davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1949-01-24
Labor Law Politics

The pulling and hauling that is going
on in the argument over the procedural
approach to repeal or modification of the
Taft-Hartley Act looks. like a strictly
political fight.
There has been much talk about two
step approach to the matter of new labor
legislation. This is the formula advocated
with much fanfare by the union leaders
and some of their friends in Congress.
The idea is that the new Congress should
repeal the Taft-Hartley Act and re-enact
the Wagner Act this to be done forth
with, without hearings, without debate and
without any serious consideration of the
very real problems which have arisen in
labor relations. Then, at some convenient
future date, Congress would get around to
consideration of amendments to the re-
enacted Wagner Act-amendments which,
for instance, would give somebody in the
Government some power to protect the
Nation against an arbitrary decision by
some union boss to deprive the country
of an essential commodity or service
OF course, it will not work out this way.
All of the talk about the two-step ap-
proach is silly for the simple reason that,
whatever may be done in the House, any
Senator will have the unabridged right
to offer any amendment to any labor
legislation which may be brought before
the Upper Chamber. Under the rules of
the Senate, it simply is not possible for
the labor leaders and their legislative
friends to get by with their plan for
revival of the Wagner Act now and con-
sideration of amendments later.
Since the amendments can be offered at
any time, the only real question is whether
they should be presented after committee
hearings, which would provide some basis
for intelligent consideration of what
changes should be made in the law or
whether the final form of a new labor
bill should be left to the unenlightened
and more-or-less accidental processes of a
battle on the Senate floor.
Obviously, the former procedure is
greatly to be preferred. Despite the
selfish impatience of the labor leaders, the
Congress should have the benefit of COM
mittee hearings. For in this way, and
only in this way, can it be established
wherein the Taft-Hartley Act has been
found wanting, and in what respects it
has functioned for the good of the country
and for the benefit of the laboring man
as distinguished from the labor boss.
Evening star., 1949-01-24

As Washington is the seat of the Federal
Government, it is natural to expect con-
tinued Government expansion within the
District. This type of tax exemption
will be increased by purchases of prop
erty by tax-exempt institutions and by
foreign countries as sites for embassies
and legations. No one can reasonably
complain about that trend. The needs OF
the Government in its Capital City are
paramount The point is that this condi-
ton must be recognized by Congress and
faced realistically. Congress cannot in
Justice, or as practical matter, expect the
diminishing taxable area to carry as great
q proportion of the tax load as in the past,
without highly injurious results. And 1t
must increase the payment it makes in lieu
of the taxes lost.
Taxes in the downtown business area OF
Washington amounted to about 8.5 per
cent of annual rentals before the war.
According to the District Assessor, the in
creases in assessments and rates have
brought them to about Is and even 20
per cent now. Comprising only II per cent
OF the total taxable area, the downtown
Evening star., 1949-01-24
NutionuI Parks Report

A statement on the present condition
and needs of the National Parks filed with
the Senate Committee on Interior and
1nsular Affairs by Newton B. Drury direc-
tor, January 7, deserves the careful study
of all friends of the Park Service It lists
the present parks areas as embracing 174
units totaling 20,816699 acres or seven
tenths of per cent of the land and water
extent of the United States. The number
of visitors to the parks in the travel year
which ended September 80 last was close
to 10000 900.
But what the parks are and what they
represent in terms Of national investment
obviously constitute only a promise of
what they might be and what they might
represent in values vastly greater. The
philosophy upon which the parks system
IS based Is that of faith in the Nation
and in the Nations property which all
classes of citizens share and to which all
may contribute. General agreement on
the principle that the natural resources
of the country should be conserved and
not heedlessly wasted has been a matter
of history for at least half a century.
Some areas plainly were so beautiful as to
merit preservation on that account alone.
Others were seen to be worth saving
because of their strategic position as wild
life refugees or convenient Fairgrounds for
the people.
OF course the spending of public money
inevitably was involved in the program of
parks designation and development from
its start. The Organic Act, establishing
the National Park Service, dated August
Is, 1915, directed that the use of the parks
should be promoted as we'll as regulated.
Such spiritual assets as "inspiration" were
mentioned in subsequent legislation. At
no time was it contemplated that the
parks should be withheld from public
enjoyment. On the contrary, Mr.. Drury
stresses the recreational significance of
the parks. 1.-THE productive efficiency of
the individual" he says, "is increased and
the national output of goods and services
is thereby increased" Government
control of the parks, the director argues,
results In more people getting more and
and better recreation per dollar spent than
otherwise would be the case The economic
advantages of the parks system include
the stimulation of all aspects of the tourist
trade approximating $1l ,000, 100000 in 1947.
Evening star., 1949-01-24

business section pays about 81 per cent of
the total real estate tax. Further real
estate tax increases may hasten the trend
toward decentralization, with the blighting
effect on productive property that has be-
come major problem in many other
cities. 1t is easy to kill the goose that lays
the golden egg.
Apartment houses have received sub
stantial increases in assessments and taxes
in the past few years. Many are passed on
to tenants. In the past fiscal year 1881
applications for higher rentals, based on
tax increases, were sent to the Rent
Administrator. About 80 per cent were
granted, the great majority being in
smaller apartments and private dwellings,
Higher maintenance costs under rent
control have brought complaints from
tenants, based on lessened services and
neglected repairs. Such factors have been
mentioned as contributing to sales of
apartments as coop" Some owners want
to get out from under
Private home owners have had to pay
an average increase of 20 per cent in taxes
in the past two years. A majority of new
homes constructed in Washington during
the past three years, according to the
Assessor, have been small homes, sold to
people in the low income brackets. The
last increase in the real estate tax brought
an unprecedented volume of complaints,
especially from these owners
The following table shows very clearly
what has taken place in ths past eight
years in development beyond the District
of Columbia's fixed boundaries New resi-
Dental units in the District of Columbia,
in number and in dollar volume, have
steadily declined. The real increase is
taking place in Montgomery, Prince
Georges, Arlington and Alexandria. (Fair-
fax figures are not complete and have not
been included:
Review Of Residential Building Activities
District of Columbia Adjacent Counties
Evening star., 1949-01-24
This and That
BIZ Charles Z. Trace1Oell

Bus drivers are sometimes accused of being
rather grumpy people, and who wouldn't be
considering the traffic and the public?
But there is one passenger whom they all
treat as beloved sister.
She Is blind.
A beautiful girl whose pure limpid eyes
give no sign of disease, but are nevertheless
sightless.
She studies downtown.
When classes are over she appears at the
bus STOP books in hand.
All the drivers know her and watch out for
her.
Her hair is dark and floating
She sits directly behind the driver
There is certain intenseness in her appear.
ance, just the hint Of a smile on her lips.
All along the route, with the starting and
the stopping, and the people showing passes
and dropping in tokens the girl smiles.
Not a real smile, perhaps, but just the hint
OF smile, ghost of a smile, slight upturn-
ing of the corners of her mouth.
Her hair is fuffed out in the best teen-age
manner.
1t is beautiful hair, reminding one of seer
esses Of old.
1t might be fame-tipped in legend, but on
q modern city bus 1t is Just hair
Traffic Is too busy for seerS and seeresses
coordination, arms and legs able to handle
tons of steel and human flesh
There sits the pretty girl, smiling placidy
at it all, safe in the care of her unknown
brothers of the blue cap.
The big bus turns a corner and comes to
O stop.
She lives directly across the street.
Sometimes, to the sudden CONSERVATION of
the passengers twho. of course, know nothing
of all this) the driver gets out with a pas
senger.
see what seems to be too-gallant driver
stopping to personally conduct some pretty
girl across the way.
"Hm" One can almost hear lady snort to
herself. They never help me across
Then the light dawns.
Pity drives away the rancor. The light of
and mercy to some.
The driver takes the pretty blind girl by the
arm.
He conducts her to the opposite curb.
His voice comes back through the open door
Now. you are sure you can find your way?"
the voice has been heard.
Yes, thank you" she says, and smiles
The busman hastens back, shuts the door
and with slightly red face starts the vehicle
Poor girl" some one says
The old lady smiles, as If she has seen
vision of something.
Il don't know" she says. Think of all the
terrible sights she misses"
The stupidity. the selfshness, the ugliness
of humans, are for her, beautiful child,
dream within a dream.
The rest of us must suffer affront to our
eyes and hearts and minds at every turn, but
for her there is nothing but kindness.
May it ever be So
Let the sweetness of life envelope her and
keep her safe in the midst Of sad things.
To her, all men shall be brothers.
Evening star., 1949-01-24

Is
this this discussing the Districts hnan
s. By w.n: I" the ssSr G Tn: ssnT
u the articles in pamphlet form.'
Financially, the Districts slip is showing
again.
For the second straight year President Tru-
man has sent to the Capitol a city budget well
beyond the city's ability to pay.
He has cut an expenditure garment for the
District and provided at least 100000, &C
cording to the oficial prediction, too little to
cover it.
Should District employees be granted q cost
of-living pay increase for the year beginning
next July similar to that granted Federal
employees this year, the gap between expected
income and expenditures would widen by $5,-
OO0, ,O00 Made retroactive to last July /, such
q pay boost would add still another $5, 100000
Thus even allowing the usual leeway for
District forecasters, traditionally conservative
when it comes to predicting revenues 18
months IN advance, the deficit is apt to lie
lie between six and eight millions, plus what
ever happens on the pay increase.
Briefly the problem may be summed up in
this way:
The city pays for its operations out Of three
funds-the water, highway and general funds.
Under the new 1850 budget proposals the
water fund will be able to pay its way by dint
of the increased water rates put in this year,
the ALLEGATION OF 100000 to water purposes
from the annual Federal payment to the city,
and the sale of some invested securities saved
up The highway fund may even show a sur
plus Of some 5000 900 which, however, may not
under the law be diverted for other purposes
The shortage is in the general fund and this is
the fund against which most public services
here are chargeable.
This time last year all three funds faced
deficits. Tax legislation last Summer increas
ing the gasoline tax a penny and boosting
Evening star., 1949-01-24
Inauguration Day
Through Bedside Radio)

(1nrOugn beQSlQe HaulO)
Eyes cannot see the cro,Dding multitude,
But ears can hear hypnotic tDords that fall
TO soothe, and yes, perchance electrity
The spirit of the people ,oaiting long;
For distance Nth its Dtde unconpassed
range
Cannot withhold the charged pulsating air
That 7oU descends on con,n,oner and king,
With its enormous impact far and near.
All, not one man ,pith auo,Ded eopenant
Proclaimed In clarion, heart to1rnatno
tones,
VIII keep this Nation great, toreuer tres,
But actions to sustain and hold the ,oord.
PLAYED Is the drama and the music stilled,
And ne the listeners on this great day
will pledge vithin our souls to keep the
faith,
A light to guide and guard US, come tDhat
unav. CHARLOTTE TAYLOR.
Evening star., 1949-01-24
A Foirer Deal Here at Home

, Beginning today The Star will print on
this page series of five articles by John
W. Thompson, jr., bearing on Washington's s
tangled budget problem.
The articles touch merely some of the
highlights and are designed primarily to
explain some interesting charts prepared
by the District Budget Officer, Walter l..
Fowler.
Readers may find them interesting as
background for the discussions at the
Capitol this winter over ways and means
to make both ends meet in running this
expensive city. The problem is no simple
one. Congress must. find the best and
fairest means of raising SOME 100000
to meet obligations, over and above exist
ing revenue, arising in this fiscal year and
the one beginning next July.
Some of the revenue should come from
increasing the Federal payment. Most OF
it is apt to come from new and higher
taxes It is in local taxation, especially,
that Washingtonians have right to
expect a fairer deal than they have re-
ceived from Congress in the past decade.
Functioning in respect to the District of
Columbia as a local legislature, Congress
should approach its task as any other
local legislature would, from the point OF
view of the people to be taxed.
The past decade has shown dangerous
trend in local taxation. 1t has resulted in
placing too large part of the burden on
too few of the people. The local income
tax is singular example of discriminatory
taxation. BY its wholesale exemptions,
particularly of Federal employees claiming
legal residence elsewhere, it has left only
some $4,000 persons, in a population ex-
ceeding $4,000, affected by the local in
come tax. The tax does not produce the
money 1t should. 1t Is probably the most
difficult Of all taxes to administer. 1t Is
indefensible in that 1t requires one man
to pay the tax and exempts his neighbor,
though both enjoy equally the services of
the community. It should either be re-
pealed or it should be amended to include
everybody.
The real estate tax has become another
discriminatory tax, in so far as its share
of the total tax load is concerned. 1t is
now carrying about 5272 per cent of the
local tax burden. It is paid directly by
about 10000 persons and as rule these
are the persons liable to the local income
tax. The real estate tax itself is high
tax when the standard of assessment
compared with assessments elsewhere-is
considered.
Less than half the land area in Wash
ington (not counting streets is now tax
able. Yet this 48.7 per cent of the area is
assessed for taxation at higher total
figure than all of nearby Baltimore. Wash
ington's fraction of taxable land and i'm
provements is more highly assessed than
any of the cities between 100000 and l.
100000 population in the country. It's per
capita assessment, with half the area
exempt, is second only to New York.
The taxable area is steadily decreasing.
Below is chart, prepared by Mr. Fowler,
which shows the size of the slice that has
been taken from taxable real estate prin-
cipally by the Federal Government in the
past fourteen years. This "slice"-the
white, unshaded area-represents the 2,942
acres, or 1885 per cent, withdrawn from
taxation since July /, 1884:
Evening star., 1949-01-24
Bv THE HAsKIN SERVICE.

@. Are the winters getting warmer or
colder?-C c.
A. This is question that has been debated
in this country since WashingtonS day, ana
one that cannot be answered specifically. 1t Is
the general belief that over long period there
has been no permanent change. j. B. Kincer,
retired climatologist of the United states
weather Bureau however. has predicted that
the United States Is entering cycle OF coloer
than normal winters
@. How many artificial languages like
Esperanto have been invented?IG. I. 8.
A. More than 300 artificial languages have
been invented for international use since the
Middle Ages.
@. Was julius Caesar the first person on
record to have been born by means OF
CaeSarian section?-L. w. D
A. It is fallacy that Julius Caesar was
born by Caesarian section. Caesars mother,
Aurelia, survived his birth and there Is no
record of the section having been performed
on living woman until about 1900.
@. What is the area OF the continental shelf
of the United States which the President
placed under Federal Government Control3
"A. C.
A. The estimated area of the continental
shelf is 262 500 acres extending in some places
100 miles to sea. The resources Of the subsoil
and the sea bed of the continental shelf were
placed under United States control by presi.
Dental proclamations 1857 and 1858 and execu.
tive orders 9633 and 1884, all issued on Sep
tember %, 1945.
@. How long would it take to read every
word Of large city newspaper?-D. D.
A. The average reader would probably take
from to 10 hours to read all the printed
matter in large metropolitan paper.
Evening star., 1949-01-24

there would have been no Palestine for the
Jews to go to. Let that be considered before
we hear more of Britain reneging on its SOL
emn obligations to the Jews" More sober
Jewish thought knows well that Britain his
torically has been powerful friend and refuge
to that long suffering people. Others do not
know, and care less. Ingratitude may bring
its penalty.
Freeze freeze thou bitter sky
Thou dost not bite so nigh
AS benefits forgot"
HERBERT j. HOLLAND.
Evening star., 1949-01-24
PUBLIC WORKS. i2.3 CENTS

water rates prevented dehcits in the highway
and water funds.
This general fund shortage is the crux Of
the local fiscal dilemma for the fiscal year
1950
There are Just three ways to meet this sit
uation
/. Through major cuts in expenses charge
able to the general fund.
2. Through long term borrowing from the
Federal Government
8. Through new legislation to increase rev.
enues.
This third solution is suggested by the Presi-
dent in the new budget. Each will be consd-
cred separately in this series.
Before deciding to make up the deficit by
cutting expenses chargeable to the general
fund, look at the chart above and see how the
general fund tax dollar is being spent. Note
that major cuts here would result in major
curtailments in the schools program, public
safety (police and fire., health services, well
fare services, recreation services.
Bear in mind that the Community Chest
drive for private funds to supplement many OF
these public services fell short and that hence
private effort must be curtailed.
Then ask yourself If these municipal serv-
ices are adequate in your section of the city.
INOGC I11dG 4CoS IlAn1 SCAAtS VI eAAC enA NoAAeA
goes for administration and remember that
the budget requests submitted by President
Truman to Congress have in most cases al
ready been trimmed or slashed by the Com
missiopers from the original requests of their
department heads.
Certainly there will be cuts made at the
Capitol There always are. But there will
be additions too. The final figure is not apt
to be much under the $lo3 ,oo0, 600 in the Presi-
dents requests unless taxpayers are willing
or compelled to 60 without city services they
are receiving or have demanded.
Tomorrow: Borrowing here and elsewhere.)
Evening star., 1949-01-24

Difficulties Ahead for Presidents Plan
To the Editor OF The Star:
What the President means specifically by
his bold new program" for the undeveloped
areas he will doubtless make clear sooner or
later. What he said in this connection touches
a problem on which many misconceptions
exist One of the more common ones, mis-
conception that the President apparently
shares, is that the government of the unde-
veloped countries can be depended upon to
take all measures necessary to raise the gen.
eral standard of living Of their people. They
desire development and progress, vocally and
abstractly; but the governing classes in those
countries are, as rule, firmly attached to
certain features of the status quo. When 1t
comes to the point Of action, the politicians
in an underdeveloped country can display an
obstructiveness, a selfish shortsightedness and
a general perversity incredible to anyone who
never actually has tried to work for and In
such q country.
Another misconception, which flows from
the one just mentioned is that technical as-
sistance and investments are enough by them
selves The prior essential conditions for de-
velopment are political and governmental
reasonably competent parliaments and cab
inets, stability and order honest administra-
ton; sound finance, good courts Of law, an
end to feudalism both in agriculture and in
politics, and the elemental securities of person
and property. If Mr.. Truman proposes to
send out Americans to carry out these prior
reforms, well and good; but our experience
in Greece Iran, China and other countries
should indicate the magnitude and dimculty
of the undertaking. And our own technical
resources In the field of political and gov
ernmental development, are, it may be feared
not inexhaustible.
If MIR. Truman feels that investments should
be made without first providing for their
safety and productivity and without making
sure of real distribution of benefits to the
common people, his program may prove in
the end disappointing. expensive and. con-
ceivably, hurtful rather than helpful to our
diplomacy. His idea is an old and o sound one.
Everything depends on the way he proposes to
carry 1t out. A. G. M1LLSPAUGH.