" ? M fT mm R&J2 v VSTRATveo Hciiger PUBLIC LEDGER, COMPANY O1WJ8 II. K CURTIS. P.isjdskt m H. udtactra, Vice JVesldentt Jofm rtlrf. SwrtUnr and Treasurer) rhlltp s. Vfe Vfe1 John J 8PUr"0n' EDiToniAL no Ann t Cnci II. K. Crn riinniii f &---WHALST Editor C. MAlVTm. .Q-neral Unalness Manarer Ibiried aiiy at rcntio I.tnots Ttulldlnr, Indspcndtnco Square. Philadelphia. JJ.f..!?41" "nroaa "Jd Chestnut Streets Mi'd" vrCt"-u,,,l" nulldln L roBK. ...i 200 Metropolitan Tower T"- ,....4ns Ford Ilnlldlnr -'"a. ore Jinuain loos Fullerton iiulldlnr s.00 .., .x.izuu irtmne ijulldlns; NKW8 BUREAUSi Wmiiinoton lluuu, PJJUL0 S,.?C!!"U V.' Th. Timet Uulldtnir ?JS?JT.iP".V0 Marconi House. Htrand is OtiacAC .......... 32 au Louis 1 Qrand subscription terms .'SkiuS'i"" I'lrlltn ' rved to subscriber! M Philadelphia and surrounding towns at tha Sflha carrTe'r1" " "" Week' ST"1"1" ei??i ?.!! ?' Pm5 0U''1 of Philadelphia. In twa united Stales. Canada or fnlte.1 Rt.t.. n. -jjj.uu.. post;; iree. nny (0o cent per month. Six (IS) dollars per year. payableMn aornnce. To all foretcn countries ono ($1) dollar per snontn. Notici Subscribers wlshlnr address chanced must lvo old as well as new address. BELL, iooa TAtSCT KEYSTONE. MAIN 3000 sTMAfrrM oil communications to Evening Ledger, Independence Square, Philadelphia, straaiD at Tn rHitiMLrnix rovrorncB as BECUKP-CLAtS MAIL UATTSB Philadelphia, Wrdntidiy, October 31, 1917 'THE SCOURGE OP GOD" HTIlE stupid attempt of tho associated politicians to deprive citizens of tho right to vote next Tuesday lias properly seen nailed by tho courts. A gang vic tor? without a light Is Impossible. It has been impossible, ever since the police de jmrtmont was turned over to politicians and the majesty of the city dragged In he mud by as clumsy a leadership as ver attempted to browbeat and subju gate a great city. Tho petty annoyances to which decent citizens are being subjected arc simply indicative of the gang state of mind. It has thrived on Intimidation. True, that Intimidation heretofore has taken t.the form of threatening officeholders, In terfering with small merchants who could not exist unless the police let them alone, getting toll from even Important business men and employing the whole power of law and authority to maintain tho infamous Organization, but tho Intim idation has always been there. Tho gang knows no arguments except the blackjack In one form or another. It rellen on brute force, becauso It has no appeal to make to the Intelligence. But when Intimidation becomes open and wanton, ft physical Intimidation directed against respectable citizens who take no part In the squabbles of the tenderloin and know nothing of the habits and practices of the dope-takers. It becomes too mon etrous a thing for any community to endure. The Organization that uses the magistrate system, that mockery of Jus tice, as a compelling political Instrument naturally reverts to the employment of police clubs when threatened with ex tinction. "The Scourge of God" they used to call Attlla the Hun. "The Scourge of God" the Organization Is in Philadelphia. There is no need to recount tho expo Urea of the last month, no need to tell again of the abuses whl.ch are patent to eyerybody and the practice of which con tinues unabated. The situation today is different from the situation in other days only because the revelations have been so complete. The cards are all on the table. No man can pretend to disbelieve and thus Justify lending aid and succor to the gavig. He has to take his stand In favor of decency or in favor of Inde cency. There Is no middle ground. Tho mask of hypocrisy has been torn from the Organization. It stands naked with Its leprous spots covering it from toe to crown. "Unclean! Unclean!" the lepers Who stood by tho wayside In ancient Galilee were compelled to cry to give, warning of their disease. "Wo have been forced to unclothe tho Organization and let all see its spots. The news columns are filled with sta tistical evidence of what gang ule means to the treasury and tho taxpayer. Who ever votes according to his pocketbook, even If he neglect moral influences, must appreciate the ruin that bad govern ment is Inducing. Tho gang should be whipped decisively if for economic rea sons only. Wero Its officeholders as hon est as the sun Is bright, still their In efficiency would condemn them utterly. But when administration translates itself 'is)U deliberate mismanagement for pur- SSsSS iMM OSCaVr sf 12" l CSklC '-'' ''"''.VeXies of sain, flnnnolnl rf rvnlm i .,. extreme limit of abuse Is reached. ''Public men aro cdwards," exclaims a sn who ought to know- Mayhap their consciences make them bo. But we doubt U there- aro enough cowards and lick fallen In Philadelphia- to make a gang Victory possible next Tuesday, police or to -police. SOCIALISM IK United States may be "moving terward complete publio ownership and ' tlon, of public utilities, especially ils. telephones and telegraphs,'' as tjuiuvi svBuucjuuun oc juuiway. uom- says. "Is not this- Socialism simple" startled correspond- us. wurs I( is. So were the provisions $ Constitution giving the Qovern- tfi Bfonopoiy of coinage and post- StrtviJfi. Private eltisens used to od tairiUMfm That tbe sturdy rivalry between tho express com panies and the parcel post. "Socialism puro and simple" has In finite room for growth. It Is "Socialism impure and complex" that we combat, Socialism which accepts and encourages the pervsrso doctrine that universal co operation can bo attained only by uni versal greed. It Is this dross that will not mix with the gold of tho basic faith of western civilization. RELENTLESS ATTRITION pUTTINCJ It crudely, but with noces- sary realism, wo havo started to kill Germans. Ono of tho factors of tho situation is attrition. It Is never desir able to mako It tho chief factor. But sometimes men who p "Izcd their prin ciples nbovo their lives havo had to de pend upjr. It entirely. Grant had to; ho came to tho point of learning that If ho was to win ho must keep on putting more and moro of his opponents out of action at the sacrifice of tho same number of his own men, relying on his superior numbers to win for him eventually. This may bo what the Italian situation' has brought us to. It Is not correct to say "tho Germans outnumber the Allies on the Italian front, having Inexhaustible reserves." The enemy hns simply con centrated a largo force on tho weak point Of one front. Certainly the cxtia forces which Mackensen has taken south aro no larger than tho Ameilcan force now in France. Ho did not go from the Isonzo to Udlne without great losses. It would be lemarkablo If such an oper ation had cost the lnvadeis fewer than 20,000 casualties. Attrition la still at work. Counting out Italy and Russia, If need be, tho man-power of the United States, England and Franco and their colonies would still bo double that of Germany and Austria. If all Venetla Is abandoned, if a second Marne is fought as far south as the I'o, still will the steady diminishing of the German reserve troops go on relentlessly. It is a terrible possibility, but we must steel ourselves to meet an thing, even the many months of attrition that this would mean. To gain a lesser goal than that which we strive toward today, Grant said, when an exchange of prisoners was requested: "Tell the men in LIbby Prison that they are dying for their country there as honorably us If they wcio dvlng on the battlefield." Ho counted on attrition and tho country backed him, as it would back Pershing today. YOU'D KNOW WHAT HE MEANT rpun President has naturally refused to - state his preference for Mayor of New York. There would be as little reason for him to declare, himself on tho situa tion In Philadelphia. But Is It not strango that If ho said "the facts are too plain to need comment for the advlco of any fair-minded voter" everybody would know which side he hoped would win? If Mr. Taft, Mr. Hughes, Hiram John son or Mr. Bryan said to the voters of Philadelphia and New York: "So honest man need hesitate for a moment about how he should vote" If any lespectable public man in America made Just that statement, without mentioning names or stating preferences or reasons, you'd know what he meant, wouldn't you? Why? NO FOOD PRIVILEGES rjlHEHE is a boulevard restaurant which -L has always been very dear to Parisian sports because during tho siege of Paris tho good "spenders" got their meals there on I. O. U.'s, and tradition has It that they were very "chic" meal3 Indeed. While "the people" ate everything and anything, Including, the Zoo elephant, in those days of famine, the moneyed folk dined well, and It would havo been the same way if it had been London, Chicago or Berlin that was under siege Instead of Paris. But there has been a change. The ear '17 reverses tho conditions of '71 In more ways flian in the transposition of the numerals. Wherever there has been real fear of famine, money has been no open sesame to luxurious living In the last three years. There was bribery In Germany to obtain bread cards, but the crime was exposed. There has been food profiteering In England, but an avalanche of Journalistic attack keeps the price of bicad cheaper there than here. Some of tho Xew York millionaires were "not at homo" when the canvassers for house hold economy fang tho bell, but the fact was published broadcast. It is not that human nature Is any better than It used to be, but that publicity Is Infinitely bet ter, and publicity Is the weapon of the poor. If people had to eat the Zoo ele phant today while other people dined at tables adorned with pink lampshades there would be a call for green lamp posts and a few halters befoie nightfall. Publicity will ferret out the wastrels and make them toe the mark of real economy. Victories for tho Germans; Victory for the Allies. Let's follow "Wheatless Wednes day" by having a "Gangless Government." Only fifteen days left to send Christmas gifts to our soldiers In France. ' While were cutting down on sugar It might be Just as well to eliminate somo of the plums at City Hall. Some pet sons believe that a sphinx like attitude creates on Impression of subtle superiority. Many of our city officials have attempted such camou flage but the trouble is they don't know enough about the sphinx. Mr. Rotan is trying to find out if any magistrates have been guilty of wrongdoing. This city's magistrate sys tem must, go. The real investigation to .start would be one to find out what good tne magistrates havo ever done. The proposal, vaguely put forth, 'to conscript boya of nineteen and twenty la rather premature in view of the fact tliat only 7 per cent of those registered have been called to camp. By the time Congress passes arfother conscription measure several hundred thousand of those who aro now twenty years old mm ha tt44 UmV mwKy, -Wml EVENING LEDGER-PHILAIJELPHIA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 "NELLY'S ALLEY' REFORM SLOGAN It Means That "Contract Govern ment of Public Works" Must End By HOWARD S. ANDERS, M.vD. ITrHETHETl this bn tha nsvrlmloeto ntbV T ment or not to recur to the over - pres - ent mess and menace of our dirty, dusty highways and "Nelly's Alleys," the recent concurrence of political agffretslon with violence and murder and official Indifference would seem at least to confirm tho Just ness and fitness of many years of Individ ual and recent representative complaints and protests against the City Halt regime so patently responsible for the filthy con ditions. It Is manifestly and startllngly self-evident In this present crisis In Philadelphia's rapidly "making" history that we need here a revolution ngalnst bureaucratic bosslsm of local politicians as did Ilussla against autooratlo and Ttasputlnlc Czarism. Is Philadelphia (or "Fllthadclphla," as on up-to-the-minute Italian gives It to the Vares down In the "Neck") reolly awaken ing, then? Is there Immediate hope of an arousing, activating, dynamlo clvlo spirit; a real ethic of social and political con sciousness? If so, to save time and mis direction of effort, let tho attack be central and root out the foundational and vital cause of tho mlsgovernment, namely, con tract government of public works and al lied departments of official control. Control of government by contractors means a camouflage control of contractors. Contractors who are surreptitiously Inter ested In screening this manipulation of the specifications and derelictions of street cleaning contracts ore simultaneously and financially Interested, perforce. In gaining and maintaining, as ruthlessly and perpetu ally as public npnthy and acqulescenco will allow, their political leadership and license of ambition and avarice Wo may be temporarily subdued and stilled, shaken and shattered Nevertheless, we must get together nnd go on In the acute and strenuous development of a col lective Individuality that Is becoming In creasingly stimulated and emphasized In the progress of a social consciousness and solidarity upon which the substance and stability of our future democracy must de pend for assurance and permanence. Tho "Nelly's Alle" agitation Inaugurated last summer has not receled the extension and repetition Its significance demanded ; for a "Nelly's Alley" Is most assuredly a local symptom of n serious disease In our body politic. "Nelly's Alley" a Slogan By this time the constant, or even the casual, readers of the enterprising nn nino Ledoeh know that "Nelly's Alley" Is not an empty phrase ; that It Is as far from vacuity nnd lelty and obscurfty as their antitheses can land It Neither Is It the title of a wartime poem or a ragtime song; nor the foreground or a settlement house or the background of a "movie' actor drama; although, really, It might be adaptable to all of these arts of glnd sertce In senti ment and struggle In things comic, didactic and tragic. No, "Nellj's Alley" is no longer simply a byword of accumulated nnd neglected refuse and rottenness, but a pnsswoid of oppor tunity nnd duty. It Is the shibboleth of a rlMng body of citizens who believe In gllng publicity and exposure to the red-handed corruptlonlst contractors and politicians who put wealth before health, political security ngalnst sanitary safety; prlate profit be fore public performance according to tho specifications nnd udequate stnndards of clllclent and satisfactory street cleaning. "Nelly's Allejs" are small, local, concen trated masses of filth nnd dirt thnt aro generally widespread and relatholy filmed all over the streets and sidewalks of com mercial, industrial and residential Phila delphia Now, streets form the bottoms of what might be termed the ventilating (lues of cities , and obviously If they are covered with a lajer of foul mud In wet weather which becomes dry dirt In clear or fair weather, the nlr wo breathe Is constantly and dangerously laden with a dust haze; often putrid and "smelly"; alvas poisoned with pulverized particles of decayed and In fected animal and egetable matter, waste, excretions, expectorations, etc It Is a farce to take a walk In such so-called fresh air. It Is amazing, and It would be admirable. If not suicidal to public health, to witness the tolerance that persons exhibit toward the distressful, deleterious prevalence of the disease-propagating, fabrlc-rulnlng dust from our city streets Great quantities of this pulverized poison, reeking with cultiva ble bacteria, is hourly blowing nnd seeping Into our houses, Into creWces and corners from which It will not be remoed and where It will not be reached by fresh air and sunshine until the closed nnd warmed rooms of winter energize and develop them Into the potential activities of pus infection, and then people complain of "colds" whRh they do not "catch," but really sufTer from pus catarrhs, "fouls," "grips," tonsillitis, bronchitis and so on, which catch them while lying in wait to be stirred up to tho face level by guilty methods of dusting and sweeping and guileless but ncertheless in sidious air currents. Dirty Streets Greeted JofTro Ai an Instance of the apathy and cupidity of the officials nnd contractors note the dis regarded opportunity on the special occa sion of the distinguished French and British representatives last spring to give Phila delphia's streets a public housecleanlng, particularly when that visit was exlcently postponed for about a week. We ofTercd our guests warm hearts and helping hand-s and clean streets' Oh. no I We welcomed Joffre and Vivian! with the dusty accom paniments of dirty streets, unremoved piles of filthy sweepings and sidewalks almost enough soiled to start garden Bceds grow ing. The street cleaners either do or do not wet and flush the streets enough: If they do, we have no omnplalnt to make; If not. the dirt Is swept deliberately If not stirred up and blown about Incidentally by winds and traffla as a gorm-laden, Infectious dust. The moist (or dry) dirt Is either uniform ly machine-swept Into gutters and gath ered by blockmen Into plies and finally shoveled promptly Into covered wagons or It Is not so triply and properly handled and disposed of If so, the streets aro cleaned fairly well and the municipal air a tunijiurauveiy ireo irom pulverized poi son, and there Is no ground for complaint. If not, and the windrows, as usually hap pens, consist of two or three serpentine bands of filth running anywhere between the middle of the highways nnd the gutters, are not promptly and thoroughly brushed Into piles and removed before drying and scattering by traffic and gusts, then the specincauons are iracturea, and people, clothing, x houses, stores, merchandise, cars, offices, theatres and so on are dust-Infected and deteriorated, and wa all should be dls contented. If we are not so, with such con ditions. The situation, while chronic and seemingly Incurable, Is not really so. An aroused, Insistent, persistent demand by voters and powerful institutions, by the Chamber of Commerce and various busi ness associations (for publio cleanliness Is a business asset) and clvlo clubs and church federations Is bound to obtain satisfactory results before long. Thus we are awakened simultaneously to the more radical need of permanent cure by the higher principle of prevention, name ly, the abolition of the whole contract sys tem of street cltanlng by new, charter ler lalatlon at Harrlaburr. It Is about time to begin the education of a popular demand that the next Leg. Islature give Philadelphia the prerogative of ruling itself by ruling out, the contract system of government. We have not only the right to Ufa and liberty and the mere destiny of .Ti.?:" but also the right to living fn decwcV! i, i Tom Daly's Column, aifERAL HELL Ladle an' X3lnlomcn: Let mepresent to io Olneral Hell; An' a few factsVn the life o'fithtt pint, to ve Here Jot me tetlX Chief o' the QlneraX Staff av 7iU corpi, TuHntleth, Allemtetn) fa?clir he, iwore 1 nMt ,ja had mobilized, atwrllh the tear. Ajiisiia naa mooxiueu, auarim we tear, Wtttoh teas tho Kalser'ncxbu0 f'r muoh more Gineyal Hell Ladles anV O(n!cinen,7iarfc4to (Tie name aw him: QlneraX ihll; Flttln' the toeme an'hefblame an' the shame a Mm Wonderful well. Long may ho wave In thts'land o' the ITun, Long mav-ho hold thee a place In the un;' An' may Ms vomradci, tvhlnlver then run, Btlll ho ttnable'to Mhakeor to shun , aineraUltellt Ladles an' Qlntltvnenj. lid a good-lvjto this Olneral ItellA Xone o' ve, sure., anMdeserrlH' so nigh To this eravtu,ro ir dtoell. Hut whett the KaUer fs safe In a cell, Afthcr the end o'thls war has befell, Ho Is the lad- that yrill have for a spell. Just fur his IntnkleSaii' all to hlmsel', Olneral Hell. SOME months aROs, large and ugly sign grow overnight uSm the front lawn of a flno houBo onWIs4er streot, In Ger mantown. Tho sign aniiouncod that the property was for sale, bti tho romarkniJo thing about It was- this lino in largo letters; SUITABLE FOB MANri'FACTUrtlNG SITE The neighbors began lat once to talk, and out of the talk gro'V the story that tho gentleman who ownfcd tho property had offered it for salo to his next-door neighbors nt what he coissldored a very reasonable price, nnd got mad when they refused to buy. "AH right," snld he, ac cording to the gossips, "tlen I'll offer it for a manufacturing slto ,and we'll sco how you like that." Now It happened thnt the jfolks ho was dealing with wero the Alltlns, tnnd the Aliens looked nt him In an amused sort of way nnd said In effect: "7ou can't 6caro us by shaking n mill at uv Hero's our own mill right back of usl here on Sheldon street, whero It's been stnee 1844, and hero aio threo Allen households very comfortably fixed within sound of our looms. So go as far as you like.'' Tho sign went up, ns wo saftl before, and the neighbors smiled and talked, and presently tho sign camo down again, al though tho property Is still fop sale. That's a characteristic of Germantown, not to bo noted elsewhero In thin old town, wo think the old-fashioned hqblt nmong long-established manufacturer of weld ing their homes to their mills. It's no lit tle part of tho charm of tho plhce. HALLOWEEN O! dem wuz Happy Hallerccns'.ice had In ole Vlrginny, Wen vie an' Chloe wiiz colhtln' long ago; Wen cbery one among us toctde smallest pickaninny Would huddle In de chlmblcy cohnah's glow Toe listen toe dem chilly uHn's ob ole 2'o vembah's Go a-scrccchln' lalk a spook aroun' de huts, 'Ticcll de pickaninnies' flngahs gits to shakln' o'er da embahs, An' dcy laik tcr roas' dey knuckles 'stead o' nuts. An' once Wen Ohloc cum skltln' ) 'rough de do'-way ob de shanty, Her face cz white ez any sheet a'mojr. She done skeered all dem nlggahs Inter fcelln' mighty ha'nty Bah 'loivln' dat she bin kissed bah a ghostl 'Twcll midnight by de flah all dem coward nlggahs tarried, Expectln' cbery minute sumfln' orful fo' tcr see; But Ohloo she nebah 'splctoned 'twcll long arter we wuzz married Eat de nlggah spook w'at kissed 'er den wuz mcl HAItUY LAUDER at noon today will be talking to tho Poor Rlchardltes in their Camac street clubhouse upon "Tito Re union of Great Britain and tho United States." It'll be a serious hands-across-the-sea appeal, no doubt, with no room in It for the little story that Lauder once told to us with a smack of tho lips. "Travelln' by roil from Glasgow to Stir ling," said ho, "I was in a compartment with some Englishmen and a dear ould bit of a farmer, a true Scotsman, It was a raw day and tho English were very bit ter against the climate. 'No Englishman,' said one of them, 'could ever settle down In such a region.' At that the ould lad cocked up his ears, and said he: 'Nae Englishman sattle doon in this region? Toots, man, ye're halvorin' nonsense. I'll let ye see a palrt alang the slde-llno a bit hero, whaur a gey wheen o yer country men cam' malr than five hunder year syne, and they're no thlnkln' o' leavln't, though they're well sattled doon by this time.' 'Where is that?' asked several of the Englishmen. 'Bannockburn,' said the ould lad." IF EVER you should have" trouble with the big trafflo cop who hasn't any thing at all to do, day after day, but to stand at the corner of Broad street and Lehigh avenue, telling norses and things which way to go, ask him to let you see his whistle. That'll fluster him. for he doesn't carry one like most trafflo cops. He uses his fingers and makes 'cm sound like the siren at Dlngee's brjekyard. Then you'U say to him: "You're Matty Ker nan, ain't yuh?" And while he's blush ing you'll go on: "Gee, I've heard about you. You're i wonder, all rlghtl They tell me you can whistle classical muslo blindfolded. Say, now, could you give us a couple o' tars o' Tor Me and My Gal'? No? How about 'Tha End ot a Psrfect Day'?" Then, maybe, Matty will say, "All right, feller, run along this time; but I do most ' cy whistling" at night at 9itm ttjttsp'tif life 0 &., I ;5-rJ-'i&$vv ----- - ,1 COAL EXCHANGE'S WORK FOR PUBLIC Its President Defends It Againsc Recent Criti cisms By JOHN E. LLOYD Tresldent of tho Philadelphia Coal Kxchanse, mllE Philadelphia Coal Exchange has -L come in for a good deal of criticism lately, being accused of fixing prices and othor charges Just as unreasonable, and no doubt a majority of tho Philadelphia publio believe tho facts aro as stated. This most certainly Is not the case, and noer has been, Tho exchange was organized in tho inter, ests, naturally, of the retail coal dealers, but their Interests wero In many wayh me Interests of the consuming public. A few years ago it was not an unusual thing for some of the retail yards to delUcr a short ton; In other words, Instead of delivering a ton of 2210 pounds, as llttlo as 1700 to 1800 pounds would bo sold as a ton, and ypt the publio continued to buy from these dealers and could not understand why they could sell coal for so much less than their competitors. The Philadelphia Coal Exchange has put a stop to this, at least among Its own members, as it employs a welghmaster whose busings it Is to do nothing but weigh tho wirgons of tho members of the exchange. He is continually on tho streot and no dealer knows when ho may have his wagon weighed. Tho oxchango has em ployed this man since October, 1012 long before tho Department of Weights and Measures was authorized. Tho reports o .... .,.., n;, lo luuuo , writing to tho executive committee of the Coal Exchange Tho penalty imposed Is optional with the executive committee; on tho first offenso a letter is written by tho secretary of the exchange to the member nt f, t. .,. a .? .. ,W PontInU8 tho member Is fined, and If this does not remedy tho evil the executive committeo reports tho case to the board of directors, which has the power to expel the offending member. Has Rendered a Service During the present excessive consumn. .?' ca' the exchange has been working tar ' ,ln.twest" of Philadelphia, try i? ..' ,far Proportion of the coa that is mined shipped to Philadelphia. Officers SUm.1"1."?' ?f $? exchl"eo have mad numerous trips to Washington and to the ?Mnf thB ralIr?ads. w"h the one objec getting more coal to Philadelphia I believe the Philadelphia Coal Exchange has rendered and Is today rendering great service to the city by obtaining no only a normal but an extra supply 0fcoaI The consumer, whether a householder or the owner of a factory, must recoenizii th. fact that more coal of all kinds ha, h used and more coat has been shlmlJi Philadelphia since January 1. 1917 Than n anv nrvmi von nr .1 :..'. lnan in has been in steam sizes and not Tn egg ?a?rVnd Pea th BiZe3 ui "' Aihtci.,sarlSf .? . hai h.n i ,: .,:.-' U1.""s increas Is working in the Interest of 'the. public: The rata 1 coal dealer has been Subjected to a great deal of criticism lately and very unfairly so. If this continues It wUl do a great injustice to a body of busings men who n the great majority of case, are doing their best to gVe ""J the publio a square deal. tvjng There are many uncertainties in , i business, and at this particular meneTa tail dealer has many new problems to faea and all we ask is that the pubhe. as w.ii as the press, be patient, and I beilev.h. fuel situation will be worked out to th? .at isfactlon of all. l0 th aat' The gross margin, or gross income, .-. celved by the retail dealer has bew much discussed of late, and I would Ilka to ,n attend to soma matters of v tai K tance to this subject ' ,rapor' Retailers' Problems The profit a dealer usually makes variaa greatly from month to month, soma months showing an actuah loss per ton on the ton- naga handled. When a coal yard Is workta ,w vf.,.w m. ..-My. , nuuia bm suijaifaa 0 roak it pft A attMa ' aMk.1 ItfL? OUR PERPETUAL HALLOWEEN STUNT even A fair nvcrago for this year on pres ent costs would be, I believe, around $2 GO per ton Any rctnll coal dealer who could nvcrngo a net profit of 00 per cent per ton would bo making moro money than ho has oer made, nnd et no one, I enturc, would Kiy bo v-ns making more than a fair percentage, based on tho cost of coal. From the gross Incomo a dealer makes must bo deducted nil Items of expense en tering into hlH business, such ns salaries, wages of jnrdmon nnd teamsters, clerical force, yntd maintenance, tnxes. Insurance, Interest on money Inested, dep: relation on plants and equipment, depreciation and wastage of coal, etc, per ton, nnd what ever balanco is left will bo tho net profit. Any business man knows that certain of tho items enumerated abovo are fixed or overhead expenses, which continue from day to day, regardless of tho volume ot business done. This Is particularly true of the coal dealer. He does not carry different articles that are sold at different times of tho year, but an article that per tains only to about one-half of each oar: for tha othor half tho oeibead continues and his cost per ton advances by leaps and bounds. Tho gross Income which tho retail dealer Is now receiving, based on the method or dered by Doctor Garfield, tho fuel admin istrator, varies from approximately $1 70 to $2.20 per ton. Avoidable Expense With tho greatly Increased cost of doing business and with .shipments of coal as uncertain as they nro today, this gross Income does not permit a fair return on the capital Invested. Tho best months for tho letallcr are December to May 31; even In his busy months there nro many Items of expenso which tho consumer does not consider and many which could bo avoided If tho con sumer would use a llttlo forethought. Among the first may bo mentioned Icy streets and during nnd after heavy snow storms. In the summer ono horse can haul one ton and two horses from two to threo tons and more. With snow and Ico on the streets It tnkes two horses to a ton of coal, and even then valuable time is lost by the care necessary to drive on Icy streots or shoveling snow bo teams can reach the smewaiK. it is often necessary to send an extra man, when In summer one would do. The same applies with equal forco to de livery by autotrucks Among tho avoidable expenses for which the consumer is responsible two Important ones can be mentioned First, tho habit of ordering from one or moro yards at the same time. (I have known of cases where an order for one ton has bein placed with fivo different yards for Immediato delivery.) Tho yard making tho delivery first naturallv puts In tho ton and makes tho delivery, while the others ore put to the same ex pense without nny compensation. The second is tho customer's habit of waiting until no coal is left In the cellar and then demanding Immediate delivery (This habit Is not confined by any means to the persons who cinnotnfford to purchase ahead, but to the well-to-do, who can well afford to always have a stock on hand.) To try to take care of this trade extra teams are necessary. When a warm spell of weather sets In during the winter months, or even a few warm days, coal orders al most stop and our teams are left ldlo; but Just as soon ns a few snowfiakes begin to fall or the temperature drops It seems no ono hns any coal, and the poor dealer Is nt his wit's end to try to satisfy even half of his customers. BUT SHE DIDN'T She was a very newly fledged baroness or duchess or something like that, nnd, some how or other, she became thick with a pro fessor, as tha classical blokes would have It, and he Invited her to come to his ob servatory to see tho pollpse. She arrived about two hours late. "I've come to see the eclipse," she told the professor's assistant. "Professor Squashnoddla invited me to coma," "I'm sorry, but the whole thing was over an hour ago," said the assistant, contritely "Then," said the dignified dame, "I will wait for tho next.' London Jdeas. PRUSSIAN POISON Today the aerman, who failed with his army and failed with his submarine, is In hUia,t..iesE!rU 09"ve. striving to sue coed with his Propaganda ami m.i, .,. . poisoned press do what tho poisoned , -'-jf-f II, ""r- "t J iL. . i il.j.TL-tnNjiw' "'7Tjril.. '.'i j LsbV What Do You Know? 3 QUIZ 1. tine nf Hie moit fiimous divnrfs In hl tnrj wn Tom Thumb. How tall was U and w lint mi bin natlonalltj-r 3. l'or what Is Mrnlforil-iinon-Aron faneai? !1. VUinl U mi nniiililliluuH nnlmalf 4. Trafalgar hininro Is perilling the meet Ira. I.ortimt (enter of Hcthlty In linden. .A ttue MnniN on column in the renter? nf thp Hiiunre. Vlioo etntun Is It inl for what vlrtorr of his is the sonars named? C. tlho was Herbert Spencer' 0. The AuHtrn-tlcrninns have ruptured Mini. 1 low- fur In that from the frontier from wlilrli tlio lUlinns were forced buck? 7. What Is meant by "heckllns'T . Whero Is the Harlem Hirer? 0. Ju;t uhnt Is meant br the phrase "oter tlio ton"? 10. Xninn the ronimaniler-ln-fhief of the Ital ian unit. Answers to Yesterday's Quiz 1. "Dentli fhiirro."! In nntl-suhmnrlne flrtt. Iiik n pourrrul weapon I tlio bomb hlch Is dropped by n ilentrnver nnd which e. Morten ut certain distance nnder the surf are. of the w liter. The bomb does not have to lilt the U-hoati the dlitarb mice In the wntcr Is said to be rrrsl (nniiKh to ehattrr the fragile craft It tbe latter In near riioush. 2. Prometheus: Iricenilarr hero who defied the kimIk nnd nan chained, with a BSTste bird eternally nttacklne him. 3. Vlmlnlnt niimril for riliabeth, the Ylrrtn Uueen. 4. Tiirtnn: n Scotch plaid with dlittnctlre pattern of a clan. Ji. Haakon VII, klnic of Norway. 0. Telephone Invented! 1870. 7. Unlike tho American Government, forelin (iov eminent own a lame percent of tho nillnuvs. 8. Three ncademto desreest bachelor, rnsiter. doctor. 0, A "tramp" U a vessel operatlnr Arer rrcuhir rnule nnd havlnc no renlsr ijihedule nf noMlncM. 10. XliiKuru, I'ullit Is the mune of ft city In New, ork near the fnlln nnd nf a town In Ontario. Canada. The falls are partly In Amerlrjn, partly In Canadian domain. THE "FIRST-AID" PACKET AMERICAN' soldiers, especially the new A ones, may bo Inclined to treat rather scornfully a small but valuable airtight metal box which will bo handed to them with tho extra equipment long before they aro called upon to face tho Hermans In the trenches. Military authorities agree, that, since this small treasure cask was adopted by armies It has done more than anything' else to save tho lives of wounded. It 11 nothing other than the flrst-ald packet. When these little packets first wero used In tho present world war some few men, with what has come to be known as bsttl flippancy, wero heard to laugh at them.wltn tho suggestion that If once hit In batus they would be perfectly willing to leave th caro ot their wounds to outers nwm - H,nt In ,,Ar1l.nl drill In tho first place, the packet consists ot,. two gauze compresses sewed to two cou" . bandages. These are sterilized and sealed' In wax naner. There also nr tW Rnfolv nln. vrnrtn(V Thfl WholO fS Steril ized nnd placed In the airtight metal box,. to prevent contamlnntlon. WKe mo - alarm, the box Is to be used only when, needed. When tho call does come, luy prompt use by nny soldier may save i mm own life, that of his "bunkle." or others not to mention sorrow and suffering t Ono thing Is certain: wounds without! germe or Infection will heal rapidly as general rule. They are the kind tnai in surgeon makes on the operating iau-. --- TinHont niif-TAt-n tin creAt Inconvenience. Wnimria with Terms. thOSO Which beCOm Infected, tell an entirely different story., tk. .. ,.,hi& i that nearly 'all Datuo wounds become infected, many of them 1 through corelessnoss. The whole object oi .j the packet Is to prevent inieciion. J. lit) lirilUO UUJB1.I. w v.. r - 7 , It Vis I great advantage lie In the fact that It n I i .-, j, --. ... h, nlneed 00 a 4 wound immediately provided the woitw t,. t.. handled. The same appii" to the gauze. It must be applied t onee- hrnra it h tien touched by any roreF ,, matter, which surely will cause in'"1?";. Therefore, soldiers should remember t If a bullet strikes a man mrecx ino -" cat, be applied, without even wash ng th ,S wound In sucn cases me "''"'"'" -j". , , .... t ..i,-. .t.iir.a anmethlne! else nrii, I that ... rlcodiets. and then, strikes a man. ''' be Knocked into an irregular shape, Furthermore, such a bullet surely M rlss terras into tne wounu. iu. ","-"T1iij particles of tne ewiniw, -;-. nK.ald packet, is W .r-"" i i VsasH 1 m giava gftsttl ooal on ear M Mtktf MsAWfflfXri5t SMfc M aieorWi "wii"r tvfcU at W to a satft if Pf31 v -sb-os- y.- nf--v - -- f aUsStt aTtttsM. WUBI W s.Wf- I Wsva (he wtWM (inw ps" , sMafeA. f . J , V. -. tjt .v;
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers