Evening Star Newspaper, December 5, 1934, Page 21

Washington News The Foen WASHINGTON, ® WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION D. €, ALLEN PREDTS MOVE TO CHANGE )., PARDLE LAW Commissioners Probably‘E Will Ask Congress to | Bolster System. BOARD WILL CONSIDER SUTTON CASE SATURDAY Publicity on Grants of Clemency Advocated as Safeguard Against Abuses. ‘The Commissioners probably will ask Congress to change the District parole law so as to strengthen and make more effective its operations, Commissioner George E. Allen said today. This was his tentative reac- tion to the flood of suggestions com- piled at the public hearing yesterday before the committee investigating the parole system. Dr. Emmett J. Scott, Howard Uni- versity official and a member of the Parole Board, also forecast a move | to revamp the parole system. Both i officials explained, however, they have | not yet arrived at any definite con- clusion and said the transcript of yesterday’s discussions by numerous } Ccivic and professional leaders first | would be studied by the committee | at a meeting Friday Meanwhile, the Parole Board was | studying the case of Albert S. Sutton, | alleged gambler released on parole. | who is facing charges of violating his| parole pledge. The board will con- | sider Saturday whether his parole | should be revoked and the man should | serve the remainder of his term Linked With Gambling. The board is said to have evidence | that Sutton has had connections with gambling operations since his release This information said to have been obtained by police in a raid on| an alleged gambling establishment in | the 1300 block of E street. Parole! Board officials said today they have| not yet reached a decision in the case. ! Reviewing opinions voiced at ves-} terday's hearing on the parale system. ! Commissioner Allen said important' questions raised included proposals for | increasing the minimum time a pris- oner must serve before becoming eligible for parole, the need for in- creasing the staff of parole officers, and the question of giving publicity to parole case matters. Allen indicated he is inclined to be- Meve it may be found advisable to| raise the minimum time requirements from one-fifth to one-third of the minimum sentence to make the Dis- trict law conform to the Federal sys- tem. He more definitely indicated he believes more publicity should be given to parole case questions. Sees Aid in Publicity. “Too much secrecy might be found to place too much power in the hands of a parole board if at some time we had Parole Board members not as honest and trustworthy as the present worthy members of our board.” Allen said. It appears that public officials come nearest to being right when their actions are openly performed.” | Agreeing that some information used by the Parole Board is of a con- | fidential nature, Allen said he believes | it would be in public interest to have | most of parole case data available for public inspection, if the public is in- terested. Allen said if a case is not sensa- tional, no one is interested, and if it is, it most likely would be in public interest to allow the information to be public. He has in mind pax'u(‘u-i larly publication of the list of sponsors | for prisoners with bad criminal rec- | ords, the names of their parole advisers | and advance notice that their cases are coming up for decision. Dr. Scott said he was chiefly im- pressed by suggestions of the need for increasing the minimum time require- | ment for parole. { The many pages of testimony given | by a dozen speakers called to yester day's parley will be given careful study by the board. | There was almost unanimous decla- ’ rations of faith in the parole system as ! a plan for benefiting both society and the reformed criminal, but numerous | insistent suggestions were offered for improving the District system. These | ranged from proposals that the Parole Board be abolished and its functions transferred to the Federal Parole Board to suggestions for increasing the staff of the District agency and in- creasing the minimum time a prisoner must serve before he becomes ehglble‘ for parole. | Capt. M. M. Barnard. veteran head | of the District penal system, the first | witness, submitted definite views on parole matters, but insisted that a much more vital question was the urgent need of separating hardened criminals and first offenders, now thrown together at the District Re- formatory at Lorton Conditions at Lorton have turned the institution into a “mad house” and made impossible its operation as & real reformatory plan, Capt. Barnard declared H Capt. Barnard renewed his plea that | & real effort be made to obtain funds | | for completion of the walled group of buildings at Lorton so that the hardened criminals may be separated from the first offenders. sisted that to relieve the present situ- ation the Department of Justice be | urged to place the hardened criminals | In Federal prisons. | Others who presented ideas included Banford Bates. superintendent of Fed- eral prisons; Leslie C. Garnett, United | States attorney: Leo A. Rover, former | United States attorney; Judge Fay | Bentley of the District Juvenile Court; Rev. John O'Grady of the Catholic Charities; James G. Yaden, president ' of the Federation of Citizens’ Associa- | tions, and Seth Richardson, a member | of the District Bar Association | Capt. Barnard advocated a transfer | of the granting of paroles to prisoners | here to the Federal Parole Board. At all events, he declared, the District | law should be amended to make it conform strictly with the Federal parole system. | Bates, supporting Barnard's con- | tentions, declared the terms of the present parole system are too lenient, It would be “safer” he said, to re- dwire that a prisoner serve one-third, He also in- | | Former law, Town Hall Moves to Shoreham, U. S. Chamber Bans Programs Huston Thompson Charges Objection toSpeakers Prom pted Action—Straivn Hits “Commercialization.” Sponsors of the Town Hall of Wash- ington today reached an agreement with the Shoreham Hotel, where here- after all their Sunday night meetings will be held. Immediately after the arrangement was made officials of the organization began mailing notices to ticket holders that there will be no change in the original program except that the meet- ings will be held at the Shoreham in- stead of the United States Chamber of Commerce. Personnel of the panel to quiz Dr. Harold G. Moulton, president of the Brookings Institution, the next speaker, prebably will be chosen tonight, it was announced Selection of the new assembly hall was made necessary when the trustees of the United States Chamber of Com- merce canceled the contract under which the Town Hall was to use its auditorium. Voiding of the contract was still a matter of controversy today, chamber officials asserting that the Town Hall's commercial nature is responsible, and trustees of the Town Hall alleging the real reason is the chamber’s objec- tion to some of the speakers scheduled | to appear there. Claims Speakers the Cause. Huston Thompson, president of the Town Hall's Board of Trustees, charged that Silas Strawn. a cham- ber trustee, had objected to the use of the building for the series of pr. grams because they included suc! speakers as Norman Thomas, Lewis Corey and Maurice Hindus. Thompson also quoted Strawn as saying the forum programs featured a “cross-section of crazy crackbrains.” In New York, Strawn issued a de- nial and charged commercialization was the real reason back of the can- cellation. “We found they were charging ad- mission,” he told the Associated Press aturally we could not permit the chamber building in Washington to enter into competition with Washing- ton halls engaged in the business of | selling seats for gatherings.” Strawn added that he had not considered “the | type of program.” ’ 1927 Rule Cited. A similar statement was made here | by John M. Redpath, executive man- | ager of the chamber, who said he got |in touch with Henry I. Harriman, ‘preaidfllt. and D. A. Skinner, secre- | tary, on the Pacific Coast before noti- fying Mrs. Richard V. Oulahan, di- rector, and Miss Grace Roper, assist- ant director, that no future meetings could be held there. He cited a rule | which he said had been in effect | since 1927. | Thompson sald Strawn at first had told him Skinner had exceeded his au- thority in granting permission for use of the auditorium. “When he was confronted,” Thomp- son continued, “with the fact that they had repeatedly sold tickets at the door of the chamber for educa- tional organizations, Mr. Strawn re- fused to change his position. “Upon being informed that the Town Hall was an organization not for profit and that its purposes were solely those for the encouragement and promotion of public opinion on the subjects of economics and politics, Mr. Strawn said that nevertheless the Town Hall could not hold any more meetings in the chamber auditorium. “Mr. Thompson then said,” accord- ing to the statement, “‘Is it not a fact that what you are objecting to is what you consider a too radical pro- gram?' to which Mr. Strawn replied, ‘We are not in favor at all of some of your speakers using our hall."* Redpath also said that Thomas had appeared in the hall before and Thompson added that Thomas had appeared on the platform there with Eugene Meyer, former Republican chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Regardless of the controversy, how- ever, it was made clear that the change of meeting places will not in- terfere with the original schedule of 20 Sunday night meetings. BEARD INDICTMENT 0 BE ASKED AGAIN Garnett to Re-Present Case to Grand Jury to Avoid Invalidation. Deciding to take no chances, United States Attorney Leslie C. Garnett an- nounced today he would re-present to the grand jury the case of Sam Beard and 13 asosciates accused of violating the gambling laws and seek to secure a new indictment against them. Beard and his associates were in- dicted several weeks ago, but he at- tacked the validity of this indictment on the ground one of the grand jurors had received a loan from the Home Owners' Loan Corp. and was, there- fore, not qualified to serve. This grand juror, Mrs. Elizabeth Downey, was excused from further service after the indictment had been attacked and a new juror sworn in te take her place. Then Justice Oscar R. Luhring decided the indictment was valid ifications of Mrs. Downey because & recent act of Congress provided the disqualification of one grand juror would not operate to invalidate an in- ditcment if at least 12 duly qualified members had voted for it. Uncertain whether the court decided Mrs. Downey's qualifications, Garnett determined to re-present the case “through an abundance of caution.” It was pointed out that if Mrs. Downey was not disqualified the act of swearing in a juror to replace her would have had the effect of creating a grand jury of 24 persons when the law provides for 23. This. it was con- tended. might result in nullifying all he work of the grand jury since the | seating of the new jurors. DR. ROBERT JOHNSTON EXPECTED TO RECOVER of St. John's Church Here Believed Improv- Rector ing in English Hospital. ‘Washington friends of Rev. Dr. Rob- ert Johnston, for many years rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Six- teenth and H streets, who was severely injured Saturday in an automobile accident in England. today received word through the State Department that he is expected to recover unless unforeseen complications develop. Dr. Johnston was injured about the head and suffered a minor concussion of the brain, it was explained in & cablegram received at the State De- partment from the American Embassy in London. Dr. Johnston's sister-in- Mss. Florence Crow of Canter- bury, England, was killed-in the same accident Dr. Johnston is in a nursing home at Windmill Banks, Sandlands Grove, Walton-on-Hill, Surrey, England, it was said in the cablegram. He was | rector of St. John's here from 1921 | until last year, when he resigned and went to England for his health. of his term before being eligible for parole. Judge Bentley declared the facilities of the parole board now are “decid- edly not adequate.” She said she would favor employment of medical and psychiatric examinations in need- ed cases to determine the fitness of a prisoner to return to society. Full publicity and open parole hearings would only serve to satisfy “idle curiosity” she said. Garnett declared the parole system does not serve as a deterrent to crime and advocated that the functions of the local board be transferred to the Federal Parole Board. Mr. Rover said he emphatically be- lieved in the parole system. He said determination that a prisoner was a hardened criminal should be judged more from his record of convictions than from the number of arrests, | In rendering this decision, however, fie did not pass directly upon the qual- | LIBERAL FISCAL POLICY FAVORED Senator Thomas Cites Cap- ital’s Importance in Con- gress Dealings. The fact that Washington is the Capital of the Nation and must be developed accordingly is important in determining the Federal Government's appropriation. policy toward the Dis- trict, in the opinion of Senator Thomas, Democrat, of Oklahoma. Senator Thomas, chairman of the District subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, emphasized this point today in discussing the problem of fiscal relations between the District and Federal Governments, which has been brought into the fore- ground by President Roosevelt's an- nouncement that he will have Govern- ment experts study District taxation in comparison with other cities. To Await Tax Study. The Oklahoma Senator will await the results of this tax study before considering how the coming session of Congress should deal with the fiscal relations issue. He reiterated his be- lief, however, that Congress should deal liberally with the Capital City. He also emphasized the fact that be- cause Washington is the Capital there are elements to be considered here which do not arise in other cities. “Washington.” the Senator declared, “is the leading capital of the world. It is the capital of the richest nation in the world and ought to be de- veloped appropriately. For that rea- son the Federal Government should not be stingy in its treatment of the District.” Comparison of Taxes. Senator Thomas also called atten- tion again, in connection with com- parative tax burdens, to the point he emphasized at the last session, namely, that assessments in Washing- ton are up close to 100 per cent of | true value, whereas other cities that | have higher tax rates than Washing- |ton use a low basis of assessment. Senator Thomas has advocated a return to | basis of apportioning the expenses of | the National Capital between the | Federal and District Governments, |and said today he does not know of | any better way of handling the prob- | Although not committing himself |in advance. he believes that if the President makes a recommendation on the question of fiscal relations it | would have a strong influence on the | decision of Congress. SOPHIE C. ANDERSON WILL IS PROBATED Bequests Made $202,633 Document Filed for Probate. | Numerous Disposing of an estate valued at $202,633, the will of Sophie C. Ander- son, who died October 14, was filed for probate today in District Supreme Court. ‘The will made numerous bequests to relatives and friends of the de- ceased, most of whom live out of the city. The Instructive Visiting Nurse Society was given $2,000; the Trav- elers’ Aid Society, $2,000; the Amer- ican Humane Association, Albany, N. Y. $1,000; the Women's League for Animals, $1,000, and the Home for Incurables, $2.000. The petition for probate was filed through the law firm of Hamilton & Hamilton. The Union Trust Co. was named executor of the estate. Committee to Mezt. CLARENDON, Va., December 5 (Special) —The Arlington County Democratic Executive Committee will meet at 8 o'clock tonight in the Rucker Building heze. 2 some definite percentage | in| post-graduate students. ! report submitted a week ago to the | National Capital Park and Planning TEAGHERS URGED 10 BACK PRESENT REGREATION PLAN Community Center Director Calls for Fight Against Change in Control. DR. JOY ELMER MORGAN ALSO OPPOSES MERGER Board of Education System of Operation Is Declared Most Economical. A rallying cry to teachers to fight any of the proposed recreation reor- ganization plans which would remove the Community Center Department from under the control of the Board of Education was sounded at a meeting last night of the District Education Association by Mrs. Elizabeth Peeples, Community Center director, and was echoed in the applause of the audi- ence, which almost filled the large Roosevelt High School auditorium. “Let me leave you a slogan,” she said. “It is this: ‘The public schools shall operate their own facilities both for education and recreation.’” Dr. Joy Elmer Morgan, editor of the National Education Assocla!lon'sl magazine. who presided. criticized the } Commission, recommending plans for consolidation of the city's recreational facilities. Asks Vigorous Fight. “It strikes me that the survey was made in New York and not in Wash- ington,” he declared. He urged the teachers to register vigorously their opinions on the plans in the report, drawn by L. H. Weir, and submitted tq the National Capital Commission. “There would be just as much rea- son for putting the high schools under | a separate Board of Education as there is for putting this great leisure | time program under a separate | board,” he asserted. Mrs. Peeples said the present ad- ministration of the Community Cen- ter Department by the Board of Edu- cation was the most economical plan. She pointed out that the Community Center work is an integral part of education and should come under the guidance ot educators. Probability of friction resulting from the use of | school buildings in the afternoons and | evenings being controlled by another agency, was suggested. Panel Discussion Held. The Education Association’s meet- ing took the form of a panel discu: sion, participated in by several lead- ing local and national educators. Among these was Dr. William J. Cooper, former United States commis- | sioner of education, who highly praised | the “Town Hall,” new public forum.! He said the “Town Hall” had great | possibilities as a vehicle of adult edu- cation. He traced the growth of adult edu- | cation and said it had been hoped | that it would develop to a point to | include latest strides of science. “But| not much has been done along this | line.” he added. In the past Washington has been the mother ot many so-called insti- tutions of higher learning, which, “if not actually fraudulent in character, were at least inferior,” declared Dr. George E. Zook, director of the Amer- ican Council on Education and also a former United States commissioner of education. Junior Colleges Praised. He said there is no real Federal direction of education and attributed inferior institutions to this deficiency. The problem is being met by an ac- credited system, he explained, and this system is now changing from a quantitative to a qualitative emphasis. The junior college movement re- ceived his warm commendation. “There is an almost unanimous feel- ing that the American high school begins something, but doesn’t finish it,” he declared. “The opinion is growing that education received in both public and private high schools should be supplemented by two years of junior college work.” Dr. Zook said the principal problem is colleges has become one of person- nel selection and guidance. In this way, he added, an attempted is being made to have as college students only | those persons best fitted for the in- struction offered. Factual Curricula Backed. Dr. Stephen E. Kramer, first assist- ant superintendent of the District schools, warned against scrapping practical factual curricula in high schools in favor of more general train- ing for higher education, emphasizing that the great class of students who will not go to college must be given adequate attention. Recognition of this need has result- ed in curricula being made more flex- ible and the addition of a great va- riety of vocational subjects, he said. Dr. Kramer told his audience that limited accommodations and teaching force have forced the local high schools to turn away many prospective | Miss Lind Discusses Trend. Miss Ida Mae Lind, director of ele- mentary instruction in the District schools, outlined five trends in ele- mentary education as follows: (1) Changes in curricula with great- er emphasis on activity, flexibility, op- portunity for self-expression and growth; (2) more scientific study of elementary education from all angles; (3) encouragement of a definite pro- gram for health—physical, mental and emotional; (4) development of charac- ter education programs, and (5) a co-operative move by all education agencies toward their common ob- jectives. Others who spoke included Dr. Har- old E. Warner, principal of the Hine Junior High School; Mrs. Abigail Veerhoff, chairman of the Education Committee of the District Federation ot Women’s Clubs, and Dr. Mitchell | Dreese, professor of psychology and education at George Washington Uni- versity. Dr. E. G. Higble, president, presided. The Roosevelt High School Orchestra, directed by Miss Louise Thompson, played before the meeting. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER Annual War on Starlings Gets Under Way Clifford Lanham ny Shar 5, 1934, ¥¥P starling routers, one of whom is already perched. District officials today were waiting for a still night to launch a gas- balloon attack upon the starlings on a wide front. The gas will be contained in scores of toy balloons, designed to frighten the birds aplenty. The first still night—tonight. tomorrow or mnext week—60 E. W. A. recruits will be posted between Pennsylvania avenue and H street, First and Fifteenth, one to each block They will have captive balloons on strings long enough to reach the highest ledges where starlings roost. This ground offensive will be re- | inforced from the sky. Starling fighters in the trees along Pennsylvania avenue will use tin can rattles instead of balloons. The star- ling in the tree, experts say, presents a bigger problem than the starling on the ledge. Last night 40 E. W. A. enrollees put in the time from 6 p.m. to mid- night in the sycamores along the Avenue from Seventh to Fifteenth streets. They made a din with their | Society and General superintendent of trees and parks, points out some strategic positions to some of the —Star Staff Photo. P | | | rattles and the starlings departed in swarms. No one seems to know just where the fugitives spent the night; certainly not in the Avenue trees. | Clifford Lanham, superintendent of District trees and parking, who is in charge of the starling offensive, di- rected the attack until well after mid- night | When he went home at 1 am. Mr. | Lanham said. not a starling roosted | in a downtown Avenue tree. “But on the building ledges on F street.” Mr. Lanham admitted, “they were battling for a toehold.” The offensive is a regular E. W. A project this year, with $6,000 or $7.000 set aside to finance the drive over a 10-week period | The tree sitter will return tonight, tomorrow night and for as long as necessary, Mr. Lanham said. The bal- loons will be brought into play when- ever weather permits. “Those balloons gave the starlings a start last year.” Mr. Lanham de- clared. “I hope they haven't gotten used to them by this time.” ). C.FODD PRICES DECLINESLIHTLY Drop Three-Tenths of One Per Cent—U. S. Trend Downward. Retail food prices in Washington kept pace with the country at large and declined three-tenths of 1 per cent in the two-week period ending No- vember 20, it was announced today | by Isador Lubin, commissioner of labor statistics. There was no great variation in| prices in any of the 51 cities repomngi to the bureau, the largest single change being a decrease of 1.5 per cent at Boston. The downward trend for the country at large has continued since early in September. The present index, based upon the 1913 average as 100, is 114.9, which is 1.6 per cent below September 11, the highest point of the year, Higher Than Year Ago. Current prices, however, are 7.6 per cent higher than a year ago and 15.7 per cent higher than November, 1932. Compared with 1926 present prices are 28.9 per cent lower. Washington prices, however, are 0.5 per cent higher than four weeks ago; 8.3 per cent above a year ago and 17.3 per cent higher than two years ago. Only one other city in the South At- lantic region showed a decrease in the past two weeks. That was Richmond, where the drop was one-tenth of 1 per cent. Of the 42 staple foods covered by the report, 19 fell in prices, 7 in- creased and 16 showed no change, Butter Higher. Higher prices were quoted for but- ter, cheese, onions, pure lard, eggs, oleomargarine and vegetable lard sub- stitutes. Lower prices were quoted for white bread, macaroni, rice, bananas, oranges, prunes, navy beans, chuck roast, plate beef, rib roast, round steak, sirloin steak, leg of lamb, sliced bacon, sliced ham, pork chops, red salmon, sugar and tea. Prices were unchanged for corn- flakes, cornmeal, wheat flour, rolled oats, wheat cereal, evaporated milk, fresh milk, raisins, pork and beans, cabbage, canned corn, canned peas, canned tomatoes, white potatoes, hens and coffee, » UPSHAW'S NEPHEW IS ROBBED OF §40 Colored Assailant Held for| Investigation, Following Capture, Identification. Lucius C. Upshaw, 309 New Jersey avenue southeast, nephew of former Representative Upshaw of Georgia, was held up and robbed of $40 last night while waiking home from the Library of Congress. Shortly after the robbery, police ar- rested Elmer E. Pitts, 20, colored, 1300 block of Ninth street, who was ap- | prehended near the House Office Building with a pistol and $40 in his possession. Pitts was held for in- vestigation after Upshaw identified him as the robber. The pocketbook of the ex-Representative's nephew was found nearby. Other Hold-up Series. In a series of other hold-ups and burglaries, three persons were beaten and more than $600 worth of jewelry and clothing stolen. Miss Nonnie Wallace. Fairfax Hotel, was struck on the head by a young colored man who made an attempt to steal her pockelbook while she was walking in the 2700 block of Adams Mill road. Ancther victim was Mrs. Louise G. Lieutaud, 60, of 1650 Har- vard street, who required medical treatment after she was slugged near her home by a colored youth who tried to snatch her pocketbook. Injured in Robbery. Frank King, 1200 New Hampshire avenue, was beaten and robbed of his wrist watch valued at $25 and $3 cash by two men wearing Army uni- forms in the 1900 block of R street, he told police. King said he was attacked wher he refused to give the men money. He was treated at Emer- gency Hospital for injuries to his face and head. A $150 bracelet set with diamonds was reported s‘olen from the home of Mrs. Mary Harrington, 1610 Alli- son street. Others robbed were John W. Gardner, jr., 3002 Rodman street, a diamond ring valued at $150; Philip Farrah, 1333 L street, a $65 wrist watch, and Mrs. Hereford F. Dugan, Indianapolis, Ind., who reported the theft of two coats valyed at $250 from her ioom at the ore PAGE B—1 DEATHS IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS NEAR ALLTIME RECORD Man Dies, Girl Badly Hurt. Number of Fatalities Is 119. DRIVER IS HELD AFTER AUTO STRIKES KRAMER High School Junior Walks Into Path of Street Car—Detec- tive Is Injured. One person was killed last night and another critically injured, while several others were in hospitals as a result of trafic accidents, which brought the total deaths this year to 119—within four of the all time record for traffic fatalities registered in 1932. Harrier Kramer, 70, of 2339 Eigh- teenth street, was struck by an auto- mobile at Seventeenth street and Massachusetts avenue and died a short time later in Emergency Hos- pital. John H. Earl 477!; Tennessee avenue northeast, who is charged with being the driver of the car which struck Kramer, is being held for ac- tion of the coroner, police said. Adrienne Haves, 16-year-old junior at Roosevelt High School, of 1429 Taylor street, was badly crushed under the wheels of a street car at Fourteenth and Upshur streets, within a block of her home, yesterday after- noon. At Emergency Hospital, where she was taken, her condition today was reported to be “still critical.” Walking With Friend. She had walked to the corner with a friend, Mary Jane Hankins of 5901 Fourth street, who was boarding the street car at the intersection. Think- ing that a heavily loaded street car operated by Weden McDaniel of 4016 Fourteenth street, would stop at the intersection, she walked into the path of the oncoming car. She 1s a daugh- ter of Louis E. Hayes. who is asso- ciated with the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Co. Detective Sergt. Thomas Nally, 85, 238 Thirteenth street northeast, was | injured when his automcbile collided 'Foes of Starlings Usurp Roosts PARK|NG BAN HEU] | To Scare Winged Pests Away Wwith a street car at First and D streets northeast, while he was en route to roll-call at headquarters last evening. The street car was operated by M. S. Sims, 28, of 1217 B street southeast. Nally’s condition this morning was re- ported “good” at Casualty Hospi NO INGONVENIENCE Only 350 Motorists to Be Greatly Handicapped, Survey Declares. Only 330 automobiles will be af- fected by the proposal to ban all-night parking on certain streets this Winter, according to a survey made public today by Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen. Officers of the Traffic Department and the Police Department, working independently, reported that out of & total of 7.500, only 350 motorists would be unable to find parking places within two blocks of the spaces now occupied, Hazen told newspaper men. In his opinion, car owners would be only mildly inconvenienced if park- ing is banned on approximately 58 | miles of Washington highways. Plans are being made for considera- tion of the proposal Friday morning by. the Commissioners in conference with a group of business and civic leaders, including editors of five Wash- ington newspapers and representatives of the Board of Trade, Merchants and Manufacturers' Association, the Fed- eration of Citizens’ Association and the Federation of Civic Associations. In the interest of preventing bad traffic tie-ups during periods when there is a heavy snowfall, the Traf- fic Advisory Council proposed that parking be banned between 2 am. and 3:30 am., from December 15 to March 1 on 32 highways over an aggregate length of about 58 miles. Police and traffic officials have told Hazen that of the total mileage which would be subject to the proposed parking ban motorists parking in 87.5 per cent of the length of high- way could find other parking space within one block of their present favorite spots and that 8.2 per cent of the remainder could find other places within a distance of two blocks. CAPT. CUTTS’ ESTATE VALUED AT $73,317 Will Leaves Bulk of Legacy in Trust for Wife and Two Children. The late Capt. Richard M. Cutts, U. 8. M. C., who died in San Diego, Calif., November 24, left an estate consisting of $73.317 in personal prop- erty and a small amount of real es- tate, it was disclosed today when his will was filed for probate in District Supreme Court. The will left the bulk of the estate in trust with the American Security & Trust Co.. which is to pay the in- come to Mrs. Cutts during her life- time. Upon her death, the entire estate will go in equal shares to two chil- dren, Mrs. Alice Cutts Wainwright and Richard M. Cutts, jr. The peti- tion for probate was filed through T. Stanley Holland of the trust com- pany. PAIR WED 60 YEARS Sixty years of married life were celebrated Monday night by Mr. and Mrs. J. Eliot Wright, with a family gathering at their home, 1354 Colum- bia road. Ten years beyond their golden wed- ding anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Wright received congratulations and good wishes not only from members of their immediate family, but from many friends. At the party were six of their children, six of their eight grand- children, and several “in-laws.” Mr. Wright is recording secretary and treasurer of the Association of Hotel, ' Oldest Inhabitan! where he was taken after the accident. Woman Knocked Down. Mrs. Dorothea Struck, 4315 River road, was injured last night when she was knocked down by an automobile at the intersection of Albermarle street | and Wisconsin avenue. At Georgetown Hospital she was admitted for treat- ment of a fractured leg and head in- juries. The car was operated by Jean George, 29, of 2119 H street, according to police records. Mrs. Meta R. Marks, 25, of 1703 Seventeenth street southeast, received {head injuries when her automobile, which she was driving, collided with a | street car in the 3300 block of Nichols { avenue southeast. The street car was {in charge of Motorman Frederick C | Priebe, 34, of Bethesda, Md. {‘TOOTHPICK’ BURGLAR ADMITS 50 CRIMES Colored University Student Be- lieved to Have Taken Prop- erty Worth $15,000. Lonnie Lewis Stillwell, 29, colored university student. last night admitted to police officials he had participated in robbing at least 50 homes during the past two years. He is charged with being the “tooth- pick burglar,” a sobriquet earned due to a practice of stuffiing toothpicks into the keyhole of a home being bur- glarized to prevent the returning householders from surprising him at the looting. The property taken from the homes, where the “toothpick burglar” is al- leged to have operated, is estimated at well over $15.000 in value. A large amount of stolen property was recov- ered from Stillwell's rooms Monday night, and more was added yesterday when two young colored girls, also university students, turned over to police articles which they said Still- well had either sold or given to them ‘When he was finger-printed yester- day, it was discovered Stillwell almost received an appointment to the local police force in 1929. He was turned down by Inspector Frank S. W. Burke, who was a lieutenant and liaison offi- cer at that time, due to “some trouble he had with his wife.” MERCURY TO APPROACH SEASON’S LOW TONIGHT Will Drop to 31, Bureau Says, Within Four Degrees of Rec- ord in November. With the mercury expected to drop to 31 degrees tonight, Washington was due its lowest temperature since the cold spell in November, according to the Weather Bureau. The temperature was down to 27 degrees here on November 15 and 16. but since then it has not been below the freezing point. The weather forecast calls for “fair and slightly colder” tonight. MEETING POSTPONED ‘The regular meeting of the Board of Education scheduled for this after- noon has been postponed a week in order to avoid holding the next ses- sion on the day after Christmas. In- stead, there will be but one meeting during December. Dr. Prank W. Bal- lou informed the board there was no pressing business impending and all matters could be handled without difficulty at the single meeting. At that time the board is expected to receive opinions from its legal members on the recent child labor rulings of Corporation Counsel E. Bar- rett Prettyman. €