Evening star. [volume], September 08, 1946, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast
Partly cloudy with highest temperature
in low 80s today. Considerable cloudiness
and cooler tomorrow.
Temperatures yesterday. High, 83, at
1:45 p m.: low. 66. at 2:30 a.m.
Pull report on Page A-10
United States Weather Bureau Report.
2.162—No. 37,381
WASHINGTON. D. C., SEPTEMBER' 8.
Home Delivery
The Evening and Sunday Star U
delivered by carrier in the city and
suburbs at 90c per month when 4
Sundays; $1.00 per month when 5
Sundays.
Telephone NA. 50M.
An Associated Press Newspaper
1946-134 PAGES,
•kirk
Washington
and Suburb*
TEN CENTS.
14 CENTS
K'sewher.
New York Tug Crews Join Strike,
Imperiling City's Food and Fuel;
AFL Hits Talk of General Walkout
— *—_____
Port Agent's Plan
Called Ridiculous
By Union Chieftain
By James Y. Newton
The 3.500 union operators of
tugboats in New York harbor
joined the Nation-wide mari
time strike yesterday, imperil
ing the city’s food and fuel sup
plies. An AFL spokesman termed
"ridiculous" the threat of an
AFL maritime union leader to
call for a general strike of all
American labor.
While strike-induced chaos pre
vailed at most of the Nation's great
ports, the tugboat walkout posed
the gravest sort of problem for New
York's teeming millions. The tugs
normally bring in about 80 per cent
of tne city's fuel and half of its
food supplies.
The general strike threat came
from Paul Hall. New’ York port
agent of the AFL Seafarers' In
ternational Union, who said: “If
the Government 'finks' <moves) any
of our ships, as it has threatened
to do, we will call on all organized
labor to come out with us."
Pearl Derides Statement.
Philip Pearl, AFL information di
rector, declared of the Hall state
ment: "This scarehead of a gen
eral strike threat is ridiculous on
its face and has no basis in fact.”
He said Labor Department officials
had assured him that the Govern
ment does not plan to operate the
ships and pointed out that Mr. Hall
is only a local union official.
AFL Presfdent William Green
was not available for comment. In
Chicago, Philip Murray, CIO head,
said "I wouldn't have any com
ment on a thing like that.”’
Meanwhile, top Federal officials
here worked feverishly to find a
way to end the strike which began
Thursday. Apparently, they are
relying on the finding of a com
promise acceptable to the unions in
the wage dispute.
Only about 90.000 members of the!
AFL Seafarers Union and its
branch, the Sailors Union of the:
Pacific, are involved in the dispute.1
However, the rest of organized mari- i
i ime labor—about 400,000 workers of !
a score of unions—is idle either be
au$e of sympathy with the stop
age or a refusal to cross picket
ines.
Officials indicated there had been
' iscussion of the possible use of
he armed forces to operate some of
he estimated 2.500 ships that are
ied up. but it was indicated that.
has not been considered seriously
-i far. The discussion involved only .
hips' needed to supply overseas
■oops and similar emergency situ
ations.
Chief Government reliance for a
-vay out of the dilemma was placed
on the effort to persuade Harry
Lundeberg. chief of the AFL sjfllors
union, to call off the strike so that
a satisfactory settlement of the
wage problem can be reached in
i onferences it is planned to hold
here.
Hold Two Conferences.
Phillip Hannah, special emissary
of Secretary of Labor Schwellen
bach, held two conferences with
Mr. Lundeberg in San Francisco
yesterday and last night. He re
ported to the Secretary that the
first session was merely ••pre
liminary.”
Edgar L. Warren, head of the de
partment’s Conciliation Service,
told newsmen that a break in the
strike was not in sight although he
was hopeful of a favorable develop
ment by tomorrow.
Mr. Hannah, assistant secretary
of labor, is trying to persuade Mr.
Lundeberg to attend a re-hearing
of the maritime wage issue which
the National Wage Stabilization
Board has set for Tuesday. So far,
the sailors leader has flatly re
jected the idea, demanding that the
board reverse its ruling which led
to the strike.
Adjustment was Trimmed.
The stabilization board two weeks
ago trimmed to $17.50 a month, the
adjustment given earlier to CIO
sailors, a wage increase AFL sea
men won from ship operators rang
ing from *22.50 to *27.50 a month.
WSB ruled the higher pay hikes
inflationary. Its decision, however,
came nearly two months after the
agreement was signed. That added
to the sailors' ire.
Union tugboat crews in New
(See MARITIME. Page A-4 > ~
Transport Crash Kills
23 in West Africa
iy Asiociot«d Press
LONDON, Sept. 7 — A plane en
roll te from London to Brazil,
crashed today at Bathurst 'Gam
bia >, West Africa, killing all but
one of the 20 passengers and
four British crewmen aboard, Brit
ish South American Airways an
nounced.
It was the second air crash this
week in which one person survived
nnd more than 20 were killed.
Twenty-one were killed and a boy
of two survived a wreck in Noth
eastern Nevada Thursday.
t The lone survivor of today’s crash
was Mrs. D. S. B. De Gattegno oi
Spam, who was seriously injured,
The airline said the plane was an
Avro York, the “Star Leader,"
which left London yesterday.
R. W. H. Acton, a brother of Lord
Acton, was among those listed as
killed.
Another killed was R. O. B.
Lafone, financial attache of the
Argentine Embassy in London, who
was a well-known composer of
music.
I
Navy Converts 2 Capital Ships
For Atom-Age Guided Missiles
Unfinished Kentucky and Hawaii Armed
With Main Batteries of Robot Rockets
By the Associated Press
The United States, racing *o
maintain its naval supremacy.!
already is building the world's
first atomic-age capital ships!
armed with main batteries of
robot rockets instead of guns.
The Navy disclosed this last night
in a terse announcement that the
45.000-ton battleship Kentucky and
the 27,000-ton battlecruiser Hawaii'
would be "guided missile warships." i
Both ships were started as eonven-!
tional-design vessels, but construc
tion was arrested when the rockets
and atomic bombs of the final
phases of World War II marked a
new phase in warfare.
The Navj;'s disclosure came
shortly after President Truman an
nounced that the deep underwater
atomic bomb test, scheduled tenta
tively for next spring, had been
postponed indefinitely.
The only reason indicated for the
decision was that a (treat mass of
information on the nature and effect
of nuclear fission blasts has been
built up from the five atomic ex
plosions already held. It was ex
plained that the President's mili
tary and civilian advisers had con
cluded the data the new test would
produce is not necessary at this
time.
Vice Admiral William H P
Blandv, commander of the task
force which made the atomic bomb
tests, said at Hot Springs, Va., that
all preparations for the third test at
Bikini ‘'would be cancelled” in ac
cordance with President Trumans
action,. !
The announcement, on atomic-age
warships, made by Vice Admiral E.
L. Cochrane, chief of the Navy's
Bureau of Ships, was sparing of
detail but left broad implications.
He said:
‘‘The Navy's experiments with
• See ATOMIC. Page A-6. >,
Industries Threaten
Layoffs as Effect of
Truck Strike Spreads
O'Dwyer Delays Plan
To Use Police Power
In Food Supply Crisis
By the Associated Press
NEW YORK. Sept. 7.-Bare
shelves appeared in many food
stores today and several indus
tries threatened mass layoffs as
the strike of 30.000 AFL team
sters union members in the New
York area spread its crippling
effect through the heavily-in
dustrialized core of the Atlantic
seaboard.
Mayor William O’Dwyer met
trucking officials -find union mem
bers in a half-hour session at City
Hall but said after the meeting
that proposals for invoking emer
gency police powers to move food
stuffs had been postponed for con
sideration on Monday.
Mayor O'Dwyer acknowledged
“There will be some shortage of
milk '—already noted in the stores—
but added: "I have been assured,
however, that there will be sufficient
milk for school lunches and for hos
pitals. The supply will be 100 per
cent there.”
Food Supply Slumps.
The conferees announced the
movement of food into the city was
below' 20.000 tons daily, considered
normal, but had not slumped below
a needed minimum of about 15,500
tons.
Housewives shopping at chain
stores found shortages of canned
goods and almost no butter, meat,
fruit, vegetables and eggs. Inde
pendent stores were better stocked.
Some New York newspapers said
today their Sunday editions would
be curtailed by a shortage of paper
due to interruption of deliveries.
The Herald-Tribune said its
weekly magazine supplemeht would
be missing. The Mirror, which
eliminated all advertising from to
day’s editions, said some advertis
ing would be withheld Sunday to
keep its main section within 24
pages.
The Journal-American said its
[Sunday paper would be six pages
shy.
The Times and the Daily News
reported the size of their Sunday
editions would not be affected.
Book Makers Affected.
Eleven book manufacturers, run
ning out of supplies, were expected
; to lay off 5.000 employes by the
• first of the week, an industry
spokesman said, and a spokesman
i for the cotton textile trade said
the garment industry would ex
haust supplies early next week.
The hope of some relief from the
strike was held out by John E.
'Strong, president of the AFL's
; Local 807. who said from 5,000 to
.6,000 of the local s 12,000 members
j rSae TRUCKERSTPage A-4T~
District Bakery Local
Asks Union's Sanction
Of Strike in 40 Plants
Votes, 600 to 12, for Move
After Negotiations Fail
On 33% Raise Demand
Members of the AFL Bakery
and Confectionery Workers Local
118 voted overwhelmingly yester
day to seek permission from the
international union to call a
strike against about 40 District!
bakeries.
Charles McClosky, local president,!
said the members voted the action,
600 to 12. after turning down an:
offer by the Employing Bakers As
sociation for a wage increase of 10
cents an hour.
Negotiations have been under way
for a month, the union demanding
cost-of-living wage increases aver-]
aging 40 cents an hour for bakers,
or about a 33’., per cent increase
over current wages.
Latest Meeting I'navailing.
The latest effort for a settlement,
held at the Labor Department yes
terday with United States Concilia
tor James Holden attending, failed:
to narrow the wide breach.
Mr. McClosky said the question of \
strike permission will be presented
to the international union's execu
tive committee in Chicago. Should
the strike be sanctioned, it is proba
ble that an international represent
ative of the union would inform
the union here within the next four
or five days, Mr. McClosky added.
As a next step to averting a walk
out of approximately 1,000 bakers
which would cut the District's bread
supply by 80 per cent, the local's Ex
ecutive Committee probably will;
meet w-ith the employers again and
outline their plans, Mr. McClosky
said.
Way Cleared for Strike,
Should their terms again be re
jected. the union members would be
asked to reaffirm their intention of,
striking. The way was cleared two
montns ago for a strike at this time
I by the filing of strike notices with
the Wage Stabilization Board and
the Labor Department.
Mr. McClosky said present union
wages range from 65 cents to $1.25
an hour for day work and from 70
cents to si.45 for night work.
The bakers’ association was repre
sented at the Labor Department
meeting by Attorney Louis Spiess.
Panamanians Assail U. S.
PANAMA. Panama, Sept. 7 f/P).—
Parading demonstrators estimated
to number several hundreds carried
posters tonight denouncing “Yankee
imperialism” and demanding that
! wartime bases occupied by the
United States be returned to Pan
ama. One poster said. "Either we
get the bases back or we go to the
United Nations.”
California Drama Student Wins
'Miss America' Title for 1946
Accent on Education
Produces Winner
At Atlantic City
By George Kennedy
Star Staff Correspondent
ATLANTIC CITY. N. J„ Sept.
7.—The intellectual movement j
'in the Atlantic City bathing1
beauty contest won out tonight.
Marilyn Buferd. a tall, blond drama
student from Los Angeles who has
been doing bit parts in the movies,
became "Miss America of 1946" with
ja dramatic lecitation from "Accent
on Youth.”
Mrs. Marion Wade Doyle, presi
dent of the District of Columbia
, Board of Education, and Dr. Ed
; ward M. Gwathmev, president of!
Converse College, Spartanburg, S. C.J
the educational faction amo»g the
I 13 Judges, were highly pleased. So;
tSee MISS AMERTCATPage'^AT.)i
*
I
MISS MARILYN BUFERD.
(Other picture on Page A-6.)
—AP Wirephoto. '
X
I
Yugoslavia Bars
Italy Pact Based
On Big 4 Accord
Serves Notice of Her
Refusal to Sign if
Present Border Stays
By the Associated Press
PARIS, Sept. 7—Yugoslavia
s'erved notice on the Peace Con
ference tonight that she would
refuse to sign a treaty with Italy
if the delegates approved the
Italo-Yugoslavia boundary rec
ommended by the Foreign Min
isters Council, and the confer
ence ended its sixth week em
broiled in bitter territorial dis
putes.
The Italian Political and Ter
ritorial Commission overwhelming
ly rejected a Brazilian proposal to
defer decision on establishing the
Yugoslav - Italian frontier after
Yugoslav Vice Premier -.Edvard
Kardelj denounced the proposal as
one aimed at giving Italy all she
wanted. The vote was 18 to 1. with
Belgium abstaining and only Brazil
voting in favor.
The Soviet Ukrainian republic
lined up with the other states of
the Russian-influenced Slavic group
in supporting Yugoslavia's claims to
Venezia Giulia before today's last
word was spoken by Mr. Kardelj.
The Yugoslav vice premier de
manded a major portion of the
disputed area and an economic link
between Yugoslavia and the pro
jected free territory of Trieste.
Replies to Connally.
Replying to Senator Connaily,
Democrat, of Texas, who had
warned that territorial disputes
were the road to war, Mr. Kardelj
said:
"Wf agree with Senator Connally
that territorial claims lead to war
but what were its implications? To
whom was his appeal addressed? We
think it was not necessary for him
to address it to us—we were the
victims. We never waged a war of
aggression. We have a claim to our
own land, wrenched from us by the
invader. Senator Connally should
have addressed his appeal to Italy."
Mr. Kardelj said Yugoslavia was
willing to agree to the establish
ment of a free territory of Trieste
only on condition that ‘ from an
economic floint of view' Trieste is
sufficiently linked to Yugoslavia and
to other countries of her hinterland
which she serves as an international
port.”
He said if the foreign ministers’
decision on the so-called French
Line, which gives Gorizia and sea
coast towns to Italy, was not
changed, Yugoslavia will not recog
nize any decision taken and will
not sign the peace treaty with
Italy.”
Backs White Russian Plan.
The Ukraine's delegate. Prof. N.
Petrovsky, proposed acceptance of
the boundary suggested by White
Russia, giving Gorizia to Yugoslavia
and cutting off the coastal corridor
by W'hich the foreign ministers,
planned to link Italy with the in-:
temationalized zone. He claimed
the French line would create ‘‘an
artificial Italian corridor to Trieste
which deprives Yugoslavia of an out
let to the sea.”
Prof. Petrovsky said a "truly
equitable solution” would be to in
corporate both Venezia Giulia and
Trieste in the Yugoslavia federation,
but he did not ask cancellation of
the decision to create the free terri
tory of Trieste.
Mr. Kardelj struck at South Afri
can and Brazilian viewpoints which
had favored Italy, and accused Brit
ain’s Hector McNeil of introducing
the political factor in the dispute
because the Briton realized the
ethnic and economic factors favored
Yugoslavia.
Still ahead of the conference were
other stormy territorial disputes—
Bulgaria's demand for Western
(See CONFERENCE, Page AVLr
Body of Man Found
Under Taft Bridge
The body of a man, about 60, ten
tatively identified by police as Oza
W. Altizer. was found in the middle
of Rock Creek Parkway under Taft
Bridge at 12:30 a m. this morning.
Police surmised that the man had
plunged 00 feet from the bridge, due
to the crushed condition of the body.
They said an envelope in the man’s
pocket contained two $1 bills and
was addressed to a Ruth Sratton,
109 Galveston place S.W.. It also
contained a note which read, “To
whomever finds me, notify Ruth.”
Residents of the Galveston place ad
dress said they did not know any
one by the name or Sratton or Al
tlzer.
The body was discovered by Her
bert Kufman, 325 Nineteenth street
N.W.. as he was driving along the
parkway, according to police.
Radio Programs, Page C-8
Complete Index, Page A-2
*
ELLtmfi
The Political Hunting Season Gets Off to an
Early Start
Polish Parties Hold Rally Today
Against Byrnes' Policy on Border
Press Voices Firm Intention, With Russian
Backing, to Defend Oder Boundary
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent
WARSAW, Sept. 7.—Leaders of
all pro-government political par
ties have called a mass meeting
in the vast Roma Auditorium
here for tomorrow morning to
protest the Stuttgart statement
of Secretary of State Byrnes in
which the American rejected
the idea that Germany's Eastern
borders were fixed permanently
on the Oder River.
The Byrnes statement stirred up
a hornet’s nest of comment from
government circles and the govern
ment bloc of political parties.
Poland, which is steadily expelling
Germans from its territory and re
settling 4,000,000 Poles in its west
ern sections, is constantly tighten
ing her grip on lands formerly oc
cupied by Germany and which the
government is determined shall
never again pass into German hands.
Wladyslaw Gomulka, Vice Pre
mier and minister of recovered w est
ern areas, is listed to lead tomor
row's mass meeting.
Most of the nation's press de
clared that Poland, backed by Rus
sia. intends to maintain its Oder
borders and would not even con
sider discussion of possible changes.
Marshal Rola Zyermiski declared
recently that Poland’s armies al
ways would guard those frontiers.
Frequent tours of Silesian, Oder
and the Northern Baltic territories
which Mr. Byrnes said were handed
over to Poland for administrative
purposes have convinced correspond
< See POLAND, Page A-7*1 ~
Alien Influence Hinted
In Violence as Greece
Revives Drastic Rule
Friction With Yugoslavia
Intensified in Macedonia
And Plane Incidents
By the Associated Press
ATHENS, Sept. 7.— Drastic
emergency measures were reim
posed over a wide area of Greece
today to meet what Acting Pre
mier Stylianos Gonatas said was
a rising tide of Leftist violence
which was “not exclusively an
internal matter.”
Friction between Greece and
Yugoslavia intensified as the gov
ernment weighed a protest against
the downing of a Greek military
plane, and Greek political leaders
protested Yugoslav declarations at
the Paris Peace Conference con
cerning Macedonia.
The Yugoslav delegate at the
Peace Conference yesterday said it
was "time to settle this question
of the liberty of the Macedonian
Carrier Roosevelt's
Planes to Bid Athens
Farewell Tomorrow
• y th« Associated Prut
ATHENS, Sept. 7,—Defense
Minister Peter Mavromichalis
said tonight that planes from
the carrier Franklin D. Roose
velt, part of the United States
Navy task force now here on a
courtesy visit, would give an
aerial display over Athens Mon
day noon following the force's
departure.
The display. Mavromichalis
said, would be "in appreciation
and gratitude for the warm re
ception extended by the Greek
people and to bid Athens fare
well."
Rear Admiral John H. Cassa
d.v, commander of the task
force, said yesterday that a
planned aerial display by car
rier-based plane* had been
cancelled because of a jammed
program.
people. The people, until now, have
found their liberty only in the pop
ular republic of Macedonia within
the Macedonian Yugoslav federa
tion.”
Greek leaders apparently inter
preted this as a Yugoslav claim
to that part of Macedonia which
w%s given to Greece after World
War I. The Yugoslav declaration,
Gonatas said, was an “official mani
festation substantiating our sus
picions that trouble and disorder
in Greece are not exclusively an
internal matter.”
Gonatas made the statement as
he announced the cabinet’s deci
sion to reinvoke drastic emergency
measures, including the establish
ment of military courts empowered
(See GREECE. Page A-4J
Stalin Honors Tankmen
LONDON, Sept. 7 (#).—Prime
Minister Stalin issued a special
order of the day honoring Soviet
tankmen and tank makers, the Mos
cow radio reported tonight.
1
International Groups
To Keep Priority on
Surplus, WAA Says
Yugoslavia to Receive
Disputed Ice-Making
Machines in Decision
By Robert K. Walsh
uespite questions raised by the
House Surplus Property Commit
tee. international organizations
such as the United Nations and
the United Nations Relief and
Rehabilitation Administration
will keep their high priority posi
tion in purchasing such materi- j
als. a War Assets Administration'
official said last night.
The decision means that 16 sur
plus Army ice-making machines,
destined for Yugoslavia, will be sold
to UNRRA and shipped, and that
10 other international organizations,
including the United Nations, will
keep their preferential buying
status on Government surplus
goods.
' Representative Slaughter, Demo
crat. of Missouri, the committee
chairman, protested at hearings
last month that this WAA grant
of preference early in August put
such organizations ahead of Amer
ican businessmen in obtaining hard
to-get goods. He also accused WAA
of “sloppy work” in having issued
the priority ruling without, as was
testified at the hearing, first ob
taining a written legal opinion.
WAA Spokesman Replies.
The WAA spokesman said last
night that it was “all a matter of
interpretation of the act." WAA
authorities have felt all along, he
declared, that they conformed to
provisions of the surplus property
act and of the International Organ
izations Immunities Act of 1945.
The latter statute authorizes various
privileges, exemptions and immuni
ties for such groups in which the
United States participates. WAA’s
original belief now has been
(See WAR ASSETS, Page A-4.)~
D. C. Policeman Kills
Fugitive Making Move
Toward Gun in Pocket
Shooting Follows Flight
And Disregard of Two
Commands to Halt
(biZture on Page A-4.)
Policeman Joseph F. Capan
nelli. 32, of No. 3 precinct, a for
mer Marine, late yesterday shot
and killed a 31-year-old colored
man after the latter refused to
halt while being pursued, police
said, and made a move as if to
pull a pistol from his hip-pocket.
Police said a .32-caliber pistol was
found on the man, who was identi
fied as Thomas Beasley, 500 block
of Twentieth ^street N.W. He was
killed by a shot in the ii°ad ir. an
area way in the 1100 block Twentieth
street N.W.
According to Capt. George Wall
rodt, commanding No. 3 precinct,
Beasley and his brother, Albert, 36
engaged in an argument early yes
terday and were arrested and for
feited *5 collateral each at No. 3
precinc, on disorderly conduct
charges. They were released late
in the afternoon.
Shooting in Restaurant.
Albert, who had been released
first, went to eat in a restaurant
near the 1100 block of Twentieth
street. Police said Thomas Beatiev
followed him there, fired one shot
through the open doorway, entered
and fired two more shots at Albert,
none of whichc took effect. The
proprietor of the restaurant then
sent a boy to call police.
The call was picked up bt Police
man Capannelli and another officer
in a scout-car and a person nearby
pointed out Thomas Beasley who
had fled the restaurant.
The officer, police said, chased
Beasley and when close to him,
ordered him to halt. Instead Beas
ley entered the areaway and being
unable to enter the cellar of a house,
started to turn on the officer, ac
cording to police. Beasley then
made a threatening move toward
his hip-pocket and when Policeman
Capannelli saw the end of a pistol
projecting from the pocket and when
another command was disregarded
he shot Beasley, police said. Beasley
was* pronounced dead by an Emer
gency Hospital physician and his
body was taken to the District
Morgue.
Dead Man Had Record.
Capt Wallrodt said Policeman
Capannelli has been technically
suspended and released in his cus
tody pending appearance at a cor
oner's inquest, which has been set
for noon tomorrow.
Policeman Capannelli. who was
with the Marine Corps Band during
the war, is married and lives at
406:- Eighth street S.E. He was
appointed to the force December 1,
1945. and assigned to No. 3 precinct
March 2 Capt. Wallrodt said the
officer’s record was "excellent. "
According to. police, the dead man
had a record of housebreaking
offenses.
VA to Stop Job Training Checks
If Courses Fail to Meet Rules
By Miriam Ottenberg
The Veterans’ Administration
last night ordered a national sur
vey of on-the-job training with
a view to stopping veterans’
checks by January 1 if their
training courses fall to meet the
new stricter standards.
The instructions to all regional
offices make it clear that the agency
plans to maintain a close check
of on-the-job training and veterans’
earnings to avert what Veterans'
Administrator Bradley has referred!
to as a "national scandal."
The new order explains how VA
plans to handle the new $175 to
$300 ceilings placed on the com
bination of wages and subsistence;
allowances by legislation signed
August 8. Labor and some veterans' j
organizations have criticized the!
new legislation. k »
On that point, Gen. Bradley
warned his regional offices that the J
subsistence allowance is intended to I
provide the veteran with "a measurei
of support during his education or
training status. It is not a pension.:
compensation or a bonus. The law,
does not contemplate that the Gov
ernment would defray the entire1
living costs of the veteran or his
family.”
To arrive at the “measure of sup
port,” VA wants periodic reports on
how much the veterans in school
as well as those in Job training
have been making, and how much
they expect to make. It wants the
first report on August, September
and October earnings by November
5 and if the report fails to arrive
by November 12, allowance checks
are going to stop.
Veterans starting school this fall
(See TRAININGrPage“A~4T
1
Tax Commitee
Asks 1 -Cent Rise
In D. C. Gas Levy
Report Also Proposes
Doubling of Auto
Inspection Fee
By John W. Thompson, jr.
A cent-per-gallon increase In
the gasoline tax to raise an esti
mated additional $1,500,000 for
the District Highway Fund has
been recommended to the Dis
trict Commissioners by their
special tax committee, it was
learned last night.
The committee, headed by Cor
poration Counsel Vernon E. West,
also called for doubling the 50-cent
automobile inspection fee for about
150.000 District motorists and in
creases in several other fees as the
members Investigated every revenue
source in search of additional in
come.
The gasoline levy thus would be
4 cents a gallon, equal to that of
Maryland and 2 cents below the
Virginia tax. It was raised from 2
cents a gallon to its present rate
of 3 cents in 1941 for a temporary
period expiring in 1951. The com
mittee asked that the 4 cent rate
be permanent.
Hearing Scheduled September 18.
Disclosure of the recommendations
precedes by a week the public hear
ing September 16 at' which ths
Commissioners will hear the com
munity’s reaction to the West com
mittee's earlier 7-point program of
new and increased taxes designed
to raise $17,750,000 for the General
Fund.
This plan, made public last July,
features a 2 per cent retail sales
tax and a broadening of the in
come tax base to bring in more
taxpayers. It also suggests taxing
utility bills, unincorporated busi
nesses. amusements and cigarettes
and doubling most of the present
liquor taxes. •
It was considered possible that
the Commissioners might add the
gasoline tax proposal to the agenda
for the hearing since it is under
stood they now favor consideration
of all new levies in an omnibus bill
rather than in separate measure*
according to the fund they feed.
Proposal Was Anticipated.
The gasoline recommendation
came as no surprise to city fiscal
f observers who had known it was
["in the cards" since last June when
Engineer Commissioner Gordon R.
Young recommended a $47,000,000
j highway and traffic improvement
program during the next six years.
At that time he suggested a 1-cent
i increase in the tax and raising an
estimated additional $19,000,000
through Federal aid and loans as
a means of financing the needs.
Gen. Young's plan, followed intro
duction in Congress by Representa
tive Springer, Republican of In
diana, of a bill to increase the levy
to 4 cents but Congress adjourned
without action.
At the present rate. District offi
cials have estimated that the tax
will' raise some $4,800,000 this fiscal
year. During the fiscal year 1945,
the revenues fell to $2,800,000 under
the impact of wartime restrictions
but have been rising steadily since
as tires, cars and gasoline have re
turned to the market.
Little Opposition Expected.
Although virtually all phases of
the general fund tax program are
expected to come under attack Sep
tember 16, with the possible excep
tion of broadening the income-tax
base, little opposition is anticipated
to raising the gasoline tax, either
locally or on Capitol Hill.
Observers, both official and unoffi
cial, feel that in some respects the
need for rAoney is greater in the
Highway Fund than in the General
Fund and that on obtaining it
hinges the protection of the heart
of the city from emigration fo near
by areas.
They point out that many of the
needs in the General Fund category
constitute replacement of obsolescent
existing facilities which could, if
necessary, be postponed without
stoppage of servicj completely. Ex
tensive and immediate improve
ments must be undertaken to pro
vide easy access and parking facili
ties to the downtown area if it is
saved, they feel.
$100,000 Disappears
From Canadian Mails
By the Associated Press
VANCOUVER. B C. Sept. 7.—
Col. A. T. Belcher, Royal Canadian
Mounted Police superintendent, to
djiv disclosed that $100,000 in cash
had disappeared from the mails be
tween Vancouver and Victoria.
Victoria reported the disappear
ance of a mail bag containing tha
money was discovered there Thurs
day morning.
Canadian Pacific Steamship Co.
spokesmen said all registered mail
transported from Vancouver had
been signed for in Victoria.
Special Educational
Supplement Today
Section E of today’s Sun
day Star includes The Star’s
annual educational supple
ment. published in connection
with the opening this month
of all schools in the District.
Art and music news are in
cluded in the same section.
In some editions of the sup
plement. a caption on the first
page states erroneously that
public schools in the District
open tomorrow. It was cor
rected in later editions to read
September 23. Schools in near
by Prince Georges County,
Maryland, open tomorrow and
those in Montgomery County
on September 16.
I