davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
The Swiss Way.

According to a despatch yesterday
from Geneva the enlightened Govern
mcnt of Switzerland has announced
that the supremacy important ques-
ton of joining the proposed League
OF Nations will be decided by the
Swiss people themselves by a refer
endum vote.
This is the regular form provided
by the Swiss Constitution for the de-
. cision of such momentous questions
1t has obtained in the Confederation
for nearly half century. No diplo.
matte representative would dream OF
committing or attempting to commit
the republic on his own responsibility.
The Swiss system provides for d.
rect expression Of popular will.
Our Federal system does not pro,
vide for referendum vote In just
that way; yet the popular will finds
expression all the same in other ways
II found expression, as may be re-
membered. In the Congress elections
of last fall, after direct appeal n
The people by President WILSON to
make their vote for Congressman q
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
TRADE BRIEFS.

A number OF small companies IN Copsn-
hagen making charcoal have combined and
have established head ofices there. The
TO sell at about 81 cents a buShel Char
coal has never been q common articls o.
household fuel in Denmark but as coke
which is the standard fual ct present
sells at about ~ cents buhel charcoal
may md some sale,
The total revenues OF the custom houses
at the port Of Csilso. Peru. during Janu-
AIRY, 1919, amounted TO s206,7l9. in com
parison with s3s1,53i for the month OF
January, 1918, reports Consul General W
W. Handley.
A corporation Is being formed at Bron
derslev Denmark, with capital stock Of
1913 1000, to take over and enlarge an ex-
listing foundry and machine shop. Tho
Company Will be IN the market for ma.
chine tools and much iron and steel.
The close of 1918 saw the formation NJ
Swiss Shipping Union. with capital D,
6o,0Ooo 900 francs half Of which was sub.
scribed by the Government and half ov
leading Swiss firms. notably the Synd,cats
OF Chocolate Manufacturers to whose I'M, .
tiatlve the enterprise is due.
The Java tea shipments still con,,rr.
to show the United States by far ,hs
largest buyer. For November. 1918. the
United States received 1880, 400 pouns.
Canada 09o.so0 and all other coup,Y,..
1898. 500.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
EVENTS TO-DAY.

=, Ban for the beneht of the Air s,,x,..
PpemGrial Fund. Ritz-Carlton Hotsi. 4
The Sons of the Revolution IN IN. Scat.
OF New York will celebrate the one hn.s
BATH. an af IIorty,rourth anniversary OF che
fourth street ard Fifth avenue ! p
vopnsn meeting OF life insurance men ana
,Annua! meeting of the membsr. ne ~ =
A storis fr,a Era of New York. waldorf.
free Milk for Italy. Waldorf Astoria. ii
Hasty Pudding Club of Harvard viii,
Gowns and Clowns" Hotel Aston.
of Trees in by M ear ssnnwe!t on The Pac.
tanicai Garden. ! 2. M New York no
csrn Mon labor , Americsnization convention.
oa Bass H aail; d =, NJ ,.,
Hotel Pennsylvania, p. NJ. "'''
:, Sons OF the American Revolution. mat.
Ins ana supper. Hotel PennsylvaniA 8
Reception under tho .uspice. OF tho /.
dies auxiiiaries OF the knights OF Coium.
American Museum Of NstuT 9ry' g,i E. u
George II. Sherwood. curator of the mn,
seum's department OF public education. viii
Mawson Aims OF the Antarctic. showing
of tha sI p,ra ana deeP sea life. the home
Brooklyn Institute: A field trim 70 Tan
any, N j. Will be conducted by Charles
Ericsson, the party meeting at Fort Lee
ferry, foot OF West l30th street Manhat-
tan, at 80 p. NJ. The members OF IN a
Institute Chess Club will meet for tho pur.
pose OF play at and 8 p. NJ in the Art
of the Department Of Astronomy will be
open from 6 to $3.50 P. NJ for observa
tIon OF the planets Jupiter and Saturn and
double stars. r. G.. Way, secretary OF
the department. in charge The work Of
the week will be concluded in tho Sciescs
Room at S:l5 by DR.. Albert T. Clay. pro
fessor OF Assyrlology and Rabylonian N,
erature NJ Yale University, with an illus
trated lecture-conference on The Results
OF Babylonian Research"
Eastern Arts Association. meeting, Hotel
McAlpin. all day.
Annual Lexington Day dinner for IN.
boys of the Brace Memorial Newsbsys'
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
The Housing OF Our People.

The war has brought to the United
States n problem of home building
which. offers to constructive states
manship such an opportunity as few
generations of men in public life and
responsible private station have ever
known. If the national, State and
municipal governments, cooperating
with capital and the multitude of
home seekers, improve this oppor-
tunity wisely inestlmable benefits will
be conferred on the country for all
time to come. If through shortsight-
edness or stupid selfishness 1t Is ig-
to our institutions and our people
may easily be grave even to the edge
Of disaster.
In the words of Secretary WILSON
Of the Department of Labor, Downing
q home gives a man an added sense
Of responsibility to the national and
local government that makes for the
best type of citizenship" The desire
10 own home. to possess piece Of
land. is one Of the commonest of hu-
man ambitions. The opportunity now
before us is to make possible the
qualification of this universal longing
for practically every industrious fam
lily, to the immediate profit of the
country as a whole and to Its people
as individuals. A nation Of home
owners will be a nation of straight
thinking, progressive men and women,
undisturbed by the apostles of wild
radicalism and intelligently devoted
to the Improvement Of social and po-
litical conditions.
In the past the housing problem
has been treated piecemeal. Indus
trial corporations, railroad companies
and employers In other fields sought
to make their employees contented
! by building homes for them to
rent or buy. A city or a village
tackled the problem to rid itself of a
plague spot. individuals united in
building and loan societies, usually re,
stricted to local activities. Real es-
tate promoters. some of them dishon-
est, have developed certain sections,
often in large operations. But these
, activities have been the result Of prl-
waite enterprise, occasionally philan-
thropic in Its origin, and in no case
based on a nationwide conception OF
the needs and possibilities Of home
ownership throughout the whole
county.
.SSV the call for homes II far
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19

A single sentence In Cardinal GLIB.
BoNs's letter indorsing the campaign
Of the Salvation Army to raise 3d.
100000 tells his fellow citizens why
they should open their pocketbooks
wide to Its collectors:
THE man in need of help is tho
object Of their, effort. with never =
question OF his creed or color"
There exists no society for the re.
lief Of human suffering that goes
more directly to the man or woman
or child in distress than does the Sal.
walton Army. Its long experience
with human frailty, its knowledge OF
unhappy conditions won from init.
mate acquaintance with the weak or
hayward, have borne fruit in a prac-
teal system of service to humanity
that is duplicated by no other organi.
Zation. 1t has not allowed its good
impulses to be fettered by statistics
or its kind heart to be rendered cal.
lous by theories.
What the Salvation Army asks for
should be given and given without the
expenditure of very much energy in
the process Of collection
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19

Sylvester Perkins attained his majority
in good health and lived his life under tho
watchfui eyes of q fond but not foolish
mother.
In 1915 no went to France 10 drive an
ambulance.
For two years and more he lived In
dugouts, rested where he could. wors
clothing that was wet when II was not
sopping wet. A pond less than four feet
deep he learned to regard as q mud pud
die. He could lie down in four inches OF
water and without the slightest difficulty
forget his troubles in sleep.
His chest expanded. his waist line con-
tracted. his muscles turned to well tenn
pered steel. His mind was clear. his skin
he returned to his home.
The spring OF 1919 was not unlike some
other springs. in that II was marked by
misty, damp days, by showery days. by
days whom heavy rains fell.
Sylvester Perkins took up his life OF
civilian endeavor again. and his fond.
proud but not foolish mother resumed
her interrupted supervision of his daily
habits.
Thus II happened in that Joy Inspiring
II dampish spring. whenever Sylvester Per-
kins quit his home for an adventure of
business or pleasure n familiar and So
lieitous voice arrested him;
"syivester. dear. should you not wear
your rubDsrsf"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
Authoritative Decision In the Grea,
Cruller Case.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: A
doughnut is a doughnut and conversely
cruller 10 a cruller-the first a Yankee
notion. the source Of the other Holland.
As to the difference, hear the testimony
of a member of my family. in her
ninety-second year and OF Dutch an
cesty: Crullers are made of cake
dough. with milk and saleratus, then
cut in oblongs. folded on themselves
and twisted before frying, while dough
nuts are raised bread. Another Holland
dainty. olykoeks, were round. about the
size of n tennis ball and raised, con-
tanning a raisin or so. and rolled in
sugar.
The derivation OF the name cruller is
the Dutch word krullen. meaning to
turn or twist, and so the name aptly
describes the delicacy which Is crisp
and crumbling in consistency, as related
by Washington Irving.
It would seem from tho divergent
views expressed that changes Of name
have arisen with lapse OF time, but let
some of your confused correspondents
ask for crullers in New York restau-
rants and bakeries and they will be
served with the twisted variety.
HOPPER STRIKER MORT.
NEW YORK, April IS.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19

greater than ever, the chance to At
the house to the man Is presented In
form never known before, and pub
lie sentiment is prepared for coopera-
tlon on a scale such as never has
been attempted.
The reason for this is that homes
are now required In every section Of
the country. The population in Pasa-
dena, California, wants 600; the peo-
pie Of Pittsfleld, Mass, want $50; the
residents of Chicago call for 10000 {;
the city Of Dallas, Tex, needs 400.
In every section of the United States,
urban and rural, the cry is for dwell
ing houses.
To build these dwelling houses
money is needed, and the men who
control money can do no more patri-
otto or profitable thing than to sup
ply 1t to home builders. BY furnish
ing the money they would provide the
means to employ labor, and employed
labor would seek to invest Its surplus
earnings in more dwelling houses.
The menace Of unemployment would
quickly disappear, the capital in
vested in dwelling houses would re-
turn a good profit, the owners of those
dwelling houses would contribute by
their contented industry to the fur
Their and continuing material, political
and social prosperity Of the nation.
The great machine by which the
capital for this tremendous enterprise
should be distributed can be erected
by the capitalists Of the United States
in accordance with the sound princi-
pies Of business. What is required
Is corporation. or number of cor
porations, financed from the great
money centres, and operating in &C
cordance with a general policy modi-
fed to meet the needs and practices
Of various sections. 1t is likely that
the laws Of most Of the States as they
stand now would protect borrowers
and lenders equally; IL in any State
this was not the case the necessary
legislation could be enacted. The
terms Of loans should be as liberal
as sound business practice would per
nit; the element of charity should
not enter the transactions Of the cor
poration. but its directors should be
animated in their conduct by the
highest ideals and prudence.
It Is not necessary to point out the
beneficial effect which would be pro-
duced on business by the adoption Of
a broad gauge, enlightened policy Of
liberal assistance to home builders.
Contractors would promptly get to
work. A healthy demand for build
ing materials would correct the alb
normal conditions that now exist.
Capital and labor would profit mutu-
ally from every cottage erected, and
the United States and all Its people
would reap enduring gains from the
national encoura cement of home
building.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
The Hand Of Death.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: As
THE SUN remarks, Government Super
vision of business enterprise is "the
hand OF DEATH" as witness the railroads.
When the United STATES Government
relinQuishes their control In another
year It will have cost the people up
ward OF one billion dollars to run the
roads. above the receipts. Then look
at the Burleson control OF the telephone
and telegraph. II this is Government
control" the people say most emphati-
cally. mo more of it," II the war
stamps out Socialism and Government
ownership It may. after all. have been
worth while. Certainly It Is true. how
ever. that the world is now passing
through the most serious time in all
history. EDWIN w. INGALLS,
BOSTON, April IS.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
THIS IS A HATEFUL DATE.
A History Teacher Parades the Nine
teeuth Of April.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-sir: As
n teacher OF history for many years !
have observed the frequency with
which 10 occurs in relation to important
events in the history Of our nation.
Several happenings OF note, for ex-
ample, the death of Garfield and the
fuAeral Of Mckinley. have September
10 as their date; but by far the great
est list may be credited to April 10. In
every war In which the United States
has participated the real beginning was
closely connected with that date. Below
is a list compiled, by fourth year history
classes during year OF study:
APRIL 10 IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
16ss-Andros deposed and thrown
into prison on the receipt in Boston
Of the news-of the accession OF William
OF Orange.
1754-The French drove from the
junction of the Allegheny and the
Monongahela rivers the thirty men that
the Ohio Company had sent there to
build Fort Pitt. The French finished
the fort and renamed 1t Fort Duquesne.
1775-Battle Of Lexington. First en-
gagement OF tho Revolution.
17S3-Hostilities formally ceased.
1S12-Concord troops departed from
home to Journey to the front.
1s16-Enabling act relative to tho
Indians passed.
city. leaving his wooden leg to be cap
tured by the Americans.
1s50-The Clayton-Bulwer treaty.
1S61-Blockade of Southern ports
Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, from
Lexington and Concord, fired on in
Baltimore. First bloodshed of the civil
war
1s64-Enabling act relating to Ne
braska-
1S65-Lincoln's funeral.
1SsS-Congress passed a Joint resolu-
ton empowering Mckinley to use the
military and naval forces OF tho United
States to compel Spain to leave Cuba
1901-Aguinaldo issued a manifesto
to the insurgents counselling submission
to the United States.
1906-Burning of San Francisco after
the earthquake.
1e0s-New pension law regarding
widows of soldiers went into effect.
1s11-St. Johns Episcopal Cathedral
in New York city dedicated. Repre-
sentatives OF many creeds present.
1914-Huerta refused to comply with
the demand of the United States that
he make reparation for his insult to the
American flag.
1917-First American gun fired in
war with Germany. The armed mer-
chairman Mongolia destroyed a Ger
man submarine.
191s-British repulse Germans at
Givenchy after recovering Con April 1S)
position southwest Of KENNEL Hill.
1880
Should others have additional items
I should be glad to receive them.
TEACHER OF HISTORY.
MONTICELLO, April IS.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
One Reason Street Railways Do Not
Prosper.

Two payments, one Of 500 and the
other of $1,000, have been made to
the United Railways Company Of st.
Louis, Mo-, by former conductor,
who confesses that he stole the money
in a single year. Assuming that he
worked 800 days and that $1,100 is
the total Of his stealings, this con-
science stricken worker diverted from
the corporation strong box to his own
pocket an average Of almost $3.70 a
day, or the fares Of seventy-four pas
sengers.
Thus 22,2OO riders were carried by
the company without any return to
It in the course of a year. 1t may be
assumed that the repentant conductor
Is not the only employee Of the cor
poration who engaged IN knocking
down fares" as the practice Of which
he was guilty is commonly called. 1t
has been asserted that II the treasurer
of a street railway company gets 10
per cent. Of the amount paid by the
public for transportation on Its lines
1t is fortunate. Pay-as-you-enter cars,
on which passengers are required to
drop their nickels in box, are a de-
vice to foil dishonest collectors, but
they do not eliminate theft.
When the late FREDERICK W. WHIT
RIDGE was receiver for the Third Ave-
nue. lines he printed appeals to the
public to be honest with the company,
and posted them in all the cars. The
abuse Of transfers, failure to pay hon
est conductors and payment of less
than the legal fare to dishonest con-
ductors are familiar methods of beat
Ing street railway companies. Yet the
fact that dishonest conductor must
be prosecuted for the theft of n small
sum--a nickel, for example-renders
punishment difficult to infiict. OREN
RooT, in the peritt of his manage
ment Of. the old Metropolitan lines,
became convinced that prosecution Of
thieving conductors probably cost the
company more than the example was
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
THE STATE INCOME TAX.
Piling IN Unjust Burden on Already
Too Heavily Loaded Backs.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sr: II
the Legislature at Albany imposes a
State income tax on New York 1t will
kill the goose that laid the golden egg
which has made New York tho foremost
Industrial State, for industry will move
to another State where the burdens are
lighter ana moro jdst So will en-
ployees move away. Is there any wis
dom In Legislature which ruins the
States business and checks its general
prosperity1
As to its political outlook, I can see
Socialism advancing by leaps and
bounds. for the people will be SO in
censed at another income tax on top or
the heavy Federal income tax they are
paying this year that they will vote
for the whole Socialist ticket as a pro-
test and In the hope that retrenchment
in Government expenses rather than ex-
travagance paid for in income taxes
will be the slogan OF the Socialist
party. I have heard many business
men say they will leave the State II
these oppressive laws go on. And
have heard many others say they will
become Socialists the day they pay a
State income tax It will add tre-
mendously to the discomfort that il
threatening US now, and the great
middle class, upon whom this tax will
fall the heaviest, will turn like tho pro-
verbal worm. Heretofore they have
been the bulwark against Socialism and
Bolshevism, but that extra income tax
will arouse them and they will take
sides and they certainly will not side
with the people who put that tax on
them.
No persons whose income Is under
$1,000 should pay an income tax, for
their salaries are not increased, and
everything they have to buy. all the
necessities Of life, have jumped to
enormous rates. leaving them in a much
worse condition than two years ago.
Think you these people-and they are
many-will not resent this unnecessary
burden7 Nothing is said in Albany
about retrenching; they Just add in
come taxes to cover anything and
everything. That State income tax will
be the match that will light the pre-
pared, ready to burn timber. and with
all this unrest about us in this crucial
time Of reconstruction every burden on
the people should be lightened as much
as possible-not increased to the break
ing point
THE SUN is among the foremost to
see this. and it has labored almost alone
in trying to ward Off a confiagration
and in efforts to make things little
easier in this time Of upheaval all over
the world. It deserves the thanks of
all who wish our country's best interests
to be upheld and to preserve a happy,
contented people. A TAXPAYER.
NEW YORK, April Is.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19
What Burleson Is WIRE ckinr.

That was a sententious despatch
which went to Mr.. WILSON from Bos-
ton over the signatures Of the presi-
dent Of the Democratic Club Of Mas
sachusetts and eleven Democratic
members of the Legislature of that
State:
"BURLEsoN wreching the party.
Remove him and settle this strike"
What the signers Of the despa tch
wished to convey to the President was
Of course the fact that the Postma ster-
General was wrecking the Democratic
party by wrecking the telephone ser
vice as he has wrecked the postal ser
vice and the telegraph service.
The peculiar point about the des-
patch is that these Democrats should
have appealed to President WILSON to
remove BURrEsoN, not as the wrecker
OF three great national businesses but
as the wrecker of the Democratic
party. Has the mind Of the rank and
file Of the Presidents party reached
the stage where 1t despairs Of ad-
dressing him as an officer of the peo-
pie and prefers merely to beg that he
will save the political organiza ton
which elected him?
For ourselves we could not hold
out a promise to Mr.. WILSON that the
dismissal of albert SIDNEY BuRLEsoy
from the Cabinet would save the Dem
ocratic party. even If It were to be
assumed that Mr.. WILSON wishes to
save 1t. The firing Of BURLEsoN
would not mean absolution from the
American people for all the sins Of
the Administration. The mismanage-
mont of every public utility over
which BURLEsoN. legally or otherwise,
has assumed control Is Of course one
OF the darkest spots on the Admin
istration record. The worst thing
about BURLEsoN' malpractice in Of
fee is that, Selling hold Of the very
nerves Of America, he has wrenched
them asunder. There Is not a home
or business house that has not felt,
in small measure or great, the wrongs
done by the General to the
mails, the telephone and telegraph
services. The best thing about it
and it Is a good which lies entirely in
the future-is that every American
knows what BURLEsoN has done and
that BURLEsoN has done It.
We do not wish to discourage the
twelve bold Democrats Of the Bay
State who sent the practical message
to their idealistic chief. They may
have worded 1t as 1t appears with the
intent to apply the only argument
which they thought might appeal to
the addressee. But when a President
Of the United States has so far forgot
ten his people as to permit, month af-
ter month, the evils that BURLEsoN
has shamefully and shamelessly done,
it would be discreditable to Mr.. WILL
SON to suggest that he has not also
forgotten his party. or else has de-
cided that there is no Democratic
party west Of the Atlantic.
BURLEsoN will be removed, but It
may be that the United States will
have to wait till the people remove
him.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-19

worth, because the public got the idea
that n rich corporation was persecut-
ing poor employee who at the worst
was guilty of stealing only five cents.
Yet to allow thief to go unpublished
does a gross injustice to the honest
employees Of the company.
How great the publlc's interest In
this matter is becomes apparent when
it is remembered that II the COM
panies got all the fares that are paid
by the persons they carry the finan-
clal plight Of the street railways
would be less miserable than 1t Is.
In the end the public must pay the
thieves and the company too.