Evening Star Newspaper, June 12, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY. .. ....June 12, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Bustness Offle 11th St. and Penneslvania Ave, Neg Yori Office: 110 Enst 42nd St. Chieago Office: Tower Building. European Office: 16 Regent St.. London, England. The Evening §tar. with the Sunday morn- Ing. edition, ix delivered by carriers within the city at'60 cents per month; daily only. 45 cents per month: Sunday ofly. 20 cents per month. Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Main 5000. Collection is made by carrier at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. gxlly and Sunday. 1yr., $8.40: 1 mo aily only .... % 5.00 Sunday only . 1y 2.40° All Other States. aily and Sunday...1 yr. $10.00: aily only ....... 1% 0 Sunday only Ay Member of the Associated ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitled 0 the use for republication of all news dis- atches Sredited 1o 1t oF ot otherwise cred- ted in this baper and also fhe local news published herein. All rights of publication 4 hereln are alio reserved: Tax Reduction and Prosperity. Senator Smoot, just returned to Washington from Utah, predicts a re- duction of Federal taxes by Congress at the next session which may amount to $350,000,000 or possibly $400,000,000. The surtaxes, he says, will probably be cut to 25 per cent, or even less. Bellef in the equity and the wisdom of tax reduction, he declares, is spread- ing. Congress has come to the con- clusion, he avers, that high surtaxes interfere with business and prevent capital from reaching out into new flelds and taking new chances. Tax reduction can come, of course, enly in proportion to the reduction of Government expenses. If the budget can be further reduced taxes can be further cut. Great progress has been made toward regaining the pre-war basis of Federal administration. The country is now, says Senator Smoot, within $200,000,000 or $300,000,000 of pre-war appropriations, leaving out of consideration the appropriations grow- ing out of the war. While Congress is at work on both budget and tax reductions the States must likewise get busy in the same manner. The Federal tax burden is not the only one under which Individ- uals and business corporations are now laboring. The war produced a spirit of expenditure that affected practically all of the States. Bonds were Issued by them for public works that were executed at top prices, and the taxpayers are now bearing the burden of liquidation. Municipalities did the same, and the owners of prop- erty in the cities are paying heltvily. It will perhaps never be quite pos- sible to return to pre-war conditions in the matter of either Federal or State expenditures and taxes, for even though conditions may be restored to normal the growth of all Common- wealths and communities and of the Federal administration by natural processes entalls higher costs. Rela- tively, however, the normal economic situation may be restored. The tax reductions now contemplated as part of the work of Congress at the next session will be a step in this direction. Rellef of business from surtax and excess profits tax exactions is to be regarded as a means of stimulating commercial and industrial activity. In turn that means more general em- ployment, better compensation and generally Detter times. The relief of the individual taxpayer is not so im- portant as a measure of prosperity as the relief of the business concerns. If the process of reduction is carried out as Senator Smoot indicates this coun- try is virtually assured of a period of increasing economic health. Saturday Half-Holidays. The half-holiday season in the Fed- eral departments at Washington will begin next Saturday. At the District Building the time has been advanced from July 1 to June 13. Three months of the weekly half-holidays will be a rellef to thousands of workers. They will have the chance to take that form of rest and change which has come popularly to be called a “week end.” The half Saturday glves city people the chance to go to the country and attend to their religious obligations on Sunday. It gives many an opportunity to leave town, visit the former home, sleep Saturday and Sunday nights in the old farmhouse and come to office refreshed on Monday morning. It gives an improved chance to make preparations for the Sunday auto trip, a fishing expedition or a picnic in the woods. There are some persons who will use the extra freedom hours on Saturday to work in the garden and help along the tomatoes and potatoes swith a view to keeping down the cost of the table. Saturday half-holidays have many advantages, and it is belleved that in the course of a year the average em-; American flag. pye will do as much work with Summer half-Saturdays off as though putting in a full day at the office. Per- haps more work is done with the Sum- mer half-Saturdays than would be done withou* them. The Summer ‘weekly half-holiday was an important plece of human progress, and it is possible that some time there will be half-8aturday workdays throughout the year. — e Current journalism is not as con- siderate as it might have been in en- couraging Harry Thaw's efforts to re- tire to private life. —_————— Trade Jurisdictions. A jurisdictional dispute between the plasterers and the bricklayers has re- sulted in a “strike” of the former, af- fecting not only Washington, but all other cities in the country where con- struction work is done by union labor. The plasterers contend that the brick- layers are invading their working ter- ritory by doing plastering and refuse to work for contractors and builders who will not sign agreements whith forbid the bricklayers from perform- ing such Jobs. These quarrels between unions are «eostly to them and to employers. They ‘occur frequently and add heavily to the expense of construction. The con- sumers, the eventual owners and oc- cupants of the structures erected in such circumstances, pay the bill, in higher purchase prices and higher rents. Tha working men themselves lose pay during the period of the strikes. An intelligent understanding should long ago have been reached between these branches of organized labor, to avold Internecine strife that weakens the cause of unionism before the peo- ple. It is the height of folly for the members of any trade to prevent con- struction because of a failure of that trade to find a way of settling juris- Qictional disputes. There Is work enough for all branches of the con- struotion industry. It the unions cannot agree upon who shall do par- ticular branches of the work, the em- plovers cannot be blamed for securing any labor they can find to put their Jjobs through to completion. These jurisdictional quarrels of the untons are calculated to advance the open-shop program that is just now in evidence. Contractors cannot be expected to settle them by giving way to one contestant or the other and signing agreements that favor a par- tisan. If they go out into the open market for their labor, when organized labor cannot determine the lines of trade prerogative, they are fully justi- fied. It is this that causes the juris- dictional dispute ro seriously to weak- en trade unionism; and the leaders of the trade should seek a way definitely to end these quarrels and to enforce agreements that leave no points of doubt as to the kind of work any ar- tisan may perform. s The Sales of Old Ships. Operating and selling ships consti- tute a big and intricate business. The Government is engaged in both these operations, seeking at the same time to provide for a perfanent American merchant marine, carrying American commerce to all parts of the world and existing as an impor- tant factor in the national defense. President Coolidge has insisted prac- tically since he entered the White House that these were business ac- tivities, which could be handled to greater advantage by a single di- recting head rather than by a bi- partisan organization, the Shipping Board. He has sought continuously to have the board turn these busi- ness functions over to former Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, the president of the Fleet Corporation. His latest move in the matter is a request of the board that in the future all sales of ships and lines now owned by the Government be negotiated by the Fleet Corporation head, reserv- ing to the board, however, the right to pass finally upon any proposed sale. Gradually, and to all intents and purposes it appears, the President is accomplishing without legislation the transfer of the operation and dis- posal of the Government fleet from the board to the Fleet Corporation. An administration measure, propos- ing the complete divorcement by law of the board and the Fleet Corpora- tion, leaving to the latter the regu- latory and advisory functions for which it was originally created, was introduced at the last Congress, and it is expected will be introduced and passed at the next session. The difficulty of transacting busi- ness in a businesslike manner through a board of seven men who are di- vided iIn their views both politically and economically is apparent. In the matter of ship sales this has been particularly striking in recent months. There was the case of the sale of the ships operated out of San Francisco to Far Eastern ports, which finally were awarded to the Dollar Steamship Co. It was evident from statements made by some members of the board that they were opposed to the sale of the ships to either of the bidders, pre- ferring to have the Government re- tain them. With part of the board seeking to transfer the ships as quickly as possible to private own- ership, with the well understood pro- viso that they shall continue to be operated under the American flag, and some of the members pulling back, the prospects of placing the ships in private hands might well seem dim. There was g prdBosed transfer to private corporations of cargo vessels operated in the North Atlantic recently, over which the board split, too, and the matter fell through. ‘Whatever agency handles the sales of the Government ships should bear in mind the vital need of a perma- nent overseas American merchant marine. The guarantees given by purchasers that the vessels shall continue to be operated under the American flag should be as com- plete as possible. There is a limit to the life of a ship. Some day it will be necessary to replace those now operated by the Governmént or sold to private operation under the It is imperative that the matter of replacements be con- sidered thorodghly in all sales and that the Government itself give care- ful thought and study to this fea- ture of the merchant marine problem. Admiral Palmer has given evidence of his devotion to the cause of an American merchant marine, a per- manent merchant marine, and the President has acted wisely in sée- lecting him to deal with the transfer of the ships to private hands on terms that look to continued opera- tion under the Stars and Stripes. —— v When Florida exhausts its present line of real estate persuasion it will still have the old story of Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth to fall back on. Shrinking Postal Beven/nu. The decline of over $12,000,000 a year in postal revenues is Indicated by the receipts reported for the first six weeks elapsing since the new rates became effective. Those rates were adopted by Congress as a means of producing higher revenues in order to meet a salary increase of $68,000,000 voted to postal employes. If the pres- ent estimate of a $12,000,000 shrinkage in revenues is verified there will be a deficlency of $80,000,000. Fifty post offices were selected for this com- parison, turning in more than half of the country's postal receipts. Their returns show a decrease of over $20,000 a day as compared with March, when the old rates were in effect. It is rather difficult to believe that the chinge in the postal rates would cause such & shrinkage in the volume of business.’ The main difference af- fecting the large body of postal users 1s that of the addition of'a penny to the charge of carrying privately print- ed and picture post cards. The Amerl- can people are no' penny squeezers ae a rule, and the post card habit is pretty firmly fixed. It is still possible to send a Government-printed card at the onc.cent rate. Possibly tourlsts and travelers are abstaining from card sending because of the change of from 1 to 2 cents for the souvenir varlety. If so a decidedly Interesting pheno- menon has occurred. Later figures will probably develop the situation and perhaps will demonstrate whether, as now appears, the postal users are economizing because of this new scale. If they are and the process continues. Congress will have to consider anew the question of financing the salary in- crease. ———— Manhole Explosicns. . Another manhole explosion occur- red in this city last evening, the latest of a series of accidents of this character. A man was severely burned. In one of the earlier ex- plosions a boy was badly Injured. These explosions are due to the accumulation of gas in conduits and sewers, the result of leaks from mains. Sometimes the detonation is caused by sparks from short-cir- culted wires. Again, as last evening, they are due to the lighting of matches. This latest case resulted from an investigation of a sewer trap which was thought to be a men- ace to a nearby garage. It is evident that there are many leaks from the gas mains into the sewers and conduits, else these ex- plosions would not be so freguent. It is surely the duty of District au- thorities to make a thorough exam- ination of all these places of possible mishap. A complete survey of the conduits, sewers and other under- ground ducts should be conducted to determine points of danger, and to correct them by repairs. Otherwise lives will be sacrificed. —_————————— The Chinese are feared as the pos- sible promoters of a cataclysm when apparently they are only trying to get THIS AND THAT .BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Rolling over for just another nap in the morning is one of the supreme Joys of life, let the moralists rave as they will. When they have finished their lectures, we will turn over again for another half hour of delicious sleep. O sleep. it i mn?u-d' r‘r.,':n“'.;h‘:"u‘,"‘,l“, ot To Mary, queen. let praise be given, Who sent the kentle sleep friom heaven That slid into my soul. Perhaps the high point in the fine art of sleep comes just after one has been awakened by the old alarm clock at 6 a.m. Not that we would say a word ‘against the more solid delights of sound sleep. We have pointed out before, in this column, the necessity for much and sound sleep, and have wondered how some seem to get along on a few hours nightly of this prime neces- sity. Many have called sleep a aste of time; others have lamented its presence at all among us, looking forward to the day when no man sleepeth, Then, they say, man will have twice as much time for work and play as he ever had before, and will accomplish twice as much, get two times the fun out of life, and in gen- eral make a great advance over his present sad state, when one-third of life is spent in bed. Well, it is a pretty picture, but is it true? If we were up all night, full of pep and vigor, what would we do to save ourselves from universal boredom? There would be. more time, it {s true, but many would de- vote it to their customary old tricks, o that there would be twice as much crime, twice as many automobile ac- cidents, twice as much bootlegging, twice as much nagging, two times the present amount of quarreling. No. indeed! Let us go to bed and forget the cares of the day, with its bright sun. Let us imitate the birds, which tuck their heads under their downy wings; let us “hit the hay,” as the old slang had it, and seek our rest. * k% % Sleeping is an art, one which many wise men do not possess. Some of the brightest persons are not smart enough to be able to sleep well. They thrash around, after they 8o to bed, in a sort of semi-insomnia. Others stay up until after midnight, in an attempt to browbeat their brains into insensibility. The true art of sleep, including the high point mentioned, that of rolling over “for just another little nap,” in- cludes both mental and physical sides. There is little doubt that the best sleep comes to the contented animal. All of us, If we would enjoy our sleep, must, in some degree, at least, emu- late the ‘“contented cows” of the ad- vertisement. Excitement is not a good sleep pro- ducer. Even physical tiredness, if car- ried too far, makes for restlessness. What we would seek is a blissful obliv- rid of a system of local graft that hasl.lon, sleep full, long and deep, in which become unbearable. ——— e The difference between theory and fact is illustrated by the decision in Winter to abolish a bathing beach and the demand jn Summer for its re- establishment. ————————— The Weather Bureau is one branch of the Government that never plays politics. It permits {tself no- idle threats nor intangible optimisms. —— e Control of the Arctic ice’ supply would tend to place Canada in a com- manding position with reference to the supply of soft drinks for Summer. —ree———————— Congressmen obligingly contribute free seeds, but cannot guarantee a water supply to keep them in growing condition. ——————————— A discussion of debt may be found to operate as a wholesome check on any militaristic impulse the world over. SRR e s Plasterers and bricklayers go on strike. This action will assist the land- lord to explain why there is no de- crease in rent. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Natural Selection. Some ancestor of mine, I'm told, ‘Went out in quest of pirate gold And swaggered, far beyond his rank, ‘While making victims walk the plank. He really was an awful man! Yet, such is Nature's curious plan, I feel a queer, pernicious pride In what the family ought to hide! The kind and gentle Chimpanzee Was never known, on land or sea, To drink and swear and tell untruth, In bad example to our youth. But, none the less, and just the same, I hate the Chimpanzee, so tame; And, while his ill-repute I fear, I call the Pirate “Grandpa, Dear.” Disputation. “You have often said that the two great influences in thought were the Bible and Shakespeare.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum, “and I haven't any doubt that when we get tired of disputing about the literal interpretation of Genesis we'll have to interrupt public business still further in order to revive the row over the Baconlan theory. No Polite Evasions. The Weather Bureau praise doth win, Though oft it makes us nervous. I'm glad they never put it in The diplomatic service. Jud Tunkins says he guesses the bathing belle of the future will con- sider herself, fully clad for the season if she waves the American flag on the Fourth of July. Safeguarding a Star, “What has becomé of Mesa Bill?" “He's a motion picture actor,” an- swered Cactus Joe. “We never expect to see him again, except in pictures.” “Doesn’t he ever come back to the Gulch “His managers won't let him. He has made hisself so plum ridiculous that he wouldnt be safe among his old acquaintances.’ ® Disillusion. A man will rise in progress slow To heights of great esteem. One speech across the radio May spoil the public’s dream. “A friend,” said Uncle Eben, “tries to correct yoh faults. An enemy pats you on de back an’ tells you to stick not only the raveled sleeve of care is knitted up, but the whole blessed gar- ment given a good dry-cleaning. Such sleep is refreshing, and only such sleep is so. Half-way sleep, while tremendously better than none at all, is distinctly second-rate, as compared with the “gen-u-wine"” article, the sort o' sleep babies know in their best be- haved moments. Such sleep is not hours stolen out of the day, but the recharging of the human battery. Many a man is will- ing to turn on the charger and re- charge his radio batteries during the night, who is very unwilling to go to bed and recharge his own batteries of pep and power. He is, of course, the same misguided gentleman who carefully sees to what goes into his automobile tanks, in the way of. carefully selected gasoline and oil, and yet does not give one second's thought ‘to the food and drink he puts into his own physical machine. * K Kk K No matter how soundly one sleeps, or how pleasant the occupation of slumbering seems to him, the best part of it all comes during those delicious, heart-rending moments; in the early dawn when he realizes that he must get up at last. How the ingenuity of man has been exerted; over the ages, to outwit that relentless hour that leads but to the office! One must get up—but not too quickly. One must arise, and greet the dawn—but gently. Haul me not out of bed forcibly, but let me arise as I please, leisurely, like a gentleman, like a well bred cat, who does a thing because he wants to, not because he is made to do it. Let us get up, then, not like galley slaves, scourged to a task, but in a dignified manner, befitting those who are supposedly captains of their own souls, masters of their own so-called fates. One very good way to outwit the clock is to set the darn thing a half hour ahead of time, so that when it goes off at 6 o'clock—or 8o its hands say—in reality it will be but 5:30! This pleasant subterfuge has been practiced by countless millions of men and women, with the best re- sults, because it allows them to re- vel in the peak point of the high art of sleep. It permits them to roll over and take another nap! A wonderful sleepy feeling bathes the sleeper. He is awake, but not very awake. His eyes will not open all ‘the way, only partly. His other facilities partake of the same limited nature. His legs refuse to get him out of bed. The spirit, even, is not willing. There is only one wish in his mind, and that is to go back to sleep. All the previous hours of slumber are as naught, in his benumbed mind. They are as if they had never been, unless he gets another sweet half hour with Morpheus, who has been slandered these centuries by naming a drug after him. So he rolls gver. Ah, what a roll is there, my coun- trymen. This is the roll heard ‘round the world, at 6 o'clock every morning. It {8 the thunder of a mil- lion sleepers going back for another little sleep. Mother, may I go back to sleep? Yes, my darling_sop. But remember—the dlock has just gone off— Tm afrad you will have to ran. What care we, if we have to run later? Time to come does not bother us. It fs time now, the actual pres- ent, that worries us, and our only worry is whether we shall get up, or_go to sleep again, We turn over from the right side to the back. ‘Now is the time of de- cision. Now, or never, will we jump up, jump out, rub our eyes. Now is the time, indeed, for all good men to come to the ald of their party; but now is the time for just another little nap, because we set that alarm clock half an hour ahead, last night —and we know it. We are awake enough to be acutely conscious of the fact that it is only 5:30 o'clock. The clock cannot fool us. The depaiTing tread of the milk man sounds from the front walk. That energetic fellow is always on time to the dot. The clink of his bottles on the steps marks 5:30 better than any timepiece. Our left hand lazily, seeks its fa- vorite place under thé right side of the pillow. We roll over. Let the heathen rage. We do not mind him—we are soumnd asleep. EI i e il vl R o (L WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE —_— ‘Wisconsin awaits the arrival of Sen ator La Follette with his big stick. “Fighting Bob” is expected to put an abrupt end to the internecine strife that is raging in his own camp. He has had considerable experience in that direction. Barkings and bitings have a habit, it is sald, of subsiding promptly, once the pompadour boss orders hostilities to cease. The State administration, nominally a happy La Follette family, has been shot to pieces during the past few weeks be- cause of bickerings between Gov. Blaine and Attorney General Ekern, Ekern is La Follette's principal political lieutenant. The progressive chieftain's supporters contend that enemy hopes of political profit from mutiny in La Follette ranks are doomed to disappointment. *K oK % Gen. Lincoln C. Andrews, the new Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, in charge of prohibition enfercement, is renewing acquaintances in Wash- ington with comrades of West Point days. Gen. Andrews was once an in- structor at the Military Academy. A member of the cadet corps of that period, now an officlal colleague of Andrews here, is Lieut. Col. J. Frank- lin Bell, Engineer Commissioner of the District of Columbia. Gen. An- drews is under no illusions as to the man’s size job he accepted at Secre- tary Mellon’s urgent invitation. He is certgin that none qf the difficuities he in front qof the enemy in France bej to measure up to the trials and tribulations that confront him in his present post. As the husband of a ‘Vermont lady, Gen. Andrews qualifies for the Green Mountain hierarchy at present enthroned on the Potomac. He has found that one of his former orderlies is now a prohibition agent. * k% x One of the pet aversions of the Bishop of Washington is the provin- clalism of New York City. Dr. Free- man related at a public dinner this week what he termed a characteristic example of the average New Yorker's selt-sufficiency. “My fellow clergy- man, Rabbi Stephen Wise of New York,” the bishop said, “used to live in Portland, Oreg. Once he was en- tertaining a typical New Yorker and showing him “the magnificent moun- tain views that abound in that beau- tiful city. The sun was setting with more than usual splendor. ‘What do you think of that?’ asked Wise. ‘Wi replied the man from Manhattan, 'I'd rather be a lamppost at Forty-second and Broadway than the aurora bore- alis.’” Bishop Freeman, by the way, is proud of being an honorary rabbi of Dr. Wise's Free Synagogue. * ok ok X An observation in Washington. Scene, drug store corner near big and fashionable high school, somewhere in the northwest. Group of four young- sters, with bearing of seniors—three girls and a boy. Lad poised in center of group, holding even with his chin a vanity box. First one girl, then another, makes up before the mirror on inside of box. Business of rouging cheeks, applying lipstick wnd painting eyebrows. Then flappers complete their toilet with the aid of patient sheik’s handkerchief, gayly snached from his breast pocket. Sheik prob- ably captain of his foot ball team, hav- ing shoulde: and height. But at this hour and place in question looked more like a ladies’ maid. * ok ok % ‘Washington has just been entertain- ing a distinguished British journalist- Asked by his American colleagues what impressed him most about the United States, he said: “Your con- sumption of ice water and your colos- sal Sunday newspapers.” He'd been visiting the Congressional Library. What struck him there was not the _marbled magnificence, but the ' fact Jthat Sunday newspapera are filed in their stupendous entirety. He that 1f the British Museum, whor John Bull's newspaper archives are kept, ever began filing our Sunday papers, there’d soon be no room on the island for the overflow. * x x ¥ L It is the intention of John V.- MacMurray, our new Minister to et otic China,” who is now en route to Shanghai to leave his steamer at Yo. kohama and tarry for a day at Tokio en route to Peking. Mr. MacMurray desires to pay his respects to Mr. Ban. croft, United States Ambassador to Japan, and to Baron Shidehara, Japa. nese forelgn minister. MacMurray and Shidehara were warm friends in Washington and particularly during the armament conference in 1921-2% There's more, however, than personai significance in the former's call upon Baron Shidehara. The United States recognizes that co-operation with Nip. pon in China is as important as any single phase of Japanese-American re. lations. It is not so long ago that American_diplomacy in China consid. ered itself bound on principle to op- pose Japan at every stage. Our vigi- lance is not likely to be relaxed, but probably will be tinged henceforward with a little less suspicion. * ok x % Senator Oscar W. Underwood" is to launch a campaign foc s g partisan tax measure “to take the fron heel off the breast of American busi. ness.” That is the keynote of the Democratic leader's speech at Mont. gomery, Ala. Sécretary Mellon s known to be fn full accord with the program to write a revenue bill which will be thoraughly acceptable to busi. ness, to finance, to agriculture and to labor. Underwood's friends ciaim that a canvass of Democratic Representa- tives and Senators reveals a general dissatisfaction among them with the tax law which they forced upon the Republican majority a year ago. His brother Democrats now are cited as agreeing with him that a sharp reduc. tion of the surtax will obtain from wealth a larger aggregate proportion of the cost of government. Under- wood holds that methods of taxation are paramount and that the volume of revenue is a secondary matter. That the country is impressed with the eco- nomic unsoundness of the existing law. is the Alabaman’s firm conviction. * X x % Frank B. Kellogg, Secretary of State, will place the hallmark of Coolidge administration approval upon_ the twenty-third conference of the Inter. parliamentary Union at Washington in October by giving a dinner in honor of the distinguished forelgn delegates. These will number 200 or more. The conference will be held in the House of Representatives at the invitation of the President. (Copyright, 1925.) N Georgetown Pageant Body Thanks The Star To the Editor of The Star: At the final meeting of the George- town pageant committee held last eve- ning, by unanimous vote, you and your organization were extended a vote of thanks for the splendid co- operation which you gave in publicity through your excellent papér to the pageant which was given in Montrose Park on the 30th of May. The whole demonstration was a fine success from both a civic and artistic standpoint, and for the wonderful crowd of between three and four thou- sand people we are to a great extent indebted to you through the notices given in your paper from time to time for a week or two previous to that event. J. A. OLIVER, ?h.]m 1 ) | Wants D. C. Governor. Separate System for District Ad- vocated by E. A. Harriman. To the Editor of The Star: The District of Columbia, as the National Capital, must be.under the control of national authority. The exercise of that national authority, however, directly by Congress has not proved satistactory. This is not due to the incompetence of Congress, but to the fact that the pressure of national affairs upon the time of Congress is sp great that the atten- tion which can be given to the affairs of the District is altogether inade- quate. The situation is further com- Dlicated by the fact that the inhabl- tants of the District have no votes, and are, therefore, unable to exert any political pressure to support thelr own views as to the way in which they should be governed. The problem of the District Government is, therefore, a very difficult one. The first question is as to how leg- islation in regard to District matters can be Improved. For such improve- ment the substitution of indirect for direct control by Congress seems es- sential. Such a change would require the vesting of direct legislative power in a distinot body. Many people in the District advocate that the Dis- trict should be given local self-gov- ernment, which would involve the in- troduction of a territorfal system. It seems highly improbable, however, that Congress will consent to relax its control over the Capital. The most that can be hoped for is that such control may be exercised more satisfactorily by a change in the method of control. The following plan, therefore, is suggested for the government of the District: * K X % 1. A single executive, to be called the governor, who should be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. 2. A small cabinet of heads of de- partments appointed by the governor and responsible to him. 3. A small legislative body to con- sist, for example, of seven men, three chosen by the House, three by the Sen- ate, and one by the President. 4. The term of 8ffice of the governor should not be less than two nor more than four years. Thé term of office of the members of the legislature, or counctl, as it might be called, should be ane year. 5. All legislation except in case of an emergency, should be submitted for approval to an advisory body rep. resenting the citizens (such a body is now in existence) and if not approved by such advisory body, should require the approval of Congress. In case of an emergency the aproval of the legis: lation by the President may take the place of such approval by the citizens’ advisory body. 6. If the citizens’ advisory body pro- poses legislation which is not accept- able to the council, the matter may be referred to Congress. The two great difficulties in the District_are with reference to appro- priations and taxation. In regard to appropriations, the joint approval of the council and the citizens' advisory body shall be required. Appropria- tions desired by either body to which the other refuses consent should be referred to Congress for action. 8. As regards taxation, the expense of running the District should be di- vided between the Government and the taxpayers on some permanent basis which can be justified In reason and fairness. The arbitrary assess- ment by Congress of a certain sum which the Government must pay is wholly unreasonable, because it is without foundation in any principle. Congress has abandoned the principle of a percentage division of expenses and has substituted no other princt- ple in its place. It has been sug- gested that the Government property in the District should be assessed at its value, and that the Government should pay a percentage of expenses equivalent to the percentage owned by it of the total property in the District. Objections to this pian are obvious, because much of the Government property is of a monumental char- acter and could not be assessed on the same basis as private property. Probably the simplest solution of the problem would be to fix a definite permanent rate of taxation on tangi- ble private property, retaining per- manently the present rate of 5 mills on intangible property. Such a rate, if fixed with reference to a fair aver- age rate of taxation on actual values in citles of the size of Washington, would mean that the taxpayer in Washington was beinug treated as taxpayers in other cities are. In such case the burden of any excessive appropriation by Congress for the District would not fall, as it does now, arbitrarily upon the taxpayers. The taxpayers would then be contributing for local purposes in Washington what they contribute for similar purposes in other places. The assurance of a definite limit on taxation would en- courage the purchase of property in the District and insure a steady growth of values to increase the reve- nues of the District. The appropria- tions and the expenditures thereof being under the control .of Congress directly and indirectly, extravagance by local officlals is rendered impossi- ble, so that Congress is certain of getting what it desires at its own price. . EE This is the bare outline of a scheme of District government. It will not satisfy those persons, who demand complete local self-government, but such demand seems to\have no hope of fulfillment. Nor does this scheme touch the question of congressional representation for the District. The demand for such representation is entirely reasonable, and if it should be granted it would be perfectly possible to include the Disrtict repre- sentatives in Congress in the legis- lative council for the District. Under this scheme Congress is not to be entirely detached from a volce in District affairs, but is to exercise its control in most cases indirectly, so that direct action would only be necessary in cases where there was a real disagreement between the citi- zens of the District and the council. The details of this scheme may, of course, be varled. It might perhaps be better to have no fixed term for the governor, but to have him ap- pointed to hold office at the pleasure of the President. The number of seven for the council is merely a sug- gestion, and the term of office of the councilors might also be made in- definite. The only really essential feature of this plan is the relief of Congress from the necessity of acting upon local measures regarding the District for which it has not time to act as a local legislature.: In most cases the counselors, representing Congress, and the advisory body, rep- resenting the citizens, would agree, and where they did not agree the matter would be settled by Congress. Tt is only on rare occosions, however. that the citizens,could expect Con- gress to. override the action of a council selected by Congress itself. Such council would necessarily rep- resent the congressiona. view, but would have more time and-‘oppor- tunity to consider and work out de- tails in accordance with the general congressional policy, and also -would be able to ascertain more accurately the views of the citizens of the Dis- trict than Congress at the present time can possibly do. EDWARD A. HARRIMAN. vt Specialist for France, From the Baltimore Sun. What France really desires is a man who will get her well without making her take the medicine., ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKI! Q. How far {s New York City's sup- ply of fruit and vegetables hauled?—: H.F.N. A. “California and Florida ship more of these commodities to New York City than other States do, providing one-third of the supply. The average haul for all fruit and vegetables for the city is 1,500 miles. Q. Was Mergenthaler an American? —E. V. R. A. He was born in Germany, but came to the United States at the age of 18. In his youth he was employed by the Government to keep the clocks and electrical bells in Government bulldings in order. He improved ap- paratus used in the Signal Service and later patented the linotype. He is classed as an American inventor. Q. Were rocking chairs first made in America’—W. S. A. A. This article of furniture so sel- dom seen abroad is distinctly Ameri- can. There seems to be no record, however, of the first rocking chair. Bureaus are alsé of American origin. Q. What is pulque made of>—N. M. A. This Mexican drink is made from the agave or maguey. The drink con- tains about 7 per cent alcohol and is intoxicating when drunk in large quantities. It possesses some medici- nal qualities. ¥ Q. Why did the men of .China wear queues?—Q. W. R. A. This practice, which has recently been abolished, was introduced by the Manchus when they conquered North- ern China in the twelfth century. It was at first the outward mark of the x:b]ecllon of the Chinese to the Man- chus. Q. How rauch has the length of the day decreased in 1,000 years?—G. T. A. It is thought that the length of the day has not changed by so much as .01 second in 2,000 years, which would amount to only .005 second in 1,000 years. 0. Does Canada have an air mail service?—C. M. E. 1}. Alrplanes are used in carrying mall, patrolling forests and fisheries and other government service. Last year, in 3,340 hours of actual flying hours, there was not a fatal accident. Q. Why is England often called “Merry England”?—A. G. N. A. The word merry Is uséd, not in the sense of gavety, but with its earlier meaning of agreeable and pleas- ant. This meaning applies also to tl expression, “the merry month of May. 0. What commission did Garfield hold in the Army?—K. R. A. He entered the Civil War as a Iteutenant colonel and rose to major general. He resigned his commission to take his seat in the House of Rep- resentatives in 1863. Q. Did the Owen Seciety at New Harmony have any especial religion?— S. H. H. A. When Robert Owen purchased the property of the Harmonists and es. tablished his “Preliminary Soclety” he replaced the religious worship with “moral lectures.” Q. What chemicals are used in mak- ing Welsbach mantles’—S. R. M. A. Cotton fabric is saturated with a proper mixture of nitrates of thorium and cerfum. The cotton is then burnef out and the mantle tempered. | Q. What was Edison’s definition of genfus?—F. A. T. A. He i{s quoted as saying that Eenius fs 2 per cent inspiration and 98 per cent perspiration. Q. If a toast is proposed, does the person who is toasted drink trom his glass?—T. P. D. 4A. The person who is toasted does not drink the toast. @ Did any meteorites fall in 18867 A. The Smithsontan Institution says that there were seven meteorites reported to have fallen in that year. Q. When was the rutabaga intro- duced into this country?—F. T. G. A. The rutab is_said to have been introduced into Scotland about 1781-2, and into England in 1790. It is mentioned in 1806 by MacMahon as in American gardens, and in 1817 there is a record of an acre of this crop in Illinois. The vernacular names all indicate an origin in Sweden or North- ern Europ It is sometimes called Hanover, one varjety was grown in Hanover, Germany. Q. Why were stage coaches so- called?—J. H. L. A. Stage coaches were so-called be- cause they traveled by stages. They ran regularly between certain sta- tions. Q. How far has George Washing- ton’s ancestry been traced?—C. O. O. A. According to Lossing, the an- cestry of Washington is traceabls through 600 years to Willlam de Hert- burn of the Manor of Washington or Wessyngton in the County of Dur- ham, England. There is, however, in the Library of Congress a book by Albert Wells, which undertakes to give the pedigree and history of the Washington family as derived from Odin, the founder of Scandinavia, B. C. 0. Q. I have a canar be healthy, but will not sing. What can be done about it’—J. E. M. A. As no disease seems to be ap- parent, it is suggested that you take it to a canary dealer, where the bird can hear other birds singing. Fre- quently this has been known to re- store the song. Q. In what year was Pete Vaughn coach of the Notre Dame foot ball team?—C. J. W. A. Pete Vaughn has never been the coach of the Notre Dame foot ball team. He played on the Notre Dame foot ball team as fullback during the season of, 1908-9. v, which seems to (The mission of & newspaper is the fair,accurate and interesting presenta- tion of the mews of its community and of the world. Beyond that there is another service. more intimate and quite as important—the meeting of the needs of the individual reader. For this purpose Frederic J. Haskin is em- ployed to direct our Washington In- formation Bureau. There is no ques- tion of fact too difficult for the bureau to answer, for Mr. Haskin and his as- sistants have access to all Government bureaus, the Library of Congress and to other sources of information that few possess. When in doubt, “ask Haskin.” If he does mot know the answer he knows where to get it. In- close 2 cents in stamps for return postage and address your letter to The Star Information Bureau, Twenty-first and C streets northwest.) Rail Activities Draw Public Attention to Recent events in the railroad world, | or aircraft. including the receivership of the Chi- cago, Milwaukee and St. concentrated attention upon the sub- ject of the transportation of the future. The abandonment of branch iines because of truck and bus com- petition is pointed to as significant, but it is believed by many observers the steam roads will meet the crisis with motorization of short lines and auxillary service by railroad-owned trucks. “Ever since the gasoline trucks began to cut into local freight busi- ness and make door-to-door _de- liveries,” observes the Wichita Bea- con, “the railroads have been puzzled as to how to meet this new form of competition. The solution is similar to that of the old Kansas politician— ‘If you can't lick 'em, jine 'em.” It behooves the people to utilize the best points of each form of trans- portation and adapt both to each other.” This view also is advanced by the Nashville Banner with the comment: “In the final analysis, the decision as to the relative merits of train and truck will be rendered by the traveling and shipping public. It must be admitted that the general public is concerned only with getting the most speedy, cheap and satis- factory service possible. It cares little or nothing for either railway or truck line operators.” < Reviewing the situation, the Chi- cago Dally News concludes that “Problems of taxation, freight rates, service schedules and the like can be settled best if the railroads, the water carriers .and the motor: truck com- panies adopt a live-and-let-live policy and endeavor to supplement instead of aptagonizing one another.” The Des Moines Tribune comments on a report by the American Railway Association and concludes: *“With all that is said about truck competition, it appears that the railroads are handling more cars of freight than ever in their history and at higher rates than have prevailed for a long while. Is it not a fact that the rail- roads are earning money on a scale they have never before considered possible? Is it not a fact that in the main they rank with the big earners in the stock market?" * ok x *x In the matter of passengers, how- ever, the Providence Bulletin notes a loss and cites the fact that in foreign countries the competition of the high- ways is similarly felt. The Bulletin adds: “It is proposed by the New Haven road to expand the program already modestly entered upon for serving certain lines by self-pro- pelled vehicles moving on the com- pany's rails, offering units in train movements which are more econom- ical than the steam locomotive, With two or more coaches attached.” “It is well,” says the Davton News, “to give attention to the most recent report of the Interstate Commerce Commission, showing that railroad mileage has declined until at the end of 1923 it was practically the same as in 1913. It may be that there are too many railroads, but no one can say, there are too many miles of railroad. Consolidation will elim- inate the difficulty of too many managements, but there will have to be shown gainful investment before extensions may be undertaken. That such showing may be at hand is séen in the fact that the mileage de- cline seems to have stopped with 1923." The future scope of the rail cor- poration impresses the Evansville Courler, which remarks In its com- ment on the new charter of the Nickel Plate line: “If there is any mechanical means of transporting goods and passengers mnot included by the Van Sweringen brothers in their plans for the new merger,'ex- cept possibly submarimes, it is not easily discoverable.” charter pProvides for operation by “steam, electricity, gas, gasoline or other motive power,” and for the use of ‘watercraft, wagons, motor vehicles Transportation The Los Angeles Times | suggests that “the latest rail syndi- Paul, have cate has a charter elastic enough to permit anything in the heavens above or the eagth beneath.” T e A boycotting experiment, adopted originally by Topeka, and looked upon with interest elsewhere, fails to arouse the enthusiasm of the To- {peka State Journal. “The action of the Topeka Merchants' Association in resolving to boycott the trucks in an effort to solve a problem of Nation- wide extent is in itself a_mere drop in the bucket,” says the State Jour- nal. “What might be accomplished should cities throughout the country follow Topeka's lead is open to con- Jecture.” “The busses are playing havoc with with raflroad transportation,” de- clares the Huntington _Advertiser. “The Boston and Maine Railroad re- cently asked Public Service Commis- sions of several New England States for permission to abandon several hundred miles of its lines because they could not be operated profitably in the face of strong competition from the busses. Everything being equal, the people take the bus in preference to the railroad coach.” Public complaint against such aban- donment is -rebuked by the Hartford flimes with the comment: “With in- creased use of improved highways, railroads seem to have a good argu- ment in saying the situation created is an abandonment of the rallroad by the public rather than an abandon- ment of the public by the railroad.” Texas Leads in Exports. Products Make Up One-Sixth of Entire Foreign Trade. Texans are invited to have a look at the little surprise announcement by Uncle Sam that Texas not only is the biggest State in the Union in point of size, but also in importance in the American export trade. For the first time this vear the Department of Com- merce reports have divided the export business of the country according to the States of origin. Upon December 31, 1924, these reports revealed the startling fact that Texas was fore- most, having furnished goods for ex. port to the value of $737,218,927, which is approximately one-sixth of the en- tire country’s total of $4,498,151,936. New York, whose position as the first State In foreign trade long was con- sidered unassallable, finished second with $731,593,502, and Pennsylvania was a bad third, more than $400,000,- 000 behind Texas. These are important figures to Texas. They signify that the day of this State’s pre-eminence in every fleld of production and commerce, which every Texan long has believed to be inevita. ble, has dawned. They call for an awakening of consciousness on the part of Texans to this State's tremen. dous position in the world of affairs, To be the greatest producing unit of the greatest producing country in the world is no small honor—and no small responsiblity. Cotton was the chief maker of Texas' pre-eminence for 1924. This staple shipped abroad brought $565,- 270,762 Mineral oil exports followed with $68,817,370, and wheat with $45,- 273,167. ''Thus Texas finds itself in the position of a merchant who sells the larger portions of his chief lines in other countries than his own. Mani- festly conditions in those other coun. tries that affect demand and collec. tions must be of intense interest and concern to such a merchant. These figures of Texas' stake in other coun. tries should be sufficlent to drive out of Texas minds forever the belief that what goes on in Burope has no con- cern for Americans. It would seem impossible to maintain the fallacy that America can “isolate” itselt from Eu- ropean affairs in the face of figures such as these.—Fort Worth. Star-Tele- gram.