davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1932-06-19
People Buying More Carefully
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN,

The American people are continuing
to buy in the stores of the land, but are
exercising greater discrimination in
making selections, according to a new
study which has been made by the De-
partment of Commerce. This develop
ment Is regarded as promising well for
the future. Hard times and the neces-
sity for close buying and getting ones
moneys worth are constituting an edu-
cation in values which will react to the
benefit Of Americans.
The department has completed its
semi-annual credit survey, covering the
last half of 1881, period in which
unemployment was general and many
wage cuts were made effective.
The generation which has grown into
responsible aoulthood since the war has
known practically nothing Of values.
Price constituted practically the sole
lncex OF value for majority Of buyers,
an index which Europeans and Amer
leans OF an earlier generation have long
known is not reliable one In period
when it is imperative that every dollar
go as far as it can be stretched, shreWd
inquiry into real values begins. Where
their purses are involved any people
will learn the lesson Of real values
rather quickly and decline to be sold
inferior goods.
The new trend Is seen In the dimin-
lshed number of returns and allowances
in the retail trade. In previous times
OF high wages and steady employment,
the people have been shopping very cas-
ually. Something which catches the eye
VIII be purchased without close exami-
nation and ordered delivered. At home
the purchaser changes his mind or dis
ceVers he does not quite like the article
and returns it. The store makes an
allowance on his account. The large
volume Of this sort of lost motion was
costly to the stores and they welcome
the more careful buying which is being
done.
Keynote of the Times.
Nowadays the purchaser is not likely
to enter a store without his mind being
fairly well made up as to what he
wants. His eye is not so readily Sc
duced by a gariSh advertisement or an
attractive window display. He has so
little money that he must buy closely.
therefore, he looks over the stock with
the utmost care. He shops around more
than previously and compares notes
When he finally finds what will fill his
need and meet the limits of his purse,
he buys. With SO muln preliminary
study given the matter he is unlikely
to return any purchase that he makes
Such purchases as are returned are
likely to arise from discovery of some
fault rather than merely a change OF
mind or a passing whim.
1t may be some time before the
American people will again experience
such a period of careless buying as that
which marked the decade leading up TO
the depression. The extent to which
Americans ignored high prices was the
scandal of the more thrifty Europeans.
A great many people were under the
impression that the more they paid for
an article the better it was and lost all
their acuteness and discrimination in
judging. The younger generation did
not know how to judge and no one took
time to teach it.
A remarkable phenomenon OF the
period, now only memory, was such
advertising slogans as that used for
brand of cigarettes. 1t read: The
Evening star., 1932-06-19
The Airport Problem.

Although there is no chance for its
enactment at the present session OF
Congress, which will probably end
within a week, the legislation proposed
tc settle the land title controversy on
the Virginia side of the Potomac River,
where the airport is now located, should
be prepared speedily to be in shape for
consideration when Congress recon-
Nenes in December. 1t will then be
ready for action at the short. session,
thus permitting an early adjustment of
q troublesome problem. The National
Capital Park and Planning Commission
has gone on record as favoring the sug-
Restion that the Department Of Com
merce be given authority to purchase
or lease the airport now operated by
private interests and to this end will
aid In the rerouting Of Military road,
which at present is a serious obstacle
10 this accomplishment.
The present situation at the airport
Is decidedly unsatisfactory. The space
how available is bladequate. It can
mot be extended h:cause Of the location
bt Thea road which bisects the available
Evening star., 1932-06-19
Mails Are Carrying
Tons of Sales Prints
BY HARDEN COIEAx

The typical American retail dealer
OF the country receives by mail from
manufacturers every week nearly four
pounds OF circulars and other printed
advertising matter which, he tells the
Department of Commerce, "!,e neither
reads nor saves for reference"
In It's campaign. in cooperation
with industry, to cut out waste the
! department asked some 500 retail
storekeepers in cities of less than
10000 inhabitants about the propor
ton OF printed matter received through
the mail which they find usable. 1t
was announced today that the re-
Sponse mad given a quite complete
answer to certain makers of nationally
advertised goods who we're anxious to
know just how much of their adyer-
tislng material hits the mark and how
much goes to waste
x =
The merchants reported that in the
six months before the questions were
put to them they had received an
average OF 20 pounds of useless pro
motion material for distribution to Gus
| toners. This mass of printed matte
was described as almost entirely mot.
usab!c, not requested BY the dealer or
applying to lines he handled" More
over, goodly proportion of II was
stamped with the dealers name and
therefore, could not be saved for fu-
ture use or any other purposes.
More than so of the stores report I'd
so-called dealer helps" for lines iot Of
goods that they did not carry At all
7 While many different lines of manu-
factured goods were involved in this
survey, the department reports that
the practice of sending useless printed
material Tor sales promotion was mar
ticularly prevalent among manufac-
turers OF paint, electrical apnarat1,s
sport goods, household goods. radios
and novelties.
On the other and positive side of the
picture some interesting things also
were. learned by the inquiry. About
one IN every hve of the merchants re-
porting declare that, while they could
printed material sent them bv the
manufacturers, they did find very
/ helpful some of the counter displays
and other similar devices, particularly
those that could be temptinglv ar.
ranged in windows Stores serving
family trade in particular found the
demonstrations of apparatus by rep
| reSentatlVeS OF the manufacturers an
pealed to the people VINO were wanted
as customers.
| X X X
Many of the merchants reporting in
the survey agreed that the mailing
lists used BY the manufacturers we're
very poor. Just as the private citizen
is so often annoyed by having mail ad-
dressed to him at an incorrect or old
address. so these dealers expressed an
noyance at having mail reach them
at an incorrect address, safely. per-
haps. only through the ingenuity of
the postal officials
| One reported having received dupli-
cate circulars at his store address and
his home address from half a dozen
concerns which apparently had bought
the same mailing list Another was
still receiving mail intended for a prede-
cessor who had been dead for Is years.
Apparently only a comparatively small
number CT people are aware that the
Post Office Department has a mailing
list correction service.
Copyright, 1922
Evening star., 1932-06-19

largest selling cigarette in spite Of the
low price" This was the whole key
note Of the times. 1t required en-
phasis to make people think that a
low-priced article could be good. Here
was complete reversal of the whole
system of merchandising as the trad
ing world had previously known 1t.
Another remarkable advertisement of
the halcyon period. sometimes spoken
of as the Coolidge age, offered an
automobile. The sole recommendation
given for the car was that it was the
highest-priced car in America.
1t was not an unusual spectacle to
see shopper of the golden age find
something with which he was satisfied
and then turn suspicious because OF
the reasonable price asked. Cant you
show me something more expensive?"
he would say. Most retailers tried TO
! accommodate such customers
Volume Of Sales Unchanged.
The type has practically passed
With the new poor added to those
that We have with Us always, buyers
have become careful assessors ana
statesmen must be on their toes and
employ a combination of truth and
persuasiveresS IN both advertising mat
ter and the spoken appeal over the
counter. Shoddy goods no longer can
be palmed off at the price of better
articles, and when good prices are paid
the buyer insists that the quality be
present.
The remarkable fact ascertained by
! the Government survey is that, taking
the country as a whole, the volume of
goods purchased by the American
public has remained approximately as
high as it was the previous year. Sales
in terms of dollars show marked de-
crease That is store which sold
100000 worth of goods in 1880 may
be selling only $4,000 worth today.
but yard for yard, pound for pound.
article for article, approximately the
same volume of goods is moving from
seller to buyer
There are some changes in the type
of goods. More solid, durable and use
full items are being purchased by the
public than before. People want to
know whether goods will wear well and
the like Sales of luxury goods have
fallen Off The largest drop has been
in jeWelry, where decline Of 28.3 per
cent from 1880 to 1881 is noted. With
all adjustments made, however, the to-
tai volume of goods purchased remains
fairly constant.
Americans are showing a great deal
VI dIIlI Ill IIlAo 4ON PCllO0.
They are spending their money wisely
and for useful things but they are pay
ing for what they buy. Collections re-
main good. with only a slight increase
IN bad debts on credit accounts. For
example, the ratio of bad debts to total
sales has increased only from .35 per
cent to IA per cent from 1880 to 1881.
The passing of bad checks for goods at
department stores and the like has not
increased at all. Business is far from
dead but it has undergone some alter
ations which. in the long run, probably
will be better for both merchant and
consumer
Retailers have discovered that they
must give value. The period the coun-
try now is passing through recalls
earlier times and, now and then, there
may be a renewal of the old shopkeep-
er's complaint that his goods were worn
cut before they we're sold by customers
feeling the quality
Evening star., 1932-06-19
PRACTICAL RELIGION
BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN. D. D, H. D,
Bishop OF Washington

upon the success or failure Of his ad-
rlinistration. Out of the inquiry re-
rla-kable discussion enSued as to the
relation Of ones Christian faith to
every near and remote concern of life.
Criticism Of the unchristian world
frequently leveled at Christian institu-
tions Is that there seems to be no re-
lation between faith and practice or
faith and works. In times such as
these we are more carefully weighing
life's indispensable values. We are
being compelled to make searching in
uuiry as to our beliefs and convictions
and their practical relation to the COM
mon concerns Of everyday life. The
strenuous President who maintained
that we must square our practice with
our faith applied 1t to all those large
concerns that have to do with our po-
litical social and business occupations.
We are all conscious of the fact that
those who influence us most are not
those who prate most largely about
their virtues, but those who eXemplify
them in their daily conduct. 1t was
said of the late Mr.. Gladstone that
every expression of vulgarity was
silenced by his presence. The very
quality of the man rendered all that
was indecent and unwholesome i'm
possible in any gathering Of which he
formed a part.
Creeds have their place and value,
but their worth resides in the demon
stration they give of their adherence
to their precepts in the practices and
habits Of daily living The church is
a reservoir of spiritual power, but it
is not a reservoir of stagnant waters.
It's streams must flow out into the
community. into every avenue of our
life, and it must be stream that is
pure, wholesome and refreshing. We
are being asked today as never before
in our generation to show our faith by
our works and we are being reminded
that faith without works Is dead,
being alone,
Evening star., 1932-06-19

Text: James, ii.17-"Faith, If 1t
hath not works. Is dead, being alone.
Lonely Christians are unattractive.
To the mind Of Christ faith that was
selfish and insular was unreal and
useless. His whole teaching was de-
signed to make religious faith and
practice practical and useful in all the
concerns of life. Those who imme-
diately followed Him emphasized 1.-The
social implications Of the Gospel" and
one OF His strongest followers declared,
mo man liveth to himself"
Faith and practice are essentially
and vitally related. Practice is the
demonstration, the evidence of the
value of faith. The story In David
Harum" Of the deacon, whose sharp
horse deals were the scandal of the
countryside is an illustration of the
folly of faith undisclosed and unprac-
ticed in works. Probably no more Sc
we're censure is brought against the
Christian church, and none more JUS
titled, than that which we hear fire.
quently OF the hypocrisy Of those who
profess much, but who deny 1t in their
daily habit.
1t is largely true that we segregate
what We hold CT belief or faith and
keep 1t wholly unrelated to those prac-
tical concerns in which we daily en-
gage. Recently I asked the head of
one of our largest industrial corpora
tions whether he believed what he
held of religious faith had any rela-
ton to the large and very important
concerns that he administered. The
executive expressed some surprise at
my question and responded by saying,
Il have never been asked that be-
fore" I asked him whether he be-
lieved that it was consistent to make
such an inquiry and he responded In
the affirmative I ventured to remind
with the expressed teaching of Christ,
that the answer to 1t bore Immediately
Evening star., 1932-06-19
Borrowed Books.

For the past week the Washington
Public Library has been making an
effort to secure the return of books that
have been drawn from its shelves by
readers and kept without return or re-
port, with fines remitted as an induce
ment for restoration. OF the 3,334 that
were missing at the beginning of the
week, S65 have been brought back and
put again in circulation. Every day
brought larger returns. This response
aged him to continue the appeal for
another week, and it is hoped that
within the next six days the library
shelves will have received much larger
percentage of the volumes that are still
out in circulation in disregard of the
library rules.
A public circulating library is valu-
able to its users in the degree that its
volumes are available to readers. A
book that is drawn and kept beyond the
permitted time normally required for
it's reading becomes unavailable to
others who may be waiting for 1t. The
restoration of these missing volumes,
therefore, is of Importance to every
library user. The reader who takes a
book and keeps it beyond the time limit
and then from disinclination to pay the
fine which is exacted upon its return
continues to hold the volume, Is also
depriving himself of library use, for he
cannot draw another book while he Is in
arrears. In many cases this failure to
return books when they have been read
is due to forgetfulness. A book is
perused and laid aside and neglected.
perhaps passes into the personal shelves
Of the borrower, or maybe Is loaned to
Evening star., 1932-06-19
lausanne" Likely to
Last Until December
BY WILLIAM BIRD.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June l8-
This was to be "a conference to erd
conferences" but the first decisions
taken make one wonder when it will
itself end. The ambiguous agreement
this week to suspend reparations and
debt payments "for the duration of the
conference" has given rise to a general
belief that 1t may well last until De-
cember at least and perhaps longer.
Indeed, unless certain governments
represented here do some pretty COM
plete aboutfacing, it will be absolutely
necessary to prolong this conclave until
after the American presidential election
1t Is well understood that the State
Department will take no step regarding
war debts until after that date. Never
theleSs, whether Herbert Hoover or his
Democratic opponent Is victorious,
something must be done before Decem-
ber is, when the next allied debt pay
torium.
Everybody here agrees that Germany
will probably never again pay repara-
tions, and the chief problem of this
conference, so far as Germany Is con-
cerned, Is to find a way, as the London
Times neatly puts it, Ito reconcile nom
payment with non-repudiation." Chan
cellor Franz Won Papen OF Germany
seems to be taking a realistic view Of
the matter, and while just as eager as
former Chancellor Heinrich Bruening to
have reparations abolished in principle
as well as in practice, he appears to
understand that Out-and-out repudia-
ton is unthinkable if Germany is ever
again to have any credit in the worlds
financial markets.
But it is equally clear that with Ger
many not paying any OF the allies,
Americas claims against the latter will
be practically uncollectable. Conse-
quently, If Germany maintains the rea-
sonabie attitude Of being willing to
recognize the reparations debt so long
as it is not obliged to pay it. then the
real crux of the problem is how to pass
this handsome check already stamped
no funds" on to Uncle Sam as quit
tance for war debts.
England says: Lets accept this
valueless check. give Germany a receipt
in full, and then go over to Washing
ton and see if the United States won't
be charitable"
1Ne french reply. Ico, uuI ouPPocc
the United States doesn't feel philan-
thropic? Wouldn't it De better to try
and see If we can find out beforehand
whether Washington will accept 1t or
not?"
England retorts: Il know Uncle
Sam better than you do. He never re-
fuses charity; but when you begin to
holler before you're hurt, he can be
pretty tough. The first thing he'll ask
you is. Lets see this rubber check you're
talking about?' So you've got to ac-
cept it first before he'll talk to you"
x =
This puts Premier Herriot in difh-
cult position, because the French Par
lament almost certainly will not accept
cancellation of Germany's payments
without some assurance that its own
payments to the United States similarly
will he Cancelled. That is why the
Lausanne Conference will most likely
drag along indefinitely in the hope that
something can be wormed out Of Wash
ington after the election battle smoke
Copyright. 1927
Evening star., 1932-06-19
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Critical Objection.

I heard a critic, very gay.
Who showed us more and more
He liked the modernistic way
And scorned the ways of yore;
II don't like Dante" he declared,
Who threatened to return us
Down to the basement, all ill-fared,
To tend the fiery furnace.
II don't like Milton, who explored
Those shadow neither regions,
And into conscious strife restored
Demoniac battle legions.
II don't consider what they wrote
Good for small boys or ladies.
For much Of it, I'm sad to note.
Was simply raising hades."
Evening star., 1932-06-19

another, who similarly forgets to re-
turn it. 1t becomes a wanderer as it is
passed from hand to hand, the book
plate of the public library making no
impression upon the latest holder.
Every private library suffers similar
losses. Books are loaned with the ex-
pectation Of prompt reading and return,
only to be forgotten and mislaid or
perhaps passed on to others.
1t Is asked in behalf Of the Public
Library that every person who has books
at home look through them in search of
volumes belonging to that institution.
No questions will be asked, no fines will
be collected, and the library will be en-
abled to meet its calls more fully and
satisfactorily.
One Of the features of this "fneless
week" effort has been the placing in
the library and its branches of Con
science boxes" into which can be put
books without any report or record.
During the past week 152 books have
been thus deposited. Most of these
have never been charged to readers, in
dicating that they have been taken from
the open sker7es without record Books
to the value Of &.l2 have been thus re-
turned to the libra,s through the con-
science boxes, which VIZ remain during
the second fineless week for the recep-
ton of this literary f1otsam that has
been drifting around about for months
and perhaps for years
With the momentum that was observ-
able during the last two or three days
of the first week in the restoration of
books to the library shelves, it may be
expected that the second week will 20
far toward clearing the records and
putting the Public Library in possession
again of the missing volumes.
Evening star., 1932-06-19
Adjustment.

Many believe we are due for period
of adjustment" said the solemn adviser.
That is the way politics has always
been,' commented Senator Sorghum.
There has never been a time when
one group of patriots wasn't trying to
adjust another group out Of Office and
themselves in
Jud Tunkins says time was when
readin' and writin' was all you needed
to understand politics. Now the arith-
metic has got to be somethin' terrible.
Evening star., 1932-06-19

Much favor Of the nomination Of Mr.
Smell to a position of parliamentary
control over the United States Senate
may have been due to his disclosure of
ability to conduct series Of long, hard
meetings without splintering q single
gavel.
Evening star., 1932-06-19

Some influential New Workers are
favoring Gov. Ritchie as the presiden-
tial nominee. At present New York has
so much political business to attend to
that a willingness to distribute the
honors and responsibilities is not un-
reasonable
Evening star., 1932-06-19

An idea reminiscent Of old-fashioned
days may have led former Senator
France to assume that it is the privi-
lege of every free born American orator
to arise and make speech wherever he
finds a crowd
Evening star., 1932-06-19
Doolittle's Little Jaunt.

From the New York Sun.
Maj. Jimmy Doolittle is going to visit
by airplane in one day all the places
that George Washington visited in a
lifetime. Note to posterity: No use
looking for houses where Maj. Doolittle
spent the night.
Evening star., 1932-06-19
Speak for Yourself!

From the Columbus Ohio State Journal.
Doctor says juriss don't know any
more than a rabbit what alierists are
talking about. And probably If the
bare facts were revealed the alienists
aren't exactly clear on 1t themselves.
Evening star., 1932-06-19

A heavy tax program is being scruti-
nized by numerous European statesmen
with a generous willingness to tell what
to do with any spare change left over
after the budget is balanced
Evening star., 1932-06-19

Absence Of Capone from gangster
discipline gangland had built up and
permit series of irregular and entirely
unauthorized assaSsinations.
Evening star., 1932-06-19

1t is feared that playing Home, Sweet
Home to the bonus seekers will not
cause many of them to wish to return
Immediately. 1t did not have that effect
in France
Evening star., 1932-06-19
All Other States and Canada.
Member of the Associated Press.

TIE Associated Press Is exclusively entitled
70 the use for republication of all news dis
patches credited to 1t or not otherwise cred
tied in this paper and also the local news
published herein. All rights of publication of
special dispatches herein are also reserved.
Evening star., 1932-06-19

A few more calculations reaching to
the billions will warrant suspicion that
the robot" era is demanding Govern
ment for, by and of the cash register.
Evening star., 1932-06-19
Help Wanted.

From the Oklahoma City Daily oklahoman.
Add help wanted. male or female:
Some one to tell either Republican or
Democratic leaders what to say to the
farmers.
Evening star., 1932-06-19
Rate BY Carrier Within the Cit

rhe Evening Star. 45c per month
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Collection made at the end Of each month
Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone
National 5000.
Evening star., 1932-06-19
A Big Order,

From the Harrisburg telegraph.
An Italian inventor says he has in
vented foolproof airplane. But maybe
he doesn't know how many kinds of
fools there are in thekworld.