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rctiihg public Ketiaet
k PUBLIC LEDGER COMPANY
onus it. it cuiitis, xmtMDiMT
.Chrl II, Ludlncton. Vice President. John C,
KttUln. Stcretarr and Treasurers rhlllp a. Collins,
John Wllllsms. John J. Hpurnenn, Ulrectors.
EDITOniAIj nOAHD!
Ciacs II. 1C Guana, Chairman
DAVID E. SMILEr Editor
JOHN C. MAnTI.N'....acncral business Vanajer
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Fhllidelphli. Frldir. OHobrr IS, 1910
A four-ykak rnnnrtvM for
rnu.AnEi.rniA
Thlncs on which the iitople eipeet the new
administration tn concentrate Its attention!
The Delaware rlicr brlder,
A drvdock bio enough to a 'commodate the
larptei enipi.
,iJtveio
loDntrrt at Ih
raplJ transit sison.
A convention in 7.
A buldfflLi f A thA 1?trm TAhrnni.
An Art Jfusnm
ltrifarormriif , (lie i. at rr siipny.
tlointa to acccmimodnte the rojnilddon.
SILENT BROWN
T AM not talking politics today." -aid
Judge Brown. when he was asked to
discuss Mayor Moore's courageous fight on
his 51,000,000 payroll and the whole general
scheme of political finance that has been
developed in the Municipal Court.
'Judge Brown thinks, dreams and lives
politics every day of his life.
His mind needs a vacation.
Nobody expected him to talk of his pay
roll and his plans for a plush and onyx
heaven for heelers in the form of a ?.",()00,
000 'palace of justice.
Even so ruthless a politician cs he must
realize by this time that the less paid about
the methods of the Municipal Court the
better.
And what Judge Brown might say really
doesn't matter. The people will do the
talking when the right time comes. They will
have plenty to say.
BONUS "AFFLUENCE"
rIPLIED in the report that the women
school teachers have no intention of buy
ing clothing with their $200 bonuses is n
hint that the temptatlous of luxury arc
renounced.
Never believe It. Pretty frocks and femi
nine frills hove lost nothing of their old
appeal. That would be regrettable if only
because the Pecksniffs and the Tnrtuffes
would be silenced and the world would be
come less amusing than it hits ever been.
Tho bloated bonus-holders ore not going
in for new dresses for the same reason that
they nre not about to purchase steam yachts
or mogul locomotives or coal mines or cen
tral real estate or Rand diamond mines.
And yet there can be no question that the
checks to be distributed by the Board of
Education next week arc to be converted
into a luxury.
If any one suspects that the feat of merely
living decently ought not now to be so classi
fied, let that individual, preferably a mem
ber of the Roard of Education, figure out the
purchasing power of $200. The result will
scarcely justify eithir msstiflrntion or as
tonishment concerning the "restraint" of
tho young women employed in the city
schools.
ORCHESTRAL LEADERSHIP
THE artistic standiug of the Philadelphia
"Orchestra is so authentic that the
rapidity with which this emlnenec was gained
is sometimes unconsidered. It seem rather
aa If this brilliant organization had always
been with us. always expressive of the
highest musical distinction.
Yet compared with orchestras of similar
pretensions throughout the world the Paris
Conservatoire or the (lownndhnus, for in
stance the one bearing the name of Phila
delphia is young.
Twenty -one years ngo it was on experi
ment, an idealistic novelty in this commu
nity. Today, when Leopold Stokow-ki
ushers in the new musical season in the
rehabilitated Academy, ideals are no less
dominant, but they are now fortified by
achievement.
It is superfluous at the opening of its third
decade to wish the Philadelphia Orehestra
prosperity. That is assured, and very
largely by the stimulation of musical taste
which the orchestra itself has been the
prime agent in developing.
Ilere at least is one circle not "vicious,"
but a happy reciprocity of public Interest and
artistic leadership which is an unquestion
able index of genuine metropolitan progress.
SEEING BY THE PAPERS
JUDGE HORACE STERN -aid far more
thau the most enthtisiastie journalist
would ever think of sn ing when he told tho
Council of .lewi-h Women that a woman's
failure to read the daih newspapers ought
to be regarded ns a lust ciui-efor her divorce.
If people m-ffer injustice, if their nations
fall through misrule upon evil days, if they
arc drown into other wars, if the powers of
government seem to opernte ngainst rather
than for them, if their political systems oro
debased, if their progress to a better state of
life is made diffieult. It Is heonu-e thev fail
to read the newspapers and act upon the
information presented to them each morning
and evening.
All that men ore plotting, hoping, doing,
neglecting or achieving in the high places
is revealed daily with the regularity of a
clock in tho modern newspaper, and the
whole civilized world con easily know
whether its lenders are wise or otherwise,
honest or dishonest, truthful or false,
traitorous or trustworthy.
The newspaper nnd the ballot are all that
nations need to be entirely free.
' A BLOWOUT IN JERSEY
IT WILL be charged against Governor Ed
wards, of New Jersey, who is a Demo
crat, that political motives alono prompted
Win to fire the whole Public Utility Commis
sion of tho state suddenly and with less
ceremony than ever before attended the fall
of an administrative body In this or an
adjacent world. Such assumptions are not
tolerable, however, to any one who has even
a' slight knowledge of history as it has been
made by Davy Ilaird.
Mr. Edwards's method wn- ruthless. It
'was surgical, PartNui) cmiMderations ma.'
have been involved In the mister proceed
ings, since the commission was ulmobt wholly
lUubllcaH, But the governor was justified in
...
adopting the only course of action br which
the state and its people could be relieved for
n time at least from the influence of power
ful groups that have Insistently mixed poll
tics with business or business with politics.
The utility commission hod almost ceased
to function. Criticisms of its decisions,
which had been common for years, became
violent and bitter at the time of tho recent
zone-fare experiments in Camden, General
opinion was so antagonistic to the board that
even its fair decisions were ignored or sus
pected. It was incapable of serving either
the interests of the public or the interests of
the corporations.
The charge most frequently made against
the board which the governor has just ousted
was that it was too friendly to tho Public
Jsorvlco Corporation. The Public Service
Corporation is a combination of all the large
companies that provide light, heat, power
and street railway service to tho various
communities of the state. It enjoys a vir
tual monopoly from the Oranges south to
Capo May. Smaller competing companies
have been formed from time to time, but they
hove found life hard Indeed. It remained
for Governor Edwards to say flatly In print
that these corporations were tho victims of
unfair discrimination by the state board.
The Public Service Corporation has been
having a hard time of it recently. A fair
board, whose nwards and decisions will re
vive public confidence ond still unfair public
criticism, ought to provide just the sort of
help and encouragement that It needs.
LET COUNCIL LOOK AT THE
KIND OF FOLK WHO PAY TAXES
Then It Will Decide That It Is a Crime
to Be Careless With the Money
Intrusted to It
BEFORE the City Council votes en the
budget for uext year Its members should
visit the ofiire of the receiver of taxes nnd
look nt the people who rail there to pay out
of their pockets the money which is to bo
spent for the support of the government.
They will find old women with gnarled
hands distorted by hard work. They will
find working men In rough clothe. They
will sec young men just starting out in life
with the hope of raising n family.
And these people will count out the dollars
they have been saving for many months in
order to pay the taxes on the little houses In
which they live. They have denied them
selves pleasures and sometimes what seem
to others necessities in order to get their tax
money.
No public official with any sense of rc
sponsibllltj con ltok upon this scene without
determining that he will exert himself to
the utmost to prevent the waste of money
which comes from such sources. Every
dollar unnecessarily expended increases the
burden of thee people, whether It Is ex
pended through unbusinesslike methods in
any department or through indifference to
economy.
The estimates submitted to the Council
call for nearly $05,000,000. If this amount
is appropriated the tax rote will have to be
raised twenty-five cents, and when the extra
ten cents which the Roard of Public Educa
tion needs is added to it the increase will
be thirty-five cents, bringing the total rate
to S3. 20 and increasing tho tax on a house
assessed at S.1000 from SMXiO to $00. It
will add $10.50 to the tax bill of such a small
householder.
According to the controller, the tax rate
can be maintained nt the present figure if
the estimates aro reduced to $50,000.1100.
.Mayor Moore with the greatest difficulty has
Induced his heads of departments to reduce
their departmental estimates so as to get
the total down to $05,000,000. Their pre
liminary figures called for $75,000,000. The
Council will serve the public if it reduces the
estimates still further until they pome withiu
the sum which the controller says can be
raUed without an increase in the tax rate.
The business of the city can be done on
this sum, ond done efficiently, if the men who
nre to spend the money use the some eco
nomical discretion which they would show
if tho money were their own.
When Morris L. Cooke was director of
public works under Mnyor Rlankcnburg he
showed what could be done. Under the con
tract system he saved $1,000,000 n year over
previous cots in cleaning tho streets and
collecting waste. He made great economies
In the conduct of the water bureau. IIo had
coal unloaded at a cost of ten cents n ton
for which his predecessors had paid forty
cents. He conserved the water supply by
urging the people to co-operate with him.
and In n score of other ways he eliminated
wa-te. One of the most notable was by re
ducing the force In his department nnd ar
ranging the work so thnt the smaller number
of people did more work than had been done
by the old force.
When he went out of office mony of his
economies were abandoned by the Smith
administration and affairs slipped back into
their old condition. Thoso economies must
he restored not only In the Department of
Public Works, but they must be practiced
in every other department. And the un
businesslike nnd wasteful methods of doing
public work must be abandoned,
That wasteful methods prevail is notorious.
A single illustration will show how public
business is done. A year or so ago the Ru
reau of Surveys decided to lay n -ewer in
fork rood. It tore up the street ond blocked
It without getting the Rureau of Highways
to provide a proper substitute road for the
heavy traffic in advance, and travel In that
part of the city was made dangerous for
months. Then this spring tho Rureau of
Highways began to pnvo North Rroad street
from Olney avenue to the city line, which if
it had hien paved before York rood was torn
up for the sewer would hnve provided an
outlet for those who had been using York
road.
The newly paved extension of North Rroad
street was opened to the public in July. Then
some time later the Rureau of Surveys do
flded to lav a sewer in the street and the
Electrical Rureau concluded to placo the
lamp-posts in the center to continue the
plan of lighting of the older part of tho
street. It tore up the pavement to make
holes for the posts ond the Rureau of Sur
veys cluttered the thoroughfare with sewer
laying machinery until there was only room
at some points for automobiles to move In
bingle file.
Now tho proper, economical nnd efficient
way to have improvod tho extension of
North Rroad street wos to havo laid tho
sewers ond placed the lamp-posts before the
paving was laid. Then the work would havo
been finished when It was finished. It is In
this way that the Ford automobile Is built.
Each process is made to fit into tho succeed
ing process, so that when the car leaves the
continuous belt on which the work Is done
It iB ready to move under its own power.
Rut Henry Ford is not the only man who
does work in this way. It is dona in essen
tially the samo manner in every large manu
facturing plant, and in some cities the sys
tem has been adopted. If a street is to be
opened the sewers, water and gas pipes are
laid first. Owners of tho abutting property
are notified that they must moke the neces
sary connection between tho sewers and
water and gan pipes while the street Is still
tinpoved Then tho pavement Is laid and
an order i isued thnt it is not to bo dis
turbed for five j cars save in the case of an
uccldcnt to the pipes beneath.
Bui wo do not do this here, for the reason
t.. . .. : rr" :.'',.
that there is no co-ordination among the
bureaus dealing with the streets. The Bu
reau of Surveys and the Highway Bureau
are in the Department of Public Works, but
they act Independently. Tho Electrical Bu
reau is in tho Department of Public Safety
and it, like other bureaus, goes about its
work in supremo Indifference to every other
bureau.
Tho public money will be wasted so long
ns this condition prevails. And not only
will tho money be wasted, but thb public will
be put to great Inconvenience, ns has hap
pened In the northern port of the city this
year while the Improvements In York road
and North Rroad street have been under way.
The Mnyor understands the situation. Ho
appreciates the need of economy. His sub
ordinates nre willing to economize if they
can be shown how to do it. Rut they do not
need to be shown. They ore men of ability
who, if they were spending their own money,
would be as careful of It ns the most expert
business man.
Some of them may be afraid of the political
effect of eowiomy because it might mean the
discharge of some men. But no evil which
the most powerful group of dismissed em
ployes could do would be enough to counter
act tho effect upon tho great mass of tho
people of such n conduct of tho public busi
ness as would make an increase of the tax
rate unnecessary, ond if the tax rate should
be reduced no disgruntled politician who
should denounce the administration would
get n single rlnp of applause in any for
gathering of Impartial citizens.
The era of high costs is coming to an end.
Prices arc coming down. The cost of gov
ernment must come down with them. But
If Council consents to n budget so large that
it will make an increase In the tax rate
necessary it will cheek the movement now
begun, nnd its first effect will be to give tho
landlords an excuse for still further increas
ing rentals and to discourage builders from
putting up new houses to accommodate the
homeless.
THE MARINES IN HAITI
TTH'RRY now nnd then Americans with a
-' complacent sense of their own superi
ority as civilizcrs are shocked ond oppressed
by some sudden evidence which shows us to
bo In mnny ways not greatly .different from
other white men who moke songs nbout the
burdens they bear In the far places of the
earth.
The mood of discouragement will recur
ngnln with General Burnett's nccount of the
ruthless slaughter of nntive.s by contingents
of United States marines In Haiti.
The marines hove an almost spotless
record. They nre great soldiers, and great
soldiers know how to be chivalrous. In
Chlnn. in Cuba and elsewhere the marines
were known as tho cleanest of fighters. Some
thing must have gone wrong with them in
Haiti, nnd what It was every one will sus
pect who has any knowledge of life ns it is
lived in places where civilized men pioneer
against the forces of the wilderness.
Put a white man among savages, keep him
there for years, cut him off from all the
forces that moke for civilized restraint, com
pel him to defend his life amid unfamiliar
perils, nnd in the course of time he will in
evitably revert -to some of his ancient in
stincts. He will become half savage.
Army officers know this, and one of the
hardest tasks that fall to them is to keep
tlielr men from unconscious imitation of the
moods nnd habits that prevail in strnngc re
gions where they hnve to stay for long
periods. Therein lies n supreme test of
military discipline, nnd it is clenr thot disci
pline must hove foiled in Haiti.
in the light of what the Relglons did In
the Congo or whnt the French have done in
Africa or what British soldiers have done
In Indln, tho revelations from Haiti become
relatively insignificant. And yet General
Rarnett's narrative will astonish and anger
the people of the United States,
It is only fair to the American "regular,"
however, to remember what he did in China,
In Cuba, in the Philippines nnd in France.
He is known in all these places and else
where as the cleanest nnd fairest of sol
diers. Thot is all the more reason why the
business In Haiti is tho more regrettable.
Our soldiers hnve been molting friends for
us everywhere in the world. They hove been
our most efficient nmbnssodors. The warm
est ond steadiest friends of the United States
aro the educated people of China, who re
member the fairness of Americans and the
American Government during nnd after tho
orgies of the Roxcr wars. Cuba not long
ngo gallantly called our cause her own, and
In any emergency thnt little country certainly
would shore our burdens voluntarily to the
limit of her strength.
So It should be everywhere. We nre not
n notion of terrorists. We need to be un
derstood as thoroughly in Mexico and in
Lntin America ns we nre in China and in
France and in Cubn nnd the Philippines.
That is why General Rarnett's rcvelntions
will seem like the worst and most unfair sort
of advertising for the United States. The
Navy Department ought to tell the country
nnd the world what happened to the officers
who permitted the outrage in Haiti. And
Secretary Daniels ought to tell why these
facts have been bottled up all these months.
If a Creelesquo censorship is still working
to conceal facts from the American public
it cannot be made known too soon, so that
the men responsible can be properly kicked
out of their comfortablo armchairs in
Washington.
SPEAKING OF QUEENS
U A ND why," writes n lively minded cor-
respondent, referring to something
said in these columns yesterday about the
unlikelihood of women senators or women
Presidents, "should not women fill the high
ofUccs if they nro capablo enough to win the
confidence of the public nnd prove their
fitness? Women will not ask for the very
high offices, I am sure. They do trust rep
resentative men. But whnt I object to is
your implication that they wouldn't know
how to rule. Hnvo not great queens gov
erned great empires in the past and governed
them well?"
We bow before the force of that question.
It has a special interest, and it emits a new
sort of light for a city in which women arc
nlready sharply divided nmong themselves
under the leadership of Mrs. Warburton,
Mrs. Piersol nnd others who have definite
ideals and consistent nlms.
Zcnobla, queen of Talmyra, challenged the
whole Roman empire. Catherine was one of
the greatest rulers of history. Elizabeth
was the queen of queens. These and others
knew well how to govern. Rut they lived in
nges that accepted queenshlp as it accepted
kingship as a matter of divine right.
There Is no fixed law of the universe to
keep u. woman out of the presidency. Rut
there ore other laws that do uud will op
crate to that end. There is tho law of
opinion, for example, that has given nffalrs
of state wholly into the hands of men every
where. A woman President alone among the
men who will contlnuo to run the affairs of
other countries would be at a loss. She
would be conspicuous. And whnt woman
desires to be conspicuous?
One wonders If "the perfect human
beings leglstcred and pedigreed the same as
high class thoroughbreds of the lower ani
mals" would eventually evolve a membership
of tho National Association of Progressive
Medicine that would repudiate tho bolemn
nonsenao pi the. present organization.
' " ' " ,n' ''' :''-"
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
The Value of Dlsourslveness In tho
Conduot of Public Meetings ef
ficiency Invariably Sacrifices
Spontanlety ,
BY SARAH D. LOWRIE
IN OUR mothers' young days there was
some unsatcd curiosity as to how the
breadwinners of the family improved their
shining hours nt "the office" or "down
town," generic terms for the mysterious
regions to which men flocked nt 8 a. m.
and from which they returned about 0:30
p. m. Now, of course, there is no curiosity,
because there is no mystery.
We have got over the .delusion that be
tween ten and five our males talk business
without cessation or that the swing doors
of their offices constantly vibrate with
exigent employes hitherlng nnd thithoring
oij errnnds of high finance. We havo got
over the delusion because so many of us
hnve been on the spot of Into cither in tho
guises of meek "stenogs" or ns haughty
private secretaries or as ingrntlntlng Red
Cross or Liberty Loan committee ladles or
ns vice chairmen of conservation or legal
aid or child welfare or some other league
or society or organization.
Wo havo proved the possibility of lis
tening over the telephone, dictating to our
stenographer, glancing over our morning
mall, and at the same golden moment dis
cussing tho price of shoes with a casual
happener-in. Wo know now that tho
moment for high finance is after a well
rounded luncheon and that the higher tho
finance tho shorter is the moment for settle
ment. In fact the veil of the business
world has been rent in twain for this gen
eration of females. And if wo still worship
our males it is not as unknown gods.
THE women nre now nwaro that their
husbands ore more than likely compar
ing the sizes of their collars with the other
women's husbands. Rut the men nre not
so sure they know what their wives aro
"up to" where women most do congre
gate, viz., at committee, meetings, business
luncheons, "chins nnd confabs."
Yet It is perfectly obvious thnt If men nre
consistently men. whether they are "down
town" or oversleeping Sunday morning,
women nro also consistently women
wherever they occupy themselves.
Their conversation nt board meetings
especially executive meetings is just as
discursive as their early morning musings,
nnd a great deal goes on that does not get
on their minutes, just ns a great deal gets
on tjieir minutes thnt does not go on.
The minutes represent the secretary's
iden of what they meant to decide. She
takes the will for the deed, ond they take
her will for their decision. Meanwhile, they
have exchanged ideas on many agreeable
topics, and there linve been very amusing
nsldes that co the rounds, sub rosa. after
.the day's work is done.
I WAS secretary pro tern, the other day for
n very important meeting which really
did determine the outline of the winter's
work for a big and useful organization.
What went on tho minutes legitimately
would cover about six lines of this column ;
whnt did not go down on the minutes would
overrun this column. It was all of it worth
while and far more Interesting than com
paring tbo sizes of our collars or the prices
of shoes,
I absent-mindedly took down part of It
as minutes nnd had- to cull it out later.
This is what I culled out.
The chairman of tho news committee sold
he had to get home early because tho day
being Michaelmas the family and some
friends were to convene and s-olemnly eat n
"green goose." If you nte n goose pre
ferably a "green goose" (whatever colors It
waH not stated) you had luck for the year.
The president said that stirring the pud
ding on Christmas she knew brought luck
that is if all the family stirred In turn.
The corresponding secretnry gave a more
elaborate program for luck, which included
n cake, a silver dollar and a book and
which needed a baby as protngonlst.
That is, when a baby was one year old
you put the book in the corner of the room,
the dollar In another and the cake in a
third.
If the baby made for the cake it would
be fond of good living; if it crept to the
dollar it would bo a money mnker ; If it
clutched the book first It would be a
student ; if it made for none of these it
would be nothing in particular.
THE vice president here opined that it
was best not to leave this life test to
nn infnnt of twelve months; why not Insure
tho child's full participation in nil tho bene
fits of civilization by providing that before
it was carried downstairs it be carried up,
accompanied by a Rible, to insure good
ness, money to insure wealth and n spoon
to Insure good digestion.
It wos unanimously decided that a baby
must always be carried upstairs first, even
though in a bungnlow it involved a trip to
the roof.
The subject of moving was now brought
up by n member present who opined that
before entciing the new house a broom, a
Rible und some salt must precede the
movers. There being no one to second tills
motion it was lo-t. As the subject of mov
ing had no particular relation to the mat
ter In hand, i, o., the program of speakers
for the next general meeting of the com
mittee, the presiding officer ruled It out of
order, and the next matter of new business
was taken up.
THE pleasing point about all this is that,
whereas In the old days, women met to
play and hod social Intercourse, they now
meet for business and hnvo social inter
coir e. the sciilol intercourse s the grent
thing and business does not interfere with it
either for men In their offices or for wumen
iu the board meeting-
fTTHEN you have n hoard meeting run by
VV expert -tinined departmental secre
taries, who hend their nominal chiefs type
written reports to read and the presiding
officer u hard and fast program with all the
motions mid "firstlngs" nnd secondingB ar
ranged beforehand and everything happens
without n spontaneous gesture, then jou
hnve an overorganlzed organization that
somehow will not function llko a live thing
nnd will bore every one but the expert,
trained departmental secretaries to a finish,
IT WAS Grace Dodge who invented the
expert, trained departmental paid secre
taries for philanthropic work on women's
boards. And she caused to bo built in New
York a great, brown building to houso and
train ond employ them, and then scattered
them, through the Young Women's Christ,
inn Association, tho length nnd breadth of
the land. It was a great invention, greatly
and generously carried out by a master
mind, and it revolutionized women's nhil-
anthropy into n business, much to the good
of philanthropy to u certain point, but be
yond that point It has a- greater datigor
even than the old hnpny-go-lucky volun
teer sentimental philanthropy.
Rusiness methods nro very good, paid ex
perts are very good, but spontaneity is also
verv good und volunteers havo their uses.
A wise chairman will combluo business with
pleasure nnd make her meekest board mem
ber feel as vital as her highest paid expert.
THE TEST
UPON thrco things
A man shall look and show greatness :
In a child's eyes
Deep filled with forgotten wisdom.
On a night sky
Sown thick with majestic planets.
On a high trust
The gift of a mighty people.
Upon these things
A great man looks and is humbled.
-McLandburch Wilson, in N. Y. Herald.
r-j ' : ' l.:t
XJClHi
NQW MY IDEA IS THIS!
Daily Talks With Thinking Philadelphia on Subjects They
Know Best
DR; DANIEL M. HOYT,
On Work of the Drama League
THE general public's belief that all forms
of drama leagues aro highly captious,
highbrow and overprone to preach Is unfor
tunate, In the opinion of Dr. Daniel M.
Hoyt, a prominent member of the Drama
League of Philadelphia ond head of that or
ganization's "play-going committee."
Dr. Hoyt, who Is a surgeon by vocation,
has his lovp and appreciation of what Is good
in American drama ns on avocation. Ho
has some timely thoughts on tendencies in .
the stage of today as well as an explanation
of Just what the Drama League docs in its
dramatic criticism.
"We arc nlways asking the eternal ques
tion, 'Whnt Is a good play?' but no one
seems to know tho answer to the riddle,"
declnred Dr. Hoyt. "because the play that
appears to bo good may prove on ubsolute
failure when produced on the stage. An ex
ample of this Is the famous $10,000 prize
play, 'Children of Earth,' by Mary Brown,
picked by n committee of the most competent
judges of tho drama that could be found as
the best play submitted to them out of many
hundreds, but which nevertheless played for
only one week in New York and then was
withdrawn entirely.
Drama and Morals
"In connection with tho definition of a
good play, a common mistake is the con
futing of tho word 'good' nnd the word
'moral.' which arc in no manner to be con
founded. A play from a dramatic stand
point may be grossly Immoral and still be nn
exccl'ent piny, ond vice versa, Miss Frances
Starr, who played here a year or so ago in
'Tiger, Tiger,' gave n remarkable Imper
sonation in n play which was very excellent
dramatic material, but often grossly immoral.
"Neither is a play good because It is a
preachment. Nothing is so unpleasant to the
avernge person as to have the feeling that lie
is being prenched to or Insistently taught
something. 'Daddies,' which come to this
city some time ago, was an attractive, plcaH
ing little play until the onlookers suddenly
began to feci that there was definite propa
ganda thrown nt them. At once their in
terest begnn to drain away. .
"On the other hand, a good play may
preach or teach a. lesson or carry a message
ond the audience will never rcallzo that fact.
This is the ideal ploy, nnd here, indeed, is
nn Influence for the good of the theatre.
"A play Is not a good play simply because
It has a moral tacked on at the end as an
excuse for n lot of Immorality. There was a
play hero several seasons ago with one of the
vilest cabaret scenes ever staged, but which
ndvcrtlscd its moral tone nnd Invited clergy
men to come and sco it, thus gaining nil
kinds of advertising and becoming a financial
success. It was one of those plays which
offered religious people, or rather those of
ultra-religious ideas, a chanco to enjoy a
vulgar entertainment in the guise of a moral
lesson.
"Then, too, a good piny is usually simple
ond talks about things with which tho audi
ence is familiar. The reason why many his
toncnl plays fail is that they depict or talk
about things that people ought to know nut
do not. These people, with n feeling nkln to
shame, hate to be told of their Ignorance and
refuse to go to the play.
"A great recent success in New York which
introduced a famous American historical
personage has one scene shpwing the surren
der of Leo at Appomattox. All tho charac
ters on tho stago In this scene are dusty and
dirty and battle-worn except Lee, who comes
on in a splek-ond-span uniform. Tho uver
age person believes, ns I first believed, that
this wus a historical discrepancy, an over
sight on the part of the producer, but ns a
matter of fact General Lee did have a brand
new uniform given him at this time which ho
actually did wear at tho surrender. How
much more do tho people who -know of this
fact enjoy (hat portion of tho play I
All Love Musical Comedy
"There is an enormous amount of talk
about musical comedies and thd evils that
they bring, but the fact remains that all tho
world is going to love musical comedies do
spite any criticism that drama leagues the
world over can make, and it is up to us not
to criticize musical Rhows ns a class, but to
try to have good musical comedies,
"A great Influence for the good of the
drama In Philadelphia wns Henry La Rar-e
Jnjnc, who recently died. Mr. .Tnyne, In his
connection with the University Extension
and the Drama League, was the kindest and
' unvn-AV'. nnTTprcttr' -'- -"" '; '
EiEJMS,i.XJAi. vvw
most helpful of critics, nnd ho encouraged
many a young playwright to bestir himself
to his fullest effort. In the scries of lectures
which he persuaded Prof. Baker, of Har
vard, to glvo in this city, the latter gave the
following capital definition of dramatic ac
tion, which I think should be noted here.
'Dramatic action is anything thnt produces
an emotional responso in tho audience,' or
as the actor folk would say, 'A comeback
from the house.'
"I am going to attempt to define a good
play, although I realize how presumptuous
such a definition would be.
'"A good play, I would Btiggcst, is one
which presents a dramatic incident in n clear,
simple and concentrated form so that dra
matic action and suspense arc continuously
maintained, nnd the unfolding of the story
appears to the audienco not forced but per
fectly natural.
"Tho public might be Interested to know
just how tho Drama League bulletins its
plays. We send three men, called a 'piny
going committee,' to any piny which it con
siders of any moment or importance. If
thnt play is at all worth while, it is bulle
tined, by which is meant that .it Is criticized
briefly, with an equally brief description of
the plot. Thcso bulletins are sent to every
member by postal. The Drama League
never adversely criticizes a play. If it is not
worth praising, no mention is made of it
whatsoever so far as tho public ever knows."
Shoot or Treat?
I'rnni iliv IHIUmii Sun,
In these queer days you can't tell whether
.a hand reaching for a hip pocket is a threat
or a promise.
Where It Began
I-'rom th Tilifilo New.ne
The doughboy didn't invent this treat 'em
rough policy. Tho laundries began it.
What Do You Knoiv?
QUIZ
1. For what dramatic exploit In the Amerl.
2 wh;n1"c,h0lu,lon '" '"aei PutnSm nSted?
2. What Is tho cause of a mirage ?
5' &tw.m.anjr y5(lra ud Napoleon llvo?
4. What power Is cmblcmatfc of England?
ISnt?8 mc"llln of the wo?d rutll
S' sSi!?S '." tlt brlfhteat of the fixed stars?
' States? ldC8t Z0 '" ,he ""'"l
8. How many nations nro officially repre-
,,?ented. I", Washington? y p
9. What color Ih umber?
10 Greece?"'0 Hm f ,h ex-M" ot
Answers to Yesterday's Qui
1. Jacques Thlbnult, tho distinguished French
' TW .Sbrrd"oR orUSt
tno namo biogue given to rough, un
tunnca shoes, winch were worn by
Irishmen. r
5. Tho battle of New Orleans, n which tho
American nrmy under Andrew Jackson
von mi overwhelming victory over th
Ililttsh under Sir KdVmd 1 l'nkenhnm
was foueiit In January, 1815. The
treaty of peace, proclaiming the end
"'.tho War of 1812 between Great
Britain and the United States, was
slgnea at Ghent In Decomber. 1814. but
the news Old not reach America until
, c. 'i'6 n.niU engagement wos fought.
4, Sheba, the queen of which country paid
her spectacular visit to King Solomon
was n southwestern Arubla. Tho r?:
Klon Ih now called Yemen.
6. Thy macaque Is a short-talled monkey
with tufted eyebrows, found lit Agfa
and the llast Indies. The worais
pronounced "ma-lcalc u "
6. A psaltiry Is nn oncltnt and medlavnl
mUBlca! Instrument, like a dulcimer
Played by plucking its strings with .tin
flncers or a plectrum The du Iclme?
had strings of graduated lenrth over
a sounding board or box, which were
. struck with hammers. The Instrument
was tho prototype of the piano e
7. The harpies of Greek mythologies- were
vultures with women's heaSs The?
are supposed to have personified whlrN
vvlndB and I storms, Their names were
Ocypeta, Celeno nnd Aello ero
8. The ..undau, a four-wheeled carriage
wl h a top of which tho front and back
halves can be Independently raised or
lowered, akes Its name from the u ace
Germany1'"' ,ha t0Wn of M'iS
"' M0"otn cVlSvannfr " 0t " e
10- Jo N.wVoc'lty! "" PrMe"t mayor ot
J
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sV-
SHORT CUTS
The local tax situation needs a return
to normalcy.
The'excess-proflts tax hasn't any more
friends than Burleson.
Add Humors of tho Campaign West
Virginia Democrats are supporting Cox be
cause he is dry.
Now if the jewelry bandits would only
run off with the whisky ring
Old What's-tho-Use has played hob
with political campaign funds this jear.
It really begins to look as though the
underlying rentals were nbout to be stepped
upon.
It may be that the monkey that bit
Alexander of Greece has changed tho history
of that country.
Haitian revelations are not the right
kind of propaganda to encourage eulistmeuts
in the marines.
Women will never graduate as full
fledged politicians until they have organized
a Sapphira Club.
Attempts to ubolish tho death penalty
will not bo popular while the trial of The
Crank is pending.
The beauties of Cobbs Creek quarry
have no appeal for the parents of the chil
dren drowned there.
Perhaps there arc the makings of an
American in Eckhard-Schack, who prefeu
Leavenworth to being deported.
Before completing the rest of the Mu
niclpnl Court tho people as architects might
with wisdom give special utteuuou to a
Brown study.
The Orange, N. J., jury of women
reached a verdict in its first case in tlilrtj
iive minutes. Chnnccs arc tho ladies wished
to do some shopping, i
A Chester, Pa., school principal has de
creed that henceforth no pet dogs will be
allowed iu classrooms. They may now stay
outside and chase Mary's lamb.
The local mau who slapped his wife
bccatiso she would not smoko cigarettes may
be expected to take really harsh measure
if she refuses to go to tho polls.
Jewelry robberies arc becoming epidemic
tho country over. One jewel it is easy to
put one's finger on is the consistency with
which the police gather in clues.
Sixteen cases of bonded whisky have
been found In burlnl caskets in n Pittsburgh
undertaking establishment. It takes an in
ternal revenue officer to materialize bpirlts.
Thero is growing belief thnt opportunism
rather than settled conviction dominates
Lloyd Gcorgo In his leaning towurd Germany
to the dismay of France; but there Is danger
that his placating of British labor with it
sympathies for bolshevlsra may cost tno
world dear.
If Germany without n navy satisfies
England, why not go a step further and have
n Germany without an army to satisfy
France? Germany herself would thus oe
better off, nnd as n first step toward liter
national disarmament it might work incal
culable good,
That not nil the troublo in getting coal
is duo to labor conditions or difficulties 0i
transportation Is evidenced by the investlpr
tiou of a Brooklyn grand jury which h
uncovered a group of speculators noli ng
11.000 carloads on railroad sidings in Phila
delphia, Baltimoro and Hampton Rosa'
while Industries suffered for lack of fuel
Which suggests, as a side issue, the query
how they were able to bold the cars wniw
cars wcro in demand.
Tho action of the British In sending
Genera.1 Townshcnd to join Wrnngcl may
havo political rather than military "If11'
fiennce. If bolshevlsm is going to fnll of iw
own weight It i. reasonable io sui.,i'e H'
the British foreign oflico is eounUaut "''
fact nnd alive to the further fact that there
is diplomatic advnntago In Mng mi"' to r
possible Mau ,on Horseback just when . ,J
about to; put spurs to hU mount.
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