Evening Star Newspaper, August 7, 1927, Page 30

With_Sunday Morning _Edition. ‘ WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY........August 7, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES, ...Editor “The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 114) ow Bork Pennavivania Ave, : YT European Office exent St.. ndon. ce 14 Re Englane e Sunday morn- vered by carriers within cents per month: dai h: Sundavs on r month may be aent by mail or Sienhone Main 5000 Collection is made by carrier at end of each month Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Pz and Sunday....1yr. ;n.gg: 1 mo. 78¢ yr 36.00: Sunday only . Jdyr. 500 only . mo.. 80c 11 mo.. 28¢ All Other States and Canada. i - 0: 1 mo.. $1.0 Sunday only 1yrl 85c 4.00: 1 mo.. Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press 18 exclusively entitled 10 the use for republ 1 - Atches o to it ise cred- ¥ s paper and aleo the local news Rereln.. ANl rikhte ‘of pub { dispatches in_are e S American Radicals. * Bomb explosions, occurring in sev- eral cities at about the same time, are attributed to the reaction of radical sentiment against the denial of clem- ency to Sacco and Vanzetti. Probably some, perhaps most, of these outrages are committed by fanatic partisans of the two men. But it is to be borne in mind that there are always at hand a certain number of unbalanced people, on the border line of criminality, who meize upon a time of public stress to manifest their protests against soclal conditions. They need no organiza- tion to direct them, no concert of pur- pose to cause them to “‘demonstrate.” It must also be remembered that bomb making is not particularly diffi- cult. Anybody with a smattering of knowledge of chemistry, which may he obtained from text books, can ‘manufacture an “infernal machine.” 'A small quantity of a certain reagent, ‘& 'bit of fulminate, some iron filings, perhaps, a clockwork or some fuse— all of which can be bought without thindrance at the shops—and the mate- \rials for a deadly contrivance are at Star today are printed views of the region above Washington, in the val- ley of the Potomac River, which is contemplated by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission as a public reservation, and is also marked out for inundation under the proposed power project, application for which is pending before the Federal Power Commission. have no others heretofore published, the unmatched splendor of the scenes which on the one hand it is proposdd to conserve for all emption of the area as a public park, and on the other hand will be de- stroyed if the power plan is approved and put into execution. will convince all who are concerned in the consideration of this matter that the application for a power de- velopment cast by the British admiralty in a hint that what it hoped to accomplish at Geneva was a limit in the size of cruisers, on the grounds of economy. Limiting size of crulsers beyond the specifications of the Washington treaty was considered by American naval men, at that time, as bad busi- ness. This unofficial controversy was a forecast of what actually followed at Geneva. Had the governments set about con- sulting among themselves at that time, something more tangible than hope might have been salvaged from the wreck at Geneva. America startled the world with the suddenness and the dramatic generosity of its scrapping offer at Washington. True, there had been little diplomatic preparation here. But the psychology of the thing was different. The moment was propi- tious. A public sentiment existed which applauded the principle under- lying the conference and which de- manded results. These elements were to a great extent lacking at Geneva. It might have been better to find defi- nitely in advance whether there was possibility of failure. If there was, it is easy now, in the post-mortem dis- cussions in which all delight, to be- lieve the conference were better never held. Park or Power Plant? In the rotogravure section of The These pictures show, as time by pre- It is to be hoped that these views in the Potomac Valley be filled, but there is always a chance that the old-timer were back on the Job. go fishing without having to take along, in addition to the regular tackls, counting machines, typewriters, tele- graph instruments and camer: h h The disordered or crooked mind supplies the inventive quality and readily sees the opportunity. " Yet there are unquestionably at ‘work at this time certain radical peo- Iple who wish to ses the social or- tganization of this country destroyed. [They are perhaps tools of the Moscow \Communists who are confessedly iworking for the breaking down of |“capitalistic” governments everywhere in the world. They are possibly indi- 'Viduals who have imbibed the poisoned ~waters of anarchistic teaching and _care not in whose cause they operate &0 long as they are striking at society. It is believed that a large percen- tage of these radicals are known to the Government, through the investi- ‘gations of the Department of Justice. 18ome of them are open in their public proclamation of hostility. Others are ‘secretive in their views and hide be- :hind honest occupation. But it a fround-up of all the known anarchists “who hope to see the Government of ‘the United States destroyed were had, there would be some thousands of ‘them fn jail. Govefnment as a scenic approach to the National Capital. creation of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission was initia- tive had upon the proposal, and it is significant that just as that body be- 8an work upon the preparation of plans for the development of the river area as a park application was made for the erection of dams for power purposes that would inevitably de. should not be granted, that to grant it would be more costly in terms of irreplaceable scenic value than any compensation that could possibly be gained through the production of power, for the use of Washington and probably other cities. For many years.the idea of con- serving the natural beauty of the Po- tomac in the vicinity of Washington has been entertained by the commu- nity and by others in authority. But there has been no action to that end. Some destruction has occurred, in the course of operations for the produc- tion of stone materials, but as a whole the river valley remains as it has been for ages, awaiting foreclosure by the Not until the It may be the best policy not to ar- Zest these flagrant enemies of peace and order and law, but to keep them under scrutiny. Arrest means open |P2rk and planning commission has stroy the greater part of the beauty of this unparalleled park. - * In the strongest possible terms the warfare upon the cult of destruction. | Protested the grant of the license to Some day it will have to be construct these dams and the utiliza- Some day there must be a clearance of | tion of the Potomac for power pur- ‘this menace. Possibly this present|Poses: The power commission will outbreak of murderous radicalism winl | 1014 hearings on the subject a few precipitate a crisis that will require | Weeks hence. Meanwhile sentiment & definite attack upon these enemies | 283inst the destruction of the valley of society. €alled protest against the execution of ‘Sacco and Vangetti is in effect a chal- | ¢lare that the plan will not mar the Every scenic setting of Washington, but twill ‘speech made at the mass meetings of substitute an attractive lake for the ithe disorderly elements in behalf of |Wooded hills and vales. There will |clemency for the condemned men is | ertainly be a lake, but whether it is an invitation to the Government to |2ttractive is a question. Should there "start the conflict of authority against |P® 2 falling of the impounded waters {license. Some of the speakers at these | there would be presented to view the meetings doubtless hope to be arrest-|8hastly spectacle of many square denge flung by the radicals. 'ed, in order that they may pose as ymartyrs in a cause. Public alarm is not to be felt on ‘the score of the stability of American {nstitutions because a few bombs are jthrown and possibly a few lives may “be lost. The fundamentals of govern- !ment In this country are secure. vGreater crises than this one have been ,weathered. The important fact of the ‘gituation is that this present outburst is not in any sense a revolution in be- 1 half of justice for two men who, after a full and fair trial, have been con- 'demned to die Yor a brutal murder, Ithit a more or less professional demon- ,stration by hired agents of an alien .organization of Communists and by ttireir beguiled dupes who have been [gn(h! that government is wicked and -mnjust and that it should be destroyed. !The insane asylum rather than the { 3411 is the proper place for them. C ————————— L' There 1s a ‘habit in politics of mis- /understanding an eminent man’s state- ments merely for the sake of argu- " ment. ‘Where Charts Would Help. A French ecritic of the Geneva pro- “geedings points to the lack of diplo- matic preparations for an event which found the conferees disagreeing at the outset. His view is that diplomats, _through customary procedure, should have made soundings to determine the extent of shoals which must have been known to exist. Channels should have been marked preparatory to the actual .voyage at Geneva. If the channel “teemed unsafe, the voyage could have been postponed until the necessary “dredging was directed over the cables which connect the State Department with Downing Street. This might have avoided the wreck which followed and precluded the necessity of floating the .wreck, a task which Secretary of State Kellogg has intimated now will be pushed “by consultation between the governments.” . One answer to this criticism, of ‘course, lies In the American invita- | tion to the powers last February, in | which the President recalled that the ‘purpose of the conference was to ex- is developing and is finding expres- “Every bomb that is exploded in so- | Slon. Advocates of the power project de- miles of drowned trees, gaunt and bare, sad reminders of the sylvan beauty which now lles at the door of Washington. Study of the pictures printed today should convince all that this area of rare attractiveness, unequaled any- where in America in close proximity to a large city, is too precious a herit- age to be swapped for a power plant of dubjous value to the community, a commercial scheme that cannot pos. sibly repay in terms of cheaper elec- tric current—the question of cheap- ness is in doubt—produced for com- merclal advantage and for the gain of a private corporation. ——.—— The question of whether Jack Sharkey succumbed to a foul blow will go into limbo along with the his- toric query, “Who struck Billy Pat. terson?” ———— Many a man sued for alimony wishes he could trust his wife's liberal calculations as to the amount of his income. , Aircraft Production. A dispatch from Chicago, printed in Saturday’s Star, states that, accord- ing to the Assistant Secretary of Com- merce, there are in this country to- day more commercial aircraft plants than automobile factories. Over fifty such establishments are in operation, turning out aircraft of all Kkinds, though none has yet reached the point of quantity production, It is only a question of a comparatively few months before they will be equipped to meet orders as readily are the factories that are making land motors. miss some of the most interesting de- bates at home. calism is a determination to show no as to assassinate a recognized enemy. regard Mr. Levine as so venturesome in his idea of big sport that he wants to rock the airship. . THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, ‘THE EVENING STAR [shadows of the events to follow were |Office Department. Individuals are buying planes as they buy motors, not in large numbers, but sufficiently to demonstrate that personal flying is about to be developed. Outside of the Army and Navy needs this country can absorb a very large number of airplanes. Flying is no longer regarded as an extra hazardous undertaking. Accidents occur, of course. But accidents are occurring with motor cars, and yet the motor in- dustry is on the greatest boom it has ever known. Individual flying may not for some years to come develop on the scale of motor car use. The time is not yet at hand when, as some prophets have declared, the sky wlill be constantly dotted with planes, in flight to objec- tive points, on scheduled transit and for pleasuring. But that America, the birthplace of the plane, has at last awakened to the possibilities of air transit is indicated by the constant accessions to the number of production plants and the steadiness with which they are increasing in their activity. Prediction is dangerous, but it may be suggested that a decade hence the aircraft industry will be one of the most important in America, and that a very large part of the transporta- tion, of people and of goods, will be effected by this means rather than by the slower surface facilities. ————— The word *choose” has suddenly in- troduced the lexicographer into poli- tics. It may indicate a studious selec- tion where alternatives are involved or it may imply a wish involving only personal reasons. It is the first time a subject of so much political discussion has been narrowed down to six letters. - Tt is always interesting, when a presidential possibility retires, how many are willing to fling themselves into the breach. Any man's place can that it will be filled to create the wish ————.—— Possibly President Coolidge looks forward to some Summer when he can —————— One of the penalties of being Prince of Wales is the necessity of being a globe-trotter; which compels him to ————— One of the remarkable traits of radi- favoritism. A bomb thrower is quite as willing to kill a woman or a child ———————— Prohibition agents should be more vigilant than ever. What may appear to be an illicit still may in reality be the lair of a bombmaker. ) Some flying experts are inclined to D. C, AUGUST EVERYDAY RELIGION A CONTINUING WITNESS. BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D., LL. D., Acts, xiv.16, 17: “Who in times past suffered all nations®o walk in_their own ways. Nevertheless Ho left not Himself without witness.” History is the long record of the checkered careers of nations and peo- ples. Few writers have the genius to write impartially and without 1 even concerning events that transpis in their own day and generation. Fewer still have the genius to indicate how, in the changing circumstances of life, the e ces of God's leading are manifest. There have been repeated periods when it has been conspicu- ously evident that nations and races have seemed to fail to recognize the hand of God in human events. Pos- sibly an individual, recounting his own life's story, is more capable of seeing and understanding divine intervention than one who writes concerning the larger and come complex story of a people. The thing that amazes us in our reading and observation is the fact that, notwithstanding the seem- ing apostacy or indifference of a na- tion to God's leadership, nevertheless this leadership persists and is evident to one who sees beneath the surface of things. Latterly a distinguished Englishman, namely, Winston Church- ill, has written a truly monumental work dealing with the episodes and conflicts of the Great War. It is a work of commanding interest and it unfelds a story the like of which has not been known in human history. That one pen could indite such a stu- pendous record is in itself worthy of comment. Reading its graphic pages, one cannot but be impressed with the fact that it was something more than weight of armament or strength of Aarms or genius of leadership that ef- fected the resuits as we have come to know them. TLooking at the conflict without bias or prejudice as it has disclosed itselt in this memorable book, we cannot but feel that Mr. Churchill has designed his pages to make more clear to the reader the working of an unseen hand that shapes our course and determines our destiny. The great crises in this con- flict that he describes so vividly and without bias but serve to indicate how, now and again, the situation was still believes to be its highes interests.. Theso welghty vorumcy boat but another contribution to a litera- ture that records with fidelity and un- mistakable clearness the outworking of a plan that persists through fhe ages. True, there have been repeated evidences of man's failure to see any- thing else in human events saving the element of chance or the outworking of fortuitous clrcumstances. It fs a poor reading of history that sees noth. ing but this. Even the darkest page that has ever been written, shadowed with all that suggests human cupidity and weakness, still discloses a divine plan and purpose. That God has “suf- fered nations to walk in their own ways” for a perfod is clearly evident nevertheless He left not Himself without witness.” The appiication of this to individual life may be abun. dantly fllustrated. To reach maturity vyltholxt the consciousne: that our lives “have, possibly unwittingly, yield. ed themselves to a plan is to reckon without judgment or discrimination, Even in periods of utter indifference to the divine plan or unresponsiveness to the deeper purpose of our being, there is still the evidence of a power not of ourselves” that shapes our course and leads us on to an objec. tive. ~Nothing brings more lasting satisfaction to us than to believe thai the way by which we have traveled has been with definiteness of purpose ¥ hen Cower emerged from his pe- mental a i tiod of mental aberration he wrote his sea in unfathomable ures up His bright desi And works His mvemfizn ':&’l‘lnl Even the shadows of the deep night from which he had emerged could not dim his vision nor render him unre- sponsive to God's purpose. Difficult as it may be to understand the ways by which God leads us, or to see the nature of His design, nevertheless we find our supremest comfort and assur- ance in the consciousness that at no time in our strangely checkered ca. reers does he leave Himself without fraught with peril to what the world witness, GOOD HEALTH IS GOOD BU BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Public health is a business proposi- tion involving the financial interests of every citizen. Many communities have not yet learned that the best possible health of every citizen can be bought very cheaply. To chambers of commerce an opportunity is presented for participating in the control of a number of diseases which annually cause numerous deaths throughout the country. Trade associations may likewise be of service to their members by sug- gesting health programs for the bene- fit of employes, with particular refer- ence to any disease peculiar to the business in which the members are engaged. Suggestions may be made for working out health programs in industry and commerce and simple budgets prepared. Business men's organizations which are participating in this work have learned to their advantage that good health is good business. Such are the conclusions of a bulle- —————t—e—— Not much is to be expected from a conference whose members arrived with their minds positively made up beforehand. ————— Rumor now has it that Will Hays is going back on location in politics. —————————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Not So Easy. Everything seems easy At the start; Life is brisk and breezy, Swift and smart. Youth what it is craving ‘Will command, By a simple waving Of the hand. Then the years of learning Come along. Discords we're discerning In the song. Men 'mid scenes dismaying Stand apart; “Father Time,” we're saying, “Have a heart.” . Yearning for the Old Comedy Relief. “What do you think of the Dar- winian theory?” “I'm inclined to favor it,” answered Senator Sorghum. “I sometimes wish we were back in the old days, when at times we had nothing more serious to argue about.” Blundering Frankness. Truth has its dangers. There have been but few Equipped to play with it, And, like George Washington, tell all he knew, And get away with it. Keeping 'Em Worried. “How's your boy Josh getting along?” “Fine,” answered Farmer Corntos- sel. “He eats reg’lar an’ sleeps sound. Whenever anything around the old home doesn’t go to sult him he threat- ens to be an aviator.” Jud Tunkins says a man who has more money than he knows what to do with has to be careful not to take the wrong advice and finance a heap ot foolishness. 01d Customs. “Would you retain the old marriage customs?” “Some of them,” sald Miss Cayenne. “I think a diamond engagement ring is rather nice.” “He who warned us not to trust ap- pearances,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “spoke with sense. The tin on health and community pros- perity sponsored by the committee on administrative practice of the Amer- ican Public Health Association as part of g, co-operative health program for commerclal organizations which is being developed by that association, the National Association of Life Un- derwriters, the United States Public Health Service and the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. The object of this movement is to minimize sickness throughout the United States and to reduce the num- ber of premature deaths. It is hoped to accomplish it by enlisting the ac- tive participation of various organi- zations that should be interested in community prosperity and by educat- ing the public to an understanding of the importance of individual co- operation in community health pro- grams. That there is a vast amount of prejudice, ignorance and bad habits to be overcome, is recognized. No Sentiment Involved. There is no sentiment in the appeal that is made. Nothing is said about the joys of healthful living or the satisfaction of living to a ripe old age. No reference is made 1o the griefs incident to sickness and death. It is simply a hard-boiled statement to the effect that any decrease in earning power is reflected in re- duced purchasing power with the re- sult that every case of illness or pre- mature death involving a loss of wages has an effect upon the com- munity. Then this effect is measured in dollars and cents in a way that can- not fail to impress any one who is above a moron in intelligence. For instance, it is pointed out that the average workman loses seven days a year, or about 2 per cent of his earning capacity, through sick- ness. This amounts in the aggre- gate to at least $2,000,000,000 a year for the entire country, to say noth- ing of doctors’ bills. Premature deaths account for an even larger loss, conservatively estimated to be $6,000,000,000 annually. “When a man dies prematurely there is,” says the report, “in addi- tion to the numerous bills to be paid, such as hospital expenses, doctors’ fees and burial costs, an economic loss both to his family and the com- munity. He has been raised and educated by his parents and the com- munity has provided schools for him, as well as sanitation facilities and police and fire protection. When the man achieves an earning capacity in his own right, he owes a duty to his wife, to his children and, if neces- sary, to his parents to support them. A loss naturally resuits when his life is cut off prematurely.” For instance, the case of a man of 25 who develops pulmonary tuber- culosis and dies after a period of from months to years is cited. If his income has been $2,500 a year, the loss is fisured at $32,000, to say nothing of the expenses incident to his iliness and burial and the pos- taking to dig the Atlantic-Pacific waterway the sick rate among the men employed on the job was 33 per 1,000. If a similar constant sick rate had obtained during the 10 years of construction under American direction we would have had 13,000 out of an average force of 39,000 on the sick roll all the time. Instead our sick rate was only 23 per 1,000, or a total of 900 sick every day. Thus about 12,000 fewer men were disabled every day from illness than would have been the case if the French rate had continued. The cost of caring for a sick man in the Canal Zone was about $1 a day, so it is computed that the United States saved more than $40,000,000 in this item alone. 1In all, the Gorgas sanitary program is said to have prevented the deaths of 71,370 men and to have saved the Government in all more than $80,000,000. This is in. itself al- most a third of the cost of the canal, aside from that portion of the cost that is charged to military defense purposes. And that immense sum was saved by a sanitary department that had a pay roll that averaged less than $1,000,000 a year. Moreover, the construction of the canal would have been immeasurably more difficult and far more costly had it not been for the Gorgas sanitary work. The morale of the working force -and its efficiency would have been far less and it would have been almost impossible to have kept an adequate working force on the job. Indeed, our canal project might have falled, as did that of the French company. It is also to be remembered that the demonstration of tropical disease prevention set free vast commercial possibilities, with promise of increased prosperity to mankind as long as such disease control is maintained. Wholesalers Going In For Retail Business BY HARDEN COLFAX. Announcements last week by four wholesale firms in widely separated parts of the country that they will establish retall stores as outlets for their goods serve to emphasize the rapid development of the vertical ar- rangement in American business, a somewhat revolutionary change in methods in which not only hundreds of thousands of merchants are con- cerned, but in which milllons of con- sumers have a pocketbook stake. The changes which have marked merchandising in the United States since the close of the war have been many. All are evidences of new com- petition which arose from the gener- osity of closer margins of profit to hold down prices, so that customer resistance against levels necessarily higher than the pre-war markets of- fered might be overcome, Chain store systems have devel- oped with almost startling suddenness and are constantly adding new units. Manufacturers have become jobbers and retallers as well. Retailers have become manufacturers to supply some of their outstanding needs. Other re- tailers have formed purchasing groups to combat the buying power of the chain stores. * ok ok ok The wholesalers, speaking in general terms, have been the last to make any radical change in their business meth- ods. They have had some changes forced upon them, such as the hand- to-mouth ordering’ by thelr retail con. sumers, But by and large the old-fashioned wholesaler has remained with little readjustment of his system, buying from manufacturers and selling to retail distributors. An important exception should be noted in wholesale trade, however. sibility that the community may have to take care of his dependent fam- ily after his death, Had the 1900 tuberculosis death rate prevailed in 1923, it is stated, 58,000 more lives would have been lost during the latter year, and the annual capital saving of human life from decreased tuberculosis is esti- mated at as much as $2,000,000,000, based upon the mortality of 1900. Great Saving in Earnings. handsomest motor car may have a bootleg bandit at the wheel.” Optical Nlusion. It is all a question of demand. If aircraft are in demand they will be produced. The Patent Office has a great many files of inventions relating to aviation. New applications for im- provements and devices and for major constructions are being made daily. The inventive genius of America is at work. The production genius is also at work turning out finished product. Where is the market for it? Commercial air lines are being or- / tend the provisions of the Washington PMaty. But it was not long after this Jrqitation had been accepted that = 9 been let to ganized. Alr il contracts have % e companies, In transfer of the wfrvice from the Post “Some of your bathing suit is lost!” Cried father, in dismay. She answered, as her head she tossed, “I had it made that way.” 2 Expecting Courtesy. “Get out of here,” exclaimed the busy man. “Mister,” said the suave intruder, “you've got me wrong. I ain't a book agent. I'm a bootlegger.” “Some folks talk about de weather,"” said Uncle Eben, “like dey was willin' to be uncomfortable foh d ‘k. of watehin' a friend suffer.” o There also remains the value of the earnings of those saved from the dis- ease, says the bulletin, which amounts to millions of dollars. Besides adding this tremendous sum to the country’s income, there is another saving of the extra expenses which would have been incurred through the illness of these people. From an economic stand- point a person dying from tuberculosis is a greater monetary loss to the com- munity than a person who dles in- stantly—one who is killed by an auto- mobile, for example. A startlingly interesting {llustration of what can be accomplished by health work is that which was done in Pan- ama under the direction of Gen, Gorgas during_the construction of the Panama Canal. It tells conclusively the monetary value of health con- servation activities. During the period from 1881 to 1889 while the French company was under- In respect to “inventories on wheel,” that is, merchandise on railroad cars en route to the jobber's warehouse or from his warehouse to the retail dealer, there has come a remarkable change due to the increased efficiency of the railroads. Much less capital is tied up in such movement of goods than in the old days. The head of & large wholesale dry goods firm told | this writer recently that whereas a few years ago his firm had an average 1 of $750,000 tied up in goods en route, this had been reduced to $150,000 be- cause of better service by the rall- roads, Shipments which formerly required six weeks now are delivered in 10 days. As a result, borrowing has been reduced, with consequent savings in interest. Confronted on the one side by chain stores, buying through central agencies, and on the other by com- binations of independent merchants for group purchasing, many whole- salers have faced the alternatives of becoming, in effect, mere warehouse men, acting as agents alone, or going out of business. Some localities are comparatively free from the condi- tions, but in other sections of the country jobbers in certain lines liter- ally have faced taking their choice of these conditions. Out of this sit. tendency for the n there grew: the olesaler to seek 7. 1927—PART 2.° Capital Sidelights The closing of Chain Bridge, across the Potomac River west of George- town, which has been one of the most popular routes to Great Falls, has aroused interest in the history of this old bridge. Search of the records shows that a bridge was built across the Potomac River at Little Falls in 1797, which was destroyed in 1804. Another bridge was erected shortly thereafter, but this also was destroyed. Four years later a bridge supported on chains was erected and destroyed about two years later, On February 22, 1811, Congress au- thorized the directors of the George- town-Potomac Bridge Co. to rebuild the bridge and empowered that com- pany to call a general meeting of the stockholders with a view to levying an assessment to meet the cost of re- construction. It was over this bridge that President John Quincy Adams rode with Gen. Lafayette wien they drove out to Oak Hill for a visit with former President Monroe at his new home, beyond Aldie, Va. It was then a toll bridge, with the toll collector's booth on the Virginia end. Not recog- nizing the President ths collector stopped the presidential coach and Mr. Adams paid the fee. As they were driving up the hill some one told the collector who they were, and he ran up the road calling after them to give them back their money. Up until 1833 these bridge structures were undec control of private parties, but on March 2 of that year Congress appropriated $150,000 to aid the citi- zens of Georgetown to purchase and make free for traffic the then existing bridge over Little Falls. Acts of the Georgetown board of aldermen and common council approved March 11, 1833, provided for the purchase of the bridge and for declaring the same free. It should be noted that at that time the approaches to the bridge and the abutments on both sides of the river were in Federal territory, as it was not until 1846 that an act of Congress provided for the retrocession to the State of Virginia of that portion of the District of Columbia formerly ceded by that State. An act of Congress, approved March 3, 1853, making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of the Government, appropriated $30,000 Por the coming fiscal year to be expended under the direction of the President of the United States for the construc- tion of a_bridge across the Potomac River at Little Falls. Another act of Congress, approved June 10, 1872, appropriated $100,000 for rebuilding the then existing bridge and provided that this bridge should be rebullt as a substantial iron struc- ture under plans to be approved by the chief engineers of the Army and under his supervision. The bridge so authorized was constructed under a contract between the United States and the Phoenix Bridge Co. in 1874 and is now known as the Chain Bridge. Congress, in making appropriations for the fiscal year 1880, carried an item of $1,200 for the care of the Ben- ning, Anacostia and Chain bridges and an appropriation of $2,500 for re- planting and painting the Chain Bridge, since which time the District of Columbia has contributed towards its maintenance. It is assumed that from 1854 until 1880 this structure was maintained solely as a Federal bridge. * % % If professional ethics allowed ad- vertising, one Washington dentist could start an advertising campaign not to be outdone by a well known brand of cigarettes. When mem- bers of the United States Senate make frequent trips during their Summer recess from legislative duties back to Washington to have dental repairs made, it is a feather in the cap of the Capital dentist. During the past week Senator David I. Walsh of Massachusetts was pur- sued here by the ever vigilant Wash- ington correspondents, only to find that his trips here are for a session with his dentist. * k% ‘The oldest Government library in the country is now {n the Army War College, having been removed there from the War Department 10 years ago. The State Department Hbrary is the only competitor for age. These li- braries were started when Philadel- phia was the temporary National Cap- ital. It contains the priceless Civil ‘War collection of negatives and photo- graphs and some of the most valuable of early congressional documents, in- cluding the Journals of the Conti- nental Congress and the Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention. L The writer of this column has been asked to direct several readers where they can find a famous panegyric on tcbacco once delivered in Congress. Evidently the writers refer to the speech made by a former Repre- stntative from Virginia, Peter J. Otey, during discussion of the wax revenue reduction bill in 1900, in a whimsical and humorous style, typical of utterances that won for him a wide reputation as a congressional humorist. Mr. Otey cited authorities—Harlot, who jolned Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584 and who wrote of the new- tound land of Virginia, and of powee,” later called tobacco; holt, to show that it was the sanitary effects of tobacco that led to its in. troduction into England; he quoted the old poets on the mental satisfac- tion of tobacco, and other authorities to prove that tobacco encourages the flow of the digestive juices. He con- cluded with an idealistic vision of the effect of tobacco to stimulate the vatriotic services of the soldie: his own outlets; hence the establish- ment of retail stores. This develop- ment does not mean the wholesalers who also become retailers will buy for their own retail needs alone; they will continue to seek the orders of other retailers. But they are using their financial resources to insure themselves against loss of major markets. ERE Naturally the opening of new retail stores will intensify competition in di- rect distribution to the consumers. It is the retail fleld, in the final analysis, where the battle for the ul- timate dollar is to be waged most fiercely. It is not to be expected that the es- tablished retailers will view with wel- coming eyes this development in the wholesale fleld. Not all wholesalers agree that the opening of retall outlets is the proper method of self-preservation, Opinions differ so widely, in fact, as to ap- proach the controversial. Many wholesalers are standing pat and seeking by means of service to per- petuate themselves in business. Some of them are increasing their trade as jobbers by alert methods. If the re- tailer buys lightly but frequently, so do the wholesalers. Agaln, better raflroad service enters into this sit- uation. One Eastern carrier is ad- vertising in specific citls hat it can deliver package freight as quickly as an_express company. Quick turnover is the secret of those wholesalers who cling to the idea that the business of their trade is to buy from the producers and sell to the final distributors, just as quick turnover is the slogan’ of the modern retailer. In all of the readjustment of the distribution system of the country, the consumer stands to gain, rather than to have added burdens of ex- pense placed on him, for, after all, n¢ experiment in business can survive unless prices and service are sufficient to entice the customer to part with his money. (Covysiabs, 1927)) .. High-Pressure Report Soon to Go to the Commissioners Within a few days the District Com- missioners will receive a report which should go far in providing a final answer to a question discussed sporadically and with more or less heat in Washington for the last 30 years. The report will come from George Watson, chief engineer of the Fire Department, who is chairman of a special committee appointed by the District Commissioners to investigate and to reach conclusions regarding the advisability of installing a system of high water pressure in the downtown business district of Washington. The report will present both sides of the matter, with the alternatives for high water pressure, costs, advantages to be expected and benefits to be derived from various methods suggested for cutting down the fire hazards in the Capital and bringing the water de- partment and auxiliary fire equipment to modern standards in keeping with the rapid growth of the city in the last decade. * ok ok K A high pressure system for down- town business Washington is one of the questions which has been advocat- ed steadily, but without success, since about 1897, when the Board of Trade first brought up the subject and pressed. it before the Commissioners and upon Congress. It is interesting to note that nine years after it had first been brought up, it was being revived by the late Commissioner Henry B. F. Macfarland, and this revival was coincidental with Chief Watson's connection with Fire De- partment headquarters. Commissioner Macfarland asked Congress in 1906 for appropriations for a high-pressure water system in the downtown area of Washington. That was 21 years ago. Congress has never seen fit to grant the request, and of late years there has been some difference of opinion— not with regard to the benefits to be derived from a high-pressure system, but involving the question of whether the money would be bettep spent in some other way. The growth of the city and its condition today compared to what it was in 1906 have em- phasized this difference of opinion. Since 1906 there have been many changes. The city has grown. The business district, which at that time was bounded on the north by G street, has now extended to K. It is still expanding, east and west as well as north. Sections of the city far re- moved from what was then its busi- ness district have seen themselves turn from vacant lots into residential areas, then complete the metamor- phosis into humming business sec- tions. Although a congested business distriet still exists in downtown Wash- ington, other business districts have formed and continue to expand. Along M street and Wisconsin avenue in Georgetown; along southeast Pennsyl- vania avenue and along upper Four- teenth street there are thriving and busy commercial areas. In 1906 it was estimated that an appropriation not exceeding $500,000 was needed to put in an adequate system of high water pressure in the congested down- town area. Today the appropriation would probably have to exceed $1,500,000 and the high-pressure area would not extend to other business districts which need adequate fire protection. * k x x ‘With both increasing and decreas- ing agitation for high pressure in the years after 1906, the question was re- vived again with interest about three years ago. But in the face of this new demand the Commissioners con- curred in the opinion of the Fire De- partment that the department’s needs were not confined to a high-pressure system, as advantageous as such a system. might be. The Fire Depart- ment had fallen under par compared to the grawth of the city. There was the fear that the District might not have its cake and eat it, too; that money expended on high water pres- sure would take away money which could well be applied to pressing emer- gencies. The upshot of the matter was a request by the Commissioners for an appropriation of $3,000 to de- fray expenses of a thorough investi- gation of the present high-pressure systems in other citles; the expericace derived from the use of such systems and the applicability of such experi- ence to the situation in Washington. Chief Watson was appointed chairman This and That By Charles E. Tracewell. Dinner is the high spot in the daily life of Jack Spratt, cat. Thousands of men would give any- thing they possess to share with Spratt his hearty appetite. Thousands more would willingly barter their place and prestige in the world to be able to be as enthusiastic about anything as Jack is about a plece of veal. Enthusiasm is something which loses its keen edge, in many individual cases, leaving behind only a half- hearted urge to do. Let a man lose “his_enthusiasm,” as they say, then life has lost its savor. It is all otherwise with Jack Spratt. Today his eyes sparkle as keenly at the prospect of grub as they did when he was a little fellow, with a tail like that of a rat. Today his appendage is fat and fluffy, indicating cat health, but his appetite is as vigorous as ever. He can consume more beefstake or veal, for his weight, than any other cat in town, and is always ready, having done so, to come back for more. He is the Oliver Twist of Catdom. * ok ok ok Jack begins his daily interest in food about 2 p.m., his dinner time be- ing at 4 o'clock, usually, an hour later than they feed the bears at the Zoo. He takes up his position at the foot of the stairs, where he can watch both ways, and then keeps patient vigil. Minute after minute he waits, hoping that some one will take just one step toward the kitchen. Let this be done, Jack springs into action. Hopping to his feet, he walks steadily to the rear, his tail held high, and waving grandly. Now and again he turns his head, his green eyes shining, as if to say, “This way, ladies and gentlemen, for the best dinner. Right this way, ladies and gens, to see the famous tiger cat eat his dinner!” EEE Usually he marches to the kitchen door, where, if no one follows him in, he turns around, as if perplexed. Of course, he knows it is not his dinner time. There is no doubt in the minds of his friends that he knows his eating time to the minute. He is so anxious, however, to push his dinner hour forward, that on some days he makes a score or more of these trips, as if to show the way. I1f any one follows him into the kitchen, Jack dashes immediately to the refrigerator. There he stands on his hind legs, and places his forepaws on one of the doors. The query, “Where is it?” often leads him to place his paws upon a particular door, and, more often than not, he is right. There can be little doubt that he smells the meat, no matter how well wrapped up. * * x X Just let any one rattle a knife, at any time near 4 o'clock, or open the refrigerator door, Jack comes running at_full speed. When he sees the meat, he begins to meow, a plaintive, appealing note, liquid and clear, with an extra amount of beseeching in it, in ratio to the proximity to 4 gclock. During the cutting up of the dinner, of the committes to conduct this in- vestigation, the other members being Danlel E. Garges, secretary; David M. Lea of the Board of Trade, ol A, Peters, jr., an assistant engineer of the office of public buildings and public parks, and George N. Thomp- son, secretary of the building codes committee of the Department of Com- merce. * ok ok % This committee has conducted an extensive inquiry relating to high water pressure and other systems of safeguarding cities against the possi- bility of widespread conflagrations. It has considered the cost of installa- tion and maintenance, the efficiency of the system in other cities and has inspected its operation in New York and Baltimore. The committee has estimated the cost of the system in Washington at about $1,500,000. 1ts result to the taxpayer would be two- fold. There would be the knowledge that every known precaution had been taken in Washington to insure the downtown section against a catastrophie fire, with the resulting financial losses involved, and it would mean a tangible saving of 5 per cent in insurance rates on buildings lying within the high-pres- sure area. But it was found by the committee, on the other hand, that it certain other recommendations, ex- clusive of high-pressure installation, were followed, there were benefits to be expected which might be consid- ered as exceeding those anticipated from a high-pressure system alone. ‘Whereas the 5 per cent reduction under a high-pressure system would apply only to the buildings within the high-pressure area, a 2 per cent reduction coul® be brought about in insurance rates applying to the en- tire city if other recommendations were put into effect. These recom- mendations were made by the com- mittee on fire prevention and en- gineering standards of the National Board of Fire Underwriters after an investigation in June of 1926. They involved enlarging the watermains, & better and more uniform method of distributing water in the “gridiron’ (the system of smaller mains running parallel between the large mains); the installation of more fire plugs and more fire boxes in the suburban and residential districts. These rec- ommendations would result in a sav- ing of 2 per cent in insurance rates on all “specifically rated risks” in the District, such risks Nlnf vir- tually every building in Washington except residences. In other words, the alternatives between which the committee may choose for emphasis in their report are, on the one hand, the high-pressure system for down- town Washington, and on the other hand a general program of increas- ing the water distribution system throughout Washington and adding needed fire equipment. EEE Either_one would lessen the fire risks in Washington, but a decision to o ahead with both programs is evi- dently considered impracticable, par- that enlargement of water mains tially on account of the fact, perhaps, would in a measure bring about some of the results to be expected from & high-pressure system. Regardless of what the committee decides to recom- mend after assembling the great masses of data secured in its investi- gation, there seems to be no doubt about the fact that immediate steps should be taken toward bringing -the Fire Department and the water distri- bution system to the standards re- quired by the rapid growth of the city, not in the congested downtown section alone, but in the outlying sec- tions within the District. No effort is made by any.one famillar with condi- tions to minimize this fact. The Fire Department and the water system have fallen behind the growth of the city, The Fire Department itself i® rated as highly efficient, but like other agencles in Washington the lean war years kept it behind an unprecedented and rather unexpected expansion in the city. The committee's recom- mendations and the Commissioners” decision, together with their insistence in bringing the matter befors Con- gress, will be awaited with interest. If Congress sees fit to put into effect the recommendations of Chief Wat- son’s committee, whatever they may be, the 30 years’ fight by the Board of Trade will not have been in vain. Fifty Years Ago In The Star ‘The railroad strike of 1877 brought to the front a labor organizer who The Brotherhood was in later years to be one of the of Engineers. most prominent members of the trade union fraternity. In The Star of August 2, 1877, is the following re- garding him: “P. M. Arthur, ‘grand chief engi- neer of the Brotherhood of Engineers,' has issued a statement which is of in: terest as defining the position of the brotherhood in regard to the recent strikes. While admitting that his or- ganization sympathizes with the strike of the trainmen, and believing that they were justified in refusing to work under the last reduction, ‘and in per- suading and hiring others not to take their places,’ he says, ‘beyond that they had no right to go, no matter how much they felt aggrieved, and all those who have resorted to violence have forfeited all claim to public sym- pathy and are looked upon and treated as outlaws.’ He denies that the strike was premeditated, or that it was the result of any secret understanding, and asserts that the brotherhood first heard of the strike on the Baltimore & Ohio road through the newspapers. He declares that his organization has exerted itself to prevent strikes and to harmonize differences between {ts members and their employers, and he asserts that by the conferences and declarations enforced by the brother- hood strikes have been prevented on 13 different roads during the past three years. “Mr. Arthur gives a brief history of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- gineers, of which he is at present the chief, and of its purposes. The so- ciety has at present 192 subordinate divisions. Mr. Arthur says that among its objects one is to insure the lives of its members, securing to the family of each, in case of death or disability in line of duty the sum of $3,000. The society has paid nearly a million dollars of insur- ance and $50,000 more to needy mem- bers. Sobriety, faithfulness to duty and general good conduct are required of }he members. “In regard to the railroad managers, Mr. Arthur makes charges somewhat exaggerated, but which are based on deal of truth. He accuses them of & spirit of tyranny over their work- men, of wasting the means of their corporations in speculation, of bleed- ing the roads for the benefit of private enterprises, such as fast freight trains, express and sleeping car com N etc,, in which the managers and di- rectors are privately interested, and remarks that this waste, extravagance ;:1& 'mubh“o: tr;; m;mtm seek to ® up by reducing the wages of the workmen," e LR S S —_—_— |the would-be diner prances around anxiously, meowing steadily, . and rubbing his head against one's legs. If a bite is given him, he will stand up for it, wrapping his forepaws, without any “pins” In them at all, around one’s wrisv. ‘When the meal finally i placed on the floor on his plate—a folded news- paper—Jack falls to with avidity, eat- ing away as fast as he can.