Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-16
FORCED LABOR TAX
SYSTEM OPPOSED
Geneva Office Condemns Plan
of Requiring Certain Time
for Public Work.
BY JOHN f. SINCLAIR,
,cial Dispatch to The Star.


Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, January l6.-"It isn't
the heat it's the humidity" How
many times one hears that remark In
the course of year, especially in the
Summer, when the thermometer is
boiling!
Nothing can be done about the
weather, but plenty can be done about
humidity.
In Winter, when the temperature is
below zero, it is proper humidity, plus
heat, which makes the home COM
Portable.
THE air, having low relative hu-
Nudity. ahsorbs water from the furnace;
rugs, woodwork and our own bodies
said Edward w. Brehm, president of
the Doherty- Brehm Co. of Minneapolis.
After making this statement, Mr.. Brehm
went on:
you've seen how furniture dries up
in Winter-how paint peels off-hoW
plaster cracks. Why? Because there is
not enough moisture in the air. The
artificial heat absorbs it. You will
notice, too, that colds, bronchitis, ton
silitiS and pneumonia are far more
prevalent in Winter than in Summer.
Why? Because the moisture problem
has not been properly handled"
rs there scientific way to meet the
problem of proper moisture in heated
home?" I asked.
ITO maintain correct relative humid
ity in the average to 18 room house
in zero weather 1t is necessary to evapo-
rate from 10 to $50 gallons of water a
day." replied Mr.. Brehm. Homes of
the future will be supplied with equip
ment to meet this problem, for 1t affects
not only property but health. And the
saving of fuel, too, under proper hui
Nudity conditions, runs as high as is
to 80 per cent"
Mr. Brehm and his engineering part
ner, Doherty, a graduate of the Massa-
chusettS Institute of Technology, as
serts that the humidifying business is
receiving greater attention today from
architects and building engineers than
it ever has before.
And why not? For what is more inn
portant than health and comfort in the
home and the ONCE.
Fashion DEGREES and woman bows!
This much, at least, is evident from the
annual Spring fashion show Of the
garment retailers of America. which
Is in New York this week. AS many as
40 living models are on exhibition. The
lines definitely established last Fall,
around which such protest was raised,
still rule.
More than 1000 buyers and merchan-
disc managers from all parts of the
United States are in attendance. Cotton
for coats, afternoon dresses, evening
gowns, wraps and sports wear.
Skirts average from four to six inches
below the knee for informal day time
wear. The sport frocks carry the short
est skirts. All o'clock frocks and dance
frocks are long, with trailing drapertes
largely eliminated.
Hats are larger-the fioppy brim
variety being much Gin evidence.
The colors are mostly pastel shades,
particularly peach. pink. blue and green.
Style trends, therefore, are definitely
away from those Of two years ago.
Prof. o. M w. Sprague, 81, of Har-
ward University, selected for an impor-
tant post with the Bank Of England,
has been a professor of finance and
Harvard, except for four years from
1905 to 1908, when he was professor of
economies at the Imperial University
Of Toxic, Japan.
Prof. Sprague is the author Of three
well knokn works on finance-"The His
tory Of Crises Under the National Bank
ing. System" issued in 1910; Banking
one year later, and Theory in History of
Business" issued in 1917.
1t is understood that Prof. Sprague's
work will be to help iron out certain
definite problems that have arisen be-
tween the Bank of England and the
central banks Of certain other European
nations.
Recently Prof. Sprague co-operated
with the Chamber of Commerce of the
TNAtf AA kmtA To-
which that organization made on the
Federal Reserve system. He is recog-
nized as one Of the country's leading
specialists in the field Of banking and
credit.
How much forced labor is there in the
world? BY forced labor we mean all
tarily, but rather under the menace of
punishment for not doing it.
Forced labor Is widespread in the va
rious colonies Of the tropics. It Is used
for public works like railroad building
road building, internal improvements
often it takes the form of tax reQuir-
ing each native to give the government
certain number of hours year.
The international labor ONCE at &C.
neva has strongly condemned this prac-
tice. Forced labor is blind alley, the
forced worker is not likely to acquire a
taste for work. On the contrary, all
the associations of compulsion tend to
give him an active distaste for it," says
the labor ONCE.
No figures are available to show the
extent Of the forced labor. But it is
more widespread thon is generally be-
lieved.
j. ]. Edgerton, president of the Ma
tional Association of Retail Credit Men,
has no fear Of installment buying even
at this time.
Potential purchasing power of i'm
mense volume remains virtually I'M
tapped. 1t can be probably and safely
developed by proper utilization of the
credit facilities open to retail custo-
mers," he says.
Credit men recognize the resistance
on the part of many consumers to push
q campaign Of installment purchasing
at this time. Some Of them believe that
the installment purchase idea has gone
too far already. But the National As
ISOLATION Of Retail Credit Men declares
that only 26 per cent of their total sales
are charge accounts and only per cent
Of the total-$1 in $20-is covered by
installment purchase plan.
The principle underlying installment
purchasing iS SiT1nla 10 koh