Evening Star Newspaper, April 3, 1932, Page 26

JTHE EVENING STAR ‘?‘,‘P s,“,"‘,".!“or, g Edition. . WLSHINGTON, D. C. BUNDAY. ..April 3, 1932 THEODORE W. NOYES . Editor The Evesing Star Newspaper Company Bucness Office h(! St. and Pennsylvanis Ave. New Fork Office: 110 East 42nd St hicago Office: I.ske Michigan Bullding. uropean OMC(F 4 Regent M., London, ithin the City. 45c per month | ar | 60c per month 65¢ per month | Sc per copy | each month | or telephone | and and Virginia. r.$10.00: 1 m 1600 1 m 0., 85 | 0., 50 | 1 $4.00: 1 me aiiy oniv “40c | day only All Other States and Canada. tly nnd Sunday £12.00° 1 mo.. $1.00 | iy only day only $8.00: 1 mo.. 76¢ $5.00: 1 mo.. 50¢ Member of the Associated Press. tod Press 1 t repubiication vd to it or not otherwise cred- | paper and slo the losl Lews iblication of <o reserved 1yr. 1yr 1y, exclusiyely er of ail news dis- The Fundamental Issue. *The Sensté District Committee's hear- fogs on the House bill to impose an estate tax in the District of Columbia will be followed on Tuesday and Friday Py hearings on the House bill to impose an automobile weight tax and to in- crease the gasoline The date of | hesrings on the H bill to impese | an income tax in the District and on ‘the House bill to abolish the fixed ratio -principle of appropriating for the Dis- | trict will depend in part upon the | Bureau of Efficiency’s completion of its report on these measures, -1t is proper here to recall the action taken by the Citizens' Joint Committee on Fiscal Relations Between the United States and the District of Columbia in connectioh with these three bills by recording in part the text of its resolu- tion adopted December 24, 1931: Whereas there are now pending in the Senate and before the Senate District Comuittee H. R. bills numbered 5!21." 5822 and 5823, which impcse new and increased taxes amounting annually, it +is estimated, to three million dollars for the apparent purpose of reducing by that amount the annual lump-sum ap- propriation from the Treasury for the “maintenance and development of the ation's City: * * * s Resclved, by the Citizens' Joint Com- mittee on Fiscal Relations Between the United States and the District of Co- lumbia, That the gommittee vigorously pro- tests against any increase whatever in the District' taxpayers’ already heavy stax burden solely or primarily to facili- ate a reduction by millions of the “lump-sum payment by the Nation to- .ward Capital maintenance and up- building; i . That the committee urges that no 4dditional dncreased tax be imposed wuniess after thorough examination it is “found that such additional taxation i «absolutely necessary to meet urgent “municipal needs which cannot other- wise be satisfied: ~~Fhat, in framing any new tax legis- sdation, care be taken to give assurance that the proposed form or method of taxation is sound in principle, and that | “the legislation is so worded as to be| <equitable in application to all tax-| ipavers. * * * The Citizehs” Joint Committee, in a petition presented to Congress Decem- ber 19, declered: H. R. 6285 (the bil! to eliminate the | fixed ratio principle of appropriating for the District) and several bills in- creasing thetax burden of the District | have been Mntroduced and a cutting | @ovh or elimination of the annual Jump-sum payment has been proposed on the ‘thedfy that the District tax- payers are Rot bearing an adeguate tax burden. The Citizens’ Joint Commit- | tee contends thet the District taxpay- ers are now reasonably and, in view of | their peeuliar disabilities, even heavily | taxed. and fhat no increase of their tax | barden shoeld be considered unless it | _18 clearly démonstrat=d that such addi- {tlonal taxation is absolutely necessary to meet urgent municipal needs that ushered in a period of renewed good times for diamonds. Kimberley is con- fident that history will repeat itsell in connection with the present curtail- ment of output On its present basis the diamond in- dustry depends for prosperity on effe tive control of prices, To that end the main producing interests in South Africa operated through the Diamond Corporation, which manipulated mat- ters so as to sell through a single chan- nel at a single price. This syste quires enormous financial resour and tends to bring an tion of stocks far larger than pressed market can absorb. Under ex- isting world conditions diamonds are not jewels, but drugs, on the market At present low prices there is estim: to be some $75.000,000 of rough goods in the hands of the Diamond Corpe tion and other producers, stocks owned by the South government. 1t is proposed that while diamor are in slump the South African ernment should call an interr conference to establish a system world production quotas. A govern- ment commission is now looking into such possibilities. In 1920 the world output of diamends was 7,348,000 car- ats valued at $73.000,000. America accu excluding Africa gov- ional | imported officially 800,000 carats, while | prevent their removal. it is estimated that at least 900.0 carats were smuggled into the country. e Hours and Parking. days of 1917 uggestion Staggered Memories and 1918 are revived b; of the Traffic Adviso District Commissior and forwarded by them to the Chief Clerks' Association of the Federal depaitnients. that the office hours of departments be “stacgered” in order to relieve the traf- fic congestion in the streets of the Capital. Fourteen years ago & much more serious condition prevailed in Washington than now. The Govern- ment’s working force had been trebled Many thousands of people had been brought here from the States for de- partmental service. The travel accom- modations were greatly overtaxed. There were then far from the number of motor cars in use than at present, but Council to the the morning and afternoon rushes. It was proposed then to schedule the hours of the Government workers so as to spread the movement longer periods. Two of the departments, In- terior and Commerce, undertook to fol- low the plan, and for a time to some slight degree the congestion was lieved through this expedient. the other branches of the public s jce continued on the nine-to-four- thirty basis and the pressure on the transport facilities was actually too heavy to be borme. ‘The Commissioners have, of course, no jurisdiction over this matter. They can only appeal or propose to the heads of the departments, or to the clerical bodies, to adopt a system of “stag- gered hours” that will spread the traffic over longer periods. The problem now does not relate to the street railway accommodations, as in the r time, but to the use of the streets by motor- ists going to and from their places of occupation. The Commissioners point out in their letter to the Chief Clerks' Association that on every business day 71,693 Federal workers, 8,500 District workers and 75881 non-Government workers pass through the central area of the city between eight-thirty and nine o'clock in the morning and four- thirty and five o'clock in the afternoon, a total of 156,074 in twice-daily transit within a space of one hour. Only through voluntary action of the employes of the departments, unless the heads of those departments themselves arrange and enforce a schedule of “stag- gered” hours, can this load of traffic be spread. It was found in war time over But | that there was great reluctance on the | part of the employes and likewise on cannot otherwise be satisfied. At con- gressional hearings, especially that on H. R. 6285. the committee will ask the privilege of mitfing the facts and E:’:‘I’:mg[fi: u"m(h its contention “fnt jfhe District is not undertaxed is _ The Senate District Commi Nith customery fairness receiv .¥lews of citizens and citizen: Eations on the estate tax bill, and ifvited any who c to ‘&tete their views regarding to impose the weight rease the gas tax and later the pro- | Pposed income tax. If some of the citizens I or will make, their Yather than specific. “specific proposals it is because the mental District is not paying its due | shere of taxes. A refutation of that| premise and of the conclusion—written | dn the form of the tax bills—properly | ngs to consideration of H. R. 6285 bi! to eliminate the fixed ratio! final effect to reduce the lump appear to| plan | tax and to in- © made general, to these xes here, funda- prote. in regar now hington's citigens' organizations | Will be prepared to show that as the premise is false, the conclusion that the various tax bills should be enacted is unsupported. In the meantime the Senate District Committee is perform- ing & service of great value to Wash- ington in providing the opportunity, hitherto lacking, for discovery and cor- rection of technical and other weak- nesses in the language of the tax bills themselves, and for hearing the views | of classes or groups of citizens upon Whom would fall most heavily the ad- difional tax burdens proposed. ——————— The principal objection to photog- | araphers at a Communist demonstration | is the pride everybody takes in seeing | his picture in the paper. Communists | are often like bad children. To notice them only encourages them e Prosperity and Diamonds. Old Man Depression has claimed an- i6ther victim. The great diamond in- “Bustry of South Africa has just de- elded to go out of business until pros- perity emerges from around the cor-!enthusiasm of a stamp or rare book | _mer. Llast week witnessed the close -8t Kimberley of the famous De Beers mines. the present century that the diamond magnates have had recourse to stop- page of production—the other occasions being the period of the economic .erisis in the United States in 1908, guring the early days of the World ly based on a premise that the | °* the part of their chiefs to adopt such | an expedient. The habit of long usage in the nine-to-four-thirty schedule was ng to be changed, except in the the two departments named and they adopted the amended sched reluctantly and only for a short time The real problem, however the actual traffic movement which avily concentrates during the 1 \ours preceding and following Depart- mental service, but the storage ( " cars during the working da the matter has been fully discuss a long time, nothing had been provide proper parking space cars of the Government workers ous plans have been advanc be ignored after brief study the hours remain as they aggered in ac schedule that static congestion continue, and in fact over a longer time as selves are changed This is the problem solution, and not espec moving traffic morning The Commissioners those who use portation permit tl ditional street s cars of the Dep: They should devoted to that clear the parking altoge too is no d Vari- to are or are some the will spread th ised, in il be hours them- that requires that of the and afternoon. not in justice to for trans- ental workers. the and eventually of all-day space purpose dow streets At clal there 1t from adium tonic is bootleg liquor he spe- taat well wa ate bootleg medai as - Early American Sculptures. What cigar sto gies th tobacce s become Indians, once lured This question 1 an announcement that a num- ber the been d at the Saritoga estate of the 1 aun- cey Oicott, one-time favorite singer ane actor, who died recently The fact that this odd form of art was not generally known It appears, however, that for years he | had been gathering them in. with the of the old-time - of in 0S¢ W00d: sme answ of 1 have France, he was & collector of collector. Now the matter of their final | disposition remains to be determined. It is the fourth time within| ° Chauncey Olcott was by no m,,m“whrn some o' dese high folks triex to the only accumulator of these figures For a good many years they have been sought as curios and given honorable placement in private galleries and parks Competition for them has been keen, as in the case of old china aud furniture ,War ip 1914 and throughout the post-war crisis beginning in 1921. In each cge the reopening of the mines and pictures. They are cherished chief- 1y because their rarity. Nobody knows how mahy there were once upon ~ | tobacco leaf in token of the commodity - | they were usually drab and faded, as| 1| trim, the street raflways were swamped by | Whether ( as | THE SUNDAY . STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. APRIL 3, 1932—PART TW | a time. There was never a census of the wooden Indians. Time was when practically every tobacco store boasted one. Just why they were abandomed as | trade sign posts is not knewn, One by one they disappeared. Some of them were probably destroyed, before it was | known that they had a commercial ! value as curiosities. Maybe it was the growth of the cigarette as a popular “smoke” that drove them out of style. Perhaps here and there one may still be standing outside of a shop, holding forth a pipe or a bunch of cigars or a 1 | sale within me of these old Indian figures were works of skill and artistry. Some were huge and masterful in form, others were | small and appealing. They were paint- ed, often with brilliant effects of color- | ing. In the latter days of their vogue | for E | | their owners neglected to keep them in The finer figures were often | placed upon pedestals with casters, by means of which they could be rolled | indoors for protection from the weather and from vandals. Once upon a time it was a favorite prank of buys to wheel 20 Indian way from its owner’s shop, | causing him much grief and agitation as he hunted his property. It is re- | lated that several of the iigures in the Juk‘ml collection are so weighted as to Another of the objects of the collec- tor's desire is the “bottle” that once decorated the window of the drug store, a towering assemblage of grace- {fully formed flasks, each filled with | a differently hued liquid, benind which | lights were kept burning to make them ! glow with color and thus proclaim the identity of the establishment for & long | distance. These have now almost dis- | appeared, and many of them are to be found in collections of “ecrly Ameri- cana,” sometimes in close association | with the wooden Indians. —— v Reconstruction finance has provided the B. & O. Road with a loen of §7- 000,000. President Willard's reference to his desperation should those dear to his heart be reduced to want may have | struck & note of sympathy. There can | be no doubt that “Uncle Dan" Willard | loves every rail and tie in his famous old road. ———— i | A motion picture director accused of having evaded taxes amounting to more than $100,000 should not be censured | offhand. He may only be & victim of | the aversion to mathematics which' the | artistic temperament so frequently manifests. ———t—————— | Law-abiding citizens should purchase | automobiles, if only to prevent under- | world characters from appearing to be the only types of citizenry who can be depended on to possess high-power molor Cars. - A racing season may appeal for in- creased consideration from the con- servative citizen by pointing out the amount of money that it keeps in rapid circulation, e Involving him in a motor crash is no way to make a police judge feel more kindly the next time a reckless driving oase comes before him. ————— Hints of flat money only create a fear that what is now only a red ink situa- tion will leave business with the purple color scheme typical of & biack eye. J S —— _SHDOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. “Balance AlL” | “Another style of dance draws near,” | Said Ethelbert McBlooee, “So take your partners with good cheer. Nobody can refuse. We've heard the joyous music play And soon the fiddler we must pa; | His present call | Is ‘Balance All!' | As you're stepping out at the | Budget Ball. | “You need not hold your head so high. But you Must keep moving fast To that good old tune, ‘Sweet By and By Hard times will soon be passed. The fancy pace has had its day, We must move in the plain old-fash- joned way. At the Budget Ball, Both great and small, Salute your partner and Balance Anre Spell-Binding. “Did you convince your audience by your hypnotic oratorical spell?” “I'm a better hypnotist than that,” | answered Senator Sorghum. “I didn't merely convince 'em, I put ‘em to sleep.” s Own W said, “The play's the An Hamlet thing," He was equipped to have his fiing, For he was to become, he knew, The author and the critic, too. When Jud Tunkins says he doesn’t mind payin’ as he goes if he's sure he's gettin’ anywhere | Responsibility. Obedience to him I vow, On him I humbly wait— The driver of the bus is now ! The master of my fate. Effort to Be Cheerful. “My electric meter piles up figures terribly fa. said the householder. | “well” answered the neighbor who tries to be ever-joyous, “electricity is the same as lightning. And what can you | axpect of a lightning calculator?” “The song of flattery,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “needs no music if the words are sweet enough.” | Willing Hands. To meet life’s usual demands 1 willingly employ my hands. In peace I breakfast, dine and sup— Unless some one says, “Stick 'em up!” | “Dere is a heap of things I don't understand,” said Uncle Eben, “an’ The Gateway BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES of Memory E. FREEMAN, D. D, LL, D, Bishop of Washington. Text: “And David longed, and said, Oh, that ome would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.”— 11 Samuel, zzui.15. Memory is one of the divinest gifts given to man. It may be made rich with the stored-up treasures of a life of happy. useful service, strong friend- ships and loyalty to the best ideals, or it may be shadowed by a record of | selfish and sinful indulgences, un- worthy deeds, broken vows, dissipated hopes and an abandoned religious habit. That which enters through the gateway of memory has a determining effect upon the whole course of life. He who said, “I am a part of all that I have met” might also have added. “I am a part of all that T have read and experienced.” Our whole outlook upon life is very largely determined | by what we hold in our memories. If we have been the victims of ungen-| erous mction, if we have been misun- | derstood or our motives impugned, it | leaves a scar upon memory. On the other hand, if we have had ex-| periences thy are refreshing and | mother’s Bible.” is typical and characteristic of most of us. I recall talking with a it manu: facturer some years ago, Who was past 70, and in a reminiscent mood he opened before me a well thumbed and well worn Bible, saylng as he did so: “This book means more to me than any other that I possess for it was my “I try to read it today as my mother read it to me when I was & boy, and somehow its assoclation with er makes it mean more to me than any other Bible.” We could well un- derstand his deep feeling; the book he| held in his hand was rendered more sacred to him because it was associated with the joyous days of his youth. Too few of us safeguard the gateway of memory. We permit it to be invaded by personalities, incidents and impres- sions that are not profitable. I recall that the late John B. Goff once in our hearing, “As a young man I fell in with assoclates whose habits of speech were so unwholesome and un- clean that they have left upon my memory dark stalns that all the years have not effaced.” It is largely within our power to protect our memories against such unwholesome and un- { particularly to the cool and refreshing stimulating, friends that have served | pleasant influences. There are books us in days of shadow as in days of | that we very carelessly read that leave sunshine, if our domestic life has been shadows behind them. They portray blessed with happiness and peace, then | scenes and incidents that affect the the memory of these things serves to| whole current of our thinking. The sweeten and enrich us in our outlooks. late James J. Hill once said to me, "I It is a curfous and interesting fact|never buy a picture that portrays that that, as we grow in years, we have a| which is cruel; there is too much of strong tendency to turn our thoughts| cruelty in real life, and a picture one backward to the days of youth, when|has to live with.” It was a fine and life w plastic, before we had been accurate observation. disappointed or disillusioned, possibly Memory is a mighty factor in con- embittered by untoward ex lences. | serving d‘;e things of our spiritual life. In the incident to which the above| To memorize the at words of Christ, text is related, David was in the midst the beautiful Psalms, the majestic ut- of a mighty conflict. In the hour of terances of the prophets, furnishes a his need his mind turned fondly to source of inspiration throughout lifé the days of his early lie, and more and in hours of depression a means of escap: from the dull, prosaic things of waters of the well of Bethlehem, which | a monotonous existence. To feel that stood by the gate. There were other in ths midst of life's difficulties and waters that might have been brought|trials we can call upon memory, as to his lips, but they could not satisfy | David called upon the well by the gate. as the waters with which he had been | means to command resources that are familiar in his youth. His yearning refreshing, helpful and stimulating. Hoover, Roosevelt, Garner Have All Been Aided Politically by Events of Past Week BY GEORGE VAN SLYKE. 1 NEW YORK. April 2—March has made its exit with a great political roar resounding through the Nation o an accompaniment of partisan discord and the low growling of the Tami Tiger. The tense activity of the clos- ing days of the month in the National Capital and through the States brings the pre-convention presidential cam- paign to the critical stage expected to be reached in April's numerous con- tests. Partisan gain and loss accrue from the great balancing act put on in the tussle with the budget in the House of Representatives, Republicans see the Democrats losing caste by their revolt; the Democrats believe they have re- trieved their losses. President Hoover's stand against the soldier bonus at the crucial moment in the tax fight in Con- gress is believed to have strengthened his position by his assertion of leader- ship, for which the country now craves. * x It is too early to appraise fully the political results of this tempestuous and spectacular tax upheaval in_Congress. The thing isn't done yet. The Demo- crats have had their troubles with their slim majority in the House. Now the Republicans in the Senate have their turn. There has developed in the House a new insurgency on the Demo- cratic side similar to the Republican insurgency of long standing in the Sen- ate. That may mean further trouble in the future. It is recognized that the struggle in Congress over finances is providing a big campaign issue more important to the parties than its effect on_the Democratic candidacies. Speaker Garner diq mske a brave effort to rally his scattered forces and assert real leadership. He succeeded in restoring order, but Whether he made headway in reviving his own presiden- tial boom, badly deflated by the House debacle, is argued pro and con in all political circles. He has lost much and gained back a part, In the common | opinion. * ok ok % Attention was diverted from Congress for a day by the appearance of John F. Curry, Tammany boss, in the Washing- ton arena with a veiled threat to hold off New York's support from Gov Franklin D. Roosevelt pending further developments. He evidently chose the | Capital City for the scene of his state- ment to give notice to the democracy of the Nation that New York is not yet bound to its Governor, who cleaned up everything in sight in the March pri- maries, That statement also sent a thrill through the New York Democracy and at once aroused wide discussion in the | big Eastern States as to whether Roose- velt can be nominated over the opposi- tion of Tammany. His friends believe be can. His enthusiastic backers of the West and South, as well as many in the East, are urging that he would be stronger if he were to defy Tammany. They like to recall that Grover Cleve- land won after defying Tammany. R | | { And in New York there is a debate of large dimensions on the question of Tammany's ability to throw all of New | New York's 94 delegates against ROWE—‘ velt. In a showdown his backers claim they can control from 30 to 40 dele- gates. The delegation is elected in a | primary next Tuesday and can not be voted as & unit, as Mr. Curry intimated in his Washington interview might be done. i Gov. Roosevelt may be in a position | in 1932 of profiting by the victory he won in 1920 over Tammany in the| National Convention in San Francisco. Charles F. Murphy was boss of New York and gave the State’s vote to Alfred E. Smith. Roosevelt seconded Smith’s nomination and stuck with Murphy for nearly a score of ballots. Then the break came and Murphy wanted to deliver the State to James M. Cox. Roosevelt and George R. Lunn, now New York public service commis- sioner, led an insurgent revolt against Murphy. Senater Joseph T. Robinson was chairman of the convention and insisted the young insurgents be heard. Lunn and Roosevelt contended that where delegates are elected in a State- wide primary they can not be voted against their will as a unit. The con- vention upheld Roosevelt. New York gave 70 votes to Cox and 20 to McAdoo. ‘That same ruling has held ever sigce in two National Conventions 9nd through many tests. It still is the Democratic rule. Tammany may con- trol a majority of the State's delegates, but Roosevelt can get some delegates | from the upstate distriets. * ok x x Offsetting Curry’s statement, Gov. Roosevelt in caustic terms turned down the plea made by two New York clergymen for the removal of Tam- many-allled officlals in Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs and in 50 doing ap- peared to stand by the organization while denouncing roundly ail political graft and corruption. Just what effect that attitude will have on his candi- dacy is yet to be determined. On the Democratic side, Roosevelt continues to hold the center of the. stage. All activities revolve around him. Unquestionably he made big gains in March. He made a clean sweep in the several primary tests and goes ‘splain 'em I feels like I was in good | company.” .- Marksman Wanted. | Prom the Columbua Ohlo State Journal.” l German authorities hope to catch and make an example of that marks- man who shot at Adolph VEH\GI and missed, into the April series with 149 pledged delegates. In the closing days of March Roose- velt scored in Iowa and Maine, getting instructed delegations from both States. The hl{mt boost to the New York candidate, however, came in Wuhug- ton this week when Senator Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky, and Senator Robinson of ArSansas, withdrew as favorite son candidates. Senator Bark- ley declared openly for Roosevelt Senator Robinson left his State free but the sentiment is reported strongly for Roosevelt *x o ¥ The favorite son movement is mak- ing no headway. None of the several candidates so- classed has developed strength outside his own State, ex- cepting Al Smith and Garner. Giving Smith all of New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, he would have 206 votes. That is not regarded among the possibilities. Winning in California, Garner would have that Btate's 44 and | Texas' 46. The Roosevelt men concede 8mith fewer than 100 delegates. Whatever may be their other wor- ries, the Republican leaders are not concerned about their convention. The lists of delegates being presented in the State conventions and Rrimaries show a preponderance of Federal office holders. New York's list shows that more than a third of the 97 are on public pay rolls. (Copyright, r——— Federal Commission Reports on Trade Prices BY HARDEN COLFAX. Why does a citizen of Southern New Mexico, for instance, who is bullding a house, have to pay more for the structural materials made in Pitts- burgh—if steel—or in Michigan—if cement—than a fellow citizen a thou- sand miles farther away, purchasing the same materials? Transportation, you say? Not always. Price eutting? Not_always. The fact is that there is very little, if any, uniformity about prices in this country. Fifty per cent of a sample group of manufacturers have just in- formed the PFederal Trade Commission that they have one way of fixing prices. Eighteen per cent have another and 38 per cent have more than one, e first report of the Federal Trade Commission on its investigation of price bases—soon to be submitted to Congress—while apparently technical in character, is lly of concern to every small and large distributor and merchant throughout the country who sells manufactured goods in a place at any distance from the point of manu- facture. By the same token, it is of concern to every consumer. The rec- ommendations, if carried out into a policy, or into legislation, may have pn important influence in restricting price cutting and very considerably lml- ing the cost of consumer goods. ® e The commission, in its preliminary report into the “methods of basing prices with respect to location,” advises Congress that the investigation has been conducted for the use of the leg- islative body in considering the pron- lem of the “economical distribution of commodities.” This problem is uni- versally recegniged as one of the most pressing before the business world to- day—important to both producer and cox;;umerh lu‘.‘l’e.m' low shoul manufacturer his sales price? Should he first Tfls: to his factory price the cost of trans- portation to the point of sale? Should he divide his market into zones? Should he establish one or more bas- ing-points at & distance from his point of production and then add freight charges to point of delivery? ‘This may seem like a very technical matter indeed. However, as treated in the investigation, in which the cement industry was taken as a general ex- ample of basing-point method, it has complications which may result in leg- islation or regulation, with very con- siderable influence on prices and com- petitive conditions. * ¥ 1932) * More than 3,500 firms in practically all industries were included In the Trade Commission’s survey. Of ‘he various systems and theories mentioned on which “delivered prices” are based, the commission finds that some dis- tributors set their price for the entire country with no reference whatever to difference in transportation costs. Others have arranged a “delimitation of market having respect to transpor- tation expenses.” * o ox The cement industry was a con- venient one upon which to begin the study. Cement is a bulky commodity and its use has no particular geo- graphical limitations. ~Moreover, the brands are practically in the same quality class, the distributing services are highly standardized and the slight- est changes in prices very seriously affect the whole price structure. (Copyrisht, 1832.) e o Force Needed. ‘om the Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator. “Doubling Up in Pullmans Permis- sible"—headline. This is interesting. Here all the time we've been nursing the belief it was compulsory. e Hold Wake Over War. Prom the Detrolt News. ‘These are long dre: days for the Shangh correspondents, who must sit up with the war to see that it is really dead. st Railsplitters Hairsplitters, From the Butte Montana Standard. The difference between Lincoln and our modern statesmen probably is the difference bet: splitting rails and splitting hairs. Capital Sidelights | _BY WILL P. KENNEDY, i ‘Who s¥e the champion long-distance orators in Congress? H Citation of _several recent lon speeches printed in the Congressional! Record, apropos of a suggestion that it | would help toward balancing the budget nd getting the Government on an economy "basis to have such long speeches, which cost $58 a page, barred from the Record, has brought to the | writer many requests for information as to who makes these long talks—or “extension of remarks.” ‘The financial section of the Govern- ment Printing Office has prepared the following list to answer those inquiries, after a careful survey of the Record for | recent months: Senator La Follette, Wisconsin, 193 | pages, on February 2 Senator Oddie, Nevada, 57 pages, on March 15. Senator Costigan, Colorado, 11 pages, on January 13 and 46 pages on Feb- ruary 5. Representative Frear, Wisconsin, 45 pages In two speeches on the same sub- ject, March 11 and 17. Representative Patman, Texas, 11 es on December 16 and 18 pages on -figrulry 18. Representative Kelly, Tllinois, 16 pages | on_February 2. = Senator Harrison, Mississippi, 15 pages, January 6. Senator Johnson, Califronia, 12 pages, March 10. Senator Schall, Minnesota, 11 pages | on January 2'1.‘ e One lone member of Congress started a single-handed fight against noise in humble way and has started a buzz that promises to be heard around the world. Let us introduce Representative Guy V. Hardy of Canyon City, Colo., a news- paper publisher from the “great open spaces,” fond of communing with na- ture in the sanctuary of the wilderness and the penetralia of mountain peaks. listening to the whispering winds and the explosions of bursting blooms. Representative Hardy has made a special study of how the Government works and in a series of “‘papers” pre- pared primarily for the school children of his district has explained the oper- ations of various important units of Government, He is & member of the master House Committee on Appropriations, and while appropriations for furnishing the new House Office Building were under consideration, in the legislative appro- priation bill, about to be reported to the House, saw an opportunity to work off one of his theorles to which he had given much thought. ‘There are upward of 550 telephones to be installed in this new building. Himself a quiet man, with wonderful composure and nerve control, all the time he has been in Congress Mr. Hardy has been disturbed by telephone ells with their raucous summons, He has never been able to convince him- self that when a man is working thoughtfully at his desk it is really necessary to have a telephone bell un- der his desk startle him with its sud- den loud clamor. Sitting in his one small office in the old Office Building, he has observed that whenever any one calls any of his neighbors on either side of the reverberating and echoing mar- ble corridor, to the right of him or to the left of him, he hears their tele- hare bells {-nnllnn out of tune and sh, as well as being forced to listen to the sharper sound of his own tele- phone, Bo Mr. Hardy asked if something couldn't be done to have the telephone bells of a quieter tone, more of a whirr or buze, to get the sharp metallic tone out of them, which he thought would be a great improvement in the new House Office Building and help along the campaign of House Physician Cal- ver with the co-operation of House Leader Rainey to find ways of relieving the nerve strain on members. The Chesapeake & Potomac Tele- phone Co. has become greatly inters ested in the matter. It has its en- gineers making a study and is ex- tremely hopeful that some worthwhile relief may be worked out—not only to | spare the eardrums and jangling nerves of distraught Congressmen, but to be used on the hundreds of millions of tele- phones in all the office buildings and hospitals and homes throughout the country. That's what was meant when we said that Représentative Hardy in his re- bellion against bells has started a buzz that is likely to go around the world. ¢ * x % * Sometimes a new member of Congress on his first day has a bit of luck which follows him helpfully through his career, For illustration, there's Representative Willlam J. Granfield, Democrat, of Massachusetts. When he first made his appearance at the Capitol he was in- troduced to and most enthusiastically greeted by Representative “Jack” Gar- ner, then minority leader. They had a conference and were photographed to- ether. That was just one of Gran- §d's lucky breaks—and he has had & succession of them. As it turns out, the election of Gran- field, the first Democrat from a former- 1y hidebound Republican district that had sent former Senator and Speaker Gillett to Congress for more than 30 years, was the start in the Democratic | trend which landed Garner in the Speaker’'s chair. Mr. Garner put the picture of Granfield and himself on the mantel in his office and said he'd keep it there as long as Granfield stayed in Congress. During the last election, when propaganda was broadcast that Granfield was likely to be defeated for re-election, Garner got on the wire from his home in Texas to Massachu- setts and sought first-hand informa- tion and offered any help he could give. “I want to keep that picture on my mantel,” Garner told Granfield to hearten Wim in the campaign. And when Granfield got the election returml' which showed he had won by some 9,200 | votes, the first thing he did was to wire to Garner: “Keep that photo where it 1s.” The other day when Speaker Garner was presented with the biggest gavel ever carried into the Capitol, which re- quired eight men to carry it, a picture was taken of it at Garner’s desk. It was published in papers throughout the country. Ever since Granfield has been receivin ch?plnan of that newspaper illustration from his constituents at home and from old college friends far afleld. They are being sent to Granfield because his picture with Garner, on the mantel, can be identified in the back- ground of the picture of the giant gavel, Motorist Champions Canal Road Lighting To the Editor of The Star: Referring to Mr. Woodward's letter in the April 1 issue of The Star anent the waste of money in unnecessary lighting in East Potomac Park and on the Canal road, I certainly agree with Mr. Woodward as to the lights in East Potomac Park in Winter after dark, but the lighting on Chain Bridge at Canal road is an entirely different mat- ter, as Mr. Woodward would know if he had to make many night trips on Canal road after dark in the Summer DIAMOND VALUES IN JEOPARDY ST H BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘The value of every diamond in the“lnd controlled operation comes to an world Is In imminent danger of being | end, the last straw will have been laid impaired. Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, on. It seems somewhat paradoxical to chairman of the De Beers Consolidated | state that the closing of the Kimberley Mines, the great Kimberley diamond | mines will break the market rather mines of South Africa, has served no- | strengthen it, but nevertheless that is tice that unless the government of the | declared to be the case, because with Unfon of South Africa takes steps to |the closing of the Kimberley mines will stabilize and protect the market, the |come a practical end of diamond deep mines controlled by the De Beers control. Syndicate will close this Spring. From the discovery of the South The significance of this is said by | African diamond mines, the production diamond authorities to be the appear- and distribution of diamonds have ance in world markets of an uncon- | proved a difficult problem. In the very trolled supply of inferior stones from | nature of things, the use of large num- the alluvial deposits. Antwerp and the | bers of workers in tne production of merchants of Hatton Gardens, the great | things of such relatively tiny size and London diamond market, have on hand | relatively great value as diamonds has several years' normal supply of stones. | presented serious problems in organi- Appearance of the inferior stones in | zation. uncontrolled supply, coupled with the | The big mines have worked out an oversupply of stones on hand, will, it | elaborate system. The diamond deposit, is said, depress the world market. | or diamond pipe, as it is called. never .For the diamond merchants of the |has but one mine entrance. This is world o sell new stones at a price [surrounded by what is called a com- under the normal market has the effect | pound. It is a large inclosure of struc- of depfessing by just that much the | tures necessary in mining operations value of every stone in the world, no |and of workers' Kouses. The compound matter who owns it. The level of is partially fortified and is strung with diamond values is universal and gravi- charged electric wires somewhat like & tates to a uniform standard. the barbed-wire entanglements used In Output Restricted. | wartime. There are armed guards con- ‘The De Beers Syndicate, which is con- trolled largely by British capital, has long ad an arrangement with the govern- ment of the Union of South Africa Whereby only a certain number of stones is released to world markets in any one period. This has stabilized the price. But ever since the World War the de- mand for diamonds has been declining. This decline has been accelerated in the last two years of acute depression. American buyers have been practically out of the market. Another element in the situation is that many wealthy per- sons whose securities have stopped paying dividends temporarily ave placed their jewels, including many dismonds. with jewelers, under commis- sion to sell them. It is true that some le, having the hoarding instinct and being fearful of the continuing value of their stocks and bonds and other investments, have turned to diamonds as rej ting an investment not likely to decline. This has meant, therefore, that diamond trading has been largely in old rather than new diamonds. The jewelers who have been commissioned to sell stones for their owners are turning them over to the hoarders becatse many repre- sent great bargains. The inevitable re- zult of such a situation is the stoppage of the demand for fresh stones. Unusual Situation Obtains. Even though the new output be held down in accordance with the De Beers Syndicate arrangement, there has been an insufficient fresh demand to absorb the production. ~Many banks are loaded up with dlamonds, having made loans to the operators against the se- curity of their stock. In stressful times banks frequently find It necessary to call loans. There is always the danger that a good many banks may unload their diamonds to put themselves in funds, the borrowers being unable to pay their loans because of inability make diamond sales in sufficient volume. It will be seen that there are several adverse elements all bearing down on the diamond. If, on top of this situa- tion, the Kimberly mines close down to | exhausted. stantly on duty and, in addition, espe- cially for night duty, a compound will | be patrolled by a pack of from 50 to 100 I ed German pol . _Then, from points outside the compound, flood lights play on the surrounding wall throughout every hour of darkness. Terms of Employment. ‘The workers seeking employment in the mines must sign for at least six ‘monlhx' labor. Longer periods may be signed for. Once employed, the | worker enters the compound to stay for | his term of service. He is a prisoner, but good wag?s are paid and the work- ers, 'k natives, have come to accept the syste | “Regular hours are worked. the men | descending into the mine through the single entrance and emerging at the |end of their trick. They have space 1 for the growing of flowers, roses being | favorite culture. For amusement the natives organize tribal dances. They have their native music and other pas- times. All outgoing letters are subject to the closest scrutiny by the authorities in charge. A special currency is used for spending at the company stores Sutside Bor s Gutside money permitted ou nor is ou money as a medium inside. When & worker's term is ended, he is X-rayed before be- ing permitted to leave to make sure he | has not swallowed a few thousand dol- lars in stones. The deep Kimberley mines remain | the chief source of valuable stones, In 11926 a surface scattering of alluvial diamonds was found at Elandsputte, | about 15 miles north of the famous Lichtenburg Diggings. The strike was |out on the veldt and there was a | rush to stake claims comparable ‘to |the gold and land rushes of early America. In 1027 an even greater | strike was made at Grasfontein. More | than 50,000 whites and 100,000 natives | participated in these it rushes. The | deposits were rr.'lt.u" thin 1&1.% prospec picking the eyes out of that s, the i | what they call Then they began panning the with water, working down deposit. Fifty Years Ago) In The Star Edison's ir.vention of the incandes- cent electric light had to win its way Electric Light 2:»:’1“.!’ fn‘er:ppoll'i? and Eyesight. tion of older forms of 1llumination. Arguments relative to the advantages of electricity were advanced, as the fol- following in The Star of March 29, 1882: ‘A forcible argument in favor of the electric light is incidentally furnished by the result of some investigations re- cently made by an eminent English pro- fessor into causes of the frequency of nearsightedness among students. His examination satisfied him that it is not the light so much as the heat that is mainly concerned in developing the rejudicial effects. Heat is radiated rom the flame of the lamp or chimney, and is reflected from the shade and the surface of the paper. It imme- diately alters the hygrometric condi- tion of the surrounding air and dries the forehead, temples and eyes. view seems to be confirmed by the fact that temporary relief from headache and pains in the eyes may be found in bathing the affected organs with fresh water. Ordinary gas burners and oil lamps give out considerable heat by the | energetic consumption of the hydro-| carbons, and hence their injurious ef- | fects. In this respect the electric light is not open to the same objection, for | although the light may be intense as| desirable, still there is but very little | heat produced. The grnt drawback to the general use of the latter in work requiring artificial light is its disagree- able flickering, which is still a very seri- ous objection and one which, in a large degree. offsets the advantages of light without heat. When this is over- come and a perfect means devised for | dividing the light, as in the case of gas or candles, the invention may be re-| garded as complete. After that it would seem to be only & question of | cheapness to insure its success.” | * While the -incandescent lamp was be- | ing perfected the earlier form of carbon | e lamp for outdoor Competitive illumination was be- Illuminants. ing adopted, but| still there was keen | competition. The Star of March 31,/ 1882, thus notes this rivalry: “New York enjoys the advantage of | competition not alone between gas and the electric light, but also of active competition between rival companies manufacturing the same illuminating When proposals for thflnl\“n offered to perform the annual service | for $17.50 per lamp, while others asked | from $19.50 to $32. Proposals were also | received from two electric light com-| panies, one of which offered to light a | certain number of lamps at 75 cents | per night, while the other proposed to | do the same for 70 cents. When the | above figures are considered ‘n tom- rlflmfl with those paid in Washington or the same service, it raust re- membered that the street lamps in New York are lighted every night in the year, from dark to daylight, and | not, as here, suffered to remain in total | darkness on those nights when the | moon is supposed to shine whether i actually does shine or not.” * | ? * * “A significant u}an of the times" says The Star of March 31, “is time. One side of Canal road all the way and on both sides part of the way is lined with trees, and efficient lighting is rather difficult. Additional lights were recently added along Chain Bridge at Canal road in order to make night driving more safe along that main and much-traveled artery into the Capital City. Under. the old light- ing the police held the speed on Canal road down to 22 miles per hour, but since the improved lighting the police have allowed 30 miles per hour. There have been many less accidents on Canal road since the improved lighting has be%"mmmgm' L‘h\gn attest] an cy of presen ts 7 ARTHUR SHALL%OD, Prom the Dayton Daily News. ‘Wood-burning autos are being oper- ated in Germany, but over here the motorists are continuing fo burn up the roads. ing the value t v in Ohicans Migrating hat | fia apparently | systematic) movement has been/set on foot to in- duce emigration f Ohio to the Tide- water portions of J Virginia. Settlers | from the present Kfother of Presidents have al bought farms in the old t formerly bore that the and | w, ing to persuade their who are thinking of tion to follow their The fnducements they hold e climate of Eastern | the markets | more accessible than he Far West. These are important points, and if th? can be conclusively established it will | Changing the tide of ravel ‘How sets cl : tide vel now set- | fing toward the Far West in favor of | seaboard ns.” | Balanced British Budget | Brings Taxation Worries BY A. G. GARDINER. LONDON, April 2 —Anxiety over Neville Chamberlain’s new budget al- ready has begun to displace the elation | created this week in Great Britain by | the achievement of balancing the fiscal | 1931-32 budget, with a surplus of more | than $40,000,000, this figure including | the saving effected in the dollar ex- | change account. ‘When the crisis came last September | it was estimated that the fiscal year | would show & deficit of $400,000,00 and, with the fall of the Labor %overnment and the formation of the National gov- ernment, an emergency budget was in- troduced in Parliament by Sir Philip | Snowden in order to save the credit af | the country. Drastic new taxation was | imposed, including ‘increases in the in- come tax and surtax, which together exacted a levy in éxcess of 50 per cent of the total taxable’ income. * 4 b % ‘The response of Lhn!uhuc to the whip was extraordinary and the promptitude of the payment of taxés unprecedented. The taxes realized nearly $100,000,000 in excess of the original estimate. Coupled with sevi cuts in expendi- tures, which included a 10 per cent re- duction in the salaries of public serv- | ants of all grades and a reduced scale of insurance benefits, Chamberlain, the successor to Snowden as chancellor of the exchequer, has been able to apply over $150,000,000 to debt redemption and still show & surplus, The main factor in balapcing the 1931-32 budget, apart from economies | and the surprisingly high yield of the | income tax, was Britain's departure | from the gold standard, which in giving |a flip to trade reds the unemploy- | ment figure well below the 3,000,000 es- | timated in the emergency budget. The | cost of unemployment insurance to the state therefore was substantially below the anticipation. ok koK However, satisfaction at the magni- tude of the accomplishment is now qualified by anxiety over the 1932-33 budget. The assumption that on the present showing, together with the new tariff now in operation, Chamberlain will have a handsome surplus at his disposal, encou clamors from all quarters for relief. Especially insistent are demands for relief from the present :psr:ssh'e &m?f" of the income tax ind for restoration of the cuts unem hy‘;\d insurance benefits. i e impression prevails in inf circles that Chamberiain will ek (o enhance the surplus by increasing the duties on tea and sugar, but even so it is doubtful whether he will dare to concede large tax remissions or increase The tax will be levied on incomes universally lower and on trad- ing results which show a catastrophic slump. Moreover, in the year just closed the treasury collected a year and a quarter’s revenue on the income tex, 22 expedient which cannot be repeated. % % % A further disquieting fact is that the death duties, which afe now levied ‘\’a‘p to half the value on great estates, have to show evidence of exhaustion The millionaire class 15 rapidly being extinguished under the operation of tase dutles, and it is calculated that in less than twenty years they will have ceased to exist. Already a large proportion of the great country houses are closed ot converted into public schools, clul houses or institutions, and in don the great town houses of the aristoora are disappearing. Park Lane, whiel once was a street of private palaces, nu; is becoming a stree: of hotels and This vast transfer of wealth by taxa« ton from the very rich to the general body of the public has enormously en- hanced the standard of life for the poor, but its limits are now reached and a decline has set it, with the result that revenues must be sought in another di- rection. The new 10 per cent tariff is one expedient, but this will not go far. alter Runciman, president of the Board of Trade, originally calculated that it would produce 150,000,000 in revenue, but with the exemption of food and meat imports from the dominions | it s not expected now to realize more ta tion on consumption, which in raising prices will lower the stantard of living. The rich have pald their ransom fo the uttermost and now budgets must be balanced from the other end of the scale. This is the which con- @i tronts Chancellor tcday. Copyrisht, 1993,