Evening Star Newspaper, February 1, 1942, Page 13

Rent Ifiéreases 0f Nearly 100% Are Approved New Rates Accepted By Tenants in First 30 Cases By JAMES Y. NEWTON, Approval of the first landlord applications for rent increases, some of which amounted to nearly 100 per cent, were an- nounced late yesterday by Rob- ert F. Cogswell, District rent administrator. In each of 30 cases where’Mr. Cogswell set new maximum ceilings the tenant had agreed to an in- erease by signing a “consent form”, an instrument drawn up by the office to expedite cases where there is no dispute with landlords. Most of the increases were held justi- fled because the landlord had either turnished the quarters or remodeled extensively since January 1, 1941, freezing date of the rent law. The first case actually approved by the administrator involved Louls Ginsberg, landlord, and Eppie Wim- bush, tenant. In this the rent for & house at 1009 Twelfth street SE. ‘was raised from $18.75 a month to | $35. On the first of last year the house was run-down, and was oc- cupied by a tenant “who was ill and in financial distress.” Later, when this tenant moved out, Mr. Ginsberg remodeled the property, spending $600 in the operation. Rent Reverted January 1. Mr., Ginsberg raised the rem.i However, he was forced to put it back to $18.75 when the rent law became effective on January 1 this year. He appealed for the increase, and when the new tenant agreed to it, Mr. Cogswell approved. In another case the administra- | tor approved rent increases for eight | apartments in two converted dwel- | lings on Sixteenth street. This | landlord bought the structures last | year and spent $30,000 in practi- | cally rebuilding them. The tenants there had been paying higher rents since last August. Though he had high payments on the remodeling loan to meet, the landlord on Janu- ary 1 could collect “not a penny more” than was received for the NO MORE OYSTERS —E. T. Jarboe is shown with oysters he has taken from the creek in the back yard of his place, which his wife’s father bought 80 years ago. The Jarboes and 250 other familles will be evicted from their farms if the Navy carries out a planned development in the Cedar Point area. Derided by Schulte As Traffic Clog House District Committee Will Be Asked to Have Hankin Explain Plan run-down apartments a year ago.| Substantial increases were approved | for all of them. | One of the largest increases was allowed in a case where Mrs. Daisy | Hubbard Mott rented an apartment | at 2701 Connecticut avenue N.W. to | Louis K. Friedman. Mr. Cogswell | raised the rent from $125 to $225 | & month when Mrs. Mott showed | she had placed $7,000 worth of furniture in the apartment in the | last year. Vacant on “Freezing Date.” 1 There were several instances in yesterday's cases where Mr. Cogs- | ‘well fixed rents for apartments and houses which were vacant on the freezing date. Stanislas Czetwertynski was al- lowed to raise from $140 to $225 the rent on a large apartment at 1868 Columbia road NW. The tenant, Francis D. Culkin, agreed to the change since the unit has been fur- nished since last year. Reviewing work of the office dur- ing the first month of operation, Mr. Cogswell said he and his staff had interviewed more than 8500 | tenants, whose complaints ranged from increase in rent because of an addition to the family to being | forced to take in washing. ’ A total | of 1417 formal complaints have been flled. In 1,280 of these land- lords request rent increases. Tenants generally request lower rents, though in some cases they want more serv- | ices for the rent they pay. | In all cases where there has not been a consent on the part of the tenant a hearing will be scheduled. | Each complaint filed, Mr. Cogswell ‘ said, will be acknowledged this week by postcard. Dates for the first hearings will be set this week, | though the first case likely will not | be heard hefore February 15. Some Settlements by Phone. Mr. Cogswell said his staff has been able to settle a number of complaints by telephone. As an ex- | ample he cited the case of a young | housewife who called yesterday to | describe an argument she had with | her landlord over hanging clothes in the back yard. She said the landlord actually ripped her “nice white things” from the clothesline | and threw them in the mud. To add | insult to injury, the landlord then proceeded to lock her out of the basement apartment. A call to the landlord, the Administrator said, made him “see the light of day.” “But, we couldn’t wash the muddy clothes,” Mr. Cogswell added. In a dozen instances, involving flagrant violations of the law, where, for example a tenant was turned out of quarters without a court order, the office dispatched attaches for a “talk” with the landlord. A settle- ment was reached in every case ‘without police court action. Coast Guard Auxiliaries Meet Tuesday Night Fingerprinting of some 5,000 small-boat owners of the Nation, all members of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, was under way yesterday following orders issued at Coast Guard headquarters here. Officials explained the move as “a necessary step in any plan to place more responsibility upon Auxiliary members.” Although non-military and volunteer, the organization is closely allied with the regular serv- ice. In addition to fingerprinting, Aux- {liary members will swear an oath of allegiance to the United States. Plans have been made to admin- ister the oath to Washington yachtsmen at a meeting Tuesday | night at the Corinthian Yacht Club. Since the outbreak of war nu- merous Auxiliary members here and at other strategic ports have as- sisted Coast Guard personnel in in- land patrol duty. A special defense meeting will be held by the Chevy Chase Elementary 8chool Parent-Teacher Association &t 8 pm. Tuesday in the school.: / | sen bill. By WILL P. KENNEDY. Declaring the “pick up” experi- ment for taxicabs, ordered by the Public Utilities Commission is a “guinea pig” plan, Chairman Schulte of the District subcommittee on traffic, announced late yesterday he will ask the District Committee to- morrow to call Gregory Hankin, chairman of the utilities group, to explain the reason for such an or- der. He derided the experiment, saying it would result in “more clogging and jamming of downtown traffic.” Mr. Schulte is meeting with. the District Committee at 10 &m. to< morrow to study further Washing- | ton’s wartime transportation con- gestion and related transportation problems. He declared that he is “opposed to friend Hankin getting the District tied up on this new taxicab scheme, which will only con- fuse and conglomerate the traffic situation.” He added, “I don’t think Mr. Han- kin knows anything about how to handle traffic.” Test Stars in Week. The taxicab “pick up” service is scheduled to start operating a week from tomorrow, for a 30-day trial period. Cabs’ operating in down- town areas would be permitted to pick up as many as four passengers during rush hours in the morning and afternoon. Mr. Schulte emphasized that the “pick up” plan makes no distinction between taxicabs and jitney service. “If Washington is going to have jitney service,” he said, “the cars should be marked with proper signs. If necessary, we will pass legislation defining the type of service to be given by taxicabs or by jitneys. We have been playing the guinea pig game in Washington long enough.” Chairman Randolph of the Dis- trict committee announced he will present three bills for considera- tion by the committee tomorrow before it resumes discussion of the transportation problem and that he hopes to get a favorable report on all three. First among these is the “fringe” parking measure already passed by the Senate. This author- izes the District Commissioners to acquire and operate municipal park- ing lots and garages on the out- skirts of the business area. Representative Dirksen of Illinois, | ranking Republican member of the committee, expressed confidence that a favorable report will be made on the bill he recently introduced | to control parking rates for auto- | mobiles at private lots and garages. | The Public Utilities Commission is | ; given complete control over the op- | eration of all private parking agen- | cies in the District under the Dirk- Barber Bill to Come Up. The first measure which Chair- | man Randolph intends to call up| designed to force closing of all Washington barber shops one day a week, presumably Sunday. Licensed barbers would make a referendum | vote to determine the closing day and the hours for opening and clos- ing all barber shops. morrow, those who have keen in- vited to testify include ‘Wender, vice president and legisla- tive representative of the Federation of Citizens’ Associations; Washing- ton I. Cleveland, manager of the A. A. A. Motor Club in the District, and George E. Kneipp, manager of the Keystone Automobile Club. Chairman Randolph 2nd other members of the ccmmittee are plan- | ning to sit in on Tuesday with the | Public Buildings and Grounds Com- | mittee when hearings are continued on the District defense housing bill. Briton to Be Spcaker |At Defense Meeting A representative of the British government will address a defense meeting of Kalorama road residents at 8 pm. tomorrow at the John Quincy Adams School. Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone and other notables have been in- vited to hear the talk and see a demonstration on incendiary bombs. Pickup Taxi Proposal for approval by the committee is| 1 At the transportation hearing to- | District Board Issues 'Permits for 420 Tires And Tubes in Week Applicants Rush to Beat Deadline; Casing Quota Cut 556 in February With District Government de- partments and several utilities filing last-minute applications to get in the January quota, the District Rationing Board announced yes- terday issuance in the last week of | 420 certificates for truck and auto- mobile tires and tubes—far more | than were approved in the rest of January. | Pigures on the total number of | tires and tubes doled out in January were not made public. If there are any left over from the District’s al- lotment for the month, they can- not be carried over to February, but must be returned to the national | stockpile. | February Quota Cut. For February, the District Board will have 461 passenger car tires and 905 truck tires to give out, 556 fewer than were alloted for January. February’s tube quota, however, will be 329 above last months al- lotment, with 386 available for pas- senger cars and 1,551 for trucks. The Metropolitan Police Depart- ment was the heaviest recipient in last week’s rationing, obtaining cer- tificates for tires for 101 vehicles. Other District departments to receive certificates were the Sewer Division, 14; Water, 10; Refuse, 6; Fire De- partment, 40, and Highways, 23. | Utilities which obtained certifi- | cates include Capital Transit, 87; Capitol Greyhound Lines, 18; Penn- svlvania Greyhound Lines, 3, and the C. & P. Telephone Co., 3. Firms, Individuals Listed. Other firms and individuals to receive certificates follow: Dr. Harry M. Kaufman, physi- cian; Dr. E. W. Schwartze, physi- | cian; Dr. Arthur Harry Lewis, }physlclan; Dr. W. B. Sims, physi- cian; Receiving Home for Children, William King & Son, fuel distribu- tors; Burder S. Athey, wholesale meat; C. D. Kenny Co., wholesale food; Washington Coal Co. Inc.; Union Coal Co., R. S. Miller, fuel distributors; Carlin Creamery Co., C. E. Beute & Sons, Inc., medical delivery; M. I. O'Boyle, fuel dis- tributors; S. A. Freas Co., wholesale produce; Richard Harry Trotter, refrigeration; Francis I. Brooke, re- frigeration; Mike Julios, hauling; John A. Smith, wholesale meat; John P. Agnew Co. fugl distribu- | tors; Highland Farms Dairy, Wash- ington Refrigeration Co., Dr. Martin L. Cannon, physician; Dr. J. Rogers ‘Young, physician; Joseph P. Torre, wholesale delivery. Also Arthur J. Waller, hauling; Goodwill Industries: .'. Raymcnd Pyles, grocer; R. Robinson, Inc., fuel distributor; Gichner, Inc., | governmental delivery; Morris Bres- sler, dairy products; United Petro- 1sum Products; Uline Ice Co.: Bill Koustenis, commission merchant; John Nichols, wholesale fruit; Union Fuvel Co; Jonn F. Matthews, ice delivery; Thomas Stathopulos, bakery; David H. Alsop, plumber; | Gal'iher &: Huguely, Inc., lumber; | Bruce E. Burke, City Refuse De- partment; Joseph Tucci, Inc., plumbing contractor; Washington Coal Co.; Washington Terminal Co.; Highland Ferm Dairy; Grifith Con- | sumers, fuel distributors; Lt. Law- rence J. Casamas, physician; Rudolph & West, hardware; J. D. Benn, truck contractor; Herbert B. Shor, dental supplies; James. A. Messer Co., wholesale plumber. } R4 This is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jarboe. They are standing in the front yard. Wings of the house were built 125 years ago. The Quirks and the Jarboes, like most of the other affected families, are despondent over the prospect of leaving their farms. Star Staff Correspondent. PEARSON, Md,, Jan. 28—To thlsi fertile region of St. Marys County, some 80 years ago, came one John Quirk; just over from England. He had settled in Philadelphia, but he| wanted a farm, and this level land | so close to Cedar Point on the Chesapeake Bay, appealed to him.| He bought a substantial acreage.| ‘When he went beck to Philadelphia, | he told his friend, Dean H. Dawson, | what he had done, and Mr. Dawson, | | also a Britisher, decided he would |like a farm in that peninsula, and purchased one adjoining Mr. Quirk’s. | It turned out to be ideal land. It would grow almost anything. And | creeks and inlets of the bay flowed | through over bottoms, thick with | oysters, crabs and fish. Mr. Quirk’'s son Ben succeeded | | to the farm in time and then Ben's | son, George R. Quirk. Mr. Dawson, meanwhile, had acquired fully 700 | acres. The seven Dawson children were born there. Four of them are living. One of the daughters,| Martha, married George Quirk, and they kept the farm, the third gen-| eration. Another daughter, Mary, married E. T. Jarboe and they took the ancestral home on the other farm after the Dawson acres had been split among the children. Eviotion Threatened. Today, Mr. and Mrs. Jarboe and | Mr. and Mrs. Quirk ere threatened with eviction from their land be- cause the Navy is planning to take perhaps 9,000 acres in the Cedar Point area as a testing ground for seaplanes, torpedoes and guns. An| estimated 250 families will be driven out if the program goes through. Already Government officials have started appraising and taking op- tions on the land. Many of the other families face hardships, but the Quirks and the Jarboes probably have been on the land longer than most of them. In this connection, it may be recalled | that St. Marys County contains| some of the oldest estates, homes | and farms in historic Maryland, though many of them lie outside the region which the Navy wants. - Formal protests have been made | to Gov. O'Conor by the St. Marys | legislative delegation and to Fed- eral officials by groups of farmers. The latest word from the Governor is that the Navy Department has indicated “very definitely” its de- | cision to use the area. The farmers’ point of view thus was summed up by Mr. Jarboe: “If we thought this measure was necessary to help win the war, we wouldn't raise a hand against it. We're as patriotic down here as any other citizens. But we feel that the project planned by the Navy prob- ably would not even be finished be- fore the war was over. It involves an immense amount of work— breaking up these farms, tearing down houses, building cement run- ways. “Land which we feel is much more suitable and more easily adapted to the proposed proving ground has been offered the Government at Point Lookout, Drum Point and Piney Point, and it seems to us that this could be cleared and used more quickly. Then, too, most of the owners of that land made no objec- tion, because it's not good for farm- ing, most of it.” Superlative Land. It should be remembered, Mr. Jarboe added, that probably the best. } By CARTER BROOKE JONES, [ Rich St. Marys County Acreage To Be Given Up to the Navy 250 Cedar Point Families Suggest Untilled Land Nearby for Test Project farming land in Southern Maryland, some of the best in the whole State, is located in the acres the Navy wants. There are splendid crops of hay, ocorn, tomatoes, wheat, barley. ‘The farmers raise excellent cattle, hogs, poultry. “And remember,” he reminded the visitor, “we've got to feed the sol- diers, we farmers. The Government is asking all farmers to produce as much as possible. We may be wrong about the whole thing—we want to do what's right, and certainly we want to help win the war—but that's the way we feel.” Mrs. Jarboe smiled, not quite hap- pily. “I was born on this place.” she said, “and I love it. I wouldn't know where to go. It's not easy to find good farms.” Part of the house in which the Jarboes live dates back 125 years, | long before Mr. Dawson bought the | place. Other sections are more meodern, but the whole place is snug | and staunch. Mrs. Jarboe’s sister, Mrs. Quirk, lives in a spacious old farmhouse. It was put up about half a century ago, but the green-roofed barn be- hind it was built by Mr. Quirk’s grandfather, and its timbers stand as firmly as ever. The Quirk farm is equipped to the minute. It produces ample crops. Mrs. Quirk personally looks after 1,000 chickens. She knows farming, every phase of it, and she can pitch in and help her husband do anything. “You see,” she explained, “I love farming. I wouldn't be happy doing anything else” And she added proudly: “There’s no better land than this.” Cling to Their Soil. ‘The Quirks and the Jarboes prob- ably are typical of the older land- owners of the Cedar Point region. One point you hear repeated throughout the area, from the ham- let called California to the bay: “It's not a question of price. We won't sell our land unless we have to for any price. People dont seem to realize that we want the land, not money for it.” This Hardyesque quality seems’to pervade the community. There are, of course, in the area tenant farming families who drift from place to place, taking up what- ever acreage is offered. And some of the prize farms and estates around Cedar, Point and Solomons Island have changed hands often in recent years. Some have been bought by affluent persons who live at a distance and use them as sum- mer residences. These, naturally, have not the attitude of - the Jarboes and the Quirks and Dawsons. They could g0 elsewhere. It wouldn’t be a mat- ter of such great moment to them. But those who have had their roots in the soil a generation or more are desolate. Money Angle Discounted. It's not that they fear the eco- nomic situation particularly. Some of them are quite prosperous. It's for another reason that goes deep m’f the relation of man and the soil. Julius J. Johnson, St. Mary's County farm agent, said at Leonardtown that no plan had been worked out to take care of the farmers who would have to move if the program goes through. The Maryland State Extension Serv- ice, he added, had offered to co- B T (See CEDAR POINT, Page A-14.) | FEBRUARY e 'First D. C. Gas Squad | 'Is Organized; 25 \Volunteers Sworn In 10 De-gassing Stations And 25 Decontamination Units Will Be Set Up Washington's first decontamina- | tion station and squad were formed | jntend. I want to be helpful to those last night at a meeting of civilian | who are efficient and to warn the | volunteers in the District Build- ing as the office of civilian defense | patriotic fervor to do their work here made plans to combat enemy air attacks of poisonous gas. Sworn in by Chief Air Raid War- den Murphy, the 25 volunteers, in- | jn the national defense effort. Defense Workers Told Not to ‘Play | | On Many Teams’ Civilian defense volunteers who “play on too many teams at one time and think they are helping the war effort” were criticized last night by Col. Lemuel Bolles, civilian defense director for the metropolitan area. Col. Bolles said he was in- formed that one woman volun- teer was working on five differ- ent defense assignments, be- lieving “she was doing a good job on each one.” He said hq had noted a tendency among & “great number of people” to play on too many teams at once: His advice to volunteers is to select one phase of defense work and “stick to it.” cluding 3 women, were told they an eventual 10 degassing stations and 25 field decontamination squads to be set up throughout he city. Persons felled by gas will be given first aid at the stations and sent to hospitals if in a serious condi- tion. It will be the job of squads to rescue victims following a gas attack and to take proper steps in decontaminating _stricken areas, Capt. Walter D. Roberts, ‘chief of decontamination, explained. In time degassing squads will be equipped with special “mustard” suits, rubber gloves and boots and | gas masks to permit them to work in any section of the city where Roberts said. Col. Lemuel Bolles, executive di- rector of civilian defense for the District, spoke briefly. He pointed out that volunteers had “a big job to do” and sald squad members would face an extensive training period. s The group sworn in last night made arrangements to begin train- ing in gas protection and decon- tamination work three nights a week. Classes will be under the direction of Capt. J. W. Kay, Fire Department expert on gases. Cnyt. Kay outlined the course, which'is expected to cover a period of sev- eral weeks. Proposed plans for the first de- contamination station include pro- visions for 10 men and 10 women volunteers who will administer first ald to gas victims, Capt. Roberis explained. The volunteers to re- iive training in the initial course er will be appointed station and squad chiefs as additional units are organized in various sections'of the city. Temporary headquarters for the first unit will be established at 2240 Cathedral avenue N.W. the home of Mrs. Anna Lansburgh, who was one of the volunteers sworn in last night. . > | three are now doing and thus relieve | | 35-year-old former school teacher This is the farmhouse of Mr. and Mrs. George Quirk, Mr. Quirk’s grandfather set- tled on the farm four decades ago. —Star Staff Photos. Curfew Sponsor Plans Drive fo Bolster Up irl Workers' Morale Wilson Hopes to Arouse Patriotic Fervor Among Government Typists Spurred on by responses of women war workers, Representative Wilson, | Republican, of Indiana, author of the proposal to pass a curfew law for them, plans to solicit President Roosevelt's aid in building up ste- nographer morale. “We must try to get these girls patriotically aroused so that two will undertake to do the work that | office and housing congestion,” he | declared. | Frankly admitting last night he was not sure whether his proposed curfew bill would be introduced, the serving his first term in Congress said he was still “feeling out senti- ment.” While he wasn't answering the | constantly ringing telephone in his office yesterday, he was preparing | & radio speech which he hopes to deliver tomorrow or Tuesday “to clarify the issue.” He Plans “Fireside Chat.” The Indiana legislator plans to make his radio speech a sort of “fire- | side chat” with the people of the District. “Some of the workers,” he said, represented the first members of [ mych at night. gas bombs have exploded, Capt.| “seem to feel that my suggestions | are a slap at them. I did not 5o | inefficient. I want to arouse their r‘lght and not to permit frivolities to | | dfstract them from the great op- rtunity for service that is theirs s A-13 Hospitals See Taxation as Bitter Blow Await Final Word On Reversal of Exemption Policy (This Il. the first of three arti- cles discussing the tazation of Washingtor hospitals. The sec= ond will appear tomorrow.) L. Officlals of Washington's volune tary hospitals are awaiting anx- fously final determination of an is- sue which now stands tentatively decided in favor of reversing a policy in effect more than 60 years. The question is whether properties of the institutions used for the cus- tomary functions of a hospital shall be subject to realty taxes. Most board members of privately- operated hospitals frankly are at a loss as to how their institutions could plan to carry the added fi- nancial burden, if, ultimately, it is placed upon them. They point out that increasing costs of operation and the vanishing of hopes for aug- menting endowments already have produced economic crises. “We’'ll either have to fold up or let the Government take us over,” one official commented recently, and his was not an isolated view. The problem stems from a deci- sion of the District Commissioners to review the cases of properties long classed as tax-exempt. For more than a year, the matter has been under study by the Real Estate Tax Exemption Board, headed by District Budget Officer Walter L. Fowler. From time to time, the board has handed to the Commis~ sioners reports on its investigation of various properties, including hos- pitals. Protest to Commissioners. At least portions of virtually all voluntary hospital properties in the city have been held subject to assessment for taxes. Their offi- cials have protested to the Commis- sioners and have been told infor- mally they will not receive demands for actual payment of realty levies pending final disposition of the question. In deciding the hospitals should be placed on tax rolls, the Tax Ex- emption Board has pointed to a long-standing section of District tax law providing exemption for “buildings belonging to institutions of purely public charity, conducted without charge to inmates, profit or incomes * * *."” _Until the comparatively recent re- view program, District officials had agreed Congress meant thereby to save from taxation such establish- ments as the voluntary hospitals, in addition to various completely chari- table institutions. Founders of sev- eral hospitals organized since pas- sage of the law laid plans for the | new medical care centers with the understanding they would be exempt from taxes from the first. Two Not Involved. Columbia Hogpital for Women is not involved in the current discus- sion, having been built on Govern- ment-owned land. Doctors Hospi= tal also is clear, having been estab- lished under a “profit” charter, thereby clearly assuming liability for taxes. However, O. K. Fike, director of the latter institution, explains the incorporators do not consider it a money-making proposition and are satisfled to “break even.” Since the status of hospitals has come under scrutiny at the District Building, it has been held repeat- edly that they do not meet the test of “purely public charity,” inasmuch as free care is not given all patients, My radio talk will pep them up to meet | this opportunity as a privilege and | not a sacrifice.” Mr. Wilson expects to confer with the House Public Buildings lmil | Grounds Committee Tuesday to get support of a resolution he intends | to introduce for an independent | | House investigating ~committee | | which would visit women workers | at their offices and check to see if | they are earning their pay. He also wants a special study made of the sick leave taken by girls in Government jobs. He said he had been advised by rooming house managers that war workers had been indulging in sick leave to such an extent that “it would seem Wash- | ington is the sickest city in the| country.” Senator Caraway Opposes Plan. Commenting on the curfew pro-| posal, Senator Hattie Caraway of Arkansas, declared: “I can't imagine it would work out very well. I do not know whether | the young women here need & cur- few law because I don't get out very But I do believe | that if the girls who come here are old enough to be away from home | and work for the Government, they (See CURFEW, Page A-23) Ode to Mr. Wilson I read with amazement That failed to amuse Your untimely comment On women’s curfews. 'Tho I tried to be fair The more that I read The more I was sure You were sadly misled. And so I decided 'Twas only your due That some one like me Should broaden your view. The incentive to show Eficiency plus Is killed in the struggle To get on a bus, Nor can I believe that A 10-hour day Leaves Government girls Still ready for play. Even women must eat (1t’s sad but it's true), And when we get home, There’s cooking to do. So how can you think There is time or umbition, To gad late at night and Get out of condition? AND, BESIDES— I'I’he new policy has found authori- ties pointing to the wording of the law and holding that not even by the most liberal of interpretations could an exemption be read into it for hospitals accepting paying patients. The board has admitted finding little basis for believing the hospitals were being operated for “private profit,” while declaring no course was open but to recommend restoration of the properties to the tax lists. Exempt Some Parts. Individual circumstances have varied, but in general the board has held taxable that portion of the hospital property not used for a completely charitable purpose or for education, such as a nurses’ school. For example, Providence Hospital, proper, was adjudged subject to realty taxes, whereas its nursing school was classed as an educa- tional institution and its day nurs- ery found to be a purely public charity. In regard to the latter, the board reported two of the four lots of the nursery building grounds should be taxed as “excess land.” Similarly, the nursing school of Garfield Memorial Hospital was held to be an educational institu- tion. The board retained the George ‘Washington Medical School and its annex on the tax-free list, but re- fused to accept the university's con- tention that the adjacent hospital was an integral part of the medical school in daily use as an aid in the teaching of medical students. Following the board’s decisions, the hospitals appealed to the Com- missioners, and there the matter rests today. Hospital officials con- fess they are unable to comprehend all possible results of a policy re- versal which has left their institu tions no longer secure in the free- dom from real estate taxation they had taken for granted decade after decade. Sergeant Made Major; 33 Years In Ranks Ended By the Associated Press. EDGEWOOD ARSENAL, Md, Jan. 31—Master Sergt. Eric Lee, veteran of 33 years service, today became Maj. Eric Lee, for the dura« tion. Standing in a drizzling rain on the post's parade ground with Brig. Gen. Ray L. Avery, commanding general, Sergt. Lee watched his bat- talion march past in honor of his retirement from the enlisted ranks. Then, as his fellow soldiers stood to attention, Gen. Avery announced Since Washington women Outnumber the men, Just who is to keep us ARl out after 107 —EILEEN V. McBRIDE. Sergt. Lee had been ordered to active duty as a major, chemical warfare reserve, and presented him with a set of golden oak leaves. @ Maj. Lee, who won his commi by spare time study, will re, Monday to the office of the chief of staff in Washington.