGHT HERE IN CAR WITH BODY Suspect Says Mrs. Stader Died When Shotgun in Car Was Discharged. PRISONER WILL RETURN TO NEW JERSEY TONIGHT Admission Made to Counsel and Prosecutor After Long Ques- tioning at Raleigh. By the Associated Press. RALEIGH, N. C,, Pebruary 26.—Wil- liam M. Frazer of Rahway, N. J.. who today ccnfessed to killing Mrs. Phoebe Stader, also of Rahway, accidentally, will be taken back to New Jersey to- night. This agreement was reached this afternoon by Abe J. David, New Jersey prosecutor, and A. A. Aronson, Frazer’s local attorney, following two hours of questioning, during which Frazer re- lated in detail the events leading up to the death of Mrs. Stader. Frazer told his questioners he spent one night in Washington on his trip South with the body. The prisoner said he parked his car, with the body in it, on the street and slept in it. He said he did not know the name of the street. Frazier told officials he loved Mrs. Stader and had “no reason in the world to kill her.” Waives Extradition. Frazer, who was arrested here yes- terday, waived extradition. His mother, Mrs. Edna Frazer of Rahway, was com- municated with and said she will ar- range for his defense if he is brought to_trial. Early this afternoon, officials had not definitely established the spot where Mrs. Stader was killed, but Pmsecuwr! David sald he would take Frazer to the East on charges of desertion, pending the location of the exact scene of the crime. Prazer, in a dictated statement, nldl Mrs. Stader, whose nude body was found at Bowling Green, Va., was killed somewhere below Seffrrin, N. J., by the accidental discharge of his shotgun. An autopsy at Rahway today, how- ever, attributed the death to a .22-cali- ber bullet in the back of Mrs. Stader’s head. Disposed of Body. After describing in detail the events | leading up to the killing, Frazer told how he carried the woman’s body in his automobile from New Jersey to a point & few miles from where the body was He sald he stopped his machine, stripped off the woman's clothes, burned them by the roadside, then drove sev- eral miles into the woods, where the body was abandoned. Prosecutor David sald Prazer made the following statement: “I met Mrs. Stader on Monday, not last Monday, but 10 days ago. I took | her and her sister June up to Walden. I took Phoebe (Mrs. Stader) out Mon- day night to a couple of road houses. 1 got some liquor. I remember where 1 got it, all right. I drank a good share of it, but she did not drink as much as I did. ‘Tuesday 1 had a date to meet her at 1 o'clock. We went to Newburg to a Chinese restaurant on the main drag | and had something to eat. We had a quart of liquor and we drank, then went to a movie, then back to the chop suey jont and had something to eat and drink. Then we went to an- other picture show. Claims Shot Accident. “We made up our minds to go to Florida. We startcd out, but some- where below Sefrrin, in Jersey, I got nervous or something. I had a gun under the back seat of the car. I stopped the car and went back to get ths gun. While I was getting the gun, it went off accidentally, somehow. “I did not know what to do. thought I wculd go to Rahway. I went there and stopped and told my cousin and went over and told my wife. She asked me what I was going to do. I said, ‘I do not know.’ “There were only two things to do— to tell the police and commit suicide. Then I went to the country to commit suicide, but I did not have the nerve to do it. I went back to Rahway, then left Rahway and came on South.” Mrs. Stader's clothes, he said, were cut from her body with scissors. A ring she wore was cut from her finger with a pair of pliers. Prazer said the scissors ‘just happened” to be in the automobile. An autopsy at Rahway, today re- vealed Mre. Stader was killed by a .22- | caliber bullet fired into the back of her head. M. A. Hoey, assistant to the district attorney of Orange County, N. Y., ar- rived here this morning to ascertain if the killing took place in his county. Frazer and Mrs. Stader were reported to have been seen together in Orange County early on the night she is be- lieved to have been killed. Frazer, according to his attorney, of- fered no explanation of the stories that he carried the corpse arcund in his machine. Mrs. Frazer, wife of the accused man, | insists Mrs. Stader “ruined” her hus- band. “I forgave him time after time. I don't know whether I can stand by him through this,” she said. She described Frazer as a loving, at- tentive and industrious husband until he inherited $25,000 frcm his father two years ago. He then quit work, she sald, moyed into a fine house and turned “play boy.” Recently he went “broke” ycerine, Scattering Gas Flow Snuff Out Blaze. the vicinity of the well packed their | personal goods and prepared for evacu- ation should their homes be en- dangered, and got a job in a factory. MURBER DETAILS SOUGHT. New Jersey Authorities Hope to Learn When and Where Mrs: Stader Died. RAHWAY, N. J., February 26 (#).—By questioning Willlam FPrazer, a former restaurant worker, under arrest in Raleigh, N. C., and by an autopsy, au- Pressure from below and a vacuum at the mouth of the well caused by | the flames creates a clear space ap- | proximately the height of a man be- | tween the opening proper and the low- | it car epace. erdinart ts clear space or arily permif | asbestos-clad workmen to. aj ,l:hu enough to swing a cable and | “nitra” into place before the terrific | beat melts and burns equipment. | 'The shot is fired by electricity, the powerful blast I unfifl:hz fiames and scattering the for the mo- ment necessary (o snuff out the fire. The Kinley brothers never have | s falled. thorities sought today to learn how, { when, where and why Mrs. Phoebe Stader was killed. Prosecutor Abe J. David of Union County went to Raleigh to confront Prazer with the atatements of his cousin ira Jensen and his wife, Hilda Frazer, that body in his T) was broug way by Philip bgdyw' husband of the slain woman, from Bowling Green, Va. It (Continued on Page 2, Celurmn 6.) i ey Radio Programs on Page D-4 WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION hening C., THURSDAY, FEB RUARY muffl IS RiGHT THAT'S WHAT IT I1S! oX Asa Poss.ammmm CANDIDATE IN THE HSHADOW OF THE“ ! WHITE HOUSE™ 22 7 » .‘ nflly 26, -1931—FORTY-EIGHT Star. The only e Associated service. PAGES. #%» (#) Means Associated vening paper in Washington with the Press news Yesterday’s Circulation, 118,745 TWO CENTS. Press. I 1 HOUSE 6.0.P. NAMES NOMINEES TONIGHT Independents Will Be Absent at Caucus—Want More Attention. By the Associated Press. Ranks thinned by the purposeful ab- sence of independents, Republicans of the House will meet in caucus tonight to select candidates for offices in the next Congress. | Independents, mostly from Western | States, want a free hand next Decem- | ber, and are unwilling to commit them- | selves now to the present Republican | leadership. | Among the regulars, there was no| Only One Vote Cast in Favor| sign of opposition to Nicholas Long- worth of Ohlo, for renomination as Speaker. He has held the chair for six | years now. Other officers also appeared slated for renomination without oppo- sition. They are: John Q. Tilson of Connecticut, floor leader; Willlam Tyler Page, clerk: Joseph G. ers, ser- Rodg: geant at arms, and Bert W. Kennedy, doorkeeper. Independents Hold Whip. The independents have not entirely rebelled against this leadership, but the | significance of their abstentations lay | in close margin between the Republicans and Democrats in the next House. In | a block, that dozen or fifteen votes could | elect either slate or force a compromise, | They have given no sign, however, of | wishing to join the Democrats. ! Recent weeks have seen Speaker 1 of Repealing of Dry Laws. Battleship Maine Survivor, 74, Fails To Receive Pension By the Associated Press. One of the 15 survivors of the battleship Maine disaster has failed to qualify for a Spanish War pension. A bill to confer a pension on T4-year-old John Beffron of Brooklyn, fassed by the Senate, was blocked in the House last night when it was shown Heffron served only 53 days. Ninety days’ war service are required by law for pension rights. EDUCATORS UPHOLD IBTH ANENDNENT By the Associated Press. DETROIT, Mich, Pebruary 26— With only one voice in opposition, the National Education Association, depart- ment of superintendence, today adopted resolutions upholding the eighteenth amendment. The lone opponent of the Resolutions Committee report was Dr. Daniel S. Kealey of Hoboken, N. J.. who had of- fered a repeal resolution. Speech Interrupted. Dr. Kealey did not ask adoption of | his own resolution, however, but de- Longworth in a coneiliatory attitude | voted a 10-minute talk to opposing the toward restive grcups. Only yesterday | he obtained reopening.of the oil vm- bargo question after the Ways and Means Committee had shelved for the session legislation sought urgently by petroleum State representatives. The day before he took the floor to aid. in passage of the “lame duck” resolu- tion much desired by Westerners, and his support of the veterans' loan bill was popular with a majority of the House. Democrats Delay Caucus. Liberalization of the House - rules, whose stringency has been a sore spot with many, was assured a .warge place in tonight's discussion, but mcst of the party leaders already concede that the absence of a controlling mapority in the next House would make the present regulaticns ineffective. ‘There was sentiment, too, for not committing the party to a rules program until the next session is on. The Democrats, who also had planned to caucus this week, changed their minds some time ago and put oft their elections until next term. By then deaths may alter the standing cof the partles. Among those who have announced they will stay away are Representatives La Guardia of New York, Maas and Christgau of Minnesota and Schneide: of Wisconsin. Maas explained he had a dinner engagement with Representa- tive Kvale of Minnesota, the single Farmer-Labor party member. “It was a choice of the more agree- able of two affairs,” he said, “both so- cial.” | | CONALLY VOTES DRY Texas Senator Opposes Committing Party to Anti-Prohibition Policy. Senator Conally of Texas yesterday added his protest to that of other Democratic congressional leaders against any attempt o commit the Democratic National Committee to an anti-prohi- bition stand at its forthcoming meet- ing. Leaders, meanwhjle, awaited arrival here of Chairman Raskob to inform him of an almost solid front of the party in Congress against the reported attempt to bring up the prohibition is- sue at the March 5 conference. On the ground that the National Committee is without authority to adopt party policies. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are confident of defeating any attempt at adoption of a wet plank. EX-CZAR OF BULGARIA TAKING TRIP TO EGYPT By the Associated Press. BERLIN, February 26,—Friends of the former Czar of Bulgaria, Ferdinand, to- day celebrated his seventieth blnhdnfy for him, Ferdinand himself having left Germany several days ago on a trip.to l:wrz prescribed by his physicians. Although no word has been received from him since he left Coburg, his an- cestral residence, he is believed to have reached Cairo The celebration of his natal day in Berlin took the form of a reception b the German Bulgarian Society, of whic] he is an honorary member, for the Bul one reported by the Resolutions Com- mittee. which declared the eighteenth amendment the “most effective means yet devised to curtail the distribution and use of alcohol.” The New Jersey educator’s talk, which was made from the stage, was inter- rupted frequently by cries of “throw him out” and “sit down.” Norman R. Crozier, president of the organization, several times called on the superintend- ents to “be fair” and permit Dr. Kealey to finish his speech. Raising his voice time, “If you think you can intimidate me, you're foolish.” A warning that the “mentally gifted” child is as much a problem as a_delin- quent and needs special attention as much as any defective type found in the school room was given to school super- intendents today by William John education, The child showing an unusually high intelligence reaction, Dr. Cooper said, may become a “liability to the com- munity.” There are 1,500,000 such chil- dren in the schools of the Nation, he estimated, or about 200 for each 5,000 pupils Only 40 cities_in_the country, how- " (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) MEXICANS BLAME DRINK FOR DEATH OF AMERICAN Two Companions State—Report of Similar Cases Investigated. By the Assogiated Press. TIJUANA, Mexico, February 26.— Three men were found unconscious in the Tijuana River bottom last night, and one, whom officers tentatively iden- tified as Richard J. Sheehan of Massa- chusetts, died at the hospital here. Wil- liam P. McGuire, address unknown, and & third man, still unidentified, were taken to the hospital unconscious. All three were said to be cases of acute alcoholism. ‘Tijuana police also received a report from San Ysidro, f., that two men returning from Tijuana were taken ill there, presumably from alcohol obtained in Tijuan: FOUR MILLION AMERICANS! Startling Demands of the Allies Told by PERSHING Tomorrow in The Evening Star Gen. Pershing’s story will garian colony here. He is one of the European ex-royal- ties uj whom the loss of royal pomp and circumstance sits lightly. be found today on page 4. above the noise, Kealey shouted at one | Cooper, United States commissioner of | in Unconscious | ACTION ON BLAINE BIL IS HELD UP Charges Ex- changed at House Commit- tee’s Realty Hearing. | “Filibuster” After a lengthy heaYing today, characterized by sharp exchanges dur- ing which charges of “filibustering” and “dilatory tactics” were exchanged the House District Committee went into executive session on the two Blaine bills to regulate the foreclosure of mortgages and to regulate the issuance and sale of securities. The committze adjourned without action, however, when Representative Patman, Demo- crat of Texas, insisted that the bills be read section by section for amend- ment. The committee, however, expressed itself as in favor of the principles in both of these measures, and another special meeting has been called for to- morrow morning in an effort to get these bills favorably reported to the House for the protection of the people in the District. Foreclosure Notice Required. One of these bills to regulate fore- closure of mortgages and deeds of trust provides that before mortgage can be foreclosed, 25 days notice and publica- tion three times in a newspaper and by registered letter to the owner or others | interested must be given. It puts the sales of the property in the hands of the { marshal of the District and as amended | by the Senate would allow the owner or | second mortgagee six mgnths in which | to redeem the property. | The Senate Committee in the bill it reported provided only 15 days for re- demption, but the Senate itself in- creased that period to six months. This bill also promises protection | against such practices as were em- |ployed in the Swartzell, Rheem & | Hensey cases, by providing that the re- lease of the mortgage or deed of trust shall not cancel lien of any note not presented to the recorder of deeds, and by him marked canceled and paid, un- less a bond is given for the lost notes. The other bill to regulate the issu- | ance and sale of stocks, bonds and | e District makes the | Public Utilities Commission adminis- | trator of this new law. Certain secu- | rities of known value, such as bank | stocks, are exempt. Other securities |can be sold merely on the filing of | certain definite information, such as a | showing that bonds represent only 70 | per cent of the assessed value of the building. Licensing Provided For. Other securities, however, must first | be submitted to the Public Utilities | Commission with full information as | to the value of property back of the| security, the purpose of the issue and the application of the proceeds and the earnings of the company. It also provides for the licensing of dealers and salesmen of securities or penalties for unlicensed sales. Joseph A. Burkart, chairman of the Law Committee of the Washington Board of Trad i - (Continued on Page NAVY PROBES AGENTS’| USING OF STATION Officer Says Dry Officials Take Prisoners Through Base With- out Permission. By the Associated Press. KEY WEST, Fla, February 26.—An inquiry into action of Federal prohibi- tion agents in transporting prisoners ac- cused of violating liquor laws through the naval station here without permis- sion was instituted today by Capt. Rob- ert T. Menner, station commandant. The investigation was prompted, Capt. Menner said, as a result of the prohi- bition officers marching through the naval grounds to a Coast Guard cutter |to Bert H. Peck, its chiet engineer in AID PLEDGED IN GAS PROBE BY CHIEF OF STANDARDS BUREAU U. S. Experts to Test Effect| of Mixing Natural and Artificial Products. SEARCH FOR SUCCESSOR TO PECK IS PRESSED| Utilities Commission Hopes to Find | New Engineer by Time Re- signed Official Quits. The Bureau of Standards today pledged lis co-operation to the Public Utilities. Commission in the investiga- ticn of the gas situation as the com- mission began a search for a successor charge of the inquiry, who resigned to | {.;:g:l! lnldl&l‘lf-:n'lh wwaeorfle A. G. , president o e 'ashin, Light & R The commission hopes to find an- other engineer to take over the in- vestigation by Saturday when Mr. Peck’s resignation becomes effective, Irrespective of its sucecss, however, Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick, chair- man of the commission, said there | would be no let-up in the inquiry, but on the contrary, it would be pushed even more vigorously. The Bureau of Standards offered its assistance to the commission T re- sponse to a request last week that it conduct a serles of tests to determine :hn% efl:&tfl zc)lt. :he new mixture of natural al gas on gas applian; These tests, it is believed, will show feh'l cause of the carbonization of gas appli- ances—a condition regarded as danger- ous because of cases reported to the commission where carbon has extin- guished the flame on pilot lights and gas ranges. Wants to Save Time. In reply to the commission’s est Dr. George K. Burgess, director r;(quhhe Bureau of Standards, wrote: “We wil' be glad ‘o make the weekily analyses of gases requested in your let- ter of February 20, but would like to confer. with your engineer as to the completeness necessary in making them, filnf‘el -mgren dmmumt.:m;; can be saved e _constituen not hav be determined in detail. Sk "Ym.l.ll).rel pl’om aware that the conventional mef of analysis which will give all the mrog'.won nytcu- essary for a _determination of the heat- ing value of the gas, air required for combustion and other properties which affect the character of the flames, do not result in the determination of the exact amount of several constituents, ;p;:rucuurly cthane, propane, butane, “It may be of interest to your com- mission that this bureau has been study- ing the performance*of gas appliances, including efficlencies for many years, and has a considerable amount of data available on such subjects. We be glad to place any of this information at commission in any other way.” Tests Found Hampered. Elmer G. Runyan, the commission’s gas engineer, who was directed to make certain tests to determine the effect on consumption of varying pressures, re- ported to the commission that his prog- ress has been hampered by the small range of pressures available in his labo- ratory. The highest pressure obtainable n the laboratory, he said, was 6 inches, which is 2 inches under the new 8-inch maximum allowed by the commission. Tests have been made from 2-inch pressures up to 6 inches, but the tests on the higher scale of pressures will have to be made outside the laboratory. The commission is particularly anx- ious to ascertain the effect on consump- tion of pressures between 8 and 14 inches—the range of pressures found existing when Mr. Peck conducted his pressure survey. While the tests on pressures will necessarily have to be made outside the laboratory, it was said at the commission that the result would be the same. Richmond B. Keech, people's counsel before the commission, who is conduct- ing an independent investigation to determine the cause of the flood of complaints over high gas bills, is study- ing a report pregll‘ed by J. M. Nichol- son, his research assistant, which de- clares that increased pressures are responsible for higher gas consumption. “This report is significant,” Mr. Keech said, “because it shows that in_those (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) JUDGE HOLDS MINISTER IN CONTEMPT OF COURT Refused to Answer Question on In- formation Given Him in Con- fidence as Pastor. By the Associated Press. MINNEAPOLIS, February 26.—Rev Emil Swenson, pastor of the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church here, was held in contempt of court yesterady for refusing to testily as to information given him in confidence by a member of bis church. Judge Paul W. Guilford in County District Court made the rul- ing. The maximum penalty is 90 days in_the city workhouse. The minister had been called to the stand as a witness for Mrs. Gladys Sund- seth, who is seeking a divorce from Ar- nold Sundseth, vice president and treas- urer of a funeral home company. Rev. Mr. Swenson was asked by Sundseth’s attorney to tell about a conversation Sundseth had with the minister, al- leged to have had to do with the di- vorce action or events leading up to it. Although the court ordered him to answer, Rev. Mr. Swenson declined. your disposal or to co-operate with the | P25 tracted just before he sailed. the cause of the trouble. SWARTZELL ASSETS EXCEED LIABILITIES, $173 000 COURTTOLD Counsel for Mortgage Firm Files Schedule in District Supreme Court. |SAY LOSS TO CREDITORS LESS THAN ANTICIPATED Assert Local Banks Hold Unsecured Claims Only to Extent of .$56,000. A bankruptcy schedule listing assets in excess of liabilities was filed today by Swartzell, Rheem & Hensey, mort- gage banking house, now in the hands of receivers. It figures as set forth in the sched- ules are not changed by subsequent de- velopment, it was pointed out, the pos- sible loss to creditors may be much smaller than was at first anticipated. It was believed, however, that it will be some time before a final reckoning can be made. ‘Total Habilities were placed at $6,329,- 795.40 and total assets fixed at $6,508,- 253.77, leaving a safety margin cof $173,458.37. ‘The schadules, filed in District Su- preme Court by Attorneys Tobriner and Graham, counsel for the bankrupt, cover approximately 100 pages. They are accompanied by an explanatory statement that an audit of the com- pany’s books could not be made as they are in the hands of accountants for the receivers and representatives of the De- partment of Justice. Liability Schedule Divided. The schedule of liabilitles is divided into priority claims for taxes amount- ing to $17,444.81, claims amounting to $1,238,915.77, and unse- cured claims aggregating $5,073,434.86. It was pointed out that the unsecured claims include all deeds of trust and that local banks appear as un- secured creditors only to the extent of $56,000. All other bank it was sald, are amply secured by collateral of a face value than double the amount of the loans. According to the statement, the un- secured creditors number approximate- ly 1,600. The assets are said to consist of equi- ties in various parcels of real estate, estimated to be worth $1,880,573.92. Included are such as the building on , the Securities Building and the Hurley-Wright Building, both at Nineteenth street and Pennsylvania :;t‘tmu, and valuable unimproved prop- . $4,278,791.49 In Realty Notes. Real estate notes owned by the com- y are scheduled as of the face value of $4,278,79149, some of which are pledged to secure loans and others being in the vaults of the concern. 383, and money on deposit in severa local banks amounting to $30,478.97. The unimproved property owned by the company includes a tract of land on Massachusetts avenue near Nebraska avenue, containing about 48 acres; cor- ner of Connecticut avenue and Apple- ton street, containing about 27,912 square feet; several parcels of land in Silver Spring, Md., and unimprovea l'n:gt known as the Huntington ce ract. The company reserves the right to file amended schedules, if necessary. when the report of the receivers' ac- countants is filed. Rheem Gives Information. The statement accompanying the schedules informs the court that much of the information used in their prepa- ghflon wnlx Ohm;:;d from Edmund D. eem, vice president of the company, and the recefimm i Rhfie:n l:e:;{;:lym'xlnls ll-rresud on a warrant charging with embezzl; $162,000 of the company's funds. . The schedules list the names of all persons having unsecured claims against the company. One of them is Luther A. Swartzell, president of the company, who holds such a claim in the sum of $15,000. Another is Mrs. Carolyn M. Wilkins of the Shoreham Hotel, who has an unsecured claim of $1,500. Trusts on Office Buildings. The schedules also disclose that there is a first trust on the company’s office building of $98,000. The Securities Building is subject to a first trust of $300,000 and a second trust of $100,000. The first trust on the Hurley “!];?‘hl fsl:’flodgau is $260,000 and the second is In the report of debts due on open accounts the schedule lists one to E. D. Rheem and F. P. Morse for $1,220.75; one to E. D. Rheem, spe- cial, for $64,219.19; one to E. D. Rheem, trustee, Mintwood place, $13,- 414.63, and one to E. D, Rieem. Sec- ond and D streets, for $34,228.33. Warner, Film Aide, Is IIl NEW YORK, February 26 (#).—Lewis Warner, son of H. M. Warner and an executive of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc, is ll in Havana, it was learned today. Dr. Thomas J. Unger, medical director of Warner Bros., has been sent to Cuba to take charge of the case. An infection has set in and blood poison- ing is feared. Mr. Warner had a wisdom tooth ex- It was with a number of prisoners arrested in raids, and the subsequent issuance of station orders for the posting of guards at the gates to halt suca procedure. Capt. Menner said the incident oc- curred shortly before he returned here from a trip to Havana. The orders to | | the guards were issued by Lieut. Reyn- olds, in charge of the station during his absence. “T expect to go into the matter today,” said _the commandant, “to determin whether the hibition agents had a right to use the Naval Sta for such purposes and whether Lieut. Reynolds was within his hts when he issued orders posting of the guards. The pro- sion to transport the prisoners through the grounds.” Armed with warrants, 18 prohibition agents made the raids, in which 10 men were arrested and a quantity of liquor seized, The defendants were given pre- liminary hearingg and held under bond. o b hibition officers had not asked permis- By Cable to The Star. RRAGUE, February 26.—A hollow tooth provides an excellent “ear” for a deaf person who wishes to hear a radio the current | sis, or mh‘::u ditory is _destro; W] au nerve 'Bl wm ‘t..hel lost o able recover r the hollow tooth method. v S dical review. wooig. sk Sgainet ker and ap- ies the other end to a‘hollow molar. e vibrations on the tookh ’re trans- % by placing into the cavity of holding the other e HOLLOW TOOTH USED AS “EAR” BY DEAF TO HEAR RADIO MUSIC [ Vibrations on Molar Also Enable Afflicted Person to Listen to Lectures. one end of a the nd in his teeth. tg}eflom afflicted with otosclero- ickened ear-drum, can hear in way, says Dr. Svatek. Only perforated are un- (Cppyrisht, 1931)