Evening star. [volume], September 04, 1946, Image 18

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
• ' ... /
4 '
SOCIETY AND GENERAL NEWS WLrt WASHINGTON NEWS D
WASHINGTON, D. C. ^t'ljv ^ClllvIUUy ^olvlT SEPTEMBER 4, 1946. ^
New Plan Filed
For Liquidation
Of Wreco Stock
Program Amended
To Meet Objections
Raised by SEC
A new and substantially amended
plan for liquidation of the Wash
ington Railway Electric Co., a hold
ing company, has been submitted
to the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the Public Utilities
Commission of the District, It was
learned today.
The amended plan is designed
to meet objections raised by the
SEC last June to the original plan
of liquidation submitted by the
company in June, 1944.
Elimination of WRECO as a hold
ing company is directed under the
“death sentence” clause of the
Public Utility Holding Company Act
of 1935. A subsidiary of the North
American Company, which also is
a holding company, the WRECO
system consists of itself, one holding
company subsidiary, two public
utility subsidiaries and four non
utility subsidiaries.
WRECO has 100 per cent voting
control of the Potomac Electric
Power Co. and 50 per cent voting
control of Capital Transit Co.
Simplification Explained.
The new plan for so-called “sim
plification of its holding company
system" was explained to stockhold
ers in a letter sent out yesterday by
Alfred G. Neal, WRECO president.
With the letter went an official text
of the entire plan and a copy of the
SEC opinion of last February which
objected to some provisions of the
original plan.
Mr. Neal told The Star today he
hoped the SEC would approve the
amended plan. It was submitted to
SEC last Friday, and to the Public
Utilities Commission of the District
late yesterday. Before it could be
effectuated, it must be approved by
SEC. the local PUC and, in some re
spects, by District Court.
Although Mr. Neal indicated he
was hopeful of approval by the regu
latory bodies, reaction among some
large holders of Washington Rail
way & Electric preferred 5 per cent
“non-callable” stock early today was
to the contrary. One well informed
source declared the preferred stock
holders would consider the amended
plan "more unfair” than the original.
The way was cleared for dissolu
tion of both North American and
WRECO April 1, when the Supreme
Court upheld the “death sentence”
clause limiting interstate gas and
electric holding companies to a
single integrated utility service.
In addition, on June 18, President
Truman signed a special act “to fa
cilitate the liquidation of WRECO.”
Legislative authority became neces
sary when the WRECO dissolution
plan proposed the issuance of stock
dividents which is a forbidden prac
tice in the District under legislation
of 1913.
Must Sell 80 Per Cent of Stock.
Under the North American dis
solution plan before the SEC. the
holding company is to divest itself
of the 80 per cent of the capital stock
of WRECO, constituting 35 per cent
of the voting stock, which it holds.
Stripping itself of other holdings.
North American is to confine its
operations to a Missouri-Ulinois
company.
The plan to break up WRECO
contemplates the separation of the
transit and electric power holdings,
leaving PEPCO owner of the Brad
riock Light & Power Co. of Virginia,
which supplies power to the Penta
gon and a few private consumers.
It is ultimately planned that full
ownership of the transit company
will be vested in the general public.
As explained by Mr. Neal in his
letter the amended plan changes
the original with respect to the “two
trovisions to which the (SEC) com
mission indicated objections.
SEC Ruling Cited.
"In Its Interim opinion,” explained
Mr. Neal, “the SEC noted that a 5
•ier cent dividend rate on the Pepco
preferred stock to be issued to pre
ierred stockholders of the Wreco
was high under prevailing market
conditions, and suggested the avail
ability of other means of providing
fair compensation to the preferred
stockholders for the rights sur
rendered by them.
“The amended t>lan,” he said,
"provides that there will be issued
, to the holders of the 85.000 out
standing shares of 5 per cent pre
ferred stock of the par value of $100
per share of the Wreco in lieu of
their holdings, for each share of
such stock: (a) One share of ‘3.60
per cent preferred stock' of Pepco,
having a par value of $50 per share
and entitled to receive cumulative
dividends at the annual rate of 3.60
per cent; <b) three and one-half
shares of common stock of Pepco
having a par value of $10 per share;
and (c) secured dividends upon the
5 per cent preferred stock of
Wreco to the date upon which the
amended plan is declared effective
less the amount of the dividends
accruing on the 3.60 per cent pre
ferred stock prior to that date.”
Under the original plan as filed,
Mr. Neal explained, Wreco pro
posed to retire its common stock by
giving the holders opportunity “to
withdraw 40 shares of the new $10
par calue common stock of Pepco
and 1.846 shares of capital stock of
Capital Transit Co. upon the sur
render of one share of the Wreco
common stock, and the payment of
$50 in cash or said sum as adjusted
as specified in the plan.”
Would Sell Holdingi.
The SEC in its opinion. Mr. Neal
told the stockholders, "expressed
doubt as to the necessity of requiring
a payment by Wreco’s common
stockholders in order to provide the
cash necessary to consummate the
original plan. Accordingly in the
amended plan,” he continued, "it
is proposed that the necessary funds
be provided by the sale of the
Wreco’s holdings of capital stock
of Capital Transit Co.
"The holders of the 65,000 out
standing shares of common stock of
Wreco will receive 40 shares of
the new $10 par value common stock
of Pepco for each share of such
stock, and no distribution of the
capital stock of Capital Transit Co.
will be made to the stockholders of
the Wreco although, as described in
the amended plan, they may be af
forded the opportunity to purchase
Rich stock.”
SOUTHWEST HEALTH CENTER—This modern three-story
Colonial-type structure at Delaware avenue and I street S.W.
was opened in July, 1940, and is expected to be the model,
both in design and operation, of five additional centers which
the Health Department seeks to have constructed shortly
to meet the postwar case load.
- * - - --- i M
Miss Doris Nakahara, dental hygienist (left), and Dr. Snyder
Spigel, dentist, are shown treating a patient in the dental clinic at
the Southwest Health Center. —Star Staff Photos.
* _______
14,000 District Pupils
To Get Hot Lunches
Under Joint Program
An Agriculture Department official
today predicted early signing of an
agreement between the department
and the District putting into'oper
ation a lunch program for Wash
ington schools.
Only a few legal matters, includ
ing clearance by the General Ac
counting Office, remain before the
agreement is concluded, Dr. Wil
liam C. Ockey, associate director of
the department’s food distribution
programs branch, said.
At least 14,000 District school chil
dren are expected to participate in
the hot-lunch program. The num
ber may be even larger because of
the increased funds made available
this year under the National School
Lunch Act.
Dr. Ockey estimated that $173,445
would be available from Federal
funds, plus another $35,949 for eat
ing utensils, dishes and other equip
ment. The apiount spent last year
was about $51,000, he said.
The District must match the funds
spent by the Government for the
program. The act provides that any
municipality or State may count in
its contribution any charges made
for lunches as well as service con
tributed by individuals or groups.
Children unable to pay for the
lunches will receive them without
charge.
School lunch programs with Ag
riculture Department assistance
have been served here since 1942.
Orrisons Are Honored
On Fiftieth Anniversary
Arlington County employes yes
terday helped Mr. and Mrs. Roger T.
Orrison, 2916 South Sixth street, ob
serve their 50th wedding anniver
sary.
A collection of $115 and a areath
were presented to the couple by
courthouse workers.
Mr. Orrison, a county employe for
18 years, organized the Arlington
Water Department.
Hospital Fund Aided
By Mrs. Jesse Jones
The wife of a former Secretary of
Commerce, an unidentified friend,
three little children who ran a car
nival to raise money and an inmate
of Lawton Reformatory boosted the
Children's Hospital campaign fund
today and yesterday.
Mrs. Jesse Jones, wife of the for
mer Secretary, yesterday Drought a
$1.C00 check to Children’s Hospital
with the explanation that she had
always been interested in the insti
tution.
Another $1,000 from a friend was
received by Dr. Charles Green, resi
dent physician. The anonymous
donor explained he heard a sermon
by Dr. Green, who was a Baptist
minister before he studied medicine,
and decided to contribute. Dr. Green
has been filling pulpits, at various
District churches during ministers’
vacations.
Susan Read, 8, of 3246 Quesada
street N.W., and her next-door play
mates, John Wilson, 8, and Mary
Wilson, 6, of 3242 Quesada street
N.W., decided a few weeks ago thev
should do something for the hospital
fund. The children held a carnival
in the Wilson back yard. Thirty chil
dren and gronups attended the af
fair whic hnetted $300.
An inmate of Lorton Reformatory
heard Station WTOP make a spot
announcement about the campaign
and forwarded $8 as his donation.
The total money received up to
yesterday was $1,024,951.79. Yester
days contributions, not including the
$1,000 check from the unknown
giver, was $1,088.52. After yester
days donations there still remains
$273,950.69 to be raised. The cam
paign goal is $1,300,000.
Donations should be sent to Chil
dren's Hospital, Thirteenth and W
streets N.W. _
Do You Know That
Seventy per cent of all chil
dren stricken with infantile
paralysis admitted to Chil
dren’s Hospital have left com
pletely well and with no evi
dence of paralysis?
Help Children’s Hospital
reach its goal in its new build
ing fund drive.
Amount needed_$1,300,000.00
Contributed to date. 1,024,951.79
Received yesterday.. 1,088.52
Still to be raised_ 273,969.69
Please send contributions to
Children’s Hospital, Thir
teenth and V streets N.W.
I t
Six More Polio Cases
Reported for 4 Days;
Total Still Low
A 19-year-old soldier stationed at
Fort Meade, Md„ was among six
new infantile paralysis cases from
the District area reported by the
Health Department yesterday.
The new cases, including three
from Washington and two from
Arlington, Va.. bring the area total
to 15 for the year, considerably iess
than the 79 cases this time last
year, while 60 cases have occurred
in nearby counties, against 64 at
this date last year.
Although six cases were reported
yesterday the report covered a four
day period from Saturday through
Tuesday.
In five instances, the initial symp
toms were noted between August
24 and 26.
The soldier at Walter Reed Hos
pital was reported improved this
morning. Also at Walter Reed was
a 22-year-old girl from the 3300
block of Runnymede place N.W.,|
whose condition was described as
serious.
Among the polio victims were two
children from adjoining apartment
houses in the 4100 block of North
Fourth street, Arlington—one a 2
year-old girl and the other a 2'4
year-old boy.
Although their parents said the
youngsters sometimes played to
gether, they were not believed to
have ddne so recently. The boy was
stricken August 24 and the girl two
days later, the Health Department
said.
Both children were taken to Chil
dren’s Hospital, where they were
said to be in good condition.
At Gallinger Hospital, a 19-year
old boy from the 800 block of Hamil
ton street N.W. was reported in
critical condition, while a 9-year
old colored girl from the 700 block
of Fourth street N.W. was said to
be in fair condition.
Drawing Instruments
Stolen From School
Drawing instruments valued at
*170 were reported stolen last night
from Columbia Tech Institute, 1239
Vermont avenue N.W., according
to Horace G. Malcolm, the Insti
tute manager. He told police juve
niles were suspected because the
I intruders sprayed the walls of a
room at the school with a paint
spray gun during the robbery.
Clifton Bowman, colored, 35, of
1339 Twenty-fifth street N.W., a
taxicab driver, lost *7 when he was
; held up by a passenger in his cab
in the 600 block of Morton street
N.E.. early today, he told police.
Mr. Bowman said the holdup man,
colored, and about 40 years old,
entered his cab at Fourth street
and Florida avenue N.E. and gave
a Morton street address. When
they arrived at the destination, Mr.
Bowman said the passenger asked,
“How much money do you have?”
“About three or four dollars,”
Mr. Bowman replied.
“Hand it over and you won't get
hurt!” the man demanded. The
cabbie said the man had his hand
in his pocket as though concealing
a pistol, so he passed the *7 over
to the thief._
August Suspensions
Include 458 Speeders
I A breakdown on the suspension
; during August of 690 driving permits
—more than double the number of
July suspensions—was released to
day by Mrs. Mary Silver, chairman
of the Board of Revocation and
Restoration of Permits.
Nearly two-thirds of the suspen
sions were due to speed law viola
tions by District and out-of-town
motorists. Of the 458 speeders, 408
were first offenders, 130 being Dis
trict permits and 278 out-of-town.
More than half the 48 second of
fenders were District drivers. There
were only two three-time offenders,
including one from the District.
Among first-time speed offenders
having local permits, there were
three revocations and nine indefi
nite suspensions. Driving privileges
he< of two out-of-town drivers
were revoked, and 11 permits in
definitely suspended. The remain
der of suspensions in both categories
ranged from 15 to 90 days.
All permits of both second and
third offenses were either revoked
or indefinitely suspended.
Of the remaining permit suspen
sions, 106 were due to involvement
in traffic accidents. Fifty-nine of
these were indefinite and two were
revocations. Eighty-nine were Dis
trict permits.
Anothr 126 suspensions are classed
by the board as miscellaneous, in-:
eluding one negligent homicide case.
e
For a Healthier City
Southwest Area Figures Show
How Center Has Cut Disease
• (Second, of a Series.)
By Harry Lever
In seeking facilities necessary to I
meet its postwar case-load, the
Health Department points to the;
existing Southwest Health Center as
an example of the type of units that
contribute most to reducing disease
in any given area.
The Southwest Center, at Dela
ware avenue and I street S. W., cost
$240,000 with equipment. It opened
in July, 1940, the first of the strate
gically located centers advocated in
the Health Department’s long-range
expansion program. The center now
serves a population estimated to be
approximately 75,000 persons, 41,000
of whom are white and 34,000 col
ored.
Health Department statistics for
1944, covering the area served by the
center, and the fifth year on which i
figures are available, show that the
death rates for pneumonia, tuber
culosis and infant mortality dropped
considerably as compared to 1940,;
the year the center was opened. |
Areas Compared.
At the same time, according to the
Department, these same figures show
that lesser decreases and even in
creases in the death rate for these
diseases have been registered in the
Central Northwest area, where there
is no health center, and where offi
cials contend one is urgently needed.
In 1940, when the Southwest popu
lation was 54,820, there were 76
deaths from tuberculosis,* or 138.6
per 100,000 unit of population. In
1944, when the population had risen
to 73,865, there were 61 deaths from
the disease, or 111.3 per 100,000, a
decrease of 20 per cent.
In the Central Northwest area In
1940, when the population there;
was 175,465, tuberculosis caused 236
deaths, or 134.5 per 100,000 units of
population. In 1944, when 215,426!
persons resided in the Central
Northwest, there were 249 deaths j
from the disease, or 115.6 per 100,- j
000 unit of population, a decrease, ]
of only 14 per cent.
rnrumonia incidence.
As to pneumonia, the Southwest
showed another decrease over the
Central Northwest area. In 1940
there were 54 deaths from pneu
monia In the Southwest, or 98.5
per 100,000 unit of population, as
against 30 deaths, or 54.7 per 100,000
in 1944, for a gratifying decrease
of 45 per cent. *
The Central Northwest area
could only register a decrease of
37 per cent for the same disease,
with 143 deaths in 1940, or 81.5 pei*.
100.000 unit of population, as against '
110 deaths in 1944, or 51.1 per
100,000.
In addition, the Southwest had !
a substantial edge over the North
west Central section in reducing 1
infant mortality. There were 71 '
deaths in the Southwest during |
1940, or 63.2 per 1,000 live births,
as against 71 in 1944, or 53.7 per
1.000 live births, tot a decrease of
15 per cent. 1
Meanwhile, in the Central North- 1
west, 170 deaths, or 61.8 per 1,000
live births, were registered in 1940, 1
and 215 deaths, or 69.3 per 1,000 live
births occurred in 1944, for an in- 1
crease of 12 per cent.
Access to Clinics.
In instances where health has
improved in the Central Northwest
area, the Health Department
pointed out that residents there,
while having no health center, have
access to the 42 general and
specialized clinics throughout the
city.
In stressing the value of such
facilities as the Southwest Health
Center, officials gave this break
down of last year’s statistics cov
ering the Southwest center’s four
main services:
Over 6,500 visits for treatment of
tuberculosis or examination for this
disease; 8,747 visits in connection
with maternal and child welfare
cases, and 21,398 visits, or 49.4 per
cent of all the center's visits, for
treatment or examination of vene
real disease.
Since only 161 venereal deaths oc
curred in the entire city in 1945 and
many of these involved already crit
ical out-of-town military and naval
cases admitted to St. Elizabeth’s
Hospital, officials point out that the
Southwest Center has definitely 1
proven, in respect to venereal dis- \
ease, the value of preventive treats '
ment as meted out in a health center.
Venereal Disease Survey.
The center’s facilities for treat
ment of venereal disease augment
eight venereal disease clinics cur
renty operated as out-patient serv
ices of District hospitals, A recent
health survey, conducted here by 1
out-of-town experts, made a recom- :
mendation which the Southwest
Center is now aiding to carry out— <
that “these eight clinics be aided
• • *^ln every way."
a
• ' :
The survey deplored the “over
crowded, inconvenient and disheart
eningly unattractive quarters for
such clinics, in dark and dingy base
ment rooms.” The out-of-town
medical experts charged that such
clinics, were a “relic of medieval at
titudes toward patients suffering
from syphilis and gonorrhea.”
The Health Department points out
that conditions as described by the
experts have been entirely elimi
nated in the Southwest Center.
Under guidance of Dr. Richard
Laurens De Saussure, its medical
director, the Southwest Center also
issued last year 6,092 pharmaceuti
cal prescriptions and 9,225 visits to
neighborhood homes were made by
the center’s sanitary inspectors who
force corrective conditions under
court threat.
Dental Treatment.
In addition the center gave 6.465
dental treatments, a disease pre
ventive also recommended in the
recent health survey. The survey
pointed out how health centers and
clinics could help eliminate organic
disease arising from infected teeth
by providing free and more ade
quate dental care for the poor.
The survey recommended that
“funds for dental service for the
indigent or semi-indigent should
be assigned for treatment given in
the dental schools, and in our out
patient dental clinics of hospitals
and health centers and other
clinics serving the indigent.”
The Southwest Health Center’s
Colonial-type structure has separate
waiting rooms, record rooms, treat
ment and consulting rooms for
each of its services. In addition,
each service has separate lavatories
and storage space and also separate
drinking fountains.
On the first floor is housed the
maternal and child welfare clinic,
the laboratory, the auditorium for
public health education, the phar
macy, the central switchboard and
the venereal disease clinic. On the
second floor is the dental clinic,
the tuberculosis clinic and the of
fice of the Health Department
Permit Bureau worker. On the third
floor are the offices of the field
surveys for the Bureau of Public
Health Nursing and Public Health
Engineers, locker rooms, restrooms
and a lunchroom and kitchen for
personnel:
personnel » center.
The Center’s present force in
"cludes five Inspectors who check on
neighborhood sanitary facilities, 13
nurses, one bacteriologist, seven
clerks, two dentists, two dental
hygienists, two physicians, two en
gineers, two maids and the medical
director. This staff is augmented by
nine part-time physicians with Dr.
De Saussure co-ordinating the
whole. The staff is presently short
10 nurses, one social worker, one
otologist for nose and throat work,
and a dermatologist. Present cost of
maintaining the center is an esti
mated $100,000 annually.
Besides actual treatment of both
clinical and emergency cases, typical
activities of the Center during 1945
included classes and lectures on
health subjects such as nutritional
disturbances: meetings of citizens
and civic associations on health
topics, examination of preschool
children and of children applying
for admission to summer camps:
chest examinations of citizens to
determine presence of tuberculosis:
and showing of health films, with
frequent explanatory remarks by Dr.
De Saussure himself.
A native of Charlestown, S. C.,
Dr. De Saussure graduated in medi
cine from George Washington Uni
versity, was with the United States
Public Health Service for four years,
has practiced here for 14 years, and
has also been affiliated with the
American Child Health .Association
in New York.
That he has become as important
to the neighborhood as his work, is
indicated by the comment of one
woman whose child had just been
treated. ‘‘I think the Southwest sec
tion has two wonderful things in
both him and the center. We could
not afford to do without either," she
said as she folded away a prescrip
tion given her there by a staff
pharmacist.
Tomorrow: Plans for additional
health centers.
Welfare Hearing Delayed
A meeting of State welfare offi
cials with representatives from
Northern Virginia counties and
cities, scheduled for tonight in the
Fairfax courthouse, has been post
poned until Monday night because
of the Democratic State convention
in Richmond, It was announced to
day.
I
Amputee to Get Car
7 Hours After Signing
His Application Blank
Seven hours after application
blanks for GI leg amputees' automo
biles were made available, the first
car was scheduled for delivery to a
veteran today.
Not every veteran will be served
with the same alacrity as former.
Marine Combat Correspondent
Richard A. Tenelly, whose shiny
black Oldsmobile sedan was de
livered in record time, but Veterans’
Administration officials observed
that this was an example of how
they hoped to push the program
through.
As it happened. Mr. Tenelly was
able to call for his application at
the Veterans’ Administration re-j
gional office this morning and have!
it certified by the adjudicator there,!
convince the District Traffic Bureau
that the car he wanted was equipped
with the proper safety attachments, I
return to the veterans’ agency with
a sales contract from the dealer for
certification by the flinance officer,;
and then sit back and await delivery.
A Month Ahead of Others.
That was to take place at 3:30
p.m. on Constitution avenue be
tween Sixth and Seventh streets. Not
much of a ceremony was planned,
but Veterans’Administration officials
were to be on hand to see the con
summation of their speedy work.
Mr. Tenelly's car already was in
the sales room of Mann Motors, Inc.,
at Silver Spring, Md., when the vet
erans’ agency began distributing ap
plications this morning. It was de
signed for a double amputee, and Mr.
Tenelly had been the first single
amputee in the District to inquire
into its availability. Thus he will
be driving the hydromatic (no gear
snift) car to and from work in the
public information office of the Re
training and Re-employment Ad
ministration a month 'r more before
other amputees get their c^rs.
Two hours after the Veterans Ad
ministration office opened this morn
ing, 10 amputees had requested
blanks, some of them immediately
beginning the certification process.
How soon they received their cars
—any type of their selection costing
no more than $1,600 — depended
largely on how rapidly they come
off the production line. One local
dealer said he could supply cars in
a month’s time. The Veterans Ad
ministration figures it will require
48 hours for processing. Then the
veteran must, in most cases, obtain
an operators’ permit.
Repatriated, Joined Marines.
Congress has appropriated $30.
000.000 to make the cars available
to all veterans who lost one or both
legs above the ankle.
Mr. Tenelly lost his left leg as the
result of a machine-gun blast on
Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. He
had become bored with things in
the background and wandered with
in 10 yards of the enemy line. It
cost him the leg above his knee.
Before he enlisted in the Marines
in 1942, he was with Reuters News
Service and National Broadcasting
Co. in Japan. When war came, he
was held in solitary confinement for
six months, later to face eight
charges of espionage and receive a
year and a half suspended sentence
from the Jap6. Repatriated to the
United States, he sought his ven
geance with the Marines.
He was discharged March 21 and
a day later took ov*er his present
job. He is single and lives at 3100
Connecticut avenue N.W.
Nopper Named Press Chief
Of American Airlines Here
David E. Nopper, Washington
newspaperman who headed the Ma
rine Corps press section here dur
ing the war, has been named chief
of the American Airlines Washing
ton public relations division, it was
announced today by Rex Smith,
vice president in charge of public re
lations. . #
Mr. Nopper succeeds John J.
Woods, who has been transferred to
the airlines’ New York office. In
addition to his service in Wash
ington during the war, Mr. Nopper,
a former major, also served as pub
lic relations officer and press censor
on the staff of Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz, in the Pacific. Before en
tering the Marine Corps, he was an
Associated Press staff writer and
also had beer, on the staff of the
Washington Post and the Baltimore
Sun.
David C. Frailey, also a former
Associated Press staff writer, has
been appointed press representa
tive of the American Airlines, Wash
ington public relations division. He
served in the Army for more than
three years as a master sergeant in
the 3d Service Command public
relations office.
i
Occupancy of 85 Pet.
Of Homes Built for
Veterans Reported
Housing Administrator Wilson
W. Wyatt today reported that pre
liminary results of a survey showed
that between 85 and 95 per cent of
dwellings completed under the na
tional housing program this year are
actually occupied by veterans.
Reiterating he was "entirely con
fident" that this year's goal of 1,
200,000 dwelling units could be com
pleted on schedule, Che housing chief
emphasized, however, that he rec
ognized it would be a “tough pro
gram every step of the way."
Mr. Wyatt pointed out that the
demand for materials for home
building and other construction has
reached a high level and that the
1946 program also is beginning to
run into a labor shortage.
607,000 Under Construction.
Even if the goal of 1,200,000 homes
is attained, he said, the Nation
would be "left with a greater short
age of housing, compared with de
mand, than existed at the beginning
of the year.”
In a press conference at which
he reported on progress through
July, the housing administrator said
the program had passed the half
way mark with 607,100 dwelling
units put under construction in the
first seven months of this year. Of
these, two-thirds were hew, perma
nent dwellings, and the remainder
conversions from existing units,
temporary dwellings and trailers.
In July, a total of 104,700 dwell
ings were started, 9 per cent more
than in June, he said. Comple
tions during the month totaled 61,
300, boosting the year’s total to 287,
100.
Favors Special Session.
Mr. Wyatt said he would support
a recent proposal by Senator Mead,
Democrat, of New York that Presi
dent Truman call a special session
of Congress to consider the Wagner
EUender-Taft general housing bill.
The NHA chief said the bill was
needed if the nation was to obtain
an adequate amount of rental hous
ing.
At the same time, Mr. Wyatt an
nounced that his proposal for a new
method of charging off dfepreciation
for Income tax purposes had been
approved by the commissioner of
internal revenue, and that this
would provide a “strong new in
centive to build rental housing
projects."
Under the ruling, rental housing
owners can, for the first time, use
a method permitting property to be
depreciated for tax purposes at a
faster rate in the early years.
Alexander M. Biddle Dies
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 4 (&).—
Alexander Mercer Biddle, 82, retired
broker and member of an old Phil
adelphia family, died yesterday
after a long Illness.
| Only One Try |
Another in a series of jogs for
lagging memories regarding Dis
trict traffic laws.
A
o
N
t
W
A
Y
/N
Streetcar stops in middle of one
way street to take on additional
strap-hangers, causing conscientious
driver B to halt 10 feet behind
streetcar. Individual at wheel of
car A, in a hurry to reach his bookie
before the third race, cannot decide
If the cop on the comer will arrest
him if he passes streetcar on the
left. Should he:
1. Toss a coin?
2. Stop like the good citizen in
car B?
3. Creep past trolley at slow pace
to the left so as not to hit any one? j
4. Blow horn with vigor to warn
discharging streetcar patrons and
plow on through?
Answer 2 is correct. Paragraph
(c), section 10, Article IV, District!
traffic and motor vehicle regula
tions, states: “No vehicle being
driven on a one-way street shall
on either side of a streetcar |
when such streetcar is stopped for
the loading or unloading of pas
sengers.”
<
East Executive
Avenue to Be
2-Way Street
Parking to Be Banned
When It Is Opened
-To Traffic Monday
Traffic will move in both direc
tions when East Executive avenue is
reopened to the public Mondav, but
parking will be prohibited at all
times, Trafflce Director George E.
Kenelpp announced today.
These and other rules were estab
lished for the one-time busy street
skirting the White House in a morn
ing conference attended by Inspector
Arthur E. Miller, head of the police
traffic division; James J. Maloney,
acting chief of the Secret Service,
and Mr. Kenelpp.
Formal proclamation of the street's
j reopening was expected in an execu
i tive order today. Late yesterday
White House Secretary Charles G.
Ross said "Do Not Enter" signs
would be removed Monday for the
first time since the war. The action
was recommended by Secretary of
the Treasury and approved by
President Truman, Mr. Ross added.
Madison Place One Way.
Madison place, the one block
street north of Pennsylvania avenue
and in line with East Executive ave
nue, will continue as a two-way
street. The original plan to make
it one way for southbound traffic
during the morning peak period and
for northbound traffic during the
late afternoon rush hour will not
be put into effect at this time. It
was found impractical because the
E-2 bus line which comes down
Vermont avenue has a terminal on
Madison place. Mr. Keneipp ex
plained that the bus line may be
rerouted later if traffic conditions
warrant.
Vehicle going north on East Exec
utive avenue will be allowed to make
a left turn west into Pennsylvania
avenue.
Parking will be prohibited on
both sides of Madison place during
the rush hours. The present regu
lation .permits one-hour parking
throughout the day.
Traffic officials are considering
the possibility of making Treasury
place from Fifteenth street to East
Executive avenue a one-way drive.
Mr. Keneipp said this requires fur
ther study but observation today
showed that most motorists appar
ently consider it a one-way street
now.
To Be Ready About Noon.
The conference today decided
that East Executive avenue should
not be opened early Monday morn
ing, as had been planned. Some
work must be done to adjust traffic
lights, but the principal reason is
that traffic officials believe an open
ing in the early rush period might
cause confusion.
Mr. Keneipp said he was confident
the new traffic arrangement will be
in effect shortly after noon Monday.
'Hiere was no discussion of the
status of West Executive avenue be
tween the White House and the
State Department Building, Mr.
Keneipp said following the confer
ence. He added that jurisdiction of
that street rests u’ith the Office of
National Capital Parks and that so
far as he knows there is no plan
to open it to public traffic at this
time.
At the White House it was said
President Truman s executive order
directing the opening of East Execu
tive avenue on Monday is being
prepared and will be issued late
this afternoon.
reaesirian lramc Studied.
Meanwhile, engineers from Mr.
Keneipp's office today were studying
pedestrian as well as vehicular traf
fic at the intersection of Pennsyl
vania avenue. East Executive ave
nue and Madison place. The pres
ent heavy left-turn movement of
automobiles from Madison place, he
said, probably will be eased by the
opening of East Executive avenue.
Special attention may have to be
given to ‘‘the pedestrian situation,"
especially on the south side of
Pennsylvania avenue, which, during
the war, was usually free of any
traffic movement in or out of the
restricted East Executive avenue, he
explained.
The street which cdhnects Penn
sylvania avenue with the Mall on
the east side of the White House
was closed as a wartime measure.
Prewar Traffic Heavy.
In prewar days, the street carried
a heavy load of traffic. During the
I war, it served as a parking place for
Treasury and White House officials.
Faced with increasing traffic con
gestion—particularly at the inter
section of Fifteenth street and New
York avenue N.W.—the District
Commissioners recently approved a
recommendation of Mr. Keneipp to
request the immediate re-opening
of the street.
The Star, in its editorial columns
of August 24, urged the immediate
re-opening of the street to divert
some of the traffic from the con
gested Fifteenth street intersection.
Before President Truman decided
yesterday to re-open the street im
mediately, MF. Maloney had told
The Star the Avenue would be re
opened as soon as a high fence
could be built to keep out stray
visitors and make the east wing only
a business entrance to the White
House. He explained he had no au
thority to open the street before
the construction work was com
pleted about October 1.
Night School for Adults
Planned in Alexandria
Alexandria superintendent of
schools, Thomas C. Williams, an
nounced today that an adult night
school offering high school courses
will be formed if a sufficient number
of residents are interested.
Howard R. Richardson, assistant
superintendent, will supervise ef
forts to form the adult night school.
Alan L. Beamer, director of adult
education, will be in charge of the
classes if the school is established.
Mr. Williams said that in the reg
ular school program the shop work
will be expanded to include exten
sion classes at George Mason Ele
mentary School, 2601 Cameron Mills
road.
Albert Doran, former coach at
George Washington High School,
has been appointed director of phys
ical eduoation for the city school
system.
I