OCR Interpretation


Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, May 09, 1937, Image 1

Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1937-05-09/ed-1/seq-1/

What is OCR?


Thumbnail for

WEATHER. If r~ _
<D. a Weather Bureau Forecast.) I H ^a
Fair and wanner today, showers tonight; M^m I U/^L Full Associated Press
tomorrow generally fair and cooler; gen- M ■ A V W ▼ rtLeU rreSS
tie to moderate southerly winds, shifting B ■ T / ■ ■ Wf NeWS and WirephotOS
to northwest. Temperatures — Highest. 1/ ■ ■ ■ O j nr •
<4. at S p.m. yesterday; lowest. 53. at 5 M Oimday Morning and
a,m. yesterday. Full report on Page B-3, Every AftemOOn.
<A>) Means Associated Press. l—___
V- 1 fi77 V,. OQ Q7f! Entered ms second class matter
i.sO« J.,tJ 1 I itO. 00,0 I U. post offlce. Washington, D. C.
WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 9, 1937—124 PAGES. >
FIVE CENTS
IN WASHINGTON AND SUBURRs
TEX CENTS
FT.SFWHP’WF
CORONATION RITES
TO BE PREVIEWED
BY LONDON TODAY
Gay City Awaits Events Ex
pected to Rival Actual
Ceremony.
HOLIDAY THRONGS
FILL RESTAURANTS
King and Queen Leave City for
Quiet Week End at Koyal
Windsor Lodge.
B> the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 8 —London, splendid
with the blue, the red. the white and
the silver of bunting and flags and
bulging with the regal and commoner
visitors of an expectant world, plunged
tonight into breathless celebration for
the coronation of a king.
Tomorrow comes •'little coronation
day"—and with it a spectacle, even
to the Immense crowds and a preview
of the coronation procession that
will rival In Its way the fanfare of
next Wednesday—the real coronation
day of George VI and his Scottish
Queen, Elizabeth.
London, sparkling with gaiety to
night, will glow in splendor tomorrow
night. The first real test of the flood
lighting of public buildings will il
luminate such landmarks as Bucking
ham Palace. Westminster Abbey and
the Tower of London, silhouetting the
city’s clustered roof tops as a back
drop for a blaze of blue-white light.
Holiday crowds jammed restaurants
«nd theaters tonight. Top-hatted men
escorted women in silver fox evening
capes in the West End. while humbler
throngs, many of them visitors from
the provinces and abroad, came out
to share vicariously in a celebration
they could not afford.
The King and Queen left town
for a quiet W’eek end at the Royal
Windsor Lodge, intending to rest for
the strenuous week ahead of them.
They will attend church services to
morrow, but have made no other
engagements.
Good Show Expected.
Yet for Londoners generally the
week end promised no slack in the
whirl of pre-coronation festivities.
They looked ahead to a good show—
for many of them the best they will
get.
The final rehearsal of the corona
tion procession will be held In the
early hours and hundreds of thousands
of spectators are anticipated. The
government grandstands—far beyond
the reach of John Bull's poorer rela
tions next Wednesday—will be thrown
open for ‘‘thruppence’' (6 cents) a
seat.
Coronation officials, aware of the
dress rehearsal’s significance to many
of its witnesses, have paid special at
tention to the mounted units in order
to make it a good show.
Millions of other Londoners who
cannot hope to see the real coronation
procession Wednesday are ready to put
on a parade of their own tomorrow
through streets garlanded and deco
rated at the cost of tens of thousands
of dollars.
Even in the somber workers’ dis
tricts in the east end. now gayly deco
rated. there are now and will be
tomorrow spirited celebrations by
pageant-loving thousands.
Special, enlarged details of police
received instructions for handling the ]
“little coronation” crowds. Stringent !
precautions were ordered at ralway
terminals for the still-streaming in
flux of foreign royalty, diplomatic
celebrities and plain sightseers.
Mounted police were assigned to
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
where—with complete military en
campments as an added attraction—
the densest crowds were expected.
Tonight, latticed streaks of light
criss-crossed in the sky from the
searchlights of home fleet vessels
moored in the Thames.
Ocean Liners Illuminated.
The river itself sparked with many
colored gleams from illuminated ocean
liners wedged in close ranks at anchor
River'police, buzzing hornets among
the great black hulls, dashed up and
down the river in speed boats assign
ing the visiting ships their places.
A hundred thousand tons of ship
(See CORONATiON71*age~A-167)—~
NEW WAGE SCALE
OPENS COAL MINES
Alabama “Holiday” Affecting
More Than 20,000, Was
Started March 31.
•r th» Attor.lt t«d Prest.
BIRMINGHAM* Ala., May 8 — Ala
bama's coal "holiday.” affecting more
than 20,000 workers, ended today
with agreement between union rep
resentatives and operators on a new
wage scale.
M. C. Hughes, conciliator for the
State Department of Labor, an
nounced the settlement after minor j
differences were "ironed out” at a:
conference this afternoon.
Mines have been shut down since
the old wage contract expired
March 31.
Under the new contract, inside
workers will be given 50 cents a day
increase, making their basic pay $4.50
lor a seven-hour day. The same
wage scale applies in commercial and
“captive” mines. Most of the “cap
tive” operators had agreed to the
wage scale before commercial opera
tors and the union reached an agree
ment today. “Captive” mines are
those whose, products are used in coke,
iron and steel making.
Hughes conducted negotiations
which have gone on intermittently
since March 31, when the mines
Closed.
The wage increase will add approxi
mately $2,000,000 annually to the pey
roll of the Alabama mining area, bas
ing estimates on 200 working days for
aaeh miner.
$ \
War Admiral Gallops Home
In Second Best Derby Time
War Admiral gets a wreath after his victory in the Kentucky
Derby yesterday as Jockey Charley Kurtsinger gets the plaudits
of the crowd._—Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto.
BY ALAN GOULD
Associated Press Sports Editor.
CHURCHILL DOWNS, LOUIS
VILLE, Ky., May 8.—War Admiral, a
chip off the old thoroughbred block,
ran one of the biggest of all Kentucky
Derby fields dizzy under balmy skies
this afternoon with the second fast
est triumph in the 63-year history of
America's most colorful horse racing
spectacle.
The little brown son or Man O'
War came home in front, a-galloping,
just the way his daddy used to do, j
after leading from the start to the
finish.
There never was muth, if any,
doubt about the outoome as War Ad
miral beat Pompoon by two lengths
and Reaping Reward by 10 lengths
before a near record crowd of 63.000
spectators who acclaimed a new
3-year-old equine king with an ear
splitting ovation.
War Admiral, the favorite at ap
provimately 5 to 2, stepped the mile
and a quarter under the guidance of
Louisville's own Charley Kurtsinger in
(Continued on Page B-6, Column 1.)
BURNED TO DEATH
Fire Sweeps 44-Stall Stable.
Number of Racers Lost
Unknown.
By the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, May 8 —Eire swept
i * 44-*taH shed at the Pimlico track
j tonight, killing an undetermined
j number of horses and at one time
j threatening the grandstand at Mary
! land’s foremost racing plant.
Early estimates of the number of
horses burned to death ranged as
high as 14, but Matt L. Daiger, sec
retary of the Maryland Jockey Club,
operators of the track, said he did not
believe that many perished.
Daiger said an accurate check could
i not be made until the surviving
horses, some of them painfully
burned, were herded together and
counted. He said this might not
be done until tomorrow morning.
There were 35 horses in the shed
when the fire broke out. Daiger said
the owners and the number of
horses they had in the shed were:
J. W. Y. Martin, 17; C. P. Miles, 7;
Dick Johnson, 8, and E. G Brennan, 3.
Horses Driven Out.
The horses were driven from the i
stalls as soon as possible after the :
fire was discovered. Great confusion 1
followed as they charged out and
were driven into the infield.
Martin's Triple Action, only Preak
ness candidate quartered here, was !
saved, as were his Dark Hope and
Miles’ Master Lad. Dark Hope ran
today in the Dixie Handicap, a race
in which he holds the record jointly
with Gallant Knight.
Dalger said there would be plenty
of room in other stables for the horses
coming here next week for the Preak- j
ness, which will be run next Saturday, j
Near Betting Booths.
The stalls swept by the flames were j
located about 200 feet from the betting I
booths behind the grandstand. The
roof of the shed was destroyed.
The fire broke out shortly before
8 o’clock, about two hours after the
day’s program had ended.
Pour quick alarms summoned fire
men to the track and they had the
blaze under control half an hour after
the fire broke out.
Thousands of spectators were at
tracted by the blaze.
Troops Hunt Convict.
WINDSOR, Vt., May 8 (/P).—Na
tional Guardsmen were called out to
hunt for Robert Cook, 23, of Enos
burg, who escaped today from Windsor
State Prison after attacking and
slightly injuring Warden James Mc
Dermo^. *
I
I
I
I _
Death Toll Reaches 35 With
31 in Hospitals for
Injuries.
By the Aeeoelitea Press.
LAKEHURST, N. J„ May 8 —Mem
bers of a naval board of inquiry
prowled today through the junk heap
that was once the dirigible Hinden
burg.
They sought an answer to the
baffling question of why the German
reppelin burst into flames and crashed
1.000 feet from the end of its trans
Atlantic voyage, bringing death to 34
of those aboard and one member of
the ground crew preparing to land it
at the United States Navy Air Station
here.
The Hiadenburg death total mount
j ed to 35 when two men, Capt. William
; Speck of the crew and Erich Knocher,
I importer, succumbed to injuries
i early today. Thirty-one persons re
j mained in hospitals, two of them in
[ serious condition.
With Capt. Gordon W. Haines as
presiding officer, the three-man board
began this afternoon a “thorough
investigation of all the circumstances
surrounding the disaster.” Named by
Capt. F. C. Martin of Philadelphia,
i acting commandant of the fourth
naval district, on orders of the Navy
Department, it was directed to “report
its opinion as to the cause of the dis
aster and the responsibility therefor.”
To Parallel Commerce Probe.
Capt. Haines said the inquiry would
parallel one ordered by Secretary of
Commerce Roper. Public hearings in
both will start at the air station Mon
day. A third inquest, to look into the
death of Allen Hagaman, a civilian
ground crew member, was ordered bf
the station's commanding officer.
Com dr. Charles E. Rosendahl.
Officers announced the reservation
would be closed indefinitely. Regular
Army troops and Marines from other
pasts doubled the usual personnel of
400 to handle 24-hour-a-day patrol
duty.
The crumpled, blackened duralumin
which once formed the framework of
the great skyliner lay in full view of
the administration building where the
Naval Board convened. After arrang
ing procedure, the board made a pre
liminary inspection of the wreckage,
climbing through the twisted mass of
metal, pointing this way or that, con
versing quietly.
With Capt. Haines, commandant of
the Naval Ammunition Depot at Port
Mifflin, Pa., on the board were Lieut.
Comdr. Roland Mayer of the Naval
Aircraft Factory at Philadelphia and
Lieut. C6mdr. Cornelius V. 8. Knox
(See HINDENBURG, Page A-8.)
Tito Women Lose Leg Each •
In Baltimore Elevator Mishap
By the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, May t.—Two young
women were in serious condition to
night In Union Memorial Hospital as
polioe investigated events leading to
their injury In a hotel elevator acci
dent early today.
As the police inquiry went on, sur
geons amputated a leg of each of the
young women. They are Miss Mary
Edith Meade, 21, of Ellicott City, and
Mrs. Grace Cles, 27, of Gatonsville.
Leaving a dancing party, the two
were part of a group who entered an
elevator on the thirteenth floor of the
hotel. At a lower floor, the elevator
went out of control, its operator, Leroy
Hobeck. 19, told police.
Hobeck said he had previously pro
tested against overcrowding the ele
vator. When it began to drift, be said
he managed to stop tt at the eleventh
floor level.
Hobeck said be then called out to
the passengers to leave the elevator.
There was a rush and he was forced
out. he asserted. The elevator then
began to rise, he said, and the two
young women were trapped.
Fire rescue apparatus, ambulances
and police rushed to the hotel as the
young women screamed In agony.
With crowbars firemen pried away
part of the elevator and Inclosing
walls to free them. The rescue efforts,
however, lasted more than an hour
for the first victim and about two
hours for the second.
Miss Meade's right leg was ampu
tated and the lower left leg of Mrs.
Claa was taken oft.
D. C. HEADS TO ASK
KING filLL PASSAGE
TO BIOCKAGATTOIR
Will Back Views of Citizens
at Hearing to Open Tues
day Afternoon.
SEAL READY TO SHOW
MEASURE IS VALID
Official* Uncertain on Pollution of
Anacostia and Potomac, De
spite Plans Changes.
BACKGROUND—
Disclosure that foundation permit
had been issued by city for new
abattoir in East Washington last
year precipitated an immediate
fight by civic leaders and high
Government officials. Commis
sioners denied superstructure permit
and were sued for *50,000 each.
Abattoir plans were revised and
Commissioners later issued building
permit. Contest then was carried
to Congress.
the air around1
HERE 13 THICK
ENOUGH WITHOUT
THAT! I
'WORK \
QUICK,
UFOUMSy
Blocked by lack of adequate regu
lations to prevent erection and opera
tion of a slaughter house in the Dis
trict—as proposed by the Adolph
Gobel Corp.—the District Commis
sioners on Tuesday will add their
voices to those of scores of local citi
zens and Federal officials in urging
enactment of the King bill, designed
to protect the Federal city from estab
lishment of nuisance industries.
Hearings on the King bill are sched
uled for 2 p.m. Tuesday before a special
subcommittee of the Senate District
Committee, of which Senator McCar
ran of Nevada is chairman.
The Commissioners, it was learned
yesterday, will be prepared to present
a formal statement in behalf of the
King bill as a measure necessary to
protect orderly development of Wash
ington as the Capital City. They will
be accompanied by Corporation Coun
sel Elwood H. Seal, who is prepared
to show' that the carefully drawn
King measure is valid beyond question.
| Pollution Question Raised.
Inquiry at the District Building
yesterday revealed that although the
plans for the slaughter house have
been changed to conform with plumb
ing specifications and studied over
and over again, there is still some un
certainty among officials regarding the
amount of pollution of the Anacostia
River that may be expected to result
from operations of the slaughter house.
While there will be connections from
the slaughter house to the sanitary
sewage system, where refuse is pumped
to the disposal plant, drainage from
the part of the space occupied by the
animals would be into a settlement
basin, which, in turn, would empty
into Popes Run, a small stream which
flows into the Anacostia River not
far away. Apparently no provision
has been made, however, for other
than surface drainage of runways
leading from the nearby Union Stock
yards to the pens at the slaughtering
house. The drainage from such area
would apparently flow to Popes Run
and then to the river.
Questioned at the District Building
yesterday, officials admitted that no
provisions have been made, as far as
they knew, for sewage connections
to take care of drainage of the run
ways connecting the stock yards with
the slaughter house.
As the District has spent about
$4,000,000 on a sewagq-disposal plant
to eliminate some of the pollution
from the Potomac River, it was sug
gested yesterday that the establish
ment of new sources of pollution of
the Anacostia River was fantastic, in- j
deed. It W'as indicated that the whole j
(See ABATTOIR, Page A-3.)
G. 0. P. AID PLEDGED
TO cutspending
Country Facing Inflation in
Big Expenditures,
Snell Says.
BACKGROUND—
Alarmed by falling tax receipts
and apprehensive of an inflation
ary movement, President Roosevelt
called on Congress and department
heads last month for stringent
economy in governmental expen
ditures. Result has been a House
proposal for a 15 per cent dis
cretionary cut in appropriations,
President to exercise the discretion,
and a Senate movement for a flat
10 per cent cut in all appropiration
bills except those covering fixed
charges.
BY J. A. O’LEARY.
Warning that the country stands at
the portals of inflation because of
continuation of the Government's
spending policy. Representative Snell
of New York. House minority leader,
last night pledged Republican co-ope
ration to the Democrats to check the
trend through wise economy.
At the same time, a member of the
Republican Policy Committee of the
House, Representative Halleck of In
diana. promised support "in obtaining
sufficient money to aid the deserving
needy," but attacked the present sys
tem of administering work relief as
having "added greatly to the cost of
relief without actually giving the as
sistance to the needy which the ex
penditures would otherwise permit."
The two Republican speakers gave
their views in a joint radio broadcast,
as a House Appropriations Subcom
mittee prepared to reach a decision
this week on the President recom
mendation for a $1,500,000,000 relief
fund for the coming fiscal year.
Reaffirms Stand for Billion.
Meanwhile, Senator NcNary of
Oregon, Republican leader, reaffirmed
his belief the relief problem can be
met with $1,000,000,000, a view shared
by some of the Democrats in both
Houses.
_NcNary pointed out that if, after the
(See " ECONOMY, Page”A-X)
Seal Proposes District Resume
Minimum Wage Law on July 1
To Recommend Fund Be Appropriated for Board
to Administer Measure Revived by
Supreme Court.
BACKGROUND—
The District’s original minimum
wage law for uiomen and children
was invalidated by the Supreme
Court in 1923 in the now famous
Adkins case. This decision, which
had prevented several States from
enacting similiar legislation, re
mained in effect until the recent
ruling by the high court on the
Washington State minimum wage
legislation, which specifically re
versed the Adkins case decision.
Administration of the District min
imum wage law tor women and minors
would be resumed on July 1 next after
a 14-year lapse, under plans to be
recommended to the District Com
missioners by EH wood Seal, corporation
counsel.
xne plans call lor:
1. A request that Congress include
In the pending District appropria
tion bill a. “moderate” sum—perhaps
less than $15,000—for administrative
expenses during the next fiscal year
of a yet-to-be-created Minimum Wage
Board.
2. A “working test” of the old law
before consideration of modifications
to bring it up to date, if necessary. -
3. A study of the advisability of a
new law governing minimum wages
of men, to be administered by the
board under an amplification of its
powers.
To Submit Plans.
8eal said yesterday he will lay
these plans before the Commissioners
at an early date.
The corporation counsel’s action
will be the first definite official move
since President Roosevelt's request,
more than a month ago, that appoint
ment of the Minimum Wage Board be
delayed until tt. could be determined
whether amendment of the old law is
necessary.
Earlier the President had indicated
a desire that attention be given the
A
question of including men as well as
women and children under the mini
mum wage act.
In letters to Vice President Gamer
and Speaker Bankhead, April 6. the
President suggested that in view of
the long period in which the law was
dormant, “Congress may desire to
consider whether the act should be
administered in accordance with its
present terms or whether any amend
ments or other changes are desirable.”
He added he had suggested that the
Commissioners delay organization of
the board “at least until the first of
May.”
Possible Course Cited.
"Should no action be taken by the
Congress,” the President said, ”1 as
sume that the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia will appoint a
minimum wage board and that such
other steps as may be necessary to
administer the act will be taken, in
cluding the preparation of eatimates
for a suitable appropriation.”
Congress has given no formal con
sideration to the District wage law,
however, the attitude at the Capitol
apparently being that any move for
revision of the law or for new legis
lation should be made by the District
authorities.
Chairman Norton of the House Dis
trict Committee has stated repeatedly
she is willing and ready to introduce
any measure in this connection pro
posed by the Commissioners.
The Commissioners, overburdened
as they are with tax problems, have
given only scant attention to mini
mum wages. It is said they were
uncertain, anyway, as to whether the
President wished them or Congress to
Initiate action.
The Justice Department washed its
hands of the problem after reporting
to the President that the 1018 law
was still in effect, thanks to recent
(See WAGE, Page A-5.)
A
Roosevelt Voted
Medal to Reward
Service to Jewry
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 8.—Presi
dent Roosevelt will receive the
tenth award of the Richard J. H,
Gottheil Medal for distinguished
sendee to Jewry, Harold Riegel
man, past president of Zeta Beta
Tau Fraternity, announced to
night at the order's annual
founders' day dinner here.
The award, based on recom
mendations of a jury of distin
guished American editors, was
announced simultaneously at
alumni gatherings in 39 other
cities.
FILM STARS FACE
PICKET LINE DUTY
Strike Possible This Week,
Guild Lists Big Names to
Back Up Demand.
BACKGROUND—
Federated Motion Picture Crafts,
striking for closed shop and com
plete union recognition, has accept
ed offers of labor organizations to
begin boycotting theaters. F. M.
P. C. and Screen Actors’ Guild
each has announced outcome of
separate negotiations u-ith produc
ers u-ill not affect strike plans of
the other.
By the Associated Press.
HOLLYWOOD. May 8.—Screen
Actors' Guild officials planned to
night to put high-priced stars in
picket lines Monday if producers do
not meet their demands and no fur
ther conferences are agreed upon.
A ballot authorizing the strike was
virtually complete tonight. The guild
will meet tomorrow night to hear
the report of its committee which
conferred this week with motion pic
ture producers' representatives. If
the members vote to strike, a walk
out. can be called immediately.
But if producers ask for further
conferences, or if the guild proposes
further discussions, there may be
another delay or a settlemnt.
Meanwhile Guild officials prepared
for any eventuality. Aubrey Blair, I
Guild business manager, said if a
walkout is voted ‘‘we are prepared to
form picket lines in which the stars
and extras will march shoulder to
shoulder.” j
He named Clark Gable, Franchot
Tone, Joan Crawford, James Cagney,
Robert Montgomery, Chester Morris,
Boris Karloff, Frank Morgan. Ralph
Morgan, Jean Muir, Carole Lombard,
Robert Taylor, Jean Harlow, Louise
Rainer, Gary Cooper, Pat O'Brien,
William Powell, Joan Blondell, Elissa
Landi, Fred Astaire and Ginger
Rogers as among stars available for
picketing.
The Guild, whose primary demand
is recognition as the sole bargaining
agency for film players, claims 5,600
members.
Others who might be called to picket
studios include Edward Arnold, Jean
Hersholt, Edward G. Robinson, Robert
Young, Lyle Talbot, Spencer Tracy,
Francis Lederer, Warren William, Ma
rion Davies, James Dunn. Norman
Foster, Miriam Hopkins, Hugh Her
bert and Lee Tracy.
APARTM IRE
Mrs. Ruth E. Knauff Burned
to Death—Husband
Also Trapped.
Mrs. Ruth E. KnaufT lost hpr lifp,
and her husband. Charles H Knauff,
was burned early today when fire
swept their apartment on the second
floor of 1630 Lyman place northeast.
The fire, which was confined to the
Knauff apartment, drove 13 families
from the two-story building, but thev
later returned. Seven babies were
carried out by their mothers.
First firemen arriving broke down
the door of the Knauff quarters and
found Mrs. Knauff on the floor in the
living room through which the flames
were sweeping. Her husband, they
said, was under a bed in another
room where there was no Are. Knauff,
who is 47 years old, is a laboratory
attendant at the National Institute
of Health. He was taken to Casualty
Hospital where it was said that his
burns, about head and shoulders, are
not very' serious.
Cause Undetermined.
There was nothing to indicate the
cause of the fire in the preliminary
investigation.
Mr3. KnaufT. who was about. 35
years old, and employed in the Gov
ernment, stood at a window scream
ing before she was finally overcome
witnesses said.
Herbert Taylor, 22, of 1619 L street
northeast, heard the screams and
saw her "sitting" in a window. He
said he rushed into the house but was
overcome by smoke before he reached
the apartment. He was revived at the
scene by the Fire Rescue Squad.
Raymond Montgomery, attendant
at a nearby filling station, first saw
the fire and called the fire depart
ment. Montgomery and John Wheeler,
a companion, shouted to Mrs. KnaufTe
to jump, he said. For a moment, he
said, it looked as though she were pre
paring to leap, but then she disap
peared from the window.
FAKE LOTTERY RING
FOUND IN NEW YORK
350,000 Tickets Seized by Federal
Authorities—Canadian Link
Seen.
Bj the Associated Press.
BOSTON. May 8.—While postal In
spectors pushed their investigation into
activities of a fake lottery ring, word
came tonight from Ste. Anne De
Beaupre, Que , denying the Shrine
there had any connection with a |
sweepstake lottery.
A raid in New York City Friday,
netted 350.000 fake sweepstake tickets
and 25,000 stamped addressed enve
lopes. Federal authorities said evidence
in the case will be presented to a
Boston Federal grand jury, because
the investigation was initiated here
Henry M. Leen, assistant United
States attorney, declared the fake lot
tery was operated by “notorious rack- |
eteers in New York.” whom he said I
had been “connected with lotteries in
Canada for a long time.”
Postal Inspector Tennyson Jefferson,
who led the raid, described the seizure
as the largest ever made in the
United States.
Daylight Saving for District
Is Favored hy Commissioners
Adoption of daylight saving time
for the District will be favored by the
Commissioners in a report to Con
gress on the measure offered by Rep
resentative Sacks, Democrat, of
Pennsylvania, Commissioner Hazen
announced yesterday.
Prom statements and petitions re
ceived by the Commissioners, they
have decided a majority of Wash
ington residents apparently favor
moving the clock an hour ahead dur
ing the warm season, Hazen added.
This view is to be expressed in a
report on the bill which is being pre
pared for the Commissioners by
Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal.
The House District Committee plans
to consider the measure as soon as
the Commissioners make a formal
report. Chairman Norton of the Dis
trict Committee has asked that action
be expedited.
The bill has Jut about split the
men and women of the District and
nearby Maryland and Virginia, who
have taken the trouble to write to
the House District Committee about it.
Women, as a rule, have opposed the
measure for various reasons. Men, on
the other hand, have been almost
unanimous in favoring it on the
ground it would give them an added
hour of daylight to play golf, fish or
engage in some other favorite outdoor
sport.
With the men out playing golf or
Ashing, the women fear a daylight
saving schedule would keep them in
the kitchen an hour longer. And on
that ground mo6t of their objections
are based.
Incidentally, the bill has produced
more mail for the committee than any
other local measure introduced at the
current session of Congress.
£
TAX ON BUSINESS
TO YIELD MOO
CONSIDERED HERE
D. C. Commissioners May
Ask House Group for
“Privilege” Levy.
PROPOSAL TO ASSESS
INCOMES IS RETAINED
Revenue From All Measures Sug
gested by City Heads Would Ex
ceed Needs by $2,600,000.
BACKGROUND—
Radical revision of the District
tax structure was recommended by
Chairman Collins of the House Dis
trict Subcommittee on Appropria
tions after the District budget, as
passed by the House, indicated a
minimum deficit of $6.100.000. With
the budget bill pending before the
Senate, the Kennedy subcommittee
of the House has been holding
hearings on numerous measures
proposed to meet the threatened
deficit.
BY JAMES E. CHINK.
The Commissioners are expected to
pull a brand-new tax rabbit out of
the hat Tuesday when they go before
the special Tax Subcommittee of the
House District Committee to present
their complete scheme for keeping the
District out of the red in the next
' fiscal year by boosting local taxes
$6,000,000 or more.
The new plan reported yesterday to
be under consideration is a business
tax. the principle of which is to levy
a one-half of 1 per cent tax against
grass receipts of all businesses and
corporations in the District, with pro
visions for special taxes, or "license
i fees," on professional men. such as
, doctors, dentists and lawyers. Re
ceipts from the tax. the details of
which are being closely guarded until
presentation to the committee, ara
estimated at $2,500,000
The proposal is described as a com
bination "business privilege and gTacs
j receipts tax.” Nothing like it has
! been proposed here before.
Income Tax Also Proposed.
The Commissioners, according to re
ports yesterday, also plan to include
a local income tax in their program.
Considered as a substitute for the pres
ent tax on intangibles, the income tax
would produce a net additional yield
of 32.500,000.
The local income tax has been
opposed by the Federation of Citizens’
Associations and other groups, one
reason for opposition being the diffi
culties of administration under the
population conditions peculiar to the
District of Columbia. The Commis
sioners' tax, however, may modify
some of the provisions of the Collins
income tax bill, already introduced.
Total yield of the measures proposed
by the Commissioners. It is stated,
would be about $8.600.000—or $2,600,
000 in excess of the current revenue
needs as shown in the District bill
as it passed the House. Members of
Congress as well as local citizens have
stated repeatedly that new taxes
should be levied to produce only the
amount needed to prevent a deficit.
Five Plans Already Offered.
The Commissioners alread> have
submitted five proposals for raisin?
the needed additional revenue, but
several of these probably will be al
tered somewhat due to the prospective
inclusion of an income tax in the
program. The principal change, it
was said, will be designed to prevent
diversion of taxes paid by motor
vehicle owners to support activities
other than those related to the high
way department.
Corporation Counsel Elwood Seal,
it was learned at the District Building,
is working out the details of the in
come tax. Changes to be proposed in
the original tax plans are being han
dled by Richmond B Keech. vice
chairman of the Public Utilities Com
mission, and Capt. H. C. Whitehurst,
director of highways, both members of
a committee of District officials created
by the Commissioners to develop a new
program of taxation.
The Commissioners will meet with
the Tax Committee tomorrow to take
formal action on the new tax proposals
so they can be whipped into final shape
for submission to the House Subcom
mittee the following day.
New Auto Tax Considered.
The tax plans which may be recom
mended by the Commissioners and the
estimated amount of revenue yield
follow:
1.—An increase in the gasoline tax
from 2 to 3 cents a gallon—$1,100,000.
2 —A weight tax on motor vehicles,
eliminating the present *1 registra
tion fee. but continuing the personal
I property tax—$1,500,000.
3.—An estate or inheritance tax—
$800,000.
4—An increase from 1.5 to 2 per
cent in the net premium receipts tax
on insurance companies—$200,000.
5. —A combination business privi
lege and gross receipts tax on various
forms of business—$2,500,000.
6. —A local income tax—$2,500,000.
Altogether, the six plans, according
to the estimates, would yield a total
of $8,600,000. or about $2,600,000 in
excess of the original $6,000,000 goal.
The Commissioners, however, are
said to contemplate recommending
that all revenues from the gasoline tax
and the motor vehicle weight tax. to
taling an estimated $2,600,000, be set
aside exclusively for the support of the
highway department, the trees and
parking department, and certain ac
tivities of the office of the director of
vehicles and traffic. Originally the
Commissioners proposed that the rev
enue from the motor vehicle tax go
into the general fund of the District,
where it would be used for sundry
municipal purposes.
If motor taxes are regarded as con
stituting a special fund, the net in
(See'TAXES, Page A-B.) "
-»-■
Radio Programs, Page F-3.
Complete Index, Page A-2.

xml | txt