davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
BY John w. Thompson. Jr.

By John w. Thompson. Jr.
rental property and the work
of builders and developers.
Arlington raised both real
estate and personal property
taxes.
Free Stote
In Maryland. Montgomery
county kicked up the real
estate levy 6 cents to $1.93 per
500 valuation. A still higher
increase was Tended of by use
of a county surplus. In Rock
vile, however, town taxpayers
were treated to their first real
estate tax cut in a decades
reduction Of a nickel per 500
valuation. The cut was made
possible by increases in the
valuations. Over in Prince
Georges County residents are
facing an undetermined boost
in, the 10-cent general tax Of
the Washington S uburban
Sanitary Commission to help
pay for the flood control work
at Peace Cross.
The new White House putting
green has been completed on
the south lawn. But you won't
be able to see the President
miss a short one. The green is
hidden from view by shrubbery
and the roll Of the ground.
4 =
A local scribe is impressed
with the planning effort of
Fairfax County in which he
lives. A father Of four and ex-
pecting q fifth, he lives two
blocks from a brother who is
father of six. Fairfax is pro-
posing to build a new school
two blocks from them. Plan
ming? That's curb service!
Quote Of the week: From
Dan Dugan, controversial for
rner member OF the Arlington
County Board who was forced
on because he was q Federal
employee but now plans to run
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Committee Reform

Congress can investigate
anything. That in effect is
what court decisions have
said. The courts hold that the
investigatiye power is a nee
essary adjunct to the legisla-
tive power. and they take for
granted Congress has a legiti-
mate reason for going into any
subject 1t does investigate.
This broad power has been
used-and occasionally abused
since the earliest Congress.
But cries of foul" have been
neither loud nor persistent UNI
til recent years when COM
munism became a big target.
There have been two prin-
cipal reasons for the COM
plants:
/. COMMUNISTS strike out
viciously at persons exposing
their subversion.
2. Some Congressman have
taken 1t upon themselves to
punish" suspected Commu-
nists or suspected Communist
sympathizers through expos
ure in committee hearings.
and those hearings do not have
the safeguards which protect
individual rights in the court
room.
A Logical Reason
There is a logical reason
why the courtroom rules are
not used. Congress ordinarily
is looking for information, not
trying q suspect. Hearsay in
formation may be useful, so it
Is accepted. Some witnesses
are sworn. some are not. Some
bring attorneys, some do not.
Some are given fun opportun-
ity TO tell their side of the
story, some are not. There is
no judge and no jury except
the committee which asks the
questions.
When q hearing takes on the
aspects of q trial. courtroom
trappings are sorely missed.
But on the other hand. Con-
gress does not have the time
to let all persons be heard at
length in all controversies. The
lawmakers have to cut the talk
short somewhere and 60 legis-
late.
So recent attempts TO re-
form committee procedure
have sought q middle way
where individual rights can be
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04

Area tax reportTo sum up:
Some down. some up.
The District is beginning to,
feel the impact Of increased
levies financing the public
works program. Increases in
beer and hard liquor taxes
went into effect May 10. The
gasoline tax went up a penny
to 6 cents a gallon June /.
Last Thursday the following
became effective:
o A nickel increase to $500
per 500 valuation In the real
estate tax.
. A penny boost to 2
cents a pack on cigarettes.
o An increase in the bus
mileage tax Of the Capital
Transit Co.
,, . Corporation franchise tax
on bus companies of 5 per cent
Of taxable income.
Most of the other increases
become effective August !.
Old Dominion
Virginia expects tax revenues
to total enough to give the
taxpayers a credit Of some IS
million this year under Aprovi-
sions Of the Byrd Automatic
Tax Credit Act.
Originally. the 1954-1956
budget had included a 81 mil
lion anticipated tax credit. In
the final hours of the 1854
General Assembly seSsio n,
however. So mil lion was
deleted from this item and
made available for schools.
mental hospitals, institutions
of higher learning and ar
mories.
Falls Church levied the
first city tax on utilities in
this section Of Virginia for the
budget that went into effect
Thursday. Alexandria followed
suit with a utilities tax and in
addition imposed levies on
transie Mt accommodations.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Housing Scandal

The Senate Banking COM
rnittee's investigation of the
housing scandals began hit
ting pay dirt last week.
In public hearings details
Of the amazingly profitable
financing Of apartment prof.
ects was related to the COM
mittee. One horrible example
cited was the Shirley Duke
project in Alexandria, Va.
Witnesses said more than 81
million profit was realized by
the builders on q $1,000 in
vestmentand another 81 mil
lion went to q mortgage
company. Most OF the excess
profits are being paid for by
tenants in the form Of higher
rents.
Other shenanigans in the
Washington area: Eight TV
sets and IA wrist watches were
given Federal Housing Author
ity workers In the District
Office by builders. And inyesti-'
cation Of these and other
irregularities were sidetracked
by FILA officials.
Cited as q key man in the
scandals was Clyde L. Powell,
dropped from his job as
assistant FILA commissioner in
charge Of the rental apartment
program. Mr.. Powell. who had
q record of eight arrests for
various bad check. larceny and
embezzlement charges. refused
10 testify, citing the fifth
amendment.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Viii lAonoroiI Ease Los Angelo; Traffic Jams?

sengers. would be suspended
BY two wheels from an over
head rail and would ride
about 16 feet above the
ground. The cars would be
electrically powered and could
operate singly or In trains OF
up to i've each.
Plans call for two rails one
for trafiic each waysup-
ported by . steel framework.
Stations would be built an
average Of every 2 miles, with
escalators to take passengers
to and from street levels.
Engineers say the system
would have q good chance Of
being self supporting, in adj
dition to amortizing the bonds
over 20 years.
Financing Aid Needed
The county and perhaps
the State viii be asked for
: some help In financing the
bonds. An estimated four
years win be needed to build
the line.
Ralph Merritt. general man
ager, Of the authority, says
monorail has proved success
full In many large factories,
where hundreds Of miles Of
rails are in use for carrying
freight.
Mr.. Merritt said he knows Of
only one monorail passenger
line operating today. It is in
Wuppertal. Germany, and its
cars average 20 miles an hour.
the same as New York's
subWayS.
"The difference between the
Wuppertal line and the one
designed for Los Angeles" he
added, "is the difference be-
tween a model T Ford and Q
1854 Cadillac"
Safety of the German sys-
tenn Is noteworthy, says Mr..
Merritt. In 81 years 1t has
carried 800 million passengers
with only two accidents: A
drunk who fell OF q car plat
form and an elephant which
tumbled of Q baggage COM
partment into the Wupper
River.
ASSOCIATED Press.l
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Review Week Congressional Action oppenheie Case

to the development Of Amer
ica's atomic and hydrogen ar
senal as the efforts Of any
other individual.
Last week this country was
cut of from the use of DR.. OPP
penheimer'S mind.
The Atomic Energy Commits
sion ordered DR.. OppenheiIn-
er's security clearance sus-
pended. There were two rea-
sons: Proof Of fundamental
.defects in his character" and
association with known Com
munists far beyond the toler-
able limits Of prudence and
self restraint"
It was q true 20th-century
tragedy. For the defects" in
character were traits that
helped make him q superior
atomic scientist. He had a
contempt for authority con-
tempt that made him reject
the old basic theories in phys
les and pioneer new fields and
contempt that led him to lie
to security officers and con-
tinue to associate with whom
ever he damn well pleased.
DR.. Oppenheimer's indie
pendent mind is an asset In
modern physics but is 1t a
defect" in a modern security
conscious government.
The vote against DIR. OPP
penheimer was 4 to I. Chair
man Lewis J.. Strauss and
Commissioners Joseph Camp
bell, Eugene M. Zuckert and
Thomas e. Murray signed the
majority decision. Mr.. Murray
also added the opinion that
DR.. Oppenheimer's disregard
Of security regulations con-
stituted disloyalty. DR.. Henry
DeWolf Smyth, the only ply
siciSt on the commission, voted
to clear DR.. Oppenheimer. He
pointed out that DR.. Open
heimer had never passed In
TO r m alton to unauthorized
persons. He can be trusted
with atomic secrets DR.. Symth
maintained. He is completely
loyal"
DR.. Oppenheimer himself
took the decision philosophi-
cally. He said the ruling was
final that he would not appeal
directly to President Eisen-
hover as the President said
last week he could. DR.. Open
heimer indicated the incident
was closed. He would continue
his work as director Of the In
Stitute Of Advanced Studies at
Princeton, N. j,
DR.. Oppenheimer win get
along easily without the gov
eminent. And the government
will have to get along without
Dr.. Oppenheimer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
CONTINUED From Page BID


None met the disapproval of
President Eisenhower, so Con-
gress' heaviest piece of annual
work was done.
And for the first time in
several years it was done in
time to give Federal agencies
a happy new year. In the post
World War II past, several
departments have always had
to wait beyond July l for their
appropriations. They existed
in the interim on short-term
emergency extensions of their
old spending authority. Some
waits lasted into October.
Reasons for this years fast
action are hard to pin down.
Biggest factor perhaps was
early submission of a full
budget. In the past Congress
has had to wait particularly
for the military estimates.
Another factor is that Con-
gressrnen seemed to feel the
President drew up a tight
budget. There was little pad
ding for the lawmakers to fer
ret out. And the prospect for
a rough reelection campaign
this fall encouraged Congress-
men to stick to the schedule.
Last regular money bill was
the Observation-Disclosures meas
ure, carrying, ultimately. $98
million. It brought the years
total to 42,668,315,103. That
was $1.461, 426,954 less than
President Eisenhower origi-
nally had requested. For de-
tails, see the table on this page.
One important money bill is
sleft-foreign aid. It is never
started through Congress until
the authorization is voted.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Nearby Votes

Votes Of Maryland and vir-
ginia legislators on major roll
calls In the period June 20
July 3.
Senate
Proposal by Millikin (R.,
ColQ.1 for $40 tax credit for
individuals, as substitute for
Democratic amendment to In
crease exemptions by 500,
while deleting tax relief for
dividend income. Rejected,
46-49.
Fer: Beail tR.. Md: Butler
xssInst; BYRD d.. Walt Robsr.-
Amendment by George Cd,
Gal to increase exemptions
(see above). Rejected, 46-49.
Asainst: Beail Butler. Byrd. Rob-
erts0n.
House
Passage Of Mutual Security
Act for fiscal 1855 authorizing
$50 billion for friendly ma
tiohs. Passed, 260-126.
For; HYDE SR.. Md. small tR..
Md. Broyhill (R.. Val.
AEainst: smith o.. Val.
Amendment by Harrison
tR., Nebr.) to support 5 of
the s basic commodities on .
flexible scale ranging from
82.5 to 80 per cent Of parity.
Agreed to, 228-170.
Kses MA. nna,l. 1soshizi. Dmi1A.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04

For about 20 years the Re-
publicans have been complain
ing that soak -tl1e-rich tar
laws Of the New Dealers were
IN urgent need Of modifica-
ton Last week @. @. r. Sena-
tors tried to change some Of
those laws. They were not too
successful.
The two efforts at tax revi-
sion were wrapped up into one
875-page omnibus bill. Most.
Of those pages contained moth
ing controversial. But Demo-
Gratis objected strenuously to
provision tightening the tax
burden on business and "the
rich and they countered with
d series Of amendments to give
tax relief TO lower income
groups.
The weeks Senate action
was about 4 standofI The con
troversial House approved
provision giving $3.50 million
annually in tax relief to corr
poration stockholders was cut
to q mere $40 million And
the So per cent corporate tax
rate was retained for another
year tit had been scheduled
to drop to AZ per cent?.
The Democratic tax cut was
reduced to a nubbin in q weird
double play. Republicans
ganged up to defeatsthe Demo-
cratic scheme to increase per-
sOnal exemptions by $25. Then
Democrats beat q G.. O. p. Of
fer to knock q straight $40 OF
individual tax returns. Both
votes were 40 to 46 against
the amendment.
What was left, in addition to
the recodification, was q series
Of reductions to businesses ex-
panding their facilities, to I'M
dividuals with large medical
and charity OUTLAWS. retired
persons and persons with de-
dendentS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04

lens In the fast-growing San
Fernando Valley became par
ticularly acute. Twenty thou
sand Valley citizens got to-
gether and demanded q transit
system.
That was the beginning Of
the transit authority. At a
cost Of 100000 1t hired Cover
dale q Colpits, q New York
firm with long experience in
public transportation, to md
q solution.
Reasons for MonoroiI
The firm came up with
monorail. Why? It operates
free from interference Of sur
face traffic. hence speed and
volume of passengers. Travel
Is comfortable and the cost Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04

ment In the new Brazilian
National Research Council.
Brazil has discovered three
concentrations Of particularly
rich deposits Of uranium In
the interior mining state of
Minas Geraes.
In addition to DR.. Ander-
son, DR.. John Marshall Of the
University Of Chicago, Or. /. I.
Rabi, Columbia University:
DR.. Robert Champion, stan
ford University. and DR.. .. ],
Hayner, formerly with the
Atomic Energy Commission.
have spent several months
working with Admiral Aware
Alberto. head Of the Brazilian
atomic program, and developed
"a training program for
nuclear scientists using the
new reactor.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04

q { 9 4 g. H
construction Is "a million a
mile compared with $12-$15
million for q subway.
The engineers say monorail
can transport more people in
about half the time and at
nearly half the cost Of exist
ing buses and streetcars.
They estimate that q 45.7-
mile route linking the San
Fernando Valley with the Los
Angeles Harbor district, via
downtown Los Angeles. would
produce $23.5 million annually
from 10 million rides. Fare
for q ride from one end to the
other would be so cents, with
35 cents the charge from either
end to downtown.
The cars, each Of which
could accommodate 100 pas
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
By Grohon. Berry


Los ANGELES. Here, to
paraphrase the old saying,
everybody talks about the
trafiic but nobody does any
thing about It. Successfully,
ct least.
This Is 3 spraWling city with
no suhWays, no elevated. Com
muter lines largely have been
abandoned IN favor Of buses.
which compete on crowded.
streets with autos and trolleys
for space that isn't there. New
freeways seem only to invite
more people to use the family.
car.
But within i've years Los
Angeles may have the first
rapid transit nnonCraiI system
Ia the United States and
the second ii the world.
Constfuction could start
within 8 year with co-opera-.
ton from the State Legisla-
ttlre. The cost 81 $165 million
would be covered entirely BY
the sale of bonds. The Legis-
lature Is being asked to provide
d favorable tax setup and to-
let the line fix Its own rates
free Of supervision BY the
State Public Utilities Commits
sion.
The Los Angeles Metropoli-
tan Transit Authority. estab-
lished hy the 1851 legislature,
already has the power to build
and operate the line. Plans
have been drafted.
The Latest Proposal
Monorail Is the most recent
Of many proposed solutions to
the city's problems problems
which arose because Los An
geles grew out instead Of up.
In rs years, A45 surveys were
made to md the answer, all
because more than & million
residents of the metropolitan
area prefer yards and patios to
apartments. Now the city has
spread 30 FAR that many work
ers live 20 miles from their
jobs and drive In preference
to using what public transpor-
tatioli there Is.
IA $700-million freeway sys-
tenn is trying to take care Of
Los Angeles drivers. but they
hit the road faster than new
highways can be built.
-Four years ago traffic prob,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04

protected, but where Congress
cannot be begged down in
Communist-style delaying tao
tics. This is a difficult middle
ground to find; consequently.
no sweeping reform of con-
gressional hearing rules has
been adopted.
The Army Mccarthy tele-
vised fiasco apparently was the
last straw. however. Testi-
mony indicated it had been a,
mistake to let Senator Joseph
r. Mccarthy, Republican, Of
Wisconsin and his staff run
his special investigating SUBJ
committee without a check
rein.
Rules Groups Probe
The Senate Rules Committee
last week opened hearings on
a number of proposals to, re-
form committee procedure.
Senator's in both parties testi-
fled that changes were needed.
Senator McCarthy's committee
was not mentioned. but his.
colleagues said (off the wit
ness standJ that his group was
the No. 1. target.
Their suggestions for reform
were varied and numerous.
but later in the week they
became relatively academic
when the Senate Republican
Policy Committee voted unan-
imouSly to recommend q
new code Of conduct for con-
gressional Investigations. The
unanimous stand Of the lead
ers Of the majority party prob
ably would carry the Senate.
The code squared also with
leading Democratic opinions.
In general. the Policy Com
mittee recommended that one
man shows be taken OF the
road. Important committee
action could be taken only on
majority vote. Witnesses would
be permitted legal counsel.
Questions would be asked only
by committee members and
authorized staff employees.
The Policy Committee clear
ly believed that the sense of
responsibility Of q group Of
Senators would insure fairness
but would not interfere with
important work.
Action on the recommends
tons probably viii. be post
poned until next year.
Meanwhile, Senator McCar-
thy continued to demonstrate
why new rules were needed. He
continued to secrete himself
out Of Washington. thereby
blocking his committee from
meeting to consider . house
cleaning of the investigating
subcommittee stan. It was re-
vealed last week that two
members Of his stan had been
denied security clearance by
the Defense Department ton
security. not loyalty. grounds.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04

hover team wanted supports
at from rs to 80 per cent, vary
ing with the size Of the crops.
The groups compromised at
a sliding scale of 1914 to 90
per cent. Republicans. even
many farm Skaters, stood by
the President in the 228 to ITO
vote on the key issue. Final
passage was q breeze on voice
vote. The Senate, which has
approved only part of the pro-
gram. viii now repeat the en-
tire controversy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Metropolitan Scene
Tx Survey: Some Up; Some Down

again as an interior decorator:
more than a thousand cit
liens Of Arlington have asked
me to run this fall. I cannot
turn them down."
~ + 4
The trend toward mergers
locally continues. First Ma
tional and Citizens National
Banks of Alexandria joined
hands to combine $42 million
of assets. Fire engine-hunt-
ing Mayor Marshall Beverley
Of Alexandria is q vice presi-
dent Of First National.
In the educational field it
was disclosed that National
University Law School would
merge with George Washing
ton University. National has
been battling q pupil shortage.
A% 4
The CockrilI Curtoin
Juvenile Court Judge Edith
Cockrill sim Is beating the
drums for more iron in the
iron curtain already hanging
around her handling Of juve-
niles.
At q Department of Health.
Education and Welfare con-
ference the other day, she
urged legislation preventing
fingerprinting and photo
graphing of juveniles by police
without express permission Of
her court. She also wants
Nationwide statutes closing
to the public all police records
on juveniles.
A community faced with
such o situation, plus reluc-
lance to waive cases to adult
courts for adult punishment
Of adult crime cher chief Of
staff has urged that Juvenile
Court even handle murder
cases., might just as well issue
all juveniles "Phooey on You"
cards. These, properly dis
played, would -entitle the
holder to clearance through all
police lines,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Tox Revision

For more than so years the
hodge podge Of Federal tax.
laws have been in need of
codification and overhaul. Last
week the Senate completed
that overhaul job. q Job ape
plauded by both parties.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
BroziI Gets
Vest Pocket
A-Smusher
By John T. Sembower

CHlCAGO. 49, NOW o vest
pocket" atom smasher! That
Is what scientists at the cradle
of atomic fission on the CAM
pus Of the University of Chi
cage call Brazil's new synchro-
cyclotron. which they regard
as quite as significant for its
sn1allness as are the bigger and
ever bigger cyclotrons for their
lArgeness.
The Brazilian reactor ac-
tually is comparable in size
With q large home freezer. This
brings to reality the brave
forecast made about d year ago
~ Gen. Bengt Nordenskiold Of
Sweden that atomic energy
development Is well within the
reach of smaller nations be-
cause "a cyclotron Is as easy
to build as an auto.
II Actually. .given the know
how an atom smaslaer IS easier
10 build than q car. DR.. Her
bert i. Anderson, who planned
the machine points out that
few persons would undertake
to build an automobile on q
college campus. But without
Hesitation, DR.. Anderson and
his associates plunged into
constructing the midget SYM
chrocyclotron with the $85. 900
Brazil appropriated. The group
the Institute for Nuclear
Studies" - patterned 1t after
the university's huge 450-
million volt atom smasher.
It's scale IL La.
No Assembly-lne Plans
There are no plans for set
ting up an assembly line for
neutrality-suspicious. under the
stands at Stagg Field where
atomic fission was discovered
IL years ago. But since South
Americas first such device has
been made successfully, more
could be built. Soon to be in
stalled at Rio de Janeiro after
having been shipped on the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
1954ReguIor Appropriations
tFor FiseoI Yeor 1856. in Millions)

'federoi contributions only total nG budget $l70 million
NOTE: Discrepancies in totals ors due 70 rounding.
Evening star., 1954-12-17

tampering with nature to make
a more dramatic documentary
while not tampering at all with
the truth of nature. Something
OF the same sort was done in
this first Of three promised "Dayy
Crockett" films.
For all the fact that it was
played by actors, some of whom
even had familiar faces. this had
the documentary look. wouldn't
have trusted Red Stick, the
Creek Indian chief, for two min
utes with that tomahawk, even
II the cast list does say he was
played by an actor named Pat
Hogan.
When Disney fights Indians,
he fights authentic Indians. You
don't think of them as lining I'D
at the end Of the day to collect
the wampum for working as
extras. In fact, wouldn't be
surprised to learn that Parker,
Foster and the others went the
way OF Gen. Custer and that
Disney got this film only because
the Creeks had no protector and
had no use for it.
Mr.. Disney may not have gone