davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
BY JOHN NEARY
Star Staff Writer

Former President Truman
yesterday laid the cornerstone
for Alexandria's new Y. M. c,
A.. sparkling the ceremony with
a few blasts at critics Of his
earlier architectural efforts.
Mr.. Truman said he has
placed many cornerstones, and
feels the effort is an honorable
one. He reminded the gather
ing that George Washington
laid the cornerstones Of the
White House and the Capitol.
He was one Of the greatest
cornerstone Layers in history"
That reminded Mr.. Truman
Of his connections with both of
those structures. He said do
coolers and old ladies were
sure the Capitol building would
be ruined by finishing it," and
said they also raised a commo-
ton when he started work on
the White House south portico
balcony. 4
The former President de-
Tended the balcony as "the way
Thomas Jefferson intended ii
to be" and said he has never
heard "a peep from the little
old ladies ever since"
Mr.. Truman arrived nearly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
AN HONORABLE EFFORT
Truman Lays Cornerstone

an hour late for the ceremony,
which drew more than 800
Alexandrians.
He crossed the muddy con-
struction site on q board walk,
marched UP the center aisle to
the strains of THE Caissons Go
Rolling Along" and apologized
profusely for being late.
He said it is difficult to keep
appointments straight "since I
don't have five or six secre-
,taries like I used to. You know
the National Democratic Com
mittee had a meeting and you
know I'm something Of a Demo-
craft"
Mr.. Truman said after the
noon committee meeting there
were other conflicts too. 1.-The
boss Of the household had ar
ranged to attend a dinner given
by oscar Chapman and that's
where I got into trouble"
Standing alongside Jacob II.
Poladian. the Alexandria con-
tractor whose gratitude to the
YMCA spearheaded the drive
for the construction Of the
Alexandria facility, Mr.. Tru-
man set about putting the cor
ner stone in place.
Brandishing the trowel at
press photographers, Mr.. Tru-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22

Another telephone company
problem is linked to the rapid
expansion, both in size and
population density. Of the
Washington Metropolitan Area.
Funds allocated for additions
to plant and equipment (across
the Nation, the AT&T plans to
spend $2.5 billion for capital
improvements in 1861 have q
tendancy to funnel into the ex-
tension of lines and the con-
struction of wire centers in the
suburbs.
Seeks Improvements
Last week C&P received per-
mission from the District Public
Utilities Commission to sell $40
million in debentures and to
issue $25 million in promissory
notes to AT&T for extension
and improvements.
Unfortunately, from an en-
cheering point of view, new
telephone subscribers in the
suburbs do not communicate
exclusively with each other.
Thousands of new subscribers
yearly direct a sizable percent
age of their calls to the pre-
existing downtown trunk lines.
In addition, certain key tele-
phone-call magnets in the
downtown area-newspaper Of
fices. congressional offices,
Government bureaus, radio
stations and weather stations
will receive an alwayS-in-
creasing number of calls from
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22

the expanding suburban net
work.
In connection with their
problems Of growth, C&P en-
gineers note the increase in
area telephones in the rela-
lively short period since last
July. when the company an
nounced there were l,183,000
telephones in the Metropolitan
area served by the Washington
C&P.
Subscribers Increase
This week, the company listed
total Of more than IL million
subscribers-641 900 in the Dis
trict, $4,000 in nearby Mary
land and $4,000 in nearby Vir-
ginia.
Next month, CSSP officials
stated, the company will make
a direct plea to the public for
assistance in relieving one par
ticular type Of circuit jamn1ing.
The company will ask in its
organization news bulletin, The
Cali, that subscribers instruct
their children in the use OF tele-
phone directories.
The appeal stems from a
severe overlooking of informa-
ton operators circuits last De-
cember IL and Is. On those two
days, area schools were closed
the December II snowstorm.
Operators reported that school
children, who were unwilling or
unable to look up their friends
telephone numbers, deluged the
information wires with hum
dreds of calls.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22

man said there you are,
there's your cornerstone"
Mr.. Poladian has said he
feels he owes a lifelong debt
to the YMCA for its help to
him when he arrived in this
country a half century ago aS
an Armenian immigrant. He
has donated 100000 In cash.
and nearly $4,000 worth Of
planning on the building, and
is building it.
Mr.. Truman was introduced
by Alexandria Mayor Leroy 8.
Bendheim, who described him
as "one Of the most courageous,
fearless and greatest Presidents
this Nation has ever had"
The YMCA is the second Of
MIR. Poladian's buildings to be
honofed by Mr.. Truman. In
1852 he laid the cornerstone
of the Westminster Presbyter-
ian Church, built by Mr.
Poladian.
Mai. Gen. Harry H. Vaughan
a former military aide Of Mr.
Truman, forwarded Mr.. Pc.
ladian's invitation to the for
mer President. Gen. Vaughan
is o member Of the Alex.
andria YMCA management
committee.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
BLIZZARD OR MOTHERS DAY DOES 1T
Holidays and Shows Are Telephones Foes

blocking is the inevitable lag
between service needs and
equipment installation. Offset
ting this lag to some extent are
the traffic trend studies the
company continually makes in
advance of the installation of
new facilities.
Trunk Lines Delayed
AS an example, relief for the
busy telephone centers in the
Lincoln and Anacostia areas
will be available next May 20,
when a new $2,160, 900 central
telephone office is due to be
opened on Benning road be-
tween Bladensburg road and
Kenilworth avenue NE.
Completion of the new office
will enable c. & P. to transfer
thousands of Lincoln-code lines
and phones in the Anacostia
area to the new central.
Company officials admit
that. in some instances. trunk
lines become overloaded simply
because planned facilities are
not installed on time. Last fall.
IL new trunk lines were sched-
uled to be added to SO trunks
connecting Georgetown's COIN
operated phones to a tandem
exchange in Arlington.
Because of a delay in the de-
livery and installation of vital
test equipment the IL circuits
were not placed in operation
until last week.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
BY GERALD HERNDON
Star staff Writer

Trunk line blocking-the in
termittent and usually momen-
tary overlooking of major tele-
phone circuits-is q nearly
inevitable consequence of heavy
telephone usage in Washington,
the Nations top city in tele-
phone density.
Washington's Chesapeake g.
Potomac Telephone Co., a pros
porous offspring of the Ameri-
can Telephone and Telegraph
Co.. boasts 80 telephones per
100 population-far in excess
Of the wiring density of New
York, which is second in the
Nation with 81 telephones per
100 people.
When q hurricane, a snow
storm. a Mothers Day or a
presidential Inauguration trig-
gers sudden surges Of telephone
activity. the cautiously engi-
neered traffic capacities of the
C&P's local system are strained
to their limit-or beyond them.
Busy Signals Sound
Operators at key SWITCH
boards in the Capital in recent
days and weeks have reported
hundreds of blocked trunk
lines. And telephone users have
encountered what sound like
busy signals-but aren't really
by the thousand, often when
the called line or switchboard
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
Derwinski Speaking
To Ukruiniun Group

|, Representative Derwinski, Re-
publican of Illinois, will address
q meeting Of the Ukrainian AS
ISOLATION Of Washington at $3.50
pm. today In the North Room
Of the Washington Hotel.
The talk will be in connec-
ton with the commemoration
of the Proclamation Of indie
pendence of the Ukraine.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22

is not itself busy or totally &C
tivated.
An unprecedented surge of
calls to the Capitol in recent
weeks has resulted in the in
stallation Of 10 new trunk lines
to the Capitol switchboard,
bringing the Capitol private
branch exchange (PBX), trunk
total to 1871.
Capitol operators, however,
say that even when several
trunk lines are still open. a call
to CA. 4-3121 may result in a
busy" signal.
There are several reasons for
trunk-line blocking, C&P Of
ficials said. And Inauguration
activity last week was only one
Of them.
Shows Cause Overlooking
Sudden fluctuations in tele-
phone traffic. a cap engineer
said, may cause an overlooking
Of trunk routes for a period of
two or three minutes. The
spurts may be occasioned by a
snowstorm or even by a sonic
boom. he said.
H. P. Harnsberger, a staff
engineer in the company's traf-
fic engineering department,
said: I'VE can't, on q year.
round basis. economically pro-
vide equipment designed to
handle traffic loads which oc-
cur on Mothers Day and
Christmas Eve"
Another cause of circuit
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
Of the biggest fights of the ses-

Of the biggest fights of the ses-
sion.
Would Tap Surplus
The teachers association
wants to shake loose some Of
State treasury surplus and re-
juggle the James plan to fl
nance its pay proposal. State
PTA representatives are round
ing up signatures In a massive
petition movement in support
of the associations pay plan.
Resistance to an increase in
the State tobacco tax appeared
to be building up last week
under the leadership of South
ern Maryland tobacco growers
But the growers have a tough
job overcoming the lure OF
about S. million which the To-
calities would receive under the
tax increase.
The cigarette tax would be
increased from 3 cents to 6
cents a pack to make it uniform
over the State. Some localities
now have a local tax In addi-
ton to the Scent State levy.
All the extra money-estimated
at about S. million-would 60
to the localities. Nearly all
counties would receive a sub
Stantial sum.
The cigarette tax increase
was proposed by the James
committee and Endorsed by the
Legislative Council and Gov.
Tawes. 1t was expected to have
pretty clear sailing. but some
legislators have indicated they
want to take a close look at it
Sales Tax Expansion
Some resistance also is being
encountered to expanding the
sales tax when the State has
enough surplus money to f.
nance next years budget with.
out q tax increase. But mos
Democratic leaders woulc
rather take the expansion o.
the sales tax this year thar
face the possibility Of q major
tax increase next year just be-
fore elections.
On the redistricting front
1t appeared last week the Dem
ocratic Party leaders have set
tied on Prince Georges and
Howard Counties to make UP
the new 9th congressional dis
trict which Maryland gets as
a result Of the 1860 census.
Gov. Tawes is expected to rec
ommend a redistricting plan to
the Legislature within the next
week or so.
More bills to reapportion the
seats In the General Assembly
were submitted last week. Rep
resentatives of the big counties
which would benefit under re-
apportionment said that it will
take a major push by Gov.
Tawes to get 1t through the
Legislature this year.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22

places. The 1,126 legal points
of contact do not count inter-
sections; 400 of them are side
walk loading stations and 1T
are alleys.
Over / million square feet of
commercial space Is vacant.
Downtown Progress studies
show 1.3 million square feet at
462 locations. representing q
gigantic loss in potential rent
revenue.
More than half the passen-
ger traffic, SO per cent, in
downtown is just passing
through.
Big Drop in Taxes
Total assessed valuation of
the project area dropped be-
tween 1859 and 1860 but signs
now point to a leveling off,
perhaps because of the effort
to rejuvenate downtown.
Asked how long it would take
to restore downtown to glow
ing health. Mr.. Banner declined
to make an estimate. He said
1t depends on how fast private
money is invested in the area.
Frank J. Luchs, president Of
the Washington Real Estate
Board, contends. I'VE need a
$500 million blood TRANSMISSION
into the circulatory stream Of
downtown. not just 81 million.
Where is this kind of money
coming from? 1t will come from
alert investors, provided they
see a solid investment basis. +"
He urged support Of the re-
juvenation effort.
Mr.. Banner said 1t was "un-
likely" urban renewal powers
to assemble land owned by
separate owners would be en-
ployed this year. However. he
said the Federal program
eventually will have to be used.
For those hoping for early
surgery on downtown, Mr.. Ban
ner warned that the new look
will come through a series of
improvements and changes. 1t
won't be a dramatic, overnight
change"
Downtown Progress is fl
nanced mainly by Washington
businessmen. However, the Dis
trict has contributed money to
the effort. The city earmarked
100000 for it in the new budget.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
Girls Story
Holds Father
AsArsonist

A 43-year-old father of three
was charged with arson yester-
day on his children's state
ments that he set fire to an
empty bed in their room.
The eldest Of the three girls,
Geneva Wilson, IL, led the
other two to safety without
harm, but q 6e-year-old roomer
in the house at 5l1 s street
NV. entered the flaming room
seeking them and was badly
burned.
Detective Charles M. Queen
arrested William Wilson, the
father. in the 800 block Of
Florida avenue NV, yesterday
afternoon after seeking him
since the fire, which occurred
at 9::35 pm. Friday.
Two Of the daughters, Gem
eva and Dolores, 6. told police
they were awakened to see their
father setting q vacant bed
afire. Geneva said she tried to
put out the fire. according to
Detective Frank Eccles. but
the father returned later and
poured q liquid on the smolder-
ing bed. which leaped into
flame. The girl carried the
third child, Renee, an infant,
out Of the room and returned
to lead Dolores out.
BY this time a neighbor had
turned in a fire alarm and the
roomer. William White went to
the children's second floor bed
room. Unable to find them, he
attempted to fight the flames.
He is in critical condition at
Freedmen's Hospital with burns
of the face, shoulders and legs.
The children's mother, Louise
Wilson, was working at a res
taurant at the time Of the
blaze.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
Architect Speaks

Paul Rudolph. American
architect and judge in the
recent Franklin Delano Roose-
welt Memorial competition, will
speak on THE Rise and Fall
of the Curtain Wall" at the
Corcoran Gallery at $40 pm.
Thursday.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
AiIing Downtown Awaiting Results
Of Health Report by Committee

they arrive. Downtown Prog
ress (short name for the Ma
tional Capital Downtown Com
mittee) staffers are counting
on the mass transit system to
bring the people into downtown
and are considering internal
transportation like special
buses and trains.
2. Adequate parking prop
erly located. Studies are under
way on multi-level garages
above and under the ground.
3. Complimentary and COM
patible uses of downtown" For
example, businesses which have
trucks going in and out all day
should not be located where
pedestrian traffic is heavy nor
near apartment houses.
4. Provision of land in
downtown or Immediately ad-
jacent to it for residential use."
Besides providing built-in Gus
toners and employees for down.
town businesses, Mr.. Banner
said people living in the city
give it life in contrast to the
dead atmosphere of Washing
tons present downtown after
dark. He said two to four times
as many modern apartments
should be placed in downtown
over the next Is to 20 years.
Started Last July
Just how to go about rebuild
ing a downtown embodying
these four musts has occupied
the Downtown Progress staff
since it set up shop in the
Sheraton Building at TIL Four
tenth street NV. last July. II
has conducted all kinds OF
studies, even to having a firm
stop people on the street to find
out how they felt about down.
town.
These studies will continue
through April, 1862, and form
the basis of a detailed master
plan. The studies to date and
interviews with Washington
organizations shaped the broad
plan of action to be unveiled
Thursday.
Here are some Of the things
the studies have revealed so far,
Pedestrians walking through
the downtown area can fine
obstacles in the form of vehi.
Giles or goods in more than 1,00C
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
BY GEORGE WILSON
Star Staff Writer

At noon Thursday, scores of
Washington businessmen will
gather in the Statler Hilton
Hotel like SO many worried rela-
tives to hear the results of the
city's first retail cardiogram.
The doctors" they called in
last July to examine the ailing
downtown area between Fifth
and Fifteenth streets and Mas
sachusetts and Pennsylvania
avenues NV. will report their
findings and prescribe treat
ment.
Plan of Doctors"
Although the prescriptions
will not be disclosed until then,
the suggested cure for down.
town eventually will include
some urban renewal surgery to
remove such cancerous growths
as ramshackle .rooming houses
and decrepit office buildings.
In their place, the doctors"
would like to see such things as
luxury apartments, graceful Of
flee buildings and squares of
greenery where shoppers and
residents can rest and reflect.
A city college, tourist center and
grassy mall all are possibilities
under discussion for the new
downtown.
But the lifting of down.
town must wait until deeper
troubles like bad vehicular and
pedestrian circulation are rem
edied.
Knox Banner, executive d.
rector of the National Capital
Downtown Committee formed
to rejuvenate the downtown
area, said the mall frequently
suggested for F street would
II 1t is built at all-be one of
the last things. First" he said,
"you have to find a way to
handle the traffic."
Conditions Listed
In an interview with The
Star, Mr.. Banner listed these
conditions as muSts for q
healthy downtown:
/. "A balanced transportation
system" so that people can get
to the city easily and move
around within it freely after
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22

ed to total about $3.50 million.
Special funds-such as road
building, which is financed by
motor vehicle and gasoline
taxes-and Federal aid pro-
grams will raise the total budg-
ct to the $500 million figure.
The Governor will give the
lawmakers two alternatives on
taxes. He will tell them that
they can adopt a general fund
budget Of about $240 million
without q tax increase, or one
of about $3.50 million with a
tax increase.
Expenses Still Growing
The additional $40 million
would finance extra aid to To-
calities for education and well
fare programs. This was pro-
posed by the James Committee
and Endorsed by Gov. Tawes.
Although the Governor could
balance the $3.50 million budget
with SURPRISES on hand, he has
already told the lawmakers that
expenses are growing faster
than tax revenues and that II
would be fiscal responsibility
to finance the extra aid pro-
gram with surpluses this year
and face the possibility of q
major tax increase next year.
To finance the James Com
mittee plan, Gov. Tawes is ex-
pected to recommend lowering
the starting point of the sales
tax from 81 cents to either 81
cents or IS cents and extend
the tax to restaurant meals
which are now exempt. He has
indicated he will recommend
that the taxing point on res
taurant food begin at the same
price as the tax on general
items.
Squabbles over the budget
and taxes got under way sew.
eral days ago In the three.
week-old session Of the Legls.
lature even though the Cover.
nor had not officially presented
his spending recommendations
Pressure From Teachers
The biggest Juror resulted
from pressure by some legisla-
tors and the State Teachers
Association for an increase in
funds for teacher pay. A COM
promise teacher pay plan cost
ing some 81 million more than
the James plan was proposed
but was rejected by q group OF
legislative leaders and Gov
Tawes.
Next week will see another
burst Of activity on the teacher
pay issue. Angered by the re-
lection of the compromise pro-
posal. the teacher lobby said II
is now going about for an ever
bigger pay increase.
The teachers want q pay
raise program which would cost
$l3 million. The James plar
would provide some $6.4 mil
lion, Of which about half could
be used for teacher pay and
half would be earmarked for
school construction.
A bill to carry out the teach
ers' program probably will be
introduced next week. So far,
some 20 legislators have agreed
to sponsor the bill. according
to teacher association repre-
sentatives. There still Is con-
siderable support for giving the
teachers more money, and the
issue probably will result in one
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-01-22
DC. May Bar
Tax Revision
For S|unl Aid
Finance Experts
Call Revision
No Blight Cure
By SAM EASTMAN
Star Staff Writer

have been advised by aides to
drop any idea Of using the real
estate tax as a weapon, against
slums.
This was the gist Of a report
recently submitted by the Fl
nance Office with the indorse-
ment Of Schuyler Lowe. chief
Of the Department of General
Administration.
The Finance Office had been
directed to report on the feas-
Utility Of revising the city's real
estate tax to take the profit
out of slum property ownership
and to encourage private devel-
opment.
The answer. the Commits
sioners were told. is mo" Sew
eral major reasons were cited
In the study.
Present Levy No Bar
The study had covered two
possible tax moves against
Washington's slums.
One suggested method would
be to reward q developer with
some form Of tax exemption OF
tax abatement. The other ap-
proach would be to gear the
tax to penalize the sluu
owner.
Before taking up these spe-
cific proposals, the report said
no evidence had been found
that the Districts present tax
approach is blocking property
improvements or encouraging
retention Of slums.
And. all other factors aside
tax changes alone will never
cure the city's slum ailments
which involve complex social
and economic factors, the
Commissioners were told.
The theory behind the tax
exemption or abatement plan
is that the present system
tends to discourage private
construction because Of the
sheer weight Of the burden
from this levy.
This Is not true in the
District. the report said. One
reason given was that the city
has q wide variety Of taxes.
and thus has been able to keep
the actual real estate levy in
line with those In the nearby
jurisdictions.
Also. the Commissioners were
advised. the proposal would
violate the doctrine that the tar
burden should be levied uni.
formly. based on the value Of
the property.
Exemptions Costly
The Finance Office reported
that 1t is hard to believe the
District would gain in the lone
run by rewarding o developer
In order to encourage q rela.
lively few specific projects.
More than half the city's land
area already is exempt from
taxation (mainly. because OF
Federal ownership and more
exemptions would further mar
row the tax base and add tc
the rate Of the levy on taxable
properties the report said.
The second proposed ap-
proach was to shift all, OF
nearly all, Of the levy to land
and away from buildings. The
reasoning behind this plan Ii
that the change would compeI
all land to be put to its highest
and best use. The theory here
is that slum property otter
yields higher profits thar
higher-assessed structures be.
cause Of the heavy tax bite or
the land improvements.
Here again, the report said
the proponents ignore the fact
that slums are the result oil
many broad and com pie y
factors.