Evening Star Newspaper, March 19, 1935, Page 21

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Washington News A AAAL - @he Epening LAAAMAAL A Star Society and General ON RELIEF WORKS LOOMS IN SENATE Subcommittee Ponders Pro- posal to Finance High- way Jobs. FUND WOULD BE IDLE AS RESULT OF CUTS Balance Totals $498,000 and Part Would Be Applied to Pur- chase of Supplies. BY J. A. O'LEARY. A proposal to allow the Highway | Department to use several hundred thousand dollars of the gas tax fund to purchase materials and supplies in order to carry on useful highway projects for men on work relief is| being seriously considered by the Benate subcommittee handling the | 1936 District supply bill, it was learned today. g Although decisions on changes in | the House bill will not be reached until later in the week, this is one | of the amendments understood to be looked upon with favor by members of the Senate group. ! As a result of cuts made by the| House in highway estimates, a balance | of $498,000 would be idle in the Treas- | ury in the gasoline tax fund. which, | if not appropriated for highway im- | provements, cannot be used for any other purpose. It is not likely the entire balance will be appropriated, | because officials favor keeping some | balance in the fund. Under the budget estimates there would have been $283.000 left in the gas tax ac- count, but the House cut another $215,000 from gas tax highway items. Water Items Slashed. When the Senate subcommittee reaches Water Department items, it will find that there, also, the House cut $238,000 from the budget esti- mates, despite the fact that more than that amount will be available in the special water rent fund, and can- | not be used for any other pupose. tury After Army BY REX COLLIER. UST a week before his 9lst | J birthday anniversary Maj. Gen. | Adolphus Washington Greely, leader of the tragic Arctic ex- pedition of 1881 that brought death to all but 7 of an original band of 25, was happy as a schoolboy today that his country is not as ungrateful as it once seemed. Buoyed by the unexpected action of the House yesterday in voting him the Congressional Medal of Honor, the keen-eyed, still healthy, but some- what enfeebled soldier and explorer, stroked his bushy whiskers and com- mented: “I've ‘only a year or so more to live, and it does me good to know that my country is not unmindful of the service I rendered her on the battle- field and in the Arctic many years ago. Demoted After Expedition. “You know, the only reward I ever got for representing the Government in the first international scientific | study and for penetrating farther North than any other explorer before me had gone, was a demotion. “Yes, sir, when I got back from | that stay on the ice, I found the Army | had put another man in my place in | the regiment and had reduced me | several files. That was all the ‘recog- nition’ I ever got. Medals? Not a one. If Congress is good enough to grant me the Medal of Honor, it will be the first award I have received.” The veteran officer—his active and | retired service in the Army totals 74 years—stretched a leg out gingerly to make himself more comfortable on a window bench in his quaint old house | at 3131 O street, Georgetown. Recalls Suffering in Arctic. “My joints are giving me trouble” | he said, “but otherwise I am in pretty | radio with Admiral Byrd at Little Co., was for the purpose of selling the | House Votes Award to Explorer Half Cen- " With Demotio WASHINGTON, D. C, UUSE OF GAS TAXES Greely, 91, Feels Grateful “Honored” Him n. MAJ. GEN. ADOLPHUS WASH- INGTON GREELY. —Star Staff Photo. time to think about my own troubles. | At last a ship came and rescued what | was left of us—seven in all.” | One of Two Survivors. | Gen. Greely is one of two survivors | of that little group. The other also is a Washington resident, Brig. Gen. ! Davis L. Brainerd, U. S. A, retired. | Gen. Brainerd also is in good health. | He visits his old commander and com- radé frequently to chat over old times. Gen. Brainerd usually attends Gen. | Greely's birthday celebrations and 1S | oo hirposes. The smaller valuation expected to be present at the 91st on March 27. Remarking that he had talked by ONW.R. T. BUSSES | good shape. I have had aches in my | America several months ago, the gen- back and knees ever since I lay up | eral declared polar exploration is not there on the ice so long, waiting for ' what it used to be. help.” “We had dog sleds and boats,” he Pressed for a few reminiscences of | said. “Now they have airplanes and that harrowing experience more than | motor sledges and radio.” | half a century ago, Gen. Greely told | He said things might have been dif- | how he and 24 men went into the | ferent back in 1881 to 1884 if he had Far North to make weather observa- | been supplied with radio—but in the | tions in connection with a “circum- | next breath added it was useless to Polar” study Joined in by several na- | conjecture on what might have hap- | ons. For three years they were out of touch with civilization. They trav-| gors eled 500 miles from Fort Conger to ' pened. “It's what did happen that mat- he explained. Mourns Death of Holmes. Resuming hearings this morning, the subcommittee heard public Mhm‘i and welfare officials explain the need | for items eliminated in the House. | For all school purposes the House bill carried $11,139,391, a reduction of $252,759 below budget recommen- dations. Nearly all of the school total is for annual operating costs. only $635,000 being for buildings and sites. This figure provides for only four building projects. The subcommittee already has heard arguments in favor of restoring the $87.000 for continu- ing the character education experi- | Fort Sabine, where a ship was to pick them up. The vessel was grushed in the ice, however. Two other ships| the death recently failed to reach them. | in-arms, Justice “That was a long journey to Sa-| Holmes. | bine,” Greely mused. “Some of the “Justice Holmes and I fought to- | men could not stand it, and died on | gether in the Civil War,” he caid. | the way. Finally we reached our ob- “He was in the 20th Massachusetts | jective, but there was no ship there.| Regiment and 1 was in the 19th We had to wait and hcpe. Our regu- Massachusetts Regiment. Both of us | lar food was gone and finally we lived | were wounded three times—twice on on seal thongs, plants and sand. fleas.” | the same battlefield, Antietam and Lectured to Buoy Spirits. Predericksburg. I received my third wound at what was called Forlorn The venerable explorer paused, with | Hope—it was called that because it eyes half closed in reflection. was alongside a river, the crossing of Gen. Greely told of his sorrow over of an old comrade- Oliver Wendell | 104665 TAXABLE VALUATION PLAGED Figure Asking Refund Far Under $843,253 Offer by Capital Transit. $374.46 REFUND ASKED ON 1932 PERSONAL TAX | Sums, for Different, Purposes,' Cited by Officials—Big' De- preciation Claimed. e A valuation of $104,665 was placed on the busses owned by the Washing- | ton Rapid Transit Co. in filing a claim for a personal property tax refund to- | day, in contrast to the purchase price of $843,253 offered for the W. R. T. Co. by the Capital Transit Co. Although the larger figure was never broken down to fix the exact value of the rolling stock of the com- pany, District officials asserted that the busses constituted the bulk of the value of the Washington Rapid Tran- sit_Co. The greatly reduced valuation was| filed in a request for a refund of| $374.46 paid in 1932 as personal tax. Different Purposes Explained. Officials explained that the two fig- | ures were arrived at for wholly differ- was fixed “for the purposes of taxa- tion,” whereas the $843,000 valuation, | indirectly sponsored by the W. R. T. bus company outright to the Capital Transit Co. Calculations made at the District Building showed a difference in the iwo valuation claims of $738,588. Officials recalled that when the | Capital Transit Co., in its move to buy the bus company, claimed $843,- 000 as a proper value, an agreement had been reached between the street car company and the bus company as to that figure. Case Appealed to High Court. The Public Utilities Commission re- jected that price as the proper value ana the Capital ‘Aransii, Cu. and a representative ol the siock ownersiLp | of the bus compary recenty appcaieu the decsion to Distnict cupreme Couri. an the bus purciasc (asc $016,000 was Lo pe Lne casin pa et anu audea 0 LS Was W we casi. LQUUALOD Oi & NUWE 0T $9-1,433.04, owea by the bus. concern. 1 se. 3843,205.87 as e proposed paymen. ! ior tne bus company. In arguing lor a personal property tax refund the W. R. T. Co. stated | that as of July 1, 1932, the cost of its TUESDAY, | would be forced out MA Benefit Play for Crippled Children RCH 19, 1935. * These industrious pupils at Weightman School lack adequate occupational and therapeutic equipment, a need which they hope will be supplied by the benefit play, “The Royal Family,” to be presented by the dramatic sec- tion, Community Center Department, at Roosevelt High School at 8:15 p.m. tomorrow. The play is being arranged for the children in co-operation with the Parent-Teacher Association at Weight- man. The children are constructing toys, small bits of furniture and decorations in their shop at the school. AMENDED BANK LAWIS CRITICIZED Small State Banks Protest Provision in Order to Re- tain Insurance. By the Assoclated Press. An outbreak of protest in the bank- ing field was disclosed today in high official quarters, which said many small State banks are vigorously criti- cizing the present law compelling them to join the Federal Reserve system by July 1, 1937, in order to retain deposit insurance. ‘The amended banking act of 1933, which created the Federal Deposit In- surance Corp., says State banks not members of the Reserve system will lose the privilege of insurance after July 1, 1937. They contend they of business through inability to compete with banks in which deposits were insured. Step Toward Unification. At the time the provision was en- acted it was regarded by many observ- \Hold-Up Asks $45 | And Refuses Rest Of Store’s Funds He “That’s Enough,” PAGF. B—1 'NUMBERS RACKET LAW PROMISED BY HOUSE CRIME BODY Subcommittee Head Says Bill Passed in Senate Will Be Favored. TIGHTENING OF GAMING REGULATIONS HELD NEED Members Favor Stop-Gap to Crime Pending Outcome of In- —Star Staff Photo. BOARDTOCLRD *POLLLTION RGED ment, which the House left out. Larger Hospital Funds Urged. “Each night I talked with the men, to keep their spirits up. I was good on geography and history, and I ‘Welfare officials are emphasizing the need for restoring cuts made by the House in maintenance items for Gal- linger Hospital, Tuberculosis Hos- pital and the Children's Tuberculosis Sanatorium, some of which would seriously affect essential nursing ser- vice. The urgent need for increases for maintenance and nursing service at Gallinger Hospital was stressed. Senator Copeland. Democrat, of New York. made a tour of inspection of the hospital several days ago, and said he found overcrowded conditions, with twice as many patients in some wards as there should be. The New York Senator praised the work of Dr. Edgar A. Bocock, super- intendent, for being able to accom- plish as much as he does with in- adequate facilities. Nurses’ Emblem Raised. It is understood the Senate sub- committee has been informed there s & possibility that the Nurses’ Ex- amining Board for the District will have to take Gallinger off of the ac- credited list for nurses in training work, unless more adequate provision is made for nursing facilities at the hospital. It was pointed out that if this became necessary young women would go elsewhere to serve their training period and Gallinger might have to employ graduate nurses at a greater cost than would be necessary if the proposed maintenance items before the subcommittees are granted. The subcommittee adjourned until tomorrow, when school officials will resume their testimony. It is not likely that civic organizations will be heard before Thursday. A special committee from the ‘Washington Board of Trade is pre- paririg to make a plea to the Senate subcommittee for a return to a more equitable Federal share in the ex- penses of the National Capital. The House bill leaves the Federal pay- ment at the present figure of $5,- 700,000. $10,000 IS VOTED BOUNDARY PROBE $112,700,000 Deficiency Bill Fails tp Include G. P. 0. Build- ing Fund. The Senate quickly passed the $112,- 700,000 first deficiency appropriation bill today, with a last-minute amend- ment giving the District of Columbia- Virginia Boundary Commission the $10,000 needed to complete its work. No effort was made to place in the bill the $6,000,000 buildg program for the Government Printing Office, which indicates this problem will have to be considered as a separate measure to authorize the buildings before they are appropriated for. Public Printer Giegengack sent Congress a report re- cently describing the group of old buildings at the printing establishment as dangerous fire traps. Of the total carried in the deficiency bill, approximately $94,000 is for vet- erans’ pensions and compensation, in accordance with action of the last Congress in removing some of the re- strictions imposed by the economy-act The bill also carries $35,000 for two District public school projects—$20,000 to recondition the Adams Building as & grade school, and $15,000 to equip commercial classes in junior and sen- dor high schools. | the end was would give lectures on each of the States. “I knew when a man was about to die. Always, the night before, he| would start talking out of his held—} about his wife or mother or children. | ‘When he began that, he didn't realize | near—but I knew he | would not be with us many hours longer. | “I was so busy trying to occupy the | which appeared to be hopeless. I was also at Ball's Bluff when Holmes was wounded.” Gen, Greely probably will be pre- sented with the Congressional Medal on his birthday anniversary next week. The medal was recommended to the House by Chairman John J. McSwain of the Military Affairs Com- mittee. Gen. Greely has been outside | of his home only rarely in recent months and the presentation, there- | fore, may be made at the residence. | Senate approval of the medal busses was 8621,896._57. less deprecia- | ers as a step toward greater unifica- tion figured at $517230.91, which |¢jon of the banking structure under Tells Victim, Interrupt- Interfederation Conierencef ing Count of Money. Suggests Interstate Movement. A bandit, who wanted only $45 and vestigation. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. Legislation to strengthen the exist- ing laws relating to gambling in the District, designed especially to wipe | out the “numbers racket,” is definitely promised by members of the Crime Investigating Subcommittee of which Representative Jennings Randolph ot West Virginia is chairman. The members of the subcommittee are giv- ing intensive study to this phase of law enforcement, it was said today. The Senate passed this bill on January 10 as “emergency legisla- tion” and it has since been slumber- ing in a subcommittee of the House District Committee of which Repre- sentative Vincent Palmisano of Mary- ‘anqg is chairman. Mr. Palmisano has announced repeatedly that he has no intention of giving this measure any consideration until after the Crime Investigating Subcommittee has com- pleted its study and made a report However. Chairman Randolph sar that this measure will get early con- sideration and he expects it passed as urgently needed tion. to b legis! Favor Stop-Gap Action. Some members of his committee, I said, are in favor of reporting th bill immediately as a stop-gap meas- no more, held up the Federal Liquor Store at 1421 Pennsylvania avenue last night and escaped with the exact | After hearing an extended report | amount he required. by Miss Elaine Eppley, the Interfed- | His victim, S. L. Rakusin of 1505 | eration Conference last night adopted Decatur street, was alone in the store |a resolution which eventually may lead | at the time. produced a gun, saying: land and the District Commissioners “T want $45!” to establish a Potomac River Sanitary Rakusin counted out the money Board for the purpose of keeping from the cash register. When he had | Washington water free from potlution. produced the desired amount the In a resolution introduced by Jesse bandit said, “That's enough,” and C. Suter, former president of the Fed- waved him into the back of his store. eration of Citizens’ Associations, the The bandit then left, although District Commissioners were requested Rakusin still had more than $100. to seek a conference with the Gov- Rakusin, a former member of the ernors of the two neighboring States Federal narcotic squad, has b2en in “to discuss the formation of a Poto- the liquor business since repeal. mac River Sanitary Board and the DEATHOF GIRL, 17, degree in which legal authority, if any, can be vested in such a board as recommended by the report of the Board of Sanitary Engineers on Sew- erage and Sewage Disposal.” . This report, submitted to the Dis- trict Commissioners April 30, 1934, would leave as value for tax basis $104,665.66. The District assessor’s office has ap- proved the refund of $374.46 and the District auditor now is considering the claim. DR. RUHLAND ENLARGES STAFF DURING EPIDEMIC |the supervision of the controller of | | the currency and the Federal Reserve | | Board. | Protest meetings, it was said, have | already been held in many sections | to solidfy sentiment against the pro- ‘flsion and conveying it to Congress before the present session ends. | One contentiof prompting the | complaints appears to be that capital | { requirements for membership in the Reserve System are too high for many | HELD ACCIDENTAL Coroner’s Jury Exonerates Driver of Car Which Hit Student. 54 ARE CONVICTED minds of my men that I didn't have | award is expected soon. .G, WATERFRONT FUNDIS APPROVED | Nearly $2,000,000 Provided Under Report—Virginia Projects Included. ON SPEED CHARGES Two Givg Up Driver Permits. More Face Court on Violations. Fifty-four motorists were convicted | 1In addition to nearly $2,000,000 for | on speeding charges in Traffic Coun;'wzsl)inawn wn;erf‘ront‘ development this morning, and at noon there was |40d improvement of navigation in the & Jarge number of other defendants | Fre; omnibes tivers and harbors bil still awaiting trial. | / 8 In two cases the defendants volun- | feroreca 10 the House late yesterday | includes a number of Virginia proj- tarily surrendered their operators’ per- | mits in efforts to avold payment of ects among the 211 recommended. and | fines. George R. Carson, 21, of the | Two Physicians Added to Health Of the 7,800 State banks not now | members. Many of the banks also | are insisting that their heavy hold- |ings of real estate paper which is | not eligible for rediscount at the Re- Staff to Cope With Spread of Scarlet Fever. Two addttional physicians will be Serve banks serve as a further deter- fourth street, who. was fatally in-| employed for a temporary period to rent to membership in the system. assist the District Health Office in the | Protest Branch Banking. handling of the scarlet fever epidemic. | Officials here contend the new Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, auditor, | panking act of 1935 liberalizing the has informed Dr. George C. Ruhland, | requirements of Reserve membership, health officer, he will find funds for | a5 well as broadening the base of eli- payment of the two extra physicians, | gible paper, goes far to meet the two who will be employed to make exami- | sajient points raised by the protesting nations of persons suspected of hav- | panks. ing contracted scarletina. Many small banks, it further devel- Fifteen new cases of the ailment|gpeq, are continuing to protest the were reporbgd to the Health Omce\bmnch banking system, declaring yesterday. bringing the total since the | they cannot survive the competition first of the year to 648. of large city branches. They contend S branch ba;nklm{li‘s nip:n to ndd the country of small institutions and cre- MONDAY DISTRICT DAY late a national system. Proponents | of branch banking say it is necessary House Date Definitely Provided. to a sound system. Chairman Recovers. A RANGER STILL IN PORT Next Monday will be District day NORFOLK, Va, March 19 (#).— in the House if Chairman Norton of ill, .is sufficiently recovered, Speaker The airplane carrier Ranger was still the District Committee, who has been | | other Virginia surveys among those 3600 block of McKinley street, gave | Bh cly Arutyieng st e Witected o up his permit for an indefinite period, and Milton Kraft, 1000 block Bu- chanan street, surrendered his permit for 30 days on a second offense speed- ing charge. Both had pleaded guilty. Henry L. Bastion and William E. Baker were fined $15 each for second offenses, and most of the other speed- ing defendants paid fines of $5 and $10. Nicholas Simpson, a taxi driver, entered a plea of not guilty to operat- ing after his permit had been revoked and demanded a jury trial. On a plea of guilty to operating a taxicab with- out a license he was sentenced to pay a fine of $25 or serve 15 days in jail. “HIGH HATTING” l'fENIED Morgenthau Refutes Suggestion by Showing Felts Only. A question at Secretary Morgen- thau’s press conference yesterday as to whether he was going “high hat” brought a quick denial. Noticing a hat box of unusual height, one curious reporter inquired: “You're not going high hat on us, are you, Mr. Secretary?” “Oh, that,” exclaimed Morgenthau. “I find no time any more to go hat shopping. The store sent me a batch from which to make my selection.” He displayed three soft felts of various hues. | POISON DOSE FATAL William C. Scritier, 1401 Fairmont street, died in Gallinger Hospital to- day from 25 poison tablets he took last Fricay. His wife, Mrs. Rosie Scribner, found him in a serious condition at their apartment and had him taken to Emergency Hospital, where he was given treatment and later transferred to Gallinger. His condition became so ‘The bill goes to conference with the House on Senate amendments amount- .Inl to $500,000, critical that physicians operated on him in an effort to save his life. The coroner’s office is EVW make. The committee listed projects which would cost about $272,000,000. The | measure ‘ncludes projects for which the Public Works Administration al- ready has allotted funds. In a supplemental report ac- companying the bill, the committee listed the following costs for Virginia projects: Starlings Creek, $21,750; Horn Har- bor, $12,990; Nomini Bay and Creek, $9,500; Mill Creek, $7,500; Totuskey Creek, $35,000; Mattaponi River $19,- 250; channel connecting York River with Black Creek tc Slaights Wharf, $20,000; Jackson Creek, $11,800, Lit- tle Wicomico River, $70,000; Norfolk Harbor, $100,000: Hampton Creek, $78,000, and Phoebus Channel, $9,800. S PLAN JOINT PROGRAM Washington Composers’ Club and Gardiner Dancers to Meet. The Washington Composers’ Club and the Lisa Gardiner Dancers will present a joint program under the auspices of the Community Center De- partment at McKinley High School on the night of April 3, it was an- nounced today. The program will be made up of original compositions by the club members to be interpreted by the dancers. DR. RUHLAND TO SPEAK Health Officer Will Address E. V. Brown Association.. Dr. George C. Ruhland, the new District health officer, will be prin- cipal speaker before the monthly meet- ing of the E. V. Brown Home and School Association Thursday night at 7:30 o'clock at the school. Dr. Ruhland is expected to discuss the recent mild epidemic of scarlet fever among children of school age in the Chevy Chase dllm‘,_ > Byrns announced today. Even if important general legisla- tion is pending, the District will not be deprived of its day, Byrns said, pointing out that Mrs. Norton had stepped aside last District day to allow the pink slip measure to be acted upon. in port today, receiving adjustments to her anchor windlass before putting to sea for a short shake-down cruise following her ‘recent conditioning. It is probable that she will sail. for the West Coast on March 30, officers said yesterday. B Swimming Pool s Inadequate, Play Supervisor Sees Remedy Wading Facilities W ould Meet Demands for Children Under Plan Worked Out by Miss Sybil Baker. The minimum swimming pool re- quirements for a city the size of Washington demand at least one pool for every 30,000 of population. ‘Today there is one pool for every 70,000. The National Capital parks director has asked the Public Works Administration for funds to build four new pools. According to Miss Sibyl Baker, su- pervisor of District playgrounds, the National Capital's public pool facili- ties are medieval, compared with the set-up of a city like Houston, Tex. With a steadily diminishing appro- priation, Miss Baker is able to keep what pools she has open only from 9 am. to dark. Adults who used to en- joy a before-work dip in the cooling waters when the tanks were opened at 6 am. are now deprived of the benefits of their swim. Miss Baker has worked out an inte- grated pool system. that she feels would afford instruction and relaxation for every child it the ict from the age of 3 upward. play. She urges a playground pool, about 90 by 30 feet, at such frequent intervals that every child in the Dis- trict could walk to some pool. She urges a few more large pools like the McKinley and Takoma park tanks, which are 175 feet long, so that older children might have long play periods with a feeling of safety and independence. The proposals she sets forth are far from idle, impossible dreams, Miss Baker claims. She says many cities in the country meet these standards. The keystone of Miss Baker’s pro- gram is the playground pool, of which she says: “These pools should be at such fre- quent intervals that the children who come to them could all be within easy walking distance of home. “Their prime purpose is the instruc- tion of younger groups so that as they grow older they can go for long play periods with knowledge they will be able to handle themselves. “The children at the playground pools are strictly supervised. A - She urges a wading pool in playground large enough every familiar- | instructor s g ot ize the very youngest with water A coroner’s jury yesterday held ac- cidental the death Saturday of Miss Louise Darcey, 17, of 1659 Thirty- | jured Wednesday when struck by an | automobile. in the 1600 block of | Thirty-fifth street. | The verdict exonerated Charles E. | O'Roark, 27, of Arlington, Va., man- | ager of a chain store at Bethesda, | Md., driver of the automobile. | Miss Darcey, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice A. Darcey, was a | senior at Trinity High School and | president of her class. She received |an arm and leg fractures and internal injuries. Four blood transfusions had been given in Georgetown Hospital in | an effort to save her life. Aunt Testifies. | Miss Katherine L. Small, 1643 Thir- | ty-fifth street, an aunt of the dead {girl, told at the inquest how Miss Darcey had called across the street to her shortly before the accident. The girl was preparing to go to church services with Miss Small. In another inquest, a coroner’s jury exonerated Special Policeman Paul R. | Pearson, 35, of 241 K street northeast, | for the fatal shooting Thursday night | of George Adams (alias John), 30, colored, of the 100 block of Pierce street, in the coal yard near Second and M streets northeast. Shooting Held Defense. The coroner’s jury held that Pear- son shot Adams in defenes of his own life. Adams, it was testified, had at- tacked the special officer with a knife after Pearson had placed him under arrest for stealing coal. Pearson, who is a special officer for five coal companies, testified on the stand that he previously had arrested Adams for stealing coal on December | 15, for which the colored man served time. At that time, Pearson said, Adams told him that he would have to kill him before he ever arrested him again. This story was corrobor= ated on the stand by metropolitan po- lice. Adams died in Casualty Hos- pital Saturday. MEAT DEALER FINED Shortweight Guilt Plea Nets $150 Assessment. One of four merchants who last week entered pleas of guilty to charges of short weights in the sale of meats, Harry Clayman, 1400 block P street, today was fined a total of $150 by Judge Ralph Given in Police Court. Clayman, according to information furnished by the office of the corpora- tion counsel, made three sales of meat to officials of the Department of Weights and Measures, with an aver- age of a quarter of a pound shortage on each sale. The fines were recom- | mended by Assistant Corporation | Counsel Edward M. Welliver. Dern Leaves 7for Florida. Secretary of War Dern left last night for Miami Beach, Fla., where he will make an address tonight at the annual dinner at the Surf of One Hundred, was compiled by Harris P. Eddy, John H. Gregory and Samuel A. Greeley of the Board of Sanitary Engineers. | Delegates at last night's interfedera- | tion meeting claim the report cost $40,000 to prepare and that it has never been acted upon by the Com- missioners. In order to get action, the resolu- tion introduced last night instructed the various delegates from the Mont- gomery County Civic Federation and | the Arlington County Civic Federa- tion to “undertake to influence exec- utives of the several jurisdictions to join in such interstate conferences at an early date.” To add strength to the movement, a committee was appointed to con- tact leading citizens of Alexandria to | discuss the establishment of a sewage jtrenmem plant in that city. | HOLMES QUOTED T0 AID STRACHEY Senator Costigan Defends Right of Author to Free Speech. | | Legal opinions of the late Oliver ‘Wendell Holmes while he was on the Supreme Court were cited in the Sen- ate late yesterday by Senator Costi- gan, Democrat, of Colorado, in de- fending the right of John Strachey, iErlthh lecturer facing deportation, to | express his views in this country. “One may well ask in these trou- bled hours what has become of cer- | tain fundamental pillars in the tem- ple of American liberty,” Costigan said, after putting into the record a newspaper clipping concerning Stra- chey. “The recent hue and cry over the | reported frank thinking and speaking | of Mr. Strachey provides one of the latest reasons for soul-searching America. “Whether he is a Communist or not, I have not the slightest idea, ex- | cept that he says he is not. But have | we reached a pass in this country when we may not discuss govern- ments, their merits and demerits, and | their relation to human welfare the | world around without inviting the | haunting pressure and heavy hand of | esplonage and repression?” He then quoted dissenting opinions of Holmes’ deploring action which ne irterpreted as aimed at free speech. ‘The justice wrote, in dissenting from a conviction of several Russians in 1917 for alleged subversive propa- ganda, that “I believe the defend- |ant had as much right to publish (certain pamphlets) as the Govern- ment has to publish the Constitution of the United States now vainly in- voked by them.” D. C. AWARDED GRANT Sum of $322,500 for Relief An- nounced by Hopkins. The District was notified today by Harry L. Hopkins, Federal relief ad- ministrator, of a grant of $322,500 for the last half of March. Previously the Commissioners had received for local reliefy and work relief needs this month 'a grant of $407,500. This makes the total Fed- eral aid for March $730,000. To this is added $166,666 out of the District | appropriation of $2,000,000 which was year. ure to correct a known evil. The situation in regard to gambling is particularly flagrant, he points out. and his committee may decide to act vpon this clearly defined phase of crime while awaiting @ general The man came in and | the Governors of Virginia and Mary- | remedial program. “I personally feel that there should be a tightening of the gambling laws,” said Mr. Randolph Representative Chauncey W. Reel of Illinois, a Republican member of the crime subcommittee, who has had extensive experience in prosecution of criminal offenses and knows all the quirks of legal entanglements which delay justice and getting convictions declared positively that the first thing the subcommittee does will be to | tighten the law so as to put the num- bers racket out of business. To meet the situation confronting the officials charged with enforcing the District laws, particularly in the mat- ter of proof, the pending bill provides that possession of tickets, slips, etc., issued in gambling transactions, shall be prima facie evidence of purpose or intent of carrying on gambling trans- actions. It also declares that posses- sion of gambling paraphernalia shall be prima facie evidence of the use thereof for gambling purposes and of permitting, inducing, betting or play- | ing on the part of the owner, lessee or | occupant of any house or other place where the paraphernalia is found $3,000 Gross Daily, The evidence before the committee shows that in the “numbers racket” known to be flourishing in the Na- tional Capital the principals carrying on the game realize about $3,000 a day through their operations, on amounts played which range from 1 to 50 cents. The chances of winning are 1 in 600. The pending bill carries language designed to bring the “num- bers racket” directly within the pro- visions of law—naming “numbers” specifically in three sections. Provisions granting a broader basis for search and seizure warrants are also carried in the bill and have the support of a majority of the member- ship of the crjme subcommittee. Rep- resentative Reed is personally inter- ested in having these safeguards written into law. The pending bill has the support of the United States district attorney, the District Commissioners, the cor poration counsel, the Police Depart- ment, the Police Court and the Wash- | ington Federation of Churches. 'BUS TERMINALS ARE NO. 1 ISSUE | Public Utilities Commission to Concentrate on Off-Street Proposal. With the gas-valuation case out oi | the way, the Public Utilities Commis- sion planned today to concentrate at- tention on the proposal to force urban and interurban motor busses to find off-street terminal facilities Hearings have beeri held on the pro- posal, but the commisison has not had sufficient time, due to its efforts to complete the valuation of the gas com- panies, to give the bus question serious consideration. In the meantime, information has been given the commission by the Bus Center on Pennsylvania avenue, near Sixth street, that it could handle at least 40C interurban busses a day, in addition to the regular interstate buses that terminate there. To provide better accommodations for the interurban lines, terminal offi- cials told the commission several cl ges had been made in the load- ing platform, as well as the arrange- ment for the arrival and departure of interstate busses to prevent any in- terference with the Maryland and Virginia busses. ‘The bus center is one of the avail- able off-street terminals said to be under consideration by several bus companies if the commission orders them to off-street terminals. An- other is the Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Line terminal at Twelfth street and New York avenue. Class Meeting Postponed. Dr. Abram Simon, who has been conducting a cultural class at the Wardman Park Hotel on Wednesday mornings, will postpone tomorrow's Club appropriated for the whole present | meeting until next week, it was an-

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