Evening Star Newspaper, March 9, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR|lvins of permanent With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor March 9, 1825 The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Offico, 11(h St. and Penaast R ew York Ome: 110 Eant 42a Chicago Ofice: Tower Buildl; European Office : 16 Regent St.,Londoa With tre Sunday morning ered by carriers withlu the city at 60 cents per month: daily emly, 43 cents per month; Sunday only, 20 cents per month. Orders may be sent by mail or tele- phone Main 5000. Collection s made by ear- Tiers at the end of each momth. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and ginia. Daily and Sunday..1yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70¢ Daily only... ..1yr, $6.00; 1 mo. 50¢ Sunday only .1 yr., $2.40; 1 mo,, 20¢ All Other States. b Dally and Sunday.1 yr., $10.00; 1 mo., 85¢ Daily only mo., §0c Sunday only.. mo., 25¢ Member of the Associated Pre The Assoclated Press is exclusively entitled to the ‘use for republication of all news dis Jaiches credited to it or zot o:h-‘\"wh" t':'dw; in this paper aud also the local news iished “hereln. Al right lon of special dispatches herein The Evening Star, edition, in d Capper and the District. It cause for deep satisfaction that in Senator Capper, who succeeds Senator Ball as chairman of the Sen- ate District committee, the National Capital has a friend with intelligent and sympathetic understanding of its Both the intellizence and the athy of his understanding were made manifest in an interview with Scnator Capper published in The Sun- day Star. He recognizes the difficul- ties, both of Congress and of the Capi- tal, in obtaining satisfactory handling of District affairs under pr nt cir- cumstances, and enumerates as three steps which he believes would bring about a change for the better: First. The election of delegates or members of Congress to vepresent the District, and to act as its spokesmen on the floor and in committees. Second. The delegation of greater power to the District Commissioners over certain legislative matters which are of importance, but which Congress could well leave to the Commissioners. Third. The consideration of District legislation by Jjoint nate and House District committees subcommittees, following the plan which was adopted with so much success during the last session of Congress with respect to many bills. The third of these proposals was in effect at the recent session of Con- gress, and to that fact is attributable in no small degree the enactment of so large a volume of beneficial Dis. trict leg Senator Capper an- nounces a purpose to confer with Chairman Zihlman of the House Dis- trict committee with a view to con- tinuing the joint consideration of Dis- trict matters. Senator Capper also Is a member of the District subcommit- tee of the S propriations, s lation nate committee on ap- and if he could bring about jc onsideration of the an- rual District appropriation bill, it might operate both to save time and for greater harmony and consistency on various items of expenditure. The conferring of larger authority on the District Commissiongrs has long been advocated by those con- versant with Capital affairs as a thing which would both benefit the District and save the time of Congress. Sena- tor Capper makes plain the absurdity of ‘the Congress of the United States taking up its time to determine such matters as the opening and naming of streets. Along with this enlarged au- thority and responsibility, Senator Capper believes, should go more ade- quate compensation for the Commis- sioners, and to this suggestion resi- dents of the Capital will heartily sub- seribe. Senator Capper in sympathy with the District’s aspiration for com- plete representation in Congress, but he sees no reason why a measure of representation should not be granted without waiting for an amendment to the Constitution. A simple act of Congress would grant the District the right to elect a delegate or dele- gates to represent the District as Alaska is now represented, and it ap- parently is Senator Capper's beliet this could be done without prejudice 1o the eventual attaining of repre. sentatives who would have votes as well as voice in the deliberations of the Congress. The Senator regrets failure of the welfare bill, the insurance code bill @nd other measures which he thinks might have been passed but for the Senate rules against which Vice Pres. ident Dawes complained, and he makes the constructive suggestion that when Congress meets next Fall he will endeavor to bring about a conference of the Scnate and House District committees with the District Commissioners and Capital citizens in en cffort to agree in advance upon & program of legislation. He believes the adoption of such a program not only wolld save time and reduce the chances of important measures being sidetracked, but that it would make for more intelligent legislation. From all angles the views. expressed by Senator Capper are cheering to residents of the Capital, who always have believed that nothing was need- ed to assure harmonious relations be- tween Congress and the Capital com- munity but an intelligent understand- ing of the Capital's needs. —————— A Vice President is supposed to lead @ life of austere seclusion and repose. But rules have their exceptions, even in the Senate. is ——— ‘Washington's Suburban Roads. Word from the office of the engi- neer of highways to the effect that work on the badly damaged suburban roads of the District cannot be rushed at this time, and that these thorough- fares will not be in normal shape until the late Spring or early Sum- mer, is disheartening. It is announced that but $40,000 is available for this work until July 1, when the new ap- propriations will become uvallable, and that, because to concentrate repair work at this time would mean laying off some of the permanent gangs later in the fiscal year, only about $2,500 a week can be expended on this branch of local road maintenance until the new funds come in. INo step could be taken, gangs later to make up for the iployment. of extra gangs to meet the immediate emergency, yet if such a course is the inevitable consequence to bending every effort to the repairing of the damages incident to an unusual Win- ter as speedily as possible, the dictates of popular desire and sound economy urge its adoption. There is no question but that the roads under consideration are today in very bad condition, and that driv- ing vpon them for pleasure is in a majority of instances unthinkable. To, those who must of necessity travel certain of the roads a con- tinuation of their present condition means both discomfort and substan- tial expense in the matter of motor repair bills—inconveniences in certain instances aggravated by genuine danger. And it is patent that the longer the work of repair is delayed the worse the roads in question will become and the larger the ultimate cost of repairing them will be. With the truism that the economic secret of macadam road maintenance is so promptly to patch the slightest erosion as to make extensive repairs unnecessary at any time, the office of the engineer of highways is en- tirely familiar, The present condition of Washington's suburban roads is in nowise indicative of a failure to ap- preciate that sound principle to which the splendid European roads are a testimonial, for of necessity road re- pair in the District must be in a large measure halted during the Winter months. Yet by the same tokens which make that truth obvious it is obvi- ous that the wise course is thor- oughly to repair the local roads as rapidly as possible, that the business of maintenance may then be carried forward at a minimum of expense. It would be a matter for regret if, in order to carry out such a program, the efficiency of the permanent sub- |urban highway gangs should suffer through the necessity for laying off | certain elements of the organization prior to July 1. If any way can be de- vised to avoid such a contingency, it should be utilized, for there is plenty of work for all. But if néne can be found, then it would seem that, from }the viewpoint of public convenience and safety and economy, the lesser evil would be to hurry the repair job at this time in every way possible and then maintain the repaired roads with a curtailed force until the new funds are available. ——— The Democratic Conference. Proposals that the Democrats meet in national conference to bind up party wounds and present a solid front to the enemy are belng pressed. Such suggestions have been in the air since the disaster that overtook the party in the last campaign. By early Summer a year will have passed since the party was rent in twain at the Democratic national convention in | New York—a sufficient cooling-off pe- riod, in the opinion of many of the leaders, to permit a party conference, with some reason to hope for harmony and to avoid recriminations. Much publicity is given today to the request of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Al. Smith leader in the New York con- vention and vice presidential nominee on the ticket with Gov. Cox of Ohio in 1920, that a conference be called and the letter of acquiescence from Senator Walsh of Montana, perma- nent chairman of the last national convention. These party leaders lay stress upon the advisability of avoid- ing a discussion of candidates. They fear a continuation of the old row if the supporters of Gov. Smith and William Gibbs McAdoo, for example, seek to make use of this conference to advance the cause of one or both of these men. Why would it not be wise, from the standpoint of Democratic harmony, to call upon Smith and Mc- Adoo to declare themselves out of the race for the presidential nomination? perhaps, which would more tend to allay the bitter feelings aroused in New York. Today there still lurks the feeling in many quarters that the personal ambitions of these men may yet again bring disaster to the party. One of two results may be expected from a national conference of Demo- crats. Either the conference will, as its proponents belleve, bring about a better understanding and more unity among the Democrats or it will serve to continue the old division. It will end in harmony or it will not. This is the chance which the party leaders must take in calling the conference. It appears a wise move, for without it the party is drifting, and drifting, perhaps, into another series of rows. Personal ambition is a dangerous thing to a party. It is difficult to con- trol. The man who is willing to for- get his ambitions for the good of the party is not extinct, but he is rare. When the Democratic national con- vention opened last June, it was evi- dent that neither Mr. McAdoo nor Gov. Smith could be nominated. But two weeks of bitter warfare were needed to bring them to a realization of this fact. By that time the damage had been done. A declaration that they have abandoned the ambition to become the party standard bearer now would do more to clear the atmos- phere than all the conferences that could be held. Today the rumor spreads that the old factions ave striv- ing mightily for control of the Demo- cratic national committee. It may be urged that a party leader should not be called upon to declare himself out of a race for the presi- Gential nomination at this early stage; that it is unfair to ask a man to say he will not take something that has not been offered to him. But there was no question of the nominations being “offered” to either of the lead- ing contestants at the last convention. They fought for it. Furthermore, John W. Davis, the candidate finally select- ed, has tactfully declared himself out of the running in his recent conversa- tions. Apart from candidacies, .the Demo- cratic party has quite enough on its bands when it comes to settling upon its policies and principles, for which it proposes to fight henceforth. The call goes forth to get back to those Jeffersonian principles which gave days of Jefferson. Many elements are now included in the Democratic party ranks—or were before the last elec- tion—and perbaps must be again if the Democratic standard is to be car- ried to victory. There are differences among the Democrats over so-called liberal and conservative issues that make the rows among the Republic- ens, conservative and liberal, scem mild. The appeal of Mr. Roosevelt is that the Democratic party shall be the lib- eral party of the country. But how, ind to what extent, are questions that may give the proposed nationul con- ference much labor. The great diffi- culty in the last campaign lay in the fact that the Democrats occupied mid- dle ground, between the Republicans on the one hand, who appealed to con- servative common sense, and the radi- cals on the other, who supported La Follette. Middle ground in a battle is a disastrous position. The Democrats will be called upon to assume a far more definite position if they are to win again. ———— Anti-Aircraft Tes In the demonstration of antiaircraft batteries against planes at Langley Field on Friday the reports have it that the guns did not distinguish themselves. There have been reports of effective firing against targets towed by airplanes, but in the light of this test it would seem that the con- ditions must have been very favorable from the antiaircraft viewpoint. An official report of the test at Langley Field has not been made, but unofficial reports say that 39 shots were fired by 3dnch antialrcraft guns end no hit made. There is some complaint that the shell fuses were erratic. It seems also to have been said that the gun- ners were handicapped by high wind. Tt cannot be expected that hostile planes will pick weather favoring land gunners. There is a growing under- standing in Congress and among the military that the fast-fiying airplane, able to change direction in a second, is a hard target night or day. With development in the art of directing bombs the airplane has apparent ad- vantage over guns. The question of airplanes and land batteries, or planes and ship guns, Is, of course, one to be determined by men of military training, but the civilian public has the right to expect that the matter will be dealt with in a scientific way, and that earlier beliefs, prejudices and personal interest shall not enter the case. o Henry Ford congratulated Luther Burbank on his 76th birthday—with unexpressed regrets, no doubt, that Muscle Shoals is not yvet prepared to provide fertilizer to facilitate the work of the wizard of horticulture. —————— Taxes have been reduced, but the cost of most of the things people have to buy has gone up. Advocates of Government ownership may find en- couragement in the way Uncle Sam is running his business. —_———— The address by Mr. Dawes has aroused much poetical quotation. It may lead to a revival of the old coster song, “'E’s all right when you knows im, but you has to know him fust.” ——ee People who used to go to Siberia were in the main political exiles. Now they are mostly diplomatic agents or mining speculators. ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Polite Pep. A legislative body meets Amid the world's applause; And honored Solons take their seats To make a Nation's laws. The old-time harmonies so dear Of “Therefore” and “Whereas" Begin to sound a trifle queer When some one starts the Jazz. But everybody, small or great, Is keeping on the move. And even those not all sedate Are striving to improve. Refinement still we link with fame As with respect we pause; Apd what as “jazz” we once would name, We now describe as “Jaws.” Economy, “Are you in favor of economy?” am,” answered Senator Sorghum. ‘I don’t care much for it as a per- monal practice, but it is one of the safest subjects for a speech in the en- tire repertory of statesmanship.” The Successful Farmer. A chemist who renews the soi A financier, inured to toil; Expert accountant—yessiree— All these and more you've got to be! Evasion. “What do you think of this liquor?” asked the genial host. t's not e proper question,” pro- tested Uncle Bill Bottletop. “A man who drinks any liquor available these days is not supposed to be responsible for what he thinks.” Quietude. The storms are sure to be renewed And shrewd observers say Inauguration quietude ‘Was good for but a day. Yet everything Is for the best And greater bliss must come It we're assured one day of rest In each Quadrennium. Jud Tunkins says rough - theater talk can't last owing to the fact that there ain't enough different kinds of profanity in the language to keep up the impression of noveity. \ The New Social System. “Henrietta,” said Mr. Meekton, “if I were to run for office would you vote for me’ “No. I have many meetings of pub- lic importance to attend, and the house must not be neglected. Remem- ber, Leonidas, & husband’s place is in the home.” “Folks don't allus 'spress deirse’f accurate,” said Uncle Eben. *“When you says you's goin' fishin’ de most There is undoubtedly much to be|birth to the party. But much water |of what you means is dat yoyu has suid in favor of the inadvisability of has run under the bridge .since the decided to quit work." BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Friends of this column have ex- pressed so much interest in the arti- cles dealing with poetry that the writ- er feels justified in devoting this space today to a poetry guessing con- test. “W,no wrote this?" is often the ery. A man called the other night to ask who was the author of the famous saying, “Cleanliness is next to Godli- ness. ““We are having an argument here” he declared. “Mv wife says it is from the Bible, and I sav it is from Shake- speare. Who is right?” ‘Thanking the gentieman for his confidence in me, I informed him that neither of them had the correct source for that sentence, but that he had “scared It out of me.” t will come to me shortly,” I in- formed him, “and then I will give you a ring.” Hanging up the telephone, I cudgled my brain to recall who was the writer of that justly famous maxim. My ef- fort_being unavailing, I had resource to Bartlett's “Quotations,” a great book In time of need 1 called up my friend. “John Wesley wrote that sentence,” I sald, in the tone of an oracle. “He said it in a sermon. Bacon {s some- times credited with being its author. The Talmud had a somewhat similar saying.” “Thank You, thank you,” breathed my friend, awe-struck at my erudi- tion, and hanging up before I could tell him the source. Well, the next best thing to know- ing something, is knowing where to find it. ® ¥ It is true that often a verse is per- fectly familiar to one, yet he cannot for the life of him recall the author of it. Oft-hand, do you know who wrote: “Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.” Many consider the author of those lMnes the greatest American poet; others say his work is effeminate. The following was written by a great English poet: “Vice is a monster of so frightful mien As, to be hated, needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then em- brace.” Who wrote it? Here Is another—by an American, this time—whose work has been labeled everything from “supreme poetry” to “prose run wild.” “One’s self I sing—a simple separate person, Yet utter the word democratic, word en masse.” Who wrote that? Here Is the ending of a poem by an- other famous American poet: “And if T should live to be The last leaf on the tree In the spring, Let them smile, as I do now, At the old forsuken bough ‘Where 1 cling.” The man who wrote that also wrote several novels and delightful books of essays. He was a doctor. Here is the first stanza from & pogm by another of our older bards: “Thou blossom bright with Autumn dew, And colored with the heaven's own blue, That openest when the quiet light Succeeds the keen and frosty night.” the Can you name the author? Who wrote: “I come from haunts of coot and fern, I make a sudden sally And_sparkle out among the fern To bicker down & valley.” We go back to England for following bit: “In Xanadu did Kubla Kahn A stately pleasure-dome decree Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man, Down 10 a sunless sea.” The man who wrote that, alse wrote one of the greatest poems in the English language, one stanza of which T recall offhand: “Oh, sleep it is a pleasant thing, Beloved from pole to pole; To Mary, queen, let praise be given Who sent the gentle sleep from heaven That slid into my soul.” ok Ok ¥ One of the most famous English o wrote two short companion pleces one ending: “The delights if thou canst give, Mirth with thee I mean to live” And the other ending: “‘These pleasures, Meclancholy, give, And I with thee will choose to live.” Who was he? Most Americans have read, at some time or other, the poem beginning with the following lines—but how many know the author's name? “Bowed by the weight of centuries he leans Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground, The emptiness of ages in his face, And on his back the burden of the world.” the This great poem ends with the pro- phetic words: “O masters, lords and rulers of the lands, How will the Future reckon with this man? How answer that brute question in that hour When whirlwinds of rebellion shake all shores? How will it be with kingdoms and with kings— With those who shaped him to the thing he is— When this dumb terror shall rise to judge the world, After the silence of the centuries?” Another of our American poets gave us a famous poem beginning: “Blessing on thee, little man, Barefoot boy, with cheeks of tan, With thy turned-up pantaloons, And thy merry whistled tunes.” A gay lord sang: “The Isles of Greece, Greece! Where burning Sappho loved and sung, Where grew the arts of war and peace— Where Delos sprung the Isles of rose, and Phoebus His name was once on every tongue; but who knows it now? Six American and five British poets are represented in the above list. There is probably no one reading here who has not read the complete poems, and is not perfectly famillar with their authors. Yet when a detached quotation is glven, often it is very hard to re- call the author, no matter how famil- far one may be with the poet and his works. Literary guessing contests are in- teresting, especially if several to- gether indulge in them, and are much more profitable than cross-word puz- zles, it seems to me. TAX REDUCTION UNCERTAIN Lowering of Rate Must Not Be Taken for Granted Until Figures Are In. BY WILLIAM P. HELM, JR. ¥ditor's note: Thi articles by Mr. Helm discussing pects of a reduction ia income tazes. Th second article will be published Wednes- and the third Frida. source of income—failed to earn a profit sufficient to pay thelr usual dividends. The $3,000,000,000 coal in- dustry, too, experienced the wors year it had ever known. The auto- It shouldn’t be taken for granted,|™Mobile industry made scant profits, for it is by no means certain, this idea that the income tax will be re- duced again when Congress meets next time. The whole promise of in- come tax reduction revolves at pres- ent around this point: . How much money will the Treas- ury take in from income taxes a week from today? Answer that question. and you have the answer to a question still more important: When will we get another tax cut? If the Treasury collects about $450,- 000,000 next Monday the chances are that the next session of Congress will make no reduction, or but a slight one, in the tax. For the collections, in that event, would show that the experts have missed their guess. The clear indication then will be that the expected surplus in the Treasury will not warrant a tax cut of the size that President Coolidge apparently has in mind. ‘Waiting on Oficial Figures. The President is waiting on the official figures showing the amount collected. When he gets them before him, together with the result of the experts’ analysis of them, he will be in position to know whether the prospect is sufficiently cheerful to warrant his asking Congress to cut the rate. The figures will come into Wash- ington fairly slowly. While the round total compiled from telegraphic re- turns will be available within 48 hours, it probably will be two or more thereafter details will be at hand. And details are necessary because many taxpayers pay in full on the first installment date. If every one paid only one-fourth of his tax on that date, the Treasury, of course, could count on receiving during the year four times the amount of the first payment. But experience shows that from 28 to 30 per cent of the total for the year, instead of 25 per cent, is paid in March. Government experts are somewhat at sea this year in_ estimating the amount of next Monday's collections. They made up their estimate of about $450,000,000 last November, just be- fore Congress convened. The year covering the tax period was not then ended and the estimate was purely an estimate. It included unknpwn quan- tities, among them being \the ef- fect of the reduction allowed on what the Government calls earned income. The lifting of the exemption was another thing that couldn’t be fig- ured out altogether definitely. Low- ering the normal rates was still an- other. Business and Taxzatiom. A fourth unknown Qquantity, about which less was known than the other three, was the general state of busi- ness and the probable 1924 earnings of busine enterprises and indl- viduals. The estimate based on the umption that busin condi- tions throughout the year had been fairly good. It developed later, from records of production, sales and earn- ings, that business during 1924 was far from normal—in fact, that it was considerably below the level of 1923. It was found, for Instance, that 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 workers were out of a job at the height of the 1924 depression in July and August. It was found also that some of the 1 as a whole. S0 did the oil industry and the fron and steel industry. So, after the estimate was made, the facts came out that 1924 not only was not a normal year, but that it Was quite a poor year and that earn- ings probably would fall considerably below the somewhat flush level which had been anticipated. How much below expectations these earnings fell will be written into the record of income tax collections next Monday. For, naturally, income tax payments drop off materially, other things be- ing equal, in March payments fol- lowing poor years. Another thing that has somewhat dismayed the experts is the decrease in other kinds of tax recelpts. Among these are receipts from the tax on jewelry sold at retail. Through a loophole in the law. for instance, a purchaser could buy a ring set with diamonds and valued at $1,000 or more (if the diamonds were reiatively small) without paying any tax what- ever, although the Government im- poses a tax on all values over $75, Avoiding Jewelry Tax. This correspondent is advised that that very thing has been done thou- sands of times within the past nine months, or since the law became ef- fective, with the result that receipts from that source probably will be $20,000,000 to $30,000.000 less than an- tiolpated. Almost the entire jewelry trade knows of the loophole and ap- parently it is practiced generally, the tax belng avoided by making a sep- arate purchase of each jewel and having it mounted later. Thus a purchaser could buy, without paying the tax, 20 diamonds, or even more, lat 375 each, making a separate pur- chase each time, and have the entire number mounted by the same jeweler on a ring, the value of which would exceed $1,500. Such a practice seems to have been so general that its exposure here vio- lates no confidence. The attention of the ways and means committee was drawn to this possibility at the time the law was being considered, but no action was taken. Another big falling off iy found in the admission tax receipts. It is less than was expected—millions less, it is reported. The figures will tell the story soon. President Coolidge is said to be ex- tremely anxious to have the tax re- duced again—Iif the state of the Treasury and the prospects warrant it. Next Monday's returns will give & fair index as to what may be ex- pected, the experts say, in the way of taxes on this current years busi- ness as well as 1924 business. It is on the basis of this year's business, too, that tax reduction, if any, will be figured. The coming re- turns and the present year's business tie up closely together, it is claimed. How, will be told in subsequent articles. (Copyright, 1925.) (Mr. Helm’s next article, to be pub- lished Wednesday, will explain other factors which must be determined be- fore tax reduction can be regarded a3 certain.) ——e—. Foresight Greatest Need. From the Rocbester Times-Union. A rear-vision mirror helps, but Federal Reserve Banks—generally a|what most drivers need is foresight. Reader Says District Residents Entitled to Use Ballot. - To the Editor of The Sta; A new angle of view upon the sub- ject of the right to vote in the Dis- trict of Columbia seems to show that this constitutional right exists in the proper residents of the District of Columbla, and has never been taken from them by either the comstitu- tional provision concerning the seat 6t Government, mer by statu It could not be lawfully dore by statute If not so authorized by the Consti- tution, The Constitution, as we all know. gives the right to vote to all citizens of the United States; the election ma- chinery is provided by the laws of the State wherein he resides and votes. The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section VIII, provide ‘The Congress shall have powe: (clause 17) “To exerclse exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever over such District (not exceeding 10 miles square) as may, by cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of Gov- ernment of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the Legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock- yards and other needful buildings.” There it stops, and does not add that the right to vote, conferred upon the citizens of the United States re- siding within such bounds, or any other rights, shall be taken from them. The right to vote, especially when taxed, was already abundantly declared to be sacred by the founders of this Republic. It is reasonable to say that no right is to be taken from the resi- dents of the District of Columbia or military or other reservations except such as absolutely necessary in order to carry out the provisions of the Constitution. Depriving the citizens of the United States residing within the District of Columbia, of the right to vote on questions of the election of President, Vice President, constitutional amend- ments and some other matters |is not necy ary to the exclusive right of legislation, in Congress, for the District. Therefore, it is also reasonable to declare that this right to vote was never, in fact or in law, taken from such citizens. The truth is Congress simply failed to provide by law for the necessary election machinery. In those early days the District of Columbia was a negligible com- munity, but it is otherwise now. The District of Columbia is more populous and more wealthy and pays more taxes and contributes more soldiers in time of war than some four or five of the States. It s plainly the intent of the Con- stitution that there shall not be any legislature in the District of Columbia running in opposition to or inde- pendently of Congress. Congress itself is the local Legislature of the District of Columbia, and it would not violate such intent, nor be in derogation of the powers of Congrees, that the District be represented in Congress by a delegation elected by the people of the District. If it be conceived that part of the purpose of the Constitution was to provide a placid community, free from local po- litical turmoil and bitterly contend- ing parties or races, which is quite possible, this would not be a valid objection against voting on national issues. The District of Columbia differs from the Territories in this regard, for the Teason that the residents of what be- came the District of Columbia already possessed their full political rights as voting citizens, whereas in the case of the Territories such rights have not yet been conferred. It might be argued, as an extreme line of thought, that all rights possessed by the residents of that portion of Maryland later ceded to the general Government were surrendered by such cession only so far as neces- sary; that the jurisdiction of Maryland still extended over the people residing in the District for purposes of provid- ing an election machinery. provided the general Government did not do so, but any legislation by the Maryland As- sembly to that end would have to be conditioned upon acceptance thereof by Congress, in order to accord with the right of Congress to exclusive legisla- tion. Maryland at times does this in re- gard to the counties, passing acts sub- Ject to adoption by each county, thus giving to each county something like sovereignty—a very beautiful contrast to the voteless, but taxed, condition in the District of Columbia. If this voting right still inheres in the people of the District it is tncumbent upon somebody, Some Legislature, either of Maryland or Congress, to provide the election machinery for the exercise of this right. To fail to do so is to deny the exercise of the right: it does not deny the right itself. If they fail to act, quaere, whether the people might gt togther ang formulate their own election machinery, and demand the acceptance of the results. This is vague and uncer- tain and fraught with difficulties, It was no doubt thought by the foun- ders that self-interest, in Congress, would lead to a model condition of pub- lic local government in the District of Columbla, but experience has shown that self-interest has other ways of acting, also, with other people's interests. : ARTHUR R. COLBURN, Aroused at Sentence. Writer Comments on Jail Term for Harboring Dog. To the Editor of The Sta; “Thirty days in jail for harboring a dog without tag!™ This caption of an article in your paper has claimed my time from every other duty to record a protest. According to the story, a certain James Fox of Chambersburg, Md., has just been sentenced by the magistrat of that town for failure to pay a fine for harboring an unlicensed dog, not- withstanding his plea that he did not have the money to buy a license, and took the dog in because it was in dan- ger of freezing or starving in the cold. If the man did not have money to buy & license he would not be likely to have money to pay a fine. Thirty days in jail! It reads like a debtor's prison tale—a theme for Dickens, Thirty days in jail for an instinct of kindness. a bit of unselfishness, a spark of humanity! Thirty days in jail for giving food and shelter to a living creature before it has been ticketed by the law! Thirty days in jail for doing good! But—for him Who coins his fortune from the life- blood of slaves, riches and a name for the driver whose criminal care- lessness may snuff out a life or takes away a limb, a little fine at worst; for the experimenter who administers an ‘‘unsuccessful” drug, immunity! 1Is this the administration of law? And is it any wonder that when laws are administered with o little understand- ing, so little vision, so little justice, o little mercy, they fall into a dis- repute that is not deserved by the laws themselves? Verily “the letter Kkilleth, but the spirit giveth life.” Every year we have “Humane Edu- cation week, and throughout the year effort is being directed more and more toward curbing the ignorant or thoughtless cruelty of the child in his treatment of animals, and teaching him kindness, understanding and in- terest in these creatures. Of what avail all this, if, when the child has become a man, he is rewarded with the sentence “Thirty days in jail!” for a good motive that is not backed by money? 1If this is really the proper administration of a law, then thatlaw has no right to exist, because it is con! to the law of God. Hundreds ef hemeless, starving, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J]. HASKIN Q. Was the purchasing power of the farmers’ dollar as great in 1824 as in 19207—W, H. 8. A. In 1924 it was but 33 cents, while in 1020 it was 85 cents. In 1921 it was 69 cents, 1922 74 cents and 3 79 cents. Q. Please throw some light on this. 1 have a radio and when my neigh- bor 2 miles distant talks to any one over the telephone we can hear him over our radio.—R. A. D. A. The Loomis Radio College says that telephone wires appear to be acting as “aerials” in many locations. Frequently when we take up our telephone to communicate with some one over the line, we can hear the code being transmitted from Arling- ton, and sometimes broadcast music. Evidently the length and position of the wire is such that it responds to the audio frequency of the waves. In your case, the process seems to be reversed. Radlo is all so new that there is room for plenty of research to be done, and no doubt several im- portant discoveries concerning such things will be made during the next few years. Q. Are Persian cats more delicafe than ordlnary caets’—R. B. A. A veterinarian says that mon- grels are perhaps the healthiest cats. Persian cats are considered the healthiest breed of large cats, but careful attention must be given to their feeding and management. Q. Is taic a_sure sign that mineral ore is near?—W. H. D. A. This talc is not true commercial tale; it is a sort of residue or deposit that forms in metal mines in the course of time as a result of erosion. It is fine eilt. It is not an absolute indication of the presence of mineral in commercial deposits, although miners generally like to find it as it is usually associated with metals. There is no definite rule as to how far ore is found after this deposit. is the 7—W. P. D. A. The 1920 census gives 968,470. It s claimed that the population is increasing in leaps and bounds. population of Q. What is a tryannosaurus’—R. C.E. A. Tt is an extinct tyrant lizard, which, when erect, stood 18 feet high. It was one of the most formidable of all the huge dinosaurs whose remains are found in the Cretaceous rocks of the Western United States. Q. What is meant by kilocycle?— J. W. R. A. It means 1,000 cycles a second. Q. Did the Chippewa Indians of Minnesota get a_payment from the Government this Winter>—F. J. D. M. A. They received $50 per capita. Q. What is “fool's gold"? D. M. A. The material commonly called “fool's gold” i3 iron pyrite, a combina- tion of sulphur and iron in almost equal parts, which is used in making sulphuric acid. Iron pyrite can be distinguished from gold by the odor of sulphur which it gives off upon application of heat Q. In 1625 were the sétvants of the Virginia planters black or white? —R. K. A. White servitude was common at that time, and there were in Vir- ginla 464 white servants and only 22 negroes. From about 1680 the black slave population Increased rapidly. By 1750 half the population of this State were slaves. Q. How can shelled almonds be kept through the Summe: 3 A. The Bureau of Plant Industry says that the only successful way to keep almonds, or, in fact, any nuts, Is to put them in a cold storage plant at a temperature of 32 degrees, or as cool as possible without freezing. Dry the almonds well and put them in a clean white sack inside of a burlap bag before packing away in cold torage. Manufacturers put them in vacuum packs. but this requires spe- clal machinery, and is not practical for small quantities. |lation of Q. How is money introduced to the People after it is made?—C, A. A. There are many ways in which money gets into circulation. The holder of gold bullion or foreigh gold coin, for example, may deposit the same at a migt and. receive therefor coin equal in valueto the bullion de- posited. It the owner of gold coin or bulifon prefers, he may excharge his Bold certificates or other forms of currency. Money may also get into circulation through the payment by the Government of its obligations in cash. Exchanges of new money for old and of one kind for another sre also going on constantly, e. g., silver certificates issued in exchange for silver dollars, or subsidiary silver and minor colns issued in exchange for other forms of money. National banks and Federal Reserve Banks put their netes into circulation elither by pay- ing them out to dapositors and bona fide holders of checks in due ocourse or though the proceeds of loans granted by these banks. Q. How is the center of the popu- the United States deter- mined?—J. F. C. A. The center of population, ac- cording to the Bureau of the Census. may be said to represent the center of gravity of the population. If the surface of the United States be con- sidered as a rigid plane without weight, capable of sustaining the population distributed thereon, in- dividuals being assomed to be of equal weight, and each, therefore, to exert a pressure on any supporting pivotal point directly proportional to his distance from the point, the piv- otal point on which the plane bal- ances would, of course, be the center of gravity, and this is the point referred to by the term “center of population.” Q. When was China at the height of its power?—W. E. R. A. China as an empire reached Its greatest development and power un der Kublai (1280-94), the granson of Genghis Khan, who established the Mongol dynasty in China. His realm extended from the Dnieper in’ Russi to the Pacific and from the Arctic Ocean to the Straits of Malacca. During this period laws were codified and literature flourished. Q. Is the old home of Jefferson Davis in Biloxi in existence?—P. T. D A. The former home of Jefferson Davis is now used as a home for widows of Confederate veterans. Q. Who was the owner of Fair- mount Park, Philadelphia, before the city bought it>—G. W. D. A. The territory now composing Fairmount Park was not purchased from any single individual but ac- quired from time to time from a num- ber of individuals. Among these was Robert Morris, who was owner of Lemon Hill and & part of the land North of Girard Avenue Bridge. Q. When was the name of King George changed to Windsor>—H. B. G. A. The surname of the royal house of Great Britain was changed fr Wettin to Windsor by royal proclama- tion, July 17, 1817. The reason fo) the change was that the former sur- name was of German origin and dur ing the war It was felt that a purel; English name was preferable. Q. Is the hippopotamus naturally an aggreesive animal?—G. D. L. A. The hippopotamus is naturall timid, though subject to fits of pan | or rage. When wounded or enraged this animal is regarded by sportemen as perhaps the most dangerous beast to be encountered (Space can be given in this columm to only a few of the questions that pou into our office daily. Those which are believed to be of greatest public interest are selacted for publication. Any reade 18 privileged to ask any question he chooses, however trivial or profound and it will dbe answered direct. Inclose @ 2-cent stamp with your query, and ad- dress The Stor Information Bureau, Tuwenty-first and C streets northwest.) WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC Names of the Republican Senators who_voted to open the doors for the Warren confirmation proceedings give a clue to the problem of admin- {stration leadership in the upper house. Already it is plain that Pres- ident Coolldge will have to scrape a majority together, from case to case, on more than one occasion. It was to be expected that men like Borah, Couzens, Howell, Norris and John- son would line up now and then with Brookhart, Frazier and Ladd. But it was not generally &nticipated that at the first showdown men like Capper, McLean, MoNary and McMaster (of South Dakota) would be found in the anti-administration ranks. The situ- ation that Senator Curtis, the G. O. P. leader, confronts is that of the 54 nominal Republicans in the new Sen- ate there are at least 9 who cannot be relied upon to obey the crack of the party whip. If the “bloc” which flooked by itself in the first stages of the Warren contest sticks to- gether it means that another “bal- ance of power” will hold sway in the Sixty-ninth Congress. * %ok % 1£ Dr. Jacob G. Schurman is trans- ferred from the ministership to China and promoted to the ambas- sadorship to Germany it will carry out an old tradition of sending American scholars to Berlin. Dr. Schurman would be the second for- mer president of Cornell University to represent the United States in Germany, a distinguished predecessor who was our envoy in Kaiser days having been the late Dr. Andrew D. White. Contrary to general belief, Schurman is not of German ancestry, but the descendant of an old New York Dutch family. His accession to ambassadorial rank would carry out the long-sought but little respected principle of reward for merit in our diplomatic service. To give an em- bassy as important as Berlin to a merely deserving politician like Charles D. Hilles would blast the hopes and kill the ambitions of hun- dreds of young men who are trying to take the foreign service seriously. It would mean that the service is| doomed to remain the foot ball of spoilsmen. President Coolidge has given the impression that he is try- ing to preserve the service from the patronage highbinders, but the pres- sure is terrific. * % k ¥ Dr. William M. Jardine, the new Secretary of Agriculture, has given his first interview. The recipient is this observer. The interview was 12 freezing dogs, with eyes that search man through, are always on our streets, treading our unfriendly paths. No one seems greatly concerned. The law does not touch a man for being cruel, callous, indifferent, heartless toward the suffering of dumb crea- tures, But let him reach out a friendly hand to help one of them, and the law is at once on the lookout to see that it is done according to a prescribed formula. To adapt the words of an obscure poet: “O judge, let your iron creeds be fashioned to the people’'s needs!” There should be enough justice, and enough mercy, outside of the court: to see that this man is freed. VERA E. ADAMS. WILLIAM WILE words long. This is the full text “I hope there will be a whale of & crop this year. * Mrs. A. Tobias Hert of Kentucky vice chairman of the Republican na tional committee, will spend the Spring in Washington in connection with party affairs. The widow of the former Blue Grass leader has in- herited her late husband's flair for high politics and no little of his Abusiness genius. Mrs. Hert retains the general management of the vast creosote manufacturing interests founded by her life partner, as well as the banking and real estate activi- ties she inherited from him. Presi- dent Coolidge and Chairman Butler highly esteem Mrs. Hert's talents. Her ambition in politics is to make the woman voter a party woman. She says she doesn't care so much whether an enfranchised woman joins the Republican party. the Democratic party or another party. as long as she joins some party. Till the wom- en of the country are partisans in an organization sense, Mrs. Hert does not believe they will ever measure up to their real opportunities and responsibilities. Representative Louis T. McFadden Republican, of Pennsylvania is the first member of Congress to become a factor in the radio business. He has recently been elected president of the Federated Radio Corporation a Delaware company, which is now offering its capital stock to the pub- lic for subscription. The venture Tep- resents a departure in the radio in- dustry and calls itself “a self-con- tained combination,” because it will control not only concerns which man- ufacture all articles of radio equip- ment, but a chain of 22 retail stores which will dispense radio products direct to the ever-growing world of fans. £ % ok When Washington speaks of Dawes plan nowadays, it mean German reparations. It senatorial reformations. * % % % Representative Stephen G. of Pennsylvania, chairman of the House committee on foreign rela tions, recently home from the abo: tive opium conference at Geneva, is putting up with a lot of good-natured chaffing about the “dope” he's ac- cused of smuggling into the coun try. Porter, who can give as good as he gets, threatens to hold a “snow party and invite some of the practical Jokers to take chances on something which will look like the real thing. but isn't. the doesn't means Porter % k% When Stanley Baldwin, premier of Great Britain, went home after the Washington debt settlement in 1923 he told British interviewers that American foreign affairs were in the hand of the farming West. Baldwin must have envisaged Borah of Id: ho, as chairman of the Senate com mittee of foreign relations. Now, Capper of Kansas, high priest of the farm bloc, joins the blue ribbon committee with far-reaching influence on our external affairs. Shipstead of Minnesota, Farm-Labor's sole senti- nel in the Senate, still further gives the foreign relations committ bucolic tinge. (Copyright, 1925.)