davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-02-09
BY Charles E. TroceweH

It seldom gives any evidence Of suffer-
ing from lack of oxygen, although it may
be in tank with hundreds of its mates.
It's curiosity is interesting; 1t never suf-
fers from fright, and is never given to
hiding, but is always out front. It is so
small that it never stirs up the sediment,
or mulm. Given half chance, it seldom
becomes i'll, and then responds beauti-
fully to proper treatment.
Few fishes give more evidence of ap-
preciating proper treatment. A point In
the guppy's favor Is that even the anna
teur cannot mistake the sexes. Every one
admires the males. The females require
some time before one becomes accus-
toned to them, and is able to
see their real points Of fish beauty.
Given water uniform in temper
ature, the mortality in guppy
tank will be negligible for several years.
The guppy always minds its own busi-
ness, seldom nips the fins Of other fish
and never destroys plants. It likes algae
and helps keep its own tank clean. One
dip of net usually brings up dozen
or more, so that even the amateur has no
trouble catching them when necessary.
A guppy tank of small size can grace any
table without appearing cumbersome. In
homes which have cats, guppies are the
best Of. all tropicals, since they are so
small that cats seldom pay any attention
to them, and this is q real advantage, as
only those know who have tried to keep
both cats and larger fish at the same
time. H.
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Letters to The Star

sene. or any one Of the many by products
of petroleum. But they always reap In
the total set on the barrel Of crude oil.
The principle can't be used in many
manufacturing channels-such as cloth
ing. for instance-because the manufac-
turer would circumvent 1t by discontinue
ing the priced items. It can be ap-
piled to meats. because the beef carcass
cuts are clearly defined. A cattle raiser
can't put on the market steer composed
only Of sirloin steaks.
This pricing plan should satisfy the
meat industry, as 1t will not cut their
profits. The only ones to suffer will be
one segment Of our meat-buying public:
The high-quality customers who can't
eat anything but tenderloin, porterhouse
or Sirloin. And they are well able to pay.
They don't concern themselves with price,
anyway. They want top quality-so why
not let them pay for 1t, and at the same
time contribute towards lowering the
ceiling prices on "cuts" they don't want,
but which are out Of price reach for most
Of their less fortunate neighbors.
II Price Director Disable could estab-
lish this method Of arriving at ceilings on
meat. most Of us would be on an austerity
diet so far as choice cuts are concerned.
But at least we could get of a hamburger
diet, and "splurge" on round steaks.
stewing beef, pot roasts and chucks. It
seems sensible to me. I hope it merits a
trial.
John Thornton.
Evening star., 1951-02-09

THE OTHER DAY. The Star ran o
l. little story on decision in the Court
Of Claims. Here. in part. is the story:
"The United States Court OF Claims
today ruled that taxpayer cannot
claim gambling as his business and
then deduct unlucky bets as business
losses.
"The case involued the estate OF
professional gambler: William E.
Skeeles OF Shreveport, La, aDhose
toidoiD sought a tar refund for his
estate and herself.
"In the opinion. it tuas explained that
Mr.. and Mrs. Skeeles suffered net loss
OF $12.200.69 IN 1910, a net income OF
$83,674.29 in 1941 and q net loss OF
$66,57O.9S In 1912. In their 1941 re-
turns Mr.. and Mrs. Skeeles each tried
to take a net operating loss deduction,
carrying oUer the 1910 loss. The de-
ducttons iDere disalloioed. The Skeeles
couple had to pay, and Mrs. Skeeles
,Danted a refund"
That was the top Of the news. But
in rendering the courts decision in the
Skeeles case, Chief Judge Marvin Jones
delivered himself of one Of the more
interesting and readable legal opinions
Of recent years. Here Is the gist OF what
he said
Gambling is apparently as old as the
human race. The practice runs back
through recorded history until 1t is lost
amid the mysteries of tradition. 1t
affects people in all latitudes. longitudes
and stages of civilization. The ancient
and oriental and medieval European, as
we'll as the modern American, have in
time come under its influence. Greece
and Rome came under its spell. and an
ancient Hindu hymn bewails the woes
of the ruined gambler.
1.-The Australian and South African
Bushmen had competitions for prizes. as
have all other known peoples. Sometimes
the stakes were large. Tacitus, whose
penetrating brevity makes his history
fascinating reading, tells Of wealthy Ro-'
mans who bet so heavily on chariot races
that they lost their entire fortunes and
as consequence their respectability.
He says that in some instances in his
time men gambled away their liberty.
In practically all countries distinc-
Evening star., 1951-02-09
This and That

Those who received guppies as Christ
mas presents must be having lot of fun
by this time.
Nothing beats these little creatures for
compelling interest.
Many sad persons would be saved from
suicide If they took up guppies.
Twenty-Five reasons for keeping the
guppy: ...
It is contented and happy in its arti-
fcial surroundings.
It eats anything and is not easily over
stuffed.
It cleans up the bottom of fallen food,
thus dispensing with the so-called scav-
engers.
1t needs little oxygen.
1t never thrashes around, stirring up
the tank.
It is not nervous fish.
It shows an almost human curiosity.
It does not hide in the plants.
It Is always active.
It is seldom Ill.
If stricken, it quickly recuperates under
proper treatment.
It increases manifold In years time
The babies need no special care If the
tank is properly planted.
It responds in all ways to attention.
The sexes are easily distinguished.
Each sex Is good looking.
1t will stand a wide range of tempera-
lures.
The mortality Is low.
1t keeps its tank clean. especially the
water clear.
Evening star., 1951-02-09

certainly have reason SO to view 1t: yet It is
nothing but solemn affirmation Of the truth
to say that more Americans were killed in a
single month by accidents on the home front
in 1850 than died from enemy action in Korea
in the six months between June and December.
Surely, something more and something better
should be done in the line Of Safety First"
education, and equally certain 1t is that the
something must be done by individuals person.
ally. The accident problem cannot be left to
society at large to solve. Responsibility rests
with men, women and children themselves;
not simply with people in the aggregate.
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Family Farm

His fathers fathers boots once made
his path
From house to barn to brook. His
fathers plotD
Traced around these boulders. loops and
patterns
His does no1D.
In the family plot his people, neat and
Strdightly,
Lie together, head BY head.
The Self-san1e leuues DiH scurry through
the stones
When he is dead.
The scene remains the snn,e-n tall man
ploaDing,
Painted on this backdrop, range on
OF dark blue hills on pale NeD England
sky.
Only the actors change.
Bionea Brodbu9
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Mr.. Donohue as Commissioner

The appointment of F. Joseph "Jiggs" Dono-
hue as District Commissioner came as Jolt to-
o good many people in Washington
This Is understandable enough As lawyer,
MIR. Donohue has been most prominently iden-
titled with the liquor interests He has been
counsel for the wholesale liquor firm headed by
Milton Kronheim, Sr. and he has engaged in
spirited battles with the ABC board in behalf OF
retail liquor dealers who were among his clients
Now, in a move which took this community
completely by surprise, he finds himself named
by the President to post in which, with other
things, he will have Jurisdiction over that same
ABC board. Small wonder that the White House
announcement has been received with some
nisgiving!
There is another aspect of the appointment
which does not sit well with some people Mr..
Donohue has been steadfaSt Democrat and a
generous contributor to the party, giving $4,000
to the 1948 campaign. So 1t Is not surprising that
there are those who think the appointment as
District Commissioner is in the nature of
political pay-off.
In fairness, however, the other side Of this
ledger should be given equal consideration. There
are many things in the Donohue record which
speak well for the man. In the First World War
he enlisted as a private. In the second, although
safe from the draft, he gave up successful law
practice to volunteer his services the day after
Pearl Harbor, and he served creditably for AZ
months Later, he took on the assignment of
successfully prosecuting Harry Bridges for
perjury. A few days ago he went into the Office
OF Price Sterilization to take over the enforce
ment end Of that job. And now, with the
enforcement job transferred to the Justice
Department, he is named as District Commits
sioner at $4,000 year. The point Is that none
Of these Jobs promised any financial reward as
compared to what he could have made In private
practice If the latest appointment is a pay-of,
1t cannot be measured in terms Of dollars.
The Star, in an effort to round out this
picture, has consulted a number of lawyers and
judges who have known Mr.. Donohue since he
began the practice Of law in Washington. Their
reaction to the appointment ranges from quail
fed Endorsement to wholehearted approval. Not
one of them suggested anything which even
remotely reflected on his personal integrity or
on his professional ethics. And all agreed that he
has the ability to do a good Job as District
Commissioner.
So 1t seems to The Star that the proper
attitude is not to PREJUDICE this appointment, but
to pass judgment on the basis of Mr. Donohue's
performance Commissioner. Because of his
past connection with the liquor business, he will
not have an easy time of it, He will have to make
up his mind that his official acts will be scru-
tinized carefully for any bearing they may have
on the interests of his former clients At the same
time, there is place-a big place-in the ranks
OF the District Commissioners for q man with
Mr.. Donohue's energy and competence He has
in this new post an opportunity to render real
service to the District. All that he needs to do
Is to make the most of it.
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Remington and the Loyalty Program

No better proof of the need for Tightening
Of the Governments loyalty program could be
offered than the perjury conviction of William
w. Remington in New York Federal court. The
former Commerce Department export specialist
was found guilty of lying to grand jury when
he denied that he ever had been a member of the
Communist Party. Yet, with much of the same
evidence before It, the Loyalty Review Board
reversed disloyalty finding of regional board
and cleared Remington for further Federal en-
ployment. There is clearly something wrong with
loyalty system which fails to protect the Gov
ernment any better than that
The trouble with the system is that in an
understandable effort to preserve the rights of
individual employees the loyalty procedures do
not give enough protection to the rights of the
Government. Loyalty board officials themselves
have begun to worry about the danger to ma
tional security of system that is weighted in
favor of suspected employees. These officials have
admitted that the Loyalty Review Board had
"a reasonable doubt" about Remington's loyalty,
but they interpret the executive order setting
up the program as requiring more than a rea-
sonable doubt to warrant dismissal. This inter-
probation is based on the fact that the order
states that reasonable grounds" must exist for
dismissal-and the board felt that it lacked
definite proof of disloyalty in the Remington
case.
In short, under the present program, the
board is giving suspected employees the beneft
of any doubt. During World War II the loyalty
program resolved the doubt in favor of the Gov
ernment. High loyalty board officials are said
to believe that during the present emergency
the old policy should be restored. The Reming-
ton case supports this conclusion
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Too Many Accidents

During the year 1885, report of the National
Safety Council shows, 10000 persons were killed
and S.9 million injured by accidents in the
United States. The economic loss involved has
been estimated at about SIT billion Other
consequences Of the tragic record are left to the
imagination of the public. They obviously in
clude sorrow and grief beyond measure, broken
lives and desolated families, whole communities
saddened, the Nation rebuked for it's carelessness
Many Of the mishaps definitely could have
been avoided or prevented Take traffic accidents
for instance: This country has developed the
most efficient technique for the management of
motor travel to be found anywhere on earth,
and If drivers and pedestrians would conform to
its requirements, the number of street and high
way casualties could be reduced to few hundred
annually-the victims of strictly mechanical
defects. But people do not conform; instead,
they gamble their lives and the lives of others,
and the result is that in the past year $4,000
human beings died and at least 1225,000 were
hurt by automobiles. The property damage,
according to the Councils figures, was $1.2
billion. Especially significant in this connection
Is the fact that 80 States reported increases in
motor accident incidence
Falls killed 18,60O Americans in 1850, burns
7,000 drownings $500, firearms 2100. Here again,
in each of these categories, lack Of reasonable
care was responsible for deaths which the coun-
try could not afford. The Council stresses house,
hold accidents as being second only to traffic
mishaps in number and in lethal character.
About 27,5 500 citizens of various ages died where
they normally might have been thought to be
safest-in their own homes. The total of occu-
pational casualties for 1850 is given as $4,000
fatalities with disabling injuries listed for about
1880 900 people.
Perhaps the impact of such losses upon the
;e LaI ~,
relation to population statistics for different
representative towns. Suppose everybody in
Sioux CITY, Iowa, or winston Salem, North Caro-
lima, or Little Rock Arkansas, or Portland, Maine,
suddenly died-well, the effect upon America
would be approximately the same; whole
community wiped out, its life as social and
economic unit destroyed, its influence as
cultural and spiritual factor eliminated We
think of modern war as being horrible, and we
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Krupp and the Nozis

Mr.. Stokes article, "Krupp Free for
Business as USUAL" is lacking the con-
structive criticism one expects Of COM
mentator as respected as he. Without
questioning the legal or moral justifca-
ton of the 12-year jail sentence that
the Nuremberg court imposed on Mr..
Krupp. today we have to recognize the
expediency Of committing this sentence
in order to get the old boss back to his
shop to boost the production needed for
our own defense now.
believe Mr.. Stokes gives a rather
distorted description of Krupp as Nazi
I dare say that Krupp did not support
Hitler in his rise to power. For long
time after the Nazis were well estab-
lished in Germany, Krupp's refusal to
fly the swastika over his buildings was
one of the delights Of the non-Nazi Ger
Evening star., 1951-02-09
The Captains Not Amused

Howard L. Dutkin's editorial page ar
ticle. Daddy Used to Call it Goldbrick-
ing" made very humorous reading. How
ever. as an advocation Of passive resist
ance to the military system" the ar
ticle is highly inappropriate at this time
when we are attempting to marshal the
morale as well as the military strength Of
our Nation.
The military system" never perfect.
can only be made less perfect by passive
resistance from within the ranks. De-
structive criticism Of the military "sys-
tem." especially in the subtle form Of
humorous satire. is dangerous form Of
sabotage to our military efforts.
Darwin J. Kitch.
Cantain IL & A
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Meet Price Solution?
Thomas ]. Doran.

As taxpayer who is interested in the
proper administration OF our laws. am
writing to suggest pricing formula for
meats, that should interest our be-
1eaguered price director. Michael v. Di-
Sale.
It's quite apparent that the powerful
farm bloc in Congress- backed up by the
American Meat Institute and other strong
pressure groups, anticipated the imposi-
ton of price controls and lost no time
in throwing legislative monkey wrench
into the machinery. Mr.. DiSalle's diff
culties in controlling many farm products
at this time shows how we'll these groups
succeeded. The American consumer today
is reaping the harvest.
A lot of factors have contributed to
these present-day prices, such as labor.
grain and the basic price Of cattle, or
beef on the hoof. Many Of the cost in
creases were legitimate and unavoidable
the pricing problem being as complex as
1t is. But all evidence points to the fact
that the meat industry has exploited this
situation to the limit. grabbing every
profit that the traffic will bear, and then
adding insult to injury by charging the
meat-eating public with the blame.
1t is evident that this group. the cattle
people and the packers-often they are
the same-is going to insist, through the
American Meat Institute. on its pound
Of flesh" And if this turns out to be
true, then the only relief I can see for
the consumer is to have retail price
ceiling formula based on so-called car
riage trade" items, and deep roll-back
Of prices on the so-called cheaper cuts.
The meat industry would howl to high
heaven if Mr.. Disable rolled back prices.
say 20 cents a pound, and despite their
big profits this could be done. However.
1t could be done on "selective cut" basis,
whereby additional high ceilings were
granted the meat people on tenderloins,
sirloins. porterhouses, T-bones, clubs. CEN
ter cut ribs. ETC., and this excess ceiling
was applied to reduce the ceiling on the
so-called cheaper cuts-such as round
steaks, chucks hanks, pot roasts, stewing
beef, etc.
This method of arriving at retail CELL
ings on beef Is not new. The principle
has been used for years by the oil indus
try. This industry gets certain amount
of money out of barrel of crude oil. If
competition or some other factor COM
pels them to reduce the price on gasoline,
they raise the price on fuel oil or kero-
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Here's One Gamble That Didn't Paw Off

There is long record Of legislation
against gambling In many. in fact In
most, countries, sometimes on moral but
more often on economic grounds.
There Is an element Of chance In all
the affairs Of life. even In the soundest
and most conservative Of business under
takings. This element Of chance is
sometimes referred to as luck. It is
sometimes difficult to find where business
Judgment leaves Of and chance or luck
begins. For example, when Charles
Lindbergh few to Paris in o small plane
he had to have considerable luck, but as
in all such undertakings luck needs q
partner, and in that instance the partner
was the unusual skill, experience and
daring of the flyer. II he had depended
on blind chance he probably would have
fallen into the ocean.
wagering has had strange hold on
the human race. The barefoot boy plays
marbles for keeps, throws knives with
cry OF Whole blade or no trade and IN
the prairie States will wager whatever
Is in his pocket on which dog will catch
the mule-eared rabbit. Grown men and
women continue the practice irfa multi
tude Of forms. But through 1t all the pro-
fessional gambler has been more or less
condemned Perhaps the distinction Is
in recognition Of the Injunction. when
man was taken out Of Eden. that ne
should eat his bread In the sweat OF
his face.
"This background is given as an aid to
the Interpretation Of the statute. For the
occasional wagerer no carry-over deduc-
ton Is allowed. To sustain the conten-
tion Of plaintiff, 1t is necessary to extend
to the professional gambler tax-deduc-
ton privileges that are. not accorded to
one who bets occasionally. To reach
such a conclusion in the face OF the
public viewpoint and legislative purposes
generally would require q clearly worded
statute that precludes any other con-
cluSion. /.
1.-THE amounts claimed as deductions,
being gambling losses In excess OF gam
bling gains, were, therefore. properly dis
allowed. The petitions =. i. are dis
missed"
Evening star., 1951-02-09

ton has been made both in the public
mind and in legislative enactment be-
tween the occasional .wagerer and the
professional who undertakes. without
work. to wiring living from the wages
of others. The professional or common
gambler has never occupied high posi-
tion in society. In the old COW country
there were few men who by the skillful
use of the branding iron reached the
dizzy heights of cattle king, but these
men never stood high with the great run
of cattlemen who depended for their sue
cess on their knowledge Of the cattle
business, their ranching experience and
their skill In buying and selling.
"The churches generally have opposed
gambling as immoral. The Talmud classes
gambling winnings with thievery.
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Hoskin's For-Siqhted

May an occasional visitor from Cleve-
land direct your attention to recent
column of Questions and Answers" !"
which seems to be taken care of by ''The
Haskin Service?
The question was: (which heavenly
body. aside from meteors, has approached
the earth most closely?" The answer
was 1.-THE asteroid Hermes >. has come
within $4,000 miles of the earth"
Didn't Haskin Service ever see the
moon? It's average distance is 100000
miles, and it's closer than Hermes all
the time.
Thomas ], Doran.
Evening star., 1951-02-09
Resignation

Resignation
Your editorial entitled Strong Words
Are Not Enough" impressed me greatly.
AS a result of much thinking about 1t
have today resigned from Lodge No. 1918,
American Federation Of Government EN-
ployes. I sincerely believe have done
right: and would like to know whether
"Star" readers agree or disagree. But
right or wrong, In true conscience could
not have done otherwise.
I find no fault In the principles Of the
AFGE itself. It has done. Is doing.
and will continue to do tremendous
amount Of good for Government employees.
AS an organization its objectives are per-
fectly in harmony with my own ideas Of
how to secure better working conditions
and provide means Of quickly and ef-
f1ciently acquainting the members Of Con-
gress with problems relating to Federal
employment.
But 1t is q union. And 1t is an affiliate
Of the American Federation of Labor.
When q unions members engage in a
subterfuge such as employed In the pres
ent railroad strike, and men in perfect
health collectively report "sick" in order
to coerce employers into meeting demands
not obtainable through arbitration, jeop-
ardizing the welfare Of the country and
the very lives Of men fighting for them
on foreign soil, and that union is unable
to enforce its orders to them to return to
work, then, In my opinion, constructive
unionism is dead, and in its place is de-
structive unionisrn, containing the seeds
Of anarchy.
1t is true that the AFGE cannot
strike against the Government. But by
merely being afdliated with the AFL it
Is technically condoning or overlooking
the unjustifed actions of any AFL
union, and as such its position is morally
tndefensible. I will not belong to any
organization afflliated with any larger
group unless I approve Of the principles
and actions Of all. would be ashamed to
be member of any organization known
as union" or federation" until either
legislation or union authority has made
such tactics impossible.
My resignation is not intended to be
permanent. When conditions are COR
rected. as they certainly will be, hope to
again become member. My resignation
Is to serve simply as vote of protest,
made only in the hope that it will do
good. 1t will probably In no way influence
corrective legislation, nor speed union re-
forms. 1t will have little force or much
force, depending upon how many others
employ the courage of their convictions
to remedy a situation that Is rapidly
getting out Of hand.
Neil H. Tasker.