davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1924-03-02
Automobile Fatalities.

Washington has a record of twelve
traffic fatalities since January /. At
this rate the traffic deaths for 1924
will be about as numerous as those
for 1928. The list OF injuries is also
long. The streets have not been made
|, safe. There may have been an in-
crease OF caution by drivers and
pedestrians, but caution has not been
carried far enough. There has been
improvement in the regulation of
traffic at busy crossings due TO the
assignment OF more police to duty at
crossings. but people are still being
run down and killed. Collisions be-
tween automobiles have been nu-
merous, and many persons have been
injured. The authorities have exerted
themselves in making regulations
which ought to work for safety in the
streets, and there seems to have been
a tightening up in enforcing the regu-
lations. What more can be done i'll
this direction without the employment
of more police is not easy to say. The
responsibility rests OH drivers and
walkers. Every one should practice
the highest degree Of caution in driv.
ing. and no person should cross a
street except at the regular crossing.
And there the persons making the
crossing should observe great care.
Our list Of accidents is much too long.
Evening star., 1924-03-02
Parking Time Extended.

Action of the District Commission.
ers in extending the parking limit
from one.half to one hour in the con.
gested section Of the city has met with
the approval Of motorists and mer-
chants. This action follows repeated
petitions from civic organizations and
traffic committees, and the change
should prove d welcome one to both
shoppers and storekeepers.
Under the old rule If a shopper
wishes to make purchases in several
different stores he is forced to seek
different parking place for each half
hour he spends, and with parking
spaces anywhere in the congested Sec
ton at a premium he finds himself up
against a complicated proposition.
With the hour time limit this prob
lem will be cut in half. 50 that both
merchants and shoppers are likely to
benefit by the change.
Whether or not the hour limit can
be more effectively enforced than the
half.hour is a moot question. Pro-
ponents of the plan have argued that
with a reasonable regulation there
would be no attempt or desire on the
part of the motorist to break it.
If this is true there has been de-
cided change in the attitude Of park
ers toward the regulations, the prac-
tice heretofore being to get away
with as much as you can"
However, with the additional police
proposed in Senator Balls traffic re-
port on duty, with elimination Of the
'all-day parking elog." with a change
OF heart on the part of motorists and
the law rigidly enforced, better times
may be expected and every one will
benefit.
Undoubtedly the Commissioners act
ed with public approval in making the
change, and 1t is now up to the public
to make the new plan work so we'll
that there will be no desire to return
to the old.
Evening star., 1924-03-02
Declaration and Constitution.

Originals of the Declaration Of In
dependence and the Constitution have
been incased in such way in glass
and marble at the Library Of Congress
that the parch.nents and text are safe
from injury. and the deterioration that
time brings about will be retarded by
all known means. Moreover, these
documents are so placed that they
may be read by all persons wishing to
do. so. It is an achievement. There is
a strong tendency toward calling the
niche or receptacle in which these an.
cient papers have been placed a
Shrine" and there ought to be no
objection to the use Of the word in
this association. For years the docu-
ments have been kept in a steel vault
and exposed to light only on extraordi.
nary occasions, and in their new hous-
ing it is believed that long life is as
sured them.
There is great interest in these
documents. Many persons will look on
Evening star., 1924-03-02

, them perhaps with reverence or emo.
tion akin to reverence. They are pa.
triotic relics of rare significance. To
look on the Declaration Of Independ.
ence as it was written and signed in
1878 is to call up certain high senti-
ments and resolves, yet this relic is
physically but parchment and ink.
actually much more than that. 1t is
an idea Of that kind which we call an
ideal. 1t embodies the aspiration of
about 100000 early Americans, sub
jects OF king. Their aspiration was
to renounce allegiance to foreigner
and a hereditary governor, and to in
stitute for themselves the principle of
self-government. 1t was an academic
theory. eloquently espoused by gifted
sons Of the colonies and firing the
imagination of hundreds of thousands
of our ancestors to the degree that
they were willing to fight with
muskets against one of the great mill
tary powers of the time. Taxation
without representation" was what we
would call now a slogan" Our 3.00O,-
900 ancestors would not have gone to
war on account of a trifling tax on
tea. official papers and a few other
things. They wanted that freedom
which they believed they would get
under self-government.
Very few patriots of the American
revolution saw the Declaration Of In.
dependence, but it was u force that
bore them through the war. The
Declaration is still a force which in
fluences our lives. 1t would be inspir.
ing IL the parchment had not come
down to this time, and we believe that
the Declaration Of Independence will
be living force when the parchment
on which the idea was set down in
words has become dust. But there will
be a mighty interest in this relic
which has been "enshrined" at the
Library of Congress. What is said of
the Declaration Of Independence might
also be said Of the original Of the Con-
stitution.
There is this thought, that as the
years pass millions of Americans will
look on these national relics and the
patriotic faith of multitude will be
strengthened.
Evening star., 1924-03-02

ly deduction from the pay OF active
workers. Or else through q direct and
substantial contribution by the govern.
ment to the fund. In this connection
it must be remembered that thus far
the fund has been maintained, save
for the immediate necessities at the
very outset, when the government had
to advance money to start things 60
ing, by the forced contributions Of the
clerks themselves. It is not. therefore,
q pension at all, but a compulsory saw.
ings plan, with the government as
trustee.
1t Is, Of course, as much to the in
terest of the still active workers that
the fund be maintained at a sufficient
size. in order that they may surely
receive their savings with interest, as
it is to that of the annuitants,
whether they contributed or not. But
it is equally to the interest of the
government that genuine pension
system should be maintained. to hold
the workers in the service as long as
possible, to gain the benefit Of their
constantly increasing skill and ef-
ficiency and to establish permanency
Of tenure up to the point Of "a real
decline in value OF service rendered.
To that end it may be that the time
has now come for the organic act es-
tablishing this system to be amended
by providing for government con-
tribution to the fund. in order that.
without lessening the security OF the
savings rights Of the active workers,
the annuitants may be more decently
provided for in their declining years.
Evening star., 1924-03-02
Everybody Satisfied.

Both parties, it is stated. are pleased
with the revenue bill which passed
the House yesterday. 1t is expected
lhat the Senate will take a considera-
bic time in its handling, in committee
and on the floor, and it is quite Ger.
tain that if. as is likely, changes of
moment are written into it in the up
per house another period of time will
be occupied in the conference process.
So that it is probable that much water
will flow past the legislative mill be-
fore the bill reaches the President for
his approval or disapproval.
AS the case stands, the measure is
OF republican initiation. originally
framed by d republican Secretary of
the Treasury and in the final adjust
ment shaped in compromise by repub.
lican votes. 1t is not the Mellon plan
In all its essential features. but it is
the Mellon plan in that it effects a
material reduction of the tax burden.
to the point of the estimated surplus
OF revenues over expenditures under
the existing tax law. 1t slices off the
taxes paid by all the present support
ers of the burden of government. not
SO largely in the upper ranges of the
incomes as Secretary Mellon proposed.
but sufficiently, it is believed, to free
capital for industrial investment.
This measure. in whatever form it
finally emerges from the conference.
assuming its approval by the execu-
tive. will be Il large factor in the presi-
Dental campaign. 1t will be Il fight
ing point" for both parties. Each will
claim credit for it, so far as it is in
the interest of the taxpaying public
Each Will charge the other with re-
sponsibil!ty for such features as are
viewed as inimical to the broad public
interest
If both parties in Congress are con-
tent with the measure as factor in
the coming campaign. as ii stands to-
day. the public ought TO be satisfied.
The paramount concern in the matter
is that the tax burden be lightened
without ilnlairing the revenues of the
government below the point of MAIN
tenance requirements and debt-paying
needs and. incidentally, releasing CAPT.
tai for service in industrial expansion.
That was the purpose of the Mellon
plan. If that is the effect OF the bill
as it stands. or if that will be the ef-
feet of the law when the bill in final
shape becomes law, everybody ought
to be content.
Evening star., 1924-03-02
OIL FOR THE FUTURE
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

Among the disclosures made in the
Teapot Dome inquiry is the fact that
our American oil resources are now dis
| tinctly limited. Experts predict that the
entire supply of raw oil which nature
| so generously provided in this country
| will be exhausted in about twenty-five
years, unless new discoveries are made,
and this is considered extremely un-
likely. After that American industries
| will be dependent either upon foreign
| oil shale, of which, fortunately. we have
vast quantities.
! While American wells are still supply
| ing CO per cent Of the worlds supply OF
| oil, this amount is no longer sufficient
/ to fill the American demand alone. With
| the rise of the motor car. the truck, the
farm tractor and the Deisel engine, the
| consumption of oil has increased so
enormously in the past few years that
millions of barrels must now be import
ed annually.
BECAUSE this nation has always had
such a large supply, it has been
criminally negligent and wasteful and
| even now remains Indifferent TO
rapidly approaching shortage. In
contrast with this carelessness. Great
Britain has scrupulously guarded It's
oil reserves and persistently added to
! them, so that its future as an oil
power is practically assured.
If the United States is to maintain
| its power as a great oil-owning ma,
| ton In the future, experts say, it vii!
! be necessary for it to utilize its oil
shale deposits. These are found in
great abundance in Colorado, Ken
| lucky, Utah. Wyoming. Texas, PENN
| sylvania, Nevada, Montana, West Vir-
| ginia and California. Oil shale is a
| sort of mud or clay deposit from
! which oil may be obtained by distilla-
tion. In other words. when the shale
| is placed in a vessel and properly
cooked. a good grade Of petroleum
l is the result. go
when the possibility Of obtaining
petroleum from shale was hrst dis
] cussed many people jumped to hasty
Evening star., 1924-03-02
Ticket Selling in New York.

It is said that it Is one Of the easiest
things in the world to sell tickets to
anything in New York. The metropoli-
tan police force finds this to be true at
least on the occasion Of the annual
balls and picnics and games, when it
is estimated several times as many
tickets are sold as the accommoda-
tions of the places chosen for the fes-
tivities warrant. The New York po-
licemen are good ticket sellers. So ap-
parently are the ambulance drivers.
who some time ago planned a ball at
one Of the hotels for the benefit of a
fund. The ballroom would hold only
500 people. But the enterprising man.
agement of the association, finding, it
is now explained, that it would cost
less to print 1900 tickets than 500
tickets, decided to take the extra 700.
Then, it seems, some unscrupulous
member Of the organization conceived
the bright idea Of selling the extra 700,
which was done. The result was that
on the night of the ball all 1900 Of
the ticket holders turned up and only
about 500 of them could jam their way
into the place, leaving nearly 700 in
the Hobbies so clamorous for admit
tance that police reserves had to be
called out to quell the disturbance.
Now the disappointed 700 are wonder
ing if they will get their money back.
Distressing as this was to the 700 it at
least shows that there is plenty OF
money loose in the big town, that peo.
pie like to go to festive occasions, and
that any good cause there need ever
lack support. But just how it was
figured that 1t cost less to print 1000
tickets than 500 is a problem for the
economists.
Evening star., 1924-03-02

conclusions and much unfortunate spec
ulation in hurriedly organized oil shale
companies was the result. These com
panies soon discovered that the min
ing and cooking of shale was not so
simple a proposition as it seemed,
and consequently oil shale became
extremely unpopular.
The cost of mining shale is not so
high and the location of many of the
shale deposits near railroads makes
the marketing relatively easy. but
the distillation of the shale is both
difficult and expensive. AS the bu-
reau of mines explains it, the oil Is
obtained by heating the Shale In
great retorts. 1t is the result of de-
structive distillation and is driven off
in the form Of vapor and is later con-
densed by cooling. Beside the oil, an
important by-product. sulphate of
ammonia. which is extensively used
as fertilizer, Is obtained from some
varieties of shale.
The great need is for simple re-
tort, economical in construction, ca
pable of treating a maximum ton
mage per day and designed not so
much for securing the by-products
as for producing the maximum
amount of crude oil. The average
yield one barrel of crude oil--forty-
two gallons-to the ton. At this rate
there is enough oil locked up in TIL.
shale deposits Of this country to fill
it's needs for at least a century.
"On the day that some company.
undertaking the production Of oil
from shale in this country, proves
through actual practice that 1t can
be done successfully and continuous
ly on a commercial scale at its plant
a new page will be turned in the in
dustrial history Of the United States
nf 40
survey, George Otis Smith. "rhe sig
nificance of the first genuine produc-
ton at a profit can scarcely be over
estimated. Such demonstration
will at once reassure the American
republic as to its future oil supplies .
Evening star., 1924-03-02
Retirement Fund Equities.

In connection with the petition Of
the retired government civil service
workers that their annuities be in
creased, it is pointed out that the fund
row in the hands of the government,
the surplus of the deductions from the
pay of the departmental employees left
after payments Of annuities, is sub
ject to deductions under the terms of
the original retirement act to satisfy
the claims of employees who leave the
service before reaching the retirement
age. That act provided that any per-
son coming within the scope Of the re-
tfrement law who thus leaves the serv-
ice, is entitled to the full amount of
the money deducted from the salary,
with accrued interest compounded at
4per cent.
Ender this clause Of the law the ac-
tive workers have savings-account
claim against the fund. Should every
one of them leave before retiring the
entire. fund might be exhausted, pos.
sihly with Il deficit. which the govern.
,nlert would have to supply.
.ralsGdouhtedly as Il trustee the gov
erHnept must safeguard against such
"a contingency, and must maintain the
fund at Il point where it can out Of it
meet demands due to unusually nu.
..rierous Withdrawals from the service.
III. IT has been furthermore noted that
those now on the retired list. most of
whom went out Of active service i'm.
medjately after the law went into ef.
feet, have paid nothing into the fund,
and are, therefore, enjoying the fruits
OF the fund without having contributed
tp1t.
- All these considerations must enter
into the matter of the sufficiency of
the annuities paid to the retired work.
ers. Primarily, however, there remains
the question whether the annuities
are adequate. There can be no dis.
itrimination in the amount Of pay
against those annuitants who were
compelled by law to quit the active
service without having contributed to
the fund and those who retire later
after paying into the fund.
The scale adopted at the outset
proves to have been inadequate, as far
as. tho proper provision for the main.
1enance Of the annuitants is concerned
1t cannot be contended that a dollar
day, which is all that many of them
receive, suffices for decent support.
Unless the retirement pay is to be
considered merely as slight aid, and
not as means Of support, larger
scale must be adopted.
It may come to the point that in
order to provide a more adequate
scale for the annuitants the fund must
be increased. through a larger month.
Evening star., 1924-03-02
BY THOMAS II. MARSHALL
Former Vice President of, the United
Slater. ,.iF. ..-

!
Former Vice President of, the United
Life is a never-ending. round Of dis
covering things that are. wrong and
seeking remedies > for. them. The
cracksman is followed by the inven-
tor Of a burglar-proof safe, who in
turn is followed by another cracks
man. Experiences of mankind have
a habit of repeating themselves.
] If good government were stabbed
in barn that had only one door, it
would be quite easy when the first
horse was stolen to place a paddock
| and prevent second loss. Unfortu-
| nately, the edifice of good government
| has many doors. AS rapidly as a new
one is discovered through which the
| peoples rights are being purloined
It is the business Of conservative and
| radical alike to place the kind Of a
of the offense.
4 x x x
Good government depends upon
just laws and upright officials. If We
! could stop there it would not.be> q
! very serious problem fop thoughtful
1 people to live in peace and security.
However, there is another element
which enters into the solution of the
problem, regardless of just laws and
| honest officials. We intend, of course,
| to select honest officials, but ii is not
always possible among a free people
to judge men by the characters they
possess. Judgments rest upon reputa-
| tion quite as much as upon character.
and the people are apt to be quite
| as content with the man who has "a
good reputation. though his character
! is weak. as with one of strong char
acter upon whose garments there is
the smell of smoke or something.
In government managed and con-
trolied by political parties we have
grown into the habit of looking upon
our public officials as being first par
tiSans and then patriots. We assume
that an appointee Will look out pri-
mariiy for his party's interest rather
than for the public's interests.
4 X i: j:
l, myself, am not among those who
are suspicious of the good faith OF
public officials. Because some public
official goes wrong I do not condemn
entire officialdom. Government among 9
men always has been marked by the
blask spots of greed and graft. Yet
| it is true that when guilt appears a
general suspicion. traceable to parti-
san politics. arises that the admins
tration will not be as active as it
might be. If not actually lukewarm. in
the matter of prosecuting the Offend
| ers. This is a reflection. usually un-
deserved and often unjustified, on the
Department of Justice.
The party out of power invariably
| is suspicious of the Attorney Cen
! erals office. 1t always has the idea
that that Office is loath to investigate
and extremely loath to prosecute the
malfeasance or misfeasance of any
official OF the administration OF
! which it is Il part. Personally, l
do not believe there is justifica-
tion for such sentiment. My view,
formed from rather intimate OBJ
Z servations. is that the Attorney Cen
| erals office, regardless of the official
who may happen to be presiding over
it, is inspired by Il purpose and inten-
tion strictly to enforce the laws of
the United States. Public opinion
holds. however. that the Attorney
Generals Office is a political annex to
Evening star., 1924-03-02
Heard and Seen

Searching f0r reu-neaueu WOMAN
in the Corcoran Gallery Of Art is al
most like trying to find the proverb-
ial needle in a haystack.
At least that Is the way it seemed
to gentleman who had occasion last
week to meet lady with no description
of her other than that she had red hair
And ! probably will wear a brown
Dress" she told him over the tele-
phone.
That will be easy" he answered.
II will find YOU"
Now it would seem. offhand. that
| finding a red-headed lady in a brown
| dress among the marble statues of
the Corcoran Gallery would be about
the easiest job in Washington.
Ordinarily one does not find the
galleries filled with Titian-haired la
dies. There might be a. quantity of
blondes, and maybe q superhuity OF
brunettes, but normally there would
be only one red-head in the gallery
at a time.
See how the perversity Of things
plays a part!
The man entered the gallery conf
IDENTIFY. boldly, sure of his ability to
! find the woman sought.
Sure enough, there on a bench sat
a demure red-headed woman, clad in
simple brown, the color that is sup
posed to "go" best with this color
hair.
IL beg your pardon asked the
man, but are you Miss So-andSo?'
The lady froze him with a glance,
| and intimated with equally frigid
words that never in this world had
she been or was she the Miss So-and-
So of whom he spoke.
Hastily withdrawing, the gentle-
| man admired works OF art for a time,
until he happened to spy another
woman coming toward him.
dramatically enough, but very ex-
But he was out of luck again.
This lady was not the one he was
looking for, either. as she briefly in
wow who would think it," he
sighed, looking around for another
red-haired woman.
Sure enough. he found her. in a
| very brown dress. too.
| InlS IlfN0 tneEe COulu oC Iio AiiS-
| take, he thought.
But he thought wrong.
Disconsolate, he leaned against a
! work of art and weakly decided to
give 1t up.
the fourth-and right-red-headed
!, girl. .
II you want to know who is run
ming the United States, just drop into
a Nearing by one Of the committees
Of Congress.
| It will be vividly Impressed upon
you, II you never realized it before,
that hero is tho fountain head Of gov
ernment.
The members Of Congress are the
men who are directing the destinies
OF the country, whether for veal or
woe. and you won't soon forget 1t,
after listening q couple Of hours at
any hearing.
Whatever may be the merits Of the
respective schools OF thought which
| branches of the government at log
Eerheads, 1t seems to be q fact that
the members Of the House and Sem
ate are the able seamen Of the ship
Of state.
whether one believes that our rep
resentative government is truly rep
| resentative or not, 1t seems fitting
that the representatives of the peo-
pie who sit in the national Congress
| should do the running OF the country.
| The feeling that they do run 1t is
impressed upon the average specta-
ltor-and auditor-at congressional
hearing. From Teapot Dome, through
REORGANIZATION. reclassidcation and
other matters, the members OF Con-
Eress are running this country.
CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
Evening star., 1924-03-02

The "wets' and ''drys" are bonn.
harding each other with slogans and
catchwords. The public will feel safer
il the persuasive influence of rhetoric
can be made to serve all purposes and
prevent anybody from drawing a gun
in a crowded thoroughfare.
Evening star., 1924-03-02
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Intellectual Lubrica'

Intellectual fabrication.
On Fortunes flivver forth he rolled
With confidence and glee.
The rocky road showed streaks OF
gold,
But many a bump got he.
His friends declared he was remiss,
And mourned the f1ivver's state
They said, Upon a jaunt like this.
You ought to lubricate."
The victim sadly shook his head
At the advice well meant.
"Speak not to me OF OIL" he said,
But pass the liniment.''