Evening Star Newspaper, September 12, 1935, Page 21

® civil service reform bill, asserting hlsi Washington News AF.G.E REELECTS " BABCOCK HEAD AS CONVENTION ENDS Defeats P. T. David of T. V. A. Despite Attack With Ramspeck Letter. COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN REFUSES TO SPEAK Copies Are Circulated Among Delegates by Miss Esther Penn, Secretary. BY J. A, FOX, Staff Correspondent of The Star CINCINNATI, Ohio, September 12 ~E. Claude Babcock of Washington today was re-elected president of the American Federation of Government Employes in the closing session of the annual convention here. He defeated Paul T. David of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Knox- ville. The vote was Babcock, 160; David, 33. It was greeted with cheers. Chairman Robert Ramspeck of the House Civil Service Committee ac-| cused Babcock of attempting to use | the committee for propaganda pur-| poses. In a letter in which he rejected | an invitation to attend the convention here, it was disclosed just before the election. Copies Given Delegates. | Copies of the letter were circulated | among the delegates by Miss Esther | Penn, secretary. Babcock refused to | comment on the letter, dated Sep-| tember 5. It follows: “Your letter of August 29 inviting me to attend the fourth national con- | vention of the American Federation of | ‘ Government Employes has been re-| ceived, and it occurs to me that you are very late in thinking of this mat- | ter. | “In view of the attitude which you have assumed toward me and your ef- forts to use the committee for propa- ganda purposes, of course I would not | be interested in attending your con-| vention. “I am quite sure that you purposely delayed this invitation because you | knew it would not be accepted at such | a late date.” Second Letter Made Public. Miss Penn said Ramspeck sent her a copy of the communication. She also made public a letter from Rams- | peck in which he took exception to a statement in the Government Stand- ard, federation organ, concerning re- puted action by the Civil Service GCommittee on the Sirovich omnibus | committee took mno action on the| WASHINGTON, D. C, D. C. Quiet Place, Says Brown After New York Noise Study Police Head, However; to Order Force to Curb Unnecessary Sounds, . . Especially by Motorists. Police Supt. Ernest W. Brown re- turned from New York today after observing the effects of its anti-noise campaign, fully convinced that Wash- ingten by comparison is a quiet place in which to live. Nevertheless, Maj. Brown thinks there is much room for improvement, and he proposes to bring it about. In a few days members of the force will receive special orders to take drastic steps to soft-pedal all unnecessary noises. ‘The automobile driver who toots his horn at a red light because it doesn’t change to green quickly enough and the one who pulls up to the curb and blows to attract the attention of a passing blond or some one in tne house across the street is to be the | chief victim of Maj. Brown's new anti-noise crusade. Driver Real Menace. Maj. Brown thinks that type of driver is the worst menace to Wash- ington’s peace and quict. There are others, of course, he said, such as blasting radio loud ‘speakers in radio stores and bootblack shops, and they, too, are to be toned down. Maj. Brown pointed cut that any noise that can be considered as “un- necessary” is taboo and in direct vio- lation of police regulations. In fact, he explained, any one who makes any kind of a noise that disturbs the peace and tranquillity of the city is liable to arrest, with perhaps the sole ex- ception of the scissors grinder. He is permitted under the regulations to ring a bell, but the bell must conform to certain specifications as to size. It must not be more than 23 inches in diameter at the bottom, nor more than 13% inches in height. Crooners Settle Trouble. Even the street corner crooners and barber shop quartets can be stopped any time of the day or night, under the regulations, but Maj. Brown said compiaints of vocal disturbances on the highways have been few and far between, despite repeal. Maj. Brown had just read in a newspaper that in Toronto, Canada, the Board of Control had passed a resolution prohibiting the tooting of automobile horns between 11 p.m. and 7 am. He said he would not propose such a regulation for the District simply because at times the blowing of & horn is necessary as a signal. However, Maj. Brown believes that automobile horns are abused in Wash- ington, principally by the impatient driver who tries to force his way through traffic by making a lot of noise. ' The police superintendent said his own anti-noise campaign would be predicated on & desire to make Wash- ington a quieter city and not because New York or Toronto had adopted anti-noise measures or that the Amer- ican Medical Association Journal is complaining that the efforts of scien- tists to make man live longer are being thwarted by crying babies, shrieking automobile brakes and screeching horns. New York Conditions. While' in New York, Maj. Brown | said, he made a particular study of noise conditions and was impressed | with the need there of the present | anti-noise campaign. “Why, we don’t have anything like | the noise that New York has to put | up with,” he declared. “Up around | Times Square, the barkers yell until late hours of the night. Street-hawk- ers scream their wares and taxi horns are blasting. It's a bedlam. “Now, here in Washington the ven- | dors are off the streets at night and | | even in the daytime, they are not permitted to scream. The taxi driv- ers here wouldn’t dare make as much noise as they do in New York. No, after looking over the situation there, I am convinced Washington is a quiet place by comparison and it will be | quieter when the unnecessary blowing of automobile horns is brought under control.” CONSTITUTION DAY FETE IS PLANNED Al Available Army Units Will Participate in Parade. Plans for the Constitution day cele- bration Tuesday night took definite shape today as announcement was measure. Ramspeck said: “It is & plain misrepresentation to | Intimate that the committee had in-| dorsed anything contained in the Siro- vich bill.” | Ramspeck asked that his letter be | given to the convention. | After election of officers, the dele- | gates planned to wind up their an-| nual convention and go home, to meet | next year in Detroit. Admonished By Green. As the delegates elected their lead- ers for the next two years they| carried this admonition from Wil-| liam Green, president of the American Federation of Labor. “Do not let any differences which might arise over policies and plans interfere with your work.” | This message was delivgred before | the convention yesterday™ afternoon | by Green as he stopped over on his | , way to Akron to organize the rubber workers. It was his only reference— other than an urgent plea for unity— to the Federation’s troubles. 30-Hour Week Favored. Green declared he favored a 30- hour week in the Government to set an example for private industry, as only by the shortening of working hours could the unemployment prob- lem be met. “Our objective,” he said, “is to make the Government the ideal em- | ployer, to influence the Government so that it will set high economic standards which employers in private industry, must by force of public opinion follow and obey.” Green was wildly applauded and shortly after he left the platform the Federation went on record in favor of the 30-hour work week as one of | the plans in its legislative program coming up next year—a program Green told the convention would have the unqualified support of the A. F. of L. The convention only got around to adopting the platform late in the day but made good progress. Resolutions Adopted. ‘There were a number of resolutions « adopted on pay scales, including the following: Automatic salary increases; extension of classification to the field and a minimum wage scale—$1,500 for employes paid on an annual basis and 55 cents an hour for per diem ‘workers. " Other principles adopted by the federation—some reiteration of former stands—included the following: Pres- * ervation of the merit system and ex- tension of competitive civil service to the emergency agencies by non-com- petitive examination; 30-year optional retirement, with the privilege to the employe of naming a joint annuitant; yevamping of the efficiency rating sys- tem; termination of the marital status law; provision for a dismissal wage notice of dismissal; liberalization of quarters, subsistence, laundry allow- ances, to make optional with employes ‘whether they would be accepted, and opening Government facilities to ci- vilian employes. SCHMIDT RITES TODAY Lifelong Resident Will Be Buried in Glenwood Cemetery Funeral services for Willlam S. Schmidt, 55, life-long resident of ‘Washington, who died of pneumonia Tuesday at Emergency Hospital, will be held at the Nevius funeral home, 24 New York avenue, at 2 p.m. to- | day. Burial will be in Glenwood | Cemetery. : 4 made that all available units of the Army will participate in the parade preceding the pageant on the Monu- | ment Grounds. It was reported by Richard M. Ham, vice chairman and secretary of the| Celebration Committee, that the War Department has given assurance that this branch of the service will be well | represented in the procession along| with the full strength of the District | National Guard and the Fifth Marine Reserves. Parade Starts at 7 P.M. The parade, which will start at 7| o'clock from Fourth street and the Mall. also will include many floats and decorated automobiles entered by civic, business, fraternal and patriotic organizations. The route will be up Constitution avenue to Fifteenth street and thence into the Monument Grounds. District residents have been u-‘ quested to display flags at their homes | on the day of the celebration, while all public schools and private business houses also will fly flags. ‘The pageant will be featured by | fireworks, a series of novelty dances | depicting patriotic events in American history and an address by Justin | Miller, special assistant to the At- torney General and chairman of the | President’s Crime Committee. Benediction by Dr. Palmer. The invocation will be given by | Chaplain Alva J. Basted, U. S. A, and the benediction by Dr. John C. Palmer, pastor of the Washington Heights Baptist Church. Ten thousand seats will be arranged on the Monument Grounds to give a | view of the pageant and the finish | of the parade. A reviewing stand will be placed on the north side of North Monument drive. - HEWITT CONVICTED IN KING TAX FRAUD Rosslyn Man Still Faces Charge of Kidnaping Arlington Cemetery Worker. By the Associated Press. BALTIMORE, September 12— George O. Hewitt, Rosslyn, Va., man, yesterday was convicted in Federal Court here of having aided in de- frauding an aged man of $3,000. Sen- tence has not yet been passed. Hewitt still faces trial on a charge of having aided in kidnaping Benja- min H. King, the 60-year-old victim of the fraud plot. King, who lived at Hewitt's home, testified Hewitt and Floyd Lehman told him they were Federal agents and that he was “behind” in his in- come tax payments. The “agents” agreed to “settle” the casc for $3,000, which King paid them. Lehman entered a plea of guilty and is serving a prison term of two and a half years. The other charge against Hewitt is that he and a confederate kidnaped King, laborer in Arlington National Cemetery, in an attempt to get more money from him. Jewish Group to Meet. The local section of the National Council of Jewish Juniors will hold its first meeting of the current season at 8 o'clock tonight at the Jewish Community Center. The meeting will be open to all. Miss Sonia Kay, national executive secretary from New York, is to be guest speaker. - L] $3413.279 WORKS FUND 15 SOUGHT Included in D. C. Request Is | $315,948 for Participa- tion in Youth Program. Work programs eosting $3,419,279, to employ 5,200 men and women, in- cluding a request for local participa- tion in the National Youth Admin- istration plan, today were sent to Fed- eral officials by Capt. Howard F. Clark, District deputy works admin- istrator. The program was adopted late yes- terday by the District Works Projects Board and is expected to assure ade- | quate work for all the 11,555 persons | on the District relief rolls included in the revised work-relief program. Total Is $11,219,128. The total cost of all District pro- | posals submitted for approval now | amounts to $11219,128. Programs | costing $2,908,000, already approved, | now are in operation, giving work Lél some 5000 persons. The District is said to be the first large city to present a full program. Today was fixed as | the deadline for submission of such plans. The District Board rejected a peti- tion by the Free Public Library for $25,000 for building a new home for the Conduit road sub-branch library at Ashby place and Conduit road on the ground the project was not prop- erly in the scope of the works pro- gram. Federal officials were asked to ap- prove a grant of $315,948 for inclusion | of 990 young men and women in the| District program of the National Youth Administration. The program is for youths between the ages of 16 and 25 who are members of “relief” families. $1,960,644 for Women. The largest item in the new list of projects is for the general progran for women's work. A total of $1,960,644 was sought for employment of 3,000 women in sewing, laundry and other programs, including that for char- women. This work has been con- ducted under the old emergency works program. Another large project provides $1,- 066,000 for transfer of the District woodyard program to the new Works Progress Administration. This will give work for a year to 1,100 men in the production of fuel, repairs and maintenance of the relief and works housing. For the Tuberculosis Hospital a pro- gram of $5,040 was recommended to continue employment for seven nurses; for Walter Reed Hospital, $8,422, for a variety of plans, including a survey of old records; for the Industrial Home School for Colored Boys, $31.432, for repairs, grading and road improve- ments. MRS. EVELYN BARNETTE DEAD ON WEST COAST Widow of Rear Admiral Lived in ‘Washington Until 1034, Later Going to California. Naval officials here today were in- formed of the death of Mrs. Evelyn Hutchins Barnette, who died at La Jolla, Calif., on September 2. She was the widow of Rear Admiral Wil- liam J. Barnette, who served in Wash- ington as a member of the general board in 1906 and retired from the service in February, 1909. Officials recalled that Mrs. Barnette resided here at Stoneleigh Court until 1934, Mrs. Barnette was the mother of the late Comdr. Bradford Barnette, U. S. N. Admiral Barnette died at the Naval Hospital here in April, 1909, and is buried in Arlington Na- tional Cemetery. Naval officials here said that they | Summer and occasicned by the pro- | motion of Norman J. Nelson, then | | school administrator. | at Armstrong High School, was recom- | day, when he walked into a room at | | boys set upon the teacher and beat 4 ARE PROMOTED 10 MAJOR POSTS IN'SCHOOL SYSTEM Principals and Assistants Are Named—Dismissal of Teacher Recommended. OUT-OF-TOWN PUPIL TUITION IS ADVANCED Collins to Head Langley Junior High—Anderson Goes to West- ern—Strawbridge Shifted. Five important personnel changes within the school system, four in- volving promotions to major posts, | were made by the Board of Educa- | tion at its first Fall meeting yester- day. John Paul Collins, assistant prin- cipal of Eastern High School, who for several years has been in charge of inter-high school athletics, was se- lected as principal for the Langley Junior High School, made vacant by | the elevation during the Summer of | Chester W. Holmes to be head of the | new Anacostia Senior-Junior High | School. g Another vacancy occuring last | assistant principal of Western High School, to the principalship of the new Woodrow Wilson High School, was filled by the appointment of Rob- ert S. Anderson to the Western post. | Anderson has been statistician for the | school system during the past four | years, but is a thoroughly trained | Teacher Named Assistant. Thomas J. Nelson, an Eastern High | School teacher, was named assistant principal of that institution, filling | | the position held by Collins. R. W. Strawbridge, principal of | Jefferson Junior High School, was | transfered to the principalship of the | Stuart Junior High School. Claus J. | Schwartz, former principal of the | Stuart, died recently. Hugh S. Smith, a teacher at Jef-| ferson, was ‘made principal of the| school. ! All appointments were made on| recommendation of Supt. of Schools| Frank W. Ballou with the approval of «the Personnel Committee of the | board. Only Dr. J. Hayden Jjohnson of the committee was present, Dismissal of J. Q. Adams, a teacher mended by Dr. Ballou, who charged Adams with “conduct unbecoming a | teacher.” No action was taken and | the matter referred to the Personnel Committee. According to information reaching board members, Adams, who is a Re- serve officer of the Army, dressed in his uniform to attend the competitive drill of the colored high school cadets last Spring. While he was standing on the field a boy spied him and yelled derisively, “Boy Scout.” Adams did nothing at that time, but the nex: Armstrong where there were a num- ber of boys, but no teacher, one of them again called out “Boy Scout.” Adams is alleged then to have struck the boy. Whereupon a number of the him, breaking a metal map frame on his head. His injuries required medi- cal attention. A strong protest against the pro- posed promotion of J. J. McCracken, assistant engineer at the Deal Junicr High School, to be engineer of the Woodrow Wilson High School was lodged by the International Urnion of Operating Engineers. His elevation had been recommended by Jere J.| Crane, assistant superintendent of | schools and business manager. Short Service Charged. A union delegation, consisting of J. A. Johnson, Charles W. Hohman and G. W. Haley, contended McCracken had served but seven months in the District public schools, while others | in the school system were more de- serving of the promotion. Considerable discussion arose as to the propriety of Hohman objecting to the appointment, since he is an as- sistant chief custodian and a suh- ordinate of Mr. Crane, who recom- mended the appointment. Finally the entire matter was referred to the Per- sonnel Committee. ‘Tuition rates for out-of-town pupils. involving substantial increases from last year, were approved by the board. The rates, with the amounts of in- crease, were: Teachers’ colleges, $256.44, $43.38 increase; senior high schools, $110.33, $11.65 increase; junior high schools, $82.91, $9.17 in- crease; elementary schools, $58 170, $5.02 increase; vocational schools, $95.98, $4.34 decrease; vacation schools, $3.81, 22-cent increase, and night schools, $5.92, 18-cent decrease. Non-Residents Limited. Due to increased congestion in the schools during the coming year, strin- gent rules regarding the admission of non-resident pupils were announced. Non-residents will be accepted at Eastern and Roosevelt High Schools. Woodrow Wilson High School will take in pupils from Maryland. West- ern will not accept non-residents be- fore September 30, when a determina- tion will be reached on how many may be accepted. At Central and McKinley High Schools non-residents will be refused entrance until Sep- tember 26. No new non-residents will be ad- mitted to the Paul, Powell, Taft, Eliot, Stuart and Hine Junior High Schools, while out-of-town pupils may be ac- cepted after September 16 at the Mac- farland, Gordon, Deal, Langley and Jefferson Junior High Schools. For the elementary schools the board decided not to admit non-resi- dent pupils to the Lafayette and Grant Schools. Non-residents will be allowed to register at other schools only in classes which are not filled or overcrowded. Licensed to Marry. UPPER MARLBORO, Md., Septem- ber 12 (Special).—Marriage licenses have been issued here to the following: Walter Pelker, 29, Bolling Field, D. C., and Catherine Rotisky, 26, Washing- ton; Charles Galloway Cleveland, 25, were not advised about funeral ar- rangement Ballston, Va, and Jane Maynard Holst, 21, College Park, Md. . AY MORNING EDITION eing he by |Engineer’s Office Sfar THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1935. * Map of Proposed Boundary The map shows in broad outline the Alexandria shore of the Potomac River as agreed to as the boundary line between the District of Columbia and the Virgmia city in a proposal before the District of Columbia- Virginia Boundary Commission. by the Secretary of War. The broken line is the approximate location of the bulkhead line laid down Under the agreement, which must be approved by the Boundary Commission and ratified by Congress and the Leglslatures of both Maryland and Virginia, property owners will be allowed to fill in up to the bulkhead line from the present shore for improvement of the water front, but must reimburse the United States for the area filled. GRAVELLY AIRPORT DENIED BY ARMY Spikes Testimony Area Being Im- proved for That Purpose. ‘The War Department today put a | damper on testimony before the Dis- trict-Virginia Boundary Commission, which indicated that development of an airport for Washington is in prog- ress at Gravelly Point ir the face of opposition of members of the House District Committee to the use of that area for airport purposes. The office of the district Army engi- neer for Washington explained that although materials dredged from nav- igation channels in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers have been dumped behind levees at Gravelly Point, and probably- will be dumped there for | many years to come, the engineers are not building an airport. “Gravelly Point is merely conven- ient for the reception of dredged ma- | terials,” officials of the engineer office explained. “During the course of normal dredging operations, however, it would take years to fill in an area large enough for an airport. land is being improved but it is be- yond our jurisdiction to say to what use the land eventually will be put.” Ball Precipitates Discussion. Testimony that the Gravelly Point site is being filled came up in the middle of final argument today by former State Senator Frank L. Ball of Arlington County before the Boun- dary Commission and immediately pre- cipitated a discussion of the airport situation. Ball contended that the Government has no right to take about 75 acres of the Washington Airport area involved in the boundary fight. Meanwhile there were rumors to the effect that after all the arguments have been finished and the record is complete, that opposing counsel might confer with reference to arriving at an amicable settlement of the area still in controversy. No official con- firmation of this rumor, however, was forthcoming and plans went forward for former Senator Ball to complete his final argument today, and for Henry H. Glassie, special assistant at- torney general to begin rebuttal. Wall Now in River. During the discussion Chairman Charles H. Brough of the commission asked if the Government might not want to locate an airport on the Virginia shore. “I think,” replied Ball, “they do want to put an airport down below Washington Hoover Airport. They have a rip-rap wall built out there in the river already. I am very glad you asked that question.” “I was told by a member of the Park and Planning Commission,” said Chair- man Brough, “that filling was going on there.” The chairman explained that when Congress adjourned there had been a proposal that no consideration be given to Gravelly Point as an airport, but this had failed ef enactment. Refers to Map. Referring to the filling now going on, however, the chairman added, sig- nificantly, “After they have built up Gravelly Point they might develop it into a splendid airport.” Ball, referring to a Government map on display before the commis- sion, discovered a line on the map out into the Potomac River disclosing the very site of the fill. “That rip-rap,” declared Ball, “shows that the Government intends to put an airport there.” He charged that if the Government contention at the present time for a high water mark boundary succeeded it would take about 75 acres of former marsh land away from Washington- Hoover Airport and then “this airport will be gone.” He declared that it appeared to be the Government's intention “to aban- don one airport and build another.” ‘What agency is doing the filling on Gravelly Point was not disclosed by the chairman of the boundary com= mission. His reference to congres- sional objection to Gravelly Point ap- parently was directed to a report of a House District subcommittee on the airport which had been headed by Representative Jennings Randolph of West Virginia. This committee at the last session not only killed a bill by Represent- ative Howard W. Smith, Democrat, of Virginia to select Gravelly Point for the municipal airport, but wrote a report to a substitute bill recom- mending that Gravelly Point be en- tirely abandoned as an airport site. Their substitute measure providing one commission to select a site for an_ airport and a second commission of three men to build and operate a municipal airport was left in con- ference with a Senate bill for a Dis- trict airport commission. Ball Denies Criticism. In answer to what he said was crit- cism of the Virginia plan for low- water-mark boundary because it might block the Federal Government’s plan for beautification of the water front, Ball denied that it would block any such plans. As a matter of fact, he said, the stablishment of Gravelly | Point Airport would interfere with the beautiful view of the Mount Ver- non Memorial Highway over the Po- The | MANAGER OF GLEN ECHO |LEAVES FOR CALIFORNIA | L. B. Schloss Presented With Air- line Trip to Native State by Park Personnel. | | | With members of the Variety Club, | employes of Glen Echo Park, and per- sonal friends wishing them bon voyage, Leonard B. Schloss, accom- paned by Mrs. Schloss, left Washing- | ton by airplane this afternoon for / California. | To mark Mr. Schloss’ 25 years as manager of Glen Echo, the park per- him and Mrs. Schloss with an all- expense, round-trip airline ticket to California. visit Hollywood, the exposition in San Diego, various amusement parks and | san Francisco, his birthplace. and Mrs. Schloss will return to Wash- ington October 1. SALES OF LEGAL LIQUOR INCREASE |Dr. Doran Attributes Jump to Treasury’s Progress in Eliminating Bootlegger. By the Associated Press. The country is drinking more legal liquor this year than it did last.” This was disclosed today at the Treasury. Its records showed that 57,000,000 gallons of distilled spirits and 25,700,000 barrels of beer, ale, stout and porter flowed through Uncle | Sam’s tax turnstiles during the first | seven months of 1935. Compared with the same period in | | gallons and malt liquors 2,900,000 bar- rels. Dr. James M. Doran, director of the Distilled Spirits Institute, attributed the increase principally to “the prog- ress the Treasury is making in elim- inating the bootlegger.” He said there was no way to tell whether total con- sumption had gone up. Holds Consumption Up. But from Edward B. Dunford, coun- sel for the Anti-Saloon League, came an assertion that the larger stream of tax-paid liquor undoubtedly was due to increased consumption. He pointed out liquor could be sold in a larger territory this year than last and con- tended that improved economic condi- tions had given the public additional purchasing power. As to whether the Treasury had been cutting down boot- leg sales, the anti-saloon spokesman said: “In some places observers seem to think it has, but in other sections they do not.” Despite the pick-up in legal liquor | this year, the flow still is far below pre-prohibition levels. The amount of tax-paid distilled spirits withdrawn from warehouses for consumption during the full year ending June 30, 1935, was 82,457,338 gallons, compared with 164,291,295 in ing private cellars—and 135,543,973 in the typical pre-prohibition year of 1912, Consumption of beer and other malt liquors is nearer the former marks, a total of 41,946,201 barrels during the past fiscal year comparing with 60,729,509 in 1917 and 62,108,633 in 1912, Prepare New Regulation. Distillers and brewers in States which have laws governing them, are preparing at present for regulation by the new Federal Alcohol Control Administration. This agency, auiiorized by Con- gress to succeed the one crippled by the Supreme Court’s ruling against N. R, A. codes, will not be set up until President Roosevelt selects its administrator. Joseph H. Choate, jr., director of the old F. A. C. A, has in- dicated he will resign to re-enter pri- vate law practice. Dr. Doran, who represents the dis- tillers, declared they will welcome regulation. “We don’t think the industry is stabilized yet, and strict control oper- ates to check abuses which the pub- lic naturally would resent,” he said. tomac River at that point now. He said, furthermore, that the George ‘Washington Memorial Parkway, wnich is planned for both sides of the river as a Federal project, would proceed anyway. Ball took up the history of the sonnel of 200 last August presented | While in California Mr. Schloss will; Mr. | 1934, distilled spirits gained 12,000,000 | 1917—when many persons were stock- TRAFFIG TOLL HITS Society and General PAGE B—1 GALLINGER REPORT ASKS ADDITIONAL WARD BE ERECTED Overcrowding Feared by Dr. Bocock in Bid for Building. ENLARGED STAFF HELD NEEDED TO DO WORK Nurses on 12-Hour Shift Instead of Standard Eight, Lower- ing Efficiency. Construction of an additional ward building at Gallinger Municipal Hos- pital to correct present overcrowding and to permit a better grade of serv- | ice was strongly recommended to the | Commissioners today by Dr. Edgar A Bocock, superintendent. He pleaded also for an enlargement T3 HERE FOR YEAR Inquests Under Way in Deaths of Child and Young Man. Inquests were being held today at the District morgue in two recent traffic deaths, one of which yesterdsy} brought the total traffic fatalities here for this year to 73. Meanwhile, six other persons received injuries late yesterday and early today, which may prove serious, four of them being hurt in a collision shortly after midnight | between two automobiles and a street | car at Constitution avenue and Sev- enth street. ‘Today’s inquests are into the deaths | of Paul Botler, 4-year-old boy of 1307 | South Capitol street, killed yesterday | when struck by a truck in the street near his home, and of James I. Mur- phy, 23, of 50°4 Illinois avenue, who died last Sunday in Casualty Hospital from injuries received September 5. Robert Hicks, 31, colored, of the 300 block of D street southwest, driver of the truck which struck the boy, was to appear at the inquest into the child’s death. William T. Drinkard, 23. of the 2100 block of P street, driver of the milk truck which was in collision with the Murphy automobile at South Dakota and Rhode Island avenues northeast, was to appear at the Murphy inquest. Two Autos Hit Street Car. An automobile operated by Arthur Harris, 38, colored, of Falls Church, | Va, and another driven by Mike S. Borger, 23, who gave his address as 498 M street southwest, collided at Seventh street and Constitution ave- nue. Both machines then crashed into the street car. Harris was reported in critical con- dition at Emergency Hospital, suf- fering from possible fracture of the skull and back. Two others, who pohc{ say were passengers in Borger's machine, suffered cuts and possible skull fractures, police said, but left the hospital after receiving treatment. They were Jacquiline Frazier, 20, giv- ing her address as the Astoria Apart- ments, Third and G streets, and Warren Schaffer, 21, giving the ad- dress of 459 M street southwest, | Borger was treated for slight cuts. Motorman William T. Morris, 53, of 629 Seventh street northeast, was the operator of the street car, police said. | Martin C. Hoft, 80, of the 1300 block of F street, received severe cuts about | the head and neck when struck while | in the 1700 block of Columbia rcad by an automobile which, police said, | was driven by Salvatore Squitieri. | The latter was charged with reckless driving. Hoff's condition was re- ported undetermined at Emergency { Hospital. Street Car Hits Woman. | Hattie Bowers, 34, colored, of the | 700 block of Lowrie place northeast, received numerous cuts and bruises when struck by a street car at Fiftieth street and Deane avenue northeast. She was taken to Casualty Hospital, where she also was under observation for possible internal injuries. The Botler boy's death was the tenth traffic fatality in the District since the police drive against traffic law violators was launched July 20. One of the deaths during this time, however, was the result of injuries | received several months prior to the campaign. b Besides the official police count of 73 traffic fatalities since the first of the year, 2 other deaths occurred. A man was injured on a street car right | of way on the outskirts of the city and another, colored, was crushed be- peath a truck while asleep. D. C. TO PROBE USURY AMONG VETERANS Action Promised Immediately Against Lenders Victimizing Men at Soldiers’ Home. Disclosure of the operation of “loan sharks” among veterans at the United States Soldiers’ Home has prompted District officials to prepare punitive action against lenders in advance of the date set for prosecutions under the drive against usurers, next Mon- day. Assistant Corporation Counsel Ed- ward Curran has collected testimony to show that one veteran has paid $320 interest on a series of loans to- taling $300 principal. He notified the attorney for the lender immediate prosecution would be started unless the suit is dropped. The lender is aid to be a resident of Virginia who formerly lived at the Soldiers’ Home. The attorney said he would advise his client to dismiss the suit. Other complainis of loan shark operations at the Soldiers’ Home also are being investigated by Curran. Rigid enforcement of the 1913 loan- shark law was orderdd by Corporation Counsel Prettyman after Congress failed to pass the proposed new small loans bill. The present law limits in- terest and other charges to 1 per cent per month. Active prosecutions were to be started by September 16. . 'WOMA of his staff, terming the staff now in- | adequate to meet demands, and sa'd | nurses are compelled to work a 12- | hour shift, instead of the standard | of eight, and sickness among nurses is on the increase due to lack of proper hours and rest. Establishment of an adequate so- cial service department, he saic “would prove to be an economy on account of assisting with the place- ment of homeless individuals who do not require institutional attention.” Asks Research Laboratory. Other recommendations were for organization of a research laboratory, limited in extent at the start. to pro- mote investigation of obscure profes sional problems, and for development of an outpatient department for am- bulatory cases not longer needing in- | stitutional care. ‘The new building is needed to halt crowding of the medical wards of the hospital, Dr. Bocock said in his an- nual report. It would be used to house medical patients, X-ray laboratories, administrative offices, the teaching ampitheaters, rest rooms and lock:r rooms. The present quarters then could be used mainly for surgical pa- | tients. The daily average number of pa- tients during the past fiscal year was 741. as compared with 691 in the pre- ceding year, and with an average of but 222 in the 1934 fiscal year. Dur- ing the last half of the past fiscal | year the daily average of well over 800 patients was reached on three successive months, he said. He pre- dicted a definite increase for the com- ing Winter months. New Ward Is Limited. A new ward building has just been completed, but this is for contagious disease patients, it was explained. Dr. Bocock recommended that the Dis- | trict seek funds for the proposed new building either through regular appro- priation channels or through applica- tion for a grant from the Public Works Administration. Protesting against the 12-hour shift now required for his staff of nurses, Dr. Bocock declared adoption of the 8-hour day for nurses now is prac- tically universally accepted through- | out the hospitals of the country. “It is generally conceded that for a general hospital there should be one salaried employe for each patient under treatment, but here the pre- vailing proportion at practically all times has been two patients to each employe, and at the peak loads the disproportion has been even more striking. “A satisfactory grade of work, ade- quate treatment and suitable care cannot possibly be rendered to the city’s public patients with the amount of help now available.” Corridors Sometimes Used. To illustrate overcrowding, Dr. Bo- cock said at peak periods patients have had to be placed in corridors, examination rooms and wherever a bed could be located, because the wards were crowded. If the Gallinger School of Nurses is to be continued, he declared, more drastic efforts must be made to em- ploy graduate nurses on general duty to allow student nurses more time for study, rest and sleep. He protested that the students now must do day duty and attend classes at night and | that the resulting time lost through illness creates an economic loss. N ARRESTED IN STABBING CASE | Ruse by Police Brings Apprehen- sion of Willie Mae Williams at Beckley, W. Va. A ruse by Washington police has brought about the arrest in Beckley, W. Va, of a woman wanted here in connection with the fatal stabbing on September 1 of James McGowan, 30, of the 800 block of Fourth street northeast. The woman, Willie Mae Williams, 20, was arrested by West Virginia authorities upon request of Washing- ton police, who secured a United +| States commissioner’s warrant for her return here. Detective Sergt. A. M. Tolson left to bring her back to Wash- ington. Detective Sergt. George E. Darnall, head of police homicide squade, re- vealed today police had a line on the woman shortly after the stabbing. Fearing she would keep secret where she was if she knew she was sought, police pretended to be seeking a man, Darnall said. Immediately after McGowan's death last Monday, police secretly sought the woman in connection with the killing. Two men and two women were still in custody of police today as witnesses in the stabbing. One of the witnesses told police McGowan had bothered several women around the Fourth street house and that one of them turned from a kitchen table and stabbed him with a knife. McGowan was taken to Ca ualty Hospital from Fifth and H streets northeast. Bird Hoop Supports Flowers. A wire hoop attached to an orna- mental bird perched upon the top of a stick is said to be an ideal supe port for flowers, bushes and young trees.