Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-03
THE REFEREE
tBy Albert Applet

Life
Which would you prefer-death
or life Imprisonment? Oath, is the
usual answer. But no one can be
! certain what his decision would be,
until face to face with the real thing
instead of an imaginary situation.
In Canton, Ohio, a judge gave a
Spaniard, confessed murderer, his
choice between the electric chair or
life in prison. He chose death. His
lawyers persuaded him to change his
mind, so he goes to the pe%nitentiary,
with the chance of getting out be-
fore death.
| Is life as great a burden and dis
appointment as most of us pretend +?
Not according TO the way we cling to
it.
Radio
Patents on 200 radio devices, in
vented by John Hays Hammond Jr.,
are sold to the Radio Corporation
and the big telephone company.
One of them is said to be a device
that eliminates static interference
| and the "butting in" OF Morse code
on wireless telephone. concerts. This
latter will disappoint Satan.
When 200 new radio patents
change hands you wonder how long
1t will be until present radio devices
! will be obsolete. All will change.
Once the wireless bug used coherers
and de-coherers. How many radio
fans now know what the words even
mean?
Radio concerts, broadcast free, are
cutting down the sale of sheet music
and photograph records. This re-
duces the revenue formerly enjoyed
by music composers. So they organ
ize, threaten to sue b~roadcasting
stations that use their copyrighted
music without paying. for it.
j. G. Rosenthal, representing the
composers. says: 1T is getting to
the point where the top of the piano
is never lifted and the monograph
is never used. / personally know of
two music lovers who have installed
their radio receiving sets on top Of
their monographs. They have not
opened the monographs since and
have not bought a record"
Another institution that threatens
to life severely from radio is the
dance orchestra.
Broadcasters
In one year the number of radio.
proadcasting stations increases from
80 to 5S1. There shouldn't be over
80, and possibly as few as 10, accord
ing to some of the experts testifying
at the Hoover radio conference.
While fewer stations would help
prevent the jumbling of concerts
coming in simultaneously, the ma
tional government must be on guard
against any limitations that would
create monopoly.
Booze
Wayne Wheeler rallies his Anti
Saloon League forces for a new at
tack on J.. Barleycorn. He's after
Uncle Sam to enforce Section 6 OF
the Volstead act, which makes it n
lawful to buy hooch except on doc
tors prescription or
permit.
The bootlegger and his customer
are legally on the same footing. both
subject to arrest and penalty, when
ever the national government wants
to enforce the law.
1t may have been a mistake, that
Uncle Sam didn't tax liquor out of
existence and apply on the national
debt the millions pocketed by boot
leggers. Still, no price on liquor
would be considered prohibitive by
some. And prohibition by high tax
would have favored the rich. Glass
legislation.
Vamps
Ten thousand tons of face powder
are used by American women in a
year, makers announce. Half a
pound a head.
Somehow we can't get rid Of the
notion that these 10000 tons of face
powder nave more effect On he
Americans than congress, stock
market and prohibition combined.
Nine-tenths of male activity has
woman as it's goal.