davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Responsibility for Fires.
Sprinlslers and Law Like Canada's
Two Means of Prevention.

To THE New YORK HERALD In draw
ing attention TO the lazy proposed In
Massachusetts to Ak responsibility for
fires and commenting on the Colonial
Hotel fire, in which thirteen persons
were burned TO death. you say More
common sense and an aroused conscience
are the real remedies called for
"An aroused conscience" that is It
A consciousness Of personal responsible
ity. In this lies the greatest hope Of
arresting the fearful extent or fires In
this country. which in five years have de-
stroyed some $4,000 human beings and
$1,000, 100000 worth of real property not
70 say anything OF tho losses in inter-
ruption OF enterprise. cost of fire depart
ments and Insurance and the material
value to society of human life lost.
You assume that under a personal re-
sponsibility law the only person culpable
for the Colonial Hotel fire would be the
one who Is supposed to have started
It by carclessly discarding a burning
match or lighted cigarette. Under a
properly conceived law Of this kind the
owner of the building would be just as
cupable for maintaining conditions fa-
voring not only the inception of fire
bat also conditions favoring its spread.
For example, consider the fire preven-
ton section of the criminal code OF the
Dominion of Canada:
Every one is guilty OF an indictable
offence and liable 20 two years imprison-
ment who by negligence causes any fire
ofn Ioas ~ 20 Of
property.
Tho person owning. occupying or con
trolling the premises In which such
fire occurs, or on which such fire orig
mates, phnll be deemed TO have caused
the fire through negligence u such per-
son has failed 10 obey the requirements
of any law Intended 10 prevent fires or
which requires apparatus for tho extin-
guishment OF fires ~ TO facilitate the
escape OF persons in tho event of fire, IL
the jury finds that such fire, or the loss
of life, or the whole or any substantial
portion OF the loss Of property would not
have occurred IL such law had been com
piled With.
Moreover. there is a further provision
for either fine or imprisonment. or both.
IL fire prevention orders are not com
piled with in reasonable time. and no
opportunities arc given for back talk by
property owners who do not wish to
spend money for safety from fire.
Safety 10 life from the peril Of fre in
a building is not difficult to provide, for
IL is based on this simple proposition
Confinement OF tho fire TO the locality
OF origin. This may be done by GER
tain rearangements OF building or BY
putting in automatic sprinklcrs or both.
You ask how many places OF the same
The New York herald., 1921-02-10

such serious nature that something
more substantial than the cutting and
storing Of a few hundred or even
thousand tons of hay must be done
in order to save the species to this
country. Photographs are in exist
ence showing many of these beasts
dead in the timbered hills, whittier
they had wandered on finding their
former pastures exhausted.
The cattle men are credited with
seeing no useful purpose in the pres
ervation of the regal creatures, but
what of that vast army Of American
sportsmen and nature lovers who re-
gard the elk as the finest of all the
deer family, to which he belongs?
The New York herald., 1921-02-10

Gounod's Romeo ct Juiiette'' was
given by the Chicago Opera Company
last evening at the Manhattan Opera
House. Lueien Muratore and Nine.
Amelia Galli-Curci impersonated the
Montague Capulet lovers. The famous
soprano was heard here for the first
time as the beautiful and tragic heroine.
The house was packed. and small Won
der with two such stars in the cast of a
brilliant work seldom heard here. Last
night no doubt many younger members
OF the audience heard the work for the
first time.
AS was to be expected. the perform
ance gave much pleasure, even though
modified in certain respects. The stage
settings were good, the costumes effec-
tive and the choruses went with spirit.
Mr.. Muratore's Romeo was one of strik-
ing and romantic bearing. opulent rich
ness of voice and dramatically acted.
He aroused great enthusiasm at certain
times for his passion, which, however,
might have been expressed with more
finesse.
Nine. Galli-Curci as Ju1iette was a
charming picture to the eye and she sang
her music with much beauty OF voice
and feeling. In the waltz song her
bravura work was not always OF her
best as to pitch and smoothness, but
there was loveliness in 1t, and the audi
ence at the close temporarily interrupted
the performance with applause. She was
altogether delightful in the balcony scene
with Mr.. Muratore. Her inlpersonation
was hardly sufficient in the youthfuIness
Of a young girl, albeit rare grace and
lovelness of person were in her action.
LET Il
able and Mr.. Defrere as Mercutio was
good. The nurse was Nine. Claessens,
and Messrs. Paillard and Cotreuil had
the parts Of Tybalt and the F1idr. Mr..
Polacco conducted.
The audience was one of the most
notable OF the season. DIR. and Mrs.
Preston p Satterwhite. Mrs. George
Whelan, the Marquis Sommi and Count
Perigny were with Miss Elsa Maxwell in
one of the upper prosceni'm boNes.
With Mr.. and Mrs. Hakan Bjorstrom
Steffanson in a lower box were Mr.. and
Mrs. III. Mason Day, Mrs Robinson Duff
and the Marquis Lagergren.
Mis- Gardens guests were Mrs. Ed
ward De Witt Walsh, Mrs. Paul Draper
and Mr.. G.. Schimanowski.
Among others in the audience were
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Goelet, Mrs Stuart
Wing, Mr.. Walton Oakley, Mrs. Fred
erick w. Whitridge. Mr.. w. Forbes Nor
gan, Mr.. and Mrs. Oscar L. Richard,
Mr.. George Richard, Mrs Charles f.
Hoffman. Miss Marion Hoffman, Mr.. J.
Victor Onativia, Jr., Mr. r. Thornton
Wilson. Baron and Baroness Gle Meyer,
Mrs. Charles Il. Swan. Mrs. John Adams,
Miss Grace Bigelow, Mrs. Stanley Nc
The New York herald., 1921-02-10

While the foregoing figures can be
taken only as estimates somewhere
near the correct totals, they at least
furnish the telescope with which to
get birdseye view of the European
situation. The thrift and frugality of
Europeans before the war and their
eagerness to place their funds in all
parts of the world stand them now in
good stead. They are in sore straits
for the time being. Their annual
deficit of 1888, 100000 net in 1920 is
much smaller than the deficits for the
previous four or five years. but it rep
resents the interest on a capital sum
OF S19,oO0O0O,O00.
Ii all the deprecated paper money
of Europe could be gathered up and
burned, If all the internal debts could
be wiped out and if each European
nation could stand on par with its
internal financial position in 1918,
when the European continent paid its
way in full and had a surplus besides,
that external deficit of 1903, ,o00,0 900,
representing capital sum of S19,00O,-
100000, plus the $10,0O0,000, to
$4,000, 100000 gold and investments
sold or shipped abroad during the
war, would measure the difference be-
tween the Europe of 1914 and the
Europe Of 1920.
That continent may or may not be
wiser to-day than before the war
Some of its citizens may believe them
selves fairly well off with their
pockets crammed with bogus shin
plasters-bogus so far as buying
power is concerned-but the actual
gold purchasing capacity Of Europe
at the end Of 1920 was about thirty
to thirty-one billions of dollars less
than it was before the war.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Railroad Rates.
The Theory That Earnings Would
Grow If Charges Decreased

To THE New YORK HERALD 1 do not
pretend to be either a statistician or a
railroad man, being only a lawyer, and
Il mortuary one at that. as my practice
is confined entirely to estates; but i
would like to be enlightened as TO
whether the railroads. would not earn
more money n they lowered their
passenger and freight rates and carried
more passengers and moved a greater
amount of freight because of lower
rates.
Ny knowledge is gathered only from
observation OF conditions that have come
under my notice. For over thirty years I
have spent great deal of time in Santa
Barbara, California. For a number of
years past. up to and including 1920.
the hotels have been crowded and the
supply of furnished houses has not
equalled the demand. This winter the
Coast is comparatively deserted and fur
nished houses are at a discount.
I have been in the habit of going out
every year from one to three times to
care for property interests have there,
but present rates are SO prohibitive with
the Government tax that / must handle
my small ranch from here.
1 was out twice last year. Up to my
return from my first visit in May j paid
about $64 for drawing room for my
self and daughter from Los Angeles TO
Philadelphia. When + returned after
my second trip out this space cost S124,
the total cost for two straight tickets
East including railroad and Pullman
fares, tax and extra fare, being about
$S62. food and tips not included. For
very little more we could have had a
comfortable nine day voyage to Europe,
food included.
The rise I'm freight lately allowed, on
top of the reduced tariff on lemons, has
put our fruit out of the market. We
could make a small profit on our fruit,
on top of the reduced duty. were 1t not
for the rise in freight. The California
Citrus League Is now trying the ship
ment of fruit by water through the
canal. If it is a success the railroads
will have to meet the water rate or
lose many thousands of carloads of Call
fornia products.
All Of this seems selfish Of course and
shows an apparent lack OF appreciation
Of the difficulties the roads are strug-
Cling with Your editorial comments on
the condition OF the roads get to the
meat of the matter. There are too many
needless men on the payrolls and the
pay they receive or the inequality under
the working conditions is greatly in ex-
cess of what it should be.
e. c. HAMERsLT,
PHILADELPHIA, February 8.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Avocado and Ivory Nuts.
Two Important Botanical Products
of Ecuador.

or. J. N. Rose in the Bulletin OF the Pan
American Union.
One of the most important industries
OF Ecuador is the expectation of the
ivory nut. OF negro head, both OF which
names are self-explanatory. The nuts
are called tagua in Ecuador. We are
usually told that this nut is the fruit Of
n palm, and indeed 1t is called the ivory
palm. but 1t is rot of this family,
although a near relative. The scientific
name Is phytelephas. or elephant plant
Several species of this genus are ma
tive to Ecuador and these are different
from the ones which grow in Panama
and Colombia. The nuts from these
trees are gathered in large quantities,
put in bags and sent by shiploads to
Europe and the United States, practi-
cally supplying the button market OF the
world. The ship which brought us out
OF Ecuador took on at the little town Of
Manta 10000 bags OF the nuts.
Another economic problem assigned to
me was to obtain seeds, cuttings. and
Information regarding mountain avo-
cado. The United States Department
of Agriculture for n number Of years
has been endeavoring to Introduce an6
create demand for that most delicious
of tropical fruits, the avocado. also
called alligator pear, aguacate, mid
shipman's butter. vegetable butter or,
scientifically. Persea gratissima.
The avocado grows only in the t-op-
les, usually along the coasts.
1t is very common In Mexico, the West
Indies and south to Peru and Brazil It
can be grown In Florida and southern
California. Tho experts in the United
States Department OF Agriculture had
Information that n variety OF this tree
was growing in the mountains OF Ecua-
dor and Il was believed that If a va
riety of avocado could be discovered
which would stand several greater de-
grees of cold than the common form the
rorthward growth OF the avocado could
be extended greatly. And so II was that
/ made a special trip into the high Andes
TO study this variety. At Ambato. at an
altitude Of about 5000 feet, and at
Quito, az an altitude Of about 1000 feet,
these trees nre not uncommon. Here
they stand a temperature several degrees
below the freezing point. A good quan-
tity OF seeds and budwood was shipped
back TO Washington. which are now
being experimental upon by the Depart
ment OF Agriculture.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Naval Airplanes.
Their Power of Offence Against Bat
tleships Limited Now.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: Accord
ing to the newspapers Congress is about
to spend millions on airplane carriers
which can steam thirty-five knots
against a twenty knot gale in order
that an airplane going 100 miles an
hour may alight on them.
I think the money viii be well spent.
but millions should also be spent on
developing airplanes that can alight on
the ships while at anchor.
The failure of the airplane mail SER
vice Is due to the fact that they cannot
alight on the roof of the post Office like
a bird.
The reason that in the Indiana expert
ments there were only 10 per cent of
hits by the sand bombs dropped from the
airplanes was because they could not
fly at less than twenty miles an hour
and remain in the air.
How many battleships were hit by air
plane bombs during the war?
The newspaper accounts of the Brit
ish experiments. in which airplanes over
q camoufiage OF smoke sank six battle
ships. are suspicious, since neither could
see the other--it was blind mans buff.
The inaccuracy of anti-aircraft gun
fire is due largely to inexperience. Does
any sportsman forget how long II took
him to learn how to hit teal duck on
the wing? And even after he had
learned he could not do it every time.
r. NJ. BARBER
Captain u. S. Navy. retired
New York, February 8.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Brooklyn's Transit Tangle.

The presentation to the court by
Receiver GARRISON Of list of fifteen
lines, subsidiaries of the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit system, which do not
pay their running expenses is a
symptom which threatens further dis
integration of Brooklyn's traffic IA
cilities in face of the principle, very
clearly laid down by Mr.. GARRISON,
that 'the transportation problem in
Brooklyn should be treated as "a
whole"
To those who see conditions only
from the congested centre of the bor-
ough 1T may seem strange that some
of the lines named should be running
behind. But this view does not make
allowance for the vast outlying spaces
and the interminable runs that many
cars make through them with COM
paratively few passengers during the
greater part Of the day and night.
The general view, again, is that the
fat and the lean of the business should
be averaged and the congested cars
pay for the more or less empty ones.
Mr.. GARRISON, however, points out
that in receivership each individual
property must be administered sepa
rately for the benefit of its own par
ticular creditors. Neither the funds
nor the material Of any one can be
diverted to the salvation or the oper
alton of another.
So the immediate impediment to
any broad readjustment of Brooklyn's
transit tangle is lack of central power
anywhere, absence of lawful means of
thorough cooperative management of
the entire system. The court, the re-
ceiver admits, cannot deal with the
problem with broad power. It can
merely consider the necessities of
the situation as whole with q view
TO meeting 1t as fully as existing law
permits" To draw an analogy from
the recent past, this means the dis
continuance of more lines or their
unprofitable parts. Regardless of in
convenience to numerous persons, the
roads when operated must pay. AS
they cannot be made pay as an aggre-
gate they must in detail
Nothing can throw clearer illuml-
nation on the proposals of Governor
miller for the study of the roads,
their condition and their needs and
for the creation of a new authority
which will take them out OF the dan
ger Of piecemeal collapse and build
them into compact and solvent in
stitution. Mr.. GARRISON gives a per-
feet maze Of figures, showing debt
piled on debt and unpaid interest top
ping the pyramid. Necessary money
raising during the receivership has
increased the load, and the end is not
yet by more than S7,7J0,000 Of con-
tract obligations now in sight.
Yet prior to the acute crisis in the
big holding company's finances in
1917 the situation was not hopeless.
1t seemed Of good promise and the
company's stock sold at a healthy
price. The traffic has grown vastly
since then. 1t grows steadily. There
Is the foundation for a great self
supporting public utility there II only
there were power to deal with 1t
wisely and comprehensively.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Daily Calendar
THE WEATHER.

For Eastern New York-Cloudy to-
day, Tomorrow rain not much change
in temperature: moderate west to north
west winds. becoming east to-morre9rs
For New Jcrsey-Cloudy to-day followed
py ram tonight and tomorrow; moderate
north TO east Winds
For Northern New England-Cloudy to-
day; tomorrow snow; not much change In
temperature; moderate west TO northwest
winds.
For Southern New England-cloudy to-
day; Tomorrow rain snow; not much
change Ia temperature: moderate TO fresh
west and northwest winds.
For Western New York-Cloudy to-day1
tomorrow rain or snow; not much change
in temperature.
WASHINGTON, Feb. o.-Pressuro fell to.
day over the Atlantic and Gulf States, and
II continued high the Rocky Mountain
and plateau regions and the Pacific States.
Rain has fallen within the last 81 hours in
the North Pacific States and North Plateau
region, Louisiana, south Texas, and almost
generally east of the Mississippi River. Tho
temperature continued considerably above
normal, except in the southwest.
\ disturbance which was central over
south Louisiana tonight will move north
eastward. attended by general precipitation
mostly III the form of rain, in the States
east of the Mississippi River within the next
"a TO 36 hours. The temperature will con.
tinue above normal in all sections.
Observations at United States Weather Bu-
reau stations taken at 8 z. NJ yesterday.
seventy-fifth meridian time:
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Some Reparation Explanations.

Economic lunacy is not always as
plain to everybody as the nose on a
mans face. Then again sometimes
it Is.
Preparations assessors are now ex-
pressing astonishment that the United
States ever should have imagined that
the special, extra, additional, supple
mental and final 1912 per cent. indem-
nifty to be collected for forty odd
years on the value of German exports
was to be an export tax. Can't the
United States see, even if it isn't
there to see, that the 1919 per cent.
levy on the exports does not neces-
sarily mean that it must be raised by
tax on the exporter who adds it
to his price or by a tax on the for
eign buyer who pays for the goods
exported to him? Can't the United
States comprehend that to relieve the
exporter of the 1919 per cent. indem-
nifty levy, and to show friendliness to
the United States, the brewer, say,
brewing only for German home con-
sumption might volunteer to contrib
ute it? 1t might be gathered on the
church and Sunday school collection
plates. Drives might be held every
night in the theatres to raise the 12H
per cent. levy on the exports.
The indemnity assessors don't want
in the very least to have the 1914 per
cent. levy on the exports raised by d
tax on the exports. All they want is
to get 121A per cent. on every dollar of
exports going out to the United States
and the rest of the world. On the
contrary, they would greatly regret,
yes, deplore, any thing so injurious
to the United States as an actual tax
on the exports, even though there
were no possible way to raise the
billions of such indemnity to be thus
paid, If ever 1t is paid, except by
export goods.
After handing out this explanation
the reparations assessors may surely
expect the startled and decidedly con-
cerned American people to note the
very marked distinction, If not diff
ference, between having both legs and
both hands cut off and having both
hands and both legs cut off.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Miss De Wolfe Explains.
Her Home in This City Was MOI
"Sold Over Her Head"

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: Will you
kindly correct misstatement given
prominence In your issue OF Sunday.
February 6, that Miss Elsie De Wolfe's
house is sold over her head?
I had leased the house ten years ago
from Stanley Wainwright, the owner,
and OF late years It has been leased TO
Elisabeth Marbury. Mr.. Wainwright Of
fered me the house before placing 1t on
sale, and as was Obliged to give up
any thought OF buying It II was then
sold to Baron do Meyer, its present
owner.
In no way was tho house "sold over
my head" On the contrary, Mr.. Vain
wright has behaved with the greatest
courtesy and consideration TO me and to
his present tenant. Elisabeth Marbury.
ELSIE DE WOLFE.
WASHINGTON. n. G., February ..
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Manhattan's Opera Bills.

The Chicago Opera Association yes
terday announced the repertoire for next
week at the Manhattan as follows:
Monday, "L'Amore del Ire Re-" with
Miss Garden and Edward Johnson; !;
Tuesday. ''Lakne,"s with Nine. CALI
Curci and Tito Schipa: Wednesday,
Carmen" with Miss Garden and Luz
Glen Muratore; Thursday. "Othello.'
with Miss Raisa and Titta Ruffo; FRI
day. La Jongleur de Notre Dame
with Miss Garden and Hector Dufranne;
Saturday matinee, LA Traviata," with
Nine. Galli-Curci and Tito Schipa, and
Saturday night. "Cavalieria Rusticana," /"
with Miss Raisa and Riccardo Martin,
and II Pagliacci," with Miss Gall, Mr..
Muratore and Mr.. Ruffo.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
Women's Civic Meeting.

The woman's department of the Ma
tonal Civic Federation win hold its
twelfth annual meeting at the Hotel
Astor next Wednesday. The first ses-
sion takes place at 10 O'clock Miss
Maude Wetmore. chairman. presiding.
The yearly reports from the various
States will be read, followed by the
election of officers.
The meeting of the executive commit
tee at 1890 o'clock will be followed by a
buffet luncheon for officers and out of
town delegates at the residence of Mrs.
Francis McNiei Bacon, chairman of the
New York and New Jersey section. At
o'clock there will be an open meeting,
to which have been invited all cooperat-
ing wonen's organizations. In the even
ing the annual dinner will take place
at the Cosmopolitan Club
The New York herald., 1921-02-10

The foregoing figures, converted at
the present rate of exchange on the
various countries, represent only mer-
chandise trade Against the total
trade deficit with the whole world
must be Offset the invisible revenue
arising from shipping freights, foreign
investments. remittances from emf
grants, banking and insurance com
missions, minus expenditures for In
terest on foreign debts. expenses of
travellers abroad and other items Of
invisible outgo.
Europe owns about 30.O00000
gross tons Of shipping. That is about
the only item which brings In net in
visible receipts not counterbalanced
by invisible outgo. The remittances
from emigrants, the banking and I'm
surance commissions and the interest
from foreign investments are fully off
set by the interest Europe must pay
on foreign debts The earnings on
this 30,000,000 ton fleet, as estimated
by the British Board Of Trade In the
case of British ships. would amount
to about 800 ton year, or $1,000
The New York herald., 1921-02-10

Baseball captured Havana years ago.
First rate Cuban players developed; /;
excitement runs as high over big
games as over jai alai, and baseball
slang has become noted in popular
talk. But the proposal Of the Univer-
sity Of Havana to send team to COM
pete in the relay carnival at Franklin
Field, Philadelphia. in tho latter part
OF April indicates a more intimate as
similation of American ideas OF sport.
The university has n trainer from
Harvard and will be likely to make a
good showing.
The New York herald., 1921-02-10
"Sow SOon!"


Sow soon!" Sow ni'
To-day at noon
/ saw that windowed exhortation,
And paused amain
While through the pane
Exhaled a fragrant emanation.
Enveloped in
Their packets thin
Slept negotiations vast. potential:
The celery,
The bean, the pea
The gardens every essential.
1t seemed as though
That window show,
Before my gaze intoxicated
Dissolved into
rug whose hue
Irised a rainbow never stated;
A string of beads
Across the meads
OF vernal fancy spilled their riches;
The pipes of Pan
A strain began
That summoned elves and ouphs and
witches.
"Sow soon!" Sow soon I"
A subtle Groom
That all ones being hypnotizcs.
Well. have your way.
Quick, scotsman. pray.
Two dozen packs, assorted sizes.
MAURICE MORRIS.