davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
The Budget Bill.

THE budget bill has passed the Senate in much
the same form that vetoed by President
Wilson. The budget bureau will be attached to the
Treasury Department The clause objected to by
Mr.. Wilson is retained This gives the ap-
polntment OF the comptroller to the President but
makes him liable to removal by Congress. Mr.. Will
son held this was a usurpston of the perogative
OF the Executive Office but it has President Hard
ins's approval as it had when he Senator.
There is no doubt the bill will soon pass the
House. Senator Mccormick, its sponsor in the
Senate, and Representative Good, its guardian in
the House, having settled their differences Its
passage and approval will end one of the longest
drawn-out disputes over purely administrative
measure in the governments history. 1t has been
recommended by several Presidents. 1t has been
demanded by all the business interests for years 1t
has had no opposition outside Congress
1t has gotten into party platforms, but never
until the last Congress, would the members consent
to legisate themselves out of committees and chair
manships by consolidating all the appropriation
committees into one. Never before would thew
surrender the several committees through which
they could slip favored appropriations Never be-
tore could they be induced turn the light Of pub
lieity and accounting on appropriations.
Its passage also is essential in any effective
scheme of departmental reorganization. Its opera
ton will, perforce develop Implications OVERLAPPING
and unnecessary expenditures. Every board, COM
mission and bureau will have to give sufficient
excuse of usefulness to its continuance and
its total of expenditure For the first time the gov
ernment-Congress and the executive-wil know
exactly what is spent, how it is SPENT what it was
spent for and what was the return in any form of
value. 1t should, and it is, confidently believed it
will save the government vast sum yearly while
increasing efficiency in service.
1t may permanently stop such items as def
cheney appropriation bills, which. Senator Smoot
says will total Ssoo,oooooo for this Congress Max
ing it criminal offense to spend in excess of an
amount appropriated has had little effect Maybe
the budget law will win where criminal law has
failed
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
Just Guessing.
experience.

THE man who is wise, when guessing on =
L puzzle with no knowledge of the facts in
volved, usually has string to his guess He
throws line to the windward or maybe two or
three of them. He is quite sure to have at least
one alternative, so that he misses, going, he may
grso on, coming. He seldom trusts his reputation
for wisdom and profundity to one lone chance
So is that in his introspection as to the work
ings of President Hardng's mind in re German
reparations, and in tracing the fnesse of Secretary
Hughes, famed for drectness of thinking and action
for New England conscience and unbending will
he does not merely guess that maybe perhaps the
strategy is to force the French government to do
what it would like to do, but dare not do That
after all, is rather remote possibility
So he takes another fling at the puzzle taking
for granted that puzzle is never what it seems;
that diplomacy is like politics. always deceptive and
is never what it looks except to deceive those who
take for granted that it must, by its very nature
be something else In fact puzzle ceases to be a
puzzle If the answer is written on its face Nobody
is interested unless they read into il meaning
which does not seem to be there.
Consequently the sapient mind may see in this
reparations situation an intention of the United
States to get back ino the game in a way which
will conciusively show Germany she can expect no
help from this government Having dropped out
even of an official association with the allies in the
treaty's administration in resuming relations, Mr..
Wisebird figures that the purpose is to Ad the
dickering once for all by proving to the German
government its delays are hopeless and it must go
the full measure, concedins all that is demanded;
that minimum means minimum.
But before he finds for sure this is wrong
guess, he will think up another. No puzzle is worth
the time of real sidefine statesman politician that
cannot be used kaleidoscope, with new pat
tern for every turn.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
Gods mouth knows not to utter false
hood, hnt He will perform each word
-Aeschylus.
Washington Street Railways.
v. CAPITAL TRACTION COMPANY

THE Capital Traction Company is practically
street railway holding company The Rock
Z Greek Railway Company was organized in
1883 In 1895 it gained the right to purchase the
Washington and Georgetown Railroad. These two
are the system operated under the holding company
name. 1t has but line which might have been
elassed- real estate promotion extension that to
Chevy Chase. But that property was so we'll
handled, that this line soon became profitable. 1t
has but two lines which extend to the District
boundary and, but about four miles outside the
boundary.
1t is of importance that the fair valuation placed
upon both railway systems is only for properties
and traekage in the District, and that the Capital
Traction owns its power plant. 1t is not possible
nor necessary in this discussion to anayze either
company's financial position in detail, nor to give
all the included facts. 1t is our purpose to give
merely the high spots" those of most importance
and essential to fair conclusion as to fair method
OF merger, or consolidation which would be just to
the companies without being unjust to their patrons
The Capital Traction report of 1910, the last
available, shows $ISooo,ooo OF investment But
this is not cash invested in construction nor plant
cost in cash. In this would be charged whatever
was the cost of consolidation regardless of actual
value at that time with stock and bond issues 1t 10
some 100000 above the commissions fair valua-
ton, yet it is probably far below what would be
replacement value the plant is in quite uniformly
excellent condition.
The company has S6so,ooo of current or liquid
assets including $4,000 what might fairly be
classed cash. 1t also held $3o4ooo of its own
bonds. Its current assets much more than covered
its similar liabilities Based on an actual cost of
property December 81, 1919 a depreciation charge
OF S275.ooo was made and the depreciation balance
was S748ooo. 1t had a credit balance in profit and
loss account of $4,000.
The company showed gross operating income
OF S4,53566o and a net operating income after de-
ducting operation costs, of sI,7o4soo Its net in
come transferred to profit and loss was $I,II34o2,
after deducting interest charges. What this earn
ing might have been at the increase fare under 1918
conditions is evidenced by the statement that sal
aries and wages Of the conducting, car service,
force increased from S3Ssooo $I353ooo and office
salaries from S227oo SIo2eoo. total increase of
$Lo47,5oo.
Truly the Capital Traction Company is a gold
mine and any plan which forces the people to pay
~ and cents fare its lines is grim joke. 1t
docs not ask this fare; says publicly it does not
it; agrees that it is fair but it is granted
for other purpose than to hold up the earnings
OF the w. R. & E. This is done to prevent two
rates with a resulting traffic jam the Capital
Traction system, and further loss to the w. R. E.
in its only profitable patronage. 1t would that
the people the goats to radically wrong
transportation condition
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
Our Economic Problems.

THE address of Secretary Hoover at the United
States Chamber of Commerce meeting at At
lantic City, is full of leads" There are so many
it is difficult to chose among them for comment.
He gave however, very significant table of pres
ent prices compared to those of before the war
taken uniform 100 index. This shows that
farm crops now stand at II5 nearly the prewar
level Food animals e~I23. From this level there
is jump for wholesale and I56 for retail food
prices, while railway receipts per ton per me stand
at I66 building materials at zIz, house furnishings
at avs and the hourly wage index at from 100 to
This opens up field of interest as to the right
relation OF wages to other prices which enter into
The cost of living. The rent index was not given,
but it stays close to that of building materials and
furnishings. Clothing was not given, but there has
been a material decrease in its price corresponding
closely to that in food products wool and cotton
have gone down close to the prewar 100. Fuel is
still probably above the 400. ..-.
If cost of living is to be chief element in wage
scales, what is fair to the wage under these
conditions? The workers budget is made up rough
Iy of rent, clothing food and fuel Of these items
two remain almost stationary at the high level The
ether two have gone down very materially toward
the prewar level.
N Regarding only the cost of living element in
wage fixing, there two other interesting fea-
t::res The first is to determine where wages should
stand, relatively, in the downward procession In
cyitably and always materials, the products of
tho land and close to the land come first In this
irstance they have not slid they have tumbled due
. gely to world, rather than domestic conditions.
- Labor has made this gain, that whereas its
wages used to go down with materials, they
have now waited at least for the second step, the
lowsing Of Wholesale prices and in this instance
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30


FoR CHECK PROTECTION.
The time Is not far distant when
finsefptints will be used gener-
ally on checks and drafts n place
OF signatures. according to r. d.
Augsn, 4 hngerprint expert of
Richmond, Va. who Is In Washing
ton TO make q study Of the identin-
cation bureaus in the government
departments. as well as the local
police department.
Mr.. Augen points out that in some
banks in Richmond. especially IN
banks dealing with the foreign ere
ment, bank officials require the per-
son who applies to have a check
cashed 20 place his hngerprint on
the check, in the event that the
signature is not legible.
ITO my mind" Mr.. Augen said.
lit will only be a matter of Q few
years when fingerprlnts will be gen
orally known as a sure means OF
Identification. Some banks through
out the country have already real
lied the value Of the fingerprint as
a means of Identification, and have
installed such a system in the insti-
tutions.
Many persons believe that the
use of the fngerprint is confined
solely to police departments. This
is a mistaken impression"
During the world war, Mr.. Augen
pointed out. hundreds of service
men killed on the battlenelds were
identified through their finger
prints.
He quoted an instance where a
soldier victim Of asphasia-was
unable to give his name or his com
pany. or tell anything about him
self. Various methods were en-
ployed by the company command
ers to ascertain the Identity. without
result. until It was decided to take
the fneerprints Of the soldier.
FINGERPRINTs WIDELY
USED IN HOSPITALS.
After the fngerprints were taken
a copy OF them was sent to head
quarters. with the result that the
Identity of the soldier was revealed
a short time after.
In speaking of the value Of IN
gerprints in running down Grim
inals. Mr.. Augen quoted many cases
where the "tell-tale" fngerprin'
was the means of bringing to JUS
tice those who turned to the left
Fingerprints taken from bottles
plate-glass windows. chairs and
doors have often led to the arrest
of persons wanted for crimes.
The system employed by q New
York hospital in taking the foot
prints of infants as a means OF
Identification is a capital idea" Mr.
Augen said. Such a system Is q
positive means OF Identification. and
it would not surprise me IL other
hospitals would follow the lead OF
the New York institution"
Mr.. Augen will leave Washing
ton Sunday for Philadelphia, where
he will make an inspection tour OF
the Identification bureau of that
city He was shown through the
bureau conducted by the War De.
partment. and plans to visit the
Identification bureau in the Navy
Department this morning.
He speaks highly of the identih-
cation bureau of the local police
department and of the ability of De-
tective Sergt. Fred Sandberg, the
local police departments finger
print expert.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
PATENTS IMPORTANT IN
SPECIALIZED INDUSTRY.

Patents play an increasingly i'm
portsnt part in proportion TO the
degree Of specialization in industry"
declared Mai. AmAsz N. Holcombe.
formerly chief OF the patent sec
tion, General Stsn. L. s. army. at
the meeting of the American So
ciety of Engineers.
Industries may be specialized
because Of the particular nature OF
the article made or the dtnicUlties
Of making Il. or because Of the
magnitude of the operations neces-
sary for success" he pointed out.
The tendency is toward more and
more specialization.
A single patent may serve as the
foundation OF a good business. but
unless the patented product OF the
methods Of producing Il can be i'm
proved. and the improvements pro-
tected by patents, in the course or
/ time the original invention becomes
public property and the patentee
loses his control over IL and it's
manufacture becomes general"
Once an invention protected By
patents is established commer-
cislly. so as to invite attempt TO
improve upon il. the originator must
himself continue to improve and
patent the improvements. or he nnds
himself shut of from his field Of de-
velopment by patents obtained BY
imitstors. So the tendency is for
patents and specialization to 60
hand in hand. One helps the other"
, As to the need Of engineers keen
ing in mind the part that patents
play in the industries. Mai Hol-
combe said Il was lust AZ much n
part of their professional work as
to see that their structures comply
with the FIRE regulations. or the
standard specifications put out by
makers Of supplies. The patent ts
merely the title deed to an inven-
tion. and contains a specification.
usually accompanied by drawings.
describing the thing in more or less
( technical language.
The problems of the engineer
are partly technical and partly
/ financial" he declared. 1T is his
business TO make the dollar roll as
( far as possible. In so far as patents
may be made the basis Of decreases
4 production costs or increased re-
turns from the sale or use ~ the
I invention. - is the business of the
engineer to utilize them. II Is partly
due TO a failure Of engineers ana
business men 70 understand and ap-
/ preciste patents that some Of .he
abuses 81 the patent laws have
been possible"
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
ENGINEERS WASTE SURVEY
NOW NEARING COMPLETION.

The work Of the committee o.
elimination OF waste in industry
that was appointed hy Herbert
Hoover. as president Of the FEEDER
ated American Engineering socie-.
ties. is now bringing in results. and
II is expected that in June the con-
densed report Of all the engineers.
who have been making field surveys
in their particular lines. will be
ready for publication This is the
message that r. +. Hunt. engineer
OF the Engineering Council. brought
to the last meeting OF the washin-
tion section OF the American So
ciety of Mechanical Engineers.
This is the first time that engi-
neers as a body have undertakes
such an investigation az a public
service" said Mr.. Hunt. while the
findings OF the field investigators
will not be announced until the time
OF the report. he said that preliuii-
nary reports show that there is
much material and economic waste
and that steps for its elimination
are being recommended.
This Investigation differs from
many surveys OF Industrial activi-
ties In that IL is an assay rather
than a survey" Mr. Hunt said. Tn
making an assay the attempt is
made 20 break up the material into
its constituent elements and asccr-
tain in what proportion each ele-
ment exists. The engineers en-
gagged in this investigation are
working along these lines and
are making an effort TO deter
mine the major factors that con-
tribute TO waste In industry. and In
what proportion each influences such
Waste"
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30

for considerable reduction in retail prices in two
OF the four budget essentials Should wages be last
OF all to lower or where is its right place in wise
economic scheme?
This leads to the other fact that so much Of the
cost OF 5ai materials to the consumer is the labor
eost-estiniated as high as rs per cent of the 6n-
ished niaterals-that wage scale consistently held
above the general average of prices. eompels the
worker to pay considerable part of his own extra
standard Can he reasonably demand to be last or
to wait. an at least equal parity of reduction all
along the lnes Secretary Hoover evidenced his be-
lief in labor's attitude by saying:
Labor shows willingness to make >reduc-
tons in wages in many directions and believe
is willing to face even further reductions il its
sacrifice can be demonstratively handed on in
general reduction Of final price levels so that
the cost OF living travels in step. Labor is
growing in efficiency and shows willingness to
remove the Objectionable limitations an effort
that grew up in some industries during the war.
1t is beyond peradventure that he stated the
three essentials in maintaining American living
standards as against foreign competition, and to
assure employment when he said must do this
by better judgment greater efficiency, and harder
work This includes all classes. 1t will lower
domestic as well export prices. 1t will bring
greater comfort for equal or less income. BY this
1t will broaden employment through increased op-
portunity 1t is the endless circle which also makes
true another statement:
No particular economic fraction of our popu-
lation can long continue securing oyeradyantape
without disaster to itself or the community. Our
whole economic and moral problem indeed our
safety, our satisfaction and our happiness are
balanced upon our practice of this basic funda-
mental in business dealings.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
PATENT OFFICE CONDITIONS
CHAOTIC NEED MORE PAY.

Stating that conditions at the Pat
ent Once are chaotic and almost
intolersble because Of the low sal
airy scale THAI is causing wholesale
designations OF the highly trained
patent examiners and clerical force.
Thomas Z. Robertson, Commissioner
Of Patents, at the meeting Of the
Washington Section Of the Ameri-
can Society Of Mechanical EnEi-
neers at the Cosmos Club asked for
the continued support of the Pat
ent once salary bill in Congress.
In a little over a year IIO Of the
examining force Of I37 have re-
signed" declared Commissioner
Robertson. six designations Of
highly trained experts have been
handed me in the three weeks that
have been in office. These men
are getting two or three times as
much salary on the outside"
That there are thirty clerks in
the Patent Once who receive only
$500 a year was disclosed when he
said that in the past year l42 Of
the $50 clerical workers had left the
service. These $50 per month clerks
would get sI,loo per year under the
new salary bill
The Patent once runs one Of the
largest lo-cent stores in the world"
declared Commissioner Robertson.
This enterprise has as its stock
about $4,000. 900 copies Of about L.
soc. 900 patents. and new patents at
the rate Of from 500 to 1000 q week
add $1,000 copies more TO be taken
care of each week. Many patent
copies are sold for dime q piece
during a year.
Commissioner Robertson pointed
out that there is a stenogrsphic de-
psrtment handling legal work that
turned out $4,000. 900 words in the
past year and brought $4,000 reve-
| nue.. The photoststing division made
$1,000 photostats during the past
year, he said.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
College Girls to Debate:

George Washington University
girl debaters win meet the Univer-
sity Of West Virginia girls In a
double debate on Industrial courts
tonight. One contest will be held at
8 o'clock in the Public Library here
and the other will be held at Nor
gantown. W. We.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
THE BRIMMING CUP. by Dorothy
Canheld. (Harcourt Brace &
REVIEWS

THE BRIMMlNG CIP, by Dorothy
Canfeld. (Harcourt Brace &
Coz
An unusually analytical and hon.
est woman of emphasized charm.
her nice, go-ahead husband. her
equally nice children, and a highly
sophisticated lover. all set down in
a Vermont village with neighbors,
aunts, and SO forth thrown in
these are the ingredients of the
Brimming Cup. il you add to them
an enormous portion of feeling and
a desire to explain. There is a lot
in 1t. Dorothy Garfield sees things,
she writes well and sensitively. and
everyone knows how good a propa-
gandist she is who has read Home
Fires in France, her other war
writings or the occasioned articles
she contributes to the magazines
But she is too good a propagandist,
we fear. to be a really good novel;
list. She is so possessed of the idea
she wants to prove. that she ham
mers II in. She never writes, ap-
parently. simply to tell tale. Each
of her characters stands for some
thing and is carefully drawn to
show that one thing, often at the
their places so mechanically that at
times they creak. There is little of
the variability of real people in
them. When they wobble. they
wobble for a reason-part of the
proof. And sometimes they talk
like magazine articles, while at
others they talk like curb orators.
But. oh. how they talk! There is
nothing desultory here. Even the
descriptions go to prove something.
They prove that Vermont is per-
feet place to live. and with this we
have NO quarrel. Vermont being
one of our favorite haunts. But we
do believe that by protesting. by
mere insistence upon her theme,
Dorothy Canfeld has spoiled a good
effect. She has the stun but she
lays it on two heavily. BY this we
do not mean that the book is mere
ly preachy. and the average reader
should beware. 1t is above the or
dinary run of novels, there is no
doubt of that. But 1t just fails of
being first-rate. And probably, just
because there is charm and interest
in it, this failure is the greater dis
appointment
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
C0wME - a<x
Aeficlfiss ~ S~cirflsE
On WsslLae1ss

sArURDAT. APRIL %. Isz1.
BieisEiesl society, Cosmos CIuh, this
evening. 8 .. m 'Rediscovery Of
emarkable Cactus from Haiti"
by J. y. Rose: The Principle Of
Rapid Peering. in Birds" by 10
seph Grinnell: Notes on Some
Parrots Imported Into the United
States" by 7. S. Palmer: Rats in
the War Zone" by Z. A Coleman.
Audubon Society heIs .eett.s. to-
day. Windy Run and Spout Run.
Va. Assemble at Rossiyn Sta
tion. Va, at g. m. Walk along
river bank 20 Spout Run.
wild Flower Preservatten Society.
Flower Study Hike, tomorrow
afternoon. o'clock. Meet At
Great Falls Station. GeorFetown.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30

The remarkable thing is that Lloyd George
has been able to compromise so much without
compromising himself
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30

They might have avoided friction by also
making the league guarantee the integrity Of
each nations markets.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30

Once marriage was the elimination of ro~
nance; now it is merely the beginning OF an
experience.
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30
GREAT AMERICAN ISSUES, by
John Hays Hammond and Jere-
miah w. Jenks. CCharles Scrib-
ner's Sons)

miah w. Jenks. CCharles Scrib-
ner's Sons.)
II We were to take to heart all
the things that the politicians, the
press and the periodicals have told
us regarding the magnitude of the
problems that confront US in this
day and generation. we would
doubtless sink into slough of
despond never to rise again All
these problems are discussed briefly
and not too pessimistically by Mr..
Hammond and Mr.. jerks. The
topics are grouped under four heads:
Problems of Government" Prob
lens of Labor" Problems of Busi-
ness" and Remedial Suggestions.
There are chapters on Labor, Capt.
tai and the Community" THE Stand
ard of Living" Immigration" !"
Competition and Big business" :"
The Tariff" Foreign Trade" PRO
posed Forms of Social and Political
Organization: Socialism. Anarchism,
Trade Cnionism, Syndicalism, and
Sovietism."
The Washington herald., 1921-04-30

Perhaps you noticed that jazz didn't become
popular until hair dressers had covered feminine
eara