Evening star. [volume], January 05, 1925, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
WEATHER.
ft*. S. Weather Bureau forecaat.l
Generally fair tonight and tomor*
row; not much change in tempera
ture; minimum temperature tonight
about 26 degrees. Temperatures; High
est, 46, at 4 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 22,
at 7 a.m. today. Full report on page 7.
Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 25
V A OQ IRQ fCntereri as second class matter
j.ost office Washington, I) C.
FRENCH DEBT NOTE
TURNED OVER 10
MELLON BYJUGHES
Document Probably Will Be
Laid Before Funding Body
This Week.
MORATORIUM MENTIONED
IN INFORMAL PROPOSAL
80-Year Payment Period Under
stood to Have Been Asked
by Clementel.
The Krrnrli memorandum regarding
pa' merit of France’s war debt to the
Fnited States was transmitted today
by Secretary Hughes to Secretary
Mellon for his "personal and private
information.”
Inasmuch as the document was pre
f nted by M. Clementel, French
finance minister, to Ambassador Her
rick ns an unofficial anu private com
munication, State Department offi
c; ils would make no comment on the
-uggeptions embodied in it. They did
say, however, that "it was hoped the
Clementel memorandum might be
made the basis for a follow up.”
Moratorium Discussed.
The memorandum is understood to
contain leferences to a settlement
pian, including a moratorium, with
payment over a period of SO years
from the time the moratorium ex
pires, and interest payments during
the moratorium period at a rate of
one-half of 1 per cent.
Mr. Mellon becomes heir to this
much-discussed document by virtue
of his position as head of the Debt
Funding Commission authorized by
Congress to receive and act upon all
offers of settlement by debtor na
tions. He is expected to lay the
French suggestions before the com
mission within a few days.
Meantime the diplomatic phases of
the debt Question seem likely to re
main quiescent, at least so far as the
Fnited States is concerned. If inter
allied debts are discussed during the
I’aris conference of finance ministers,
the American representatives there.
Ambassadors Kellogg and Herrick
and James A. I,ogan, are expected to
declare themselves unprepared to take
part in such a discussion.
War Claims Chief Concern.
Tlie interest of the Washington
Government in the Paris conference
lies in the controversy over payment
to tlie United States, under the Dawes
plan, of a sufficient sum to meet the
awards of the American-German
claims Commission. The American
r> presentatives have been provident
with a copy of the latest American
memorandum to Great Britain on this
subject, which today was laid be
fore the British cabinet. The com
munication was not made public here,
but it is understood the United States
is standing firmly on its opinion that
such payments should be permitted.
Neither does the administration
look with favor on suggestions that
because of British objections to the
payments the American claims should
1 submitted to arbitration. It is
1 It very strongly here that the
claims -are unassailable either on
h gal grounds or with relation to the
< unities involved, and that there is no
i cason \yhy an entirely satisfactorv
ndjustmeht cannot be made by direct
intercourse between the governments
that will share in the German pay
ments.
Officials Relieved.
Throughout the discussion Wash
ington had indicated a desire to be
lenient and to extend the period for
payment as long as may be necessary.
While the Clementel debt memo
randum apparently is not regarded as
si definite proposal, it does relieve the
minds of Washington officials in sev
eral respects. It acts as a direct ne
gation of hints that M. Ciementel’s
celebrated balance sheet implied a
repudiation of its war debt, and it
also indicates that French officials
are giving serious thought to the
sort of funding arrangement they
might lie able to make.
The hope in Washington that this
first gesture will be followed up in
due course is based largely upon the
attitude of mind revealed l»y M.
<'lementel in his personal and unolii
« ial communication to Mr. Herrick.
U. S. CLAIMS SPLIT ALLIES.
Finance Parley Wednesday to Show
Diverse Views.
the Associated Press.
I’ARIS, January s.—Final arrange
ments for Wednesday's conference of
allied finance ministers are being
made, and as Ihe day draws nearer
interest in the subjects to be con
sidered is growing more intense.
The chief ostensible aim of the
conference is to apportion the billion
gold marks in reparations received
from Germany, but the general im
pression is that this business will be
overshadowed by what goes on in
the lolfbies, and the words “inter
i. debts" are on every lip.
Announcement of the appointment
as delegates of American Ambassa
dors Kellogg and Herrick as well as
James A. Logan, the regular repara
tion commission observer for the
United States, has served to strength
< n the public belief that the debt.
Problem will be a subject of unoffi
cial conversations, and It is hoped
these will help bring a solution ap
preciably nearer.
Thorniest Parley Problem.
The thorniest problem before the
conference proper is that of the
American share in the Dawes plan
yield. While France, Italy and Bel
gium admit that the United States
bus a right in equity, if not in law, to
share in the proceeds, Great Britain
«:• nies such right. At the same time
ilicse allies which admit the Ameri
<.in claim ask that their on n percent
j. be not affected, thereby open
ing up an extremely important qu-. -
lion; namely, the widening of the
scope of application of the Dawes
plan.
Great importance is attached to the
meeting today of the British cabinet,
and it is hoped some arrangement
may be devised by his majesty’s Min
isli rs which will permit settlement
• f the difficulty over the American
< la ini
•Should the British refuse to modify
their attitude it is thought probable
(Continued on l’ngv 1, Column 3.)
j Leaves Highest Bench.
\
' Mgr W'-jM
Hf
m J|| j#- *Ji§
BB Ml
justice mckenna.
JUSTICE MINNA
RESIGNS HIS SEAT
I ON SUPREME BENCH
I Has Spent Upward of 30
Years in Highest Court.
Has Reached 82d Year.
i The resignation of Associate Jus
tice Joseph McKenna was announced
today from the bench of the Supreme
I Court. Chief Justice Taft, making
i tho announcement as soon as tlie
1 court met, said the resignation had
| been accepted by President Coolidge.
! By virtue of upward of 30 years'
service on the Supreme bench, Justice
| McKenna is the ranking associate
; justice of the court. He retires be
| cause of his advanced age.
| Justice McKenna is in his S2d
I year, and three weeks from to
day will mark the wtenty-seventh
anniversary of his elevation to the
Supreme bench by President Mc
; Kinley. Before that appointment he
] had served in Congress as a Repre
sentative from California, had been
a United States circuit judge under
| the Harrison administration and had
; or onnied a jiiace in McKinley’s cab
| inet as Attorney Genera!.
Wife Died Recently.
His health had been unusually rn
; bust for a man of his years, and he
I has applied himself with great vigor
i to the heavy tasks of the high court,
i Several months ago. however, the
I death of his wife added an additional
j weight of sorrow and loneliness to
the burden of the advancing years,
I and be decided to lay aside tlie offi
i ciai cares which for so long have
i taxed to the highest capacity his
i brilliant capabilities.
The members of the court joined in
! a letter to Justice McKenna express
| ing their high regard for him and
j their sorrow at his leaving the bench.
“Your pride in the court, its high
| traditions and its courage." the letter
I said, “has made deep impression on
| us, who have enjoyed the benefit of
i your greater experience, example and
! esprit de corps. Your fraternal na
j ture, your loyalty toward each of us,
1 your tenderness in times of strain and
j stress endear you, to us and make us
| feel deeply sensible to our loss.”
The retiring' justice presented a let
| ter in reply, expressing appreciation,
i At the conclusion of the court session
| a large basket of red flowers was
j brought to the bench and placed be
! fore him.
Horn in Philadelphia.
j Born in Philadelphia August 10,
; 1843, Justice McKenna moved to Cal
j ifornia with his parents at the age
! of 12 and continued his education,
- began in a Catholic school in the
Quaker City, in Ihe Benicia Collegiate
Institute, where he studied law.
Admitted to the bar in 1865, Justice
McKenna soon become active in poli
tics and was elected district attorney
for Cblane County, California. In
1875 and 1876 he was a member of
the State Legislature. Twice he was
defeated for Congress, but was elect
!ed in 1884 and served in the House
i until he resigned in 1892 to accept
j an appointment by President Harri
' son as United States circuit judge in
the circuit embracing the Pacific
j Coast States.
Justice McKenna’s warm friendship
for President McKinley won for him
I an appointment as Attorney General,
and about a year after entering the
| Cabinet was chosen to fill a vacancy
| on the Supreme Court caused by the
death of Associate Justice Stephen J.
! Field of California. During his long
j service on the Supreme Court bench
i he wrote a large share of opinions
| dealing with cases from the Pacific
| Coast States, Hawaii and the Philip
i pines.
i It is the general supposition that
J the retirement of the justice will be
| followed by the appointment of an-
I other member of the court from the
1 Pacific Coast. One of those men
j tioned is Secretary Wilbur of the
Navy Department, who before he en
tered the Cabinet was chief justice
of the California Supreme Court.
CALL NIGHT SESSIONS.
i The Senate agreed today to hold
j night sessions, beginning tomorrow',
! in order to speed up its work, long
delayed by the debate on Muscle
j Shoals. Under a unanimous consent
j agreement the flrat of the annual
| supply bills, that for the Interior De
j partment, will be taken up tomor
i row night after the Senate has dis-
I posed of the President’s veto of the
postal salary increase measure.
ASKS EXTRA STREET SUM
! President Coolidge today asked Con
, gress for u supplmental appropria
! tton of $8,200 to continue the work
■of a street survey in the National
I Capital. This money is to be refund
, ed by payments assessed against in
| dividual property own .s ho ii.ij
11. bMi lit d.
Whc Ittieuing ®kf.
J V WITH SUNDAY J(t>RNING EDITION \^/
WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1925 -THIRTY-TWO PAGES
GRAND JURY HOLDS
TWO POLICEMEN IN
ASSAULT ON DAVIS
Lieut. Pierson and Proctor
Declared to Have Beaten
Prisoner in Cell.
MOST OF FORCE UPHELD
AS OF HIGH CHARACTER
Little Evidence Found Substantiat
ing General Third De
gree Charges.
Lieut. Joseph AV. Pierson and i’a
i trolman Ralph Proctor, both of the
I seventh precinct, were indicted today
1 by ihe grand jury on a charge of ns
j sault with a dangerous weapon. Bond
was fixed at SSOO for both and an im
j mediate trial ordered. It is charged
I that the two policemen beat Arthur
| A. Davis with rubber hose, blackjacks
and other weapons while he was a
l prisoner at tlie seventh precinct sta
| tion September 27.
Tho grand jurors expressed the be
lief that other policemen were in
, volved in the assault as actual par
i ticipants or as having guilty knowl
i edge of the affair, but their identity
; was not sufficient to warrant indict
-1 ments. Davis, although ho had been
I arrested for beating an officer earlier
j in the night, was entitled to the
j protection of the officers on duty as
' much as any other prisoner, the grand
J jurors declare.
IndletnirntN follow Probe.
The indictments are the outcome
[ of the recent inquiry by the grand
j jury under Foreman George O. Vass,
j vice president of the Riggs National
j Bank, into rumors that the police
j use “third-degree" methods to extort
! confessions frpm prlsopers. The in
| quiry was ordered by Justice Fred-
I erick Jj. Siddons, presiding in Criminal
! Division 1. The witnesses were ex
' amlned by Assistant United States
> Attorney Filielly.
, The grand jurors, in their report
I today to Justice Siddons. exonerate
| the police force of the
I charge of using inhuman and cruel
j treatment to secure confessions from
| persons in their custody.
' “Only a stupid official would today
j use any third-degree methods," says
j the report, “since the Bertillion and
; the finger print systems of identifi
! cation and the card index records
have placed in the hands of the
. police a far more effective method
! of bringing criminals to justice.”
Police Abuses Found.
Tlie Davis case and others investi
gated by the grand jurors, however,
the report points out, disclose there
| are individual officers who mistreat
I prisoners, not to extort confessions,
j but to satisfy personal grudge or in
retaliation for supposed wrongs.
These do not constitute 1 per cent
lof the force, according to the re
i port of the grand jury, which treats
! in detail of the arduous duties of the
I officers, few in number, covering a
large area and making more than
j 86,000 arrests annually out of a pop
| ulation of 450.000.
Two other incidents in which the
' police are declared to have been
fcguilty of assaults on prisoners are
j given in the report. One was at the
! second precinct, where a bootlegger
was severely beaten because be out
-1 witted an officer and prevented the
i arrest of some other persons. The
i other was at the ninth precinct,
! where a "drunk” disturbing the
officers with his noise was punched
lon the jaw, which was broken on
I both sides. In the first instance, the
; bootlegger testified he was advised
to drop his charges before the police
1 trial board, which he did. In the
i other case, the prisoner failed to
I idt ntify his assailant. The offending
: officers are not named in Hie report.
House denning Urged.
A house cleaning in these precincts
is recommended by the grand jury,
which points nut that it is a mistaken
idea for officers knowing the facts
in theese sporadic cases of assaults
j on prisoners to protect brother of
j fieers through fear of discrediting
I the precinct or the department. Such
\ house cleaning would restore disci
; pline, say the grand jurors, who add
j (Continued on I’age 3, Column 2.)
MARX GETS ALLIES’
| COLOGNE DECISION
|
Identic Note of Five Pages Is
Handed to German Chan
cellor in Berlin.
-
! By tlie Associated Press.
BERLIN, January s.—The British,
French, Italian and Japanese Am
bassadors and the Belgian Minister
today presented Chancellor Marx with
the allied governments’ identic note
regarding postponement of the evacu-
I ation of the Cologne zone, which was
| set for January 10 under the treaty
| of A’ersailles.
j Baron D’Abernon, the British Am
-1 bassador, informed the German chan
i cellor that the allied council of am
| bassadors would dispatch a supple
! mentary note concerning the Cologne
! evacuation as soon as the military
1 control commission’s full report had
! been surveyed and examined. German
j obstruction was given as the reason
i why tlie control commission could not
submit a complete report before
January 10.
A isit I» Short One.
The visit of‘the allied ambassadors
at the chancellery consumed less than
20 minutes. After their departure
Chancellor Marx, Foreign Minister
I Streseniann and Minister Gessler pro
| ceeded to examine the note, which
; comprised five typewritten pages,
j Official quarters here declined to
i discuss the tenor of the note or to
i indicate whether it suggests a coni-
I promise in the nature of a request to
I Germany to enter negotiations over
j the problem of tlu Cologne brblge
l.wJ c i nation.
2
~ -F-
ASSERTS COOLIDGE
DENIES RENT BILL
L. T. Smith Quotes President
as Saying He Did Not Rec
ommend New Measure.
Following: a 35-minute interview this
morning at the White House, Lee
Thompson Smith, national president of
the Building Owners and Managers' As
sociation, stated that the President in
formed him that he had not recommend
ed the particular rent legislation now
before Congress, and that he was not as
familiar as he would like to be with
conditions in the District. According to
Mr. Smith, the President expressed deep
interest in the local condition, and con
vinced Mr. Smith that he abso
lutely fair treatment to all parties con
cerned. The President, Mr. Smith stated,
declared that he was in favor of some
legislation to remedy conditions here,
but that he was not in favor of regulat
ing business by legislation.
Mr. Smith said he understood from
the President that he was not famil
iar with all details of the bill. The
President,, he said, had agreed to re
ceive a delegation of local and na
tional officers of the association some
time next week, in order that they
might present further facts to him.
The Chief Executive expressed his
opinion that there had been a pyra
miding of trusts here, Mr. Smith said.
Cites Hankers Stand.
Mr. Smith declared that he told the
President that a number of heads of
big financial institutions had person
ally informed him that they would re
fuse to lend any money on building
projects in the District should the
rent measure pass. It was stated at
a conference of local and national of
ficials of the association that one
large insurance company in the habit
of lending millions of dollars on
real estate had already Included a re
strictive clause in their lean contracts
against sections of the country where
rent control legislation was in effect
or pending. Much alarm was caused
at the meeting by the statement of
one of the members that a large
mortgage and bonding company had
stated in a letter that it would not
lend any money on construction in
the District if the rent law was
' H Harry Wardman. local builder, also
discussed the situation with the Pres
ident today.
Mr. Wardman, after seeing the Pres
cient, said that he discussed the hous
ing condition here quite thoroughly
and went into the law for the regu
lation of rent.
Sees Aggravation.
Passage of such a law as the Presi
dent has transmitted to Congress, Mr.
Wardman said he explained to Mr.
Coolidge, would aggravate rather
than help the situation here. The
President was told that builders here
are overcoming the housing shortage
rapidly and that apartments of three
and four rooms could now be had for
around $55 a month.
Mr. Wardman said that he was try
ing to build a number of small houses
and apartments to do what he could
to help the situation here, he
indicated to the President, and If
left alone housing and rental mat
ters would adjust themselves, but to
pass such a law as has been sent to
Congress for its> consideration would
only result In a number of builders
being driven out of business. If he
was acting from a purely selfish mo
tive. Mr. Wardman said, he would be
in favor of the law, because, as he
pointed out, it would only result In
securing money from the market
where the small builders obtain It.
Such a result, Mr. Wardman said,
it could be seen, would merely help him.
Seeks Definite Action.
It was indicated that the President
was not absolutely indorsing the
measure which he sent to Congress,
hut Mr. Wardman said that the Presi
dent was anxious to have something
in a constructive way done which
would solve the local rental problem.
Mr. Wardman did point out that there
was no possible way at this time of
putting up buildings which could be
rented at a figure to meet the budget
of the man who gets $75 or SIOO a
month. That time Is passed, he said,
hut he did point out to the President
that if matters were left as they are
now builders would go ahead and
provide houses and apartments at
something around the figure which
he quoted above.
Mr. Wardman did not represent the
local real estate men In his call on
the President, hut called personally
as a business man and citizen to give
the President the benefit of his expert
(Continued on Page 2. Column 1.)
lladio Programs—Page 14.
FOREIGN NITRATE TRUST MAKES
MUSCLE SHOALS USE VITAL
May Lead to Separate Leasing of Power and Ferti
lizer Plants , Latter With l/. S.
Financial Support.
Editor'* note: This is the third Rnd
concluding article by Mr. Kennedy deal
ing with the problem of Muscle Shoals.
BV WII.L I*. KKWKDV.
The United States is at the mercy of
a foreign combination for its Fupply of
nitrates, and it was to free this coun
try from that grip that some $150,000.-
000 has been invested in the plants at
Muscle Shoals.
One of the biggest needs of the United
States today, as seen by such men as
Secretary Hoover, is to find some way
of making nitrates at a price that can
defy this foreign combination.
Don't forget that background in con
sidering what’s to be done with the big
Government-owned plant at Muscle
Shoals.
Here's what President Coolidge and
his advisers believe will soon be done:
The power properties and the nitrate
properties will he disposed of separate
ly. There should be a ready buyer of
NEW YORK JUDGE
HITS DJ. SYSTEM
Collateral Forfeiture Perni
cious, Says Recognized
Traffic AuthOrity-
Characterizing the collateral for
feiture system used in the District of
Columbia aS “pernicious" Judge tv.
Bruce Cobb of New York, a recog
nized authority on traffic, appeared
before the joint committee of the
House and Senate District committee
today. With Judge Cobb was Dr.
John A. Harriss, also of New York,
the originator of the Fifth avenue
traffic light system and an honorary
deputy commissioner in the New York
Police Department.
The committee in inviting these
men to go over the. tentative Traffic
hill believe that valuable advise could
he given.
Judge Cobb took the tentative bill
section by section and gave his opin
ion on its various provisions. He said
that to his mind the bill was too gen
eral in some respect'and too detailed
in others.
In regard to a traffic court Judge Cobh
said in his opinion it would promote
efficiency to add to the present court
rather than the creation of a separate
court. He stressed, however, that uni
formity of court action in meting out
sentences was most important.
Responsibility of Judge.
Representative Rathbone of Illinois
asked the judge if shifting of judges in
the proposed traffic branch would not
prevent them getting into a rut. Judge
Cobb answered that he thought 50 per
cent of a judge’s time on traffic matters
was enough.
Judge Cobh strongly urged the in
stallation in Washington of the sum
mons system, which is now in use in
New York, pointing out that there was
no provisions for it here. The collateral
system, he said, should be abolished al
together unless in every case where col
lateral was forfeited a bench warrant
was issued.
Taking up the question of operative
permit the judge asserted that an appli
cant should be mentally, morally and
physically fit.
Senator Copeland of New York at
this point told the committee that while
he was on the examining board for
drivers applications he had been perfect
ly amazed at the number of one-eyed
(Continued on Page 2. Column ST)
Bucky Harris’
Own Story
“Mine Boy to
Manager”
Begins Today
on Page 22
the power property, with at least two
large utility corporations bidding for it.
This power would be sold under con
tract, with the right of recall.
The nitrate plants will be turned over
on very reasonable terms —possibly un
der a subsidy—to private enterprise
that may be willing to engage in inten
sive study of a method of cheaper pro
duction: or—and which is much more
probable—lt will be used by the Gov
ernment itself to work out a process of
nitrate manufacture on a commercial
scale at prices that can meet competi
tion and price-cutting from the Chilean
field.
Power and nitrate manufacture are
two very different types of enterprise,
and to sell both to one person would
mean that whether he was a power ex
pert or ’a nitrate expert he would still
have to gamble or take a big chance on
the other side of his bargain; so, in
taking such a big risk hp would want
to have big safeguards, if the Govern
ment disposes of each separately, it will
(Continued on I’age 4, Column 4.)
MUSSOLINI IS LEFT
TO GOVERN ALONE
Two Liberal Ministers Leave
Cabinet and Opposition
Threatens Fight.
IIY HIRAM K. MODERAVELL.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
ROME, January s.—The resignation
of both the ministers of education and
public works, Casati and Sarrocht,
has been confirmed, and the Italian
cabinet is now purely Fascist!.
In the 48 hours just ended the op
position press has been muzzled. Par
liament has been indefinitely dismiss
ed and the premier is now ruling
alone.
The Fascist! are waiting tensely.
Rome is calm, but it is asking “AVhat
will the black-shirted militia do?"
The opposition is reported to be pre
paring to accept Premier Mussolini's
challenge contained in his speech on
Saturday and to bring formal im
peachment proceedings against him
for complicity in a murder last June.
The means by which they will pro
ceed, however, are not clear, sines
Parliament has been sent home in
definitely.
Meanwhile Rome is waiting breath
less to learn the measures by which
the premier, in accordance with his
speech, will “clear the air” and "break
the Aventine sedition," which is how
he describes the act of the opposition
Deputies who are absenting them
selves from Parliament.
These measures, so far as is known,
will be : First, strengthening of the rail
way militia to prevent the alleged at
tempts of sabotage; second, sequestra
tion of the headquarters of political as
sociations which are yet unspecified, and
third, giving the local prefects the power
to mobilize a black-shirt militia.
In Rome and other cities the militia
has mobilized. Fifteen hundred black
shirts, fully armed, performed their
(Continued on Page 4, Column 1.)
Slush Just Dirty Water to Majority 9
But Has Glitter of Gold to These Few
AVashington is not raising a
unanimous protest against the
condition of the streets since the
late storm, s survey today dis
closed.
There are those. It develops,
who have no criticism whatever
to make of the Commissioners,
Congress weather man.
They hav?, on the other hand,
nothing but words of commenda
tion for all three.
A reporter for The Star ob
tained the following statements
in this connection today:
Dr. K. Kerr Kerchoo, cough
specialist and author of “From
Coif to Coffin” —I think Mr.
Hacker has done splendidly.
I. Fixem. dealer in auto springs
and axles—Being a nature lover,
I cannot help but deplore man's
disturbance of nature's handiwork.
AVotta Quaumysr, skid chains—
xou diuu i [ice name sigueu
“From Press to Home
Within the Hour"
The Star’s carrier system covers
every city block and the regular edi
tion is delivered to Washington homes
as fast as the papers arc printed.
Wife of Canadian
Official Amazed
By Snow Tie-up
Mrs. J. H. King, wife of the
minister of public works in the |
Canadian cabinet, who is makinß a
brief visit in Washington, was
asked by a Star reporter if they
had fine sleighing in Ottawa.
"Why, in point of fact, we have
no sleighing in Ottawa at all.
When the snow falls it is at once
cleared away and the streets are
left open for traffic. It would
seem that they handle things in
the Canadian capital better than
they do in the United States.
Though really we seldom have
more snow than I have seen in
Washington. It was with diffl- ,
culty that I was able to get to a
point where I could see the Lin
coln Memorial, which I had never
seen before. It is a number of
years since I was last here and I ,
was greatly disappointed that I I
could not do a little sightseeing, j
and of course riding for pleasure ,
was out of the question.”
PRESIDENfORGES
CO-OPERATION CURE
FOR FARMERS’ ILLS
Declares Such Remedy Must
Start at Soil in Address
to Leaders.
Co-operative marketing can and
should be made a success in America,
because It provides the best means of
stabilizing the’country's agricultural
marketing organization, President
Coolldgc declared today to the an
nual convention of the National
Council of Farmers' Co-operative
Marketing Associations.
Addressing the delegates to the con
vention at the White House, the
President warned that co-operative
marketing possessed no magical at
tributes, and asserted that it must
start from the soil and be developed
upward.
Must Start at Ilottom.
"There is a school of co-operators
who seem to believe that the program
can be started at the top and built
downward.” he added. "They want
the Government. or the banks, or
philanthropies, or l’rovidence to lay
out a scheme big enough to cover the
country, set its machinery moving,
guarantee it ail needed capital, and
then Invite the farmers to sit in the
places reserved for them and proceed
to garner their profits. I,et me say
that I offer no such Aladdin-like proj
ect. I wan*, society as a whole to
help: but I want the farmers to do
their share, and I warn them that
this will he the lion's share.”
The President's speech, in full, fol
lows:
"In welcoming the members of your
conference, and wishing all success to
your deliberations, I find myself dis
posed to refer to but one subject in
order to enter a protest against some
current misconceptions. I wish to urge
consideration of some fundamentals
that, if understood and appreciated,
would, I believe, clear away some of
the greatest obstacles to effectve co
operation in agriculture.
Sees No Mystery.
"There has been much tendency to
surround co-operative organization and
processes with mystery. It has been
announced solemnly and sepulchrally,
from the hollow deeps of self-consti
tuted orae’ea, that Americans are not
the sort of people who possess the
genius for co-operation. We have been
assured that they are too individualis
tic, too loath to yield any part of their
independence and initiative.
"People who Indulge this kind of
nonsense invariably assume that co
operation is a new and comparatively
untried formula. Their whole treat
ment of it proves that they have not
caught the idea. They have complete
ly missed the forest because there
were too manv trees growing all about.
They have overlooked the fact that all
human society Is a vast system of co
operations and co-operations. From its
simplest to its most complex, manifes
tations. there is nothing to it but co
operation. It began with the discovery
that two people could together roll a
heavier stone or move a bigger log
than could be done by one alone. That
was the beginning of co-operation and
of social organization. A long time
later, these aborigines made the further
discovery that with the help of a lever
they could handle a still greater
weight. That was the beginning of
tools, machinery, the factory method.
All the way down, from those earliest
discoveries to the Ford achievement of
a motor car every 15 seconds, the ma
terial advance of the race from sav
ages to chauffeurs has been merely the
development of co-operation and the
adaptation of new tools for It to use.
Among First Discoveries.
"The truth is. and it cannot be too
often or earnestly emphasized, that
co-operation Is the earliest of man's
social discoveries, the one that has
served him beyond all others in mak
ing material progress. Doubtless its
earliest application on a considerable
scale was in malting war. Hut all
government, all systems of finance,
(Continued on Page 4, Column 2.)
to the merchants and manufac
turers’ protest, did you?
Olga Boshes, proprietress of
rut>her amt hoot salon—l'll bet all
those kickers have mercenary
motives.
Ike Umplnin Knott, snow sbov
eler—The deeper the snow and
the longer It lasts, the more I
like it.
L Will Draggett, auto wrecker
and tow artist—All this rot about
the streets paralyzing business Is
bunk.
Dr. Verta Brae, spine mender—
The only thing paralyzed Is my
arm. from setting broken spines.
August De Meanor, mortuary
director—*:t looks like a pros
perous New Year.
Oui Reepa Harvest, traction
magnate—At first I had some
complaints to make, but now 1
think everything is lovely.
Clyde Moore Often, wholesaler
of bumpers and fenders—l am
too bu~y. to talk to y ou.
Saturday’s Circulation, 94 691
Sunday’s Circulation, 104,027
run <txts
CONCERTED EFFORT
STARTED TO CLEAR
STREETS OF SNOW
Promise of Deficiency Fund
Recommendation Causes
Order to Hire More Men.
CONDITION CONSIDERED
IN LIGHT OF EMERGENCY
Snow Declared Menace to Health.
Damage Set at Several Hun
dred Thousands.
''While Washington continued tod?’’
•o slosh and skid around in street-=
filled with icj slush, the District Com
missioners joined with th» weather
man in a concerted street-cleaning
drive that should soon bring a be
lated end to the blockade condition
that have prevailed since the recent
. nowstorm.
With health officials ar.d the pub
lic jirotestir.g against the prolong*'l
domination by ire and snow of tin
National Capital’s sidewalks anr
thoroughfares. the Commissioner
swung into action with the announce -
ment that every force available wil
he immediately brought Into play •••
rid the city of the slush barriers
t an Hire Shovelere.
Backed by an assurance given the*
this morning at the Budget Bure:,
the Commissioners instructed Supt
Morris Hacker of the Street Cleanin:
Department to proceed at once in
raising the present snow-shovelier;
force from 490 to 1.000, if necessary
The assurance by budget officials wa
a promise of a recommendation to
Congress that a deficiency stre. t
cleaning fund of $35,000 be appropr.
ated as an increment to the |I6S,OOc
now available.
Superintendent Hacker lost to
time in going into the latter fund an*
made arrangements for the additi' :
to the present inadequate force ns
100 men from the Sewer Department
and 250 men from the Highway I'• -
partment. at the same time issuing .
call to the public for more shovelei -
Held Health Mennee.
The rising tide of protest* at t
abominable condition of the stree
reached a new peak, meanwhile, wit!'
a statement by Surg. Gen. Gumming <>
the Public Health Service to the effec
that Washington's slushy streets cons’ -
tute a health menace and "pneumon:
breeder,” and a "vigorous protest” t
Congress by the advisory board oft!
American Automobile Assootatio
against the present state of affair
coupled with an urgent request for
snow-removal funds.
The statement of the automob!’
association declared that “the damac
to the streets and to the business in
terests of Washington is consort
lively estimated at SIOO,OOO, and »
probability is that it will be sever
hundred thousand dollars.”
Sees Gen. lord.
Engineer Commissioner Bell went
the Treasury Building this morning
laid before Gen. Lord, director of ! :
budget, a recommendation that the It
trict proceed at once to spend whatet
is necessary of the current street-clean
ing appropriation with the understand
ing that the additional money neede
would be asked for.
From Gen. Lord's office Col. .P<
went to the Capitol to lay the same ‘pi o
posal before Representative Madden
chairman of the House aiipropriation
committee.
Orders I se of Funds.
After conferring with Chairman Mini
den of the House appropriations con -
mittee today. Maj. Bell authorized tin
use of street-cleaning funds apportioned
to cover the rest of the present fiscal
year for the emergency job of removing
the snow, ice and slush from the city
streets.
Maj. Bell told Chairman Madden
that he contemplated such action and
that if he -did. the probability was
that he would have to call on the ap
propriation committee for a deficiency
item of $35,000 to cover the ordinary
work of street cleaning until the end
of the fiscal year. June 30.
Chairman Madden told him that he
had no authority to direct him to in
cur a deficiency, but thought that in
an emergency, the District officials
should assume authority and that he
believed the streets ought to be
cleaned.
In the appropriation act for the
current fiscal year, the removal of
snow Is specifically provided for. The
fund provides for dust prevention,
sweeping and cleaning streets ami
for cleaning ice and snow from the
streets, sidewalks, crosswalks and
gutters.
That language did not formerly ap
pear In appropriation hills, but the
District authorities had to come t,>
Congress for a special appropriation
for snow removal. In 1912 appropria
tion act. there was a special item of
SIO,OOO for cleaning snow and ice.
Use in Emergency.
The District authorities alwat
contended that this sum was not
sufficient and so in the 1913 appro-
I priation act the fund for snow re-
I moval was merged with the fund for
[general street cleaning and a line
was included which said that the
Commissioners” shall so apportion
this appropriation as to prevent a de
ficiency therein.” That language,
however, does not appear in the 1925
appropriation act, so that it is be
lieved on Capitol Hill that Maj. Bell
is acting fully within his authority
under an emergency in using what
ever funds are available for this
work, even though It may entail a
deficiency later in the year.
Even with the old language in the
1913 act against a deficiency, there
are those who say that the District
officials would still have authority to
recognize an emergency. The anti
deficiency act specifically provides as
follows:
"Nor shall any department or any
officer of the Government accept vol
untary service for* the Government
or employ personal service in excess
of that authorized by law, except in
cases of sudden emergency involv
ing the loss of human life or the de
struction of property."
Heading of I,an,
If the District Commissioners be
lieve that the snowstorm created an
emergency endangering human life
and that to leave the snow on the
streets would cause serious destruc
tion of pri neriy they are fully with
iCuuuuutd yu i'a.c i, Column *•/