The Washington times. [volume], July 25, 1931, Image 20

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

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EDITORIAL PAGE
OF THE
Gambling and Rum Joints
Not Private Places
Judge McMahon’s decision on warrantless raids of establish
ments violating laws may not be upheld in the higher oourts,
but it is sensible and helpful to morality, law and order.
It is noted that this courageous judge draws a sharp dis
tinction between private residences and presumably public
places where laws are being violated.
The home is sacred, under our Constitution and laws and
should always be so. No police department or set of officers
will undertake to raid private homes without due processes
of law, and should never be allowed to do so.
The principle of safeguarding homes is so important that
the higher courts would prefer to have it maintained even
where it protects law violators taking cover under it.
The presence of reinforced doors and peepholes in doors
may hint at misdemeanors, but these are possible even in
private homes where the inmates have fears of bodily harm
or invasion.
It is not likely that a final opinion on this particular case
or any other will put additional legal halters on policemen
in certain grave emergencies. Under some circumstances in
volving public welfare the police can find ways to circum
vent legal technicalities and reach dangerous offenders.
Where it is evident to our policemen that public places are
breeding a criminal element that is inimical to law and decency
and that this element is beginning to consider itself higher
than the law itself, ways will be found by brainy police of
ficers to teach drastic lessons, leaving the legality of these
ways to be ruled upon.
This City’s Street Noises
They Are Added to by Others, of Course
Communications on the subject of this city’s street and
other noises continue to reach this newspaper, with grouchy
writers inclining to sarcasm about those humans who con
tribute to a variety of noises not connected with the streets.
“R. F. H.” furnishes a fair sample of the kicks on sundry
night noises and they are lined up as he gives them and
largely in his words:
Prize fights over the radio and prolonged use of radios.
People who stand or sit underneath other people’s windows
and talk about NOTHING until midnight or later.
Small and noisy children allowed to stay up until 11 or 12
o’clock each night.
Fellows, with dates, who park in front of or near homes and
blow their auto horns long and loudly for their sweeties to
come running to them.
Useless blowing of auto horns at night, generally to show
the world that SOMETHING big is coming, and it generally
turns out to be an insignificant wreck full of creaks.
All the communications find fault with noisy tooting of
automobile horns and demand that the volume of these noises
be curtailed.
These Scientists Differ
Humanity Does Not Worry Much About It, Either
Comes back a scientist from a year’s exploration in the
Sahara Desert, with the theory that man- originated on the
southern boundary of that desert. In his original state he was
an ape-like man.
This theory conflicts with that of another famous scientist
who said the origin of humanity was in the Gobi Desert, of
Central Asia, and that the first of us was a man-like ape.
Neither theory, it is declared, conflicts with the theories of
Darwin and other gentlemen who worked vigorously on this
mystery. , . . >
That both these American scientists placed the beginning of
humanity in deserts may illuminate the futility of attempts at
prohibition and account for the immense thirst of modern
people.
Os course we can merely guess at what our ancestors had to
drink in what are now huge deserts, but it seems evident that
somewhere along the line of human evolution a tremendous
thirst seized upon man and still hangs to him. Briefly, it is a
hangover.
District’s Divorce Record
Divorces decreased more rapidly in the District of Columbia
in 1930 than in any other part of the country. As compared
with 1929 they fell off 19.1 per cent. Throughout the country
divorces decreased 4.2 per cent, as compared to 1929.
Marriages decreased 8.5 per cent throughout the country,
{tositive proof that depression slowed down the processes of
ove. It also slowed down divorces, probably due to less
money for lawyers and court costs.
Those who hold that much money brings numerous evils will
pse the figures to sustain their contention. Those who have
not the money to procure divorces manage to stick to each
other.
Still there were far too many divorces in the United States
in 1930. For every six marriages reported there was one
divorce. There were about 25 marriages to each divorce in
this- city.
South Carolina holds to its law prohibiting divorce or legal
separation in any form. The boosters of that State are now
advertising it as the "lodine State,” because of .the presence
of exceptional quantities of iodine in the soil. Although
iodine is a counter-irritant it is not used in South Carolina to
heal marriage wounds.
| Cut Rate Taxi War
Out rate wars among Washington taxis will not improve
the finances of the taxi owners or of the street car or bus
lines, but will tickle taxi patrons in the money they will save.
The rivalry for business will heat up some of the taxi drivers
and lead to fights and bad temper.
Some day Congress is going to step up to the plate and
am ash out legislation that will put order in the whole transit
field of Washington, permitting extensive mergers of transit
facilities for the public, with control in away that will give
.Washington reasonable rates, efficient and stable service.
Cut rate wars may be beneficial to the public for short
periods, but they bring strife and losses, with attempts to
make up these losses later. That is the history of cut rate
fights, anytiow.
WASH
The Optimist Harding
I f I HAVE PERFECT CONFIDENCE IN
your ability to save yourself
. P T — 7
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Now the Story Has Been Told -> By Claude G. Bowers
It has been a long time since
the country has heard of the
much- advertised Presidents
Emergency Committee for the
relief of the unemployed. When
Col. Arthur Wood, the chair
man. resigned, and took his de
parture, it was generally as
sumed that the committee's
work was over—before it had
begun. 1
Now a report of a survey of
conditions is issued by the act
ing chairman of the committee:
and it evidently is an honest
report. It is an honest report
because it does not follow the
Administration's policy of gloss
ing over the conditions. It finds
that there will be more need
for help next winter than last.
The reason for this is ap
parent. It does not even neces
sarily imply that more bread
winners will be out of work.
There are thousands of men, in
dustrious and saving, who had
accumulated a surplus, hoping
to fall back upon it in old age
or in the case of sickness.
These, out of work for two
years, have been living on their
savings: and these in thousands
of instances now have been ex
hausted. Thus, it is not sur
prising to read in the report of
the President’s Emergency Com
mittee that “in many cities we
find the number of dependent
TIMES TEST
Do you know:
1. A poynd of what figures in
"The Merchant of Venice”?
2. What is the Latin phrase
meaning household goods.
3. Who said,
"But there’s nothing half
so sweet in life
As love’s young dream”?
4. What is meant by crema
tion?
5. What is cinema another
name for?
6. In what book would you
look for the quotation,
"By their fruits ye shall
know them”?
7. Where in America is tin
found?
8. Where are the United
States mints located?
9. What is potash *used for?
10. What are the principal
com producing States?
Match correctly:
11. Susan B. Anthony
probably visited North
America in the year 1000
12. WiUa Cather
actor who killed Lincoln
13. John Wilkes Booth
advocate of woman suffrage
14. Leif Ericson
helped to improve treat
ment of insane.
15. Dorothy Dix
American novelist
(Answers on Magazine Page)
'NGZON TIMES
families doubled over last year’s
estimate.”
* * *
“The American Way,”
According to President
The committee also is hon
est in reporting that private
contributions in “the American
way” have not scratched the
surface; that in large cities,
like New York and Phila
delphia, the funds privately
subscribed were exhausted in
six months: and these funds
certainly did not adequately
take care of everyone. And so
the committee reports:
“Private philanthropy can
not possibly raise all the funds
needed to meet the aggregate
demand. The larger percent
age of the direct relief burden
LISTEN, WORLD!
By Elsie Robinson
The most dangerous animal ♦
on earth is man.
He is infinitely more danger
ous than a lion or a snake be
cause, with his greater brain
and wider opportunity, he can
contrive more vicious cruelties.
This condition won’t last for
ever. Slowly man is growing
up. But. just at present, we’re
still pretty close to our low
browed. shaggy-thighed grand
pas, and their selfishness,
cowardice, stupidity and brutal
ity run amuck in our blood.
A Hidden Jungle
You never can tell what the
other fellow’s going to do. He
never can tell himself. He’s a
whole jungle of brute desire
and fear, walking around in a
pair of civilized plus fours.
And, at any moment, the hid
den jungle may smash through
the civilized veneer.
And even if man doesn’t com
mit any overt act, his stupidity
constitutes a constant menace.
Sins of OMISSION raise quite •
as much cain as sins of COM
MISSION.
No use trying to blindfold
yourself to these facts, nor
hush them up, nor laugh them
off. You are in a dangerous
world. And every man is a
bad actor. Look out for your
self! 7
Does that mean that you
should carry a gun—or its men
tal equivalent? Go armed for
trouble — suspecting everyone?
No—that’s the surest way of
getting into trouble. Your great
est insurance against the men
ace in humanity is not suspi
cion, cynicism of violence—
IT IS FAITH.
Faith and Pride
Faith will do more to make
a man and keep him safe than
any other power on earth. It is
the most potent Instrument you
must be met through municipal
and county appropriations.”
This of course is not, accord
ing to the President, “the
American way.”
But since the President’s
committee recommends a s
necessary a departure from
the President’s American way
it is interesting to observe that
the President’s committee con
cludes that municipalities and
counties must find the way or
the people must starve.
* * *
Simply Passing
the Buck
The correspondent for the
Herald-Tribune, impressed by
the committee's conclusion that
the responsibility for relief
“rests on officials,” bluntly
asked whether this included
► csn use because it appeals to
that thing within him which
the man himself holds most
precious ... it appeals to his
PRIDE.
Pride is a tremendous force.
You can see it at work in forms
of life which we consider lower
than man ... in a dog. for
example. A dog’s pride is as
sensitive as a man’s. He suf
fers acutely if you shame
him . . . goes vicious if you
shame or punish him to much.
But he’ll break his heart, give
you his life, if you'll believe in
him.
Have you ever patted the
head of a fine dog . . . looked
deep into his eyes, as a com
rade . . . said “Good old fel
low?” If you have you’ve seen
a miracle. You’ve seen pride
leap like a flame in the depths?
of those adoring eyes ... seen
his happy heart thumping
against his hairy hide.
If you want to arouse all
that’s fine in a dog, believe in
him. If you want to protect
yourself against all that’s dan
gerous in a dog, believe in him.
He may be a strange and
vicious dog. he may bite others,
but unless he is actually rabid
he’ll make friends with you.
* Same With Humans
Strange how we. recognize
that truth about dogs but we
can’t see that the same thing
works with men and women.
For it does. Faith is your
greatest insurance against the
wolf in a dog—and it’s also
your greatest insurance against
the gorilla in a man.
Believe in a man—be a part
ner to the pride in a man—
and chances are he'll do any
thing for you.
Distrust a man. expect the
worst from a man. and the
chances are he’ll do anything
TO you.
Federal officials—for example,
the President of the United
States. And there was no an
swer.
There was no answer for
one of two reasons. Either the
spokesman of the President’s
committee realizes that the
Federal officials must act and
yet is restrained from saying
so because of the President’s
position, or he lacks the nerve
to say that while the mayors of
towns must help, the President
should not be disturbed.
It is common knowledge, fre
quently reported and com
mented upon, that many local
governments have gone as far
as they can, while the most
powerful governmental unit in
the world has been passing the
buck to them.
* * ♦
President’s Committee
a Mere Gesture
The truth is that the Presi
dent's Committee has been a
mere gesture on his part, sig
nifying nothing of importance.
We are told that the country
has been divided into regions
and that each region has been
furnished an “advisor” to assist
the local governments and com
munities in getting funds.
No doubt there has been a
paper organization but it has
amounted to nothing.
It does not follow that this
is a criticism of the members
of the President’s Committee.
It has been tied to the post by
the President’s idea of “the
American way." It does not
even now dare admit that Fed
eral officials must help, or
should help.
It urged the passage cf the
Wagner unemployment bills
that the President opposed and
vetoed.
It knows that there were
thousands of men in the coun
try who have qualified for
thousands of vacancies in the
postal service, and that the Ad
ministration will not fill these
vacancies: but instead reduces
the efficiency of the service.
We do not criticize the mem
bers of the President's Commit
tee. No doubt they have done
the best they could under their
limitations.
WISE WORDS
A jest’s prosperity lies in the
ear
Os him that hears it, never in
the tongue.
Os him that makes it.
—Shakespeare.
Sir Henry Wotton used to say
that critics are like brushers of
nobleman’s clothes.—Bacon.
Good taste springs more
from judgment than, from in
tellect. —La Rochefoucauld,
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
JULY 25, 1931
The Biggest Locomotive
A Magnificent Machine. It Will Soon Be Out of Date
Like the Dinosaur.
. - <•>.. .■ -. . ■ j
£| .. ■' E
—Courtesy of Canadian Pacific
GIANT LOCOMOTIVE COMPARED WITH SMALL
AUTOMOBILE.
This locomotive, biggest and most powerful on the Ameri
can continent, belongs to the Canadian (Pacific Railroad and is
called an "8,000 Type, Multi-Pressure Locomotive.”
One hundred feet long, weighing 800,000 pounds, this
engine has hauled a train a mile and one-third long, which
means a load one-third greater than that for which the loco
motive was planned.
Think what that means, a train of cars more than 7,000 feet
long, equal in length to thirty-five average city blocks of 200
feet each.
Each car of the long train could carry 100,000 pounds.
This means progress since the days when transportation
was limited to the horsepower of four or six horses, or when
they hauled great stones on rollers over the sand of Egypt,
equal to- the hauling power of 500,000 men. In fact, all the
men in Egypt could not have hauled what this one locomotive
can haul, for it would have been impossible to attach them
to the load and impossible for them to apply their strength
to it.
There is something fascinating for every American in the
sight of the "newest and biggest locomotive.” Our national
life and progress have been so bound up with railroad develop
ment that each of us takes a personal interest in the "big
gest.”
Nevertheless, the great locomotive represents THE PAST,
while the tiny automobile beside it represents the future.
And even more representative of the future, as regards
transportation, is the invisible electric current that runs along
a copper wire or a steel rail, feeding power to an engine that
needs no coal for fuel, no water for steam.
A majority of those now living will see the day when this
engine will be interesting only in a museum, such as that in
which Henry Ford collects his machinery of long ago.
This monster of the rails will go to join the dinosaur in
the limbo of the past, with giant mammoth and the other
great embodiments of power.
The tendency today is to eliminate size and weight, re
ducing heavy machinery to a minimum.
Instead of digging coal and carrying it hundreds of miles
to be burned in many separate furnaces, the present method is
to change the coal into Electric current, AT THE MINE, then
let it carry itself over wires for distribution in cities far away.
The tendency in engine building is to reduce weight. Air
plane engines are built that weigh less than two pounds per
horsepower, as though nature had squeezed and condensed a
•1,000-pound horse into a creature so small and light that a man
could carry 100-horsepower.
While waiting for mechanical perfection, let us be grateful
that man’s genius has been able to construct a machine like
this able to carry thousands of tons of wheat over mountains
and pull a train more than a mile long.
The Valuable Dollar
Too Bad There Aren’t More of Them
Interesting, if true, is the announcement of the Federal De
partment of Labor that the 1926 dollar is now worth $1.48.
Assuming the department’s figures are right, the news should
be cheering to anybody who still has a dollar. And, no doubt,
there are some. To those who have not, however, the informa
tion can make little difference.
The 6,000,000 men out of work, the 12,000,000 or more women
and children dependent on them, will not be impressed. Any
kind of a dollar would look big to them. The thing that chiefly
interests them is how to get one.
William Randolph Hearst recently pointed out the way they
could get a few dollars—not from charity but from honest work
His plan, which has the indorsement of many noted econo
mists, was to issue a $5,000,000,000 prosperity loan which would
be spent on necessary public improvements.
It was substantially the same plan, by the way, which Mr
Hoover outlined in his Palo Alto speech before he was inaugv
rated President.
Nofr that such a plan is imperative to lift business out of the
slump and to provide work for the unemployed millions, Mr
Hoover seems to have forgotten it.
However, as said, the rising value of the dollar will cheer
those that have dollars.
Those that haven’t can do without another winter, and after
that, most of them will be past the point where a dollar will do
them any good.
ONCE-OVERS
Does your happiness depend
too much upon other people?
Are you uneasy and discon
tented when you are alone?
Within yourself do you seem
not to be able to Interest or
amuse yourself in anything?
You must have the associa
tion with others, irrespective of
whether their society is benefi
cial to you or otherwise.
None should be lonely if it
be possible to procure books.
You have missed a lot if you
have not cultivated the reading
habit.
One of the most pitiful of
persons was one who stated
that at no time in his life had
he cared for reading. •
♦ Reaching the age limit where
i he was employed, he retired.
He wandered around — was
disconsolate.
I Asked why he did not spend
■ some leisure in reading he re-
j plied that he had never In all ♦
! his life become interested in a
book or magazine.
No special cronies—time on
his hands—life was a bore to
| him.
He admitted that death would
be a happy release.
This man, in fairly good
health, enough money to meet
I his wants and wishing to die be-
■ cause he could not amuse him
j self, should set you thinking.
(Copyright I*3l. International
I Feature Bervlee, Ina.)