Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-25
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Now that Autumn seems here, we
arise to question the ACCESSIBILITY Of the
theoretical 70-degree temperature agreed
upon as proper for living rooms.
Just who first set up this temperature,
or when, we have not been able to dis
cover; but 1t is almost certain that the
gentleman was mistaken.
We have made many tests in this
matter and have found out that nine
out Of ten persons, left to themselves,
prefer temperature of ~ to "a de-
grees.
Two to four degrees may not seem
very much, but they spell the difference
between discomfort and comfort, pre-
tending to be warm and actually be-
ing so.
This is a matter, like many others, in
which mankind takes its opinions ready
made. Somebody stated In a learned
article, Heaven knows how many years
ago, that 70 degrees was perfect for in
doors temperature in Winter.
The first person who read the article
got great deal of satisfaction in telling
his friends that he had read, in an ar
ticle by the eminent So-and-So, that
40 degrees was perfect" for the inside
of house during Winter.
The next writer who aspired to in
struct the public quoted the eminent
DR.. So-and-So to support his own find-
ings. Thousands of readers told their
friends, and their friends went on tell
ing their friends, until today there Is
but one opinion about the matter.
Perhaps we should say two opinions
everybody else's and our own. We hope
1t does not seem presumptuous, this
splitting the world into two parts. with
the mass on one side and our frail, in
Aix,il,to1 nYHiT1inI0 the other
Half of life, however, consists in per-
sonal opinions Almost everybody has
them, but not all have either the means
of expressing them or the desire. Au-
thorities of various kinds work to sup
press opinion through sheer force OF
merit, so that In the end only an &C.
casional person speaks up against what
many believe to be wrong.
*& ~
In the matter Of proper indoor tenn
perature. many factors have to be taken
into consideration, among them being
the all-important personal equation.
Just as no one can see for another
or taste for another, so no one can
creep into anothers skin and feel for
him. The question Of room temperature
thus gets back, in the last analysis, to
a question of taste. and taste is some
IlllIlB LlO tWO pCloOAlo o6ASS
Often enough they choose to disagree
even when they are in accord!
The theoretical 70-degree temperature
was set up in day and generation
when wooden underclothing covered the
limbs, chests and backs of most of the
populace. Any one as little as 80 years
old can remember the heavy under
wear" which children finched from.
"Oh. nav, 1t amt cold enough tc
put EN- on yeti" Such was the univer'
sal wall of childhood, with its naive
common sense. No boy or girl wanted tc
wear the hot, prickling underwear which
custom demanded for Winter clothing
Here again opinion was simply ar
acceptance Of old dicta. No one seemed
to stop to realize that while underwear
had not changed, home heating meth
DDS had changed very much.
The old drum stove had given way
to the furnace, in one of It's various
types, with the result that houses were
hotter all over. ONCE buildings and
places Of amusement were better heated
Today few persons realize that the
underwear habits of the Nation have