davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
A Strike Ends

One Of the more interesting Develop
ments IN the closing hours of the transit
strike was a comment by Walter J. Bier
wagon, union president. Referring to the
wage agreement worked out between the
union and the District Commissioners, he
said: This compromise is one we have
been prepared to make since negotiations
first opened last May"
That was the first time any one on
the outside knew that the union, which
for weeks refused to make any kind of
counterproposal, was ready to settle on
such terms. If the Bierwagen statement
is correct, however, and if the company
had shown an earlier readiness to bar
gain, and II the run WolfSon- out of town
people could have been kept out Of the
picture, there need not have been strike.
But that is water over the dam. The
buses are rolling again, and all that re-
mains is to take look at some of the
strike consequences.
One bright spot in the picture is that
the District gets of the hook. Since the
settlement was made between the COM
pany and the union, there will be no city
liability for any deficit which may result
from the wage increase. That liability
will be assumed by the transit riders who,
it is estimated, will pay during the year
q total of $1,s10,000 in fare increases of
all kinds Even this is expected to give
the company return Of only 1.5 per cent
on a rate base of $18.6 million-a profit
outlook that is hardly calculated to en-
courage prospective purchasers to stand
: In line for chance to bid on the property.
II The union members, II they are so
Inclined, can try to figure how many years
1t Is going to take them to recoup their
lost pay from the increase in wages. The
District government officials may be too
busy looking for purchaser for Capital
Transit, or planning the details of public
ownership at the end of year, to calcu-
late the citys losses. But they have been
substantial Add to this the losses to the
business community and the hardship
plus the added expense incurred by the
transit users and this strike adds up to
, sorry mess-the kind of mess that is al
most certain to develop when the task OF
settling a labor dispute is approached in
punitive spirit.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
Brown Commended

Congratulations TO The Star
for publishing a column like
Constantine Browns. His ar
ticle of August II. stating that
every Communist is a Com
munist agent, was especially
good.
In my opinion, if there were
more articles like this there
wouldn't be as much danger
Of Americans being softened
up by apparent "friendliness"
Of the Russian propagandists-
entertainers, visiting farmers,
etc.
Chairman Walter is doing a
fine job, and with the Coop
Grafton of more fearless wit
nesses like George Hall he
should be able to help the
average American recognize
Communists wherever they are.
People are reached most cas-
lily and frequently through the
press, TV, movies, ETC.. SO nat
urally the Communists con-
centrate on these media to put
across their sly, poisonous
propaganda under the guise Of
entertainment.
Subscriber.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

The tentative agreement between the
District Commissioners and private hos
pitfalls on the financing of the indigents
program is justified by the public health
needs Of the community. Moreover, 1t
recognizes in more realistic manner than
heretofore the obligation Of the District
toward hospitals which care for the city's
impoverished victims Of sickness or acct
dents.
1t is in the interest of public health
generally that Washington's private hos
pitfalls should have the benefit of effective
training programs for their interns and
resident physicians. The assignment of
city supported INDECENT patients to these
hospitals helps to keep these teaching
programs going. But for years the hos
pitfalls have been short-changed by the
District on the cost of treating such
patients. The deficits have had to be
made up out of other receipts. Even what
money the hospitals could collect from
partially solvent patients had to be turned
over to the District by the hospitals.
Under the liberalized policy an
nounced at the District Building, all
money collected from city-referred pa
tients may be retained by the hospitals.
And the Commissioners have agreed to
seek a supplemental appropriation Of
$4,000 If, as is expected, there is a
deficit to be met. Furthermore-and the
hospitals regard this as quite important
more INDECENT patients will be transferred
from overcrowded wards of the District
General Hospital to private hospitals par
ticipating in the INDECENT program. These
concessions will put an additional strain
on the already burdened District budget,
Of course, but the investment should pay
valuable dividends in improved health
facilities in Washington.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
Mr.. Wolfson's Position

I want to express, publicly.
my appreciation to The WASH
ington Star for having taken 9
disinterested, constructive po-
sition in trying to help resolve
Washington's transit problems
with justice to al concerned
the community. the union, and
the owners Of Capital Transit
Co.
Also. I should like to compile
ment william Hines Of your
staff for his excellent and ac-
curate report Of the facts and
of my views as expressed in
my interview with him last
Monday.
There is just one respect in
which I feel q further explana-
ton is necessary to correct
what may be q misunderstand-
ing Of my position. Never,
under any foreseeable circum-
stances. would I be interested
in entering the Warrington
transit picture. I want to en-
phasize, however. that that
statement does not apply to
any other type Of private en-
terprise In Washington. AS ]
expressed 10 Mr.. Hines, and as
he reported. I hold no malice
toward anyone; ! am closing
no doors to possible business
activity In Washington or any
place else, with the exception
of transit In Washington.
Louis 3. Wolfson.
New York City.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Tropical Plant Makes Folks Dumb
By THOMAS r. HENRI

A plant now being cultivated
in the newly established botanic
gardens of the Venezuelan Ma
tional University at Caracas
may be natures greatest boon
to pestered husbands and har-
assed mothers.
1t is described only under
the popular Spanish name of
''planta del mudo." It looks
like sugar cane. Anybody who
chews the stem is stricken
dumb for at least 48 hours,
presumably due to some para
lying effect on some part Of
the vocal apparatus.
Planta del mudo is thus
listed briefly, supposedly with
out realization Of It's enormous
personalities for good, among
the plant curiosities of the gar
dens in a description just is
sued by the Venezuelan Infor-
nation Service here. It is not
known whether anybody has
tried to extract the marvellous
talk-stopping principle.
Plant Storehouse
Although Department of
Agriculture botanists here were
unable to identify the plant, it
was explained that Northern
South America long has been
known as the worlds greatest
storehouse Of plants with
strange physiological effects.
There is one, for example, al
legged to grow hair on bald
heads, another which makes
everything look red. A lot of
others with remarkable prop
critics probably never have been
discovered but there are init
nations Of them in accounts
Of explorers among the little
known Indian tribes.
Quite aside from the more
or less legendary plants. how
ever. this part Of the world is
unquestionably a botanist's
paradise with many species OF
the remote jungles still quite
unknown. A major purpose of
the new university gardens is
to bring as many as possible
of these together where they
can be grown under essentially
natural conditions.
Here, for example, is q low
bush whose blossoms open
snow-white in the morning
and turn red at noon. Here
also blooms the exotic Queen
Of the Night, a climbing cactus
with a white flower S inches in
diameter which opens at sun
set and closes at sunrise.
Notable is the araguaney,
Venezuela's national tree,
covered with red flowers
throughout May. Here are
several plants with notable
and proved medical values,
such as tua-tua used in treat
ment Of diabetes and citronera,
said to be a powerful tonic and
stimulant.
In addition exotic plants
from five continents are now
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
Lament for April IS

The annual music festival at Tangle-
wood, in the verdant setting Of New
England's Berkshire Mountains, has be-
come significant event in the expression
OF American culture. 1t may be quite
fitting, therefore, that another annual
and significant event-although lacking
in any obvious cultural aspect-should
have been honored in music in that VEN
Grated background. 1t is that deadline
for national embarrassment, April Is,
by midnight of which all individual in
come tax returns must be postmarked.
1t is hardly surprising perhaps, that
only retired banker who has made a
hobby of writing music, would think of
turning out madrigal entitled Lament
for April IS" His opus, as such things
ordinarily are called in the world Of
music, is five-and-a-half-m minute piece
for flve-part chorus. And though the
music presumably is all his own, he
plagiarized not only frankly but faithfully
in stealing the words from the Bureau of
Internal Revenue instructions on who
must file" and how. Describing the
premiere Of this unorthodox creation as
being performed with tongue In check
sobriety," the New York Times music
critic comments further that the COM
poser'S Subject may have been unprom-
Using, but his mood was right" From that
one must assume that the mood was
strictly mournful. The remaining wonder
is that any five-part chorus could find
the heart, let alone the voice, to sing
about such p soul-destroying subject.A
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES {. TRAcEWELL

The modern tendency to live
in compartments, of one kind
or another. is a sort of brake
on this true reality of the
spirit Of man.
Nothing quite like a book
for reality.
Fantasy?
OF course. but the greatest
fantasy may have reality In 1t,
of a sort.
Books help growth. not only
mental, but physical and moral
as well as spiritual.
This is commonplace, but it
is good to keep it directly in
mind, now and then.
That is why it is essential
for the bookman to keep away
from the best-seller table.
Not that they are not good
books, Of their sort. but the
truth is that they are too
limited, that whether the
writer's designed 1t, or just
CHANGED upon 1t. they hew
too close to a common pattern.
After one has finished q
modern best seller, what has
he to remember? Not too
much.
If he looks higher, into the
top shelves Of his air-cooled
bookstore. he will find the odd
things, unknown to the buyers
Of best sellers and the readers
Of detective stories from the
renting department.
They are odd only in the
sense Of being unusual, at
least to one who may be called,
rather loosely. the general
buyer Of books.
The real bookman will find
nothing unusual about the
unusual. All is grist for his
reading mill.
He knows that the sea Of
books is full Of wonderful little
fish, some Of 200 pages, some
of 400. others as high as 1000
and more.
He bought one of the behe-
moths two years ago, q tome
there is no other word-fit
for treason. stratagem and
spells. according to those who
do not believe its thesis, that
Shakespeare did not write
Shakespeare.
Yet what an interesting
book!
Worth 10 bucks?
Not if one does not love
books enough.
One must be a real book
lover to be fond Of the high
ways and byways of the book
world. fascinating fairyland
Of the human mind.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
Rain Forest

A dripping leat-cdthedral
spreads its lace
Above an open stretch of
forest floor,
As II 1t rose from miSt-en-
Ueloped space
To form a World OF lush
primeUul lore.
Its roof Is pierced by feeting
shafts OF light
Which yield to almost con-
slant pouring rain,
As il the forest Dept through
day and night,
An underwater iDorld sub
merged in pain.
The insect-maSters OF this
region Deape
Relentless patterns, ,Dhile
strange music stirs
As orchids, ferns and palms
IN damp tDi',d heape::
A crimson 0trd Dtth 0tue-
green tcino.fre tuhirs.
This Deepin0 moods tDdS born
OF rain drenched clouds
And noD NTH It's DUN mist its
mother shrouds.
Mary Lueretia Barker,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

being cultivated in green
houses until they become ac-
climated to the Caracas en-
vironment. These include o
dwarf tree only a few inches
tail from Africa.
The gardens are expected to
become eventually a great
scientific laboratory where
botanists. pharmacologists and
others from all over their
world can carry out expert
ments. 1t is one of several
such laboratories now pro-
jected on a major scale for the
university-each expected to
be a center Of world research
in its particular field None
has yet progressed to the
point where they are open to
the public and the botanic
gardens probably come nearest
to this stage.
The place is intended, says
the announcement from the
Venezuelan information Agen-
cy, to be much more than Just
q collection Of plants. Even
now it Is being used for an ex-
tensive experiment In refor-
estation, a vital subject In some
parts Of Latin America. ALI
such work has been done on
the principle that the vegeta-
ton Of q given area, before it
reaches its maximum develop
ment. has gone through vari-
Gus phases which have been
affected by soil characteristics,
humidity. wind velocity and du-
ration Of sunshine. The idea
OF reforestation being devel-
oped is to start with the best
available native plants until
better suited growths from
other parts Of the world can
make these adaptations.
New City Rising
The garden was q tract of
barren hillside Just outside the
city q few years ago. It had
been ruined by the destruc-
tive grazing of goats and sub
sequent erosion. Now 1t forms
part Of the incredible new city
that is rising on the founda-
lions Of the old Spanish CO.
lonial capital. More than co.
600 trees and 10000 bushes
have been planted on about
173 acres. Already It is Begin
ming to look like an Orinoco
jungle-wild but with its hair
slightly combed. The youth
fitness Of the gardens is ap-
parent from the fact that no
tree is yet over Is feet high,
although some eventually will
be among the greatest giants
OF the jungle. The lianas, Of
hanging vines so conspicuous
in any new world jungle, and
the characteristic underground
Of ferns already are making
their appearance without culti-
walton. It is considered likely
that in q protected environ
ment species supposedly ex-
tinct may come to light again.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

family has known some Of the
wants that families Of strikers
must have known these past
seven weeks.
Let Us not make carping at
tacks on our workingmen when
they band together, for they
seek to serve not only their
particular interests but the
fundamental interests Of our
democracy.
Rev. Charles e. Walden, jr.
Vicar. st. Philips Episcopal
Chapel.
=
The "Brer Rabbit an de
Franchise" editorial was most
clever.
THE Tar Baby" is one Of my
favorite Uncle Remus" stories.
S'pect someone should throw
Wolfson In de briar patch for
keeps. Get some Western men
down here who know hcw to
manage transportation. It's a
disgrace to the Federal City.
Dorothy Armes Cannon.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
Fair Play and Security

Your editorial, Fair Play
and Security" is very disap-
pointing. as you take at face
value the report on security by
the Fund for the Republic. You
fail to mention what q left
wing organization 1t Is. DR..
Robert M. Hutchins has q long
record Of anti-anti- Commu-
mist writings, SO this report is
no surprise.
The best answer to your edi-
torial is one carried In the New
York Daily News Of August
Is. 1855:
you can take SO selected
cases from the history Of al
most any institution, program
or organization and make it
look bad. The method is un-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

Hot weather drives some
people into bookstores.
For one thing. the shops are
air conditioned.
The books. however, remain
the main attraction, and book
lovers ask nothing better.
1t Is not the table of best
sellers these people 60 for.
What interests the true book
man is the shelf where the
oddities are kept.
Here is a small volume about
art by Eugene Delacroix, the
great French painter.
His journal has been reduced
in size from three volumes and
1.400 pages to one very thin
pocket book of almost 400
pages-with, and listen to this,
30 plates of the paintings.
y i 4
They are not very good re-
productions. but good enough
for pocket purposes.
After all, the pocket volume.
even when in hard covers, can
never be quite what o better
size book is.
TIL relationship of size to
content, and then again to the
reader, has been worked out
over the ages.
Little books. big books, heavy
books. light books-books with
illustrations. and books with
out them-thin books and fat
books
They are printed in many
ways. with old-fashioned terms
seldom heard any more, but
they still mean something to
the real printer and the real
reader.
Il II n
Here Is one Of the aristo-
Gratis Of the paper book field.
a cynical life Of a great French
novelist.
1t is very up to date. de-
spite the fact that 1t is old
now. 1t shows Paris as a too
civilized city. No wonder
something happened to the
French spirit in the last war.
City life can become too much
so: the world may or may not
be too much with us, but the
city undoubtedly is.
Books help keep a reader
with his nose to the ground of
real life.
1t is said that the difference
between sanity and insanity
generally is to be in touch with
reality-or out of touch with it.
The only way some people
can keep in touch with true
reality is to live the life of
the great average person, to be
with them, to know what they
think, and how they react.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
Rops for Order

Your editorial OF August IL
on the House Judiciary Anti
trust Subcommittee's investi-
cation of the Business Advi-
sorry Council for the Depart
ment Of Commerce implies
that the subcommittee has no
legitimate congressional in
terest in the activities Of this
organization, and that the in
vestigation is motivated by
politics.
Both of your conclusions are
erroneous.
In the first place. the Bush
ness Advisory Council has de-
voted considerable. time, effort
and money in making reports
and recommendations concern
ing antitrust policies as well
as administration and enforce
ment Of the antitrust laws. It
is hard to conceive of ac-
tivities which fall more
squarely within the Jurisdiction
OF the Antitrust Subcommittee.
Secondly, it is a matter Of
legitimate concern to determine
whether the Business Advisory
Council complies with the regu-
lations established by the Anti
trust Division of the Depart
ment of Justice for the conduct
of Government advisory groups.
These regulations were formu-
lated to minimize the risk that
meetings Of groups of COMPETE
tors could be used as a vehicle
for avoiding the structures of
the antitrust laws.
Thirdly. it Is within the area
OF the Antitrust Subcommit-
tees responsibility to find out
whether recommendations of
the Business Advisory Council
have resulted in special privi-
leges for particular companies
or increased the economic power
OF favored segments of the
economy.
AS evidence of the nonpo-
litical nature Of the present
inquiry, permit me to remind
you that our subcommittee is
interested in the activities of
the Business Advisory Council,
not since January 90. 1858, but
from l94S to the present. This
covers four years of the Tru-
man administration and two
and q half years of the Eisen-
hover administration. AS a
matter Of fact. I think you
would be well advised to rec
ognize that the Antitrust SUBJ
committee has Enthusiastically
operated on nonpartisan and
nonpolitical basis. This has
been true in the past; it is
equally true now.
Considering the circum-
stances. ! find it odd indeed
that you avoid comment about
Secretary Weeks singular re-
luctance to testify. not to mem
ton his resort to the executive
privilege to place a lid of Sc
crecy on the files Of the Bush
ness Advisory Council.
Emanuel Celler,
Chairman. House Judiciary
Committee.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
LETTERS TO THE STAR

scientific and lopsided and
loaded for propaganda; and so
is this Fund for the Republic
report"
Furthermore, the N. Y. News
editorial points out that this
report plays directly into the
hands Of the domestic Reds and
their fellow travellers who want
our security program strapped
or seriously weakened.
Dewitt o. Burke.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

among middle-aged and older
people in the United States?
-F.B.O.
A. Although the Bureau Of
the Census stopped taking IL
literacy figures in the regular
census after 1880, it did make
a sample survey in 1852. At
this time there were approx
mately 100000 illiterates In
the country and their average
age was Sc years.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

Pen names may be used u
letters carry iDriters' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to conden.
sdtion.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

@. How many times has
Halley's comet returned since
it was first discovered?-
ecu.
A. Halley's comet has re-
turned ~ times since its earl
lest known appearance in 240
BIC, at average intervals of
rs years 8 months. The most
recent appearance was in
1910.
q IL i1likeracY found molly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

to correspond to our own. The Treasury
recommendation are designed to elimi-
nate these disadvantages for our own
investors abroad.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22

@. Is ilnteracy found mo- tly
Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1955-11-08

Dinner guests of Mr.. and Mrs.
Ralph i,lllman, Chester ST., on
Sunday evening were Mr.. and Mrs.
H. r Thompson, MIR. and Mrs. C..
F. Haubrick, Mr.. and Mrs. A. F.
Hutchi. on and Mr.. and Mrs. M. Is.
Fngate all of Columbus.
Weekend guests of Mrs. w. H.
Yantes, Fellows Avenue, were her
son-in-law and daughter, Mr.. and
Mrs. William Gibbon and family,
of Bowling Green.
Mr.. and Mrs. Dale Porter and
children, accompanied by the
Misses Florence and Kathryn Ben
jamin and Miss Ida Young spent
the weekend of October %, with
Mr.. Porter's parents Mr.. and Mrs.
William Porter at their cottage at
Stony Lake
A daughter was born to Mr.. and
Mrs. William Durham, October 27
at Doctors Hospital, Columbus.
Mr.. and Mrs William Butsch,
Madison Drive are the new par
ents of baby daughter, born
October 81, at Mt. Carmel Hospi-
tai, Columbus.
Mrs. z .Heston is a patient in
Mt. Carmel Hospital, Columbus.
Her son, Joseph Heston, of Ann
Arbor, Michigan, was called to the
hospital.
Miss Mary Harhage and friend,
Miss Dorothy Kester, teachers of
Akron schools, were over night
guests Wednesday, of the form
er's mother, Mrs. Arnett Harbage
They were enroute to attend TIE
Unesco meeting in Cincinnati.