Evening star., 1923-06-26

The Department OF Justice Is
aroused over the report of a con-
spiracy alleged to exist between the
United Mine Workers of America and
the miners unions in foreign coun-
tries 10 prevent foreign coal from
coming to America. Some officials be
Ileve that 1t is the function of Con-
gress to do all the protecting neces-
sary for the infant Industries, without
the unions undertaking TO add to coal
prices by an embargo on importa-
tions
However, one Of the senators re-
Gently urged preachers to substitute
tariff discussions i'm their pulpits in
place of so much religion. and if that
be good advice there might be some
who would not only carry Goals to
Newcastle but also carry congress
sional debates into mines and
churches.
Statistics show that 6 per cent of
the people of the United states can
not sign their names. The Army
draft disclosed the fact that for all
practical purposes. % per cent can
not read the simplest newspaper
paragraph nor write a short letter.
These facts are becoming 50 familiar
that their import is easily forgotten,
Vet they are humiliating to the ma
tion.
= !, 4 =
For the National Fduca ton Asso-
near the bottom OF the list Of civilized
nations in the matter Of literacy
hurts our national pride. We cannot
explain our illitcracy by saying il is
the colorod people Of the s"uth and
the factory hands Of the north. many
Of whom are aliens. The aliens came
from countries far ahead Of the
United States in. their education of
the masses.
American initrracy is dfstinetlvcIy
American. We have six illiterat"s out
Of every hundred people. England
has hctWecu Gvc and six: France has
FIVE: Scotland three. Norway aud
sweden only one. Why should the
Scaudinavian#. living ia their noun
famous country. so far exceed our
own mountain whites
our greatest illit.gary is found IN
the country districts, where the
farmers sometimes spend less than
So a year per child in giving their
children the rudiments of an rdusa-
lion.
4 j. 4
Certain leaders among the en-
ploycs Of the city. couuscled that i'm
modiatcly, on arrival in Office of the
new Engineer Commissioners all city
working men. skilled and unsIiiIpti
should strike for higher wages. 1t
would have left the garbage ungath-
cred. bringing disease and death to
many 4 home. 1t would have left the
water supply in peril Il would have
stopped The cleaning OF streets and
alleys, ana would have damaged the
city which had been giving them en-
ploymcnt.
Fortunately, when the mass meet
ing OF the proposed strikers faced
the crisis Of decision. wiser counsel
prevailed, and The strike was called
off
y conspiracy to tie up the city and
bring on cpidCnics Of disease is iIlc-
sal and may easily land participants
~ federal prison say lcga! autnori-
ties
The masses Of the city DO not real
re their narrow escape They NAV
realize 4 bit of it, in noting the dis
tresS which comes upon Il large sec
tirE oil the city. where in the d4-S Of
the peak of the heat terra Gotta water
mains burst. ana left Chevy Chase
'"At'i 'NAltt sfAhL ! tidiI iDIG4IkibS WITHOUT
water supply Tor nearly d week.
x y X
Attention has been called in this
column TO the fact the cost Of an
Army ration has fallen - per cent
since 1920, showing that the Iegiti-
mate market range is at least that
much lower than in 1929, although the
retail cost of food TO civilians has not
fallen. but is rising. While the cost
OF food for the masses is rising. tue
prices received by the farmers ana
stock raiscrs has fallen. The farmcra
get none Of the II per cent retained
10y middlemen from foods sold civil
ians.
There are temporary 1uctua tions
FOR farmers. bat, according TO the
Department 81 Agriculture. on June /
the index figures for farm prices on
the leading farm products were IGS
per cent lower than the average. for
the last decade. Hence they must
have been much more than l6.S per
cent off Of the peak of 1920