Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-02

A fussy young gentleman. distin-
guished by long hair brushed straight
back from a white brow, entered
Miss Mary Roque's small office, where
she sat like some wonderful spider
in colorful web
This dainty spider, now that she
had'Some one beside her, smiled in her
most ingratiating manner and asked
the young man his business.
Il am L. Cleveland Cloves, manager
of radio broadcasting station ABC,
replied he, carefully seating himself
on one of Mary's Windsor chairs.
For all Hhe young mans artistic
look, Mary thought he got down to
business in a very direct and simple
manner. Mary. liked them to speak
50. Sometimes it took an hour or so
for her to pry from her clients what
they came about.
What can l do for you, Mr.
Cleves?'' she asked, rocking back in
her chair. Hers was perhaps the only
business office in town sporting a
rocking chair.
The sight of it usually f1oored her
visitors T. Cleveland CIeves swal-
lowed few gasps as Mary put her
slender but pretty arms above her
head and locked her hands behind her
bobbed hair.
Sitting thus, the sunlight softened
by Grapes at the window behind her,
Mary Rogue made a picture no artist
could paint. She was a symphony in
pink, white and gold.
"You-look stunning" breathed
CleVes in the Observation-Disclosures
manner of which he was past master.
Surely that Is not what you came
TO see me about" smiled Mary, sitting
up straight
Miss Rogue smiled the self
possessed visitor, II am here to con.
suit you about the affairs of station
ABC. To be quite frank about the mat
ter, we are somewhat upset at the
STUDIO because the number of letters
we receive has dropped off tremen-
dously.
Where once we got 500 letters a
DAY now we are doing well If we get
%, and sometimes we don't draw half
That number. We think our programs
are better than ever, but some way
the people do not write us,
we even go TO the extent of beg
glng our listeners to write us, but still
they don't do 1t. We plead with them
Miss Roque-Why, I practically get
down on my knees to them, but still
they belong to the great silent ma
jOrity!'
Mary Rogue sighed
Il have heard YOU" she said.
Then you know what we are up
against" went on the manager, who
often announced at the studio. at
occurred to me that we are too close
to things to see it all in the right
perspective. as it We're. Maybe you
as a listener, can tell us what is
wrong"
Thank YOU for your confidence. >"
returned Mary. IF | can help you ii
is simply because | look at most mat
ters from C0mmon-sense standpoint,
and am not prejudiced by the ordinary
blah- blah that poses as information.
You ask me what is the matter
with broadcasting today, and l am 60
ing to tell you, to the best of my
ability. Please understand that l do
not regard myself as infalIible, or be-
lieve that all my opinions are correct,
but l do feel. if you want the truth,
that most of them are.
In the first place, Mr.. Cleves," con-
tinued Mary, leaning forward on her
desk, Il believe the studios have gone
off on the wrong foot, if l may use
such an expression, in putting so
much confidence in the opinions Of
liSteners-in.
What a horrible word that is, lis.
teners-in! Why would listeners not
have done as we'll? But that is aside
from the point. Surely you ought to
begin to feel, by this time, that the
people whose opinions might count the