Evening Star Newspaper, July 29, 1937, Page 21

LABOR UNIT MOVES FOR SETTLEMENT OF PAITER STRKE All Department’s Facilities Are Made Available for Conciliation. TWO COMMUNICATIONS BY PEOPLES EFFECTIVE Dircet Plea for Intervention Was Made This Morning After Contractors Complain. BACKGROUND— Union painters struck agamst all Procurement Division projects nearly two weeks ago as two open- shop firms began work on four new Government contracts. For 24 hours all organized painters in city were on strike, but since then only interruption of work has been on Federal jobs. Painters hate com- plaints pending with National Labor Relations Board as well as those being considered by Labor Depart- ‘ment., All facilities of the Labor Depart- ment will be directed at once to an | effort toward settlement of the strike of union painters against Govern- ment construction projects let through the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department, it developed this noon. This situation, which has been gought by the union throughout its two-week strike, resulted from two communications from Admiral C. J.| Peoples, head of Procurement, to Sec- retary of Labor Perkins, the frst being a full report submitted yester- day on the circumstances of the con- troversy and the second a direct ap- peal for conciliation services of the department submitted this morning. The latter action was taken by Peo- | ples after McCloskey & Co., general contractors, had complained to Pra- curement that iron work on the Apex Building was being held up by tae strike of the painters. In his letter 10 Secretary Perkins Peoples said a sim- ilar condition prevails at the Archives Building and Government Warehouse and is impending at the annex of tne Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the Government, Printing Office. Conciliation Requested. Peoples asked that the conctliation service be employed “to investigate the matter in its entirety and take such &teps as may be neccssary to have these men returned to their work.” At the same time 'the office of the #olicitor of the Labor Department dis- closed that a public hearing touching on at least one of the issues in con- troversy probably will be held under | their supervision within a few days. The issue which the solicitor’s office feels is clearly within its jurisdiction under the amended Davis-Bacon pub- lic contracts act is the allegation of the union that laborers are performing the work of skilled painters at laborer's | wages. At the same time the office of the #olicitor is considering the qusstion of whether they have the statutory right to rule on the question of whether painters should work a seven or an eight hour day. It is the contention of the union that the required wage rate for public contracts should be based on a seven-hour day, with over- time pay due for all above that. Would Take Testimony The hearing now contemplated by the Labor Department probably would call for testimony from representa- tives of the contractors involved, the painters’ union and men actually working on the jobs. A representa- tive of the solicitor would preside. As the Labor Department indi- cated it felt itself privileged to step into the controversy in an investiga. tory capacity, B. P. Holcombe, busi- ness agent for the union, said he would allow member painters to re- turn to work at procurement proj- ects pending completion of the in- quiry. The dispute has centered around four contracts let by the Procurement Division to the firms of William Wil- son & Sons of Atlanta, Ga, and Coons & Raptis of New York City for Jobs at the city post office and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. MAIOR SCIENTIFIC WORK NEARING END Smithsonian Expert’s History of Marine Crabs, 23 Years in Making, on Presses. A sclentific work that is the result of 23 years of payless devotion to the advancement of science will be pub- lished soon by the Smithsonian Insti- tution. It is the fourth and last volume of what is said to be the most complete history of the North and South Amer- ican marine crabs, written by Mary J. Rathbun, head of thc department of marine invertebrates of the Smith- sonian. While Miss Rathbun was away in Massachusetts today the presses were rolling with the fourth volume, which will be published some time in the Fall Miss Rathbun's life has been one of untiring devotion to her work. She ‘went to the Smithsonian as a record- ing clerk and rapidly learned various flelds of sclence. Her advancement was rapid. She became assistant curator and then head of the depart- ment of marine invertebrates. Her free service began in 1914. The work of her office was so heavy that an assistant was needed. No money was available, s0 Miss Rathbun gave up her salary, which wag used to hire & man to help with the work. Since 1914 she has lived on a modest income left by her father, Bad Coins Melted. Bad coins having a face value of $4,000, which had been taken in by a large railway in England, were recently melted down and the meta] sold for $45.00. ~ The Elks’ Club held its a shown here doing justice to a s: yesterday for 1200 children of 10 Washington orphanages. Lunch was the big event of a busy day for Tommy Drexler, 5, and Billy Schulze of the German Orphanage. in between shows, rides and other entertainment. WASHINGTON, nnual outing at Glen Echo They are umptuous repast, sandwiched DG, TE “The Big Train,” Washington's own Walter Johnson, was an attrac- tion for the host of parentless children. moundsman and former Nationals’ manager here are (left to right) Mar- garet Hall, 11, and her brother and sister, Arthur, 7, and Alice, 8. As real base ball fans and players, they talked it over with one of their dia- mond heroes. hemnn WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Star 1URSDAY, JULY 29, 1937. ¥¥¥ Washington’s Orphans Enjoy Day of Fun at Glen Echo Outing Everybody had a big Centered around the giant Here you see Betty Fuoco, —Star Staff Photos. Patricia Ann Shannon of Glen Echo with Frank Portilio, who helped entertain the kids Johnnie Ray and his puppet show, the Elks’ Clown Band and Fanny, “the singing goose” and Elks’ mascot. time on the merry-go-round. 10, of St. Vincent’s Home, and Other entertainers were SUBMITS LIBERAL RETIREMENT BILL | Civil Service Commission Plan Ready—Optional Age Limits Changed. A proposed new plan for liberalizing the optional features of the civil | service retirement law has been pre- | sented to members of the House | and Senate by the Civil Service Com- | | mission and may be introduced today. | With Congress striving to adjourn | soon, however, the proposal is ex- | pected to go over until the January | OFFIGE WORKERS' C.1.0. DRIVE OPENS Charter Presented Wash- ington Unit—110 Mem- bers Claimed. The drive to organize office workers in private industry here under the C. I O. was launched formally last night at a meeting in the Hamilton Hotel when a charter in the United Office and Professional Workers of America was presented to Local 27, the Wash- ington unit. Nearly 100 persons—the majority | session. In making known that they | probably would introduce the measure, | women—attended the meeting. Pamphlets which were distributed New Sewage Disposal Plant Placed in Limited Operation D. C. MANKILLED Slaughter House BY NELSON M. SHEPARD. Washington's $4,125,000 sewage dis- | posal plant, built at Blue Plains in |answer to more than two decades of | Potomac River pollution studies, was | placed in operation on a limited scale this week for the first time, a full vear | behind the original contract schedule. | It may not be fully completed for another seven months. | than possibly any other recent public project in the District, the new dis- Chairman Ramspeck and Chairman | Outlined the aims of the group as five Posal plant starts test operations under Bulow of the House and Senate Civil | Service Committees, respectively, em- in number—job wages, security, adequate improved working conditions, fresh difficulties. Even before the testing process began, sanitary en- | phasized they have not had time to | Vacation and sick leave with pay and | Rineers were deep in an investigation | study the plan in detail and are not | | committed to it. ‘The purpose in | | mtroducing it will be to make it available for careful study during the | | recess. Would Set 70-Year Limit. | Th> main features of the plan are | Mandatory retirement at 70 years for all groups, instead of the three existing age limits for different classes | of work. At present the age limit is 70 for departmental employes gen- rerally; 65 years for letter carriers, | I post” office clerks and mechanical | groups; 62 years for railway mail clerks and navy yard workers. At precent employes in each of | | these three groups have the option of | iretiring two years earlier than the | mandatory age, after 30 years of | service, or at 68, 63 and 60, according | to the nature of their work. The plan now under consideration proposes two new optional features. One feature would allow retirement | jav the age of 55, after 30 years of service, subject to the consent of both the Government and the employe. Tine other proposal would allow op- tional retirement at the age of 60, | after 30 years of service, with a re- | uuced annuity. Would Increase Contributions. The employe contribution to the te 5 per cent, and the rate of °si on such contributions would | be cut from 4 to 3 per cent. The low | | interest rate would apply in cases of | | opiional retirement. It was ex- | plained that this is being suggested | to meet estimated increased cost, and to overcome past opposition to liberal- izing legislation on the ground of its cost. The measure also would make some changes in the provisions for disability retirement. Senator Bulow said that he and| Representative Ramspeck conferred briefly with officials pf the Civil Service Commission when they brought the proposal to the Capitol. Bulow said public hearings would be held before the subject is acted on at the next session. WOMAN’S PARTY PLANS ‘VICTORY’ CELEBRATION Dinner Tomorrow to Mark Repeal of Section 213 of Economy Act. In celebration of repeal of section 213 of the economy act and favorable congressional action on the equal righls amendmen, the National Woman's Party will give a “victory dinner” at 7 p.m. tomorrow on the lawn of the party headquarters on Capitol Hill. Mrs. Harvey W. Wiley will preside and representatives of most of the 11 national organizations which took part in the fight for the two legisla- tive programs will be present. The equal rights amendment has been favorably reported by committees of the Senate and House. Among the speakers will be Mrs. Edwina Avery, chairman of the Gov- ernment Workers' Council; Anita Pollitzer, Burnita Matthews Shelton, Helen Hunt West, who will report on the biennial convention ef the Busi- ness and Professional Women’s Fed- eration at Atlantic City, which in- dorsed the equal rights amendment; Dorothy Dunn, legislative chairman of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women, and Ella Werner, district legislative chairman of the National Soroptimists. Airport Permit Granted. RICHMOND, Va., July 29 (#).—The town of Gordonsville was granted a permit by the State Corporation Com- mission today to operate an airport 212 miles northeast of the corporate alimits in Orange County. extra pay for overtime. A spokesman for the local said it has 110 members here representing various lines of business. James Gilman, vice president of the Office and Professional Workers, who presented the charter to Byron Hemp- hill, local president, urged the neces- sity for organization among the white collar groups of the country to better their condition and called on those present to enroll one member each. He said that in two months’ time the national organization has enlisted 60,~ 000 members. Jacob Baker, president of the new United Federal Workers of America, another speaker, declared that Gove ernment office employes were interest- ed in seeing that those in private in- dustry organized, because a mass of unorganized clerical workers outside of the Government would cerate a “chaotic” condition that would breed | a depressed labor market generally. BAND CONCERTS. By the Soldiers’ Home Band in the bandstand at 7 o'clock tonight. John S. M. Zimmermann, bandmaster; An- ton Pointner, assistant. Program. March, “Sons of America". __Lithgow Overture, “The Silver Cord”...O'Neill Suite Espagnole (Spanish)..._Fulton (1) “Quada la Jara,” (2) “Quesada,” (3) “Las Palmas,” (4) “Palencia.” Excerps from musical comedy. “The New Moon" Popular numbers, “Crazy Words, Crazy Tune"..Ager “Canadian Capers” _______Chandler Waltz suite, “La Berceuse,” (Cradle Song) __ Finale, “Hungariana’ ----Lake “The Star Spangled Banner." By the Marine Band at the District ‘War Memorial in West Potomac Park at 7:30 o'clock tonight. Capt. Taylor Branson, leader; William F. Santel- mann, assistant. Program. Overture, “Freischutz” Characteristic, Flowers” _ Euphonium s ----Weber ‘'Whispering of -Von Blon mier Polka,” Llewellyn Donald Kimball. Tone poem, “Finlandia” Descriptive, “A Hunting Tower,” Respighi Xylophone solo, “Perpetual Motion,” Strauss Charles Owen. Grand scenes from “Ballo in Mas- chera” “Witches' Sabbath Symphony Fantastique” Arranged by Marines’ Hymn. “The Star Spangled Banner.” By the Marine Band in the audi- torium at the barracks at 11 am. tomorrow. Capt. Taylor Branson, leader; William F. Santelmann, as- sistant. Program. Marines’ Hymn. March, “The Monarch”_Walter Smith Overture, “Fingals Cave”_Mendelssohn Sextette from “Lucia” ‘Winfred Kemp, Nicholas Cicchese, Harold Bayes, Robert Isele, Donald Kimbell and John Burroughs. Grand scenes from “Faust”, Characteristics, (a) “Little Blond” __. (b) “Musical Snuff Box’ Xylophone solo, “Liebesfreud,” Kreisler Charles Owen. Excerps from ‘“‘Maytime” “Album Leaf" “Dance of the Hours” from “La Gioconda” Ponchielli Hymn, “Faith of Our Fathers.” Romberg -Wagner e Navy Awards Plane Contract. The Navy Department today an- nounced an $827,838.88 contract for four twin-engine amphibian airplanes has been awarded the United Aircraft Corp., BSikorsky Division, Hartford, Conn. Bids for the planes were re- ceived in the department July 23. A | to determine the effect on its effi- ciency from prospective slaughter house waste. They had before them & Public Health Service report indicating that | a heavy overload of sewage from the proposed Adolf Gobel operations in | Benning might necessitate additional | expenditures to provide more adequate “pro(ertmn from pollution. Under the | worse possible conditions, this would entail a codt of several million dollars. Designed to handle from 115,000,000 | to 130,000.000 gallons of sewage daily, the Blue Plains plant is now operating at less than one-fourth of capacity. A single condemned pump is at work on a part-time schedule, discharging no more than 26,000,000 gallons of | treated sewage daily into the Potomac across from Alexandria. | Four Pumps Rejected. This condition was caused by the engineers rejecting the four pumps previously ordered as unsuitable. To avoid delaying operations for nearly eight months, they rented one of the condemned pumps so the plant could operate on a test basis. Meanwhile, the New Jersey avenue pumping station, which sends sewage to Blue Plains where it goes through the intricacies of digestive treatment, is being changed from steam operation to electrification. Work started yes- terday and the completed job will cost $557.000. There will be no inter- ference with pumping during the process. It is to be finished by June 30, 1938. Bids will be opened next Wednesday at the District Building on the four new pumps for the Blue Plains plant. Considerable time will elapse be- tween the awarding of the contract and the final pump installation. Be- cause of these and other difficulties, Administrator Ickes, who is financing the project through a Federal grant and loan, recently extended the time for it to be in full operation until April 30, 1938 There will be ample opportunity in the interim to test the efficiency of operations and train the personnel. It will be possible to get enough sludge, it was said, to try out the elutriation plant, one of the largest installations of its kind. This process was said to wash the sludge after it is digested so that it can be de- watered more efficiently. The Blue Plains plant was designed to give only primary treatment by plain sedimentation, leaving for de- termination in the future the ques- tion as to type and extent of secondary treatment. This decision was con- curred in jointly by the District Com- missioners and by the P. W. A. in November, 1934, because of the ex- cessive $8,00,000 cost of a complete sewage system. Under the agree- ment the cost of the preliminary plant was fixed at $4,125,000. Industrial Waste Unexpected. Since all studies of Potomac River pollution since 1914 had stressed the fact that Washington had no large industrial waste with which to cope, the need for secondary treatment was not seen at this time. When the Blue Plains plant is in full operation, it will reduce suspended solids by approximately 50 per cent and reduce the oxygen demand of the sewage by 33 per cent. That amount of purifi- cation was expected to be sufficient to make the Potomac River suitable for fish life and prevent objectionable pollution. Recently, a report of Surgeon Gen- eral Thomas Parran of the Public Health Service, pointing to the possi- ble overloading from slaughter house waste if the Gobel plant is operated ay rull capacity, threw some doubt on the extent to which the Potomac will be protected from pollution. Sani- tary engineers at the District Build- ing, who have the matter under won- sideration, have not reported their conclusions. Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal also uncovered a 39-year-old anti-pollution law affecting the dis- charge of industrial waste into the | Troubles to Long-Overdue Project; Rejection of Pum p Delays Full Work:. - INVIRGINIA CRASH Woman Critically Injured When Car Quits Road May Bring More Potomac or any of its tributaries and Hits Pole. | within the District. This old law is being examined in connection with| J. Hampton Brown, 38, of 2827 | the Gobel plans for fear of excessive | Twenty-eighth street, was instantly | drainage of obnoxious waste from | the packing plant and stockyards into | <14 €arly today and Mrs. Virginia a small stream that emplies into the Hitt Bowman of Culpeper, Va, cri | Anacostia | fcally injured, when a car in which Should the proposed slaughter house | they were riding with friends failed | be built and operated at large capacity to round a curve and hit a telephone The cause of more official headaches | | before the sewage disposal plant is completed, sanitary engineers assume the problem at Blue Plains—now and later—will be greatly increased | With respect to improving bad river | conditions the addition of probab million gallons of slaughter house sew- age daily would serve to nullify the effects of the treatment, certainly un- der present operations. With the treat- ment plant operating at about one- | fourth capacity only that equivalent | amount of the sewage can be subjected | to purification. The overflow will be Present Plant's Capacity. The present plant was designed to | meet the needs of a population of 650,- 000, expected several years ago to ba reached by 1945. The controversial re- | port on the slaughter house declares | that if the plant kills between 3.100 and 3.800 animals daily—its planned | maximum capacitt—the water waste would be equivalent to a domeStic sew | age of 140.000 people In view of estimated population in 1937 of around 600.000, the addition of any overload of meat packing waste would serve to hasten the day when District officials will have to arrange | for an extension of the sewage plant. | The cost is regarded as prohibitive. Blue Plains is at the extreme south- ern tip of the District. The 25-acre | site of the sewage plant lies north of Oxon Run Bay on the Potomac. Sew- age is being discharged from it now through a long conduit into the river at Shepherd’s Landing, across from Alexandria. Once the sewage reaches the Blue Plains plant it is pumped to a level of | 35 feet above ground. The sewage then | turns into a series of long grit cham- bers for settlement of grit. In these chambers the large suspended matter— stone, gravel, etc.—is eliminated. Next the sewage goes through huge grease separating tanks. two in num- ber, where all the grease is skimmed | off. ‘The fourth step. a vital part of | the mechanism, passes it into 12 sedi- | mentation tanks where it remains hr’i a period of about two hours. In this| way the solids are separated from the effluents. It is then let out by gravity to the river. Residue Pumped Out. ‘The residue of the sewage flow is pumped to large digestive tanks for separate treatment. There the sludge is oxidied by a slow process. From there the water is pumped into condi- tioning tanks and then into de- watering tanks. Finally the oxidied and dried product, ready for use as fertilizer, will be carried out to a pier on the water front, dumped into scows and towed to Occoquan. Arrangements have already been made for its use at the Lorton Reformatory. ‘When the plant is in complete opera- tion by next Spring, pollution in the river at Washington will be greatly improved. It cannot serve its full purpose, however, until Maryland sewage is completed in the Washington Suburban Sanitary District and pollu- tion from Alexandria is remedied. ‘The Blue Plains plant is expected to handle an annual daily average of 115,000,000 gallons of sewage from Washington. In the Summer it will run higher and pollution troubles will discharged untreated into the Potomac. | hi | at 14 Lenox street, Chevy Chase, Md. pole on the Culpeper-Front Royal road, near Woodville, Va., according | to word received here. Six persons were injured. two of | them seriously, in other traffic acci- | dents in Washington early today and yesterday. Brown's widow., Mrs. Dorothy Brown, left for the Virginia town to- day. They have made their home | here fore about 15 vears. Brown was a salesman for a Baltimore concern. A sister, Miss Leila Brown. 2829 | Twenty-eighth street, also survives m. No Witnesses Except Victims. Details of the accident were vague as there were no witnesses, other than the victims, reports said. Mrs. Bow- man was believed to have a fractured skull. Others in the party were Mr.. and Mrs. Andrew W. Perrow and a colored driver, all of Culpeper. They | received only minor hurts. Richard Oulahan, 44, son of the late | Richard V. Oulahan, noted newspaper | correspondent and for many years head of the New York Times bureau here, was critically injured early today | when, according to police, he lost con- | trol of his automobile and crashed into a stone coping on Independence | avenue near the Capitol. He was taken to Emergency Hos- pital. where it was said he possibly | had his skull fractured. Oulahan lives Stephen R. Ashby, 59, Hyattsville, Md,, received a severe head injury| and several broken ribs when an au-| tomobile he was driving crashed into | a parked car in the 2800 block o([ Bladensburg road northeast, police | said. He was taken to Casualty Hos- pital. Four Children Hurt. Four children, three of them colored, were struck by automobiles yesterday, but received only cuts and bruises. Richard Bowles, 7, of 2236 Nichol- son street southeast, was hit by a ma- chine operated, police said, by Gar- nett Kidwell, 20, of the 2300 block of Nicholson street southeast, who was charged with reckless driving and having bad brakes after the accident in an alley in rear of the Orr School. The colored children struck are: James Stewart, 6, of 935 Florida ave- nue; Lawrence Davis, 10, of 1138 New Jersey avenue, and Charles Gibson, 9, of 1516 P street. Traffic was tied up for nearly an hour just after 6 p.m. yesterday when two street cars jumped the track at Truxton Circle, Florida avenue and North Capitol street. Machines and street cars were stalled for 10 blocks. One street car rolled to the pavement at the entrance to Florida avenue when a fourth car tried to push those ahead of it over a section of the track which went dead when the third rail dropped. DEADLINE NEARS FOR TAX RETURNS Saturday Is Final Day for Filing Personal Levies and Get- ting Dog Tags. become morc aggravated because of the usual low flow in the Potomac. While present primary treatment would give only 33 per cent purification, sanitary experts say the 90 per cent system would more nearly solve pollu- tion troubles. GETS U. OF V. POST Professor Named Acting Dean of Law School. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, July 29 (#)—Dr. John Lloyd Newcomb, pres- ident of the University of Virginia, announced last night the appointment of Prof. F. D. G. Ribble, professor of law, as acting dean of the University Law School. ‘The appointment, effective August 1, will continue until the return of Dean A. M. Dobie, who is absent on leave because of {liness. treatment afforded from a secondary tai Deputy Tax Assessor Charles A. Russell warned today that Saturday is the deadline for flling personal tax returns and the purchase of dog gs, Approximately 27,000 personal tax returns have been filed to date, leav- ing 18,000 yet to be heard from. These include 7,000 new accounts discov- ered last year in checking over Fed- eral income tax returns. The tax assessor’s office closes at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, but returns will be accepted by mail if they are post- marked before midnight. A penalty of 20 per cent of the as- sessed valuation will be imposed after Saturday for failure to file returns. The first payments of the tax are due September 1. Thereafter, it was said, a penalty of 1 per cent each month will be added in the case of delinquents. In view of the estimated 20,000 dogs in the District and the slowness Prof. H. C. Dillard, another member of the Law School faculty, was named assistant dean. He also will assume his new duties August 1. i with which tags are being purchased, it is expected the dog pound is go- ing to do a thriving business next o LAND PURCHASES HERE GONSIDERED Park and Planning Board to Spend $800,000 in Dis- trict Program. A two-day monthly meeting of the | National Capital Park and Planning | Commission opened this morning with acquisition of land for parks and play- | grounds in the District to be con- | sidered. The present $800.000 appropriation for purchase of park and playground land will be used entirely in buying land threatened with being developed | by private owners, John Nolen, jr.. di- rector of planning, said today. These tracts lie in the more congested and built-up sections of the District The commission this afternoon was to discuss the current Washington air- | port proposals—location of a new air- | port at Camp Springs, Md, and en- | largement of the Washin Airport Also on the agenda for today's meet- | gton-Hoover | | ing was consideration of matters of | | interest to the recently formed Arling- ton County Planning Board—among | them the Lee boulevard extension to Arlington Memorial Bridge. An in- | spection tour of grading already done | on the right-of-way was planned for late this afternoon. First item on tomorrow's program | is consideration of action taken on| proposed Jefferson Memorial plans by the Memorial Commission and the House Library Committee, followed by | presentation of landscape plans for | the new Police Court Building in Ju- | diciary Square by Nathan C, Wyeth, | Washington architect The commission also plans to con- | sider tomorrow a report by J. A. Ryder | of the commission staff on the status | of areas in the District developed in | the last 10 years and those likely to be developed in the near future with an eye to their effect on the commis- | sion’s land purchase plan. Other items on the commission's program tomorrow are a study of vari- ous sites for the proposed new naval | hospital, @ progress report by Nolen on | plans for the George Washington me- | morial highway—to run from the Dis- trict line to Great Falls—four pro- posed highway changes and the pro- posed closing of Main avenue between Fourth and Sixth streets southwest. EXPANSION URGED Senator Hayden of Arizona Pro- poses Five-Year Building Program. By the Associatec Press, Senator Carl Hayden of Arizona proposed yesterday a modifled five- year building program for the Bureau of Fisheries. He asked authorization for an ex- penditure of $40,000 for each of the five years for rearing ponds in national park and forest areas. Proposed expenditures during the current fiscal year included: Completion of fish-culture stations at Flintville, Tenn., $50.000, and Har- rison Lake, Va. $25,000. Establishment of fish-culture station in Mississippi, $75,000. Items proposed for the fiscal be- ginning next July 1 included: Fish-culture station in Florida, $65,000; completion of station at Marion, Ala., $25,000; establishment of sub-station in Virginia, $25.000. For the year beginning July 1, 1939, the proposed work included: Fish-culture sub-stations in Georgia, $50,000; South Carolina, $35,000. COMMISSIONERS SEE NEW GAS-ELECTRIC BUS Inspect Vehicle Expected to Do Away With Jerky Stops and Starts. One of four new gas-electric buses on trial here by the Capital Transit Co. was tested yesterday with Public utilities commissioners aboard as eritics. Little different in appearance from ordinary buses, the new coach has a dual motivating force. A gasoline en- gine, similar to those now in use, turns a dynamo which generates electricity and transmits power to the drive shaft. Though more expensive in first cost than the buses now in operation, the new coaches are expected to prove cheaper to operate in the long run. ‘The absence of a gear-shift does away with jerky stops and starts. The buses will be put thmough a rigid series of tests before a decision on their use- fulness is handed down. f | department Society and General PAGE B—1 KENNEDY MEASURE WOULD CUT POWER OF BUDGET BUREAY Bill Grants City Heads Right to Reject Recom- mendations. SPECIAL D. C. OFFICER FOR FINANCES SOUGHT Plan Would Make Commissioners Alone Responsible for Fiscal Balance in District. BY JAMES E. CHINN, The Budget Burcau would be | stripped of its present authority to dica tate the District’s financial policies under the proposed municipal goterne ment reorganization plan of Repree sentative Kennedy, Democrat of Marye land Kennedy made that disclosure today as he applied finishing touches to the plan which he intends to put in the form of an omnibus bill and introduce in the House before the end of the week. Instead of treating the District as it sees fit, the Budget Bureau, according to Kennedy, would have only the authority to review the estimates of the Commissioners and make recommen- dations to them, not only as to the items, but as to the amount of the Federal payment toward the expenses of the municipal government. The rec- ommendations of the Budget Bureau would not be binding on the Commis- sloners and they could accept or reject them as they wished Under present budget-making pro= cedure, the Commissioners predicate their estimates on recommendations of the various department heads. These estimates are sent to the Budget Bureau, and are slashed. trimmed and altered to suit the budget officials. The bureau then transmits the budget to Congress. Final Responsibility. Kennedy. however, vroposes that the Commissioners be given final and complete responsibility for the budget, and will provide in his bill that the Commissioners, rather than the Budget Bureau, transmit it to Congress. Phis change, however, would not remove the present authority of Congress to control District appropriations The reorganization plan also calls for the creation of a special budget | officer, whose duties would be to keep in constant touch with the District's financial affairs and to do all pre- liminary work in connection with the framing of the annual estimates. Mai. Daniel J. Donovan. District auditor, now serves as budget officer. but Ken- nedy pointed out he has too manv other duties and should be relieved of budget work. “What I have in mind is a budget officer who wili devote his time ex- clusively to the District's budget and other financial problems,” said Ken« nedy. “Such an officer would permit the District budget to be built from the bottom up rather than from the top down, as at present. The Commis- sioners now make up their budget on | the basis of recommendations of the heads. which always ex- ceed the amount the District can spend. As a result. the Commissioners must cut from the top, instead of building a budget from the bottom. Seeks More Balanced Budget. “I believe such a change would make it possible for the District to have a more balanced budget each year. The Budget Bureau could not be blamed for any deficit. and the Commissioners alone would be re- sponsible for producing a budget that would be in keeping with available revenues.” Kennedy's reorganization plan is de- signed primarily to give the District an element of “home rule” through the creation of an advisory committee of public-spirited citizens to aid the Commissioners in solving municipal problems. He also proposes to recom- mend consolidation of a number of departments and agencies to prevent overlapping of services—a plan in- tended to increase the efficiency of the municipal government and at the same time save taxpayers thousands of dollars a year. MAN’S THROAT CUT INJAILBARBER SHOP Prisoner Slashed Own Windpipe, Acting Superintendent Re- ports—May Recover. Aaron Wilson, 28, of the 200 block of K street southwest, slashed his throat with & razor in the District jail barber shop yesterday on the third of his 105- day sentence for traffic violations, ac- cording to Capt. George Ratherdale, acting superintendent. His windpipe severed, Wilson was rushed to nearby Gallinger Hospital, where doctors inserted a rubber tube and sewed up the breathing passage. Hospital authorities said today he had a “bare chance” to recover. Wilson was sentenced by Police Judge John P. McMahon when brought to court Monday on charges of leaving after colliding, no permit and reckless driving. He was given 30 days on the first charge, 45 days on the second and sentenced to pay $50 or serve an addi- tional 30 days on the latter charge, He pleaded guilty to all charges, TO POSITION INI. C. C. By the Associated Press. President Roosevelt today nominated John L. Rogers of Tennessee to be a member of the Interstate Commercs Commission. He will succeed Hugh M. Tate, also of Tennessee, whose term expired re= cently. Another nominated was Robert Frazer of Pennsylvania, selected to be Minister to El Salvador. He will succeed Frank P. Corrigan of Ohia, named Minister to Panama. 14