Evening star. [volume], May 19, 1946, Page A-15, Image 29

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

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WASHINGTON, D. C., MAY
Washington and Vicinity
19, 3946.
A—15
Prompt Approval
Of Housing Bill
Asked by Wyatt
Action Called Key
To Better Homes
In Next 2 Years
By Robert J. Lewis
Housing Administrator Wilson W.
Wyatt yesterday declared before the'
Town Meeting on Housing, spon
sored by 53 local veterans' organiza
tions at the Mayflower Hotel, that
prompt congressional approval of
the Wagner-Ellender-Taft general
housing bill . would mean “better
houses and apartments for less
*noney during the next two years.”
Referring to the controversial
measure which was passed by the
Senate and now awaits House
action. Mr. Wyatt said in an ad
dress broadcast nationally: “All of
its provisions are aimed toward in
creasing the volume of housing and
lowering the cost.”
Passage of the Patman bill last!
week in which Congress authorized ;
S400.000.000 in subsidy payments to
encotirage production of building i
materials, Mr. Wyatt termed the
“best new’s since the program's in
ception early in February.”
Construction Begins.
Another ‘ good sign,” he added,
tras the beginning of construction,
during the first four months of this
year, on 315.000 dwellings, including
temporary units, trailers and con
versions. He explained this was "a
little more than one-fourth of our
1946 goal.”
Yesterday's session was called by
the Combined Veterans Committee
on Housing to obtain an up-to-date
report from Government, building;
industry and labor representatives
on the prospects for homes.
Mr. Wyatt’s address was the high
light of a luncheon starting at noon.
Preceding him on the program were
Watson B. Miller, Federal Security j
Administrator; Brig. Gen. Gordon!
R. Young, engineer commissioner for
the District; Leo Maguire, represent-1
ing veterans; Boris Shishkin, Amer-I
ican Federation of Labor economist; ;
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III, chairman
of the National Park and Planning
Commission, and Miss Anna Beren
son, CIO national housing represen
tative. John Carson presided.
Two Discussions Held.
After the luncheon, two panel dis-,
cussions were held on “Building and I
Purchasing of Homes” and “Lowj
Cost Rentals and Temporary Hous- ■
ing.”
Engineer Commissioner Young,
summarizing accomplishments of the
District Veterans Emergency Hous
ing Committee, said a tentative two
year goal of 45.000 dwelling units for j
the District had been set, but that
this figure might be scaled down.
He traced the committee's effort^
to encourage home sharing and t> i
release of Federal apartment spa*,
and said the District was hoping to
get a $250,000 appropriation soon
with which to pay its share of the
cost of 930 temporary dwelling units
provided by the Federal public
Housing Authority.
Referring to the drive to obtain
release of Federal space, he said:
“We will continue our efforts along
this line, but it is slow work.”
Problems Cited.
One of the most serious problems
in connection with veterans’ housing
at the moment, he said, is to find a
means of continuing the District
Housing Center at 1400 Pennsyl
vania avenue. This center serves
as a clearing house for vacant rental
space in the District area. The Fed
eral Government has indicated it
would withdraw financial support
June 30.
Miss Berenson said she consid
ered the Wyatt proposals “only a
minimum program" and that there
is great pressure for stronger mea
sures, such as requisitioning of un
used homes.
Earlier, Mr. Miller declared ‘‘the
gadgets and streamlining of the
dream house can wait” and pointed
out that the "health stake in the
housing problem is paramount.” He
said veterans are reaping ‘‘the
fruits not only of wartime short
ages of homes, but of failure to build
an adequate number of homes be
fore the war.”
Mr. Shishkin, pointing out that
measures taken in Washington alone
would not solve the housing prob
lem, explained: ‘‘This is a problem
that must be solved in terms of
Americans everywhere."
Emergency Stressed.
Asserting that the District's hous
ing problem is “the most serious
emergency that we are facing at
this time,” Gen. Grant said that
one contributing factor was the
number of evictions due to sale of
homes and failure of owners to
meet sanitary requirements.
Panel discussions mainly dealt1
with the familiar problem of ma
terials bottlenecks. Labor and in
dustry were alternately blamed by
speakers for low production, and;
the OPA came in for a share of the
criticism owing to what building
industry representatives called its
“unrealistic" pricing policies.
Helen Duey Hoffman of the Wash
ington Housing Association, a panel
speaker, caused a stir when she crit
icized the policy of some landlords
in refusing to rent to families with
children.
“We need more rental housing
and less birth-control,” she said.
Speakers Listed.
Panel moderators were John Ed
wards and Gordon Shaw. Speakers
were Col. Lawrence Westbrook, a
veteran: Vincent Holmes. District
OPA director; Charles T. Penn,
president of the Washington Build
ing Congress; John C. Houston of
the Civilian Production Adminis
tration; Maurice Davis, area hous
ing expediter for the National
Housing Agency; Clem P. Preller,
president of the Washington Build
ing and Construction Trades Coun
cil; W. C. McClelland of the Vet
erans Administration.
John Ihlrier, executive officer of
the National Capital Housing Au
thority; Henry Pryor, a veteran;;
James Crooks, general counsel to
the District Rent Control Admin-!
Istrator; £dward R. Carr, president
of the nine Builders Association!
of Metropolitan Washington; Gen. I
Grant and Mrs. Hoffman. 1
k
i
THE TRAINS FINALLY RAN—These passengers guessed right. Crowded in front of
the gates at Union Station, they were just hoping they would be able to catch their
trains when this picture was made a few minutes before the railroad strike sched
uled for 4 p.m. yesterday was postponed.
These railroaders guessed wrong. They are
part of the shift leaving at 4 p.m. to go off
duty, some of them walking away from trains
which stood idle for hours.
Pennsylvania Railroad Fireman F. M. Slattery of Phila
delphia gives prompt notice of the strike postponement to
Engineer B. S. Gregg of Wilmington, Del., upon the latter’s
arrival at 4:05 p.m. from New York,
It was nearly four hours later when Martin H. Miller (arrow), national legislative repre
sentative of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, still was telling these union men in Eagle
Hall, Henry and Cameron Streets, Alexandria, Va., to go back to work.
These sightseers in the Capital from Lansdale. Pa., waved happily when they heard the news of
the strike postponement as they gathered inUnion Station about 4 p.m. Some trains wrere de
layed for hours, however.
Three Candidates Seek
Place on Arlington
School Board
Leon W. Brown, former Arlington
School Board clerk, has announced
his candidacy for appointment to
the School Board, it was reported
yesterday by Earle G. Beale, secre
tary of the School Trustee Electoral
Board.
Mr. Brown, who also served over
10 years as school department
financial administrator, resigned
last October to enter business.
A resident of the county for 12
years he also taught for a short time
at Washington-Lee High School
before entering the administrative
offices. He is now employed by the
Virginia Paving Co.
He is a graduate of Maryville!
College. Maryville, Tenn., and re-!
ceived his master’s degree in edu-j
rational administration from George
Washington University.
Two Others Candidates.
Only two other candidates have
been mentioned for the vacancy
which will occur June 30 when the ;
term of B. M. Smith expires. Mr.
Smith has announced he will not
be a candidate for reappointment.
Mrs. Elmer Carson and the Rev.
Paul R. Hunter are being supported
by the Country Club Grove Citizen's
Association and the Citizen's Com
mittee for School Improvment,
respectively.
Mrs. Carson, a native of Macon,
Qa., has been a county resident
since October, 1943. She received
her A.B. and M.A. degrees at Colum
bia University and formerly was
principal at the Bryant Elemen
tary School, Teanock, N. J.
She is a member of the James
Madison Parent-Teacher Associa
tion, the Country Club Grove
Citizen's Association and is active
at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.
Electoral Board to Meet.
The Rev. Mr. Hunter, a resident
pf Arlington for 14 years, is pastor
of the Rock Springs Congregational
Church. A graduate of Hope Col
lege. Holland. Mich., he received his
divinity degree at Rutgers Univer
sity in 1931 and has studied at
Union Theological Seminary.
He served as a substitute teacher
in Arlington Junior and Senior High
Schools and organized a co-opera
tive nursery school and kindergar
ten in his church three years ago.
At an informal meeting at 8 p.m.
tomorrow in Room 109. Washing
ton-Lee High School, the School
Trustee Electoral Board will inter
view candidates, according to E. L.
Kirkpatrick, chairman.
The board will meet at 8 p.m.
May 27 in the courthouse for a pub
lic hearing before electing the
school board member for a four
year term.
Arlington Forest Church
Plans Special Services
The Arlington Forest Methodist
Church at Lee boulevard and Hen
derson road will hold a- series of
special services, beginning at 8 p.m.
tomorrow. The Rev. J. Joseph Rives,
D. D., will be the guest speaker!
The Rev. Harry G. Balthis. pastor,
announced that Dr. J. Callaway
Robertson, district superintendent,
will preach tonight and Sunday
morning, May 26.
I i
Here are some trains held up by the delay in convincing
railroaders that the 4 p.m. strike deadline was off—an Atlantic
Coast Line Diesel; a Chesapeake and Ohio steam engine; a
Southern Railway locomotive, and a Baltimore and Ohio Diesel.
The Atlantic Coast Line train was due to pull out at 4:35 p.m.
and the Southern at 5:30, but all the engines, with their crew's
in the cabs, were sitting in the yards at 6 p.m. when the photog
rapher left. (Story on Page A-1.) —Star Staff and AP Photos.
Fort Belvoir Units
To Be Cut Sharply
Fort Belvoir, one of the country's
largest Army training centers, will
shrink to relatively ghost-like pro
portions as far as its training units
go as a result of the amended Se
lective Service Act, it was announced
yesterday.
Three-fourths of the training com
panies there will be eliminated, af
fecting 22,000 soldiers now in train
ing. During the spring of 1944 a
peak of 25,000 men under instruc
tion was reached.
Gas Station Holdup-Slayer
In Roanoke Dies Tomorrow
By the Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va., May 18.—
Thomas Edward Harrison, 20-year
old convicted slayer of a Roanoke
filling station operator, is scheduled
to aie in the electric chair at the
State penitentiary here Monday.
Harrison was convicted in Roa
noke County Circuit Court and sen
tenced to death in the robbery-slay
ing of Roby M. Daugherty, last Jan
uary 19. His convicted accomplice,
James Edward Dillon, was sentenced
to 99 years in prison.
An 11th hour effort of Harrison’s
parents to have his sentence com
muted was denied by the State
Board of Pardons and Reprieves.
The basis of the plea, board mem
bers disclosed, was that Harrison
was retarded mentally and that his
sentence should be no more severe
than that of Dillon.
Men to Meet Thursday
To Form Garden Club
A Men's Garden Club will be or
ganized under the sponsorship of
the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Educa
tional Foundation at a meeting in
the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High
School Thursday night.
Object of the club will be to en
courage gardening and horticulture
by lectures, garden tours, exchange
of ideas and round table discussions.
Jh
Bethesda Library
Plans Expected Soon
An architect's drawing of the
proposed war memorial library in
Bethesda is now being made and
will be submitted within the next
two weeks for approval of the com
mittee in charge of the project, it
was announced yesterday.
The committee represents 83 or
ganizations in the Bethesda-Chevy
Chase area and is headed by the
Rev. J. Raymond Nelson, pastor of
the Bethesda Baptist Church. Phil
Schaefer is secretary.
xittuiumg iu mi. ocnaeier, me
plans have been tentatively deter
mined after consulting with libra
rians as to the prerequisites of a
“nearly perfect library.”
Present plans call for location of
the library, a memorial to those of
the community who died in the
last war. near the Bethesda-Chevy
Chase High School.
Country Dance Planned
The Young Peoples’ Fellowship of
Pinkney Memorial Episcopal Church,
Hyattsville, will hold a country dance
Friday in the parish hall.
Prince Georges Plans
Free Chest X-Rays
The Prince Georges County Health
Department will offer free X-ray
clinics in its tuberculosis campaign
for four days this week, starting to
morrow.
The clinics will be conducted from
1 to 5 p.m. in the County Service
Building. Hyattsville, County Health
Officer Dr. John M. Byers an
nounced. Appointments may be
made by calling Hyattsville 0163.
More than 3,000 persons already
have taken advantage of the free
service Dr. Byers said.
Meanwhile, the schedule of pre
school clinics for next week is as
follows:
Tomorrow, Capitol Heights. 10 a.m.
to noon, and Seat Pleasant, 1:30 p.m.
to 3 p.m.: Wednesday. Riverdale, 10
a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursday, Beltsville,
10 a.m. to noon, and Fridav, J. Enos
Ray School, Takoma Park, 10 a.m. to
noon, and Ager Road School, 1:30 to
3 p.m. All clinics will be In the
elementary school buildings.
It Just Rains Victory
In a last minute effort to keep his
popularity from descending even
lower than zero, the weatherman
called for sunny weather today just
in time to prevent Washingtonians,
Ho Wjld.
who have been doused daily by his
correctly predicted rains, from turn
ing into a city of web-footed crea
tures.
Oh, yes, we know. He scored an
other win yesterday with a torren
tial instead of an occasional shower.
And with only three days of this
30-day series with the elements left,
he appears certain to finish with at
least an 80 per cent average.
He will be rated on his prediction
from 10 pjn. last night until 7 a.m.
tomorrow instead of the usual 7 a.m.
to 7 a.m. period because of Saturday
night deadlines.
The Standings.
Won Lost Pet.
Weatherman .. 22 5 .815
The Forecast.
From 10 p.m. last night until 7
a.m. tomorrow—Fair and less humid
weather today with the temperature
rising to the 70s.
Trade Board Approves
Silver Spring Zoning
The Silver Spring Board of Trade
has approved the proposed master
zoning plan for the business dis
trict of Silver Spring. William
Wright, president of the board, an
nounced yesterday.
At the same time the business
body announced that it is support
ing establishment of an athletic
field and stadium to be completed
by next fall at the Montgomery
Blair High School.
Officers Are installed
By Fairlington PIA
New officers were installed at the
May meeting of the Fairlington Par
ent-Teacher Association with Mrs.
Bussey of the Northern Virginia
District of Parent-Teacher Asso
ciations. presiding.
D. L. Springer succeeds Mrs. Ru
fus Jasper as president. Other of
ficers installed were Mrs. Robert
Lancefield, first vice president; Miss
Grace Hall, second vice president;
Mrs. L. D. McIntyre, secretary; Mrs.
R. L. Green, corresponding secre
tary; John Woodworth, treasurer;
Byron McCandless, parliamentarian,
and Mrs. Robert B. Workman, his
torian.
The association voted $50 to the
Emergency Famine Relief Com
mittee and $100 to help establish
a circulating film library in Ar
lington.
W. H. Saalfield Heads
Section 8 Citizens
W. H. Saalfield has been named
president of the Citizens’ Associa
tion of Section 8, Chevy Chase.
Other officers include E. C. Crafts,
vice president; Mrs. W. B. Emery,
secretary; Charles A. Avant, treas
urer; Mr. Saalfield and H. H. Snell
ing, delegates to the Montgomery
County Civic Federation, with A. S.
Best, J. A. Overholt and J. Q. Reber
as alternates; George P. Schultze,
delegate to the Fire Board, and Mr.
Saalfield. delegate to the Bethesda
Library Board. .
Bland Assails CAB Ban
On Ship Line Planes in
VirginiaTradeAddress
By the Associoted Press
NORFOLK. Va.. May 18. — The
Civil Aeronautics Board was taken
to task today by Representative
Bland. Democrat, of Virginia, for
what he said was its “tortuous and
arbitrary construction of the law"
in denying American flag shipping
lines the right to use airplanes.
Mr. Bland, who is chairman of
the House Merchant Marine and
Fisheries Committee, was speaking
before the convention of the Vir
ginia State Junior Chamber of Com
merce.
Declaring that eight shipping lines
had applied to the CAB for certifi
cation to “use airplanes in sceduled
service with their ships over the
same sea routes that they have de
veloped for many years. Mr. Bland
asserted, "the Civil Aeronautics
Board is stopping them.'1
The convention banquet was held
tonight with Royal J. Adams, jr.,
president of the Norfolk Junior
Chamber of Commerce, acting as
master of ceremonies.. The ban
quet speaker was Commodore W. B.
Clarke, commanding officer of the
Naval Training Center here.
Gustave Snyder, jr., of Norfolk
was elected president of the State
organization. Other officers elected
were: Joe H. Saunders. Alexandria,
vice president: John Shiltz, Mar
tinsville, vice president: James Gat
ling. Suffolk, vice president: Rob
ert Hurt, Roanoke, vice president;
Robert A. Wilson, Richmond, vice
president; Elliott Thompson. Alex
andria. treasurer, Bud Feldman,
Danville, national director.
Tomorrow the convention will
close after the installation of new
officers. King Meehan, retiring
president of the State chamber will
be in charge and Judge Floyd E.
Kellam, Princess Anne County, will
conduct the installation.
Silver Spring Civitans
Elect Rev. W. W. Gale
The Rev. Walter W. Gale, rector
of Grace Episcopal Church. Silver
Spring, has been elected president
of the Silver Spring Civitan Club.
Mr. Gale is prominent in civic
affairs and organized the Junior
WAVES, a group of 80 girls who
aided wounded veterans at Walter
Reed Hospital. He also organized
the Silver Spring Ministerial As
sociation and was its first president.
The club’s main project for 1946
is the purchase of an ambulance
to be turned over to the commu
nity’s fire department for the use
of local residents in emergencies.
Patrick Henry PTA
Slates Final Meeting
The Patrick Henry School Par
ent-Teacher Association will hold
its final meeting of the school year
at 8 p.m. Tuesday at 700 South
Fillmore street, Arlington.
Mrs. Mildred S. Percey, director
of guidance for the district, will
speak. Officers will be installed as
follows: Boris S. Yane, president;
Mrs. Elizabeth McNeil, vice presi
dent; Mrs. Ruth Brafford, secre
tary, and George W. Peterson,
treasurer. t
Hoey Plans Bill
Continuing Rent
Controls in D. C.
Committee to Hold
6 Sessions This Week
On District Affairs
By Don S. Warren
A bill to continue the District's
present home rent controls through
the next year will be introduced in
the Senate. Senator Hoey, Democrat,
of North Carolina, announced last
night.
Senator Hoey. acting chairman of
the Senate District Committee, said
he would introduce the bill and
might have it called up at Tuesday's
session of the committee to de
termine if a hearing is needed.
Present controls run only to Decem
ber 31.
The Senate District Committee
hearing is one of half a dozen ses
sions slated for this week on Dis
trict affairs, including budget, slum
and suffrage questions.
Welfare Board Heaving.
Scheduled for tomorrow, in ad
dition to a 10 am. hearing of a
House District subcommittee to dis
cuss Welfare Board reorganization,
is a Senate Judiciary Committee
meeting.
Chairman McCarran of the Ju
diciary Committee plans to seek
approval of his bill to create a
Federal City Charter Commission
to draft a “self rule’’ plan for the
District, including a city council,
one-third of whose members would
be appointed by the President and
the remainder elected.
Also awaiting action by the Sen
ate Judiciary Committee is the
Hatch-O’Mahoney version of the
proposed amendment to the Con
stitution to empower Congress to
grant the District a vote in Pres
idential elections and representa
tion in the House but not in the
Senate.
Not on Schedule.
This has not been scheduled by
Chairman McCarran for -considera
tion tomorrow, but a move to take
, it up may be made by Senator
Hatch. Democrat, of New Mexico.
House District Committee officials
have scheduled three other hearings
for this week: Tuesday at 10 a.m.,
on the bill to prevent erection of
television towers in residential
areas: Wednesday at 10 a m., a bill
to reorganize the board of directors
of Southeastern University, with
special reference to its Law School:
ad Friday at 10:30 am., on bills
■ dealing with proposed limitation of
taxicab licenses.
Action is expected at Tuesday's
session of the Senate District Com
mittee on two bills recently pased
by the House, proposing permanent
establishment of child day care cen
tes and to permit the liquidation ol
the Washington Railway & Electric
Co.
| In addition. Senator Hoey will ask
j if the group is ready to act on a
I number of other bills, including the
: long-delayed bill to strengthen the
District's control over communicable
| disease patients who refuse treat
ment or isolation.
Supply Bill Action Possible.
Though a session of the Senate
Appropriations Committee has not
| yet been scheduled, action may be
taken some time this week on the
Districts’ 1947 supply bill. As re
ported recently by the O'Mahoney
Subcommittee this calls for an out
lay of $79,600,000 in the year begin
ning July 1. It also proposes a $4.
000.000 boost in the $6,000,000 lump
sum payment, pending new basic
law on the issue.
Just when the $20,000,000 slum re.
development bill would be ready for
House action remained uncertain.
It has been favorably reported by
the McGehee subcommittee, with
| a major change in the section deal
ing with public low-rent housing.
Chairman McMillan tentatively has
planned a meeting this week of the
full District Committee to send the
bill to the House. This plan may
be altered, due to the absence of
Mr. McGehee.
On this measure Senator McCar
Iran. a principal author of the bill,
| promised yesterday to seek appoint
ment of a House-Senate conference
committee as soon as the House
passes the bill, assuming the Sen
ate measure will be revised there.
He said he still believed a satisfac
tory bill will be passed before the
j end of this session.
Daylight Time Hits Snag.
Plans for establishing daylight
tsaving for Washington have struck
; a new snag. The McMillan bill was
referred yesterday to the McGehee
! subcommittee with a suggestion that
a public hearing be held because
numerous complaints had been re
ceived.
Wednesday has been set as the
deadline for submission to the
Healy Subcommittee of the House
District Committee of written argu
ments on the proposed rent control
on commercial properties here.
Thereafter, the subcommittee will
schedule an executive session to de
cide whether to recommend legisla
tion.
Carnival Prizes
In Cash Banned
By Montgomery
Joseph B. Simpson, jr.. Mont
| gomery County State's attorney,
I warned yesterday that no money
I or anything redeemable in money
| may be awarded as a prize in carni.
; val games in the county,
j Mr. Simpson issued his warning
| in explaining the county law af
j fecting carnivals and the legality
j of certain games.
Under the law, according to Mr.
Simpson, any group of citizens or
any company or corporation is per
mitted to hold a carnival provided
the proceeds are not used for the
private profit of any member of the
sponsoring group.
It is lawful, he explained, to con
duct games of skill and to dispose
of merchandise and “other things
of value” at carnivals but not to
reward winners by “prizes in money
or tokens redeemable in money"
Mr. Simpson also pointed out that
permits for carnivals or any other
benefit affairs must be obtained
from the county Commissioners.
Violators are subject to a fine of
not more than $1,000 or one year in
jail or both.