davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Pay Bill Passes

That Congress finally was able to
pass a general pay-increase bill
after months of delay, comes as
welcome surprise to Government en-
ployes, both Federal and District. as
hope virtually had been abandoned
Tor action at this session, with ad-
1ournment only few hours away.
The measure, embodying alterna-
tive overtime and straight-time pay
ments, will not satisfy every one.
Some higher-paid employees in spe-
clalized classifcations in a number
Of agencies, including War, Navy and
Maritime Commission. who have
been getting overtime, face pay cut
because of the formula which puts a
$4,000 ceiling on the combined base
pay and extra pay which bene-
flciaries of the new legislation can
receive. The legislation, however,
represents an emergency effort to
deal equitably with all groups and
offset the rise in living costs, and
between now and April 30, when it
expires, it is intended to devise a per-
manent plan in which inequities can
be ironed out.
The legislation, which has White
House backing, suspends the Satur-
day halfholiday law, enabling ad-
ministrative officers to fix the work
week at A or 48 hours if desired.
Hours over 40 will be paid for at a
rate specified as time and one ne-half,
but which actually figures out at
time and one-quarter, as it is based
on a 360-day work year. Overtime
will be payable on the first $4,000 of
salary received by an individual, and
the Budget Bureau estimates this
means an increase of 1913 per cent
for a 44-hour week, and 21.6 for 49,
The straight-time increase-10 per
Cent-applies to those whose work
does not lend itself to an overtime
schedule. Certain executive agency
principally postal workers.
legislative and judicial personnel
come under this provision. Ex-
cluded from the bill are persons re-
ceiving more than $4,000 annually,
and those whose wages are fixed by
boards or other authorities
The measure is distinct gain for
thousands of classified white collar"
workers who never have been paid
for overtime. A work week of "A to
48 hours has been the rule here for
them since the war started, and
officials blame the pay situation
largely for the high turnover rate.
In passing the bill, Congress took
particular notice of the swollen pro-
portions of the Federal establish
ment and directed the Budget Bu-
reau to make check-up and enforce
personnel cuts in those agencies
found to be overstaffed. No time
should be lost in carrying out this
mandate
Evening star., 1942-12-16
EIeey

What can tDe say no1D, ,Dith the hour
flying.
Departure imminent, the last hour
OF pale silUer ,Dinter afternoon,
The last cold leuel light OF sun
already dying,
The time OF uoyaging thus come,
and gone thus soon,
Under a 1Uhite gulPs bleak repeated
crying.
What ,pord should be the final ,Dord
that we remember,
What thing that each of US might
take aUay?
The chill saDells fired Nth q SUMS
declining ember
Here at the years end and this
end OF day,
What ,Dord might ease this tareweu
IN December7
But no, there Is no ,cord to sap be-
fore TOE seDer;;
We can but listen to paue uash.
gull cry, and quietly part,
KnoDing tOe shall hear these sad
tcfld sounds forever.
The final ,Dord, the loue, locked
dumbly In the heart,
Where it DtH be locked and spoken
neUer neDer
FREDERICK EBRIGHT.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
CIiveden

Reports from England to the effect
that Viscount Astor has presented
Cliveden. his beautiful country estate,
to the National Trust for the benefit
Of the people were not altogether
unexpected. The expense involved
in the maintenance of so vast a
property is too great burden even
for prodigiously wealthy proprietor.
Especially in wartime, the tax
charges are crushing. When to the
cost of light, heat, repairs, household
personnel and overhead is added the
inevitable increase of insurance rates
while the mansion is endangered by
German aerial bombardment, the
conclusion is inescapable that the
owner no longer comfortably can
afford the luxury of such a private
possession. 1t happens that he has
three other establishments to sup
port, magnificent London residence
among the number.
Cliveden, occupying a site approx
mately 60 miles up the Thames, is
familiar to Americans who have
made the trip to Windsor by water.
The grounds are wooded with oak
and beech. A staff of Is gardeners
keeps the lawns and flower-beds
in perfect condition. The mansion,
acquired by William Waldorf Astor
in 1892, is the third great house to
grace the spot. 1t originally was
designed by Sir Charles Barry, archi-
tect of the Parliament Buildings at
Westminster Many alterations, how
ever. have been made since 1905
when title passed to the second Lord
Astor at the time of his marriage
to the former Nancy Langhorne Of
Virginia.
1t was at Cliveden that Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain was
supposed to have told Journalist
that Britain would not fight to pro-
Evening star., 1942-12-16
THIS AND THAT
BIZ Charles Z. Trdce,DeH.

became the overbearing boss of the
poultry yard. Ginger fled at sight of
him. When we would go In to feed the
chickens, Snookums felt it necessary to
attack. I was his pet peeve Perhaps
my irresistible urge to poke a foot in
his direction had some bearing on that
tendency. He would fly at me, spurs
ready till I usually fed shrieking from
the park
He was a bossy old thing in every
way, even unto climbing into the hens
nests and rearranging the straw with
feet and bill until it met his august ap-
proval.
But if Snookums was disagreeable,
Pollyanna was feathery saint. She
was the only adult chicken ever knew
that liked to be petted like dog or cat.
Whenever We went near the chicken
park, Pollyanna would begin to sing,
and run to the gate to meet US. Even
If We were feeding the fowls, she would
not eat until she had perched upon
knee and had her feathers stroked and
stroked 'Let the other greedy pigs eat
up all the dinner she seemed to say I
must have my petting' Every remark
addressed to her, she answered with
clucks and gurgles and trills. No other
hen ever had such vocabulary.
After some six years, the high cost of
feed and dwindling finances made it
necessary to kill off the non-laying
members of the flock At the very last
it was reluctantly decided Polllyanna
must go. But no member of the family
could be found who had the heart to
exterminate her.
"A neighbor consented to do the foul
deed-while the various members of the
household went visiting or hid their
heads under pillows, according to in
clination. For the first and last time,
in our household, chicken dinner went
a-begging And the necessary post
mortem operations revealed the fact that
Pollyanna was, alas, still laying hen.
In these later days when at least so
far, I can buy chick feed and even
choicer delicacies for wild birds, regret
the stern economic pressure that made
it seem necessary to kill that pet chicken,
instead of letting her live out her days
in peace. Very sincerely, J. s."
The nearest we come to woodhouse
Is garage without any car in it. 1t
serves nicely as a Toulouse and 1t was
in this that Lilly Belle, the pet robin,
spent three weeks Of her life
We wonder where Lilly Belle is now.
When she left in October We were
quite convinced that she would stop in
South Carolina.
Just why she should pick South Caro-
lima rather than Florida is something Of
mystery. Perhaps it was because at
that time we had been reading book
about South Carolina and liked 1t very
much.
Other residents of the Toulouse were
10 baby mice and their mother, which
lived in nest firmly anchored between
two of the tubes of an old radio set on
shelf there.
When the lid of the radio was raised,
the instrument gave forth music.
1t was the mice squeaking.
We had an idea of plugging in the set,
to warm up the mice, but decided against
it. They were doing very nicely as they
were.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Bergman Dynasty of Artists
Commended by Reader.
To the Editor OF The Sta,

To the Editor of The Star:
1 was much interested in the honoring
of Cliff Bergman by the Gridiron
Club as described in The Star of Sunday,
December 49,
The pen-and-ink portrait Of Mr.
Bergman. drawn by his son, is very
characteristic likeness. Pen-and-ink is
portraits, yet the comparatively few lines
which show the modelling of the fea-
lures, are done with care and skill.
Young Bergman evidently inherits
the talent from his father Most people
glance at such pictures, but have little
idea of the task it is to make them!
H. B. BRADFORD.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Reading Of Bible Confirms
Faith in ChriSt's Pacific Attitude.

To the Editor OF The Star:
1t Is incomprehensible to me that
leaders in Christian churches. some Of
them editors of church magazines, seem
confused In their thinking about q
Christians attitude toward war.
Recently letter in your open forum
department quoted teacher in Friends
school as saying that no person who is
young and physically fit should be ex-
cused from military service because Of
conscientious religious objections, that
he was sure that Christ was not paciist,
and SO on.
AS matter Of record, however, am
not able to find in the teachings OF
Jesus, one instance where He recon-
mended violence to solve any dispute
either between persons or nations. He
did say to His followers, IF they per-
secute you in one nation, flee We into
another" Also. Fear not him who can
kill the body only, but rather fear Him,
who after he hath killed the body hath
power to cast both body and soul into
hell" He did not say, "You must learn
to hate your enemies. so you can kill
them," as our military leaders now are
asking our sons to do. He said, Love
your enemies, do good unto them that
persecute you and hate your; "Over-
come evil with good; He that taketh
the sword shall die by the sword"
II we Christians are honest, we can
not make war compatible Vith the
teachings Of Christ. He lived on earth
when terrible wars and horrible atrocities
were common, yet He never was in
fluenced by war psychology. He never
gave way to hating and fearing. He
always preached the gospel Of non-resist-
ance and forgiveness.
No man should be stigmatized because
he does not want to kill human beings
Any one who wages war in the name
OF Christ Is desecrating that holy name
and Is perjuring his own soul.
NELLIE HURLEY PuGH.
Evening star., 1942-12-16

Q. Compare the size Of Alaska with
that OF continental United States
N. FL
A. Alaska is one-fifth the size of con-
tinental United States.
Q. When were breech-loading rifles
first used?-P. G.
A. Maj. Patrick Ferguson, inventor Of
the breech-loading rifle, and about 200 OF
his men used these rifles in the Battle
of Kings Mountain In 1780.
@. What IS the religion OF the ma
tives of New Caledonia?-M L. B.
A. The religious Life Of these people
is complex and somewhat secretive.
There are many native gods, varying
from tribe to tribe. A basic feature con-
sists Of ceremonies Of Precipitation, last
ing for days and known as "pilou pilou"
Q. Did the construction OF the Erie
Canal reduce transportation costs to
westward emigrants?-6. O. r.
A. The Erie Canal cut transportation
costs between Philadelphia, Pa, and Co.
lumbus, Ohio approximately in half.
@. When were rubber shoes first
manufactured?-K. J.
A. The hrst rubber shoe manufac-
turer was Laverett Csndes. who estab-
lished the Candee Shoe Factory OF Con-
necticut in 1842. Previous attempts had
not produced servieeabie shoes.
q. How many teaspoons are in one
tablespoonful. r.
A. One tablespoon contains J tea
spoons.
@. Are the Andrews sisters really
sisters? M. D.
A. The Andrews sisters are really
sisters. They are La Verne the Oldest,
Maxine and Patricia. They were born
in Minneapolis, Mimi. OF Greek father
and a Norwegian mother.
@. What part of the Federal troops
IN the Civil War were drafted?-H. N. T.
A. In the Civil War the total number
OF Union troops was 2,128,94S, of which
75,215 were regular troops, 1888, ITO were
volunteers and 119,954 were drafted. OF
this last number, 1907 were serving a.
substitutes.
Q. What three motion pictures have
had the largest box office receipts7-
H.V.C
A. Gone With the Wind" $3l ,O00,.
900: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
$8,O000o0; "The Singing Fool" $4,000, 900.
G. What is the worlds glider endur-
ance record?-M. II.
A. The international glider record for
duration with return to the point of
departure is 36 hours and IS minutes
made by Kurt Schmidt in Germany.
August 34, 1888.
Q. What happened to the Clipper ship
Sovereign Of the Seas?-B. F.W.
A. The Clipper ship Sovereign of the
Seas, on voyage in 1859 from Hamburg
to China, ran into a pyramid sfoal in
the Strait of Malacca and proved to be
a total loss, although portion of the
cargo was removed.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Doubts of Reforms
Expressed by Admitted "Cynic."

To the Editor Of The Star:
Apropos of the promises and per-
formance of the "saviors of democracy"
do I imagine fable about the foxes
that turned friars on being beset by the
big gray wolf, but went back to their
old tricks and then some. Immediately
they thought him dead?
Indications are that this time the
foxes are not awaiting the VOLTS demise,
but confident of that event, and the
ultimate rescue and restoration of their
old hunting grounds, are laying the lines
for business as usual" after the cleanup
from their blood -drenching.
A British journal tells Of international
agreements on the way, affecting pro-
duction, export and marketing of tin
and sugar, all replete with high-sound-
ing phrases that mean nothing If not
an attempt of the vested interests to
conceal their purpose to continue the
exercise of their monopoly privileges
and give the complete run-around to the
promises of the Atlantic Charter.
Lie JouiHdl IeleIS luICner 10 designs
of the protectionists in the saddle in
Australia to extend their benighted
policy to the new industries born of her
present exigencies of defense, and Of
other trends and undercurrents activ-
ated by the powers behind the scenes,
which if unchecked, will leave to those
promises of the Atlantic Charter about
as much of consequence as though writ
ten in its waters. Man never is, but
always to be blessed" CYNIC,
Evening star., 1942-12-16
GEORGETOWN,

LEAR SlT.
mot long ago. in your enjoyable and
very human column, some correspond
ent mentioned woodsheds.
THAT brought to my mind many
pleasant hours spent in such shed in
my childhood days in the middle West.
That was before the era of wheeled toys
Very few in the town had express wag-
ons. One or two Irish Mails had just
appeared, to the envy of all the utterly
wheeless ones.
I'VE had to find amusement where we
could If We lacked elaborate playthings,
we had other things that the city child
of these days does not have. Woodsheds
Barns with haylofts. Cellars with toads
in them to keep the flies down, and
slanting doors to slide down. And those
interesting birds, not wild, but full of
ersonality-chickens.
THE woodshed and the chicken house
and park were usually built together, so
that the wall of the woodshed and
chicken house formed one side of the
chicken park, leaving only three sides to
be fenced in.
''The woodshed was unfloored, usually
having sawdust on the ground. There
were coal bins, one for hard coal for the
base burner, one for soft coal for the
kitchen range. The coal bin offered
exciting possibilities one time we
caught the family cat In the process of
devouring her newborn kittens, and
thereafter always looked in that bin
with the hope of finding new kittens.
Puss obliged u.s. as often as Nature per-
mitted but did not always show such
cannibal instincts.
There was always goodly supply of
hickory nuts and black walnuts, ham
mer and hatchet, and a large fiat
stone on which to crack them. We never
lost the yen to feast on walnuts, in spite
of the inevitable illness that followed
'Of course, there was load of corn
cobs, used as kindling, and a pile of
wood, which was haven for mice, and
probably had a good deal to do with
Puss choosing her coal bin nursery site.
Also, there was large earthen jar
in which chicken feed was kept. One
day discovered that mouse had gotten
into the jar of chicken feed-the supply
was very, very low-and it could not get
out because of the long stretch of slick
wall to be climbed.
Il got the brilliant idea of poking
stick at that captive mouse, and giving
him real run-around. OF course, he
was quite frantic. But finally I was too
slow-he ran quickly up the stick and on
up my arm, from whence he hoped over
to the convenient wood pile. My shrieks
brought the rest of the family to the
rescue, and I am sure I richly deserved
the scare got for having pestered the
small creature so.
Our chickens were a buff color; I
have forgotten the breed. Two of them,
while very young, had been my especial
pets. Both turned out to be ROSTERS
One had been named Snookums and the
other Ginger.
''In their very juvenile days, Ginger
had been the peppy one, and hence his
name. They loved to ride around the
yard perched on my shoulder Snookums
in particular was docile and affectionate.
But alas for early promise, Snookums
Evening star., 1942-12-16
to supply that would help my problem.

to supply that would help my problem.
First: The temperatures used in your
calculations are those of Washington,
taken at the Meteorological Bureau on
elevated ground and surrounded by
10000 chimneys pouring out smoke and
hot air and on still, cold nights completely
enshrouding the town from the empy-
rean, whilst my house is on an open fiat
plain IL feet above sea level and un-
protected on all sides.
Second: I have not yet been able to
obtain my quota Of oil, although I filled
out my application most meticulously on
all points dncluding the color of my
grandmother's eyes, and the area of the
floors of each room without the ceiling
height as though one lived and slept
on the floor. HENRY MOSTYN.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Looking Backward


on the Yuletide of 1912, it is we'll fol
us to cast backward glance to the
world situation as it existed two
years ago. Then we may realize how
much brighter are todays prospects
for the future.
Winston Churchill emphasized this
In the House of Commons yesterday
when he made fresh disclosures con-
corning those desperate months
after the Dunkirk disaster, where
Britain lost virtually it's entire mech
anized equipment and only the Royal
Navy plus vastly outnumbered
Royal Air Force stood between the
Tight Little Island and a German
invasion that, in the hateful words
OF Pierre Laval, would have reduced
Britain to "a grease spot"
The Prime Minister revealed that,
Immediately after Dunkirk, the
British Army had only 100 tanks to
resist a German landing, and even
they were of type that, in the pre-
ceding battle of France, had proved
too weak to stand up against German
antl-tank guns. A new model there
fore had to be designed and put into
quantity production without ade-
quate practical tests, so deadly
urgent was the necessity. It took
more than year to get the first 400
OF that model. Today there are
nearly 1000 of that particular type,
which has already been surpassed by
still later models. This is an inter-
esting indication for our own war
effort. 1t shows how rapidly output
expands, once the lengthy initial
designing and tooling stages are
completed
Mr.. Churchill's second disclosure
was the extent to which important
new air weapons have been devel-
oped to combat the ever-lurking
submarine menace. While the air
arm has played its part against the
U-boat from the start of the war,
the main weapons originally we're
those employed generation ago,
such as the convoy and various types
of fast light craft ranging from de-
stroyerS to corvettes. Although
naturally Mr.. Churchill gave no
specific hint as to the nature of
these jealousy guarded new devices
connected with the air arm, he
stated that fresh committee of high
specialists and technicians had been
formed last October to correlate and
implement these complicated and
technical developments of all kinds" ="
That such advances in anti-sub-
marine warfare are yielding results
may be seen by the drop in sinkings
on the main Allied oceanic routes
and by the relatively small toll ex-
acted by U-boats from the gigantic
eXpeditlonary conveys to North Af-
RIGA. Shipping losses from subma-
rine activities presumably will con-
tinue to be serious. But the indica-
tions are that the most crucial dan
ger is over, and that from now on
Allied communications overseas will
not be threatened with disruption,
which would be a fatal disaster.
Such is the cheering inference that
can be gained from the Prime Min
iSter's latest remarks as the year
draws toward its close.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Reaction to Fuel Oil Rules.
Explained in Terms Of Irony.

To the Editor Of The Star:
I have read your article In The Star
Of November % on the method to be
employed to ascertain If we are keeping
within our quota Of fuel oil consumption
with the maximum Of apprehension and
the minimum Of comprehension
My school days, unfortunately, are too
far behind for me to remember much of
what learned Of differentid calculus,
50 that II you can recommend to me an
expert mathematician, astronomer and
meteorologist land q little touch Of
astrology would help I shall be much
obliged.
There are one or two points that per-
hAps soene Of your readers might be able
Evening star., 1942-12-16

When Joe Weber and Lew Fields
used to come on-stage wearing those
derbies shaped much like the shell
of a defunct terrapin, it laid the
customers in the aisles. Now that
the girls are wearing them, they are
rated excruciatingly chic. but to
male eye they are just as funny as
ever.
Evening star., 1942-12-16

DictiOnary-Webster's Modern Die
tionary and Word Book is an authori-
tative publication of 10000 words in
common use. 1t also includes special
supplements not contained in other
Acknowledgements derived from per-
sons and places, short words, long
words, curious word origins, foreign
words and phrases, and official guide
to compounding. To secure your copy
of this publication inclose 25 cents in
coin, wrapped in this clipping, and
mail to The Star Information Bureau.
Name
Address
Evening star., 1942-12-16

There was an old vaudeville gag
about being a deckhand on a sub
marine. This is now replaced with
one about being a chambermaid in q
two-story trailer. :.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address of
the 1Driter, although the use OF
a pSeudOnynl for publication Is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters 1Uith
q Uie1U to condensation.
Evening star., 1942-12-16

@. What is the source of the word
"khaki"?-S. D.
A. Khaki comes from the Hindustani
and Persian word KHAKI which means
"earth or dust"
Evening star., 1942-12-16

@. Is it true that horses as we'll as
dogs are being used by the Coast Guard2
H. T. N.
A. The Coast Guard is equipping its
coastal patrols with horses as fast as
these can be obtained
Evening star., 1942-12-16

@. How long has Glenn Martin man.
ufactured airplanes?-P. I. A.
A. Glenn L. Martin established an
airplane factory in Santa Ana, Calf,
in 1909 He began building gliders in
1907.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Member of the Associated press

Entered as second-class matter post ONCE
Washington, D. c.
Evening star., 1942-12-16
Huskin's Answers
To Questions
Bu Frederic J. Hdskin

A reader can get the dnswer to any
question OF fact by tDriting The Ere-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hnskfn, director, Washington,
d. C. Please trclose stamp for return
postage.
Evening star., 1942-12-16

@. When was the first ironclad war
vessel used?-P B.
A. The Tortoise boat, an ironclad war
vessel was invented by vi Soon Sin in
the 10th century. 1t enabled the Ko-
reans to conquer the great Japanese
general Hideyoshi.