The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-01-16

The farmers in many parts of the
country are selling their horses and
mules for var purposes. An auto
mobile is much better to go to town
to see the moving pictures with.
In spite of the fact that the new
style short skirts are going to make
women.s shoes much more conspic-
uous, the Old Man has not even limited
that he would be glad to give them
the needed shine.
Some one asks what has become of
the girl who used to wear a woollen
scarf about her neck in winter. Well,
about now she is wearing a low neck
waist, and stopping in at the drug
gist's to get some cough cure.
A feeble man who does not do any
thing for fear he will make a failure
of it, proves himself one continuous
failure. Far better to try, ven if one
does sometimes meet with failure
than to make no attempt at all.
A correspondent asks what has be-
come of the old fashioned boy who
used to walk three miles to school to
get an education. Well, just now he
is sitting on a rock at the cross roads
"dlbilS 1OI OIC bIaiioPOI OdOlOIi WdSOll
to take him half a mile to the school
house.
One of the worst features about the
war is the crop of inferior wal poets
it is producing. Almost every one
who can make words rhyme thinks
himself a Rouget de Lisle, a Key, or
some other worthy who has stirred
the hearts of men and kindled their
enthusiasm.
Heroes and heroism are not con-
fined to war and the soldiers career.
They are also found in the ranks of
peace. There is not a coal mine, fac
tory, railroad or any other industry
I but has its story of heroic deeds equal
to any performed on the field of bat
tie. And the best of it is that this
heroism is usually displayed in saving
life, not taking it. The annals of
fire stations, of life saving stations
on our coasts, and of ships on the
high yeas thrill or should thrill every
heart.
By all means let this country keep
clear of the curse of militarism that
is overwhelming Europe. Scarcely
anybody believes that we need it ex-
cept manufacturers of guns and other
weapons, and with them it is a mat
ter of selfish gain. Anyway, this ma
ton is not bounded by powerful and
aggressive nations, as are the ma
tions of Europe. The strength and
safety of this country can be better
advanced by keeping its young men
busy in peaceful pursuits rather than
in making them food for powder.
Taxes do not give the average man
much joy. He would rather not have
to pay them. But taxes are neces-
sary even if they do not inspire pleas
ure. If We do not pay them, we have
to pay in other ways. If we do not
pay for government we have to pay
for anarchy, and if we do not pay for
education, we have to pay for litter
acy. If money is not provided for
sanitation and improved social and
economic conditions, payment has to
be made for filth, restitution and mis-
cry. Doubtless some taxes are I'M
necessary and some others may be too
high, but the principle holds good
that government, law and order, prog
ress and the public veal, are possible
only as money is provided for that
purpose. 1t may be expensive, but
it pays.
The decision of the majority of the
interstate commerce commission to
grant an increase of five per cent
freight rates to the railroads operat-
ing between the Atlantic and the
Mississippi, and north of the Poto-
mac and Ohio rivers must be very
agreeable to the managers of those
roads who, it is said, will benefit to
the extent of s30,OOO,O0O a year, but
it is not so pleasing to the shippers
and the general public, who have to
pay the bill. The increase, though
anything but satisfactory, was not un-
expected, for the railroad lobby is
strong and has been working over
time to secure its ends. In so do
ing it has managed through subsi-
dies or some other method to get the
support of most of the great city
dailies in the region affected by the
increase.