Wmrnxmmmis
8
EVENING LEDGER PHILADELPHIA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBEB I, 1914.
t? A. tSa. A.
pEuetung tEujtiger
rUUUC LEDGER COMPANY
CTRtJS 11 K. CURTIS, Pimidsht.
0t. W". Oehs. Secretary: John C. Martin. Treasurer!
KTaitUs It. tudtniton. Philip 8. Collins, John n. Wit-
lla.mii. Director.
EDITORIAL BOAnD t
Ciu II. K. Ccatis, Chairman.
Br, tt. WHALfiY . t Executive Editor
imi'.iii '
JOIttf 0. MAIITIN. ... . . , .General Business Manager
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CLASS Milt, U1TTEB.
rillLADEUlllA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 191 1.
Tho Governor-Elect
DOCTOR BRUMBAUGH'S candidacy was
ono of the most attractlvo over offered
to tho peoplo of Pennsylvania. Ilia con
splcuqus service In tho causo of education
had endeared htm to all ranks. His splendid
Independence, revealed over and over again
during tho campaign; his tenacious hold on
his Individual platform; his frankness of
uttoranco and tho obvious sincerity of his
purpose combined to malto him Irresistible.
'At no tlmo was his election by a substantial
majority in doubt, but even hlB most en
thusiastic supporters were unprepared for
the overwhelming indorsement which he has
received.
Doctor Brumbaugh's election means a new
era In State government. He approaches his
task with a wealth of equipment. Few men
surpass him in natural capacity, and his
training has devoted him to tho best Interests
of the great masses, for the benefit of whom
his life service has been given. His perspec
tive) Is broad. His executive experience Is
great. Ho has been so wrapped up In tho
isplratlons of Pennsylvania that no man is
noro conversant than he with the needs and
alms of the State. There will be no place for
scandal while his hands hold the reins.
Pennsylvania by electing Doctor Brum
baugh has vindicated her intelligence and
jober common sense. It is a great victory
for tho people.
Italy and the Allies
TTAIiYS tenure in North Africa is obviously
UL tied up with that of Great Britain's
' stability in Egypt. If the Moslem tribes,
over which tho Sultan claims a suzerainty
.ccoed. In breaking England's hold upon
ypt they would follow up their victory ty
l.h'rklnc the Italians In Tripoli.
A j Tripoli has been a costly experiment for
Italy alreaay ana sne win not reunquian nor
-hard-won possession without a struggle. An
n'llliinm for the defense of their African
holdings will be the most natural thing for
Great Britain and Italy. But It will bo cer
tain to draw Italy into tho European phase
of the war.
Memories of Zanzibar
ZANZIBAR! The name stirs memories. It
reminds some of us that we once knew
what Zanzibar is. For a moment or two wo
are puzzled to decide whether it is a comio
opera or an island. Anyway, it does not
seem very important.
,, Tho other day a small boy exclaimed,
What's tho use of studying geography? It's
all going to be changed!" But the enter
prising business man who sells abroad has
a different viewpoint. This is the very time
1 when he should study geography geography
in its commercial aspects.
And so, after all, Zanzibar is important
Zanzibar will take large quantities of Ameri
can goods If we ourselves do something about
It, There are many Zanzlbars. There is
flerra Leone, for instance; and Liberia, and
if
in Togoland. American hardware, bulld-
materlals, cotton goods and foodstuffs
nantsd. now that EurODean sources of
pply have been cut off. True, we have
wketa in South America, in the Orient in
tr trope itself; but let us not despise the
-jJanzlbars of commercial opportunity.
, .. .. r, . .. .
Marking Time in Mexico
tTTTHETHER Mexico will ever be able to
TYV settle her own problems is still a mat-
'ter of doubt The election of General
Gutterres n President for 10 days is simply
an expedient a truce, until a permanent
President can be chosen.
jWhat Mexico needs Is a strong man who
la also a clean man. Such a one has not
yet loomed up. Carranza gave promise of
Being able to meet tne aemana ana nope
Ighco fixed upon hjra as the Ideal, but he
betas now not to be sutncienuy strong tor
jhe ask.
Tfce whole world certainly la giving Mexico
KKfMr chance to work out her own salvation.
94 If she fails America ultimately may hare
Ice up the white roan'o burden.
Iffice Seeking as Strenuous Exercise
political candidate gets more than
shore of whips and scorns and proud
L's eentumeiy. spring tne election ne
stand Itt but now, when the battle Is
certain of his long-suffering virtues
aid be commended.
"' It Ja no easy thing, this purvntt of office.
JfcgHSjcg lb public attack to wnleh tt lays
SgTiVefi, it la a draining fatigue as a mere
l ext)trae, air. u ioiww ntu coi-
agaln under the strain. Gltford Pin-
auXered vocally during the Pennsyl-
after day of campaigning, long ridea
j, etug eosircace. speeoa upon speeen.
to fee met hands to be shaken, the
Jut of M-oser aieei?k is net & light
r t b er4 at Happy the es( wUa)i
) oanditigfaa anal tails day.
SigjhCoMof Quawel
Urfr, L,
Lni'fliiy
30)
T
Unnecessary litigation. In Massachusetts the
workmen's compensation law has resulted In
tho almost completo elimination of personal
injury cases from tho Courts, and therefore
in n great Bavlng of expenso to Stato and to
employers and employes.
Tho statute leaves employers and employes
nothing to quarrel about; there Is no Incen
tive to attempt Imposition and no opportunity
for quibbling. The operation of this law
favors co-operation and harmony; It helps
to humanize Industry. Causes of friction aro
removed: advantages aro found to bo mutual.
Ono of tho remarkable features of tho work
ing of tho Massachusetts law lies In the great
percentage of claims that aro settled by
agreement botween applicants and Insurers
before they have reached formally an arbi
tration committee or the Industrial Accident
Board. This Is because, In tho handling of
all cases, a man-to-man, get-together spirit
has taken tho placo of tho kind of litigation
which from beginning to end deepens per
sonal and class enmity.
Half a Victory
THE Republican landslide has ewept Son
ator Penroso back Into ofllco. Ills In
dorsement Is apparently moro emphatic than
that glvon Doctor Brumbaugh. Thcro aro
excellent reasons for deploring this result.
Tho tlmo seemed rlpo for emphatic repudia
tion of the methods and means of tho Pon
roso political systom, without sacrifice of
tho great Republican principles which havo
been and should havo been vindicated.
The great mass of Republicans, however,
felt that heroic treatment was necossary to
warn the "Wilson Administration to quit
tinkering. Tho lnsensato Interference with
business, tho passago of tho meaningless
but dlsturbful additional anti-trust legisla
tion, the constant experimentation with pros
perity Induced thousands of good men to
subordinate tho moral to tho economic as
pects of tho situation. They believed that
Pennsylvania must speak her mind on pro
tection and they doubted If the election of
Doctor Brumbaugh olono would bo properly
Interpreted by the nation.
Tho whisky Democrats openly knifed their
party ticket. This was anticipated, but It
was assumed that tie revolt of Independent
Republicans would counteract this move
ment. It did not.
Tho Evening; Ledoeh has no sympathy
with tho political methods of Sonator Pen
rose. It Is convinced that men of the Sulli
van typo In Illinois aro a menace to Ameri
can institutions.
The fight for good government has won a
signal victory In tho election of Doctor
Brumbaugh. Just as significant a triumph
has been achieved In New York by tho ro
markable triumph of Mr Whitman. These
aro the men who will bulk largo in Repub
lican councils hereafter, tho prophets of a
new order.
The repudiation of Tammany will be fol
lowed by similar repudiation of the Organi
zation in Philadelphia, The protagonists of
good government have no reason to be dis
couraged. Already their loins aro girded to
continue the fight and they have the groat
victory of Doctor Brumbaugh to Inspire
them.
Hawks and Gulls
NATURALLY every ono wishes to bo rich
and to attain to wealth with as little
effort as possible. When a man comes along
with fabulous promises and can quote well
known names as a guarantee there aro al
ways thousands of unsuspecting people ready
to fall to the lure. James Hagg has been
convicted for fraudulent utie of tho malls to
promote his schemes. Ho promised BO per
cent, per year and used the namo of Daniel
N. Morgan, treasurer of tho United States
under President Cleveland, as an associate
in tho enterprise.
Men and women with small amounts to in
vest ought to know by now that BO per cent,
investment enterprises do not need to be ad
vertised through the malls or by any other
means If there Is any such opportunity re
quiring money, that money can be easily fur
nished by the men who are on the Inside
No one has ever tried to -estimate the millions
lost each year to the flamboyant promoters
by people who ought to be Investing It with
the utmost care and who can 111 afford to
lose any.
Philadelphia's Cheerful Spenders
BANKERS, brokers and manufacturers
are not the sole judges between pros
perity and calamity. It Is a waste of breath
to talk pessimism to people of small or mod
erate Incomes' who find themselves able to
spend as freely as the patrons of Philadel
phia stores.
It Is credibly stated that the sales of de
partment stores In this city have increased
over thotfe of last year, despite the war; and
this fact Is all the more significant because
the little Neighborhood groceries and mer
chandise shops are likewise thriving. Let
economy to with spending, but let the
ability to spend teach a lesson in optimism.
An Evening With a Book
AS THE excitement Incident to the annual
. November election dies down the
thoughts of multitudes of men turn toward
the quiet and refining delights of the eve
ning by the fireside. Political strife as a
periodic paroxysm is inseparable from Amer
ican citizenship, but It IS no more typical
of American life than the love of home.
With the long winter evenings come the
pleasures of reading, when one can follow
one's fancy to distant worlds In quest of ad-1
venture, or store one's mind with useful
knowledge, or make new friends among the
great characters of the past or unfold the
fascinating pages of human progress as re
corded in history.
Welcome the armchair, the lighted lamp,
the cheerful hearth, the open bookl
Culebra Cut is Just one slide after another.
All is over but the shouting of post
mortems and alibis.
It seems that Germany should be able to
spare us plenty of dye-stuffs, most of her
dying at present being ydons on the battle
field. In electing General Gutterrea Provisional
President for only 20 days, the Mexican con
vention Is merely giving legal recognition to
established custom.
Even the most anemia of absentee voters
hadnt a shadow of an exeuse yesterday.
Indeed election day might save been held
any time within a week past without tm
baffaiimeat frtwn the weather.
Istrattwttisg war prices nsxt year, the farm
era ol Kansas are said t bo putting In the
naiMt fwrasMt wfc strops- If anything
noes wrong in their calculation., Atturrka
wtJ ttt tvUrw have to i.us a, nw ,jtet
THE HANDS OF ESAU
Era of Experts in Municipal Administration a Great Blow to Councilmen.
Remarkable Saving Effected by Scientific Conduct of tbc City's Busi
ness Crookedness No Longer tbc Rule Why is Councils?
"The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are tho hands of Esau."
FOREWOHD
"J?ehtem6er that to change thy opinion and to follow him who corrects thy
error is as consistent with freedom as it is to persist in thy error. For it is thy
own, the activity which is exerted according to thy own understanding, loo.
Marcus Aurclius.
Better government in Philadelphia is being slowly strangled. The Blankenburg Ad
ministration of a fcv city offices expresses batter government just as completely as an aittt
Tammany Administration does in New York. The cold fingers of "The Organization,"
Philadelphia's Tammany, twisting dexterously through a pliable majority in Councils and
officials under control, are pressing hard on its windpipe. Unless pried off by the people
themselves strangulation of better government must ensue. In the modest palaces behind
the myriad two-story red-brick fronts of working Philadelphia dwell the real beneficiaries
of better government. Their support alone means better government. The worst that can
be said of people who toil is that they arc sometimes too tired to study a publio subject
SOMETIMES, NOT ALWAYS.
NO. XIV-SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
YES, tho election Is over, but wo still have
our big and llttlo municipal problems to
faco and solvo. Men aro transitory; princi
ples", everlasting. Wo must keep right on
thinking about better government tor our
handful of honest men are still out In tho
trenches tho officials of tho Blankenburg
administration desperately holding that
"tiny northwest corner" of our local Belgium,
tho few scattering administrative offices un
der tho Mayor.
Are theso men discouraged? No. What
keeps' their spirits up? Why, they aro mak
ing a pago of history that futuro Philadelphia
can always turn to with pride. It is really
something to havo mado a record puts
spring In the heels and color In the eyo;
warms the cockles of tho heart from within,
and lifts the mind to tho clouds beyond tho
range of undeserved criticism. Not to havo
felt it Is to havo lost tho meaning of life.
Here Is tho nucleus of a real government
for the people and of the peoplo going on,
and we are missing the details. Why? Bo
cause tho Philadelphia resident for years has
been drilled to look upon tho Councilman as
his closest and silo political agent. Our
busy, prosperous, Independent folic aro taught
to believe that tho business of government
can best bo handled by middlemen Council
men or ward leaders, often tho same person.
It works out this1 way:
Discover a hole In the street that hampers
tho movemont of goods out from your ship
ping department, you seo tho Councilman;
get a summons for Jury duty when a rush
of new business Is on, you see tho Council
man; need an extra street lamp In the block,
you see tho Councilman; or the front lawn
Is flooded from a broken water main, and
again you seo tho Councilman.
Tho growth of the power of tho Individual
Councilman and his Inseparable twin, the
ward leader, has been steady and InBldlous.
It explains the Gargantuan grip of "The Or
ganization" upon the public. At first, the
Councilman, nsldo from his functions aa a
legislative arm of government, was simply
a convenient means of contact with admin
istrate government. But tho possibilities
of the unsalaried Job soon dawned upon po
litical aspirants, and a Councilman becamo
an opon medium for compromise with every
phase of government, law, order, and even
Justice.
It has followed that tho average Council
man has appropriated to himself tho role of
Intermediary to government. He actually
sets himself up as an Interpreter for lan
guages he cannot speak, for with exports In
engineering looking after the public business
at City Hall, he has entered a thick fog.
Scientific management Is beyond the grasp
of his mental equipment.
Drop any man In importance to the level
of a false prophet and he suffers keenly, and
thirsts for vengeance. Before the expert, the
professional Councilman stands unmasked, a
pathetic relic of Inefficiency, and tho principal
causo of the enormous, criminal and scanda
lous post waste of the public funds of our
beautiful city which has shamed us all. He
feels concernedly the showing up he is
getting.
Enter the expert Intelligent, effective and
courageous. He Is the keynote of the new
government in City Hall. He Is balancing
the city's books. He is getting a dollar's
worth for every dollar spent by the city.
He Is writing proper safeguards Into specifi
cations. He is advertising for bids. He Is
operating tho public business as a private
undertaking. He is getting more work and
longer hours out of the minor employe, at
the same tlmo treating him better. He an
swers every letter received from a citizen.
He sees that all work done under contract is
properly Inspected.
It Is only natural that members of Councils
should object to the expert. Employment of
any agent by the city which curtails their
authority Is resented. How these Council
men do roar against the city hiring the man
who knows! Every posilble obstacle they
can devise Is placed In the path of expert
advice for the city. They refuse to appro
priate the money to hire experts. They Jeer
with the puffy swellings of the neck that
bespeak deep anger.
Under the Blankenburg administration the
assistance for Philadelphia of over three
score experts has been obtained over the ob
structions of Councils. Many gave their
services without charge when the circum
stances were explained. Director Morris L.
Cooke, of the Department of Publio Works,
who knows the value of efficiency through
Intimate association with Frederick W. Tay
lor, the great national authority on business
management, has been master of ceremonies
fur the Mayor In getting- these experts, and
the city la under no small debt to Mr, Cooke.
Work is always best done by those who are
up on the short-cuts.
Prior to the advent of Mr, Cooke In the
Department of Publio Works, the very
specifications under which the city work was
done were drawn at the direction of the con
tractors who did the work. Most of the
men In the city's employ were former em
ployea of the contractors. They were named
to their Jobs by the contractors themselves,
and In return were expected to serve their
interests and not those of the city. Work
was often Inspected by men on the contrac
tors' payrolls. Aa the contractors were pow
ers in "The Organization," the city em
ployes dared not make adverse reports on
their werk.
An assistant commissioner of the Bureau
of Highways, drawing IHM a year, admitted
he knew nothing of tdghway engineering
Others were small-fry poxttcal Iadrs. Tne
I butt ay Inspectors were worse than InefA
, t . '. unr the largest pan . t hia tin e
policy slips. Another ran an Immoral re-
sort. Another kopt beer and whisky In his
ofllco on olcctlon day for tho uso of members
of political organizations. Still another used
his position to lntlmtdato tho aliens nmong
whom ho lived. Many of them could barely
write, and thcro was not a man In tho lot
fulls competent to prepare an ordinary engi
neering report.
There were Innumerable cases where em
ployes of tho city wore holding down out
sldo Jobs. Somo of tho top-grado employes
had larger Incomes from private sources than
from tho city. Thoso quit tho city when
brought to book. Among tho unskilled labor
cis woro men who served paper and milk
routes and cared for prlvato lawns boforo
they camo to work for the city. This mado
them laggards, cases being known where
teams wore hitched and their drivers Bpont
an ontlro day molting a trip to City Hall arid
back again for their pay.
On tho city's books, expenses of opera
tion, of maintenance and of construction
woro all mixed up and in a chaotic condi
tion. There was no system in the keeping
of accounts or supplies. If a city employe
wanted paint or hardware, stationery or
other small materials, he helped himself to
tho city's supply. Ono man was permitted to
resign On tho advice of the District Attorney
because ho removed 20 wagon loads of ma
terial from a station of which he was the
responsible head. Public material used for
prlvato purpose was tho obvious consequonce
of loose management of city affairs.
Then thcro was tho annual political as
sessment of ofllce-holders, probably carried
on moro daringly hero than anywhoro olso
In tho country, Mr. Cooko has tho evidence
to show that nearly JB,000,000 was collected
for political purposes from city and county
employes of Philadelphia Is less than a dec
ade. The schedulo of assessment rates
were: One per cent on salaries of $900 and
under; 14 per cent, on salaries from J1000
to $1900; 2 per cent on salaries from $2000
to $2900; 3 per cent on salaries from $3000
to $5900, and 4 per cent on salaries of $6000
and over.
But with tho BJankenburg Administration
the clock of municipal crookedness stopped
short, and, it Is to be hoped, never to run
again.
Tho rascals have been weeded out, one by
one. It takes tlmo. Besides, the newcomers
at tho head of tho departments wero not
building up nn Independent political ma
chine. They simply tried to get the city on
a business basts. That a man belonged to a
political organization was not deemed suffi
cient cause for his dlschargo. He must do
his work for the city well; ho must be hon
est, and loyal to his Immediate superiors; ho
must put in full time theso were the re
quirements of the present administrative
heads at City HalL
For a time the contractor overlords
watched the program of the Blankenburg
Administration with curious disinterest. It
was not until they heard some of their very
underlings standing up for the now order
that thpy decided to inaugurate a reprisal in
Councils.
Bettering tho condition of the city's em
ployes Is not popular with Jim McNIchol and
the Vares. There Is a Unge of Russia In
"Tho Organization." The little fellows must
be kopt to know their places. Tho opening
of a frco municipal reference library In Room
B07, City Hall, was hooted at over In 16th
street. Lectures for tho highway Inspectors
and other employes were greeted with sneers
from the ward leaders. Ofllce-holders were
Instructed to keep away from these meetings.
It would not do to havo them know too
much. Anyhow, they should not be
"teached" by the "fake reformers."
But In spite of all this opposition the task
of bringing the various departments up to
their highest possible effectiveness has gone
steadily forward. There being no axe to
grind but the publio interest, the Blanken
burg officials have worked along In the su
premo hope that Philadelphia would see for
Itself how the contractor overlords are the
common enemy.
A remarkable Incident of the bousecleaning
In the Department of Publio Works was the
finding by Mr, Cooke of a certified check for
$9700 that had been hidden for six years In
some old papers of a safe. The check was
deposited to the credit of the city, and $1100
was paid by the bank for Interest Through
this discovery it was found that other mon
eys had been paid to the Bureau of Water
which had not reached the city treasury.
For the benefit of the thieves, we may state
they are protected by the statute of limi
tations. Showing how Councils' represents the con
tractor overlords, and not the people, Is Its
failure to authorize the change In lighting of
11,000 street lamps that were found to be
located on gas mains. They are now gaso
line lamps and cost $29 CO each to light. Let
Councils act and It will cost $23 20 to light
them, and the city will be saved over 6000
a year. The gas company la obligated under
Its contract to make the connection of the
lamps with the mains. But Councils blocks.
Thla la only one Instance. There are hun
dreds. Director Cooke, In spite of every handicap,
has made a saving for the city of upward of
$700,000 on three lettlnga of the garbage con
tract He has1 reduced the expenses of the
Water. Bureau between $50,000 and $100,000.
He has saved $30,000 yearly In the cleaning
of City Hall, and has driven the spike of
protest tato the contrasting methods of
Bdwla H. Vara at League Island Park by
tying up the payment of 109,009 claimed for
work improperly dene.
Meanwhile Philadelphia U getting the nest
expert advice that is going Sere U some
the Graduate School of Applied Science, Har
vard University.
On fiscal matters, Dr. Leo S. Rowe, of the
Academy of Political and Social Sclcnco.
On markets, Dr. Clyde L. King, University
of Pennsylvania.
On streot cleaning, Commissioner J. W.
Paxton, of Washington, D. C.
On filtering, Prof. Georgo C. Whipple, Har
vard University.
On mosquito extermination, Dr. Honry
Skinner, Academy of Natural Sciences, Phil
adelphia. On management. Major A. C. HIno and
Mr. Frederick W. Taylor.
On water, Dr. Hollls Godfrey, Droxel Insti
tute; Dr. Charles' Penroso and Dr. A. C. Ab
bott University of Pennsylvania.
In charge of tho Important Bureau of High
ways was placed William II. Connoll, an
experienced engineer from Now York. This
was tho bureau formerly operated for tho
bonoflt of a fow contractors. It was to bo
expected that Councils would avenge tho con
tractors. Councils did that It has refused
to supply funds" necessary to keep tho streets
In ropalr and U3 mon had to bo laid off.
A holo in a street, onco started, gets blggor
and bigger until It Is mended. It Is foolish
to have good roads unless they aro main
tained. Repair work cannot bo proporly
dono by contract. It must bo dono by city
employes. There aro 1100 miles of city streets
In Philadelphia. Because of Councils' falluro
to provide funds f-r tho repair work, there
aro about 40 men available. Tho earmarks
aro that Councils Is seeking to put tho streets
Into such a condition that thoy will have to
bo entirely repaved In 1916. There are subtle
minds' bohlnd Councils.
Why Is Councils?
VIEWS OF READERS
ON TIMELY TOPICS
Contributions That Reflect Public Opin
ion on Subjects Important to City,
State and Nation.
To the Editor ef th Evening Ledger:
Sir Whllo you are making your courageous
fight for efficient transit In Philadelphia, may
I call jour attention to a piece of stupid rerout
ing, which pny goes to show how necessary a
capable mannger Is for tho system? Heretofore
there have been two lines running on Glrard
avenue between Front street, or thereabouts,
and 40th street. As a result thoso who did not
wish to go farther than 40th street were taken
by lino 14, nnd tho crowds which went as far
as B2d and COth transfer points were accommo
dated on lino IE Tho new route, 25, which sup
plants Routo 14, does not drain Glrard avenue
at all, and as a result tho enormous crowds
all along that street aro compelled to Jam Into
the cats of Route 15 and tho Jams aro worse
than anything your reporter has yet described.
Keep up your fight for; real rapid transit; but
meanwhile lot us have some common sense.
NIGHT RIDER.
Philadelphia, November 2.
INTOLERABLE TRANSIT CONDITIONS
To the Editor of tht Evening Ledgtr:
Sir Tho article In tho Evening Ledoer of
Saturday, October 30, 1914, In regard to the poor
trolley service to and from tho Philadelphia
Navy Yard represents tho true conditions now
oxlstlng, Tho photographs, Bhowlng oxactly tho
crowded and Jammed conditions at the close
of working hours, wero splondld, and aro an un
answerable argument against tho poor transit
facilities now furnished tho employes of the
Navy Yard.
The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company has
been appealed to tlmo after tlmo to better the
trolley sorvlco to and from tho yard This
could easily be done by putting on a sufficient
number of cars during tho rush hours. Thorn
Is no excuse for tho strap-hanging and crowded
conditions now existing during tho mornings
and afternoons. The commandant of this navy
yard, Captain Benson, has done overythlng In
his power to better theso conditions.
Leaving out the question of any considera
tion for tho comfort and safety of Its passen
gers, tho Philadelphia Itapld Transit Company,
In refusing to furnish adequnto transit facili
ties to and from tho Navy Yard, Is pursuing
a policy detrimental to Its financial Interests,
as many of the employes use bicycles, and In
good weather a largo number of employes living
downtown walk home In preference to making
a fight to get on the cars.
We thank you for your excellent article, and
hope that you will continue the fight until the
conditions are Improved.
G n. WILLIAMS,
Chairman Committee of Employes, Navy Yard.
Philadelphia, November 3.
ORIGIN OF ABOLITION
To tht Editor of tht Evening Ledger:
Sir "Who wero tho aboil tlonlBts and where
djd they originate?" n. S. C. The abolition
movement did not originate In Boston, and it
was never popular thore In ante-bellum times;
Garrison and Phillips wero neither of them
Identified with tho early efforts looking to
emancipation "Unconditional" abolition was
advocated by relatively few of thoso concerned
in the propaganda. At this moment I recall
only Garrison and John Brown. F. J, P.
Philadelphia, October 21.
NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW
The people will be less satisfied after this
war. They will refuse patiently to accept the
old order of things In many cases. They will
demand more. Having experienced the horrors
of war, they will be less tractable under the
lash of government authority. Reigning houses
may totter under the new strain, the new erupt
ive forces originating deep down among the
masses, Milwaukee Journal.
Before many sears, it is to bo hoped, the
United States will once more have a merchant
marine engaged In foreign trade. It la
altogether desirable that the naval powers shall
understand that that marine is going to be pro
tected by the national policy of the country, A
proper precedent established now will be re
garded in the future. Washington Times.
The royal opportunities are eurs, but we
must butld the roads to them. We shall have
a merchant marine when we meet the logie of
the situation, eyen if that logic leads to ship
subsidies. We shall not have South American
trade until we have accepted the facts as they
exist; until we have settled the primary prob
lems of banking and exchange and realized that
the nation that bus the products of another
nation will, in the long run, sell Us own prod
ucts In exchange to that same nation. Albany
Knickerbocker Press.
CURIOSITY SHOP
The speculum of Doctor Dee was called
the Angelical Stone, because, he asserted, It
had beep presented to him by the angels
Raphael and Gabriel. It passed into the
possession of the Earl of Peterborough,
thence to Lady Betty Qennalne. by whom
It was given to the Duke of Argyle. Eventu
ally It passed to Horace Walpole. In 1(42
It was sold at auction.
The word "barbecue" Is supposed to have
originated from the French, barbe a queue
(from snout to tall). The roasting of an
entire pig or ox was a political necessity In
bygone days, but has gone out of fashion In
the last generation
The famed Bridge of Sighs connects the
palace of the Doge of YenUe with the State
prlsorf In "Chllde Harold,' Byron eaya:
"I stood In Venlee on the Bridge of Sighs,
A palace and a prison on each hand.''
Titus, tho Roman Emperor (A, D, 40-81),
was known as the "Delight of Mankind.''
Thompson In bla "Llbuty" baa tWss
"Titus, indeed, gave one shrt evening
gleam,
Muie lordUi fait, as in th nlot U
aliread
f i Wr..r I he iieli it A
SCRAPPLE
Our Abo nnd Mawrn on the War ,
Tho firm of Potash & Perlmuttor waa in
something of nn uproar. It hnd Just been
discovered that the receipts, net above all,
for October, 1914, wero 200 less than thoso
for October, 1913.
It's a artlclo in this morning's paper
eays dat's tho effect of tho war, dat'a what
It is, Abo," said Mr. Perlmuttor soothingly.
"It'8 dlo Doutschen, not tho war," that
gentleman retorted. "Now, Mawruss, It's
no uso taikln'. When not for tho Germans,
then no war."
"You'ro a Russian, Abe, ain't you?" was
tho reply In Mawruss' best sarcastlo vein,
"Don't bo n fool. You know, Mawruss, I
nln't crazy about Fonya Russ. Wot I care
about Nikolai? A black year on him. But
yo got to hand it to him, like thoy say on
tho streot It won't bo a Deutooher left
when he "
"You'ro a fool, Abo, Just becauso I como
It from Homburg you t'Ink you can blenzs
mo In tho eyes, don't you 7 Noaslr. Russia
Is n gonlf. Yestorday It came hero a Bales
man Grodofsky, you know him, from Kop
plemann; ho should live so like he'll pay
us that bill,"
And hero, more Important matters Inter
vening, Messrs. Potash and Porlmutter left
tho war to tako care of Itself.
Also Whisky
Tho most confusing things In Mexico la
pulquo.
Muchias Gracing
Parngraphers' Union No. 0 extends Its
collectlvo thanks to Turkey for furnishing
a now subject for wheozea.
Phonetics
Wonder If tho tired soldiers of tha Little
Wlilto Cznr bcgullo tho passing hours In the
trenches having Russian spelling beosT
Puzzle
Oh, say, havo you heard of tho latest exploit
Of tho tangoing, fish-walking girls.
Do you know why the dears ore so very
adroit
In the whirls?
Havo you wondered at times at the mar
velous paco
That tho ladles accept as a cinch?
At tho twists they accomplish with curious
grace
In a pinch?
Do you linger at halls whore the Argentine
danco
Is tho thing, and whero waltzing Is not?
Are you quite at a loss how the ladles do
prance
In the trot?
Do you know how each foot of a tangoing
dress
Of flno cropo do chine or foulard
Is persuaded to stretch till it reaches, I
guess,
To a yard?
Aro you searching to learn how this difficult
stunt
Is performed without hatting an eye?
If you are, If It's accurate knowledgo you
want
So do I.
A Good Time
"Doet papa's llttlo boy want to go to the
country tomorrow to see his grandma?" asked
6-year-old Tommy's fathor.
"Sur6, daddy, If the chickens are rlpo now,"
the youngster replied.
Odd
"Funny thing about matrimony."
"Continue."
"It's only In tho case of a poor match that
tho sparks fly."
"We Use Both
Temptation doth Insinuate;
Alt our ideas aro hazy;
Our tired mind will not create
And o'en the muse Is lazy.
We do dislike, so many times,
The bones of war to rattle,
But one point's good for many rhymes
Where Europe's nations battle.
And so wo ask this simple one
And thereby shift the burden;
Do you prefer to say Verdun
Or would you call It Verdun?
Truth Is Stranger Than Press Agents
Leopold Stokowskl Narrowly Escapes
Death.
Fritz Krelsler Shot
Vannl Marcoux Reported Shot.
Fifty Operatic Stars Detained In War Zone.
News items.
An Artist
"Funny, that Brown should havo such an
aversion to borrowing, Isn't It?"
"Yes, how much did he Induce you to force
on him?"
Ragging Around
Buwane River.
Way down upon tho Suwanee River,
It's far away. It's far away; ,
But that Is whero I'd love to Btay,
Beside the Suwanee River, far away.
My heart Is turnln'. my heart Is burnln'
For that far-off Suwanee shore;
Come hug ma some more
On that Suwanee Bhore.
All the world Is sad an dreary
Gee, this life's got mo leary
For the Suwanee, Suwanee River
Far away.
Outside Stuff
It must have a meaning or It wouldn't have
been printed:
"A succeeding climax strongly brings back
the subjective hue of the earlier symphony.
A counter-theme of the text of the second
melody of allegro now ono above, now the
other Is the final stroke. Even tho shaking
of the trumpet figure is there at the height,
in all the brass. Yet as a whole the first
melody prevails with abundant variations of
runs In the wood against the song of the
Btrlngs." From program notes to Tschal
kowsky'a Fourth Symphony.
Horrors of War
"This war In Europe la a terrible thing."
"Sure, but tt ought to cut down Irrigation
to this country."
Oh, Yes
"Fear," said the professor, "Is absolutely
foolish."
"Yes," remarked one of tho atudenta
pleasantly, "It does cover ono with goose
flesh." The Babbling Fool
Now that the President has Issued his
proclamation, there will be many wise folk
going about asking "What has a man to ba
thankful for? Here Is a provisional llsti
That the people who are oyntcal about
Thanksgiving are not quite ao noisy thla
year.
That there Is no law compelling women
to smoke.
That water still flows under bridges.
That owing to the war the professors of
economies haven't broken Into the news col
umns this fall.
That the "sex novel" and the "sex play"
have gone forever.
That the people who usually Interfere with
your business are too busy explaining how
they would have run the war.
Thai no matter how stupid or haw sleepy
you are, the war gives you something to
talk about
That there Is no law compelling people
to read the novels of (your favor
ite abomination, whoever ha la).
That the comio opera crop la excellent
this year.
That for the amusement of society at Ursa
ex-Presldenta are not chloroformed after
their term of ofBes.
That there aren't too many honest peosla
In the world. " "
That the "stylish young man" and tha
&?'? "llBded wow feav gone to Umbo!
That the twuple wbo write hooka mtol -t
ii t. i i t'R. tiovtirnmeut SJ-e not tt a
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