Evening Star Newspaper, July 14, 1936, Page 23

Washington News One-M DISTRICT ARRESTS FOR DRUNKENNESS CUT 3463 INYEAR Offutt Asserts Legal Control Is Achieving Improved Social Conditions. LIQUOR DEALERS HEAR A. B. C. HEAD’S REPORT 19,128 Charged With Intoxica- tion in 12 Months—Only 293 ‘Were Minors. BY DON S. WARREN. Contending legal control of liquor in the National Capital gradually is achieving better social conditions, Chairman George W. Offutt of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to- day reported a reduction of 3,463 in the number of arrests for intoxication here in the fiscal year ended June 30. ‘The report was read at 8 mass meet- ing of liquor dealers today in the Labor Department Auditorium. Among those present were Police Supt. Ernest 'W. Brown, Lieut. George M. Little of the police vice squad and other police officials. Maj. Brown, Lieut. Little and the Police Department in general were given the credit for improved con- ditions through maintenance of the A. B. C. law. Recognizing there is opportunity for great improvement, the chairman re- ported that even with the healthy re- | duction in arrests last year the num- ber charged with intoxication stood at 19,126. The figure for 1935 was 22,589. Percentage Is Reduced. Offutt, however, showed the per-: the total District population had de- clined from the level of 3.80 per cent in the fiscal year 1935 to 3.09 for the ! year just ended. He voiced particular gratification | over the lessening of arrests of chil- dren for intoxication. There were 293 under 21 arrested for intoxication in | the past fiscal year, one of whom was | under 17. The total for 1935 was; he Fn WASHINGTON, D. C, an Street Cars Sa I Whe’s Who at the Zoo 1 Sturdy Baboon Liked Zioncheck, Who Fed Him Forbidden Tidbits. Wahoo, the African baboon, who seemed to understand his Jriend Zioncheck, - BY W. H. SHIPPEN, JR. W dines and pretzels since his friend Representative Zioncheck left town. Neither has he turned as many | yeperated and his mummies have been | somersaults, or cut as many Capers,|goynq jn the ancient tombs of the Nile | bouncing about on four short but sturdy legs. Next to ping pong, Zioncheck liked | fruit, according to legend. He often visited the| Zoo, and while no keepers were about | years old, was placed at the Zoo sev- ! Wahoo would receive forbidden tid-|eral months ago by a New York ani- bits as a reward for his ground loops | mal dealer. eentage of arrests for intoxication to|and howls of delight upon sighting | that he stays on a safe and sane diet ‘Wahoo best. the Washingtonian. ‘The baboon, upon occasion, splashes water from his drinking trough at ad- mirers ‘who annoy him, but he never tried to splash Zioncheck. Wahoo, as he was dubbed by Zion- check, is & chacma baboon from Af- rica. He is of a terrestrial family which run in packs on all-fours, and climb trees with difficulty. The ba- 425. The record for the last year was ' poon's long teeth, dog-like muzzle and the lowest since 1924, which showed ' short legs distinguish him from other plenty of trouble for even an armed d man. . AHOO hasn't dined on Sar-| e jjnatured creatures are treated with respect when encoun- tered in any large numbers. In primitive Egypt the baboon was | [ ! | Valley. The Egyptians used to tame | the animals and teach them to pick Wahoo, who must be at least 25 ‘The keepers try to see of fruit and vegetables. The other day, however, & woman taking advantage of the absence of keepers, tossed Wahoo a macaroon and two marshmallows. Wahoo sniffed them with a great air of disdain, and a moment later was trying to splash his benefactor. Perhaps Zioncheck spoiled Wahoo's taste for less exotic fare, | Tomorrows The great dragon lizard, one of the earth’s guants, and one of | | WITH SUNDAY MORNING gny Star TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1936. % Society and General PAGE B—1 fe, Expert Testifies at Utilities Hearing © INQUEST DELAYED INTO SLAYING OF FOUR IN VIRGINIA Coroner Holds to Theory| Mother Killed Three, Then Self. POOR HEALTH CITED IN SUPPORT OF OPINION Officials Spend Hours Studying; Family Records After Tragedy at Berryville. BY JOHN H. CLINE, Staft Correspondent of The Star. BERRYVILLE, Va, July 14— Despite the Clarke County coroner’s certainty he is confronted with a triple murder and suicide, Commonwealth Attorney E. McC. Williams today post- poned indefinitely an inquest into the deaths of four members of a moun- taineer family, whose bullet-riddled bodies were found early yesterday in their log cabin home 8 miles east of here. No reason was given for the delay. Dr. A. P. Osborne, the acting coro- | ner, said he was positive the tragedy | was attributable to the sudden de- rangement of Mrs. May anllwuod.‘ 45, who had been in poor health| for some time. He believes she killed | her two sons, Elbert, 23, and Alkin, 17; her invalid mother, Mrs. Virginia | Elsea, 87, and then turned the death | weapon, a 12-gauge shotgun, on her- self. The beds of all the victims had been saturated with kerosene and ignited. ‘The bodies were only slightly burned, however. Coroner Osborne said he was pre- pared to issue a certificate of mur- | der and suicide and was anxious to hold the inquest yesterday, but de- layed it at the insistence of Wil- liams, who wanted to make a more detailed investigation. Studies Family Records. > Woman Kept War Service Secret Bonus Delivery Discloses Mrs. Taylor's Record as Teleg- rapher Handling Ship Reports. SECRET she kept for 19 years —her confidential work for the United States Navy—was disclosed publicly today for the first time by Mrs. Marion Porter Taylor when she collected bonus bonds | for service she rendered during the World War as the only woman tele- graph operator in the Navy—and pos- sibly in any of the military services. Mrs. Taylor, who lives at East ave- nue and Bradley lane in Chevy Chase, walked out on the front porch of her bungalow this morning to meet the mail man. He was bringing her bonus, which was late because Mrs. Taylor “didn’t apply for it at first because I knew there would be a rush.” Though never in trouble nor under fire, Mrs. Taylor played a very re- sponsible role during the World War— a role that would have been danger- ous had German spies found out the nature of her work. Went Daily to Bank. Every morning she reported to her superior officer, Capt. David W, Todd, now a retired naval officer living at Long Neck, Long Island. But shortly after appearing at the Navy Depart- ment she would go to the Shipping Board office in the Munsey Building. Even the employes there never ques- tioned her daily appearance. She would enter the vault, or the direc- tors’ room, places where walls were thick and windows were absent. There a Morse wire was concealed. Each day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mrs. Taylor received over the secret wire the re- ports from New York of movements of ships in the Atlantic. During this time the door was locked. No one else was allowed access. Mrs. Taylor, a native of Columbia, 8. C., was employed by the Western Union Telegraph Co. in Richmond, Va., before she was married and came to Washington with her husband, J. G. Taylor, who is employed by the Ship- ping Board. During the war Mr. Taylor never knew the nature of his home, receiving her bonus bo Smith, » ment her employment produced was that of the fact she was the only woman to have the naval rating of a | first-class electrician. All other women {in the Navy were yeomanettes. Enlisted May 20, 1917, | 'The date of Mrs. Taylor's enlistment was May 20, 1917. She served Capt. Todd for several months as his pri- i\'fl!e telegrapher before she was given the secret wire. | At the time of her enlistment the | Navy had only radio operators. Her services were needed for land lines. “No one knew I had the position of |receiving and sending over a secret { wire,” Mrs. Taylor recalls. “I kept it \from all my friends. The work con- | wife's work. He was in the Army at |sisted of taking ship reports and de- | that time. The only public announce- | livering them to Capt. Todd. After | R. W. Tindell of Richmond. Mrs. J. G. Taylor is pictured here on the front porch of her man A, Leonard mds from Post * Star Staff Photo. the private wire no longer was neces- sary, I worked for the Shipping Board “The first secret wire was in a steel vault, about twice, as large as the kitchen in my home. It had no win- dows and it was impossible to hear the telegraph instrument outside. We | were afraid of spies at that time, but | none of them ever bothered me. | Mrs. Taylor, a woman of small stat- ure, brown hair and eves, and a keen | senze of humor, was acked about her | bonus and decided to answer all ques- | tions about it with a single statement. “You'll want to know what I in- tend to do with it,” she said. “Well, | I believe Uncle Sam is the best bet, | and I am going to leave it in the bonus | bonds—absolutely.” | 16 0F 39 PAROLES IND. G. REVOKED Williams spent several hours yes- '25 Per Cent of Released [Pink Elephants, Dozens of Them, | Corralled by Police Found Under Loading PAYMENT SOUGHT ONGRAYSON BOND The Taylors have a daughter, Mrs. | a record of 282. i Offutt quoted Traffic Director Wil-| liam A. Van Duzer as saying he did not‘ find that repeal of prohibition and the licensing of the dispensation of | alcoholic beverages has had any effect on the traffic situation “one way or another, showing one of our greatest' fears unfounded.” | Arrests for driving while intoxicated | last fiscal year nuimbered 398, an in- | crease of 47 over the previous year| and the number of accidents attributed | to driving while intoxicated was re-| ported at 235, as against 233 the year earlier. Against these increases, how- ever, Offutt believes, should be. placed | the increase in total population from | 594,000 to 619,000. Liquor Revenue Up. The A. B. C. chairman reported an | _increase of more than $130,000 in Dis- | trict liquor revenues over 1935. Net! receipts last year were $1,744,015.01. Taxes brought $1,072,404.25 into the | District treasury and license fees $711,- | 22, Was sentenced yesterday to impris- | Presbyterian Church ends its fifteenth 736.69. Board expenses were $40,125,93. | onment for from 3 to 5 years and annual term with exercises in the In 1935 the net receipts were $1,613,- | 095. Taxes were $910,744 and license Zees, $743,338. Expenses were $40,987. | Offutt reported statistics on arrests for intoxication as the “actually ac- cepted barometer” as a measure of the social effect of repeal. Police Supt. Brown, said Offutt, found that the “stan of necessity for arrest for intoxication” had not changed since 1912, either theoretically or prac- | tically. He then reported that arrests for intoxication had jumped from 3,536 in 1912, when the ratio of arrests to population was .99 per cent and when the number of saloons was 513 and the number of wholesalers was 125, to 9,648 in 1917, when the ratio of ar- rests to population was 2.35 per cent and when the number of saloons had been reduced to 269 and the number of wholesalers to 89. Figures Since Prohibition. Prohibition came to the District No- ! vember 1, 1917. There were 6,896 ar- | rests for intoxication' here in 1918, showing a population ratio of 1.63. ‘There was a slight decline in 1919, Arrests declined in 1920 with the eoming of Federal prohibition, the number that year being 3,565, bringing the ratio down to .81 per cent. The record then shows a rather steady rise in arrests, along with a population rise, to the peak of 1934. “The trend showed by the figures is exceedingly interesting and the lesson ‘obvious,” said Offutt. “In the years 1913 to 1917 there was an enforced reduction in the number of saloons and wholesale establish- ments and in spite of this, intoxication increased at an alarming rate. Like- ‘wise when, after 1917 and 1920, the ‘District and then the Nation prohibited ‘anly establishments of this kind, as 800N as provision was made for illicit distribution, intoxication increased un- til, in 1926, the percentage of arrests for this cause arose to 2.75 per cent of the population, higher than it ever was in anti-prohibition times as far back as 1912, “From 1926 the percentage mounts until 1932 when there was & drop be- jcause of the universal on. It “thén mounted to 3.32 per cent in 1933 ‘and to 4.58 per cent in 1934 when in but four months of the year it was “legally possible to dispense alcoholic “beverages here. In 1935 the effect of irepeal was felt and the percentage dropped to 3.80 per cent. In 1936 it .dropped to 3.09 per cent or lower than atiany time since 1930. As can be seen the actual number of arrests for' intoxication has gradually re- ceded.” Summing it all up, Offutt said: “This is & fair beginning, but every day em- phasizes the necessity for proper and effective temperance education. There | in ragged and is ne place in our modern set-up for #e drunken or intoxicated man.” members of the monkey family. | the rarest specimens on ezhibit any- | where. Smithsonian Institution—Small boys e A pack of wild baboons can make SENTENCE PASSED EXERCISES MARK INEXTORTION CASE Didn’t Get My Rights,” Man Says—Begins 3 to 5 Year Term. I Convicted last week of attempting | to extort $5000 from Mrs. Stephen McK. Farrand, wife of a Department of Justice attorney, by threatening to kill their young son, Jesse J. Miller, today began serving his term. Brought before Justice Daniel W. O'Donoghue, of District Court, the bearded Thurmont, Md., youth was asked if he had anything to say before sentence was imposed. “I've got plenty to say,” he re- sponded. “I didn’t get my rights.” | Justice O’Donoghue sought to have | Dr. Taylor, | him explain of what rights he was deprived, but he lapsed into the sullen silence which had characterized his conduct during his trial. A jury convicted Miller of sending an extortion note to Mrs. Farrand | at her home 3011 Gates road. It was| postmarked at Blue Ridge Summit, | g % Attorneys for the man sought to| save him from prison by a plea of | insanity, but the jury returned to the court room after only 5 minutes de- | liberation and reported they found him “guilty as indicted.” No appeal is expected to be taken. Assistant United States Attorney | Roger Robb conducted the prosecution. Shepherds to Install. Installation of officers of Trinity Lodge, No. 5 Shepherds of Bethle- hem, will be held tonight at 8 o'clock | byterian institution in southwsst Vir- at 7 Fourth street northeast. | | | | BIBLE SCHOOL END 1100 Students Will Assist in Program Tonight at Church, ‘Two weeks of schooling will end for | | more than 100 children between the ages of 4 and 16 tonight when the | Vacation Bible School of the Central | church auditorium. ©One of the oldest schools of its kind in the city, it was inaugurated by Central's pastor, Dr. James H. Taylor, in 1922, and has been held every Summer since. Under the immediate supervision of who is assisted by the church secretary, Miss Mary Coit, and the Summer assistant, Robert McFer- ran Crowe, and a score of young assistants have provided the children with literary and handwork instruc- tion for two hours and a half each morning since June 29. Tonight, after exhibiting their ac- complishments to parents and friends the youngsters will take home their work. For girls, that will mean knitted articles, done on hand-looms; afghans scarfs and articles of paper construc- tion, such as flowers, designs, etc. The boys, some of whom have exper- imented with a carpenters'’s bench for the first time, will have all sorts of woodwork—Iletter-holders, pencil racks, waste baskets and other items. The school has been run without cost to the pupils, who, however, have given a penny a day for support of the Buffalo Mountain School, a Pres- ginia. Cool Clothes Burning Issue As Library Bars Polo Shirts What the well-dressed man (or woman) can bare in Washington's public buildings became an issue of today after two boys in polo shirts had been refused admission to the Library of Congress reading rooms, “s national library of research, not & public library.” A survey of some of the Capital's sight-seeing and educational centers revealed that Washington is far more liberal with respect to costume than ‘Yonkers, N. Y., where four policemen are detailed to nab shorts-wearers. Here's the situation in a few build- ings: Supreme Court—Coatless men not allowed to attend court sessions, but men and boys in sweaters, shirt sleeves and leather jackets and women in shorts can visit other parts of the building ordinarily open to the public —*“just so they aren’t so conspicuous that they detract from the general | said. surroundings,” according to Marshal Green. Capitol—Anything goes, just so long costume. Otherwise, just about any= thing short of nudity is permitted. Public Library—Belt-wearing men can sit around in their shirtsleeves, but unashamed exposure of suspend- ers is dealt with summarily. “Unless the costume is pretty flagrant we don’t say anything,” an official said. White House—"“This is a democratic country,” said a guard. Visitors may wear anything that doesn’t offend the public decency. ‘The Library of Congress martyrs to informality are Bynum E. Hinton, jr. 16, of 3825 Ingomar street, and Bailey Winder, 15, of 5908 Cedar parkway, Chevy Chase. They went to the in- stitution’s reading room yesterday to read up on the famous German cruiser Emden. They wore bright blue polo shirts, sleeveless and open at the neck. The guard refused them admittance. “It's against the regulations” he Bynum called his father, and his father called Martin Roberts,” super- intendent of the Library’s reading as you're not so naked as to consti- | rooms. tute a case of indecent exposure. revealing garments are jected, rather because of their nui- value than because of their “I have just returned from the beach,” the elder Hinton told Rob- erts, “and some of the costumes I saw there made be blush when I was by myselt.” E) terday in the Smallwood cabin, lo- cated in & secluded hollow in the Blue | Ridge Mountains overlooking the Shenandoah River. He left with an armful of family albums and corre- spondence, saying he wanted to study all of this material before the inquest. Williams would not say whether he had formed any theory inconsistent with that expressed by Dr. Osborne. The tragedy was discovered by Jo- seph Elsea, a brother of Mrs. Small- wood, and John Tumblin, who went | by the house shortly before 6 o'clock | to take Elbert to work. They noticed smoke inside and broke through the front door, discovering the bodies in the smouldering beds. The commonwealth's attorney sent the shotgun to Winchester to be exam- | ined for fingerprints. He said that if any prints are found on it they will | be compared with prints he had taken | from the bodies. The fingerprints included smudges on a kerosene lamp, the shotgun, win- dowpanes and other objects. Authori- | ties sald it may be a day or two be- fore a report on the fingerprints is available. Prosecutor Willlams said he was not suspecting any one in par- ticular of committing the crime, but had asked the postponement chiefly in the interests of clearing up what sppeared to him as a mystery, Tells of Her Sickness, Sheriff Smallwood said his daugh- ter-in-law had been under treatment for a mental disorder some years ago, and that he personally had brought Prisoners Violate Rules or Break Laws. Fifteen of the 59 paroles granted to prisoners in District penal institu- tions during the first six months of this year had to be revoked, it was re- ported today by Chairman Wilbur minate Sentence and Parole. Seven revocations were for violation jof rules such as drunkenness; four for committing midemeanors and four | for commission of felonies. During the six months the board under its supervision. | jurisdiction an average of 124 whom it had not paroled, but who was sub- ject to the board between the time | they were released and the time of | the ending of their maximum sen- | tences, including allowances for good behavior, on which they had been re- leased earlier. These men did not fair so well as the paroled men, La Roe said. Nine of them committed new felonies, 17 of them new misdemeanors and 9 violated conditions of their release, making a total of 35 “failures,” in this group of 124, as compared with 15 “failures” among the total of 145 men out on parole. La Roe said: “The results do nct yet satisfy us. Our staff and facil- her home from a sanitarium at that time little or no better. ‘The funerals of the grandmother, daughter and two sons are to be held at 11 am. tomorrow from the little mountain Baptist Church near Mount Weather, with services by Rev. Dr. L. A. Parker of the Berryville Baptist Church, and Rev. Clarence Lloyd of the Boyce Baptist Church. Interment will be in the graveyard adjoining the church and in the heart of the region where all had spent their lives, ities are still inadequate. We are still without funds. But we are making | progress.” Dies of Injuries in Sandpit. Internal injuries received in the cave-in of a sandpit near Hyattsville, Md., Saturday, caused the death in Casualty Hospital yesterday of Wijl- liam H. Jones, 40, colored, 1410 Eleventh street. Doctors said his chest had been crushed. Young W'ashington Vacation times don’t keep these girls, at the Wheatley Playground, from continuing their school work. They are Doris Stern, 10, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Stern, 1228 Florida avenue northeast, and Nora Ann George, 12, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. George, 1266 Neal street northeast. attend the Holy Name and Tomorrow: John Li 15, son at the Wheatley Playgound, They heatley Schools, respectively. of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Lewts, —Star Staff Photo. Platform of Store, They Collection of $2,000 Forfeit La Roe, jr., of the Board of Indeter- | had an average of 145 paroled men | In addition to | | this number, the board had under its | Are Sent to Station. Pink elephants in such numbers that one glimpse of them would be enough to put a drinking man “on the wagon™ for life were corralled at the second precinct station today. ‘They were found yesterday—a36 dozen of ’em—in cartons under a rear load- ing platform of the W. T. Cowan Storage Co., 620 New York avenue. They are of glass and police said they were “maroon-colored,” not pink. The effect is the same, anyhow. Louis C. Wolf, manager of the stor- age, said he had no idea how the ele- | He discovered them | phants got there. while investigating burglary of the company garage. They had been left in place of stolen clothing and other goods. . {FIRST CONTRACT LET ON POLICE BUILDING work anticipating construction of the new Police Court Building on the west side of Judiciary Square was awarded today by the Commissioners. It was for the sinking of two deep wells to provide water for air-con- ditioning equipment in the building. The award went to the Washington Pump & Well Co. for $8,370. The Commissioners already have advertised for bids for erection of the main structure, construction of which is to be started during the Summer. TANSEY AT MEETING Capt. Patrick Henry Tansey, who reported for duty yesterday as Assis- tant Enineer Commissioner, taking the place of Capt. Howard F. Clark, today made his first appearance as a substitute member of the Board of Commissioners. He represented Engineer Commis- sioner Dan I. Sultan, who was away. The first preliminary contract for | Gives 20 Days’ Grace Before Property Levy. Steps to obtain payment of the forfeited $2,000 bond which Admiral spiracy indictments, were taken late vesterday by United States Attorney Leslie C. Garnett. Justice Daniel W. O'Donoghue or- when the defendant, a former Treas- ury official, failed to appear for trial. There had been numerous delays in the prosecution. In the face of medical evidence |in the University of Virginia Hos- pital at Charlottesville, Justice O’Donoghue refused to consider a fur- ther continuance and authorized a diate arrest. Federal authorities in Virginia re- fused, however, to remove Grayson to Washington, fearful it might cost his life. Since then nothing had been done until yesterday toward obtaining pay- ment of the forfeited bond, officials being hopeful that the defendant ul- timately would be able to come to Washington and stand trial. Yesterday, however, Assistant Unit- ed States Attorney Samuel F. Beach secured a writ of scire facias, which immediately was placed in the hands of a deputy United States for service. The writ required thaf Admiral Grayson appear in court within 20 days of its service to show cause why the marshal should not levy on his property to collect the bond. Hurt by Stone From Sky. a hospital in Tanqui, Bengal, suffer- ing injuries caused by a stone dropped on his head by a vulture. A school where children never fail was described here today by Mrs. Marietta L. Johnson, director of the School of Organic Education at Fair- hope, Ala. Tell-tale report cards, examinations and homework never harass her pupils. Her theory and practice of character education put Washington's recently abandoned experiment in the ultra- conservative class. She will lecture at 8 pm. tomorrow at the Euclid Nursery School, 1428 Euclid street. A gray-haired motherly person, who 30 years ago launched an educational project which still astounds educa- tiosal circles, Mrs. Johnson has re- tained the optimism and enthusiasm which have figured so prominently in her Nation-wide reputation. Her ideas ‘were rated as radical 25 years ago, and today they still have a strong flavor of originality and adventure, Competition Eliminated. “Fear is death, and failure causes fear,” Mrs. Johnson said in explain- ing the Fairhope philosophy. “As & consequence,” she continued, ‘“our school has eliminated the strenuous competition which causes fear and makes nervous wrecks of many chil- dren long before their time.” Advising its pupils to “do the best you can, and you cannot fail,” the school has established only four ab- solute requirements for the children. They are: (1) Come regulsly, (3) behaye School Where None Ever Fails Described by Alabama Teacher decently, (3) do the work to the best of your ability and (4) stay at home Friday nights. future of American home life de- pends on its wide recognition, she said, and added that “at Fairhope we urge the pupils to write letters, read books, talk to each other and to their fam- ilies and live at home.” ‘Would Prolong Childhood. “The prolonging of childhood is the hope of the race,” Mrs. Johnson asserted. “The longer the time from birth to maturity, the higher the organism. “In applying this principle at Fair- hope, we say: ‘1. The nervous system of the child shall never be violated. 2. No child shall be subjected to severe forms of specialization. 3. No child may be accelerated.’ . “Every child needs singing, dancing, music, handwork, nature, stories,” she continued, “and that is the program we give them up to 8 years old.” Fairhope pupils are graduated when they finish high school, regardless of whether they have made the grade from a strictly academic viewpoint, or not. They require only that stu- dents do their best. Graduates enter institutions of higher learning in all parts of the country. A troupe of 22 former students is dancing this Sum- mer profe in a number of Western cities, Cary T. Grayson posted more than | two years ago for his brother, John | Cooke Grayson, who faces two con- | dered the bond forfeited January 13 | that the defendant was critically ill | bench warrant for Grayson's imme- | marshal | Debesch Chandra is seriously ill in | | on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and | The last requirement is especially | important, Mrs. Johnson believes. The | FACTORY OFFICIAL URGES BODY 10 - EXTEND SERVICE Describes So-Called “Dead- Man” Control, Air Brakes and Door Valves. TRAFFIC IN CAPITAL TERRIBLE, HE ASSERTS | Declares 100 Per Cent One-Man Operation as More Successful Than Partial Set-up. | One-man street car operation was | declared “invariably more favorable” than two-man operation by Carl Beck, | safety device expert of the Westing- house Traction Brake Co., of New York, who appeared as a witness today for the Capital Transit Co. in its plea to the Public Utilities Commission to extend the single-operator service here. Beck described the safety equipment used on the one-man cars here, in- | cluding the so-called “dead-man” con- | trol, air brakes and door valves. His | company supplies this equipment to the Capital Transit Co. “I object to the misnomer ‘dead- man’ control,” he sald. “It is in reality a safety control that requires the constant attention of the operator. He has to remain at his post all the time and keep his hand on the lever, otherwise the car automatically will stop.™ Calls Traffic Terrible. Beck described Washington traffic as “terrible” and admitted that it is a factor in street car safety. . “But a one-man car can be operated Just as safely as a two-man car, and the experience in the cities having one-man control has invariably been more favorable than two-man opera- tion.” He also contended that 100 per cent one-man operation is more suc- cessful than partial operation because of the benefits of faster schedules and a reduction in accidents. He pointed out that presently designed one-man cars can average a speed of about 2 miles per hour faster than the old two-man type cars. J. E. Heberle, vice president and controller of the Capital Transit Co., followed Beck on the stand, the first company official to be called. Executives Testify. Testimony that one-man cars are safer, more economical, and in some cases faster than two-man cars, was offered by a group of out-of-town traction executives yesterday. Their statements were placed in the record over the objection of William A. Roberts, people’s counsel »Putsburgh, Boston, Kansas City and Cincinnati were represented. All have one-man cars in service now, and Kansas City has no two-man cars. Operation Held Safer. F. G. Buffe, vice president in charge of operations of the Kansas City Public Service Co., asserted that accidents involving street cars have been reduced 13 per cent per 1,000,000 | car miles traveled since one-man con- rol became universal. |~ “Our accident record as a whole has | been better,” he asserted, “and at the same time the speed of our cars has | been improved slightly.” He was cross-examined by William | McK. Clayton, chairman of the Pub- | lic Utilities Committee of the Fede- | ration of Citizens' Associations, who | earlier in the day made an unsuccess- ful attempt to have the petition dis- | missed, and again failed to get a con- tinuance until the entire membership of the commission is present. Rich- mond B. Keech, vice chairman, is sit- ting alone in the case, during the illness of Chairman Riley E. Elgen and the absence from the city of Col. Dan I. Sultan, Engineer Commis- | sioner. Boston Experience Related. Similar testimony was given by Ed- vard Dana, vice president of the Bos- on Elevated Railway and president of the American Transit Association. Eighty-eight per cent of Boston's sur- face cars have one operator. Since their adoption, Dana said, one-man cars have had 124 accidents per 1,000,000 car miles, as against 228 for two-man cars for the same distance. To return to two-man op- eration, he said, would cost his com- pany $1,900,000 a year. J. R. Ong, director of research of the Cincinnati Street Railway Co., said that before one-man cars were used his company averaged 51.2 acci- dents per 100,000 miles, but last year had only 34.8 accidents for the samc distance. Slightly more than half of Cincinnati’s cars have a single op- erator. The two types of cars are operated on the same lines in the Ohio city and maintain the same schedules. E. Dow Gilman, director of public utilities at Cincinnati, and not con- nected with the traction company, said that the use of the cars would be extended there. “I have never been able to under- stand,” he said, “why there is objec- tion' to one-man cars and there is no objection to one-man operation of busses. The bus driver does every- thing the car operator does, and in addition must steer through traffic.” 8. R. Bowen, general counsel for the Capital Transit Co., expected to use all of today in introducing other company witnesses. Roberts had planned to offer testimony against the proposal today, but notified his witnesses to be present tomorrow ine stead. The company had asked for the right to use its 20 new streamlined cars and 20 second-hand cars recente ly purchased from Providence, R. I, with single operators. It has 71 onee man cars already in service. EXCURSION PLANNED ‘The Sodality of Sacred Heart Church will hold an excursion Thursday, saile ing at 9 a.m. on the steamer Potomas to Chapel Point, Md. Bingo, candy sales and a variety of amusements will be provided on board ship, |