Evening star., 1925-07-18

sion has been given to the Welfare
Service, the receipts to be spent on
public tennis courts and other play
ground facilities. While a big busi-
ness Is done in the Government tour
list house, amounting last month to
over 81 900, Representative Blanton
says there is no businesslike check or
record of these sales and receipts. He
protests that the park police should
not be compelled to give hourly police
protection throughout the night for
the goods, wares and merchandise of
the Welfare Service.
Hits Taxi Concession.
Col. Sheriff. is also charged by Rep
resentatiVe Blanton with having "for
the past three years, without charge
therefor, granted to the New Taxi
Service Company, operating the red
top cabs, the exclusive right to main
tain cab stands at the Washington
Monument and Hams Point" Then
he goes on to explain that while "the
general public of Washington and this
Nation inherently own the streets and
thoroughfares of the District, and in
herently have the right OF easement
into every public place, yet at the
Terminal Station the general public
is forced to ride in Black and White
taxis. to get in and out of the depot
unless they dodge through them to
an outside post, and a private COM
pany sells this franchise which be-
longs only to the people"
Pointing to other exclusive monop-
olies sold by hotels for particular taxi
cab companies to occupy the streets
adjacent to those hotels, Representa-
tive Blanton said: 81 am disgusted
with these exclusive monopolies and
| promise you that there is going to
be a mans fight in the next Congress
to break it up. Taxi fares are higher
in Washington than in any other
comparable city in the United States,
and these growing monopolies cause
it. The people are entitled TO have
fair competition"
Scores Guards Pay.
Col. Sheriff. is also charged by
Representatives Blanton with issuing
orders tending to Prussianize' the
several hundred guards OF pubic
buildings here in Washington. In
one of these, he emphasizes, by the
appointment of SO of these guards as
special policemen 'at S85 per month
YOU required them to do dangerous
police duty worth about double their
salary" He calls attention that these
men do not get one day off in seven
in lieu of Sunday, which every Gov
ernment employe except yours gets"
Charges Raises Unfair.
How Col Sheriff. promoted 361 OF
his employees and raised their salaries
for June, in order to consume an un-
expended appropriation, is charged by
Representative Blanton, who quotes
series of orders, carrying $100 in
creases, retroactive, but providing
that the pay status of each employe
promoted would revert back on July
| i TO that of May 81. He calls atten-
| ton that of the 361 promotions only
| "a were SS5-a-month guards. or those
receiving as low as $1,000 per year.
! II have closely watched the pro
| ceedings of Government officials for
| years" wrote Representative Blanton,
! land l didn't even dream that anr
| official would exercise such arbitrary
! preferment affecting such a great
| number of employees. l promise you
| now that there is going to be a fight
| in Congress against future issuance of
| retroactive orders eating up unexpend-
| ed balances of appropriations just be-
| fore the fiscal year ends"