Evening star., 1949-07-11

| to pay rs cents is to my mind robbery, and
they are pulling this stunt daily on the
Mount Pleasant line.
MARY M. HENDERSON.
Discusses Veterans Preference
From Civilian Angle
To the Editor of The Star:
Relative to an article appearing in Joseph
Youngs column last Friday concerning Vet
erans' Preference, let us first give thanks
that our veterans in the recent war had
better leadership than they apparently have
now. judging from the article
Mr.. Ziegler in his reported statements
proved that he is no more awake to the
present problem than veteran who was
recently sound asleep in my own office.
Any labor union advocating closed shop
which barred membership to those with
the greatest tenure of service, valuable ex-
| perience and satisfactory record of en-
ployment would be considered unAmeri-
can.
This is exactly what is accomplished by
the present veterans preference laws in a
normally f1uctuating personnel.
Mr.. Ziegler in supporting present veterans
preference has the effrontery to claim sup
port of merit system. His statement re-
garding relative efficiency of veterans and
non-veterans is just so much smoke screen,
veterans who are efficient just as we know
those who are not.
The records show that over 46% of Gov
ernment employees are veterans, though they
are numerically only about one-tenth of the
population. Does this prove that veterans
are not treated equitably?
am willing to wager $500 to Mr.. Ziegler's
one dollar that he has received training
from a non-veteran on his own job within
the past five years.
Where Is this unity. justice and equality
that the American Legion dusts off for
speeches every Armistice Day and appar
emily gives the brush-of the other 1854 days?
4-F CAREERIST.
PhiIosophic Consideration of Importance
OF Errors as Clues to Behavior
To the Editor OF The Star:
The editorial in The Star of July on
Butts and Psychology" attracted my atten-
ton. and would like to make few re-
marks pertaining thereto.
Among the first things to consider is the
basis of an argument. With scientists, the
ultimate basis is the truth; that is what they
want. That is the purpose of experiments;
to find the truth.
Everything we know started from small
beginnings, as foundation for theory to
be examined and proven, one way or an
other-is it true or false? We know that
many things spring from a mere seed; all
that lives and grows does so. Mathematics
is based on theory, starting from hypothesis
of the simplest forms. Calculus starts with
a thing so small that it can be imagined
as nonexistent, like an atom of invisible
dimensions. Freud started with an error as
insignificant as my spelling the word-un-
consciously-"thoery" for theory, and not
discovering the mistake even on a rereading.
I have done it many times-who has not?
However 1t happened Is beside the point
it denotes a habit pattern of either care
lessness or blindness, concerning what one
is doing.
The same applies to the cigarette smoker
and what he does with the butt. Every error,
no matter how small, is wrong; no one can
deny that. So the basis of any inveStiga-
tion is theory concerning which the truth
is wanted; an opinion is not sufficient.
No one can say much one way or another
until the story all is told, and the work has
been done. Supposing, for instance, in the
butt case, the psychologists should be right,
and your editorial writer wrong? You have
gone out on limb somewhat categorically.
as if you were right in your evaluation of
the work of the experimenters at Bennington
College. I do not think you should do so,
even as layman, for scientists are pretty
thorough and will not make a categorical
Systematically give out their findings and
remark thereon.
Scientific Study Of Mankind.
The psychologist and psychoanalyst are
on the track of what is wrong with the hu-
man being, supposedly an intelligent speci-
men having the cognomen Homo Sapiens"
as defining his classification in the scale of
Creation. The perfect specimen never
would make a mistake; his mind would func-
tion exactly at all times on the line of
truth. When a specimen makes mistake,
something is wrong with him; he is guilty
of something he Is concealing within him
self. A skilled observer can discover from
the habits and mannerisms of a subject,
that there is guilty feeling in him that
he has not publicly acknowledged. That
guilty feeling may arise from conscious
ness that the subject is not treating him.
self or others with proper respect or con-
sideration. How he handles cigarette butt
may give clues to his character, attitude
and Observation-Disclosures he Is reliable
person of unnquestionable integrity or
careless person that could bear watching.
The person who handles his cigarette butt
with reasonable common sense, considering
the circumstances in which he finds him
self, would be found to be pretty good
fellow you might want to meet and get ac-
quainted with some time. Otherwise. you
might become suspicious of him, and find
dry taste in your mouth after watching
him a while. A careless butt dispenser
might be putting on an act of egotism, of
great self importance. or be some sort of
ass. He would burn down house. a forest,
or set his upholstered chair on fire while
doing in it. I am reminded of two drunks
in rented room-a man and woman.
His cigarette set the mattress on fire; the
woman was putting out the fire with water
from the tap in the room, no one saying
word when the manager of the apartment
discovered smoke and called the fire de-
partment. The room was shambles when
the thing was over, but no one was hurt
by the fire. The pair in that room probably
did not have a dime to pay the damage