Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

Recalling O little song that has for
years been popular in certain circles
and at hilarious stag parties. sung for
the purpose Of making fun of William
Howard Taft, helpful friend of the Fill
pino people, and to reflect upon the
Filipinos, whom Taft had called "our
brown brothers." the refrain of which
runs thus:
"He may be a brother of William H.
Taft, but he amt no relation OF mime
Camilo OSiaS, Resident Commissioner
from the Philippine Islands, in empha-
sizing in the House the value of Mr..
Taft's services in winning the Filipino
peoples confidence in the aims and pur-
poses of the American Government"
and in helping to clay the foundation
for the stable government there" said:
1T wonder If those men who used to
delight in singing that song do not now
realize what pigmies they are by the
side of that great and good man who
could look upon his fellow man as his
brother regardless Of nationality or
race"
%A* &
what is a farm" This is one Of
the questions just decided by the Census
Bureau for the guidance of the enumer-
ators who will soon be starting out TO
get record of every resident. Accord
ing to the decision of this Federal
agency "a farm" Is all the land farmed
by one person whether 1t Is 8 acres or
5000 acres, and whether 1t Is divided up
In number of widely separated parcels.
1t make no difference how much farm
land one person owns, but how much
does he operate or farm. As a matter
OF fact the specialists in the Department
of Agriculture estimate that there are
some 5000 miniature farms Of less than
8 acres in this country, to which in
dividuals gave their entire time last
year.
In taking the approaching 1890 agri-
cultural census, areas of less than 3
acres will not be listed as farms unless
they produced as much as $3.50 worth of
farm products last year. Small areas
OF more than acres will be classed as
farms regardless of the value of prod
ucts, If the land is actually being
worked.
The uniformed employees whom Uncle
Sam sends to deliver mail to each home
throughout the land are proving the
best aid to chemists in testing the wear
ing ability Of shoe soles, as tanned by
different processes.
nation that there are two ways of tan
ming Interchangeable tanning and
chrome tanning. In recent years at
tempts have been made to combine the
two methods, so IS to unite the desirable
qualities Of each, and the product Is
known as chrome RETAINED leather. To
get data on the actual wearing qualities
those in charge Of the experiment have
had poStmen wear one shoe half-soled
with vegetable-tanned leather and the
other half-soled with chrome-retanned
leather, and the results of the expert
ment show that the chrome retained
leather wore almost twice as long In
some cases.
One Of the most interesting original
documents that Is being studied in con-
nection with the bicentennial Is in the
Library Of Congress, in the manuscript
division, in the handwriting of George
Mason, with a memorandum relating
thereto in the handwriting of Gen
Washington attached This Is the orig
inal Of what are known as the Fairfax
Resolves, adopted at q general meeting
OF the freeholders and inhabitants of
the county Of Fairfax on Monday, July
10, 1774, at the court house in Alexan-
dria. Gen. Washington was chairman
and Robert Harrison clerk of this meet
ing. These resolves are one Of the
fundamental documents of our Govern
nent and had far-reaching import.
AS pointed out by Representative
Moore, Washington conferred with the
citizens of the county and most closely
with neigfbor and friend George Mason
of Gunston Hall previous to this free
holders meeting. The Fairfax Resolves
were drawn by Mason. who spent the
afternoon and night before the meeting
at Mount Vernon, and they expressed
Washington'S views. They were from
the pen Of the remarkable man who
stitution with a bill Of rights at its
front, the frst constitution ever written
containing a complete system Of govern
ment; the man whose thought and
words run like q golden thread through
the Federal Constitution and the con-
situations of all the States of the
Union. and it Is not to much to say
through the Declaration Of Independ-
ence.
The Fairfax Resolves became the basis
Of the action Of the Virginia conven-
was a member. They were very elab-
crate. because. dealing with an alarm
ing and dangerous situation, they were
designed to rivet general attention upon
all of the aspects of the great contro-
versy in which America was involved.
They outlined the relation of the coll
onies TO the mother country and set
forth from every point of view the in
jS~eice of the British policy-a policy
which Edmund Burke was the next year
to describe in his speech on Cancellation
as a method of attempting to indict a
whole people. Manifesting desire to
maintain loyal connection with the
Government, they nevertheless de-
clared:
Though we are its subjects, we will
use every means which heaven has
given us to prevent our becoming its
slaves"
They asserted that Americans were
entitled to all the privileges, immuni-
ties and advantages enjoved by the peo-
pie of England, among them the right
Of the people to be governed bv no laws
to which they have not given their con-
sent by representatives freely chosen by
themselves"
n r r
That Santa Claus really exists can
be testified to by every member OF Con-
gress. because Congress has just been
called upon to take official action 70
help Santa Claus perform his annual
task of bringing Joy to children
throughout the country.
This matter came before Congress IN
a bill assuring adequate compensation
to the postmaster Of the small village
Of Santa Claus, IND, whose industry
in handling many thousands OF letters