Evening Star Newspaper, September 15, 1935, Page 25

- [[caeanes | @he Sunday Stae —_— D. G, TAX REVENUE 1§ CUT $60.8% BY U. 5. LAND BUYING Drop in Taxable Property Expected to Bring Re- vision of System. HIGHER UTILITIES SCALE IS PROPOSED New Measures May Be Dictated Largely by Amount of Money Found Necessary. BY DON S. WARREN. Real estate valued at $4726,450 was exempted from taxation here during the past year, due almost en- tirely to purchases of property for Federal and District Government use, causing a $60,896 loss of tax reve- nues, Tax Assessor William P. Rich- ards revealed yesterday. He reported the final total of realty | assessments for the present year, on which the first payment of taxes is due this month, amounted to $1.- 131798.384. This shows a decline | of $1,029,000 from the total assess- ment for the past fiscal year. Some weeks ago the assessor esti- | mated the total assessment for this year would run to $1,138,000,000. At | the time he did not have figures in | hand en the amount of exemptions to be deducted due to the Government land purchase. Deductions since credited for this reason account for practically all of the change in his estimate. What happens in the home of a 3.year-old boy, whose death is recorded in two inches of mews- paper type under a headline Crushed to Death by Truck’? How about the months of suffering in hospitals to save the splintered arm of a youth tossed down a joggy road in a head-on collision? To bring home some of these heartaches The Star, in its trafic safety campaign, last night as- signed three reporters to interview two accident victims and the mother of a dead child. Their stories were broadcast over Station WJSV by special arrangement with the Columbia _Broadcasting Co. They jollow: Mrs. Nellie Mellett, 1731 Twentieth street. Reporter—Mrs. Mellett, you were injured in an automobile accident seven months ago, Does it still affect you? Mrs. Mellett—Indeed it does. I can't bear to ride in a car at night. The very thought of it makes me nervous. Reporter—Did this accident cause you any permanent injury? Mrs. Mellett—Yes. I lost six teeth and those I have left are highly sen- sitive. And a jag- ged scar across my chin is a re dent. Reporter — Did you lose much money because of 12 should say. Doc- Studied for Revision. The facts of the trend of assess- Mments and the huge amount of land here that is in the tax exempt class will be considered by members of the Municipal Taxation Committee in its studies of possible and proposed re- vision of the present system of tax levenues. This was announced yesterday by Corporation Counsel E. Barrett Pretty- man, who is head of the committee. Other members are Auditor Daniel J. | Donovan, Tax Assessor Richards, Utilities Commissioner Richmond B. Keech, People’s Counsel William A Roberts and Director of Highways H. C. Whitehurst. Prettyman yesterday made public an outline of the plan of his com- mittee’s studies. First of all, he said, | the group would make an analysis of | tance coming toward us we could se¢ paye you had? the present revenues of the District, | making note of the question of what | may be expected to be the Federal payment towards expenses of the Na- tional Capital. this is $5,700,000. Por the pext year | +ihe Commissioners will ask 35.317,000‘] the same as requested for the present year, which met with Senate ap- proval but which was beaten down in the House $55,000,000 Total Asked, Also, the committee will consider | the expected needs of the District in | 1937, as measured by requests of de- partment heads and the action of the Commissioners on them. The budget proposals of department executives totaled nearly $55,000,000. The Com- | missioners have said they will shave these to about $46,000,000 A sliding scale of proposed revenue- Producing measures, Prettyman smd." would be the object of the committee. | JIts aim will be to suggest certain easures if, say, $1,000,000 more in | Trevenue is required to meet revenue demands; and other measures if $2.- | 000,000 over present expected revenues | 1s anticipated; and so on. There may be some proposals for revision of pres- ent tax measures or suggestions of how | much revenue might be obtained | through adoption of new expedients 4n taxation, he said. . Utilities Tax Raise Weighed. ‘The committee will consider propo- | $als for increased taxation on utili- | {tles. Various District officials already | ‘have advised the Commissioners there is need of upward revision there. | Other suggestions are for a boost in the gasoline tax, adoption of a weight tax on automobiles, adoption of an | inheritance or estate tax, and the income tax. Outside of an increase in utilities | taxes, the committee members have | not indicated what, if any, new taxes | the committee may recommend. An exception to this is that Prettyman -some months ago drafted a proposed inheritance tax measure for the Dis- trict. Prettyman said figures studied so | far reveal clearly that the margin be- tween costs of operation of the Dis- trict and its total revenues has been getting smaller and smaller in recent years. This means, he emphasized, that less and less money is being left | for capital improvements, despite the | needs of a growing city. | ‘The report of the tax assessor shows | that the grand total assessment for this year is expected. to produce in taxes $16,976,975.76. Of the total as- sessmeqt of $1,131,789,384, the sum of assessments on land was $483,016,100, and $648,782,284 for improvements. SPEEDER FINED $50 FOR THIRD OFFENSE 14 Traffic Case Defendants Lock- ed Up, 30 Freed on Bond Ap- pear to Answer in Court. William Richards, 1748 Taylor street, was fined $50 by Judge Isaac R. Hitt in Traffic Court yesterday on a third-offense speeding charge. Fourteen persons were locked up Friday and last night for appearance in Trafic Court yesterday. Thirty persons, released on posting collateral, appeared to answer 34 charges. Eleven were speeding cases. William F. Knight was fined $25 on a charge of lending his driver's permit. . For driving without a permit, James E. Washington, colored, of the first block of Fenton street northeast, was fined $25. The Police Department’s strict en- forcement of traffic regulations during recent weeks has shown a noted drop For the present year | tors, | $300. Mrs. Mellett. R oater—How did the accident happen? Mrs. Mellett—It was last February. drug store at about 10 o'clock in the evening and were driving home. .‘ Reporter—Were vou driving fast? Mrs. Mellett—No, we were travel- ing very carefully. Reporter—How was the road? Mrs, Mellett—It was wide, three lanes. We were in the middle lane The night was clear and the boule- vard was well marked. Reporter—Then what? Mrs. Mellett—Way off in the dis- the very dim lights of another car. Reporter—Did it seem to be moving fast? Mrs. Mellett—Not especially. At first it was barely discernible, ard | even when it got right on top of us we could hardly see it, its lights were 50 low. Car on Wrong Side of Road. Reporter—How did it come to hit you? Mrs. Mellett—Well, it was traveling down the wrong side of the highwav to the right of us. Reporter—Didn't it make any of- fort to move over? Mrs. Mellett—No, it came straight for us. There was nothing my hus- band could do. He couldn't go to tne right or to the left. The other car had us in a pocket. Reporter—Did you realize it was going to hit you? Mrs. Mellett—No, I kept thinking its driver would put on his brakes. Reporter—What did you do when the crash came? Mrs. Mellett—I didn't know any- thing about it. It was minutes later when I came to. Reporter—Were you badly hurt? Mrs. Mellett—My head struck the dash board. It ached. I acreamed, “My teeth are gone!” Then I—I must have moaned. My husband caught me in his arms, Reporter—Then what? Mrs. Mellett—My mouth was bleed- ing It dripped on my dress and coat —even on my shoes. My chin was split open. I begged my husband to take me to a hospital. Reporter—Were all your teeth gone? Mrs, Mellett—Five were gone. I pulled another out later on. One was driven into my chin. Two were jammed in my gums up under my nose. Two were found later on the floor of the car. Reporter—How about the people in the tar that struck yours? Mrs. Mellett—I didn't know at the time. I could hear cries from chil- dren. I didn't know how badly they were hurt. Reporter—Where did you go after the smash? Mrs. Mellett—My husband rushed me to a hospital. A dentist there pulled the teeth jammed into my nose. 29 Stitches in Chin, Reporter—Was there any surgery? other 29 stitches in my chin. Every day a dentist came and clipped my gums. They were torn open in the crash. sult of that acci- | § Mrs. Mellett—I | hospitals, dentists. We’'re far from rich. It/ cost more than' | My husbvand and I had gone to & | 1of the injury? Mrs. Mellett—Oh, yes. A doctor took | WA Miseries of Auto Victims Heartaches and Sufferings of Two Injured and Mother of Boy, 3, Killed by Truck, Bared in Radio Broadcast. Reporter—Were you in the hospi- tal long? Mrs. Mellett—Nine days. We paid $68 to the hospital for the cheapest accommodations. The doctor's bill was $135. An injection of anti-tetanus serum cost $5. Reporter—Did you feel pretty well when you left the hospital? Mrs. Mellett—I should say not. For six weeks I went to the doctor and | the dentist. I had to have a tempo- rary plate made for $35, and a per- manent one is going to cost $250. Reporter—It upset your whole ex- istence, didn't it? Mrs. Mellett—Oh, yes. My face was hideously swollen for some time. The bills mounted. I could do little around the house. I became awfully nervous. Reporter—It all seems too tragic. From what you say the whole accident was totally unnecessary. Mrs. Mellett—It was unnecessary. I'd never have been hurt if I'd stiffened myself before the crash. But I never dreamed that other car had no brakes. Philip H. Love, Cottage City, Md. Reporter—Mr. Love, I see you still have your arm in a sling. Love—Yes, I haven't been able to use that arm for more than a year. I | may never be able to use it again. G The best I can .. hope for, the L. doctors tell me, is partial use. Reporter— You're a young | %' man. The chances | i & 4 are vyou will be handicapped for | 4 4 life. ’ Love-— Yes, it | looks that way. I am nearly as helpless now as an invalid. Tcan't even tie a tie, or the laces on my | | 1 Philip Love. shoes. Reporter—What happened to your m? Love—It was crushed as though it had been under a steam roller. The bone was split down the center in one place. In another it was broken cross- wise in four or five places about a half inch apart. The elbow was en- tirely chipped off. My shoulder blade | and collar bone were fractured. ’ Reporter—Does it pain you now? Love—No, not now, but it does every time I undergo an operation. Reporter—How many operations | Love—Three, but I've got another serious one to face. As soon as my arm | heals sufficiently, the doctors are go- |ing to try to put on an improvised | elbow. But that will be some time .’ l'ievortet—flo' long were you in the | hospital? Spent 11 Weeks in Hospital. Love—Altogether, I've spent about | 11 weeks in the hospital. Ever since T've been out, though, I've had to see the doctor every other day. My arm | was wired together in several places. | wires were removed and the bone scraped. Reporter—How long were you in the | hospital immediately after the acci- dent? Love—Nine weeks on the flat of my back, lying on a fracture board with | | my arm suspended in the air with 12 | pounds of weight hanging on it & thought at one time I'd have to lose it. | Reporter—You have a wife and daughter to support? You've been un- \ able to work for more than a year now. I wonder if you'd care to tell us what your expenses have been? Love—Not a nickle under $2.500. Of course, that includes everything—hos- my employers had not paid the bills | and my salary we would have been up | | against it. | Reporter—You told us you had to | see the doctor every other day. What | other trouble do you have as a result | | Love—I have to have my hand mas- | | saged every day to keep my fingers | from becoming stiff. For three months | I had to go to the Takoma Park sani- tarium every day for that. Reporter—I suppose you get a little nervous every time you get into an automobile? Gives Details of Crash. Love—There's no doubt about that. Of course, I can't drive any more, but when I'm out riding with some one else, it looks like every car on the street is trying to run into us. Reporter—Tell me about the acci- dent. Love—It happened August 13, 1934, on the Washington-Richmond High- way near Accotink, Va. It was about 1 o'clock in the morning. The fog | was dense. The car in which i was riding was going about 30 miles an hour. It might have been less {nan (8ee VICTIMS, Page 3.) i BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG. HYDE PARK, N. Y, September 14 —President Roosevelt experienced his first flat tire since becoming Pres- ident while motoring today in the Adirondack Mountains. His automo- bile, at the head of a caravan of cars en route from Whiteface Mountain to Westport on Lake Champlain, was traveling at a moderate rate and there was not the slightest danger involved. Mr. Roosevelt chatted with mem- bers of his party standing beside his car while the chauffeur was changing the tire, when his attention was drawn to an aged man standing on the bank of the roadside, waving and smiling. The President waved in response. This recognition prompted the old man to call back, “I'm happy to see you, Mr. Roosevelt. I have read lots about you, but I never knew I would ever be this close to you.” “Thanks,” Mr. Roosevelt called back. “Where are you from?” “I am from Chicago,” the old fellow answered. “I've been motoring up to my birthplace in Springfield, b and am on the way back with my daughter. in the number of traffic violations. “This is her,” he told the President bl First Flat Tire During Term Fails to Mar Roosevelt Trip as he pointed to a smiling, plump, middle-aged woman beside him. “Mr. President, will you let me shake hands with you?” the stranger asked. “I would be delighted,” Mr. Roose- velt answered, whereupon the gray- haired man and the woman beside him came to the side of the Presi- dent’s car and shook hands. “What's your name?” Mr. Roose- velt asked, indicating a real interest in the simplicity and genuineness of his visitors. “John Hayes,” the man answered, “and her name is Lucille.” “I am a retired bricklayer and my father was a blacksmith, and, Mr. President, my father made the first barrel for & Smith & Wesson gun and I have just looked at the anvil he used then while I was visiting back in Springfield.” ‘This incident occurred a few miles out of Elizabeth Town. Strangely enough, & few miles the other side of the Adirondack village the car in which Secretary M. H. McIntyre was riding was halted by engine trouble. Mr. Mclntyre ‘and other occupants SHINGTON, D. C, EXCHANGE OF LAND MAY END DISPUTE OVER BOUNDARY U. S. and Airport Owners Would Negotiate Trade Under Proposed Plan. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD GET PARKWAY | Virginia Would Gain Right of Sovereignty, With Taxing Powers Over 75 Acres. BY REX COLLIER. Agreements “‘out of court” may re- | lieve the Virginia-District of Columbia | Boundary Commission of the neces- | sity of passing on the centuries-old | question of whether the D. C.-Virginia line follows the high or low water mark on the Virginia shore of the Potomac River. Following closely on stipulations which ended the controversy between the Federal Government and the City of Alexandria over shore rights along the Alexandria water front, strong in- dications were developing yesterday that the major question of Washing- ton-Hoover Airport sovereignty will be settled by agreement. | Under the proposed agreement the | United States ard the owners of the airport property would negotiate an exchange of land, whereby the Gov- | ernment would relinquish claim to | | several score acres north ana west of the main landing field in return for land skirting the Mount Vernon Me- morial Boulevard. The areas for ex- | | change would be designated after con- | ferences. | This exchange would give the Gov- ernment what it has been fighting to | secure from the outset of the bitter | boundary dispute—control of land bordering on the Mount Vernon road | and the parkway development on the Virginia shore. | ! Virginia Would Gain. | Negotiations looking toward such an agreement are said to be in im- mediate prospect. Virginia would not | be a party to the exchange, but the State and Arlington County in par- ticular would gain what they have been battling for in the boundary | hearings—retention of sovereignty, with taxing powers, over some 75 acres of valuable land which once was a worthless swamp. The land now is valued at more than a million dollars and provides Virginia with thousands of dollars in revenues. ‘The boundary ccmmission probably | would welcome the opportunity to pass over the water mark problem, | whica has plagued legislators, jurists and other officials sporadically since signing of the Calvert Charter of | 1632. Three times the United States Supreme Court has been called upon to rule upon the boundary, and each time it has held that the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia extends | | | Just two weeks ago the last of the to the high water mark on the Vir- | sid to hav ginia shore. Hold Decisions Not Binding. Representatives of Virginia hive argued before the present commission that since Virginia was not a party to the cases in which these rulings were made, the court did not have an op- | portunity to hear Virginia's side and { that the decisions are not binding in | the present mediation. Virginia in- lsist_s the boundary is the low-water mark, and it has cited the West Vir- | ginia-Maryland boundary decision in | support of the low-water line theory. | The commission in that case voted two [ to one in favor of low water—but the Government contends that since the | | river at that point is beyond tidal in- | pital bills, doctors and nurses fees. If | guence, the principle of low and high water marks did not apply. The District of Columbia's side In | the hearings now under way is being presented by attorneys for the Federal Government, assigned to the case by the Department of Justice. The Gov- | ernment has made & vigorous stand in support of its argument that the high-water mark should apply—and | that what is now part of the airport property once was in the bed of the " (See BOUNDARY, Page 6.) | to January 1. | District, | Workmen's EMPLOYERS' LIST STARTED BY JOB INSURANCE CHIEF Marshall Prepared for Col- lection of Benefits, Be- ginning January 1. PRETTYMAN PLANS TO ISSUE GUIDE BOOK | Calls on Business Men to Submit | Questions as to Law and Its Application. Compilation of a complete register of all known employers in the District has been started by John A. Marshall, executive director of the newly-formed District Unemployment Compensation Commission, it was announced yester- day. ‘This is the first major step taken in the huge task of preparing statistics and records for operation of the plan to pay insurance benefits to those who | become unemployed. Payment of | benefits is not to start until 1938, but | collection of pay roll assessments will | start January 1. Corporation Counsel E. Barrett Pret- tyman also took time by the forelock | yesterday to issue a call to all em- ployers to submit to his office as soon as possible all questions of the mean- | ing of the law and its application, Plans to Make Guide Book. It is his purpose to gather an assort- ment of legal and other questions and ask the Unemployment Compensation Board to adopt a set of covering policies, rules or interpretations prior He proposes to issue | these answers in Nogember or Decem- ber. He hopes to have a handbook ready for the guidance of employers before the time comes for them to make their contributions. ‘The board will have the advice of a number of officials of private busi- | ness and Government agencies in the ! drafting of policies and in framing the organization to handle the ad- ministration of this phase of the so- cial security program. The services of three already have been sought by the District Commis- sioners as volunteer consultants for temporary periods. They are Henry Shepherd, assistant director of the Bureau of Research and Statistics, Treasury Department; R. J. Hoage, deputy commissioner for Workmen's Compensation Commission for the under the United States Compensation Commis- | sion, and William Montgomery, presi- | dent of the Acacia Mutual Life In-| surance Co. Three Willing to Aid. | The Commissioners have been told | | all three will be glad to spend & num- | ber of days with the board and Direc- | | tor Marshall to outline their sugges- | tions, Others versed in insurance and compensation insurance matters are volunteered aid. | The new board consists of Daniel | J. Callahan as representative of em- ployers, John Locher, president of the Central Labor Union, as representative of employes, and District Commission- ers Melvin C. Hazen, George E. Allen and Dan I. Sultan. Director Marshall is using a number of sources in compiling the register of employers. He has requested Traf- fic Director William A. Van Duzer to supply a list of all firms having com- mercial vehicle licenses. He also will ask the Board of Trade, Merchants' and Manufacturers’ Association and other groups to supply lists of their members. Other sources will be the list of commercial and business firms in the telephone and city directories and insurance companies will be asked to supply lists of firms and other em- | ployers holding workmen'’s compensa- | | tion policies. ‘The Unemployment Compensation Board is to hold its third meeting Tuesday. Prettyman and Elwood Seal, | assistant corporation counsel, as well | as Director Marshall, are expected | to attend. A number of administra- | tive problems may be decided. SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 15, 1935, Picture shows control box on a street car which caught fire last night at New Jersey avenue and P s treet, burning the motorman on the hand. Four passengers were injured as they rushed for the rear door FIVEHURT AS FIRE BLOWOUT BRINGS PANICS STREET GAR Motorman and 4 Passen- gers Injured as Result of Short Circuit. A street car motorman and four | passengers were injured last night when the car caught fire at New Jor- sey avenue and P street from a short circuit in the control box and threw the passengers into a panic. The passengers suffered sprains, cuts and bruises during a stampede to the rear door as flames shot out from | the control box. The injured passengers were: Mrs. Sadie Hardey, 40, of Tilden Gardens, 3900 Connecticut avenue, who received a cut and bruised lip: her two daughters, Miss Mary Hardey, 21. and Miss Rena Hardey, 18, who | suffered bruises and shock. and Miss Dorothy Bryant, 23, colored, 2300 block of Champlain street, who re- ceived a sprained ankle and back as she fainted and fell to the street while alighting from the car. ‘The motorman, Redmond E. Hood. 23, of 22 Seventh street northeast, was burned on the hand. Miss Mary Hardey was knocked to the floor and stepped on during the stampede and lost her pocketbook containing about $14. | Firemen summoned to the scene by a box alarm soon had the blaze under control, confining it to the front end of the car. Police tentatvely esu- mated $100 damage to the street car. — for Ownership A A vigorous campaign to arouse civic pride in Washington's parks will be launched soon by C. Marshall Finnan, superintendent of the National Capi- tal Parks, who has $1,000,000 to spend in beautifying and improving the Dis- trict’s park system. Mr. Finnan announced yesterday his office plans an intensive educational program to inform citizens how they can best aid in preserving the natural beauties of the parks and prevent their misuse and despoilation. Co-operation of citizens' associa- tions, the Board of Education, teach- ers, school children and all public- spirited organiaztions will be sought by Mr. Finnan to make his park drive a success. ‘The park chief will ask Louis R. Barrett, the newly-appointed co-ordi- nator of recreation in the District, to attend various citizens’ association meetings, which will be getting under way shortly. Likewise, he proposes to have H. R. Gregg, park naturalist, who is coming here from Hot Springs, Ark,, take an active interest in this campaign of education, Making Washington “park con- scious” is Mr. Finnan's objective, so that the citizens will enjoy the out- of - door areas to the full, but at the same time halt any abuse or mis- use of the parks and what they contain. Rather than havi lice- men arresting people, Mr&y an would prefer to have the citizens transferred to other cars in the caravam. co-operate of their own accord with the park officials in making Wash- Drive Planned to Arouse Civic Pride in Washington’s Parks $1,000,000 Beautification Project Calls ttitude on Part of People, Says Finnan, | ington one of the best and most | beautiful cities in the world. But this goal will never be at- tained, he says, as long as vandals can go about their work of destruction without at least a ‘“call down” by public - spirited citizens. Mr. Finnan says that the citizens should regard the parks as their own property and take as lively an interest in the preservation and betterment of this property as if.- they owned it indi- vidually. As it is, it is costing the taxpayers of Washington and the Nation thou- sands of dollars annually to repair damage done either thoughtlessly or through malice, said Mr. Finpan. If the public is willing to co-operate, this money can better be expended in im- proving the park system and making the out-of-door recreational areas more inviting to the public and more enjoyable for their use. With the assistance of the citizens’ associations, the school children and people with the welfare of the city at heart generally, Mr. PFinnan be- lieves that a marked improvement can be attained. With this in mind, he will embark shortly, with his asso- ciates, on a,good will campaign. He says that he is sanguine about achiev- ing concrete, beneficial results. “It is certainly rather useless for the Government to be spending $1,- 000,000 for the improvement of the National Capital park system and then having to spend money on the other end in repairing preventable damage,” he said, DETECTIVE GETS $500 ‘5 Per Cent of Tri-State Reward, However, Goes to Police Fund. For his part in the capture of members of the notorious Tri-State gang, Precinct Detective John A. Ca- ton has been granted a reward of | $500 by the Post Office Department, the District Commissioners announced | yesterday. Caton actually will receive $475. In adopting a rule vesterday permitting | acceptance of the reward, the OComa- | | missioners ordered deduction of 5 per | cent for the clothing and helmet | fund of the Police Department. This | is the established rule for acceptance of rewards. Recently a reward of $1,500, less 5 per cent, was given to Lieut. Floyd ‘Truscott. { when Giles' ToTH FATALITY Colored Man Is Killed. Four Others Hurt in Last Night’s Accidents. A colored man was killed and four persons injured in traffic accidents last night. bringing the total fatalities here for this vear to 75 Bennie Stewart. 1200 block of Howison place southwest, was killed stantly when a blowout caused the automobile in which he was riding to run off Stanton road southeast. be- tween Alabama and Nichols avenues The car turned over in a ditch Two other colored men in the ma- chine were believed seriously injured, both being treated at Providence Hospital. They are Walter Fester and Ben Miller, both of the 1100 block of Howard road southeast Samuel Utz, 76, of 3231 M street southeast suffered a nose injury and cuts and bruises in a collision be- tween the automobile he was driving and another car on Anacostia road southeast, between F and G streets. Miss Margaret Grisso, 17, of 128 Eleventh street southeast, a passznger in the other machine. which pclice say was driven by Wilson P. Giles, 631 Pennsylvania avenue southeast, received cuts. The accident occurred, police said, car hit a culvert and then ran intc the other car. 19 PLEAS FOR PAROLE SET FOR CONSIDERATION Board Will Meet Tomorrow at Lorton .to Consider Applica- tions of Groups. Applications for varcle ot 19 prison- ers will be heard tomorrow by the Board of Indeterminate Sentence and Parole, meeting at the District Re- formatory at Lorton, Va. The following list of eligibles will be considered, it was reported yester- day by Hugh F. Rivers, secretary to the board: | Mary McNair, Henry J. Bonepart, | William Hastin, Lawrence W. Parran, | John Beverly, Claude Penn. Christo- | pher C. Evens, Thomas J. Wright, Carl Haygood, Walter Logan, John Bell, Winston H. Andrews. Charlie | Gross, William Diggs, George Payson, James Seay, Thomas Jenkins, Thomas | Hogan and Roosevelt Baker. Seven thousand seven hundred em- ployes under Secretary Ickes’ jurisdic- tion in Washington will set back their alarm clocks an hour, getting in that | much more sleep before starting work | tomorrow. They will work a corre- "spondlng length of time at the end of the day for the Fall and Winter. Officials yesterday announced the Interior Department and P. W. A. will work from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from to- morrow on. Since April 15, the em- ployes have been coming to work at 8 a.m. and officially getténg off at 3:30 p.m. Secretary Ickes had this sched- ule in force to give the employes of his office extra daylight timg¢ for rec- reation and also to aid in solving the traffic problem. Navy Department officials said the Ickes order will make no change in their schedule of 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. which has prevailed since Traffic Di- | rector Willlam A. Van Duzer per-‘l suaded the Government departments | @ 7,700 Who Work Under Ickes To Go to Office Hour Earlier to stagger their hours to alleviate traf- fic*conditionts. It is believed the other departments will remain as they are. The new schedule of the Interior Department will affect workers of the National Capital Parks and Buildings Branch, officials said. -Such institu- tions as St. Elizabeth's Hospital, which is under jurisdiction of the Interior Department, will not be affected, nor will the charwomen. - Author to Speak Here. Miss Ella Enslow, author of “Schoolhouse in the Foothills,” recent book describing experiences among underprivileged children in the Appa- lachian Mountains, will address the technical staff of tHe Office of Edu- cation and guests at 3:30 p.m. tomor- row in the ball room of the Powhatan Hotel. Miss Enslow is in Washington in connection with the “Save the Children Fund” movement. | | [} | ice. | Tecel PAGE B—1 LOAN SHARK DRIVE 10 CURB ‘GOUGING' OPENS TOMORROW Legal Limit of 1 Per Cent Per Month Will Be En- forced in D. C. 75 COMPANIES HELD TO BE UNLICENSED Victims of Excessive Rates Are Asked tc Report to Pretty- man. The combined forces of the Police Law and Insurance Departments of the District will be turned loose to- morrow by the Commissioners against |loan sharks in a drive to compel licensing of all lenders and observance of the legal limit of 1 per cent per month on small loans. According to the best available re- ports there recently were 75 small-loan companies here operating without license. Since announcement was made of plans for the drive begin- ning tomorrow, four companies have applied for license. Corporation Counsel Prettyman is- sued an invitation to all “loan shark victims” to bring their complaints to his office Undercover operatives have been assigned to collect evidence against the 71 others, unless they apply for license under the 1913 law, or if they are found to be charging more than the 1 per cent per month limite Curran Heads Drive, | The drive has been placed under the direct charge of Edward W. Cur- | ran. assistant corporation counsel. The Bureau of Internal Revenue, he said, | will be requested to examine the in- | come tax returns of lawyers who have been retained by some of the com- | panies known to be operating here. | The purpose of this, he explained would be to gauge the amount of extra fees charged in cases where additional legal fees have been added because borrowers were unable to meet their original obligations and were forced to pay extra for extensions. He said: It is my intention to ask the bureau to give attention to cases in which attorneys have been receiv- ing fees for legal services.” John A. Marshall, superintendent of insurance, has been requested by Cur- ran to investigate one insurance com- pany alleged to have been working in co-operation with a small loan com- pany. { Use Under-Cover Men, ‘1 At the request of Prettyman, Police Superintendent Ernest W. Brown has | assigned under-cover men to assist Curran in investigations. Also, all po- lice captains recently were directed to have a complete survey made of all small loan companies. Curran re- ported & map has been prepared show- ing exact location of each company known to have been operating. All are to be watched, he said. If excessive charges are levied, or if firms continue to operate without license and charge more than the gen- eral legal interest limit of 6 per cent per year, all concerned will be served with warrants, Curran declared. He said this would include the lenders, their agents, their “procurers,” their attorneys and insurance companies. The drive was planned by Pretty- man after Congress failed to pass a new measure to permit charges total- ing 2 per cent per month as against the present 1 per cent limit. Prose- cution had been withheld in the belief the new law would mee: congressional favor. The companies had elaimed they could not survive under a 1 per cent per month limit “Gougings” Reported. Numerous cases of “gouging” have been disclosed since plans were announced. Curran yesterday toid this story: “The borrower signed note for $350. He received $340. He con- tracted to pay $429.83 by the end of a year. The loan was secured by his automobile, as a chattel mortgage. The lender took out an insurance policy far $350 for one year and the | borrower was required to pay a pre- mium of $67.43. “Then it developed there was a prior judgment against the borrower and that claimant seized the car. The small loan dealer made a settle- ment with the other claimant and charged the borrower $25 for legal services, although the lender knew of the lien against the collateral at the time the loan was made. “When the lender was threatened with prosecution he setiled with the borrower on a basis satisfactory to the latter.” ONE-MAN CAR PLAN IS GIVEN BACKING Quiz by Utilities Body Draws Many Arguments in Support of Program. Arguments favoring one-man street car operation are flooding into the Public Utilities Commission in re- sponse to a questionnaire sent out to a long list of cities to gain background for a decision on a proposed expan- | sion of one-man operation here, it was disclosed yesterday. ‘The Capital Transit Co. recently | asked permission to convert all of its 20 new street cars to one-man serv- A public hearing will be held on the petition, but the date has not been set. Street car company executives who | have answered the query are unan- imous in their indorsement of the plan. Replies from 15 cities have been ived to date. Among them are several spokesmen for city or State utilities commissions. Strong protests against expansion of the present number of one-man cars here already have been filed with the | commission. People’s Counsel Willlam A. Roberts and a number of leaders of civic groups have voiced opposi- tion. In proposing the change for the 20 | new street cars, President John H. Hanna of the Capital Transit Co. ar- | gued it was necessary as an economy | measure due to the $700,000 boost in wages of the company employes. o/