davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-06-09
BY Charles E. Trocewen

Hence he lives, or did live, as the
ancients used to say.
But Jones is worried about him.
Ratio has not been seen for days.
The last time he peered out of his
little door was one evening just before a
rainstorm
1t was the last seen of him.
Templeton Jones is thinking of block
ing up the rat hole.
What is the use of it, without Ratio.
perhaps the only one of his species to
have name, or personality.
He was fine fellow, playing with
squirrels, and even cats, outwitting them
easily. playing leaping games with both
animals
Alas. poor Ratio. he may have met
with a dog or rambled too far from his
home and picked up poison somewhere.
The trials and tribulations of rats are
equaled only by the trials and tribula-
tionS Of humanity.
Today the rats seem just little ahead
OF us; at least, they have not invented
terrible weapons of war.
They are smart, In their way, but not
that smart.
It remains to be seen how smart hui
manity Is. in the last analysis.
Evening star., 1951-06-09
This and That

Let us not be too hoity-toity, there
fore. in assessing the place of the rats in
the general scheme of things.
Maybe if we cursed them less and
studied them more we would be better
off.
The rodent family, to which they
belong. is the largest OF all the animal
groups.
Our pleasant squirrels are rodents.
So is the porcupine.
Some native American rats are said
to be good eating.
The brown and gray rats that infest
barns and some homes and particularly
all neighborhoods are different. because
they harbor inimical diseases which they
pass on, though unwittingly, to man.
X X
Even general neighborhood cleanli-
ness will not prevent rats from coming
in.
Rats are everywhere, so why does
Templeton Jones. model householder,
put up with Ratio?
Why doesn't he wiring his neck, or
something?
The answer is. because he likes Ratio.
Ratio. small. soft-furred. has an air.
Ratio is keenly alive. bright-eyed, and
appeals to Jones.
Evening star., 1951-06-09

Templeton Jones is wondering what
has become Of his pet rat.
Ratio, about l-year-old. was last seen
as he emerged from the hole in the door
Of the Jones garage.
Through this small entry, Ratio had
made hiS~way daily, usually at dusk, to
the bird feeding station.
There he gathered up sunflower
seed and took 1t back through the hole
into his den.
Just where the den is, Templeton
Jones never found out.
Upon the few occasions he followed
Ratio he saw only the suspicion of a
tail disappearing behind an old trunk
Ratio is-or rather, was-an adept
at concealment.
Rats. of course, have to be.
Man has been on their trail for ages
now, but there are still plenty of rats
Rodents need all their wits these
days and so do men,
Perhaps rats may be showing us how
to conceal ourselves in time of danger.
Tt has always been danger time for
rats
Now. for men?
Are the rats examples of what all life
is coming to. forced to run and hide, to
burrow under the ground to live? What
an absurd fate!
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Large Economy Size Is Nov Copsu|ed

IA ounces. The so-called giant" sizes
are dwindling to dwarfs Midget" lunch
meat rolls are reduced to such Lilli-
putian dimensions they remind one nos
talgically of the almost forgotten over
sized hot dogs.
The old close-to-payday standby, the
40 cents a : pound chuck" roast. now
sells for buck a pound. And in New
York butchers are slicing it SO thin they
dignity 1t with the title of chuck steak"
customer who actually buys enough
chuck for good old-fashioned Yankee
pot roast is regarded as plutocrat and
looked upon with awe by both butchers
and buyers.
In many chain stores the butchers
and clerks have gone into hiding. AL
though the ads claim that the modern.
self-service counters are for your added
convenience" the truth is not in the
ads. Actually the sales force got so
tired Of listening to the gripes they
built big wall and got behind it. The
only human contacts left in such stores
are the cashiers, and you can't blame
them because your cleverly wrapped s.
pound roast had 3 pounds of bone in it.
They didn't wrap the thing. That hap
pened behind the wall. And if you
don't like the butchers product you can
always buy buck-and-a-quarter T.
bone IN any restaurant for from 3 to S
simoleons.
The shrinkage of our dough" to
wafer thinness hits us from all sides.
Look at transportation. The cost of a
New York subway ride has shrunk from
a big fat nickel to thin dime. Com
muters' bus fares to Washington from
nearby Maryland and Virginia suburbs
makes half-dollar look sick. They're
even making the 'good-all- week. car
passes smaller and threatening to cut
them out entirely-unless they get an
other raise in fares.
The cleaning woman who used to
come by the day, all day, for five bucks
and carfare, now works half day for
the same five and plus, and doubles on
another job for like amount. But the
10 doesn't buy her as many pork chops
as the five once purchased.
Evening star., 1951-06-09

at money. Well. if you bought suit
and 1t shrunk in the first cleaning, you'd
be mad as hops at both suit and cleaner,
wouldn't you? 1t follows, naturally,
that everyone is getting sore at money.
which is acting like pair of Argyle
socks dunked in boiling water.
The fact that the dollar maintains
its familiar appearance in size and color,
is a snare and delusion. It may look
the same. but any resemblance between
the 1851 and the 1941 dollar is purely
coincidental.
The shrinkage of the once long green
affects any number of things. Folks
used to say that valuable articles came
in small parcels If that is true, every
thing packaged today must be mighty
valuable.
Take the penny box of matches, for
instance. Note that it is half the size
it used to be. Supplies that once came
in two-pound packages. now come in
pound and pound half ones-for
the same price or slightly higher, while
the pound sizers have shrunk to IL and
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Price War Bubble

Tnere is no reason TO suppose that the
buying public is going to worry about the long
range economic consequences of retail price
war such as that which has begun in New York
and has spread to few other cities. Being in
herently sensible, however, most people will
realize that this is one bubble which, or late,
is going to burst.
Some of the reasons why 1t is going to
burst have been brought out before committee
of the New York Legislature which has been
holding hearings on the price cutting One bit
of testimony was especially revealing. The
"far trade" price at retail for popular brand
of aspirin SO cents for bottle of 100 tablets.
The wholesale cost is 43 cents. During the
price war; however, large department store
cut the retail price to II cents.
1t is obvious that this sort of thing cannot
and will not go on indefinitely. The big stores
can stand it for while But in the end, perhaps
after thousands of small concerns have been
driven into bankruptcy, the price level certainly
will rise to a point at which merchandise can
be sold at profit. And if the theoretical
monopolies should actually materialize, the con-
sumner may find that these super bargains have
been illusory, that the losses being taken by the
sellers now will be recouped later through stiff
price increases.
No one can pretend to be surprised at what
has happened in New York, for the price slashing
is natural and predictabe result of last months
Supreme Court decision knocking out the mon
signer" clauses in State fair trade laws. What
this means, generally speaking, is this: Forty
i've States had enacted laws permitting
manufacturers of brand-name goods to make
agreements with retailers not to sell at less
than specified prices. Standing alone, this would
violate the antitrust laws. So Congress, in
1887, passed the MillerTydings Act to exempt
such agreements from the antitrust legislation
provided they were. authorized by State law
There was hitch, however. Nothing Spe-
eihc was said about retailers who had not made
such agreements with manufacturers, although
at the time the Miller -Tydings Act was passed,
"a States had fair trade laws with the nom
signer clauses-clauses which provided that once
q manufactures had made flair price
agreement with one retailer, all other retailers
having knowledge of the agreement were bound
by it.
It was this provso that was struck down by
the court, the majority holding that Congress
in passing the Mler-Tydings Act did not intend
to legalize the non-signer clauses. minority
composed of Justices Frankfurter, Black and
Burton objected vigorously Speaking for them,
Justice Frankfurter contended that Congress
had intended to protect the non-signer clauses,
and said: "Where both the words of stat
ute and its legislative history clearly indicate
the purpose of Congress, it should be respected.
We should not substitute our notion of what
Congress should have done"
The wisdom of that observation, assuming
the minority to be correct, is now being demon
Evening star., 1951-06-09
The Answer Should Be NO

An unequivocal "No" should be the Com
missioners answer to the remarkable request
of the State Department that four blocks near
its building be closed to public traffc. Depart
ment officials have admitted to District authori-
ties that the primary purpose of this plan is
to provide unrestricted parking space for State
officials and employees. They have injected
security angle that falls of its own weight, for
the barring of general traffic from the blocks
concerned would not contribute to security unless
the whole area were posted "off-limits" to the
public-pedestrians as we'll as motorists. 1t
would take high fence or detail of armed
guards to enforce such restriction. The idea
is absurd, any way one looks at it.
To permit the State Department to take over
any portion of the public streets for its exclusive
parking purposes would be to set precedent
that other departments undoubtedly would be
quick to follow. If there are not enough parking
places for State employees and visiting diplomats
In the vicinity of the State Department, it is
not the fault of the District It is the fault
OF those who planned and built Federal buildings
without providing adequate off-street parking
facilities for their occupants The public streets
were not built for the exclusive use of any
group of people or any special departments
They cannot legally be given away to any depart
ment by the simple method of erecting barriers
and Keep Off" signs as proposed by the
State Department
If the security of the State Department is
imperiled by the proximity of public streets,
what about the Atomic Energy Commission, the
Navy Department and the other defense agen-
cies whose buildings abut on public streets?
There is more reason from security stand
point, for blocking off streets near some of
these agencies than for closing the blocks near
the State Department. Even if the two blocks
of Twenty-second street and the two blocks OF
D street. designated by the State Department,
were to be restricted for security reasons, part
Of the State Department building still would be
exposed to the public at Nineteenth street and
Virginia avenue, where there is scarcely 30-foot
space separating the building from public traffic.
The State Department plan has even less
merit than that of the Bureau of Standards for
closing Van Ness street Both proposals ought to
be swiftly rejected-unless it can be shown that
national security actually would be in danger
otherwise. No such showing has been made
to date.
Evening star., 1951-06-09

Oh, the list Of things affected by the
dehydration of our green "hay' is end
less. On farms, where there is nc
radio or television. even the hens
seem to have got the word" Biddys
Grade A Large are coming out some
where between a pullet and a medium
sized egg.
Once upon long time ago, cosmetic
companies used to give away intro
ductory tubes of lipstick. Smaller edi-
tions OF these trial sizes are now for
sale in dime stores for quarter. Bath
ing suits are down to diaper size, and
the salesgirl calmly hands you a SIT
tab for II cents worth of cloth. The
last gasp of the nickel is in newspapers,
which used to sell for three cents.
Truly, our folding money is folding,
but in all bad there must be some good,
and so. Mr.. Boyle, offer the following
as consolation: Since the 50-cent hair
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Fifth Freedom Dissutisfies

Once before. eight years ago. I took
II upon myself to write to a newspaper
ana express myself on some irritation
OF the day. Later, I thought that this
was a manifestation of youth and that
the incident would not be repeated as
my cynicism and age progressed apace
However, see now that the spark has
not gone out entirely.
Last evening my wife and I went
to one OF the local popcorn emporiurns
There I discovered the successor to
Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry and their
fellow animated creatures. This techni-
color extravaganza was entitled "The
Fifth Freedom" and dealt with the Won
oer1ul opportunity, possessed by us all
praise be. to choose certain brand of
cigarettes under our American way of
life. Heretofore in my Ignorance
had known of only four freedoms.
4hlS new freedom could lead to disas-
trous results. For example. who can
now deny that there may be sixth
freedom not to buy these cigarettes?
This ohyious attempt to link the At
lantlc Charter with brand of cigarettes
reaches a., new low in the continuing
confllct between jingle-happy CONNER
clallSm and the search of the individual
Tor entertainment. with no strings at
tached, after payment of the entrance
lee. tWltness sports stadia taken over
oy cigarette and beer companies and
the walls plastered with cigarette packs.
beer bottles, and an occasional leapinR
outfielder)
No doubt did have the choice to
stay or leave. However, the fundamental
point is not whether one wishes to leave
OF remain in the face of commercial
MIN poorly disgusted as patriotic short
subject, but whether an individual
should be subjected to an invasion of
his innocent desire for relaxation in
the first instance. There may even
be a seventh freedom to refrain from
patronizlng theaters which substitute
Bob. Bing and Arthur for Tom, Jerry
and Bugs.
l, Tor one, have made resolution to
switch to chewing tobacco produced hv
manufacturers who have never claimed
that their product was the sole end
result Of the Bill Of Rights.
Marvin L. MADISON.
wish to express my sincere thanks to
Judge Edgerton for his decision in the
Transit Radio case, and to the Transit
Riders Association to whom goes the
credit for bringing about this desirable
result. Also. ! thank The Star for pub
fishing the interesting excerpt from the
judges opinion. I sincerely hope the
Supreme Court will not upset this de-
clslon. which I think is exactly right.
Now. some one should take up arms
against another unconstitutional inva-
sion of the public's right, ie., the
showing OF advertising films in movie
houses. Recently, at a downtown notion
picture house had to sit through one
In order to see the feature. It was
number entitled "The Fifth Freedom"
which, ironically enough (since it was
being shown to captive" audience
we were told is freedom of choice"
The film was full of stars" but no
matter how it was cut, it was still
baloney, advertising brand of cigarette.
This practice should be stopped, def
nitely. and if enough patrons protested
it would be discontinued.
M. G. X.
Evening star., 1951-06-09
TO Hit Nerve centers Of Gambling

The legislation proposed by the Senate Crime
Investigating Committee would hit at nation
wide gambling syndicates where 1t would hurt
the most-the nerve centers of information on
which they thrive. How to strike an effective
blow at these centers without hurting legitimate
sources Of race information was the big problem
which long puzzled the committee Chairman
OConor believes the two bills which he has in
troduced on behalf Of the committee viii solve
that problem
One OF the bills would require the licensing
by the Federal Communications Commission of
all so-caled race wire services, such as the Con-
tinental Press Service, whose major business is
the transmission of "bets or wagers, betting Odds
changes in betting odds, probable winners and
probable starting line-upS." Specifically exempted
from licensing. however, would be "any news
paper Of general circulation, or broadcastng over
any duly licensed radio station, or the collection
or transmission of news for such publication or
broadcasting." Senator O'Conor says that this
language was designed to exempt from licens-
ing the press and the regular press services.
This part of the bill should be scrutinized care
fully in committee hearings, to make sure that
the legislation could not be construed in any
way that would impair the freedom of the press
The second O'Conor bill would outlaw the
interstate transmission of stolen race infor-
Adt4oA 44IIS Is alNlcu at the 'DOOGleSRlQg OF
unauthorized gambling information by racetrack
"spies' employed by gamblers The penalty for
violation would be 81, 900 fine and one year in
prison.
The licensing plan is not as simple as it
sounds. The FEC already has objected to being
saddled with the burden, for it would require
an extra staff of investigators and other per-
sonnel. Before license could be granted the
applicant would have to prove: ID That the in
formation would not be disseminated primarily
for use in facilitating gambling in violation of
State laws, and (2) that he is of good moral
character or, in case of corporation, that all
OF its officers directors and principal stockholders
are persons OF good moral character. license
could be revoked if statements in the application
were found to be false or misleading or for
subsequent misconduct or upon determination
by the FEC that continuance of the license would
not be in the public interest. Licensees would be
required to file with public utilities complete
list OF points served which list would be open to
law-enforcement agencies
Despite the obvious difficulties of administer
ing The licensing plan, the proposal is a vast
improvement over some of the other drastic
suggestions for eliminating or controlling trans
mission of gambling information that have been
seriously considered at the Capitol If, after
further study, the licensing idea is found to be
feasible, both from an administrative standpoint
and from the viewpoint of free press, it would
undoubtedly strike serious and probably mortal
blow at sinister gambling empires of the type
exposed by the Kefauver committee.
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Misleading?

The heading and opening paragraph
OF youl editorial June on Judge
Fdgerton's transit radio ruling are both
misleading. The editorial on the whole
appears to ridicule the courts decision
on the premise that its primary OBJ
jective is to stop the music" in the
transit company's passenger vehicles.
Had the writer of this editorial read
the brief of the attorneys presenting
this case to the court, he would have
enlightened instead of misled your
readers That brief places a minimum
of emphasis upon the music as an
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Letter to NY Son in Korea

Fly high, my son,
Your shining a0tnoS OF steel
Are the symbols
OF the courage in your heart,
Though grim your part.
Rise high aboDe the clouds
OF reDenge and hatred.
I pray that aue Diu t1in. my son,
Yet wllen the terment of battle is over
This shall be the greater victory::
That you look 1Dith pity
Upon the 0anQuisked foe,
And knotD
That you fought not men. nations. or
races -.
But eDI alone,
That euen your enemies may be tres.
Fly high, my son!
Esther Church
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Free Ride for Crusaders

All those who understand our type of
government and who are concerned with
the rights of the individual cannot but
be relieved at the opinion of the Court
OF Appeals to prohibit the forcing of
people riding in Capital Transit vehicles
to listen to radio. Any one who has
faith in the Constitution and is at all
familiar with the philosophy of Thomas
Jefferson cannot fail to agree with the
court.
Those good citizens who have carried
the burden Of this fight should be issued
free life passes for use on all Capital
Transit lines.
Clarkson j. BeaIl.
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Letters to The Star

ANNOYING factor, but it skilfully stresses
violations of the rights of bus riders
VINO resent enforced listening to huck-
sterlng OF body deoderants, beer butter
substitutes, jewelry at so cents down and
DO cents per week. etc.
Your writers and others apparently
view this decision with apprehension.
claiming that it may indicate a chal-
lerge to all radio huckstering. There
is no basis in the decision for such a
view. It is clearly aimed at a transport
monopoly which is forcing its riders
to submit to an avoidable nuisance.
HI. J. Arnett.
Editors Note: The editorial made it
perfectly clear that the decision actually
was aimed at the advertising CONNER
cials. But without the commercials
there will be no music.0
Evening star., 1951-06-09

non-signer clauses were economically bad In
that they made 1t possible to maintain prices
at unreasonably high levels. And that may be
true But the problem is not one which courts
are equipped to handle ALI that the majority
decision has done is to produce chaotic situa-
tion which probably will have to be remedied
in the end by additional legislation of some kind
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Billboard Nuisance Curbed

While walking through the exhibition
hall on the ground floor of the Natural
History Museum saw newly erected
exhibition OF Swiss advertising posters
which demonstrates how the Swiss peo-
pie have brought the billboard nuisance
under control. ! am sure it would
interest others.
ChorlaS M MnRuina
Evening star., 1951-06-09
Tronsit Radio Ban AMUSING

The article appearing in The Star of
June in regard to the radio ban on
StreetcarS does amuSe some of us. What
do these broadcastS do but endeavor to
set up thought control on all riders
and thus induce them to buy from busi-
nesses being advertised?
wonder where these men have been
hibernating for the past 80 years. I
know there have been laws to control
barking dogs. loud and raucous noises
on the streets and all other noises for
the past 80 years in Washington
Years ago, I was served with a war
rant to appear in court because blew
my auto horn three times, although nv
only intention was to get the traffic
policeman's attention and permission to
make a right-hand turn at the corner.
There certainly is nothing newly dis
covered" about the finding (constitu-
tionally or otherwise) that a public
nuisance 1nfringes a persons rights. AS
to crying babies. these should be classed
with tornadoes. earthquakes, etc. as "an
act of Cod"
understand weapon was under con-
struction in Germany years ago employ.
ing sound waves as killing agent.
Sound surely does beat you down and.
like water dripping on stone, will break
person UP both mentally and phys
1cally OF course, the Radio Transit Co.
Is concerned only with money. That
people may be made i'll does not enter
their heads, nor do they care what hap
pens to the people as long as they can
collect.
M. r. Cox.
I noted with interest the faces and
write-ups of the three men who feel they
struck the transit company such blow
concerning their radio advertising. Their
expressions. even in their triumph, be-
tray the poverty of their spirits.
I always feel pity for such as these
who can't enjoy things for what they
are. Being housewife with five chill
dren to care for, I have little time for
the ins and outs of the law, but can't
see how the courts can ban this thing
without also banning the colorful car
ads around the tops Of the cars.
1t is known fact that the eye is
drawn involuntarily by line and color.
This being so, the eye is being forced
as we'll as the ear.
Can any OF these three men ride the
cars without once glaneing at the frosty
beer bottles. or a pretty gal jumping
into pool? ,7zf
I'd hate to see this good old institu-
tion abolished, too. I've been reading
these ads with amusement and some de-
gree of pleasure for years.
They take my mind off my troubles.
Maybe what these men need is weightier
problems.
Mrs. Joseph X. Ash.