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‘DEATHSEHTENCE’ Observer Sees Ravages of Government Competition Forcing Them to Wall. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Study of the unanimous opinion rendered by the three judges sitting In the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. fourth circuit, would seem to indicate that the Supreme Court of the United States will probably declare unconstitutional the public utlMty holding company act, at least in "so far as 80 per cent of the in dustry is concerned, and possibly the whole act will be found invalid. What the utility industry would appear to be up against nowadays is hot the famous “death sentence” law regulating or attempting to destroy holding companies, but another kind of death—the cancerous ravages of Government competition. Thus the Senate is already debating a bill to advance money to local or ganizations to develop rural electri fication, but companies already in business are excluded from any form of Government loans. Instead of using Government money in a plan that gives private companies a chance to compete on equal terms with or ganizations favored by Government agencies, the scope of tfce proposed measure evidently is to set up a rural electrification plan tantamount to Government entry Into the electrical business on a wide scale. ruin uiuau iiugwtiu. Administration leaders are saying that nothing like $1,000,000,000, the first amount mentioned, will be ap propriated, but evidently the Roose velt regime is getting ready to indorse a plan for Government competition that will fit in with the establishment of such agencies as the T. V. A. and with the operations of the P. W. A., which lends money to the municipal ities- that can build their own plants anfi' duplicate existing distribution systepis. The courts have plenty of suits en deavoring to restrain the P. W. A. I from using Federal money to aid mu nicipalities in their competition with i private companies, and in the latest ease- in the Circuit Court of Appeals . .the Government won on the ground that damage to the private utility had - not been proved. It begins to look as if the use of Federal funds will afford considerable basis for legal controversy and that It is going to be difficult for com panies to prove that they are threat ened with damage until they are faced with actual construction of plants, , It is rumored that one important utility has offered to sell out to the Federal Government to protect its investment, but that the offer was declined. Certainly the alternative which some utilities may soon be faced with is whether they will wait till competing systems are built when their own properties will have con sequently dropped considerably in market value or whether they will offer to sell under virtual compulsion of circumstances as was the case in ' Knoxville, Tenn. Question of Funds. If the Federal Government wants j to go into the power business, there are many utility men who feel that Jt, would be better for Government 3yfn|rship to come now than after a jk**'drawn out competition in which *iil£{y properties would suffer loss in vSHre. The question, of course, ol ■where the money is coming from to buy out the utilities whose investment is anywhere from $10,000,000,000 to $15,000,000,000 is something that has to' be decided just as any other drain on the already unbalanced Federal budget. Then there’s the matter of competition between water power and coal. It is a mystery why the coal miners who will presumably be af fected most by the development of water power plants are not much more concerned than they appear to be in the -controversy. It may be they feel that the Government entry into the power business is likely to be thwarted at the polls as the issue of Federal .expanses brings retrenchment in A. and other power projects in ihelnext few years. ^ .<»*> «** " *!»«/ MBIUU 111 tUC tUUl OO «n the holding company issue is vital ..Mot. only to the utilities but to all ^corporations that have subsidiaries 'scattered throughout the country. *JTia|{e Soper, who handed down the opteion on behalf of himself and Judges Parker and Northcott in the latest holding company case dealt with most all the important phases of constitutionality. While there was one concluding paragraph taking issue with Judge Coleman’s sweeping state ment that the entire act was uncon stitutional, there is no doubt left how closely the three judges concur in the Coleman opinion as to virtually all the essential points. « Not Compelled to Register. Thus first of all. Judge Soper says Its was a bona fide case and declares the “suspicions of the representatives of the Government were without foundations” when they charged col lusion. He points out first that the American States Public Service Co. was not obliged to register and that neither this company nor its sub sidiaries could be reorganized and yet comply with the Public Utility Hold ing Company Act. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the three-judge decision is the significant declaration that Congress has no power to regulate holding com | panies either under the commerce clause or under the postal power oi under the decisions governing the policing of evils in interstate com merce such as automobiles used by criminals or thieves or the transport i of articles which are themselves dele terious to health. • me woiaing company Act, said Judge Soper, “does not merely pro hibit the use of the Instrumentalities of commerce for fraudulent or unfair purposes, but prohibits activities ol | the kind already described, whether harmful or not, in so sweeping a fashion as to make it impossible for a holding company covered by the act to carry on its business without registration and without submission to the regulation of the commission In many important particulars. . . . “The Holding Company Act goes much farther for it seeks not merely to control the use of the means of distribution, but in many material respects the business of the user.’1 This is substantially what John W. Davis and his associate counsel con tended for in their arguments before the court. The quotations cited by Judge Soper from Supreme Court opinions, such as in the Schechter case and the A. A. A. case indicate clearly that efforts to interfere with problems that are reserved to the States prob ably will be banned by the high court with respect to holding company own ership and management and that the l 1 9 only part of the law which will remain is that which refers to companies actually engaged in the interstate transmission of electricity. ramrTirts asyj What’s What Behind News in Capital Business Outlook Held Good by Non-Polit* ’ ical Observers BY PAUL MALLON. POLITICOS have been flailing the air increasingly with con fusing business predictions. Some leaders of the outs are emphasizing more and more that in flation is imminent. The ins have now countered (see Postmaster General Parley's Kansas speech) with the idea that prosperity is here. A far more trustworthy line on things can be obtained from sound economists and business people whose confidential views are not acquired for political effect The wisest ones here abouts generally have the following carefully measured viewpoint: The outlook for tome months ahead is impressively good, but ... it contains too many elements of artificiality and instabilityjto war rant the definite ocnclusion that what we have now is a natural recovery of the self-sustaining cumulative variety. In balancing up the prospects of the many obvious things that might happen, the odds now seem to favor expanding business, backed with more than ample credit facilities, which will become an increasingly active factor as the process goes on. The broad direction of this move ment is toward a highly expansionary plane, with prices tending upward, but only moderately upward for a considerable period of time jet. Just how far these processes will go toward anything that might legiti mately be called inflation, or what kind of inflation may eventuate, can not now be told with any reasonable degree of certainty. May Change Direction. It is like the snowball which is mov ing and is also being pushed. The ball has weak spots and may change direc tion. But the direction in which it is now going indicates it will continue to enlarge itself moderately for some months yet. It is headed for a big drift of credit, which may swell it tre mendously some time in the not near future. No bravery medals are being claimed by the House Appropriations Committee for burying President Roosevelt’s old shelter belt idea. It was rather generally understood inside the committee that the White House would consent to the burial without any great fuss. In fact, the hearings disclosed some very interesting testimony. It is ex tremely unusual for a Government official to hint that he can get along without appropriations for his own department, but the forestry officials did. They pointed out that they avoided “getting too entangled in this project without the approval of Con gress.” Also that they “developed the project so we could fold our tents and move out” if Congress did not approve. The invitation to Congress was subtle but effective. Note—The shelter belt was to have been 1,000 miles long and 100 miles wide and planted with 3,000,000,000 (count them) trees. The expenditure to date is about $1,000,000 for plant ing 22,000 acres. The other $14,000,000 originally allocated to the project was held up by the controller general. Not Pressing Compliment. A liberal leader within the New Deal told his comrades after the Parker power decision that it was a shame they had not let Circuit Judge Parker go on the Supreme Court some years ago in that famous fight. Now, after having received a copy of the Parker opinion, the liberal is not pressing his compliment. The fact seems to be that the New Deal legal authorities are somewhat doubtful that what they won from the decision is more than they lost. They are letting their original cheers stand publicly, but privately are consulting their law books. This is in accord with the new tech nique of both sides on the power issue. Both generally assert that they won, which is a fairly good indication that the matter has not been decided yet. fH The simplest definition of Govern ment credit was given off the record the other day by an official in a posi tion to know. He said: "The matter Is as delicate and devastating as the reputation of a man. If a citizen is known to be a gambler or has the reputation of a spendthrift, he is apt to find his banker increasingly metic ulous about lending him money. But a man with a reputation for care and caution can borrow far more on less collateral.’’ Two young New Deal lawyers were arguing, where they thought they would not be overheard, that there is no future in the New Deal any more. They argued that the plodding was probably not worth the salary involved. Less obvious symptoms have been noticed among far more prominent liberals near the seats of power. An other mourned: "If Roosevelt is re elected, it will be so close that the Government will not be able to do much anyway.” Note—Capable S. E. C. chief, James Landis, whose organization is designed to limit gambling, took a wild flyer in fish a few days back. While angling with Ex-S. E. C. Chairman Kennedy in Florida, they bet one dollar on the largest fish to be caught, one on the smallest, and one on the first and last. Landis won $4. He caught the only fish. (Copyright. 1936. by the North American Newspaper Alliar.-e. Inc.) Half Month 14 Days. Half a month consists of 14 days, according to a decision of a court in Berlin, no matter how many days the month itself may contain. TOWNSEND PLAN TOMSK Representative A. J. Engei Launches Bitter Attack on McGroarty Bill. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. Now that the Townsendites have abandoned their original "no com promise"' demand for a $200-a-month pension, the second McGroarty bill for as much pension as can be paid seevral years hence through a trans action tax is torn to shreds and tatters by Representative Albert J. Engel, Republican, of Michigan. He explains how the transaction tax will operate, itemizing in detail just how it will be pyramided on the fanner, the merchant, the banker, the manufacturer and the wage-earner. He emphasizes the advantage is would give to the chain stores and predicts ruin for thousands of in dependent merchants and for hun dreds of struggling industries. He shows the tremendous cost in addi tional taxes to Federal and State governments, pointing out that the tax runs through the entire span of life. Mr. Engel points out that the mul tiplicity of duties to enforce the pro posed law would make it Impossible. He explodes the “business turnover” argument of the Townsend chieftains, by showing the fallacy of taxing one dollar 600 per cent, saying: “My friend would have to cross-breed the dollar with a guinea- pig to make it reproduce Itself six times each year, J mk1t« tVint naif t f! Art f a voc 11 Dire Results Predicted. After a thorough analysis of this second bill which Representative Mc Groarty introduced on April Fools day, last year, and which he says "is the official Townsend bill" and which the Townsend . Weekly con firms, Representative Engel predicts that it would (1) lead to a business debacle and taxation worse con founded; (2) defeat for Congressmen who voted for it, and (3) tar and feather for enforcement officers. As a concrete example of how this proposed 2 per cent transaction tax operates, he says; “The farmer sells his wheat to the elevator. 2 per cent levied. The elevator sells it to the miller, 2 per cent levied. The miller grinds it into flour and sells it to the wholesaler, 2 per cent levied. The wholesaler sells it to the retailer, 2 per cent levied. The retailer sells that I flour back to the farmer, another 2 per cent, plus all the taxes levied i (total 10 per cent) from the time it j left his hands as wheat until it gets back to him as flour. Still further, a j 2 per cent tax is levied on all pay i rolls, freight and other charges for ! service or material, all of which (ex 1 cept the payroll tax) is added to the cost the farmer pays. The same is true when he sells a cowhide or wool and later buys it back manufactured into shoes, harness or clothing. The wage-earner, merchant and other citizens will pay, of course, the same pyramided tax under this bill that the farmer pays.” One to 18 Transactions.' Dr. Robert L. Doane, Dr. Town send’s economist and statistician, in testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee, stated that "the findings of the biennial census of manufacturers Indicate a turnover of ! approximately three times once the raw materials get into the manufac ; Luring process. Of course, it varies. Sometimes it may be 12 or 16 times, in other cases only once.” In other ; words. Dr. Doane states that there may be from 1 to 16 transactions while the raw material is going through the manufacturing process, each carrying with it a 2 per cent tax. He further states that the turnover after manufacturing is about three times and the average number of ' transactions is six. This means that the consumer pays a 12 per cent tax on each article purchased. It does not take into consideration the tax , paid on freight, telephone and electric : light bills, a pyramided tax paid on t materials, etc., nor the 2 per cent tax levied against the payroll which is paid by the wage-earner. Representative Engel’s studies show that the cost of State and local gov ernments would be increased from 12 per cent to 20 per cent, ultimately to be paid by the taxpayer. Regarding the promise of “going to increase business,” Mr. Engel says; “What is the difference between 12 men spending $200 each, a total of $2,400; or 11 of these men giving their $200 each to the twelfth man to spend the entire $2,400? In either case the amount spent is the same.” No Ena to Taxation. “This is the most far-reaching tax bill ever presented to any legislative body. You would be taxed and retaxed from the second you are born until after you are dead. Your father would pay a tax on the doctor and hopital bills and nurse’s salary. He’d pay a tax on the soap with which you are washed, the clothes put on you. You’d be taxed again each minute of the day from then until you die. Even then they refuse to stop. They tax the coffin into which you’d be put, the undertaker’s fee for embalming you— with a tax on the embalming fluid—a tax on the hearse and on the grave digger, on the salary of the preacher, on the coal to heat the church, on the crepe the mourners wear, a tax on your tombstone, on the probate judge’s fee, the administrator's fee—then they start in on taxing your heirs. The only consolation you have is that you can’t kick on the taxes you pay after you are dead.” Enforcement Impossible. Trying to picture the multifarious requirements for enforcement that seem to make the task absolutely im possible, Representative Engel lists 13 specific duties which the proposed law would require the administrator qf veterans’ affairs, the Secretary of the Treasury or the collector of internal revenue to do—and as only one fea ture of this herculean task he says: “Think of 8 or 10 million reports coming into an office monthly, made by aged persons, many too feeble to write. Think of the condition and form of those reports. Think of the required monthly reports from mil lions of farmers, garage men, gas sta tions, merchants, manufacturers, banks, business men of all kinds, in dividuals, corporations, townships, counties, boards, commissions from 48 States and from the Federal Gov ernment itself, which is not exempted under this bill. Think of the United States Government reporting every transaction, pay check, and pur chase—and paying a tax thereon. “Think of those millions of reports coming into an office, accounting for every transaction from the sale of the Woolworth Building down to a 10* cent sale made in that building. Re ports accounting for every dollar paid 1b salaries or wages in the whole United States, whether it be to the President or to a hod-carrier. Reports accounting for every dollar of taxes paid in whatever form by every tax payer in America—and paying a tax on that tax. Every interest charge, tel ephone, telegraph, electric light and freight bill is included. “It is impossible to begin to de scribe the extent of this proposed tax biu,”—the "absolute and utter ab surdity of it—and the impossibility ol enforcing it.” He concludes that “you would see many a tax collector tarred and feathered and driven out ol town.” 4 P Congress Member Fails to Throw Dollar Over River Dunn Is Stumped—Gen. Fries Drives Golf Ball Across. By the Associated Press. FREDERICKSBURG, Va., February 27.—Representative Aubert C. Dunn of Mississippi, who thought he could equal or better the dollar-throwing achievements of George Washington and Walter Johnson, failed to span the Rappahannock River here today and after three mighty attempts, oq all of which the silver dollar splashed into the water, he abandoned further ef forts and left the laurels to his dis tinguished predecessors. Representative Dunn's dollars, pre sented by the local Chamber of Com merce, made a good start, but each one dropped into the water, the best throw toeing about 20 feet from shore. Dunn was a former Alabama base ball star. After Representative Dunn defin itely quit the undertaking, his secre. tary, Lawrence Boullgny, tossed four more dollars, three of which fell in the water, while the fourth reached the opposite bank but was beneath the water line. It was recovered by a man who dug it out of the muddy shore. Gen. Amos A. Fries, U. S. A., re tired, who accompanied Representative Dunn, introduced a new fad by driv ing a golf ball across the river after his first two attempts had failed. PRESIDENT CALLED IN HOUSING RIFT New Dealers Fail to Reach Agreement Over Federal Contributions. By the Associated Press. President Roosevelt has been called upon to arbitrate an internal contro versy among high New Dealers over the administration's proposed new housing program. The back-stage dispute—centering around the issue of Federal contribu tions—has delayed formulation of the plan for slum clearance carried on Jointly by Federal and local govern ments. Representatives of various Govern ment agencies have been conferring for weeks on the program, but have reached no agreement on how much— if any—the Federal Government should contribute. One group has contended that with out Federal subsidies a program of clearing slums and building new homes within the reach of lowest income groups was impossible. Another has insisted the Government should go no further than provide money at low interest rates. Various compromises have been sug gested. but authoritative sources said no agreement has been reached despite threats of resignations from some of those participating in the conferences. The controversy has been carried to I the White House. The President has signified his desire for a slum clear ance program, but has not approved any specific plan. He has urged the conferees to try again to reach an agreement. The subsidy problem has been ac centuated by the recently announced governmental search for places to cut expenses. To meet this situation, a proposal has been advanced that instead of granting lump subsidies, the Federal Government should spread its con tributions over a number of years. After a recent White House confer ence, Senator Wagner, Democrat, of New York, was quoted as forecasting the program might cost from $250, 000,000 to $400,000,000 a year. The White House quickly denied the Presi dent had approved any such program. Wagner is among those who have felt the Federal Government must sub sidize any slum clearance program. He has stood for a Federal contribution of 45 per cent, in one form or another. This, he contended would make it possible to rent the housing units at prices the low Income families could pay. I-1 Your Income Tax Deduction (or Depreciation. The revenue act provides for “a rea sonable allowance for the exhaustion, wear, and tear of property used in the trade or business, including » reason able allowance for obsolescence.” For convenience, such allowance usually is referred to as depreciation. In claiming a deduction for depre ciation several fundamental principles must be observed. The deduction must be confined to property actually used in trade, business, profession, and tc Improvements on real property, other than property used by the taxpayer as his personal residence. In general, it applies to the taxpayer’s capital as sets—buildings, machinery, etc.—the cost of which cannot be deducted as a business expense. * A lawyer, doctor, or other profes sional man may not charge off as a current expense the cost of a library used wholly in his profession, this be ing a capital expenditure and the library a capital asset, but he may deduct an allowance for depreciation based upon the useful life of the library. In part of a professional man's residence is used by him for office purposes, a proportionate amount of the depreciation sustained may be de ducted, based generally on the ratio of the number of rooms used for such purposes to the total number of rooms in the building. The same principle applies If a taxpayer rents to others a portion of his residence. Under such conditions, however, the taxpayer must include in his gross income the rentals re ceived. • • ' BRuram Taxi Driver Says He Saw Dr. Condon Talk to Man Resembling Note Sender. By the Ataoclited Pres*. TRENTON, N. J„ February 27.— Gov. Hoffman today questioned the identification by Joseph Perrone, taxi driver, of Bruno Richard Hauptmann as the man who hired him to deliver a note to Dr. John F. Condon prior to the payment of ransom for Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. Perrone delivered the note to Con don the night of March 12, 1932. A man in Gunhill road, the Bronx, pave it to him. It contained Instructions to Condon how to make contact with the kidnaper. At Hauptmann's trial Perrone said the man who gave him the note was Hauptmann. The statement cited by the Governor was signed by Detective Claude Pater son and Sergt. A. Zapolsky of the State Police. 4 “• * • Perrone,” it said “stated that a lew days alter ne auenueu uie Bronx County grand jury he had taken a passenger to City Island and there had observed Dr. Condon talking to a man who he thought was the man that gave him the note.” Wilentz Makes No Move. The Governor made his announce ment almost at the moment Attorney General David T. Wilentz. Haupt mann's chief prosecutor, was saying at his Perth Amboy home he would make “no move at all” to combat the Gov ernor's renewed attacks on the evi dence against Hauptmann. The Governor flatly questioned Per rone’s identification of Hauptmann. On February 17, 1934, seven months before Hauptmann’s arrest, the Gov ernor said, Perrone was approached by a man at Jerome avenue and Moshulu parkway, the Bronx. The stranger, who spoke with a German or Scandinavian accent, asked the di rection to 36 East Gunhill road. Perrone told him, the statement to police said, there was no such num ber on East Gunhill road, but one in West Gunhill road. Perrone thought at the time the man looked like the one who gave him the ransom note nearly two years earlier. He described the man to police as about 38 or 39 years old, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a light com plexion, light hair turning gray, one or two upper front teeth missing. The police report of this was dated March 1, 1934. Other “Resemblances” Noticed. Perrone, the Governor said, upon a number of different occasions picked out persons whom he said greatly re sembled the man who gave him the note and in no case was the descrip tion similar to that of Hauptmann. The Governor also remarked that Perrone had indicated an interest tn a man who formerly lived near Prince ton and who was arrested in the Bronx for thefts in New Jersey. The Governor said Perrone once told oci|b. cja^jyjior^y uiu mnu icouuuicu wu. note sender more than any other suspect. Gov. Hoffman said he hac seen pictures of the man and that he resembled Hauptmann no more thar | Condon's bodyguard, A1 Reich, a ; former heavyweight pugilist, "re i sembles one of Singer's midgets.” Wilentz conferred secretly at Perth | Amboy with Prosecutor Anthony M Hauck, jr„ of Hunterdon County, anc Col. H. Norman Schwarzopf, head ol the State police. Their discussion, he said, coveret everything from the most recem charge that part of the evidence link ing the condemned Hauptmann to th< ladder was ‘'framed.” A report of thii will be made shortly to Gov. Hoffman Officials declared that the investiga Holes Declared Made Later, tors claimed they were able to show through violet ray tests that four nai holes in joists in Hauptmann’s Bron; attic—holes which the State con tended matched four holes in ‘‘rail 16' of the ladder—w’ere made about th< time of Hauptmann’s arrest. Attorney General David T. Wilentz after a conference with other prosecu tlon officials in his Perth Amboy homi today, said he would make "no movi at all” to meet renewed attacks of Gov Hoffman on the evidence agains Hauptmann. Wilentz said he and Pro6ecuto: Hauck of Hunterdon County and Col H. Norman Schwarzkopf, head of th< State Police, had discussed ‘‘every thing” about the case. The Governor himself continued hi attack on the testimony of Millarc Whited, Sourland lumberjack, one o the chief identification witnesse; against Hauptmann. Whited w& questioned Saturday by the Governor Prosecutor Anthony M. Hauck, jr., o Hunterdon County and Hauptmann’; chief counsel. C. Lloyd Pisher. In New York last night the Gover nor made public excerpts fron Whited’s examination, which he sub mitted as "proof that Whited wa; promised part of the reward ($25,001 offered by the State) if he identifie< Hauptmann, and that he was showi a number of photographs upon dif ferent occasions before he went t< New York.” Whited was the sole identiflcatioi witness at the Bronx extradition pro ceedings, and testified at the trial h i saw Hauptmann prowling in the woods near the Lindbergh estate shortly be ! fore March 1, 1932, the date Col. : Charles A. Lindbergh's son was kid naped. Promised $35 a Day. The Governor said last night Whited told him he was promised $35 a day and told by a State trooper, named Wolf, that he would be entitled to one-third of the reward. From the time he identified Hauptmann until the trial opened, the Governor said Whited told him, he was watched by the State police and a State trooper stayed at his home, even riding his wagon when he went for logs. "This would make it appear.” said ■ the Governor, "that the prosecution I was not very certain of its witness.” The defense attack on the ladder. ,: it was asserted, will come as a result | of a study made by Dr. Erasmus M. ! Hudson. New York physician and fin 1 i gerprint witness for the defense, and ; ■ Robert W. Hicks, Washington criml | nologist. At the trial Dr. Hudson testified he recalled only one nail hole in “rail 16.” In rebuttal the State called a Federal employe from Washington who had examined the ladder shortly after ; the kidnaping and had made photo 1 graphs showing four holes. Arthur Koehler, Federal wood ex pert, who also swore there were four i holes, has been apprised of the new l examination of the ladder evidence ’ and may be asked to add what he can i to his Flemington testimony, is was i learned. ; Desires to Recall Jafsie. Coincidental with these new dis closures. Fisher reiterated he will seek the return of Dr. John F. (Jafsie) ' Condon for questioning, citing the 1 Bronx educator's own written word ' that he knew the man who made the 1 ladder. 1 Fisher cited a letter Condon sent a ' New York newspaper last December 1 in which he said: "I worked assiduously to restore the • baby, or run down the cowardly knave who climbed a ladder which the car i penter had planned and submitted to • the cabinetmaker, both of whom I » know * • *.” —..i i i ■ --I V egetableW agon Wrecked I Joe Lomerico Condemns Fast Driving After Car Breaks Cart. I j The wreck of Joe Lomerico’s vegetable wagon. Below: Joe leading j his horse Sani back to the stable. —Star Staff Photo. IF YOU dont want to upset the vegetable cart, “you gotta drive slow and look where you go!" Joe Lomerico was positive about this as he surveyed the wrreck of his cart at Twelfth street and Constitu tion avenue this morning. He and his son Peter were on their way to market behind their horse Sani when an automobile came up I from behind and caved in two wheels. I The wagon was knocked over the curb : and one of Sani's legs got hurt in 1 the crash. i _. “Bad business, said Joe, “this driv ing fast. I always drive slow' and stay on my side of the road. Now my wagon is all broken. To fix it will take one day, maybe two, maybe three. I lose that time. I can’t sell vege tables then, and who pays me?” Receiving no answer, Joe grasped the reins and started walking home. Peter followed the limping Sani and the broken wagon lay at the curb. “I always look where I go,” mut | tered Joe, “and so does Sani." G. W. LAIRD GIVEN GILLIS’ I. C. C. POST Member of Staff for More Than Quarter Century Made As sistant Secretary. George W. Laird, for more than a quarter of a century on the staff of the j ; Interstate Commerce Commission, yes j . ..... terday was ap pointed assistant secretary to suc ceed the late Thomas A. Gillis, who died a week ago. Laird, a native of New Jersey, entered the serv ice of the com mission In No vember, 1910. He was appointed as sistant chief of WKKm Im flMi me section 01 Georre W. Laird. d0Cke^Jn J“ uary, 1920: assist ant to the chief examiner in July, 1928, and assistant chief, section of com plaints, Bureau of Motor Carriers, last November 1. He lives at 111 Lincoln street, Be thesda. OTTENBERG IS SPEAKER Women Voters Hear Discussion of Divorce Court Proposals. Louis Ottenberg, chairman of the Budget Committee of the Community Chest, addressed members of the Dis trict League of Women Voters last night at the club of the American As sociation of University Women, 1634 I street. He discussed proposals to provide a “friend of the court” for extra coun sel in divorce cases where children are involved. TODAY. Senate: Meets on routine business. Agri culture Committee studies cotton trade practices. Interstate Commerce Com mittee analyzes movie block booking. House: Continuous debate on amendments to Agriculture Department supply bill. Patents Committee continues bearing on copyright bill. TOMORROW. Senate: Not expected to be in session. Interstate Commerce Committee continues hearings on block-booking of moving pictures. Military Affairs Committee regular weekly meeting. House: Continues debate on agriculture ap propriation bill. Ways and Means Committee begins hearings on a bill to consolidate in vestigating agencies in the Treasury Department at 10 a.m. Appropriations Subcommittees con tinue hearings on supply bills for State, Justice, Commerce, Labor and Navy Departments at 10 a.m. Special Traffic Subcommittee of House District Committee resumes traffic Investigation at 10 aon. The Rational Scene BY ALICE ROOSEVELT LONGWORTH MR. OWEN D. YOUNG is replete with highmindedness, nobility and poetic quotations. Nevertheless, his homily on intem perate radio utterances loses point when he omits Mr. Farley, ' Mr Ickes, Mr. Hopkins and many others from his mfcntion of offenders. Whenever those gentlemen get on the air they assail any one who disagrees with them by every derogatory name, term and epithet their in genuity, plus that of the publicity experts, can conjure up. “Bandit bankers,” “leeches and bloodsuckers,” “money-bags of Wall street” are examples of “exhuberance" that Mr. Young Ignores. But his mo6t conspicuous omission is the President. Mr. Roosevelt has set the pace. Be ginning with his call to “drive the money _ m__ ti.A fcanMnlii" ha Ho* anntinna^ tha tuausvio »**v *-*- --- Alls* Uinwik. exploitation of “passion and prejudice” that Mr. Young deplores. Yet, Mr. Young's only allusion to him is a bare and gentle statement that his appeal “for the choice word and the measured phrase” is made “even to the President.” The able industrialist and radio official may be temperate, but he certainly has his favorites. toossnsbb use.) ?er Diem Groups on 5-Day Week Get Benefit With out Working. An obliging calendar and a series * cf statutes running back 50 years will cause the Government to pay out sev eral hundred thousand dollars to per diem employes this year for “work” that they don’t do. This was brought out yesterday in decisions by Controller General Mc Carl, covering Navy Yard employes and certain Lighthouse Service groups, who are on a five-day week—from Monday to Friday—but who, this year, will get paid, in addition, for three holidays falling on Saturday—Febru ary 22, May 30 and July 4. It was said the principle would hold good also j for other five-day establishments, in cluding the Bureau of Engraving. Under so-called gratuity pay stat- ^ utes passed as early as 1885, per diem workers are entitled to wages for New Year, Washington’s birthday. Memo rial day, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas, which are statutory holi If they actually work on those oc casions. they get double pay. The 40-hour week law passed in March, 1£T34, allowed inauguration of the five-day week, customarily ending on Friday, and when holidays began to show up on Saturdays officials im mediately turned to McCarl to see if the gTatuity pay still held, despite the fact that the non-work day would come after the work week had been completed. His answer was in the affirmative, the rate of gratuity 4. pay being fixed at the minimum daily rate. The Government Printing Office and Panama Canal are not so lucky, however. By administrative action, their work week has been spread over six days, so they get no extra pay for not working on Saturday, which is a part of the 40-hour schedule. The Printing Office was advised to this effect in another decision today. The six-day schedule at the Printing Office is an emergency measure adopted for the duration of Congress. -• GARDEN SHOW PLANS WILL BE OUTLINED . Officials Meet Tonight in Star ^ Building to Consider National Event in Baltimore. i I Plans for Washington's participa tion in the National Flower and Gar den Show in Baltimore, March 14-22. will be outlined at 7 o’clock tonight at a joint meeting of Washington and Baltimore officials in room 204, Star Building. Local representatives will Include Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, Curtis Hodges, chairman of the National Committee sponsoring the show; Gran ville Gude and J. J. Chisolm. Wash ington members of the Executive Com mittee. and several officials of the Agriculture Department and th Washington Gardens’ Club. Arrangements to be made induc e the co-ordination of Washington ex hibits at the national show and plai.. for disbursing a portion of the block of 50,000 advance tickets. More than 30.000 Washingtonians are expected to attend the show, which is being held in Baltimore this year for the first time. The total value of flowers to be displayed has been estimated at $1, 250.000 and prizes totaling $30,000 will be awarded. --• — BODY OF G.M. WRIGHT ARRIVES TOMORROW Remains of Chief of Bureau of Wild Life Will Be Cremated. The body of George M, Wright, chief of the Bureau of Wild Life of the Na tional Park Service, who was killed in an automobile accident Tuesday near Deming, N. Mex., will reach here to morrow for cremation. The ashes will later be sent to California, where Mr. Wright was born in 1905. He lived at 2824 O street. Mr. Wright was riding with Roger W. Toll, superintendent of Yellow stone National Park and a frequent visitor to Washington, who also was killed. He will be buried tomorrow in Denver. Colo. The automobile carrying the officials was in collision on a gravel highway with a car driven by Thomas Henry Ohmar, New Milford, Conn., which careened across the road after a blow out. KING ANU lLLcNdUGcN RENT RALLY SPEAKERS Others Will Talk Next Thursday in Interest of Lower Housing Costs. Chairman King of the Senate Dis trict Committee and Representative Ellenbogen of the House District Com mittee will be principal speakers at a mass meeting next Thursday night in Central High School in the in terests of lower rents and low-cost . housing, it was announced today. There will be other speakers, rep resenting organized labor and the District Medical Society. The meeting is under auspices of a Committee on Rents and Low-cost Housing, of which Walter L. Disbrow of the Machinists' Union is chair man, and Henry Rhine of N. R. A. Lodge, American Federation of Gov ernment Employes, executive secre tary. The delegation to the Rent Committee from the Central Labor Union is headed by Harry Thompson. Marriage Licenses. James J. Lodge. 2.1. and Yetta Sandler, 20. Both ol Baltimore. Md.; Rev. A. F. Poore. Charles S. Schnug. 22. and Margaret Fleming 23. both oi Baltimore. Md.: Rev. H M. Henni*. Robert W. Adkins Jr. 18. and Rebecca F. Bracfby. 22 both of Boulevard. Va.; Rev. Gaither Holt. 42. and Elizabeth Hall. 28. both of 635 Florida ave.: Rev. P. L. Moore. . .. . Rufus M. Callis. 30. Richmond, Va.. and Esther E. Tyree. 25. 1820 12th at.: Rev. J. F Whitfield John Manuel. 30 828 23d at., and Annie Simms 32. 2312 1 st.: Rev. J. T. Harvey. Freddie C. Duckett .15. 1611 10th at., and Cennia E Alston 36. 1724 Corcoran at.; Rev. James Pinn. . Leonard M. King 22. 2138 H at., and Violet T. J. Angell. 22. 2418 Pennayl- * vania ave.: Rev. J. D. Buhren. John C. Morgan. 4.1. 817 11th at., and Louise R. Wallace. 28, 4921 44th at.» 1 Judas B. & Mattingly. « * t _