Evening star. [volume], April 05, 1948, Page B, Image 20

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

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D. C.Courthouse
Bill Is Blocked
fin Committee
F
Cost Considered High;
i Revival qI Measure
i Possible, However
By Harold B. Rogers
The House Rules Committee tem
»porarily blocked today House con
sideration of the bill to authorize
construction of the new Federal
Courthouse here.
Chairman Allen of the committee
said the request for a rule to give
special consideration on the floor
whs passed over by the committee.
No vote was taken, however, and
the issue may be brought up again
-by the committee.
• The rule was requested by Chair
man Dondero of the House Public
Works Committee, which unanl
■ mously had approved the bill. Con
curring in his request were Repre
sentative McGregor. Republican, of
fOhio, chairman of the Public Works
^Subcommittee of Public Buildings
Sand Grounds; Representative Cun
ningham. Republican, of Iowa and
^Representative Whittington, Demo
acrat, of Mississippi, Public Works
t Committee members.
Representative Allen. Republican
of Illinois, when asked first if the
geommittee's failure to act on the
|rule meant it was “pigeonholed”
.Chairman Allen replied, “That may
■be.” The reason was the present
ihigh cost of construction, he ex
plained.
Still Breathing, Though.
When asked somewhat later, how
ever, whether the bill was dead for
this session, Mr. Allen said it might
still be considered.
"It's hit,” he assereted. “We have
all the testimony before us. We
might take it up again. It’s not dead
yet.”
Meantime, the Rules Committee
took favorable action on a rule to
bring before the House a bill to ex
tend Federal aid to highways
throughout the country, including
the. District of Columbia.
The bill carries *2,937,000 for the
District over a three-year period
beginning July 1, 1950. The total
for the country during the three
years is $1,500,000,000 divided into
$500,000,000 for each year.
The road bill amends a previous
1944 act for the same purpose. Fed
eral money, under this system must
be matched by District money.
Representative McGregor was
Questioned at length by Rules Com
mittee members on tjhe .court bill.
He explained that Congress already
had authorized preparation of plans
and specifications and appropriated
some money.
Conditions Called ‘Bad.’
He emphasized that conditions
in Distirct court here were in a
“very ljad state.”
Wheg pressed by committee mem
bers as to why there should be con
struction of the courthouse htre durt
Ing high cost of Utllldtng.[Mr. Mc
Gregor estimated that actuir erec
tion could not be started, for about
two years. It would take about this
length of time, he testified, for let
ting of contract, fabrication of steel
and arrangements for construction.
The site is located on Constitution
■venue between Third street and
John Marshall place N,W.
The courthouse bill, sponsored by
Mr. Dondero, is also on the House
calendar. But since a request has
been made for a rule to bring the
measure up for special consideration
of the floor, it is believed there is
virtually no chance of the House
taking action on the bill if and when
It should be reached on the calen
dar.
.• _
Salvation Army Drive
First in 25 Years
; The Salvation Army's campaign
opening May 1, to raise $350,000 for
Rebuilding its housing facilities here
will be its first direct appeal to
Washington res
idents for sup
port in 25 years.
Frank A. Birg
f e 1 d. general
campaign chair
nfan, announced
the Salvation
Army had been
given approval
to conduct the
individual drive
by the Com
munity Chest,
<ff which it is a
pvmber.
C o 1. W. W.
Bouterse, divi- Mr. Bir«j*id.
*fl$nal Salvation Army commander,
in commenting on Chest approval,
declared "it recognizes that the Sal
vation Army can not continue to
be a top community asset if it has
td.cope inadequately with the con
tinuing and growing emergency
burdens placed upon it.”
He explained that Salvation Army
receipts from the Chest are only
enough to cover operational ex
frfcpses, and that the Army "has to
look to its own resources and the
public for all capital expenses.”
Mr. Birgfeld is treasurer of the
Community Chest, and for 24 years
{was thief clerk of the Treasury.
jWalton Unit to Be Formed
i A meeting to organize a Hyatts
jville Chapter of the Izaak Walton
league will be held at 8 o’clock to
night In the Hyattsville Armory.
\. ' mjinii iji ..
K STREET OVERPASS WORK PROGRESSES—Work on the elevated highway, designed to end
the Georgetown traffic bottleneck, is about one-quarter finished. This aerial photo shows the
concrete walls northwest of' Key Bridge at Canal road. Steel beams supporting the highway
soon will be erected along K street (center of photo), passing under the bridge.
Mid-70s Due Today
After Spring Sunshine
Draws Many to Parks
The sunny, spring weather which
yesterday attracted thousands of
Washington residents to the out
doors will continue through today,
with temperatures expected to reach
the mid-70s this afternoon.
An estimated 150,000 persons, in
cluding many out-of-town visitors,
yesterday crowded along the Hains
Point promenades in Potomac Park,
park police reported.
Even President Truman, escorted
by the customary Secret Service
men, emerged for a mid-morning
walk In the sunshine along Pennsyl
CWW Pawagce Crop*. r<
The mkP-60 temperatures came in
the wpj&e of a drop to near freezing
Saturday night fchtch resulted in
slight damage to crop* in fural
Mainland and Virginia, according
to the Associated Press.
The mercury dipped to SO degrees
in the Winchester (Va,) area early
‘Sunday, with a low erf 22 in isolated
sections of.the Frederick «nd Clarke
County apple ' orchard country.
"Comparatively little damage” to
crops was noted, however.
Apples, Peaches Suffer.
In the Washington County or
chards near Hagerstown frost
brought on by 20-to-24-degree tem
peratures caused "partial loss" of
apple and peach crops.
Losses in some sections were
eased by "smoking,” County Agent
Mark Miller said. He promised
fruit for harvest despite the "fairly
extensive” damage.
The forecast for the District calls
for partial cloudiness tonight with
low temperatures near 50 degrees.
Tomorrow will be milder and con
siderably cloudy.
Women's Group to Discuss
Paying Price of Peace
,The Women’s Action Committee
for Lasting Peace will open a three
day convention at the Shoreham
Hotel Wednesday and the.organiza
tion has announced that women
from all parts of the United States
will be present.
The subject of the discussion is!
to be “Will We Pay the Price of
Peace?”
Dean Rusk, director of the Stated
Department's office of United Na
tions affairs, ar.d Mrs. Anne O’Hare
McCormick, foreign correspondent |
and member of the editorial board j
of the New York Times, will ad-:
dress the convention banquet at!
7:30 p.m. Thursday in the May
flower Hotel.
Speakers at a luncheon at 12:15
p.m. Friday in the Shoreham Hotel
will be George V. Allen, Assistant
Secretary of State for public affairs,
arid Dr. Mildred B. Northrup, pro
fessor of economics at Bryn Mawr
College.
Displaced persons, the world
health organization, international
trade organizations, reciprocal trade
agreements and the European Re
covery Program will be discussed
Wednesday afternoon in a forum on
“Measures We Are Supporting.”
Mrs. Norman de R. Whitehouse,
president of the committee, an
nounced that Mrs. Dana Converse
Backus, editor of “Backlog for Ac
tion,’’ will preside at the forum.
Flag That Slips to Half-Staff
Makes Even Skeptic Wonder
Robert K. Ellis, says he doesn't
Tjelieve in ghosts—much.
; .Mr. Ellis, a hospital man first
class at the Naval Air Station dis
Jiensary, Patuxent River, Md., says
'ha-is a scientist, trained in pre
medicine at the University of Den
ver and that science has taught
him there is a reasonable explan
ation for everything.
Rut neither he nor the guards at
til* UNESCO flag exhibit on the
first floor of the Congressional
Library could figure out why one of
tHe" flags slipped quietly to half
staff yesterday.
There was no one near it, reported
Mr. Ellis, who was watching at the
time, and the lanyard was still tied
securely. There wasn't a breath of
wind. The flag just went down on
its own.
The lieutenant of the guards at
the library considered no further
investigation necessary, and raised
it again without question. But Mr.
Ellis, who was making his “first
exploration of Government build
ings" yesterday, was forming some
pretty unscientific hypotheses to
day about ghosts and omens and
warnings.
It was exactly one month ago,
Mr. Ellis recalled, that the late
Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Mas
aryk, officially announced his “ap
proval" of the Soviet coup in his
homeland. And the fallen flag, he
adds, was that of *the republic of
Czechoslovakia.
%
Work on K Street Overpass
To Detour Traffic From Park
By William A, Millen
New construction work at the
K street overpass spanning the
Rock Creek and Potomac parkway
soon will detour park traffic along
Twenty-seventh street N.W., con
necting with Virginia avenue.
The contractor said park traffic
will be closed at that point in
about a month for from 45 to 60
days, while the n6w K street ele
vated structure is pushed.
A new roadway will be built on
either side of the- existing overpass
to connect with tfte K street ele
vated highway. The ornamental
stone, now being taken down from
the overpass exterior, will be re
stored to the outside of "the new
structure, District Director of High
ways H. C. Whitehurst axplalned.
Overpass to Be I'ped
Wlium »hc ovefftass was built a
number, erf years ago, Capt. White
hurst said, provision was made for
fitting it into the K street elevated
program. Traffic will continue to
use the overpass, which will not be
disturbed by the new project, the
director explained. >
If the overpass were blocked,
he pointed out, it would bottle up
a lot of heavy traffic in George
town. There are a number of in
dustrial establishments along the
water front there,, Including sand
cement, flour, paper and fertilizer
plants.
When the elevated motorway is
completed, the existing overpass will
continue, as it does now, to bring
low-level traffic in and out of
Georgetown. On either side of it
will tower the new elevated high
ways. The existing connecting
roadways will not be disturbed.
406 Piles Are Driven.
The park traffic will be blocked off
at the overpass during construction
of the new concrete and stone-faced
arches over the parkway, Capt.
Whitehurst said.
Near the overpass, some 400 piles
have been driven down to rock to
support the new elevated structure
between Twenty-seventh and
Thenty-ninth streets N.W.
The project will enter a new phase
in about two weeks, said Carl A.
Wilson, project engineer on the job
for the District Highway Depart
ment’s bridge division. The Bethle
hem Steel Co. then will begin a
*1,341,600 program of erecting 10,
320,000 pounds of steel. This will
consist of columns and beams to
carry the overhead structure.
The concrete deck of the elevated
structure will be built on steel beams
from Twenty-ninth to Thirty-sixth
streets N.W., Mr. Wilson said, and
the iron work will be painted gray
green.
Quarter of Work Done.
Mr. Wilson estimated about one
fourth of the entire project is now
completed. It will cost *3,337,000
altogether and is scheduled to be
finished next January. The con
tractor JstheOes Moines, Iowa, firm
of Alexander * Repass.
The engineer said that except for
construction of two traffic bridges
across the Chesapeake * Ohio Canal
at Key Bridge, the first phase of
the project is “essentially complete.”
A new curb will be put where the
two ramps will carry traffic from
the bridge to the elevated motor
way at K street.
Earth soon wlil be filled inn be
hind the new concrete structures at
Key Bridge. The canal is still blocked
off by construction, but the contrac
tor is expected to restore the water
there soon and resume the elec
tricity supply, for which he has been
paying. Some firms use the canal
water for industrial purposes.
The maximum height of the ele
vated roadway above K street will
be about 40 feet.
The severe winter, particularly in
January and February, delayed the
pouring of concrete. Several other
problems have been encountered, in
cluding placing piles close to build
ings, relocating sewers and other
utilities in this oldest section of
Washington. The concrete footings
for steel colums had to be placed
out of the way of railroad traffic
and provision had to be made in the
height of the elevated for switch
ing box cars along K street.
Last-Minute Change
Postpones Army Day
Parade for One flour
In a last-minute change in plans,
tomorrow’s Army Dav Darade has
been postponed from 1:30 until 2:30
p.m. Other events are scheduled asi
follows:
10 a.m.—Parade and bronze star
presentation ceremony at Engi
neer Center, Port Belvoir, Va.
Open house and display of equip
ment there from 1:30 to 5 p.m.
12:15 p.m.—Reactivation of 3rd In
fantry Regiment on East Plaza
of Capitol. This will be followed
by presentation of ’’Flag of Liber
ation.” The flag will be received
by Senate President Vandenberg
and Speaker Martin in behalf of
Congress.
12:30 p.m.—Women's Relief Corps,
Grand Army of the Republic Aux
iliary’, memorial services at Ben
jamin Franklin Stephenson Mon
•ument, Seventh and C streets
N.W.
1:30 p.m.—Open house and bronze
star presentation ceremony at
Walter Reed Hospital
2:30 p.m.—Army Day Parade, with
15,000 participants, starts from
area south of Capitol. Line of
march is across East Plaza and
down Constitution avenue to Sev
enteenth street N.W.
President Truman, cabinet mem
bers, other Government officials
and diplomatic corps members
will review the parade from a
stand on Constitution avenue a£
the Monument Grounds.
Tickets for public reviewing
stands are on sale at 1700 I street
N.W. and Fairway Sport Store,
1328 G street N.W.
7:30 p.m.—Annual banquet of Mili
tary Order of the World Wars at
Mayflower Hotel. Secretary of
the Army Royall will speak.
8 p.m.—Army Day ceremonies at
Hyattsville Armory. Representa
tive Sasscer. Democrat, of Mary
land, will speak. National Guard
units will display equipment and
weapons.
Dr. Coulter to Urge
Balking Patients to
Agree to Transfer
Dr. A. Barklie Coulter, the Health
Department’s tuberculosis director,
will make a bedside appeal tomorrow
to the 10 women tubercular patients
who are standing pat on their re
fusal to leave Freedmen's Hospital
for Glenn Dale Sanatorium.
The appeal to reason was Health
Officer George C. Ruhland’s Idea, he
told reporters today. Earlier, he had
proposed moving the patients forc
ibly by putting pblice on the ambu
lances. This plan was vetoed by the
Commissioners.
Arrangements for Dr. Coulter to
visit the hospital were made today
in a telephone conversation between
Dr. Ruhlsnd and Herman Johnson,
assistant superintendent of Freed
men’s.
The locale of future hospitaliza
tion of the 10 indigent patients has
been uncertain since last Wednes
day. when the patients refused to
enter ambulances waiting to trans
fer them to Glenn Dale.
The move was proposed because of
a shortage of funds to continue care
of these patients at Freedmen’s.
Commissioner Guy Mason planned
to inform the Budget Bureau today
that the District will make no more
payments for their care. Hospital
officials said they were awaiting
word from the Budget Bureau on
the payment question.
Representative Rogers
To get Amvet Honors
Representative Edith N o u r s e
Rogers, Republican, of Massachu
setts. will receive an honorary life
membership in the District depart
ment Ladies' Auxiliary, American
Veterans of World War n at 8 p.m.
Friday in the caucus room of the
old House Office Building.
Representative Mathews, Repub
lican, of New Jersey will be guest
speaker at the meeting, and new
officers will be installed. Music will
be provided by the Air Force Band.
The present K street bridge over Rock Creek parkway (above) is being altered and traffic
soon will detour around it during construction work. This photo shows construction work under
way to widen the;bridge. It will carry traffic both down to K street in Georgetown and onto the
elevated highway over K street.
. i. . ■ u y
This artist’s drawing shows how the K street bridge will appear when the work now in
progress is completed. Center of the present bridge will become a ramp down to K street on the
Georgetown side (at right) with elevated traffic using outer lanes. All buildings in the vicinity
have been eliminated for clarity in the drawing. Perspective here is from the northeast while
photo above is from the northwest. —Star Staff Photos.
Subcommittee Reports
Bill for Surveying of
Canal for Highway ..
A House Public Lands Subcom
mittee today favorably reported to
the full committee a bill which
would authorize a survey of the
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal between
Great Palls and Cumberland, Md.,
with a view to constructing a scenic
two-lane park highway.
The measure carries'authorization
for $40,000 to make a joint study by
the Public Roads Administration
and the National Parks Service.
The canal is owned by the Federal
Government and stretches 184 miles
from Georgetown, in the District, to
Cumberland.
The study would determine the
construction costs of the two-lane
highway and would authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to take the
lead In the project.
Group Acts Speedily.
The subcommittee acted speedily
on the proposal, after It had dis
posed of a number of other measures
during the morning session.
One of the subcommittee mem
bers, Representative Hedrick, Demo
crat, of West Virginia, asked if
consideration had been given to
make the proposed park highway
a toll road.
Conrad L. Wirth, assistant direc
tor of the National Parks Service,
replied thaf there are no toll roads
In the NPS system and Congress
has looked with disfavor on toll
roads. He added, however, that a
fee will be charged on the Blue
Ridge highway, connecting the
Shenandoah National Park and
Great Smoky Mountains National
Park, butfthe amount has not been
determined.
Mr. Hedrick observed that con
struction of the highway would
cut down the present distance by
automobile between Washington
and Harper’s Perry.
Chapman Letter Read.
The subcommittee took favorable
action on the bill after it listened
to a letter read from Undersecretary
of the Interior Oscar L. Chapman.
Harry T. Thompson, assistant su
perintendent of the National Capital
Parks, said the program called for
building the highway from Cum
berland to Great Falls to link up
with the George Washington Me
morial Parkway, which in turn con
nects with the Mount Vernon Me
morial Highway. Mr. Thompson
said the plan calls for keeping water
in the canal as far as Seneca, Md.,
about 23 miles down to Georgetown.
He said the Park Service has not
made any estimated cost of building
the canal parkway, which In some
places would use the bed of the dry
canal. -
Family Life Conference
To Hear Talk by Truman
President Truman will address
the National Conference on Family
Life during its meeting here May S
to 8, the group announced today.
Mr. Truman’s talk, scheduled May
8, will be broadcast nationally.
The conference will mark the first
Nation-wide attempt to focus at
tention on the family and Its im
portance In America’s future, it was
announced. Participating groups
include health, legal, youth, social
service, business and labor organi
zations, as well as women’s clubs
and religious groups.
.Panel discussions will be devoted
to housing, economic welfare, com
munity participation, health and
medical care, home management,
recreation and social welfare of the
family.
m
Former Czech Envoy
Takes Bethesda House
Dr. Juraj Slavtt, former Czecho
slovakian Ambassador, who "tome'a
walk” from the Embassy after the
Communist coup in February, has
moved from the suite in the Shore
ham Hotel which he has occupied
since that time to a house at 7017
Wilson lane, Bethesda, Md.
Dr. Slavik, his wife and 18-year
old son George, moved into the new
home Saturday.
Mrs. Slavik has been looking for
a house to rent since her husband's
resignation while he has spent much
of his time at the United Nations
meetings in New York and lecturing
about the country on "How Czecho
slovakia Went Communist.”
Bates Calls for Cut
In District Budget
Despite Horan Stand
Chairman Bates of the House
subcommittee in charge of District
revenue legislation, today main
tained his stand against an addi
tional city tax burden until the
1949 budget requirements are known.
About the same time, Chairman
Horan of the House Appropriations
Subcommittee handling the city’s
appropriation bill, came out of a
budget hearing saying, "We can't
cut this budget."
Pending before the Horan com
mittee is the Commissioner’s re
quest for an outlay of $101,400,000,
which exceeds estimated revenues
from present sources by $8,000,000.
The deficit would rise by $8,000,000
or more if Congress passes a pay
raise for Government workers.
Wants Revenue Action First,
Last week Mr. Horan. Republican,
of Washington wrote to the fiscal
subcommittee chairman saying he
could not bring out an appropriation
bill until the question of increased
revenues had been, determined.
Mr. Bates, Republican, of Massa
chusetts replied today with a letter
in which he advised the Horan
Subcommittee to cut down the pro
posed budget. He took the position
that any new revenue bill should be
geared to District needs. He added
his opinion that there was a limit
on spending.
Mr. Bates dipped into his revenue
studies to find there had been a 160
per cent increase budgets here in the
last 12 years. He noted also that
Boston, having a comparable pop
ulation, has just approved a budget
for the new year far below the re
quested District budget. “And Bos
ton," he said, “never was noted tor
conservatism."
Joint Parley Conjectured,
Whether the budget and revenue
subcommittees will get together for
a joint conference before the size
of the budget is determined today
remained conjectural. This con
ference idea was advanced Saturday
by Mr; Moran, but he said today he
was uncertain whether the results
would be worthwhile.
Mr. Bates said he was willing to
have a round conference at any
time but suggested it was up to the
budget group to determine the city's
needs.
Senator Cain, Republican, of
Washington who heads the fiscal
subcommittee of the Senate District
Committee,' said he thought the
conference idea was “fine and dan
dy—if there was any likelihood of
anything to be gained."
The budget hearings today were
devoted to need* of the Fire De
partment and city courts. Mr.
Horan commended the Fire De
partment for keplng District fire
losses down.
Boy, 8, Is Injured
Fatally When Hit by
Car While at Play
Struck by a car while playing,
George Soupouras, 8, of 1638 Four
teenth street N.W., died last night
an hour after he was admitted to
Children’s Hospital.
His death brought the District
traffic fatality rate to 22. the same
number of deaths recorded at this
time last year.
The youth, a second-grade student
at Adams Elementary School, was
fatally injured in the 1400 block of
R street N.W., when hit by a car
police said was driven by Milton L.
Perry, 51, colored, of 210 P street
N.W. Mr. Perry was held for action
of the coroner. ...
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Zenon Sou
poures, the victim is also survived by
three sisters, Mrs. Lee Cozan, Miss
Bessie Soupouras and Miss Doris
Soupouras. Funeral arrangements
have not been completed.
Meanwhile, Gallinger Hospital
authorities still listed as critical the
condition of Harry Bullock, 4,
colored, 1421 Simms drive s.e. The
boy was injured Saturday when
struck by a truck near his home.
Also in critical condition at Gal
linger Hospital is George Briggs, 53,
colored, 248 Tenth street N.E., who
was pinned under a streetcar early
yesterday at Fifty-eighth and Dix
streets NJ5. Firemen from Rescue
Squad Number One had to jaek up
the front of the streetcar to free
Mr. Briggs, who received a skull
fracture in the accident. The
; streetcar, police said, was operated
by William B. Ford, 23, of 1120
Fifty-seventh avenue. Hillside, Md.
Books Discussion Group
To Hold First Meeting
The Great Books Discussion
Group, sponsored by the Alexandria
Young Women's Christian Associa
tion, will hold its first meeting at
the YWCA, 602 Cameron street, at
i 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Leaders of the group will be Rob
ert G. NUnn, attorney; John A.
Johnson of the State Department
and Ray S. Cline, War Department
, historian.
Navy Opposes
Use of Boards
To Fix Salaries
Kenney Tells Hearing
Plan Would Create
Greater Inequities
The Navy Department today op
posed a proposed system of advisory
wage boards to determine pay rates
for about 15,000 Washington area
employes and other thousands else
where.
Undersecretary of the Navy W.
John Kenney told a Senate Civil
Service Subcommittee the proposed
bill is too “rigid" and would “produce
inequalities far surpassing those the
bill is intended to correct."
The measures, introduced by Sen
ator Bridges, Republican, of New
Hampshire, would establish a Navy
wage board in each navy yard or
installation. Half of the board’s
members would be named by the
Navy commandant and the other
half by national labor organizations
having members in the Installation.
There are about 8300 employes in
the Naval Gun Factory here and al
most that many more in other in
stallations in this area.
Secretary Weald Have Final Say.
The advisory boards would col
lect data on local wage rates paid
in-comparable private employment.
Eventually, the information would
come to the Navy Department,
where a similar national wage board
would review the local findings. The
Secretary of the Navy would have
final authority, as he now does, to
fix the wage rates for each job class
ification.
The bill declares it to be national
policy to pay Navy workers rates
comparable to private industry and
such rates, one established, would
remain in effect for one year.
Mr. Kenney explained that the old
national wage review board, in ex
istence from 1930 until last year
when it was abolished by the de
partment, took too long to do. its
Job. The last survey it made, cover
ing 130,000 employes, consumed 10H
months, he said.
More Efficiency Urged.
The Undersecretary said, “it was
readily apparent that some more
efficient and streamlined process of
handling the problem was neces
sary.”
Current procedure is for the Navy
itself to collect data on private
wage rates before setting the Navy
scale.
Mr. Kenney told the subcom
mittee—It consisted today of Sen
ator Johnson, Democrat, of South
Carolina—that the proposal would
establish a cumbersome procedure,
would be "extravagant and waste
ful” as to cost and would do little
good because the boards, evenly
divided between labor and non-labor
representatives, would inevitably
present .split opinions. ,...
He said that at present less than
29 per cent of the Navy’s employes
are union members, yet the proposal
would restrict employe represen
tation to union groups.
Unions Support Bill.
Appearing at the hearing in favor
of the bill were representatives of
the various unions with members
in Navy establishments.
James A. Brownlow, secretary
treasurer of the AFL’s metal trades
department, said in a, statement
that "what 1s involved is the con
tribution of labor representatives,
the participation of employe repre
sentatives, to present the employes’
point of view, labor s understanding
and experience in a common prob
lem, which involves the very liveli
hood of the Navy Yard employes.”
In criticizing the present Navy
procedure, Mr. Brownlow said that
in the gun factory here, the Navy
had failed to establish comparable
private wage rates for 87 of the 125
job classifications. He said wage
rates apparently were established
"by talcing a figure out of thin air.”
The committee adjourned at noon
until Wednesday morning, when
other union representatives will be
heard.
(2,983 See German Art,
Record for Day at Gallery
A total of 62,883 persona viewed
the German-owned art masterpieces
at the National Gallery of Art
yesterday, setting an all-time at
tendance record for the gallery for
one day. Col. Harry McBride, gallery
administrator, reported.
“It’s the largest attendance for
one day in the gallery’s history,"
Col. McBride said, “and it is my
guess that nothing in museum ex
perience throughout the world can
equal it.”
Yesterday's attendance was ap
proximately double that of the two
previous Sundays, when crowds of
28,650 and 35,953 were recorded.
Total attendance at the exhibition,
which opened March 17, is now
403,927, Col. McBride said. The 202
paintings by old masters will remain
on view through April 18. They were
brought here for safekeeping dur
ing the war.
Earnest Senators Try to Learn
About Radio, Find It Confusing
Members of the Senate Inter
state and Foreign Commerce Com
mittee sat down today to learn
something about radio broadcast
ing frequency allocation, but they
had difficulty finding a satisfactory
professor.
The committee was opening hear
ings on a bill sponsored by Senator
Johnson, Democrat, of Colorado,
which would prohibit use m power
above 50 kilowatts—the present
Federal Communications Commis
sion poliey—and require a sharing
of existing clear channels.
The first witness, James Barr,
FCC engineer, was directed by
Senator Tobey, Republican, of New
Hampshire, acting chairman, to
conduct a school. Senator Tobey
pointed out the committee knew
little about the technical aspects
of the proposal.
“There are 106 channels now allo
cated to standard broadcasting,”
began Mr. Barr.
“Why only 106?’’ he was asked.
“Well, that was decided before I
came to the commission,” said the
witness. He explained the FCC had
to distribute available frequencies
among the various classes of radio >
service — broadcasting, police and1
fire departments, ship-to-shore. etc.
But aren't there some frequencies
not being used, Senator Tobey in
quired.
Oh, yes, perhaps millions, Mr.
Barr admitted, but many of them
were of experimental value only as
yet, and present home receivers
couldn 't pick up stations using them.
Senator Tobey asked how the FCC
arrived at its decision to limit
standard stations to 106 channels.
“I can’t answer that.” confessed
Mr. Barr. He said the commission's
allocations experts could.
At Senator Tobey’s invitation,
Harry M. Plotkin. assistant general
counsel of the FCC, endeavored to
help his fellow staff member. He
told the committee the allocation
was an international matter, and
the present distribution represented
the best compromise the FCC could
devise with respect to available fre
quencies.
Several committee members sug
gested, Mr. Barr and Mr. Plotkin
were in conflict. Were any channels
going unused or not?
Senator Tobey told Mr. Barr to
go back to the FCC. get more data
and be prepared to clarify the com
misions policy this afternoon.
, A.