davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Women to Regulate Transit,

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: When the women have a voice in
municipal affairs it may be a good plan to
elect two or three Of them as members OF
the Public Service Commission. Then de-
cency may prevail and the public be no
longer herded In the subway cars like cattle
Incidentally, there will be not only votes
but seats for women.
Mr.. Frank Hedley is always ready TO 60
on the witness stand and swear that there
is no more overcrowding than necessary, but
the fact remains that short trains, both local
and express, are being run daily around the
noon hour, with as many standees as sit
tiers.
We have been told tina, the public crowds
into two or three cars. leaving the others
half empty. Taking the hint, scores Of pas
sengers distribute themselves so as to get
seats in the rear cars. The express comes
in with its tail cut of, there is a mad rush
up the platform, and passengers are packed
in the last car like ssrdines. This scene may
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
FREE TRADE OR SELF DEPEND
ENCE?
An Old Issue Raised by the Coal
Tar Dyestuffs Situation.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Wheeler Chatfeld in to-day's tribune
tells the old free trade tale. lie seems ~
have It by heart. American cotton goods are
manufactured in mills which have been buil'
under protection. at a cost more than double
what similar factories could be erected Tor
in England. They are scattered from Maine
20 Texas. Therefore everything bought and
sold for them is loaded with very large and
to some extent, unavoidable overhead eN-
penses. compared with those carried by the
establishments of our principal competitor
England.
In that country nearly half OF the cotton
spinning spindles Of the world are established
IN an area considerably less than tha' OF
Rhode Island. In Manchester everything n
cotton manufacturer deals in. either as buyer
or seller. is bought and sold on the floor OF
the ROYAL Exchange There from FIVE to nine
thousand men connected with the industry
gather every business day. The mill manager
is there every Tuesday and Friday Chlgh
change" days. to sell his products and buy
hi. supplies. Most Of the mills are within
twenty miles Of the exchange. This is the
big competitive handicap we carry.
For our dyestuffs we depend almost en-
tirely upon Germany. Is this a rauonai
policy FOR the worlds second largest cotton
manufacturing and the largest SILK and
woollen manufacturing nation? cannot
think 90. We cannot manufacture dyes with
out tariff high enough to counterbaiance
the differences in cost to produce when the
American wage scale and all-'round cost OF
living impose on us. Some years ago plant
10 make aniline oil was started here. Ter
many at once cut prices. Then Congress IN
creased the tariff 10 per cent, followed by
another cut in prices by German manufact-
urers. acting together. And the American
effort at home production was killed.
History and fact point only one way to In
dependence-a commission managed tariff.
II we take an average OF cotton cloth
weights. and reckon solid and partially col
ored fabrics. 10 per cent added duty on
dyestufrs would not increase their cost looth
Of cent yard. Take this as a basis Of any
measure Of protection needed TO MAINTAIN
dye industry In this country, and ask Mr..
Chatield II it would hinder our trade or be
a noticeable load on the people,
Many years ago the late Joseph Chamber
lain, then the high priest OF Bristol free
traders. and later the father Of the tariff
reform movement in England said that IL
he were an American he would be just as
ardent protectionist as he was an English
free trader WM. WHITTAM,
Formerly Special Agent, Bureau Of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce.
Greenville, y. j. Oct. go 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
The Incidence of Dyestuff Duty

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
/ Sir: Your correspondent Wheeler Chat
feld asks the question: "Why should the
American people want their government to
set up an arbitrary bar to the entry Of Ger
man dyestuffs when German man
ufacturers can produce them so cheaply as to
undersell our own Makers" The American
people want no such bar. They do want the
German dyestufrs to come here, but only at
a price that will not stop the making OF the
article here. We want neither the German
Tor the American maker to have monopoly
of our market. We want the choice OF two
markets in which TO buy. Then by compe-
tition we get low prices. The history OF
every protective tariff law proves that by the
resulting competition prices reduced. II
Mr. Chatfeld will glance in the shop windows
where goods like calicoes, ginghams, alpacas,
silks etc. are displayed with their prices he
will realize that dyestufs are but SINAI
part Of their cost. And If in calicoes ana
ginghams the dyes were given TO the makers
without cost the price of yard OF either 10
the buyer could not possibly be much less.
And a man could scarcely be able TO BUY
pair Of blue oyerals for anything less at re-
tail than 80 or 10 cents, as now, II the price
of the dyes used in their making was moth
ing. All the profits from cheaper dyes are
usually so small that they would never reach
the consumer They would stop long before
they came, to his pocket
| remember the story Of delegation OF
/ farmers appearing before the Ways and
Means Committee when Major Mckinley was
chairman Of It. The spokesman said: we
are here to ask for reduction of the duty
on salt We use salt in the making OF butter.
Two pounds are required in a package OF so
pounds. We are paying two cents a pound
/ for salt. and if the duty Of one cent pound
was taken off we would be able to buy our
salt for one cent pound making the cost
on such package two cents instead of four
cents. as now" Mr.. Mckinley asked: I'm q
package Of GO pounds of butter there are 90
pounds butter and 2 pounds of SALT
yes"
/ what do you get a pound for it?"
"Twenty TO twenty-five cents, according to
/ the season"
/ "Do you sell it all as butter or do you make
an allowance for the salt!'
/ "Why, we sell il all as butter"
"Then we understand that you pay cents
FOR pounds of salt and sell it at a decent
rate. Don't you think that you are making
profit enough ?"
il is off Has Mr.. Chatfeld or any one else
found any reduction in the price OF butter
because salt is now on the free list?
EZRA c. WILLIAMS.
Orange, n. j., Oct. 80, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Street Accidents.
New York, Nov. 2, 1918.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: The statement made in the papers
few days ago by George p. lie Brun, sec
rotary OF the League for the Conservation
OF Human Life that one hundred and forty
two people had been killed In the Borough
Of Manhattan in the first nine months o,
this year by drivers Of motor cars, and thai
not one Of these drivers had been punished.
seems inconceivable, but it appears that tho
facts and figures are . matter OF pubic
record.
Many OF these killings are caused by driv'
ers violating the traffic ordinances, and ye'
only twelve cases Of the one hundred ana
forty-two were submitted 70 the grand jury
This surely indicates laxity on the part OF the
officials charged with this duty. That there
were no arrests and that the coroners' in'
quests did not hold the driver is no excuse
thought the coroners were abolished De-
cause what they did had 20 be done ali
over again. Yet coroners' juries .eld tna'
twenty-five OF these chaufeurs were negl-
gent. and the District Attorney did not p's-
sent these cases to the grand jury.
Why were no arrests madeg These are
matters that the citizens OF this city are IN
terested in. Mr.. lie Bruins action IN as
closing existing conditions affecting the lives
and limbs of the public is 20 be commended
SAFETY FIRST.
New York, Oct. 20, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
WHAT OUR READERS THINK
View, on Variety Eternal Fem
Is No ckmg

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: The number Of deaths by fire In ter.
ement houses calls attention TO the need o.
furnishing our tenement population with
freproof, sanitary buildings 10 live In. In
this era Of fireproof construction there IS 70
reason why their health and lives should
continue to be placed in jeopardy by conci-
tons detrimental 10 both. As an issue IN ne
next municipal campaign, furnishing the
people of thi ty with freproof dwellings,
equipped with nodern improvements VIII 30
far more potent to interest them than any
Of the sham issues they now divide on, espe'
cially when it is conceded the rents they nov
pay entitle them TO these essentials OF mod
ern living. The result Of recent campaigns
only emphasizes the fact that whether Tam
many or Fusion wins the people are left 70
the tender wercies Of landlords and traction
interests. ALEXANDER LAW. o.
Secretary Tenants Union.
New York. Nov 2, 1918.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Cotton Workers in England,

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: In answer to Mr.. Logan's letter In
this mornings Tribune. / would like to say
that he is very much wrong in his statements
about the cotton districts in England. !
worked in the cotton factories in Lancashire
as girl and woman for more than twenty
three years, so think | know something
about them. They have never worked twelve
hours day in the cotton factories there
for fifty or sixty years, and no girl or woman
can work more than ten hours day on any
consideration, and half day on Saturdays
The men also work only ten hours day, and
Saturday half day, but there is no law to
stop them working longer, like there is for
the women. Women's and girls wages in the
cotton factories there are as good as they are
here. bu, the trouble is that the male weaver
cannot earn any more money than the female
weaver from five TO six or seven dollars
week, as it il piecework and that makes a
great many of the married women have 10
20 out 10 work, II their husbands are weavers
Rents are much lower there, and the workers
in the cotton districts are not badly off. They
have a weeks holiday every summer, when all
the factories shut down for week, and a
very great percentage Of them go TO the sea-
shore for a week in normal times, as many
Of them save about a shilling a week all
the year round for this object. +. II.
n Elizabeth, n. j., Oct. %, 1915
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Well Worth Consideration.

There is much TO recommend the plan
TO consolidate the Health and Charities
denartments and Bellevue and Allied HOS
nitals which the Mayor and Controller
have under consideration. 1t would, IN
the first place. reduce overhead charges
Cor officials and stats. 1t would avoid du-
plication Of work by inspectors. 1t would
concentrate responsibility for hospital
management Since the city lacks cen
trail purchasing bureau, such a consoiida
ton would probably bring about economies
in the buying of supplies for the institu
tions now being operated under the three
distinct departments. If in addition the
amalgamation offered sufficient opportu
mites for service to bring DR.. Goldwater
back into the city's employ, that IN itself
would be great argument for the plan.
II is TO be assumed that there would
be opposition to the change, both locally
and in the Legislature, If the charter
amendment authorizing it were submitted
Proposals which mean a shifting OF au
thority and a reduction Of the number OF
public employees are always certain to have
their antagonists. Yet the simplicity OF
organization which would result and the
economies which could be put into effect
would be great merits. This city badly
needs to save money. If this can be done
by any means which also offers a chance
of better and more efficient work the idea
deserves the sympathetic consideration OF
officials and taxpayers alike.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: What is Il that makes the public
franchises held by the public service cor
porations enormously valuable?
OF what value would these public fran
chises be TO New York City were it not for
the enormous amount of capital invested in
the Improvements and the enormous service
rendered by the operation of the public ser
vice corporation systems?
Why not take all taxes off the public ser
vice corporations service and place them
upon the land values caused by such service
Why should not the public service corpora
tons be public servants, enjoying the full
product Of their labor, instead of being half
starved slaves TO the land value grafters?
Would It not be enough to have the public
service corporations pay land value tax
upon all lands of which they have exclusive
use, such barn sites, power house sites
office building sites, yard sites, etc? The
franchises to be looked upon as public utli-
ties, and not ms corporation utilities. The
public practically has exclusive use OF the
public service corporations franchises.
Do you think il fair 70 regulate the public
service corporations down TO a bare living, on
tho one hand. and then bleed them half to
death through taxation. on the other hand
HENRY d. BYRNE.
New York, Oct. 2s, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Teaching Use Of Theatre Exits

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir Mr.. Fremont Wilson, In his letter &c
The Tribune Of October %, calls attention
to the fact that the public is not given any
actual training in the use of fire exits in the
theatres, although invited to use them in
the programmes. On October IA, 1889, the
fremont Theatre, Boston, was opened under
the management Of Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau.
II had been built with every attention to
safety-as known at that time. twenty-six
years ago. There were nineteen exit doors
leading out of the auditorium, six on the
lower, six on the balcony and seven the
gallery floor These were controlled by cleo
tricity, and on each lobby, in the box office
and in the prompt entrance on the stage a
glass inclosed box contained switch button
which, operated, opened the nineteen doors.
Soon after the opening Of the theatre | as
the acting manager, suggested to Mr. John
b. Schoefel the idea OF educating the su-
dences into the use of these doors, and from
then on for several years it was my custom
Oh one night OF each week, usually Friday,
to address the audience before the last act
Of the play TO describe the location OF the
many exits, and to ask some person in the
audience to turn the switch at the end OF the
performance and TO invite the audience to
use and thereby sccustom themselves to the
various exits Of the theatre.
A notice to this effect was also printed in
the programme and | know that the scheme
worked to the greatly added confidence OF
the public and to the benefit Of the manage
ment. WILLIAM obIMooh'
New York. Oct. 90, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
the voluntary system cannot be called a

the voluntary system cannot be called
success.
For the physically unfit and for many
who are otherwise unable though ready 70
serve. the brassards will be a comfortable
protection. In the early days of the war,
if not to-day. some enthusiastic young
women used TO delight in comforting white
feathers on able bodied men who were not
in khaki. Their methods were not tactful
and they did not invariably show discrimi-
nation in selecting their victims. Many
rreproachable patriots have been subject
cd to undeserved public rebuke not only
from these self-appointed saviors OF IN"
state, but occasionally from laundering re-
cruiting officers. Blunders are not wholly
inevitable. Lord Kitchener himself, 1t is
said. was served the other day with one
Of Lord Derby's pink forms, so called
But the brassards will save many n de-
serving man from public humiliation
while rendering the position Of the unde'
serving less enviable than ever before.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Our Statues But Dead Lampposts

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: group Of rich New York women
are going to erect an elaborate statue Of
Joan of Arc on the Riverside Drive. ! can
not understand what such statue will mean
esthetically and otherwise. Judging by the
newspaper pictures, 1t is nothing but con-
ventional piece of sculpture.
New York has quite few imposing monu-
ments. but they all make a poor impression.
Neither the monuments themselves nor the
relation ot the monuments TO the surround
ings signifies anything The New York monu-
ments are meaningless, with nothing Of the
great symbolic message that they should
convey. There is nothing sacred, nothing
nationally inspiring, In the New York monu-
ments. Their spiritual relation to something
epochal or racial is superficial and empty.
Now York monument is dead lamppost,
nothing else. 1t lacks the spark Of divine
life the Image Of God" In sculpture the
heroic and divine are the aims Of artistic
achievements. without this striving after
the divine spark nothing is produced but
lifeless figures and dead forms.
| understand the point when the French
erected a beautiful monument for Joan in
a place of aesthetic peace and historic at
mosphere. In Europe the monuments are in
spring things of beauty. You can look at
them for hours and feel the spiritual thrill
that they exercise upon an onlooker. TAKE
the statues of the Italian, French, German,
Norwegian or Russian masters. They NIL you
with sacred awe. Nothing probably has
fascinated the writer more than the SEEM
ingly simple monument Of Mimi and Polar
sky in Kostroma, Russia. IL is a real sym
phony in stone. The inhabitants Of this
small provincial town have built an aesthetic
temple that haunts you for years. II is beau
tiful and stands in perfect harmony with the
surroundings. 1t is something sacred to the
town and the people who look at it, But
there is no trace Of that sacred feeling in
the New York monuments. They are dead
heaps of metal and stone
Such dead piece will be the projected
monument Of Joan. In a way New York
lends itself we'll for impressive monuments,
but the people who build them have no
aesthetic culture. II the group OF rich New
York women want to build something sacred
Of their time, they have far better subjects
far better symbols, than Jeanne dare. New
York and the country are rich in gripping
historic themes which could be utilized. But
the trouble is that those who intend TO do
something have not felt anything. The peo-
ple are not original but like TO initiate
others have always maintained that there
il also beauty in action, but an average New
Yorker has not come to that yet.
IVAN NARODNY.
New York, Nov. 3, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
The Unfortunate Cat.
Tho Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: | should like, through your columns.
TO thank william Hickman for his just ana
sensible letter defending the unfortuhse
cat. Even more than the dog, The cat seem.
to be the special victim Of the privations an'
cruelties to which helpless and homeless an,
mails are exposed, and few voices are raise0
in protest, though the cat Is one OF the gen
test and most harmless Of the crea'u'"
that man has tanned and made depende"'
upon him.
Among the ten cats which have al var
Gus times owned and closely observed
found none that showed "a tendency 10
vert to the wild and predatory life wac"
properly fed and sheltered. As MT. HOG
man wisely says, much OF pussy's mataue'as
is the fault of her human owners and he's"
bors. Is a hungry and homeless cat to 'ain.'
ly sit down and starve when she is able "
sustain her life by her own exertonsG
Surely there is enough OF misery ana o''
tally already in the world. Let US 10,
legitiuize il or jest about II. ! hope man
Tribune readers will give serious eonsios''
ton 10 Mr.. Hockman's plea for fair "eA.
ment for the cat. Such justice IS mercy
justification Of mans Wanted attsih'n'".
in civilization and humanity. For the ss'
Of our own self-respect, let US prove our
selves intelligent and merciful overlords "
the helpless creatures whose lives are IN o''
hands. L. oNph"
Brooklyn, Oct 26, 1915.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Labels for Patriots.

If only TO save them from the attentions
Of overzealous patriots it is but just that
England's potential recruits should be
supplied with some sort Of badge TO dis
tinguish them from the wilful slackers.
The very conditions of Lord Derby's
scheme make some such distinction .neces-
sary if those who are willing but unable
TO wear the khaki are not to suffer un-
duly; hence the proposal to supply
brassards to the men who have offered
their services will undoubtedly meet with
general approval.
1t should also help the business of re-
cruiting by reducing the number of appar-
ent idlers, thus making them more con-
spicuous. Hitherto the unpatriotic have
had great liberty in the choice of plausible
excuses, and there was no definite way of
holding them to account. 1t was sufii-
GENTLY plain, however, that very many
were taking their responsibilities too
lightly. Under the new conditions it will
not be so easy TO square inclinations and
conscience in fact, private conscience will
no longer be the final criterion, for a
mans neighbors will look instinctively for
the brassard before they are satisfied that
he s properly entitled TO mutt. Accord
ing 10 Lord Derby's conception, every one
who hangs back should ask himself this
question: Would the excuse that give 20
myself for not joining be held effective
in conscript country" For unless those
offer themselves willingly who in ST h a
country would be taken by compulsion,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Navy's Record in v. C.'s.
(From The DUNDEE Adrerti.er. }

The granting Of six Victoria Crosses TO
naval officers ard seamen in connection with
the landing on Gallipoli Peninsula brings the
number Of those honors gained by the senior
service during the war up TO 10. Since the
decoration was instituted 81 have been
granted. in addition 20 which have been
won by "the Jollies." As only few over
600 Crosses have been bestowed during the
last sixty years. the navy's proportion IS
high. considering the comparatively few OPP
portunities for individual gallantry presented
afoat. The total number Of Victoria Crosses
awarded during the present war-eo- already
exceeds by 10 the number given in South
Africa, but as yet it is far short OF the 1872
granted during the Indian Mutny and III
during the Baltic and Crimean campaigns.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
From The Westminster Gasette)

Salonica offers many facilities for the land
irg Of troops. 1t has fine harbor protected
in an adequate manner by strong break
water, and has large quays. During the war
with Greece in 1897 the port played a notable
part in facilitating the rapid concentration
Of Turkish troops on the borders Of Thes-
sally. The city, indeed, from its earliest
days, has been a military and commercial
centre Salonica is Of very great interest
TO Christians the world over, for il was TO
the community which ST. Paul founded there
that he addressed his two epistes 70 the
Thessalonians. The fine preservation Of the
decorations of the mosques of the city, OF
which there are several of note. makes them
valuable TO students Of Byzantine art and
architecture.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06

be witnessed every day at Fourteenth Street
around noon, which is certainly not in the
rush hours"
have hopes that when women are al
lowed to vote the travelling public will not
be treated like dumb. driven cattle. We
ought to give the women a chance to show
what they can do. for what the men have
done, in this respect at any rate is pretty
rotten. ARTHUR L. HOWARD.
New York. Oct. 81. 1915.