Evening Star Newspaper, July 8, 1935, Page 17

Washington News HAZEN WILL WAR ON BOOTLEGCERS WL CALL PARLE Aroused by Receipt of Names and Addresses From Confidential Source. HIGH POLICE OFFICIALS, JUDGES TO BE CALLED Commissioner Will Urge Stricter Inspection to Keep Policemen on Beats. Aroused by the receipt from a confidential source of a list of a dozen bootleg liquor establishments, Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen a nounced today he will call a “pep” meeting of the high officers of the Police Department and Police Court Judges within a week or 10 days. “If persons outside the District government can find out about boot- leggers, why don't the police know about them, too?” he inquired irately. “I am going to ask the precinct cap- tains how such places can operate right under their noses without their knowledge.” Names and Addresses. Hazen said the list contained not only the names and addresses of boot- leggers, but the approximate size of their businesses. He refused to say who furnished it, but hinted it may have come from an internal rev- enue official. The list was turned over to Lieut. George M. Little, com- mander of the headquarters vice #squad. The police judges will be asked to attend the proposed conference in order to have available their knowl- edge and advice as to proper presen- tation of cases in court, the Commis- sioner declared. “This conference is not going to be for the purpose of any further re- organization or shake-up,” Hazen said, “but to try to smooth out dif- ficulties and impress on the police | officers the necessity of greater effort. | ‘They ought to be able to catch more | of these fellows who break our laws.” | Seeks Stricter Inspection. Hazen made it plain he does not | place all the blame for lax law en- | forcement on the higher police of- ficials, however, but emphasized the need for a stricter inspection system to keep the “man on the beat” on his toes. “Policemen ought never be seen in stores and soft drink places, loafing and playing slot machines,” he de- clared. “They are on duty only eight hours a day and they ought really to work those eight hours. “I am going to make it plain at the conference that it is up to the officers—sergeants, lieutenants and captains—to keep their men on the Job. “I've tried to be nice to all police- men, but it doesn’t seem to work. I guess you've got to be firm; kid gloves won't do.” Loitering Place for Drunks. He told of a licensed on-sale liquor establishment “on Georgia avenue” where drunks loiter every night, mak- ing it disagreeable or even unsafe for women to pass. “That’s the kind of thing which shouldn't exist” he declared. “If | the policeman on the beat were doing | his job properly he would know of the situation and be on hand to pre- vent it.” Hazen said he recently conferred with Chairman George W. Offutt of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board and recommended there be no in- crease in the present number of liquor licenses. He indicatei he thinks there are now sufficient liquor stores and that additional places would only tend to encourage disorderliness and also would be harmful to the business of existing establishments. PARADE T0 LAUNCH CHURGH’S CARNIVAL| St. Gabrie! Congregation Begins 12-Day Fete Tonight—Prizes for Marchers. A big street parade tonight will inaugurate the sixteenth annual St. Gabriel's Church Carnival, which will last 12 days. Forming on Quincy street, between Georgia and New Hampshire avenues at 7:15 o'clock, the parade will start at 7:30 oclock marching out to Georgia avenue, proceeding north to Farragut street, east on Farragut street to Illinois avenue and south on Illinois avenue to Grant Circle and Varnum street, where it will disband. In charge of the parade are Thomas A. McNamara and William Miller, while the grand marshal is Maj. Harvey L. Miller of the Marine Corps Reserve, commanding the local outfit. ‘The director general of the carnival is Rev. William J. Sweeney, while the general chairman is James W. Gessford. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated float, the best decorated private automobile, the best decorated ‘baby -carriage with baby or doll, the best decorated boy's wagon, the best decorated boy’s bicycle and also to the marchers with the funniest and the fanciest costumes. The carnival is to end July 20. DRIVE ON INEBRIATES SHOWS COURT RESULTS A campaign recently inaugurated by Judge Ralph Given in Police Court to cut down the number of drunk cases by sentencing “repeaters” to long terms showed results in Police Court today, when only 100 persons were arraigned on charges of intoxication, as against 200 last Monday. N Judge Given said the situation existing this morning might be ac- counted for by the fact that during the past week he has given approxi- magtely 100 “repeaters” sentences of days each. | by Police Chief Ernest W. Brown in | Victim Left Socks By Robbers, and Gets Into Papers Tells at Hospital How He Found Himself on Monument Grounds. The victim of Washington’s most thorough robbers got into the papers yesterday, early and late. At Emergency Hospital he appeared in two early editions, minus all his clothing except his socks. The late editions revealed that Rus- sel Strohm of 1736 G street was di- recting two strangers to' a destination here when they attacked him. The next thing he knew, Strohm said, he was lying on the Monument grounds about 4 a.m. yesterday, hav- ing lost his clothing, $26 in cash and a front tooth. Strohm got into the two papers and hastened to Emergency Hospital, where he was treated for lacerations about the head. BROWN CONSIDERS NIGHT POLICE HEAD Unified Detective Rule Plan Also Weighed as Chief Leaves. A night superintendent of police and central command for precinct de- tectives are changes being considered | Is| his latest drive for efficiency. Maj. Brown is weighing the advisa- bility of having inspectors serve ro- tating tours as night superintendents | with full authority and full responsi- | bility for the administration of the force between dusk and dawn. This system was put into effect in | 1929 by former Police Chief Henry G. Pratt and abolished by Maj. Pratt several years later. Former Supt. Pel- ham D. Glassford reinstituted the office, with inspectors serving as night chiefs once a week. Brown Off to Convention. Maj. Brown had not decided defi- nitely yesterday whether to restore the | old system when he left for Atlantic | City for the convention of Interna- | tional Association of Police Chiefs, of | which he is a vice president. He ex- | pects to remain at the convention all | week. { Detective Chief Frank S. W. Burke | is known to favor having precinct | detectives report directly to the chief } of detectives, a5 do headquarters de- tectives now assigned to the precincts. This would leave the precinct com- | manders free to a large extent of investigation duty, with more time to concentrate on day-to-day policing | and crime prevention work Training Seen as One Benefit. Detectives working on unsolved crimes would report to the same com- mander at headquarters. This system | was in operation for about a year| until its abandonment 12 months ago. Inspector Burke pointed out that if | precinct and headquarters detectives | were under the same command it! would permit the training of young detectives by pairing them with head- quarters veterans. Too, a central com- mand would allow precinct detectives to be shifted from time to time and concentrated temporarily in areas where crime is most prevalent. KING SEEKS ACTION ON HEALTH ITEM Would Take Up D. C. Question ‘With Second Deficiency Ap- propriation Bill. Carrying out a promise he made to the Commissioners 10 days ago to help obtain additional funds for the District Health Department, to carry on a more effective health program, Chairman King of the Senate District Committee took steps today to have the Senate consider the question when the second deficiency appropriation bill comes up. The Senator announced shortly after noon that he is having the nec- essary amendment drafted, and will ask that it be referred to the Senate District Committee for preliminary consideration. He will then poll the committee, and if a majority indorses the pro- posal, he will file the favorable report with a view to calling it up when the deficiency bill is being considered. The additional fund amounting to $65,000 was asked by Health Officer Ruhland, and supported by the Com- missioners. Dr. Ruhland called at- tention to the need for this appro- priation, after conferees on the 1936 District appropriation bill had elim- inated most of the increases the Sen- ate had placed in the bill for pre- ventive work in the Health Depart- ment. i —_— Plans Swimming Party. Plans for a coming swimming and watermelon party will be discussed by the Jewish Junior Council swimming group at a meeting to be held Thurs- day evening at 8:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center.. o Loss of $300 Reported. Max Isenberg of 1200 Eleventh street southeast told park police yesterday that he had lost a black pocketbook containing about $300 in checks and currency in the vicinity of the Hains Point Tea House in ‘East Potomac Park. Drives to Answer No Permit Charge and Is Caught Again Not one, but two for the book was the way police put it when Joseph K. Brown attempted to drive to Traf- fic Court today to answer a charge of ‘driving without a permit. Brown, who lives at 1609 Riggs street, was arrested by Policeman E. R. Shoemaker Saturday on an over- time parking charge. At that time, Shoemaker said, he .learned Brown had no permit and made & second carge ‘Today Brown got into his automo- | changes in the House unemployment he %t SN 1) SUNDAY MORNING ® gy Star WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, JULY 8, 1935. SENATORS READY 10 PUSH DISTRICT SOCIAL SECURITY Committee Awaits Changes in House Job Insurance Bill. COPELAND RETURNS AND IS GIVEN FACTS Conferees on National Security Program to Hold Executive Session Tonight. BY J. A. O'LEARY. The Senate District Committee will be ready to move forward promptly on | the local social security program as | soon as legislative drafting experts complete preparation of proposed insurance bill. After reaching the conclusion last week that the unemployment plan should be amended substantially as asked for by the Commissioners, Chairman King of the Senate District group requested the legislative draft- ing service to go over the amend- ments. He previously had consulted the Finance Committee advisers, who helped work on the national securil.y] bill. ! Senator Copeland Back. | Senator Copeland, Democrat, of New York, chairman of the subcommittee which held hearings on the local bills, | returned to the city today and Senator | King informed him of the study he Is | having made of the amendments | needed to carry out the Commission- { ers’ recommendations. The revision | urged by the Commissioners is in- tended to avoid having the local un- employment bill go beyond the stand- ards in the national plan and in the laws of the States that have acted. Senator Copeland said he would b2 ready to proceed with consideration of the subject as soon as Senator King | finishes his study. A definite date for a committee meeting has not been fixed. Senator | King conferred Saturday with Sen- | ator Capper, the other member of the speciat subcommittee. Meanwhile, House and Senate con- ferees on the national security pro- gram are slated to go into executive session at the Capitol again at 7:30 this evening in an effort to settle re- maining differences between the two branches over important Senate amendments. Changes Still Issues. Some of the changes District offi- cials and organizations have re- quested in the local unemployment bill are still issues in conference on the national bill, such as the plan to encourage industries to stabilize em- ployment by allowing a reduction in the pay roll tax when an employer keeps his men steadily at work. In some other respects, hcwever, the local unemployment bill as passed by the House is more severe on the District than is contemplated by pro- visions of the national bill on which both houses have agreéd. For in- stance, both houses voted in the na- tional bill to apply the unemployment pay roll tax gradually at 1 per cent in 1936, 2 per cent in 1937 and 3 per cent thereafter, whereas the House applied the 3 per cent tax immedi- ately in the local bill. The House local bill contains other requirements that would make the District plan more strongent than elsewhere, such as the levying of a contribution from taxpayers generally to supplement the pay roll tax. . DETECTIVES BRUTAL, - SAYS $25,000 SUIT Washington Resident ~ Accuses Hoodlum Squad Trio of Beating Him. Three detective sergeants were sued for $25,000 in District Supreme Court today by Robert A. Doran, 1518 New- ton. street, who' says they beat and severely injured him last February 2. ‘The detectives are Clyde N. Strange, Joseph W. Shimon and Eugene D. Lambert, members of the old head- quarters hoodlum squad. Doran, a musician, says he went to an apartment at 1787 Columbia road, and found the detectives there. With- out cause or provocation, according to his suit, they struck and kicked him, fracturing his- nose and left cheek bone, spraining his arm and injuring his eye. Doran says he was confined to Emergency Hospital and to his home for some time after the alleged assault. 9 Through Attorneys George E..Edelin and Theodore D. Peyser, he says that as a result of the alleged beating, his nose has been permanently injured and disfigured and that his eyesight has been impaired. WIFE HELD IN SLAYING Staunton Woman and Husband Said to Have Quarreled. STAUNTON, Va., July 8 (#).—Po- lice here arrested Ruth Fisher, 34- year-old colored woman on a charge of murder. She is accused of having shot and killed her husband George, %, at their home near here, following & domestic row. bile to go to Traffic Court, but was recognized by Policeman E. D. Alber, who had seen him being booked in the station house Saturday. The net result was two $15 fines for driving without a permit and $5 more on the parking charge. ‘Three persons were convicted today on second-offense speeding charges— Robert F. Brown of Maryland, and William F. Hempel, 1341 L street, were fined $20 each, and Walter F. - son, 1330 Fourth street souths $16. & WEEKE HARRY DAVIS, PARK LANDSLIDE FUNDS REQUESTED $120,000 Sought to Clear Drive—Landscaping . Progresses. Landscaping in the section of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway vear the Lincoln Memorial is making sutisfactory progress, Frank T. Gart- side, acting superintendent of the National Capital Parks, today an- nounced, revealing that the Public ‘Works Administration has been asked for $120,000 for repairing damage done by the landslide -in the valley, just upstteam of the Q street bridge re- cently following heavy rains. The carth now covers half of the drive A special wall, designed to support the weight of the earth, will have to be built in sections, Gartside said. ‘The park authorities have been having trouble with the east side of Rock Creek valley, upstream of Q street, because that area is largely filled ground. Gartside announced a contract has been signed with the Logan Pingree Co., Inc., of 3820 Garfield street for furnishing and placing topsoil ad- jacent to the Rock Creek and Potomac parkway just south of Constitution avenue. This involves $3,000. G. H. Carper of McLean, Va., who has a $16,800 Federal contract, is top- soiling the parkway along the Poto- mac River north of Constitution ave- nue to K street. Gartside reported satisfactory progress. This Fall park authorities will move in additional trees, beeches and evergreens pre- dominating. With the program now under way, Gartside explained, the park officials will practically finish the main job there, although some additional funds will be needed for landscaping and topsoil. ALEXANDRIA SETS NO-ACCIDENT RECORD July -Slate Clean of Automobile Crashes for Eight Days Straight. By a Staft Correspondent of The Star. ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 8—This city today entered its eighth day of & perfect automobile safety record: Up to noon not an automobile acci- dent had occurred in Alexandria dur- ing the month of July. The number of continuous no-accident days already has set a record for recent years, dur- ing which the system of making daily automobile accident reports to police Bas been operated. Minor collisions, in which there is less. than $10 damage and no one in- jured, are not reported as accidents. —_— Seven Couples Licensed. FAIRFAX, Va., July 8 (Special). — Marriage licenses have been issued in the office of the county clerk, as fol- lows: Leo Cason, 28, Alexandria, Va., and Quilla Byrd, 30, Washington; Charles Luther Goodhand, jr., 29, Baltimore, Md., and Helen Mabel Willls, 26, Queenstown, Md.; Connie Jeff O'Day, 32, and Rosemary Shan- non, 34, both of Washington; John Paul King, 27, and Juanita "Cregar, 24, both of Washington; Leonard J. Grimes, 24, Quantico, Va., and Isa- belle Myers, 21, Fairfax, Va.; Robert Mandale Cragg, 23, Alexandria, Va. and Mildred Byrne Williams, 23, Dunn Loring, Va, and Howard Rose, 21, and Virginia Myers, 15, both of Fair- fax, Va. ) Scenes at the taxicab hearing started today by the Public Utilities Commission. Roberts, R. A. Sager, R. F. Brewer. Left to right: Raymond Sparks, H. D. Folsom, William A. D TOLL OF ISHAPS THO Auto Accidents and Drown- ing Recorded in Capi- tal Vicinity. A traffic fatality, a drowning and 13 cases of injury involving automo- bile accidents were recorded in the Washington vicinity yesterday and early today. Three Washingtonians were injured in out-of-town motor smash-ups. The death in Gallinger Hospital Sunday of Jefferson Lewis, 65, col- ored, 409 Fourth street southeast, brought to 62 the number of traffic fatalities here this year. Lewis was struck by a Pennsylvania avenue street car July 4. The motorman of the car, Thomas McDonald, 30, of 309 Third street southeast, was ar- rested and held at the Fifth precinct, custody of his attorney to appear at the coroner’s inquest. To Have Taken Job. A picnic near Great Falls in cele- bration of & job with the Government which he was to have begun today ended tragically for William Car- natzer, 23, a roomer at 900 K street northwest. Carnatzer was seized with a cramp while swimming near the District waterworks dam. He cried for help and a companion, George R. White, 206 Seventh street south- west, swam to aid him, assisted by an unidentified passerby. The drown- ing man struggled with White, who was forced to release him. Carnatzer’s wife, Dorothy, and another friend, John Gray, 2100 I street northwest, watched him drown. Search for his body by Maryland and Virginia police has been unsuccessful so far. Collision of an automobile with telephone poles on Central avenue at Forty-ninth street early this mon+ ing sent four men to Casualty Hose pital for treatment of minor injuries. Preston McMahon, 28, 1630 Lyman place northeas?, the driver of the car, was reported uninjured, Bernard O'Neil, 23, 1114 Neal street north- east, and Roney Collins, 34, of 49 L street northeast suffered slight abra- sions. Lesser injuries, including head and face cuts, were suffered by Jones Calhoun, 26, 915 Twenty-fifth street northwest, and Mark Colton, 23, 2418 K street. Automobile Runs Wild. Robert H. Adams, jr, 30, of 6306 Hillcrest place, Chevy Chase, Md., president of the American Storage Co. of Washington, barely escaped critical injury yesterday afternoon when his car ran wild, veered through a hedge and across a lawn in Chevy Chase and came to a stop after ram- ming the car of J. A. Mapkis, 3 West Woodbine street, which was parked across the street from his home. The impact hurled the parked car against a tree and catapulted Adams across his steering wheel, into the wind- shield. The Bethesda fire rescue squad took Adams to Georgetown University Hos- pital, where his condition was re- ported today as good. He sustained lacerations of the scalp, and not a skull fracture, as first supposed. Meanwhile, Bethesda police form- ally charged Adams with driving while drunk and a magistrate set his bond at $1,000. Three persons were injured this morning when a small red truck was in collision at Buchanan and Ninth streets northwest with a car driven by Curtis Logan, 43, 1227 Crittenden street. The truck, occupied by Max Futrovsky, 29, 809 Kennedy street northwest, who was driving, and his wife Rae, overturned and bounced off a parked sedan, crushing a fender. The parked car is owned by Raymond M. Pirle, 4527 Ninth street northwest. Treated at Hospital. The Futrovskys and Logan were treated at Garfield Hospital for lacer- ations and bruises. Physicians said their wounds were superficial. Liewellyn Davis, 29, of Forest Glen, Md., was thrown from his car yester- day and ststained a fractured collar- bone and minor cuts and bruises. Davis’ car, police said, collided with that of Walter W. Brandt of Silver Spring, Md., at the intersection of Linden road and Warren street. The Silver Spring fire rescue squad took Davis to Washington Sanitarium. Brandt was uninjured. In a collision yesterday at the busy Fourteenth and K streets intersec- tion, Louis Straws, 46, suffered & broken right hand, and his wife, Minnie, 38, cuts and bruises. They are from Richmond. Ralph D. Leach, 37. of Quantico, Va. the driver of the car in collision with the Straws, was uninjured. Harold Henderson, 15, of 1633 P street northwest, was struck yester- day by a taxicab said to have been driven by Morgan Taylor, 32, 400 Oneids place northwest. was playing in the street in D.C.BOY CRUSHED TODEATHON TRAN Inmate of Industrial Home Killed and Companion Hurt in Baltimore. One inmate of the Industrial Home , for Boys here was killed and another | seriously injured in Baltimore yester- | day, when crushed by a shifting load of steel in a freight car on which |they were returning from Phila- delphia. but subsequently was released in the | Robert Tesffrman. 15, was Killed, | and John Sweeney, 16. was hurt. Earl | Sweeney, brother of the latter, wit- | | nessed the accident i | The boys “walked away” from the | school Priday. Returning from Phila- | | delphia, they had jumped from the | train when it reached Baltimore and then clambered back aboard as it tarted to pull out. John Sweeney and Testerman took | their position at the end of the car. Earl Sweeney and a Baltimore youth, | Joseph Reznick, sat atop the steel girders. The lurch of the starting | train slipped the tons of steel toward the end of the car, pinning the youths. Earl and Reznick were struggling | | to free their chums when a conductor, | | hearing their screams, climbed into | i the car. Other railroad men came | | running to assist, but before cranes | | could be brought, Robert was dead. | His companion was taken to a hos- pital. Testerman’s mother, a widow, lives | also a widow, lives at 107 E street | | southeast. A coroner’s inquest was to be held | in Baltimore this afternoon at 3| o'clock. Both Earl Sweeney and Rez- | nick were held there. VICTIM OF SHOOTING IN JULY 4 ROW DIES ‘William Platt, 27, Held for Death of Mullen in Firecracker Dispute. George Mullen, 28, of 413 Sixth street died yesterday afternoon at Emersency Hospital from a gunshot wound sustained Saturday night when his assailant fired at Mullen's companion and missed. Police ‘are holding William Henry Platt, 27, of 1028 Eighth street, who, they say, fired the fatal shot. ‘The shooting was the outgrowth of & Fourth of July argument, according to Detective R. L. Manning of the second precinct, who took part in the investigation with members of the headquarters homicide squad. Platt, Manning said, accused Don- ald Ross, Mullen’s companion, of throwing a firecracker dangerously close to his wife, Mrs. Evelyn Platt, on the night of July 4. When they met on the street Saturday night, Platt is alleged to have fired at Ross. The bullet struck Mullen in the ab- domen. A coroner’s inquest is to be held later. —————————————————— block of Connecticut avenue, police said. He was taken to Emergency Hospital for treatment for contusions of the chest and scalp. A minor collision Sunday sent Loretta Marshall, 65, colored, of 504 Fourth street northwest to Casualty Hospital for treatment: for shock and nervousness. She was a passenger in an automobile driven by John W. Cunningham, 19, colored, 4705 Eads street northeast. Cunningham and Charles Lee, 35, colored, 4612 Hunt place northeast, driver of the truck in collision with Cunningham's car, were uninjured. Fairfax Accident Serious. The most serious of accidents in- volving Washingtonians driving yes- terday in Maryland and Virginia oc- curred at Fairfax, Va. Raymond How- ard of Arlington County sustained a broken arm and cuts when the car in which he and two companions were riding was forced off the highway and into a tree. Capt. Heywood Durrer of the Fairfax County police sent Howard to Georgetown University Hospital, where he received emer- gency treatment and was discharged. On a highway near Ridgeville, Md., a car bearing Florence McDonald, 56, of 1165 Abbey place northeast and Bertha Cook, 46, 417 Hamilton street northwest, ran off the road and into a tree. The women suffered knee cuts. O. G. Richter, 1630 Fuller street northwest, was cut on one hand and Mrs. Ida Rhodes, Broadway, Va., suf- fered head injuries when their car overturned on Lee Highway yesterday 2 miles east of Luray, Va. were trying to pass another car. After first-aid treatment boph proceeded to mlmjwm | Society and General PAGE B—1 PRESENT TAXI RATE URGEDBY DIAMOND HEAD AT HEARING Retention of Lowest Zone Charges Asked in Lieu of Meter Plan. CONFUSION IS CITED BY UTILITIES ENGINEER General Concept of Zone Opera- tion Hit by Davis in Present- Retention of the present lowest rate taxicab fare schedule of 20-30-50-70 cents was urged on the Public Utilities Commission today by Harry C. Davis president of the Independent Taxicab Owners’ Association. which operates the 1,261 Diamond cabs. Davis made his request in a 75-page formal statement a few minutes afte: the commission opened hearings which will result in the establishment for the first time of a uniform zone cat fare schedule for the District. Davis declared “a uniform taxi meter rate for all cabs would afford the pub- lic a more equitable rate,” but the sec- tion of the 1936 appropriation bill authorizing establishment of zone rates specifically prohibits enforcement of a meter regulation. The confused variety of unregulated rates for the city's 3,767 cabs was demonstrated by Fred E. Sager, en- | gineer for the commission. Sager pre- | sented five exhibits showing a range | from a 20-30-50-70 schedule, enforced on 3.637 cabs, to a 35-60-95-81.30 pro- gram in vogue on 11 cabs, and a sixti | exhibit on meter rates, used by 16 cabs. Many Attend Hearing. GRANTS INCREASED District Enterprises to Share in Liberalization of Terms. A new and more liberal basis for at 708 I street southeast. Mrs. Sweeney, | financing the $283,000,000 slum clear- | ance and low-rent housing program under consideration by the Public ‘Works Administration was announced today by Administrator Ickes with a view to making it easier for some 60 municipalities to come under the Nation-wide program. The most important change au- thorized increases the P. W. A. grant from 30 per cent of the cost w 45 per cent. This would leave the re- maining 55 per cent of a housing allotment to be constructed as a loan to the project, to be amortized by rents. Another important change, which would help greatly to reduce the an- nual rental payments, extends the amortization period over a 60-year period, instead of 45 years &s hereto- fore. Land cost will not be amortized, Ickes said, but a 3 per cent annual land-rent item will be carried by each project. . Interest to be charged on the 55 per cent loan section of the housing allotments is not to exceed 3 per cent, the same as heretofore. Under the previous regulations, however, land amortization was required. The new financing basis will 2pply to the housing project being planned now for Washington, as well as those in other cities of the country. Secre- tary Ickes believes the more lioeral terms will be an additional incentive for municipalities to enter into hous- ing plans and in reducing rental costs, speeding up the program generally. Contracts for construction of five housing projects have been let and bids are being received on others. Land acquisition is under way in some 40 cities, where projects are in ad- vanced stages. In the District of Columbia the Government has gone to court to acquire land in Southwest ‘Washington by condemnation. On the limited dividend housing corporation side of the program six of the seven housing projects undertaken are occupied and the seventh is under construction. AGED WOMAN’S DEATH , CAUSES POLICE SIFT| Physicians at Hospital Assert Patient Had Been Badly Beaten. Police today were investigating the | death of Kate Brooks, 70, colored, of | 113 Heckman street southeast, who died - Saturday night in Providence Hospital under “suspicious” circum- stances. The woman was taken to Freed- men’s Hospital June 17, believed to be ill from natural causes. There it was found, however, that she had been badly beaten. Two days later, | William Rawls, 38, a roomer at the Brooks home, was sent to jail on a charge of assault. | Police are attempting to determine | whether the woman died of her wounds or from natural causes and when she was removed from Freedmen's to Providence Hospital. Rawls is still in jail. Brookland Citizens to Meet. A special meeting of the Brookland Citizens’ Association will be held ‘They | Wednesday at 8 pm. in the Masonic Hall, Twelfth and Monroe streets northeast. The qued*ion of a property | covenant is to be taken up. Sager's testimony, delivered in a | room packed with cab drivers, cab as- | sociation officials and the curious, cab- | riding public, was the first to be offered by a long list of witnesses. | The hearing began in tMe commis- sion’s office on the first floor of th District Building. but so crowded did that rcom become that Chairman | Riley Elgen ordered a change to the large board room on the fifth floor. | To complete the hearings night ses- | sions probably will be held. Two previous attempts by | commission to set cab cates were over- | ridden in the courts. The helplessness | of the commission and of the taxi- | riding public was sharply illustrated for weeks ago when a driver-strike the forced withdrawal of all cabs from the streets at the opening of the Shrine Convention. Davis a month ago advocated a 30-50-70-90 schedule at the time of the walkout. Questioned about the discrepancy between this proposal |and his stand today, Davis' attorney, Ringgold Hart, said: “That high rate was just to get his | men off the strike and back to work. | He didn't intend to keep it up.” Rates today are fixed absolutely by the individual cab owners or by the | associations and the commission's | sole part in the establishment of rates is to act as recipient of a filed copy of the various schedules. Rates Voluntary, “All rates are voluntary"” Sager told Hinman D. Folsom, special assis- tant corporation counsel assigned to utility matters, who is conducting the examination for the commission. In his argument for the introduc- tion of metered cabs, Davis declared “Taxicab operations in the District of Columbia, as conducted at present under zone rates, are highly unprofit- able to the operators and drivers, who depend solely upon their income from the riding public and who are not in a position to ignore their cost of operation, because they do not and cannot sell gasoline, insurance and taxicabs at a profit.” Davis presented an elaborate sched- ule of a 349-day test operation of two metered cabs made by his association 14 months ago. This test showed: Seventy-one and nine-tenths per cent of the trips were for 30 cents or less. The average gross income per dayv per cab during this test was $12.096. on the meter rates, and $10.556 on the zone rates The average income per meter trip was 33.51 cents and the average in- come per zone trip was 29.25 cents. Hits Zone Concept. Despite the fact that Davis prefaced his statement by declaring his associa- tion is “not formally requesting an increase in the zone rates at this time.” he lashed the general concept of zone operations in these words: “We fully agree with Justice Ad- kins that the present zone system is discriminatory and that it is not pos- sible to devise a non-discriminatory zone system in the District of Colum- bia. We also concur with him that the zone rates are unreasonably low. In many instances they are below cost. “The earnings of the entire indus- try are inadequate, if fair wages are to be earned by the driver, and we also believe that the system increases cruising in congested areas, causes drivers frequently to refuse unprofit- able hauls and also results in many disputes. Long Hours Deplored. “We further believe the long hours seriously impair the efficiency of the drivers and endanger the public. Se- rious accidents frequently result in these long hours through excessive mileage caused by the present system and low rates.” Davis probably will be backed in his advocacy of present low zone rates by Harry Brill, head of the Bell Cab Association, with 312 cars, and by A. C. Kline, president of the City Cab Association. B. G. Hohensee, union head, who organized the drivers’ strike, will urge adoption of the 20-40-60-80-cent rate. William McK. Clayton, chairman of the Public Utilitiec Committee of the Federation of Citizens’ Associations, will appear during the week. — Library Group to Meet. MCLEAN, Va, July 8 (Special).— McLean Community Library Associs- tion will meet in library building WMIM«:‘M