Evening Star Newspaper, November 8, 1931, Page 15

WAS HINGTON WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, he Sundy Stad NOVEMBER 8, 1931. GENERAL NEWS * SPECIAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FORD.C. FAVORED Steps Taken for Creation of Super Detective Organization. FUNDS FOR NEW FORCE REQUESTED IN BUDGET Highly-Trained Men, Directly Under Commissioners, Would Watch District Departments. { Definite steps have been taken by Dis- | trict authorities, it was learned last night, to create the nucleus of a special | force of highly trained investigators, who will work directly under the Com- missioners and be responsible only to them. The plan was recommended to the Coramissioners several months ago by Corporation Counsel William W. Bride, following the difficulties encountered in getting the Department of Justice to undertake an investigation of the police brutality scandal. It was only through a request by President Hoover that the Department of Justice made the in- quiry which resulted in the indictment of 18 police officers, and the uncover- ! ing of 56 “non-indictable” cases of brutality. Strikes Responsive Chord. Mr. Bride's recommendation struck a responsive chord, and it is understood the Commissicners, during the recent hearings before the Budget Bureau on the District's 1933 financial estimates, urged the inclusion of an item provid- | ing for the appointment of four or five men to form the original staff of the special bureau of investigation. Maj. Gen. Herbert B. Crosby, Com- missioner in charge of the Police De- partment, said yesterday he is strongly in favor of the proposed investigating force and believes it would fill a long- felt need in the District government. ‘With its own staff of investigators, he pointed out, the District would not be required to turn to Federal agencies, such as the Department of Justice, when it desired to make an investiga- tion of one of its own departments. ‘The District’s special investigators would not confine their activities solely to checking up on complaints about po- licemen, or the frequently recurring charges of graft and corruption in the Police Department, it was pointed out, but they also would be used in making ing inquiries the Commissioners wanted in other departments of the municipal government. Such investigations in the past have been made by the Bureau of Efficiency, another Federal agency. Funds Now Lacking. Men appointed to the proposed Bu- reau of Investigation, it was said, will be only those peculiarly well qualified for such work. The men, in reality, would constitute a super detective force, comparable with the trained in- :imlnmrs of the Department of Jus- ice. The Commissioners, it was said, would like to o1 e the investigating force without delay, but funds are not avail- able for its creation. As a result, it will be necessary to wait until the 1933 ap- propriation bill is passed, providing, of course, the request of the Commissioners is approved by both the Budget Bureau and Congress. JAMAICA, L. I., MAN TRIES SUICIDE HERE Peter Conlon Reluctant ‘to Disclose | Identity After Drinking Poison in Fox Theater Alley. After nearly an hour's questioning at Gallinger Hospital yesterday, a man who had steadfastly refused to reveal his identity since taking poison Friday night told physicians he &s Peter Con. lon, 32, of Jamaica, Long Island Conlon, who gave his Jamaica ad- dress as 153-33 118th street and said he had been in Washington only a day, was found in a semi-conscious con- dition in an alley in the rear of the Fox Theater. A passerby discovered Conlon slumped agains’ the rear wall of the theater. Beside him were a bottle marked poi- son and an empty glass. The Fire Rescue Squad took him to Gallinger Hospital, where he at first refused to reveal his identity to phy- clans who treated him. Police also were unable to induce him to talk. An unsigned note was found in a| ocket of his coat, saying: “I have tu- rculosis and am’ despondent.” STORE ROBBERY FAILS WHEN ALARM SOUNDS | Shattering of Rear Window Re- leases Device and Bandits Flee Before Police Arrive. Burglars who attempted to break into the Capital Cigar and Tobacco Co., at 463 I street, were frightened away early | last night by the ringing of an out- | side burglar "alarm gong. The alarm was tripped when they shattered the glass in a rear window | of the establishment and the bell at the front of the building set off Officers of two police radio cars found that the burglars had placed a long ladder in the alley behind the building and knocked the glass from a second- story window in an e 0 gain en- trance to the place. A % by Luther B. Sleet of 205 Spring street, Chevy | Chase, Md,, manager of the firm, re-| whaled that nothing was missing. GIRL’S LEG BROKEN 11-Year-0ld Struck by Auto Near Q and Thirtieth Streets. ‘Marie Ballard, 11, of 1305 Thirtieth street, suffered a broken leg yesterday afternoon when she ran into the path of an autcmobile while playing on Q street near Thirtieth. Wesley Hicks, 23, of Barcroft, Va., said to be the driver of the car, took the girl to Georgetown Hospital, where she was treated and admitted for fur- ther attention. Notaries Are Appointed. ROCKVILLE, Md, November 7 Will Move Giant Mall Tree LOW BIDDER GETS UCLE SAM will pay $5,000 for moving a giant magnolia_tree in the Mall to prepare for road construction there, in a $100,000 program for improvement of the Mall. The magnolia is 36 inches in cir- cumference at breast height and will be moved about 400 feet from its pres- ent location near the fill in the Mall, in a northwesterly direction, to near | Fourteenth street. This will involve the moving of a disc cf earth about | 35 feet in diameter and 5 feet thick. which will weigh about 300 tons, in addition to the weight of the tree, not ' yet estimated. It is said to be one| of the biggest jobs of its kind in the | world. [ ‘Will Move 31 Other Trees. Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, director of Public Buildings and Public Parks, yesterday signed a contract with the | Westcott Nursery Co. of Falls Church, | Va., for $12984 for moving 31 trees, | improving the condition of a dozen more and cutting down 60 trees stand- | ing in the way of the road develop- ment and considered not worth mov- ing, in view of prohibitive costs and | disease. | street. $4,947 CONTRACT. Col. Grant accepted an additional bid of $4947 for moving the glant magnolia. The tree is now about mid- way between the north and south sides of the Mall, near Fourteenth The Westcott Nursery Co. won the award from seven bidders. Work cn the tree moving will be started this week. New Drives to Be Built. A dozen trees will be improved by placing porous fill around them, to pre- vent their dying and to permit air and water to reach the roots. These will not will make an effort to save them. The road work in the Mall will be from Seventh to Fourteenth streets. North-and-south drives will be con- structed. Plans of the National Cap- ital Park and Planning Commission call for the construction of four driveways down the Mall. Col. Grant is expected to sign a con- tract this week for grading the fill now being placed in the Mall. The National Excavating & Contracting Co. ot 2306 Georgia avenue was the lowest of three bidders, submitting a figure of $23.690. PROPOSES PARKING GARAGES IN ALLEYS Engineer Offers Plan to Solve Niece and Nephew Act to| Two D. C. Problems at One Time. A proposal to solve Washington's parking problems and to eliminate the | enclent “alley evil” here at the same | time by the erection of municipal ga- | rages in alley areas is set forth in a| report formulated by Allen B. Mc-| Daniel, local engineer and secretary | treasurer of the Research Service, In- corporated. The report suggests that the Gov- ernment _condemn undesirable struc- tures facing on alleys to obtaln space for the garages. No Reason for Them. Investigation of the alley problem here during the Wilson administration resulted in the conclusion that most of the dwelling and small shops located in these areaways were fire traps, many of them were without sewerage and that no reasonable necessity for their existence could be offered. Mr. McDaniel, who assisted in the survey of conditions at that time, later reviewed the findings with a view to discovering a practical use for the now misused space. The parking problem here having something of a permanent status, the engineer attacked the question with its solution in mind. It was discovered that in the average city block containing alley dwellings or shops, space could be obtained for the erection of a garage with 50,000 square feet basic floor space, capable of accom- modating 400 cars. ‘This would clear three blocks of machines, Mr. McDaniel estimated. Suggest Revolving Fund. Establishment of a revolving fund for the gradual development of this scheme would enable the Government to clear a space, lease the ground for the erection of a privately owned ga- rage on a basis allowing the investors a return of at least 6 per cent, and | then to apply the returns from the leasehold to the fund for execution of another project, Mr. McDaniel points out. The garages would operate under Gov- ernment supervision, assuring just prices, and would include in their equipment repair and service facilities. The charges would be set by a prede- termined scale of pri ALL THAT GL Wearers of Uniforms Out The men who wear more gold braid | than Oriental poteniates and flashier uniforms than South American fleld marshals—the docrmen at the de luxe | moticn picture houses in Washington- average $23 aplece in pay for 54 hours' | work each weck. | This was revealed yesterday in a | Labor Department report following a | survey made by its Bureau of Statistics. | The report said the three big houses here employ 246 men and women. e | orchestra leaders are the highest paid, | averaging $140 a week. The chief pro- | jection operator avereges $96.67 for only | 40 hours a weck, while his assistants | (Special) —Gov. Ritchie has appointed Carlton Mobley of Gaithersburg ‘and Frank C. Bull of Rockville notaries and both have of office be the cleck of the Clreuit Court here, are paid $80 for the same number of | hours. uuslcex:km, numbering 58, also s e, ters are th st ' e cal N e , each dr:':ht $73.33 for highest paid, & 42 hour week. The /propoiuy mias Average $23 Weekly, TWO MORE ENTE HENDERSON FIGHT Sustain Residuary Part of Will. A niece and nephew of Mrs. Mary F. Henderson, principal beneficiaries under the last will of the wealthy so- clety leader, asked District Supreme Court yesterday for permission to in- tervene in the legal battle to maintain the validity of the will. The intervening petition was filed by Henry N. Arnold and his sister Frances ! of New York City. Their petition asks that they be per- | mitted executor. to join with George Edelin, in_his_effort to sustain the will, which has been attacked, by two other parties. Two File Caveats. Caveats attacking the will have been filed by Mrs. Beatrice H. Wholean, 2 Henderson's reputed granddaugh- ter, and Battle Creek (Mich.) College, named as beneficiaries in earlier wills. The will now in contest virtually dis- inherits Mrs. Wholean after stating that a trust fund had been set up for her benefit. The petitioners said they have been informed of the filing of the caveats charging undue influence by some of t sons named as beneficiaries and t they believe there was no such undue influence and even f there was it could not invalidate the residuagpy devise. They said they are interestéd in having the will sustained as a whole and especially to have it upheld in so far as it leaves the remaining estate to them, and wish to make their separate answer to that filed by Edelin. Part of Will May Stand. The attention of the court was called to decisions holding that even where portions of a will are declared void be- cause of undue influence, the rest of the will is not affected {f without the offending bequests the document may be read as a whole to express the wishes of the testator. The petition of the Arnolds was filed through Attorneys Edward B. Burling, Spencer Gordon and Fontaine C. Brad- ey. & £ Tuberculosis Clinic Scheduled. UPPER MARLBORO, Md. Novem- ber 7 (Special) —A tuberculosis clinic will be held at the Metropolitan Dis- Jrict Building, Hyattsville, on Novem- er 10. ITTERS IS NOT GOLD FOR CAPITAL THEATER DOORMEN doing Oriental Potentates, Labor Survey Shows. gets $71.44 and the flyman $63.33. The stage doorman draws a salary of $22 and works 56 hours. . Woman cashiers average $21.85 week and work 39 hours, while thelr assistants draw $1140 for 31 hours' weekly work. Ushers average $17.18 & wesk for full time, while part-time boys get $9.34. In five other downtown theaters the wages are not as high, except in the projetion booths, where they are high- er. The chief in the booth averages $101.25 a week for 40 hours, while his assistant gets $83.55. The doormen. who wear less gold braid than those in front of the de luxe houses, draw less moncy. $2L16. Tho ushers also recelve aller wages, averaging $15.81. Wage scales in the neighborhood theaters are approximaieiy 6 per cent s than those paid at the three de luxe be moved, but the officials | KEECH LAYS TAYI i GROWTH T0 POOR | TRANSIT SERVICE People’s Counsel Contends| Failure to Modernize Gave Cabs <dvantage. TRACTION HEAD CONCEDES LINES BEHIND TIMES Compulsory Meters Hit—Steam | Systems’ Method of Meeting Air Competition Urged on Trolleys. 1 Following is a discussion of the street railway transportation prob- lem by Richmond B. Keech, people’s counsel before the Public Utilities Commission. It is intended as an answer to the complaint of the car companies, as revealed in a recent series in The Star, that taricabs must be regulated before the opera- tion of street cars can be put on a profitable and satisfactory basis and given a new public appeal. BY RICHMOND B. KEECH, People's Counsel, District of Columbia. | The old saying that you can take a i horse to water but cannot make him drink is peculiarly applicable to the | relationship existing between the street | railways and the public. |, Every one who has given the least thought to transportation service real- | izes the necessity for reasonable regula- tion, and likewise is thoroughly congni- zant that when an alleged regulation goes tco far it becomes a prohibition. An attempt at the latter course, except | from functioning under direct mandate, { has been frown=d upon by courts. | The street car companies complained of the inroad being made into their bu* ness by the flat rate or zone cabs, ai called upon the commission to prevent this competition, asking that meters be | installed and other steps taken directly in the face of the public acclaim of the zone or flat rate system. The com- mission, lending a friendly ear to their cry, abidid by this beseechment and ordered installation of meters, assign- ing as the reason, according to re- ports, that such action will tend to eliminate from the streets certain taxicabs for the reason that the owners will not be able to purchase this equipment. This is ridiculous, for if | an operator has sufficient credit to pur- chase an automobile his credit will certainly be good enough to enable him to purchase a meter. If the car in the first instance be purchased on credit, the person selling would have a selfish interest in sceing that the purchaser remain on the strect and he, if no one else, would see to it that a meter was installed. The elimination, if any, from the field of the number of taxicabs will be due to the fact that the public will not make use of meter cabs, as they have demonstrated through their non- use or limited use of the extremely low rate nickel meter cabs, The unfortunate feature of the installation of the meter, howaver, is that its cost will, of neces- sity, be 'deflected in the charge to the riding public and, in my opinion, with- out any benefit. Opportunity for Cabs. ‘The street railways and bus lines have made it possible for the low-rate cabs to enter and continue in existence in this jurisdiction. It is because of their | failure to advance with the times by providing modern equipment, with greater speed and comfort, and capable of being operated at less expense. In addition, they have added insult to in- jury by increasing fares from time to time. "This in the face of pronounce- ments of many in the street railway transportation business that the salva- tion of their industry depends on the merchandising of their service. The | | companies likewise have faled to sim- plify their service in the matter of rout- | ing”and transfers, with the result that | | inorder to get to a_destination from a | given point it is frequently necessary that a person follow a most circuitous route, unless the rider elects to pay two fares because of the necessity of trans- ferring to a car of another line. Free | use of intercompany transfers would certainly help the situation consider- | ably. | The companies state, thsbugh their | presidents, that if the taxicab industry they have and will spend I |is _curbed, ymoney for the procurement of modern | | equipment. The question naturally fol- lows, why didn't they make such pur- chases before the advent of the low- | rate cab? “Such purchases would un- | doubtedly have made it impossible for the low-rate cals to have made the | progress that they have. Secondly, why should they wait until the commission takes action to curtail the taxi judustry? Thirdly, won't they, after that is done, cay they are not getting the ratesof re- {turn guaranteed them by the Constitu- tion of the United States, and hence, under this condition, cannot be expected [ to make outiays? e the low-rate taxicabs di make their entry in this )ur)sd‘lict?(?rz until abeut February, 1930, and not in a way which was destructive in so far | as the railways’ business was concerned, | according to the president of one of the companies, until June of this year, the records on file with the commission fail to disclose, even with increase in fare any substantial investment as to new cquipment or the modernization of their pre;:mideqltlm?rgm esident John H. Hanna of the Capital Traction Co. in sn article ap- pearing in the American Electric Rail- way Journal concedes that the elec- trical railways are behind the times and that they are furnishing service through the medium of vehicles which have been in use for 20 years or more and recognizes the necessity for change in_transportation just as people have required changes in clothing and their manner of amusement. Service Less Attractive. Not only have the railways the low-rate taxicabs to i"urs?:{mr::a'fg of their passengers because of the fact that the service rendered by such cabs is more commensurate with the charge made therefo than is the flmceh:erg. dered by the car companies for the charge made, but their service in so far as the remaining passengers are con cerned has been rendered less attrac- tive in that it has been slowed up by more vehicles appearing on the streets. It would be well for the railway | and bus companies to follow the ex- | ample being set by the steam railroads in their fight against the airplane. It is possible to effect an analogy between the airplane and steam train on the cne hand, and the taxicab and street car on the other. The reason fcr the commercial usage of both the aeroplane and taxicab is the same. These me- , diums afford more rapid travel, Fur thermore, the price exacted by the air- plane is nearer the cos; charged for train travel than that charged by the taxicab is to the street car.Take for illustration a trip to New Ycrk—the charge by airplane is more comparable to that charged by train for similar trip than price charged by taxicab is to the charge of street car even under « tued on Page 2, Column 1) ! T NEW COURT PLAN PAGE B—1 Constitution Docks in Capital “OLD IRONSIDES” WILL RECEIVE HER FIRST CAPITAL VISITORS TODAY. HE famous old frigate Constitution arrived at the navy yard here yesterday afternoon after being towed up the Potomac River from Quantico by the minesweeper U. S. S. Grebe. The historic vessel will remain at the yard indefinitely, as it has not yet been decided whether her proposed “cruise” to American ports will be abandoned| Meanwhile she will receive her first visitors from the Capital's public at 10 o'clock this morning. She will be “open” until 5 o'clock this afternoon and plans are being made for her to resume her exposition tomorrow. ‘The schedule of visiting hours after today, however, is yet to be announced. The Navy Department has made it plain that there will be no admission charge made to visitors following the discovery of the sale of fake tickets at other cities where the vessel has bcen shown. —Star Staff Photo. SPEEDS UP GASES 102 Equity, 78 Law and 182 Criminal Matters Handled. ‘The wisdom of the adoption by the District Supreme Court of the Cleve- land system for expediting court work is displayed in the achievements of the court during October. Despite the death of Justice Frederick L. Siddons, there were 102 cases disposed of from the equity calendar, 78 from the law cal- endar and 182 criminal cases deter- mined. The outstanding feature of the new system proved its effectiveness in the Motions Court. While the court did not convene until October 7, Chief Justice Wheat determined 173 motions and signed 133 orders. “The condition of the criminal dock- et,” said Chief Justice Wheat, “will compare favorably with that of any city of the size with Washington. The grand jury is keeping up with the cur- rent work and often a person is in- dicted and tried within three weeks of the commission of a crime. Work Is Gratifying. “The result of the court's activity in the opening month of the new court year in view of the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Siddons is most gratifying, and unless some long cases are encountered we feel that the end of the court year will show great inroads into the crowded civil dockets.” Wken the court convened October 7 there were pending and ready for trial 168 criminal cases and the grand jury has reported 134 indictments during the month. So active has been the work of United States Attorney Rover and his assistants that there remain only 120 cases at issue and prepared for trial. Pleas of guilty at the time of arraignment were taken in 69 cases, while 48 others pleaded guilty at the trial table. Verdicts of guilty were re- ceived in 30 cases and 10 verdicts were directed by the court in two cases and the jury disagreed in two others. Prose- cutions were abandoned in 23 cases. 52 Cases in Month. In the Equity Division of the court 52 cases were tricd and 50 other cases were dismissed by the court or by order of sel. ““he jaw courts did not make such a good showing because of jury trials. There were 32 trials by jury, 8 verdicts by consent and 38 other cases were dropped from the calendar. The law justices were also occupled during two days of the month in hearing and dis- sing of 103 motions. Poith "the addition of Justice Danel W. O'Donoghue to the bench it is ex- pected that the law courts will move forward more rapidly. HEARING WILL PROBE FARM BOARD CHANGES Senate Agriculture Committee Is Expected to Bring Up Question of Abolition. arges ainst the Federal Farm E()E}:d E‘\ll l:e‘gone into fully when the Senate Committee on Agriculture meets here November 24 under a call issued by its chairman, Senator Charles L. Nary of Oregon. M‘;..atel'¥ there is likely to be a more extended inquiry through resolution of Senate or House, but the November 24 meeting is expected to bring out the high points of the opposition to the board and of its defense. On the re- sult of the testimony brought out at the November 24 meeting is likely to depend the question whether the board is abolished or continued, Senator McNary, a supporter of the board, hopes to get the farm organiza- tion leaders to unite against abolition. STRUCK BY AUTOMOBILE . Warren, 30, of 1014 Twenty- sb{'&hzz}’ccz, tved serious head in- Juries yesterday when felled by an au- tomobile at Twenty-sixth and K streets. He was treated ai Emergency Hospital “The driver of the car, Paul D, Lew 33, of 1700 T sireet, foreman of t Smooth Gravel & Sand Co. was ar- Tested on & charge of operating an au- temobile with bau brakes. Employm Introduction of sound films in motion picture houses caused displacement of 101 musicians formerly employed in Washington theaters, according to a re- port yesterday by the Labor Depart- |ment of a survey made in October, 11930, by its Bureau of Statistics. Only a minority of those musicians who lost their jobs by the coming of |the mechanical music-maker found | other employment here as professional musicians, the report shows. | The fate of 8 of the group of 101 | could not be determined, the report | said. Twenty of the number left Washe ington, 11 found jobs m other orches- | tras here, 19 secured part-time work, such as in radio broadcasting or as teachers of music, 21 gave up the pro- fession and found jobs in other fields and 22 are still unemployed. Some in Dire Distress. Of the latter, 13 are being supported | by their families, while 9 have no sup- port whatever, the department reported. | Some” were described as being In dire | need. | Washington was sclected for / the study because other surveys indicated this city had been affected less by the | depression than any other city of its | size. For this reason it was felt it | would "be possible here to segregate | | effects brought about by the institution of sound films from those due to other | causes, including the depression. 50 Theaters in Survey. The survey concerned 50 theaters, 138 of them being for white audiences | and 12 for colored only. Seventy musi- | clans | theaters. |~ ‘The Labor Department said the num- | ber of musicians_displaced by employ- | | ment of sound films in theaters here | |led to an analysis of the general em- | Dloyment situation smong local musi- | cians. At the tirie of the survey there were 748 union musiclans in Washington. Of these 443 were classified as profes- | sional and the remaining 305 local| | members of the American Federation | of Musicians had other occuiations | outside the field of music | "As the result of a wage scale agree- | ment reached in October, 1930, by the theaters and the federation, 101 musi- | clans were displaced, investigators found. | “There were 210 musicians, or slight- ly less than 50 per cent of the 443 pro- | fessional members of the local union | | organization, who were permanently or | | temporarily ‘employed as musicians at | the time of the department’s investi- | gation,” the report said. | | are now employed by these |l | practically every walk of life. Chance of Employment Slight. “The others were either entirely un- | employed or were engaged in occasional | playing or in teaching music. Thus, | |even if one excludes the 305 non-| professional members of the local | musicians’ union, the chances of em- ployment for the musicians who have 101 D. C. MUSICIANS DISPLACED BY SOUND FILMS, SURVEY SHOWS |Labor Department Inquiry Reveals Only Minority Found Professional ent Here. lost their jobs in the theaters appears slight,” it was asserted. ‘The report added that the only com- pensating factor in the amusement in- dustry here, so far as the musicians were concerned, was the Increased em- ployment of them for raaio broadcast- ing purposes. One local radio staticn, replying to a Labor Department in quiry, reported it had paid out in salaries during the past year a total of $8,133 to musicians. It was brought out that musicians here for the first eight months of this year .had received $35,331 for radio service, or an average of $4,416 per month. During April, 1931, it' was re- ported that 81 musicians eirned $5,086 or an average of $63 a month for each musician. MISSION APPEALS FOR LD CLOTHING Superintendent Stresses Need of Overcoats and Shoes for Jobless. . ‘Two pairs of shoes and three suits of underwear were’ all that the depletéd clothes locker room at the Central nion Mission held for the 180 ragged, jobless men driven to its shelter by the first shivering touch of Winter Friday evening. John §S. Bennett, superintendent, made a check of the line-up of 180 men on Friday night. There was not a sin- gle overcoat among them. For the two pairs of shoes he was able to suw | there were 53 applicants sorely in nq ‘Twenty-five of the men didn’t even have underclothing. A few had sweaters, but the clothing of all the men was worn and patched. “These men are not bums,” Mr. Ben- nett said. “They represent men in Only 2 per cent of them are laborers. The rest belong to the skilled trades.” With the approach of cold weather, Mr. Bennett said, many of the men will suffer more from lack of clothing than from lack of food unless the public lends & hand. Overcoats and shoes are the particular need. With nearly 200 men being sheltered and fed nightly at the mission, all of them being in need of some garment, it has been impossible to supply the clothing wants. The United States Marine Corps re- rently loaned the mission 100 cots for its lodging house, Mr. Bennett said, and efforts are now being made to obtain blankets from the War Department. Course After The “rush copy” he followed through editorial, composing and press rooms of The Star yesterday never got more than one jump ahead of Larry Willlams, 9- year-old editor of the Thornapple Street News. .Being the boss of a juvenile weekly which doubled its circulation the first month, Larry had more than a pass- ing interest, and considerably more ihan a layman's ungerstanding, of the process. Larry didn't feel he knew it all: he Jjust caught on fast, and his mind leap- ed ahead to the next process while the story sped under the city editor’s pen- cil, across to the copy desk, where the headline was written, and thence up pneumatic tubes to the compocing room. Larry was en hand, a moment later, when a printer put the story through BOY EDITOR FOLLOWS RUSH NEWS FROM START TO FINISH AT STAR Nine-Year-Old Boss of Weekly Decides on Journalistic Experience. his linotype machine and passed it on for insertion in the page form. Larry saw the page mat pressed onto the metal face of the form, taking an impression against which, 30 seconds later, molten lead was run to make the half-cylinder plate. In the press room he nodded an un- derstanding head while the plates were quickly fitted onto the presses, and set in_motion. Larry’s enthusiasm, which had mounted as he followed the swife pace of the “copy,” reached its height as the presses gathered speed. Faster and faster they sped, until the low thunder of 10,000 moving parts became one chant, almost drowning the first cries of the newsboys from the street outside. “Yes,” yelled against the din of the press room. “I think Il be & newspaper manl” RENTAL GAB FIRMS MAY START SUIT ON COMMISSION ORDER Attorneys Indicate Court Fight Is Imminent on Board Ruling. |OTHERS ALSO MAY ASSAIL INSTALLATION OF METER§ ‘Expeme of Machines Is Cited by Independents as Cause for Increase of Fare. Several taxicab companies, renting cabs to drivers, prepared yesterday to fight in court the latest taxicab order of the Public Utilities Commission, which will virtually put them out of business January 10. Rumblings of dissatisfaction were heard at the District Building soon after the commission's order became public, and yesterday attorneys for seve eral taxicab companies indicated to ate taches of the commission that they ex= pected to make a legal issue of the case. ‘Would End Rate War. ‘The order, the most drastic ever pro- mulgated by the commission to eon’tml taxicab operations, not only was aimed at rental cab owners, but is intended also to end cut-throat competition which resulted several months ago in an_intensive rate-cutting war. The existing zone system of fares was abolished and the ‘commission di~ rected that all cabs be equipped with meters and charge a minimum rate of 25 cents for the first 2 miles or frac- tion, and 5 cents for each third of a mile thereafter. The provision in the commission’ order aimed at the owners of the cabs which rent them to drivers reads: o motor vehicle shall be operated as & taxicab except by the proprietor there~ of, or by a driver employed by the proprietor and responsible to the said proprietor.” The effect of such a provision, attore neys for the cab companies iold the commission attaches, would be confisca= tory, because it would destory the ren‘al cab business and put several hundred drivers out of work. the legal fight will center om the provision aimed at the rental sys- tem, some of the independent taxi own= ers are understood to be contemplating court action to test the commission’s authority to order installation . of meters. The independents claim ‘this is anther expense, which the public must pay in the form of increased fare, Meters Cost $150. ‘Taxi meters, the drivers claim, cost about $150. Second-hand meters sell at_half that price. & Legal action on the part of some of the taxi owners was anticipated by the co‘l:ml.sdon. 'x'::ed o , 1t was said, proposes efen o e vllwwny lny Official copies of the new order wers mimeographed yesterday for taxi drive ers and organizations interested in the taxicab situation. PLASTERERS END STRIKE ON WAGES Ninety Men to Return to Work Monday After Dispute on $5.25 Overtime. Ninety plasterers and hodcarriers who had gone on strike on union orders over a dispute of $5.25 in overtime pay, will | 8o back to work Monday, following ad- Jjustment of differences between the contractor and his employes yesterday. The men, who were called off five jobs under contract by A. W. Lee, pasterer, last Monday, sacrificed a total of $5,250 | in pay, it is estimated. ‘The contractor was absolved of re- sponsibility for the dispute, and the overtime wage was not paid or any compromise reached concerning it, representatives of Lee said today. The conference yesterday was attended by Lee, James M. Myles of Phfl‘d% vicc president of the Internal Ogemung Plasterers and Cement Fin- ishers’ Association; Arthur L. Smith, contractor; Patrick Leckey, president of the local union, and John A. Goodwin, financial secretary of the local union. ‘The builder of the apartment st Thirteenth and Taylor streets, the job on which the trouble started, substi- tuted union men with non-union men when the strike was called. |PROTESTANTS TO MEET ON CHEST CO-OPERATION Sub-committee Representing Churches to Chose Its Permanent Officers. The Protestant sub-committee of the Community Chest Commit on Church Co-operation will meet at Cal- vary Baptist Church Tuesday night at 8 o'clock to work out ways by which churches of the city can co-operate with social agencies in a year-round social work program. Rev. Allen A. Stockdale, pastor of the First Congre- gational Church, will preside and per- manent officers will be elected. ‘Tuesday's meeting is an outgrowth of - the meeting of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Greek Orthodox pastors and laymen at the United States Chamber of Commerce recently. At this sub-committees of each of the denom- inations were named with temporary chairmen, Rev. William S. Abernethy being named head of the Protestant group. These committees- are to work out plans for the participation of their denominations in the city-wide pro- gram. Emphasis is given to the fact that gouu z‘h’u lu!:el;ldbewfll not be askel solicit funds, it being a policy of the Chest not to solicit chmp: gt.nill- tions as such. PR R ) WOOL WEEK PLANNED Stores to Co-operate With Govern- ment in National Observance. Washington stores are planning to co-operate with the Agriculture De- partment in observing Noyember 9 to 14 as National Wool week, it was an- nounced yesterday. In an effort to stimulate the woolen Industry, the stores, at the w { the Government agency, an elaborate assortment of - en goods at special sales,