davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Standardization

Naturally the Lockwood COM
mittee does not wish to investigate
all the city's contracts. Its busi-
ness relates to the housing problem.
It's uncovering of the Brindell scan
dial was incidental. The committee
is properly desirous Of sticking to
its special business. Moreover, it is
doubtful whether it is authorized to
dig into all the city's contracts.
But the public hears with no pleas
ure that the Board of Estimate has
appointed itself to investigate itself.
The board, or the part that votes
with Mayor Hylan, is under grave
suspicion. For a long time the air
has been thick with damaging ru-
mors. The indecent haste shown
when the courthouse project was re-
vived, the sudden zeal in behalf of
new school buildings and other pub
lie works, the knowledge of who and
what were frequenting the City
Hall--these things challenged atten-
tion before the lockwood committee
struck a hot trail and made the
Board of Estimate hardly body to
be trusted to investigate itself.
The board will largely work
through the office of the Commits
sioner Of Accounts, and the Com
missioner has not been a vigorous
detective. In reference to the school
contracts, he has been quoted as say
ing that they had been entered into,
that they were legally binding, and
that for tie city to try to revise
them would open it to the danger of
damage suits. In other words, al
though his language was more pol
itic, it repeated, in effect, the old
Tweed answer: "What are you
going to do about it?'
In six weeks The Legislature will
be in session. If there is to be an
investigation, both thorough and i'm
partial, legislative committee seems
the proper agency to undertake the
1vOrk
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Pleasing the Conrnuter

That free speech which The Trib-
une accords to its readers upon this
page-lim;ted, like free speech
everywhere else, by necessary rules
of decency, courtesy and public inter
est-is amply justified by considera-
tions of fair play and the American
theory of common counsel. We like
to think of this page as a page of
debate whereby readers may learn
from editors and editors from read
ers and all contribute to the develop
ment of truth and sense.
AS small Illustration of the pos
sibilities of this forum there is the
recent correspondence relating to
commuters. We suppose every COM
muter has at one time or another left
his monthly ticket at home and been
obliged to buy a single ticket, to the
havoc of his weekly allowance. The
complaint of our reader along these
lines was representative and heart
felt. For one item brought out in
reply came the statement of Mas
sachusetts man that in that en-
lightened commonwealth a state law
compelled the refunding of such
fare upon proper application and
proof. For another was the eXpla-
nation submitted by the general pas
senger agent of the Long Island
Railroad and printed on this page
yesterday. He asserted that the
law of the state failed to make
fraud upon the railroads a misde-
meanor, and that, therefore, the rail
roads were obliged to make the pres
ent harsh ruling to protect them
selves against a general traffic in
communication tickets. If the law
against fraud were made more strict
he saw no objection to a system of
refunds.
Here is surely sufficient material
upon which our Public Service Com
mission could act. The existing rule
is plainly relic of evil days when
passenger and railroad were natural
enemies and beating the common
carrier was a game which the hon
estest folk played. The new spirit
of courtesy and fair play is not all
pervasive by long shot. But it is
on the way, and we think it would
make for good feeling all round if
this matter Of the forgotten commu-
tation ticket were mended. If more
stringent laws are needed to protect
the railroads against fraud let them
be drafted and passed. Then let
the harried commuter receive this
boon. If there are other considera-
tions which affect the situation we
shall be glad to give them space. AS
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
D'Annunzio Heading East?

Those jeerers at poets in politics
might as we'll fold their tents and
stink away in view of the fate of
Fiume. The essential victory of
D'Annunzio seems as good as won.
One mere author has beaten host
Of enemies, comprising one Ameri-
can President among other principal
tiles and powers.
But what of Canto II? The re-
ports out of Fiume are contradictory.
But one has Generalissimo d'Annun-
zio heading eastward, his army
transported in two motor boats and
the ridge back Of Fiume as his goal.
There is to be landing somewhere
in the middle of the engagement,
one surmises. But the picture is
suggestive. Beyond the mountains
lies-Constantinople, if your winged
steed can fly that far.
Who can say what limits there are
to a poets flights? That is the one
trouble with turning such an imagi-
nation loose amid the barter and sale
and small change of diplomacy. A
mile here and city there are all
that these traders can think Of.
When D'Annunzio claps spurs to his
Pegasus, who shall prevent the whole
Roman Empire from rising from the
dust beneath the beat Of those golden
hoofsl We shall be relieved to learn
that the destination Of those two
motor boats was only Sarajevo or
Philippopolis and not the Hellespont.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Christmas Seals Not Red Cross

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In view Of the confusion that
exists in the minds of the public with
regard to the Red Cross roll call. now
IN progress, and the Christmas seal sale
that will take place from December 1
to II, may | ask you to inform your
readers that the seal sale in New York
City is conducted by the New York
tuberculosis Association and the
Brooklyn Bureau of Charities, repre-
senting the National tuberculosis AS
sociation. The New York tuberculosis
Association has succeeded the Charity
Organization Society in conducting the
seals campaign.
The money so raised will be used to
fight tuberculosis in this city.
In the past years the Red Cross
kindly allowed the use Of it's name and
emblem. This year the Red Cross and
the anti-tuberculosis organizations are
working independently. but with the
closest and most friendly understanding
The name or emblem Of the Red Cross
should not be used in connection with
the sale Of Christmas seals.
JOHN s. BILLINGS,
Director New York tuberculosis As-
sociation. ..
New York, Noy. Is, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
A Patient Man
{ From Th- roe z.,.

{Frons The Los Angeles Times
DR.. Harding is not going to diagnose
the case of Uncle Sam without having
consultation. The front porch cam
paign will now give place to the parlor
conference. Upon his return from his
Panama and Southern trip the Presi-
dent-elect will confer with numbers of
representative men and women of the
country who have been asked to drop
IN Informally and let him know what
they think about it. The plan is ad-
mirable If the new President can en-
dure it. But he is hardy citizen of
slightly phlegmatic temperament and
can stand lot of punishment. There
are apt to be many jealousies. Many
citizens who think their opinions are
important will not be invited, and like
wise there will be many whose views
are undesirable who will be numbered
among those present. II the Harding
home is to be used as a clearing house
for the political experts and enthusi-
asts it will be necessary to h-ild an
annex and a compile of wings.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Brooklyn, Nov. 9, 1920.
A Voice From the Erie

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The Tribune is rendering yalu-
able service to the public in publishing
that correspondence about the commut-
ers' grievances. 1t is not only on the
New York Central Railroad that en-
ployees exact full fares from commut-
ers who forget their tickets once in a
while. 1t is just the same on the Erie
Railroad; although | must admit, in all
fairness, that on the Erie, if the com
muter happens to be pretty girl, she
has good chance to pay with a charm
ing smile only
But, now, am not a girl | am B
plain man who has never been allowed
to rely on his smile in such circum-
stances. So, last Sunday, having changed
my suit and forgotten my communication
ticket in the side pocket, l had to pay
full fare to New York and back.
This is not the first time that hap
pened to me, and every time I felt such
a practice was all the more ridiculous
because the collector knew me very well.
When a railroad employee has known a
commuter for years, when he punched
my ticket yesterday, is it not absurd
that he should exact full fare from me
both ways just to-day? Evidently some
thing could and should be done to stop
such an unjust and ridiculous practice.
A C0MMUTER FROM BLOOM
FIELD, N. ].
New York, Nov 10, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Books u.yv,ss sy p,...

ain reading to-day's discussion by
Mr.. Floyd DELL" writes W. H. p, with
out as yet having had opportunity to
read either of the two books discussed,
it occurs to me to question whether
the two characters, Carrie and the
Moon-Calf, have any single quality in
common except youth and discomfort.
Carrie is apparently q reformer and
in type a reformer is as far removed
from your true idealst as a Socialist
from an anarchist The idealist is
etcrnally a seeker; the reformer has
discovered the perfect pattern and will
make over an unwilling world to it's
measurements. The idealist is look
er-on; the reformer, an arch meddler.
The former might be miserable in
Gopher Prairie; he would certainly be
solitary. He would, l believe, realize
that life in model community among
folks who discuss Shaw and soul auras
and Amy Lowell and Somerset Vaughan
might be quite as dismal IS where all
the talk is Of movies and fiivvers
ohN NAopo' AHC AdCoAlot 10 lOlcNcI
non-comformist, but he does not make
the reformer's mistake of setting up
HIS n-conformity as a standard by
which to judge to its disadvantage
differing world. He seeks his happi-
ness and his consultations within him.
self. /, who am middle-aged but hope
lersly and forever a moon-calf, know.
The idealist does not look for SYM
pathy or understanding. He thanks
whatever gods there be, if ever these
come his way. He is certain enough
.as to what for him constitutes beauty
goodness, happiness, but never does he
dogmatically assert, this and this only
is beauty, or goodness, or happiness
Tolstoy was to my mind the reformer
par excellence, and Heaven pity the
poor Russian moon-calves whose minds
he succeeded in molding to his emas-
culated pattern.
"As to the bogey fear Of women.
surely that is as old as the Catholic
Church plus a few centuries more. She
gave me the apple and | did eat Wick
edness was until very recently the
only resource Of the intelligent fe
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
The Small Deposition
Why Banks Cannot Afford TO Handle
Small and Active Accounts

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In letter on your editorial page
of Monday, November Is, under the
heading "The Small Depositor," are
number Of errors which the writer
who is engaged in the banking bust
ness, dislikes to see pass uncorrected
Our friend, GA G. A." starts by
leaning out in full for year the en-
tire $500 balance which he states is
required by New York banks. That,
he tells US, brings home s18, figuring
the interest ct per cent. 1t would
doubtless surprise "a. G. A." to know
that the average account that main
tains any balance under $1,000 costs
money to the bank which handles it.
On the $500 account referred to our
friend fails to take into consideration
primary and subsidiary reserves which
are required in every bank Other
wise, if no. reserve was maintained
when "A. G. A." went to his bank for
his money, he might meet with the un-
satisfactory information that all of his
money was loaned for year at per
cent and consequently he would be un-
able to obtain it until the end of the
year.
There are other things which a bank
must consider also before it can begin
tc regard as net profit any gross earn
ings of an account. In the first place.
proper deductions must be made Of
the amount of checks that may be in
transit, and from the balance thus OBJ
tained must be deducted many items
OF expense besides the one mentioned
by "a. G. A" as clerical expenses 3"
Direct expenses. G., salaries of tell
ers, bookkeepers and officers in charge
Of banking departm ments-must be taken
into consideration. Indirect expenses
y e., administrative expenses and gen
eral overhead, rent, light, heat, etc
must be charged pro rata against the
banks business. Furthermore. it costs
a bank money to receive deposits and
to pay checks, and this item in New
York banking institutions represents
an expense ranging from three cents
to five cents each.
Some customers expect printed check
books at the banks expense also and
substantial credits for interest every
quarter.
1t might not be amiss to mention
IN passing, however, that the size of
bank account is only one of the
features that must be taken into con-
sideration by the banks cost ANALYST;
probably the greatest losses are in
Cured to bank through the activity
Of accounts.
There are many reputable New York
banking institutions which welcome ac
counts below $500, although the practice
generally is to make a service charge
OF small amount per month for
handling the accounts. II our friend
IS willing, as he states, TO paw SIS
to $50 per year and can furnish a
satisfactory reference he should have
nc trouble whatever in opening a bank
account with reputable" New York
banking institution.
THOMAS C. JEFFERIES.
New York, Nov. l5, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Now The Goose Is Killed
When viii Labor Tokc Steps to
Sope The Situation9


To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: 1t appears from perusa Of
The Tribune this morning that "hun-
dreds of thousands of workers in all
the vital industrial centers Of the coun-
try are with hout jobs, and only the con-
certed efforts of employers, employees
and the public generally can avert the
menace Of q bread line crisis this win
ter" Also that Enquiry into condi-
tions in the mems and boys clothing
trade yesterday revealed that $4,000
workers in this industry alone were
out Of work in New York City"
How does it come that these work
ers' can afford to go out on strike for
weeks at time, of their own volition.
apparently with plenty of money from
some source, but The moment they lose
their Jobs from lack Of orders for a
product which has been placed beyond
the reach of purchasers, through the
insolent striking and sabotage OF the
workers" and consequent lack of
sales, the public has got to "cooperate" ?
If one may credit the series Of lucid
articles which recently appeared on
the editorial page Of The Tribune, the
clothing workers have been the most
lnsolent of all the upionized workers,
increasing production costs about 400
per cent by cutting production in two
and doubling wages. The public, re-
fusing to be bled by such slackers,
naturally desisted from purchasing, and
now we have the spectacle of this same
class doing the baby act.
Unless labor takes tumble to it.
self" the crisis so apparent and so near
can no more be avoided than the sue
cession of the seasons. Labor has
killed the goose, or whatever it was,
that has been laying silk shirts and
automobiles. 1t may still save the
situation by getting back to a 100 per
cent production basis and throwing out
strike agitators when they get up to
talk in meeting. Otherwise there is
going to be the dickens to pay up Sixth
Street, and the poor suckers who have
been depositing ell their earnings in
gasoline and other luxuries instead of
in the savings banks and Liberty bonds
will get the worst of it.
A. M. ADAMS.
Brooklyn, Nov. 9, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17

Spain, in 1898, our men-o'-war free
ly entered the harbor of Porto Rico,
where Spanish rule prevailed. Amer
ican and Spanish officers treated
each other with punctilious and dig
nified politeness. There was no
trouble.
But The Boche lacks the good man.
ners of the Spaniard. This was a
case of characteristic Prussian arro-
gance. 1t was an insulting bluff.
Captain Ellyson called it with
proper American spirit.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
their debts. it IS malignant for raw.
aged France to contsnd they can.

thelr deDtS. IL IS malignant tor raw
aged France to contend they can.
A commission has been appointed
to investigate what Germany is able
to pay. 1t might as we'll not meet.
Germany has decided that she can
pay nothing. She drained France of
five miliards of francs and during
the war sought b. wanton destruc-
tion to prevent France ever being an
economic competitor. But she is to
go scot free. The war is to be te
her relative advantage.
The open announcement is re-
ferred for consideration to noisy
ones Of America and Great Britain
who have diligently labored to pre-
pare the way for favorable recep-
tion Of Germany's bankruptcy plea.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
The eConning Tower

SWAN SONG OF A NIGHT OWL
Q, would were an anchorite
Upon lonely strand,
Wkere nary Circc nor Siren might
Seduce me from my stand.
A stand which I have taken with
Determination strong
My sails to trim without no VIM
En-, Wine, but simply Song.
o. had I but a hermit's hut
Far from all kin and kith,
With nothing but cat and mutt
To share my oatmeal with.
Way high upon some mountain penk
Where Eagle A. C.'s meet:
No dame to rage, nor yet to page
Me for Ziegfeid seat.
o. had I but folding tent
On far Sahara's plains.
My wages, as a camel-gent,
Would not be spent Oh James.
Instead of making dates I'd pick
EN- hot, right off the twig;
And for to meet a frail, though sweet,
/ would not give fg.
That Crusoe was a lucky skate;
Ill say he was. all right.
He never had to make a date
Nor stay out half the night.
He had no dough to spend. and so
He didn't, in the wilds.
He did not dance. nor press his pants
To take girl to Childs
And this the burden of my song;
Oh. this the dirge J. Groom:
Let women be, you can't go wrong,
For they has been my rcon.
And we're l but Hottentot,
An Iron Mask or monk
Ia have more time to dope out rhyme
S much better than this junk.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Venizelos's Downfall

That Venizelos has been swept out
of power in Greece and that there is
to be new government, which may
or may not include the restoration
of Constantine, are amazing post
war developments.
Venizelos is the greatest states
man of modern Greece. He has
vastly enlarged Greece, both terri
torially and economically, and re-
stored her prestige, greatly lowered
by the disastrous war against Tur-
key. His leadership made Greece a
potent factor in the Balkan wars,
through which she recovered Salo-
MICA and large part of Macedonia.
In the World War he thwarted Con-
stantine's mad policy of an alliance
with Germany Going so far as to
set up rival provisional govern
nent, he firmly cemented Greek re-
lations with the Entente and was
able afterward to establish at the
peace conference most of the claims
of Greece.
These signal services have been
forgotten by the Greek voters, who
have given vent to individual and
group resentments Of long standing.
The tedious and much too timorous
F. cesses through which the Allies
pushed Constantine off the throne
caused much hardship to the inhab-
itants of the Greek mainland. Greek
ports were blockaded and all sorts
of restrictions were put on Greek
commerce, and Greece lives largely
on her sea trade Dictation from the
outside, especially unintell.gent die
tation, was offensive to Greek pride
Vcnizelos was the Champion Of the
Allied cause When he assumed
control after Constantine's eXpul-
sion he had to shoulder resp~nsibil
ity for all the faults of the Allie
policy Of coercion. If the Germans
had come in and ruled Greece under
Constantine, doubtless there would
have been a similar revulsion of SEN
timent at the first favorable oppor-
tunity.
The present reaction is not to be
rated as entirely royalist-that is,
pro-German and pro-Constantine.
There are mainland elements, no
doubt, which have looked askance at
VeniZelos's program of expansion,
preferring to retain the Old national
status and doubling the expediency
Of the annexation Of Thrace as well
as Macedonia and of the venture in
Asia Minor. These may support a
middle course and be loath to invite
Constantine back at the peril of dis
sensions at home and complications
with the Allied Council. Constantine
has shown himself both stupid and
stubborn. With him again at Athens
Greece would be in for long perioc
of unsettlement and retrogression
The Greek people surely have moth.
ing to gain by restoring a monarch
who, if he had had his way, woulc
have tied their fortunes up with
those Of Germany, Turkey and Bul
garia and who in the new European
alignment probably would range
himself with Germany, Lenine ane
Mustapha Kemal
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Reputation
Under the signature of Karl H
Won Wiegand the following appeared
yesterday in Hearst's American:

Under the signature of Karl H.
Won Wiegand the following appeared
yesterday in Hearst's Americana:
BERLIN, Nov. 15.-Conferences,
whether held at Brussels, Paris or
Geneva, about reparations are futile,
and all discussions about what Ger
many can pay are q waste of time
under present conditions in Ger
many, declares Hugo SHINES, chief
captain of German industry. He said
to-oay:
"'The fact is tnat Germany in her
present situation can pay nothing.
Her financial and economic structure
is so near collapse and every con-
ditlon related to or dealing with
finances or industries is so shifting
and so uncertain that there is abso-
lutely no basis sucn as is inevitably
necessary to proceed from.
We of ourselves cannot change
our internal financial and economi c
conditions, because they are wholly
dependent upon France, England and
America
The mask is thus thrown off. The
countenance exposed displays the
lineaments expected. Germany's pol
icy is one of fiat reputation.
What are agreements and promises,
whether made at Versailles or Spa?
Herr SHINES is a multi-million-
aire. He lives sumptuously in a
of palaces. His countrymen
throng the resorts i, of Switzerland
and disdainfully rustic by hobbling
victims of the war. Yet neither he
nor they are able to pay cent of
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17

for actually initiating the reform,
the Public Service Commissioners
seem disposed to let the commuter do
it. So the opportunity of the railroads
to CLEAN we'll deserved credit for
pleasing the public is unimpaired.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
A Card of Thanks
70 the Editor of The Tribune.

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir; AS a dog lover allow me to
thank you for your recent editorial hav.
ing reference to the Dog Hater," also
for the letters written by "Fairplay''
and others on behalf of one Of the best
friends of man. AIREDALE
Hackensack, N j., Nov. 16, 1920,
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Sweet and Low

When l was young and twenty-six,
And Vivaudou was thirty,
| bought a hundred in the hope
OF profits so-called dirty
Rut Vivaudou gave ME the gate
For gold III no more delve--
Fol am old and twenty-eight,
And Vivaudou's but twelve.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17

Having pretended to be an old MAJ
ard grandfather in the book column
of Monday, we are now seized with
the fear that people will believe Us.
Moreover, retribution has set in and
we feel so feeble this morning thai
We are tempted to set down the fact
that Floyd Dell was born in 1887 and
that F. Scott Fitzgerald is the great
grandson of Francis Scott Key, who
wIote THE Spangled Banner
and let this go for 8 column.
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Getting Wet

tFrom The Raston Gkoes)
Apparently the ink used IN ~fis''s
the volstead act Is about the only 'n'ns
about that act which is dU taEQass K
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17

ysu can purchase merchandise advertised Ia THE
YRIDuNE With absolute safetv-fsr II dtssatIsfae-
tien results In any case The TRIBUNE guarantees
10 cay your money back upon request. No red tape.
No subbI!as. We make good promptly II the
advertiser does not
New-York tribune., 1920-11-17

Tho Associated Press is exclusively entitled to tbs
use for republication Of all dispatches
credited It otherwise credited IN this papsr.
and also the local news Of spontaneous origin pub
iisled here
All rights Of republication Of al other matter
herein reserved