Evening star. [volume], January 26, 1937, Page A-2, Image 2

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
FIRST REFUGEES
; REACH COLUMBUS
Portsmouth Group Takes
Special Trains Con
tacted by Busses.
It; the Associated Press.
COLUMBUS. Ohio, January 26.—
More than 500 twentieth century
Acadians—residents of flood-tormented
Portsmouth on the Ohio River—com
pleted today an excursion of misery
from the squalor of their temporary
shelter in the flood zone to the safety
of this State capital.
Carrying pitifully small bundles of
belongings, mothers hugging tiny chil
dren to their breasts, the first of the
flood refugees to be moved inland from
the swollen Ohio boarded one of the
two special Red Cross trains at a tiny
crossing near Portsmouth last night.
Early today, after more than six
hours in the railroad cars, the ex
hausted survivors of the Ohio Valley's
worst flood reached Columbus. They
found a ready welcome, skilled
handling by Red Cross workers, and
Anally prayed for rest and peace in
quickly assigned quarters.
Exhausted in Mind, Body.
The fugitives climbed from special
busses 5 miles from Portsmouth as a
special approached as close as possible
to the flood. They submitted as
stoically to the removal as they did
when rising water drove them first
into second stories, then away from
their homes and into temporary
shelters.
There was no resistance as the
refugees trudged onto the waiting
train, and sank into their seats, most
of them totally exhausted in mind and
body.
A strangely assorted group, all
were alike in an almost complete
loss of belongings as the flood waters
swept over the Portsmouth wall,
which for 24 years had resisted every
attack of Old Man River.
Nearly half the group, 248, were
children, many of them pitifully tiny
children, their grimy hands and
sweaty bodies unwashed for many
days because of the acute shortage
of water in Portsmouth.
In one of the 12 cars of the train
I found Mrs. Frank Reed, a pallid,
worn woman, nursing ar» infant
daughter who became two weeks old
as the train of humanity roared to
ward Columbus. In the seat beside
her were three other small children
and the remainder of the family,
four other sons, a daughter and her
68-year-old husband.
"We were rescued just in time,”
she said. “I didn't want to leave
because of the baby. But they final
ly had to pack us out by boat.”
Woman Puffs at Pipe.
In the next car was the oldest
resident aboard, 80-year-old Marm
Brown, who puffed stoically on a
long, curved pipe as her son, Isaac,
and her daughter, Susie, told of their
escape from the flood.
Every car of the long train con
tained its quota of injured, children
nursing bruises and lacerations re
ceived in their escape from the floods.
Several women were ill or exhausted
and others, unused to train riding,
became sick as the train started its
Journey out of the high-water area.
Dr. Albert L. Berndt, a knight of
medicine in muddied rubber boots,
torn brown trousers and a rumpled,
grimy shirt, rallied his nursing staff,
including two volunteers, and turned
a luxurious club car on the rear of
the train into a temporary hospital.
Mrs. William Hanshaw of Ports
mouth aided him in caring for the
sick and injured, while in a car ahead
her husband, Raymond, described
their flight from the flood with little
more than the clothes on their backs.
"Everything is gone,” he said. "We
had good furniture, clothing and
other things. I wonder how it will
be to start all over again.”
DANCE CLASSES BEGUN,
SPONSORED BY CENTER
Tap and Rhythm Being Taught in
Southeast and Southwest Wash
ington Groups.
Tap and rhythm dance classes have
been inaugurated in Southeast and
Southwest Washington, with Rena
Coumyn and a corps of assistants in
charge, according to announcement
by the Community Center Depart
ment.
Weekly lessons are being held on
the following schedule: Buchanan
School, Thirteenth and D streets
southeast, 9:30 a.m. Saturday; Hine
Junior High School, Seventh and C
streets southeast, 10:30 a.m. Satur
day; Orr Elementary School, Twenty
second and Prout streets southeast,
3:15 p.m. Monday; Anacostia Junior
High School, Anacostia, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday; Jefferson Junior High
School, Sixth and D streets southwest,
3:15 p.m. Thursday.
Classes for instructors who are as
sisting Miss Cournyn are held three
nights a week at Buchanan Center
or Hine Center.
Congress in Brief
Today.
Senate:
Meets for routine business.
Wheeler committee resumes rail
road financing inquiry. -
La Follette committee continues
labor espionage study.
House:
Begins consideration of deficiency
relief appropriation bill.
Military Committee opens hearings
on proposal to take profits out of war.
Banking Committee opens hearings
on extending housing modernization
act.
Ways and Means Committee con
tinues hearings on reciprocal trade
agreement extension. •
TOMORROW:
6enate:
May not meet.
Judiciary Subcommittee will meet
on O'Mahoney bill to license corpora
tions.
Foreign Relations Committee, exec
utive, at 10:30 a.m.
Interstate Commerce Committee
Oonttnues railroad investigation.
Civil Liberties Committee continues
labor hearings.
House:
Considers miscellaneous bills on
union calendar.
Agriculture Committee considers
farm tenant bill, 10:30 a.m.
Rivers and Harbors Committee con
siders 17 miscellaneous bills at 10:30
am.
District Committee meets, 10:30
am. Y
Washington
Wayside
Tales
Random Observations
of Interesting Events
and Things.
PUBLIC SERVANT.
THERE Is at least one employe
of the District tax assessor's of
fice whose letters are most
gratefully received by Wash
ington taxpayers. She is Mrs. Anna
E. Thompson, chief refund cleric. Now
that you know her you will understand.
It is Mrs. Thompson who has the Job—
and the pleasure—of notifying tax
payers that for one or more of many
possible reasons the District owes
the taxpayer money—not vice versa,
as is more to be expected.
This comes to light because Fred
Allen—the tax assessor, not the
comedian—reports that Mrs. Thomp
son has just sent out tax refund notice
No. 10,000. Since 1929, when the
District began voluntarily sending out
notices that it owed refunds to tax
payers, Mrs. Thompson has dispatched
glad tidings of refunds amounting to
$450,000.
Why the refunds? There are many
reasons. Sometimes it is for over
payment of due taxes, sometimes for
payment of taxes on the wrong prop
erty, sometimes for duplicate pay
ments, sometimes for mistakes in
calculations, sometimes for change in
area of a taxable property or reduc
tion in the amount of improvements
on developed properties.
Time was when the taxpayer had
to discover such mishaps and .demand
fefunds, but that was changed some
eight years ago. Incidentally. Mrs.
Thompson had something to do with
correction of this system by calling
the attention of former Tax Assessor
William P. Richards to the justice of
the District voluntarily sending out
notices of due refunds, it is said.
* * * *
CUSTOMER
A man with a suitcase walked
into an Eleventh street lunch
room the other day, took a seat
at the counter and ordered a cup
of coffee. Upon arrival of the or
der the man stared at it a moment.
Then, without a word, he got up,
took his suitcase and walked out.
The counter man glanced after
the customer and loosed a number
of uncomplimentary phrases. A
waysider, witness to the strange
proceedings. Questioned the waiter.
“That man,” he explained,
“comes in here every other day
and orders coffee. When I give it
to him, he fust looks at it and
walks out. He doesn’t touch it,
but he doesn’t pay for it either."
* * * *
CASTANETS.
yoU'D never think of a night club
as an institution of learning, but
the night club editor claims he learns
all manner of things from his job.
The latest thing he learned was about
castanets and he'll probably carry his
new knowledge with him to the grave
on account of it is such a startling
revelation.
“Pew people realise,” this press re
lease starts out. “that a pair of casta
nets are of different tone." Probably
mighty few people even wondered
about it, but there it is. The ones on
the left hand are pitched lower than
the ones worn on the right. The story
goes on: “Another interesting thing
about these instruments, if such they
may be called (just so you call a
spade a spade, you can call a castanet
anything jjou want to) is that they
must be ifarm to produce the proper
sound.” So you learn something else;
you probably didn’t even know a cas
tanet had a proper sound. Anyhow
Spanish dancers carry their casta
nets in flannel bags, close to the body,
to keep them at the right tempera
ture.
Spanish dances with castanets are
considered exceedingly difficult to
learn and execute because the casta
net beat comes between the beats of
the music. Moorish dances are tough,
too. Moorish dancers use bells in
stead of castanets. They ring the
bells off beat, too, instead of one.
* * * *
PEACOCK.
/"kNE of our operatives could—and
will—tell you a story about a cer
tain otherwise dignified lady who
occasionally has been known to plunge
off the water wagon. Recently she,
together with a niece and nephew
in-law, went away on a trip together.
The thing was not much of a success
in one way for the young people spent
their time keeping aunty on the non
alcohol side.
They were, however, completely suc
cessful in that and counted them
selves lucky, if slightly disappointed,
when they arrived back in New York.
The first night there, however, they
had a call from aunty, located In an
other room of the hotel.
“There’s a peacock on my window
sill,” aunty reported.
“Go back to bed, you’ll be all right
in the morning," the youngsters re
assured her. After half a dozen calls
they carried the point.
The next day, you might want to
know, aunty's window sill was the
talk of New York. There had been
a peacock at the window; a peacock
which Is now being credited with hav
ing set an altitude record for the
species. Usually, they do not get that
high.
* * * *
SERVICE.
The electric light in the hall of
Ann Purcell’s home in Cottage
City went out suddenly one night
about a month ago. She tried an
other bulb, but it didn’t work, so
the concluded the fixture was out
of order.
Recently the asked Carroll
Higgs, who knows about such
things, to fix it, first explaining the
symptoms.
Carroll brought a stepladder
from the cellar, a bag of tools from
his home, and prepared to go to
work. Before starting, however,
ha screwed « oe^bulb into 04
I
Levee Cut to Save Town
and Secondary Dike is
Strengthened.
uib nnnutiaiiu * **•«.
CAIRO. Ill, January 26.—Relief
boats cruised about a 131,000-acre
Mississippi River floodway today,
speeding rescue to Missouri lowlanders
trapped In the basin, which was in
undated In a desperate battle to save
Cairo from the flood-swollen Ohio
River.
Red Cross officials and a Missouri
State Highway Department engineer
said at least 500 were caught when
the Mississippi tumbled through crum
bling levees to course across the
$21,000,000 Birds Point-New Madrid,
Mo, floodway, near the Misslssippt
Ohio confluence below here. A Na
tional Guard aviator, however, re
ported none in the area.
Red Cross officials, directing relief
boats from New Madrid, Mo, said the
refugees did not appear In immediate
peril. As soon as they were taken
from the flood most of them were
rushed to the court house at New
Madrid, then sent to Sikeston, Mo,
away from the river.
Seawall Strengthened.
Army engineers dynamited through
the levee to send the Mississippi into
the spreading floodway and ease ten
sion here, where every able-bodied
man in the partially evacuated city
labored atop a 60-foot seawall to hold
back the Ohio.
Flooding of the basin apparently
halted, at least temporarily, the threat
of indundation to Cairo. The Ohio
remained virtually unchanged at 58.67
since 6 o’clock last night. The river
was expected to remain at about that
level until Thursday.
Then, with the Bird* Point Basin
full, another rise is expected here.
Workmen rushed construction of a
3-foot bulkhead on the seawall, pre
paring for an expected 61-foot crest,
21 feet above flood stage.
W. P. A. Bolsters Levee.
On the Missouri side. 1,500 W. P. A.
workers from Poplar Bluff and other
Southeast Missouri towns worked to
day to bolster the setback levee. Charles
L. Blanton, jr, W. P. A. administrator
In the Missouri district, said the set
back will be raised 4 feet along 14 of
its 27-mile stretch. It protects nu
merous Missouri communities.
Officials said most of the residents
of the Floodway Basin were tenant
farmers and share croppers. Many
succeeded in moving their live stock
and some household goods ahead of
the Inundation, but several abandoned
everything to the water as they sought
safety.
Two colored persons drowned and at
least 10 persons were missing after the
Mississippi rushed from Its course with
& current so strong It crushed houses
and farm buildings.
Three observation airplanes cruised
along the line of the 60-foot set-back
levee at the rear of the basin, re
porting the predicament of isolated
refugees.
New Madrid Evacuated.
Women and children hurried out of
New Madrid after Army engineers and
the Red Cross ordered that community
and the entire southern section of New
Madrid County evacuated. Merchants
raised their stock on scaffolding and
boarded their stores against a threat
ened invasion of the Mississippi, pre
dicted by the chief Army engineer at
Memphis. Tenn, to be on its way to a
record crest.
Most of New Madrid's 2,309 resi
dents were gone to nearby communi
ties long before daylight. The town is
at the southern extremity of the Bird
Point Floodway and is protected by a
60-foot set-back levee.
Within an hour after the floodway
was opened six feet of water covered
most of its 131,000 acres, and the river
crept slowly toward the set-back levee
at Charleston, haven of 2,300 refugees.
Another 5,500 were concentrated In
nearby highland areas.
Citizens Warned.
The basin residents had been In the
floodway since morning ’’at their own
risk,” Army engineers declared. The
engineers announced Sunday they
would dynamite the levee.
There were report* that farmers
planned armed resistance, but en
gineers encountered no opposition.
The Birds Point-New Madrid Flood
way, completed In 1931, was built to
lessen flood threats at Cairo. This is
the first time it has been used.
Observers predict a new rise, slower
than the first, probably will come down
the Ohio about Thursday to bring a
crest between 60 and 61 feet at Cairo
by the end of the week.
Shawneetown, the first Illinois com
munity affected by the flood, was vir
tually deserted today. Harrisburg, 22
miles from the river and relief head
quarters for Southern Illinois, was par
tially inundated.
The waters had not yet broken
over the main levee at Shawneetown
at last reports, but were expected to
pour over momentarily. Communi
cation with the area was difficult.
At Golconda, Roaiclare and Me
tropolis, health authorities at Spring
field were advised, refugees were safe
on high ground.
Sandbags were placed on the levees
at Mound City and here.
18,000 TICKETS OUT
FOR BIRTHDAY BALLS
Sale Begun Yesterday in Six D. C.
Department Stores Under Miss
Catherine Harrison.
More than 18,000 ticket* to the
President's birthday balls Saturday
night have been distributed for aale,
it was announced today by Chairman
George E. Allen.
Sale of ticket* began yesterday at
six department stores, Lansburgh’s,
the Hecht Co., Jelleff'a, Kann's, Pa
lais Royal and Garflnckel's, under the
supervision of a group of girl* headed
by Miss Catherine Harrison, daughter
of Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi.
They have been available for sev
eral days at hotels, banks, the Ameri
can Automobile Association, the Key
stone Automobile Club, Government
departments and a group represent
ing the various professions and busi
nesses.
An added attraction for the seven
hotel affair is Amanda Snow, radio
singer known as “Paul Bunyan's
Sweetheart,” who will bear a pipe of
peaoe from Minnesota to Chairman
Allen. She is being sent here by
some Minneapolis business men to
represent that city.
socket and threw the twitch—
"jutt to make mire, he explained
And—well, woe the lady’* fm
r« i
LIGHT COST SLASH
IS EXPECTED TODAY
Utilities Commission Will
Order $500,000 Cut by
Power Company.
A delcaion of the Public Utilities
Commission, probably forthcoming to
day, will order a half-million-dollar
reduction in local electric light bills
this year, an amount that the Potomac
Electric Power Co. will divide about
equally between residential and com*
mercial consumers.
The anticipated aggregate reduc
tion, while the largest In recent years,
will mean a monthly cut, however,
of only about 15 cents In the bill of
the average citizen, based on an esti
mated average consumption of 75 kilo
watt hours.
William McK. Clayton created a
flurry at the close of the hearings
late yesterday when he demanded that.
In view of the "Impregnable financial
position of the company,” that the
Utilities Commission should make an
additional reduction of $350,000 which,
he asserted, would give consumers a
“fair break.” Clayton, representing
the Public Utilities Committee of the
Federation of Citizens’ Associations,
contended the net return should be
fixed this year at 6 per cent under the
sliding-scale arrangement for the de
termination of rate adjustments. This
would mean a reduction of one-half
of 1 per' cent, with an equivalent in
crease in the total available for rate
| reduction.
Protest From Company.
The commission, however, was not
expected to consider Clayton's plea
In determining the forthcoming reduc
tion. It brought a vigorous protest
from company officials.
Financial statements prepared by
the Pepco Co. and the commission,
computing the net amount avail
able for return to consumers, were In
virtual agreement. The commission
fixed the sum at $512,491.63 and the
Pepco estimate was $504,021.19 on the
agreed valuation. Either of these fig
ures or a compromise between them
will be retained by the Utilities Com
mission.
The new rates proposed by the com
pany. showing the distribution of the
reduction between the various classes
of consumers, involved few changes.
Small commercial users, however,
would benefit more than private con
sumers.
Under the new rates for city resi
dential users, the citizen using 200
kilowatt hours would be billed for
$4.90. whereas under existing rates he
would be charged $5.30. The most any
resident would get under this arrange
ment therefore is a 40-cent reduction
per month. According to the records
the average household uses only 75
kilowatt hours per month, so the bill
would be reduced by about 15 cents.
141.254 Householders Affected.
The total reduction of $255,702 pro
posed by the company in schedule A
would affect 141,254 household cus
tomers.
Residential users are now charged
3.9 cents for the first 50 kilowatt
hours. This rate would continue. For
the next 50 kilowatt hours the charge
Is 2.9 cents, which would be reduced
to 2.3 cents. The next 100 kilowatt
hours involves a present charge of
1.9 cents and this would be reduced to
1.8 cents. There is no change in the
present rate of 1.5 cents for over 200
kilowatt hours.
Under schedule D, for small com
mercial users, the most any one will
receive in the way of a reduction is
estimated at $3.60 per month in the
bill rendered. The total of $217,791
would be spread between 23.300 cus
tomers. A firm billed now for $118.80
for the first 3.500 kilowatt hours would
be billed $115.50 for 4,300 kilowatt
hours.
Further reductions of $31,189. to
make up the total of *504.682 proposed
by the Pepco Co. would be spread
chiefly among various classes of in
dustrial users. Included, however, are
1,657 rural consumers who would
benefit to the extent of $4,450.
Financial Condition Cited.
As the one-day hearing was about
to adjourn peacefully, Clayton in
jected his demand that the Utilities
Commission take into consideration
the “impregnable'’ financial condition
of the Pepco Co. In determining the
reduction for this year. He had
earlier protested that the approximate
$70,000,000 valuation base fixed in
1924 had been determined “behind
closed doors.”
Clayton cited that the company’*
surplus in 1936 had reached $30,781,
930 and that the rate of return under
the sliding scale agreement has aver
aged 8.91 per cent on this valuation
during the period from 1925 to the
present year, when it was computed
at 7.93 per cent by the commission
yesterday.
He claimed the company was pay
ing 3*4 per cent interest on its bond
Issues of 815,000.000, which had been
allowed by the commission.
"I am here asking for a reduction
from 6*4 per cent to 6 per cent in
the rate return for this year,” Clayton
said. He went into the financial status
of the power company, claiming, how
ever, that he was not criticizing its
“remarkably prosperous condition.”
• Per Cent Held Ample.
“Six per cent is an ample rate of
return, however, for a company that
has $30,000,000 in reserve,” he added.
"I am merely asking that the com
mission give the consumers a fair
break in this matter. A further re
duction of one-half of 1 per cent on
the valuation is about $350,000.”
William McClellan, president of the
company, sharply protested the line of
Clayton's arguments, charging the lat
ter has been “harping” on that Issue
for years.
He claimed the company was not
responsible for the surplus built up un
der regulations of the Utilities Com
mission. The company cannot use
this surplus, he claimed, and it cannot
issue common stock to reduce it.
William A. Roberts, former people’s
counsel, represented some Ninth street
commercial consumers at the hearing.
He wanted the commission to modify
its rules so that the power company
cannot arbitrarily make charges in the
matter of defective electric meters. He
claimed it was “grossly unfair and un
just” to make the customer responsible
for keeping his meter accurate.
Roberta cited the case of a colored
woman who was charged $46 over a
period of two years, claiming the com
pany itself had failed to detect im
proper meter wiring. He suggested
that the same rules governing gas
meters should be imposed py the com
mission, as they are “more equitable.”
CONTRACT AWARDED
The Treasury awarded yesterday a
$133,371 contract for construction of
a post offlc;. at Arlington, Va., to John
Buff Co, B^tuftora.
Ely Honored by School Patrol
Selden M. Ely, retiring head of the fifth division of the public schools, who has been in charge
of the school patrol movement, photographed yesterday as he received a gift at the luncheon given
by the Park View Parent-Teacher Association for the patrol boys of that school. Left to right:
Grace Myer, teacher in charge of the Park View patrol; Mrs. Louise Raebach, president of the
P.-T. A.; Policeman Frank L. Ach, Mr. Ely, Patrol Capt. Puree Fedder and Emily Scrivener,
school principal. —Star Staff Photo.
REBELS AM
SOUTH OF MADRID
Ground and Air Forces Fail
to Take Railway and
Highway Goals.
By the Associated Fress.
MADRID, January 26.—Massed in
surgent ground and air forces as
saulted Madrid's southern road and
rail communication lines for three
hours today.
Government militiamen, the De
fense Council announced, drove the
attackers back to their positions at
Sesena. west of the railway station
and highroads they wanted to take.
Fascist Infantry and cavalry, a
dozen tri-motored bombers, 20 pursuit
planes, ground batteries and what the
newspaper El Sol called “the German
infantry" participated in the attack
on the railway station.
The insurgents sought to surround
the important communications center
of Aranjuez and cross over to the
Valencia road, which is Madrid's
main line of communication with the
coast.
Militiamen, crawling flat on their
stomachs, withstood the terrific air
and ground bombardment until gov
ernment planes came to their aid.
Violent fighting was reported from
the Asturias front in Northern Spain.
Government besiegers of Oviedo
launched fresh attacks. Reports from
Gijon said thick black smoke shot sky
ward from several buildings in Oviedo
as government guns blasted the ca
thedral, the La Vega Arms Factory
and the North Station.
RED RIDER REPEAL
ACTION PROMISED
Chairman Norton Forecast* Call
for Consideration on
February 8.
From a sick bed Chairman Norton
ol the House District Committee gave
assurance today that the Kennedy
bill for repeal of the “red rider" to
the 1936 District appropriation act
would be called up for consideration
February 8, the next “District day"
in the House.
Suffering a mild attack of flu, Mrs.
Norton was unable to appear in the
House yesterday—the first "District
day” of the current session—and con
sideration of the "red rider” repealer
was automatically postponed for two
weeks.
"I am very aorry my illness was
responsible for a delay in House con
sideration of the Kennedy bill,'* said
Mrs. Norton. "There will be no fur
ther delay if I can prevent it, and I
am confident it will be called up on
th~ next District day.”
Kennedy’s bill, the first District
measure to be reported to the House
at the current session of Congress,
occupies a preferred status on the
calendar. The only other District bill
on the calendar is one authorizing
the Commissioners to create two
classes of detectives in the Police De
partment.
By the next District day, however,
a number of other additional bills are
expected to be added to the list. The
District Committee is scheduled to
hold two meetings in the meantime,
and some of the members hope to
have reported out favorably the non
controverslal bills that died on the
calendar in the last Congress.
FUNERAL RITES HELD
FOR MRS. MARY COYLE
Mr*. Mary Hart Coyle, 65, widow
of Thomas J. Coyle, died of a heart
attack Sunday at her residence, 138
E street southeast.
Bom In Westemport W. Va., she
was the daughter of Mrs. Mary Don
nolly Hart and Patrick Hart. She
came here at an early age and until
recently was employed In the Post Of
fice Department.
She is survived by a daughter, Mrs.
Margaret Newham; a son, Bernard J.
Cole, and two grandchildren. Miss
Doraine Coyle and Bernard J. Coyle,
Jr.
Funeral services were held today in
St. Peter's Catholic Church. Burial
was in Mount Olivet Cemetery.
U. S. CORONATION GROUP
President Roosevelt appointed a
special commission last night to repre
sent the United States at the corona
tion of King George VI of Great
Britain in May.
James W. Gerard, former Ambas
sador to Germany, will head the com
mission as “special ambassador.” Gen.
John J. Pershing and Admiral Hugh
Hodman AU be <*hag mambas*.
CHICAGO ELECTRICAL
STRIKE THREATENED
Aldermen Plan Appeal to Legisla
ture for Punds to Meet
Pay Demands.
Bj the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, January 26.—Chicago
aldermen considered yesterday an ap
peal to the Legislature to avert a
threatened strike of 800 municipal
electrical employes.
Legislative action empowering the
city to raise additional funds to meet
the electricians’ demand for restora
tion of a deprssion pay cut appeared
to be the only alternative the city had
to a cessation of municipal power.
In a demonstration of what the
strike would mean, the electricians
walked out for almost three hours Pri
day night, cutting off street and traf
fic lights, leaving arterial bridges
raised and endangering the fire and
police alarm systems.
A truce, originally agreed upon until
today, was extended until Tuesday by
business agents of the two union locals
involved, while the city considered
means of meeting the union demand
for a pay roll boost of approximately
$192,000 this year.
THE WEATHER
District of Columbia—Cloudy and
colder, probably rain or snow tonight
and tomorrow; lowest temperature to
night about 32 degrees; moderate
north or northeast winds.
Maryland—Cloudy, probably rain or
snow late tonight and tomorrow;
colder tonight and in south portion to
morrow.
Virginia—Rain in south and cloudy,
probably rain or snow in north por
tion tonight and tomorrow; colder to
night and in east and south portions
tomorrow.
West Virginia—Cloudy, probably
snow or rain in south portion tonight
and tomonow, and In north portion
tomorrow; slightly colder tonight.
River Report.
Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers
very muddy today.
Report for Last 24 Hours. •
Temperature, Barometer.
Yesterday—* Degrees. Inches.
4 p m._ 59 39.01
8 p m _ 54 30.10
Midnight_ 60 30.18
Today—
4 a.m._ 4« 30.25
8 a.m._ 42 30.25
Noon . _ _ __ 43 30.30
Record for Last II Hours.
iProm noon yesterday to noon today.!
Highest, 80, at 3 p m. yesterday. Year
a«o. 28.
Lowest, 42, at 10;30 a.m. today. Year
ago. 14.
Record Temperatures This Year.
Highest. 76, on Jsnuary 9.
Lowest. 30. on January 6.
Humidity for Last 24 Haurs.
•Prom noon yesterday to noon today.)
Highest. 90 per cent, at noon yesterday.
Lowest, 36 per cent, at 9 p.m. yesterday.
Tide Tables.
(Furnished by United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey.)
Today. Tomorrow.
High- 7:36 a.m. 8:24 am.
Low - 2:ORa.m. 2:53 a.m.
High- 7:59 p.m. 8:45 p.m.
Low - 2:23p.m. 3:11p.m.
The Sun and Moon.
_ Rises. Seta.
Sun. today__ 7:20 6:22
Sun. tomorrow_ 7:20 6:23
Moon, today_ 5:40 p.m. 6:59 a.m.
Automobile lights must be turned on
one-half hour after sunset.
Precipitation.
Monthly precipitation in Inches In tha
Capital (current month to date):
Month. 1937. Avg. Record.
January _ 6.81 3.65 7.09 '82
February __ 3.27 6.84 ‘84
March__ 3.75 8.84 ‘91
April__ 3.27 9.13 '89
May __ 3.70 10.69 '8#
June__ 4.13 10.94 '00
July __ 4.71 10.63 '86
August __ 4.01 14.41 '28
September __ 3.24 17.46 '34
October __ 2.84 8.67 ’86
November__ 2.37 8.69 '89
December__ 3.32 7.56 ‘01
Weather in Various Cities.
Temp. Rain
Stations. Baro. H h.Low.fall. Weath’r
Abilene. Tex. _ 30.30 68 26 _ Clear
Albany. N. Y. 30.24 44 34 Cloudy
Atlanta. Ga... 30.12 04 46 0.04 Cloudy
Atlantic City 30.24 56 42 _Cloudy
Baltimore. Md. 30.30 62 44 Cloudy
Birmingham 30.23 66 40 0.04 Rain
Bismarck. N.D. 30.24 -4-12 _Cloudy
Boston. Mass. 30,16 52 36 _ _ Cloudy
Buffalo. N. Y. 30.30 34 22 Cloudy
Charleston. 8.C. 30.02 78 66 1.01 Cloudy
Chicago. 111. 30.50 18 6 _Clear
Cincinnati. Ohio 30.46 38 20 _Cloudy
Cleveland. Ohio 30.38 38 20 . Cloudy
Columbia. 8. C. 30.16 72 48 0.24 Rain
Denver. Colo..30.10 38 20 _Clear
Detroit. Mich-30.38 32 16 _8now
El Paso, Tea. _ 30.28 60 24 _Clear
Galveston. Tex. 30.18 64 46 _Cloudy
Helena. Mont. 29.96 20 14 _Cloudy
Huron. S. Dak. 30.28 -2-12 _Clear
Indianapolis_30.44 30 12 . Cloudy
Jacksonville 30.08 80 70 1.48 Rain
Kansas City._. 30.44 24 10 _Clear
Los Angeles __ 30.18 60 42 _Clear
Louisville. Ky._ 30.48 4 8 22 _Cloudy
Miami. Pla_30.08 80 74 _Clear
Minneapolis_30.42 4-14 _Cloudy
New Orleans 30.16 64 62 Rain
New York. N.Y. 30.22 64 40 0.01 Cloudy
Oklahoma City - 30.34 38 28_Cloudy
Omaha. Nebr— 30.40 12 0 _Clear
Philadelphia _ 30.26 66 40 ... Cloudy
Phoenix. Aril- 30.20 64 28 ... Clear
Pittsburgh. Pa— 30.32 42 28 _Cloudy
Portland. Me- 30.12 48 34 . Cloudy
Portland. Oreg. 29.82 44 34 0.70 Cloudy
Raleigh, N. C. - 30.18 72 46 1.38 Cloudy
Salt Lake City- 30.28 22 4 Cloudy
San Antonio . 30.20 64 40 ... Cloudy
San Dins, Cal. 30.16 60 40 _Clear
San Franelico- 30.18 48 40 ... Clear
St. Louis Ml.. 30.48 26 16 - . Clear
Seattle. Waft- 29.78 42 36 0.12 Cloudy
Spokane. Wash. 29.82 28 26 0.22 Cloudy
Tamps. Fla. _ 30.08 82 70 0.08 Clear
WASH.. D. C— 30.28 60 43 _Cloudy
FOREIGN.
(7 a.m.. Greenwich time, today.)
Temperature. Weather.
London. England_ 36 Cloudy
Paris. France _ 39 Cloudy
Berlin. Germany_ 10 Cloudy
Brest. France ... 48 Cloudy
Zurich. Switzerland- 37 Cloudy
Stockholm. Sweden- 21 Cloudy
Gibraltar, Spain- 56 Rain
(Noon. Greenwich time, today.)
Horta (Fayal). Azores 68 Rain
(Current observation*.)
St. Georges. Bermuda. 0* Cloudy
San Puan. Puerto Riyo. 74 Cloudy
H.vyitjbuba_-^—- 70 gear
Urge Congress Appropriate
$1,000,000,000 for Big
Project Now.
Bt the Associated Press.
The American Federation of Hosiery
Workers proposed In a resolution
adopted today that Congress enact im
mediately a long-term housing pro
gram and appropriate ‘‘not less than
a bililon dollars” to finance it.
The resolution urged preference to
communities having a “decent labor
policy and oflering a variety of em
ployment opportunities.’’ to avoid any
extension of the “futile” condition now
prevalent in one-industry towns.
“By housing is meant not merely
dwellings but planned neighborhoods,”
it asserted.
Alexander McKeown, federation vice
president, called attention to the auto
mobile workers' strike, asserting it was
evident strikers could not depend sole
ly on the Government to enforce col
lective bargaining.
“Don’t count too much on Govern
ment assistance,” he urged.
Leaders of the federation took a
definite stand on the side of John
L. Lewis’ Committee for Industrial
Organization in its breach with the
American Federation of Labor.
Raising of a *50,000 fund to help
the C. I. O. was recommended by
Emil Rieve. president, who assailed
: the attitude of A. F. of L. officials
I toward the automobile workers’ strike.
He added, however, that "I am not
advocating that any union should
leave the ranks of the A. F. of L.”
j Representative Ellenbogen, Demo
crat. of Pennsylvania, sponsor of a
bill to regulate labor conditions in the
textile Industry, told the delegates he
was certain the bill is constitutional
and asserted It would be enacted If
the federation made a fight for it.
George Baldanzi, vice president of
the United Textile Workers, urged the
delegates to “go all the way down the
line for C. I. O. and industrial organi
zation.”
Meantime, the National Association
of Hosiery Manufacturers asked the
TarifT Commission today to protect
the domestic industry from increasing
imports of low-production-cost, seam
less cotton hosiery from Japan.
Earl Constantine, representing the
association, told the commission at a
hearing: “The factor of low labor cost,
which accounts for the lower prices
of the Japanese products, is one which
cannot be met by the American manu
facturer without destroying the pres
ent American standard of living.”
He said hosiery imports from Japan
of a type comparable to the American
product increased from 271,000 dozen
pairs in 1934 to an estimated 2,125,000
dozen pairs last year. He said a 50
per cent duty increase—the maximum
possible under the 1930 tariff law—
would not equalize the difference be
tween production costs in the United
States and Japan.
Even by such an increase, he said, the
wholesale price of the Japanese prod
ucts in this country would be 16 per
cent below the production cost of the
comparable article made in America.
CHEVY CHASE BANK
PAYS OUT IN FULL
The receivership of the Chevy Chase
Savings Bank has been closed, with
depositors of the bank paid "in full,”
Cary A. Hardee, receiver, announced
today.
The last dividend of 20 per cent
was made possible by a voluntary
advancement of cash by the stock
holders, but without an official “as
sessment” against the capital stock of
the bank.
In closing the receivership Receiver
Hardee has turned over remaining
assets to Paul Sleman, attorney, of the
Colorado Building, who was elected
stockholders’ agent. Sleman now will
have charge of "further liquidation”
of these assets, Hardee announced.
A total of $677,618.35 was paid to
depositors of the bank, who held what
is known as “unsecured liabilities,"
while a total of $113,385.49 was paid
on secured liabilities.
The remaining dividend checks,
which number about 1,000, mostly
in small amounts, not yet called for
by depositors, have been turned over
by the receiver to the Treasury De
partment.
At the Treasury it was explained
that depositors who have failed to call
for their checks will be required to ap
ply for them, preferably in writing, at
the Insolvent Bank Division of the
office of the controller of the cur
rency, on the tenth floor of the Wash
ington Building. The application must
be accompanied by some documentary
evidence of the claim, such as a re
ceipt from the receiver, a receiver’s
iffrUfluala or the claim number.
TROOPS TO PATROL
ARKANSASLEVEES
28 Dead in Three Southern
States and Homeless
Mount to 125,000.
BT the Associated Press.
MEMPHIS, Term., January 26 —
Martial law was ordered for Eastern
Arkansas and troops patrolled weak
ening Tennessee levees today for the
South's fight against all-time high
flood waters.
Twenty-eight persons were known
dead in Arkansas. Tennessee and
Mississippi. The homeless were esti
mated unofficially at 125.000 and
2,000,000 acres lay under water of
the Mississippi and its Southern
tributaries.
Gov. Carl E. Bailey, authorized by
his Legislature to declare martial law
in the East Arkansas flood zone, or
dered three companies of Guards
men out at once when Government
Engineers advised that the main
Mississippi River levee at Mellwood,
20 miles south of Helena, "might go
out within 24 to 36 hours.”
To Police Tiptonville Area.
Gov. Gordon Browning said he
considered martial law unnecessary
in West Tennessee, but that troops
would police the areas in the Missis
sippi lowlands around Tiptonville.
Warning that a "super flood is on its
way” came from Lieut. Col. Reybold,
district chief of U. S. Army engineers,
and spurred harassed relief workers to
plan for still more herculean labors.
Wholesale evacuations of be
leaguered towns in Tennessee, Western
Kentucky, Southeastern Missouri,
Arkansas and Mississippi burdened
refugee centers while the Mississippi
felt out the strengt h ofits confining
dikes.
Fear 55 Feet In Memphis.
“There will be 55 feet in Memphis
before the water now in sight from the
Ohio moves out,” Col. Reybold said,
adding that the crest probably would
come within 10 days or two weeks.
He predicted general stages along the
Mississippi some 10 feet beyond rec
ords set In the disastrous 1913 and
1927 floods.
The Mississippi hit 42 feet here to
day, 8 feet above flood stage and less
than 5 from the 1913 record of 46.6.
Along with his forecast of a serious
situation. Col. Reybold offered the aid
of engineers In evacuating completely
the St. Francis River basin from
Cairo, 111., to the mouth of the White
River if an emergency arose.
Move to Higher Ground.
Refugees from the lower part of
West Tennessee to the section near
Cairo where the Ohio River empties
into the Mississippi moved out en
masse to higher ground.
Fears were expressed a main line
levee below Hickman. Ky„ might give
way. Workers were called to strength
en the weak strip with sand bags.
Should the levee crevasse flood waters
of the Mississippi would surge to a
union with the burdened waters of
Reelfoot Lake, whose levees already
are weakened.
Precautions were taken to prevent
spread of disease along all fronts. Im
munization of refugees in the stricken
areas against typhoid fever was under
taken.
25 Dead in Tennessee.
The death list unofficially reached
23 in Tennessee. Six persons were
drowned near Riverdale. Ark., when a
boat overturned on Little River, rais
ing the toll in that State to 11.
In Arkansas the rise of the St.
Francis and Little Rivers was slowing
down, but preparations were going for
ward for a long siege of high water.
Rescue work proceeded throughout
| Eastern Arkansas.
The situation in Middle Tennessee
eased with slow recession of the Cum
berland.
Evacuations were reported In certain
sections of Mississippi lowlands, but
there was no cause for immediate
alarm along the Tallahatchie and
Coldwater Rivers.
SOVIET SABOTAGE
LINKED TO REICH
Engineer Confesses Wrecking to
Help Germany “Recover
Power.”
B» the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, January 26.—Alexander
Stein, German mining engineer, testi
fied today at the trial of 17 confessed
Trotzkyist plotters he engaged in
Siberian sabotage to help "Germany
recover her former power” in the
Soviet Union.
The 55-year-old engineer, first
foreign witness in the trial, declared
through an interpreter he received
his instructions through another Ger
man, named Flesser, who told him:
"Germany had to recover her former
power so Germans In the Soviet Union
had to engage in wreckage so as to in
crease German strength and give her
a free hand.
Flesser relayed the wreckage orders,
Stein testified, after receiving them
from “a person in an official position
in the U. S. S. R., who would help us
in case of failure.”
Stein testified his activities were
regulated by A. A. ShestofT, one of the
Russian defendants, who has con
fessed to plotting overthrow of the
Stalin government. ShestofT con
firmed the German's statement.
Stein's testimony followed a heated
debate between Prosecutor Audrey
Vishinsky and Vasily Ulrich, the pre
siding Judge, over mention of a "cer
tain foreign official” in the trial.
The German engineer asserted Fles
ser had attempted to get him to join
the Communist party and ShestofT
had obtained an application blank,
which later was refused by party offi
cials. ShestofT again confirmed the
testimony.
Stein said his wrecking activities
were centered in the coal mines near
Anjer, but “later I was reprimanded
for insufficient wrecking.”
The argument between the prosecu
tor and judge resulted in Ulrich re
versing his previous order that evi
dence involving foreign officials be
heard in secret.
MEASURE FAVORED
A subcommittee or the House Ju
diciary Committee yesterday ordered
a favorable report on a bill authoriz
ing the chief justice of the District
Court of Appeals to become a member
of the Judicial Conference.
The conference is composed of the
chief justice of the Supreme Court
and the chief Justices of the senior
circuit Federal courts. It meets one*
a year to formulate recommendations
fto Congress. *