Evening Star Newspaper, April 9, 1931, Page 17

- Washington News PROBE OF MARINE'S MURDER ‘BLOCKED. CONSTABLE HOLDS Blackwell Accuses Garrison of Interfering With Solution of Capitol Heights Case. MAGISTRATE DECLARES INVESTIGATION FUTILE Chief Deputy Sheriff Says Slain Man Failed to Keep Date on Night of January 16. The murder of Pvt. Emanuel Thorne, 25-year-old Marine, whose bullet-rid- dled body was found in a shallow grave in a patch of woods in Greater Capitol . Md. will go down in Prince rges County criminal records as nother unsolved mystery,” in the opinion of Justice of the Peace Thomas riffith GAlnmugh five days have elapsed since the discovery of the corpse, investi- gators are no nearer the solution of the baffling s ng than they were last Saturday, when the body was found, Griffith declared today. Blackwell Hits Garrison. The statement was made after Con- stable Ear] Blackwell had asserted Chief Deputy Sheriff Thomas Garri- son was “interfering” with him in hi investigation. The theories of Garri son and Blackwell have been at vari ance since the beginning of the probe, the chief deputy holding that Thorne was killed January 16, immediately after leaving the Marine Barracks, and the constable declaring the murder was not committed until March 14. Blackwell declared he was “being so tied up with grand jury work” in the Prince Georges County court house at Upper Marlboro that he had little time in which to work on the slaying. ‘Blackwell’s assertions brought a smile from Garrison, who termed them “stufl and nonsense.” Deputy Interviews Girl. Expounding his_theory of the mur- der, RSarrison said he had interviewed & gir] who had a “date” with Thorne on the night he left the barracks. “They were supposed to go to a dance,” the chief deputy related, “but Thorne didn't show up. The girl had known him for a long time, and he ha_d never disappointed her before. His records showed he was always punctual, and never failed to return to the bar- racks at the time he was expected. The fact he neither kept the ‘date’ nor re- turned to the barracks convinced me he was killed either that night or early the next morning.” Blackwell's theory the slaying was the vesult of a drunken brawl was termed “ridiculous” by Garrison. “Thorne was killed,” the chief deputy declared, “either because he knew too much or because somebody wanted .to get re- wvenge.” [ A.gs for the automobile which Black- well believes was used by the murderer Garrison insisted it had “nothing what- ever to do with the case” The car was not found until March 15 and it “certainly could not have figured in a murder which oceurred two months be- fore,” Garrison pointed out. Selbicky Is Released. The mechine, however, plays an im- portant part in Blackwell's reconstruc- tion of the crime. The constable be- lieves Thorne was killed near the woods in Greater Capitol Heights, and that his body was taken to the edge of the woods in an automobile, from which it was dragged to the place of burial. The woods are in the rear of the| home of Vincent Selbicky, a member of { the Marine Band, who was released from Prince Georges County jail late Yy, had been i | g the discovery of a_guantity ged beer and whisky in his home. ky's release left the investigators with no one in custody in connection with the murder and both Garrison and Blackwell admitted today that there was little likelihood of another arrest in the immediate future. Selbicky, in Garrison’s opinion, was the victim of a deliberate effort by the slayer to cast suspicion upon him.; Thorne's body was buried in the woods in back of Selbicky's home, and a folder of safety matches bearing the insignia of the Marine Band was placed dn the slain man’'s pocket, Garrison declared, to investigators ink Selbicky had something to do with the murder. MAY KEEP MONUMENT OPEN DURING NIGHT| | | Col. Grant Studying Plan for Vis-| itors Expected Here for 1932 Bicentennial. iment will be ! ght, during_the Bicentennial Ce! wh G 3d.. | s and public form the pro- e countles ngton next | n es to t on_Monument has | his plan is now col- | erson- | ton Mon- | engineer t work, | eas night | The office Public Parks, he Public Buildings and | aid, will watch with | the effect the flood lighting of hington Monument at night have on its attraction for visitors. at present, & night view 1 nf n _from the top of the Monument tle charm for visitors, an experiment recently conducted fled to draw a sufficient number to arrant the keeping of additional per- sonnel there at night LORTON CONVICT FLEES Slipping_unobserved from a line of prisoners filing into the auditorium to attend a motion picture performance, Paul Pratt, colored, 25, escaped last night from the Lorton Reformatory, where he was serving a six-year term for_housebreaking. Pratt fled in the darkness and his getaway was not discovered by guards until after the prison had_taken their seats in the auditorium. District he Zb WASHINGTON, D. C, Fasts 31 Days as a Test Man Thin and Emaciated, But Still Strong; Lost Weight at Rate of Pound a Day; Knew No Discomfort After First Day of Experiment. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Results of a 31-day experimental fast by a volunteer worker have just been announced by Dr. Fréncis G Benedict, director of the nutrition laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. During the fast, Dr. Benedict says, the subject lost weight at the rate of approximately a pound a day, but the loss was considerably greater at the start than at the end because more water was being drawn from the body. Decline in the production of body heat was constant for 15 days after which the amount remained stable. Oration on 31st Day. “During the period,” Dr. Benedict said, “he drew upon his body reserves, chiefly fat, and at the end he was dis- tinetly thin and emaciated. As he lost body substance there was less left to produce heat. The weight changes were suggestive of the relative intensity of his life processes. ‘We actually measured the heat given off by this mean, each day of his fast and thus had a real measure of level of vitality. On the thirty-first day he de- livered an oration for 30 minutes with strong gesticulations and also danced and ran upstairs. “The body has a tremendous storage and one can live a long time on one's own body supply, which is chiefly fat. With the withdrawal of food, many ex- perience a sense of faintness or hunger pains, but experience has shown this faintness usually passes off rapidly. The man who fasted 31 days certainly had no discomfort after the first day. Dog Can Fast 60 Days. “Animals subsist for an incredibly long time without taking food, always drawing upon their body fat. The steer has fasted 14 days, the dog as long as 60 days, and even the white rat 20 days, yet all these animals recovered promptly when feeding was resumed”. After such a fast they are not as active as before, but they are by no means dead or even near death. “The cold-blooded animals furnish the most astonishing illustrations of this ability to subsist on body material for a long time. The python lies quietly, almost inert. It has a low body tem- perature, a low respiration rate and a low heart rate. Its heat production and its whole level of activity are very low. The reserves of body fat are but slowly drawn upon. “The python must go without food not simply for one month, as with man, but' there are clear records of snakes in captivity that have lived from two to | The fires of life burn at a somewhat three years without eating. Then one day this dormant, lethargic animal, seemingly in a stupor, will decide that it wants to take food which has been offered to it reguiarly every week. From a seemingly moribund mass of hardly living matter there is a lightning-like lunge and the python begins to get itself outside of & pig. Somewhat Similar to Snake. “Man is somewhat similar. As he lives at a higher level or intensity of life he necds more food and more fre- quent replenishment of food, but even after a month without eating he is very much alive. “He has been living and during this time changes have been go- ing on continually in the materials es- sential to life. The body reserves, as with python, have supplied the stores.” ‘The fasting experiment was conduct- ed in connection with the Carnegie studies of basal metabolism or heat production of the human body. There is an average heat production, Dr. Bene- dict says, of approximately one calorie a minute, but the actual rate in the individual, the experiments have shown, is affected by weight, height, age and sex. “The heat production,” he said, “is lowered by age. A man 25 years of ege. in full prime of physical vigor, produces more heat than a man of the same height and weight 70 years of age. lower ebb in old age. “The influence of age is particularly striking in adolescence. When we were studying a group of Girl Scouts from 12 to 18 years of age we found that as a result of growing older they increased in weight and increased in height, both of which factors would normally tend to raise the metabolism. But, as they were growing older, the age factor low- ered the metabolism and we found, sin- gularly enough, that the total basal heat production over 24 hours was about 1,250 calories, whether a girl was 12 or 18. Effect of Sex Shown. “Finally it was definitely shown that ‘women have lower heat production than men, taking into account weight, height | and age. Of course, the average woman is both shorter and lighter than the average man, but these factors can be equalized in & statistical analysis and the effect of sex clearly shown.” Precise basal metabolism measures, Dr. Benedict said, promise to be of con- siderable value in determining the ef- fects of certain diseases and in estimat- ing the food needs of an individual. Racial differences also are being shown which may have important results in anthropological measurements. WOLLD ELIMINATE STRET PARKWAY Co-ordinating Committee to Study Plan to Facilitate Taft Bridge Traffic. ‘The proposed elimination of the cen- tral parkway in Connecticut avenue south of the Willlam Howard Taft Bridge, in order to give greater freedom in that area to traffic, will likely come up before the Co-ordinating Commit- tee, comprising interested District and Federal Government agencies, at its next meeting on April 21. Capt. E. N. Chisolm, jr., engineer of the National Capital Park and Plan- ning Commission and chairman of the Co-ordinating Committee, said today that the District authorities are now studying the possibilities for the elimi- nation of the central parking, so that Connecticut avenue traffic may move more freely. Another subject which the Co-ordi- | nating Committee will turn its atten- | tion to in the near future is the width [of Constitution avenue from Virginia | avenue to the Potomac River. Fred- | erick Law Olmsted of Brookline, Mass., | prominent landscape architect and a member of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is now mak- | ing a special study of that area. The | committee is disposed to wait until Mr. Olmsted makes his report to the commission, possibly at its next meet- ing, before taking any action. The proposal is to reduce the width of Con- stitution avenue from 80 feet to 72 feet between Virginia avenue and the river. Capt. Chisolm said today that the committee has now recommended that Randolph street northeast be extended | through to Michigan avenue and this new thoroughfare is to follow the| topography of the country in that area Taylor street in that locality has al- ready been designed as a through street. $156 GIVEN FOR FREE SCHOOL LUNCH FUND Gladys Crosby Parsons Re- ports Total of $281 for Needy Children. Mrs. Additional gifts of $156 have brought the total of the fund to provide free lunches to needy public school children to 1, according to a report made to- day to Stephen E. Kramer, first assist- | ant superintendent of schools, by Mrs. Gladys Crosby Parsons, chairman of the D. C. Milk Fund Committee of the Congress of Parents and Teachers. A contribution of $100 by the John FUNDS FOR NEEDY | were on the rolls of the two organiza- |of the Associated Charities; CHILDREN ASKED Associated Charities and Citizens’ Relief Association Make Joint Appeal. Funds for the care of dependent chil- dren in their own homes and for the financial assistance of the Public Wel- fare Board in caring for children were asked in resolutions adopted at the joint meeting of the boards of the Associated Charities and the Citizens' Relief Asso- clation late yesterday. The resolution petitions the District Commissioners to include provision for these needs in their estimates for 1933. It was pointed out that unemploy- ment had resulted in greater demands for family relief. The boards of the two organizations were advised that fam- ilics, believed to be eligible for care under the “mothers’ pension” act, were being given aid by the Associated Char- ities and the Citizens' Relief Associa- tion. Funds Insufficient. It was explained there are not suffi- clent funds to care for these families, despite the $5,000 deficiency appropria- tion for the current year. The $15,000 which is to be placed at the disposal of the Public Welfare Board on July 1, it was said, probably will not be suffi- cient to care for the families now alded by the Assoclated Charities. Reports submitted yesterday by Wal- ter 8. Ufford, general secretary of the agencies, showed that expenditures dur- ing March exceeded those of any month in"the history of either organization. The total spent by both organizations was $21,561, representing & 70 per cent increase over March of last year, when the joint total was only $12,663. Rolls of Needy Increase. During March, 1930, 1,120 families tions, while in March of this year, 1,444 families were listed. Of last year's total, 133 families were aided by the charity groups for the first time, while this year 185 familles were newcomers. Unem- ployment was responsible for the plight of 641 of this years families, while “‘under-employment” carried 250 other families into the ranks of the needy. Evan H. Tucker, president of the Citi- zens’ Relief Assoclation, presided at vesterday's meeting. Others present included Coleman Jennings, president Arthur Deering Call, Dwight Clark, Willlam J. Flather, jr.:’ Mrs. E. K. Morris, Miss Helen Nicolay, C. C. Morgan, A. J. Driscoll, Mrs. Loren B. T. Johnson, J. E. Jones, Mrs. James Brown Scott, Charles P. Nelll and Thomas S. Settle. Eaton Parent-Teacher Association and another of $25 by the W. B. Powell Parent-Teacher Association previously | had been announced. Contributions an- | nounced today were Fillmore P.-T A., $50; West P-T. A, $50: Paul Junior High Home and School Associatfon, $50, and Mrs. Bishop, $5, and a {riend, $1 Courtesy Which Was Denied to Patient at For the first time in the history of the District Supreme Court, a man was admitted to practice before it yesterday without presenting himself at court. Raymond W. Farrell, 28-year-old World War veteran, who passed the last bar examination, was {ll at Walter Reed Hospital and Attorney H. Winship Wheatley interested the committee and the court in expediting his admission to practice law, The committee, under Chairman J. Paul Earnest, made a special report to lice are assisting in the search for e convict, who for his is believed o have|general term session here. tices Gordon, Cox, the court on Farrell's eligibility and a was held VETERAN IS ADMITTED TO BAR WITHOUT APPEARING IN COURT Rites for R. M. Cornnell. T. B, Md, April 9 (Special).—Fu- neral services for Richard M. Cornnell, aged about 60, who died Tuesday after a long iliness, were held this afternoon at McKendree Methodist Episcopal Church here. He was the husband of Mrs. Anna Cornnell. Woodrow Wilson Extended Walter Reed. and the admission of Farrell ordered. Alf G. Buhrman, assistant clerk of the court, took the roster of attorneys to Walter Reed for the new lawyer to sign and with it his certificate of ad- mission. Farrell had been ill for some time before the examination last December, but left the hospital to undergo the s tests. The distinction of being admitted without appearing at court was not even accorded to Woodrow Wilson, former President of the United States, who, though paralyzed, was brought to court to be admitted term of office had | to practice after his|that more expired. sales are ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION D. C. RETAIL TRADE TOPS §331,000,000, SAYS 1330 CENSUS Report on Capital Business Made Public at Dinner of Merchants’ Body. PAY ROLL OF STORES $43,649,510 YEARLY Large Cash Sales and $106,000,000 Purchases of Foodstuffs Are Listed by Survey. The annual volume of retail busi- ness in the City of Washington is in excess of $331,000,000, according to the District of Columbia census of retail distribution of the Bureau of the Cen- sus for 1930, made pubiic at the meet- ing of the Merchants and Manufac- turers’ Association at the Willard Hotel last night by John Guernsey, in charge of this phase of the census. Of this amount, approximately 28 per cent is consumed in operating costs, accord- ing to the report. Addressing a representative gather- ing of Washington business men and merchants, Mr. Guernsey revealed for the first time the findings of the cen- sus of retail distribution, which was conducted at the urgent insistence of business men for the purpose of gath- ering and presenting facts about re- tail distribution as a basis for adjust- ing retail methods to rapidly changing conditions. It was the first time such a census has been conducted by the Government on a Nation-wide scale. The report shows that there are 5917 retail stores in the District. The an- nual pay roll of these stores exceeds $43,500,000 and is nearly one-half of the total pay roll of all Government departments and agencies within the District. Estimated Pay $50,515,103. The total retail pay roll of the 5917 stores is $43,649,510, of which $41,947,- 534 is paid to 30,677 full-time employes and $1,701,976 is paid to 3,796 part- timers, Mr. Guernsey said. In addition, there are 5,030 owner-proprietors who do not appear on the pay roll. If the services of these active proprietors are valued only at the wage paid to aver- age full-time employes, he continued, they add another $6,865,593 to the pay- roll cost, making the total $50,515,103, or 1522 per cent of the stores’ sales. Guernsey explained, actually a part or all of the profit which is earned by the stores which they own and operate, and for that reason the amount which they draw for living expenses is purely arbitrary. In many cases the proprietors do not even know the amount themselves. It may be in the form of regular or ir- regular withdrawals of cash, or mer- chandise taken from the store for fam- ily use, or personal expense bills paid with store funds, or a regular drawing account set up monthly on the books and drawn against at the pleasure of the proprietor. For census purposes, we have used only the wage-value of pro- prietors’ services, or the average wage paid to full-time employes in that par- ticular kind of store. It includes no valuation of the executive or adminis- trative services of proprietors.” Stores Sell for Cash. Of the 5,917 stores, 3,307 sell entirely for cash and 2,047 report that they do all or part of their business on credit he stated. Of the total retail sales, 40.3 ss 1n_ all-cash stores, 24.5 per cent is cash business in stores which extend credit, and 35.2 per cent is credit busines ‘Two of the most interesting ses of the report presented by Mr. Guernse were the expense data and a set of | schedules showing what commodities are sold by the various kinds of stores and the proportion of each sold. The aggregate expense account of Washington retaflers was reported as follows: Salaries an: to 30,87 | d_wages paid tull-time ‘em- 541,047,534 1,701,976 puted at the sa as that paid to erage employe Total wage cost. Rent paid for 6,365,503 $50,515,103 $11,789,576 0t . 15.22% e of owned owned prem- same rate as and partly ises, “at 2,600,796 f Al ‘otal rental 14,489,372 4.36% be i 28,180,805 850 Total of above expenses. . $93,194,80-28,087 ‘The computation of expenses includes no return on capital invested in mer- chandise, fixtures or accounts recefv- able. Expenses do not include the cost of merchandise sold or profit. Drug Sales High. In spite of the general impression thing else, that 42 per cent of their business is in prescrip- tions, drugs and pharmaceuticals, the speaker stated. Candy, ice cream and soda fountain sales are more than 31 per cent, and the tobacco counter takes in nearly 12!2 per cent of the total drug store sales. Books, toilet article: cosmetics and miscellaneous mercha; dise make up the balance. ‘The continuing encroachment of one business on another was forcefully brought out by Mr. Guernsey in his presentatior Fruit and vegetable stores do only 82'; per cent of their business in fruits and vegetables, the balance consisting of groceries and meats, he asserted. Grocery stores with meat de- partments now find that 41 per cent of their business is in fresh meats and poultry. Te~ per cent of automobile accessories stores’ sales are of gas and oil, while the filling stations report that more than 14 per cent of their sales are of accessories, tires and batteries. “Every department store in Washing ton has reported its breakdown of sales by commodities, and nearly 100 sep- arate commodity groups are shown in the census report” he declared. Sales of the nine stores aggregate $54,937, 854. Fifteen variety stores of the 5-and- 10 and to-a-dollar type have reported their sales of $4,766,163 in nearly 50 different commodities, the more impor- tant of which are notions, candy, hard- ware, household goods, hosiery, costume jewelry and soda fountain sales. Toys, games, cosmetics, and fancy paper goods ' are other leading commodities in the variety stores. First City Reported. “Sixteen family shoe stores report per cent of their Even fur shops °l'.!n-n ‘ THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1931. POLICE ELIMINATE ALLBUT 3 SUSPECTS INMURDER INQUIRY Alibis Clear Six Held for In- vestigation in Killing of Mrs. Jaynes. OFFICERS CONCENTRATE ON 3 NEWEST SUSPECTS Seek Auto Belonging to Ome of These on Theory It May Yield Clues. 8ix of the nine suspects held in the slaying of Mrs. Elizabeth Jaynes, Gar- den T Shop cashier, were definitely eliminated from the murder inquiry today as police announced that their alibis were {ironclad. Three of these suspects, the first to be arrested, were to be released after a brief questioning this afternoon. The other three, arrested in Baltimore sev- eral days ago, will be held in connec- tion with the investigation of a series of petty crimes. ‘With the announcement of their elimination from the case, police broadcast a detailed lookout for two young men who on the day the cashier was shot purchased two black bath- ing caps from a local store. The bandits wanted in the cashier's death wore such caps at the time of the hold-up. New Suspect in Case, A new suspect entered the case this morning. He was arrested in the down- town section by a first precinct patrol- man, who thought he answered the de- scription of one of the bandits. He will be questioned today. Meanwhile police say they will con- centrate on the two suspects arrested | last night. Their arrest came with a repert that neighbors had seen one of them crawl across a roof and climb into another’s apartment window. Police will make an effort to locate an automobile belonging to one of these suspects. The car, according to the prisoner, is hidden in a garage in the northwest section. Police wished to examine the machine for clues. The fingerprints of the two men ar- rested last night failed to compare with the prints found on the license tags on the stolen roadster used in the slaying. The fingerprints of the suspect held at the first precinct will be compared today. Two Examine Guns. Two .25-caliber guns taken from two suspects wiil be examined today. Police wish to determine whether either of the guns fired the shots which killed Mrs. Jaynes or Beulah Limerick. An effort to connect the slaying of James H. Lane, street car motorman, with the murder of Mrs. Jaynes failed yesterday. Police investigated a report that a man residing in an apartment adjoining that of a suspect overheard the remark, “You killed a motorman over in the southeast and now you've killed a 59-year-old woman.” Further investigation revealed that the remark was made by a detective in- terrogating the suspect Monday night. Mrs. Jaynes was wounded when a gun in the hands of one of the bandits suddenly discharged during a hold-up of the tea shop at 1835 Columbia road. 18 per cent of their business in apparel other than fur, while 7.4 per cent of jthe sales of women's ready-to-wear shops are of furs and fur garments. These latter shops also show that with every $61.15 of coats, suits and dresses they sell $4.60 of millinery, $5.92 of hoslery and $8.75 of underwear.” Only 559 retailers were able to report their sales in commodities, but this 9 per cent of the stores do more than 50 per cent of the retail business of Wash- ington, so that the commcdity informa- tion may be regarded as fairly typical in most classifications, he said. Mr. Guernsey emphasized that Washington is the first city for which this kind of report has been issued, and that the form and content are presented sub- ject to improvement, as illustrative of what can be shown for other cities. Mr. Guernsey presented the following estimates of total investment in the re- tail industry in Washington: Real estate owned or leased by retailers Fixtures . Merchandise, st Accounts receiv. ock, ab! $228,000,000 Advertisers Spend $6,000,000. “Washington retailers spend at least $93,000,000 annually in Washington, exclusive of merchandise purchased from local wholesalers and producers for resale” Mr. Guersney declared. “Local purchasers of foodstuffs alone would bring this total of annual ex- penditures in Washington by Washing- ton retailers to a figure well over $106,- 000,000, which is believed to be the total annual pay roll of the Govern- ment departments and independent agencies within the District. The re- tail payroll alone is more than 40 per cent of the Government payroll within the District. The balance is rent, taxes, insurance, heat, light and power, supplies and advertising. “Advertising alone costs local retail- ers at least $6,000,000, and the news- papers are the principal media. Wash- ington newspapers are among the best in the country and are known far and wide for the lineage and fine appear- ance of the retail advertising which they carry, which reflects credit both upon the mnewspaper publishers, who maintain such high standards, and upon the retailers, who appreciate and are Wlllllmg to pay for advertising that pulls.” Following presentation of the report representative business leaders voiced the opinion that the data collected by the census of retail distribution would prove of great practical use to mer- chants of Washington and can be util- ized as a basis for future development. Those who commented favorably on the report included Dr. Luther H. Reichel- derfer, president of the Board of Dis- trict Commissioners; Mark Lansburgh, president of the Merchants and Manu- facturers’ Association: George Plitt, president of the Waskington Board of Trade; Thomas P. Littlepage, vice pres- ident of the Washington Chamber of Commerce, and Brig. Gen. Frank Hines, administrator of veterans’ affairs. Dr. Julius Klein, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, who was scheduled to address the meeting, was absent on ac- count of illness. In his stead, Dr. Rob- ert J. McFall, chief statisticlan of the Census Bureau, explained the method of collecting the census data which formed the basis for this report. Others at the meeting included John Poole, president of the Federal-American Bank; A. C. Case, vice president of Pa- lais Royal, Inc.; W. W. Everett, gen- eral manager of Woodward & Lothrop: Dr. George C. Havenner, president of the Frederation of Citizens' Associa- tions, and Ross Andrews of the Natlonal Retail Dry Goods Association, * Chosen for Ballistic Course ening Star PAGE B—1 EXPERTS TO LEARN study under Calvin Goddard, di at Northwestern University. to right, E. R. Donaldson, micre Gullickson, and Detective Sergt. F. A. GODDARD'S LATEST. 5600000 T0 GO BACK 10 LANDOWNERS IN REFUNDS ON PAVING Adjustments Under New Law Will Apply to All Work in Last Three Years. BOOKKEEPING TO DELAY PAYMENTS OF MONEY EMBERS of the Police Department, who leave for Chicago tomorrow to rector of the crime detection laboratory Front, left to right, Lieut. John H. Fowler, gun identification expert, and Capt. Burke of No. 1 precinct; back, left oanalysis chemist; Phot ‘Truscott. cgrapher Ira N. —Star Staff Photo. SIGN LAW PLANS 10 BE CONSIDERED Committee Will Study Ques- tions of Responsibility for Enforcement. | | Questions of responsibiiity in enforce- | ment of the new sign regulations for the District of Columbia probably will | | be considered at tomorrow's meeting of | the Commissioners’ Sign Committee, one of several such meetings before the proposed regulations can be whlpped\ into shape prior to the public hearing | authorized by Congress. With the law | involving many ramifications, public in- terest groups who.view regulation pri- marily from the esthetic viewpoint, are anxious that responsibility in this mat- ter of enforcement be clearly defined by the committee at the outset. Acting under instructions from the committee, Building Inspector John W. Oehmann has prepared a tentative revi- sion of existing regulations with neces- sary changes to conform to the sort of regulations the Commissioners had in mind when they requested from Con- gress additional powers to enable them to improve conditions before the 1932 Bicentennial Celebration. Hearing May Be Delayed. This tentative draft of regulations, the committee pointed out, is intended solely as a working basis in preparing recommendations to the Commissioners. Maj. John C. Gotwals, Engineer Com. missioner, is due to take a leave of ab- sence soon, so it is hardly likely that the public hearing will be held until early in May. There will be ample time, therefore, for the committee to complete its work. An outdoor sign, under the law en- | | TRAFFIG IN PARK 10 BE REROUTED Suggestion of Representative Bowman Will Be Given Test During Rush. The Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks has accepted for trial the suggestions recently put forward by Representztive Frank L. Bowman, Re- publican, of West Virginia for reliev- ing the traffic congestion on Fourteenth street during cherry blossom season East Potomac Park. Capt. R. C. Mont- gomery, U. S. A, superintendent of the United States Park Police, said today that the system will be put into full effect on Sunday, when the traffic is expected to be heavy, due to the large number of motorists expected to view the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin. Capt. Montgomery explained that such parts of the plan as are adaptable on week days will be tried out, if traf- fic_conditions warrant it. Under the new program light Vir- ginia-bound traffic would travel one way on a park road south of the Tidal Basin, the diversion point being just south of the outlet bridge, and thence to the Highway Bridge approach. Truck and bus traffic, which on Sundays is sur- prisingly heavy, would take the regu- lar Fourteenth street route to the High- way Bridge. Route From Bridge. Motorists coming off the inlet bridge, entering the drive around Hains Point on the river side, will be required to continue on the road along the seawall and under the Highway acted by Congress means not only a| billboard but any lettering, picture or | combination thereof used for advertis- ing purposes. In the matter of regu- lation and enforcement, it was feit that | some distinction should be drawn be- | tween signs in general and billboards. | The former are supposed to advertise | only the business conducted or the products sold on the premises where they are located. Billboards, on the other hand, can advertise commodities | or a business conducted, regardless of the location of the board. ‘Would Provide Police Control. Since the building inspector’s office cannot be expected to supervise the miscellaneous small signs of the “tack and hammer” variety, it was felt by some who are interested in the matter of regulation that enforcement of the law with respect to these small signs should be vested in the Police Depart- ment, which is represented on the Sign Committee. It would take a small army of inspectors for the building inspec- tor's office to keep track of signs posted on trees, painted on rocks or placed at business establishments in violation of the law. So far as the billboards are con-| cerned, as well as signs erected, painted and placed on buildings and walls, it was felt that the building inspector's office would be best fitted to enforce the regulations as it is doing now. Would Avoid Confusion. A part of this regulation is to con- demn those signs which are regarded as structurally unsafe, a matter which clearly comes within the proper scope of the building inspector. With responsibility in enforcement definitely specified by the Commission- ers before the regulations are put into effect, it was felt that there would be less confusion on the part of the public in making complaints or reporting pos- sible violations. At the public hearing the organized advertising industr business men and public representa- tives will all be given equal oppor- tunity, it was said, to present their views. It is possible at other meetings of the Sign Committee that consideration will be given to needed changes in the existing zoning laws as cne way of Bridge, either going on"“down around Hains Point or getting onto Fourteenth street by way of the park road which passes by the rose garden and inter- sects Fourteenth street just north of the tourist camp entrance. In former years motorists were able to travel all around the Speedway, going counter-clockwise. Under the new system, the traffic coming south on Seventeenth street will be turned right at the John Paul Jones statue. Traffic coming out of Hains Point will be routed north on Fourteenth street and across the outlet bridge, but an effort will be made to split this traffic, coming out of East Potomac Park, by diverting part of it along a cinder road- way on the Hains Point side of the railroad and then by way of the Tourist Camp underpass and thence to Four- teenth street. One-Way Streets. ‘The co-operation of the Metropolitan Police Department has been sought by Representative Bowman in the carry- ing out of his program and Capt. Mont- gomery has been advised that Inspector Brown will assist in speeding up Four- teenth street traffic by making the side streets in the region of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing one-way streets, to drain traffic off Fourteenth street. ‘Twelfth street southwest is to be used as a main thoroughfare, traffic coming from Water street to the northwest be- ing diverted onto Twelfth street. Thus traffic will be prevented from going to Fourteenth street at that point. Traffic will be able to leave Four- teenth street to Water street, but will not be able to travel from Water street to Fourteenth street, but must turn north on Twelfth street. B and C streets southwest will be one-way off Fourteent street, making traffic travel east. As D street is considered a contin- uation of Maryland avenue and great numbers of tourists use this highway, bound for the South, it will be continued as a two-way thoroughfare. Relieves Intersection. ‘The program is calculated to abolish cross-street traffic at Fourteenth and Water streets, and the green traffic light will be on practically continuously restoring a more orderly appearance in the outdoor advertising situation. there. WOULD-BE DETECTIVE’S DEBUT AS SLEUTH LANDS HIM IN JAIL James Pleasant, Colored, Finds That Law Objects to His| Intrusion and Carr ‘The debut of James Pleasant, colored, 23, in the world of real detectives was anything but auspicious. An eighth precinct policeman re- sented the intrusion, so Pleasant was arrested while snooping llong‘ U street, & revolver and blackjack on his person. Pleasant told Judge Ralph Given to- day he had been employed by a private detective agency to guard a delicates- sen store while the proprietor counted his daily receipts. Failing to impress his friends unarmed, he purchased & blackpek, he said, ! ying of Weapons. Pleasant informed one policeman of his new occupation, and the officer promised mot to disturb him when he saw him loitering about the scene. But Policeman H. M. McQuinn had not been enlightened as to the man's business on the cornel,.so he arres frisking uncovered Wi Yo' play detec cautigned Judge Given. jail, sbut I'll suspend sen! had better get a permit to 0 back on the those cops’ e a pistol o8 and infringe on and at other times at the outlet of | Richards Summarizes Work to Be Done in Returning Funds Paid TUnder Borland Act. Approximately 800 property owners Wwill receive about $600,000 back in refunds or by way of cancellation of unpaid assessments levied under the Borland law, which was modified by another street paving assessment law enacted by Congress last February 20, according to an estimate made yester- day by Tax Assessor Wiiliam P. Rich- ards. The figures are approximate on account of the large amount of labor involved in making the cancellations j called for by the new law, which apply to all work completed within three years before the passage of the act. In a written summary of the work necessary to be done Mr. Richards stated: “An act of Congress approved Web- ruary 20, 1930, provides for special assessments for the paving of roadway: and the laying of curbs and gutters The act is designed as a law in place of the so-called Borland act. It is not an amendment nor an addition to th old act relating to the paving of road ways, but it displaces in every way th workings of the old act for the las three years, Must Reassess Costs. “In addition to the paving of road ways, which was provided for in th so-called Borland act, the new act pro- vides for assessments for the paving of roadways and for the laying of gutters and curbs. It applies to all such work completed within three years before the approval of the act, so that the Com- missioners of the District of Columbia are directed to cancel all assessments for improvements completed within three years prior to the date of the ap- proval of this act levied under the authority of the acts of July 21, 1914 and September 1, 1916, or under the act of August 7, 1894, the last relating t assessments for laying curbs. All sucl cancelled assessments shall be re- { assessed under the requirements of this act of February 20, 1931, “This act is drawn with a view to correcting certain inequalities pointed out in the so-called Borland act by courts of the District of Columbia, and in order to prevent the inequalities of the old law theré are certain exemptions and certain limitations as to the cost of assessments against corner lots, short lcts‘ and irregularly formed parcels. “A form has lately been approved showing comparison of old and new as- sessments, giving in detail the limita- tions placed by the new law—that is, as to maximum and minimum amounts, showing what, if anything, has been paid on the old assessments of any particular work, and what the new as- Sessment will amount to, showing dif- ferences. when any, and excess pay- ments, if any, which excess payments ml{h;).g‘:es‘sol belemdsbodlwed in a request or fun m: - il e ake these re. Tables Prepared. “In other words, the new assessm sheets have 21 columns of accounts :’EE lating to any one lot or parcel, these lumns giving the lot number, the abutting front feet, the amount paid, the total levy, the amount collectible, the excess payments, th oo pay , the name of the “These tables and plans of anal: have been prepared after severs] s ferences with the corporation counsel the auditor and the Engineer Depart- ment, and they are designed so as to sive uniformity to 2l caleulations re- canceled asse: curren:] ‘work., e SRR “A plan of ‘these tables will fact! the work to be done, but it will ,.lififii several months of labor to finish some 800 cancellations of jobs 12,000 pieces or lots, or moére, lowing these canceilations. work will have to be done on the so-called eur- Tent assessments; that is, work com- plgfid ‘c_lixlxlrmbg the past year, necessal of ‘the cancellations before na'&lf:n‘il.: taken looking to a repayment of dif. ferences in old and new assessments, Congress will, therefore, be asked g appropriate the amount of these dif ferences or so-called repayments, and it will probably be a year from now before any such payments can be met by appropriation from Congress.” 25 BID ON TUNNEL UNDER NEW BRIDGE Clarendon Contractor Offers to Do Construction Work for $51,900. Twenty-five bids from all parts of the country on the cofcrete tunnel that Wwill carry the tracks of the Rosslyn, Va,, branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad under the Arlington Memorial Bridge development on the banks of the Poto- mac River in Virginia, were before :,;;zr Col. UA:. Grant, 3d., executive of the Arlington Me Commission, today. S The lowest bidder was J. H. Cole of Clarendon, Va., who offered to do the work for $51,900, and the next lowest was the Loudon Rust Co., with offices in the District National Bank Building, Fourteenth and G streets, which bid $51.995. Officials of the commission said it probably will be two or three weeks before the contract is awarded. Grading work in that area is to be done and under the commission’s program, motorists of the futur® will scarcely know they are passing over a railroad tunnel, as the area will be landscaped. The bids ran all the way from $51,900 to $99,750. STRETCH IS REPAVED Massachusetts avenue, from Sheridan Circle to California street, which been closed for repaving, will be opened to traffic today, District Highway En- gineer Herbert C. Whitehurst an- 'mounced. The job would have been completed a week or more ago had not rain interfered. The new V street, between Georgia avenue and Ninth street, opened for the accommodation of crowds attend-" ing the base ball games at Grifith stadium, is expected to be ready for traflic next Tuesday, the opening day of the season. The new road, was built at a cost of $100.000, and will be all complete except for the sidewalk for the beyefit of opening day