Evening Star Newspaper, October 4, 1931, Page 32

Fe "THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. -l | WASHINGTON, D. C. BUNDAY........October 4, 193 - THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor 1 - fhe Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: =0 Shean Ofice. 14 Regent Uropean Office o England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. 43¢ per month 60c per month 83 per month e per c me ach by mail or tele Star_.... BYeRey 52 sina Bundays) ... ad Sunday ‘Star enen 5 Sundays) Tne Sunoay Star Eolection made rs may be sent in e phone YAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. 1yr.$1000:1 1yr) $600:1 1yr. $4.00; 1 mo. doc 3120 $8.00: 1 m * $5.00i 1 mo.s iy o 1yr 15T finday 1y 5 sc only ", 80c Member of the Associated Press. oclated Press is exclusively ertited T ation of all news dis- ed { T not otherwise cred- this paper and also he local news herein All rights of publication of pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. —_—= | Water System Inequities. ' A report by the Bureau of Efficiency, which appears elsewhere in today's Star, | sheds additional light on the inequities | of the present arrangement for sup-| porting the water system. One of the interesting points developed in this re- port is the bureau’s contention that when the Government ceased its con- tributions on the fixed proportionate basis in 1825 it in effect repudiated its right to & partnership in the various enterprises to which it had in the past contributed. The Bureau of Efficiency argues, therefore, that since 1925 the Federal Government has not contributed & penny to the development of the water sygtem. The bureau considers the nine or nine and a half million dollar annuat lump sum as & flat con- tribution, which no longer can be con- strues as “purchasing” for Uncle Sam | equities in such undertakings as the water system. The effect of this argument, applied to the water system, is to invalidate the claim by the United States to & large fraction of its ownership. In comput- ing ownership of the system as between the District of Columbia, the Water De- partment and the United States, the United States engineer has always in- luded as a part of the Federal invest- ment the proportionate part of the Jump-sum contribution that the lump sum represents in the District bill. The effect, naturally, has been to increase the amount of Federal equity claimed. But this theorizing on the part of the bureau, interesting as it may be, is not necessary to support the claim by the people of the District to major owner- ghip in the water system. That claim is amply supported by the figures. The | people of the District have invested more than twice as much in the water system as the Federal Government. The real “ownership” of the plant is important only in so far as it bears on the rightful responsibilities of the owners. The Bureau of Efficiency points out that the United States be- gan the construction of the water sys- tem, later taking the District into equal partnership in its development and support, later diminishing its own sup- port to forty per cent, later still with- drawing entirely from support of the system. Yet, owning only a minor part of the water system, contributing noth- | ing to its support, the United States| continues to get its water free. And now the support and extension of the; water system have been thrown entirely on the shoulders of the private con- sumers. They, the major owners of the system, must pay not only for the water they use, but for the water that the United States and its agent, the rict Government, uses. Instead of the cost of water decreasing toward the | desideratum of free water, the cost is mounting. The Bureau of Efficiency points out that only a little more than half the water produced pays any revenue. That| atches ted 1 ater is the part sold to private consumers | The rest of the water is used without| charge by the Federal Government and | the District Government or is wasted. The report attacks the absurdity of the dual control over the water system now existing. with the United States engineer for this district exercising supervision over the supply system and the Water Department controlling the| distribution’ system. | There is no longer any reason for, such dual control. -The Water Depart- | ment should have exclusive jurisdic- | tion The report redommends. further, an| accurate and scientifie valuation of the | water system, upon which to base wa-| ter rates. This should be done. There has been nothing scientific nor fair about fixing water rates in the past. The data supporting recommendations for higher rates have consisted, in the main, of misleading figures from the Tnited States Engineer's Office relating | to relative investments in the system, tabulations of water rates in other cities, which has riothing to do with the case, and a desire on the part of some influential members of Congress to re- | lieve the Federal Government of its| due responsibilities in supporting the water system. st According to statesmenr who fear a battleship shortage, aviators are right in saying that if there is “another war” it will have to be fought in the air. B Lindbergh's Mishap in China. By a narrow chance Col. and Mrs. Lindbergh, who have been fiying over the flocded area in China recently to survey the situation in ajd of rellef work, missed death in the swollen waters of the Yangtze Friday. Their plane, on being lowered to the surface from the deck of a British airplane carrier for a renewal of their flight, was swept awry by the strong current and a wing dipped gnd capsmed the craft, sieosify inem overboard, with a pas- senger. ‘They were rescued, but the plane was damaged to the extent of compelling the abandonment of their flights for the present, perhaps alto- gether. The work that Lindbergh has been dcing in China has been acclaimed as | atorial elections. Countless numbers of people, survivors of the first rush of the waters, are marooped on islets of wreckage and on small rises in the ground, subsisting on the scantiest of supplies and waiting, with the characteristic patience of the Chinese, for relief that can at best be rendered in inadequate degree. The Lindbergh visits have aided in sys- tematizing the relief work. Pirst reports of the accident indicated that Lindbergh had “crashed” in flight. Apart from the matter of the danger to the flyer this was deeply regretted, for the, great American ace has had a remarkable record of immunity from mishaps since he gained world repown by his transatlantic flight. A tradition has been established that “Lindy” is master of the plane beyond the point of peril from a failure of ship or from mistake of handling. Yet there has been always present & sense of dread lest he come to grief by misadventure in the air. It is indicated that with this mishap the flood-survey work that Lindbergh is doing will be ended, and that as soon as the ship is repaired at Shanghai he will resume his flight homeward, prob- ably across Asia and Europe. If it is his plan to return thus, making a world cireuit, the remainder of his flight will be watched with the keenest interest. Recent transasiatic flights have demon- strated the feasibility of such travel, and the oceanic crossing is no longer rated as gravely dangerous. What Lind- bergh did in 1927 from: west to east over the sea he may be expected to do in 1931 in a reverse direction. e On Shifting Sands. Almost a year after the election of & Representative in the Illinois eighth | congressional district and the declara- tion that victory had gone to the Repub- lican, Granata, it is claimed that a re- count of the vote gives the election to his Democratic - opponent, Representative Stanley H. Kuntz. In the thirtieth Pennsylvania district, reported won by Representative William R. Coyle, Re- publican, there is an effort to show, too, that the victory really belongs to the Deimocrat. Should the Democrats in these two districts finally be declared the winners, the new House would have 218 Democrats, 216 Republicans and 1 Farmer-Laborite. ‘The House itself undoubtedly will be called upon to pass upon these mat- ters. Both of the Republicans who have been declared winners hold certifi- cates of election and doubtless will pre- sent them when Congress assembles. It has been the custom in the House to seat in the first instance those who pre- sent duly accredited certificates. If that course is followed at the opening of the session, the Republicans may have 218 seats to 216 for the Demo- crats. The Senate abandoned the plan of | seating members-elect who hold cer- tificates of election in the Vare and Smith cases following the 1926 sen- It is doubtful that the House of Representatives will acopt the Senate procedure. In all probability the contests will have to be made after the House has organized. The situa- | tion, however, leaves party control of the House organization on shifting sands. If the Republicans should elect a Speaker, subsequent developments might place the Democrats in actual majority in the House. Whereupon the Democratic party might demand reor- ganization. Should the Democrats be declarsd the vietors in one of these contested districts and the Republicans in the other, the political complexion of the House would be 217 Republicans, 217 Democrats and 1 Farmer-Labor mem- ber. Kvale, the sole Parmer-Laborite in the House, hails from Minnesota and, if the party alignments hold firm, will under the ecircumstances hold the balance of power in the House. The Democrats, however, insist that the Republican insurgents, or some of them, will not stand by their more con- servative Republican brethren, even in the matter of House organization. Furthermore, they predict that the Democrats will organize the next House. Since the administration Republicans have no actual control of the Hotise | because of the insurgency in Repub- lican ranks, a few of the Republican leaders take the position that it would be as well to allow Democratic organ- ization of the House in any event. But Democratic organization would place in | the hands of the Democratic party the Speaker of the House and the chair- jmanships and majorities of all the standing committees. In addition to the added difficulties which the ad- ministration would face in connection with its legislative program under Democratic organization of the House, psychologically the organization of the House by the Democrats on the eve of a presidential election would be detri- mental to Republican chances. A real fight over House organization when Congress assembles is thus promised. e Citizens who are demanding that those who make laws put “more teeth” in them do not feel called upon to con- sider the frequent assertions by the dentists that people are already suffer- ing from a variety of painful dis- turbances, directly traceable to defective teeth. ——————————— Men follow the customs and inclina- tions prompted by ancestral training. It will be hard to convince some of the old-time planters that raising cotton has become only a useless and expensive habit. e Play That Game! ‘The Ealvation Army has suggested to the War and Navy Departments that the old annual foot ball classic, the Army-Navy game, be resumed this year for the benefit of the Nation's unem- ployed. Both the Military and Naval Academies are said to be giving the proposal consideration. They should view it with favor. The game should be played. It-should never Lave been interrupted, as a yearly fes ture, for that matter. Whatever the merits of the controversy over eligibil- ity rules—and much, no doubt, is to be said for the respective contentions of the cadets and the midshipmen—they never struck the foot-ball-loving public as sufficiently formidable to warrant the cancellation of a contest that stimulated popular interest as no other single gridiron event did. of the utmost value. . By no other means have the Chinese relief agencies peen able to determine the real situa- Last year, though West Point and An- napolis were still at daggers drawn over the eligibility issue, they came to- i THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHI employment relief.- The cause that drew that enormous gaté is everi a nobler one this year, because the necessities are greater. The greater should be the readiness of the two national service schools to minister 0 it by pitting their foot ball teams against each other in a combat that knows no rival in Ameri- can sport as a tarilling and colorful spectacle. Let the Army-Navy game be repeated in 1932! t r—v—— Selling Gasoline From Trucks. Few, if any, residents of Washington, except perheps those who represent certain gasoline companies; will - take issue with the resolution . recently adepted by the retall trade group of the Washington Chamber of Com- merce which roundly condemns the vending of gasoline to motorists from tank wagons on the streets. As a matter of fact, the resolution, while characterizing this practice as a fire hazard and as unfair competition for District filling stations, which pay large tax bills and are strictly regu- lated to prevent conflagrations, does not go mnearly far enough. The traffic hazard with these lumbering tank wagons cluttering up the streets is just as serfous as any of the others, Wash- ington is blessed or cursed, according to the viewpoint of the individual, with plenty of gas stations and no necessity exists to augment these facilities with trucks from which fuel can be bought. It is a matter that can well be con- sidered by the Commissioners with a view to abolishing such practices. »—e As a modern writer, ex-President Coolidge manages to score heavily, with- out making his work either irrespc in fancy or crudely sensational. . sincerity may, after all, be the note which modern literature is said to be seeking. e In simple, ordinary business, for a man to try to sell something he does not own is classified as a direct viola- tion of law. The only way to proceed with impunity in selling what you do not own is to become a bear in the stock market. e Preserving his natural charm of buoyancy, Mayor Walker faces the de- pression in municipal affairs with cour- age as a laughing philosopher that might entitle him to be known by the classically disposed as the Democritus of New York. ————— ‘The doctor who performed the Col- lings autopsy developed hysteria, there- by attracting, as members of the medi- cal profession sometimes do, more pub- lic notice for the moment than even the subjects of their ministrations. ——— “Wine i a mocker and strong drink is raging. Dr. Clarence T. Wilson | candidly acmits that he can do a fair | share of mocking and raging without any assistance whatever from those | sources. e Announcement that at least 50,000 typists are seeking Government posi- tions may be taken as a hint of the extraordinary amount of speech and writing that may be expected when | Congress again gets under way e The typical American has not a single-track mind.” No matter how urgent may be the demands of public economy for concentrated thought, he never quite forgets his base ball. —_— —caee Mention of President Hoover to suc- ceed himself reveals ex-President Cool- idge as abandoning a negative mental attitude and telling the world precisely what he does choose. B SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Solace. I dasn’ play no golf game, A-smackin’ at de ball; I hasn’ had no practice, An’ jt wouldn’ do at all. But I kin git my exercise As ev'y day goes pass A-takin' down de sickle An’ a-choppin’ of de grass. 1 doesn’ play no polo, But I kin ride a mule, An’ cut an' haul de wood aroun’ When Autumn days is cool. An’ I takes dis little comfort— De satisfaction's deep— No matter whut de rest may cost, De exercise is cheap. Practical Publicity. “What is fame, after all?” exclaimed the melancholy citizen. “A great man does not become famous until after he is dead.” “And even then,” commented Senator Sorghum, “he is Jiable not to be famous unless somebody decides to use him as an advertisement for some business that he is interested in." ‘The number of times that an actor is permitted to make the hit of his life would indicate that he is the possessor of more existences than the proverbial cat. The Zest of Uncertainty. Life would grow stale if it fulfiifed ‘With ease each mortal's wishing. If fish were free tc hands unskilled But few would go a-fishing. Neo Children. “The landlord says he can't have a kid in the bullding making so much notse?” exclaimed the janitor “That isn't & child;it's a parrot.” “Oh! In that case it's all right.” Mental Application. “Your boy Josh doesn’t care for study.” i “I won't say that," replied Farmer Corntossel. “Maybe Josh has some practical ideas after all. He'd rather keep hangin’ over a piece of ma- chinery that he can understand than hold his eyes on a book that he can't.” The Camel. ‘The camel can carry his drink by the mile, By nature concealed in effectual style. It is lucky to water alone he gives thought, At the bootlegging game he could never get caught. ““We allus magnifies de importance of our own doin’s,” said Uncle Eben. “A man wif a funny story on his mind im- sion in the inundated section, which gether again for sweet charity'’s sake agines dat everybody ought te 'stop covers many thousands of square miles. and netted the sum of $600,000 for un- work and listen.” W GTON, “They that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.”— Romans, zv. Rarely has there been a time when the above words had greater application than the present. The whole world is passing through one of those eritical stages where it is indispensable that the ltrnnf and fortunate should aid substantially and generously in carrying at least a part of the burdens of the weak and the less favored. We have heard much for many years about “the Golden Rule” and its application to the conditions and circumstances with which we daily have to do. To do unto others as we would others should do unto us is a maxim that is unchal- lenged. However unchallenged it may be, it is a maxim whose recommenda- tions are honored in the breach rather than in the observance. All over this country today, and indeed all over the world, we are hearing increasingly of the sufferings and privations of those who have been denied the privilege of earning their dally bread. We have rarely if ever read more harrowing storfes than those that appear almost daily in the press concerning the mis- fortunes and miseries of self-respecting men and women and little children to whom are denied the bare necessities of life. It is certainly an anomalous situ- ation in a land of such wealth and re- sources as this. In the face of such a situation, if those who profess Chris- tianity are to give'any real demonstra- tion of its value there must be recog- nized and met in large and generous ways the needs of those who are the victims of a critical situation. We can- not but believe that this situation pre- sents an opportunity, the like of which the church of every name has not known for generations past. Almost weekly there come to my desk letters from those who are critical of the church because they seem to see in its corporate action no evidence of an un- derstanding and open-handed lymp{thy and generosity. Unfortunately duch criticism has all too frequently been justified by the facts. On the other hand, let us not forget that the church, as a ‘corporate society, is in many re- spects quite as restricted at the present 1 € OCTOBER 4, 1 time as the less favored and the less fortunate. - After all, the istian church is made up of individuals, and if these individuals that profess to-be- lieve in God and humanity are to jus- tify their high claims they must, even at personal sacrifice and self-imposed abstinence from luxuries, assume a reasonable share of the burdens of the weak and impoverished. This is not to be in the form of a dole, nor is it to be regarded as’charity. <Rightly conceived and rightly done, it is the act of one brother to another, one sister to an- other. It is the outworking.of a plan that has its essential place in the whole scheme of Christian faith and practice. It may be unfortunate that we have to employ organized and charitable agencies to dispense to those in need that which is contributed, for from 16ng experience we have found that many of those who are most worthy are the most silent and the least ' benefited. There is a kind of poverty that refuses to disclose its need and it is our obser- vation that it is the type that lays upon its victim the heaviest and sorest bur- den. We could wish that in such a situation as the present we might do more than contribute through organized agencies, important and indispensable as these are. There is no form of serv- ice more compensating than that which we minister intelligently and sympa- thetically with our own hand. 1If every household that is safeguarded against want could be the happy benefactor of another that is in need, and that with- out ostentation or display, it would do more to give Christianity, as a sy |of living, a fresh impulse than all the | efforts 'we are now putting forth. A | friend of mine recently told me that | she had sought out and engaged 20 ad- | ditional people and put them on her | pay roll that she might contribute her small part to alleviate community suf- | fering. I call that a fine demonstra- |tion of Christian idealism and Chris- | tian service, for “they that are strong |ought to bear tlie "burdens of the | weak.” | A mighty opportunity is afforded us |today to demonstrate the practical value of our Christian faith, which sets forth, as its cardinal principles, the Tecognition of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Roosevelt Nomination Boom Appears To Have Reached a Static Condition BY GEORGE VAN SLYKE. NEW YORK, October 3.—The first signs of definite opposition to Frank- | lin D. Roosevelt, Governor of New York, as the majority candidale for the Democratic nomination for Presi- dent have begun to appear in the ad- vancement of the favorite son and wet Eastern States, but the movement lacks cohesion of effective leadership. The Democratic contest has reached a static condition, where it is likely to remain with little change until the preferential primaries get under way early next year. The significant development on the Democratic side is a new tendency on the part of many State organizations to await further action before making foxmal commitments. Those unfriendly to the New York Governor have come to realize that they must begin to operate if they hope to head him off, but as yet there has been no positive determination to undertake such a movement. * ok ok X ‘The Roosevelt boom is now seen by his opponents as having reached the maximum strength that it can attain under its own momentum and with its present management. States represent- ing more than one-third of the voting strength of the convention and exer- cising a veto power over the nomi- nation are now disposed to sit tight until the Governor formally declares his candidacy and his position on the prohibition issue. Unless the opposition does organize, there is every prospect the Governor will sweep the party off its feet and take the nomination by acclamation. _If stubborn opposition develops the Roosevelt boom will need some hard pushing to cross the two- thirds mark. Mr. Roosevelt's warm reception in Virginia and Georgia this week. when he went on his vacation, gives further evidence of the enthusiastic support he may expect from the South. Added information comes that he is gaining steadily in the Far West, the North- west and in some of the Midwestern States. Those hostile or lukewarm to his candidacy admit that the Gov- ernor has developed amazing strength in view of the fact that he is not offi- cially a candidate. His boom has gone ahead on its own momentum, but also it has encountered so far no organized opposition. A o ‘There are two main forces in the party which may in the end be allied against him if the decision is reached to oppose him in the convention, namely, the favorite son States and the extreme wets of the East. Roosevelt covers geographically much more than half of the Nation, but his support mostly is from the States with small votes. An effective combination of the favorite son and wet States under strong Jeadership might easily exercise & veto power to block Roosevelt, big' question now is whether that oppo- siticn_really is to function or let the New Yorker have the nomination with- out a battle. % ‘The Governor's attitude on the pro- hibition plank probably will determine whether or not there is to be a fight. If he is wet enough to meet the chal- lenger of the wet East, the opposition | will crumble. The danger therein to Roosevelt is that he would lose some of his dry support in the West and South, but the wet gain would far offset such loss. e ‘The present management of the na- tional organization is not for Roose- velt. John J. Raskob, the chairman, and Jouett Shouse, executive chair- man, have given Roosevelt no aid or comfort, and probably will not. Alfred E. Smith is titular head of the democ- racy in the Nation by reason of having been the latest presidential nominee, and has given no hint that he is for Roosevelt. His silence is ponderous and | ominous. the acknowledged leader of the wet wing and will lead the fight for prohibition rigul i it reaches the stage of combat In the con- vention. Many are urging him to be a candidate. Those States which are not_enthusiastic over Roosevelt look to Smith for leadership. Unquestionably he could make a lot of trouble if he wished. The party and its candidates await with suspense and anxiety his announcement of his position, and he probably will not say a word for months to come. He * ok ok X ‘The possibility that forces are now moving under the surface to effect the veto combination of one-third is fore- shadowed in the new attitude of sev- eral of the State organizations, which all of a sudden have indicated that they are going to. await the decision on the platform before declaring them- selves or that they are going to the convention ‘with favorite son booms, nursing the old hope that something may happen and the dark horse win. M? States, possibly seven, with 232 votes, may be held in line by favorite son delegations. The are Missouri, which has just declared for James A. Reed and refused permission for organizing a Roosevelt club in that State; Maryland, which is strong for Gov. Ritchie; Ohio, which will go for Newton D. Baker or Gov. White, with the hope that Baker, as second choice, has a - good chance of winning: Arkansas, with the sincere belief that Senator Joe Robi a winner; Oklahoma, for Gov. “Alfalfa Bill” Murray on the chance he may win second place; Illinois, which will stand for Senator “Jim Ham” Lewis, and ‘The | possibly Virginia, which thinks highly of former Gov. Byrd. | * ok ok % Classed in the Eastern wet which puts a wet plank ahead of any candidate are New Jersey, Massa- chusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Penn- | svlvania and Rhode Island. Those States will have 170 votes. New York is not included. If a fight develops over prohibition or Al Smith seeks to assert his leadership in the State dele- gation, New York might split in half. Even with New York left out, which is hardly possible if there is a real prohibition fight, the favorite son and wet States, which might conceivably be lined up against Roosevelt, show a mini- mum voting strength of over 400 and might easily be pushed to 450 or 500. One of the difficulties in such a combi- nation is that some of the favorite son States are as dry as the Eastern group is wet. Prominent Democrats in Pennsyl vania and Massachusetts have an- | nounced recently that their States are | for Roosevelt. ~Those statements are now said to have been unauthorized by the State organizations. The party leaders have indicated that they have taken no action and will not until they learn what is to be done about pro- | hibition. If Roosevelt meets their de- mand on that issue, they are ready to go with him. | oup * o ‘The two~thirds vote necessary for nomination in the Democratic conven- | tion is 733. The actual vote conceded | Roosevelt at this time, according to the claims of his managers, is about 500, or one-half of the whole party. His' problem is to get the other third, not_the other half. If he holds what | he has the band wagon movement may | start any moment among the favorite sons, leaving the Eastern wets power- less The Governor's position is now viewed as not uniike that of Willilam G. McAdoo, who had 431 votes on the | first ballot in the Madison Square con- | vention in 1924 and ran up to 469 on| the sixty-eighth ballot. Al Smith start- | ed in that convention with 241 and reached 355. John W. Davis started with the 30 votes of West Virginia and was_nominated. The Roosevelt managers insist that his position is comparable to that of Smith in 1928, rather than McAdoo’s in 1924. In the 1928 convention Smith went in with 724 votes on the first ballot, lacking only 10 of the two- thirds, and the switches made before | the result was announced gave him the | nomination on the first. That is what is going to happen in 1932, in the hon- est conviction of the Roosevelt man- agers, (Copsright, 1931.) | o 'Efforts Made to Improve Seller-Buyer Relations BY HARDEN COLFAX. ‘With the co-operation of the Depart- ment of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce of the United States is launching a campaign for improved re- lations between consumers and retail merchants in all lines and for a gen- erally better understanding of retail supply and demand. A call for co-op- eration has gone out to all of the local chambers and trade bodies composing the national chamber's membership, and it was stated that already nearly one-third of the membership has re- sponded favorably. One of the features of the campaign will be speeches over radio hook-ups by & number of nationally known women, whose services have been enlisted to aid in letting retailers know wrat woman buyers are thinking and wanting. Cen- sus figures show that more than $50.- 000.000,000 is spent annually in the country in retail stores, women. American housewives, it has been estimated, buy at retail $130,000 worth of goods every minute of the day. * kX % A The “trade relations” campaign will enlighten the consumer as to retail functions and operations. The buyer is to be told how the seller meets his problems, how he buys and offers for sale. The consumer is to.be “taken behind the scenes” in the retail store and shown how the wheels go round. “Retailers and consumers are utterly dependent on each other,” says the an- nouncement. It goes without saying that without consumers, the stores would be forced to close; without stores the consumers would be unable to satisfy daily necessities. Each should understand the other, * K ok % The campaign, in which more than 400 local organizations are expected to co-operate, will begin during the third week of October and continue for six weeks. In addition to the Nation-wide radio broadcast and other activities conducted directly by the national chamber, there will be local movements all over the country arranged by the associations of retailers. A keynote for | the campaign is sounded by Wroe An- derson of the domestic commerce di- vision of the Department of Commerce, * ok X % “The long-time trend in trade should be toward giving the customer more value in services and in merchandise and taking him into the proprietor's confidence as to how business is con- ducted,” Mr. Anderson sumer mostly by | ro PART TWO, BY WILL P. KENNEDY. “Lest We Forget”—in thesé hurrying days of progress, with historic land- marks as well as dens, hovels and dis- reputable, dilapidated bulldings biting the dust in the gigantic program of building a splendid new official center in the National Capital: ‘With s0 much of the old “triangle” south of Pennsylvania averue to the Mall cleared of the ramshackle struc- tures which predominated as a resuilt of the Federal Government's holding a death's hand over this area for nearly a half a century through avowed intent some day to occupy it with the Govern- ment's workshop, citizens and visitors are treated to new vistas and views of the Capitol, Treasury, Washington Mon- ument, etc., from different angles. Even without the massive, monumen- tal as well as mucn-needed edifices to house Government departments, a won- derful improvement has been made in the heart of the Nation's Capital. And all within a very few years. ‘The cleaning up of the Mall triangle started from a bill introduced by Re) resentative Charles L. Underhill, Repub- lican, of Massachusetts, after hearing testimony by the superintendent of pub- lic buildings and grounds, and favorably reported to the House on February 25, 1925. This provided for Federal acquisi- tion of the entire “area between the Treasury and the Capitol on the south side of Pennsylvania avenue and border- ing on the Mall.” The report to the House declared that area was an “eye- sore and disgrace to the tal” It emphasized that gl:n of George Washington and has n since that time the intention of the executive and legislative depart- ments of the Government ultimately to procure these lands for park and build- ing purposes.” Representative Underhill in reporting to the House made a-vivid word picture of unwholesome conditions in the “If this land is acquired,” he said, “it will wipe out various buil 1nru commonly known as ‘Chine: Joints,’ some objectionable and dilapi- dated business buildings and all of the eyesores from the Capitol to the Lin- coln Memorial, giving an uninterrupted view of the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.” He urged the imperative necessity of immediate acquisition of that area be- cause land values would be increased materially with the erection of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. President Coolidge gave impetus to this great pr on November 18, 1926, when he declared at the White Hayuise to Richard N. Elliott, then chair- man of the House Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds and now as- sistant controller general, that he fa- vored immediate authorization of a $25,000,000 appropriation to purchase this area. And now, when two of the great Gov- ernment buildings are already com- pleted on this are: nd ground has been cleared and excavations made for other large buildings, we may well contemplate the new utilitarian monu- ments and appreclate the foresight and initiative of these men who started the big job, With day and night shifts making the excavations and driving the pilings for the ornate $8,750,000 structure to be !mown as the National Archives Build- JI‘. where historic Center Market stood only two years ago, it is well to give thought to what this structure means to the Government. Here will be en- shrined some of the fundamental docu- ments of the Government so placed and :::t:d t{ututhey can be seen and give. nspiration to countless sche - dr’;n A ‘}gomflrx ;1:",:“. i ere also wi properly preserved in fireproof cabinets, guarded plnlmtdde- terioration and the ravages of time, all the vouchers and other papers of incal- culable value, because if t) ey were de- stroyed the Federal Treasury would be thrown wide open to innumerable claims, already paid, but against which the Gov- le"l;l;:?ent would not be able to defend Probably the one class of records in which the people cf the country have the greatest heart-interest are those which officially record e services of | vearly’ 5,000,000 men in the Worid War, which are irreplaceable. In attemptin to obtain relief from the \'etel'lnspAdE ministration these service records are indispensable in establishin, service :onnections for disabilities, and, further- more. in future generations these records will be needed to establish the service of forefathers as well as eligibility for or- ganizations that will undoubtedly grow upsl‘:-n '!lh! yn‘r’: that are w come. Ch records have always been con- sidered highly confidential, and the Adjutant General's Office and the War Department have always endeavored to give these records the best possible care, but adequate storage facilities have been lacking. Tne World War records, of course, are much larger and more voluminous than the old records that the Adjutant General’s Office has had, and these priceless records had to be stored in flimsy temporary buildings that have been declared firetraps, and where the nature of the structure tended to make the records dry up, be- come brittle and crumbly. ‘The service records of the men who actually were in the Army or Navy were stored in a temporary building put up for war work and since condemned. Something like 17,000,000 selective service records of men enrolled, but not called to active service, have been kept in two buildings at Washington Barracks. Should fire, the atmospheric condi- tions of excessive dampness or dryness or any other calamity overcome these papers they could never be replaced. Patriotic organizations have - forcibly brought this to the attention of Govern- ment officials and members of Con- gress, insisting that an adequate, mod- ern, fireproof building be provided for their protection. That's the “why” for the Archives Building and the reason for its being one of the first to be constructed in the big $150,000,000 Federal housing program in Lhe’N:u:m: Capital. The recent textile strikes in Massa-| chusetts with appeals to the Fede: officials recalls that Washington has had its own experiences with labor war- fare connected with an earlier Federal building program, when the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building, now occupied by part of the Treasury De- partment. was under construction in & 1878. Men engaged in digging tions for the building were driven heir work by a mob of outsiders in protest against their working for 75 cents a day. Thomas Babbington, one of the workmen, gallantly disputed the right of any one to interfere with him when he chose to work, and was disabled by a thrown stone. The police also were attacked while endeavoring to quell and dispell the mob, with the result that the police fired into the mob and several men were wounded. The men returned to work under an armed koatd * Kok “What changes time weaves on her eternal loom!” is the comment of George R. Farnum, formerly Assistant Attorney General, now consut general in Turkey, writing to a friend here from Constantinople, where he and Mrs. Farnum have been tendered a reception by Joseph C. Grew, American Am- bassador to Turkey, formerly Under- secretary of State. They had last me} at a meeting of the “baby cabinet’ m Washington. — e ticipate benefits of improve- ments in improvements should be contin- \‘x“o:: 1‘3he successful merchant will year by year be doing a better job for iess money and will therefore have no cause to worry about competition. ‘What we are coming to, in the opin- jon of official students of the r.?bem. is a scientific development ‘intel- ligent consumption” in this country, as “revolutionary to economics as the Ein- stein theory of relativity is to science. 1t is predicted that public schools even- tually will introduce training in buying into thelr courses of study. (Copyrisht, 18310 the h‘wr distribution system, and | tak BY FREDERIC J. HASKI ‘The approach of leaders in the con- struction industry by Government offi- cials with the suggestion that they seek out every feasible method of eliminating the seasonal interruptions to work, ordi- narily xe}:rdefl as necessary in cold weather, being regarded as perhaps ’the most comstructive move to relieve unemployment which has been made. Over a long period of years the opin- lon has been built up that most con- struction work must suspend in the Winter as a matter of courfe. Construe- tion companies have contracted the habit of organizing their gangs of em- ploye: on a seasonal basis. They do not plan to carry on much work in the colder months in the Northern sections of the country. Inasmuch as the Northern cities are larger and there are more of them, this has meant that the entire construction industry is on a part-time schedule all Winter. . 1, The question of seasonal variations in the industry was canvassed by President Harding's “Unemployment Conference several years ago and President Hoover, when Secretary of Commerce, also gave some attention to the problem. How- cver, the attention then given was to some extent academic as no such unem- ployment emergency as now exists then | wn;opres;’an for relief. 'W, however, the Department of Labor has taken the matter up actively and special agents have been sent to urge leaders in the construction indus- | try in principal Northern centers to attempt & reorganization of their activities in such a manner as to cir- cumvent the cold weather and give ) continued employment to workers. As the Winter brings the greater hardship and suffering to persons without em- ployment or resoufces, this move is looked upon as of the utmost value. [ The opinions expressed by the con- struction leaders to the Department of Labor are to the effect that much of the seasonal variation can be elim- irated. Moreover, the industry is de- sirous that it shall be, as it is to the builders’ interest to maintain a steady flow of work throughout the year. Large companies undertaking con- tracts in various parts of the country have, in general, planned their work 80 as to perform their Northern work in the Summer months, moving their construction gangs southward with the coming of cold weather. This is not possible to smaller local contractors, Seasonal Obstacles Overcome. It is not the discomfort to workmen occasioned by the cold which has in- terrupted building operations. Men have never stopped working or fighting or engaging in any normal activities on account of the cold. But men can stand what materials cannot. Frost is the arch-enemy of Winter construction, For a man to be frost-bitten is an un- comfortable experience, but he will get over it. For cement, mortar and such materials to be frost-bitten, even though they are insensible, means de- struction and consequent loss. Inas much as men have always placed A higher value on property than on life, they have been more careful not to run the risk of injury to their building operations than they own comfort. Changes in the type of construction have of their | 1in recent years have done much to re- |move seasonal obstacles to many kinds |of building. Only 20 years ago the first Jmuch of frost in October or November meant the practically complete stop- page of work ir many Northern States. i The wide introduction of steel con- struction has modified this practice. Steelwork can go on in the coldest weather. Steelwork is designed to with- ‘!tand the action of both heat and eol lon its structure, so the temperature |at the time of erection it not important. | During the World War the construc- |tion industry learned a great deal aboi:t |fighting cold. Contraciors building il |sorts of structures for the Government, |for munition makers and for other es- |sential industries were under obliga- |tion to complete their work quickly. Not only was there general pressure in- | volved in the necessity to win the war, |but in many cases forfeits had to be paid for each day’s delay in completion. The Department of Labor now wants |the industry to bring into play again {this Winter the ingenius methods adopted in war-time to defeat the cold. For example, it was found that it was possible to vour concrete foundatinns nd piers n freezing weather if hot water were used in the mixing. An ad- |ditional cost was involved, and hot econ- |crete is not as easily handled, but the |thing was done. Concrete takes its first set in 30 minutes. The temperature does not affect the setting, which is due to the evaporation of moisture. While this initial setting is going on the high temperature of the mixture repels the |frost and with each hour’s lapse the |danger of injury by frost lessened. Of |course, if any moisture is left in the | concrete, frost will find it and the dam- |age is done. Cracked joints and fis- |sures result, and the work must be done |over. Little Heat Required. To combat this, builders can erect | canvas shelters around fresh work and | provide artificial heat with flares, & manders and various types of stoves. Not a great deal of heat is required to { maintain a non-freezing temperature in the immediate neighborhood of newly poured concrete, if it is confined. Or- | chardists resort to such practices in late | Springs, when frost threatens budding fruit trees. A temperature substantially |less than what would be required for human comfort is high enough to keep the fatal 32 degrees at bay. ‘The same system can be applied to | brickwork or the laying of tile or terra | cotta. A great many elements enter into any | broad scheme for eliminating seasonal | fluctuations. A wide variety of opin- | fons has been gathered by the Depart- | ment of Labor. Ope interesting opin- |ion is that there is a distinct advantage {to the owner and contractor in doing | work in Winter. Prices of building ma- | terial are cheaper in the Winter, be- | cause the demand for them is lighter in | that season. Better workmen, who give | & fuller day's value for their wages, are | obtainable, because there is alw: s | 1arger labor supply from which to draw, and contractors may pick and choose The men, knowing the season to be one of unemployment, will work more ear- restly. F ifty Years Ago In The Star With the death of President Garfield it became certain that Guiteau. who Guiteay's "N°t Pim on the 2d of uiteau's July, 1881, would be tried or murder. The Star of Defense. September 20, 1881, prints |a dispatch from Chicago, y. In answer i to the question whether he will act as counsel for the assassin, he said that he would rather leave it to the Govern- ment to appoint counsel for him, but his wife, Guiteau's nearest relation, and almost his only friend on earth, insists that he shall appesr as counsel and he supposed he would have to grant the request. He would, therefore, be on was called on to plsad. The question was asked, ‘Do you anticipate a speedy trial>” ‘I dom't know about that; I don’t think Guiteau car be tried right away. When he is called upon to plead, the time for his trial will be fixed. He will have to secure time in order to pi pare for a defense. Witnesses will have to be summoned from all parts of the country, and that will take time. ‘What_ will be your defense?’ he was asked.” ‘I think that has been pretty well outlined. I am not in favor of making any technical objection to the fosm of the indictment or to question the jurisdiction of the court. Our de- fense will be insanity, and I should not advise anything else. We have known nothing of Guiteau for three years past until this Summer. 1 do not apprehend but that he will be accorded a fair trial. Our greatest effort will be to get men on the jury who will have judicial minds, men who have read of the case, know the facts, and who will be fair in the trial. I believe that the Govern- ment will see that Guiteau is protected and that he shall have an impartial trial.’ " o « “The question of jurisdiction in the Guiteau case, first raised in The Star, . has been widely The Question discussed,” :.;: of Jurisdiction. The Star of Sep- tember 30, 1881, “Some of the ablest jurists of the land have studied the question and written opinions upon it. Ex-Chief Justice Ag- new of Pennsylvania has just presented his views in an opinion that seems to clearly establish thé jurisdiction of the District of Columbia. This distin- guished jurist first devotes his attention to a legal definilion of murder alter quoting the law of the United States providing that a person ‘who commits willful murder within any fort, arsenal, dockyard, magazine, or in any other place or district or country under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, shall suffer death.” The death, says Judge Agnew, is the essen- tial element of the crime. He holds that as the crime of murder was not consummated in the District of Colum- bia, the sixth amendment to the Con- stitution does not therefore confer needed legislation to confer this juris diction. This legislation, Judge Agnew holds, was provided in the act of March 2, 1867, which is as follows: “‘When any offense against the United States is begun in one judicial district and completed in another it shall be deemed to have been commit- ted in either, and may be dealt with, in- quired of, tried, determined and pun- ished in either district. in the same wholly committed therein.’ “This act, says Judge Agnew, is clear- Iy remedial, intended to cover a defect in the law; that it fully comprehends Guiteau’s case and subjects him to trial in the District of Columbia, unless it should be held that the District is not a judicial district; which the judge maintains would be an unwise interpre- tation and an absurd technicality. He holds that the judicial district charac- ter is evidenced by the legislation of Congress which has established within the District of Columbia district and circuit courts. Judge Agnew, however, advises the New Jersey authorities to e all proj steps to-save the juris- diction of that State, so that, should the question of jurisdiction be raised in Guiteau's case and decided against the District of Columbia, New Jersey might assert her right to try the criminal. Mr. Scoville, Guiteau’s brother-in-law, who has undertaken the defense, has stated that he will not raise the question of jurisdiction, but will depend upon the insanity plea. Notwithstanding this statement, it can do no harm to follow Judge Agnew's advice and take such a8 wzn trial will secure the arraignment of the assassin in both juris- hand in Washington when the assassin | jurisdiction upon the District: that it | manner- as if it had been actually and| ‘Week"s Events in Europe Uniformly Depressing i ‘ BY A. G. GARDINER. LONDON, October 3.—Europs passes from one depth of despair to another. Events of this week have been uniform- ly depressing. Expectations were never high in regard to the visit of Premier Laval and Foreign Minister Briand of France to Berlin, but the Germans are profoundly disappointed over the pov- erty of results. It is known that the private exchange of views on repara- | tions and disarmaments disclosed that [ the French attitude is still adamant, It is for no disarmament and no surren- der of reparations, even though the war | debts be canceled. And there was no mention of French credits for Ger- many. * ok ok ox The position now adopted against disarmament is that the French army is the chief defense of Western Europe against bolshevism. Th ofly visible result of the Lav: Briand visit is the establishment of a Franco-German Economic Committee, which, however, was formulated before the Berlin visit. One paie gleam of hope in the im- proved relations is the fact that Andre Francois-Poncet, the new French Am- bassador to Berlin, has a sympathetic appreciation of Germany’s desperate | case. Also there is a_growing confi- dence that the French elections will | disclose the French people to be more | amenable to reason than the present | regime, in which the influence of Briand ‘!s now negligible. | * o % % | Nor has Geneva corrected the pes- simism in Berlin. It is generally agreed | that the League of Nations Assembly | has been cheerless and unproductive. | This is partly due to the absence of a | responsible member of the British gov- |ernment and partly due to the chaos ‘Sn European affairs. One hopeful in- | cident is that the appeal to the Council of the League contributed to relieve the | tension in Manchuria by strengthening | the hands of the Tokio government against the war party. This result | largely was due to’the co-operation of | the United States with the League, and the English representatives comment | favorably on the increasing disposition | of America to give support to the League in matters of great urgency. Meanwhile, England is absorbed in the strangest political drama in living memory. An immediate election is now inevitable, but all the parties are swirl- ing in furious scramble in West- minster in order to dictate the issue. The die-hard Conservatives are deter- mined to go to the country én a full protectionist policy. and the bulk of the Liberals are equally determined against it, while agreeing on a certain latitude as_emergencies arise. The battlé sways to and fro, hour by hour. The morning produces a new formula, and a compromise at night finds it torn to ribbons. Premier Ram- say MacDonald is a pathetic figure in the center of the scramble. All want him to lead, but all want him to lead on their terms. ok % x Lord Beaverbrook roars for “imperial preference” and threatens to run his own candidates if the Conservatives yield an inch. David Lloyd George, from his retreat. is understood to be pre- paring a manifesto against an election. ‘Winston Churchill in the London Daily Mail continues tv boost Lloyd George as an indispensable man. Stanley Baldwin tries to hold back his pro- tectionist firebrands and make a gen- ]thmln'! agreement with the Liberals by which MacDonald would ask the country for a doctor's mandate to deal with the patients in the emergency. But the firebrands threaten to wreck the election rather than surrender their quarry. ok ok ok ‘The Communists are actively organiz- ing, and great conflicts with the police have taken place this week in the vi- cinity of the House of and in Glasgow, where a mob of 50,000 as- sembled and the police had to charge it with their clubs. Anxiety is felt in regard to the ef- fect of an glection on the position of sterling, which so far has shown grati- fying strength and a tendency to rise, both from external and internal support, one feature of which is the large trans- fers by home investors from dollar to sterling securities. Fears are expressed that the Indian Conference, which is still blocked by the Hindu-Moslem it le, may be rende: l":\film“l! red abortive by (Copyright, 19314