davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
A Good Committee

The District is fortunate in retain
ing Representative Mahon of Texas
and Representative Stefan of Ne
braSka as the chairman and ranking
minority member respectively, of the
Subcommittee on District Appropria-
tons.
These gentlemen know the local
budget, they know the municipal Of
ficials and they know washington.
Furthermore, they have won the re-
spect Of Washingtonians by their
fair and courteous treatment during
hearings on the annual appropriation
bills and their manifest effort to
bring out sound measures. Both of
them have shown a conscientious in
terest in District affairs, during like
service in the past session of Con-
gress, and they have handled appro-
priationS bills on the floor without
creating the animosities and i'll will
which, in the case Of some of their
predecessors, were sources of con-
slant friction between the District
and Congress.
With the exception of these two
veterans, the entire makeup of the
subcommittee this year has been
changed, bringing to membership
five men-three Democrats and two
Republicans-who, new in this as
signment, are seasoned members of
the House. To Representatives Cof-
fee, Gore and Anderson, the Demo-
Gratis, and to Representative Jensen
and Dworshak, the Republicans, the
District extends cordial welcome,
with the hope that they will find, as
other distinguished members of Con-
gress have found before them, an
opportunity Of service to the Nation
In this form of service to the Ma
tons Capital.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
New BANKING Role

In undertaking to set I'D a ration
coupon banking service for dealers
not consumers the commercial
banks OF the country are making
another important contribution to
the war program.
The ration banking plan was tested
and found feasible in England after
an experimental failure in using the
post offices. On the basis Of this ex-
perience, our own OPA authorities
adopted the idea, requesting and OBJ
tanning the cooperation of the
banks.
For the time being coupon bank
ing will be limited to coffee. sugar
and gasoline, but when the point sys-
tenn OF rationing for processed fruits
and vegetables goes into effect it will
be broadened to cover those commod-
tiles. The system will work largely
as any other banking Arrangement.
A dealer (the program is compulsory
as to some, voluntary as to others
will open an account by depositing
coupons received from his retail
customers. Then, for example, If he
wants to buy more sugar from a
wholesaler he will simply send in his
order, accompanied by check on his
coupon rationing account. The cou-
pom check will be handled by the
bank as any other check, and great
deal OF the trouble in transferring
the coupons themselves will have
been eliminated
Not only will this give relief to the
dealers, but it will take a great deal
of work off the shoulders of the war
price and rationing boards, whose
staffs, consisting largely of volun-
teers, already have more than they
can do. 1t will, Of course, involve
considerable extra work for the
banks, but the plan has been ap-
proved by the American Bankers
Association and will be supported by
the individual bankers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
"BAYARD BOULEVARD.

Dear Sir:
"A few weeks ago l saw a large bird
on the tree stump in our yard; he was
plucking feathers from another bird that
he evidently had killed After all the
feathers were plucked he began to eat
the dead bird, even the feet and legs
BY that time 1 could stand no more
and frightened him away
Upon investigation l found the dead
bird vas red bird. The large bird was
speckled brown and I think it was a
crossbill; it seemed to fit the description
of crossbill found in the dictionary.
Il have bird feeder outside the din
ing room window and was quite pleased
when mockingbird visited it and there
after came regularly for raisins: he or
she GENES right into the window sill to
get the raisns. 1t seems to think the
feeder and the ground around is its
private property because it scarcs all the
other birds away even the jay bird
Il fear / shall have to stop putting out
raisins because do not want the other
birds to stay away, as they are now
beginning to do.
will you please identify the following
birds for me?
q. This bird is smaller than q snow
bird, it is about the size of a wren and
cute as a button 1t has dark gray
feathers, light gray breast, jet black
spot on its head, and a white collar
around its neck.
ut is very quick and active. hops
around the shrubs pecking at the
branches, it comes to the feeder for
cracked corn and occasionally a raisin
chipping all the while.
One day it came to the feeder several
times for tiny bites of cooked noodles,
which he cached in the forks of the
bricks of the house.
80. This bird has a slender body. gray
feathers, light gray breast with yellow
orange feathers under the wings. 1t has
a crest like the red bird and the cocki-
ness of the blue jay. 1t is friendly with
all the birds I have noticed this bird
in my yard for more than two months.
D. saw CIliS UlIu JUST one Jlfne. III
had very small, slender body. The top
feathers were spotted like a sparrow, and
from the neck all the way down under.
the bird was white: it reminded me of
a penguin, This bird is quicker than any
I have seen.
will you please describe some of the
birds you mention so often such as the
titmouse. nuthatch, chickadee, winter
wren?
Thank you
Yours very truly, P. Nick.
The bird which killed the cardinal was
hawk of some description. 1t couldn t
possibly have been croesbill. which is
smaller than cardinal, and not addicted
TO such tactics.
Sparrowhawks and others often feed
on songbirds We once watched a small
hawk dart into a group of birds, aiming
directly at one sparrow.
just how he managed to select this one
bird was not to be understood; the only
thing which seemed evident was that he
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
Shower of Meteors

See Leo rampant in that starry place
Where once OF old, celestial legends
tell,
T,Uo blindly-ruShing planets met in
space.
And rocked the uniuerSe. Bright
fragments fell ?
In fiery torrent streaming throughs
the sky !.
Bright blood OF stars. As ages
come and 90, =
The earth in punctual season passes
by 2
Where burning LeontdS forever
fo1O. s
Mans tponders die away. His porldlx
dream :
OF conquest fades; his failure ors
success g
Flicker NTH but nomentaru qleart
And sink together into nothinga.
But HeaDen conserveS her luminous
event =
Inscribed in StdrduSt on the J1rn,a-
ment. 2
INEz BARCLAY KIRBY. :.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28

the miners objection to payment of an
additional 81 yearly in tribute to the
Golfers OF the union cars. SAYS the
journal: This illegal strike is beyond
doubt the most outstanding attempt of
mine workers to slow up their own
progress and defeat their own economic
gains that has taken place within the
UMWA in many years. 1t then adds
this incompatible statement: I'VE are
IN sympathy with the demand for
SZ-a-day wage increase, but we have
nothing but condemnation for the self
appointed leaders who have stated pub
hciy over and over again that the under
lying cause of the dispute is a protest
against the payment of 81 a year in
creased dues. We do not believe that
men Will willingly go out on strike and
lose two weeks pay simply to protest
against the payment of 81 a year addi-
tional dues"
IN other words, there are two propo
sltlons involved in this strike. % The
question OF more tribute to the union.
90 a s2-a-day increase in paw. Had
the hrst not been involved. the union
onlclaS would not have termed the
strike Illegal and it would have been
slVeh the official union approval.
What a patriotic philosophical right
for men to strike against their country,
against homeoWners made cold by their
ruthless action, against the very Gov
eminent that in the past 10 years has
given them more than they ever had
before, but if the strike is against the
union, then it is illegal" and slows I'D
progress!
Our personal opinion-we believe
shared by all good Americans-is that
1t is Illegal for any workers to strike
during wartime. but apparently nothing
Is done about it, and it looks as though
nothing is going TO be done about it.
But it will be interesting to see how
quickly Mr.. Lewis and his cohorts
change their tune if and when his btu
minous miners strike for higher wages
on April l this year when his contract
expires.
1t is sad state of affairs when our
administration and Congress condone
these actions against our war effort
yes, and against our boys on the fight
ing front-and raise. no voice and tske
no action to stop this kind of unpatri-
otlsm. Where is the America we once
knew? DISGIJSTFD
WeStgate, Md.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
Discusses Importance
OF Food Problem.

To the Editor OF The Star:
Herbert Hoover says that it is the job
of American and Canadian farmers to
furnish food to the United Nations now
and that it will be to starving world
when the war is over. This internation-
ally known economist and humanitarian
has some suggestions as to how this job
may be done
He would furlough the boys back from
the Army to the farm and temporarily,
perhaps, import labor from Mexico dur
ing the peak of the planting and harvest
seasons.
When it is considered that some 2000.-
600 agricultural workers have been
drawn away from the farms-half per-
haps into munition plants and half into
the armed forceS-the foregoing sugges-
tons do not seem too inappropriate.
The most often quoted maxim of the
great StrategiSt, Napoleon is that IAN
army travels on its stomach" If this be
true, and there is a shortage of food this
year or next, on the North American
continent, neither the Allied armies nor
those supplying them, will travel very
far.
1t might be mentioned in connection
with the suggestion of Mr.. Hoover, that,
according to report, Germany utilized to
the fullest extent last season all available
labor OF the conquered nations, as we'll
AS her own reserves, in getting in the
crops.
The question of production and proper
ALLEGATION of manpoWer to civil and mill
tary needs Is perhaps the most pressing
question OF the hour.
Presumably, our best economic and
military minds are working on the food
and distribution problem. Is it too much
TO hope that something will be evolved
soon-in time for spring planting?
WILBUR H. CLOSE.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
THIS AND THAT
By Charles z. Trdcepeu.

must have chosen it before he made his
wild bomb dive" across the yard
He got caught in the rose vine and
for few seconds seemed in danger Of
being impaled with his prey. 1t would
have served MIN right.
Untangling himself. with a powerful
beat of his wings, he few into the next
yard, held his catch down with his claws,
and cut the breast to bits with his great
bill.
If this correspondent wants to keep the
mockingbird guest, and the other song
sters, too, the best plan Is to feed them
separately.
Put a small feeding station on one side
Of the house. Stock this with raisins for
the mocker
Then place another station on the
other side of the house and fill it with
mixed seeds. In this way. the dog in
the manger" tactics of the mockingbird
will not drive the others away.
Identification of the three birds is as
follows:
No. |. chickadee.
No. 2, tufted titmouse.
No. 3, brown Creeper
Our correspondent has described very
we'll the appearance of the chickadee and
the titmouse, two favorites of everybody.
The winter wren is not seen very
much. He is small, about inches long,
which makes him considerably less
in length than the English sparrow,
which is one of the birds most often
used for purposes of comparison. 1t is
good to have such a bird in mind in
order to compare the unknown with a
known one. The robin is another song
ster used for these mental comparisons
1t is helpful to be able to say that bird
is larger than a robin, or smaller than
a sparrow, etc.
-
The winter wren has reddish brown
upper parts; under-parts, pale wood
brown mot SO reddish), speckled with
dusky
The bill is shorter than the-head, and
Is very slender and aWl-shaped The
wings are short and rounded, and the
tail, which Is tWo-thirds the length of
the wing is much rounded. This bird
carries its tail in typical saucy wren
fashion, which is tilted to high heaven.
The brown creeper, too. was very well
described in the above letter. 1t is So.
inches, but somehow has the appearance
of very small bird, especially when seen
on tree trunk, where it usually is.
The upper parts are brown, the lower
parts dull white. The bill is slender,
sharp and curved downward.
The White-breasted nuthatch is G
inches long, and rather on the plump
side. The upper parts are blue-gray
with the crown, hind neck and extreme
upper back shoulders uniform black.
1t looks blue.
The under parts are white. This bird
is easily identified by its habit of walking
head-doWn tree trunk The chicRadee
is another upside down bird. but he, of
course, is much smaller, and cute" q
descriptive which would never be used
about nuthatch He does not attempt
to climb up or down, but merely perche
! upsidedoWn. Neither his feet nor tai
are adapted for climbing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
Case for Amendment

When the National Labor Relations
Act was submitted to Congress its
sponsors frankly conceded that it
was weighted" on the side of labor
and argued that this was necessary
to give labor an equality of bargain
ing power with industry. Lacking a
privileged position before the law,
these sponsors said, the working
people could not hope to organize
and bargain collectively with their
economically more powerful en-
plOyers
And so the Labor Act, or the
Wagner Act, as it is more widely
known, became law. In specific
terms and through a process of
judicial Interpretation, it laid down
certain standards to which employ
ers must conform and enumerated
certain other things which employers
were forbidden to do. Under the
sheltering mantle of this statute, as
was anticipated, labor unions de-
velOped into organizations of great
power But-and this either was not
anticipated or was ignored by Con-
gress-they have also shown a plain
disposition in many instances to
abuse that power.
The action taken this week by
some so local unions and metal
trades councils on the West Coast,
representing about 100000 workers.
serves as an illustration. These
unions, all affiliated with the metal
trades department Of the American
Federation Of Labor. have closed shop
contracts in the Kaiser shipyardS.
The CLIO, contending that these
contracts are illegal, has called upon
the National Labor Relations Board
to conduct hearings looking toward
their abrOgatiOn, and the board, hav-
ing no lawful alternative under the
statute, has complied with this re-
quest.
But the AFL unions, although they
have derived great benefits in the
past from strict enforcement of the
law, are objeCting Strenuously to any
enforcement in this instance which
might prejudice their position in the
Kaiser yards IT is quite possible to
sympatilize with the AFL viewpoint
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
The March Payment

There are mounting indications
that Congress will put the Federal
income tax on some sort of pay-as-
you-go basis, whether it be through
adoption of the Ruml plan or some
similar proposal This will be
brought about, If for no other reason.
through the pressure of public opin-
iona force that will become almost
irresistible when the people feel the
full impact of this years war tax
bill
Meanwhile, there is a very real
danger that great many taxpayers
will neglect to make provision for the
f1rst quarterly payment, which, in all
probability will become due and pay
able on March IS AS matters stand,
there seems to be virtually no chance
that Congress will act on any pay-as-
you-go plan before the first payment
GATE, Whatever may be done later in
the year. This means that the first
mstallment will have to be met. and
met on time, unless the taxpayer is
to become a delinquent. And the
prospects are that there will be a
large number of delinquencies.
Many persons, including millions
who have never paid a Federal in
come tax before, seem not yet to
have realized the magnitude of the
tax burden they must assume. But
the hard fact is that a married man
with two dependents, if he earns
$4,000 a year. will have to pay the
Government q tax of 1892. Under
war employment conditions there are
many persons in this category, in
Guiding thousands Of skilled workers,
who have never paid anything ap-
preaching such a tax. Yet it is
indicated that not more than IS per
cent OF the taxpayers, at most, have
budgeted their incomes to take care
OF the tax payments.
Thus, it would seem that a large
proportion of the remaining IS per
cent Of taxpayers are going to find
themselves in trouble by the middle
of March unless they take drastic
steps Immediately to adjust their
budgets to this Federal obligation,
which the Treasury Department can
not and will not waive.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
New Bridge Approaches

The Fourteenth street and Maine
avenue grade separation and the
widening of Twenty third street, with
the overpass at Virginia avenue, are
two of four major highway projects
designed to improve the Washington
approaches to Potomac River high
way bridges. Both have been fin
ished long ahead of original pro-
gramming because the Pentagon
Building construction made such
facilities Immediately necessary. This
fact also made funds accessible from
Federal appropriations. with less
ened financial burden on local tax
payers. Both jobs represent vast
improvement, from which the Capt.
tai and Virginia residents will con-
tinue to derive benefit for many years
to come.
The other two projects are the
widening of independence avenue
and the elevation of K street west of
Rock Creek. The K street project is
complete as to paper work, plans
having been drawn and approved
and the funds made available when
the necessary material, chiefly steel,
becomes accessible, sometime in the
indefinite future. Work in widening
independence avenue is about COM
plete, but the bridge which will carry
this thoroughfare across a portion
Of the Tidal Basin is in its early
stages, progress having been de-
layed by weather conditions and
difficulty in obtaining material. But
this work will go steadily forward
as weather conditions improve, the
fabricated steel fortunately being on
hand now,
In a way, these four projects rep
resent one alternative to cOnstruc-
ton of another bridge across the
Potomac. They were the sensible
alternative, because the approaches
to the bridges, rather than in
adequacieS in the bridges them
selves, have caused the traffic bottle
neckS in the past New work on the
District side, together with the elab-
crate system of highways and
bridge approaches now being finished
In Virginia as a part Of the Penta-
gon layout, will no doubt be COM
pleted by the time availability Of
rubber tires and gasoline and new
automobiles brings back a flow Of
traffic far heavier even than in the
past.
There are two interesting features
in connection with the Maine avenue
and Fourteenth street grade Separa-
ton. One is that the detour, con-
Structed around the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing to divert about
B5 per cent Of highway bridge traffic
during construction work, remains a
permanent part Of the highway sys-
TEN. Another is that the grade sep
2ration makes more accessible a new,
projected route from Northwest
Washington to AnacOStia: a route
that eventually Will follow Maine
avenue SW. to a Widened and eX-
tended street, which will become a
main approach to the South Capitol
street bridge across the Eastern
Branch.
As parts of the Districts highway
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28

and to feel that it would have been
better for the country if the inquiry
had not been ordered. Yet it must
be recognized that the board is doing
only what it is bound to do under
the terms of the act.
Heretofore, when the board has
proceeded against some employer on
behalf of the AFL, the union has de-
manded that the law be fully en-
forced, regardless of how the
employer might feel about the mat
ter, And the law has been
enforced in that spirit. Hence, as a
matter of simple justice, one might
expect the AFL to accept a decision
by the board rendered under the
terms of the act, even though it hap
pened to cut in its direction. But
spokesman for the union have made
it clear that they are in no such
frame of mind. On the contrary.
they are demanding that the board
drop its lawful proceeding and are
threatening to withdraw from labors
no-strike pledge if the board per-
sists in pushing the case.
In other words, the ALL, by plain
implication, is threatening to strike
against enforcement of a law which
was passed at labor's behest and for
labor's benefit. And this in spite of
the fact that such a strike would
seriously cripple the Nations ca
paclty to carry on the war.
This is an attitude which should
serve to convince any minded
person that Congress erred in pass
ing weighted" labor relations law
which set up no standards whatso-
ever for the regulation of union
practices. And it should also serve
to suggest one type of amendment
that is needed if the law ever is
to function as a stabilizing influence
in industry.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
COmmends New Book
On Air-Power Controversy.
Westgate, Md
TO the Editor of The Star:

TO the Editor of The Star:
Jay Hayden gave Star readers a timely
article on that revival of air-power dis
pute. 1t is true that many new books
on the Fight for Air Power" will follow
this ono, all which will prove welcome
reading to air-minded Americans. Huie's
new book. like other recent texts, kindles
the Billy Mitchell flame anew, and
will keep the United States on the
beam-despite the admirals.
ERNEST CHARLES RICK.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
Reports Reasons for Decline
In Farm Production.

In Farm Production.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Apropos of the present food situation,
l think the following article in the
Rocket OF Wyalusing, Pa. January 81,
may be of interest to your readers
Leon Often to Sell Is Dairy Cattle
An auction sale of Is head of dairy
cattle and farm implements and tools
will be held at the Leon H. Often farm
on Wall Hill, Terry township, Satur-
day afternoon, January %, at o'clock.
Howard Sands of Tunkhannock
Will be the auctioneer'
The Wyalusing Rocket is a paper pub
lished in one of the greatest agricultural
counties Of Pennsylvania and the village
nearest my farm in that region. Notices
of sales of good-sized herds of dairy
cattle and of farming equipment have
been so frequent in this paper in the
past few months that am seriously dis
turbed. Multiply these, and you can see
that the dark picture of the future now
being drawn by the authorities is more
than justified
In my opinion, there are at least two
reasons for the threatened let-down in
agricultural production:
First: The drain of men from farm
labor due to their being drafted in undue
numbers into the armed forces.
Second: The fantastic wages being
paid skilled and unskilled men in all
factories and mills-wages with which
no farmer can possibly compete
CHESTER WELLS,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
Complains About Union Leaders Who
Object to Strikes Against Themselves.
To the Editor OF The Star

To the Editor Of The Star:
1t Is interesting to note what the
United Mine Workers Journal, official
organ Of the United Mine Workers and
John L. Lewis, has to say in it's January
IS issue about the strike Of the anthra-
cite miners The editor is outspoken
strike, which has involved thousands
OF men and made homes cold by lack
of coal. But the official union con-
demnation apparently does not touch
that cause of the strike which involves