Evening Star Newspaper, December 1, 1932, Page 3

“LAME DUCK” LAW CAUSES GONFUSION Committee Report, However, Discusses Many Aspects of Election Process. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Much confusion seems to have arisen as a result of the pending “lame duck” amendment as to what the situation would be if any President-elect or Vice President-elect were to die before in- auguration day. § The problem is somewhat different under the present than it | will be when the * amend- ment is ratified b ee-fourths of the States, which is expected to be in time | for the 1936 election. Me: hile the prov present Constitvtion wor apply. and | the various contingencies discussed « a special report of a committee of | the House of Representatives at the first session of the present Congress It says in part: “A constitutional amendment is not necessary to provide for the case of the death of a party nominee before the November election. Presidential electors, and not the Presi- dent, are chosen at the November elec- tion. The electors, under the present Constitution, would be free to choose & President notwithstanding the death of & party nominee.” Still Political Situation. If a party nomines dies after th2| ovember election, but before the tors meet in January, it still is un- carsary to provide for the vacan s('v the question “in such a case would be a political one,” according to fke House committee report. “for if the W iical party 1 scme manner did not Gesignate a person, the clectors repre- senting that political party would prob- ably so scatter their vote that the elec-{ tion would be thrown into the House.” | So neither under the present Consti- | tution nor under the proposed “lame duck” amendment is there any pro- vision made for what shall the pro- cedure in case of a vacancy before the electors meet. It is taken for granted that the clectors may vote for whom- ever they please, but that they would nrobebly be guided by the advice of the | National Committee of the triumphant | party in_selecting either a President or | & Vice President | Once the electors have met, however, | and have chosen a President and a | Vice President, thee is no provision to reconvene the clectoral college if cnh:r‘v of the two persons clected to the office | of President or Vice President shouldl die. It is believed, according to many constitutional writers, that the courts would decide that the Vice President- | elect would then become President, since he would have been cficially | chosen by the clectors to be Vice Presi- | dent. | Would Advance Vice President. To remove all uncertainty, the “lame duck” amendment ccntains the follow- ing provision: “If a President-elect dies, then the | Vice President-elect shall become Presi- | dent.” The committee comments at this point as follows: “It will be noted that the committee | uses the term ‘President-elect’ in its | generally accepted sense as meaning | that the person who has received the | majority of the electoral votes or the | person who has received the majority of the votes of the House of Represent- atives in the event that the election is thrown into the House. Another contingency which the “lame duck” amendment covers is the possible death of any of the three persons from whom the House of Representatives must choose a President whenever no | candidate has received a majority of | the votes of the electors, or in the case of any of the two persons from whom the Senate must choose a Vice Presi- dent whenever the right of choice de- volves upon it. The new amendment gives Congress the right to pfovide by law for the subetitution of names when an elec- tlon has been thrown into the House and no majority of electors has been obtained by any candidate. Old Congress Without Voice. Another important change which the “lame duck” amendment makes in the selection of a President and Vice President, in the event that no ma- jogty has been secured in the electoral eefi=ge, 1s that the retiring Congress no longer has & voice in the matter. The new Congress convenes on January | 3 and has until January 20 to select a | President. | ‘The late Speaker Longworth ob- | Jected that 17 days was not a long| enough interval in which to choose a President, especially after an_election | has been thrown into the House by | failure of any candidate to get a ma- Jjority. This hsa been overcome some- what by the provision in the new amendment which states that Congress may provide by law for an acting Pres- 4dent who shall serve until a President or a Vice msme?‘n{“i]g‘?“flfli jons of the| | e | Business sentiment in Argentina has | grown optimistic since the finance min- ister announced that the 1932 budget will be balanced and it will not be ne- | cescary to resort to a moratorium | ARTHUR 7 S Taaey EN SoNC mevug SPEC1AL NOTICES. DR LEHMAN, DENTIST, NEW OFFICE located 437 71 st across from Lansburgh’s. | Plates repaired, Si; new sets. S10._ | 1 WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY | dents contracted by any one other than my; | self . JAMES L. WOOD. 1416 13 st. 5. The oide: rches are Baptist Church E Hez Swem, Pastor. Sun. ¥ pm. Centen- al Baptist Church. 7th & Eve ne. 1S HERERY GIVEN THAT ON r December 1, 1932, the partnership of White & Ponder Sales Co., 1412 V.. will be conducted as the indi- ness of Mr. H. T. White, who e ‘interest of his partner, Mr, | H.T. WHITE._1° SUITABLE TOI; st and afte but FOR _ RENT. irs_for ren UNI ES STORAGE CO.. at_nw__Metropolitan 1844 ZAAT ITURBI WILL APPEAR AT TITUTION Hall. Decemb and will use u_beautiful dwin_ concert grand piano furnished by o.J oll & Co.. 12th and G sts. n.w. SE YOUR CHRISTMAS SAVINGS CHECK toward _a beautiful Howard baby ~grand fano: $395 fo.b. factory. Or @ new model ajestic Tadio, priced from $44.50. 0, 3 DE MOLL & Co t or sale 418 10th ON 1317 HONEY, 5-LB. CAN, PURE, DELIV- ered: for_folks Who can't eat sugar. Phone HONEY POT. West before 1 am WANTED_LOAD OF HOUSEHOLD FURNI- Tire to New. York City. Dec. ¥ or 3. ¢ Bec. 3 6r 4: to Richmond. MITH'S TRANSFER & STOR 3 You st. N.¥._ 5 EPARTMENT, Oftce of Tae CUOtIONe (of rihe Currenc Washingion: D C. e 18 ?’e;‘l:hx;lbar"n lal all persons who 3 O T 2 eatnes ~The Deparimental K. Washington, D. C.. thet the same A TR A t E‘:—'}:‘mtum«hnuuuzb may L{ ) P. §. AWALT. . H | merce and Justice employes had been | Presidents—Wilson, 1,276; Harding, 79, ‘WALLACE AND MORGENTH. rumor also has in the Roose’ calling cn the Governor at hi: he is enjoying a short vacation after hi MKELLAR CHARGE CIVIL SERVIGE PLOT Attacks Blanketing of Em- ployes as Revival of Spoils System. Charges that the civil service is ing used for partisan political purpose and that this condition has existed “for a number of years past,” were made to- day by Senator McKellar of Tennessee. | |Tanking Democrat on the Senate Civil Service Committee. The statement was issued through the Democratic National Committee. ator McKellar took exception to a state- ment by Senator Bingham, Republican, of Connecticut, who had assailed the proposal of Representative McClintic of Oklahoma, chairman of the Democratic Patronage Committee, to force com- | | petitive examinations on Government workers who had been blanketed into civil service, after getting their posts without meeting the requirements of the merit system. | Senator McKellar said “I do not care to reflect upon the present Civil Service Commission; ting Republicans in and in keeping them in the civil service.” Charges Inequalities. At the outset, Senator McKellar as- serted “the Civil Service of the Gov- ernment is now composed, taking all the employes in Washington and elsewhere, of perhaps more than three-fourths Republicans and perhaps less than one- fourth Democrats. .This unequal divi- sion is not due to accident, but it is due to carefully laid out and administered plans, which are and have been wholly subversive of what, in my judgement, is an_honest Civil Service.” Senator McKellar tten took up a list of 2,717 workers brought under Civil Service by President Hoover since July 1, 1930, paying particular attention to groups from soldiers’ homes, in the De- partment of Justice, and in the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce of { the Department of Commerce. The change in status of the Com- asgailed in September by Senator Har- rison, Democrat, of Mississippi, as & move toward job protection, and had drawn a defense from Thomas E, Camp- bell, president of the Civil Service Com- | mission, who also explained the bring- ing into Civil Service the soldiers’ home | employes, 1,635 in number. Sees “Striking Example.” | McKellar described the soldiers’ home | cases as “a striking example of the Re- publican spoils system.” Saying these were “political employes,” Who had re- ceived positions “without any kind of examination as to their fitness,” he add- | ed that “manifestly, their being blan-| keted into the Civil Service is unjust | and unfair to those who have stood | competitive examinations, paid their re- | tirement dues and worked all their| lives in the service.” Detailing the list of employes blan- keted in by President Hoover, Senator McKellar said none “had ever paid any retirement dues. None of them had ever stood an examination, and the only possible answer to their being found | now in the Civil Service is a political one.” Concerning 193 lawyers in the Veter- ans’ Administration brought under Civil | Service, Senator McKellar said, “The very fact that he is & lawyer and is blanketed in, shows that he is afraid of the examination.” Describing the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce as “Mr. Hoover's pet,” the Senator said “many of the po- sitions call for a high degree of profes- sional and technical skill” and that there is no record to show that the in- cumbents “possess the ability to carry out the duties that have been assigned to them.” Compares Presidents. Comparing the number of workers blanketed in by the three preceding and Coolidge, 1.744—Senator McKellar said that “Mr. Hoover has blanketed in nearly as many in three and a half years as previous Presidents all together had blanketed in 16 years.” “In times such as the present.” Mc- Kellar concluded, “not only justice to the workers in the Government service, who have qualified for their places in the regular way and have been for years paying dues, but the efficlency which the Government must exercise in all of its branches demand that an outgoing administration be prevented from tak- ing care of its friends through evasion of the Civil Service law. “If these people who are being blanketed in by Mr. Hoover can stand the competitive examination, all well and good: but to put them in by a political machine is contrary to every principle of real civil service. President Campbell had made a de- tailed reply to Mr. Harrison's charges. He said the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce personnel had been placed by President Coolidge, under schedule B of the civil service rules, which provide for non-competitive ex- amination for entrance. The depart- ment, in September, 1931, desired to make additional appointments on this basis, but the Civil Service Commission demurred, and reported to President Hoover that it was felt that the ap- pointments should be by competition. Secretary Lamont and the | service—147 employes, excluding di rector and assistant director— | blanketed in, Blanketing Explained. In the Justice riment the a matter that Sen- | but, either knowingly or | inadvertently, it has lent itself to get- | be i THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY ’ DE( EMBER 1, 1932 Cabinet Possibilities AU VISIT PRESIDENT-ELECT. ENRY A. WALLACE, Towa farm publisher, who is mentioned for Secre- | tary of Agriculture in the cabinet of President-elect Roosevelt, < Henry Morgenthau, jr., conservation commissioner of New York, whom | examined Balsiger about Mann's b and velt cabinet, talking things cver before s cottage in Warm Springs, Ga.. where strenuous campaign.—Wide World Photo. Woodcock Appears ure of Job After Dry Funds Parley By the Associated Press. Director Woodcock, after tell- ing the House Appropriations Committee how much money the Prohibition Enforcement Bureau would need next year, had a broad smile on his face. “How did it go?” Woodcock was asked. “Oh,” he replied, “it was de- lightful. T like to come. Maybe they'll give me a job after the third of March.” But Woodcock did not explain whether his future unemployment should be attributed to political fortunes only, or to a possible end of prohibition enforcement. | or confidential.” This was interpreted variously, and, Campbell said, had al- ways been regarded as “objectionable” by the commission. The commission and the Attcrney General decided what restrictions should be made, and an | executive order was issued in con- formity with this. Of the 231 workers blanketed in, the largest number was said to be stenographers. Messengers | and clerks also will be included in the ‘fifl.‘cellanenus groups making up the | list. Campbell described this as “good busi- | | ness administration” in furtherance of | the merit system, and had the same to say about shifts in soldiers’ home per- | sonnel, which came about as the direct result of legislation consolidating vet- eran activities. At the commission, it was explained how the 193 Veteran Administration lawyers were brought under civil serv- ice.” As a general rule, it was explained. all attorneys are exempted from civil service. However, about five years ago. Veterans' Bureau attorneys were placed on a non-competitive examination basis, because of the number of ap- plicants, and when this plan did not work out as well as expected, the jobs were placed under cigil service. As for the retirement feature, it was said all employes covered into civil service can only become eligible for retirement benefits by making a retro- active payment of the amount that would have been paid in during serv- ice. this going back as far as August 1, 1920. STANCH DRY PLANS T0 VOTE FOR REPEAL| Senator E. D. Smith Will Abide by the Democratic Platform. By the Associated Press. LYNCHBURG, §. C., December 1— | Senator E. D. Smith, Democrat, of | South Carolina, long a stanch advo- | cate of prohibition, said yesterday he | was prepared to vote next Monday, or as soon thereafter as possible, for re- peal of the eighteenth amendment, in accordance with the Democratic na- tional platform. Senator Smith, ranking minority member of the Agriculture and Inter- state Commerce and Manufacturing Committees, also said he would vote for immediate modification of the Volstead act, “but within the meaning of the wording of the eighteenth amendment.” The courts will be called upon, he said he believed, to decide what is an intoxicating beverage. Prohibition is- sues should be disposed of as speedily as possible, the veteran Senator added, “in order to clear the decks for the quickest possible legislation looking to economic relief of farmers and of mil- lions of unemployed, and to avoid fur- ther bankruptcy by merchants and other business concerns.” - Senator Smith said he would intro- duce measures designed to forestail fore- closures of mortgages by insurance companies, land banks and other land agencies, some of whom received loans from the Reconstruction Finance Cor- poration. During his recent campaign for re- election Senator Smith announced that | although politically dry himself, he| would abide by his party’s platform on | prohibition. HIT BOTH WAYS Fan Falls on Women Paying Taxes in District Building. Two women, paying their taxes in the office of Collector of Taxes Chatham M. Towers, were slightly injured yes- terday when an electric fan fell from a ledge above their heads. The fan first struck Mrs. Emory Marlow, 52, of the 1700 block Riggs street, & glancing blow on the head and then struck Miss Elmerdeen E. Baily, 28, of the 1300 block Park road, on_the left ankle. Both women were treated in the first ald room at the District Building and went home. ' LEVIATHAN blanketing was explained as correcting under discus: sion since 1924. rules ds | president of the Kansas City Chamber | known repu-i N LOTTERY TRAL Conrad H. Mann and Three, Others Accused of Violat- ing Statutes. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, December 1.—The Gov- ernment rested its case against Conrad I. Mann shortly after noon today. Mann, a Kansas City business lead- er, is on trial with Frank E. Hering, Fraternal Order of Eagles Magazine editor, and Bernard C. McGuire and Raymond Walsh, professional promot- ers, on charges of sending lottery tick- ets across State lines. The Government's case was consid- erably shortened when defense attor- neys agreed this morning to accept the Government's voluminous technical evi- dence without objection. Order Not Accused. The Government contends the luttery was held in connection with dances and frolics of Eagles, but emphasized that the fraternal order was not in- volved in the charges. Eugene J. Balsiger, Eagles auditor, was on the witness stand for cross- examination as the trial was resumed this morning. Joseph R. Kelly, one of five attorneys | representing Mann and Hering, cross- | ness and civic activities at the time that a contract between Mann and McGuire was signed in December, 1930, | this contract being to promote what the | | Government charged was well objected and a legal skirmish with Sieuer re-| sulted. Steuer asserted the jury had a right to know whether Mann was a | | substantial business man or a “fiy by | night. “I object to the jury getting that from Mr. Steuer,” snapped Treadwell, who is some 30 years younger than the veteran criminal attorney. “The legal} question has been adequately stated. “I stated no facts,” retorted Steuer, “and I think the criticism was unwa ranted.” Question Allowed. “None was meant,” assured the court, “let us get on. I will allow the question.” | Balsiger then stated that Mann was of Commerce, president of the Associated Industries of Missouri, Missouri chair- man of the President’s Unemployment Committee and head of several business enterprises. He described Hering as president of the Board of Notre Dame University and a member of the Board of Hering House at South Bend, Ind. Taken over for cross-examination by Steuer, the witness said he had never heard any one mention “lottery” in connection with the Eagles’ “charity frolic and dance” enterprise, Steuer asked Balsiger why the cir- cular which went out with the books of tickets for the enterprise advised Eagles members not to use the mail in making their returns. He said M Guire thought the members would be more likely to buy tickets for them- selves if they had personal contact with the Aerie secretaries. PROBE UNINTENTIONAL TRIP OF MARILYN MILLER Actress Reported to Be on Bremen After Saying Too Long a Farewell. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, December 1.—The North German Lloyd Line announced today it was investigating a report that Ma- rilyn Miller, stage and screen star, was on-an unintentional trip to Europe, having overstayed her time in bidding farewell to friends on the liner Bremen early yesterday morning. Line officials said they had determined that a Mr. and Mrs. Don Alvarado and five others had been carried to sea on the Bremen because they failed to heed the “all ashore that's going ashore” calls. They had no confirmation of the report about Miss Miller, they said, but had sent wireless messages to the ship. The Hotel Sherry Netherlands, where Miss Miller has her apartment, said no one had answered her phone the last two days. oA TRIAL SEEMS UNLIKELY IN DIRIGIBLE SABOTAGE Reindictment Doubted Even if Ohio Criminal Syndicalism Law Is Upheid. By the Associated Press COLUMBL Ohio, December 1.— Paul Kassay, indicted for violation of the Ohio criminal syndicalism law for alleged sabotage during the construc- tion of the United States Navy dirigible Akron, may never be prosecuted again even though the Ohio Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the law under which he was indicted. Assistant Prosecutor J. R. Hargraves of Summit County (Akron), here Tues- day to argue the right of the prosecution to appeal direct to the Supreme Court from a lower court ruling which freed Kassay on grounds the law was uncon- stitutional, said he did not believe he would be brought to trial. Hargraves said if the court upheld the constitutionality of the direct ap- peal and the syndicalism law, it would necessitate reindictment of Kassay. ‘This would not be done, so far as he was concerned, the assistant prosecutor said. XMAS CHEER ing the holidays by having your dental work done now. A dentist of tation, experi- ence and abil- ity will attend to yolr dental needs and you can arrange the most lib- eral credit; terms. |My own attention to every patient. Dr.Vaughn, Dentist 932-934 F St. NW. Metropolitan Theater Etrovolitan 9576 Over M 16 THE THING 7O DO . . » land, England, France snd Germany U. 5. RESTS CASE | | House or exe 20 T0 LOSE J0BS AT WHITE HOUSE 16 on Hoover Staff, Besides| | 4 Secretaries, Will De- part March 4. BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG. In addition to President Hoover's three secretaries — Lawrence Ritchie, Walter Newton and Theodore Joslin— | and French Strother, his literary assist- | ant, there will be at least 16 other departures from the White House and | Executive Office staff when the admin- | { March 4.| | istration changes hands on With the exception of the chief naval | and military aides, the White House d his assistant and the butler, d personal maid, th2 three latter having been brought to the White House from private life by Mr. and Mrs. Hoover, all the other jobs are styled as “White House political plums” and will, of course, be filled with Demo- crats by Gov. Roosevelt unless, in his aim for governmental retrenchment, he decides to abolish some of the places. | Of course, the choicest of these | White House plums are the three sec- | retaryships to the President, which carry an annual salary of $10,000, minus the current economy cuts, and | the post of literary assistant, which also pays $10,000. | | Other Positions to Be Open. Others whose positions at the White itive office will be open on March 4, are: Miss Ann Shanke; personal stencgrapher to Presider Toover, who scrved in that capacity ighout Mr. Hoover's term as Secre- tary of Commerce and before that as food adminisirator: Miss Myra Me- Grath, private sccretary to Secret Richey, and who assists Miss Shanke: as stenographer to the President: Miss | Dorothy Eastman, Secretary Joslin stenographer, and who, during rush periods, helps out with Mr. Hoover's dictation; Mrs. Marie Hunter and Miss Florence McGraw, secretary and stenog- | rapher, respectively, to Secretary New- | ton, and Miss Roberta Barrows, secre- tary to Mr. Strother. 1t is thought likely that all of these | women employes will be transferred o other Government activities. _The | Misses' Shankey, McGrath and East- man were on the Department of Com- merce pay roll before coming to the ex- | ecutive office with Mr. Hoover. The other three have never been attached to | the White House pay roll. They were, | like a number of other stenographers and clerks at the executive office, merely “loaned” and continued on the | pay roll of some one of the Government departments. | The three secretaries of Mrs. Hoover who will retire with the change of ad: ministration are Miss Mildred Hall, Mr. Frederitk Butler and Miss Doris Goss The latter is the only o of Mrs. Hoover's so-called secretariat who is on the White House pay roll, the two others being privately compensated. | Aides May Remain, | The chief military and naval aides, | respectively. are Licut. Col. Campbell | B. Hodges and Capt. Walter N. Verron. Inasmuch as these places are not looked upon as political patronage, there is 2 | likelihood that cach may be continued at the White House until the expiraticn of his assignment. Col. Hodges joined the White House stafl shortly after President Hoover took office, while Capt. Vernon has been chief naval aide less than a year. Because of the personal nature of the position of White House physician, it is naturally assumed that Capt. Joel T. Boone, U. S. N., will return to active duty in the Navy Medical Corps to make way for some one of the new President’s personal choice. It has been only re- cently that the position of White House physician was created by law, the stipu- lation regarding compensation being that the pay shall be equivalent to 2 colonel in the Army or a captain in the Navy. Chief Pharmacist George Fox, in charge of the White House dispensary, very likely will depart with Capt. Boone. Capt. Boone has been personal phy- sician to President Hoover throughout | his administration and scrved in that capacity while Mr. Hoover, as Presi- dent-elect, made his “good-will” jour- ney to Central and South America. Be- fore that, Dr. Boone was chief medical officer of thc President’s yacht, May- flower, for eight years, which necessarily made him a familiar figure about the White House during the administre- tions of Presidents Harding and Cool- idge. He was with President Harding on the latter's ill-fated Alaskan jour- ney and was one of the attending phy- sicians when President Harding died in San Francisco in 1923. Under his super- vision. the complete dispensary was in- stalled in the White House shortly after President Hoover came into office. ‘There are a number of familiar faces about the White House and executive office that will not be missing after March 4. In this group of veterans who have mastered intricecies and technique of executive and social re- sponsibilities of the President and First | Entrances and Outside Doors The entrance strikes the note of home and is al- ways worthy of special consider- ation. We o a wide selection, suitatle for va- rious types of architectural ex- pression. T alliher 6 Bro. LUMUIBER and MILLWORK 30th & K N.W. WEst 2370 ——— — =—— SRERNRNESER The Living C N Wor coaio i Wust aat it "on the table T A ) i i 1 i i x o ¥ SOXED READY TO MaIL ¥ 1 1212 F St. N.W. 3103 14th St. N.W. | when he was Assistant Secretary of the | with the press and politicians alike le:lge of the work. RNERRER "ANW;;M IMPORTED LILY OF THE VALLEY SPROUTS Slated for White House Posts CLOSE FRIENDS EXPECTED TO HEAD ROOSEVELT STAFF. the Associated Press. ‘ARM SPRINGS, Ga., Decem- ber 1.—The report has spread in Warm Springs that in giv- ing thought to the make-up of his secretarial staff at ‘Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt is considering taking with him three men who in varied capacities have been in {riendly association with him for many years, They are Louis McHenry Howe, Mar- vin H. McIntyre and Stcphen T. Early, Howe has been associated wi.h th President-elect since he was a member of the New York Legislature and Howe was Albany correspondent for a New York newspaper. McIntyre and Early have been close friends since the days Navy in the Wilson administration. McIntyre served as a contact man during the campaign. Howe was an advisor and director of several phases of the campaign in the New York of- fice. Early, formerly on the Washing- ton staff of the Associated Press, has been connected with a news reel com- pany for several yi g The discussion would put Howe in the post held by Walter Newton as politi- cal contact man, Early in the position filled by Theodore M. Joslin as press | contact man, and McIntyre in the office | of Larry Richey, who is personal sec- ! retary to the President. | ‘The reports also would put Prof. | Raymond Moley, who has been an| cconomic advisor to the President-elect during the campaign, in the post of Upper left: Col. Louls McHenry Howe. Upper right: Stephen T. Early. Below: Marvin H. McIntyre. French Strothers, who serves as literary secretary for President Hoover. There are other Teports that Mr. Roosevelt contemplates aboiishing the gmt of personal physician to the Presi- ent. TLady are men who are known to many thousands of prominont persons not only in this country, but in Europe. They remain cn at the White House regardless of political changes because of their experience and their knowl- Group to Remain. In this grcup are Rudolph Forster and Maurice C. Latta, the executive clerks; Irwin H. Hoover, chief usher at the White House, who has 43 years’ | service to his credit, and who seved in the capacity of major domo at the | White House functions; Clarence Hess, chief record clerk; Nelson Webster, dis- bursing officer; Patrick McKenna, chief executive office usher; Clarence Ingling, chiel of the file rooms, and E. W. Smithers, chief of communications at the White House. Since Mr. Hoover became President the clerical staff at the executive office has been increased to almost twice the size of the staff that served under President Coolidge. These extra clerks have been “loaned” by other depart- ments. In the event the new President reduces the number, it will mean he will return to their respective depart- ments those not considered necessary Lom the functioning of the executive office. It is not thought likely that there | will be any changes in the other posi- tions on the regular White House and executive office pay rolls, which include clerks, stenographers, bookkeepers, elec- tricians, engineers, carpenters, garden- ers, doormen, house servants, chauf- feurs, laborers, telephone and telegraph operators and cooks. Councilman Expires. HAGERSTOWN, Md. December 1 (Special).—J. Chalmers Reed, a member of the City Gouncll, died here last night, aged 73. He was serving his first term. eady Sfor ccupancy * Light, Airy Offices % Convenient Suites % Low Rentals % Secretarial Service % Adjacent To Capitol % Plenty of Parking Space OIL BUILDING Constitution Ave. 2nd to 3rd Streets, N. W. Call National 9032 hristmas Gift! PRISONER BARES PLOT Youth Captured in Quadruple Auto Theft Held in California. WILLOWS, Calif, December 1 (#).— ! Robert Pender, 19, who lost a wild race with officers through the Sacramento Valley November 18 in four motor cars police sald were stolen, told authorities here yesterday he had served a term for petty larceny in the New Hamp- shire State Reformatory and was under a suspended 2-year sentence there for car_theft. Officers sald he refused to tell the reason for his ride in a relay of stolen vehicles through the valley. They re- ported the youth had consented to plead guilty tomorrow to two robbery charges and will be given a 10-year minimum sentence to San Quentin Prison. e PLAN REDISTRICTING Special Dispatch to The Star. STAUNTON, Va.,, December 1.—Re- districting Augusta County in the mat- ter of its voting precincts was discussed by the Board of Supervisors here yes- terday, the clerk of the board being in- structed to make a survey and prepare a report for possible action in the Spring. Augusta now has 37 voting precincts and it is believed that the number might be reduced possibly to 20, with a comw siderable saving, while entailing no great inconvenience to voters. UESTION OF FARM BOARD TROUBLING Abolition Favored by Some, While Others Hold Op- posite View. | | | i | u By the Associated Press. Thrust prominently into congressional discussiong ~f farm relief action in the short sesston 1. the troublesome ques- tion of what. if anything, to do about the Farm Board. Leaders working on farm-aid plans are meeting strong sentiment for its abolition, supported by arguments thas a majority of the Nation's farmers fa- vor such action But many hold the opposite view and contend the board should continue to functicn, particularly in the field of co-operative marketing. Continued au- thority to stabilize prices is generally | opposed | “Democratic spokesmen also seem de= | termined that administration of any new farm legislation shall not go to the board, preferring to give the new power to the Secretary of Agriculture, under direction of the President, orf, if abso- éuttily necessary, & new independent ody. Meanwhile, the form of farm relief to be sponsored by House Democrats continued under discussion. Represent- ative Rainey, the Democratic leader, sald farm leaders will confer in his office December 12. “The basis of the discusison will be the domestic allotment plan as con- tained in my bill last session,” Rainey sald. “That was an emergency one- year proposition. It probably will be amended to extend longer than one year, but not to be made permanent.” e COLPOYS TO APPEAR AT DRY LAW HEARING Five-Day Session of House Commit- tee Will Start on Wednesday. John B. Colpoys of the Washington Central Labor Union and chairman of the Democratic Central Committee here, will be among Witnesses appearing at the Volstead law modification hear- ings of the House Ways and Means Committee next week, Chairman Collier announced today. The session will be opened Wednes= d% Lt‘lln;s congude;i :eithhln five days. seeking to eard befos commmriiuee Di;u:lude: gk lon. Vries of Washington, rep- resenting the Grape Growers’ League ?7{ California; Miss I. Scott of Washington of the W. C. T, U., M. A. Gants of New York, Nathan B. Williams of Washing- ton, Matthew Woll, vice president of the American Federation of Labor; rep- resentatives of the American Hotel As- sociation, Eugene A. McLaughlin of Pittsburgh, Pa.; John Largay of G. H. Largay Brewing Co., Waterbury, Conn.; George P. McCabe, Associate Producers of Cereal Beverages, Washington: Dr, Henderson of Yale University and Levi gg;k. United States Brewers' Associa- snke 4 SO S8 Ll Two Freighters Aground. QUEBEC, Quebec, December 1 (#). —Two freighters, the Wanstead and the Bombay, were aground early today a few miles below nere, shipping offi- clals were advised, The liner Duchess * ¢ Richmond is anahored nearby. Owsers of Considerable property here have commissioned me to procure for them an apartment house. LISTINGS FROM OWNERS INVITED L. W. GROOMES® 1719 Eye St. THE GIFT STORE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE The LOGICAL place Elgin’s Newest Baguette $39.75 A very new lady’s wrist watch, by EL- GIN . . . the smallest made in_the United States. Spectal at.. xew stanparp . L0 purchase GIFTS .+ . a store which spe- cializes in Gifts the year ’round. Bring your list to A. Kahn Inc. and see how quickly gift prob- lems vanish. Ladies’ Gruen Wrist Watch 2] N3 4 DAYS - 2 THE EVERCHANGING, FASCINATING CHRISTMAS GIFT OR_GREETNG' CVERY MEMBER OF THEZ FAMILY WILL ENJOY IT 00 APPROPRIATE GREETING CARD INCLOSED 5616 Conn. Ave. 1124 Conn. Ave. 14-kt. solid gold, l5-{a'el movement, ~metal :° ttached. Sold for 7.50 last year. Special.. JEWELERS .Kahn 35 STATIONERS An unusual ring of SOLID PLATINUM set with & 38/100 PERFECT DIA- MOND. 12 fine cut smaller diamonds create a distinctive design. PLA’ Jnc. Arthur J. Sundlun, President 40 Years at 935 F St.