Evening Star Newspaper, October 6, 1937, Page 21

{NaSh . NEW TAXES CASE BEING HELD UNDER ADVIGEMENT HERE Justice Bailey Hears Argu- ments on Business and Receipts Levies. INTERSTATE COMMERCE BURDEN POINT STRESSED Constitutionality Attack in Suit Brought by Howard W. Berry, Advertising Man. After hearing arguments attacking and defending the constitutionality of the 1 >w business privilege and gross receipts tax, Justice Jennings Bailey of District Court took under advise- ment today the suit by Howard W. Berry, advertising man, to invalidate the law. The principal disputed point was whether the gross receipts levy con- stituted a burden on interstate com- merce, with Berry's attorney, Richard L. Tedrow, contending it was void for that reason. | Relying on a suit against the Dis- | tiict by the Potomac Electric Power Co., decided last July by the United States Court of Appeals, Special As- sistant Corporation Counsel Jo V. Morgan argued that gross receipts were the yardstick by which the tax | was measured an’ not the subject of | the levy. Electric Company Tax Upheld. In the case cited the Appeals Court upheld a tax on the electric company based on its gross receipts, which included revenues drawn from nearby Maryland. Admitting that Congress had no Ppower to control interstate commerce ] in purely local legislation unless it stated it was doing so, Morgan argued | ington N ews D. C. Employes Must Take Oath After Promotion Employes of the District of Colum- bia must continue to swear to sup- port the Constitution and faithfully discharge their duties every time their status is changed—by promotion or otherwise—although Federal workers generally are exempt from this pro- cedure, This decision, made by Acting Con- troller General R. N. Elliott, was ren- dered to the District Commissioners because of passage by the last Con- gress of legislation doing away with multiple oaths. In the past, Federal employes took oath on entering service and then renewed these whenever the conditions of their employment changed. The new statute was enacted to eliminate what was considered a lack of unnecessary work. It happens, however, that two different statutes cover the administering of oaths to Federal and District employes, and in passing the law to simplify the pro- cedure Congress neglected to make mention of the statute regulating oath taking for the District government. CHEST SEEN CURB AGAINST RACKETS Fake Collectors Prior to Formation of Agency Cited by Miller. Justice Justin Miller of the United States Court of Appeals described the Community Chest as a protettion against “charity racketeers” in an ad- dress at the first meeting of .the year of the Federal Community Chest Forum yesterday. “Washington was mulcted to the tune of millions of dollars a year by fake collectors for charity before it established a Community Chest,” Jus- tice Miller told the forum meeting. “In -addition, our people were con- tinually harassed by the appeals of that the gross-receipts statute indi- cated Congress so intended in the pres- | ent case. | If Berry's advertising business in- | volves interstate commerce, Morgan added, most businesses located in the relatively small area of the District also must be considered in interstate | commerce. He pointed out that the only inter- | gtate activities claimed by Berry were the making of contracts to place ad- vertisements in out-of-town publica- | tions, the placing of the advertise-| ments and the sending of the necessary | Iayouts to the publications. | Congress Declared Without Authority. | ' Tedrow argued that Congress had no authority to burden interstate com- | merce in conjunction with District legislation, since the Constitution re- quires that regulation of interstate commerce be uniform throughout the | United States. | He said Congress either must levy | & uniform interstate commerce law or confine the operation of the statute strictly to the District. | Although a net income tax bears only indirectly on interestate com- | merce, a gross receipts tax is, in| effect, a levy on every individual | transaction and therefore is invalid if the transactions are in interstate com- merce, he continued. | Tedrow told the court the tax was unfair because it imposes an unequal | burden on the man whose business in- volves a large turnover and a small | profit and the enterprise with a small | turnover and a large profit. Justice Bailey did not indicate when | he would decide the case, which was | before him on a motion to dismiss and & motion for a preliminary injunction. | GROUP WILL DECIDE | POLICE COURT SPACE, % | Committee Appointed to. Study! Housing of Scattered Units in New Building. The Commissioners yesterday ap- pointed a special committee to de- termine how many scattered District government units can be housed in the new Police Court Building under construction in Judiciary Square. ‘The new building is expected to be ready for occupancy -about January 1. A large portion of the third floor, 1t is understood, will not be used for court purposes. The 1938 District appropriation act gives the Commissioners control over the new court building, and they pro- pose to make use of all unoccupied space for municipal agencies now quartered in antiquated buildings. These include the city refuse divi- sion and Department of Weights, Measures and Markets and the Board of Revocation and Review of the Traffic Department. The special committee was in- structed to make a survey of the &pace that will be available for use of municipal agencies and recommend occupants to the Commissioners. Capt. H. 8. Bishop, jr., Assistant En- gineer Commissioner, was named chairman of the committee. The other members are E. C. Brooke, su- perintendent of the District Bullding, and Bernard A. Harrison, property survey officer, —_— AITCHISON IS HONORED BY 1. C. C. ASSOCIATES Completing 20 years as a member of the Interstate Commerce Com- mission, Commissioner Clyde B. Aitchison yesterday was the recipient of flowers from associates who staged & surprise party in his office at noon. G. M. Crosland expressed the felici- tations of employes from the Bureau of Traffic, which reports to,the com- mission through Commissioner Aitchi- &on, and from Aitchison’s.own staff. In his response the commissioner Tecalled the circumstances surround- ing his swearing in on October 5, 1917, and read from a diary the names of those present then. Commissioner Aitchison's service is many legitimate agencies whose needs are now made knewn through one single appeal.” The forum, an organization of 200 Government officials who are actively aiding the Chest drive to raise $2,059,- 000 for welfare work in Greater Wash- ington next year, decided to meet twice a month during the campaign. eep Lessons Alive. Declaring that the lessons learned through experience by one genera- tion are forgotten by the next, Jus- tice Miller said that “only constant education can keep these lessons alive.” “If there is ever to be relief from Government taxation for the help of the needy, sick and distressed,” he continued, “it must be by the as- sumption of voluntary responsibility for helping them. We have progressed | too far to go back to the old type of civilization in which we didn't| care what happened to the unturtu-l nate. We must help those in need, | and the Community Chest is the democratic way of doing it.” Meeting Slated Friday. A meeting to perfect a “united | front” of agency presidents for the | Chest campaign will be held Friday. President Clarence Phelps Dodge will preside at the meeting, to be held at 12:30 p.m. in the Mayflower Hotel. Meanwhile agency heads are sign- ing up all available board members, according to Campaign Director Ran- | dolph G. Bishop. Board members, he explained, are taking the lead in increased giving to the Chest because of a natural intevest in tMe success of their organizations. PEACE GROUPS HIT PRESIDENT’S TALK Five Organizations Preparing Protest at “Quarantining” Aggressors. Five national peace organizations today were preparing a joint protest against President Roosevelt’s address vesterday in Chicago relative to for- eign policy of the United States. Represented at the annual meeting of the National Council for Preven- tion of War, the organizations were attempting to harmonize their com- mon dissatisfaction with the speech at an executive luncheon session. They indicated the general feeling is that the President’s policy might com- mit the United States to armed in- tervention rather than strict neu- trality. The organizations represented are the National Council for Prevention of War, World Peaceways, Emergency Peace Campaign, Women's Interna- tional League for Peace and Freedom and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Meanwhile, at the open session of the council, a double demand was voiced for immediate application of the present neutrality law to belliger- ents in the Far East. First such re- quest was made by Willlam W. Lock- wood, jr, of the American Council, Institute of Pacific Relations, while the demand was repeated by Mrs. Florence Brewer Boeckel of the Na- tional Council. 3 The sessions are being held at the Washintgon Hotel, and will continue through Friday. MAN WHO TRIED TO CASH -CHECK SOUGHT IN THEFT ‘Wanted by Postal Inspectors for Stealing Mail Bag From Lobby~ of Building. A man who tried to cash a check at the Riggs National Bank and fled when identification was asked was sought by post office inspectors and police today for the theft of a sack of mail from the lobby of the Carry Building, 927 Fifteenth street, yes- terday. The man left the check and postal inspectors identified it as part of the loot. GENTERS T0 GIVE “TRADES” COURSES WILL BE SET UP School Officials Act to Es- tablish Occupational Education Units. LOCATIONS SELECTED FOR 3 INSTITUTIONS Special Manual and Household Arts Instructors Will Be Appointed. ~ School officials are moving swiftly to establish cxperimental centers of occupational education in three ele- mentary schools within the next few weeks. i WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1937. * The centers will take care of those children who, school officials feel, will never reach the junior high schools, either because of overage or low intelligence quotient. According to Robert L. Haycock, first assistant superintendent of schools, the locations have been se- lected, but no curriculum plans are yet complete. The schools chosen are the Curtis, O street near Thirty-third; the Taylor, Seventh angd G streets northeast, and the Webb, Fifteenth and Rosedale streets northeast. The locations were taken, Haycock explained, as the centers of areas where the need is greatest, as re- evaled in a survey recently presented to the Board of Education, giving the number of overage pupils unsuscep- tible to academic training in the various divisions of the school system. Curtis Held Center. The new center at the Curtis will serve the Georgetown area and will include a double section, one of boys and the other of girls. The Northeast sections will be taken care of by a boys’ center at Webb and a girls’ division at Taylor. A few more than 100 children will be affected. No funds have been made available specifically for this project, Haycock said, so it must be operated on what the schools already have. This will mean the transfer of present teachers to the occupational work, rother than the appointment of additional aid, ex- cept for the appointment of a special manual arts director for the boys and a special household arts instructor for the girls. The assistant superintendent added school officials are in hopes of getting a congressional appropriation in the 1939 budget to allow the extension of these classes throughout the city. Outgrowth of Act of Congress. Establishment of the centers is the outgrowth of an act of Congress in April, 1936, and the experience gained by Supt. Frank W. Ballou in a tour study of occupational education in more than a dozen of the large cities of the country last June. The legis- lation was enacted an an amendment to the teachers’ salary act of 1924, fixing salary scales for teachers of occupational education in the ele- | street, a waiter; Lionel M. Harper, 38, mentary schools and trades classes in | the senior high schools, where feasible. | Following the return of Dr. Ballou | from his tour last Summer, a com- | mittee was appointed, under Mrs. | Florence Rogers, supervising principal | of the sixth division, to study occupa- | tional education opportunities in the | local system. . The committee reported to the board at its second meeting of the current year with a survey of the needs and is now working on an outline of curricu- lum. The board approved the estab- lishment of the experimental centers at the same meeting. PALMISANO TO SEEK NEW COURT SYSTEM Police Court “a Crazy House,” He Says—*‘‘Bill Will Bring Order Out of Chaos.” Branding the Police Court “a crazy house,” Chairmar Palmisano of the House District Committee announced today he would reintroduce and push at the next session of Congress the almost forgotten Norton bill to estab- lish a system of magistrate courts here. Palmisano made the announce- ment after a surprise visit® at the Court House this morning during which he observed the usual conges- tion in the court rom and in the offices of the assistant district at- torney and the assistant corporation counsel. “The place was 30 crowded,” he said, “no one seemed to know what he was doing.” A magistrate court system such as provided in the old Norton bill, Pal- misano explained, not only would eliminate congestion, but would save the time of police officers as well as defendants and other persons hav- ing business before the court. “In my opinion,” he declared, “it would bring order out of chaos.” The Norton magistrate courts bill was drafted by E. Barrett Pretty- man several years ago while he was corporation counsel of the District primarily as a means of reducing con- gestion in Police Court. MOTHER SEEKING WORD OF MISSING DAUGHTER Dorothy Shockley, 17, Has Been Missing From Home Here for 11 Days. ‘A frantic mother who has been waiting through 11 long days and nights today issued a plea that any one with information concerning her missing daughter, Dorothy Shockley, 17, please communicate with her. The mother is Mrs. Ollie Simmers, 1226 Seventeenth street, who has been under care of a physician since her Two bags of mail were left in the bullding lobby for a carrier to pick exceeded only by that of one member of the 1l-member group—Balthasar H, Meyer—who observed his silver Jjubilee last December. L up, inspectors said. One, containing papers, was not taken. The stolen sack contained some 300 letters, of unknown value. daughter left home September 25. Dorothy is described as being 5 feet 3-inchés tall, with light blue eyes and light hair. She was wearing & gray aweater, & sports skirt and s blouse when she vanished. . » Just a very, very few of the‘gilta that find their way to the White House. Thence many go to the “Chamber of NEW GRAND JURY Odd White House Giis Find []F 23 SEI.EBTED | Way to “Chamber of Horrors WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Foening Star %% | Mysterious Room Overflows With Crude Homemade Articles—No One Tells Where They Eventually Go. BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG. 16 Men and 7 Women Are Chosen by Justice Adkins | for 3-Month Service. A new grand jury of 16 men and seven women was sworn in today for three months’ service by Justice Jesse C. Adkins of District Court. Walter F. Chappell, 38, of 4626 Gaifieldistreet, vice presidenttof-the William J. Fla- | ther, jr, Inc., mortgage and loan firm, was designated foreman. Other members of the jury are Mrs. Helen L. Bensinger, 34, Woodley Park Towers, housewife; Perry Browning, Jr., 29, of 3630 Thirteenth street, mer- chant; James D. Edwards. 33, of 1318 | Twenty-eighth street southeast, em- ployed in an educational capacity; Carlyle A. Gary, 39, of 1922 Fifteenth ‘of 1149 Fifth street northeast, Bureau of Engraving and Printing employe; Leroy P. Kessler, 61, of 1600 Foxhall road, retired; Irle R. Mason, 42, of 1316 Nineteenth street, salesman; Mrs. Ruth L. McGhie, 55, of 1518 Mon- roe street, housewife; John E. Moore, 53, of 516 Taylor street, vice president of George Muth & Co.; Den- nis Nelson, sr. 61, of 2431 K street, messenger; Mrs. Fannie Phillips, 38, of 1531 Varnum street,” housewife; Charles F. Ruppert, 58, of 1832 La- mont street, real estate man; Miss Anne M. Schneider, 52, of 4523 Fessen- den street, nurse; Elmer B. Schwab, 40, of 5203 Connecticut avenue, chem- ist and insurance salesman; Walter J. Snellings, 33. of 4915 New Hampshire avenue, clerk; Willlam H. Somervell, 60, of 3610 Van Ness street, secretary, National Union Fire Insurance Co.; Mrs. Marie J. Totten, 39, of 1519 Twenty-third street southeast, house- wife; Winthrop A. Trotter, 56, of 4407 Seventeenth street, salesman; Archi- bald T. Vann, 41, of 2626 Garfield street, auto repairing; Mrs. Fay Weide, 43, 1343 Madison street, housewife; Mrs. Willie M. Howell, 1750 Harvard street, housewife, and Charles Wil- liams, 60, of 1340 Fairmont street, re- tired printer. BOARD OF TRADE UNIT BACKS HIGHWAY PLAN 5-Year Program Approved by Street Committee After Hearing Sultan and Whitehurst. The five-year building program of the District Highway Department was approved in principle yesterday by a Joint session of the Streets and Ave- nues and Bridges Committees of the Board of Trade. George Graham, chairman of the Streets and Avenue unit, followed this action by appointing a special sub- committee to study the proposed pro- gram and suggest which projects should be given priority, A. J. Dris- coll was named chairman. Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, director of highways, and. Engineer Commis- sioner Dan I. Sultan addressed the gathering on the program, and invited members of the committees to make suggestions and recommendations to them. —_— BUSINESS TAX DEADLINE WARNING AGAIN SOUNDED With only 6,000 of 18,000 antici- pated business privilege tax returns on file, District officials today warned business and professional men against the dangers of further procrastination. Twice the Commissioners haxe ex- tended the time for filing returns, the latest deadline being: October 16, In view of the delay of & number of busi- ness and professional men in filing returns, officials fear a last-minul rush next week will make it impossible for the limited staff in.the tax asses- sor's office to handle all inquiries. ~ Attention also was called to the fact that failure to file & return on time will automatically result in & 10 per cent increase in the tax nzp penalty. Somewhere in the White House “chamber of horrors.” There are few persons who know It is in this room that presents is & room known unofficially as the its location and they will not reveal it. sent to President and Mrs. Roosevelt are put until they can be used or otherwise disposed of. The President himself does not refer to this room as the “chamber of horrors,” White House long ago adopted that desighation for the resting place for such gifts. ‘These gifts received in large quan- tities almost daily at the White House, are widely varied in nature. Most of them are what might be described as “hand-made” or “home-made” articles of handicraft which some ardent ad- mirer in some remote section of the country has ‘sent, generally with an admiring note, to either the President | or his wife. Return Valuable Gifts. Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt, like most of their predecessors in the executive mansion, have followed a strict policy of returning all presents of any real intrinsic value. But, also like the prior occupants, Mr. and Mrs. Roose- velt have been happy to accept the many little and inexpensive remem- brances and tokens of appreciation tendered them. They both make it & strict rule to acknowledge personally all gifts they feel they cah keep. That, in itself, is something of a task when it is remembered the Chief Executive has many more pressing de- mands on his time. But, the real task is to find a place to put these gifts that are received. The White House is a commodious .place in so far as homes go, but there is a limit to everything. The room originally assigned as the resting place for miscellaneous gifts during the early days of the Roosevelt ndmiqls- tration has long since been found in- adequate. Another room in the White House is now catching the overflow. Two Other “Chambers of Horrors.” In the President’s old home at Hyde Park, N. Y., where he spends many week ends during the year, there also is a “chamber of horrors.” The same is true of the President’s little white cottage at the foot of Pine Mountain at Warm Springs, Ga. The name for these rooms is under- stood to have been prompted by the grotesqueness of many of the good- will gifts,. The President never uses the term, but he has 1ong since become aware of what is meant when he turns over a present to a subordinate for safe-keeping and the latter bows out, saying, “I will put it in the chamber of horrors, sir.” It is almost unbelievable what people really send to tlie President and Mrs: Roosevelt. There is no mistak- ing the fact that some of the articles have required great skill and deft fingers and many months of labor to execute. Most of the presenis might well come under the classification of “junk,” even though they are not treated as such in the presidential household. To enumerate the many kinds of gifts would be like quoting from the pages of & mail-order house catalogue. In the matter of numbers, handmade neckties head the list. They come in all colors and styles, some embroidered and some knitted, many of them with the President’s initials, some of them displaying a prominent “R” and some few of them bearing the President’s likeness or what the sender intended a8 a likeness. Apparel and Paintings. All sorts of wearing apparel are included in the list, socks and hand- kerchiefs being the most common. Then there are the many penknives, wood-carvings, wrought-iron work, water-color paintings and oil paint- ings, pictures in pastel or crayon, more frequently in pen and ink. As might be expected, most of these works of art are intended to be a likeness of the President. There are the but old attaches of thed casions, he was swamped soon after- ward with white studs. This no doubt was due to the fact the President laughingly remarked when comment- | ing on his improper attire, that he could not find his white shirt studs when he was getting dressed for the | banquet. “I guess one of my sons helped himself beforehand,” the Presi- dent explained. Peculiarly enough, the gifts are more or less of a seasonal nature. As is | generally known, Mr. Roosevelt is susceptible to head colds. Each time storles are printed about him being in- disposed the White House is flooded with presents from well-wishing {riends in the form of handmade chest protectors, sweaters, wrist warmers, woolen socks and earmuffs, to say nothing of all sorts of homemade remedies for coughs and colds. ceives a variety of homemade fans. Around Christmas there ade many presents of homemade candy, fruits, cies identified with the season. Hunters Send Game. In the Autumn and Winter come the | apples, pears, nuts, smoke hams and game birds, in addition to the custom- ary number of turkeys received at Thanksgiving and Christmas time. There also are venison and bear meat, wild duck, pheasants and partridges, sent by proud hunters from various parts of the country. Then there are the various cakes and pies—the largest cherry pie in the world came by air- plane from the Michigan cherry fes- tival last Summer. Crates of oranges and grapefruit in great numbers are received. Some of these are prize win- ners in the citrus States. In addition, there are received quantities of fish, oysters, crabs and lobsters. Ever since Mr. Roosevelt has been in office he has been the recipient each year of the first salmon caught in Maine waters. The best of the first seasonal tonging in Chesapeake Bay also are added to the White House larder. The eatables, of course, are not sent to the “chamber of horrors.” The articles which go to the President’s table are carefully inspected and are eithier put in the White House larder for eventual use on the presidential table or sent to one of the local some of it really is rerharkable in its originality and execution—finds its way to the “chamber of horrors.” Some Put on Display. Some of these articles are on display in what is known as the “trophy room” on the basement floor of the White House, to be viewed by the daily visi- tors and sightseers. Most of the arti- cles, however, are too crude to be put on display or be used by the President or Mrs. Roosevelt, Therefore, gen- erally after the President has examined them and made a notation of the name and address of the sender, they are relegated to the well-known chamber. Just how often the *chamber of horrors” is emptied and what eventu- ally becomes of the gifts, only one or two persons know and they are not revealing the fact. More than likely the President himself does not know. Certainly, the gifts are of no value ejther intrinsically or sentimentally. Very few of them have any real use- fulness. The fact is known that there is a ““chamber of horrors”; that it com- prises more than one room; that only a few people know exactly where it is, or how it operates. But it holds— and then gets rid of—the White House i fountain pens, pencils, stickpins, cuff | yyni, links and shirt studs. Following publication of a story a year or so ago about the President appearing at a banquet in evening Size of Statue of Liberty. ‘The head of the Statue of Liberty in the Summer the President re-| cake, plum pudding and other delica- | hospitals. But the handicraft—andy %3 b o Horrors.” _ PALMISANO PLANS - PLANE SITE STupy |Feels Money for Grading | and Making Fills Can Be Saved. While representatives of the air- lines, pilots, airport and Commerce Department were preparing today for a final “show-down” tomorrow on the long-standing Washington Airport controversy, Chairman Palmisano of the House District Committee under- took an independent study of possible | airport locations in Maryland to the north of the District. Palmisano believes that suitable | airport sites may be found on level, solid ground, so that money which making fills or in éxpensive grading | vard construction between the site | and downtown Washington. | interests from tomorrow's conference, !the Nationial Aeronautic Association | has requested Secretary of Commerce {/Roper to authorize the attendance of of Washington, the local chapter of the association. It was pointed out | that no local interests except those financially concerned with the opera- tion of the airport or scheduled air transportation have been invited to the meeting. Purpose of Representatives. The Aero Club representatives would | be instructed to uphold the interests of private airplane pilots and owners in the local area. These private pilots, it was pointed out, now operate ap- proximately 100 airplanes and are frequent users of Washington Airport. They are directly concerned with all local safety regulations and should be given a voice in determination. of future policies, N. A. A. officials said. Most prominent of the sites so far proposed to the north of Washington is the present College Park Airport and adjoining ground to the south and east. Plans for a model air terminal there have been submitted to the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Secrecy Stirs Discussion. Decision of Bureau of Air Com- merce officials to hold tomorrow’s Washington Airport session behind closed doors was causing considerable discussion in aviation circles today. Although Assistant Director of Air Commerce Howard Rough explained that the reason for the executive session was that the discussion was expected to prove technical, represen- tatives of the airlines and the pilots voiced the opinion that the real rea- son is that the session is likely to Pprove “too hot to handle in public.” It was pointed out many conflict- ing viewpoints are fo be aired and the results are apt to have a pro- found influence on the immediate fu- ture of air transport operations out of Washington. Representatives of the National Air Line Pilots Association, who led the original fight for restriction of op- erations at the local airport, are ex- pected to demand the imposition of further restrictions on operations here, with & view to the complete abandon- ment of Washington Airport this Winter. Demand Expected. Alrline operators are expected - to demand a lifting of the Federal re- strictions which went into effect Sep- tember 7, contending that company operations manuals are sufficient guarantees of safety. . It is understood that the pilots’ as- sociation is prepared to repudiate a petition signed by Eastern Air Lines pilots operating between Washington and New, York asking for lifting of local restrictions on operation of the Douglas DC-2 airplanes on the ground that the signers were influenced by fear of losing their jobs if the re- strictions remain in effect. ‘Washington Airport officials, it is understood, will contend that restric- tions on the landing of airliners at the local airport are unwarranted and unnecessary, though admitting that take-off restrictions on the larger DC-3 type of airplane may be justified clothes and wearing dark shirt studs|is large enough to sccommodate 40 | under certain conditions of wind and intended for wear only on informal oc- ‘weather. otherwise might have to be spent in | could be used for high-speed boule- | Objecting to the exclusion of local | two representatives of the Aero Club | PAGE B—1 MODELS DISPLAY BUDGET ATTIRE AT HEARING ON WAGES Employers Use Mannequins in Claim Clerks May Dress On $149.38 Yearly. ARGUMENTS ON COSTS OF ITEMS RECORDED Final Hearing by Board Tomor- row to Consider Health, Rec- reation and Transportation. Four living mannequins-for-thes evening, dressed in $29.75 coats, 69« cent hose and $4 shoes, paraded be- fore the District Minimum Wage Board last night to support the claim of retail trade employers that the average sales girl can do very nicely on $149.38 per year for clothes. The exhibit of feminine apparel, a | unique feature of the board's sixth | conference to determine what should be the minimum wage for woman' re- tail clerks, also was watched with in- terest by representatives of employes who contend the average sales girl should spend at least $4.66 per week for clothes. First in the parade of models, Miss Elizabeth E. Malanply, showed 2 heavy tan coat, with raccoon fur and rayon- satin lining. It cost $29.75, which is the price the employers say a sales | girl should pay for a coat that will last her two years. The girls say they should be able to buy a $39.50 coat. Hired to Buy. As “disinterested parties,” Miss Ma- lanply and the three other models— Mrs. N. Ford Carpenter, Mrs. Merle | Dickenson and Mrs. E. H. Brown— |had purchased coats, dresses, shoes, gloves, pocketbooks and other articles they exhibited from local stores. Ob- tained for the work from the Public Employment Agency, the women were instructed to keep their outlay for the clothing within the budget advanced | by the employers. They showed “dress-up” dresses which cost $7.50, and work dresses for which they paid $5.95. Work and dress shoes, costing $5 and $4 each, respectively, handbags costing $1' each were exhibited for the conference’s | inspection. One by one the articles were passed around the table at which sat the members of the wage board, three representatives of the employers, three representatives of the employes and three representatives of the public. | For two hours befére the exhibit of evidence, the conference members | fought over the budgets of the em- | ployers and the employes and then decided to hold a final public hearing tomorrow night. Then it will meet to determine what minimum wage should be recommended. Spectator Joins Discussion. While the conference members ar- gued over the problem of just how many dresses the average sales girl should buy each year and how much she should pay for them, a mild sen- sation was created by some unsolicited comment from a spectator. Some one had suggested the girls might wear their better dresses for work after they had outlived their usefulness for evening wear. At this point Joseph W. Leverton, who said he used to be in the ready-to-wear business, stood up and asked: “What is this conference trying to do? See how cheaply they can dress the average sales girl, or determine a minimum wage?" Mrs. William Kittle, chairman of the board, explained what the confer- ence was doing. “Well,” responded Leverton, “I can tell you from my experience that sales girls can't display stylish clothes if they aren't dressed stylishly them- selves.” At this point J. J. Hasley, an employer representative, moved that Leverton’s remarks be stricken from the record. At the board's suggestion, Leverton said he would appear as a witness at the next meeting. Argue Over Item Cost. Chief items of argument in last night's discussion were the different proposals advanced for the amount to be spent for dresses, coats, shoes and hosiery. For dresses, the girls say they should spend $29.85 in the Winter and $22.80 in the Summer. The employers say the figures should be $19.85 and $11.80. As for hosiery, the girls want to buy two dozen pairs at 89 cents each, while their bosses think they should buy the same number, but at 69 cents per pair. The employes suggest & total of $29.75 for shoes; the employers say it ought to be $18. John J. Esch, representative of the public, presided as chairman of the conference. He said that at tomor- row’s meeting, other items, such as personal care, health, recreation, sav- ings and insurance, church and char- ity and transportation will be taken up. DENTAL TESTS SET Army Examinations to Be Held in Four Cities February 7-12, Examinations of applicants for ap- pointment as first lieutenants in the Dental Corps of the Regular Army will be held in Washington and three other cities February 7-12, according to a War Department announcement. To be eligible for examination the applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a graduate of a recog- nized dental school, in good standing in his profession, betwesen the ages off 22 years 6 months and 31 years 9 months at time of examination and must have been engaged in dental practice at least 1 year and 11 months subsequent to graduation. OPPOSES SESSION Chairman Palmisano of the House District Committee said today he has no District legislation in mind to be pressed for action in event a special session of Congress should be called next month. He said he did not believe any im- portant interest could be served by the suggested extra session. »