The Washington times., 1934-09-04
LETTERSHELD
NOT ENOUGH
TOGET JOB
Commissioner ''Ignorant" Of
SibyI Baker Custer; Set to
.. Revive Housing Plan
By EARL GOODWIN

ny EAENA UOD"N
Commissioner George Allen re-
turned to the District Building
today after a vacation of a
month in Mexico and things
began to pop.
First off, Mr.. Allen made 1t
plain that if Representative Tom
Blanton expects to force his
Abilene constituent, Maurice Book
ings, into the assistant corpora
tion counsel job, made vacant by
the resignation of A. M OwSley,
Mr.. Blanton will have to do more
than write letters.
The appointment is one in
Commissioner Aliens portfolio
and he appears not to be a bit
afraid of the Texas Representa-
tive who has done so much to
terrify other officials and office
holders in the National Capital.
Ignorant of RumOrs
Second, the returned Commis-
sioner gave every appearance of
being 100 per cent ignorant Of the
rllmor that Miss Margaret Woolley
would be appointed playground SUI
perintendent to succeed the incum-
bent, Miss Sibyl Baker.
It has been published at least
twice that Miss Woolley, daughter
of Robert Woolley, Democratic war
horse, WilSonian campaign pub
licity man and Interstate Com
merce Commissioner, is the run.
ner-up for the playground job.
The Commissioner was told that
Miss Woolley had the indorse-
ment of Mrs. Franklin D. Roose-
welt for the job, to which he re-
piled:
'WelI, all I'll say is that she's
got swell backing"
Third, Commissioner Allen Is
more opposed than ever to the
proposition of open bars and cock
tails mixed within view of the GUS
toner.
Against Saloon
He believes, he said, that to
bring the bartender out in view is
a step toward the old time saloon.
He said:
81 was a strong advocate for
the repeal Of the Eighteenth
Amendment, which believed
to be q mistake, and I am still
of that opinion. I think that
to restore any condition that
led to the Eighteenth Amend
ment would be q mistake, too;
and would tend to give the dry
element a chance to get into
power again and / want to pre-
vent that.
II want to protect the vets
against themselves in this re-
spect. 1t is no more necessary
to mix drinks in public than
1t is to fry eggs in the dining
room. There are other ways
to insure clean drinking places
than by restoring the bartender
and thus stepping one step
nearer to the Old-time saloon"
The public hearings on the sub
ject of "open bars" will be held
in the District Building Sep
tember 18, at 10:30 a. m.
Housing Plan Revived
Fourth, the Commissioner
housing program, which has been
asleep ever since he announced it
five weeks ago. will come to life
today and there may be an i'm
portant announcement tomorrow.
Mr.. Allen wants to start some
thing now that will clean up the
SlumS, put small-income people
into small-rent homes that are up
to modern living standards. 1t is
understood that the financial back.
ing will come from the FERA.
Fifth, Commissioner Allen is
now definitely studying q reor-
ganization of the Health Depart
ment on the retirement of DR..
William c. Fowler, which will take
place in November. The Public
Health Service and other scien.
tific organizations will be called
upon for suggestions and a posi-.
BILE successor to DR.. Fowler.
Sixth, Commissioner Allen put
his foot down hard on the propo-
sal now up before the Commits
sioners whereby William Roberts,
now Peoples Counsel, would be
made the counsel for the Public
Utilities Commission. Mr.. Allen
favors no change at all.