Evening Star Newspaper, April 9, 1935, Page 2

COUNGIL APPROVES . R. A, EXTENSION Senate Finance Committee Hears Commerce Unit Voice Code Views. By the Assoclated Press. Extension of the N. R. A. with some modifications was recommended to the Senate Finance Committee today by the Business Planning and Ad- visory Courcil of the Commerce De- partment. The council’s views were presented to the committee by Henry P. Ken- dall, chairman, & cotton manufac- | turer. He recomended that the President should have authority to cancel out- right an ertire code, but no power to modify codes except with the consent of the industry. Where a code was cancelled, the President would have authority to im- pose a limited code governing hours &and wages. With developments pointing toward an early Supreme Court test of N. R. As constitutionality, the Sen- ate yesterday refused to consider the Black 30-hour week bill. Couzens Leads Oppoesition. Senator Couzens, Republican, of Michigan, who voted for the 30-hour Week two years ago, led the opposition to taking up the measure with the as- | sertion the Senate should wait for consideration of legislation to extend the recovery law. The bill's author, Senator Black, | Democrat, of Alabama, replied that| there should be a law limiting the | work week to 30 hours, regarditss of what happened to N. R. A. But only 20 Senators—6 Republicans, 13 Dem- ocrats and La Follette, the lone Pro- gressive—voted with him. Fifty-six voted against the proposal to consider the bill. Several of those who voted against ‘Black—Senator Barkley, Democrat, of Kentucky, and McKellar, Democrat, | ©f Tennessee, among them—explained their ballots were not to be interpreted as a vote against the bill itself. Meanwhile, an appeal was filed in the Supreme Court in the Schechter poultry case. It is this case which the | Government hopes will furnish the | basis for a test of N. R. A.'s constitu- tionality at this term of court. Afterward, the Ninth Circult Court | of Appeals asked the high court for instructions in an effort to speed up a decision on N. R. A. In a case involving the oil code, the | Circuit Court pointed out that the recovery act, unless extended, ex- pires June 16. It asked the Supreme Court for the answers to several ques- tions. Among them were whether the standards for the control of produc- tion of petroleum are sufficiently de- fined in the recovery act. The ninth circuit said it had adopted this procedure to avoid the delay which would attend the usual legal routine. Theater Revolt Threatened. Independent moving picture theater | owners openly warned the Senate | Finance Committee yesterday they would revolt against the recovery law unless the code for the movie in- dustry was revised to break the domi- nant power they said it gives the blgl film producers. Theirs was the story which has| been dinned into the committee's ears | for days—oppression by the majority of the industry. But the committee got a fresh complaint from a New York inventor—that N. R. A. permit- ted an old industry to throttle a small, new one. An inventor, Crosby Field, testified that the ice industry, intrenched be- hind the N. R. A. code, was blocking development of a new and better way to make ice. Public response to the invention was “most favorable,” he said, but the established ice com- panies had fought it through “organ- ized terrorism on the part of the ice code authorities.” ASHBY ). 0'MEARA DIES; WITH G. P. 0. 17 YEARS Retired Government Worker Will Be Buried in Alexandria Thursday. Ashby J. O'Meara, an employe of | the Government Printing Office for 17 | years, died last night at his home, 1874 Monroe street. He was retired because of ill health a year ago, Mr. O'Meara was a member of the Alexandria-Washington Lodge of Ma- sons and the Potomac Lodge of Odd Fellows, Alexandria, and a veteran of the World War. Besides his wife, Mrs. Hattie E. O'Meara, he is survived by his par- ents, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. O'Meara of this city. Funeral services will be held at the home Thursday at 2 p.m., followed by burial in Union Cemetery, Alexandria. Hunters Must Wear Badges. LINCOLN, Nebr, (#)—1If some smart duck teaches the other ducks how to distinguish between different types of badges, it's going to be tough for hunters in Nebraska. Both houses of the Legislature have approved a bill to require hunters to wear identifying | badges. March Circulation Daily . 126,812 | the issue before Pat Harrison’s Finance What’s What Behind News In Capital Armed Diplomacy in Europe Wrinkles Washington Brows. BY PAUL MALLON. ORRIED diplomats h: their eyes glued on & gen- erally overlooked situation developing on the Rhine. The French are throwing forward forces and pushing them up against the German border. The Germans have noticed them setting up barbed wire entanglements and trenches between fortifications. The activity has caused public fears on the German side. It is not generally known, but the French also are maintaining & 24- hour air patrol along the border. Ap- parently they are guarding against a surprise attack from the airplanes which Hitler recently unmasked in Berlin. The French, of course, insist these measures are defensive neces- sities. Those in the know believe they are not that at all, but really are subtle threats for diplomatic purposes. Fundamentally, this new kind of di- plomacy, used by all the other nations | of Europe as well as France, is that of & highwayman. He points his gun as | a defensive threat for the purposes of persuasion. This international prac- tice is rapidly approaching extremes which are causing our informed states- men to wag their heads in silent doubt. It is & certainty thal the Thurs- day meeting of the old allies will issue & strong warning to Hitler. The only question is how much else they will do. There is increasing talk among Frenchmen about the advisability of going in now and cleaning Hitler out before the job gets too big to perform easily. The French press has been tak- ing sly digs at Sir John Simon, the British megotigtor, on the ground that he opposed the last war. These digs undoubtedly were inspired by the French government, apparently to prod the British into some stronger joint action than the mere issurance of statements. The British, however, do not react easily to prodding and the chances are no serious steps will be taken. Bird Urged to Bite. The N. R. A. Governing Board dis- cussed in a secret session a few days ago the advisability of imposing a code on the structural steel industry. The union crowd wanted to do it and tried to sell the idea that such a strong step would show that the Blue Eagle is not dead, that it has a few teeth left. Four members of the seven-man board indicated sympathy with the idea, including the two la- bor members, one of the independents (Hamilton) and even Co-ordinator Richberg. If a bird bites an industry, that would be a story. The N. R. A. has shown its teeth several times, but not recently, and it never has bit- ten any one very hard, at least not a major industry employing 150,000 men. The matter is to be put up to President Roosevelt, but the prospects for imposing the code are not, at this moment, very strong. Once before, Mr. Roosevelt inter- vened to prevent the imposition of an unsatisfactory code on the fabricating and structural steel industry. The changes he ordered were effected, and, last July 11, Gen. Johnson actually signed a code. But that ended the matter because the industry declined to accept it. Enforcement never was seriously attempted by N. R. A. in the hectic era between Johnson's ge- parture and the installation of the new board. The unionists are steamed up about the matter and are planning to take Committee, now considering the new N. R. A. bill. Growl at Morgenthau. \ The Navy sea-dogs are not growl- ing where any one can hear them, but nothing would give them greater pleasure right now than to sink their teeth into the leg of Treasury Secre- tary Morgenthau. It seems that the Treasury declined to use the Navy's wireless system for communications between Mr. Mor- genthau, sunbathing at Sea Island, and Mr. Roosevelt, fishing in the At- lantic. Instead, Mr. Morgenthau de- cided to use the Treasury Coast Guard. A Coast Guard vessel is sup- to have been stationed near Sea Island for that purpose. One night, Mr. Morgenthau sent a confidential message to the President, but the Coast Guard vessel failed to get it off until morning. The reason offered on the inside was that it was unable to raise the Navy during the night. Furthermore, stories came out of the Florida White House encamp- ment stating that the Navy was out of wireless touch with the President for 24 hours, Gr-r-r-r-r! Sunday 132,810 District of Columbia. ss: 8. H. KAUFFMANN Assistant Business Manager of THE EVENING AND SUNDAY STAR. does solemnly swear that the ac- tual number of copies of the paper named gold and distributed during the month of March, A.D. 1935, was as follows: § SR D DNIDN AL oreony Less adjustments Total net daily circulation....3, Da.ly average net circulation..,, 126,812 SUNDAY. Copies. Days. 138,642 247 L 136918 31 L0 13 Less adjustments ..... ‘Total Sunday net circulation. ... Average net paid Sunday circula- tion .. A { Average Bunday net circulation.. 132, " i 8. NN. Asst. Business Manager. sworn to before me this . 1835, ‘*"’m.wm Subscribed and h di 3 8t (Ac“.)“ ur& Gen. Johnson wants to write a new N. R. A. bill, and is being suppressed with difficulty. He wants to take it before the Harrison committee, and show how bad the pending Richberg bill is. Friends have tried to tell him it only would reopen old wounds, but he may do it anyway. A Republican manufacturer sent out confidential letters recently to all Republican national committee- ‘men. He said the party was erring in trying to vie with the Democrats for votes of the 10,000,000 unem- ployed workers, but should formu- late policies appealing to the 30,- 000,000 now at work. The answers are not yet pouring in. R. F. Ceer Jesse Jones has been act- ing as a school teacher, holding reg- ular classes for employes of his 32 branch agencies, to acquaint them with his plans for unfreezing mort- gages. This new Jones drive is to start shortly. Senator Harrison received word from & high quarter to speed up his N. R. A. hearings. He speeded them up so much that one day last week he ran out of witnesses. (Copyright. 1035. x THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, SECURITIES CURBS MI3S U. 5. ISSUES Federal Bond Data Would Not Pass Scrutiny Un- der New Act. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Although the securities act was passed to protect the American in- vestor, it is just being borne in on the public that at present the largest is- suers of securities are,not only exempt from all the provisions of the Federal law, but that the issuing agencies are not giving out all the information needed. Thus all securities issued by Fed- eral, State and city governments, as well as all issues floated inde- pendent agencies or governmental corporations supervised by State and local governments in America, do not have to comply with the provisions of the securities law requiring explicit information. The public, on the other hand, looks to the underwriters who put their names on the circular. It is significant that the underwriters who market securities for Government agencies are penetrating more und more into their fiscal affairs to ex- tract information of importance to the investors. Thus the issue of the Federal Land Bank bonds of $162,000,000 floated this week has in its formal circular more specific information and data than it has been possible to obtain heretofore. Government Connection Vague. The most material fact about the Federal Land Bank bonds, for ex- ample, is their relationship to the Federal Government. The circular ac- companying the issue says: “Although not Government obliga- tions and not guaranteed by the Gov- ernment, the bonds of the Federal Land Banks are the secured obligations of banks operating under Federal charter with governmental supervision by the Farm Credit Administration.” ‘The impression sought to be created is that these bonds are morally the offspring of the Government and hence good investments. There is a precedent of sorts for such an impression, for when the Fed- eral Home Owners’ Loan Corp. bonds were first issued and were guaranteed only as to interest by the Federal Government, they were regarded as & moral obligation, and later Congress took over the guarantee of both prin- cipal and interest. U. S. Holds Big Amount. In other words, the Government's own relationship becomes so strong as to imply protection. Thus about $885,000,000 of Federal Land Bank bonds are held at present by the Fed- eral Government or its various agen- cies in its own portfolios. But nowhere in the bookkeeping of the Government are these Federal Land Bank bonds carried even as a contingent obligation. The investor | has only the faith that he gets from reading the implications in statements of Government officials that perhaps | the Government will take care of him in case of default. Thus Gov. Myers of the Farm Credit Adminis- tration says in a public statement this week in commenting on the $162,000,- 000 issue: “The Federal Land Banks form an essential part of the banking system of the Nation. They are established under the laws of the United Sates and operate under the close super- vision of the Farm Credit Adminis- tration, which is a permanent branch of the Government.” Permanency Matter of Opinion. The assurance that any agency in the Government is “permanent” de- pends upon how trustful one is con-| cerning the whims of Congress. No Congress can bind a future Congress. This fact was proved when the Gov- ernment itself issued bonds promising payment in gold and another Con- gress repealed the clause. Approximately $1,844,000,000 of Fed- eral Land Bank bonds are outstand- ing. The public is left to guess to what extent these securities are going to be supported by the Federal Gov- emnment. They are, of course, tax- exempt and, since they pay 3V, per cent interest, are considered by in- vestment bankers a good thing to offer to the public. But these investment bankers have nothing to say about the future man- agement of the Farm Credit Admin- istration and are not represented on any board of directors of the issuing banks, and the public is dependent entirely upon assumption. Exempted Class Is Large. If a private corporation left such pertinent questions up in the air the security would not be registered by the Securities Commission. The exempted class—that is, the securities which do not have to com- ply with the securities act provisions— is a large one. During 1934, for instance, about $1,730,000,000 of se- curities of State and city governments alone were issued, as compared with about a fifth of that total floated by private corporations. It is far easier nowadays to know the detalls of the finances of the government of Finland, for instance, than it is to know about the finances of the City of New York. The Se- curities Commission has authority over Finland's bonds sold in the United States, but not over New York City's issues. Some day the howl that will go up ities | tained by the testimony and evidence.” Inmate of Occoq writers who sell them, and they in turn will point to their own diffi- culties in getting data. But the public will blame the bankers. Po- litical government will, as usual, es- cape the blame. The answer is to re- quire all issues—Federal, State and city—to be registered with the Federal Securities Commission. (Copyright. 1935.) Dances “Dance of Death.” CHICAGO (#)—Edward Linkenheld, 47, danced the “dance of death.” En- tering a tavern yesterday, he saw a girl he knew and said: “Let's dance.” She accepted. ‘They danced a few steps. . Then Linkenheld fell dead. & tors said a heart attack killed Lenten Service Under the Auspices of the Washington Federation of Churches Epiphany Episcopal Church - Tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. Preacher: Dr. W. 8. Abernethy ‘The public is invited. D. C, TUESDAY, Miss Katrina McCormick to Wed New York City Nuptials to Be Held at D. C. Home of Mrs. Albert G. Simms. Groom-to-Be Is Member of Prominent Family in Gotham, Miss Katrina McCormick, grand- daughter of Mark Hanna, and Court= land Dixon Barnes, jr., socially promi- nent New York broker, are to be mar- ried here in June at the home of Miss McCormick’s mother, Mrs. Albert G. Simms, the former Ruth Hannah Mc- Cormick. Announcement of the engagement was made last night in New York by Mr. and Mrs. Simms, who had gone to the metropolis from their home at Albuquerque, N. Mex., to make public the approaching wedding. Miss McCormick is the daughter of the late Senator Medill McCormick. Her paternal great-grandfather, Jos- eph Medill, was founder of the Chi- cago Tribune. Her grandfather, Rob- ert 8. McCormick, was American Am- bassador to Austria, Russia and France. J. M. Patterson Is Cousin. Before her father entered Illinois politics, he was publisher of the Chi- cago Tribune. An uncle, Robert R. McCormick, is the present president | of the Tribune, and a cousin, Joseph | M. Patterson, is publisher of the New | York Dally News. | | | Another cousin, Mrs. Eleanor Medill Patterson, is editor of the Washington Herald, and she served for a time as a member of the Herald's reportorial staff, contributing an occasional arti- cle under & nom de plume. Miss McCormick's first journalistic work, however, was on a paper owned | by her mother, the Rockford, Il Morning Star, for which she wrote a column for some time. Her mother is publisher of the Rockford Consoli- dated Newspapers. Mrs. Simms served as Representa- tive at Large from Lilinois during the | Hoover administration, and sought to Broker in June MISS KATRINA McCORMICK. —A. P. Photo. She was defeated by the present Sen- ator J. Hamilton Lewis. Miss McCormick made her debut here in 1930 and has since been a leader among the younger set. Her chief hobby is horses and she owns a small stable at her farm at Middle- burg, Va., where she has taken an active part in the annual hunts. She is a graduate of the Fermata School, in Aiken, 8. C, and Holton Arms School here. Mr. Barnes is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Courtland D. Barnes, 134 East Sixty- second street, New York, and None- such House, Manhasset, Long Island. He is a grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry B, Barnes and of the late Charles Tracy Barney and Mrs. Barney. He is a grandnephew of the late William C. Whitney. Mr. Barnes prepared for college at Groton and was graduated from Yale in the class of 1929. He is a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity, the Elihu Root Club and the Racquet and Ten- nis Club. He is a partner in the brokerage firm of W. H. Goadby & d her husband in the Senate. | Co. ALUMINOM FIRM HITS NRA. REPORT Extension of Code Is Based on “Unfair” Findings, Hunt Declares. By the Assoclated Press. The Aluminum Co. of America | challenged today an N. R. A. report | which spoke of “domination” by the | big concern over the prices of raw or | unfinished aluminum in this country. | Prom Roy A. Hunt, president of the | concern, came a statement declaring | the report by the N. R. A. Research | and Planning Division “is unfair in its inferences and tends to lend en- couragement to & very small group of the aluminum fabricators who have private lawsuits against the com- pany.” After the research divisions study, | N. R. A’s governing board renewed | the aluminum code until June 16, but | without fair trade practice provisions. | The code has been the center of a | controversy. Several Firms Complain, ‘The accusation has been made by several independents that the Alumi- num Co. has tried to remove them from the field by fixing the prices of their raw material and then selling fabricated metal at prices less than those of the raw material plus fabri- cation costs, Touching on such complaints, the report said: “In some lines of fabrication, the Aluminum Co.’s costs appear to be | below those of the others and there | is nothing to indicate that the com- pany indulged in unfair methods of price competition. In other instances there is evidence that the company sold below cost of fabrication or at least without allowing a profit margin | for its fabricating branches. “In most cases, the real intent of the company has not been susceptible of analysis.” Mellon Holds Shares. The report declared that the com- pany’s price policy was “the dominant factor in the American aluminum market.” Of the company’s 1,473,625 shares of common stock, the report said 475,272 were held by the Mellon family of Pittsburgh. President Hunt said that the com- pany “is much surprised at the tone of the report, which apparently draws conclusions and inferences not sup- ported by facts. For some 20 years Aluminum Co. of America has under- gone various investigations of alleged monopolistic practices. In each of these investigations it has been exon- erated.” He said a seven-year investigation by the Federal Trade Commission closed in 1930 with the finding that “the charges of the compiaint are not sus- U. . AND FRANCE RATIFY TAX PAGT Threat of Big Assessments of American Firms Is Removed. By the Associated Press. PARIS, April 9.—France and the | United States exchanged ratifications today of their long-pending treaty to end double taxation on American firms with branches in this country. Ambassador Jesse I. Strauss of the United States first affixed his signa- ture to the document, then Foreign Ambassador | Minister Pierre Laval. Strauss, completing the formalities, expressed pleasure that the lengthy negotiations had finally been con- cluded. The treaty was signed April 27, 1932, but its ratification had been held up | in the French Parliament by legis- | Iators who considered it too favorable to the United States. > ‘The treaty ends a threat that sey- eral American firms would be com- | pelled to pay enormous amounts in | back taxes. Cases on file alone repre- sent claims of $120,000,000. Several of the companies had threatened to close their French branches unless the situation were rectified. The treaty as ratified does not in- clude the rider suggested in the French Senate two weeks ago, which would have sought additional tax concessions for Frenchmen doing business in the Tnited States. ‘The double taxation laws set aside by the Franco-American treaty placed assessments of 16 to 18 per cent on dividends resulting from the French operations of fore corporations. ‘The regulations have not been en- forced pending completion of the nego- tiations. Among the United States corpora- tions affected were the International Telephone & Telegraph Co., General Motors Corp., the Ford Motor Co., the Guaranty Trust Co., the National City Bank and the Chase National Bank. —_———— U. S. FLYERS TO ASSIST FILIPINOS IN ELECTION By the Associated Press. MANILA, April 9.—American fiyers will assist Filipinos in their prepara- tions for the May 14 vote on whether to accept the constitution for the commonwealth government, which is expected to be set up before the end of this year, it was announced yester- day by Quintin Paredes, speaker of the House of Representatives. Arrangements have been made for planes to carry ballots to distant is- lands. The vote of the Legislature arranging for & plebiscite was unan- imous. If the people accept the con= stitution the commonwealth govern- ment will be established for a period of about 10 years preceding full inde- pendence. uan 6 Years Is Found Wrongly Imprisoned Walter Monroe, 24, colored, has served six years and two months of a 3,650-day sentence in Occoquan when | ped he should be spending his time at the District Home for the Feebleminded, it became known today at the office of Elwood Street, director of public wel- fare. ’ On February 31, 1929, Judge Mat- tingly in Police Court sentenced Mon- roe to 10 one-year sentences, to run consecutively, for turning in a series of false alarms. At the time this sentence was pro- nounced neither Judge Mattingly nor On December 7, 1924—more than 10 years ago—Monroe had been commit- ted to the District Training School for life. He escaped, the records show, ex- actly one year later, in December, 1925. that time, it is alleged, he began turn- ing in false fire alarms. He was trap- by officers placed on his trail and haled into Police Court—but without any one knowing he was an escaped inmate from the training school. As a matter of fact, District Build- ing records show, Monroe was and has been & ward of the Public Wel- fare Board since August 28, 1924. As & 14-year-old boy he came to the attention of the authorities because of . Remanded to m%mwummmmm In some inexplicable manner these records were not available to the court at the time of Monroe’s trial—in 1929. Explanation today by authorities was to the effect that “records before 1929 were not kept so well.” Now the Public Weifare Board, the Parole Board and others concerned want the youth brought back to his first home—and this will be recom- mended at & formal meeting next APRIL 9, 1935 TWO BILLS FORM CONGRESS'BIG B Social Security and N. R. A. Extension Measures to Prolong Session. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. There are two especially important measures on the administration pro- gram of legislation—the soclal secur- ity and N. R. A. extension bills—and when they are passed Congress will be Teady to close shop for this session, although the present prospect is that will not be much before the middle of August. The social security bill is considered the most important and the N. R. A. extension measure the most contro- versial. House leaders predict that both will be passed, probably in modi- fled form, with considerable change in the administrative features of the The “big three” of the House— Speaker Byrns, Chairman O’Connor of the Rules (policy and program) Committee, and Chairman Doughton of the Ways and Means Committee, sponsoring both these bills—were to have conferred with President Roose- velt at the White House this morning regarding the social security bill (but the President was in New York). Fol- lowing the postponed White House conference the Rules’Committee is to meet to decide what sort of a rule will be reported for consideration of this measure. It probably will not be a “gag” rule, although Chairman Doughton and other members of the Ways and Means Committee voted to ask for one to prevent the offering of any but committee amendments. It will come up in the House Thurs- day or Friday. House to Take Two or Three Weeks. Chairman O'Connor of the Rules Committee estimated that it will take two or three weeks to dispose of the soclal security bill in the House. No one knows how long the Senate will require. Work for the unemployed on re- lief is contemplated in the work-relief bill—the $4,880,000,000 appropriation measure signed by the President yes- terday. Congress felt it had done its biggest job in relieving distress in passing that legislation and some members felt that many, if not all, of | the other measures on the relief legis- lation program might be deferred. But the second vital part of the pro- gram for security comes in the bill to be brought up under the special rule | either tomorrow or Thursday. This bill is designed to aid the States in taking care of the dependent members of their population and to make a be- ginning in the development of meas- ures which will reduce dependency in the future. It deals with four major subjects—old-age security, unemploy- ment compensation, security for chil- | All are closely | dren and public health, related, being concerned with major causes of dependency. Together, they constitute an important step, Chair- man Doughton says, in a well-rounded, | unified, long-range program. Bill Represents Pledge. This legislation is presented to fulfill & pledge made by President Roosevelt | in a message last June. Subsequently by executive order the President cre- ated a Committee on Economic Se- curity to study the entire problem and to make recommendations for the guidance of Congress. After six months' study, assisted by a staff of sneclalists and by 14 advisory groups, whe committee made a unanimous re- port to the President in January, which he transmitted to Congress with his indorsement. ‘The Ways and Means Committee held hearings from January 21 to Feb- ruary 12, at which more than 1,000 pages of testimony were taken. The committee after careful consideration adopted so many amendments that it became necessary to redraft the bill. ‘The legislation for extension of the |N. R. A. is now before the Senate and is so highly controversial that Chairman O’Connor of the Rules Committee, in charge of the admini- stration program in the House, feels that it will probably cause the ses- sion to be extended beyond the nor- mal time (the middle of June) until after the middle of August. How- ever, he feels fairly sure that the N. R. A. bill will eventually go through in some limited form, with the funda- mentals left in and with particular administrative features which are seri- ously objected to either stricken out or toned down a great deal. The essentials as he sees them are: To prevent cut-throat competition to prevent child labor, and to provide a living wage for labor with shortened hours so as to distribute employment. Concerning the cut-throat competi- tion clause, Mr. O'Connor said the bill should carry provisions for _fair competition within the limitations of the anti-trust law. Some Points Avoided. ‘The provisions to be left out in- clude prescribing in detail how indi- vidual businesses or group businesses under the code authority shall con- duct every phase of their operations, and the prevention of extension of businesses. In other words, he ex- plained, individual initiative and ef- cient management will be permitted to continue as they did before the N. R A. days, provided they do not violate the fundamental rules of fair competition and honest dealing with workers, Several other measures on the ad- ministration program undoubtedly will be worked through before Congress adjourns, although emphasis will be put on the foregoing two. The home owners’ loan bill is pend- ing in the Senate and must be dis- posed of. The utllity holding compan; still in committees of t.hepl.io\yxubu:n’d. Senate and the best guess is that it will be another two weeks before it will be presented to the House. That seems to be on the “must” program. The banking bill is of highly con- troversial nature and there is a bare possibility that it will not be dis- posed of this session. Appropriations Cared For. The appropriation bill program is well along, but with considerable yet to be done. The Independent Offices, State-Justice-Commerce and Labor and first deficiency bills have become laws. The work-rellef bill has just been signed by the President, The War Department appropriation _bill has gone to him. The Treasury-] Correction ‘Through an inadvertent error in an article on the action of the House of Representatives on the resolution declaring war on Germany on April 6, 1917, it was stated in The Star of Sunday, April 17, that Representative Jeanette Rankin of Montana voted “yes.” Miss Rankin, as is well known, voted “no.” The Star regrets the error. -Post | Appropriations Committee. Congress in Brief By the Associated Press. TODAY. Senate. ‘Takes up $38,098,000 public works bill for naval shore stations. Munitions Committee hears argu- ments on war profits bill. House. bfl{m on McSwain anti-war profits Military Committee reopens hear- ing on legislation to expand T. V, A. powers. Agziculture Committee starts hear- ing on Frazier-Lemke farm indebted- ness refinancing bill, and subcommit- tee on farmers’ emergency relief bili. YESTERDAY. Senate. Sidetracked food and drugs bill Defeated motion to make 30-hour week bill the order of business. Interstate Commerce Committee re- ported motor transportation bill, Delayed vote on McSwain anti-war profits bill, took up omnibus rivers and harbors bill Democratic leaders and members of Ways and Means Committee decided tentatively to consult President Roose- velt before declding definitely whether :nmvmmmhtwmmwu TOMORROW. Senate. Senate may recess until Thursday if business slated for today is finished. Finance Committee, hearings on future of N. R. A. Special Munitions Committee, con- tinuing hearings. | House— Speaker Byrns, Chairman O'Connor of the Rules Committee and Chairman | Doughton of the Ways and Means | Committee will confer with the Presi- | dent on the social security bill. | On the floor, calendar Wednesday, ' with the Banking and Currency Com- | mittee having the call on measures | which it has reported to the House. | House District Committee, 10 am., open, on measures reported from sub- committees. Rules Committee, afternoon session, on special rule to limit amendments | to social security bill. STEN FIGHTING FLOODS Accident Toll Mounts as California Waters Threaten, | By the Associated Press. SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 9.— Ten railway section hands, working late to repair damage caused by re- cord-breaking rains, were killed last | night in a railroad accident near Roseville, Calif. The workers’ light railway motor | car crashed head-on into a Southern | Pacific gravel train. It was the worst of several accidents which have ac- companied heavy rainstorms over the State in the past three days. Nine other persons have lost their lives through drowning, and untold prop- | erty damage has been caused by high | waters. i The victims of the accident were killed instantly and their bodies flung into a 60-foot ravine by the side of the tracks. An eleventh worker was possibly fatally injured, while three others escaped with minor hurts. Weather Clears. | | ‘Threats of more serious flood hazards were believed averted today with the passing of the peak of the | storm and the prospective return of clearing weather, * | Homes, farms, crops, stores, high- ways and railroads all suered from | the effects of the storm in many | sections of California. notably in the | Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Records of half a century standing in Sacramento and of 22 years at Los Angeles were shattered by the rains that pushed the seasonal total throughout the State above the nor- | mal and far above precipitation in i recent years. Valley rivers were choked with the Tun-off from the Sierra Nevada, over- flowing thousands of acres of low- lands and into towns. Sacramento Alarmed. Tributaries of the Sacramento River created the chief hazard, pushing it up within inches of flood stage of Sacramento. ‘The river dropped slightly to 28.6 feet last night, but reclamation engineerssfeared it might rise again today. The Feather River, one of its feed- ers, passed flood stage north of Sacra- mento last night, and in its rush swept away a mile of Southern Pa- ;:::c tracks on the Marysville branch e. Rising waters drove many persons from their homes. One hundred were driven from river bottom camps &t Marysville. Merced was from 3 to 5 feet deep in water in the business district and parts of its residential sections when the Bear Creek over- flowed there last night. Merced hotels were jammed by per- sons quitting their flooded homes. Damage was estimated around $100,- 000 in that city. Boats and canoes were used for transportation as scores of automobiles stalled, and several sick persons were taken to hospitals in nigh-wheel wagons. Ten thousand acres of the Merced frrigation district were reported flood- ed by waters of the Bear and Mari- posa Creeks. Fruit trees in blossom and the strawberry crops were damaged by the storm. Two days’ work with steam shovels | was estimated as necessary to clear 'Western Pacific tracks in the Feather River Canyon of landslides. Pulgs, a town in the mountain area, was almost completely isolated by blocked highways. Impeded transpor- tation caused the closing of many ey schools. Office bill has been sent to confer- ence. The agricultural bill has passed the Senate and is waiting to go to conference. The Interior Department bill is pending in the Senate Appro- priations Committee. The Navy, leg- islative and second deficiency bills have not yet come out of the House Certain amendments to the A. A. A, have yet to be disposed of. Raflroad reorganization is pending, be reached this session. ‘The Copeland pure food and drug ~ labor disputes bill, the Black-Connery week bill and the Guffey coal tters that might be reached is continued long enough DANZIG BALLOTING BRINGS PROTEST Anti-Nazis Charge Constitu- tion WrecKed—Plan League Appeal. By the Associated Press. FREE CITY OF DANZIG, April 9.— ‘The fires of political animosity smoui- dered today as anti-Nazis charged Nazis with wrecking the city's consti- tution and announced their intention of appealing to the League of Nations for a new parliamentary election. Anti-Nazi groups drew up three peti- tions branding Sunday's balloting &s illegal because it was conducted by a government alleged to be wielding power in violation of the constitution The memorials sought to have the League set aside the results of Sun- day’s voting, in which Nazis won a majority, but fell short of the two- thirds margin on which they staked their hopes as a move toward reuniting Danzig with the fatherland. The petitions were drawn up by members of the Catholic, Socialist and Polish parties. Violations Enumerated. It was said they would charge the Nazi-controlled government with the following violations of the liberal con- stitution conferred on the district by the League of Nations: 1. Passing laws protecting Nazi party members, but excluding non-members 2. Passing a law authorizing police to take citizens into “protective cus- tody.” 3. Withholding information concern- ing the city’s financial affairs. ‘The petitions were to be delivered to the League of Nations Council May 18. It was said they also would raise anew the question of freedom of the press. contending opposition newspapers have been frequently suppressed. Violence flared in various sections of the city as an aftermath of the voting. Poles living in Brantau. a suburb, accused Nazis of entering the home of one of their number and beating him. In an ensuing fight a relative of the alleged victim was shot in the chin, and a Nazi received a critical bullet wound in the stomach Socialists charged that 60 members of their party were beaten at Zoppot. Correspondent Held. Meanwhile, Joel Cang, Polish cor- respondent for three British news- papers, who was arrested as he at- tempted to file a news dispatch, was held incommunicado. Authorities said he would be brought to trial and would face penalties of from three to 18 months in prison. As a result of the anti-Nazi pro- tests, the League of Nations Council, in the midst of efforts to persuade Germany to return to Geneva, will be called on to make a decision which may directly affect the international peace negotiations. If the Council upholds the Danzig constitution, it will throw a protective blanket over the first opposition which 50 far has been able to defy Hitlerism This, the anti-Nazis are aware, would be likely to irritate the Berlin govern- ment, which might use the situation as a further argument against return- ing to the League. The protests will be handed to Sean Lester, League high commissioner for Danzig, who will send them to Geneva with .an_impartial report on the free city’s difficulties. ARMED GUARD SENT TO MELLON HEARING Officials Deny Threats, but Sta- tion Officer Merely as “Precaution.” By the Associated Press. PITTSBURGH, April 9.—An armed guard was stationed today in the hear- ing room in the Federal Building where Andrew W. Mellon's $3,000.000 tax case is before the Board of Tax Appeals. Officials said no threats of any na- ture thad been received, but that the step was a precautionary measure. More testimony about Mellon's pro- posed $50,000,000 art gallery in Wash- ington was on the program as the financier’s $3.089.000 income tax hear- ing entered its eighth week. R. Stuart Scott, Mellon bookkeeper who was identifying various deeds of gift and other papers dealing with the former Treasurer’s art collection when the hearing recessed, was scheduled to testify further. Mellon's counsel, opposing an In- ternal Revenue Bureau assessment of $3,089,000 on the millionaire's 1931 income and asking a refund of $139,000 for that year, is expected to rest shortly, except for about 20 wit- nesses to be heard in New York later. The $19,000,000 art collection which Mellon already has turned over to the A, W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, was expected to take up much of the closing testimony. His attorneys are opposing a bureau ruling of last week that the trust is not a tax-exempt organization as now set up. i S DT Horn Sounding Costly. MILWAUKEE (#)—Fifty cents a block was the price Wayne Kavados paid to “clear the track” for his au- tomobiles. Arrested for continuous sounding of his horn for 10 blocks, Kavados was fined $5 after explaining he was in & hurry and wanted to clear the track. WASHINGTON WAYSIDE * Interesting facts about interesting people and things in Washington. See Page A-10