davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-05-13
Departmental Economies.

In pursuance of Il policy of admins
tratiye economy word passes from the
White House To the heads Of depart
ments, bureaus and divisions through
out the government service that dur
ing these last few weeks of the fiscal
year all expenses are to be kept down
10 the limit. regardless Of the state of
the appropriations. This admonition is
caused by realization that a tendency
prevails in the government service to
Use up all allotted and available funds
There is Il chronic and not unnatural
disposition on the part of the execu-
tive chiefs IL prevent the turning back
into the Treasury Of unexpended
funds. This disposition arises from the
fact that appropriations are almost in
yariahly based upon reduced esti-
mates. and each branch of the service
feels that it is curtailed in its allow
inccs.
If the rate of expenditure during ten
Or eleven months of the year is main
tanned throughout the twelve months.
assuming that at no time in the year
has there been an excess of spending
oyer appropriation. IL very large sum
may in the aggregate be turned back
into the Treasury as an absolute saw
ing of administrative costs.
The watchword of this administra-
ton is economy. not the economy OF
privatiun and bad business. but the
economy uf watchfulness and waste
prevention. In such an enormous in
sttution as the government of the
United States there are many margins.
in view of the prevailing disposition
of Congress to cut the estimates those
rcu1liSitions are usually made high. to
allow for slack in the money bills.
In every bureau application of the
same principles of cost keeping that
giro enforced in large commercial es-
adjustments can work material econ
umies of this sort.
Every dollar saved in the cost Of ad-
ministration is Il dollar more to apply
to debt funding or dollar that can be
spared from taxation. Remarkable as
has been the record of the government
in reducing its war debt, there is still
chance to speed up on the process
by means of economies without increas
ing the gross revenues. Just now the
country is interested in suggestion
that the taxes may be lowered. This.
however, will not be done at the ex-
pense of the funding operations. The
economies which President Harding is
now urging may be the means of per-
mitting some measure of tax lessen
ing.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
Railroad Valuation.

Assurance is given by the Interstate
Commerce Commission to a committee
Of the progressive group" in Con-
has been in progress for several years
has been completed for about 15S,000
miles of the railroads OF the country,
and that work is approaching compile
ton on $4,000 additional miles. The
commission states that it is as far as
possible reporting the actual value of
all lands and improvements, and the
original cost ito the extent that these
can be verified" But it adds that in
"a diappointingly large number of
cases" the railroad records do not con-
tain the information, especially as to
land holdings acquired in the past.
1t thus appears from the statement
of the progress made on this great and
important research that when the final
reckoning is filed it will not be com
pete statement Of valuation. Indeed.
undertaken as 1t has been, many
years after the construction and de-
velopment of the railway lines in this
country, a complete valuation is i'm
possible. 1t is important to bear this
in mind in connection with the pro-
posal heretofore made, and without
doubt to be renewed, that the rail-
roads Of the country should be ma
tionalized," that is to say. acquired by
the government and operated as a
public utility.
Short of confiscation. which the
Constitution forbids and which the
courts would never permit, the rail-
road system of the United States must
be acquired by the government, If the
public ownership policy is adopted. on
terms of equitable purchase. This
means that the value of the lines,
their rights, holdings, equipment and
earning power, must be paid by the
government In short, transfer of the
railroads from private to public owner
ship and operation must be based
upon a fair price.
The total of the valuation when
finally reported Is certain to run into
an enormous figure, blll1OnS OF collars.
At the lowest computation, that of
original cost. this aggregate would en-
tail a sum comparable with the cost
of the great war to the United States.
On the other hand. Il computation
based upon the cost of replacement
today. that is. present values, would
immensely increase the total.
This valuation was not undertaken
with a view to the possibility Of gov
ernment purchase. 1t was instituted
as a means of equitably computing the
rates to be charged for services. But
the final figures will be Of Importance
in connection with the perennial ques-
ton Of naturalization" and they will
doubtless be such as to give pause to
those who advocate federal ownership
and operation.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
Hating the Building Boom.

New York, which has been the scene
Of a very active building boom for
some months past. is now fearing
heavy losses through the suspension
of construction works. Already large
projects have been halted involving
an estimated expenditure of nearly
$40 ,000. 900, and from day to day other
works. it is announced, are suspended
from the same cause of high prices
and uncertain future conditions.
The cause of this sudden checking
of building in New York is primarily
a demand of the building trade work
ers for higher nay. marked by nu-
merous unauthorized strikes and by
competitive Kidding between some OF
the builders for services. 1t would
seem that the building boom had car
ried beyond the point of labor supply,
and the workers have taken advan-
tage of this condition to press for ma
terial increases. Union leaders have
been unable TO restrain their men from
breaking agreements and making re
peated demands beyond established
scales. They now welcome the check
in the building market in the hope
that it will restore order in the ranks.
Stoppage OF building operations will
not be altogether an evil. In the long
run the slackenins of operations may
prove a helpful factor.
The abnormal demand for materials
and labor has Il tendency to sky
rocket" prices, with the effect that
constructions carried through in these
conditions stand for an abnormally
high cost. calling for corrcspondingly
high income revenues through rentals,
thus spreading the i'll effects of boom
building through the future.
This condition is not peculiar TO
New York, but prevails in practically
every city in the United States. Wash
ington is the scene of unwonted ac-
tivity. An unusual number of large
buildings are now in progress of cree
ton and others planned, Homes and
apartments are being built by hun
dreds. The building trades were never
SO busy. and dealers in building ma
terials are in serious stress to obtain
deliveries with which to fill their
contracts. Yet every one of the new
works under way is needed to meet
the city's demands for business and
residential accommodations. A check
in the construction work would cost
heavily in convenience, but 1t would
perhaps, as it is expected in New
York, lead to a sounder condition here
after.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
Camels and Horses,

Most Shriners will not come to
Washington on camels and Arabian
horses. but will travel to the capital in
railroad trains and autos. The Star
has printed a picture over the de
scriptive line, photograph made May
i showing the California Shrine cara
van ready to leave for the convention
here" The caravan was a string OF
automobiles. In this there is a jolt to
popular fancy. The small number of
men in Washington who are not
Shriners have believed that when a
or TO cross a deposit Of clay or gravel,
Or when he went out to pass over
mountains or a valley, he got astride
Il camel or dromedary. one Of which
has one hump and the other two
dumps. but which is one-humped and
Which is two-fumped is not now worth
the trouble to look up in the diction-
airy. And when the Shriner did not
call to his dragoman, or something of
that kind. to lead out his trusty
camel, lie at least ordered MS ARABIAN
horse, prancing, champing and fiery,
to be brought around to the front door
step. But it seems, disappointing
though it be, that not every Shriner
owns Il camel. nor even an Arabian
horse. and that many of them go in
for automobiles just as the common
run Of fellows and their girls do. 1t
IL promised, however, that some OF the
will ride ships Of the desert and some
will appear on Arabian horses
Whether they will be real Arab horses
fresh from the stables Of some great
sheik. pasha or khedive one dare not
say, but at least they will be horses.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
NHE Supreme Court of the
United States generally is
credited with being a dry"

HE supreme Court OF the
|. United States generally is
credited with being a dry"
tribunal. For that reason the
prohibition enforcement officials are
extremely anxious that the high
court shall pass as speedily as pos
sible upon the decision of Federal
Judge Knox, in New York, declaring
unconstitutional that portion of the
Volstead act which limits the amount
of alcohol a physician may prescribe
for q patient. Judge Knox's conten-
tion is that the eighteenth amend
ment sought to deal only with "alco-
holic beverages" The prohibition
forces believe that the dry" Supreme
Court will overrule him.
Whether they are right or not, the
contention serves to recall the fact
that the Supreme Court was not
always dry" In the good old days"
of long ago, it is entirely permissi-
BILE to say. it was dry neither per-
sonally nor officially. AS a matter
oe fact, an awfully good story has
been told in Washington from time
to time about an incident in which
Chief Justice John Marshall was re-
puted TO be the hero.
According to the story. Saturday
was motion day in those olden times
and motion day always was more or
less of ii bore and very confining
to the distinguished justices. The
motions, also, were exceedingly dry.
Therefore il came to pass that on
Saturday afternoons it was felt to
hc the duty of the marshal of the
court to provide tfat august tribunal
with a bit Of liquid refrcshment.
Drinking was drinking in those DAYS
and the old English tradition. that
mo gentleman should be sober after
! 3 o'clock in the afternoon" still had
not faded from the memory Of man.
However, there came time, ac-
cording to the historians, when the
Saturday afternoons became a trife
too wet. This, of course, would rot
do. So the court ruled that liquid
refreshments were to be served only
on rainy Saturday afternoons, for
then ii was felt that certainly n bit
of a toddy was excusable.
Immediately after the Supreme
Courts first dry" ruling there came
sure enough drought in Washing
ton For six long weeks there We're
bright. sunshiny Saturdays, and the
marshal. true to his instructions. saw
that there was not d-or in sight
For SIX hot. dry weeks sthe court
w,thstood the ordeal of the desert
I;ut on the seventh Saturday there
came a change. Chief Justice Mar
court.
MIR. Marshal he said. lis it your
understanding that the jurisdiction
OF this court extends to every and
all parts of the United States?''
That is my understanding TO the
full. Mr.. Chief Justice reDlied the
marshal.
Then sir" concluded the most
learned judge of all. II rule that
somewhere in the United States to-
day the rain is falling
X X X x
Leave it to Freddie Upham of Chi
cago. If all parts of the republican
national machine. from President
Harding down. could function as
smoothly as Freddie does. the unter-
rified democracy never would have a
chance for its white alley. Freddie
works while all others sleep.
Therefore. while many politicians
Evening star., 1923-05-13
MEN AND AFFAIRS
BY ROBERT T. SMALL

and would-be politicians. and while
many boosters of many cities were
discussing where the next republican
national convention should be held
old Fred Upham. silent but efficient
goes about his business. and one calm
day announces from the Windy city
that having received the pledges OF
some twenty-eight republican ma
tional committeeman to vote for Chi
cago as the next convention city. all
speculation as to the whereabouts of
the body that is to renominate Mr..
Warren G. Harding for the presidency
might cease, stop and otherwise come
to and end
That's Fred Upham's way of doing
business 1t has often been said that
the republicans have got the Chicago
habit and would refuse to hold their
conventions In any other city. The
publicans have got the Upham habit.
Let Fred Cpham move to Shelby,
Mont, and you can bet your last dol
lar that the next following republican
national convention would be held IN
the crossroads village. which Mr.
belligerently threaten TO make ia
nous the next 4th of July.
Let Fred do it, has become =
slogan of national republicanisnf.
And Fred always does It we'll 1t is
because he has been handling tn.
conventions so darned well in Chicago
for 10. these many years that the re
publfcans like to go there time AMI
time again. IL there be any In the
country so benighted as not TO know
let 1t be stated here that Fred Is b.
way OF being treasurer OF the reprb-
| lican national committee. And whe,l
it comes to real. honest-to goodness
treasuring there are none to comparc
with Fred. VIII Hays. during III.
time he was chairman Of the commit
tee, attempted to dictate the wayS
| the funds should be gathered as well
a. spent. He was better at the latter
job than the former, and when h.
left the committee there was q tidy
little deficit of something like ST.
100000. Will said it was easy t.
| raise that amount. Let all the re
publican voters send in dime and
| the deed was done. But the voters
didn't send in the thin ten-cent pieces
and Fred figured that it would cost
more than a dime a voter to pay the
expense of handling a fund raised in
any such way.
Then the bigwigs Of the party got
together.
Let Fred do it," they agreed
And Fred has just about done il. lie
hasn't instructed the boys" to "geI
| the money" He has been digging
digging. digging. and the gold has
flowed into his Golfers
Some day. if Fred would ever Civ
the presidency. He is a young mar
yet and he gets a tremendous kicl
out of life. President Harding fair
ly loves him. But Fred wouldn't
take public office as a gift.
4 x
The death Of Emerson Hough.
famous novelist and man of the big
outdoors. recalled to his Washington
friends the fact that, like all great
hunters Hough had a real fear Of one
small animal. In his case, however.
the animal was a bird. Hough could
hunt elephants, tigers and rhinoceri
without the turn OF hair, but Let
him come suddenly upon a covey of
quail and he was SO startled and up
set that he could not fire a shot.
Hough could not explain; neither
could he ever get over it,
Evening star., 1923-05-13
BY THOMAS II. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President OF the
United States.


4 n observing Englishman once
~ remarked, "A party in search
n of leader is in a bad way,
but leader in search of n
party is in still worse position"
have no reason to believe that he had
America In mind when he voiced this
observation, but unwittingly he de-
States today.
The net which Peter saw let down
from heaven containing all manhar
of fish and flesh and fowl was not
more remarkable than the tumble of
political leaders and workers who are
still wearing the button of the last
drive for power. Is either party pro-
claiming any broad principles of gov
ernment? Are the leaders of either
party united in support of such prin-
ciples as their party is supposed to
proclaim? Are any considerable mum
ber of the rank and file holding a
common view on the political ques-
tions of the day? Which party now
believes in keeping separate and dis
tinct the three coordinate branches
of government? Does either party al
low the Constitution of the United
States to stand in the way of any
thing ii may wish to do?
x :E * *
Consider the Congressional Record
which next to the Bible contains more
Information upon Il greater number
of subjects than any other publica :
tion. 1t is sluiceway through
which the fads. fancies. theories
ideas and plans of wise men, crank $
and fools, personal and corporate,
are run into the sea of oblivion. !
read in 1T everything that a nation
OF 1l0,000,000 persons needs not to
know and occasionally 1 am startled
and gratified to find that an appeal
to the Constitution has been made i'm
the Congress of the United States.
When the Liberian loan was under
consideration in House and Senate,
however, / looked in vain for dec
laration that the loan was unconsti-
tutional.
In all the talk. no member seemed
to remember that the government
was not ordained and created to do
an International banking business in
the hour OF peace. rf one did re-
member he probably was dissuaded
from raising the point for fear he
would be howled down by friends of
the general welfare clause Of the Con-
stitution- They could be counted
upon to insist that this clause euabl-
td the government to tax it's people
In peace time to raise money to loan
to a foreign government.
The general welfare clause is So
overloaded as to become swayback
ed. 1t will break I'm two if it's burd en-
is increased. | sometimes think that
If the shades of the fathers ever hold
reunion in the Nalhalla of Ameri-
cas- illustrious dead and reproacIl
themselves for anything. II will he
over their mistake in giving greed
and graft an opportunity 10 run their
hands into the Treasury of the United
states through the medium of the
general welfare clause.
X x i; r
What party is there now that fixes
the responsibility for legislation on
the Congress and absolves the Presi-
dent from responsibility? What party is
there that goes to the Congress when it
wants thing done without first try
ing to persuade or intimidate the
Evening star., 1923-05-13
Is Lawlessness Growing :?

Thieves seem to be becoming bolder
ia their operations, and the co-opera.
ton or gang principle. seems to be
coming into wider practice by them.
Take the case of the story in The Star
of an attempt to take furnishings out
If an apartment house at midnight. 1t
ran. in part: 1.-THE robbers drove calm.
III up to the front door of the place in
a glistening. new. high-priced car. All
fu-lr alighted. walked into the hallway
and were about to depart with chairs,
pictures and mirrors when the watch.
man happened to walk out of an ad-
ioining room.'' The watchman got a
l5istol and drove the robbers off.
This is not very important in Itself,
Evening star., 1923-05-13

The Shriners' court that will be run
here from the 25th of May to the 10th
of June will not, it is understood, com.
pete with the regular tribunals of the
District, but Is intended to serve rather
as a means Of preventive justice to
lessen the work of the regular courts.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

Field Marshal Won Hinderburg adj
mits to an American officer that Amer.
lea really won the war. 1t is some
thing for the old field marshal to admit
that it was won at all.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

Between an assassination at Lau'
same and an ultimatum from London
the soviet government is in a position
to realize that international RESPONSE
bility is condition and not theory
Evening star., 1923-05-13

Young Mr.. Ouimet has at least the
consolation Of seeing the British golf
championship go to the man who put
him out Of the running.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
The. Serenade.

No more the youth with light guitar
Awaits the evening shade
To twang beneath the twinkling star
A tender serenade.
No more beneath her easement there
out in the moon1ight's glow
OF eyes so bright and golden hair
He sings full sweet and low.
The old guitar is laid aside.
The easements closed for keeps,
And Cupid, humbled I'm his pride,
Out in .the starlight weeps.
The youth walks in-the girl would
laugh
Should he all bashful wait.
They listen TO the phonograph
And say: Gee, Amt that great
Evening star., 1923-05-13

one good way TO celebrate Mothers
day is to start using less sugar. That
is a practical way to help mother run
the house.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

Suburban citizens associations are
asking for better street paving. Down
town Washington. not specifically rep
resented in this manner, ia i'll just as
urgent need of smoother surfaces.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
Rate by Mail-Payable i'm Advance.
Maryland and Virginia.
All other States
Member of the Associated Press,

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled
10 the use for republica tion of all news dis
patches credited TO II or otherwise credited
IN this paper and also the local news pub
hshcd herein. All rights of publicat tinn OF
special dispatches herein also reserved.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

\ defendant in the Traffic Court
scores new high record by being con-
victed on twelve different charges.
Most rule breakers are satisfied with
one.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

We suppose the long-distance gum
chewing contest will come next. That
ought to bring out a big field of ath-
letes.-Arkansas Democrat.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

Who can remember when lawn
tennis was called a baby game, COM
parable to croquet, and away behind
archery?
Evening star., 1923-05-13

A glance in the style shops leads
us to believe that perhaps it's just as
well Mother Ewes tomb is yet undis.
covered.-Omaha World-Herald.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
The Leaves.

The Leaves.
I likes to hear 'em whisper.
Dem leaves up in de tree:
Tain much foh conversations.
But it's good enough foh me.
It's like lot O chillun
Way off yonder in deir play;
I likes to hear 'em talkin'
Though I don't know. what dey say
Tain nothin' dat's important
An dat maybe'd fret yoh mind.
It's jes' to let each other know
Dey's sociable an kind.
don't try to understand 'em,
Fob de effort wouldn't pay.
I kind o likes fem better
Cause I don't know what dey say.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

1t is wondered what punishment
Dante would have thought up in his
Inferno for the writer's of poison-pen
letters.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

Now here's a really practical
adaptation of the Egyptian fad. A
Long Island roadhouse bears this
legend: "Toot-an'- Kun In. kansas
City Journal.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

After a winter of burning coal,
how about some non-melting ice this
summer?-Newark Evening News.
Evening star., 1923-05-13

Sugar gougers are trying to get
what the coal gougers overlooked
Toledo Blade.
Evening star., 1923-05-13
Increase in Local WI
Real Estate Values. ~, -,

out q spas
modic growth and that the city would
soon relapse into the proportions OF
an "overgrown village" but TO their
surprise and to the qualification of
permanent residents Washington con-
tinued to develop after the war. The
result was that IL the early seventies
real estate prices advanced under the
influence of a steady demand. In The
Star Of May 6, 1873. is the following
on this subject:
I'VE have had occasion to show
time and again by the record of the
sales of real estate in this city how
groundless have been the utterances
of the croakers who have so persist
emily argued that prices were spec
ulative; that they could not be main
tanned; that the bottom would soop
drop out and all that. Some OF the
prophets of evil. when taken at their
word by the purchase from them o.
their city lots. had had the disagree
able experience of not only seeing
their fame as seers utterly dissipated,
but the same lots resold within the
year at prices three or four times
what they had held to be speculative
The opening Of the real estate season
this spring shows the same upward
tendency of prices. despite dull times
and no money and Ii is evident that
people who are waiting for the river
to run by and prices of ground t"
fall to a song before they purchase
will have to wait a long while.
X
x =
Washinst ton was the subject OF
Evening star., 1923-05-13
AdaDtability.

Adaptability.
If I shirks my work, dats fun;
Yet rs proud IL it gifts done.
Can't no trouble come dis day;
I'll be happy anyway!