Evening star. [volume], March 29, 1936, Page B-1, Image 19

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

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" ~ _ WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 29, 1936. * PAGE B-l
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Girls’ Training School Conditions Shock Senate Committeemen
LIBERAL SUPPORT
TO MEET NEED IS
FORECASTBY KING
‘I Thought We Were Living
in Twentieth Century,”
Copeland’s Comment.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
LACKING AT INSTITUTION
New Superintendent Declares
Work Is Failure—Disease
Rate 69 Out of 71.
Liberal treatment by Congress of
the needs of the National Training
School for Girls was forecast yester
day by Chairman King of the Sen
ate District Committee, after survey
ing conditions at the institution, which
caused Senator Copeland, another
committee member, to exclaim indig
nantly, "And I thought we were living
in the twentieth century."
"There is no doubt this place needs
certain reforms and improvements,”
declared Senator King. "We will deal
liberally with it,”
He told Supt. Carrie Weaver Smith
to submit immediately her plans for
reconstruction of the school to the
Board of Public Welfare so as to per
mit recommendations to reach the Di«
trict Subcommittee of the Senate Ap
propriations Committee at its meeting
Thursday.
Institution Held “Failure.”
Informed by Dr. Smith, who has
been in charge of the school only a
month, that it has no vocational
training and that a large percentage
of girls who leave it end up in the
District Workhouse at Occoquan, Sen
ator King inquired:
"Then, by and large, the institution
is a failure?”
"Yes,” replied Dr. Smith.
She took the two Senators through
the entire plant, which houses 71
girls, 11 of them white and 60 colored.
She said clinical reports show 68 of
the 71 are suffering from a social
disease. Of the 361 who have been
committed since January, 1927, 20
have died, 13 of tuberculosis.
The Juvenile Court has ceased to
send girls to the school because of its
inadequate facilities and training pro
gram, and the number of inmates has
declined steadily since 1930, Dr. Smith
declared.
Six Cells Cnlighted.
She showed the Senators six heavily
barred cells, unventilated and un
lighted but for windows in the ad
joining corridor.
“When I came here,” she said,
“there were three girls in one of them.
If I have my way the cells never will
be used again."
It was the cells and sanitary- condi
tions which most strongly aroused
Senator Copeland.
“The thing we do worst in this
country,” he said, "is the handling of
our juvenile population. These chil
dren should not be treated like
criminals.”
The visit by Senators King and
Copeland was the result of a recent
report by the Children's Bureau of the
Labor Department to the Board of
Public Welfare, strongly condemning
the situation at the school. Mrs.
Louis Ottenberg of the District League
of Women Voters, which has urged
that something be done to remedy
conditions, assisted Dr. Smith in es
corting the visitors through the
buildings.
Little Schooling Offered.
The superintendent emphasized that
no vocational training and little
schooling of any sort is provided.
"This place ought either to be
closed as a nuisance or made to serve
the purpose for which it was intend
ed.” she declared heatedly.
She led the senatorial party into
the dormitory where the white girls
are housed. There was one bath room.
Each corridor had a single four-coil
radiator. The cell-like rooms were
unheated.
"Water freezes in the glasses in
those rooms in the Winter,” Dr. Smith
said.
The corridors of the main building,
which has a capacity of 59. have no
ventilation or light, other than arti
ficial, except through the bed rooms.
In another building—the one with
the cells—there were six colored un
married mothers and their babies. No
nursery facilities were provided. The
kitchen, laundry and bath room were
all in a single room. Dr. Smith said
the same room formerly also was used
for dining.
One Parole Officer on Job.
The one parole officer on the stafT
Is responsible for 72 girls, about twice
the number regarded as the maximum
case load for effective work.
Only one of the white girls has not
been on parole. Dr. Smith said.
A difference of opinion concerning
the size of the staff needed developed
between Dr. Smith and Senator King,
when the superintendent revealed the
school has 26 employes.
"Do you need 26 for only 70 girls?”
he inquired. “Why at the Lorton
Reformatory they have only one far
about 10 or 12.”
Dr. Smith Insisted she needed the
entire staff, explaining the difficulties
of the work and that five of the em
ployes are men who work the farm.
PEEPING TONI ACTIVE
Escapes From Apartment House
Before Police Arrive.
A "peeping Tom,” who has been
fired upon by police and citizens dur
ing his activities in the past six
months, made his appearance again
last night at an apartment house In
the 2400 block of E street.
Seen by residents of the building^
the man, who is believed to be col
ored, escaped before police arrived.
4
LIFT DEATH PfiOBE
RETURNS QUESTION
to corns
Coroner’s Jury Urges Steps
Be Taken to Prevent
Other Fatalities.
EXPERTS AT ODDS OVER
TYPE OF INSTALLATION
Controversy Arises Over Question
of Whether Elevator Was
“Full Automatic.’’
The question of what is to be done
to prevent a repetition in the District
of such fatal accidents as that causing
the death of 12-year-old Harvey
Crowell in an elevator shaft at the
apartment where he lived at 7611
Georgia avenue March 10 was placed
before the District Commissioners yes
terday by the coroner’s jury.
Unearthed for the first time at the
Inquest, conducted by Coroner A.
Magruder MacDonald, was a con
troversy as to whether the elevator,
in which the youth was killed “in a
manner unknown to the jury,” is of
the "semi-automatic" or “full auto
matic” type and much of the testi
mony during the two hearings re
volved around opinions of elevator
experts on that question.
Testimony of all the experts was
Unanimous that if the elevator at the
Georgia avenue apartment is not of
the "full automatic" type, the installa
tion, in which the distance between
the landing door and the landing
threshold is 4 inches, is in accordance
with the District elevator code regu
lations. In that case the 7 &-inch
distance between the landing door and
elevator car door round in the Georgia
avenue building is permissable, and
the District elevator inspector was jus
tified in approving the installation.
If, however, the elevator in question
is a "full automatic” type, only cue
inch is permitted by the District cede
between the landing door and the
landing threshold, and the Georgia
avenue installation, in which this
space is four inches, is not in accord
ance with the regulations, and the
elevator inspector was at fault. A
space of 71-2 inches between the two
doors would be large enough to per
mit the landing door to swing shut
behind a person of the Crowell boy’s
&itestimcov showed.
Jury Makes Recommendation.
The jury, after rendering a verdict
of "accidental death” in the case, rec
ommended to the District Commis
sioners in a supplemental report that
wherever the space between the doors
of elevators should be found "exces
sive,” steps to correct the situation
should be taken to prevent a repeti
tion of the Crowell boy’s death.
Many installations in the District
are similar to the elevator which
crushed Harvey Crowell to death, ac
cording to Chief Elevator Inspector
Brown, end in two of them where
fatal accidents have occurred, the
•7 -inch space between the landing
and elevator car doors has been re
duced by attaching a basket grill 13
inches thick to the inside of the land
ing door. One was installed in the
Georgia avenue apartment about two
weeks after Harvey Crowell's death,
and another several years ago in an
apartment at Third and G streets,
where a fatal accident occurred under
similar circumstances.
Opinion was sharply divided dur
ing the inquest on the type of elevator
the Georgia avenue installation should
be termed. Three District inspectors,
Brown, Elmer E. Owens and P. H.
Signor, his assistants, maintained the
elevator was of the “semi-automatic”
type because the landing door is
opened by hand. Their stand was sup
ported by Joseph A. Genovese, district
manager of the General Elevator Co.,
which installed the elevator.
An opinion controverting that of the
Inspectors and Genovese, however, was
given at the closing hearing yesterday
by John A. Dickinson, mechanical en
gineer and elevator expect for the
United States Bureau of Standards,
who stated on the witness stand that
the manner of opening the doors has
nothing to do with classifying an ele
vator as to type, and that manner of
control is the determining factor.
No Provision in Code.
Asked by Dr. MacDonald for his
definition of a "full automatic push
button elevator," he replied “one which
Is controlled by buttons from the ele
vator car or any hallway.”
Dickinson said there was no defini
tion for a “semi-automatic” elevator
in the code used throughout the coun
try or the District code and he had
never seen any elevator so defined.
He also stated on the stand that.
In his opinion, the elevator at 7611
Georgia avenue was not in accordance
with District regulations.
Asked if he would change his opin
ion if he knew District Inspectors
termed the elevator "semi-automatic,”
Dickinson replied he would not.
John P. Harrity, regional business
agent for the International Elevator
Constructors’ Union, said on the stand
that he had heard of “semi-automatic”
doors, but never of “semi-automatic”
elevators and that since the present
regulations had been adopted about
six years ago, grills had been installed
on several elevator doors In the Dis
trict to bring them In accordance with
regulations at the District inspector’s
orders.
Owens, who approved the original
installation of the Georgia avenue
elevator, was erne of the witnesses
called by Dr. MacDonald at yester
day’s hearing and supported the
opinion of his superior, Brown, that
the elevators were “semi-automatic.”
Question Not Answered.
Shown the original application for
Installation of an "automatic push
button” elevator, he said the elevator
which was installed, and which he
described as “semi-automatic,” was in
accordance with regulations and that
he approved it. Yet the application
(See ELEVATOR, Page B-4.)
Testify at Death Probe
Coroner A. Magruder Mac
Donald. left, above, hears El
mer E. Oivens, District elevator
inspector, declare elevator
tvhich killed 12-year-old Har
vey Crowell March 10 was in
stalled in accordance rvith
regulations and John A. Dick
inson, elevator expert for the
United States Bureau of
Standards, assert it teas not.
—Star Staff Photo.
TRAFFIC HEARINGS
Van Duzer and Brown to
Give House Subcommit
tee Final Data.
The Special Traffic Subcommittee
of the House District Committee will
hold its final public hearing tomorrow
at 10 a m. to gather loose ends about
Washington's traffic situation.
Traffic Director William A. Van Du
zer and Police Supt. Ernest W. Brown
have been recalled to give the sub
committee any information that was
overlooked during its comprehensive
study of traffic conditions.
Representative Carpenter, Demo
crat, of Kansas, chairman of the sub
committee, said he had asked both
Maj. Brown and Van Duzer for certain
information necessary to complete the
traffic picture.
Preparation of Report.
As soon as the subcommittee re
ceives this data. Carpenter said it
would conclude the hearings, and
then go over the mass of testimony
preparatory to preparing a report for
the full District Committee.
The report is expected to contain a
number of recommendations for im
proving traffic conditions, some of
which will require legislation as well
as additional appropriations.
Carpenter said he is not in a posi
tion at this time to predict the sub
committee’s recommendations, but
most of them will deal with plans for
driving the specter of death from
the highways.
It is a foregone conclusion that a
number of additional policemen will
be urged, especially for the traffic
force. The subcommittee has been
impressed with the need for more offi
cers to round up speeders and reck
less drivers.
Circles a Problem.
It also is likely that specific recom
mendations will be made for reduc
ing traffic hazards around some of
the numerous circles, particularly
Dupont, Scott and Thomas Circles.
Subways under the circles have been
suggested, and this proposal is to be
gmn serious consideration.
The subcommittee likewise will seri
ously consider a proposal that pedes
trian subways be constructed under
Pennsylvania avenue between Sixth
and Fifteenth streets, for protection
of the thousands of government work
ers. who now are forced to brave the
rush hour traffic perils in that area.
Carpenter hopes the subcommittee
will complete its report within the
next several weeks, so that any legis
lation needed to carry out various
recommendations can be acted on be
fore adjournment of Congress.
CRASH FATAL TO 17
CHANGES AIR RULES
Commerce Department Bars Pas
sengers’ “Interference” With
Plane Operators.
By the Associated Press.
Another vague chapter in the mys
tery surrounding the crash of the
American Air Lines' plane near Good
win, Ark., in January was written
yesterday by the Commerce Depart
ment
Maintaining it could not prove why
the plane fell, taking 17 person to
death, the department issued rules
designed to limit the possibilities of
passengers Interfering with pilots dur
ing flight.
It has sugested such “interference”
might have been a cause for the Ar
kansas crash, and Investigations led
down many strange paths.
The new rules require both pilot
and co-pilot to keep their posts at all
times and the door to their compart
ment must be kept locked against pas
sengers.
Neither may pilots visit with pas
sengers outside the pilot compartment,
thus subjecting themselves to the pos
sibility that some time some passen
ger may "Interfere."
Socialists to Hear Quinn.
John P. Quinn, national organizer
of the Socialist-Labor party, win speak
at the party’s mass meeting to be held
at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Thomas
Circle Club, 1326 Massachusetts ave
nue. His subject will be “Improved
Conditions—for Whom?”
i
Mass of Testimony to Be
Considered, Despite Mrs.
Jenckes’ Absence.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.
The education subcommittee of the
House District Committee plans to
take formal action tomorrow on the
Sisson bill to repeal the so-called ‘‘red
rider” on the 1936 District appropria
tion act, despite the absence of Repre
sentative Virginia E. Jenckes, Demo
crat o£ Indiana.
An executive meeting of the sub
committee will be held at 2 p.m.. at
which it will consider the mass of
testimony submitted at recent hear
ings on the Sisson bill.
The subcommittee had hoped Mrs.
Jenckes would appear to amplify her
charges that the Board of Education
is pro-communistic and grossly ineffi
cient, but she left Washington Friday
to keep some political engagements m
her district near the Wabash.
Opponents See Amendment.
Opponents of the Bisson bill believe
the subcommittee will amend it so
that instead of providing for outrignt
repeal of the "red rider,” it will forbid
the advocacy of communism in the
class room. Several members of the
subcommittee, however, believe the
measure should be reported in its
present form and let Congress face
the issue squarely.
Although the subcommittee may dis
pose of the bill tomorrow, it probably
will not reach the full District Com
mittee for consideration until April 8.
The regular weekly meeting of that
committee Wednesday is expected to
be called off on account of the ab
sence from Washington of Chairman
Mary T. Norton.
Chairman Walsh of the Senate Edu
cation and Labor Committee mean
while is waiting to confer with Sena
tor Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana
before fixing a time for consideration
of Wheeler's bill to repeal the "red
rider.”
Mrs. Norton will leave today to keep
several speaking engagements In
Maine, and will not return until
Thursday. Since the “red rider” would
be the only matter likely to come up
at Wednesday's meeting, she pointed
out, a week's delay in its considera
tion by the full committee would not
affect its movement to the House cal
endar.
District Day Filled.
The next so-called “District day" is |
April 13, but the entire day will be
taken up with further consideration
of the controversial Ellenbogen rent
control bill. Even if the “red rider”
repeal bill is placed on the calendar
by that time, she said, it could not
be called up until the last “District
day” of the month, April 27.
Aside from the Ellenbogen bill, the
only other measures on the House
calendar awaiting action include one
to establish a system of magistrate
courts and another authorizing mer
ger of the Washington and George
town Gas Light Cos. Because of the
present program to dispose of the
Ellenbogen bill April 13, and the
“red rider" repeal bill, April 27, It
Is unlikely that either the gas mer
ger or magistrate courts bill will be
acted on by the House until some time
In May.
SOVIET LECTURE TOPIC
Vladimer Gaovski to Address
Wheel of Progress Meeting.
Vladimer Gsovskl of the Library of
Congress staff will describe “Russian
Peasants Under Soviet Regime” at a
meeting of the Wheel of Progress, na
tional educational and patriotic or
ganisation, which will be held in the
Washington Hotel at 8 pm. tomorrow.
A round table discussion of condi
tions In Russia will follow the talk.
Mrs. Margaret Hopkins Worrell is
president of the Wheel of Pongress.
a
NEW POLICE COURT
BUILDING PLAN IS
READYJiniNDS
First Municipal Center Unit
to Be Built Is Among
Projects Approved.
COMMISSION CAN CALL
BIDS WHEN FINANCED
House Bill Provides $1,500,000
for Structure and Senate Is
Likely to Approve.
The way was paved yesterday for
construction of a new Police Court
building, the first unit of a municipal
center development, as soon as Con
gress makes funds available, following
final approval of the plans by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission.
Nathan C. Wyeth, the municipal
architect, explained to the commis
sion details of the development, In
cluding the setback of the structures
from the thoroughfares and provision
for future widening of E and F streets
in Judiciary Square.
The new Police Court, the need for
which has been felt for a number of
years, is to be constructed on the
west side of Judiciary Square, near
F street. Col. Daniel I. Sultan, Engi
neer Commissioner of the District, an
ex-efficlo member of the commission,
told his colleagues the District gov
ernment would now be able to adver
tise for bids for erecting the new
Police Court, just as soon as money
is appropriated. The District appro
priation bill, as passed by the House,
provides $1,500,000 for the structure
and Thomas S. Settle, commission
secretary, said yesterday that the
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
handling the annual District supply
bill has Indicated it will give ap
proval to this program. If there is
no hitch, funds for the new Police
Court will be available July 1.
Agreement Reached Quickly,
The planning commission recog
nizes that no time should be lost in
launching the project and had little
hesitation yesterday In agreeing to Mr.
Wyeth's conclusion. Previously the
Fine Arts Commission had passed on
the architectural features of the de
velopment. Dr. Charles Moore, chair
man of the Fine Arts Commission, said
yesterday Mr. Wyeth has executed a
fine piece of work in his plan for the
municipal center program. In addition
to the Police Court, the project calls
for future erection of a new Juvenile
Court, Municipal Court and recorder
of deeds building—all to be placed in
Judiciary Square, with an appropriate
square being provided by the boundar
ies of these buildings.
The old Pension Office Building, now
housing part of the general account
ing office at the north end of Judiciary
Square, will not be disturbed in the
present municipal center program.
The site of that building is contem
plated for use some years hence as the
location for the future District of Co
lumbia Supreme Court Building.
Recreation Plans Favored.
At yesterday's session of the Plan
ning Commission, general approval
was given to a number of plans for
recreational development, submitted
by C. Marshall Finnan, superintendent
of the National Capital Parks. These
have been prepared in collaboration
with the Branch of Plans and Design
of the National Park Service, Interior
Department. These include projects
for the Fort Drive in the vicinity of
Fort Davis and Fort Mahan, the Pet
worth playground, the Chevy Chase
recreation center, the Hamilton play
ground and others.
Under the District's new co-ordi
nator of recreation, Lewis R. Barrett,
these areas are expected to be im
proved shortly, with the assistance of
the National Capital Parks and pos
sibly with the aid of Works Progress
Administration workers, as rapidly as
funds become available.
LEWIS IS SPEAKER
FOR TOWN HALL
United Mine Workers’ Head to
Discuss Industrial Organi
zation ’Tonight.
John L. Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers of America,
will be the principal speaker before
the Town Hall of Washington at 8
o’clock tonight at the Shoreham Hotel.
Lewis’ subject will be "Industrial
Organization.”
On the questioning panel will be
Miss Josephine Roche. Assistant Secre
tary of the Treasury; Dr. Leverett S.
Lyon of the Brookings Institution,
Isador Lubin, commissioner of labor
statistics, and Karl Shriftglesser, news
paper man.
The closing Town HaU session of the
season next Sunday evening wUl bring
Gen. Smedley Butler and Pvt. Harold
L. Peat, noted British soldier who
wrote the war book, "Private Peat," In
a dual-view discussion on "How to
Wipe Out War.”
Florida Democrats to Elect.
The Florida Democratic Club of
Washington will hold an election
meeting at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow at the
Willard Hotel. The absentee regis
tration and voting laws of Florida
will be discussed following the elec
tion and installation of officers. All
members are urged to bring at least
one candidate for membership.
Democrats Study Speaking.
Young Democrats who expect tc
make public speaking appearances in
the forthcoming campaign are invited
to attend a meeting of the PubUc
Speaking Group of the District Club
to be held at S pm. tomorrow at the
Willard HoUL
A
SICK LEAVE LAW
RETROACTIVE FOR
G. P. (LEMPLOYES
Entitled to Benefits as of
Last January 1, Mc
Carl Rules.
CLEARS UP OTHER
POINTS IN MEASURE
Civil Service Commission Names
Three Committees to Draft
Regulations.
BY J. A. FOX.
Handing down the first decision cov
ering the new leave laws. Controller
General McCarl yesterday held that
employes of the Government Printing*
Office were entitled to sick leave re
troactive to last January 1, and at
the same time, passed on some other
questions that have general applica
tion.
Concurrently, the Civil Service Com
mission announced the appointment
of three committees to draft annual
and sick leave regulations designed for
uniformity. These regulations even
tually must be passed upon by the
Budget Bureau and the President, and
it is also intended to have McCarl
rule upon any doubtful points.
The Government Printing Office gets
sick leave, under the new legislation,
for the first time in its history. The
question as to the date of its applica
bility arose because the appropriation
for the current fiscal year—antedating
passage of the leave legislation—nat
urally made no provision for sick
leave.
It was feared that the leave might
not become effective until July 1,
when the 1937 appropriation applies,
but McCarl held charges against the
current appropriation would be al
lowable as the effective date of the
leave act was January 1.
Paid for Time Lost.
In conformity with this finding, he
| decided also that employes of the
G. P. 0., who were sick, and on leave
without pay, between January 1 and
March 14, when the legislation was
enacted, could be reimbursed for time
lost at the rate of one and one-quarter
days a month, or that if they had
taken annual leave, when sick, this
! absence now could be switched over
against sick leave. He explained that
the one and one-quarter days' allow
ance is the statutory limit for sick
leave, except in those instances where
administrative officers may grant it in
I advance of its being earned. In this
! connection, he said that the authori
zation for advancing sick leave in
1 excess of accruals is not retroactive.
Explaining the difference between
sick and annual leave provisions, Mc
Carl said:
The act does not base the granting
of sick leave on the entire leave year
as does the act authorizing “26 days
annual leave with pay each calendar
year,” but sick leave is granted winh
out regard to the leave year "at the
rate of one and one-quarter days per
month * * * the total accumulation
not to exceed 90 days.”
For General Application.
This principle is for general applica
tion, as, presumably, is another the
controller general laid down in re
sponse to a question as to whether
employes on an hourly or per diem
basis are to be charged for Sundays,
holidays and non-working days fall
ing within the period of absence, or
whether the charge would be only for
the days on which they otherwise
would have worked.
Explaining that while the annual
leave law provides the time granted
shall be exclusive of Sundays and
holidays, McCarl adds: "The act here
in question, providing for sick leave,
is silent as to Sundays, holidays and
non-work days.
The uniform rule has been, In con
struing leave statutes, that, unless the
statute otherwise provides, Sundays,
holidays and non-work days are in
cluded in the leave period, except
that when immediately preceding or
following a period of sick leave, Sun
days, holidays and non-work days are
for excluding from sick leave, if the
employe was in a pay status immedi
ately prior to or immediately follow
ing such Sunday, holiday or non
working day. This rule is the same
whether employes are paid by the
hour, day or otherwise.
The Leave Committees named by
the Civil Service Comniission yester
day were in conformity with a deci
sion reached at a meeting with the
Council of Personnel Administration
on Thursday, when leave questions
were discussed.
Committees Are Listed.
The Committee on Sick Leave is
headed by Frank A. Birgfeld, chief
clerk of the Treasury, and includes
also C. D. Jones, National Training
School for Boys; Charles Piozet, Navy;
R. W. Rigby, Farm Credit; W. W.
Richardson, General Accounting;
George Scott, Social Security, and
G. H. Sweet, Veterans’ Administration.
P. L. Gladmon, chief of the Division
of Appointments, Agriculture, heads
the Committee on Sick Leave. Other
members are Edward J. Gardner
Commerce; James L. Martin, Public
Utilities Commission of the District;
Mrs. Julia A. Maulding, Interior; Sid
ney Morgan, Tariff; Henry W. Riley
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., anc
John B. Switzer, Interstate Com
merce.
On hours of duty and overtime, the
committee is headed by Maj. Danie
J. Donovan auditor for the District
who is aided by Gordon R. Clapp
Tennessee Valley Authority; Harvej
C. Donaldson, Justice; Russell H. Her
rell, O. P. O.; W. D. Searle, War; Mrs
B. M. Stern, Labor Relations, and R
R. Zimmerman. Home Loan.
This latter committee will report ete
the Civil Service Commission on pro
cedure for listing overtime monthly
between July and December of thia
year, for compiling data for Con
gress. This will be used in consider
ing the question of compensatini
workers for overtime.
4
Senator Inspects School
—.. . .
Senator King, chairman of the Senate District Committee,
inspecting a little-used cell at the National Training School for
Girls. Dr. Carrie Weaver Smith, superintendent, who accom
panied the Senator on a tour of the institution, is shown with
him. —Star Staff Photo.
WILL BE DEW
Joint Subcommittee to
Study Preservation of
Systems.
Whether it will be possible for
Congress to agree at this session on
legislation to preserve private pension j
systems in industry after the Federal
cld-age retirement plan goes into1
effect may be determined at an
executive meeting tomorrow night of
| the joint House and Senate subcom- !
mittee studying'the problem.
The subcommittee at that time
expects to receive the report of a
group of Government and outside
experts who have been endeavoring to
work out the actuarial details of some
amendment to the social security law
that would safeguard the private re
tirement plans established voluntarily
in many industries.
The original proposal of Senator
Clark, Democrat, of Missouri, would
j have exempted an industry from the
! joint employer-employe tax, which
j starts next January to refinance the
; Federal retirement system, if the in
: dustry maintains a private plan equal
to or better than the Government
■ plan.
The Senate adopted this in the
social security bill last year, but it was
not agreed to in conference One of
: the arguments of administration lead
; ers on Capitol Hill at that time was
that the exemption of private systems
would weaken the Federal plan.
On the other hand, supporters of
the Clark amendment take the view
Congress should encourage retention
of existing private plans, in case the
Federal program should later be de
clared unconstitutional.
The experts working on the problem
since the last session have been try
ing to devise some compromise pro
vision to meet the objections that
prevented adoption of the original
Clark amendment.
If the joint subcommittee reaches
an agreement, a bill amending the
| social security law would have to be
j introduced and acted on by House
j and Senate. The subcommittee is
j made up of members of the House
' Ways and Means Committee, and of
I the Senate Finance Committee.
GIRL, 5, STRUCK BY CAR,
IS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
Child Ran Out From Between
Parked Machines, Police
Axe Told.
Joan Blakeney, 5-year-old daugh
ter of William Blakeney, 614 Park
road, was struck by an automobile
on Park road, between Georgia ave
nue and Warder street, yesterday
afternoon and may have suffered a
skull fracture. At Children's Hospi
tal, her condition was described last
night as undetermined.
Police were told the child ran from
between two parked cars into the path
of an automobile driven by Thomas
G. Marshall, 18, colored, 537 Gresham
place.
John Walsh, 40, of 1249 D street
suffered leg and head cuts when
struck at Fifth street and Massachu
setts avenue yesterday by a taxicab
operated by Kenneth Gentry, 29, of
626 Tenth street southwest. He was
treated at Emergency Hospital.
G. P. 0. CELEBRATES
DIAMOND JUBILEE
Over 1,000 Hear Talks by
Congressmen at Din
ner-Dance.
With an attendance of more than
1.000, the force of the Government
Printing Office last night celebrated
the diamond jubilee of the establish
ment of this Government agency with
a dinner and dance at the Wardman
Park Hotel.
The guests of honor included Sena
tor Walsh, Democrat, of Massachu
setts, a member of the Senate Com
mittee on Printing; Representative
Lambeth, Democrat, of North Caro
lina, chairman of the House Commit
tee on Printing, and Representative
Rich, Republican, of Pennsylvania,
of the Joint Committee on Printing.
More than a score of those pres
ent had more than 40 years' service in
the G. P. O. These included Miss j
Nannie Daniels, head of the Women's
Binders Union, who retired in 1928
after 48 years at the G. P. O. She
v as the only woman at the head
table.
“Andy” Smith Attends.
Another veteran attending was
"Andy” Smith, clerk in charge of the
Congressional Record at the Capital,
who has served more than 62 years
under three public printers. Intro
duced by Representative Lambeth, who
lauded his service. Smith received a
rousing ovation from his associates.
Augustus E. Giegengack, public
printer, was toastmaster. Dr. George
C. Havenner, chairman of the Com
mittee on Arrangements, welcomed the
I guests.
In introducing the speakers. Giegen
gack recounted some of the high lights
in the long history of the printing
office. One instance he recalled was
a” advertisement in the Evening Star
I 50 years ago when G. P. O. uppoint
1 ments were patronage, in which a
j woman offered $50 for a job there
Walsh Praises Work.
Senator Walsh praised the work of
the G. P. O. and said it demonstrated
the advisability of the Government
embarking in some lines commonly
viewed as the province only of private
industry. He said the Government
Printing Office might well serve to en
courage State governments to set up
their own printing plants.
Representative Lambeth called at
tention to the fact the printing office
is under civil service and said he
wished appointments throughout the
Government, particularly postmaster
ships, were guided by the merit sys
tem.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt
sent greetings to the celebration.
BOY TO PLAY CONCERTO
Everett Gayhart, Jr., to Appear
With Navy Band a Orchestra.
Fourteen-year-old Everett Gayhart,
jr., son of Comdr. and Mrs. Everett
Gayhart. and grandson of the late
Gen. Henry W. Lawton of Indian war
fame, will play the first movement
from Beethoven's “First Concerto” for
piano, as guest soloist on the program
to be presented by the Navy Band
Symphony Orchestra in the Sail Loft
at the Navy Yard, at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
This performance is young Gray
hart’s first public appearance.
Famous Old Lowery House
Makes Way for Parkins Lot
Another old landmark—the historic
Lowery house at 1000 Vermont ave
nue, formerly occupied by members
of the nobility, statesmen and society
leaders—is being razed to make way
for a parking lot.
The large, red brick structure is
being demolished after a number of
years of idleness. It was last occu
pied by the Duchess de Arcos, nee
Virginia Lowery, who died some
months ago in Spain. Her estate was
divided among her cousins, Montgom
, ery and Gist Blair, of this city.
Tly; Duke de Arcos was Spanish
i Minister here in 1902. He then re
sided at 1785 Massachusetts avenue.
The Vermont avenue home was oc
cupied at the end of the last century
and the early 1900s by Mr. and Mrs.
Wayne McVeagh, the former being
; Attorney General during the Garfield
and Arthur administrations. It was
occupied at one time by the late Mrs.
Phoebe Hearst, mother of William
Randolph Hearst, before she lived at
the owner of Twentieth street and
New Hampshire avenue.
The late Cornelius Vanderbilt, fath
er of Brig. Gen. Cornelius Vanderbilt
of New York and Newport, at another
time came to Washington, seeking a
milder climate than New York, and,
with the late Mrs. Vanderbilt and
their children, took over the house.
This was when their daughter Gladys,
now Countess Szechenyi, was a little
girl. The countess is the wife of the
Hungarian Minister to the court of
St. James, who represented his gov
ernment at Washington for some
years. Their daughter Cornelia Is now
Mrs. Eugene Roberts and Uves in
Washington.
The house has been the scene of
many brilliant and elaborate enter
tainments.