Evening Star Newspaper, August 7, 1937, Page 3

SLUM BILL FACES HOUSE SCRUTINY Wagner’s Housing Measure Passed by Senate After Many Changes. BACKGROUND— Adequate housing, both urban and rural, has been one of the proj- ects on which continual emphasis has been laid by the Roosevelt ad- miénistration. This already has taken form in city developments and resettlement programs. The prodblem now is being attacked on a gicantic scale, and in a chief cen- ter of need—slums—under the Wagner bill. BY J. A. O’'LEARY. Altered materially during five days of 8enate debate, the $726,000,000 ‘Wagner-Steagall slum clearance hous- ing bill is on its way to the House today, where the Banking and Cur- rency Committee still has the subject under consideration. It may not be ready for House action before the end of next week. Almost immediately opposition be- gan to show itself in the House to some of the major Senate alterations, particularly the Byrd limit-of-cost amendment. Representatives Mc- Keough of Illinois and McGranery of Pennsylvania announced they would urge an increase in the limit of cost from Senator Byrd's figure of $1,000 to at least $1,500 per room. In other quarters on the House side there were signs of controversy over placing the Housing Authority in the Interior Department, and requiring local housing agencies to put up 5 per cent of the amounts sought from the Federal Government as loans and grants. ‘The House Banking Committee com- | pleted hearings on the subject as the Benate was passing the bill When it passed the Senate yester- day afternoon, 64 to 16, it bore the following changes from the form in which it had come from the Educa- tion and Labor Committee two weeks ago 1. General supervision of the pro- gram given to Secretary of Interior Ickes, instead of making the proposed United States Housing Authority an independent agency. 2. Cost of projects limited to $1,000 per room, or $4.000 per unit, one of the major restrictions the Senate im- Pposed. Elimination Guarantee Provided. 3. A requirement that State and eity housing officials, in obtaining Pederal loans for new houses, agree | to eliminate substantially the same number of slum properties, the pur- pose being to slums. 4. A requirement that the States or cities agree to put up 5 per cent of the Federal loans for construction of the houses, and 5 per cent of the rent subsidies to be furnished by the Government over a period of from 20 to 60 years after the houses are built 5. Elmination of the section under which the Federal agency was au- thorized to initiate Government dem- onstration projects 6. Adoption of a compromise audit- ing plan under which the existing general accounting system will apply to the administrative expenses of the new agency, but would exempt the loan and grant contracts from pre- audit. The Controller General could make a post-audit and report to Con- gress. Public Status Required. Y. Elimination of the provision for loans to limited dividend organiza- tions, thereby confining the projects to those sponsored by public housing agencies of States and other political subdivisions. The term “State” is described as ncluding the District of Columbia, which is expected to make the Alley Dwelling Authority eligible to seek the assistance of the new agency in carrying on its local slum-clearance work. A photographic display of what already has been accomplished in Washington by the Alley Dwelling Authority was exhibited on the walls of the Senate chamber during the week, as an illustration of what may be done throughout the country on the pending program. The Housing Authority would eon- ®at of a board composed of an ad- ministrator and two directors. Dur- ing the next three years, the Author- Ry would be authorized to make $700,- 000,000 worth of loans, the loan money %o be obtained by sale to the public | of bonds guaranteed by the Federal Government. The Joaning power is ¥mited to $200,000,000 for the first year, and $250,000,000 for each of the suoceeding years. $26,0000,000 Provided. FPor grants and administrative ex- penses, the bill authorizes an appro- priation of $26,000.000 to cover the first three years, Thereafter, the an- nual obligation for grants or annual eontributions to insure maintenance of Jow rentals would be $20,000,000 a year if the entire $700,000,000 worth of projects are built. Benators Wagner of New York, ‘Walish of Massachusetts and La Fol- lette of Wisconsin took a leading part in steering the bill through the Benate. They sought vainly to keep the authority as an independent agen- cy and also tried yesterday to obtain 8 more liberal limit on the unit cost of the projects. Senator Byrd, Dem- ocTat, of Virginia held firmly, how- L to his contention that $4,000, exclusive of the cost of land and elearing the site, is an ample allow- ance for each family unit in slum- elearance work. Byrd succeeded in having the move. to reconsider his Hmitation laid on the table, 44 to 39, It probably will take the House sommittee several days to consider the bill in executive session before it is ready to come up on the House floor. Project Called Failure. &T. LOUIS, August 7 (#).—Manager J. A. Wolf of the $742,000 Neighbor- hoods Gardens slum-clearance project here today labeled the work a failure and asserted, “There is no such thing in the United States as low-cost hous- ing or low-rent housing.” He made the statement in a letter to the St. Louis Housing Aksociation, headed by Mayor Bernard F. Dick- mann, after he announced rents would be increased. “It is apparent that enterprises like Nelghborhood Gardens cannot be car- ried on unless there is Federal sub- sidy,” Wolf wrote. A Federal subsidy, he contended, was necessary because low-income groups could not afford rents required by private capital. The Wagner housing bill provides such a subsidy. “If you tried to get into Knicker- bocker Village in New York City (a slum-clearance projec# you would not be permitted to file an application unless you were earning a minimum of $4,000 & year,” the letter eontinued. A insure elimination of | them. One baby was killed. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, Death on Wheels Strikes Park Bench Four mothkers sat chatting yesterday on a W eequahic nark bench in Newark, N. J., their babies in buggies grouped about them. Suddenly an automobile swerved over the curbing, crashed into The three others and their mothers were injured. wreckage of the park bench and the baby carriages. This is the —Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto. POLIGE PUSH HUNT FOR DORIS MAJOR Possibility Cigarette Girl May Be Amnesia Victim Considered. considered today by dectectives in- vestigating the strange disappearance of Doris (Billy) Major, 27, attractive cigarette girl at the Shoreham Hotel. The possibility of amnesia was being | Friends of the girl, who has been missing since midnight Saturday, told | police she had been working long | hours and frequently had difficulty in | getting to sleep. A note left by Miss | Major indicated she had been worry- | ing In this message, timed at 5 am Sunday, she said she was “going up the river” to swim in an effort to “make things go straight in my think- | machine.” Frequently Swam Alone. Miss Major had been in the habit of swimming alone in the Potomac River above Washington at some point she never revealed to her friends. | Investigators yvesterday searched the | banks and questioned rivermen with- out obtaining a clue to the location. A check of the clothing in her apart- | ment, in the Cathedral Mansions, how- | ever, disclosed that she did not take a | | bathing suit with her. It was learned | | further that two pairs of slacks, two | pairs of walking shoes and two riding | | shirts were missing from Miss Major's | wardrobe, which otherwise seemed‘ { complete. | | Investigators were told that Miss | Major on several previous occasions | | had left the city for a few days with- out announcing her plans or destina- | tion to her friends. It was thought | she might have slipped away for a rest or suffered an attack of amnesia. ‘ Note Pinned to Door. | The note, which Miss Major pinned | on the outside of her apartment door, } presumably was addressed to a friend, | Miss Mary Virginia Shimer, daughter ]ol James Shimer, drummer in the | Shoreham Hotel Orchestra. | The contents of the note follow: } “Lo chicken: “It's five o'clock and I can't sleep— | can't seem to make things go straight in my think machine so think Il | drive on up the river (where it's quiet | and the automobiles have brakes in- | stead of horns) and swim around a | little then pick up all the jumbled brain children and put them in the | corner with their faces to the wall. | Make yourself ‘to home'—expect to get back before you get this—(it's just in case). They’ve got three new horses we can have our pick of—Nice? “See you—Doris.” Miss Major was an enthusiastic horsewoman. A girl answering Miss Major's de- scription had been in the habit of going swimming alone in the Poto- mac just below Chain Bridge, accord- ing to a watchman stationed at the bridge. The watchman said the girl told him she had her “own private swimming hole” in the river. He said the girl would climb down steps from Chain Bridge and dis- appear along the tow path beside the old canal. The canal and river are separted at this point by several nun- dred yards of tangled thickets and heaps of stone. The watchman said, however, he had not seen the girl in the vicinity recently. Reports Seeing Miss Major. A report that Miss Major was seen Wednesday afternoon “in a small car like an Austin without a top” on Connecticut avenue near the Ken- nedy Warren Apartments was being investigated today. This information was given yes- terday afternoon by Fonnie B. Ladd, 2029 Connecticut avenue, following publication of stories of the girl's disappearance. Ladd said he was “positive” about the identification, having talked with Miss Major on several occasions. Friends of the girl said, however, that she had not driven the Austin car for several months. At the time she disappeared she was renting a car from a garage. This machine was found in front of her apartment Mon- day. Miss Major, who resumed her maiden name following her divorce several years ago, is the mother of two young children, who now live with relatives, one in Washington and the other in New York City. She is the daughter of Malcolm Major, Washing- ton artist. Said She Planned Trip. Investigators learned today that Miss Major told Edward Cook, a garage man, from whom she had rented a car, that she planned to go to the mountains for several days. The girl, however, did not reveal her intended distination. The possibility that the girl might have drowned in the Potomac seemed remote in view of the fact that she is an expert swimmer who has won several Red Oross medals in Girl Scout and other camps. Nearly 1,000,000 enthusiasts are Pplaying golf regulariy in Bngland. Hunt Continues DORIS (BILLY) MAJOR. —Underwood Photo. Britain (Continued Frgm}‘il!‘fl Page.) attacking planes was marked with dark blue St. Andrew's crosses. Ttalian Captain Dies. ALGIERS, August 7 (#)—Franco Solari, captain of the Italian steamer Mongiola, died today of injuries suf- fered when his vessel, along with one of British and one of French registry, | was attacked by airplanes yesterday. Solari was struck by a bomb splinter. An emergency operation was per- formed at Algiers Hospital this morn- ing, and the Italian captain died a short time later. Physicians said the condition of a | Dutch official of the Spanish non- intervention system, named Bruin, was “satisfactory.” Bruin, who was on board Solari's vessel, suffered a broken arm. Rebellion Reported. HENDAYE. Franco-Spanish Fron- tier, August 7 () —Spanish insurgent army officers at Irun declared today they had received reports of an An- archist rebellion at Albacete and other important Spanish government cen- ters. ‘The insurgents said that former Pre- mier Francisco Largo Cabalero, ex- treme Socialist leader, was reported to be head of the Anarchist movement. Street fighting between international volunteers and Spanish government militiamen was going on in Albacete, the insurgent officers asserted, with the international troops won over to the Anarchist side. On the war front, Government forces in Eastern Spain threatened today to push Generalissimo Fran- cisco Franco's Teruel salient back in its tracks, Madrid-Valencia com- manders reported. They said frontal and flank attacks by infantry and artillery from the south and west of the Albarracin sec- tor had gouged insurgents out of new- ly won territory southwest of Teruel, Pranco's lower Aragon base. Following yesterday’s occupation of Prias, a mountain village 326 miles west of Teruel, permitting attacks on the insurgent right flank, men and guns were massed to drive a wedge through the very center of the in- surgent front. This threat—even before it was fulfllled—was said to have forced in- surgent withdrawal from heights near Besas, about 11 miles west and slight- ly south of Teruel. Insurgent advices asserted, however, that Franco's bombing planes, skim- ming the pine-clad peaks of the central sector, and infantry worming over the rocky terrain, had driven the govern- ment from important positions, in- cluding Sierra de la Cruz, a strategic Peak between Valdecuenca and Rubiales. The insurgent communique said the sasault up the slopes of the mountain and from the air killed 100 govern- ment militiamen and gave Franco a new field base. Eel Handlers Wear Gloves. PHILADELPHIA, August 7 (#).— Keepers at the 200 wore rubber gloves today to handle five eels which have arrived from South America. , They generate as much as 300 volts of elee- tricity. DI VOTES FUND FOR CHNESE WAR {Appropriation of $121,500,- 000 Approved—Session Is Adjourned. By the Associated Press. TOKIO, August 7.—Japan’'s Parlia- | ment ended its two weeks' session in a blaze of patriotism and excitement | tonight after voting funds for hostili- | ties in China. Chief among the measures adopted | were war appropriations of 419,000,000 | yen (about $121,500,000), which Gen. Gen Sugiyama, war minister, declared would be “sufficient” unless the scope of the conflict widens. The next reguar meeting of Parlia- | ment wil be in September, but a | special session can be called if the Chinese-Japanese crisis warrants it. Before the adjournment Premier | Fumimaro Konoye, unable to attend the last two days because of heat pros- tration, issued a statement saying the situation in North China was “ex- tremely serious.” Parliament Praised. The premier praised Parliament for | its resolution, declaring Japan should “maintain peace and order in Asia” by putting down anti-Japanese agita- tion which “slights international jus- tice.” “The government.” Konoye said, “will deal with the situation with determination and unstinted eflorts. | T am prepared to meet the crisis by exerting myself to the utmost.” An acute shortage of coastwise ves- sels supplying Japanese cities with | basic commodities has resulted from the concentration of all available ship- ping to back the Japanese Army's North China campaign. Although the government lifted re- strictions on foreign ships engaging in coastal trade, no American, Canadian or British vessels thus far have availed themselves of the opportunity to ply between Japanese ports. Shipments of foodstuffs, coal, ore, salt and other vital supplies were seri- ously erippled as Japanese mercantile vessels were pressed into service to carry men and supplies to the Asiatic | mainland. Legislation Considered. ‘To relieve this crisis, the ministry of communications studied the prob- lem of emergency legislation that might revive the World War ordinance controlling and severely restricting the movements of Japanese vessels abroad to make them available for use within the island empire. Financial measures to spur the North China campaign also received the attention of the government chiefs behind the army's drive. The authoritative newspaper Asahi reported that at least a portdon of the North China emergency bonds would be s0ld directly to the public instead of through the Bank of Japan as hitherto. ‘The Bank of Japan was considering the easing of the stringent money market by lifting loan restrictions to aid the national situation. Prince May Curtail Trip. An official of the imperial house- hold indicated that the Emperor's brother, Prince Chichibu, would cut his extensive European tour because of the Far Eastern crisis, and also be- cause of ill health. The prince and princess, now visit- ing the Netherlands, were reported to be suffering from slight indispositions and it was indicated they would re- turn to Japan after a month’s stay in Switzerland, abandoning pians to visit Germany, Italy, France and the United States. The prince and princess represented the Emperor at the coronation of King George VI in London last May, and planned official visits to numer- ous other capitals. TOWN BLOCKS HIGHWAY, WANTS CURVE REMOVED By the Associated Press. OXFORD, Ohio, August 7.—Vil- lage authorities have blocked State and United States Routes 27 at the Wwestern edge of Oxford, and Mayor Verlin L. Pulley said they will re- main blocked until the State High- way Department eliminates s curve Pulley said the village, in South- ern Ohio near the Indians line, had paid $12500 in damage claims for several traffic accidents which oc- curred at the curve, partly in the corporation limits. He said village authorities were without suthority to eliminate the curve, but were held Tesponsible for the accidents. PSYCHOMETRY DELINEATIONS Grace Gray Deleng Life Reader Adviser 11 AM. te 9 P.M. AGE COUNCIL FENfos Cruaitin B, NW. Corner of 12tA end “L® Telephone MEE. 5334 gl D. C, BOCCASSINI BABY GAINS STEADLY Reported Past Critical Stage—Soon May Leave Oxygen Tank. By the Associatea Press. PHILADELPHIA, August 7.—Three and one-half pound Frances Mary Boccassini, who was delivered in a post-mortem Caesarean operation, was declared today past the critical stage, and doctors hoped to remove her soon from an oxygen tank which has aided her breathing. Dr. William G. Turnbull, superin- tendent of the Philadelphia General Hospital, examined records which showed the tiny girl had taken nour- ishment regularly during the night. He said her temperature had fallen toward normal since she was delivered in an operation yesterday one minute after her mother died. “It looks as though she was past the critical stage as far as sudden death is concerned,” Dr. Turnbull said. “If anything happens now, it will be gradual, Breathing Reported Good. “She is taking her food all right, her breathing is good. All in all, looks pretty good today.” Dr. John Corbit, assistant chief surgeon, who performed the post- mortem delivery, said today the baby “looks fine.” He sald: “The next thing that we have to worry about is cold. We are going to isolate her and take every precaution agsainst infection.” Surgeon Finally Gets Sleep. Dr. Corbit slept last night for the first time in more than 36 hours. He said he was increasingly hopeful because the baby was crying at inter- vals and beeathing regularly in the miniature oxygen tent he built of X-ray film and adhesive tape The doctors said they would con- tinue to strengthen the baby with injections of saline solution and would continue feeding her glucose, water and two drams of milk every two hours. They planned another attempt to- day to force the baby to breathe without assistance. They were hope- ful she might be taken out of the oxygen tent. Removed From Oxygen Tent. Bhe was removed for a few minutes yesterday, but was returned to the tent because her breathing become ir- regular and her color poor. Her temperature had been reduced from 105 degrees to nearly normal today. This was accomplished by turning off, one by one, electric lights ar- ranged beneath the combination oxy- gen tent and crib. Dr. Corbit waited for the mother, Mrs. Mary Boccassini, 27, to die. Then he operated at once. Hope for the mother's recovery from tuber- cular meningitis had been abandoned. Dr. Corbit said the baby would not have been born normally for two weeks to a month. The operation did not upset the routine of the 28-year-old doctor, two years out of medical school. During the day he delivered two babies, born normally. Baby Is Christened. Rev. John McLaughlin, resident chaplain at the hospital, last night baby's Mary. ‘The - father, Dominick Boccassini. said the baby was named for her ma- ternal grandmother. He saw his daughter yesterday after- noon. “I hope she will live,” he satd. “I know my wife wanted the baby very badly, and so0 did I.” “PARENTLESS” BABY. Birth of Infant Whose Mother and Father Had Died Recalled. BRISTON, Va.-Tenn., August 6 (#). ~—Philadelphia’s widely-publicized case of the baby girl delivered after the death of her mother today recalled to the minds of Drs. T. R. Bowers and J. A. Delaney that back in October, 1932, they performed a similar operation to bring into the world Bristol's famed baby “born without living parents.” The sturdy infant—he weighed 9 pounds and 13 ounces at birth—was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Nick- olson, both dead when he was brought into the world. Three months before Baby Nickolson was born his father was drowned in Florida. The death of her husband preyed upon the mind of Mrs. Nickol- son, and she weakened rapidly as the time approached for the delivery of her baby. ‘When the hour approached she was rushed to the hoepital, but too iute. She died soon after being carried from an ambulance. Dr. Bowers and Dr. Delaney decided to try to save the baby. They rushed the body of Mrs. Nickolson to the op- erating room and delivered the baby by Caesarian operation in about 10 minutes. Then they worked on the baby for five minutes until i, began to breath normally. L4 From more than 100 requests to adopt the baby, one was selected and the child went to the home of a Southwest Virginia minister. REVIEWS GIRL SCOUTS VOSELENZANG, the Netherlands, August 7 (#).—Lady Baden Powell, wife of the founder of the Boy Scout movement, reviewed a parade of 2,000 Girl Scouts yesterday at the annual ‘World Scout Jamboree. In a brief address she exhorted them to emulate the achievements of the Boy Scouts. Prince Bernhard, husband of Crown Princess Julians, paid another unoffi- cial visit to the jamboree, accompanied by the heir to the throne of Sweden, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf. SHOULD it with us. SALES RENTALS 1321 Connecticnt Avowus N.W. christened the Boccassini baby Frances | We have numerous Suburban end Country Properties. LOANS SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1937. Missing American Dancer JEAN DE KOVEN. Paris police searched last night for Miss de Koven, 22, Brooklyn dancer, after her aunt, Miss Ida Sackheim reported she disappeared two weeks ago. The aunt, who went to Paris with the dancer last month, said she received a $500 ranson demand. (Story on page A-1.) —Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto. C.1.0.SILK STRIKE OBIECT OF RALLY Jersey Workers Called to Meeting to Discuss Gen- eral Walkout Monday. By the Associated Press. PATERSON, N. J, August of the Passaic Valley textile area to a mass meeting today to discuss a formal call for a general strike Mon- day in the industry. The large manufacturers, spokesmen said, were not opposing the strike but were hoping it would result in one standard of wages, hours and other working conditions for the | industry in the Nation. ‘This, they pointed out, would elim- inate the advantages held by com- peting firms in regions where lower standards prevailed. 40,000 to Be Affected. Carl Holderman, regional director of the C. I. O’'s Textile Workers Organizing Committee, said a strike would affect 4,000 workers in New | Jersey and 40,000 in the country on & conservative estimate. The meeting was ordered when the manufacturers failed to sign an agreement yesterday, the deadline set | by the C. L O. The strike, Holderman said, “will become effective simultaneously in every silk producing mil in the country.” The C. I. O. demands a closed shop, 40-hour week, 10 to 20 per cent wage increases, $15 weekly minimum for auxiliary help, $18 mini- mum for weavers, sole collective bar- gaining rights and seniority rights. ‘Te Present Formal Contract. Holderman, speaking last night at & meeting of the Silk Commission Manufacturers’ Association, composed of the smaller weaving plants which work on & commission basis, said the C. I. O. would present a proposed formal contract to the maufacturers today or Monday. The proposed con- “IF YOU HAVE OR WANT A PUP'— A letter received by The Star offers substantiai proof of the sale of pups from an advertise- ment in The Star under “Dogs, “I had six pupe in all to sell (3 males and 3 fe- males). I used the Sun- day issues of July 35 and August 1. Five were sold from the first ad. (two of which were sold as late as Saturday, July 31, after I had phoned in my second ad. The remaining pup was sold early Sunday (August 1) am. I had six additional requests for the pups after all had been so0ld, also & request by mail for an older dog, in case I had one. “The results were par- ticularly gratifying to me in view of the fact that I had previously adver- tised in another local paper for four days with- out as much as one in- quiry.” This letter (on file at the ind that e sdveriimment h e oo ader “Dogs, Pets. Be.” will Houses W ANTED For Sale or Rent—Furnished or Unfurnished you wish to Sell or Rent your house we can be of service to you if you will Nst requests for City, RANDALL H.“AGE"E.R & COMPANY INSURANCE Tolephone: DEcatur 3600 G The C. L. O. rallied the silk workers | their | tract would be different from the less formal agreement which the union had demanded be signed yesterday. Abraham Brenman, counsel for the association, said after the meeting that it was “possible” the association might agree with the union on a con- tract. ALBERTA BANKING GONTROL IS VOTED Legislature Ends Session After Drastic Socia! Credit Action. EDMONDTON, Alberta, August Y (Canadian Press) —The Alberta Legis- lature has ended its special session after a four-day period of drastic soe cial credit Jegislation. Major measure of the session was an act to license bankers and gain eon- trol of banking policies in the prove ince, an enactment considered likely to lead to the widest repercussions of any provincial statute in Canadian history. It would require bankers—although operating under charters granted by the dominion—to take out licenses in Alberta and subject their policies to the control of the Provincial Credit Commission and local directorates dominated by appointees of the Social Credit Board. Other major enactments included: An act empowering the government to deposit Alberta funds in any pro- vincial institution, not necessarily a chartered bank as formerly stipulated The purpose was to depcsit money in a State credit house. An act giving wide powers, subject to cabinet approval, to the five-man So- cial Credit Board to promote, conserve and enhance the social credit of the province. An act barring any unlicensed bank employe from “bringing, maintaining or defending any action in any court of civil jurisdiction in the province which has as its object the enforce- ment of any claim either in law or equity.” No Respecter of Persons. LINCOLN, Nebr. (#)—This thief Wwas no respecter of persons. He walked into the State House ofe fice of Attorney General Richard C. Hunter and took a purse containing a voucher for $100 from the desk of Miss Josephine Goodman, stenoge * rapher. “FOR HEALTH’S SAKE, SEND IT ALL TO TOLMAN” You, Too, Will- Praise the woy we take o bedroggled, wrinkled suit and restore a soiled, misshapen thing into an immaculate, perfect-fitting garment! The secret lies in the special new equipment, newer methods and the superb attention given each and every detail—from the washing (or dry cleaning) to the pressing and peckaging. . Yes, sir—there’s a whale of a difference! Linen, Palm Beach or Seersucker Vi PAOMPTLY CALLED POR AND DELIVERED—JUST PHONE Nave Yourtacation Start and TOL! DRY CLEANING 5248 Wisconsin Ave. ESTABLISHED 1879 F. W. MACKENZIE inish AN oundsy SAFE STORAGE CLeveland 7800