Evening Star Newspaper, December 10, 1936, Page 23

Washington News SUSPENSION PLAN NOT BE CHANGED Frowns on Proposal to Limit Permits’ Lifting to 45- Mile Clip. PRESENT SYSTEM SEEN AS CUTTING ACCIDENTS Injuries and Fatalities Both Have Been Reduced in Last Year, He Says. Declaring a speed of 45 miles an | hour would be ‘“unreasonable and | dangerous,” Traffic Director William A. Van Duzer today disapproved a proposal of the Advisory Board of the American Automobile Association’s District Motor Club that an automo- bile permit not be suspended unless the driver is convicted of going that fast or faster in a 30-mile zone. Van Duzer urged the Commissioners to continue in effect the present sys- tem of suspension or revocation of permits for excessive speeding until & means of achieving “further reduc- tion of the appalling number of traffic accidents” can be adopted. As proof of the effectiveness of the present plan, under which permits may be suspended on conviction of speeding 35 miles or more, Van Duzer reported that both accidents and fa- talities this year had been reduced below records of last year. Report Referred to Survey Chairman. Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen, who | instituted a study of the present plan | after receiving proposals for changes from the motor club board, headed by George W. Offutt, referred the Van Duzer report to Edward W. Thomas, essistant corporation counsel, chair- man of the survey group. Van Duzer supported a suggestion of the A. A. A Board that when police apply for information papers they be required to state at what speed the motorist is charged, instead of merely “in excess of 22 miles per hour.” Van Duzer agreed that some motorists have pleaded guilty to a general charge of speeding. not realiz- ing that they would lose their permit for 15 or more days. The traffic director, however, op- posed any weakening of the present | plan of suspensions. “Adoption of the policy of suspend- ing and revoking permits for speed, and the publicity given to it by the | newspapers, is, in my opinion, largely responsible for the reduction in per- sonal injury accidents and fatalities,” he said | “For the first 11-months of 1935, 4,029 persons were injured in automo- bile accidents in the District, while during the first 11 months of this Shepherd School, for writing “Why I Buy Christmas Seals.” s concluded in the next Chri: mention. he b WASHINGTON, D. C, VAN DUZER URG[S Wins Christmas Seal Contes t Dr. Joseph A. Murphy, chief medical inspector of public schools, left, presenting a cup yesterday to Alfred Richmond at the best essay on the subject, The silver cup was awarded in the name of the pupil to Shepherd School, which will hold the cup until another contest stmas seal campaign. Mary E. Stringfellow, as pupil at the Harrison School, also was awarded a cup for her essay. Four other pupils received honorable ~—Star Staff Photo. PERIURY CHARGE FIGHT WEIGHED 0’Brien Case Tric May Ask That Indictments Be Quashed. indictments charging them with per- | jury was being considered today by | three men who were indicted by the | District grand jury yesterday because their memories failed them when | called to the witness stand in the recent trial of six alleged members | of the “Warring mob” on assault | charges. J. Joseph Donohue and Myron Ehr- lich, counsel for the trio, said they were studying the indictments with a view tc asking the court to quash them. year there were 3,763 persons injured, | showing a reduction of 266 personal tnjury accidents. | “During the first 11 months of 1935 | there were 102 persons killed in traffic accidents in Washington. During the same period of this year 81 persons | have been killed, showing a reduction | of 31, or approximately 25 per cent. | These reductions have been brought | about in spite of the increase in reg- | istrations during the same period of | approximately 14,000 motor vehicles.” Van Duzer reported that since last | January 7 the Board of Revocation | and Review had suspended or revoked 3,929 District permits for periods of 15 days or more. In addition, it has suspended the right to drive in the| District of 544 non-residents, prin- cipally those residing in Maryland and Virginia. Van Duzer said the board had used discretion in the case of conviction of persons who were driving between 85 and 40 miles an hour in a 30-mile sone. “All such cases have been ig- nored unless the speed exceeded 39 miles an hour in a 30-mile zone, or unless the driver had a previous re- eent record for speeding,” he added. INJUNCTION OPPOSED | IN PINBALL CASE Government Fights Company's Attempt to Prevent Seizure of Machines. ‘Taking the position the public in- ferest is involved, the Government to- day opposed, in the United States Court of Appeals, the petition of the Pioneer Novelty Distributing Corp. for & temporary injunction against police seizure of pinball machines pending disposal of its appeal. In a written brief, Assistant United Btates Attorney John J. Wilson cited the statement by Trial Justice Daniel W. O'Donoghue that pinball games | take $30,000,000 annually from the ‘Washington public. After a lengthy trial of a suit brought by a distributing firm to en- join police action against the ma- chines, Justice O'Donoghue ruled two ‘weeks ago that the games were gam- bling devices and subject to seizure as “evil chattels.” He later refused to grant a temporary injunction while the appeal was being prosecuted. Wilson told the Court of Appeals Federal equity rules vest the trial jus- tice with the discretion as to whether such a temporary order should be is- sued and that the appellate tribunal should not question the exercise of that discretion. He also pointed out that the Pioneer Corp. already has dis- posed of many of its machines, so that it cannot possibly suffer a considerable Joss through action against its property. HEADS ALUMNI UNIT Charles T. McCurdy of the Pro- curement Division of the Treasury was elected president last night of the Washington Alumni Club of the College of Wiiliam and Mary. He had served as secretary for the past two yurlm officers elected for one-year John Garland Pollard, jr., first .vice president; Dr. W. T. L. Taliaferro, oldest surviving alumnus of W. and M. and a member of the faculty of the University of Maryland, second vice president; Paul Broderick of the Securities Commission, treasurer, ed Ernest Goodrich, secretary. | The indicted witnesses are Joseph Edward O’'Brien, William R. Carpen- ter and Harry Behrle. Committed to jail after the indictments were re- turned, the men subsequently were released on bond, $5,000 being posted by O'Brien and $7,500 each by Car- penter and Behrle. The assault charges grew out of the shooting of O'Brien last July. When called to the witness stand in District Court he couldn’t remember any details of the shooting or identify any of the defendants as having been among his assailants, although he admitted he was well acquainted with | them. Similar lapses of memory were suffered by Carpenter and Behrle, who were supposed to have been eye witnesses to the shooting. Despite the failure of these princi- pal witnesses to give incriminating testimony, all six of the defendants were convicted. United States Attorney Leslie C. Garnett said he would seek an early trial of the three witnesses on the perjury charge. Legion Auxiliary Meeting. Washington Police Post, No. 29, American Legion Auxiliary, will meet tonight at 8 o'clock in the Y. W. C. A. to consider amendments to the con- stitution and new by-laws. Depart- ment Comdr. Horace W. Lineburg of the American Legion and Comdr. Ar- thur Fredette of Washington Police Post, will be guests. — Turkey Dinner Tonight. The Department of the Potomac, Women's Relief Corps Auxiliary, G. A. R., will serve a turkey dinner at Odd Fellows Hall tonight at 7 o'clock. Arrives Here * HOLLYWOOD STAR TO SEE GRANDMOTHER. MARSHA HUNT, Nineteen-year-old Hollywood star and a granddaughter of Mrs. Mary L. Huni, 1752 Church street, photographed today on her arrival here from New York on a tour com- memorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the film firm for which she works. The attractive brown- haired actress will appear on a radio program over Station WJSV at 6 o’clock and make a personal appearance at the Capitol Theater at 9. She will leave t ow. —Star Staff Photo. A legal attack on the validity cl‘ HOPKINS WILL SEE. WORKER LEADERS {Alliance Representatives to Meet W. P. A, Head at 11 0’Clock. Representatives of the Workers' Al- liance of America, claiming 800,000 members in W. P. A. and unemployed | ranks, were scheduled to meet with W. P. A. Administrator Harry L. Hop+ kins at 11 o'clock this morning to seek assurance that no program of indiscriminate lay-offs of W. P. A. works will take place. In the event such dismissals are effected the alliance threatens work stoppages, protest meetings and strikes on W. P. A. jobs to be fol- lowed by a march on Washington by discharged workers. The demon- strations would be called on January 9, and the march on the Capital would follow immediately after, it was as- serted. The alliance representatives planned to disclose to Hopkins their prepara- tions for an unemployment census during the first week in January with a request to be made of Con- gress for a deficiency appropriation of ;smso.ooo.ooo to carry on the works | program to next July 1. Wage in- creases to a minimum of $40 per month will be part of the alliance demand. Directing their fire at an announce- ment of a few days ago that some | | | dismissed by January 1, the alliance | yesterday announced they would con- tinue their fight until those who have been dismissed are reinstated, all dis- charge slips are withdrawn and Con- gress has appropriated funds sufficient to provide jobs for all who need | them. 'ANNUAL CONFERENCE {SPONSORED BY G. W. ;Pnblic Speaking Department to Be Host to Senior High School Students 3 Days. The George Washington University department of public speaking is again sponsoring its annual confer- ence for senior high school students, starting tomorrow and continuing through Saturday at the unversity. Some 200 delegates from District, Maryland - and Virginia shigh schools will consider the question “Should all electric utilities be governmentally owned and operated?” Friday morning the students will hear from Dr. Harry W. Laidler, ex- ecutive director of the League for Industrial Democracy, who will present the affirmative viewpoint, and Frank A. Newton of the Commonwealth and Southern Corp. and chairman of the committee on rate making of the Edi- son Electric Institute, who will oppose. The conference will break up into two groups that afteroon for discus- sion under Advisers Riley E. Elgen of the District Public Utilities Commis- sion and George O. Gillingham, di- rector of the public relations of the ‘Washington office of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Each section will file a report Sat- urday morning, and resolutions ex- pressing the opinions of the majority will be adopted. HOLDING SECOND-HAND GOODS LONGER IS URGED Assistant U. 8. Attorney Believes Police Would Be Aided in Re- covering Stolen Property. Hoping to facilitate the recovery of stolen property, Assistant United States Attorney David A. Hart has recommended that the police regula- tion governing dealers in second-hand property be amended to require them to hold such property for 90 days. The present regulation, which af- fects “pawn brokers, junk dealers and persons. engaged in the second-hand clotaing business,” them to hold purchased property only 10 days. Hart believes the additional time would enable police to recover most stolen property before it is disposed of to innocent purchasers by the deal- ers. He sald he will submit his recom- mendation to United States Attorney Leslie O. Garnett, v 425,000 W. P. A. workers are to be | ening Star WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION TH -POINT MEASURE ON GIVIL SERVICE 10 BE OFFERED 0’Mahoney Opposes Blan- keting in All; Emergency Units Excluded. POLICY-MAKING POSTS ALSO NOT INCLUDED Sees Bureaucracy Intrenchment if All Present Employes Are “Frozen in” on Jobs. BY J. A. O’'LEARY. ‘The five-point program for improve- ment of the Civil Service drafted| jointly by Senators O'Mahoney, Dem- ocrat, of Wyoming and La Follette, | Progressive, of Wisconsin last Sum- mer, will be introduced at the coming session, O'Mahoney made known to- day. One objective of the bill is to en- able the President to apply the Civil Service law to employes who are now outside of its scope in permanent agencies, but the Wyoming Senator said he is opposed to “covering in everybody by blanket order” because that would defeat proposed plans for reorganization. Shuts Out Emergency Units. Accordingly, the O'Mahoney-La Follette bill would authorize the Pres- ident to place positions within the classified Civil Service, except in emer- gency agencies created since March 4, 1933 It would exclude from the Civil Service also the jobs of a policy-mak- ing nature to which appointments are made for a definite term, such as assistant secretaries and similar posi- tions of authority. Incumbents of permanent positions brought under Civil Service by the President would have to take a com- petitive examination, unless the de- partment head certified in writing that the incumbent had served with merit for a year, in which case the employe could qualify on a non-com- petitive test. Explaining why he proposed to ex- clude policy-making positions from Civil Service, O'Mahoney said: “We hear a great deal of talk now- adays about putting every public serv- | ant under the Civib Service. Such a i plan would give absolute permanence of tenure to all Government employes and would in effect establish a bu- reaucracy more firmly than any other imaginable procedure. The attention of all persons studying this problem | should be focused upon the fact that the only Federal official who is re- sponsible to the people is the President of fhe United States. Every other official is appointed. Therefore, if the President should be deprived of the appointive power of those who con- trol policy in the various departments the civil servants would be running the Government instead of Congress | and the people.” Four Other Points in Bill. The other four points of the bill | deal with the following subjects: | 1. To bring postmasters under Civil | Service beginning in 1938; | 2. To establish a Federal personnel | | counci!, composed of a group of de- | iplnment heads and employes, to es- | tablish a liaison system between the | | Civil Service Commission and the | various departments and to prepare plans for improvement of personnel | administration; 3. To enable States and cities to | seek the co-operation of the Civil Service Commission in developing merit systems in State and local gov- ernments; 4. To strengthen the merit system in making promotions as well as ap- pointments. B BAND CONCERT. By the Soldiers’ Home Band in | Stanley Hall this evening at 5:3 {John 8. M. Zimmermann, bandm: | ter; Anton Pointer, assistant band- master. Program. March, “The Turkish March” (Ruin of Athens)... ---Beethoven Overture, “The Hunt for Fortune” Von Suppe Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony Potpourri, “Gems of Tschaikowsky” Langley Fox Trot Espagnole, “Adios My Senorita” Waltz Suite, “Woman's Love and Life” Von Blon Pinale, --Sousa “The Star Spangled Banner” By the Army Band in the audito- rium at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. Capt. Thamos F. Darcy, condueting. Program. “The 3d Dragoon Guards, march, Brophy “Poet and Peasant,” overture._Suppe “Four Stick Joe,” solo for xylophone Joseph L. Young, soloist. “Danse Arabe,” from the “Nutcracker Suite”...Tschaikowsky “There’s Frost on the Moon,” Russe _'rrlnke “Under the Double Eagle, march, Wi | eight Washington motorists protest al- “The Star Spangled Banner.” URSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1936. *% * Society and General PAGE B—-1 P[]I.IEE GRAH ]URY They’re in the Army Now HEARS TESTIMONY OF §D. . DRVERS Prince Georges Panel Is Re- convened in Special Session. HALF DOZEN OTHERS GIVE STORIES TODAY Completion of Investigation Is Expected by End of Week. Mattingly Presides. Evidence charging police corruption | was presented to Prince Georges County, Md. grand jury in Upper| Marlboro yesterday when the panel re- convened in special session to hear leged irregularities by the constabu- lary. The District autoists appeared before the panel to give testimony which was to be supplemented today by the stories of at least half a dozen other aggrieved. drivers. Fifteen motorists were scheduled to appear yesterday, but not all the wit- nesses were able to devote time to the 18-mile trip to Upper Marlboro, ac-| cording to Keystone Automobile Club | attorneys, who contacted the autoists. | Almost all the witnesses, however, have signified their intention to testify before the jury adjourns, Keystone lawyers said yesterday, The panel will | probably complete its investigation by the end of the week, but if any indict- | ments are returned, they will not be presented before the middle of next week. | Circuit Court Judge Joseph C. Mat- | tingly, presiding in Upper Marlboro during the current session, must go to Charles County for a hearing on Monday. Not until he returns, prob- ably on Wednesday, may the jury'’s report be submitted. Evidence in Six Cases. The eight witnesses who went befoer the panel yesterday presented evidence in six cases. Two of the motorists sub- | stantiated claims by Washingtonians, once arrested by county police, who | also appeared before the group. Although Keystone attorneys are prepared to ask nearly 50 motorists to appear, not more than 25 Washing- tonians will prcbably testify, it was learned. Since the witnesses are not | Maryland residents, they cannot be forced by summons to testify. | From about 35 affidavits, Special | Prosecutor Ogle Marbury and State’s | Attorney Alan Bowie selected the strongest cases, backed by police, bond- ing, justice of the peace and court documents, for presentation to the Jury | When the panel gathered yesterday only 1 of the 23 men was absent. The missing juror is ill in New York City. During the morning session the group disposed of three cases not con- nected with the police investigation. The first Washingtonian complaining of police victimization went into the jury room at 1 p.m. after the luncheon recess. From that time until 4:30 pm. | the jury heard evidence in the police inquiry. Scheduled to appear today or to- morrow, R. Walter Newrath, Key- stone attorney and auditor, and Wil- liam C. Fraser of Baltimore, acount-| ant for P. W. Lafrentz & Co., Balti-| more auditing firm, which supolied | men to analyze the documentary data. | Lebowitz Call Uncertain. ‘Whether Louis Lebowitz, Washing- | ton and Mount Rainier attorney, who began the study of police records sev- eral months ago and interested the auto club in furthering the inquiry, will be called has not been determined. Bowie said he did not know whether | the jury would reconsider the Corinna Loring murder case, studied at its reg- ular session without action last Oc- tober. The State's attorney was also unable to predict whether the group would consider the county gambling situation, always a possible object of inquiry, since the Bladensburg road gaming establishment, reportedly owned by Jimmy La Fontaine, is locat- ed in Prince Georges. Bowie said he had no indication at this time that the jury would study either subject. Appearing before the panel yester- day to complain of the police situation were Raymond R. Iannucci of 308 Sixth street, Mrs. Dorothy Bowers of 2000 ‘Newton street northeast, George ‘Tucker of 807 G street northeast, Her- bert Shenkin of 3744 Huntington street, Charles Hamilton, colored, of 1433 T street; Woodrow Brice, colored, of 804 O street; Walter H. Matthews, colored, of 1031 Twenty-second street, and David Crumpton, colored, of 1643 Thirteenth street. NAMES SECRETARY Representative Woodrum of Vir- ginia announced today the selection of James W. Somerville as his secre- tary, succeeding the late F. H. Black- ford. Somerville, who is now on the staff of Senator Glass, will assume his new duties on January 1. Before entering Mrs. Harry H. Woodring, wi; fe of the Secretary of War, and her two children were caught by the cameraman yesterday as they met Santa Claus and saw t. the left, and Sister Melissa on weakness Nurse Della McCarthy left. he toys. Marcus is mounted on the right, perhaps showing a or the cavalry. Mrs. Woodring is shown right and —A. P. Photo. DEPOSTORSURGED TOGET DVDEADS Only Small Number Call| at Three Closed Banks to Collect Checks. Despite the imminence of Christmas | and need for Christmas shopping funds, a surprisingly small number of depositors in three closed banks are calling for the additional dividends | now being paid out. Officials in charge today urged de- positors of the District National Bank, the Northeast Savings Bank and the Pranklin National Bank to call for the checks which they have been notl- fied are ready for them. The District National Bank yester- day paid out only 225 checks, al- though postal cards had been mailed | notifying 600 people to call yesterday. As a result, a thousand more persons | were notified officially and an addi- | tional 2,000 cards were sent out, mak- | ing a total of 3,600 cards so far. More | will follow. The Northeast Savings Bank, pay- ing off at Eighth and H streets north- east, sent out 500 cards for the first day, but delivered only 225 checks. Justus S. Wardell, receiver for these two banks, said today he hoped there would be a larger response, as the checks are ready. | The Franklin Liquidating Trust, of which Samuel M. Thrift is executive secretary, paid out about 2,000 checks | yesterday on its second day of mak- ing disbursements at a special tem- porary office at 1726 Pennsylvania avenue. Meantime an agent buying recelv-l ers’ certificates from two closed banks | today increased his offer to_ depos- itors of the District National Bank. Lester Dutt announced he would raise the price paid for receivers’ cer= tificates of the District National from 50 per cent of the remainder to 60 per cent of the remainder. The 50 per cent offer was the same as the divi- | dend being disbursed by the receiver, which amounts to 25 per cent of the original amount deposited in the bank. The agent's offer for certificates from the Federal American Bank continued today at 40 per cent of the remainder, which would be 20 per cent of the original deposit. In both the Federal and District Banks depositors had received one dividend of 50 per cent. MEMORIAL FAVORED ON ANACOSTIA RIVER Senator Thomas Says Jefferson Site Would Balance That of Lincoln. The logical place for the proposed Thomas Jefferson Memorial is on the Senator Glass’ service in 1932, he had ragner | practiced law in Virginia and Wash- ington. Modify Sales Talks on Radio, Ickes Advises at Conference some commercial product.” With some feeling, Mr. Ickes made that admission today as he opened the first National Conference on Edu- velop programs for young and old so as to constitute “s university of the air.” An absolute prerequisite to any educational broadcasting, he declared, should be correct grammar and proper pronunciation, since radio is the greatest instrumentality in existence for cultivation of good English. Radio in all its ramifications will be discussed during the conference which will close Saturday. The topics banks of the Anacostia River, where it would form the Eastern end of the main axis of the Capital development, balancing the Lincoln at the western end, in the opinion of Senator Elbert D. Thomas, Democrat, of Utah, Senator Thomas, a member of the Jefferson Memorial Commission, ex- pressed opposition to the suggestion that it be placed at the Tidal Basin. The Tidal Basin, he contends, al- ready is one of the beauty spots of the Capital, with its circle of cherry blossoms, and he believes efforts to make it more beautiful would only Mall, if the Jefferson Memorial were placed on the shore of the Anacostis River. The Senator declared that it “Washington is to be made Capital, it should be developed in SURETY OFFICER 1S HURT IN CRASH Maj. E. H. Brainard, Wife and Son Are Taken to Hospital. Maj. E. H. Brainard, former Marine officer, now manager of the aviation insurance department of the Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., was injured last night when two automobiles col- lided 10 miles south of Alexandria on the Richmond-Washington highway. Maj. Brainard, who lives at 2205 California street, and his wife and son, E. H. Brainard, jr., were taken to the Alexandria Hospital. The former Ma- rine officer suffered an undetermined head injury and may have received a broken shoulder. Mrs. Brainard and the son were treated for cuts and shock. Sergt. Talmadge S. Madison of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Va., and Pvt. Robert B. Dinger, Fort Belvoir, Va., the occupants of the other machine, were treated for cuts and bruises at the post hospital at Fort Belvoir. Three persons were injured in traf- fic accidents in the District in the | last 24 hours. Struck by an automobile as he stepped off a street car at Third strees and Florida avenue northeast early today, Bernard Gray, 52, of 719 Eighth street northeast, suffered head cuts | and bruises. He was treated at Sibley | Hospital. His condition was not con- sidered sericus. The machine was driven by David Y. Ayers, 400 block of D street north- east, according to police. The other victims were Miss Elea- nor Springmann, 18, of 4627 Ellicott street, who may have received a frac- turea skull, and Louis Martin, 70, col- ored, of 227 Fourth street southwest, who was treated at Emergency Hos- pital for possible fracture of both legs. FARMER IS KILLED. Maryland Man Dies as Car Skids Into Telephone Pole. By » Staff Correspondent of The Star. MEADOWS, Md., December 10.— James H. Davis, 21, Oxon Hill farmer, was killed on the Camp Springs road near here today when an automobile crashed into a telephone pole after skidding. Driven by Jerome Sydnor, 29, of Forestville, the machine skidded off the highway when Sydnor attempted to avoid several trucks approaching him. Davis, riding in the front seat, died en route to the home of Dr. James I. Boyd in Forestville, police said. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Lilly A. Boswell, Forestville; two sis- ters, Mrs. Agnes V. Sydnor, Oxon Hill, and Mrs. Rebecca Latimore, Silver Hill, and a brother, John W. Davis, Oxon Hill. Sydnor was released on personal bond pending a hearing. RICHBERG'S RETIREMENT REVEALED BY CUMMINGS Former Special Assistant Attor- ney General Returns to Private Life. Donald Richberg, once chief of the N. R. A. and more recently a special Assistant Attorney General, has step- ped back into private life. He re- signed from the Justice Department November 30, but Attcrney General Cummings made known his departure only yesterday. Richberg was assigned to the Osage Indian cases in which the Govern- ment flled suits against six oil and pipeline companies in the northern district of Oklahoma last week. The companies are charged with illegally deducting money due Indians for oil leases. Madden Speaks Tonight. of Chevy Chase tonight at 7:45 o'clock on the subject “Labor, the Church and Civil Liberty.” He will speak in the church audito- rium, ( CHAIRMAN NORTON AGAINST CONGRESS APARTMENT HOTEL Housing Problem Concerns Permanent Residents, She Declares. BEITER TO INTRODUCE BILL AT NEXT SESSION Committee Would Be Created to Borrow $4,000,000 From R. F. C. for Proposed Edifice. BY JAMES. E. CHINN. Chairman Norton of the House District Committee doesn't think much of the plan of Representative Beiter, Democrat, of New York, to erect a large apartment hotel on Capitol Hill for the exclusive accommodation of members of Congress and their eme ployes. In the first place, Mrs. Norton said she did not believe members of Cone gress want to be “herded together in one building.” And secondly, she said, if there is a serious housing problem in Washington, it concerns the people who live here throughout the year more vitally than the legis- lators who spend about six months in the city. | Beiter plans to introduce a bill | at the coming session of Congress to | create a new committee which would |be empowered to borrow between | $3,000,000 and $4,000,000 from the Reconstruction Finance Corp. to erect | the proposed congressional apartment hotel. Building for Employes Urged. “If Congress goes into the apart- ment business,” said Mrs. Norton, “it should look after the interests of the Government employes whose salaries are in the lower brackets. It is far | more necessary to have a special build= | ing for such employes than for meme | bers of Congress.” Mrs. Norton reiterated her belief that “something should be done” to control profiteering landlords in the | District. She indicated this question | would be taken up at the first meeting of her committee after Copgress con- venes, but at the same time expressed the opinion that any legislation de- signed to fix and control rentals would be held unconstitution: Mrs. Norton came to Washington Monday to attend a meeting of the ‘Speclul Airport Commission, of which | she is a member. After a brief visit she plans to return to her home in | Jersey City, N. J., and will not come | back until Congress convenes January 5, unless another meeting of the commission is heid in the meantime Indorses Mrs. Agnes Mason. One of Mrs. Norton's first official acts was to write to Commissioner George E. Allen, indorsing the re- appointment of Mrs. Agnes Mason as a member of the Alcoholic Beverage | Control Board. Mrs. Mason's term | expires this month. ! “I have always manifested a most | profound interest in the activities |of women in public life,” said Mrs, | Norton. “For that reason the suc= jcess of any member of my sex in public life is a source of pride. | “In the local government of the | District of Columbia a woman has | been serving in a position of great trust with what I deem outstanding | effectiveness. I refer to Mrs. Agnes | Mason, who is a member of the Al- coholic Beverage Control Board | “Mrs. Mason's work has reflected courage, intelligence and sound com- |mon sense. Her excellent efforts in | collaboration with those of the other | board members have brought to our | 1ocal liquor administrative body a national reputation for honest and vigorous enforcement of the law and | regulations. ° Term Expires This Month. “It is my understanding that Mrs, | Mason’s term of office expires in De- cember. For that reason I desire to be among the first to urge that she be persuaded to continue her effective service to the District of Columbia. |I am not aware of Mrs. Mason's in= tentions in the latter respect but, in any event, I wish that this letter be regarded as a whole-hearted indorse« ment of her excellent efforts as well as a strong recommendation for her retention in office.” In her first press intcrview since her return to Washington, Mrs. Nor= ton outlnied her legislative program for the coming sessoin—a program which The Star revealed in a series |of stories November 29, 30 and De= cember 1, written by a staff corree spondent who interviewed her in Pele | ham, N. Y. The program includes national rep resentation for the District, legalizae tion of horse racing under the pari- mutuel system, and legislation to de= stroy the effect of the so-called “red rider” to the 1936 District appro- | priation act which forbids the teach- |ing or advocacy of Communism in | the class rooms of the public schools. [EXPECTANT MOTHER STOVE BLAST VICTIM Mrs. Cora Miller of Arlington County in Hospital After Home Burns. Burned severely all over her back and arms, an expectant mother, ale ready the parent of six, was in Georgetown University Hospital today after an oil stove explosion set fire to her dress and leveled her frame dwelle ing. Mrs. Cora Miller, 39, was cooking in her four-room house at 2501 Mili- tary road, Arlington County, Va., yes= terday afternoon when a flare from the stove shot flames about the kitchen. Her husband, Michael Miller, 45, & quarryman, rushed into the house from the yard and carried her oute side. He then re-entered the flaming house and brought out his younger children, Edward, 4, and Betty, 2. Three other children, ranging in age from 8 to 12, were in school in Cherrydale at the time. By the time Miller had rescued his family the fire was beyond control and he had no opportunity to save any of his possessions. | | |