Evening Star Newspaper, September 14, 1921, Page 6

. swiftly attain to healthful prosperity. 6 THE EVENING STAR, With Sundsy Morning Edition. WASHINGTON,)D. C\ ‘WEDNESDAY . September 14, 1821 THREODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Eveniug Star Newspaper Compsny Business Office, 11th §t. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 150 Nassau St. Chicago Office: First National Bank Ruildh Wuropean Office: 3 Hegent St London, England. ,The Evening Star. with the Sunday morning edition, is delivered by carriers within the eity 4t 80 cents per montb: daily only, 43 cents month: only. 20 cents pef month. ders may be sent by mail, or tele) 8000. éflmmu is made by at the end of esch month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. and Virginis. ernment’s own figures, compiled by the. bureau of labor statistics, the cost of . |living in May, 1921, in nineteen sea- &ast cities of the United States was such that the annual budget of a fam- 1ly of five on a standard of health and decency was $2.2¢6.68, and that to maintain this @ man must work full time throughout the year at the rate of 91 cents an hour. The employes contend that private employers are . | paying 90 cents an hour for firstclass mec] , and that this is the aver- age rate in many localities. The eom- mandant of the Washington yard ap~ proved & recommendation of 80 cents an hour for this class of workers, but the wage board reduced the figure to 73 cents an hour, or 18 cents less than the labor bureau figudes showed to be 4 necessary for the decent maintenance Dally ‘and Sunday.1 yr. Daily only. o flngfly' 13T, No mare Bccurate diagnosis as to the wherefor of existing industrial de- pression in the United States has ever been pronounced than that indirectly laid down in Judge Landis’ decision in the recent building arbitration in Chicago. No more helpful prescrip- tion for the cure of that depression has been volunteered jhan that sug- gested in his rulings'in the particular case before him. Judge Landis cut to the core of the ulcer which threatens the business prosperity of the nation— of capital and labor alike. Conflicts over wages and hours of labor he treat- ed as surface manifestations of a chronic ailment. He dealt with them dncidentally, for all that he dealt deftly, He was seeking the seed from which they sprang, the internal poison of which they gave external evidence. He cut deep, discovered that which he knew was there and removed it, rejoic- ing that his patient might now re- - cover. “The real malady,” Landis, in handing flTwn his decision, “lurked in conditions|artificially creat- ed to give the partiesia monopoly, and in rules designed to produce waste for the mere sake of waste, all combining to bring about an insufferable situa- tion.” What Judge Landis, the operating surgeon, found in the way of monopo- listic proclivities en the part of the Chicago employers is generally recog- nized as an economic evil today and, being so recognized, is not a general condition throughout the country. But .what he found in the way of union rules designed “to produce waste for the mere sake of waste,” is not gen- erally recognized in its true light, and as a result has its being throughout the length and breadth of the land. Yet if there is to be an end to indus- trial conflict, if economic principles rdther than fallacies borne of avarice and laziness are to prevail, it is high time for a true understanding, that the principle established by the Chicago Judge in his treatment of “‘make-work™ regulations in the builders’ unions of that city may be emulated throughout the country. + “Make-work" regulatieps, promulgat-. ed by the unions, are insisted upon by organized labor today as gssential to the welfare of the .worker. Taking countless forms, the most prominent ot which is insistanee upon the right to dictate an invariable number of employes as requisite for a frequently varying function, these regulations, serving as they do mo economic end, ‘have been overlong endured. They are . admitted by the unions to exist solely .for the purpose of creating pay for thefr members—pay for “work” which produces mothing. - Each: “make-work” regulation is an economic crime., Each costs the ulti- mate donsumer tens of thousands of doflars each year. Each inculcates in the' mind of the one by whom it is pfacticed the vicious theory that the world owes him something for nothing —dollars for unproductive 'gestures. Each stands as a barrier in the path to an equitable solution of the mutual yroblems of capital and labor. Judge Landis, with uncompromising vigor, has cut them from the indus- trial scheme of the building trades of Chicago. The ‘trade in question will said Judge ‘The real malady under Wwhich the in- dustry of the nation sickens today cries for similar courage that it, too, may be set upon the road to complete recovery. : k . —————et e ‘When a man,who has been actively engaged in Epropean ‘politics an- nounces that he needs a vacation, even the most unsympathetic observer finds no reason to feel the slightest doubt in the matter. ———————— Quotations of the value of currency fn a few foreign countries indicate ‘very little more than a slight margin of profit on the cost of manufacture. All that Clemenceau asks at present is “to be left alone.” Under some cir- cumstances & policy of isolation must be regdrded as excusable. ————te— { The Navy Yard Pay Scale. Unless President Harding intervenes a new wage scale will be’ &stablished in the Washington navy yard on Fri- day, materially lower than that which now prevails. The employes of the yard, machinists mainly, have protest- ed to the President against -the award of the naval wage board, and the mat- ter is now under executive considera- tion. The new wage scale establishes 73 cents an hour a® a maximum rate for the basic trades, and proportionate- 1y less for the other less skilled groups. This represents an increase of about 45 per cent above the:pre-war -wage level, but an average reduction of the ‘weekly wages of skilled mechanics to about $29.20, a decrease of $14 a' week from previous earnings. These reductions, it is urged by the ‘Navy Department officials, are neces- sary to bring the cost of maintaining the navy yards down to the figures of the reduced appropriations. If the ‘wage scale is not cut, it is contended, it will be necessary to keep the yards on short time, giving each man only| about five days of work a week, or materially to reduce the force. of a family of five. Economy is essential in the govern- ment. Bdt the question arises whether this economy should go to the poiat of working hardship. Congress bas materially reduced the appropriations, but it cannot be believed that it in- tended to effect thereby a reduction in the compensation of employes below the point of decent living. The gov- ernment should surely pay no less than is paid in private employment for sifnilar work. I the new wage scale is below the private rates it should be amended. If the total of the appropriations is not sufficient to maintain the full farce of the yard at the fair rates required for decent liv- ing the force should be reduced in size rather than in rate of pay. These considerations are doubtless being care- fully weighed by the President in sea- son for decision before Friday. ————————— American Ships and Seamen. This is from New York: A declaration - of preference for American citizens over aliens in the manning of American ships was passed unanimously today at the quar- terly meeting of the American Ship- owners’ Association. The declaration stated that history afforded no ex- ample of a successful maritime nation which drew the bulk of its seagoing personnel from sourees other than its own_inhabitants, and that competent Americans were justly entitled to em- Dloyment preference by all American shipowners. A good policy, worthyyof adoption in all lines of American endeavor. On land, as well as on water, let us all stand together; help one ancther; make America stronger than ever by mak- ing it more thoroughly American. The spirit of this policy has just been asserted in Porto Rico, where a party favoring independence for the island has been organized and is pushing| propaganda. Some of its members seeking appointment to office have just been denied recognition by the newly inaugurated American governor, jon the score that the patronage of the government should of right be du-l tributed among those who are friendly to the government—a perfectly sound Pproposition. So in the matter of manning Ameri- can ships. Preference is due American seamen. They are to be credited with pride in their country; with a desire to see her go forward in all her under- takings, and to help in the line of their 1abors. 4 If they are not available now in] numbers they soon should be. Years ago, when we addressed ourselves ta the sea carrying business, we could, and did, boast of as fine sailors a» could be found; lnd.‘wlth them, we achieved big results on' the water. That history can be repeated, and this is the time to do it. The American Shipowners’ Association is on the right tack. ———se e The New York Primary. Fusion against Tammany won easily yesterday in the New York mayoralty primary. Henry H. Curran, the mayor- alty nominee, has proved his worth in several places of public trust, and en- joys the confidence and, respect of all who know him. He is equal to the duties of the office he seeks, and if properly supported will be elected. F. H. La Guardia, president of the board of aldermen, was a candidate, but weakened himself by attacking Gov. Miller, and securing thus the ap- plause of the Tammanyites. The re- publicans wisely turned from the man whose nomination the opposition de- sired. Another candidate was Judge Has- kell of Brooklyn, who frankly appealed for wet support. The result shows that the republicans of New York do not favor the restoration of the drink traf- fic and the reopening of the saloon. The women particularly were opposed to that proposition. Mayor Hylan was unopposed for re- nomination. More tryly than in his first race he is the candidate in this race of Tammany Hall, and stands for a Tammany administration of the town. Leader Murphy will exert him- self to put him over. It is a pretty fight as it,stands, and the result may have a bearing in- directly on next year’s state race, and that result, in turn, an the presidential race of 1924. The enrollment is in tavor of, the fusion forces, and management should give them the vietory. - , ———t—e The United Stites ‘Senate, once satirically referred to as a millionaires’ club, is now regarded as a congenial field for the statesman who likes Tong hours and plenty of responsibility. ——————— Admirers of Elihu Root evidently re- call the definition of “‘genius” as “an infinite capacity for hard work.” There' is difficulty in reducing bur- glars, hold-up men and bootleggers to a state of unemployment. Fire Prevention. October 10 has been proclaimed as Fire-prevention diy for this District in common with all other parts of the country. The citizens’ organizations and trade bodies have been isked to co-operate in bringing to the attention of the public on that day the fact that the fire loss in the United States dur- ing 1920 amounted to half a billion dollars and ‘caused the death of 1,500 ‘Washington’s share of this fire ioss is proportionately small, but it should be even smaller. Almost all fires are, preventable. The half: billion. dollars| The contention of the employes in|of loss in the United States js virtually Mln‘nbfll!u\x‘flutom‘ng all ' waste. Locally all of the fire loss ia! 800d{upyt in all humility. THE 'EVENING / STAR, WASHINGTON, 'D. ¢. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1921 absolute e} Care in 'the main- tenance of rty, attention to wires and fires, ;& tion from careless- ness, the proper -use.of screens and rigid Observance: of rules by smokers, thie| préper stowage of combustibles, Al these are necessary safeguards and all are easy. ’ The accumulation, of trash, indiffer- ent inspection of wiring, exposure of flimsy material to heated pipes, the omission of gratings from cellar open- ings through which matches and light- ed smokes may be dropped from the streets, and the ignoring of safety rules by occupants are the main causes of fires. Sometimes children playing ‘with) matches start blazes, but the matches were carelessly exposed to the reachr of the children. Sometimes rats gnaw - off electric insulation, which should not have been exposed to their reach. Sometimes lace curtains are blown into gas flanies, which should not have.been left burning in condi- tions to make contact possible. Some- times hot: grease bubbles over in kitchens and sets fire to woodwork. ‘This wouldinot happen with proper at- tention to the stove. In short, ¢the wholé range of fires, big and little, comes to the point of human carélessness and neglect. Fire- prevention day is designed to concen- trate attentiort upon this fact, to stim- ulate systematic, habitual considera- tion of the firemaking elements and ways of checking them. Every day, of course, should be Rire-prevention day, and the purpose of this annual observ- ance is to stimulate the habit of con- stant care and consideration. Only by getting fire-prevention habit can this country be spared from the terrible waste of property and of lives from which it suffers. ‘Vast interests, including the art col- lection of Archduke Frederick of Aus- tria, having been purchased by an American syndicate, may lead to litiga- tion to enforce the new company’s| rights to certain properties. This litl- gation will affect governments and may lead to the intrusion of politics into art, as well as, on occasions, into business. g The suggestion by a patriotic hotel proprietor that gold service be pro- vided for President Harding's dinner table found no official encouragement. The American banquet, like so many grand. opera performances, is not ex- pected to become notable chiefly for its jewelry display. . ‘The soviet government is offering concessions to manufacturers of other countries. Russian radicals naturally ‘wonder what has become of the proj- ects for conducting business without the assistance of capital. A considerable advantage is enjoyed by Dr. Einstein through the fact that his theory, being difficult to demon- strate to the popular intelligence, leaves very little for an argument against it to take hold of. ¥he new call to patriotism relates to the duty of every éitiz:n however humble to do all in his power to dis- courage the crime wave now going through the country. ¢ If other business should threaten to be scant the league of nations can al- ways rely on an interesting argument on article X. Foreign interests are expanding at a rate that may make a board of di- rectors’ meeting ‘as influential as a; session of the league of nations. The Chicago fashion expert, who says that 90 per cent of women are homely is not likely to be popular in his home town. The. dirigible has not yet succeeded in claiming an economic status as either a luxury or a necessity. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Same Old September. Same olg September ‘With glints of autumn gold; Summer's flerce ember Above us now grows cold. New thoughts and phrases, New frocks and frills, The change oft amazes As the years-drift o'er the hills. Same beauty gleaming Among the tyrning leaves, Same treasure beaming In the safely garnered sheaves. Cares we remember, . Sorrows draw near; e But’the same old September Always brings the same old cheer, In All Humility. “You sometimes discuss sybjects you don’t understand,” remarked the censorious friend, ° | “Yes,” replied Senator Sorghum; I'm perféctly willing to keep the conversation going so that the other fellow will have g chance to explain "em to me.” Jud Tunkins says he knows & man that’s always threatenin’ to quit work in spite of the fact that he never started it. -« Lengthy Complications. Debates may bring confusion That will leave us sad of heart;’ ‘When you get to the conclusion You can’t quite recall the start. =P Always Busy. “You mever pay dttention, t5 idle gossip?”- . “There’is no such thing,” answered Miss Cayenne. “Gossip 18 never idle.” Relleving the Monotony. “Does a game of poker help you to th forget your troubles?” . - “Not exactly,” replied Cactus Joe. “Mostly it only gives me a new kind.” A father in the east has disinherited his daughter because she bobbed- her hair. Cut off without a cent—Detroit News. . Because some one said business was not eqt ‘with a self-starter a lot of others think there is a “demand for cranks.—Milwaukee Journal. * T Yefer to Mr. Dawes” to trim the budget.—Baltimore Sun,. Editorial Digest. Is Obregon Right? The American press on the whole i3 in hearty sympathy with the dec- laration of President Obregon, in hi message to the Mexican congre: that the treaty asked of him by Sec- retary’ Hughes is “neither possible, convenient nor necessary.” Such a treaty, these papers feel, would in ef- fect create special privilege for American interests, and Obregon is therefore justified in refusing to ne- gotiate it. Most editors on this side of the border take the view that the | recent decision of the supreme court of Mexico, declaring that the pro- vision of the constitution which re- | serves subsoil rights to the Mexican government cannot be regarded as retroactive, substantially grants the contention of American property holders in Mexico, and removes, the most serious obstacle in the way of friendly relations. There is, conse- quently, a renewed demand in our papers for recognition of the Obregon government. A _minority opinion holds that while the court ruling is gratifying and eases the situation considerably, it contains no guaran- tees for future development in Mexico by foreigners, and that a treaty must be made which will fully protect American investors. President Obregon “has made fit clear” in his message “that his ad- ministration does not propose sur- rendering the sovereignty which ico as a free nation must retain, the New York Globe (independent) feels that opinion will approve heartily.” The American State Department, the New York World (democratic) thinks, “has only stiffened his determination not to sign the treaty demanded of him,” and “he deserves the respect of the American people for refusing.” He states explicitly, the Loulsville Courier-Journal (democratic) points out, that his reasons for refusing to be a part of the suggested treaty is that “he will neither abase himself nor degrade his country by bowing to the dictation of Washingto: As the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch (independent democratic) sees it, “in- sistence on recognition and protection for the rights of our nationals is one thing; demanding special rights and privileges and generally playing the bully would be quite another thing.” and since “special privilege for Ameri- cans was what our diplomats were after,” the Minnesota Star (Minneap- olis, 'independent) is “heartily glad that Obregon is aware of it and de- termined not to yield.” Besides, the Chattanooga Times (independent demo- cratic) suggests, might have oc- curred to Obregon that it is bad form to make treaties with governments whose legal existence” is not recog- nized. But “nobody knows better than a Mexican politician,” says the Detroit Free Press (independent), “that there are several ways of depriving a feline of its hide,” and it entertains “the ‘suspicion that Obregon may have brought some benign influence to bear on the judges” of the supreme court to accomplish by means of a decision what he refused to concede in terms of a treaty, since while the concession “in precisely the form demanded by the administration, the substance of the thing required is to be found in the pronouncement of the court. The Sioux City Journal (republican) speaks of this decision as “a crutch on which Obregon may be able to limp into the effulgent light of inter- national recognition,” and the Cleve- land Plain Dealer (independent demo- cratic) considers it “obliging” of the Mexican supreme court to translate “Obregon’s amiability” into terms of & court decision. The court ruling, the New York Tribune (republican) finds, removes danger of confiscation under “titles secured in the past.” But, it asks, “has the decision gone far enough? Does it safeguard the future?’ As the Philadeiphia Public Ledger( independ- ent) interprets the decision, tt leaves “the policy of nationdlization of oil and other resources untouched and unsolved,” and since that “bolsheyist” policy is “the'tallest hurdle batween the Mexicans and recognition,” the court action “does not help, directly, in bringing Washington around to the recognition of the Obregon gov- ernment.” In fact, it may even have made matters worse, the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch (independent) sus- pects, because should ~Washington “still insist that the same principle be explicitly recognized in treaty form,” the Mexicans may readily in- terpret that ‘“‘as a direct indictment of the validity and good faith of Mexican supreme court decisfons,” and “if Obregon persists in refusing such “disinterested American | a treaty,” the Buffalo Express (inde- pendent republican) remarks, “he will not be recognized.” His “outbreak de- nouncing the proposals made by the United States for a treaty of com- merce and amity,” the Baltimore News (independent) feels, “does not help the situation,” because its effect “is to diminish confidence in Obregon him® self,” His attitude in_that matter, however, the Syracuse Herald (inde- interprets as a olitical and it predicts that “despite this message and the feeling in Mex- ico, a treaty will be signed when the time comes.” But the Arizona Republican (Phoe- nix, independent progressive) _de- clares that “the Mexican courts have given to American petroleum inter- ests all that they could reasonably de- mand,” leaving us, as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (independent) sees us, “in the position of having distrusted the other side’s umpire, who never- theless awards us the game by a score of 9 to 0. The Widow's Return. Franz Lehar once said that his most cherished possession was a copy of the cartoon that appeared years ago, entitled “I'd Like to KIill the Man Who Wrote the ‘Merry Widow’ Waltz” It pictured the fate of a man who was awakened by the sound of the familiar strain whistled by' the milkman and was harried throughout the day by the same tune cranked out by every organ grinder. ) But if this was a genuine tribute to the composer it is almost equaled by the persistent popularity of “The Merry Widow” in nearly every coun- try in the world. That the operetta has been revived again in New York, with a special cast and one of Ur- ban's best stage settings, shows that its charm still lives. “The Merry Widow” bears the same relation to the musical comedies of the last decade - that Stevenson's “Prince Otto” and Hope's international intrigue and romance. Others have tried to imitate it—Lehar himself has never produced its equal— but the imitations have died after a brief fit of - popularity.—New York Tribune (republican). Cotton is another dethroned king who wants to come back.—Nashville Banner. Can’t our diplomats' imitate the win- ;‘;‘:‘ ‘ways of our sportsmen?—Louisville t. 3 ‘When those explorers reach the top of Mount Bverest they'll find “No Parking Here.”—Saginaw. News-Courier. A magazine writer says very few poets are blondes. This is probably due to the fact that poets are born and not made.— Rochester Tiines-Union. S Even if the coming winter isn’t severe e coal prices will be.—Toledo Blade. Voliva is wrong. A man isn't bald ‘because he’s smart. He's bald because hair restorers won't restore.—Arkansas Gazétte. And though you build your house in the depths of a forest, the bill collectors will make a path to your door.—Hart- ford Times. “Another * excellent frontisplece for a ‘war history would be a life-size portrait of a tax receipt.—Akron Beacon-Jour- um"m “Shike your dictators well 10 the reliet “Prisoner | of Zenda” do to the recent novels of | Comfortable Rocker Substantially built of solid oak — upholstered in best grade leatherette. $8.95 $1 Cash—$2 Monthly " 6-Piece Bedroom Suite Your choice of walnut or mahogany, consisting of Dresser, Chifforette, Vanity Dressing Table and Full-size Bed; Rust-proof Sanitary Spring and All-cotton Mattress... $19.50 Cash—$3.00 Weekly Solid Oak Buffet " Rich golden finish, highly polished. 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