Evening Star Newspaper, July 4, 1937, Page 7

TOWOPRUTEST OUSTERSINW.P.A New York Marchers Carry “Don’t Tread on Me” Flag in Parade. B the Associated Press NEW YORK, July 3.—A parade be- hind a huge hanner bearing the coiled rattlesnake and motto, ‘Don't Tread | On Me.," of Colonial days symbolized today a protest of 12,000 W. P. A. workers against the chcmment'sJ tightening of its purse strings. “Give back our jobs" appealed other placards carried before W. P. A. head- quarters after a week of violent dem- onstrations which brought arrest to THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., JULY 4, 1937—PART ONE. A—7 — e e e Y ;e (8 (Continued From First Page.) Willard's taxes would be increased by 41 per cent, while the Mayflower would pay a 15 per cent increase. Effect On the Properties. Take the cases of business properties on downtown F street: The Julius Garfinckel & Co. department store, at Four- teenth and F streets, is assessed at a total of $3,030,464. At the present $1.50 rate for land and building the tax bill is $45456. With the hiked rate for the land, the bill would go up to $58,511, an increase of $13,055, or 28 per cent. Three blocks east on F street is a women'’s agpnrel shop having a total assessment of $201,020, on which the property tax is now $3,015. With the adoption of the 1 per cent land tax, the bill for this property would be raised to $4,705, or an increase of $1,690, or 56 per cent. In the case of the Garfinckel property the land is developed to what might be called its maximum use value under existing conditions. The building is a fine, modern structure. It is as high as the zoning laws permit and fully occuples the land. But in the case of the apparel shop, the improvements are old and, in relation to the land, the value is small. The owner more than 300 and injuries to a dozen. The banner of the threatening x'at-f tlesnake—first used many years ago as a warning by colonists against Eng- | lish rule—was that of the City Projects | Council, a Workers' Alliance unit di- | recting a campaign against orders to reduce New York's W. P. A. army from 168.000 to 135.000 workers by Octo- ber 15. Behind the marchers was a week filled with a strange mixture of pro- tests ranging from hunger strikes of Federal theater workers to a massed | attack on a closed W. P. A. office | which resulted in the arrest of 37/ men and women on burglary charges. Cripples “Stage Old Act.” Ahead was a demonstration of the | 12,000 dismissed relief workers, called | for Tuesday by the City Projects Council. Disorders resulting from the dis- missal order began last Sunday when several hundred demonstrators im- prisoned Harold Stein, administrator in W. P. A, headquarters. The demonstrations took a more | serious turn Thursday when 37 W. | P. A strikers, several of them women, | were arrested on burglary charges | after, police said, thev forced their | way into a recreational unit. damaging furniture and equipment. Additional | charges of possessing burglars’ tools | and malicious mischief were filed against the 37 Attempts of W. P. A, guards to eject several cripples from the W. P. A headquarters after a demonstration | of the League of Physically Handi- eapped was followed by the arrest of three guards on disorderly conduct charges. Three of the cripples were Injured. league spokesmen said. “Pickets Instead of Sheep.” | Lieut. Col. Brehon Somervell, W. P. | A. administrator, said of the Injured | cripples, “They are all old hands. | They've been arrested before. They | fust put on the same old act and thowed no ingenuity.” While the city project’s council continued to direct a campaign for reinstatement of the 12,000 workers | more than half of them had applied | o the Emergency Relief Board for home relief. Officials of the board said all those | qualified to receive direct relief would | be cared for. | Special police guards continued their watch over W. P. A. offices, although most of the units were closed for the July 4 holiday | One of the officers, exhausted by »Imost continual strike duty, grumbled from his post: ‘I do so much strike duty Jately that I count pickets instead of sheep to go to sleep nights.” The Weather District of Columbia—Fair in morn- fng and local thundershowers this | afternoon: tomorrow local thunder- | showers: slightly warmer today; gen- | tle southerly winds today, becoming | southwest and west tomorrow | Maryland—Fair in morning and | Iocal thundershowers this afternoon; tomorrow local thundershowers; | slightly warmer today. Virginia—Local thundershowers in west portion today and fair in east| portion, except possibly local thunder- | showers in the interior this afternoon; | tomorrow local thundershowers, slightly warmer in north portion to- morrow. | West, Virginia—Local thundershow-‘ ers today and probably tomorrow; lit- | tle change in temperature. ‘\ River Report. Potomac River little muddy and | Shenandoah River very muddy yesterday afternoon Report Until 10 P.M. Saturday. ight m. s m m m i6 10 pm Record Until 10 P. M. Saturday. Highest. R4. 4 p.m. vesterday. w0, ¥ Lowest. #5. 4:30 am. yesterday. Year | ago. 71 Year | Record Temperatures This Year. Highest. 03. on_April 18 Lowest. 1. on February 38, Tide Tables. (Furnished by United_ States Geodetic_Survey.) Coast and Tomorrow. | 5:02 am. The Sun and Moon. Bun. today 447 ] Sun__ tomorrow 44 7 Moon. today 113 am. 4:06p.m. Automobile lights must be turned on ane-half hour after sunset Precipitation. Monthly precipitation in inches in the ©apital (current month to date) Month. i January February Asheville, Atlanta. Atlantic Baltimore. Birmingham Bismarck, N. i, gincinnati. Obio eyenne. Wyo. leveland. Ohio Galveston. Tex. _ Helens, Mont. . uron.’ 8. Dak. dianapolis. Ind._ acksonville. Fla. uisville 7 arquette, Mich. _ Membhis, Tenn. . let G ew York. N. Y. orth Platte. Nebr. aha. Nebr. 'hiladelphia. : might improve his property if business conditions warranted him doing so. But business has not warranted such improve- ment and, because the assessed value of his Rroperty-sa’hso a square foot—is high, the tax would hit him hard. Another comparison on downtown property. A parking lot located on downtown Thirteenth street has a current assessed value of $751,840. It has, from a practical viewpoint, no im- provements, there being an office valued at but $100. With the proposed land tax the tax bill would jump from $11,277 a year to $18,795, an increase of $7,518 or 66 per cent. In this connection it is pointed out that there are in the District approximately 9.000 acres of land which has not yet been improved. In these instances the owners would have to pay a tax bill that would be boosted by 66 per cent. Theory of Tax to Decrease Values. Is this an equitable tax? As the examples cited above show, it does not fall equally on those who pay the tax. It departs radically from the prin- ciple of a tax graded on ability to pay. The business man whose prosperity has enabled him to add improvements to his property—thereby raising the assessments of the surrounding property—will find the increase in tax less, in proportion to his present real estate tax, than his less for- tunate neighbor. His less fortunate neighbor, say, has conducted a business which has grown, but not grown nearly as rapidly as the assessed value of the property on which stands his shop. He does not want to sell. The value of the property has been in- creased—for taxation purposes—by the improvements, and per- haps the sales, in his immediate vicinity. But his business has not permitted him to make the im- provements to his own property which the assessed value—for tax purposes or sales purposes—might suggest. This tax will hit him far harder than it will hit his prosperous neighbor, though he is less able to afford the increase. A Modification of the Single Tax. This tax is a modification of the single-tax theory, which bloomed in another day. One of the basic principles of that theory was that it would halt land speculation, lower land values, especially land held awaiting future development. That, in the opinion of the single-tax theorists, would be a good thing. But in practice, this tax applied suddenly in Washington would doubtless have the effect of increasing taxes on some property to the point where the owner could no longer hold it. Property dumped on the market under such conditions would bring a slump in realty values, exercising a city-wide effect. It would be a two-edged sword in its application. To go back to F street. some of the one, two and three story shop buildings there are leased for long periods at stated rentals. In some cases the tenant has agreed to meet all the realty taxes. Next door there may be a shop leased for a short period. with the owner bearing the realty burden. The two shops may be competing businesses. In the first instance, the tenant would like to pass the in- creased tax levy along to the customers in increased prices for hats and dresses. This tenant has to pay the realty taxes. But next door is a tenant whose landlord pays the realty levies. His rental is stated in a contract which may run through the next year or two. He does not have to hike his prices. The first tenant would run into additional competition if he raised prices and his neighbor did not. The Effect on Homes. How would the 1 per cent land tax affect the owners of homes? A survey made by the Washington Taxpayers’ Association, made independently of The Star’s study, shows that the tax bills for 100 residential properties selected at random from all sections of the District would be increased by an average of 16 per cent. The association explains this would, in these cases, be a stiffer increase than an increase from $1.50 to $1.70 on all real estate, land and building alike, as proposed in the District omnibus tax bill as passed by the House, where the increase would average 13.3 per cent for the 100 residential properties included in its analysis. - In studying the effect of the proposed Senate Committee plan, it must be remembered that in thousands of instances there are residential properties—where value for residence or rental use has sharply fallen—on highly assessed land. Take lower Sixteenth street for an example. Nearby are valuable commercial properties. It has been shown repeatedly in the past that these adjoining business zones have raised the potential value and thereby the assessments on residential Sixteenth street. But the zoning regulations forbid use of Six- teenth street property for business. These owners pay taxes on land values boosted by nearby commercial properties, but must await the day when their land may be sold for a site for a large apartment or hotel, or for business, if the zoning ever is changed. In many instances the valuation of the land greatly ex- ceeds that of the building. The income from the property, if rented, or if the property is used as a rooming house, is low as compared with the land value or with the proceeds from the nearby commercial properties. Land Value Too High for Residential Use. The large residence at the northeast corner of Sixteenth and K streets has an assessed value of $190,472. Of this sum $140,472 is for the land, which is valued at $12 a foot, as con- trasted to values as low as 30 to 60 cents a foot in outlying resi- dential areas. The building is valued at $50,000. The value of the land, therefore, is close to four times that of the building, and the increased rate would be on land, not building. What would be the result of the new tax plan. The total tax bill would be raised from $2,857 a year to $4,261, or by $1,404, or 49 per cent. Another Sixteenth street property has Mnd assessed at $401,544 and a building at $50,000. This is located at the south- west corner of Sixteenth and I streets. The tax bill under the present rate would be $6,773. Under the proposed expedient, the levy would be raised to $10,788, or an increase of 59 per cent. Such examples could be multiplied at length. But does this principle apply to the average small row house? Let us see. Take a hypothetical case which may be typical of many small row dwellings. The house and lot together have an assessed valuation of $6,000. The house is valued at $5,000 and the land at $1,000. Such an example provoked ex- tended controversy at the recent Senate District Committee hearings. Under the present uniform rate of $1.50 the owner would pay a tax of $90. Under the proposed new system there would be a rate of $1.50 against the $5,000 building valuation which would produce a tax of $75. Then there would be a rate of $2.50 against the $1,000 land value, producing an additional $25, mak- ing the total $100. This would be an increase of 11 per cent more than the $90 tax under the present system. Effect on the “Rich” and the “Poor.” The proponents of the single tax, or the tax on land, argue that the small home owner would escape the burden, but that the “rich” home owners or the “rich” property owners downtown would have to pay the boost. Of course, even the small home owner would pay his share of the tax, although, in the average case, the increase would not be so marked as on many business properties where land value is high and improvement value is low. But the same inequalities in application of the tax shown to exist in the case of business properties would hit many owners of residential property. Some of these cannot sell now, for the residential use-value of their property is gone, and there is no demand for commercial use of the property. In thousands ef cases these are “small property owners” who would be hit as hard as the “rich property owners” downtown, while the depressing effect of the tax on real estate generally would hit all property owners. Have the small property owners forgotten their equities, paid for in good, hard cash, wiped out during the depression and the slump in values? > Did they consider the deflation in property values helpful to them then? Are they in favor of a tax which, in theory and possibly in its sudden application here, would tend toward the same effect? Let the single-taxers and the “people’s lobby” which ad- }'oca}tfid the tax ask the small property owner before speaking or him. 4| Marionettes BOYS’ CLUB AIDED in Show 8Sponsored by Young People. Marionettes -performed yesterday for the benefit of the Police Boys’ Club. Two presentations of a com- edy, "Poor Old Robinson Orusoe,” Perform were offered in the Grafton Hotel by a group of young people led by Leroy Gerlach, 17. -Next Saturday at 10:45 am. and 4 pm. the show is to be repeated. Stage sets are by Jawne Allen of the National School of Fine and Applied Art. Managing the Joel Friedman and both 16, and Miss Marjorie Gerlach. LANDTAXFORD.C. Senate Committee Acts in Right Direction, Says Ohio Democrat. Representative Herbert S. Bigelow, Democrat. of Ohio, advocate of the single tax, issued a statement last night praising the Senate District Committee’s new land tax feature of .the local vevenue bill as a step in the right direction. read as follows: “The people of the District of Co- lumbia better think twice, and think with their lead pencils, before they rush over to the House to upset the Senate’s plan of reducing the rate on buildings and increasing the rate on His statement "land values. “If you will get your 8-year-old schoolboy or girl to do the figuring, you wil' find that it makes practically no difference to you on your average $7.500 home, whether you pay the House rate of $17 a thousand on your house and lot, or the Senate's rate of $15 a thousand on your house and $25 a thousand on your lot. Land Value Greatest. “But what a difference it will make to some people! Take the three blocks bounded by Fourteenth street north- west, Fifteenth street northwest, F street northwest, G street northwest and New York avenue. The Senate rates will raise the taxes on these owners over $100,000 a year, for the reason that they have nearly twice as much 'and value as improvement value, while your home has three or four times as much improvement value as land value. “Take a particular lot in one of these blocks, lot 14 in square 224. The land value is $415,000—the improve- ment valus $80,000. Under the House rate, this owner would pay $8415. Under the Senate rates he would pay $11,575." For further illustration. Bigelow re- ferred to lot 15 in the same square. which, he said, has $241.695 of land value and no buildings. He said that under the House rate this lot would pay $4.109. while under the Senate bill it would pay $6,042. Continuing, the statement read: “Now here is the question: Do you think it is right to bear down on these big land owners, or would you rather pay an income tax or a business tax, in order that their taxes may be less? “If there is & rush in the House to wipe out this extra land value tax. you can guess the reason why. neys for these big money boys, in these next few days, will put the heat on the House members, and how! “House Will Save Big Boys' “It is & pretty safe guess that the House will save the big boys and sub- | atitute some sort of a tax to hit the 1 little fellows. But, if this doesn't happen, if this Senate land value tax sticks, I'll go to Brooklyn and lay a wreath of thankfulness on the graves of Henry George and Tom L. Johnson. "Of course, this Senate bill is a long way short of what is 30 unfortunately called the single tax. The single tax would sweep away all other taxes and put a 4 per cent tax on all land value in the District, including Government land. That would raise the District's revenue, and, incidentally, it could come to this, that the Government would then be paying the statutory 40 per cent of the expenses. “The only economic effect would be to cheapen land and make it ac- cessible on easier terms for homes and business. Then, Washington, like Canberra, Australia, would be a capi- tal living on its own socially created land value, and there would be no tax raids on privately created wealth. “But that is altogether too logical and sound to expect in this muddled world. Instead, I, for one, am very thankful to the Senate Committee for this brave step in the right direc- tion.” |JURY BLAMES JONES IN WOMAN’S DEATH Coroner's Body Says D. C. Resi- dent Was Stabbed to Death by Companion. By the Associated Press. PRINCE FREDERICK. Md., July 8. —A coroner’s jury held today that Mrs. Margaret Combs Morris, of 528 Minnesota avenue northeast, Washing- ton, D. C., came to her death from stab wounds inflicted by J. Wilson Jones, jr, of Parkers Wharf, Calvert County. Mrs. Morris was fatally stabbed niear the Morris Summer cottage at Parkers Whar! last Saturday. Her husband suffered stab wounds in the chest, but is recovering and testified today. Jones has been charged with murder and is being held in the Baltimore jail. ‘The inquest was held before Magistrate W. W. Duke, with Emory Howard as foreman of the coroner’s jury. Morris testified that his wife was killed after the Morrises and Mr. and Mrs. Jones had returned home fol- lowing a trip to a nearby beer parlor. Jones is alleged to have hit Mrs. Jones while they were in the beer parlor. 80 TO LEAVE TUESDAY FOR BOYS' CLUB CAMP Contingents to Leave Every Two Weeks Through Summer for Outings. Eighty members of the Police Boys' Club of Washington will leave Tues- day for a two-week stay at Camp Reeder, near Mount Victoria, Md, a Summer outing place operated by the club. A new group of 80 will visit the camp every two weeks until Septem- ber 1. The contingent Tuesday will leave by bus at 1 p.m. from the main clubhouse, 230 C street. George A. Fyfe will be director of the camp, assisted by 10 counselors. B McChesney to Speak. Robert W. McChesney, executive of- ficer of the National Electrical Con- tractors’ Association, will address a meeting of the local branch at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium of the Pepco Building, Tenth and E streets. Thomas Ward, deputy chief electrical inspector, also will speak. "OUR PLUMBER" The attor- j The Single-Tax Revived | |BIGELOWPRAISES |SENATE MAY PASS D. C.TAXTHISWEEK Right of Way Sought for Re- vised Bill, Boosting Real Estate Levy. BACKGROUND— The District tax bill, rewritten many times, iy expected io receive Senate action this week and local officials are urging speedy passage to meet threatened deficit of some $7,000,000. Reduction of Federal contribution contributed in large measure to anticipated deficiency. Numerous tax devices have been proposed to raise the necessary revenue, but the legislators have not as yet been able to agree on those best suited to the local situa=- tion. BY J. A. O’LEARY. ‘The Senate will be asked to give the right of way within a few days to the rewritten District tax bill, which now lays s major part of the city's $7.- 000,000 deficit on real estate owners through the additional land tax of $1 per hundred of assessed value. While the measure contains a vari- ety of revenue-raising features that make the total new yield more than $9,000,000, the two main sources adopted by the Senate District Com- mittee to balance the current budget are the land tax, estimated to pro- duce $4,800,000, and the 2 per cent tax on luxuries, designed to bring in $2,500,000. * District officials pointed out yes- terday that of the $7,300,000 to be de- rived from these two primary fea- tures, property owners would be put- ting up through the land tax 66 per cent. These two levies slightly exceed the estimated deficit. Three Other Sources Tapped. ‘There are two other sections of the bill that would add to the city's gen- eral revenue fund, namely, the in- heritance and estate taxes, $800.000, and the strengthening of the proce- dure for collection of personal taxes, $500.000, but these do not offer such immediate collection possibilities. Then there is the new motor vehicle weight tax, estimated to yield $1,500,- 000, but this goes into the special highway fund for street work and traffic regulation. Meanwhile, it is becoming increas- ingly apparent that the tax schedule finally sdopted will be written in con- ference, because of the wide difference in the programs drafted by the House and Senate committees. If the bill passes the Senate in its present form, the conferees would still have to de- cide between the House provisions that have been knocked out and the Senate substitutes, with compromises a pos- sibility. Chairman King announced yester- day that he expects to report the re- vised bill to the Senate when it re- convenes Tuesday, and ask for its immediate consideration. In view of the changes that have been made in it, however, it is probable the leaders will follow the regular eourse of re- quiring it to go over one day after being reported. McNary te Co-operate. Although the stage is believed to be set for the opening of the battle over the Supreme Court bill this week, if the court issue is taken up it is ex- pected the leaders will agree to lay it aside temporarily for action on the tax bill, because of its emergency nature. Minority Leader McNary indicated yesterday he would co-operate in bringing up promptly urgent matters such as the local taz bill. Majority Leader Robinson was out of the city yesterday. Senator King will call his committee together either tomorrow or early Tuesday to make sure the detailed phraseology of the tax amendments is satisfactory. When the committee acted Friday, it voted on the forms of taxation and then instructed the legislative drafting sxperts to revise the House bill accordingly. On the 2 per cent luxury sales tax, for example, it is understood the amendment will give the Commis- sioners general authority to draw up regulations governing the method of collection. Food, medicine and cloth- ing will be exempt from this tax. Borah Still Opposed. Senator Borah, Republican, of Idaho, who made known several days ago he was opposed to a sales tax, announced yesterday the exemption of the foregoing necessities has not changed his position. He said he would oppose it because experience indicates that when once adopted, this form of tax is later extended. Assuming that the leaders will break in on the Supreme Court de- bate to take up the tax bill, there is some uncertainty as to how long it will take to pass it In view of the fact that it carries as a rider the Tydings resale price maintenance measure, which is national legislation. In this connection, Senator Borah, & strong supporter of the Sherman anti-trust lag, said he is for the principle of the Tydings bill because he does not believe it weakens the anti-trust law. A considerable number of States have laws sanctioning contracts be- tween manufacturers and dealers specifying minimum resale prices of commodities, and the purpose of the Tydings bill is to strengthen the State law in States that have it. Passage Sought by Saturday. Every effort will be made to get the tax bill through t- Senate by Saturday, which would atill leave less than a week in which to work out a conference agreement before July 15, the date on which District ofcials say work should start on making up the property tax ledgers and bills. All indications are the House con- ferees will fight for a return to-sub- stantially the tax program as it was reported to the House. This would mean the business privilege levy in Washington H Effects of Proposed Land Tax Present Tax Proposed Tax $858 1212 161 159 345 Percentage of Increase Increase $163 435 25 31 Location 1100 block of Sixteenth street 24% 1500 block of 58 18 24 53 1300 block of Park road 1000 block of Seventeenth street 4800 block of 3900 klock of Harrison street 4700 block of Colorado avenue 1400 block of 2800 block of Connecticut avenue ____ 188 214 26 325 33 20 11 228 40 21 The significance of the above table lies in the unequal results of the tax on residential properties. The variation is even more marked in respect to business properties. But even in residential properties, the proposed land tax may mean a small increase to one home owner and a tremendous increase to another, though the property may be substantially of equal value. The property owner in territory where commercial develop- ment _.has brought a higher level of assessment of land, but whose improvements have for the same reason lost in value, would in many cases pay a terrific increase. He is hit harder ‘because the higher assessed value of his land may represent an asset on which he cannot realize, either by sale or rental. NEW TAX PROGRAM MAY PASS QUICKLY Little Opposition Expected to Measures Designed to Plug Loopholes. B: the Associated Press. House leaders predicted yesterday there would be little opposition to enactment of legislation at this ses- sion to plug “loopholes” in the tax laws through which the Treasury says the Government is losing millions of dollars in revenue. ‘The congressional committee study- ing tax dodging expects to decide Tuesday whether to begin drafting the remedial legisiation immediately or to subpoena some of the wealthy individuals named by the Treasury as having used the “loopholes.” The Treasury completed a two-week description of the tax reduction de- vices Friday after presenting a long list of names of men and women it sald had used personal holding com- panies and other devices to cut their tax bills. Republican members of the com- mittee have contended there never was any need for the public hearings because the Treasury had all the in- formation necessary to remedy the ituation. f Indications were that some of the controversial sections of the tax laws, such as the capital gains provision, taxalion of community property and allowances granted oil and mining companies for depletion, would be left for next year. place of the luxury tax, and a flat in- crease from $1.50 to $1.70 in the uni- form rate on real estate as a whole— Jand and improvements—in place of the higher tax rate on land only Senator King, who opposed the bill as adopted by his committee, indi- cated he would consider a compromise plan for a modified business privilege tax, with a graduated scale of rates instead of the flat three-fifths of 1 per cent rate on gross receipts in excess of $1,000. May Seek Treasury Advance. The Senate land tax would place a larger part of the deficit on prop- erty owners than the House pro- posal for a rate of $1.70 on real estate as & whole. While the House proposal would raise $2,500,000, the Senate substitute land tax would pro- duce $4,800,000 If there should be prolonged delay in obtaining final passage of the tax bill, District officials might have to ask Congress to pass as a separate resolution the authority to obtain ad- vance of funds from the Treasury pending tax collections. They have not given up hope, however, of getting a bill before consideration of that step would become necessary. If no tax legislation should get through, property owners would have to meet the entire deficit, it was pointed out yesterday, because the Commissioners would have no alter- native under existing law but to fix a real estate rate to meet the year's general fund requirements. On the estimated deficit, this would require a rate of $2.05 per hundred on land and improvements. Insurance Tax Also an Issue. No difficulty is looked for in having the two houses agree on the Senate amendmen® enabling the District to borrow from the Treasury pending local tax collections. The conferees also would decide finally whether to restore or leave out the increase from 12 to 2 per cent in the insurance tax on net premiums. Commissioner Hazen yesterday de- plored the inclusion in the local tax bill of the national price regulation amendment, expressing fear it may delay final action. At the same time Hazen said he was grateful to the committee for restoring the provision that would allow the District to bor- row Federal funds until local taxes are collected. GICHNER . umane Society 1231 New York Avenue N.W. Tel. National 2846 Organized 1870 under special Act of Congress. Only organization in District of Columbia authorized by law to in- itiate prosecutions for cruelty. The Society invites and carefully investigates, through its agents, complaints of cruelty to children or animals. It is dependent upon dues of members and gifts to carry on its work. Membership Invited. ROOSEVELT SLATED 10 SPEAK AT FAIR Accepts Invitation to Attend Church Function Tomorrow. Br the Associated Press HYDE PARK, N. Y, July 3. —Pres- ident Roosevelt today made his only speaking engagement of the Indepen- dence day holidays when he accepted an invitation to attend a church fair at Mount Marion, on the west bank of the Hudson, Monday afternoon. Tomorrow he will attend services here at St. James' Episcopal Church, where he has been senior warden for several years. In the afternoon he will give & picnic at his Val-Kill Farm for the White House staff and news- paper men. The invitation to attend the church fair, where the President will probably say a few words, was extended by Mrs. Warren Myer of the Dutch Reformed Church of Mount Marion, 7 miles from Kingston Mrs. Myer wrote the church was| trving to raise money to prevent its | being closed The motor trip to and from Mount | Marion will cover about 90 miles. The President will cross the river by ferry at Rhinecliff. Present plans for the journey were mapped today as the Chief Executive worked at his Dutchess County home. Rain discouraged his customary drive about the countryside. He worked on mail and studied a batch of fiscal year reports from vari- ous independent agencies. His first callers since arriving here Thursday included Mayor George Spratt of nearby Poughkeepsie. where tempo- rary White House offices are estab- lished: James Townsend. Dutchess County Democratic chairman, and the Rev. William J. Noonan, Catholic clergyman of Hyde Park In midafternoon the President was to press a telegraph key starting the ‘Vanderbilt Cup auto race at Roosevelt Raceway on Long Island. but the weather forced postponement of the race Late tonight he was to use the same instrument to open the twenty-seventh annual festival and rodeo at Nampa, Idaho. ‘The key used is the same solid gold instrument that has been utilized for such purposes by Presidents for more than 25 years. Studded with 22 nug- gets, 1t was presented by President Taft to open the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition in 1908. It is made of the first gold taken from the Klondike in 1896. —_— A COOLIDGE HOLIDAY Wife of Former President Buys $2 Worth of Fireworks. NORTHAMPTON, Mass., July 3 (#)—Waiting her turn in a jostling crowd of youngsters, Mrs. Grace D. Coolidge, widow of former President Coolidge, purchased about $2 worth of fireworks at a small stand here WORLD CHAMBER CLOSES MEETING Victory in Fight for Interna- tional Bills of Lading Rules Hailed. By the Associated Press. BERLIN, July 3-—American dele- gates left the final meeting of the In. ternational Chamber of Commerce to- day congratulating Charles 8. Haight of New York on the success of his 16-year fight for international bill of lading rules. Members called it the greatest single practical achievement of their delega- tion. Haight said that through efforts of the chamber, Germany and Japan, while not yet ratifying the rules offi- cially, virtually had adopted them in practice. Thus shippers throughout the world after January 1 will have a universal system of billing American delegates also expressed pleasure that nine nations joined in opposing any move which might en- danger loans made to Germany under the Young and Dawes plans. They accepted with reservations a resolution calling for solution of the problem of international debts of po- litical origin. This resolution also recognized the need for stabilizing ex- change rates on a gold basis, indorsing the principles of the American-British- French tripartite agreement. Thomas J. Watson of New York, new president of the chamber, was succeeded by Eliot Wadsworth of Bos- ton as new chairman of the American group. Other resolutions indorsed by the chamber denounced armament com- petition, favored free access to raw materials for all nations, approved better living standards for workers, urged progressive abolition of ex- change controls and advocated multi- lateral trade agreements. TRAINING SCHOOL GIRL CONVICTED OF ASSAULT 17-Year-Old Colored Inmate Is Found Guilty of Part in Riot. Frances Mack, one of two 17-year- old colored girls arrested as a re- sult of a riot at the Nationa! Train- ing School for Girls shortly after the Braddock-Louis fight, was con- victed of assault by Police Judge Wal- ter J. Casey yesterday and ordered returned to the school The Mack girl was charged %ith having assaulted Nellie Mae Ben- jamin, a white inmate, while the latter was playing on the grounds of the school. When she went to the office of Dr. Emma H. Koehler, superintendent, to register a come plaint, according to the testimony, Frances and several other girls ate tacked her in the office. The other girl arrested in connec- tion with the riot, Agnes Thomas, was convicted by Judge John P. Mc- Mahon of intoxication and placed on probation for a year. This was done last week on an agreement with school authorities that the girl would be found employment and not be re- turned to the school. DINNER FOR McKELLAR Senator to Be Honor Guest of Tennessee State Society. Senator McKellar of Tennesee will be honor guest Friday night at a din- ner and dance to be given by the Ten- * nessee State Society of Washington in the Mayflower Hotel. On that day Senator McKellar wiil have served one day longer than any other Senator in the history of his State. At present this distinction be- longs to former Senator Isham G. Harris, Governor of Tennessee during the Civil War. He served 20 years, 4 months and 4 days. Senator Mc- Kellar took his Senate seat on March 4, 1917, PSYCHIC MESSAGE COUNCIL 1100 12th St. N.W. Cor. of 12th and L CIRCLES: 2 and 7 P.M. DAILY 81 Private Interviews from 11 5 GRACE GRAY DELONG—! Telephone: MEL. 523: today. “THE SPIRIT OF '76” “FORWARD to Victory and Freedom” was the Nation’s cry 161 years ago when the Declara- tion of Independence was signed! Eighty-one years after this momentous event—in 1857—the name DROOP was chiseled on the musi cal foundations of Wash- ington, and today, inspired and animated by The Spirit of 80 Years of Service our establishment, under the leadership of the sons of its founder, continues to “carry on” with pro- gressive ideas of merchandising and business rela- tionships, thus maintaining its enviable position: thingtgn'. Foremost Piano and Music House HAMMOND ORGANS 1300G STEINWAY PIANOS Street