Evening star. [volume], March 05, 1937, Page B-1, Image 19

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Washington News fat [ Society and General |
———————— _WASg^GTQNt D c> FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1937. *** PAGE B-l
HEALTH CONDITION
IN D.C. ASSAILED IN
FUNDS DEMAND
»
Representative Engel Urges
Slum Eradication as One
Major Step.
WOULD EQUIP RUHLAND
WITH ADEQUATE POWER
House District Subcommittee
Clears Decks for Study of
Jacobs Report.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.
Describing health conditions in
Washington as "rotten,” Representa
tive Engel. Republican, of Michigan,
announced today he would seek in
creased appropriations for the Health
Department in the coming fiscal year
so it can undertake a vigorous fight
against tuberculosis and the breeding
places of disease.
Engel, a member of the House Sub
committee on Appropriations in charge
of the' 1938 District supply bill, has
taken an active part in the hearings
on the measure which have just con
cluded.
Information given the subcommittee,
together with his own personal knowl
edge of health conditions, Engel said,
has convinced him the policy of ap
propriating funds to combat tuber
culosis and other serious diseases after
they have developed has been extra
vagant. and that steps should be taken
to prevent their inception.
Urges "Ounce of Prevention.”
“Washington has an excellent health
officer in Dr. George C. Ruhland,”
said Engel, “and I am sure if he is
given sufficient funds and an adequate
staff, he can do much to reduce the
city's high mortality rate. If that had
been done years ago. I am sure funds
would not have to be appropriated to
build and maintain expensive tuber
culosis hospitals. I believe in the old
adage that 'an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.”
Engel was particularly critical of
slum conditions in Washington—con
ditions, he declared, which breed dis
ease as well as crime.
“Get rid of these slums, and give
Dr. Ruhland adequate funds to fight
disease,” he said, "and I am sure the
mortality rate will be reduced, and
the taxpayers of Washington in the
future will not be required to build
expensive hospitals to care for the
crippled or the victims of some serious
disease.”
Praises Bovs’ Club Work.”
Engel also believes that slum dir
dance will serve automatically to re
duce crime. He said Supt. of Police
Ernest W. Brown is doing “remark
able” work in that connection through
the police boys clubs, and he proposed
to recommend to the subcommittee an
Increase in the appropriation for ex
tension of these clubs.
“These clubs are taking the boys off
the street and leading them away from
any temptation that might carry them
on to a career of crime.” he declared.
“That's what I believe to be sincere
crime prevention work.”
’ Engel is known to have the support
of Chairman Collins in his fight for
increased appropriations for both the
Health Department and the boys’
Clubs.
Except for a study of the Jacobs
fiscal relations plan on which the
1938 budget is predicated, the sub
committee completed its work on the
appropriation bill late yesterday after
hearing more than 30 civic representa
tives make pleas for a varied assort
ment of public improvements. In ad
dition, a delegation representing or
ganizations affiliated with the Council
of Social Agencies urged an increase
of at least $1,000,000 in the $1,465,000
emergency relief item in the 1938
budget.
Analyzes Report Monday.
The subcommittee will undertake its
analysis of the complicated three
point fiscal relations formula of J. L.
Jacobs, Chicago efficiency engineer,
Monday. Jacobs will be the first wit
ness. He will be followed by George
Lord, Detroit tax expert, who aided the
special Mapes committee of the House
make an exhaustive fiscal relations
survey more than five years ago.
Two special subcommittees of the
District Legislative Committee of the
House appointed to study various fea
tures of the Jacobs plan will sit with
the appropriations subcommittee dur- I
Mg its examination of Jacobs and
lord.
Among the witnesses who appeared
before the Appropriations Subcommit
tee at its final hearing was Mrs. Bur
ton K. Wheeler, wife of Senator
Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana. She
Urged that funds be included in the
appropriation bill to complete the
stadium at the new Wilson Senior
High School.
C. E. McGhee, president of the City
Firefighters’ Association, appealed
particularly for an increase in the uni
form allowance for firemen to a min
imum of $35 a year, pointing out that
the clothing problem in the Fire De
partment is so acute some men are
forced to wear the uniforms of fire
men who have died. He also recom
mended that firemen be relieved of
clerical work.
School Accommodations Asked.
Increased public school accommo
dations and especially an addition to
the new Anacostia Junior High School,
was requested by Dr. H. K. Butler
and Vernis Absher, representing the
Southeast Washington Citizens’ Asso
ciation.
Mrs. Andrew Snow of the Chevy
Chase Recreational Council appealed
for an increase in the appropriation
for playgrounds. The Washington
Board of Trade, through Cooper B.
Rhodes and Col. L. C. Crawford,
urged increased funds for the public
schools and the Police Department to
provide additional school buildings,
more teachers and more traffic offi
cers.
Larger appropriations for the High
way and Police Departments were re
quested by Washington I. Cleveland
of the District Motor Club of the
American Automobile Association.
Other witnesses included E. J. Read
of the Congress Heights Citizens’ As
sociation, Dr. Edward E. Richardson,
president of the City-wide Playground
Council; Rufus S. Lusk, president of
the Washington Taxpayers’ Associa
k *
Raccoon Qoes to School
Agitated by Stares of Children, Paulasse
Bites Master’s Hand.
Fernando Cuniberti entering the Jackson School with Pau
lasse, his pet raccoon, on his shoulder.
■Paulasse thought he could escape inquisitive eyes by scam
pering up a ladder leading to the loft. Here he’s coming back
down. —Star Staff Photos.
AULASSE, the raccoon, went |
to school yesterday, but,
crotchety at being held and
stared at by children and
teachers alike, bit his master's hand
and did the rounds of the classes by
himself.
Entering the Jackson School, 3048
R street, on the shoulder of his
master, Fernando Cuniberti. 3224 R
street, Paulasse was meek as a lamb,
chortling to himself and kissing his
master's ear. He was scheduled to
make the rounds of the class rooms
so the children might see wild life
in the flesh.
Unused to being in the limelight, he
descended his' master's back and
started leisurely on his way through
the rooms. Children were warned by
their teachers not to move or touch
him while they looked on with
mingled surprise and amusement at
Paulasse's antics.
Bites Master’s Finger.
Attempts to catch him for a pose
with the children resulted in a bitten
finger for Mr. Cuniberti. who patient
ly tracked him from one part of the
building to another. Climbing on
tables and inspecting everything from
the drinking fountain to the book
shelves, his wanderings finally brought
him to a low table, where the children
of the fifth grade had placed a bowl
of water containing a magnetized
needle. Into the bowl went Paulasse
for his morning ablutions.
Then out and up a ladder leading
1T02YEARSGIVEN
Alfred Layton, Who Pro
moted Pershing Hoax,
Receives Sentence.
Alfred Layton, who pleaded guilty two
weeks ago to two mail fraud charges
growing out of the notorious Pershing
bust swindle, was sentenced in District
Court today by Justice James M. Proc
tor to from one to two years imprison
ment on each count, the sentences to
run concurrently.
A fugitive for two and one-half years
after discovery of his scheme to ob
tain money through subscriptions to a
fund for purchase of a bust of Gen.
John J. Pershing, Layton was arrested
last July 30 in Atlantic City.
Among his victims were many of
the ation’s best-known financial and
political leaders. He represented to
them that the Pershing bust was to be
presented to the National Gallery of
Art.
The indictment against him con
tained six counts alleging use of the
mails to defraud, but Layton was al
lowed to plead guilty to two of the
counts with the understanding that
the others would be dropped.
The maximum sentence possible on
each count was five years' imprison
ment or $1,000 fine, or both.
tion; Mrs. Edward Chapin of the As
sociation of University Women; Earl
W. Cooper, George E. Keneipp and
George E. Diffenbach of the Chevy
Chase Citizens' Association, E. H.
Rosengarten of the Associated Gen
eral Contractors of America, Woolsey
W. Hall, president of the Federation
of Civic Associations, and Jerome B.
Osborne and A. S. Plnkett of the
Pleasant Plains Citizens' Association.
*
to the loft of the school. Ifyes a-gleam
at this possible avenue of escape, he
scampered nimbly up to where a trap
door barred his way and he was forced
to return to his waiting admirers.
Seeing the coon was beyond con
trol and would not “act nicely for the
kiddies.” Cuniberti cast about for pos
sible means for his capture. Finally,
his eye lit upon an oilcloth type
writer cover and Paulasse was borne
homeward snapping and snarling, to
be put in the “dog house,” literally
and figuratively speaking.
Mad Prospective Mate.
A New Jersey farmer sent Paulasse
to Cuniberti last Spring. At the time
he had a prospective mate, Pierrasse— i
prospective because both still were
babies. Cuniberti told today of how
he had trained the pair and how they
climbed on the table while the family
was eating, poking their paws into
everything that caught the eye.
Both took a fancy to rats, but were
not fast enough to catch them. Cuni
berti puts traps and poison in the cel
lar of his house to catch the rodents,
but Pierrasse, the little girl coon, ate
some of the rat poison and died.
"At home he never acts like this,”
said Cuniberti. "He frisks like a puppy,
and. although he Is sometimes bad,
gnaws through the door of his hou.->e
and climbs two stories to awaken me
and Mrs. Cuniberti in the night, he
has never bitten me before. This is
all strange to him. I guess he feels
cornered in here and instinct tells
him to fight.”
---.— i
Instead of Client,
Lawyer Is Denied
Right to Use Car
Mix-Up in IS antes Makes
Him Butt of Police
Court Jokes.
A mix-up in the names of an attor
ney and his client placed Thomas M.
David, lawyer, in a most embarrassing
position today. As matters stand,
Thomas finds himself without the right
to operate his automobile.
He insists upon doing something
about it right away.
David recently represented a man
who was convicted on a serious traffic
charge, and his permit was revoked by
the Board of Revocations and Restora
tions. The client appealed to the
District Commissioners, and today the
attorney received, a letter from the
District Building informing him that
his appeal from the Revocations Board
had been denied.
David was made the butt of numer
ous jokes in Police Court today, but it
was expected the error would be quickly
corrected.
DISCUSS SECURITY
The application of the social securi
ty act to employers was discussed
yesterday before the members of the
Cosmopolitan Club by Ralph B. Har
ris of the Washington field* office of
the Federal Bureau of Old Age Bene
fits.
Citing what he termed the "racket”
started by certain people to sell em
ployers so-called "official” social se
curity records, Harris declared that
there is no such thing as an official
record, and that the Social Security
Board and the Bureau of Internal
Revenue do not care how the records
are kept just so the desired informa
tion is available.
TO DROP WORKERS
IN MANY YARDS
Layoff Over Country Will Be
Gradual and Over Long
Period.
300 TO BE AFFECTED
IN CAPITAL ON MAY 1
Labor Leaders Indicate Assistant
Secretary Edison Will Hear
Vigorous Protest.
Thousands of navy yard workmen
over the Nation will lose their jotas,
due to the descending curve of em
ployment on construction, the Navy
Department disclosed yesterday, in
saying that 300 workers at the Wash
ington Navy Yard will be laid off May
1. Officials made it clear that the
lay-off over the country will be grad
ual and extend over a long period,
with the indication that more work
ers will be dropped here later as work
slows down.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Charles Edison, who has charge of
navy yards, will hear a vigorous pro
test from labor leaders, they indicated
yesterday. The Navy is blaming the
failure of Congress to pass the $225.
000.000 naval auxiliary construction
measure for the lessening of the work
load, which officials insist was fore
seen a year ago.
Rear Admiral Harold R. Stark, chief
of the Bureau of Ordnance. Navy De
partment, announced the lay-off of
300 here to the Secretary's round
table conference of his bureau chiefs
yesterday. Officials were unable to
give a definite figure representing the
total lay-off all over the country, but
said that it would amount to “thou
sands" as time goes on. Boston. Mass ;
New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Va.;
Charleston, S. C.. and Mare Island.
Calif., will be affected in varying de
grees by the lay-offs.
Lack Bidders for Work.
The slackening of employment at
the navy yards is blamed, in part, on
the inability of the service to secure
needed construction materials, due to
the lark of bidders on these essentials,
a condition that is attributed to the
Walsh-Healey 40-hour-work-week leg
islation. Had the keels of six destroy
ers and three submarines, to be built
at navy yards, been laid on time,
through the securing of steel on sched
ule, the work load could have been so
arranged as to save the jobs of many
of these men who now face the loss
of their pay envelopes, the officials
contended.
The prospective construction of two
new battleships will afford little im
mediate relief, officials said. Money for
these must be secured from Congress
before the Navy can go into produc
tion on them and detailed plans cre
ated.
N. P. Alifas, president of District:
No. 44, International Association of
Machinists, and its general legislative
agent and chairman of the Legislative
Committee of the Metal Trades De
partment of the American Federation
of Labor, said that he and his col
leagues will take the lay-off problem
up with Congress, as well as with the
Navy Department. He blamed the
lay-offs in some measure upon the
Navy’s letting out the jobs for engines
for submarines and ships’ boilers to
private contractors, instead of building
them in the Government’s own yards.
Favors More Construction.
Alifas wants the Government to
place the men to be laid off on pre
ferred employment lists: transfer those
available to other jobs In Government
establishments, and to make provision
for no repetition of this problem in
the future. He favors the construc
tion of more naval vesseis in navy
yards, instead of letting out the jobs
to private concerns. By this placing
of contracts with outside firms. Alifas
contended, the Government has to lay
off men in its own navy yards. Dis
charges can be avoided, he asserted,
if the Government will only do more
work in its own plants, he said.
The naval auxiliary construction
program comprises the building of
3 destroyer tenders, 2 store ships. 1
hospital ship, 2 repair ships, 1 oiler.
15 minesweepers, 1 minelayer. 4 sea
plane'tenders, 7 patrol plane tenders,
1 survey ship, 1 submarine tender and
10 fleet tugs. Congress has thus far
failed to pass this measure, although
naval officials insist that the present
and prospective lay-offs were foreseen
12 months ago, because of the antici
pated dropping off of the work load.
Woman Explorer to Lecture.
Strange creatures and customs of
Angola, West Africa, will feature an
illustrated lecture by Laura Boulton,
woman explorer, tonight before the
National Geographic Society at Con
stitution Hall.
Townsend Long-Suffering Job,
Attorney Tells Court in Appeal
Justice Peyton Gordon of District
Court, had under advisement today a
motion for a new trial for Dr. Francis
E. Townsend, who was compared by
his attorney in court yesterday to the
long-suffering Job of the Bible.
The lawyer, Elisha Hanson, con
tended that evidence should have
been admitted in the aged physician’s
recent contempt trial to show he was
justified in walking out of a hearing
of the House Committee investigating
old-age pension organizations.
“For three days—May 19, 20 and 21
—Dr. Townsend submitted to the ques
tions of the committee, and must have
said like the prophet Job ’How long
will ye vex my soul and break me in
pieces with words,’” Hanson told the
court. "Then, when he could stand
no more, he left.
“I have been appearing before con
gressional committees or representing
them for the past 25 years, but never
have I seen a proceeding which could
oompare with it for violation of an
individual's rights.”
k
Veterans of Capitol Hill Celebrate .
Garrett Whiteside and Senator Borah Mark 30 Years’ Service
at Luncheon Given by Idahoan.
Two 30-year veterans on Capitol Hill, Senator Borah of Idaho and Garrett Whiteside, secre
tary to Senator Hattie Caraway of Arkansas, celebrated a joint anniversary yesterday over a
luncheon at which Borah was host in the Senate Restaurant. Both began their service March
4, 1907. —Star Staff Photo.
GARRETT WHITESIDE not Another American ship had been
only saw history in the male- sunk a few hours before President
ing, but helped to make a Wilson delivered his message at night
bit himself in the 30 years to the Senate and House In Joint ses
he completed yesterday as a congres- sion.
sional secretary. Whiteside then was secretary to
fn a reminiscent mood, the dean of the late Representative Otis Wingo of .
Capitol Hill secretaries was the lunch- Arkansas, and clerk of the House En
eon guest yesterday of another 30- rolled Bills Committee. He had heard
year veteran, William E. Borah of Wilson recommend that Congress de
Idaho, who entered the Senate on dart "the recent course of the Im
March 4, 1907, the same day that perial German government to be. in
Whiteside took over his new duties. fact, nothing less than war against
Whiteside, who now is secretary’ to the Government and people of the
Senator Hattie Caraway of Arkansas, United States.” and had returned to
took occasion to recall, among other his desk in the committee room to
things, that he typed out America's finish some extra work,
declaration of war against Germany Flood Did Dictating,
as dictated over his shoulder by the It was about n 0-ci0Ck at night,
chairman of the House Foreign Affairs whiu,side said, when the late Repre
Committee and the British Ambas- sentative Hal Flood of Virginia, then
sa<*or- chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Most Dramatic Episode. Committee, came in with the late Sir
That was perhaps the most dra- Cecil Arthur Spring-Rice, then British
matic episode of Whiteside's career. Ambassador to the United States.
President Wilson had summoned the "Can you use a typewriter?” White
new Congress into special session on side was asked by Flood.
April 2. 1917 to hear his message Whiteside replied that he formerlv
concerning the crisis precipitated by had been a court reporter and would
the Imperial German government’s be glad to take the dictation. He
unrestricted submarine warfare on put a carbon between two sheets of
neutral shipping in European waters. piajn paper and inserted them in his
Germany's new policy of sinking typewriter,
neutral ships without warning had F7ood and Sir Cecil Arthur came and
been put into active practice. stood just behind him. Whiteside had 1
_
“Sir Walter” Kvale Pays
Looks Up Cost Precedent After Adven
ture With Green Lady.
Everybody knows the story of
Sir Walter Raleigh, the pud
dle of mud and the fine new !
coat he spread in the path of
his queen to save her from distress.
But Representative Paul Kvale of
; Minnesota, who is something of a Sir
Walter Raleigh himself, is wonder
ing whether Sir Walter ever got his
coat cleaned and pressed after the
queen stepped on it. and. if so, whether
Sir Waiter or the queen paid the
cleaner for the job.
Mr. Kvale paid, not for his coat
i but for his hat. It has received, he
| says, a most thoroughly beautiful
| cleaning. It looks brand-new. But
And there, at the point of passing !
into a swoon, was a lady who was
obviously feeling very green. Mr.
Kvale, .with others, assisted her to a
seat. The lady was becoming most
uncomfortable. There was that same '
telltale expression which shines from
the eyes of seasick passengers as they
dash for the rail. There was no rail.
There was no ocean. But there was
Mr. Kvale, a perfect gentleman, with
his hat.
Mrs. Kvale. it is reported, said she
was glad. She was tired seeing Paul
wear that old hat and he ought long
ago to have bought a new one. But
Mr. Kvale is proud of the hat. He
he paid the bill, and he would like
to know whether there Is precedent
for such charges or whether the Sir
Walter Raleigh act is more expensive
these days than it used to be.
How Mr. Kvale played the role of
Sir Water Raleigh at the Willard Ho
tel last Monday night, when the ladies
of the press and their distinguished
guests were dining, has not been given
the publicity to which so gallant an
act is entitled. Mr. Kvale, himself,
always an honest man, is willing to
admit the facts, but he has not been
telling the world about it.
But what else was there for a gen
tleman to do? There stood Mr. and
Mrs. Kvale waiting for an elevator.
Hanson argued that since Townsend
was charged with “wilful” contempt,
which implies an “evil” intent, he
should have been afforded an oppor
tunity to present evidence that his de
fiance of the committee was justified.
“The nature of the inquisition itself
would justify any one in leaving,”
Hanson declared.
He said he was ready during the
trial to offer the committee’s minority
report and the testimony of one mi
nority member to the effect that Dr.
Townsend was not asked to testify
on any possible subject of legislation.
United States Attorney Leslie C.
Garnett replied that Townsend was
advised by counsel to leave the com
mittee room as a publicity move, and
that his lawyer was present through
out the hearing, ready to advise him
if any question tended to violate his
constitutional rights.
Justice Gordon said he would study
authorities submitted to him and rule
on the motion at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
turned it over, instead, to the hotel
cleaners.
He paid the bill. But he wonders.
That is why he is looking up Sir
Walter Raleigh precedents.
GUNMANLOOTSTILL
AT GROCERY STORE
Manager Locked in Back Room
of Establishment After
Hold-up.
An unshaven hold-up man this
morning robbed the cash register of
the Sanitary grocery store at 1929
Ninth street of $20 and locked Ernest
H. Bowie, 29, the manager, in the back
room.
Mamie Jones, colored, 1830 Ninth
street, entered the store 20 minutes
later, heard the cries of the imprisoned
man, and summoned a passerby to re
lease him.
Bowie said the bandit, about 40,
pointed a rusty nickel-plated revolves
at him and asked for the money. The
robber wore a brown topcoat, a brown
suit and brown shoes.
Theft of three platinum rings set
with diamonds, valued at $1,500, from
the wash room of a downtown hotel
was reported to police yesterday by
Mrs. Florence Llewellyn of Rector
town, Va.
Three white men held up Otis Wal
ter Melvin, 439 Twelfth street south
east, taxicab driver, on G street south
east near Benning road early today
and robbed him of $5 and his cab.
He had picked the men up as passen
gers at Eighth and G streets.
Another hacker lost his cab and 50
cents in a second hold-up in the same
neighborhood. George V. Aitsas, 808
Maryland avenue southwest, told po
lice he picked up two white men at
Third and G streets and took them
to Forty-seventh street and Benning
road southeast, where ha was robbed.
A
no idea of the importance of the docu
ment he was about to type. He said
that Flood did most of the dictating,
but that the British Ambassador made
several suggestions and they were in
corporated in the brief declaration of
about a half page.
Passed Almost Verbatim.
Whiteside said that to the best of
his recollection the declaration he
typed that night was passed almost
verbatim on April 6 as a joint Senate
and House resolution, and signed the
same day by President Wilson. He
gave both copies to Flood and the
Ambassador, and has regretted since
he did not make a third copy to keep
as a memento of the occasion.
Whiteside, who came here from
Nashville, Ark., at the age of 22 as
secretary to Representative Ben
Cravens of Arkansas, has seen many
statesmen come and go in his term of
office. The only ones he can recall
who were serving in 1907 and who are
still in Congress are Senators Borah
and Sheppard of Texas
Whiteside became Representative
Wingo's secretary after leaving the
employ of Cravens, and in 1921 was
chosen secretary to the late Senator
T. H. Caraway of Arkansas.
Whiteside went to w’ork for Mrs.
Caraway when she succeeded her hus
band following his death in 1931.
Whiteside is 52 years old.
Secretary Perkins Sends
Message to Leaders
of Drive.
A committee of more than 100 Gov
ernment officials, headed by Secretary
of Labor Perkins, has been organized
to assist in the National Symphony
Orchestra's campaign for a $110,000
sustaining fund, it was announced to
day. In a message to leaders of the
drive. Secretary Perkins said:
•'It is a splendid thing for the thou
sands of Washington residents who
are identified with the Government de
partments that your symphony con
certs are made available at such a
nominal cost that no one need deny
himself the great satisfaction of hear
ing good music.
"I am glad to assist your efforts by
helping to organize a committee which
will accept financial contributions to
your sustaining fund from those Gov
ernment officials and employes who
may care to help support the work.
We are deeply interested in the suc
cess of this movement and will do all
we can to further it.”
Richardson Saunders, assistant to
the Secretary, has been named vice
chairman of the committee. Mrs.
W. S. Kunkel is secretary.
Members of the Government com
mittee are:
! Shipley Mrs. Ruth Nutting. Mrs. Lillian
i La Farge. Harry A. Galt. A B
I Carusi. Ugo Nagle. Robert L
I Dotson. Floyd E Nielson. lee
! Stockberger. W. W. Taylor. Perry
Libbey. E W. Costigan Mabel C.
Hull. William C Cawood. R. H
Stamm. Lillian K. Jackson. Janet
Wilbur. Mary H 3ray. Edward R.
Brown. Harold M. Kinnear. Harry
Johnson. Otis B. Schuman. Capt. R. W.
Bowman. Mrs. L. A. Chase. Guy G.
Tracy. Robert C. McKnew. R G.
Floyd. Miss Ollie Harris. Collas H.
Lawrence. Mrs. Alice Pierson Warren Lee
Black. W. C Smith. Edwin S.
Dorsey. H. W. Reynolds. John B.
Bockett. Paul Mitchell. W L.
Silverman Dr. Geo Havenner Dr. G. C.
Oriffln. William V. Lally. Miss Josephine
Nestor. Henry C.
-•
‘FAIR AND WARMER’
DUE FOR TOMORROW
Mercury Reaches 67 in Brilliant
Sun—36-Degree Low Pre
dicted for Tonight.
The predicted vacation for “Old Man
Sunshine” was postponed today as the
Weather Bureau forecast a hearty
‘‘fair and wanner” for this afternoon
and tomorrow.
After shining brilliantly throughout
yesterday, sending the temperature to
the extraordinary high of 67 degrees,
much to the chagrin of successful ad
vocates in changing the inaugural date
from March 4 to January 20, the sun
was due to hide its face today and
give way to chilly weather and occa
sional showers. But the latest reports
indicate there has been a reconsidera
tion in favor of clear skies with a 50
degree maximum predicted for this
afternoon and a 36-degree low in store
for tonight.
Bureau officials said today the 67
degree low at 2:30 p.m. yesterday
hardly is a record, but was “excep
tional.” The average of 52 was 13
degrees warmer than the March 4
normal of 39. The low this morning
was 43.
.
England Imports Gam Arabic.
England is Importing gum arable
from the 8udan to make postage
■tamps (tick.
r
THIRD DEATH MARS
SAFETY CAMPAIGN
ONLY 3 DAYS OLD
Employers Asked to “Call on
Carpet” Drivers Held for
Traffic Offenses.
JUDGE MAKES ANOTHER
TALK AGAINST SPEEDING
Doles Out Stiff Fines to Offenders.
District Employes to Be Dis
ciplined if Arrested.
George A. Neal, 64, of 3425 Eastern
avenue. Mount Rainier, Md.. died early
today in Emergency Hospital, the
thirty-second victim of traffic acci
dents in the District this year and the
third since Commissioners launched
their safety campaign three days ago.
The traffic toll on this date last year
was only 17.
Meanwhile, Judge John P. Mc
Mahon continued to fine motorists on
first-offense speeding charges, having
assessed 24 of them $10 each yester
day, while the Commissioners sought
to stem the tide of fatalities by ask
ing employers to “call on the carpet’’
any workers arrested for speeding,
reckless driving or other serious trai
fle offenses.
Judge McMahon delivered from the
bench his second denunciation ol
speeders in two days. He let only six
first offenders escape with $5 fine:-.
Three second-offense speeders were
fined $15 each and a fourth driver was
assessed $10.
Speed, the magistrate declared, ts
one of the greatest contributing fac
tors In the city’s ever-increasing traf
fic death toll, and speeders will be
shown little leniency.
The Commissioners issued their re
quest to employers as the latest effort
to force compliance with their cam
paign for "a month without a traffic
killing.’’
D. C. Officials to Set Examples.
Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen said
the District government is "going to
bear down on all municipal employes
who are found guilty of willful traffic
offenses, and we think it would be
helpful if private employers did like
wise." At the same time he warned
"jay-walkers" and pedestrians who
fail to cross intersections on the ’’go"
sign. He stressed the need for an
educational campaign and promised
employers of large numbers of work
ers to furnish speakers if they would
call meetings of their employes.
Neal walked into the side of an
automobile at Ninth and D streets
Wednesday night. The driver—Wil
liam A. Sperber of 333 N street south
west—who took Neal to the hospital,
was not held. He will be summoned
to an inquest, however.
The thirty-first fatality was record
ed last night when Rubin Stroman, 17,
colored, 5536 Jay street northeast, died
in Casualty Hospital of a fractured
skull suffered when he was struck by
an automobile near Ninth and K
streets northeast.
Police investigated Stroman's death
this morning and announced their
first impression that he was victim
of a hit-and-run driver apparently
was erroneous. They issued an appeal
at noon for the driver to report to
them in order to clear up the case.
Officers learned Stroman and an
other colored youth were playing on
Ninth street when the automobile ap
proached. The driver, believing a boy
had been struck, got out of the car
to look and left the scene after seeing
a boy running up the street. Evi
dence gathered from witnesses Indi
cated the second boy—Stroman—had
been carried along on the bumper of
the car for a short distance.
Witnesses said the driver apparently
didn’t see Stroman in the street and
drove slowly away from the scene.
First Setback Yesterday.
The "month-without-a-death" cam
paign received its first setback yester
day with the death of Jesse Jones. 42,
of 1201 N street from injuries received
when he was hit by a street car. An
inquest into his death will be held at
the District morgue at 11:30 a m. to
morrow.
A truck driver was treated for in
juries and later charged with reckless
driving after his vehicle collided with
a street car at the corner of Sixty
first and Dix streets northeast early
today. He is Arthur Edward Bivens.
34. of 2234 F street southeast. Floyd
Little. 203 C street, was motorman
of the street car.
Bivens was taken to Casualty in the
eleventh precinct patrol and. after
treatment for cuts on his head, was
transferred to the station, where he
was booked on reckless driving charges.
James Joseph Raum. 29, of 2235 Prout
street, passenger on the truck, also
was treated for cuts on the head.
Barbara ShafTeir, 33. of R. F. D. No.
2. Anacostia Station, Md„ was struck
by a hit-and-run driver at Eleventh
and M streets southeast yesterday.
She was taken to Providence Hos
pital, suffering from shock and pos
sible internal Injuries.
Police, meanwhile, arrested a pas
senger in the car that hit her. William
Myers, 49, colored. 811 Third street
southeast, and sought the driver, who
ran from the scene.
Other mishap victims yesteday and
last night were Edward Rosenthall.
65, of 1779 Lanier place, struck by an
automobile at Eighteenth street and
Columbia road; John Turner, 54. col
ored, 118 G street southwest, hit by
a car at Delaware and Virginia ave
nues southwest, and John J. McCarty.
29, of 638 D street, hit by a street
car at Thomas Circle. Their in
juries were not serious.
GEN. HATCH RESIGNS
LAUREL, Md., March 5.—At the
meeting of the Laurel Welfare Asso
ciation this week the resignation of
Gen. E. E. Hatch, who was elected
president at the annual meeting, wa#
received and accepted with regret. A
successor will be elected at the next
quarterly meeting In May.
Mrs. Regina Hobbs was appointed
director of relief, with Mrs. V. D.
Cockey to take Mrs. Hobbs’ place on
the Board of Trustees. Mrs. Walter
Lanahan was tentatively named as
sistant director.
A