Evening Star Newspaper, April 9, 1923, Page 1

— WEATHER. Fair tonight and probably tomorrow; continued cold tonight, with frost rising temperature tomorrow. ‘Temperature for twenty-four hours ended at 2 p.m. today: Highest, 65, at 3 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 34, at 6:20 a.m. today. Full Teport on page 7. “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes | as fast as the papers are printed. i __ Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 24 No. 98833, Entered as second-class matier No. 28,833. prst_office Washington, D. C. FARDING GRAPPLES | WAll Nor Live n Wi House w”H GUES“UN []F Wife of Henry Ford Declares FORERN RELATION A First Official Visitor Received | Upon His Return Is Secre- tary of State Hughes. % Saturday’s Nel Circnl;llon, _92,4;4 f Sunday’s Circulation, 98,406 . TWO CENTS. D. C. MINIMUM WAGE' LAW HELD ILLEGAL BY SUPREME COURT ¢ Fnening C., WASHINGTON, D. MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1923—THIRTY-TWO PAGES. Has No Interest in Presi- dency, She Tells Georgian. By the Associated Press. 3 ALBANY, Ga., April 9.—Mrs. Henry Ford will White House, she told a group of persons here yesterday when several ladies husband, the auto- mobile manufacturer, for some state- ment regarding the presidency. One lady %said she would like to work for Mr. Ford and vote for him. Mr. Ford promptly replied, however, | that the presidency was not included | in the aims of his life work, and that | |he had no desire to serve as chief | Control Over Pay of 12,500 Women and Girls Here Lost in Adverse Op_inion. not live at the approached her MANY OF OFFICIAL FAMILY DUE TO CALL| JUSTICES TAFT, HOLMES AND SANFORD DISSENT IN VIEWS Tnterest Centers in Whether Execu- tive Will Make Proposed Trip to West. Pre Harding, plunging into worls renewed vigor, following his five thern vacation ended vesterday, arrived early at his desk today to take up both domestic 1 problems with members of his binet, senators and others who crowded his calendar. Secretary ¢ te Hughes was the first official visitor to see the Presie dent, remaining closeted with the chief executive for nearly an hour and a half, during which, it was un- Gerstood, the Secretary fully acquaint- ed Mr. Harding with the general sit- uation fronting the government's foreign a rs. Although the Secre- tary was silent as to the nature of the conference, it was beiieved that one of the questions of first importance taken up was the administration’s proposal for entrance in the Inter fonal Court of Justice, e under the league of mnatio has provoked wide discu sides since its submission to the &te shortly before the Lresident lef for Florida Confers With Hoover. with weeks' so i of Commerce er of the Presiden official family to Mr. Harding, and it was understood the sugar price situation was under con- sideration The va serve Boa Milo B, brought the Whit the s the Fed d by the farmer member, tors to House with different the posi Senator publican whip, proposed the v of Arkan- ker and farmer, while Capper, leader of the farm . proposed the name of Walter H. happeile of Chanute. Kan. Postmaster General New planned to sce the President later in the day. The President’s first visitors after rrival at the executive office this morning were his brother, ge T. Harding of Ohio, and his brother-in-law sister, Super- intendent of Prisons and Mrs. Votaw. White House Renovated. Other visitors on the President's xts today included former Senator Pa of Vermont and Rev. J. J. Mc- Cook, of Hartford. Having been closed to the public during the President’s southern Vi cation, the executive mansion was opened again to the public today. .Much renovating, painting and gen- spring housecleaning had been hed through during the absence of <ident and Mrs, Harding, and ion presented a much fresh- appearance to throngs of spring ptseers > President and Mrs. Harding ar- shington shortly after from Augusta, spent last week. M aid to have shown only vidence of fatigue from teen-hour journey, and her im- health was further shown by the fact that she walked through the station to the automobile at the en- trance, whereas on leaving here she was driv direct to the private car in the railroad vards. INTEREST IN TRIP. noon ¥ where they Uarding was Washington Speculates as to ‘Whether President Will Tour. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. President Hawling found on his re- turn to Washington that his cabinet had saved up a number of problems for solution, which they had not felt it necessary to intrude on his vaca- tlon—all of them important, but none very pressing. Secretary Hughes told the Presi- dent the progress of the negotlations for the collection from the allies of ahe expenses of the American army of occupation. Secretary Hoover had some phases of the sugar que (Continued on Page 2, Column Z.) LITHUANIANS FIRE lNTOh GERMAN MOB Several Killed in Memel at Strike Against Wrecking Monu- ment. By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1923. BERLIN, April everal men were killed and many wounded when Lithuanfan troops opened fire on a German mass meeting in Memel Sun- day, according to dispatches received in Berlin. The Germans, who have called a general strike, were demon- starting against the wrecking of a monument to Kaiser Willlam I, and refused to disperse when the Lith- uanian police ordered them to go home. A state of seige has been declared in Memel, where no civilians are al- lowed In the streets between 8 p.m. and 6 am. Two men who knew nothing of this were killed by Lith- uanfan policemen Sunday night and a man and woman seriously wounded. At the same time that the Lithuan- jans or communists wrecked the statue of the first German kaiser they also destroyed that of Borussia, Prussia’s patron goddess. The Germans have called another meeting in Memel and more trouble is looked for. They insist that Me- 'mel shall be made autonomous and not a part of Lithuania. They declare that they will not call off the gen- eral strike until the Lithuanian po- lice and troops have left the clty, 1 Hoover was | Heber H. Volaw | i executive of the United States. “1f Henry really went to the White House to live there” Mrs. promptly said. “he would have go without m NN LES DY BT PASSING WL NOT ALTER SOVET ;0nly Miracle Can Save Rus- sian Premier, Uncensored Dispatch Reveals. to BY F. A. MACKENZIE. Mr. Mackenzie has just arrived at Warsaw from Moscow and this dispatch is the only one that he has leen able to get through recently without being subjected to severe censorship.) | By Cable to The ¢ RSAW, |1ies in the but & mira More than onc weeks the moned t £ and () right, 192 April olai Lenin Kremlin dying and nothing g0 Duily News. in the last anxious physiclans hastily sum- to his monastically simple apartment have declared that he could not live another forty-eight |hours. Each time he has rallied, but | the end cannot be far off. What will happen when Lenin gone? Those who anticipate no {ehange and those who gleefully pre- dict the return of the old regime to power will both be disappointed. The old regime stands no more chance of returning to power in Russia than the Hanoverian kings have of ruling over Washington. Exiled Russlans living in Parls and London and en- guilty of criminal folly. Trotsky’'s Relative Director. During Lenin's illness the govern- ment has been dlrected | Kaminev, Trotsky's brother-in-law. |He has done much better, even on the admission of his enemies, than any one expected, his training as an organizer of big business In the day before he adopted communism serv- ing him well in his present duties. Bolshevist difficulties will come through differences in the ranks of the communist party rather through a reaction. The decision con- cerning Lenin’s successor will be made by a committee of the commun- ist party, which is now meeting every accept. Objectors will have no chance of appeal against its verdict, for it controls the most perfect political machine in the world and is backed by army, courts and execution yards to enforce its will. Leaders Not in Accord. But the heads of the communist party are not yet fully in agreement. It is an open secret that, behind the ing from the struggle for leadership, rallying respectively around Trotsky and M. Rykov. The latter, an old revolutionist and formerly president of the council of national economy, is {one of Lenin's immediate deputies, the other two being Kaminev and Stalin. Rykov is a new member of the party. H@ creates more intense admiration and sharper repulsion than any other man in Russia. His Jewish ' descent counts strongly against him in the battle for leader- ship. M. Stalin is the mystery man of communism. A Georgian by birth, secretary of the communist party. shunning publicity and working hard, he is favor:d by many. He controls the machinery of the communist party and his following is great. Many believe, however, that he will prefer to be the power behind the throne. Troops to Decide Winner. | No survey of the Russian situation, |in view of the impending death of Nikolai Lenin, can be complete with- out reference to the disposition of |the red troops. Russia’s military forces are divided into three groups —first, the regular army under Trotsky; second, two battalions of communist Kremlin guards who ars controlled directly by the leaders, are carefully picked and are entrusted with the safety of the chiefs of the state; third, the soldiers of the state political police, ~strong politically, hand picked and made enthusiastic devotees of their cause by the most intense propaganda. These are under the control of M. Dzierzhinsky. and their strength may give him the set- tling vote in the choice of Lenin's successor. Sphinx of New Russia. M. Dzierzhinsky is a Pole who has revealed organizing ability equal to that of Trotsky. He is the sphinx of the new Russia. He created the cheka, the most powerful and relent- less political police in the world. He rescued Russia’s rallways from ruin. Merciless where his political prin- clples are concerned, he is yet a man of gentle ways and passionately fond of children. Formerly men would have said that he would certainly incline toward the left. Today this is doubtful, all his ac- tions during the last year having couraging conspiracies in Russia are | by M. than | day. What it decides all Russia must | scenes, two main groups are emerg- | Ford | ‘Pershing Favors Blue Full-Dress - Uniformin Army! Gen. Pershing, now on a speaking jtour in the middle west, Is expected |to recommend certain changes in the uniforms of the Army soon after | he returns to the city. The adoption |of the blue uniform of civil war days fcr dress occasions, and the | substitution of the roll collar for {the stiff high collar of the uniform |coat are the principal changes under onsideration. Opinion is about evenly divided with respect to both propositions. The blue uniform for full dress is advocated on the ground of comfort and attractiveness. It is opposed on the ground of cost and lick of general utility. Sharp op- position also has developed against the proposed roll coat collar as tend- {Ing to detract from the stiff military arriage. The high, close-fitting collar compels the wearer to keep his head erec Pershing will {try to reconcile the differen. i opinion in his report to the | tary of War. PRINCESS YOLANDA MARRIED IN STATE }Wedding With Army Officerl | Simple, Though Impres- sive and Colorful. | { | By the Associated Press. i ROME, April 9.—Princess Yolanda, |eldest daughter of King Victor| mmanuel and Queen Helena, was | I'married today to Count calvi ail Bergolo, a captain of cavalry, wh | holds a decoration for bravery in the | | world w: | The civil ceremony, which took | place at 10:30 o'clock in the grand | | hall of the Quirinal palace, was followed ' | immediately by the celebration of the | | religious rites in the Pauline chapel, | also within the Quirinal. Because of the recent death of the princess' | maternal grandmother, Queen Milena of Montenegro, the services were con- ducted as simply as possible, The grand hall is the chamber | wherein, under the Popes. the con- | clave of cardinals met for the choice | of the rulers of the church. More re- | cently ~ President Wilson and other famous personages of contemporary | history have been entertained there. | |1t presented a brilliant spectacle | today, gay with spring flowers and |animated by the colorful uniforms of | |the 700 high state and municipal | dignitaries who were privileged to | attend the ceremonies. The king and queen occupied the center of the mammoth salon, with | the bride and bridegroom at the right and the Dowager Queen Margherita [at the left. Premier Mussolini, act- ing as the crown notary, came next, while Senator Tittoni, president of the senate, filled the role of civil officer of the crown. In the center of the hall was a large rectangular table covered with red velvet. The flowers, arranged about the sides of the chamber nearly hid from view the sober patterns of an- cient tapestries. Princess Yolanda wore the tradi- tional white gown, with train of rare old lace. The flowers in her bouquet were grown in the gardens of the Quirinal palace. Uniform and Medals. Count di Bergolo was dressed in the uniform of a cavalry officer. On his breast were the medals he galned in the war. Queen Helena, laying aside her mourning for the occasion, wore a gray dress trimmed with lace. The wedding guests comprised a brilliant assemblage, headed by the holders of Italy's highest honor title —the Collar of the Annunciata. With their wives, the witnesses of the brief | ceremony included the ladies and gen- tlemen of the court and of the king's military and civil household, the presidents of the chamber and sen- ate and the members of the cabinet. The premier and other ministers be longing to the fascista national mi litia wore the uniform of that organ- ization. Senator Tittoni opened the cere- mony by reading the articles of the Italian civil code that relate to mar- riage. He then addressed to the bride and bridegroom the questions required by the ritual, after which the senate secretary read the act of marriage. This was signed first { by the bridal pair, then by the klni and queen, and lastly by Count DI Bergolo's close relatives. When the signatures were affixed the sovereigns arose and were the first to congratulate -thelr daughter and son-in-law. After the formal felicitations the guests found their places in the wed- ding cortege for the brief journey to the Pauline Chapel, which was be- ing used for a religious service for the first time since 1870. The gay party wound its way out of the chamber while the cuirassiers of his majesty’s bodyguard, resplendent in their shining breastplates and hel- jmets, rendered military honors. The religious marriage was solem- nized by Mgr. Beccaria, the court chaplain, who celebrated low mass. The finely proportioned chapel was 1 (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.} (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) | caused by a heavy News Note: Fourteen Fish Profitee rs Were Sentenced to Jail by a Massachusetts Judge. BOMB CANAL LOCK Cure for Dreaded Paresis Believed Found by Doctors INRUHR WATERWAY Explosion Complicates Traf- fic With Largest Inland Port in the World. By the Assccinted Press ESSEN, April 9.—~The explosion of a ime bomb destroyed the lock of the Dortmund-Ems canal, near Herne, early today. The canal was blocked, eriously interfering with the com- plicated inland waterway traffic in the Ruhr. This is the most serious case of sabotage vet reported on the Ruhr waterways. The lock that was destroyed Is near the junction of the Rhine-Herne canal with the main canal that runs down to the Rhine at Duisburg and Ruhport, where ¢t largest iniand port in the worla i located. Canal Blocked. The intention of the dynamiters was not only to block the canal, but to drain the water from the main Rhine-Herne canal, which is the main waterway artery of the Ruhr. The French say this main canal has not been interfered with, as the locks on oth sides of the one which was dyna- mited were closed immediately after the explosion to prevent the draining of the main canal. The Dortmund-Ems canal, itself an important waterway, is blocked by the destruction of the lock. Guards have been placed at all junctions and locks as a measure for prevention of further damage. The circumstances of the explosion in- dicated that the bomb had been placed with great care under difficult circum- stances.® It blew out the gate and tore a large hole in the side of the canal. - STUNNED BY HAILSTONES. THIBODEAUX, La. April 9.—Sev- eral persons were injured during a panic_in a motion picture theater hailstorm yester- day. At the rst sound of the hail- | storm on the roof, scores of persons, believing that the building was col- lapsing, made a rush for the exits. Those injured were caught in the jam, but none was thought to have been serfously hurt. After reaching the sidewalk more than a score were said to have been stunned by the large hailstones. Cat Starts Off Humane Week In Mail Box And this is “Be Kind to Animals” week! i Dropped in a parcel mail box in the northwest section, a cat spent some dark hours last night until rescued by a Washington city post office col- lector. It was hard to tell which one was the more surprised, the collector or the cat. When the man opened the door to take out the parcels from the large section there was the cat reposing among the letters, perhaps having been dropped in by some mischievous boy. =" Officials said there is a penalty against dropping other than bona- fide mail into mall boxes, and that all should be warned against the prac- tice. There was just a bare possibil- ity, they sald, that the cat might have sprung into the scoop of the box when some patron had opened it to drop in a parcel. Patients at St. Elizabeth’s Show All Signs | -of Recovery Af Malaria Paresis, one of the most deadly and terrible diseases known to man, may | soon become one of the maladies more or less easily controlled by medical science as a result of the discovery that tertian malaria microbes create a bodi ction that appare: stroys the parasetic germ prominent psychiatrists are not yet willing to s: have found a cure, recent tests here and abroad have re- stored parasetic patients to what ap- pears to be normal health. Several patients at St. Elizabeth's Hospital are being given the tre; ment under the direction of Dr. Wil- llam A. White, one of the most prom- - POST OFFICE STAFF | Postmaster-to-Be Sets Ru-| mors of Changes at Rest. Lauds Executives. There will be no changes among the administrative officials at the Washing- ton city post office when William M. Mooney. chief clerk of the Post Office Department, assumes the postmaster- ship there May 1. Mr. Mooney today definitely set at rest rumors that upon his assumption of the postmastership he would make changes in the higher personnel at the city post office. Mr. Mooney said that the success of a post officc depends upon the work of the men and officials who actually handle the mails and supervise its han- dling, and that he could ask for no greater help than the continued co: operation of such men. Praises His A In taking over the leadership of the Washington city post office he let it be known today he would count him- self fortunate to have as his assistants the men alrgady there, notably As- sistant Postmaster Haycock and Super- intendent of Mails Schooley. Both of these men, as well as the remainder of the supervisory officials, have worked their way up. City Postmaster Chance, whose resignation becomes effective April 30, when he will enter local business circles, today began a vacation, mak- ing Mr. Haycock acting city postmaster. master. . Bond Costs $200. Owing to the increased business be- ing done by the Washington city post office, the bond necessary for the new postmaster will cost Mr. Mooney $200 a year, Instead of the $150 per year formerly demanded. ‘The payment of this increased bond brings to the fore again the whole question of bonding the postmaster in a large city, where the postmaster actually handles little, if any, gov- ernment money. .Go Hand in Hand Star’s Circulation—March 1923 Daily......... 95492 Sunday........ 98242 Advertising—March 1922 1,857,714 1923 2,110,444 1922 93,388 93,498 Increase 2,104 4,744 Increase MOONEY T0 RETAIN: ter Injection of Microbes. inent mnerve in the United While several before the physi whether or not they ure, these patients owing hopeful signs of recovery. In Europe patients who took . the treatment have been without pa- retic wptons for so long a time that the speclalists are almost ready to_pronounce them “cured.” To effect “cure.” medical science one of. the most common of bodily phenomena. Tt injects into the blood a comparatively benign microbe against which the body naturally builds up @ strong defensive reac- tion. Thisw reaction, tests indicate, (Continued on Page %, Column 3.) STHOOL OFFIGIALS specialists must elapse can determine have found a are said to be simply uges STAY OUT OF ROW Withhold Formal Indorsement of D. C. Public School Association. “School authorities will give no | formal indorsement to the recently or- | ganized District of Columbia Public any embarrassment in connection with the split between the association and | the Federation of Citizens' Associa- tions. While feeling that the new or- ganization is far more representative of the civic bodies of the city than the federation, and will aid them in securing school legislation, the au- | thorities believe that their sanction of {the new body is unnecessary. | What the school authorities want, |an official said today, is the support of all the civic organizations that are interested: in the betterment of public educational conditions in the District. The action of the federation in withdrawing its representatives from the school association, it was pointed out, is a matter with which the school authorities have no right to concern themselves. Regret Withdrawal. Among the officers of the school association, however, regret is ex- pressed over the federation’s action. Capt. Julius I Peyser, president of the body’ is at a loss to explain why Snowden Ashford, chairman of the federation’s committee on education and a former delegate to the school | association, made the report recom- mending the withdrawal of the dele- gates. Capt. Peyser, as well as other offi- cers of the school association, em- phasized that the federation’s action ‘will have no effect on their plans. Al- though the association was not or- ganized until last Wednesday, 101 civic bodies have enrolled and others are expected to follow this week. Federation Scope Smaller. Walter Irey, secretary of the school association, explained that the action of the federation does not prejudice the status of the citizens’ assoclations in their relation to the school body. He also made it clear that the federa- tion represents but thirty-eight of the Wwhite citizens’ associations in the District, while the school association has 199 organisations from which to draw its personnel, and is therefore far more representative of the civic sentiment of the city. “It must remember,” sald Capt. Peyser, that while it represents most of the citizens' assogiation we repre- sent a great many drganizations be- sides, such as parent-teacher asso- clation, trade bodies and women's clubs. “I am told that one of the federation members declared that the school association has not been indorsed by the board of education. Well, we have not asked for any indorsement. We are not pussy-footing around looking for some one to certify us. What we ‘want to do is to co-operate. Even at that is the board’'s indorsement neces- sary? Did it indorse the federation? “Then, t00, we must remember that the federation has not succeeded so far in doing a great deal for the schools. We will attempt to do what what appears to be the | | School Association, and thereby avoid | Right of State Legislatures to Fix Wages Also Faces Attack Because of Court’s Ruling. i The minimum wage law, by which Congress sought to regu- late the minimum wages to be paid women and minor girls in the { District of Columbia, was declared unconstitutional today by the ! Supreme Court. lare affected by the decision. States Are Involved. The states of California, Kansas, New York, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington obtained consent of the Supreme Court to intervene in the case as friends of the court, having wage fixing statutes of their own. While the validity of none of the state minimum age laws was di- rectly under attack in the case, t decision was regarded as of vital pertance, counsel agreeing that it | Congress had no constitutional right to enact such a law in the District |of Columbia, the right of the state legislatures to do so was called into | question. | The constitutionality of the federal ! enactment was challenged on the | Bround that it abridged the freedom | of contract for person vices, and | therefore beyond legislative discre- | tion. It was defended as a police | regulation to promote public health ond the safety, morals and welfare | of the people. | Today's dec ion was made by a | divided bench, with Chief Justice Taft. Justice Holmes and Justice Sanford dissenting and with Justice Brandeis taking no part in the proceeding. Justice Holmes delivered a separate {dissenting opinion, asserting that. in {his judgment, Congress had the power to pass the law, w the majority !of the court had declared invalid. i Held Price-Fixing Act. | The opinfon of the court held ths minimum wage act to be a price-fix- |ing measure and a restriction upon | the right of contract. The opinion {covers eighteen printed pages, and {went at length into all the previous decisions of the court touching in any way upon the question Declares Employer Ignored. In the course of the opinion Mr. Justice Sutherland said: “The law takes account of the ne- cessities of only one party to the con- tract. It ignores the necessities of [m emplover by compelling him to | pay not leéss than a certain sum not j only whether the employe is capable of earning it, but irrespective of the ability | burden “Within the limits of the minimum | sum he is precluded under penalty of i fine and imprisonment from adjusting | compensation through the differing | merits of his emploves. It compels | him to pay at least the sum fixed in { any event, because the employe needs 1it, "but requires no service of equiv- alent value from the employe. It therefore, undertakes to solve but | one-half of the problem. | “The other half is the establish- | ment of a corresponding standard of { efficiency and this forms no part of | the policy of the legislation, although lin practice the former half without | the latter would lead to ultimate fail- “ ure in accordance with the inexorable {law that no one can continue indefi- | nitely to take out more than he puts in without ultimately exhausting the supply. ‘find powerful employers, but em- braces those whose bargaining power may be as weak as that of the em- ployes. It takes no account of peri- ods of stress and business depression, of crippling losses which may leave the employer himself without ade- quate means of livelihood, to the ex- tent that the sum fixed exceeds the fair value of the services rendered it amounts to a compulsory exaction from the employer for the support of a partially indigent person for whose condition there rests upon him no pe- culiar responsibility, and, therefore, in effect, arbitrarily shifts to his The decision of the United States Supreme Court abolishes the mini- mum wage board and sets aside the minimum rates of pay that have been fixed by that board. These women and minors are en- gaged in four industries, namely Printing, publishing and allied trades; women in department stores and other mercantile establishments; women in hotels, restaurants and hospitals, and female laundry workers. 2 The present members of the board who, District officials say, automati- cally go out of office are: Jesse C. Adkins, John L. Newbold and Miss Ethel M. Smith. Commissioner Rudolph, chairman of the board of Commissioners, when he learned of the decision, conferred with Maj. Diniel J. Donovan, District au- M e “Know a Bird a Day” A New Spring Feature Starts on the Magazine Page of Today’s Star A series of articles on birds that dwell in the Dis- trict of Columbia. (Continued on Page 2, Column Z., of his business to sustain the The law i not confined to the great | Twelve thousand five hundred women and minor girls here . The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia, after sus- taining the law, ordered a rehearing and reversed itself, declar ing the law unconstitutional as restricting liberty of contract. shoulders a burden, which, if it ! longs to anybody, belongs to soc: as a whole. Not Based on Value. “The feature of this statute, Whic perhaps more than any other puts upon it the mp of invalidity, that it e om the employer ar arbitrary upon a be husiness or t the employe ed, but the e that the em: ribed sum of her subsistence gt of every work man or woman, to a living wage m be conceded. One of the declared and |important purposes of trade organiza- tions is to secure it, and with that principle and with every legitimate effort to realize it in fact none can | quarrel; but the fallacy of the pro posed method of obtaining it is thar it assumes that every employer is | bound at all costs to furnish it. T moral requirement implicit in everv contract of emplovment that the |amount to be paid and the service to |be rendered shall bear to each other |some relation of just equivalent is completely ignored. The necessitica.of the employe are alone considered, and these arise out- | side of the employment, are the same | when there is no employment, and as | great in one occupation as in another. Certainly the employer, by paying & fair equivalent for the service ren- dered, though not sufficient to support the employe, has neither caused nor { contributed to her poverty. On the contrary, to the extent of what he he ‘has relfeved it. principle there can be mno_dif- ference between the case of selling labor and the case of selling goods. If one goes to the butcher, baker or grocer to buy food he is morally en- titled to obtain the worth of money, but he is not entitled to mor Held Not Failr. “If what he gets is worth what he pays, he is not justified in demanding more simply because he needs more: and the shop-keeper having dealt |fairly and honestly in that transac- tion is not concerned in any peculiar sense with the question of this cus- tomer's necessities. Should a_statute undertake to ! vest in a commission power to deter- mine the quantity of food necessary for individual support and require the shop-keeper if he sells to the individ- ual at all to furnish that quantity at not more than a fixed maximum it would undoubtedly fall before the constitutional test. The falla of any argument in support of the v idity of such a statute would Le quickly exposed. The argument fn | support of that now being considered |is equally fallacious, though the weakness of it may not be so plain. “A statute requiring an employer to |pay in money, to pay at prescribed {regular periods, to pay the value of services rendered, even to pay with fair relations to' the extent of the benefit obtained from the service would be understandable. But a statute which prescribes payment without regard to any of these things and solely with relation to circum- stances apart from the contract of employment, the business affected by it and the work done under it is so clearly the product of a naked, ar- bitrary exercise of power that it can- not _be allowed to stand under the (Continued on Page 2, Column 1) e. Decision Abolishes Wage Board and Sets Aside Rate of Pay Fixed ditor. 1t is probable that steps will be taken to close the headquarters of the board in the District building In the first order issued by the board, for printing and publishing trades, the minimum wage was made $15.50. In the mercantile industries, the board fixed the minimum wage of $16.50. If the law had been sustained, is probable that the board would have taken up in its next investiga- tion rates of pay of women employed in offices as clerks, exclusive of the government departments. The rate fixed by the board for the hotel and restaurant workers was $16.50. $30,000,000 FIRM IN RECEIVERSHIP American Fuel and 0il Transporta- tion Company Under Charge ‘of Court. it By the Assoclate§ NEW YOR! A‘rfl 9—The Amert- can Fuel Ofl and Transportatien Company, a Delaware corporation with prinel offices in New York, was ed in the hands of equity receivers by Federal Judge Mack today. The concern his an authorized capital of §30,000,00%