..jpTTTr-7T ' 'J 2 LTB-v " 1 r naH iHf h &m . It I.1' r? V V I ly,' m m .VArMi. I'm- Ah&: M mM M ftj .w.s u h rtt'lL-Y ; F.,! . fc mm f 839. iiW S?t .,. . e ! IjW J 8 ituenmg "Public ffie&ger PUULIG LEDGER COMPANY I'srMtttMT Chrlii II. T.txllnittnn. Vice Preel.lent: JMin & lUrttn, Secretary unit Treasurer! Thlllp a. Collin. ijhn II. Williams. John J. Hpunreon. Bliwlwui - ,,t,A nDiToniAi. noAnni v?t Ctnri It. K. Cl'HTl. Chairman AV1D S.- BMH.KT. Editor 'JOHN C. MAnrtN...,Oenral Itulne Mutini-er rubllohnl it.tllr Rt Fmnc T.r.nnicn lliillJInit. , lntli mltnre Suuare. riillwlelphla, ATr.tSTtc CiTt ...Press-Union HulMIni Nr.w York .1(11 Msdlenn Ave. ,I)STnoiT "ni Kord IlulMInx Bit I.ni-ii loos fullerton IlulMInx Ciiicaoo t:i02 Tribune UulMltf NKWS IlL'UKAUSt WimnsnToN llcarjf, ..... ... N. K. Cor. l'enniiy Ivan a Ave. and 14th Ht. Ntw TnK lli-ituc The Sun lliilMInc Los in) N Ilt'RRAf London Tlmtt uiMiurMiii'Tins Tiinua V Tha IJvsmmi Prni.it! l.rimts la aerved to sub- CNneri lit rhUHilellwin. Mnti eurrnunuui lunii" ,at the rate of twelve It-') cents wr week, payabla to the carrier . . M , , tly mall to 'minis outlde of Philadelphia, In ith t'nlted States, ('annila. ur 1'nlled States tn ' f!iilnn, postaur free. flft t.'O) cents pr month. JBlt (rtl dollar" pt (Mr, payable In advance. i To all fnrelan cmintrlea ono III) dollar a month. i Kmirp Subicrllr wishing address chariiad I hunt altn old ns well aa new address. ' .. aA . t.r frvcrnvr itfitv tana t nr.i.i.. iiwo ai.mt KF.Y5TONE. MAIN 1009 CrVtiMrra nil commtiniraHons fo Kvniina rulUe " Ledger, ndriifiiilfwc 8ptnrt. I'M'ode'pMa. Member of the Associated Press ' TIIK AUSOCI.lTKh MUSS Is cxclmlvei en. 'Mint lo te tue of lor rrimlillcnllon o nil fii cfllalcars crrtllted to It or not othrnolie r''rt''"J ia I Ma pnirr. otid nfjo the local nrtrj pufcllahrtl Tll'VloMa o republlrnlfon o apr.'lol dlapotcne? Ilrrrfn ore nlo rrc ret. Thllailtlphii, Tlioriiltf. Auul 11, K0 A rnni-YKtn rnnniiAM rm PIIII.MIF.I.PIIIA Thlnia on which the people "Pert the new odmlnUlnttlon to concentrate lt nttertlon: The Delaware river trWoo. A ttrwitoefc No eaouo't to occomwiodal lae 7)rve&pmeat of the rapid tranilt svtem. A convettftoM hall. A bulldlna for the Tree lAbrarv. An Art Muirvm. Enlargement of the voter luppty, lomcc fo occommodotc tac popiilotlon. SUFFRAGE IN THE WARDS AXKW nml vividly hiininu IHe of tlic Konorill suffraK question i broiiRht to the surfitrp bv tbp work and pxin-rii'iifo of those who arc now out murine li"ti of tlie now votrpt. For It is cU-itr that wnnl work ers will Imvf to urhtevp an t-ntircly ni-w tcclinlqiio If they wNh to Rft anywhero mitlor the new and rrvolutinniiry conditions with which they nrr i.oufrontrtl. Indt-ed, n tear ful' epic iniRht bv written alxnit the present plight of the common or garden variety of heeler. The elimination or let us say the partial eliminationof the saloon left him tluiiniler ing. Ht ns forced to Unci n substitute for the oldett method of vnliticnl nrKiiment ami for a place In which promies. pledgee ami conversions were easily achieved under the spell of nlcthollc centimentalism. That problem was not half solved before Ten nessee loaded down nil wnrd workers in the countrj with n new set of difficulties. " How can women voters be convinced? How can they be persuaded? The political routineer rumma-tiiiR crudely among his own dim memories is pretty certain to leap at one conclusion. The confectionery business. will hum during every election period. And any one with a sense of dramatic values will wait eagerly for the time when the profes sional vote-grabber, intent on convincing electors in his division that Tweedledum is a rotter In comparison with Tweedledt. fol lows a widely advertised rule and cndeaors to say it with (lowers. BEFOULING A SHRINE GRAFT within the shrine which of all Rhrines curries the most basic spiritual message of America quite surpasses the or dinary run of offenses inspired by sordid greed. Chief Raster, of the Uureau of City Prop- erty, accuses a majority of the guards of independence Hall of acting in collusion with solicitors for sight -seeing nutos and .J'for-hire" cars. The rake-off for deals contracted with compliant tourists is Mild to have been twenty-five cents per victim. Anything more offensive than .-uch a ttrlctly commercial capitalization of the gen erous glows prompted b rushes of patriotic sentiment it is ditficult to imagine. Corrup tion In the Cradle of Liberty furnishes the cynic with succulent fond. Haupily. how ever, this fure will be soon exhausted, for Mr. llaxter promises to clean out the State Jloufe, morally as well as physically. Those attendants that are found guilty of this nasty business ure immediately to be dis charged. It. Is almost superfluous to add that the strictest surveillance of conditions must be maintained. The city is acting now. but judging from some of the testimony the dis gusting traffic ih not a novelty, but bears the marks of a thoroughly organized abuse. f 'OPEN" THE WISSAHICKON TVTAYOU MOOUK'S proposal tu "jog on, jog on the footpath way." along the upper Wissahickon with a party of Hoy Scouts is an engaging conceit. When the excursion comes off in Sep- ! ember the .Mayor and his sturdy joiing ompnninns will undoubtedly have a good time. They will behold, moreover, some of the loveliest miniature scenery in America, .from the sight of which the motorist is barred. The plan, it is said, will be ex tended later to include school children ou a similar outing. . But the fact that such trips take on the nature of special red-letter events serves to focus attention on the lamentnhle lack of sensible exploitation of the Park's most signal beauties. Some weeks ago Mr. Moore urged the Fairmount I'ark Commission to provide suitable horse-drawn vehicles" for a regular service through the Wissahickou ravine. This attractive program well war rants practical execution. The public will not begrudge the boys their hikes, but it would certainly appreciate out ings comfortably undertaken through the gorge, under suitable conditions of comfort and at a reasonable price. Horse-pulled busses would solve the problem. ARE WE SNOBS? ,A MKRICANS who stay at hon mitted to observe that prince unie are per- muted to observe that princes and kings and other royalties who visit these shores are consistently democratic in habits and temperament. The nature of the receptions now being tendered to Prince Carol of Rumania, the fcort of stuff that is being written about li i tit nml the air of Iron exclusiveness affected b) (hose who have to entertain the distinguished visitor suggest again that princes, kings and other royalties, if they are in the habit of reporting to the folks ut home, have to admit that Americans are not consistently democratic In habits or In temperament. A HEALTH FUNDAMENTAL mO IJK at all worth while, the state law providing for the physical examination of school children must be administered , Systematically. Haphazard inspection do- ! rata the very purpi-,i' "f 'ho net, which is de If ned rather to point out the remediable 'detects of the. pupils than to operate directly ' W a cure, d Dieter KiJtbush has correctly emphasized . . ' t ' the fact that the present medical inspection staff is too small, and that the examinations recurring at intervals of 'from two to three years nre almost futile. In the intervening time it is nil too possible for a perfectly curable weakness to develop beyond the stages of effective treatment. The director's call upon the Roard of IMucntion to make provision for five super vising medical inspectors, fourteen inspectors and seventeen nurses before September 8 should be promptly heeded. The yearly ex amination of all the school children cannot be evaded without n plain violation of tl'le statute. , There are few surer safeguards to public health than Intelligent medical supervision of its youth. If the work is only partially performed, or nt irregulnr intervals, it de generates into n costly and rAther Imperti nent pretruse. LET EVERY CITY BE MASTER IN ITS OWN HOUSE Mayor Moore's Indorsement of the Homo Rule Plan of the League of Third- Class Cities Brings Us Nearer the Goal A STEP toward municipal home rule was taken when the annual convention of the League of Thlrd-Class Cities, in session In York this week, directed Its legislative com mittee to .urge the (icncrnl Assembly to pasi the necessary laws. Mayor Moore, who stopped in York on his vncatlon tour, congratulated the league on Its action nnd impressed upon it the Im portance of co-operation among the cities of all the different elnsses to the end that they may acquire fuller control of their local affairs. Pennsylvania has a long way to go before it arrives at the advanced position taken by Ohio and Michigan nnd some other states. In Michigan the people have so amended their constitution ns to permit nil' cities to draft their own charters. Within the limits fixed by the laws pns.sed under the constitu tional amendment the cities have nbsoltite discretion in the settlement of their do mestic problems. Not only may they draft their own charters nnd ninentl thenl from time to time, but they may bonil themselves to buy stnet railways if the voters approve. Or they may build street-car lines for them selves and extend them outside of the city boundaries to serve the suburbs. They have control of their building laws and their park development nnd of every other detail of locnl government. This plan has relieved the Legislature fnm the task of legislating for the cities anil has enabled it to give Its attention to gen eral laws for the whole state. If we had hnd such a plan in this state the business of the last fleneral Assembly would not have been blocked by the long dis cussion over the revised charter for Phila delphia. The legislators from the rest of the state were Irritated because of the delay lu the passage of bills in which they were di rectly Interested. Few of them cared any thing about the city charter. They only hoped that the Philadelphia legislators could agree on it and get it out of the way. As a matter of fact, the charter was framed by the local legislators in the sense that they ncccpted as their own the work of the unofficial charter commission. The others simply ngreed to what the men from this city had decided upon. It woultl have saved time nnd money for the state if the drafting and adoption of the charter had been left entirely to the people of this city. Not a session of the General Assembly comes to nn end without t,he passage of a lot of petty bills affecting this city, bills which ought never to occupy the time of the legislators of the rest of the state. There nre a score or more of such bills which be came laws In a recent volume of -.tatule-.. For instance, we went to Hnrrishiirg to get the authority of the (ienernl Assembly to permit the erection of tire-proof garages ene story high and imt more than sitein bv twenty feet, inside measure, ou the rear of lots when the lot backed on an nllej ten feet wide. These petty details are in the act. We ought to have authority to make our own building regulations without nppeal to the state. We are the only people who have any vital Interest in the subject, and we ought to have the final say ou it. Again, we asked the Legislature to per mit us to establish a zoning sjstem under which the .size and use of buildings in differ ent parts of the city might be regulnted, nnd under which the Park Commission could determine the chnracter of buildings to be erected within 20(1 feet of any park, park way, boulevard or playground. Such regulations belong properly to the city. It ought not to have been necessary to go to Harrisburg to get authority to make them. Under the home-rule system a blanket grunt of power would cover all such matters. Still again, it was thought necessury to ask the General Assembly for permission to pay the city employes semimonthly, as though the rest of the state cared whether we pnid monthly, semimonthly or weekly. Anil further, we had to ask permission of the state to create a pension fund for city employes, and to lay down regulations' under which we could take private land for park purposes when the laud abutted on nu existing park. All these bills and many similar ones were drafted in Philadelphia. The General As sembly agreed to them became our repre sentatives asked it, but their action amounted to nothing more than rubber-stamping what we had decided on in the first place. There was no pretense thut the state hud to ex ercise supervision over what we did. Rut we hud to appeal to the state because, for sooth, a "great city cannot be trusted to munage its own affairs nnd must be kept in leading strings by the General Assembly." It is about time that full-grown men ceased to pretend that there is anything in such ridiculous poppycock. The citizens of Philadelphia, nnd of every other big ami little city of the common wealth , arc just as honest ami just ns trust worthy as the citizens of tfii rural districts. They enn be trusted to do their own locnl governing in accordance with sound prin ciples just ns well ns auy other group of people can be trusted. The proper function of the General As sembly is to deal with general statutes, leav ing the management of locnl affairs to the different localities, subject to certain well defined principles to be laid down in the constitution nnd lu nu' enabling act. Then if we make blunders the responsi bility can be pin' ed where it belongs, right here at home, ami the voters cnu dismiss the inefficient officials and elect more capable men to office. Indeed, no better plan for improving local government could be devised than that of placing full resouslbillty for it upon the people right here. If the locnl electorate did not rise to the occasion, then It would prove false to all precedent. There Is no more sobering ami steadying medicament than responsibility. It trans forms men, rhanglng radicals Into conserva tives and thoughtlessness into serious mlndrtlness. And men of an easy Con science have bfen known to develop a sense of obligation to trustwlien they have real-. EVENING PUBLIC LED K istcd thnt on their loyalty great Issues de pend) If the demnnds of the Lcriguo of Thlrd Class Cities arc backed up by the demands of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and Scran ton they are likely to receive more respect ful attention In Harrisburg this winter than has been their lot in the past. . A WAIL OF DIVIDENDS? TTAVK the widows and orphans who hold stock In the Delaware river ferry com panies only the forlorn have shares, It seems, in the richest corporations nnythlng to do with the organized propaganda insti tuted in New Jersey against the proposed Philndelphin-Camden bridge? Let us as sume that they haven't. And since It is only fair to believe that they are standing aloof, it is necessary to believe thnt they are quite as naive and unworldly ns they have' been pictured in a hundred solemn ar guments before the courts. For there arc Immense profits In the Delaware ferry busi ness. There hnvc been times when the Dela ware river compnnies seemed actually to bo embarrassed by the weight of the returns from their invested capital. War nnd war's" alarums, which often hindered other busi nesses, brought only nn Increasing tide of 'traffic to the riVer boats. Kvcry accident and circumstance of the Inst twenty years seemed destined to mnke the ferries richer. Yet they cheerfully announce n substantial Increase In rntes for foot passengers nnd vehicles. Any one who is fortunnte enough to par ticipate in the returns from corporations so happily plnceil would be more than hiimnn If he were to do otherwise than frown on the plans for a bridge. In the years between WOO nml 1000 divi dends on Pennsylvania ferry stock rose from 10 to 'M per cent iiniiunlly. In the following year only a IS per cent general dividend was declared, but n large surplus was absorbed in new stock certificates issued to share holders ami representing nn additional !l" per cent melon for the investors. In 101(1 the corporation wnR paying u 20 per cent dividend nn the new capitalization. The anti-hridgc prnpngnnda in New Jer sey is based upon the argument, devised for the ears of farmers and smnll property hold ers, that a Camden and Philadelphia iiridgc would benefit no one but motor owners. It happens that nt this writing truck farmers In tnnny parts of South Jersey are plowing under crops which they cannot mnrket nt u profit. Most farmers own automobile trucks. Is it tun much to suppose that n bridge which would make a direct connecting link between Jersey farms and the heart of oue of the greatest food markets in the country would not be the beginning of a new cm for firmers. even if we nre to sup pose thnt direct trolley connections between the two cities could menu nothing to the vnst multitudes who now have to endure the hardships of inadequate ferry service as part of the day's work? And what per centage of the money that is distributed an nually among nil sorts of people in New Jersey is carried across the river in motor cars? Against the incredibly foolish arguments now circulated to crente general nntngonlsm to the proposed bridge loans if is only proper to cite that of some owners of hind in this vicinity, who have insisted that the bridge project is unfair to them since it tends to increase real estate values In ull South Jersey areas. The simple fuet of the mnttcr is that people of all sorts on both sides of the river would benefit in a hundred ways by the pro posed bridge. The suburban areas on the Pennsylvania side would feel a direct stim ulus as well as the region between Camden and Atlantic City. All of this is obvious enough. Whoever tries through propaganda to create nn oppo site opinion will waste his money. VICTORY AND A LESSON TIIK brilliant victory with which the Poles are now Hushed has been gained under auspices hearteningly different from those under which the new republic's invnsion of Russia was pursued "-onie months ngn. The dangerous possibilities of thnt original aggressive policy were very Imperfectly realized both In Warsaw and lutlie Euro pean chancelleries. Allied statesmen floun dered helplessly in their effort to formulnte a Russian program. Propaganda Rolshcv ists and nnti-Rolshevists attained the cloudy summits of misrepresentation. In the interim n stern recnll of both sides to realities hns been sounded. Civilization was profoundly shocked, not to say fright ened, by the success of Soviet arms. Iti the midst of extreme dangers, truth hns n wholesome fashion of asserting Itself, The Polish situation wus subjected to n grim yet sincere examination. The folly of the first militaristic adventure wus disclosed. It was apparent thnt tragic blunders hud been made. Efforts to repair them resulted in a wide divergence of views among the allied statesmen, who nuturnll measured the Rolshcvlst incnuce from strictly national angles. Rut th recovery of Poland hns not only made possible n course of clearer ami more unified thinking, but sober, sound reflection is Inspired by the nnrrow margin by which the onrush of bolshevlsm was averted. It is very unlikely now thnt the extreme cluims of Polish militarists will be recklessly supported by the major powers. It is equally improb able that supine concessions to preposterous Rolshcvifrt demands will be made.. The American note to Italy on the Russo Polish crisis was n firm and statesmanlike paper, respecting the legitimate ambitions of the Poles nnd repudiating utterly the Soviet oligarchy, its treachery nnd its tyrannous swny over the great Russian majority. Ou the basis of that document n new spirit of Franco -American co-operation has been en gendered. Signor Giolltti seems to have re covered from his fright nnd Mr. Lloyd George Is no longer torn between fantastic fears of an English revolution and the al ternative peril of recognizing the Soviet regime. As the case now stands, the Rolshevltts are convicted of duplicity in their monstrous demand thnt a proletarian army be main tained in Poland. Other terms which they nre ulleged to have made at Minsk arc equally mad. Mr. Hnlfour hus very properly iibked for verification of these reports. It may be expected thut this time the veil of illusion and delusion will be drawn, ami this applies as well to extravagant Polish demnnds as to the absurdities of the Rol shevist purpose. It Is trite to repent that the whole world desires peace. Rut there Is a most encour--aging novelty In the possibility of this time establishing it. With the collapse of Rol shevist military power, the tlread of a Ger mnn partnership with fanaticism fades also. The Allies and the United StatcH are now intrenched in un exceedingly strong position. Just terms in settlement of it war which gave to civilization pangs of the most profound concern can be Imposed. The Allies, Poland, nnd America, In so far as her advice Is given, owe it to their self-respect and Instincts on behalf 'of sane democracy nnd the rights of peoples thnt the eastern Polish frontier be drawn with honest authority and that bol shevlsm In Its lunatic mood be brought to a sense of existing facts, PHIL AMl!PHIAr OMtrRSAY, ' 'iOTi&UST 26, THE GOJPNSMAN Why Tarry In the City? TVEIl slnco Horace's famous colloquy "-J between the city mouse and his country cousin, this question hns been iu debate nnd yet It remains a hnrdyvperennlnl, inten sting to ehut about mninly becausn nobody ever convinced Anybody" else about it. It Is a flue contempt which country folk feel and conceal not for us cockneys when we ex hibit our Ignorance llnuntlugly in the face of rustic lore, laboriously nmnssed for gru erntioii. And the countryman hi the city, game for the green goods mnn, jny, gnwk, guv, served ns one of the eleven original Jokes awny bark in the stone ngo when there were n few originals lurking about most I r In rave1 nnd ready to bludgeon their trlends with delicate stalactites, vigorously nppllrd. Ihe following Is offered by n diffident young poet poets, like the gods, nre ever young, nnd they ought to be linblttinlly diffident whom we shnll cnll. to conceal his Identity In nn impenetrable mist of anonymity, J. 8. R. If the Gownsmnn ran find out nnvthlng nhnut J., which is probably John, that could possibly Interest anybody, he will do so, snvlng up the iimmiiultinn for some day when Inspiration is treacling slowly. There i n suspicion in literary circles llterarv circles nre always suspicious thnt John is the original Fork Creek Kpltaphlst. Hut ns to this, not much is to be said nt present. BUT to return to the query : Why tarry In the city? IFAcn country lancx nre orrni and gran I vrlvrt In Mr nfrn' fre.tMi, And buds nnd blossoms sore delay Us on our shade nnd sunshine wny; Ah but 'twere, pity Instead to tread trith iccary feet And stoie the nooifbeilizemd street And tarry in the city. The rustic of tall pines, ihe hush Thnt folloies; note a hermit thrush, Deep in the woods: the cuckoo's quick Reverberant, metallic click: Ah, but 'twere pity Instead to only hear the ronr Of traffic nt trade's heartless core And tarry in the city. The world i" irmV, the rivers run, The crops stand ripening in the sun. Giving to him who irons sweet toil The garner of a fruitful soil; Ah, but 'tii pity Thnt nny mnn should pay the toll Of pride, for seeming barter soul And tarry in the city. HOWSOEVER, there nre two sides to every question, nnd John, being nllke fnlr-mlndeil nnd versatile, sends us like wise the following that we nitty decide as we may and ou our own, not his, responsi bility. R'Aoi country lanes are thick in mud And striams are swollen into flood, And naked trees stretch palsied fingers To dnrl. skies where winter lingers, O but 'twere pity A'of to house nnc close nnd trnrm Where men assemble, women chnrm, And tnrry in the city, - The huddled houses seem as though For friendship's sake they stood in row;' And there arc comforts too, nnd sweets. In the companionship of streets, O but 'twere, pity To stumble in the country's night RViifc others revel in the light And tarry in the city. In the city there is noise, Hut music, too; and there arc toys And trifles; aye, but better things To him who better purpose brings. O then the pity Thnt nny should choose banishment When he can have his heart's content And tarry in the city. WHO shnll agree when poets disngrce? which phrase, by the by. 'makes not a' bad verse In Itself. We could call it by a hard teehnlcnl name, but we won't. It appears, then, thnt there sire times in which to live in the country and there are times in which to abide lu town. The one thing of which the Gownsman feels very certain is that there is no time in the year in which ' it Is endurable to tnrrv. stay, dwell or so journ In the .suburbs, that no man's land In which the r-itj ubutts or rather butts upon the country tind the country expresses itself in lawns, trimmed hedges, florists, truck patches, streets newly projected and left In mud and havoc. Truly, nature is nllke spoiled by man whether beautified or uglletl. (Critical reader, there is authority for this word). And unhappy above all is he who under compulsion of lnbor in the city, must journey in some gregarious trolley or electrlcnl apparatus ou tracks to sleep nightly amid greenery nud benutv which he sees rarely by daylight. We notice that the "L" Is piercing even the convlvinl soul of our sometime Kit Morley In his daily peregrinations from Salamls to Rowling Green. Wherefore: Who shall agree when poets disagree, As poets do especially with met Give me to dwell where men moif congrc gate, Where throngs presi on, now falter, and now wait At the behestof some tall man in blue. Who guards the peace and mailers me and you. Or gire me expectation by a brook. With Walton' hook and line and U'affon'f book ; So idle that the thought of fish has caught Me nothing scalier than the fish of thought. Mine be the country's stillness or the . hubbubs Of town: preserve me from the stupid suburbs. NOT THE OLD SONGS NOT the old songs; they arc too full of tears. Even the laughter of so long ago Falls faint nnd sadly on our wistful ears ; Even the love they loved to echo so Has perished Into dust hi the long jcurs. Not the old song; for even If today We still have tears to shed, oh, let them be Warm, living tenrs, not cold with the delay Of weary century on century. We tnuy not even sorrow as did they ! Not the old pageantry of masque and mime , Not the old songs our fathers loved to sing, And hung and memories on every rhyme. O poet, know, life Is a living thing FnHhlon ftew songs to fit the newer time! Mnry Leslie Newton In New York Times. As bidders for Hog Island must put up $1,000,000 ns n guarantee of good faith Admiral Renson has postponed the snle of the shipyard until October .'10, so that the men who have been paying the vacation bills of their families may have time enough to save up their pennies before puttiug in their bids. Ambnssnilor Davis has got back from London In time to vote for Cox; but he would have cast his bullot with n little more satisfaction if the San Francisco con veiitinn hnd nominated u man whose mime begins with the letters in the ulphubet next beyond ('. The way to clear out the pest holes in the block on Lombard street, owued by the city, is to tear down the buildings und make n playground of the site as was intended in the first pluce. The bricks rould be used for building new houses somewhere else. Those misguided people who nre trying to block completion of the processes of putting the suffrage amendment iu the con stltutioii might properly be described as futllltariaua.. er wwv. t-yu . .-sr iT j v'1ap!Kli'yTJlpsei'.-,Mi..:,.'J xarjir-v rr NOW MY IDEA IS THIS! Daily Talks With Thinking Philadelphians on Subjects They Know Best ROBERT M. COYLE On the Average Man's Thrift AFTER a long period devoted to reckless spending, the average wage-earner, through force of circumstniices, is beginning to see the light and save more than he has been saving, according to Robert M. Coyle, second vice president of the First Penny Savings Rank. "There is no question thnt the nveragc working ninu and particularly the working woman hns been spending money freely nnd much more freely than he or she should. The tendency to 'blow' money, to spend It iu u grand and ostentatious manner, has taken n firm hold on many. "The men have spent their money in many ways for luxuries. For instance, I notice traveling in the trains, especially nearby, thut the most luturioiis accomoda tions on the trains are taken up by those who probably can least afford it. The club am parlor mid other Pullman cars are crowded with travelers, who give the im pressiou that they probably traveled iir a much humbler way not so long ngo. "In fact, this clnsf, of traveler has liter ally crowded the man of menus, who is ordl uarlly supposed to travel in this way, out of these cars altogether. Jinny wealthy men whom I have known have declared thnt, now thut they ure out of these luxurious forms of travel, they intend to nvoid them until economy is mole the order of the day-. "The idea with the wage-earner 1ms been apparently that the best is none too good for him. So he goes in for better houses, more trips, more and grander good times nud every other form of luxurious spending. Women Hue Rett! Worse' "Rut bud as the men have been, the women hac been worse. Many firms, during tlit money -making peiiods of the lust few years, have been giving their employes bo nuses. The mult rl.wng idea was that it would enable 1 1 m to save iiioiicj. It was urgued thut if then salaries were supporting them these Ijoihims would be pure velvet, which the could saw. "In the old ds thnt might linvn been true. 1 know "I otic man who said that by the early bonus scheme he hud enabled muny men to get u stmt iu life und had been responsible for the creation of at least six millionaires. "Rut the psychology of the bonus seems to be different today. The average girl, for instance, no sihiht lays bunds ou it tluin she 'blows' it. Mabe it's a trip or some thing of thut in tii v. but for the most part she Invests in In p hereditary weakness, clothes. "For every g.rl who comes fo work plainly anil simph ilnsscd, there lire a great number who tin expensively. Not only is this to lie found ut her work Imt In her leisure attire The idea that her soeinl life will be on a higher Und more plcuslng scnle seems to he kick of it to a gieat extent, but I suppose it is a uuturiil weak ness with the fuir six. "Tlie time set mis in M. coming when this is going to stop Lucrative jobs are not so easy to liud us iliey once were nnd the lesson of hard knocks will probably tench them what reason and plans and schemes did not seem to do so effectively. Already many ure seeing the liundwritliig on the wall nnd are In ginning to save against that rainy iluy thnt is appearing so plainly. "The men seemed to have learned their lesson somewhut iu udvance of the girls. They have long since begun nu economy campaign ou clothes "Where one or two girls, for Instance, woultl set the pace for a number of girls on the question of expenditures for diess, the men fqr some reason seem to be imper vious tothis influence No matter how well some of their fellows have dressed, they have gone on their way dressing simply und wearing old clothes, entirely unaffected by the other's example. Small Savings Growing "So recently theie hus been u great in crease in saving and tlie number of those saving, puiticulurly among those with smaller iimounts to save, The First Penny Savings Hunk, for instance. Is nt the pres ent time getting more depositors than nt any time In its history and its members are in creasing rapidly every week. "There Is noflreable also n grent increase hi the number of small holders among insurance concerns, building und loan asso ciations are getting new members nt such a rapiu rate tnui most of tlieni nre getting rapiu riue nun most oi tliem nre getting measure or respect wheu he charges Presi- i,e to the limit of their bortwdugen. dent Wilson with diplomatic inconsistency J'MX' , t , .rrftffrrWl'W'"" ,'",KMm 'r'"' r,"sl l"lie inlii- I Wl'lie saving sec(Af?bvIded equally 'SttjiNljuuiBrity jtthht lino. clour tu inc mini oi uieir uorro pur 1920 THE TOLL-TAKER TT ' '. " among the men and women. Married women iu particular nre great savers Many of them ucquircd the habit during the earlier days, when prohibition was among the things regarded ns visionary. Then many of them were affected by the habits of their husbands nud developed the Indi vidual bank account hnbit secretly to keep the family resources from being wnsted. These women, having got the hnbit, have been among the most consistent savers. "In many families among the average wage-earner the woman is tlie fiunncial mnnnger. Where this occurs, the husband usually deposits his resources with his wife with the result that a portion of it generally finds its way to tlie savings fund. "Children do not seem to figure so much in the accounts nnd neither do foreiguerN. Those holding accounts In the savings fund for the most pnrt ure the average man and woman earning wages or salaries. "Rut the biggest incentive to save for the nvcrnge man and woman seems to be in the light of the last few years, not to have too much money iu. their bunds nt one time nud to have plainly before tliem the fact that they may need some of that money in the near future." Contentment A N ODD circumstance is revealed In the newest census reports covering Penn sylvania. Farmers nnd farm workers in this state have been drifting steadily toward the cities, and the centers of mill industries. And meanwhile there is n growing class of men and women who, having grown wenry of the confinement and the routine of cities, lire drifting outward to the country in search of the open air, the economic inde pendence nnd the pence which they hope to wring from the ground. The tides arc not balanced. The larger movement is from the fnrms to the centers of population and business activity. Rut there is among city folk nn increasing desire for the freer life which people on the farms nre supposed to enjoy. There are few people who cannot count uinoiig their nc qpalntnnces at least one man who looks to the time when he cun acquire n few acres and try his bund ns a farmer. The eco nomic stresses of the hour, the high cost of food, boredom with excitement und glare of cities nnd u better general knowledge of the relation of wholesome open-air exerclsu to health und long life explain tills general ti end. Who is wist V The farmer or the city man? The farmer will learn thut the cities nrcn't all that they ure cracked up to he. Folk from the city who go nut to be farmers may learn that the same thing may be said about the country.. Peace isn't made to order. Contentment is largely u matter of individual effort and Individual tempera ment. It may bo udvlwihle to explain that "votiug on uge Is reully voting on youth. The incrensctl ferry fares prompt the interesting question, "Is New Jersey a necessity?" Tho registration clerks who will hnve to usk the women voters their age ure just now envying the ussessors who have only to get the names. Jf Mr. Cox cun describe explicitly how disgustingly large sums of money ure ex pended he has the ordlnnry citizen uf these times ut u distinct disadvantage. Somebody Is always taking the joy out of life. Small hoys ou their vacations ure reminded by the shortening days that the schools will soon open up for business. If people did not 'have to ride on the ferry no one would care what the fare wus This state of Indifference will not bo ut twined, however, until the hrldge Is built. Accord to David Lloyd George the full tiiro of respect wheu he charges Presi- 4' l What Do You Know? QUIZ .. the meaning l. What la of tlie word ' madam? 2. Whnt are talesmen? i 3; sY.t?1 raco of Pe0Ple Inhabit Finland? 4. Which Is the "Volunteer State7" 5. What date Is the "birthday" of the Con. stltutlon of the United States? J. T ho wrote "Little Lord Kauntleroy"? i. what Is prima facie evidence? 8. liat Is onymous poetry 9. Is n meter longer or shorter than a yard? 10. When was the first permanent Jlngllnh settlement mode in Virginia? Answers to Yesterday's Quiz 1. The civil service Is nil nonwarllke branches of the government ndnilnls trnfon. 2. Troussenu literally means a bundle 3. General Weygand has been directing the recent military operations of th Polish army. 4. Themlstocles was a celebrated Athenian statesman nml nnvnl eomin.imler. whoso strategy w.ih largely responlbl for the decisive victory of the ftreek fleet over the Persian squadron tt Snlnmls In 480 B. C. 6. Frederick Lord North wns prime mlnlstfr of England during the entire period of the American Revolution After the surrender of Cornwnills he re signed. G. Dlumi wan the Romnn goddess associated with, the moon. 7. Paul Oustnve Dore, the celebrated artl't. was born In Strasbourg In 1833. t Which time AN.nna wnm nni-t nf Vrnnee 8. Tho Great Smoky mountains form a '. I ntnRe or me Appalachian system on th border between North Carolina nnd Tennessee. 9. .Innies Monroe wns tho fifth President of the United States. 10. The two tropic lines nre the tropic of Ctincer, the northern boundary of th' torrid zone, nnd the tropic of Cafirl. corn, the southern boundnry. You can't walk across the river, either! To nn important element In the mm. munlty the canvasser is welcome at last when he nppeurs iu the interesting assets incut role. There. is no such thing in the world sustained excellence. You've got to have a little punk now and then to make the fire works wortli while. The discovery of gold along the Susqui hnnnn Is really not so surprising. Lenii ere this has that siibstnnce been found iu Hurrisbiirg. . Tlie consistent propagandist against the Delaware bridge will, of course, continue to use what is loft of the ferries when the ,itn is completed. It Is difficult to nvoid the impression that the woman who charges a man with the outright theft of her soul must liaie left her soul lying around pretty loosely "Why," Mrs. Rjnnes tnuy whiter darkly to Mrs. MucSinith at mi Interval given to the usual uplifting conversation at some future card party, "she can't cim carry her division !'' The best wheeze of the week was iiihpu facturcd by the writer who observed tliaj nu O'vmple prize for the long jump Mntui ha reserved for the leaders of the lied nrmy thnt didn't take Wursnw. Sir Auckland Geddes, the Ilritish am bassador, didn't have to tell us thnt e Rolshevists are the real react ion' iries of tw troubled earth. Wo had always siisperteii as much. Anil the Bolshevists theink''Hf!t not only know that the definition Is rnrin' They ure frankly proud to have descried h. THE CATBIRD THE rntblrd thinks he owns the place Because he comes along And with an nlr of Jiiuiity grace Proceeds to hlng a song. Nn thought of mortgages has he. Nor taxes that ure due: The well, the garden and the rre Are his tho summer through. He sometimes scolds us from the shade, Where he delights to sit: . He thinks thnt hi'iuan work was maat All for his benefit. There's naught would tempt us to efface Ills confident delight. i--- Thu ca And" I'll u atar. Thu catbird thinks he owns me i" I uiaybu lie s ngi u u-jniilnst!)" lander Johnson, In the ''"', uiaybu he is right 1 j. y v ."H.j. JJt.jL.lfci r ' "'.. tfi:i , . , 1
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers