Evening Star Newspaper, July 28, 1929, Page 4

EXPECTS SURVEY T0 SAVE MILLIONS Lamont Predicts Distribution Census’ Results in Radio Forum Address. (Continued From First Page) facturers, distributors and merchants, | who have urged it very strongly and have participated actively in the pre- liminary worl Feiker Discusses Methods. Mr. Feiker, who is prominent as an! editor, publisher and expert consultant | on business, discussed in detail the | method by which the Commerce De- artment hopes to furnish an author- tative answer fo the question: “How is business?” Facts and figures will be gathered, he sald, which will have “a far reaching effect on the future prosperity of every business man in our country.” Since 1921, when he came to Wash- Ington to serve for two years as an Assistant Secretary of Commerce under | Secretary Hoover, Mr. Feiker frequently been retained by the Commerce Department as consultant. In his ad-| dress, he suggested that it may not be many years before information about business conditions is so advanced that newspapers may carry condensed answers to the question, “How's busi- | ness?” with the regularity and accuracy | attaching now to weather reports. Secretary Lamont’s speech in full | follows: I deeply appreciate the | courtesy of the Columbia Broadcasting system in enabling me to speak this evening about a project of major mag: nitude, for which the initial prepara tions are now under way at the De partment of Commerce. Last week important conferences were held at the department—attended by QGovernment officials, eminent economists, editors, industrialists, trade association’ executives, advertising men and professors of business administra- tion. These men constituted the ad- visory committee on the coming census of merchandise distribution. Their de- lberations, I believe, were of vital mo- | ment to our people. Distribution Census Is New. Congress, just before its adjournment, | passed the bill providing for the taking of the next decennial census. In that act there is a provision authorizing an entirely new activity, a kind of enu- meration never before taken—namel & Nation-wide census of dis‘ribution. For many decades we have gathered statistics concerning population, agri- culture, manufactures, mines, quarries, births, deaths, marriages, divorces, wealth, indebtedness, taxation, munici. pal and State finances, current busi- | ness, and many other phases nt‘lourl industrial and social life; but we have | never gathered, in any Nation-wide, official effort, the facts and figures to | help in tracing the history of com- | modities in their movement from pro- | ducer to consumer; this will be done, | for the first time. in 1930. Just what is the character of this new distribution census, you may ask. ‘What does it aim to accomplish? What does it mean to the average merchant, to the manufacturer and the consumer? In attempting to answer those que: tions, let us look first at certain con- siderations that form the “background” of the problem. Amazing Business Progress. In recent years, American business has devoted much attention and enorm- ous amounts of money to the problem of reducing costs of production. Amaz- ing progress has been made. The in- creased use of power and the develop- ment of labor-saving and time-saving machinery, the stepping-up of produc- tivity per man and many other factors have served to make American manu- facturing the wonder of the world. What has been accomplished in this; field is in reality equivalent to an in- | dustrial revolution. Although costs of production have | been continually lowered by these methods, the costs of distribution have | been increasing. We hear from all' sides serious complaints regarding the cost of geiting commodities from producers to consumers. One of the reasons why we have not made more progress in increasing the efficiency of distribution is the fact that we possess relatively little comprehen- sive information about the movement of commodities. We have in this country wvery excellent statistics on the produc- tion of all kinds of goods. This includes both the material collected by the Bureau of the Census and also the many current series of statistics com- piled by governmental agencies. by trade associations, technical periodicals and others. Lose “Sight” of Commodities. But, statistically, we practically lose sight of every commodity once it is pro- duced. In only a few instances are we able to follow the progress of commod- itles through the various stages of marketing and distribution. It is be- lieved by many students of business that more adequate information on the movement and marketing of commod- ities would enable business men to re- duce the costs of operation very mate- rially. That has, in fact, been proved con- elusively by our department’s pre- liminary studies into the costs of dis- tribution during the past several years. ‘The department has been trying to find out what it costs to sell, deliver and collect for individual items and what these particular services add to the costs of distribution. ‘The department’s first excursion into this fleld was to examine the results of a forward-looking wholesale hard- ‘ware dealer who had done considerable work in this direction on his own ac- count. Through a system of allocating costs to individual commodities, this wholesaler discovered that on approxi- mately half of the 12,000 items that he was carrying in his warehouse, he was losing money. By a similiar study he discovered that a large proportion of his customers were buying in such small quantities and under such conditions that they were a liability to him rather than an asset. After several years' study of these facts he determined to act upon them. Cost Cut and Profits Rise. i As a result, he reduced the number of commodities handled from 12,000 to about 6,500. He reduced the number of customers on whom his salesmen called from about 1,400 to 700. He also made large reductions in the number of firms from which he purchased L Through these drastic changes in his methods, he reduced his sales territory about one-third; he reduced his volume of business about one-third; but on the basis of three years' operations he has increased his dolln{ profits by ap- ximately 35 per cent. p“.’knotheryol the department’s studies was an analysis of a wholesale grocery establishment, undertaken in co-opera- tion with the National Wholesale Grocers’ Association. It was brought out, here that the profits on slow-mov- ing items were eaten up long before the goods moved out of the wholesaler's warehouse. In other words, he was giving away profits on other lines of in order to carry, needlessly, these slow-moving commodities. Losses by Over-Coverage. a study of a large wholesale dry- oo hnuu.ylt has been found that the is sending traveling salesmen into 17 different States, although more than 70 per cent of its volume of business is obtained in parts of two States. I think it is a safe guess that the final analysis will show many territories that are causing the house a serious net loss. The only way in which this infirmity of “sick distribution” can be cured is by study of specific cases of the iliness, as is the practice in the field of medi- eine. The t, there! SECRETARY LAMON Speakers in the National Radi orum last night. THE SUNDAY STAR, FREDERICK M. FEIKER. —Star Staff Photo. a result of excellent collaboration with the merchants and bankers of Louis- ville, Ky., a thorough survey of the grocery business is being conducted in that city. This, I believe, is the most compre- hensive attempt ever made to study the distribution of commodities. The task consists of several parts—includ- Louisville and the surrounding territory; a study of the credit conditions and complete census of food distribution” in the city, including all types of outlet: a cost analysis to 10 wholesale and ma; ufacturing establishments, and a similar analysis of 28 retail grocery stores. The urvey has developed a great number of nteresting facts, which I have not time | to mention in detail. Survey of Credit Methods. During this past year a comprehen- been carried on by the Department of Commerce. The result_show the per- centages of goods sold for cash, on charge accounts and on the installment plan. They point the way to the avoid- ance of injudicious practices. Some time ago, the department. in carried out experimental censuses of distribution in 11 American cities. Many arresting facts were brought to light with respect to the character of ownership of stores, the annual earn- ings: confusion and ‘“overlapping” in the handling of seemingly incongruous “lines”; the merchandise groups that are registering the most sensational gains. and the numerous peculiarities of local consumer-preferences. The facts that are coming to light in these studies into the cost of dis- tribuition and credit are, in many cases, unexpected even by the busi- ness men directly concerned. The weak spots in our distribution machin- ery are being recognized, to & degree at least. Possible economies are being indicated which may put many mer- chants_in a better competitive posi- tion. Facts helpful to all business men have been discovered in the analyses of the specific experiences and problems of individual distributors. Some of those facts are unpleasant, to be sure. but it is better that business men should know them and be guided accordingly than to run into them blindly. Department Is Qualified. But the work must be done by a body which has the confidence of business and which has no axe to grind, if really constructive good is to result. I feel that the Department of Commerce has both of these qualifications, and we are glad that we are in a position to serve the industries of the Nation by carrying on this research program on behalf of business. Unblased by per- sonal interest, we possess facilities which have been built up sten bv sten on a solid foundation during the picnecring efforts that I have eitad. As I mentioned at the beginning cf this talk. we purpose next year to ex- tend this research work—in accordance with the mandate of Congress—by carrying out a Nation-wide census of merchandise distribution, through the Bureau of Census in the Department of Commerce. This census is designed to show, for the first time in the history of the country, the value of retail and whole. sale business by classes of stores, by commodities, and by geographic units, for a large percentage of the total sales. The speaker who is to follow me in this Radio Forum, Frederick M. Feiker, will tell you more about the details of the undertaking. " ‘We shall obtain, through this census, a vivid picture of the ways in which merchandise moves in our American business system. Shafts of light will be thrown upon many dark places. The eventual result to be the elimination of countless wasteful practices in dis- tribution—crude, inept, prodigal prac- tices that now levy a toll of millions of dollars annually on the purses of our people. Need for Census Long Recognized. 1 think it should be clearly under- stood that this census of merchandise distribution is not solely, or even chiefly, an idea proceeding from the officials of the Department of Com- merce. The need for it has long been realized by many prominent manufac- turers, distributors and merchants, have urged it very strongly and have HRANEH offl THE ABOVE SIGN s DISPLAYED BY AUTHORIZED STAR BRANCH OFFICES ‘; l ing a market analysis of the City of | ity of our commercial structure. | will be performing a genuinely pa=- bankruptcies in grocery stores there; a | | | | | game?” collaboration with local business bodies, | participated actively in the preliminary work. By responding with energy and dil- igence to the requests for data needed in this census, our American merchants will help to bring to fruition a gr loneering venture in the determina- ion of economic truth. They will be showing a consciousness of the salslgl:r- ey triotic act. And, moreover, they will be doing something that may ulti- mately rebound to the substantial ad- vantage of their respective enterprises. The preliminary steps toward the census of distribution have been au- spicious. May the final result be crowned with the reward of economic | usefulness and social betterment! | T thank you for listening to this dis. | cussion_of ‘the project. sive survey of retail credit methods has | Mr. Feiker spoke as follows: Great Point In Conversation. Every man within hearing distance of my voice has probably either asked or answered this question once today— “Well, how's business?” Next to the weather, business is the greatest start- ing point for a conversation, with the possible exception of “How's your golf In the right-hand upper cor- ner of your favorite newspaper you learn each day the answer to the question, “How's the weather?” It may not be many years before in the left-hand up- per corner you will find a_condensed | answer to the question, “How's Busi- ness?” So universal is this question, so im- | portant to the everyday conduct of trade, that it is not strange that busi- | ness men have asked the Government {to help them find the answer. Eight | years ago, when President Hoover be- | came Secretary of Commerce, he called | together at Washington group after group of business men representing all kinds of business and asked them how the Department of Commerce could aid industry and trade. As a result of meet- ing with scores of committees there were established a_series of activities and services in the Department of Com- merce, all tending to provide ways and means of reducing great areas of waste in the production and in the distribu- tion of commodities. From these meet- ings with manufacturers and retailers, engineers, bankers, exporters, advertis- ing men, and scores of other groups, there were established many helpful services to Industry and trade. U. S. Work Saves Industries Millions. No government in time of peace has | ever developed so highly organized ar™d effective a service as has been devel in the Department of Commrce. This work has saved millions of dollars to industry and trade. It represents also the greatest development of teamwork in business. Participating in this or- ganized effort to reduce wastes have been the business organizatis such a: the United States Chamber of Com. merce. hundreds of trade essocietions, ftechnical and scientific societies, and the organized trads and technical press. One great fact has stood out from this eight years of analysis and service of business. We need more detailed facts to do business at a profit. The rule of thumb is passing. Manufacturers apply- ing invention, labor-saving machinery, power, new management methods, have cut the cost of production. Wages have been maintained and increased, costs reduced, and the sale of commodities extended into thousands of homes. All these improvements have come through better knowledge of costs. In a word, we have learned how to measure and coltrol costs of production. We are still in the initial stage of finding how to control the costs of dis- tribution. Great areas of waste exist, not through the fault of the individual but because the individual does not know. When you discover. as one job- ber did by analyzing his sales and gmms. commodity by commodity, that e could make more money by reducing msh;l;lume, statistics mean something Obsolete “Rules-of-Thumb.” We have many rules-of-thumb in business. One is “I must have a com- plete line.” Probably there is more money tied up in inventories, more stock getting dusty on shelves, and more loss in distribution from this rule-of-thumb than any other. Manufacturers work- ing with the Division of S8implified Prac- tice of the Department of Commerce have found that it is possible to save thousands of dollars in inventory and increase turnovers for the retailer by ADVERTISENENTS it RECEIVED HERE Monterey Pharmacy—3532 Conn. Ave. Is a Star Branch Office No matter where you live, in town or the nearby suburbs, you'll find one of these Branch Offices in your neighborhood, where copy for Star Classified Advertisements may be léft, in- sured of prompt insertion in the first available issue. Branch Office service is ren- dered without fee; only regular rates are charged. The Star prints such an over- whelmingly greater volume of Classified ~ Advertising day than any other Washing- ton paper that there can be no question as to which will give you the best results. every “Around the Corner” is a Star Branch Office eliminating lines. In one case a line in one conference between and_seller, from 66 styles and varieties to 11. ‘The present census of distribution is not entered into blindly, but represents the results of co-operative work Ly business men and Government during ’t;u past eight years for a definite ob- ctive. It is perhaps the greatest piece of team work between business and Gov- ernment that has been organized since the War Industries Board was formed. For the first time,’ in our commercial life, every business man in practically every line of trade and industry will be asked to "23.3'" Facts and figures will be gath which will have a far- reaching effect on the future prosperity of every business man in our country. Questions Asked to Help. When you receive a tabulated state- ment of queries about your business, or when some day in early Spring next year our enumerator from the Bureau of the Census calls at your place of business to ask what may seem like a lot of impertinent question, remember that he is your representative in the Government. He is asking these ques- tions for your information and not just for the sake of satisfying curiosity. As business men, we have asked the Bureau of the Census to count the num- =r of men engaged in various classes of wholesaling and retailing; to inquirs into the capital inves in each of these businesses; to supfly information as to the volume of sales of different classes of commodities. We have asked the Bureau of the Census to make this master analysis of our great sales and distributing machine, because through that bureau every piece of these data is confidential, every man engaged in the task of collecting the figures is sworn to secrecy, and no figures are published which reveal the individual business of any enterprise or establishment. Preaent Views Are Tentative. Secretary Lamont mentioned, at the beginning of his talk. the conference of the advisory committee on the census of distribution which were held in Washington last week. I had the privilege of serving as chairman of the committee. Various thoughts were to you. Naturally, the views presented were merely tentative, since the project is still in too early a stage for definite recommendations. I will tell you, how- ever, about some of the matters on Which there seemed to be a “meeting of minds.” It was the consensus of the experts present that the census of distribution ought to be limited to the handling of commodities. In other words, it should be strictly a merchandising census. It had been suggested, at various times, { that it might be advisable to ascertain | the facts about the so-called “service | industries”—such activities as those of bankers, insurance agents, realtors, se- curity exchanges and (in a different | field) beauty parlors, barber shops, au- | tomobile service stations and the like. It would appear, however, that it is not yet feasible to undertake so com- prehensive an enumeration, and that 11t 1s better to concentrate on the task of obtaining the facts about what hap- pens to actual merchandise as it passes from producer to consumer. ‘The census of distribution is to include both wholesale and retail ments. As regards the distribution of “‘consumer goods” (that is, those ready for final consumption by the individual consumer, as against those destined for use by industries or for further proc- essing), the census will probably omit commission agents, manufacturers’ agents, and merchandising brokers, It is frankly recognized that the omission of firms in these latter classes is a deficiency which we should try to remedy in later censuses. Two Schedules to Be Used. In taking the census of retail mer- chandising, two different schedules of questions will be employed, according to our present plans. The first will be a short form. which all retailers will be required to fill out. The second schedule, calling for the presentation of considerable detail as to the business transacted. will be submitted to the i larger retailers. It must be borne in mind. in this connection. that about 10 to 15 per cent of th~ retail estab- lishments “account for something like 60 to 75 per cent of the retail business— so we feel that the value of this mer- chandise-distribution census will not be seriously impaired by the fact that we cannot absolutely complete details con- cerning the business of the smaller re- tallers. These smaller merchants will be requested to supply details, if they keep such records as will enable them to do so—but we know, from our ex- perience in previous investigations, that a very large proportion of the retail merchants regrettably do not keep de- tailed records. Many of them can give, about the conduct of their business. Besides this study of the manner in which *consumer commodities” are handled, there is to be a census of in- dustrial distribution, in which we shall endeavor to obtain the facts about manufacturers’ purchases of raw ma- terials, semi-manufactured articles, ma- chinery and other equipment, and sup- plies for the maintenance of the plant. Since the data about these operations are in the possession of manufacturers, it is believed that they should be ob- tained, next year, in connection with the regular census of manufactures. With respect to such dealings there is a deplorable lack of information at the present time, and the facts to be brought out still undoubtedly prove ex- WASHINGTON brought out which may be of interest establish- | at best, only the broadest general facts | tremely valuable and enlightening. They ' DG JUEN - 28 will illuminate many problems and con- ditions that are mnow shrouded in obscurity. “Do Not Expect a Panacea.” I think perhaps I should sound one note of caution with regard to this com- ing census of distribution. It would be unwise for business men to entertain too high hopes, or cherish too confident expectations, as to what the census 'lfiecdo for them individually. Tt will be a highly important economic study— but we can hardly expect that it will prove a panacea, immediately ylelding large profits and resulting in miraculous transformations. A manufacturer who expects that the distribution census will give him a precise, infallible record of what happens to his mouse traps, or shaving - brushes, or alarm clocks in every mercantile establishment between his factory door and the consumer’s home is, inevitably, doomed to disap- pointment. Such an expectation is ex- travagant, and a moment’s thought will show the impracticability of attempting to _present any such detal. ut the census of distribution will, none the less, bring together a vast array of “background material.” These facts should hel r&lo clear up numerous points of uncertainty—to dispel many doubts and unravel many difficulties—to stimulate investigation and bring about reform along many lines. It should aid us tremendously in our commercial thinking. Through a study of. the figures, business men will unquestionably recognize many things that had not previously occurred to them—and some of these are certain to be striking. “Just what are some of these things?” 1 imagine you are asking. Getting right down to “I tacl to the actual, immediate conditions that a merchant has to deal with in his effort to make a living—what helpful facts can we bring out in a census of distribution? Secre- tary Lamont has told you some out- standing ones. Let us look at a few others—for example, at some facts de- veloped in the Louisville Grocery Survey. to which the Secretary has referred. Specific Figures Found. That study showed that meat is in- disputably the leading food item in the family budget. It appears thal the expenditure for food, per capita, is about 44 cents a day. Of the money tpent for food in 2,972 retail outlets, meat represented more than 17 per cent, general groceries nearly 16, dairy and poyltry products 11, canned and bot- tle goods 9'; and bakery good al- most 7 per cent. Meals and lunches which were included in the tabulation accounted for 13!, per cent of the total food expenditure. There you have spe- cific figures that mean something to |anybody in the grocery business—fig- ures that serve as guideposts for the successful conduct of his activities. ‘This limited census of distribution | Loulsville indicates that for stores h: | ing sales of less than $25.000 annually, rent and similar factors loom up as a (pretty important element from_the | standpoint of prices and profits. Rent, |in those stores, accounts for from 3 | per cent to more than 8 per cent of the expenses, whereas the corresonding fig- ures for stores doing $25,000 worth of business, or more, ranged from 1.78 per | cent down to 1.24 per cent. The lowest | rent._expense in proportion to sales is shown in stores having sales of from | $75,000 to $100.000 annually. Here | again are significant facts in the field | of distribution—facts with a very vital | bearing upon business success or failure. Credit Bureau Spread Bared. ‘The Department of Commerce has been conducting a national retail-credit survey, and a preliminary report of the results recently appeared. It discloses the widespread employment of credit bureaus; the extensive use of finance companies by automobile dealers in financing installment sales and the prevalence of the use of standard terms in such sales, and the high percentage of “returns” and “allowances” on or- dinary charge-account sales among de- ‘partment stores. We learn, by the re- | turns from 440 department stores doing |a total volume of business of nearly {one and one-third billion dollars, that | approximately two-thirds of the sales are for cash and one-third for credit. In the year 1927. 27 per cent was on open credit (regular charge accounts), while 6.1 per cent represented install ment_credit. | I think you will readily agree that | these are concrete facts of unguestion- able utility to the “hard-boiled” man of business. It is such fac's as these, on a tremendous Nation-wide scale, that | we shall endeavor to obtain in the 1930 | census of distribution. | It is impossible to overestimate the advantages that a man cf judgment and penetration can derive from the | study of business facts. He should in- | sist on them inexorably—like the far: |er in the story that Assistant Secrs tary of Commerce Julius Klein likes to tell. This farmer was listening to a futile argument as to whether one should say of a hen that she is “sitting” or is “setting.” Finally he lost all pa- tience and cried out: “That subject you're discussin® don't int'rest me a-tall. ‘What I want to know is: When I hear a hen cackle, is she laying or is she lying?” That worthy agriculturist was & devotee of facts. Because of my own profound convic- tion of the value of the distribution census of 1930, I take this occaslon to urge American business men everywhere to co-operate fully with the Govern- ment and with their fellow business men in making the enumeration a suc- cess. The benefits that they will ce- rive from such co-operation are ob- | vious. | President Hoover received, a few weeks ago, the report of & “Committee | | may not be like Jack, while. What is a vacation? and fourth, other things. AFTER WORK, PLAY All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. We “‘jack.” People who use their heads don’t work till they drop, they know when to stop—for a To one, travel; to another, sports; to a third taking a rest every so often. but we sometimes lack Common sense dictates Vacation expenses need not necessarily be large, yet they do at times call for more dollars than ‘we can conveniently spare just then. We don’t want to borrow money as a favor, but welcome a loan as a matter of business. MORRIS PLAN BANK Under Supervision U. S. Treasury 1408 H St. N.W, Washington, D. C. 1929—PART 1. DE PRIEST AFFIRMS LOYALTY TO PARTY Declares He Expects to Re- main Republican and Fight for Rights of Colored Race. By the Assoclated Press. Representative De Priest, colored, Re- publican, Chicago, said in a letter made public here yesterday that he expected | to remain in the Republican party and “fight for the Negroes' rights” in that party. ‘The letter was addressed to the Chicago Journal in response to editorial on “The National Negro | Party,” which De Priest said was based upon & misquotation of his views by ' another Chicago newspaper. “I have never advocated the forming of a special political party for Negroes and never expect to,” the letter said. “I am a Republican, elected on the | Republican .ticket, and expect to stay in the Republican party, and to fight for the Negroes' rights within the Re- publican party, for that is the only party that has ever passed any con- | structive legislation for the benefit of that part of American citizens known as Negroes.” Sisandios, = Train Service Criticized. By Cable to The Star. BUENOS AIRES, July 27—Bolivian Minister Jose Maria Escalier inter viewed President Hipolito Irigoyen yes- terday regarding faster communication between Bolivia and Argentina. Min- | ister Escalier pointed out that the present travel time between the two | cApitals was 96 hours, which could be | shortened by 22 hours by operating | on the Cremallerns-La | | | i on Recent Economic Changes.” ‘This is a high-brow name for a remarkable inquiry into the causes of American prosperity. What are some of the rea- sons for our present prosperity, and how can we continue to be a prosperous Nation? The committee of economists and business men says in a nutshell, ‘The reason we are more prosperous is because we have found a way to do business faster: we turn out manufac- tured products in million lots at a min- imum price; we have extended credit through time-payment and other easy- buying plans so as to increase consump- tion of commodities: we have applied sclence to reduce costs.” Leadership Is Vital. “We will continue to be properous.” | states this same body of m’:n,p"“ll we | have business men who know. An in- formed leadership is vital to continued | prosperi If we are to continue to | prosper and to increase our wealth, we | must know more. The census of distri- | bution will provide new facts which | men of imagination in business can | put, to work. During the past 10 years we have | perfected, as in no other nation, the | means of transmtiting organized knowl- edge to business men. Our trade associ- ations have provided a means for team- work on business problems. Our trade and technical journals have provided the forum for the discussion and dis- semination of industrial and business practice. In the words of President Hoover: “This dissemination of kncwl- edge is as important to industry and trade as invention.” We have increased our facilities for communication so that it is possible, tonight, through this great chain of 50 stations, to broadcast busi- ness information to millions of listeners. We have established business and tech- | nical schools, and we have set up great service bureaus of the Government— like the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture—to pro- vide specific aids for trade and industry. In a word. we have in the United States a great body of business men oragnized as in no other nation, for eliminating wastes and serving the public. We have, through the trade as- sociation, the trade and technical press, the radio and the newspaper, a way of reaching these millions. Profits Depend on Knowled, ‘The Bureau of the Census will facts on distribution which can tributed through these means. There remains only the will to do. | Chicago's motto, “I will!" Statistics will not take the place of | | | rovide dis- % PLOT AGAINST 1., |any means, Al Smith Says He May Be Absentee Voter in Four Years By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, July 327—A chance remark from a man like Alfred E. Smith is, of course, apt to send political reverber- ations rolling all over the coun- He made one today, when he congratulated John R. Voorhis, grand sachem of Tammany and resident of the New York Oity ard of elections, on achieving the age of 100. “I hope I'll see you four years from now if I come down here 0 register as an absentee voter,” former Gov. Smith told Voorhis. And that's all hesaid. But “four years from now” would be 1933 and the then President, if from New York, would be an ab- sentee voter. GIL DENIES RUMOR HE WILL NOT QUIT Provisional Head of Mexico Declares Intention to Leave Office. Special Dispatch to The Star. MEXICO CITY, July 27.--Because uf persistent rumors that some legal means might be found to retain provisional President Emilio Portes Gil in office after the November elections, the Presi- dent called the foreign correspondents into & conference at noon today and issued = general statement flatly deny- ing that there was any truth in these stories. The President met the correspondents immediately after he had talked with Pascual Ortiz Rubio, candidate of the administration’s national revolutionary party, who is opposed by Jose Vas- concelos, candidate of the Anti-Re- electionist party, in the campaign of the presidency. Predicts Orderly Election. “I feel certain that the coming elec- tion will be carried out with absolute liberty and without disorders,” the | President sald, asserting that his gov- ernment was supported by all the state government in its desire to “give the most, complete guarantees of liberty in the exercise of the suffrage.” As a rule, he explained, election dis- it | prders are caused by the authorities s | themselves when they are not zealous LIMA, Peru, July 27.—La Prensa. & enough in complying with their d'm:x. newspaper which enjoys the confidence | I the authorities respect the laws and of the government. tonight said that furnish liberty of the vote, he gaid, the two plots recently discovered by the po- | PeOPle Will also be respectful of order and will not “start anything.” lice were fostered by an emplove of the | "1 is my moct nramst LoFre " Senor Russian Communists and designed to Portes Gil declared, “to turn over ihe create difficulties for the United States. | Bovernment to the candidate elected the coming balloting. and to serve my | g y It said that one movement Was pre-| couniry in whatever role is aseigned mo pared at the capital and another at the | e e D oo desb BaThetter—orefcoiy workmen on instructions of some inter- Replies to Letter. national asociation which carries on| During the course of the interview, propaganda sagainst “what they call| the writer showed the President a copy Yankee imperialism,” but which in fact | of a lengthy communication addressed is an agency of Russian Communists| to him July 4. signed by 15 Socialistic endeavoring to create difficulties for the |and radical Labor groups, in which & United States. legal argument was put. forward inter- It was charged that literature found | preting the electoral articles of the con- with him proved that he was receiving | stitution as enabling him to remain in money from the Soviet. His mission | office, and urging him to do so. Asked was to organize at the Talara oil fields for his comment on this document t disorders similar to the outbreaks a few | President acknowledged that he had re. months ago at Santa Marta. Colombia. | ceived a copy, but declined to say any La Prensa also stated that Ipara- more than “I have replied to it as a guirre informed his headquarters, which matter of courtesy was said to be in Mexico, that he had | While the President's statements con- secured the help of “defeated poli-|tains no direct assertion that he wiil ticians.” who would start a revolution | not consent to continue in office, he did at Lima. One of the anonymoussay the following pamphpets _ circulated recently was| “I consider that it fx advicable that quoted as saving, “The tyrant (appar- | those of us who have held public posi- ently referring to President Leguia). | tions for a long time should leave the must know it. If he does not want to | fleld, so that other elements will alsy listen to the clamor of the Peruvian have an opportunity to fill those posic people and leave the power, we will | tions. Finally, it is my desire to offer throw him out, and we will not avoid | evervthing that I am capable of for the not excluding that of | continued strong and loval unity of political crime.” | revolutionary family (meaning the party | now in control). to present a solid front | for the benefit of the republic.” (Copyright, Xg?s ) Art Hickman, Music Notable, Ill. BAN FRANCISCO. July 27 (#).—Art Hickman, widely known orchestra leader and conductor, was seriously ill hospital here today. Physicians said three blood transfusions had been made in an effort to save his life. 1S CHARGED IN PERU Employe of Russian Com-| munists Said to Be Agitator of Trouble for America. Iparaguirre came there to organize the i3 N | Horse Rescued From Shaft. TOWANDA, Pa, July 27 (P.— Anthony Wasko knows his and his knows him. 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