davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1920-06-20
HIGHER Water Rates.

Water users in the District, save
the United States and District of Co.
lumbia governments. will after. the 1st
of July have to pay 25 per cent more
u year for the service than heretofore.
The rate provided for in the new np-
preparation act has been fixed at 1865
instead of $3.50 for $4,000 gallons a
year. This. it is estimated, will raise
about 100000 more revenue. The
water users will get no more water.
They will not be insured against water
famine. They will be subjected to the
same possibility of restriction when
the supply is low. Another survey
has been provided for in the water
power act which was signed by the
President after Congress adjourned,
and which is subject to question in the
courts on grounds Of invalidity. There
is, however, no assurance that even if
the act is sustained and the survey
is completed that provision will be
made at the next session for an in
crease in the water supply. To in
sure that result this survey will have
to be much more affective than any
that has preceded, and the recon-
mendations based upon it more con-
vincing of the absolute need of i'm
mediate action.
Evening star., 1920-06-20

Despite an unusual abundance Of
clues, the Elwell murder mystery, in
New York city, remains quito a. pro-
found as on the day when the late
whist expert and turfman was found
dying in q chair At home. Much in
formation has been gained regarding
his gay life. Many people have been
interviewed by the police. Some tan
Rible evidences of his activities have
been brought to light, but the case Is
apparently as far from solution a.
ever. In q career like his It was In
evitable that numerous possible mo-
tives for the crime should develop.
Several persons. It would appear, had
abundant reason to entertain the most
vindictive feelings toward him. Yet
the police researches have concentrated
suspicion upon NO one and the author.
tiles confess themselves completely
bafisd by the crime. Naturally, as
the police have failed to elucidate tho
mystery. the amateur sleuths and the
detective fiction writer's have had a
great opportunity to apply their tai:
ents and several ingenious theories
have been advanced. But, as usual IN
such a situation, there 10 Vide vari.
anes between these hypotheses. one
Evening star., 1920-06-20
with what he is deing and yet he must
net weary the board with business: He

with what he is deing and yet he must
net weary the board with business. He
must look to the board Of education
for all refexes of public opinion and
yet must give the District the kind Of
schools that the District wants. He
must recognize that the beard has
power of life and death and he must
in NO circumstances let the public
know of any difficulties he il having In
the management Of the schools through
the Intervention Of the board. For
him the world will consist solely Of the
schools ON the one hand and Of nine
men and women on the other. He will
make friends with the citizens, the
parents, the supporters of the schools
at his peril. II praise Is given him
for his faithful capable work Of school
it may prove poisonous.
If the board Of education can get
o man like that it will have worked
a miracle. If It can insure complete
harmony, can guarantee the progress
of the schools, and can satisfy all the
cravings Of the people for school ad-
free entirely from per-
sonality, from intrigue, from faction
and from animosity 1t will have con-
ferred the greatest Of blessings upon
this community. ssr ...s,s ~,
Evening star., 1920-06-20
POLITICS AT HOME
1916 and This Year.

Four years ago the signal surprises
for the republicans were New Hamp-
shire, Ohio, Kansas and California. AT
the beginning Of that campaign If
anybody had predicted the less of
these states by the republicans he
would have been accounted joker OF
a zany. The republicans In all feuf
felt perfectly safe, and made their
plans accordingly. If the democrats
were eherishing any hopes they man.
aged mest successfully to conceal
them.
Later, whispers began to circulate.
Something was wrong In Ohio, but me-
body seemed to knew, OF to be able to
ascertain, what it was. Disgruatle-
ment appeared In Kansas. That was
attributed to bull moosery, and Mr..
Roosevelt was sent out to remedy the
trouble. The visit Of Mr.. Hughes to
California was criticised, but there
was no idea that 1t would result In the
loss Of the state. '-.-
On election day Ohio gave ninety
thousand majority, Kansas nearly for.
ty thousand, and California nearly
four thousand, for the democratic
ticket. In California Hughes ran
nearly three hundred thousand behind
johnson.
Since then tho Ohio situation has
not greatly improved for the repub.
licans. The governor is a democrat,
and Mr.. Pomerene has entered on his
second term in the Senate. Kansas has
swung back. The governor and both
senators are republican. And Cali.
fornia is regarded as in shape again.
What about Novemberi viii the
nomination Of Mr.. Harding redeem
Ohiof Will Kansas stay right Will
California exert herself to wipe out
the record Of four years ago, and
which in measure operated against
Mr.. johnson at Chicago last weekf
Evening star., 1920-06-20
JAMES H. HYsL0P.
A Scientist and Yet Spiritist Who
Has Crossed the Boundary.
From the New York Times. $3.50.

From the New York Times.
| By the death of James Hervey Hys-
lop the people in this country-and
IN Europe, too, for that matter-who
take q respectful interest in spiritism
and what are called phychic phe-
nomena have lost the services of the
man who was OF most value to them
of any writer on those subjects since
the death of Hodgson. More than
that, he was the only man thus en-
gagged In recent years who brought to
this peculiarly ungrateful task-and
used in its performances very con-
siderable amount of scientific knowI-
edge, who applied to the testimony he
secured the ordinary and accented
test of evidence. At least he honestly
tried to apply them, and he differed
from those who could not accent his
conclusions chiefly in that he did not
ascribe as much of importance as
they do to the frequency with which
those tests are inapplicable in the
spiritistic field.
1t was mot until rather late in his
life that DR.. Hyslop ceased to treat
the question of interworld communi-
cability as settled in the affirmative
Before that he carefully. and some
what laboriously maintained the at
titude of the seeker for truth-of the
possessor of an open mind, ready to
follow wherever the facts led him. It IT
was long ago, however-probably
even before he devoted himself en-
tirely to investigation in the so-called
psychical domain-that his writings
revealed plainly enough. and not in
voluntarily, how strong was his own
inclination to believe. not only that
the dead are somewhere alive, but
that they can and do send MESA ges
in various forms to the living
Several men of far higher scientific
achievements and repute than his
have come in their old age to agree
with him. but not one of them. in do
ing SO. has remained SO much the
scientist or come as near to using the
language and methods of science
Evening star., 1920-06-20
The Front Porch 40 Stump.

A word as to the Mckinley front
porch campaign.
1t was decided upon at time when
it was thought the democrats had not
a single chance. Mr.. Cleveland had
divided and chilled his party, and Mr..
Bryan's nomination looked like des-
perate sort Of bravado. All was over,
the republicans believed, but the
shouting. Let Mr.. Mckinley take his
ease.
When Mr.. Bryan as a stumper got
into his stride, however, some Of the
republican leaders experienced an at
tack Of nerves. How about the enor-
nous crowds Mr.. Bryan, was drawing
And the enthusiasm he seemed to be
inspirings Might it not be well for
Mr.. Mckinley to leave his front porch
for the stump, and especially as, while
not in the hurrah class, he was very
effective before popular audiencesf
The suggestion was considered by
the party managers, but rejected on
two grounds. The first was that a
change Of plan might be construed as
indicating a panic. "Aha, fellows, you
are on the run! The orator Of the
Platte has thrown a scare into you'll"
The second ground was that the
crowds represented good deal more
of curiosity than Of support; that the
people, without regard to party,
wanted to see the brilliant yonng man
who had stood a national convention
on it's head and shaken a presidential
nomination out Of its pocket; and that
their enthusiasm was merely an ex-
preston of appreciation Of captivat-
ing oratory.
So Mr. Mckinley remained at home,
and talked we'll and calmly from his
front porch. He made no mistakes.
All the attractions Of winning per.
sonality were brought into play, and
proved to be much stronger vote get.
ters than Mr.. Bryan's eloquence or the
tireless energy Of his excited appeals
Evening star., 1920-06-20

OFF, to this proposed economic waste
and he told the War Department to
dump them on the Department of
the Interior. Then he began to get
bids OF 10 and IL cents a pound for
these explosives. The War Depart
ment asked the Judge advocate gem
eral for q ruling. and the decision
was that they couldn't let the De-
partment Of the Interior have the
stuff. Just at that. time Secretary
Lane was much interested in his
scheme for reclaiming lands for SOL
diers. so he. got a measure put
through Congress authorizing the
surrender by the War Department of
these explosives. Later Secretary
Lane found he couldn't carry out his
reclamation project and turned the
explosives over to the bureau of pub
lie roads. A combination of T. N. T.
found superior or this road work
to dynamite
Evening star., 1920-06-20
The Boulogne Conference.

A meeting will be held at Boulogne,
France, in which representatives Of
France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan,
Belgium and Greece will participate.
The object Of this meeting is the discus
sion of the present international situa-'
ton which, according to some Of the
London commentators, is more perilous
than it was two years ago. The rela-
tions Of the allies with Russia, Turkey,
Germany, Hungary and Poland are be-
lieved to be greatly strained. There
is danger at this moment Of coalition
between the Russians and the Turks
that may lead to general outbreak
in the near east and may AFFECT the
peace Of the world.
A new treaty with Turkey is to be
written, the former ONE having been
found Inadequate. The Turkish ma
tionalists are in an ugly mood. They
are threatening to sound the call for
a general Moslsm uprising. Through
out the Balkans there is great unrest.
The international 3ealousies Of that
region have by NO means been fully
adjusted. All Of the lesser nations
bordering ON the Aegean, Adriatic and
the Danube are disturbed by the pos
sibilities Of q new outbreak Of war.
fare.
The German problem itself is far
from solution. No government has yet
been formed following the reichstag
election. 80 far the new alignment Of
parties has not been sufficiently de-
fined to permit organization Of q min
istry. For the present Germany is
quiet, but. there is NO assurance Of
continuous domestic peace.
Austria and Hunsaxy remain .as trou-
blesome questions. The Hungarians
denounce; the tresty Of. peace as ex.
oessively harsh in terms, and have ac-
cepted it with bitter resentment. In
Austri4 tho problem is economic rather
than political That remnant Of the
former empire Of the Hapsbufss ID in
q lamentable situation, incapable Of
self-support. :.
Poland il one Of. the most vexatious
Of the problems confronting the allied
nations. The government ut Warsaw
II not secure. Economie conditions
are bad and war il raging between
the Poles and the soviet. government,
with fiuctuzting fortunes. An economic
collapse in Poland il feared by many,
for tho campaign asainst Russia Is
causing tremendous, drain upon the
resources OF the new state.
The conference at Boulogne is
therefore momentous. Upon its de-
cision may turn the question Of re-
newed general warfare,
Evening star., 1920-06-20
Gum Drops Replace Potatoes.

Out in Columbus, Ind, the grocery
men have come to the conclusion that
they must abandon traditional Gus
tom. They can no longer stick pota-
toes on the noses of kerosene cans.
Spuds cost too much to be used as
corks. When the tubers are selling
at 121a cents pound even the littlest
nodule has its value. And so the
grocerymen out there are going to the
big g-mouthed glass, Jars that are to be
seen in every properly supplied gen
eral store and pulling out gum drops
for can shoppers. Even at the high
price, Of sugar it is cheaper to use gum
drops than potatoes. Thus passes an
other dear old custom.
Evening star., 1920-06-20
Full Refulgenoe.

For several days The Star has been
seeking to gather up, as It were, all
the rays Of light shed upon the ques-
ton Of an ideal public school super
fntendent by the different members Of
the board Of education who testified
before the Senate select committee,
for the purpose Of guiding the board
Of education in its present endeavof
to give the schools Of Washington an
ideal executive. The list has been e1-
hansted. All Of the members Of the
board who. having voted for a change
in the Office. were qualified to pro-
nounce upon the requirements Of the
position-and ono who though not
present WAS adequately represented in
Documentary eyidence-having con.
tributed to the illumination, It re-
mains now but to suggest in brief
summary the sort Of man the board
must find to meet its own specifics.
tions.-
Tho new superintendent. to be salts.
factory to the hoard as 1t now stands
constituted, must be q man Of protean
qualities, vsritable human chamc.
leon, He must be at once Independent
of the board of education and a close
observer Of its will In detail. He must
be stsrnly opposed to interference in
the matter Of appointments to school
positions, assuming full responsibility
fos his staff, and at the same time
must yield to influence exerted by the
board to find places for favorites OF
its members, OF possibly members
themselves. He must be progressive
in the adoption Of new educational
ideas and yet conservatives. No mere
tMedium" administrator will do, HI
, must keep the beard fully acquainted
Evening star., 1920-06-20
Convention Oratory.

The Chicago convention did not pro.
duce an grafton bracketable with the
Ingersoll Grafton of 1876, the Conkling
Grafton Of 1880, the Bourke Cochran
Grafton of 1892, or the Bryan oration
of 1896. There were clever speeches
made, but none that threw thrill into
the great body that had gathered to
nominate a candidate for President of
the United States. The weather was
hot. Delegates and spectators were
nervous and anxious about situation
which puzzled them. So the orators
had to content themselves with i'm
patient attention and only scattering
applause.
Will the San Francisco convention
do betterf Will genuine thrill be
thrown into that body7 No speakers
of great reputation are scheduled for
nominating service there. No name to
be presented for the conventions chief
honor the presidential nomination
can be described as especially inspir-
ing
The hope - which is faint - lies in
the nomination Of Mr.. Bryan. If the
party's standard should again be voted
to him, and he called out to receive it,
an Grafton might be forthcoming and
an effect produced rivaling the best in
convention history. A fourth nomi-
nation made in such circumstances
would key Mr.. Bryan up to the top
pitch, and he might surpass himself.
But that assumes great deal. Mr..
Bryan's nomination would spell the
defeat Of the President, who stands
for several things repugnant to Mr..
Bryan's notions - the league Of ma
tions, the railroads and the Volstead
act. The President is for the league
without reservations, Mr.. Bryan not.
The President returned the railroads
to their owners, Mr.. Bryan in his
place would have kept them. The
President vetoed the Volstead act, Mr..
Bryan would have signed it. So that
the nomination Of Mr.. Bryan would
send the Wilson men home disap.
pointed, and some Of them in Q tow
ering rage.
Evening star., 1920-06-20
ARMY'S SURPLUS MACHINERY
NEEDED FOR ROAD BUILDING
Pocket Veto of Measure by President
Affected Every State in Union-Five-
Ton Trucks Required by Agriculture.

~ interest to every state in the
Union as an important
aid in good roads de-
velopment is one of the eleven
measures passed by both houses of Con-
gress which we're killed by a pocket
Veto Of the President-which would
authorize transfer of surplus machinery
tractors, ETC., by the War Department to
the Department of Agriculture for road
work.
House Leader Mondell and other lead
ers in Congress say this measure will be
rushed through again in the December
session. unless the War Department vol
UNFAIRLY surrenders this surplus equip
ment. The Attorney General gave the
President a ruling that the executive
had ten days following the adjournment
of Congress in which to sign these bills.
Authorities on constitutional law point
out that the Constitution is very ex-
plicit in stating that should Congress
adjourn within the ten days allowed the
President for signing measures that
those which he does not sign shall not
become law" They quote Supreme
Court decision and the only precedent
set by Lincoln when the judiciary COM
mittee the next year brought in report
that Lincoln had exceeded his authority.
Differs From Waterpower Bill.
But this bill for the transfer of equip
ment from one government department.
to another is entirely different from the
waterpower bill or other measures
which surrender government domain to
private interests. It Is argued that
either the direction of the President or
the voluntary action of the Secretary of
War could put the object of this meas
ure into effect. Those close to the White
House believe that the surplus ma
chinery desired by the Department of
Agriculture for road work will soon be
made available without further recourse
to Congress.
The principal items sought in this leg
fslation are 500 ten-ton tractors and 200
mobile machine shop units. These units
are well equipped machine shops awheel,
ntted up to repair motor vehicles in the
field. The officials of the bureau of
public roads are anxious to have a COM
paratively few Of these units transferred
to the states SO that the trucks and
other road-building machinery can be
ment has 1000 of these machine shop
units and the Department of Agricul-
ture has asked for only 200. The War
Department has $500 five and ten ton
trucks and the Department of Agricul-
ture has asked for only 500.
Tag End Of Legislati0n.
This pocket-vetoed bill is really the
tag-end of legislation along this line.
The Department of Agriculture officials
really believe that the Secretary of War
has authority under other measures to
do this, and the purpose of the measure
was merely to direct that he do what he
original authority was givefi In the post
office appropriation bill. approved Feb
Evening star., 1920-06-20

ruary 2S, 1919. which IN very broad
terms provided for the distribution O,
any surplus equipment and supplies in
me discretion of the Secretary Of War
ing.
Secretary Baker showed himself far
from sympathetic with regard to turn
ing over these supplies and equipment,
ana told one conference attended by
senator Overman. they are building
too many good roads and taking the
people away from the FARMS" At an
other conference he said his .interpreta- :
ton was that the War Department
should turn over only such supplies as
did not have a salable value.
Under that original legislation practi-
caliy all the non standard trucks of
which the War Department had a sur
plus were taken over by the Post Office
and Agricultural Departments and the
public health service.
Later an amendment to that meas
ure was put through to clear up the
authority of the Secretary of War for
turning over for road work more
general material and equipment that
was not essentially for road building
That measure was agreed upon. by
the War and Agriculture departments.
In that amendment the item of trac-
tors and machine shop units were not
mentioned specifically, and so the
measure now under consideration was
framed. --'
Trucks Of Great Aid.
Thomas H. Macdonald. chief of the
bureau of public roads, says that it,
would have been impossible to accom-
plish as much as had been done in
road building this year without those
trucks from the War Department.
haul material that never could have
been bee, delivered in rail shipments.
Ihe dlstribution came in the nick of
time to help out on the road situa-
tion," he says
In all 24359 trucks and vehicles are
20 pe distributed to the states, in the
same proportion as federal aid money
IS allocated. This is determined in
three ways-by population, area and
road mileage. OF these more than
2O.ooo trucks have already been, dis
The other supplies and material dis
trlputed to the states for road work
include almost everything from 6,s01
staple brooms to steel highway
Tons'of Explosives.
An important item has been ex-
ploslves. The bureau of public roads
has secured through the Department
OF the Interior 100000 pounds of
T. n. 7. and 100000 pounds of hand
grenade powder. Behind this is an
interesting story. When the armistice
was signed there was a supply of
26,000, 600 pounds of T. N. T. besides
the 5o,000,000 the War Department
reserved An order was issued by
the War Department to dump this
into the ocean, SO all the explosives
that have done good work in road
building have been theoretically
dumped into the ocean.
But Secretary Lane had been clipped
Evening star., 1920-06-20
SHOOTING STARS.
By pH1LANDER JOHNSON.
The CamUaign Fourth.

The Campaign Fourth.
No fireworks will be needed
On the Fourth of July.
A rocket won't be needed
When it blazes on high.
The pinwheel we will handle
With contemptuous touch
And We'll find the Roman candle
Not amounting to much.
With showers of Oratory
Falling brilliant and fast,
And the bands melodious glory
Going by in full blast,
With grand parades preceded
By the banners that fly =,
No fireworks will be needed
On the Fourth Of July.
Evening star., 1920-06-20

expert, fer instance, deduces from the
size of the bullet that caused death
that a man must have fired the shot.
Another, proceeding upon psyche
logical grounds, is quite as firm in the
belief that woman pulled the trigger.
Unless the police are keeping very
still about their real information in
this case, now over week old, ii would
seem likely that the Elwell shooting
will pass into the docket of the un-
solved crimes of the metropolis.
Evening star., 1920-06-20
Retirement Equity.

~ ~ During the coming week notices will
be sent to the elder employees Of the
government service who are eligible
for retirement under the new law.
This will put them on notice that they
may be dropped from active service
unless they are certified as efficient
for two years further retention. It Is
announced that during the week also
the cabinet members will confer to
provide Q uniform system Of reten-
tions. -, .,...
= 1t is highly desirable that in the rat
ing Of the elder workers who wish to
temain in active service there should
81 absolute uniformity and q strict
aaherence to the principle Of efficiency.
Favoritism should be scrupulously
avoided. Merit alone should deter
mine the retention and not influence.
:. There are many employees now ell
Eible for retirement who do not want
quit the active service. for that
Srill mean q large reduction OF pay.
Some Of them cannot subsist on the
Annuities granted them under the law.
They are now distressed at the pros
pect Of retirement and hope for the
chance to remain at their desks for the
two years permitted under the act. If
hey are capable Of dischargiing their
1uties they should be given that privi-
iegs.
! In ell the workings Of the new lsw
q 'should be the steadfast aim Of those
responsible for its enforcement re-.
ducs. the hardships to q minimum, to
apply the statue with the least possible
severity, to carry out the spirit Of the
Intention to provide for the elder
workers and not 10 cause them -tuf.
$ering. 49,
fWhere there Is any doubt the ben
S&t should Be given to the employe,
and not necessarily to the government.
These men end women have served
the United Staten faithfully, Tor many
years. With small compensation. Most
df them have had no promotions for
vazFr dong periods. Save for the war
time bonuses, their incomes have re-
mained stationary for decades, while
- :. - ~ L.