davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21

contended the modern laborer had lost.
It was his theory that we produce too
much, that we attempt to satisfy super
1uous desires, that work has become a
mechanical physical effort, not craft
with an artistic purpose behind it. There
IS something to be said for this theory,
no doubt. Many have succeeded in carry
ing it to the extreme of living without
working at all. Bit mankind as whole
cannot get along in this comfortable
fashion. These hedonistic Bremen phi
losophers may conceivably have to choose
between working and starving. The
hours of labor have been shortened from
time to time, and there is a loud demand
still for continuation of the process.
No hours at all may be logical con-
dition; but logic, and especially German
logic, has before this ended in a cs,l-
de-s0c
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
The End of a Fraud

"The only new aspect of the situation
that learned at the White House," says
Senator New, "was that the President
was convinced that amendments to the
league would not have to be passed upon
by Germany"
For six months continuous attempts
have been made to alarm the public by
declarations that if the treaty was not
fiatly ratified it would be necessary to
reassemble the Paris conference or to beg
others to acquiesce in our interpretations.
The latest hysterical outburst in this
city was a declaration that it would be
necessary for us to go hat in hand to
Weimar and beseech a defeated enemy
to accept our terms.
Now the fraud of this species of appeal
is practically acknowledged A scare
crow was rugged up in the hope of Gre
atlng fear. Now the stuffing is all out,
and the stupidest crow would not be de-
celved. Face to face with other men,
the President was unwilling to commit
himself to silly predictions that Tumulty
was permitted to circulate.
The business of ratifying with reserva
tons needs not much longer to be de-
layed. The method of procedure is clear
and substantial agreement has been
reached as to what the reservations
should contain.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
Buy En-, Yourselves

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The railroad brotherhoods have -,
mitted their proposition to- the public 4.
a member of the public, in good stand,,
/ beg to acknowledge theirs of recent ds,.
and in reply would say that the public T.,
a counter proposition to offer
The brotherhoods propose that the nr,
lie go into its pocket for 500, 600, ,0o0 as
at per cent and buy the railroads -,
give them as present TO the trajnn,.
The trainmen further assert that they 49,
operate the roads at a profit, and will ~
a fat piece Of profit in their pockets. =.
public declines the offer, but makes Is
generous offer Of its own:
Let the trafnmen buy the railroads tbs-
selves and then make that profit on tbu.
own investment They number 2.0OoN,
men, they say. If each man puts IN 81.
600, either in cash or credit, the spn
$4,000, 100000, and the railroads are tbs;,'
Four per cent on $4,000 is S40O Wa.
1t will take only s400 from each rajln.s
brother, yearly, tp make his groun q.
owner of the railroads. They claim III,
under their management the profits wo,l,
be so great that when they were djv;a,s
half and half with the public, the trai.
men would each receive from $500 to san
bonus for his skill.
This 5000 bonus yearly would pay IL,
$400 interest bill that each man had =.
sumed. If his bonus reached $500, it wor,s
pay the interest and the principal in sboag
fifteen wears in other words If Tho e.
offered by the trainmen are correct. a.
trainmen could buy the railroads on cred,
and pay for them out Of the prooerty.
earnings. The railroads would be tbss,
in fifteen or twenty years without costi.,
the men a penny. That's about as chean :,
you'll ever buy anything these days. "a
they don't take up this proposition ass
buy the railroads themselves, il shows thu,
don't believe their own dope-at least n.
to the extent Of risking s40O on It As4
If the trainmen are too foxy to risk f,x
dollars on their own scheme why should
the public come in to the tune Of s20Oos.
100000?
Buy 'em yourselves, boys, buy EN- yous
selves. You've got money, n everything
c. L. EDISON,
Member Of the Public
New York, Aug. 10, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
The City as Bagholder

In the discussion of the subway prob
lem and the relations of the city and of
the public thereto there is notable fail
ure to dwell on one vital phase of the
question. Whether by accident or design,
this is unfortunate, for it leads to con-
fusion and to the prevalence of the as
sumption that the contest over wages is
between the company and its employees
and that the contest over fares is be-
tween the company and the public
The truth, however, is that the COM
pany, it's bondholders and stockholders
are not directly interested in either
wages or fares. The controversy with
respect to wages is between the employees
and the city and with respect to fares be-
tween the passengers who use the SUBJ
way and the city as a whole.
The financial relations of the city and
the Interborough are founded on con-
tract. Wishing to get more subways
built and to secure a unified service, the
city entered into contract with the Inter
borough company. The heart of this
contract was that the old subways and
the new should be linked in operation,
with single fare over the combined sys-
tenn. The city agreed 1) that the COM
pany should have preferred lien on the
combined income to cover it's new invest
ment, and (2) also a preferred lien to
cover a return on the companys invest
ment in the old subway.
OCorotipO oypopcoS xr,oro %o Ho ,o,sJ
first, then the company's liens, and,
astly the city was to get interest on it's
investment. Moreover, the company's
preferences were cumulative; if the in
come in any year did not suffice to meet
operating expenses and to pay to the
company the agreed-on preferences, then
the deficits, plus interest thereon, should
bs1net before the city gained any rental.
AS it is probable that some day the
company will be paid its preferences, the
financial question confronting the city is
how much can be secured to pay the in
terest on the city bonds issued for con-
struction. Heretofore the subway in
come has sufficed to recoup the city's
treasury for what it paid to it's bond
holders. But with high wages and low
fares there is little hope of this The
prospect is that the city will be COM
pelled to pay the interest on the subway
honds out of the proceeds of taxation.
The city thus holds the bag. If the
subway as a whole does not carry itself
the city meets the bill. The subway
bondholders and stockholders gave up
prospective profits for sure thing.
They may be compelled to wait for their
money, but the contract secures them.
Mayor Hylan, with Hearst at the tele-
phone, has sought to make it appear that
he is championing the interests of the
many and hammering rapacious corpo-
ration. But both the Mayor and his
guide know better than this. Not igno-
rant of where the burden will land, they
keep back their information because to
emphasize it would not suit their present
political plans.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
Runnania Brings Crisis
By Frank II. Simonds

pealed to the Paris conference when Ru-
manian armies intervened; while the Runa-
mans, in their turn defying the Paris con-
ference, proceeded to take what they had
claimed without regard to the several notes
emanating from Paris and signed by Gle
menceau.
1t is apparent, then, that in every case
where the league of nations Idea and the
conference of Paris decisions have en-
countered nationalsm the result has been
a compromise violating the essential prin-
cples Of the league Of nations, as in the
case of Shantung, deadlock, as in the case
of Fiume, or, in the latest case, deliberate
defiance and an appeal to force.
A Ridiculous Situation
Now, it is apparent that this sort Of
thing cannot 20 without reducing the
whole league of nations proposal to nothing
short Of ridiculous position. The Ameri-
can Senate seems inclined to repudiate the
pledge given by President Wilson to France,
and if it does France will be free TO stay
on the Rhine. The Italians have not the
smallest intention of abandoning Fiume the
Japanese purposes in Shantung at least
undisclosed, the Rumanians are stopping in
Budapest and still advancing in the
Banat, while the Poles, the Lithuanans, the
Bulgarians, the Greeks, TO mention only
few other nations and races, are more and
more tending to rely upon force rather than
upon abstract moral principles for the as
scrtion of their claims.
Actually, and the thing must be ap-
parent to everybody, the conference of Paris
is failing in the face of the natonalism of
the hour, precisely as President Wilson
failed in the presence of Germany at war in
the matter of the submarines. Notes and
ultimatums, language unaccompaned by
force, achieving as little now as then.
In the end had to go to war with Ger
many or get off the ocean, Now, at dis
tant time the nations that, up to the pres
ent moment, constitute the league Of ma
tions will have to use force against Italy
and Rumania, against Greece, and not i'm
probably against Poland, Serbia, Turkey and
various other states, to compel them to sur
render what they believe to be their sacred
and historic rights, or abdicate and let
quarrels, which at least old fashioned,
be settled by methods which are even more
old ShiOned
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21

In the eleven years the average wages
OF the steel worker have advanced from
1929 to $1,95O, an increase of 100 per
cent. During the same period the wages
of railroad workers have advanced 40
per cent.
Never was there so rapid an increase
OF wages affecting such masses of men.
And the weight of statistical au-
thority is that the advance has been at
a faster rate than the advance in the
cost of living. Food prices have kept
pace with the rise in steel and railway
wages (those of some commodities sur
passing it), but food expenditure rep
resents only 40 per cent of a normal
family budget. Shelter cost, most i'm
portant item, has gone up the country
over, probably not as much as Is per
cent. Many miscellaneous items, such as
amusements, articles of luxury, etc..
show increases Of 80 per cent or less.
The public utility companies, speaking
generally, are largely getting the prices
of eleven years ago because of limiting
Turning to the production side the
exhibit is melancholy one, especially
with the railroads. In the last wear of
private operation 100000 employees
moved three hundred billion tons of
freight one mile at a labor cost of
$1,46O, O,000,000. During the first six
months Of 1919 a larger force of men
moved one hundred and fifty billion tons
OF freight one mile at labor cost of ap
proximately $1,45O, 100000.
Thus the enhanced wages BROUGHT a
decrease of efficiency per man. The
dogma of short-day advocates that high
wages and short working day lower
labor costs per unit of production has
been exploded
In the passage from the twelve or
eleven hour day to the ten or nine honr
day speeding up and better machinery
and methods permitted q net decrease
IN the labor cost. But the passage to
the eight-hour day has not BROUGHT
similar results. Somewhere between
eight and nine hours seems the noint
VI iHaAluiuln human eHlc1encY
lnasmuch as war conditions have
diminished normal production, and mas
much as wages, if not paid out of cur
rent production, must represent drafts
elsewhere, whence have come the sums
paying the new wages? Some one has
obviously been mulcted Who? One set
OF victims are the thrifty who have
made savings to take care of their old
ago or to transmit to their descendants
The country has 10000, 900 owners of
life Insurance policies They have maid
IN 10O-cent dollars, and they stand to
get back 50-cent dollars to the Same
number. Similarly 100000 savings
bank depositors get 5O-cent dollars for
1OO-cent dollars. Similarly, every holder
OF an investment payable, principal or
income, in dollars has been hit Terrific
has been the fine levied against the
owners of capital. The very rich man
'"''~ 70 re~ cont nf hic irco,,,~ j., I;,-+
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21

him shrunken in purchasing power. The
small capitalist discovers his savings
cut in two.
Associated with the savers and pos
SCISSORS are those elements of the popu-
lation whose salaries or wages slowly
change. Many Of these are In great
distress. The gains to the great body
of agriculturists, to traders and to the
aristocrats of the labor world have
largely come from the clerkly class
from policemen, firemen, teachers and
the like.
1t is highly important for our cit-
zens to familarize themselves with the
data showing the incidence of the taxa
tion which the 50-cent dollar levies, and
also with the simple laws and prin-
ciples that govern when there is a great
change in dollar values. The general
diffusion of knowledge is the best pro-
lection against the acceptance of quaclS
remedies that will do harm rather than
good. The appointed leaders of public
opinion at Washington seem -indisposed
to take up this educating work; so far
they have avoided frank and open state
ments such as President Cleveland had
the courage to put forth in another
period of economic stress. Such being
the case, it becomes the duty of news
papers to take up the neglected work
and to do the best they can to present
sound and honest doctrine
1t would be much better if the Presi-
dent and his associates would lead in this
task, but as they do not the obligation
must be taken over by others.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
MuddIed Insurance

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: In connection with the letters src-
Mr.. Taylor and Major Hackett, recent,
printed, concerning Victory buttons, genenl
inefficiency, etc, l should like to give -;
the facts in my controversy with the Bures,
of War Risk Insurance, to me the mos
typical Burlesonization of any Of the preses
Administration organizations.
Ny brother took his examinations for Ia
Regular Army in July, 1917. Tired of way
ing to hear from them, he enlisted in h,
Ground School of Aviation at the Bost,
Tech. While there he applied for slG0a
insurance, in favor Of my sister. From the.
he went to Mineola, was commissioned i
the Coast Artillery Corps, went to Fortr.,
Monroe, where he was stationed all wintc
and on April 12, 1918, died of pneumonu
at our home in Wellesley. Mass In Jup
my sister asked me TO inquire about Ii.
insurance, as she had heard nothing fron
it. wrote from Mississippi, where I W.
stationed, and they replied that they cout
find no record of his application, but that 1
l could give any information they "woui
give it their very earnest consideration"
gave them as much information as I could
and their everlasting promises Of "earnes
consideration but never any action. which
came with every letter, were. TO speak mildly
eXasperatng
In October I became personnel adjutau'
Of my own regiment and began to lear
something of the hopelessness of getting any
thing but errors, delays and bunk from tha
bureau. One of their bulletins said that il
surance would be paid, in the absence q
application, on a certificate that the prs
miums had been deducted from the soldier,
pay. After some delay I located the qua rtsr
master VINO had done this, and sent Il.
required certificate to the bureau on Januar
19, 1919 Their usual statement OF "earnesi
consideration came back quite promptly ar1
l sighed with relief. Il is now August. six.
teen months after my brothers death, aai
that last promise is as near as they hass
come to paying my sister any part of tie
approximately 5000 now due her
1t so happens that the money is not neees-
sary to my sisters existence 1t would make
no difference 20 the bureau if it were One
of their letters had the impudence to state
that my sister had been looked up, that NJ
brother had never contributed to her sup
port and that, therefore, she was not entitled
to any compensation from the government
1t is needless to state that neither of "
had ever mentioned compensation. or wante1
it.
If you can spare the space I should ss
glad to have this published, and ii nyoods
wishes to question any Of nay statemenss
he may attempt it. I have the letters and
the facts, in black and white.
Is it any wonder that things are in 8
muddle - the peace conference. the league
of nations, Mexico, the air service, insuranss'
the railroad administration. anything and
everything else? May God preserve Us sll
for nobody else will P. ". INGRAHAM.
Washington, D. c., Aug IS, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
The Philosophers of Bremen

Logic is logic, as the story of "The
One Hoss Shay" proved; but there is
such a thing as being too logical. It
has been one of the weaknesses of the
German mind to proceed from false
assumption to wrong conclusion. Thus
all the poemic literature that has come
out OF Germany for the past five years
has failed to convince ANYBODY not q
herman or pacitist; the intellectual
klnshlp OF Germanism and pacifism is
phenomenon none will dispute. 1t has
remained for some workmen at Bremen.
however, to apply logic to life with re-
lencless consistency. These men, being
unemployed, have struck against employ
ment
IL Is not question of wages. There
IS work for them in Belgium and Franco
at forty marks day and board-a snm
enae would once have been to them wealth
beyond the dreams of avarice. But
neither in the lands the German armies
devastated nor on their home farms will
they take up the shovel and the hoe
1t does not appear just how they expect
to live. If steady employment is prime
necessity elsewhere in Europe, 1t is diff
cult to see how it can be evaded in Ger
many, where an even heavier burden of
debt is to be shouldered That is one
beauty OF logic: it may be pursued with
out regard to fact. If you can strike for
higher wages, why can you not strike
Tor no wages at all? How you are to
live Is minor consideration.
There are occasions, of course, when
it Is duty to loaf and invite your soul.
though in view of present conditions this
does not seem to be one of them. Perhaps
the Bremen strikers are only lool-;o~ -
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
Fighting for Us
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: l hope you will find it possible 10
publish the following copy Of cablegrsm
recently received by me, and that some Of
your readers may feel prompted to con-
tribute These men are fighting for Amer
lea and the whole civilized world against
Boshevism and destruction, as well as for
their own country. The writer, Count ~
NJ Perovsky is a membcr Of the Russian
Legation in Norway / have known him
and his family thirty years and can voaeh
for him
"Christiania.- Rodsianko army now light
ing on Petrograd front sadly want money
medicines, dressing material, everythi as
Appeal to you. Could noe fund be raised
money being sent me? Anticipated best
thanks PEROVSkY"
shall be glad to acknowledge and for
ward any money sent TO me, which should
be in the form of checks or money orders
rT'pT1 T. HApCOOn.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
The Loueliest Letter
To the Editor of The Tribune.


Sir: F. P. A. has an extraordinary fas-
cination for me. It's the strangest thing.
Ordinarily l am not enthusiastic about
things one reads in the papers. News
papers. are prosaic things, after all-don't
YOU think so? Of course, | am excepting
The Tribune. 1t is really the loveliest
paper 1t has the human touch-I think
that's really it. And you know, must
be human nowadays. One must be natural.
The world is so upset now, such strikes
and riots
was saying to my friend only last night
that l thought it was the that has
upset the world so. Things never used to
be like this before the war. And he said
that perhaps it was good thing after
all, because the world needed upsetting
He says the most profound things at times.
But it really is joy to be alive, some
times the thought of it makes me so happy
even though things are a little un-
pleasant sometimes, l think we should all
grin and bear it, as the saying goes.
But l was talking about The Tribune.
You don't mind if I make few suggestions,
w Jou 0Oi yOu ISdlly tulUh you give
too much space to political affairs? Some
times l am so angry-the paper is almost
full of long, dry accounts of discussions
in Congress, and perfectly uninteresting
notices from foreign countries one doesn't
care d thing about. Of course I know you
have to fill up space with something.
But as said before, simply adore F. P.
A. l think he draws the sweetest pictures
l laugh so sometimes that my friend re-
Dukes me--he Is the most serious thing
I think F. P. AS picture called ooh, Men,"
is the best. You wouldn't expect girl
to enjoy such hearty masculine humor,
but | am so many-sided. l do hope you
won't think I impertinent for CRITICS.
ing The Tribune.
/ do adore it, and I simply had to write
"~' +"'' vow MARY W.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
The Merry Proofroor,
To the Editor of The Tribune

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: God and all these kind words anent
F. P A, Briggs, H. Broun, Ding, II. T., ETC.
elude proofroom and all other perils be-
setting words in newspaper Offices. Even
though thirty years Of age and on NV first
we'll paid job. they keep me young that
IS, when the shopmen deign to fix up
locomotive so that it carry ones favor
lte newspaper as far as Springfield bv
luncheon time AS for my better half no
more soothing experience could be imag
med for 7. B. NJ. than to hear her voice
change from the peevish whine begotten
of washing too many dinner dishes to a
gentle te-Smith College purr as she reads
aloud her-and my-preferred passages.
But while engaged in hurting rose petals
at such enticing targets, | should hate to
miss the faithful old copy reader who
every fortnight or so comes out with some
thing like this:
DOG SHOW FEATURES
WEEK END AT NEWPORT
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
League Held Paramount

So far as Mr.. Wilson could he gave that
pledge. We next encountered nationalist
demands at Fiume, and President Wilson
appealed over the heads of the Italian gov
ernment to the Italian people, with the re-
suit that the Italian people rallied behind
their government and still stand firm in
their demand to add Fiume to their country.
In the presence of conflict between the
Japanese and the Chinese in the matter of
Shantung, where all the moral rights
with the Chinese, departed from our pre-
vious course and surrendered to the Japan
ese, because President Wilson felt that the
league of nations was of more Importance
than any single detail of international
rivalry and believed that Japan would fol-
low Italy in defying the award of Shantung
to China and, with the Italians, renounce
the whole league of nations experiment.
We next encountered nationalsm in Hun
gary, combined this time with Bolshevism,
when the Hungarian people refused to
throw off Bolshevsm as long only moral
influences were exerted, but promptly ap-
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
The Strongest

To the Editor of The Tribune.
SIR "Quitting Vital Services" and
Amending the Treaty" Justify me again in
declaring to my friends that The Tribune,
regardless of frequent unjustifed partisan
ship, is by far the strongest editorial peri
odical in the United States. Thank you for
both ar+;rlor " CTEVFNQ
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
The Gamers and the Losers

Here is table, compiled from official
hgures, which shows the progression in
the annual wages of the employees of the
Steel Corporation and of the railroads.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
Miss Sylvia Hillhouse, Third Debutante
of Season, Is Presented.
- ~ - = II i .
WEEK END AT NEY

Last time it was about the vou+h wbo
lost his motor license because he hit some
thlnguor was 1T somebody ?1while driving
with "one hand on the steering wheel and
the other around grl"; and if | could
remember all his little qups of the past
two years, / could fill the column n everv
thing.
Give him raise, but never a vacation.
HAROLD.
Springfield, Mass Aug. 1s, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-21
Postmaster Duties

~, (From The A'ieansns Gazette,
That sale OF army food supplies through
the parcel post will make every postmas-
ter get a piggly- -wiggle on himself.