The evening world. Newspaper, July 27, 1920, Page 20

‘ ‘ ESTABLISHED BY JOSEPH PULITZER. Published Datty Except Sunday by the Press Publishti 2 Park F SOsEPH PULITZE! New York 3 Patk Row, Park Row, 3 Park Row, MEMBER OF THR ASSOCIATED PRESS, . ANGUS SHAW, The Amocisied Fives ts exclusively entitled to the use for republication fA news denpatches credited to' {t oF not otherwise credited tm this paper und also the Jocai mews published herein. —" i “WORTH STUDYING.” ATHAN HIRSCH, formerly Chairman of the Mayor's Committee on Rent Profiteering, ; probably knows as much about the housing situation 1 as any other one individual, the backing of the tenants, for, until Mayor Hylan practically forced Mr. Hirsch out of office, the Rent | Profiteering Committee earned the confidence of 4 the tenants to a greater degree than it has since, In his letter to the Joint Legislative yon Housing, Mr. Hirsch offers excellent advice. He does not favor building by the city. He does favor a fund under non-partisan super- |.vision and carefully restricted to encourage home ; building. He does not favor a prohibition of other building, i fut he does advise specific encouragement of home He deserves and has Comiunitiee | building. He agrees that Gov. Smith should call a special , session of the Legislature to cope with the housing | emergency. : } The fault of the present houging’ laws is that they ‘ are purely negative in character. They have been « theipfui in preventing some of the most serious | abuses arising from the situation, but they have not ‘ served to remedy the situation itself. Some specific assistance from the State or munici- | pality is necessary. In these columns last } March The Evening Workd printed, under the title “Worth Studying,” a digest and explanation of the British housing practice as a suggestion to the bai der hk This was not PGeted on. In view of the imminence of a special session and | the proved effectiveness of the British provisions, it | seems worth while to reprint this explanation, Tenants are urged to study this form of State aid, _ and urge their legislators to give careful considera- <= tion to some such means of stimulating bul ng. Thé following outline of the British plan is taken directly from a report of the Government proposals issued by the British Local Government Board, Under this British plan a Publc Utility Society is @ society registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act of 1893) which defines how co-operative societies may be organized for carrying on “any industries, businesses or trades specified ip or authorized by its rules.” In order to qualify for registration under that act a society must have not less than seven mem- bern and a Secretary, and the share holding of any individual member must not exceed £200, though this mit does not apply to holdings of » loan stock. The society must by its rules prohibit the pay- ment elther of interest or of dividend at a rate exceeding the etatutory limit. It must include the provision of working-class houses as one of its ie ee SA. “idustrie: Once organized and ‘duly registered, the Public businesses or trades.” Utility Society can obtain from the Government assistance of two kinds: (1) Loans of money, and (2) Money subsidies: (1) LOANS: It 1s propored to allow Public Utility Societies to borrow up to three-quarters + af the cost of thelr land and buildings, ‘Their former powers of borrowing were limited to two- thirds value of the land and the houses they built. With labor and material at their present prices, three-quarters of total cost 4s considerably more than two-thirds of total value, for the market value of a house built to-day is by no means as high as the cost. (2) SUBSIDIES: In addition to making loans to Public Utility Soctetied, the State will provide them also with subsidies. These will be given im half-yearly payments, and each society's sub- sidy will be an amount equal to two-fifths of the charges for interest and gradual repayment of principal on the maximum amount which the society is entitled to borrow from the State. TMHustration wter’ing): Bupposing « society decided upon a butlding geheme to cost $200,000 and borrowed from the State three-quarters of that amount, namely, $160,000. Supposing, for the sake of example, that the rate of interest was 5% per cent. per annum, Allowing for gradual repayment in fifty yearly instalments, the yearly charges for interest and repayment to be paid on this $150,000 loan would amount to, roughly, $8,850; * The Government subsidy to which the society would be entitled would be two-fifths of this $8,850, namely, $3,540, every year during the period of repayment, leaving the balance of $5,810 and the charges on the $50,000 capital privately subscribed, together with cost of man- © agement and upkeep, tg be met out of the rent maw st of the houses built, means eliminated: Bach society must obtain from tts members or from private sources in the shape of loans, loan stocks or shares, a reasonable proportion of its capital, equal to at least one-third of tho money borrowed or borrowable from the State, |. ¢., one- Quarter of the total cost of its housing scheme, Bach society must be prepared to rank its debt to the State as a “first charge” on its property, and its loan stocks as coming before its share capital for purposes of interest. the Local Government Board, prepared to charge fair and reason- . (substituting dollars for pounds Although such State assistance is designed “to ‘open to many groups of working men and women @ road toward the possession of homes of their own devising,” the element of self-help, is by no It must be prepared to build houses on en- Ughtened lines, approved as to site, layout and the problem of the urgent need for houses and the high cost of building them, and 4s limited therefore to achemes which are carried out within two years of March $1, 1919, or such fur- ther geriod as the Local Government Board may @iow, Tu its present efforts to start house building, New York should not overlook this British plan, Housing by Public Utility Societies is neither socialistic nor sentimental. It is not.a State charity to be paid out of taxes, It rests on a business basis, Nor is it wholly foreign to Amertean principles and practice. It 1s only a broadening of the bulld- ing loan idea, with which this country is familiar, In an emergency like the present in New York, State ald to co-operative groups might be applied not only to induce new building but to the pur- chase and improvement of old houses in the In- terest of hard-pressed tenants, Every factor which made thls suggestion de? sirable last spring exists toalay. Most of the reasons have become more pressing and imperative. Time is the essence of housing relief. Municipal building. (if it requires a Constitutional amendment for authorization) would be too slow a process. An adaptation of the tested British plan would 6& more. desirable for many reasons, but principally because of the” time element. A STUDIED AFFRON BNATOR WADSWORTH is slated for re- > designation by the “unofficial” convention of the G. O. P. : Surely the G, O, P. machinists cannot expect that women voters will not resent and oppose suc! a studied affront. Senator Wadsworth {s In accord with the ruling vlique of the G. O, P. which has so consistently fought Suffrage as a menace to Its political life. If the G. O. P. “puts Wadsworth over” it will be a sign of complete confidence—perhaps of over- confidence. New York women cannot be expected to accept Wadsworth or to feel kindly toward the party that forces him to the front. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. HE EVENING WORLD is glad to commend Mayor Hylan’s action in vetoing the “straight 20 per cent.” salary grab. After The Evening World exposed the actual workings of the Tammany plan of rewarding politi- cal appointees, it is highly probable that the Mayor began to hear from the civil service employees and their fumerots friends. Ani unjust distrivution of the’funds available was not only bad morally but it was also bad politically. The wonder is that the Tammanyites believed they could “put across” such injustice without hearing from those affected. Qnce the public and the employees learned the truth, there could be nothing but thoroughgoing opposition. Nevertheless, the Mayor deserves credit for get- ting on the right track at last. He should have dis- cerned the injustice When the schedule was under consideration in the Board of Estimate. But a con- fession ¥f error is always in order. It is better to be right late than never, Now New York is in for another season of bicker- more nearly just and equitable than the ong which the Mayor has vetoed. Neither the Aldermen nor the Board of Estimate will dare to disregard the veto, now that the light has been let in on the injustice of the “straight 20 per. cent.” \ AFTER O. HENRY. IKE a page from O. Henry reads ihe story of the former prosperous physician discovered dead in poverty-stricken surroundings after earning his living as a humble dishwasher in a restaurant. The story recalls O. Henry because he pictured similar characters living, working, dying in Bagdad- on-the-Subway. O. Henry gathered such threads as this and skilfully wove them into the tapestry that revealed New York to New Yorkers. In a smaller city such a story would be less plausible. Some jone, a neighbor or a fellow- worker, would have discovered the doctor's secret. Here it is of interest for a day, not so much be- cause tt was unusual as because it was discovered at all, x Doubtless scarcely a day passes but that some one numbered on the daily death-roll has a history equally interesting, but successfully hidden from public knowledge, Reading the story, many must speculate on the why and wherefore. Did the dead man lose his grip? Did drink, drugs or domestic trouble cause him to leave all he had been and hide ‘Mimself away from all his former life? Circumstances of his death indicated a diseased heart. Did he fear heart failure at a critical moment when his failure would mean loss of another life? When the Nation was scourged with influenza, it seems probable that he rallied to the call for help and resumed his work as a physician only to revert to’ dishwashing when the crisis had passed. Was the man a hero or a craven? What mental and physical factors determined the course of his life? Probably the world will never know. AS a mystery of New York, the case will soon be Superseded by another engaging public attention. Perhaps some O, Henry of the future, thumbing the dusty files of old newspapers, will find copy in the life of this strange character, only to be met with @ paused to the caustic criticism that such things do not happen except in stories. _THE HE EVENING WORLD, ing and politics, but a revised schedule fs sure to be. | TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1920. | | i} | | | | | FROM EVENING WORLD READERS | There 4s fine mental exercise ai to say much in a few words, - A Vignette, To the Diitor of The Lveuing Word: There ts 4 man tn our office Who never smiles, He only warks and works and works Till I could shriek for the monotony | of tt As I watch him, 1 often wonder if he really enjoys it, If that {s life to him. I wonder if he ever zolled tn fresh, | | sweet grass Or made love to an unknown girl Or tasted forbidden sweets, pe, isn work ! ft, ays work and ric In a silly old offloe When ail the joy of the world, cy all the happiness of life » right within his reach? Fa ike to teli him, but I know he'd] only look at me without a emile And continue to work and work and work, ‘The poor fool. ‘The Miling Clerk. Hour after hour I sit and file Meaningless cards and papers. T sit and file ‘Tl my heart grows sick within me— I and countless others. And when I pause a moment for breath And take a peep out of a stern, un- dlinking window I see a patch of blue, blue sky Framing a fluttering tree. And I think What a fool Tam To sit and file meaningless cards and paper Mour after hour. Ss. M. Rent Increases. To the Fulltonof The Prening World After reading the article in your |Paper of to-day on ‘Rent Question- | ing," I will reply no, emphatically not ‘The people in general are not satte- fled to pay the 25 per cent. increase, Many of them can't afford to pay It with large famtles to support, Where are they going jf they am put out of \thelr homes? Why should they? What are the greedy landlords doing |for their tenants? Nothing. Justice Leary does not belleve any change in |the laws necessary, In my opinton, /as an American cftizen and a voter, I |do, and the wives and mothera will |insist_ on a change. It muat bo changed. Wo are facing too sertous ja problem Yo sit quiet, TI think the |Holdover Proceeding Law grand, mentioned by Justice Robitzek, and he will be supported tn his suggestion |by the women of New York City, T have in mind one house on Wash- Ington Tletghts, where the lar has been twice condemned by the Health Board, and yet the profiteoring land- lord has a family living in that cellar Take time to be brief, — |I firmly believe when an accident oc- | curs and somebody is hurt, if the driver |of intelitgence and education. May I What Kwa of letter do yuu fpnu most readadler Isn't 4 the one that gives you the worth of @ thousund words in a couple of hundred? nd @ lot of satisfaction in trying | and does away with a superintendent | at $76 per month, and the man who! lives in the cellar ‘acts in the capacity of janitor 2nd superintendent at a much less salary, ‘There is fo eleva- tor service after 12 midnight, while \all-night service is mentioned in the leases. Some apartments are tn ‘e horrible filthy condition. What re-! dress under the prevailing law has @ poor tenant? Let the women of our Government [answer this question. A CONSTANT READER. New York, July 23. , Auto Accidents. i he Kuiltor of The Brening World | Regarding auto drivers gnd accidents, v is within the speed limit at the time and the person 4s injured while cross- ing at some point other than at a cor- ner, there should be a law whereby the injured cannot bring suit, Surely the driver must have some*rights. In other words, ff a driver was driving on the sidewalk and hit somebody what a yell there would be! ‘Therefore, give the auto driver his rights and protect him by law against the idiots that cross streets at any point they may take a notion to. Yours for fair play, July 19, 1920. cP.G, A Bachelor Speaks, and “One of Many” are of interest, in that they came evidently from women be permitted, however, to correct a few misstatements of fact, ‘There are no more sought after, or better catches tn the matrimonial field than the young, independent bache- lors, and as a momber of that witra- exclusive set, I deny that women of intellect and charm are not tn de- mand, and that men among men ial women of the “clinging vine” JUNIUS PRUDENS. Rew York, July %. “Made Criminals.” To the Editor of Tho Evening World Under the caption ‘Made Crimina!s,” Ish prison will only meke thieves a little more careful,” ‘This, to all purposes and intents, te the main object of every well-con- ducted prison, A place of bondage (Ooprrignt, proverbs in the language: “A umber of years ago,’ make good. 1920, by John Blake.) “Honesty is the Best Policy.” "He writes, ‘I was the super- intendent of a manufacturing concern, I was anxious to UNCOMMON SENSE By John Blake THE THIEF SELDOM PROSPERS. An intelligent reader, commenting oa a recent article in this column, gives an illustration of one of the oldest “A Constant Reader" claims “a hell- | ever I thought out something bring us to the front in the which we can copy it if it is tioa to avoid infringement. they are without any outlay ments. “This concern e wit! a big success.” able. porated thief which has the products. The biggest merchants, have the intelligence to hire adequate salaries. of your business life. Sores I took an interest and pride ia my work, and gave all that was in me to bring the concern out into the limelight of undisputed originality. “At every turn I was stalled by the coacern, .When- ““What's the use of bothering about anything mew? It will cost a lot of money and be a waste of time. can wait until some one else makes the experimem, after Don't waste your enerfy when you can get the other fellow to do it for you.’ s, and only exists, to-day. a concern which originates its own products, and is This letter reciting a real business experieace is valu- The thief seldom prospers, even ,if it is an incor- Sooner or later the man with new ideas, or the con- cern which hag the intelligence to pay well for new ideas, gets the business, leaving the crooked business man or the crooked corporation far behind. are those that practice absolute business integrity, and that “Honesty is the best policy” phrase, but it is one that is worth thinking over ev: ery day Grn ee original in our line that might trade I was told: We any gfod, with a slight Varia- TheA we will be as good as of time or money for experi- T am now money to protect its pirated the biggest conceras to-day, | | original brains and pay them 3} | is a very old and trite sue of July 22 are timely, well taken and to the point. His letter ts very | pessimistic, as he sees no means for nominating the people's cholce at the } convention, there is a remedy, and this 1s the plan I propose. My plan is tho legal regulation of the convention in conjunction with.’ the direct primary of delegates to the convention, Do away with the unit where ho may meditate and atone for past transgressions, where hard wort, not play, with strict disetpline, will in- stil a wholesome fear and respect for the law instead of the ease and en- our penal institutions into a howling farce, AB. with three small children, one an in- fant born tn thas place a few weeks ago, This enables the owner to vent the ‘apartment occupt previously by The Conventions. ‘To the Talitor of ‘The Evening Work ‘The remarks of Prof. Loom!s of New rule, the two-thirds rule in the Demo- ‘cratic Convention and the majority |rule in the Republican, Nominate your candidates at the convention by tertainment that to-day have turned | Mere plurality, and by direct pri- | expedien mary, foree the delegates of both par- |tles to pledge support to one candi- |date, Make the delegate Istamp of the people rather rubber stamp of the boss. the delegutes vote at the ‘rhen, when convention, I believe, however, that | 4 rubber | than a} the people's choles, Let us take a practical example tn the present Pras- idential election, Who was the logical candidate on the Republican ticket, who received tho greatest number of pledged delogates, and who received $ | ‘But not even yet ham the depth of ah’s devotion been sounded, Ab- "a was now rich, but he had elrs, She understood the deep , ‘ the plurality on the finst ballot? In all cases tt was Gen. Wood, The cgnclu- | sion ts evident that Wood was tho real chotce of the Republican voters and organtzation. But Wood did not ge! nomination because the majority permitted bows manipulation. same thing hap ened to McAdoo, the logical Demoeri andidat he two- | thirds rule Reeeatine Messrs, Mur- | phy, Taggart and Brennan to put| | through a minority candidate. 1 #incere belleve that the simple ted above would give th people thelr true choles in the Pr dentlal co enti. Make the tion simpler, pre pula tion and put it as far as possible under Yopular control | NEW YORK NIV RAMITY, | vonven- » [the superintendent ivr the vu of ¥ Xoxk Univeraty eppesriog io your ta the man who gute the pluradity Will be New Xork, duly, #&, ‘ The Love Stories of the Bible v. Thomas B. Gregory 7 The V'ress Publishing Op, {be New York World.) article bey the many beautiful stories of the Bible are retold, Rev. Thomas B. Gregory for Evening World. | No. 1—Abraham and Sarah. BRAHAM, one of the original paths finders on this old gritball of am earth, knew just what he was ) about when he fell in love with Sara. 'A wife is either everything in the | world'to a man or nothing at all, |nanditap rather than a helpmeet,,@ |great weight to drag him down ine , stead of-wings to help him rise, and jin Sarah Abraham found the help« meet, the wings, the inspiration of heal the suecess that came to him. Sarah -was beautiful—beautiful op the fairest dream—but she was more than that, Sarah was of princely blood and bearing; but that was ngé her crowning glory, Sarth possessed the blandnéss and urbanity of souk which are ever so charming in wom- ankind, but even that was not hes eblef virtue. As another has said, #he had the sparkle which wins love, but not on that rests her epitaph, She had the Physical loveliness which commands admiration, but not on that repose, her glory. ‘The one quality by whioli she lives in our memory is the stead~ fastness of her conjugal devotion. From morn to eve, in storin and in calm, in the flush of youth and in the falling leaves of autumn, she is ever by ber husband's side, Prosberity does not divorce them, adversity does nok divide them, While a young man Abraham fel¢ that be had to go out from bis couns try and kindred to seek a ney coun- try, to build a new home, Where? God alone knew, Old Oliver Cromwell said one day, “A man is never so wine as when he goes without knowing where he !s goin; It was so wit the Father of Israel. ‘The voice of God called him—somewhere—and he started out, not knowing where his path would end. » And would Sarah love him enough to go with the for= tunes of a v ho prospect but The answer w the great surrender. home, friends, man that I love. Love can go no further than this. But hold! It can, and in case it did go very much further, In the land of the Pharaohs Abra~ “| ham feared that he would suffer from Sarah's great benuty. Men would so envy bim his wife that they would idl him, and in a moment of coward~ ly selfishness the Man of Uz seid te her: ‘Tell them you are my re that you are free, and @o save my life.” Without a murmur Sarah accepted the suggestion. If it came to the worst, if that thing which to woman is dearer even than breath should be put In jeopardy, ehe could die by ber own hand, Yes, I will make I will give up ountry for the one pain his life she self in favor of one of her bonde~ women, She was willing not only to , die but to crucify her highest and so doing she could holiest ideal, if b: add to the happiness of the one mam she loved. a | And that man, was he worthy auch supreme devotion? ¢ Let the answer be that the literature of the ages does not contain anything more beautiful or touching than the story of the sweet tenderness with whiclt ‘Abraham laid Sarah away for her tong sleep in the sepulcher at Mach« pela. pay ae ae cTL 29... E.8?? “That’saFact” By Albert P. Southwick Copyright. 1920. by Its Sir pater e York Brening W In 1837 was the suspension of the United States Bank, Now York City, followed by that of the State banks, Great panic en- | sued. eg ‘ In 1842, on July 4, water was let into the reservoir at Fitth Ave- nue and 42d Street (where the Public Library now stands), and New York City had pure water for the first time. ee 8 On May 10, 1849, the Astor Place riot, New York City, ao- curred, with 150 wounded and a emall number killed, James Harper of Harper & Bros. publishers, was Mayor in 1844, cme On Dec. 16, 1885, the foot of Maiden York City, “th began near} Lane, New | great conflagra- } tion,” destroying 648 houses (in- cluding the Custom House and the Merchants’ Exchange). and $18,000,000 property. These diretul facts are inscribed on a tablet at No. 80 Pearl Street, . . Jenny ind, “the Swedish nightingale,” first appeared ia New York City on Sept. 7, 1850, ia In 1851 the Hungarian patriot, Louis Kossuth, arrived in the United States on Dec, 5, . . © Tn 1853, on July 14, the World's Fair opened at tho Crystal Pal- acc. in Reservotr Square, New | York City, | ee In 1298. on July 22, was the Raf tle of Falkirk, when the Scots under Wallace were defeated with great slaughter by the Enge lsh under Edward I | a | ountain + ik") was taken by the Emg under Sir George Rooke, ar as been in possession of ‘Ene * ever since, The date July 2. ( aiven ey some authori: