Evening Star Newspaper, October 9, 1927, Page 46

'Li \THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY........October 9, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: S Penngylvanta Ave. et Yok Sl TISEIA A5t Chicago Office: Tower Building. Eurobean Office: 13 Regent St.. London. Engiand, ‘The_Events tar with the in edition 1s delivered by :hsl cll{ at 60 Q;lal ntl cents Der manth: onth. Ord; ‘may be sent Telephone Main 8600. Coltection & carrier at end of each month. Sunday morn- riers within only, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. ) finrylmd erd Virgini: .. 7 All Other States and Canada. & By s vovswr 4 o Sjtt: e . mo.. 75 unday onl7. 1y 400 1 mo., 3bc Member of the Assoclated Press. 18 exclusively entitled The Aseociated Press 1a e w17 entitied in this paver and the local news published herein. Al rights of publication of special dispatches berein are also resorved. As James Bryce Saw It. The American Institute gf Archi- tects is the latest organization to enter the campaign to save the gorge of the Potomac from ruin through power development. From its head- quarters in Washington it has pub- lished “a protest of national ideal- ism" against any power development, public or private, either in the gorge or in the Great Falls district. The protest, which is published elsewhere in today’s Star, is in the form of a communication addressed to Maj. Somervell, the Army engineer in ~charge of public works in this dis- trict, and presents impressive argu- ments in favor of the preservation and development of natural beauties in the Capijtal region. The late James Bryce, long British Ambassador at Washington, is quoted as asserting that “no European capi- tal, except Constantinople, has such beautiful scenery in its environs; that no European capital has such a noble cataract as the Great Falls of the Po- tomac,” and that, Nature having done so much in the way of opportunity for a superb Capital, “it would be almost an act of ingratitude to Provi- dence, to history and to thg men who planned the city” if advantage was not taken of the opportunities pre- sented. and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was built to front on Fif- teenth street to be extended, as is now under consideration. ‘With the central (pavilion) building for the Department of Agriculture, connecting the two marble wings, soon to be started, it is planned to use the dirt from the excavation to make fills along the north side of the Mall, so that new bulldings to be erected there, such as the proposed $10,000,- 000 art gallery, could be treated in the same way as the New Natlonal Museum with the main entrance from grade on the Mall side, and an extra story on the B street grade. This filling-in work would make pos- sible an early construction of the two Mall drives, the base for which has already been laid in the section of the Mall between Third and Four-and-a- half streets. These Mall drives would be in front of the buildings on the north and south edge of the Mall, corresponding to A street north and A street south. This drive-building is seriously con- sidered now, and recommended to the President by the Commissfon of Fine Arts, because it is seen that such traffic outlets would be extremely val- uable to relieve congestion during the period of construction work on the triangle. They would take much traf- fic from west of Fourteenth street to the Capitol off Pennsylvania avenue. Such forward-looking plans, espe- clally when a real economy can be shown, such as the utilization of the dirt where otherwise its removal would be quite costly, appeal to the President. Now is the time to get busy on such preliminary work, so as not to impede the building program. ————————— An Immigration Problem. That the question of the restriction of immigration from Canada and Latin America will be given serious consideration by the Seventieth Con- gress seems an assured fact. At least one bill to this end, that of Repre- sentative Box of Texas, which was in- troduced in 1925, is ready and waiting. Mr. Box has announced his intention of reintroducing his measure. The principal argument of those fa- voring Canadian and Latin American restriction is based upon the claim that the purpose of the immigration acts of 1921 and 1924, covering all other nationalities, is being defeated as a result of our open-door policy to our Northern and Southern neighbors. It is pointed out that while thousands of desirable immigrants from Great Britain and Northern Europe are In the same connection the late Am- bassador inquired: “May not the city of Washington feel that its mission in “life is to be the embodiment of the majesty and stateliness of the whole Nation, Capital of capitals, represent- ing all that is finest in American con- ception, all that is largest and most luminous in American thought; em- ,bodying the Nation’s ideal of what the Capital of such a nation should be, “the highest aspirations as to external “dignity and beauty that a great peo- ple can form for that which is the center and national focus of their lite.” If that great and understanding -friend of America could return to Washington today he would be grati- “fled at the progress made toward the city of his dreams and would repoice at plans for further development, but he would be grieved and bewildered, perhaps, that any responsible au- thority or any considerable body of citizens could seriously contemplate destroying the beauty of the river .that he admired and loved. ————t——— Comments by Mr. McAdoo show he 1s still willing to take an interest in the game even if he ceases to lay claim to any great prospect of personal ad- vantage. There is nothing more habit- ually unselfish than the demonstra- tions of true statesmanship. , ————t—— Prepare for Triangle Building. ‘With a start soon to be made on the two largest buildings in the tri- -angle program, each to cost upward of $10,000,000, it is high time to get .certain preliginary work done, and out of the way, to minimize trafc congestion. The Commission of Fine Arts in conferences with those in charge of the Federal building program has ad- vocated such forehandedness. One of the things that should be done at once is to raze the buildings on the south side of Pennsylvania avenue be- tween Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, The Government has owned . all of this property for some years. The buildings are by no means orna- mental. They should be torn down now and the people given advantage of the open space until the Depart- ment of Commerce Building progress- es. The Avenue end of that square ‘will not be occupled by the new build- ing, so this corner will eventually be parking, if it is not curved off to make an easier swing of traffic south or west of the Treasury. This work should be done at once or otherwise it will increase the trafiic blockade it “coupled with the actual construction work. In conferences with President Cool- idge it has been pointed out that while nothing definite has been done in get- ting started on some important con- struction work to memorialize the bi- centennial of George Washington's birth in 1932, the triangle building program offers an opportunity to exe- cute at relatively trivial cost the long- planned formal garden terracing around the Washington Monument from Fourteenth to Seventeenth streets. It is recalled that when the Interior Department was built the contractor cleaned up some $40,000 by laying a temporary spur track and dumping all the soil from the excavation to make the mound for the Lincoln Me- morial. Profiting by that lesson, it is now recommended that use be made of the superabundance of dirt from the excavations for the triangle build- ings to terrace around the Washing- ton Monument. But as a part of that project there s contemplated, because it can be @one now at more reasonable cost than later, to extend Fifteenth street through the Monument Grounds, past the Bureau of Engraving and Print- 4pe. This is a part of the McMillan ®lan of a quarter of a century ago, being annually excluded, thousands of Mexicans, who do not readily become American in their ways of life, are being admitted. The sauce for the goose, say those who deplore this con- dition of affairs, should at least be sauce for, say, the Mexican banana- bird. Opposition to the restriction pro- posed is based upon the claim that freedom of movement across the Cana- dian border is traditional, and that Canadians make excellent citizens, and that unrestricted Mexican immigra- tion (the influx from other Latin American countries being negligible) is essential to the industrial prosperity of the Southwest. It is, and should be, frankly recog- nized that the Mexican situation, in- volving as it does a huge increase in the percentage of our total immigra- tion in recent years, is the crux of the immediate problem. During the period 1901 to 1910 Mexican immigration was .8 per cent of our total influx. From 1911-1920 the percentage increased to 3.8. For the current year the Bureau of Immigration sets the amazing esti- mate of 20.2. And this, of course, is exclusive of the numbers of Mexicans who cross the Southern boundary without the formality of advising the authorities of their act. There can be little doubt that we are creating for ourselves a social problem fraught with menace in con- tinuing this condition of affairs. The difficulty lies in discovering a cor- rective formula which will achieve a much-to-be-desired end without appear- ing harshly to discriminate against our Southern neighbors. And when one adds that even if such a formula can be found the business of prevent- ing illegal entry across the Rio Grande presents a physical impossibility with- out a huge increase in the personnel and cost of the immigration service, the problem before Congress becomes so perplexing as to insure keen popu- lar interest as its solution is sought. .o Always occupied with some urgent and practical work, Herbert Hoover begins to look like a man too busy even to give the time needed for a presidential boom. ————— Back the Merchant Marine! Chairman O'Connor of the United States Shipping Board has properly declared that the Government, through the board, will stand back of Ameri- can flag ships in overseas trade, even though they be privately owned. Mr. O'Connor's statement was made with particular reference to ships which had been sold by the board to private American owners—ships which hitherto had been operated for the account of the hoard. Just what the Government and the board can do to help these American flag ships, pressed by foreign competition, is not so clear. Congress has neglected to adopt a merchant marine policy which gives adequate protection to American ship owners and operators. Possibly at the coming session that body may bestir itself and tackle the shipping problem. Any encouragement and aid which the Government can give through the Shipping Board to American ships en- gaged in the forelgn trade, under ex- isting circumstances, should be given. In his statement, Mr. O'Connor re- ferred to the case of the Export Steamship Corporation, operating ships in the Black Sea and the Med- iterranean. This corporation in the past operated a line of vessels to these ports for the Shipping Board, with the entire backing of the United States Government and Treasury. In those days there were but three com. peting companies. The corporation purchased the line, consisting of nine vessels, from the Government in Au- gust, 1925. Immediately forelgn com- petition incnfied by leaps and bounds, until wow there are fifteen _|ing at times. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, OCTOBER 9, 1927—PART 2. competing lines under foreign flags, a number of them backed by the Italian government. The chairman of the Shipping Board draws the inference, apparent- ly, from this changed condition of competition which a privately owned American steamship line is compelled to face, that foreign ship owners only awalit the withdrawal of the American Government's backing to wipe the seas clear of American merchantmen, Nor is the chairman mistaken in this inference. It remains to be seen whether the American people and the American Congress will acquiesce in such a program. American shippers and producers, American railroads and the traveling American public can themselves give much aid to American overseas mer- chantmen if they will. They can give preference to ships flying the coun- try's flag. There has been an indif. ference to American shipping in this country which has proved dishearten- Some of this indiffer- ence has been studied, unfortunatel because of American money invested in foreign shipping. But there ary signs that Americans are taking more interest in their merchant marine. They should. Nor should Congress de- lay further in the matter. ———— e A Question of Taste. The Office of Public Buildings and Parks has very properly refused to set itself up as a dictator of woman's fashions, especially as to the length of a skirt, but the office has taken the commendable stand that it is the sole dictator of pubiic behavior and good taste within its jurisdiction. At a hearing yesterday to consider charges against a policeman for courteously requesting a woman to “pull her skirt @wn"” because he thought she was conspicuous, the policeman was ex- onerated for his actions and the cen- sorship of public behavior in the parks was upheld. This case has attracted almost as much attention as a somewhat similar affair in Cleveland when a police ser- geant arrested and charged with dis- orderly conduct a young married couple parked on a deserted street. ‘When the case was taken to court it was dismissed and the man and his wife promptly sued the policeman for fifteen thousand dollars apiece for false arrest. The woman was awarded a judgment of nearly four thousand dollars, but the husband’s suit was dismissed. Undoubtedly if the local policeman had arrested the woman he would have found himself in much the same predicament as the Cleveland guardian of the law did. Neither offense was an arrestable one and the Cleveland policeman apparently erred in his vig- orous treatment of the young couple, —— e American soldiers have foynd that the only way to dispose of some rumors about mental attitudes in Europe is for a man to go over and learn the truth for himself. —————— This city’s new filtration equipment should afford some added encourage. ment to the avoidance of queer alco- hol and the use of plain old “H!O" as a beverage. e Base ball brings new relief. Thanks to Pittsburgh, it is possible to mentton “Pirates” without raising apprehen. slons concerning rum runners. ————. The tariff asserts itself from time to time with renewed reverberations. It is one of those old political volcanoes that never become wholly extinct. e Events continue to show that Mexico has small hope of developing a pacifist movement. So far Remus has had everything that money can buy, including all kinds of trouble. —_——————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Man and His Philosophies. Philosophers in every day, As well as every land, Have been compelled to pause and say, “I do not understand.” And one of them will weep becauss Mankind seems in distress, Another laughs and claims applause For his light-heartedness. In common purpose for awhile Opposing minds draw near; The wit who greets us with a smile, The poet with a tear. Keeping in Training. “What conclusions were reached in the conference?" “No precise conclusion,” answered Senator Sorghum. “We thought it would be a good idea to have the con- ference 8o as to remind the public that we are taking an interest.” Jud Tunkins says he loves horses so much that he can even forgive them for the way they always fool him on the race track. In the Bargain Rush, Her headwear has no feathers gay To make a sign of battle fame. Yet you will hear her husband say It's a war bonnet, just the same. “He who talks only of himself,” sald Hi Ho, “should have a pleasant voice that will not disturb the slumber of others.” Dancing Autumn. When north winds make us shiver The roaring will, by chance, Set up a jazzy quiver And call the world to dance. “A good disposition,” said Uncle Eben, “is a great help. But de smile a man puts on an’ wears all day don't mean nuffin’ mo' dan a collar an’ necktle."” —————— You Can’t Do That. From the Arkansas Democrat. But don’t think that a little apple- sauce a day will always keep your creditors away. ———————— Waste Effort. From the Terre Haute Star, The narcotic squad might as well give up trying to restrain the millions addicted to the base ball dope. Long, Long Ago. Fom the Detroit News. Blackstone defined law a of actlon, but that, as we re MANy Years ago. the rule it, was EVERYDAY RELIGION BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D., LL. D, Bishop of Washingon Voices of the Summer. TEXT: I Cor., xiv.10. “There are so many voices in the world and none of them is without signification.” . Voices represent personalities. Per- sonalities represent convictions or ideals. Never before in the history of the world has the human voice had so great power as in the age in which o live. This might very properly be ed the age of the projected or am- plified voice. The President of the Nation, speaking from the White House, is able at one time to address upward of fifteen million people. It has been said concerning President Coolidge that he has spoken to more people in this country during his ad- ministration than any President that | preceded him. Seated in our homes, we may, through the medium of a modern in- vention, catch, night by night, the volces that are speaking or singing over a wide area. It requires an un- amount of discrimination to se- lect from time to time the voices we ought to hear. During the past Sum- mer certain voices have been made more conspicuous than others. To the man who is attentively listening to the voices of the age there seem to be those that speak hopelessly and du- biously. They are full of direful pre- dictions of what is to be on the mor- row. eir motto seems to be: “There is none that doeth good, no not one.” On the other hand, if one is listening attentively and with fine discrimina- tion, there are other voices that are speaking hopefully. We single out a few. During the Summer months there was held in Lausanne a confer- ence that in many respects is one of the most remarkable in the world's history. It was a conference of men representing 87 different communions, who came together for the purpose of considering what could be done to ef- fect a better understanding and to bring about a_finer comity and unity among the Christian forces of the world. While the issue of the confer- ence was mnot all that could be de- sired, those who have observed it closely and listened to its voice have heard that which speaks of a new day, in which the old rivalries and compe- titions are to give place to a finer un- derstanding and a more cordial agree- ment. The voice of Lausanne would seem to imply that intolerance and bizotry are to give way to forhear- ance and Christian courtes Lau- sanne is the voice of a truer and finer tellowship. A second veice that has spoken with force and eloquence during the Sum- mer has proceeded from France. It is the voice of peace, In the person of a great minister, namely, Mr. Briand. Tt is the voice that challenges America to recognize the fact that the time has come where between America and France an understanding or agreement shall be reached that must ultimately produce a warless world. More recently another voice has been heard in advocacy of universal peace. It is the voice of the present President of the German Republic, the voice of Mr. Hindenburg. Here again it is an appeal for the recognition of a finer understanding among the na- tions of the world, an appeal to settle the disputes between nations, not through the arbitrament of arms, but through kindly and intimate confer- ence. In the face of the disappoint- ment that fcllowed the conference at Geneva on the subject of reduced armament, these voices certainly have @ large and deep significance. A third voice that has spoken with unusual power has proceeded from the classroom. It is the voice of a great physicist, namely, that of Dr. Michael 1. Pupin. In a recent number of a popular magazine, in an interview with Dr. Pupin, he makes the staté. ment that his research work in the laboratory has mnot in anywise im- paired his religious convictions. He says: “Science does not prevent a man from being a Christian, but makes him a better Christian. My religion does not contradict a single element of the religion which my mother and the people of my native village held when I was a boy. Sclence has §mply brought me to a higher, broader view of the Creator. If science does nat assist me to give myself and others a better religion, a better understand- ing of the Creator and a_closer per- sonal relationship with Him; if scl- ence does not assist me in carrying out the divine purpose, then T am a failure as a scientist. But sclence has made me a better Christian. I believe it will make better Christians of all men and women who try to under- stand its simple and beautiful laws, because they are the laws of God.” Surely this is a hopeful statement and would seem to contradict the widespread fallacy that science and religion are hopelessly apart. The fourth and the most transcend- ent voice of all that has been conspic- uous in recent days has been that of the Master Himself. That Jesus Christ is more regnant in the life of our time than He has been in any that has gone before we believa to be demonstrably true. More and more men are yielding themselves to His great system of life; more and more they are recognizing the supreme value of His philosophy. In the eco- nomic world, in the scientific world, in the large world of human affairs, men are coming more and more to yield allegiance to His dictum. How- ever poor the interpretation of His life may be as given by those author- ized to interpret it, neverthcless He is persisting in human thought and His voice is being heard as it has never heen heard hefore. His volce is demanding that we shall more widely and generally recognize the universal brotherhood of mankind. His voice is demanding cleaner and more wholesome ways of living. In spite of all the tendencies that seem to run contrary to His teaching, we still believe that His voice is more regnant now than it has been in our generation. Thus, listening to the voices of the Summer, we return to our task with the deepened conviction that, now as never before, the oppor- tunity for the Christian church and for those who believe in the sover- elgnty of Jesus is altogether incom- parable. LESSONS WE NEVER LEARN BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Statistics presented at the recent annual safety congress held in Chi- cago under the auspices of the Na- tional Safety Council indicate that safety first is one of the lessons that the American people will never learn. The annual toll of accidents in traflic, mine, mill, construction, the home, the water and the air approximated 90,000 deaths last year and many times that number of injured and maimed—almost as great a death toll as was taken by heart disease or tu- berculosis, the two dread scourges of mankind, And while the experts say that all types of accidents, save those caused by motor vehicles, are being reduced, the decrease is said to be far from encouraging, in view of the efforts that are being made to impress upon the public mind the importance of ob- serving easily understood and easily observable fundamental precautions that are safeguards against all man- ner of accident. The National Safety Council has been carrying on its educational prop- aganda for some 16 years. Beginning with limited resources last year, its expenditures totaled over $600,000. But the good it has accomplished is to be seen, not so much in concrete figures of reduced accident rates as in estimates of what the annual ac- cidental death and injury statistics might show if the council and allled organizations had not been carrying on_their work. Safety is the most potent and per- haps the most important word in the English language, declared one of the speakers at the congress, He indi- cated considerable doubt, however, that Americans would ever really grasp and react intelligently to its significance and meaning. The acci- dental death rate in the United States was more than twice as great as that in England and Wales for the last year, for which comparisons can be made, and the suggestion is offered that if we are the enlightened and progressive people we claim to be we ought to make a better showing in the one fleld where ordinary common sense and the instinct for self-preser- vation should be the predominant factors. Where Most Accidents Occur. Accidents in this country fall into three major groups—those caused by motor vehicles, those in industry and those in the home. The automobile’s toll last vear was 23,000 deaths, while from 20,000 to 25,000 were killed in ac- cidents in industrial establishments and a like estimated number in acci- dents in the home. The death rate from automobile ac- >idents, excluding collisions with trains and street cars, increased from 2.2 in 1911 to 17 in 1925. No other type of accident showed anything like such an increase in that period, A study of 96,715 motor vehicle accidents that occurred last year shows that nearly 70 per cent involved private passenger cars. In 112,790 cases on which re. ports were recelved 108,915 vehicles were driven by men and 5,840 were driven by women—a ratio of about 20 to 1. In about 70 per cent of 100,000 cases in which reports were received as to the condition of the roads a dry sur- face was reported, while in only about 17 per cent was there a wet surface, and 70 per cent occurred in clear weather, 60 per cent in daylight, about 22 per cent in dusk or aarkness and about 18 per cent in situations where there was artificial light. An amazing proportion of motor vehicle accidents take place in loca- tions and under conditions where the likellhood of accident would seem most remote. This is shown in the State of Ohio, where white crosses are erected along highways at the points where people are killed in such accidents. These crosses tell a grue- some story to motorists on Ohio high- ways. They are found singly and in groups of two, three, or even four or five. And in a great majority of cases they are not found at bad curves, or on stiff grades, or at railroad cross- ngs, but in places along the highways where the going is good and where accidents would not be expected. The explanation offered is that motorists ~are reasonably _careful where they know that they have to be, but that they become careless and reckless along the open road where a straightaway and a good pavement challenge them to demonstrations of speed. - In motor vehicle accidents last year approximately 7,000 children lost thelr lives and 140,000 were injured. Al- most all of these accidents might have been avoided or prevented, it is declared. About 95 per cent of the motorists of the country are reasonably careful, according. to Safety Council figures. The remaining 5 per cent, however, represents a large army of more than a million reckless and incompetent drivers flitting about the country with. out regard for the safety of them- selves or their fellowmen. Congress to Study . Transport Problems BY HARDEN COLFAX. Transportation problems — water, rail and highway—are due for promi- nent consideration at the approaching session of Congress, with indications that the waterways element, at least, may assume proportioas which will af- fect tax reduction. There is a growing section of thought which believes that a cut in the Federal tax bill is not the only, and perhaps not the best, method of reducing living costs and this argu- ment will be advanced by those who will seek appropriations for water- ways improvements as a benefit to navigation. Lopping off some $300, 000,000 from about 3,000,000 tax bills they hald would not be as helpful .s spending that sum to lower the trans. portation costs of all the people, or a major part of them. It is possible, of course, to have both tax reduction and increased ex- penditures for transportation by wa- ter, as the full sum for waterways would not be expended in one year, but the one affects the other to some degree. President Coolidge this week touched upon waterways improve- ment 1n an address before the Na- tional Red Cross Society in connection with flood control. So far as concerns railroad transpor- tation, it is apparent that consolida. tion of the carriers will come before Congress in several forms. An effort will be made to fix a policy for the Interstate Commerce Commission. Voluntary consolidations are consider- ed more desirable than those result- ing from compulsion, but the com- mission has not been able thus far to bring itself to approval of any of the major grouping plans which have been lald before it. It is possible, how- ever, that before Congress again takes up the subject the commission will have acted in an important case which will serve as a precedent for other consolidations, as oral argu- ments on the Erie proposal were set in an announcement this week. Regulation of interstate operations of busses and trucks will be taken up by the national lawmakers at the en- suing session, the Supreme Court hav- ing nullified the efforts of several in- dividual States to take jurisdiction. The subject is of rapidly growing im- portance, owing to highway conditions and also because of the competition motor lines using the public roads are offering to the railways. Most of the well established bus and truck .com- panies favor regulation to protect themselves against irresponsible operators. G ‘While neither the railroad consolida- tion question nor the problem of regu- lating Interstate commerce along the highways promises to cost much, if any, nioney from the public treasury, proposals for waterways improvement reach their hands directly toward Uncle Sam's till. Economists are thinking more and more in terms of water transportation in considering various maladjustments in the present situation of the coun- try and its future traffic needs. ‘The Middle West has been hurt by freight rates necessarily higher than in the pre-war period. Ocean carriage at low cost has tended increasingly to give industrial advantage to the sea- board areas. The differential has wi- dened because water tonnage has not advanced anything lke in proportion to rail freight charges. The East and West Coasts, conthected by the Pana- Capital Sidelights Thero are many Interesting little stories about the Washington tax bills with increased assessment and slightly decreased tax rate, which would be amusing if they were not about pain- ful experiences. For example, two men work in the same office. One went to the tax assessor's office about the increase in his bill, and it was found that a mistake of $50 had been made and he got a new bill with this amount deducted. The other man had tax bills on two adjacent lots, which showed an in- crease of more than 50 per cent in the valuation of one and exactly 500 per cent in the valuation on the other. He also visited the assessor's office and found a mistake had been made—but the mistake was that his a sment had not been high enough last year and he was presented with a bill for the deflciency, although he had a re- ceipt in full for the previous vear's taxes. The deficiency bill was $43.20 His assessment had been increased from 60 cents to §1 per square foot on his inside lot and to $1.15 on his corner Iot. Next he found out that the assess- ment on the land in the square be- tween Fourth and Fifth, K and L 't runs less than $1 per square foot—this on improved business prop- erty in the very center of population, as against $1.15 assessment on his own vacant lot in a residential section that is considered to be deteriorating. But he decided to swallow his in dignation and pay the bill. When he got to the tax collector's office found that instead of $43.20 deficien last year he had to pay $84. They had slipped 1n also a second deficiency bill for $40.50 for the second year back— to correct a mistake for two years running made in the assessor's office. This same man finds that during the eight years he has owned his home the assessment has been almost doubled—and yet there are members of Congress who complain that Wa ington home owners are *pampered’ by easy taxes. As a feature of the bicentennial of George Washington's birth, in 193 it is proposed to attract lovers of ide; government the world over to this most beautiful of Capital cities for the organization of a world federa- tion of cities. Preliminary to this it is proposed that a similar gathering be held at Boston's tercentenary in 1930. Hun. dreds of invitations to cities through- out the world inviting them to send delegations have been sent out. One of the first to accept was Soviet Rus- sia, but when the Associated Press announced this Mayor Nichols of Boston promptly denied that either h‘e or the city had sent such an invita- tion. Inquiry revealed that William A. Ryan, a window washer, was the genius behind the proposed world federation of cities in the interest of world peace, with the slogan *“To Washington in 1932, and that he per- sonally had sent out the invitations. So_there's one big assemblage that Washington probably will not see. Every once in a while the congres- sional secretarial force suffers a dis- tinct loss. For there are men and women employed as secretaries and clerks to members of Congress who have “created” roles, as they say of noted actors. When they pass along —either into the business life or the Great Beyond—they leave a vacancy that speaks eloquently of the devoted service they have rendered the Fed- eral Government. An outstanding illustration of this is the departure this week of one of the most popular and helpful under- studies to Congressmen—George L. Clark, who has been 12 years in serv- ice and was_right-hand man to four prominent Michigan _members—the late Representatives Pat H. Kelley and Arthur B. Williams, and two present members, Grant M. Hudson and Joseph I. Hooper. _ “From newsboy to banker” is the inspiring human-interest, present-day story from real life of this still rela- tively young man who is going to handle the branch banking establish- ment in Lansing of a prominent New York Stock Exchange concern with headquarters in Detroit. His associ- ates in the House Office Building gave him a great send-off this week. The boy Congressman, Representa- tive Clarence J. McLeod of Michigan: first elected when he was only 25 years of age and the youngest man ever to occupy a seat in the House, assistant Republican whip and an ac- tive member of the House District committee which has primary jurisdic- tion over all legislation affecting the National Capital—is planning to quit the House. He will retire on March 4, 1929, according to present intentions, to seek the nomination for the Senate as_the “wet” candidate. Pitted against him in the contest will be another member of the incom- ing House, Representative Grant ) Hudson, who will be the “dry” candi date with the Anti-Saloon League support. ‘We have In training a young mem- ber of Congress from Illinois, who has had unusual State legislative experi- ence, and who now has his nose to the grindstone to become one of the best- informed men in Congress on all de- tails of the local administraton of the National Capital. One of our leading citizens, Representative Martin B. Madden of Illinois, chairman of the House appropriations committee, who recently erected here a palatial home, has placed his colleague, Representa- tive William P. Holaday, on the sub- committee on District appropriations, with particular instructions to learn all he can about the District, so as to be able to pass with the utmost in- telligence and fairness on the District budget and to further such improve- ments as are for the best interests of the Capital. Mr. Holiday has been devoting a considerable part of his vacation from Congress to a detalled study and personal inspection of the entire local governmental establish- ment. The District officials and clvie leaders welcome such intelligent co- operation. — ma Canal, are squeezing the interior more tightly. That rivers can be made to carry freight traffic cheaply and efficiently has heen demonstrated by operations of the Inland Waterways Corporation, which, under the guiding hand of the War Department, operates barge lines on the Mississippl and Warrior Rivers. This, it is to be noted, is only in- directly Government control. A large committee of shippers and receivers of freight in the Mississippi Valley appeared before Federal officials Fri- day to urge a recommendation that Congress authorize $50,000,000 in- crease in the capital stock of this corporation in order that additional equipment may be purchased as the need arises. All the capital stock is owned by the Federal Government, the present amount being $5.000,000. The barge lines have been obliged to reject shipments which have‘been ten- dered because of inadequate equipment capacity, these shippers asserted. The lakes-to-the-sea deep waterway project probably will not be in shape for presentation to Congress for final action at the coming session, vet the engineering and economic studies have progressed so far that the subject probably will be put forward for de- bate in preparation for future action. It appears certain that flood con- trol, Muscle Shoals policy, Colorado River problems, with the Boulder Dam project included, and general water- ways improvement will be more or less linked in the discussions on the floors of the two houses next' Winter. The fight will be to separate from the general situation those items which are ready for immediate action, it be- igg generally recognized that agree- ment on an allinclusive program is hopeless, even it all projects were in a condition where final settlement would be practicable. (Copyrixht. 1927.) e BY BEN McKELWAY. Last month marked the first time that the ordinarily beautiful Septem- b.: in the District has been marred by the receipt of tax bills. Hereto- fore the first installments on taxes be- came due in November, a gloomy month, marking the death of brisk, colorful Fall and the setting in of dull Winter’s siege, a season altogether in keeping with the receipt of tax bills. ‘This year the bright blue of Septem- ber skies was overcast by a melan- choly haze issuing from the office of Tax Assessor Richards. It has not heen the receipt of tax bills alone, but their vicious growth. Some of them are almost unrecognizable. Here a few years back they were nice, gentle littlo tax bills, easily handied; would parr when stroked and eat from the hand. But this Fall they have as- sumed, in many instances, Gargantuan proportions, snarling, spitting and re- fusing altogether to be pacified. Take, for instance, a young tax bill that lived up on Thirteenth above M street. Back in 1921 it was an attractive lit- tle thing c it had grown to longer wag its tail when spoken to. This year it turmed up in September, knocking over the parlor lamp when it entered and barked loudly to the tune of §304. The owner is now think- ing of selling the confounded nuisance and moving out in the country. * ok kK Not all of the tax bills have acted in this reprehensible manner, how- ever. Those in Northeast, Southeast and Southwest, of the “old city,” are still the same tax bills that they were ome years ago except for an increase i~ the tax rate. Some of the larger growth has manifested itself east of the Eastern Branch, but most of it has been in the business section and the Northwest suburban territory Here the bi have grown in some ses by leaps and bounds. But the afflicted owners of property for_ the most part have been complacent. Less n one per cent of those who pay have noted appeals A good many of them have descended in wrath upon the office of the tax as- sessor and have been satisfied with an explanation of the whys and the wherefors Others have not. There g paradoxical in the effect of the tax bills and the assessments unon which they are based. An in- creased essment, notice of a rise in property value, tends to send a warm, comforting glow through the veins of the property owner, leading him to stand on the sidewalks of a bright Sunday morning and gaze on hig castle with contentment. On the other hand, the increased assessment means increased taxes. Increased taxes often cause a dull headache and sharp, achy pains around the pocket- book. They should be attended to immediately. L The increased tax bills, generally speaking, are easily explained. Prop- erty values have risen and the tax rate is higher. Increased cost of building, combined with an active real estate market, has sent prices upward. Instead of assessments based WASHINGTONIANS FEEL EFFECT OF RISING TAX ASSESSMENTS sessor's office for not levving full as- ressments. And when Congress leaves off, the tax assessor's office is at- ;:I‘rl‘c]ed for making assessments too gh. As a matter of fact, and granting that there must be many cases where the assessment is justified neither by the asking price nor th consideration, the total property changing hands is lower by a good margin than the amount of money changing hands in the trans- fers. Sales prices are used as a guide by the assessors, but neither the high- est sales price. nor the lowest Is made the one standard for assessment. An average is sought, and where there have been no sales to show actual are taken tion by applying demon- strated values in one community to theoretical values in a similar com- munity. 1t is that in some instances the assessment falls below the s: price, while in others it is above the actual value as set down by a sale, * X%k Assessments for last yvear's taxes were carri 1 over from those made in 921 and 1922. The assess- this vear's bill were made nd on a rising real estate Next yea tax bills will be based on a later assessment still, some jnstances these asses be lower, the result of a slackened activity in real estate, with lower prices as a consequence. On the other hand, prices are holding firm for the most part, although there are indica- tions that the demand has caught up with and exceeded the supply of houses for sale, as compared with the situa- tion of a few years ago. Assessments in Washington are made on land and i ements. For this reason as- increase much more rapidly in the downtown busine: district than in_the residential communities. In the business scction the total as sessed value on property may be $100,- 000, the building being assessed at $20,000 and the land at $80,000. The assessment increases almost auto- matically from year to year, and the increase is usually rapid, although the building may be old, deterioated and becoming more useless every year. In the residential property the situation is reversed. The building may be as- sessed at $6,000 and the land at only $2,000. Every vear the building is subject to depreciation. At the same time the land increases in value, some- times very slowly, so that the assess- ment may remain fixed for years at a time, The decrease of surrounding vacant property, building of apart- ment houses or the infiltration of busi- ness will all combine to increase the value of the land and therefore its «ssessment. The same condition will result from a brisk activity in real estate, when a large demand and short supply combine to send property prices above their normal value. The trend of assessments and thelr comparison with sales prices are Indi- cated in the table which follows. The figures were chosen from those at the tax assessor’s office: on a two-third valuation, the assess- ment since the close of the fiscal year of 1922 has been on a full valuation. Higher tax rates have been neces- sary to raise the larger contribution demanded of Washingtonians to meet the expenses of the Capital since Congress refused to abide by a fair law and contribute proportionately. But despite these causes for increase, there are many demands upon the office of the tax assessor to explain them., Sometimes the explanation satisfles, and other times it does not. One hears constantly the oft-repeated assertion that the system of assessing the District is all wrong. It has be- come an annual custom for some Congressman to “expose” the tax as- proportion of cases where assessments exceeded sales prices than actually exists. Such cases were chosen for this table deliberately for the sake~of illustrating why there are complaints. A grand total for 122 squares, 647 sales and 811 lots comes to this: Assessments, Tentative, Actual sales 925-26. 9 Drices siPii785 855403231 $58.538.287 Fifty Years Ago in the Star The heavy rain which hit Washing- ton last Monday night was almost on 2. the fiftiet! - Fire, Flood and il niversary of a Public Archives. violent disturb- anceinthis city in 1877. It occurred on the 4th of Oc- tober of that year and did heavy dam- age, flooding some of the lower areas of the city, delaying travel, uprooting trees, injuring buildings and stocks of goods. Particularly heavy damage was done to the papers and records of the Patent and Land Offices, exposed to the weather by the fire of a few days earlier. The storm, indeed, was so se- vere that additional injuries were in- flicted upon the building, and some of the materials weakened by the flames were brought down, adding to the con- fusion. The Patent Office fire started a_live. ly discussion regarding methods of caring for Government activities in Washington, particularly the Patent Office, which was even then in need of more space. A suggestion was ad- vanced to erect a structure within the courtyard. Against this proposition The Star entered its objection in the following editorial, printed in its issue of October 6, 1877: “We venture to dissent from the rec- ommendation of the Patent Office Commission that another building be constructed in the courtyard of the Patent Office to accommodate the growing business of that office. Aside from other objections, the health con- sideration seems to forbid the utiliza- tion of this space for building pur- poses. There is no more air space af- forded now than is requisite for the number of persons occuping the build- ing, and in view of the extent of Gov- ernment ground yet available for building purposes, it would seem un- necessary to curtail the not excessive amount of light and air supplied in any of the Government buildings. And again, while there may be some convenience in massing together great numbers of public offices, the danger of serfous damage to public records from fire, etc., is so much increased by having various branches of public business transacted under a single roof that it would seem to be ad- visable to isolate each departmental building instead of adopting the pol- icy of concentration. “If the Patent Office needs more space, as it appears that it does, the proper course would seem to be for that department to occupy the whole building, as was originally intended. The Interior Department, which now ! uses so large a portion of the Patent Office, should be provided for with a building of its own. The truth is that the public buildings in Washington are altogether inadequate for the transaction of the vast amount of business of this great and rapidly growing country, and as a conse- quence the Government has to rent private buildings about town, of all sorts and sizes, to get some sort of shelter for the clerks and the public archives. Among the new buildings imperatively needed is one made ab- solutely fireproof and put in an iso- lated position and used solely for the storage of archives. In this repository of archives should be placed all pub- lic papers as soon as they pass out of use in current business.” Though half a century has passed since this manifest object lesson of the need of an archives building in Wash- ington was given by the Patent Office fire, plans for such a structure are only now being prepared, with the prospect that half a decade may elapse further before the Govern- ment’s irreplaceable documents are se- curely housed. This and That By Charles E. Tracewell. “If at first yllm don’t succeed, Try, try again.” Pel}fhapz no creature in the world better exemplfies the spirit of this old copy book maxim than the house cat. For sheer persistence the domestia cat makes the average human being look like a piker. It keeps on trying until it accomplishes its purpose, whether it be in opening a closet door or catching a mouse. The latter is one of the classic in« stances of sticking to a thing; but a cat displays the same trait a hundred times a day to its friends. There is a certain element of stub- bornness in the creature, of course, Persistence is partly stubbornness in any case. The stubborn child, other things being equal, is likely to turn into a “go-getter,” who keeps on ham- mering away until he gets what he wants. * ok Kk The cat Jack Spratt recently took a sudden, liking for the dining room table as a general reposing place. Now and then, during the past four years, Jack has shown a disposition ta sleep upon the table, but his latest fancy went far beyond that. This time he hopped up morning, noon and night. In fact, he practically had to be bodily removed in order for meals ta be served. The placing of a new cloth upon the table was a sure sign of Jack's ar: rival. No sooner would the cloth ge on than old Spratt would hop up. The thing was automatic. * ok ok Jack conducted a great deal of hiy daily ablutions upon the dining room table, therefore, as well as constituts ing it his favorite sleeping place fot the nonce. Those who understand cats will reak ize without further words why thi: action upon the part of the househol pet was tolerated. There was no thought of fon bidding him his preferred place. Thq only problem was how to seqw enough tablecloths for daily use. Jack is an inveterate washer, spend ing many hours a day in this faveritq cat pastime. As clean as he {s, th constant licking is bound to leave stray hairs around. Sometimes they will brush off, and sometimes they won't. In the lattey case the only thing to do is to put ox a fresh cloth. * ok ok % One evening a particularly fancy tablecloth was spread out. No sooner was the back turned thay up hopped Jack Spratt. He was promptly removed. “Keep off that table, now,” was th¢ admoniton. But a cat, like some peo ple, readily fails to understand wheg it does not want to understand. The moment the room was empty; up went Jack. “Stay off that table!” came the ste: command, as Jack Spratt, striped ta! and all, was lowered to the floor oncy more. He sat looking up with a determined gleam in his gooseberry-green eyes. “Let’s go away and see what h( will do.” Every one knew what he would do No sooner was the room empty thay there came the sound of a soft tbud as_Jack sprang onto the table again ‘When we looked in, there he was curled up asleep by the bread plate It is perhaps unnecessary to statt s that he remained there during th{ meal, constituting a' somewhat un usual but pleasing table decoration. —————— A Possible Candidate. Weak Bonds. From the Asheville Times. ‘Those Russian bonds held in France do not seem to bind the two peoples any closer té{fether. From the Oklahoma City Times. Probably neither party is consider ing Babe Ruth as a presidential can didate, but it begins to look as if M could carry New Xorks ' t ’