Evening Star Newspaper, March 31, 1929, Page 30

2 THE EVENING STAR With Sun M Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY........March 31, 1920 TEEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Ne:;papfl Company Rslvania A Chicago Office: Lake igan Building. Eurapean Office; 14 Reent B1. Londons 'rhnll‘v.: Py g:rflfl! ‘Within the City. Py T frnine e S 60¢ per month 85¢ per month e Sunday Stas / giaeties Badh i I LY SR s Ordery ma ent y mall or telephone Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday 1 Daily only Siindas only All Other States and Canada. Dally and Sunday..1 yr. $12.00; 1 mo. 31,00 ily oni; 1 mo., i8¢ Bindes oty 16.00; 1 mo., Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is cxclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dis- atches credited 10 it or not otherwise cred- d also the local news ublication of 150 reserved. herein a Co-operative Conservation, ‘The ambidextrous ability of Uncle Sam to use both hands at once is no better exemplified than in the spectacle which shows him urging the oll leaders to curb production as a conservation measure and immediately investigating to find out whether, in agreeing to his proposal, these oil leaders are vio- lating any provisions of the Sherman anti-trust or the Clayton law. There is nothing particularly conflicting in this demonstration of agility. At least, it is sincerely to be hoped that the De- partment of Justice will not find any- thing conflicting. 1In reaching its decision last Thursday in New York to hold oil production in the current year to the 1928 output, the Petroleum Institute was taking a co- operative step in conformity with the recommendations of the Federal Oil Conservation Board. The action of Secretary Wilbur of the Interior De- partment in asking an opinion from the Attorney General on the legality of this step is merely precautionary, and is not, as it might appear, a hasty effort to lock the stable after the horse has gone. Secretary Wilbur also wishes to know what powers, if any, the Oil Con- servation Board may have in holding down production. Dr. George Otis Smith of the Geo- logical Survey, who attended both the meeting in New York and a previous meeting of representatives of the oil industry in Texas as the representative of Secretary Wilbur, is high in his praise of the oil leaders, whose action, he believes, “is indicative of a new ap- preciation of responsibility.” Dr. Smith points out that the oil operators are in essential agreement with the Federal Ofl Conservation Board, which repeat- edly has called attention to the lack of balance between supply and demand in the ol industry. The excess of produc- tion has resulted in the storage, at pres- ent, of approximately five hundred mil- lon barrels of crude oil above ground, an amount that is about twice as large as is considered necessary. The coun- try's consumption of crude oil products since the formation of the Ofl Conserva- tion Board by Mr. Coolidge has in- creased about twenty per cent. But in the same time the amount in storage above ground has increased twenty-five per cent. With this huge surplus already piled up, present production is adding to it. ‘While fears might be expressed as to the effect on the price of gasoline of thus holding down production, more fears should be expressed as to the financial burden assumed by the oil industry in taking care of its vast ac- cumulation of above ground reserves. ‘This cost is, of course, passed on down the line, and is paid for by the con- sumer. Shutting down on production is ‘merely storing oil where nature stored it in the first place, under the ground, and nature charges no interest on that investment. The Oil Conservation Board has pointed that out more than once. *The ofl operators are not only marching in step with Mr. Hoover’s announced policies of conservation, they are demonstrating their widely known busi- ness acumen. If the Department of Justice finds that an agreement to curb production conflicts with laws, there should be and there will be ways to change those laws to meet a condition where voluntary action, not conspiracy in restraint of trade, but co-operation in restraint of waste, is necessary and desirable in the interest of the public. ——rre—— Owing to differences of custom among nations Uncle Sam hardly feels war- ranted in explicitly demanding a “tee- total” diplomatic corps. ———— State Department Files. A letter has been written by a mem- ber of the House of Representatives to the State Department calling attention to the manner in which records of that department bearing upon the foreign relations of the Goveérnment are kept in wooden cabinets and asking for sug- gestions for their better preservation from destruction by fire. As a result of this inquiry may come an appropria- tion for fireproof containers for the flles of the “foreign office.” The condition of the files in the State Department is not exceptional. It is, indeed, typical of the conditions in all the Government offices, with a few ex- ceptions. For many years one of the most urgent needs of the Government has been a fireproof archives building, in which the documents not of current use might be stored. It has also re- quired an almost complete new equip- ment of structures for departmental and bureau work in which cuzzent files could be kept in siewy. An archives building is on the pro- gram of the public construction plan for early development. It will probably be in the second group to be started in the Mall-Avenue triangle. Whether the files now so inadequately stored in the State Department are to go into that new bullding or afe to remain within the department’s precincts, it 18 assured that & great volume of the Govern- ment's permanent records now exposed to destruction by fire and by dampness will in & comparatively short time be safely stored. » In this connettion arises the ques- tion of what provision is to be made for 8 new home for the Department of State, which is now inadequately housed as a co-tenant in the bullding to the west of the White House and is also scattered about in various outside ac- commodations. No site has been men- tioned for this construction in the pro- gram of buildings to occupy the Mall- Avenue triangle. It is, however, in- dicated that the site favored by the commissions is the square lylng immedi- ately north of the present bullding. Whatever the position preferred provi- sion for the new State Department should not be long delayed. None of the readiustments incident to the con- structions immediately in progress and contemplated will relieve the State De- partment congestion or grant it space for the consolidated housing of its own bureaus. of the urgent public bullding needs. No provisional makeshift metal cabinet equipment that may be provided to ledsen the risk of the loss of valuable current papers will suffice. ————— Political Rumblings. that the presidential election is out of the way and Mr. Hoover is safely en- sconced in the White House, has be- come a fruitful topic of discussion. New party alignments are predicted, and the prospect of upbuilding a really strong Republican organization in the South is discussed particularly in the light of the pronouncement recently made by Presi- dent Hoover that the Republican or- ganizations in three of the Southern States must be cleaned up or there will be no further Federal patronage han- dled through those organizations. Outside of the talk of strengthening the G. O. P. in the South, there is little discussion of the future of the Re- publican party. Most of the discussion centers about what is to become of the Democratic party. So far, no one hes been able to predict with any certainty just what is to happen to the party of Jefferson, Jackson, Cleveland, Wilson and, finally, Smith. The Democrats in the past have discarded presidential candidates who have been unsuccess- ful at the polls, except the late William Jennings Bryan. ‘Three times Mr. Bryan was the party standard-bearer and three times he failed. Grover Cleveland tried to stage a comeback and did so, after he had been President and then lost a second continuous term. But Parker and Davis faded rapidiy from the political picture after their defeats in presidential elections. Immediately following the election on November 6 last, with Mr. Hoover car- rying the country overwhelmingly, there was wide comment that former Gov. Smith of New York had &hot his bolt and was “through” politically. This may be the fact, but there is more and more dissent arising to such a state- ment of the case. Indeed, alreacy there is a militant group which believes that the star of the former Governor of New York has by no means set, that four years more of education and work on the part of his friends will see him in a stronger position than ever before, and that in 1932 he will be able to carry the “Solid South,” four States of which he lost in the recent election, and the country along with them. It is evident that this group intends to work assid- uously to bring about this result. Their argument will be that if the Democratic party is to continue as a national party, and not become merely a party of the Southern section of the country, it must continue to support Gov. Smith. It looks with satisfaction to the iact that Smith carried Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and is urging that he will have a good chance to carry New York and other Eastern States four years hence, | particularly if a real drive for prohibi- tion enforcement is staged in those States. S0 much for one group, the Smith dle-hards. ‘There is another group of Democrats, however, who hail from the ‘West, which takes no stock in.the talk of Smith in 1932. This group looks to a Midwestern Democrat to carry the party standard in the next presidential election. No one from New York State, they say emphatically, will have a look- in for the Democratic presidential nom- ination, thereby eliminating Gov. Prank- lin D. Roosevelt along with Smith. The West, they insist, is through with New York leadership in the Democratic party. And there is some reason to be- lieve that the delegations from the States of the West which went to the Houston convention to vote for Smith this year will not do so again. The Democrats of the South are try- ing to catch their breath after the tor- nado that hit them Jast Fall. Except those who are opposed to prohibition, they are not talking Smith. These same Democrats of the South are seeking to build up their own political fences be- fore the coming congressional election, and they look askance upon the efforts of the Republicans to rear a real party in their section of the country, capable of electing members of Congress as well as of carrying the States for Hocver or any other Republican nominee for Pres- ident. The Democrats, of all factions and groups, are waiting for something to turn up. In the meantime the Repub- licans are watching with considerable satisfaction ss Mr. Hoover takes the reins of Government more strongly into his hands. — ot The little fellow who got squeezed in stock market movements may be dis- couraged, but he is not reformed. Playing in the Street. Dr. Claude A. Burrett of the Flower Hospital of New York has issued a timely warning to parents to reiterate to their offspring the admonition “Be careful while playing in the street.” Spring fever affects both adult and child and each year additional warn- ings are necessary to impress upon the parents the necessity of repeated warn- ings to their children. BSeventeen of the twenty-two Jjuveniles admitted to the hospital in one week, the doctor pointed outl, were hurt in street games. “All mothers,” Dr. Burrett said, “chould warn their ohildren to observe the utmost care while out of doors and to use the playgrounds whenever possible.” The same advice could well be given to Washington parents. This is the time of the year when the youngsters, imbued with the sense of activity that Spring so invariably gives, will begin their late afternoon games of hide-and- It must be regarded as one | THE SUNDAY greatly within the past few years, there are still too few in operation to take care of the needs of all the children. It is perfectly natural, therefore, that immature minds should decide that the’ street is the next best place and it.is here that parental discipline should be brought into play. Years ago it may have been fairly safe for the juveniles to enjoy their fun in front of their homes. But horse-drawn vehicles were never the danger that automobiles are today. Un- der present conditions no public thor- oughfare should be used for the games of children. Even the less frequented streets are unfit for this use. Engrossed in his games the child will fail to heed the occasional passing machine and this failure often spells injury or death. Regardless of all the precautions taken by parents there will still be chil- dren who will disobey and it is dis- tinctly up to the motorist to drive with such care that the lives of these young- sters may be protected. A special sort of right-of-way should be given to chil- dren frolicking in the streets, and under The future of political parties, m‘.!these circumstances the motorist should hold to a slow speed with eyes alert and hands and legs ready for instant action. If parents do their part and motorists theirs Washington should have a low juvenile fatality rate during the Spring and Summer months. —— et Mergers Under the Law. It is told of the late John G. Johnson, celebrated Philadelphia corporation lawyer, that when his most important client, E. H. Harriman, sought advice as to the legality of a proposed railroad merger, Johnson rendered a four-word opinion for which he charged $100,000. It read: “Merger possible. Conviction certain.” The plan was abandened. The world moves. Nowadays corpora- tion executives, eyes pecled on the Sher- man anti-trust law, meticulously watch their step. Today we read of the pro- posed $100,000,000 combination between the Radio Corporation of America and the International Telephone & Tele- graph Co., whereby the greatest cable- radio-telephone amalgamation in the world is to be effected. But in announcing this porgentous deal, Gen. Harbord, president of the Radio Corporation, points out that the agreement just reached “is merely an accord as to the desirability of a con- solidation” of the various communica- tion systems involved. It is “a tentative plan” under which the consolidation “may be accomplished when the law permits.” Unmistakably the high con- tracting parties expect changes in the Federal statutes, which will sooner or later validate their vast project. Until such amendments are enacted matters are evidently to remain in abeyance. It is a case of “safety first.” ‘There is deepest significance in this cautious program. It indicates that big business is not the ruthless juggernaut it is so often depicted, especially by flamboyant men in public places and for claptrap political purposes of their own. Today corporate capital is vigi- lant net to break the law, but to obey it. No more graphic illustration of that situation has come to the country’s no- tice in a long time than the circum- spection with which the Radio Corpora- tion-I. T. & T, merger is being incu- bated. X i e A submarine journey to the North Pole is planned by Sir Hubert Wilkins. Exploration has not disclosed much on the surface. As a matter of thorough- ness it may as well be of interest to ascertain whether there is anything re- markable down below. et There can be no enthusiasm about the possibility of the latest styles in um- brellas being featured in the Easter parade. e Old John Barleycorn is evidently ambitious to be represented in society drama, as well as in “Ten Nights in a Barroom.” v A bone-dry law is no excuse for a bone-head demonstration by a reckless representative of subordinate authority. o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Overwhelming the Orchestra. Frogs are hollerin’, low and high. Birds are singin’ as the day drifts by. They sound like a fiddle or a flute in tune, Till the North Wind bellows with his big bassoon. When the music’s goin® sweet and strong Discord is certain to come along. The clouds hang over the sun and moon ‘When the North Wind bellows with his big bassoon. Proceeding With Caution. “Your oratory is not improving.” “I'm going slow in cultivating elo-| quence,” said Senator Sorghuin. “Some of the finest of our old orators experi- enced the worst defeats.” Jud Tunkins says he has no hope. of any brand of farm relief that will let him depend on watching the stock ticker instead of listening to the alarm clock. Fond Remembrance. 1 remember—I remember— ‘Those happy days gone by, ‘When people spoke in merry jest Of prunes and pumpkin pie. I remember—I remember— With sentiment so deep, ‘When hash aroused but little jest And pork and beans were cheap. ‘Home, Sweet Home. » “Would you marry an aviator?” “I'd hesitate,” answered Miss Cay- enne. “He is so perfectly at home in an airplane that he might frequently for- get about the dinner hour in his regular domietle.” “There are two kinds of dance,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown; “one enables youth to show that it is happy, the other to seek forgetfulness because it is not.” - Hard Labor. 1 played the market and I won. But pretty soon the play was done— In each transaction losses lurked. Thenceforth I did not play. I worked. “To git a plitical job,” said Uncle Eben, “takes 80 much industry and to seek, hop-skip-and-jump, or base ball. | hold onto it needs so much vigilance While the playground situation in the | dat it National Capital has been improved n’ gits to be 'bout de hard-work- form of employment dar is.” STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, MARCH 31, “EVERYDAY RELIGION BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D, LL. D, Bishop of “The Universal Challenge.” One of the most distinguished jour- nalists in America who himself had passed through a great sorrow that had prostrated him told me that he made & survey of the world’s literature in search of some definite afirmation that would deepen his assurance of immortality. Like many another, he read all the great philosophers. In them he found tepeatedly expressed the yearning for immortality, and in some instances ex- pressions that seemed to affirm it. My friend was asking the age-old question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” After his long search through philose ophy and literature in general, he turned to the Scriptures. 1In the Old Testament he found repeated expressions that sug- gested the endlessness of life, but not until he turned to the New did he find anything that suggested supreme au- thority. As a matter of fact, going clear back to the Egyptian books of the dead and Funuln( the study through Attic phi- osophy and on to the latest word that has come front the pen of Sir Oliver Lodge, there is nothing but speculation, or what some one calls “guesses at truth.” It is only from the lips of the Savior, whose glowing resurrection we commemorate this day, that any defi- nite word has come in answer to the deepest yearnings of the human soul. Here we find in Him alone the word of finality and authority. In no literature in the world has one dared to affirm, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live,” or again, “Be- cause I live, ye shall live also.” True, He does not attempt to give to the in- quiring and anxious mind any word concerning the conditions of the after life. The most outstanding suggestion He gives concerning rewards and judg- ments is found in the parable of Dives and Lazarus. Based upon His stupendous utterance the Christian Church round the world has been builded. St. Paul's conviction is that of Christendom, “If Christ be not risen from the dead, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” So deep is this conviction in the great apostle that in his fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians he gives us Washington the finest interpretation of immortality contained in any literature. What these affirmations of the great Master have meent to humanity, who will dare to say? Sorrows have been mitigated, the cry of despair answered, the broken heart healed. With Christ'’s word cf assurance we pass from speculation and conjecture to definiteness of statement and fixity of belief. It is not unreason- able to say that the message of Easter brings more of solace and comfort to the human heart and mind than any the world has heeded. Without it we are “Like children crying in the night. And with no language but a cry.” For nearly 20 centuries of time count- less millions have accepted the mighty statements of Christ, and upon t| their s and expecta- tions concerning immortality. The be- lief which this day affirms has a dis- tinet and immediate bearing upon life here and now. Jesus did not by teach- ing or suggestion imply that we lived two lives. He spoke of life in terms of unbroken continuity. He made it clear= ly evident that this life was & prepara- tion for the larger, fuller life that is to follow. It is inconceivable that one who holds to the teaching of Christ should regard the brief span of life here with- out regard to its relation to the more abundant life of the future. St. Paul believes this so deeply that he says, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.” This whole conception of immortality lifts life to & new plane of dignity and power. It emphasizes the transcendence of per- sonality as well as its persistence. The earthbound man, whose concerns are limited by time and space, may live his life carelessly and rd the end of it all as simply that of penalties or re- wards; on the other hand, the man who places his trust in the sovereign word of the risen Christ must of necessity conform his habit of life now to what he believes it must be hereafter. In a sense, we are “the architects of our own fortunes.” “The ideal life, the life full of completion, haunts us all.” So we come again to another Easter day with the ancient salutation, “The Lord is risen, He is risen, indeed.” President Hoover’s Innovations Are Making for New BY WILLIAM HARD. President Hoover's relations with the politicians of his own party have become the immediate outstanding feature of h\sd policies and activities at this week end. What will be the effect of the Presi- dent's momentous pronouncerment re- garding Republican political patronage conditions and regarding Republican political party prospects in the South? What will be the effect of his appoint- ment of ex-Representative Newton of Minnesota to be one of his secretaries in the Executive room of the White House? What will be the effect of the retention of Dr. Hubert Work as chair- man of the Republican national com- mittee? What will be the effect of the President’s refusal to give to the Con- gress an exact recipe for the cookin, and serving of a farm relief bill? An 50 on. All these questions, intensely debated now in Washington, go really toward the same point. The point is: How is Herbert Hoover getting aloni in the political sense as the leader of his party organization? * % k& It may be answered, to begin with, that he seems likely to get along with- out much assistance from the Repub- lican national committee as a whole. | The chairman of the committee, Dr. | Hubert Work, has indicated that the committee will not hold any meetings till toward the eve of the next presidential election. Dr. Work himself has de- parted for the distant West. The labors of his committee headquarters here have been reduced to a minimum. No longer do those headquarters pro- vide the party with a great center of gossip and of action as in the days | when Harding was President and John Adams was national committee chairman. _The Republican national committee here is now almost as in- active and lifeless and useless as the national committee of the Democrats. The Democratic national committee has never been a vital force in political propaganda or in the shaping of party policies since Representative Cordell Hull of Tennessee ceased to be its chairman in 1924, The Republican national com- mittee has now joined the Democratic national committee in fading away out of all actual collective political im- portance. It is an extremely odd thing that we have ‘“party government” in this country and yet that the committees which ‘are chosen by the parties to rule them and represent them are really for the most part mere shadows and illu- sions without any governing substance. In any case the Republican national committee, as even the mouthpiece of the party to itself, or as even the organ of party statements to the gn&l, is in retirement or abeyance. he power even of party conference and of party talk has migrated elsewhere. * K K K It is at this_point that the impor- tance of ex-Representative Newton emerges. When he was appointed to be a secretary to the President, it was an- nounced that he would have special charge of the President's interest in the so-called “indepenaent establish- ments” of the Government, which are not headed by cabinet officers, and in the general problem of the reorganiz- ing on business principles of the de- artments and _establishments and ureaus and u{encm and services of the Government in the District of Co- lumbia, This is indeed his duty, but he is also performing a auty 1mmenulx more politically important and—indee: ~—revolutionary. Mr. Newton is the special agent of the President in the matter of conference with members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives. He served in the House of Representatives for 10 years. He is widely acquainted with Representatives and Senators. He has their good will both for his intellect and for his character. He is a man of out- standing mental and moral qualities. He is also a man of proved political ex- perience and success. He is eminently qualified for the task of maintaining a continuous contact between Republican- ism in the White House and Republican- ism in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. The main point, though, about Mr. Newton is not so much his admirable personality as it is the mere fact of the existence of his job. No former Presi- dent has ever had a secref who had nothlngmdowithtmrem r run of | P the dent’s correspondence and nothing to do with the rej run of the President’s visitors, but who could give_virtually his whole time and energy to the maintenance of co-operation be- ad of the party in the and the members of the National Legislat: * K K X This s an innovation of the most crucial political importance and value. Taken together with the present con- dition of the Republican national com- mittee, it means a Emtound shift in the balance of Repub] party - ment and power, It means that the ;:- N avea) aee sedily weighing ed by are s wel g less and that -the Republican Senators and Representatives (elected by the ) will decisively weigh more and mo? in the (u:’m\tx.l-mn of party policies party projects. q’l'l'hht is the reality that lies behind the President’s refusal to give orders to_the Congress in the matter of a farm reiief or any other bill. The Presi- dent is not gof act_as a dictator toward his in Congress. He, White House party in the . Political Conditions nevertheless, as the appointment of Mr. Newton abundantly and conclusively roves, is going to consult with his party Congress more continuously and more intimately than any previous President :‘l‘o ‘Washington's contemporary. recollec- n. In other words, Mr. Hoover's concep- tion of a party seems to be that it should be managed by those members of it who have been elected y the peo- ple to public office and who are respon- sible to the people for immediate public legislative and administrative action. ‘That same point would seem to under- lie and explain the President's pro- nouncement on Republican political af- fairs in the States of the South. For years the Republican party has been recognizing Republican Southern or- ganizations which had no hope of elect- ing any Republican to office, but which, nevertheless, were conceded large in- fluence in the counsels and conventions of the Republican party nationally. The President now virtually says: * ok kX “I will give no consideration to any Southern Republican organization which exists merely for purposes of party and of patronage. I will extend my presi- dential favor only to organizations which bestir themselves to be of good repute within their States and to be able thus to persuade their States to elect Republicans to local office and to national office.” All these activities, then, by the Presi- dent are of one piece. They all tend toward making the Republican party less a party of background patronage politiclans and more a party of politi- cians out in the forefront of the public gaze through having been actually re- sponsibly elected to the public service. It may be a good idea, or it may be a poor idea, politically; but an idea it certainly is, and the President can be seen at the end of his first month as President consistently and vigorously promoting it. (Copyright, 1929.) ———oee Petroleum Production Curtailment Possibilities BY HARDEN COLFAX. If, without running afoul of the law, oll producers can curtail the production of petroleum, as proposed at their New York meeting last week, it will not fol- low necessarily that the miljions of au- tomobile owners in the United States must pay more for their “gas” although a price increase of fuel oil, that rapidly growing sister of gasoline, would not be surprising at all. Gasoline production in 1928 was 377,- 183,000 barrels of 42 United States gal- lons each, an increase of 14 per cent over 1927, while the domestic demand was 328,832,000 barrels, an increase of 11 per cent, according to Bureau of Mines figures. Refineries handled 912,- 831,000 barrels of crude petroleum, of which 77,674,000 barrels were of for- eign origin, last year, an increase of 10 per cent in a year. The average yield of gasoline was 41.3 per cent, contrasted with 39.6 per cent in 1927. What the American Petroleum In- stitute proposed at its meeting last week was restriction of production to the basis of last year—902,000,000 barrels in the United States—which was less than a million barrels above the 1927 out- | &1 put. Its committee calculates that, thiough higher recovery of gasoline by present proved processes, a percentage of 60, instead of the 41.3 of last year, can be attained, thus giving sufficient “gas” from 628,600,000 barrels of crude to supply 1929 market demands, instead of the 912,800,000 barrels required last year for a slightly smaller market de- mand for gasoline. PR But of course a larger recovery of gasoline from crude oil would mean less fuel oil from a given quantity of crude petroleum. The result well might be that there would be no increase in the price of gasoline but & raise in fuel ofl. This would not anger the coal men, at least, for fuel oll has been displacing considerable coal for household, as well as industrial, purposes. ‘This question of price to the consum- ers, wherever it strikes, is the real dan- ger point in the program of the ofl roducers. There has been overproduction of pe- troleum in the United States for some years. The question of conservation of naw & natural resource enters heavily into | im the present situation. The magly of petroleum is not inexhaustible. vern- mental agencies have sounded repeated warnings. The report of the 1 Oil Conservation Board, created bfly an comj In- terior, War, Navy and Commerce De- nts, with experts of these de- partments as advisers, urged conserva- tion, President Hoover was & member 1020_PART 3. Capital Sidelights BY P. KENNEDY. How industry has achieved another le” has been emphasized during the hearings before the House ways and means committee on the new tarift bill, which is to be one of the two main legislative efforts in the extraordinary ‘session of Congress. A fabric that looks like silk, feels like silk and wears even better than silkk has been made from cotton, according to testimony that comes from the antipodes of the cotton industry—from the cot- ton-growing South, with Representative Marvin Jones of Texas as the spokes- man, and drom cotton-manufacturing New England, with Representative Edith N. Rogers of Massachusetts as herald. Mrs. Rogers has come to be known as “the homemade lady” because she invariably wears goods manufactured in her district. She has had garments made from the new fabrie, “Sudanette,” to forcibly impress her colleagues, just a8 she has been wearing woolens and velvets and other fabrics of home manufacture. She explains that with scores of mills in Massachusetts all set to turn out cotton goods by the millions of yards, along came the modern girl and woman demanding silk raiment, so something had to be done. Down in New Bedford William W. Hobbs of the third genera- tion of cotton manufacturers developed & process of turning cotton into a beau- tiful and serviceable fabric, sunfast and tubfast, that costs little more than cotton and a great deal less than silk, with the durability of cotton and the shimmering luster of silk. M-s. Rogers introduced Mr. Hobbs to her colleagues at the Capitol as a hero of the cotton industry. Another trail blazer of the industry has also been called to the attention of the tariff students, also & New Bed- ford man, C. F. Broughton, Who has made it possible for American yachts to proceed to new victories under Amer- ican sail. Heretofore yachts built in America and sailed by Americans have had their sails made from foreign duck. Mr. Broughton had special machinery built and turned out sail duck that was first used on the yacht Wildfire, owned by Charles L. Harding of Bristol, R. I, after having been subjected to most rigid tests by Dr. Millard of the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology in com- petition with foreign fabrics as to strength and stretch-resistance, which showed the new domestic product to be superior. On their tour of New England cot- ton, silk and paper manufacturing plants the subcommittee of the ways and means committee headed by Repre- sentative Treadway of Massachusetts made personal inspection of these progressive processes to keep American cotton manufacturing industry in the forefront. * % % % Grandmothers in Congress—most certainly there are three of them, and they all expect to take their grand- daughters to the Easter egg-rolling on the te House lawns. They are Mrs. Katherine hn‘gley of Kentucky, Mrs. Ruth Pratt of New York and Mrs. Ruth Bryan Owen of Florida. . These three grandmothers are all noted ora- tors. Mrs. Langley is a graduate of Emerson College of Oratory, Boston, and taught expression at Virginia In- stitute. Before becoming a Represent- ative herself she was the daughter and wife of Congressmen. Mrs. Owen has the added felicity this Eastertide of l;lvllgmbmh a d-u;m;r and grand- aug] young enough to play on the White Hvu‘se llw:. P H And we have great-grandfathers in Congress—one of the proudest of them | being Representative Elliott W. Sproul | of Illiinois, who basts that he is a great- | grandfather ae;er:l times over. * x Legislation to protect the motor tourist from having his attention dis- tracted at danger spots along the high- way and his view of the most pic- truesque stretches obstructed is urged by Thomas F. MacDonald, chlef of the Federal Bureau of Public Roads. After a careful survey this official protests that “there is little of fairness to the public in the fact that the in- dustries which depend upon the high- ways for their whole business (the au- tomobile industry chiefly and next the hotel and restaurant business) should maintaining thousands of glaring, dis- figuring signs, standing road signs for convenience of the public.” “These signs,” Mr. MacDonald points out, “are concentrated on the main traveled highways and are habitually placed at turns in the road where the motorists should be giving most care- Tul attention to driving. stances they cut off the view of aj proaching cars at curves and at road intersections. Some even cut off the sight of approaching trains at unpro- tected grade crossings. Those which carry the word ‘Stop’ and other words ordinarily employed on the legitimate warning signs weaken the force of the properly placed cautionary signals.” and $10,000,000,000 in the later year, had a return of less than 4 per cent; not equal to savings bank interest on the money involved. ‘While the need for mflu probably proved the spur which caused this effort to curtail production by agree- ment—a matter which may have to hurdle a few legal obstacles—leaders of the industry believe the profits can be secured by stoppage of waste without bringing about higher to con- sumers. In January and February this year half as much crude oil went into unneeded storage as during the entire year 1928—added storage being 6,500~ 000 barrels in January and 7,500,000 in the short month of February. The storage supply of olls in the country is ual to about 240 days’ consumptive demand, whereas 100 days’ supply is considered adequate. By storing more than double the amount nm%me industry is paying more than ble the necessary cost of interest charges on inventories, more than double the insurance premiums, etc., and is using too mm{ tanks, which cost 50 cents ém barrel of capacity to construct. Profits, many leaders believe, rest in the savings | which can be effected by curtailed pro- duction. * ook ok Beyond this is the question of an ofl supply for the future. So far as the automobile is concerned, automotive to use fuel other than gasoline, but, aside from other considerations, to do this would cause the junking of present motors in which the public has more than $17,000,000,000 invested. ‘The question of international agree- ments on conservation was raised last week at the meeting of the Petroleum Institute h the presense and par- ticipation of Henri Deter , man- 2 director of the Royal Dutch-Shell . of Europe. These interests have it holdings in Venezuela, as ‘This curtailed pro- is proposed by the American interests not only for the United States, but for Veneguels, Mex- ico an South America, for well as elsewhere, duction d Northern which area the institute has set uj 3 imittees. be the worst offenders in erecting :ndl which interfere with| engineers know they can change motors | be safe i1 | ument, the plumb-bob weigh! ds being suspended i BANK' CONSOLIDATIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘The United States now has the third h?utunxmthemldnndmewn- solidation which brought this about is expected to lead to a series of bank consolidations and absorptions which conceivably might give this country first place in the list of great financial institutions. Reports of the consolida- tion of the Guaranty Trust Co. and the National Bank of Commerce in New York have been fully confirmed by offi- cial announcement of their boards of directors. The consolidation results in the standing of the three largest banks in the world as follows: The Midland Bank, London; Lloyd’s Bank, London, and the new consolidated institution, the name of which has not yet been announced, New York. Each one of these institutions -now has assets of more than $2,000,000,000, a sum of money difficult to think of save in terms of Government finance. What the New York consolidation portends is exercising the imagination of every one in the financial world both here and abroad. Some 10 years ago there was what might be called an epidemic of bank consolidations and absorptions in England. The larger in- stitutions consolidated and then pro- ceeded to absorb literally scores of lesser institutions until such vast structures of finance as Barclay's Bank, the Westminster Bank and the National Provisional Bank arose. Indeed, Bar- clay's and Lloyd’s have from time to time both claimed to be second only to the Midland in size. Latest figures show Lloyd's now to be ahead. Now it must be remembered that the National City Bank of New York has been the largest bank in the United States _since 1897, a period of more than 30 years. Tremendous prestige attaches to the premier bank o? a na- tion and already it is hinted that the National City looks with dismay upon the wresting from it of the laurels of first place. That an attempt will be made’ to remedy this situation is not doubted. Alone it has a capital of $100,000,000. After the consolidation the Guaranty and the National Bank of Commerce show but $177,000,000 capital. Neither before the consolida- tion was as large, therefore, as the National City. So by consolidating with some other great institution the Na- tional City can regain the title. Al- ready the names of the Equitable Trust Co. and the Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. have been mentioned as possible subjects of consolidation. With these the National City again would be at the top. Size Affects Big Loans. It is not thought that the struggle will stop there. Mere size of a bank attracts business. Great corporations take their business to great banks. Under various laws banks can lend no more than a certain percentage of capi- tal to one borrower. Under the na- tional banking act the limit is 10 per cent. Now, take the case of a railroad or a vast industrial corporation which sud- denly wants many millions. It will go to a bank, which has capital large enough to mieet its needs and that bank will thereby grow still bigger by earn- ing the interest on the huge sum. Before the recent consolidation the bank ranking second in the United States was the Chase National Bank of New York. It, too, is expected to take up the competition, and to do so will have to effect consolidations. Ru- mors are afloat that there may be a merger with the great Brooklyn Trust Co. The ideas stirring in the minds of the bankers at the head of these in- stitutions may well be imagined. The National City was first, the Chase sec- ond and the National Bank of Com- merce third. Now the National Bank of Commerce, through its merger with the Guaranty Trust, overtops them all. If consolidations of this sort take place in New York, theu Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Chicago will almost cer- tainly follow suit. The Continental and Commercial National Bank of Chicago now is the largest bank outside of New York. By making judicious mergers it might attain to the New York class. This is the more probable in view of the fact that Chicago is engaged in a strug- gle to yme an out-and-out rival of Wall Street as a money center, bringing the Chic: Stock Exchange into direct and effective competition with the New York Stock Exchange in bidding for business. Status of Trust Companies. These developments have broad na- tional interest, for tremendous potential effects uj the Federal Reserve system are involved. It is thought that, as the result of the latest New York consoli- dation, the National Bank of Commerce will yield up its national charter and become & trust company. Trust com- panies may engage in more different kinds of business than national banks. This would not necessarily mean with- drawal from the Federal Reserve sys- tem, but the tie would be looser. A trust company may withdraw from the system at will; a national bank must, by law, remain a member. Should consolidations result in general dls-r- proval of Federal Reserve System poli- cies, and, as trust companies, the great merged banks withdraw from the sys- tem, its power to control credit would be very appreciably diminished. Colos- sal sources of credit would be utterly beyond its control. There are other reasons why this two-billion-dollar bank just created should interest all Americans. Both have intimate associations with the National Government. ‘The National Bank of Commerce be- gan business in 1839 as the Bank of Commerce. As the Bank of the United States had just previously closed its hectic career, the new institution ex- pected to become the fiscal agent of the United States. As a matter of fact, it has consistently worked closely in co- operation with the Government, espe- cially in the great financial panic of 1857, and again during the Civil War, when President Lincoln placed much reliance upon its financial aid to the Union cause. It gave full co-operation to the Government in the World War as well. The Guaranty Trust Co. was or- nized as the New York Guaranty & f:demmny Co. in 1864—during the Civil War. It grew steadily, and in 1896 opened a branch in London, being the first American financial institution to open a fi)reigln office. About 1910 it came under the influence of J. P. Mor- ga-n. and about that time absorbed the 'amous old Morton Trust Co. and the Fifth Avenue Trust Co. Growth then was very rapid. During the World War the Guaranty engaged in widespread activities, but was particularly active in the selling of Liberty bonds. It holds the record cf selling more Liberty bonds in four out of the five drives than any other financial institution in the entire Nation. Fifty Years Ago In The Star ‘The following description of the pre- liminary work for . the completion of - : the Washington Foundation of Monument, in"the relaying of the Monument. fgungation 111ty years ago, is printed in The Star of March 28, 1879: “The grounds immediately about the Washington Monument that is to be show unaccustomed signs of life and activity. The work of strengthening the foundation is well under way. Offices, storehouses, blacksmith's, car- penter’s and rigging shops, great piles of sand and other materials, the noise of the engine driving the concrete mixer, and the busy stir of workmen about” the scene, representing actual labor on the Monument instead of talk about it, give the imPrenslnn that per- haps the reproach of the uncomple work will be removed after all. The strengthening of the foundation of the resent structure is necessary whether he original plan of the Monument is carried out or whether Mr. Story’s de- ign or any other be adopted. Hence the work now going on aims at and tends to the completion of the Monu- ment. “The scheme of the new foundation is that recommended to the joint com- mission by Col. Casey. Its aim is to underpin the structure and to distribute its weight over a greater area, so that the pressure will not exceed the re- sistance of the ground to be pressed. It becomes necessary to undermine the Monument and to replace the earth to a_considerable extent with masonry. This is a delicate operation and the manner in which it is performed is in- teresting. Only a thin vertical layer about four feet in width is tunneled at a time and every precaution is taken to prevent the bringing to bear of an unequal strain upon the structure. “The tunneling of one of these deep, narrow_trenches takes about two days and a half. Ten hours are then occu- pled in filling it with the Portland cement concrete which, when it sets, becomes as hard as stone. It is placed in the trench in layers about six inches deep and pounded into a solid mass. When the trench is nearly filled, an improvised battering ram is used to drive the concrete firmly and snugly into the ends and tops of the opening. Pinally the cement concrete, reduced to the consistency of cream, is intro- duced by pipes running to the end of the tranch. As a fall is given this liquid from the outside by hydraulic pressure, it forces itself into and fills every crevice of the concrete mass and hardens into stone with the rest. Eight of these tunnelings have been made and filled. Seventy-two will be neces- sary. When two tunnelings at cor- mgondtnl distances from each corner and one about the center of each space have been made, the work will go on more rapidly, as the structure will be comparatively well supporfed and it will e to dlva two trenches simultane- ously. “The present digging looks like rather ticklish business. The workmen bur- row under a mass of stone weighing nearly 32,000 tons, which has already shown that it does not stay where it is put. It may be said that it is ex- pected that the work of underpinning will remedy the slight depression dis- covered to exist in the level of one corner of the Monument. “Though every precaution is taken the work secure and prevent ering such a toppling, if one occurs, are not neglected. Levels are taken twice a day at the four corners and a wire plumb-line falls over 150 feet i from the top to the bottom of the Mon- twenty pounq n molasses to prevent vibrations after the movement which the bob indicates has ceased. If | the Monument moves in direction a_distance equal to the ess of & sheet of paper it will be readily dis- wm’l‘l:uatmuonm t, the means a jumen! m¢ Ay b This and That By Charles E. Tracesell. A yellow cat came along Pennsylvania avenue to see what he could find. It was about 8 o'clock in the morn- ing, when the midtide of workers strode firmly along the pavements on their way to their daily tasks. The bright yellow cat came out of & store and made bis way gingerly across the sidewalk to the doors of & pave- ment cellar. Just as he got there a man stooped down to pet him. * ¥ % X Why is it that more men are to be seen petting cats on streets than women, although the latter are popularly sup- posed to be the great friends of the feline race? An observer will see men everywhere stooping over to stroke the heads of dirty, stray alley cats. This is partic- ularly noticeable in the downtown sec- tions, where cats are not seen as often as in residence districts. Those who like cats are always on the watch for them. Perhaps that is why so many men will be seen petting them. Almost always they are dirty. These downtown cats live mostly in stores and when they stray out they meet only dust and coal dirt. They scarcely know what grass is, or how delicious a roll in honest clean dirt may be. They have e:lr? incentive for keeping themselves clear, for they find it to be a hopeless task. The more they lick themselves, the dirtier they get. * ok k¥ ‘The yellow cat showed his apprecia- tion of a friendly hand by winding around the legs of the pedestrian and sticking up his head. ‘Then he walked on. A yellow cat makes an especial ap- peal to many cat friends. Usually they are tiger-striped, maybe in two tones of yeliow or with white. Some_yellow cats resemble miniature lions. Usually they have bright yellow eyes, which add to their general ap- pearance. The Pennsylvania avenue cat had & white chest—at least it was by nature white, but city living had turned it into a sort of gray-white, showing the effects of cellar living. * % ox % This cat's objective was the sidewalk cellar. Perhaps the nflufi can down there and it knew it from experi- ence. Just as it was poking its head over the opening, looking down into the cel- hrfi‘;n automobile back-fired. g! The cat stiffened, and instead of run- ning, as one might have supposed who had not observed cats, immediately sank to_the ground in a crouch. This is the invariable reaction of the houss cat to sudden danger as mani- fested by some startling noise. | . Until the cat discovers who or what the noise is he remains where he is. Perhaps it is not & bad plan, after all. ‘What is the use of moving until one knows what to move from? ‘There he sat, or crouched, ready for the yellow cat stood up again and con- tinued his investigation of the subter- raneen recess. ‘The last we saw of him was his yellow as he disappeared into the side- walk cavern in search of food. ———————— Maybe They Can’t Afford 'Em! From the New Castle News. It is worth noting that very few of the big jobs are held by men who-like ;%‘ gt;y three fountain pens in & vest moisture, and the result is a honey- comb of interstices between the stones that is traced readily by the air suc- tion upon the flames of the lamps of the men excavating. in stren