davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1937-07-25

local office They sat comfortably in
chairs while they watched an expert"
cook a complete meal, including cake,
all at the same time. There was no
advertising talk, but there was dis
cussion about baking problems. If the
members of the organization started
to yearn for a new range, it cost them
nothing to yearn The check, this
time, at the almost standard price Of
Is cents each, again amounted to
$3.50.
The joke to this trip was that
when another group was short Of
members, Group borrowed from
Group /, so that some yearners had
, the pleasure of yearning twice. The
company doesn't care. The meal was
cooked to within 10 minutes Of its
proper time. Names were written on
forms (Which painlessly asked If the
lady was using old-fashioned gas ap-
pliances) and were then shaken in a
hat. The hat belonged to a salesman
who was hovering near, but he didn't
speak unless spoken to.
To the first lady whose name was
pulled from the hat went the nearly
cooked meal. To the second lady went
the cake.
Out OF fairness, Mrs. Dolittle tele-
phoned the electric company about
the privilege Of group sightseeing
The company was not to be outdone
and responded gallantly to the tune OF
another check for $12.50. These sal.
lies had become a wonderful new
game to the ladies and not girl was
missing from her place that night. II
was for, dear old alma ego and fol
the charitable purpose, too.
The procedure was much the same
as at the gas company, and the girl'
were able to compare the two different
WAYS Of cooking,
Evening star., 1937-07-25

spending was going on. Highways,
roads and streets, we read were being
built; public buildings were going up
all over the land: public utilities were
coming into being; f1ood-control work
and conservation work were going
forward Parks and recreational CEN
ters and all manner of educational
projects were taking shape. and rural
reha abilitation. There was evidence
enough and to spare that, the length
and breadth of the country, the
United States was cleaning house,
tidying up her towns and cities, ma
terializing the long -harbored dreams
for civic betterment of countless COM
munities.
All this was due, of course, directly
to the billions aforementioned. 1t
began to look as though citizens could
do as good job at spending as Con-
greSs had done In appropriating
Moreover, with all the face-lifting
that was going on, certain psychologi-
cal betterment was noted. The spirit
Of the people perked up, along with
the city hall in its new coat of paint,
! and thousands of men and women
from coast to coast and Canada to the
Gulf were given an opportunity to
earn their daily bread without re-
course to the dole
Evening star., 1937-07-25

It was a grand day and just right to
give them that carefree feeling. Some
Of the girls had never seen COW
MIXED before and they joked about
placing a bottle before the COW when
they asked for l quart Of grade "A"
The dairy furnished all the milk they
could drink while they munched their
sandwiches. "A check from the dairy
followed them home. Since all so
members were present, 1t meant an
other $3.50 for them. It was about
230 in the afternoon when buses
pulled up at the starting point.
"FATING OUT pleased the girls 80
much that Mrs. Dolittle con-
tacted a hotel. The agreement here
was little different than the others.
There was a limit to the number OF
guests the hotel could accommodate
in their dining room and also speci-
fed hour.
In order to go the limit. which was
SO, 13 protesting husbands were
dragged along to a very fine dinner
served at 6 O'Clock in the evening. II
was seven course meal and it cost
only so cents per plate. The ladies
paid gladly, because they knew tina,
all charges over the number OF "a
would be returned to the group. The
girls ate their way into an earning
power of $3.50 that night. The check
was duly paid by tho hotel.
Why the ladies ever went to the all
Evening star., 1937-07-25
BY Stanley Moreau.

- ROUP money-raising used to
be an arduous, thankless
task, but now it has become
joyous round of revelry. 1t
is more fun than Sunday school
picnic. There is relief from the
monotony of housework. There are
free bus rides into the country and,
most appreciated of all, there is food
without red ants. The wonder of it is
that everybody isn't raising money
this new and delightful way.
A group Of 50 women recently wished
to raise $132. They did it in one
month, using four evenings, four half
days and one dinner session at &
O'Clock. Now they wish they had q
need to raise more money, because they
know of more ways to do it than ever
before.
Mrs. Dolittle said: Before w
moved to the city we belonged to g
small community church and we Were
| forever having to raise money for it
If the outside of it didn't need paint
the roof of the carriage shed woule
need reshingling.
1--WE would hold bake sale. FIT.
women would each bake q cake.
suppose the cakes cost so cents apiece
to make. We would take them to th'
hall and sell the cakes to ourselves a
a dollar each. That would put $50 II
the treasury at cost to us Of SIS
Evening star., 1937-07-25

housing" assistance for educational.
professional and clerical persons"
Civilian Conservation Corps" and so
on down the long list of projects that.
after the w. P. A. was launched in
1885, became the active relief and
work-relief program of the admins.
tration.
Today the General Accounting Of
flee reports with pride that every cent
of the money has been administered
in a manner that fulflls both re-
quirements of the act-that is, in
order to provide relief, Work-relief.
and to increase employment by pro-
viding for useful projects" Moreover.
there has been the closest scrutiny Of
every expenditure. and, despite palms.
taking Investigations, speedy dis
bursement, in order to meet the
emergency nature of the situation.
'nF THE funds available, some re-
main unobligated although prof.
ects approved in the last two or three
months will no doubt allocate the
acts. The second relief act was to
remain alive until July ! of this year.
but the new appropriation of this
| year for $500 100000 really consti-
tutes an extension of the act of 1885
and will assure the projects being
| continued until June 30, 1899, the date
fixed by Congress. BY that time it isi
| hJ,ll of 10
will have been spent, although the1
President earlier expressed the wish>
than S500,0 100000 might be held in
reserve to meet employment condl-
tions as recovery got more firmly
under way.
| To administer these vast sums OF
money 1t has been necessary for the
| General Accounting Office to expand
| its force and operate on funds pro-
Nded in the bill for expenses incur
red or necessitated by "administra-
ton" of the acts themselves. The
normal force of the General Accounts
ing Office was expanded by 1000 ad-
ditional employees. In 1882 Congress
had reduced all Government appro-
priations from 10 to 20 per cent.
Therefore the force at the General
Accounting Office at the beginning Of
1888 consisted of 1893 people.
The staff grew as the program got
under way. until it reached a peak
of $500 members, about 5000 of whom
were employed from emergency relief
ALLEGATIONS. About half the expenses
Of this branch are now paid from all
locations.
The heaviest part Of the work has
been during the last IL months, for
in this period most projects have
been approved. The General Ac-
counting Once informs me that last
Summer and Fall were very busy
periods especially, with a great many
projects under way.
It is interesting to remember that
even when all the routine Of applica-
ton and approval has been gone
through with there yet remains to
the General Accounting Office the
great task of bookkeeping in connec-
ton with every single expenditure
, In other words, as the work progresses
and checks are drawn against thu
ALLEGATION this necessitates q COM
Continued on Third Page)
Evening star., 1937-07-25
By Lucy Salamanca.

"HE neWspaper-reading public
had just grown accustomed to
six ciphers in relief fund fig
Il ures, some time back, when
with prodigal flourish Congress ex-
panded our financial horizon by ap-
preparations that ran into more fig
ures than most of us had ever seen
all on one line before. Such sums as
$1,000, 100000 or S4,880,O 100000 were
tossed off verbally with a nonchalance
that left the simpler among us blink
ing where We STOOD But as soon as
the amounts had ceased to occasion
our wonder, there were those among
us who felt the good men and true
charged with expenditure of such in
credible amounts must have come up
against poser Try spending four
billion dollars" not a few challenged
in their hearts, land. what's more, try
keeping track of it,
There were those who referred to
said expenditure as though it rep
resented one vast, unbridled spending
spree, with every one who thought he'd
like little job done on the town
pump or in Aunt Hetty's garden at
the Governments expense just dipping
blithely into the big barrel where all
the billions were. helping himself
Time went on, and the billions
ceased to be mentioned in such awe
some tones. We grew more or less
accustomed, as nation, to speaking
In telephone numbers, though it may
well be most of us gave up visualizing
anything so without our numerical
scope. We let the people who had to
spend It worry about it, and the book
keeping didn't trouble any Of us. That
Is. it didn't trouble US unless we hap
pened to find employment in thai
branch of the United States Govern.
rnent that is responsible for the stu.
pendous task Of keeping track of every
penny of those incredible sums-tht
General Accounting Office, presided
over by the controller general of tht
United States.
WHILE we may blithely have for
>' gotten the billions that made tn
headlines when relief appropriation
were being made in Congress, the Gen
eral Accounting Office couldn't forge
them. In fact, they stayed by them s.
faithfully and sedulously that toda
they can tell you-with no attempt a
humor-that IS cents was spent for
trowel somewhere south Of the Mason
Dixon line, or one pick-ax voucher wa
turned down because they went an
used the pick-ax on the highway wher
under the purposes of the act" it ha
been approved by the President for us
In grading the school playground.
If you think any one dipped int
those billions without being first fortl
fed with requisitions, application
Treasury warrants, presidential letter
approved specifications, check ar
double-check Treasury General Al
counting Office approvals, disbursir
officers requisitions, and permissio
and authority of the controller gener;
Of the United States, you just don
know anything about the way Unc
Sam keeps books, that's all!
We were, from time to time, Al
euainted with the fact that Il
Evening star., 1937-07-25

A MOTHER night Mrs. Dolittle had
all the girls gather in her home
for surprise party. The surprise
was man, vacuum sweeper man,
who gave demonstration. Mrs. Do
little was very much embarrassed at
the amount Of dirt he was able to take
from her rug. even though she had
used . vacuum sweeper on it that
very day. The joke turned on the
demonstrator little later in the eve
ming, however. He started to show
how he could clean the wall paper
with his gadget. He tried every place
he could think off, but not a speck OF
dirt could he gather. He blushed even
more than she had done, and she
broke down and confessed. The wall
paper was brand-new, so new it wasn't
even dry and it couldn't have any
dirt on it. At SO cents per person in
this case the check was for SIS.
A week later the travelling sorority
visited an ice cream plant in the aft
ernoon. After they had seen just how
ice cream was made, they sat down to
eat plate after plate Of the delicacy,
with cookies and cakes on the side.
That meant another check for the
fund in the usual amount.
In the third week the ever busy Mrs.
Dolittle gathered her crowd together
with the warning that they must bring
sandwiches with them. They were
going for bus ride into the country.
In fact, two buses would be supplied
free of charge. A dairy distributor
wanted the ladies to see from just
what kind of farms th.T fresh milk
was coming. They left at 9 O'Clock
in the morning. At the end Of their
journey into Virginia they .!alighteo
at the door Of . modern dairy barn
Evening star., 1937-07-25

as important and interesting as the
story of the incalculable good the
money has accomplished in restora-
ton of morale and prosperity.
What, then, is the procedure, when
Evening star., 1937-07-25

ing, that job Of bookkeeping was. so
stupendous that the manner in which
the billions are being spent and the
manner in which they are being ac-
! counted for becomes a story in itself,
Evening star., 1937-07-25

all. The General Accounting Office
became one of the busiest spots in
Washington, And though they take
billions in their stride within the his
toric walls of the old Pension Build
Evening star., 1937-07-25

THE billions were getting into cir
culation. And as they circulated
they had to be accounted for. Here
was a bookkeeping assignment to try
the mightiest mathematician of them
Evening star., 1937-12-12

How much can the District budget be
cut?
Seventy-seven per cent of the budget for
the District is spent for education, libraries,
police and fire protection, health activities
and public welfare. If there is to be any
substantial dent made in District appro-
prtations, in other words, the cutting must
'ceme out OF the money spent for schools
ana libraries, police and fire protection,
public health protection and public welfare
The District taxpayer knows the diff
ficulty of cutting into any of these highly
important services. Can we get along with
fewer schools or school teachers in the face
OF the demand for building program of
new schools to replace ancient and con-
demned schools and the enlargement of
the teaching force to meet the demands of
q growing school population?
The requests Of Maj Brown, superin-
tendent of police, for more policemen to
cope with the growing traff1c and other de-
mands OF growing city are usually in
dorsed by the taxpayers. Do they want
now to see the police force reduced, instead
Of increased?
The Fire Department was one agency in
the District government that actually asked
Tor no more money this year. But If the
Fire Department can get along on what 1t
has, would the taxpayers be willing to see
the Fire Department reduced?
Health Is Purchasable.
The taxpayers have been told, through
the newspapers, Of the inadequate provi-
sions made in the District for the necessary
protection Of the public health.
Public health, the experts say, 'is pur-
ehs "a HE - Tn other words opv cifu co,
have as much public health, In the form
Of hospitals and health agencies, as it is
willing to buy. All the information avail
able points to deplorable lack, rather than
any surplus, Of public health facilities.
Evening star., 1937-12-12
cost Of about $4,000, 900 within

maintenance cost Of about $4, ,000, 900 within
the past few years.
These new costs, recently added, are the
new tuberculosis sanatoria at Glenn Dale,
Md; the sewage disposal plant; old-age
assistance; an increase in the District bill
for civil service retirement and disability
payments; direct relief for the unemploy-
able destitute; the granting of 40-hour
week to District per diem workers and ex-
tending to them the same annual and sick
leave as is available to regular, annual
employees There was no public relief prob
lem or cost in 1920. Now the cost is ST.
400, 900 for only the care of those classed
as unemployable. not counting other social
security classifications.
The chief reason for the Districts present
difficulties in budget balancing, however, is
the studied policy of the National Govern
ment in reducing the Federal payment for
support Of the American Capital The costs
Of government In all cities have risen tre-
mendously. In Washington, however, the
taxpayer has not only been forced to as
sumo the extra tax burdens which usually
accompany rapid increases in population,
but in addition has had to take care Of
the unanticipated problem Of assuming the
burden that in the beginning was accepted
and for many years maintained as the
distinct financial responsibility Of the Fed
eral Government.
The Federal payment has been reduced
steadily, out of all proportion to any dimi-
mutton in the financial responsibilities of
Evening star., 1937-12-12

the National Government. These respon-
sibilities, on the other hand, have in
creased, as the local taxpayers RESPONSE
bilities have increased. But the National
Government has reduced its financial obli-
cations by the gentle process Of showing
them off on the unrepresented local tax
payer, with the natural result that the
local taxpayers burden has grown out Of
reasonable proportion to his ability to pay.
The local taxpayer will be on guard
this year-though what else he can do
about it is a question-against two dangers.
The first lies in the imposition of new
and heavier taxation under the guise of
finding substitutes for existing taxes. Re-
member what happened last year when the
automobile tax was to be substituted for
the personal property tax on automobiles.
In the end, the local taxpayer was forced
to shoulder both.
The second danger is some further effort
to reduce the Federal payment at time
when all logic and fairness demands that
1t be substantially increased Automobile
taxes were levied last year and in theory
put aside for highway improvement to
meet the growing demands Of heavy traffic
heavy traffic in Washington and heavy
suburban traffic coming into and leaving
the city. Watch out, this year, for some
move that will make the automobile taxes
available, not for the highway improvement
for which they were levied, but for some
use hitherto financed from the general
revenues-to which the National Govern
Evening star., 1937-12-12
Quezon, as Usual, Is the Issue
Filipinos With Women Voting, Go to Polls Tuesday.

radical political enemies thunder by ad-
vocating independence in 1898 or 1899.
To Quezon, in the United States, came
also reports from Manila that Popular
Front leaders often went to High Commis-
sioner Paul Worries McNutt, who was then
IN the midst Of toasting controversy, to
present their grievances. Soon 1t was ru-
mored that McNutt had ordered the gather
ing of evidence Of Quezon's dictatorship
and the election postponment was part of
the evidence
McNutt the Strong Man.
Convinced that there was a strong man
in the high commissioners Office who was
bent on exercising all his prerogatives and
whose motto was Il don't get into fights to
lose" Quezon, upon his return to Manila
after an eight-month sojourn abroad, os-
tentatiously and publicly acknowledged that
the high commissioner, as the representa-
tive Of The sovereign government, indeed
preceded the President of the Philippines.
And then he quietly had the National As
sembly set a date for the delayed election.
To vindicate himself Quezon must win
at the polls.
During the campaign he tried to show to
the people that he was not a dreadful die
tator but mere benevolent boss. He
urged the sugar, the coconut and other
industries prospering in the free United
States market to pay their laborers higher
wages or else he would recommend legis-
lation fixing minimum wages and maximum
hours. He attacked the judiciary for cer-
tain decisions which he termed unfair to
wage-earners. Then he announced social
justice program, which was expected to
win back many voters inclined to 60 Popu-
lar Frontist.
Foes Belabor President.
Gen. Jose Alejandrino and Emiliano
Tirona, virtual Popular Front heads,
although Agfinaldo is nominally the presi-
dent, were among his most effective critics.
Strutting up and down the island of Luzon,
Evening star., 1937-12-12

they ridiculed the Philippine Army and
the Commonwealth President.
They shouted, "Quezon is too expensive" !"
They charged their President with expendi-
ture of too much government money In
unnecessary gallivanting in the United
States and other countries when there was
very much work to be done at home They
did not like his employment Of too many
Americans. foreigners and "mestzos" in the
government and in Malacanan Palace
They criticized him for purchasing luxuri-
GUS yacht, the Casiana, for his own use.
Whenever the radicals become unbear-
able for him, professedly proletariat-
loving President Quezon takes refuge
among the conservatives, especially the
businessmen, among whom his party raised
a huge campaign fund. He tries to MAIN
tain their support by assuring them that
income taxes viii remain low and that no
new taxes will be imposed, by urging
American and foreign capital to stay In
the Philippines, and by flirting with the
idea of permanent dominion status for the
islands, which Americans, foreigners 'ex-
cepting the Japanese) and the upper class
OF Filipinos advocate.
Quezon Is the principal issue in the elec-
ton. His party is expected to win hand
somely, but gains made by the other parties
will be pointed to as damage on his prestige
He, however. in his usual clever way Of
snatching victory from apparent defeat,
will most likely claim, in case the oppo-
sition parties succeed in catapulting q
considerable number Of their candidates
into Office, that the magic charm of i'm
mediate independence still works.
Since Quezon has been the longtime
champion of independence, he can again
press for early freedom. II the election
indicates conservatism, he, who recently
invited dominion status proposals, can
remain as leader Of the new movement.
Personally Quezon, as political shadow
boxer, can not lose. He occupies both
cornerA
Evening star., 1937-12-12
Eight Languages Used
In Carpathia Ruthenia

UAHAROD, Czechoslovakia R.-Car-
pathia Ruthenia is land Of more than
nat dozen languages, but they cannot
decide which Is to be Official. .,.
There are national minorities Of Hun
garians, Czechs, Rumanians and Germans,
and all have the privilege of using their
native tongues. The Ruthenians, branch
OF the Ukrainian nationality, make up the
majority Of the population, however, and
1t Is their privilege to determine what shall
be the language of the state.
They have to decide between three va
rieties Of the Russian tongue and the sup
porters Of each are so fervent 1t is impos-
sible to arrive at agreement. No one knows
quite what to speak, and school teachers
don't know what to do
Evening star., 1937-12-12
BY JAMES G. WINGO.

w YOMEN of the Philippines will be-
M come the first of their sex in the
" Far East to exercise the right
Of suffrage when they 60 to the
polls Tuesday in a nationwide election
for provincial and municipal officials.
Although more than 10000 literate
women indicated in national plebiscite
last spring their desire for suffrage. the
latest available estimate is that only 250,-
600 registered for the December II voting.
total for more than 2, 100. 900 voters regis
tered for the coming elections
Many women are running for municipal
officials, but only two are candidates for
provincial governors. One is Mrs. Cristina
Aguinaldo 8untay, daughter Of famed Gen.
Aguinaldo, In Cavite, q province which
Manuel Quezon did not carry in 1885. She
is the candidate of the National Youth
party, the Popular Front and the Popular
League. Energetic, able Mrs. Suntay Is ex-
pected to run roughshod over her rival, a
veteran male politician under the banner
of Quezon's own Nationalist party.
Called . Dictator.
Until recently the most convincing proof
OF President Quezons virtual dictatorship
was his arbitrary postponment of the ma
tion-wide provincial elections lawfully
scheduled for June. 1887, for no better ap-
parent reason at all than that he would be
away in the United States
When Emilio Aguinaldo. old generalissimo
Of the Filipino insurrectionists at the turn
Of the century and Quezon's rival for the
presidency of the Commonwealth in 1885,
and politically minded, alert Bishop Greg
orio Aglipay of the Philippine Independent
Church, also beaten presidential candi-
date, Joined forces in the Popular Front
and attempted to win the masses support
away from Quezon with charges that the
Commonwealth President was a dictator
eager for more and more power and no
longer enthusiastic over Philippine inde-
pendence, shrewd Manuel Quezon stole his