Evening Star Newspaper, February 8, 1935, Page 10

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A—10 es | inclusion of a civil service amend- With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY......February 8, 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES. . .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: Rate by Carrier Within the City. Rergular Edi The Everineg Star The Evening and Sunday (when undays) . The Evening and Sunday & when 5 Sundays The Suvaday Star . - Night Final Edition. Nieht Pinal and Sunday Star 70c per month Night Pinal Star 55¢ per month Collection made at the end of each | month, Orders ma; sent by matl or | telephone National Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. ar 60c per month iar 65¢ per month | 5c ver 0py | # be 00 ment in the work-relief bill will be made “if Congress sees fit to accept the amendment.” The fate of the O'Mahoney bill and of the Logan bill is similarly conditioned. In setting up the emergency agencies Congress has not “seen fit” to apply the merit system and has on more than one occasion decisively voted down the merit system in favor of the spoils system. Patronage demands have seldom been as flerce as during the period of the depression, and efter twelve years of Republican rule the attitude of Congress has been easily explained and in some quarters even regarded as defensible. | Less easy to explain has been the | passive acceptance by the taxpayers of moves in the direction of a return to the spoils system. The merit system Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. .1 yr.. $10.00: 1 mo. Daily only ... ..1yr. $6.00:1 mo. Sundav only 1yr. $400: 1 mo. All Other States and Canada. Deily and Sunday 1 y1.. $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 Daily only. . 1yrl §8.00:1mo. 7 Sunday only... 1¥r. $500:1mo. 60c | Member of the Associated Press. | Tne Associated Press s exclusively en- | titled to the use for republication of all‘: he 8¢ | Bac | . 40¢ | local news published herein Al Dublication of special dispatcl are also reverved 1 right H hes herein The Prevailing Wage. When the Senate Appropriations | Committee yesterday voted into the President’s work relief bill the Mc- | Carran amendment providing for the | payment of the “prevailing wage” to | men and women employed on work | relief projects it turned the spot-| light squarely on the difficulties which | face a program of “made work” de- | signed to give relief. Made work, after all, is a form of charity. It is some- thing that the President does not wish to have continued a moment beyond | the time when private industry can re-employ the now unemployed. And | it is for the dual purpose of providing | & driving force to send men back to private emplovment as soon as jobs | offer and to spread the butter of Gov- ernment work relief as far as possible that the President has been against the payment of the prevailing wage | scale—the scale that is paid for slm-" ijlar work in private industry and on | private jobs Both are excellent rea- | sons. But there is another side to ! the question. When the Government undertakes to set up scales of wages below those | paid for similar work in private in- | dustry the effect inevitably is to| bring down the wage scale in private | employment. It had such an effect when the Government slashed wages | of all Government employes fifteen | Per cent in 1933. At that time, al- | though wages in private smploymeml had been reduced, there was a further | reduction, following the example set by the Government. It is not sur- prising, therefore, that organized labor and workers generally look with dis- | favor on the proposal that those em- ployed on huge work relief projects should be paid around $50 a month. Administration leaders insist that to compel the payment of the pre- vailing wage scale would be to wreck the work relief program; that there | would be no possibility of putting | 3.500.000 unemployed to work for a year or even a part of a year with an | appropriation of $4.000.000,000. Fur- | thermore, the President is demanding that Government work should not interfere with the return of workers to private employment. At the same time the President says that the curse of the dole must be taken off Amer-, icans, lest it break down the morale of | | to be accomplished through the added | is maintained for their protection, and if it is weakened by the attacks of | spoilsmen the taxpayers foot the bill. | It would seem that if the President is! desirous of extending the merit system | to the employes who must administer | the gigantic expenditures of the money | to be made uvailable through the work-relief bill, an appeal from him to Congress on the basis of the savings efficiency and other safeguards of the merit system would be effective. Surely it is not too much to ask of Congress that the men and women to be em-| ployed in the expenditure of nearly five billion dollars be chosen on the basis of merit, instead of crass political favoritism. v Handwriting on the Wall. Another British parliamentary by- election has gone against the Con- | servative-dominated “National” gov- | ernment, headed by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, and once again | a House of Commons seat long se- curely in Tory possession passes into the hands of the Labor party. The | result of this week's contest in Waver- tree marks the fifteenth successive | Labor victory over the Conservatives in forty-nine by-elections since the present “National” government took | office in 1931. It rekindles in high degree opposition hopes that in the general election, scheduled to take place some time in 1935, Tory power can be broken and the government recaptured either by Labor or by the Socialists in coalition with the Lloyd- George Liberals, who have just taken to the warpath with their new deal program. Special circumstances led to the latest Conservative upset at the polls, and in them that incorrigibly stormy petrel of British politics, Winston Churchill, who has won many party colors in his time, was the avenging force. Mr. Churchill is in bitter con- flict with the Conservative leader, Stanley Baldwin, on the issue of home rule for India. Churchill has been thwarted in every attempt to obstruct the Indian program. Thereupon, in unabashed revenge, “Winston” de- cided to have his son Randolph, a chip of the old block. contest Waver- { tree as an “independent Conservative” against the regular government Con- servative candidate. Young Churchill was not elected, but he amassed 10,- 000-odd votes, which so heavily cut into the normal Tory vote that the Labor candidate won by a substantial plurality. It was a striking and om- | inous triumpk for Churchill's die- | hard Tories. The MacDonald government threw its best speakers into the Wavertree campaign. It relied, in addition, upon the cabinet's current moves for Euro- the people. Men who get something | = e e s for nothing. who get money without | PCAR Peace and upo labor of either hand or brain, in the end have no desire to give anythmg| in the way of work. | The prevailing wage scale may be applied to work relief projects and at| the same time the President may | enploy the same number of persons he set out to employ without increas- | ing the $4.000,000,000 appropriation, | through the expedient of cutting down the hours of work for each individual on these projects. For example, n- | stead of working forty hours a week, | and being paid $12.50 for it, a man may work twenty hours a week at a prevailing hourly wage scale and re- reive a similar amount. In this way the urge for return to private and full time employment may be retained and | the work relief funds may be spread over a wide field. It is true that the employed time of the men and women on work relief would be greatly re- duced. Nevertheless, they would be working for what they received in the way of money. | The Government, if the plan oli paving $50 a month to employes on | in unemployment relief, but the Churchill intervention dashed Tory hopes. The Conservatives now face the danger that “Winston’s” faction will be able to force them into com- promises in every by-election between now and the general election. Wa- vertree thus may turn out to be hand- | writing on the wall that bodes no| good for the Baldwin-MacDonald regime, even though it is sustained | for the moment by overwhelming par- | liamentary strength. With foes like Lloyd George, Win- ston Churchill and Viscount Snowden and the militant Labor party barking at their heels, and with e rising tide of social discontent over unemploy- ment, the forces now in control in Downing street are confronted by distress, if not disaster. ——— The administration is expected to | continue the N. R. A. for a year or two without fear that antagonists will forget about cats and begin to throw live elephants. —————— Being a Father. Being a father is glorivus funm. work relief is carried into effect, also would be in the position itself of paving vastly different scales of wages | Those who never have had the ex- for similar work. It would be not|perience may not be impressed with only ridiculous, but unfair and tragic, | its possibilities, but the point need if the Government should limit one group of workers to $50 a month on a public works project, and next door to them pay much higher wages on a Government project that did not come in that category. R A judge may sometimes seem un- sympathetic in assuming that the way to prevent possible criminals is to catch them young. Will Congress “See Fit”? There are encquraging signs that the administration is preparing to practice what it has not too vigorously preached on the subject of merit system extension in the Federal serv- ice. The O'Mahorey bill to put post- masters under the classified civll service, the Logan bill to extend the merit system to the many thousands of New Deal positions filled without regard to civil service and, as im- portant as any of them, the Presi- dent’s proposed amendment to the work-relief bill which would utilize existing registers of the Civil Service Commission to fill positions created under this measure constitute welcome evidence of 2 move in the right direc- tion. As the President has informed H Eliot Kaplan, execul.ive‘ucrewy of 3 | brims with the tributes which fathers not be argued with those more for- tunate men who know its significance from personal acquaintance with its values, Literature, a briet survey shows, have paid to their infant sons and daughters, manifestations of their un- selfish devotion to the little lives they have brought into being. John Dry- den, for example, understood the psy- chological relation perfectly and proved his comprehension of it when he wrote: His cares were eased with intervals of bliss; His little children, climbing for a kiss, Welcome their father's late return at night. And Lord Byron exuberantly bore witness to the same appreciation in the lines: Look! How he laughs and stretches out his arms, And opens wide his blue eyes upon thine, m‘hsunhumer: while his little orm Flutters as wing'd with joy. Talk not of The childless cherubs well might envy thee The pleasures of a parent! Robert Southey, no less Inspired, echoed the sentiment in the expres- sion: Call not that man wretched who, b THE EVENING whatever ills he suffers, has a child to love. Charles Lamb, iord Tennyson, Long- fellow and Lowell, all employed their genius to the same purpose; and Charles Dickens, “the Children’s Apostle,” summed up the central STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. The bus lurched to a sudden stop doctrine of his faith in the stanza:l o\ ine glippery street. They are idols of hearts and of house- holds; They are angels of God in disguise; His sunlight still sleeps in thelr tresses; His glory still gleams in their eyes Oh, those truants from home and from heaven, They have made me more manly and mild, And I know now how Jesus could liken The kingdom of God to a child. Less gifted individua's have felt the same emotions, struggled more or less| vainly to render them articulate. The fact is that father love is one of the things which makes the world goj ‘round. And the rewards are com- mensurate—smiles, the touch of tiny hands. mere glances of recognition. ‘The average father asks no more. He 15 content with a certain curious glow 1y which he feels in his heart. Times may be out of joint, the business of surviving may be strenuous, but when the day is done he is free to enjoy his privilege of fatherhood, and that is a correction for all his troubles. The bystanding philosopher records a judg- ment to the effect that, next to being a mother, there is no greater victory in human annals than that of being a father. r—or—e Business recovery is unmistakable and confidence is fully warranted if business doctors can be kept from disagreeing. Hitler's financial theories are un- questionably bold when he proceeds to throw some of the most competent and conscientious taxpayers out of the country. et Rugged individualism cannot be re- garded as neglected when so much of current reading matter consists of an exploitation of the first person singular. v When it comes to discussion of debt payment European musical art joins in the simple refrain of “No, a Thou- sand Times, No!” e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Perpetual Query. You read your novel day by day| With interest eager. though per- plexed, And as the news arrives you say: “I wonder what will happen next.” Each story we have heard of yore, While history prepared the text. And still we say just as before: “I wonder what will happen next.” | And even metaphysics deep By this same question leaves us vexed. When life “is rounded by a sleep” We wonder what will happen next. A Stand Not Understool. “What do your constituents think of the stand you are making?"” “I don't know,” answered Senator Sorghum “Every time I think I have made a stand some of 'em get to- gether and threaten me with notice that it's my move.” Wonderland. From Wonderland Sweet Alice came. Reincarnation did the trick. Those quaint old friends seem rather tame With new ones in a crowd so thick. As Radio City takes command, With marvels great that thrill us through, This world's a greater wonderland Than any Alice ever knew. Proud Prospect. do for a career? “He's going to rise high and go far,” answered Farmer Cornstossel. “He's going to be an aviator.” “You call this the New World.” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “yet you fight for wealth and power just | as my ancestors did in the old one.” Law. To law a loyal public clings, With common sense maintained anew. It stands supreme in spite of things Some lawyers try to make it do. “When we feels lucky,” said Uncle Eben, “is when we's most liable to take de wrong kind of a chance.” Sees No Danger in Poll on Military Duty To the Editor of The Star: The writer of “Polling Young | America on Military Attitudes,” which appeared in The Star’s letter column on Pebruary 29, seems acutely per- turbed over the likelihood that the Literary Digest poll indicating a lack of militaristic etiquette in American college students will be ‘“watched closely by foreign powers.” What a scathing pity that a portion of Ameri- can youth has the moral intelligence to say that it resents compulsory in- struction in the gentle art of man- slaughter! Mind you, I am holding no brief for the sudden dissolution of the Army. I am merely repeating the very obvious truth that a steady expansion of enforced military train- ing and the intellectual effort to out- grow barbarism, to become more civil- ized, are two elements that will curdle in any society. I marvel that Mr. Sewald should fear that our mere “muddle-minded, half-baked college students” would ever merit the attention of observers abroad. For readers in general are a bit slow nowadays in succumbing to hit-and-miss public_opinion, and they might jolly well pass on to the more strictly high-brow wisdom of the county politician or the travelingsales- man. Incidentally, the Digest results register the sentiment of a picked group of American colleges. Unless we are so mentally unstable as to deny that there is some object in higher education, this recent vote should hear a gram or two of significance. And may I ask why it is so innately unsound to permit “young America” it is “young America” who will foot the bill if there is another war? BETTY ALSTERLUND. l | to publish its military attitudes when | tions Committee and giving them up- | degree, others very stand-offish. i discussing the State of the Nation. | ity is really the most in love with it. | ‘The motor died, and in the sud- den hush a slow drawl came from the rear, audible all over the vehicle. “Whoever heard of anybody paying a person for not raisin’ a hawg?” And everybody aboard laughed, not so much at the politics of the thing, as at the suddenness of it, and the completeness of it. The little public of the morning bus is a world all its own. We who ride regularly, usually in the same vehicle, come in time to have our likes and dislikes. * ok ok % We are not all alike, however, by any means. Some of us are very shy. Others are given to talking to eny one who will listen. Some of us are chummy to a We do not in some cases know each other, and sometimes when we do it makes little difference. We are, in short, human nature. Were Dan Chaucer alive today, no doubt he would write about a busload of travelers, for in them he might find almost all he discovered on the way to Canterbury. * ok ok X The quality of voice often is the chief mark we go by. Nothing is more interesting than to listen to others talk, unless one talks one's self. | One assumes such a superior air, in listening to others. The listener forgets that he is not a god, for a/ brief time he almost feels he is. How silly people do talk! These two pompous gentlemen are The President evidently made a big mistake when he failed to get these gentlemen into his cabinet. How easily they could have solved all the problems! * ks This eavesdropping is pleasant be- cause it can't be helped. Especially if the listener is inter- ested in other people. Now here is a secret about this: He who believes he dislikes human- The powerful repulsion he feels in | reality is an attraction, drawing him | sometimes against his will into being interested in others. Many a man aboard a bus is a stu- dent of sociology without knowing it. He simply keeps his ears open because he has nothing else to occupy him. He is like the person waiting in a railroad station. The latter watched his fellow man because he had noth- ing else to do. > * %% The modern bus rider will have several little problems to settle be- fore he takes his place in the great riding public. Shall he become chummy with any one? Shall he stick to himself? If the latter, shall he read? What shall he do if some one ven- tures to speak to him? These questions might seem ex- | treme, to those who do not know their | bus riders, but to the person well WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. There’s nothing new under the con- gressional sun, not even economic se- | curity legislation. In the hurly-burly of the New Deal during th: past year | nearly everybody seems to have for- | though he be a stranger, and re- | ordinary bus ride. | the memory for days, maybe years. acquainted with the genus they are strictly matter of fact. Many persons, evidently, themselves such questions. Many seem to act upon them, even if they never ask themselves such things outright. There is the gentleman who is for- ever looking for some one to talk to, some one he can query as to the latest developments of the day. ‘There is the taciturn man who is just the opposite, and who foiever squelches the friendly fellow. The latter ventures a remark as to the weather. mThe taciturn man does not hear im. The friendly man waits a block or two, then repeats his remark. This time the unfriendly fellow looks at him, and makes some sort of noise in his throat. It is his way of saying, “Fellow, who are you?” * ok ok ¥ Between these two, the man friendly by nature, and the man unfriendly by nature. there is never any ground of meeting. Their basic philosophies of life are so different that neither understands the other. The desire of the un- friendly man for silence in his prog- ress down town is interpreted as huge unfriendliness by the other. The desire of the latter for comradeship, even with the unknown, is held by the unfriendly actor to be an insuf- ferable intrusion. No doubt each side to this silent controversy would be a little better off if he would try to see the other man'’s side of it, and not be too quick to stick to his own interpretation. * % %k % Voice quality, or timber, is always an interesting thing, no matter where one studies it. Some difficulties are interposed, in public vehicles, but often enough two spegkers will talk so loudly, because of the other noise, that their voices are heard easily by persons sitting near them. ‘Then not only the content of their talk interests, but often the quality of their voices. It is not very often, truly enough, that really fine voices are heard any- where. The speaking voices of most per- | sons are nothing to brag about Probably this is because of lack of training. The drawback to elocution, old-style; public speaking, new style, is that it tends to introduce a self- consclous something or other in some, not all, of its practitioners, % | Occasionally one listens to a pas- senger who has both sense and dis- cretion. Obviously the speaker knows what he is talking about. In a world filled with persons who often do not know exactly what they are talking about, it is a vast pleas- sure, indeed. to run across some one, do ask main so, who quite evidently knows his subject. | His words of quiet wisdom exalt an | He gives facts, fancies, to stick in The quality of his voice attracts most, however. Evidently the man is an actor, and a good one. Davis is an incorrigible optimist. He still radiates hope that enlightened self-interest will yet bring the nations | together in an agreement to ease the | burden of military and naval estab- | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1935. Economic Relations of | Ireland and England To the Editor of The Star: The discussion lately appearing in your columns concerning the present status and future promise of Ireland serves again to illustrate the curious fact that it is still difficult to obtain in this country any accurate infor- mation as to the realities of the trans- formation that is now going or in the Irish Free State. With no desire to revive the recent discussion, but merely in the interest of the truth concerning the most significant eco- nomic development of these times, may we please record here a few per- tinent statistics and facts that illus- trate the real situation? : It is often said and comnidnly be- lieved that the government of Ireland is a partaer in the “Irish Sweep- stakes” and derives a great revenue from what is regarded in this coun- try as a form of lottery or gambling. The truth is that the government has no interest in the sweepstakes, but all such enterprises are subject to a tax of 6 per cent. In 1934 this tax brought to the Free State treasury 553,856 pounds sterling, which amounts to .014-10 per cent of ‘the govern- ment’s total revenue. It is frequently asserted and gen- erally believed that the Irish farmers have been greatly injured because the ! trade quarrel between Ireland and England canceled the English de- mand for Irish cattle, which thereby became unsalable. The fact is that the British boycott of Irish products, including cattle, has been the best thing that ever happened to Irish | agriculture, Instead of having cat- | tle in the market as unsalable com- | modity, the price of beef in Ireland in 1934 was 21 per cent higher than in 1933, mutton was 115 per cent and bacon 14 per cent higher; the price of heifers in calf increased 13 per cent. But the greatest benefit that has resulted to Ireland from the English boycott is the greai stimulus that followed to the diversifying of Irish agriculture. In 1934, as com- pared to 1933, the wheat acreage in- creased 86 pe. cent, sugar beet acreage increased 202 per cent; barley acreage, 22 ,per cent; mangel acreage, 4 per cent. The economic weakness of Ireland | previous to the trade war and'always | while Ireland was under English domination, lay in the fact that pro- | duction was too narrowly limited in | range. The persistent efforts of the | present government of bringing about ! a far healthier economic condition are demonstrated by these figures. | It is frequently asserted and com- | monly bélieved that England boy- cotted Irish products because Ireland ; refused to pay a debt. The fact is | easily demonstrable that Ireland never owed the money England | claimed, and the attempt to force Ireland to pay it was a species of banditry all the more disgraceful to the country that itself refuses to pay | debts as to which there is no ques- | tion. That the small Irish farmers, who make up the bulk of the agricultural population, are aware of the benefits they have had from the present gov- ernment, is shown by the fact that in the elections last year the gov- ernment swept 15 of the 23 counties in which elections were held, and was strongest in the regions popu- lated by the small farmers. | The recent trade arrangement be- tween Ireland and England has been much misrepresented. It was, in fact, a surrender by England. Since the trade war started freland has been getting its coal supplies from the European continent. There are thousands of coal miners idle in 'England and it was their growing distress and complaints that drove the English government into pro- posing an arrangement by which | England is to take a certain quantity of Irish cattle and Ireland is to get 1,100,000 tons a year of English coal. The essence of this arrange- ment is, of course, a great victory | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ). HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Washington Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How many homes have been re- paired through the H. O. L. C.7— T.R. 8. A. Approximately $45,000,000 has been or is being expended on repairs to’ 250,000 dwellings in all parts of the country through reconditioning loans made by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation. Q. What do the flag signals mean that are used in the Memorial day race in Indianapolis?—G. V. R. A. Green flag, starting signal and indicates clear course; white flag, stop for consultation; red flag, stop, race is halted; yellow flag, drive with cau- tion and maintain position; orange flag with navy blue circular center, | car attempting to pass you; king's blue flag, you are starting your last lap, and checkered flag, you are finished. Q. What kind of a violin does Jascha Heifetz play?>—E. M. A. He owns several celebrated vio- lins, but his favorites are a Guarnerius and a Stradivarius. Q. How old is Rollins College at Winter Park, Fla.’—B. C. 8. A. On November 4, 1885, Rollins College opened with an enroliment of 66 students. It is the oldest college in Florida and is now commemorating its semi-centennial year. Q. What kind of birds build the nests used for birds’ nest soup?— R. H. M. A. Birds’ nests of a certain kind are an article of food much prized in China on account of the nutritive properties which they are supposed to possess. They are of a gelatinous na- ture and chiefly used for making soup. | They are furnished by several species of swallow and are found in the caverns on the seashore of the Eastern Archipelago. It has been ascertained that they consist of a peculiar mucous which the bird secretes and disgorges from its mouth. The nests adhere to the rock and are collected after the young are fledged. The cleansing of the nests is a long and tedious process and a number of persons in Canton are employed in conducting this operation. The prepared article which has the appearance of dried gelatinous-looking fragments may be purchased in some of the London shops. Q. Who developed the monkey serum which has been used to immunize against infantile paralysis>—R. S. C. A. Dr. Maurice Brodie of New York developed the serum which is made through use of Indian monkeys of a rare type. Q. Please suggest a simple method of keeping the air moist indoors in the Wintertime —C. L 8 A. The New York State College of Agriculture suggests plants and cut flowers. It says vegetative growths give off considerable amounts of water into the air. The pot and soil also help. A cineraria plant in a 5- inch pot, for instance, gives off an average of nearly a pint of water a day. A large genista plant gives off more than a pint a day. A pan of hyacinths in flower yields to the air more than a pint of water a day. A medium-sized flower arrangement of stocks and certain other flowers may give off as much as three quarts of water during the life of the bouquet, %whlch is usually from five to seven | days. Q. Why - are eggs associated with Easter?—W, J L. A. The"use of eggs at Easter time follows a custom of greatest an=- tiquity, the egg having been con= sidered in widely separated pre- Christian mythologies as the symbol of resurrection. It is probable that | the Christian church adopted and | consecrated an earlier custom. The | egg is generally regarded as the sym- bol of Spring, life and fecundity of | nature. | Q. What actor was the first to play | Faistaff in a production witnessed by Lincoln?>—H. B. A. Writing to James H. Fackett from Washington, August 17, 1863, | Lincoln said: “For one of my age I | have seen very little of the drama. | The first presentation of Falstaff I |ever saw was yours, last Winter or Spring.” Q. Where is Italy's Unknown Sol- | dier buried>—M. L. P. A. He is buried beneath the altar of | Victor Emmanuel Monument in Rome. Q. Are there any gas street lamps |in Chicago?—G. G. A. On January 1, 1935, 4,901 gas |and 572 gasoline street lamps served ‘the outlying sections of the city not | sufficiently developed and. therefore not justified- for electric street light- ing, or beyond the limits to be served | economically with electric street | lighting facilities Q. What were the favorite forms of | recreation of the early dons in Cal- | ifornia?—G. L. A. Bancroft says that dancing was a passion of the Californians; fiestas, | picnies and balls were frequent; the fadangos were especially popular at San Diego. Dramatic performances were given to some extent, but ser- enading was common. « Most Cali- fornians could play the vihuela or guitar. There was much interest in racing and it was common practice t race to church with oxen-drawn wagons containing the family. The stakes were money, stock, or balls. Carrera del Gallo, or cock fighting was a popular sport, as was also corrida de toros, or coursing of bulls. Bull fights were held on frequent occasions by skilled and practiced toreadores. The tekersie was a fa- vorite game of the Indians. Billiards were introduced at Monterey in 1828. Q. How many birthday balls were held in honor of the President?—R. A, A. Seven hundred were held through- out the United States. Q. Do the women of Japan patronize beauty parlors to any extent?—E. M. A. There are more than 7,000 beauty parlors in Japan Q. Are any materials from abroad being used in constructing the Archives Building at Washington?—M. C. A. No foreign materials of any kind are used in the building. The prime products are contributed by at least 14 States and other materials come from all over the United States. Q. At what age did A. A. Milne | creator of Winnie the Pooh, begin writing?—G. E A. He started contributing at the age of 6, to the school paper which had been founded by Alfred Harms- worth, -afterward Lord Northcliffe, owner of the London Times, when Harmsworth was 12. Q. How large is France's new trans- oceanic airship?—F. D. A. A. The Lieut. de Vaisseau Paris 1is 104 feet iong, has a wing spread of 162 feet and is capable of carrying 70 passengers. Promised Pacific Air Route i measure introduced by former Sen- Japanese gotten that as long ago as April, 1934, | lishments. Foreign Relations Com- | the Senate Committee on Pensions | mittee members were especially in- | reported out & full-fledged “United | terested in Mr. Davis’ account of | States old-age security act,” being the [the unsuccessful Anglo-American- conversations in London. ator Dill, Democrat, of Washington. | He continues to think = naval agree- Entitled “a bill to protect labor in its | ment is within the realm of ac- old age.” it was placed on the Senate | complishment in time to avoid a re- calendar, but before it could be taken | newal of costly competition. up for consideration Congress dae(:l.l * ® k% journed and the proposition died. aking of the Forei fons Hearings had been held on the proj- | coreaens of the Forelen Relations ect, which was of the same general|tive of the “deliberative” character | wi t er means of support. what 1800z oy 3oah) woing o} MUt A0Y ot L | approximately 500,000 old men and | character as the administration’s old- age scheme now before Congress. It provided for Federal-State co-oper- | ation in the financing of a system under which “an old person“ would have been entitled to relief if 65 years of age or over, unpossessed of prop- ! erty valued in excess of $.,000 andj Senator McGill, Democrat, of Kansas, chairman of the Pensions Committee, | in reporting the bill stated that its | enactment would make provision for | women on a self-respecting basis (at $1 a day) at an estimated total ulti- mate cost of about $145,000,000 a year. * k % X Senator Elbert D. Thomas, Demo- | crat, of Utah, who once upon a time was a Mormon missionary in Japan, was astonished the other day to hear that reports were in circulation in the Far East that he is to be ap- pointed American Ambassador at Tokio. There is, of course, no founda- tion whatever for the story and the | Senator has so informed Japanese friends who extended him a prema- ture welcome back to the country in which he represented the Latter Day Saints’ Church between 1907 and 1912. When Mr. Thomas was visiting Germany last year he was the object of an amusing report in the Nazi press. Apparently having heard that the backbone of his vice torious campaign against Senator Reed Smoot in 1932 was the support he received from former students in the University of Utah, Thomas was depicted in German newspapers as the leader of the “American youth movement,” which, it was further suggested, was patterned after the Hitler youth movement! * kK x Time flies. If Andrew Carnegie were alive he would be 100 years old this year. To celebrate the centenary of his birth, on November 25 next, the Governing Board of the Pan-American Union will hod a special ceremony to honor his mem- ory. It was Carnegie's gift of $850,000 which resulted in the con- struction of the pan-American pal- ace, still one of Washington’s archi- tectural gems. Secretary of State Elihu Root persuaded the Pittsburgh ironmaster-philanthropist to present the money after Carnegie had just previously donated $1,000,000 for the Peace Palace at The Hague. Dr. Leo S. Rowe, director general of the Pan-American Union, is leaving this month for a maiden visit to Venezuela. After he has been there Uncle Sam’s pan-American good-will ambassador and will have set foot in every one of the Latin American countries except the Dominican Re- public. ¥ s Norman H. Davis, President Roose- velt'’s disarmament Ambassador at Large, has been spending some time at the Capitol this week communing with Senator Key Pittman, chairman; Senator Joe Robinson and other members of the Senate Foreign Rela- to-date inside stuff on the European situation in general and naval arma- ment conditions in particular. Mr. 0¥ | Washington on January 5, 1929, and | pact. of the United States Senate than the leisurely manner in which it considers international treaties. The commit- tee still has before it, awaiting final action, the world copyright conven- tion signed at Rome on Jun: 2, 1928; the general treaty of inter-American arbitration and conciliation among the 21 American republics, signed at the international convention for pro- motion of safety of life at sea, signed at London on May 31, 1929. * *x % *x President Roosevelt pays timely tribute to Canada in glorifying the unique system of joint border con- trol now in effective operation be- tween the Dominion and the United States for the suppression of boot- leg alcohol. Before long Washington will be negotiating with the Ottawa government in connection with both a tariff reciprocity treaty and an amended St. Lawrence waterway It is hoped at the White for the De Valera government. | In point of fact again. the one | country of Europe that without dif- | saghy or dishonesty balances its | udget is Ireland. The one country | Ajrplane service connecting this of the world that has attempted to country with China and the Pacific restore prosperity by applying sane jslands is looked upon by the press methods without a huge national as one of the marvels of aviation debt is Ireland, and the one country | likely to be realized in the near future. that has made the greatest advance | “No epochal project of such mag- toward practical recovery is Ireland. | nitude,” says the Los Angeles Times, In view of these facts, the allega- “has leaped more suddenly from the tion, so frequently repeated in this | sphere of guesswork and conjecture country, that Ireland cannot exist ' to the solid base of actual prepara- without economic support from Eng- | tion.” That paper quotes the an- land is perfectly preposterous. It ' nouncement of Stanley C. Kennedy, has already demonstrated the sound- ;mamger of the Inter-Island Naviga- mess of its economic independence, | tion Co. of Hawali, indicating “five as it has long ago proved before the | way-stops between California and world the perfect justice of its stead- | China—Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Foreseen As House that the same spirit of broth- erly love will prevail on those oc- casions as is evidenced by the com- plete Canadian-American harmony in apprehending liquor smugglers. * * % ¥ One of the most vivid descriptions of Mussolini and his policies ever heard in this country has just been given by Augusto Rosso, Italian Am- bassador to the United States, in an address at Columbia University in New York. The Fascist diplomatic representative at Washington is thus quoted: “The concept of Mussolini respecting the problem of European war has been misunderstood and distorted. It is folly to believe that Mussolini is not against war or that he desires it. He himself has under- gone the experience of war, seen its horrors, suffered its hardships, its bodily wounds. But Mussolini is a man of courage, who doesn't live in the clouds and who is not afraid of meeting reality face to face, even when it is ugly. No one can reproach him for playing politics like an ostrich. When he looks around and sees the world as it is his sane realism, based on a sense of history, does not permit him to ignore the fact that there exist potential dan- gers, and even threats.” J * x ok ok Here's a sample of what Flemington has done. From New Jersey comes the story that a third-grade pupil in Paterson, asked to name the Gov- ernor of the State in a recent ex- amination, wrote: “Hauptmann.” It was just a little mix-up in the name of Gov. Hoffman. (Copyright. 1935.) —————————— One-Idead Drivers. From the Bridgeport (Conn.) Times-Star. A lot of fool drivers can think quick- ly in an emergency, but all they can think of is the horn. ————— Race Tipping. From the New York Sun. Tipping the races would be made a misdemeanor by & bill before the Leg- islature. It's that already, it’s a catastrophe. 17 fast demands for national freedom and national independence. ANDREW I. HICREY, | Publicity Committee Chairman, Kevin | Barry Council, A. A. R. L. R. o Traffic Safety Only With Slower Motors To the Editor of The Star: | Traffic commissioners in all our | cities have admitted defeat in trying to solve the problem of lessening the death list caused by automobiles. Does one have to possess the intelli- gence of a Philadelphia lawyer to| understand that no automobile can | very well kill a person while not in | motion? Is the same intelligence required to know that a car going ten miles an | hour would kill very few and a car! going thirty miles an hour would kill more and a car going fifty miles an hour would kill still more? It looks to me as if the human race wants death, but if it does not want | death caused by cars, then the an- swer must be no cars made to run faster than, say, twenty-five miles per_hour except for special purposes, such as police, doctors, mail, etc. Within every town and city limit speed not to exceed ten miles per hour. If by progressing we are decaying, then why not go back fifty years and have security and peace once more? JAMES LAWRENCE. First Bible Concordance Was Published in 1737 To the Editor of The Star: In your issue of February 1 the following appears on your editorial page: “Q. When was a comprehensive concordance of the Bible first pub- lished? A. In 1765.” The first (and still the standard) concordance, of course, was that of Alexander Cruden; and in the “Me- morial” of him which is prefixed to the “Complete Concordance” (pub- lished by Ward, Lock & Co., Ltd.), which I have in my library, it is stated that “the first edition was published in 1737.” That was nearly a generation before the date you name, and nearly two centuries ago. It is almost time for the bicentennial. CHARLES S. LOBINGIER. Falconry May Menace District’s Song Birds To the Editor of The Star. Your editorial of February 4 refers to the introduction of falconry into the District, but you make no mention of the intended victims. I hope none of our song birds will suffer. Possibly falconry will prove the long awaited solution for the starling problem. ‘WINSLOW H. HERSCHEL. Island, Guam and Manila.” The Times concludes as to the manage- ment of the service: “Pan-American Airways has demonstrated its ability |to handle air transportation on the most extensive scale and its name is linked with the world's greatest flying feats. It has, in fact, taken the word ‘feat’ out of the steady progress made in aviation. It is now operating 33,000 mountain to serve 33 American coun- tries, its score for safety and regularity of schedule being one that any rail- road might envy. To establish such service across the Pacific will not be for Pan-American Airways another ‘feat,’ but just another business enter- prise depending on proper finance apd management.” American-owned islands in the Pacific, according to the Providence Journal, “offer convenient stopping iplaces for a commercial air service, though, of course, that was not our national domain.” The Journal adds that “in the present state of aviation, we could not hope for the miles of airways over ocean and | thought of when they became part of | Future Marvel | ness,” advises the San Jose (Calif) Mercury Herald, “will be particularly benefited. for China is already becom- ing air-conscious, while American planes are being used, and American | aviators are expected to train Chinese | fiyers.” The Yakima (Wash.) Morn- | ing Herald holds that “it would be | highly fitting if it were the flight of | Col. Lindbergh which should finally pave the way for regular over-ocean | commercial air lines.” | “As preparations go forward,” re- marks the Long Beach (Calif.) Press- Telegram. “interesting rumors are | heard of plans for a coastwise seaplane | route between San Diego and Seattle Connection by seaplane between ports in South America was established years | ago. Air routes over both land and | water have done much to overcomo lack of rail transportation and infre- quent steamship service in the Latin republics. One particular advantage, of seaplane use is pointed out in the | ability of such craft to reach terminals near the heart of the community served. Large areas of terra firma are not required for runways.” N County Mergers. From the Louisville Courier-Journal. Although county mergers have been few since Tennessee made the first one 15 years ago under peculiar con- ditions, Robert M. Paige. secretary of the Government Research Association, | thinks the movement is gaining im- petus. He cites proposals pending to re- duce the number in Mississippi to 57, in Missouri to 40, in Arkansas to 25, in 1‘ Oklahoma to 20, in Georgia to 41 | and in Tennessee to 13 Governor Ehringhaus of North early setting up of such a connection | carolina promises a sincere effort to as is now contemplated, were it not | consolidate the hundred counties of possible to break the voyage.” | that State. The local government bill “This has been a dream and an|throughout the United States is | aspiration—but of the future: now g (00.000.000, a matter which certain- the future is here—suddenly a&nd |y should give as much concern to the startlingly,” declares the San Fran- cisco Chronicle, and the Chronicle gives its estimate of the value of the announced project: “Pan-American Airways, which has taken a leadership in international flights, has been quietly getting ready for the Pacific service and is now in a position to make definite commitments. The date has been tentatively set for April Pilots for the service have been in training in the Caribbean for some time. Three Martin flying boats are under construction to bring the East and West together over the broad Pacific. It is pioneering, but the cal- culated pioneering of business, with development of the right type of plane, with considerations of safety and with the essential element of financial return. As on land, so over the sea, business follows and takes advantage of the trail blazing of the daring adventurers.” “The bold flights of the world's fore- most aviators.” the Kalamazoo Gazette observes, “have contributed a good deal to the advancement of aeronautics by developing new improvements in the technic of flight. The news about the proposed Pacific flying service is especially interesting in connection with the report that the United States Government may finance the construc- tion of a large dirigible for use in At- lantic service between Europe and America. Apparently the old question of which is the logical vehicle for ocean flights, the airplane or the dirigible, remains unsettled. It will probebly take a good deal of actual comparative experience to supply the answer.” “Our airplane manufacturing busi- t average citizen as Federal expenditures do This $8,000,000,000 is raised by | direct taxes on classes which can | stand the outlay least. Probably the obstruction of selfish and political interests would be invuls nerable to a direct attack. Reorganiz- | ation of counties under self-govern- ment charters, however, may under- mine their security. A Sales Tax Lesson. Prom the New York Sun. A Brooklyn manufacturer lost s | $300,000 order because one of his regular customers would not pay & sales tax of $6,000, whici would have been added to the bill. /The product was to be used by the purchaser in his own business and not resold, and so was within the scope of a retall sales tax. The buyer placed his order in New Jersey. and as the goods will reach New York in interstate com- merce no sales tax may be imposed on them. As a direct consequence of the local sales tax affecting this transaction Brooklyn workmen lost a chance of emplovment, for labor is a large factor in the product of this manufacturer. Two hundred men were deprived of earnings of $1,000 each, or 400 men of $50C each. Many instances of loss of business through the operation of the sales tax have been reported to Chairman Grover Whalen of the Com- mittee of Business Men named by Con- troller Taylor to assist him in the pre- | liminary administration of the tax. A rax on transit fares wold have avoid- ed these obstacles to recovery. .

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