Evening Star Newspaper, January 25, 1931, Page 30

. STEADY INCREASE NOTED IN FEDERAL AID PROJECTS ,U. S. Subsidies to Sta $12,000,000 in 1912 to $134,406,435 in 1930—Two Sid (Continued From First Page.) the eral supervision of a deputy nhlel'e:;lflnm, pe'ith headquarters at Sun Francisco, who is responsible to are niuef engineer at Washington. All ‘ts are directly under the viston of the chief engineer. en & Stal. High' Department desires federal aid in financing a road on the Federal-aid system, it notifies | the district engineer, who makes an ex- mmination of the road and the plans proposed for its improvement. If he ap- proves the State’s proposals, he submits | the project either to the deputy chief engineer at San Francisco or to the chief engineer at Washington with ap- propriate recommendations. However, he may at once authorize the State Highway Department to begin con- struction, subject to subsequent agree- ment or any modifications of plans which may be required by his superior authorities. A formal agreement is made between the State and the Fed- eral Government. Construction then procecds under the immediate super- vision of State highway engineers and subject to frequent inspection by Fed- eral engineers. The Federal Govern- | ment has no official relations with | county and local officials. Thus administered, the Federal-aided highway system on June 30, 1930, com- | prised a total of 193,049 miles of main | interstate and intercounty highways, At | the close of the fiscal year 1930, the actual length of roads improved with Federal aid was 84,012 miles, or 44 per cent of the total mileage. Since 1921 the Federal grants for road-building have amounted to $75,000.000 a year, but Congress, in April, 1930, raised the annual appropriation to $125,000,000 for 1931, 1932 and 1933, Measures in Congress. The attitude of President Hoover toward the specific application of the Federal-aid system is reflected in his annual messages to Congress in Decem- ber, 1929, and December, 1930. In his first annual message the President, re- ferring to highways, said: “Federal aid in the construction of the highway sys- tems in conjunction with the States has proved to be beneficial and stimulating. ‘We must ultimately give consideration to the increase of our contribution to these systems, particularly with a view to stimulating the improvement of farm-to-market roads.” Referring in the same address to so- | cial service, the President said: “In a | Broad sense Federal activity in these directions (education, home building, protection to women and children, em- loyment, public health, recreation) has confined . . . at most to tem- subsidies to the States in order e secure uniform advancement in prac- tice and methods. Any other attitude by the Federal Government will under- mine one of the most precious posses- sions of the American people; that is, local and individual responsibility. We should adhere to this policy.” Speaking of public health in the same message, Mr. Hoover said: “I con- sider that the Federal Government has an obligation of contribution to the es- tablishment of such agencies. . . . recommend to the Congress that the purpose of the Sheppard-Towner act should be continued through the Chil- dren’s Bureau for a limited period of years, and that the Congress should consider the desirability of confining the use of Federal funds by the States to the building up of such county or other local units, and that such outlay thould be positively co-ordinated witn the funds expended through the United States Public Health Service directed to other phases of the same county or other local unit organization, All funds ted should, of course, be ap- plied through the States, so that the Eé:uc health program of the county or 1 unit will be efficiently co-ordinated with that of the whole State.” {n his second annual message Presi- dent Hoover, referring to social service, said: “I urge further consideration by the Congress of the recommenda- tions I made a year ago looking to the development through temporary Fed- eral aid of adequate State and local services for the health of children and the fo stamping out of com- municable disease. particularly in the | rural sections. The advance of scien- tific discovery, methods and social thought imposes a new vision in these matters. The drain upon the Federal Treasury is comparatively small. The results, both economic and moral, are of the utmost importance.” In the same message the President asked an emergency appropriation of from $100,000,000 to $150,000,000 to provide emergency employment through 2 speeding up of public works. “In connection therewith we need some au- thority to make enlarge temporary ad- vances of Federal highway aid to the BStates.” In accordance with this last recom- mendation a special appropriation bill | was passed by Congress and signed by the President December 20. 1930, which made emergency appropriations for the hs of the present fiscal year as follows: deral-aid hishway ... $80.000,000 | orest highways, ratls ‘and bridges Tk vt 6.000.000 Rosds and trails i Rational | parks B vare ads throush public land River and harbor projects Flood control ........ 1,300,000 | 3.000.000 22.500.0¢ $116.000.000 | The act provided that the sums ad- vanced for the Federal-aid highways | system shall be reimbursed to the Fed- eral Government over a period of five years, commencing with the fiscal year 1933, through reductions of future ap- | rtionments. It further provided that “should any State fail to claim any its allotment hereunder the | resident may reapportion such un- | claimed funds to the States capable of using them prior to September 1, 1931. Maternity and Unemployment Aid. Three other Federal-aid measures have received consideration during the | Seventy-first Congress to date. A bill extending for three years the program of Federal aid in the vocational re- habilitation of persons injured in in- dustry at an annual cost of $1,000.000 | has been passcd by both houses and | signed by the rresident. The Wagner | bill providing for the establishment of | & national system of employment ex- | changes in co-operation with _the | Stales, financed in part by Federal | contributions, ‘was approved by the | Serate in May, 1930, but has not yet been taken up in the House. Senator Wagner has given notice of his inten- tion to introduce a new bill providing that in the event any State shail elect | to make contributions to unemploy. ment insurance funds set up jointly by employers and their employes, the Federal Government will pay into the fund one-third of the amount con- tributed by the State. The Jones-Capper bill to revive the maternity-aid program of the Shep- ard-Towner act, as recommended by sident Hoover, is the “unfinished business” of the Senate. This bill would authorize the appropriation of $1,000,000 a year for promotion of the health and welfare of infants. Each State would receive $15,000 and the remainder of the annual appropriation ‘would be alvmahx:1 among the s;:‘u:l):‘n rtion to their population, - Gition tln the States made available an jual Thua BL w§ be takw.. up under limi- 3aueis ol debate when the Senate re convenes after the present recess. It has not yet received consideration wn ne House. 1n 1928 Congress appropriated $500,000 for the compensation of county agri- |of economic distress. | various States and the | better road-building material and bet- | ter railroad facilities for the transpor- | States or the citizens thereof.” | improper invasion of th~ tes Have Risen From es of Problem. appropriation of $3500.000 for the same purpose in areas affected by the 1930 drought is at present pending in both houses. At the opening of the present ses- sfon Senator Walsh (Democrat, Massa- chusetts) introduced a bill to reimburse the States and their political subdi. visions for certain relief expenditures. This bill provides for the authorization of an appropriation of $100,000,000 and for the payment out of the F(‘dvrxll Treasury to the States and munici- | palities during 1930 and 1931 of 50 per cent of all funds expended by them in excess of the expenditures they made in 1929 to relieve suffering, poverty and distress resulting from unemployment, part-time employment and _general business depression. In other words, this bill would require the Federal Government to pay one-half of all in- creases in 1930 and 1931 in certain relief expenditures in the several States. There has been no legislative action on this measure to date. Proposed Extensions. Several proposals for extending or | modifying the Federal-aid system have recently been put forward by unofiicial groups interested in the Federal relief In 1929 the American Farm Bureau Federation adopted & resolution asking that “the Federal Gov- ernment, for the purpose of equalizing economic opportunities, assume in greater measure the support of the public schools and public roads.” Ex- tension of the present Federal-aid highway system to include “farm-to- market” roads is urged by virtually all agricultural organizations. To enable the Federal Government to assist ‘n building such roads, the American Farm Bureau Federation “would not hestitate to approve (the appropriation of) $175,000,000 annually.” Federal school subventions to the States “making each State responsible for budgeting the grant within the State school budget in such manner as, in the judgment of the Stats itself. will best develop all the talents of all the people,” were tentatively proposed on July 10, 1930, by the National Ad- visory Committce on Education ap- pointed under the Hoover administra- tion. The committee suggested an an- nual payment of $2.50 for each student under 21 years of age, in lieu of the smaller grants at present given to the States in aid of agricultural colleges and other special educational purposes. Methods of giving directly or indi- rectly to the States part of the returns under Federal tax laws have also been under discussion. The 1930 legislative program of the National Grange in- cluded a provision stating that “as a means of equalizing the burden of tax- ation, the Grange favors a distribution of a portion of the proceceds of the Federal income and estate taxes among the States on the basis of school re- quirements or some similarly equitable basls.” State inheritance or estate taxes are already fostered by the policy of deducting from the Federal estate tax an amount up to 80 per cent if this amount has already been paid to the States. Farm organization leaders are now proposing that the Federal Government also permit the deduction of State income tax payments from the amount due under Federal income tax laws. In the course of the debate in the Senate on the bill making supplemental appropriations for emergency construc- tion of public works, Senator Blaine Republican, Wisconsin, proposed an amendment to the section providing $80,000,000 for advance apportionment the States under the Federal high- way act. His ame ent provided “that the States re ely shall not be required to provide any sum for the purposes contemplated by the said act | as a condition of the receipt of any | funds hereby appropriated.” ‘The Blaine amendment was rejected by a vote of 43 to 32. Had it prevailed | eand been approved by the House, the | bill would have authorized outrigh grants to the States for road construc- | tion. ‘There are some who object to the Pederal-aid system on the ground that it is unjust and who argue for outright Federal grants to ths States, unaccom- panied by the condition that the States match the Federal appropriation. Their argument runs as follows: The Federal-aid system depends upon State contributions for the provision of vari- ous essential services, and in some cases the States are unable to do their share. Despite large State and Federal expenditures on highways, for example, some States still have no adequate highway system. According to the as- sessed valuation of all property. the ability of poorer States to construct their mileage of approved Federal-aid roads is much less than that of the wealthier States. The States also vary greatly in the population which pavs in part for Federal-aid projects. More- over. some States. according to the amount of taxes they receive for h'gh- way purposes, are less able than others to carry on their approved Federal road system. Pinally, different sections of the country are more favorably sit- uated in respect to road building than other sections because of a much larger population, mors wealth per capita, tation of these materials. Opposition to Such Aid The American subsidy system ha been opposed - since its inception on | numerous _grounds. As far back as 1884 the Democratic national platform voiced the opposition of the party “to all propositions which, upon any pre- | text, would convert the general GV)\.-’ ernment into a machine for collecting | taxes to be distributed among the More | recently President Coolidge, in his budget message to Congress in Decem- ber, 1924, said: “I am convinced that | the broadening of this field of activity | is detrimental both to the Federal and | State governments. Efficiency of Fed- eral operations is impaired as their | scope is unduly enlarged. Efficiency of | State governments is impaired as thely relinguish and turn over to the Fed- eral Government responsibilities which are rightfully theirs. I am opposed to any expansion of these subsidics. My conviction is that they can be curta‘led with benefit to both the Federal and State governments”’ Former Gov. Lowden of Tllinois and Gov. Ritchie of Maryland have at- tacked the Federal-aid system as an State field, involving the gradual break-down of local self-government in America, An analysis of all recorded votes in Congress on the Federal-aid measures of the last 20 years shows that con- donal opposition to most . the subsidy laws centered in the Ned, Eng- land and the Middle Atlantic States of party affiliation, suggest- ing “that a congressman’s attitude to- ward Federal aid is determined almost entirely by the wealth and d population of his constituency.” This sectional division of opinion is attrib- uted to the fact that Pederal revenues are derived chiefly from the wealthier States, while Federal subsidies are ap- portioned for the most part on the basis of population. Arguments against ‘he Federal-aid are (1) that aid should be given only to peatters of national concern, whereas many of the functions now beirg sup- ried are purely local in scope; (2) Phe_system 'stifies local initiative and impairs the sense of local responsibility; (3) it has resulted in an undue expan- culwral agents ip areas where county gunds “om taxal had been so im- | the ired as a result of the 1927 floods Enmm-ofmue-muemuu » Bk be met. A bill which proposes ar. » sion of Pederal power at the expense of States: (4) 1t furnishes Federal of- ficlals with an excuse to dominate State activities and force them to g Federal policies; i (5) it makes for sity of | THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, undue standardization; (6) it is build- ing up a great bureaucracy at Washing- ton, and (7) it is unconstitutional. In spite of the opposition to the sub- sidy system, its inducements have been sufficient to prompt every State to ac- copt Federal funds and supervision. Massachusetts, Illinois and Connecticut rejected the Federal child hygiene offer, but with these exceptions, every State has accepted virtually every subsidy of- fered by Congress. In many cases the States have not only matched the Fed- eral funds, but have expended sums far in excess of the Federal-aid payments. Questions of Constitutionality. The constitutional right of the Fed- eral Government to grant subsidies to the States, since the principal subsidy measures deal with matters reserved ex- clusively to the States under the Con- stitution, has been questioned by many opponents of the system. Defenders of the system have found it difficult mean- while to point to any constitutional au- thorization for Federal aid to the States. The first Morrill act granting lands for the endowment, of State agricultural colleges was vetoed by President Bu- chanan and eppropriations for the Cumberland Highway were vetoed on constitutional grounds by _President Monroe in 1822. President Jackson in A vigorous message vetoed a measure appropriating money for the Maysville road, contending that the appropria- tion was for a local project which was not_generally beneficial to the Nation. The authors of the Federal-aid road act of 1916 sought to give it constitu- tional standing by basing it upon the postal clause of the Constitution. The act was entitled “an act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes.” In section 2 of the act it was provided that “for the purposes of this act the term ‘rural post road’ shall be construed to mean any public road over which the United States mails now are or may hereafter be transport:d.” This definition is broad enough to cover any rural high- way. The constitutionality of this act has been less called into question than some of the subsidy measures more Te- cently enacted. 1In 1922 when a bill for acceptance of the maternity subsidy was before the Massachusetts Legislature, the question of the power of Congress to enact such legislation was raised. The attorney general of Massachusetts rendered an opinion that the maternity act was “an attempted exercise of power over the subject of maternity and infancy, and thus an incursion into the field of the local police power,. reserved to the States by the tenth amendment.” The attorney general further held that the property rights of the citizens of Massa- chusetts were involved, since the moneys derived from Federal taxation were, in his opinion, being illegally divided among the States accepting the ma- ternity act. A complaint was filed on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in October, 1922, in which the alleged un- constitutional acts of Congress were cited, and an injunction sought to re- strain the enforcement of the maternity act. In December, 1922, a taxpayer’s suit was instituted in which it was al- leged that the act made “appropriations unauthorized by the Constitution * * ¢ resulting in the taking of her (plain- tif’s) property without due process of law, in viclation of the fifth amend- ment.” This suit after two adverse decisions was carried to th: Supreme Court. Briefs in defense of the act were filed with the Supreme Court on behalf of 10 States—Arkansas, Arizona, Colo- rado, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Both suits were dismissed by the Supreme Court for want of juris- diction. Although the decision was rendered on technical grounds, its form was such as to preclude the bringing of other suits to test the constitutionality of other subsidy measures. In deliver- ing the opinion of the court in the Massachusetts case, Justice Sutherland said: “In the last analysis, the com- plaint of the plaintiff Stat: is brought to the naked contention thar Gongress has usurped the reserved power of the several States by the mere enactment of the statute, though nothing is to be done without their consent; and it is plain that the question, as it is thus presented, is political and not judicial in character, and therefore is not a matter which admits of the exercise of the judicial power.” i Although the merits of the question of the constitutionality of the materniy act were not discussed in either case, because the court found that a justi- ciable question was not presented, the decision of the court is regarded as hav- ing closed all avenues of attack against the subsidy laws on constitutional grounds. State Contributions and Returns, Wide discrepancies between the amounts contributed by the States in taxes to the Federal Treasury and the proportionate amounts returned to the States in the form of Federal subsidies are frequently pointed out as showing the injustice of the subsidy system to the large tax-paying States. The Btate of New York, for example, contributed 30.7 per cent of all Federal taxes in 1930 and received only 5.9 per cent of the funds distributed as Federal aid. Wyoming, on_the other hand, con- tributed only_two-hundredths of 1 per cent of the Federal taxes and received 1.8 per cent of the Federal subsidies. The Case for Federal Aid. Proponents of the Federal-aid sys- tem and its extension rest their case on five grounds. They say (1) it timulates State interest and State activity; (2) it brings about a certain degree of uni- formity without ignoring differences in local needs; (3) it raises local standards and establishes a national minimum of efficienc (4) it equalizes to some ex- tent the tax burdens of the States; (5) it recognizes and reaffirms the principle of local autonom: And they have come to the following conclusions: 1. Federal aid has not resulted in at- tempted Federal domination. There has been no unreasonable Federal interfer- ence with State policies or with the de- tails of State administration. 2. It has not succeeded in eliminating State politics. 3.1t has tended. however, to reduce the amount of State politics and has increased .greatly the efficiency of State workers originally selected for political reasons. 4. The Federal bureaus administer- ing the subsidy laws are free from poli- tics. 5. The thoroughness of Federal su- rvision varies greatly from bureau to bureat. carefully; others make little more than nominal insnections. More _thorough supervision by some bureaus would greatly increase their effectiveness. 6. Practically every subsidy law con- tains defects which should be corrected. While they are permitted to continue, the country will fail to receive the full benefits of the Federal-aid principle. 7. Federal aid should be continued for those purposes for which it is now granted 1t should also be granted for other amental activities generally con- ceded to be of sufficient importance. Any attempt to classify functions as tional or local is unnecessary and virtually impossible. 9. Every subsidy law_should make provision for adequate Federal inspec- tion of State activities. 10. Most of the appropriations to the Federal bureaus for administrative pur- | poses are inadequate and should be in- creased. | " The problem of retaining central con- trol of essential services while presery- | ing local responsibility and initiative is one of great difficulty. “Federal c operation with the States offers one s ount for the sawe purpose. | system, in addition w those cited above | Jution to the old problem of cent-ali- zation vers decentralization in ad- ministration,” according to an astute observer. It is able “to combine local enerpy with high naticnal standards, to st'mulate the weak without oppres: ing the strong . . . favoritism can be avoided . . . sclentific standards and individual initiative may be united . . . the nature of American Govern- ment :nd economy may be trans- formed.’ Some bureaus_supervise very | FEDERAL TAXES AND FEDERAL Paid in Fed tax $7.161 2,965, 3,156 149,288, 12/468 48,391 40,145, 16,735 12,520 868, 247,137, 26,298, 13,368 17,133 32,378 12,199 8,670, States. Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado . Connecticut Delaware Kentucky Louisiana Maine Michigan Minnesota . Mississippi » Missouri . Montana . Nebraska Nevada .. New Hampshire . New Jersey New Mexico . New York .. North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island . South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont . virginia Washington . West Virginia . ‘Wisconsin Wyoming .. 2,099 62,023 2,610, 5,705, 1.879 3,758, 123,948, 924, 928,955, 274,257, 556, 145,629, 18,079, 5,744 230,203, 15.307, 3,018 887, 16,478 38.884, 3,225, 2,229, 96.694. 14,303 12,139 35,512 D. C, ,710.01 ,321.90 .779.81 ,608.88 441,31 ,647.51 ,021.17 ,525.21 ,202.43 ,569.43 ,064.32 .138.88 752,334.55 JANUARY 1931—PART _TWO. AID Per cent of their tax payments re- Receivedas turned as Stateaid. subsidies. $2,336,563.07 leral es, ,054.93 1507.34 308,84 45077 1389.35 ,335.80 ,618.54 ,067.52 ,637.88 ,542.30 ,665.48 ,836.23 ,183.96 672.94 1,315,001.49 4,300,201.82 3,627,201.23 3,624,193.71 3,585,426.88 2,566,219.58 915.16 891.39 ,739.32 4.856,019.68 3,107,172.03 2,614,039.52 1,251,271.17 894,956.69 1,976,285.30 1.387,932.12 8,727,208.92 1,938,869.41 1,704,193.34 4,821,126.11 3,541,328.86 2.907,705.61 7,069,423.43 744,119.88 1,730,559.58 1,712,560.20 2/561,2 8,786.883.58 1,342,783.85 753,614.36 2,291,522, 973.25 -] ,774.01 794.79 149416 204.30 611,68 ,603.78 ,521.01 ,694.42 415.73 ,280.31 820.37 ,796.15 1 AR RRRNORO RNV DA RAROR IR AR DD RIND W TR WS $3,018,441 IN LATIN ,671.69 FYEY $134,406,435.70 AMERICA By GASTON NERVAL. FOUR ACES. HOEVER follows Latin-Amer- ican news in the daily pa- pers must have been sur- prised to read on three different days of the past week that a man who had been Presi- of Guatemala “only a few weeks ago” would soon arrive in the United | States, and that each time the man's| name was a different one. A dispatch from New Orleans an- nounced that Gen. Lazaro Chacon, who | “until recently was the chief executive | of Guatemala.” was expected with his| family in that city, whence he would | proceed to New York and sail for Ger- | many. A cable from Guatemala City stated that Senor Baudilio Palma, “last month | President of Guatemala and now a po- litical exile,” had secured his passports | to leave for the United States. And, finally, an Associated Press re- port from Havana announced the ar- rival in the Cuban capital of Gen. Man- uel Orellana. The report added that Gen. | Orellana was on his way to the United | States, whose Government only some weeks ago had refused to recognize him as President of Guatemala. Believe it or not, the three dispatches | are all true. They may afford material | for one of Ripley's cartoons, but they | are faithful reports of historical events. The explanation is simple—during the last few weeks Guatemala has changed | her chief executive four times. Gen. Lazaro Chacon, the constitu- | ticnally elected president, gave up his Gue:es on mecomny of his proken healtn —s0 at least it was said—and Senor | Baudilio Palma, the nominal second | vice president, was sworn in as chief | executive of the Central American re. public. ‘The first vice president, Gen. Leon, did not entirely approve of this | arrangement and soon started an armed | revolt, in which he unfortunately lost his life. This movement having finally suc- ceeded and Senor Palma deprived of | the executive duties, Gen. Orellana_was called in to preside over the new Gua- | temalan government. This he did for | but a short time, for the United States | and other American republics refused away with the turbulent spirit of the | fessional to accord him recognition, in accord- ance with the provisions of a joint Central American treaty which pro- | hibits the recognition of a president obtaining that office through revolution. | This attitude forced Gen. Orellana, too, to walk off the stage and make room for a new chief executive in Gua- | temala, who has already been recognized | by this and other nations of the world. | Thus, with four different executives | in a month, Guatemala now enjoys the | privilege of having three “recently for- | mer presidents” at a time, which is almost, as bad as the case of that friend | |of mine in La Paz who married four times, lost three of his wives, and still | has to support his four mothers-in-law. | NO MORE FRAUDS. ‘ To the many examples of a rare democratic spirit which Colombia has been giving during the last few months | we must now add a new one—the Co- | lombian Senate has passed a law pro- | viding that any citizen convicted of cor- | ruption and dishonesty in the next| congressional elections will be sentenced | to three years’ imprisonment and t.hc‘ loss of his civil rights. This severe measure is in accordance | with the purpose of the present Colom- an government to insure the honesty of the next electoral contest and the free exercise in it of the popular will. Heretofore electoral frauds, corruption, | the marketing of votes and the use of | force were almost traditional in Colom- | bian as well as in other Latin-Ameri- can elections. The government in Bo. gota has now decided to bring about a | dical change, one which will place | electoral methods nearer to democracy | and more in accord with the liberal | tendency which the progressive South- | ern republic is following today. It is not so long ago that in this same column we praised President Olaya Herrera of Colombia for instruct~ ing all departmental authorities to ob- serve the strictest impartiality in the coming elections and to accord full and equal guarantees to every contending candidate. We said at that time that | such an attitude was unusual and| praiseworthy in a continent where until recently it was not only customary but almost unavoidable that the men in| power should lend full aid to the can- didates of their own party, throwing in the weight of government support on their behalf. And it is not long ago, either, thaf we had occasion to applaud the con stitutional reforms adopted by the Co. lombian Congress in order to prevent | state deputies from using their political | influence in having themselves elected | national senators, thus taking unfair advantage of the old electoral system. Neither is it long since the press of the entire continent rejoiced at the decision of the Colombian high army officers in asking to be denled the right to vote or to intervene in any way in the course of domestic politics in the country. In a year which saw the downfall of six Latin American administrations at the hands of military chieftains this altru- istic attitude of the Colombian army gave a remarkable contrast. All these instances are proving the firm determination of the Colombian authorities to preserve the soundness of | their political institutions—a _rather strange determination in these days of political unrest, dissatisfaction and vio- lent upheavals on the Latin American stage. MORE TEACHERS, FEWER SOLDIERS Colombia is not alone, however, in this democratic development and in this departure from militaristic tendencies. A New York daily has just mentioned editorially the fact that Costa Rica, the progressive little Central American re- Public, will bave in 1031 ap ammy of only 500 men, while her school teachers will number more than 1,000. In this century of materialistic views, when all the nations on earth scem to be engaged in a free-for-all race for armaments and soldiers, the example of Costa Rica stands out by itself. Very few countries in this tur- bulent world of ours could boast of a similar record, in spite of their loud- spoken and repeated pacifist intentions. In Latin America, as I have often said, the countries which are smaller geographically and economically seem to be destined to have a greater cul tural and political development. Uru- guay in the South and Costa Rica in the Caribbean region are two outstand- ing instances of this phenomenon. Both nations have been leading the way for their Latin American sisters in social institutions, domestic legislation and educational methods for a number of years. Uruguay, the smallest South Ameri- can republic, has the most perfected political organization in the New World. And Costa Rica has often given new assurances of her social and political maturity, like this one, whi ican press refers to as a “comme example of sincere disarmam Truly, if the majority of civilized nations adopted Costa Rica's attitude, the world’s chief problem would be nearer to solution than ever in the his- tory of mankind. Only when the men on the teachers’ benches outnumber those quartered in barracks may the specter of war be expected to fade away. BALLOTS INSTEAD OF BULLETS. Almost simultaneously with that an- ndable nouncement from Costa Rica came a| different one from anohcr American republic, E1 Salvador. eve of presidential elections the gov- ernment decreed “general disarmament” Central throughout the country, meaning by this that guns, revolvers, knives and ail other lethal weapons in the possession of individuals be turned over to the| police authorities until the electi test was over. In this way, the report continued, the government expected to be able to do n con- voters and enjoy tranquil and peaceful clections. The mere adoption of these measures gives a clear idea of what the widespread possession of arms by pri- vate citizens has come to amount to in certain Southern lands. Probably kept over by their possessors from previous revolutionary struggles, these danger- ous weapons become especially so in election times. The method adopted by the Salva- dorian government to prevent shooting from interfering in the country’s do- mestic politics is not entirely new Thirty-five Mexican policemen entercd the state capitol of Chihuahua time ago and disarmed 2ll the memb-rs of that honorable legislative body and a good number of pecple in the galleries who carried the latest style guns on their hips. All government officials, members of Congress and political leaders are well protected in Mexico against possible— very possible—unpleasant surprises from their enemies. Shot-besprinkled epi- sodes are nothing unusual in Mexican legislative halls. To avoid the repeti- tion of these frequent displays of p sion the Chihuahua authorities decided to decree the confiscation of arms and “means of combat” at the inaugura- ton of the annual state legisiative ses- sion. I said at that time that I doubted it domestic disarmament had more probabilitics of success in Mexico than international disarmament had so far had in the rest of the world, for Mexi- can_elections without bul almost as strange as Amer elec- tions without ballots. It remains now to be seen if this is also the case with Salvador. (Copyright, 1931.) Music’s Place in Education _(Continued From First Page.) fessional career; they are merely begin- ning to reap the reward of their early studies in this art. It is quite unneces- sary to call the attention of American educators to the rapid spread of these musical units in our high schools, or to the very high quality of the perform- ances. Again, we might anticipate for these students a further development of | their music through college; that is, we might anticipate it if we didn't know the college curriculum, or we might be content to admire the work of the com- petent musicians among high school students and to congratulate ourselves that these orchestras and choruses are increasing. But it is only by a miracle of musical enthusiasm that these orchestras do increase. 1t is not because the school cirriculum really fosters them. On the contrary, the orchestra will rehearse at least once a week. To play in it a boy or girl must maintain steady practice on the violin or other instruments for at least an hour a day, usually for two or three hours. They can hardly play these in- struments at all, even with practice, unless they continue to enjoy private instruction. Since most or all of this musical study must be carried on with- out academic credit, and therefore in addition to the usual requirements, only the youngster who is as strong as a horse can stand the strain, For every student, therefore, who continues his or her music study up to a point where he or she can play in the school orchestra, there are dozens in school who began to study music, but who have dropped out under pressure of the hool curriculum. “°Xou fay 88y, st this @Alority OUEAS h the Amer- | On the | fto drop their music, that if they had any real love for it they would keep it up even in spite of the demands of the school program. I don't agree with that argument at all, but to debate it properly we should have to have undei observation the potential ability of those who have dropped their muslc. For the moment, therefore, let us concede that the world has lost nothing by the silence of this large group who once began to study music and afterward gave it up. 1 am not willing to concede, however, that the dropping of their music did not create in many of these people an antagonism to it. The sense of futility, which is all they have got out of long hours of practice, sets up a protective attitude against the whele art. In any high_school you will find, over agsinst the fortunate youngsters who can play and sing, a considerable number who can do neither, and who take a Phill- stine attitude toward the performance of others. You will find that these Philistines are almost invariably those who began music study and dropped it. Two General Results. But if we shut our eyes to all the high school students except th ¥ho can play or sing we can prophesy for them, on the basis of what is now happening through the country, two general results. If they don't go on to college they have a fair chance of keeping up their music. In all sections of the land are springing up what are usually called junior orchestras, re- cruited chiefly from young people who enjoyed playing during their high school courses and who would like to keep on after graduation. Since they continue more or less in the same community, since they usually or in many cases own their own instruments, it is not hard to bring them together to play for fun. Some energetic person calls them and they respond. On the other hand, if they go to college they are almost certain to drop their music. There may be a student hestra at their coliege, but it is not likely to play so well as the best high school orchesira because it can find less time to practice and usually no time at all for private study. Unless the student orchestra at college is temporarily galvanized into effciency by a few extraordinary talents of pro- fessional grade, it represents, musically speaking, only the dwindling out of the good work accomplished in high schools. Here and there in the dormitories you can discover a boy or girl valiantly continuing piano or violin practice for a year or so, or a month ot so, but in the end the college curriculum will get them. Their musical activity is of no concern to the educators who have them in charge. The college provides no leisure for this art and gives no credit for the acquisition of this culture. Departments of Music. Most colleges, I think, would prefer a different description of the place of music in their curriculum. They would point to the fact that they have a mi department, that quite a large proportion of the points necessary for graduation can be earned in music courses, that a point or perhaps two points of credit can be earned by play- ing in the college orchestra, provided that this playing goes hand in hand ith courses in the history or the theory of music. On paper our colleges are doing pretty well for music. As a matter of fact, however, what they are doing does not touch the practical problem I have been outlining here. We offer courses in musical appreciation, in music_ his- tory or in music theory. In all of these academic credit can be obtained. No doubt much good of a kind may | come from the appreciation courses. No doubt it is an advantage to know when Beethoven and Bach lived, and in | what order they composed their works. No doubt at all that the study of | counterpoint and harmony ought to add to one's musical equipment. But obviously something is wrong ¥ {a large number of our students are | withdrawing from music, abandoning ability alrcady acquired. during the very years when the courses in ap- vreciation are being applied to their fellows. It seems easy to convince educational theorists that it is better for a pupil to hear lectures on Beethoven than to be able to play Beethoven himself. But youll never convert a musician to that paradox. A number of colleges, particularly colleges for women, are making efforts to cure this condition, chiefly by organizing what are practically con- servatories associated with the colleges. From the point of view of the musical educator this is a questionable move. A conservatory ought to be first rate, or it ought not to exist, and it can't | be first rate unless it aims at pro- ndards. ‘The moment a | college sets up a servatory of music in association with its college course it undertakes something which will Mmost certainly be better done else- where, and in the end it exposes itself | to comparisons which are unfortunate | and unnecessary. Opportunities as Need. If we are interested in the average student, in the young person who no more intends to be a professional | musician than to be a professional | chemist or physicist, it would seem | wiser to provide in the curriculum opportunitics for him _to continue whatever music studies he has begun, to continue the study and practice of he piano or of the violin, and to re- ceive academic credit for this work on an exact cquality with history or math- ematics or any other subject. The purpose of such a provision would be not to tain professional musicians, but to conserve and to carry on normally whatever musical ability the students bring to college with them. If there were time, I should like to |argue to a finish with any educator | who doubts the disciplinary and cul- tural value of practical music study, properly directed. The amount of pra tice necessary for a weekly or fort- nightly lesson in music involves two or three times the moral and intellectual |effort which the average student ex- ! pends on any other course. Two hous a day of practice demand absolute*con- wtration in order to produce result and they can be crammed into nothing hort of 120 minutes. Music practice | cannot be surrepiitiously worked up, | as many a history lesson is, during morning chapel or the Sunday sermon. Musical performance differs from any | other recitation now encouraged in our class rooms, in that it must be good as a whole as well as in detail, and the student can expect no lucky break in the question he draws from the in- structor. To install music in the curriculum— practical music—on an equality with mathematics or history or chemistry, an adequate equipment Would be needed —instruments to practice on, places to practice, instructors. If a conservatory is not aimed at. this equipment would be less costly than one might at first think. There are various arrangements which could be made with local musi- | cians so that the teaching siaff need, not be unduly enlarged. Individual in- | struction, however, of this kind would certainly be costly, and perhaps it is this cost which discourages most insti- tutions from giving proper recognition to art. One other problem perhaps discour- ages them. With so many subjects al- ready in the curriculum and ali the de- partments fighting jealously for as much of the student’s time as they can get, we may as well ask into what nook or| crevice could we squeeze instruction for an art? I personally have no theoreti- cal respect for our curriculum as it stands, but after a quarter of a century in college faculty rooms I have great respect for the difficulty of getting any real sense into our program. We on the inside know that a college curriculum is framed very much like a tariff bill—in its final state it is likely to illustrate no abstract principle; it will be rather the resultant of opposing and pretty evenly balanced forces; il will be a compromise and a mess. The student would probably not suffer if we shifted the requirements around quite: arbitrarily, put the senior courses in the sophomore year or gave the same MANY EVIL CONDITIONS HIT RUSS HOME LIFE Privacy Destroyed (Continued From Frst Page) can be obtalned in the government- owned hotels at which I stayed. But dinner here is far from cheap. A din- ner costs $250. It is plentiful and good.” In the smaller villages the govern- ment shop is open for but an hour and a half once a m h. This is a great event fn the lives of the people and there is a tremendous rush and scram- blo to make purchases. When the peasants buy their supplies grumbling comments are frequently made by the women about the s dy town goods for which they have to give their good wheat and grain. Peasant Found Restive. Everywhere Mrs. Hamilton found the peasant more prone to rebel than the town worker and women more expres- sive of their feelings than the men. The clothes obtainable at the govern- ment store are poorly made and expen- sive. A Communist who was wearing a new suit was asked by Mrs. Hamilton how much he had paid for it. He re- plied that the price was $40, and this after he had received the special dis- member of the Communist party. The market at Smolenski is deseribed as typlcal. On one side there are food | stalls kept by private sellers who pay rent to the government and on the other there is a great collection of people in queer nondescript clothing, Wwho carry trays in front of them with odd trinkets and stray remnants—a top hat, a sllver spoon, & photograph frame, a scent bottle, fur, ikons, old gloves and other articles they wish to sell. All Seek Education. ‘That these articles may be second, third, or even fourth hand, that they match neither in style nor color, is nothing, Mrs. Hamilton said. They are durable and inexpensive, whereas brand- new clothing at the government store is high in price and poor in quality. The needs of the mind are perhaps being better supplied than those of the body. Everybody is hot in the pursuit of education and all are compelled to sit and make pothooks and to listen to lectures on Russian art. The cinemas, theaters and opera are filled with rows of stolid, unsmiling workers who are commanded to attend the performances. Each factory receives a supply of tickets from the government which it hands out to the workers. That the worker might prefer to pass the eve- ning in a different way is not consid- ered. He must absorb the new culture. Plays Used in Propaganda. The plays are concerned primarily with propaganda. The acting is usually of a high order, but the limitations im- posed on the plot by the need to present certain principles are great. “Red Rust,” which Mrs. Hamilton saw there, is a good example of the new Russian drama, she said. Frequently the text of the play deals with the conditions in capitalist coun- tries and the difficulties and hardships of the workers in these places. Chil- dren are taken to theaters whose spe- cial province is to present plays suited for the child mind. But no fairy tales or symbolic plays may be shown. ‘The theatar and the “movies” are not the whole of the eductional program. For the children there are schools with well heated class rooms where they are taught sometimes by teachers who are themselves barely Lterate. Schoois in the larger cities, however, have teachers of a higher order, the traveler found. “Wild” Children a Problem. Each school is run by a soviet, or committee—composed of teachers and students, and there is one never-failing remedy for getting rid of an unpopular teacher. Let the pupils but report that the teacher used the word “religion” or “mystical” and another teacher joins the ranks of the unemployed. The conditions of children varies greatly from those in well kept colonies under expert care, to the unkempt hordes that wander north in the Sum- mer and south in the Winter, riding the trains, living on herbs and what- ever else they can find, constantly be- ing decimated by tuberculosis, hunger and exposure. These children present one of the most trying problems with which the new regime has to cope. Attempts are What of Ni (Continued From Third Page.) charm and to furnish a contrast with the white sheet which fell from the rim of the American cataract. One engineer suggested that the tops of the walls be reinforced by steel and masonry work. Such a project resem- bled a gigantic dental operation, bridge- work flung into the throbbing throat of the river. The commission was more concerned about the Canadian side, on account of its much greater recession, and referred to it as “committing sui- cide.” The project would, of course, require ‘the temporary withdrawal of much water through new channels. Engineers May Save Falls. the beauty of the falls, as well as to conserve its mighty forces for industry, is believed by engincers. The Niagara Falls Power Co made a most ingenious model in 1929 to illustrate methods sug- gested by the Special International Board and its own experts. A miniature Niagara, which with its settings took several 'acres, was constr.cted in an | open field. When the model was being demonstrated, water was turned on un- der pressure and made to roar in a minor key. Live steam, discharged from hidden ducts, represented the mist and spray of the natural water fall. Va- lous wires and tunnels and other works were constructed in miniature, in which the water was turned on and off an manipulated as it might be for the real Niagara. So realistic was this model | that photographs of it almost passed mu.:ler as pictures of the genuine cata- ract. The problem of Niagara is one which ! would involve the modifying or even | urgical interference” with the powers ol nature. Niagara Falls is a relic of the Glacial Age and probably came into being from 20,000 to 35,000 years ago, according to the estimates of geologists, ‘The oldest age ascribed to it is 50,000 years by some a thorities. The cataract occurs in the Niagara River, which con- nects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The stream cuts across a neck of land, from hence it derives its name, whick herited most of the time in the sched- ule which the classics once occupied, and under one excuse or another we English teachers have seized all we could lay our hand on. But if T had & choice between teaching a boy English literature six hours a week or teaching him three hours and letting him de- vote the other three to instruction in music, I'd immeasurably prefer this sec- ond arrangement. He would be a bet- ter student in English. It would be easier to make him see that literature is an art. He would be a more cultured person to associate with. Whether our college authorities are ready now to give a place to art in our education, they will be forced to do so sooner or later by the p of pub- lic opinion. at we are after number of hours to zoology as we give to_history. I therefore think that the time for, music study might very well be taken from English, which is my own sub- Ject, English depastment has in- in the elem ry grades is soundyr in educational theory and richer in results than what we are achieving in the I college years, This discrepancy wil] permanently escape public attentio and publie criticism, count to which he is entitled as a | That much can be done to preserve | by Crowded Condi- tions—Unwholesome Environment for People in General. being made te captupe these wild chil- dren and to put them into colonies where they may be cared for properly, Home Care Advocated. “One of the things that struck me most foreibly is the effort being made | to get away ifrom the system of herding children,” "said Mrs. Hamilton. “The influence of the home is no longer regarded as baleful and prominent peo- ple, such as Lenin's widow, who is head of the department of education, are urging, by their articles in Soviet news- | papers, that children be raised in pri | vate homes.” The attempt to farm out the children in colonies to foster rents is ham- pered at present by the lack of floor space and people complain about the addition of two or three more mem. :)!li; to an already overcrowded house- o “Of course, we can't speak of children without mentioning _their mothers,” | continued Mrs. Hamilton, “A woman | who is a mother is highly regarded, but the lot of all women there, although better than it was before the revolu- tion, is a hard one. Hard work, pov- erty and constant strain age women jearly and the harsh climate, hot Sum- |mers and cold Winters destroy their beauty. Spontaneous Laughter Missed. “There is no laughing spontaneity in persons more than 16 years old, and even some of the children, especially the orphaned victims of the revolution, are prematurely aged. “Yet, in one respect, Russia leads the world. Her women are given from four to six weeks off with full pay before the birth of a child and a similar pe- riod after its birth. Illegitimate chil- dren receive the same care as legitimate ones and both parents are compelled to support it, each parent in proportion to the wage earned. In cases of divorce the parents both continue to support the children, the money being taken from their wages by the government.” ‘The ease with which a divorce may be obtained has led to special effort on the part of each of the partners to & marriage to return the other's affection. Those who would quarrel are frequently restrained by the thought that one day they will come home and find a neat little official notice to the effect that they are free to choose a new com- panion. Divorce Costs Rise. Moreover, economic pressure is brought to bear on those who would make divorce a habit., Each successive divorce an individual obtains costs more than the previous one and they soon become prohibitive. The bonds of matrimony are mot difficult to break, but there are other bonds from which escape is impossible, A crime against the government is rigorously punished. People live in con- stant fear of offending and being spirit- ed away. When some one disappears, no one dares to ask any questions, “In civil prisons, the only ones to which I had access,” said Mrs. Hamil- ton, “conditions are good. The prison- |ers are treated kindly. They are al- lowed to roam about freely, to chat |and smoke. Théy sleep in wards and, when ill, are taken care of in efficlent hospitals attached to the prison. Short Terms for Murder. “Even murder is looked upon lightly. The sentence is not very severe, rarely even as much as 10 years. One jolly iittie man that I saw was in ror seven years for killing a peasant. The Gove ernor assured me that since it was his first offense, and since his behavior was good he probably would not have to_stay more than five years.” In the same prison Mrs. Hamilton saw another man looking so miserable that she wondered what crime could be worse than murder. Pointing him out, she asked: ““What is he here for?” “He made vodka surreptitiously and is in for 10 years,” was the answer. Vodka is a government monopoly and it is a serious offense to make it pri- vately and sell it. “In spite of their hard life the Rus- slans have boundless faith in the fu- ture,” said Mrs. Hamilton, “Many of them assured me in hours of conversa- tion, over a glass of pale tea, that things would all be well, that their experiment was still young and would eventually be highly successful. They are idealists.” agara Falls? in the language of the Indians “Across the Neck” (Nee-agg-aran). It measures 33 miles long and, in a general way, ex- cept at one point where it makes an abrupt right angle and returns, it flows from -outh to north. It is from 2% to 3 miles wide at its greatest width, and as it approaches the preci- pice over which it falls it is approxi- mately a mile across. It is only about 25 feet deep and for a time flows along placidly enough, bearing the drainage of Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie into Ontario. Ontario being 327 feet lower than is Erie, the Ni a River is due for a tumble, which it makes very suddenly. One abrupt drop of 60 febt creates the rapids as it rushes through a deep gorge and flings itself over a sheer wall 165 feet in height. It is only natural that the terriffic force of the waters should have worn a deep channel through the rocks and have ground deep basins into under- ‘l, ng strata. At the same time the | attrition inch by inch and foot by foot | throughout the years has torn away the brim of the barrier over which the stream is rushing to the basin of the St. Lawrence and then to the sea,, There is no doubt that the original descent was at Lewiston seven miles distant. It has taken many centuries for this old river to work its way back all those miles and doubtless it will continue on its gait unless some mighty d | ensineering projects prevent it. In that event, there is ground for the fear that some 'day the cataract will work back until it is absorbed by the creation of an easler passage from lake to lake. In that event. there will be no such terrific force of rapids and falls to run turbines and to distribute energy through thousands of wires for the illumination of the cities and _the powering of street cars. How long would it be before a sudden plunge would give way to a smooth and gradual descent of this stream across the neck of land? First Survey of Cataract. The first authentic survey was made of the falls and its surroun in 1764. In 1842, 78 years later, 1t was found that the cataract had cut back 470 feet. It is entirely likely that in the sixteenth or seventeenth cen- tury there was one continuous sheet of water across, instead of the two sides which are now separated by Goat Is- land. The rate of recession has not been so rapid in recent years and the Amer- ican side has been comparatively static. The Horse Shoe, however, has been deepening its curve all the time. As part of a circle it measures 2,950 feet, but the chord is only 1,250 feet, which is very little more than the 1,007 feet of the American side. There not seem, however, to be much cause for worry, for at the present rate the cata- ract is not likely to fulfill its destiny of suicide until the year 20190 A.D., according to one very carefully con- sidered estimate. It ought to be good for at least 20,000 years more or ‘2 who knows, but what by some mastc engineering the destructive bld Dame Nature may be sf agira be retained in much her pres- status, b