Evening star., 1934-04-08
NEW HOME LOAN
PLAN IS PUSHED
BY WEST VIRGINIA
Reorganization Planned to
Speed Action on Loans to
Property Owners.

CHARLESTON, w. Va, April CP).
Reorganization of the Home Owners
Loan Corporation to speed action on
ir West Virginia during the last week
Operations of the corporation were
decentralized, with district head
quarters created in Charleston, Hunt
ington, Wheeling, Martinsburg and
Bluefeld. Selection of personnel was
completed for the Charleston office,
with establishment of Offices in other
cities expected the coming week.
Changes in executive personnel
placed State Senator Dan B. Fleming
of st. Marys, in the position of as
sistant State manager. Joseph S. Hill
OF Charleston, former State banking
commissioner, received the post of
chief appraiser for the State.
The decentralization was ordered to
expedite the appraisal of properties of
applicants for loans and their approval
The State branch of the National
Emergency Council aided Walter v.
Ross, State manager for the H. 0. L. c.,
in effecting the district set-up.
The new 2 per cent consumers sales
tax, embracing all purchases of foods,
Clothing, and all amusements, con-
tlnued to hold the spotlight of public
discussion. Application of the act
brought increasing numbers of in
euiries to the Office of Tax Commits
siner Fox on the laws application to
their particular business. Scores of
individual accounting systems sprung
up in business places to keep tab on
the pennies collected for the State.
A decentralized relief administration
swung into action as successor to the
civil works program. The SIS counties
of the State were divided into six
districts, with field supervisors, audi
tors and work project engineers as
signed.
The State relief administration
adopted. a policy of giving direct or
work relief only where the applicant
shows actual need.
Carrying out its drive to make thou
sands who have been receiving aid
self-Supporting, the administration
leased 1000 acres of land in South
Branch Valley in Hampshire County.
Three hundred men were assigned to
work there. The administration ex-
poets enough foodstuffs to be produced
to supply transient relief demands
next Winter.
The 100000 subsistence gardens,
worked by the needy, received i'm
petus with the appointment of George
Argabrite of Greenbrier County as
State garden project officer.
A major political development of the
week was the announcement by former
Gov. John j. Cornwell of Baltimore
that he will not be a candidate for
the United States Senate in the pri-
mary next August. Cornwen, now
general counsel for the Baltimore &
Ohio Railway, was frequently men,
toned as candidate, along with Rep
resentative John Kee of Bluefield, J.
H. Long of Huntington, former Sen
ator w. E. Chiffon of Charleston, all
Democrats; Representative Joe l..
Smith, Speaker Ralph M. Hines Of the
House of Delegates and others.
Three municipal elections were held
In the State. Mayor l.. H. Oakes,
Democrat, South Charleston, was re-
elected, defeating his Republican op-
ponent, DIR. Roy Ray. At Benwood,
Mayor Henry C. Healy, Democrat, was
reelected, defeating John Mckee.
The Citizens party elected E. A. Lu-
gader mayor of Salem, defeating E. ].
Lowther of the Industrial party.
Other news developments OF the
week included:
DR.. P. D. Arbogast, a member OF
the House of Delegates from Monon-
gala County, died after a prolonged
Illness at Morgantown.
Valentine truth, IS, for more than
80 years a member Of the Charleston
independent District Board Of Educa-
ton until it was abolished year ago,
died in Charleston.
Mrs. Marie GoetZ, SO, widow Of A.
D. Goetz, former prominent harness
manufacturer died at Charles Town,
jefferson County
Three prisoners escaped from the
wyoming County Jail at Pineville by
prying bars from cell windows with
q lever. One surrendered and another
was recaptured.
The newly appointed State Conser-
vation Commission held its initial
meeting. H. w. Shawhan, conserVa-
tlOIl OlIcCIOT, Cdlleu tll dNdAldbiC Ni'A-
ian conservation workers in the State
to aid in fighting forest fires.
Attorney General Holt announced
an appeal will be taken to the United
States Supreme Court from three
Judge Federal Court ruling that the
State chain stores tax law was uncon-
stitutional as applied to gasoline fill
ing stations. Tax payments OF more
than $500, 900 are involved.
The Public Service Commission an
nounced plans for a broad expansion
of investigation of rates charged by
utilities in West Virginia.
The Carbide & Carbon Chemicals
Corporation of South Charleston and
the E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co.
boosted wages of 1000 employees 10 per
cent.
Fred Diddle of Salem was named
chief clerk in the State Treasury De-
partment, succeeding H. Isaiah Smith,
new head of the Revenue Bureau In
the tax department.
Tear gas was used to disperse wo-
man pickets in a strike of $50 workers
at the Charles Greenburg shirt fac
tory in Morgantown.