Evening Star Newspaper, January 29, 1923, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR, ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY......January 20, 1923 1 THEODORE W. NOYE! Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office, 11th §t. and Pennsylvania Ave. g s “iramer. Holding: Kuropean Office : 16 Regent St., London, England. The Evening Star, with the Sunday mornlog #4ition, {a delivered by carricrs within the city @t 60 cents per month: daily on'v. 45 ceuts per month; Sunday only, 20 cents per month, OF- ders may be went by mail or elephone Maia §000. Collection fs wade by carriers at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. ‘Maryland and Virginia. Dally and Sunday..1yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70¢c Daily only.... 5.00: 1 mo., 50 Sunday only. All Other States. Dally and Suaday..1 yr., $10.00; 1 mo., 85¢ Daily only 1yr., $7.00; 1 mo., 60c SBunday only 1y $3.00; 1 mo., 25¢ Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled #2 the use for republication of all news dis- atclies credited 1o it or not otherwise credited n this paper and also the local news pub- lished “herei-. Al rizhts of publication of #pectal dispatihes herein are also reserved. _— Consistency and Equity. The United eredit items deficits in 1 States has recognized n its favor aceruing from trict tax revenue created by the operation of the half-and-half law, and has reimbursed itself from District revenues with interest to meet these deficits. It legally equitably, refuse to recognize the cor- responding debit items of collected and unexpended District taxes in the shape of surpluses. | A of cannot, or we have seen, deficits in the Dis: LS X revenues o years between 1900 and 1910. To cover these the District from Uncle Sam §3,992,515 paid the advances, with $58 zerest. Iu the and 1920 revenues urred in seven deficits borrowed and re .68 in- vears 1616, 1917, of tax instead of deficits developed, These surpluses aggregate nearly five mil 1 As Uncle am took note of the deficits and protected h self, =0 now we ask that he take note t his ward, 19 District 1919 surpluses dollars, of the surpluses and protec: the 1. We have not asked that any interest be paid on the unexpend: ., like that exacted on the to meet st pro- , ap- oply | riain if the inter of June 2 mu piies anywhe in this cas But rec we have asked that Uncle Sam that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander; that the same principle of equity and honesty that is applied to deficits must be ap- plied to surpluse Congress has repeatedly by implica- tion recognized our surplus; the con- troiler 1l of the Upited States and the official accountants of the con- gressional joint committes have now vindicated and confirmed this recogni- 1 zene Will not Congress quickly put on record specific recognition of this sur- plus as immediately available for ap- propriations for District uses? James W. Allison. For ely thirty unes Allison has contributed to the editorial columns of The Star daily political comments that have been | remarkable in their range and felicit of expression. A wide and intimate acquaintance with the public men of the latter part of the nineteenth and | the first half of the twentieth cen- turies furnished Mr. Allison a back- ground of information which gave his editorial matter an un- usual value. The affliction of deafnes in latter years kept him out of the| close contact which he had enjoyed in the past, but his writings were, never- theless, to the end of his long service, which continued until a week ago, rich contributions the” constantly Ixn-l folding story of American politics. Mr. ! Allison died in this city this morning | at the age of seventy-two, a veteran of Washington journalism greatly be- Joved by those who knew him well, | sincerely mourned by his associates and highly respected by the public! men of whom he has written in the| mast. A carcer of usefulness has closed nes vears accurate to with the ending of a life of quiet, un- pretending, self-sacrificing integrity —_———— Railway service has suddenly be- eome very bad in the Ruhr, but the political sympathies of the commuters are such that they are not complain- ins. ———— Treland would doubtless be an in. #terested observer should France and Germany decide to revive the legend of the Kilkenny cats. ———— The league of nations again calls attention to itself as a permanent in. etitution by reviving the discussion of Article Xt —————— Reclassification. Indications point to an early agree- ment on the reclassification measure for enactment at the present session of Congress. The Sterling-Lehibach bill, now before the Senate appropria- tions committee, is the basis of all proceedings, it having passed the House. The appropriations committee is considering it from the point of view of salary allowances, while the civil service committee of the Senate has jurisdiction over the strictly legis- lative' features. A meeting, it is ex- pected, will be held tomorrow by the suhcommittee of the appropriations committee to consider certain changes that will be agreeable to both commit- tees, and that will put the measure in a shape for consideration by the Sen- ate with the least chance of obstruc- tion there. An urgent reason for the enactment of this bill at the present session arises from the fact that if reclassification 1@ not effected in some manner before March 4 it will be necessary to con- ‘tinue the cumbersome and in many re- spects inequitable method of salary ad- Justment by bonus provision. Re- dlassification will put the govern- ment's salary scale upon the proper Basis. The bonus, without which the government clerks are unable to sub- «lst et the present state of all costs, 18 & mekeshift, and therefore unsatis- factory. It Is not edjusted to the A00dy of the gawernmant morkers, bears an obnoxious name as & gratu- | venture because the leaves of the ity,” and it complicates accounts. It|black mulberry of the Potomao were should be made unnecessary by the adoption of a systematic plan of sal- aries conforming to the duties and re- sponsibilities of the department em- ployes. As a measure of economy reclassi- fication is decidedly to the advantage of the government. It insures higher efficiency in all offices. It prevents in- ‘equalities. It removes obstacles to systematic prometions and to the fill- ing of all positions on the basis of merit. Tt is, in short, a businesslike establishment of order in the service, replacing the disorder and confusion and inequality prevailing in all the branches of the government work. It is inconceivable that fhis essen- tial measure of administrative reform should be perennially postponed be- cause of a difference of opinion as to a few minor questions. An initially perfect measure cannot be expected. But an approximately perfect system is now within immediate range. The differences of opinion regarding cer- taln features can easily be later settled by amendatory provisions. Certainly the government service will never be improved if the reclassification legisla- tion is postponed in the hope of a full agreement on every detail in the initial measure in search of a permanently perfect system requiring no change in the future. Peace or War? Developments of the present week are likely to disclose whether there is to be peace or war in the near east. The conference at Lausanne has been after another, but things will come to 4 head Wednesday, when the allies present to the Turkish en- voys the draft of a treaty, with a take- it-or-leave-it gesture. Indications today are that the conferepce will result in complete failure, but there has been so much bluffing on both sides that the world has grown skeptical of threats and protestations. The latest development is a notifica- tion by Ismet Pasha and Riza Nur Bey that the success or failure of the conference depends on whether the allies will recognize the complete sovercignty of Turkey, abolish the capitulations and agree upon an equi- one crisis table distribution of the Ottoman debt. | To consent to this would be to sur- render everything for which the allies have contended at Lausanne, and to admit that it might as well have been | left for the Turks to have written a victor treaty with the Greeks without intervention of the western powers. The debt question ought to be sus- ceptible of adjustment, but complete sovereignty for Turkey, which would, of course, involve abolishment of capitulations, is out of the question from an allied point of view. It would place the Dardanelles under absolute Turkish control, and to agree t9 that would leave the allied power. fithout a shred of prestige. the day of decision draws near Kemal Pasha rattles the sword and makes ostensible preparations for mili- tary action. It is permitted to “leak out” that Russia and Turkey have con- cluded & Secret treaty for reciprocal military support in case near east hostilities are resumed, and details are given of Russian divisions to in- vade Mesopotamia and to cross Bul- garia into Thrace. -And the report con- cludes with the signifieant assertion that the Turks have agreed not to con- clude a treaty at Lausanne without the previous consent of Russia. It is difficult to believe, because of unwillingness to believe, that another great war in Europe is impending; but the entire European and near east situation is so chaotic that it cannot be judged by any standards of the past. The fact that the nations are war-weary and exhausted does not mean that there cannot be another war. In a material way it could not be fought on the scale of the late world war, but the very fact that the nations are so nearly exhausted would add to its horrors and sufferings. There is nothing in history to justify belief that because nations are suffer- ing from one war they will not engage in another. The lessons of history are rather to the contrary. The situation in Europe is such today that even a small flame in one place might start a general conflagration. The days im- mediately ahead, therefore, will be anxious ones for the whole of civiliza- tion. Wilhelm Hohenzollern, instead of leading in the news of world politics, is now providing material for soclety gossip. The anclent line, “Europe Is an Armed Camp,” may have to be kept standing in newspaper offices for a large number of years to come. 01d Home Trees. Mention was recently made in The Star of old end giant pecan trees growing near the shore of the Poto- mac in Maryland about & mile south ©of the District line. When those trees were set out or the pecans planted the first transcontinental line of rafl- road had not been built, and the grow- ing and shipping of pecans from the gult states had not been begun. Ship- ment and distribution of food were not so highly organized as now. Farmers or “planters” near Washing- ton, as well as elsewhere, were more dependent on their own land for sup- plying their needs, and they cuitivated many things for which they now goto the store.” The nut trees common to this region, the black walnut, hickories, chestnut and others were so numerous that it was felt they could never give out, and they were cut for lumber and fencing, but generally those that grew near the farmhouse or “mansion” were looked to as a means for diversitying the winter dlet. Pecans were planted with that aim, and on many farms grew to trees of large size and fruit- fulness.' In a few places near Wash- ington some of these ancient trees are standing. Another tree that grew about the old homes was the mulberry. Few are to be found now, though some young mulberries are growing in Potomac Park. The mulberries were kept around the home grounds be- cause of their shade and fruit, but they eame to be planted during that period of the eighteenth century when thousands of persons in Maryland and Virginia “went in" for ralsing silk worms, and after years of trials lost money and effort put joto the not the kind of mulberry leaves on ‘which the oriental silk worms fed. Fig trees or fig bushes were common in our region, and some bear frult each year in Washington gardens and those little gardens famillarly called back yards. While most farmers planted the sides of the road leading to their homes with black locust and réd cedar trees, quite a number went into the woods and dug young hollies for that purpose. Some planted cherry trees along the home lane and called it a “cherry walk.” Some brought fra- grant swamp “magnolias from the damp woods and set them out near the house. Relics of these ancient practices may be seen near Washing- ton. . No Bavarian “Putsch.” g Adolph Hittler's monarchical revolt at Munich seems to havg been a worse fiasco than even the Kapp “putsch” at Berlin was some months ago. Unless the censorship has intervened to drop an impenetrable veil around Bavaria the uprising of the “fascisti” under Hittler, and, in fact, actually under Ludendorff, did not come off according to schedule. Hittler's plan was to hold an enormous mass mecting of anti- republicans, The Bavarian govern- ment declared Munich to be in a state {of siege, and summoned the mil serves and all of the police for possible service. So far asithe dispatches run that was the end of everything. Hit- tler, who seems to have been a bit premature in his announcements, may have decided that this is not the op- portune time for a demonstration. If this time is not opportune, however, | what time can be? French troops are on German soll, penetrating far into the richest industrial region. The Ger- man working forces are on strike. The republican government at Berlin, by its maneuvers regarding repara- tions, has put the country in a la- mentable condition, the end of which no man can foresee. Certainly this ought to be a favorable time to start something on behalf of monarchism. Maybe the monarchists are not as nu- merous as suspected. Perhaps they are not as well armed as certain hints recently dropped have Indicated. Evi- dently, at all events, the republican government in Germany is strong enough to withstand for the present any reaction or “putsch.” Monarchism, it would seem, is not yet worth much more in the German political market than the mark is in financial circles. ———— Sherman E. Burroughs. Representative Sherman E. Bur- roughs of New Hampshire, who died in this city on Saturday, was one of the District's best friends in Cangress. I;\ congressional secretarial service | here preceding his first term as a mem- ber of the House,. in the which he graduated at law from Co- lumbian, now George Washington, University, gave Mr. Burroughs a thorough acquaintance with the capi tal, the thoughts of its people and its material and pelitical needs. When he came to the House he evinced a strong interest in the question of national representation for the District, and be- came a persistent advocate of the en- franchisement of the Washingtonian. as national citizens. For this service, though it was not carried to the point of accomplishment in his lifetime, the District owes Mr. Burroughs a debt of gratitude. He has been taken in the prime of life, 2 valuable member of Congress, an earnest worker for the public good, a faithful representative of his state and a warm and loyal friend to all who knew him. Winter in Washington shows a cli- matic average that should persuade the small boy throwing out Christmas suggestions to decide on roller skates. His discussion of evolution has enabled Col. Bryan to perform a scien- tific service In keeping Darwin before the public. A thrifty government lays up some- thing for a rainy day instead of pro- viding to meet nothing but war clouds. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, The New Year Irresolution. I resolved on reformation. It was several weeks ago. I proceeded with elation Moral fortitude to show. All extravagance I'd banish, So I threw my pipe away; But old Satan wouldn’t vanish. T am smoking it today. Once egain my feet go straying ‘Where the gayety is loud. ‘When I hear the music playing I am following the crowd. *0ld Satan, you must mind me!” I exclaim in tones severe. Then he promptly gets behind me— But. he whispers in my ear. Polite Posterity. “We must not forget that George ‘Washington was the father of his country.” “True,” replied Senator Sorghum. “But so many fathers get a whole lot of kind words and mighty little obedi- ence. Jud Tunkins says his butcher leaves $0 much bone in the steak that day by day in every weigh he’s getting worse and worse. Mausings of a Motor Cop. ‘Hortense was on a bridge. Alas! Just then a steamboat tried to pass. The people hollered when they saw Her fllvver take the open draw! ‘As from the smokestack- she climbed out, They cried, “You're hurt, beyond a doubt! “My feelings are,” said she, “I fear 'The camera man was nowhers near.” The Unkind Critic. “I'm golng in for athletics,” re- marked the thin, energetic girl. “Would you advise golf or tennis?” “I think the costume of either sport would be becoming,” enswered Miss Cayenne. “All I should advise you against is swimming.” < g “Wealth ' don’t allus bring hap piness,” said Uncle Eben. i 'Bout all some men ‘gits out'n deir riches is course of | | | District Surplus No Myth. Butl""""““l Frietchie Again | Concrete Fact Existence Demonstrated by District, Often l‘mpliedly Recognized by Congress, Now Confirmed 3 by Controller General. . BY THEODORE W. NOYE: Analysis of the conditions creating the District’s tax surplus demon< strates its concrete existence and the definite obligation, legal and equita- ble, attached to it. It ought to be easy to ascertain whether a concrete something 1jke a tax surplus does or does not exist. What is the tax out of which the alleged surplus arises? By what au- thority is the tax imposed? From whom and in what amount is the tax authorized to be collected? For what purpose does the law command that the tax shall be expended? To create a surplus, it must appear that greater amount of tax was collected in a given year than the law author- ized, or that not all of the taxes col- lected in a given year for a legally specified purpose was expended for t purpose. These pertinent questions are all answered by the clear, unambiguou provisions of the organic act of 1878 That law directs the District Com- missioners to submit estimates of the District's needs through the Secretary of the Treasury to Congress. It the to which Congress said estimates, te the nd the r extent rove of all_ appropri of 50 per cent thereof, ing 50 per centum of su estimates shall be lev upon the taxable property and privi leges in said District-other than the property of the United States and of the District of Columbia Surplus a Fact, Not a Myth, 1. Who, then, impos Con- nount main- gress 2. Upon whom or what is it levied and assessed? Upon the taxable prop- erty and privileges in said District other than the property of the United sStates and of the District of Colum- uthorized? half of the by Con- urt ex- What amount of tax is An amount equak to one District estimates approved gress fo 1 am actly th. by the law to he gress from the nation District purposes 1. What is the sole purpose of the tax, tor which it must be expended? To enable the District to pay half of the District appropriations: that one-half of the District estimates approved and enacted into law Congre i 1 Treasury for is. as by How Surplus In Created. The law assumes that only the pre- cise amount of one-half of a fixed sum, previously determined, shall be levied and assessed upon property. But in practice the mount of tax collected has never been pre cisely the amount ordered by the law to be levied and assessed, and Con- gress by supplementary tax legisla- tion fixing a definite tax rate and an arbitrary minimum standard of as- sessmient made certain that there should always be either a deficit or a surplus under the law. Thus in some years taxation pro- duced more than one-half of the amount appropriated hy the District appropriation bill, In other vears less. The joint fiscal committee of 1¢ found and declared, however, that during the years since 1878, viewed as a_whole, these deficits and surpluses offset one another, and that thus by design and not by accident the half- and-half law had been recognized and substantially enforced. The congres- pnal joint committee thus itself ex- posed and denounced the fiction that the half-and-half law is fiction, Uncle Sam Recognizes and Collects Deficits. In the years since 18 Uncle Sam wanted to expend in wise permanent public improvements at the capital much more than twice the amount that he had collected that vear in local taxes, he took note of the temporary deficit in District revenue under the law. He advanced from the Treasury to e District ap- proximately the amount of these deficits and reimbursed himself for these advances with interest from the District revenues of subsequent years. Such deficits occurred (and were met by money borrowed by the District from Uncle Sam, and later repaid with interest) in 1901, 1902, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1509. On account of these advances to meet deficits the District paid to the United States s 515.03 in principal and $585, 076.76 in interest. In 1916 the last of these advances was repatd. Of recent years (since 1916), and especially during the war time, the process has been reversed and sur- pluses instead of deficits have ae- cumulated. Uncle m has each year (1916, 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920) spent less than twice the local tax which he has collected for capital mainte- nance and development. During the war he has needed his money for other and more urgent purposes. The world war had to be won, and In this perlod the capital's growing munici pal needs were comparatively neg- Jeoted. Instead of deflcits, unex- pended surpluses of local taxes thus developed and accumulated. And the municipal needs which the taxes were collected to meet were in correspond- ECHOES FROM in which POLICE HERE AND ELSEWHERE. T have been looking at the figures for New York and Boston, they be- ing the two citles which I happen to know best—and that is the reason I take them for comparison—and I find there are thirty-four patrolmen to the square mile in New York and thirty-seven to the square mile in Boston, while in Washington, I think, there are nine to the square mile.— Senator Lodge, Massachusetts, repub- lican. ONE CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGA- TION THAT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE. Since the passage of the resolution which I offered some months ago to investigate the prices of crude ofl and gasoline, gasoline has fallen very greatly, and my information is that it is still falling, and I expect It will continue to fall as long as the com- mittece on manufactures continues its present excellent work in that re- gard—Senator McKellar, Tennessee, democrat. THREE COURSES IN DEALING WITH SHIPPING. My judgment'is that we have got to do one of three things with these ships. Either we have got to pass a subsidy bill and give them gov- ernment ald, or else continue the policy of operating them until we consume them, until they are all eaten up, paying the cost of operating in the meanwhile, or else we have got to put them up at auction and let any’one take them that wants them at the price he will give, and then let the government of the United States go out of the business of hav- ing ap overseas traffic in its own ves- sels. nator Calder, New . York, re- publican. WHAT SENATORS THINK. There is no senator in this body who thinks $7,500 is proper compen- sation for a senator.—Senator Smoot, approved | | Vermont). s the tax? Con- | ted | I plus in the Treasurs ing measure neglected and unmet and also accumulated. Surplus on Same Footing as Deficits. Now that the war is over Uncle m is beginning to take note of the war-time neglect of the capital's municipal needs and of the impera- tive and urgent necessity of spend- ing upon them, at once, large sums, for example, in maintenance and de- velopment of our neglected public schools. The aoccumulated tax _surpluses were collected in order to meet these very neglected needs. Since we are now about to meet these accumulated needs we should apply to help pay for the Distriet’s share in such expendi- tures the unexpended local tax sur- pluses collected in recent years for this very purpose, but held unex- pended because Uncle Sam did not feel that, during the war especially, it was wise for him to put out his own share under the law. While we differentiate between the United States and the District In tax discussions like that in which we are now engaged, it is to be remembered 1at for the purpose of paying na- tlonal taxes the District is a part of the United States and that it is only in respect to representation based upon such national taxation that the strict i« not a part of the United Thus the people of the capi- on both sides of the account; rt of the nation in national taxes dents of the capital in local raxes, without American repres- jentation in respect to either taxation The District tributor to war and is not a nmegligible con- national taxes. In the reconstruction taxes of 1919-1920 1t contributed $18,645,053, more than fifteen states, more than five states combined (North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming and We Alone Paid Tax Surplos. The figures of Auditor Donovan and Accountant Tweedale of net sur- pluses or deficits ,in Distriet tax revenue, under the organic act of 1878, demonstrate conclusively the cxistence of the rurplus as a District These figures show how the defloits between 1906 and 1910 were created and were met by advances that were afterward repakl. They show how the ice the end of 1915 the exact amount urpluses and this amount. contributed by District tax-payers, is in Sam’s hands. Congress Repeatedly Recognizes Sur- plux. in 1903 recognized that be and would be such thinks as surplus revenues of the District b directing that the ad- ances which it was then making to meet District tax deficits should be “retmbursed to said Treasury from time to time out of the surplus reve- surplu Congress there could I mues of th strict o p Biatrict | e District of Columbia. After District deficits had been con- ted into surpluses Congress recog- nized the existence of such surpluses in the Treasury by applying portions of th surpluses to the payment of alleged ancient indebtedness of the District to the United States. Most of these alleged debt were over forty years old. believed to have been offset by ancient District credits, or to have been canceleds in the readjustment of 1878, or dying, to have been buried long ago in the grave of the statute of limitations; but after the lapse of over . forty years they were miraculously resur. rected in full vitalit For example, in 1918, there was surplus money in the Treasury of the United State to the credit of the District of Columbia, for Congress in that vear transferred two amoun $24,200.76 and $211,450.12, respective- 1y. of such money “deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the District of Columbia,” from the credit_of the District of Columbia to the United States In 19 there was a District sur- for Congress in that vear enacted that the sum of £125,000 and the sum of $7,740.50 “shall be transferred to the credit of the United States from the amount in the Treasury of the United States to :Illr credit of the District of Colum- hia.” In 1920 there was surplus money in the Treasury to the credit of the District, for Congress transferred three sums, $75,000. $50,865 and $75,- 000, from “the amount in the Treas- ury of the United States to the credit of the Distriot of Columbia,” to the credit of the United States. Uncle Sam has thus recognized the existenco of District surpiuses in the Treasury by transferring, from time to time, large amounts of such Dis- trict Treasury surplus from the credit of the District to the United States to pay ancient, alleged resurrected debts of the District. In making these sub- tractions from the reyenues of the District in the Treasury, the exist- ence of such revenues is, of course, recognized, and the obligation to re- pay the remainder of such accumu. lated revenues after these deduction: have been made ix admitted and con- firmed. Tt iy inconceivable that Uncle Sam will recognize this District sur- plus in the Treasury only when, on some pretext, he takes some portion of it to himself. The existence of this District Treas- ur: credit is now recognized and con- firmed by the controller gemeral of the United States and by the official accountants of the congressional joint committee. CAPITOL HILL WHY KEEP A REGULAR ARMY? With the 160,000 National Guard maintained at an expensé of about $25,000,000, and your 69,000 reserve officers, a large portion of whom have served overseas and in the Na- tional Guard, have been continuously in the service for many years, and up and abreast with the Army, is it not a useless procedure to contipue the Army with an overhead expense of some $200,000,000, aggregating only 125,000 men, when we have 160,000 men and 69,000 officers which we can continue at'an expense of about §31,- 000.000? Why not discontinue that whole system and at once put into operation the plan that was designed by our forefathers, and soon have an army of 500,000 men?—Representa~ tive Speaks, Ohlo, republican. PLANNING TO CURB GAMBLING IN COTTON. I want to say that I have talked to nearly all the semators from the cotton-growing states, and we will undoubtedly get together before the next session of Congress, if not dur- ing this session, and agree on some plan by which, if we can do so, we will stop the New York Cotton Ex- change from allowing the gambli that, is done to depress the price o cotton—Senator Harris, Georgia, democrat. RECKLESS WASTE OF PEOPLE'S MONEY. The truth of the matter is that the time was when the cabinet officers each had a carriage, a horse-drawn vehicle of some kind, a landau or a coupe, or a cabriolet; but in these days of automobiles we not only give cabinet officers one or more automo- biles, but we give almost every chief of bureau and many others an auto- mobile. There has been an absolutely reckless waste of lhe,Peopl 'S money in the matter of furnishing automo- biles to the various department.of- ficlals and clerks in the city of Wash- ington and outside.—Senator McKal- ! laz, Ten: ocrat, %3 ! Eyewitness of “Stonewall’s” Pass- . ing Refutes Flag Incident. To the Bditor of The Star: Noting the ‘special dispatch to The Star,” which is headed, “Freder- ick rests easy " since 'Frietchle story seems proven,” on page 18 of your issue of January 25, I am moved by the spirit of historical justice, which has inspired me to write many other iconoclastic narratives, to express a doubt that the poem which is the subject of that sketch is based on authentic data, About a month ago I met my many- year friend, Mr. Thomas M. Buckey of this city, and in the course of our conversation learnéd that he was in the town of Frederick, Md., when the legendary incident is assumed to have occurred. At my request, Mr. Buckey wrote an account of his experience at that time and sent it to me with author- ity to use it, for publ caion or other- wise. The Star is at liberty to pub- lish it. WILLIAM TINDALL. (The account to which Mr. Tindall refers is as follows:) i “When Gen. R. E. Lee, with his army, invaded the state of Maryland 1 was a very young, small boy, who had, with a comparijon, run away from home to join the Confederate army. My boy friend and 1 became separated, He joined the Stonewall Brigade, and was killed in the sec- ond battle of Manassas. I did not find this out until 1 found the brigade in camp, near Frederick, Md. 1 was then refused enlistment by the cap- tain of our home company because I too young and small. 1 then mainly concerned i back to Virginia. “I was asleep in a house in Fred- erick, owned by a relajive, on tho night the Confederate army com- menced to evacuate that town. I way awakened about midnight by my sister, who informed me that the army was retreating. This I found at once to be true. We wero all kept in line by sentires posted at every street and alley. I was Iying on the pave- ment with many soldiers, not more than 100 feet from the home of Bar- bara Frietchie. The time was then about 2:30 o'clock in the moraing, when 1 was suddenly aroused by the soldiers calling out, ‘Here comes old Jack, meaning Stonewall Jackson. I looked and recognized Gen. Stone- wall Jackson riding along on his old sorrel in the semi-light of the early morning. with his two aides riding about fifty feet in his rear. “I ran out In the street, took off my cap and saluted the general. He took off his cap and bowed to me, smiling most pleasantly, I then returnel to my place on the pavement. “There was then no cheering b citizens at any door nor window. Th general was then passing Barbara Frietchie’s house. None but soldiers were awake and moving. Larer on that day, from every window on that street came cheers and waving flag: both Union and Confederate. “Their cheers were for Lincoln, for Jefferson Davis, for the Union and for the Confederacy, as the prefer- ences of those who cheered were in- clined. “Our Confederate officers were all in full-dress uniform, and grected our cheers with many bows. | saw no one abused or restrained, nor in- sulted in any way. 1 was in that immediate neighborhood until late in the day, and I can say tpat I am perfectly certain that Gen. Stone- wall Jackson was, long befors sunup that morning, as far away from I'red- erick as South Mountain or its vicin- ity too getting = e here could not have been an such incident as related in the poe about Barbara Frietchie. Gen. Jack- son was not there, I am sure that she never saw him at that time though he was not there, he w. not have been capable of committing, nor of permitting an indignity to any woman. THOMAS M. BUCKEY Suggests Use of Hoods On the Street Lamps To the Editor of The Sta: In a recent editorial, appearing the day the Senate chamber wit- nessed an outburst against the inor- dinate number of street accidents in Washington, you tender the sugges- tion that lamps be placed n the middle of the street intersections to throw light upon all parts of the crossings.” You state also that “the traffic rule requires a full right-hand turn on the outside of the midpoint of an intersection, and in some cases ‘bumps’ have been established to in sure such turns.” You add that cen- tered lamp posts in place of these bumps” might serve as “aids or guides” to traffic. 1t seems to me the great fault with our street lighting is not the lack so much as the manner of it. The rea- son visibility is poor is because the lamps shine in one's eyes. It is diffi- cult to distinguish objects with nu- merous lights staring you in the face. The street lamps should be equipped with the proper sort of hoods and ri flectors so that the light may be d tributed over the pavement where it is needed and not flooded into the eves, where it is disconcerting. “The placing of a hooded lamp above the “bump” or, “mushroom’ would be a good thing, not only to assist in making the right-hand turn as u say, but also to prevent ® traddling™ in making the left-hand turn. The {rafic regulations now permit vehi- cles to “straddle” the “mushroom" on the left-hand turn. This is un- wise, because it leaves practically no place half-way across the street where the pedestrian may be safe from oncoming and unexpected traffic. Under our peculiar regulations, wide as our streets are, there is no real place of safety for him at] the ordi- nary crossing. E. W. HOBBS. Local Autos Well Driven, But at Too High Speed To the Editor of The Star: Having just come from driving an sutomobile in western states, it is gratifying to note that auto traffic in Washington is less in quantity and better in quality of driving than in most other states—far better than Los Angeles and San Francisco, and infinitely better than St. Louls, which probably leads in bad driving. Nevertheless, Washington driving is unnecessarily fast, and could be greatly improved. The unnecessary fast driving can be traced to one cause perhaps more than any other, and that is the nervous and irri- tating gestures of the traffic police- ‘men, urging auto drivers to speed up as fast as possible when the sig- nal is given to move forward. This inculcates a habit of rapld driving more than anything else. The only suggestion which can be made thus far of a cure for speeding seems to be to provide a_plainly visible signal, such as a hand, which will automatically rise above the car, or to some easily visible position when, under any circumstances, the car exceeds eighteen miles per hour, and remain, in that position so long maintained. Sposd 18 BAVED 7. was | CAPITAL KEYNOTE BY PAUL V. COLLINS. The principle of - taxing excess profits of corporatlons is ong of the fundamentals of the present federal tax system. Secretary of the Treas- ury Mellon ‘tells Congress that when a corporation permits its excess profits to-accumulate, undistributed amongst its stockholders, and then, in- stead of declaring a cash dividend, 1t simply declares a stock dividend and gives each shareholder of the old stock additional shares, that dividend 18 not taxable, for it does not increase the value of the stockholder’s interest in thé company one dollar. He backs that opinfon by a ruling of the Supreme Court in Efsner vs. Macomber (232 U. S, 189). The essence of that decision Is that a stock dividend 18 “merely bookkeeping that does not affect the aggregate assets of the corporation or its existing liabilities. Wk What, then, can be the object of easing the outstanding stock—of dividing the ownership of the corpo- | ration’s assets into more - “shares?” 1s 1t not that the percentage of profits {in the future, per share, will Rot be! 50 high, and that thereby the rate of taxation on those profits will not be (80 great? The rate is not a flat rate for all profits, but increases In geometrical progression as the divi- dends (cash) increase per share. Suppose a stockholder holds 100 shares in a corporation, at face value of $10,000. That corporation may ac- tcumulate a surplus sufficiently large to amount to $50 a share, so that the holdings of that stockholder will $15,000. The corporation for extending its business | th additional capital, and, by vote | of its directors, declares a dividend | of stock, and so instead of handing over the $5,000 proportionate share of the surplus, in cash, to that holder of 100 shares, gives him fifty | shares. If it gave him $5,000 cas instcad of the fifty shares, he would | be'no better off, for the shares in that | profitable business will probably pay | dividenids in the future, making them a good investment—they are there- fore equivalent to cash to the in- vestor. The advantage to the corporation of a stock dividend is that it compels | all the stockholders to leave their investment, to the amount of the dividend, In the treasury, for the ex- tension of the busine Yes, it is “merely !w\_nl\k!‘l'[?‘nk" or the amount of the dividend actually beionged to the orginal stock, before the dividend | was declared. Declaring the dividend had no effect whatever in increasing the “profits.” ] | However, the discussion of this mat- ter merely brings to light that the law's clumsy wording makes it miss the essential object. which is to tax profits, not as expressed in the book- keepiug juggling of dividends, but as YSA‘HJBU_\' existing. The fact is that dividends never come until long after profits arrive. and the essential .object of the law is to tax profits, which means that at the moment-that they | are brought into existence they should | beceme liable to taxation—not merely when they are divided up amongst their several owners, the sharehold- ers * % to ¢ * % ok * The reason profits are mude to b their burden of taxation is that are obviously able to do so. The tribution of taxation is undertaken 50 as to put the weight where it wil) work the leas. hardship. The law- malkers had that in mind in trying to; reach corporations’ excess profits, but_made the blunder of trving to reach those profits at the moment of thelt" distribution among the share- holders—* bookkeeping transaction enlv'—instead of at the more legiti- | mate period—the moment of their | coming into existence. | The public utilities commissioners | say the joke is on Congress in re- gard to {lie street car fares in Wash- ington. They would be delighted to reduce the street car fares to 5 cents, if Congress had not stipulated that the fares should be such as would enable the companies to pay a fair dividend on their stock. The public utilities ' commissioners would wel-{ come advice, if any one will tell how t0 pay present ries and a dividend and yet reduce fares 30 or 35 per cent No suggestions for stock dividends will be considered references to the claim that Washington has the highest fares of any city in the Union r they dis- ja quota of 198167, and only | crease will be counted. are puzzled. S0S.! * k x & ] Who steals my burse steals ¥ Is tragh But he who robs me of my good nz.::\ Takes that which not enriches him But makes me poor indeed. i The false twenty-eight of The commissioners accusations lfldll‘fl‘ employes of the burcau engraving and printing under which all were summarily dismissed under a cloud, nearly a year ago, have now been found untrue. The dls- graced employes are to be offered re instatement in their civil eervice rights,.and given some kind of em ployment in government service. though not in their old positions, and probably at reduced salaries. The: had done nothing whatever deserving censure: they were unjustly accused or suspected to have robbed the gov ernment. They have suffered loss of reputation, loss of wages, and one of the victims now lies in his grave because of his shame at the false accusatior All are now exonerated; all are to be told by the government that a terribl. mistake was made, for which the gov ernment is eorry. That is all. Re publics are not only ungrateful bu terribly cruel, if that ends the case 1f a private firm should make fal< accusation against its old and faith ful cashier and bookkeeper, and sumn marily discharge them in such a way as 1o cast a cloud over their rcputa it would hav “watch step” very warily if it avoided a su for heavy damages for slander. £ % % = The government made no churg: in words, but acts speak louder tha words. Employes who are in place of great confidence, where they ha dle vast sums of money or securities suddenly dismissed charged, inescapable inferencs with serious crime. The absence « or formal accusations woul never prevent a jury, in a court justice, from a verdict to the effec that the unjust discharge was tanta mount to slander, unless proved 1 have been based upon a_ reasonablc ground for suspicion. The victims are morally entitled to adequat- reparation for the damages they have suffered. Mere reinstatement and in plied apology is not reparation. Who was really responsible for the gossip, the whispered slander, the bungling ~inferences, can never be discovered without a close investiga- tion, and, in simple justice, &uch an investigation should be instituted by Congress We of the present generation view with horror the period of witcheraft in New England. when the mere pointing of a finger in malice, and the unsupported cry “Witch” was suflicient to tear vietims from the protection of family and lifelong friends and send them to the stake That was no more cruel and baseless than the torturing of the twenty- eight faithful employes of the gov ernment w were the accusers who musled the President? What going to be done about it? * % ok ok The commissioner of immigratior Mr. W. W. Husband, has a plan for sting the immigration problen which suggests the explanation of the merchant who said he was losing $10 every garment he sold, but that could afford to sell at the cut price because_of his great volume of business, Mr. Husband points to the fact that while our immigratior restriction law gives northern Europe 47 per cent of that quota’ was filled by im- migrant: therefore, the way to in- the desirable immigration from northern Europe is to increase the quota allowable to 352,666. He has not explained how that will in- duce additional immigrants from northern Europe to come over. There was already a leeway of 53 per cent of the present quota. for only about 55.000 came, when we offered en- trance to 198,167 Will the opening of the gate to still more increase the arrivals beyond the 85,0007 If o why? Mr. Husband proposes to base the quotas on the 1890 census, instead of the 1900 census, of nationalities the: in America, and permit 5 per cent of the number here of each nationality That would increase the quota for northern Europe to 352,666, but reduc the quota from southern Europe fror the present 155,509 to 48,395. South- ern Kurope wants to come, and used all its quota, with' 500,000 disappoint- ed by being shut out. The north- erners refuse common labor employ- ment—which is erying for more hands —while the southerne: are ready to do the rough work. The Secretary of Labor, Mr. Davis, reports that there are more jobs now than laborers, and demand for more laborers will in- crease as spring opens, and by words n he THE WAYS OF WASHINGTON BY WILLIAM PICKETT HELM. 01 Glory's rippling folds came| fluttering softly down the other day from the topmost point of Ehren- breitstein on the Rhine. Friendly hands folded the standard and bore it away. And here in the United States in generations yet to come man and boy will walk of a Sunday to some museum, perhaps, and look upon the fading colors that once waved, fresh and bright in the sunlight, over Germany. “That, my son,” the man will say, s the first American flag that cver waved over a conquered fort in Eu- iy ‘What tell! And the little boy, looking up into his father's face, will think, “What a wonderfu! man my daddy s” when, as a matter of truth and justice, his little thoughts should say, “Gosh! how the old man can lie” a whopper that man will Do you want to know the story of the first American flag that waved over that ancient fortress? It is February 12, 1919, the 110th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The American troops are at Ehrenbreitstein, come to take pos- session. The 17th Field Artillery, 2d Division, has been selected to gar- rison the fort. Col. E. R. Warner MoCabe—who hails from Richmond, Va—commands the 17th. There is' a formal cere- mony to be gone through, with troops drawn up, the bugle sounding col- ors and the flagélo be run up. The timo of the flag-raising is set for noon. There had been some talk of not raising the flag. There is no need, some say, of rubbing it in on the Germans. The American troops are in possession, anyhow:'so:why the necessity for the flag? But all that has been .gettléd. flag is to go up. o On the morning of the’day set for the ceremony Col. McCabe ordered the flag brought in. They looked around—but._there wasn't any flag, save the silken regimental stand- ards and they woulin't do to throw Whipping in the winter wind high over the Rhine. Here was a fine howdy-do. raising_without any flag? Col. McCabe turned to Charles Phil- lips, the Knights of Columbus man with the troops. “Phillips,” he said, “y reputation for doing things. ~Find me a flag. % “Yes, sir,” said Phillips, “I'll do it.” And he went out in quest of an American flag. He .was gone a long time. Ten o'clock_passed; eleven. Still no word from Phillips. Fleven-thirty™ came. _The troops fell_into position. No Phillips. At _11:46 Col. McCabe took his ap- | The A flag- u've’ got a polnted place. Evervthing was in readiness, but neither Phillips nor the flag was to be seen. The minutes became hours. Pres- ently, at 11:50, a man came running up the steep hill, a bundle in his arms. It was the flag. “Here.” he gasped as he handed his precious burden to the colonel. t isn't exactly what we want, but it's all I could get on such short notice. The colonel examined the flag. 1t was not the gorgeous standard that the man and boy of the future will see in the museum a century hence. Anything but that. As a matter of fact it was a diminutive flag, mot more than five feet by nine—about the size of what the Army calls the storm flag, which is used in inclement weather. “It'll do,” was McCabe's verdict And so that tiny flag was run up when colors were sounded. Across the Rhine it looked for all the world like = diminutive postage stamp over the frowning fort. That was the first American flag that waved over a fallen German fort Tt dldn't wave there long. From the moment it was run up Col. McCabe set about getting a garrison flag—one of proper dimensions, about thirty- eight by twenty feet. He telegraphed to Gen. Harbord at Tours and the garrison flag_was sent up promptly. It reached Ehrenbreitstein two or three days after the small flag was run up and was used at once to re- place its little brother. The 17th Field Artillery brought back the little flag when it came to the United States and now has it in its possession at Fort Bragg, N. C. American officers at Bhrenbrei stein grew soon to like their new surroundings. The fort itself, dating back to.the seventh century, was a delight 1o its new occupants. ‘Among its curlosities were miles of tunnels, from six to eight feet un- der ground, intended for use in times of siege. In-these tunnels were im- mense stores of supplics. One of the tunnels ran down the hill to the edge. There were places, togy where tie Germans in old-time wars had kept their prisoners secure in irons. There also was a magnificent view of the surrounding country. Marshal Petain came one day to - spect the fort. The American oficer showing him over the place waxed eloquent, pointing out this and that and the other thing of interest. “See this, marshal”’ and Ysee that, marshal.” occupied half an hour or more. The marshal, chuckling at the enthusiasm of his American host, furned with a smile to one of the aldes. “Mon Dieu!” he exclaimed, believe the gentleman sell me the place. (Copyright, 1923.) Phillips. The bundle was “I do is trying to . $ug ) t A ) ~