Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28
Hospitals Not Needed.

Careful scrutiny of the business area
reveals the welcome fact that realization
of the threatened disasters turns out to be
OF less consequence than had been antici-
pated So far as there has been actual
encounter the result was bloodless. 1t
can even be said that collisions where
there was force employed damage was in
no case brutaliy severe and the hospi-
tails were scarcely used The awful
panlcs that had been framed I'D proved
hardly more desperate as stock market
ammunition than SO much sawdust
The material was fnf1ammable and canahle
of producing a noise loud enough to shat
ter briefly the nerves of those already
mildly shattered. And that has been ali
The onward march of the 100 900. 600 in
habitants of the republic has been halted
hardly long enough to count noses The
hosts in hiding are already emerging
into the sunlight and preparing for a
resumption of the peaceful activities of
other days.
As a price maker the stock market ha s
not been sensational performer lately
There have been days when eccentric spe-
cialtles jumped up point or two or
slipped back as far, and occasional fur
ries We're engineered by the professional
fraction chasers. but the great forces re-
| manned practically stagnant The i'm
portant factors in the financial world
insisted on the prolongation of quiet
1t may be claimed that the influence
OF the almighty dollar is overestima ted
| but that Is a mistake. The active force
| is not always yisibly evident. but il is
there. and its present insistence is a
further application of patience The argu-
| ment OF the silent giant is that the
small but even improvement in the situa-
ton is not the signal for a storming raid.
| but rather the order for prolongation of
quiet. until there has been a series of re-
| assuring moves The argument is that
u IN 20 htIh
| be safe. it is best to go slow for the
| time being. And that is the controlling
| force at this juncture. Yet it is not
! good reasoning to assume that patience
in the least Jeopardizes the outcome
Interest in Railroad Rates.
| Nothing now commands more atten-
ton in the financial district than the rail-
road rate problem. The uncertainty
that has been surrounding it was and
is the perplexng feature of the stock
market There were a few who had the
| temerity to say they positively knew
how and when the interstate commerce
| commission would hand down a decision,
| but the conformation of such impudent
prophecies was open denunciation. 1t is
| said that while the commissioners are
| ten and unbroken rule is to observe
sacred silence even among themselves
what the final action will be. 1t is on
account of the acknowledged skepticism
of bankers. brokers, politicians and off
Gals in the integrity or value of these
| Washington tips" that so little trading
| is done on that line of inspiration For
variety of deception and ignorance the
1 freight rate tips from the center OF
action are the worst
| Wall streets principal study is Presi-
| dent Wilson. He is ever interesting and
i .nscrutable. There is not an hour of
| any day that nine out of ten men in the
i district will not express an opinion about
| him. Few of the theories agree and
/ few men can be consistent for a week at
| a stretch He is either the nations
| savior or It's ruin.
| Inquiry into the terms and arrange
/ ments for the dissolution of Western
/ -nion and American Telephone and
Telegraph companies reveals that it was
| -ather an alliance than corporate
| blend, and that the act Of separation Is