Evening star. [volume], May 26, 1936, Image 1

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

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No. 33,628. 'onst"omcV. wc,0snhin^onmDttcr_ WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1936—FORTY-TWO PAGES. **»_<*>> M.«n. A..oci.t.d Pr,,,. TWO CENTS.
SPONSOR DOUBTS
TOWNSEND BELIEF
IN PENSION BILL
McGroarty Denies Knowl
edge of Financial Prac
tices of O. A. R. P.
. HE VOICES BELIEF
CLEMENTS IS SINCERE
Letter to Dr. Wunder Warns
Against House Member’s
“Double-Dealings.’’
BACKGROUND—
The Townsend plan for IS months
was a nuisance to Congress, but
now it has become a positive chal
lenge through Dr. Townsend’s de
fiance of the House committee ap
pointed to investigate him and his
O. A. R. P. After four days of
testifying, the doctor walked out of
the committee room last Thursday
and refused to return. He offers to
all over 60 a $200-a-month pension,
provided his idea should be enacted
into legislation.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.
Representative McGroarty, poet
laureate of California and Townsend
standard-bearer in Congress, today
told the House committee investigat
ing old-age pensions that he never
saw a penny of Townsend funds and
had no knowledge of financial prac
tices of the pension organization.
McGroarty, a gray-haired little
man, was called before the committee
in a surprise move following a brief
executive session. No announcement
was made of any decision about citing
Dr. P. E. Townsend, founder of old
age Revolving Pensions, Ltd., for con
tempt.
As the committee convened in open
session, Chairman Bell called for
John Kiefer and Rev. Clinton
Wunder, O. A. R. P. directors, who
are under subpoena. Neither an
awered.
Questioned Courteously.
McGroarty. who was questioned
courteously by members of the com
mittee, voiced a defense for the sin
cerity of R. E. Clements, retired co
founder of the movement, but admit
ted Chairman Bell's allegations that
Dr. Townsend made no real effort to
force support for the McGroarty bill—
only Townsend bill in Congress.
"I have no personal, political am
bitions of any kind.” McGroarty said.
*‘I wouldn’t be President of the United
States if it were handed to me on a
silver platter.” .
The remark was made when Repre
sentative Hoffman asked if Dr. Town
send were correct in charging the
Congressman with political ambitions.
Later, McGroarty said he would ad
vise all Townsend clubs to continue
their membership, but would advise
against any solicitation of funds as
being unnecessary.
loiter from Clements.
In contrast to McGroarty's defense
Of, Clements. Representative Hoffman
read a letter from Clements to Dr.
Clinton Wunder warning against the
congressman’s ’’double-dealings" and
eaying that Townsendites would have
to take McGroarty to task.
McGroarty said he didn’t know
what Clements mean but he supposed
he might have been a little "sus- ,
picious.”
. McGroarty and Townsend broke
several weeks ago. when the doctor
attacked the congressman for having
•'presidential aspirations.”
Bell opened the meeting:
‘‘Is John Kiefer here?
“Is the Rev. Clinton Wunder here?”
There was no answer. Representa
tives Collins and Lucas each made
the point that subpoenas had been
served on the two for appearance to
day.
With Chairman Bell handling the
questioning. McGroarty was identified
and his early background as an attor
ney and newspaper man established.
The Representative told of writing
poetry, plays and books in addition
to his newspaper writing.
McGroarty admitted this to be his
first term and ‘‘I hope my last.”
The Congressman said he had re
fused to take a fee for speaking at a
Townsend meeting on the West Coast,
where collections amounted to at least
(1.500.
“I worked for this plan because I
believe in it, and because I was in
tensely eager to secure pensions for the
old people.” McGroarty said fervently.
Impression of Committee.
. McGroarty then admitted that
members of the congressional com
mittee of the Townsend organization
made it clear they believed the doc
tor was not really desirous of having
the bill passed as long as it served to
attract revenue to him.
“I don’t make that as my state
ment,” McGroarty said, “but it cer
tainly was the impression these others
had.”
■1 nave oeen miormea, ne saia,
“that Dr. Townsend contemplates a
new bill to displace the McGroarty
bill in the Seventy-fifth Congress.”
He has studied, he said, a new-plan
by Sheridan Downey, approved by
the doctor, which contemplates a
bond issue rather than a tax.
Meanwhile, the air remained thick
with statements as the Townsend
forces issued two for one and con
tinued to steal the play from the com
mittee.
Latest pronouncement was a rebuke
to James R. Sullivan, committee coun
sel, from Downey. After describing
(See TOWNSEND, Page A-T)
BUS CRASH HURTS 33
NEWARK. N. J„ May 26 UP).—
Thirty-three W. P. A. workers were
injured, four seriously, when a bus
taking them to a project at Bloom
field crashed into a tree today.
Twenty were taken to Presbyterian
Hospital and 13 to St. Michael’s. Most
of them were discharged after treat
ment for minor hurts.
* The most seriously injured was
Clarence Lynch, 43, who suffered a
crushed leg.
i J
Senator
f. 1 1 1 ' B> 1 ..—I
SCOTT M. L0FT1N.
LOFTIN IS NAMED
Attorney, Former U. S. Bar
Head, Will Succeed
Trammell.
By the Associated Press.
TALLAHASSEE. Fla.. May 26
Gov. Dave Sholtz of Florida today
appointed Scott Marion Loftin. Jack
sonville attorney and immediate past
president of the American Bar Asso
ciation, as successor to the late United
States Senator Park Trammell.
Loftin, a Democrat, will serve until
a Senator is elected in November and
seated next January.
He will leave tonight to present his
credentials to the Senate.
It is Loftin's first major public of
fice. He said he would support Presi
dent Roosevelt.
Loftin added he would not be a
candidate in the November senatorial
election. Six persons have announced
for the Democratic nomination, in
cluding Gov. Sholtz.
As president of the American Bar
Association last year, Florida's new
Senator directed the national organi
zation's campaign against crime. He
is a member of Attorney General
Cummings’ Advisory Committee on
Crime.
Loftin is a corporation lawyer, co
receiver for the Florida East Coast
Railway and general counsel for the
Flagler interests in this State. He is
58 years old and a bachelor.
-%
3D CHILDREN, MAN
DIE AS FERRY TIPS
Passengers Slide Off Into Rushing
Waters of Bohemian River
on Way to Picnic.
By the Associated Press.
AUSPITZ, Czechoslovakia. May 26.
—Thirty school children and a man
were drowned today when a ferry col
lapsed in the middle of the swollen
Thaya River.
The children were members of a
party of 60 headed by their tutor on
their way to a picnic in the Bohemian
Hills.
The party was divided and about 40
boys and girls, with a coach, horse
and driver, went on board the ferry.
The children were singing and laugh
ing, waving to the friends they had
left on the shore.
The ferry tipped in mid-stream Its
passengers screamed with fear and the
freinds on shore echoed them with
cries of terror.
Those on land saw the ferry passen
gers slide off into the rushing waters.
The coach, with the horse still hitched
between the shafts, tumbled over and
disappeared.
D. C. RESIDENT HURT
IN CAR-TRUCK CRASH
Raymond C. Williams Is Seriously
*
Injured in Maryland
Accident.
By tbr Associated Press.
NORTH EAST. Md.. May 26 — Ray
mond C. Williams of Washington suf
fered serious injuries today when his
car was in a collision with a truck at
the Pennsylvania Railroad underpass
near here.
The truck was driven by Henry Cer
venki of Brooklyn. State police are
investigating.
The automobile driver was taken to
an Elkton hospital, where his condi
tion was said to be serious. The exact
nature of his injuries was undeter
mined.
FIVE DIE FIGHTING
STUBBORN BLAZE
IN JERSEY FOREST
Miles of Woodland Black
ened on Coastal Plains.
Missing Men Found.
C. C. C. YOUTHS TRAPPED
IN WOODS ARE BURNED
Flames Under Control After Sud
den Spread—Fighters Keep
Patrolling Area.
By the Asst dated Press.
NEW GRETNA. N. J„ May 26—A
South Jersey forest fire. In which
five men lost their lives, was brought
under control today, after more than
750 men fought it on a wide front
for 48 hours.
As the Are was brought under con
trol a final check of the crews showed
that all were accounted for. At one
time a number of C. C. C. workers
had been reported missing, but they
were found on the fire lines.
Only one danger spot remained,
near Manahawkin, and men were
rushed there by truck to meet the
threat. The State Forest Fighting
Service called the fire "the worst in
its history," and estimated it had
ravaged 15,000 acres.
The dead: John T. LaSalle, 20,
New Brunswick; Edward F. Sullivan,
20, New Brunswick; Stanley Carr, 22,
Waretown; Kingsley White, 38,
Whitesvllle: Ira Morey, West Creek.
C. C. C. Men Victims.
LaSalle, Sullivan and Carr were
members of the C. C. C. camp at
Bass Lake. Morey was a State fire
fighter and White was a civilian.
LaSalle and Sullivan entered the
camp just two weeks ago today, while
arr had been there a year.
Two fire wardens. Benjamin Broome
and Henry Updyke. both of New
Gretna, reported missing, were found
unhurt as searching parties began a
hunt through the still-smouldering
woodlands for possible further victims.
Hundreds of weary firefighters, vol
unteers and C. C. C. workers battled
the rolling surf of flames along a wide
triangular front stretching from New
Gretna to Chatsworth to Manahwakin.
By midmoming came the news that
the Are was believed "well under con
trol." but the exhausted, soot-covered
.fighters kept doggedly at their work.1
mindful of the fact that the fire;
found new fury earlier today just
when they thought it was conquered.
Four of the fire-fighting dead were
at th morgue in Tuckerton. little
fishing village and Summer resort on
Barnegat Bay, not far from Atlantic
City. Tuckerton was in darkness, due
to the dense pall of smoke which
settled over it.
State Fire Fighter Dies.
Ira Morey of West Creek, a State
fire fighter, died on the way to the
hospital from bums.
The triangular area swept by the
flames lies just north of Atlantic City
and neighboring Summer resorts, and
south of Asbury Park and other tea
shore vacation places to the north.
The sandy plain is covered with pine j
woods and contains two State forests.1
The little hamlets in the area were
saved from the flames by the fire
fighters, but no one knew the fate of j
(See FIRE, Page A-2.)
SINUS TROUBLE SENDS
PAT HARRISON TO BED
Roosevelt Telephones Senator and
Tells Him Not to Worry
About Tax Bill.
»
111 with sinus trouble. Senator Pat:
Harrison of Mississippi, chairman of
the pow-erful Finance Committee, to- I
day remained in bed at his home.
2260 Cathedral avenue.
The President telephoned him this
morning and told him not to worry
about the pending tax bill. A special j
White House conference was called J
for tonight to talk about the bill, but
the Senator will miss it.
Harrison, it was said at his house,
has been bothered by the sinus at
tacks for a week, but his condition
was reported wholly satisfactory.
He is being treated by Dr. Andrew
J. McIntyre of 3060 Porter street.
BULLETIN
One of the vital pre-adjourn
ment bills moved forward today
when a Senate Appropriations Sub
committee approved the $2,364,
000,000 relief-deficiency bill carry
ing funds for next year’s work
relief program.
Young Irishwoman, Sweeps
Winner, Will Go Back to Erin
(Picture on Page B-l.)
What happens when a young Irish
woman who hasn’t seen County Gal
way for eight years writes "coining
back” on a winning sweepstakes ticket?
It requires no soothsayer to see that
an ocean voyage lies ahead of Mrs.
Matthew Barton, the former Delrdre
Kelley, aubum-haired, blue-eyed na
tive of Galway City, Galway County.
Mrs. Barton was seated in a restau
rant with her husband last night when
she saw a newspaper story to the ef
fect that a person listed as “Coming
Back” and living on Twenty-first
street had won a $500 consolation
prize.
“I couldn’t even speak at first,” Mrs.
Barton confessed. “It seemed such an
awful lot. Are you sure the story was
right?”
The attractive matron was obviously
worried, and another anxiety occurred
to her. A close friend waa a nurse at
one of the hospitals benefited by the
Irish Sweepstakes.
Suppose that friend, helping other
nurses pull numbers from ths big rw
volving drums, had picked out her
number by chance? Would that dis
qualify her?
"Of course not,” her husband reas
sured her. "No one could look inside
the drums.”
Mrs. Barton’s lucky streak she said
began at Bowie this Spring when she
put $2 on a horse called "Coming
Back” and won $10.80. Of the win
nings Mrs. Barton laid saide $2.50 for
a sweepstakes ticket.
That "Coming Back” was an omen
and a little promise to her mother
back in Ireland that she was "coming
back” if her luck held.
"And that’s exactly what I’m going
to do as soon as I can,” Mrs. Barton
cried. „
The Irishwoman, who is now 26,
name to the United States in 1027 to
be a bridesmaid in her sister's wed
ding. She liked the country and "Just
stayed.”
Less than a year ago she married
Barton, a Scot. Be is a valet and she
a waitress. The couple lives at 1721
Tweniy-flr*f itrtet, ^
f FolkC\
/ I THINK \
Too GotT^E 1
VW^ONG IDEA!/
PROM A TfPlCAL
" prairie
Numbers in Shoes Only Clue
to Identity—Age Esti
mated at 25.
]
A 25-year-old woman, fully clothed
and with her flesh-colored silk stock
ings drawn tight around her legs as
though she had Just put them on.
was found floating lifeless on the
Potomac shortly after 6 a.m. today.
At once the Homicide Squad sought
to learn the Identity of tl>e woman
through questioning relativesbf known
missing person* before checking shoe
stores, dentists and Jewelry shops.
She evidently had been in the river
three or four days when she was
sighted this morning by a tugboat
captain, who noticed her gently rock
ing in the trough of the waves and
thought the body was that of a man
in a blue bathing suit.
The skipper, unable to stop be
cause of the scow in his tow, notified
Harbor Police, who found her off the
Naval Research Laboratory, at Belle
vue, D. C. No marks were discern
ible on her body, which was only
slightly misshapen by the water and
exposure.
She wore a blue cotton dress en
circled by a red belt and high-heeled
shoes of a brand sold in Washington.
As a last resort, police may seek to
trace her through the last numbers
in the footwear.
“It's a plain case of drowning.”
said George Darnell, detective in
charge of the Homicide Squad, after
a visit to the Morgue with a man
whose wife has been missing for some
time but who failed to identify the
drowned woman.
The woman wore a silver wedding
ring and a silver dinner ring set with
several diamonds. Part of an ear ring
dangled from her left ear.
She is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs
115 pounds and has brown hair.
SIX LOST AS SHIP
SINKS IN COLLISION
Fourteen Others Rescued as Brit
ish Vessels Collide in
North Sea.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 26.—Six men re
ported missing and probably drowned
today after the steam trawler Picador
sank three minutes after colliding with
the tanker San Salvador in the North
Sea.
This report, received by the owners
of the San Salvador, added that the
14 other members of the Picador’s
crew had been rescued by the San
Salvador.
Lloyds earlier stated it was informed
20 men were missing. Both the tanker
and the trawler were of British registry.
The steam trawler Picador, lost In
the disaster on the North Sea, had a
gross tonnage of 424. She was built
in 1933 and was registered out of the
English port of Hull by the Hull North
ern Pishing Co., Ltd.
The San Salvador, damaged in the
coUislon, has a gross tonnage of 5,805.
She was built in 1924 and is regis
tered out of London by the Eagle Oil
& Shipping Co., Ltd.
Sentenced to Chair.
CATSKILL, N. Y„ May 26 (JP).—
Alfred E. Volckmann, 20-year-old
butcher boy recently convicted of
killing 9-year-old Helen Olenn with
a knife, was sentenced today to die
in the electric chair at Sing Sing
Prison during the week of July 5.
Readers’ Guide
Page.
Amusements. C-8
Answers to Questions_A-8
Comics...—B-15
Cross-word Puzzle..B-15
Death Notices..A-10
Editorial . A-8
Finance —.A-15-16-17
Lost and Found..A-3
News Comment Features A-9
Radio . B-12
Serial Story_C-4
Short Story_B-9
Society___B-3-4-5
Sports...C-1-2-S
Washington Wayside..—-A-2
Women’s Features ..jB-13-14
'mk
Huddleston Clubs
Rival With Bottle,
Report Declares
Crushed Hut, Knot on
Head Result of Cafe
Meeting.
By the Associated Press.
BIRMINGHAM. Ala., May 26 —The
Birmingham News says Representative
George Huddleston struck his run-off
primary opponent. Luther (No Prom
ise) Patrick, over the head with a
catsup bottle in a downtown cafe last
night.
Patrick was reported to have suffered
a crushed straw hat and a knot on
his head.
Huddleston and Patrick had deliv
ered radio speeches in one another's
presence earlier in the evening. The
News said Huddleston had declared
there was not “one syllable of truth”
in an assertion by Patrick that Hud
leston told him when the campaign
started he would beat him with money.
Huddleston later went to the restau
rant. He was seated with Assistant
County Solicitor Jim Long when Pat
rick arrived
Huddleston last year led the battle
against the "death sentence” in the
administration-sponsored holding com
pany bill. H# topped five opponents in
(See HUDDLESTON, Page A-13.)
MEN IS URGED
AS SESSION HEAD
Kentucky Delegate Seeks to
Replace Snell—Hilles
Object of Attack.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
A movement to elect Prank O.
Lowden, former Governor of Illinois,
permanent chairman of the Repub
lican National Convention in place
of Representative Bertrand H. Snell
of New York was launched today by
Robert H. Lucas, a delegate to the
national convention from Kentucky.
Lucas served «s executive director of
the Republican National Committee
during the Hoover administration.
In a letter addressed to all dele
gates to the national convention Lucas
charges that Charles D. Hilles. Repub
lican national committeeman- from
New York and a vice chairman of the
committee, has “maneuvered himself
into control of the convention’s ar
rangements committee" and has
"designated the temporary chairman
and has presumed, without right, to
name the permanent chairman."
"The difficulty is,” says Mr. Lucas,
“the friends of the several candidates
are afraid to oppose the Hilles’ pro
gram, thinking their man will eventu
ally get his support if they play along
with him. nius the party suffers.
Thus the nominee tarred with the
brush of Wall Street and our plat
form watermarked by the special in
terests. Thus is supplied the excuse
for Senator Borah’s bolt. And again
in 1936, under Mr. Hilles’ leadership,
as in 1912 under Mr. Hilles’ leader
ship. the Republican party is split in
twain.”
Resistance Expected.
Any attempt to upset the plans of
the Committee on Arrangements as
proposed by Lucas is likely to meet
with great resistance. However, Mr.
Lucas said today that he intended to
go before the committee on permanent
organization of the national conven
tion and press for the selection of
former Gov. Lowden for permanent
chairman. If he fails there, then he
plans to take the issue to the floor.
Io some quarters it was suggested
today that the Lucas plan to put
Lowden into the chair at the national
convention was designed to help a
"draft Lowden for President” move
ment. which has been discussed as a
possibility by those who are seeking
(See LOWDEN, Page A-b7)
DERBY FIELD REDUCED
Plastercast, Ormstead and Star
Comedian Scratched.
EPSOM DOWNS, England, May 26
t**).—The field for the Derby to be
run here tomorrow was reduced to 24
today when three scheduled starters
were scratched.
Lord As tor’s Plastercast, Dorothy
Paget's Ormstead and Lady Ludlow’s
Star Comedian were dropped from
the running.
BUNION REPUTS
D. CJILL STAND
Urges House to Instruct
Conferees to Insist on
$2,700,000 Lump Sum.
BULLETIN'.
The House adopted the Blanton
motion at 2:15 p.m. today.
swpi VOV11I.CIV1TX: uiautuu, i-'rlilUv I dlt
of Texas, requested the House today to
instruct its conferees on the 1937 Dis
trict appropriation bill to insist on a
lump-sum Federal payment of $2,700.
000 toward the expenses of the District,
a provision forbidding all municipal
employes receiving $2,400 or more a
year from engaging in "outside" em
ployment, as well as continued dis
approval of a Senate-approved item
of $78,660 for character education in
the public schools.
The House and Senate conferees are
deadlocked over these three items.
Blanton made a motion of highest
privilege soon after the House con
vened that the conferees be given in
structions on them.
A quorum call, demanded by Minor
ity Leader 8nell, forced a 40-minute
delay in consideration of the motion.
Blanton declared in the motion that
the Federal payment should not ex
ceed $2,700,000. as voted by the House,
because the District has the "lowest
rate of taxation of any comparable
city in the United States."
He said the $63,385 appropriated for
character education last year had been
"wasted and perverted” and that "no
good but harm had been accomplished
by the experiment."
In addition. Blanton insisted that
judges of the various courts, members
of the staff of the corporation coun
sel and physicians on District pay rolls
“ought not neglect their duties by ac
cepting outside employment" and that
the House should support its conferees
in insisting on adoption of the provi
sion to prevent them from engaging in
"outside” work.
MISS BARBARA PHIPPS
WEDS S. S. JANNEY, JR.
Niece of Ogden Mills Becomes
Bride of Member of Old
Maryland Family.
By the .Associated Press.
ROSLYN. N. Y., May 26 —Barbara
Phipps, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Carnegie Phipps of New York
and Palm Beach, Fla., was to be mar
ried late today to Stuart S. Janney,
jr., of Baltimore in the Trinity Epis
copal Church. Roslyn. near the Phipps
country estate. Rev. Harry L. Rice,
rector of the church, was to be the
officiating clergyman.
The 'bride is a granddaughter of the
late Henry Phipps, an associate of the
late Andrew Carnegie. She is a niece
of Ogden L. Mills, former Secretary of
the Treasury, and a cousin of Winston
F. C. Guest, Raymond Guest and
Michael Phipps, polo stars.
Janney. a member of an old Mary
land family, is a graduate of Princeton
University and of the Harvard Law
School.
Alessandro Ferro Dead.
RAPALLO, Italy, May 26 (A*).—
Commendatore Alessandro Ferro, 70,
for many years president of the Ital
ian Chamber of Commerce in Buenos
Aires, died today.
TERRORIST THREAT
SEEN IN MICHIGAN
8Y ‘BLACK LEGION’
Attorney General Orders
Grand Jury Probes as De
fiance Is Indicated.
25 WARRANTS ISSUED
IN JACKSON COUNTY
Prosecutor Discharges One Prison
Guard and Suspends
Three Others.
BACKGROUND—
"Ritual execution" of Charles A,
Poole In a lonely roadside ditch
near Detroit and the death of Paul
Every, Jackson, Mich., prison guard,
by flogging brought the arrest of IS
last week and launched an investi
gation of the Black Legion.
Ramifications of the mysterious
organization, which leaders claim
has a membership of 6,000,000,
multiply as victims of mob terror
ism come forward under promise of
protection with new accounts of
slayings, floggings and arson by
masked night riders wearing the
death’s head insignia of the secret
order.
DETROIT, May 26 —A grand jury
investigation in every county in the
State where crimes can be traced to
the Black Legion was announced to
day by Attorney General David H.
Crowley.
The announcement came from Crow
ley in Lansing as State and county
investigators saw evidence of the ter
rorist society's defiance of the “united
front" drive to uproot it in an in
cendiary fire near Jackson.
With these developments came
charges of kidnaping and felonious
assault against 25 alleged members
of the hooded vigilantes accused by
Owen Dudley. Jackson County prose
cutor. with stripping and flogging a
member who had attempted to with
draw.
At the Southern Michigan prison,
where Dudley has charged that the
entire roster of 385 guards have been
asked to join the Black Legion. Warden
Harry H. Jackson announced he had
discharged Guard Sergt. Charles
Cooley for activity in the affairs of
the secret order.
Three other guards have been sus
| pended, and one of them, Ray Ernest,
1 faced arraignment today as a member
' of the band of 25 who flogged Harley
Smith, aW.P.A worker, near Jackson
last November 5.
Named with Ernest in the warrants
issued today in Jackson are his
brothers. Glenn and Clarence. Allen
Basom and 21 John Does, some of
whom Prosecutor Dudley said are
j known The four named were being
questioned by the prosecutor at the
Jackson State police post.
The fire which destroyed a barn
and outbuildings on the unoccupied
George Noon estate near Jackson early
today a short time after State police
had reported disrupting an attempt of
six carloads of hooded men to meet
in a nearby woods, was pronounced in
cendiary by Ernest C. Daunter, Jack
son fire chief.
Deputy State fire marshals sped to
the scene with the expressed suspicion
that the blaze might have been a move
by terrorists to strike back at the grow
ing offensive against them.
The attorney general's promise of
State-wide grand jury investigations
came as authorities in five counties
were checking a series of unsolved
slayings.
Prosecutor Duncan C. McCrea,
(See BLACK LEGION, Page A-4.)
BARBER IN WIFE-SLAYING
CASE FEARS FOR LIFE
On Trial on Morals Charge, Man
Accused of Snake-Torture,
Reports Threats.
By me Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES. May 26 —A re
ported threat against the life of
Robert S. James, 38. accused of snake
torturing and drowning his fifth wife,
put officers and bailiffs on the alert
today.at the barber’s trial on a morals
charge involving his pretty niece, 21
year-old Lois Wright.
James’ attorney, Samuel Silverman,
told Judge Joseph W. Vickers, "My
client’s life has been threatened,” and
asked that all witnesses and specta
tors be searched for weapons.
The attorney did not say who had
threatened James.
Before a Superior Court jury of
four women and eight men Miss
Wright will be called to tell of her
relations with the defendant, who
formerly employed her as a mani
curist.
Mrs. Zioncheck, “a Fast Goer ”
Speeds Up to Match Husband
PV the Associated Press.
NEW YORK May 26.—Mrs. Marion
Zloncheck, who became the bride of
the whirlwind Representative from
Seattle four weeks ago, said today that
she was “a pretty fast goer,” but had
had to “speed up her old Southern
style to match her husband.”
The Zionchecks granted an inter
view while the bride lay in bed, wear
ing a pink satin slip, with her blond
hair in hairpin curlers.
“We're rather informal this morn
ing,” explained Representative Zion
check, who was barefooted in a loose
slung bathrobe. He perched against
the headboard of his bed and between
puffs at a cigar asked his blue-eyed
bride: “Like married life, Sugar?”
Mrs. Zloncheck, with the covers
tucked under her arms, looked re
flectively at the ceiling and said: “Oh,
I’ll say I I wouldn’t change for the
world!"
She smiled at eight visitors sitting
an the twin bedajmd added: “I m
considered a pretty fast stepper in my
home town, but he’s a faster goer than
me. He can nearly puff me down.”
“A faster goer than you, huh?” guf
fawed the Representative.
His bride, all smiles, responded, "I’ll
say, darling.”
Mrs. Zioncheck told how she and
her husband hadn’t quarreled yet,
"although we have ylpped at each
other a time or two.” She said she
guessed that as a wife she’d devote
herself to being “his inspiration, more
or less.”
The shapely former Arkansas girl
hopped out of bed after the men re
tired to the hall and donned a white
knit beach pajama outfit, slashed to
the knee.
When she reappeared she said she
dearly loved housekeeping, loved the
idea of official life in Washington
and could and did make her own
clothes.
Mrs. Zioncheck has a peaches and
£B« ZION^OCK. f MS A-T)
SENATORS AGREE
10 MEN LAW
ON CORPORATIONS
Plan Revised Penalty Tax
op “Improperly” Accumu
lutad Surpluses.
DEMOCRATS OF GROUP
CALLED TO WHITE HOUSE
Conference With President to Be
Held Tonight—Approval of
Bill Delayed.
BACKGROUND—
Raising f600,000,000 in taxes and
making it possible to spend $1,500,
000,000 for relief remain the two
jobs between Congress and adjourn
ment, and adjournment in this
election year is earnestly desired
by most members. The revenue
bill precipitated a long fight over
the presidential proposal to shift
corporate taxation from a levy on
income to a levy on surpluses. The
relief bill fight concerned the
handler of the purse—Harry Hop
kins or Harold lekes.
By tf.r Associated Press.
As Democratic members arranged to
consult with President oRosevelt to
night on the tax bill, the Senate
Finance Committee today agreed defi
nitely to tighten provisions on exist
ing law for penalty taxes on corpora
tions “improperly accumulating sur
pluses.''
The committee decided that every
corporation which retains more than
$15,000 of its income or more than
40 per cent of income, whichever is
greater, shall be required to file a
statement wit its tax return setting
for the reason for accumulating the
funds. -
It agreed, too. to extend from three
to four years the statute of limita
tions applicable to collection of high
taxes on corporations which build up
surpluses improperly for purposes of
allowing stockholders to avoid sur
taxes in the upper income brackets.
Acting Chairman King said the
changes were “more psychology than
realism" and that their effect would
be to make large corporations a “little
more careful in withholding" and to
induce them to make bigger distribu
tions of their earnings.
Will Confer With President.
Earlier, the White House had an
nounced that Democratic committee
men would confer with the President
on the request of Chairman Harrison,
who absented himself from the com
mittee session today because of ill
ness.
rinai approval or me tax 0111 was
regarded as certain to be held over
at least until tomorrow.
The committee expected to vote
during the afternoon on whether to
impose an excise tax of >2 cent a
pound on sugar and on a proposal
for additional excises, some as high
as 4'2 per cent, on imported vegetable
oils.
A subcommittee, headed by King,
decided after hearing a barrage of
opposition from beet sugar interests,
to recommend that the sugar tax be
rejected.
King said the committee during the
afternoon was "going to clean up
everything we possibly can.”
Not Advised of Parley.
Asked when the bill would be re
ported out, he remarked: "I'm no
prophet.”
He said he had not been advised of
the White House conference tonight
and did not know its purpose.
New’ definitions were to be placed
in the existing law providing for the
taxes on corporations which improp
erly pile up surpluses, but these were
not fully worked out.
The law now applies to such corpo
: rations a 25 per cent tax on income
j up to $100,000 and 35 per cent on
! income in excess of that amount. The
[ rates were not changed.
Under the amendment to the law
approved today any corporation could
retain $15,000 of its income and not
file the statement as to the purpose
! to which it would be devoted. And ft
i corporation could retain more than
j $15,000 and not file a statement if
I the amount did not exceed 40 per
cent of its income.
The Finance Committee has been
"unable so far to reach an agreement
on the revenue bill, although it has
departed far from Mr. Roosevelt's sug
gestions for a new corporate tax sys
tem based on undistributed profits.
Both the revenue measure passed
by the House and the plan so far
molded by the finance group fall
short of the President's request for
$620,000,000 of permanent and $517,
000.000 of temporary revenue.
sugar lax Rejected.
Just before the White House con
ferees were summoned, a Finance
Subcommittee agreed unanimously to
day to recommend against including
the proposed tax on sugar.
Subcommittee members said too
many complicating factors were in
volved to permit carrying the excise
levy in the revenue bill, even though
it would raise around $66,000,000 and
lift the total estimated yield of the
measure to about the $620,000,000 of
permanent funds requested by Presi
dent Roosevelt.
Representative Cummings. Demo
crat, of Colorado testified that the
sugar levy would place a $15,840,000
burden on- farmers.
He urged that no action be taken
on the sugar tax unless it were at
tached to & new bill to re-establish
the sugar quota system.
Vandenberg Voices Opposition.
Senator Vandenberg, Republican, of
Michigan said it would be "unfair to
pick out sugar as the only commodity
to be penalised under this (taxi bill”
Clarence J. Bourg, representing the
Farmers and Manufacturers' Beet Su
gar Association, with members in
Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and In
diana, also protested against “singling
out sugar."
Leaders were concerned over the
(See TAZBB, Page A-4.)
I