The Washington times. [volume], November 23, 1913, Sunday Evening EDITION, Page 10, Image 10

About The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939

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THE WASHINGTON TBIES, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1913.
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Published Evkrv Evening (Including Sundays)
By The Washington Times Company.
The Munsey Building, Pennsylvania Avenue.
Frank A. 3Tun&cr, Pros. It. II. Titherlnu'ton, Src.
Fred A. Walker, Treasurer and General Manager.
ONE TEAR (INC. SUNDAY). !3 .0 I 6 MO.. Tl 73 I 3 MO . 9c
Entered at the Poatorflce at Washington, D. C , as fecund class
mail matter
Washington, D. C, Sunday, ' ember 23, IMS.
require a good many years even to make a good
showing of accomplishment. The Maryland commis
sion announces that it is entering upon a program
looking to gradual and persistent elimination of these
danger spots. This is now perhaps a very spectacu
lar sort of public service, but it is one of most
substantial value.
Some Views Taken in Uncle Sam's "Beautiful" Backyard Section
AX ENCLOSED ALLEY' IK SNOWS COURT.
CONTROL OF WASHINGTON'S PARKS.
BUSINESS CALM RESTORED.
Following the Munsey Trust Company's taking over
of'the United States Tnlst Company's business, busi
ness and financial Washington saw the clouds of
ominous portent break away even more rapidly than
they had gathered. By the close of business on Sat
urday signs of anything abnormal in the financial sit
uation had well-nigh disappeared, and there" is assur
ing promise and universal confidence that the begin
ning of the new business week will be marked by a
resumption of conditions entirely normal.
JOHN H. MARBLE.
The death of John H. Marble takes from the
Interstate Commerce Commission its youngest mem
ber, in point of both age and service. Moreover, he
distinctively represented the application of the merit
system to appointments on this commission. He had
been an examiner, then secretary, demonstrating the
highest aptitude, ability and character in every serv
ice. President Wilson appointed him to fill the Lane
vacancy on March 5 last. In considerably less than
a year's work he had proved that he was destined
to be one of the real forces of the body. Therewas
every prospect that he would make a career in that
particular work, and that the public interest would
benefit in proportion as he accumulated experience
to re-enforce his other high qualifications. Probably
the youngest man that ever sat on the commission,
his conscientious over-application to work had most
to do with his untimely breakdown. The case is a
peculiarly sad one, the blow to family and friends
being as severe as it was unexpected and seemingly
quite without the realm of possibility.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMAMENTS.
Never before in recent times has England waken
ed so generally to the burden of the growing naval
armaments and expenditures. The campaign for re
duction and relief is now taking a definite and urgent
character.
The chancellor of the exchequer, speaking in the
house of commons on August 15, last, declared that
public opinion was quite apathetic upon the expendi
ture on armaments, and intimated further that no
government could take action leading to an interna
tional limitation of such expenditure without a strong
public opinion on the question, the existence of
which he doubted. His own feeling on the subject
is. of course; intense; he has declared that Europe
is menaced by revolution if the mad rivalry is not
somehow checked.
The English national peace council, which de
clares it is confident that there is a widespread feel
ing against the cost of armaments, and that the
danger of the immense vested interests in war prepa
rations, which are fixing themselves upon the tax
payers in every land, is increasingly perceived, is
seeking to focus public opinion upon this question
with a view to obtaining that strong expression of
op;nion without which ministers appear to be unable
to act.
Sir Algernon Firth, president of the congas of
the chamber of commerce, pointed put at Antwerp
that in 1912 Europe alone spent 366,000,000 on
armaments, and that at the present rate in ten years'
time the cost would equal the value of the whole
mercantile marine of the world.
THE GRADE CROSSING PROBLEM.
The elimination of grade crossings over railroad
rights of way is a matter that commands attention in
all parts of the country. The last few years have
brought it the more sharply into view, because the
use of the automobile has vastly increased the danger
of accidents by reason of the grade crossing. The
Monday news nowadays is largely a weekly casualty
summary ot the horrors taking place on Sunday, the
majority of them to motor parties driving in the
country and meeting accidents at crossings.
Elimination of grade crossings in this country as,
for instance, it has been accomplished in England,
would cost hundreds of millions, perhaps even bil
lions of dollars. It is one of those huge tasks that
might easily enough have been accomplished in the
beginnings, when the railroads were first being con
structed, at modest cost; but n"obod,y then could fore
see the difficulties of today, and moreover there was
no capital with which to build the railroads any more
expensively than they were first laid down. So the
reformation of these conditions has become in
creasingly expensive year by year. Now the rail
roads and the community together face it, realizing
that it is an affair in which responsibilities are mu
tual. The public at large has never been rabid about
grade crossings, largely beccuse the court rulings
and legal enactments have divided the responsibility
and financial burdens between the community and
the corporations. If the entire cost could be dumped
on the railroads there would long before now have
been insistent demands that the business get im
mediate attention, and the question of cost would
have been shoved into the background.
Public service commissions and like regulative
authorities are giving attention in all parts of the
country to this question, and through co-operation
with the railroads and the local communities are!
making ood progress toward doing away with the
grade crossings. The worst and most aangerous at
naturally getting attention earliest. At best it will
The recent discussion of public comfort stations
in the city parks has served to attract attention anew
to the anomalous administration of the public parks
of the city. With the exception of Rock Creek Park,
the breathing spaces are under control of the War
Department. Just why they should be is not at all
apparent. There is good enough reason for placing
engineering works in charge of the engineering au
thorities of the department; but surely the parks of
a large city are not accurately classified as engineer-
inb propositions! ,
The protests against department plans for locat
ing public comfort stations in the parks, in places
vhere they will be most objectionable to the various
neighborhoods, have developed the fact that the Dis
trict Commissioners, charged with representing the
general community interests, have no influence in
such details unless by courtesy the War Depart
ment listens to them. In the past, it must be said,
the military masters of our parks have commonly
been very well satisfied with their own judgment.
The wishes of interested neighborhoods have had
small weight. When the Commissioners sent Assist
ant Corporation Counsel Whiteford the other day to
ask the department to consider the wishes of the
public in locating the Lincoln Park station, they
went out of their province. That is all wrong. The
Commissioners not only ought to be consulted in
such affairs, but their determination ought to be
final.
The distribution of powers in Washington is such
as to make the administration just about as remote
as possible from the people. The public, streets be
long, not to the District of Columbia, but to the
United States. The parks are under the War De
partment. The schools are administered by a board
of directors appointed by the- District bench; yet
even here authority is divided, because the District
Commissioners have control of the physical proper
ties, the building and repairing of school houses,
which it would'seem ought to be under the same au
thority that runs the schools. The man who is going
to run the machine ought to have some part in de
termining what kind of a machine is .to be turned
over to him. If the schools become extravagant, the
school board is blamed; yet in fact it is very well
known that conditions imposed by reason of this
divided authority have been in large part responsible
for difficulties in reducing the administrative cost of
the schools.
Public parks, especially the small ones, which are
intimately used by the people of their vicinage,
ought peculiarly to belong to and be managed for
the people. Perhaps the War Department's authority
over them is a relicJ&anded down from the days
when L'Enfant. laid out the town with thought of
the possibilities that riot and revolution would al
ways be as easily possible here as. in the mercurial
French capital of his time. We are told that he
organized the scheme of circles and diagonal ave
nues with thought that in case of uprisings of the
populace, batteries of artillery posted in the circles
could rake the streets and avenues with grape ! That
view of the first utility of a public park could easily
find a corollary in the -policy of placing the parks
all under the War Department.
But we have gone along quite a time without
Washington rising up and oversetting the Govern
ment. We don't believe Washington is likely to Sv
it. The town seems at this juncture quite calm and
peaceable, and there is no special reason why the
public parks should be military reservations any
longer. This isn't Mexico City, and military gov
ernment is not needed.
I
A BACK YARD IN SNOW'S COURT
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IN CHURCHES TODAY
THE FRISCO'S FREE TREASURY.
Baby Specialists Thrown in a
Flurry When Delegate
Springs Surprise.
It is not so very long since that the game of buy
and sell, or loan and borrow, between a great finan
cial corporation and its directors, to the immense!
benefit of the latter, was played quite regularly.
That some such transactions or other would be dis
closed by any investigation of the Frisco receiver
ship that went far enough back into the past was a
foregone conclusion. The sworn evidence is to the
effect that this particular line's directors played the
game like experts and stuck to it until there were
no more funds to play with.
So far as the taking of oral testimony is con
cerned, the investigation is closed. Something else
may, of course, yet transpire that will explain away
some of the transactions. But the best excuse for
them that offers itself now is the fact they are not
all of recent date. Even so, it is a pretty poor ex
cuse. The ethical standards are indeed higher now
than they once were; but such flagrant abuse of a;
railroad directorate's opportunities as has been re
counted this week was never justified, never honest.
The last bit of evidence produced was the list of
members of the syndicate that promoted and sold to
the Frisco the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexican
railroad. That list is impressive. It names the
chairman of the Frisco's board; an ex-vice president
of the Frisco; the treasurer of the Frisco; the f co
rner counsel of the Frisco; two receivers of the
Frisco and several directors; two large trust com
panies, three large banking houses. The road was
built for $4,000,000. These men sold it to their own
unknowing stockholders for $7,000,000.
Syndicate profits of this sort amounted in all to
over $7,400,000. There is a great deal of buncombe
and demagogy behind the public distrust of bankers
as a class and corporations as a class. The more
thoughtful element has its work cut out to keep
prejudice down and legislation temperate and wise.
Instances of wholesale looting of a railroad's treas
ury like this make the work none the easier. The
one comfort is that secret looting is daily growing
more difficult and that it does no longer meet accept
ed business standards. . ,
By EDITH LOBERT.
Last week there foregathered In
Washington nearly -100 baby specialists.
Just about all there Is to knov about
Infant welfare was brought to light,
taken apart, and put together again in
a mayner that rather bewildered a lay
mind. The gathering represented the
best brains in the country on this par
ticular subject. From twenty-threo
States, they camo to the Capital of the'
Nation the "City Beautiful."
Between learned discourses on how to
boll the milk and why the baby
should cry between 9 p. m. and 6 a. m.,
they were "slghtseetng Washington,"
admiring Its beautiful boulovards and
its marble palacps.
With historic facts about the Lincoln
collection Juggling the -itai tigures on
tuberculosis, the specialists were pre
paring to leavo. Washington with a
real star-spangled opinion of Its high
ways and byfvays. But one afternoon a
quiet-voiced woman in black, with a.
gentle, kindly face, and yet having an
air of authority and capability about
her arose to address the speclallts. She
didn't expatiate on the charms of the
Treasury architecture; she didn't echo
the sentiments of the megaphone gen
tlemen about "Uncle Sam's backyard
being the most beautiful in the world."
She had less obvious but more Impor
tant things than the flrst to discuss,
and she had her doubts about the lat
ter, for here Is what she told them:
"Of the babies born in Washington.
one in every tuenty-fle comes to an
alley mother. Of such alley babies, one
In every four dies the llrst year of life."
Causes Flutter.
There was a perceptible Mutter, for It
uiis Mrs. Archibald Hopkins who was
making what seemed a remarkable
h'auriien to the htrangers. Hadn't they
just agrred that lnsanitar housing
conditions were among the chief causes
of infant mortality? And hudn't It just
been proved to thfni that Washington,
with Its lack of Industrial wretchedness
uas the happiest. nio.st desirable place
of residence in all the world? And hero
uas a leader ill all the city's better
ment activities calmly announcing llg
ures that seemed more fitting for the
stock .ird section of Chicago!
What's the nnswer?
Alleys
I dare say It Is an old story to native
Bay State Women's
Club Wants Police
With Rubber Soles
3LLDEN, Mnxs., Xov. 2. A pe
tition to tunc the policemen of
this cit j wear rn liber Miled
shoes because lliej n'lik- so
nincli noise ualkini: tlie streets
liclv.een midnight and sunrise
nil! Io presented tomorrow
morning to Chief Foley by mem.
hers of the Maiden "omen's
Club.
"What protertlon have we against
hurclnrs if the policemen iiiuKn
vn much noise when tlii'j nlk
Hint It Is almost impossible to
sleep nights when they clatter
past residences which .inio
brlek .sidcwallisr the petition
reads'.
Chief Foley, this morning, Indig
nantly denied the intimation of
one club ofticinl that hi men
Hkert to wenr noisj -.hoes be
enuse It guaranteed they woiild
run no chances of a chnnce of
accosting a burglar.
ashingtonians. But I rather think it's
going to be told and told again many
times until sufficient pressure Is brought
to bear upon legislators to pass the
measure which will come up the next
session of Congress.
With Mrs. Ernest P. Blcknell, mem
ber of the central housing committee,
as guide. I visited some of the alleys
nnd courts In question. We went over
part of the route taken by Mrs. Wil
son, wife of the President, last spring
when In company with a number of
Senators' and Representatives' wives,
she Inspected the alleys. Our flrst
visit was paid to Snow court. Enter
ing by a narrow passage way off
Twenty-fifth street we found oursehes
In a criss-cross maze of dead-end
alleys a tiny community In Itself. Only
a block and a half away from Wash
ington circle.
Because of the solidly built houses
that front the street, and hide thn
view, no one outside the block would
eer suspect the existence- of the lsol
lated community within. There were
jiibt two narrow and devious passage
ways by which access could be gained
to the court.
To Convert Land.
"This is the land the committee would
like to have converted Into a play
ground." explained Mrs. Blcknell as
sho pointed to the vacant lota which
adjoined the shacks, serving no earthly
purpose whatever except aa & recep
tacle for rubbish and a consequent
breeding ground for disease.
"That's one reason for our high death
rate In the alleys,"' she continued; "tho
LOOKING TOWAKD THE CAPITOL.
Baby Specialists Given Inside
Facts Relative to Conditions
in the District.
Preachers at Many Services An
ticipate Coming of Nation's
Great Holiday.
equally important In measuring the
quality of the product" Unfortunately,
It Is hard, to find figures that show the
difference between morals and love of
righteousness on' the part of the alley
dweller aa compared with the dweller
on the street.
"The only figures known to be avail
able are those showing the relative fre
quency with which Illegitimate children
are born among a given class In the
alleys as compared with the same class
In the streets.- Among children born In
1912 to colored mothers living la homes
on streets, one In five was IllegiUmate.
Among those born to colored mothers
living m-tne alleys, one to very two
was Illegitimate. No one 'haaT-as yet
ventured a defense of-tne Jo'-moral
standards that bad housing Slleyihous
Ing entails." v , ,
By this time we had reached Logan's
court, just off Pierce street, between
North Capitol and First streets. There
are ninety apartments in this block,
fifty-four of them facing on Pierce
street. These rent for an average of
ture were plied together in a miscel
laneous array.
"Come right In," she grinned, hospitab
ly, as we made our way up tho steps.
DaJnty lingerie, freshly laundered, hung
on a line. The general disarray was"!
lypicai oi me aney aweuer.
"All washings from downtown, are
they?" we inquired.
"Oh. yassem, yas Indeed." .
"This is the sort of place where babies
must struggle for existence." said Mrs.
Blcknell. "And altogether too many or
them find the flehf in ton strnnir fnv
them. Also, this Is the sort of place j JS a month, so the tenants say.
wiiid uuwiiiuwu people nave ineir
v ashing done.
"I wish we couldJmpress upon peo
ple who are ready to help relieve dis
tress among thewhltes only, that this
is not a race problem It is a human
problem. Just so long as people allow
their prejudice to blind them to real
facts, just so long will Washington
have Its alley problems."
From here we went to Freedmen's
court, between O and TJ streets and
Sixth and Seventh, over to Goat alley.
ana clown old o street, now Neal. Much
the same conditions prevailed, and In
Thanksgiving Day Is being anUcL
pated In many local churches today, al.
though. In most s Instances, there will
not' be servces until next Thursday
morning. '
The Rev. John Compton Ball's subject
at the Metropolitan Baptist Church this
morning was "Thanks Be Unto God
For ," tha sentence being left unfin
ished, that It might Include everything
physical and spiritual that men enjoy
today.
"Three Thanksgivings" was the sub
ject of a sermon by the Rev. Dr. D.
Butler Pratt at the lit. Pleasant Con.
gregatlonal Church, this- morning, while
at the Westminster Memorial Presby
terian Church the Rev. T. B Davis
preached on "Thanksgiving In Anticipa
tion." A' Thanksgiving praise service will be
held at the Sixth Presbyterian Church
this evening. The theme -wlll be "Be
Thankful." and the service will be in
charge of the Rev. A. W. Spooner.
Two pastors will this evening make
the moral temptations and obligations
of metropolitan life the subject of their
sermons.- "The City and Its Peril!'
will be discussed by the Rev. J. A.
Campbell at the First United Presby
terian Church. The Rev. S. Townseiui
Weaver, of the Grace MT E. Church,
will at the same hour preach on "The
Perils and Privileges of tha City." A
sermon along the same-lines will be
that on "The Progress or the Common
People," ,by the Rev. Drf James Shera
Montgomery, at' the Metropolitan Me
morial Methodist Church.
The Rt. iRev, Lucien Klnsolvlng.
Bishop. of 'Brazil, will preach the sermon
at the Episcopal Church of the Epiph
any this evening, his' subject being
"ReUgJon's Simplest Demand.? The
morning sermon there was preached by
the rector, the JRev. Dr. Randolph H.
McKlm, being a special service for Hi
ram Lodge. No. 10, A. F. and A. M.
The last of the afternoon services at
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church will be
held at 4:15 today, when the Rev. C.
Herbert -Reese preaches on "Work."
Beginning next Sunday, this service
will be held at 8 o'clock In the evening.
Home Club to Pick
Officers Tomorrow
chiMren have no place to play. In sum- the neya mt0 mmor streetSt eHm.
nior there Is nothing but the hot. filthy natlng the dead-ends, would partially
brick alleys and courts in wnicn tnojsoive tne proiem,
rhililrpn ulav their games and In the
winter the Ill-ventilated and often over
crowded rooms do their deadly work in
breeding tuberculosis germs."
The allejs were lined with children,
most of which were colored. In one of
the houses mummy was ironing. Tubs,
cooking utensils, and household furni-
Influence Morals.
"It is not In terms of Illness and
death alone that the Influence of tho
home and Its surroundings must be
measured." continued my guide. "Mor
als and love of righteousness are factors
What's on Program This Week
MONDAY.
Meetings, twiiiim.
Masonic Dawson I,udi,'c. No. 16, M. M.
Staiibbuo. -' i""1 K,II' Dav,d'
No N (hPcIal) I :; Mt. Vernon
Chapter. No. -. Royal Arch. Ana
rost'a No. 12; Kalllpolls Grotto, No.
1". M O V. P.. K. R. ceremonial;
Temple Chapter. No. 13, Kastern Star.
Columbia. No. 1.1: meeting of board
of directors of Ma&onic and Eastern
btar mine.
Knights of Pythias Decatur Lodge. No.
o. Cnlr.Tithl". No. 11. KdU.il. No 17.
National Union-Scott Council, Pythian
Temple; Northeast Washington Coun
cil. Njrfheast Temple.
Odil Fellows Union Lodgo, No. 11;
Covenant. No. 13, an 1 Langdon. No.
X business; Beacon, No. 15, degree
work. Ksther Lodge, No. 5, Rebekah,
social wsslon.
K. O. T. M. National Tent, No. 1.
business .--esslon at T:20 o'clock and
family night at bM o'clock In old
Masonic Temple.
Socialist party German branch meet
ing. s:l." o'clock, iU K street north
west. TUESDAY.
Meetings, evening:
Masonic Federal Lodge, No. 1, visita
tion. S o'clock, Takoma, No. a; Mt.
Iloreb Chapter, No. 7, Royal Arch,
and It. A. Potomac. No. IS; Do Mol.iy
Comnianrtery. No. 4. Knights Templar;
Uohtrt do Ilrm-e Council of Kadosh,
Scottish Rite, twenty-seventh degree;
Klecta Chapter, No. '. Kastern Star,
Bethlehem, No. 7, visitation. Friend
ship. No. 17.
Knishts of Pythias Webster Lodge, No.
7; Hxcelslor. No. H, grand visitation;
Germanla. No 13; Capitol, No. it. Il
lustrated lecture: Mrtle, No. i".
Odd Fellows Washington Ixulge, No. 6.
degree work; Golden Rule. No. 21. and
Amity. No. 21, business: Fred D.
Stuart Encampment. No. 7. grand
visitation.
K O. T. M. rtrlghlwood Tent, No. 5.
Maccabee Hull. Brlghtwood.
Socialist party Italian branch meeting,
S.1S o'clock, VII K street northwest.
WEDNESDAY.
Meetings, evening:
Mat-oHc- Harmony Lodge. No. 17. F. C;
Grand Lodge frliool of instruction.
Royal Arch, Grand chapter, school of
Instiiiclion, Washington Command
er), No. 1, Knights Templar, Naomi
Chapter. No. 3. and Brookland, No. II.
Eastern Star.
Knights ot Pytbiaa-Ai;. Vernon Lodfie,
No. 5; Hermlone. No. 12; Union, No
-,', w2,rk; Columbia, No. 33; Friend
ship Temple No. 9, Pythian Sisters,
past chiefs' night.
Odd Fellows-Eastern Lodge. No. 7
Harmony, No. 9. and Friendship. No.
12. business; Federal City, No. "0.
initiatory degree; Columbia Encamp
ment, No. 1. degree work.
Socialist party Youne people's League,
S:15 o'clock, Sll E street northwest.
THURSDAY.
Meetings, evening:
Masonic The New Jerusalem Lodge.
No. 9, business; Temple-Noyes, No 32;
George C. Whiting, No. 22. meeting
postponed; Washington Chapter, No.
2, Royal Arch. P. and M. E.; Capitol,
No. 11; William F. Hunt Chapter. No.
17, Eastern Star, visitation.
Knights of Pythias Harmony Lodge,
No. 21.
National Union Bancroft Council, Ty
pogtaphlcal Temple; Dahlgren Coun
cil. Pythian Temple.
Odd Fellows Columbia Lodge, No. 10,
Excelsior. No. 17, and Salem. No. 22,
business.
K. O. T. M. District Tent, Mariner's
Temple.
Socialist Party Women's Central Com
mittee, social and luncheon, 5:30 to
10:30 o'clock.
FRIDAY.
Meetings, evening:
Mason!." Naval Lodge. No. 4. special.
M. M : St. John's. No. 11. E. A.: F.
C. Hope. No. 20. M". M.; Eureka Chap
ter. No. 4, Royal Arch; Almas Temple,
Shrlners. ceremonial. 7 o'clock: Ta
koma Chapter. No. 12. and Cathedral,
No. 14. Eastern Star.
Knights of Pythias Syracusians Lodge.
No. V: Rathbone-Superior. No. 29;
Rathbone Temple. No. S. Pythian Sis
ters, degree work.
Natlon'U I'nlon East Washington Coun
cil. Weller'a Hall; McKlnley Council,
Washington Hall.
Odd Fellows Centra Lodge. No. 1, busi
ness; Metropolis, No. 16,
Lines of "wash" hunc across the
court which had but onj entrance. Gar-
oage cans with lids off were every-
wiere in evidence. cjntldren pla7'
eti on the steps or on the dlrt-o-
pavements. There appeared to be but
one garbage can to every three or
iuur iiuzmies.
Shot at Can.
- , .
waa imormea once when I came
through here," said Mrs. Blcknell. "that
tho people In some of the upper apart
ments dldnt bother to bring their
garbage downstairs at all. They simp-'
ij maae a wtia shot at the open can
with their refuse, and once in a while
it struck where they- intended It,"
Our next visit took in Willow Tree
tuun, wncre jurs. Wilson hopes to see
a municipal wash house established.
Inasmuch as most of the women In
habitants of these alley take In wash
ings as a means of livelihood, they
would still be provided with means to
ply their trade, in case the proposed
changes should mean temporary hard
bhip to them.
"A numher of objectionable build
ings here have already been taken
down." said Mrs. Blcknell. "and somo
of the conditions Improved through In
dividual efforts. But there still re
mains much to be done."
I took a snapshot here of a view
which Is not printed In the pretty
souvenir books; of Washington.
Tho Capitol dome, about which so
many superlatives have been written
forms the background for a row of
shacks that suggests New Tork's East
Side. I have often heard a Capitol
guide pointing out the beauties of the
western grounds to a party of tourists,
referring to the smooth stretch of
lawn as "the most beautiful backyard
In the world."
And It's true, of course.
But what about the adjoining block
to the southwest?
Postmasters Asked
To Solicit Deposits
"With every new depositor you have
contributed to the general happiness
and thrift of your community," writes
the Postofflce Department to post
masters throughout the country, in a
letter advancing the advantages of the
postal savlngj system. Postmasters are
urged to personally solicit deposits.
"A serious drawback has been a lack
of systematic publicity," the letter con
tinues. In discussing the savings .sys
tem. "It is surprising how little the
puollc knows generally about the op
eration of the service. It Is our duty
to acquaint the public, especially In
the larger cities, with the facilities the
service affords."
Sylvester Plans
To Inspect Police
Hon; Phoenix. No. 2S. business; Dor-!
cas Lodge. NO. 4. Rebekah, business.
Socialist pnrty Local Centr.il Washing
ton. S.1G o'clock. Sll E street north
west; Loral Northeast Washington.
S:ir. o'clock. 639 Eighth street north
east. SATURDAY'.
Meetings, evening:
Masonic Dedication of Masonic and
Eastern Star Home In afternoon.
Socialist party Women's Central Com
mittee, social and luncheon. 5:30 to
10:30 o'clock.
The annual lnsnectlon ami rlrill nt th
grand vlslta- Washington police force will be held
December -I. 5. and & The inspections
will be made by Major Sylvester, super
intendent of police, and the Commis
sioners. Tho flag trophy, awarded each
year to tho precinct passing tho best
inspection, both as to force and quar
ters. Is tho prize for which all precinct
captains compete.
In addition to this trophy, tho Samuel
II. Vandergrlft prizes to the mounted
men of the force will bo awarded to
Individuals after a special Inspection
nnd drill of the mounted men. There
are three prizes, aggregating Jo0 in gold.
That there win be no discrimination
In membership eligibility for the Home
Club of the Department of the Interior
Is Indicated by the fact that- the by
laws, as drafted, provide no restrictions.
The only 'prerequisite for membership
Is employment in the-Department of the
Interior In a tentative draft of the
Home ' Club by-laws it -was provided
that all white employes were eligible.
The draft, submitted to employes to be
scanned- before a. meeting tomorrow
evening, contained no such limitation.
Temporary officers will be elected to
morrow night.
Following, is the ballot: For president.
ppresldent, George Otis; Smith. Geofoglcal
Survey; secretaryr M- A". Rattigan, Gen
eral Land Office; treasurer, A. Hi
Thompson, Pension Ofnce. Board ot
truestees John McPhauL General Land
Office; John T. Reeves. Indian Office:
John F. Keenan. pension Office; James
T. Newton, patent Office; E. J. Ayers.
Secretary's office; W. S. Deffenbaugh.
Bureau of Education; Miss A. M. Fon
taine, Geological Survey. W. A. Ryan.
Reclamation Service, and Mrs. Edith T.
Spofford. Bureau ot Mines.
Charge Destruction' Of
Eggs to Hold Prices
Within a week special attorneys and
agents all over the country are expected
to file with the Attorney General's office
detailed Information about cold storage
houses and their handling, of eggs. The
Department of Justice has been In
formed by Congressman Kenneth D.
McKellar that the cold-storage Interests
of the country, by the manipulation of
markets, have caused the high prices at
present being charged for food. In ad
dition to an Immediate Investigation by
Congress demanded by Mr. McKellar,
he has asked Attorney General McRey
nolds to assemble evidence of the re
ported conditions, with a view to Insti
tuting criminal proceedings.
Congressman McKellar told the De
partment of Justice that he had been
Informed that one storage firm actually
destroyed eggs by the carload after Its
warehouses had become taxed to their
capacity, rather than allow the eggs to
go Into the retail markets and curtail
the plan of "cornering" the egg market.
Community Xmas Tree
Lighting a Problem
Lighting the White House Ellipse and
the community Christmas tree Is the
problem now before the committee in
chartre. and It will be decided at a
conference to be held by lighting ex
perts and the committee tomorrow.
The tree will be strung with hundreds
of electric bulbs, with a big star at the
top. while the Ellipse will probably be
lighted and warmed with great bon
fires about the edge. The Boy Scouts
of the District will help In the work.
The fund now In hand Is $91. with
contributions expected dally.
The Atrum Club
Puts on a Play
The Atrum Club, a local organization,
gave a play last Wednesday night at
Odd Fellows' Hall, under the direction
of Arthur B. White. The performance
was a success.
Those taking part were Marie Koonx.
Walter Rathbone. Arthur B. White. .
Ethel Cohill. John Vemeyer. Mrs. Wln
fleld. George Edelin. Eric H. Carbaugh.
Robert Jansen. James Rldgway. Nellie
Clements, and John King.
Frank Morrison
Celebrating Today
Washington friends of Frank Morri
son, secretary of the American Federa
tion of Labor, today sent congratula
tions to him at the Seattle convention,
the occasion being Mr. Morrison's fifty
fourth birthday anniversary.
Today also is the fifty-first anniver
sary of Sir Gilbert Parker, author of
"The Right of Way," which attracted
so much favorablo attention at Poll's
Theater last week.
A
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