Evening star. [volume], May 06, 1941, Image 23

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

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Washington News 0 Society and General
__ WASHINGTON, D. C.. TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1941. x
House Inquiry
Info Recreation
Facilities Asked
Subcommittee Wants
F. B. I/s Assistance
In Conducting Probe
Bv JAMES E. CHINN.
The Parks and Recreation Sub
committee of the House District
Committee took steps today to initi
ate an investigation of concession
aire-operated cafeterias in Govern
ment buildings and in public parks
as well as public golf courses and
other recreational activities here.
The subcommittee, on motion of
Representative Schulte, Democrat,
of Indiana, voted unanimously to
ask the full District Committee to
seek House authority to issue sub
poenas to compel the presence of
witnesses and the production of rec
ords of the various operations and
also to seek the assistance of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation in
conducting the inquiry.
Action was taken following testi
mony of Capt. Frank W. Hoover,
general manager of the Welfare and
Recreational Association; Severine
G. Loeffler. president of the company
which operates the five public goif
courses and other concessions, and
Walter R. McCallum. golf editor of
The Star.
Loeffler Profits Cited.
Mr. McCallum began his testi
mony by referring to a series of arti
rles he wrote for The Star in Novem
ber. 1939. on the operation of the
public golf courses covering com
parison of local facilities with other
cities, the question of monopoly
control and of turning profits back
into the courses.
Mr. McCallum also explained the
fees for use of the public golf
courses are fixed by the Interior De
partment and are "extremely low.”
He said the Loeffler company took
In $259,000 from golfers in 1939. paid
the Federal Government $19,966 and
listed operating costs of $133,365.
When Mr. Loeffler took the wit
ness stand he said the figures cited
by Mr McCallum were supposed
to have been "confidential'' and de
nied that profits in 1939 amounted
to $10,000. The profits that year,
he . testified, amounted to $5,059.
His salary, he said, is $18,200 a year.
Hebert Congratulates McCallum.
Representative Hebert. Democrat,
of Louisiana, questioned Mr. Loeffler
at length about the finances of his
corporation and said that even
though the figures were supposed to
be • confidential.'’ he wanted to con
gratulate the man who "got them."'
' I'm an old newspaperman myself,”
he added.
Before coming to Congress. Mr.
Hebert was city editor of a New
Orleans daily.
In the last 10 years. Mr. Loeffler
testified, he paid the Government
a total rental of $117,210 for the golf
courses. In addition to this, he said,
he began paying the Government
$658.75 in taxes in 1931. and this
amount increased to $7,668 in 1940,
exclusive of ineome taxes.
"It should be noted," he declared,
"that the courses in Washington
have cost the Government practical
ly nothing, but on the other hand the
Government has collected many
thousand of dollars in rental and
taxes.”
"This thing is going to develop into
b lot more detail than we thought.-’,
Mr. Shulte said. "These activities
are not being operated for the benefit
Of Government employes.”
Operates 32 Eating Places.
Capt. Hoover testified the Welfare
and Recreation Association operates
32 eating places—restaurants and
lunch counters—and conducts va
rious other activities in the public
parks such as the bicycle-renting
stand at the Tidal Basin, the tour- !
1st camp in East Potomac Park and
the teahouse at Hains Point.
The association, he said, is a non- !
profit-making organization and has
various types of contracts with the
Government. Under one contract, |
he explained the association pays
the Government 50 per cent of its
profits. So far. he declared, it has ;
paid into the Treasury more than
$400,000.
Capt. Hoover said his salary is
$9,500 a year and that the associa
tion has about 1.600 employes.
Mr. McCallum. a recognized au
thority on golf who has written
about the sport for The Star for 26
years, told the subcommittee the five
public courses should be taken over
by the Interior Department and a !
"competent man—one who knows
all the problems”—assigned to su
pervise them.
Mr. Loeffler, head of the corpora
tion which now operates the courses, i
he said, is not familiar with golf,'
hut is "a pretty good businessman
and has proven it.”
Bridges' Defense Opens;
U. 5. Witnesses Attacked
thf Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO. May 6.—Harry
Bridges' attorneys opened his de
fense at the C. I. O. longshore lead
er's deportation hearing yesterday
with an attack on the credibility of
Government witnesses.
Earlier Mrs. Carol King, chief of
Mr. Bridges’ counsel, made a series
of unsuccessful pleas for dismissal
or admission that the labor leader
was being discriminated against.
Trial Examiner Charles B. Sears
accepted a police record of one Gov
ernment witness over the protest of
Albert Del Guercio. chief of Govern
ment counsel, that "we don't want
this hearing to turn into a smearing
campaign.'1
The record was brought into court
by Chief of Police Charles Dullea
of San Francisco, first defense wit
ness. It set forth arrests of Sam
Diner, ex-Communist of San Rafael,
Calif., who testified Mr. Bridges at
tended a Communist party conven
tion in Fresno in 1934.
Actress Buys Virginia Site
I HEATHSVILLE. Va., May 6 <£>>.—
Helen Vinson of the stage and screen
has purchased 170 acres in the
Northern Neck of Virginia, near the
junction of the Potomac River with
Chesapeake Bay.
STREET DEVELOPMENT PACE LAGS—Under the new highway program proposed for Washing
ton it is pointed out that street improvements have not kept stride with property developments
and that a general campaign of widening and improving is needed. This scene looking down Sixth
street, from between D and E streets, shows one of the bottlenecks created by the belated wid
ening.
Many of the main thoroughfares, particularly those in the area outside of the original city
limits, are narrow, poorly paved and poorly aligned, conditions which make them hazardous and
reduce the volume of traffic which can pass over them. Here is shown a section of Harewood
road, between Michigan avenue and Blair road, considered a fine example of the need for im- 1
provement. —Star Staff Photos.
Red Cross Planning
First Aid Setups
In All U. S. Buildings
Detachments Would
Function in Any
'Emergencies'
Completion of plans to develop
first-aid detachments in all Govern
ment buildings was announced by
the District Red Cross yesterday
after White House Secretary Stephen
Early had commented on the value
of such detachments to prevent
confusion and hysteria in case the
buildings were suddenly ordered
closed.
First Government group to com
plete a first-aid organization was the
United States Secret Service, under
the direction of Chief F. J. Wilson,
who visited Mr. Early at the White
House yesterday.
Mr. Early pointed out that many
Government buildings would, in all
probability, close their doors imme
diately in any emergency.
To Thwart Spies.
He declared that all buildings
should be able to handle any emer
gency within their organizations,
eliminating the confusion and hys
teria that might be caused from
lack of preparations.
Dr. Roy Lyman Sexton, chairman
of first aid. water safety and acci
dent prevention for the District Red
Cross, who accompanied Chief Wil
son to the White House, pointed out
that a well-co-ordinated plan would
eliminate the necessity of relying
on outside help in case of an emer
gency. It would be easy, he said,
to impersonate a doctor, nurse or
first aider for an outsider who
wished to use a moment of confu
sion to gain valuable information.
Assignments for Each.
Under the new plan, men and
women would be given definite as
signments and instructed to report
to their posts in an emergency, thus <
providing every floor of every build
ing with complete protection. The
workers would be previously identi
fied and listed to avoid delay in the
proper care of an injured person.
An announcement from Red Cross
Chairman Norman Davis confirmed
the fact that first-aid detachments
are now authorized and have be
come a part of the Red Cross de
fense ptpgram.
The Red Cross is encouraging the
aters. department stores, churches,
schools, industrial firms and any
organization employing large num
bers of people to organize and as
sign members of their personnel j
who have been trained in first aid
to regular duties as an organized
first-aid detachment.
U. S. and Haiti Near Accord
On Revenue Collections
An agreement in principle to end
United States supervision of Haitian
customs and revenue collections has
been reached between this Govern
ment and Haiti, the State Depart
ment announced last night.
The supervision, for the protection
of United States holders of Haitian
1 bonds, was instituted in 1934 when
United States marines left the re
public. Responsibility for collection
of revenue and payment on the
bonds would be given the National
Bank of the Republic of Haiti under
the agreement.
Conclusion of a final agreement
along the lines worked out in prin
ciple ‘ would be a further milestone
in the development of the gbod
neighbor policy which has sought to
revise so far as possible all unusual
and extraordinary relationships be
tween the United States and the
other American republics which
have been inherited from the past,”
the State Department said.
It also was announced that the
United States and Haiti had reached
an agreement in principle on a
broad program of agricultural de
| velopment of the Caribbean repub
j lie, including extension of an addi
tional $500,000 credit for completion
of highway and irrigation projects.
Gallery Tours Scheduled
Owitg to the interest shown in
the collections by visitors to’ the
National Gallery of Art, staff mem
bers of the gallery will conduct vis
itors on a one-hour tour of the build
ing at 3 p.m. each Monday. Wednes
day and Friday. On Tuesdays and
Thursdays, a lecture program will
be given in the auditorium at 3 p.m.
Nine Children Hurt
In Traffic Mishaps
In and Near City
Girl, 2, and Boy, 6,
Reported in Serious
Condition
Nine small children were struck
by automobiles in and near Wash
ington late yesterday. Two of them
were still in serious condition at
Casualty Hospital today.
Two-vear-old Mary Ann Bryant
of 1237 B street SE.. was in the hos
pital with a fractured thigh, abra
sions and shock. She was hit by an
automobile near her home, police
said.
Phillip Pusateri. 6. of 619 Florence
street N.E.. received a skull injury
and fractured leg. according to po
lice. when he was struck by an auto
on Fifteenth street near Rosedale
street N.E. Police listed the follow
ing less Serious accidents:
To Providence Hospital with a
fractured left collarbone went Jack
Fletcher. 4. of 616 Portland street
S.E.. after an accident near his .
home.
Boy 4, Is Injured.
A possible nose fracture was suf
fered by another 4-year-old. An
thony J. Fitzgerald. 2524 Eleventh
street N.W.. who was treated at
Garfield Hospital after being hit in |
the 1100 block of Euclid street N.W.
Providence Hospital took in Don- j
aid Stoves. 3, of Bradbury Heights.'
Md.. injured near his home, and
James L. Hawkins. 3. colored, of
1017 Seventh street S.E... was hurt
by an auto at Virginia avenue and
K street SE.
Oldest of the group was Bernard
Braddock. 7. of 27 Congress court
N.W., who went to Sibley Hospital
with minor injuries after being
struck in the 400 block of L street
N.w.
Man Struck by Streetcar.
At Freedmen's Hospital were two
colored boys. Edward Dorsey. 5. hurt
near his home at 61212 N street |
N.W.. and L. E. Carter, jr.. of 207 ,
Brooks court N.W.. lacerated and
bruised in an alley at the rear of
the 1400 block of First street N.W.
One of the few adults injured was
an employe of the Capital Transit
Co, who was bumped in the face
by a streetcar as he was repairing
tracks at Seventh and Pennsylvania
avenue N.W.. according to police. |
Listed as Yates McCorkle, 34. col- !
ored. of 1646 New Jersey avenue
N.W.. he was treated by a company
physician and remained on the job.'
police said.
i ■ " ■ ... i .
Make May Safer
Every olot is a District traffic
death. Keep the May Calendar
clear.
May, 1941
Moy 2
May, 1940
H*T Hiy 14 Hit 15 Mifll Hit 19
• • • • • •
May 23 May 26
• •
Toll in Previous Months.
1940. 1941.
January . 5 13
February _ 5 3
March _ 6 5
April _ 1 7
In May, Beware Of:
1. Careless walking at night.
Six of the eight persons killed
in traffic during May, 1940.
were struck after dark.
2. Crossing a street at a point
other than a crosswalk. Two
pedestrians met death by this
action in May last year.
The six other trade victims
were injured while either cross
ing a street against a proper
signal, attempting to jump onto
a moving vehicle, attempting to
stop stampeding horses stand
ing in a button safety zone,
crossing at an uncontrolled in
tersection or riding in an auto
mobile.
Street Improvements to Take
15% of Road Program's Cost
Widening and Other Work on Major Arteries
Are Most Important, Whitehurst Says
On May 20 the District Commissioners trill hold a public hearing
On the $44,450,000 highway construction program drawn up alter
surveys lasting more than a year and described in detail in The Star
when released by Highway Director H. C. Whitehurst April 25. In
a series of articles. The Star is analyzing in detail the purposes of
all phases of the extensive program.
No. 3—Street Improvement and Widening
By PAT JONES.
An estimated total of $6,900,000. or approximately 15.5 per
cent of the $44,450,000 highway development expenditure recom
mended for the District, will go for major thoroughfare improve
ment and roadway widening projects which must be completed
even if the other proposed changes designed to eliminate traffic
congestion are rejected, Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, District director of
highways, said yesterday.
Safety can never be assured on the streets of Washington, he
declared, until its major arteries of travel are improved in standard
and design to the level required by the universal use of the motor
vehicle.
“Millions may be spent in educating the human element to
safe driving, but full realization can only come as safety is built
into the highways, oapt. wnne-i
hurst reminded.
The improvement and widening
proposals are an integral part of the
general highway program. In the
main, they are expected to elimi
nate streets of inadequate roadway
width as a step toward greater
safety and as a means of admitting
the volume of traffic now trying to
use them.
Roadway Widths.
Most of the streets included in
this part of the program are only
32 feet wide. The absurdity of try
ing to convert such a roadway into
a path for four-lane traffic is appar
ent, the director said, when it is
recalled that the law now permits
vehicles to be as much as 8 feet wide.
The director pointed out that
Washington is fortunate in having
right-of-ways of such width as to
permit, in nearly all instances,
widening of streets without acqui
sition of additional land. In Detroit,
where an extensive highway build
ing program has been put into
effect, it was found that land acqui
sition was by far the most costly
fiart of the undertaking.
But while the right-of-way widths
are sufficient in the Capital. Capt.
Whitehurst recalled that a great
many streets do not have the nec
essary roadway widths to insure a
free flow of traffic. A study con
ducted by the director of vehicles
and traffic revealed that the road
way area in the business or con
gested section of Washington was
materially less than that of similar
sections in other cities.
I'nusual Plan Ifeightens Problem.
"Our unusual plan resulting in a
concentration of activities in a
limited area, together with the
comparatively brief period of time
allowed for the movement of traffic,
makes our problem still more diffi
cult and acute, demanding adequate
solution,” the director said.
A matter of economics also enters
into the picture. Capt. White
hurst cautioned that widening of
streets should be undertaken at
such time, if practicable, when the
work can be co-ordinated with the
necessity for existing roadway re
placement, extensive underground
construction and abutting property
development. This, he advised, will
entail a large saving of money.
Major thoroughfare paving, with
a few exceptions, concerns streets
outside of the original city. The
necessity for such work is the direct
result of city growth and the de
mands of traffic.
Major thoroughfares included in
the program have been divided into
two classes. The first of these are
macadam roadways which must be
replaced because of narrow paving,
narrow right-of-way, poor align
ment and grade. According to Capt.
Whitehurst, every condition to make
them unsafe exists. The other class
lakes in highways which have not
been developed according to the
local highway plan: in other words,
new roads which are to be opened
to take the burden off existing
routes.
Purpose of Improvements.
The general purpose of the im
provements. besides removing un
safe conditions, is to provide suffi
cient highway capacity for increased
traffic and to permit access to va
rious sections, which, in turn, will
permit property development. To
illustrate the consideration which
must be given future development,
the director recalled that two years
ago. when the paving of Minnesota
avenue S.E. and N.E. was started,
there were not more than a dozen
houses in the section, while at pres
ent the territory is 50 per cent de
veloped.
Streets marked for improvement
under the present program all are
narrow, winding macadam road
ways totally inadequate for present
day traffic, Capt. Whitehurst said.
Among the worst of these he men
tioned Sheriff road N.E.. from Min
nesota avenue to the District line:
New Mexico avenue and Tunlaw
road N.W., from Calvert street to
Nebraska avenue: Alabama avenue
S.E., from Nichols avenue to Good
Hope road: Harewood road N.E.,
from Michigan avenue to Rock
Creek Church road: Foxhall road
N.W., from Reservoir road tb Ne
braska avenue: Chain Bridge road
N.W., from Conduit road to Lough
boro road; Ridge road S.E., from
Minnesota avenue to Bowen road:
Division avenue N.E.. from East
Capitol street to Sheriff road; !
Queens Chapel road N.E.. from
Michigan avenue to the District
line: Riggs road N.E., from North
Capitol street to the District line: :
Oregon avenue N.W., from Military
road to Chestnut street: Bunker
Hill road N.E., from Michigan ave
nue to Twenty-sixth street; Blair
road N.W., from Fourth street to
Eastern avenue and from Aspen
street to Fourth street.
New streets proposed are Weaver!
street N.W.. from Loughboro road
(Continued on Page B-2, Column 2.) j
-%
Burton Quits as Prober
For Senate Committee
By the Asfoented Press.
H. Ralph Burton, Washington at- |
torney, resigned yesterday as a spe
cial investigator for the Senate I
Privileges and Elections Commit
tee.
He had been employed to go to !
North Dakota to determine whether
a subcommittee should hold hear
ings in the State on a protest
against the seating of Senator Lan
ger, Republican, of North Dakota.
Chairman Connally said he re
ceived a protest to Mr. Burton’s
appointment from James Mulloy,
Bismarck. N. Dak., who had con
tended Mr. Burton represented Mr.
Langer in litigation in 1935. -
Mr. Burton told the committee a
check of his files disclosed he did
some work for a law firm which
represented Mr. Langer in the Fed
eral District Court that year.
Bill Asks 'Crystal City'
Site for Union Memorial
Temple Heights, at Connecticut
and Florida avenues, where it has
been planned to develop a so-called
“crystal city" made up of apart- i
ment houses and a shopping center, j
would become a site for a memorial
to Union soldiers in the War Be
tween the States under provisions of
a bill introduced late yesterday by
Representative Izac. Democrat, of
California.
The property, containing 9*/2 acres,
would be acquired under the bill
either by purchase or condemnation,
as a site for a memorial building
“in commemoration of the sacrifices
of the defenders of the Union dur
ing the Civil War.”
The measure authorizes acquisi
tion of the site by the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission at a cost not to exceed
SOQO.O'W).
Pedestrians Refuse
To Use Underpasses,
Says Whitehurst
One Held Needed in Front
Of Munitions Building
If Use Is Mandatory
You can lead pedestrians to un- 1
derpasses at busy intersections but ]
you can't make them go down one
flight of steps and come up an
other as long as they can cross on i
the surface. Capt. H. C. Whitehurst.
District highway director, yesterday
told the Tufts Alumni Club of
Washington at a luncheon meeting
at the Army and Navy Club.
The question arose during a dis
cussion by Capt. Whitehurst on the
recommendations contained in the
$44,500,000 highway improvement
program for the Capital recently
made public.
Firs* of all. he explained, pedes
trian underpasses are difficult in
the business district because walkers
will simply cross in the middle of
the street rather than descend be
low the street level and come up
on the other side.
He recalled that several years
ago. he advocated such an under
pass for school children on Banning
road N.E. But when it was con
structed. “practically no one used
it." he said.
A pedestrian underpass would be
excellent, he conceded, on Consti
tution avenue in front of the Muni
tions Building, with the provision
that its use be made mandatory.
As for underground parking, he
declared, both the construction and
operating cost would be prohibitive.
He specifically mentioned the pro
posed underground parking of auto
mobiles beneath the Mall as being
confronted with these two obstacles.
"Not only would such an area be
below sea level, ’ he asserted, “but
It would require special operating
facilities, resulting in the expendi
ture of approximately $1,500 per car
for its maintenance ”
Of course, he added, if the Fed
eral Government would finance the
entire project, it would be a "fine
thing" for the District.
Questioned about the financing of
the pioposed tunnel under the Po
tomac from Alexandria to Shep
herds Landing, the speaker said
that would require special consid
eration by the District. Alexandria.
Virginia and the Federal Govern
ment.
To Discuss Auto Legislation
A discussion of its legislative
recommendations for the year will
mark a meeting of the Women's
Safety Committee of the District
Division of the American Automo
bile Association, at 10:30 am. to
morrow, in the Senate minority con
ference room. Mrs. George C.
Thorpe is chairman of the group.
After the meeting the committee
will be entertained at luncheon in
the Capitol, at which Senator Rey
nolds, Democrat, of North Carolina
will act as host.
Duties Greater
Than Ever, New
Citizens Told
The responsibilities of Americans
were “never so great as today.”
District Court Justice Jesse C.
Adkins today told 91 persons seeking
the protection of American citizen
ship. Eighty-four of them were
aliens and seven were asking
repatriation.
“The right of citizenship is the
greatest gift in the power of the
American people,” declared the
jurist. “It cannot be valued in
money and it cannot be bought, but
it is given freely to those who comply
with the requirements laid down by
Congress.
“The possession of these ines
timable rights involves grave respon
sibilities. and these responsibilities
were never so great as today. After
you have taken the oath, you will
have all these rights and responsi
bilities.
"Of course, you will completely
and unreservedly abandon in every
sense your allegiance to your former
countries and become loyal support
ers of the Government of the United
States. This will mean not only an
! unswerving devotion and obedience
t to all of our laws, but an intelligent
participation to the fullest extent
possible in the selection of our gov
ernmental officers'and the whole-'
i hearted support of those officers in
1 the administration of their duties.”
Children's Hospital
Ordered Placed on
District Tax Rolls
Two Catholic Properties
And Salvation Army
Hotel Included
The Children's Hospital property,
located between Twelfth and Thir
teenth and V and W streets, was
ordered returned to the real estate
ta» rolls yesterday as the Commis
sioners approved another list of
recommendations submitted by the ,
Special Real Estate Tax Exemption
Board, headed by Assistant Corpora
tion Counsel Walter L. Fowler.
The property has an assessed
value of $542,060 If the action of
the Commissioners is sustained, the
hospital will pay an annual tax of
$9 486 06.
The investigation board said that,
in its opinion, "this hospital is a
charitable institution" but that, at
the present time "in this jurisdic
tion. there is no existing statute
exempting hospitals as such from
real estate taxes." The board said
it therefore had concluded that the
hospital "is not a purely public
charity, conducted without charge
to inmates, profit or income and is
therefore improperly exempt from
payment of real estate taxes."
Tne Commissioners also upheld
a board recommendation that the
offices of the Catholic Charities
at 1441 Rhode Island avenue N.W.
and the National Catholic Welfare
Conference at 1312 Massachusetts
avenue N.W.. be returned to the tax
assessment rolls. The two prop
erties have an assessed value of
more than $73,000.
The Evangeline Residence, 1330
L street N.W., a hotel operated by
the Salvation Army, also was ordered
on the tax list. The board said it
found the residence cannot be
classed as a purely public charity.
The property has an assessed value
of $191,340.
In two other cases the Commis
sioners ordered portions of two
properties—rooms which are being
rented—returned to the tax rolls.
This action was taken in the case of
the Church of God. Inc.. 914 S
street N.W.. and the Full Gospel
Assembly of Washington, Inc.. 921
Massachusetts avenue N.W. The
remainder of the two premises was
held to be properly exempt.
Other properties which the Com
missioners decided should remain
exempt from real estate taxes- St
Patrick's Church. Tenth and G
streets N.W.: Marvin Methodist
Church. 944 B street S.E.: First Con
gregational Society. Tenth and G
streets N.W.: Mount Vernon Place
Methodist Church. Ninth and
Massachusetts avenue N.W.: Im
maculate Conception Academy. 800
Q street N.W., and 1554 Eighth
street N.W.; Salem Baptist Church.
919 N street N.W.: Seventh-Day Ad
ventist Theological Seminary, 6830
Laurel avenue N.W.; the Luxembourg
Legation, 2200 Massachusetts ave
nue N.W.; Shiloh Baptist Church,
! Inc., 1500 Ninth street N.W.: the
1 Japanese Embassy. 2514 Massa
chusetts avenue N.W.: Francis As
bury Methodist Church. 3146 Six
teenth street N.W.: Grace Reformed
Church of the City of Washington,
1403 Fifteenth street N.W.. and the
Boys' Club of the Metropolitan Po
lice Department. 1200 U street N.W.
Metropolis View Citizens
Nomination Refused
With Vincent P. Boudren refusing
to accept renomination as president
of the Metropolis View Citizens' As
sociation, the group last night nomi
nated the Rev. George S. Duncan
and Barton R. Margerum for the
post. Elections will be held in June.
Mr. Margerum was also renomi
nated as vice president, with George
E. Miller, jr.. as second nominee.
Mrs. Marie Higdon and Mrs. B. R.
Margerum were nominated for sec
retary. and Mrs. Margaret Mont-;
gomery and Sam Sidotti for treas- j
urer.
On the motion of Howard G.
Watson, the association opposed
the building of apartment houses
in the general area of Fifth and
Franklin streets N.E. Ten dollars
was voted to the Elks Boys' Band,
at the suggestion of Mr. Boudren.
Guest speakers of the evening
were Archibald M. McLachlen, presi
dent of the District of Columbia
Bankers' Association, who spoke on
Defense bonds and stamps, and
Ellis Annett, who extended to the
association an invitation to attend
the annual Community Chest Fiesta,
to be held May 23 on the Charles
C. Olo-er pc-1'.
Overton Plan
Gets Backing
Ot McCormack
House Majority
Leader Pledges
His Support
House Majority Leader McCor
mack today promised to give his
support to the Senate-approved
Overton bill containing a formula
designed to settle the annual con
troversy in Congress over fiscal
relations between the Federal and
District governments.
The measure is scheduled to be
called up in the House Monday The
formula it prescribes would fix the
share of the expenses of the Federal
Government on the basis of Govern
ment-owned acreage here, after cer
tain deductions, to the total land
area. Its application, it is estimated,
would raise the present lump sum
Federal payment from $8,000,000 to
approximately $9,000,000 in the fiscal
year beginning July 1 >
Representative McCormack point- .
ed out that in his 14 years as a
member of the House he has “con
sistently” supported proposals for
increasing the amount of the Federal
payment toward the cost of operat
ing the District government.
Realty Tax Yields Bt'T- of Revenue.
Mr. McCormack made known his |
position after Chairman Randolph
of the House District Committee
yesterday appealed to the members
to give him utmost support in seek
ing House approval of the Overton
bill, and Representative Hunter,
Democrat, of Ohio told the Housp j
thp present $1.75 real estate tax -
hpre is producing about two-thirds
of the general revenues and that
the District Committee took that ,
fart into consideration before ap
proving the Overton bill.
Representative Hunter, who Is
' chairman of the Fiscal Affairs Sub- ■
rommittep of the District Commit
tee. in his statement to the House
said:
“Mr. Speaker, a few days ago. the ,
gentleman from Kansas, Mr. Rees,
offered some objections to H. R
3490, which includes the Overton
! formula for determining the annual
pavment the Federal Government ;
wiil make toward the expenses of
the District of Columbia.
List of Cities Challenged.
“The gentleman's objections were
based on what our investigations
have shown to be an erroneous as
sumption that residents of the Dis
trict are not paying a fair and just
proportion of taxes, as compared
with the residents of comparable
cities elsewhere in the United States. •
“To justify the statements he
quoted real estate tax rates in 22
cities. A few of these cities may
rightfully have been called com
parable cities, but it is difficult to
picture Sioux City. Iowa: Phoenix,
Ariz.: Cumberland. Md : Topeka.
Kans : Fargo. N. Dak . and some of
the other cities on that list as com
parable cities.
Methods of Valuation Considered.
"The gentleman from Kansas." he
continued, “also did not take into
consideration a fact that is known
to every real estate operator in the
country: namely, that a real estate
tax rate means very little unless
methods of valuation are taken into
consideration. In one area, real
estate may be assessed for taxation
purposes at 50 per cent of actual
selling price. In another, it may be
assessed at. 75 per cent of market
value. In the District, it happens to
be assessed for taxation purposes
at slightly more than 100 per cent
of actual sales or market value.
"Your committee on the District
of Columbia did not approve the
Overton formula blindly. One of its
steps was to secure a study of the
tax situation by the Bureau of Cen
sus. which reported that residents
of the city 'of Washington paid
higher taxes than the average in the
10 cities nearest Washington's size
in the United States.
"I refer you to House Document
10a. Seventy-sixth Congress, first
session. District of Columbia tax
study report made to Congress pur
suant to act of May 16. 1938. and
submitted January 16. 1939 The
report was prepared by the special
staff under the direction of Mr.
Colin F. Stam. chief of staff, joint
committee on internal revenue tax
ation. and Chester B Pond, director
of the District of Columbia tax
study, commonly referred to as the
Pond report.
Sales Prices Under Assessments.
"This report shows that taxes on
property represents 67.83 per cent of
the total taxes levied in the District
of Columbia, as compared with 61.76
per cent of 12 selected States and
64.77 per cent of the 48 States of
the Union.
“The joint committee above men
tioned found that on investigation
of 9.795 sales of real estate in the
District of Columbia, covering the
period 1930-1936, the total sales price
was $131,901,917. as against an as
sessed value of $136,715,690, or an
average ratio of 104 per cent assessed
value to sales value.
"The Pond report recommends
that the maximum rate oh real es
tate and tangible personal property
should be $1.75 per $100 assessed val
uation.
"An examination of the 1942 Dis
trict of Columbia budget shows an
fstimated total revenue from all
sources of general fund taxation of
$33,940,000, and a real estate tax
yield of $22,300,000. Therefore, the
real estate pays approximately two
thirds of the total general revenue
taxes of the District.
"The District of Columbia budget;
also shows that the real estate con
tributesv60 per cent of the total gen
eral revalue account.”
Byron (jets O P. M. Post
Maj. Joseph W. Byron, president
of W. D. Byron & Sons, Williams
port, Md., today was named chief
consultant of the leather unit of
the O. P. M.’s materials branch. A
graduate of West Point and a World
War veteran, Maj. Byron has been
in the volunteer service of the Ad
ministrator of Export Control. H*
succeeds H. M. McAdoo, who is re
turning to the presidency of the
United States Leather Co.. New