Evening star. [volume], May 04, 1937, Page A-2, Image 2

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
“Ballerina” Ballots Lead
In Corcoran Gallery of
Art Referendum.
"Ballerina,'’ a striking full length
portrait of a girl in ballet costume, by
Feodor Zakharov. New York artist,
hu been adjudged the most popular
picture in the Fifteenth Biennial Ex
hibition of Contemporary American
Oil Paintings at the Corcoran Gallery
of ■ Art.
The painting received the largest
number of votes in a public referen
dum conducted at the gallery last
week, it was announced today at the
gallery. Zakharov will receive a $200
“popular prize.”
Zakharov's picture, showing with
almost photographic faithfulness a
ballet dancer poised on her toes, with
other dancing figures in the back
ground, received 343 of the several
thousand votes cast during the week.
Chapman Work Next.
Next in popularity was "Alice
Through the Black Bottle." by Charles
6. Chapman, which received 134
votes. Third largest number of votes
was cast for "Testimonial,” a large
symbolic painting on war, by R. H.
X\es Gammell.
Zakharov was born in Russia in
lS82, but has become a citizen of the
United States. He is a graduate of
the Moscow School of Painting, Sculp
ture and Architecture. His paintings
are owned by a number of Russian
museums and by private American col
lectors. In 1928 he received the Lip
pincott Prize at the Pennsylvania
Acsdemv of the Fine Arts.
He was represented in the Corcoran
Gallery's Fourteenth Biennial Exhibi
tion by a painting entitled "Madame
X.” Of his current entry the gallery
today said:
- “ ‘Ballerina’ is not only a worthy
work of art, but is also most attrac
tive in subject and gives evidence of
discriminating taste on the part of
the visitors to the exhibition.
"The painting has been invited by
the Toledo Museum of Art to be shown
to its Annual Exhibition of Selected
American Paintings.”
Landscape Called Best Picture.
A jury of art experts chose a land
tee pe, "Cape Cod Afternoon,” by Ed
ward Hopper, as the best picture in
the show. Hopper was awarded the
$2,000 W. A. Clark first prize and the
Corcoran Gold Medal. Three other
paintings were selected by the experts
for other Clark awards, but none of
these pictures figured heavily in the
popular balloting.
The exhibition will continue
through next Sunday. The last eve
ning inspection period will be Friday
from 7:30 to 10 o'clock.
Firearms
(Continued From First Page.)
tkan machine guns, since they can be
Concealed with greater facility. During
the past two or three years new types
of weapons and ammunition have
been developed with greatly increased
penetrative power. The situation is
one of urgent necessity and must be
brought under control.”
Cummings apparently had reference
to the so-called Magnum revolver,
Whjfh, according to J. Edgar Hoover,
director of the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation, is so powerful that it
makes useless steel vests and other
protective shields adopted by law en
forcement agencies. The present fire
arms law does not apply to the new
revolver.
The new law would impose a tax
•f $1 on every transfer of firearms
Of any type. There would be no tax
Imposed for registering. The 1934
lot imposes a $200 tax on all transfers
Of machine guns and sawed-off guns
»nd this levy would be continued.
Sees Burden Not Great.
, Cummings expressed the opinion
rt no serious financial burden would
involved in a $1 tax on transfers
V revolvers, pistols, rifles or shotguns.
“The honest and law-abiding citi
ten," he said, ‘‘would be caused far less
hardship by the proposed enactment
than by the existing requirement that
he register his automobile, while a
system of registration of firearms
would place a potent weapon against
Criminals In the hands of law enforce
ment officers.”
Federal officials do not expect, of
Course, that criminals will register
their guns. They hope, however, to
fhake it more difficult for gangsters to
get firearms—and when one of them
Is caught In possession of an unregis
tered weapon he could be prosecuted,
even though there be no other Federal
Charge against him.
, There have been instances in which
the authorities have been compelled
to free known gangsters, and return
their pistols and rifles to them, be
cause of lack of a Federal firearms
law under which to hold them.
Since enactment of the 1934 act
more than 18,000 machine guns and
machine rifles, 16,00 sawed-oS shot
Sina and sawed-off rifles and 700
lencers have been registered, mostly
by law enforcement agencies and mili
tary organizations.
■ Constitutionality of the act was
cpheld recently by the Supreme Court.
W. F. HORSTKAMP
FUNERAL CONDUCTED
■ - i. H .
Retired Carpentry Contractor Is
Buried in St. Mary's
Cemetery.
Funeral services for William Francis
Horstkamp, 58, who died Friday at
his home, 1107 Eighth street, were
held today in the Catholic Church of
the Immaculate Conception, after
brief services at the residence. Sol
emn high mass was sung by Rev.
John Horstkamp. his cousin, assisted
by Rev. Joseph Gedra as deacon and
Rev. Francis P. Harrity as subdeacon.
Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery.
For many years Mr. Horstkamp was
In the carpentry contracting business
here, until forced to retire by falling
health several years ago. He was an
It?her at the Immaculate Conception
Church, a member of -the St. Vincent
fie Paul Society and Holy Name So
piety. A lifelong resident of this city,
he w'as a son of the late Mr. and Mrs.
jVilliam N. Horstkamp.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Pearl
May Horstkamp; four sons, William
B-. Jr.; Lester, Gwynne and Marion
Horstkamp; two sisters, Mrs. Benja
Jnln Groves, the latter of Baltimore,
and Mrs. Florence Jouvenal, this city,
and three grandsons.
k
Voted Most Popular Picture
This Painting, entitled "Ballerina," by Feodor Zakharov,
naturalized New York Russian, received the most votes in the
public referendum at the Fifteenth Biennial Exhibition of Con
temporary American Oil Paintings, Corcoran Gallery of Art.
W ashington W ay side T ales
Random Observations of Interesting
Events and Things in Capital.
INTRODUCTION.
EDMUND PLOHN, manager of
our major legitimate theater
here, was born in Louisville,
Ky„ where he became a close
friend of the late "Marse Henry"
vvaneiauii, msi ui me uia scnooi nre
eating Southern editors. In later years
whenever "Marse Henry" went to
New York and wanted to see a show,
he would call upon Mr. Plohn who, as
a big shot in the theatrical world
there, held within his power the open
sesame to all metropolitan theaters.
One time when "Marse Henry" was
unable to get up to the city for a
certain opening he sent along his sec
retary, Arthur Krock. now the Wash
ington correspondent of the New York
Times. Mr. Krock bore a letter or
introduction from Watterson, took it
to the theater, but found Mr. Plohn
out. He presented his credentials, re
ceived tickets, left the letter on Mr.
Plohn's desk, and went on to the show.
That was in 1912. The other day,
looking over some papers he had
brought down with him when he came
to Washington to work, Plohn found
the letter written a quarter of a cen
tury ago to Introduce Krock. He
never had met the gentleman, never
theless, so he took the note around
the corner to the Albee Building, pre
sented it to Mr. Krock, Introducing
Mr. Plohn.
The two promptly became fast
friends.
* * * *
MATCHED PAIR.
The larger the bullfrog, the
heavier its croak. The deep
throated voice of the Great Dane
mocks the yap of the terrier, but
it is best to forget all theories
about size as an indicator of vocal
timbre when referring to men. In
The Star Glee Club, for example,
the star basses are “Rudy" Kauff
mann, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall,
weighs 195 pounds and has a voice
in proportion, and Clayton Bans, a
linotype operator, who is 4 feet 11
inches high, weighs just a bit more
than 100 pounds and can give the
low notes quite as much punish
ment as his fellow warbler.
* * * *
PROTEST.
/'"'OING through Rock Creek Park
the other day, a taxi driver saw
a rather distinguished, conservatively
dressed man walking along the road,
apparently in search of something.
He stopped and asked, “Is there any
place I can take you, sir? Are you by
any chance lost?”
The fellow looked at him a moment
and said, “Are all the taxi drivers In
Washington absolutely nuts?”
Cabbie allowed as how he didn't
think so.
“Well, I’m taking no chances,” said
the man. “The reason I'm walking
now is because I don't intend to get
into one of the things again while I’m
here. What do you suppose I’m doing
in this park now, anyhow?”
“Wouldn’t know,” said the driver.
“Nothing. Positively nothing. Ex
cept I took a cab downtown at my
hotel and asked to be driven to the
Monastery, which I wanted to see on
this visit here. ‘The what?’ said my
driver. ‘The Monastery,’ I said.
‘Where the monks are.’ And where
did he bring me? ’Way out here,
straight to the monkey house the
Zoo! Now I ask you! Faugh!” roared
thfe fellow, his anger rising again.
“Get on your way with your stupid
taxi and I hope never to see another
one.”
The driver left all right, and
laughed most of the day.
* * * *
ACCORD.
VUE HAVE it on the authority of
Mrs. Robert Whitney Imbrie of
the Carlton Hotel that during a
father-and-son conference between
Postmaster General Jam^s Farley and
his boy the other day, the youngster
asked: “Dad. when I grow up will I
be a big man like you?” to which Mr.
Farley modestly replied, "Why son,
I dont’ think I'm such a big man.”
“Come to think of it, I don't think
so either,” said the boy.
* * * *
LVCK.
The number 7 turned wMmMcal
A
the other day after more than
three decades of doing handsomely
by a local citizen, who had infinite
faith in its magic.
It was Spring istill is, by the
way) and he was feeling young and
vital and confident, when he saw
7.000 miles bob up on the speed
ometer of his car. He was re
minded that 7 had always been his
lucky number, that during the next
1.000 miles he probably would be
smiled upon by all good fortune so
far as his motoring was concerned.
Sure thing. The 7,000 miles was
not 5 miles old before he had the
first puncture that has befallen
him in years. He did not sur
render then to disillusionment, but
ine next, auy rie naa misgivings
when the car developed several
conspicuous rattles. The third day
the heavy blow fell. There was a
sudden whirring down near the
transmission, climaxed by a sharp
click, then silence.
He looked at his speedometer.
It had ceased to function, giving
up the ghost in the middle of its
7,077th mile.
BENEFACTORS.
’T'O HEAR them tell it, the cigarette
manufacturers have discovered
tobacco formulas to improve your
golf, polo, married life, digestion,
throat and pocketbook, although most
of the people who bear witness to
these wonders are known to receive
handsome cheques for their testimony.
Recently, however, a cigarette con
cern hit upon a scheme that Is with
out a doubt turning our Nation into
a race of research scientists. Outfit
started a contest in which participants
must Identify properly 90 names in a
list of 1,000, the identification being
made through clues given in a series
of pictures. The winners are to share
some fancy prize money, provided any
one at all knows enough about
heraldry, history, chemistry and what
not to get the answers.
Just how far the thing has gone In
stirring the populace to vast mental
•xercise Is suggested by a recent rul
ing of the Mount Pleasant Library,
limiting the use of certain reference
books to 15 minutes per person. After
all, high school and college students
have to dig up a few facts, too, not
withstanding the milling mobs of
their elders who cluster around the
reference files.
Runaway Tractor Caught.
LAMAR, Mo., May 4 (£*).—A farmer
fainted and fell unconscious from his
tractor, which continued on Its way
driverless. The farmer recovered, saw
his tractor runwing away. He leaped
to his feet and overtook it.
His age, 55, his name, Lynn Fast.
Congress in Brief
TODAY.
Senate:
In recess until Thursday.
Civil Liberties Committee continues
inquiry into Harlan County, Ky.
Judiciary Committee continues study
of Roosevelt court bill.
Houae:
Considers minor legislation.
Agriculture Committee resumes con
sideration of sugar quota legislation.
Post Office Committee studies pro
posed revision of airmail laws.
Appropriations Subcommittee con
tinues secret hearings on proposed ex
tension of P. W. A.
TOMORROW.
Senate:
Will not be in session.
Commerce Committee meets 10 a.m.
Subcommittee on finance meets 10
a.m.
House:
Considers miscellaneous bills on cal
endar.
Rivers and Harbors Committee meets
10:30 a.m.
Indian Affairs Committee meets
10:30 a.m.
Immigration Committee meets 10:30
a.m.
Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Committee meets 10 a.m.
District Committee meets 10:10 am.
A
RASH PONT
UNK IS DESCRIBED
U. S. Counsel Questions Of
fice Manager for Financier
at Tax Hearing.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 4—The close
business and personal relationship
existing between Pierre S. du Pont and
John J. Raskob was described today at
the hearing of the Government's case
to collect approximately $1,800,000 on
the 1929 income tax of the two finan
ciers and industrialists.
Nathan B. Leming. chief counsel for
the Internal Revenue Bureau in the
hearing befere Tax Commissioner
Richard Disney, brought out the de
tails of this relationship in question
ing Harold G. Seer, office manager
and statistician for Raskob.
At the time in question, before
Raskob and Du Pont moved into their
offices near those of Alfred E. Smith
in the Empire State Building, Seer
said the two men occupied joint offices
in the Grand Central Building.
They had connecting suites, with a
common receptionist, but each had his
own telephone and buzzer system, his
own personal staff and own filing
systems.
Leming's questioning was designed
to show joint business action on the
part of the two men—something which
lawyers for Raskob and Du Pont have
offered to stipulate all along.
"I'll try this in my own way,” Lem
ing replied at the mcrning session
when another offer of stipulation was
made by James S. Y. Ivins of Wash
ington, chief counsel for Du Pont.
Previously Leming brought out that
on November 13—two weeks after the
Wall Street stock crash and panic—
personal checks of Du Pont and Raskob
of $4,606,000 and S4.582.750. respec
tively, were brought to the Bankers'
Trust Co. in the same envelope and
deposited at the same time.
These checks were exchanged by
Du Pont and Raskob in the sale to each
other of certain bldrks of stocks in
w'hich both had losing positions.
Counsel for the two millionaires
have not contested the Government’s
contention that these stocks were sold
to establish losses after the crash, de
ductible from their 1929 income tax.
However, they have denied the Gov
ernment’s contention that the two
men had agreed to repurchase the
stork, contrary to the income tax
statutes.
The stocks were repurchased in toto
in January, 1930, but counsel for Du
Pont and Raskob said the sales and
purchases "were all made at the risk
of the market" and were not made in
accordance with any agreement.
Both Raskob and Du Pont were in
the hearing together again today, ar
riving 15 minutes before Tax Commis
sioner Disney pounded his gavel, and
left carrying their own brief cases at
the close of the morning session.
They obtained a severance of their
cases and while the Du Pont case is
being heard Raskob is remaining in
the room with his lifetime friend and
business associate.
LOW-RENT HOUSING
EXHIBIT IS REOPENED
Display Shows Transition of Di
lapidated Areas Into Mod
ern Centers.
The slum clearance and low-rent
housing exhibit sponsored by Wash
ington churches and Government
agencies was reopened at 12 30 p m
today by the Church of the Immac
ulate Conception at Hurney Hall, in
the 700 block of N street.
Displayed last week at St. John's
Episcopal Church, the exhibit shows
the transition of dilapidated housing
areas into modern apartment centers,
photographs of living conditions of
underprivileged families and the Alley
Dwelling Authority's work to relieve
slum conditions here.
Activity of the Public Works Admin
istration in building homes and apart
ments for low income families is shown
in miniatures of such projects as the
Langston Terrace, now under con
struction at Benning road and Twenty
first street northeast, and Greenbelt
at Berwyn. Md.
The exhibit will be open from 12:3C
to 5:30 p.m. every day until Sunday
Yakut Survey to Start.
Lesser known regions of the Yakut
republic will be studied by a geolog
ical expedition of the Arctic Insti
tute which recently left Leningrad,
Russia, and which has 4fi members
who will make investigations over
an area of 30.000 square miles before
January, 1939.
Central Strike Committee
Acts Without Announc
ing the Reason.
BACKGROUND—
Newly-organized Federated Mo
tion Picture Crafts, affiliate of
American Federation of Labor, is
sued strike call Friday night, with
four unions, involving 3,500 work
ers, responding Saturday morning.
Seven more unions joined walk
out yesterday, but Actors’ Guild de
layed decision awaiting outcome of
talks with producers. Union recog
nition and a closed shop is de
manded.
By the Assoclttea Press.
HOLLYWOOD, May 4.—The Cen
tral Strike Committee, without an
nouncing the reason, called all wom
an marchers off the picket lines sur
rounding Hollywood motion picture
studios today.
An official said the decision was
made “after that trouble last night
at the Westmore's.”
The House of Westmore, extrava
gant film colony beauty salon, was
damaged, the owners said, to the
extent of $15,000. Three men and a
woman smashed mirrors, ripped car
pets and tapestries and smeared creo
sote over the establishment.
n is owned Dy me lour Westmore
brothers. Each is a make-up execu
tive in different major studios. None
has joined the make-up artists who
are on strike.
"We know that it was a framed
piece of work," an official of the
striking Federated Motion Picture
Crafts said today. “It was obviously
designed to turn public sentiment
against us.
"I can say positively that none of !
j our people went near the Westmore
i salon last night.”
As a result, however, woman strik
ers were asked to remain away from
the picket lines today, the official
said. They may return later, he
added.
"We re not expecting trouble to de
velop from this. But until the situa
tion cools we don't want any women
on the lines.”
Picketing la Quiet.
Picketing, meanwhile, continued
quietly and in about the same volume
as yesterday. Strikers said from 3.000
> to 5,000 men would be on the lines
; before noon today, but when the
; studios first opened their doors at
9 a m. fewer than 600 were counted.
The stars again passed through
| the lines without incident, and pro
] duction executives said movie-making
would continue at a normal rate.
No cameras were observed among
the pickets. As a deterrent, some
said yesterday they would photograph
members of other unions going
! through the lines.
Plans for a mass meeting, open to
| the public, were being formulated to
day by the Strike Committee.
The Screen Actors' Guild and the
producers named committees to con
fer. beginning tomorrow, on the guild's
demands. The chief one is recogni
tion as the sole bargaining agency for
motion picture players.
ncnirf uo inrougn unn.
Some extras were reported to have
refused to pass through the picket
lines, but the big name players went
through in numbers.
Strikers contended that motion pic
ture production was hampered but
Pat Casey, labor conciliator for the
producers, declared "So far as the
studios are concerned actual strike
conditions do not exist.
"It already is quite evident that the
general body of studio workers are
j not in sympathy with this particular
strike effort."
Confident a satisfactory agreement
, could be reached with the guild, he
, said he was awaiting demands as to
I wages or changed working conditions
j from the federated crafts. They have
demanded recognition for their unions
before presenting other demands.
The guild will be represented in the
conferences by Robert Montgomery,
president; Aubrey Blair, business agent,
and Kenneth Thomson, executive sec
retary. On the Producers’ Committee
are Joseph M. Schenck, president of
Twentieth Century-Pox; E. J. Fox,
M.-G.-M. production manager; Hal
Wallis, Warner Brothers production
manager, and Samuel J. Briskin, pro
duction manager of R-K-O.
-•
Finds Neck Is Broken.
BUFFALO, N. Y„ May 4 (A5).—Hit
by an automobile Sunday, 69-year-old
Anthony Formica complained of a
pain in his neck, but refused to go to
a hospital. Today a doctor found
Formica's neck was broken, but said
he thought the man would recover.
Would Higher Auto Taxes Do This?
Protesting against increased motor taxation that “might bring a return of the horse-and
buggy days.” this horse-drawn Victoria, sponsored by the American Automobile Association, today
carried 30.000 ballots from Washington motorists, opposing additional levies, to Congress. Mem
bers of the House District Committee met the equipage at the House Office Building and received
the votes from Washington I. Cleveland, manager of the A. A. A. Motor Club. The driver is Sam
Green, and in the vehicle are Pauline Grimmel and Clarice Covington. —Star Stiff Photo.
Feared for His Life
Kelley Fox, garage mechanic, who told the Senate Civil
Liberties Committee yesterday that he saw Deputy Sheriff Frank
White “shoot up’’ a union organizer’s home in Harlan County.
He said he had never revealed he was an eye witness because
“1 didn’t want those fellows to kill me too.” A 19-year-old boy
was killed during the shooting. —a. P. Photo, i
La Follette
<Continued Prom First Page.)
ing was corroborated by Mrs. Minnie
Clouse, mother of John, who added:
"Wash Irvin and Luke Hubbard
came to our house after we had kept
the boys home from the grand jury,
and said it was nice they didn’t go—
that it might have caused us a lot of
trouble.”
Mrs. Clouse was followed on the 1
witness stand by Lindsay Baker, a
Harlan-Wallins Co. miner, who testi
fied a "company thug’’ had beaten
him into unconsciousness with a
blackjack a few days after he joined
the union.
He said he was assaulted April 24
as he left a barber shop in Verda,
a company town.
”1 had bent down my head to light
a cigarette,” Baker related, "when
I.eonard Hobbs hit me with a black
jack and knocked me out.
"When I came to, he was still
beating on me, and three or four
deputy sheriffs just looked on with
out doing anything.”
A friend finally pulled Hobbs away, '
he continued, adding that his res
cuer was immediately reprimanded by
a mine company official who saw the
incident. j
Summoned after Kentucky coal
diggers testified that Harlan County
mine operators had shut their pits
within the last week in an effort to I
halt a United Mine Workers organiz
ing drive, Bassham was to face cross
examination before the committee to
day.
A former Harlan County deputy
sheriff. Kelley Fox, informed inves
tigators yesterday that he was an eye
witness to a shooting attack, in which
a union organizer's son was killed.
Fox declared he had never reported
the shooting "because I didn't want
those fellows to kill me too.”
Mike Little Bear,
Off Reservation,
Weds in District
Clad in his tribal dress with a head
I dress of brilliant feathers, Mike Little
Bear, 32-year-old Indian from the
| Chickahominay Reservation below
! Richmond, was married today to his
sweetheart. Hazel May Adkins, whose
chic gray costume was in strik
ing contrast to the bridegroom's ab
original garb.
The ceremony was perfomied at
the Methodist Building by Dr. James
Shera Montgomery, chaplain of the
House.
Mike created quite a furore when
he appeared at the marriage license
bureau in the court house this morn
ing. Inquiries of curious attaches
rolled off him without apparent effect,
but Chief O. W. Adkins, whose In
dian name is Nantau-us, was more
loquacious.
He explained he accompanied the
young couple to see that they didn’t
get lost. The chief indicated he wore
I the multi-colored headgear of feath
ers. too, because the last time he ac
companied a bridal couple to the court
house an entire stranger, taken with
their dress, bought lunch for all hands
and entertained them royally.
Taxes
(Continued From First Page )
had been “free untrammeled competi
tion” In the fire insurance business,
and insisted if Moor's figures were ap
plied to separate companies rather
than to a group they would not pro
duce such a ratio as he cited.
“Thre is nothing to prevent any
company in the District from writing
insurance at any rate it sees fit," Bra
shears testified. “Everything has been
done to reduce the rate to the lowest
possible cost. That's done by competi
tion. The insurance companies believe
the rates in the District are fair and
not unjust. The fire insurance business
in the District has been conducted on
a basis to win and merit public con
fidence.
“There’s not a thing in Moor’s fig
ures that have any bearing on the rates
charged. Yet he hasn't told us any
thing about how he would go about
fixing rates for the District.
Figures Relationship Denied.
‘'There Just isn’t any rule of the
thumb or relationship between ihe vol
ume of premiums collected by all the
companies and the volume of losses of
all the companies."
Tax experts at the Capitol esti- I
mated that the five-point revenue
program sponsored by the Com
missioners, if enacted into law. would
yield more during the coming fiscal
year than is needed to meet the an
ticipated $8,000,000 deficit.
This was made possible by the in
clusion late yesterday of the proposed
inheritance tax designed to raise a
minimum of $800,000 on estates and
a combined 1 per cent gross receipts
and license tax on all corporations
doing business here. Taking in view,
however, the plan to abolish the per
sonal property tax, which last year
raised $1,900,000, it was estimated the
corporation sales tax would account
for a net gain in taxes of $4,100,000
or more.
Members of the subcommittee as
serted today that the proposed sales
tax on corporations would make it
unnecessary to levy separately on
cigarettes and other tobacco, since
these sales naturally would come
within the scope.
Meeting Original Estimate.
In announcing yesterday’s approval
of the two new bills. Commissioner
Melvin C. Hazen said the tax pro
gram was prepared on the basis of
meeting the original estimate of a
$6,000,000 deficit next fiscal year and
not in view of the additional $2,000,000
, deficit which now appears certain.
[ "We’ll crass that other bridge when
we come to it," he said.
So far as Capitol experts are eon
! cerned, the Commissioners’ proposals
would yield in excess of $8,000,000,
leaving ample margin in the event
that the deficit Is smaller than now
expected in view of proposed slashes
in appropriations.
As the tax program shaped up last,
the possible collections totaled $2,800.
000. This was made up of $1,100,000
from the propased increase of 1 cent
in gasoline taxes, $200,000 from in
surance companies and $1,500,000
from a weight tax on automobiles.
Gross retail and wholesale receipts
from sales by corporations in the
District were estimated at $600,000,000
last year and probably will be more
next year. A gross receipts tax of
1 per cent, except wherein specifically
exempted, would net $6,000,000 or
more.
Embodied also in the proposal is a
$5 filing fee when a corporation
makes application for a license to do
business. A report must be filed
showing the gross receipts of the pre
vious year.
Then there would be imposed a
special scale of license fees for cor
porations or partnerships from which
it would be exceedingly difficult to
estimate an equitable gross receipts
tax. That would take care of gen
eral contractors, commission brokers
and the like, it was said.
It was estimated that $300,000
would be a very liberal amount to be
expected from the $5 filing fee. Since
the special license rates are being left
blank in the bill for futurne deter
mination, it is impossible to tell how
much these would raise. It was
learned from House committe ex
perts that the gross receipts tax would
be fixed at 1 per cent.
The gross receipts tax and $5 filing
fee, therefore, is estimated to raise
no less than $6,300,000.
Deducting the loss of an estimated
personal property tax. the additional
revenues from corporations and in
heritances would boost last week’s
total of $2,800,000 to approximately
$8,000,000.
The inheritance tax proposed would
be a "bit lower” than that provided in
the Collins bill.
The District proposes to take its 80
per cent share of the total tax that an
estate pays at death into the Federal
Treasury, but with a difference.
Whereas the Federal tax exempts the
first $100,000, the Commissioners are
considering fixing the exemption at
$50,000. The District tax would be 1
per cent of the first $100,000, which is
the equivalent of the Federal tax up
to $150,000.
In the Collins inheritance bill ex
emptions of $20,000 are allowed to a
widow, $10,000 to a husband, $o,000 to
a brother or sister and $2,000 to a
child or lineal descendant.
The Commissioners’ bill would re
A
NG
“Magnetic” Method Will
Make Single Record
Lasting Forever.
BY THOMAS R. HENRY,
A Cinderella step-»iater of the
epochal inventions of nearly a half
century ago, which gave rise to the
phonograph and later the sound mov
ing picture, rose from her long ob
scurity in demonstrations before the
Acoustical Society of America meeting
at the Bureau of Standards today.
This is "magnetic recording.” It
was first practiced by a Danish college
professor in 1900 and then allowed
to lapse until its possibilities were
explored by the Bell Telephone Lab
oratories.
The method, as now improved, has
certain extraordmary advantages, it
was explained by Dr. C N. Hickman
of the Bell Laboratories. It will make
a single record which wull last forever.
Conversely, the sound may be com
pletely erased and a new record mada
on the same tape as ofteh as one
pleases. Its reproduction is remark
ably clear and its special uses are
expected to be in the study and the
business office.
Two Primary Methods.
There are two primary methods of
sound recording now in use. Dr. Hick
man explained. First is that in which
a groove is cut on a wax or plastic
disk which varies with the modula
tions of the voice. There may be
either lateral or up-and-down varia
tions in the “ditch” in the wax and
these govern the movements of the
diaphragm of the loud speaker in
reproducing the sounds. In electrical
recording they cause tiny currents
which are amplified and transformed
into sound.
Much of the same principle is used
in sound pictures, except that the
modulations are those of light and
dark shading on a celluloid film. These
light variations actuate tiny currents
which are translated into words and
music by the appropriate mechanisms.
The revived method of recording is
by an entirely different principle. By
a complex process, modulations in the
voice cause variations in the mag
netic flux or variation in a steel tape
or wire. Within the steel, literally
millions of tiny magnets ve made
with varying fields of force. Then,
when the wire is again passed under
a magnet, the original sound is pro
duced. The variations in the magnetic
field of force can be used to set up
tiny currents which can be ampli
fied to produce the sounds issuing from
a loud speaker.
Field Lasts Forever.
Now a magnetic field, once set up,
lasts forever unless something is dons
about it. A song or a speech thus re*
corded is on record forever. Thera
is nothing whatsoever to wear out.
The same result 1s obtained with other
types of recording by making master
records which are kept in storage and
from which other records can be cut.
But the magnetism, and henca
everything that has been recorded,
ran be completely erased instantly by
a simple process similar to that used
to demagnetize watches by jewelers.
This is of particular advantage, ii
was explained, for a dictaphone wher#
the same tape could be run through
again and again until it wore out.
After each use it would be de-mag*
nified and emerge as good as new.
The original Danish experiment!
were carried out simply with a plec!
of wire. One of the great improve
ments introduced is the use of a
steel tape two one-thousandths of an
inch thick and 50 one-thousandths
of an inch wide. Great improvements
were also introduced in the system
of recording.
Symposium of Vibrations.
The specialists in the physics of
j sound devoted their session today to
I a symposium of vibrations, which a re
closely akin to sound. Among the
studies reported was that of the
vibrations set up in a school building
by pupils exercising in the gymnasium.
It was found that the rhythmic
movements of the exercisers set up a
vibration close to the natural fre
quency of the girder system. This
brings to the front another peril to
be avoided by school building archi
tects, since disturbance of the girders
might seriously unbalance the struc
ture of the building itself.
ASSOCIATION PLANS
ANNUAL MEETING
Washington Criminal Justice So
ciety Convenes Today to Hear
Survey Report.
; The annual meeting of the Wash
ington Criminal Justice Association
was scheduled to take place late this
afternoon at the Willard Hotel, to
hear the first annual report of a sur
vey of crime in the Nation's Capital.
The report was ready for presenta
tion by James Allen Nolan, manag
ing director of the association. James
M. Hepbron, .who is director of the
Baltimore Criminal Justice Commis
sion, and consultant to the Washing
ton association, planned to speak, in
terpreting the report.
Eugene Meyer, president of the as
sociation. was to preside, and officer*
were to be elected.
-•
SIDNEY H. PERHAM, 59,
! IS BURIED IN ARLINGTON
Sidney H. Perham, 59, retired Gov
ernment employe and veteran of two
wars, who died Sunday of a sudden
illness at his home, 1930 K street,
was buried today In Arlington National
I cAietery. Funeral services were held
at Hines’ funeral home, 2901 Four
teenth street. Rev. John Van Schaick,
jrA editor of the Christian Leader,
Boston, and an old friend of the fam
ily. officiated.
Mr. Perham served in both the
Spanish-American and World Wars,
being a captain in the latter. He was
retired a few years ago from a posi
tion at the Veterans’ Administration,
after 30 years' Government service.
He was a native of Lewiston. Me., but
became a Washington resident when
only 5 years old. He was a grandson
of Sidney Perham, former Governor
j of Maine.
Among survivors are his widow, Mrs.
Jessie M. Perham; an uncle, William
I L. Perham. and an aunt, Miss Georgia
S. Perham.
verse the order of the two last exemp
tions, allowing $5,000 to a child and
I $2,000 to a brother or sister. No levy
would be made on these exemption*
; unless they total in excess of $50,000.
* I