The evening world. Newspaper, September 10, 1919, Page 20

«NO. 21,204 FREE THE ROOTS. URTHER food for timely thought was furnished New York VOLUME 60. F’: showing how traction problems in Philadelphia are being solved without departing from the basis of a five-cent fare. “The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company will carry over $50,000,000 passengers during 1919 at an average fare of less than four cents per passenger.” The statement is made on the authority of Thomas K. Mitten, President of the company. Only last month workers on this com- pany’s lines got another increase of wages totalling $2,500,000. Wages have been increased 154 per cent. since Mr. Mitten took hold nire years ago. Why is this Philadelphia traction company not going into bankruptcy? ‘. Answer: Economies. Economies minutely calculated and pains- takingly carried out to an extent that would astonish New Yorkers. , Keomomies effected by substantial reduction of fixed charges, by cutting down payrolls, by rerouting cars, by.scientific coal consump- tion—in short, by a policy of persistent sdving peculiar to the Mitten genius for traction management, a policy which makes this traction executive well worth the $100,000 salary which he receives. j In New York the muddle of traction finance goes from bad to worse. From week to week new figures are paraded to show the’ impossibility of continuing to meet fixed.charges and operating ex- ‘ penses with five-cent fares. New receiverships are threatened. In -the case of the Interborough the city is warned that its own interests are tore and more endangered. Meanwhile one thing is sure. There will never for city or public be any arriving at bottom facts, never any convincing answer to the question whether or not traction lines in New York can be profitably run on a five-cent basis until their stratified accretions of past extravagance and mismanagement are stripped away. What this city needs is somebody who will cut boldly and with afirm hand down through the inherited lenses, the exorbitant rentals, thie ‘heavy dividend obligations—the whole tangled, knotted mass of ‘fixed charges which an earlier orgy of wild traction finance fastened upon transit operation in this city—and lay bare the real roots in honest earning power. tn! Until this is done there can be only patch and makeshift, putting joff the day of reckoning by laying fresh burdens on the public. This is the inherited policy of most present traction management in New York. Its first instinct is to cover up and keep on, not to let in the light and correct. ‘ In fact it begins to appear that, however much they hurt, swift hankruptcies and receiverships may be the best Thing in the lo run for the future of transportation in this city—provided that, though they precipitate immediate and transient losses, they eliminate once and for all excessive rentals, unearned dividends and other exorbitant fixed charges and prepare the way for recapitalization on @-dasis of acutal earning power. When the roots have been freed and the stagnant water drained off, let a traction genius of the Mitten calibre bring a fresh point of view to bear on the reotganization of transit lines in New York and we shall see whether the 6,000,000 people of this city provide a poorer business opportunity than the million and a half of Philadelphia for ‘a traction corporation that believes in five-cent fares. ? The parade of Gen. Pershing and the First Division takes its Place among the great and cherished memories of Manhattan Isle, —$_—-_—___ Fate scores another of its best ironies in making staid and Proper Boston first victim of the ugly consequences of a police strike. a At the Retail Clothiers’ convention i Chicago it is predicted , that present high prices for men’s clothes can’t last for the simple Teason that men won't pay them, No bearing on the cost of women’s attire, nS In the name of peace and harmony, won't the Actors’ Equity in its hour of triumph please stop calling members of the Actors’ Fidelity League “Fidos”! ee a: & Aon eR Nama! a Senator Lodge presents, ‘ Letters From the People Customs House Elevator Men. ‘Te the Bditer of The Evening World; Flaving read the letters from the policemen and letter carriers, I wish to ‘acquaint the public with the condi- tlons of the elevator conductors em- ployed at the United States Customs House, We receive a salary of $720 per year and have been allowed an extra bonus of $240 for the year 1919- 1920, 80 you can see what a small sal- Ary we have with which to pay rent, cartare, etc, We are the only branch of the service working over eight hours a day, We are on duty from 8 A. M. to 4.43 P. M., and are the only employees that do not get a day off when we work on u Sunday, All other ta day off for Sunde ¢ erage Apa} the ene Drench.ot the Government supicewe who are not Race Discrimination © To the Editor of The Bening World Tam «@ stenographer and typist and have been, carefully and with much sacrifice on the part of my parents, given a high school training to fit me for my tight with the business world, Recently, while in search of employ- tly, as to race an in choosing its employ: American, but i. unfortunately rebuked for being a “JEW.” reach all those Precis * rease of salaries. ventious): i a you will. give this letter opposed to employing =. “THWs 1 apes. A CONDU Brooklys, N. X, Sept. & od sterday in The Evening World’s presentation of more facts ment, I was very much astonished at the narrow-mindedness and partial- creed sh »: the New York Telephone “Company lam an ? happened to be born of Jewish eae Wherever I come, my good qualifica- tony are overlooked and | am openly ou think that this discrimination should exist im the 20th century? I would greatly appreciate it if you'd kindly publish this letter, so that it may 00d people, who are and the “Peace” Out of the Treaty Ellabelle M By Bide oted HE Women's Betterment League of Delhi met Saturday after- noon in Hugus Hall to consider the question of lending its support to @ plan to add a poetry department to the curriculum of the town's public School. The suggestion came from none other than Ellabelle Mae Doo- little, the noted poétess. An article by her on the subject appeared in the Delhi Bazoo several days ago and created so much comment. that Promptress Pertle, wife of the Hon, Elisha Q.Pertle, editor of the Bazoo, called the members of the League to- gether for @ discussion of the plan. ‘The meeting was open (o non-mem- bers and quite a few were present, including a number of men, In call- ing the gathering to order Promptress Pertle said: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, for I hope you are such (laughter), we are here to consider urging on the school board the advisability of teaching poetry-writing in our public school. Ellie Doolittle has suggested the plan. What do you think of it?" Mrs. Cutey Boggs arose. “Madam Promptress," she began, “my son, Pick, goes to that schoo! and he's not a-going to be ruined by being a poe! Miss Doolittle, seated oy the ro: trum, was seen to wince, “It anybody tries to make him a poet,” continued Mrs, Boggs, “I'm dogged if I don’t sue them for dam- ages. My brother wrote a poem once, and because a man who owed him money said it was fine he quit job and loafed two years, Now he's with a oircus, acting the wild man part, One wild man is a-plenty for the Boggses and their ki “But your brother had theatrical talent, anyway, didn’t he?” asked Mrs, Bulalie Pincus, : “1 don't know about that, but he had a theatrical appetite,” responded the indignant member, “Tut, tut! You mustn't get sore at @ little thing like your brother being & poet,” said Promptress Pertle, had dropped in to hear the debate, arose at this point, He held up one hand, Copyright, 1919, by The Press Publishing Co. (The New York Evening World), Poetess Favors Teaching Poetry-Writing in the Delhi Public School “Sure not!" came from Mrs, Kil} when it was over the ladies applaud- Hoosick, “He might a’ graduated |ed with great gusto,’ * into @ burglar All were pleased, Mayor Cyrus Perkins Walker, who Lene Seno Ore “My dear iadies,” he began, “poets ae Doolittle Dudley | said Mrs, Boggs, “My brother is aj big fat-head.” “I'l say he is," chirped Mrs. Pa della Bust, who has a friend in New York who writes her all the latest slang. It infuriated Mrs, Boggs. “Old man Bust is no better, she snapped. “They tell me he eats ico cream with a fork." “Ladies!” said Promptress Pertle, rapping for order, “You are inter- rupting Mayor Walker.’ “I'm through,” said the Mayor, sit- ting down, “You are that,” responded Mrs. Bogs. ‘The Promptress then called on Miss Doolittle. ‘The poetess, gowned in cream-colored alpaca with semi- bustle effect, stepped to the fore and bowed, “Bosh! she sald. A hush fell over the assemblage, “Poetry is divine and anybody who can write it will’ “Starve to deat! Bogss. Miss Doolittle decided the party was getting rough and she would waste nO more words in argument. Skinning @ sheet of manuscript off a roll, she read the following griginal poem: Poetry-writing is nice to know; Look at Rudyard Kipling; He struck the world a telling blow, His poetry was a pippin, Teach the art to our young people— Ah, my dlood fairly tingles! Lo! the poor Indian in his tepee, He could not write jingles, shouted Mrs. My sister's child, Teeney Ricketts, Tried to smoke @ cigar; She tripped over siz croquet wickets, But 1 really must laugh—har! har! However, let ua teach the babizs The art of rhyming! words; It's nice for Mickey, Tommy and Abie, Like @ beautiful cow in the herd. The poem ‘swung all the opposers to the plan and, the vote on it was unanimous, Miss Doolittle was.com- pelled'{o read the rhyme again, and QUININE FROM THE PHILIPPINES Experiments are under way in the By Roy L. monthly hair cut, had dropped In to be operated upon by his old friend, Fred, the sporting barber. “Well, I see your shop has taken down the ‘No Tips’ sign,” said Mr. Jarr as he leaned back and tilted up his chin to admit a towel being tucked into the neckband of his shirt. “Sure,” replied the sporting barber. “Ever since the barber's strike, It was the high oost of living done it, so we all gstruck for more money, | shorter hours and’ all the tips we could salve from the saps. “Well, you'll ull get rich at twenty- five cents a shave and fifty cents for @ haircut, not to count the tips, I suppose?” ventured Mr, Jarr, “Well, on percentage it's the ‘jobs’ that pay the barber better than anything,” replied the sporti barber. “The jobs?” repeated Mr. Jarr. “Yes, that's what the barbers call massage, shampoo, hair singeing and all them extras they try to stick on the mooks,"” replied Fred, “Of. course, lots of customers ask for a face nas- sage, because they think it takes the wrinkles out, and the men these days is fighting wrinkles as hard as the women do; besides, the face massage is soothing and restful, and they all likes to tip.” “Why so?" asked Mr. Jarr, “It looks as if they was doing the grand,” replied Bred, “How much does a barber make?" asked Mr, Jarr. “With his tips he'll make forty to fitty a week in a good shop, especially if he's got a front chair,” repjied Fred; “the barbers longest in the shop gets the front chairs; in the back chairs it may run six dollars or so a week less, but, as I was telling you, it's the ‘jobs’ that pay. And when you job a customer down the line, Massage, singeing, shampoo, and patent medicine hair tonics, the tips is bigger, too, Want/a hot towel?” “Yos, gh me 4 hot tow said Mr, Jarr, “Hot towels were @ great invention.” “They comes from Boston; they had ‘em in Boston fer, years before they was asked for anywhere else, there was few Dutch barbers in Bos- ton them days,” said the sporting Philippines with the cultivation cf cinchona plete trom India in the he- Covyrieht, 1919, by The Press Publishing Co. Fred, the Sporting Barber, Is Another Advocate for Five Working Pays a Week R. JARR being due for his) was bad. But when a customer asked | a The Jarr Farwily McCardell (The Naw York Evening World, for a hot towel he'd say: ‘This ls @ barber shop, not a hospital!’ But look at this place, thirty-five chairs and a copper towel steamer, a baked towel if you want it, and barbers all in white, hands washed for every cus- tomer, all tools sterilized every time they are used—and you pay for it.” “But it's catering to the luxurious modern tastes for sanitation that have developed the business?” remarked Mr. Jarr. “I guess yes,” said Fred, “that and the automobile. Riding in an auto- mobile gets the hair full of dust, and even’ when it ain't from an automobile the barber says to the. customer, ‘You've been out in your sporting roadster, hair's full of dust; sham- poo?” ‘They falls for that, and. sham- poos is nearly all profit, and batbers get a pereentage when their checks run over @ certain amount, Think the actors’ strike will make better Plays or worse ones?” Mr, Jarr replied that he was not competent to judge, but he thought the strike had helped moving pictures and yaudeyille, “Pictures and vaudeville has got more refined,” remarked the sporting barber. ‘The public won't stand for the old style pie in the face, kick in the pants stuff. They wants to be banded a laugh, but nowadays it’s got to be done genteel. Anyway, I should worry about the actors striking when we still have baseball and the races." “Do you play the races much?" asked Mr, Jarr, “Ever see a barber that djdn't?” re- plied the tonsorial artist. “Them peo- ple that crabbed open betting had racing stc_ ped for a while, but while you can give old John Barleycorn a knockout, you must remember that bar files and rumhounds ain't got no class, and drifking was always an indoor sport, patronized mainly by the proletoriate, as that Russian guy Trotzky calls the working classes, Anybody could afford to drink, but playing is patronized by the leisure classes.” “Do you belong to the classes?” asked Mr, Jarr, Sure! and the proletoriate ts going to muke round, which will give us Saturday barber, “You know bow a Dutchman 1 worked for a Dutch boss once, oft the races or baseball in sum- the races is expensive and leisure replied the sporting barber, Saturday a legal holiday all the year SAVAS **Nemesis about fifteen mile: Close-Up of Mercier, Cardinal Who Became L/ of Germany” And the Story of How He Defied von Bissing’s Orde? to Write for American Newspapers Denial of Indignities Heaped Upon Belgian Priests. By William P. McLoughlin. Conprtaht, 1919, by ‘The Prem Publistiing Co. (The New York Evening World) ENTLE but. frequent showers fell as our party, consisting jam J. Mulligan, Overseas Director of the Knights of Columbus; Rev, ‘ Father Golden of Big Rapids, Mich, an army chaplain, and the writer, motored.siowly through the tortuous streets of the war-scarred quaintly unique city of Malines, the official home of Cardinal Méreler, which from Brussels, We were directed into, an alley> way that twisted and squirmed for all the world like Pea: downtown old New York. A wooden-shoed pedestrian, who was piloting egog team drawing a wondrous load of fresh vegetables, directed off MES IL Street int 14. mentation or anything that might in- dicate it was the habitation of one of the great outstanding characters of @ war that shook the world. An im- mense oaken door, or rather gate, was swung, back th answer to a tug at a big brass bell handle, and a plainly clad young rhan ushered us into a sort of courtyard which opened into @ curious, old-fashioned flower gar- den. The attendant made a few brief inquiries—no formal appointment had been set for our visit—and he mount- ed a flight of uncarpeted steps. A surprisingly tall and strangely impressive figure appeared almost im- mediately at the head of the stairs, and with his right hand outstretcned towards us the Cardinal Primate of Belgtum descended. Without any pre- duction of each member of the party, the Cardinal said: “There is much happiness in meet- ing our true friends from America. I am looking forward with the most pleasurable eagerness to my visit to that wondrous country and shall, try to see as much of it as is possible dur- ing my stay. The Belgian people can never forget nor fully repay the stu- pendous services that the great- hearted nation, whence you cotne,ren- dered to us when our national exisi- ence was almost crushed by the guns and bayonets of the invaders. If it were not for the instant and sponta- neous response of your people starva- tion would have aided the slaughter indulged in by our oppressors and Bel- gium would have been lo: As the Cardinal spoke his eyes gave evidence of the gratitude within his heart but he managed to prevent the tears from rolling down his cheeks. He addressed himself principally to| Mr. Mulligan,’who had met him be- fore and who is mainly responsible | for the Cardinal's visit to ‘America. Now, Mr. Mulligan is a man of big physique, measuring 6 feet 2 inches, | yet he looked amazingly short as he | conversed with His Eminence, who is| close to 6 feet 6 inches, in height. He leans forward slightly as he| speaks to his guests, as if he were anxious in some degree to equalize | their heights, He is somewhat) spare, but not lanky. He moves with the grace of an Indian chief and betrays not @ trace of awkwardness. Hie voice is modulated but impress- ive, @ characteristic noticeable among men of accomplishment I had the pleasure of meeting abroad. His features are somewhat youthful, tak- ing into account the fact that ‘he is going on to his sixty-nigth year, All tbe photographs I have seen of him fail to convey the expression that il- {umines him as he speaks of his be- loved Belgium and the ordeal of sor- row from which she is now emerging with astonishing speed, He speaks English perfectly and with a delib- eration that gives to his utterances that brilliancy and conviction which awoke the sympathies of humanity when his country was 80 sorely beset. There is @ slight French-Flemish ac- cent thgt suggésts to the Almerican ear a charm which acts as does the rare cordial to the well-cooked, well- served dinner, The Cardinal led us upstairs to his study, There we listened to his brief but modest summary of of the har- rowing events in the days of the German invasion, when the World of civilization looked on in trembling lest his daring deflance of the foe that held him at the point of the bayonet should in hig ‘infuriation rob him of bis life, It was strange, but char- acteristic of the man, to hear him recall those thrilling moments while he unaffectedly belittled his own heroic part in them, He had, in the language of the interviewer, to be “drawn out.” Then his answers wete rather @ studied attempt to chronicle the regults than a rendition of. the causes that produced them. Notable in’ the list of these impelling forces which had beén set in motion by the Cardinal, each of which brought him to the point of the firing squad, were his famous Christmas pastoral letter in 1914, entitled “Endurance and Pa- triotiem,” and its sequel, issued on Sexagesima Sunday, 1917, under’ the | caption, “Courge, My Brethren.” An- lother of ais-momentous utteranges was entitled "Christian Vengeance.” Following the reading of the vas- toral, It Was, reported that Cardinal Mercier’s' arrest. had been decided upon by the Military, Governor of Belgium. The reports became so ner. sistent that a protest was made from us to dence of the Cardinal.’ We found ourselves in front of a plantain building, without a sign of orna- liminaries, except an individual Intro- |: }ment CARDINAL MERCIER 4 sent a telegram to the Cardinal ask- ing for the facts in the case. Details of the correspondence between the Cardinal and the newspaper men were Suppressed, But an American army officer who,returned in 1915 told the story. He said Cardinal Mercier hud refused to contradict the report that he had been restrained. Gen. wn Bissing had asked the Cardinal to state for certain American ne Papers whether he had been sub- Jected to any indignities. He replied: “It is not true that I have been Personally subjected to any tn- dignities, although T have bee prevented ffinyreppifyy mass in Antwerp, Howev priesta have not received th@same treaty ment. Some have, been killed, others have been thrown into Gere man prisons, and pil bave, been abused in Belgium." | 4 When von der Ipelen, Miltary Séc- retary of State under yon Bissiug, the received Cardinal's reply, he replied the Cardinal, Three days later the Baron was back in the Archepiscopa! Palace ,to “instruct” the Cardinal to write a new reply to the Amercan questioners, A sheet of paper Was” plaéed” béfore the Cardinal, and the Baton steod menacingly by his side. After a mo- of hesitation’ ther Cardimal wrote: “| cannot answer your telegram as! would like t MERCIER.” Of course the pastoral was read, as intended, in all,the Belgian churches, right up to the firing lines. At 6 o'clock next morning three German officers appeared at the palace of the Cardinal. He was at his devotions. The officers sent word that they should see him at once, "Tell them they must wait until I finish the mas%” was his reply. “You return and tell him we must see him now,” was the order to the messenger. The Cardinal declined to interrupt the service. When he had finished’ the officer in command gave him a’ letter from yon Bissing, who de- minded “an ‘immediate reply, het Cardinal explained that’ he did apt understand German and could net, therefore, give a reply at once.” | jut we dare not go back without sald the officer. “We will, wait for 1 Next morning von Bissing gent’ three officers with gnotber letter, It was an offer at conciliation, » | This wus the Cardinal's reply: | | “Gon. von Bissing: There havel been, you say, good persona relations between yourself me. But that own or my country’s honer, “D. CARDINAL MERCIER.” This aroused more furioug threats against the Cardinal, but the outeryj from all, over the world, ‘including Germany and Austria, restrained the militarists from subjecting the Carai- nal to further indignities, Soon afterwards he made the famous prophecy of Belgium's salvation int the following remarkable words: “Qur restored cathedrals and our rebuilt churches’ will be thrown wide open; the crowds. will surge in; our King Albert, standing upon his throne, wi bow his unconqu head before the King of Kings: the Queon and the royal princes will surround him; we shall’ hear again the joyous peal of our bells, “and throughout the whole country under the vaulted arches of our ans, hand in hand, churches, Belg will renew their vows the Vatican, This brought a denial of the incarceration of the Cardinal \from German Headquarters, still lief that gutnine can be produced im| oh, ten years ago. He only bad elght/mer, ‘and dancing and the movies in the reports persisted, and finally # Ube aan Group of American acwepaper men © their ‘od, their sovereign and while the Bishops and pi Srpreters 4 ee soul 4 n. will intone Ye Geum ins. commons a]