Evening Star Newspaper, April 30, 1940, Page 19

Washi D. C. Supply Bill Boost Asked by Trade Board Treasury Advances Would Meet Deficit, Senators Told By J. A. O’'LEARY. Spokesmen for the Washington Board of Trade this afternoon will ask the Senate to restore a variety of items to the 1941 District appro- priation bill, believing that an in- crease in the House total of $48,276,- 717 can be handled under the law permitting the Commissioners to ob- tain temporary advances from the ‘Treasury until 1942. Although it was estimated in the House that the present total would leave the District with a deficit of | $800,000 in its general fund by June 30, 1941, this was based largely on permitting semiannual payment of the income tax, which would post- pone part of next year's revenue from that source until October. Trade body officials not only be- lieve this revenue can be antici- pated by obtaining Treasury ad- vances, but that such advances should not be refunded in full with- in one year. They feel this would avoid postponement of some of the urgent needs omitted from the House bill. Changes Urged. Following are some of the changes the Trade Board will urge in the House bill: o | Authority to preceed with the Bcott Circle traffic underpass; $30,000 for plans for a new Wilson Teachers College at Thirteenth and Upshur streets N.W.; erection of the Abbot | Vocational School at the Bremwoodi Park site instead of at Upshur street; | an increase from $15,000 to $43,000 | for education of physically handi- | capped children, and transfer of this function from Public Welfare to the Board of Education; 25 additional policemen; an increase in the 10 per | cent limit on administrative ex-| penses of the Public Assistance| Division. | The Trade Board is expected to; ngton News BEETLE-BROWED YOUTH—Dr. Che WASHINGTON, D. C, Ales Hrdlicka, curator of phys- ical anthropology at the National Museum, considers this cast of a skull which just arrived from Russia go valuable that he keeps it in a safe. The skull, that of an 8-year-old child belong- ing to the Neanderthaler race, whose faces had protrusions over the eyebrows, was found two years ago by a Moscow scientist and is considered one of the most important specimens of early man ever discovered. —Star Staff Photo. Welfare Board Backs Bill for Licensing Child-Placing Units Hopes for Action at Next Session; Approves Bastardy Act Revision The Board of Public Welfare to- | day was on record as being “1nj accord with the purposes” of a bill drawn up by the Council of Social Agencies to require licensing of agencies placing children in foster | homes. The proposed bill was submitted to the board yesterday, along with another bill providing for revision of the present Bastardy Act. After its meeting, the board made public a statement declaring it is in accord with the purposes of the two meas- ures and favors an inclusive bill oppose transferring control of recrea- tion to the School Board, preterrin“ to see a Recreation Board estab-| lished, on which the schools, District | Building and National Parks Office ! would be represented. { E. Barrett Prettyman, chairman | of the Municipal Finance Commit- | tee, wili present the views of the Board of Trade. D. C. Supply Bill. Meanwhile, Chairman Frederic A. Delano of the National Capital Park | and Planning Commission added im- | petus to the drive to prevent con- for licensing of all child-placing and child-caring agencies. “However,” the statement added, he board regrets that the drafts have come in so late in the session of Congress that the customary procedures of consideration by the Commissioners, the corporation | counsel, the Bureau of the Budget and committees in Congress seem to preclude action at this session.” Prepare for Next Session. Board officials said they will con- fer with interested individuals and organizations in the hope of having F. . A. Chief Attends Mrs. Roosevelt's Press Conference More Than Half-Million Families Now Migrants, Alexander Says Farm Security Administrator Wil- | liam Alexander today became the first man ever to attend Mrs. Roose- velt's press conference. The President's wife, o'clock, did not stay at the White House conference to hear him tell the newspaper women that between one-half and three-quarters of a million families, most of them “home-loving folk,” have become migrants. Before she left the press confer- ence, Mr. Roosevelt announced she would receive a delegation of women and children from the Workers' Al- liance this afternoon. She ex- plained she felt obligated to see them because she couldn't refuse to grant a hearing to people in trouble. The session. which Commissioner John Russell Young will attend, will be held to discuss the difficulties of | the employable unemployed in the District. Mrs. Roosevelt declared the difficulties here are coming to a crucial point and added that the re- lief people are making no effort to halt evictions now that winter is| rolidation of recration facilities un- | the proposed legislation ready for | over. | der the Board of Education with a letter to the subcommittee. He told the subcommittee the com- \ mission considered the change pro- “unwise” and recommended | instead joint control of the School Board and the National Capital Parks. This alternative, he said, | would go a long way “toward giving | the District of Columbia the kind of | recreation system that it should | have.” | Park Officials Heard. Officials of the National Capital Parks Office completed their testi- | mony yesterday afternoon, with a request for amendments that would | enable Secretary of Interior Ickes| to approve plans for the Scott Cir- ecle underpass and for the reloca- | tion of park driveways under the new Massachusetts avenue bricge. ‘The arguments for these amend- ments were presented by Arno B.| Cammerer of the National Park| Service and Thomas S. Settle of the | National Capital Park and Planning | Commission. The subcommittee also heard a delegation yesterday afternoon on health, school and welfare needs of | the colored population. Among | those who testified were Charles ‘Thomas, president of the Federation of Civic Associations; Prof. L. A. Ransom, speaking for civic groups; Eugene Davidson of the New Negro Alliance; Howard D. Woodson of the Northeast Boundary Citizens’ Asso- ciation, and T. J. Houston of the ‘Washington Housing Forum, New Fire SficeARa‘dio System Ready for Tests District officials today were to| place in test operation the long- planned two-way radio system for units of the fire service. Central equipment for the service has been completed in the new Fire Alarm Headquarters Building, First and Douglas streets N.W., in McMillan Park. In the group which was to make 8 final inspection of the plant were Maj. Patrick H. Tansey, Assistant Engineer Commissioner; H. A. Friede, superintendent of fire alarms, and A. W. Crosley, chief engineer of the District P. W. A. office. Transmitters have been installed on the District fire boat and on the ears of Fire Chief Stephen T. Porter, Fire Marshal Galvin G. Lauber, the deputy fire chief, the superintendent of machinery of the Fire Department and two fire alarm service cars. Their calls will be picked up by four receivers which have been installed at the new fire alarm headquarters.and at Nos. 25, 31 and 16 Engine Companies. Outgoing messages to the field equipment of the Fire Department, including the fire boat, will be transmitted by land wires to the police radio transmitter. The cost of the two-way radio equipment, which was included in the District's P. W. A, program, was $8,089. G. W. D.—gtudem to Lecture Aryeh Korin, a student at George ‘Washington University, will lecture on & visit to Palestine at 8:30 o'clock tonight in the Hall of Government on the university campus. The talk the next session of Congress. The proposed licensing bill 8s 0 from the cold,” Mrs. Roosevelt | drafted by the Council of Social Securities would have the effect of forcing “baby brokers” out of busi- ness, since it would forbid themato accept fees for placing children in foster homes, according to critics of the proposed legislation. The measure sets up provisions for licensing of such agencies and the standards they must meet, but it also contains the following proviso: | “No child-placing agency shall in | any case charge or receive from the 1‘ persons legally adopting any chlldi any compensation therefor; and in| no case shall any person taking a | child with the intention of adoption demand or receive from such ngenfl cy any compensation for the care, | clothing or medical attendance of | such child even though it shall be returned to the agency.” | Would Set Standards. The bill would require licensing of any person, firm, corporation, association or public agency that| receives children under 16 years of | age for placement in foster homesA‘ It calls for creation of a special| committee to formulate standards of care and services for children placed in family homes to which all licensed child-placing agencies would -have to conform. The com- mittee would be composed of repre- sentatives of the Welfare Board, Health Department and charitable organizations having an organized program for placing children. No persons other than the par- ents, guardians or close relatives, and no firm, corporation, associa- tion or agency other than a licensed child-placing agency would be per- mitted to arrange for placement of a child in a family home or for adoption. The bill to revise the Bastardy Act, which was adopted in 1912 and is considered out of. date, provides for modernization of the language and corrects certain jurisdictional defects. Under the suggested changes, & mother is not required | to be a resident of the District to | come within the scope of the law. The revised law also would re- quire a father to support a child until it reaches 18 years of age. The present law provides for sup- port up to the age of 14. Employers Asked to Aid Employment Week The co-operation of all employ- ers and District agencies was urged today by the Commissioners in pro- viding work for the unemployed, in observance of National Employment ‘Week, beginning tomorrow. A conference on the subject was held today by the Commissioners with a dozen officials of war veteran organizations and District agencies concerned with the employment service. Congress Heights P.-T.A. Roundup Tomorrow The Congress Heights Parent- Teacher Association will meet to- morrow at 9 am. for its annual roundup of children entering school next year for health examinations. Doctors and dentists will be on hand. A" class in adult education for homemakers in consumer buying is being held at the school each Thurs- is sponsored by the Avukah, national Zionist youth organization. y P day at 1:30 pm. n “Even though they are not suffer- said, “they are on the street.” Mrs. Roosevelt, in answer to a | question about the Bata labor group Al at Belcamp, Md., said she could see why the Bata arrangement is having troubles with the unions if it refuses to allow union hour and wages. She said, however, theory of a yearly wage and thinks that in time the union will have to come to that type of wage pay- ment. She added she had never believed in a system of company houses and company stores because it prevented “good independent living.” She ended the discussion by saying ‘“‘of course” she believed in unions. Fewer Cultivated Areas. Mr. Alexander asserted that “in agriculture today there are many people who are not needed te pro- duce what we can sell and con-| sume.” He pointed out that there are| fewer cultivated areas in the South- east section of the country than before the Civil War and twice as many people there now trying to make a living off the land. He reported that $369,000,000 had been paid out by the Government in rehabilitation of loans of which 73.6 per cent of all that is coming due has been paid back. He said that by and large the de- scription of what has happened to the people who have become mi- grant in the “Grapes of Wrath” is accurate. Jefferson Street Soon May Be 30th Place The Commissioners may take action today on the proposal to change the name of Jefferson street in Georgetown to Thirtieth place, a proposal that has aroused the in- dignation of residents of that street. The Board of Commissioners has been awaiting a report from a police- man assigned to poll the residents as to their feelings on the suggested change. Although a move was started over the week end to block the change, no formal protests were received at the District Building yesterday, it was said. Leading the fight is Mrs. J. L. Good , 1071 Jefferson street (Georgetown), who is vice president of the Georgetown Progressive Citi- zens’ Association. Mrs. Goodman saild the association and several Georgetown citizens would file written protests. Commissioner J. Russell Young, who expected to receive most of the complaints because he happens to live on another street named for the third President, said yesterday no formal protests had been made to him. (Commissioner Young lives on Jefferson place, off Connecticut avenue.) Mr. Young said he thought the change might be & good idea be- cause it would make for a little less confusion . The Georgetown | citizens con- tended, however, that their Jefferson street was the one Jefferson. street where Thomas . Jefferson himself onee lived. A ‘ however, | with a broadcast to make at 12:15| she believed in the | Board Hears Requests for 14 New Schools Civic Organizations Also Ask Repairs, +Personnel Increases The Board of Education today had before it the 1942 school budget requests of the District's civic or- ganizations, running all the way from more than 25 building items to a bird sanctuary. Requests were filed with the board meémbers at a meeting of more than 100 citizens at the Thomson School, Twelfth and L streets. Some 14 new schools were asked. These included a new Wilson Teach- ers College, an eight-room extensible school in American University Park, a junior high school in Wesley Heights, a senior high school at Sixteenth and Rhode Island avenue N.E, a new colored school in Brook- land, a new school at Minnesota avenue and E streets SE., a new school in Bradbury Heights, and re- placements for the Grant-Weight- man, the Stevens, the Brookland, the Douglas-Simmons, the Cranch- Tyler, the Hine Junior High and the Ambush-Smallwood. Personnel Increase Asked. More than seven schools asked to have playgrounds surfaced, resur- faced or fenced in. Others sought general repairs such as painting, boiler replacements, improved lava- tory facilities, increased personnel, land sites and certain building ad- ditions. Perhaps the major personnel re- quest was for a new assistant super- intendent in the colored divisions by E. F. Harris, president of the Lin- coln Civic Association. Other building items included an auditorium and wing for the Stod- dert, an assembly hall for Horace Mann, an auditorium-gymnasium | for the Bruce, auditorium-assembly { hall for the Harrison, 10-room addi- | tion and gymnasium for the Taft, 10-room addition and girls’ gymna- roof for the Francis Junior High, an auditorium and gymnasium at the Woodridge, auditorium-gymna- sium for the M. M. Washington Vo- cational School, new wing for the Eliot Junior High, gymnasium at the Lovejoy completion of six rooms at the Lafayette School. Several Draw Wider Support. Several delegates from different organizations supported the Taft, Eliot and American University Park items and a number of persons were on hand to support the Bradbury | Heights request for a school in the area. Among the schools seeking some improvements on their playgrounds were the Corcoran, the Stoddert, the Oyster, the Ben Murch, the Bur- | roughs, the Douglas-Simons and Gordon Junior High. merican University Park for a new school, land adjoining the | Slater School for play space and \.Jand at the Bell School for recrea- | tion. ! In addition to a new assistant superintendent of schools, person- | nel demands included an assistant | principal, a clerk, teachers and | librarian at Deal Junior High: an | assistant principal at Woodrow Wil- | | son High, a clerk at Paul Junior High, teachers at the Terrell Junior High, teachers for the Webster | Americanization School, a clerk for the Brent-Dent School, a vocational | adviser, 32 teachers for the shut-in children and an increase in the at- | tendance department. Attendance Officer Asked. Mr. Harris asked for the attend- | ance officers, asserting, “There are too many kids playing hookey.” Miss M. Virginia O'Neill of the | Mount Pleasant Citizens' Associa- | tion spoke in behalf of an under- | pass from the Powell Junior High | to_the Johnson annex. ‘While admitting that the replace- ment of the Grant-Weightman School is contemplated in the grad- ual replacement program of the schools, Mrs. Belle Cutler Parker argued that it should be given prior- ity as an economy move. On the basis of per capita expense, she said, the District will save $164.823 by so doing. Eight of the nine members of the board were on hand for the moet- ing, presided over by Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, president. They were Charles D. Drayton, Mrs. Philip Sidney Smith, Col. West A. Hamilton, Robert A. Maurer, Mrs. Velma G. Willlams, John H. Wilson, Gratz E. Dunkum and Mrs. Doyle. Supt. Frank W. Ballou was also on hand, as were First Assistant Supts. Robert L. Haycock and Garnet C ‘Wilkinson. Dr. Ballou argued with William Shrout of the Peabody School over the condition of the school’s boil- ers. Dr. Ballou denied they had been condemned, but said they were scheduled for replacement when the funds were made available. “Condemned is the wrong word to use,” the superintendent said. “The boilers have been inspected axd there is no danger of their blowing up.” Band Concert By the United States Soldiers’ Home Band this evening at 5:30 pm. 1n Stanley Hall. John S. M. Zimmermann, bandmaster; Anton Pointer, assistant leader. Program. March, “The Great American” Lincoln Overture, “Poet and Peasant” von Suppe Requested songs— (a) “Sweetest Story Every Told” Stults (b) “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise” . Seitz Potpourri, “Old Time Favorites” Barnard Requested. Popular numbers— “Barcelona” -Wheeler “After the Storm” _ -.Nelson Waltz suite, “Morning Journals” Strauss Finale, “Auld Lang Syne” ___Lake “The Star Spangled Banner.” Foening WITE SUNDAY MORNING EDITION | slum for Browne Junior High, new | auditorium- | and | | Land acquisition requests included Concrefe Deliveries 'Held Up After Strike, Witness Says Attempt Made to Show Jurisdictional Dispute Was Source of Trouble Delivery of concrete materials necessary for resumption of work | on three large Federal building projects remained stalemated last fall for at least two days after set- tlement of the Teamsters’ Union dump truck strike, a Government | witness testified today in the anti- | trust trial of five teamsters’ offi- cials in District Court. Patrick J. Malloy, timekeeper for McCloskey & Co. contractors for | the Social Security, Railroad Re- | tirement and Federal Office build- ings, told the court that no work | was done on the projects Septem- ber 27 and 28 and little on the | defense has claimed was called be- | cause of wage-hour differences, was | settled on September 26. The Gov- ernment is attempting to show that the source of the entire labor trou- struction industry*was a dispute be. tween the Teamsters’ and the Opera- ting Engineers’ Union over the operation of concrete mixer trucks. Pay Boost Asked Later. Tie-up of these trucks on the days | mentioned by Mr. Malloy was re- | sponsible for the work delay, the | Government contended. Nelson Tallman, the general su-| perintendent of the McCloskey firm, | véhich finally reached an agreement to have Teamsters man its concrete | trucks, testified that the Teamsters | did not ask for higher wages until the McCloskey jobs. Others to testify for the Govern- | ment today included Frank Carroll, | Concrete Pile Co., and John Redd, vice president in charge of opera- tions for the Super Concrete Co. J. J. Buckley, president of the subcontracting firm in charge of excavation work at the Social Se- | curity Board and Railroad Retire- ment Board buildings, testified yes- | terday he was inforied by one of the defendants that the teamsters were “pulling” their drivers from dump trucks because the engineers were driving the concrete-mixer vehicles. Drivers Called Out. Concrete-mixer trucks were not employed in the work done by Mr. Buckley's firm, and he testified he informed the teamster official: “I see no reason, therefore, why we should be involved.” Drivers of dump trucks on his projects never- theless were called from their Jobs, Mr. Buckley said. Matthew H. McCloskey, jr., presi- dent of the McCloskey Co., said he had double union trouble when he brought concrete-mixer trucks into Washington. He said he was informed by the teamsters that if he operated the trucks with engineers as drivers the ‘operators of his dump trucks would be called out on strike. At the same time, Mr. McCloskey testi- fled, an agent of the engineers in- formed him that if he failed to follow the lead of other ready-mix trucks firm in the city and hired teamster drivers instead of engi- neers, the latter would be called off such equipment as hoists and steam shovels. T. M. Flanaghan, president of the firm in charge of the construc- tion of the steam tunnel from the Central Heating Plant to the new Social Security Board Building, said he declined to sign a contract which came from an agent of the teamsters’ union. A copy of the contract was introduced as Gov- ernment evidence. One paragraph read: “We will agree not to accept de- livery of any materials, including ready-mix concrete, from others than trucks operated by members of the Drivers, Chauffeurs and Helpers' Local Union, No. 639.” Traffic Record The traffic reccrd, as revealed at police headquarters for 24- hour period ending at 8 am. today: Fatalities, none. Accidents, 38. Motorists injured, 7. Motorists arrested, 309. Pedestrians injured, 8. Pedestrians arrested for vio- lation of pedestrian control regulations, 1. following day “because we could not | get materials” for concrete pilings. | | The dump truck strike, which the | ble in Washington’s building con- | after they had been given jurisdic- | tion over the trucks operating on | superintendent’ for the Raymond | Star TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1940. ¥ COMMERCE—DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL—Shown at the 19th annual dinner of the Amer- ican section of the International Chamber of Commerce in the Mayflower Hotel last night are, left to right, Dr. Paul Van Zeeland, former Belgian Prime Minister; Eliot ‘Wadsworth, presiding, and Winthrop W. Aldrich, American vice president of the international group. < fire prevention award, was won Lakewood, Ohio. (Story on Two-year-old Donald Boynton is shown accepting a plaque presented "at the 12th annual meeting of the United States Cham- ber of Commerce here yesterday. The plaque, the organization’s —Star Staff and Associated Press Photos. Society and General for the 12th consecutive time by Page A-1.) Forest Fires Peril ‘Homes and School n Prince Georges 17 Companies Turn Out To Battle Flames Damaging Wide Area State fire officials today were es- | timating the damage caused by four | brush and forrest fires which raged | over several hundred acres of wooded area in Prince Georges County and brought 17 fire companies from the {from the C. C. C. company at | Beltsville before the flames were | brought under control. | blaze, pupils of the Lanham School were threatened and the children spent most of the day watching the firemen fight the flames which swept the entire area around the school grounds. Terry Dorsey, of the Riverdale Fire Department, and George Lee, of Mount Rainier, were injured, but not seriously, during the 8-hour battle, and were given first aid. The fire near Lanham burned over & 400-acre section and threatened a score of homes, but firemen were able to keep the blaze from reach- ing houses or outbuildings. The flames were kept from the Lanham School by a backfire started in the rear of the building and also by a baseball diamond which served as a fire break. While the Lanham fire was being fought by more than 100 volunteer firemen and the C. C. C. camp youths, another blaze was discovered near the United States Bureau of Standards radio station near Chel- tenham and a third near District Heights on the Marlboro pike. A brush fire at Sheriff road and Eastern ayenue near Seat Pleasant burned over an area about a mile square during the afternoon and apparatus from other parts of the county was dispatched to bring it under control. New Reservoir Tested At Soldiers’ Home Engineers of the District Water Department today began testing and sterilizing the 15,000,000-gallon res- ervoir, completed recently in the grounds of the United States Sol- diers’ Home, which will strengthen the District’s water supply to Capi- tol Hill and the Northwest central area. The reservoir, which cost roughly $230,000 and which was financed out of regular District appropriations, will not be put into service until a new 48-inch pipe line connection has been made between the reservoir and the Bryant Street Pumping Station. This project will cost some $1170,000. Plans for completion of the proj- ect were discussed at a conference today between Maj. Patrick H. Tan- sey, Assistant Engineer Commis- sioner; Humphrey Beckett, senior engineer of the Water Department, and R. Bennett Lloyd, resident en- gineer of the Water Department. q. |county and District and 60 youths | At Lanham, center of the lnrgest. \City-Wide Checkup B—1 Training School Fire Blamed On Angry Girls Probe Opens After Spectacular Blaze, Started in Cells An investigation of the two-alarm fire last night at the National Training School for Girls—which police said was set by rebellious in= mates—was begun today by District authorities. Robert Bondy, director of the Board of Welfare; Fire Marshal Calvin Lauber and Police Capt. Clarence Talley met at the institu-, tion at 9:30 am. to discuss the sit- uation. Mr. Bondy said he believed the matter would be handled as a routine disciplinary problem, but added that he was going to investi- gate to determine whether more drastic action is needed. The blaze broke out in two places in Shaw Hall, one of the buildings at the institution for incorrigible girls. It started in a cell block where seven girls were locked up as punishment for breaking out of the institution and for attacking a matron, Fire Started in Ceiling. Mr. Bondy said that they had apparently used papers and rags to start the fire in the ceilings of their cells. The blaze spread into the space between the ceiling and the roof and did $900 worth of dam= age. Firemen were summoned at 9:13 o'clock on a first alarm and, when they saw flames shooting from the roof, turned in a second alarm at 9:26 o'clock as “a precautionary measure.” The blaze was brought under control quickly and never threatened to spread to other build- ings on the institution's grounds on Conduit road near the Little Falls road. The girls occupying the cell block where “the fire started were led downstairs in the same building until the fire was extinguished. Hundreds of spectators were ate tracted to the scene and police were posted near the grounds to keep order. The arrival of the fire engines started inmates of the institution to screaming. The girls yelled from their windows at firemen, policemen and others on the grounds, com- plaining about conditions in the place. Bondy Denies Riot. Mr. Bondy today denied that there had been any riot at the institution | before, during or after the fire. | “There was some confusion, as | might be expected,” he said. “But | I have only praise for the way the | staff handled the emergency. The whole thing was handled well. Even the inmates made no attempt to | escape or create trouble.” The seven girls who were in the 'On Fire Hazards IsUrged by Bolles Suggests Surveys by Specially Trained Police To Make ‘Safest City’ | A complete city-wide checkup of potential fire hazards in every | building in Washington—private | homes as well as apartments and | office structures—was advocated to- day by Representative Bolles, Re- publican, of Wisconsin, a member | of the House District Committee. He suggested that the task be assigned to members of the metro- | politan police force, specially trained | in fire-protection methods. “As far as I know, Washington | is the only large city in the coun- try that fails to keep a close check |on possible fire hazards in its buildings,” he declared. “Even in my home town of Janesville, Wis., with a population of 25,000, an in- spection is made every year of every structure for conditions that might lead to a fire.” Mr. Bolles said the police in Janesville are required to take a special course in fire-prevention nual house-to-house inspection. It was the suggestion of Mr. Bolles that the District Committee yesterday indicated its desire that the Police and Fire Subcommittee resume an abruptly halted investi- gation of alleged “fire traps” here. Acting on his proposal, the com- mittee agreed to call on District officials for a transcript of testi- mony taken at the coroner’s in- quest into the recent fire at the White Court apartments on O street N.W, in which three persons lost their lives. Mr. Boles told the committee- the Police and Fire Subcommittee, of which he is a member, had held one session following the White Court Apartment fire, but it had since been inactive. He said a fire Sun- day night in an apartment house on New Jersey avenue showed the need for further investigation in view of reports that the fire alarm system in the building had failed to work. Representative Schulte, Democrat, of Indiana, chairman of the Police and Fire Subcommittee, which started the inquiry of alleged “fire traps” in Washington, delayed re- sumption of the inquiry for two rea- sons. First. it was said, he wanted the coroner’s jury to complete its inquest into the loss of life in the ‘White Court Apartment blaze; sec- ond, Mr. Schulte has been out in his congressional district campaigning in connection with the impending Democratic primary May 7. Mr. Bolles said unless the Police and Fire Subcommittee soon re- sumes the inquiry he would ask Chairman Randolph of the full Dis- trict Committee to appoint a spe- cial subcommittee to continue the investigation. Technocracy Group to Meet The Technocracy Round Table Discussion Group will hold a meet- ing at 7 o'clock tonight in the Northeast Branch Library, Seventh and D streets NE. work to prepare them for the an-| cell block where the fire started had | been placed there about two weeks ago, Mr. Bondy said. Two of them had broken out and had been re- captured. The other five had par- ticipated in an assault on a matron and were being punished. Mr. Bondy said he could not | understand how the girls had gotten i matches. He said he hcd no hope of learning how they had been smuggled in. The fire was discovered by Mrs. Etta Walker, matron in charge of | the Shaw building, a short time after “lights out.” She turned in ithe alarm and notified Miss Jean Bromley, night supervising matron. | Miss Bromley released inmates from the cells and rooms in which |they had been locked and herded them together on the first floor. For a few minutes the blaze was spectacular, but firemen quickly brought it under control. | It was said that one girl re- | ceived slight cuts when she broke | a window. All the girls in the build- 1ing are colored, their ages ranging | from 15 to 19. The training school long has been a trouble spot in the Welfare | Department, D.C. 71057Coirifi|');hrsiafion Revision Meefing Off | . Final action on a bill to liberalize 5!}_1e local unemployment compensa- | tion law was again delayed today by the Judiciary Subcommittee of the House District Committee. Chairman McGehee called off a scheduled meeting this morning due to the absence from Washington of Representative Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois, one of the active mem- bers. He said if Mr. Dirksen re- turns tonight, he would hold the meeting tomorrow at 10 am. Failure of the subcommittee to apply finishing touches to the legis- lation has delayed the plans of the full committee to rush it to the House calendar. Chairman Ran- dolph of the full committee said he would call a special meeting as soon as the subcommittee is ready to make a report. Mr. Randolph yesterday scheduled & special meeting for the full com- mittee this morning, but canceled it later when he learned the sub- committee had not reached a final agreement. The bill would reduce the pay- roll tax of employers from 3 to 2.7 per cent and at the same time in- crease benefits to the jobless. It also would exempt from taxation salaries over $3,000 a year. Mr. Gehee said his subcommittee is in agreement over virtually all provisions in the bill except one fixing minimum benefit payments at $6 a week and maximum benefits payments at $16 a week and extend- ing the period of benefit payments from 16 to 20 weeks. Chain Store Executive Dies DENVER, April 29 (#).—William R. Johnson, 64, retired grocery chain executive, died yesterdgy. He was vice president of Continental Gro- cery Corp, Lic., which operatea the Piggly-Wiggly Store system. He remained for a time with Safeway Stores, Inc., successor to the Pig- gly-Wiggly chain, and retired three years ago.