davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Public Ownership of D. C.
Public Utilities

Senator Brookhart well when he advocates public
ownership and operation of District public utilities but he
knows that Congress has consistently avoided consideration
Of any plan of kind and hostile to the thought Of public
ownership.
Congress should have arranged for public ownership and
operations Of these local utilities fifteen ago when their
valuations had reached the excessive figures put
upon them The District Government any competent body
authorized by Congress- would have been able to operate
utilities in way have gotten rid of immense amount
Of litigation and trouble likewise with lower fares and charges
than made.
Any attempt to acquire these utilities would spell either
defeat their turning to the public figures that would
amount to exploitation
Unless local utilities corporations paid for their proper
ties at prices that would several fat melon cuttings for
them they would defeat any public ownership proposition in
the courts the old and familiar ground Of confiscaton
In the of the street railway companies there might be
willingness to unload uncertainty the public at good
prices but the of the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company and
the mysterious Washington Gas Company have gold mines
they will not give up except upon practically their terms
TO buy these properties would require fortune and
impose upon the District huge debt
Street railway and bus lines not in the overly pros
class and up against financial and other
problems that would have to be assumed by the public there
should be public ownership.
There need for legislation that will put transit
ters sound footing That legislation must include
merger Of railways bus lines and public ax that all transit
operations may be under head and public control
that Of the Public Utilities Commission.
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Downtown Parking Dilemma
Under Close Study

Representatives important trade and civic organizations Of
Washington performing worthwhile duty in studying
parking and traffic conditions in the downtown with the
view making recommendations District and Federal Off
cials.
For than years The Times has frequently referred
60 the serious parking and traffic difficulties with
transfer Of large personnel forces to the Federal build
ngs in the Mall area, south of Pennsylvania Avenue
It has been clearly pointed out that Federal authorities
gagged in this construction program have done absolutely moth
ing to for the parking Of machines of workers
they have considered the matter certainly deserving
deep thought and solution useful steps have been taken
District authorities likewise interested in the problem from
Che viewpoint of public welfare have apparently considered
III advised make suggestions to Federal authorities
Present parking restrictions of District officials severe
enough but what to happen when thousands Of Govern
ent workers 60 into the Mall region and entitled pos
sbe parking for their cars? They will find that District
officials make hot for them every side and that the Fed
a Government absolutely unconcerned as to whether they
have parking facilities
There ways Federal authorities could find to
vide parking it has spend considerable money IN
doing it and charges its workers for parking space
Recommendations for solving these problems have been
ignored but recommendations by the combined cit
zenship Of the District may get some attention.
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Money for Rocking Chairs
The Army and Navy Can Wait

On the day that further plans to expenses of the
Army and Navy were announced some civil bureau in Wash
It would advisable for the Government which has
economy complex at the moment to think LESS about the
penditure of public money in its other departments
The mails jammed daily with publicity matter emanang
from every little tn-pot bureau in Washington These bue
tins which money prepare and distribute
conceivable subject Of unmporance from the rocking chairs
to the number of hunting dogs in Posey county
Arkansas How many useless clerks and experts the
public payroll thinking up stupidties Of this sort would
be hard to estimate
As long as the Government throws away dollars such
riviaties and the fact finding commissions that
have blosoed out 1929 the talk about economy the
Army and Navy falls little flat The Army and Navy have
to the bone already and the pious official
they be reduced further without loss OF ett
cheney largely poppycock. 80
The taxpayer does want his money wasted BE is will
ling to obsolete Army posts abolished and obsolete naval
vessels scrapped But he will respectfully suggest that an
additional way to economic is to get rid of some Of the para
could be used keep the nations life insurance premiums
paid up.
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
LISTEN, WORLD!
By ELSIE ROBINSON

to work"-protesting that she
didn't love her children or
she'd want to give them every
thing she had"
A Bad Mother
Everything she had? That
was Just what she did want to
give. But was mixing for
mulas and washing didies"
everything she had? Perhaps
not-but the writer's didn't
stop to reason. Didn't WANT
to reason. She was a BAD
mother! And that was that.
But here and there, in the
midst of the hub-bub, sounded
a saner note. Here is another
American mother who came
to her defense. She worked
before her children came. Now
that they are grown, she is
working again. She believes
she would have been a better
mother if she could have had
help dtfring her children's in
fancy-she believes those chill
dren would be better trained
to face the world today. But
she, too, says that 'hired help
won't work in American homes"
And her reasons are amazing
NOT BECAUSE THE NURS-
ES CAN'T GET ALONG WITH
THE CHILDREN
BUT BECAUSE THE MOTH
ERS CAN'T GET ALONG WITH
THE NURSES.
"The average American mother
thinks she knows everything"
writes the lady from Houston.
"She may know a good deal
business or art or society, but
the chances are she's ignorant as
Paddy's pig about raising babies.
Yet you can't tell her anything.
And if any of her older women
friends try, or her older rela-
tives try to tell her, she becomes
angry and offended.
'It is simply impossible for
her to get along with a nurse. If
the nurse tries to discipline the
child, the mother always sides
with the child. Because it's HER
child OTHER PEOPLE MUST
KEEP HANDS OFF! Yet she
herself won't discipline the
youngster. And the result is
that the children grow up thor.
oughly spoiled and unruly.
eff we Americans demand that
our mothers take care of their
own children, THEN WE
SHOULD TRAIN OUR GIRLS
TO BE MOTHERS AND NOT
ASSUME THAT JUST BE-
CAUSE THEY ARE AMERI-
CANS THEY KNOW EVERY
THING"
Well-that's something else,
isn't it?
Copyright. 1891. King Features
Syndicate, 1ne.)
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Good Fishing for President
With His New Motor Boat He Can Fish Near Here

6ofoOt boat is being fixed for the Of President
Hoover and his friends and that will give him short outings
on the Potomac River Chesapeake Bay any time
The boat will enable the President to vary his fishing ex-
UurOns he wants to- His favorte angling spot in the
Virginia mountains, his camp and nobody can
dispute that trout fishing is real sport It would be still
more thrilling he could find nearby mountain where
there are several varieties of trout larger than he get
III Virginia. He can get bass in Virginia streams.
About June and for several weeks afterward rock fish,
large at that will make their way into the Potomac
River around and above Washington. They game fish
Some old fishermen call them striped bass At this time
nice white perch being caught in the river.
In short time almost any day, croakers will be plentiful
"a the salt waters They generally plentiful around
Benedict the Patuxen River early in the There
Is nothing game about them Like many human beings who
get hOOked" they do not fight much but croak great
deal
After the croakers in salt waters spots perch trout
and other varieties with rockfshng again fine sport
in October, November and December ...-'.'..
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
By Harding

the bushel, peck and half-pe"S.
don't they try to correct condi-
tions that do exist?
How about these peddlers Of
gasoline who drive through the
streets with a tank wagon and
sell gasoline to your car in
dented buckets? AS anyone
knows, buckets full Of dents
cannot be accurate in measure
ment. A five-gallon bucket,
full of dents does not hold five
gallons of gasoline, and the
public pays for five gallons just
the same.
Then, too, there is no way Of
telling exactly what these ped
dlers are selling you. You can
ask for any kind of gasoline
and they will tell you that they
have it. If you ask for
"Hokum" gasoline, they give
you "Hokum" gasoline, and If
you ask for "Skeedunk" gaso-
line they give you "Skeedunk"
gasoline-all out Of the same
tank.
The District inspectors go
around every day checking fill.
ing stations to see that the
pumps give correct measure.
these pumps are checked re.
ligiously and if they are out Of
line. the inspector tags the
pump and forbids the sale of
gasoline through it until the
condition is corrected.
These filling station operators
have money tied up in their
business and are required to
have a permit to sell gasoline
while all that these peddlers
need is a truck with a tank on
it, and 81 worth Of license tags
on the truck. No one checks
them for correct measure. Do
not the Commissioners consider
this unfair to the filling station
operator, with the investment he
has in his business, as Well as
to the public? -,
Consistency, thou art indeed
GEORGE LINTNER.
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
TIMES TEST

Mark each statement "true" or
false:
1. The famous oracle was at
Delphi. ..
2. Judas Iscariot's blood money
bought the field Of Geth-
semane.
8. A ghost appeared to Caesar
at a banquet.
4. The stimulant tannin is in
coffee.
5. The character "Caliban" is
in "The Tempest"
6. John the Baptist came after
Z. Damon and Damocles were
friends. N !
8. Solar means sun.
9. A cornice is the front Of
a building.
10. The siege Of Troy Is de.
scribed in "The Iliao"
Who wrote:
IL. The Seven Lamps Of Archi-
lecture?
IL. The Scholar GYPSY
13. The Moonstone?
IA. Far, from the Ma ding
Crowd?
IS. A Lodging for the Nightf
ytAnswers on Magazine Pase)
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Urges Life Guards
At Tidal Basin

Editor, Times:
It is indeed q shame that
Washington'S park board cannot
provide. more adequate means
Of protection to its citizens who
enjoy boating and canoeing.
Sunday afternoon, May 10, q
high school youth was drowned,
while canoeing, in the Tidal
Basin of Potomac Park. This
probably could not have been
prevented; however, there was a
possibility of this unfortunate
chap being rescued had there
been facilities and trained or
ganization on hand to meet
such a situation.
Trained life guards and an
equipped speed boat, stationed
at the boat house, would have
certainly increased chances Of
finding the body sufficiently
soon to have gained results and
saved q life.
Many remarks were heard,
from the hundreds which lined
the banks of the basin, criticiz-
ing those in charge of parks for
their neglect in providing suit
able protection to cope with
such an emergency. f.
JAMES L. NORRIS.
The Washington times., 1931-05-16

SHOULD AN AMERICAN
MOTHER TAKE CARE OF
HER OWN CHILD?
SHOULD SHE PERFORM
THOSE MECHANICAL
CHORES FOR THE CHILD
WHICH, IN OTHER COUN-
TRIES, ARE PERFORMED
BY SERVANTS?
A tired American mother
asked those questions. She loved
her children. She wished to
serve them. College trained,
she did not think that her edu-
cation had made her "too fine
to do chores" But she did
know that those chores we're
reducing her into a weary, dull
drudge and that it was impos-
sible to give her children the
benefits Of her education when
her strength was exhausted by
the mechanical. routine of
housework.
Couldn't she get a job-hire
someone to do the drudgery-
and thus double her husbands
small salary and "do some
thing worth while" for the chill
dren. Yes-and she longed to
do so. But her husband
wouldn't consent. He didn't be-
lieve in wives working-thought
a mother should take care Of
her own children.
A WOman's Wall
"And, of course, he has pub
lie sentiment behind him." she
walled. "That's what most
Americans believe. But it's all
so Inconsistent and idiotic.
Look at the sums we spend in
educating our girls to be some
thing more than drudging
peasants-and how we boast
about their superior advantages.
And then we expect them to
put all that education aside
and spend the best years of
their lives doing mechanical
work that a servant without
one-tenth of their brains or
training could easily accom-
plish. We say that's the best
thing for the child. But it
isn't. What time has such a
mother to be a companion to
her child when it's small? Her
fine is spent on cooking and
scrubbing and picking up. And,
oy the time the child has
grown, her brains are so dulled
that she is completely out Of
ouch. It's all such a tragic
waste! Yet I'll be condemned
for even questioning the sys-
tenn"
We printed her letter. She
was right. BY hundreds the
letters came snorting in-call-
inv her "un-American"-sa
she ythought she was too good
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Advertising Nevada

Washington has had visit from United Attorney
of Nevada and found before he returned his home
pride in that State and its divorce and gambling laws is
unabated.
In truth Nevada pubicsts and loyal citizens have been
getting tremendous amount Of advertising for that State
and well trained and alert in the propaganda game
Every State and every community has its paying industries
charms and there always is pride in them Renos chief
and people hungry for thrills may gamble their hearts
content.
CaOrnias great climate and scenery; Foridas sunshine
and frivOities New Yorks wealth and pep and Chcagos
Al Capones and hustle before the nation all the time So
why shcnld not Nevada have her special attractions?
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Elida, New Mexico.

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g dctsso4r o MSssss @ st 0SSe
"Nsd @ srs BY ts %Snsz a sn1sd by
the the devil and We "a are .1Ra all bond Pno
small Which d eoso general
% cnuSn "nere one everyone require monthly
generally ntsF RESP snoES % S sTs t1S5' pd
such thing liberty We dTcd eS to useful work 0 n0orS
S onto the e BY mnf .sf
at Ms hS e9G %e bsqbot on that statue life productive cr
% ew is nice enough hit you this
Liberty to clause A in6Id iR61ss rspacs cPSe RSe ERb
to no suhoritg tho onsg hOmg law Big Do aW A" we
:.sSsr SsSss rssS.es RssRse e. soown
This newspaper does not share all of Mr. McCowens views
which will make not the slightest difference to him.
Some day. perhaps patriotism will be worldwide but only
when the world all nation. That at least half
million years away, perhaps several million years
Meanwhile it is the business of each to think and work
for his OWN country not necessarily seh1y but devotedy
and with concentration>
In very ancient days. before civilization began the unit Of
human life was the family Each looked after his own
the wife sitting the other side Of the fire. in the smoky
cave children playing the floor near them His bus
ness was to take care THEM and if necessary knock
the head anybody coming from the next valley
Gradually families formed tribes and then patriotism
the patriotism of the tribe Tribes combined formed great
migratory horde and then the wise patriotism that of the
horde. One for all, all for
Cities established with Rome for instance, where
the patriotism that Of the city.
Now have the patriotism Of the nation that patriotism
reaching three thousand miles from shore to shore.
We haven't yet reached the point where spread out
across the Pacific take much interest in the welfare Of
the Chinese Japanese baby do in the welfare Of
American baby.
We take even now only too little interest in the American
baby, unless it happens to be Then spoil it,
usually. ....-.
But worldwide patriotism MAY come. Public schools,
civilization, education will help.
Meanwhile develop your American patriotism We in
need Of that.
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
WISE WORDS

Self reverence, self knowledge,
self-control,
These three alone lead life to
sovereign power.
-Tennyson.
The reverence of a mans self
is, next religion, the chief
bride of all vices.-Bacon.
This above all, to thine ownself
be true,
And it must follow, as the night
the day,
Thou canst not then be false to
any man.
Shakespeare.
Glory follows virtue as If it
were its shadow.-Cicero
They also serve who only
stand and wait.-Milton.
We covert what Is guarded; F.;
the very care invokes the thief.
Few love what is guarded.
AOva
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
Hits Bootleg
Gasoline Peddlers

Editor, Times:
I see where the District Com
missioners are. very much agi-
tated as regards the long ton
and the short ton Of coal. I
fail to see what all Of this agita-
tion is going to lead to as far
as the good Of the consumer Is
conserned. When a dealer sells
you a short ton, he sells you
1000 pounds and charges va
The Washington times., 1931-05-16

Now we buy them by the pound.
Evidently, from the writer S
viewpoint, the Commissioners
are trying to correct condition
which does not exist: Why
The Washington times., 1931-05-16

for 1000 pounds. When he
sells you a long ton of 2,240
pounds, he charges you for
2,240 pounds.
We used to buy potatoes by
The Washington times., 1931-05-16
One Editors Opinions
He Thinks for Himself at Least.

The important newspapers in the United States are
the thousands of small country weees read on the farms and
in small and villages and FORMING PUBLIC OPINION
THERE
These newspapers represent the national common sense and
the hardwOrng experience Of farmers and the average
citizen
The important task Of country editors forming the opn
ions Of the young people before leaving farms villages and
towns to go to the big cities
It important to know what the local editor Thinks and
therefore, the letter published here valuable The writer
Mr. McCowen is the editor and Of the Roosevelt
County Record, at Eida, New Mexico.
ROOSEVELT COUNTY RECORD
published by
H. c.. McCOWEN & FAMILY
who also produce
Cream Eggs and
MILKING SHORTHORN CATTLE
Evening star., 1931-12-08
SWEENEY ON TRIAL
IN Staying OF DAY
Speakeasy Porter Testifes Defend.
ant Tried to Keep Victim
From Shooting.

Elmer J. Sweeney killed Talley Day
only after attempting to persuade Day
not to fight, John c. Kelly, Gov
ernment witness, testified today at
Sweeney's first-degree murder trial In
the District Supreme Court.
Kelly, former colored porter in a
Speakeasy at 1928 M street, where Day
was slain, told of the argument which
resulted in the gun fight. He said Day
began firing at several men after one
Andy Gump" threw gin buck" into
Days face.
Under cross examination by Bertrand
Emerson, defense attorney, Kelly said
after Day fired the first of three shots
Sweeney shouted for him to wait g
minute" The witness added that Day
continued to fire, whereupon Sweeney
shot him through the temple. He died
the next day.
Howard Ogle, Oscar Mansfield and
Charles Mansfield, headquarters detec-
tives, told of their investigation. They
said when they arrived at the speak
easy Day had been removed to hos
pital. They found pool of blood on
a floor of a back room and Days re-
volver nearby. Two washtubs filled
with ale and beer bottles were laying
on top of an eight-foot bar.
The detectives found two bullets
lodged in a door. They said the slugs
were fired from Days pistol
Rudolph Schlerchert, attached to
the vice squad, told of dismantling the
bar.
Evening star., 1931-12-08
FOUR LOCAL BILLS
DRAF TED BY BRIDE
Power Sought for Trial
Boards to Compel Wit
nesses to Testify.

Corporation Counsel William w
Bride today submitted the drafts of
four bills for introduction by the Com
missioners at the present session of Con-
gress.
One of the measures provides that
the secretary of the Board of Commits
sioners be given power to execute deeds
and other legal paper for the District,
relieving the Commissioners of much
routine work.
A second empowers the police te
seize cars parked on the highway for
more than 48 hours and put them in
garages, and compels the owner to pay
the storage charges II he wants his car
back. The superintendent of police
would be required to notify the owner
that the car had been seized.
If 1t were not redeemed in five days
then the police would have authority to
sell it at public auction. The proceeds,
after payment of storage and other
charges, would be retained by the de-
partment for six months, and If no
claim were made, would pass to the
credit of the District.
third bill seeks to authorize the
Commissioners to pay claims not ex-
ceeding $1,000 without prior report to
Congress.
The fourth would empower the Police
and Fire Trial Boards to compel wit
nesses to testify and to produce docu-
ments. The bill provides that the Trial
Boards issue subpoenaS in the name of
the District Supreme Court, instead of
the Commissioners, as at present, and
that the court be given the power to
compel attendance of the witnesses.
Evening star., 1931-12-08
WHISTLER COMES BACK TOD.C.
PORTRAYED BY CAPITAL NATIVE
Richard Hale Creates Role of
Eminent Artist in Play
Being Performed Here.
Actor Studies Traits of Man
Who Worked Two Years
as u. S. Craftsman.
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

James McNeill Whistler has come
back to Washington. The greatest
American painter of his time, as many
believe, he spent two precious years OF
his youth in the Capital as a draughts-
man of the Coast and Geodetic Survey,
then, in 1854, sailed away to England
and France and an eXpatriated fame
which has not faded since his death
in 1903 His local celebrity was ef-
fectively re-established by the appear
ance here of some of his best works
in the permanent collection OF the
Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian IN
stitution.
But even if all that he drew and
painted in the SO busy years OF his lie
were to be destroyed, Whistler would
survive the cataclysm. He was a leg
end long before he died, and he will
be a legend long after all those who
knew him, loved or hated him have
departed from the earthly scene. He
will be remembered for his caustic wit
his sarcasm, his cynicism his belliger-
ency. his quarrels, his pitiless battle
for freedom in art and his insistence
on the values of creative ability in the
modern world.
He will be remembered as per-
sonality 1t is this Whistler who mas
returned. He is the central character
of a play. Mr.. Whistler" written by
Pauline Hopkins and Sarah Curry, and
retouched, for good or i'll, by the emf
nent dramatic carpenter, A. E.
Thomas. First done in Baltimore last
week, the production is at the Ma
tional Theater for six-day run before
proceeding to New York.
ID. c. Man Plays Whistler.
The leading role, the character of
the waspish but lovable genius of yes
teryear, is played by Richard Hale, a
Washington boy, who has grown into a
cosmopolitan man with a celebrity of
his own There is a certain particular
significance in the coincidence Hale
probably is to some extent. the sort
Of person Whistler was. He has the
same general sort of background, he
has had much the same sort of train
ing. But in Hale's case drama and
music, rather than painting and quar-
reling, have claimed the allegiance of
the artist.
Hale was brought up in the Capital,
attended the old Force School, the
Franklin School and the Central High
School and won a scholarship at Co
lumbia University at the termination of
his high school career. He sang in st.
Johns Church as lad.
Emerging from Columbia, he joined
the company of Mrs. Minnie Maddern
Fiske, and the succeeding years found
him alternately In theatrical productions
and concert work To many he became
known as an actor who Is also singer.