SOCIETY AND GENERAL NEWS ^fl. . ^i. .■■ ♦ , WASHINGTON NEWS D
WASHINGTON, D. C. O 0^ (S^vllXTlJJ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1917 JJg
*—^**"”—m~"m""—mmm—" ' 11 1 " 11 11 ■—— ——————— ' ' ' ——i ■ ■ ——■—■■■ ■■ ■ ■■III—.■■■!——■— ■■ ■ ■ >■ I ■ 1 ' ... —— " . I
Showdown Seen
In D. C. Custodial
Move at Armory
Commissioners Plan
To Put Own Force
On Maintenance Job
The row between the city fathers
and the District National Guard
over control of the Guard’s Armory
may be headed for a quick show
down, with the District Commis
sioners planning on October 1 to
send a custodial and maintenance
force to care for the structure.
Eventually the force will be built
up to 50 men, it was said.
Congress, in the current District
Appropriation Act, authorized $209,
000 for armory maintenance, to be
spent by the superintendent of Dis
trict buildings.
Howard O. Akers, assistant super
intendent of District buildings, said
the Civil Service Commission has
Just approved the papers setting up
these new Jobs. The District gov
ernment is recruiting the new force.
The Public Buildings Administration
now is operating the building op
funds transferred from the District
government recently, Mr. Akers ex
plained.
;■ Mr. Akers was unable to say how
contracts for public exhibitions, al
ready entered into by the Guard, will
be handled after the city fathers
send in the operating force.
New Problems in Prospect
The latest development in the
fight between the District Commis
soiners and the Guard over control
of the Armory will bring new prob
lems. The question may arise over
whether the force of the superin
tendent will take orders from the
Guard’s commanding general, Brig.
Gen. Albert L. Cox, a Washington
lawyer. The attitude of the Com
missioners over contracts already
entered into with outsiders by the
Guard for use of the Armory is also
a factor.
Among the events now scheduled
by the Guard are: A meeting, spon
sored by the Junior Board of Com
merce at 8 pm. Tuesday to aid
Guard recruiting, which the Vet
erans of foreign wars is spear
heading; the annual Home Show
Exposition of the Home Builders’
Association of Metropolitan Wash
ington, October 11-19; the George
Washington University homecoming
dance, November 1, and a Thanks
giving Victory Carnival, November
28, to entertain champion Guard
recruiters from all over the country.
Advisory Group Set Up.
Gen. Cox disclosed he has set up
an advisory group to aid him in
matters of public interest concerning
use of the Armory. Members include
Robert V. Fleming, chairman of the
group and president of the Riggs
National Bank; Carter T. Barron,
division manager of Loew’s Inc.;
Charles H. Hillegeist, president of
' the Washington Real Estate Board;
Gardner Moore, president of the
Washington Hotel Association; Edgar
Morris, director of the United States
Chamber of Commerce and former
chairman of the Greater National
Capital Committee of the Washing
ton Board of Trade; Joseph C. Mc
Garraghy, past president of the
trade board and chairman of the
Greater National Capital Com
mittee; Alfred G. Neal, president of
the Potomac Electric Power Co., and
Clifford H. Newell, president of the
Federation of Citizens’ Associations.
That the District Commissioners
realize the Guard controls the
Armory is shown by the fact that,
on the last day of Congress, they
Introduced a bill asking they be
given control of the building, Gen.
Cox contended. He said the Com
missioners never have consulted him
about the money to be realized
from the public events.
Earmarks Money for Facilities.
Gen. Cox said he expects to use
the money realized from public use
of the Armory to provide facilities
there. He said lockers for the en
listed men are needed, as well as
desks, chairs, a public address
system, seating for the drill hall
and other necessities.
After these facilities are provided,
Gen. Cox said the Guard will use
the money for maintenance of thei
Army. At present, he said, the
Guard has funds for these purposes.
When not needed for military train
ing, the public may use the Armory,
Gen. Cox said. He said he wants
to show Congress the Armory can
be used for other than military
affairs to care for maintenance costs.
uoi. feyion vj. nevm, aujuuiut,
general of the Guard, explained the
Guard moved into the Armory in
June, with the PBA furnishing cus
todial service, reimbursed by the
District Government.
In addition to the Armory, Col.
Nevitt said, the Guard controls the
Maine avenue armory, formely used
by the 260th Anti-aircraft Artillery
Gen. Cox has given permission to
the Sea Scouts and the Civil Air
Patrol to meet there, he said. The
air arm of the Guard is housed at
Andrews Field.
Both Sides Quote Rulings.
Col. Nevitt cited an opinion of
the Attorney General, dated June 9,
'1926, which held the Guard is a
Federal Government activity and the
Public Buildings Commission had
jurisdiction over space the Guard
used. The opinion also held the
commission had no power to allot
space to a District activity for an
nual rental.
District authorities, however, take
a different view. They say District
funds purchased the land and built
the Armory. During the war, while
the FBI used the building, they said,
the Justice Department paid rent to
the Commissioners. Further, Dis
trict officials say, the Controller
General, a Federal officer, held on
August 4, in an opinion given the
Postmaster General, that the Arm
ory is under control of the Com
missioners. They added the opinion
said any terms of lease must be
taken up with the Commissioners.
Wickersham May Run in '48
ly th» A*»ociat*d Pr«*
Former Representative Victor
Wickersham, who still maintains
his legal residence in Mangum,
Okla., may seek the Democratic
congressional nomination in the
7th Oklahoma District again in
1948, friends here say. Mr. Wick
ersham went into the real estate
business here after leaving Congress
last January.
L
CAUGHT IN A MOMENTARY PAUSE—FINALLY—It didn’t take more than an hour for
Star Staff Photographer A. C. Chinn to get this fleet-footed European doe and her
fawn to pause within range of his camera yesterday at the Zoo. • • •
. . . But it was three hours later before he was able to steal close enough to the doe of the Axis (spotted)
variety from India and the fawn born to her last week to make this picture. Meanwhile, the office had
answered an SOS for a graflex camera with a 17-inch telephoto lens. ___
Mrs. Leslie B. Wright
Urged for ABC Board
By Senator Capper
The appointment of Mrs. Leslie B
Wright, national legislative chair
man of the General Federation oi
Womenls Clubs, to the District Alco
holic Beverage' Control Board is be
ing urged by Senator Capper, Re
publican, of Kansas, it was learned
today.
Senator Capper, long interested in
District affairs, sent an airmail let
ter to the Commissioners advocating
Mrs. Wright’s appointment. The
Commissioners will discuss naming
a member to the board nest Tuesday
to fill the vacancy created by the
death of William P. Meredith Sun
day.
Mrs. Wright, who lives at 462C
Thirtieth street N.W., has been legis
lative chairman for the District Fed
eration of Women’s Clubs for the
last three years and was named tc
the national office in June.
Peters Also Urged.
Another person backed for the
vacancy by other Washingtonians is
J. Wilton Peters, Washington repre
sentative of textile manufacturers.
The Commissioners yesterday con
sidered filling the vacancy, but Com
missioner Guy Mason said he wanted
to discuss it further on Tuesday,
when the Board of Commissioners
holds its next regular meeting.
Meanwhile ABC Chairman Alan
W. Payne announced that action on
five requests for liquor licenses in
dispute will be taken after a new
board member is named.
Mr. Payne and Mr. Meredith had
heard testimony on a request by
Morris Heckman to move his liquor
store from 1100 Connecticut avenue
N.W. to 5104 MacArthur boulevard
N.W., and on restaurant applications
of Neroy Jones at Fourteenth and
Swann streets N.W., and of William
S. Williams at 600 Division avenue
N.E. Because no decision was giver
in these cases before Mr. Meredith’s
death, Mr. Payne explained it will
be necessary to rehear them. The
board’s other member, Mrs. Agnes
K. Mason, was on vacation and did
not participate.
Protest Hearings Postponed.
Protest hearings on an applicatior
by Deane Liquors, Inc., to transfer
a class A license from 2406 Four
teenth street N.W., to 1013 Kenil
worth avenue N.E., were postponed
until September 24.
Hearings on an application for a
restaurant license by Gardiner
Spring White for 319 Pennsylvania
avenue S.E. have been postponed
indefinitely.
Mr. Payne explained* today there
is a possibility that with only twc
members of the board setting no de
cision may be reached. When a
third member is named, the testi
mony would have to be gone over
again, he said. For this reason, he
said, it seems desirable to wait until
the third member of the board
takes office.
Mrs. James T. Ryan, 317 Pennsyl
vania avenue S.B., funeral home
proprietor, has protested the grant
ing of a license to Mr. White, whose
restaurant is next door. Her at
torney, W. Edwin Cumberland, chal
lenged the legality of only twc
members of the board ruling on a
case.
Waitress Tells Trial
Of Slap by Policeman
As She Left Work
A waitress told a Police Trial
Board today that Policeman Alfred
M. Burnell, 35, of the 11th Precinct,
slapped her August 8 when she re
fused to let him take her home from
work.
Pvt. Burnell, who lives in the
2800 block of Naylor road SJE., went
on trial on counts of conduct unbe
coming an officer, drinking in pub
lic, and being under the influence of
liquor. He is accused of having
cursed a motorist after the alleged
slapping incident.
Miss Mary H. Pence, 1301 Ridge
place S.E., employed at the Hill
crest Grill, 2714 Good Hope road
S.E., said she walked away from
Pvt. Burnell when he approached
her outside the restaurant about 1
a.m. and said:
“Don’t run across the street, I’m
going to take you home.”
Testifies to Slap.
Miss Pence said she walked across
the street to the bus stop and that
he followed her. Then Miss Pence
testified:
“I finally said, ‘Why don’t you
take a taxi and go home.’ ”
She said that she felt a slap from
behind her where Pvt. Burnell was
standing as she waited for the bus.
She said the policeman was not
drunk, but had an odor of alcohol
on his breath.
Another witness this morning was
Francis Fischer, proprietor of the
grill, who said Pvt. Burnell was in
his restaurant before it closed early
in the morning of August 8, but that
he saw the policeman drink no
liquor. He said Pvt. Burnell appeared
ho cnhpr Tho trial was to con
tinue this afternoon, with three or
four more prosecution witnesses
scheduled to testify and several de
fense witnesses.
Policeman Not Suspended.
The charges allege he was under
the influence of alcohol while off
duty in uniform, but he has not
been suspended. The policeman
also is accused of cursing a mo
torist, demanding to see his driving
permit, grabbing the wallet lrom
the man when it was shown him
and afterward returning it. The
motorist involved is Dudley Proctor,
5202 Jay street N.E.
The trial board consists of In
spector Clement P. Cox, Capt. Ben
jamin Kuehling of the fourth pre
cinct and Assistant Corporation
Counsel Stanley De Neale. The
prosecutor is Assistant Corporation
Counsel William S. Cheatham. Fred
J. Icenhower is defense attorney.
Veterans Exhaust Supply
Of Victory Medals Here
A total of 850 Victory and Amer
ican Defense Medals has been is
sued at the Army recruiting station
here to Washington veterans and
the supply has been exhausted for
the second time since August 18,
when they were first issued, accord
ing to Lt. Iverson Mitchell, Army
public relations officer.
More than 1,500 veterans have
applied for the medals here. Vet
erans seeking medals are coming
to the recruiting station at the rate
of one every 10 minutes and are
making an average of 30 phone calls
a day, the Army said.
A new shipment of medals has
been ordered but not yet received.
__ i_L.I _11 " ■>*»<»!IPW" ifc"1 PI I mzmsmwmm* ~ "•
Here’s how the deer spent most of the time Keeper Maurice Phillips and Mr. Chinn were
engaged in trying to lure them closer than 50 feet. In addition to the excitement caused by the
human invaders, there was no little furor stirred up when a fawn ran outside the pen. Twice
members of the herd took the offensive, causing Messrs. Phillips and Chinn to run for cover.
___ *■ - -—-■--—
Veteran Labors for 15 Years
To Build Organ From Odd Parts
By J. B. Zatmon
The majestic strains of a Bach
choral filled the house at 101 West
Leland street, Chevy Chase, Md.
From the merest whisper, the in
tricate counterpoint of the great
composer swelled until it shook the
knickknacks on the living room
table.
The music came from an organ In
a comer of the room. Seated at
the console was 25-year-old Joseph
S. Whiteford, for whom the instru
ment represented the culmination
of 15 years of effort.
Ever since he was 10 Mr. White
form has bean collecting pieces of
metal, wire and wood in the hope of
building his own organ. Just two
weeks ago he put the last of the
1,608 pipes in place and hooked up
his final electrical connection.
As he played, the keys of a piano
behind him suddenly started going
up and down. An echo of the music
came from the second floor. It
sounded as though some one had
just opened a door. Then the echo
faded away and it seemed that the
door had closed. The reporter was
mystified.
How It Works.
Lifting his hands from the key
board, the tall Army veteran swung
around on his seat. As if in answer
to the reporter’s unspoken ques
tions, he said, “Let me show you
how this thing works.”
Leading the way downstairs to a
basement room about 20 feet long,
10 feet wide and 18 feet high, he
waved his hand at a maze of wires.
Beside the wires were strips of
wood, one below each other, with
small leather bellows between each
strip. On the wall was what ap
peared to be a huge fan with a pipe
in front it. Immediately below
that was a large box with pipes
leading out in all directions.
"These pieces of wood bound with
leather are called pneumatics,” Mr.
Whiteford explained. “Fastened to
the inner sides of the strips are
metal contacts.
“When I press a key on the or
gan, it touches a wire which acti
vates a magnet, allowing the air
to leave the pneumatic and collaps
ing the leather. This, in turn,
closes a circuit and activates anoth
er magnet In the wind chest on the
second floor. The magnet moves
a valve, permitting air to go Into
the pipe.”
What about the large box? That,
according to Mr. Whiteford, simply,
contains several fans which pro
vide air for the organ pipes. The
fan with the pipe in front of it is
a homemade humidifier. The pipe
throws a fine mist of water in front
of the fan which blows it into the
air when the “humidstat” invented
by Mr. Whiteford decides the room
needs some moisture.
In the ceiling was a small trap
door leading to the room contain
ing the 1,600-odd pipes. It was a
second-floor porch before Mr.
Whiteford converted It into an or
gan loft.
How much did all this cost? Mr
Whiteford estimates it at about $5.
000. But he hastened to add that
only space limitations kept him from
adding more pipes.
Started 17 Years Ago.
It all started 17 years ago when
he began taking organ lessons. Six
months later, he abandoned the les
son, “or the teacher abandoned me,”
he says, and he started studying the
organ himself. The idea of building
an organ came to him two years
later.
The mystery of the self-playing
piano was simple after Mr. White
ford explained it. He merely hooked
up the organ with the piano by
means of an electrical cable. The
upstairs echo actually was made by
a door opening and closing, which
was controlled at the keyboard.
In a second-floor closet Mr.
Whiteford put a set of pipes. Two
wooden arms hinged in the middle
are fastened to the door and wall
of the closet. Attached to the
hinges is a nylon fishing line which
goes down what was formerly the
back stairs to an accordion-like af
fair.
When he pushes a pedal at the
organ, air goes into the folds of the
'‘accordion.” As it fills and expands
it draws the line‘which pulls the
hinges of the wooden arms, thus
opening the door.
Mr. Whiteford was stationed at
Atlantic City for a while during his
service with the Air Corps. There
he had access to the largest organ
in the world and he played a regu
lar Sunday radio program from it
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger
J. Whiteford, he is attending
George Washington University Law
School. His father is an attorney
here.
Hardman Investigated
By U. S. on Hatch Act
Charge in Alexandria
George D. Hardman, former presi
dent of the Alexandria Central
Labor Union whose fight with an
other labor official attracted national
attention last year, has been in
vestigated by the Civil Service Com
mission in connection with alleged
violations of the Hatch Act in Alex
andria, it was learned today.
Mr. Hardman left Alexandria more
than a year ago when he was trans
ferred by the Government to Sands
Point, Long Island, where he works
as a cabinet maker.
Alfred Klein, chief law officer of
the commission, said the investiga
tion was made after he received a
complaint that Mr. Hardman was
“engaged in political activity” dur
ing an election in Alexandria. He
said he could not recall what elec
tion the complaint involved and
refused to identify the source of the
complaint. The investigation has
been completed, Mr. Klein explained,
and action is pending before the
commission. He said he did not
know when the case would be dis
posed of.
The complaint charged that the
one-time Alexandria labor official
had campaigned for votes in an
election and was unduly active on
election day, Mr. Klein said. The
Hatch Act forbids partisan political
activity on the part of a Federal
employe, Mr. Klein pointed out.
Mr. Hardman was convicted of
assaulting Fred Kirchner, State
Labor Department inspector, during
an Alexandria Central Labor Union
election. The Alexandria Civil and
Police Court against Mr. Hardman,
carrying penalties of a $250 fine and
90 days in jail, attracted national
attention when labor groups and
some members of Congress protested
the • penalties were excessive. An
appeal to the Corporation Court
later resulted in the fine being in
creased to $400 with no jail sentence.
Mr. Hardman, Mr. Kirchner and
J. C. Turner, another member of
the Central Labor Union, were in
volved in the fracas, which resulted
in the hospitalization of Mr. Kirch
ner. __
..w. ™
VETERAN BUILDS ORGAN IN HOME—Joseph S. Whiteford, 25, plays the organ he built in his
home at 101 West Leland street, Chevy Chase, Md. Through a cable arrangement he also can
play the piano shown in the picture while seated at the organ console.
i f
Mr. Whiteford inspects some of the 1,608 pipes that are a
part of the organ. He has used space in a porch and the cellar
to install parts of the organ. —Star Staff Photo.
A A
Chief Murphy Takes
Full Responsibility
In Boswell Promotion
Fire Chief Clement Murphy said
today he alone was responsible for
pushing the recommendation of Pvt.
William H. Boswell for the post of
assistant machinery superintendent
and that he wished to correct any
other impressions.
Returning from a three-week vaca
tion, Chief Murphy said the impres
sion apparently had grown in some
quarters that the controversial ap
pointment was steered by Deputy
Chief Frank G. Berry, for whom Mr.
Boswell drove before his promotion.
“I want it fully understood that
any action taken by Chief Berry
during my absence was in compli
ance with instructions I left with
him, and that Chief Berry is in no
wise responsible for Mr. Boswell’s
promotion,” Chief Murphy said.
Chief Murphy also defended for
the first time through the press his
selection of Mr. Boswell and the
| circumvention of a Civil Service
j competitive examination for the ap
| pointment.
Customary, Chief hays.
“In the 30 years I’ve served in
the Fire Department it has been
routine to appoint the assistant ma
chinery superintendent without a
competitive examination,” Mr. Mur
phy said. “I never knew of one
appointed any other way. t
“I wanted to name a man inside
the department and I felt that Mr.
Boswell was the best qualified man
available.”
Mr. Boswell’s promotion from the
rank of private with a $3,398 yearly
salary to the $5,023 yearly pay, but
not the rank of captain, has been
protested by the Executive Board
of the Firemen’s Association, Local
36 (AFL). The complainants in
sisted Mr. Boswell’s qualifications
were inferior to those of a number
of other firemen.
Tracing Mr. Boswell’s appoint
ment, Chief Murphy said that he
assumed full responsibility for events
after Chief Berry recommended the
promotion.
On July 31, Chief Murphy con
tacted the Commissioners for per
mission to submit to the Civil Serv-!
ice Commission Mr. Boswell’s qual
ifications. This permission was
granted August 4, Chief Murphy
said.
Ordered Berry to Act.
Since the Civil Service Commis
sion’s decision had not come
through when he started his vaca
tion, Chief Murphy left word for
Chief Berry to carry on with the
matter, he said.
On August 17, three days after
IVXI • XVALUfHlJ v*»v --
sion reported Mr. Boswell was quali
fied for promotion and on August
28 the commissioners approved it.
In answer to published reports
that Mr. Boswell acted as co-signer
on a note for a $2,400 loan he ob
tained from the Uniform Firemen’s
Credit Association, Chief Murphy
said tieat was true, but it had no
bearing whatever on Mr. Boswell's
promotion.
“I did not know until checking
today that Mr. Boswell signed the
note,” he said. “This is not the first
time I have borrowed money from
the credit association. I have done
it many times before and so have
hundreds of other men.”
Recalls Leaving Note.
Chief Murphy recalled that he left
the note on his desk early last month
and asked one of his assistants to
contact the needed signers. Cus
tomarily, a signer is required for
each $100 of the loan, but in this
case the president of the credit
association thought “10 or 12 signers”
would be sufficient.
Chief Murphy said the assistant
asked Mr. Boswell to sign the note
when he dropped into the office. It
was nothing more than he would
have done himself, the chief added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioners
moved yesterday to speed up inves
tigation of the feud in the Fire De
partment between Chief Murphy
and members of his command.
Commissioner John Russell Young
said Acting Corporation Counsel
Chester Gray, who was ordered to
conduct the investigation 10 weeks
ago, has been removed from the
case. He has been replaced by As
sistant Corporation Counsel Oliver
Gasch, who has orders to use sev
eral members of the corporation
counsel’s staff to speed completion
of the probe.
Eager to End Dispute.
The investigation was taken out
of the hands of Mr. Gray because
the Commissioners are avowedly
anxious to end the controversy
which began June 17 when Capt.
Joseph W. Conroy accused Chief
Murphy of demoralizing the Fire
Department.
When Capt. Conroy, who is presi
dent of the Firemen’s Association,
dent of Local 36, hurled his charge
Local 36 (AFL), hurled his charge
before a House District subcom
mittee, the Commissioners immedi
ately ordered Mr. Gray to conduct
a full Investigation of the charges.
He has, however, submitted no re
*
Easier Fire Code
Backed for New
Buildings Here
Permanent Committee
Urged to Consider
Changes as Needed
Proposals of a 19-man commit
tee modifying District fire-safety
regulations for new nonresidential
construction received unanimous
indorsement today at a public hear
ing from various Washington busi
ness and professional groups.
The proposals, all technical, are
said to be less severe than the
regulations originally promulgated
by the Commissioners under the
so-called Egress Act more than a
year ago.
These covered such aids to pub
lic fire safety in buildings as guide
signs, exit lights, standpipe (to
facilitate fire hose operations on
upper floors), extinguishers, alarm
gongs and covered stairways.
Plans to modify the safety rule*
as they affect new buildings, how
ever, have been far less contro
versial during the long committee
study than the rules affecting ex
isting buildings. Rules for existing
builders are still under study for
probable softening and effective
date of their enforcement has been
postponed until April 1, 1948. The
committee is headed by Assistant
Engineer Commissioner Kenneth E.
Madsen.
Permanent Group Urged.
Pour witnesses appearing before
the engineer commissioner, Brig.
Gen. Gordon R. Young, today urged
that the committee be made perma
nent and meet once a month with
the fire marshal and building in
spector to suggest changes as fu
ture needs and requirements dictate.
The proposal was made first by
President Prank Weakley of the
Washington Hotel Association. It
was indorsed by A. Hamilton Wilson
or the Washington tsuiiaing con
gress, Monie Sanger of the Associa
tion of Oldest Inhabitants and Wal
ter Jarvis of the Washington Real
Estate Board.
Today’s hearing dealt solely with
changes affecting new structures,
such as office buildings, schools,
warehouses, garages, hotels and
theaters. Gen. Young announced at
the conclusion that the committee
hoped to come up soon with satis
factory rules.
To Be Enforced Soon.
He emphasized that modification*
proposed for new buildings would be
enforced very soon, but such mat
ters affecting existing buildings, re
quiring far more expense, do not
become enforceable until 1948.
Except for a few minor change*
suggested, the businessmen testify
ing were in complete agreement
that the committee proposals ar*
satisfactory.
In addition to the four named,
the other witnesses were Alvin L.
Aubinoe, president of the Horn*
Builders’ Association; President A.
Julian Brylawski of the Motion
Picture Theaters Owners, Ringgold
Hart, attorney for the Merchants
& Manufacturers’ Association; Ber
nard A. Savage, acting executive
director of Boca & Building Offi
cials’ Foundation; Leroy Werner,
architect for the Cafritz Co.; Paul
J. Miller, president of the Wash
ington Guest House Association:
Wesley D. Hamilton, vice president
of International Steel Co., revolv
ing door division, and J. B. Black
burn, manager of Insulation Board
Institute.
Others Heard.
Also Watson B. Rulon, Washing
ton Restaurant Association; Arthur
J. Harnett, Washington Hotel Asso
ciation; Joseph H. Abel, Washington
Chapter of the American Institute
of Architects; A. Julian Brylawski,
Motion Picture Theater Owners’ As
sociation; Calvin C. Lauber, Na
tional Board of Fire Underwriters;
Guy Tinner, Federation of Civic As
sociations; Rufus S. Lusk, Building
Owners and Managers’ Association;
Alvin Aubinoe, Home Builders’ Asso
ciation; Joseph H. Backman, Wash
ington Board of Trade; J. M. Heiser,
Federation of Businessmen's Asso
ciations, and Thomas E. Lodge, Fed
eration of Citizens’ Associations.
Enforcement of the safety rules
on existing buildings has been post
poned since January 1 because of
cost in carrying them out and the
shortage of labor and materials.
Builders had estimated the structu
ral changes would cost $100,000,000.
Man Gets Year s Probation
In Indecent Exposure Case
Lewis Nicotra, 30, of the 6600
block of Second street N.W. today
was fined $150 for indecent exposure
and put on probation for one year
on condition that he will get psychi
atric treatment.
In putting Nicotra on probation,
Municipal Judge George D. Neilson
suspended imposition of a six
months’ jail sentence.
Nicotra was arrested August 21.
Park Policewoman Grace Judy said
he exposed himself in her presence
in Anacostia Park. He was con
victed the following day and his
case was referred to the probation
office for investigation. The proba
tion office recommended psychiatric
treatment. Court attaches said
Nicotra had no previous record.
Russia to Supply Grain
WARSAW, Sept. 5 UP)-—Food
Minister Wlodzimierz Lechowicz—
back from conferences in Moscow
announced today that the Soviet
Union had agreed to supply Poland
with 300,000 tons of grain to help
relieve anticipated food shortages
until next summer.
port to the Commissioners, and of
fered no comment to the press on
his progress.
Mr. Young said he had queried
Mr. Gray several times on the prog
ress of the investigation. The act
ing corporation counsel, Mr. Young
commented, pleaded that he was
"snowed under” with work and had
been unable to complete the investi
gation.
The Commissioners had told Mr.
Gray to investigate Capt. Conroy's
charges with a view to taking ac
tion against Chief Murphy if the
statements were substantiated or
penalizing Capt. Conroy for d&maf*
ing the efficiency of the departmqpi
if his charges proved grouodtafc