Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-16
EXODUS TO EUROPE
Americans Going Abroad on
Pleasure Bent.
POCKETS FULL OF MONEY
Prosperity of Country Responsible
for Rush.
PAYS HIGH FOR EDUCATION
City of Scranton, Pa, Spends More
on Public Schools Than Any Other
in United States.
PAYS HIGH FOR EDUCATION
By WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondencs Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW YORK, April L. 1910.
Every steamer that leaves this port be-
tween the 18th Of April and the list Of
August is sold out, and every cabin on
every stea mer leaving Europe from the
1st OF August to the list of November is
already engaged by the returning tour
lists. There was never such hegira OF
pleasure seekers before, and steamship
agents say they could have sold so per
cent more tickets II vessels had been
available. 1 know people who have had
applications in for six weeks without re-
.ceiving any encouragement. and the wait
ing list at every steamship office in New
York contains the names of hundreds who
are hoping that somebody may give up
his cabin and give them chance. One OF
the reasons for the rush is Roman
Catholic pilgrimage to Rome. Another Is
the passion play at Oberammergau,
which is to be given for three weeks con-
tinuousy this season. But the real rea-
son is that the people of the United States
have plenty of money to spend and are
going to take vacation. The business
men Of the country have been working
hard for several years. In 1903 they
could not get away because of the f1nan-
cial depression. and very few had money
to spare. In 1909 they were picking UP
and getting ahead. and the business and
industries OF the country demanded the
close attention of every one who had any,
thing to do with them But this year
the impetus Of prosperity has been ac-
quired, the orders are in, the contracts
have been made. and the business men of
the country not only can send their
wives and daughters to Europe, but many
Of them are able to go themselves.
It Might Have Been.
A Washington gentleman was recently
visiting New York for the purpose Of at
tending a wedding which took place in
Grace Church, and he was greatly i'm
pressed with the beauty and symmetry
of that house Of worship. The next even
ing, at dinner party, he sat beside a
belle of the smart set, and in the course
of the conversation inquired1
Have you ever seen Grace church,"
II don't know; at what theater is she
playing?'
The city Of Scranton, Pa. pays more
for the support Of It's public schools. in
proportion to its population than any
other town In the United States. The
census ONCE recently made an investiga-
ton OF municipal expenditures in the
sixty largest cities in the United States.
and among other things reported the per-
centage that was devoted to education.
Scranton. as / said, stands first on the
list, giving 4o.4 per cent for public
schools. Des Moines Is only a fraction
below the maximum. and gives 44.5 OF all
the municipal revenues for the education
of her children. Camden, n. j.. Kansas
City. Kan. come next. and are practi-
caliy a tie. Grand Rapids and Omaha
are almost tie, giving 80 per cent for
education. Then come Portland, Ore;
Trenton, Indianapolis, Newark and Seat
tie. which give 81 per cent of the NUM-
cipal expenditures to the schools. Chi
cago devotes 3O.7 per cent for that pur-
pose and Providence, Lowell Fall River,
Detroit and Denver are in the same class.
Washington is way down toward the
bottom of the list standing No. 53 out
of 60, and giving only 4.8 per cent of her
municipal expenditures toward education
The only cities In the country that give
less than Washington are Richmond. Bos-
ton, ST. Louis. New Orleans, Memphis,
Atlanta and San Francisco The latter
devotes only 1876 per cent of its NUM-
cipal expenditures for the schools
A Conscientious Constituent.
Sometimes the constituents Of congress
men are conscientious, but like the rest
or MANKIND tney usually tHiHh tHdl NHdt-
ever they can get out of the government
is clear gain.
Last spring an Illinois member. in dis
tributing his allowance Of garden seeds,
sent a package to a school teacher in one
OF the smaller cities of the state. Up in
the left-hand corner of the envelope was
printed the usual warning. Official
Business; Penalty for Private Use, $500"
The congressman was very much as
tonished a few days later to receive an
acknowledgment of the package, coupled
with the inquiry:
What shall do with the stuff when l
raise it? ] notice there ia a penalty OF
$500 for private use, and | don't like to
vioate the law"
Hugh Dewitt, veteran of both the
Mexican and the civil wars, spent
the last years of his life a the Indiana
State Soldiers Home, making his own
colin ana cutting MS Cwn gravestone
from a slab of marble which he bought
with his pension money. His eptaph,
carved in the stone with his own hand,
was finished only a few weeks before his
death. at the age of ninety-three, and it
contained solemn warning TO young
men who neglect to get married After
giving his name. age. military record and
other statistical information he added
these lines:
Who disobeyed the laws Of God.
Advice to others thus give:
Don't be bach. as did live