The Wilmington morning star., 1945-08-10

! ers. His articles serve the good purpose
of making people Think
BY WEsTBRpOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1915, by King Features Syndicate.)
| NEW YORK, Aug. 9-My patient reading of
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelts works is rewarded
now and again by nuggets such as her recent
remark that the custom (which existed for a
time in this country, of having large places
which cost great deal Of money and produced
nothing beyond what one family used on their
table, has always seemed to me very waste
full tradition and am glad it is rapidly disap-
pearing.
I didn't know it was disappearing but take
this to suggest that the large estates of the
landed gentry should now be broken up and
distributed to small holders for family occu
pancy and profitable cultivation, in accordance
with the English trend. note, without preju-
duce but with just touch OF emphasis, that
although Mrs Roosevelt railways thought thus
she never expressed the though until the ances-
trail manor at Hyde Park heritage Of the
opium smuggling trade, became a white ele
plant. I could give my colleague credit for
unselfishness had she not enjoyed lifetime
OF luxury on an elaborate if ill-gotten barony.
complete with servants quarters, stables and
a swimming pool all of which now seem to
have become financial problem and bore.
Mrs. Roosevelt says that she, herself has
LEVEL ACAt III ally way AlICA SSISd III q NoIii1AJ
place, just as a country place.
Some people, however, do love the country
for itself and as an escape from the anal chy
of New York where families live in hives and,
even with the best manners and intentions
impose all about them. New Workers work
around the clock, so that in crowded build
ing, little anniversary or birthday party in
one apartment, if it goes beyond 10 o'clock
at night, becomes torture to others downstairs
Tho O11rtxx In CT he M
bv $50 in the morning. Walls are not sound
proof so the woman who turns the soap
opera while she does her houSeWork lnfllctS
terrible suffering on the neighbor in the cell
next door who has worked a night trick and is
trying to sleep. Some people insist on keeping
dogs even unto great Danes, which zap or
below when left alone and live miserably on
the leash in the hands of masters who profess
to love them. And the cooking odors which
pervade the courts and halls become factor
in the subconscious anguish of human beings
packed too close together.
Thus, the country, just as country, is beauti-
full to many, both quiet refuge from
these strains and for the natural loneliness of
hills and trees and even of drifts in winter
The drifts, to me, are less attractive than they
were 10 years ago but younger men and wo,n-
en- might enjoy them as once did.
But 1 can't see how Mrs. Roosevelt's idea
could work.
Land in the pleasant far suburbs of New
York costs at least 500 an acre and nowadays
would be nearer $3.50. In any extensive place
this always has included the woodlot and
swamp which would produce no crop. To be
sure, those who dwell in some New York apart
ments pay $35 a cord for 18-inch butts for
their fire-places for aesthetic effect. But har-
vest the wood, bring it to the road and deliver
it in town and your profit is small wages for
very hard work.
A small farmhouse burned recently not
many miles from Mrs. Roosevelt's estate and
the estimates for replacement run around
S., 0O0 This, however is to be prefabricated
house against which Mrs. Roosevelts most de-
voted friends, the union officials, have furious
prejudice, although it probably is made by
union labor in the factory. The same house,
erected the old way, under union restrictions,
undoubtedly would cost 1000 more. Then, it
| happens that there are dug well and pump
left from the old place but dug wells are
inadequate for the present bathing customs of
most Americans, if consider that we
are starting fresh, we must reckon on about
81, 900 more for drilled well and the pump
and wiring If we have been lucky enough to
find 40 acres of good land with no waste, at
$500, our investment is now $11 ,000 But we
still need tractor, mower, and other equip
ment and we should have a horse for rainy
spells when tractor would get mired in the
meadow and even on the sidehill patch And
the horse needs hay which calls for helper at
certainly no less than S. day in haylng
season, although some 16-year-old boys have
been getting Sc day this year and we haven't
even thought of the barn or chicken mouse
and breeders and all.
In the country where the Roosevelt estate is,
the old-timers give the late Mr.. Roosevelt no
reputation as an overgenerous employer. ne
paid only the local price for farm work which
never has been sufficient to buy land, build
houses and barns and equipment since the
horse and buggy days.
Contrary to Mrs Roosevelts concept, city
people have been a boon to this countryside.
They make salaries or profits In town ana
loving the country as country, restored clo
houses and built new ones and cleared thous-
ands of acres which had been worked out ana
abandoned as the farmers gave up and moved
to the towns for factory wages. Naturally tna1
increa sed values but these values represent an
enormous aggregate investmnt OF nony' ho'
inherited but earned by the work OF those VINO
revived a neglected countryside
-V~
MIR. HOOVER FOR THE SENATE
Because of the death of Hiram Johnson
| the Governor of California must now choose
| . Senator tn serve until new one is elected