Evening star., 1923-07-21

| the ratosphere-above the six-mile
altitude limit-where TO clouds conceal
Business will go to such towns as
supply ample landing fields for :he
myers. according to the bureau ex-
perts and prophets.
The city of Washington continues
to lead the nation in it's persistent
BOOST of food prices. according to the
Department of Labor. Foe the month
ended June IS. the price of potatoes
rose ls per cent, and we have to pay
3 per cent more for blnanas The
whole index on food shows an in
crease of per cent, while In sixteen
other cities there was a drop of
per cent. After the Consumers League
finishes chastising the coal dealers
II may keep up its good works in
ether directions just 70 keep in
Practice, according to some of its
leaders
In view OF the election of radicals,
it is highly significant that the Tariff
Commission is asked to reduce the
protective tariff on paint brush han
dies so per cent. How can radicals
Faint red with handles held at pro-
hihitive prices? Unless the tariff on
handles is reduced. will they just
pour the red out of buckets all over
the Capitol? Thus do politics anI
paint mix. as thoroughly as cab
bages and kings" Anyhow, what
use have the radicals for paint, eX-
cept in the form of lipsticks?
4 * X X
The United Daughters of 1912 are
planning TO put a bronze tablet and
fagstaff on the Key bridge in Wash
ingtou, and the word comes to the
Secretary of War, all the way from
Arkansas, the home of the national
president. 1t is stipulated by the
society that the tablet will contain
the 'stst verse Of The Sar Spang1~d
Banner. for without that song there
would have been no Key bridge, ana
also IL will include the insignia OF
tl.r sc ciety As Arkansas was not
known to Francis Scott Key should
not the tablet also show good map
locating that barbarous region?
r x 4
Farm prices paid for producing
food dropped during the last month
is per cent. according to the De
partment of Agriculture. even while
! the retail cost of food in the cities
increased But the farmers were en-
couraged when the July l price was
found to be 1871 per cent higher than
year ago. 30.6 per cent higher thar
two years ago. vet II averaged 17.t
per cent lower than the average OF
the last ten years. Meat animals
including chicken, averaged. on June
I1J l6.3 per cent lower than yeaI
ago. and 2S.2 lower than the average
on June Is, for the last ten years
In May. 1922. wheat In Minneapolis
sold for $l.70; now il sells for 81
cents.
Not only are prices discouraging
but crop conditions July l We're re-
ported SO per cent poorer than theiI
ten-year average on that date.
r X
A farmer reader writes that the
reason farmers are not prosperous is
because there are too many of them
lie argues that there is an overpro-
duction OF food products, and that
the cry of the statesmen back to the
farm" should be reversed to back
TO the city and higher wages"
He argues that If many farmers
would leave their farms. 1T would in
crease the prolts u thoSe Wio re
main, for the excess production is
what kills prices.
There are others who would
substitute for both of the cries above
quoted. a radical one, not often heard
nor very popular: Increase the
number of middlemen-distrib
for there is never surplus of food
so long as there is hunger unsatis-
fed" 'It is distribution they argue
(which is defective. II there Were
more distributors, there would ht
more competition to reduce thei,
charges or give better service"
Copyright. 1923 by p. V. Collins,