davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1935-01-02
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

in public interest. The trial gives
every promise of matching the rec
ord-breaking prominence of the Lind
bergh kidnapping itself.
4 y X
Among distinguished scribes who
have converged on Washington for
the opening of Congress is New Eng
lands premier political writer, Michael
E. HenneSsy of the Boston Globe. He
is one of Calvin Coolidge's biographers.
A veteran favorite in the press gallery,
Hennessy has known every President
of the United States since Grover
Cleveland, and campaigned with them
all. AS an indication of economic re-
covery. the Boston newsman reports
that rs per cent of the 1884 gradual
ing class at Massachusetts, Institute
of Technology had positions waiting
for them, whereas during previous de-
preston years winners of sheepskins
had to rustic for jobs and were gen.
orally glad to accept almost anything,
however humble or unsuited to their
professional training.
\ 4 y 4
When Senator-elect Peter Goelet
Gerry, Democrat, of Rhode Island en-
ters the Senate for third time this
week, he will be escorted to the ros-
trum by the Republican who defeated
him in 1880. Senator Jesse H. Metcalf.
Gerry takes the seat of the retiring
Republican, Senator Felix Hebert, who
defeated him for reelection in 1928
and whom Gerry turned around and
beat last November. Mr. Gerry rates
as an AL Smith Democrat, but has been
cordially welcomed to the Rooseveltian
ranks and is counted upon to line up
loyalty for the New Deal.
X
American monetary experimental
lists who favor a central bank are
peeling an eye in the direction of the
Bank of Canada, the Domilion's new
central bank, which will open for
business at Ottawa March l. It's
100, 900 $50 shares are scattered among
12,200 persons, representing every
class of citizenship. The bank will
commence operations with control of
$l00,0O0,000 in gold, assume response
bility for the 1920, 900, 900 of Dominion
notes in circulation and replace them
Immediately with it's own currency.
At first it will concentrate on regula-
ton of credit and then tackle the task
OF Stabilizing the exchange value of
the Canadian dollar. The new insti-
tuition aims to maintain rigid inde-
pendence of Bank of England influ-
ence.
X \ X X
Apropos best-dressed-m contests,
somebody has dug up that epigram
about an Oxford University professor
famed for his sartorial splendor. A
fellow member of the faculty, who
was asked for his opinion of the schol-
arly Beau Brummel, CALCULATED: "Such
time as he doesn't waste on the
adornment of his person he devotes
to the neglect of his duties"
X X X X
Anybody who has candidates for
Americas Hall of Fame has up to
March IS to submit nominations to
DR.. Robert Underwood johnson, direc-
tor of the hall, at New York Univer-
sity. A college of electors consisting
of 100 distinguished persons through
out the country, chosen by the uni
versity senate, will select the names
from nominations submitted by the
press and public. Candidates pro-
posed must have died prior to October
/, 1910, and have been Americans or
identified with the United States.
Both men and women are eligible.
(Copyright, 1881
Evening star., 1935-01-02
Foreign Trade in 1885.

Secretary Hull adduces something
more tangible than merely sunny
optimism as evidence that 1885 will
be marked by genuine progress in
restoration of Americas foreign trade.
1t is to be found in the fact that
negotiations are under way for the
conclusion of no fewer than thirteen
reciprocal tariff treaties with other
countries.
Progress toward conclusion Of such
arrangements, since Congress last
June voted President Roosevelt
extraordinary authority in the tariff
field, has been slow. To date only
a treaty with Cuba, because it had
the character of an urgent emergency
measure, has been effected, but agree
ments with Brazil, Colombia and
Haiti are imminent. Meantime, as
Secretary Hull explains in New Year
statement, the past six months have
been well spent on spade work" in
domestic trade recovery "as a COM
ponent part of the restoration Of
world trade"
During the year just ended the
United States foreign commerce has
undergone substantial improvement.
Exports increased So per cent over
1e33 and imports were 151s per cent
Evening star., 1935-01-02
Studying Tax Tangle.
,m the Rochester Times-Union.

From the Rochester Times-Union.
President Roosevelt has directed the
Treasury Department to make study
of the entire tax structure Of the
Nation-Federal, State and local
with a view to consolidation of tax
collecting agencies and elimination OF
overlapping taxes.
In gas taxes there is overlapping OF
levies, but consolidation of collection.
In income taxes there is both over
tapping and separate collection. Many
instances could be cited in which both
State and Nation make leyies, and fre-
quently separate collections.
In the local field the tangle of tax
collection agencies is notorious.
Here the best solution would seem
to lie in developing and carrying into
actual effect planning which is both
thorough and alert. If we could learn
to depend upon planning of fairly wide
scope we could make our levieS In
accordance with it.
That would avoid waste, give us
more return for our taxes, eliminate
the need of so much expensive and ILL
directed local initiative and furnish
much better control of total ex-
penditures.
ALLEGATION Of tax sources between
the Federal Government and the
States has become more difficult with
passing of the simple days when Gus.
toms and tobacco and liquor taxes
| supplied most of the Federal revenue
And by some of the States, especially
Maryland and those of the South, the
, States rights idea is still much cher.
| ished.
So it will be hard to accomplish the
aims the administration has set before
| it in this field.
But the need Is great. The study
is worth making. Let us hope it leads
| to concrete results.
Evening star., 1935-01-02

Congress assembled the President sent
to the Capitol a budget message in
which he warned that there must be
. strenuous effort to bring about q
balancing Of expenditures and receipts
by the Government during the fiscal
year 1896. Unless new and much big
ger taxes are provided for by law and
unless there is q marked curtailment
in appropriations, there seems little
chance of balancing the budget dur
ing the next fiscal year.
Democratic members Of Congress
were elected also on q plea that they
were needed in Washington to uphold
the President and the New Deal pro-
gram. In the light of the great per-
sonal popularity of the President and
of these pledges to support him, it
would seem improbable that there
would be serious opposition on Capitol
Hill to the program advanced by the
Chief Executive. The President, how
ever, may seriously object to measures
outside Of his own program which
may be advanced by the Congress or
by groups within the House and Sem
ate. There has been talk of further
currency imitation legislation, advo-
Gated by those members Of Congress
who believe that the people can be
helped by giving them cheaper money.
The immediate cash payment o.
the soldiers bonus, opposed by the
President, is likely to bring an early
showdown Of strength between the
Executive and the legislative branch
The Townsend old-age pension plan will
have its followers in Congress. The
Black -Connery thirty hour work week,
which passed the Senate during the
last session, but which was side
tracked in the House at the request Of
the administration, will be pressed for
favorable action by the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor.
For two years Congress has played
second fiddle to the Executive. 1t has
granted to the President new and
extraordinary powers, never delegated
before by the National Legislature
Will Congress continue to be as pliable
as it has been? Will it fall in with
all the ideas of the New Dealers as
readily as was done in the last
Congress? The very fact that the
emergency has not passed. that there
continues to be a vast army Of un-
employed to be cared for, is likely to
strengthen the hand of the Executive.
Evening star., 1935-01-02
Neyadan Lottery.

From the Columbus (ohic) Dispatch.
Several times within the last year
attempts have been made to establish
legalized lotteries in some political sub
divisions of the United States. 1t has
even been talked of in Ohio. 1t failed
to become law in the City of New
York when the mayor vetoed bill
on the grounds that he believed 1t
not within the legal power of the
Board of Aldermen to create such a
bill.
Now comes the sovereign State OF
Nevada with a State lottery plan.
People are familiar with the independ-
ent viewpoint of the inhabitants of
this Western State on matters affect
ing social practice, such as divorce and
gambling. The usual arguments in
favor of the lottery are brought up.
All seem agreed that it would offer a
solution to the pressing problems OF
taxation. The decline of the mining
and live stock industries has placed
the State in a desperate condition as
relates to public revenue. Again, how
ever, the question Of the legality Of
the measure is raised.
Some legislators are not sure that
such a permissive bill would stand.
1t happens there are constitutional
limitations to State gambling even in
Nevada. The disposition of the people
certainly seems to give the lottery plan
of raising money a trial, but it Is
evident that the pioneer Inhabitants
of the Western State, who framed the
constitution, had scruples against
gambling under the operation Of the
State, however tolerant they might
have been about the matter under
private operation.
Evening star., 1935-01-02
Alley.Clearance Plans.

The District Alley Authority has
reached the point where its execu-
tVe officer, John Ihlder, is ready to
go ahead with several definite alley
clearance projects. These have been
made known generally to the public,
as far as fundamentals are concerned,
and there should be general gratifica-
ton over the sound and sane prin-
ciples to be followed and the absence
of any of the hysteria which has,
unfortunately, marked some previous
efforts to rid the city of its alley
communities.
But the nature of the program itself
means some delay. The Alley Au-
thority, in the first place, has re-
solved not to undertake the re-crea-
tion of any of these blighted areas
until housing is found for their pres
ent inhabitants. The fact that Wash
ington shows signs of an approach
ing housing shortage, with rental
quarters at premium, will make this
more difficult. But there can be no
dispute with the wisdom of the policy.
Another factor which may mean de-
lay is that the Alley Authority plans
to pay assessed valuation for the prop
erty and will not deal with those who
seek an exhorbitant profit. There is
the additional delay, always encoun-
tered in land purchase programs, due
to the fact that some alley property
is held by estates, while in the case
of others the owners are absent from
the city.
Acquisition of land-the Authority
is now centering its attention on
fifteen alley communities-iS,o of course,
the first phase of the undertaking. The
second is the development of the prop
erty for other uses. Mr. Ihlder has
revealed that in some cases it is
hoped to reach an agreement with
non-profit corporations, under which
garages, for instance, would be con-
structed and operated by the corpora
ton until such time as the land
mortgages have been paid off, when
the property would revert to the Dis
trict or to some other development
In the low-cost housing undertakings
the plan is to have the developments
carried out by limited dividend corpo-
rations as far as possible. There are
other developments which the Alley
Authority itself may undertake, in
connection with low-cost housing, such
as small parks which would become
as in Grammercy Park, New York
an asset of the new community. Other
property may be leased and held by
the Alley Authority and some may
be sold outright to new owners, pro-
vided development plans are approved
by the Authority. The plan now is to
complete the work and to clean up
all transactions in ten years.
The Alley Authority does not plan
to acquire much land for the munic-
ipality, or to involve the municipality
in maintenance and operation re-
sponsibilities unless such acquisitions
are of real benefit.
Evening star., 1935-01-02
Tie Seventy-Fourth Congress.

The Seventy-fourth Congress makes
its bow to the country tomorrow. Its
coming has been awaited with interest
in Washington. That interest has
centered mainly in the possible radical
tendencies Of various groups and in
the chance of conflict between the
President and the legislative branch
of the Government. Obviously, until
the administration program has been
announced, it will be impossible to
predict how the Congress will react or
whether 1t will be content merely to
carry through that program and ad-
journ.
In general way it is known that
the administration will put forward
a program of so-called social security
legislation. 1t will include insurance
against unemployment, probably pen
sions for the aged. What the admin
istration will propose in connection
with relief work is Of almost greater
immediate interest. 1t looks with
favor on work relief" rather than on
the dole system; it prefers to furnish
jobs and pay the workers rather than
merely to feed and shelter the jobless.
Huge sums of money will be necessary
to carry forward such program,
since many millions of workers con-
tinue to be unemployed throughout
the country. Public works have been
tried on a huge scale and are giving
many men and women employment
today. But there are plans in the
making for even more extensive prof.
ects, particularly along the line oi
improved housing.
How will the new Congress read the
mandate of the recent elections? In.
dividual members may interpret thi:
mandate in various ways. There is
likely to be at least one general con.
clusion, to which all, or nearly all, oi
the Democratic members will agree
and perhaps some of the Republicans
That conclusion is that the electorate
is in favor of more and bigger expendi-
lures of public money. During the
campaign the Democratic candidates
for Congress promised q continuance
of the Government money supply for
many purposes. A year ago when
Evening star., 1935-01-02
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

A reader can get the answer to
any question Of fact by uriting The
Washington Evening Star Information
Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director,
Washington, d. c. Please incIose
stamp for reply.
@. How many women are on the
New York City police force?-C. G..
A. There are 155 woman members
Of the New York Police Department.
Q. Please give Arthur Brisbane's
definition Of newspaper.-H. r. c.
A. At at luncheon celebrating his
10th birthday, Mr.. Brisbane de-
scribed a newspaper as follows: "On
the face Of your watch there are three
hands. There is the slow hand.
You cannot see it move. That Is his
tory written long time after. Then,
there Is the rapidly moving minute
hand. You cannot see that move, al
| though If you watch, you see the
change Of its position, and that Is the
making Of law and the other minor
things that make it up. Then there
is the secondhand. The part that
the secondhand plays in time the
newspaper plays in the history Of
events"
@. When did England acquire
Canada?-G. N.
A. She won Canada from France
in 1853 after long wars.
@. What was the beginning of re-
ligious freedom?-L. B.
A. The first attempt to grant and
try out religious freedom may be cred
tied to Constantine in the Edict Of
Milan, 313 A. D. This edict granted
both to the Christians and to all
others free power of following what
ever religion each may have preferred. !"
@. Where is the proper place on an
envelope for return address?-M. P.
A. The proper place for a return
address on letter is in the upper left
hand corner Of the envelope.
@. What use is made of geometry
after one leaves school?-C. H.
A. Geometry is used extensively in
the professions, principally in all
branches Of engineering, architecture,
astronomy, as well as in mechanical
drawing, carpentry and building.
@. What is the best material for
stringing pearls?-A. B.
A. Silk of pure quality is perhaps
the best material for this purpose,
owing to its strength. flexibility and
smoothness.
@. Who is considered the leading
Russian composer?- A. L.
; A. Sergei Rachmaninoh is gen.
orally given this recognition. A bril-
liant concert pianist and conductor,
his greatest fame rests with his COM
position.
@. What Is animal ecology?-
TN.
A. In a general way it is science
which seeks to give some definite form
to the vast number of observations
which have been accumulated during
the last few hundred years by field
naturalists and various other people
| interested in wild animals. Geology
is now concerned with reducing and
co-ordinating vast available informa-
tion concerning habits. life histories
and numbers of the different animals
with a view to solving some of the ur-
gent practical problems arising as re-
suit of mans becoming civilized and
interfering with the animal and plant
life around him.
@. Who said "A single breaker may
recede but the tide is evidently coming
| MN. S.
A. Macaulay wrote this In 1880
during a period of stress in England.
Evening star., 1935-01-02

Templeton Jones, president of the
Treadle Club, stood at the Circle wait
ing for the silvery streamlined bus,
whereon the first ceremony Of initia-
ton was to take place.
He was humming an old Negro
spiritual, with slightly changed words,
as follows:
81 see the bus a-coming,
It's coming round the curve,
Jes' stand upon the treadle,
And it will never swerve;
Oh, git on board, little chillun,
Git on board, little chillun,
Git on board, little chillun-
There's room for a million more!"
Jones looked up the noble Avenue,
tree lined, with its two sets of side
walks on the east side. and its auto
mobile speed sign which no one
minded.
He continued to sing:
IT hear the airbrakes kissing,
It's made of glass and steel,
And If it runs over you,
That's something you'll never feel;
Oh, git on board, little chillun,
Git on board, little chillun,
Git on board, little chillun,
There's room for million more"
X X X X
At this point in the proceedings
Secretary Jack Yearley, or Yearling, as
he sometimes spells it, rounded into
view
This was positively necessary, as
the ceremony could not take place
without him.
They both were waiting for old
Walrus Spigott, who was to be the
first victim of an almost invisible piece
Of public tomfoolery.
Jones and Yearly did not believe in
loud talking aboard public vehicles.
Nor in smoking. They left the lat
ter to the women.
Even the most avid sampler of the
daily quota of cigarettes might permit
his fellow passengers to ride down
town In peace. In this respect, Jones
thought.
The sign in the bus just called at
tention to splitting. That, it inSinu-
ated, is still unlawful.
1t said nothing at all about the
carrying of lighted cigarettes, pipes
or cigars. as the old signs did.
Have cigarette" said Secretary
Yearley to President Jones.
Thanks" said the latter.
They were now ready for the victim,
but the miscreant had not arrived.
Spigott was always on the move
He had to be, to keep up with those
huge whiSkerS which he wore.
If the reader can imagine a cross
between Gen. Grant and President
Lincoln, at least in so far as whiskerS
are concerned, he has reasonably
correct mental image of Spigott.
Here he came at last, his adorr-
ments waving in the breeze, which is
rather chill before 8 o'clock in the
morning at the Circle.
The snub-nosed bus came to a stop.
and the front door slid open easily.
Templeton Jones, president, mount
ed first.
1t was meet that he should, be-
cause he was a great admirer of
these new busses.
He walked by the mummy case.
In the event that some one does not
recognize the term, it may be said
that the mummy case" aboard one
Of these modern public vehicles is the
engine housing, which is back in the
bus at the entrance.
The shape Of the casing led the
imaginative Jones to dub it the
mummy case" description in which
Evening star., 1935-01-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

the even more imaginative Yearley
concurred.
Now they were safely on the road
to the rear, passing the middle door,
operated by air when q passenger
stands squarely on the rubber treadle.
This door will not open except
when the vehicle has come to q
stop, but 1t will not operate even
then until the would-be descending
passenger stands squarely in the mid
die of the treadle.
Hence" as President Jones said
with an expansive gesture, "the
Treadle Club"
4 X X
Old Walrus Spigott sat down.
"The Treadle Club will now come
to order" said President Jones to
Secretary Yearley.
There was nobody else to say it
to, of course, since they constituted
the entire membership. 1t was very
comforting feeling. Since the un-
spoken aim of most clubs Is ex-
clusiveness. Jones and Yearley felt
they had about the best organization
in town.
Especially for its size.
The first two and only charter
members were very good, and it was
strictly up to them to keep 'em good.
Hence old Walrus.
Spigott was a mighty fine chap,
If you forgot his whiSkers, and, when
his bright eyes lit up with the fire
of intellectual discovery, most people
did. He knew more than most books
and never forgot to open up, and
books sometimes stubbornly do.
\ y u 4
eve are now about to initiate you
into the Treadle Club, of which you
will be the tertiary member" con-
tinued Jones.
Mr.. Spigott did what the movie
fraternity call registering surprise.
Sinceshe had never heard of Wash
ington's very latest club, it is no
wonder that he so registered.
THE ceremony is simple, and abso-
lutely public" continued President
Jones, to the vast surprise of young
lady over by the window. who was try
ing to light a cigarette without a
match.
Templeton Jones is always kindly
man.
"Mr. Yearley," he said, hand the
young lady a match"
4 4 y \
Aboard a modern bus, are such
things supposed to be?
Yes. there is some courtesy left,
nv-o q
least thinks he does, which is the
same thing.
Hand the gal match" he directed
Secretary Yearley.
Jack gallantly presented an entire
paper of them.
Have one" he said. cordially.
Have two, have several, as a matter
of fact take 'em all" which the girl
did.
"And now, Mr.. Spigott, We shall
continue with the ceremony" said
President Jones.
The details of this unique initiation
have been explained at length in this
column, so there is no need to go into
1t now.
The point simply is that there were
three members of the Treadle Club
where there had been only two before.
Jones and Yearley looked at each
other with satisfaction. They were
dictators, purely and simply dictators,
perfectly in the spirit of the age.
They initiated whom they liked. they
kept out whom they did not like, and
if this fellow Spigott talked too much
about postage stamps, they would
expell him before the bus got down.
town. So let him be warned.
Evening star., 1935-01-02
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON
Standardization.

Standardization.
The language we try to speak
May seldom mean a thing;
The information that we seek
To simple forms may cling.
Our talk is being simplified,
And when on it We draw
Well use it with ingenious pride
And just say "Rah! Rah! Rail"
We may not criticize unless
In a constructive way,
With no suspicion of distress
In anything we say.
The red bird has a simple song,
The crow will merely cav,
And we. when standardized ere long
May just say 'Rah! Rah! Rail-"