Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-17

Books as prizes unfortunately have
gone out Of style, but there are indica-
tons that they will return again.
Recent news dispatches from Paris
tell of the presentation of huge stack
Of books" to successful girl student
by the President Of the republic.
This recalls the old days in America,
papers were awarded as prizes at county
fairs.
Perhaps few persons today recall
those days, though the county fair
movement has grown large with the
country. Today the prizes at the vari-
Gus annual fairs run into millions of
dollars.
Prizes now invariably are in money,
together with the still-prized blue rib
nons and other honorary decorations.
It is customary to give flowers,
watches and money as graduation prizes
at school commandments. Seldom, II
ever, is set of books awarded to q
student, yet what more appropriate gift
could there be?
The paucity of books as prizes or
gifts does not come about because the
American people have any the less re-
gard for the printed word.
One may feel sure of that, even If
the huge output of books, magazines
and newspapers should not carry con-
viction in itself.
1t would not be safe to say that we
of today love books more than our
elders, simply because we have more
of them.
Numbers count-in numbers.
When we arrive at things intellectual,
artistic or moral, the sway of numbers
loses significance. One man who is
right, although the world is against him,
is right. The truly fine work Of art,
although million prefer cheap chromos,
is still the great work of art. The book
that strikes home to the hearts and
minds OF men, although 1t be outsold
by others, will come into its own in
time.
Men and women of 1880 have no less
regard for books, but the times have
changed, and with them the popular
acceptance of other articles as prizes,
awards, decorations of merit. We have
discussed here in the past the queer
selection of the committees which choose
gifts upon the retirement Of some one
or other. Only the other day we saw,
we admit with some amazement, q huge
set Of candlesticks Eve know the fancy
name, but 1t is hard to spell, and pre-
Sents some difficulties with the singular
and pluraD, entirely out of keeping
with the man to whom they were given,
modest individual
It seems that every time committee
goes out to select such gift, it gets
the blind staggers, and picks on some
thing which the man who is to get 1t
by no means would purchase for him
self-or for any one else, for that mat
ter. Such committees have a habit of
selecting the most impractical things.
Those fancy candlesticks would de-
mand a thousand-dollar sideboard to
display them on, that was the main
trouble with them. AS candle holders
they were gorgeous-but Pixies Peak
would be gorgeous, too, set down In an
average dining room.
y II
A nice set Of books, now, would solve
all such problems.
There is scarcely q man alive who
would not like some favorite author IN
shiny bindings, fresh from the hands Of
the printer.
Such sets usually cost rather more
than the average man or woman is will
ing to pay. The only way he will ever
get such set is to have some one or
some group present it to him.
A gift Of books, one or more, Is Pc