Evening Star Newspaper, January 30, 1942, Page 23

|3 » Washi PresidentMakes Retirement Act Exemptions Executive Personnel Excepted; 250,000 More Are Covered President Roosevelt today issued an executive order exempting cer- tain officers and employes of the executive; branch of the Govern- ment from automatic retirement from the Pederal service. First class of such exemptions in- cludes executive personnel ap- pointed by the President, with the specification that the exemption should be for an indefinite period of time extending beyond duration of individual appointments or terms of service. ‘The second exempted class in- cludes those who reach the retire- ment age before April 1 of this year, with the exemption effective until April 30, As a condition of this pro- vision, # is provided that depart- ment heads might require the re- tirement of eligible personnel at the end of any month prior to April, but that allowance of annual leave must be permitted. In his order, the President stated that public interest requires that certain personnel in the executive branch be exempted from auto- matic retirement. 250,000 More Are Eligible. while, it was learned that ap- proximately 250,000 Federal officers and employes will become eligible for annuities under the extension of the civil service retirement law. A score of Senators and Repre- sentatives have already inquired as to possible benefits, as a result of the inclusion of lawmakers in the retirement benefits, they said. The ‘Government Printing Office has not yet printed the application forms, so no applications have yet been filed. Before the Iliberalization became effective Monday, the retirement system affected about 1,000,000 eivilian employes of the Govern- ment. Present contributions to the retirement fund now amount to ap- proximately $68,000,000 a year. The raise in the contribution rate from 315 to 5 per cent is expected to in- crease this to $95,000,000 annually. The fund now amounts to about $751,000,000. Legislators Have Choice. Members of Congress, like cabinet officers, the President and others brought into the system through the extension of the retirement law, could elect to receive a larger annuity by paying a percentage of back pay, or take a smaller one by making contributions only on eur- rent pay. B Members of Congress also have the choice of going into or staying out of the system. To be eligible for an annuity, participants must pay 31 per cent of their annual pay, or 5 per cent after July 1, and have at least five years’ service. Size of the benefits would depend on the length of service. On leaving Congress a legislator with over 35 years’ service, who had reached the age of 62, could receive approxi- mately $4,000 a year. Under the law a member of Con- gress has all of 1942 in which to/| decide whether he will enter the | system. He could thus wait until | the last day of the year, and if de- feated in November could get a small annuity the rest of his life by contributing 5 per cent of one day’s pay, or approximately $1.40. Officials said this would be an “extreme” case. Critics of the legis- Jation have already introduced remedial measures to bar this pos- sibility. John Burns Thomas Dies; Former Hardware Official John Burns Thomas, 81, former vice president of Barber & Ross Co., local hardware firm, died yes- terday at his residence, 1621 Ho- bart street N.W., after having suf- fered a stroke last Friday morning | as he prepared to go to work. He | was a charter member of Barber & Ross. Mr, Thomas was a native of Balti- more and came to Washington at the age of 6. He was a member of the Association of Oldest Inhab- itants of the District and of Temple Noyes Lodge, No. 32, Masonic Order. Surviving are four daughters and one son, Mrs. Edna Sheridan, Hol- lywood, Calif.; Mrs. Lillian Oyster and Mrs. Elizabeth. Primm, Wash- ington; Mrs. Charlotte Derby, ‘Wheaton, Md., and Donn B. Thomas, Washington, who is with the Dis- gict Building and Loan Associa- on. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Chambers Funeral Home, Fourteenth and Chapin streets N.W., with inter- ment in Glenwood Cemetery. Hospifal Inmafe Found Dead in Steam Tunnel The body of a 65-year-old inmate of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, who had been missing since Deeember 7, was found today in the mile-long steam tunnel at the institution during a routine inspection tour. Detective Sergt. E. E. Scott of the Homicide Squad said the dead man was Fred W. Swann. Apparently he had entered the tunnel through a manhole some 200 feet from the powerhouse. He had removed his outer cloth- ing and placed them under his head, apparently dying in his sleep, police said. Coroner A. Magruder Mac- Donald is investigating the case. Agricultural Board to Meet MANASSAS, Va. Jan. 30 (Spe- cial).—The Prince William County Board of Agriculture will meet at 10 am. tomorrow in the Manassas post office. Neighborhood commit- tee men and women will be ap- pointed to assist the board with ngton WITE SUNDAY MOSNING EDITION he Foenin STRING-AND-PULLEY DAYS—With the Capital prepared to go back to the horse-and-buggy days, James V. Bennett, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, has gone back to a more primitive means of summoning his secretary from the next office. When he asked for the usual buzzer system after his office was moved to the former quarters of the Home Owners’ Loan Corp. and nothing happened, a string was strung through the wall to his secretary’s office. It is fastened to a paperweight there, and when he wants to summon he; r, he yanks the string and the weight goes thump, thump. Robert L. Mearses, who originated the idea, is shown displaying desk. the string beside Mr. Bennett's Mr. Bennett’s secretary, Miss Nadine Rolle, appears pointing to the paperweight which serves for a “busser.” Instead of being buzzed in to take dictation, she is thumped for. The in- genious string stretches through the wall directly from the di- rector’s desk, by-passes a subsecretary and winds through a screw-eye before attaching itself to the summoning weight. Thus Mr. Bennett scorns the red tape which enmeshed him when he sought the modern electrical convenience. —Star Staff Photos. Large Bakeries Here Curfail Deliveries To Conserve Tires Laundries Inaugurate Plan to Save Rubber And Trucks Washington’s largest bakeries will eliminate all special deliveries, be- ginning Monday, in a move to help conserve trucks and tires, it was learned today. An official of one bakery esti- mated curtailment of deliveries will eliminate use of about 25 trucks. He said all of the larger bakeries here agreed to co-operate in the pro- gram. Robert J. Seidel, public relations counsel of the Laundry Dry Clean- ing Owners’ Association of the’ Dis- trict, announced yesterday the city’s laundries already have put into op- eration a tire conservation program which includes rearranging -of routes, enforcement of a daily mile- age limit on each truck and equip- ment of trucks with speed regulators and governors to guard against wearing out tires prematurely by fast driving. Mr. Seidel said a newspaper ad- vertising campaign will be started soon to educate laundry customers in ways and means of aiding the conservation program. The cam- paign will stress these points: 1. Housewives should place calls for service 24 hours in advance to enable routes to be planned with a view to mileage economy. . 2. Bundles should be ready when the routeman calls so that unnec- essary idling of motors is eliminated. 3. Complaints should be tele- phoned to the laundry offices to save the routeman’s time. 4. All of the family wash should be sent at one time on a definite day each week fo eliminate needless trips. 5. Calls-back and calls for spe- cial service should be eliminated. Miss Elizabeth Nelson Funeral Tomorrow Miss Elizabeth Nelson, 83, who died Wednesday at her home, 504 Sixth street S.E., will be buried at Congressional Cemetery, following services at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the home. Miss Nelson, member of an old Washington family, was the daugh- ter of the late Charles E. and Re- becca Bryan Nelson, She leaves two rural improvement work and with agriculture defense programs. sisters, Mrs. Estella Nelson Barnes and Miss Otie R. Nelson. D. C. Gasoline Sales 'Fall as Auto Tofal Rises, Survey Shows Owners Are Believed Husbanding Cars Under Rationing Despite a jump in the number of autos registered in Washington, mo- torists are buying less gasoline from filling stations, according to dealers. During the first two weeks of Jan- uary sales were 5 or 6 per cent be- low those of 1941, it was revealed in a survey made by Harry Wain- | wright, research director of the Gasoline Retailers of Washington. Since that time no systematic cal- culations have been made, but Mr. ‘Wainwright reports there is every indication that gas consumption has dropped still more. The reason for the cut appears to be a “scare” that tires and auto- mobiles canndt be replaced, it was indicated. Some dealers expect this to end when motorists discover that with careful driving and recapping of tires they can use their cars about as usual. Mr. Wainwright believes gas sale reduction is national, except in areas where workers must use cars to reach defense industries. In Bal- timore, for instance, filling stations near plane plants are booming, while those in residential districts stand idle. Registration of cars in the Dis- trict for the .car registration year ending April 1 now stands at 211,227, This compares with 211,089 for the entire 1940 fiscal year, a period more than two months longer. Americanization School Graduates Group of 24 In exercises they arranged for the’ most part, 24 students were grad- vated today from the Webster Americanization School to Central High School. Diplomas: were presented by Miss Maud E. Aiton, principal. Antigone Dolfis, a Greek graduate, was in charge of the program. A pre-graduation musical pro- gram was given earlier in the week with operatic arias of various coun- tries and Latin American music featured. Graduates are: Dolfis, Antigone Feuer, Sabine Praenkel, Hanna Gelderen, Rosetts Genevess, Vaseleke Koeblits. Ann: Qstrower, Carol! Picard, Germa! S Birthday Balls HereTonightTop Nation’s Tribufe Movie Stars Share Capital’s Celebration Honoring President Tonight Washington again will dance to celebrate the President’s birthday anniversary—this year his 60th—and to raise funds for the na- tional campaign sagainst infantile paralysis. The President’s diamond jubilee birthday celebration, of which there will be more than 12,000 all over the country, will be observed here with a banquet, six dances and special midnight shows at three theaters. Twenty-three Hollywood stars are to bring glamour to the evening and will appear in each place where festivities are to be held. Differing from celebrations of other years here, the Birthday Ball tickets this year will be non-circu- lating. Tickets will be good only at individual dances. Dances will be held at the Hamil- ton, Mayflower, Shoreham and Wardman Park Hotels, at Uline's Arena and at the Lincoln Colon- nade, from 9 pm. to 1 am. Midnight shows will be staged at the Capitol, Earle and Howard ‘Theaters. Tickets for all dances are $2.50, except at the Lincoln Colon- nade, $2; tickets for theaters are $1.65, except the Howard, $1.10 Bright Array of Stars. ‘The 23 Hollywood stars include Rosalind Russell, Gene Raymond, Jackie Cooper, Bonita Granville, ‘William Holden, Brenda Marshall, Patricia Morison, John Payne, Carol Bruce, Ensign Wayne Morris, Michele Morgan, Gene Autry, Judy Canova, Dorothy Lamour, Lt. James Stewart, Mickey Rooney, Ava Gard- ner (Mrs. Rooney), Edward Arnold, Eros Volusia, Ruth Hussey, Betty Grable, Pat O'Brien ‘and Jean Hersholt. Miss Grable and Mr. Payne arrived together this morning, to be met by Representative Ford of California, bearing a sheaf of roses for the blond film star, and Mr. Arnold, who has made the trip to Union Station half a dozen times to greet arriving celebrities. The Rooneys Arrive. Young Mr. and Mrs. Rooney landed at Union Station at noon to- day after spending three days at Fort Bragg, N. C., entertaining the soldiers there. Last night Mickey went to Wilson, Johnny Long's Orchestra will play and Lucy Monroe will sing “The Star Spangled Banner”; Louis Arm- strong’s Orchestra at the Lincein Colonnade, where Mrs. Roosevelt will also be present; Sammy Kaye's Orchestra at the Capitol and Earle Theaters, with combined . stage shows at both theaters, and Claude Hopkin's Orchestra at the Howard ‘Theater. Stars to Go to White Hewse. The stars will interrupt thelr party-going late in the evening to gather at the White House for the President’s annual birthday mes- sage which will be broadcast on all major radio networks during an hour-long program. After the broad- cast, the stars will go back to the business of brightening all the places where celebrants have gathered. Contrary to former years, when Mrs. Roosevelt heard the President's broadcast immediately after cutting the cake in one of the hotels, the President’s wife will be on the train when the President speaks. She leaves for Chapel Hill, N. C., imme- diately after cutting the birthday cake at Uline’s Arena. Only volunteer entertainer ac- cepted for appearance tonight is Joyce Romero, 16, of 119 Eleventh street N.E., who has been blind since birth. She will sing at Uline’s Arena accompanied by Mary Ann Mitchell, 16, of 612 Sligo avenue, Silver Spring, Md. Reception at the Willard. A reception at the Willard Hotel will precede the annual banquet which will be held there at 7 pm. Mr. Arnold, president of the Screen Actors’ Guild, will preside; Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox will act as toastmaster. Among diplomatic and service of- ficials to be present at the banquet are the British Ambassador and Lady Halifax; the Soviet Ambas- sador and Mme. Litvinoff; Gen. George C. Marshall, representing the Army, and Admiral Harold R. Stark, Chief of Naval Operations. Tickets for the banquet, $10 each, were sold out yesterday. All the stars are tb be introduced there. Meyer Davis will personally lead his orchestra. Young Greets Actors. During the day, all the stars ex- cept the late-arriving Rooneys were on hand for the broadcast from the District Building. Several hundred fans were lined up outside the butld- ing to watch the stars come and go while workers in the building gath- ered on the fifth floor outside the office of Commissioner Young. Thanking the stars for their part in the celebration, Commissioner Young told them a great deal of the success of the annual event was due to Hollywood’s contribution to it. Mr. Hersholt said he had visited many infantile paralysis clinics and knew how much good the proceeds of the celebration did in making children strong Mr. Ar- THEY'RE HEROES TO GERRY—Four-year-old Gerry King, an infantile paralysis victim, got an autograph from Lt. James Stewart (left) and chatted with Gene Autry at the Commissioners’ reception in the District Building today. Young Paralysis Victim, Invited ' To White House,BeginstoWalk Gerry brings his gift. By MIRIAM OTTENBERG. Four-year-old Gerry King laid aside his crutches and started walk- ing. He just wanted to go a few feet, just from the bed to the chair. | His mother, with her back turned, watched him in the mirror, ready to move swiftly to catch him. Stretching his arms in front of him, Gerry made for the chair and turned to grin at his mother. “Isn’t it wonderful?” his mother, Mrs. Arthur King, exclaimed. “He couldn’t do that a week ago.” Dressed in a sailor suit, the blue- eyed boy this morning made the bed-to-chair trip again and again in the Willard Hotel room where he and his mother are staying. They came to Washington for the day, in- vited by Mrs. Roosevelt to help cele- grne the President’s birthday with im. Mrs. Roosevelt Heard About Party. Gerry was stricken by infantile paralysis when he was just starting to toddle. That was two and half years ago. Until last Christmas he lay almost immobile in a hospital bed in New York and doctors were afraid to let him move for fear one leg would grow shorter than the other. When Gerry was at last allowed to leave the hospital, his mother had to carry him. His legs were strapped into braces and even after weeks he the President and have lunch with Mrs. Roosevelt. Paralysis Victim Is Guest. Four-year-old Gerry King of New York, an infantile paralysis victim, was to lunch with the stars. Now on his way to recovery, he is the special guest of Mrs. Roosevelt. Five soldiers will dance with “blind dates” at the Mayflower Hotel to- night as guests of the Entertainment Committee for the celebration. The girls, winners in the “Blind Date Contest” sponsored by the commit- tee for the celebration, will meet their escorts at the hotel and be introduced by Lt. Leonard Meekin. again. nold, expressing Hollywood’s whole- | Honey. hearted support of the President, urged the radio audience to attend the events on tonight’s schedule. From the District Building, the stars went to the White House ‘where they were to be:grested by —Star Staff Photo. had difficulty getting around on crutches. In the four-room flat in New York's Hell Kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. King lived with their three boys, Gerry had a birthday party January 13. Forty youngsters who came brought dimes to be sent to the | President. to help celebrate his birthday. The newspapers wrote up that party and Mrs. Roosevelt heard about it. Can Walk Without Crutches. ‘That was when the White House invitation came to Hell's Kitchen. Photographers and newsreel men followed in its wake. The children in the block collected pennies to buy a toy aircraft carrier for Gerry to present to the President. All that excitement did some- thing to Gerry. He began moving faster on his crutches. One day, two weeks ago, he fell down and broke his braces. His mother rushed him to the hospital. What hap- pened then the doctors called a miracle. Gerry showed them he could walk without the braces. And since then he has even started to walk without crutches. Gerry can hold the little boat and his crutches, too, but his mother expected that when he saw the President, the cure would continue and Gerry would walk alone, carrying his gift to the President. ! night for the second horse show program of the celebration. The audience was treated to a high-speed exhibition by a fleld artillery bat- tery, saw the pack of the Middle- burg (Va.) Hunt perform and wit- nessed a succession of jumping events featured by the one-two finish of Lt. and Mrs. Fred J. Hughes, jr., in a time-plus-faults competition. o The "expected large delegation of fiim players did not materialize be- cause altered arrangements carried eight of the celebrities to Baltimore, but Morison and Douglas Fairbanks, jr, now on active duty with the Navy, were among those present. Miss Morison presented one of the prizes. Edison Day February 11 President Roosevelt yesterday set aside next February 11 as Thomas Alva Edison day to honor the great-| inventor who was born on that date: 96 years ago. —S8tar Staft Photo. Heavy Day Marks Eve of Closing of Mile o' Dimes Thousands of Dollars Poured in on Stand By Many Groups 's Mile o’ Dimes cam- at 6 pm., was assured of success today following one of the busiest days at the stand at Pourteenth street and New York avenue yester- day, during which two high-rank- ing Government officials together handed in econtributions totaling $3.893.49. Largest accumulated contribution came from Jesse Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Federal Loan ad- ministrator, who appeared in a broadcast late yesterday over Sta- tion WMAL. The total was $2,321.96. The second large sum came from Herbert E. Gaston, t Sec- s contaied retary sented $1,571. from Lt. Gen. William S. Knudsen, U. 8. A More From Treasury Forecast. Shane McCarthy, administrative assistant in the Office of Production Management, presented $627.13 vol- unteered by O. E. M. personnel. He described each dime contributed to the cause “a silver bullet in the battle against the dread disease.” Mr. Gaston pointed out that addi- tional funds were expected from ‘Treasury employes. Miss Patricia Morison, Paramount star, who will participate in the President’s Dbirthday observances here today, shared the micro- phone with the Government offi- clals and gave $1, requesting it be be placed in the California bottle. Another Hollywood luminary here for the President’s birthday celebra- tions made an appearance at the red, white and blue stand at a noontime broadeast over WMAL yesterday. She was Carol Bruce, Universal star, whose last picture was “Keep 'Em Flying.” In drop- ping 13 dimes into the Cslifornia bottle Miss -Bruce explained that 13 was her lucky number. stand, because appearing on the | same program were all precinct captains and lieutenants, headquar- ters inspectors and detectives and Maj. Edward J. Kelly, police super- intendent. Maj. Kelly turned over to officials $150.80 in dimes, which he said represented 100 per cent participation by the department, $430 From Veterans’ Administration. From employes of the Veterans’ Administration came $43044, pre- sented by W. C. Black, chief clerk of the Government agency. Pive-year-old Bryan Dugan, who attends the Providence Day Nursery, operated by the Sisters of Charity, opened the noon broadcast by describing life at the nursery. At the end of his little speech he asked permission of Announcer Don Fischer to say one thing more. It was: “Happy birthday, Mr. President.” James H. Ferry, vice president and general manager of the Potomac Electric Power Co. presented on behalf of the employes $133. Mrs. H. D. Adams, president of the Women's Club of Chevy Chase, turned in $35 which was collected at the Iast meeting of the group. From Mrs. Philip Latimer of 4614 Eighth street N.W. came $2550, the proceeds of & benefit bridge party given recently in her neighborhood. Other contributions received dur- ing the day were Casualty Hospital nurses, $16; Arthur Murray Studios, $15; Goodwill Industries, $5.30; Rich’s Barber Shop, $5; Master Barbers of America, Local 356, $20; Washington Lions’ Club, $4; Lewis Hotel Training School, $7.07; Hebrew Sisters Ald Circle, $5; Southwest Settlement House, $1; Ransdell, Inc., unstated amount; Emergency Hos- pital nurses, $13; Hicks Photog- raphers, $20; Jemer Club, $10, and Office of Registrar of Wills, $5.35. Schools Go on 6-Day Week HALIFAX, Va, Jan. 30 (#).—Hal- hool 20-Cent Taxi Pickup Plan Starts Feb. 9 Trial Period Ordered For Morning and Evening Rush Hours yesterday by the Public Utilities Commission. The plan is to be tried, prior to & formal public utilities proceeding, for 30 days, unless the experimental period is extended by orders of the commission. It applies to the opera- tors of some 2,500 cabs in 14 associa- tions or companies who so far have signed a petition filed with the com- mission for approval of the new sys- tem. These are Washington, Pre- mier, Bell, Radio, Yellow, Checker, American, Lincoln, Diplomat, Har- lem, Senator, Bison, Sun and Gen- eral cabs. Other cab owners or drivers may enter the service, but only on the specific approval of the P, U, C. Definite Hours Set. ‘The “pickup” service is to be oper- ated from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mondays through Pridays, except for holidays, and from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturdays, ex- cept for holidays. It is to be con- fined to zones one and two as defined in the uniform taxicab rates orders of the commission. Each cab when operated in the “pickup” service is required to dis- play a sign on the radiator grill or * shell reading “Emergency Pickup Service” and no more than one passenger may be carried in the front seat nor more than three in the rear seat. For a trip originating in zone 2 and terminating in zone 1, the rate is to be 20 cents per passenger, dur- ing the morning rush period. For a trip originating in zone 1 and terminating in zone 2, the rate is to be 20 cents per passenger during the evening rush period. For a trip confined to either zone and not crossing a zone boundary the charge is limited to 20 cents per passenger g&drt;m morning or evening rush pe- Others at Normal Rates. Tor all other trips during the rush hours, the charge is to be at the | prevailing normal taxicab zone rates, provided that at all times when a group of two or more persons hire a taxicab together the total fare for such a group of passengers shall not exceed the prevailing rate lor edeh a trip. the direction of the destination of an “earlier” passenger, the order explains, For a final determination of the i plan, the commission has scheduled { & formal public hearing at the Dis- trict Building for March 5. (Traffic Mishap Injuries Fafal fo Two Persons D. C. Traffic Toll Killed in 1942 Killed in same period of 1941_13 ‘Toll for all of 1941 James R. Norfolk, 22, of 1314 Massachusetts avenue SE. died last night in Casualty Hospital of head injuries suffered in a traffic acci- dent shortly before midnight Tues- day at Third and E streets S.W. A second death attributed to traffic injuries came at 7:05 am, today, when Martha Briscoe, 52, col- ored, of Bladensburg, Md,, died in Casualty Hospital. Police reported she was admitted December 9 after | she was hit by an auto as she crossed ladensburg road. Mr. Norfolk was riding a motor- cycle south on Third street when he collided with a westbound auto driven by Mildred A. Von Glahn, 27, of 2903 Carlton avenue N.E. police sald. Another motorcycle mishap sent Forest O. Plumber, 22, 3901 Barnes place SE, to Garfield Hospital late yesterday. Police reported Mr. Plumber was going south on Ar- kansas avenue N.W. when he lost control of his vehicle near Buchan- an street. Striking the curb, he was thrown off and knocked un- conscious. A passing motorist took him to the hospital. Arthur G. Gordon Dies; Roads Bureau Engineer Arthur F. Gordon, 66, senior high- way bridge engineer of the Bureau of Public Roads, died yesterday at his home, 11 Philadelphia avenue, Takoma Park, Md. Funeral services will be held at 3 pm. tomorrow at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, with burial in Cedar Hill Cemetery, A native of Terre Haute, Ind., Mr, Gordon was graduated from the Rose Polytechnic Institute there. During his residence for more than 20 years in Washington as a roads engineer, he was active in the Ta- koma Park Citizens’ Association, serving at one time as treasurer. He was a member of the American Society of Engineering. He had also been for several vears an elder of the Takoma Park church. Mr. Gordon is survived by his wife, Mrs. Bertha Miller Gordon; a son, Capt. James M. Gordon of the 198th Coast Artillery, and three grand- children, James M., jr.; Franklin L. and Mary Ellen Gordon. Fire Damages 300 Autos SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30 (A).—A foyr-alarm fire, damaging more than 300 new and used automobiles, raged through the James W. McAlister,