davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1922-04-16
How Uncle Sam Is Conducting
A Free Correspondence School

PEELED to take the course. but il is
offered to him gratis. and a great
many. of them accept it.
Makes Better Soldiers.
The parents of the boys in the
serevice are fiery much pleased. They
write to the commandart OF the Ma
rine Corps about 1t, and he has
shown these letters to the members
of Congress. who appropriate money
to keep this school going. Quite a
number are now getting their diplo-
mas as graduates. The Marine Corps
officers have also had letters from men
who have been discharged, telling
Of study has enabled them to get bet
ter positions in civil life than they
otherwise could have secured.
81 am certain it makes better SOL
diers." Maj. Gen. Leieune told the con-
gressionai committee which ques-
toned him abouN the institute. I'm
questionably, a man whose mind is
trained is better than q man who Is
untrained, illiterate and has no edu-
cation? He exclaimed that the old
theory was that the best kind Of a
soldier was tho man who did not
know anything, but who blindly
obeyed orders. That theory has en-
tirely- disappeared. he says. and he
knows from personal experience that
the more alert a mans mind II. the
more training he has. the better SOL
dier he is.
Evening star., 1922-04-16
Education of Naval Officers
Does Not End With ANNAPOLIS

The United States Navy Department
not only conducts great institution
for the instruction Of its officers at
the Annapolis Naval Academy. but
even after an officer has been to An
napofis he is sometimes selected for a
course In special instruction. or post
graduate work, at one Of the other
great educational institutions in this
country.
This is not generally known even to
the members Of Congress who appro-
pirate money annually for this spe-
cial purpose. 1t was disclosed by
Capt. George W. Steele. jr.. bureau
of navigation. and Admiral Robert
e. Coontx. chief of naval operations,
when they were questioned before
tho House appropriations committee.
The Navy Department estimate called
for $4,000 for this postgraduate
work during The fiscal year 1898,
which has been reduced to $4,000.
Admiral Coontz explained that out
Of the last twenty classes at the
Naval Academy. eleven of them were
orematurely graduated, and the Navy
feels that these oncers should be
Evening star., 1922-04-16

given further instruction, not only
in what they missed, but in the great
advances being made all the time.
There are now twenty-five naval
officers at Columbia University. six at
the University Of Chicago. thirty-five at
the Massachusetts, Institute of Tech
nology. four at Harvard. six at the Van
Rensalear Institute. three at the Uni
versity Of Michigan and eight at the
George Washington University.
At George Washington University.
for example. they are studying law.
These officers are assigned to duty
in the office Of the Judge advocate gen-
eral In the University Of Michigan
they are studying ordnance chemical en-
gineering-that 10, explosives.
This does not include any post
graduate instruction for Navy doc
tors. They get special instruction At
the Naval Medical School in Wash
ington, and occasionally an ofiicer Of
the Medical Corps IL sent to the Mayo
Clinic in Minnesota. In such cases
the expense IL paid from fund con-
trolled by the medical and surgery
diyiston OF the Navx
Evening star., 1922-04-16

Uncle Sam is conducting big cor
respondence school from Washington
headquarters. which reaches earnest
students all over the world.
This is the Marine Corps institute,
operated by personnel of about
2s5, with headquarters in Washing
ton barracks, and about 5000 en-
rolled pupils, at an annual cost Of
approximately 81 a head, as against
500 to $500 each charged by other
correspondence schools.
This institute was organized about
two years ago and was moved to
Washington about year and a half
ago. While the 225 men are engaged
In this work they are trained and
drilled and ready for any emergency.
The school is based on the plan of
established correspondence schools.
They use the same textbooks and
system.
without Cost to Students
Exclusive of the wages Of the off,
GERS and men. the cost to the gov
ment is only 81 per student enrolled,
and the course is given without any
cost TO the men. Maj. Gen. John A.
Lejeune, commander Of the Marine
Corps, recently told a committee of
Congress: 1--WE think the resulting
benefit to the service makes 1t worth
while to keep up the institute. espe-
cially as the men stationed at the
barracks here are ready and avail
able for any emergency"
This correspondence school was
moved to washington because better
barracks were available here and the
men were away from the activities
OF other posts. The institute has
been d great benefit to the corps.
One OF the criticisms OF the military
service for many years has been
that we have taken boys into the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps; that
they have gone through their enlist
ments, and that they have received no
actual educational advantages apart
from what their duties required them
to learn. This school gives any boy
or man in the Marine Corps an op-
porturity TO study. He b not CONS
Evening star., 1922-04-16
what does the civil service law

what does the civil service law
provide?"
This question has been asked by
practically every one since President
Harding dismissed thirty Of the ex-
ecutives at the bureau Of engraving
and printing. It has been discussed
at length by lawyers IN Congress.
The statutory provision Of 1912
which these employees supposed was
made for their protection, is as fol-
lows:
THAT no person In the classified
civil service of the United States
shall be removed therefrom except
for such cause as will promote the
eficiency Of said service. and for rea-
sons given in writing, and the person
whose removal Is sought shall have
notice Of the Same and Of any charges
preferred against him and be fur
nished with q COPY thereof. and also
be allowed . reasonable time per per-
sonally answering tho same in writ
Ing and amdav1ts in support thereof"
Congress Almost Unanimoas.
Il seems that Congress was practi-
call unanimous in enacting this pro-
vision. The Supreme Court in a de-
cision In tho case Of Wickersham vs.
the United States, constituting the
regulation Of 1897. which is similar
to the statute, held that an employe
in the classified civil service appoint
ed by the head of a department can
not be removed by the appointing
authority without notice and hearing,
and If SO removed he can sue for the
subsequent accruals, of salary. 1t
il true that the court reserved the
question as to whether the President
is bound by such regulation or
statute.
Long before this statute was en-
acted, in 1912, the Presidents Of the
United States had put in effect regu-
Iations not very dissimilar to the
statute, thus electing to bind them
selves to the observance of the prin-
ciple now expressed in the statute.
The first rule with reference to the
matter was promulgated by Presi-
Evening star., 1922-04-16
Tariff Bill Now Before the Senate
Is Cause Of Division ip Both Parties

he says, "only small fraction /of
the duties imposed on agricultural
products will be operative. They
would have no effect. good or bad.
The duties on few agricultural
products would result in an advance
in prices. The high and excessive
duties on manufactured products
would Immediately result in a great
increase in the prices Of things that
the farmers buy, but do not produce.
The result, SO far as the farmers are
concerned. will be the swapping of
dollars for dimes"
HARD PROBLEMS FACED
BY TRAINERS OF BILL.
These are disconcerting expressions
to the layman and laywoman. un-
familiar with the technicalities Of the
great question and its ramiflcations.
For the purposes Of this chapter-if
the subject interests you-it may suf-
fee to give some of the explanations
Of the bill advanced by the commit
tee on finance. Between now and next
Sunday the minority report will be
presented to the Senate, giving the
other side.
The trainers Of the Senate bill
pointed out that they were faced on
account Of the war with a condition
never before experienced in tarin
legislation. In some foreign coun-
tries high costs Of production existed
to such an extent that duty which
would afford protection upon imports
from such countries would be entire
ly insufficient to afford protection
from countries having low production
costs. On the other hand, the -imposi-
ton Of rate sufficient to afford pro-
lection from countries with low pro-
duction costs would be an absolute
embargo on the products of coun-
tries having production costs nearer
our own. 1t is claimed that the rates
imposed by this bill will protect the
American market, preserve domestic
competition and permit fair competi-
tion from other countries.
ELASTICITY A FEATURE
OF THE SENATE BILL.
One Of the important features OF
the bill, 1t is claimed, makes for fiex-
ibility and elasticity, SO that rates
may be adjusted to meet unusual
and changing conditions which can
not accurately be anticipated. This
carries out suggestion made by
President Harding to Congress in his
message of last December.
] The bill, quoting the ofhcial report,
Evening star., 1922-04-16
Provision Written Into the Law
For Protection of U. S.Employes

dent Mckinley in 1897. and it reads AZ
follows:
mo removal shall be made from
any position subject to competitive
examination, except for just cause
and upon written charges filed with
the head Of the department or other
appointing officer, and of which the
accused shall have full notice and
an opportunity to make defense
In 1899 President Mckinley modi-
fed the rule, making 1t closer to what
is the language of the present stat
ute. In 1902 President Roosevelt pro-
mulgated the rule in the following
language:
mo, removal shall be made from
the competitive classified service ex-
cept for Just cause and for reasons
given in writing; and the person
sought to be removed shall have
notice and be furnished q COPY Of
such reasons and be allowed . rea-
sonable time for personally answer
ing the same In writing. Copy OF
such reasons, notice and answer and
of the order Of removal shall be made
a part Of the records Of the proper
department or ONCE. and the reasons
for any change in rank or compensa-
ton within the competitive classified
service shall also be made . part OF
the records Of the proper department
or Office"
Policy Of Taft and Wilson.
AS explained in Congress, the sub
stantial policy Of Mckinley and
Roosevelt became the policy Of Taft
and Wilson and was given the sane
tion Of q statute,
The people feel that President
Harding would not set aside that pol
Icy originated by one former Presi-
dent from his own state and espoused
by another former President from his
home state without very strong rea-
sons-much stronger than any yet
divulged to the public.
A whole army of government en-
ployes. whose families are dependent
for bread and butter and clothes upon
their jobs. are vitality concerned in
knowing on what grounds the civil
service law can be set aside.
Evening star., 1922-04-16

nittee has held bearings on 0e
Capper and Nicholson bills which
seek to do away with or modify THIS
control. The House Interstate COM
merce committee is ut present con-
Quoting hearings on Representative
Sweets bill which seeks to accom-
plish the same end.
Railroad Legislation Unlikely.
Senator Cummins is very doubtiui
that there will be any railroad legis-
lation at this time. The Capper bill
proposes to deal with another matter
besides the intrastate rates; 1t proposes
to repeal that portion of the law which
directs The Interstate Commission to hx
rates 50 that the roads. as q whole or In
groups. shall earn "a fair return" on
their aggregate property. But sena-
tor Cummins believes that to take
such action would be to cut the heart
out of the transportation act. Fur
thermore, the majority of the MEM
hers of the interstate commerce com
mittee hold the same belief. 1t Is said.
So any legislation along that line is
improbable.
On March / last the provision Of the
TRANSPORTATION act which said that Tor
two years from March 1. 1920. the COM
mission should take as such fair return
a sum equal to 61s per cent Of the ag-
ereeate vaI,A, and might add in its dis
cretion another y sper cent to make
provision for betterments. expired. The
Interstate Commerce Commission must
now determine what is "a fair return
to the roads in the manner prescribed
by the law.
The decision Of the Supreme Court
in regard to the control of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission over the
fhtrastate, rates was sweeping. In
the opinion Of some OF tho Legislators.
it went further than tho Congress
intended when it wrote the transpor-
tation act. Senator Ladd Of North
Dakota introduced q bill recently
particularly to define tho control
which the federal commission may
have over the intrastate rates and
intrastate commerce and that which
the state railroad commissions may
have.
But even such legislation will meet
with. opposition. The fear is that II
Congress undertakes IT.. the result
win be to kill the desired extent Of
control over intrastate business by
the federal commission.
stirred ~ Huse ExDenaitures.
In the year .1s2o--the roads were
Evening star., 1922-04-16

wages on the average II per cent.
Tho board also modified number. of
the so-called national agreements re-
garding working conditions. which re-
suited in another decrease OF 1 per
cent in the amount paid labor. While
1t did not abolish the national agree;
ments, 1t did determine that the
working agreements continued by the
companies with their own employees,
and not as national agreements.
One Of the important results, so far
as the transportation act Is concern
ed, is the apparent firm establishment
of the Railroad Labor Board as a well
defined institution for the settlement
Of disputes between the roads and
their workers. Neither the men nor
the roads have been satisfied with the
decisions of the board. But the board
has functioned. 1t has the force of
public opinion back of it.
Many Reductions I'm Rates.
At the same time that the cost of
operation has been lowered for the
roads. the cost Of transportation for
the shippers has been brought down.
There have been thousands Of rate
reductions, relating to various COM
modities, many Of them voluntary on
the part Of the roads and some of
them ordered by the Interstate Com
merce Commission. One Of the most
important rate reductions, partich-
larfy for the farmers, was that or
dered by the Interstate Commerce
Commission for the western district,
amounting to 1875 per cent on hay,
grain and grain products.
Today several important events with
regard to the railroads are pending.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
has under consideration further. re-
ductions or readjustments of freight
rates generally. following an ex-
haustive Investigation. The Railroad
Labor Board also is considering an
other reduction of wages for railroad
labor. having heard the railroads and
the men, The Senate Interstate COM
merce committee. headed by Senator
Cummins Of Iowa. is completing an
investigation Of the railroad situation
that has covered practically q year.
and will soon malse its report to the
senate. The Supreme Court Of the
United States, in an opinion handed
down in February, upheld the validity
Of the provisions in the transporta-
ton act giving the Interstate Com
merce Commission jurisdiction over
intrastats rates. and the Senate COM
Evening star., 1922-04-16
Wind.up on Ships

Ship construction under the pro-
gram undertaken by the Shipping
Board during the war will reach its
conclusion at the end Of April. ac-
cording to 4 statement Of the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation. The last
vessel on the program, built for pas.
sengers and freight. will then hayk
been completed and been turned
over to an operating company for use
between the United States and South
America
Evening star., 1922-04-16
Women and Public Affairs
Large Number of Feminine Candidates for Public
Office Present Problem for Party Leaders-Seek
Seats in Both House and Senate.

catur. who will oppose Representa-
| tive Edward B. Almon for. re-elec-
tion from the eighth district. Is the
| first Alabama woman to run for Con-
! gress and the third to enfer the demo-
farmer" owning and operating a
1.600-acre cotton plantation, and says
| she is going to Congress in behalf Of
| the cotton planters Of the south.
1.-THE trouble today is that we have
too many lawyers in Congress and
too few farmers" she said in an
nouncing her candidacy.
Not only has Mrs. Edmundson
studied the raising of cotton from
every angle. but the cotton markets
of the world as well. At the close Of
! the world war, in company with her
husband. w. B. Edmundson. she made
three trips overseas. arranging in
Italy for the sale of her crop as we'll
| as for the sale Of other cotton grown
| in the south. A globe trotter as well
as a cotton planter, Mrs. Edmundson
has made use of her travels to inform
herself concerning the goods used
| and preferred in other countries. and
| the possibilities in regard to estab-
| fishing new markets for American
! goods.
+ X \
| Mrs. Irene Cleveland Buell. of Ne
braska and Mrs. A. X. Gault Of Min
nesota> are sisters, the former being
at present the city prosecutor of Ash
land and the latter the mayor Of st.
Peter. 1t was agreed between them
! years ago that II one ever ran for
| Congress the other would. Mrs. Buell.,
who classes herself as a progressive.
set the example. She has been city
prosecutor of Ashland since 1918.
her when she persisted in prosecut.
| ing his brother.
| The other candidates already in the
field are Alta NJ Wheeler of Grand
| Rapids, Mich: Miss Elizabeth Krieg.
republican, of Cleveland, Ohio; Miss
Jennie Burkes. democrat,-of Cumber-
| land Gap, Tenn. who has served sew
/: Of schools, and Mrs. Lucian w. Par
rish, widow of Representative Par
rish of Wichita Falls, Tex, who died
jlast month.
!! In South Dakota Miss Alice Lor-
raine Daily, educator and public
speaker, has been nominated for gov
ernor by the Non-Partisan League
and has announced Campaign
against conditions"
In Kansas Miss Helen Pettigrewi
aged twenty-one, barely five feet tau
and very pretty. is seeking the re-
publican nomination for governor on
the most interesting platform ever
announced by any Candidate. She
has declared herself in favor Of light
wine and beer, jazz music. short
skirts, bobbed hair and cosmetics, II
desired or required, and Is opposed
to blue laws Of any kind and to re-
form movements generally. Miss
pettiRrew is the daughter of Sher-
man Pettigrew, a contractor or Kan
sas City. Formerly clerk In de-
| position and is devoting all her time
The democrats of Minnesota have
chosen as their candidate for lieu
tenant governor Miss Emily kneu-
! buhl of Minneapolis. She Is a ma
| fional organizer for the League OF
| Women Voters and will be delegate
| tn the third annual convention of the
lear in Baltimore this month.
Evening star., 1922-04-16
BY g. GOULD LINCOLN.


A g THE Senate investigation Of
~ the railroad situation draws
~ to . close-it has been under
way for . year-it Is predict
ed by leaders there will be no i'm
portant railroad legislation at this
time. Furthermore. they insist that
the Esch-Cummins transportation act
has proved its worth.
The railroads Of the country a year
ago were in desperate straits.
They were apparently headed for
bankruptcy. They could not make
ends meet with their operating ex-
penditures and their operating rev.
enues. They were threatened with q
strike If they cut wages-the larg-
est item Of their expenses with
financial destruction II they did not
Roads Again Earning Money.
But the roads are still operating
and there has been no strike. The
critics of the Esch-Cummins trans
portation act are not heard so loudly
today-though they are still heard
and the roads have demonstrated that
under private operation they are
again able to earn money. For in
stance, the net railway operating In
como for the year 1921 was $614.S10,-
5s1,. as compared with $5s,151.ss3 for
1920.
In February the net income was
S47,762.7o0, or 4.57 per cent per an
mum on the basis Of the valuation Of
the roads. which is $4,000. 100000.
During February OF last year there
was deficit Of $5.17s.ss7. This Se-
turn is still below the per cent
contemplated lin the transportation
act by about s14.sso.ooo, but 1t is
an increase In the net return over
January. 1879. when the net oper-
ating income was $2s.476,ooo. or at
the rate Of ass per cent per annum.
The gross operating revenues for
February. however. were less than
those Of February. 1891. by is per
cent. On the other hand. the operat-
ing expenses for February were 1916
below those for February. 1921. The
executives argue that this. shows a
greater economy and efficiency in
operating the roads,
Aided BY Labor Beard.
A number Of things have happened
to bring about this result. In the
first place. the Railroad Labor Board
handed down several decisions which
have materially decreased expendi-
tuses. July !. 1921. the board reduced
Evening star., 1922-04-16
Railroads Are Getting Their Financial Feet,
Showing Increased Earnings Despite Traffic Slump

handed back to their owners by the
government, in March Of that year
the receipts Of the roads were $5.s3o,-
O00, 900 in round numbers. But their
expenditures were equally enormous.
with q result that the net operating
revenue was only about $5S,oo0, ,ooo-a
drop in the bucket. SO to speak. There
was an 'outcry against the railroads
last year. Senator Cummins intro
duced a resolution for an investiga-
ton of these expenditures. and 1t is
that investigation now closing.
Many reasons have been advanced
for this huge expenditure. The roads
insist that it was due to the fact
that the labor board in July handed
down a decision increasing wages by
a total Of $s1s, 100000 a year, making
the increase retroactive to May l.
1920, and also to the fact that under
the. national agreements they were
compelled to pay excessive overtime
and to employ too many men. They
insist. too, that the roads were IN
such condition when handed BACK
that they were compelled to expend
large sums to bring the equipment
etc, into proper order.
On the other hand, officials OF the
Railroad Administration have said
that the roads were in good shape
when handed back to the owners. and
the men have told Of mismanagement
and waste on the part Of the opera
tors.
A Billioss Dollar Loss.
senator Cumins has not indicated
what his position will be when It
comes to drafting report on this sub
ject. But he made significant state
ment last week.
'"The most serious complaint" he
said, shat can be made of tho Rail-
road Administration lies in the fact
that 1t did not return the roads to
their owners self-sustaining."
His contention was that the Rail-
road Administration had full power
to bring about an increase In rates
and wages which would have left the
railroads. still able to earn money.
Instead OF this, the Railroad Adminis-
tration continued to operate the
roads at tremendous loss. q loss
which cost the government over a
billion dollars. He held that 1t was
as much the duty Of the government
to return the roads N such shape
they could earn enough to live on -
to return them In good physical con-
dillon. iss -