Evening Star Newspaper, October 7, 1931, Page 17

WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION @he Zoening Star Society and General e WASHINGTON, D. (., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER ” 7, 1934 HH R PAGE B—1 A TANK BLASTS AREMADE SUBJECT OF TRIPLE PROBE Railroad Men Blame Boys for Fire in Which Four Were Injured. ACETYLENE EXPLOSIONS ENDANGER HUGE TANKS Major (famsn'ophe Is Averted When Flames and Fragments Are Kept From Plant. A triple investi day into the cause of a fire, which sc off acetyl tanks last night in a rail- yoad tool shed only a block from the city’s principal plant and resulted in a series of explosions which injured four persons and sent hundreds of resi- dents of the southeast area scurrying from their homes. As the Fire Department and Metro- politan and Pennsylvania Railroad police launched separate inquiries into the ex- anced that the sts in the tool ng of kit in plosion. a theory was adv fire which set off the shed was caused b the neighborhood. nmaster Advances Theory. H Sentman, trainmaster for the Pennsylvania Railroad, offered this theo! The explosi occurred betwsen and 9 o'clock, between 10,000 and 15.000 persors to th available policeman w and by the time firew ushed there e Ef under control, affer th trafic was tied up or main artery in as far nortk as Pennsyliania The fact the flames did not any embers or bits of metal ¢ two huge gas tanks of Gas Light Co., 175 yards 3 that prevented what may h major catastrophe. That only a few injuries resulted from ti hurled hot metal hund: directions, was des little short of miract pread or ds of fee bed by fi; Four Known Injured. The known _injur Dolly Wilson, 57. of nue southeast, cuts about the face and arm; Thomas Jenkins, colored, 23, of 1019 Twelfth street southeast, lacerated arm: Mary Merritt. colored. 36, L street southe: it Emma Campbell bruises on her rig Only a few men of Engine Co almost certain death e Ia ing hose un the embankment above the railroad tracks when the second explo- c ave- knees, and 16, cuts and c rated sion occurred. throwing blazing ember and jagged pleces of metal high into the atr. The firemen hit the ground in unison, like in the days in 1818, and sought protection behind their fire en- gine. In another half minute they would have been down the embank. ment next to the burning tool shack The second explosion was of such terrific force that it was felt as far away as police headquarters, Fifth | street and Indiana avenue northwest. Capt. Edward J. Kelly, assistant chief of detectives, said he felt the blast just as the ‘second alarm was being tirned in. He staried out immediately from headquarters to investigate. Police Reserves Called. The first alarm was turned in by Harry Bond. a watchman at Hyman Viener's scrap metal shop. afte heard the first explosion and sa flames consuming the little Police Capt. L. 1. H. Edwards, home is at 1210 Potomac avenue southeast. about two blocks away, sum- moned police when he heard the first whose blast. After the second explosion he in telephoned police headquarters and recommended all reserves be dis- atched to the scene immediately. Every available cruiser, scout and patrol "car answered a general police radio broadcast. Shrieking through the city, the police cars were followed by thousands of curious motorists: By the time the third explosion occurred nds were grouped above ing_shack. The fire marshal's office, after a preliminary inquiry last night. at- tributed the cause of the fire to sparks from & passing railroad train. Train- master Sentman expressed doubt at this theory, however. He said the shack never before had caught fire from a passing train, but once, about a month ago. had been set on fire by some one. distance from the ginia_avenue. Sentman also disclosed that some equipment was missing from the shack today and expressed the belief it had been taken last night bedre the shed was fired. The missing equipment. he said, was too heavy to have been blown away in the explosious. Woman Describes Blast. Railroad Police Lieut. P. Lancaster was assigned today to conduct the in- vestigation on behalf of the Pen vania Co. The Fire Department quiry is being made under the marsh office, while the D Bureau at police headquariers sumed charge of the police gation. Mrs, Wilson, her face swathed in ban- dages this morning, related how earth came up and hit me in the 1 was walking across L street lo for my 13-year-old farth, when the ground shoo tunnel under Vir- is king andson, Harry Sey= like paper. 3 was turned completely around and thrown down. As I fell, it ®cemed like the street just fell away a hill ‘T threw my arms in front of my face and buried my head in the roc on the street. A jagged piece of metal, about a foot long. struck me on my right shoulder. I thought my time had come. T could see the flames shoot into the air and heard things dropping all around me.” CAR HITS 5CY SKATER, DRIVER HELD BY POLICE Milton Hunter, 15 vears old. of 17 Eighth street northeast, sustained cuts about, the face and a possible fracture of the collar bone last night when felled by an automobile while roller skating in West Virginia avenue and Neal street northeast. The boy was treated at Casualty Hospital. Earl Parker, colored, 33 vears old, of 3310 New Hampshire avenue, who was the driver of the machine, was taken into custody by police of the ninth precinet station and booked on a charge of operating an automobile with bad brakes. A fractured leg and severe body suffered by Emma Penni- eld, 1319 Foxhall road. when a car operated by Harry Stouffer, 38, of Bethesda, Md.. felled her at Foxhall and Conduit roads. She was treated at home by her family physician. Seventh rrecinct police arrested Stouffer for seckless dAriving. ion was “egun to- | 8! of 1216 | fire- | om | the | d tracks overlooking the burn- | It is located only a short | | | ns of a tool ucetylene tani ploded. Pieces of metal v fragments of metal und th FEDERAL CONTROL - OF EDUCATION HIT Hold ) ns |Catholic Women It =i Would Be Contrary to Amer- ican Tradition. Resolutions opposing propesed Fed- eral control of educaticn were adopted today at the closing ses of the tholic Women Con vflower Hotel °d such control would he spirit of the Consti- the traditions of the | American pesple. They declared Fed- eral control would result in establish- ment of a Department of Education with a Sccretary of Education in the President’s cabine Message From Pope. A message of congratulations v ceived from Pope Pius XI. It read: “Holy Father gratified with pledge of fidelity to his instructions. heartily grants implored apostolic benediction on { National Council Catholic Women on occasion of mecting in convention en- tire and on its work.” | "“The delegates premptly adopted reso- lutions thanking the Pope for his bless- | tional Council of C M venticn in the The women 3 be contrary to tution and to | ing pledging anew tl loyaity “to | the entire program of Catholic action |as_enunciated in the epoch-making | series of encyli ssued by his holi i ness to his children and to the world | other resolutions e fact that large num ¢ youths were atiending ¢ which they could not | tions in their religion. The organization { pledged its aid in remedying this situ- ation, Another educational | “Resolved. That {of Catholic Women pledges itself anew |to the defense and propagation of the | principles of sound education expressed in resolution read ational Council the gr encyclical of our holy ! father on the Christian education of | yout | " "“Convinced of the nccessity of ligious training for the children as well as upon the fundamental rights of the { family and the church in the matter of | education, we resolve to make the best possible contribution toward the sur | vival of the fundamental principles so | necessary for the preservation of our { national stability and security.” | Plans also were discussed for exten- ision of religions instruction in public |and non-sectarian orphanges, hospitals, | sanitariums and reformatories. Atten- tion also was given to extensiog of night school, vacation school and”im- migration school activities throughout the country. Mrs. M. J. O'Fallon of Denver, chair- I man of the Committee on Immigration, rcported some phase of the work was | being carried on in every diocese in the | country. She added every effort was | being made to make real Americans out of aliens and stressed the importance | of obtaining trained workers. ALCOHOLISM IS FATAL Percy M. Whitney, 53 years old. a | World War veteran, formerly attached to Fort Mey: and recently a patient at Walter Reed Hospital, was pro- nounced dead by Dr. Thomas Bradley of Emergency Hospital shortly after 9 o'clock this morning, after the man had been discovered lying on the floor of his room &t 517 L street, where he was a boarder. Dr. Joseph Rogers, District coroner. issued a certificate of death from acute aleoholism. Whitney is survived by a widow and one child, neither of whcn‘ lived with him. wn down by Exploded s near Twelfth end M streets southeast, where a fire 1 Lower left: One of th Wilson, who was hit by IO POSESTORES N IGTHS, DISTRCT Residents Appear Zoning Commission to Protest Change. ad trac le section and injuring four persons veral blocks. Lower right: Mrs. Dolly the force of the explosicn MEMORIAL DELAYED BY FLYING PROTESTS The architectural supervising construction of the Navy and Marine Memorial. on Columbia Island. which brought objections from aviation in- terests, agreed today to defer the piac- ing of the casting, which is an essential part of the monument. Aviators contended the memorial would interfere with flying activities at th& nearby airport. The memorial wiil feature seagulls, on the crest of a wave. | W. H. MacMurray of the fir bett, Harrison & MacMurr: wrote First Lieut. F. B. Butler assis director of Public Buildings and Publi nt Parks, that the architects would be glad to co-operate. by agreeing to defer plac- ing the casting “until your office and all others conccrned are reads MAN'S BODY FOUND FLOATING IN RIVER | | commission, called for a showing of == the opposition. Tattoo Marks and Message | " Mr. Wilkes, a former assistant corpo- 3 ration counsel of the District, declared o | there was need for more stores at this “A Sailor’s Grave,” Are Only Clues. { location and pointed cut the owners of Renewed efforts made today the District Zoning Comm tain permission for addition: near the corner of Mou Harvard and Sixteenth str rought an avalanche of protests from approxi mately 100 residents of the se After James C. Wilkes, the owners of the Embassy Apartments and two adjoining properties, pleaded the advisability of a change in zoning te three nearby apartments approved the ! | petitioned change from residential to | first_commercial use. | The large group of property owners protesting the change argued that addi- tional ccmmercial frontage in their sec- tion was not needed and more stores An uridentified white man, a pieture of “Davy Jones' Locker" tattooed on his left arm, along with the words, “A Sailor's G was found floating in Eas ch this morning. Police said the body had apparently been in the water three or four days. there would damage the value of their propertics for residential use. Protests also came from spokesmen ial Baptist for the Nati'nal Memo Church and the All Soul Church, on nearby Sixteenth street Twenty-six other proposed changes in zoning clessifications were to be heard ¢ | today by the @oning Commission, which 1 Initials on Efforts were being made to identi Arm. the man, apparently & 5 later in the week will act on the peti- old, by the tattoo ma S ticns, in executive session. cluded the initials . J. W." and| One of the most important of the “U. fs. N." on his left arm., and a | proposed changes to be heard this aft- wreath, an anchor and an Indian head | ernoon was a request that a large on his right arm. It was believed he had been in the Navv. Theories of police that he may Fave been from the Navy Yard, or an es- | caped inmate of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. were disproved when a_check of those | institutions_revealed that no one was missing. Police said they had no re- cent recordgof a missing man who would ancwer th® deseription of the body found in the river. tract of land Jlving between Conduit road and the Sbring Valley section be zoned to permit its use as an airplane landing field and the building of a club hotel and a golf course. The property affected is bounded by proposed unnamed street lying east of Weaver terrace, Cathedral avenue, Weaver terrace, Klingle street, Macomb street and Conduit road. Owned by Lake & Donaldson, the new development is designed for use of members of the District Air Legi The private alr club-golf course project Seen Foating on Water. | ‘The body was first seen floating near the District Sewer Department plant at First and O streets southeast by George | would cost about $1,500,000, it is Knott and Arthur Day, employes of the ' reported. department. They notified police and | Several citizens' associations were to| the body was taken to the District | have representatives at the hearing to- Morgue in_a haibor police boat. | day to protest against zoning changes Sergt. C. R. Brown of the harbor | which would permit construction of ad- precinet was in charge of the investiga- | ditional apartment buildings or row tion. An autopsy probably will be held. | hous LOCKED SCHOOL HOUSE BLOCKS | CITIZENS’ ASSOCIATION SESSION Columbia Park Residents Unable to Find Principal or Engineer With Key. | _Although a quorum of the Columbia chatted, while hasty but futile efforts | Park Citizens' Association collected out- | were made to locate either the principal | side Trusedell School last night, bent for the engineer. | upon determining several questions of | Eugene J. Machett, association secre- | community interest, the meeting was | tary, explained both school officials were never called to order because the school | new at Trusedell School and some slip- | building was locked and no one could |up must have occurred in mnotifying find a key. | them of the intended mceting. A number of members collected at The members will meet at the usual lthe darkened @chool building and|time next month. Loughboro road, Little Falls road, the | i | | | { ! i | | there, nearly 100 protestants arose to | their feet in a body when Maj. Donald A. Davison, acting chairman of the TWO SITES NEEDED 10 COMPLETE U. S, TRIANGLE DESIGN Transfer of D. C. Garage and Final Payment on Private Tract Soon to Be Made. “APEX” BULDING TRACT ALREADY IS CONDEMNED Reservation A and B to Be Ac- quired for Union Square Park- way Development, Tih Government virtually has com. pleted ition_of all pi tween ylvania avenu Mall Capitol to Depa for the public building program. Moving gradually the but steadily, Treasury and Justice departments through purchase and condemnation proceedings, are now rounding up the last picces of property for the gigantic park and building dc ment of the lled Federal triangle ect the only de- nsfer of the D located trict of C Garage, in { Plaza arca, in the heart of } al triangle, and final pa of privately-owned ment on one piec property, the price for which has been | fixed by condemnation. Both of these i to be cleaned at the Federal Gover will have complete gle area from Pennsyl- detail: this wee ment by v e Fede to_Fiftee c Buildings to Be Razed. nt T Pla: squares, including the Di of C age ar one remaining outs 18 piece t located between irteentn streets, D s razed way for . and are to be soon to mak ] ven e mest par for run from Fourt Office streets enues fe court, and t soon will be- and paying owners for the been decides one ti ymbolisr triangle ons ha in this builc of the Fine Ar Capital Pa mission and the Commission Tract Under Condemnation. Stretching from Sixth to Tt treet between Pennsylvania and M souri avenues are two big areas of I known as Reseriations A and B, wt are now under condemnation proceed- ings. It is understood that the G Before ernment will file soon in the court a declaration of taking.” by which it is possible for the Government to g title under the new condemnation law much sooner than under the old pr ‘This enable the Gover notices soon cedure ment to serve this property, and it will be ver to Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 34, Arlington Memorial Bridge Con mission, and the National Capital Pa and Planning Commission for develop- ment of the new Union Square parl way and the extension of Constitution avenue through this property straight into Pennsylvania avenue. At the pre w to vacate | turned of ent time Constitution avenue comes to ! a dead end at Sixth street. But it will be cut through and extended castward by funds already in the hands of the Arlington Memorial Bricge Com- mission, HEROISM OF MARINES WINS NAVY CROSSES| Decorations Awarded Posthumously to Two Men in Nicaraguan Fights. President Hoover today awarded three two Navy Cros: of them humously, to M; gned 14 letters of commendation for various services, including earth- quakes relief in Ni gua. First Lieut. Evans F. Carlson, now on duty at the Boston Navy yard, received his' Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism while attached to the Nicara- guan National Guard. His force en- countered 40 bandits, completely rout- ing them without any casualties to his detachment. Looted material was recaptured. The Navy Cross was awarded post- humously to Sergt. William E. McGhee, who was killed in_action with the bandits on June 15 of this year at Ecbocaderos, Nicaragua. Sergt. Mc- Ghee was in charge of a Guardia patrol when attacked by a vastly su- perior force of bandits. The sergefnt seized a Thompson submachine gun and opened “fire on the bandits, continuing to operate the weapon until he fell mortally wounded. His father, Horace G. McGhee of Chattanooga, Tenn., gets the award. First Lieut. Lester E. Power, also kiled in a bandit engagement, Was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordi- nary heroism while commanding a Guardia patrol on June 15 of this year. Attacked by superior forces, Lieut, Power placed his patrol in a position to defend itself until its ammunition was exhausted. The lieutenant continued to encourage his forces until he was killed by a burst of machine gun fire. His widow, Mrs. Lester B. Power of Caliscoga, Calif. will obtain the deco- ration. <0 YEARBOOK PRAISED Special Dispatch to The Star. STAUNTON, Va. October 7.—An- nouncement was made here today that the 1931 Blue and Gold, Staunton Mili- tary Annual Yearbook, has been credit- ed with the “All-American honor rating—superior,” by the National Scholastic Press Association, which has headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn, This means that the‘stauln!on publi- irst in its class among ;fig’;nag‘d sf("hsmh in the United States. Out of a possible 1,000 points, the book scored 910. ‘Uncle Billy” Minder Charges He Was Cheated in Purchase. and Finds It a 26, He Complains. y Blind “Uncle Billy” Mifider. who sells {pencils from a hat on F street, is in quest of a lawyer. Minder, who is a familiar figure on the downtown sidewalks, said today he feels that only a lawyer can straighten out the mess that has grown out of { his purchase of a “1928" automobile for $300 and which, it develops, is cnly a 1926 model. Hence, he points out, he was offered but a paltry portion of the sum he paid for it when he attempted to trade it in on a newer car recently Although he fecls the matter should not be too widely publicized, Uncle Billy is rot reluctant to tell the story of how he came by the 1928 model that was a 1926 mod Tells of Deal. | _Interviewed amid a busy throng near | Thirteenth and F streets this morning, | Mr Minder revealed that a member of ! his home which is a third floor apart- ‘mf-m at 629 D strezt, pointed out an advertisement in the used car column of a Sunday newspaper last July 12. ! “I called up the place and asked about jthe car,” he said hey told m- all about it—red upholstery and everything land I said I'd be up to look at it next | day. I had an old machine, and I went {up in it.” His irterviewer interrupted to ask And who drives your car for you? 1 Your wife?” “No. She's almost blind too: she" | across the street there now. No, I {have a young fellow to drive me,” Te- plied Uncle Billy. “Do you pay him?" | Chauffeurs Are Volunteers. { “Ah. no. How could I afford to pay | for a chauffeur? I don't have the same time and those I have alway eir services.” to his trip to the auto- e dealer’s, Uncle Billy said at first found himself in the wrong store, e whe ised for sal istened to the he but finally came to the 1928 automobile was adv I motor car in trade. I was told $150 cach and the old machine. We made a deal. Brakes Burn Out. car was registered for me and the re had it down as a 8 medel.” he continued. “I had Iots rouble with the machine right al CURB ON BEGGARS SOUGHTBY C. OF . Directors Condemn Evasion of Law by Those Peddling Small Articles. The board of directors of the Wash- ington Chamber of Commerce at meeting last night took action designe went over thy 1 and asked how much, with mv car, “Th to curb the influx of sidewalk beggars in con- being one Chest was es- its Committee on Charities to conduct an in Washington. The board, demning the practice as which the Community tablished to eliminate, designated investigation into the make a formal report It was pointed out by Col. William O. Tufts. a member of the ordinances prohibit situation and street begging. but the mendicants evade the law by vend- ing such trifies as pencils and wash cloths and such, which is permitted un- less the persons so doing “interfere with traffic.” Many Ignore Chest. | It was charged also that many of the persons who make their living at practice are inclined to ignore the Com- | munity Chest. which claims it has ade- | | quate provision for destitute persons, so that there is no real necessity for beg- ging on the sidewalks. ‘The board indorsed the action of the Committee on Retail Trade, of which |Isaac Gans is chairman, in opposing ithe vending of gasoline from trucks parked at curbs. The board held the | practice to be a fire hazard and traffic menace and in addition a source of unfair competition to established busi- nesses. The board heard a report by Thomas i P. Littlepage, chairman of the cham- ber’s Bicentennial Committee, stating progress on the film to be produced by ‘Warner Bros, {firm’s contribution to the 1932 celebra- | tion of George Washington's birth an- s | niversary. Reports on Halloween. | William A. Roberts, chairman of the s general committee of citizens planning chamber has two delegates on the Gen- eral Committee. George A. G. Wood. chairman of the Committee on the Industrial Exposi- ,tion. reported to the board that satis- factory progress is being made in_con- nection with this event. which will be held the latter part of this month. CITY NEWS IN BRIEF. TODAY. Dinner and bazaar, Bethany Chapter No. 24. O. E. S., Pierce Hall, All Souls Church, Sixteenth and Harvard streets 5 pam. Meeting, Young Democrats, Women’s National Democratic Club, 8:15 p.m. Meeting, Washington Society of En- gineers, Cosmos Club, 8:15 p.m. view, No. 4, W. B. A., Washington Loan & Trust Building, room 418, 8:15 p.m. Meeting, Women's Auxiliary, District of Columbia Medical Societ: street, 8:15 p.m. 6 pm. Business meeting, Women's City Club, 736 Jackson place, 8 p.m. Orr School, 3 p.m. clety, 1518 K street, 8 p.m, FUTURE. Willard Hotel, tomorrow, 3:15 p.m. erast Masonic Temple, streets northeast, lomorrow, 6 p.m. 'Bought Car as ’28 Model‘ board, the local the in the Capital as that the 1931 Halloweemr celebration here, addressed the board on the arrange- ments being made for this event. The | Card party, benefit Washington Re- 1718 M House Committee dinner meeting, ‘Women's City Club, 736 Jackson place, Meeting, Parent-Teacher Association, Meeting, Dames of the Loyal Legion, Dinner and bazaar, benefit Ways and Means Committee, Joseph H. Milans Lodge Chapter, No. 41, O. E. S., North- Eighth and F BLIND PENCIL PEDDLER'S AUTO | DEAL MAY BE TAKEN TO COURT | - 7 | | | MINDER. tar Stafl Photo. First it was the motor, then the brakes, 'd one of my ‘boys’ was warncd by a liceman about bad brakes. They fixed the brakes and then one day we were on our way to a fair in Maryland when the brakes burned out.” | " His inquisitor stayed him. *On your way to a fair? “Yes. You see I sell a line of toilet goods and I generally attend the fair wife goes with me. ~other times another ter jn pted to “I too se up to the Better Business Bureau.” he went on, “and an_investigation, but th y could do no more than that A A A ut it they could n going to recommend OROBE TOBE ASKED * NTONARKET DEAL dent Protests Arrangements With Terminal Co. Investigation by Congress of all the negrctiations which the District seeking to make possible devel-pment of the Southwest Farmers' Produce Mar- is ket. within mit of the $300,000 ap- propriation be sought by the Mid- City Citizens' Ascociation, 1t was an nced tcday by Driscoll, presi- 11 said he would loners that they wly in consum- e acquisition of the the market, pending to the d extremely mating deals for specified area for pessible futurd action by Congress. Pritests against arrangements made to date in the efforts of the Termina Refrigerating & e mg Co. and District officials to complete purchase the site by slashing prices to come within the appropriation, Mr. Driscoll said, would be laid before members of the new Congress, Wants Whole Deal Halted. The Mid-City civic spo his or ation would s sional scrutiny of the negot {gardiess of what action said congre: iations re- Controller | General McCarl might take in approv- | ing _or vouchers. The controller _general several days ago asked the District Commissione: for a complete report on the negotia- tions following reccipt of a letter of protest from other market interests charging that the law providing for de- velopment of the market had been violated. Mr. Driscoll took the position that the District Commissioners, when they found the total asking price for the two B es of the site, plus necessary costs for the building o market sheds. amounted to more than the appropria- tion. should have held up any payments for lots and have submitted the entire matter to Congress for its decision. Offer Still Unaccepted. “The District on several important cases, respecting purchase of school sites and building of new schools, have followed just such a policy.” Mr. Driscoll said, “leaving to Congress the decision as to whether more money must be appropriated or whether a new disapproving the payment site be selected. or even that the entire | project be abandoned.” [ Instead of following this policy the farmers’ market project, howev: | Mr. Driscoll explained. District_officials have accepted an offer of the Terminal | Refrigerating & Warehousing Co. for | the free use of one-quarter of a square | block. with the expectation of making | an appeal within the next two years in | for an additional appropriation to | cover its purchase. | _Since then, however, it is reported, +|District officials have sought to have the Terminal concern accept $3.000 or $4,000 for this portion of the square, in- |stead of the condemnation jury award of about $32,000, so that the cost of |the project could be held to the appro- priation limit. So far as could be learnad today, the ! Terminal concern had not finally rati- fled this effort. | Mr. Driscoll also yaised the question |of what could be done should the re- frigerating concern, as owner of the quarter-square block in the site, refuse to accept such a heavy slash in_its price, making it impossible for the Dis- trict to buy all of the two squares, as directed by Congress, within the ‘ap- propriation. The District already has taken title to a portion of the site. For this reason, Mr. Driscoll said he Meeting, Washington Philatelic So- | would urge the Commissioners even now to delay further action in the |market project until Congress can take action. Annapolis Resident Dies. ANNAPOLIS, Md., Octobey 7 (Spe- cial).—Mrs. Thomas E. Strange, 55, one of the best known residents of this city. died early today at her home here after an illness of several years. . d-City Association Presi- D. C. ATTACK Dije ON GAS COMPANIES WITHIN TEN DAYS La Follette Anti-Merger Law to Be Invoked in Equity Court. LEGAL BATTLE LOOMS ON CONSTITUTIONALITY Corporation Counsel William W. Bride Reveals Records ‘of Util- ities to Commissioners. | Corporation Council Willlam W, | Bride, it was learned today, will file {suit in Equity Court within the next 10 days to invoke the La Follette anti- ’nu'lgrr law against the alleged owners of the Washington and Georgetown | Gas Light Cos. Mr. Bride, to whom the record in the recent ownership (hearing was referred today by the | District Commissioners, will be as- | Sisted in preparing the suit by William i A« Roberts. assistant corporation coun- sel in public utility matters, and Peo- | Ple’s Counsel Richmond B. Keech, { Record Is Presented. The record was transmitted to the i Commissioners yesterday by the Public | Utilities Commission, with an accom- pan®ing letter recommending that s | be brought -under the La Foliette a !t 11t was a mere matter of form since the law requires suit to be filed in the name of the strict b the District Cemnmis- | The letter of transmittal akes no | mention of the name of the Ci ral | Public Service Corpo: n of Chicago, | Col. Albert E. Peirce or the Westfirld Trust, which. according to evidence de- | veloped at the hearing, are the er- | loc | king owners of es. “There 1s a pos | transactions set {0 | stitute a on janti-merger lawv e le | “This can be deermined in no c than by the decision of a co ! jurisdiction.” ‘local gas com- bi] that the many | Expect Counter Move. District officials expect counsel the utility company to file a moti ;dl&ml’h on the ground | unconstitutional and | Ullities Commission | diction in the case | If this motion 1 i certainly hat the ut company the case rather th thority of the Pub sion. At the o that the Dis the motion to dismiss is u ht the case through ates Supreme Cour The importance of | constitutionality | tant from the vie it for n to t public companies to be left without a fi determination by the hi court. Washington is the only jurisdiction where Federal application | ! Only One Prev! | _In the 13-year h { Follette law only one been filed under it s the Seaboard Investment t as the vious owner of th- gas companies. {The suit was lost by the District Com- |missioners on a technicality. The qu |tion decided in this suit was that | s against the Seaboard Investment Trust was & {common law trust and as such the anti- |merger act was not applicable. No |question of coustitutionality of the act | was involved. 'DISTRICT'S RELIEF COMMITTEE TO MEET Winter Program on Combating Un- employment to Be Dis- cussed. | : A Winter program will be formulated and plans for raising funds to earry it jout will be discussed at the first Fall | meeting of the District Committee On Employment, to be held at 4:30 pm. Friday in the board room of the District Building. Other business will include presentation of a report of the com- mittee’s werk during the Summer and a statement of its finances |~ The group, called together last No- vember by the District Commissioners at the suggestion of the Monday Eve- ning Club, consists of 164 citizens, rep- resenting every phase of business. edu- cational. social and governmental ac- tivity, in addition to the professions, trades and various labor unions. The committec's purpose is to combat the ‘ment problem here. are Frederic A. Delano, chair- man; E. C. Graham, vice ciiiirman. and George J. Adams, execuiive secretary. The group has offices i the District Building, but_also maintains branch offices in the old St. James Hotel Build- ing. Pennsylvania avenue and Sixth | stréet, and Harvey's Restaurant Build- {ing Pennsylvania avenue and Eleventh street. PAYS $2 FOR JOB | »| WHICH PROVES MYTH Search for Man Posing as Employ- ment Agent Starts When Promise Fails, Headquarters detectives today were seeking a colored man, reported to have victimized Robert L. Heffron, 34, of Capitol Heights, Md., out of $2 on & promise of obtaining him a position in a local hotel Heffron said he was approached by the colored man on the street, who asked him what he was doing. Repre- senting himself as a member of an em- ployment agency, the colored man, for the price of $2. offered to get Heffron a job at the hotel at $170 a month. He told Heffron there was a $250-a- month job open at the hotel, but it would cost quite a little more to ob- tain it. so Heffron accepted the col- ored man's first offer. Heffron went to the hotel, he said. and finding no position open, went to ihe employment agency the colored man said he was from. There, they sald they did not know him, but told Heffron they had received similar com- plaints from two others. One of the employment agency representatives then called police headguarters and 2 hdetective went with Heffron to inves- tigate. The hotel people knew nothing of the bargaining for the job until it was explained to them. Heffron, also, is hunting for the col- ored mex.