Evening star. [volume], April 17, 1935, Page A-2, Image 2

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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CONGRESS’ TREND
HELD GOOD OMEN
Victories for Champions of
Less Restrictive Legis
lation Seen.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
From the standpoint of those who
believe that a minimum of restrictive
legislation just at this time would
cause business confidence to grow and
recovery to be accelerated, certain
events in the last 10 days, each hap
pening separately, mean when added
together that the present Congress may
prove In the end to be neither as
deflationary nor as inflationary as was
anticipated a few weeks ago. Here
they are:
First, the decision of leaders In Con
gress to meet the problem of small in
vestors In utility holding companies by
modifying the original proposal is a
step in the direction of recovering
losses in market values that had al
ready set in.
Second, the sentiment developed in
the House and Senate against increas
ing the A. A. A. powers is being hailed
by the food industry with its $20,000,
000.000 volume as removal of a menac
ing situation.
Third, the vote in the Senate which
caused Senator Copeland to drop for
this session his effort to bring about
regulation of the food and drug indus
tries and their advertising has been
taken to mean that a bill to correct
abuses and not to embarrass the in
dustry will be adopted whenever con
sideration of this subject is renewed,
probably next January.
Banking Bill Change.
Fourth, of Importance to the whole
banking world is the willingness of
President Roosevelt, expressed to Sen
ator Glass of Virginia, to allow the
pending bank reform bill to be sep
arated SO that the provisions relat
ing to bank examination and insur
ance of bank deposits and other ad
ministrative matters can be passed
while the sections involving funda
mental changes in the operation of
the Federal Reserve System and the
handling of reserves will presumably
be postponed till next January. By
that time it is expected that sub
stantial progress will have been made
toward reconciling conflicting views
on a sound piece of legislation in keep
ing with the needs of the times, yet
not disturbing to the banking struc
lure.
Collateral developments not directly
related to business are also approach
ing a more favorable viewpoint; that
is, favorable in relation to the giv
ing of mature consideration and time
to matters like the Wagner labor re
lations bill and the bill enlarging the
powers of the N. R. A.
Mr. Roosevelt's conferences with
congressional leaders indicate that he
would like to see Congress get through
with social security legislation and
with a utility holding company bill
and with a measure to extend the
N. R. A. and a modified banking bill.
As for the other measures, the op
position is such that prolonged de
bate may be expected and the whole
legislative program held up.
Slower Tempo Better.
Whether or not the uncertainties
enveloping business nowadays have
been portrayed vividly to the Presi
dent and are somehow influential in
his talks with the Democratic leaders,
the fact remains that the present Con
gress has had enough legislation be
fore it for a dozen sessions. A slower
tempo is likely to produce a better
business psychology, especially since
the administration cannot but have
been impressed with the upward trend
of income tax revenues and the possi
bility that more activity will result if
a few of the pending measures are left
to be threshed out in another session,
by which time more opportunity for
the presentation of the viewpoint of
those affected will have been given.
The reform legislation is by no
means being abandoned by the ad
ministration, but it does look as if the
leaders are listening to the argument
that no particular reason exists for
rushing into all sorts of unworkable
regulatory mechanisms. The admin
istration also is well aware that the
continued presence here of Congress
while the $4,800,000,000 fund is being
spent is not going to mean as scien
tific a plan of disbursement as it
would like to carry on. In other
words, the possibility of restriction by
joint resolution exists as a potential
danger to the executive operation of
the fund every day that Congress
stays here. The trend is toward ad
journment in eight weeks, probably
by June 15.
'Copyright. 1938 J
EVERETT IS SELECTED
LAW DIVISION HEAD
Member of District Bar Will Be
Law Expert in Commerce
Department Bureau.
Guerra Everett, member of the Dis
trict bar and once a student at the
Georgetown University Law School,
has been named chief of the Division
of Commercial Laws of the Bureau of
Foreign and Domestic Commerce at<
the Department of Commerce. He
succeeds William E. Dunn, recently
chosen as assistant chief of the bu
reau.
Everett was a student at George
town in 1916 and 1917. For the last
10 years, he has practiced law in New
York City. In 1923 he was appointed
a special agent for the bureau and
later acted as chief of the section of
legal information In the Division of
Commercial Laws.
DOROTHY
DIX
Her articles
giving advice to
the lovelorn are
widely read the
nation over.
See Section B, Page 12
4
What’s What
Behind News
In Capital
End of Gold Bloc Seen.
White House Launches
Counter-Attack.
BY PAUL MALLON.
THE story is going all around the
world by word of mouth that
Switzerland will go off gold
next, then Holland, lastly
Prance. These developments
are supposed to be more or less of a
reasonable certainty during the next
few months.
The point generally made is that
these developments will upset the dif
ferential which our currency has en
joyed since devaluation and that
President Roosevelt will have to de
value again. The story seems to be
generally sound, except the final
conclusion.
It may surprise financial au
thorities to learn that the New Deal
ers are not primarily thinking in
terms of further devaluation now.
They believe that, after the gold
bloc is dissolved, the President
will try to call an international
monetary conference prior to any
further devaluation or stabilization
moves.
To devalue independently would in
jure chances of eventual stabilization.
Our currency is undervalued now any
way. We are a creditor Nation with
a favorable trade balance, and this
will hold the dollar up regardless of
our monetary moves.
I
The New Deal crowd is thoroughly
smoked up on the inside about the
growing vocal volume of its opposi
I tion. Mr. Roosevelt is actively or
j ganizing to match voice for voice and
j word for word.
This is why the cabinet is being
pushed out on the stump again. In
side of a few days, last week, half of
i them were out defending the New
Deal. Interior Secretary Ickes was
sent to Philadelphia to answer the
! Douglas attack Agriculture Secretary
j Wallace used his trip to Atlanta to
i help quiet resistance to the cotton
| program. Treasury Secretary Mor
| genthau took to the air. Prof. Tug
! well explained to a New' York Teach
1 ers' group that the New Deal was
I "the third economy,” somewhere be
tween individualism and socialism.
He also termed It "delicate social
surgery."
But the best example of the tech
nique now being employed in resisting
attacks is the story of how the White
House organized to handle the New
England Governors.
Diplomacy in Cotton Row.
The Governors led by Gov. Curley
, came here with blood in their eyes,
i prepared to put on a good campaign
! against the cotton program. They
i wanted elimination of the processing
! tax. protecting against Japanese com
petition and some other things. Their
pockets bulged with statistics. They
j even had an exhibit of cheap Jap
' anese goods at their hotel.
But Mr. Roosevelt organized as
' extensively to meet them as they
did to bring pressure on him. State
Secretary Hull was loaded with
counter statistics. These- were used
by Mr. Roosevelt to show that
Japanese competition amounted to
only 1 per cent of domestic produc
tion. Commerce Secretary Roper,
among other cabineteers, teas
pressed into service.
Roper's contribution was a little
speech in which he suggested the ap
pointment of a fact-finding commis
sion. You can imagine what a deep
impression this made on Curley and
his associates, who came down here
to demand action.
There was one little thing which
may have prevented Gov. Curley from
telling Messrs. Roosevelt. Roper et al.
what he really thought. He haul an
appointment the following day with
Mr. Ickes to ask for $4,000,000 of
P. W. A. money for his State.
The energy and scope of the New
Deal defense campaign indicates the
general program is not going to be
curtailed much without a struggle.
The Wallace crowd decided to stand by
the cotton program and will fight. In
all the cabinet speeches there was not
a word to hint at a possible retreat in
any important particular.
Trying to Lay a Ghost.
The purpose of the Morgenthau
radio speech was not apparent unless
you read between the lines.
The main hidden reason he made
it was to point out officially for the
first time that expenditures are run
ning $2.000,000 behind the esti
mates. His secondary purpose was
to show there was no reason for the
administration to come forward
with a new tax plan this session.
This should lay a couple of business
ghosts.
The New Dealers are grieving pri
vately about the loss of the Eccles
i plan in the bank bill. They concede
j Senator Glass will probably win his
fight for the elimination of that con
troversial section (Title 2) and that
the other sections will be adopted.
This advance grief seems to be a little
premature. In fact, it has some of
the appearances of being planned.
The argument is not over yet by a
long shot.
(Copyright. 1938.)
---
DRIVER IS UNAWARE
OF BLAZE IN TRUCK
Special Dispatch to The 8tar.
ENGLESIDE, Va.. April 17.—Un
aware that his cargo was on lire,
Toni Pinteralli of Richmond, Va„
drove 8 miles down the Washington
Richmond Highway in a tractor
trailer this morning.
Wind blowing in the opposite di
rection laid down a smoke screen be
hind the trailer, which the driver of
a bus overcame in order to notify
Pinteralli.
The driver and his helper, William
Darezso, also of Richmond, stopped
in time to detach the tractor, but the
trailer and its load of household goods
belonging to the Virginia Auction
House of Richmond was destroyed.
Pinteralli thinks a mattress on the
trailer caught fire from a locomotive
spark as he was passing through Alex
andria.
b
At White House
GLASS SMILES, LEAVING
AFTER CONFERENCE.
—
r 1
SENATOR GLASS.
Shown as he left the White House
yesterday after a conference with
President Roosevelt on the omnibus
banking bill.
—A. P. Photo.
Report by Tomorrow Fore
cast—Glass Says Roose
velt Non-Committal.
, B.v the Associated Press.
Despite insistence by Senator Glass,
Democrat, of Virginia that the Presi
dent had taken no positive attitude
; on whether the omnibus banking bill
should broaden Federal Reserve Board
j powers, the House Banking Committee
i today pressed toward a vote on that
i measure with the enlarged authority
in it.
Chairman Steagall. Democrat, of
Alabama said to newspaper men:
: -We're going to report the bill out late
todav or tomorrow; that's the story.”
After a White House visit yesterday.
Glass asserted that Steagall had not
kept an appointment with him on
] Monday to discuss the bill.
Says He Saw Glass.
Today, Steagall—iust before his
committee met—said:
"Why. I saw Senator Glass late
j yesterday afternoon, after trying to
reaqh him several times before. And
the banking bill was the least of our
troubles. The Senator was in good
humor.”
"Was that good humor attributable
to his visit to the White House?”
Steagall was asked.
•T don't think it was.” he replied.
After his White House visit. Glass
said the President apparently had
I changed his mind about a proposal
j to split the bill in two.
I A statement issued by the Virginian
! late yesterday reiterated that he
! favored dividing the legislation into
! two parts and giving "extended con
sideration to the controversial section
extending the control of the Federal
j Reserve Board.”
Sees Whole Bill Studied.
‘‘I have reason to believe.” he said,
however, “that the leaders of the
House have induced the President to ,
change his mind and to think that ,
the better procedure, as far as the :
House is concerned, is to proceed
with the bill as a whole.”
Some advocates of the bill's pro
visions for increasing centralized con
trol over the Nation's banks fear
they would not be enacted at this
seas ion if separated from other less
controversial parts of the banking
program. Other sections of the bill
would make permanent the present
temporary system of deposit insur
ance and effect, a number of minor
changes in the banking laws.
BOY, 14, IS MISSING
Mother Asks Police to Search for
Albert H. Rowe.
Police today were asked to search
for Albert H. Rowe. 14. reported miss
ing from his home at 950 Twenty
fifth street since 4 pm. yesterday,
after leaving a note saying he was
going away.
The boy's mother, Mrs. Ida Rowe,
asked police aid. The boy has brown
hair and gray eyes. When he left
home he wore dark gray trousers, dark
blue shirt, a blue jumper jacket and
brown shoes.
-»- — -
Boy's Estate Kept in Texas.
DALLAS, Tex., April 17 (A*).—Pro
bate Judge Robert Ogden yesterday
denied transfer to Kentucky of the
estate of Hubert Johnston Jenkins,
jr., 12-year-old heir to $1,000,000
left by his grandfather, the late Mayor
T. L. Bradford. The court's action
was a refusal to recognize the Ken
tucky guardianship formerly held by
the boy’s father, who has been de
clared unfit for the guardianship by
the Dallas County Probate Court.
Congress in Brief
TODAY.
Senate.
Debates Bankhead farm tenant bill.
House.
Debates social security bill.
TOMORROW.
House.
Continues consideration of social
security bill.
Civil Service Committee hearing on
proposals to repeal the married per
sons’ section of economy act.
Judiciary Subcommittee of District
Committee resumes hearings on bill to
tighten liquor control act.
Senate.
On the floor, further debate on the
Bankhead farm tenant bill.
Banking and Currency Committee
to hold hearing on new banking legis
lation.
Finance Committee continues con
sideration of N. R. A.
I
/
NEW RETAIL BODY
■" 1 ■
Former Capital Official With
Organization Represent
ing 1,000,000 Firms.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 17.—A super
trade association, the American Re
tail Federation, was formed yesterday
as a project to unify and promote the
business of more than 1,000,000 re
tail firms throughout the United
States.
Col. Clarence O. Sherrill, first city
manager of Cincinnati, will head the
organization and represent it in
Washington, where the federation's
headquarters will be established Mon
day.
Louis E. Kirstein, Boston retailer,
initiated the idea for the federation
which she said would give representa
tion for the first time to the vast
retail business.
National Council Backbone.
The backbone of the federation Is
expected to be the 13 national retail
associations represented by the Re
tailers’ National Council, headed by
Herbert J. Tily, president of Straw
bridge & Clothier of Philadelphia,
and large and small merchants of all
classes have been Invited to join the
federation.
“The little fellow will control the
American Retail Federation and pre
sent a unified voice in defense of their
business," said Kirstein. "Washing
ton hasn't realized this industry,
which is the third largest in America,
has existed, and nobody has been able
in the past to talk for the distribu
tion industry. In many things we
never even were consulted.”
The first step of the iederation will
be to organize State councils and per
fect the membership organization,
after which the A. R. F. will gather
and publish statistics on the trade in
co-operation, with other agencies.
To Complete Survey.
Col. Sherrill left New York tonight
for Columbus. Ohio, where he will
complete his duties as head of the
Ohio State Survey of Government in
otituucu uy uu». uaic/. lie oaiu uic
survey is expected to be completed
May 15 and a final report will be
made June 15.
Although he will continue to head
the survey staff until work is com
pleted, his resignation as vice presi
dent of the Kroger Grocery & Baking
Co. will become effective Wednesday,
leaving him free to open the federa
tion's Washington office Monday.
An Executive Committee drafted
the organization plan.
SHERRILL PROMINENT HERE.
Served in Charge of Public Buildings
and Grounds.
Col. Sherrill has a host of friends
in Washington, having served here in
the Army Engineer Corps as officer in
charge of public buildings and
grounds. He resigned from the serv
ice and left his Washington post
January 1. 1926. turning over to his
assistant, Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant. 3d,
the Job of watching over the public
buildings and parks.
While here from 1921 to 1926. C61.
Sherrill not only had charge of the
upkeep of the White House, but was
military aide to President Harding.
He served on the Public Buildings
Commission, the Zoning Commission,
the Arlington Memorial Bridge Com
mission and the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission as
well as other groups.
He has been vice president of the
Kroger Grocery & Baking Co. since
1930.
RETIRED U. S. EMPLOYE,
C. T. CHAPLINE, DIES
Was Section Chief of Post Office
Division of General Ac
counting Office.
Charles T Chapline. retired section
chief of the Post Office Division. Gen
eral Accounting Office, died this
morning at his home. 4407 Iowa ave
nue. after an illness of several months.
Mr. Chapline, bom in Shepherds
town. W. Va.. May 3. 1862, had served
the Government 49 years. He retired
July 1, 1932. having taken no sick
leave in all his long career. Hts
father was Judge Joseph A. Chap
line of the sixth Judicial district of
West Virginia.
Besides his widow. Mrs. Clara Whit
aker Chapline. he is survived by a
daughter, Grace, and a son, Joseph,
all of Washington.
Private funeral services will be held
at the home Friday at 7 p.m. Burial
will take place in Shepherdstown on
Saturday.
CAPT. PAUL PRESENTS
LETTERS OF TEACHER
By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES. April 17.—Capt.
Michael Paul, antique dealer and for
mer Russian Imperial Army captain,
defended himself yesterday against a
$150,000 breach of promise suit brought
by Miss Cora Irene Sund. 20. Minne
sota school teacher, by presenting in
court letters he said were written by
Miss Sund.
“I have repented, but you have no
mercy,” read one of the missives.
"You will miss me as time goes on,
and be sorry that you didn’t forgive
me.” read another.
Capt. Paul took the witness stand
and, under questioning by Miss Sund’s
attorney, said he had asked Miss Sund
to marry him.
Reaches Hawaii on “Routine” Hop
Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto.
American Clipper, 19-ton flying boat en route to Honolulu yesterday, as it passed over Alcatraz Island on
the start of its flight to pave the way for a commercial airline between the United States and China.
(Story on Page A-l.t
DEMOCRAT CHIEFS
Predict Speed After N. R. A.
and Security Bills Are
Passed.
By the Associated Press.
Democratic leaders strove hard to
day to get Congress to hit a faster
pace, and they predicted optimistically
that after the social security and N.
R. A. extension bills are out of the
way things will speed up.
After a personal appeal from Speak
er Byrns, Democratic whips put on the
pressure today so tne security bill may
be passed early next week at the
latest.
Hearings End Tomorrow.
The Senate Finance Committee pre
pared to close its hearing on the bill
to extend N. R A s life, taking it up
for amendments as soon as brief study
has been given the bonus.
Leaders pointed to the Senate's
speed yesterday as evidence that it
could work fast when it chose. In
only a few hours it passed the $58.
000.000 Interior Department approprl
j ation bill and the measure for Fed
eral control of interstate bus and truck
! operation.
In the House the legislation look
ing to abolish utilities holding com
panies had passed the hearing stage,
as had the omnibus banking bill. Two
more annual appropriations bills—for
the Navy and Congress—were waiting
their turn on the floor.
There were some expressions of re
i sentment In the House at the fact
1 that the Senate Finance Committee
had set aside N. R. A. until it finished
with the bonus.
House Seen "On Spot.”
At a White House conference early
in the session House leaders pointed
' out that they had to originate all bills
dealing with taxes and appropriations
— including the security bill — and.
therefore, the House members would
be "put on the spot” frequently by
voting on bills before they were passed
by the Senate.
One House leader suggested that
the Senate should at least pass the
N. R. A. extension bill first. But when
he got word that the N. R. A. bill had
been postponed temporarily by the
Senate committee, he said privately.
"I'll bet. by gosh, that we have to
take the rap again and pass that bill
first. It's not fair.”
MURDER PANEL DRAWN
Steinmetz Trial in Double Slay
ing to Open May 6.
NEW YORK. April 17 (IP).—A spe
cial panel of 150 talesmen was drawn
yesterday from which to select a jury
1 for the trial starting May 6 of Joseph
T.ieh steinmetz, charged with the slay
ing of his 17-year-old wife. Ruth, and
Rev. Joseph J. Leonard. Catholic
priest, in a New York (Knights of
! Columbus) hotel room last Novem
ber 26.
The special panel was ordered by
General Sessions Judge James G.
Wallace at the request of Assistant
District Attorney Alexander H.
Kaminsky.
■ •
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^ thoritative description of the
S Federal Government now
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dinarily interesting and
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CUMMINGS, Attorney
General of the United
States.
^ i i
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* •
1
Rain Now Hope in Dust Belt,
Where Aid Is Farm Reliance
South west Resigned to Fate With Daily
Storms, hut Land Is Not Beyond
Restoration in Most of Area.
Editor's note—This is the last of
three stories summarizing condi
tions in the dust and drought belt
of the Southwest.
By the Associated Press.
LAS ANIMAS. Colo.. April 17.—The
dust belt suddenly ends on the road
that turns west from Lamar, Colo.
It is like coming out of a tunnel into
an archway of sky.
The stars twinkle to the west; be
hind, to the east, hangs the pall of
dust. You start swinging up the irri
gated Valley of the Arkansas, and
thinking of the words of Bill Baker,
back in Boise City. Okla., "what this
country needs is water."
Baker is the county agent for
Cimarron County, and he calls it
"some of the best land in the Pan
handle.”
Everything has been seared to a
discouraging lifeless gray. Dust storms
come almost daily. Mostly, the resi
dents are resigned to them, sustained
by their philosophy that when rain
comes their county will be green
overnight.
54 Years in State.
Baker has lived in Oklahoma 54
years, and for 13 years has been a
county agent. Now he is seeking to
have a huge dam constructed, the
Kenton.
"We must have water to grow vege
tables and produce for our families,"
he said.
"During the years from 1926 to
1931. the first records were kept, the
rainfall was 19 inches a year. Since
1931 the average has been but 12.
This county is a story of the drought.
It has lost its vegetation, and the dust
storms will last until we can cover
the country again with green, grow
ing things. The land has not been
seriously or permanently hurt.”
Again he voiced his faith:
"This is the most productive coun
try in the world. And you will see
it come back overnight.”
From Cimarron County north and
south is what appears to be one of
the worst sections of the drought-dust
belt seen on a week's tour of the
sector. There hardly is a green blade
left. Only one day on that week's
trip was the sun visible, and only
one night could you see the stars.
Barbed wire fences are only dark
lines, jutting up from what looks like
desert. The roads are only wind
swept streaks of hard-packed ground,
shut in by a fog of dust.
Kept Alive by Aid.
Just south of Boise City, near a
dust-blown cemetery, lives J. R.
Peters, who has been in the region
about 20 years. His house is a two
room frame building, weathered and
gray.
"All that is keeping me, and a lot
like me. on this land, is the benefit
payment the Government is making,"
he said. ‘‘We get about $1 an acre
for our wheat lands. I have about
100 acres of land classified as wheat
growing. We haven't had a crop for
four years.
"I’ve been hanging on because I can
make a little money in relief work,
besides the wheat checks. It's barely
enough to keep me, my wife and two
children going.
"If we move we lose the wheat
money and relief work. Where would
we go? The dust seems to be almost
everywhere. We can’t get out of it.”
But R. H. Libbey, who lives only a
few miles away, insists “they’ll have
to carry me out” before he would
leave.
Dust storms are a not uncommon
characteristic of the high dry-farm
ing region that fans Eastward from
the Rockies, but not of the intensity
or endurance this Spring has seen.
The drought, four years long, is
blamed for that. Wheat needs a fine
tilled soil, and with no vegetation to
hold it, the land blows. No wheat
can grow in the drought.
Several plans have been urged by
erosion experts as control measures,
but foremost is listing, which digs deep
furrows across the eroding land. Ter
racing of rolling land, pond and lake
construction and three shelter belts
are other methods to combat the
drought.
A great ‘‘dust barrier” in Far West
Kansas is being listed now, but fre
quent dusters have made work so
k
difficult that of the 2.500.000 acres in
the blowing area which were to be
listed, only 50.000 have been com
pleted.
There are other methods of prepar
ing the ground whirh the agricul
; tural experts believe will help control
| the dust, and D. A, Savage, who is in
charge of the forage crops investiga
tion at the Government station at
Fort Hays, Kans., believes relief lies
in resodding the poorer lands of the j
Great Plains with Buffalo grass, Its
original crop.
; It would have to be done by hand,
and experiments at the station indi
! cate that the grass will re-establish
! itself in three normal seasons. Culti
j vated land left to revert to grass itself
will do it—in about 20 to 25 years.
But there is no question of what the
dry-land farmer wants. He wants
rain.
RECREATION PLAN
i
Senator King and Newly
Created Commission
Confer Today.
Plans for co-ordinating recreational
activities of Federal and District
agencies were to be considered this
afternoon at a conference between
Chairman King of the Senate District
Committee and the newly-created
Recreation Commission.
The new commission consists of one
1 representative each from the school
| system. District Government and the
National Park Service, with Frederic
1 A. Delano, chairman of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commis
i sion, serving as non-voting chairman,
j The three representatives of the dif
ferent agencies are: Henry I. Quinn
of the Board of Education. Commis
sioner George E. Allen for the District
of Columbia and C. Marshall Finnan,
superintendent of National Capital
Parks.
After its creation recently the com
mission announced plans to appoint a
superintendent who would be execu
tive officer and secretary in the rec
reation group. Meanwhile, Thomas S.
Settle, secretary of the Park and
Planning Commission, is acting sec
retary of the recreation organization.
Senator King said his main purpose
today would be to listen to the pro
gram of the Recreation Commission.
The Senator stated again his general
view that local agencies should have
control over District recreation facili
ties.
It has been explained by the Rec
reation Commission that the move
ment to bring about co-operation and
co-ordinated planning would not in
terfere with the supervision each
agency exercises over its own recrea
i tional facilities.
The conference today is an out
I growth of a discussion which took
i place in the District Committee two
weeks ago. in the course of which
I People s Counsel William A. Roberts
I contended that legislation is neces
sary to carry out the plan of setting
up a recreation commission consisting
of the existing agencies.
HELMET DROWNS BOY
Homemade Device Fails to Work
in Test Dive.
FAIRHOPE, Ala., April 17 (TP).—
Fourteen - yeatr-old Larry Harper bet
his life on the diving helmet he made
at home out of an old gasoline drum
and a bicycle pump—and lost.
To prove his faith in the device he
tied an 8-pound weight to his arm
and went down in 29 feet of water in
Fly Creek yesterday.
The air pump failed to function,
and two hours’ resuscitation efforts
failed to revive the boy.
COURTS BUILDING
MEASUREFAVORED
House Committee Reports
Bill Authorizing Use of
Loan Balance.
The House District Committee to
day ordered a favorable report on
a bill authorizing the Commissioner*
to use the unexpended balance of an
authorized $10,750,000 P. W. A. loan
made during the last Congress to
construct the long-proposed courts
building originally intended to be
located in the municipal center area.
This measure passed the Senate
April 9 and Is expected to be acted
on by the House when it takes up
the District calendar Monday.
I'p-to-Date Quarters.
The proposed building would pro
vide new and up-to-date quarters
for the Police. Municipal and Juvenile
Courts and the Office of Recorder
of Deeds. It will be located in Judi
ciary Square.
One amendment was made to the
Senate bill at the request of Corpora
tion Counsel E. Barrett Prettyman.
This would authorize the Commission
ers to use for construction of the
building the unexpended balance of
the P. W. A. loan or funds of any
agency designated by the President.
Other Bills Favored.
Two other bills also were favorably
reported—one authorizing an appro
priation of $50,000 from the revenues
of the District to maintain public
order during the Shrine convention in
June and the other giving the Com
missioners authority to make special
regulations for the seventieth Na
tional Encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic in Washington
in September. 1936.
The Public Health Subcommittee,
headed by Representative Virginia
Jenckes, Democrat, of Indiana, re
ported the Quinn anti-vivisection bill.
The full committee, however, failed to
take action on this measure.
BANKRUPTCY PLEA
HEARING IS MAY 16
Two Trustees Are Appointed by
Court on Petition by Barber
& Ross.
Hearing on the petition In bank
ruptcy. filed in District Supreme Court
by Barbour & Ro6s. Inc., yesterday,
will be held May 16. Justice James
M. Proctor announced after the ap
pointment of William L. Browning,
an attorney, and Henry Blake, presi
dent of the company, as temporary
trustees.
The petition of the company,
which has been doing business In the
selling of general building supplies
in the District for nearly 100 years,
states that the assets and liabilities
balance at $1,148,408. but that the
lack of working capital necessitated
the bankruptcy proceedings.
The May 16 hearing is for the pur
pose of final adjudication in the case.
DR. RUHLAND EXPLAINS
IMMUNIZATION PLANS
The plan of the District Health
Office for an intensive drive to have
all Washington children more than
six months old immunized against
diphtheria during the early part of
May was explained yesterday by Dr.
George C. Ruhland, District health
officer.
Addressing the Health Committee
of the Council of Social Agencies at
a luncheon. Dr Ruhland said the plan
probably will be started in connection
with the May day child health day
program. Dr. Ruhland also dis
cussed his plan for systematic exam
ination of senior high school pupils
for indications o{ tuberculosis in its
early stages.
ROOSEVELT READY
FOR NATS’ OPENER
THIS AFTERNOON
<Continued From First Page.)
the tossing-out ceremony. Earl White
hill. stalwart left-hander, will hurl
, the brand-new ball straight toward
| the waiting mitt of Cliff Bolton, who
has won priority among the local re
! ceivers. Opposing Whitehill will be
| Cain, Marcum or Dietrich of the
Athletics' pitching staff, according to
pre-game reports.
On the bench in the Washington
I dugout will be the veteran Ossie
Blurge. whose place at third base will
be covered by the hard-hitting Cecil
Travis. It will be the first time since
1923 that Bluege has not presided at
the third corner in the opening con
| test.
Other starters will be Buddy Myer,
seasoned second sacker: Joe Kuhel,
first baseman: Heinie Manush. slug
ging left fielder, and Johnny Stone,
in right field.
Weather Chilly.
The weather, still far from warm,
caused a resurrection of recently
closeted overcoats and mufflers, to
say nothing of unseasonable fur coats
among the feminine fans. There was
no large crowd awaiting admission
or in the ticket line at Griffith Sta
dium when the gates opened at 11
a.m. Park officials predicted a throng
of at least 20,000 by game time.
In the presidential box will be a
number of guests of Mr. Roosevelt,
including Postmaster General Farley.
Secretaries Marvin McIntyre and Steva
Early. Col. Edwin Watson. U. S. A.,
and Capt. Wilson Brown, U. S. N., the
military aides: Dr. Ross T. Mclntire,
naval physician to the President;
Kenneth McIntyre, son of the Presi
dent's secretary, and others to be In
vited at the last minute.
Prior to arrival of the presidential
party there will be a concert of pop
ular music by Meyer Goldman's Band,
a regular opening day attraction at
the ball park for many years.
Garner Will March.
The concert will be ended by arrival
of the President at 2:45 p.m.. heralded
by the fanfare of •'Hail to the Chief”
by the brilliantly-clad Army Band.
Vice President Gamer will be
escorted by President Griffith on a
long march to the flag pole in center
field, where the customary flag-rais
ing ceremonies will be carried out,
while both teams and all the specta
tors stand at attention.
President Roosevelt then will receive
a shiny new ball from Griffith and
Harris, and with his own idea of a
wind-up will throw the ball toward
the Washington players, assembled in
front of the flag-draped box.
The umpire will motion the teams
Into action and a new season of the
i national pastime will be on.
V *