Evening Star Newspaper, December 23, 1936, Page 23

WHITE CHRISTMAS HOPE REMCTE AS PLANS TAKE FORM City Prepares for Most Pros- perous and Happy Sea- son for Years. PARTLY CLOUDY, WARMER TOMORROW’S FORECAST Approach of 31/,-Days-Off Period, Starting Tomorrow, Adds Joy to Prospects. Possibility of a “white” Christmas was declared remote by the Weather Bureau today as Washington—led by President and Mrs. Roosevelt—pre- pared for the happiest and most pros- perous holiday season since pre-de- pression days. Overcast skies and moderate tem- peratures were the nearest things to traditional Yuletide weather that the forecaster could offer. This, he said, will follow partly cloudy and warmer | ‘weather tomorrow. Holiday Begins Tomorrow, The joy of the Christmas season has been increased, however, by the approach of a three and one-half day holiday which will begin tomorrow for & majority of Washingtonians. At noon tomorrow all Government establish- ments will close their doors, under executive order, not to reopen until Monday morning. Tomorrow and Saturday will be bank holidays and many of the city's business estaolish- ments also will remain closed all day Saturady. The local and national observance of Christmas will begin officially shortly after 5 p.m. tomorrow, when President Roosevelt will close a switch lighting the Community Christmas tree in Lafayette Park. His Christ- mas eve message will be carried by radio to the people of America as the signal for the lighting of similar trees in all parts of the country. Residents of Michigan Park will celebrate the lighting of a commun- ity tree at Twelfth street and Mich- igan avenue northeast at 4:45 p.m. tomorrow. The program will include & Christmas message from Very Rev. Leonard Walsh, O. F. M. commis- sary general of the Holy Land. Mrs. Roosevelt to Attend. Mrs. Roosevelt will greet some 1.700 ehildren expected to attend the Cen- tral Union Mission’s annual party at | the Capitol Theater at 9 a.m. She also ! will assist in distribution of the first few gifts to the children. Homer Rodeheaver, song leader, will | appear as Santa Claus. John S. Ben- | nett, mission superintendent and Santa i Claus at the party for the last 15 years, will be absent, due to illness. , Music for the program, furnished by the United States Marine Band, will be broadcast over Station WISV from 9:30 to 10 o'clock. Eight hundred needy men will be fed at the mission building, 613 C street, on Christmas day. During the dinner a special musical program will be broadcast from 1:30 to 2 p.m. over | station WOL. The program will in- | clude vocal selections by Mrs. Ruth | Rodeheaver Thomas and violin. céllo and piano music under the direction of Leon Brusiloff. Carolers to Serenade. A band of carolers, directed by Robert Frederick Freund, will sere- nade Washington shut-ins tonight. ‘The group will travel in a truck, ac- companied by a Sata Claus. The Home for Incurables will be the first stop. The student food drive at George ‘Washington University closed today, and 133 baskets of foodstuffs and toys 'were sent out to needy families selected by students at the school. The Christ- mas relief movement at the university is an annual affair. This year it was directed by Miss Katherine Porter and 1. Ray Howard. Farm Credit Administration em- ployes were put in the Christmas spirit yesterday when they were serenaded by the Farm Credit Choristers. The program was arranged by Freund. Ola M. Brubaker sang a solo. Garth C. Beaver played the violin and Mrs. Edna Lee Freund accompanied at the piano. Roper to Be Guest. Secretary of Commerce Roper will be the guest of honor at the annual Christmas party of the Volunteers of America at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Thomson School. -At this time 2,000 baskets of food will be distributed to the needy. Roper will assist in the distribution of the baskets and of toys and clothing. Officials of the ‘Thomson Community Center have ar- ranged a brief program of entertain- ment. The Volunteers will start their Christmas work tomorrow at 8:30 am. with the distribution of new shoes to scores of children at Hahn's shoe store, Seventh and K streets. Lieut. Maj. H. Mills Eroh will be in charge of activities at the school and the store, Concert by 40-Piece Orchestra. A 40-piece orchestra organized from employes of the Internal Revenue Bureau will give a concert of Christ- mas music at 3:45 pm. today in the main lobby of the Internal Revenue Building. The Buchanan Recreational Club will give & special dance at 9 p.m. tomorrow in: the Buchanan School, Thirteenth and D streets southeast. Iimmediately following the dance a group of 40 club members will visit the homes of their sick friends in the neighborhood to- sing cerols and to distribute toys. 2 A for children will be held at Providence’ Hospital at 8 a.m. tomorrow by doctors and nurses on duty there. Toys and candy will be distributed. The central building of the Pub- Hic Library and all of its branches will close at 1 p.m. tomorrow and remain closed until Monday morning, it was announced by Dr. George F. Bower- man, librarian. The sub-branches at Chevy Chase, Conduit road, Eastern High School, Tenley and Woodridge ‘will be open from 9 am. to 1 p.m. to- morrow instead of during the usual afternoon hours. Among the local business estab- lishments which have advised the Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Asso- ciation that they will remain closed BSaturday are the following: WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1936. henin WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION *kkk Tree Preview I]E MHRBP[]I."AN Firemen Battle P Street Apartment Blaze Officials gathered in Lafayette Park yesterday to inspect the community Christmas tree 1 ighting. Left to right: James G. Yaden, Community Center Council; Arno B. Cammerer, Mrs. Elizabeth K. Peeples, Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen, Clyde Bur- ton, Ovid Butler and Dr. Frank W. Ballou. —Star Staff Photo. ADES 0F BEARD 15K FORPARDON Federal Pardon Board Con-: siders Petition for Ex- ecutive Clemency. ‘The Federal Pardon Board today was considering a petition for execu- tive clemency in behalf of a dozen | associates of Sam Beard, imprisoned gambler. 1 Attorney General Cummings snid, he had referred the petition to the | pardon board for recommendations. | He indicated he wished their advice before making his own recommenda- tions to the White House. The petition came to the Justice Department bearing the approval of Justice Joseph W. Cox of District Court, who tried the case. and the opposition of United States Attorney Leslie C. Garnett The 12 men began serving sentences of from one to three years each last May. The petition does not apply to Beard, who is serving two to six years in Atlanta Penitentiary. Cummings also said the department is considering a petition for executive clemency for Thomas Jordan, slated to die on February 19 for the Garden-T- Shoppe murder in 1931. In discussing Federal parole pol- icies, the Attorney General expressed opposition to “Christmas pardons” as a policy. He said each case must be handled wholly on its merits. R STREET CAR HITS DISTRICT RESIDENT George Brower's Condition Reé- ported Serious—G@irl Struck by Cab. George K. Brower, 43, of 823 Jef- ferson street, was in a serious condi- tion in Emergency Hospital today, suf- fering from head injuries received last night when a street car struck him at Fourteenth and F streets. Physicians said his skull may have been fractured. Brower was knocked down by a car operated by Spencer M. Boone, 40, of 822 A street lquthaut, police said. A taxicab took him to the hospital. Seven-year-old Margaret Lowe, 55 New York avenue, received cuts about the face when hit By a taxicab driven by Gordon H. Walter, 38, of 643 Morton street northeast. Other victims of traffic accidents yesterday included Basile Ferro, 34, of 633 C street southwest, elbow in- jury; Townzy King, 34, colored, 1500 ‘Tenth street, injured neck; Catherine Keefely, colored, 1112 Twenty-fifth street, possible fractured ankle, .and James Vogal, 65, head injuries. Clothing Co., M. Brooks & Co., Cap- ital Awning Co., the Copeland Co., E. L. Edwards, Erlebacher, Inc.; Fashion Shop, Foster's Remembrance Shop, L. PFrank Co., Goldenberg's, Goldheim’s, Grosner's, Charles W. Guest Awning Co., Joseph R. Harris Co., William Hahn & Co., the Hecht Jellefi’s Inc.; Arthur Jordan Piano Co., A. Kahn, Inc.; 8. Kann Sons | claw machines. Rooms Available For 1 nau‘gural Are Being Listed An appeal to the public to list their rooms In order to accommodate the large crowds expected for the inaugu- ral January 20 has been made by Ed- gar Morris, president of the Washing- ton Board of Trade, who is chairman of the Housing and Hospitality Com- mittee of the inaugural. Housing headquarters opened today in rooms 127 and 128 of the Willard Hotel. A Jarge staff, in charge of Mrs. Virginia Fox Shepherd, will be on hand each day from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. to list the rooms expected to be available. The rooms may be listed by going to the headquarters or by calling Dis- trict 6040, 6041, 6042, 6043, 6044 and | 6045. CLAW MACHINES TESTIMONY ENDS Government Will Press for Directed Verdict This Afternoon. Testimony in the District Court claw machine trial closed this afternoon, following a morning spent in a discus- sion of the profits in the business. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Wilson has announced he probably will move for a directed ver- dict, and arguments on his motion were expected to take up most of the afternoon. Since Justice Jesse C. Ad- kins told the jurors they will be ex- cused until Monday, it was certain the case will not go to the jury until after Christmas, should the judge overrule Wilson's motion. Cross-examination of a claw ma- chine witness, Michael Edlow, who operates 20 machines, consumed most of the morning. Wilson attempted to break down testimony by Edlow that he is losing money. The Government contends the claw machine business is a highly profitable one. Wilson tried to show - Edlow used s system. of bookkeeping by which the cost of prizes was twice debited. Edlow admitted that his ex- penditures, as shown on his books, in- cluded the cost of the prizes put in the machine and money he paid to buy them back from players, but de- nied this was a double debit system. Continuing their effort to convince the jury that profits in the claw ma- chine business are small; Attorneys William A. Gallagher and Harry T. Whelan put Prances Japlow on the stand. Miss Japlow is a bookkeeper for the American Novelty Co., 1614 Fourteenth street, which operates 18 She identified rec- ords of the company which were in- troduced in evidence. AREA T0 BE FIXED AT . C. C. HEARING Boundaries of “Exemption” to Be Set at Parley Open- ing January 21. REPORT OF EXAMINER SURE TO BE OPPOSED Commission Action Likely to Be Necessary After Proposed Decision Is Offered. Preparing to define the “metropoli- tan area” of Washington for adminis- {tration of the motor carrier act, the Interstate Commerce Commission to- day called a hearing here January 21. The proceeding will determine what bus and truck operation between ‘Washington and nearby Maryland and Virginia is to be covered by that sec- tion of the act which, under certain conditions, exempts motor carriers crossing State boundaries from all but its safety and hours-of-service pro- visions. This exemption eliminates the ne- | cessity for common carriers to obtain certificates of convenience and neces- sity for contract carriers to obtain permits from the commission. Section Defines -Exemption. ‘The section in question defines the exemptions as “the transportation of passengers or property in interstate or foreign commerce wholly within a municipality or between contiguous | municipalities or within a zone ad- jacent to and commercially a part of | any such municipality or municipali- ties except when such transportation is under a common control, manage- ment or arrangement for a continuous carriage or shipment to or from a| point without such municipality, mu- nicipalities or zone.” Because of the many factors in-| volved, the hearing will be of wide interest, bringing in not only the high- way carriers, but also the railroads, which have a stake in the proceedings from a transportation standpoint, and the shippers. It may last several days. Thus far, similar hearings have been held only for four areas—New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles— and in none has the commission handed down a decision. In conse- quence, there has as yet been no indi- cation of what it believes a “metro- politan area” might properly include. Coyle to Preside. The hearing will start at 10 am. and will be conducted by Examiner Paul Coyle. At its conclusion the ex- aminer will issue & proposed report and if there are no exceptions within 20 days it will be entered as an order of the commission. In a case such as this, however, there inevitably will be dissents from the examiner’s report, and under that condition the com- mission will take over and decide what the order shall be. The commission is now notifying all interested parties to the proceedings. PRESIDENT'S SON T0 MISS HOME YULE Over-Christmas Stay in Hospital Deemed Advisable by Physicians. BY the Assoclated Press. BOSTON, December 23.—Franklin D. Roosevelt, jr., son of the President, learned today he would celebrate Christmas in the Massachusetts Gen- eral Hospital instead of in the White House. Dr. George Loring Tobey, jr., his physician, indicated a few days ago hat young Rocsevelt, recovering from throat and sinus infections, would be able to leave the hospital tomorrow. But today Dr. Tobey said that, while his patient had shown great improve- ment, he believed it unwise to allow him to go to Washington. He said the young man would have his Christmas dinner and celebration in the hospital. The President’s son entered the hos- pital the day before Thanksgiving. His condition was reported “good.” They said he had suffered no set- back and that his improvement was “steady.” Officials did not know whether any members of his -family or his flancee, Miss Ethel du Pont, Delaware heiress, would come here to spend the holiday with him. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt may go to Boston before Christmas to visit her son in a hospital there, but White House . sources said today her plans were indefinite. The decision to postpone his joining the .family here for the holidays was reached after a telephone conversa- tion between Mrs. Roosevelt and the physician, Dr. George Loring Tobey, jr. Dr. Ross T. McIntire, White House physician, also talked with Dr. Tobey. P RN B Town’s Population Two. CHCAGO (#).—The entire popu- lation of Lee, Mich., came to Chicago A large amount of firefighting apparatus blocked traffic in front of the Chalfonte Apartments at 2116 P street this morning while firemen extinguished a $10,000 blaze on the top story. Four alarms were turned in. < WAL BROWN WINS CLUB'S 1330 AWARD To Receive Cosmopolitan Unit’s Medal as Outstand- ing D. C. Citizen. Maj. Ernest W. Brown, superin- tendent of the Metropolitan Police Department, has been awarded the Cosmopolitan Club’s distinguished service medal as “the citizen who has rendered the most outstanding, unselfish service to the City of Wash- ington during the year 1936.” The award was based on Mal. Brown's active interest in the boys' Summer camp and his efforts in ex- tending the facilities and scope of the Metropolitan Police Boys’ Clubs. Announcement of the award was made today by Dr. J. Rozier Biggs, chairman of the Distinguished Serv- ice Medal Committee, at the Cosmo- politan Club’s Christmas party at the Carlton Hotel. The selection of Maj. Brown, Dr. Biggs said, was unanimous at a meet- ing of a committee comprising James E. Collifiower, Arthur Deffenderfer, president of the club; Judge M. M. Doyle and William King. Date of Presentation. The medal will be presented at a | meeting of the club January 28. Pres- idents of all Washington luncheon clubs, in addition to Bishop John M. McNamara, Bishop James E. Free- man, Rabbi Abram Simon and friends of Maj. Brown will be invited to the presentation ceremony. The idea of presenting a Distin- guished Service Medal to the Capital's outstanding citizen each year was con- ceived by Dr. Biggs when he was pres- ident of the club. Previous recipients of the award have been Martin A. Leese, Theodore W. Noyes, Edwin C. Graham, Miss Mary V. Merrick, Robert V. Flem- ing and Thomas W. Littlepage. Miss Merrick, the only woman to receive the medal, was named because of her work for the Christ Child Society Settlement. Other Cosmopolitan Clubs have fol- lowed the lead of the Washington group, and each year similar awards are made in all cities where there are |. clubs. % Christmas Party. The Christmas party today was in charge of the Relief Committee, head- ed by J. E. Divver, and consisting of Dr. Calvert E. Buck. Edmond O. Carl, Lester Powell and Elmer Ewing. Dr. Buck, the club’s chaplain, gave a talk on “What Christmas Dav Means,” in which he explained there is more to the celebration of the sea- son than the exchange of gifts. ‘The real event of Christmastime, he said, is seeing that the needy are re- membered. He added that too little attention is paid to the religious sig- nificance of the season. Following ‘Dr. Buck’s talk, a truck belonging to Lew Powell was loaded with more than 100 baskets of food and clothing and sent to the homes of families which had been selected before the meeting. B Beehive Burglar Missing. TROY, N. Y. (#).—Somebody robbed Carl Holcomb's beehives the other night. The bees died defending their | treasure, and also gave the police a clue. The officers figure the thief probably is suffering from a puffed ace. Awarded Medal Ex-Representative Gibson, 100, Thinks Congresses Are Better BY the Associated Press. Former Representative Henry R.|bers improving. "aummmumco..mrmmmvmmtm said. “Congress? Why, I with ammonia. Fireman J. H. Reed and Sergt. P. D. Grosso of the Fire Res- cue Squad, with canaries taken from a smoke-filled apartment. The bird in Reed’s hand is dead. Firemen revived the other —Star Staff Photos. Miss Barbdra Dille is shown with 5-year-old Bobby.Deeter, jr., whom she led through the smoke from the top floor. (Story on Page A-1.) SURVEY WILL END ON TUBERGULOGIS W. P. A. Project for District Will Close Despite Pro- test of Ruhland. The District’s tuberculosis case- test by Health Officer George C. Ruh- land, District works officials announced today. Dr. Ruhland was advised the project had to be closed since the survey had been completed, even though some $24,000 of the allotment remains un- spent. This will -be available for financing other W. P. A. projects. ‘The Health Department still has the ficer; explained that while these work- ers were scattered among various units of the department all were doing work related to the survey. ‘Two of them, she said, were engaged with vital statistics concerning tuber- culosis, as well as othey diseases. finding survey, conducted during the ‘ Iast year as a $99,000 W. P. A. project, | will be closed tomorrow despite a pro- | MAJ.E.W. lROW‘N. . Game Law Violation By Van Devanter To Go Unpunished Attorney General Cummings jestingly remarked at his press conference today. that. he does not intend to prosecute Justice Willis Van Devanter of the Su- preme Court for an alleged vio- lation of the Federal migratory bird act. Queried about press accounts of an encounter between Justice Van Devanter and a game war- den recently during a hunting trip in nearby Virginia, Cum- mings laughingly referred to the “spirit of Christmas” and said: “I think I'll call it all square with our compliments.” . C. HAS ONE LESS DAY TO BUY TAGS FOR CARS Department Will Observe Same Holiday Hours as U. 8. Work- ers, Closing Saturday. District motorists will have one less day this year in which to purchase 14,000 more tags than last year, it was announced today by Traffic Director William A. Van Duzer. He expressed the bellef thére would be at least 9,000 car owners without tags on January 1. Theé Department of Motors Vehicles and Traffic will observe the same holi- PAGE B—1 BUSINESS PLAN FORGOVERNMENT PRESIDENT'S AIM Reorganization of Executive Branch to End Waste Is His Objective. SPECIAL COMMITTEE WORKS ON PROBLEM Further Conferences to Be Held Before Recommendations Go to Congress. BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG. President Roosevelt’s main objective in bringing about a reorganization of the executive branch of the Govern- ment will be to establish a good, sound business organization. Saving money will not be a primary objective in this undertaking. The President’s study of this problem al- ready has convinced him that while the mere saving of money is desirable, it should not be the paramount objec- tive. His purpose is to eliminate waste, to abolish duplication of effort and to remove overlapping authority, all of which will go toward developing a real business establishment of greater efficiency and accomplishment. This was brought out at yesterday's ‘White House press conference. To bring about any great saving by reorganization it would be neces- sary actually to abolish some funce tions &s well as to limit the functions of other agencies, and it is doubtful if this can be done without sacrific~ ing efficiency. The President recently has held conferences with the special commit- tee appointed by him some months ago to make a study of reorganization, and he will have further conferences with this body before he sets down on paper any definite plan to be recom- | mended to Congress. Charles C. Merriam and Luther | Gulick, members of the committee, had White House appointments today. Will Confer With Byrd. The President will confer in the near future with Senator Byrd of Vir- ginia, chairman of a special Senate committee studying the reorganization anan of Texas, who heads a similar | committee in the House. Just how | these two congressional committees | and the President will consolidate their |ideas for a definite plan has not yet been revealed. Neither has the Presi- dent decided just how he will present the matter to Congress. The manner in which the President is approaching the reorganization problem strongly suggests that he will be influenced greatly by the reorgani- zation done by Alfred E. Smith when the latter was Governor of New York State, by Senator Byrd when he was Governor of Virginia and by Frank | O. Lowden when he was Governor of | Ilinois. In the case of New York | there were 120 independent agencies |in the State government, all of which |reported to the Governor. When | Governor Smith completed his reor | ganization plan they were reduced to |18. ANl of the other agencies were placed in one of these 18 established | departments. | It has been developed in_the Presi- dent’s study that it is more practicable to have a smaller number of Governe ment departments or agencies. This | does not mean that the President is | contemplating a reduction in the | present number of established depart- ments. In fact, his plan may include a provision for increasing the num- | ber possibly by two. A department of public welfare may be considered es- sential, as well as a new department |to take over all the public works functions. The President himself is not authority for this speculation, but it is being considered.by some of ‘his advisers. Consolidations Held Timely. The study of reorganization so far | has indicated that consolidations and | transfer of activities from one de- partment to another are desirable. A number of old established depart- mental bureaus are doing work today entirely different from the work they were doing 20 years ago. Among bureaus of the Government whose work has been greatly changed in recent years is the Procurement Di- | vision of the Treasury Department. Another problem is presented by the quasi-judicial agencies in the Gov- ernment. The heads of these agencies are appointed by the President, but he has little if any authority over their functions and most of them re- port directly to Congress and not to him. There are approximately 100 of these agencies. Study suggests that the administrative functions of these agencies be transferred under the di- rect supervision of the President. 1$250,000 IS URGED FOR RECEIVING HOME Memorandum of Need Filed With Commissioners by Welfare Board. Appropriation of $250,000—to be im- mediately available — for construc- tion of a new Receiving Home for Children is proposed by the Board of Public Welfare in a memorandum filed with the District Commissioners today. Recommendation for a special re- quest for early appropriation of the sum was adopted by the board late yesterday after Welfare Director Ele wood Street had declared the present structure inadequate. Street declared a new building is needed to afford proper segregation of the different types of patients. He . said there should be facilities so the institution could separate its wards by type, age, sex and race, which is not now possible. Recreation space also should be provided, he declared, ‘problem. and Representative Buch- | . | and the new home should provide for , | & capacity of 75, whereas the present . day, as well as the Saturday following New Year. This means those persons unable to secure tags by 1 p.m. on De- ber be Y building has a capacity of 50. i ‘The board did not suggest what site should be selected, and it left for later studies the design and arrangement of the.new building. The Commis- " sioners may consider the request &%° their next board :emn( next week.