davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Says District Repts
Should Be Lowered.
To the Editor OF The Star:

should like to hear from interested
parties in regard to the high rents in
Washington. If our citizens had the
courage to air this injustice through
our daily papers and appeal to the Dis
trict committees of Congress they might
accomplish something
An emergency exists when citizens
can't buy sufficient food for their fam
lilies and Government must furnish free
lunches for about 100000 children In
the United States, and many thousands
here in Washington. Isn't it an emer-
gency when high rents force thousands
of Washington's decent citizens to live
in such crowded quarters that life is
made miserable, health is impaired and
children are undernourished? Yet the
rent must be paid or into the street
they must 60. Many cruel elections
have taken place under the shadow of
the Capitol of our United States.
There are thousands of rooms and
hundreds of apartments that have been
vacant for months, but the real estate
companies prefer holding rents up
knowing they are making sufficient profit
to cover the loss on the vacant rooms.
November 13. MRS. A. l.. BATTLE.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Danger of Dictatorship
Seen in Unemployment.
To the Editor Of The Star:

10 the Edltor OF Inc star
Now that the ham and eggs and Ohio
proposals for economic and monetary
reform have been chucked in the garbage
can, as depicted by cartoon in local
newspaper, a lot of people will breathe
easier. However, am inclined to think
that such people will be living in sort of
a fools paradise
1t is true that some problems do melt
away even though little or nothing is
done about them, but ignoring other
problems does not solve them, and only
gives them chance to tester and grow
worse. I regard unemployment due to
chronological development q problem of
this kind.
I think that what has actually hap
pened by these defeats in California and
Ohio is that another nail has been
driven in the coffin of democracy, and
that we are one step nearer to a national
dictatorship And I arrive at this con-
clusion merely by the old natural law
OF cause and effect-not by any pro-
phetic powers.
The country is full of people who have
been kicked around numerically for as
long as 10 years. simply cannot believe
that the majority of these people are
going to cling indefinitely to a demo-
cratic theology which denies them work
as well as the opportunity to live de-
Gently on any basis. G. c. HART.
Baltimore, Md.
November IL.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
THIS AND THAT
BIZ Charles E. Trdce1pell,

The towhee, or chewink, is one of the
most interesting and attractive birds to
come to local gardens.
This ground robin, as 1t is sometimes
called, grows upon the observer, as he
watches its daily performance in the
leaves.
1t is one Of the species which loves to
scratch around In fence corners and
along flower borders where dry leaves
collect.
1t is after grubs Of all kinds, larvae,
crawling insects, and the like.
The male and female are seldom seen
in the same yard at the same time. Just
why this Is we do not know.
Usually the male flies in, scratches
around for time, picks up few seeds
at the feeding station-for this bird eats
seeds, and fruits, too-then departs, to
be followed by the more modest-hued
female, which eats more daintily.
The towhee is 8 inches in length, a
good-sized chunk of bird The adult
male is black on the upper head, neck,
chest and back, while the female has
the black portions replaced by brown.
The male, as customary among birds,
is the Snowy one of the two.
The first time you see him in your gar
den you will get quite thrill, for he is
not exactly like any other creature you
will see there.
Bold, upright, stalwart, the towhee
has interested observers. He does not
have the flash of the cardinal. the soft
blend Of coloring of the bluebird, but
his combination is strictly his own, al
though reminding one slightly OF the
Baltimore oriole.
OF the half dozen or more species of
towhee in the United States, this is the
only one to visit Washington.
1t is commonly listed as permanent
resident, although great many more of
them migrate here each spring in late
March, and fly through again about this
time
Some, however, will stay, and there are
enough Of these to enable bird observers
to class 1t as a permanent resident.
Not every garden will have a pair, by
any means. So if yours does, try to keep
them by putting out mixture of seeds.
They seldom eat out of the station, but
prefer to scratch around among the
husks and seeds scattered in a wide cir
Gle around any feeding box.
X
Our toWhee has one of the most i'm
posing scientific names in all birdland.
Let us spell it out carefully:
Pipilo erythrophthalmus erythrophthal-
mus.
Evening star., 1939-11-14

number Of other States. He may
even have the largest single bloc of
delegates in the convention. But
beating Mr.. Roosevelt, should he be
a candidate, will be Herculean task
in the 1910 convention. Many Demo-
Gratis regard it as an impossible task,
even though the anti-third- term
sentiment is really strong.
The President is saying nothing so
far. He may decide that he will abide
by the tradition which limits Presi-
dent to two terms-a total OF eight
years in the White House. If he
goes counter to this tradition, Mr..
Roosevelt will be running not alone
against Mr.. Garner and any others
who may have the temerity to op-
pose him, but also against the pre-
cepts Of George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, all of
whom opposed more than two terms
for any President.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
CriticiZes MuralS
For Post Offices.
To the Editor Of The Star:

My visit to the Corcoran Art Gallery
to view the murals to be placed in the
post offices in the 48 States caused me
to bow my head, for the sight is sad. Is
this what we want to hand down to
posterity?
To my mind the artist should teach
appreciation for fine art. But how can
this be done when the gallery patrons
ask What is this" and What is that?"
Some repeat, like parrots, the artificial
praise heard from people like them
selves who do not want to seem ignorant.
I for one have backbone enough to have.
my own opinion and to say this is not
fine art. I've seen better work by kids.
I think the trouble is that more of us
who think art should be a thing of
beauty should voice our opinion and try
to stop this forced acceptance of dis
torted conglomeration.
It would seem to me that in order to
give the people of each State q fair
chance to have mural which repre-
sents their locality, all mural entries
for one State should be sent to the capi-
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Suggestions for Pedestrian
Safety Offered.

To the Editor Of The Star:
Any move made or refinement adopted
with welfare of the modern pedestrian
in mind is bound to be appreciated. The
placing of raised safety zones" in many
wide streets is distinct improvement,
giving the walker sense of security
heretofore lacking. These safeguards
not only discourage those wide left turn
spins which are the delight of the hog
gish type of driver, but they exercise in
f1uence in restraint of high speeds for
merly common during such maneuvers.
Hope is expressed a similar boon will be
visited upon points on Constitution ave-
nue..
Unfortunately the same can't be said
of street-level painted zones Upon be-
ing discharged from a streetcar onto one
of these places one has the same feeling
of security as man seated on smol-
dering volcano, as savagely contending
speed maniacs inclose him on both sides.
Many cities require reduced speeds past
such places. Washington drivers blast
horns violently and step on it. Even the
more backward foreign cities erect guard
rails as protection against bicyclists, but
here the exposed victims only protec-
ton is a sense of hope and human op-
timism.
The Don't Walk" signs seem to merit
the approval expressed for them. The
brief space during which no traffic moves
vehicle or walker-appears to be def
mite safety factor. The objection is to
the overturned interval (Which encour-
ages violation The walker is left iso-
lated at midstreet (as east side Thir-
teenth street, while the horde of left
turner's is being undammed to sweep by
in unpleasantly close proximity.
Twelfth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue north side) might merit similar
treatment This is rapidly becoming a
plague spot. The helpless pavement
worm is caught between two waves of de-
struction-the late Avenue crossors and
the pistol-shot right-tu turner's.
E street should be cut through from
south of the White House to Seventeenth
street and the roads around the Ellipse,
including the three short sections empty
ing into Constitution avenue should be
turned into park. They simply help gum
up traffic into Constitution avenue; they
don't relieve it. Naturally those who
enjoy the luxury of free parking here
would put up an awful squawk, in spite
of which the Republic might contrive to
survive. Some of the worst driving seen
in Washington takes place around this
oval. I speak as an occasional parker
in this area. I. H. LAT1MER.
November g.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Aiding the Needy

The decision of the Municipal
Court judges to reduce the suit-flling
fee in the landlord and tenant
branch from eighty-five to fifty cents
may seem inconsequential to many
people, but it will result in very
considerable assistance to those
whose incomes supply the necessities
of life and nothing more. 1t is this
group which constitutes the great
majority of the courts patrons, and
to them saving of some $4,000
year-the approximate effect of the
fee reduction-is a matter of first
Importance.
A reduction in the landlord and
tenant fees was advocated by The
Star after it had been learned that
this court, while serving members
of the city's low income group, had
shown profit of nearly $270,000
during the past seventeen years. 1t
was felt that the fees should be
reduced to point which would
enable the court to meet its expenses
and nothing more, and, while the
reduction announced yesterday will
not accomplish that result, it is a
commendable step in the right direc-
tion
1t has been shown, however, that
the landlord and tenant branch,
while producing more than half the
total revenues of the Municipal
Court, receives but one-ffteenth of
the time of the five judges of that
tribunal. To correct this obviously
inequitable condition, it was urged
that the landlord and tenant hear
ingS, now conducted in the morn
ings, be scheduled for afternoons,
when more time could be given to
these matters. This proposed change
has not yet been approved by a
majority Of the judges, but, since
its desirability is so convincingly
demonstrated by the courts own
statistics, there is reason to hope
that the judges. instead of con-
tenting themselves with half meas
ures, will do everything in their
power to see to it that clients of
the landlord and tenant branch
receive degree of service that bears
some reasonable relation to the per-
centage of costs which they are
required to pay.
Evening star., 1939-11-14

the condemnation Of their own un-
quiet consciences.
It is not argued, however, that the
command of duty should be stressed
In the Chests behalf. Rather, the
sponsors of the drive have laid en-
phasis upon the privilege of sharing
in the campaign. This view is at
once humane and rationalistic. In
a. democracy life Is made tolerable
by the balance which exists between
what society permits men and women
to take from and to contribute to
the fellowship to which they belong.
When this is understood and appre-
ciated, it is possible to believe in
progress and in happiness in which
every living soul participates.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
A Burning Problem

1t is always puzzle what to do
when threatened by an invasion of
relatives. In the past seven years the
Government has expanded and
opened up new bureaus to tell the
public almost everything except
what they really want to know, such
as who is going to win the next race
and what to do until relatives arrive
so that they either will not arrive or
will not stay. The Department of
Agriculture gives sound advice on
how to prevent pests from getting
control of the home but the pests
have to belong to the insect family
and the departments recommended
methods are useless against anything
that has not at least six legs and one
pair of wings.
Each individual therefore has to
solve the problem in his own fashion.
Many failures result, and occasionally
successes are even worse than fail
ures. In the latter class may be
listed the case of young man at
Woodside, N. Y, who learned that
his brother, complete with wife, was
about to invade for better or worse
probably for worse-his fathers
home, in which he was living.
With nowhere to turn for help in
a campaign Of elimination, he was
forced to develop his own technique,
and it turned out to be just trifle
drastic. He blew up the house and
what was left of it caught fire.
Shortly afterward the police caught
the young man, who had evidently
never heard of that grand old maxim
of Confucius and Charlie Chan that
more flies may be caught with fly
swatter than with a siege gun. He
is now in a snug retreat with doors
and windows by the Bethlehem
Steel Company and will be annoyed
by visitors only at regular times
fixed by the public authorities.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Chest Objectives

Much more than the sustenance of
the eighty-six cooperating agencies
of the Community Chest is involved
in this years campaign. The good
name, the honorable reputation of
washington will be affected for better
or for worse by the result of the drive.
Any citizen who cares about the
credit which the Capital enjoys in
the judgment of other cities of the
United States must be anxious to do
his part to the end that the news
may not 60 out that the effort has
failed of its goal
Similarly, the campaign is a test
OF the capacity of the people of
Washington to maintain their neces-
sary institutions of philanthropy on
voluntary basis. No community de-
serving to be called civilized can be
willing to surrender without strug-
gle the right to solve it's own natural
social problems. In certain lands
across the sea the drastic power Of
government is exerted to compel an
altruism which normally should be
spontaneous and free The Ameri-
can way is different. But the chal-
lenge for that very reason is more
real.
Again it is worthy of mention that
an element of decent personal pride
Is represented in giving generously
toward the relief of neighbors in dis
tress. Such individuals as refuse to
subscribe may be unknown except to
themselves, yet they cannot escape
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Mr.. Garner Objects

The Democratic presidential NOM
ination of 1910 is not to be permitted
to go by default-not if the support
ers of Vice President John Nance
Garner have their way. At intervals
depending, it would appear, on the
resurgence of the Roosevelt third
term propaganda-the Garnerites
come forward with announcements
more or less formal to the effect that
the Vice Presidents name is to be
presented to the Democratic National
Convention no matter who else may
be in the running.
This is interpreted as meaning
that Mr.. Garner intends to resume
the battle which he waged for the
presidential nomination in 1882, and
that it will be waged-as it was then
against Franklin D. Roosevelt, if
the latter is candidate. In that
year Mr. Garner telephoned his cam
paign manager, Representative Sam
Rayburn, now the majority leader of
the House, to release his delegates so
that they might vote for Mr.. Roose-
welt. Mr.. Garner did not wish to
bring about another Madison Square
Garden knock-down, drag-out battle
in the convention, which might have
led to Democratic defeat at the polls.
But now, it seems, Mr.. Garner is
prepared to 60 to the mat with all
comers, even the President. It is
true that the Garner campaign man.
ayers today insist that they are con-
fident that Mr.. Roosevelt will not
permit his name to be presented to
the 1910 convention. However, they
insist that their candidate will be
entered in any event. No stranger
spectacle than a President of the
United States contesting with Vice
President for presidential nomina-
tion has ever been presented in the
political history of the country. And
yet that is what may be expected if
such third term advocates as Secre-
taries Ickes and Wallace have their
way-and Mr.. Garner stands firm.
In recent weeks the Roosevelt
third-term movement in the New
Deal ranks has taken new lease on
life-due in large part to the situa-
ton created by the European war.
It was bolstered still more by the
Presidents signal victory in the con-
gressional contest over the arms en-
barge.
The Garner people do not believe
that it is either imperative or neces-
starry to re-elect Mr.. Roosevelt, as
contended by Mr.. Wallace. They
fear, however, if that assertion is
allowed to pass without a challenge,
that the country-and certainly the
Democrats-will come to the same
conclusion as Mr.. Wallace. Hence the
statements from the Garner cam
paign managers on Saturday.
Beyond doubt, the Texas delega-
ton to the Democratic National
Convention will line up for the Vice
President whether Mr.. Roosevelt is
a candidate or not Unless the Presi-
dent becomes an avowed candidate
for the nomination-or perhaps re-
ceptive candidate-Mr. Garner will
have the backing Of delegates from
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Cotton and Wartime

Slowly the war in Europe is help
ing the American cotton farmer, who
until September / was the most un-
happy member of this country's ag-
ricultural family. His price was
down. His overseas market was be-
ing kept alive only through a costly
Government subsidy. His cumulative
overproduction since 1881 had built
up huge surpluses stored in ware
houses, where they seemed likely to
stay forever, always depressing the
price of lint. Gradually the picture
Is growing brighter. The war itself
has meant an advance in cotton ex-
ports from the United States. And
under the stress of war the admin
istration has brought forth an in
genious scheme for raising the do
mestic price of cotton.
The Agriculture Department ex-
poets that the next year will bring
demand for more American cotton
than American farmers are going to
raise. The prospective cotton crop
of 1910 is 11,845 900 bales The pros
pective home consumption and ex-
port needs amount to 3,50O,OOO bales.
The two principal factors in this rare
situation of undersupply are the ap-
proach of good times in the United
States, which would mean a broad
ened home market for cotton, and
the gain by this country of overseas
markets IN which it cut little ice be-
fore the war. The war has redi-
rected the cotton trade Of countries
like Egypt and India, British satel-
lites, which in normal times compete
with the United States. 1t is redi-
rection which-though it's cause is
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS a nation with
vast storehouses of cotton for sale.
From July through September in
1888 America exported $4,000 bales
Of cotton. From July through Sep
tember in 1889 the exports had risen
to 1,042000 bales.
AAAS uAAASACA1SC OCCWCCIl ChpcCJtu
production and expected demand for
American cotton in 1910 amounts to
1865 900 bales, which will have to be
withdrawn from the storehouses. The
cotton was warehoused under Gov
ernment seal as collateral for loans
to cotton growers during the past
eight years. In order for the grow
ers to withdraw their collateral and
sell it on the expanding market, the
Agriculture Department has ruled, in
an ingenious price-raising device,
that they must pay the Government
both the original loan, averaging
eight and three-tenths cents, and
warehouse carrying charges. The
loan plus the charge makes ware
house cotton today average nine and
five-tentha cents pound, and since
the carrying charge steadily in
creaSes, the value of warehouse cot
ton steadily goes forward The
farmer withdrawing his warehouse
collateral, of course, will not sell for
a sum less than he paid. Thus the
cotton problem, for the time being,
at least, gets little nearer solution.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
COmmends Work of
Salvation Army.
To the Editor of The 81


Since locating in Washington Is years
ago I have learned a great deal about
one OF the country's organizations, the
Salvation Army.
The excellent work it does commands
the respect and admiration of every citi-
zen. Young people especially should visit
a local corps of the Salvation Army
and enjoy Christian meeting unexceled
anywhere
Such Sunday schools are an inspira-
ton to the young to live clean lives and
follow in the steps of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. The Salvation
Army commands and deserves the sup
port of every red -blooded citizen in
America. 1t will continue to help suf-
ferlng humanity and beseech Almighty
God to give our great Nation peace
and His blessing through eternity. The
Salvation Army rescues lost souls from
the miry clay and helps our citizens
become better Christians.
November IL. EX-U. S. MARINE.
Evening star., 1939-11-14
Replies to Dale Crowley
On Liquor Problem,

To the Editor of The Star:
read with small amount of interest
and a great deal of amusement, Dale
Crowley's article on the evils of King
Alcohol" to use his expression.
1t would seem that Mr.. Crowley, if he
is sufficiently mature, would remember
the noble experiment" that was in ef-
feet for nearly quarter of century.
Only those who are willing to deliberate
ly blind themselves to the obvious can
even hope to call that national farce a
success.
In his article he mentions gangsters.
That would seem to me to be very bad
choice of word to use in conjunction
with prohibition, for, if my memory
serves me right, gangdom was conceived
during that era. Without prohibition,
could there have been rumrunners and
bootleggers?
can't conceive of any one advocating
the return of an act that made this
country the laughing stock of every for
eign nation and the source of fabulous
income for lawbreakers.
November 9. CHARLES MAYER.