Vfffis''tySs? (0 8 EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA-, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1921 J I V ! 1. u itr t h1 J. it t 1 1 m fc1 fit fiuemng public 'Wc&gci? PUBLIC LEDGER COMPANY emus ir. k. cunnB, ricusEnr . Cfcarlea II. Ludlmton, Vies PrMldenl; John C. Martin. Secretary and TreaeMrer; rhltlp fl. Colllu, fawn n. Wlllitmi, John J. Bpurfaen, Dlrxlor EDITOnlAt. DOAR.D! ,. Cran II. K. cciTii, Chairman BA-VTO n, BMILBT.... Editor JOIIM C. irArtTTK. . Onrt Bunlmig Manager Iubllha dally at rcslto tdrooaa Butldlnr , Independence Square, Vhllailelptila. Atlantic Ciir rreit-Vnkm llulldlnr Kiw Yoik Mi Meilw At. toit 70t Ford IlulMlnr l0n 613 Gloto-Cvmocrol nulldln CHIoaoo 1303 rriButfj Building . NIffS BUREAUS! WAimNaTon Bcuc, N. U Or. Pennsylvania Ave. and Hth Ot. Kiw ToK DW0 The un ButMlnr 1 Jx)tori Dvxuo linden IVnca sunscniPTioN TEitjjs Tha EJrNifi I'viLic Lbdubb l tnmi to ub erlbert In Philadelphia and aurroundlnc towne t tha rata of twtlra (12) cente per week, payabla tha carrier. .. Or mall tr polnta outside of rtillr.delphla. la tha United Statu. Canada, or United Btaiee poo iS,,re2, .Ppatat free, fifty (80) cente per tnentn. FHL"0.'. ""ir P" rtr, payable In advance. To all for-lrti countries one (fl) dollar a month. IsOTieav Bubacrlbora wishing addreea chanted Mtiat rive old as well as new addrtsj, &. ZMO VAt.lUT KEYSTONE. MAIN KM t-T Atdrnj of! cenmuntemima to KvtnJno J-villa m iH&otr, lndtttn&tnoo Syvart, PMladrlgMo. Member of the Associated Press Tlir JLSSOCUTSD PltESS U rxelwlrety -nfled o the u or revvbiiealUm of all newt ditpatetxs crrdlef to ft or not others ie entiled n tMt paptr, and alto tKt looal iu- puoUtfitd eTf(n. -111 rcfit repubUoaftoK ef epeetal aUrpafeAej rtin art aUo rtiervtd. rhll.dclr.hl.. Turwlir, IVbraery . I'll THE MAYOR AND THE FAIR SUGGESTIONS, wise am! foolish, regard ing the setquieentonuial are certain to rise from a diversity of sources. It has been proposed that the fair should rehabil itate a somewhat shabby section of the town, that an important feature should be tho Olympic games, that the money expended by foreign nations on the buildings should be considered as a part cancellation of Euro pean indebtedness to the I'nited States, The variety of ideas denotes a healthy public Interest. None the less, the exposition cannot be re alized by attacking its g 'andiose possibilities first. Mayor Moore understands this and sensibly insists ou the execution of the only formula that will achieve practical results. "Obtain the support." he has said, "and consent of the Council, then go to the Legis lature and Governor and then to the federal government and the nations of the world." There is time for evolving: the message of the fair when some accomplishment along the above tangible lines is visible ; THE PRESIDENT DID RIGHT PRES'.DENT WILSON'S refusal to in terfere in the railroad situation at this time does credit to his judgment. There arc Uirce bodies provided by law for tho express purpose of dealing with Just uch conditions as now exist. It is the busi ness of the Railroad Labor Rosrd to set'.'iC disputes about wages, it is the business of the railroad adjustment boards to settle dis putes about conditions of labor and it is the business of the Interstate Commerce Com mission to adjust freight and pnssenger rates, bo as to provide the revenues necesary to pay dividends and to meet the cost of opera tion and maintenance. The railroads are appealing to the labor board for a readjustment of the scale of wages. The President says that the board should be allowed to act and that he is con fident it will give a careful and intel ligent consideration to all questions within its jurisdiction. aid, because the plans made for settling dis- I Dutcs should be honestly tested. If they are not suited to the conditions thi.v will have to be modified, but nobody can tell what modi fications are needed until an attempt has been made to use them. SMALL-ARMY RESPONSIBILITIES THE overwhelming adoption in the House of Representatives of the army-reductinn resolution in opposition to the President's Teto affords a striking index of the; rapid growth of nntl-railitari.stlc sentiment. Disarmament proposals, naval or military, fall upon sympathetic public ears nowadays. Less than a year ago compulsory militnry training was hopefully ndvocated by its pro ponents. As anything like a political Issue, the subject ban by this time vanished. The change of feeling may be expected tn produce some awakening of interest In worl' fellowship, wlthoiatokvhich there is more of emotionalism than of common sense In h disarmament policy. Representative Mon dell, of Wyoming, yesterday followed the ex ample of some othiT members of Congress b urging that America should take the first tep. It Is difficult to t-ee how this will lead anv where unless international obligations ar" sincerely assumed. In that case. Congress would be justified in favoring n reduced army and the reorganization rntild be rewritten in conformity with new conditions. As matters stand nt this precise moment Congress is tinkering with rmchincry ob Btructlvely, if with good s":rit'il intent. REAPPORTIONMENT A DUTY THE sensible view of tho reapportionment problcii taken by Congn-i ninv be ri'i' ommended to the Pennsrlvania Assembly In its own hnmlling of u Mtuittion Unit is u fa miliar entire of political heartburning1 The Ked-'ra! House of Renrcsentntives faced the nltt-rnntiwB of enlarging iu m-tn-bershlp to n unwieldv size or of maintain ing the present total at the eoit of reduced delegations from several stntes. In tlie in terests of hnrmon and legislative speed the sacrifice wna accepted, A similar splr.t of compromise would ma terially aid in the performance of a difficult task in Hnrrlsb'irg. According to statistics storked out by the reapportionment experts, redisricting for the State Houc of Repre sentatives will mean nn inerenw in the Al legheny county delegation from twenty -four to twenty-seM'n and the status quo in Phil adelphia. Twelve counties would lose one member each in the state Hous, eight other counties would gain one member ench und cne county would gain two members. It is certain that no system of reappor tionment will please all the voting popula tion or entirely satisfy every political group. It is highly necesrary, however, thtt the svork Hhould be done. The responsibility Yai dodged In 1011. Governor Sproul is vise In urging the passage of n redisricting bill with as little wrangling and time wastage as possible. WHERE THE TROUBLE LIES LAWYERS for tho city are examining the charter to discover whither that docu ment does not put the control over the erec tion of the building for the Municipal Court In the Department of Public Works und the supervision of the House of Detention in the Department of Public Welfare. They may find something which sustains the contention that the charter provisions repeal the earlier laws under which the court .a acting. Rut if they do it will be because t..t . . I. . .!... I U ...Una Inxi. .1 1 J . ine men nuu uruuru luc rniitri lann uiu I.U. accomplish what they were after. The Municipal Court Is a county court, expressly so described in the act creating it. The so-called city commissioners, who are WnmlsBloners for the county of Philadelphia, 'aro directed to provide quarters for the court and the npproprlntlng officers of tho dty are directed to find the money, us there are no county appropriating officers. There was a deliberate plan to keep the court free from the clTll-scrrlce regulations which apply In city departments and to con centrate the distribution of patronage and to enable thu court to mandamus the city for all the money that It chose to spend. The simplest way out of this and many other complications Is to abolish the dual form of government which exists within tho city and county, so far as that 1 constitu tionally possible. There Is no reason what soever why the Municipal Court should not be made a city court subject to all the super visions and regulations to which other city departments must submit. If the time is not ripe for abolishing entirely tbo fiction of a county government a beginning could bo made In this way. THE "LET-US-ALONE" LOBBY AGAIN CHARGES WASHINGTON How the Edjje-Calder Coat-Control Bill Got Tangled Up With Plant for tho Nationalization of Chops TIIC Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce has been put on record during the last week as one of the organizations that havo "flung the gage of battle ot Congress" In the rising war to prevent such federal reg ulation in the coal industry bb has been de manded by Senator Edge, Senator Colder and a majority of their colleagues. Mr. Trigg was on the ground "to express the opposition of the business men of Philadel phia." It happens that the bnsiness men in Phila delphia, like business men everywhere else in the co"-'try, have been systematically plundered by the exclusive group of oppor tunists who rule In the bituminous and an thracite fields and markets. One of the spokesmen for the lords and barons of the coal industry virtually admitted that $000, 000.000 was extorted from roal users within the last year. Mr. Calder told the Senate that the loot was not les thau a billion and a half. Did that money come out of the pockets of business men or did it come out of the nir? Or shall we believe th worst nnd assume that It was taken from household consumers? What Mr, Edge and Mr. Calder propose and what Mr. Hoover proposed before them Is a system which, operating after the mnn ner of tho Interstate Commerce Commission, might be depended on to facilitate the pro duction nnd distribution of fuel nnd at the same time eliminate intolerable pressure which, exerted by a few men for their own profit, has tended to induce something like paralysis In some industries and to strain public patience to the breaking point. The Invisible government of the coal fields and all the apostles of the let-us-alone school of economics were confronted with a wholly new and disturbing st of conditions when the Senate passed the bill to provide for limited federal control of fuel. They couldn't call Senator Edge a Ited. They couldn't make even Mr. Palmer believe that Senator Calder was acting under secret instructions from Moscow and furtively en deavoring to overthrow the government. There could be no dark suggestions of sov Icteering in high places. Calder and Edge, who formulated the coal bill, arc of and for the conservatives. In the moncv-madness of controlling cliques In some of the basic industries they recognize a danger to the peace nnd prosperity of the whole country nnd a direct menace to th right of private Initiative in legitimate In dustrial organization. Thru tnxe small cllijum grntcinp more powerful, not an frirnds of buiinen, but as its rnemiei. It was difficult to understand why far sighted business men should object to bring ing order out of the chaos in the conl busi ness or why there should be an organized movement of any sort against a plan devised for justice and increased efficiency in on in dustry that is essential to all others. It was difficult until Joseph H. Defrees entered on the scene. Then the light broke brightly through the hnre. Mr. Defrees does not have to buy fuel for factories. His overhead has not mounted steadily. Indeed, it is seriously to be ques tioned whether he Is in the least concerned about the price of coal or the fate of the coal barons, though he is the man who wrote the brief which opens with a rousing attack on the Calder-Edge scheme of federal regulation. Mr. Defrees is a vice president of the I'nited States Chamber of Commerce nnd a corporation lawyer. His headquarters ure in Chicngo. In Chlrago the meat packers have their headquarters. And it happens that a bill for federal control of the meat supply, which in spirit and Intention is much like the r.dge-Calder coal bill, is now under i onslderntlon in Congress! Meat packing is highly organized and I .ghly teihnlcal No one who hasn't taken a long time to study it is qualified to say whether it needs refutation or wheth'r it doesn't. In some aspects It seems efficient nnd useful. Rut svhy It should need to carrr on its fight for independence behind a screen created out of the Edge-Colder cool bill will be ti mystery for a while yet. From Chicago Mr. Defrees Journeyed to Washington with the tablets of the moral and economic law as it is written and believed in by good corporation lawyers intimately issoclnted with the biggest sort of business. He i-oifl : "The war Inevitably led to a vast In crease In federal jurisdiction and control not only of the freedom of business but of the freedom of Individual citizens We believe we are voicing not on! the busi ness but also the populiir sentiment In this country in favor of the quickest possible liquidation of this overhead control, so re pugnant to American institutions." This sentiment follows nfter prolonged objection to n sjstem of legislation that, as it appears to the spokesmun for the I'nited States Chamber of Commerce, tends to es tablish not only the power of federal con trol over industry but a right of the govern ment actually to go into Industry us a com petitor with private interests. The government doeHn't want to go into the coal business or the meat business. Tr people do not icant it to aa in. And, of course, it will never go in so long ns nny other means is left to it for the preservation of industrial order nnd the ellmluution of destructive, dangerous and unjust economic practices. Mr. Defrees seems to know this. He talltB without much enthusiasm about roal in the brief thnt will be presented to Congress today. He deplores the Edge-Calder bill and draws attention solemnly to what he regardi us a motit dangerous principle. It is when he gets to the subject of meat that he is eloquent. There plainly is the question nearest his heart. One may easily sympathize with him. The packers are not In the same category with the producers of fuel. No one ever died for want of meat and no less a person than Rernard Shaw insists that the world would be happier and healthier if it subsisted wholly ou vegetables. Coal is an altogether different matter. Without it business must stop nnd trolley lines cense to operate and electric lights go out and the safety of great communities muy be imperiled. The temptation to profiteer In coal, to get control of it und lsdlo it out to the highest bidders, as many of the distributing und producing combines have been doing, is great. For, next to wuter und food, coal is the most Important necessity of life in raout parts of the United Mtates. reopie have to have it and they will consent tn be plundered ! fore they will endure cold and permit their children to endure it. Tuts Culdvr Hdgq bill propoic- no.U. iu the way of a coal regulation system that would be stranger or In nny way more rev olutionary than the Interstate Commerce Commission. Tho principle objected to by those who believe that the government should keep its hands off Industry is operating In the Tariff Commission and other boards having to do with trade and business. The Senate Isn't In a revolutionary frame of mind. It merely has sanctioned nu ex tension of the good Influences of the govern ment to a basic Industry that has been vio lating many of the rules of commercial ethics nnd most of the laws of common decency. If the people cannot be protected In one way they will be protected In another. Continuing anarchy in the coal business will Inevitably bring an outburst of national feeling and a stampede of Congress to some system of regulation far less charitable than thnt now proposed. WILL THEY RISE TO IT? THE school board is to make another at tempt this afternoon to elect a superin tendent. No one, In or out of the board, is confident that nny decision will be reuched. Unless the members agree on some one today, they are likely to postpone further action until after tho meeting of schoolmen In At lantic City, to be attended by super intendents from all parts of the country, In the hope that some ono may bo found there who will be willing to como to Philadelphia. The situation, however, is not encourag ing to friends of education. The board has an opportunity to co-operate In solving one of the most pressing educational problems that Is, the problem of tho management of the schools In a largo city but It does not seem to be aware of it. Some effort has been made to bring the opportunity to the atten tion of the members, but with what success has not been disclosed. New York cannot solve the problem be cause of its borough system, a system that fosters local pride and Interferes with the organization of a unified and homogentous method of school direction. Chicago bns never been able to do anything that would help other cities because it has never been able to free itself from the notion that poll tics and school management should be closely rtiated. Philadelphia, however, Is a dis tinctively American city, with a homogeneous population in which the opportunity of de veloping a school system In which there is hearty co-operation between the teachers nnd the public nnd the teachers and the superintending force nnd the superintending force and the school board is unique. This opportunity Is perceived by school men outside of Philadelphia. There are probably a dozen brilliant men any one of whom would be glad to come here under the right conditions to do what he could to solve our own problem and to set an example to the rest of the country. The board, how ever, up to the present time, has seemed to be more interested in getting n man v-ho will disturb existing conditions as little as possible than in getting n man who will take the lead in correcting abuses which every one but the members of the board admits and who will ever do his best to create nn enthusiastic esprit de corps among the teachers, now separated Into hostile factions. SQUABBLING OVER THE WRECK ABOUT fifty members of the Democratic national committee hnvc offered his hat to Chairman White nnd told him thnt they are sorry he must go so soon. They wish him to call a meeting of tho committee, ho that he may take his leave with proper ceremony. Rut Mr. Cox. on the eve of his departure for Europe, assumed thnt he wan the leader of the party nnd that Mr. White was to con tinue to be the chairman. Mr. Rrynn is seeking to edge himself Into the leadership and he has ctnrted a reorgan ization on his own account. Here we have three different elements each seeking to pick up the pieces which were left nfter the explosion on election day which wTecked the party organization, und each confident that it can rebuild an efficient machine out of the debris. As man is Incurably optimistic It should not b surprising that the Democratic man shares this trnlt with his fellows Mr. Cox is confident that if he gives the Republicans enough rope they will hang themselves. Mr nrvnn still has faith in the medicinal virtues of the hokum which he lias peddled for years nnd is certain that it will cure the ills from which not only his party but the whole country is suffering. The committeemen who have offered his hat to Chalrtnun White think that if only the man who managed the last campaign can be got rid of the future will bo bright for them. The public can nfford to look on with amused tolerance at the efforts of the de feated to place the responsibility for their disaster. So long as they fight among them selves they can do little mischief to nny one else. Their antics will add to the gayety of nations if they do nothing more. A TALE OF TWO MUSIC-MAKERS THE disruption of an ambitious musical organization in New York, the National Symphony Orchestra, under Artur Rodn.izky, is nnnounced almost simultaneously with the billing of three additional concerts to be given by our own orchestra in Philadelphia to accommodate music lovers unable to secure subscription seats. From these circumstances it may be argued, somewhat superficially, that New York Is suffering from musical overproduc tion, while this city Is nndersupplied. Rut such reasoning disregards the question of qunlitv, the prime factor in all fields of high artistic endeavor. Of good music the public in most well developed cultural communities experleices no surfeit. Comparative mediocrity seems to hnve charocterlzcd thp National Sjmphonv, nnd the merger of this band with the New York Philharmonic appears to have con stituted ns graceful nn exit ns was possible. The contention thnt labor troubles were ut the root of the difficulty Is hnrdly convincing. That the appetite of New Yorkers for high-grade musical fare is keen is evidenced in enthusiastic pntronuge of Mr. Stokowski's organization in the metropolis. There is a marked demand there for nn Incrensc In the now limited number of Philadelphia Orches tra concerts. At home the problem is complicated by the fact that fifty concerts nre given in the regular series and that time must be had for rehearsals and road toura. The three extra offerings listed arc squeezed In not without considerable Ingenuity of pTnnnlng. The situation Is as complimentary to Mr. Stokowskl und his fellow artists ns it is clearly a proof that esthetic tnste is stimu lated by the esthetic opportunity. The growth of patronage for the orchestra has kept pnee with the urtlstlc progress of that organization. SImilnr results are conceivable even in concert-deluged New York when the mcTlt of the attraction is authoritative Pur veyors of music, as of shoes nnd ships and sealing wnx, must produce the well-finished article in order to tlourlin. Tho few remarks casually and gently dropped In Washington recently by Mr. Duwes should be rend nnd digested by Chairman Rutler, of the House naval com mittee. Mr. Rutler says people will .tot bo ir.ti.rfstnl In expenditures for air forces until they know what berume of the money spent on uvlatlon during the war. Uy tho sume reasoning we should go hungry today be cause the war produced food profiteers. There will be no talk of a hojeott of American ships when American ships can ur merchants butter sen it than ships of other nationalities. There Is no reason why we can't hnve the finest merchant marine u. lav, i.oilJ. THIRTY YEARS AGO An Anniversary That Was Over looked Mayor Moore aa an Inter national Figure Dr. Keely Re turns A Hello of Washington By GEORGE NOX McCAIN lij riitif anniversary ot a memornoie event in' X the life of Udwin Sydney Btunrt was permitted to pass without recognition a few days ago. It was, nt the same time, the innlvcnary of an unusual episode In local politics. Particularly, when local partisanships In subsequent years are considered. Just thirty years ago on the 15th of Jan uary last Edwin 8. Stuart was nominated for Mayor of Philadelphia by a Republican convention In old Horticultural Hall. Everything was bo different then from similar events In the following years. The late lamented Mnjor William H. Lam bert nominated Mr. Stuart for Mavor nnd made one of his characteristically ablo speeches Then Henry V. Walton climbed up on a chair, no rostrum for htm, and seconded the nomination in a short, lively speech. After that the spectators In the conven tion witnessed a most unusual sight. INSTEAD of calling the names of the dele gates, the Bccrctnry simply called the number of the ward. There were only thirty five wards then and the chairman of each delegation arose and cast every ballot for Edwin S. Stuart. Thero was no committee to slip out Into an adjoining room and escort tho successful candidate to the platform. It would have been the proper thing had the candidate been in tho hall or in a neighboring hotel. Rut he was at home. His mother was seriously ill and he was nt her bedside. Her condition was of more importance to him than a nomination of Mayor for Philadel phia. He didn't receive official notification of one of the great events In his life until tha day following, when a committee of fifteen, headed by the late Samuel R. Huey. of the Twenty-seventh ward, notified him of the fact. With nil these ustisual events clustered around a step which realty was the beginning of an exceptionally brilliant career, it is a matter of regret that its thirtieth anniversary wat- not marked by some demonstration. And yet it Is dollars to pennies that the president of the Union League is as well satisfied that the anniversary was permitted to pass unnoticed. Like ns not he had forgotten all about It himself. IF THERE is nny citizen of Philadelphia who imagines thnt Philadelphia's fight against bossism Is not u matter of national interest then he or she needs to overhaul that faculty. To go further, Philadelphia's politics are really a matter of international curipslty nnd comment because of the character of the fight. As for Mnyor Moore, his retirement from Congress to nssumc the position of Mayor of this city has not removed him by nny means from his position as nn American of ficial whose doings and sayings arc of inter est, to n certain extent, on the other side of the Atlantic as well as here. Dr. Robert N. ICeelr has just returned from one of his semi-occasional trips abroad. He brings with, him evidence at firet hand of the above observations. Dr. Keely is surgeon of our Philadelphia schoolshlp. THE doctor came back from Europe on the Aqultanln after an absence of three months. He was delighted to find hla old friend. Sir Ernest Shnekleton. discoverer of tho South Pole, on board when he took ship. Dr. Keely. like Shackleton, has been nn Arctic explorer. A copy of the Paris Herald of January 19 was one of his possessions. It contained a half-column editorial, headed "A Fight Against Rossism," and It referred to the present situation In Philadelphia. I quote one or two extracts from the Paris editorial that are interesting because they nre significant of the Interest which our local po litical affairs attract on the other side. mlIE political history of J. nampton JL Moore, Mayor of Philadelphia, has cer tain points of resemblance to thnt of the late Theodore Roospvelt. So far as he has yet revealed himself, he appears tn be equally devoted to high principles of government and equally n master of pi-nctlcal politics." Then' then follows what is intended to be nn outline of the complexities of boss rule in Philadelphia. It closes with some ex pressions which may be unnnlatnble to those who have a pride in this city, when it says: "It remains to be seen whether the goody goody, respectable citizens of Philadelphia will sustain and vindicate their valiant champion. Such a thing they have never yet done. "It seems to be In the nature of the better class of inhabitants of American cities to be loud in their profession of zeal for clean government and always cowardly, indolent und delinquent in performance." HIDDEN away somewhere among a mass of less important curios I hnve a little dried-tip spray of Immortelles that I plucked from a great wreath as it was carried in the procession thnt followed the remains of Victor Hugo to the Pantheon in Paris in May, 18". It is, I presume, the only relic of its kind of that imposing event now in existence. The fact was rpcnlled from its similarity to another little memento mori in the pos session of n lady in Atlniitie Citv. Those who visited the Centennial in 1870, nnd Independence null in the succeeding enrs. will recall that one of the curious relics exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition were the partial remains of the arch under wiiilch Washington rode in Trenton when on his way to New Y'ork for his first inaugura tion os President. The arch had been preserved by the Misses Armstrong ami niter eniimion in Philadel phia was returned to ircnton. Where, Mrs. Thompson Informs me, the only piece re maining to be found is In the buttle monu- Th'e error In this lies in the fact thnt the lady to whom I refer possessea u laurel leaf nnd a spray of boxwood that were taken from this arch and presented to her by the descendants of one of the young girls who represented one of the thirteen colonies as Washington passed by. THERE happens to be ulso In my posses sion nn engraving of this arch together with the names of the matrons and girls who participated in the ceremonies on that oc casion. It was from one of the descendants of Mrs. Susannah Armstrong, wife of the Rev. Jnmes Armstrong, that the little relic wns transmitted to Mrs. Thompson. If there were some vnst central museum adequately endowed ami fully protected agaiust lire and nillngc there is no doubt thnt thousands of such curios, with others more Important nnd valuable, would find a Testing place for all time and become mecca for the people of the entire country. Independence uuu is a snrino nnd not n museum, hence the need of such a building in or near this city. Today is England's greatest Fry -day Pancake Tuesday. 1 VISIONS I STILL have visions of tho golden days And of the paths we wandered side bv side Forgetting nil save beaut and the tide Of love that Joined us in Immortal wuj.s As It joined olden lovers whom men prnlne In that they loved ho wholly, und took pride In loving thus, nnd let the world deride, If so It would, what heart to heart betrajs. The loveliness that it was ours to eee May not be pictured, for nil colors blent As in Nome disembodied ravishment Thnt to us was n visual harmony: And so, as though through memory's lifted haze, I still have visions of the golden days, tlluitiu Jiul'.urd iu lliu Nva York Herald. WW xmm&wmmmmmmistj. w&- . NOW MY IDEA IS THIS Daily Talks With Thinking Philadelphia on Subjects They Know Best ROBERT D. DRIPPS On Women and the City Council THE women of Philadelphia In attending meetings of City Council and familiar lzing themselves with the workings of city government nre only performing a civic duty which too mnny men neglect, In the opinion of Robert D. Drlpps. former direc tor of public safety nnd during the i war connected with the Philadelphia Council for National Defense. The Women's League for Good Govern ment, which played n definite part in brine ing about the smaller and single council manic body nnd which hns been n helpful force In recent municipal politics, according to Mr. Dripps. now hns a platform for 10.il which Is just as vital and just as important to the city's welfare. "Whv are women attending the meetings of the City Council?" asks Mr. Dripps. "It is easier to answer this question than to explain why so few of the male voters of Philadelphia take any Interest in the coun cilmanic proceedings. There seems to be n general Idea that the sessions of the City Council are like lodge meetings, serving some useful purpose no doubt to those who hnve to attend, but how or why no one but the members know. If a mnn is patriotic enough to go to the polls and vote for pome councilmnnic candidate, he Is so pleased with himself that he hoes home and rests on his laurels until the next election comes around. , , "Even in the days when Philadelphia had n Common Council with so mnny members thnt it was almost a town meeting in Itself, seats in the galleries were rarely at a premium, nnd still more rarely were they ncriinled bv rcnresentfltlve citizens. In those days, as in these, a councilman migni vote right on every question thnt cnine before him for months nt a time without receiving n word of commendation from a single citizen. "It really seems ns though It Is worth while now nnd then for a councilman to vote on the wrong side of a question In order to wake up his constituents to the fact thnt he still represents them. With such n lively Interest Iu public nffnirs, it Is small wonder thnt our coiincllmen and other government officials tend sometimes to degenerate into mere niitomntons if they do not become actually crooked. All Ought to Keep Eye on Council "At all eventH, every man and woman in Philadelphia ought to keep an eye on the city fathers. This should not prove either dull or uninteresting; nnd. inci dentally, it Is just barely possible thnt by intelligent watchfulness a real service may be rendered both to oneself and to one's city. Councllinen are in the snme run of had with the rest of us. They are neither better nor worse thnn their constituents, hut sometimes they nre nstonishingly responsive to what the people wnnt. On the other hnnd, if their constituents do not take the trouble to indicate what they wnnt there ore alwajs others ready to proffer advice and to advance persuasive reasons why it should be followed. "What is everybody's business, however, is nobody's business, nnd so the women of Philadelphia have set the rest of us a mighty good example bj organizing the councilmnnic committee of the Women's League for Good Government This com mittee was nt work long before women were entitled to Mite In this commonwealth. It was particularly efficient during the Rlnnk enburg ndinlnlstrntlon. The women who served on it ut thnt time came to know as much. If not more, about councilmanlc procedure tlmn mnny of the coiincllmen themselves. They nttended every session of Councils nnd they talked to the Individual coiincllmen between sessions. There wua no limit tn the tiulns which thev tooV tr, . cure uccurnto Information us to the ques tions under consideration. Their service In educating the women of Philadelphia us to councilmnnic legislation was Invaluable. "These women hud a definite part in bringing about the smaller Council which hns supplanted the cumbersome Common nnd Select Councils of former days. During the campaign which preceded the last na tlonnl ulectlon this committee wns practi cally quiescent. It has ulwnys limited its attention to municipal questions nnd has maiiitnlned u strictly independent attitude, declining to affiliate with uu political pUrtv. In Its 1021 Pltform it makes the following requests uf tho City Council: "AW, JUST LET'S FORGET "First. Strict compliance with the pro visions of the new city charter. "Second. A scientific Investigation of the various city departments to eliminate un necessary officeholders for tho purpose of bettering tho public service nnd prevent ing the waste of money involved in their retention. "Third. Tho careful scrutiny of proposed appropriations to prevent their interfer ence with some other more essential project. "Fourth. Adequate appropriation to the Department of Public Health. "Fifth. Support of the plans of the Water Rureau to safeguard and extend the water supply. "Sixth. Extension of the system of city sewers. "Seventh. Enforcement of the housing laT-s th,r,0,JFh a fuI1 luota of inspectors." ior lilJl the committee has strengthened nnd enlarged its orgauization by forming eight local councilmanlc committees one for tacJ. ' tnc cit''s enuneilmanle districts. .The people of Philadelphia are to be congratulated that, now that the presiden tial election is over, these women have again become active. Quito as sincerely, us n former councilman, I have no hesitation in cotigrntulnting the members of the pres cut Council upon the revivul of the com mittee s work. W. L. GEORGE FINDS US HUMAN W. L. QeorKo, In Harper's Mftfajlne. American business, shrewd ns It is, seems to have a heart: it wonts to do for indi vidual men the fair and the generous thing. The whole trend of American civilization ,1ows1r,i stressing the human factor; in v.??' Vi1CV.r'1 "h,,,"'an" (In the sense of is. i.i ' . , "ru ln no 0ln,?r PTt ot the I'.ngllsh-speaking countries. Also, a certain reverence attaches to power; reverence is always apparent in the American character, curiously combined with irreverence. For Instance, the magazine and novel contin ually present nllusions to "the great sur- ?rrll.ml ,he Kt lawyer." The cynical European suspects that the great surgeon hn hLT ;carti0)na'-y ho docs not read lnrd.m' Jnurna's: h' views the great til"'0r,u?,11 foxy fec catcher or ns n toothless dodderer on the bench. Rut the American seems to invest these people with mental robes of ermine and scurle ? He is more easily impressed ; his vision s more direct and less often leads him to doubt; where a European would doubt! an American often hates. ' What Do You Know? QUIZ H'hat Is th correct Pronunciation of 2, Who was Aubrey Bennli.lev? i. How many American rr.i,i . elected by th,, Federalist nr. J 7 er0 C. What Is chalcedony? l Party? 6. In whnt place does StnkvT.. nctlon of 'The TnmmK of th".r-y ' i5 7. Who was Count Pulaski" e 'Shreu uucnoa Aires 8. To native'' " '"uancndrons iviiiu couniriHK tx. -i...... 0, NTthrn0ufHH,0h:,,K"nL'n'W'nt.,a,tl.a 10. What Is tho mnn- of the tnxirn.n.. . for recording jhqSau"Br n Mt " Answers to Yesterday's Quz 1 A inete Is n boundary or hound in. .. The word a uslla h. ",, '", ' " "' s one. In the law term, mit.s it ,? i I as 2. The t.,ttlle of M ,r,.lkV1 res i ti',nU,r"lsV famous French victory .? V", 'hu Italy In 1800 The I.. 111' er nts T..ih':l" French nnd the Austr 1,'ns ' m ,h'" 3 A fXTSV a l:UrPean " "ntelop. t 4 T"orW''m,ro.ne'"bC P"" "ahamwah" G. Oenernl "urrl. wan nnn,m..j.. . . of .he Canadian forc "in" V$ 0. The won c.vhoo.io u from tho Dutch JtilllUlS, Thft num. 1 Kiihula," ,i little room " ,'"" politician Who ClIOKS OhNtl.lHtel - : ' "u iu lll.hr-PtAU - , ruier or "it r ot tniiigg Kom ,.., Th"'' ","" iv to an Hometinu . applied to conscrwitu" i I'emocrntd In ,ho riilted routhern States. "'all. home"" nmn KOt,,,eM " '.arth :i A pimmpiivst I the orli;lii for u. aacomi n rnanuNcr'i t on which l" UrgwUy" Bh0UM bo Pronounced "Ooroi IT!" SHORT CUTS For a ehort month February has tnw than its share of red-letter days. Anti-tobacco shriekcrs should get after Lassen peak. It's smoking again. It Is as we feared. Some person hit discovered that General Dawes was vulfu, The question of hard and soft terms U simply, "Who shall pay for the war, Ger many or France?" So far as smoking is concerned, Sen ator Smith would have women employes ol Uncle Sam un -Trammelled. The German menagerio is always noiij. First Rerlin roared like an angry lion: row she squeals like a stuck pig. Careful dietitians and moralists will tomorrow begin, for a stated period, to do without the tbingB they will least miss. Our own combination of Art Critic end Fond Parent assures un that the orlginil Daduist was a four-year-old with a piece of chalk. Two Atlantic City cows have been on a Jamboree. Hy eating fermented ensilage they have been responsible for a staggerlnj amount of publicity. Trade with Portugal has recently fallen off. Portugal's chief export Is cork. TEui do we seo how tho hip-pocket llask ni deposed the bottlo on the sideboard. A man must needs be an optimist to the point of folly to believe that the sale of the stockyards by tho big packers is going to bring down the price of meat. There U a shortage in the country el 1, 2:50,000 houses. Once that shortage i overcome it will be an easy matter to cute the rent hot and bring home the bacon. United States lemons, says the De partment of Agriculture, are threatened with alcurocanthus woglumi. With such en affliction the only effective lemon aid U dictionary. Mr. Harding's mental processes htve the unhurried quality of the houseboat Vic toria. It will be noted in this connection that the Victoria invariably reaches the point bhe sails for. No sooner do women avail themselves of the privilege of smoking thnn along come Senator Smoot and Senator Trammell with the thiu end of the wedge ready to abollM smoking altogether. A Towanda man arrested for wife beating has announced his Intention to run for president judge on h platform "uphold ing manhood." Ret somebody has been tulking to him of thu feminist movement. The Chinese New Year celebration tbli yeur lacks something of the entbuslaio noticeable in other enrs; which may W due, as alleged, to the Americanization ef Chinese residents; but may ulso be not en tirely unconnected with the absence thU Jt'ir of the customary rice wiue. The Federal Government has ?200.000, 000 available for road Improvements In the I'nited States provided the several stole' appropriate ?DOO,000,00() for tho same ruJ" pose. If every stnte docs its share a worth while start will hnve been made toward pef miinently settling the present stute of un employment. "I sec in the paper," said Demosthen" McGlnnis, ns he rolled n quid in his clieeK. "that an untl-tobacco shurk in New ior is wondering If the nssasslu of l'lcsidenl McKinley wus guilty of a greater crime than the President himself. Czolgosz raer'J killed a mau, but McKinley, by snioknr. set n honlble eNumple to humanity. All ' which naturally moves n man to throw af his chew and hit the unti-tobneco 6hark In the c)e with it." We grieve not nt nil nt the reduction la the slzo of the nvmy us Indicated by lye uclion of the House of Repre"iitatlve.s in reducing the sl?c of thu army npproprlaj w nor at the defeat of the amendment of Hep' resentutive Jones, which would have tn' n large reduction Iu the number of ofluer. Disarmament Is nn excellent thing when l"; ternatlonnl ngreeinent Is inntle to disarm, f"1' equally excellont Is udrqilMo prcViri'djf In the nhsi-uci of such agreement. f""J liieput illness does not nc.vs.itrll) mean lurgo uriii), hut it UMtiiri'illy dues lueuo 5 large number of officers, experts, wcii train1 to lead. J J), asjv. - ;t i.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers