Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-13
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL.

NAV be made to coincide with the &C
tual conditions of the country at any
given time. The desirability of less
taxes is generally admitted, but the
necessity for some, and usually more
than people want, seems inevitable.
There have been all kinds of amiable
solutions of the tax problem, some OF
them carrying with them an almost
fanatic appeal, but in the long run
nations seem to find no way to get away
from q direct tax on things, on the
theory that those who possess can pay,
and are the only people who can pay,
or will pay.
The third double barreled plank has
to do with more shade trees and more
Sleep" Here is slogan which will win
many. but which will divide many. The
desirability of more shade trees is ac-
copied far and wide nowadays. If one
travels around the suburbs of any great
city he will see some rather absurd
acceptances of this plank. Builders, in
their zeal for trees, permit them to
stand although they are dead, and
would no more think of cutting down a
tree because it overhangs a chimney
than they would of allowing it to stand
10 years ago.
more sleep" Is acceptable to good
honest folk who go to bed early, who
mind their own business, and who be-
lieve in living in accordance with the
ancient sanities. Those who abuse the
vitality which God gave them would
substitute "less Sleep" or even mo sleep
at ALL" If they thought that they could
"get away with it."
No matter what one thinks of Mr..
O'Brien's platform" it is a pleasant
picture he has drawn of a world in
which one might ride freely, drinking
coffee at will-even if he didn't have
nickel in his pocket-unworrie by
work or taxes, sleeping gently beneath
great avenues Of noble trees. A pipe
DREAM" admittedly, but pleasant one
X X X
The main trouble with the hobo
kings scheme is that 1t wouldn't work.
There are too many people in the world
selling coffee and street car rides to
make their distribution gratis popular.
Nor can any one selling anything else
blame the coffee and ride dispensers for
turning up their noses at such "solu-
ton" 1t solves nothing-from their
standpoint. No one would be satisfied,
especially those who rode or drank. A
perpetual howl would arise In the land
the coffee would be too bitter, or there
wouldn't be enough sugar, or the cream
would be sour. Yes, the cream would
oAWoJo NC oOui. 4IIS pubic
utilities would satisfy nobody. The
schedules would not suit, the seat would
be hard, and the standroom insufficient.
AS for less work and less taxes. these
matters adjust themselves over the CEN
turtles in the best way that man has
been able to work out varying accord
ing to countries and centuries, If any
one resentS his own condition in life. he
should read Flaubert's "Salammbo. :"
with its picture Of Carthaginian slaves
harnessed to flour mills, each slave
wearing a muzzle to prevent him from
eating the raw flour. Taxes are modern
masks, better adjusted, softer, invisible
TO some degree. Because every one
wears them nobody minds them.
More shade trees and more sleep are
matters which come nearer such solu-
ton. An administration of government
bent on getting more trees and preserv-
ing all now growing would be able to
get results, for this is problem mainly
affecting city and suburban districts.
where the control OF such matters is
more absolute than in farm and forest
areas. The careful supervision of all
street paving operations alone would
save scores Of trees.
Sleep Is problem, too, which affords
ready municipal solution. There already
are plenty of police regulations: the
need is for their enforcement. An ideal
city, from this standpoint, would be one
IN which a tired worker might sleep
free from noise interference at anv time
of day or night