Evening Star Newspaper, February 24, 1935, Page 30

D1 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Editien. WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY.....February 24, 1835 THEODORE W. NOYES. . .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11tn 8¢ e Pennvivania, Ave ‘ork Office. 110 East 42nd ’\ Office: Lake Michigan Building European Ofice: 14 Regent .. London Rate by Carrier Within the City. Rexular Edition. pivhen 4 Sundays 90 e Evenips and ( Sundays) 850 per month Tne” Sunasy St '8¢ per copy Nigbt Fina) Edition. feht Pinal and Sunday Star 70¢ ight Pinal Star 85¢ Collection made af the onth. Orders may be lephone National 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Iy anc Sunday 1 sr.. $10.00; | mo ily “only 1yr $6.00:1mo. Bu.n av only 1yr fioo; 1mo All Other States and Canada. ily and Sunday 1 yr.. $12.00; 1 mo. ily only. per month er month 2”01 sent by ‘matl or [ B 40c 0c 00 . 1yr. $8.00: 1 mo. B0 Sunday oniy 1yr. $500:1mo. B80c Member of the Assoclated Press. ‘Tne Associatea Press is ilclullnly titled to the use for republication of al news dispatches credited in this Daper and also th Jocal news oublished herein Al righ publication of special - dispatches herein are also rererved Paul Pry Pink Papers. Every income taxpayer has received # pink slip of paper on which he is to write the answers to five questions relating to his 1934 income tax and mail it to the collector of internal revenue before March 15 next, or for- feit a penalty of five dollars. The questions concern confidential matters between the taxpayer and his Govern- ment, although the answers are of no earthly use to the Government, having been covered in more detailed, exact fashion in the income tax returns themselves. The only purpose to be served by fllling out the pink slip is to make available to any Paul Pry who wishes it information regarding the taxpayers' gross income, total de- ductions, net income, total credits sgainst net income and tax payable. The Treasury did not ask for the information. It is required by sec- tion 55(b) of the 1934 revenue act, and the history of that section is not without interest. The revenue act of 1924 had made income tax informa- tion public, but one year's experience was enough and the publicity section was repealed. The act of 1926 pro- vided that the President should pro- mulgate rules and regulations per- mitting public examination of income tax returns, and the Presidents have limited such inspection to those who had a legitimate reason to seek the information, subject to specific rules. The 1934 act went to the Senate containing the same clause relating to presidential regulations, but Senator La Follette secured adoption of an additional publicity section—by a vote of 41 to 34—making income tax rec- ords available to those who pald & reasonable fee for a certified copy of the return. In conference, this smendment was apparently considered objectionable and was stricken out, ‘but, curiously enough, an even more objectionable amendment was substi- tuted. The “pink slip” substitute slipped by Senate and House without discussion in the closing days of the session, and it is to be doubted if many members of Congress knew it was there. The amendment requires the filling out of the pink slips and the Com- missioner of Internal Revenue is to make coples available to the inspec- tion of any Tom, Dick and Harry who wants a peek. Representative Bacon of New York s leading a fight for its repeal and has been join and by Representative Bell of Kansas. Private organizations are, in addition, waging a campalgn for its repeal. It should be repealed. Mr. Bacon has told the House that it makes informa- tion on tax returns available to any kidnaper, blackmailer, racketeer or sucker-list salesman whose business it is to know other people’s financial standing. The merchant or business man will also be compelled involun- tarily to make known to his curious rivals the sort of information that he would ordinaril, ard strictly as his own affair—to shared only with his Government. For any one with a legitimate inter- est in income tax returns—State offi- cials, the committees of Congress, cer- tain corporation officials and stock- holders—the information is already’ available under rules prescribed by the President. The pink slips are repre- sentative of an unnecessary indignity inflicted upon income taxpayers, some ninety per cent of whom pay taxes on incomes of $5,000 and less, and the great majority of whom are not seek- ing to evade their obligations—a trait of honesty, it is true, that is not universal. Mr. Bacon has made a reasonable request of the House Ways and Means Committee for hearings on the repeal proposal, which would give the Sec- retary of the Treasury and officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue opportunity to testify regarding the value to the Government, if any, of the pink slips. No convincing argu- ments have yet been made in their favor. The section requiring them should be repealed. Destruction in the West. High winds are causing grievous damage to the farming areas in sev- eral of the trans-Mississippi States. According to an official report, about five million acres have been rendered utterly useless for crop purposes by the loss of the top soil or by the deposit of wind-blown sand on the once fertile land. The director of the Soll Ercsion Service says that the present storm is a graphic illustra- tion of the imperative need for some means of control to prevent the devastation of the granary of America., Those who have traveled in China know the stark desolation prevailing in the northern part of that unheppy land, where vast spaces have been ravaged by the winds sweeping down from Siberla across the Gobl. The trees have been tut long ago and for [} by Senator Copeland , centuries the winds have taken their toll of the land until many thousands of square miles are now wellnigh barren and unproductive, These present dust storms in the West should be regarded as warnings of s similar fate in store for that rich territory if means of prevention are not promptly adopted. A project has been proposed and somewhat advanced toward execution for the planting of & series of wind- breaks across several States, lines of trees that if they grow to maturity will act as barriers against the scour- ing gales that at times sweep over that region. But more is needed than the planting of trees. The sur- face of the soil must be covered by some form of vegetation that will resist wind erosion. Annual crops that are fully harvested eccomplish this effect only during the growing season. The dense clouds of dust now roll- ing over these wind-scoured States represent an almost complete loss which cannot be retrieved, for the fertile sofl thus blown away is not replaceable and the trend of the winds is such that these scourings descend in places where they do not contribute to fertility, much of the matter falling into the streams to add to the sediment that chokes them and increase the chances of inunda- tion, which are themselves destructive. With sixty million acres of land in the arid and semi-arid regions of this oountry severely damaged by this present storm, the object lesson in this national menace is so graphic that it should lead to prompt, sys- tematic and effective measures of protective reclamation. Woman Suffrage in France. Despite her reputation for chivalry and gallantry, France has not kept pace with the English-speaking de- mocracies in according suffrage rights to women. Efforts to that end have not been lacking, but hitherto have made little headway. Now a serious campaign is under way amid condi- tions that promise progress. For the moment it is being confined to ob- taining the vote in the municipal elections to be held in May. With that objective attained, the fight to secure national suffrage will be in- tensively prosecuted. The leader of the cause is the bril- liant Mlle. Louise Weiss, well known in this country as the editor of the political weekly, L'Europe Nouvelle. Having discovered that Prance had five separate women's suffrage socie- ties, all working at cross purposes, her initial move was to persuade them to bury their differences and for the first time to present a solid iront. The powerful newspaper, Le Matin, is actively supporting Mille. Weiss' cru- sade, as are two influential members of the Chamber of Deputies, Messrs. Scapini and Pate. Moving picture theaters are conducting a national propegandas and other modern' mis- slonary measures are being invoked. Apparently the French crusaders are eschewing the militant methods which British and American “suffragettes’ made famous. French women traditionally have shone in the home. Some of them have achieved eminence st the ber and sclence has been adorned by Mme. Curie and her daughter. The wife and mother in France, both in Paris and in the provinces, is fre- quently encountered as the business associete of the nominal head of the family, but from public affairs the, Prench woman has been conspicu- ously aloof. Frenchmen are said to have preferred that their womenfolk should keep out of the political arena because they are fundamentally con- servative, even reactionary. The suggestion now is heard that there might be more stability in French politics if women had a finger in that mercurial pie. It is the Senate that hitherto has been the stumbling block. Suffrage bills more than once have passed the Chamber, only regularly to be wrecked in the Upper House, which holds to the archaic view that wom- an's place is exclusively in the home. Having confessedly made s mess of politics themselves, Frenchmen ap- pear ready to “cherchez la femme"” as a possible curative. ——— e Communism at present appears to thrive on publicity. Every Communist exposed appears corfident that he can put up enough of an argument to pro- mote the cause. Handel. George Frederick Handel, dearly loved by all who care for music, was born two and s half centuries ago yes- terday. His career began at Halle, in Lower Saxony, February 23, 1685, and the auspices of its inauguration were not congenial. The child in whose heart noble harmony innately dwelt was the son of & barber-surgeon who had no sympathy for art and was hostile to its practice. A spirit des- tined to set a world singing could have suffered no more unfriendly environ- ment than that of the home of the boy’'s first years. Thousands are familiar with the story of his struggles, have read how he studied in hiding and at last forced his genius to the notice of the Duke of Saxe-Weissen- fels and have seen the original or re- productions of Margaret Dicksee's touching partrait of the little lad sur- prised at the clavichord in his attic retreat. But fate meant him to triumph, and the difficulties of his youth probably however, attracted him, and he brought out his earliest opera, “Al- mirs,” at Hamburg in 1705. Then fol- lowed three years in Italy, appoint- ment as kapellmeister at Hanover, visits to England in 1710 and 1712, the patronage of King George I and the Duke of Chandos. Before he was forty he had reached the heights. And success stimulated him to his most remarkable efforts. In sum tota! he wrote a hundred volumes of immortal melody. His oratorio, “The Messiah,” produced at Dublin in 1742, was but a single guarantee of the curabllity of his fame. Financial troubles and blindness came upon him, but he was active to the end, and his death, April 14, 1759, did not interrupt the growth of his public nor disturb the affection which it felt for him. He remains a star in the firma- ment of song—a celestial orb which never will fade. The secret of his power was his character. He was & man who de- served to prosper and to be respected. Hence the international celebration of the anniversary of his birth and | the continued popularity of a name which merits such remembrance. —_——— Misbehavior of airplanes over the ‘White House is naturally resented by the President. In various parts of the country, including nearby Maryland, efforts are being made to put an end to irregular and uncharted flying in residential areas. Large groups are prepared to assure the President of the liveliest support of his position on this phase of public policy. The police of Washington, D. C., must in honesty be credited with good work in the crime war. It is, however, s modern city. It cannot be guarded by medieval walls from miscreants who lurk in the offing or roam the high- ways. Educational propaganda cannot go far among intelligent men and women who already know their George Wash- ington and their Unlted States Consti- tution. Unteaching teachers is a deli- cate and complicated process. By way of getting direct, explicit and emphatic information from the White Fouse, Senator Carter Glass might benefit the Washington corre- spondents by opening & school of Journalism. —————— American music of the better class is in request. Political generosities to the populace are on competitive dis- play. “Oh, Promise Me” may yet be Tevived as a campaign song. ————— ‘When relief work is concerned there is little left of the old-time complaint that Government attaches were too frequently induced to accept better pay in private employment. —_————— ‘The Dionne bables are precocious in one respect. Though only nine months on earth, they are threatened with a law suit. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Wise Plain People. It is an adage old and tried, Whose truth can never be denied, “A little nonsense now and then Is relished by the wisest men.” We listen to a solemn speech Meant to impress more than to teach. We hear of things we ought to do; Of great ideals to pursue; Of lofty heights to be attained— Just how is seldom quite explained. The words like music rise and fall The cadences our minds enthrall. Although we're left at last in doubt, We ask what it is all about. Yet we do not withhold applause, ‘We give it loud and long because— A litlle nonsense now and then Is relished by the wisest of men. An Observation. “What is your idea of a patriot?” “Well,” replied Senator Sorghum, “there are various descriptions. The kind I have most frequently observed expresses a willingness to die for his country, but pending that highly im- Pprobable finish expects to live as com- fortably as possible at his country’s expense.” The Dread of Obscurity. “Do you think it possible to love your enemies?™ “Not exactly,” replied Miss Cayenne. “Yet many of us ought to feel rather grateful to our enemies as the only people who take a real interess in us.” Variety, All kinds o’ days It takes to make & year; BSome o' them are gay days, ‘With skies that shine so clear; Bome o’ them are gray days That slowly drift elong— All kinds o' days, For sorrow or for song! All kinds o’ times It takes to make a life; Some o' them are glad times ‘Without a sign of strife; Some o’ them are bad times, 8o sullen an’ so glum— All kinds o’ times! Jes’ take ‘em as they come. A Help to the Reader. “Tt 'ud be & shame to leave the word ‘epplause’ out o' the speeches they print,” sald Farmer Corntossel. “You think it useful, then?” “Yes. It's & kind of a guide. It THE S—— BOY BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D.D, LL.D,D.C. L, Bishop of Washington Our age has caught a fresh vision of the essential place the boy occu- ples in our corporate life. The buoy- ancy, enthusiasm and ready initiative of the boy has always appealed to us, but we have thought of him as con- stituting a dramatic and picturesque element in our life. without taking seriously his potential value as a con- tributor to all that makes for whole- someness and efficiency of living. Per- haps we have regarded him too much as & play-boy, unresponsive to the appeal of those things that are serious and that occupy a large place in the well-being of our social and economic order. It is certainly true that the exigencies of the present hour are com- pelling us to recokon with elements in our corporate life that we have sadly and tragically neglected, and among these the boy occupies a con- spicuous place. There 15 an incident related in the sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel that is strikingly illustrative of the place the boy occupies in the solving of a serious problem. The Master had been ministering to a vast multitude of some five thousand. As the day advanced the question arose as to what provi- sion might be made for the feeding of this great number. The conserva- tive disciples admonished him that 200 pennyworth of bread was not enough, and that the problem pre- sented was incapable of solution. As the story proceeds we read that one of the disciples said to Jesus: “There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes,” to which he pessimistically added, “but what are they among so many?” At this point a new element was intro- duced into the narrative, the presence of the boy with the few loaves, under the blessing and power of the Master, solved the problem and gave refresh- ment to the hungry multitude. We like the association of the lad with a situation in which his modest contribution was disparaged by those who could see in it nothing of adequate value. Aside from the great miracle worker and teacher, the boy was the most important factor in the solving of a difficult question. It is another illustration of the'use that Jesus made of that which to men seemed incon- sequential and indifferent. It is in demonstration of the importance of what might be termed the value of inconspicuous service. We are laying much stress today upon those things that represent large material values. ‘We have come to use terms with which hitherto we were unfamiliar, and in our estimate of life we have a dis- position to appraise institutions and agencies by their bulk rather than by their inherent worth. The whole incident related above is not only appealing, it has a deep sig- nificance. The old adage that “the boy is father to the man” has an im- port greater today than hitherto and we would do well in the recasting and reforming of our social, economic and political institutions to reckon with him as a mighty and potential factor. ‘We cannot disesteem him and we dare not treat him as a liability. As a mat- ter of fact, he is the chief asset in our | corporate life, hence his training, his care and his development is a primary and not a secondary consideration. Secular education may contribute its | substantial part, but if he is to be the kind of citizen that is to preserve the best and finest in our life, his moral and religious training must be a mat- ter of primary consideration. For this we must look to the home, to par- enthood and the church and they must be responsible and consistent. ‘The destiny of the Republic is in the hands of our yduth. Every institution with which we have to do will be en- riched or impoverished by those who today are being prepared for the duties of tomorrow. We need an educated, cultured citizenry, but above all else we need that kind of Christian culture and refinement that is fundamental to our security and contmuljz prosperity. Congressmen Worried Over Wobbliness In the New Deal Recovery Measures BY OWEN L. SCOTT. A new restlessness is apparent in ‘Washington. It centers in Congress, but is felt all through the Govern- ment. Congressmen are worried over evidence of stirrings of dissatisfaction among the people back home. Their worries coincide with a sudden dis- covery on their part that the New Deal is wobbly in more than one joint and badly in need of patthing. Only Congress can do that needed patching. But Congressmen, seeing one after another of the alphabetical creations falling into something akin to distress, are inclined to ask whether they should continue to follow orders that call for additions to old grants of power and creation of new ones. The concern at the White House | and elsewhere in the New Deal grows partly from the new show of inde- pendence in the Senate. There the President’s five billion dollar works program had a cold reception. His plan to continue N. R. A, instead of being received with whoops of joy, actually caused groans. Little gen- uine enthuslasm is displayed for his old-age pension or unemployment in- surance program. * % xR Back in 1933 two laws, embodying four plans for stimulation of recovery, were advanced with presidential back- ing. They were to turn the trick and start the country moving toward prosperity. Those two laws were the national industrial recovery act, with an appropriation of $3,300,000,000 for public works attached, and the agri- cultural adjustment act, which con- tained a grant of power to the Presi- dent to devalue the dollar. What is the status of those experi- ments at this time? And what re- sults have been realized by F. H. A, by F. E. R. A, by tariff barganing, and by other recovery plans? A glance down the list discloses the shifts that have taken place: N. R. A—Once offered as a depres- sion cure-all, the Recovery Adminis- tration during recent months has re- quired a pulmotor to keep it alive. The idea had been that industry, in return for release from anti-trust law restrictions, would agree to shorten hours of work and raise wages. As wages went up, buying power would increase and the road would be open to recovery. Actually, while wages were in- creased somewhat and work was spread in some industries, N. R. A. afforded industry the machinery for price control. So price rises accom- penied wage rises and the one can- celed out the other. The net result has been another impasse. But Presi- dent Roosevelt wants the experiment continued for two more years. And in Congress, where the fate of N. R. A. now rests, there again has risen a well-organized drive to place a flat limit of 30 hours on the indus- trial work week. Two years ago & drive of this kind gave the country the Blue Eagle. That bird was to do all that a limited work week would do, and more besides. Its success soon may be measured by the strength mustered behind Senator Black's 30- P. W. A—Under the original plans, N. R. A. was to start up the country’s industrial machine. Then the Public Works Administration, provided for in the N. R. A. act, was to come along with $3,300,000,000 and “prime the pump” to keep the industrial machine rolling. * ok ok x Today few in Washington ever speak of “priming the pump.” In fact, few of P. W. A. and its billions as recovery. Mr. Roose- include no new bil- Deal picture, to be supplanted by a new national works program handled on an entirely different basis, resem- bling more nearly the Civil Works Ad- ministration of last Winter. A. A. A—Along with N. R. A. and P. W. A. in the industrial field, there was provided an Agricultural Adjust- t Administration to correct dis- farm purchasing power. But higher prices for fqodstuffs, giving farmers a bigger income, simply mean that the city workers who pay those prices have less to spend for other things. Both N. R. A. and A. A. A are based on the idea that recovery can be achieved by making goods scarce and higher priced. They lead to the unique conclusion that a drought or an earthquake, or any other “act of God” that destroys or cuts down pro- duction, really is a blessing rather than a calamity. It can be said of those running A. A. A. that they realize the country cannot recover by stimulating scarcity instead of abundance, but so long as stimulated scarcity is the national policy they are devising machinery to get the farmer his share of the coun- try's income. * ok X X The 59.06-cent dollar. Attached to the agricultural adjustment act was, a section giving President Roosevelt authority to cut the value of the dol- lar in terms of gold by as much as 50 per cent, and to print $3,000,000,000 in new greenbacks, Congress later gave the President power to buy silver at a rising price in an effort to build up the country’s silver supplies and to stimulate trade with the Orient. Mr. Roosevelt has used the power to clip 40 per cent from the gold value of the dollar and he has used the power to buy silver. What has been_the result? A huge stock of gold has piled up in the Treasury. A further barrier has been raised to foreign trade. The President and Congress have drawn a rebuke from the Supreme Court for repudiating the nation’s written agree- ment to pay its obligations in gold. But the trade revival predicted by advocates of the gold policy has not followed. As for silver purchasing, speculators have been enriched and a bounty has been offered mining States. But in place of a revived trade with China, that trade actually has declined and the Chinese have been forced to un- dergo a period of deflation because the United States was buying up the sllver that serves as a base for Chinese currency. F. H. A—When private construction failed to revive as anticipated, the New Deal brought forward the Federal housing act, creating the Federal Housing Administration with power to insure mortgages and loans for repair work. The idea was that by adding to the safety of mortgage loans the Govern- ment could attract private investment to the field of home building. Nearly six months after this plan was put into operation, total insured repair loans amount to about $40,000,- 000, with the number of insured mort- gages negligible. Not only that, but the leading au- thority on building activity reports that in January the volume of private building contracts was little more than one-third of the volume in January, 1934. Construction today actually is about at the lowest level of the de- pression, * % x % Tariff bargaining. To help break down trade and currency barriers now stifling trade among nations, Congress, at the urging of President Roosevelt, authorized the White House to enter into reciprocal trade agreements with other nations. It gave the President power to lower tariffs as much as 50 per cent in bargaining with other countries. More than six months after this power was given, total results include two trade treaties—one with Cuba and another with Brazil. A number of other agreements are in the mill, but so much clamor was raised over a tariff reduction on manganese in the Brazilian agreement that officials wonder whether Mr. Roosevelt will be ready to adjust tariffs on other more important commodities. The foreign trade of the United States continues badly out of balance, with exports far ahead of imports. This complicates the problem of pay- ment by foreigners for goods bought within the United States. The vol- ume of trade fell sharply in the past month. Faced with uncertain success in many of the major policies of the New Deal's first two years, President Rooievm elt is turning to new recovery 12 His $5,000,000,000 works program is designed to take the place of P. W. A. and of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. His program of social security, in- cluding old-age pensions and unem- ployment insurance, is designed to re- lieve in part the pressure of unem- ployment. His banking bill is intended to tackle the problem of credit expansion from a new angle. But Oonmt.hocd with demands ‘has become Testless. strategy ap- parently is to try to keep it from be- reckless, (Copyright, 1935.). Capital Sidelights BY WILL P. KENNEDY. Proposal to change the method of appointing young men to the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy at Annapolis, 80 as to require one year's service as an enlisted man before any youth would be eligible for appointment, re- ceived very serious consideration dur- ing the past week by the Military Af- fairs Committee of the House. It was disclosed that both Chairman Vinson of the Naval Affairs Committee and Chairman McSwaln of the Military Af- fairs Committee are in favor of the proposed change. Several members of the latter committee complained that all that candidates for these two serv- ice academies want is a free education in engineering and that they will take either branch of the service they can make and have no intention of mak- ing a career in either the Army or Navy. The suggestion was voiced by Repre- sentative John H. Hoeppel of Califor- nia, who claims to be a “graduate of the university of hard knocks” and who served in the Army 20 years as an enlisted man and 20 months as an officer. He saw service both in the Spanish-American and World Wars. Rather than burden the retired list of the service with a large number of officers, the possibilities should be con- sidered, Hoeppel said, of obtaining ade- quate national defense without undue | taxation. He argued that at least 50 | per cent, if not all, of the appoint- ments to West Point and Annapolis be made from selections within the en- listed ranks. Designation for appoint- ments, he said, could be made by mem- bers of Congress from a selected group of 10 to 20 candidates whom each Congressman would be called upon to nominate for one-year enlistment in the Army or Navy. At the end of each year competitive examinations could be held of each of these groups, with selection from the three highest for appointment to Annapolis or West Point. With & procedure of this kind, Mr. Hoeppel urged, only the most deserv- ing and apt would be eligible for & subsequent four years’ training at the service academies, from which they should emerge as unusually qualified officers, with an experience of ines- timable value based on their previous | enlistment. This would democratize | and popularize the Army and Navy, he told his colleagues. Every high | school, college and university in each congressional district would gladly fur- nish a list of qualified applicants for such enlisted training and subsequent consideration for entry to West Point or Annapolis. Enlisted men failing to secure appointment to the academies, might be re-enlisted for an additional year for special training along the lines of the Plattsburg officers train- ing course, to qualify these young men for commission in the Reserve Corps. As an incentive for graduates of high schools, colleges and universities | to remain in the enlisted service for a | second year for this special reserve | training, a substantial increase in | compensation was suggested. | Only the most virile, apt and quali- | fied young men would thus be selected for appointment to the service acad- | emies, Mr. Hoeppel pointed out. The 4,000 or more outstanding American | youths in this category, each year ab- sorbing a special one-year’s course of | training to qualify them as Reserve officers, would add to the efficiency of the officer personnel and would give to the service a constantly re- curring officer personnel whose activi- ties in the interest of defense could be anticipated over a period of at least 30 years, without subjecting the coun- try to an inordinate retirement burden as would occur if additional officer personnel is absorbed into the regular establishments. | Lloyd George Re-enters Britain’s Political Scene BY A. G. GARDINER. LONDON, February 23.—The influ- | ence of personality in politics has| never been more strikingly illustrated than by the irruption of Lloyd George on to the political scene after 10 years in the wilderness. With his incomparable genius for | showmanship and his sense of the occasion, he has chosen the ideal mo- ment for throwing his hat in the ring. The life of the National government is drawing to a close. When it has got its Indian constitution through, its work will be done. And its prospects are not good. ‘This is not because it has not been a success. With many grounds for criticism, its broad achievement has been remarkably satisfactory. Nevertheless, the government is un- popular and doomed. It is attacked from every angle, by Labor because of its means test for the unemployed, by Conservatives of the die-hard school for its Indian policy, by Liberals be- cause of its tariff policy. It has no friends in the popular press, and it lacks a personality like that of Presi- dent Roosevelt who can command the ear of the country and arouse the enthusiasm of the electorate. All the by-elections tell the same story of the declining prestige of the government, and the possibility of a Labor victory at the coming general election has be- come a probability and is fast becom- ing a certainty. Into this situation, in which every one is helplessly calling for leader- ship, Lloyd George plunges with his “new deal” and his unrivalled gift of popular and demagogic appeal. There is not much that is new in his “new deal” and he is significantly cautious in filling in the details. But his personality counts for much and he has set all the world speculating as to what he wants and what his strategy is to be. What his aim is is pretty clear. He has often coquetted with labor, but that door is now definitely closed. He aims at a reconstruction of the national government, with a small inner cabinet of five, of which he would be a member, though not (in name) the head. * x % X Can it be done? It would, of course, mean the disappearance of MacDonald from the pre- miership. But that will take place in any case. The real crux is whether Stanley Baldwin and Neville Cham- questions would have been in the negative. But today ernment is visibly only alternative to if ermment, with the “first-class financiai crisis” which Stafford Cripps, the leader o ne: e col ence in action. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, FEBRUARY 24, 1933—PART TWO. School Building Could Aid Industry BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A comprehensive program of school- bullding construction could, by itself, go along way toward reviving the almost dormant construction industry in the United States, according to studies which have been made of school needs. Careful estimates of legitimate requirements in only 20 States of the Union show the need for $186,026,000. Such a figure would indicate that, were the entire country covered, the total sum would be per- haps twice as great. ‘The construction industry has been as hard, if not harder, hit than any major industry in the land and yet is is generally agreed that no single industry provides more different kinds of employment. So many factors are involved in construction that any job puts to work, in addition to those on the actual site of the work, quite a number needed to produce and pre- pare for assembly the diverse raw materials, School construction has declined heavily during the depressed years with unfortunate resuits. While the housing of schools is but a part of education, it is regarded as an ex- tremely important part and now a serious deficit has accumulated. An indication of how serious this is may be shown from a comparison of the decline in amounts spent year by year. In 1930 the outlay on public schools amounted to $370,078,000. In 1931 this had fallen to $320,240,000 and the next year to $210,996,000. Then, in 1933, the lowest year of the depression, there was an abrupt drop to_$100,058,000. ‘There is no telling what would have happened if the New Deal emergency measures had not gone into effect. In 1933 some 20,000 schools were com- pletely closed. It will be recalled how entire cities owed their school teach- but educators declare that this has been carried too far in relation to public schools. Pupils are still at- tending classes in buildings which have been condemned as unfit for occupancy. Reasons for unfitness are various. Fire hazards have to do with some of them, insanitary condi- tions with others. Some buildings ;a:r\:ellen:flc:;l light all day and re in danger of colla) to structural weukgness G A survey of the situation in 18 States reveals that out of a total of 100,512 school structures 5,045 have been condemned as unfit for use by the authorities. The fact that one group of authorities has cone demed these buildings has not pree vented their continued use. They are in use now because the school authorities have no other places in which to house their charges. Even with overcrowding not all the pupils who desire can attend school full time. There are in 17 States 687,000 pupils attending school in buildings that have been condemned, but there are 391,000 who must be tontent with part-time instruction for lack of space in any kind of building. Little Red School House Still Used. Reports for earlier periods and for all States are not complete, but it is estimated that 8 per cent of all school buildings in 10 States, now in use, were constructed before the Civil War. Twenty thousand school buildings in use were constructed prior to 1870. About one-third of ail buildings in use were built in the period between 1870 and 1900. A good many people living in great citles will be amazed at the num- ber of little red school houses—or their approximate equivalent of any color—still in use in the United States. The most competent figures avail- ers arrears of many months’ salaries. There was very little building financed locally. Although an attempt was made to start a revival, even in 1934 the outlay amounted to only $101, 468,000. For 1935 there has been budgeted the sum of $107,144,000, but very little improvement when it is considered that these figures cover the entire Nation, over the lowest poin! Many Modern School Houses Needed. The office of Education of the Fed- eral Government has reported that between 1931 and 1934, in 262 citles, capital expenditures on school struc- tures declined just over 80 per cent. This, in effect, means that little more than repair work was done. It means that the school plant of these cities did not keep even. Meantime, of course, the population of these cities was growing—not only the total popu- lation, but, more particularly, the numbers of children of school age. A study made by the National Ed- ucation Association shows the rela- tion between expenditures for school structures and enroliment of pupils since 1926. Taking that year, which has been frequently cited as an ap- proximately normal one, as represent- ing a base of 100, it is shown that the new building index number for 1935 1s down to about 30, while enrollments for 1935 are above 175. Obviously, this is an aggravation of the situation on both sides—more pupils and less funds with which to supply schools. In hard times it is customary for people to put up with what they | can get, no matter the inconvenience, able show that there are 25700 of | them. These are one-room structures | where. of course, children of all ages | are taught together. About half them were built in the last cen | They are entirely destitute of thing which would be termed modern in school construction | In an effort to meet the situation school authorities have resorted to portable structures of the cheap g | rege type and tc | bulldings not desty purposes. It is found that in 23 Stat | and 82 cities in other States, covered iby & survey, there are some 618,000 pupils being taught in such structures, In a single State—Mississippi—a survey revealed that there are 1,681 schools which have no water supply | whatever, while there are 157 which | have a water supply ascertained to be polluted. In more than 1,000 schools no tollet facilities of any kind what- | ever are provided. Lack of these es- | sentials is considered an index to lack | of other facilities usually regarded as | necessary. | Under the Public Works Administra- | tion there has been some activity in | school building improvement as the | result of loans and grants from the Federal Government. But there h been nothing approaching a gener: attack on the problem. Not & few people are becoming aroused at the spectacle of hundreds of millions for projects which are not universally re- | garded as imperative while the Amer- | ican educational plant is in the con- dition reported. | Meantime, vast sums are added to the expense of armaments. Trade Associations Appreciably Increased BY HARDEN COLFAX. Since the advent of the New Deal— particularly since the N. R. A. began to function—the number and scope of the activities of national and inter- state trade associations in the United | States have increased appreciably. While it is not yet known how many of the present total of these came into being as a result of the impetus given by the N. R. A. program, nevertheless (according to a compilation of trade organizations just made public by the | Department of Commerce) each “code | of fair competition” has been spon- sored by at least one, and in some cases more, national trade associations | and a large number of similar affiliated interstate, State and local trade groups. By January 1, 1935, more than 540 basic and 180 supplemental codes had been approved by the N. R. A., includ- ing in their flelds of operation approxi- mately 3,000,000 business firms with 22,000,000 employes. It is true, N.IR.A. does not cover the Nation's 20,000,000 other wage and salaried workers and employes on farms, in the professions, | in the Government and in the do- mestic fleld. In its compilation, how- ever, the Commerce Department has listed more than 2,500 trade associa- tions, with headquarters in the United States, of widely varying scope. Fifty years ago there were less than 50 trade organizations, we are told, and of these five are still functioning— the Writing Paper Manufacturers’' As- sociation, United States Brewers' As- sociation, National Association of Wool Manufacturers, National Association of Cotton Manufacturers and National Board of Fire Underwriters. * x X K ‘The principal activities now under way in the larger trade associations listed by the Commerce Department include the development of sound in- dustrial relations within the industries concerned, plans for stabilizing em- ployment, market research and an- alysis, co-operative marketing and sales promotion, product research, sim- plification and standardization, cost accounting, budget forecasting and statistical control and cross-licensing or pooling of patents. Quoting the provision of N. I. R. A. to the effect that it is the policy of Congress to provide for the general welfare by promoting, among other things, “co-operative action among trade groups,” we are reminded that the difference between trade associa- tions and code authorities lies prin- cipally in the fact that a trade asso- ciation is a voluntary organization of business men, while a code authority is an “agency of limited powers and functions with Government authority behind it.” Generally speaking, the largest number of local groups is in the trade and business service flelds, while most national and interstate trade organi- zations are those of manufacturers, since their sales areas frequently have ‘broader geographical scope. As might be expected, the largest number of the associations in this list are located in New York State—more than 1,000 of them. Illinois and Penn- sylvania follow. More than 174,000 manufacturing establishments are con- cerned, with the figures for the whole- sale trade being 164,000 enterprises, for the retail trade 1,526,000 and for business service 502,000. The compilation points out that a organization, in the sense it is considered here, is a voluntary or- ganization of business competitors, usually in one branch of the indus- trial trade or service flelds. The list also includes associations of American importers and exporters and interna- tional chambers of commerce. It does not include agricultural, labor, pro- fessional and scientific organizations. Of the associations, 1,900 are con- Fifty Years Ago In The Star An unemployment problem was | faced in this country fifty years ago, Many Thousands ;;‘Z‘ffel; ':cax: Are Unemployed. than that of today. The Star of February 17, 1885, says: | “The vague but ominus statement is | made that 75,000 people are out of work in New York City. Of this num- ber 30,000 are put down as women. Of course, in a population of more than a million there are hundreds of | thousands who do not belong to the wage working class. In most families only one or two persons receive pay for labor, the other members being occupied in domestic cares, social ac- tivities, schooling, idling, etc. But if it is meant that there are 75,000 per- sons who in ordinary times earn wages who are now out of employment, the situation is indeed gloomy. Probably the estimate is much exaggerated. “That unusual destitution prevails is, however, too evident for denial. Many willing, capable and honest men are out of work and wages, when ob- | tained, are often below the rate of fair | compensation. No one, for instance, | can blame the men who are facing | this keen winter on an empty stomach for remonstrating against the engage- | ment by the New York authorities of | Italian contract laborers on the streets | at a pay of 90 cents a day. This is | a rate of wages which is insufficient to meet the most necessary and meager needs of an American citizen. It is too little for one man to live on, let alone a family. Nor is it an answer to the complaint that labor can be hired at that rate. This argument is one of the sophistries of the dreary science of political economy. As weil might it be argued that because com- petition forces down the passenger rate from New York to Chicago to one dollar, that is the proper charge for the service.” * * % ‘The following in The Star of Feb- ruary 20, 1885, is evidence that a start : : was being Sewing Taught in made then n Public Schools. Public school instruction in what has come to be known as domes- tic science: > “The experiment of giving instruce tion in sewing to the girls in the Philadelphia public schools has proved so successful that it is to become henceforth a feature of the system. ‘Two hours a week are deveted to the work, and, so far from the time being wasted, it has been found by trial that the schools that are instructed in this m“d the other schools of their the more intellectual studies. Many of the Schoolgirls have been found to be wholly ignorant of the first principles of plain sewing and the instruction begins at the begin- ning. A girl is given a square foot of cotton cloth and taught how to thread a needle, hold her hands and rup-a hem, and from this elementary lesson she proceeds until she brings material from home and makes a dress. The value of such education in a system of public instruction is too obvious for comment. Without disparaging other studies, it can be said with confidence that the two hours of sewing are the most valuable of the week.” * * * “The fact that Lake Michigan, & body of water nearly as large as New York State, or as all of Severe New England, outside of i Maine, is frozen over, Winter- says The Star of Feb- ruary 20, 1885, “shows the severity of the Winter. The sun will have a big job of work to do in the Northwest this Spring, or the seasons will fall behindhand, and we shall run inte F