The Detroit times., 1914-11-06
Presidents Family in Mourning,
and War Makes Embassy
Affairs Impossible
WAR HAS EFFECT OF
EXCESSIVE TARIFF
Believers in Principle Have OPP
/ portunities to Study Its Ac-
tual Working Effects

WASHINGTON. Nov. 5.-The dead
est social season Washington has
ever seen will be this winters. AL
ready the White House has an
nounced that there will be no formal
oanners or receptions. The presi
dents family Is In mourning; the ECU
ropean war makes 1t impossible foI
diplomats to mingle socially without
great discrimination; congress will
De here only for the short session
which means that wives are generally
ieu at home; so the wooden shutters
are slow In coming on the fronts oi
mansions on Massachusetts-ave.
sheridan and Dupont-circles.
A new fad has been taken up by
society: nothing less than reversion
to the bicycle. Several of the so
called smart set have been seen on
washington streets clad In khaki rid.
Ing costumes and taking long jaunts
on their wheels. Until now the use
|of the wheel has. OF late years been
confined almost exclusively TO tele-
graph messenger boys.
Sincere believers In a prohibitiye
tarin are having an excellent chance
70 observe the results OF that political
and economic theory The foreign
war has produced practically all the
|enects or a very high tariff wall. The
results, OF course, are complicated by
|wsr
ALSO persons interested In curling
Immigration have an opportunity 20
see what happens when the great
stream of immigrants ceases to dow
into New York. Boston, Baltimore and
philadelphia. The only eject SO far
conserved has been o tightening Of the
servant market and a panicKy discus.
sion among our better classes" as to
what Is to be done for servants. They
forget that servants are not included
under the contract labor law, and
that the Red Cross and the relief
committees may be used as a recruit
ling agency to bring buffers, house
maids and cooks to the United States
under indefinite contract at very
small wages forced by the dire con-
|ditions In Belgium and northern
IFfsnce.
Il 10 quite certain that the rail-
roads will not be granted the Increase
I'm freight rates which has just been
|hrgued before the interstate commerce
The latter body, II Is
understood, holds that the railroads
|have failed to make good their case.
The figures show that there has not
even been the temporary emergency
|claimsd by the carriers. For the
month of August, for instance-the
Hast month for which complete figures
|are available-it appears that the
gross revenues Of all the railroads In
|oficiAl classification territory de-
|creased $S,000,000, as compared with
the figures for the same month last
year, but the net revenues of these
same railroads increased more than
$500, 900, demonstrating that the loss
lin gross revenue had been more than
met by economies. More important
than this, however. the commission
holds that the railroads are asking
the commission to do an act which
they. have no power under the law to
do. The railroads. plead that the for
|eign war has cut their earnings and
they want to tax the people TO make
up the loss. This Is entirely a diff
ferent question from giving the rail-
roads power to charge "fair" rates.