Evening star. [volume], May 17, 1936, Page B-1, Image 21

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

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" WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 17, 1936. * " PAGE B—1
____ -- ---—. . ■... . ■ ■ --- - i ■ i , ■ --- , _ __
Strict Pedestrian Laws Proposed to Cut Traffic Fatalities
. _ _ _ — A_ft._
■ —-—---^
►
Legality of Plan to Ease
Labors During Summer
Is Questioned.
SCHEDULE WOULD BRING
' STAFF TO JOBS AT 8 A.M.
Employes' Federation Backs Move.
No Reduction Would Be Made
in Actual Time.
Administrator Ham L. Hopkins was
reported yesterday by officials as in
terested in a plan to substitute a five
day week without any actual reduction
In the number of working hours for
the 2.200 W. P. A. employes in Wash
ington this Summer.
In the absence of specific authoriza
tion from Congress, however, officials
admitted, there is no certainty oi me
arrangements being made effective.
Two alternative proposals calling for
a revision of the present working
schedule have been submitted in a ref
erendum to employes. Their decision
may serve to guide Hopkins, it was
said, in considering whether to go
ahead with the plan.
Would Start at 8 a.m.
The first schedule is for 8 to 4.30
p.m. Monday through Thursday and
8 to 4:20 p.m. Friday. The second is
8 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thurs
• day and 8 to 4:50 p.m. Friday.
Ro6s Caldwell, administrative as
sistant in charge of personnel matters,
who submitted the schedules to em
ployes, said the number of working
hours would be the same as during
the present five-and-a-half-day week.
The W. P. A. unit of the American
Federation of Government Employes,
backing the proposed plan, said 85
per cent of the W. P. A. personnel
favors a five-day week.
No Ruling by McCarl.
While there is no likelihood of an
early decision being made, W. P. A.
officials, however, are looking into its
legality. Controller General J. R.
McCarl, it was said, has never ruled
on the question of a five-day week
in the Government service. There is
an act of Congress requiring Govern
ment employes to work a certain
number of hours on Saturday, officials
said, except in emergencies, wnen
departmental heads can excuse em
ployes earlier without deducting the
* time from annual leave.
During hot spells departmental
heads have frequently dismissed em
ployes at 1 p.m. on week days. The
question of a five-day week in any
Government department or bureau,
without authorization by law, was
said by officials to be a “horse of an
other color.”
“Y. M.” OLD-TIMERS
TOHEARASPINWALL
—
Veteran Member of Association
Will Speak on Conditions
in Far East.
Clarence A. Aspinwall, local business
executive, will be guest of honor and
principal speaker at the annual Old
Timers’ Reunion
of the Young
Men's Christian
Association May
27 at the Central
Y. M. C. A.
Aspinwall, re
cently tack from
a four- month
world lour, will
describe condi
tions in the Far
East, with special
attention to Ha
waii, Japan
China, the Phil
ippine Islands,
Siam, the Malay
Ctotoc Qoli and T
Mr. Aspinrrall.
By reason of his more than 25 years
of continuous membership in the
Washington Y. M. C. A., Aspinwall is
a veteran member of the "Y” Old
Timers’ Club. For years he was chair
man of the Finance Committee of the
association.
All members of the Y. M. C. A. who
have been on the rolls for 10 years or
more have been invited to attend the
reunion. The oldest member in point
of continuous service will be felicitated
during a banquet of the “old-timers.”
Charles W. Pimper, chairman of the
Committee on Arrangements, will be
master of ceremonies. C. E. Fleming
is in charge of the program.
AUTO SHOP STRIKE
NEGOTIATIONS DUE
At Least One Dealer Plans to De
bate Terms of Settle
ment.
Negotiations are expected to be
started tomorrow between leaders of
the Automobile Mechanics’ Union and
at least one automobile dealer, with a
view to settling the strike of me
chanics.
The men have walked out of seven
places, and there was a possibility yes
terday of the strike being extended
Conferences during the day, however,
resulted in the possibility of negotia
tions tomorrow. It was expected no
more men would be called out before
the negotiations.
Howard T. Colvin, conciliator for the
Labor Department, is acting for the
Government in attempts to end the
dispute.
The men went on strike on call of
their business agent, Oliver N. Gar
rison, asking for 90 cents an hour, a
44-hour week and time-and-a-half pay
for overtime. They insist that the
“open shop” issue is not involved.
A /
Circus Outdoes Itself Again
New and Super Adjectives Precede New
and Super Show Arriving Today.
Antoinette Concello of the Flying Concellos, the original
man on the flying trapeze, and two of the famous clowns
who come to Washington today with Ringling Bros, circus.
THERE'LL be dancing in the
railroad yards today and the
cavorters will be elephants.
There will be neighs and
squeals and trumpetings and cries and
wails from beasts you won't believe
are so, even when you see them.
This is the day of the jungle and
the plateau and the desert, when the
railroad tracks look like a convention
of characters from the “Just So" sto
ries.
Today is the day the circus comes
to town, aboard a big red-and-gold
tram which will drop its Arabian
Nights cargo in the Benning yards.
New and super animals and new
and super performers, tagged with
new’ and super adjectives, are in the
Ringing Bros.-Barnum & Bailey big
top show—the spectacle first con
ceived by the master, Barnum.
Performances Tomorrow.
Tomorrow and the next day. at 2
p.m. and 8 p.m., these marvels of the
w’orld of dreams will go through their
paces under 31 tents, to be pitched on
the lot at Fifth street and Florida
avenue northeast.
What will you see in this Never
Never Land? Almost everything there
is. For instance:
Seven hundred horses: 1.009 zoo
animals, which include seven herds of
elephants and the finest camels,
llamas and zebras ever held in cap
tivity, and the first and only middle
aged midget elephants ever seen in
this country.
The painted visages of Sioux and
Blackfoot warriors in Col. Tim Mc
Coy’s renowned Indian camp, as well
as the Cossacks, eaqueros, Australian
bushrangers, cowboys and cowgirls in
that Western saddle wonder's troupe.
And then, relates Frank Braden,
the Ringling Bros, word wizard, "in
the seven stages and rings, the hippo
drome track and the aerial labyrinth
are hundreds of features, including
scores of European troupes new to
America—among them the Naittos,
the Royal Bokharas, the Buemrangs,
the Walkmirs. the Romeos, the Anta
leks, the great Fredrico, the Maschi
nos, the Robertos, the Willos and the
Torrence- Victorias. ”
Peanuts, popcorn, pink lemonade,
the tattooed lady with the bird's-eye
view of Sydney, the lean man, the
rubber man, sawdust, calliopes, the
men on the flying trapeze, the roar
of lions and the snarl of tigers—that’s
what you can find tomorrow and
Tuesday at Fifth and Florida, a thrill
less lot on other days.
Come over and meet these men and
women who spend their lives startling
you and me—Mile. Gillette, who leaps
from the dome of the big top; the
largest aerial ballet ever produced,
led in midair by Jennie Rooney; the
Wallendas, world-celebrated daredev
ils on dome-high tight wires.
The largest acrobatic number of
all time. writh the Yacopis. the Yom
Kams, the Uyenos, the Robertos, the
Maschinos and the two Golem troupes.
The equestrian star of stars, Doro
thy Herbert, in reckless rides on rac
ing, hurdling bridleless horses; the
Flying Concellos. with Antoinette,
only girl to achieve a two-and-a-half
revolution somersault.
And that's only part of it.
Elevator Etiquette in Balance;
A. P. T. O. H. E. Op ens Drive
Dark Shadow of Gassaway's Sombrero
Cast Over Convention Here—Sir Will
mott Lewis Pleads for “Hat Treaty
Tnssincr thpir onllppHvp Viote inin 1 a m_1_a_n_n *
ring against taking off hats in the
presence of earrings, members of the
A. P. T. O. H. E. (Association for Pre
vention of Taking Off Hats in Eleva
tors) last night launched their cam
paign for a new deal in elevator
etiquette.
At a rally and mass meeting in the
National Press Club auditorium, the
question of chivalry was raised and
lowered, with a Senator, a Representa
tive, a famous foreign correspondent
and assorted authorities as speakers.
The call to colors was sounded by a
seven-piece German band which
toured the club rooms and detoured
around Representative Percy L. Gassa
way of Oklahoma, whose black som
brero cast a shadow of coming events.
While standing before a huge oil
painting qf a lady who had misplaced
her clothes, Gassaway was scolded by
a “scab” for not taking his hat off in
her presence.
Auditorium Convention Hall.
The auditorium was arranged to
resemble a political convention hall.
Placards advertised “delegations” from
the District of Columbia. Hawaii,
Puerto Rico, Alaska and the Virgin
Islands.
Fred W. Perkins, correspondent for
the Pittsburgh Press, was temporary
chairman, having conceived the A. P.
T. O. H. E. His gavel was a bung
starter and he banged the meeting to
order on' a keg of beer. Succeeding
him as permanent chairman, was Eu
gene “Red” Leggett of the National
Emergency Council, whose naked pate
proclaimed him to be almost fanatic
in devotion to the cause espoused.
Chairman James D. Preston of the
Constitution Committee said the preju
dice against taking off hats in ele
vators should be extended to “all com
mon carriers—street cars, busses,
trains, taxis, steamboats, etc., etc.”
Despite the fact that his hat re
quires that he travel in an elevator
almost alone. Representative Gassa
way, whose drawl identified him as a
chivalrous Southerner of the old school,
opposed the convention’s platform,
lo the accompaniment of loud boos,
he reminded the delegates they were
all “bom without a hat on."
ft
- ** vwvj uvvnvvil (MIC
States and other nations was pro
posed by Sir Willmott Lewis, London
Times correspondent.
Plea of Sir Willmott.
“You are men,” he said, “and there
has been granted to you (even to
dwellers in the District of Columbia)
the right to tote, which by necessary
Implication conveys the right to ab
stain from toting. * * * Your heads
should be unbowed, however bloody
they might become.
“Even though your crowns should
fall, you should be ready to do bat
tle for the brim.”
Sir Willmott said this was a time
to "say to the effete aristocracies of
the Old World: ‘Out, out, damned
spot!’—or hat, as the case may be.”
“Has it not become a tradition in
your country,” he asked, “that when
international engagements are con
cerned, America is always left hold
ing the hat?”
Sir Willmott’s address was broad
cast over National Broadcasting Sys
tem and Columbia networks, as were
the speeches of Senator Minton of
Indiana and Albert L. Warner of the
New York Herald Tribune.
Minton’s War Theory.
Senator Minton said the Italo
Ethiopian war was decided not be
cause of superior Italian courage, but
because the Ethiopians were "bared
at one end.”
“The Ethiopians went bare-footed,”
he said. “And they got athlete’s foot,
if a nation comes to its ruin because
It exposes one end, what might hap
pen to this nation if it exposes the
Jther.”
Warner suggested as slogans for the
A. P. T. O. H. E.: "A Hat On the Head
ts Worth Two in a Push,” or “Drive
he Hat Changers Out of the Ele
vator.”
Led by Perkins, the anti-hat re
novers sang their official campaign
song. To the tune of “Old Gray Bon
net,” it ia:
“Keep on that good old Kelly
“Though you ride with Kate* or Nelly
“Or with Agnes, Elizabeth or Mayl
“Just ignore all the ladles,
“We don't know how the Hades
“They made us cat that way!”
(
CADETS’ ANNUAL
DUS BEGIN AT
STADIUM MONDAY
More Than 15 Companies of
Six High Schools to
Compete.
BEST CORPS SERGEANT
TO RECEIVE HONOR
Gen. Roberts to Review 1,900
Youths, Largest in
History.
Griffith Stadium will resound to the
commands of youthful military leaders
all day tomorrow, when the forty
ninth annual competitive drill of the
Washington High School Cadet Corps
gets under way.
More than 15 companies from Cen
tral, Eastern. Western, McKinley,
Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson High
Schools will demonstrate their knowl
edge of close and extended order drill
ntiu n 111 MV juugvu wj u wuuu*vwv
three United States Army officers.
Other Drills Tuesday.
The first company will march on
the field at 7:45 a.m. and will be suc
ceeded at 30-minute intervals by other
competing units. Tuesday the drills
will be resumed at 7:45 am. and will
continue until about 4:15 p.m.
Meanwhile, the annual competition
will be held to select the best
drilled sergeant in the entire corps.
Promptly at 5 p.m. Tuesday the
annual brigade review will be held
immediately after selection of the
winning company, and the award of
the prizes to the unit and its com
manding officer.
Brig. Gen. C. D. Roberts, acting
commanding general of the 3d Corps
Area, will review the 1,900 cadets, the
largest in the history of the corps.
Gen. Roberts and the corps area
staff will substitute for Maj. Gen. Al
bert J. Bowley, who had intended
to attend, but who has been ordered
temporarily to the Pacific Coast by
the War Department.
Will Announce Winners.
Col. Wallace M. Craigie, U. S. A.,
retired, commandant of the corps, and
Dr. Stephen E. Kramer, first assistant
superintendent of schools, will an
nounce the winners. Officials of the
Board of Education, teachers, former
cadets and parents and friends of
cadets will be present. Tickets have
already been distributed for the cere
monies Tuesday.
*"TU« 1__ m _ j_
— -vvi vvvu tiuiiv/i VS A. Viiv uaj
Is the award of the Allison Naylor
Medal, which will be pinned on the
tunic of the captain who commands
the winning company. The medal
diamond studded—has been in compe
tition since 1898 and was donated by
the former cadet whose name it bears.
Col. Craigie has announced that in
case of rain Tuesday, the brigade re
view and award of prizes will be held
on Wednesday.
--•-• .
PRESIDENT SIGNS
NEW TRAFFIC LAW
District Now May Revoke Per
mits of Non-Resident Drivers
Here.
President Roosevelt yesterday placed
in the hands of District officials a
[ T1PU’ U'ABIVtn acrainct nnn.raciHanF an.
tomobile driver* who are unwilling or
not able to abide by District traffic
regulations.
The Chief Executive signed the bill
giving the Traffic Department author
ity to suspend or revoke the Dermits
of a non-resident to drive in the Dis
trict even though he may be operat
ing his car here on a State permit
and not have a District permit to be
revoked.
The new act is effective immediate
ly. It places non-residents on exactly
the same plane as District residents.
Heretofore, only fines could be im
posed on non-residents, or a report
submitted to authorities of the State
in which they claimed residence.
The new act gives the Commission
ers power to suspend or revoke the
right of a non-resident to drive "for
any cause which they may deem suf
ficient in the interest of pubUc safety."
CHAIN STORE LAWS
ARE RECOMMENDED
Regulation of Quantity Buying Is
Urged by Special House
Committee.
By the Associated Press.
A special House investigating com
mittee yesterday recommended passage
of legislation to regulate chain-store
and other quantity buying.
The committee, headed by Repre
sentative Patman, Democrat, of Texas,
issued a brief report on its extended
chain-store inquiry, holding “that
manufacturers make a practice of ex
tending to certain buyers price con
cessions and other trade advantages
not given to others who purchase the
same quantities under the same
conditions.”
The committee recommended leg
islation making it unlawful for per
sons in Interstate commerce to dis
criminate on prices or terms of sale
“under the guise of”:
"1—Advertising sales promotional or
other aUowances when the same are
not earned and offered openly to the
trade generally.
“2—Brokerage fees and commissions.
“3—Volume or quantity discounts
not offered to the trade generally and
which are not made on the basis of
differences in the cost of manufac
ture, sale, transportation and dis
tribution.
”4—Rebates."
TEACHER RATINGS
PUN IS STUDIED
BY SCHOOLS HEAD
Dr. Ballou to Make Report
on Proposals of Spe
cial Committee.
NUMERALS MAY BE USED
IN COMPROMISE CHART
Classifications Are Defined in
Supervisory Forms With
Three Categories.
Dr. Frank W. Ballou, superintendent
of schools. Is studying a new plan of
teachers’ ratings submitted by a spe
cial committee of teachers and super
visory officers named last June 5 after
a long series of public hearings, in
which teachers complained against
the present system of graduated clas
sifications ranging from "unsatisfac
tory” to "eminently superior.”
Although he has not yet indicated
when he will pass judgment on the
__1__i i_ * v_*
Ballou is expected to make a report to
the Board of Education at one of the
next two or three meetings.
The teachers asked that numerals
1, 2, 3 and 4 be substituted for the
eminently superior, superior, satisfac
tory and unsatisfactory ratings. The
numeral plan is a compromise be
tween the present system and that
recommended by the two teachers’
unions that all teachers be classed
as either ’’satisfactory” or “unsatis
! factory.”
Model Supervisory Forms.
The committee also drafted model
supervisory forms and rating sheets
and defined the four numbered clas
sifications. They also defined three
categories on which all teachers are
to be judged.
In order to arrive at a rating in any
of the groups, the supervisory officer
would judge the teacher on teaching,
relation to school and community and ,
professional growth and attainment.
Ten points would have to be con- j
sidered in fixing the standing for i
teaching: Knowledge of child; care j
of physical, mental and moral health !
i of child; control and influence over
children; effectiveness in promoting
social adjustments; preparation;
knowledge of subject matter; skillful
use of techniques; evaluation of re
sults by teacher and pupils; sensitive
ness to teaching environment; and
initiative and resourcefulness.
Ten points also would be considered
in rating the teacher in relation to the
school and community: Promptness
qnH arffiiropu in ror^rHc onH ronrtrtc
regularity at post of duty, knowledge of
school procedure, care of physical
equipment, participation in school and
community activities, co-operation
with teachers and officers, tact, adapt
ability, and self-control and poise.
Eight Attainment Points.
Ratings for professional growth and
attainment would be based on eight
points: The study, adaptation, and
successful application of new proced
ures; educational writing, creative
writing, teacher training service, travel, 1
j cultural interests, organized study and
services on educational committees and
I in professional organizations. Provi- |
sion also would be made for the teacher
to submit any other evidences of pro
fessional growth not included in the
eight classifications.
A victory already won by the teach
ers requires that they be given written
notice of any contemplated lowering
of a rating. This already has been
ordered by the Board of Education.
Provision also has been made for
anneals from ratines The Teachers
must be given Uieir 1, 2, 3 or 4 stand
ing by the last school day of the year.
If they are not satisfied, they have
until July 1 to appeal the rating. The
superintendent of schools will serve
as the appellate officer, and if the
teacher still is not satisfied;" he may
then take the case to the Board of
Education if he acts within one month
after the superintendent gives his de
cision. The rating officer also has the
right to appeal to the board to sustain
any classification he has given a
teacher.
Appeals may be based on any one
or more of three specific grounds:
“(1) bias on the part of the rating
officer; (2) incompetency of the rat
ing officer; (3) lack of observation."
The work is the result of 36 com
mittee meetings held since last June
5 and is designed to end the “thou
sands of heartaches" charged against
the existing ssytem.
The committee drafting the report
was composed of Genevieve L. Burke,
Mineola Kirkland, Florence M. Cor
nell, Ida May Lind, Mildred Dean,
Rosa S. Netherland, Elizabeth Draper,
Roberta Shewmaker, Juanita P. How
ard, Hugh Stewart Smith, Alfred H.
Johnson, Mary Mason Jones. Annie
C. Keliher, Moylin M. Sams, secretary,
and Mary C. Dent, chairman.
ACTION PROMISED
ON ALLEY FUNDS
Senate Subcommittee Slated to
Act This Week on Clause to
Continue Authority.
The Senate subcommittee handling
the deficiency appropriation bill prob
ably will take action by the middle
of this week on the proposed amend
ment to provide for continuation of
the work of the Alley Dwelling Au
thority during the next fiscal year.
Officials of the agency decided last
week not to press for Senate approval
of the new appropriation of $300,000,
which the House had omitted from
the bill. Instead the authority rec
ommended that it be permitted to use
unexpended balances of prior appro
priations and receipts from its own
operations. This is expected to be
agreed upon by both branches of
Congress.
~w
Unidentified Lads Rescued |
Three Boys Throw Line to Strangers
Drifting Down River on Raft..
I' 1 m. "■ ■ . .ii.ii ... - mu ,.i i» - i—,
Pictured left to right are the rescuers: George Dickinson,
10; Wilbur May, 14, and Nello Damato, 13. —Star Staff Photo.
THIS is the story of an Anacostia
River rescue—a story that
would be complete if the res
cuers knew whom they had
rescued.
Three Southeast Washington boys,
playing on the Anacostia side of the
river, at the Pennsylvania Avenue
Bridge, answered a call for help yes- j
terday afternoon and tossed a 25-foot
rope into the outstretched hands of
two other lads, stranded and fright
ened on a 20-foot wooden raft that
was floating downstream.
The rescuers were Wilbur May, 14,
1304 E street southeast; George Dick
inson, 10, 716 Fifteenth street south
east, and Nello Damato, 1336 E
street southeast.
They never knew the boys whom
they pulled to safety. One of them, j
they said, was about 15 years old,
the other about 8. Not long after
they reached shore they were said to;
have "taken off for home, scared to
death.” 1
The raft, possibly one washed down
the river by the recent floods, was
tied at a spot just above the bridge.
When the two boys boarded it they
cast the rope ashore and started
paddling away, using a base ball bat |
and a board for oars. ' 1
It wasn't long, however, before ;
the water was so deep the bat and
the board wouldn't touch bottom.
The boys became panic-stricken.
“Hey, get the rope,” they called,; 1
“and throw it out to us.”
Just about that time the tide
started them back toward shore. Wil
bur, George and Nello tossed out the
life line and pulled the raft to the
river wall. The hapless pair jumped ; i
ashore and disappeared. j :
The rescuers, meanwhile, stayed on
the scene and an officer from har
bor precinct, in a motor boat, pulled
the raft to the police dock.
PRIM PENSION
VIEWS REQUESTED
Joint Subcommittee Asks
Treasury and Security
Board Comment.
The private pension amendment to
the social security law took a new lease
on life yesterday when the joint Con- j
gressional subcommittee handling the j
problem met, reported some progress j
and authorized Chairman King to ;
write for the views of the Treasury
Department and the Social Security
Board on the proposed compromise
drafted several weeks ago.
Although no definite action was j
taken, one member said the problem!
of devising a plan that would encour- j
age preservation of the private plans !
voluntarily established in industry, i
after the Government retirement sys- j
tern starts next year, "seems to be
working out in a satisfactory way.”
Later Meeting Planned.
As soon as answers are received from
the Social Security Board and the
Treasury, another meeting will be held.
The subcommittee also is ascertaining
the views of insurance companies. Ex
pressing his personal view of the com
promise plan, Chairman King said:
"It seems to me. from the facts
presented, that the plan is workable
and would give the employes under
these private systems larger annuities
than the Government plan calls for.”
The original plan, proposed by Sen
ator Clark, Democrat, of Missouri,
was to exempt from the pay-roll taxes
any employer who had a private sys
ten at least equal to or more bene
ficial than the Federal program.
To meet the fear of some of the
lawmakers that the tax-exemption
feature might weaken the legality of
the social security law, the pending
compromise was worked out after
months of study.
Pay-Roll Tax Payment.
Under this plan the pay-roll taxes
will be paid by all, alike, but if the
employer having his own retirement
system also pays to an insurance com
pany the amount required to support
the Government annuity for his em
ployes, ich an employer would have
that a .ount returned to him by the
Government the following year.
In other words, in 1937 the em
ployer would pay the premium for his
private plan to the insurance com
pany, and he would pay also to the
Government the pay-roll taxes. In
the following March the employer
would get a refund from the Govern
ment.
The proposal is based on the theory
that private plans will provide for
greater maximum benefits than the
Federal system, but the refunds will
be only sufficient to cover the annuity
which the Government otherwise
would pay the employe. If the em
ployer desired to go further than the
Government proposes in the amount
of pension, he would be free to do so
under amendment.
CONSCRIPTS TO DISBAND
Hitler to Send 9,000 Troops Home
May 23.
PARIS, May 16 &P).—Nine thousand
conscript soldiers, held under colors
when Relchsfuehrer Adolf Hitler re
militarized the Rhineland, will be sent
home May 23, it was announced today.
Originally they were scheduled to be
released in April.
French Building Slumps.
The building industry of France is
reported to have dropped to the low
est level on record.
L.
TO REMAIN OPEN
Operation During July and
August Decided—34 More
Open All Year.
More than 50 school playgrounds will
be operated during July and August
by the District Playground Depart
ment. in addition to the 34 year-round
playground. Miss Sibyl Baker, play
ground supervisor, announced yester
day.
Declaring this would not fill the rec
reation need. Miss Baker took the
opportunity to thank the Friendship
Heights Citizens’ Association and the
Janney Parent-Teacher Association for
donations for payment of janitor serv
ice, making it possible to keep the
Janney playground open an hour
longer each day.
Stressing the need for more adequate
recreation facilities, Miss Baker said:
•‘In The Sunday Star of March 29.
1936, appeared an editorial, ‘Places to
Play,’ which advised the authorities
concerned with the operation of school
playgrounds at the school hours to de
vise some system in co-operation with I
parent-teacher associations to keep
these grounds open.
“From 1931-33, a sufficient ap- |
propriation was available to keep 10
school grounds open all afternoon
from March 15 to December 15. With
reduced appropriation for this serv
ice, the Playground Department has
been seeking the co-operation of va
rious neighborhood organizations to
keep the grounds open.
“Today a joint donation of funds
has been received from the Friendship
Heights Citizens' Association and the
Janney Parent-Teacher Association
which will enable us to pay the jan
itor service to keep the Janney play
ground open an hour later each day.
“The expense of furnishing play op
portunities to our children should
properly be borne by public appro
priations, but the demands upon our
playground service go far beyond
what our funds can supply.
“Thanks are due to The Star for
the helpful editorial and to the
Friendship and Janney Associations
for their co-operation.”
D. C. BUDGET TALKS
REOPEN THIS WEEK
Senate Committee Members Fight
to Prevent House Slash in
- Lump Sum.
House and Senate conferees on the
1937 District appropriation bill prob
ably will resume deliberations before
the end of this week, with the
amount of the Federal share still the
paramount question to be settled.
The Senate is standing with de
termination by the Budget Bureau
recommendation for the same figure
appropriated for the current year—
$5,700,000—from which the House Is
seeking to slash $3,000,000. In recent
years me nouse nas oeen wnuwiug
away at the Federal share and thereby
increasing the share of National Cap
ital expenses to be borne by the local
community. This year all indications
are that the Senate will adhere firmly
to the budget figure.
The fixing of a definite day for the
next meeting is awaiting the comple
tion of consideration of the big work
relief deficiency bill by a Senate Ap
propriations Subcommittee, two mem
bers of which are also conferees on the
District MIL
MAN LAWS
JRGED TO REDUCE
AUTO FATALITIES
‘Staggered” Hours for
Schools and Employes Pro
posed by House Body.
COMMITTEE TO GET
REPORT WEDNESDAY
So Change in Present Speed Regu*
lations Believed Likely
at Present.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.
Strict regulation of pedestrians in
ongested areas and widespread ‘'stag
gering” of hours for opening and
dosing Government departments,
Dublic schools and private business
sstablishments will be among the
client recommendations of a special
iubcommittee of the House District
Committee, which recently completed
i rnmnrpVi oncivn ctiiHi* rtf UloeVvinn.
,on’s traffic Uls.
The subcommittee now is complet
ng a report on the results of its
studies for submission to the full
Ditrict Committee Wednesday.
As a means of controlling pedes
rians the report will propose an
imendment to the traffic act which
vould make it a misdemeanor for a
valker to disregard traffic lights or
.he signals of traffic officers or cross
i street between intersections. Statis
tics furnished the subcommittee
ihow careless walkers constituted the
argest number of Washington's traf
ic fatality victims last year.
Special pedestrian lights were ln
italled during the last week at Twelfth
md F streets as a means of better pro
ection for pedestrians at the con*
jested intersections.
Traffic Director William A. Van
Duzer has urged the Commissioners to
idopt a ban on jay-walking, which he
reld necessary to get the greatest ben
efit from the pedestrian lights, but the
proposal was set aside.
llail Pedestrian Lights.
Officials are pleased with the results
obtained from the pedestrian lights,
but the system is to be given a try-out
>f another week before the Commis
sioners consider installation of similar
lights elsewhere.
Particular attention was paid by
the House Subcommittee to proposals
for extending the “staggered” plan
now in effect in some Government de
partments throughout the entire Gov
eminent service as wen as to schools
md to private establishments. In the
interests of safety some members of
■he subcommittee do not believe that
children should be sent to school
luring the period of "peak" traffic
low.
The report will contain a number
cf other recommendations, all predi
cated on plans designed to drive death
from the streets. In this connection
it will oppose any change in existing
speed regulations and urge a substan
tial increase in the traffic enforcement
force as well as compulsory mechan
ical inspection annually of all motor
vehicles.
Studies Subway Plans.
Although the subcommittee studied
carefully various proposals for con
structing both pedestrian and vehicu
lar subways in the congested sections,
it will not recommend such projects
it this time. Several members are
inderstood to have been impressed
with the benefits resulting from the
construction of subways but they feel
ihese projects would be too costly to
saddle on the District taxpayers in
the immediate future.
It is understood, however, the re
port will suggest that if the popula
tion of the District continues to in
crease or shows no signs of decreasing
till. CUU Ui 1»**VV B '-'oA »*»*•
of subway construction should be
undertaken.
One of the plans studied contem
plated a series of pedestrian subways
under Pennsylvania avenue between
Seventh and Fifteenth streets for the
protection of the thousands of Gov
ernment employes who work in the
so-called Federal triangle area. An
other proposed an overpass along K
street between Twenty-sixth and
rhirty-sixth streets with ramp con
nections to Key Bridge. Such an over
pass, the subcommittee was told,
would relieve M street through
Georgetown, which has become one
of the most congested thoroughfares
in Washington.
Plans for improving traffic condi
tions around some of Washington’s
lircles, particularly in Scott, Thomas
md Dupont Circles, also are expected
to be recommended by the subcom
mittee. Traffic and highway officials
suggested several schemes, one of
which calls for widening of the areas
ground the circles through reduction
pf sidewalk space.
FIVE PERSONS MISSING
While her 6-month-old daughter,
fcnna Marie, cried for her, police last
light were searching for Mrs. Dolly
Piscitelli, 18. of 224 G street north
>ast, missing from home since Friday.
The woman's husband, Nicholas
Piscitelli, a baker, told police his wife
*as last seen with her sister. Mrs.
rhelma Kritt, 928 S street, who also
is reported missing. The Piscitellis
lave been married two years.
Three other persons were reported
missing yesterday. They are Vincent
Mulligan, 34, who disappeared from
tiis home at 2118 Fourth street north
;ast, last Monday; Phoebe Elizabeth
Olive, 31. of 916 D street southwest,
ind Julius R. May, 32, of 215-A P
street.
Tilton Alumni to Meet.
Dr. James E. Coons, new headmaster
if Tilton School, Tilton, N. H„ will be
honor guest at 5 o'clock today at the
hrst Washington alumni meeting in
five years, to be at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. John D. MacKnlght, 1900 R
street.
\