Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-24
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRAcEwELL.

would not look well in family news
paper.
Is IL not a curious thing how some
people can entertain company, talk and
laugh without disturbing their neigh
bors. while others cannot put the cat
out without disturbing the entire neigh
borhood?
The fundamental difficulty lies in the
different living habits of the two classes
of human beings We have instanced,
those who go to bed early, and those
who never go to bed.
East and West have no more difficulty
meeting than do the members of these
two classes. There would be no hard
ship imposed on either. however. if the
members of the night hawk class would
think of others.
AS it is, all too many of them, If
they think of others at all, secretly be-
lieve that they are impressing them
with their pep" their joIlity. They are
wondering II those old slow pokes won't
think them devil-may-care persons.
really young, although the number of
their years speak against them.
Municipal authorities may pass regu-
lations against various noises, limiting
their time. and so on, but as long as
people with no regard for the welfare
noise work Is untouched, even unno-
ticed
We suppose some attempt might be
made toward self justification by the
declaration that noise and rly-burly
| late at night showed the vim and vigor
of the American people.
The answer to that would be that
soldiers, athletes and other men who
possess real vigor and power invariably
/ on n n n
| do so. either by regulations or by the
| mandates of the best training methods.
! Another justification might be at
| te~lpted by the statement that midnight
is really not late at all, but in fact, is
early-compared with am.
The fact is. however, that the num-
Der of homes in which there are lights
OUT between 10 and II pm. so far out
numbers the homes with blazing lights
that the latter can have no standing as
an argument in the case.
The noise factors in the modern COM
munity are the following Children,
dogs, radios, men and women 40 years
and older, automobiles, garage doors,
milk wagons, street cars. These eight
| factors make 80 per cent of the noise.
Children function as noiSemakerS most
ly In the daytime; dogs usually. and In
some sections, run on 24-hour sched-
ule; radios may run as long, but most
often only about 18 hours. at the worst,
with preference given to the hours
between pm. and midnight.
| The wild party" or convivial gath
ering, Is the outcropplng OF the men
and women 40 years old, and older
old enough to know better-Who are try
| ing to impress themselves with their
own pep" and their neighbors with
| their power and ability as mixers" 90
! Automobiles. with their, never end
| ing swish down streets, constitute per-
petual noisemakers. but it Is a noise to
which most ears get used. Street cars
belong in the same category. We have
| included garage doors, because they are
| formidable noiSemakers, especially at
late hours. Milk wagons must include
milkmen. for the rafting of crates, and
the clanking of bottles, depends entirely
upon the way in which the delivery men
| perform their tasks.
Thus the conflict between those who
go to bed early and those who go to bed
late continues to be waged in every city
, In the land. The hope Of the former lies
in the new urge which IS going over the
country, looking to a solution of city
noises. More and more scientists are
backing up the kicks of those who in
the past were set down as "grouches"
by their more vigorous compatricts. 1t
is being realized everywhere that noise
Is sort of municipal disease, as bad in
It's way as too much quiet The best
living calls for happy moderation.