Evening Star Newspaper, March 17, 1935, Page 2

THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C, MARCH 17, 1935—PART ONE. W Could N. R. A. Be Rude? Never!|\FIY [A] PUSHES |INCOME TAX GAINS | Not as Long as Red Tape Exists SOCIAL SECURITY REDRAFT FINISHED Rewritten Omnibus Bill Scheduled for Early House Action. BY JOHN C. HENRY. Rewriting of the Wagner-Lewis omnibus social security bill was com- pleted yesterday and after what is ex- pected to be brief consideration by the Ways and Means Committee, the re- vised measure will be reported out on the floor of the House, probably with- in a few days. With the bonus issue expected to be monopolizing the attention of the House at that time, Speaker Byrns said yesterday that he expects con- sideration of the social security pro- gram will follow this on the House calendar. It probably will be brought in under a rule limiting time of debate, but leaving the measure open to amendment. Although the bill has been thor- oughly reworded and some of the sec- tions interchanged, few major re- visions have been made in a piece of legislation which has occupied the attention of a special presidential committee, many individual aides and members of Congress for months. The rewriting of the original bill was done at the request of the House committee. Lewis Predicts Passage. “The social objectives of the bill, as | desired by the administration, all are carried out in the rewritten bill.” Representative Lewis, Democrat, of Maryland, and one of the co-authors, said yvesterday. “The rewriting was principally for the purpose of per- fecting the instrument. I expect the legislation will be adopted in sub- stantially the form proposed with little difficulty.” Among the important changes in the bill is the removal of the Fed- eral Administrative Board from the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor and the designation of it as an independent agency. To be known es the Social Security Board. this agency will administer the unemploy- ment compensation section, as well as the old age pension section, the latter originally under the Federal Emer- gency Relief Administrator. An even more important change in administration, however, is that re- lating to the veto power of the Fed- eral Board over State administrations. Although it was explained that re- moval of this concentration of power in the hands of a Federal agency would encourage States to enact their own social security legislation, the charge that it would leave them more open to local political maneuvering was unanswered. Two Changes in Job Insurance. In the unemployment insurance section, two changes are made with respect to the taxation features. The first eliminates the industrial produc- tion index computation and estab- lishes the employer tax for the first BY REX COLLIER. Why the ponderous machinery of. the N. R. A. should be set to work on the problem of Miss Ida Erler's stomach trouble was explained yes- terday by N. R. A. officials, who ap- peared somewhat irked by publicity given the matter in last week’s Sat- urday Evening Post. The pain which Miss Erler had when she rushed through her lunch |back in New Ulm, Minn, has been assuaged by reason of a special order approved by numerous boards and administrators at N. R. A. headquar- ters—but the relieved lady probably will never know the headache her dyspepsia has caused at Washington. As a matter of fact, officials made it plain, the N. R. A. hopes fervently that the isolated case of Miss Erler and her indigestion will continue to stand alone on the expansive records lof N. R. A. code exemptions. Not that N. R. A. authorities blame (Miss Erler for a physical disability | over which she had no control, except through careful eating; nor are they willing to criticize her em- | ployer, the proprietor of New Ulm'’s | thriving “Bee Hive” store, for being so considerate of her health as to ask formal permission of the N. R. A. to give Ida an extra half hour for lunch. More Time Required. Apparently the proprietor of the | “Bee Hive” is a stickler for rules and regulations—especially rules and reg- ulations of the Blue Eagle. These rules said that Miss Erler was en- titled to one hour for lunch—no more ing from stomach trouble, was told | by her physician that she should rest | after each meal, and one cannot stand in line at a cafeteria, eat lunch |and no less. But Miss Erler, suffer- | | and rest all in the space of one hour. Lady With Indigestion Was a Problem, but the Issue Was Met Squarely, for a Code Is a Code. to deputy administrator's aide, who makes a recommendation. This rec- ommendation then is sent for ap- proval to the Labor Advisory Board. the Legal Division, the Industrial Ad- visory Board, the Consumer Advisory Board and the Research and Planning Division. Eventually the merchant received a formal statement, which, after sev- eral “whereases,” concluded: “The petitioner is hereby permitted to ex- tend the lunch hour of Miss Ida Erler from one hour to one hour and a half until such time as the physical dis- abilities complained of have been al- leviated.” There may have been a reason, other than conscience, that prompted the New Ulm man to write to the N. R. A. about Miss Erler’s digestion, or rather, lack thereof. Perhaps there is a troublemaker among his employes who is waiting for an op- portunity to complain about his em- ployer. If the proprietor had refused to give Miss Erler an extra half hour for lunch he might have been ac- cused of cruelty, and if he had ex- tended her lunch period without getting permission from N. R. A. he might have been reported to N. R. A. for violating rules of the Blue Eagle. Opportunity to Twit N. R. A taken the course he did for the sole purpose of twitting the N. R. A. While N. R. A. officials disclaim knowledge of any case similar to that of Miss Erler, they point out there | on grounds that might seem, offhand, of minor importance, but which | actually involve consequences of | major nature. There was, for example, the request of a retaller to return 12 dozen hand- kerchiefs to the manufacturer be- So her employer wrote to the N.|cause he found they were not the R. A. last November about Miss Erler’s | style men would buy readily. It took stomach ailment, inclosing a doctor’s | red tape to grant this simple request, certificate to the effect that she should | as the handkerchief code forbids re- rest after lunch. pointed out that Miss Erler had been | turer unless defective. The proprietor | turn of merchandise to the manufac- The restric- | with the store 20 years and deserved | tion was placed in the code to do special consideration. He requested | away with the evil of dumping goods that she be allowed to take off an|back on the factory for no good rea- hour and a half for lunch. son. Right at this point it might be| The request of the handkerchief inserted that had the Bee Hive pro- merchant was granted because the prietor seen fit to wink at the Blue | manufacturer was willing to take the | Eagle perched on his store window | goods back. |and let Miss Erler have thyat extra Sometimes such requests are weeks | half hour. regardless, the N. R. A./and even months in the course of probably would have done some wink- ing of its own. Officials indicated | taken. consideration before final action is There have been cases in yesterday they wished he had taken | which retailers asked for permission to things into his own hands instead of | work employes overtime during the bothering headquarters here about the | Christmas season or other rush pe- crisis in Miss Erler’s health. ! Danger of Chiseling. riods, and did not receive formal no- tification of final approval from Wash- ington until the emergency long was | Of course nobody at the N. R. A. past. In all such instances, however, | will come right out and say so. for N. R. A. officials declare, telegrams | publication. | Obviously, that would are sent advising the petitioners to put N. R. A. in the position of letting | go ahead with the overtime plan down the bars—of encouraging ‘‘chis- = pending receipt of formal approval by elers” | the other rule. to ignore this and that, and | mail If after investigation the request is Of course, the merchant may have | | are occasional requests for exemptions | | Since, however, the New Ulm mer- | found to be unreasonable, or otherwise | | chant chose to put the problem up to | contrary to policy, and the final action | R. A, there was nothing the Gov- | of N. R. A. is negative, the merchant year at 1 per cent, for the second |, ent’ could do but to receive the | who has proceeded with his plan on | request through usual channels, give the basis of the telegram may find it careful consideration, send it to | himself subject to a penalty. He must the various boards which are required | take his chance on that. year at 2 per cent and for the third and succeeding years at 3 per cent. The second decreases the scope of the tax in providing only for those who employ 10 or more persons. Agricul- tural, domestic and casual employes | are exempted. to pass on requests for exemption from code rules, and notify the mer-| chant of the result. | The customary course which such The consensus of officials at N. R. A. seems to be, however, that the New Ulm merchant would have incurred no serious risk if he had granted Miss At the same time, charitable, "d,“‘ |a request must follow is from code | Erler that extra half hour for lunch cational and similar non-profit-making | authority to divisional administrator ' without telling Uncle Sam about ft. institutions are specifically exempted | from taxation, thus meeting strong | objection voiced at both House and Senate hearings against adding Lo‘ the expense of public benefit institu- | tions already cramped by the depres- | sion. Among those asking exemption | for such institutions was Dr. Cloyd H.' Marvin, president of George Washing- | ton University and representing before | a Senate committee the American | Council of Education. In spite of criticism that there is not sufficient incentive given to en- courage States to enact their own laws, the committee has done noth- | ing in this direction other than re- move the Federal board’s supervisory authority over local personnel. The opportunity to keep 90 per cent of their own taxable funds within their own States if local laws are enacted | is considered sufficient inducement | by administration leaders. Added to | this is the provision of the national legislation calling for yearly appropri- ations to cover entire cost of adminis- i tering the State laws. Opponents, among them members | of the House committee minority, claim that crediting employers with 90 per cent of their tax will not be a sufficiently strong influence to bring 48 State legislatures into line. Efforts to strengthen this feature of the bill | are expected from the floor of the House. Borrowing Clause Changed. A further shifting of functions is made in what was title 6 of the old bill, authorizing the Federal Board to borrow on Government certificates for purpose of increasing the old-age fund. This operation is placed under Jjurisdiction of the Treasury Depart- ment in the rewritten bill. A greater increase in liberalization of requirements for State laws is found in the old-age assistance sec- tion of the new bill, a shorter and more elastic list of requirements being outlined. Most important of these, probably, is a provision allowing in- dividual States to set their own stand- ards of a ‘“reasonable subsistence compatible with decency and health.” While Speaker Byrns, Committee Chairman Doughton and other Demo- cratic leaders express confidence that the program will be enacted in sub- stantially the form reported by the committee, a flood of proposed amend- ments are expected when the bill reaches the floor. Republicans, for instance, admitting sympathy with the objectives of the legislation, are expected to lead a fight to have the measure split into individual bills so that each of the various social medicaments may be considered separately. Agreement with this course has been heard on the Demo- cratic side also. Minority Group to Meet. Minority members of the commit- tee plan to meet as soon as the re- written bill is handed to them to plan their activities during considera- tion of the measure. Meanwhile, the Senate is marking time on the legislation. Senator Har- rison, Democrat, of Mississippi, whose Finance Committee held hearings on the bill, said no committee report or further committee consideration would be given the measure until the House has brought out its version. Being an appropriation bill, it must first pass the House. Senator La Follette, Progressive, of Wisconsin, member of the Finance Committee, said he expected to pro- pose some amendments. In favor of such legislation himself, he predict- ed its passage in the Senate. Senator Wagner, N‘w York Demo- INSULL CHARGES DROPPED BY STATE SENATE ASKS DATA ON HOWARD U. 108 Former Magnate Will Take | Ickes Requested to Give Re- Industrial, but Not Invest- ment, Field Job. By the Associated Press. | CHICAGO, March 16.—The State | gave up all effort today to send the Insulls to prison. The attempt to hold Samuel and | ‘Mzmn Insull criminally responsible for the investment debacle which cost security holders untold millions has | proved fruitless, and State’s Attorney Thomas J. Courtney announced his | prosecutors would move Monday to | dismiss the last State indictment re- ’ Samuel, at 75, is ready to plunge back into business in an advisory ca- pacity with some industrial firm. Finance, a close associate said today, is ruled out. Martin, 10 years younger, is under- stood to have accepted a business offer in Canada, whither he must' return as an alien under terms of his extra- dition. Takes News Unsmilingly. Newsaper men greeted the elder Insull with the news as he returned to his Gold Coast Hotel suite this afternoon, but it brought no smile from the erstwhile tycoon of American utility companies. “I haven't been officially informed of the action,” he said gruffly. Green Silent on Course. United States Attorney Dwight H. Green, with whom the decision rests, was not prepared tonight to say whether he would follow the State’s example in dropping prosecution. The ca.e has been regarded as the weaker against Insull from the start. From a source close to Samuel In- sull it was learned today that he has finished his memoirs, but no publisher has been found. Several corporations, it was stated, have asked the elder Insull for his services and he hopes to take a posi- tion in an advisory capacity which would make use of his half-century experience as an engineer and organizer. Give Whale’s Tooth. To show their esteem, Pijians at the World Scout Jamboree in Mel- bourne, Australia, presented Lord Baden-Powell with a whale’s tooth. crat and co-author of the original bill, likewise is markigsg time pend- ing release of the rewritten House bill, but is confident of enactment of the legislation. “There is no question of our need of such legislation,” he said. “I have understand the of those who oppose ested to see what is making. I'll have some to propose myself when it rfi‘hfi the Senate.” port on P. W. A. Probe Into “Irregularities.” By unanimous consent, the Hast- ings resolution requesting Secretary of the Interior Ickes to transmit to the Senate the report on a P. W. A investigation made last year into al- leged irregularities at Howard Uni- versity was adopted by the Senate yesterday. The question of whether public | works allotments to the university | were used for the purpose for which allotted or for other expenses of the institution is dealt with in the re- port. The alleged violations of P. W. A. regulations were of a technical nature and involved no grounds for criminal action, Ickes said recently. A belief also was indicated by officials that the expenditures were made as the result of a misunderstanding. Senator Hastings said he is not planning to ask for a Senate commit- tee investigation, but only wants the information on the subject called for in his resolution. A special meeting of the board of trustees of Howard is scheduled to be held in New York tomorrow to receive the report of a special committee of six board members appointed last month to consider the matter. BOY KING CONFERS LAUSANNE, Switzerland, March 16 () —Eleven-year-old King Ananda held his first audience today as ruler of Siam, closeted in a vacant Summer hotel at Caux where he received offi- cial greetings from his native land. The little monarch and a delega- tion sent to inform him that he had succeeded to the throne abdicated by his uncle, Prajadhipok, returned to Lausanne tonight, to be met by Ghya gl:‘wmnkn, Siamese minister to Tis. ‘The group will return to the moun- tain resort again tomorrow, this time to give the minister a chance to pay his respects. Farmer and Girl Both Faint Asking Marriage License By the Associated Press. FORT WAYNE, Ind, March 16. — Clarence Friend, 23, a farmer of near Continental, Ohio, and Miss Josephine E. Knoll, 19, of Fort Wayne, fainted here to- day while applying for a marriage license. . ‘The girl swooned first and as | LAWS IN STATES Bills Drafted in Capital. Some Make Progress, While Others Lag. (Copyright. 1035, by the Assocated Press.) An eight-pronged legislative pro- gram was disclosed yesterday to have been thrust by the Federal Govern- ment into the law-making bodles of the various States, with results rang- ing from inaction to rapid enactment. ‘The general lines followed by the program, mostly put forward in the form of complete bills, have been: The creation of State planning agencies. A broader form of public owner- ship, operation and regulation of electric and utility plants. Bringing State laws into line with the bond issuance and other require- ments of the Public Works Ad-min- istration. Providing for State co-operation in housing, slum clearance and allled projects. The creation of State recovery agencies patterned after N. R. A. Bank Laws Involved. Bringing State banking laws into line with different Federal laws, such as deposit insurance, Home Owners’ Loan Corp., Federal Housing Admin- istration and the Reconstruction Finance Corp. The enactment of State unemploy- ment insurance, old-age pension, child welfare and other economic security measures in anticipation of the Federal program pending in Congress. Passage of narcotic and other crime laws growing out of the recent crime conference in Washington. The entire program has not been enacted in any State yet, but appar- ently the closest thing to full com- pliance with Federal requests has been in Louisiana, where Gov. O, K. Allen, the on-the-ground spokesman for Senator Huey Long, said: “There’s been nothing but harmony with the Federal administration.” Drafted in Washington. ‘The bills themselves were, in the main, written in Washington by at- torneys in the different Federal agen- cies and pumped out to the State Legislatures through the State direc- tors of the Emergency Council. The State planning agencies appar- rently would be patterned after the suggestica of President Roosevelt's National Resources Board. They | would pass upon profects for public works funds. Utilities and electricity measures call for the creation of power districts | to operate power plants and for State rural electrification authorities which | would promote the wide use of elec- tricity in farm areas. Others would allow municipalities to own and oper- ate plans. Some 14 bills were drawn up by public works authorizing the State governmental units to issue bonds and | conform in other ways to the rules of P, W. A, in allotting funds. They would vastly liberalize the procedure in many States for issuing bonds | without the necessity of referenda. Eminent Domain Provided. In the housing field, the legislation would allow corporate agencies and corporations receiving funds from the United States to take over lands by | eminent domain for housing projects. Power would be granted for States, cities, towns and incorporated villages to co-operate with the United States housing authorities in conveying or leasing property, providing streets, and “otherwise.” The N. R. A. measures propose to set up State agencies modeled after the national Blue Eagle outfit to en- force codes in industries engaged in intra-State commerce. The banking legislation is mostly technical. In some of the States the laws were such as to bar residents from taking full advantage of the various Pederal lending agencies and the Deposit Insurance Corp. Security Marks Time. Eccnomic security legislation, put forward in just a few States, has, generally speaking, been marking time awaiting the action of Congress on the Federal law. Some officials have expressed fear recently that most of the Legislatures would have adjourned before Congress gets around to passing the Federal law. It was designed w0 .| pay benefits to those unemgloyed if the States enact such laws, grant pensions to those over 60, give more liberal aid to children and mothers and provide better public health facilities. The crime laws are a part of the recent crime drive and are designed, partially, to give better State co- operation with each other and the Federal Government, in rounding up criminals. In addition, in some States, new bills have been put forward to allow the Federal Government to buy more forest lands so that new forest areas may be established. {W’FALL KERBEY TO SPEAK McFall Kerbey, editorial staff repre- sentative of the National Geographic Society in South Dakota last Summer during the stratosphere balloon flight of the Army Air Corps, will speak be- fore the Beta Theta Pi Alumni Asso- ciation of Washington, at a special meeting of the association to be held at 6:30 pm. Thursday in the La Fayette Hotel. Wives of members of the group have been invited to the dinner meeting. Richberg Donald R. Richberg, No. 2 man of Council, will discuss Issue of 1935” in the National Radio Forum tomorrow night. The forum is arranged by The Washington Star and broadcast over, a coast-to-coast network of the Na- tional Broadcasting Co. The address will be heard in Washington from Station WRC at 10:30 p.m. Richberg will discuss the most seri- the American 21 VER 5 $191,358,909 Collected in First Half of March—$147,- 794,894 Year Ago. By the Associated Press. The Treasury reported last night that income tax returns for the first 15 days in March showed an upturn of 29 per cent over the comparable half month of last year. Eagerly awaited, on the grounds that these first returns on 1934 in- comes would furnish an accurate gauge on the volume of business trans- acted last year, Treasury officials were gratified to discover receipts of $191,- 358,909, as compared with only $147,- 794,894 last year. On the basis of these preliminary returns, income taxes of about $300,- 000,000 are predicted for the month, as compared with $232,000,000 col- lected in March of last year. It was said at the Treasury, however, that these figures could not be used as final guide, because of the delay in getting clearances of the remitted sums. Delayed Reaching Treasury. Income tax payments, regardless of the form in which they are made, are cleared through the Federal Reserve | Banks by collectors of the various | districts, and reach the Treasury only ‘ after several days following payment. | Thus, returns made on the deadline (midnight, March 15) will not show their full velocity in the Treasury re- | ports until several days later. In the meantime, however, Treasury | officials were maintaining telegraphic | communications with the various col- lectors, who reported previous esti- | mates would unquestionably be | reached. These estimates call for | $1,051,000,000 for the present fiscal | year, meaning that $535,000,000 must come in between now and June 30. This would be added to $516,586,000, reported up to the close of business March 14, date of the latest Treasury statement. Corporation Increase. A material increase is expected by officials in corporation returns, due to some changes in the law which elim- inated consolidated filing, and to the fact that corporate gains were the heaviest evolving from the “New Deal.” This statement is borne out by statistics of income for 1933. An analysis of the current returns showing the sources of income and taxes in the various categories will not be available before next September, when operations of the present fiscal year will be assembled and made public. Guy T. Helvering, commissioner of internal revenue, recently expressed his pleasure over preliminary re- ated by Treasury officials yesterday | Helvering's remarks were made after |2 conference with President Roose- | velt. EMERGENCY RELIEF SEEN INCREASED 35 PER CENT 18 Months' Load Is Costing 198 Per Cent More, Says Indus- trial Conference. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, March 16.—A rise in |18 months of 35 per cent in the num- | ber of emergency relief cases and an increase of 198 per cent in the month- ly cost was figured today by the Na- tional Industrial Conference Board. ‘The organization, which is financed by large industrial corporations, showed the number of relief cases in January, 1933, was 3,908,900 and in December, 1934, the total was 5,261,500. The total cost in the same period rose from $60,200,000 to $179,500,000, the board figured. | The average monthly cost per case was given at $15.40 in January, 1933, and at $34.12 in December, 1934, an increase of 122 per cent. Bill Would Tax ' Georgia Bachelors | And Grass Widows Legislator Sponsors Sec- ond Measure to Give Husbands Alimony. | By the Associated Press. ATLANTA, March 16,—Single bless- year. | * A bill appeared in the House today | to tax bachelors and grass widows. | The measure also would tax men and women not living with their spouses. Representative H. B. Edwards, a giant of a lawyer, living in the South- ern part of the State, is father of the proposition. The same fellow, whose tenacity in legislative halls has brought him the nickname of “Hell Bent,” is daddy of another bill to give husbands alimony in separations or divorce. “I've no sympathy for a person who is not married and particularly for a person who is married and doesn't have sense enough to live with her husband or his wife,” commented the burly legislator. “Of course, there are some excep- tions, wherein it is not possible to live with your mate, but, even at that, I think a person should be forced to pay a tax for having such freedom.” in Forum DONALD R. RICHBERG. relief, labor | and other per- tinent problems confronting the New <€ turns for March, an expression reiter- | edness may cost Georgians $250 a | J This is the first of a series of articles on children’s literature of the past. & BY THOMAS R. HENRY. ibrary of Congress Unearths Children’s Books of Long Ago uvenile Fiction Reveals Changes in American Life and Thought Through Three Periods. rors of conscience after the theft of a pot of jam is the nearest one comes to crime or mystery. Nor is the “making good” note struck. It was | an essentially aristocratic age, before HOUSE LIBERALS ADOPT PLATFORM Bloc Claims More Members, Despite Attempts to Halt Movement. | By the Associated Press. | A 16-point legislative program which called for assurance “that ecoe Where are the children of yester- | the great industrial and territorial ex- | nomic and social justice shall be ac- year? The heroes and heroines with whom | six generations of American childhood identified themselves in their games and their fantasies are being resur- rected from oblivion by the rare book division of the Library of Congress. Fond parents of today are alarmed | when Sonny—a couple of toy pistols | at his belt and a handkerchief over his face—imitates in his play the latest gangster who had gained a place | in the headlines. ey groan over his pretended flights in space ships, his fantasies of international dope rings, etc. They blame the radio and the lurid juvenile fiction provided by the 10-cent stores. What is to come on a generation nursed on such mind and character milk? Lurid Tales of Long Ago. Nobody knows—but when one con- siders the false note of some of the accepted juvenile fiction of the past and realizes that children grew up honorable men and women in spite of it there is a little comfort. Volta Parma, custodian of the rare book division, is combing the shelves | and vaults of the national library for the books, fiction and otherwise, pub- lished for children through the nine- teenth century. There are hundreds of volumes—unopened and unheard of for generations. Many of them now exist only in the single copies, originally filed for copyright, which Mr. Parma is finding and preserving. | They furnish the material for one lof the most significant chapters in | American history—a chapter which never has been written. It was on these old books, many of them utterly worthless as literature, that the imagi- nation of American children was fostered and out of them their life ideals were moulded. In them may be found the keys to the characteristic behavior of generations. Books in Three Periods. Not that they reflect the true child mind of the times when they were published. The child mind itself has not changed much since the Garden of | Eden. What they do reflect is what the adults of different generations thought children were and what they wanted |them to be. They are the props against which the vines were trained. The books being gathered by Mr Parma show at least three significant periods. The first extended about 30 years after the Revolution. The | keynote of the child literature of this period was religious and almost un- | believably platitudinous. The authors | proceeded on the assumption that all | children were perfect and that any form of mischief was a damnable ab- normality. The plots of the stories were for the most part concerned with the struggles of naturally good little girls and boys to be still better—the re- ward being reasonable assurance of | going to Heaven. Both the economic ! and the adventure motifs are almost entirely absent. Nothing is recounted | that is the least exciting. The hor- pansion of America which opened the doors of ambition to everybody. corded all of the people” was adopted unanimously yesterday by the new | House liberal bloc. Minister Was the Hero, People were supposed to be satisfied with their lot and not try to displace their betters. It would have been im- moral for a poor boy to have imagined himself trading places with the rich banker. But lowly as was his lot, he might hope to die early and go to Heaven if he was sufficiently heroic in resisting temptation. The minister, not the bank president, was his proper | | that the Sunday School Union books for children were most in evidence. They were published for Sunday school | libraries—about the only libraries of | the time—with the combined censor- ship of several leading Protestant de- nominations. They formed literally the only reading for millions who be- came the fathers and mothers of the | next generation ahd a perusal of them goes a long way toward explaining some of the prudery as well as the higher qualities of the so-called “Vic- torfanism’ in America. With the opening up of the West, the expansion of cities and the begin- ning of industries men’s minds shifted quickly from heavenly to worldly ends and the fundamental motif of chil- dren's books changed also. There starts what Mr. Parma calls the “Ragged Dick” era, where the heroic youth rises from lowly estate to wealth | and power. The hero's goal is no longer Heaven—at least by the short- est route. He wants to take his time getting there and detour through the office of the railroad president or the newspaper publisher. Power and Wealth Stressed. Life is reduced to a simple formula. The fundamental virtues plus time equal power and wealth. This was the formula upon which two or three gen- erations of Americans were raised and, in the American setting at least, was almost true. It was the formula in- stilled by the juvenile books which the boy and girl took into manhood and womanhood. In those cases where it wasn't true, by the time the victims woke to the realization it was too late to do anything about it and they had become so woven into the fabric of society that few of them had any in- clination to kick over the traces. Of course, this formula left the way open for a lot of hypocrisy and rationaliza- tion—but it served its purpose. Still later caine the pure adventure story, which holds attention by its own intrinsic interest and offers no for- mula for conduct at all. This phase of juvenile literature has continued to the present. From these three phases of juvenile literature. now being saved from ob- livion by Mr. Parma, the reader can perhaps glean a better understanding of the motivation of American be- havior than from all the history text- books. 3) YEARS TODAY Howe’s lliness Casts Shad- ow on Anniversary—Eggs on Dinner Menu. By the Associated Press. The Franklin Delano Roosevelts quietly observed the eve of their 30th wedding anniversary last night, but preparations for a family reunion today showed many little signs of sentiment and remembrance. Because of the illness of Louis Howe, chief of the President’s secre- tariat, the only entry thus far on the Sunday schedule was a family dinner and on that dinner's menu was scrambled eggs. Almost invariably during these 30 years, the Roosevelts have served scrambled eggs Sunday night and that custom goes back to the wedding day. Among the gifts was a hand- some silver chafing dish. Mrs. Roose- velt presided over it at their first Sunday night supper and she will pre- side again tonight. Sons May Not Arrive. All the President’s immediate fam- ily had planned to visit the White House, but various developments in- terfered. The word last night was that plans for the flying Elliott Roosevelt to dash home for the anniversary and for son John Roosevelt to hurry in from col- lege seemed unlikely to materialize. But the President’s daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. John Boet- tiger, were coming from New York. And at least three of the original wedding family party were to be present at the dinner—the President’s uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Prederic A. Delano, and his aunt, Mrs. Dora Delano Forbes. 3 Delano, brother of the President’s mother, lives here; hi: sister, Mrs. Forbes, is visiting him. Sentiments Preserved. Intimate friends said .yesterday that few bridal couples have preserved the sentiment that attaches to anniver- saries as have the President and Mrs. Roosevelt. Mrs. Roosevelt still daily welia:ne; square-cut diamond engagemen! in its original setting; no “modern- ization” for he{‘.’ o e She constantly wears locket, with initials intertwined, which he gave her as an engagement gift. It is marked with the teeth- cutting of their children. And as familiar as her photographs is the wedding watch her husband gave her; of Gibson-girl, pin-on- style—its pin of his own design, the three feathers of the Roosevelt crest, the drop a heart. Silk Prices Decline. Uncertainty over the demand in the United States has caused silk prices in .Ytpt\to drop. iRunswms WeD CHARACTER CLASS WORK IS INDORSED Citizens Include Warning Against Communism in Favoring Funds. tion and the superintendent of schools to have the appropriation for char- acter education restored to the Dis- | trict bill were indorsed by the Feder- !ation of Citizens' Associations last ! night. A proviso was made, however, that “there be inserted in the bill pro- vision that no money appropriated |be paid to any advocate of com- munism or un-American doctrines, or to any one in any way connected | with any organization or agency ad- | vocating such doctrines.” | Quite a debate was staged over | charges of communism in the public |schools and charges leveled at “a | teacher of character education” who draws down $50 a day expenses. The | resolution was introduced by James | G. Yaden, president of the federation. While the schools had the atten- tion of the federation, Dr. Charles B. Campbell, chairman of the Public | Health Committee, told the delegates that there are now 300 cases of scar- |let fever in the public schools of Washington; that a real emergency | exists. He askéd that he be instructed | | to appear before the Senate Subcom- | mittee on Appropriations to plead | for 12 part-time physicians and 10 | full-time nurses to work in the public schools, examining children as a precautionary measure. A resolution was adopted instructing Dr. Campbell to appear before the committee. Crime Probe Praised. By unanimous agreement, delegates went on record as commending the House of Representatives for “the in- tense, thorough, and courageous in- vestigation being conducted by the | subcommittee on crime.” The resolu- tion to this effect was introduced by | George Sullivan, chairman of the Law |and Legislation Committee. At the opening of the meeting, President Yaden read a letter from people’s counsel, Rcberts, asking the federation’s reaction to the proposal to move busses off the streets of Wash- ington and set up terminals. Yaden read a letter he had written in reply. “There are two sets of laws and regulations in the District,” Yaden wrote, “the unwritten law for those who have influence and pull, and I propose to make over these laws, which people with influence may violat= with impunity.” He said he intended to lay certain facts before the Crime Commil Municipal Center Plans. It was proposed by the federation to send special committees to Con- gress in future carrying with them drafted bills when seeking legislation. The Committee on Civic Planning submitted its report on the re-study of, the Municipal Center, which was | Efforts of the Board of Educa-| ‘me same project. Despite attempts by party leaders to discourage the movement, the | bloc claimed more members present or represented by proxy at its meet- ing yesterday than at the initial ses | sion a week ago. And to make the move completely non-partisan, the 30-odd who were present agreed to alternate the chair- | manship at each week’s meeting bee tween members who nominally be- long to the four parties represented —Democratic, Republican, Progres- sive and Farmer-Labor. Credit Regulation Advocated. The new program: 1. Federal regulation of credit and currency. 2. Abolishment of the issuance of tax-exempt securities. 3. Increased inheritance, income and gift taxes on a graduated basis. 4. Refinancing of farm debts on a long-term basis at 1%; per cent in- terest. 5. Reduced interest rates on home loans. 6. Guarantee to farmers of the | average cost of production plus “a reasonable profit.” | 7. Limitation of the hours of labor |in industry. 8. Insurance to labor of “its in- herent right to bargain collectively.” School Aid Proposal. 9. Pubiic works appropriations “in amounts adequate to provide employ- ment for those in need of employ- | ment at a wage sufficient to maintain |a decent standard of living.” | 10. Adequate Federal aid to educa- | tion. 11. “Government ownership of all | natural resources and monopolies vested with a public interest.” 12. Deprofitizing of war. | 13. Avoidance of “foreign entangle- | ments.” , 14. “Adequate provisions for the payment of sickness, old-age and un- employment benefits.” 15. Protection of freedom of speech and the press. 16. A liberalization of House rules. Frazier-Lemke Bill Backed. Those who attended the meeting emphasized again that they were not opposing President Roosevelt, but that their program was designed primarily | to assure enactment of some legisla- tion which so far had not appeared on his program. One measure to which the group gave indirect sanction was the Frazier-Lemke farm mortgage re- financing bill, which would set up a $3.000,000,000 revolving fund for the refinancing of mortgages over a long period and at 1!, per cent interest. After the meeting Representative Lemke, Republican, of North Dakota, reminded that he had on file with the clerk a petition to force a vote on that bill. He sald he had 125 of the necessary 217 signatures “and the rest will go cn next week.” | Kvale Presides Again. Representative Kvale, Farm-Labor. of Minnesota, presided again over the second meeting. Those listed by the group’s leaders as being present or represented by proxy were: Democrats—Wallgren, Knute Hill and Martin Smith of Washington; Maverick of Texas; | Hoeppel, Scott and Costello of Cali- | fornia; Dunn of Pennsylvania; Hilde- brandt of South Dakota; Ryan of | Minnesota; Keller of Illinois; Wood of | Missouri; Binderup and Luckey of Nebraska; Carpenter of Kansas. Republicans—Burdick and Lemke of North Dakota, Maas of Minnesota. | Stefan of Nebraska, Gilchrist of | Iowa, Lambertson of Kansas, Mar- | cantonio of New York, Engel of Michigan. Progressives—Schneider, Boileau. Amlie, Sauthoff. Hull, Withrow and Gehrmann of Wisconsin. Farm-Labor—Kvale, Buckler and Lundeen of Minnesota. Zioncheck, 'VIRGINIA TO FIGHT | U.S. POWER CASE Federal Position on New River | Held State Rights Vio- lation. | By the Associated Press. RICHMOND, Va., March 16— Boldly terming the Federal Govern- ment’s position in the New River | power case an infringement on State’s | rights, the Virginia Corporation Com- mission today called on Attorney Gen- eral A. P. Staples to take part in the litigation and “resist efforts of the Federal Power Commission to take control of waters plainly non-nav- | igable.” Frank R. McNinch, chairman of the | Federal Power Commission, said Thursday that Attorney General | Cummings of the United States had been asked to bring suit to compel the Appalachian Electric Power Co. to comply with the commission’s order to obtain a Federal license on the company’s dam project on the New River. McNinch said the Appalachian company had begun construction “in utter disregard of the Federal water power act and in flagrant defiance of the findings and order of the com- mission.” The company has contended in liti- gation extending over several years | that the Federal commission does not have jurisdiction over the proj- |ect in question because the New | River is a non-navigable stream. | In a letter sent to Virginia's attor- | ney general today, the State corpora< | tion commissioners, Thomas W. Ozlin, H. Lester Hooker and William Meade Fletcher, urged him to take “necessary steps to protect the rights of the State” in future proceedings between the Federal authority and the utility. adopted by the federation. The re- study makes seversal important changes in the original plans of the municipal | architect. The contemplated build- | ings will be built on a scale much smaller than that originally planned. This, because the complete growth of | washington City, based on estimates by the Census Bureau, admits of a population of 900,000 in 1990—a pop- ulation that will never go over the million mark because of space limita- tions. The federation decided it was not in favor of spending District of Co- lumbio funds for an airport, though it is not opposed to Federal action on ’