davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Tolls on the Potomac?

Like most get-rich-quick schemes,
the administrators idea of raising
transportation revenues by charging
tolls on the main highway entrances to
cities may appeal to lot of people. For
Washington, however, it is nonsense,
which might just as well be forgotten
now. a..
The toll proposal is one of num-
Der Of long-range possibilities discussed
in the administrations new Federal
Transportation Policy" report to Con-
gresS, the general aims of which are
commendable. 1t calls, for example, for
a more co-ordinated Federal approach
to the various forms of transportation
In the future. 1t wisely urges cities to
place more emphasis on transit (al-
though new freeways, Of course, are
every bit as essentially. And it makes
the point that the financing of high
ways, transit and rail commuter service
should be studied in each urban area
as part Of single problem.
This latter thought. led quite nat
urally to the suggestion that maybe
highway charges might be used to
finance transit deficits. Where would
the toll booths go? The report says
simply on highway "gateways" to the
city. WashingtonS "gateways," however,
include half a dozen Potomac River
bridges leading from Virginia, and the
"gatewayS" from Maryland cover an
even greater volume of highways. Ex-
perts in the past have given this area a
Scant chance Of developing an effective
toll system. out of such a diversity Of
routes.
These, however, merely are technical
problems. The real heart of the matter
is that no Congressman would think for
a moment of imposing even a slight
charge on his constituents for the right
to enter the Nations Capital Nor should
he. And neither incidentally, would he
be likely,to penalize himself on his daily
committing trips between Capitol Hill
and the suburbs.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Arlington Paradox

An almost unbelievable phenom-
enon has developed in Arlington politi-
cal circles. &PafadoxicaI though 1t may
seem, the county's usually feuding par
tisan factions apparently have agreed to
forget past differences and unite whole
heartedly in support of the same can
didate for the County Board-a can
didate, incidentally, who has not even
announced that he will run. The recip-
lent Of all this acclaim is Ernest D. Wilt,
native Arlingtonian, businessman and
banker who recently was the surprise
selection Of the three Arlington judges
to fill out the board term of the late
David L, Krupsaw.
The appointment last January Of
this politically independent board mem
Der was hailed at the time by many
county leaders of varying partisan affil-
iations as fortunate" and ideal" That
they should have done so then and that
they now should join in urging Mr.. Wilt
to run for election to a full term next
November is an extraordinary tribute
to his ability, integrity and devotion to
the public welfare.
Mr.. Wilt calls himself "middle-of-
the-road Democrat" He has voted for
candidates Of both parties at times, but
has never taken an active part in poll
tics. AS for county issues, he has adopted
the policy of voting for the issues as
they come up and calling the shots as
see them" His forthrightness has paid
off. The prospect now is that neither
the Democratic nor Republican Party
will enter candidate against him, if
he agrees to run-nor will the ABC
(Arlingtonians for Better County,, the
liberal faction which now dominates the
County Board and the School Board.
The outlook is gratifying one to those
county residents who have grown lit
tie weary of the recurrent interparty
and factional strife in county elections.
Evening star., 1960-03-28

President Eisenhower's re-
quest for legislation permit
ting increased immigration
indicates one Of two things.
Either certain conditions are
quite different from what we
are led to believe, or the
President just doesn't under
stand the situation. We are
led to believe that in a very
few years normal population
growth alone will severely
tax our resources. We are
told how badly additional
schools are needed, how in
adequate our institutions Of
higher learning are, Of the
crisis in housing. particular
ly for low-income families:
the inadequacy Of existing
medical and health facilities,
and many other similar or
related problems. In addi-
ton, a constant cry is heard
for more and more funds for
relief and welfare purposes.
Crime. both organized and
individual. is growing by
leaps and bounds. burden
ing police, courts and re-
lated institutions.
Each year that President
Eisenhower has been in Of
fee. despite the theme song
Of prosperity, there has been
a minimum Of 8 million per-
sons unsuccessfully looking
for employment. Further
more, 1t takes no great
genius to observe that racial
relations in this country have
been rubbed to a raw edge
and that the country is less
i1nifad in fhie rasTarf than
Evening star., 1960-03-28

Cheers for Mrs. Harold
Marsh and the concurring
members Of the Citizens Ad-
visory Council for their up
hill work in attempting to
clarity the position Of advi-
sorry councils in the District.
Whether we be for home
rule for the District or
against it, the function and
the status of these councils,
boards and/or committees,
and particularly the Citizens
Advisory Council, is of vital
concern to the proper gov
ernment Of our city.
II we are against home
rule we must demonstrate the
effectiveness Of other means
Of citizen representation.
If we are for home rule we
need to show that we have
able citizens who care enough
to put their city's concern
before selfish interests.
This hazy proliferation Of
councils. boards and commit
tees embodying little more
than lip-service to the ideals
Of honorable government, is
an even more serious form Of
Potomac pollution.
Virginia w. Rigs.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Analytical Look Inside Our Globe
BY THOMAS R. HENRY

Carnegie reports, chemically
are essentially equivalent to
the basalt thrown out Of the
bottom layers by volcanoes.
They are considered by some
to be high pressure forms Of
basalt and the primary
source at great depths Of
basaltic magma.
If an eclegite layer exists
Just below the Mohorovicic
discontinuity 1t would be an
adequate source for the great
amounts Of basalt now found
on the earth's surface. These
rocks chemically are ex-
tremely complex. They have
been tested by Carnegie geo.
physicists under all sorts of
conditions of temperature and
pressure. Precise knowledge Of
the deeper parts of the crust
is fundamental, they believe.
to progress in many fields Of
geophysics.
Old men need hospital
care oftener than old women
but not so much of it.
This is reported by statisti-
clans Of the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Co., based on
a study of company personnel.
Further Comparisons
Hospital admission rates
for the past two years among
men over so, they found, av-
eraged 156 per 1000 an
nually, but only SO per 1000
for women over so. The av-
erage stay for the men, how
ever. was only 1853 compared
10 Z7.6 Tor women.
The yearly disqualification
rate among males rose from
1856 per 1000 between so and
GA to 1876 at rs or over. In
each age group more men
were hospitalized for non-
surgical than for surgical
conditions. The two types of
cases were about even for
women. The number of days
spent in hospitals increased
steadily with age for both
sexes.
Among males abdominal
and THEOLOGICAL operations &C
counted for nearly three
flfths Of the surgical cases
and heart disease for a third
Of the non-surgical. Rank
ing next in order were di-
gestive upsets, respiratory
conditions. circulatory dis
eases rather than those due
to the heart, and maladles
of the central nervous system.
In general, the statisti-
clans found, the pattern of
disqualification for women
was quite similar to that for
men. Abdominal operations
were the leading. types Of
surgery and heart diseases the
most frequent cause of hos
pitalization for non-surgical
conditions.
Evening star., 1960-03-28

@. What is the percentage
of alcohol in the blood which
determines legal intoxica-
ton? D. Y.
A. In about one-third Of
the States, a legal presump-
ton of intoxication arises
when a blood test made on a
person thought to be drunk
shows that his blood contains
at least OILS of one per cent
of alcohol by weight. 1t is
believed that even one-tenth
of one per cent COL of 1%)
alcohol is enough to render
most persons unfit to drive
a car, and that it is a very
rare driver who is unaffected
If his blood contains OILS o1
/ per cent of alcohol by
weight.
@. What city of Norway
had its name changed to Oslo
and why was it done? N. A.
A. The capital of Norway,
Christiania, was changed to
Oslo. The city was founded
by King Harold III, some
900 years ago, and named
Oslo. Six hundred years
later the city was destroyed
and a new one founded by
King Christian which was
then called Christiania. The
decision to resume the an
cient name was made by the
Storthing, the Norwegian
Parliament.
Evening star., 1960-03-28

In Bill Whites provocative
March % column, entitled
Honesty Not Induced by
Laws" he decries my recent
proposal for q "we-mean-
business-ethies law"
Mr.. White, a perceptive and
competent newspaperman
with great experience. de-
rides my suggestion that, as
he writes, we make it q
crime for a lobbyist to give
a lawmaker a cigar or q
drink Of whisky"
I suggest that Mr.. White
overlooks these facts:
l. This proposal is firmly
based on a Wisconsin statute
that has been on the books
for more than two years.
Wisconsin newspapermen,
lobbyists and public officials
agree that 1t works very well.
1t works without cramping
the understanding or per-
formance Of legislators or
public officials. There is
none Of the wining. dining
and vicarious entertaining
by lobbyists of legislators or
public officials in Wisconsin.
At the same time they are
not, as Mr.. White AYERS, cut
OF from the industry which
they regulate or for which
they legislate. They are not
cloistered. They associate
freely and regularly. They
just pick up their own
checks.
Before this law was passed
in 1857, there was more than
$4,000 per six-month legis-
lative year reported to the
Wisconsin Secretary of State
for liquor and food paid for
by lobbyists for the benefit
Of legislators.
The disclosure statute
that preceded the present
law followed a situation in
Wisconsin many. many years
ago-when, as Lincoln Stef-
fens reported, State legisla-
lures were considered the
"bawdy houses" of govern
ment in America, and Wis
consln was typical.
A little inquiry around the
country would have further
convinced Mr.. White thai
generally most competent
observers agree that toC
many State governments arr
still bawdy houses.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
LETTERS TO THE STAR

at any time in the last hun
dred years.
Now the President wants
to lift immigration barriers
and thus intensity our exist
ing problems, and create q
host of additional ones.
]. H. Carter.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

A correspondent wants to
know why birds do not come
to the feeding station he has
erected with so much hope
and anticipation.
Why don't they come?
There are a hundred an
swers. and none of them very
good.
Birds cannot be ordered
around. as by the directive
Of a dictator, even a benev-
olent one.
Birds are their own mas
ters, within certain limits.
Sometimes these limits,
apparently. do not comprise
the typical so by $50 foot
suburban lot of the average
suburbanite.
Birds have their own ways
OF handling their own lives,
and within these limits they
do very well.
The lures for birds are rot
Just foods.
Proper living begins away
back, when the house and lot
are set UP for living and, alas,
taxing purposes.
People think they own
property, but actually they
don't own anything. They
just think they do! They live
at a certain place for a GER
tain number of years, but
that isn't owning" any
thing, really. The years 60
by, and you no longer own
anything, emphatically. All
space is yours, at last. and
you still don't own anything
except your own soul.
= 50
You have to start with
trees and shrubs if you want
to attract the birds.
Any good book will tell you
which ones to plant.
Maybe someone, even a
builder, has planted them for
you.
He knew a thing or two
about birds, evidently, when
he put in that holly tree.
Best of birds, the mocking-
bird, loves the holly tree
best of all.
You will always have
Knockers. if you have hol-
lies around the place.
We know a place where
there are many trees, but
few birds, so it depends upon
the kind of trees, too.
Another good one is the
dogwood. Birds like this one
almost as well as the holly.
Then there is the Russian
cherry. Four hundred differ
ent species are said to go
for this.
Among the berries, the
blackberries and blueberries
and strawberries may be
planted in a back corner just
for the birds.
II y
When all this has beer
done, you may put out 6
feeding station.
oh, yes, one thing else; bt
sure not to keep the place
too tidy.
Birds like best the slight!
messy looking place, with
leaves blowing around, ole
ANIMALS left in the borders
and plenty of ivy.
Don't clean up too much
Now that these things ar
done, you can put up a feed
ing station.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Blue Plains Facts

A recent letter, End Of the
Line" indicated inadequate
public transportation and
telephone facilities worked to
the detriment of Blue Plains
inmates.
Let's face facts. Most in
mates are from homes where
age is not tolerated-there-
fore access to telephones
would bring only more misery
to these ''lost souls" who have
been cast out!
The transit company would
be most happy to increase
revenue but surely they have
made surveys and have found
that too few people bother to
visit Blue Plains.
Up until 1916. when Radio
Station WWDC Joined forces
with Otto J. Cass (now de-
ceaSed) then director and
superintendent Of the Home
for the Aged and the In
firmed. and publicized the
deplorable conditions that
existed at that time, hardly
anyone had ever heard Of the
place.
Every year WWDC has
staged a Christmas party for
Blue Plains. II anyone should
organize q group Of people
willing to visit Blue Plains
regularly, I'm sure that trans
portation would be provided.
Telephones and buses are
not what those "old folks
want or need but they do
want and need someone's
interest.
AI1A. -
Evening star., 1960-03-28

2. Two former Wisconsin
public officials John Doer-
fer, the former chairman of
the FEC. and James Durfee,
the present chairman Of the
CAB - both have accepted
hospitality from persons sub
ject to their regulation-since
they came to Washington.
Both previously served as
chairman Of the Wisconsin
Public Service Commission.
Both discharged this respon-
sibility in Wisconsin under
Wisconsin law without en-
gaging in any of the hospital
ity which has been criticized
in Washington. These were
the same men. Only the law
had been changed.
3. Bill Whites argument
that you can't legislate hon.
esty conveniently overlooks
the obvious fact that most of
the criminal statutes of this
country and the so States are
based on legislation against
specific acts of dishonesty
that cause injury to the pub
lie interest. Only the most
naive and starry-eyed devo-
tees Of perfection in human
nature would join White in
the argument that legislation
outlawing acts of bribery and
fraud can be repealed with
out suffering an increase in
bribery and fraud. In my
book the purchase Of legiSla-
tive advantage by buying
things Of value for the legis-
lator is bribery.
4. Let White answer how
lobbyists can charge their
clients hard cash for the en-
tertainment of public officials
and how the lobbyists clients
can deduct the cost of this
entertainment from their in
come tax as a necessary buSi-
ness expenditure. Does White
think that this hard cash is
not being spent because the
corporation and their lobby
lists have a cold-eyed and
well justified understanding
that the expenditure will get
results? If they don't think
they are spending their
money for this purpose they
are defrauding their stock
holders and the United States
Treasury.
No, Mr.. White, there isn't
any Santa Claus.
Evening star., 1960-03-28

White concludes with the
intimidating charge to -
keep a sharp eye" on the
politician who tries to do
anything about ethics-such
a politician is probably an
unethical scoundrel. AS a
matter Of fact. the political
life of the reformer is likely
to be, to quote Hobbies.
nasty. british and short"
It's both unpopular and dan
gerous. But it's also neces-
Sary.
william Proxmire,
Senator from Wisconsin.
William s. White said
that the proposed "ethics"
legislation under considera-
ton in Congress would be
futile. Their reforms will
come to worse than nothing"
he wrote. His premise that
individual honesty cannot be
instilled by passing a law is
acceptable. But the ultimate
conclusion does not follow
because political history, of
greater duration than the
personal observations Of Ell
ther of US, rather clearly
shows that criminal statutes
do restrain some citizens
from committing dishonest
acts.
Current debate too often
confuses the great basic is
sue by scoffing that personal
integrity and morality can
not be created by act of Con-
gress. The real question is
whether there is need for
legislative standards by which
to measure the conduct-not
the morals-of officers en-
trusted with carrying on the
Governments and the peo-
pies business.
Popular government must
be supported by public con-
fidence in the fairness and
integrity of the governing
processes and officials. If the
self-proclaim e d personal
scruples of these trustees
fall short of the standards
which public opinion de-
mands, then Congress has a
duty to act, not to coerce
personal honesty. but rather
to discourage and penalize
deeds Of misconduct.
]. ID. Bond.
Evening star., 1960-03-28

This is the test Of what
has gone before. 5.s..3"
If little has gone before,
the birds can be lured, Just
the same, because they are
hungry.
1t just will take longer,
that is all.
They will not fly down the
flrst day. They may not
come in the next day.
If the feeding station is
too white, or in some other
way hits them as too new,
they may put OF the advent
for a week or more.
If they do not arrive with
in a week, it is a good thing
to look around for hawks.
These babies are bird low
ers," too. but their "affec-
ton" is not reciprocated.
Sometimes a cat with q
streak q of investigation in
him will haunt a new feeding
station. You can't exactly
blame him. Birds, to him,
are not objects of love. They
represent game, as far as he
is concerned.
Just shoe him away, and
repeat the process, if neces-
sary, and it probably will be
necessary.
Remember, it is difficult to
call yourself a nature lover
and at the same time hate
cats. Both are natural crea-
lures, and understand each
other. They have been liv-
ing together for millions Of
years. Your intrusion into
the field has not changed
anything much. Do not make
a monkey out of yourself
just because a cat glares at
a bird. Cats didn't invent
birds-and neither did you.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Hozordous Bridqe

Why must we wait until q
child is killed before any ac-
ton is taken on that narrow
Carroll Avenue Bridge in Ia
koma Park? A few thousand
dollars spent on q safe foot
bridge is certainly worth the
life Of a child.
Unless definite action by
proper authorities is taken
soon, I am sure voters in this
area will think twice come
election time.
Edwin F. GambOa.
Evening star., 1960-03-28

Washington. However. most
of the homes have 40-foot
frontages and pay a tidy sum
in taxes. Why then. are some
streets kept in immaculate
condition while others deteri-
crater All pay taxes accord
ing to a fixed scale.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Neglected Street

No, those are not dinosaur
tracks you see on Farragut
street NV. They just look
like them. This surface was
smooth and new when I
moved here Al years ago. A
merry mixture of warm tar
and pebbles has been applied,
but much Of 1t adhered to
passing feet and was carried
away.
This street. from First
street NV. to Rock Greek
Park, is not one that visiting
firemen. etc, parade through
when being shown beautiful
Evening star., 1960-03-28

Earth Is clad in outer gar
ments of light rocks.
This is the crust, averag-
ing about 20 miles thick in
continental areas and COM
posed of several layers. First
is the rough coat, about a
mile thick of loose earth,
sedimentary rocks such as
sandstone and limestone, and
igneous rock formed by the
hardening Of volcanic lava.
This covers q layer of gram
ite from 3 to 9 miles deep.
Under the granite layer
there is from 5 to 10 miles
of the kinds Of rocks known
as basalts. There must be
enormous quantities of them.
some solid and some molten.
The roots of q few volcanoes
one now active in Hawaii
and others in Africa, Italy
and the Far East-appear to
rest In this basalt liquid and
occasionally it Is poured out
in great eruptions.
There is another kind of
basaltic eruption which is on
a far vaster scale: the So
called flssure eruption. The
face of the earth splits open
and molten rock seeps out,
covering thousands of square
miles to depths of a mile or
more. Two notable localities
where something of this sort
has happened in the past
are the Columbia plateau in
North America and the Dec
can area in India.
Crust Thickness Varies
The crust varies in thick
ness at various places. 1t is
thickest under high noun
tains such as the Himalayas,
Andes and Alps and very
thin under the oceans. Un-
der large areas Of the Pacific,
it now appears, there Is hard
ly any crust at all.
Rocks at great depths in
the crust where temperatures
are close to 10000 and pres
sures greater than 10000
pounds a square inch hardly
can be expected to have
much resemblance to those
on the surface. A major
achievement during the year
was the duplication Of condi-
tions near the bottom of the
crust in the laboratory Of
geophysicists of the Carnegie
Institution of Washington.
Kinds Of minerals believed
present at great depths re-
suited from the experiments
conducted by Drs. F. r,
Boyd, ]. L. England, H. S.
Yoder and others.
At such depths, the expert
ments indicate. the crust con-
sists chiefly of heavy rocks
known as eclegites, of which
there are outcrops at a few
places on the surface, nota-
bly, In Scotland. Many of the
eclegites, according to the
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Avid Fight Fan

Pen names may be used II
letters carry iDriters' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to con-
denSdtion.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Answers to Questions
By THE HASKINS SERVICE

A reader can get an answer BY
mail, to any question of fact by
writing The Star Information Bu-
reau 635 ? street NV Washington
4, d. C Please inclose return postage
or self-addressed stamped envelope
Evening star., 1960-03-28
MELTING Pot Full?

Isabel A. Thompson
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Low to Keep Public Servants Hands CLeon2

Virginia w. Riggs.
Evening star., 1960-03-28
Lots of 'Lip-Service'

Edwin F. GambOa,
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-02-26
Lower Personal Income

North and South Dakota were the
only two states in the nation with low
err personal income in 1859 than in
1853. They are also the only two with
further decline predicted for the
year to come. A report in BUSINESS
WEEK magazine shows North Dakota
personal income down 5.4 per cent
and South Dakota down one per cent.
Smaller declines are seen for the
coming year. Montana increased one
per cent and Minnesota, with larger
industrial output, increased more
than three per cent.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-02-26
OUTSIDE CAPITAL
MUST BE SECURED

The committee says that the plight
of people in such pockets of rural
poverty, can only be solved by some
of them moving out, or by much out
side capital moving in, or combina-
ton. The outside capital, it says, must
come largely from federal sources.
eff century and half of de-
pendence on local initiative has failed
+. it seems futile to depend only
on local initiative to solve the rural
poverty problem !. J" And it adds
that urban re-development, the elimi-
nation of city slums, has succeeded
only where large outside capital has
been obtained.
The committee also observes that
too many leaders in rural develop