davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
Government Price-Fixing.

In the midst of a material prosperity
almost unheard of the industrial East
finds it difficult to realize or to under
stand the demand of the agricultural
West that steps be taken to make the
s'farner's dollar more nearly equal In
purchasing power to that of capital
end labor. The farmers dollar is
based on the price which he can OBJ
tain for his produce, and the price OF
his produce, which is the farmers re-
turn on his. investment and his labor,
does not compare favorably with the
return from industry and industrial
labor.
The law of supply and demand still
governs to a large extent the prices
received by the farmers for their
crops. For example, if the crops of
the American farmers were suddenly
cut in half, prices necessarily would
soar. Or if the demand were ire
nendously increased for American
foodstuffs in foreign countries, as dur
tng the World War, prices would
mount GdplIly'
If it were possible automatically to
limit production of foodstuffs on Amer
team farms the problem might easily
be solved. But the weather, that tickle
Jade, plays a huge part in production.
The individual desires and activities Of
the farmers themselves, which seem
tngly cannot be controlled, play an
equally large part.
What the farmers are asking, there
fore, is a system by which the ordi-
nary law of supply and demand can
be upset; the stream be made to flow
uphill instead of down.
The particular angle from which the
attack upon this problem is demanded
Is the surplus crop. The surplus is
that part of the crop in excess of do
-nestio needs. If that can be handled
adyanta geously and not thrown into
the domestic market to force prices
Blown, the problem will be solved, the
Mariners claim. Hence the demand in
E&sone quarters for a governmental ex-
Rort corporation, to buy and sell prod
hoe and to fix and maintain prices in
Abe domestic market.
{ Such a Government agency, with
The resources of the United States
back of it, could, it is argued, buy and
sell wheat abroad, for example, in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
Financial Responsibility
And the All-Night Parkers

To the Editor of The Star:
wish to thank you for your edi-
torial of n few days ago pointing out
that it would be impossible and unfair
to require every automobile owner to
keep his car off the street at night. As
YOU pointed out in your editorial, there
actually is a great shortage Of garages
in many sections of the city, and it
would be impossible for every one to
ind q garage within many months.
Even then, many of us would have to
pay unrea sonable rents. My neighbor>
hood Connecticut avenue and Rodman
street, includes many apartment
houses and very few garages. / under
stand that the coming law would pro-
hibit large public garages in that
neighborhood. How would the Com
missioner remedy this matter, imme-
diatelv, when there is not sufficient
land in our alleys to erect the large
number of single garages needed?
A number of people, most of them
with plenty Of money, seem to be OPP
posed to all-night parking, but 1 have
never vet heard any good reason why
this should be prohibited during a time
when traffic is at its lowest ebb. ALI
night parking is much less of bar to
the Fire Department and to other traf-
tic than is the downtown traffic in the
dayt ime-thiS cannot be denied. l have
often seen fire engines come to a halt
in downtown traffic, but 1 doubt If any
one has ever observed such an oc-
currence caused by cars parked for the
night.
The point has been made that a per-
son who owns a. garage is more
financially responsible than an all
night parker. Now l carry a $4,000
indemnity policy TO protect the person
or property of other people; all Of my
friends carry such policies. Isn't it
reasonable to suppose that if we, with
our limited means, had to pay $40 or
SIS a month for a garage we would
be unable to afford the $50 year nee
essary for such q policy? And isn't
such a policy just 80 times more adj
vantageous to those whom we might
injure than a $500 garage would be?
In short, if financial responsibility is
the object Of this ordinance, would
it not be far better to require every
one to carry an indemnity policy? 1t
would be much cheaper, would remedy
real evil and would really give
financial responsibility
RODGER D. GESSFORD,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
College Turnovers.

Gone at old Yale are the good old
days when set of final examinations
Just before the opening of the Fall
term decided whether or not a lad was
a freshman or a flop. The board of
admissions of the university has just
announced that the fitness Of appli-
cants will henceforward be determined
by their school records, by confidential
reports Of head masters and by en-.
trance examinations taken in the early
Summer Immediately following the
close of the school year.
Gone are the days when intensive
tutoring during the Summer, or even
part of the Summar, got q boy by,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01

Mitchell, but because many of them
are administration.
x
There are all the earmarks of a. crack
at Herbert Hoover in the follow
ing tart and terse little missive lust
addressed to the editor of a New York
paper by Bernard NJ Baruch. field
marshal in the Woodrow Wilson
legion Of honor:
1t Is very refreshing to read
your leading editorial on the rub
Der situation. There is too much
dealing with economic questions
of this kind by men who have
their lightning rods up.
Mr.. Baruch, who is not only a good
financial angel in needy Democratic
moments, but also a trusted counselor
on questions of the higher strategy
has been entertaining a select com
pany of Democratic leaders at his
shooting lodge in South Carolina. Per
haps the plan of campaign at Wash
ington was evolved amid warfare on
the canvas backs.
x r =
President Coolidge, as everybody
knows, eSchewS modern pastimes, like
golf and bridge, and he has never
danced. But not many people know
that he is a parcheesi addict. A
close friend once told this observer
that parcheesi is the only game of
chance" in which Mr.. Coolidge has
ever INDUCED. Perhaps the truth of
the Presidents favorite destination
has leaked out and is responsible
for the claim that parcheesi is today
the most popular game on the mar
ket." 1t is stated that the sale of
parcheesi sets is now larger than at
any time during the past so years.
New games come and CO." saws a
parcheesi fan, but the demand for
parcheesi goes steadily on increasing
each year"
If Gen. Pershing does not return
to South America to unravel the
tangled Tacna-Arica skein, and the
President decides to thrust that
thankless mission upon a diplomat
Sumner Welles may be designated.
In Latin American quarters at Wash
ington, on the eve OF Pershing's as
signment to the Tacna-Arica mess, it
was said that President Coolidge de-
sired to have Mr.. Welles accompany
the general as the latter's diplomatic
counselor. But the reported plan
fell through. NVelles recently retired
from the foreign service with the
rank of secretary of embassy. His
last post at Washington was chief
of the Latin American division of
the State Department. Previously
he had served at several foreign
posts, including Japan and Haiti. A
year ago Mr.. Welles married the for
mer wife of Senator Peter Goelet
Gerry of Rhode Island, originally
Miss Townsend of Washington. Mr..
and Mrs. Welles have just returned
from a prolonged honeymoon in
Europe
(Copyright 1880
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
Night Parking Ban
Would Be Unjust

To the Editor of The Star:
Unquestionably q restriction OH
parking would aid the police and fire
cent Of the representation in that re-
spect has been conjured up by selfish
interests and is mere camouflage. i
am a property owner, but ] have
tried to take an impartial view of the
situation.
A brief survey OF the situation will
instantly suggest that a requirement
that would compel all automobile own
ers to place their cars in garages or
off the streets during certain hours
| Of the night would be u great calamity
visited upon those who do not own
garages for the reasons:
l. Private garage owners are al
ready preparing to rent their CARA ages
on d competitive bid basis. This
means that all those who do not own
garages will either be compelled to sell
their automobiles or pay exorbitant
rents.
2. The proposed plan, regardless of
newspaper items, is one conceived in
the minds Of those who either have
garages or are in a position where IT
Is immaterial as TO the rent they pay.
s. The whole idea is to Cypress the
one who has little and to increase the
interests Of those who possess much
that is, to make the rich richer and
the poorer poorer.
This oppressive idea is so far-reach-
Ing that more intelligent consideration
should be given It than that indicated
Dy newspaper articles recently pub
llshed. II the thing must be done, the
better way would be to tax all of the
citizens Of the District sufficiently to
take over the street car lines, reduce
the fare to 5 cents, and necessitate
the sale OF automobiles by the poorer
class of people who perhaps are not
entitled to take their families out into
the country occasionally, or 10 enjoy
Few or the Injuries that a flivver
may AFFORD. Then 1t might be proper
to place heavy penalties on the auto
mobile and increase the traffic on the
street car lines
The placing Of a ban on all-night
parking in every district of the city
Will result in garage rents beyond the
means or the ordinary individual. II
would not be surprising If garage rent
that Is now so per month would be
increased to $40 or $50 per month if
the contemplated restriction is inaugu-
rated There would be little success
IN regulating such rents.
K. n. TREZISE.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEFELL.

, things were written. One saw there
gentleness, sweetness, placidity, charm,
enthusiasm, interest, Love-and its
crown, quiet affection-these and
many other feminine virtues that
modern pep" will never GUST from
fashion.
AS from fair pages of an unsullied
book, the seeing eye read happy
girlhood, happy marriage, happy life,
and at the end was written, And
they lived happily ever after"
So the well bred reserve of the true
woman in miniature had drawn the
curtain before prying eyes.
The delicate pink blush, the blue
eyes, the golden hair-these had
stirred that heart of man possessed
by even the most callous.
Peek around, mamma" smiled
Little Bear. 'Oh, peek around and
see out the window
Accordingly the mother "peel1ed."
She was u dark woman with bobbed
dark brown hair, just touched with
gray. She had on hobby fur coat.
And she smiled.
They all smiled. The standing girl,
who was the image of the older
woman, smiled as she swung on a
strap The two boys, perhaps Z and 8
years Old grinned after their fashion.
They were an affectionate family.
In general, it may be said that dis
plays of affection are terribly out Of
place in public vehicles.
The gentleman who insists on en-
bracing his girl around the back Of
the seat is a public malefactor and
should he dealt with as such.
The Happy Family. however, some
how managed To get away with it."
They were affectionate with a deli
cate touch.
The delicate touchi
We can stand many things in life
if the touch delicate is used.
Not too much. friends-not too
mucni
So our Happy Family chatted and
smiled, took up a large number of
seats and enjoyed life en- route while
we (all the rest Of us) watched them.
In their ininitable fashion the fam
ily joined in with US in watching
themselves To be self-conScious in
the proper way is different from being
just plain self-conscious.
Whenever Little Bear smiled even
the crusty old gentleman across the
aisle smiled.
He had to.
ANA the rather OF thlS Happy
Family. when he saw the old gentle
man grin, smiled, too, as if TO say,
Did you ever see such u fine little
girl in all your life?"
Even "a young fellow who ordinarily
was not interested in children smiled
back with an expression that said as
plain as words:
NO. I never did see such kid be-
fore. mister"
II business had not required our
getting off, We would have followed
this Happy Family to the end TO sec,
If from afar. where they lived. how
they lived. Which details We're dis
tinctly none OF our business, of course,
but would have proved interesting.
| nevertheless.
The memory of the Happy Family
fingers like some living, subtle per
fume. reminiscent of old gardens
where Love dwells apart
Why cannot every family be happy?
Why in a world of war must quar-
reling violate the portals of that last
and best refuge of peace-the Home?
What better resolution could we
| make for the New Year than to try
our best, every home, to be a Happy
| Family, too!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01

such volume that the domestic market
would not be glutted and fair prices
for wheat in the United States would
be maintained. Having accomplished
this desired end, it would become the
duty of the Government to meet It's
loss of the difference between the price
paid for the wheat and the price at
which it was sold abroad by levying
tax against the wheat farmers of the
country generally.
It is d simple undertaking, if the
supporters of the export corporation
plan are to be believed. The present
administration, however, has turned
it's back on. the proposition as eco
nomically unsound. The cure, it holds,
would be worse than the disease. 1t
would put the Government into the
business of buying and selling and fix
ing the prices Of farm produce, which
would be unwise in the end for both
the producers and consumers in this
country. 1t would place on d parity
the wastefully operated farm and that
which is administered efficiently. 1t
would destroy individual initiative. 1t
would result in establishing prices OF
foodstuffs by the Government. 1t
would bring about a conflict between
the producers and those who must pur-
chase the essentials of life that doubt
less would have far-reaching effects.
Wisely the administration proposes
as a substitute for a Government eX-
port corporation a Government board
which shall assist the farmers to make
use of their own agencies and the
banking institutions of the country to
finance and market the surplus prod
uce of the farms as advantageously
as possible.
1t is the part of wisdom for the adj
ministration to seek to bring about a
solution of the farm problem. But 1t
would be the height of unwisdom If it
permitted itself to be stampeded be-
cause of political exigencies into the
support of Government price-hxihg of
farm or any other kind Of products.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01

We called them the Happy Family
They got aboard the oneman car
that coolest day of the Winter, when
the mercury fiirted with zero and the
wind whistled into Washington from
the great open spaces where winds
are winds.
Some of us, already seated, felt that
the wind had blown them on-they
We're so healthy, so hearty, so sui
fused with smiles, as if not "a member
had a care in the world except finding
seat for the time being.
All, the Time Being!
Most of the cares of mankind are
for the Time Being. Philosophy has
done it's best to direct our attention TO
the time to come, has sung doletully
of the Sweet Bye-and-bye, and has
spoken solemnly of the Great Beyond,
but the huge bulk of humanity has
gone ahead, cheerfully living in the
Present.
1t is the Time Being men prize.
Perhaps this universal sense is right
once again, as it so often is. VINO
knows positively but that the true
way of living IS in the Eternal Pres
ent, which momentarily becomes the
Past, or the Immediate Future. &C.
cording to the way one happens TO
look?
extend no farther than to look for q
place to sit on the long side seat in a
one man street car running out into
suburban Washington.
Sometimes this search requires both
good eyesight and such moral quail
ties as determination, cheerfulnesS
and lack of snobbishness.
The Happy Family must have pos
sessed them all, for, despite its num-
bers, the family managed to get
seated with the exception of one girl
about 16 years old, who stood with
the best grace in the world.
II X * X
The first thing that attracted our
attention was the fur worn by each
and every member of this family.
From Grandmaw, hale and hearty
in her perhaps 70 years, to Little Bear
all of ye5rs old, every member of
the Happy Family wore fur.
Mother wore fur, Father had fur on
the collar of his coat, Big Sister had a
complete fur outfit, the two boys had
fur on their gloves, and as for Little
Bear, she looked as furry as could be
with her raccoon coat and big peaked
hat.
Little Bear was at once the liveliest
happiest creature that ever graced a
street car in the National Capital.
Men with toil-worn faces turned to
look at her bright hair peeking from
beneath the grenadier's cap that sur
mounted her locks.
Her blue eyes We're as bright as
stars are supposed to be on q Winters
night and her cheeks were more deli
cate than any rose petals whatever.
Her mouth, subtle indicator of
character, smiled easily with a shy
something that spoke well for the
happiness of some man some day in
that distant Future we have so pal
pably sneered at.
Sometimes the Future can be read
In the Present.
Perhaps in no case is this more true
than in the face of small girl.
More often than not, all the femi.
nine virtues she will ever possess are
writ large there in letters of gold and
white and pink for the seeing eye
OF course, every one does not possess
such an eye.
This eye may be crooked to the
visible world. but its possessor will be
able to see farther-and truer-than
many who pass 1920 in the military
tests.
In the face of Little Bear many
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
John Milton.

If the research Of Prof. David H.
Stevens of the University Of Chicago
into the life Of John Milton, the blind
poet Of Britain, has not gone astray
another popular picture must be re-
vised. 1t has been for over two cen
turtles believed that Milton, in his age
and blindness, lived in poverty. In
addition to the sympathy felt for him
in his physical affliction there is feel
ing of pity for his straitened circum-
stances, but Prof. Stevens says that
real estate deeds have been found
among papers in the public record
office at London to show that Milton
was far from being poor, that instead
of living in a bare, cherries, hired
attic, he enjoyed financial ease on the
profits Of large real estate transac-
tons that had been conducted by his
father and continued by himself. AS
a result of this situation Milton lived
in comfort until his death, in 1874.
Appreciation Of Millions genius will
not be lessened by the discovery that
he was virtually a rich man instead
of the poor man that tradition has
depicted him. But, somehow, the
picture Of Milton debating to his
daughter, which is one of the art
classics of the world, loses it's poign-
ancy when it is realized that the
blind poet was surrounded by all the
comforts Of life known then. Had he
been a modern poet in the same cir
cumstances he could have used other
means of transmitting his thought.
He could have had the best of type
writer's, or the most perfect debating
devices.
Research is, of course, necessary in
the writing of history and in the clari-
fication of the perspective on individ-
uaI lives for the enlightenment of
posterity. But it sometimes destroys
illusions and lessons romance.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01

only to be dropped perhaps a little
later after expense to the college,
waste Of time to himself and the ex-
clusion of some better man. 1t is q
step, and big one, in the right direc-
ton, and many colleges are taking
such steps all the time. More and
more have classroom work, theme
work, reading work, and even just
plain. old-fashioned regular attend
ance replaced the triumphant agony
of the mildly or final examinations
during the college course.
He is a wonder; he never does a
lick of work all term until just before
exams. Then he locks himself in his
room, does without sleep, lives on cof-
fee and crullers, and gets grades that
pull him through" Such were the re-
marks that used to be passed about
campus characters as famous in their
own peculiar way as were athletes.
Such things are not said nearly so
often now. The prospective freshman
at Yale henceforward must regard
In the nature of a final examination
which will affect his chances of en-
rolling beneath the dark blue banner,
and that is as it should be. Life for
most people is a daily grind and not
a series of crashing crises; success for
most people is a daily grind done
faithfully and we'll
There occurs to mind in this con-
nection a remark by an officer OF a
Princeton class of a decade ago. al
ways remember this" he wrote his
classmates. when you entered you
were not possibly able to graduate.
When you graduated you could not
possibly have entered. When you had
been out in the world five years you
could not possibly have done either. :"
This pithy saying Will probably con-
tinue true in most cases. Yale's new
departure is calculated to decrease
that total.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01

There is now in the hands Of re-
ceivers some $4,000 miles of road, rep
resenting outstanding bonds and stock
in the amount of more than S125O,-
100000. 1t is estimated that there is
some $4,000 to $4,000 miles of road
which yields no fair return to its
owners. AS this large mileage is es-
sential to a we'll balanced national
system, and gives a service which the
public desires, its operation must be
continued. Ii the general purpose of
the transportation act is carried out,
some plan of relief must be formu-
lated for these weak lines.
The Supreme Court of the United
States, in the Recapture case, has
quite definitely sustained the principle
that excess earnings over a fair and
reasonable return on the value of the
property devoted to the public use can
be sequestered and held in trust by
the United States, to be disposed of as
Congress may provide. in the genera
interest Of the plan of the transporta-
ton act.
The authoritative announcement of
this principle is of great importance.
1t projects q new angle into the
scheme of national transportation. II
suggests a new power which hereto
fore has not been exercised, and
whose possibilities at this time cannot
accurately be appraised or anticipated.
1t would certainly be unwise to place
a limit upon the earnings which, I'M
der a fixed schedule of fair rates, may
be retained by the individual carrier.
There must be a reward for honest,
efficient and economical management.
Unless the carriers can participate, as
at present, in a fair proportion of all
of their earnings. there would be no
reward for personal achievement, no
inducement to excel, and an irreSiSt-
ible temptation to extravaganza in
maintenance and operation.
In addition to this, fair and conServa
tive provision must be made for the
rainy days or the lean years that in
the progress of time are sure to come.
General reductions in rates, on the
other hand, would greatly increase the
present embarrassment of the weak
lines, and imperil, If not destroy, their
ability to give the service the public
demands and is entitled to. A rea-
sonable period of fair earnings should
be continued, to the end that the
credit of the carriers may be perma-
nently established, necessary capital
expenditures made and reasonable re-
serves created for future contingent
cieS.
In this situation the proper applica-
ton of the trust fund under the re-
capture clause of the transportation
act affords a fertile field for the exer-
else of legislative ingenuity as to
what, if anything, can be done for the
under dog" in the world of railroad
transportation.
Copyright. 1925.a