Evening star., 1923-01-26

lists to make extensive tests OF air
and temperature in these days OF
fuel scarcity, and then bring reports
to the effect that it is very bad for
us to keep our. rooms overheated
With coal costing a shilling a shovel
full. who IL going to overdo the heat
ing? Yet many trust to habit for
their temperature, and are uncom-
Portable unless they are being par
boiled. Others trusting to their ac-
tivities cannot realize that the stimu-
lated circulation of their blood mis-
leads them dangerously as to the ac-
tual temperature of the house for
others safety and comfort.
The cheapest medicine, in these days
of colds and flu, is a 50-cent ther-
solutely worthless as guide, even Tor
| ones self, still worse for other oc-
cupants Of the room. When In DOUBT,
lower the heat, rather than raise It.
That not only saves coal, out pre-
serves health. Move about, ventilate.
but do not swelter. The English pre-
fer a temperature about so degrees
Fahrenheit; Americans thrive pest
at es. but too many demand Is or
80. Above all things. keep the air
nothing to do with temperature.
There are people who persist In
hermetically sealing themselves up
at night. They are the most suscep-
tible to colds and diseases. In this
period of threatened epidemic Of the
fiu or grippe, the more fresh, pure
air one can breathe. the better. SO
long as it is not direct draft, and
hardly a draft Is as dangerous as
breathing foul air.
Lumber cutting has greatly de-
creased for the entire United States
"a decline from $4,000, 900. 900 board
feet in 1906 to $4,000. 100000 feet in
1920. The decrease applies mostly TO
the east, where timber is practically
| exhausted. The decrease Is seen more
strikingly when computed per capita
| In 1906 1t was 500 board feet per
capita per annum: now 1t is only 32O
board feet The difference is made up
with other building materials. go
far as house building is concerned,
to even a greater extent than Is In
dicated by the drop from 500 to 800.
for there Is an increased demand for
lumber for crates and packing Of all
kinds. The inventor Of packing
container to be made with other than
wood az Its chief material will find
fortune. Composition made of
fber and metal may eventually be
substituted. One-sixth Of our entire
Ing. according to data given out by
the Department Of Agriculture.
II one were a statesman and had
the power. he might render a great
service to his country by securing a
law requiring every railroad and
every highway for vehicles to line
their rights of way with trees on both
! sides. To offset such mileage as
proved unsuitable for growing trees
let them plant double rows on each
side OF the roadways where soil and
climate are suitable. The counties
and states should supervise the plant
Ing and maintain the growth. under
general federal supervision through
the bureau Of forestry. The value of
the trees as windbreaks. their value
as nut trees and as supplies for rail-
road ties and packing-case lumber
would begin to give a revenue before
twenty years. The forestry revenue
to the government last year amount
ed to about $4,000. 600 vet it has
hardly been counted upon, and only
inadequately conserved.
r
1t Is devcutly to be hoped that
Commissioner Roy A. Haynes of the
prohibition enforcement bureat, is
incorrectly quoted as to his delcsion
that the curse Of the epidemic of mar
cotics which has taken hold of
America will wear itself out through
the public's becoming educated as to
Its horrors. He hopes to see the peo-
pie shun the drug when they learn
its evil Then its traffic will be un-
profitable.
That is a foolish hope. For half a
century similar delusive hope might
have Iured the temperance element to
rest and wait until the masses saw
that ihtoxicants were bad, so that
they would quit their use. and dis
tillers and brewers would go into
bankruptcy because of the falling
demand.
The public is only beginning to
wake up to the enormity Of the mar
cotic curse, and the more the people
realize the situation. the stronger
will be the fight against It: but let no
one imagine that the traffic will be-
tional preachments. 1t must be reach
ed by the law and by vigorous en-
forcement. Penalties for traficking
In 1t must be Increased until they
reach the heights of the profits. for
the traffic feeds upon it's victims and
every victim lures ten or twenty
more. The immediate effect of the
recent agitation will be to advertise
the evil. and thousands will boast
that they "can take it or leave it." for
they "are strong" So they will ex-
pertinent. just to see what 1t is like
until they. too. are trapped by its
devilish tentacles. Let no official be
deceived into thinking that to crush
narcotics will be as easy as to over
come the intoxicant traffic Ameri-
cans use more narcotics than all the
rest Of the world combined. and sew
enteen times as much, per capita, as
China ever did. To overcome the
senffment and vigorous enforcement