Evening Star Newspaper, February 25, 1932, Page 17

. was stated at th » r S Washington News i KEECH DENIES CAR MERGER TESTIMONY UFGEN_.PATRIBK] Power Sale Clause Not Mold- ed on Maltbie Recommenda- tion, Says Counsel. EXPERT CONSIDERED IT “BAD IN PRINCIPLE” Long Letter to Senate Committee Interprets Tenth Paragraph Discussions. People’s Counsel Richmond B. Keech in a long letter to the Senate District Committee today denied that the clause in the pending street car merger bill dealing with the sale of power to the new company had the approval of Dr. Milo R. Maltbie, formerly employed by the committee to study the Wilson merger bill. The letter referred to tes- timony by Chairman Mason M. Patrick of the Public Utilities Commission in which Gen. Patrick said that the power clause of the present bill was molded on Dr. Maltbie's recommendation. Taking issue with this, Mr. Keech said that on the contrary Maltbie had found the scheme “bad in principle.” The point revolves arcund the tenth paragraph of the bill, having to do with the rates to be charged by the Potomac Electric Power Co. for power to be sup- plied to the new merged company after the merger. The paragraph provides| that for 15 years after the merger the Jpower company shall sell to the merged company 63 per cent of the power needed at rates now used in selling to the Washington Railway & Electric Co., and the balance at rates to be fixed from time to time by the Public Utilities Commission. Mr. Keech wants this changed so that the commission shall at 8ll times have power to fix the rates for all of the power sold. Recommendation Denied. “In an attempt to answer the reasons set forth by me for deleting the para- graph in question,” the letter states, “and substitut therefor a simple pro- visicn to the effect tha: the Potomac | Elactric Power Co. is required to furnish powe: to th> new company at such Te2sonable rates as the commission may | from time to time fix, the railway com- panies, as did Gen. Patrick, for the Public Utilities Commission, stated that Dr. Milo R. Maltble recommended the rovision in question in his repo: he Senate Committee, and that the provision merely preserves existing con- tractual obligations. “Dr. Maltbje did not recommend, lg e , paragrapl 10. In fact, in the report submitted to the subcommittee, ne clearly indi- cates that it is wrong in principle (p2ge 110 of his report). A reading of th's repert clearly cthows that the rea- gons essitned by me for deleting the parez-ioh in ouesti~n are well sup- Poried by his report.” Mr. Keech then quotes many extrac from the Maltbie revort in support his contention, and then goes on: “As stated above, the report of Dr Maltbie does not warrant the state- ments made by the rallway companies omm: paragrapl . e only point in his Teport where he deals with the 63-37 per cent propesition is found on page 110, ‘as follows: “ ‘However, if it is desirable that the arrangement’ should be continued and that a corresponding share of the; power needed by the new compmy! should be purchased on the same terms | as the Washington Railway & Electric | Co. now pays for what it uses for rail- way purposes it would seem that al simple method of reaching this result | would be to apply the present power | agreement to a stated percentage (say 63 per cent) of all the power here- after used by the new company for railway purposes and likewise to all the power hereafter sold by the new com- pany to other railway companies. As to the remainder of the power used, the price to be paid could be fixed by the Public Utilities Commission. ‘This body- has power to fix rates for all classes of service and all general con- sumers. Why should it not have power to determine rates as between two utilities?” Nature of Statement. “By no stretch of the imagination is | it possible to construe this as a recom- mendation. He merely states, and without holding or finding it to be so, that, ‘if it is desirable that the ar- rangement should be continued, etc. * * * it would seem that a simple method of reaching this result, etc. He does not, however, stop there, but then deals with ‘fundamental ques- tions’ and concludes as quoted above from page 110 with this statement: “ ‘Important reasons why regulation has superseded contracts are the need for an adjustable method fitted to changing conditions, which cannot be foretold, ‘the ~tendency of long-term contracis to become unfair, and the possibility of discrimination. If these apply to the ordinary consumer; they have still greater force in relation to | a contract such as proposed here, where great changes are certain to occur.’ " When shown a copy of Mr. Keech's | letter Gen. Mason M. Patrick, chair- man of the commission, declined to comment. PADEREWSKI NETS RED CROSS $11,852 Mrs. Hoover Sends Payne Check as Proceeds of Benefit Recital. The American Red Cross announced today that it had received a .check .for $11,852.70 from Mrs. Hoover, sponsor f the concert given here recently by g(n-oe Paderewski for the benefit of the unemployed. Mrs. Hoover, in sending the check, Which was made out to her by Mr. Pad- erewski, wrote Chairman John Barton e yne: “Inclosed please find a check for $11,- £52.70, which was sent to me by Mr. Paderewski, as the proceeds of the re- cital which he gave in Washington on Janyary 25 fof the benefit of the un- ‘employed of our country. May I men- ition in passing that Mr. Paderewski ‘very especially - wished - it -to. purchase Jood for Americans hungry and in dis- dress.msxo it yo}x cmmsee that it quite certainly g r, the purpose, we wijl be clrryln‘o'e:utq'.he wishes of the |'eyx¥- erous donor.” Judge Payne said the Paderewski fund will be expended only for the pur- chase of food for distribution through Red Cross chapters now carrying on such relief, in line with Mrs. Hoover's rt to | blood. WASHINGTON, WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Fighting for N’Gi’s Life DOCTORS HANDICAPPED IN ADMINISTERING TO SICK GORILLA. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. BOUT the toughest job a doétor ever undertook is that of physi- clan to a gorilla. 1 watched two of Washing- | ton's foremost specialists—one a | veterinanrian and the other a pedia- triclan—work for an hour yesterday over the sick bed of N'gi, desperately ill of bronchial pneumonia, in his cage at the National Zoological Park. | It is a case now of keeping him alive from day to day, hoping almost against | hope that if the clumsy black baby of the West African jungle can be kept breathing long enough nature itself will produce the needed resistance to the bronchial infection. The longer he lives the better his chances, the doctors be- lieve. They hope, in other words, that if he can be kept from getting wofse nature every day will add something to their efforts until the little fellow is | playing again. | Chances Against Gorilla. But, as they explain to Dr. Willlam M. Mann, director of the Zoo, who has raised N'gi from infancy, nature has a far harder job with the gorilla than would be the case with an equally sick human being. He probably hasn't got even the slightest racial immunity to pneumonia upon which nature can build. She must start with nothing. | Now 2t the bedside of an adult man | or woman the physician hes a big ad- | vantage bocause he can get a good dea! | of needed information by word of | mouth. Patients can tell about their sensations. They will co-operate in such necessary proceedure as taking temperatures. When it comes to an | infant the doctor can expect neither | co-operation nor information. He must make his_deductions from what he | knows of the physiological behavior of | infants. He is, in part at least, feeling | in the dark. | But when it comes to a baby gorilla— | with the mentality of a small infant | and the strength of a powerful adult— the situation is far worse. Nobody knows anything about the physiologica. behavior of gorillss. Only deductions. possibly far-fetched, cen b2 drawn. It would be desirable to have an hourly record of N'Gi's temperature, but the doctors can find no way of taking it. They can’t explain to him what it is all ebout. He will not co-operate. Re-| sults which would indicate something in a human may indicate nothing at all in this case. May and May Not Be Normal. For example, according to the latest bulletin from N'gi’s sickbed, he is keep- ing up a fairly steady pulse rate of 120 and_a_ respiration rate of 40. This would be fairly satisfactory in the case of a 6-year-old boy ill of pneumonia. But there is no data whatsoever on the normal respiration and pulse rates of gorillas. These figures may be very Jow or very high. Blood counts can be | taken which in a human would give valuable information. But nobody knows the normal proportions of red | and white corpuscles in a gorilla’s Small doses of adrenalin and of strychine have been administered. Both drugs, if used on & human ill of bron- chial pneumonia, would be valuable in strengthening the heart action. But there are no indications that they have had any effect at all on N'gi. In fact, Dr. Mann recalled yesterday, an Afri- can planter once tried to free his plan- | tation of marauding Barbery apes with | strychnine. The animals took big doses and not only suffered no ill effects. but seemed to like the -poison. Perhaps N'gl has something of the same im- | munity to the drug so that a dose such as would be used in therapy doesn't have any effect at all. There is some evidence, in fact, that gorillas in nature occasionally eat freely plants of the family from which strychnine is ob- tained. With humans adrenalin is per- haps the most potent, miracle-woi drug known. It works in the same way with various experimental animals. But this is the first time it ever has been used on a gorilla. | | Oxygen Tank to Be Used. An oxygen tank is to be placed in the cage for occasional purifying of the 2ir and possibly fcr use in case of an emergency. The little anthropoid should respond to oxygen like a human, but nobody knows. N'gi is under the very great disadvantage of being the first first patient of his race medical science ever | has been called upon to deal with. There have been other gorillas in cap- | tivity who have died, but if they re-| ceived any attention in their final illnesses other than from Zoo attend- ants no records were preserved So the treatment of N'gi is altogether a fumbling in the dark. Only upon one assumption can the doctors proceed with any degree of certainty. N'gi, like any other living thing, must eat to live, and in order to maintain his strength so that the natural resistance will have a chance to develop it Is necessary to get nourishment into his stomach. Appetite Fails. But the little fellow has no appetite The most tempting morsels fail to in- terest him. Yesterday they managed to persuade him to eat half an orange A half hour’s work failed to get some concentrated milk powder into his| stomach. He hardly can be fed forcibly. | The resistance he would make probably‘ would be the end of him. One grea!‘ essential is to keep him quiet. That may be one reason why it has been im- | passible to get any results from the| adrenalin. It has been given by mouth, | with a loss of a good deal of its potency. Injectjon of adrenalin is a painful proposition and the gorilla probably would. put .up. a_fight. The treatment would do more hasm than good Thus far there has been fair success in getting him to eat something every day. On some days he eats better than on others and shows a little interest in his food. Then come the bad days | when no response comes into his eyes— | still bright in spite of his sickness— | when food is placed before him. Before he was taken sick N'gi played all the time. It has been almost & | month since he has played. He just | lies prone—almost lifeless—on his bed | of straw. Almost his only movement | or show of interest comes when he wraps his burlap blanket around him. The gorilla naturally is a gloomy ani- mal. But N'gi, brought up nearly all his life in close contact with humans, used to show something which hardly could be interpreted as anything but a smile when he was petted. It has been a month sincg he has smiled. His face is a mask. The doctors cannot see | any signs of in. There is some evi- | dence from his movements, however, that he suffers from headache. Some- times there comes over his face, one doctor explained y, an expres- sion which in a human would be in- terpreted as one of infinite sadness— as if N'gl were dreaming of happier | days. But there have been no tears| in his eyes. He seems to show no in- terest in anything. In a sense he is a good patient, allowing himself to be handled without resistance if he is not hurt. He does not appear, however, | {to recognize anybody. An attendant iis at hand at all times to note any |.change .in . his ,condition. | Dr, Mann Still Hopeful. N'gl." He and Willlam H. Blackburn, head keeper, pulled Jo-Jo the chimpan- zee, through a bad attack of bronchial pneumonia two years ago and there were times when the patient appeared about as far gone as N'gi appears to- day. But a gorilla is not a chimpan- suggestion and Mr. Paderewski's de- resistance. Dr. Mann has not given up hope of | | jumping from 600 to 1,200 pounds. zee. Apparently he hasn't as much The lives of most of the | | ! WILLIAM BLACKBURN, Head keeper at the Zoo with N'Gl. gorillas outside their native jungles have been quite short. Few human patients ever have had more devoted attention than is being given N'gi, or attracted more atten- tion, Dr. Mann is receiving a flood of letters from all over the country, some offering suggestions for treatment and some, mostly from children, only ask- ing after the condition of the little ape. ; Ngi will be kept alive if medical | science can save him. If not, says Dr. | Mann: | “There are few living creatures that | have given more pleasure to the world He will not have lived in | with the other baby gorilla now at the 200 and enjoying excellent health, he is one of the very few of his race in captivity. It is not likely that there ever will be many others. The gorilla is protected with almost as much legal restriction as are human beings. The world at large seems to have agreed in considering them as very close to mem- bers of the human family. [ Insured for $10,000. | There is an insurance policy for $10.- | 000 on N'gi's life, taken out several| years ago by Dr. Mann and a number of friends of the little gorilla. Under the authority by which the zoo is estab- lished, insurance is not provided for other animals there. Dr. Mann, however, at the time of the arrival of N'gi, decided, with a group of friends, that N'gl’s case was different, and dug down into his own pocket along with his friends to see that N'gi was properly insured. The poiicy has been renewed from year to year as N'gi seemed to thrive in his Wash- ington environment. BASOLINE STATIONS WAR ON HUCKSTERS Operators May Ask Congress Action Against Curbstone Vendors. Aroused by the continued inroads made into their business by curbstone | vend perators representing the 500 | gasoline stations in the District yester- day formed an organization to war on all varieties of street sales, it was an- nounced today. L. 8. Scott was appointed chairman of the group, at the meeting held in the offices of the Merchants and Manu- facturers' Association, and it was de- cided to make vigorous representations to the District Commissioners, then, if they are unable to cope with the situa- tion in a manner satisfactory to the complainants, to séek congressional action. With particular reference to the com- plaint of the fuel men, it was declared | that Washington is the only city in| the United States where gasoline trucks | are permitted to park along the streets | and dispense gasoline. “Such & practice is a serious firc hazard and public menace, and these unsightly = vehicles are marring _ the beauty of the Capital City,” Mr. Scott stated. “The operators of gasoline sta- tions have gone to great expense to build attractive gasoline stations, which are equipped to render all manner of service to operators of automobiles, have included the most modern safety devices, are paying heavy taxes to‘the District and Federal Governments, and furnish employment to several thousand people; where2s, gasoline trucks, which parked on the public highways are not required to maintain such safety de- vices, give no service to the public, are permitted to operate on public space without paying any rent, and but a nominal license fee, and add to traffic congestion, especially during the peak flows of traffic.” Baby Rhinoceros At Zoo Doubles Its Weight in Year The National Zoological Park has an unbeatable entry for the blue ribbon a2t any baby show. This particular infant has deubled his weight in a year— | | Tt is only two years old and still | has a long time to grow. Event- | | ually it will weigh several tons. | This particular baby is a black | | rhinoceros. The adult speces is | | probably the largest of all land |Figures Revealed in Check-up | had developed where the 2-cent District | ferential | were “GAS” HUCKSTERS SELL AT RATE OF 2,000,000 GALLONS of Gasoline Sales hy District Assessor. BOOTLEGGING TO EVADE VIRGINIA TAX DOUBTED Regulation of Curbstone Dealers Being Studied by Committee. Gasoline hucksters here are making sales at the rate of 2,000,000 gallons vearly, it was estimated today at the office of the District Assessor, where | it was revealed that an investigation of these street vendors had been car- ried on for the last month in an effort to determine if any of their product was “bootlegged” to evade taxation. Thus far, it was said, no instances tax has not been paid, but the Asses- sor's office proposes to keep the huck- sters under close supervision. Meanwhile, a committee named by the District Commissioners to study regulatory phases of the trade, follow- | ing & move to bar the hucksters from the streets, will present its findings in Prohibition Proposed. Scme wecks ago the Commissioners | proposed to prohibit this class of busi- | ness entirely. Following protests, a modified regulation was adopted, put- ting them on practically the same basis as other hucksters. This, in general, permits them to stay in one location only 30 minutes and bars them from the congested district and off of arterial highways. The gasoline hucksters are not. how- ever, subject to the license fees of other hucksters, which in the case of fruit men, for instance, run as high as $12 All they pay, it was said, is the $1 automobile tag fee and the vehicle and personal property tax. The assessor's investigation was | started January 15, and since then in- | spectors have located 39 of the curb- stone wagons, whose individual sales range from 200 to 700 gallons a day, according to their records. Because of the difficulty in checking a business of this sort, where the operators are con- tinually on the move, it is conceded that some of the vendors may not nave been reached, but it is not be- lieved that more than 50 of the tanks are in service, though one fuel man put the number at 150. Sell at 12 Cents a Gallon. ‘They sell on a basis of 12 cents a gallon. which now is 2.4 cents under the filling station price for standard brands of gasoline. ~This price, it is said, is made possible both because of the figure at which they obtain their supplies and on account of the lower “‘overhead.” Because of a barrier that has been raised against sales to tank wagons by virtually all of the nationally known distributing or importing companies, this trade, for the most part, derives its supply from two local concerns which do a jobbing business. These two or- ganizations, it was found, sold to 35 of the 39 wagons checked; the other four reported buying from national groups, but in one case, this information was disputed. As for the wagons themselves, 34 were found to be run by individuals; a local jobber had three; one company with branches over the country was operat- ing one, and the other pedigree was in doubt. As a_result of the investigation of the curbstone operators and the super- visicn that is maintained generally over | the gasoline-distributing business, the assessor’s_office belleves very little, if any, gasolie is beinng “bootlegged” into the Capital Twenty-two concerns supply all the gasoline used here. Two have tanks in the Capital and the other 20 are across the river, where they went to avoid the requirement for underground storage. Every month they must make a com- plete report of their business—impor- tations, sales and inventories—to the as- sessor and pay the tax on all sales to local distributors. In addition, the as- sessor’s office inspects their books twice a year. ! A $500 penalty is provided for tax| evasion, and it has never been neces- | sary to apply this. ‘When the hucksters make sales, a slip is furnished to the buyer, showing the tax has been paid, and it was by check- ing on these slips that investigators found the tank wagons were selling gasoline that had been taxed. In addition to the check on records, the assessor’s office for two days h men on Key Bridge, Highway Bridge and at Rhode Island avenue an the Baltimore-Washington Boulevard, checking on the movement of gasoline trucks making deliveries. Uncertain on Bootlegging. To what extent gasoline is ‘being “bootlegged” from the District into Vir- ginia, to profit by the 3-cent tax dif- is cpen to debate. Following_the hearing before Gov. ollard of Virgiria Tuesday, at whicl leading sales concerns urged establish= mieht of a patrol to break up smuggling, several local agents were canvassed without bringing to light any definite knowledge of instances of such *boot- legging.” It was learned, however, that representatives of all the leading sales concerns in this territory have or-| ganized a committee headed by Peyton S. Cochran of Baltimore, manager for the Sun Co, to study the question of tax evasion. When purchases are made across the | river the buyer pays only the District | tax of 2 cents to the importer, instead | of the 5-cent Virginia tax, if he de-| clares his gasoline is intended for sale | in the District. Should this gasoline | instead be diverted by clandestine | channels to Virginia stations it is| pointed out that the 3-cent differential could be turned to the pockets of the operators in the same way as if the gas were bought here. Doubt was expressed, however, that such ‘a ‘practice could be carried on in other than a small way. Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, director of highways; William A. Van.Duzer, di- rector of traffic, and Calvin G. Lauber, fire marshal, are on the Commissioners’ Iccy-runlmee studying the huckster prob- lem. The commjttee was directed to deter- | mine if the wagons constituted & flr:{ hazard, *if they damaged the streets, whether they interfered with trafiic of otherwise detrimental to the public. * ' Civil War Veteran Dies. CHARLES TOWN, W. Va., February 25 (Special).—James H. Pritts, 89, one of the few remaining Confederate vet- erans in Jeferson County, dled nesday at his home. A native of Lou- | | animals. Only the hippopotamus is an uncertain competitor, doun County, Va., he served through the war between the States with White's Battalion, 12th Virginia Cavalry. T |a few days. 1 d | Employes to renew their he Zbening Staf D. C, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1932. and General | quk Progresses on Park Cascades FINE ARTS BOARD HEAD SEES FULFILLMENT OF McMILLAN PLAN. L An artist’s conception of the cascades under construction at Meridian Hill Park. Some details of the plan have not HE abundant use of rTunning tains was pointed out by Charles Moore, chairman of the Com- mission of Fine Arts, as fulfilling one of the early recommendations of the McMillan Commiscion. One of the first things the McMillan Commission did, according to Mr. Moore, was to promote the abundant use of running water “to mitigate the of a Washington Summer.” | traction to this center of interest. The of the site as part of Union Square. | “Fountains are not out of date,” de- clared Mr. Moore. “As a matter of fact wa are trying to bring them in to date | in the District of Columbia. More foun- | tains_in the city are much to be de- sired.” Mr. Chev Moore favors a fountain for Chase Circle, legislation for which | fecling of heat, if not the actual heat, | now is p2nding before the House, having passed the Senate. The fountain there ! been completed. The cascades of the park will be a valuable adjunct to the fountains of the city. Some of the best known of the water in the National Capital, | Bartholdi fountain was removed several | fountains here, he explained are in through new cascades and foun- | years ago, to make way for development | front of Union Station, where there are two, which Mr. Moore described |as “perfectly stunming.” The amount of water they throw is great, he said, and they form a refreshing appearance |in the plaza. A short distance away in the same plaza is the Columbus fountain with less water. The fourth fountain in the general area between | the Union Station and the Capitol | Building is now being installed at the |foot of North Capitol street in the New fountains now being installed, | will bz a memorial to Senator Francis | capitol plaza. The reflecting pool at and others in early prospect, promise to carry forward this ideal of the 1901 commission, in a more practical fashion than was possible in days. At made, Mr. Moore explained, there was an inadequate supply of water for many | G. Newlands of Nevada. | Chevy Chase Circle is an important and desirable place for a fountain, Mr. Moore said. The circle itself is a stop- |the time the recommendation was | ping place for cars and busses, and the | car line runs entirely around it. The | place never has been improved, Mr. children for play. For these children. the foot of this new fountain is virtually complete, and work is pro- gressing on the fountain itself. At Dupont Circle, Mr. Moore ex- plained, “we have one of the most beautiful fountains in the United States.” He recalled that this fountain | fountains, but since the completion of | Moore said, and is used occasionally by | displaced a statue of Gen. Dupont the aqueduct system the National Cap- | which formerly stood on the site now ital now has a plentiful supply of water? he said, there is a good playground a | occupied by the fountain. from the Potomac River to make possi- ble a beautiful array of fountains throughout the city. Meridian Hill Greatest. The greatest display of water in the National Capital, Mr. Moore explains, will be in Meridian Hill Park, where work now is going forward on the great cascade. This will be regulated, he said, 50 that in times of celebrations a great amount of water can be thrown down the cascade. supply can be cut down to a smaller dis- play. This park is in a congested sec- tion of the city where there are a great many apartment houses, he pointed out, and will provide opportunity for recrea- tion of a large number of people. The park is designed, he explained, for in- tensive use. Water will play, not only down the cascade from one pool to an- other, but will also play in fountains on either side of the cascade. A favorite old fountain known as the Bartholdi fountain, formerly located in the old Botanic Garden, is being re- located in the new Botanic Garden, Mr. Moore said, and will be an added at- But for ordinary use the | little distance down Western avenue. “What we hope will be done is to | develop a beautiful circle at Chevy | Chase Circle, to be used by 100 times as many people as use it now.” New Fountain in Arlington. new fountain is being installed in Atlington Cemetery, Mr. Moore ex- | plained, as a central feature of the | new terrace below the Tomb of the | Unknown Soldier. In urging more fountains for this | city, Mr. Moore called attention to the | beauty and popularity of the fountains | already playing in the National Capital. | Next to the new cascade now under | construction in Meridian Hill Park, he said, the so-called rainbow fountain in the small Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Poolgat th&sxoot of Seventeenth street, throWs probably the largest amount of | water in the city. At present it is probably the largest fountain. The two | Jets of water thrown high into the air at this . Mr. Moore characterized as “positively Tobust,” and in perfect | keeping with the character of the whole | area, “to fill the place adequately.” One of the most beautiful fountains in the city, he said, is the one south of the White House, wkere the whole fountain display is formed without any central statuary or figures of any kind. | | In other words, the fountain is all water, coming out of a pool. McMillan Park Fountain. In McMillan Park, he said, there is | a fine fountain presented by the people of the State of Michigan. Congress appropriated funds for the steps neces- sary in this park, it was explained, and the McMillan family presented the | landscaping for the park. plans for | which were drawn by Prederick Law | Olmstead. The fountain in front of the Library of Congress is distinctive with its figure of Neptune and other characters, | Mr. Moore pointed out. With its sev- eral spouting streams, statues and lv- ing fish in the 1 below, it has been a source of much interest to thousands of visitors. EMPLOYES URGED TOREIOINA.F.OFL. |Candidates in Local No. 2 Call for Reaffiliation by U. S. Workers. Reaffiliation of all Federal employes’ unions with the American Federation of Labor is urged in the platform of candidates for four offices in Local No. composed of employes scattered through the Government establish- ments in Washington, including the Department of Labor, Navy Depart- ment, Library of Congress and other Federal bureaus. The Federation of Federal Employes withdrew from the American Federa- tion of Labor last Summer as a result of disagreement over reclassification of Government workers in the skilled trades. Yesterday Willlam Green, president of the American Federation ad | of Labor, made public a letter inviting members of the Federation of Federal affiliation with the national body as a means of bridging concerted effort to bear :ianinst congressional pay-cut legisla- on. Statement Issued. The platform of the candidates for office in Local No. 2 is signed by John Arthur Shaw, William S. Douglass, Gale M. Feaster and Clarke J. McLane, nom- inees for offices, respectively, of presi- 1 | dent, vice president, secretary-treasurer and recorder of the local. In their platform these nominees state: “We pledge our further effort to use our influence to the end that Federal Employes’ Unlons, in Wash- ington and throughout the United States, shall take their rightful and long-accustomed place as affiliates to the American Federation of Labor, as we are sure that the best interests of all Federal employes will be served by so_doing. The nominees also urged the devel- | opment within the local of “a strong committee on legislation, composed of experts. and adequately prepared for any and all emergencies which may arise.” It was pointed out that Fed- eral employes “should be continually alert to the necessity of giving careful study to all legislation affecting their interests and should be so organized as to most effectively combat all legis- lation inimical to their interests.” Leading Role Urged. Dealing with the relationship of the Federal employe to civic affairs in the National Capital, the nominees, in an- nouncing their platform, stated* “We believe that Local No. 2, as the largest single organization of any kind in the District of Columbia, should take a leading role and participate ac- tively in all matters of importance to our citizens, such as better schools, better transportation facilities, the tak- ing of a firm stand against ‘profiteering’ in any form, co-operation, effectively, with all organizations and individuais engaged in enterprises designed to im- prove our status as human beings and fulfill our obligations as citizens.” The constitution of Local No. 2, dur- ing the month, has been changed to provide that terms of all local offi- cers shall run for two years instead of one year, as in the past. In announcing their acccptance of their nominations, Mr. Shaw and his! MASONRY TO BE TOPIC Robert §. Barrett, World Traveler, to Address St. John’s Lodge. Robert S. Barrett, world traveler, will deliver the principal address at the | meeting of St. John's Lodge, No. 11, Friday night, on the subject, “Masonry | at Home and Abrcad.” ) Mr. Barrett’s travels include 3 trips | around the world, 19 trips to Europe, 7 journeys to South America, 11 trips to Mexico and Central America, 16 trips across the American Continent, 7 trips to Canada, 5 trips to the West Indies and 1 trip to Iceland, Alaska and the North Cape. MRS. GANN ADVISED ON BOSTON SPEECH | Calls at White House and Confers | With President's Secretary About Address. Mrs. Dolly Gann, sister and official hostess of Vice President Curtis, who is to have a prominent role as a stump speaker in the coming national cam- paign, conferred at the White House | today regarding a political speech she is to make in behalf of President Hoo- ver at a meeting of the Professional and Business Women's Republican Club of Boston in Boston March 15. | This was Mrs. Gann's third visit to | the White House within the past 10 days regarding this forthcoming po- litical speech. She did not see Presi- | dent Hoover. As on the former occa- sions, she conferred only with Walter H. Newton, one of the President’s sec- retaries, who, during the last national campaign was chairman of the Speak- | ers’ Bureau for the Republican National | Committee. | ~ When asked about her future .speak- ing schedule, Mrs. Gann replied that her program was being arranged by the | National Committee. SEEKS TO CANCEL PAPERS Elizabeth’s Patient Declared Insane When Naturalized. | Charging that Francis Fitzpatrick, a | native of Ireland and a patient at St. | Elizabeth's Hospital, was insane when | granted naturalization papers in New | York in 1918, Assistant United States Attorney Rebekah S. Greathouse asked District Supreme Court yesterday to cancel his naturalization. She con- tended Fitzpatrick had not resided five years in the United States and was not St. tribunal when naturalized. ‘The naturalization of Apostolos D. Katrivanos, now residing at Issari, Greece, also was attacked. Katrivanos had been given his papers in this Dis- trict in 1923 and the claim was made that he lacked the intention to remain permanently in this country as shown by his sailing for Greece a few months later. He is still in his native country, | the court was informed. fellow candidates called attention to the fact that “Federal employes in Washington and the field are facing what is, perhaps, their most critical period since the National Federation of Federal Employes was organized, as many moves have been made, and are being made, to take from us the fruits of hard-won vietories.” Results of the elections in Local No. 2 are to be announced at a meeting of the hoard of re; tatives the eve- ning of PFriday, March 11. within the jurisdiction of the New York - SEVEN D. . BILLY - PASSED BY SENATE | Tydings Water Supply Meas- ure Among Those to Receive Approval. ‘The Tydings bill broadening the law authorizing water supply connections between Washington and nearby Mary- land communities is one of seven local measures that are on their way to the House for action, having passed the Senate yesterday afternoon. The other District measures approved by the Sen- ate without debate were: A joint resolution fixing Montgomery Blair Portal as the name of the Six- teenth street entrance to the National Capital, in memory of the late Mont- | gomery Blair, who was Postmaster Gen- | eral in Lincoln’s cabinet. Would Close Water Street. A bill to close a portion of upper Wa- ter street between Twenty-second and Twenty-third streets. A part of the same street was closed in 1922 to per- mit proper development of the grounds surrounding the National Academy of Sciences. In the square west of the Sciences Building the American Phar- | maceutical Association plans to erect a | national headquarters, and has agreed to put up its structure so as to be in line with the National Academy of Sci- | ences and other buildings in the vicin- ity. This plan necessitates extending somewhat into Water street. The phar- | maceutical association, in turn, will give the Government a strip of land on the | west side of its property to aid in the | widening of Twenty-third street as an | approach to the Lineoln Memorial. A bill to allow police and fire trial boards to subpoena witnesses in the name of the chief justice of the Dis- trict Supreme Court. Refusal of a wit- ness to respond would be reported to the court, which would act as in cases involving subpoenas of the court. Pipe Line Authorized. | A bill authorizing the Griffith-Con- | sumers’ Co. to lay a pipe line in the vicinity of Buzzards Point A bill amending the District code by | removing the limitation now placed on | the annual income of educational and benevolent societies incorporated here. a minor amendment in ting degree-conferring sale of water unities only ] could be connected and placed a limit on the amount that could be furnished daily. Since then the District's water supply has been increased. This bill permits connections to be made at ad- ditional points as agreed upon by the two jurisdictions. The rates for the water would be based on the cost of de- livering it plus 4 per cent interest and a reasonable charge for depreciation. - EDUCATORS TO SPEAK M. Leon Dostert of Georgetown Uni- versity and Prof. W. A. Beardsley of Goucher College, Baltimore, will speak Saturday at 10:30 before a meeting of the Washington Chapter, American As- sociation of Teachers of French in the club house of the American_ Association of University Women, 1634 I street. Myrtle Ballou will sing several French | songs. A French dialogue also has been | arranged. R0B PLUA HOTE OF GENS AN CASH, LOCK UPVICTINS Two Men Subdue Clerk and Bellboy at Gun Point During Hold-up. FORMER D. C. POLICEMAN HELD FOR QUESTIONING Merchants and Cab Drivers Rob- bed in Banditry Wave Netting $800. A wave of banditry last night and early today netted robbers more than $800 in cash and jewelry, most of which was obtained in a hold-up of the Plaza Hotel. A suspect who described himself as & fcrmer policeman was arrested in the latter robbery, which occurred about 12:30 o’'clock. Two white men strolled into the lobby and suddenly leveled guns at Frank W. Clark of 1444 Harvard street, night clerk in charge, whom they forced into a cloak room with a bell boy, F. T. Weeden. The men then took $150 from cash registers at the cigar counter and reg- istry desk and two rings and a wrist watch left at the desk for safe keeping by a )B'ue"xt, Mrs. James Kearns of Pater- son, N. J. Brush Past Policeman, On the way out through the lobby, with their two victims stil} locked in the closet, the hold-up men brushed past Policeman J. J. McCarthy of No. 9 precinct, who had dropped by to de- liver a message and did not know & hold-up was in progress. A moment later, however, Clark and Weeden freed themselves and ran into the lobby. They told McCarthy of the robbery, and the policeman quickly fol- lowed the men to the street and caught one of them a short distance from the entrance. The suspect. who said he was Henry Carroll Patrick Fegan, 34, of the 5600 block of Eighth strect, was held for investigation. Fegan said he was for- merly a policeman attached to No. 3 precinct, but resigned from the force several years ago. Both Clark and Weeden identified him as one of the bandits. Another Arrest Expected. Fegan, however, was unarmed when arrested and had none of the stolen property gn his person. Police expected to make another arrest later today. The stolen jewelry consisted of a platinum diamond ring, a wedding ring and a wrist watch. Louis Deckelbaum, who operates a delicatessen at 1315 Fifth street, was held up at pistol point early today by two white men who took $30 from the store cash register and then forced him upstairs. where they took $10 from his wife. Descriptions of the men were broadcast to all precincts. Another merchant, Sam Liberman, reported he was held up about 8 o'clock last night by two white men who pro- duced guns after walking into his store in the 1300 block of South Capitol street, on the pretense of making a purchase. The men took $20 from Liberman’s pockets and $4 in bills and a_small check from the cash register. They also helped themselves to two cartons of cigarettes. Robbed of Cab and Cash. A colored man was robbed of his taxicab and $3,75 early today by two colored “fares” ‘on M street near First street northeast. The hacker, Thomas Coleman of 413 L street, said he pickea up the men at Fifteenth and H strects northeast. Police ordered a lookout for the cab, believed to have been aban- doned in the vicinity. ‘The fact Mussolini H. Rodill's pockets were empty saved him from loss early today when a young white man, whom he had picked up in his taxicab, placed a gun at his head when the vehicle arrived at Thirty-seventh and T streets. Rodill, who lives in the 1300 block of Thirty-fifth street, said the bandit re- turned the gun to his pocket and walked away on learning his intended victim had no money. GARAGE EXPLOSION REMAINS UNSOLVED Coroner's Jury Fails to Determine Cause of Blast Killing Man Tuesday. A coroner’s jury today falled to de- termine the cause of the explosion which leveled the two-story brick walls of the Penn Auto Wreckers' Building, at 1300 Eleventh street southeast, early Tuesday, burying Frank Price, colored employe of the establishment, beneath tons of debris. The jury found that Price died of burns in the fire that followed the explasion. Firemen today continued their search of the demolished building, begun early yesterday and continued throughout the day, in an effort to discover the cause of the blast. Calvin G. Lauber, District fire mar- shal, testified that so far nothing had been uncovered to indicate the cause of the explosion. A gasoline storage tank was located outside the building and was undamaged, while a storage tank for compressed air also was intact. There was no testimony to substan- tiate previous reports that Price had entered the building with a woman companion shortly before the tragedy and no trace of another body has been found. Neither was there evidence to bear out an earlier theory that coal oil or gasoline poured upon a fire in a coal stove to revive the blaze had caused the explosion. The building was owned by Jacob Levin, who testified that Price fre- quently gone to the place after closing hours to complete unfinished deals for used automobiles or parts. WALSH TO GIVE TALK Senator on Curley Club Bicentef- nial Program Tonight. Senator David I. Walsh of Massachu- setts, an honorary member of the Curley Club, will be the guest cf honor and principal speaker at ceremonies of the club tonight in the Continental Hotel in commemoration of the George Wash- ington Bicentennial anniversary. Talks also will be made by John M. Gibbs of the United States Bicentennial Commission, Andrew Kickey, Rev. Pran- cis X. Cavanagh, chaplain of the club, and Roland J. Hyland, president. Entertainment will be .!'uPnlied by Mrs. (E}(;:t:e fhllzyud Hfi‘wnm. sololst; t iss Emilie Prof. Gene Stewart and Miss mflm“aflm