Evening Star Newspaper, March 30, 1932, Page 8

b THE EVENING fHE EVENING STAR |prevent the fall of sterting from the|and will perhaps cure & vicious con- ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. — — WABHINGTON, D. C. WEDNBSDAY. ... March 30, 1832 -— THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor She Bvening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 110 East 42nd 8t Lake Michigan Bullding. 14 Regent .. London, England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. m Frenine Star ... 45 per month ening and Sunday Sa when 4 Bundays) ... 80c per month The Sunday Star S ders may be s fAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. 1yr..$10.00; 1 mo., 85c 1yr. $6.00: 1 mo.. 50¢ o 5 y 15r. $4.00: 1 mo., 40c nly . nday only All Other States and Canada. $12.00: 1 mo.. $1 $8.00: 1 mo, 00 H “5c . 35.00; 1 mo.. 50c Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively ertitled 20 the use for repubiication of ki news dis- not otherwise cied- © and aiso the locsl Lews All rights of publication ot dispatches heremn are lso 3 Speaker Garner's Appeal. A chastened House gave serious at- tention yesterday to the demand of Speaker John N. Garner for & balanced Government budget. Within an hour or two after the House had risen in & great ovation to the Speaker it had written into the revenue bill tax pro- visions recommended by the Ways and Means Committee calculated to raise an sdditional $170.000,000. It paused for breath then only because other amend- ments proposed by the committee as substitutes for the manufacturers’ sales tax, stricken from the bill by an unruly membership last week, had not been prepared by the commiltee clerks for submission. ‘The prospects for quick sction on a bill capable of raising the revenue required to wipe out the Gov- ernment’s deficit by the close of the fiscal year 1933 today appeared to be gar brighter than for many days. Speaker Garner’s patriotic and courageous demand that the House perform the functions for which it was elected had s marked effect. The Speaker struck hard at & psychological moment, after the House had been eriticized from one coast to the other because of its inability to legislate in this crisis and because of the chaos into which it appeared to have fallen. Nevertheless, Mr. Garner is entitled to gold standard, will have been redeemed. It constitutes one of the most striking transactions in contemporary interna- tional finance and redounds to the im- perishable credit of the British govern- ment and people. Of wider significance even than that circumstance is the proof afforded of John Bull's economlic comeback. Barely six months ago Britain staggered the financial universe by abandoning the gold standard. Depression in the United Kingdom, as elsewhere in the world, was widespread and apparently incurable. To aggravate the crisis in business, the country was plunged | headlong into political turmofl. which | resulted in the overthrow of the Labor government and the establishment of a national regime which essayed as its primary task the regeneration of the nation’s disarrayed economics. How eflectively—how almost fabu- lously—the new cabinet headed by Ramsay MacDonsld grappled with the issue is now apparent. Scrapping the old free trade shibboleth along with the sacrosanct gold standard, Britain went over, horse, foot and dragoons, to the protective tariff system. The ghost of inflation, which stalked the land, has been laid. When Neville Chamberlain, the National government's chancellor of the exchequer, presents the annual budget in April he will be able not only to submit a balanced budget, but one registering & reasonable surplus. He will balance it, moreover, with sound money—a feat which seemed super- human only & few months 8go. The chancellor, finally, will go before the House of Commons and talk in terms of & pound sterling worth substantially more than when the gold standard was deserted in September, 1931, Cheaper money is at hand in Lon- don. The bank rate now stands three and a half per cent. The in- come tax rate, which mounted during the hard post-war years to the almost unbelievable equivalent of $1 out of every $5 in our mohey, faces reduction. Export trade, especially with the Scan- dinavian countries and South America, is reviving. Foreign capital is coming into Britain on an unwonted scale Public confidence, thanks to all these visible manifestations of the better day, is restored. Optimism and good cheer economic corner. After her imperial tariff relations are readjusted at the Ottaws Conference in July there is every prospect that the economic re- praise and to the hearty thanks of the country for his handling of the situation. He entered a House yester- day which had on Saturday and the days preceding shown every inclination to run wild, casting aside the advice of Hts chosen leaders. There Was no cer- tainty that the spirit of revolt had been naissance will be established on & basis promising & new era of affluence for the “shopkeeper of the world.” It will are in the air all the way from Land's| End to John O' Groat's. In her unfailing | way, Britannia has “muddled through.” | lating to the scandalous conditions in By and large, Great Britaln scems |the lower courls of the metropolis, and definitely headed for the turn of the | dition. The root of the evil, he says, lies in Tammany Hall and its affiliated political organizations. The adminis- tration of the magistrates courts, he declares, is part of the political spoils system. Appointment of the magis- trates by the mayor, as provided in the act adopted in 1910, has resulted in a “hideous caricature which parades as justice,” for which eomplaisancy, un- | concern and corruption are alone re- sponsible. He says: As long as appointment to office in these courts rests in the hands of a politically controlled agency, just so long must we expect appointees to be recruited from the ranks of those whose only claim to appointment is their sub- servience to their political party, and by which candidates for these places are to be measured and selected there is no justification for expecting any substantial improvement in the admin- istration of these courts. Eight of the magistrates presiding over these courts have, during the past eighteen months, been accused and some of them have been brought to trial. Two have been removed for cause, one was acquitted, three resigned while under investigation and two were removed before the investigation was begun. Judge Seabury's recommenda- tions include the amalgamation of the magistrates courts, the court of spe- cial sessions and the children’s court, the judges of all of which are now ap- vointed by the mayor, into one tribunal, the judges of which are to be named by the appellate division, the records of these appointees to be examined after two years and reappointment to be re- fused in case of evident unfitness. The first of these changes could be effected by legislation. The second, relating to ! the method of appointment, could be secured only through constitutional amendment submiited to the voters of the State. “It is & by-word in the corridors of the courts of the city,” says Judge Seabury in his report, “that the inter- vention of a friend in the district po- litical club is much more potent than the merits of the cause or the services of the best lawyer,” and he adds that “unfortunately the truth of the state- ment alone prevents it from being & slander upon the good name of the city.” During these past few months of the investigation the country has been re- galed with numerous disclosures re- in the Ewald case it was given & close- up of the practice prevailing in the selection of megistrates, the defendant, who was tried twice without & ver- dict, having obtained his appolutment after & “loan” made ostensibly by his wife to the district leader. The failure be & worthy reward for ten years of na- tionai fortitude. o ——— The Taxicab Decision. to convict in that instance did not clear the record. Judge Seabury's prescrip- tion, if adopted, would make such per- formances impossible short of the cor- ruption of the entire bench of the ap- or would be quelled. Today the chaos| 3 the opinion of Justice Adkins on |Pellate division, which is inconceivable. peems to have been succeeded by order Bnd the erisis, 5o far as revenue legisla- tion is concerned in the House, seems $o have passed. ‘Whether the Ways and Means Com- fnittee substitutes for the manufacturers’ pales tax are wiser or more acceptable to the people is another question, As was essential, the committee was com- pelled to turn to specific taxes and to particular industries for the tax levies. Practically all of the many substitute taxes proposed by the committee are *“sales” taxes. There is not the slightest use in being hypocritical about the matter, Any one who runs may read and understand the fact that the so- called excise taxes on beverages, matches, radios and phonographs, candy, automobiles, cosmetics and the lke are sales taxes, Yet the opponents of the manufacturers’ sales tax resting upon all industries alike are falling over themselves to support the new taxes. They have been battling, they say, for “principle” against & general sales tax. The only difference, however, between the original proposal of the Ways and Means Committee for & manufacturers’ sales tax and the tax program now in the process of being swallowed by these battlers for prin- ciple is that the manufacturers’ sales tax was a fair distribution of the burden of taxation to all industries, while the the new program singles out specific ndustries to bear the whole burden, FThat, and the fact that the new sales taxes are not labeled in the bill as such, but are termed “excise taxes. Perhaps there is something in & name Rfter all. The House has turned, apparently, om its season of folly to & realiza- n that the Government is in dire of a balanced budget and the ecovery of the country is awsiting the legislation needed to maintain the Government’s financial stability and the financial stability of the entire "eountry. That is the important thing. ¥ should have been evident to mem- bers of the House long ago that such legisiation was essential. Those pro- erastinators who have urged that it would be preferable to continue to borrow money for the running expenses of the Government, instead of increas- ing taxes, have been silenced, at least | of taxicabs in Washington it will be all for the time being. When Speaker Garner had con- elided his address to the House yes- | terday, the leader of the Republicans, Mr. Snell, and the self-appointed leaders of the House insurgents of ast week, Messrs. La Guardia, Rankin and Doughton, hastened to align them- selves behind the latest tax proposals of the Ways and Means Committee, The insurgent leaders have voiced re- gentment of the criticisms that have been heaped upon them from all sec- tions. But they also appear to have listened to the country. Ce—— Radio is said to be in its infaney. Judged by some of its songs and say- ings, it has attained & precocious sophistication. ————————— Great Britain's Comeback. Great Britain paid off at New York 30,000,000 of bills maturing yesterday. comprised part of the outstanding rwem,y-!\ve per cent of the $200,000,000 t extended to her last August by syndicate of one hundred and ten can banks headed by J. P. Mor- §an & Co. Similar repayment is plan- jped of the remaining $20,000,000 of Brit- fsh treasury bills due on April 5. With the legality of the order of the Public Utllitles Commission that all taxicabs in Washington should carry meters for the registering of fares does nothing else, it re-establishes the authority of the commission, which in past years has been subject to successful attack on almost every rule that it has issued. Justice Adklos’ decision, however, will do far| more than that. It will bring order out of & chaotic condition that has grown up, with the commission’s seeming im- potence, in the taxicab business in the National Capital. It 4 the first step to real regulation of the industry in ‘Washington, which up to now has been the only major city where taxicab operators have apparently been able to flout with impunity all efforts to bring them under some sort of official super- vision and discipline. District taxicab passengers have un- questionably been enjoying the low rate that came into being when the price- cutting war began, but they have been figuratively sitliug in the crater of & volcano while doing so. It is obvious that in order to come close to breaking e€ven on a day's business at & twenty-cent rate a driver must not only work long hours, which fatigue him and make him & menace to traffic safety, but must operate his vehicle at such speeds and with such reckless dis- regard of the rights of other street users that the situation becomes in- tolerable. Besides this, only & small majority of taxicab operators are financlally responsible for damages they inflict by their own negligence, and the passenger who is hurt in an accident weary months in & hospital with no chance of compensation. Justice Adkins, in his decision, stressed these points and also emphi sized that 1t is not possible to devise & non-discriminatory zone system, that the prevailing sone rates are unreason- ably low and that they are possible only through the exploitation of rental drivers. He also held that the zone system increases crulsing in congested areas, causes drivers to refuse unprofit- able hauls, which frequently leads to frauds and disputes. He is right on ail counts. If the new rule reduces the number to the good. There are far too many here at present and the scurrying for business results in an unnatural and unnecessary traffic hazard. ‘While Washingtonians will be paying some- what more to ride than they do at pres- ent, they will pay less than they would be charged in any city of comparable | size. The drivers will benefit by the higher rate, even though they may not CAITY &S many passengers as they do under the present system. But best of all the sustaining of the order of the Public Utilities Commission brings & feeling of optimism that in the not very will be able to regulate its taxicabs, in so far as flnancial responsibility and other vital rules are coucerned, in the same manner as is practiced in every other large city in the country. —_————— A tax that gets & bad name may create the necessity of getting the same results that it contemplated by calling it something else. ——— A Caricature of Justice. involving an insolvent driver may spend | far distant future the National Capital | ‘This report may not figure directly in the political campaign. It does not, however, mske any more easy the path of the now dominant political party in the State, which is linked intimately with the organization that runs the big city and that is now ltkely to oppose desperately the adoption of the amend- ment which is involved in the recom- mendation. R It is evident that Mayor Jimmy ‘Walker is one of the type of men who feel the need of rest and find it makes as long as this remains the yardstick STAR, WASHINGTO No feature of & favorite garden shrub or flower is 100 small to pass unnoticed by its admirers. A reader of & Tecent article here on be universal, but iIn my garden the to arrive in the Spring and the last to linger in the Autumn.” This is more or less true, depending upon situation and care, and is one more good point to be added to the | pertect score of the favorite shrub of the world The hardiness of the lilac is one of its finest features | does well in the far North, where not all the shrubs will live the Winter through, Because of this same hardiness the lilac is likely to be the first shrub to unfold its leaves and the last one to lose them. This helps make it one of our best standbys for the home garden and for shrubbery used close to the house itself, During recent years s movement has grown up in some circles to banish rubs from foundation his is & mistake, according to some of the best landscape architects. The use of evergreens and shrubs in mixed plantings s favored not only be- cause it gives more variety, but also because no evergreen can quite take the place of & good shrub. Each has its place, both evergreen and shrub; the latter cannot replace the former. Massed evergreens, for their best ef- fect, need the qualities which endear the best shrubs to the garden-loving mind and heart. Beauty of bloom, of course, is one of the outstanding merits of such shrubs as the Spirea van Hout- tel and the best lilacs. greens which ever grew must bow their heads before the lilac bushes when the latter are in bloom. There is no ever- green, even of the broad-leaved sort, such as rhododendron, lovely when in flower, which can compare with a good lilac in flower perfection. * % % x Early Spring has one joy greater than sll others to the garden inhabi- tants, and that is the planting of shrubs brought from the hot precincts of the department store sales One positively can see the bushes re- Joicing, as their feet sink into the cool earth. How they love the fresh air, after the superheated atmosphere of the store, where they were forced to stand in bins, & bit of moist moss around their roots, waiting for purchasers! The wonder is that they live at all, but they do, so great is their uncon- sclous urge toward life. Maybe it is the sympathetic mind of man alone, which can see them rejoice, when they are planted: maybe they do, indeed rejoice in themselves and strictly for themselves. They must be glad, as such uncon- sclous” living things are given to be happy, in meeting with their old mother again, in standing with their roots down in the wet, cold soil, in reaching up their bare branches to the sun These living things, St. Francis might have said. are brothers and sis- ters to all of us. The mystery of life is in them, too. They live, but they do not know they live. We live, and we know we live, The hard rain of last Sunday night “set up in life,” as the phrase has it, many & shrub put in the ground the preceding week. Shrubs of all sorts seem to melt away from the stores that sell them. Just where the thousands and thou. sands of bushes go no individual can tell, but they do go, some to live, some to die, some to thrive and beau- tify lives and citles with their blos- soms and leaves, others to lead an unhappy plant life. bereft of care or the intelligent help of mankind. As one marvels at the apparent in- exhaustible thirst for shrubs, trees, plants, flower seeds, which the human it is well to keep in mind that the them more restless than ever to remain away from the office. — e Childhood is being deprived of some of the happiness due to it by remind- ers that Santa Claus is a transitory myth, while the bandit is an enduring reality. ) Demand for a tax on luxuries cannot be made to cover bootleg liquor, which cannot be regarded as a luxury even by wets who have the slightest sense of discrimination. —_—aeee Bome of Speaker Garner’s friends were for a while inclined to reprove him because of apprehensions as to what he might not say. ot SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Censure and Sense. “This world i8 run entirely wrong!" A citizen was heard to say. Then came the words sincerely strong: “Priend, do you know a better way?" Each voice may now be heard by all, Be what 1t tells us grave or gay. And those who seek to serve now call, “Friend, do you know a better way?” Events will seem to go amiss, And sny action brings dismay. What leadership inquires is this: “Friend, do you know a better way?” Responsibilities. “A man in your position,” said the lady with & notebook, “has to be both | a politician and a statesman.” | “Prequently,” assented Senator Sor- ghum. “And there are times when he must forget that he is either, and pro- jceed to be & plain patriot. Jud Tunkins says a poor poker player can save moren his taxes simply by stayin' home nights, Change Desired. We're hoping we shall soon prepare For times of mutual faith and peace, | And spread glad tidings everywhere Instead of hollering “Police!” Dance and Music. “That tune always makes me want to {dance,” sald Miss Cayenne. “You like 112" “No. I wish to dance because it will help me not to notice the time so much.” “Power is dangerous,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown; “it is dangerous when it creates Pride so sensitive as to demand that even its blunders be re- spected.” Overestimate. The man who thinks he knows it all May cheerfully explain a Jot, Then blush when trying to recall ‘The numerous things that he forgot. SBamuel Seabury, referee investigator of the appellate division of the New York judiclary concerning the magis- trates courts of Greater New York, has the seventy-five per cent of the origi- pal credit, amounting to $150,000,000, which the British paid on March 4, the |of the administration of justice, with Uncle Eben, “git yohsell made & final report which constitutes a severe indictment of the local system | Yet he'll go on and speak his mind | With admonitions far from few, | And be surprised still more to find The numerous things he never knew. “If de world owes you a livin'” said shovel an’ & obligation of $200,000,000, origi- thirteen recommendations which, if hoe an’ notify de world dat you's comin’ ocontracted in a vain attempt %o adopted, will effest & madical change ‘round to ecliect) N \ 'lllm writes in to say that “it may not | beautiful foliage of the llac is the first | Because of this, it | plantings, | Even the grandest specimens of ever- | race shows at this time of the year, | D. C, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. reason for this is that 50 much yet remains to be done. Thousands upon thousands of yards swallow up hundreds of thousands of bushes and plants, and yet they still tend to look underplanted. The truth is that they are underplanted. Very few home grounds there are which do not lovk bare to the appraising eye, and this comes about because much ground. even in & small place, remains unplanted. x> No one would urge a mere mass of planting. without rhyme or reason, of course. Beauly sometimes, but not often, comes that way. What may be done legitimately to take away the bare look from the home grounds is to widen th scope of the mind in this matter, then transiate it into beauty in the terms of evergreens, shrubs, plants, The movement of recent years toward an “outdoor living room,” as it is calles has done a great deal toward this end. But it is & garden, after all, of course, not a living “room,” except in & theo- retical sense, The main point of the modern out- door living room is exactly the main point of the indoor living room, and that is nothing more mysterious than privacy. The idea of privacy has always been essential to the garden, but many & modern human being, at least in America, has permitted this idea to get away from him The background is the essential struc- |ture of the perfect garden, especially when one chooses 1o call it an “outdoor living room.” It means that thefe must be a background of some sort, whether one chooses to call it & wall, & fence, a hedge, & planting or & border, To get this sort of background re- quires plenty of plants. Until one has set out deliberately to construct a real background he 1 not realize just how many shrubs and plants will be re- quired. He will shortly become ac- Quainted with the really tremendous | number which will be necessary, and | Will understand better than before how |an enormous number of live, growing things can be absorbed into the home gardens of America every Spring with- .u;lll making much of & showing, after a The idea of privacy, inherent in the “‘outdoor living room.” means that the homeowner must have walls of & sort. These walls may be trees, evergreens, tall shrubs, flowers or & real wall, or & | fence covered with vines, anything and | everything which grows up and out. | . The construction of such a place out- doors is not an easy task. It requires a large acquaintance with plant materials, | & prior desire for such a place, some money and real skill in handling plants. Last, but not least, it requires a great deal of physical labor. Unless there is some one in the family who honestly | loves to dig in the soil, and who is capable of doing it, there is little chance | for & real outdoor living room. | In making such a place, whether it be the entire garden, or just one part of it, the shrubs offer the best per- |manent material. It must be kept in mind that the evergreens are not per- manent in the sense that a grand lilac ‘bu.sh is everlasting. Many people who plant evergreens imagine that they are | doing it for a lifetime, but they are likely to be disappointed. The shrubs sre only sort of plant material which give promise of everlasting life in the | garden, at least in relation to the life of man, | One should plant more of these com- mon shrubs to accentuate the beauty of evergreens in the foundation planting, | and to put a bit of relative permanence there; but, more than this, the better shrubs, known and Joved by most peo- ple, should be planted in abundance be- cause of their own virtues, their hardy constitutions, their gifts of beauty, and, | above all, because they are the plants of memory’s garden, more so, peshaps, | than any of the smaller things. The love of most people for the common | llac comes from childhood days. The lilac, and the “sweet shrub" and the | althea—these are but three of the many common shrubs loved the world around. They are the real “Home, Sweet Home" of the garden picture, WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM W1II. Jack Garner did not revive his de- flated presidential boom when he took the House floor yesterday, but the cockles of his heart must have been warmed by the reception accorded the | appeal to his colleagues to balance the budget and preserve the national credit Recent congressional times have known few more dramatic moments than when | the florid-faced Texan, bristling with fervor, resorted to the old revivalist gag and called upon the assembled brethren and sisters to stand up and be counted for the Nation's fiscal honor. As an ex- horter the Speaker has few pee: You'd never have suspected, from th frenzied enthusiasm that welled up to him, that only & week 8go the same ebullient House was rolling Garner in the mud. Amid his plaintive pleas for budget unity, the Speaker thrust at the recreant Democrats who defied party leadership. “1 am an organization man,”_ exclaimed Garner, passionately, | “and T say to you that organization is the only way to perform and operate in this House. * X% % On critical occasions like the tax fight the House always shows it is far and away the more human branch of Congress. The rules permitting ap- plause and cheers allow members to express themselves and their emotions to & degree unknown in the Senate, which prefers its dull dignity. The re- sult is that the House on big days is vibrant with life and color and move- ment, compared to the stolid stodgi- ness of things in the chamber on the other side of the Capitol. Yesterday's debate buzzed with buoyancy. Repre- sentative Florence Kahn, Republican, of California burst into a handclap when Acting Ways and Means Chair- man Crisp announced the 10 per cent tax on cosmetics. Unlike Democratic Leader Rainey, who Is seldom without & cud, Representative Dyer, Republican, of Missous applauded when he heard that chew um is to pay 5 per cent. Representat!™ La Guardia, Republican, of New York, declaiming that in vot- ing for the proposed new taxes he'd “catch 1t coming and going” in his district, caused & colleague to cut in: “You deserve it.” 49 % President Hoover had & scout on the House floor in the person of James Francis Burke, general counsel of the Republican National Committee. The polished Pittsburgher was exercising the rights of a former member of the House in circulating among the G. O, P. seats and occupying one of them while the day big doings were in progress. Burke's smile seemed to radiate the serenity now pervading Re- publicans of all ranks over recent events in Congress. Democratic lead- ers on their part are not dismayed by them. They would rather have not had things happen just as they did, but in- sist that the country’s disgust with the “depression administration” is too deep to be wiped out by an irrelevant con- gressional episode. * ox ox % Probably the first American back from the Shanghai battle front is Col. Frederick A. Fenning, former Commis- sloner of the District of Columbla. Col. and Mrs. Fenning landed at the great Chinese port on February 18 and re- mained there during all of that and the next day, which happened to witness the principal Japanese offensive. The Washingtonians _have just Teturned from their Far Eastern expedition, thrilled with their close-up of the Yel- low War. * K ¥ K Senator Hattie Caraway, Democrat, of Arkansas hss won an enviable repu- tation for constant sttendance since she inherited her late husband's seat in the Dpper Housa, But be- jcame fed up with the endless and repetitious talk she’s compelled to listen 0. To endure it the more easily, Sen- ator Caraway now frequently takes to her desk the latest cross-word puzzle and “comics” from the newspapers. ook x It’s a long, long way to the presiden- tial Tipperary of 1936, but, belleve it or not, they're talking out in California about the Ray Lyman Wilbur boom for President that year. cated on Herbert Hoover's re-election this year. As the yarn is spun, Hoover is going to anoint his bosom friend Wilbur as his heir apparent some time along in 1935 and cordially commend him as the Republicans’ white hope for the ensuing campalgn. Corroborative evidence at this writing is not plentiful, unless one discerns it in the fact that the longest member of the Hoover cabi- net in his unobtrusive way covers a good deal of national terrifory as the months roll by, speechmaking and friend-making sll over the country. If there’s anything in the plot, it be Rousevelt-Taft history repeating itself. * ok ox x Mrs. Muna Lee, one of the arch- priestesses of the National Woman's Party, is back from Geneva, where she and Miss Alice Paul tried to vamp the League of Nations into creating a divi- sion of women’s activities. It needs a vote of the League Council, but Mrs. Lee and Miss Paul found themselves up agalust a hard-boiled “secretariat,” which blocked their plans. About the only sympathetic soul they encountered was Dr. Yen, Chinese Minister to the United States, Before going to Geneva, Dr. Yen promised to be the women's friend at court. Pinding him immersed in the Manchurian-Shanghai contro- versy, they did not venture to intrude upon him. But one day, just after he had conducted his daily duel in the Council with Sato of Japan, Yen en- countered Mrs. Lee in the lobby. “How are you getting on with your business over here?” he asked, to her astonish- ment and joy, indicating he hadn't forgotten his word. Dr. Yen wears proudly the Phi Beta Kappa key his alma mater, the University of Virginia, gave him in 1909, ERE O His colleagues on the Hill are anxious to know how Senator Claude A. Swan- | son, Democrat, of Virginia Is weather- ing the rigors of the Geneva conference. ‘The senior solon from the Old Dominion has not enjoyed rugged health in recent years, but this observer can report that | Swanson is about the only member of the American delegation who remained entirely well throughout the Winter. ‘The delegation doctor thought the Sen- ator would be his best customer, but the Virginian fooled 'em all. While nearly everybody else was down and out with varying forms of flu, Swanson was up and around and on the job. He attributes his good condition to the embargo he determined to place on dinner parties and other energy-sapping functions. (Copyright. 1932) ——— Speakers Dry Enough. Prom the Oklshomsa Oity Daily Oklahoman. The 10 “dry speakers” scheduled to appear in Oklshoma City are no dryer probably than scores of others we have with us always. Almost any profes- sional speaker is dry enough. B ) What to Tax Next. Prom the St. Louls Times. Now that t;lu higher brackets ll’f : be taxed further, the next step wil remalos izumh&— i 1 The talk is predi- | Pay Cat Move Is Seen As Prosperity Blow To the Bditor of The Star: Congressional agitation for Govern- ment pay cuts, which hazards directly the incomes of the largest group of salaried employes in the country and indirectly threatens the financial sta- bility of every wage earner with pay reductions in private industry, which would undoubtedly follow, as & sequel to the executive program which has been initiated to discourage hoarding, and the legislative program which has been launched to restore public confi- dence, presents a most pitiable prog- nosis and constitutes one of the saddest spectacles of inconsistency and lack of foresight on the part of congressional leadership ever recorded in the annals of legislation ‘The adoption of & policy of salary reduction by the United States Govern- ment could not be interpreted by the public as anything short of an admis- slon that the economic outlook for the future is hopeless and that a policy of deflation and retrenchment is the only available remedy. Such a move, coming as it would at the very moment when the economic forces of the Nation are bending every effort to fan the flickering flames of reviving confidence, would be an anti- climax, indeed, which would again be- cloud a clearing horizon and would be of disastrous consequences to the economic structure of the Nation. Even the discussion of pay cuts has unquestionably already destroyed more public confidence in the economic sta- bility of the future than all of the legis- lative and executive restorative measures could possibly have engendered It is to be earnestly hoped that our legislative leaders may be persuaded to shake off the shackles of hysteria that now grip them and to visualize how dismal and disastrous would be the “psychological effect” of the folly which they are threatening to commit. ECTOR C. STOUT. - Pedestrian Pleads Police Protection To the Editor of The Star: Pity the precarious plight of the poor pedestrian! No nefarious ancient nav- lgator knowingly undertook an under- taking in navigation involving the in- tricacies necessary now in navigating near neglectful nigcompoops in name- less enginized ingots. Since seeing the seething, ceaseless assemblage of six-cylindered sluggards surreptitiously ~scattering citizens, -1t seems something should somehow be substituted for such useless siaughter. Speaking from a standpoint of sup- position, a citizen, scurrying from side to side of a street, seeking safety, sud- denly seeing that the signal is set, stops. To attempt to trespass traffic at this time takes a task technically taboo. Finally fortune favors our friend and forthwith follows his fellows in front of the formidable fleet of ferocious fiends. Jumping with agility and judg- ing the gyrations of the jaunting and Jjuggling gasoline juggernauts is just a glgantic job. Maybe ‘the modern method of man- aging the movements of machines by means of many multi-colored monstros- ities eminating millions of amperes im- proves the motorists' movements, but I maintain that the man who must mi- grate minus a motor car may momen- tarily meet misfortune, maim by a miscalulating mentally muddled “mo- tormaniac.” Please permit the public to petition the police to provide proper protection for the poor, persecuted pedestrian! CHARLES GAIGE. T Liquor Interests Held Poorest of Employers To the Editor of The Sta In these days when unemployment is such a serious problem men are cast-! ing about to find some agency that may possibly use great numbers of men and thus relieve the situation. And, since it happens that this is the very time, too, when the wets are most hard put for an argument for the return of their beloved source of blood-money, it is not to be considered strange that they should suggest that the legalizing of the liquor traffic would put to work a few hundreds of men. They do not mention the fact that most of these men so “employed” would work for drinks, sandwiches and straw enough to wallow off their drunkenness in. But such was the case before prohibi- tion—and the leopard has not changed his spots. As a matter of fact, the Census Bul- letin proves that the liquor manufac- turers returned the smallest per cent of the price of the finished product to labor. For the manufacture of lum- ber and furniture labor received 27 per cent of the price of the finished prod- uct. but for the making of booze only a little over 7 per cent. Liquor always and everywhere has been the poorest employer. It has used less raw mate- rial, employed fewer men and paid smaller wages than any other business. If it was legalized again its use would cause the discharge of 10 men for every 1 that its manufacture would fur- nish & job. Let' us think seriously of these facts. LOREN E. PAGE. e Reviving War Hatreds Is Declared Harmful To the Editor of The Star: I am sure you will readily understand when I take exception to the article re the Zimmermann note in the editorial section of The Star of last Sunday. Without going into the merits or de- merits of the article. I can only regret, from a purely political point of view. that old stories of & dim and supposed- ly forgotten past are still dug up, maybe not with intent, but most certainly with the effect of creating anew or uating war-time feelings or hatreds. We are told, In and out of season, that the world should buckle down to & practical solution of the pressing problems of our time, especially start a real disarmament all around. We are further told that rea] disarmament can- not be achieved until mental disarm- ament has been undertaken. I do mnot know if articles like the one in ques- tion will further this necessary mental dlsfirrxn;me&t! e g with these things as with the high tariff: Once I:tmmtl'sflng is started somewhere all the others fall in line and do likewise. In my humble opinion there is all around in this world much tco much lip service, and not enough common sense and practical politics. OTTO H. F. VOLLBEHR. r——— Prosperity Stamps Urged on Congress To the Editor of The Star: In putting a five-cent stamp on this letter, I have purposely contributed three cents to the Treasury of the United States. The Post Office gets its customary two cents nd the three cents goes to balance the budget. If Congress would authorize the is- suance of prosperity stamps, in denom- inations of three and five cents for first- class mail, and agree that the proceeds from the sale of such stamps would be used to balance the budget, the people of the United States would voluntarily wipe out the existing deficit. The present two-cent stamp should remain the legal rate for letter mail and the use of prosperity stamps would be en- ur;lgu voluntary. ld move would be sponsored by all patriotic organizations and societies in the country. The results would only be limited by the ability of the Gov- ernment to print the stamps and han- dle the mail. ‘The people of England voluntarily contribute thelr personal jewelry to st bilize the gold pound. Give the people of the United States an opportunity to contribute their pennies to national prosperity. Compulsion is offensive to the American peoble, but give all classes an opportunity to contribute what their circumstances will permit and watch the deficit in the dis- sppear, i s even ANSWERS TO QUESTINS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. of questions an- swered by this department, only a few can be published in this column. The ones that are printed must be of gen- eral interest and not personal in their nature. Do not, therefore, merely sign your initials to your letter and ask that the answer be published. Give your full name and address so that you may receive s personal letter in reply. Inclose 2 cents for return postage. Direct your lgtter to The Evening Star Information Bureau, PFrederic J. Has- kin, Director, Washington, D. C. Q. How many rooms are there in the White House?—B. K. A. An arbitrary number cannot be given. It depends upon whether stor- age rooms, cloak rooms and reception rooms are included. On the first floor of the White House there is an entrance lobby and main corridor, the East Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, the Stafe Dining Room and the Private Dining Room. On the second floor there are seven bed rooms and baths in addition to the library and the President’s study and a wide hall extending the length of the build- ing. On the third floor are 14 rooms and 7 baths, as well as a number of storage rooms. On the floor below the first floor are cloak rooms, reception rooms, kitchen, pantries, etc. Q. Where is Joyce Kilmer buried?— %2 A. He lies in Grave 15, Block B, Row 9. American Cemetery, Oise-Alsne, France. Q. What is a rhapsody?—R. G. A. The word rhapsody is derived from the Greek and in antiquity was used to denote a heroic poem, such as a sec- tion of the “Iliad.” In literature it is any high-flung composition. In music it is an irregular form similar to im- provisation. Q. How many religious denominations last religious census?—H. H. A. Only eight denominations had re- turns from every State in the 1926 re- ligious census. Q. What is the per capita collection of garbage in American cities>—D. L. R. A. The American City says that there appear to be no general figures for the quantities of refuse materials produced per capita. Surveys have been made of certain cities. At Bal timore and Indianapolis the amount of garbage collected for disposal averaged 150 pounds or less per capita per year. In Pittsburgh and some other cities the amount was over 300 pounds per capita per year. Perhaps 200 pounds per capita per year is typical of many cities having relatively good collection service. Q. Where was Troy located?—J. A. There has been some dispute con- cerning the exact site of the ancient city of Troy. It is believed to be the mound of Hissarlik, between the main Scamander Valley and its last tributary from the East. Q. How is teakwood cured?—J. K. M. A. Since green teakwood would not float as a raft, and if let lie on the ground would season unevenly, it is cured standing. broad strip of bark and sap wood taken off annually. Two or three years is required for curflz to a point where it will float. It is handled by elephants. Q. What is the crookedest river in the United States?—G. S. A. Probably the Nolin River, in West- Central Kentucky. It crosses the southeastern part of the Big Clifty quadrangje in a course about 20 miles long, thgugh the air-line distance be- tween the points where it enters and leaves the quadrangle is only six miles. Q. What is the weight of 1,000,000 $1 bills>—L. L. G. A. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing says that it does not as a mat- ter of routine weigh paper money and, the ancient city of J. made reports in every State for the | It is girdled and a| therefore, does notknow the aveage weight of paper joney when om- pleted. The weighf probably varis as much a8 5 per cft, due to seeral ‘The paper itself viries in thicknef and weight. Jotes plates (deeply en- ink than ptes plates. The wight by the amunt of moisture ther¢n, which varies.de- pending on the mpisture in the atios- phere to which ihey have been ub- jected for a rwhle. For example in November, 1930, 1,000 12-subject sheis (12, Totes) Were weighed, wich were found to weigh 24 pounds 11-3 ounces, and: & year priog the gme quantity was weighed, which tippeghe scales a 24 pounds 6 ounces. Ised on the former weight, 1,000,000 dtes would weigh 2.064 pounds 3 7-9 ouces, and based on the latter weight 1,0,000 notes woud weigh 2031 pouss 4 ounces. factors. slightly printed Q. Who has the largest truc'fleet in the United States’—K. S. A. The largest truck fieets a the American Telephone & Telegras Co., 16.000 trucks; United StatesPostal Service. 11,07 trucks. and thetand- ard Oil Co. of New Jersey11,000 trucks. Q. How much money is spt for | medicine in tae United States-F. M. A. The Committee on theost of Medical Caref says that $715,0,000 is so efpended yearly. This isoout 20 per cent of the national billor sick- ness. Of this amount $,600,000 (26.6 per cent) is spent foriedicines prescribed by physicians, $.000,000 (23.1 per cemt) for non-set home remedies and $360,000,000 50.3 per cent) for patent medicinep! secret composition. Q. From wHat lang the word mister derived®—N. g A. Both mister and ntress are | derivatives of the Latis i e e n wo magister, Q. Who owns the | R. H A. The group of island b the of | the Cocos ‘;e\'erll hun | Panama, belongs technidy to | Republie of Costa Rica. nhg | little of importance in Pse hhmft | however, except as a stopfig place | vessels, and the United Stgs Navy has an unofficial interest in o, Q. What is the, signiance of ‘D‘"]lngt wheel anbl:gndhe D.A A. The 13 spokes repsent the thire teen original States; an¢he proj | €nds of the spokes the3 stars in the first flag, the spinning teel being tlematical of woman's ork dunut | Revolutionary period. | Q Did Palm Sunds mark the e ginning of Spring this :ar>—C. R. | L A. Spring this yeamegan on Palm | Sunday, March 20, & 2:54 pm. In the astroj yea | with the vernal equirx, which occurs on or about the 21st oMarch. It may, however, come as ear as the 20th of March and as late asie 22d. The ex- | act moment varies eac year, Q. What are the tree largest ships run by electricity?—EB. A. The three largeselectric ships fly- |ing any flag are th S. S. President Coolidge, the S. S. Prédent Hoover and the S. S. Augustus. Te S. S. President Coolidge and the S. S>resident Hoover are both 653 feet ove all; 81 feet in beam; displacement tomage, 31,000 a gross of 23,000 tons, adl a sea speed of 21 knots. \ Q. How many foot §ll games were won by University of Viginia last sea- :,\oannd how many byGesrgetown?— A. Georgetown Univefity won 4, lost 5, and tied 1. Univegdy of Virginia won 1, lost 7, and tied ¥ These univer- sities did not play eac’ather. miles Decision of the United States Su- preme Court that the State of Okla- homa Vialat the Constitution when it declayed by law that ice should be treated ds & piblic utility has attracted much attention from the public. This is due partly to the fact that Justices Brandeis and Stone dissented, on the the former set forth his views as to the possibiiity of restraining excessive com- petition. It & widely held that as an experiment sugh restraint might prove dangerous. In the course of his opinion, Justice Brandeis said: “Increasingly, doubt is expressed whether it is economically wise, or morally right, that men should be permitted to add to the producing facilities of an industry which is al- ready suffering fzom overcapacity.” At another point thk member of the Court remarks: “All agiee that irregularity in | employment—the greatest of our evils— cannot be overcane unless production and consumption are more nearly bal- anced. Many il there must be some form of economie control. There are plans for proration. There are pro- posals for stabilizaion.” “The difference brtween the minority and the other progressiye-minded jus- tices in the Oklahonma case,” according to the Philadelphia, Evening Bulletin, “is that the majority are not willing to menace the essential rights of the in- dividual by an exaggeration of the powers of government, even as & matter of experimentation. Extension of the principle and formuls of government control over public utiities to all busi- ness enterprise would take us far. If permitted in the mattr of ice manu- facture and distributioa, as an experi- ment, what next, and where would be the limit? The problem: of unbalanced production and consumption and con- sequent irregularity in employment and periods of depression mnust be solved. ‘There is need of price s@bilization, of employment and wage stbilization as well. But the SBupreme Coirt opinion in the Oklahoma case is a warning that the Government cannot take charge of all business under the American plan, and that the solutionof the prob- lems of ess does not e merely in turning them over to the Government for regulation.” *x % Referring to the contestion by the two dissenting justices that “the judiciary ought not to prevent reason- able social and economic ‘experimenta- tion by the States,” the Chicago Daily News makes the comment: “But what is a proper test of reasonsbleness in social and economic experimentation? Clearly, experiments repugnaat to the Federal Constitution, or to the constitu- tion of the State concerned, cannot be sanctioned by the courts. However, there is, apparently, a twilight sone for certain experiments. Heretofore tl test applied has been the necessity of a franchise. With few recent excep- tions, public utilities have enjoyed spe- clal privileges. or monopolies, and have been regulated because of that fact. On the other hand, competitive indastries | or trades have been regulated otly by the law of supply and demand, and have not been subjected to State regulstion. There is a tendency to treat coal, oil and bread as public utilities, but it has not gone far. Manifestly, the Pederal Supreme Court adheres to the logical, old test of a public utllity, the expe- diency of monopoly from the standpoint of public interest. Those who favor & different test should assume the burden of proving the necessity and propriety Evening News, “took the general principles involved, and that | Dissenting Views of Court ' On Competition Are Debated ‘ol or against sucheconomic control. He is not sure thafthe cure wouldn't be worse than the disease. ‘That is something he saysnobody knows, for | ‘economic and socia sciences are largely | uncharted seas.’ an ‘We have been none | too successful in e modest essays in | economic comtrol sready entered upon.’ |2 * * Theoretical, regulation is fine, It would be grandif we were wise and honest enough to ffect it 5o &s to pro- duce a wise and just flow of business | that would keep #erybody at work and | supply all our needs at reasonable prices. Of course ve ought to be, but we aren’t, and the dsigers of regulation by certificates of nessity are greater than the dangers of 1ying under the dog-eat- gox ,methods o unregulated competi- on, ook ox “The Suprene Court.” observes the Morgantown Jominion-News, “has the power to staysuch experimentation. In the instant cae it exercised that power. Will it do », we wonder, in future years, when Jistice Brandeis’ views shall have prevaitd?” The Charlotte Ob- server emphsmizes the fact that the ma- Jority decidei that “regulation of this kind is unwarranted by the nature of the ice busizess,” concluding that “the majority opiaion generally holds.” The Rochester Times Union declares: “With- out going in'o the merits of the indi- vidual case in question, there can be no doubt that Justice Brandeis has voiced with remarkable clarity a problem which more and more is becoming a challenge to our social-economic system.” “The minority contended,” says the Birmingham Age-Herald, “that the time has come 0 regulate the processes of production in accordance with the standard of consumption.” The Age. Herald continues: “This was, in sho the appearance in court of the muc! discussed ‘planned economy.’ Even those of us who are still unprepared to give up the principle of individualism, of free competition, will find much to stimulate our thinking in the Brandeis opinion. Is it possible to stabilize in- dustry without imposing stringent bar- |riers to the investment of new capital in enterprises the productive capacity of which far outstrips the consumption? In the light of the depression, are we to continue the hit-and-miss system which has brought such distress? Mauy of us prefer the risks of muddling through somehow to suffering the limi- tation and interference for which Judge Brandeis pleads. But we cannot deny that he has seized in signal fashion an opportunity to bring legal thinking abreast of the immediate problems of cur economic life.” ——————— Jokes Largely Historical. From the Florence (Ala.) Herald. The first fiction is said to have been written 32 centuries ago. But radio comedians often tell jokes which are he | much older. ———— Strange People, These C| From the Pasadena Star-News. Four Chinese kidnapers in Shanghai faced a firing squad. The Chinese do some things well, Scalping a Lesser Peril Prom the Columbus Ohio State Journal, How restful and peaceful it must have been ip the old pioneer days when practically only danger they had ta being scalped by the nese, P L AT Cook Book Her Best Seller. Prom the Dayton Daily News. A woman society leader says the most interesting book in States should not be ting HED ld s the st . b