Evening Star Newspaper, September 3, 1925, Page 6

6§ THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, THURSDAY, -SEPTEMBER 3. 1925. THE EVENING STAR| With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. . .September 3, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES. The Evening Star Business Office - 11¢h St. and Pennesivania Ave. New York Offce: 110 East 42nd St Chicago OfMce: Tower Building ropean Ofce: 14 Ragent St.. London. England. .Editor wspaper Company The Evenine Star Ink edition. 1s delivered by the eity at 60 cents ner month 487 cents per month per month_ Ordars m telephoae Main £000. carrier at the end of each month. carriars within inday only. 20 cen; Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, Maryland and Virginia. Dafly and Sunday $8.40: 1 mo. Daily onlv. Sunday only 5240 All Other States. Dajly and Sundas DRily oniy. o Sunday on Member of the Associated The Associated Press is exclusively ents ta the use for republication of all news natches credited to it or not otherwise crag ited in this paper and a'so the local news nublished herein. Al rizhts of nublication of special dispatches herein are als The Loss of the Shenandoah. Another American airship has been destroyed by the elements. Shenan- doah, the great naval dirigible, caught by a violent storm while sailing over Ohio this into two par to earth, killing morning, was broken s and crashed 13 of its crew and injuring the others. | n dirigible the This is the third Amer that ha The ZR-2, United States, her River Angust 24, 1921 40 including 14 The Romu, bousht in caught fire Hampton and in the been destroye in alr bought in ¥ and for the buckled cver the Hum- wmd over persons Americans, ost their lives Ttaly by this Government the air in flight near Roads February 19 crash 34 men were killed report of the Shenandoah disaster in- dicates 13 fatalities, and many in- Jured. The part falling some distance away, with logs of all of those in the cabin tached to it, while the other descended in a cornfield with no fatalities. The heaviest 10ss in lighter-than-air navi- ation that of the French diri ble Dixmude, which fell into the Mediterrunean December 21, 1923, with the loss of all on board, 52 men. She was probably struck by lizhtnin, Compared with the lighter-than-air planes, not reckoninz losses during the war in battle service, the trage- dies of the dirigible have been far niore costly in terms of proportion of the number of planes and balloons and of flights. The dirigible car ies large numbers, the plane but few. The dirigible has an element of safety in case the engine is disabled superior 10 that of the plane. But the,great size of the gas bag exposes it to the fury of the elements. The Shenan- doah was broken in twain by a sud- den, fierce gust of wind. There can he no safeguardinz against such mischance in the air. Despite this disaster. the latest of a long series, which prove the fallibility of the dirigible, the construction of these immense airships will undoubt edly be continued. They may be made stouter, to stand all stresses of un expected conditions. They perhaps will be lessened in size to increase their chance of endurance under the severest strains.- There is hope that from the fragments of- Shenan- doah may be deduced the specific causes of this failure. Was she too large for safety, or was there some flaw in her construction? Shenandoah had a previous experience with the storm when she was blown from her mooring Lakehurst some months ago and d out to returning In safety, however, with no s of life. It was felt then that she had proved her capacity to withstand the hardest blows of the wind. This disaster in Ohio proves that she was in ship broke in two. one was mast at ca seu, stout enough for all assaults. When it proposed to send Shenandoah the Arctic region w expleration objection was raised hat the craft could not withstand the siress of the severe weather likely fo be encountcred there prevail in the fr more intense the back of hours ago. vould have was into than that which broke the great alrship a few A collapse in the Arctic meant the loss of all on bhoard, whereas the fall in Ohio was tatal to only a part of the crew Man's effort to conquer thie to.use it for transport has been ex penstve in human lives. With all the advances that have been made within less than 20 vears of active aviation velopment, the appliances are still bject to failure. A heavy rizk is olved flight. Yet it ured nat flving will continue in boih plane nd dirigible. Perhaps some day the perfect device will be evolved and in is strong cnough for all conditions, safe enough | tor daily practical use. dirigible has not f perfection. Thus far the reached that point ————— Col. Mitchell appears to be practic for another nose dive in his un authorized publication of a book on the aviation deficiencies of the "Army ir service S A Futile Law. Publication of income tax pavments, which has been ordered in effect by he Government, cannot possibly pro- mote the full collection of taxes. The figures that are made public are of pagments already made. They are the net resuit of all the computations by the taxpayer and the Government for the preceding tax year. The returns. thie data upon which these payments are based, are not published. The publi¢ has no means of knowing the processes of camputation, no informa- liqp~ relative ¢o sources of revenue, ameunts of deductions or equities in favpr. of either the Government or the taxpayers. The law clearly prohibits publication of the returns themselves. Congress has never contemplated the exposure to public scrutiny of the inti- mate details of the people’s business. Surprise and doubt are expressed n many cases upon the revelation of the amounts of tax payments. Application of ratios yields an approximate under- tanding of the net income of the in- iividual. But there Is no basis what W The latest | Furious storms | zen region. probably | with the Sundas morn- | < he sant by mail or | ‘Colinction 1a made by | i | | | | | | i i ! i }sidy to the ever for assertion that the taxpayer has understated his income, has de- ceived the Government, has claimed undue _exemption, has concealed sources of income. In some cases the smaliness of the payment in view of the known circumstances of the tax- payer arouses suspicion. But whocan turn that suspicion into proof of con- cealment or fraud in tax evasion? The Government itself is supposed land has the means through investiga- tion to ascertain the truth or falsity of income tax returns. It Is assuredly not the business of the public at large dajly onlv. |to undertake Inquisition and to find | and present proof of deception. 1t surely was not the purpose of the pub- |tication law to incite individual in- ‘rnu ¥ into the financial situation of taxpayers. Congress certainly never € a moment designed to make this a nation of spies. The only possible effect of the publi- cation law, which the pewspapers ot this country ere required in justice to their character as news purveyors to carry out by the printing of these lists, is to whet the curiosity of people rezarding the financlal circumstances of others. Tt is barely possible that some taxpayers may in view of the prospective publicity be more scrupu- lous about making their returns. But this is doubtful. If a person is dis- posed to understate his taxable in- come, to dodge his obligation to the Government, to cheat the law, no qualm of conscience is likely to be caused by the remote possibility of publicity bringing him into question or disrepute. The law tutile should be repealed is of effect and - B British Government and Labor. The British sovernment apparently is preparing far in advance for serious labor troubles which may or may not develop. Dispatches from London say the war office is raising a new police force, to be controlled by the army and with the explicit provision that no member shall be a member of a trade union. The present belief is that the jnew constabulary will be used to put {down with a strong hand disturbances incited by radical labor leaders, disturb- ances which may come next May day. The government may have a different explanation to offel A general strike, tying up all es tial industries in England, which has been threatened several times, and which was recently avoided by the government granting a temporary sub. mine operators, doubtless would strike a severe blow at govern- ment itself in the United Kingdom. The publication of the fact that the government is recruiting such a con- stapulary is expected to raise a storm of protest in labor circles. On the other hand, there are many English men who are convinced that the time has come to make a stand for the n by labor agitators. The British are not a volatile pegple They have a reputation for “mud dling through™ crises of various kinds And they probably will see the present industrial crisis through in ong fash- ion or another. Since the World Wa industrial conditions in England have been deplorable, with unemployment the dole and lack of markets Europe as a whole seems on the verge of mere stable economic conditions, and the British industries and work- ers will benefit greatly if these can be established, It is unfortunate that wages and the standard of living of labor in Eng- vears. The British workman has re- ceived what in this country would be considered a mere pittance for his la- bor. The trade union movement has heen the great asset in bettering con- ditions of the working men in the United Kingdom. But it would be even more unfortunate if. resort.ng to zeneral strike which in the last analysi trade unionism should bring state, the govern- ment of England, disaster and chaos. The workers in the end would suffer as zreatly as any other under such conditions. of the proletariat a despotism. Tt efficient ruel, history has shown a means force, the to class The despotism is and B S The holiday-making spirit that has heen aroused among the striking hard coal miners is likely to have a sad set back when the bills come in for line and food supplies. Babe Ruth proves the truth of the charge that he is merely a spoiled child by the speed of his contrition when he encounters the heavy hand f ultimate authority SO — ——— Local base ball optimists have lately been greatly strengthened in faith by specific s by the gallant local de. fenders the world- championship title. wor of — e Aviation disasters serve to remind mankind that the day of emancipation from surface ties has not yet fully dawned. - An English Channel Bridge Plan. From time to time in the course of many years projects have been ad- vanced to overcome the difficulties of navigating the English Channel, which has the reputation of being the meancst stretch of water in the world. Tunnel schemes have been broached not long before the Great War an en. terprise of this kind came very near being approved jointly by. the govern- ments of Great Britain and France. It would undoubtedly have been of the utmost value during the war, though a source of keenest anxiety as the German forces approached Calais. But the British sense of in- sularity, that has for centuries been vasion, would not permit this physical union with the continent. Now comes a French engineer with an astonishing project for a huge “double pier” across the channel, this double pler to be actually a pair of bridges, each forty-two kilometers— 261, miles—long, thirieen meters wide, with two stories, the upper one for road traffic and the lower for rail- road tracks. They are to be separated by a canal 300 meters wide providing a channel for swift ships in smooth water. The plers, % bridges, are to preservation of the state, threatened | But | land have been kept down for so many | so-called. is no less | gaso- | with elaborate engineering plans, and | regarded as an insurance against in-! [be built on great arches high enough ltrom the surface of the channel to permit the passage of all sea trafic. The cost of this project is estimated at from 1,600,000,000 to 1,800,000,000 {gold francs. This cost compares with {an estimate of 800,000,000 gold francs for a two-raflroad track tunnel and 2,000,000,000 for a four-track tunnel. British interest in this scheme will he somewhat modified by the tradi. tional figure of Napoleon standing on the shore of Calais and looking with folded arms over the white cliffs of Dover, waiting for favorable weather for his long-dreamed-of invasion of England. It will be necessary to dem- onstrate in the most positive manner decided advantages from direct motor and rail communication with France to overcome the natural prejudice against a physical link with the con. tnent. —_—— e The Lost Sea Plane. More than 36 hours ago a naval plane in flight from San Francisco to Honolulu fell into the sea'a short dis- tance from its goal and to this time nothing has been heard as to the fate of the five men it carried. The sea has been scoured by destroyers and submarines and no trace has been found. The plane was forced to descend, it is known, for lack of fuel. On starting from San Francisco the fuel supply was believed to be suffi- cient for the flight to Honolulu, but heavy winds had been encountered that entailed an unlooked-for drain upon the tanks. Ordinarily a plane of this character would float for an‘in definite time unless beset by violent seas. There is, however. no word of h conditions as to make the flota tion of the PN-D No. 1 unlikely. Tt may have sprung a leak through strik ing the surface of the sea too heavily in the descent. in which case it is perhaps lost. Or it may have drifted off the known course on some current that has not been noted by the search- ing ships. This loss, almost that of Shenandoah, is a blow to {naval aviation. The flight frem San { Francisco to Honolulu was undertaken lin test of the possibility of linking the {Pacific outpost with the mainland in {speedy communication. This misfor- {tune. whether the missing plane {tound or not, will not prevent a fur- {ther test. Evidently the fuel tank of | this type of plane is not large enough for the Pacific flizht. The seaplane {must carry a large margin of fuel jover the estimated actual need | ! sucl coincident with B Just to make the stranded American | tourists who are waiting for berths westward-bound steamers a bit {more nervous about their chances of getting home, the British seamen pro- pose to strike and tie up shipping Those who get back late will find the price of anthracite rising because of a strike on this side, fon e Despite all distractions arising from aviation tragedies, industria! difficul ties and politics, Washington is just {at present concentrated upon the good ‘n)ld timely base hit and the heipful jenemy error as means of retaining the fproud zonfalon of world supremacy in { base ball, ———— | Advocates of American entrance into the League of Nations in order to settle international disputes are some | what sidetracked just now by the need | of some method whereby the people of this country can be assured of a con tinued fuel supply. § New York's mayoralty campaign has developed a line of choice invec tive that has a decided flavor of an leche of the affair at Madison Square | Garden a little over a vear ago. ———— e Publication of income tax payments spreads combined pride. shame and chagrin amonz many Americans. but 1t does not seem to cause any marked increase in revenue. —— The full dinner pail is stil a proud boast of the American people, but next Winter's coal scuttle remains a | matter of anxiety. 1 { ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON Bookkeeping. ‘Is Higgzins a zood hookkeeper? “He used to be. 1 never lend him any more.” An Indebtedness. “You have found a study of the classics beneficial?” said the professor. “Yes, indeed,” replied Mrs. Cumrox. We got a beautiful name for our acht out of the classical dictionary.” Located. “Your husband spends all his leisure with his automobile,” said one woman. “Yes,” replied the other. “Don’t you miss him?" “No; if he isn't at home fixing the machine 1 can always reach him at the repair shop.” Scant Pasturage. “1 am afraid the moths will get into my bathing suit,” said.Maude. “It would be a shame.” ‘Mavmie. “The poor things starve to death.” replied would The Shoes of the Greal. who shall fill the great shoes?” { “Oh, man's And on the instant came the news Of many an eager volunteer. Each stoutly strove to put them on In hope the selfsame path to trace ‘Which for another man had won Above the leveled crowds a place, They did not pause the patch to note, Nor yet the sole so scuffed end old, Nor bits of mire caught in the moat That crossed the way to chstled gold. The paths he made are paved and thronged By men who were not made to lead. The shoes he wore are broken thonged And fit another ill indeed. ith pompous stride we seek the aid Of heroes gone. Oh, vain deceit! A great man's shoes were never made For any but a zreat man's feet. e The question sounded far and near; | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “l am glad to see that you have discovered horticulture, and put the seal of your approval on'it,” said a sarcastic friend. : As a matter of fact, life is merely 4 succession of such personal discov- eries. begun when the baby reaches for the moon and ended when the old man finds Death It is not until one personally ex- periences anvthing. whether it be love, war or gardens, that he becomes enthusiastic about it. And enthusiasm offends some people. .Such to-be-pitied folk heartily resent {any one else enjoying Life. as mani- fested in enthusfasm either in talk, writing or conduct. “How dare vou discover flowers®” seems to be their attitude. “Flowers have been in existence for millions of years, and you have been on this globe for some time yourself, and never a cheep out of vou about the glory of growing things. ow all of a sudden you pop up with praise of the Gladiolus, as if no one ever saw a Gladiolus before. Your enthusiasm for mowing and watering the lJawn comes a bit late, after 1 have been cutting grass and boring myself with the hose for more years than I care to admit.” Where the above visionary critic would be wrong would be in his gen- eral misconception of another’s per- sonal enthusiasm as depending on his own knowledge, likes and dislikes. He would be all at sea, in the sec- ond place, because of his opinion that the enthusiast spoke or wrote with any idea whatever that any one else had never seen a Gladiolus. He writes from just the opposite standpoint, that every one has sean Glads. and thus will” rejoice with him in " their auty W ok No. an enthusiasm for anything. al | though it may displease one here and there, pleases hundreds, hecause shar- ing enthusiasms is one of the real joys of life The personal discovery of any sub- ject, any tact. is the beginning of all enthusiasm. Not until # person geis interested in a subject does that sub- Ject become real to him. Life, as stated, is largely a series of such ‘personal interests. They begin at the earliest mow"nts the child ix able to know anything. Take the baby in the cradle. The infant looks up at its mother, and from that baby look grows the lifelong _enthusiasm of the man for the mother. to whor countless great men have paid tribute since civiliza- | tion began. This is one of the earliest enthusi asms. Perhaps a later discovery is that of animal friends. The baby sees a cat walk by. “Mew!” says the child, reaching out his hands toward the soft coat of the house cat Years later that infant, grown into a child, and then a man. will find him self irresistibly impelled to stop and stroke all cate, stray and otherwise, that come into his way. He may scarcely realize that the be- ginning of this feline enthusiasm was made when he was scarce aware of it, but it will date. nevertheless, 1o that hour when the beautiful creature ambled it= lithe form past his car- riage. Perhaps more of our manly enthusi asms than we are ever aware of had their beginnings in oyt cradles, and have spread thence through all our grown-up vears. * x he hoy has personal experience after personal experience. thus mak ing discoveries on his own part that parents cannot make for him. It is no use to lecture Johnny about the benefits 6f outdoor’ exer- cise if John is of a studious. indoor nature. Let the little fellow get a taste of running and jumping in stead and the chances are that he BY WILLIAM ARTICLE IV. Lumbermen. looking somewhat {anxiously toward the future, would | pause in their timber-cutting to cut |taxes. Unanimously the spokesmen | for this $12,000,000,000 industry agree {that the imperative need of today, is uction. Federal, State and they would have 'it, but par- ularly State and local. Lower taxes, most of the industry’s leaders ssert, are not oply essential o in- creased prosperity. but must be se- cured to keep present good tlimes from slipping toward depression Tt takes 100 years to grow a forest 100 vears of taxation at from $1 to $3 an acre. When the forest is grown it won't fetch an amount equal to the taxes paid while growing it, plus in- terest on them. Such is the succinct way one of the leading figures in the Tumber world puts it. He, like all the rest of his associates, answered “tax reduction,” when asked by this corre- spondent 1o state the chief need of today to attain a greater degree of prosperity. That question wasanswered similarly by big men of other big industries, but nowhere in America has the answer been o ringing, s0 unanimous or so emphatic as in the realm of lumbe Make no mistake of it: the lumber mdustry is sincere in the conviction that without speedy tax reduction all along the line the days ahead are beset with difficulty. . Taxes on the Increase. Among the great lumber companies of the far Northwest is the Long-Bell Lumber Co.. master of a young em- pire and maker of cities overnight. Here is what its vice president and manager, J. D. Tennant, says: nstead of our taxes growing less with the depletion of our assets the | total tax is more; this can only be ac- counted for by the fact that the tax- {ing authorities feel that it is an op- portunity to place the tax burden on the timber owner while the oppor- tunity is there to do so. | “The burden of taxes has become { very pronounced. and is increasing by leaps and bounds yearly in order to provide funds to meet the: ever-in- creasing cost of Government, State and local administration.” ““The greatest need to increase prosperity is the reduction of taxes, both State and mational.” says E. A. Frost, president of the Frost-Johnson Lumber Co.. Shreveport, La., manu- facturers of wood. “The situation met by Congress by reducing national taxes to a minimum consistent with the safety needs of the Government. When this is done I think splendid results could be expected, and imme- diately.” Florida sends the same word. Says M. L. Fleishel, vice president of the Putnam Lumber Co.. Jacksonville: “For industrial revival and business prosperity we need a revision in in- come taxes. Why? Bocause capital is needed In this line of endeavor in- stead of in frozen securities. Much can be accomplished by thz abolition of tax-free issues. With tax revision, I belleve a tremendous revival will take place soon.” Y From F. C. Knapp, Peninsula Lum- ber Co., Portland, Oreg., comes word that: “Tax reduction is quite neces- sary and will be exeeedingly benefi- cial, but I cannot admit that it is the only panacea for present ills. Pre- sumably this question will automatic- ally adjust itself, to great extent, if the honest business men of the coun- try are left alone to work out their problems and salvation.” W. S. Rosenberry,” secretary -and treasurer of the Winton Lumber Co., Gibhs, Idaho, states that the chief | to | tion. will become the most enthusiastic of sportsmen later. Suppose Johnny has made one great personal discovery—the charm of books. These interest him beyond anything else in the world. Most bovs make this great discovery at some time or other between the ages of § and 12 vears. Some make it earlier and some later. I know one man who made it while a sailor at sea, through the medium of a com- plete set of Victor Hugo, the only hooks aboard. Johnny, our small lad under dis- cussion, prefers readinz 10 going out kicking & foot ball around. In the rebound of this age. from too much accent on the mental side of child hood. to -excessive emphasis placed on physical heaith, perhaps there are not as many of these book-loving children as there were 20. years ago. Some of them do exist, howe and Johnny is one of them. He has made the personal discovery of litera- ture, but mot that of outdoor games. te. should not be lectured, or com pelled to take them up, but should be induced to do so. If he is nagged he will shrink all the more from venturing out into the fray. If forced to sports he will probably resent it as much as the lad who is chalned to a plano by a fond mother. Once from under the parental urge he will never touch the piano again in all his life. If it is possible, however, ercising a little real parental to get Johnny interested in in all likelihood there will greater booster of physical anywhere than John Tk ow the by ex- ability games, be no exercise e The enthusiasms personal dis coveries. of manh and woman hood are even broader and more numerous than those of childhood as large and numerous as the latter are, for the adult has an increased ability 1o command experiences. One of the beauties of life is that it ix never too late to mend, as the old copy book maxim had it. Indeed, one is never too old to make new personal discoveries. The ability to make them, despite one’s age. is per haps the test of happiness in life, since no one can be happy without enthusiasms, and no one is likely have enthusiasms until he has made personal discoveries of this and that. It is heartening. then the papers of some elderly has taken up a course of to read in lady who study al | a great unlversity. or to hear of some | suddenly other “gone in interesting man who has for golf or some sport or occupation These people have discovered these things for themselves. What was botany to the old lady. indeed. until she, personally, discovered its charm ing iInterest? The man had heen hearing about zolf all his life. hut it meant little to him until that day a friend induced him to stroll around the links with him. and to swing club “just for fun So it is with gardening As this is the occupation or which no one is too high. no one too low.’ s0 also it is the enthusiasm open 1o every man, woman and child with a window box or small plot of ground AL COMMAN No one is too voun; toe old to “discover” gardening Those who have grown up with the green growing things will be no more _enthusiastic in their love of nature than the city man or woman. who, a1 a later age. suddenly dis covers the surpassing interest and beauty of these wonderful processes of nature. Such a one actually discovers hor ticulture, and really puts the seal of approval on it How can it reading and he otherwise? THE VOICE OF BUSINESS P. HELM, JR. noed is “decrea only local and State, but eral.” He adds: “As we products more and more countries we are going to today <ed taxes also Fed sell “our in foreign find that not we have got to produce them cheaper. | and the only way of producing them | cheaper is to cut down the cost. One of the big items of cost for vears past has been taxes: if we can reduce onr tax bills it will certainly help to stimu late business generally in try. Another ldahean. E. H. Van Os trand, president of the Craig Moun tain Lumber ¢o. helding similar views. looks even further He savs: “I think the chief public need today to increase prosperity in the lumber business is to change the sysiem tax- ing timber lands and 10 withdraw public timber lands. both State and National, from eompetition with that privately owned.” From the Southern come the views of C. H. Sherrill of New Orleans. president of the Sher- rill Hardwood Lumber Co., who as serts: “The chief public need today 10 increase business prosperity is the historic and traditional need of busi enss at all times—to be relieved of burdensome and discriminatory taxa tion and to be given the opportunity for honest and profitable operation and sorwce. “Business has heen grievously ex- ploited by the tax gatherers and so beset by restrictions and regulations that the wheels of progress are slowed down to the point where it is well nigh impossible to keep them turning. “Remedlal results may be expected just as soon as sober statesmanship and sound economics take the place of shallow thinking and political selfish- ness in the halls of legislation.” The State of Washington, whose forests contribute vastly to the an. nual lumber cut, sends the following reply from. J. H. Bloedel, president of the “great Bloedel Donovan Lumber Mills: “There is such a general agree- mant that tax reduction is primarily one of the great issues before our business men that 1 will not elaborate upon it further than to say I agree with it.” J. 4. Donovan, vice prasident of the same company. writes that his an. swer to the question. “What is the chief need to inc prosperity?” is “Less taxation more foreign trade.” Sees Three Paramount Tumber belt and Needs. Three needs are seen as paramonnt by E. D. Kingsley. president of the West Coast Lumbermen’s Associa- Portland, Oreg. These are set forth as follow. 1. A prompt, wise and further re- vision of our tax laws. 2. Assurance to the railroads of freedom from further legisiative inter- ference. 3. Industrial and labor co-operation and stablility. “'Since the war,” Mr. Kingsley adds, “‘prosperity - has been seriously crip pled because of faulty.taxation, a cor- rect taxing principle being converte into a measure of economic violence. the city of Grand Rapids, Mich. (and, indeed, throughout that section) the outstanding lumber man is John W. Blodgett. He believes that two things are essential to increase pros- perity. Says Mr. Blodgett: “They are: One, the practice of thrift.and economy of the real Cool- idze tvpe; and. second. a change in Federal taxation. “We have passed the period of vio- lent fluctuations due to readjustment following the wai-and have now set- tled down to a world-wide condition of intense. commercialgompetition. . We “wan this coun- | !‘Rva.kville Fair Grounds ! Not a Credit to County Te the Editor of The Star Were a prize offered for the rough- est, dirtlest and worst kept fair grounds, T venture to say Montgom- ery County, Md., would be awarded the first premium. ' The fair, as claimed, may have been a success financially, but if so, 1 canmot think | its managers are entitled to much, if any, credit in view of’ the want,of order and system in placing the ex- hibit houses and tents, and especially in view of the disgraceful condition in which the roadways and prome- nades were kept, being not only dusty and dirty, but so full of sharp cut stones, stumps and roots as to render walking over and through them not only extremely disagreeable, but pos- itively dangerous. Surely very few would care o attend a Rockville fair @ second time unless and until as sured of improvVed conditions in these respects Montgomery County, Md., being one of the most attractive and pros- perous counties fn the State, being also the most favored because of its proximity to the National Capital, it would seem passing strange that its county authorities should -allow its fair grounds to be so long and so shumefully neglected, and is it not true that all cities, towns and coun- tles are judged: largely by their pub- lic grounds and :buildings? What, then, must be the impression made on the minds of those who have vis- ited the Rockville fair, especially out- siders and non-residents. Rockville, the county seat, is a most attractive town and gives evidence of making rapid and substantial progress. Would not this progress be greatly acceler ated were its fair grounds put in good condition and kept in up-to-date shape? While the exhibits were very |interesting and creditable, yet because of the dangers and disomforts ' of | getting around ta where’ they could be seen, it is more than likely many | of them were not seen a1 all by those | who attended. Indeed. it would really seem that In view of the disadvan- tages and drawbacks referred to the invitations io the fair and the charges exacted from both visitors and exhib- | {tors partook in a measure of an im-| position and that both classes have | just and valid grounds for entering | rotests and remonstrances. 1 T hope that the Montgomery County authorities may ere long wake up 10 | their responsibilities and opportuni- | ties and that next year the Rockville; {fair srounds will present a greatly jimproved appearance. { WILLIAM SMALL | .- Higher Curbs Proposed For District Bridges | To the Editor of The Star A few months ago a woman driving jAn_automobile across Calvert Street Bridge lost control of it, the front wheels jumped the eurb and she was headed for destruction, but luckily stopped the car before any damage had been done. Some time later a ! man crossing the Connecticut Avenue { Bridze lost control of his machine the front wheels jumped the curb and knocked a section of the railing into the valley below. Later still,™a car Jumped the curb on the Klingle ! Bridge. went clear off the bridge and| | several people were killed. In view | of these accidents, others might hap- pen in the same manner, as nothing has been done to make such an acci- | | dent more difficuit or impossible. I [would like to suggest that these | | bridges and others could be made so | that accidents of the above nature | could not happen, simply by making | the cuib higher, say 16 inches. 1t is [folly to atfempt 1o make a railing {that wli*prévent ag automobile, even {of the ‘lightest make, from butting { through it. In the case of the wooden | bridges. all that would be required to raise the curb would be to bolt a timber, say 4 6 by 8, onto the present | eurb, which is about 10 or 12 inches |above the road level. using blocks under the-timber to raise it about 16 | !inches above the road level As the majority of automobiles do not have wheels over 32 inches in diameter. it| would be next to impossible for the wheels to jump over this curb, and the curb could not give wayv if prop- erly constructed. C. PALMER. Surme Blue Vega Is Now the Jewel of the Skies | | To the Editor of The Star The sky-jewel which. ai present. sparkies most brilliantiy nearest the | zenith, i= Vega—beautiful and hlie. Beautiful blue Vega—it is sometimes called Wega—has been described by Willis as “Azure Lyra. like a wom- an's eve, burning with soft blue luster.” 1In fact. this glorious azure sun of night is what distinguishes its | constellation Lyra. Were Lyra not to possess Vega. Lyra would be one of the least conspleuous of constetlatiof Vega of Lyra is easily found. Not only is it near the zenith, but it is also surrounded by the constellations Draco. Hercules, Aquila and Cygnus. The last of these four constellations contains the noticeable outline of the Northern Cross—just eastward from ega. Also, just eastward of the con- stellation Lyra we sce the so-called Milky Way, dim, distant and frregu- lar. Vega is trillions of miles remote from us. nevertheless it is the fourth most brilliant sun of night that shines | upon our planet. Such is the brilliance of Vega that, were our own sun put in its place, ‘Sol would be only one- sixty-fifth as bright. But Vega of Lyra possesses a diameter only about four times that of our sun. That is, Vega or. Wega is not one of the really vast stars of our universe. Vega should be compared with the sun An- tares. whose diameter has been esti mated at 400 times our sun’s diameter. CHARLES NEVERS HOLMES, Readinz Mass. | 1 | | i can only meet such a situation by the practice . of economy and _efficiency both by the individual and the co poration. ““The individual should pay for his home before he buys an automobile His wife and daughters should buy fewer silk and more cotton stockings. T use these items simply as illus: trating what. I mean by thrift and economy. Above all. ave should not mortgage the future in order to buy luxuries. The second need. i.e.. a change in Federal taxation, is equally important. Federal income taxes must be reduced to the point where ordinary business investment will be just as attractive as investment in non-taxable sécur- ities. Death taxes must be either abolished or reduced to a point where they will not force a man to with- draw money from his business and put it into marketable securities at the time of his ripest judgment and powers." From Edward Hines of Chicago. president of the large lumber com pany bearing his name, comes the following thought. . “Today the Federal Government alone is decreasing taxation. Every State with, I think, one exception, is increasing " State, county 4nd local taxation. Thi§ is an especial burden on business and rests with particular severity on basic industries, such as agriculture, coal and lumber. where the tax on standing timber has in- creased in some States nearly 1,200 per cent in 15 vears. “The splendid example of the Na- tional Government in insisting on economy and therefore reducing tax ation. ought to be followed by the Tegislatures of the various States.” 3 4Osoyricht. 1975.) | child to suck his finger: | of the ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Is it injurious for a 3-year-old ?—F. E. M. Finger and thumb sucking, ac cording to baby specialists, is a habit that has many evil effects, though it appears to many parents to be trivial. For instance, it tends to spoil the nat- ural arch of the mouth, causing ‘the protrusfon of the upper jaw; it in duces a_constant flow of saliva, and }u:edl;:[-nds being very often dirty, may | readily carry disease zerms 1o the child’s mouth. If patience and per sistence on the mother's part do not break the habit. bitter aloes should be applied (o the fingers. Q. Kindly give the name of Gen Lee’s horse which he rode in the Civil | War?—A. C. B A. He had five horses during this period: Ajax, Richmond, Brown Roan. Luey Long, Traveler. Q. What is sald to be the most per fect hand ever painted?—S. D. A. The right hand of “Mona Lisa."” painted by Leonardo da Vinci Q. When did Uriah T chase Monticello”—M. O. H. A. He acquired Monticello by a deed dated May 20, 1836 Q. “housewife I.A. B A. The word “housewife” has been in use in the English language from a very early period, it having appeared in literature as early as 1225 in the form of “husewif.” It implies a wom- an, usually married, who directs or manages the affairs of the household, also the wife of n householder. It ix from the Middle English words “hus.” meaning “house.” and “wif." meaning “woman.” Nothing derogatory is im plied in the term. and it is in good usage. Q. A, Levy pur- What is the origin of the word ? Is it in good usage” What is a hotar? B A hotar is a 16 season pr tercessory prayvers Q. When did the war beiween Chile and Peru end”—H. M A. Tt terminated in March G.F Hindw priest ts who offer one in 1284 Why is an orchestra called the Monteverde Orchestra?—J,. € A. The name is probably given in honor of Claudio Monteverde, who helped s0 much in the establishment of the modern orchestra. He rehelled against the arbitrary modes of the day (1567-1643) and made innovations especizlly in harmony Q. 1Is the word the first or A. lable. allies” accented on second syllable?— . (. 1. The accent is on the second syl re the e American stamps first issued” 1. H. D, A. The Post Office Department savs that the Norse American commemora tive stamps were first issued on May 15 of this vear. They were issued in 2 Q. When |and 5 cent denominations the color r?—J. D. L. or “Wild Bill Wwas an almost per that J. Allan Q. What was Bill"" Hickock's hs A. James B. Hickock as he was called fect blond. It of “Wild seems Dunn described it adequately, although it could be said that his hair was more the color of wheat straw than of the wheat itself. Mr. Cody (Buffalo Bil), ‘who was his personal friend from youth till the day of his death, wrote of him that he was a “blond,” the ex act words being ‘he had long. hlond bair, which glistened like zold in the suntight. Q. 1s there such a thing as a citi- | zens' naval training camp?—C. ¥. G | A There is no training given the Navy which corresponds to citizens’ military training camps. Q. What causes boils”—E. B. P A. There are some persons who are | peculiarly susceptible to infection with { pus bacteria, and so, suffer very much from boils. Not infrequently it is | found that occupation or clothing play a part. Dusty oecupations are ofien associated with the hizh frequency of boils. The wearing of tight collars seemns to be a factor { Q. 1Is it necessary to put apples in sStorage as soon as they are picked” T A. The New York State College of Agriculture says that every day lost between the tree and the storage ware- house means & week lost in the pos- sible keeping time of apples. in the | | Q. In what book is Schopenhauer's “Essay on Women' F A. 1t is included in his “Studies in "Pessimism.” Q. What are sand fleas” D. A. The Department of Agriculture 8ays that there is some confusion con- erning the term “sand flea.” Cer tain small crustaceans found on sandy | beaches, although harmless, are popu {1ariy referred 1o as sand fleas, hecause {of ‘their jumping habit. Likewi most people upon encountering resl fleas in sandy places refer 1o them as sand fleas. In this connection the name is a misnomer All true fleas are dependent upon hlood for their existence. An animal host is there fore necessary at some stage in the | existence of every flea for its surviva Flea egge. for the mosi part, are de posited upon the host the females while .feeding. The eggs drop off to the ground. where they hatch. 1f ani mal _refuse is already present or another host comes along, develop ment continues; but in case no food |is available the young larvae perish However, fleas are capable living | several months without food f o Q. Where does ashestos come from? A A. Canada produces | the world's supply 88 per cent of (The person who one who guesses. The person | gets on is always the. one who acts | wpon reliable information. This paper employs Frederic J. Haskin to conduct | an information bureau for the publie. | There is no charge except two cenis in stamps for return postage. Write to him today for any facts you desire | Your inquiry” should be addressed tn | The Star Information Bureau, Trwwenty | rirst and ¢ streets northwest, Wash- linaton. D. ¢ Inses out is the BACKGROUNI ‘“R’) PAUL President Coolidge has writien the United States delegates to the Pan-American Congress of Highwars in anticipation of the early session of that body of representatives of countries of this hemisphere. 10 1 place in Buenos Aires. The President spoke of the influence of highw s in linking together the nations. as they have linked communities withir several couptries, and he added “I Jook forward hopefully time when. through the efforts of the delezates 1o these pan-American con ferences. the two continents of North and South America will be united in physical fact as they today are united by bonds of mutual friendship and zood will." There is nothing known to diplo- macy which has 2 tithe of the influ ence of direct acquaintance in keeping the international peace and maintain ing cordial relations. It may seem that highways to be used by vehicles, rather than railroads. could hardly affect the purpose of interna tional commerce so effectually steam railroads., but a remark yes terday of an official in the Government who has given much attentian to traf fic problems may throw lizht upon that question. He stated that the time was coming when street cars on rails would be abandoned and all urban transport of that kind would be carried in motor cars. Further more, the President indicates the evo lution of transportation by . sug- gesting the importance of greater facilities for airplane traffic in freight_and passenger service. It is Lut a fe vears ago when advanced authorities on farm marketing were urging farm communities to lay rail tracks along the highways and gauge all farm svagons to the rails. Argu ments were made based upon the re- Quction of traction power needed for such tramways as compared with the best of macadam roads. In Mexico and in some parts of the United States such tramways were in opera tion, and a single mule or horse pulled the ' equivalent of a double team That practice has been wholly super- seded by motor trucks and passenger automobiles; and even the great steam “trunk” lines are feeling the serious inroads of the gas engine and the balloom tire and the concrete high- way, in both passenger and freight traffic, and may soon add another rival in air navigation. In the case of street cars. pointed out that the cars block traf- fic, cause accidents at crossings and are unable to land their passengers at the curbs, as do the motor busses The official of the Roads Bureau pointed out that the street car mana- gers were recognizing the trend of modern motor bus development T using such methods themselves in- stead of projecting feeder lines of costly tracks. Just as the coming of electric power in place of mules 30 or 40 years ago was welcomed by pro- ressive street car companies, so. he thought. will be the development motor busses and th tracks. 1If such is true of cities wholly inapplicable 1o infers international commerce? « all it is e and The revolution country high- ways, due to ‘the automobile, ha not been realized except by the en- gineers enzaged in road development. in Until about 30 vears ago all country roads were built exclusively the needs of farmers crops to market and in driving with horse and buggy to town 1o get their mail and provisions. Even farmers seldom used a road farther than 10 miles from home, and to the dweller in cities, especially large cities, the country was terra incognito. City folks almost never drove for pleasure over the pikes and dirt roads. Roads were local concerns, built by local taxes, as they were for the exclusive benefit of local users. Within the last 10 years the Bu- reau of Roads of the Department of Agriculture has been working the Federal highway act. co-ope ing with- State road officials, who, turn, co-operate with county officials. When a road is only of local con- cern it is built by the county com- missioners, but nearly all roads now are parts of State systems, and the State helps pay for their construe- tion and maintenance. Similariy, all to suit 1 roads of Impextance are- parts of in- * = o motor of abandonment of | in hauling their under | D OF EVENTS " l.l)!.l,l\.\" terstate Federal control and aid ilt_usually by State direction. with Federal advice and financial aid, and if the State officials fail to keep such roads in repair the KFederal | do and charge the cest agains any undelivered balance intended road aid in that State, refusing ther ald for new roads in that until the repair account ) o ox o systems, and so come hev are cial ur State The Federal roads constitute a network reach ocean 1o ocean and wou more than four times around world. The chief vaiue, however, of the work of the Federal Road Ru reau is the surveying of trafic needs from a scientific engineering stand point, so as to indicate where roads are inadequate or unsuited to volume of traffic. It is mot aiw practical to install hard-surface high ways; such roads are costly. but when the traffic is heavy they are cheaper | than any less costly construction One of the most confusing sit\ tions. prior to the systematic man agement of the whole problem the Roads Bureau. was the absence of through lines across the nent. Fven the sLincoln highway and the Lee highway and Dixie high way were largely onlv ‘‘on paper Today the Lincoln highway is prac ticallv completed, with the exception of a stretch known as the Wendover Cutoff, in Utah The Federal roads will all hear num bers, clearly marked for identification by travelers. and thus intolerable con fusion will be eliminated. Along Lincoln highway. at all crossroad in tersections, appear the number 3. and as long as one follows he is { not lost The confusion of mere names roads is greatest in the South example. along the Lee highway certain stretches, there three four roads designated as t highway” because the promoters are said to have solicited funds from towns and eities to build the road. and if several rival towns contributed iih erally, each got a piece of ‘Lee high- way.” It is mostly on paper. for the Federal official states that little of the road has vet been developed beyond what would have heen normal con struction by State and Federal activ ity. The Dixie highwav. running—on paper—from Chicago to Florida. is not far enough developed to count * k% alrea from i stretch the the | conti the For 5t or Lee Last December Secretary Hoover at the request of nine associations in terested in highway improvement and safety, held a conference in Washing ton. attended by 550 ‘experts in road matters. A similar conference is book ed for next January. As Mr. Hoover said in his opening address, comment | ing upon the loss of life and the great number of non-fatal, hut serious dents: “This is a national loss of ao appallinz a character the mosi complete consideration effort at drastic remedy He esti {mates the economic loss due to the road casualties at not less than $600 {000,000 a_vear, aside from the awfui | ness of the sacrifice of human life |, Other experts have estimated the jtotal cost due to accidents upon high ways, loss' of time through conges tion. loss of values of real estate de preciated by poor roads, amounting not to a few millions, but to §2,000, 000,000 a year. The estimate is made by unquestionable authority upon the subject. It amounts to four times our losses by fire. Congestion alone causes delays in some cities costing from $35.000 to $100,000 a day. In New York City congestion costs $1,000,000 day. Parking of cars in the Loop district of Chicago costs that city $200.000 a; day. The question is urged, whyi should = taxpavers furnish parking? room on the streets for automobiles in- stead of requiring owners to pay 15 or 25 cents a day for parking privileges in public garages? The project is seriously considered in large cities of elevated sidewalks or elevated promenades in the middle of the street. at a level of second stories, or even of two-story promenades. with escalators at- each corne carry pedéstrians to their elevated passage. ways. Wheeler traffic requires more room and -neede the antire readwav. (CAUYFIENE 1925, b Taui Y. as 10 warra b