Evening star. [volume], May 19, 1937, Image 1

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

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85th YEAR. No, 33,986. _WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1937—FORTY-TWO PAGES. *** op> m..„. Aa.oei.t.d p™.. TWO CENTS.
■ROBINSON BOOM
FOR VAN DEVANTER
SEAT IS LAUNCHED
,, Colleagues in Senate Push
Plan as Dispute Arises
Over Eligibility.
SUMNERS ACT NO BAR
IN PITTMAN’S OPINION
Borne Supporters of Arkansan Be
lieve Law Could Be Amended
to Fit Case.
BACKGROUND—
Retirement of Justice Van De
vanter was the first under recent
act of Congress extending this priv
ilege to Supreme Court justices.
Prior to passage of act, Supreme
Court justices had to resign to leave
bench, thereby losing status as
judges. As a retired justice, Mr.
Van Devanter is eligible for emer
gency duty at the request of the
Chief Justice in circuits whose
dockets have become congested.
(See Court Bill Story, Page A-2.)
By the Associated Press.
Senatorial colleagues today pushed
the name of Senator Robinson. Demo
crat, of Arkansas to the forefront of
the discussion of possible successors to
Justice Van Devanter.
Senator Pittman. Democrat, of Ne
vada publicly voiced the view ex
pressed privately by many other
Democratic Senators that Robinson,
* 64-year-old party leader, should oe
appointed.
“In 30-odd years in Congress he
has proven he is a man of integrity
and courage and splendid legal at
tainments,” said Pittman.
A dispute arose over Robinson's
eligibility. Some Senators held the
view that the recent enactment of
the Sumners retirement bill barred
the appointment of any present mem
ber of Congress. Others disagreed.
The Sumners bill provided full re
tirement pay of $20,000 a year for
Supreme Court justices. The Consti
tution prohibits the appointment of
members of Congress to posts created
during their terms or the “emolu
ments” of which have been increased
during their terms.
Pittman said he believed the Sum
ners act did not come within the con
stitutional prohibition. Senator Adams,
"i Democrat, of Colorado expressed the
belief that it did. President Roose
velt. at his press conference, said he
had not studied the situation.
Law Could Be Changed.
Some supporters of Robinson sug
gested. however, that if the Senate re
garded the Sumners act as a bar to
the nomination of the Democratic
leader, that law could be amended so
that it would not apply to him.
Adam's construction of the law also
would exclude another member of the
6enate frequently mentioned as a
Supreme Court possibility—Senator
Wagner. Democrat, of New York.
Robinson's role as Democratic leader
In the Senate for 13 years has thrust
him into heated political rows. Only
two months ago he replied to the im
plied criticism of the administration
• bill made by Justice McReynolds in a
"good sportsmanship'' speech.
Himself the vice presidential run
ning mate of Alfred E. Smith In 1928,
Robinson was chosen to make the ad
ministration’s reply to Smith's Liberty
League address a year ago.
Nomination of Robinson would
Create an Immediate race for the Dem
ocratic leadership post in the Senate.
Among those who might succeed to
It are Senators Barkley. Democrat, of
Kentucky; Harrison, Democrat, of
Mississippi; Byrnes, Democrat, of
South Carolina, or Pittman.
Robinson was one of the oldest men
mentioned for Van Devanter's post in
first discussions. Another was At
' tomey General Cummings, 67.
Two members of Cummings’ staff—
Solicitor General Stanley Reed, 52,
and Assistant Attorney General Rob
ert H. Jackson, 45—were suggested in
some quarters. Jackson said at his
Jamestown, N. Y., home:
"I am not a candidate for that ap
pointment and I do not wish my
name considered.”
Among others mentioned were
Chairman James M. Landis, 38, of
the Securities Commission; Gov. Prank
Murphy of Michigan, 44; Donald R.
Richberg, 55, former N. R. A. chief;
Prof. Felix Frankfurter, 54, of Harvard
Law School; Justin Miller, 58, of the
Board of Tax Appeals, and three New
* York judges, past and present—Ferdi
nand Pecora, 55; Learned Hand, 65,
and Samuel Rosenman.
Also mentioned were Benjamin V.
Cohen, 42-year-old New York lawyer,
co-drafter of the securities and public
Utility holding company acts, and
Thomas G. Corcoran, who serves in a
legal capacity in the Reconstruction
Finance Corp.
While White House officials re
mained silent concerning the appoint
ment, others said it was too early to
talk about a new justice. Most in
formed persons predicted the appoint
ment would be deferred until after
June 2, when Van Devanter actually
leaves the bench.
C. I. 0. Asks 2,000 to Strike.
' LOS ANGELES, May 19 OP)._
Committee of Industrial Organization
officials said today nearly 2,000 mem
bers of two men's clothing workers’
unions will strike Thursday for in
creased wages.
BULLETIN
SOUTH HARWINTON, Conn.,
May 19 UP).—J. Henry Rorabeck,
head of the Republican State Com
mittee, was found shot to death
outside his Summer home here this
afternoon. Medical Examiner H. B.
Hancett of Torrington gave a ver
dict of suicide.
V
House District Group Orders
Probe of Capital Transit Firm
________________________•
Action Follows Rate Service Complaints.
“There Is Something Wrong”
Says Committee Member.
An investigation of the Capital
Transit Co. was ordered today by the
House District Committee.
Action came as a climax to re
peated complaints by committee mem
bers against rates and service and
renewed charges by Representative
Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois, that
“there is something wrong with the
company."
The inquiry will be conducted by a
special subcommittee to be named
later by Chairman Norton. It was
ordered on motion of Dirksen, who in
the last several weeks has introduced
two bills aimed at improving street
car and bus service. One would fix
the maximum rate of fare at 7 cents.
The other would abolish one-man car
operations.
“It is time for an investigation to
determine the disposition to be made
of this company,” Dirksen declared.
“There is something wrong with a car
company with operating revenues of
$10,000,000 a year which hasn’t paid
any dividends since 1928. If there’s
water in there, it’s high time it were
squeezed out.”
Dirksen’s two bills will be referred
to the investigating subcommittee.
Mrs. Norton explained it probably
would be a week before the subcom
mittee is appointed, because all mem
bers of the full committee are busy
on one or more other subcommittees.
Dirksen. however, explained that a
delay in the investigation would serve
to put the transit company “on notice”
to gather its data for the inquiry.
Basque Defenders Order
Two Captured Germans
Tried Tomorrow.
BACKGROUND—
Bilbao, capital of Basque prov
inces in north of Spain, beleaguered
in recent weeks by forces of Gen.
Emilio Mola, northern army of
Gen. Francisco Franco's Fascists,
while siege of Madrid continues.
Northern campaign, believed in
spired by desire to free rich raw
material resources for Germany and
Italy in return for support with
arms and supplies, reported to have
had participation of large number
of Italian soldiers.
Bj the Associated Press.
HENDAYE, Franco-Sparish Fron
tier, May 19.—Insurgent Gen. Franco's
big black bombers flew back to the
attack on hard-pressed Bilbao today,
with only a hill separating the insur
gent armies at devastated Amorebieta
and Bilbao's iron ring of final forti
fications.
Sunny skies gave the signal for the
take-off. and by forenoon the big
planes were shuttling rapidly between
their base and the scenes of their
bombardment.
The rain-soaked ground was drying
to permit a new infantry advance.
In Bilbao, Basque capital, the defend
ers ordered two captured German air
men, Capt. Walter Kienzel and Lieut.
Gunther Schulze, to appear for trial
before a popular tribunal tomorrow on
charges of rebellion and murder.
Harassed defendens of Bilbao backed
down the main highway from Amore
bieta, fighting constantly to keep Gen.
Emilia Mola from splitting the De
Callo line, on which the Basque capi
tal placed its last hope for survival.
Advices from the beleaguered capital
of the semi-autonomous Basque re- j
public said its militiamen set up a new
front immediately behind the smoking
ruins of Amorebieta, ai a point about
8 miles east and slightly south of Bil
bao.
* iulit Lilt uauitauca auu.v uir
Amorebieta road rear-guard militia
men struggled to hold back Mola's en
croaching, semi-motorized forces while
the main body of the Basques fell back
to join reserves at Galdacano, pivot of
the De Callo fortifications at the
southeastern gates of the city.
“Altar of Sacrifice.”
Basque commanders pictured Amore
bieta as a new “altar of sacrifice” for
the defense of the republic. A Bilbao
radio broadcast said Insurgent planes
dumped loads of incendiary bombs on
the town, but an insurgent broadcast
claimed Amorebieta had been sys
tematically fired and dynamited be
fore the Basques evacuated.
The insurgent warriors swirled
around the devastated town, 9 miles
from Bilbao on the improved road
from Durango, and seized it from its
last scant defenders in a torrential
downpour yesterday.
Insurgents reported that the
Basques spread terror through
Amorebieta's already fear-stricken
civilians before they fled as Mola's
men blasted a path through the town.
The Basques were said to have
splashed gasoline on many of the bet
ter houses and fired them with hand
grenades.
The normal population of Amore
bieta was 5.000.
Capital Packed With Refugees.
The capital, still packed with refu
gees despite removal of several thou
sand non-combatants in recent
Pranco-British evacuations, clung to
the hope that it would be able to
resist siege such as Madrid has done
since early last November.
Just as the central Spanish govern
ment officials evacuated to Valencia
from Madrid, Basque officials were re
ported planning to flee to England
aboard a British destroyer, If neces
sary. There still were about 350,000
persons in Bilbao.
The Basque government ordered
civilians to surrender all firearms,
ammunition and 'explosive or incen
diary materials within 72 hours, ap
parently In the fear of an outbreak
of anarchist terror If Mola penetrated
the last line of trench fortifications.
RAIL RETIREMENT
BILL IS PROTESTED
Commission Holds It Would
Destroy Board’s Civil
Service Status.
What is described as a flagrant de
parture from civil service practice in
the present draft of the new railroad
retirement legislation is drawing a
protest from the Civil Service Com
mission to the Bureau of the Budget, it
was reported today.
The bill is sponsored in the Senate
by Senator Wagner. Democrat, of New
York, and in the House, where hear
ings are under way by the Committee
on Interstate Commerce,' by Repre
sentative Crosser, Democrat, of Ohio.
It destroys the civil service status of
the present board. Then, taking an
unprecedented tack. It provides that
employes appointed to the new agency
without regard to civil service or
classification act pay schedules may
acquire a competitive civil service
status at the end of a year if they
pass a non-competitive examination
which the Retirement Board itself
would devise and give, subject to
the approval of the Civil Service Com
mission. Those who have studied the
bill say this purported approval by
the commission is meaningless.
A representative of American rail
road operators confirmed today state
ments of labor officials that workers
and management had agreed on the
bill.
R. V. Fletcher, general counsel for
the Association of American Rail
roads, told the House Interstate Com
merce Committee that the measure
represented an agreement between
labor and operators.
George M. Harrison, chairman of
the Railway Labor Executives- Asso
ciation, previously had told the com
mittee operators had promised not to
contest the act in the courts should
it become law.
No Statement Made.
In conformity with practice, there
was no statement forthcoming from
the commission on the matter. Under
procedure prescribed by the Budget
Bureau, the commission—and any
other agency—is required to take up
legislative matters with the Budget
Bureau rather than with Congress.
The disclosure that the new retire
ment legislation was drawn to exclude
civil service employee came as a sur
prise to those who have followed its
progress. The original railroad retire
ment act, which was invalidated by
the Supreme Court, prodded for civil
service employment throughout the
Railroad Retirement Board, and this
same personnel principle vas carried
over in the second act, wh.ch is now
in operation.
It was understood that the rail
road brotherhoods themselves had in
sisted that the personnel which ad
ministered their pension plan should
be recruited from civil service regis
ters rather than hired on a patronage
basis.
Had 850 Employes.
The Railroad Retirement Board, at
present, has approximately 850 em
ployes, most of whom are located in
Washington. When the board was cre
ated, the Civil Service Commission
permitted the appointment of a large
group of adjudicators on a temporary
basis without regard to civil service,
but Immediately held examinations to
fill these and other places, and has
been supplanting adjudicators who
did not qualify under civil service
with others who did.
Should the new bills become law, it
would be possible to replace the pres
ent staff of the board with new ap
pointees.
FLOODS COVER FARMS
30 California Families Cared for
by Red Cross.
STOCKTON, Calif., May 19 UP).—
Red Cross workers cared for 30 fami
lies as flood waters of the Stanislaus
and San Joaquin Rivers covered more
than 7,000 acres of rich farming land
today. Double that acreage is expect
ed to be inundated by Thursday.
Crop damages to date were estimated
at $300,000 by County Agriculture
Commissioner A. E. Mahoney.
Pittsburgh Prisoners, Objecting
To Food, Go on Hunger Strike
e » i,uc nosuuBira rrcss.
PITTSBURGH, May 19 —Six hun
dred and eighty prisoners at the Al
legheny Countl Jail were barred from
exercise yards today while Warden
John McNeil sought to end a hunger
strike he estimated involved approx
imately 50 men.
The strike began, McNeil said, In a
protest against the food. A small group
remained in their cells at breakfast
time yesterday and the number grew
at other meals.
McNeil declined Sheriff Frank Qoll
mar's offer of additional guards, as
serting the regular staff of three could
prevent disorder.
A newspaper reporter who visited
the Jail reported strikers were pacing
quietly in their cell blocks. As he
entered, one shouted to the guards:
"Show him the soup.”
The menu for the evening meal, Mc
Neil said, included pea soup, weiners,
stewed tomatoes and prison-baked
bread. The food was prepared by a
chef, assisted by jail trusties.
The warden’s annual report dia
doesd he spent 13 <4 cents a day for
food for each prisoner.
<1
REPUBLIC “THUGS”
WATCH STEEL VOTE,
UNION CHARGES
Murray Says “Gas Pipe
Gang” Is Concentrating
in Aliquippa.
TURNS INFORMATION
OVER TO GOVERNMENT
Rival Labor Groups Issue Con
flicting Claims of Victory
on Eve of Election.
BACKGROUND—
With fight for recognition vir
tually completed in automotive
field—sate for Ford plants—af
filiates of John L. Lewis’ Committee
for Industrial Organization again
center their activities tn steel in
dustry. Steel Workers' Organizing
Committee won election victory last
week after a 36-hour strike had
closed vast plants of Jones &
Laughlin Corp.
Br the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH, May 19 —Chairman
Philip Murray of the Steel Worker*
Organizing Committee charged today
Republic Steel Corp. had sent its
private police heads into nearby Ali
quippa "to interfere" with the collec
tive bargaining election of Jones &
Laughlin Steel Corp. workers tomor
row.
Murray said seven Republic police
and plant officials and 30 "thugs" of
what he called the "gas pipe gang" of
the corporation were concentrated in
the steel town "to break up the elec
tion by force and intimidation.” He
added:
"So bad has this situation grown
that I was compelled to turn over the
information to the Governor of Penn
sylvania and to the Federal Govern
ment. There are now in Aliquippa
secret operatives from both govern
ments.
Company Makes Denial.
The Jones & Laughlin Corp. issued
this statement in reply to Murray:
‘‘Neither directly nor indirectly is
; the J. <fc L. Steel Corp. involved in
any attempt to wreck the election.
' If an attempt is being made from any
source whatever to wreck the election,
j it is not being made by the corpora
tion, or with its knowledge.
1 "Mr. Murray's statement that 'such
1 information must have been known to
Jones <fe Laughlin’ is untrue,
j “We went into the election under
the Wagner act upon the assumption
that it would be a democratic and
peaceful way of settling labor organi
sation issues. We also assumed that
under the supervision of the National
Labor Relations Board the election
would be fairly and respectably con
ducted.”
The steel union’s charges were made
on the eve of the largest Labor Board
supervised election in the history of
the country, which was agreed to last
week by Jones & Laughlin in ending
a 36-hour strike at its plants in
Aliquippa and Pittsburgh.
Results of the election will deter
mine whether the union is to repre
sent all of the company's 27.000 work
ers as the exclusive collective bargain
ing agency.
Threaten to Close Plants.
Republic and Youngstown Sheet &
Tube Co. have refused to sign a writ
ten contract with the union and an
(See LABOR, Page A-3 )
FUNDING BILL SIGNED
President Roosevelt today signed
the legislative appropriation bill pro
viding $24,085,736 to run Congress in
the next fiscal year.
The President also signed the
House joint resolution providing for
importation of articles duty free for
exhibition at the Golden Gate Inter
national Exposition at San Francisco
in 1939.
Summary of Today’s Star
Page.
Amusements C-12
Comics _B-ll
Editorials __ A-10
Financial _._A-15
Lost A Found A-S
Obituary ... A-12
Page.
Radio _C-4
Short Story .A-13
Society-B-3
Sports_C-l-3
Woman’s Pg. C-5
FOREIGN.
Franco'* airmen resume assault
against Balbao. Page A-l
Marriage contract signed by Duke and
fiancee. Page A-l
England and France consider Austrian
pact. Page A-2
NATIONAL.
“Thugs” of Republic watch steel vote,
union charges. Page A-l
Senate colleagues boom Robinson for
Supreme Court. Page A-l
Logan compromise may prove fighting
ground for court bill. Page A-l
WASHINGTON AND VICINITY.
House group backs bill banning “nuis
ance industries” here. Page A-l
Commissioners to map out tax program
this afternoon. Page A-l
Sixty-two Star drivers receive safety
awards. Page A-2
Aviation leaders consider catapulting
for transports. Page A-2
Huff sworn in as District of Columbia
penal head. Page A-3
Vidal organizes air transport com
pany. Page A-4
Msgr. Healy, C. U. professor, dies
at 65. Page A-12
Two test cases on minimum wage law
taken under advisement. Page B-l
Social Security Board taking over
Potomac Apartments. Page B-l
House subcommittee to hear Holz
worth again in Inquiry. Page B-l
District Committee asks Commission
ers for chain store tax. Page B-l
Maryland detectives here in Keene
probe. Page B-l
Strahl indicted in $12,000 stock lar
ceny. Page B-l
EDITORIAL AND COMMENT.
Editorials. Page A-10
This and That. Page A-10
Washington Observation. Page A-10
Answers to Questions. Page A-10
David Lawrence. Page A-ll
Paul Mallon. Page A-ll
Dorothy Thompson. Page A-ll
Constantine Brown. Page A-ll
Headline Polk. Page A-ll
SPQBTS.
Grills snapping out of long batting
slump. Page C-l
Dean-Hubbell slab duel listed for to
day. Page C-l
D. C.’s best netwomen in Evening Star
tourney. Page C-l
Central High conceded edge for track
title. Page C-2
Roosevelt alone bars diamond crown
for Eastern. Page C-2
Elimination tourney may produce real
ring champ. Page C-3
P. G. A. champ In tough spot trying
to repeat. Page C-4
FINANCIAL.
Railroad bonds gain (table). Page A-15
Oil production at new peak. Page A-15
Stocks sell off (table). Page A-16
Curb list narrow (table). Page A-17
Power output rises. Page A-17
Steel prospects improve. Page A-17
MISCELLANY.
Washington Wayside. Page A-2
Young Washington. Page A-6
City News in Brief. Page A-8
Traffic Convictions. Page B-12
Shipping News. Page A-12
Nature's Children. Page B-5
Winning Contract. Page B-5
Service Orders. Page B-8
Vital Statistics. Page B-8
Crossword Puzzle. Page B-ll
Dorothy Dlx. Page C-5
Betsy Caswell. Page C-5
Men's Fashions. Page C-8
Bedtime Story. Page C-8
Letter-Out. Page C-7
ROOSEVELT KILLS
Says $5,000,000 “Exces
sive” in View of Budget
Balancing Efforts.
Bj the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt vetoed today a
bill authorizing a $5,000,000 appropri
ation for Federal participation in the
World Fair at New York in 1939.
The President said the appropria
tion was "excessive” in view of efforts
to balance the budget.
He gave as another reason a ruling
from the Attorney General holding as :
an unconstitutional invasion of the
province of the Executive that part 1
of the bill giving the proposed United
States World Fair Commission com
plete administrative authority for ex
penditure of the $5,000,000.
The President suggested a sum
"definitely smaller” would be suf
ficient to provide "adequate representa
tion" of the Federal Government in
the fair. He added he had given full
support and encouragement to plans
for holding the exposition.
"Nevertheless,” he said, "in view
of the efforts of the Congress and the
administration to bring Federal ex
penditures within the scope of Federal
revenues as rapidly as possible, I am
compelled to conclude that the sum of
$5,000,000, proposed to be appropri
ated by the Federal Government, is
excessive. • • *"
Chairman McRevnolds. Democrat,
of Tennessee said the legislation would
be reconsidered by the House Foreign
Affairs Committee and the amount of
the proposed appropriation would be
reduced "if that's what the Presi
dent wants.”
"We'll bring out another bill,” he
said.
MAN LEAPS FROM FERRY
WINDSOR, Ontario, May 19 (Cana
dian Press).—A man who left a note
Identifying himself as M. D. Davidson
of California leaped from a Detroit
river ferry last night and disappeared.
The note, which he tossed into the
lap of another passenger just before
he jumped, read:
“I am M. D. Davidson, 158 Vista,
Calif., det. res. 100 King ave. Notify
H. M. Richardson, 138 Hazelwood,
also Mrs. W R. Davidson, 3321 Clair
mont.”
F irecrackerEnds
Deaf and Dumb
Pretense of Man
ly the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, May 19.—When Joseph
Anderis told police—in writing—that
he was deaf and dumb they didn't
believe him.
They said they distinctly heard
some one say, "Don't shoot; I'll come
out" when they entered a burglarized
bakery shop the other night. Out
walked Anderis.
For two days Anderis persisted—
still in writing—that he could neither
hear nor speak.
Police said his pretense was at an
end today. A 2-inch firecracker placed
under his chair changed him from a
silent man to an outspoken one.
BY DUKE, FIANCEE
Marriage Pact Provides for
Property Settlement.
Details Held Up.
BULLETIN.
MONTS. Prance, May 19 fi^j.—
Kerman L. Rogers, spokesman for
the Duke of Windsor and Wallis
Warfield, declared tonight that
Mrs. Warfield would become "her
royal highness" upon her June 3
wedding
By the Associated Press.
MONTS, Prance, May 19.—The Duke
of Windsor made known today that
he and Mrs. Wallis Warfield have
signed a contract of marriage, pre
sumably for disposition of property in
the event of death or separation after
their June 3 wedding.
Herman L. Rogers, spokesman for
the couple, said the contract was
signed yesterday under British law, but
that its provisions would not be dis
closed.
Rogers added his personal opinion
that members of the royal family were
absenting themselves from the duke's
marriage because "the King (George
VI) was advised not to send any one.”
The British government has con
tended that the wedding should be a
private ceremony, without royal repre
sentation.
Details Not Revealed.
Although details of the marriage
contract were not known, it was dis
closed last night that it would be pos
sible for the British royal family, by
contract, to prevent Mrs. Warfield
from obtaining any of the duke’s herit
age in the event of separation
French marriage contracts usually
provide that husband and wife each
keep whatever they bring to the union
and that property accruing after mar
riage be left for settlement, in the
event of separation.
Soon after the wedding the duke and
his duchess will leave the chateau to
spend almost a month traveling before
they reach Wasserleonburg Castle, at
Noetsch, Austria, about July 1, the
spokesman predicted.
The gray castle on Austria's south
ern frontier, commanding an Alpine
view into Yugoslavia and Italy, has
been leased by the duke from his
friend, Count Paul Muenster, despite
(See WINDSOR. Page A-5.) 7
I
King and Kennedy Are Op
posed to Writing Bill in
Upper House.
BACKGROUND—
Elimination of legislative riders
by the House when the $45,228,000
District supply bill was passed
April 2 necessitates a number of
amendments in the Senate, which
started hearings yesterday. Sen
ators also face the prospect of de
vising new taxes to offset a threat
ened deficit. The House refected
Jacobs' plan for new fiscal relation
formula and continued present
Federal payment of $5,000,000.
BY J. A. O LEARY.
With House and Senate groups
considering how to raise between *6 -
000,000 and $7,500,000 of revenue to
balance the District's 1938 budget, the
Commissioners are preparing to meet
at the District Building this afternoon
to map out a policy regarding the
tax program.
Meanwhile. Chairman Thomas of
the Senate Appropriations Subcom
mittee now studying the District sup
ply bill, said following today's hear
ing there have been no further de
velopments on the suggestion advanced
yesterday that steps to insure a
balanced budget be taken by adding
whatever tax measures are needed to
the appropriation bill, if it is found
that this can properly be done under
congressional rules.
Announcement of this possibility
yesterday met with immediate oppo
sition from Chairman Kennedy of the
Tax Subcommittee of the House Dis
trict Committee. Chairman King of
the Senate District Committee also
frowned on the proposal of handling
taxes through the Appropriations Com
mittee instead of the legislative com
Senator Thomas of Oklahoma in
dicated again today it would be agree
able to him to have the legislative
committees go ahead with the tax
problem.
Consider Routine Cuts.
The Senate subcommittee devoted
today to consideration of routine cuts
which the House made in budget
items for the Sewer Department and
Public Utilities Commission. The
House trimmed about *100,000 from
various maintenance funds of the
sewer division.
It is understood that so far no in
creases above the budget figures have
been considered. The estimated deficit
of *6.000,000 to be met by new taxes
is based on the House bill. The esti
mate of $7,500,000 assumes restoration
of cuts the House made below the
budget, together with about *350.000
of deficiency estimates recommended
recently by the Budget Bureau.
District officials explained that if
the Senate restores the annual leave
of per diem employes it would not
raise the estimated deficit above the
(See D. C. BILL, Page A^5.j
-•
Horse Brings Note for Help.
LAS VEGAS, Nev., May 19 (P).—
A missing rider was sought today
after a weary horse plodded into
Logandale from the hot desert area
with an unsigned note under the sad
dle blanket, reading: “Have had sun
stroke. Am without water. Please
come and help.”
Visitor Denied Bloodhounds
To Trail Injured Choiv Dog
A visiting English girl today was
seeking the aid of bloodhounds to
trail her injured chow dog, which ran
away after being struck by an auto
mobile on Sixteenth street.
Miss Anne Marie Kitterman, 23,
of London, requested Lor ton Re
formatory authorities to send blood
hounds in an effort to pick up the
trail. The master of the dogs said,
however, they were trained to follow
cwily humans.
Meanwhile, Miss Kitterman enlisted
the aid of polioe and of E. Roy Routt,
owner of a kennel at Silver Spring,
Md.. who has been cruising Meridian
and Rock Creek parks with a police
dog, looking for the chow.
Miss Kitterman said the J-month
old chow, Ming Toy, was hit by an au
tomobile Monday night in front of
>
2460 Sixteenth street, where she is
staying.
Miss Kitterman followed the blood
stains until they played out. but could
find no trace of her pet. She thinks
the chow ran away to some dark place
in one of the parks, and now may be
dying in hiding.
Routt hoped the police dog would
sniff out the chow's hiding place.
Meanwhile, police broadcast a de
scription of the runaway.
The chow has been Miss Kitter
man’s only companion on a 6,000
mile automobile tour of the United
States and Canada. She is “globe
trotting” for the fun of It and plans
to proceed to San Francisco in a few
weeks.
The young visitor has spent twc
sleepless nights in a constant search
for her pet. She was near exhaus
tion today, but still hopeful.
I
SLAUGHTER HOUSE
BAN APPROVED BY
HOUSE COMMITTEE
Favorable Report Is Ordered
as Move to Reconsider
Fails, 7 to 8.
DISTRICT BACKS BILL,
MRS. NORTON SAYS
Seal Attacks Compensation Claim!
of Gobel Firm—Senate Hear
ings to Be Reopened.
BACKGROUND—
Application by a meat-packing
firm for permit to erect slaughter
house in Benning section resulted
in heated controversy last Fall. Re
jecting application. Commissioners
set rigid standards for establish
ment of such an enterprise in
Washington. Company was granted
permit, however, after it revised
plans to conform with standards.
Congress took the matter over after
introduction of bills to regulate
such industries in District.
Brushing aside all objections, the
full House District Committee today
ordered a favorable report on the Nor
ton bill banning slaughter houses and
other forms of so-called nuisance in
dustries in Washington after defeating
by a vote of 8 to 7 a motion to re
consider its action.
It required barely half an hour for
the House Committee to take the first
definite congressional action on the
zoning legislation, as a Senate District
Subcommittee, which held public hear
ings on the companion King bill all
last week prepared to take further tes
timony this afternoon.
Chairman Norton, who is sponsoring
the anti-nuisance bill in the House,
called it up at the open committee
session. After a brief outline of its
purposes, she called for a vote on re
porting the measure. There was no
roll call and the bill was immediately
ordered reported without discussion.
Gobel Attorney Heard.
Instantly, D Edward Clarke, attor
ney for Adolf Gobel. Inc., arose from
his seat and pleaded for "justice.”
In the lively debate that ensued Rep
resentative Palmisano, Democrat, of
Maryland moved a reconsideration of
the vote.
As the roll call of the motion to re
consider was recorded, the eight mem
bers voting against it were Chairman
Norton and Representatives Kennedy,
Maryland; Randolph, West Virginia;
Schulte, Indiana; Nichols, Oklahoma;
McGehee. Mississippi; Biglow, Ohio,
all Democrats, and Shafer, Michigan,
Republican.
The seven voting to reconsider were
Representatives Palmisano, Jenckes,
Indiana; Quinn. Pennsylvania and
Allen, Delaware, Democcats, and
Dirksen, Illinois; Short, Missouri, and
Batew, Massachusetts, Republicans.
The bill is expected to come up in
the House Monday, the next District
day.
Mrs. Norton's adroit handling of a
difficult committee situation and a
staunch defense of the anti-nuisance
measure by Corporation Counsel El
i wood H. Seal were successful in
smothering attempts to block action at
the last moment.
Chairman Norton called the bill up
at the start of the open session and,
after briefly outlining it* features,
remarked:
"It would seem from the hundred*
of letters that have been received by
this committee that the people of the
District of Columbia are in favor of
this bill.”
Schulte Asks Favorable Action.
As she finished, Schulte moved the
committee report the bill favorably.
This motion was carried without any
discussion.
Apparently stunned by the swift
action, the Gobel attorney. Clarke,
arose and said he represented the
Gobel firm, which already has ob
tained a building permit to erect a
slaughter house and rendering plant
near the Benning viaduct. Clarke
pointed out the Senate District Sub
committee was considering Identical
legislation and was now "in the pro
cess of taking testimony.”
"I know' you will want to see Justice
done and I plead with you to re
consider this action until the Senate
Committee has oompleted its hearing.”
(See"SLAUGHTER HOUSE, Page A-3J
PROPELLER THEORY
OUT AS BLAST CAUSE
Expert Testifies It Seems Certain
None of Dirigible's Broke
in Flight.
By the Associated Press.
LAKEHURST, N. J„ May 19—The
broken propeller theory of the Hin
denburg’s destruction was eliminated
today when an expert testified it ap
peared “certain” none of the dir
igible's four propellers had broken in
flight.
Frank W. Caldwell of Hartford,
Conn., an expert on propellers, gave
the evidence which dismissed as "im
probable" the possibility a broken
propeller blade had been flung
through the hull and punctured a gaa
cell, starting the disaster May 6 which
took 36 lives.
The witness said he had spent sev
eral days examining all the wrecked
dirigible's propellers, giving particular
attention to the blades of the port en
gine aft, which was nearest the out
break of the flames.
“It appears certain the blades were
not broken in flight,” he stated in his
report to the Commerce Department
Investigating Board
Moves House to Island.
BUFFALO* N, Y„ May 19 (>*>).—
Walter Robbins had to move his two
story house to make way for an in
dustrial development so he loaded it
on a scow and today his home was on
on island in the Niagara River.
I