Evening Star Newspaper, August 20, 1926, Page 8

Ty THE BVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. .August 20. 1926 — — THEODORE W. Editor " The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business OM e . J1th St. and Penney)vania Ave New York Offi 110 st 42nd St Chicago Offic.: Tower Bullding. European Office; ent St., lendon, . NOYES. ‘It Evenine Star, with the Sunday morm- #ng edition, i< ciivered by riers within hs dty at 60 centa per n daily only. 45 cents per month: Sund 1y, 20 ceots For month. Onders miay be sent hy mail or Talsphone Main 5000. Coliection s made by «arrier at the end of each month Rate by Mail—Payable iy Advance. Maryland and Virginia. afly and Sunday. 1 yr. $9.00: 1 mo Daily only 13T $4.00° 1 mo. unday only 1300 $3.00: 1 mo. ates and Canada. yr. $12.00: 1 mo 1 yr K000 1 mo 1yl $4.00: 1 mo.; All Other Pasly and sunday Daily only Eunday only Member of the Associated Press. The Assoctated i°r << 1s exclusively entitiel 10 the se for reout of all news dis atches eradited to it or not oth ted in thiv p and aluo the 1 published herein. All rights of y ©f epecial dispatches herein are also reserved. Why Not Clear the Atmosphere? suggestion made by Jullus Ttosenwald that Col. Frank P. Smith retire from the senatorial contest in 3ilinofs should receive the serfous at- tention of Col. Smith. The fact that ©ol. Smith’s candidacy for the Repub- Jican senatorial nomination benefited by more than $125,000 from the pocket- hook of Samuel Tnsull, Hlinols utill- ties magnate, public property. Coupled with the fact that Col. Smith 1, and was at the time, chafrman of the Iiinois Commission, suore properly the lilinois Public Util fties Commission, this contribution by Mr, Insull ts not calculated to give the public overconfidence in Col. Smith, Col. Smith, if elected next Novem- ber, in all probability will be denied A seat by the Senate itself. That body, under the Constitution, is the role judge of the qualifications of its wembers. The power of the Senate or of Congress to deal with primary elections in the States has been ques- tioned. But the power of the Senate 1o deny a seat to any man whom it Velieves improperly nominated or elscted or both cannot be questioned in any court in the land. George 13 Brennun, Democratic yiominee for the Senate, has the same yeason for retiring from the contest as has Col. Smith. The testimony taken by the Senate investigating committee in Chicago revealed the fact that Insull had contributed prac- tically the entire sum expended by Wrennan in his campaign. It was a much smaller sum than that con- tributed to Col. Smith's campaign, it 1t s true, but the principle is the same. Brennan is tarred with the mame brush. The Senate would have equal reason for denying Brennan a seat if he were elected as it would | for denying a seat to Smith, The atmosphere would be greatly | cleared in Illinofs if both Smith and | Rrennan stepped aside and permitted | the nomination of other candidates | by thelr respective parties. Excessive expenditures in primary and general | elections are reprehensible in the ex treme. But when funds come from ® clearly interested the con: tributions become as reprehensible the expenditures, or more so | The supporters of Smith and Fren- nan in Tlinols and of Vare, the Re- | publican nominee for the Senate in | Pennsylvanla, content themselves | with insisting that these it | elacted, will be seated. Possibly they count on the lapse of time to soften public resentment. In all prohability | these men would not present them. | selves to take the oath of office in The Commerce source, men { teur writings have been riveter. Nerves have been shattered by the machinegun fire of the air hammer. Tts sharp staccato has pounded upon sensitive brains to the point of causing nervous prostration. Now if these tests are accepted as conclusive, bullding erection will be effected in comparative silence. Electric welding of bulldings, how- ever, will cause the passing of a prac- tice that has always interested ob- servers—the tossing of red-hot rivets from the forge man to the hammer crew. The skill shown by these men is remarkable. A rivet-heater must i have perfect “‘control.” He could give | points to a first-string base ball pitch- er. The catcher, with a bucket not much larger than a ball catcher's mitt, must be perfect in his recetving, and the bucket man, moreover, is usually standing on a narrow plat- form of hoards laid across the girders, many vards above the ground. He has little range of action. Yet very few hot rivets are ever missed. The “flelding average” of these operatives is remarkably high. But the passing of the spectacular tossing of hot rivets will not be pro- foundly regretted if the erection of steel bulldings can be effected without noise. Truly then will be experlenced the silence of which Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote as coming “to heal the blows of soun: B - Again the 'Charge of Plagiarism. Another charge of plaglarism has been made agajnst a successful author. A woman who recently won a magazine prize for a story is sued for $600,000 fn a California court by another woman, who alleges that the plot of the winning story was taken from a scenario filed by her with a film corporation. The successful author declares that she never heard of the claimant before and that there is nothing to the suit, Plagiarism charges have been more frequent since the development of the motion picture fndustry than ever be- fore. Scenarfo writers who are not of the “elect,’ who volunteer their productions, have a decided bellet that their story schemes and plots are stolen from them and turned over to the staff writers or favored film- story authors for development. That this is not the case has been vigorous- ly asserted by all the producers and the professional scenarfo writers. Back of the belief, however, is perhaps some measure of justification. There are only a few stories in the world, but there are infinite combina- tions of those few fundamental plots. Themes are repeated over and over again. They are set in dlifferent periods. They are developed along different lines. It is probably true that many, if not most, of the patrons of the motion picture theaters recog- nize in the tales that are told on the silver sheet”” concepts that they have had previously and in some cases that they have written. There are many ases where ama- utilized by professional scenario authors, but in the reputable studios credit has been given to the initiators of the plots or perhaps payment has been made to them. But that there are other studios where this rule of honesty does mot prevail, however, has been evidenced from time to time. Plagiarism s a difficult thing to prove. Authorship is often affected by subconscious memory, and fre- quently writers are inspired and zuided by ideas that they have ab- sorbed without realiging their source. imultaneous creation of similar stories and plays has occurred with perfect honesty on both sides. A claimant for first honors charging Plagiarism is required to prove not merely that his, or her, production is similar to that of another, but that the other had access to his writing. Few of these cases ever come to trial, = the Senate until December, But | they are on shaky ground here. Dem- ocratic and progressive memories ar long even if the regular Republican | organization of the Senate should de- | vide to accept Smith and Vare. If! Rrennant and Vare should present | hemselves, there little doubt | the regular Republicans would have | 15 much difficulty in stomaching Bren nan as the Democrats in accepting Vare H these gentlemen them. | <elves in the Senate n December. 1927, the expectation is that their creden- tials Wil be referred to the Senate committee on privileges and elec- | tions, without their being h(-rmnlr‘d: take the oath of office. Such course was followed connection | with Senator Gerald P. Nye of North Dakota last year. There no | . harge of impropet expenditures or | corruption in the Nye case. The right | . the Governor of North Dakota to | fll the vacancy caused by the death | the late Senator Ladd chal- | lenged It this procedure is followed. after ‘he committee on privileges and elec: tions shall have reported, the Senate | fself will vote the question | whether Smith or Brennan and Vare | ire entitled to be seated. The ques- | ton will be ed, In accordance | with the usual practice of the Senate, l hy a majority vot ! | | | i seems present in was e. of was | | on or dec e that his money used to B. Shaw fe: s not worth as much as it heo A ing about cortune is caleulated [ self-avowed Socialist worry- the vulue of his 4 deligh to restore faith private paradox | in “Brit- i | | e Silent Construction Possible. rests at the Bureau of promise relief from one of tt hacks of modern civilization periment has been made in the sub- stitution of electric welding for rivet- | tng together the .\mrl‘ structures. The bureau tests consist in putting under strain sections of | zirders that have been thus welded to determine the relative strength of the | structures in the two methods of | union. The welded girder, it is re ported, buckled, while the joint held | sast, and this, it is believed, demon- strated the possibility of uniting| structural steel members noiselessly. | It will be an infinite relief to ci ‘wellers if bufldings can be erected without the clatter of the pneumatic \ 2 Standards | An ex-| members of is | tion | “Where do the flies go in Winter?” { 1t i not one of the wide parts of the | the | she swam more than fifteen miles to A% for the difficulty and cost of prosecu- are heavy, and therefore the claims are either dropped or settled out of court, usually the former. In this present instance, with a profes- sional writer as claimant, there may be court proceedings, in which case some interesting disclosures are pos sible, o een The public has been compelled to recognize the need of serious think- ing to a degree that leaves it no longer possible to dissipate all political cares by means of an occa- moker” or ‘“chowder party. et ancient flippant query a sional * An was: Now the question is: “Where do the Florida real estate booms go in Summer?” —_———————— Swimming the Chesapeake. \ fourteen-year-old girl swims Chesa- peake Bay from Annapolis to Kent Island, and thoughts of her swimming the English Channel are in the public mind. Perhaps this Chesapeake mer- maid may come to be known around world. She is very young, and two, four or six vears may add to her strength and skill. She has courage and hardihood and she swims If she ever thinks it to be swim the English Channel her friends will wish her Children have ambition. Without ambition a girl or boy must he drab and commonplace. The dis- tance from Ruth Kitchin's take-oft place at Annapolis and her landing Dl Kent Island is nine miles. the well. her mission to ace on but it is wide enough. The tides cross that course with force. The gir! did not pick the best weather for trial. The accounts tell of squalls, wind. big waves and rain, and bay et across. Her time was elght hours and forty-five minutes. It may be that the Chesapeake is a good old swimming hole for English | Channel* contestants. Lillian Cannon of Baltimore, who has tried the Chan- nel and is camped beside it ready to. try again, won her early swimming | honors and nursed her Channel ambi. tion in the Chesapeake. She swam from Tolchester to Bay Shore last Summer in ten hours and forty-five minutes. The line distance between Tolchester and Bay Shore is twelve 'miles, but the report was that Miss Cannon swam twenty-one miles in crossing. She did ngt pick a favor- THE EVENING able time, but took old Chesapeake while it was giving an imitation of the English Channel. Ruth Kitchin made a good swim, and ff it is her aim to attack the English Channel may good luck be with her. P T Holland’s Guest at Doorn. A dispatch from The Hague states that the Netherlands government is very much concerned over the health of the former Kalser of Germany. The Dutch minister of home affairs 1s about to call at Doorn, ostensibly to pay his respects, but actually, it is stated, to discuss with the mot alto- gether welcome guest of Holland the possibility of his departure for a coun- try of milder climate. Herr Hohen- zollern {8 Just at present in a low state of health due to a violent attack of in- fluenza. Doorn is a damp place. The Amsterdam government 1s afraid that the once fmperfal lungs may become affécted and the suggestion of a re- moval to a dryer region, it is hinted, is to be tactfully made. But Doorn fs near Germany, and with all its cli- matic drawbacks it is just about what Herr Hohenzollern wants in the way of a temporary residence. Of course, he really does not expect to stay at Doorn indefinitely. He has his hopes. They point eastward and not south- ward to a warmer zone. So that it {s quite probable that if the minister of home affairs should suggest a change of domictle on the ground of health the exile will express himself as per- fectly satisfled and send his thanks to the queen for her,solicitude and his assurance of intention to remain where he 1s regardless of conse- quences. ————— Miss Ederle has introduced a v ry important quesiion relating to the value of ple as an article of dlet in athletic training. Pie has satisfied the hunger of patriots and states- men in hours of stress. American athletics may awaken physlological sclence to the fact that ple, and its concomitants, cake and ice cream, are no longer to be regarded merely as decadent luxurfes. o Fishing news from Paul Smiths| has lost its zest. In every camp- ing party a can opener and a box of sardines are likely to replace, sooner or later, the sportive de- pendence on rod and line. R The underworld magazine has succeeded in making the old dime novel look like a Sunday school book. Whatever may be the obstacles to be faced by human progress, Puri-| tanism is no longer among them. —aon—. Plctorlal journalism continues to| celebrate the elephant and the donkey, but neglects that highly em- blematic animal the camel, who de- pends on water as the sole reliance for a long, hard journey. i —————————— 1 No truly eminent American states- man escapes the resignation rumosr. Comparative obscurity is an ad- vantage as related to continuous salary, though not conducive to fame. = e An outside effort to referee the Mexican situation meets with imme- diate discouragement. Mexico is ap- parently in no mood to take advice of a political or even of a religious na- ture. oo Paris decrees longer skirts. Amer- ica pavs no attention, being at pres- ent unanimously engaged in an indorsement of the one-piece bathing suit.. ———o—. A resignation rumor is sometimes most significant in calling attention to the fact that a good man is still on the job. N Reports from Deauville give no evi- dence of the worriment in France concerning money matters. ——or—. " SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON The Original Optimist. The locust said To the katydid, ~Just go ahead, Where you're lying hid, And sing your song Of Autumn glee— But the truth is strong That you hear from me." The katydid To the locust cried, “Our ears you bid To be terrified With your hot-wave stuff. Though it's true, I fear, 1 would rather bluff With a song of cheer.” Relationships. There are many outlaws at large in the country.” “They go ahead in their own way | and don't ask for political advantage. The outlaws through the country don't worry me as much as the in- laws in my wife's family.” Distilling Melody. He takes an old familiar tune And puts it through a saxophone; Which gives him credit very soon For modern music quite his own. Jud Tunkins says a flivver is worse than a mule, the latter havin’ at least some sense of self-protection in a tight place. The Incomprehensible. “1 understand your daughter mar- ried a musician. “I haven't a word to say about the matter,” replied Mr. Cumrox. “T don't pretend to understand music and I certainly don't understand my daughter.” From This World to the Next. “I want to be an angel,” He sang with gentle glee. ‘The bootleg man responded, “Just leave the job to me.” “We worship our ancestors,” said Hi Ho, the Chinese philosopher, “but we imitate their follies more faithfully than their wisdom.” “A fresh kid,” said Uncle Eif§n, “is allus dependin’ on some older ‘person to be de goat.” j fortable wicker STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C.. FRIDAY, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. On occasion we love to browse through various residential sections of Washington, as one might turn the leaves of a book in idle moments. The other afternoon we paid a visit to Quietville, where no sound is heard except the murmur of trees, the occasional volce of a human being and the Alistant hum of a trolley. Think not, readers, to place Quiet- ville on the District plats. We will take very good care that you shall not, for we have no desire to have some realtor quote us. Know, then, that every one who thinks he knows Quietville s mis- taken. What we say here of this community might be said with equal Justice of several, so that no man but ourselves may know where Quiet- ville 1s. The homes are detached. Some of them are well cared for, others not so well, others not cared for at all shingles and siding showing unmis- takable evidence of undue weathering. What a shame that yonder shingle house has been allowed to go without any stain for so long a time that three-fourths of the surface is prac- tically bare. One who cares no more for the out- side of his home than that ought not to be permitted to own a home. Cer- tainly, there should be organized a Soclety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Houses, in order that worthy structures might not suffer the rav- ages of sun and rain, snow and ice, 0 too great a degree. % It distresses the sensitive observer to see a good house decay, s because the householder has no sense of the eternal fitness of things. * ok kK Perhaps we are unjust to him. Maybe the poor fellow is doing all he can to “carry” his home. Per- haps his payments are more than he ought to bear. Yet it would seem that any one living in this commu- nity might be able to scrape up enough cash for a painting job at least once in three years. Upon this point, of course, home owners split into two camps. There are, those who take good care of their property and there are those who do not. It is unnecessary to say more. i ‘We remember this house as it was three years ago. Today it looks neg- lected and untidy. There is an air of actual wood suffering along the uprights of those back porches. The grass is not good and the shrubbery is yellow. These people seem rather to be camping out than living at home, if you get what we mean. Over there is a real home. There is no evidence of weathering in those sidings, neatly and thickly painted. The house looks better than it did when built. The side porch is equipped with roller shades. Com- chairs peep out at one. We would like to go up there, and sit down in one of those chairs, and when the owner came out to inquire at our temerity, we would like to say, “Sir, 1 do not have to enter your home to know that it as well kept inside as outside. “You have written your character in paint and grass, in healthy shrub- bery, in yonder row of iris along the garage wall. Every blade of grass here is a testimonial to those who live here. It has been a pleasure and an inspiration to sit here. Good-day.” The outstanding trait of Quietville, Postmaster General New has deemed it prudent to publish in the daily Post Office Department bulletin a warning and a guide to postmasters and postal employes as to their political acti it in the Fall congressional elections. He warns them against “pernicious” political activity, but advises them that they have the right to engage “to a reasonable extent in political matters.” He recites the se(’!l_nns of the criminal code which forbid the soliciting of campaign contributions by Federal officeholders. e quotes from an executive order which af- fects civil service postal employes only. Their political privileges by this order are limited to “the right to vote as they please and to express privately their opinions on political subjects. Presidential postmasters, as Mr. New. is to some pains to point out, are not so restricted. They may pnrllcpuuu in politics to the same extent as “any private citizen,” except that they “must not make themselves offensive politically to any party or group whlc_h they are obliged to serv " and “it is deemed unwise that postmasters shall accept political management or be- come conspicuous in political cam- paigns.” Be as active as you like but be inconspicuous about it lest it give some offense—that seems to be the gist of his advice. * ok Kk K July press dispatches from Paul Smiths reported Secretary Wilbur as informing Mr. Coolidge that $350,000,- 000 would be paid into the Federal Treasury on August 1 by the receiv- ers in the Pan-American Petroleum case (the Doheny oil lease litigation) out of the funds accumulated in their hands, as a payment on account of accrued oil royalties due Uncle Sam. This looked like a considerable wind- fall for the Treasury and likely to help considerably toward another sur- plus. Inquiry at the Navy Depart- ment discloses, however, that either Secretary Wilbur or those who re- | ported his remarks erred in two im- i portant particulars. There were too | many ciphers and the decimal points were misplaced in the figures. for the | sum in question is $3,500,000. That was the first mistake. The other er- ror was in stating the payment as a certainty, when it is as vet only pro- spective. The receivers can pay out nothing without the consent of the Federal judge in the California di trict, and his approval, at this writ- ing, has not yet been secured EEE An oll portrait of Helen G. O'Neill | \in her uniform which she wore during the war as a yoeman (F) has been hung in the Navy exhibit at the Sesquicentennial at Philadelphia. A tall, blond girl with a friendly smile, no one would mistake her Boston birth and her Irish ancestry. Shé was selected from scores of handsome young woman members of the Naval Reserve Force as a model for a paint- ing to typify the feminine branch of the service. She served in the Bureau of Navigation at the Navy Depart- | ment during the war and is now a chief of division in the bureau. She is also a charter member and past | . TRACEWELL. however, lies in what the name im- plies. There are here no droves of children trampling over lawns, no blaring radios far into the night, no roaring piano players, no uncouth laughter. ‘There are, of course, children. Prac- tically every householder has a radio, most of them have phonographs, and some have piano plavers. = And all of them laugh, upon occasion. The children, however, play with a proper decorum, managing at the same time to be healthy, natural chil- dren, playing in their own yards, and minding their own business. 'They are learning invaluable lessons as they grow up, growing into the full ature of decent, law-abiding citizens as they grow older. In Quietville, which is as happy and gay as any, if we may judge from our visit, care is taken at night to keep the radio within the home, where it belongs, as far as possible. When 10 o'clock comes around, thosewho choose to listen to more radio ither turn down their rheostats or detune slightly, so that the volume is cut. Unusual? Very. In Quietville every one thinks of his neighbor. “Old Tom Jones wants to sleep,” says old Sam Hicks, who wants to listen to the Jjazz band. Similarly, all activities are handled. When one home has a party, the zuests are not allowed to stand on the curb at midnight and roar “good-by" until 1 o'clock. (We say “not al- lowed,” but that hardly a fair statement. The result secured Is rather a working out of natural law: There is something about the atmo: phere in Quietville that precludes such noisy farewells. Guffaws and the like bar themselves. They just aren’t the thing, that is all.) Bk E As we were leaving Quietville, one of the residents caught sight of us. He was a venerable man, with a long white beard and a merry twinkle in his eve. He invited us onto his porch, poinfed us out the most comfortable chair and brewed us a glass of lemon- ade. Thank you for visiting us,” he said. “We will be glad to see our- selves mirrored in your column, for nothing ever happens here, which is the way we want {t, of course.” “Of course,” we answered. “If this community had a declara- tion of principles—which it has not, for it has no need of one—there would be fine words in it about the right of every man to life, liberty, happiness— and quiet. We believe in peace, out here,” went on the ancient man. “We be- lieve that when a man comes home from work he ought to be able to sit down and read his paper undisturbed, if he wants to. “We feel that a man has an inherent right to go to bed at 8 p.m., if he so desires, or even at 7 o'clock, or pos- sibly at 6, if his head aches. “In securing this happy result, however, we take care to allow the children full rights to happy play, at the same time we teach them to be considerate of others. Look upon our little ones, full of pep, as you young men say, yet growing up to be true gentlemen and gentlewomen. “We pride ourselves upon our homes, our grounds and other ma- terial things, but our greatest pride is for our self-restraint.”’ There was a proud look in the old man’s bright e “We are quiet in Quietville because we want to be, not because any one has to be,” he said. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS was followed shortly in Richmond, Norfolk and other large cities in the State by adoption of municipal ordi- nances which specitied that all re- wards so collected should not be re- tained by the individual, but should be paid into police and retirement funds. This put quite a damper on the enthusiasm of reward hunters in these localities. The Legislature a few months ago, after a warm fight, amended the law to require that all arresting officers should wear uni- forms. Now the Virginia attorney general issues a ruling that all State prohibition officers, special agents, constables and others shall not be eligible for any bonuses or rewards unless they wear a uniform, which is prescribed as oxford gray with an insignia of red and yellow on the left sleeve. But, alack and alas, there are no State funds available with which to provide uniforms! S e e The explanation of some of the storles about John Coolidge which oc- casfonally erop up in Washington wossip and which those who know him know cannot he true, has been at last discovered. They have thelr origin in the fact that John is fre- quently impersonated —the college boys' idea of a joke. College glee clubs, college orchestras, debating teams and the like, appearing for concerts in various cities of the coun- try, are royally entertained by local soclety hostesses. These occasions are seldom complete unless some of the boys introduce some member of thelr party as “John Coolidge, the President’s son.” If it is an Amherst outfit the “hoax” is easy, but it has been worked even by groups from other colleges, by the simple expedient of passing “John” off as accompany- ing them on their tour just for a “lark.” His apparent absence from college is explained with the remark that “he has just been suspended at Amherst.” And the real John gets the credit or the discredit for what- ever ‘‘stunts’ his impersonator par- | ticipates in. * X koK Senator Butler of Massachusetts, well in advance of the November elections, has announced that he pro- Poses on his own initiative, and paid | for out of his own pocket, to establish and maintain a permanent “bureau” in Washington to minister to the needs of the citizens of Massachu- setts who have business to transact with the Government. His idea is to rent suitable office space in the Capital's downtown district, put a high-grade secretary in charge with plenty of clerical assistance to handle correspondence, run errands and at- tend to business for the folks back home. There will be no politics about it. Claims can be sent along for ad- justment, passport and immigration difficulties and tax disputes ironed out by mail, and information supplied to all comers gratis. It aims to save business men from many personal trips to Washington, but if they do cqme on business or pleasure the bu- reau will be their headquarters and commander of the Jacob Jones Post No. 2 of the American Legion, the| first women's post and' the second | post to be granted a Legion charter. She is now serving as junior vice com- | mander of the Legion in the Depart- | ment of the District of Columbia. Hats off to Miss O'Neill. Few N | An interesting sidelight on the dif- | ficulties which beset well intended ef- | forts to secure stringent enforcement of prohibition is furnished Vir- ginla. Two years ago Virginia adopt- | ed a law which extended to ship cap- | tains, railway and trolley conductors, | station agents and various other | specified classes of civilians author- ity to make arrests for law violations | which came under their observation, and, in the case of prohibition arrests, provided for bonuses and rewards from $ to $30. Passage of this law will serve both their necessities and their comforts. Mr. Butler seems to have hit upon a unique idea which other Senators, provided they are blessed with long pocketbooks, may perhaps copy. (Copyrizit. 1926.) ——— Currency Jawbreakers. From the New York Evening Post. Among the new currencies in Eu- rope are the chervonetz, the pengo and the zloty. Money talks, but some- times it needs an interpreter. e France’s Great Need. From the Dayton Daily News. France doesn't seem tg need a pinch- hitter as badly as she peeds a team that can go’in and the whole nine innings. o | broadening AUGUST 20, 1926. Fears Apartment Plan. [ Former Representative Foresees Drop in Realty Values. | To the Editor of The Star: I have been reading with some in terest and a sincere effort to digest the “wonderful” proposal made by Herbert Hoover to house the 60,000 Government employes at “$12.50" per room and must confess that I fail to warm up to the proposition. There isn't a man anywhere in the United States more interested in the welfare of Government servants than myself. For years, I traveled hither and yon aiding in my feeble way to secure just retirement laws and salary increases for the men and women who labor for Uncle Sam. In addition to that, I served two years in Con- gress, during which period it was my leading effort to make Government workers happy and contented and prosperous. I mention these personal activities for no other reason than to show that I am not against doing anything which will help these under paid public servants, but will the Hoover proposal be of beneflt to either the employes or the Capltal. in which so many reside and are compelled to buy their daily bread? T fear not. A careful analysis of the proposi- tion leads me to believe that the trans- ferring of thousands of persons from their present domiciles to one or two large buildings will not enhance the social atmosphere of those thus “bundled” together. They are to- gether all day and a change to other environs in the evening is _both and beneflcial. While they are “servants” during the day, they become “citizens” after office hours and enjoy an ‘“atmosphere” which, in_my opinion, they will not get “huddled up” under one roof. As a citizen and taxpayer of the city, T have another fear and that is that' with the removal of thousands of persons from individual homes to 4 single building, or even two or three buildings, we will be face to face with a serious’ slump in real estate values which will be reflected in both rent- als and taxes. Houses that now sell for say, $10,000 will no doubtt slump to $7,000 or $8,000, which will mean a larger tax rate or less money with which to beautify and keep orderly our splendid city. If this slump comes, and I don't see hbw it could be prevented, thousands of these very employes, for whom a “great philap. thropist” Is now offering to erect - gantic apartment houses, who have already purchased homes and are paying for them on a monthly basis, will find that they are paying for a $7,000 home on a $10,000 basis. In other words, in accordance with agreements already entered into they will be compelled to pay far in excess of the value of their homes and thereby become losers of large amounts. The whole thing looks dangerous to me and I trust the people of Wash- ington will study the subject well before hurrahing for the “scheme.” CHARLES 1. STENGLE. ) Pension Law Effects. Payments Lower Than Many Expected Under New Scale. To the Editor of The Star: The retired Government workers who are now beginning to receive their checks from the Pension Office, under the law ef July 3, 1926, and of whom a good many supposed they would receive three or four times as much as they actually are, seem to think that they have not been treated fairly. Mr. Alcorn, referring to the new re- tirement law in The Evening Star, stated that some action might be taken next September or October looking to a more liberal bill., As a member of the National Asso- ciation of Retired Federal Employes, who are most vitally concerned wit! the new retirement law, and througl whose efforts, alded by the loyal sup- port of the local pri it was finally put through, I feel confident that no attempt will be made by our associa- tion to introduce any bill at the com- ing session of Congress, but some ef- fort at remedying the defects of the new law might be attempted. The new law raises the maximum annuity from $720 to $1,000 per an- num, but only about one-tenth of the annuitants are so benefited. More than three-fourths of all the an- nuitants retired in 1920 drew salarles ranging from $600 to $1,200 per an. num, and these will get an increase of $3.33 to $6.66 per month. Since the bill to liberalize the annui- ties was principally brought about through the distressing circumstances in which several of the retired Gov- ernment workers were placed, mostly low-salaried people. one would imag- ine that if a rellef measure were passed, this class would be the first to be considered, instead of dismissing them with a few dollars a month. If those who had charge of the bill in the House and Senate would allow the maximum salary for the purpose of computing the annuities remain at $1,200, as in the original bill, then mul- tiply the average basic salary by the total number of years not exceeding 30 and divide by 36, it would give $1,000 for the maximum, which had lh: Pr;’nld‘ent's sanctién; whose basic salary equaled or ex- ceeded $1,200 would recefve an ::- nuity of $1,000, and all those whose rate of compensation was below $1,200 would receive five-sixths of their an. nual basic salary. The deductions of 31 per cent from the salarles of the Government em- ploves would be amply sufficient to take care of this increase, which would not add above $1,000,000 a year to the present expenditures, and all would be_happy. I hope that the next Congress will give this matter due consideration. EDMUND MURPHY. {Have Mercy on the Work Horses To the Editor of The Star The writer has noted with regret and sometimes indignation the un- necessary suffering caused work ani- mals during the recent intensely hot weather. Office men will go home then all | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A hawk Q. What should I feed H about three months old?—W A. The Biological Survey says the food should consist of small mammals or birds so that it will get feathers and hair. Care should be taken not to feed the hawk birds that are pro- tected by law Q. What kind of willow trees are those with the low-hanging branches at Hains Point?—R. A. A. They are Q. Which is the more popular in- trument in the United States, the saxophone or ukulele?>—P. L. H. A. The music dealers of Washing- tion seem to agree that the ukulele is more popular than the saxophone in the United States, judging from the sale of these instruments. This is attributed to the fact that, while one can learn to use the ukulele at home by written instructions in two or three lessons, one must take lessons and practice often to play the saxo- phone. Q. Which of our colleges give train- ing in public health work?—A. C. A. Among the universities which have already established correlated courses in public health work are Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Yale. Q. In sunstroke does the body get hot or cold?—L. B. A. Sunstroke occurs in two forms: Heat stroke (heat fever), in which the temperature of the body is very high, and heat prostration. or heat exhaus- tion, in which the sutface of the body is cool, sometimes considerably below normal. The difference is important because of the different treatment re- quired. Q. Should strawberry beds be weed- ed after the berry season is over?— A. G. ‘A. They should be weeded so the plants can grow well. Next vear's crop will be improved by giving the plants attention this Summer and Fall. Q. What are the so-called unsophis- ticated foods?—M. P. A._This phrase {s used by Lieut. Col. Robert McCarrison, a distinguish- ed British military surgeon. He uses the term in reference to whole grains, milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables. Q. Why is the Isle of Man so named?—A. R. E. A. The name {is derived from {ts Manz name, Vannin or Mannin, which means the middle. The refer- ence i{s to its position in the middle of the Irish Sea. Q. What was Rembrandt's painting?—C. 8. T. A. In the Stuttgart Gallery there is a signed and dated picture of St. Paul in Prison, which is Rembrandt’s ea;};lze_lst piece with an ascertained date Q. Who was known as the First Gentleman of Europe?—K. D. W. A. This sobriquet was applied to King George IV of England. Q. Why doesn't the cold of the upper air come down on warm days and the warm air rise, the two mix- ing_as they would in a room?— ESRT A. The Weather Bureau says that as the upper air sinks (for it does sink at times and often more or less) it comes under greater pressure by the welght of the air passed through. first This greater pressur smaller volume. squeezes it to u This in turn causes the temperature of the compressed ai- to increase. Now, this increase temperature is so great that, generally, if a quantity of air a couple of mile: above the surface were forced dowr to the earth, it would on arrival be several degrees warmer than the su: rounding surface air. Simlilarly, ris ing air expands and thereby cools Hence, even if the outer air were thorouxhly mixed up, the lower af: still would be relatively warm and the upper air comparatively cold. Q. Is balsa wood porous?—E. A. T A. Balsa wood is very absorbent and when pliced under water ligh pieces may absorb as high as 500 t 10 per cent moisture. Tts life i said to he short under ordinary cor tions unless treated with a preserva tive. m Q. 1f bronze paint reduces the radiation of radiators shouldn’t it be removed before repainting? -I. A. H A. The Bureau of Standards say that bronze is mot an insulator, but is a poor radiator of heat enerzy If a bronzed radiator is afterward painted it would radiate heat as wel as though it had not been bronzed Q. What was Marie Corelli's rea name?—C. W. A. Marie Corelli’s birth certificat: was published recently, which showed that she w; , daughte Q. What was the origin of 1t slang expression, “dough face A M A. John Randolph credited with the invention of term “dough face,” applying it tc Northern men who made compronis with slavery for reasons of expedien: Q. How long larly without G. B, O A. The Bureau of Raflway romics says that the longest tive run in the world was or 5 and 6 of the Missouri and Texas Railway, from N, lin, Mo., to San Antonio, T tance of 850 mile: Q. What did “ name of Robert R P 1. R. Robert R. Livingston assume: the initial “R" as equivalent to Rol ert, the son of Robert, to distinguixl him from the numerous other Robert in the family. The practice of assun ing an initial was quite common the Livingston family. Q. How long Is a_sea away at a time?—E. C. V. A’ The length of time the United States varies weeks to two months of Roanoke rain run reg ) o trafn ansa: i dis * stand for in ti Livingston”—' post cler A away from frot two Ask_ Uncle Sam about it through the Washington Information Burcau of The Washington Star. All knowl edge the Government is gaining through research and investigation ix available to you. Don't hesitate fo make your wants known. A Z-cen stamp will bring you the information you need. This serviee is for all read ers of The Washington Star and i~ designed to be helpful to all who avail themselves of it. An effective clear ing house between the Government and the people will aid you, and hel) is yours for the asking. Address your wants to The Washington Star Infor mation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin Director, Washington, 1. (. Inherent loyalty of the Kentucky mountain folk to their own, ancient resentment against ‘revenuers” and the new tendency to recognize a sort of dower right in public office all are credited with playing a part in the nomination of the wife of John W. Langley to succeed to his seat in Congress, while he serves a term in prison for violating prohbition law: Mrs. Langley will be Kentucky woman member of Congress, as nomi- hatlon is equivalent to election in her Republican district. Replying to some commentators who *seem to regard the nomination of Mrs. Langley as popular vindica- tlon of her husband, uming the normal Kentucky feeling toward the prohbition law to have been the domi- nating factor,” the Philadelphla Eve. ning Bulletin (independent . Repub- lican) protests: “But Kentucky is not lawless and it would, at least, be more charitable to credit’ her people with sympathy for the unfortunate spouse. If Mrs. Langley succeeds to his seat in the House, she will be able to give it the benefit of practical experience in any matters having to do with childhood, as she is the mother of three, and unless her pictures do her more_than justice, she will be a con- siderably more ornamental addition to the House than some who have been elected.”” lucky fight waged by Mrs. s the Louisville Herald- Post (independent) “has been crowned with a victory that is jmpressive. Some people will affect to be shocked. Others will talk about an affront to the courts and all that sort of thing. For ourselves, we like to ponder the comment of one of the home folks in an earlier day. ‘John,’ he observed, ‘wore the breeches. The lady had the brains.’” Now brains is something of which Washington, or the Kentucky delegation in Washington, cannot have too much. And so we take pleas- ure in felicitating the Representative from the tenth that is to be. Without dwelllng on the circumstances, we know that she will amply make good.” *ie 2w As bearing upon her performance of dutles, the Charlotte Observer (Demo- cratic) directs attention to the fact that “Mrs. Langley, it might be stated as a matter of North Carolina interest, is a daughter of the late Representa- tive Gudger. She is to become known as Kentucky's ‘first woman Congress- man,’ as there is no Democratic candidate in her mountain district, and fan themselves, and give not a thought to the toiling creatures who help to make life easy for them. The lot of a work animal s hard enough at the best, but when compelled to work under painful conditions it is much harder. The colored drivers do not seem in- tentionally cruel—just ignorant of the best way to.harness and drive their teams. Some of them have a super- stition (it 1s more than a prejudice) that a spirited animal can only be controlled by a tight checkrein. Nothing s farther from the truth. A spirited animal frets and chafes un- der a painful checkrein, and many a runaway has been caused because the animal was trying to run away from pain. After their teams have worn themselves out fretting over the pain, the checkreins are still retained |to torture them. The important lumber firms are the most cruel as to overchecking. A cou- ple of the most important dairy firms do not lag far behind. Some of the city horses are compelled to suffer the tortures of the dumned. The writer has also noted that many of the horses on the streets of the city have sores on the tops of the neck. The American Ice Co. has ‘helped the condition of its horses by using breast collars. It is suggested that other firms follow suit in the interest not only of mercy to helpless crea- tures, but out of consideration to their pocketbook nerve. MRS. CARRIE K. HUNTINGTON, and in her case nomination means election.” The Observer fecls that the primary result “is to be taken as de- termination on the part of Kentucky Republicans in the direction of vindi- cation.” The Lexington Leader (Republican) is convinced that “the result, in great degree, may be traced to the inherent loyalty of the mountain folk, the thick- and-thin friendship which overlooks many defects and condones many of- fenses. John Langley, it must be re- continues the Leader, “served his district through nine terms of Congress and was re-elected for the tenth. That he was able, in a reglon where politics is an industry, time after time to ride down opposi- tion is an indication of the strong per- sonal attachment that his constituents had for him. In the tenth district tirere are thousands of voters who be- lieve that the convicted Representa- tive was the victim of a political con- spiracy, while other thousands are equally as certain that he, at most, was overtaken by misfortune in an innocent effort to serve a friend or friends.” The triumphant wife's word of thanks to her supporters, “espectally the mountain women,” is viewed as significant by the Brooklyn Eagle (in- dependent Democratic), which goes back to the days following the Civil War, when Union supporters in that region résentgl the revenue tax and “their spirit &ds one of deflance, the _deflance that rebukes ingratitude. So Many Factors Responéi‘bie For Mus. Langley’s Victory many ‘moonshiners prison in 60 years, Eagle, “for insisting on what they con sidered an inherent right, that prison for Langley means no disgrace at all That explains the primary vote in the tenth Kentucky. The ‘mountain women’ fought nobly.” * ok % The Nashville Banner (independent: says that “when Mr. Langley disre garded Federal statutes interfering with what they believed to be lberty of conduct, as preclous to them a- life, he became their hero: he still oc cuples a place in their hearts and thei) votes are ever ready to hold him o his In power.” The Springfield Union (Republican) interprets the result a~ striking evidence of a public desfre f1. that -part of Kentucky to vindicat: conspiracy to violate.” “It is @ curlous commentary on th established equality of the sexes, cording to the Charleston Post (Independent Democratic), “that there should have been so many in stances of what might almost be r garded as political dower, the almos inherent right of the wife to her hus band's political estate. Thus far th. political equality of women has no gliven notable illlustration of politica independence of and by women." The Philadelphia Public Ledger (independ ent) remarks that “if this ‘vindicatior idea spreads politics will become ever more complicated, and a new caste o office-holding familles with a famil lien on the office may be created.” Th- Schenectady Gazette (Independen: Democratic) questions the value of “this sentimental vote,” and adds thi¢ “when we elect a person out of syie pathy we are overlooking necessam® qualifications.” —————— Housing Plan Indoréed. have been sent to continues the Federal Emflplnyrn Urged to Sup port Offer of Capitalist. To the Editor of The Star I read the editorial entitled “A Cos Price Housing Plan” in The Star o August 7. The editorfal seemed t. study the interest of the realto rather than the interest of the Got ernment employe. There is a repor current that there are many vacan rooms in apartment houses and tha the owners allow them to remair vacant rather than lower the rents. The $165,000,000 public buildings an. grounds bill has become u law, and of gourse, it {s just a question of tim. as to when the Government hotel: will be torn down. I thoroughly ap prove the $165,000,000 appropriatior for Government-owned bufldings t« house Government activities, but | also believe that the Governmen worker should have comfortable 1it ing quarters. The cost. of living | very high and salaries should be wis quate. If they are not, the Gove: ment should see that its workers hay: comfortable living quarters, elther b bullding houses and apartments an: renting or selling them to workers o by issulng a Federal home loan that workers could borrow money a! a low rate of interest to buy homes Thers is no independence in staying not living—in rooms in other people - homes. Every mature, normal persor wants & home. The integrity and ability as a finan cler of Herbert Hoover {8 internatior ally known. If there were an grounds for skepticism, Mr. Hoove would not formally announce thw project of an unnamed philanthropist to ‘bulld apartments in downtown Washington for Government workers at $12.50 a room. For self-interest, it for no other reason, the Governmen employes should stand as one to back this beneficent project Please give my thanks to the ui named philanthropist through the co umns of vour paver und ask him to reserve two rooms, kitchen and bath southern exposure, for me. BLANCHE C. HOWLETT, U. S. Tarilf Cvuwnlsslon.