Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-08
BUSINESS METHODS
IN COLLEGE URGED
Plea for Better Preparation
of Youth Voiced by
Dr.. Jordan.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

the words uttered by DR.. David starr
Jordan after his election to the presl-
dency of Stanford University in 1885:
The problem of life is not to make
life easier, but to make men stronger. y
This may seem strange language 10
those who value college degree only
as. it enables them to live by their
wits easier than they could otherwise.
Another saying of DR.. Jordan's, OF
interest to the college graduate, is
this
THE whole Of your life must be
spent in your own company, and only
the educated man is good company for
himself. What a college education Is
worth depends entirely upon the man
who has it There's no use loading a
$40 900 education On a 50-cent boy
And there's altogether too much
"loading" in modern education.
Business now is being overhauled'
almost ruthlessly. Useless overheads
are being eliminated Every depart
ment is being asked reason for It's
existence.
Educational institutions, upon which
hundreds of millions CT dollars are
spent every year, should also be put
through the same process.
Chequers Conference.
The informal conference now In
session at ChequerS between Premier
Macdonald and Foreign Minister
henderson of Great Britain ana
Chancellor Bruening and Foreign
Minister Curtius of Germany Is being
watched mere carefully than any other
E,,ronean conference i'll recent years.
The Germans are asking for cut IN
renarations in war debts. Great Britain
cannot do this alone, so many observers
ore asking why the conference ncludes
only the representatives OF these Two
countries? But there had to be a pc
ginning somewhere. 1t Is signlncant IN
that it is the first conference Wnlch
German officials have been asked 10 al
tend in England since the war
H. is known that Mr.. BRAND was also
asked to the conference. but the pres
sure brought to bear in France was
such that it was deemed wiser not 10
have him attend.
germany needs help and needs 1t
nuickly. Whether a constructive Sus-
eestion will come out OF the Chequers
Conference or not. Germany must be
assisted this Summer.
National Economic Council.
The suggestion of William G. McAdoo
of Los Angeles. former Secretary OF the
treasury, that a National Economic
Council be established to stabilize con-
ditions in business and agriculture, TO
prevent waste and unemployment. Is
fine first definite statement along these
lines made by a responsible individual
since the beginning Of the depression
Mr.. McAdoo believes that new
formula for human affairs must be
worked out or the system OF capitalism
will be destroyed.
:, IL
marily in supplying human needs, and
secondly to profits" says Mr.. McAdoo.
The reverse is often true today-proflts
first and humanity second.
Doubtless. the former Secretary had
in mind the great work which the war
Industries Board did during the war.
He wants to parallel this with a Peace
Industries Board.
such a board" he says, could con-
tribute to the prevention OF overpro-
duction by determining in advance the
amount of national consumption, and
suggestion plans for balancing produc-
ton and consumption.
It's a worth while suggestion, which
business leaders might study with
profit.
Copper Houses.
Recently an engineer expressed the
United States, suffering from excessive
stock, were foolish not to push the use
of copper in the building industry. He
suggested copper walls for Office build
ings. with the space between inner and
outer wall for insulation against heat
and cold This, he said. would also
simplify wiring ducts, plumbing lines
and ventilation pipes. The copper
sections could be easily bolted on. and
could go up with the steel skeleton
structure, saving time, money and
labor.
Now the Berlin Summer building ex
hibition has a small structure using
copper in exactly this manner. In this
cyse. it is for a small residence. 1t can
easily be shipped in sections by the
manufacturer. at a total cost to the
purchaser of from $1,000 to $4,000. If
the owner gets tired of the location,
or the people next door get too mostly,
he can sell the land. unbolt his house
and set up again somewhere else.
The outside wall plates are also of
copper. 1t is explained that the green
patina which will form, from exposure
to the weather. is an esthetic asset,
but can be avoided by special treatment.
The inside walls are made of rolled
steel. with a dull finish, in any color
desired
Private Commodity Brands.
The private brands of commodities
put out by the chain stores are making
tremendous lnroadS into the sales OF
nationally advertised brands. A recent
survey conducted by Printers Ink re-
veals the extent of this development in
coffee alone.
In 1880 the Atlantic & Pacific COM
pany had 1871 stores. In these stores
it sold almost 200000,000 pounds of its
own coffee. In one of its smaller stores
the manager showed that sales of $50
pounds out of a total of 225 were its
own brand.
The next best seller could claim only
90 pounds, while six other leading
brands accounted for the remaining 85
pounds Owing to economies in over
head charges, the chain stores are able
to sell more cheaply.
However. some of the national brand
firms refuse to take pessimistic view
They insist that fine brand of coffee
will command sales, regardless Of COM
petition in price.
New Abyssinian Dam.
Egypt is planning to spend over
100000 900 in water control. This
work, which will closely follow the rec
concentrations of an international COM
mission appointed to study the problem.
involves reinforcing the Nile barrages,
heightening the ASSuan Dam, the con-
struction of a new dam at Gebel- Aulia.
above Khartoum, and the extension OF
the present irrigation system. This lat
ter development will afford perennial
water supply to more than l,245, 500
acres of highly fertile land.
1t is interesting to note that the new
dam being constructed in Abyssinia,
which will control the flow of the
White Nile. tributary of the Nile itself,
plays an important part in Egypt's ir-
rigation projects. The starting OF this
dam was long delayed by international
complications and the rival competition
of various engineering firms in Europe.
Finally the White Corporation of New
York City secured the contract and