davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
WELFARE LEGISLATION.

with tho passage by Congress OF
the Shcpherd-Towner maternity hill.
a step has been taken that goes far
beyond the immediate purpose of this
legislation important and desirable as
that Is. The measure may fairly be
regarded as typical OF the kind of con-
structive legislation which the United
States and other nations will eagerly
undertake once the heaviest burdens
of armament are removed. Absurdly
little money is involved in the ma
ternity bill ms Il finally passed-ln-
deed its operation over thirty years
or more will hardly equal the cost of
n battleship--but its significance can
not be measured in money. The bill
provides for Federal and State CO.
operation in the care of maternity and
infancy through systematic instruc-
ton, health centres. and home visit
Ing by nurses.
As precedent for future progress
| In welfare legislation. the importa nee
OF the action OF Congress in this mat
ter can hardly be overempha asized
The questions OF Federal aid and Fed
oral leadership involved in the pend
ing Sterling-Towner education bill,
for example. are precisely those about
which debate has ragged on the ma
ternity bill. Practically nll the issues
which have been raised in connection
with the education bill We're raised
and settled in the debate on the ma
ternity measure. The orstitutiona
argument WAS hammered home; the
State right objection was stretched
TO the breaking point, all withou
avail.
The maternity bin was repeated,
referred TO by its opponents as "aI
entering wedge" 1t is to he hope'
that II is-an entering wedge fol
worthy, carefully planned Legislation
appropriate TO the Federal governmen
in the service of human needs.-Ney
York Evening Post.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
LITERARY BLACkSMITHS.

The announcement made by the
Journal previous to the opening OF
the Conference on the Limitation of
Armament that it would. according TO
It's custom, rely for its reports of
this epoch making international con-
gress on it's regular staff Of CCrre-
s1ondents and reporters instead of en-
Toying a special body of authors
novelists. acrobats. Socialists. futur-
lists. word painters. somnambulists
and mind readers" has attracted
much favorable attention in other
newspaper Offices. The re rtsults, in
deed. have proved entirely satisfactory
to ell concerned.
Why should any newspaper, at a
time like this, depend for its news
service on men who are not trained
! to the profession. who are theorists
and Missionaries, who are certain tC
miss many vital facts and offer tneil
readers. instead, mass of undigestcs
/ philosophy" 1t would he just a.
sensible to call in a blacksmith for Z
( delicate technical task as TO sum.
mon a staff of writer's unframed tC
newspaper work and routine with tn,
idea that somehow they will excel tn,
men who have had years OF invaluabl,
experience in Journalism. And ye
some alleged great newspapers" evi
IDENTIFY care more for famous name
than for real service.
In the Journals opinion Mr. II. G
Wells and number of other gentle
men airing their Socialistc ideas 70
the benefit OF the American peopl
are simply a type of literary black
smith.-Providence Journal.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
LAGGARDS At AVIATION.

During the first half Of 1921 French
airplanes, flying over six regularly
operated civilian lines. carried 1888
paying passengers. 5000 tons OF mer-
chandise and four tons of mail matter
If France can accomplish such results.
the Providence journal pertinently in
quires. why not New England? It
says:
This section of the United States
has few of tho hazards that the French
constantly face. Its distances are
short. There are no wide areas Of
water To worry about. no high noun
tains to cross Fields for landing are
abundant. needing only the expendi-
ture Of small sums TO make them
available. Trained pilots can easily
be found"
II seems strange that Americ..
usually ahead Of others in inventing
and perfecting mechanical devices
should lag behind In aviation. The
frequent pleas for State and city g
take steps TO create interest In flying
reveals the existing apathy. Nobody
had TO stir up the public 10 develor
the automobile. Americans do not
doubt the future of aviation. WHY 1,
II they SIT back and let others compIet.
the conquest Of the air?-Worceste
Telegram
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
MINORITY REPRESENTATION.

The advocates of proportional rep
resentation have undoubtedly scored
n notable success in Cleveland. Tho
new city charter, adopted by the
voters OF the Ohio metropolis, provides
that hereafter the members Of the city
council shall be chosen on a proper.
tionnl basis. This plan. already on trial
In some smaller cities, has proved en-
tirely workable. although at first
glance II may impress the average
voter as very complicated.
Proportional representation has sev-
eral important merits. II does away
with all nomination procedure; there
is no need to restrict In any way the
number of names on the ballot. II
permits the voter to designate. not
only his first choice among the can
didates. but his order of preference
throughout the entire list. Moreover
| II enables each of the various elements
I'm the electorate TO obtain it's proper
tionate quota of representatives.
whereas the majority. under the usua
system of voting usually elects its
whole slate of candidates
| The objection commonly set forth
Is that the complications OF the plar
place It beyond the intelligence Of the
average voter. but actual experience
does not support this objection. A
any rate. II the scheme proves TO b,
workable In Cleveland with regis
tered electorate Of nearly 800. 900, it Il
a fair assumption that other larg'
cities will soon begin TO consider IL
ssbllities.-Boston Herald.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
RIPPIING RHYMES.
BY Walt Mason.
REFRESHMENTS

The VoIstead law IL on the
books; It's there for keeps, I
think: and wise men seek the
babbling brooks when they
would have a drink. For wise
men know we cannot choose
the laws that well obey; the
ordinance forbidding booze has
come. and come 20 stay; an
epoch dry as dust has dawned.
iuiceless re IS born. and we
must journey 70 the pond 10 get
our morning horn. Oh. yes, in
alley or in slum we yet may
stain our breath. and buy a flask
Of bottled rum that's labeled
Sudden Death; but who's 40
thirsty he'd elect to drink such
booze, gadzooks? And who can
keep his self respect. and
train with low down crooks?
The Volstead law is not a dream,
IL largely looms, like fate; and
we must seek the crystal stream
when we would irrigate. Good
citizens are earnest guys VINO
bow to all the laws. though they
may think some are unwise.
and full Of fatal flaws. They
say. ITO all the laws we'll yield.
as blithely as we may; If they
are punk they'll be repealed.
and II they're good they'll stay;
and he who'd f1out them is a
chump, he bores US with his
yawps: and we shall journey
70 the pump to get our forty
drops
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
THE THEATRE FIRE THREAT.

II was unusually fortunate that the
fire In New Haven, Conn, moving
picture theatre, Sunday afternoon,
WAS attended by only a small loss OF
life. The flames broke out with such
surprising rapidity that the audience
OF at least a thousand persons was
compelled to fee in wild panic, and
in the consequent mad rush there was
imminent danger OF many lives being
lost. There was quite a large num-
Der OF injured victims, but the loss Of
life was limited to three persons.
But that was three too many. and
the incident, fortunate as II may ap-
pear to be in some respects when the
possibilities are considered, should
prove a warning. How many the
atres are there among the enormous
number now in operation through
out the country, that are so construct
ed as to make them death trans when
sudden visitation of fire descends upon
them? Have we any such in Whining
ton?
There is no departure from the con-
clusion that eternal vigilance" is es-
sential in providing the desired pro-
lection against calamities of this
character. All buildings where peopl,
assemble in large numbers should not
only be most carefully constructed
but subjected TO continual inspection
with view TO guarding against dan.
gerous conditions. Especially shoul,
the oversight be maintained Will,
they are filled with eager audiences
intent only upon enjoyment of tn,
performances. Here is a field wher,
the "ounce of precaution" is wortl
any amount of cure" after the ca
lamity comes.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
RATHER POOR BUSINESS.

According to the report of the Bu-
renu OF Internal Revenue, recently
made public. tax collections decreased
nearly billion during the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1921. on the other
hand, the cost OF collecting this de-
creased amount of revenue increased
to the extent of 80 cents on each 800
collected. This seems like poor pusi-
ness.
The average citizen will find It dif-
ficult to understand why II should
cost more to collect money due the
government during the past fiscal
year than II did during the previous
year, especially when the amount col
lected showed such large reduction
nearly n billion dollars. In reason
the cost should have been less.
But what most bothers the aver
age citizen, especially the business
man or manufactures, is when the
taxes are to be adjusted to "A satlsfac-
| tory basis of operation and reduced "a
material extent. There Is gradually
arising i'm the minds OF many persons
feeling Of apprehension that ther,
is not TO be very material reduc.
ton of the excessive war taxation
but that scheming Congress vii
maintain high taxes for the purpos,
of securing n large amount of revenu,
to expend for various purposes.
No matter how large the revenues
may be, even excessive in amount an,
oppressive In their direct bearing upoi
taxables: Congress Will always I'm,
means of spending them. And moth
ing could be more conducive to vii,
schemes involving sxtravagant ex
penditures than excessive tax imposi
tions. II is hoped Congress will hav
sufficient business sense TO recogniz
the duty 1t owes the people. and ma
terially reduce both taxation and ex
penditure.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
WESTERN FOOTBALL.


1t ls conceded now that western
come uncertain. The open game may
have caused that. The football OF
twenty years ago was almost cor-
tainty. The best team always won and
II game was repeated would win n
second or third time. The better bas :
ball team might be defeated In a
game and a series OF games would he
needed for IL TO make It's superior sltill
apparent, hut the better football team
won because II was the better team.
The year the University of Michi-
gan had a scoring machine which ran
up 500 points that team could have
started the season all over again and
repeated It's performance. The days of
such perfect dependability are gone
and the game itself ls more attractive.
Good football has extended 20 all parts
of the country.
Centre college OF Kentucky, the in
credible David of the colleges, defeats
! Harvard. The University OF Chicago
defeats Princeton. Princeton defeats
Harvard. Yale defeats Princeton
Harvard defeats Yale. Ohio state de.
feats the University of Chicago. The
University OF Chicago defeats tho
University of Illinois. The University
OF Illinois defeats Ohio State NJ
fixed relations have been established
The games were good games. TIL,
teams were good teams.
The west proves that II knows foot
ball and plays as good football as tn,
east.
In view of this. the college au
thorities should schedule more inter
sectional games. They will encourage
national solidarity Tribune
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
COLLECTING OLD DEBTS.

The issuing of a warrant against a
practising attorney of this city, for
failure to pay the annual license re-
quired by law is an indication that
the collecting authorities are at last
aroused to a realization of where the
policy OF laxity in collection of taxes
and other moneys due the State.
county and city was leading. There is
promise of other similar actions TO be
taken against professional as well as
business men who have been derelict
There can be no reasonable objec-
ton TO any policy that looks to the
enforced collection of every dollar of
Indebtedness to the State. county and
city administrations now lawfully
overdue. There never should have
been such a surprising amount of neg
ligence in relation TO the highly i'm
portant duty of collecting public reve-
nues. But the evil has been toler-
ated for long time, until the amount
Of the unpaid accounts has assumed
/ formidable proportions, while demands
for the expenditure of money for lie.
sitimate public purposes makes the
lack of the money severely felt.
One element of the situation tha
has been entirely ignored is that thii
policy OF favoritism and neglect il
the collection of taxes and other law
ful public accounts is gross injus
tice to those citizens who pay thei
taxes and other obligations prompt.
and regularly every year. They d
their duty, and they have 10 suffer
with all the rest of the people, fron
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
A CENSUS OF CENTENARIANS.
BY Frederic i. Iisskin

tive tract to be adjusted 80 that this
poisoning may be overcome. Netchni-
bon devoted most OF his life 70 this
problem, and these researches are still
being carried on by his associstes in
the pastcir Institute.
Improving the Human Machine.
Meantime, science has discovered
more and more ways IN which il may
perfect the human body az a working
machine. II has been found that ths
ductlcss glands. which were formerly
not understood at all. control airn0s,
all phases Of human development, and
llt looks AZ though q perfect UNDER
standing ~ them alone would make
possible the almost indefinite pro-
liongation Of human life. barring acci-
dent In fact, Or. r. =. Friedenberg.
Of New York. told the Pennsylvania
Medical Society that man with
perfect endoctrlne system might 1--we
forever
At the same time psychoanalysis
has laid hare the causes Of many OF
the mental and nervous dlsharmonies
which destroy men. II has come 20
seem possible that much nervous
ldisease and inssnity may be pre-
vented By proper mental hyEieue
begun in childhood
When one considers what science
has 1one IN the comparatively few
years that it has existed, 81 takes no
great imagination to realize that Ber-
nard Shaw's vision OF n race Of men
living to be $50 years Of age or more
/ is not wholly fanciful. II is quite
! possible that. II international warfare
with the help of poiEon gas does not
destroy tho race and its civilization.
, our descendants Of a few centuries
hence may look back upon this az an
age as benighted as the Stone Age
SENS 10 Us.
Metcnnikof beIieved-and Shaw re-
peats the idea--that the fear Of death
will disappear as life lengthens and
: becomes more harmonious. He con-
tended that death is natural and re-
Icessary to man, and that his fear Of
death IS due to the fact that he is al
) ways cut off before ne has had his
normal hll Of living. The man who
= has enjoyed $50 years Of health and n
u complete fulfllment of his needs and
2 desires, mental and physical. WIN i'
down to die willingly and serenely Al
Z a healthiiy tired man lies down Z
u sleep.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
WARS RECOMPENSE.

Ye that have faith TO look with fearless
eyes
Beyond the tragedy of world at strife.
And know that out of death and night
shall rise
The dawn of ampler life.
Rejoice whatever anguish rend the heart.
That God has given you priceless
dover,
To i've in these great times and have
your part
In Freedoms crowning hour.
That ye may tell your sons who see the
light
High in the heayens-their heritage 70
take:
II saw the powers of darkness put to flight
saw the morning break.
The above poem. found on the body oi
an unknown Australian officer. appeared
in the Red Cross Magazine" during tn,
y AZ.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
JUST FOLKS
BY Edgar A. Gue-t.
WHAT A FATHER
WANTS TO KNOW

You would take my girl away!
What is there that ! can say
Save the things all fathers think
Seldom put in printers ink?
Little care ] for your fame.
Or the glory you may claim,
Or the fortune you may earn;
These are not my deep concern
This | really want to know.
WIZ you always love her so?
II is fine enough to tell
That today you're doing well;
appreciate your skill
And / think some day you Wi.
Club the ladder of success
To your lasting happiness,
But il all this should be had
And my little girl be sad.
I'd regret my whole life through
Having given her TO you.
VIII you always love her so?
/ That is what / want to Know.
| VIII you comfort her and stay
At her side from day to day?
knowing she must bear your name.
VIII you shield her from all shame
This the burden on my mind,
WIN you thoughtful be and kind?
All that matters is to know
That you'll always love her SO.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29

Washington, Nov. 2s.---A statistical
study Of persons who have lived for a
hundred years or more is 10 DC one of
the undertakings this year of the
Census Bureau which is preparing q
report on the ages Of persons now
living In the United States.
IL may be hazarded that this will
be one of the most popular reports
ever put out by the bureau, for men
have always shown an almost morbid
interest in the problem Of prolonging
life. They used 10 believe that by the
discovery Of some wonderful elixir or
spring they might cheat death forever
Science has abolished that hope. Men
know now that they mus die, but they
seem none-tbe-less TO be eager 20 add
few years 20 their lives II possible
Every lot of evidence that average
life is being prolonged Is read with
eager interest
There is manlfestly something un-
sound IN this attitude. Tho averag'
human life has been heightened sine
the Middle Ages. but largely by re
ducing infant mortality and prolOng
ing the period Of senile decay. Wha
we actually get out Of life is no
measured by the average number 81
years men i've, but by the length o
the active period and still more b.
what they do with II. More encOurag
ing than the lengthening Of the aver
ag expectation + human life is tn
fact. reported by the Census Bureau
that persons Of middle age and pas
show constantly Increasing range q
activity. More and more achieve
ment is put down every year 70 tn
credit of men and women who are oi
in years. but apparently not in vi
tality. More and more old perso1
marry, too. and tho Census IL especial
~ Interested in these. The activ
creative period OF life for men is AZ
to correspond to the duration Of the
virillty
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Any TFHucr mn get Tue aHSWeT W huD
question by writing Every Evening !nfor.
nation Bur al. Frederic J Haskin. Dirrc-
tor, Washington .. o. This oi1cr nj les
strictly TO Information. The bureau can
not givc advice on legal medical and hnan-
cjal matters II does not attempt o settle
domestic troubles nor To undertake. eS-
haustIve research on any subject. Write
your questions plainly, and briefly. Give
Xii name and add css and nc ose two
cents In stamps for return postage. All
| replies are sent direct To the Inquirer
O. What powers are participating
In the Disarmament Farley? J w. G.
A. The nations participating In the
Conference for Limitation of Armn-
ment are Great Britain. France. Italy.
Japan, Netherlands, Belgium. China.
Portugal, and the United States.
q. How old is Arthur Brisbane? j.
w. j.
A. Arthur Brisbane was borne De-
cembcr ~. 1864. so VIII be 81 years
old next month.
! @. J.. How can the sand in glass be
separated from the glass? w. r.
/ a. The Bureau of Standards says
after glass has once been made. the
sand has been so used az 10 make ~
impossible TO change It back 20 it's
!
original state.
@. What was the specific charge
placed against Captain Fryatt who
was shot by the Germans during the
war? II was an odd word that I can
not remember? q. J. n.
a. Captain Fryatt Of the British
Ship Brussels" was executed by the
Germans on the charge Of being a
Franc tireur. Literally translated
this means a "sharpshooter." The
word was first introduced into inter
national law as result of tho organ
izatlon of bands Of irregulars oi
France-tlreurs during the Franco
prussian War.
O. What Is the largest park In the
United States within a city? j. E. n
A. Fairmount Park in Philadelphia
has an area Of 3,242 acres. This IL
probably the largest park within tn,
limits Of any city In the country.
q. What Is used in the manufnc
iure of fiber phonograph needles? w
Il V. s.
a. The Forest Service says that =
most cases fiber needles are manu-
, factured from foreign tropical wood
, which are closely associated with BAN
, boo.
y O. What Is Basil Kings real name
II. n.
A. Basil Kink Is listed in who
a Who as king. William Benjamin
: Basil"
q. Did the knights OF old" wca
both chain and plate arnor? u. n. =
A. Plate armor was worn in battl
and tournament. while chain armo
}, was worn at times when there wa
:, possibility Of chance encounters and {
. prevent assassination.
O. Were pryamids built az tomt
= by any other ancient people than IN
:, Egyptians? n. w. s.
a. outside of Egypt. the pyram
:, did not assume the national impor
ance that II had there. but a sort
5. pyramid wes built in the early civil
4, zation Of Central and South Americ
- There We're also some pyramids
% Greece. Assyrla. and Rome.
O. What IL birthstone? A. d. l..
:. a. Birthstone was name given
sulphur II was literally "burnii
:, stone" sulphur having been conside
~ ed by the alchemists az the princip
y Of combustibility.
@. Are there dipthongs in FrencI
- D. s.
= A. There are no true dipthongs
- French. There are combinations
semi mi-consonants and vowels.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
WELCHERS SHOULD PAY.

To those persons who lost So
heavily in the San Francisco fire
through the refusal of certain Ger
man insurance companies to recos-
nize the obligations arising under
their policies. the recent statement
made by Alien Property Custodian
Thomas w. Miller reads like good.
hard common sense.
To the person who recognizes that
Q contract should be lived up to in
the highest good faith by the parties
thereto. the cleancut statement OF the
Alien Property Custodian that he in
tends to make the welching COM
panies pay the just claims they
repudiated reads like an attempt to
teach the central empires a lesson in
the observance of contracts. similar 70
the lesson taught them regarding the
observance of treaties
There should be no confusion about
the matter, and no misunderstanding
Mr.. Miller's statement makes il
clear that he does not intend indis-
Criminately to recommend. for in
stance. that the funds of some in.
dividual alien enemy shall be used tC
liquidate the Indebtedness of thes,
German insurance companies. II hap.
pens that there are in his hands a
the present time, as Alien Propert,
Custodian, funds belonging TO the par
| ticular companies which had writer
insurance in San Francisco and which
| failed after the fire to set le in &C
| c0rdance with the terms of thes,
! policies.
In other words. through a fortuit
Gus circumstance. Mr.. Miller find
himself in a position TO be able {,
force the settlement by these com
panies of obligations which honorabl,
they should have settled fifteen year
ago.
Nothing could be simpler and moth
Ing could be more just.-San Fran
cisco Call and Post
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-29
THE MIRROR OF
PUBLIC OPINION

Victoria who was married to the Mar
outs of Lorne. The Kings sister. Prin-
cess Louise Victoria, was married to
the Duke OF Fife. A niece. the Prn-
cess Patricia tPrinccss pat) accepted
the Honorable Alexander Ramsay. In
ternatlonal marriages with foreign
princcllngs are not so much In favor
these days.
For the rest there IL no reason to
believe that the union OF the Vis-
count I.ascelies and the Princess Mary
IL not one OF personal attachment and
there is the best reason for wishing
the couple all the good fortune that
should come TO a brave man and
womanly woman In n life both will
seek TO make useful to our common
humanity. Brooklyn Eagle.