Evening Star Newspaper, July 29, 1935, Page 2

2 BOARDS TORUN THE KEvK~NING STAR, WASHINGTON, D.C, M ONDAY, JULY 29, 1935. NEW DEAL HELD STILL POSSILE Change in Constitution Is Held Unnecessary for Recovery. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Could America have a Néw Deal within the Constitution? This question challenges the con- structive critic, but it does not limit his suggestions to a single formula. Rather, it invites him to point to those broad powers in the Corstitu- tion as interpreted in decisions of the Supreme Court making possible a na- tional unity and a recovery program of genuine co-operation between all component elements. The implication that because this New Deal has been reversed in the courts there is no other is a reflection on the resourcefulness of American statesmanship. The plain truth, of course, is that even the New Dealers of the Roose- velt Administration concede there are other methods, but they fear the political repercussions. Always in | considering governmental prchlems | there arises the question of 1nd1v1d-‘ ual continuance in political office or | the effect on elections, congressional or presidential. Change Due Some Day. Some day when American leader- ship changes from the wiles of self- seeking politics to the courageous per- formance of duty, irrespective of re- election, we shall have a change. Meanwhile, it would appear to be unfair to allow the public to assume that it cannot have recovery without amending the Constitution or with- out going back to the so-called “Old Deal.” In this and several succeeding | articles, this correspondent will at-| tempt to record some of the basic principles which could govern a New | Deal within the Constitution, taking | up first the N. R. A. and then the A. A. A and each day other measures, like labor relations, which are so vital | in a recovery and reconstruction pro- | gram The N. R. A is first because on that question the Supreme Court has spoken by unanimous decision. What the Supreme Court rejected was regi- mentation by the Federal authority, improper delegation of authority by Congress to an executive agency and the attempt to do by Federal bureau- cracy alone that which the Consti- tution says can only be done by the consent of three parties—the Federal Government, the State Governments and the people. All Business Not Wicked. But it is not necessary to assert at once the maximum of reform to ob- tain & progressively improving eco- | | nomic system, and it is wholly unnec- essary to assume that all businesses are wicked and all corporations are vicious because greed and selfishness and even dishonesty pervade a few. | This was the fundamental mistake the New Dealers made in writing their laws, and quite naturally, they collided | with the principles of fairness which are imbedded in our Constitution. * The dangers of concentrated power | in the form of “trusts” or monopolies were recognized as far back as 1890, | when the Sherman anti-trust law was | passed. The Supreme Court held that it was a proper exercise of the “com- merce clause” of the Constitution for | the Federal Government to prosecute restraints of trade in interstate com- | merce or conspiracies to restrain trade. | So that the violators should not escape | through lack of jurisdiction, the sev- | eral States passed anti-trust laws, too. ‘We have, then, ample power to pro- hibit monopolies. This means con- versely that if it is in the public interest, we can sanction monopolies. Had the New Deal frankly espoused the idea of creating public monopolies through State and Federal action, it would have found itself on firmer ground. But the truth is there must | be some representation of the public | interest to safeguard against abuse, | and here we run into the difficulties | of putting political government into | power as'managers of private business. | Also, if public regulation is to be ef- fective, it means that the whole eco- nomic system has to be managed by Government, and this is contrary to| the American spirit and tradition. Answer of Trade Body. ‘What, then, could be done without | sanctioning monopolies and without | attempting to put the Governmens into | complete control of industry and busi- | ness? ‘The answer lies in a study of the | progress made by the Federal 'l‘fldei Commission, beginning with the ad-| ministration of President Wilson and | continuing to the days just before the | New Deal started. The opposite of public monopoly, indeed, the alterna- tive is competition. But there's a _difference between unlimited competi- tion that amounts to ruinous compe- tition, ruinous for everybody involved, including the economic structure, and what we have come to recognize as *“fair ccrapetition.” ‘The courts have approved the phrase, “unfair competition,” as coming with- in the regulatory power of the Federal Government with respect to businesses engaged in interstate commerce and as within the regulatory power of the several States with respect to com- panies doing business within a given State. Many of the splendid features of the N. R. A codes relating to| commercial bribery, the giving of re- bates, and a host of other unfair trade practices were originally written in the codes placed by about 150 different business trade associations before the Federal Trade Commission. ‘The administration is veering some- what in that directior. today, but it could have saved much time and effort and economie loss had it accepted the doctrine of evolution rather than revo- lution and had it built in 1933 on the ) What’s What ind N Behind News . In Capital Personnel Shifts Hint Remaking of New Deal Inner Circle. BY PAUL MALLON. ROOSEVELT has quietly started to revise his inner circle line-up. The big- gest part of the job will not b: completed until after Congress quits, but you can see the first signs of it behind the assignmént of Charles West as Assistant Secretary of Interior. It is an open secret at the White House that Mr, West’s success as a liaison officer with Congress was not outstanding. This is not a reflection on Mr. West. He is a good conciliator, but only with gentlemen and not with wolves. What the White House needed for that job was a lion-tamer. This function now is being served by Vice President Garner, even to the extent that Senate Floor Leader Robinson can be spared occasionally for a few speeches back home. At the same time there seemed to | be need for a liaison officer between | the White House and the Interior De- partment. Recent misunderstandings | there have not been so conspicuous as those with Congress, but are suffi- clently important to engage Mr. West's talents. Incidentally, Mr. West will be in line for the secretaryship if Mr. Ickes ever decides to take a judgeship. A similar explanation lies behind the Virgin Islands shake-up. The WHEELER PLEDGES HELP TO BORA Montanan to Resist Re- ported New Deal Efforts to Beat Idahoan. By the Associated Press. Administration plans to concen- trate a big part of their campaign next year in efforts to defeat the dean of the -Senate—Willlam E. Boreh—will be actively opposed by Senator Wheeler, Democrat, of Mon- tana, if the Idaho Republican in- dependent needs such aid. “I'will go into Idaho and cam- paign for Senator Borah if he wents me to,” Wheeler said today in com- menting on revived reports that Borah would be opposed for re-elec- tion by C. Ben Ross, Idaho's Demo- cratic Governor. “Regardless of politics,” said the Montanan, who bolted the Demo- cratic party in 1924 to run for Vice President on the ticket with the late Senator Robert M. La Follette, “I think Senator Borah has made an en- viable record for himself in the United States Senate, one of which the people of the entire United States are justly proud.” “Regardless of politics,” he re- peated, “Senator Borah deserves re- election.” Borah has gone along with many | New Deal measures, but has heatedly opposed others, including-N. R. A. His constitutional arguments against this and other proposals long have been considered by the Democratic political high command as ample against his re-election. The Idahoan will not discuss his plans for the future nor the opposi- tion to his re-election, but it has been known for some time that after five or six weeks' rest in his home State after Congress adjourns he will con- duct a speaking tour of the State and probably elsewhere. White House did not care for the way things were going, decided to get rid of Gov. Pearson and Judge Wilson, The shake-up was ar- ranged diplomatically so that every one would save his face while losing his official head. | Mr. Roosevelt even went to the extent of lifting a letter from what | is now known as his “kiss of death,” form letter A-1, expressing his deep appreciation of the services of those | who must depart. Incidentally, the Justice Department | was not as sorry as it pretended to‘ be in making a place for Judge Wilson on the Parole Board. Authorities there had long been hoping to make a place for some one on that board. Shuffie Excludes Kings. If you will piece these incidents to- gether and couple them with others like the recent transfer of capable Assistant Commerce Secretary Dickin- son to the Justice Department, you will have a hint of a changing inner condition here within your plain sight. President Roosevelt is reshuffling his jacks and queens. He has not come to the cabinet kings yet. In fact, there are evidences of disinclination to go into that situation very vigorous- | 1y in the face of the very warm politi- cal situation which is developing. But deeper than these things, it discloses a fundamental dis- satisfaction at the top with the way things have beén going; also a desire to revise and rebolster the New Deal in the matter of per- | sonnel. | Those closest to the Securities and | Exchange Commission keyhole noted | some time ago that Chairman Ken- nedy was making a few personal | preparations to get back to private | business, probably in the Fall. Lately they have seen some further activities along this line. Will Be Asked to Stay. The President undoubtedly will try | to get Kennedy to stay. He is now | | about the only conservative balance remaining in the official family. A higher and more interesting job may be offered him as bait. HELLO JOE/ WELL.ILL = IEITISNT. ? HENRY, Incidentally, Mrs. Morgenthau re- cently rented a house for the Summer at Cape Cod. The Treasury Secretary got away last week end to see the house for the first time. He liked it, inquired about the identity of the neighbor in the large house next door. It then developed for the first time that the next door neighbor was Joe Kennedy, the chairman of the 8. E. C. Kennedy also was week ending with his family. “In that case,” said Mr. Morgen- thau, “I will go over and have dinner with him,” and did. A major Washington misunders standing seems to have arisen around the fact that Mrs. Garner has gone home. A sharp-eyed news man noted her disappearance and concluded that this indicated Congress would not be long adjouring. The story spread far and wide. The fact is the wife and secretary of the Vice President departed for Uvalde about six weeks ago without getting her departure mentioned even in the society columns. And the rea- sons she went home were both con- sidered far more important than Con- gress: (1) Her granddaughter had ar- ranged to visit her, and (2) she had arranged to do her Spring preserving and canning. As & pre-eminent punster has pointed out, Mrs. Garner never per- mits Congress to poach on her pre- experience of the past. Lest thereader | .. .. say this is hindsight rather than fore- sight, he is referred to several dis- patches on this point written when the N. R. A. was first foisted on the American people. Trade association groups should have the right to present their trade practice agreements or codes to the Federal Trade. Commission for ap- proval. That tribunal should be authorized by Congress to hold . “Llic hearings at which any interested vty affected by such codes may ue against or for their adoption s * at the public interests may be a , the ¥ed- authorized to suspend or limit or apply the anti-trust laws in the public interest and the courts should. have complete power to review the decisions of the Federal Trade Commission. Note: Nevertheless, early adjourn- ment of Congress is a far better bet than most of the Congressmen yet know. Forgotten Prof. Warren, the com- modity dollar man, has dropped into the Treasury occasionally of late, ap- parently just to talk over old times. His running mate, Prof. Rodgers, the silver man, never comes around any more. ly as now referring to the Treasury crowd as “that bunch.” (Copyright. 1935 1 given industry and the public gen- erally would now acknowledge to be | columns continuously since March 4, 1907— | longer than any other Senator in | either party. His closest competitors for unbroken service aré Senators | Fletcher of Florida and Smith of | South Carolina, both Democrats. They entered the Senate two years after Borah. = A2 SN Live Longer in England. People of England are living longer than was the rule 25 years ago, due to | better water supplies and hygiene, and increased knowledge and skill in sur- gery. BY DON BLOCH. “Any time after 8 will be all right.” Great Scott! Do rehearsals for a vaudeville show begin at that time in the morning? " Disguised as a member of the Early Bird Society, we arrive at 7:30, not to miss anything. By that time the theater superin- tendent’s crew of 17 men and women had been three and a half hours on the job. Every inch of carpets had been vacuumed, the floors, walls, and furniture had been cleaned. An extra crew had been through the walls for offensive odors; another crew had disinfected every seat from first floor to gallery. Big portable spotlights were being hauled around by invisible figures be- hind them. The glare of those lights picks out a dust mote at 20 paces. “Outsiders” never see rehearsals. | It's theater tradition. Study in Desolation. ‘What is more desolate, empty, eerie than a theater before the show? Only the garish light of wing “spots” to show those billowing folds upon folds of vari-colored plush-velvet curtains. No noise but the sucking sound of the vacuum cleaners, and a vague buzz of voices from somewhere backstage. Eight o'clock. Up from below, the orchestra pit rises with a- basso rumble. The members drift in, by twos and trios, a few alone. They are | in mufti. It is a surprise; the drum- mer sits with his hat on, tapping lightly on the xylophone. The piano player, hat. tilted over his forehead, stump of a cigar in his mouth, chewing gum violently. Trombone player in a cap. S “All right, boys, let's lay it on, now —number one. All right!” Repeat, repeat, repeat; parts, then the whole Orchestrations marked | again and again, as the director sug- | gests. The baton clips down. “Let’s clean it up now. All right!” Repeat, repeat, repeat. A little activity on the stage now. A carpenter meets an old friend. Over the music their voices float down harshly. No “props” on the stage yet. Just a bare expanse. Praise at Last. A violin aria at 10 minutes after 8 in the moring: “Londonderry Air.” The director sits on the orchestra rai}- ing. The last notes die away. Deathly quiet. Even the stage hands cease the “Rehearsal was called for 9,” an- swers the stage manager of the new show in answer to the director’s ques- His friends quote him private- | tion. But none of the players have ar- rived. . “Lilt ft,” says the Another score. director. “Give me a sock four. We'll grounds for a determined campaign | Borah has served in the Senate | Theater Eerie at Rehearsal Musicians and Actors Practice as Crowd Jams Doors Outside. LASKA SENTENCED 10 10-YEAR TERM Kidnapers’ Lawyer to Fight Conviction for Accepting . Ransom Money Fee. By the Associated Press. OKLAHOMA CITY, July 29.—Ben B. Laska, dapper Denver attorney, convicted of conspiracy in the $200,- 000 Charles F. Urschel kidnaping, to- day was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Federal Judge Edgar 8. Vaught, who overruled a motion for a new trial. The judge could have assessed penalties up to life imprison- ment. Defense attorneys indicated they would appeal. Laska was convicted June 15 of ac- cepting part of the $200,000 ransom as fees for defending Albert Bates, convicted kidnaper. Laska's star witness, Mrs. Molloy O. Edison, attractive Denver attorney, was arrested for perjury immediately after the jury’s verdict. “The conviction of Laska will put the fear of the law into a lot of crooked lawyers,” said W. C. Lewis, United States district attorney. Laska scored the Government for “persecuting me,” and sald, “They made an example of me because I have been successful in defending kidnapers, and it hurt their pride.” His tone changed before the court today, but, as ever, he was a dramatic figure. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stood, arms outstretched, plead- ing with quivering lips for the judgt to “be reascnable.” “Judge, all I can say is—be rea- sonable.” Laska begged. “An inno- cent man is going to be sentenced. That's all I can say. This is a ter- rible thing for me after 27 years in this business. Please, judge, be rea- sonable.” The attorney remained free on a $10,000 bond pending determination of the appeal. ———— QUAKE RECORDED HERE | Strong Shock 7,500 Miles Away | Between 2:52 and 7 A.M. By the Associated Press. Georgetown University today report- ed recording of a strong earthquake, | beginning at 2:52:42 am., with max- | 1mum intensity at 3:04 and the end at 7 am. The distance was estimated at 7,500 miles. The direction was uncertain. | director marks them on his score. |Even what kind of bows to make. | | “Not a full bow; just sort of nod— see?” And he demonstrates. Eight forty-five. Suddenly, lmewheu, have come a lot of men— stage hands, carpenters, electricians, | property men. Two girls rush up the aisle and onto the stage. Hammering and yammering begins. A platform is beginning to take form on the.stage— :flzuudy thing in black and sparkling d. from | Rest a moment for the orchestra. violins, one a valuable Guarnarius.| Two musicians march up and down the aisle gravely, listening to its voi- ume and quality, while a third plays| | from the orchestra pit. | “It has a soul” observes one. | Interim. A girl from the new show | comes "in loaded with orchestrations | for her act, overcoats, and a shoe box with a sleeping kitten, “Name’s Sailor. she volunteers. “Belongs to one of | the kids.” The trombonist with the cap lends $3 to his fellow trombonist. Ah, one of the star acts arrives. But her music hasn’t come. She is . The director swears. All right, next one. Brief routine, “build-ups” noted in the score. The blond “hoofer” retires. Star Has Trouble. Another “hoofer” to rehearse. “Make that rubato, bright four, when I do this"—and she throws herself into a Hogarthian curve and requests “two rim shots” as she emerges from her final wriggle. A gray cat from somewhere or other, tail and back arched, prinks daintily along the rim of the orchestra pit, then leaps into the blackness of the theater. At 9:35 the star arrives. There is more trouble with the | #scores. The orchestrations for half | the parts are missing. “Get that librarian on the ’phone in New York and tell him to drop dead with our compliments,” suggests the_star to his stage manager. “Yes, sir,” says the stage manager. But the trouble with the music goes on. Parts are faked, pieces together; the second fiddle plays from the first’s score; the drummer gets a clarionet part; the trumpets are told to keep quiet. * Crowd Waits Outside. “Ten-thirty,” shouts the manager to the harassed director. “You can have 10 minutes more. We’ll hold up the show that long and finish rehearsals in ” violins have to play any faster than they just have theyll burn their strings. No time for the “cue sheet” for the Camera, An amateur photographer caught the destruction of this home in Lancaster, Ohio, just before the flood waters reached it and just after the wall of water had carried the small house a: liam Johnson and the family was rescued by neighbors. Damage by the flood was set at $200,000 and 200 per- sons were left homeless. Wirephoto. T BARLOW INVITES CONTEMPT CHARGE Lock Engineer Seeks to Force Wide Exposure of “Liquor Ring” in Senate. By the Assoclated Press. Lester P. Barlow, lock design en- gineer, today expressed willingness to Thé fiddlers compare the tones of tWO| . cited for contempt of the Senate | “in an attempt to initiate a wide ex- posure of the liquor racket.” Barlow, an engineer for the Yale & Towne Co., told the Senate Finance Committee Saturday during a hemmgl on the new liquor control bill that the National Distillers Corp. was “head of a bootleg ring.” Senator Ciark, Democrat of Missouri, demanded that he be cited for contempt on the ground he refused to answer questions con- cerning “proof” of his charges. Resents “Bullying.” In a letter to Clark the witness said one reason for his refusal to answer was Clark’s “bullying attitude tqpard witnesses.” He said he would place certain in- / | tormation in the hands of “some of my friends in the United States Senate, with a request that at least part of the facts which we have available be in- troduced in the Congressional Record for the benefit of those who may doubt | that we have the goods on the whisky ring.” Barlow said “conspiracy in the liquor industries” defrauds the Government of more than $200,000,000 annually in tax evasion. Bottle Lock Rejected. The engineer was & witness before the committee which is considering a provision in the new measure under which bulk sales of liquor would be permitted. He brought samples of & bottle lock, and suddenly burst out: “But the glass industry don’t want it,” adding that the glass industry “is in the hands of a bootleg ring.” Clark asked Chairman Harrison to cite Barlow for contempt when he | refused to reply to some questions. No citation was forthcoming and com- mittee sources indicated there would be no further action. M’SWAIN TREATED FOR AIRPLANE CUT | Committee Chairman Expected to Leave Hospital Today—Lamp . Shade Glass Injured Arm. Representative McSwain of South Carolina, chairman of the House Mili- tary Affairs Committee, was expected to leave Walter Reed Hospital today after being treated for injuries re- ceived when he was thrown against the glass shade of a lamp in an Army transport plane in which he and sev- eral members of his committee were being flown from Dayton yesterday. The shade broke and cut McSwain's arm when he lurched into it as the plane flew through a stretch of bumpy air Some of the party were to have made the flight in the airplane built for a contemplateéd around-the-world flight by Clyde Pangborn. The wing tip of Pangborn’s ship, however, was *36 Minute Women | Protest Tax Plan In Tea Party Style Old South Meeting| of “Unfair Levies.” By the Associated Press. BOSTON, July 29.—The old Scuth Meeting House, where the Boston Tu] Party was conceived 162 years ago, | | again today rings with the cry of | | “unfair” taxation. The Massachusetts Minute Women | of 1936 gather there to protest pub- | | licly against President Roosevelt's| new tax program. 1 Mrs. Charles Sumner Bird of Wal- | pole, who heads the recently organized Minute Wcmen, has invited the | women of Massachusetts, irrespective of party, to join in meeting “the im- mediate crisis confronting us.” i The program, which is brief, calls| for a reading of Josiah Quincy’'s m~, dress, which in 1773 aroused the colon- ists' ire against unfair taxes and sub- | sequently resulted in Boston's famous tea party. Leaders of the movement | plan to wear Colonial costumes. Mrs. Bird said a parade to the State House on Beacon Hill would be head- ed by a color bearer, fifer and drum- mer, and the line of march would in- clude old-time buggies drawn by horses and automobiles bearing plac- ards protesting the present system of taxation. COLIN ORDERED T0 FORM CABIET Unseated Dutch Premier Commissioned to Fight Devaluation. By the Associated Press. THE HAGUE, The Netherlands, July 29.—Former Premier Hendryk Colijn accepted a charge from Queen Wilhelmina today to form a new gov- ernment to replace his cabinet, which resigned last week in a political and financial crisis. The Queen received Colijn, an ar- | dent advocate of maintaining the Netherlands on the gold standard, and commissioned him to form his new cabinet on a broad political basis. The choice followed a week end of conferences in the drive to reshape the government for its fight against devaluation of the guilder. If Colijn should fail to form a new ministry, as did the Catholic party leader, D. P. Aalberse, political circles believed the only alternative would be the appointment of a Socialist premier. The Socialists, who, with the Catho- lics, overthrew Colijn, have demanded devaluation of the guilder and heavy taxes on wealth. Authorities estimated that more than one-fifth of the Netherlands’ stock has been Colijn was expected to complete his cabinet list tonight or tomorrow. NEW TREASURY BONDS | Issue Is for 100 Million in 20-25- Year Series. Treasury announced last night offering of $100,000,000 of 20-25- year 2% per cent bonds, which will be sold to the bidders. ‘The new ay. It was the home of Wil- 4500 PROICTS NOW NDERWAY House Rings With Cries |Ickes Answers Critics With| Report P. W. A. Is COUNTY WELFARE Centralization Plan Is Aban- doned for Mont- gomery. BY JACK ALLEN, Staft Correspondent of The Star. ROCKVILLE, Md., July 2.—Al- though centralization of all welfare activities under one agency, a plan long advocated in Montgoxerr County, appeared certain whewu the county budget was adopted a mog¥: 2go, {wo separate and distinct boary will administer the needs of the desi:- tute. It was learned today, simultaneously with the State Board of Aids and Charities’ selection of the new County Welfare Board, that this unit is to handle only Federal and State un- employment funds and old-age pen- sions. Other Group to Continue. Supervision of dependent child, de- pendent family, institutional and hos- pitalization cases and other activities carried on with county funds is to be continued by the committee which the county commissioners appointed some time ago to handle county re- lief problems. The county commissioners set up a Public Welfare Department in the budget passed a month ago for the current fiscal year and placed their committee at its head, hopeful that the new agency would take over the administration of all welfare work including Federal and State relief and old-age pensions. County Commissioner Paul Cough- lan said this morning, however, that a number of conferences have been held to discuss the question of cen- tralizing all welfare activity and it had been agreed by the commission- ers that the dual arrangement is the best method of meeting the situation —temporarily, at least. Delay Decided on. The two boards were to have taken over their duties next Thursday, but it was decided to continue the So- cial Service League and the office of the supervisor of county aid through August to allow the new groups to become organized and settled in their new routines. Members of the new State board for the county are Miss Lavinia Engle of Forest Glen, who is expected to be | named chairman because of her long experience in relief work; Dr. Dexter Bullard of Rockville, Robert H. Miller of Sandv Spring, Fred Lutes and Dr. Claude W. Mitchell of Silver Spring | and Mrs. B. Peyton Whalen of Be- thesda. Robert E. Bondy of Edgemoor, chair- | man; Orphans’ Court Judge Thoma | C. Kelley of Darnestown, Mayor Doug- las M. Blandford of Rockville, D: Mitchell, Mrs. Whalen and Miss Eng:s comprised the county commissioner: temporary board, but the places of th latter three will have to be filled b new members. Dual Jobs Banned. Harry Greenstein, director of th State board, ruled in considering pro¢- pective members of the new board ir “Montgomery that no one occupyirig any other gpvernmental office could serve on the State's committee here. thus eliminating Bondy, Blandford and Judge Kelley from consideration. Filling Gap. "In the face of criticism of the delay in getting the new $4,000.000,000 work relief program under way, & report | was made public today by Secretary Ickes showing P. W. A. was “filling the gap” in employment with more than 4,500 projects under considers tion costing nearly $1,3800,000,000. These projects are being carried on with funds appropriated prior to the $4,000,000,000 with which the admin- istration says it plans to put 3,500,000 persons to work. The men employed on them will not be counted toward the 3,500,000 total, officials said. There are other public works funds | in the $4,000,000,000, and Ickes urged States and communities today to rush | their applications for them. Ickes' report was based on data compiled in a national survey by the P. W. A. Division of Economics. It revealed: Thirty thousand two hundred and thirty-eight projects, costing $685,- 431,693, have been completed and are in_use. 4 Four thousand five hundred and fourteen projects, costing $1,787,187,- One thousand four hundred and twenty-six projects, costing $321,026,- 255, have received allotments and are in various stages of progress prelimi- nary to actual construction. ‘The projects under construction are both Federal and non-Federal, of the type generally for which P. W. A. State directors are now receiving ap- plications for loans and grants of 55 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively, or grants only of 45 per cent of the entire cost. A sharp acceleration in new appli- cations was reported by Administra- tor Ickes, indicating President Roose. velt's recent statement defining P. Wf‘ A. projects and projects of the Works Progress Administration had clarified | the situation somewhat in the minds of local officials. At present, Ickes reported, 2,130 ap- | plications amounting to $501,114,249 have been reported in the State ex- amining offides. Approving reports have accompanied 269 loan and grant applications totaling $58,262,762 for- | warded to the Washington office. The number of applications is increasing daily. it was claimed, indicating a de- | sire of State ard local communities | to co-operate by sharing the costs of | permanent public works improve- ments. No report was given showing the number of men now actually work- ing at P. W. A. project sites, but figures prior to July 1 claimed an expenditure of $1,550,000,000 almost entirely in wages, exclusive of the hundreds of millions allotted from the original P. W. A. fund to such relief agenciesas F.E.R. A, C.C.C, C. W. A. and others. Of the billion and a half in whges, the major portion went to workers given employment in producing the vast orders of materials for construc- tion projects. Wages totaling $485,- 000,000 was paid to workers on the sites. Gov. Harry W. Nice of Maryland, one of the many Republicans in and out of Congress who are criticizing delay . of the works program, had charged the administration with post- poning employment on & large scale | bill until the political campaign is about to start. Ickes' announcement followed one ‘The county commissioners later de- cided that no duplication of member- | ships should be allowed on the two ; boards, and successors to Mrs. Whalen | Dr. Mitchell and Miss' Engle are to | be appointed within the next few | days. | Prank H. Karn, president of the | Board of County Commissioners, how- | ever, wil serve as his board's repre- sentative to both groups. | RETURNED BY COURT Former Beer Baron Scores Point at Income Tax Evasion Trial. By the Associated Press. MALONE, N. Y., July 29.—The de- fense in the income tax evasion trial of Arthur (Dutch Schultz) Flegen- heimer scored today when Federa! | Judge Frederick H. Bryant ordered | returned to Schultz the famous black ledger which was the spring-board of the Government's case. Prosecutor John H. Burke had placed on the stand Leonard G Kierchner, Government accountant to connect the ledger, a financial journal of the Schultz beer syndicate with entries in the various Schultz bank accounts. Then Burke offered the ledger in evidence. James M. Noonan, defense attorney | leaped to his feet with objections. He | contended that' the book had been | illegally seized by Federal agents from Schultz’s headquarters in the Bronx | Judge Bryant agreed with him. FIRE RAVAGES TOWN LANCASTER, Calif., July 29 (@)~ | Fire yesterday burned five business buildings along the main street and reduced Lancaster’s popuiation of nearly 2,000 to near-panic. Damage was estimated at abolt 6100,000. Lancaster is 70 miles from Los Angeles. Boys Interested in Clothes. Clothes were the most interesting subjects to boys, followed by bicycles, | according to answers to a question- naire recently issued to South London TODAY. | Senate. Takes up miscellaneous legislation. Lobby Committee resumes investiga- tion of power industry. A House. Considers Mississippi River setback v’vnyu and Means Committee works on tax bill. TOMORROW. Senate. Unanimous consent calendar or smendments to the Taylor grazing law. Finance Committee' scheduled to start hearings on tax bill. mou:lereu meet on soclal security \