davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11
A JOB FOR CONGRESS.

The system of federal taxation now
in existence is almost universally con-
demned and one of the first acts of
congress when it reconvenes next
month should be to make a revision of
the wartime revenue enactment
Otto H. Kahn, in an address before
the Massachusetts, Chamber of Com
merce recently took occasion to indict
the law in strong terms. He said:
I believe it is not too much to say
that our existing taxation measures in
various important respects fly in the
face of economic science, of common
sense and of equity. They are cum
bersome. vexatious and almost incred-
IDLY complex. They bear the imprint
of class and sectional discrimination.
They penalize thrift and industry, and
leave the wastrel and shirker- I'M
touched. They discourage, disturb
and impede business, and place the
American business man at a disadvan-
tage as against his European compete
tor. At a time when America is aim
ing to become world center, they de-
ter foreign capital from coming here.
They throw upon the government
an administrative task of such vast
ness and intricacy that the depart
ments concerned simply cannot cope
ton. They are a strong contributing
factor in bringing about the prevail
ing high level of prices-a grave and
serious evil which can and must be
mitigated. a grievous burden particu-
larly upon those men and women who
live on moderate salaries and who are
all the more entitled to sympathy and
redress, as they have borne their
troubles with great patience and,
noteworthy absence of importunate
agitation.
Mr.. Kahn holds our taxation system
responsible for most of our economic
troubles, including lack of transport
tation facilities, insufficient housing
accommodation, retardation or other
abnormalities of production and dis
tribution; high rents, high prices and
extravaganza.
Almost every one of the taxes now
in usage affects all the people in its
consequences, however hidden or re-
mote may be the causal connection.
The widely held impression that the
income tax cannot be shifted is true
only to a limited degree, and the evils
growing out of our unprecedented
scale of supertaxation, far exceed the
virtue of what measure of "non-shift-
ability adheres to the income tax.
If our extreme surtaxes on incomes
and our excess profit tax had the eff
feet of breaking the vicious circle of
price boosting and wage-boosting. if
these taxes had power to eliminate or
curb "profiteering," much might be
forgiven them.
But experience has proved that not
only have they no such effect and no
such power, but they have tended
greatly to intensity those evils. There
can be little doubt that the excess
profit tax in it's existing form and the
high surfaces are in effect nothing
less, to large extent. than disguised
and inflated consumption taxes.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11
LITTLE BENNY's NOTE BOOK
By L&l PAPE.

We was eating brel5fist this morning
ana pop sed, by the way, mother,
I'm going to bring a customer home
LOT suppir tonite but you wont haff
to bother getting enything speshil be-
cause he's dyspeptick and hardly eats
a thing but he's a queer duck and he
wont give me an order unless 1 show
him lot of attention.
And wen he came home this after
noon there was some skinny looking
man with him named Mr.. Boggs. and
we went in the dining room and start
ed TO eat suppir. being veal and stuff
Ting under thick gravy and peetch pie
for dizzert, Mr.. Bogss saying, Now you
people go ahed and eat Ill lest have
some hot milk and eat my gram
crackers with it If you don't mind.
And he took some gram crackers
out of his pocket all raped up in It's
sue paper and l ate hole platfull OF
veal and stuffing under thick gravy
and then I passed my plate for another
plateful, Mr.. Boggs saying. o my good
ness, Is he going to eat another intire
dose of that?
o that's mild for him. you must come
some time wen we have something
he's RELY fond of, sed ma.
don't think could stand Il, sed
Mr.. Boggs. And he kepp on drinking
his hot milk and taking little bites out
of his gram crackers like a imitation
of berd and kepp on loking at me
still eating, witch after I finished 1 sed
I haven't ixackly had enuff but / wunt
to leeve room for my peetch pie. can
1 have it now, ma? I sed Witch ma
cut me a slice saying. That's all the
pie there is for you, so eat it acorrd-
ingly.
WITCH I did, eating It slow to make IL
look as If 1t was taking longer and
then / sed, Well IL / cant have eny
more pie, ma. can have some more
veal and stuffing and gravy, I still feel
a pritty big of space. Witch Mr..
Boggs quick got UP saying. horrers.
cant stand eny more. must go i'm
meditly. And he took pills out OF
a little bottle and drank them with
waiter saying, NV stummick cant
stand sites like that without soda
minis. ware did leeve my hat?
Wy Mr.. sBoggs. we haven't had a
chance to tawk bizniss vet, sed pop.
and Mr., Boggs sed, Maybe we never
will.
AND he went, and had to go to bed
erly.l growing how the innocent suffer.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

along about o'clock he began to grow
fidgety and I asked him what was the
matter He said he was nervous ana
had to go down to the club and see
some of the fellows. Being a GOOD
wife, / told him to go along. Except
at meal time and on the occasions
when we appeared in company to-
gether, that was the last sew of him
for eight years.
think, perhaps, before my marriage
had known only conventional people,
Certainly l was wholly unprepared for
my husband > large and variegated list
of acouaiatances. They ranged all the
way from the in peccabie to the wholly
disreputabie. If there was any one in
town who simply would not do was
likely to find he not only called my
husband by his first name. but that ne
was an old ard intimate friend. Two
or three weeks after we began keeping
house he telephoned he was bringing
a friend to dinner. At the dinner hour
he came, bringing the friend whom he
introduced as ''Muskogee Red" and
said, You have often heard me speak
of him" never had. Mr.. Red" was
a small sandy gentleman of the type to
which 1 have since heard my husband
refer as typographical tourist" He
smeiled horribly of liquor and many
other disquieting scents. And he was
quite shabby. After dinner he and my
husband sat and talked for hours about
things of which had never heard and
of which I had not the slightest con-
ception. About IL O'Clock they got
into an argument. My husband, it
seems, had asked Mr.. Red" to stay
all night, and they were in controversy
as to where he should sleep. Mr..
Red wanted to spread down a
couple of newspapers and sleep on the
kitchen floor. He said he believed he
could rest better. But my husband
said no guest of his could sleep on the
| Kitchen floor, and he had his way-as
he always does. Mr.. Red" slept in
| the guest room.
But, as 1 have said, there is nothing
can do about it. Perhaps / would
not change him if 1 could. A reason
able amount of perturbation is good
for a woman.
| Yesterday he said to me, "You feel /
give you the worst of it: go ahead and
write the column for day. You ought
10 De pretty good by this time You've
run a column for nine years: YOU
ought to be able to write one for a
day If I hadn't agreed to do it ho
| would have written one and credited
1t to me- I hate the name he has
gwen me, but if 1 don't use it he will.
| ADELAIDE,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

is estimated that there are 100000, 900
tiny spores of the smut in one head
Of smutted wheat. Sometimes infected
wheat is 30 per cent or even more
smutted; oftener the amount is much
less, but still, enough for a cloud of
fine dark smut blown about in the
threshing to catch a spark of static
electricity in the machinery and pro-
duce an explosion.
When the cause of the frequent ex-
plosions began to be understood at
tempts were made to ground the
threshing machines with wires to pre-
vent static electricity. Then a fan was
devised to blow or suck the dust away
from the engine. The department of
agriculture says that it has never
heard of any serious explosion occur
ring where one of these fans was
properly installed, and that the insur-
ance companies, which for a time re-
fused to insure threshing machines at
all, have reduced the premium on ma
chimes equipped with fan apparatus
approved by the government.
The fan device has proved of three
fold value. It was found that it
cleaned the grain SO that the farmer
got a better price for his wheat, and
then a way was contrived for the smut
to be collected instead of blown away,
so that it did not spread over the fields
to infect the next crop. The threshing
machine difficulty is considered prac-
tically solved. But the indoor dust
dangers are not yet even fully realized
by industry.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

Senator Curtis's suggestion that con-
gress promptly get busy with the en-
actment of needed legislation is good
one and should command the atten-
ton of that body. His warning re-
garding what may happen to the Re-
publicans in two years also is well
founded. In our history it has been
not unusual for the country to reverse
itself politically in the middle of a
presidential term of office. It did this
very thing two years ago. The senior
Kansas senator has been in public life
many years and always has his ear
to the ground. Few men in this coun-
try can tell so accurately, from time
to time, what the people are thinking,
The Republicans have a big job on
hand and the public will demand that
it be done promptly and right. The
voters will not be inclined to accept
excuses for failure.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11
BUILDING COSTS.

While prices of many commodities
are declining it is held by many per-
sons competent to judge that there is
little chance of building costs decreas-
ing to any large extent for many years,
so that until people are willing to pay
the costs the shortage of housing will
continue. Altho all legal restrictions
on building due to the war have been
removed, no appreciate progress is
being made to make up for the short
age caused by cessation of building
during the war or to resume even pre-
war normal building. The natural re-
suit Is an uncomfortable congestion,
and a loud protest from tenants
against the raising of rents of existing
houses which they call "profiteering."
About the only evidence of a de-
cline in building costs yet apparent is
a drop in lumber prices. But the de-
mand for modern houses is such that
the cost of the lumber used in a build
ing is comparatively a small item
The big items of expense are plumb
ing. wiring, paint, glass and labor
All these probably will be slow to
come down.
1t is asserted By the american
Lumberman" that no further decline
in lumber prices can be expected at
this time.
THE lumber market" it says. nov
is largely a question of endurance be-
tween buyer and seller. Both are alert
and watchful, the former Withholding
purchases until the latest possible mo-
ment in order to force prices still
lower the latter determined that rath-
er than be forced to sacrifice his lum-
Der at less than cost of manufacture
he will curtail or cease production"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11
Dorothy Dix TALES
And Also intelligence.
By DOROTHY DIX
as Highest Paid Woman

| ana also lntcllAssCHCG"1.
have received a letter from a man
who says:
I'm your matrimonial articles you
say much about tidiness, good humor,
good housekeeping, ETC., as the requi-
| site essentials of a good wife. All good
| points, and very true, but an excellent
servant can have all of these qualifi-
cations and yet not qualify for a good
wife. You have missed the main
point. Man liveth not on bread alone
In addition to all creature comforts,
we men require one overpowering es-
Sential and that is education and in
| telligence-the ability to understand
and appreciate the finer things of life.
For generations women have been
taught to pander to the physical side
of man to the exclusion of the mental
This is a mistake that has been re-
spOnsible for 80 per cent of the fail
ures of marriage, and it will continue
to be the cause of the break up of
homes in the future, unless writers of
your type take the matter in hand
Have you ever stopped to think that
mems clubs are the result of the lack
of mental understanding at home?
Most men flock to clubs for inter-
change of mental ideas; something
they cannot get at home for the sim
pie reason that their women are far
behind them in mental culture. When
ions on topics of the day, opinions that
are based on intelligence and not on
prejudice, they will have no trouble
in finding the proper husband, and
there will be more demonstrating. hus-
bands"
perfectly agree with my cor
respondent as to the value of the intel
ligent, educated woman, who is fitted
to be a companion to an educated, in
telligent man, and who can serve him
up as spicy conversation as she can a
dinner. Also, 1 agree with him that
the cause of most men wandering from
their own firesides is because they get
| so bored listening to the inane line of
chatter of the ladies they have picked
out for life mates, that flesh and blood
can't stand it.
The trouble with the situation. how
ever is that most men want one thing
in a woman before marriage and
another thing after marriage. Or, to
be exact, they want all the charms and
virtues bu..ched in enc woman, and as
nature deals cut her gifts with a pretty
| impartial hand, you never find the
paragon that even the most ordinary
| of the masculine species feels that is
his due.
A man, for instance, wants a wife
who is young and beautiful, and slim
and lissome, aid highly educated, and
| sympathetic, and a good cook, and a
thrifty manager, and as Sarah Camp
said of Mrs. Harris, There amt no
SIGH a person." When you find that
nature has been over generous to the
outside of girls head you will find
| that she has skimped on the inside
furnishings.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

1t is announced in the news dis
patches that big carpet factory in
Springfield, Mass, has closed be-
cause the employees refused to con-
tinue work alta reduction of Is per
cent in wages. The management de-
clared that it could not maintain oper-
alton of the plant at the old schedule
of pay. This is but one of number
of similar instances reported recently.
"The curtailment of activity in in
dustries," says the Bache Review, "is
proceeding in an orderly manner and
the number of concerns working on
reduced time schedules is increasing"
Accompanying declining prices, GER
tain wage reductions are reported
some of them voluntary on the part of
the workers. In fact, hosiery con-
Germ in New England employing $500
men, is said to have closed down, not
withstanding an offer of the employees
to accept a Is per cent reduction, If
this would insure q continuation, with
steady employment. These instances
are among the inevitable consequences
of a return to lower living costs, which
the public has been demanding. Costs
OF commodities cannot fall greatly
without a corresponding decline in the
cost of production. Unless greatly in
creased efficiency can be attained
wage earners must suffer a loss.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

Jail for building profiteers as one
means of 1essening the housing short
age is advocated by Senator Kenyon
of Iowa. 1t would be interesting to
know how the senator expects "build-
ing profiteers" to alleviate the hous-
ing Shortage while in Jail. Another
interesting question is if profits
reaped by landlords be so great why
do not more persons build houses?
Men who have money, and they are
legion always are on the lookout for
profitable investments. If fortunes
can be made in erecting buildings for
rentals why do not "profiteers," or
would-be "profiteers" step to the
front? Houses, apartments and rooms
in Topeka command almost any price
the owner sees fit to ask, yet they con-
tinue scarce and no movement to build
more is apparent. The fact is that
rents have not advanced more than
wages, salaries and many other things.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11
Observation-Disclosures

Q. What does q battleship cost?TA. E.
A. The Navy Department says that the
cost of modern battleships is about $32,-
coo. OF this amount 81 100000 is for
machinery.
A. A Round Robin" is a document
signed by a number of persons in which
ne one is named as the originator of the
idea Formerly documents of this nature
Q. Please give me Information concern
ing the wreck of the steamship "Inde-
A. The vessel Independence" sank Feb
ruary 16, 1858, off the coast of Lower Cali
q. who invented the depth bomb? Can
it be set to explode at a certain depth p
A This invention is credited to W. t.
Unge, Of Swedish nationality. Such bomb
! is loaded with from 200 to 800 pounds of
high explosives, generally T. N. 7. 1t is
of ship and can be released instantly. 1t
is provided with an appliance set to go off
automatically, at the desired depth
O.. Please inform me to the origin of
a Authorities Z after as as to its Origin i
union of U and S meaning United States.
been discarded.
W. A, rs ''A'' '@lDAOs i00e -
A. In proportion to its bulk the tomato
has not a high food value, as it contains
ever. the tomato is recognized as a whole
some article of food. 1t contains 943 per
cent of water, 90 per cent of protein. 0.4
per cent Of fat, 80 per cent carbohydrates,
and 05 per cent ash.
Q. How can goods be tested for wearing
qualities &C. A. K.
A. The thumb test will help to deter
mine strength and weaving quality The
fabric Is held between the forefingers and
thumbs while the knuekles of both hands
are facing each other. With the cloth held
firmly, the knuckles should be forced to-
gether, causing heavy strain on the fabric.
Its strength will be shown by the ease or
the difficulty with which it tears.
fAny reader can get the answer 70 any
question By writing The Toneka State
Jo6rnal information bureau. Frederic J.
Haskin. Director, Washington. d. c. This
offer applies strictly to information The
bureau cannot give advice on legal. medical.
and financial matters II does not under
take to settle domestic troubles. nor to
undertake exhaustive research on any
subject Write your question plainly and
briefly. Give full name and address and
enclose 2-cent stamp for return postage.
All replies are sent direct 20 the INQUIRER
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11
JUST FOLKS
THE LAUGHING BOY.
By EDGAR A. GUEST.

THE LAUGHING BOY.
Just laughing all the time it seems,
Thru the day and in your dreams;
Everything you hear or see
Somehow fills you full o. glee.
And your old dad watchin' by,
Who has often had to sigh.
Can't help softly chuckin' too
Since the worlds so gay to you.
When boy is eight yeass old,
Winters not so very cold.
Time was, Oh, SO long ago,
/ was glad to see the snow;
1 could always havehy fun,
And full many a youthful day
Just like you, / laughed away.
Nothing seemed to fret you much,
Light today is troubles touch,
Rain or shine. it's all the same,
You can always have a game;
Sorrows lightly pass you by,
You still laugh when you must sigh,
When you're eight years old, I guess,
Everything spells happiness.
watchin' you, so full O. fun
And forever on the ru1.
Your old dad who's come TO care
And the burdens be must bear,
Can't help wishin' that the years
VIII be slow to bring you tears.
And be prays that all the while
You viii keep your merry smile
Keep the twinkle in your eyes
Even when you're worldly wise,
Keep the love of al things good
Even under sorrows hood
Grow to manhood as you must,
But in men retain your trust,
And tho burdens on you pile,
Strive somehow TO keep your smile.
Copyright, 1920. By Edgar A. Guest-)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

clothes for every possible occasion.
Every girl longs for a complete out
fit once in her life"
Particularly on one occasion
don't they, Zona?" Andy came near
er, but this time the girl did not draw
away. ''Will you buy camping clothes,
dear? And swimming clothes and
and wedding elothes?"
Look out, Andy, I'm shedding, you
know" cried IONA.
''Well, as long as you wear a net
when you make my soup The
rest of Andy's remark was addressed
to Zona's lips, not-to-her ears.
copyright, 1920. Dy the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

sumers for given product indicate
shortage and at the same time requi-
sition farmers to produce more. Low
prices on the contrary show that con-
sumers do not want SO much and at
the same time react upon farmers to
produce less. So it readily can be seen
that it is the interest of consumers
to aid and encourage in every way
possible the efforts which the farm
ers are making to obtain a more direct
route to their ultimate market.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11
INFORMATION FOR ALL READERS OF
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL.

Each reader of Tho State Journal is Of
fered the Unlimited use OF the largest III
formation bureau in the world.
This Service Bureau is located in the
national capital, where it is In Immediate
touch with all the great resources OF the
United States government:
1t can answer practically any question
you want to ask, butt can't give ad-
vice, or make exhaustive research
The war forced so many changes IN the
daily life of the American people that the
service of this information bureau Will De
invaluable to all who use It.
Keep in touch with your government a.
all times. 1t IAN help you in thousand
ways if your wants are only made known;
The State Journal pays for this splendid 10
service in order that every one OF ITS
readers may take free advantage of It.
You are welcome to use 1t as often as you
like.
write your request briefly, sign your
name and address plainly, enclose 2-cent
stump for return postage and address, the
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL INFORMA-
TION BUREAU.
Frederic j. Haskin, Director, Mashihg-
ton. u. @.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

Two years have elapsed since the
war closed as regards the central pow
ers and all their enemies except the
United States. Technically we remain
at war with Germany. Congress and
the president had little difficulty in
getting us into the war, but in two
years they have been unable to get US
out. The situation barely escapes be-
ing ludicrous. We are celebrating the
signing of the armistice. Perhaps the
time will come when we can celebrate
the signing of a treaty of peace and
we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes
marching home. At present about
$4,000 of him is engaged in keeping
the Germans on the eastern side OF
the Rhine.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

Revelations brought about by the
committee investigating the conduct OF
business by the shipping board cause
no surprise. Everybody knew the
public funds were being squandered
and stolen during the war but there
seemed to be no way to stop it. Even
now%here is little use in making q
fuss about it unless the money can
be recovered or the guilty can be pun
ished, both of which accomplish
ments are doubtful.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-11

ordinarily indicate abundance or
scarcity of the articles bought. The
more completely the consumers dol
lar is transmitted to producers the
higher the price the producers will
net and Consequently the more effort
they will devote to production of the
given product. 1t must be clear
therefore. that consumers interests
and farmers interests are identical in
this regard. High prices paid by con-