davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Man Admits He SET Fire
Fata| 10 4 in Home
BY the Assoeioted Press

SALISBURY, Md, Aug. 90
Police said today a 28-year-old
man admitted setting a fire which
burned three children and their
mother to death.
The man, Charles Hicks, jr.
colored, of nearby Fruitland, was
held without bail for action by
the Wicomico County grand jury
on four charges of murder and
one of arson.
The fire burned down the house
Of Marion Wells, colored, on Aug
ust 13. Trapped and killed by
the blaze were Mr.. Wells wife,
Bessie. and their three children,
Bertha Mae, Willie Lee, 4, and
I. j.. 2.
Police said Hicks gave this ac-
count of the fire:
He. his wife and the Wells
couple were drinking and got into
an argument. Hicks went out
side. siphoned bucket of gaso-
line from his car, doused the
frame house and set the gaso-
line af1re.
When he realized what he had
done, he shouted a warning to
those inside.
Marion Wells and Mrs. Hicks
escaped the flames. Mrs. Wells
died with her children when she
went upstairs to rescue them.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Warrenton Baptist Church
To Observe Centennial
Special Dispatch TO The Stor

WARRENTON, Va, Aug. 90
The Warrenton Baptist Church
will observe its Tooth anniversary
with a series of five services start
ing Wednesday night
The Rev. DR.. William U. Park
inson, enlistment secretary of the
foreign missions program of the
Northern Baptist Convention, will
be the speaker on the opening
night. Thursday night, to be OBJ
served as Sunday School night,
with a talk by D. P. Wood. Jr.
Friday will be homecoming
night. The history of the church
will be read and Mrs. Henry
Decker of Richmond, daughter Of
the late Rev. Frank Boston, a
former pastor, will speak.
The Rev. DR.. E. B. Jackson. a
former pastor here. will be the
preacher at the Sunday morning
service, and the Rev. DR.. Thomas
c. Allen. another former pastor
who is now interracial secretary
for the Federal Council OF
Churches of Christ in America,
will speak in the evening.
The Rev. Guy C. Heyl, pastor.
noted that the centennial observ-
ance comes as the church has
announced the beginning of an
extensive building progrann n
will add two wings to the ediflce.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Alexandra Public Schools
To Open on September 8

Alexandria public schools will
open for the fall session at 8:45
am, September 8.
New pupils will BE registered
from 10 am. to noon and from l
to 3 pm. on September 6 and z.
At George Washington High
School. new pupils may register
from 8 am. to 4 pm. any weekday
before school opens.
Out-of-toWn pupils who are ad-
mitted to Alexandria schools must
pay $120 a year tuition for ele-
mentary grades and $50 for high
school. Half of the tuition is due
at the beginning of the first
semester and the other half at
the beginning of the second
semester.
Children entering the first grade
must present a birth certificate
showing they will be 8 years old
by September 30. t.r-t .rat
Evening star., 1949-08-21
ki|marnock S Mayor Back
From KiImarnock, Scotland
Nv the As,oeiatsd Press

~ wv SsboSi0ioo EtSsS
K1LMARNoCK, Va, Aug. 90
Mayor and Mrs. E. Walter Harvey
are back from Kilmarnock. Scot
land.
Mayor Harvey reflected on his
month Long stay in the Ayershire
city after which this town was
named and confessed that it's good
He relaxed irp an easy chair, lit
up a cigar with a new lighter
given him as a going away present
by his friend. Provost Daniel
Cairns, Of the other Kilmarnock.
The Office of provost in Scotland is
similar to that Of Mayor in the
United States.
ut was wonderful over there.
But it's going to be good to get
some rest" he said.
It may be quite a while before
the Mayor and Mrs. Harvey can
settle down for that rest, however.
All Of their trunks are not back
yet. and from all reports, they are
bulging with presents from the
old Kilmarnock.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
$1,000 Will Be Awarded
To Pace Fair Exhibitors
Speeiol pispateh 10 The Sfar

LURAY, Va, Aug. 20.-More
than $4,000 in prizes will be given
away to exhibitors of agricultural
produces at the 18th annual Page
County Fair opening here Monday
and continuing throughout the
week.
s. Frank Rosser, president, an
nounced that in addition to the
midway and free acts, there will
be prizes for certain groups at
tending. There will be a beauty
contest Tuesday night.
Tuesday has been designated as
Children's Day, all children being
admitted free; Wednesday will be
Farmers Day: Thursday, Family
Day; Friday, Luray Day. and Sat-
urday, Page County Day.
Evening star., 1949-08-21

ton officials say proposals for
strengthening the civil service Sys-
tenn will be sent to Congress next
year, in addition to those changes
that can be made by executive
order.
DECENTRALIZATION - The
granting of greater authority to
the individual Federal departments
and agencies in personnel matters
appears inevitable.
The delegation of authority
won't be as great, however, as
recommended by the Hoover Com
mission.
It's felt that, first of all, the
commission must be greatly
strengthened in it's leadership and
policies before agencies can be
given more leeway in personnel
matters.
When this is accomplished. the
further delegation of powers will
be given to the agencies, but only
under the strong central super
vision Of the commission. In other
words, Administration officials
want the commission to be always
in the strong position of being able
to crack down and punish agen-
cieS whenever violations of civil
service regulations are committed
by departments and agencies.
Administration officials believe
the present system of examining,
hiring, promoting and other per-
sonnel activities. is badly begged
down by unnecessary delays and
red tape.
Our present system may have
been all right IS years ago when
the Government was only about
one twentieth of the size it is now,
but it has grown too cumbersome
and outmoded for present day
needs" an Administration official
said the other day.
The Governments work would
be greatly facilitated if the indi-
Ividual departments and agencies
have the right to handle their own
personnel matters. subject to the
strong supervision of the Civil
Service Commission, the official
said. I'd
He predicted that such change
in the Governments personnel
system would be accomplished
within the next few years. But he
made it plain that the change will
not be made until the commission
is developed into a sufficiently
strong unit. and equipped with the
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Employer, Local Both
Liable for Wages in
Union Lay-0ff Cases

The National Labor Relations
Board yesterday announced a
ruling that an employer and
union each may be liable for the
full amount of wages lost by a
worker who is laid off illegally at
the insistence of the union.
The boards order made it clear,
however. that only the total
amount of wages actually lost may
be collected. 1t also emphasized
that in any such case the board
would not attempt to apportlon
the amounts which the union and
the employer each owed.
The decision stemmed from a
case in which a New York truck
operator fired driver at the in
sistence of a local of the Team
sters Union, AFL. because the man
was behind in mis- union dues.
First Decision on Such Case.
The NLRB ordered both The
local and the truck operator, H.
Milton Newman. Mount Vernon,
N. Y. to reimburse the driver,
Ernest Fritz. jr.
1t was the first decision by the
NLRB in a contested case on the
provision of the Taft Hartley Act
that a union as we'll as an en-
ployer may be held liable for back
pay in cases of illegal discrimna-
ton against the worker.
The ruling said that if one of
the parties-either the union or
the employer-were unable to pay,
the NLRB could collect the entire
amount from the party able to
pay.
The NLRB report said Mr.. Fritz
was laid off illegally by the truck
operator from March II to June
9. 1948, after Local 456. Team
sters Union, called a seven-day
strike of the company's two other
drivers.
The board found the "avowed
purpose" of che strike was to force
the truck company to fire Mr..
Fritz because he was three months
behind in his dues and to accede
to a union demand that he pay
up the back dues and three
months dues in advance.
Threats by Agent Charged.
The NLRB said the union was
sguilty of illegal restraint and CO.
ercion" of Mr.. Fritz on the basis
of threats made to him by the
unions business agent, Peter Gala
brese.
The board ordered both the
truck operator and the union to
cease their illegal activities and
to post notices for so days an
nouncing the cessation"
The decision was signed by
Chairman Paul M. Herzog, and
Board members John M. Houston.
jr.. James j. Reynolds, .G., and
Abe Murdock. J. Copeland Gray,
the other board member. did not
participate in the case.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Lonsburgh Plan
Relies on Honesty
Customers

Firm believers in the honesty
of their own customers. Lans-
burgh's department store is start
ing dollar distribution by mail
The purpose is to reward store
employees for particularly atten-
tive service to customers and the
plan, brought here from st. Louis
by Credit Manager j. P. Stede-
houder. works this way:
Customer names are chosen
frcn accounts and between so and
100 are sent crisp new 81 bills
in a cellophane case with the
request that the customer give
it to the store employe who gives
exceptional service. Then the en-
ploye presents the bill at the
store Offices and receives an ad-
ditional dollar.
The plan has had excellent
success in st. Louis" said Sales
Promotion Manager Henry M.
Voss. "A large percentage of the
dollars mailed were returned to
the store there "
Evening star., 1949-08-21
FHA Officials to Attend
Virginia Housing Session
BY the Associated Press

BY fhe NssoeIoftd FTsss
NORFOLK, Va, Aug. 20-Top
Federal Housing Agency officials
will attend the annual meeting of
the Virginia Association Of Rede-
velopment and Housing Authori-
ties Thursday and Friday at Ocean
View.
Commissioner John T. Egan Of
the Public Housing Administra-
ton will head the visiting delega-
ton from Washington and will
participate Thursday afternoon in
a round-t table discussion on rede-
velopment aspects Of the Housing
Act of 1949.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
UNIV Fund Probers to Hear Van Horn

Hale and Prof. Arthur L. Brown
to advise him on legal matters
connected with such actuarial
study"
5. That in a total of 20 dis
agreements among the trustees,
Senator Bridges invariably sided
with Mr.. Lewis.
political Embarrassment"
The memorandum prepared by
Mr.. L'Heureux was placed in the
record of the hearings by Senator
Taylor.
Senator Bridges told reporters
he considered the move merely an
effort to cause political embar-
rassment" to him.
He said there were no important
facts in the data that had not
been made known by him pre-
viously. While he realized that
the fund had its own professional
services, available to all trustees.
he said, he considered 1t neces-
sary to have expert advice hired
by me personally that was respon-
sible and loyal only to me-"
When Senator Bridges salary
as trustee first was disclosed in
the hearings, he stated substan-
tial part Of it was used to pay for
private legal and other advice in
connection with his duties as a
trustee.
Senator Bridges has announced
that he plans to resign from the
trusteeship soon. He has prom
ised to make an accounting at that
time of trusteeship expenses paid
out of his salary.
In his memorandum, Mr.. LIEU
reux recalled that Senator Bridges
accepted the trusteeship April 10,
1948, at the instance of Repre-
sentative Martin. Republican, OF
Massachusetts,. then Speaker OF
the House. Thomas E. Murray,
one of the trustees serving with
Mr.. Lewis and Mr.. Collision, the
latter a former Navy captain once
assigned to the Interior Depart
ment as GOAL Mines Administrator,
had resigned.
There was a deadlock over PEN
sion plan policy. Mr.. Murray had
stated in resigning in January
that he could not assent to any
pension plan which he considered
mot based on proper actuarial
computations.
Deadlock Broken.
Trustee Bridges, on taking Of
flee. Immediately broke the dead
lock-" Mr.. L'Heureux said. He
apparently did not feel the same
inhibitions as his predecessor in
Office. I am including in the ap-
pendix to this letter excerpts from
the minutes (which show 20 dis
agreements among the trustees.
"In each and every one OF them.
either Trustee Lewis promptly
backed Trustee Bridges or the lat
ter Immediately, spontaneously
and unswervingly rallied to the
support of Trustee Lewis. Trustee
Bridges did not side with Trustee
Van Horn in a single instance.
mot only was the deadlock
broken, but the two trustees, from
the moment Trustee Bridges took
Office as trustee. guided with firm
hand the destiny and set the poll
icies Of the UNIV Welfare and Re-
tirement Fund"
sThe file furnished Senator Tay-
lor by Mr.. L'Heureux included a.
copy of a letter from Senator
Bridges to Mr.. Lewis. chairman of
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Intelligence Warned
OF Red Aims in China
In 1945, Judd Reveal,
BY the Associated Press


Representative Judd, Republi-
can, of Minnesota yesterday made
public a United States military
intelligence warning of mid-1945
that there is reason to believe
Russia plans to dominate Man.
churia, Korea and North China.
Intelligence called Chinese COM
munism part of the Moscow
guided international movement
and spoke out against giving the
Red Army any exclusive operation
zone in Asia. This was before
Russia entered the war against
Japan.
The warning was contained in
what Mr.. Judd termed a top
secret" report. He said he re-
leased the information because
the State Department has issued
"all the secret documents it could
find to bolster its own feeble case. "
He referred to the Department. S
White Paper on policy toward
China.
Mr.. Judd gave out the military
intelligence summary of tits re-
port on Chinese communism and
Russian intentions from 1914 to
July, 1945. It also concluded that
Chinese Communist democracy
is Soviet-styled democracy and
that China's strength and stability
depend on thte natural resources
OF Manchuria and North China.
To prevent Chinas separation
from its northern areas and Man
churia sit is essential that China
not be divided like Europe) into
separate American-British and
Russian military zones" the re-
port said.
The intelligence report specifi-
cally warned against modifying
the Cairo declaration of Decem-
Der !, 1943, for Korean inde-
pendence and Chinese sovereignty
over Manchuria.
Mr.. Judd told reporters that
when the Army intelligence ex-
perts made their recommended
tions. they did not know that
Yalta had given Manchuria and
other areas to Russia" He said
he had the papers a number of
years but did not explain how he
got them.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Woman Jumps Two Floors
To Escape After Stabbinq

A woman who had been stabbed
repeatedly with a shoemaker's awl
yesterday was forced to leap from
a second-story window to escape
further injury, police said.
They said Hattie Lee Sinclair.
%, colored, IT'S Eleventh street
NV, jumped from window OF
her home when other means OF
escape were cut off. She was in
satisfactory condition early today
at Freedmen's Hospital.
Police are searching for q for
mer boy friend who had quar-
relied with the woman.
Evening star., 1949-08-21

Finders aren't keepers on the
Potomac.
That's what two men who took
q boat they found drifting in the
river yesterday will learn when
police catch up with them. For,
as harbor precinct police pointed
out, the salvage laws of the sea
do not apply on inland waterways,
and the boats owners want it
back.
The men, thought to be Fort
Myer soldiers, rented a canoe
from Dolphin's Boat House near
Key Bridge yesterday morning
When they returned in the after
noon, one was padding the canoe
and the other a boat they said
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Man Waiting for Train
CoIIopses and Dies

A 65-year-old man, who COL
lapsed in Union Station at 7
o'clock last night while waiting
for a Miami train. was pronounced
dead shortly afterward at Casual
ty Hospital.
Police identified him as Clarence
w. Riffer of San Francisco. His
body was removed to the District
Morgue and his widow, Mrs. Isa-
bella Riffer, of San Francisco, was
notified. police said.
Evening star., 1949-08-21

the trustees, dated May 10, l949.
In it, Senator. Bridges wrote that
he needed independent personal
actuarial advice and was not in a
position personally to bear the
cost. He asked a unanimous vote
of the board assigning the cost of
these services to the fund.
The matter was taken up at a
meeting of the three trustees, ac-
cording to an extract from the
minutes. Mr.. Van Horn said he
had no objection. Mr.. Lewis
stated he was reluctant to au-
thorize a separate organization for
each trustee, but he would approve
the hiring of an actuary for an in
dependent study on behalf of
Trustee Bridges
Minutes of a meeting April 7,
1949, inHuded statement by
Senator Bridges that he had en-
ployed Mr.. Reagh, Mr.. Hale and
Prof Brown, pursuant to ar
rangements previously made"
Collision Letter Studied.
At a meeting November 8. 1948,
the trustees took up the matter
of Mr.. Collisions letter request
ing payment of the inclosed bill
from Mr.. Friedman for $4,000
1t was decided to ask Mr.. Collis-
son for details OF the services.
William L. P. Burke, general coun-
sci Of the fund, was directed to
inquire of the Attorney General
about the legality of paying Mr.
Friedman, a Government employe,
for legal services rendered in a
private capacity.
The minutes show that i'm
mediately thereafter Mr.. Lewis
requested that Miss Josephine
Roche, director of the fund, and
Mr.. Burke leave the room briefly
At a December meeting, the
matter of Mr.. Friedman's fee was
put aside because no reply had
been received to a letter to the
Attorney General, according to
the minutes.
On March 16, the file showed
Mr.. Collision sent his own bill for
$4,000 for legal services rendered
by Joseph M. Friedman, attorney,
in connection with my official
duties as trustee
These services are in accord
ance with the unanimous authori-
zation of the trustees approving
reimbursement to each and all of
the trustees for the cost of per-
sonal legal counsel required by
them in connection with their
official duties as trustee"
In meeting April 7, 1949. "the
trustees unanimously agreed that
Mr.. Collision should be reimbursed
for the $4,000 liability incurred
by virtue of legal services rendered
on his behalf as trustee"
In his memorandum summariz-
ing the papers forwarded to Sen
ator Taylor, Mr.. L'Heureux COM
mented:
THE minutes Of the meetings
Of the trustees yield ample evil
dence that the trustees of the fund
are quite liberal in paying as an
administrative expenditure of the
fund the costs of actuarial studies
and advice of counsel even when
the actuaries, counsel or advisers
have been retained personally by
and for an individual trustee,
whenever such advice has any
bearing upon his duties as trus-
tee. In fact that is the rule, not
once departed from throughout
tho biStorv of tho fI1pdo
Evening star., 1949-08-21
Poir Who FIND BootMoy Learn
That Finders Aren't Keepers
d drifting behind ROOSe-

they found drifting behind RooSe-
velt Island.
You'd better notify police"
cautioned William Jameson. in
charge Of the boat house.
Heck, no. We found 1t and
we're going to keep it," was their
reported reply. And of they went
in the 11-foot boat.
Mr.. Jameson informed police
who found the boat belonged to
w. H. Jett, 1916 Fifth street NV.
and James I. Flaherty, 613 Rock
Creek Church road NV. and that
the boat is customarily housed at
Champions Boathouse.
Mr.. Jett and Mr.. Flaherty are
contesting the canoeists' inter-
probation of salvage law, with the
aid of police.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
United Baptist Church
Preachers Named

The Rev. Robert D. Crowley
will conduct II am. services
today at the United Baptist
Church, 1915 North Quincy Street,
Arlington.
He will speak in the absence
Of the Rev. Elmer Lucas. pastor.
who is out Of town, Preaching at
the 1880 pm. service will be the
Rev. Thomas E. Boorde, former
pastor of Anacostia Baptist
Church.
Evening star., 1949-08-21
authority, to police the Govern
ment's entire personnel system.

Administration sources say the
plan is somewhat along the recon-
mendations made by the Hoover
Commission, but would provide
greater policing and breakdown
authority for the commission.
Under the plan, the commission
would set personnel standards and
practices for all agencies to fol-
low. If the agencies did not ad-
here to the rules, the commission
would have the power to not only
enforce it's rulings, but to deprive
the offending agency of any au-
tonomous personnel authority.
X
RESERVATIONS-The expected
changes in the Governments per-
sonnel system will not be quite as
far-reaching as called for by the
Hoover Commission.
Even in decentralizing person.
mel authority to the individual de-
partments and agencies, the COM
mission would still retain overall
authority over job examinations
and hiring practices. Agencies
would do much Of the examining
and placement activities, but un-
der the supervision of Civil Service
Commission Board of Examiners
that would be set up throughout
the Government.
This is being done on a smaller
scale in the Government right
now. The forthcoming plan would
extend it on a much wider scale
4 X 4
COMMISSION-MeanWhile, the
commissions reorganization isn't
expected to actually get underway
until its new chairman is selected
by President Truman. The choice
is expected to be made in a few
weeks. There is some talk, how
ever, that the appointment won't
be made until Congress goes home.
Under the reorganization au-
thority, the commission chairman
will be given broad administrative
authority and will be solely re-
Sponsible for the commission ad-
ministrative affairs.
BE sure to listen in today at
I:15 am. for Joseph Young's
Federal Spotlight broadcast
oUer WMAL, The Star station,
featuring additional netUs and
UieUs of the Government
Scene.)