davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
Plea for Retirement
Benefit Action Made
no the Editor Of The Star:

10 the EDITOR OF The Star:
wish to thank you and express my
appreciation of the article published
in last evenings Star under the caption
~. S. Workers Hit Retirement Bill"
1t comes nearer to expressing the sem
timents of individual Federal employees
than anything I have seen in print.
Our outcrying need Is to obtain for
those already retired an increase in
annuity so that they will not feel that
they are objects of charity to those
who are willing to house them for the
tiny amount they can afford to pay.
Our next need is to enable those
whose health is declining (not neces-
Sarily because of old age), and who
have served the Government faithfully
for 25 or 80 years. to retire from actual
objects of charity to their family or
friends. We should have the option of
retiring after rs or 80 years of SER
vice or at 60 years of age, with the
same annuity paid to those who are
forced to retire at 10. Age is not the
determining factor in our ability to
work. There are many in the service
10 years of age who are more fit phys
ically and mentally than others who
have scarcely reached so. AS DR.. Work
states, it would be economical from the
Governments standpoint to enable
these employees to retire.
Of the $110.000,000 in the retire
ment fund, only $19000,000 has been
provided by the Government. the bal
ance, SOL 100000 representing the de-
auctions from our salaries. so there
should be no question of funds avail
able for the purpose. The retirement
fund, from the deductions from sal
aries is increasing by leaps and bounds
each year. VICTORIA G.. PEACOCK.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

in progress, under Mrs. Johnson's d.
rection. It may be recalled that the
trouble about Calvert Manor started
when johnson, who was in possession
under a lease, discovered that Senator
Caraway had acquired deed. john
son was chagrined because he had
planned to buy the property himself.
Caraway was mad because johnson
would not move out Immediately, as an
act of senatorial courtesy to the new
owner.
Proponents Of tariff on bananas as
q scheme for curtailing their importa-
ton, in the hope of compelling Amerf-
can Housewives to put more apples and
oranges and cereals on their tables TO
fill up the gap" have not succeeded In
enlisting much sympathy In Congress for
this proposal. Their contention that
foreign grown food products, such as
bananas, coconuts and sage, are sub
stitutes for the products Of the Amert-
can farms, and that the farmers should
be protected from this competition.
proceeds on the doubtful assumption
that it is possible to frame q tariff bill
which will change the eating habits of
the American people. They insist that
II q duty of SO cents or 81 per stem Is
levied on bananas importations, which
exceeded 100000 stems last year,
will dwindle, and the song refrain, yes,
we have no bananas today" will be
no longer q jest. The predominant view
of the congressional tariff thinkers Is
that q banana tariff would boost the
cost Of this staple and popular fruit
with no resulting benefit to American
agriculture.
Two distinguished feminine new
Corners to Congress, Ruth Hanna Nc
Cormick and Ruth Bryan Owen, are not
in favor of hiding their light beneath a
bushel. They aspire to stellar roles In
the House, that they may earlier render
conspicuous service in the affairs of
Government. Mrs. Mccormick has ap-
piled for a place on the naval affairs
committee, and Mrs. owen seeks ap-
pointment to the foreign affairs COM
mittee. Nothing less will suffice. Places
on these major committees are ordi-
narily awarded only to members Of
long service. Neither acouiescence In nor
refusal of the request of these charm
ing ladies Is going to be easy. Embar-
easements and heartburnings lie in
either course Decision is to be deferred
until the organization Of the House
committee at the opening of the regular
session next December.
Copyright, 1920
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES f. TRACEWE ELL.

| After all, there are great many more
consonants in the alphabet than there
are vowelS. We have always wondered
why there were only five vowels. and
their names are a, e, l, o, u, land some
| times Y and w"
These are the written novels, softly
spoken without obstruction in the vocal
passages, without the audible friction or
stoppage characteristic of the con-
sonants. There are other spoken
vowelS, but we confine ourself to the
written word.
The novels impress one as sly rascals
of letters, which have managed to GUST
their Woodworking cousins, the con-
sonantS from the places of honor. and
! have taken the lionns share for them
selvess
| Outnumbered to /, the crafty vowels
have nevertheless managed to get them
selves spoken more than all the con-
sonants put together.
| They have imposed themselves on
whole races of peoples, so that most of
us think a word no word at all except
it be literally sprinkled with a, e, l.,
| O or u.
There has been a quiet propaganda
going on through the centuries in favor
of these five letters, so that today the
most used is none other than the vowel
"e."
If you have ever had the misfortune
to get 1t knocked bodily off your type
writer, you will know how indispensable
| it is.
We are all SO used to accepting our
alphabet without investigation or
| bother that we sometimes forget Just
what curious proposition it is, after
ALL
The alphabet is almost as standard
lied as the multiplication table. Just
as there are a few students who ques-
ton the tables, although many rebel
at being forced to learn them, so
there are few who turn bolshevik over
the alphabet, and fewer still who get
away with it, when they do.
The so-called reformed spelling" has
made little Roadway, despite great
names and publications in its favor
in no way influenced millions. We
have q mild interest when we note
their spelling of "sulfur," but when
We write 1t ourSelf we use sulphur"
and so does every one else.
Conservatism itself is almost at q
standstill when 1t comes to words In
the words of the old darby spiritual,
II: was good for my father, it's good
enough for me-"
Yeti there is a constant change 60
ing on in words, too, almost slower
than changes in animal characteristics.
We do not refer to the new words
which are constantly introduced, as
mankind invents and creates and in
vestigates. Many of these catch on
| and become standard.
The real change in the language
comes about through subtle additions
and delegations which creep over
words. An example of this Is the word
dog" which is the name Of mans
four legged friend. AS applied to an
animal 1t means one thing, and as to
q human being another. So We find
"dog" in the dictionary but no Dogs"
| in the city or telephone directory.
In the meantime, since Jimmie Foxx
has shown us that the double cross"
may be strictly o. K, We may per-
haps expect the Goose to spell his last
| name Goslinn, If the fad spreads.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
Quebec Law Restores
Freedom of Press

From the Vancouver, B. c., Daily Province.
The Legislature of Quebec has lately
enacted law OF newspaper libel, the
Quebec press act, and Premier Tasche-
reau, who has been given the credit and
the praise for 1t by the newspapers of
that province, seems to have gone great
way to remove an anomalous and intol-
cradle state of affairs. Heretofore, it
appears, there was no such statute in
Quebec, and the law Of libel, based upon
an article of the French Civil Code, was
so indefinite that newspapers there fire.
quently paid damages rather than de-
fend suits in court, and there Is no
doubt that in SO doing they sometimes
submitted TO blackmail. The new law
purportS at once to preserve the reason
able freedom of the press and to protect
the citizen from libel, and may be said
to bring the statutory law of Quebec IN
line with the rest of Canada in this par
ticular.
The principal and material clauses Of
the new law provide: (a) That libel
action against newspaper must be
brought within three months of the pub
lication of the article complained Of.
tb) That no action shall lie until the
newspaper has had three days notice of
the same, so that the newspaper, in its
discretion, may either make retraction
or correction. (c) That If newspaper
thus makes full retraction, and estab-
fishes its good faith, only actual and
real damages may be claimed. I'D The
newspaper shall publish any reply, pro-
viding it is reasonable in length and
confined to the actual libel, the injured
party wishes to make; and when the
injured party has availed himself both
of the right to retraction and the right
to reply, no prosecution for libel shall
issue. (e) Reports, accurately made in
good faith, Of legislative, parliamentary
or court proceedings, or reports of pub
lie notices issued by the government, are
made privileged. O. A libel judgment
given against newspaper must be pub
lished therein upon the order of the
court. (g) No newspaper Is protected
by this act when the complainant is ac-
cused of criminal offense, or when the
article complained Of refers to candi-
date for Office, and was published within
three days of nomination day and up to
the day Of polling.
No responsible newspaper will object
to this law. BY the same token. no rea-
sonable citizen will say that this law
confers an undue freedom upon the
press.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
of Goes the Band!

A feature Of American town and even
village life has long been an interest
In brass bands. Many o community
with little or no other claim to fame
has been put on the map through Its
possession Of an organization OF musi-
clans enjoying . reputation country
wide, Statewide, or in some cases
transcending even these broad bound
aries. Sometimes it rejoiced In the title
"Silver Cornet Band" When that group
departed to play at some county fair
or to participate in some distant parade
or pageant, 1t received a send-off some
what comparable to that rendered a
stellar base ball team. The spirit OF
rivalry between the musical organiza-
lions of various towns was, and still is,
as estimable as it is Enthusiastically
American.
The Nations Capital Is the proud pos
SCISSOR of no fewer than three bands by
which we, its inhabitants, loyalty swear.
One is very ancient; two comparatively
new. The United States Army Band, d.
reN outgrowth OF the World War, Is
sbout to seek fresh laurels in foreign
/fieIds, and it carries with 1t the best
wishes Of every loyal Washingtonian.
That it will acquit itself with high credit
is the conviction Of each resident Of the
District and, in fact, of all Americans
fortunate enough to have heard it.
This organization was the recipient
Saturday night of testimonial cele-
bration staged on the eve of its de-
parture for Spain, where, at the forth
coming Ihero- American Exposition, i
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29

hrmed by the Charlotte News Demo
cratic) first, the tariff always has
increased. and always will increase, the
cost of the manufactured products he
has to buy more than 1t will increase
the price of the things he has to sell:
no people producing an excess of
farm products can export them unless
the imports coming back are largely
the products of the factory"
A warning from John Barrett, former
director of the Pan-American Union,
which Is quoted by the Baltimore Sun
independent Democratic) Is that "un-
favorable tariff legislation" might affect
favorable prospects to the south and
that there are coming from all over
Latin America reports of business I'M
rest, possible tariff reprisals and other
indications Of serious economic uncer-
tainty about the future of United States
Latin America trade relations"
Speaking Of Canada. the Detroit
News independently urges: "If there is
to be any discriminatory tariff legiSla-
ton, then for heavens sake let it not
be at the expense Of our best customer
and next-door neighbor, but rather
against the countries whose lower
standards of living constitute at least a
rational argument for shutting out their
products"
Support for the Presidents flexible
tariff ideas comes from the Columbus
Evening Dispatch independently and
Cleveland News independent Repub-
lican), while the Springfield (Ill) State
Journal Republican, comments: eft. is
possible President Hoover is overopti-
mistic in expecting that higher salaries
will bring to the Tariff Board the sort of
service he desires. The tariff is still in
politics and the machinery for its adj
mlnistration will not be surrendered by
the politicians. Hope OF improvement"
continues that paper. lis in the develop
ment ola political type unhampered by
the tradition that 1t Is good politics to
sidestep responsibility"
Asserting that tariff levels are al
ready destructively high" the Dayton
Daily News independent Democratic)
quotes President Hoover's statement
that sit Is obviously an unwiSe pro-
lection which sacrifices q greater
amount of employment in exports to
gain less amount of employment from
imports" and adds, IF only that hao
DCCll VI DCAOIc, tIlcIc WOulu u
no agricultural problem to plague us
now" The New York Evening World
independently and Davenport Democrat
Democratic) protest against the pres
ent or increased power Of the President
and Tariff Board as undemocratic.
A view expressed by the Worcester
Gazette independently is that 1t seems
unlikely that this arrangement would
make the President a tariff car" -;
that ''his function, 1t would seem.
origins clause of the immigration act.
In other words, he apparently would
not exercise his individual Judgment
but would merely register the with Of
Congress as formulated by the Tariff
Commission"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
Opposes Auto Parking
On Streets at Night

70 the Editor Of The Star;
An article appeared in your paper
Of April % on parking changes being
sought" in "front Of apartment houses
of more than four stories" Why the
discrimination? OF course. the cars
could be parked on adjoining streets.
but would not the sensible thing be
to not allow all-night parking at all?
Certainly, for the Capital Of the
"U. S." to allow its streets to be
used for public garages" is an eye
sore. The streets lined with cars and
trucks of all descriptions does not
beautify city In the night hours.
Have you ever noticed that Baltimore
presents better appearance at night
than our city, where millions are being
spent to beautify 1t?
In my humble opinion it would not
only aid the firemen but the police, in
keeping down crime, to compel people
to put their cars In garages at night.
o. M. BLUNDON.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
The Eligibility Of Mr.. Mellon.

The Senate committee on judiciary
has wracked its brains over the ques-
ton whether Andrew w. Mellon is in
eligible to hold office as Secretary Of
the Treasury because he owns stock In
several commercial corporations. And
on the narrow construction of an old
statute . very considerable portion Of
the committee Is inclined to hold him
ineligible. Indeed, q report has been
prepared by Senator Norris of Nebras-
ka. chairman of the committee, insist
ing that Mr.. Mellon is not eligible.
The law which the committee has
been called upon to construe under a
resolution offered in the Senate by
Senator Mcclellan Of Tennessee in part
follows:
"No person appointed to the office of
Secretary Of the Treasury. or Treasurer,
or Register, shall directly or indirectly
be concerned or interested in carrying
on the business Of trade or commerce"
There is much more Of the law. but this
Is the language WHICH, LuS DCcA 4uVOco
against Mr.. Mellon.
Mr.. Norris, in his tentative report on
the matter at issue. insists that the
question might be simpliied by asking:
lis person owning stock in corpora
ton even indirectly concerned or in
terested In the business of such cor
poration?"
The Senator from Nebraska, however,
omits from his simplified question two
very important words of the statute
which, If included, give very different
aspect to the matter. They are carry
ing on" Mr.. Norris and the Senators
who believe as he does say that to be
interested In q business is the same
thing as to be interested "in carrying
on" business. But If they are correct.
why did the authors of the statute in
clude words which clearly indicate that
the interest In commercial enterprises
objected to was an actively operated in
terest? A farmer in Iowa may own
stock in a minegin Colorado or stock in
q wooden mill In Massachusetts,. but 1t
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
Defying the Law.

Early last Wednesday morning Oficer
Rouse, following an automobile across
Anacostia Bridge and firing at its tires
through dense smoke screen, shot and
killed the driver of the car. A blast of
criticism against this officer for having
used his gun was followed by an inquest
on Thursday afternoon, and after hear
ing testimony regarding the incident a
coroner's jury held officer Rouse for
the action Of the grand jury. He was
Immediately suspended without pay and
released from custody after furnishing
bond in the sum of thousand dollars.
On Thursday night OfIlcer Rinke.
chasing an automobile suspected of
carrying liquor. was fired upon. either
by the occupants of that car or by
those in another car escorting it. He
pursued without firing in return and
the occupants Of the automobile, aban-
doning it in an alley, made their escape.
The car contained liquor.
On Friday night and during the early
hours of Saturday morning Oficers
Campbell, Rhone, Baltimore, Sinclair,
Brown and Cunningham were at diff
ferent times involved in the pursuit of
four separate automobiles, which used
speed and laid down smoke screens to
make good their escape. None of these
officers so much as drew q pistol. None
of them fired a shot. All Of them, tenn
porarily blinded by smoke containing q
mixture Of burned oil and ammonia
fumes, followed the suspects rs far as
they could and gave up the chase.
In the case of Policeman Rinke, he
said that he did not return the fire of
those in the automobile he was pur-
suing because Of the criticism which
had been leveled at his brother officer
Rouse. who did use o gun. In the case
Of the other officers questioned regard
ing their failure to use revolvers to eff
feet the capture of men committing q
felony by using the smoke-screen de-
vice, they avoided any direct explana-
ton.
But what Is the most natural conclu-
sion to draw from this recital Of events?
The only logical conclusion is that
our police officers are beginning to feel
that the path Of least resistance is the
safest. Give up the pursuit and no
questions are asked. Shoot, and the
oficer faces loss of pay, disgrace and
q possible trial as q criminal.
The logical developments from such
q situation as that which now confronts
the community. unless the community
supports the Police Department In a
drastic effort to remedy 1t, are fearfully
apparent. Immunity from the law lies
in the possession of an automobile
faster than q motor cycle or police car,
equipped with q smoke-screen device
and defying the law to catch up. The
use Of mustard gas and hand grenades
a$not become general, up to this time,
as improved methods Of evading both
ersome police officers. All the under
world asks, however, is time and little
mere maudlin sentiment from It's law
abiding sympathizers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29

This boy Jimmie Foxx Of the Phila-
delphia Athletics has got lot of people
consonant-minded.
If you stop to think about it, there is
no real reason in the world why Fox
should not be a FoxX.
The writer here has a double Il" on
the end of his name and 1t doesn't
strike him nor any reader as odd, but
somehow Foxx looks as If the typewriter
had slipped.
Yeti (there we 60 doing it already
there are several precedents for double
consonant at the end Of an animal sur
name
We have Gait and Hogg, both very
prominent families.
But no Dogg!
Let the lovers of mans best friend
explain this II they can, how the word
has come into such diSrepute that there
is not Dogg in the city directory.
Once one becomes addicted to the
double consonant, no doubt 1t Is habit
which appeals nightly.
Men Of good will by the names Of
Lion, Fish, Bear and Bird, respectively
might blossom forth as Lionn, Fishh
Bearr and Birdd, likewise respectively
There is no telling where the thing
would stop. If two terminal consonants,
why not three?
Thus Congress might pass law
making the official designation the
Congress- of the Uniteddd Statesss.
The Capital City would become
Washington, or Washingtonnn, or
Washingtonnnn, just for extra good
measure.
1t might be possible to allow cities
to take on extra final consonantS in
accordance with population. so that If
Washington, with half million, was
fixed as the standard with one ter
fhinal consonant only, New York City
would be entitled to be written as fol-
lows:
Newwwwwwwwwww Yorkkkkkkkkkkk.
The name offs the great metropolis,
with her something more than 5000, 600
inhabitants (as estimated for July,
1929, would show her population at a
glance.
The same principle (shall We call 1t
reasoning?) could be applied to cities
ending in vowels. Thus the populations
of the two leading cities would show as
well as the names:
Chicagoooo6o.
Philadelphiaaaa.
y
The vowel has too long held the as
cendancy. Maybe the time Is at hand
for ending this reign.
The genius of our language Is per-
haps nearer to the consonant than to
the vowel. VowelS merely aid In max
ing a tongue more fluent, more sono-
rous. The italian speech, with its heavy
vowels, Is the universal musical Ian
guage.
It is interesting to note that the
Hawaiian language, which fairly rip
pies with the letters 20" and "a" is
the native tongue of natural musicians.
too.
The prominence assumed by musicc
in allll cultural countries has led to
great stresses being placed on Ian
guages In whichh the vowels predomi-
nate.
All the time such tongues as Welsh
have gone right along with their queer
(to us) combinations of double con-
sonants. Every one has seen Russian
names with SO few vowels that an
American cannot get grip on them
to pronounce them.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.


Relaxation.
l went a-fishing where the sky
Was mild and blue and shining.
Each cloud that lightly drifted by
Turned out its silver lining.
nshed until the sun sank low
And left the world to dreaming:
And even in the moons white glow
I watched the ripples cleaning.
No finny prize adorned the hook
Out in the tide suspended.
Not even one small nibble shook
The line that I extended.
Yet there is nothing would say
To anger or to shame them.
The fish we're on a holiday
You really couldn'd blame them.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
The Old Song,

The Old Song.
This is the burden of the song
That sounds among the busy throng
"Oh, am right and you are wrong"
Though for a time two men agree,
A parting there is sure to be,
And each the little book will read
That shows the precept or the creed
Which to his special mood appeals.
And so the hurrying world reveals
OF thought constant clash and play
Which brings both pleasure and dismay
And still we hear the ancient song
Resound among the busy throng:
oh, / am right and you are wrong.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29

It is rumored that Col. Lindbergh
has all the fame he wants. Fame is
sometimes irksome. But once acquired,
it can never be relinquished. II is q
glorincation which involves much hand
shaking and perpetual effort to look
pleasant while being photographed.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
The Post Gard.

The Post Card.
How beautiful the post card seems
A mellow sunshine sheds its beams
On ancient walls or stately trees,
Where all the world seems at its ease.
1t shows no dust or smarting heat,
Nor counters filled with things to eat,
No crowded cars nor smelly ships,
No petty bandits out for tips;
1t illustrates glorious scene
Where all is silent and serene.
To make a restful holiday.
For every traveller on his way.
A picture from the Land Of Dreams,
How beautiful post card seems!