Evening Star Newspaper, December 22, 1934, Page 14

A—14 o URGED TO INSURE MORE CONVICTIONS Lesser Penalty Held Ad- vantage in Dealing With Drivers. SEVERAL ARE INJURED, BUT CRASHES DECLINE Establishment of Night Court to Speed Hearings for Offend- ers Advocated. Van Buzer to Fly Over City Seeking Street Safety Key Traffic Director Van Duzer will fly over Washington in the blimp Enterprise next week and attempt to find the key to the solution of the puzzling traffic problem. WJSV will take its short-wave transmitter along and broadcast Van Duzer'’s observations. Van Duzer will make several trips in the blimp. The first is tentatively scheduled Wednesday, if weather conditions permit. The experiment was first tried in London, where it was found that by watching traffic from the air the true cause of traffic jams could be seen. A new law was being drafted today for dealing with motorists involved in traffic deaths, while police continued to bear down on speeders and other offenders in the drive to reduce the number of accidents. Several persons were injured during the past 24 hours, but none seriously, as a rapid decline in accidents was noted. Manwhile, a new high record for eollateral deposited at the Traffic Bu- reau for a 24-hour period was estab- lished, $2,149 being taken in, it was reported by Sergt. Walter H. Thomas. ‘Traffic policemen arrested 79 speeders from 8 a.m. yesterday to 9 a.m. today. Twenty-four of these were taken in by members of the motor cycle “flying squadron,” operating on Bladensburg road and New York avenue northeast. Eight others were arTested for making improper turns, five for failing to give hand signals when making turns and two for driving in wrong traffic lanes. Alfred Smith, 50, of 2919 Mills ave- nue rortheast, received head cuts to- day when, police say, he walked into the side of an automobile at Ninth and G streets and was knocked into the path of a street car. Although knocked under the street car, the latter was stopped before hurting him | further, police said. Others Injured. Others injured were William J. Har- desty, 5, of the 1300 block of K street southeast, bruised when struck by an automobile near his home; Oscar Eisen, 21, of 628 Lamont street, who Teceived leg injuries when the auto- mobile he was driving collided with a street car at Third and E streets southeast, and Elmer Bethel, 21, col- ored, 1200 block of Sixth street, in- Jjured when he fell from the rear of a truck at Wisconsin avenue and Emory place. Corporation Counsel E. Barrett Prettyman is drafting the bill for dealing with motorists involved in traffic deaths. Carrying a proposal of a maximum of two years in prison, a fine of $1,000 or both, if motorists should be found guilty of speeding or reckless driving at the time the accidents occurred, the bill thus would deal less severely with offenders than they would be dealt with if convicted under present law. The proposal, previously considered, was discussed yesterday in the offices of District Attorney Leslie C. Garnett by the district attorney, Mr. Pretty- man, Robert V. Fleming, John Q. Til- son and Wallace Robinson of the Board of Trade and Assistant Traffic Director M. O. Eldridge. Favored by Trade Board. ‘The Board of Trade, it is pointed out, favored such legislation in the past. would be to secure more convictions and do away with the present system under which, it is pointed out, mem- bers of coroners’ juries frequently are reluctant to hold a man for man- slaughter in traffic deaths. Mr. Eld- ridge today said that the proposed law is similar to one in Michigan. ‘There, he said, convictions are made in 27 per cent of the cases of motorists involved in traffic deaths. In Wash- ington, he said, convictions, under the present system, are secured in only 3 per cent of the cases. ‘The proposed bill, when drafted, is to be submitted for approval by citi- zens’ associations and other organiza- tions before being submitted to Con- gress. Superintendent of Police Ernest W. Brown said today he discussed, in- formally, with Judge John .P. Mc- Mahon of Police Court yesterday, a proposal to establish a night court to bring traffic offenders to speedy trial. Maj. Brown said no decision was reached but that the jurist expressed 8 desire to co-operate with the au- thorities in any way possible to aid the traffic situation here. Maj. Brown said he expects to dis- cuss the proposal further with Judge Gus A. Schuldt, presiding judge of Police Court, S —— M’CARL DENIES EXTRA PAY TO NAVY OFFICERS Rules That Cuttlefish While Un- dergoing Tests Is Not “Sub- marine of the Navy.” Reaffirming a previous decision, Controller General McCarl today ruled that four naval officers ordered to the submarine Cuttlefish are not en- titled to the 25 per cent extra pay for undersea service, because a craft under construction at a private ship- yargd is not “a submarine of the Navy"” prior to its eptance by the Gov- ernment, even though it undergoes submerging tests at sea, ‘The four who lost out by the ruling are Lieut. Comdr. Charles W. Styer, Lieut. Adrian M. Hurst, Lieut. Thomas A Parfitt and Ensign Charles C. Kirk- patrick Although Controller General Mc- Carl tumed them down on March 12, relary Bwanson considered the A1 a0 important that the problem . apain submitied 1o the Oeneral Accounting Ofes last month. The controlier general reviewed the case, but adhered 1o his original decision, The proposed new measure | FOR YULE FETE OF NATION MONDAY Roosevelt to Light Bulbs at 5:10 P.M. in La- fayette Square. CAROLERS TO CHEER HOSPITAL PATIENTS President Drafts Message for America—Kin Gather at ‘White House. Decoration of the National Com- munity Christmas tree in Lafayette Square was begun this morning in preparation for ceremonles at 5 p.m. Monday. President Roosevelt, lighting 250 red and green bulbs on the tree, will at the same time signal the Na- tion the official opening of the Christ- mas celebration. It was definitely announced late yesterday at the White House that the President will not reconsider the executive order issued last week grant- ing a half holiday to Federal em- ployes on Christmas eve and New Year eve. It was said the President did not consider it wise to close all the governmental establishments for three and one-half days and that any attempt to differentiate between employes who could be spared for the full time would not prove satisfactory. The Lafayette Square tree was planted this year for the celebration, as the one used in recent years south of the Treasury Department has been cut down. Impressive Ceremony. This year's community tree is ex- pected to be the most impressive since the national tree ceremony was estab- lished. In addition to the bulbs, there also will be more than 250 tree orna- ments, chiefly red, green and silver balls. Lighting of the tree is in charge of John S. Bartlett and four members of the Electric Institute of Washington— N. H. Barnes, E. C. Graham, Frank T. Shull and L. T. Souder—working in co-operation with Harold Snyder of the Community Center Department. The ceremonies around the tree will be broadcast throughout the Nation by the Columbia and National Broad- casting Co. networks. Amplifiers will bring the ceremonies to Washing- tonians attending. The American Automobile Association is in charge of sending out 15,000 invitations to the ceremonies, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. A half-hour of music by the United States Marine Band and the singing of Christmas carols will be fol- lowed by the arrival of the President and his party. At 5:10 the tree is to be lighted. The President was in the midst of a busy week end program today as preparations were being made for the second Yuletide of the Roosevelt fam- ily in the Executive Mansion. Part of his week end task is the prepara- tion of the Christmas eve message he will deliver to the Nation at the Lafayette Park ceremonies. Family Gathers. The President’s mother, Mrs. James D. Roosevelt, arrived yesterday from Hyde Park and all of the family will be present except one son, Elliott, who will spend the holiday with his wife's family at Dallas, Tex. The Central Union Mission will give its twentieth annual Christmas party for children Monday at 9 am. in the Fox Theater. Mrs. Franklin D. Roose- velt will attend, as she did last Christ- mas, and will give out the first bags to the children. Approximately 1,600 bags filled with comforts and toys will be distributed by Santa Claus. Christmas celebrations at institu- tions of the District under the Board of Public Welfare will be in full swing beginning this afternoon while ar- rangements are under way for spe- cial menus for next Tuesday. Carolers to Sing. Christmas carols will be sung this afternoon at Gallinger Hospital, groups of singers passing from ward to ward. Gifts will be distributed late this afternoon to patients. Nurses will sing carols also on Monday and an entertainment will be presented Monday evening by the Washington Federation of Musical Clubs. Gifts and songs also will be pre- sented at the hospital Christmas day by singers of the Washington Federa- tion of Churches. The outdoor Christmas tree at the ‘Tuberculosis Hospital, Fourteenth and Upshur streets, will be lighted at 5:45 o'clock tomorrow. Dr. John T. Ready, exalted ruler of the Elks’ Club of ‘Washington, and Elwood Street, di- rector of welfare, will be guests. A concert will be given by the Elks’ Club boys’ Band. Festivities at this institution have been in progress all week. Gifts to Be Distributed, ‘There will be a distribution of gifts Monday, coming from the Episcopal City Missions, Junior Red Cross, the Powell School and private groups. Carols will be sung by groups from the Federation of Music Clubs and the Mount Pleasant Congregational Church, While turkey is the order for the day at numerous other District insti- tutions, it will be roast fresh ham for prisoners at the District Re- formatory at Lorton and the work house at Occoquan, Va. Smoking to- bacco will add something different to the day. Prisoners at the District Jail will hear singing of carols on Christmas eve in the rotunda and in the wom- en's ward. A group from the First Congregational Church will provide the music. On Christmas morning members of the Federation of Churches will sing carols. Patients at the Children’s Tubercu- losis Hospital at Glenn Dale, Md.. will be given a party Tuesday, brightened by a tree and gifts from their par- ents, which will be augmented by 75 dolls and other toys made by pris- oners at the District Reformatory and Workhouse. The National Fark Alumni Association will give a toy to each child. Half Day at Libraries. Holiday events also are planned for the Training School for Girls, the District Training School and the In- dustrial Home School and other Dis- trict institutions. All branches of the Public Library, including the central building at Eighth and K streets, will close at 1 p.m. on December 24 and on Decem- ber 31, Dr. George F. Bowerman, librarian, announced today. The branches and main library will be closed on Christmas day and New Year day, but will return to regular hours after the holidays. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY DECEMBER 22, 1934, NEW TRAFFICLAW |TREE DECORATED | Annual Community Tree Gets Yule Lights in Lafayette Square o The community Christmas tree, now becoming familiar to Washing- tonians, was being decked with its annual trappings of lights and tinsel today in Lafayette Square, immediately opposite the White House. The location is a new one this year, but the trees always have been near the ‘White House, with the President switching on the lights each year. The girls with the packages are the Misses June McKenna (left), Nancy Childs and Marcia Bartlett. man of the committee in charge of the tree. The latter is the daughter of J. S. Bartlett, chair- The girls are holding parcels of electric lights and other bright decorations to be draped on evergreen branches, awaiting President Roosevelt’s touch on an electric button to set them aglow. POSTAL ENPLOYE ABREAST OF RUSH No Accumulation Has Piled Up Despite Increase Over Last Year. Postal employes and 1,000 Christmas helpers were abreast of their job today, despite a holiday mail volume “far in excess of last year.” The increase in due part to the in- flux of “New Dealers,” whose home folks are receiving great numbers of Christmas parcels and cards of greet- ing. Yet no accumulation has piled up at local post offices, to delay de- liveries in various parts of the country. Stations Open Later. As a special accommodation, many postal stations will remain oper. until 8 o'clock tonight. Only two offices will be open tomorrow, the main City Post Office, North Capitol street and Mass- achusetts avenue, and the station in the Post Office Building, Twelfth street and the Avenue. All windows, including those at the main office, will be closed Christmas day, but there will be a holiday col- lection of mail and deliveries of par- cels, first-class and special delivery mail all day Christmas. ‘The force to handle this Christmas day job will be recruited from volun- teers anxious to get in the time even though it falls on the holiday. No one will be ordered to Christmas mail duty, it was announced. Both main offices will be open 24 hours a day, with the exception of Christmas. On Monday there will be no special hours at the postal stations throughout the city. Helpers From Unemployed. ‘The extra helpers were recruited almost wholly from the unemployed with dependents in need of their wages, The stations which will be open un- til 8 o'clock tonight include the fol- lowing: Anacostia, Arcade Station in Chevy Chase, Brightwood, Brookland, Columbia road at Eighteenth street, Connecticut avenue near N street, Friendship on Wisconsin avenue, Georgetown, near Thirty-first and M streets; Mid-City at Fourteenth street and Rhode Island avenue, Northeast at Eighth street and Maryland aye- nue northeast, Park Road at Four- teenth street, Petworth, Eighth street and Pennsylvania avenue southeast, Southwest, Takoma Park, Temple Heights, U street near Fourteenth street, West End at Eighteenth and Pennsylvania avenue, and Wood- ridge. TWO BANDITS ROB GROCER OF $600 Three Other Persons Report Losses of Smaller Sums in Hold-ups. Benjamin Krasnick, grocer, was robbed last night of $300 in cash and another $300 in checks by two armed bandits as he started to go into his home at 3318 Warder street. The rob- bers escaped in an automobile kept waiting nearby by a third man. Three other persons were robbed of small sums in hold-ups. Krasnick was returning from his store in the 5000 block of Connecticut avenue with the day’s receipts when he was held up. Ernest Thomas, 1728 Seaton street, U street grocery employe, was held up and robbed of liquor and change for $20 by two colored men when he had gone to deliver the liquor to an ad- dress that proved fictitious. ‘William Vance Shubert, automobile mechanic of Maryland Park, Md., was robbed of $27.50 by four men, three of them colored, after the white man had asked him to look at the en- gine of an automobile at New Jersey avenue and H street. Shubert told police he was attacked by the men as he raised up the hood of the machine. The other victim, Norman W. Jones, 1365 Euclid street, hacker, was robbed of $7 by two colored “fares” who asked to be driven to an alley. LIQUOR TO SELL ON YULE Licensed establishments may _sell liquor on Christmas and New Year under the same regulations as apply to any week day, officials of the Al- coholic Beverage Control Board said ‘The Library of Congress will be | toda closed all day Christmas, but will be open on New Year day from 2 until 10 pm, according % an announce- ment made today, S o Sy serve liquor un! am. Al stores may sell bottied goods untll midnight, —Star Staff Photo. 6,000 Christmas Gifts and Cards Flood W hite House 20,000 Expected to Be Received Before End of Holiday Season., Christmas gifts and cards for Presi- dent Roosevelt today continued to pour into the White House. More than 6,000 greetings and packages already have arrived and 20,000 are predicted before New Year day if the flood continues. The gifts, although not yet cata- logued, include a buck deer, shot by Henry Bridges of the Woodmont Rod and Gun Club, near Berkeley Springs, W. Va.; nine turkeys and a varied as- sortment of pheasants, quail, ducks and chickens; crates of grapefruit and oranges, pictures, pillows, blan- kets, quilts, pipes and fountain pens. A 150-pound fruit cake was brought to the White House by Representative Stubbs of California. It was announced at the White House that the President and Mrs. Roosevelt and others in the family will attend Christmas services Tues- day morning at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. Tomorrow night at 9 o’clock Christ- mas carols will be sung by a large | group of local Girl Scouts in the East room of the White House. Afterwards, the young singers will be received by the President and Mrs. Roosevelt. Carols also will be sung at the White House about 9 o'clock Christmas eve by the male chorus of the Interstate Commerce Commission, under direc- tion of Commissioner Clyde Aitchison. e NAVY NURSE CORPS HEAD IS APPOINTED Miss Myn M. Hoffman Will Sue- ceed Miss Bowman as Su- perintendent. Miss Myn M. Hoffman today was named by Secretary Swanson to be- come superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps on January 1. She will succeed Miss J. Beatrice Bowman, who has headed the corps for a dozen years. Since March, Miss Hoffman has served in the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery as assistant superinten- dent of the corps. She is a graduate of the School of Nursing, connected with St. Joseph’s Hospital at Denver and held an executive position in a hospital in the Middle West prior to entering the Navy in 1917, During the World War she served at the Naval Hospital at Norfolk. RECONCILIATION FAILS; ESTRANGED WIFE DIES Mrs. Isaac B. Goad Succumbs After Being Found in Hus- band’s Auto. Found unconscious in the automo- bile of her estranged husband, with whom she had been seeking a recon- ciliation, Mrs. Isaac B. Goad, 38, of 81 Seaton place, died early today at Garfield Hospital. Police said she showed signs of having: swallowed poison, and her wrist had been silghtly cut with a safety razor blade found in the car. Police were told that Mrs. Goad went to her husband’s home, at 416 Luray place, to seek a reconciliation. Unsuccessful, she left. The car in which she was found was parked in front of the house. Dr. A. Magruder MacDonald ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. ‘The couple had been separated for some time. 200 FLEE BUILDING AS FIRE PERILS TANKS 0ld Chemistry Structure Slightly Damaged—Employes Routed by Ammonia Blast Fears. Fear that several ammonia tanks might explode routed about 200 Gov- ernment employes from the old Chem- istry Building of the Agriculture De- partment today when fire broke out in the sub-basemen The blaze, which originated in the insulation of 3 room where experi- mental ma are kept, was extin- guished by firemen. Little damage done. was 3 Employes of the building, located at 216 Thirteenth street southwest, re- turned to their offices after being out- side about & half hour, Girl, 15, Provides Annual Yule Party Following e Yuletide custom begun when she was only 8, Norine Buswell, 15-year-old daughter of George A. Buswell, head of the tax frauds sec- tion of the Internal Revenue Bureau, today is holding her annual Christ- mas party for needy children of the downtown district. . Norine, with the aid of a number of grown-ups imbued by her en- thusiasm, will distribute gifts this afternoon to 71 boys and girls from 3 to 7 years old at festivities in the Child Hygiene Clinic, 306 Louisiana avenue. ‘The party was to begin at 2:30 pm. and continue until the guests | themselves are ready to cry quits. There will be a gayly Christmas tree and other decorations. Norine started holding Christmas parties for underprivileged children CELLER WILL SEEK RUM LAW CHANGE New York Representative Work- ing on Measure to Remove “8illy” Clauses. By the Assoclated Press. Representative Celler, Democrat, of New York, believes the Nation's liquor laws need a thorough revamping and intends to offer the new Congress an- other opportunity to do the job. Celler said today he was working on a blanket measure to remove “silly” and “archaic” laws from the statute books. Some of these, he said, were holdovers from the dry era and others are s0 old they have been forgotten, ‘The Brooklyn House member said existing laws prevented the legal sale of liquor in Territories such as Alaska, Hawail, Puerto Rico and the Panama Canal Zone, and that part of his plan was to bring about the repeal of such measures. Celler said he also would call upon Congress to provide a definition for “intoxicating” beverage under the Webb-Kenyon act and to decide the future status of that measure and the Reed “bone-dry” amendment, fore- runners of national prohibition. He introduced bills for changes last session. Protection for dry States also will be part of his “blanket” plan, he said. REV. T. J. ANDERSON, S.M., OF CATHOLIC U. DIES Father Was Member of Marist Seminary After Serving in New Orleans. Rev. Thomas J. Anderson, S. M., a member of the Marist Seminary at Catholic University, died today in Baltimore after an operation last night He had been ill for four days Born in Philadelphia on July 10, 1894, Father Anderson was professed in the Marist Order in September, 1919, and ordained at Catholic Uni- versity in June, 1921 He was for a time an instructor in Jefferson Col- lege and assistant pastor of Holy Name of Mary Church in New Orleans. He had been in Washing- ton for the last three years. Puneral arrangements have not been completed. MEMBERSHiP FAVORED D. C. Home Building Association Approved by Home Loan Bank. The Home Building Association of the District nas been approved for membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, it was announced today by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. The membership will be operative through the Home Loan Bank of Winston-Salem, which serves this territory. The function of the Home Loan banks is that of a reservoir for pri- vately operated home loan - institu- tions, the banks furnishing them new funds secured by mortgages already held by the institutions. The latter are thus enabled to carry out further refinancing with the new funds. INTRUDER FRIGHTENED Mrs. Belle Carver’s Screams Cause Bandit to Flee. Mrs. Belle Carver, who lives in a physical culture school at 1726 New Hampshire avenue, reported to police today that she had been awakened shortly after midnight by & man try- ing to jerk a ring from her finger as he stood with one knee on her bed. She screamed and frightened the man away, the report said. Third precinct police said the man apparently entered the three-story building through an open window, Man, 82, Joins Alimony Club. NEW YORK, December 22 (®.— these trimmed | for Needy Tots | when she was 8 years old, her father said today. “She got the notion in Sunday school that she should do something for less fortunate children and she saved her pennies and nickels to buy gifts for them. The first party was | a small affair, held in the children's | home of the Gospel Mission. “Since then, the party has grown to such proportions that Norine has had to enlist assistance of neighbors | and other friends. They have helped her collect funds and toys.” Norine has been making plans fer the present party since last October, her father said. She has sacrificed picture shows, candy and other lux- uries in order to add her bit to the fund for presents Miss Fanny Briscoe of the Gospel | Mission will assist Norine as hostess | this afternoon. Norine lives at 5322 Fifth street. Bankhead, Failing To Go on Stage, Glories in Tallulah Alabama Representative Snatched From Foot- lights to Practice Law. By the Associated Press. Here's one for the psychologists—is Tallulah Bankhead the actress she is because her dad’'s ambition to go on the stage was thwarted? Her father is Representative Wil- liam B. Bankhead of Alabama. He says: “Just after I had finished law school in Alabamga, I went to Boston. I had taken small parts in amateur theatri- cals and got a lot of fun out of them, and out of reading Shakespeare, and that sort of thing. So I thought I'd see if I could get a part. “One morning I talked with a man who was organizing a road show. He said he wanted a man with a Southern accent and promised me the part. He told me to come back next morning. “But—that afternoon I got a let- ter from my mother. She told me I had better come back home and prac- tice law. He did, and later married and had two daughters, Tallulah and Eugenia. Needless to say, when young Tallu- lah showed signs of wanting to go on the stage, her dad had no objec- tions. Now he rejoices in her fame. TOWNSEND PENSION PLAN HIT BY GREEN Labor Chief Says $200-Per-Month 0ld-Age Benefits Would Cost Too Much. By the Associated Press. William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, yester- day called the Townsend old-age pen- sion plan “economically impossible.” “A $200-a-month pension to the 8,000,000 or 10,000,000 persons now over 60 would cost between $20,000, 000,000 and $24,000,000,000 a ye: Green said in a statement. “The entire income of all the peo- ple of this country last year was less than $40,000,000,000. The Townsend plan would cost more than half of our national income. * * * “The legislative program of the American Federation of Labor calls for solid old-age pension legislation, nlo.t the illusory quest of the Townsend plan.” The adminstration has taken no public stand on the Townsend pro- posal, but apparently authemtic re- p;m are that it is unfriendly to the plan. _— BIDS ADVERTISED FOR NEW POST OFFICE Hyattsville Building Must Be Completed Within 250 Days From Start of Work. Special Dispatch to The Star. HYATTSVILLE, Md.,, December 22. —The United States Treasury Depart- ment has published an advertisement for bids on the new post office build- ing here. The proposals are to be opened January 23, and it is stipu- lated that the building, to be located on Spencer street near the Washing- ton-Baltimore Boulevard, must be completed 250 days from the date of notice to contractor to proceed. The plans for the building provide for a Colonial design. The structure | | Blind Salesmen Receive Enlarged PermitsFrom U.S. Cammerer Rules They May Sell Cigars, Chew- ing Gum and Candy. ‘Two blind men, whose business ven- tures were threatened by the Gov- ernment closing down on several of their stocks, will have a merry Christ- mas after all. For Ao B. Cam- merer, director of the National Park Service, yesterday gave William H. Boyer of the State Department Build- ing and William U. Phillips of the General Accounting Office Building, enlarged permits, thus saving their Originally the two men were au- thorized to sell only newspapers. Mr. Cammerer, answering a request from Ralph H. Campbell, executive secre- tary of the Columbia Polytechnic In- stitute for the Blind, Inc., directed, however, that their permits be in- creased “to include the sale only of approved magazines, cigars, cigarettes, chewing gum and candy, well wrapped.” ‘The park chief warned that “if at any time it is found that the fore- going articles are not sold under the conditions mentioned, or should their sale become a nuisance within the building. this portion of the permit will have to be revoked.” Permits were originally granted March 10 last. ‘This means the two blind men will not be permitted to sell sandwiches, which they recently included in their fare. Government employes, their patrons, said they believed the Wel- fare and Recreational Association of Public Buildings and Grounds, Inc., had objected to this as being in com- petition with their food sales in the Government cafeterias. SLASH IN LIGHT RATES PROMISED Public Utilities Commission Says Scale Justifies Paring in 1935. ‘The Public Utilities Commission to- day issued a formal statement prom- ising a reduction in electric rates in 1935. The statement confirms articles previously printed in The Star pre- dicting the decrease. ‘The statement contains nothing to show how much of a decrease can be expected. This is a subject on which the commission staff is now working, but the figures cannot be complete until the December returns are in. The statement said: “Rates for electric current in the District have been reduced each year for nine consecutive years by order of this commission, and while it is conceivable that there may be a point beyond which no further reduc- tion is possible that point has not been reached. “There will be some reduction in rates for 1935. However, neither we nor any one else will be able to state with any assurance the extent of such reduction until the results of the operations for the present calendar year are known. These facts will not be available until about the middle of January. “Since last August we have had a corps of engineers and accountants vestigating the rate base and other facts of record of the Potomac Elec- tric Power Co., preparatory to the annual hearing usually held in Janu- ary or Februi While it is true that the prevailing rates for electric current in Washington are far be- low the national average. that fact has no beering on the determina- tion of local rates.” —_— FIVE ARE ARRAIGNED ON LARCENY CHARGES Three Women and One Man Plead Not Guilty—Theft of Socks 4 Admitted. ‘Three women and two men were arraigned in police court today on charges of petty larceny in connection with alleged thefts from downtown de- partment stores. The three women, Clara Carlon and Gertrude Krause, both of whom gave addresses in Virginia, and Margaret Arnall of New York, pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial, which was granted by Judge Ralph Given. Walter F. Watson, 56, of Sterling, Va,, also pleaded not guilty, but was fined $25 by Judge Ralph Given. Boyd T. Johnson, 19, who gave no ad- dress, pleaded guilty to stealing a pair of socks. He was turned over to pro- bation authorities for investigation.- FEDERAL BRIDGE LEAGUE WINNERS ANNOUNCED Howell and Mitchell Movements Used in Duplicate Game Play Here. Winners in the December duplicate game of the Federal Bridge League were announced by Mazie Buie, sec- retary-treasurer, today as follows: Section 1—Mr. and Mrs. C. Gibson, first; S. L. Mosby and W. R. Stevens, second. Section 2—Edward Brooke and Lewis Watson, first; Miss Ehringer and Mr. Richards, second. Section 3—North-South, Karl W. Greene and Leon Weaver, first; Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Lowell, second. East-West, Miss Re- becca Macbeth and Russell Davis, first; Miss Dorothy McCann and Miss Thelma B. Williams, second. The first two sections used the Howell movement; the third played the Mitchell movement. Play took place last Thursday at 2400 Sixteenth street. —_— FRANKLIN PARK HOTEL CASES NOLLE PROSSED Vagrancy Charges Against Four Dismissed—Three Women Freed Earlier. Unable to make a charge of vagrancy stand against them because all had money when arrested, Police Court officials yesterday nolle prossed cases against four of the eleven persons ar- rested over the last week end at the Pranklin Park Hotel, 1332 I street. ‘Those arrested. all STREET WIDENING AND ROCK GREEK SEWERSDISCUSSED Park and Planning Board Considers Traffic Sur- vey Findings. STUDY OF POLLUTION IN PARK IS PUSHED Navy Service Interests’ Opposition to Gravelly Point Airport Site Are Heard. The National Capital Park and Planning Commission turned its at- tention today to a traffic survey re- cently conducted here, the proposed | widening of G street, between Seventh and Ninth streets, and the pollution of Rock Creek. Previously it had referred to a subcommittee the ques- tion of the objection of service in- terests to development of Gravelly Point as an airport. Charles Herrick, city planner, ar- ranged to present a preliminary report as the result of a traffic census con- ducted here to determine the origin and destination of cars. He hopes to offer a detailed report in January. Officials have been tabulating the in- formation for many months and they hope to evolve facts upon which the commission and the District Gov- ernment may base future highway development here The recent Public Works Admin- istration allocation to study the pol= lution of Rock Creek will be dis- cussed. The commission is anxious to see adequate sewers constructed to care for this and to ban further con- tamination of the stream which flows through one of Washington's most popular parks. F Street Work. The commission feels the widening of G street, just north of the old Patent Office Building, is not nearly as complex as the problem of widen- ing F street. In the case of G street, the building proper is not involved. But the Public Works Administration has recently made funds available for clearing away the south steps of the old Patent Office Building. Widening of both F and G streets is considered advisable to improve traffic conditions. While holding to its original posi- tion of favoring Gravelly Point as Washington's air terminal, the Com- mission decided to appoint its chair- man, Frederic A. Delano, and Col. Den I Sultan, Engineer Commis~ sioner of the District, as a special sub- committee. This group will confer with the War, Navy and Commerce Departments, the President and oth- ers concerned. Rear Admiral Ernest J. King, chief of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, has objected to the use of Gravelly Point as an airport, fear ing commercial air traffic will inter- fere with the efficiency of the naval planes at the Naval Air Station at Anacostia, just across the Potomac River. Chairman McSwain of the House Military Affairs Committee also has objected to the Gravelly Point program. Proposed Levee Studied. Further study of the proposed levee between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, as a feature of the Washington flood control pro- gram, was ordered by the commission. Maj. Robert W. Crawford, district en- gineer for the War Department for the Washington area, and his chief engineer, E. A. Schmitt, together with | the commission’s own staff, will ex- amine the problem more closely. Trees that fringe the reflecting pool of the Lincoln Memorial would be imperiled in the scheme, some of the planners felt, and additional studies were di- rected, to work the levee, which would be nine feet in height, into the Mall park development. Plans were sug- gested for using the unemployed in the construction of the levee. The commission put over until its January meeting decision on the rec- reation report, submitted by L. H. Weir of the National Recreation As- sociation, designed to unify the Dis- trict’s recreational system. This was done, officials explained, to give local interests an opportunity to express their preferences on one of the four plans presented by Mr. Weir. Plans for the Pan-American Union’s Administration Building, to be erected shortly at Eighteenth street and Con- stitution avenue, were given commis- sion approval. These were drawn by Dr. Paul Cret, noted Philadelphia architect. C. E. KERN FUNERAL TO BE HELD TODAY Burial in Fort Lincoln Cemetery Planned for Political Writer and Lawyer. Funeral services for Charles E. Kern, 72, well known journalist and lawyer, were to be held at the 8. H. Hines Co. chapel today at 2:30 pm.,, followed by burial in Fort Lincoln Cemetery. Mr. Kern, who died Thursday at his home, 2632 Woodley place, was a political writer for The Evening Star for many years. A native of Washington, Mr. Kern began his journalistic career on the old National Republican. He was with the Washington Post for two years, and, after 12 years with The Star, wrote news of Capitol Hill for the Associated Press for five years. In his youth he had gone on two expeditions to Nicaragua to study the proposed Nicaragua Canal, and later explored Puget Sound with Rear Admiral Maban, a work which lead to the establishment of the navy yard at Bremerton, Wash. He was a member of many civic and patriotic societies. Besides his widow, Mr. Kern is survived by four sons, a brother, sister and five grandchildren. All live in Washington except the son, Willis F. Kern, who is an_ instructor in mathematics at the Naval Academy. FALL ON HOUSE STEPS FATAL FOR WOMAN, 72 A fall down the steps of her home