Evening Star Newspaper, February 23, 1930, Page 30

3 THE EVENING STAR | With Sunday Morning Edition. - fWASHINGTON, D. C. »,mur..... .February 23, 1930 | ®EEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office. 11 838 Pepnevivinia Ave, New fee: 110 3 Rate by Carrier Within the City, B sy iy ¢ Do month R Sundens) ;80c per month Bunq (when § Sundavs) 65¢ per month The Sunda: 0p: iy St 5c per c Collection made at the EIGJI each month. m .T'fi& sent in by mall or telephone Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. nd and Virginia. Maryla { Efly ané Sunda 11 v ‘oniy " inday only . All Other States E!Iu and Sunday..lyr s onls " Member ;l‘lln A:uehl:'d Ihe-‘.m X The exclusiveiy entitle: 10 T Ve Gor repuSheation of ATl Aews Cis: eradited to it therwise cred- 1in paper and also the local iews in. Al rights of publication of tches herein are also )eserved. Maryland's Park Amendments. The proof of the pudding will be in the Senate’s attitude toward the proposed amendments to the Cramton park bill, sought by officials of the Maryland Park Commission and ap- ‘proved by the bill's author. But Mr. COramton's ready acquiescence to the nature of the changes desired by Mary- landers augurs well for Senate agree- ment when the bill is considered in the upper chamber. Mr. Cramton has spent -several years preparing ‘and champloning his park bill. If he agrees to changes, it can be taken for granted that they are destined to improve and mot impair its fine purposes. The nature of the changes is dis- eussed- in detail elsewhere in today's Star. Generally speaking, they would suthorize the Pederal Government to appropriate for the use of the Maryland authorities a sum approximating $4,- 800,000 for the acquisition of land needed to extend the District’s park system ‘into adjacent Maryland. The Jand purchased would be decided upon ‘by the Maryland Park Commission, with the advice of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Of the money thus advanced, $1,500,000 ‘would be considered as the Govern- ment’s one-third contribution to Mary- land park development. The remaining two-thirds, or. $3,000,000, would con- ‘stitute & loan from the Federal Treas-, -ury to be repaid without interest over & period of eight rears. The bill now [providec that the money shall be re- Paid’ in .five years. The proposed amepdment would exiend the time threé years. As the bill now reads, title to these lands would be vcsted in the United | Maryland. *: Maryland's Legislature has - alresdy Pay for additional mcquisition of land. amendments are designed gen- hasten park-development out- ‘The question of title should not prove bother- Government’s contribution on the theory of protecting headwaters of streams running into the District as much as it is based on the desire to extend the National Cap- Mal's park system. Maryland, charged ._.Marylahd suthorities expect to obtain .some of the land by dedication. Under “the Oramton bill as it is now written, the division between the United States and Maryland would apply only to “money ‘actuslly spent in purchasing land. The amendments sought, how- ever, would give Maryland a credit, as & share of its contribution, for the value of lands dedicated but not bought. This would naturally permit the use by Maryland of the full one-third Gov- ernment contribution, based on value of “land acquired, instead of restricting the sum to one-third of the money actually spent by Maryland on land acquisition. As the desire of the Federal Govern- ment is the acquisition of the land—no matter how acquired—the proposed ame; it seems fair enough and will give the Marylsnd commission more funds for expenditure than it otherwise ‘would expect. ¢ 'The amendments sought would not ‘apply to the land included in the George Washington Memorial Parkway -on both sides of the Potomac from “Great Palis to Mount Vernon. That _will remain a purely Federal develop- ment, though the States are expected 40 assist in carrying it out. ——o——. i *” American financiers encourage thritt | *and introduce a modern idea in mak- *fng wealth popular by sharing it. e———— E Minimum Cab Rates. = New York City's Municipal Assembly s playing with a peculiarly powerful .Bjece of dynamite now in its considera- tion of & bill setting & minimum rate -for taxicabs. It is facing charges that ‘the legislation proposed is another dem- " onstration of Tammany's ambidextrous “ polities. Pighting for five-cent subway Tares and for lower telephone rates with ~one hand, Tammany is placed in the “posttion of attempting with the other o ‘deprive the taxi riders of New York of the benefits of lower taxi rates. _#ome very unkind fingers are pointing with alarm to the relationship between “fertain ‘taxicab owners and certain leading Tammany aldermen. *~"THe fight was precipitated by the “ivésion of an independent fleet of faxieabs in New York that offered to transport passengers. at rates far be- Jaw .those charged by other and estab- Afkhed cab ‘companies. That plan was 7Mipped in the byd by Grover Whalen, +And there has followed the. bill offered ‘the Municipal Assembly establish- “fhg & minimum rate for taxicabs, . T TOOL of the matter seems to lie in -lkm that » man operating s “taxicab costing $3,000 is unable to com- ¢ pete on équal terms with & man who paid only $800 for his cab. But the fact must also be considered that an $800 taxicab is as safe, as com- fortable and otherwise as well fitted for use as = taxi as the more expensive ma- chine turned out by some of the older and more powerful companies that up until the last few years have exercised & virtual monopoly in taxicab manu- facture. Here is & case that may come up for settlement in other cities than New York. But it is difficult to understand how the taxi-riding public can be le- gally enjoined from enjoying the bene- fits of competition and the progress made in the manufacture of automo- biles on the pretext that investments in more expensive cars are thus endan- gered. The path of progress is strewn with the wrecks of undertakings that were rendered useless and archaic be- cause somebody came along with some- thing bigger, better or cheaper. ————————————— Adjusting the Tariff. Senator Grundy of Pennsylvania i perturbed because it is reported that President Hoover expects to get & tariff bill more to his liking out of the stand taken by the Republican insurgent and Democratic coalition than was the bill when it passed the House or when it was reported to the Senate from the finance committee of that body. Yet it has been clear for a long time that the Senate coalition was playing the President’s game for him and making possible a “limited revision” of the tariff with especial emphasis on the benefits to be provided for the farmers. If Mr. Grundy did not understand this he must be dull, indeed. ‘The tariff bill, unless there is an upset, will be written to a very large extent in the conference between the Senate and the House. Differences must be adjusted and in some cases com- promises must be accepted. When it is completed, it is not likely that the bill will give to the coalition of the Senate all its demands nor is at all likely that it will give to the high protectionists all that was contained in the House bill or the bill as it came from the Senate committee. It is likely to be & better bill because it will not carry all the ideas of the extremists of either camp. ‘The President, when he called the special session of Congress to meet last April, to tackle farm relief and tariff revision, made a plea for those indus- tries which have suffered from foreign competition as well as a plea for the farmers. These industries should be given more ample protection in the bill when it is finally drafted than some of the coalitionists have been willing to grant. After all, American labor and American industry need the safeguards of a protective tariff against an inflow of cheaper-made foreign goods. Any bill that discounts that principle will not be well received by the American people, who have learned to rely on the protec- tive tariff. But because that is so, a fariff revision need not necessarily carry increases in duties, .with prospec- tive increases in prices to American consumers, in manufactured products whose producers already are protected and are making reasonable returns on their investments. It is the proposal of such increases that arouses public opinion. The idea that merely because an industry demands of Congress an increase in tariff duties it should be supported is carrying the protective theory to a ridiculous and dangerous degree. Mr. Grundy, if he feels ag- grieved because all industrial rates are not to be increased in accordance with demands, may as well get over that feeling. ‘The Senate has made more rapid progress with the tariff bill in recent days. There are signs that eventually that body will be ready to take a final vote. Indeed, the widespread demand which is coming from many quarters for action on the measure is having its effect. The opinion is general that & tariff bill will be written and become & law, despite predictions made in the past that the two houses of Congress will never agree on a bill. None of the groups in Congress can afford to have a tariff bill fail utterly because of their aititude. In the end neither the Grundys nor the Brookharts will receive all they demand in this tariff bill, Which is probably a very good thing for the country. Alexandria, Va., is growing rapidly, with an evident determination not to allow its dignities of patriotic fame to permit & lack of modern enthusiasm in establishing greater commerce and prac- tical facilities. Alexandria has the ad- vantage of enjoying historic publicity such as might be envied by any other enterprising city. ————— Many Russians gather around the tomb of Lenin in reverence. Fame shows favoritism at times in permitting 2 man to depart this life at the height of his renown and leave the hardest problems he has created to be solved by others. e Court Whispers and Nods. It is wondered by the average citizen precisely what is the special status enjoyed by Mrs. Mabel Walker Wille- brandt, former Assistant Attorney Gen- eral in charge of prohibition activities, whereby, when arraigned on a charge of urban automobile speeding, her case is handled in secretive fashion; her name “called” by the court clerk in a whisper only, and her own departure from the tolls of the law so facilitated that news photographers are left for an hour “holding the bag.” Certainly no such consideration is shown to plain John Smith, or Jane Jones, who is unwise enough to traverse streets at thirty-eight miles an hour and get caught at it. The name goes reverberating through space in a way calculated to make all and sundry sit up and take notice. Questions are asked the presumed culprit in the same stentorian tone, attained only after a preliminary clearing of the larynx. To & modest man, or woman, especially if acknowledging guilt, such an experience is far from pleasant, and doubtless often speeders and other traffic violators have longed ardently for polite whispers. Not being ex-assistant attorneys general, they did not get them. John Smith and Jane Jones must answer questions in court in a firm, decisive and audible tone of volce, else they are admonished promptly and properly. Ex-assistant attorneys general, it seems, are permitted to give a simple, silént nod. dAlso they are hurried out through judges’ chambers whjle camera- THE men wait patiently and fruitlessly with- out in the severe Winter heat. Some- times, too, the papers in the cases of ex-assistant attorneys general get lost, 50 that their trials are delayed, but that scarcely ever happens to the gen- eral run of citizens. Mrs. Willebrandt is & plain, and worthy, citizen who, like many another, went somewhere so fast that she obtained the unenviable atten- tion of a traffic cop. Although she shattered a regulation, she did nothing heinous or shameful. Why she should not have been. treated precisely like anyone else—no better and no worse— is difficult to understand and still more difficult to approve. ——— ‘Women on the Gallows. at Plorence, Ariz, in punishment for the crime of murder. There was no question of her guilt. Her only chance of being saved from the gallows lay in her commutation on the score of sanity. This was denled. She died gamely. When Ruth Snyder, husband slayer, was convicted and sentenced to death in New York State a little over two years ago there was a pronounced public reac- tion against capital punishment for women. After her execution, however, & change in sentiment ‘occurred. Regard- less of the question of the right or the wrong of capital punishment, it is now felt to » prevailing degree that when the death sentence is incurred it should be admihistered Tegardless of sex. A peculiar development in this matter has just been reported from London, where a controversy is prevailing over the propriety of capital punishment for women. Recently the governor of Maldstone prison urged that women be exempted from the death penalty in mur- der cases. This immediately aroused the antagonism of the Women’s Preedom League. The secretary of that organ- imation declared that while she was strongly opposed to capital punishment, she would rather be hanged than agree to any exemption of members of her sex. ‘The slogan was raised “Women have as much right to be hanged as men.” ‘This question is not likely to become acute here. It is to be doubted whether the equal-rights advocates of Ameriea will take up cudgels to demand parity of death penalties. Women are participating in eriminal enterprises in this country at a rate to modify any sentimental feelings that may still be entertained for the “weaker sex” when the time comes for the law to take its course, ———— Opinions as to tariff rates continue to be influenced by the interests of par- ticular States or communities involving production or purchase. Times have not greatly changed since Hancock at first faced ridicule and then won applause because of his observation, “The tariff is a local issue.” e Admirers of William Howard Taft | have not become entirely discouraged concerning his health. “While there is life there is hope” has become a watch- word of new and important significance in view of the developments of modern medical science. — e ‘The airplane, busy the year round, does not succeed in overwhelming in. terest in flying phenomena to an extent that prevents annual enthusiasm con- cerning the first robin. = - European governments often hold out hope of averting a diplomatic impasse by a reminder that it is no great trou- ble at any time to change the cabinet. R The “lamb,” a pathetic figure in Wall Street, becomes highly consequential stampedes through the tariff schedules. Coalition ideas still cling to the theory, frequently disappointing, - that the elephant and donkey can be trained to trot in double harness. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Wicked World, 8o many things I read or hear Are meant to fill the mind with fear, And interrupt the wish each day To turn & pleasant, hopeful lay. ‘Though smiles and sunshine make a hit, ‘With gossip glum they fall to fit. We vow, amid the news unfurled, “This is & very wicked world!"” The coloring which at twilight glows ‘The make-up of deception shows. ‘The sunshine in a golden flood Bets traps, till frost can kill the bud. Each blossoming hope we soon confess Is counterfeit and valueless. We say again, to sorrowing hurled, “This is a very wicked world!” ‘Variable. “By this time you should know all about the tariff.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum, “I should. But the tariff is a study of tprices, and any man who knows his ! Wall Street will tell you that prices seldom remain the same from one day to the next.” Jud Tunkins says he's opposed to alcohol, but he wishes the debaters would let him get his mind off it, Sc’.-Sufficient. Bull frog he is something grand— A self-sufficient elf. He is a big bass fiddle, and He simply plays hisself. Authorities. “Are you going to wear longer street | gowns?” “Why should I?” asked Miss Cayenne. * “Because the fashion authorities call for them.” “But we no longer heed authorities, and a fashion authority hasn't even power to stop you and give you a ticket.” “He who has brains,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “must employ them profitably; otherwise they become idle and mischievous.” A Slump in Slogans. Of all sad jokes, this is the worst— The slogan known as “Safety first.” ‘The news that any day will bring Convinces you there’s no such thing! “Trouble comes wif experience,” said Unele Eben. “It's only jes'_befo’ a crap game starts dat everybody # happy and sociable,” A woman was hanged Friday morning | when it grows to be a full sheep and | bool SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FEBRUARY 23, 1930—PART TWO “UNGUIDED O R MISGUIDED” BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D. LL. D,, Bishop of Text: “They were as sheep no having a shepherd.”—St. Mark, vi.34. “The typical representatives of our present generation are furiously trying to find a way to live.” This statement from a keen observer has deep signifi- cance. Our post-war age has certainly been distinguished by far-reaching changes that affect every phase and aspect of our life. “Old things have passed away, behold all things have be- come new.” This is verily true. One wonders whether in the effort after better conditions we have not been un- discriminating and reckless in forget- ting certain fundamental standards that are indispensable to our physical and moral well-being. When St. Paul visited Athens he was struck with the excess of curiosity disclosed by its people. The streets of the city were adorned with statues reared to their many gods. At length the observing visitor found one reared to “the Un- known God.” Taking this as his theme, the great preacher declared, “He whom vye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.” The multiplication of cults and sys- tems of one kind and another in our day would make even the ancient Athenians appear conservative. There are those in our generation who seem to think that religion has no essential place in a practical conception of life. They are quite unmindful of the fact that the religious instinct is deeply im- bedded in the heart of humanity and that in the most savage races some form of expression of religious convic- tion has been evident. No matter how much modern inventions may accelerate the movement of life, no matter how much of variety we may seek for in our habits and practices, it grows increas- ingly clear that some form of religious expression, some fixed habits of judg- iment, based upon religious convictions, some periods set apart for guiet con- templation and reflection, are abso- lutely indispensable to purposeful liv- ing. Nothing so evidently disturbed the mind of the great Master as the evi- dences He found among His own people of desultory ways of living. He was Washington. ever solicitous about the multitude, He was ever addressing Himself to those who lacked leadership and direction. His particular concern was for the un- guided and the misguided. In the narrative from which the above passage is quoted we read, “Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion to- ward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd.” Their leaders, such as they were, were no longer able to lead them. They were the victims of blind guides. They were literally “without God and without hope in the world.” ‘To the penetrative eye of the Master, thelr situation was tragic, they lacked the deep and satisfying elements of life. To bring something of com- fort and freshened hope to the un- guided was His mighty purpose. To give 1o life a real meaning and a defi- nite objective was His supreme aim. Does a casual observation of life today confirm the judgment that our age is characterized by the satisfaction of its deeper and finer yearnings? Do the multiplied conveniences and luxuries of life contribute to that inner peace and tranquillity of mind that are so indispensable to well balanced living? Are our young people, crowded and pressed as they are by many claims and many occupations, betraying that kind of polse and regulation of habit that insure real happiness and abiding satisfaction? Our teeming cities with their vast multitudes, their amaszing development along physical and material lines, make their insistent appeal to our ination, but do they guarantee to us that kind of permanence and sense of security that in our more reflective hours we demand? We are coming to realize more fully the deep concern the Master had for the real and eternal values that are essential to life here and now. He yearned over the multi- tude, He longed to bring to those who were seeking guidance a leadership that would lead ultimately to the haven where they would be. To bring to our generation, that is “furiously trying to nt'l‘fld. 'ly( u;n:lve,'l;“l be‘:’m }xn?e{r- s ln{ o philosophy of life, ‘means contribute to its finest satis- faction and its deepest joy. LONDON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC Every woman member of the con- gressional set in Washington will be in- terested in a course about to be open at Bonar Law College, Ashefield, the in- stitution founded in memory of the late Conservative political leader and one-| the time prime minister. The course is designed for the special benefit and in- struction of the wives of membess of Parliament and for_prospective woman candidates for the House of Commons. One of the lectures in the course is entitled “Some Trials of a Member's z“e; It will be given by Lady Iveagh, daughter of the late Earl of Onslow and elected to occupy her husband’s seat in the Commons when he (formerly Lord Elveden) was elevated to an earl- dom in 1928. Another lecture for the fair politicians deals with “Public Speaking, Both at Political Meetings and at Bazaars.” Any wife of a mem- ber of Parliament can attend the spe- cial course at a cost of $1780, including a week’s board and tuition. * o ox % Prof. Albert A. Michelson, eminent American physicist, now has a claim to fame in common with Mark Twain. His death has been prematurely an- nounced. The untimely event was for- mally and officially bulletined on Janu- ary 8 at a meeting of the Academie des gc‘ll:l‘lcel of dn‘l. Institut de France, in , and duly re%rud in the Lo don Times. The Thunderer has just published a statement that the news of Prof. Michelson’s demise was & mistake, and adds that “we are glad to learn that though he was ill, he is now re- covering in Bermuda.” The latest num- ber of the Prench Academy’s official gazette records with satisfaction that the American sclentist is still in the land of the living. * ok ok ok At a recent meeting of the British Legion, Gen. Sir Ian Hamilton, popular and venerable British soldier, deplored the current popularity of “‘defeatist” war ks. He was evidently driving at such best, sellers as “All Quiet on the West- ern Front,” “Farewell to Arms,” “Good- Bye to All That,” et al. He decried the universal absence in such books of the soldierly qualities of self-sacrifice, devo- tion and love of adventure. “I can tell you,” Gen. Hamilton said, “that the re- sult of trying to present war to the public as you might push the dirty end only of a stick under a man’s nose an pretend that was the stick, the whole stick and nothing but the stick—the re- sult of this, ethically speaking, is to tra- duce the character of the men who saved our country in the World War.” * ook X All official hosts and hostesses during the Naval Conference are, of course, members of the Labor Government or their respective wives. One of the hor- rors which English uppertendom feared would come in the immediate wake of a “Socialist” regime was the complete col- lapse of London soclety. ere was grave anxiety lest the pomp of other days (as reflected in George Arliss’ in- com) ble film version of “Disraeli”) would be submerged in a swamp of cheap -dowdiness too terrible to con- template. Well, the prime minister, the chancellor of the exchequer and the first_lord of the admiralty—Laborites all—have in turn entertained conference soclety and, by unanimous consent, car- ried things off with an elan and dignity worthy of Palmerstonian or Gladsto- nian days. Mr. Alexander, first lord of the admiralty, the portfolio correspond- ing to our Secretary of the Navy, was Fascist Regime and She is an excellent speaker— | o0 WILLIAM WILE. host at_Admiralty House the other night. Though he once was an iron- molder at Newcastle-on-Tyne, no grand eur could have received his guests wit] ater grace. The Labor ruler of g's na-vee is England's leading co-operative marketing authority. Just what the “co-op” movement has to do with fleets isn’t quite clear. But it's the “permanent sea lords” who really admiralty. * X % ‘When Prime Minister Ramsay Mac- donald sald in the House of Lords, on opening day of the Naval Confer- ence, “Our navy is us,” he aroused a storm of grammatical discussion which s still g. Punch is incited to verse on subject: "wh;n the conference opened, our navy us, Said the premier. Ye pedants, why kick XL Ere conference closes, no doubt we shall see His words thus amended: ‘Our navy is wee " * x % x Proficiency in Prench is not the out- standing attribute of the American dele- gation. Ambassador Gibson is the only member who can talk it with fluency. ‘The others haven't even a smattering of what might, on this. occasion, legiti- mately be called parley-voo. Messrs, Stimson & Co. to speak of them in the abstract and to indulge in no in- Vvidious identification, are having a par- ticularly hard time trying to pronounce the name of the French prime minister. Most of them have quit trying and lat it go at “Tar-dco.” 3 * ¥ % % Britain's newest organization is an association of “black coats.” not “Black Shirts” or resembling Signor Mussolini's ists. The British “black coats” are men and women engaged in non-manual labor. They have decided to form the National Federation of | Professional Workers, with a nucleus ‘membership of between 80,000 and 90,000. The following class- ifications of work were represented at a recent meeting in London: Railway clerks, engineering and shipbuilding draughtsmen, electric power engineers, salesmen, supervising enw:'eers. fore- men, commercial travelers, woman clerks and secretaries, woman teachers, phists, operative printers, d | insurance officials, woman sanitary in- £ s, journalists, theatrical ~ em- ployes, proofreaders, actors, bank offi- clals, assistant schoolmasters, builders’ foremen, clerks, and cable and wireless telegraphists. None of these groups is at present affiliated with organized labor. It was the consensus of the Lon- don meeting that their common inter- ests would be materially advanced by federation. * ok ok The czar of broadcasting in Great Britain is a hard-headed Scotch Pres- byterian named Sir John Reith, director eneral of the semi-official British roadcasting Corporation. The “B. B. C.” as it is familiarly, if not altogether affectionately, known, comes under more or less incessant fire from John Bull's critical listening public. In a recent public address Sir John Reith spoke of “the dangerous and fallacious policy of giving the radio audience what it wani: in preference to what it ought to like.” Spasmodically there are sug- gestions that Sbroadcasting should made available to competitive private enterprise as {n the United States. (Copyright, 1930.) Vatican Are In Sincere Rapprochement at Rome BY WILLIAM HARD. ROME, February 22.—Comment here is centered on the adroitness and strength of the Fascist regime i arriv- ing at an accommodation of Catholic education of the young, especially with reference to the great Boy Scout and athletic organizations called the Belilla and Avan Guardisti. ‘While Moscow is furnishing the world with a startling illustration of its efforts to extirpate religion and God, here Premier Mussolini and his government are recognizing the sphere of religion, though at the same time drastically maintaining the hts and powers of the secular authorities. This is proof of the superiority of the political wisdom of Rome over Moscow. Till recently, the claims of the Fas- cists and the claims of the clericals re- arding the Balilla and the Avan Guare tfl\ ‘were regarded by some as incompat- ible. There were many recriminat! in the Fascist press. * ok ok X ‘The Balilla is an organization of an outdoor athletic character for boys of 6 to 14, the Avan Guardisti for boys 14 tol8. Both sre immense in size and confer great benefits of physical de- velopment on Italian youth. It is now announced in the Itallan papers that each n of the Balilla and each cohort of the Avan Guardisti are to have & chaplain appointed by the ecclesiast! cal authorities and that meetings on Sundays and feast days are not to be set for an earlier hour than 10 in the morn- ing. This is to give the boys an oppor- tunity to attend mass. ‘Thus the religious convictions of the parents of Catholic members of these organizations are given appreciation. Such and other occurrences are produc- ing & notable new rapprochement be- tween the Italian government and the Vatiean. 1t is true that the Pope has placed on. the Index Expurgatorius two books laud- ing the Fascist regime, which are thought to take too secular a view of the recent agreement establishing the Vatican State and regulating the rew- tions of that state and Italy. evertheless there are many evi- dences of the new spiritual and secular powers of the Eternal City. King Vic- tor Emmanuel has given to Cardinal Gasparri, former .papal secretary of state, the decoration of the Collar of Annunziata, thus maeking him the King's cousin. Also the Itallan govern- ment presented, through the Italia: Ambassador to the Holy See, a venetian lace surplice to the Pope on the occasion of the eighth anniversary of his coronation. This surplice was worn by the Pope at the Sistine Chapel &t his anniversary celebration. Above all there stand out the official visits to _the Pope in the Vatican by Signor Federzoni, president of the Italian Senate, and Signor Turati, secretary general of the it party. Their visits were accepted here by all &8 crown| proof of the consolidation of the tic situation initiated a full | authority.” - ly welcomed by and held a cordial conversal the Pontiff, * ¥ % o ot "Soncination in " Fascist-pagel era of col ~pa) ideals. The editor of Tribuna ll”:! “This . conciliation rests on solid foun- dations. The results show that it is becoming an i organ of life in | the Fascist state.” Some secular writers express such Capitol Sidelights. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. In a final effort to find out definitely ifrom the Post Office Department whether or not a special stamp will be authorized, without legislation, in com- memoration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Representative John W. McCor- mack of Boston has written Postmaster General Brown, requesting “a definite answer in order that the people of Massachusetts may know what the de- partment intends to do on this matter.” In his letter the Representative called attention to the fact that he first took up this question with the department in April, 1929, and since that time has had other communications with the Post- master General and First Assistant Postmaster General Coleman, but as yet has not received a definite reply. - The Representative's letter, in part, reads: “The first event of the celebra- | tion occurs on March 17, which will also | be the celebration of the evacuation of Boston by the British. The tercentenary celebration is not confined to Boston, but will be observed throughout the entire commonwealth of ‘husetts.” In referring to the major importance of the celebration the Representative sald: “The founding and settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is one of the most important events in the his- tory of the Western Hemisphere. As a colony and as a State, its influence 'has been tremendous, and its ex- ment were adopted as the foundation upon which our Federal Governmeiit should be built. The people of Massa- chusetts are intensely interested in hav- ing a special stamp issued, and will feel keenly any negative action.” * K K % George R. Farnum, who recently re- tired as Assistant Attorney General, where he was in charge of all land condemnation work for the United States Government, and who is an en- thusiastic collector of unusual old docu- ments, in examining the abstract to a parcel of land which is being acquired by the War Department in connection with the projected improvement of the Ohio River in West Pennsylvania, about eight miles from Pittsburgh, ran across in the chain of title—that is, among the records upon which the title is based—the will of a John Nevill, dated June 7, 1797, which was probated in 1803, in what was then the Court of Virginia. The will contains the fol- 1 wing paragraphs: T my funeral to be without any punctilious ceremony, no signs I hope of outward mourning by my re- lations or friends, not even black or white gloves, nor any bits of biack ray tied round the hats, arms or legs, apeish custom I have long disliked.' After directing his executors to sefgle his estate as may seem meet “to es them, he further advises: I hope will keep this my last will and only will from ever being sullied by the mercenary, ingenious and quibbling fingers of lawyers, and then I hope and wish it may rest as quiet as the coffin that contains my poor forgotten ‘bodyk' * ko ‘The high price of “applesauce” was complained of in the House the other day by Representative Charles L. Under- hill of Massachusetts, who as chairman of the committee on accounts is in charge of the House restaurant, Representative Underhill was protest- ing against the cost resulting from the frequent injection of “(applause)” in speeches made in the House by his col- leagues, but as his own speech on this occasion appears in the Record, it is punctuated by as many of these “(ap- plause)” as any of the others, for ex- ample: + “If 1t is any unction to one's soul to have his colleagues applaud him when he makes a speech I have no ob- jection to it. (Applause.) May I state that the applause at the present time i3 subtracting from my time, and I would rather have the time than the lause. (Applause.) I do not know whether the House is taking this as a Joke or not. If it is, I am going to quit.” Or : “I make no attempt to re- form the House. I have no responsi- 'bility, nor has any man on the floor any responsibility, for what goes on else- where than in this body. If you want the House to enjoy the same’ estimate that is held by the ?ublfic generally all over this country at the present time of some other legislative bodies, why, all right. (Laughter and applause.) ~But I assume we are all proud of our mem- bership in this body, take it seriously and believe in the dignity of the House. Simply because somebody else some- where else does something that is wrong and inexcusable is no reason why others should follow a bad example. (Ap- Plause.)” * oK% Now that the Senate's sensational in- Vestigation has made the whole country “lobby”-minded, we find a little re- minder in a comprehensive report writ- ten by Dr. E. Pendleton Herring, in- structor in the department of govern- ment at Harvard, put out by the Institute for Government Research, as follows: “It is interesting to recall that Wash- ington would not be where it is today were it not for- this institution. The city was actually founded by a social lobby. Jefferson and his fellow Vir- ginlans greatly desired to have the seat of Government on the banks of the Potomac. Hamilton and his neighbors wished to have the Capital City in some lace more accessible to the delegates m the Northern States. Even greater, Duowever, was the desire of the first Secretary of the Treasury to have the National Government assume the in- debtedness of the States. The astute Mr. Jefferson accordingly arranged a dinner y, at which he brought to- gether the assumptionists and advocates of the Washington site for the Capital. A little discussion took place, a little log-rolling ensued, and both sides won: to Hamilton, the State debts; to Jeffer« son. the Capital on the Potomac.” Few men in the House hold such a g position as Representative John M. Robsion of Kentucky, known among his colleagues as “J. M. from Kingdom Come.” He is a member of the Re- publican committee on committees, is an of the committee on mines and mining and is ranking next to the chairman on three other important umfl::lmeHducMon, pensions and —_— sentiments as “the Fascist regime in- tends to take the entire spiritual edu- cation of the young Italy into its own hands.” ‘The Pope, on the contrary, has recently publicly quoted the 1925 decision of the United States Supreme Court in an Oregon school case, de- cla the rights of parents to choose the education of their children. It is expected naturally, nevertheless, that there will be further discussions be- tween the papacy and the Italian king- dom on the general theme of duty to the church and .duty to the state, to- ward schools and all things having to xhwun the education of boys and As in America, the sharpest intel- lectual issue is the degree of power of the state over the educational lives that the family cannot be superseded entirely the state in the upbring- ing of children. He condemns the st- ted state monopoly of education anywhere. At the same time, in a recent encyclical, he held out the hand of moderation, saying that while the church has the right of an independent share in the education of the young, it, nevertheless, may rmperly “‘conform to legitimate dispositions secular This statement eager- many Pascist observers. ‘The recent demonstrations of good will t the Vatican by Mussolini, it is thought, show a addition of strength to the Fascist regime. The energy spent by Moscow in com- bating rel ing religion into an integrated part of the whole national organism. From such harmony new Italian political re- pose and social vigor are expected. (Copyright, 1930.) periments and experiences in govern- | of a_great |y +- WRITING A man named Job, who had the first recorded monopoly on trouble centuries ago, made two statements anent the writing of books that authors, editors and publishers of today recognize as eternal truths. He said first, “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book!” Later he said, “My desire is that mine adversary had writ- ten a book In his first statement Job voiced a yearning that lies deep in the hearts of | most people. Publishers say that al- most everybody who has read a book wants to write one and expects to do it if he “can ever get around to it,” and that an amazing number of people entertain the idea that writing a book is an easy and short road to fame and fortune. But the publishers also say that Job. was right about writing as a profes- sion and that moderns who aspire to be authors would do well to ponder his Wwise utterances. Job, they say, must have known all about the writing game. He must have gone through all the grief of preparing a manuscript—"“Oh that my words were now written!"—and then have experienced the woe incident to finding a publisher—“Oh that they were printed in a book!” And after that he must have suffered adverse criticlsms and reviews until in his anguish he moaned that the thing he could wish on his dearest en- emy was that he might write a book. Job did not go into the subject of the financial returns of those who write books, but that is & matter which pub- lishers insist that would-be authors should consider. There may be “gold in them thar hills,” as the optimistic prospector always says, but in all the mountains of books that have been pub- lished there has been precious little gold for the writers. Now and then a writer makes a lucky strike—just about as often as really great fortunes are made in industry and business or in the legal, medical and other profes- sions, but, in the long run, the maker of books other than to keep the Twenty Books a Day. In the year 1928, 7,614 new book titles were put, into circulation in the United !n'fu‘f.firm;‘:}m' to the Au'.hon" League 3 averaged abou 20 & day. ihu of the 10 best sellers in fiction and non-fiction are published menthly in various magazines. Usually two or three of the same books appear on each list for several months in suc- cession. A fair estimate, is , would be that of the 7,614 books only ‘l;l:. or about ’Al per I?hm'nl attained the t selling class, wi es from 15,000 copies upward. e In this country the usual publisher’s contract gives an author a Toyalty of first 2,500 copies sold, 12.5 per cent on the next 2,500 coples, and 15 per cent on all coples sold over and above 5,000. In England-the author's royalty starts at 125 per cent and increases to 20 per cent. For a first novel, good enough for an established and reputable publishing firm to accept and bring out, a sale of 1,500 copies is all that is expected. sale of 3,000 coples is regarded as suf- ficiently encouraging to warrant culti- vating the writer. e On a sale of 1500 copies at a retail price of $2.50 the author would royalties to the amount of $325. A 3,000 sale—and it is to be borne in mind that such a sale would be looked Construction Industry Prospects for the Year BY HARDEN COLFAX. Prospects for the construction indus- try in 1030 are all a matter of view- point. It is equally easy to find author- ities who declare 1930 will be & record- breaking period for construction and those who assert that building will show a marked falling off for the pe- Both are right and both are wrong. Secretary of Commerce Robert P. Lamont has just declared that con- tracts awarded in 37 States during January showed in of 116 per cent, as compared with mber, and estab- lished a new record for any January in the last six years; but Mr. Lamont ex- plains that his figures referred only to public works and utility construction. Men identified with private bullding and industrial and commercial con- struction reported a marked decline in the contracts and permits, so far in 1930, as compared with 1929, which, in turn, was & smaller year in those lines than ‘There is no question that the Lamont’s statement is based are:accurate. They come from the governors of the 37 States. But State authorities also sponsor dealing with commercial building and residential construction which indicate & decided drop in this type of activity. * ok kX For example, Pennsylvania, through its Department of Labor and Industry, declares that a very u}\lllt year is in- dicated for commercial and residential work. The statement asserts that pros- pects for a good volume of business ing o Teports” rombusingss inspection reports from ess oinu in 43 of the principal cities. ‘These reports show that permits for bullding work in January involved an expenditure of only $4,874,024, as com- pared with $21,645470 in January, 1929. This was a loss of 77 per cent and was the greatest decline in bufld- ing recorded in Pennsylvania in the last five years. According to a survey of 566 towns throughout the country, the los$ in residential and commercial of construction amounted to 46 per cent, as _compared with January, 1929, ‘There is every reason to believe that public works and utility construction in 1930 will break all records. Money rates have declined and credit has ased. ‘It is equally obvious that private and commercial residential construction is likely to show a decline, as compared with 1929. One reason for this is that such building is, to a certain extent, “speculative,” and real estate and con- struction men are not speculative- minded at present. Neither are the banks. Banks are full of money and rates are low, but applications for financing of residential, commercial and speculative building are being scrutinized by the lenders more closely than at any time in late years. * A ‘The weather also is a factor which cannot be overlooked in estimating building trends and volume. So far in riod, as compared with recent years.| has A BOOK BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. alpon as good—would earn him $725, Such is the prospective reward for least & year's labor in writing the novel and the weeks or months spent in find- ing a publisher. No unskilled day r earns less, and the writer, it is scarcely necessary to point out, must have had a rather expensive education and have served a rather grueling ap- prenticeship. A book that has a sale of 25000 d it would he & success that approaches the “big” class—would earn the author a little less than $9,000, on the royalty basis mentioned. If he were commercially minded the suthor could pick out a likely location and make more money running a service station for the motoring public. Even a book that everybody is talking about and everybody seems to have read may not prove such a whale of a success for its author for the very good reason that every book reader is not necessarily a book buyer. Publishers estimate that there are at least 10 readers for every popular book that they sell. ‘Where the Gravy Is Found. But there is gravy in the writing business for the fortunate few. Maga- sine rights, second serial rights, cheap book editions, dramatic rights and motion picture rights may net the writer many glittering shekels—provided he has been careful to retain all those rights and is clever in marketing them, or has a clever agent. For instance, it has just been an- nounced that a well known g fics tion writer has sold the serial rights of & novel to a big magazine for $40,000. In addition he may receive as mueh from his book royaities, and if his story is adapted to the stage and screen his returns from those sources may run to & hundred thousand or more. Then he has what is termed a “pick-up” in sec- ond serial rights, and so forth, but what he may pick up will not be impressive, And it is to be considered that this writer spent three and a half years in writing this novel. In commercial activities men have made millions in that length of time and have a busi- failed ' buyer for his product. The public, having read his work, wili g is impossible, But it took the manuscript and cam editorial doorstep in New she wore down the sales resistance there was in that story - was rel 10 per cent on the retail price of the | sales blished in many lan . ing critics have pronounc it & splendid piece of work. The authe has made a considerable sum of money out of it, of course, but returns fraction of what other have made out of it. 80 it is that poa&le who have the big yen to get their thoughts written and A|then have them printed in a book are admonished by publishers to consider the rience and wisdom of Job. And if they will not consider that, they might reflect upon the fact that & woman author whose name and works must be known to mil"'~ns of magazine and book readers on" 1 few days ago filed & petition in ba' ‘uptey. Fifty Years Ago In The Star T2t T, pejet o iggng 4 was about to be started 50 Panama years 880, u o Canal. OV 16 sane: “The survey for a site of & sea-level ship canal by the Chagres River route .been completed by the engineers of De Lesseps ‘and the estimates submit- to ns to the amount of one-half the capital stock, and he doesn’t seem to have any doubt but that talists of this country will invest to extent. The original estimates of the SBuez Canal fixed the cost at $40,- ,000. Sul tly the amount was increased to $60,000,000, and when the work had been completed it was found to have cost $80,000,000, double the first estimates. Upon this basis, it is fair to suppose that the Panama Canal will cost & great deal more, if it is ever un- dertaken, than the engineers have cal- culated upon.” * * ¥ “All cities have been pyzsled more or less,” says The Star of February 17, 1880, “over the question Garbage of the removal of street . garl , the best meth- Disposal. ods of disposing of it and the expense involved in the many different plans that have been in common use. The city authorities of Liverpool, who have had their share of trouble over this problem, are now en- in an experiment that will be watched with interest by municipal gov- ernments in this country as well as in England. They are having built an iron steamer, in which they intend to remove m‘h‘a'se The interior of the steamer, outside of the space set apart for the machinery, is divided into 10 compartments or tanks, wider at bottom than at These tanks are opened and closed by & small steam engine op- erating on the several levers. The ves- sel is designed to carry a dead weight of 350 tons and has a speed of 9 knots an hour. The purpose is to have this Vvessel carry the garbage 9 miles out to sea and there dump it. After the dump- ing, the tanks and vessel will be thor- by means of a steam Id this experiment prove a success, there is no reason why vessels of this character may not be used for 3:&' Jpurpose in American seacoast * * % In {llustration of the truth that “un- easy lles the h‘:lmmt wears a crown" Menaced i The Star of February Royalty, 2 1880: 1930 weather conditions have been un- | st favorable to outdoor construction work. This has led the construction section of the National Business Survey con- | ch! ference to lay special stress on repair work and renovations which will fur- nish employment for building trades craftsmen, even in severe weather. ‘There is small doubt that when weath- er moderates and utility and works tion gets fully under i way, and :EE i 4 ... L3 o f5e ligion is spent here in weld- | qon time. placement demand is sufficient to give a sound suppart to the building industry over the ral course of (Copyrigh! laxation of this sort without him with contempt. g “If there is any man who has cause