Evening Star Newspaper, June 21, 1931, Page 28

FORD’S 3,000-ACRE FARM. TESTS CORPORATION PLAN Michigan Experiment Seen ‘as One of Most Importa nt in Modern Agriculture. Winter wor} inimum wage of 55 for an eight-hour' dav. es this mark the end of the inde- pendent farmer? Many have been forerd t_already by I mi rms are belni ereasing num one-crop farme: ount "of o . We can eat e wear no more ‘clothes (han forefathers. who were able to supply their_wants from r own “acres. or the; e mixed farmer can still s o S BY H. H. SHELDON, Professor of Physics. New York University. ‘The 3,000-acre farm, or “agricultural Iaboratory,” as it has been called, which Henry Ford has put into operation this year in Lenawee County, Mich,, is per- hlrl one of the most important agri- cultural experiments of recent years. Let me hasten to say, however, that its importance does not lle in its novelty, as some seem to think, but chiefly in the fact that Henry Ford is doing it. ‘That means that the public will watch it much more closely than it has the dozens of other similar attempts to run farms on a corporation basis. It means that the public generaily will be in- formed as to the possibilities of cor- poration farming. ‘The idea is not new, &s has been sald. Large scale farming has been carried n this country for vears. both by corporations and by individuale. It is also well known that much of the land in Russia has been stripped of its fences 80 that tractors may operate labor-sav- ing machinery over large areas. Never- theless, Mr. Ford's experiment does in- clude some elements of novelty. ‘The idea of a minimum wage of $5 for an eight-hour day will certainly | strike the old guard amongst the farm- | ers as most revolutionary. It seems! reasonable to expect that such a wage can be paid on such a farm and a profit | still be shown. It has been shown, for | example, that labor-saving machinery in the rubber industry can successfully | compete against native labor at 10 or | 12 cents & day. Novel Features. The other novel features of Mr. Ford's plan are the introduction of a | chemical laboratory to study the prob- | lem of farm waste and the bullding of a textile plant to utilize the time of his employees during the Winter | months., Both of these things are im- | portant introduction into the farm | picture. ‘The farmer can no longer turn_his Winters into profit by getting out his own firewood and by hauling | urvive, logs from his property to the sawmill to be cut into salable lumber. | Suppose, now, that Mr. Ford shows | that a profit can be made in corpora- | tion farming. There i3 every reason to suppose that he will, as others have already done. But if Mr. Ford does, & tremendous impetus will be given to the idea. We may expect thousands of small farmers, in addition to the vast number already squeezed out by lzbor- saving machines, to find themselves in a position in which they can no longer make a living. Farms are constantly being abandoned at the present time. ‘We may expect an increase in the rate at which acres are thrown idle. The present abandonment of land is largely due to the tractor, which does not eat hay or oats, and to labor-saving ma- chinery. The corporation will take its share of scalps. Tale of the Boll Weevil. ‘This may sound like a dismal picture from the point of view of the now independent farmer. But he has hope if he does not delay too long—if he does not wait until the sheriff is at his door. Perhaps you may recall the tre- mendous howl that the boll weevil produced in the South. As its ravages spread from fleld to field farmers saw il ‘ecognized as having been a great benefactor. It forced the farmers to abandon cotton, to some extent, and ®0 in for mixed farming. They, in a sense, removed themselves from a money basis And put_themselves op an independent basis. Instead of selling their crops for money and using this to rurchue their needs, they used their and to supply the majority of their wants directly. They have erected monuments to the boll weevil as an | expression of sincere appreciation. [ Perhaps some day independent farm ers may erect monuments to the ma who first thought of forming a cor- poration to operate a farm. It may | force them to put themselves on a self- sustaining basis. Is this possible? One | of the happlest and leisurely living in- \ms to solve this problem. acres only, not all of which was tillable. It required surprisingly little land to grow all the vegetables that his family, & wife and one son, could con- sume during the year. Meat was sup- plied by the raising of chicksns, pigs and a few calves. During the Winter mest could be kept frozen, Summer meat was supplied by a local butcher in exchange for live stock to he slaugh- tered. Clothing was a minor item, consisting mostly of overal's and shoes, the latter of which the farmer himself kert in repair. Butter, ¢ream and milk were supplied by three cows; sur- plus milk being sold to a near-by cheese factory. Fuel was largely sup- plied by a large woods at the back of the property. This also provided & revenue in maple sugar. ‘There was also an orchard of moderate size and an excellent strawberry patch. \Abcut the only thing this family ever bought was salt and pepper, sugar, tea and coffze. Even the soap used for clean- ing was mace each Fall in a large ket~ tle. Flour for bread wgs supblied by & local mill in exchange for wheat. No Need for Automobile. Automobiles and tractors were not, at that time, common on farms. On & farm of this sort they would still be unnecessary. Surplus products sup- { plied what few necessities had to be | purchased for cash. And this man did | not work hard! He lived a life which ! can only lescribed as leisurely. He | was _known to me over a period of years. H: was well informed. resd | widely and was excellent company. His life was certainly not narrow. But, you say, this cannot be done to- Things move too fast. Yet you eat no more, wear no more clothes | than you could have worn at that time. | The question as to whether it can be cannot be done by any intelligent | individual today does not appear dif- ficult to answer. One must be a nat- ural handyman capab'e of making re- pairs on a great variety of things, he i | or km\ut inform himself eoncerning crops, live stock and so on, and, of course, he must get the farm. One Way of Farming. To get the farm is perhaps the most difficult thing, for the man who is already faced with an Inability to finance himself and family unless, of | s course, he thousands ha ment under wa; already has one, There is a new move- however, which prom- The re- duced cost of farm land has made it possible for many persons to purchase farms to be used for vacation purposes. Many of these are left vacant during the greater part of the year and on BOADLY speaking, mot- toes have done me little good. Being exhorted to “do it now” has not conquered a natural instinct to pro- crastinate. ‘“Tackle the hard thing first” has not increased my courage; nor has “a penny saved is a penny earned” spurred me to thrift. All these wise saws, and others, I would trade for the two words on which a shrewd old merchant, told me he had built his store: Deserve. Eliminate. Almost anywhere you look in business you may see the need for those two words. A certain manufacturer, whose products already cov- ered the field, announced his intention of adding still an- other item to the line. His banker was skeptical. “What excuse is there for it?” he demanded. “Does it meet any real need? Has it any speclal qualities that make it deserve to succeed?” The manufacturer replied rather testily that he could not see what deserving had to which to bulld,” he sald. He was right. After an expensive and unsuccessful campaign the new product was aban- doned. Another company, whose volume had grown rapidly during the months of pros- perity, came into dull times and began to examine its ex- penses. It discovered that nearly half its overhead could be cut without reducing profits. While things were rolling it had entirely neg- lected elimination. The words apply with equal force to individual lives. How many useless habits we loaded up with during the 10 years previous to 1929! How we frittered away our time and diluted our energies! Appar- ently hard times are neces- sary once in a while to compel us to cut. As for the word deserve, who has not experienced the increased sense of power which comes when one knows in his heart that his plans and purposes are wholly right? . Under the spell of such conviction we astonish our- do with it. There was an op- portunity to steal more busi- ness from a competitor, and he proposed to do so. The banker protested. “That seems a poor foundation on i i { e.) (Continued From Third P: porters and merchants in the city echoed much this ! | selves by an unexpected ca- pacity. We feel in tune with infinite forces. We deserve, and the stars in their courses s‘edem to be fighting on our side. (Coprright, 1931) (_)ld King Cotton Is Sick duction must be exported; it comes into competition with cotton grown in India, Egypt, Brazil, Peru and some 40 other sentiment, | countries, most of which have a stand- s most of them there is no attempt | Clayton and cotton bracket together, | Ard of living far below that of the made to grow crops of any kind. In some casss these farms have been turned over to farmers with the blan- ket instructions, “Make your own living and keep the farm in condition.” Under such instructions an able man can eas- ily make a living. He is free of the | traditional mortgage which has always hung over the farmer’'s head. He has | no worry of interest of tax dates. On | the other hand, the owner has his farm | kept in good condition and always | ready for his visits over weck ends or [v-cntlnn periods. It makes an ideal Summer place for lovers of the open and provides a continuing interest from year to year. As shrubs, trees, and so on, grow to maturity it becomes a place | of constantly increasing beauty. Many | substantially built farm houses seem likewise to grow beautiful with age. Back to the Farm. ‘The back-to-the-farm movement that has just been described offers little induccment in dollars. It must not be assumed, however, that the chance to make money no longer exists for the independent farmer. It does. One does not have to travel far to hear many stories, and true ones, about small fortunes having been made in growing nursery stock, in producing | new lant varicties by hybridizing, in | growing some specialty, raising and selling wild flower plants and so on. These are the things that produce profits nowadays. Of course, an able farmer can still make money growing grain, and many do.. Nevertheless, in general, the one-crop farmer is being forced out at an ever-increasing rate by large farm units. It appears very definitely time the farm of the future which produces for city consumption will be the large corporate managed farm. But it ap- pears just as definitely that there will exist & large group with farms in gen- eral smaller than those of today, who | will be practically self-sustaining with- in their own acres. There is undoubt- edly plenty of land lying idle today to support all of our unemployed on this basis were the land and a knowledge dividuals the author ever knew made his living from a farm of about 50 of how to use it immediately avatlable to them. Farm Board Not in Business, Hyde Declares in Forum Radio Address —(Continued Prom Third Page.) ST | balance on todsy's market would be a #ain for American farmers. In the two years of its existence the Farm Board has accomplished much. Co-operatives Grow. ‘The membership of co-operative as- sociations has increased abcut 30 per | cent. Farmer-owned co-operatives marketed six times more wool, twice| as much cotton, three times as much grain in 1930 as was co-operatively handled in any one year before. That is sufficient prcof, if proof is needed, that the Farm Board has steadily kept its goal in mind and has contributed surely and soundly to the co-operative | movement. The Farmers’ National Grain Corpora- tion is an example. It is the central sales agency for grain. principally wheat. This corporation has 25 stock- | holders who represent some 2,500 local | co-operative associations and about | 280,000 farmers. During the first nine | months of the crop year 1930-193] this organization handled 112,000,000 bushels of grain. The net profit to the nization was $666,266.84. t deals, like any grain merchant, in the open market. Because it can draw upon the volume of grain produced by some 250,000 growers, and because it operates on every market in the coun= . its bargaining power and its possi- bilitles for economic and crderly mar- keting are beyond question the greatest the American grain farmer has ever en- Joyed. Its objective is profit for its lucer- members. Accordingly, it bids for its members' grain as high a price as it can and still sell the grain without loss. fair estimate is that the influence of the Farmers' National on the market in- creased the price of grain to growers from 7 to 10 cents a bushel during the last year. ‘These constructive activities of the Parm Board will never make a tall headline on the front page of the news- papers. They are not dramatic. They are the slow, steady plling of brick on brick and stone on stone which are slowly but surely building for agricul- ture great service institutions. They are mobilizing the economic power of American farmers, for collective plan- ning, collective selling and united ac- | tion. on. ‘When the record of this administra- tion is finally written, it will be set down that President Hoover not only recommended and approved the law the Federal Farm Board, |t economic equality for agriculture through organisation, but that he hi pproved $65,000,000 for loans to farm- TS in the drought area: that he has poroved many other millions for agri- ultural purposes, and that these are | larger sums than have ever been di- rected to the solution of the soclal and econcmic Pmblem.l of agriculture in the history of the world. It will also be clear that he has r:commended and approved other hundreds of millions for public works to relieve unemployment. Herbert Hoover has organized and di- rected tha greatest drive against dis- tress ever undertaken by any govern- ment on the earth. Has it availed any- hing? Let me remind you that under distress conditions so acute as to cause political revolutions in many of the na- tions of the earth and violent, changes in many others, the United States of America has thus far met and weath- | ered the stress without even a strike. Bribing “Evil Spirits” Hard for Peasants ROME.—The peasant population of Frignano Maggiore, near Naples, has almost made up its mind to stop be- lieving in spirits after the unpleasant experience which overtook one of its citizens named Cipriano Reccia re- cently. Cipriano had been told by his late father that a great treasure was buried beneath their house, but that the treasure could not be sccured because of evil spirits which guarded it. He A | sought the advice of his fellow viliagers, and they agreed to summon one Migli- ozzi, who was known in the neighbor- hood as & medicine man. liozal an- swered the call and after ced to vated if he would have mass said for a distant relative, whose t, Migliozsi declared, was causing the trouble. The most difficult stipulation was that the mass must be said in Jerusalem. Reccia immediately went about the task of raising 3,000 lire ($150) to cover the penses of ha the mass sald, and expcrienced it dificulty when he agreed to share the treasure with vari- ous shopkeepers Wwho consented to finance him. He gave the funds to the crafty Migliozzi and the latter departed with & to return in one month, creating srmed with broad powers and $500,- be devoted to achieving ‘That was six weeks ago. Now the carae Dbinieri are at work on the case. who suspects bhat Will Clayton's mete- oric rise in this world trade is & matter only five minutes to learn that he like Tiffany and diamonds. Any one | United States. of blind luck need talk with the man | tions, which, ‘The Southern cotton farmer is now engaged in a struggle with the producers of these other na- reduced to elementary terms, means simply a competition to knows his stuff—he knows cotton from ' Se¢ which can draw his belt the tighter. the seed to the loom. 7 About 30 years ago Clayton was a | Competition Unfalr, young stenographer in Jackson, Tenn.| “If this competition were fairly con- He had grown up there, in the heart ducted, one might play the American of & rich plantation country, and it |farmer to win, due to his greater intel~ ‘was natural to step into the cotton-buy- | ligence, industry and modern methods on & conversation with the "mu“ other ing business. Laier he and a brother- in-law prospected westward and estab- lished themselves at Oklahoma City as cotton merchants under the firm name of Anderson, Clayton & Co. In 1916 they decided to move headquarters to Houston, Tex., because of its growing importance as a concentrating and shipping point for cotton, and since the move there, Mr. Clayton has made his firm the leadipg factor in the buying and exporting of American cotton. In a normal year their purchases are about 2,000,000 bales. And a bale of $50 (o $150, according’ to the market. Elght years ago cotton rose to $175 a bale. but today an exporter counts him- self lucky if he gets $50, or an average of 10 cents a pound. “Ten cents a pound in Liverpool means how much to the farmer in Cen- tral Texas?” I asked Mr. Clayton, as we sat talking in his office, high up in the Houston Cotton Exchange Build- ing. “The freight, insurance, commission, other charges and deduction for tare average about 2 cents, so that 10 cents in Liverpool means about 8 cents to the farmer,” answered Mr, Clayton. “How much does it cost a pound to grow cotton?” “The cost varies greatly, depending on the industry and efficiency of the farmer, the richness of his soil and the state of the weather, the boll weevil and other natural factors. Practically nowhere in the United States can cot- wv]\ be produced at its current selling price. “The typical cotton farmer,” Mr. Clayton went on, “keeps no books, 50 exact figures are unknown. He charges against his crop nothing for his own labor and that of his wife and children, | who work with him in the flelds, plant- ing, chopping and picking the cotton. If they all manage to eat regularly, it is rated a rlirlf successful year, “It may fairly be said that the aver- age cost of raising cotton over any given period of time is represented by the average fflu which farmers re- ceived for their cotton during the same period. This must be true, since the cotton farmer, exeert for a brief post- war period, has only been able to pay his taxes, interest on his mortgage and maintain for himself and family a standard of living much below that of the industrial workers of this country. Soil Has Lost Heavily. “On this basis we find that the aver- age market price of middling %-inch cotton for the 10 years immediately preceding the World War was 11.3 cents, which may be accepted as the cost of growing it, including taxes and rent of land. The cost is certainly greater to- day, because taxes are from two to three times over the pre-war level, ag- ricultural implements” are considerably higher and practically everything which enters into the farmer's cost of llving and producing is higher. “Then, too, the .soil has lost heavily in productivity, the yleld per acre being 120 ‘per cent below the pre-war figure, even with the increased use of fer- tilizers. Along with this development has also come a distressing deprecia- tion in quality, Everything considered, it seems hardly possible, under the present one-crop system, to produce cotton today at less than 15 cents per ind, on the average, covering taxes, terest on capital, depreciation on tools ana machinery and the maintenance of & decent American standard of living for the workers and their families. “The average standard of living of the cotton farmer is not only far infe- rior to that of factory workers, but it is even lower than that of wheat farmers and other agricultural workers. A re- cent Government survey of a represent- ative cotton county in Georgia showed the best year's labor income of 288 ;nrmm averaged $287 per family of ve E ” o clothe a family of five and buy sugar, coffee, flour, kerosene and ibles on $287 a year,and rity’ of 1924, for e: of $287 was ai price of cotton rose to ‘What the I standard has to in 1931, with cotton below 10 cents a pound, cannot even be imaj by those outsids the dilemma in W) cotton finds himself today.” “But why does he find himself in this dilemma?” I asked Mr. Of course all commodities are affec gflme resent crisis, which is a world- e of th cotton be so and cotton may represent anywhere from | | of working. But, balanced against these admitted advantages of our farmers, the foreigner not only can underlive the | American, but the lattsr has the enor- | mous disadvantage of working behind {one of the world’s highest tariff walls |and alongside Government stabilization | or price fixing and under the withering influence of the political or war debts. “The tariff increases the farmer’s cost jnr production and lessens the ability of | his foreign customer to buy; Govern- | ment stabilization of cotton prices has | merely served to prevent adequate cur- tallment of acreage while driving our best customers into the hands of our competitors, while our attitude about the war debts forces these same cus- tomers to use all their available sup- plies of gold for pavment on the debts, lelt\l‘lnl little for buying American prod- usts. “‘Other factors in the plight of the | pletion, resulting in lower yields and poorer quality, and the archaic credit system of cotton production. Practical- 1y three-fourths of the acreage planted in cotton is financed vith borrowed money from the moment the seeds are jput into the ground. Landlords who finance their tenants sometimes require the latter to plant all his land in cot- ton, since cotton is the money crop, and in consequence the farmer often raises no food, no vegetables—not even hay or grain for his horses. “This credit system is hazardous, it is & big weight or toll cn the cost of production, and vet it is more or less inherent in one-crop agriculture. The | obvious remedy is the growing of suffi- | cient food and feed on every cotton plantation to feed all the people and live stock on that plantation so that some of the cotton money may go into the farmer’s own pociet. This would greatly lessen the need of credit and would automatically cut the cost of production, “These problems of soil consérvation, diversification, lowered ylelds in quan- tity and quality and credit reform are all closely bound up together, and can, in time, be solved by education, and indeed some progress is being made in various parts of the South, especially under the spur of present distress. The results, however, are slow and almost infinitesimal whea compared with the immensity of the problem. The Federal Farm Board, working through the cotton co-operative as- soclations, might do valuable work here. It could focus the farmer’s at- tention on his farm problems, which are not how to reduce production and stimulate price artificially, but rather how to produce more and better cotton on fewer acres and at less cost. Hits Farm Board. “Instead of doing this, the Farm Board has preoccupied itself, so far as cotton and wheat are concerned, with futile attempts to peg the price. “Even it ton were an American monopoly, Government attempts to peg the price could not permanently suc- oeed. But the world does not have to depend on the Uinted States for cot- ton. There are more than 50 other countries in which it grows, and in some of these—India dnd Russia are notable examples—acreage is being creased, methods been improved, quality cf staple has | | result, consumption of foreign growths has :fimuhly expanded while con- sumpt of American cotton shows a " Government “stabilization” 1930 served ican prices at an artificial level above world the | cotton prices. Second, because the cheap labor of the Orient is able to w cotton at a lower cost than the farmer chroni depressed? bautlsps’rumnlmvmw- rowed Southern cotton farmer are soil de- | been ralsed to higher standards. As a | Balt| -standing repu- u plained Mr. . “We are losing that repu- tation as spinners discover that India and other competing nations are im- provln{n their staple, that Russia is producing cotton as good as Central ‘Texas cotton and that foreign growths can be bought at cheaper prices than ours, “This means that if American grow- ers are to compete, they must improve their quality and reduce their cost of production. But already we are farm- rvation. The living standards are already at the danger point. Before he can further reduce his cost of production there must be far-reaching cuts’in the price of the things that enter into that cost. “The American Farm Bureau Fed- eration made a study of the effect of tariff duties on the income and ex- penditures of farmers of the country; they figured that the tarifi’s net charge on agriculture was $300,000,000 a year. Prof. J. E. Boyle of Cornell made an independent survey, and he estimates the amount to be flve times greater, or $1,500,000,000 annually. This was before the passage of the Hawley- Smoot rates. “This is the major farm problem,” exclaimed Mr. Clayton. “It will be settled only when we either protect the farmer’s labor, or unprotect the things he must buy. He cannot con- tinue to buy in a protected market and sell in a free one, for year by year the proceeds of his unprotected labor command less and less of the products of protected industry. Against Tariff Wall. “The United States produces in a normal year about 14,000,000 bales of cotton. The American spinners use an average of about 6,500,000 bales annually, and the remainder is our surplus for export. If American pro- duction were curtailed to supply Ameri- can requirements only, you might put raw cetton under a protective tariff— but in doing so you would eliminate the largest item In American export pression grows of world-wide disruption of normal commercial activity resulting from the war and the industrial and financial excesses following the war. Natural economic laws have been working toward the normal pre-war conditions, but man, having e used to the abnormal, sought vigorously, by every artificial means in his power, to restrain and set aside natural laws. This abortive attempt has served only to deepen and prolong the distress. Zor Lower Rail Rater. “A comparison of toiay's commodity prices with pre-war prices and existing railway rates with pre-war rates will show that it now takes twice as many units of agricultural products to buy a ven amount of rallway service as be- ore the war. “Failure to correct this maladjust- ment % an important factor in the con- tinuance of the present depression. “Why should a small percentage of the population remain sheltered from the consequences of a major economic readjustment when at least 75 per gent to 80 per cent of the people must take their medicine? “No,” concluded Mr. Clayton, “we cannot g0 on as we are now. ‘The United States is the world'’s richest and most powerful nation. Heavy respon- sibllities go with riches—magnanimity should go with power. The world des- perately needs leadership. If we would point the way out of the present eco- nomic morass through a revision of war debts and the calling of an interna- tional conference for reciprocal tariff reduction, along with reduction of arm- aments, it would fill the world with re- newed courage and hope. It would start the wheels turning again. “It would do more for agriculture than anything that is within the power of the Parm Board to do. “On the other hand, a continuance of our present foreign policy will serve to prolong the depression and cause a marked lowering of the standard of living of the past decade in all of the trade, and you would have to find employment for more than 1,000,000 Must Reckon (Continued From First Page.) handsomest of Presidents. With his charm and congeniality, the Governor, as may be imagined, is popular with the woman voters of Maryland and if he should head the ticket of his party in a national campaign it may reason- ably be expected he would get his full thare of the woman vote of the entire | country. Admitted to Bar in 1898. Born in Richmond, Va., August 29, 1876, the son of Judge Albert and Elizabeth Caskie Cabell Ritchie, the | present Governor of Maryland first saw | the light at the home of his mother’s | | parents, but was taken to Baltimore | three weeks later. He was educated at private schools and at John Hopkins University, where he was graduated in 1896. In 1898 he received the degree of LL. B. at the University of Maryland. He began practice of law in Baltimore in 1898 with the firm of Steele, | Semmes, Carey & Bond and was ad- mitted to the firm in 1900. He was solicitor of appointed assistant _city | Baltimore in 1903 and held this posi- | tion until 1910. ‘When named assistant city solicitor, | ke lef. the old firm and became a | member of Ritchie & Janney, his part- ner being Stuart S. Janney, a classmate. | | At that time he was not disposed to | g0 into politics, but to devote himself | to the law. In 1907 he became a pro- | fessor of law at the University of Mary- land and taught three evenings while | attending also to the duties of his office and of his law firm. In 1910 he was| appointed assistant general counsel to the Public Service Commission of Bal- | timore and held this post for three years. In reality, he was people’s counsel before the commission, the first to hold this position, and he looked =after the public interest s against that of the public utilities. In this capacity he defeated an at- tempt of the Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. to get higher rates, and, more than that, forced a reduction of rates after a hard fight which continued more than a year. His success in fighting in such causes brought him into prominence, and may be sald to account in large measure for his career in politics. He was nominated by the Democratic party for attorney general of Maryland in 1915 and elected, He held this office until 1920. Through the World War he took an important part, President Wil- son appointing hifn general counsel to the War Industries Board. He served in this capacity from June, 1918, to the end of that year. He was elected Gov- ernor in 1919, began the duties of that | office in 1920, and has held it continu- ously since. Has Increased His Majority. Perhaps the best evidence as to Gov. Ritchie's hold on his own State is to be found in the fact that he was elected the first time by a majority of only 105 votes, and since then his majority has steadily increased. Last Fall he won | by 68,000 over a popular Republican op- ponent, Mayor Willlam F. Broening of Baltimore, and this in a Commonwealth which has generally refused Governors even second terms. Friends, pointing to this record, say that none but a man of unusual quali- fications could have won such s series of popular indorsements. They ascribe his extraordinary career in the gov- ernorship to his personal popularity, to his views on government and affairs, and to his hard and conscientious work in carrying on the duties of his office. Nor can it be overlooked that Gov. Ritchie has developed no small measure of political skill, and that he has built up about him one of the strongest and most effective political organizations to be found in any State. Yet he is only & passable public speaker. Gov. Ritchie has few diversions. He was brought up in the school of hard work. He still belleves in it. He lives in the executive mansion at Annapolis and keeps in touch with the people of Maryland by entering sympathetically into their affairs. He may be found making a political speech one night at Rockville or Marlboro and the next day attending the Preakness at Pimlico. He 1 keeps it by swimming, boating and a moderate amount of outdoor life, and is as much in tcuch with the farmers of Tegion wealthy clubs and fashionable circles of 1timore. Father Was a Judge. Judge Albert Ritchie, father of the Governor, was a member of the Su- preme Court of Baltimore. married Elizabeth Caskie Cabell of Rich. lam- great industrial countries, and espe- clally in the United States.” £ With Ritchie he is not always on the side of ex- treme conservatives and may be found on the progressive side on occasion. He 15, in fact, at once conservative and progressive. He has worked hard and succesefully to build up the magnifi- cent system of roads in Maryland and to_improve the public schools. If he has opposed a child labor amendment, and thus won the criticism of organized labpr, he has won the ap- proval of labor by opposing the mis- cellaneous use of the injunction in labor disputes and the co-called “yel- low-dog” contract. Moreover, labor has not forgotten that in 1922, when President Harding asked the Governors to call out the militia to defend coal mine property from strikers, Ritchie alone of the Governors in the strike region refused. He sald the tradition of Maryland was that of a people who settled such matters “without the aid of bayonets and rifles.” Has Held Down Taxes. He has been one of the comparatively few Governors in the decade since the war to hold down taxes in Maryla: in the face of the pressure for extrava. gant appropriations. If e has opposed ton, and thus invited criticism of being lined up with the idea favored by the “‘power trust” and other great corpor- ate interests, he has nevertheless advo- cated adequate State regulation and his record as counsel for people in his younger days hefore the Maryland Pub- lic Service Commission indicates that he has in mind a regulation in the public interest, though apparently pre- ferring private operation of power re- sources. In this respect he differs from Gov. Roosevelt and former Gov. Smith of New York. ‘That his political belief and philoso- phy on the whole is that of an old- fashioned Democrat of the conservative | school is not open to dispute, but, on the other hand, as Governor he has | proved himself an effective and pro- | gressive administrator and has lived up to tradition of a State which was founded with the idea of freedom, re- ligious and others, uppermost in the minds of its founders. PUBLIC LIBRARY Germany Today. In connection with the present dis- cussion of debts and reparations, and | ths forthcoming visit of Secretary Stim- son and Secretary Mellon to Germany the Public Library calls attention to the following books: Economic and Social Conditions. The l\ecoverx of Germany, by J. Angell. 1929. F3079.Anadr. “He reviews the progress since the war in terms of such basic industries as coal, steel, power, textiles, chemicals, etc, and draws comparisons with the pre-war status. The picture drawn is one of substantial recovery, affording a sound foundation for steady future progress.”—J. F. Dulles. Germany 10 Years After, by G. H. Danton. 1928. G47.D238g. “The author writes in clear and con- cise style of political and economic re- actions, of ls, universities and stu- dents, of post-war effects on theaters and literature, and closes his book with a significant chapter on Germany's in- tellectual vitality.”—D. L. Hunt. German After-War Problems, by Kuno Francke. 1927. G47.F849g. “What will most interest American Teaders is the paper on ‘German Char- acter and the German-American.’ " Germany, by G. GA47.G59. “No other volume on post-war Ger- many is likely to give the reader so fair or so full an insight into the forces at work there.”"—H. J. Laski. The New German Republic, by Elmer Luehr. 1929. F4773.L96n. “A survey of the history of Germany since the signing of the armistice. The revolution and its causes, control under the Social Democrats thereafter, events following the peace treaty, reparations, industrial rehabilitation and the gov- ernmental processes in the new Ger- mani of economic and political stabllity sre " Economic Study, by Hugh'Quigley and R. T. Clark. 1928. F4773.Qd4r. and of the complicated worl justment which has been carried on . . . in its political and economic struc- ture. The Rise of the German Republic, by H. G. Dandels. P4773.D22r. the control of business from Washing- | liscussed. Republican Germany; s Political and | gui 8 p.m—Overseas Bard, Drum and Bugle Corps, National Guard Armcry, Bixth and Pennsylvania avenne northwest. Thursday, 8 p.m.—Potomac Post, No. 1085 (ceremonial), East Masonic Temple, Eighth and P streets northeast. . Thursday, 8 p.m.—Follow Me Post, No. 1830, Concord Club, 314 C street northwest. LADIES' AUXILIARIES. Monday, 8 p.m.—Federal Ladies’ Auxiliary, Thomas Circle Club, 1326 Massachusetts avenue northwest. and L streets northwest. Tuetday, 8 p.m—National Capi- Pempler 1015 Nintn " street mple, s nvn.gv‘:ut, Thursday, 8 p.m.—Potomac La- dies’ Auxiliary, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Club, Eleventh and L strects northwest. ‘Thursday, Blr,m.—hl!n' Me La- dles’ Auxiliary, Concord Club, 314 C street northwest. At the meeting of the District of Co- lumbia Departmental Council of Admin- istration to be held in the District Building on the night of July 6, at 8| o'clock, there will be considerable busi- | ness confronting the new department commander and his staff, elected at the encampment Friday. One of the most important problems confronting the commander will be the policy with respect to future Armistice balls, which have been held for the past 12 years under the auspices of the Veterans of Forelgn WAalrs. The Armistice ball is a fixture in the National Capital, which society has been pl to sponsor. Last year, with the effective assistance of "Mrs. John Allan Dougherty, the ball was graced. by many notables, including the Vice President, Gen. Pershing, Sec- retaries Hurley, Adams, Mellon and many others. Plans for the 1ball are designed to the end that pres eminent success may be realized. While it is true that the Armistice ball is designed to commemorate the unrestrained gayety of November 11, 1918, after the cessation of hostilities, the revenue derived from such ball goes toward augmenting the relief fund of the department. During the gut year the need for dispensing relief became { more and more apparent, and with the economic depression possibly continuing the need for relief is expected to be even greater next Winter. Past Department Comdr. Joseph F. Beattle, chairman of the Department C. M. T. C. Committee, completion of the plans of his commit- tee, particularly with reference to_the medals to be donated by the local Vet- erans of Foreign Wars to the training camps of the 3d Corps Area. This award, known as the McArthur Trophy Award, is one which has been |in existence since 1925, and the mili- tary authorities consider it as being one of the most effective means for increas- ing the efficiency, by competitive means, of those candidates in training in the advanced courses at the C. M. T. C. Comrade Beattie been identified with this trophy practically ever since its inception, and Comrade James W. Boyer, jr., chairman or the National C. M. T. C. Committee, has repestedly re- ferred to his work as being of outstand- ing character. Comrade Beattie’s knowledge of C. M. T. C. is first hand. because he has been on_active duty practically every vear at Fort Howard. The Clarence Ransom Edwards Post made its formal appearance in local V. F. W. circles at the department en- campment. This post is one made up principally of the veterans of the Yankee Division, but is not limited thereto, be- cause its by-laws provide that member- ship may be extended to those (other- wise eligible to this organization by reason of foreign service) who have served under the late Gen. Clarence R. Edwards, either at home or abroad. Such will naturally include many over- seas veterans who have served with Gen. Edwards through his many years of service in the Army, although not & part of his command during the World War. The commander of the post, Gen. George S. Simonds, is himself a dis- tinguished -soldier and life-long friend of Gen. Edwards. He is the assistant chief of staff at the War Department, in charge of the War Plans Division. His enthusiasm and interest in the Vet- erans of Foreign Wars is not of recent origin, as he was one of the founders of the Panama Department of the Vet- rans of Forel ‘Wars. e of this post will be held reports the W. | monthly, according to the by-laws re- cently adopted. cuzlmdep)lnhnn D. Golden and Ray- mond Queenin, formerly of Equality- Walter Reed Post, have transferred to the new post and have been most active in bringing about its organiza- ion. s Front Line Post's business meeting was held at Logan Hall, wm more than one hundred and tWenty-five members were recorded present. The following recruits were obligated: Ed- ward T. Spedden, N. S. McMorrow, John Schmitz, James M. Darley, Earl J. Brown and John F. King. The chairmen of the Entertainment, Welfare, “Buddy” Poppy, Drill Team, ~On-to-Kansas City National V. F. W. Grievan Rifle Te: Conventio: edge of a very complicated and impor- '-ll’.l: period of modern history.” The New Germany, by Ernst Jackh. 1927. JU4T.J124. “These three lectures, delivered at Geneva, give an admirable brief histori- cal.review of German development since the war.” Germany in the Post-War World, by E. F. L. Koch. 1930. 'JU47.K8LE. “Dr. Koch-Wesen develops with mod- eration and tact the revisionist claims. —L. R. M. Stresemann, the Man and the States- man, by Rochus, baron von Rhein-| baben. 1929. E.St837r.E. “The author nct only gives us an ia- tensely interesting and human picture of the man himself, but he sets forth clearly the ideals and aims which have ded his actions and the part which he has played in restoring confidence in Germany and in furthering the cause of international peace. There is not a dull page in the book.” The Making of New Germany, by Philipp Scheidemann. 1929. E. Sch.26.E. {ll remains unachieved, l.nd'h!'{:l:nlnlfl!lobmbm . | consummation. - The Rise and Fall of Germany's Colo- 5 nial hnplu." ‘Thomas B. Weigel, 2800 Con- necticut avenue, chairman, will gladly call for same. Comdr. Cercell announced the ng- pointment of Comrade R. L. Maddox as color sergeant. The post voted the Zadies’ Auxillary an allotment of 25 per cent of the net proceeds of the “Buddy” Poppy sales for carrying o its hospitalization work. Drillmaster Green reported that the team had practiced dts first drill and that ths members were exhibiting notable pro- ficiency in the exemplification of their ritualistic degree work, and predicted that the team would take second the perfection of its drill port to Comrade Green at the 20th Marines Armory, 314 John Marshall ‘e, on any Wednesday night at o'clock. Already 28 members of the post have signified their intention of making the plac .30 departure for the encamp- . Comrade Gardells, chairman of the On-to-Kansas City Committee, in- vited advices from all who contem- plate making the trip. As the second quarter of the current year draws to its close, the post shows a substantial membership gain. Elabo- rate plans have been programmed for & monster recruiting drive to begin about September 1, and Chairman Wal- ter P. Boehm of the Rercuiting Com- mittee predicts that the gains of last Winter will b overshadowed. A monthly magazine, the Barrage, of the Front Line Post attracted consid- erable attention at the department en- campment. It has been edited and pub- lished from time to time by the mem- bers of the t. Those who have been responsible for its success are Dr. Cer- cell and Joseph B. Gardelia. The hope has been expressed that The Barrage might become a monthly paper to be published in the interests of the entire rtment. 'otomac Post met al the Boldiers, Sailors and Marines Club, with Comdr. Edwin W. Warren presiding. - Chairman Frank Daly, the Poppy Committee chairman, promised the submission of a final at an early date, and an- nout that the returns indicate a very successful sales campaign. The post passed a resolution protesting the action of the delegates to the Ameri- can Medical Congress, at their Philadel- phia convention, in adopting a rcsolu- tion submitted by Dr. H. H. Shoulders of Nashville, Tenn., urging Congress and lh?‘cAn;eflcm Legion to lblndm;mtch? Ppolicy of rendering hospital and medical treatment to vetcrans of the World War for disabilities which are not serv- ice connected. Dept. Senior Vice Comdr. Oscar W. Hollingsworth, and Dept. Quartermaster Clifton A. Brode, visited the post, and each extended their con- gratulations on its successful adminis- tratien during the past year. Comrade Brode was thanked by the post for the receipt of the allocated pro-rata funds from the Kelly royalties, and Comrades Cercell and Boehm of Front Line Post were also honored guests of the eve- ning. The following named comrades were obligated: Edgar DuVol and Mar- shall A, reard. After concluding &s annual business session the comrades enjoyed a social with the Ladies’ Aux- iliary, following which a softeshell crab supper was served. Follow Me Post, with Comdr. Philllp R. Belt officiating, met at the Concord Club. The chairman of the Poppy Committee reported that the sales were not as succeessful as in previous years owing to the iliness of many auxiliary members, who would otherwise have ac- complished large sales. A definite date will soon be determined upon for hold- ing the next month's moonlight river excursion, according to word received from Comrade Campbell, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. The post’s degree team, which is conceded to be the prize drill team of the District of Columbia Department, will initiate & number of recruits on July 9. Re- hearsals have been held regularly every Saturday and the team is anxious to demonstrate the excellence of its ritual- istic work. Follow Me Auxiliary held s card party at Mrs. Louise Downs’ home on Maryland avenue northeast. The next meeting of the auxiliary will be heid at the Concord Club on June 25, National Capitdl Post held its last Tegular meeting June 9, with Comdr. | Thomas R. J. Cavanaugh presiding. At its next meeting the post will elect & post trustee and eight delegates and their alternates to the national V. F. | W. encampment, which will convene in Kansas City on August 30. Eleven can- didates for membership have been no- tified to present themselves for obli- gation at the Tuesday meeting. Com- tades Oscar W. Hollingsworth and Ernest Wickstrand, as chairman of the Poppy and Entertainment Committees, respectively, will submit their final re- ports respecting such post activities at the same meeting. Ladies’ Auxiliary, National Capital Post, No. 127, met, when Mrs. Daisy Gill |and Mrs. Bladen were admitted to the auxillary through transfers, and two new members were balloted on. They will be obligated at June 23 meeting. Mrs. Mary Hollingsworth was elected trustee for the coming 18 months, Mrs, Rose McAlear's term having expired. Social Chairman Sendlak announced a party after the meeting at which prizes were won by Mrs. Bladen, Clarke, Allen, Burnett and Miss Margaret Keefe. The auxiliary took part in the W in Columbia Heights Thursday night. The regular meeting of Potomac Aux- iliary was held, at Soldiers, Sallors and Marines’ Club, with the president, Ethel V. Fowler, presiding. is meeting was one of the largest and most color- ful assemblages in the history of the auxiliary, as all officers were in full uniform. ‘The recruiting drive which is now on is meeting with splendid results and it is the aim of the committee to enroll every eligible of any member of Potomac Post. The following were obligated to membership Thursday: Miss Mary H. English, Miss Eunice King, Mrs. Mollie C. Murray and Mrs. Berard. The applications of Mrs. Gladvs Martin and Miss Mary lie. M. .Stone, chairman of sale, reported that the recent ’3’&35 The next meet- ing will be held June 25 at 1015 L street. ROMAN RUINS FOUND Excavations at ‘Jerash Reveal Forum and Theater.