davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
BY BETTY MILES
star staff Writer

The District Commissioners
have decided to ask Congress;
for q supplemental appropria-
ton this fiscal year SO that the
Welfare Department will not
be forced to cut its payments
because Of spiraling relief rolls.
The Commissioners are ex-
pected to seek the entire $780,
900 that Welfare Director Ger
ard M. Shea told them was
needed to meet payments
through June 80.
Mr.. Shea said cases have
risen on an average Of 104 a
month, bringing the case load
to 1887, involving 1928 per-
sons. as Of January 81.
He said yesterday that the
February increase will be about
126, the highest this fiscal
year.
Relief expenses in the Dis
trict are about $13.5 million a
year, with 81 per cent Of this
supplied by matching Federal
funds.
Mr.. Shea noted that the in
crease has followed the CON
sisten pattern" here. with Aid
to- Dependent Children cases
predominating. There now are
5.078 ADO cases on the rolls,
in which 1886 persons are
supported.
The other categories are:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
District to Ask for Extra Funds
As Relief Roll Cases Reach Peak

Old-age assistance, 2,97O
cases, 3,088 persons.
Aid to the blind, 215 cases,
226 persons.
Aid to the disabled, 2,812
cases, 1888 persons.
General public assistance,
1922 cases, 1865 persons.
General public assistance,
given when a wage Garner Is
unable to work because of tenn
porary disability. is the only one
of the four categories that does
not receive Federal matching
funds.
Commissioner Robert E. Nc
Laughlin and Mr.. Shea said
yesterday they favor the ex-
tension Of unemployment COM
Ipensation rather than expanded
or additional welfare programs
to meet food and shelter de-
manQS.
To fight the results Of Ma
tion-wide unemployment, the
administration has introduced
measures to extend unemploy-
ment compensation, and to ex-
tend for a 15-month emergency
period ADO coverage to chill
dren whose fathers live at home
but are out Of work. Currently
ADO is available only If the
father is dead, disabled OF
absent from the home.
Senator Morse, Democrat OF
Oregon, last week urged the
District to start its own pro-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
CITIES AND PEOPLE
Mr.. Sans One Big Cool

nority Leader Dirksen, House
Minority Leader Halleck and
the architect of the Capitol
]. George Stewart.
In addition to the east front
work-now completed on the
exterior but still a year from
completion inside-the groups
scope covers such other facil-
tiles in the Capitol grounds, to-
gether with utilities, equip
ment, approaches and other ap-
purtenant and necessary items
as it may wish to undertake,
When the extension of the
Capitol is completed, it will
provide about 100000 addi-
tional square feet Of area. This
will be ready for use of Con-
gress when it convenes in jan
uary next year, unless major
changes in the present design.
are made in the meantime.
This project already has ex-
tended the 444-foot-long east
central front by 321a feet, re-
placing the original crumbling
sandstone with Georgia marble.
On completion of the inter-
Tor, extra space will be avail
able in this area within a sub
basement, basement, first floor,
principal floor, gallery floor
and attic.
1t will provide reception
rooms for the House and Sem
ate. additional office and sub
committee rooms, more res
taurant facilities, and storage
rooms.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26

gram Of relief for unemployed
employables" - breadwinners
who could work but can't gel
jobs.
WaShington's longtim {
chronic employment problem
Is that Of the socially unem-
playable" men and women who
are unskilled, unframed, anc
unwanted in the labor market
Mr.. Shea feels. Only united
community effort can solve 1t
he says.
Its not a case of having q
job and losing it, as in Other
areas" he noted. Many PEG.
pie here have never had any
continuous work experience"
Welfare programs provide
casework help and services, HI
pointed out.
But these people basically
need food and shelter, MOI
casework, he believes. IF we're
going to start casework fol
everyone. I don't know where
Wen stop"
New welfare department re-
lief programs for families Of
the unemployed could double
the relief rolls, Mr.. Shea said
They also would require money
to pay for additional workers
If workers could be found in
the undersupplied social work
! 11elQ. .
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
BY ROBERTA HORNIG
Star Staff Writer

A negligence suit-ordinarily
a routine case in District Court
has turned into an interna-
tional affair involving the
United States, Belgium and the
North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
zation.
This is how it all came about:
-Four years ago Miss Jessie
v. Robertson, of 2122 Califor-
mia street NV, secretary to
Senator Magnuson, Democrat
Of Washington, was struck by
an automobile as she was cross
ing the street at Connecticut
avenue and Calvert street NV.
She was hospitalized for a
month with q broken leg and
wore a cast for a year and a
half. ..-.-.
Miss Robertson said the au-
tomobile was driven by a Bel
gian servicernan who was then
attached to the office Of. the
military attache in the Belgian
Embassy.
Unable to sue him directly,
Miss Robertson turned to a
NATO statuS-of- forces treaty
as her legal recourse, Through
her attorney. 10 v. Morgan, jr.,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
BY ROBERT J. LEWIS
Star Staff Writer

The never starry-eyed "Mr
Sam" Rayburn confesses tc
having one big goal:
He'd like to see the Capitol
setting look its best"
After 40 years continuous
service in Congress, the Speak
er of the House believes the
Capitol is the most important
building in the country. and
that every American wants ii
ito look right"
In an interview, the 79-year-
old Texan said he's pleased
and proud" Of what has been
done to improve the East Front
of the Capitol.
He believes other improve
ments are needed in the area
and says he will have some
proposals, though he's not
ready to talk about them yet
But he says he thinks that
except for a few parcels. we've
got most of the land we need
to give the Capitol a proper
environment.
What will be done with the
big two-block site adjacent to
the Capitol that is now being
taken over by Congress?
I'VE don't know yet," said
Mr.. Sam.
1T may be left open for fu-
ture expansion, Or the new
library annex may be built
there. It's not decided"
AS chairman Of the Commits
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26

picture Of a cat while teaching
the child that Cat means cat)
such classes are held.
The newly-built, two-story
building-still surrounded by
bulldozers, pile drivers and
wreckers working on the rede-
velopment project-haS taken
on the air Of q high school.
And In that, DR.. Hansen sees
great significance.
His Amidon plan calls fol
lessons to be planned period by
period, day by day. week by
week. with deviations kept at q
minimum. Only then, the says
win the child know where he IL
going. Occasionally there are
changes-such as time set aside
recently so the youngsters could
study the presidential inaugural
process while 1t was taking place
but Amidon teachers and pu-
pills almost always know from
day, TO- day what is coming
next. ~.
On a recent visit, for In
stance, a teacher had written
on the blackboard in clear view
Of the class:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26

sion for the Extension OF the
Capitol, Speaker Rayburn heads
the group set up by Congress
in 1855 to go ahead with the
East Front extension.
He is also chairman of the
House Office Buildings Com
mission now going ahead with
a $63-million third building fol
use of Representatives.
When this building is COM
pleted two years from now, Mr.
Rayburn said. he expects ac-
ton will be taken to rae the
old George Washington Inn at
New Jersey avenue and c
street Sc.
In case the Library of Con-
gress annex now being planned
is not placed in the two-block
site being taken over, where
will it go?
The logical place would be
Immediately east of the present
library annex, Mr.. Rayburn be-
lieveS.
Under such circumstances,
Congress would need additional
land east of Third street Sc,
between independence avenue
and East Capitol street. Lii
brary planning is in charge
Of the Joint Committee on the
Library. headed by Represent
tative Burleson, Democrat of
Texas.
Serving on the powerful Cap
itol Extension Commission with
Speaker Rayburn are Vice
President johnson, Senate Mi
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26

rection. Teachers, he explained,
have too often been allowed to
pick what they want to teach,
based on their own knowledge
and interests or on the sug-
gestions Of their pupils.
Textbooks Are Uniform
Perhaps undermining all of
his points Is DR.. Hansen's In
Sistence that Amidon students
have uniform textbooks for
each subject. q circumstance
which does not exist in most
other District schools.
II one had to point to the
one overriding emphasis at
Amidon, it would have to be
improvement in the teaching
Of reading.
IF q student cannot read,
what can he learn in any SUBJ
ject?" DR.. Hansen asked once.
When Amidon opened, he
outlined a mo nonsense" list
of what he felt the students
should accomplish in reading
before they entered Junior
high school and how this should
be done.
Many Of the Amidon princi-
pies would appear to be self
evident, but DR.. Hansen says
many schools in the Nation
long ago slipped from such be-
liefs. In the case of the Dis
trict, the slipping dates back
about rs years, he believes.
A report on the results OF
Amidon's first semester in ac-
ton is not expected until late
in the spring, but DR.. Hansen
says there is every indication
that the project is paying off.
He is so convinced this is true
that he recently invited all
other elementary schools in the
District to follow suit. He did
not insist that they do so be-
cause he feels the results would
be better If the step were taken
by the various school principals
voluntarily. @
Amidon had not been open
two months when DR.. Hansen
had received more than TOO
letters from all corners of the
Nation asked for details.
A similar reaction set in here
at home. The superintendent
had opened the school to all
District students regardless of
the area of the city IN which
they live, and having limited
the first-year enrolment to 470
he soon had a waiting list. The
list has been growing ever since.
AS a matter of fact, one Dis
trict youngster, though only one
year old, was the, first to be
enrolled at Amidon. His father
told DR.. Hansen that he not
only wanted to show his en-
thusiasm for the Amidon plan,
but wanted to make sure his son
went to either Amidon or a
school like it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
By WILLIAM DUKE
star staff writer

btar btaIy WflteT
A four-story nursing home
in a fading Washington neigh
borhood is the center Of the
world for a nearly helpless ~
year old man.
But to the District of Co
lurnbia this building and this
man symbolic q perplexing
problem-a problem that may
have to be solved by hurting
some Of the very people the
District is trying to help.
The problem is at the heart
of the current breakdown or
fire hazard violations in some
Of the Districts scores Of nurs-
ing homes.
Stated simply, the problem
is this: To make sure that the
nursing homes, many Of them
converted rooming houses, are
safe for the patients, the Dis
trict's new building code mus
be enforced. II the code il
enforced, some Of the homes
may have to close, and theil
patients have no place to go.
Tragedy Brought CrackdOwn
The spark that ignited the
breakdown flew from q fire
three and Q half weeks ago al
the Mount Vernon Nursing
Home, 1901 Calvert street NV
Seven bedridden patients died
IN their fourth-floor beds In
that blaze.
The Department of Licenses
and Inspections is expected to-
morrow to turn over evidence
to the District Corporation
Counsel that six nursing homes
are operating without proper
licenses. At least 20 other nurs.
ing homes, all Of them with
licenses, are expected to face
charges soon on alleged viola.
tons Of the Districts building
code. Municipal court can Gloss
these homes If their OPERATOR
are found guilty Of the VIC.
lations.
Patients in the six home.
facing charges tomorrow come
from all social levels. One o.
the homes can be described a.
plush. Its patients are usual!
distant relatives of wealthy
business or Government execu.
tives. The prices for care ar,
high, and the waiting list To-
acceptance is long.
Another Of the homes care
for welfare patients, and 70
older people whose relative
can contribute little to thei
support. The families pay $l5l
a month or less for the car,
Of the patient in this home.
But the patients in all thesI
homes seem to have one thin
in common. They say they havI
no other place to 60.
The operator Of the most ex
pensive Of the homes said
Many Of my people have TIN
money to support themselves
but what can they do with it.
They can't live with relatives
for one reason or. another, ant
hotels don't want them becaus,
they require nursing care"
The welfare and poorer pa,
tients have the same problem
A Welfare Department spokes
man said D. C. Village, tn
departments home for ELDERLY
people, is filled to capacity
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
Brandt to Be Guest
At Roosevelt Dinner.

Willy Brandt, Mayor of West
Berlin and leader of the West
German Social Democratic
Party. will speak on New
Frontiers for German Democ-
racy." at a Roosevelt Day din
ner at 1880 pm. March 10 in
the Shoreham Hotel.
President Kennedy is ma
tional honorary sponsor of APP
proximately Is dinners to be
given throughout the country
by Americans for Democratic
Action to honor the late Frank
lin D. Roosevelt.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
Amidon Pupils Get 3 R's-ond Learn
by JOHN ROSSON
star etaff writer

Probably nowhere in the Ma
ton Is there o public school
project being watched with
more interest this year by the
country's educators than the
Districts Amidon Elementary
School at Fourth and I streets
S.w.
This Is the much discussed
brainchild Of School Supt. Carl
F. Hansen. DR.. Hansen, q
modest man. would not put 1t
so strongly. but before he is
through, one educator said re-
Gently. he may be credited with
revolutionizing public school
teaching methods.
Drawing hundreds Of educa-
tors and parents inquiries from
coast to coast, Amidon-in the
heart Of the Districts South
west redevelopment areas
listed among the National Edu-
cation Associations important
new school programs getting
underway in the Nation this
year. @ y
Training Is AnaaIgam
Why Is Amidon important?
Educators have put it this
way:
"Amidon youngsters are
bound to come out Of class with
O better education-not this
loose type Of training that for
years has given the public
school student in many parts
Of the country q snattering Of
knowledge about q lot of things
but little specific knowledge
about anything" :.
What DR.. Hansen has done
ct Amidon Is not complicated.
Out Of the croSscurrent Of
educational theories in the
United States he simply has
fashioned for AIaidon an ANAL
gam Of the old and the new
systems Of public school train
ing, retaining what he calls
"the best Of both"
From the old he has REIN
stated the formerly respected
emphasis on the IS RS" From
the new he has kept the sew
eral psychological techniqueS
or twists which have proven
helpful in learning the 3 Rs
more rapidly and more thor
oughly.
Study Alphabet
Unlike many District ele-
mentary school students, Ami
don first graders, for instance,
are learning how to read by
first learning the alphabet
q. b, c, d, e, etc.-and not
simply by looking at g group
Of letters and recognizing them
as q word without knowing its
meaning or how to spell it.. II,
however, training also appears
needed in associating whole
words with pictures Of their
meanings (such as use Of q
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26

To-day we shall
Study spelling words
Learn about Columbus
Practice finding verbs
Read to get information
Practice short division
Run the 50-yard dash
Practice handwriting
Learn more square dancing
steps,"
Even the play periods are
planned.
Z Elementary school pupils
should not be turned loose dur
ing q physical education period
to simply run around in
circles" the superintendent
said. "They should have some
thing specific to do, like play
ing ball. jumping rope or play
ing tag"
That is DR.. HanSen's answer
to today's "wishy-washy" sys-
tenn of classroom floundering
In a recent talk on Amidon,
he said much Of the blame for
the laundering must be placed
on the Nations school admin
istrators, who have not been
providing organization and di-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
.. Has Problem
In Nursing Homes

ID
The licensing official said.
however. that the District will
try TO correct the misunder-
S tandings. His department
started last week to compile q
complete list of violations for
all the homes. This list win be
presented to the operators this
week.
The most COMMON violations
are the use Of open stairways,
the lack Of more than one exit
from upper floors, and the lack
Iof fireproofing surrounding the
furnace area.
Under older District laws, an
operator could receive license
approval by installing a sprink-
Ter system instead of making
some structural changes in the
building. Some of the six
nursing homes facing court ac-
ton have sprinkler systems
now, Mr.. Kinney said, but
some structural changes also
will be required before licenses
are issued.
Patients Are Problem
But the real drama of the
nursing homes centers on the
elderly patients who have no
other home.
A survey of some Of the
homes showed that each of the
patients-there are about so in
the six non-licenSed homes
has a peculiar problem that
made him or her enter q nurs-
ing home in the first place.
Some come because a nurs-
ing home is the only place
where they can receive the
proper medical attention. 9th
ers come because their only
relatives cannot care for them
for any one of a dozen reasons.
Others come because they are
old, and Ill, and alone in the
world.
The breakdown on violations
actually began last November
when inspectors of the build
lings and the fire and health
departments made joint visits
to nursing homes. They told
the operators that OIL January
/, 1861, q new and more severe
building code would go into
effect, and that the homes had
to comply with the code before
July /.
The deadline wasn't early
enough to help the victims of
the Mount Vernon fire. Now
District inspectors are deter
mined that the law will be en-
forced, even IL some Of the
people it is designed to protect
Iare Inconvenience.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
Tuition Grants
AssaiIed by
County Board
Arlington Body .
Threatening to
Withhold Funds
BY JOHN BARRON
star staff writer

Star Staff Writer
Arlington County Board
members yesterday threatened
to defy the State by withhold
ing money for tuition grants to
children attending private
schools.
IT think this program is an
outrageous raid on the public
treasury" County Board men,
Der Thomas Richards declared
1.-THE rest of the State may be-
gin to look on Arlington with
a jaundiced eye. but I am going
to vote against It,"
Board member Ralph Kaul
denounced the grants as dis
criminatory and asserted he
also will vote against further
appropriation Of local funds fol
them.
"If we do turn them down
we are embarking upon q
major policy change and ar
about shaking Of the rattle al
the State" Chairman Leo Dr.
banske cautioned.
IF we don't appropriate it
the State would deduct it from
| its reimbursements to us. II
would cause q great deal of ad-
ministrative difficulty, but II
may be worth it to establish q
principle"
Followed 1854 Decision
After the Supreme Courts
desegregation decision Of 1854
the Virginia General Assembly
enacted o bill requiring the
granting Of up to $3.50 to
parents who choose to send
their children to q private
non-sectarian school.
It's purpose was to benefit
those who wish to keep children
out Of Q racially integrated
public school, but mention Of
race was omitted from the Law
in an attempt to protect It's
validity.
Most Of the recipients In
Northern Virginia have beer
pupils who already were en-
rolled in private schools. In
some instances, the grants have
been used to help defray tuition
costs in integrated private
schools.
Arlington appropriated $780,
900 to finance the grants durinC
the current school year, but
claims under the program have
reached $57, 900.
The board yesterday was re-
queSted to allocate an extra
$4,000 to pay them and any
others that may be submitted
before the school year ends.
Kaul DenOunces Program
II 1t refuses, the state Is
empowered to pay the grants
and deduct the cost from tar
revenues 1t ordinarily would
send the county.
This program has gone far
beyond what the authors in
tended and certainly isn't
achieving the purpose set out
Mr.. Raul said. TT also is dis.
criminatory thing in that II
is paying for the private edu-
cation Of some students and not
others"
Mr.. Urbanske Persuaded the
board to delay the final de-
cision until March the IL when
members Herbert Brown and
Ernest Wilt, who were absent,
will return.
Last spring when the board
also ridiculed the tuition
grants, Mr.. Brown argued
against withholding funds for
them, saying such action would
be the equivalent Of "poking
the legislature in the ribs with
a stick"
In other discussion, board
members individually reaf-
firmed their intention to ap-
prove an ordinance transfer
ring from the State to the
local school board the power
to decide where students &c
to classes in the county. ..
It also voted to postpone
the next general property reas-
sessment until 1868.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26

End we have a waiting list q
mile long"
The official said, however,
that the department win make
sure that its seven patients
in the six homes are placed in
the village "if they want to go"
"We'll make room for them
somehow" he said, "but the
details will have to be worked
out later"
Donald r. Kinney, deputy
director of the Licenses and
Inspections Department, said
there is some hope that the
breakdown will not lead to the
closing of any of the homes.
"A couple Of these places are
really close to filling the re-
quirements of the building
CODE" he said, land they prob
ably will be able to do the
proper renovation soon. The
question is, who will be respon-
sible for giving them a period
of grace?"
Up to Judges
The question of who will be
responsible for the safety OF
the patients Of these nursing
homes is another part Of the
problem facing the District
The recent fire made clear the
type Of tragedy that can result
when a nursing home catches
fire. The plight of home opera
tors trying to borrow enough
money to make the required
renovations also cannot be
overlooked.
Mr.. Kinney said many Of the
homes now under attack have
been given extension before
But after that fire." Mr.. Kin
ney said. II don't think this
department will be responsible
for granting more time to
comply"
The inspection official said
his department will present
evidence against the nursing
homes tomorrow to Clark
King, assistant corporation
counsel. Mr.. King viii prose-
cute the cases.
Then it's up to the judges,
Mr.. Kinney said. They can
give the nursing home people
time to make building correc-
tons if they want to-"
But nursing home operators
say their main complaint
against the District is that
they have never been told ex-
actly what is expected Of them
IT can see where there might
be misunderstanding" Mr.
Kinney said. AFTER all, these
homes are subject to the law.
Of many departments"