davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
AMUSEMENT FACILITIES
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

institution than radio and has, there
fore, had more years in which TO pene.
trate the countries Of the world. Some
changes in rank of the countries using
this entertainment facility, IS comparet
70 the radio rank. are to be noted. Fol-
example. although GERMANY stands thirt
IN radio rank, that country takes secont
place In motion picture theaters aTlC
probably in seating capacity. GERMANY
has 5,226 theaters, and when it is re-
membered that her population Is les
than half OF ours 1t appears that hel
adoption Of this facility brings her I'D 1
at least half Of our relative total.
The British Isles come third In movie
with 1926 theaters. France Is fourtl
with 3,ll3; then Italy with 2,4O5. ant
then Spain with 2074 No other coun-
try mas as many as 2,000 motion picture
theaters, although several have more
than 1000.
Huge Capital Invested.
One reason-probably the chief reason
for such pre-eminence in these fields in
this country Is that both the radio ana
the motion picture have been developed
by American inventive genius. Neither
radio nor the principle OF the motion
picture was invented by an American.
but the refinements and large-scaIe ex-
ploitation are due to American initia-
ave. All the rest OF the countries Of
the world together have invested but
q fraction Of the sums Americans have
put into the two businesses.
MOST radio receiving sets In the
united states are found in New York
State, $4,000. Emphasizing the fact
that distance makes no difference In use
OF radio Is the fact that California, at
the other side OF the continent, stands
second with l,470,000. Illinois has
l,06O,000 sets. Only these three States
show more than 100000 sets. PENN
sylvania, however, has or, 900 and Ohio
S45, 900 sets.
As an example showing the even dis
tribution Of wealth throughout the
country, 1t is found that Nevada, the
state with the smallest population, has
the fewest number of sets, only $4,000.
But the smallest separate political
division in the United States--the Dis
trict Of Columhia--has more sets than
any one Of II individual States, los, 600.
This Is more than one set to every fivo
residents, or one to every single family
in the National Capital.
Radio and the motion picture have
been referred to especially as being ia
ctlities for amusement. They are pre-.
ponderantly so. Nevertheless, to an
pIoyed as educational facilities. For
example, every public school In the
State Of New Jersey Is equipped with
radio. Not only the usual formal lee
lures and sermons, but definite courses
Of instruction are conducted over the
radio. For some years the motion pic
ture has been utilized in the schools.
The United States Government in sew
eral Of its departments uses motion
pictures to instruct farmers, miners and
many other types Of workers in the best
methods available In their industries.
The real lesson of the statistics
seems to be that II but q handful
Of the people can continue to support
half the entertainment in the world
and pay the highest prices for it, they
are not so badly on as some pessimists
] would have us believe.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

The amount Of time the rank and
file of the people spend upon amuSe-
ments and the volume Of money they
| devote to that purpose Is probably as
good an index to their economic we'll
being as any which could be found. In
these times, when the entire world Is
getting over q dispiriting period of bust-
ness depression, Americans can md
considerable satisfaction in realizing
that they are, relatively, very well OF.
OF the amusements which attract
modern people all over the world the
radio and the motion picture stand out
| far above any others. The United States
that scarcely any other nation can be
| called q second.
Add together all of the radio receiv-
| ing sets In all the other countries OF
the world and the total win not be so
great as the number owned by Ameri-
cans. The 122,000,000 people of this
| Nation have more of these devices than
! all the rest of the worlds 1900, 600, 900
population combined.
The most recently compiled statistics
show that there are 24,lS2, 56l radio
receiving sets in the world. OF this total
| 1919 500 sets are to be found in Amer
lean homes-more than half of the
world aggregate.
Radio receiving sets obviously are of
little value unless there is something to
| be heard. So, keeping pace with the
volume Of receiving sets placed Iii use,
the broadcastng companies have pro-
vided an adequate number of broad
| casting stations OF the world total
Of 1912 the United States has 6I4.
Turning now to the motion picture
| field, we find that there are 81 ,744 movie
theaters throughout the world. OF
these, %, 700-somewhat less than half,
but a goodly proportion-are located in
American cities. World figures are not
available on seating capacity, but it Is a
| fair conjecture that II the figures were
available they would show more than
half of the motion picture seating ca
pacity in this country. The world list
includes many small houses in faraway
lands along with the mammoth theaters
seating thousands found in the United
| States. Regardless of size, each Is
| counted as one theater. There are, OF
course, large motion picture theaters In
European countries, but not 90 many 60
here.
World Distribution.
In world distribution Of radio receiv-
| ing sets, 1t is shown that the British
| Isles come second in rank. There are
| $4,000 sets there. Germany presses
hard with third place, having 3,066, 900
receiving sets. france mas 1,00O.OOO
sets. Not another country has so many
as 100000 sets.
Japan, a country which until less than
a century ago was wholly ignorant of
modern mechanics as applied in the
| Occident, takes fourth place in this
newest device and has 641 900 radio re-
ceiung sets. Fifth place Is shared, 80
far as 1t Is possible to obtain statistics,
| by one of the most ancient and conser-
vative peoples Of Europe and the new
est and most revolutionary-Spain and
| with 100000 sets.
Figures would vary greatly II reduced
| to per capita terms The United states
| is far ahead of every other nation on
| this basis as well as in respect TO total
number owned. Sweden, with only $50,
/ 600 sets, stands second.
The motion picture is much older
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
Arlington's New Government.

Aside from the faetional or party
gains and losses in the communities
adjacent to Washington, by far the
most interesting result of the election Is
Arlington County's substitution Of the
county manager form OF government for
its archaic and unwieldy commission
system. The county manager plan won
by about five to one, and Arlington
County win now experiment with sys-
tenn successfully adopted In q large
number Of progressive counties of the
country.
The reforms promised under the
county manager plan lie in the pro-
vision Of salaried executive and ad-
ministrator. working under a legislative
board of five members elected from the
county at large. thus assuring a govern
mental organization that centralizes the
power to act and bases its actions on
the needs Of the whole county instead
Of the three magisterial districts here
tofore represented by the three county
supervisors. The complaints against
the old supervisor form Of government
were based chiefly on the contention
that the three commissioners paid more
attention to the needs of their districts
than to the county at large, that by
common understanding each of the
commissioners was privileged to formu-
late policies for his own district, the
Board Of Supervisors approving the
policies IS a matter Of course. The
result was that Arlington. which is one
of the smallest counties in area in the
United States, but with city popula-
ton Of some $4,000, in reality required
the centralized form Of government of
q municipality, but received instead the
loose and cumbersome administration Of
county.
The new board of five members will
have legislative power. The adn1inistra-
tive functions viii come under county
manager appointed by and responsible
to the board. This manager will pos
sess all the administrative and execu-
tive powers of the county government,
with power of appointment and removal
Of the subordinate employees. No new
governmental powers are conferred, the
change being merely to put the county
government on a more businesslike basis.
Proponents Of the plan believe it will
enable the county to 60 forward toward
the fine development Of the county
promised by its proximity to the Ma
tional Capital and the new plans for
Washington and its environs.
The change is important, in so far
as 1t affects the work Of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission
and allied bodies working for park and
other development In the metropolitan
district. Realization of these plans de-
ponds in great measure upon co-opera-
ton between the Federal agencies in
Washington and the governing bodies
in the adjoining political subdivisions.
The new plans Of government for Ar
lington providing for centralized au-
thority and establishing the power to
act directly should so far to remove
some of the obvious handicaps that
have retarded the eounty's advance.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
Crime and Children.

The White House Conference on Child
welfare presents some impressive 1g-
ures.
Crime, it announces, costs the United
States sixteen billion dollars q year.
There are approximately million GRIM
inals Of one sort or another.
The total expended for the welfare Of
MISUNDERSTANDING. of course, the pub
lie schools--is only five billions. There
are nifty millions to be benefited
rev would claim seriously that there
d q perfect inverse relationship between
crime and the environment Of Youth
chat every dollar expended in improving
tne second means dollar less in the
cost OF the first. Both the causes Of
crime and the effects Of environment
are altogether too complicated to fit any
such sociological law Criminals come
from both Fairgrounds and pool rooms.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
Hoover Faces Special Session,
Coalition and Dry Questions

tial wet deluge. For them the proposed
bill to regulate public utilities, the pro-
posed bill to regulate the issuance Of
judicial injunctions, the proposed bill
to solve Muscle Shoals in the direction
Of governmental operation, the proposed
bill to enact the debenture plan or the
equalization fee for the relief" of agri-
ing lame duck" sessions Of Congress,
the proposed bill for driving the gam
blers" from the commodity exchanges,
the proposed bill for improving and en-
1argtng the Federal Employment Ex-
change Service, the proposed bill for
striking down the yellow dog contract
between capital and labor and the
whole score or so Of other such pro-
posed bills for economic Regeneration"
are as just nothing at all in comparison
with the assured perpetuation of the
eighteenth amendment and Of its &C.
companying enforcement laws.
Democrats Seen e. Wet.
This state Of mind on the part Of
the drys sends them straight toward
Mr.. Hoover under the lash Of their fear
Of Mr.. Morrow Of New Jersey, Eepuo-
ltcan, and Of Mr.. Roosevelt Of New
York, Mr.. Richie Of Maryland and
Mr.. Buckley of Ohio, Democrats. They
foresee only wet Republican or wet
Democratic alternatives to Mr.. Hoover.
They are preparing, accordingly, to PUT
their whole weight on the Hoover side
in 1882. They calculate that on the
prohibition issue they can swing to him
In November Of 1882 on the presidential
election day the votes Of many a State
which Is partisanly Democratic but
non-partisanly and determinedly dry.
In order, however, that this plan Of
theirs may come to fruition 1t is neces-
sary that President Hoover, from their
point Of view, remain bone dry. The
results Of last Tuesday have not in the
slightest degree divorced the dry leaders
from the bone-dry position. They will
have more than two-thirds of the House
of Representatives and fully three
quarters of the Senate in the Congress
which will be in existence throughout
the next presidential campaign. They
as dry. For q bone-dry presidential
candidate they will subordinate all
other issues and all party allegiance.
They will not tolerate in him, however,
any deviation from bone-dry policies.
The whole political outlook therefore
is in the end dominated today by the
report presently expected from the
Presidents Law Enforcement Commits
sion headed by George w. WickershaIn.
If it Is bone-dry, the President can go
along with it and get the dry support
which he has to have in 1892. II it Is
moist, the President will be in the
almost intolerable situation of having
to choose between the supposedly fact.
ual'' report of his own commission and
the undivided enthusiastic political as
sistance of the element which is vital
to his fortunes.
tcopyrisht, 1900
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

Award Of the 1880 Nobel prize for
literature to the American novelist and
former washingtonian, Sinclair Lewis.
received scant notice yesterday in the
press Of election news, considering its
far-reachine significance.
The award comes to the United
States for the frst time. The reason
for the long delay is apparent, II we are
honest with ourselves. The level OF
American literature in the last two gen.
erations has been low. 1t has subsisted
on borrowed ideas. originating nothing
and improving nothing. The American
mind has nlossomed in other directions.
It has been unequal 70 the severe dis
cipline Of literature,
Even the naming Of Lewis may APP
pear to many as q courtesy award.
The author of Main street" ana 'Bab-
bitt" seems a rather crude intruder in
the company Of Knut Hamsun, STAN
islaus Reymont. Gracia Deledda, Rud-
yard Kipling, George Bernard shaw,
Sisrid Undet and Thomas Mann. In
his work there is barely an echo Of the
cosmic music of THE Peasants,
"Kristin Lavransdatter" or The Magic
Mountain" There Is barely . trace of
that intimate and profound penetration
Of nature and the human heart. that
inner realism which goes beneath the
masks Of sights and sounds. which
places sigrid Undet and Thomas Mann
among the ifnmortals. TO this group
Lewis comes not a. seer and poet
into the company OF his peers. but as 4
reporter for the morning paper with
pad Of note paper and camera.
Why. then. should the ewedish
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
SHOOTING STARS.
NY PH1LANDER JOHNSON.

An Authoritative o. X.
I've oft heard Wagner rendered
BY the most expensive bands;
I've seen ovations rendered
While the public clapped its hands.
Them chordS-when some one strikes
EN-
Seem to jar the neighborhood;
But wife, she says she likes 'em,
So I guess they're purity good.
OF Browning I'm suspicious,
For Byron don't care;
I don't like foreign dishes
Upon my bill o. fare.
Chrysanthemums look woolly
An frazzled to my sight,
But wife approves EN- fully,
30 reckon they're all right.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
Business Is Picking Up;
Dollar Now Buys More
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Business activity, behind the field In
the last dash for the 1880 wire, is be-
ginning to pick up ground. Its posi-
ton Is far less discouraging than many
persons think.
1t is admitted that Americas for
eign trade has suffered more severely
than its domestic commerce, yet S. r.
March Of the industrial machinery
division Of the Department of Com
merce asserts that machinery ship
ments for the first nine months of this
year have been only per cent less
than those for the corresponding period
Of 1929. Industrial machinery is the
most active line in foreign trade just
now and the one most likely to be AZ
fected by depression. In 1929 shipments
were rs per cent above 1928. Thus
this year represents a gain of 20 per
cent over two years ago. which was re-
garded as most prosperous period.
No line Of retail trade, with the pos
sible exception of automobiles, has
shown extraordinary drops. Recessions
Of 5 to ID per cent are common in In
dividual businesses, even in the most
Is picking up, not only because the peo-
pie feel the urge to buy more strongly;
but because prices are advantageous
and quality IL unquestionably higher
than In prosperous years.
Competition Keener In Slumps.
Competition is keener in years of de-
preston and Is q result manufacturers
take far more care that their goods shall
not suffer by comparison. Workers,
facing the possibility Of the loss of their
jobs, are putting forth their best eff
forts to keep the quality of their work
ct such standard that they cannot be
dispensed with.
The Census Bureau says that as a re-
suit the purchaser of almost any COM
modify today will get more for his
money than in normal times. Observa-
ton and instruction, says the bureau,
have taught the American people that
they have greater purchasing power
for each dollar during times Of business
depression than when things are thriv-
ing and production is being pushed to
the limit. When demand for commodi-
ties is greater, or even as great, as the
supply, the main effort is to step I'D
mass production so this demand can be
met. Consequently, the same care Is
not taken in the making of goods Is
when demand is less and competition
greater.
It Is equally obvious that when
workman knowssit would be dAfnc1lt 70
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

Academy of Literature, which makes
the award and whose judgment has
been almost beyond question in the
past, have selected him? Is he the best
America has to offer?
When we consider his possible COM
petitors among American authors the
answers to these questions begin to APP
pear. Dresser probably would be elm
mated for his abominably sloppy Eng
lish style. His psychological penetra-
ton 10 decidedly inferior to that of any
of the writer's to whom the award has
been made hitherto. Hergesheimer
catches now and then note from the
soul of the past but what q pitiably
pallid figure he is compared with Sig
rid Undet So on through the list. It
is difficult to find an American author
who equals in any way some European
in the same field. There is no original
note. Lewis himself seems q dwarf in
comparison to Thomas Mann. working
in very similar field
But he has his virtues. His photo
graphically detailed pictures of our
times will be invaluable adjuncts to
history. He has created In George F.
Rabbit. Martin Arrowsmith, and, pos
sibly, the Rev. Elmer Gantry, charac-
tiers with the breath Of life about them.
He has rescued human types from the
shifting scenes Of the American epic.
He revealed Babbittry to Rabbit and,
to judge by the signs of the times,
started that SNUG realtor on the way to
reform. In Arrowsmith he struck q
still higher note-approaching nearer
to his European contemporaries-and
accomplished much for sounder prin-
ciples Of evaluation In American life.
Lewis never has gone to the soul Of
America. Neither has anybody else
since Whitman. Bue he has exceeded
his contemporaries in the accuracy and
realism of his paintings of the surface
Of things. II any American was to re-
ceive the Nobel prize there can be little
dissatisfaction that it should have
come TO this former fellow townsman.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

obtain another Job he guards his pres
ent employment to the utmost. Hence
he is more painStaking in his work,
knowing that in periods Of hard times
1t Is the natural thing for the EN-
ployer to lay OF the least efficient and
careful workmen and to retain the
skilled and efficient operatives, who will
form the nucleus Of organization when
he comes again to build 1t to full
strength.
The average employer prefers to cut
prices and profits in periods Of depres-
sion rather than lower quality Of prod
uct. for he is afraid, and rightly, that
II he fails to satisfy his customers dur
ing a depressed period they will seek
other sources Of supply in periods Of
prosperity.
Palliative Not q Cure.
There Is no doubt whateyer-and this
is proved by actual figures reported to
Government departments--thAt the fall
of production below It's normal level ID
Of temporary benefit to the purchaser
and that he can get more for his dollar
today than In periods Of prosperity.
This, however, Is like aspirin, Q PAL
liative, not o cure. Everybody, accord
ing to Government experts, would be
better of II commodity prices were
Ll1SAlCAt II CLAPASyAAACAAb WCkO eAOobOA oAA
buying power more active. But taking
advantage Of the momentary benefit to
the purchaser is step toward that
condition.
The effect of knowledge Of the values
which can be obtained by buying now
il clearly reflected Ia the statement Of
inventories of both manufacturing and
retail establishments. Home larders are
not well stocked. Retailers shelves are
partly empty, with little choice Of sizes
or STYLES available for buyers. The
space In warehouses shows lamentable
lack of wholesale stocks. Finished goods
In mill and factory yards are well be-
low the levels Of a year ago and stocks
of raw materials in the hands Of con-
suners are remarkably small.
In other words, consumption has
been exceeding production for some
time. This cannot continue indefi-
nitely, for the buying power Of the Ma
ton Is to large extent undiminished,
as Is evidenced by the savings bank
figures showing en- increase In deposits
Of 42e0.ooo,oO0 In the year ended June
tCopyrisht. 1890
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

The best break that foot ball Of
ficials can possibly get Is to have their
names set in agate type at the bottom
Of the lineup. There Is no comment
If the oficiating Is excellent, but plenty
if one of them slips up on q decision or
a rule construction. And remember
that they put in real afternoons
work, both mentally and physically
Not player on the field does as much
running, or much faster running.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

Hunters in the Highlands of Scot
land are said to have come upon sew
eral sleeping stays recently. SO strict
are the canons OF British sport that 1t
IL assumed that the gunner in each
ease set an alarm clock, placed 1t by the
slumbering animal, and then stepped
OF a certain distance consistent with
notions Of fair play.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

Those goggle-eyed goldfish which are
to come as gift to Mr.. and Mrs.
Hoover at the White House will serve
as continual reminders Of the amaze
ment Of the Presidents party over how
close 1t came to losing control of both
houses of Congress.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

The rustic and swish of taffeta petit
coats is coming back, according to
those who follow and foretell the trends
of fashion. Just think, there are mil
lions and millions Of children, and not
very young ones at that, who have
never even heard It'll
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

A new queer animal, as yet unidenti-
fed, has been found in New Guinea.
1t has a bill like bird, spines like a
hedgehog, pouch like q kangaroo's,
lays eggs, nurses its young, lives I'M
derground and can change its own
temperature. Whatever 1t may be. the
manufacturers of black bass bats will
soon be putting out an imitation Of IT..
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
The Difference.

II made UP my mind our boy Josh
should have q fine education" remarked
Farmer Corntossel
"And now ne shows his superior
knowledge"
mo. Josh doesn't know much more
than I do. The only difference is that
he uses longer words"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

Michigan Boulevard, Chicago. has re-
Gently been full Of turtles. whose num-
bers succeeded In blocking trafnc.
washington boulevards suffer often
from the presence Of motorists who APP
parently seek to emulate these animals.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

Spain has just shipped one million
pounds of gold to England, the ship
ment, Of course, being heavily guarded.
She used to send great deal of the
same metal to that country about $50
years ago, via the Drake-Hawkins route.