Evening star. [volume], April 17, 1947, Image 31

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

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SOCIETY AND GENERAL NEWS
WASHINGTON, D. C.
■
/ > ;-. -V- ~.i -v -.'>»•■> - ■- _t. - ^UBhalBAVvA/. I
3 Plots Added
To Playground
And Parkways
Broad Branch Tract
In Line With Land
For Fort Drive
Three additions to Washington’s
parkway and playground system
were announced today by the city’s
.planners.
Norman C. Brown, land purchas
ing officer for the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
said condemnation proceedings have
been filed to add lJt acres to the
Brentwood Playground, between
Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets
NX., west of Montana avenue.
Mr. Brown said th];ee acres have
been added to park lands In the
Broad Branch Valley, near the In
tersection of Broad Branch road
and Linnean avenue N.W. The
purchase was made to take care of
future highway Improvements and
to do away with the need for In
closing Broad Branch as a storm
sewer if the land were left to pri
vate use.
Although.Mr. Brown did not say
so, the purchase Is in a line with
land already bought for the Fort
drive, now the subject of controversy
between District officials and the
Planning Commission.
Six Acres for Parkway.
At the same time, Mr. Brown
said, condemnation suits to acquire
three lots totaling six acres for the
George Washington Memorial Park
way just above Key Bridge on the
Virginia side will be heard in Alex
andria next week.
The land is part of the right-of
way to extend the parkway up the
valley of Spout Run to connect with
Lee highway at Lorcum lane.
The National Park Service has
*500,000 to begin grading the road
way this summer.
Mr. Brown announced that the
Indian government, which now is
using the old Schoellkopf estate at
2700 Macomb street N.W., ha?
agreed to leave unmolested the
forested slope which adjoins Klingle
road. The commission sought the
agreement to protect the park char
acter of the Klingle valley.
Thomas S. Settle, commission sec
retary, said the planners today ap
proved transfer of recent addition!
to the Fort Reno recreation centei
to the District Recreation Board.
Meeting on Rebuilding.
Hie city’s new Land Redevelop
ment Agency was to meet with the
commission this afternoon to con
tinue mapping out the early steps
that mus» be taken to get the re
building program for the city’s
blighted £reas under way.
A similar meeting with Planning
Commission chairman U. S. Grant
III was held a week ago, at which
Gen. Grant and members of his
staff explained the working of the
redevelopment act under which the
flve-man agency is to operate.
Tomorrow the commission is tc
sfcudy JJje jJVfc and recreation rec
ommendations of fffigtneer Commis
sioner Gordon R. Young’s *228,000,
000, six-year program of District im
provements; the difficulties of the
Maryland National Capital Park and
Planning Commission in getting
State approval to extend the area
for which it plans and buys parks;
proposals to erect an additional Sen
ate office building; the site favored
by the Commissioners for the Dis
trict's proposed new Unemployment
Compensation Board building anc
latest plans for routing the George
Washington Memorial Parkwaj
from Key Bridge to Chain Bridge
in Virginia.
5 Mates Katity Amendment
Limiting Presidents' Terms
ly t+>» Associated Press
The proposed 22nd Constitutional
Amendment limiting Presidents to
two elective terms and not more
than 10 years In office has received
the approval of three additional
States, bringing to 11 the total
which have ratified it.
One State, Oklahoma, has refused
to act on it by voting indefinite
postponement.
The three Legislatures which ap
proved the amendment Tuesday
were those of New Jersey, Cali
fornia and Vermont. Previously it
had been indorsed in Delaware,
Illinois, Iowa. Kansas, Maine, Mich
igan, New Hampshire and Oregon,
The proposal must win approval
of 36 States within seven years to
become effective.
American Gets Pardon
In 'Smuggling' Case
By th« Associated Press
ATHENS, April 17.—The Greet
government has made things good
with an independent tobacco buyei
who sent up the cry a #couple ol
months ago that he had been denied
"even elementary justice.”
Last February’ 14, Willie Talton
47, Smithfield (N. C.) tobacco dealer
' was convicted of trying to take $29,
409 out of Greece without declaring
it to a customs officer. He was finec
$210,000.
“I brought that money into Greeci
and I can prove it,” Talton said sub
sequently. “But they never gave mi
a chance."
Today It was learned that Taltor
had been given a royal pardon anc
that the confiscated $29,400 had beer
returned to him.
PUCE
SUNDAY
CUSSIFIED ADS
EARLY!
Classified ad customers
desiring to place ads in
The Sunday Star are
urged to coll them in
early in the week. Delay
and inconvenience will
then be avoided, and we
| will be able to give
prompt and efficient
service. Your co-opera
tion will be appreciated.
«
NEWSPAPER EDITORS MEET—Wilbur Porrest (left) of the New
York Herald Tribune, president of the American Society of News
paper Editors, confers with N. R. Howard of the Cleveland News,
who is vice president of the society.
..- . —.— .— i. i m .. . ♦
Three charter members of the society, who also are past presidents, talk
over old times. Left to right, Marvin H. Creager of the Milwaukee Journal, who
was president In 1936; Donald J. Sterling of the Oregon Journal, president in
1939, and Grote Patterson of the Toledo Blade, president in 1934-5.
—.---1 ' —————— i
One of the first editors at the opening -
meeting today was Josephus Daniels of the
Raleigh News and Observer.
—Star Staff Photos, i
--- i
City Heads Criticized
On Television Towers
In Residential Areas
By John W. Thompson, Jr.
District Commissioners and Bon
ing authorities were criticized today
on the ground they had failed to
protect citizens’ interests by per
mitting the erection of radio and
television towers in residential
areas.
The criticism came from George
A. Corbin, secretary of the Manor
Park Citizens’ Association who tes
tified before a Senate-House Dis
trict Subcommittee hearing on a
bill to regulate such towers in the
District.
The hearing was Interrupted by
a quorum call. It will be resumed
under Chairman O’Hara, Republi
can, of Minnesota, in the House
District Committee Room at 10 am.
tomorrow.
Mr. Corbin, who said he is the
author of the draft from which th«
pending House and Senate bills have
resulted, charged the present law it
not sufficiently strong to protect cit
izens’ interests.
Says Wishes Are Ignored.
He said the Commissioners are
supposed to give effect to the wishes
of citizens but added:
“They haven’t done it.”
In connection with the Board of
Zoning Adjustment which, under
present regulations, must pass on
applications for such towers, Mr.
Corbin observed:
"What are you going tf> do with
a Board of Zoning Adjustment, one
member of which lives in Alexan
dria, another in Fairfax County and
only three from the District?”
Mr. Corbin said, “We are also up
against it in the press,” declaring
that the press will not publish cit
izen resolutions on this subject.
“That’s a smack at the press," he
said. "Formerly they were inter
ested in our associations and our
schools.”
_l j ai_—_i_
• vv* vuv papv*o
a financial interest in television and
indicated this was resulting in fail
ure to publish stories on the issue.
Meadows Backs Corbin.
Leverett A. Meadows, president of
,the Manor Park Citizens’ Associa
tion, also urged the committee “to
protect the citizens against the
Commissioners.”
Corporation Counsel Vernon E.
West, appearing for the Commis
sioners, said the city heads feel there
is ample protection in existing law.
He pointed out the bill applies
only to towers for television, fre
quency modulation and facisimlle
radio, but not to amplitude modu
lation, tha present standard sys
tem of broadcasting. Mr. Corbin
suggested an amendment to include
this last within the scope of the
bill.
Curtis B. Plummer, chief of the
television engineering division of
the Federal Communications Com
mission, told the committee that,
(from an engineering standpoint,
i there are two prime requirements
j for a television transmitter. They
are a central location within the
‘population served and maximum
height, because of the line-of
sight characteristics of television.
Conditions Unfavorable Here.
Mr. Plummer pointed out that
Washington, unlike New York, does
not have high, centrally located
buildings from which television can
be broadcast.
Asked by Mr. O'Hara if he thought
! Prvn _ _t_a a _ ...
I-O-X iguu W £JOOO
| retroactive legislation, Mr. Corbin
said he did not. He added, however,
lie thought such a bill as is now
pending would serve notice on the
television companies to obtain per
mits for tower locations in less ob
jectionable areas.
The bill would forbid television or
.radio towers in residential areas and
also in other areas where the radius
of the height of the transmitting
antenna would include any home,
playground, recreational facility or
school; where the tower would tend
to create or result in a dangerous
safety,hazard, or would adversely
affect orderly development of ad
jacent residential property, property
values or the beauty of the Nation's
Capital.
Maryland Park Woman
Dies of Hit-Run Injuries
Mrs. Ethel Sorrell, 54-year-old
hit-run traffic victim, died last
night in Prince Georges General
j Hospital. Mrs. Sorrell, who lived
at 5 Sixty-fifth street, Maryland
Park, was struck by an automobile
early yesterday as she crossed
Bladensburg road at Thirty-seventh
street.
Prince George County Police re
ported witnesses said Mrs. Sorrell
! was struck by one of two automo
biles “racing” north on the boule
vard. The striking car stopped after
the accident, police were told, and
the operator got out and picked up
either a hub cap or headlight rim
and drove back toward Washington.
The victim suffered fractures of
both legs and internal injuries, the
hospital said.
House Group to Open
Hearings Wednesday
On GAO Office Bill
Public hearings on a bill for con
struction of a new General Account
ing Office Building will be held at
10 an. next Wednesday by the Pub
lic Buildings Subcommittee of the
House Public Works Committee.
Representative McGregor, Repub
lican, of Ohio, subcommittee chair
man, had hoped to conduct them
this week, but had to delay the ses
sion until next Wednesday. A main
reason for the delay, it was learned,
is the illness of W. X. Reynolds,
public buildings commissioner, who
would supervise construction under
the bill. Mr. Reynolds was said
today to be improving.
Other witnesses will Include Con
troller General Lindsay Warren.
The bill, sponsored by Chairman
Dondero of the House Public Works
Committee, authorizes construction
of the long-delayed building within
three years after passage of the
measure. It would be built between
Fourth and Fifth, G and H
streets N.W.
The full House Public Works Com
mittee will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday
to consider, a bill for planning an
other building here, the new court
house. This measure, sponsored by
Representative Dondero, Republican,
of Michigan, has been approved
unanimously by the Public Build
ings Subcommittee.
A controversy over the construc
tion of the Duptat Circle under
pass Pill be aired at a' public hear
ing at 10 a.m. tomorrow before Joint
subcommittees on Public Service,
and Streets and Traffic of the House
and Senate District Committees.
The hearing js scheduled in the
House District Committee room in
the Old House Office Building.
Chairmen of the subcommittees are
Senator McGrath, Republic, of
Rhode Island, and Representative
Beall, Republican, of Maryland.
P. M. Green Is Controller
Of Atomic Energy Group
By Asioclotcd Pr#u
Paul M. Green of East Liverpool,
Ohio, has been appointed controller
of the Atomic Energy Commission,
it was announced today.
He will direct the accounting,
auditing and fiscal programs of the
commission and serve as staff ad
viser to the general manager on field
operations. Formerly deputy com
missioner for accounting of the
Office of Price Administration, he
has been connected with the OPA
since October, 1941.
Previously he taught at the Uni
versity of Florida and the Univer
sity of Illinois.
Arlington Tuberculosis
Association to Meet
The Arlington County Tuberu
losis Association will hold its annual
meeting at 8 pm. Wednesday in the
auditorium of the Health Depart
ment Building, 1800 North Edison
street.
Dr. Oswald Hedley, senior surgeon
of District 2 of the United States
Public Health Service, will speak
on “Trends in Tuberculosis Control.”
There also will be a report on the
year’s work by the association. New
officers will be elected and new board
members will be installed.
- . .
Signing of Treaties Is Urged
Among Nations With Free Press
Proposal Uttered
As Editors Open
Convention Here
Signing of treaties by countries
now having a free press appears to
be the only step now practicable to
ward assuring the maximum free
exchange of Information in the
world, the American Society of
Newspaper Editors was told today as
it opened its 25th anniversary con
vention in the Hotel Statler.
Wilbur Forrest, assistant editor of
the New York Herald Tribune, made
the statement in a report on work
of the Standing Committee on
World Freedom of Information.
Lack of progress toward the goal
within the United Nations makes it
advisable that the United States
begin treaty negotiation with other
countries sharing its devotion tc
press freedom, Mr. Forrest declared
"The indications are that withir
the United Nations there are nation
al representatives who will oppose
serious consideration of world free
dom of information for months 01
years to come,” he said. “The rea
sons are abvious. Certain power!
do not want freedom of information
Others hesitate to raise the issue ir
the face of opposition which i!
strong and determined.”
The signing of bi-lateral or multi
lateral press freedom agreement!
would place on nations now unco
operative "the onus of having some
thing to hide,*' he continued. “It i!
possible that some of them will find
lb rubiwr uncumiurtauie tu remain m
that position over a long period oi
time.”
Hopeful Approach Seen.
Mr. Forrest emphasized the com
mittee did not advocate complete
dependence on such treaties, bui
felt they represented the most hope
ful approach until substantial prog
ress were made by the United Na
tions Human Rights Commission
and UNESCO.
Mr. Forrest’s comments on world
press freedom were supplemented in
his annual report with a statement
on the state of the press in the
United States. In this, he u’ ged
the membership to authorize estab
lishment of a standing committee
to pass on application of the press
freedom principle in specific cases.
He said the society’s officers fre
quently were being called on to de
fend freedom of the press in "cases
in the twilight zone.” In addition
to these, he added, the society should
concern itself with the present power
of American labor leaden. He
asked:
"Where do we of the press stand
in this regard? Labor union chiefs
today can control the production ol
newspapers. They may shut down
one or all of the newspapers in any
given community, literally overnight.
Unlike their European colleagues,
the motive of our labor dictators is
economic rather than political. But
could it not become political? Let
us hope that this is not a battle
which must one day be fought,
Vigilance must be constant.”
Hutchins' Report Cited.
Turning to the report of a Com
mission on Freedom of the, Press,
headed by Chancellor Robert M
Hutchins of the University of Chi
cago, Mr. Forrest attacked what he
said was its implication that the
ASNE was "a social organization
backed up by a high-sounding code
ASNE Program
TODAY.
1:90 pm—Ethics of Journal
lam: Arthur Hays Sulzberger,
New York Times.
4 p m.—Conference with Pres
ident Truman, at the White
House.
8 pm.—Session with congres
sional leaders.
TOMORROW.
10 a.m.—Editorial page panel:
Virginius Dabney, Richmond
Times - Dispatch, chairman;
T. D. Ferguson, Milwaukee
Journal; Harry Ashmore, Char
lotte News, and Ralph Nichol
son, New Orleans Item.
12:30 pm.—Secretary of State
Marshall (if he returns from
Moscow in time) or Acting Sec
retary Acheson.
2:30 pm. — Newspapers and
Education: Dr. James Bryant
Conant, president of Harvard
University.
of newspaper ethics about which it
does nothing whatsoever.”
Mr. Forrest explained he was re
ferring to the report’s mention of a
malpractice case which arose with
in the society of 1924. He said that
while the case against the member
involved finally was laid on the
table, the Hutchins’ report failed to
point out the member subsequently
resigned from the society. Mr. For
rest said it also neglected to state
that the ASNE Board of Directors
subsequently was given power to
suspend or expel any member for
cause, an authority it did not have
when the case referred to was under
consideration.
“I think that at least some of you
will agree with me * • • that most
editors are not newspaper owners.
These men are not, as the commis
sion Indicates, a type which joins
the country club and loses touch
with the human side of things.
Editors, I am sure most of us know,
are ever on the alert for the human
side, and if they were not, they
would not earn their editorial
salaries nor have a job.
Reader’s Power Stressed,
“Another major error on the part
of the Hutchins Commission, I be
lieve, is its dismissal of the fact
that the arbiter of the success or
failure of a newspaper today is the
reader, the fellow with some pennies
or a nickel who makes newspaper
reading a habit He can give a
publisher or an editor the jitters if
enough of his kind write in and
say they are in complete disagree
ment with the paper.”
Reports also were made at the
opening session by Dwight Young of
the'Dayton Journal-Herald, secre
tary; B. M. McKelway, editor of
The Star, treasurer; Dwight Perrin
of the Philadelphia Bulletin, chair
man of the Nominations Commit
tee, and Wright Bryan of the At
lanta Journal, chairman of the
Membership Committee.
Mr. Perrin offered eight nomina
tions for the four three-jfear terms
to be filled during the convention.
They were N. R. Howard,’Cleveland
News; David La wrench, United
States News; Alexanders F. Jones,
the Washington Post; Mb. Oveta
Culp Hobby, Houston Po»$‘t; John L.
Morrison, Greenville (Pa.) Record
Argus; Ralph Coghlan, St. Louis
Post-Dispatch; J. Donald Ferguson,
Milwaukee Journal, and ]L. D. Hotch
kiss, Los Angeles Timesi
First Woman Nominated.
Messrs./Jones, Howard and Law
rence are incumbents. Mrs. Hobby
is the first woman ever nominated
for the directorship. Mr. Howard,
now first vice president, is con
sidered the probablfe successor of
Mr. JForrest as president. The
Board of Directors choo*s officers of
the /society. f
The opening Session included
recollections from-the society's 25
ydar history by throve Patterson of
the Toledo Blade, Marvin H.
Creager of the Milwaukee Journal,
and Donald J. Sterling of the Oregon
Journal, all past presidents.
Manchester/Boddy of the Los An
geles Daily News and Carroll W
Binder of the Minneapolis Tribune
were to report on Germany and
Japan, respectively, at the luncheon
session.
Arthur Hay* Sulzberger of the
New York Times was to speak on
ethics Of journalism this afternoon.
At 4 pm., President Truman was
to receive the members for an off
the-record press conference.
At 8 o’clock tonight the society
trill meet with congressional leaders
of both the Senate and House.
Members scheduled to be present
Include Senators Taft, Republican,
of Ohio, and Ives, Republican, of
New York, and Representative Mon
rooey, Democrat, of Oklahoma. *
PBA Architect to Speak
Gilbert S. Underwood, supervising
architect of the Public Building!
Administration, will address a meet
ing of the Illuminating Engineering
Society at 8 o'clock tomorrow nighl
in the Pepco Auditorium, Tenth ant
I streets N.W.
Fundi Needed to End Shortage
Of Teachers. NEA Meetina Told
More money—and simply that—
is the answer to the Nation’s teach
er shortage and other educational
needs, speakers at a citizens’ confer
ence called by the Nationai Educa
tion A-sociation agreed today.
Representatives of 63 nationaj or
ganizations ranging from the Cham
ber of Commerce to Boy Scouts at
tended the meeting at NEA head
quarters, 1201 Sixteenth street N.W.
Hie object was to plan a more care
ful selection and preparation of
teachers and conditions of-employ
ment in which teachers may give
their best services.
Dr. D. J. Rose, president of the
National Council of State School
Boards Association, said:
"We can rehash this old question
of teacher selection all we want to,
but it all comes back to the mori^y
level.”
Federal Assistance Urged.
Dr. Rose added there are tremen
dous inequalities of educational op
portunities among the States “which
can be corrected by Federal assist
ance and Federal assistance only."
William E. Givens, NEA executive
secretary, opned the session by ex
plaining that the confrence was
called because the job of attracting
and holding teachers of the high
est capabilities is too big and too
critical to be undertaken by the
teaching profession alone.
Mr. Givens said 150,000 quaUfled
teachers have left the profession
since 1939 and 110,000 of the men
and women who replaced them fail
to meet teaching standards in their
States.
"No sane parent would accept for
his child a doctor whose license to
praetice plainly labled him third
class,” he continued. "But they are
accepting unqualified teachers.”
Program Is Recommended. i
These inadequacies have impaired
the educational opportunities pi
millions of children, he said. He
cilled for minimum requirements/for
teachers of at least a college de
gree, beginning pay of at least *2,400
a year, more Federal aid to educa
tion, and a change in the attitude
of the smaller communities toward
teachers. y
Paul H. Good of the Education
Committee of the United States
Chamber of Commerce said a great
weakness of American education has
been that school administrators
"have too long failed to show—ac
tually spell out—for the American
business world the extent of their
contribution to society:’' Business
has had to find out the "hard way”
how important education is, he
stated.
Other speakers in the morning
session included Miss Hilda Smith
of the Committee for the Extension
of Labor Education, and Ralph Mc
Donald, executive secretary of the
National Commission on Teacher
Education and Professional Stand
ards.
Tenants' Poll Shows
Opposition to Sale
Of Naylor Gardens
In a move to balk the sale of Nay
lor Gardens, 748-unlt defense homes
project at Naylor road and Thirtieth
street SJ!., to the Veterans’ Co-op
erative Housing Association, a group
of residents has released results of
a poll which they say shows a ma
jority of present tenants “cannot
buy or will not buy” their apart
ments.
Robert T. Davis, president of the
Naylor Gardens Citizens’ Associa
tion, said last night the survey “con
clusively proves” sale of the develop
ment to the veterans’ co-operative is
“extremely unpopular with the resi
dents.”
“It further shows that a large
number of World War n veterans
may be evicted at the end of District
rent control, inasmuch as the Vet
erans’ Administration has ruled that
the loan guarantee provisions of
the GI bill of rights do not apply
to this type of purchase."
Change No Solution.
Mr. Davis said “a number” of vet
erans polled said that “evicting one
group of veterans to move in an
other group would not solve the vet
erans ’housing problem.”
The veterans’ co-operative has an
agreement with Defense Homes
Corp. to take over the development
at a price of $5,125,000 provided 300
residents are obtained as members
and 10 per cent of the purchase
price is raised by January 10, 1948.
Officials of the citizens associa
tion said they are seeking to have
Congress or the Securities Exchange
Commission investigate sale of the
property to the veterans’ co-oper
ative.
Details of Survey,
The survey was conducted by a
committee headed by Gordon E. Mc
Tavish, secretary to Representative
Stevenson, Republican, of Wiscon
sin. Of 748 who received question
naires, 671 returned them to the
committee.
Mr. MacTavish said that of 44
members of the co-operative, 25 re
plied. Sixteen, he said, Indicated
they thought their purchase of an
apartment was “a good proposition”
while nine others said they pur
chased apartments “solely to obtain
or retain residence.”
18 Report Purchases.
Of the 25, he said 18 had obtained
occupancy by purchasing an apart
ment, and seven were residents
prior to making their purchases.
Besides the 435 who said they will
not or cannot buy, 122 said they
“would rather not purchase but may
do so” in order to retain occupancy.
Fifty-seven said they were “unde
cided” about whether to purchase,
and 16 said they would purchase be
cause they believed it was “a good
proposition.”
Prince Georges Meeting
Called on Sales Tax
A joint special meeting of the
Prince Georges County Anti-sales
Tax Committee and the County In
dependent Trade Association will
be held at the Riverdale Municipal
Hall at 8 pm. Monday to discuss
further plans for eliminating the
2 per cent sales tax, effective July 1.
Representatives of various civic
and service organizations in Prince
Georges and Montgomery Counties
have been invited to attend, ac
cording to Charles T. Hartley, pres
ident of the Independent Trade
Association.
Beltsville Schoolgirl
Gets Competition Award
Miss Carroll Theodora Byerly, 16
a senior at Greenbelt High School,
has been awarded a certificate of
merit and $50 as runner-up for one
of the 126 four-year college scholar
ships offered by the Pep6i-Cola Co.
She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs.
Theodore O. Byerly of Beltsville.
_ i
Alexandria Judge
Forfeits $I for
Overtime Parking
Alexandria Police Court Judge
James R. Duncan yesterday forfeited
$1 collateral for overtime parking
between sessions on the bench.
Assistant Judge Harry F. Kennedy
relieved Judge Duncan yesterday
and read the latter’s name among
the list of offenders “against the
peace and dignity of the Common
wealth."
Judge Duncan previously had
posted collateral at police headquar
ters after his car was ticketed by
Pvt. George Jordan, Alexandria po
liceman, in the 100 block of North
Fairfax street Monday.
The Police Court jurist laughed
about the matter today and did not
deny his “guilt." He said'after one
nickel had “expired" in the park
ing meter, he inserted another and
went to lunch. He had to go back
. to the courtroom for an afternoon
session and failed to nova his ear,
he said.
Mason Indicates D. C. j
Improvements May ;
Require U. S. Loans !
Long-term Federal loahs may be j
the only way the District Is going (
to get the new schools, health and ,
welfare institutions, police and fire ,
stations it needs.
This was Indicated yesterday by .
Commissioner Guy Mason in testi- j
mony before the joint Senate-House ,
District Fiscal Subcommittee con
sidering the new teachers’ pay bill. ,
Costs to Beach Millions.
The bill proposes to make per
manent the temporary $450 across- i
the-board raise the teachers have i
this year and to add an additional 1
$250 for a total of $700 above basic i
pay rates. Officials estimate its i
initial cost to the city at about $2,- :
500,000, rising eventually to about j
$4,000,000. i
Hie same subcommittee, under
Senator Cain, Republican, of Wash- :
ington, is handling the new tax and
money-raising program of the city
heads. {
Mr. Mason said he is inclined in
creasingly toward seeking a Federal j
loan for uv construction under the ,
general iund. This includes all
building, except highway and water
system projects.
Borrowing Precedent Set
He told the subcommittee that,
unless Congress finds some means
by* which the city can1 meet its
annual costs, including teachers’ pay,
atul still have something left over
our of current revenue for orderly
capital improvements, it will have to
consider such loans.
The city already has established
a precedent for borrowing from the
Government under the Capper
viBuiwu nvu lui yai & turn puiuiittse
and under the PWA and Lanham
Act programs This indebtedness
was wiped out,, however, by forced
savings during the war.
The Joint subcommittee already
has before it a request from the city
heads to borrow up to 123,000,000
over a period of years for long
time improvements to the water
system.
Virginia Police Notified
'46 Auto Tags Are Illegal
By th« Associated Pros*
RICHMOND, Va„ April 17.-C. F.
Joyner, Jr., State commissioner of
motor vehicles, has notified Virginia
law enforcement agencies that 1946
license tags on vehicles now “are
illegal" and to act accordingly.
In a teletype message to all
agencies, the commissioner asked,
however, that they recognize public
use vehicles operated by the State.
These cars, Mr. Joyner said, carry
undated aluminum plates from last
year and have not been supplied
with a second, or front, tag. This
failure, he explained, was due to a
temporary shortage of metal which
will be corrected soon.
The agencies also were informed
of an experimental plate issued by
the division for some State cars.
The plate is treated with “scotch
light,” a powder sprayed on the
light background that reflects head
lights at night. Mr. Joyner indi
cated that if the experiment on the
State cars proves successful “all
plates might be treated with the
substance in 1948.” Maryland is
conducting a similar experiment on
State-owner carsJ
Two District Architects
Win Top Contest Award
Two Washington architects, Fred
erick L. Fryfer, 28, and Robert M.
Geer, 29, both associated with Faulk
ner, Kingsbury & Stenhouse, 917
Fifteenth street N.W., have won a
$1,000 prize in a national competi
tion for room design sponsored by
the Chicago Tribune.
The two architects won first prize
for living-room design.
Mr. Fryer, who lives at 3903 Liv
ingston street N.W., is a native of
Washington, who attended Mercers
burg Academy and Cornell Uni
versity. 1
Mr. Geer, a native of Anderson,
S. C., and a graduate of Clemson
College, lives at 1801 Sixteenth
street N.W.
Reports Asking
40 Fire Law
Changes Studied
Egress Committee
Action on Protests
Slated April 30
By Henry A. Mustin
Fully a third of the 120 aoet im
portant new District lire safety
regulations being studied by the
Commissioners’ Egress Committee
would be changed by recommenda
tions under consideration by the
group today.
The recommendations, submitted
yesterday by five subcommittees
covering the various types of build
ings involved, added up to the
dropping, rewriting or suggested re
study of about 40 of the regulations
under scrutiny.
Col. Kenneth E. Madsen, Assistant
Engineer Commissioner and Egress
Committee chairman, said the ree
i meeting of the full committee on
ipril 30.
Committee Not Bound.
Re offered no comment beyond
onphasizing that the recommenda
ions did not commit the full com
mittee in any way. The group is
ixamining the fire safety laws, em
>odied in the so-called Epees Act,
with a view to possible changes,
[hey were adopted a year ago in
•larch, but enforcement was post
xmed to next July 1.
Regulations most sharply criticized
rj the subcommittees, each headed
>y a representative of the local
mlldings interests, were those re
pairing inclosed stairways and self
dosing, fireproof doors In hotels; a
second inside stairway for office
mlldings higher than five stories;
Ire alarm systems for restaurants
>f more than one story accommo
iating more than 200 persons; pro
hibiting boilers under places of
assembly and indoor fire stairs in
heaters.
The subcommittee on hotels and
apartment and rooming houses
asked changes in 8 of 10 regula
tions studied. It suggested outright
dimination of those requiring self
dosing, fireproof doors and asked
or “further recommendation eom
nensurate with ability to pay" on
hat requiring Inclosed stairways on
honfire-resistant buildings of no
nere than three stories.
Cost Burden Cited.
“Due to the character of these
mailer places and their small earn
ngs, the expense involved would
dose 5,000 businesses,” the group
leclared.
The hotel group also asked that
he inclosed stairway provision be
waived for four-story structures in
which the windows open on fire
escapes on each floor and have
metal window frames and sashes
ind fire-resistant wired glass. The
same should hold for five-story
buildings put up before 1925, it was
suggested.
Th* DllVvarammlltsa
buildings approved 15 of 39 regula
tions. Two were opposed flatly, and
amendments of varying degree were
put forward for the others.
This group found most fault with
the regulation requiring that a sec
ond inside inclosed stairway be pro
vided in office buildings over five
stories high without fire escapes.
The hardship it would work on own
ers is not justified in view of the
tow day-time fire hazards associated
with this type of building, it was
held.
Danger of Panics Seen.
The restaurants group said boilers
or other heating plants in structures
erected before October 15, 1941.
should remain where they are pro
vided they are inclosed in a separate
room and meet other requirements.
The group asked that this amend
ment be tacked onto the regulation
prohibiting boilers immediately
under a dining room or exit passage.
It opposed private fire alarm sys
tems as a possible cause of panic.
The Theater Subcommittee termed
the indoor fire stairs requirement
“impractical” and recommended re
tention of outdoor fire escapes, pro
vided they are metal-inclosed.
The group covering hospitals and
convalescent homes recommended
changes in only 3 of 26 regulations,
all minor in nature.
Experts on Boston Fire
Offer Aid to Texas City
By lh» AuociatMl Pr—
BOSTON, April 17.—The services
of experts who had marked success
with new methods in saving the lives
of many persons horribly burned In
Boston’s 1942 Cocoanut Grove night
club disaster were offered today to
stricken Texas City, Tex.
Doctors of the Boston City and
Massachusetts General Hospitals,
headed by Dr. Charles C. Lund, stood
ready to fly to that area if needed.
"We shall send anything or any
one they need,” said Dr. James W.
Manary, superintendent of City
Hospital.
Physicians of the two institutions
teamed as lifesavers after the Cocoa
nut Grove holocaust which claimed
nearly 500 lives.
Tiso May Die Tomorrow
PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia, April 17
(fP).—Dr. Josef Tiso, priest convicted
of collaboration with the Nazis as
puppet ruler of Slovakia, probably
will die at down tomorrow unless
his application for presidential com
mutation of the death sentence is
signed by President Eduard Benes.
The application was forwarded to
Prague last night by Slovak au
thorities.
Rabbi Gerstenfeld
Broadcasts Tonight
WMAL at 10:30
On
"Tragedy in Palestine"