Evening Star Newspaper, January 16, 1924, Page 6

THE :EVENING ST .msnmunhcm - WASHINGTON, D. C. “WEDNESDAY..Jpnuary 16, 1024 * THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor - The Evening Star Newspaper Company +; Business Office, 11th §t. and Peunsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 420d 8t. 0 Office: Tower Bullding. 16 Regent St., London, " Chie * iropean Offie i tThe Lvening Star, with the Sunday morn! “tsdition, 8 delivered by carriers sits ai U0 cente per month: dally esly. 4 cents per_month; Sunday oniy, 20 cents isontl, Orders m sent by .- vhone”Main 50Q0. _ Collection s made Dy car- Tiérs at the end of ench month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advanece. ° Maryland and Virginia. -1yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70c .1yr., §6.00; 1 mo., 50c -1yr., $240; 1 mo., 20c Yaily and ‘Sunda; Daily only Sunday on: All Other States. d Sun .1 yr., $10.00; 1 mo., 85¢ e e 5900 1 o 800 $3.00; 1 mo., 25s aliy an Datly. only Sunday oniy 1yr] Member of the Associated Press. Assoctated Press 14 exclusively entitied to e use for republication of all news dis patches credited to # or not otherwise eredlf n this paper and also.the local news pul - tished - herein. " All rights of publication. of special dispatches herein are also reserved. e e st New Yerk.and the Convention. So:Miss Democracy is to rustle her skirts;along 5th avenue and the Great ‘White Way, escorted by old Father inickerbocker and Tammany. There will Be great doings in the shops when the woman delegates to the natlonal - convention and “their” friends invade little ‘old New: York.” The “wets” in the convention, who are obsessed with the idea of getting @ wine-and-beer vlank in the platform, are probably o®ready smacking their lips, while William™ J. Bryan compresses tighter ++his mouth and frowns. [ The selection of New York was a sirprise. The decision of the national “xommittee to send the convention to New York was largely actuated by a quéstion of cold- cash, but the action also Ras palitical significance. Repre- sentatives of the contesting cities . were early given to' understand that . the national. organization was “hard .~ up.”’. There was a -deficit of $180,000 “ coming over from the last presidential campaign which must be met before the funds for this one could be solicit- _ed. Tt was a case of “money talks,” ; end. it fell out that New York talked +¢he Tondest. ” AR | was especially dangerous to put books | house it is inefficient and uneconom- wi reach t of ‘‘common” people :who had In some way learned to read. Among the charges here and there made ajphinst Ben Franklin was that his precepts of economy encouraged people to store up worldly goods, and to think more of such goods than of thelr souls. In his long and active life he laid by but a small store. He thought that there was more happi- ness in ‘living simply than lavishly, and he thought that men would do more good for themselves and others by being economical than wasteful. Frugal in his habits and simple in his tastes he lived in part on his income from his newspaper and in part on the slender allowance made him as agent of Pennsylvania -and other ‘colonies abroad. With such surplus as he gathered he did ‘good works. His chiet thought was to improve the con- ditlon of men. The charge of selfish- ness or of miserliness cannot rest cgainst so good a man as Franklin. There are few-lives which should give so much gtimulation to poor and ear- nest youth as the life of Franklin, but like most great men his story is not read and his greatness is known in a fragmentary and uncertain way by the peaple. He was printer, journalist, diplomat, statesman ‘and philosopher, and he was a statesman and diplomat at a time {h our history when sincerity. and ability counted heavily. By every test of greatness Ben Franklin was great, and among the things he taught was that simple living was the hap- plest living. Convention Cities. Choice of New York-for: the demo- ctatie convention next June completes e cycle of fifty-six vears. Not ‘since 1868 has Manhattan entertained a major.political party for the nomina- tion of candidates and the adoption of a platform. The democratic disaster of 1868, with Horatio Seymour as the candidate, may have had something to do with the avoldance of New York by that party, and possibly by the re- publican party as well. Perhaps the “‘talnt of plytocracy” may have been a factor. However that may be, the great city has gone begging every four years until now. It has not so vigor- ously sought the cénvention hereto- fore. as it has just done with suecess. Its efforts have been half-hearted. This time it went to it and won, with a big money offer and with certain al- THE EVENING § fcal. Owing to the lack af n the main building, it is used for the storage of paper and other tafflamma: ble materials. z:nter, paint, d eloctrical shops: These bramches of the work include a large per- sonnel, so that if a fire ever gets beyond headway—there have been two during the past year just checked by good fortune in .time to prevent spread—or if a collapse comes in the ficoring of the buliding a serious loss of life is almost certain to result. If this building were privately owned and used it would be con- demned by the public authorities. Yet the government has used it for many years, risking its own property and risking the lives of its employes, as a4 matter of economy. The public printer estimates that a proper store- house buillding and printing office annex on the site of the fragile old shell would cost approximately $3,500,000. This item should be re- garded as one of the imperative re- quirements of a public bullding bill designed to meet the immediate needs of the government at the capital. . What Is a Gamble? A protest has been entered by the Methodist Episcopal committee on conservation and advance, according to a dispatch from Chicago, against the playing by American church mem- Dbers of the Chinese game of Mah-Jong, {or Pung Chow, on the ground that it s & gambling game, in fact the lead- ing gambling game in China. It is set forth that Chinese Christians are appalled by the adoption of this game in the United States, and are now ap pealing to Americen Christians to dis- ocourage its use in this country. They do not raise the queation of the ethics of the game, but only the fact that it is used for gambling in China. They can only see it as a gambling game, and they cannot understand, it would seem, why church merbers opposed to gambling should play it “for fun. The Chinaman does not play cards or other games “for fun.” He is, as a rule, & gambler. Every game of chance in that country is & gambling game. The celestial cannot conceive the pos- sibility of a group of people sitting down to a soclal game without stakes. In this country there has been a great change in the matter of card games The politicians hold ‘that the selec. |lurements, partly political and partly fand other indoor pastimes. ‘Time was «.tlon of 'New- York. is a blow at Mc- Adoo's chances. New.York i§notorious- social, that scored the victory. Beginning with 1868 and including when for a church member to touch a pack of “devil's calling cards” was to Iy unfriendly to him. The convertion | 1920 there have been twenty-vight|risk expulsion and public disgrace. will meet in an’atmosphere which will be consistently. hostile to him. Gov. Alfred E. Smith will be on hand to zwin frierids for his own candidacy, though not with expectation of.receiv- ~ing the ngmination. But all his sup- ! port will detract just that much from . tiie ‘McAdoo prospect of reaching the * iwo:thirds, and contribute to-a dead- iock,-boosting the hand of Underwood, Davis, Ralston or some other com- pron candidate, The plot will thicken.” ~ B " Police.and Fire Pay Bill. Thé House committee on the Dis- trict of Columbia has made rapid - progress with: the police and firemen’s pay bill, and there is good prospect that ft will be brought up in the House soon,- and -that it will be.passed: by major party conventions. Twelve of these have been held in Chicago. six by the republicans and three by the democrats. Five have been held in St. Louls, one by the republicans and four by the democrats. Two have been held in Cincinnati, one by each par two in.Baltimore, both by the demo- crats, and two.in Philadelphia, both by the republicans. The republicans have held one convention in Minne- apolis and the democrats one in New York, one in Denver and one in San Francisco. The democrats have “visit- ed around” more than the republicans, Having met In nine different-cities in fifty-two years, while-the republicans have visited only five citles in the | same period, . Including the convention of next June the republicans will have visited six citles and .the democrats filne. % that. body. - This is gretifying. “The bill should be given' preference and precedence. -It. is an_act of the sim- Dlest -equity, demanded by the condi- tions. that will prévail after -the 1st of July next, when, unless legislation 1s had meanwhile, the members of the two guardian forces of the Capital will actually “lose compensation through the withdrawe} of the bonus. There is ‘nb:obpasition to the bill, and ap- - parently no “disposition prevaile. to amend it; save. perhaps to make it moreTiBeral.. % 1f this bill-is not enacted before the 1st-of July it will become almost im- & possible fo malntain the .police..and fire. departments “in: full strength. Even now there are vacancies in the ranks because of the difficulty of get- ting good ‘fmen. ‘Enactmént of this Dill establishing a proper scale of com- pensation ‘will enable the-Commission- ers to recruit. the .forces to full strength and to- keep them at that point Wwith.an efficient personnel. ~ B e T Enforcement -of-prohibition s hin- dered by the fact that law violators oftén’ learn in advance that warrants . are to be issued for them. The modern = Bolitical economy appears to- threaten *;orle leak after another. - _——————— perfectly correct from the Paris view- point, but the value of the franc is not reflécting any -great beneficial influ- ence. T Every now and then Mr. Charies G. Dawes drops ‘in ‘@ rhetorical turn = which makes even statistics interest- mg. et et Wreath for Franklin’s Statue. On the birthday.of Benjamin Frank- Hp, tomorrow, a Thrift week' com- mittee will Iay @ wreath of flowers be- < fore the §tatue of Frankiin at the in- ;. tersection of the Avenue and 19th-and - Dstrgets.. During the week of January 1723 many speakers will call Frank- tinythe; aposle of thrift. -1t is appro- priate. In:the:time When-this remark- able man lived were imeh who sneered " at him for-his humble birth, Kis trade, his_ron-marriage,-his “queer” views and his economy. These were small- ~ mind people, and there were not many of them. Plain, wise Ben Franklin in his elghty-four years of life, quite or inore than half of whicth was in the public, * service, ~ probably . ' gathered tewek ‘efiemies than any other man of sonsiderable’ prominerice. He was a man _most. tolerant of “others’ views, , though he was active. in some: causes “ that ‘were not popular. He organized = the :first anti-slavery soclety in the world and waa its president. Slavery ‘wWas a-world custom reaching back to _remote “times, and, only & revolution. % ary ‘mind could think that it should o abolished. Plain Ben Franklin, in Hiifsgreat old riéwspaper, the Pennsyl- ania._Gezette;: b *ment at Philadelphia of the first free public library, ‘where Men of every de- greetand condition ‘might read books. i There. were persons who thought it |, dangerous to teach children’ of poor or fictramon” otk ¥o read, ‘and ‘that ‘1t &, France's . forelgn policles may" be |- The choice of Cleveland by the re- publicans mieans ‘a departure from Chicago, after ‘five successive conven- tions there: Next June will find Chi- cago, for the first time in:twenty-four ears, without ope of the big parties In the whole stretch “to date this will be oniy. the fourth convention year that oné of ‘the two .big parties has not met there. And yet, in" yesterday's meeting ‘of the . democratic - netional | committee, Chicago was only a third- place contender on the first ballot, and qiMt the race practically with that vot- ing. Haé the Windy city grown tired of-conventivns? - s o ——————— Members of the Berlin police force are compelled ‘to wear bullet-proof armor, The ruined villages in France are being restored. The German capi- tal looks more and more Hke-a’ battle- -ground. oo - ————— Every great jndustry is prepared to show why it ahould be taxed at a low rate if at all. It was by careful super- vision' of expenses that the founda- tions for great industries were laid. “Young Mr. Sidis remains a remarka- ' ble.calculator. The problem of being comfortable on $23 a weck isas baffling to most people as that of the fourth dimension. == eme ——— A New York peychologist says that good clothes help-an unemployed man ta get a job.. ALl he needs is to, dis- cover something to help him get the clothes. ——— In case his*new candidate does not suit, perhaps Col. Bryan -can find a subatitute without stirring out-of his own footsteps. —————— A Government Fire Trap. .. Over. thirty years ago the unsafe condition of the old printing -office at the corner of ‘North Capitol and H streets was a.subject of constant discission in:Congress. After a long period ‘of ‘debate on the score of re- placement appropriation - was. finally | made for a.new print shop on the site immediately- adjoining. It was then expected that the old building would be razed.” It was notoriously-a firétrap. ' It& walls ‘and floors were weak. But economy dictated its re- tention &nd ‘use’ as a storage. ware- house -for' stock ‘and documents and it has been 80 used ever since the working for¢e was sent into the new structure. “Now the-public printer, in his annual report, calls attention to | the danger ‘of further use of this old shell, which, despite the utmost pre- cautions and repairs, is & menace:to the property storéd in it and to 'the lives of all its occupants; and in fact, through risk of fire, to the personnel and plant of the main establishment closely adjoining. s ; _ So weak are the floors .of this structure that Army engineers were charged with a thorough examination of it and put a restriction on the loading not-to exceed a third of its normal capacity. Hence as & ware- Now bridge parties and five hundred parties, and lately Mah-Jong parties, are glven as features of church enter- tainment. Sometimes, it myst be con- fessed, these “‘partles” are in the na- ture of competitions for prizes, which some aver puts them in the category of gambling. But so long s the “‘cause” Is good the practice is con- doned. The protest of the Chinese Chris- tlans against the adoptioh of their most popular gambling game by American church members can hardly prevail. Mah-Jong, or Pung Chew, has simply succeeded bridge es the most popular form of group entertainment. Probably in season it will be supplant- ed by something else, perhaps like- wise an importation from abroad, may- be the natlonal gambling game of an- other race. —_————— So-called doctors who work with fake diplomas should be weeded out as rapidly as possible. The regularly educated physicians are compelled to do enough guesswork to- prevent -life from becoming a monotonous cen | tainty. ————— Dr. Cous is back, looking, his photo- graphs show, like @ physician who gets results by taking his own medi- cine. ———— Complications are threatened be- cause a bandit bloc has -been.allowed to exercise far too much control of China’s forefgn policy. Young = Mr. Sidis, mathematical phenomenon, is willing to work for a small wage, but declines any job that will compel him to think. He may be prepared to launch & scientific attack on the ancienttheory that “brains can be_hired for $25 a week.” SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNBON _ Excavations. The scientist digs up a king From ‘neath the dust of ages, And writes down every little thing He sees on hist'ry pages. But we have also Micky Jones ‘Whose home’s well nigh & hovel. He plods among the clay and stones ‘With his own pick and shovel. The sclentist digs up the past With golden revelations, But Mickey digs, with patience vast, For future generations. Not Interested. “Are you interested in Arctic ex- ploration?” “Not deeply,” answered Senator Sorghum. .“I like to figure as far ahead as possible. But as yet T can't see_that the Eskimo vote is ever go- ing to mean a thing to me." Jud Tunkins says ell you need to solve most problems is common sense; only, if common sense’ was dlways easy located there mightn't have been so much problem in the first place. Picturgs Missing. Of “werds, words, words,” spoke Ham- let sad. His friends in desp dejection Remarked, “1t really. is too bad - He got no comic section!” The Athletic Life. “The doctors say everybody should sleep with windows wide open.”’ “Yes,” replied Miss Cayenne. “The craze for athlétics is so strong that even slumber-is cultivated as an out- “De man dat pertends to be smarter | fla IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL V. COLLINS “How - ‘"';nnzy troubles. are with cbil: Yot he who wants them counts himsel? forlorn. - Cougress has put all authority in the care ‘of;dependent children of the District of Columbla upon the Dis- trict” Commissioners. = The District has cared for its child -wards with £ood intentions, but, like many an inexperienced parent, has felt the need of expert direction. *xx s Last year, the Commissioners re- quested Dr. Hart ‘of the department of child weifare of the Russell Sage Foundatfon. to_make a careful sur- vey of.the city as to its children's institutions, public and private, and to report what he found to be the situation.. As a result of that pre- liminery l\lrvu¥ the foundation has now sent William W. Hodson to rulf.u and advise (n shaping needed egislation and advising especially as to the best methods .of court pro- cedyre in handling children. ‘There are now pending In Congress four proposed ~amend- ments. to e Constitution, giving Congress power to legislate 'tn child welfare. hese all bear upon gen- eral control over the entire country. Senator Capper has introduced a bill 'which provides directly for home care of children In the District of Colum- Dbis. Senator Ball has a bill provid- ing for development of parks and playgrounds in the District for child "The fact that th e fac at the District of - lumbia is a federal district, hlV(l?floK federal courts and only federal laws, puts it in the power of Congress to save the children of the District from extreme penalties of the law, with- out walting for a constitutional :ll::ndmlenhli as is the case where e rights prevent . P congressional e nciple which the Russell sawe Foundation experts uphold, through Mr. Hodson, is that the Dis- trict courts, in handling all children’s cages should act as courts of equity or chancery—modifying the stringent law, by the lenfency of what, in England, would be called “the king's conscience’ ther than inflicting the letter of the law, whether statutory or common. The aim s to save and 1a0ld the childi—not ta punish him— and, to do that, it is necessary not merely to ascertaln whether the child did the act of which he is accused, but why he did it. Mr. Hodson is thus especially iuterested in bringing about a change In court procedure for children accused of crimes, for it 15 recognized, he says, that for a court to arraign a child as a criminal, have the “culprit” tried before a jury or a judge sitting high above him, to be ascused by witnesses and sen- tenced is to stamp that child with infamy for the rest of his life. Yet, too often, that {s the only method by which children are legally treated for their offenses. Sclentific clinics would find that the causes of many offenses are physical, or mental, or that the home surroundings are such as to misgulde and handicap him in development and viewpoint of his duties. ‘ What is- the child’s handicap? Re- move it. Give him a chance to Zo right. : some twenty- th * %k ok ¥ There have long been efforts to “re- form” children. Thero have been “homes" or institutions for “bad girls” and also for “bad boys. These have not always accomgplished thelr avowed alms—perhaps through no real fault of either the management of the homes or the characters ef the children. There exist everywhere un- restralned and profiteering “daby tarms.” It is the hope that all homes and “baby farms” will come under & licensing and supervision, under im- e proved legislation. * x ok % Dr. Hart found that the board of childre: guardians of the District of Columbia has acted with devetion COURAGE “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of u{’uml." —HENLEY. EDISON l‘al)l’l‘ MANY A -JOB. ‘When seven years old. Thomas A. Edison heard his teacher say that he was ‘“‘addled,” and it would not be ‘worth while to keep him in school. His mother had to teach him, but she died when he was twelve. “A newsboy on the Grand Trunk railway at fourteen, printing a news- paper to fill out his Incame, and ex- perimenting in the- baggage car In spare moments. A lurch of the car, 2 broken phosphorous .bottle, a fire, and he with hid belongings was dumped upon a station = platform, miles from home, without a job, avo- cation or hope. He practiced telégraphy at home at night until a stray cow got tangled in the wires. ;Job after job in this country and Canada was iost use he neglected his work to experiment. - His first patent, ‘a voting machine, ‘was perfected in Boston, and he used all his funds to go to Washington, where he was told voting machines ‘were not wanted anywhere. Then on to New York with mnot enough money to buy breakfast.. Fi- nally a good position and a patent sold, the proceeds going into fruitless effort for bigger ideas. In elght years he made 50,000 ex- periments before he perfected the storage _battery. The -phonograph took longer. He had to study pho- tography to concelve the moving pic- ture machine. ¢ lncandescent light required years of thought and world-wide re- search. After its invention came trouble in operating, - followed by fierce competition and litigation, so that when the way was clear only three of the twenty years of patent protection remained, The average time Edison spent on inventions has been seven years; some required twenty-five years, and ill are uncompleted. But he never quit. Today Edison 1s honored by the ':fl(:hll 2 A;ll:llo benefactor. ‘{o is w y an appy. ‘He hi than 1,000 patents. 1 e ys: “Genlus 1s 3 per cent in- on and 98 per. cent perspira- ‘Way to Escape Taxes To the Kditor of The Star: In all pre portant point-in reference to federal income taxes does not seem’ to be mentioned, namely: The high cost of living snd depressions are doubtless mh’ht about ’.{ eXoess profit rates. Ty It ia a ve mple matter to see this statement is correct. This is .|how' it comes about. Every individ- ual, firm and corporation realizes af- ter selling a certain amount of goods and ing & certain .profit, say along in the summer, why' selling in ® large way must stop and why they &.g lunul after Januar: ey will have to pay prohibitfv .g pro%t tax to ‘the ‘government. 'hen first one-business house and another . starts restricting - sales to just taking-care of. their best -cus: omers, Wi the consumers - them- ives ‘bid N;M't ‘ln cover their or n. dan he 1s” said Uncle Eben, “takes | Brot on a'lieap o' worriment when de world begins to take him at his ‘word and hand him responsibilities.” ng of* ise resul big. inventorfes and big inventories In dus course bring on depression. reports a ‘very im- | and wisdom in the administration of its work, but has never been ade- quately supported with finances. It has‘ never had suffiuent personnel, therefore, to supervise the homes in which the wards have been placed,. as it felt should be done Wh children are inirusted to families. This shortage has led to criticism from some, who, have argued that:the children ought to be cared for anly in the institution rather than be §iven out to.private tamilies, either lor adoption or temporary. care. ‘ The Commissioners have now 'con- solidated in the board of children's guardians the care of all children committed by the courts, and there is united policy for the future. Where sultable homes can be found, duly investigated in advance and strictly inspected from time to time, the home atmosphere and care are better for most children than any large institution, But without such continued supervision of the homes, it is dangerous to “farm out the chil- dren promiscuously. To carry out that principle it is hoped ‘to make important changes in the industrial home at an early date. The property now owned, located on Wisconsin avenue, while valuable real estate, Is not suitable for a vocation- al tra{ning institution, and it is hoped hat it may be sold. In its place would be ‘established a vocational training school and farm, upon land to be donated by the Newbold estate, and formerly occupied by the George Junior Republic, located near An- napolis Junction, Md. The funds de- rived from the sale of the Wiséonain avenue property, with moderate help from Congress, would equip the shops and erect cottages. * * k¥ Dr. Hart points out that Washing- ton has eighteen separate institutions for dependent children, with a capac- ity of 1,506 beds, while they contain only 945 children. He recommended that 20 per cent might be properly returned to their families and more could be given homes with reliable private citizens, under suitable super- vision. At present much effort being duplicated, and economy and efficiency would be better served through consolidation. * % ok x The modern movement for scientific care of children began in 1908, with the passage by the British parlia- ment of a children’s act—the first legal definition of child rights, uni- versally recognized as the -child's magna charta. Prior to that the world had made laws to curb children —not to protect them. This was followed, in 1909, by the first child conference called by Presi- dent Roosevelt and held in the White House. It was attended by the most notable sociologists of the day. At this conference standards for the care of children were enunclated, and it was decided to ocodify the laws of all states concerning childhood. ‘The fundamental principle there crystal- lized was: “The home is the natural place for every child, and no child should be taken away from its home, except under the most compeiling reasons.” The first child codification confer- ence was called by the Governor of Oho, in 1911, and the laws were codi- fled and so published in 1913. Since then thirty states have appointed commissions to study and codify chiid laws. In 1919 the federal children's bu- reau of the Department of Labor ocalled an fnternational conference, which met in Washington, and it re- affirmed the fundamental principle— home for children—as quoted above. Among the measures now pending in Congress is one to assist mothers in caring for their families at home— not a “mother's pension.” as it is mis- called, but whatever ald is needed to eke out the earnings of the family when such are insufficient to keep the family together. This has the sup- port of the Labor Department and of influential organizations of women. (OCapyright, 1924, by Psul V. Collin Today and Yesterday Post Office Clerk Recalls Wash- ington of Other Times. To the Bditor of The Star: Touching upon time and events ever so lightly. it is Interesting to compare today with yesterday. Chil- dren of today take it as a matter of course that Pennsylvania avenue, electric cars and automobiles, have always been here. Historians tell us about things that were here when some of the oldest clerks in the Post Office Department had not' yet cele- brated a birthday. Antedating every- thing else mentioned In this article could you believe that at one time in the early history of this locality and its activities, it was a trying un- dertaking for a party of men to make, the trip from what Is now the navy yard to Georgetown? Yes, it was. During rainy weather, the distance, 8o short to us of today, was & jour- ney to Be much dreaded in’ the early history of Washington. An instance of the kind is known relating to an important trip by a party of men to Baltimore from Washington, and later by another party from t! more to Washington. ‘Thl Journey requiring courage, strength, endurance, a good knowledge of ‘woodcraft, and it was done when no steam whistle had ever been heard anywhere. At a point. where the Post Office Department now stands in former days there was a creek flowin through the low ground, borderei 'with trees. At about this point there was a good spring, a fountain visited by many passing that way. A very large sycamore tree stood mear, and for years and years this was a land- mark. In the early days serious floods occurred frequently, and some of the early merchants found it necessary to remove their stock to the second floor to save it from total loss. The river tides in the past have often reached torrential flood several feet in depth all -about this section, in- cluding Pennsylvania avenue, right in front of the Post Office Department by the Indl ans either represented a short cut to some given point or one that was best on account of high water, for it must be borne in mind that in any flat area a river of such magnitude as comes _inundated, an lines of communication become ered from lhalrl tlrminlll.‘!Alo e line of reasoning our engineers a surveyors followed the identical trail made by the Indians, and our rail- roads were built where they are for e same reason-that the Indians es- tablished a trail there. i Sea level is & matter of guesswork sometim: but when you®awaken in the morning and find a sex in front yard, your back yard an the flelds, and all about you, you 're in & bad way. A flood Erm i ins it o, e ington for many decades. This is due to the highly skilled work done by our éngineers, who have pumped the flood-making qualities out of the bottom of the river and converted it into beautiful flelds of green grass, flowers, shrubbery, trees, drives, ‘walks, flo:";l' ‘!ountnlnl .n;ir:av.hlnl‘ 5 weltare work. hl).'m."clt :ow stands in former . {mportant wrmu been don: it progreéss been mad :!‘-‘rv ‘r“thaptflortl of the Post Qffice De ent in-building new roads, re- efanss 108 eitablisning better Htea n';‘eommunluuun in all parts of the ==, moves on with R R K R ave ) FRANK i leader, is George E. Brennan of ClI 18 _16 1924, Politics at Large Democratic leaders of national im- portance gathered in Washington to attend or observe the meeting of the national committee to seléct the con- vention city and issue.the call for the convention which will nominate can- didates for President and Vice Presi- dent are congratulating..themsejves that they came at an opportune and interesting time. They find them- 8olves here to see the G. O. P. “with a heap sight o' trouble on the old man's mind,” they say. The observation has reference to the condition the republicans are in with regard to the tax-reduction bill. The action of the insurgent republicans in the House Monday joining with the democrats in abrogating the rule which limits amendments to and de- ‘bate upon revenue measures is classed as opening the way for offering of amendments in the line of the demo- cratio policy of putting the surtax higher than the figures stipulated i the Mellon plan, and thereby casting @ vivid democratic tinge over what- ever legislation is effected and de- priving the republicans of clalming all the credit for reducing taxes. * ¥ ¥ The democratic leaders are delight- ed with Monday's exhibition of the Power of the republican insurgents in the House, following so soon after the demonstration in the Senate in the case of the selection of a démo- crat, Senator Smith of South Caro- lina, as chalman of - the republican committes on interstate commerce. They see in these two incidents in- finito possibilities of combination with insurgent republicans to em- barrass the majority. * % * = Chairman Green of the House com- mittee on ways and means says there is grave menace to the tax-reduction blil In the repeal of the rule. He ap- prehends that the way will be open to such an avalanche of amendments and a flood of debate that its passage Wwill not only be delayed, but actually imperiled. In that view of the case the ques- tion may arise whether there is sround for congratulation among emocrats over the insurgent-demo- cratic coup. It is said the republicans will lose no occasion to point out to the country dilatory tactics against the tax bill or harmful amendmente that may be offered. * x ok % There is no question that the voters are thoroughly aroused over the tax- reduction proposition of the adminis- tration. It was.suggested at a time when Congress was not in session, and the people “rose to it with wonder- ful enthusiasm. It was thoroughly explained and by the time Congress assembled the senators and repre- sentatives found themselves deluged with communications from constitu- ents approving reduction of taxes. “The niass of the voters are not go- Ing to be so much interested in how much of the surtax is or ls not lopped off as they are in whether the smaller incomes are actually reduced. Any party or faction which defeats this reduction is going to ‘catch it' at the olls,” {s the way one republican eader puts it. * % ¥ ¥ The meeting of the democratic na- tional committes brought to Wash- ington many famillar figures of old- time war horses of the party. From the Pacific coast came Isidore Dock- weiler, called “the democratic party in southern California.” Mr. Dock- wefler made the treasurer of the na- tional committee lift, up his heart by exhibiting a certified check for $200,- 200 tq be given the committee if the convention should choose San Fran- cisco. Thomas Taggart of Indiana, an “old-timer" for fair, was.on hand, one of the best known and greatly liked democratic Jeaders in the coun- try. Everybody wanted to ses “Boss Murphy”, of Tammany Hall. An- other popular_man was Norman E, Mack ot New York. The successor of the late Roger Sullivan, the Illinels hi- cago, who was much sought after. Two former chairmen of the commit- tee were on hand, Homer S. Cums mings of Connecticut and George ‘White of Ohio. * % ¥ ¥ It is generally conceded that Mr. McAdoo is the favorite of a majority of the national committes for the presidential candidacy. This is not conclusive of his nomination, but is regarded as giving him a good run- ning start toward it, by virtue of the influence the committeemen wield in their states. L T A democrat, who does not support good fortune to have a strong and militant organization, which has been at work for him for four years, while his rivals are in groups with no pur- pose in common save to ‘head off’ Mr. McAdoo's getting the two-thirds vots and then fighting each other for the plum. To be sure, it is a case of Me- Adoo against the field, but the fleld is outside the breastworks where Mr. McAdoo i5 intrenched. * ok %% The democratic national committee is trying to shoot the Mellon tax re- duction plan full of holes, while the republican national committeo is stoutly defending it, both issuing current statements on the subject. “The features of the Mellon plan which stand out,” saya the demo- <cratic committes, “are first, a reduc- tion of the higher surtax from 50 to 25 per cent, which means a reduction of 3200,000 on surtax incomes of big taxpayers, and, second, & reduction of 25 per cent on earned incomes as dif- ferentlated from unearned incomes. The first proposal, the reduction of the higher surtaX, was attempted in the last Congréss when Secretarv Mellon made the same reduction he is making now, and the republican tax bill provided for a reduction of the higher surtax from 65 per cent to per cent. “President Harding made a personal appeal for such _reduction. The democrats in the Senate offered an amendment fixing the higher surtax at 50 per cent, which was accepted, Ninety-four republican members of the House voted with the democrats to accept the amendment, which is now the law. The entire record of tax reduction and attempted tax re- duction since the war shows that equitable tax reduction and all at- tempts to secure the same have been defeated by the ublican mmbers of the last two republican Congressea and that the democrats have unapi- mously supported every measure for equitable reduction.” % The republican national committee's statement, after citing an imposing array of figures to support the Mel- lon rate of surtax reduction, says, “All facts conclusively prove that high surtaxes have but one effest, that is to drive men of wealth to in- vest their money in tax-exempt se- curities. result of this is & losa of federal revenues from the million- aire class. Secretary Mellon estimates that if the money now invested in tax-exempt seourities were invested 1in, productive business, the {fin n in- come tax to the government would be more than $400,000,000 a year. & ¢ ¢ Therefore, the .politician. or -the po- litical party which plays the demo- gogue by prvpulln; a tax bill to soak the rmh" mlnl :.n % :flt". ,!B.lpoor man is, In point of fact, proposing a bill which relieves the rich maa an odaks the poor man. | i i d | him ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS . BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. -, Q. How much butter does the aver- |’ 2go American eat each year?—D. A. B. A. The average butter consumption in the United States is only 17 pounds. Four pounds of cheese may.be added to this. In England 17 pounds of but- ter and 11 of cheese is the annual per capita consumption. .Australians col sume 25 pounds of butter and : pounds of cheese; Danes, 19 pounds of butter and 12 pounds of cheese, and Canadians about 30 pounds of butter. In other countries surveyed the amount fell below the average of | consumption in the United States. Q. Does the skin aid breathing of man?—W. H. A. As a respiratory organ the skin has a slight function, inasmuch as some carbon dioxide is given off and oxygen absorbed. any in the Q. Will you kindly name some American women who were prominent during the revolution?—A. H. D. A. Among the outstanding women of the period were Martha Washing- ton, Sarsh Hopton, Catharine Living- ston, Deborah Samson, Mrs. Lewis Morris, Rebecca Biddle and Mrs. Ralph. Izard. | Q. What post office is north in North America?—E. A. On West Ellesmere Jsland, in 1atitude. 76° 10°, longitude 81°, there is & p fiice known as Cralg Har- bor, a Canadian office, which is the highest point at which there is postal service In North America. Q. Why is Yellowstons National Park 8o called?—L. M. R. A. It derives its name from the yellow in the walls of the canyons of the Yellowstone river. £ the stars hotter than . farthest | Q. Are any of our sun?—V. R. A. Prof. E. E. Slosson says that the’| Orion stars are the most massive and hottest of all the stars. Their sur- face temperatures are belleved to bé at least as high as.20,000 degrees, as compared with the surface tempera- ture of 11,000 degrees for our own sun. Q. Is the key to the Bastile really in the United States?—L. S. A. The key to the Castle of Bastile tn Paris is at Mount Vernon. It was presented to George Washington by. fayette. The key made - of wrought iron and is seven inches in length. : Q. Who won the first shorthand speed contest in history?—A. K. A. Titus Fabrius Sabinus Vespa- sianus is so credited. Titus was the eleventh of the twelve Caesars. Q. What makes potatoes turn green | Eflg they are put in a cellar?—C. A. The Department of Agrifulture says there is probably too much light | in'the cellar and that the light makes the potatoes green. 1t suggests that you cover the potatoes with i sacking and keep them as cool as possible without freezing—that is, as near 36 degrees as possible. Q. How many eggs does it take to feed New York city?—L. P. A. In 1922 New York city received 6,821,079 cases of eggs. Q. Who was the first king or queen of England?—W. T. C. 3 A. The first king of all England was Egbert, who was crowned in §27. Q. How made?—J. s A. Tt is bullt of blocks of fce.” fhc structure is erected, then sprayed with water, 5o that it freszes.solid. S Elea Eivs number ot‘rm‘f,. e collapse u e Dridge somo Vears agor—te B t” A. In the first collapse of the Que~ bec bridge, August 29, 1907, seventy - four lives were lost, ' in the sacond dfsaster, September ‘11, 1916, eleven worktnen lost thetr-iives, i A5 the Montreul teo' palace . What gre productive?—G. A. Common cabbage is said to be the most productive, for it i belloved that an acre of ground will yield a ®reater welght .af green vegetable matter in the shape of cabbage than in that of any other vegetabls what- ever. en vegetable i 1 L £ is mo! Q. How does & rope éable com with a chain cable in strength? A. Compared with the strength o hempen cable, a chain cable of inch diameter of rod {8 equivalent to a hempén cable 10% inches in cir- cumference. Q. Do goéld “coins “vary “in fine- ness?—K. I A. In the United States gold coins 4 1 | may vary from 899 to 801 in fineness A ‘report of the assay’ commission showed, that they actually varied only from 899.5 to 900.2. d Q. What is the difference between blue laws and blue-sky laws?—J. D A. Blue laws is a terim commonly applied tu legislation regulating, to- stricting or prohibiting certain &c tivitles on the Babbath or Lerd's day. The term plue is also apniied to cer- tain other legielation regulating the gelling of stocks and bonds:to Pro- hibit fraudulent dealings. These are known as - blue-sky- laws and are operative in many states. Q. Whers was Henry Ford's father born?—G. F. M Henry Ford's father, William Ford, was of English ~uncestry, although born near the town of Brandon, Ireland. He emigrated to America’ at the age of twenty and eettled on a forty-acre tract in Green- fleld- township, eight miles west of Detroit. Q. How many negroes are there it the state of Vermont?—M. C. A: According to the 1920 census there- are 572 negroes in the state. There are 24 Indians. 11 Chinese and 4 Japanese. The total population of Vermont is. 352,428. Q. What is the derivation of the word wapentake?—FP. A. A. The word is from the Scandina- vian and means literally a touching or taking of weapons. The name had its origin in the custom of touching lances or spears when the hundreder or chief entered on his office. In some parts. of England the term is used to indicate a division corra- sponding _to the hundred and ward of other parts. ' Q. What are moth balls made of?— LW A. They are varying combinations of camphor, tar, creosote and naph- thalene. Some formulad contain cedar oil. (Have you asked Haskint? Je does not know il the things that people ask him, but_he knows peo- ple who do know. Try m. ~ State vour question briefly, write plainiy and inclosc 2 cents in stemps Jor return postage. Address Frederic J. Haskin, director, The Star Infor- mation Bureau, 1220 North Capitol Street.) Lord Robert Cecil’s Earldom Will Be Extinct When He Dies BY THE MARQUISE DE FONTENOY. Lord Robert Cecil is so well known in the United States that it may be|e of interest to state that his new| title, which, with the permission of the crown, he has taken on his ele- vation to the upper chamber of par- liament, is that of Lord Cecil of Sherwood. The latter is the name of his place in Sussex. It lies in Ashtown Forest on the top of the| strange ridge of Hastings Sand which crosses the county from east to west. Sherwood Manor stands at an ele- vation of nearly 600 feet fn the center of a fir and heather cov- ered common. There is no other house within_ sight. The view is bounded by Scotch firs and to the south beyond the so-called weald of Sussex by the long line of the south Downs. It is- not -far from Fast Grinstead. Lord Cecil is marrled to Lady Elea- nor Lambton, daughter. of the pres- ent Earl of Durham. But thev have no children, so that Lord Cecil's new peerage will become extinct at his death. It Is known that the fact of his being childless was taken-into consideration at the time of his ele- vation to the house of- lords. ~ For, while his fortune accumulated’ dur- ing his more than thirty years im very successful and lucrative practice at the bar, is sufficient to furnish an adequate_income to his wife and to himself for the remainder of their lives, .it cannot be considered as large enough for the purpose of én- dowing a hereditary peerage to which there were likely to be & .long line of descendants. * ok ok * Ex-Premier Gaston Doumergue, who has just been elected president of the senate in Paris and who thus be- comes the second highest dignitary of the French republic, is a man of, much charm of manner with a keen sense of humor, utterly devold of vulgarity and with all that remark- able for his steadfastness of purposeé. Hailing from the south. having sat for his native city of Nimes in_ the chamber, and now senator for Gard. he suggests the cherry vine fsrmers and vineyard owners of the Gard, and his kindly, genial way, as well as his warm and cordial southern French— which never fails to attract and which is so pleasing to the ear—en- of influence and prestige. ries with;it a yearly sale francs, which in mormal ivalent to $30,000 & year, and He also, a very handsome officlal residencs’ in the so-called Petit Lux- embourg . Pdlace, magnificently fur- nished. adorned-Tith superb Gobelin tapestry and maintained at the ex- pense of ‘the state, which even fur- nishes him a large staff of servants and with a couple of official automé- biles. Nor must I omit the mention of the fact that the Petit Luxem- bourg has a very large and beautiful private garden, shaded by many cen- tury-old_ trees, which fs a pricelese boon for any one who is obliged o live in the ieart of old Paris during the torrid months of the summer. * ¥ k¥ To young Charles Uryan Rhys, son of the seventh Lord Dynevor ad member ‘of parliament for the Rof ford division of Essex, belongs the distinction of being the most youth- ful member, that is to say, the “baby” of the house of commons. This, too. despite the fact that although he was _prevented by .his youth frem takifig part in. the, great war n France, he immediately on receiving his ccmmission in the Grenadier Guards a couple of months after the signature of the armistice, volun- teered for foreign ser: n_north- ern Russia under Gen. Sir Willlam Ironsides, and did so well there in the heavy fighting on the Murman peninsula that he won the military cross and seversl other decorations. Since then, the voung fellow has found time to-pay several visits (o America at the instance of his fa- ther, who 1S one of the most inveter- ate globe trotters and who has been many times-around the world, his father, in.tyrn, the fifth Lord Dynev- or, nem's‘/"-\_)'nm of similar tastes, who had.d gw escape from death in thé-earthquake at San Francisco. where hp lost all hjs belongings sav his tall"hat in @ Jleather hat box, svhich he &patched up as he was fleo- ing from ‘the-wréck of the hotel in which he was gtying, clad in noth- ing but his pajamas. Lord Dynever married a sister of the late Earl of Jefsey, who was the owner of Childs® Bank, in London. sb. that young Uryan Rhys éventually, through his mother, will Inherit great wealth. With regard to his name of Uryan, it is taken fromi .tha, legendary Arthurian, founden of Bis ho: For ho {s descended froin tite Welsh Prince Uryan Rheged, who m: ed the fairy sister of King Arthir. “He mlso can dows him with qul spedlal ad- lvantages in the senate, ‘as formerly in the.chamber of deputles and es- peclally in. the International con- gresses in which he has been called to take part. With all that he is & Protestant and has always ~had a Huguenot constituency. Like most of his family, he. has recelved 2 portion of his education in England. Indeed he understands England and the FEnglish perhaps better than any other statesman of equal prominence in the public life of France and he has British rela- tives. For Lady Scott. the w‘!‘fs of the great Sir Walter Scott of ‘Wav- orley Novels” celebrity, though she bore the name of Carpenter. Was a native of France and on.the death of her parents was taken to Eng- fand by her Doumergue uncle and nt to be placed under.the guardian- Ehip of the Lord Downshire of the day. * kW X If anything untoward wers to hap- pen to President Millerand, the .ex- ecutive power of the republic would be vestedsin the hands of Gaston Doumergue until the election of a mcou':.: .The French describe him the “homme qui’rit”” which means man who laughs, a tribute:to,his sunny dl§position - Though a member of the cal party, in which he has show lineal desoent in themale lino from Roderick ~the Great,” the last King of United Wales, who died in the ninth century, and whpse three sons divided” Wateg heélween them, Tord. Dynevor beln@ desoanbed fram the son who inherited the principali- ty of South Wales. Among his an- cestors he can count some of the greatest. statesmen and warriors of medleval Wales, and one of his for- bears, Sir Rhyg Ap Thomas, Knight of the Garter, was the chlef sup- porter of Henry VII when he landed at Milford Haven in 1485. 1 Lok ok oE Under-Henry VII, a Rice or Rhys. married Lady Catherine - Howard, daughter of the second Duke of Nor- folk, and was: beheaded for treason, the vast-estafes of the family were escheated to the crown, and, though the attainder was removed under Ed- ‘ward VI, only a portion of the former princely domain was restored to the family. - The.latter had.beenin pos- session of Lyngvor Castle from time immemorial. = The anclent.: castle itself, whibh Gominates the -vallev of* Towy, in Carmarthenshire, is in ruins, and the presant mansion s but @ little over 100 years: 6ld;- surrounded, howevér, drtes old. - and e, and the atms“ # romanc ) .o tells us in the Faerfe Q v %o famous wizard . “céun: care, uporr_whom he is generally un- derstood to ti‘en&llaj modersting” in- fluence. i AT In‘cflli meantime, while his ‘presi- dency of the senate does not invest with any {et it en-. great powe! ‘dows him with a considerable amount =pirits Sido. s pedted 3 Slocdted on Depd :an;wunh‘p m§ ol h‘m the old castle is a pecullar] rook, known to this.day