SEEN "
arbund the
NATIONAL
Washington.—Some very interest- I
Ing tax plans are being worked out
in the Treasury department, and
Secretary Morgenthan Is waiting
for an invitation to appear before
the house ways and means commit
tee, which Chairmnn Doughton, not
wanting any more taxes at all. Is
loath to give.
One of these plans Is a flat manu
facturers’ excise tax. Just a sales
tax, to be frank—the kind of thing
that would have brought a regiment
of lawyers down to Washington to
fight It Just a few years ago. But
meanwhile the processing taxes,
which of course were restricted
Hales taxes, sort of hardened some
of the bitterest opponents, and now
some representatives of the textile
industry, for instance, are saying
that If the new tax Is generally, or
in short If It applies to all their
competitors aR well as to them,
they won’t fight It.
Another plan being worked out
fe.v the young men In the Treasury
department, none of whom, by the
way, gives any consideration to po
litical questions whatever, not even
considering that tills Is a Presiden
tial election year, goes for the
smaller Incomes In a big way. It
is more drastic than the proposal of
Senator \a Follette Inst year, sug
gested ns a substitute for President
Roosevelt’s tax program.
To start off with, It boosts the
normal Income tax rate from 4 per
cent to 8 per cent. Then It reduces
the exemption of a married person
from $2,500 to $1,500, and n single
person’s exemption from $1,600 to
$750. Further, It Iwjosts surtax rates
on all Incomes up to $50,000.
The gentlemen working tills plan
out must not even have listened to
A1 Smith’s speech at the Liberty
league dinner, w hen he warned that
this tremendous burden of debt the
government was idling up could not
be paid by the rich, because the
rich have not enough, but would
have to be paid by the people earn
Ing $5,000 or less. When a married
man begins paying an 8 per cent
levy on all his Income In excess of
$1,500, the fifteenth of March is go
ing to be more unpopular even
than It is today.
Would Be Too Unpopular
Actually there is not much chance
of either of these plans being en
acted—tills year. The income tux
plan would be far too unpopular to
be put through by congress Just be
fore election. The President would
not consider It for a moment. But
the fact remains that it Is there,
and with careful estimates allow
ing that in the opinion of the treas
ury experts It Is Just about what Is
necessary to finance the govern
ment.
What will he done, In all proba
bility, will be to Impose some ex
cise taxes no more onerous on any
commodity thnn the processing
taxes were, but applied to more
commodities, for, as was pointed
out recently In these dispatches,
the actual need, not to balance the
budget, but to make up for lost
processing tax revenue and to
flnnnce the new farm program and
the bonus, will be around $700,000,
000 a year.
So that the more drastic taxes,
aimed at really balancing the budg
et. will be around $700,000,000 a
year.
Meanwhile, as shown by a few
house leaders, including Chuirman
Doughton of the committee that
must frame the revenue bill, sena
tors and members of the house are
eager to avoid the tax situation if
they possibly can. They would like
nothing better thnn to finance the
immediate need by bonds, and let
the whole new tax proposal, with
Its attendant problems, go over un
til after election.
Roosevelt Is convinced, however,
that this would be so obviously un
sound economically that It would be
unwise politically. Hence there
will be a new tax bill, though noth
ing nearly so sweeping as the treas
ury experts have planned.
Smith Stirs Them
A1 Smith’s biting criticism that
the Roosevelt administration has
done nothing toward carrying out
Its platform pledge ubout consoli
dating governmental agencies in
the Interest of economy has result
ed already In several moves coming
closer to the surface. They were
already In the wish stage, but their
backers were afraid. Now they are
emerging.
For instance, the Federal Depos
it Insurance corporation. For some
time it has been looking covetous
ly at the functions with respect to
banks exercised by Jesse Jones’ Re
construction Finance corporation.
FDIC believes that It, and it alone,
should make loans of government
funds to banks. It has the power
under the law, but Just recently it
made the first open move, loaning
$2,828,000 to a bank In Bethlehem,
Pa.
FDICTs Idea is that il should not
confine its functions to paying off
depositors after a bank has closed,
but that it should be In close touch
with the hanks all the while to see
to It that they are kept sound. Also,
that If they need any money for
legitimate reasons it Is FDIC that
should pass on the situation and
loan the money.
Incidentally FDIC Is on Kasy
street, financially. Its net losses In
two and a half years have been
only about $2,500,000. Its net profit
has now mounted to a nice nest
egg of $67,000,000. Under the law
it cannot change its assessments on
the hanks, which run one-twelfth of
1 per cent on deposits each year,
payable In two semiannual Instail
ments.
It Is having an argument Inside
the organization over whether this
present legal rate of assessment is
not an unnecessary burden on the
hanks. Some of Its advisers be
lieve that Just one more semiannual
Installment should be levied, and
then no more until necessity should
arise. Each semiannual Installment
brings In from $33,000,000 to $35,
000.000.
More Consolidating
All of which attracts the envious
notice of the new heads of the Fed
eral Iteserve system. So they want
to do a little consolidating of gov
ernment agencies, complying with
the 1032 platform pledge by taking
over FDIC, lock, stock and barrel,
and turning It Into a bureau of the
Iteserve system.
Director Crowley, of FDIC, sees
very little virtue In this suggestion,
almost ns little as Jesse Jones sees
In Crowley’s ambitions to take away
RFC's grip on a great many banks
scattered over the country.
Meanwhile great impetus has
been given to the old move to unite
the Investigating bodies of the
governments. Virtually every de
partment has one, starting off with
the original secret service In the
treasury, now very much overshad
owed by the bureau of Investiga
tion In the Department of Justice.
But virtually without exception
every department wants to keep its
own service, nnd Insists that much
of the value to its particular objec
tives would be lost if its Investiga
tors were made part of a general
organization, spread out over the
whole government.
Clever Miss Perkins
Just one prominent pro-Uoosevelt
figure In nil Washington showed
long range political Intelligence on
commenting on the A1 Smith speech
at the American Liberty league din
ner. Tills was Miss Frances I’er
kins, secretary of labor. And by a
strange coincidence It Is the first
time since Inauguration that Miss
I’erkins has done anything which in
the opinion of disinterested observ
ers was really of political benefit to
the Roosevelt cause.
What Miss I’erkins did was to
keep the door open for Smith to
come back—and to avoid doing
anything to make Smith or Smith's
followers any madder than they al
ready were. In short, she not only
served notice that the door wus
open for him to come back, but put
out a welcome mat Instead of erect
ing a barbed wire entanglement.
Which latter is precisely what
most of the vocal Democrats on
Capitol Hill did. And this goes not
only for the hot bended Southern
ers, like Senator James F. Byrnes
of South Carolina and Speaker
Joseph W. Byrus of Tennessee, but
for supposedly cold-blooded north
ern Democrats like Representative
John J. O’Connor of New York,
chairman of the house rules com
mittee. His remark that “of all
people. Smith should be the last to
attack Roosevelt," reflects the
thought very accurately of most of
the Roosevelt Insiders, but Is not
calculated to pacify the Smith fol
lowing.
And the Importance of President
Roosevelt's re-election In gratifying
the feelings of Roosevelt Insiders Is
not very great. The President has
those votes anway. Highly slgnifl
cant In connection with Chairman
O’Connor’s remark also Is the ex
pected battle to oust James J.
Doollng from the Tammany leader
ship. It bus been known for some
time that Postmaster James A. Far
ley wanted a change In the Tam
many control. He wanted one of
his own men, about whose loyalty
to Roosevelt there could he no ques
tion, In the saddle at the Wigwam.
Promises Fight
While Southern statesmen, think
ing they were doing Roosevelt a
favor, were raking up the bitter
memories of 1928, and citing Smith’s
disappointment then and in 1982 us
the reason for his present attack on
Roosevelt, some New York Demo
crats, anxious for their own rea
sons to have a change In Tammany
hall, urged the administration to
take command, and to prevent A1
Smith from even being a district
delegate to the Philadelphia con
vention.
All of which promises a cat and
dog fight In Greater New York when
the delegates are selected, with
more bitterness being churned up
than could possibly be quieted by
November.
And meanwhile just one prom
inent Democrat said the thing that
was for Roosevelt's best interests
In November. Insteud of aiming at
headlines and at Increasing the al
ready great bitterness.
Asked for comment on A1 Smith’s
speech by a New York reporter,
Secretary I’erkins backed away.
“Oh, no, he Is my friend.” she said,
and then added: “He will come
back."
Copyright,—WNU Sarvtca.
Business and Pleasure Craft Pass on the Great Lakes.
Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Waahlngton, D. C.-WNll Service.
KL1KVK it or not, tin* ('.rent
Lakes of North America con
tain half the fresh water on
earth; enough to cover the conti
nental United States 10 to 18 feet
deep, or to 1111 a 30 foot ship canal
from here to the sun!
Africa’s largest lake. Victoria Ny
anza, would cover most of Lake Su
perior, but It would take 71 Vic
torias to HU it. Asia’s premier lake,
the Aral sea, is a bit larger than
Lake Huron, but It would take four
Arals to fill one Huron. Two Lake
Balkals would scarcely reach be
yond the edges of Lake Michigan,
although they would contain nearly
three times as much water.
If they only lay there, basking In
the sun or raging with storms, our
iniund seas would be impressive.
But tHey have served America as
no inland sea has served another
land. At every corner of the Great
Lakes, and because of them, busy
cities have risen. On the banks
of a hundred tiny creeks commerce
lias planted Its loading piers or ele
vaiors.
Our bridges crossed our lakes as
ore before they crossed a river.
Scarcely a skyscraper whose frame
work has not wallowed In the swell
of our "Big Sea Water” before
combing our urban skies. The story
of our Great Lakes is one of unbe
lievably cheap freight rates, of mar
velously active freighters, of fur
and lumber, Iron and grain.
Easy Route to the Midwest.
In the days when the principal
crop of America wus cold-bred fur,
the St. Lawrence was the gateway
to our Midwest. While the English
went seeking the Northwest passage
to the ullurlng Orient und colonists
along the Atlantic were consolidat
ing their positions against the wil
derness, French voyageurs and mis
sionaries were following stream
and portage to the heart of Amer
ica.
Colonization wus caught between
sea und mountain. Exploration pad
died its swift canoes on lakes and
rivers.
Fur was the incentive, and tem
poral or spiritual empire the dream
of Nlcolet, Joliet, Marquette, and
La Salle, to whom the watershed
between the Grent Lakes and the
wide Mississippi basin was familiar
while the British were still settling
the seacoast. As early as 1700 one
could ride horseback from Portland,
Maine, to Richmond, Va., sleeping
each night in a village. But the Ap
palachian barrier held. Meanwhile
the French, more nomadic, were
spread thinly over a tremendous
Inland empire.
In 1803 most of this land became
ours through the Louisiana pur
chase, and the vast territory which
fur trade and Indian ulllnnces had
won for France gave trans-Appa
lachian colonization new impetus.
For a little less than four cents
an acre the young American repub
lic acquired rich agricultural lands
stretching to the headwaters of the
Missouri and the Yellowstone.
Around the lakes, fur ceded Its
primary place to grain or lum
ped. Hiawatha’s "forest primeval”
crashed before Paul Runyan's saw
and ax. Hills of sawdust began to
rise like sand dunes, and countless
jig-saw verandas embraced Ameri
can homes.
Then came iron!
Buffalo an Aquatic City.
At the northern end of the lakes
whole rust-red mountains of ore
stood ready for the steuui shovels.
Coal moved north and iron south,
a combination providing profitable
return cargoes. Whenever a creek
reached the south shore of Lake
Erie, coal and ore were tossed back
and forth by car tipple and “clam
shell.”
Protected from early traffic com
petition by the Niagara falls, which
were later to furnish its light and
power, Buffalo, rich inland port,
stands at the east end of the upper
lakes and the west end of the only
convenient break in the Appalach
ians. Superlatives, which swarm
around the Great Lakes, hive at
Buffalo.
This favored spot no more sug
gests the bison than Rome does
ltomulus or Syracuse Sicily. And,
had an Indian Interpreter not made
a mistake, it would have been called
‘ Beaver.” a startling but suitable
name for this busy creekside port.
A dozen railways now obscure
the fact that Buffalo Is not a crea
ture of the plains but an aquatic
I
city, founded on the creek that still
sustains it. Its real greatness be
gan on October 26. 1825, when the
Seneca Chief started down the 4
foot deep Erie canal. The news of
its departure thundered by cannon
fire from Buffalo to New York 500
miles in 90 minutes—shots which,
like those of the Minutemen, were
heard around the world.
On November 4, 1825, the canal
boat fioatilla arrived at Sandy Hook,
where Governor Clinton poured
Lake Erie water into the Atlantic
near New York city, which “Clin
ton's Ditch" was to lift to the posi
tion of America's premier port.
Connected With the Gulf.
On June 22, 1933, at Chicago, salt
water from tlie Gulf of Mexico
was blended with Lake Michigan
water when a flotilla of Mississippi
river barges, beuring spices, cof
fee, and sugar, arrived at I-ake
Michigan. Bascule bridges, point
ing like howitzers at the tail-speared
phalanx of sky-scrapers, aroused
the raucous protests of a chorus of
klaxons, and psuedo-Indian war
whoops sounded over the busy wa
ters beside which lonely Fort Dear-i
born first rose on a swampy shore.
The 9-foot chunnel does today
what river and glacier did more
than once in the past—links the,
Great Lakes with the Gulf. St.
Louis has become an export town
for northern wheat. It took 260
years for Joliet’s dream of a Lakes
to-Gulf waterway to come true, al
though Lake Michigan water has
flowed Into the Mississippi basin
since 1871.
Try to force yeift way through
underbrush or struggle along on
foot beneath such a burden as is
easily carried in a light canoe, and
you will realize why the French
penetrated this continent by fol
lowing Indian guides upon its
rivers.
Canals extended the natural wa
terways. Then wagon wheels over
rode the objections raised by the
owners of pack horses and rail
ways won their share. The motor
car, bringing broad, smooth high
ways, set the tax-collecting filling
station in the place of the tollgate,
and passenger car and truck Invad
ed the steel-webbed empire of the
Iron Horse. The Panama canal,
opened In time to do its bit in the
World war, brought our coasts to
gether.
The new Welland canal and the
Illinois waterway are additional
transport factors in a region
where motor manufacturers, having
vied with steam engines, now face
competitive traffic problems involv
ing railways, lake steamers, truck
aways, new car convoys, and widely
distributed assembly plants.
Each form of transportation,
fighting for its share, now forges
ahead, now lags behind. But were
traffic stopped on our inland seas,
our industrial life would sustain a
major shock.
Four Routes to Tidewater.
Four routes to tidewater now ex
ist: the Illinois waterway, with a
9-foot channel; the New York state
barge canal and its branch to Os
wego, both with a depth of 12
feet; and the St. Lawrence canals,
in which there are 14 feet of wa
ter. The deepest artificial link is
the new Welland canal, which not
only has 30 feet of water on the
sills of its spectacular locks, but
also accomplishes the steepest lift
—326*4 feet in 25 miles.
Even before the war occasional
tramp steamers entered the Great
Lakes from tidewater, and today
ocean bottoms are no novelty. In
1933 over a hundred steamers from
overseas ports brought In codliver
oil, canned fish, and merchandise
from Europe to Detroit, and depart
ed with pitch, wood pulp, and mo
tor cars.
Shiploads of automobiles have
been sent direct from Detroit to
London and Hamburg. Rumanian
oil, coming direct from the Black
sea. competes with American gaso
line In Detroit. Ships regularly sail
from the River Rouge' to ocean
ports around the world. The eco
nomic balance beam Is seldom at
rest.
Bluffalo, welcoming western grain
and sending back return cargoes
of emigrants and pioneers, helped
feed the East with bread and the
West with brains and brawn. While
retaining its pre-eminence in the
transfer of grain, it has since be
come our milling metropolis.
I
Who Are You ?
88
The Romance of
Your Name
By
RUBY HASKINS ELLIS
A Rosa?
THIS la the name of a very old
Scottish clan that furnished
most of the people of this name In
America. The name itself is de
rived from (he Gaelic word "Ros,"
meaning an isthmus or promontory.
It was first applied ns a name to a
shire in Ssx>tland.
The plaid or "tartan" of the Ross
clan is ve.'y attractive. It is dark
blue, red and green, arranged in
broad and narrow stripes, produc
ing an effect that is very vivid and
pleasing.
The ancient home of this family
In Scotland was in the district of
Relnagowan, and the founder was
William Rons, a great patriot and
friend of Robert the Bruce.
William's son, Enrl Hugh, was
killed fighting for the king at Hall
don Hall.
In 1745 the fighting force of the
Ross clan was estimated at 500
men.
It is supposed that the first Ross
to come to America was Thomas
Rosse, who was of the Jamestown
■ftoss
colony. He settled on the River
James, In Virginia. After the mas
sacre of 1622 he was reported dead,
leaving a wife and two children.
Descendants of this family are to
be found In North Carolina and oth
er Southern states.
Another earty settler was Itev.
George Ross, who came from Scot
land and settled In Delaware In
1703. His son, George, was one of
the signers of the Declaration of
Independence.
Another settler was John Ross,
who went from Scotland to Ireland
In 1689. He came to America In
1706 and purchased land In Ches
ter county, Pennsylvania. This prop
erty wus known as "Ross Common.”
George Ross, a descendant of this
branch, was Governor of Pennsyl
vania.
The Rosses were noted for their
unswerving loyalty to their convic
tions and for their bravery in de
fending those principles which made
them a clan to be reckoned with.
They were of the Presbyterian faith.
Among the many members of the
family who have distinguished them
selves by outstanding achievements
there Is Betsy Ross, who was in
trusted with the making of the first
American flag. She, however, was
not a Ross by birth, being the wife
of John Ross, who was the nephew
of George Ross, the “signer.”
In the census of 1790 there were
67 Ross families In South Carolina
alone, numerous families In New
Jersey, Maryland and other South
ern states.
The coat of arms above shown is
used by Rosses who trace to Rev.
George Ross, mentioned In this
sketch.
* • *
An Edmonstone?
THIS family originated in north
ern France, with Count de Ed
mont, a duke of Flanders, whose son
William, In 1063, wen. to Scotland
as a special attache to Queen Mar
garet, wife of King Malcolm.
The king bestowed upon him the
land of Edmiston anu Uinet for
faithful service.
Archibald Edmonstone was the
first of the family In America. He
patented land tn IffifiJ In Maryland
and Virginia, and succeeded his fa
ther as commander of county mill
; tin in Maryland. He married Jaue
Beall, daughter of the well-known
; Ninian Beall.
Through Intermarriages the Kd
monstones became connected with
many prominent families, among
them the Ormes, who claim descent
from the royal house of Stuart
• Public txlger. Inc.—WNU Servlcn.
SHIRTMAKER FROCK
IS INDISPENSABLE
PATTERN 250T
A budget-wardrobe Is a limited
wardrobe, one in which each separate
item must play more than one role.
The shirtmaker is a very good exam
ple of this type of frock, for it’s just
as smart for country as town, and
can go any place during daylight
hours and feel well dressed. It's
right for classroom and office, too, so
includes both school and business
girls among its wearers. So simple
the veriest beginner could make it.
Wool or wool-appearing cotton are
excellent fabric ideas.
Pattern 2507 is available in sizes
12, 14. 16, 18, 20, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38. 40
and 42. Size 16 takes 2% yards 54
inch fabric. Illustrated step-by-step
sewing instructions included.
SEND FIFTEEN CENTS (15c) in
coins or stamps (coins p/referred) for
this pattern. Write plainly name, ad
dress and style number. BE SURE
TO STATE SIZE.
Address orders to the Sewing Cir
cle Pattern Dept., 243 W. Seventeenth
St., New York City.
Week’s Supply of Postum Free
Read the offer made by the Postum
Company in another part of this pa
pier. They will send a full week’s sup
ply of health giving Postum free to
anyone who writes for it.—Adv.
STuBFE
Use Service Entrance
"Hello! City bridge department?"
"Yes. What can we do for you?"
"How many points do you get for a
little slam?”—Kansas City Star.
Pll Be Seeing You
Prison Governor (to released con
vict)—I’m sorry. I find we have kept
you here a week too long.
Convict — That’s all right, sir.
Knock it off next time.—Louisville
Times.
That Should Get a Laugh
A theatrical agent persuaded the
conductor of a variety broadcast to
use Joe Frisco in a five-minute bit.
"1 got you a Jive-minute bit on the
air,” the agent then told Joe. “What
can you do in that time?"
“J-j-just,” the stuttering comic in
formed, “c-c-clear m m my th-throat!”
—New York Post.
In Other Words
Wife—You don’t love me any more
Husband—Why, dear, I certainlj
do.
Wife—You couldn’t love a woman
with such old clothes as I have been
wearing.
AW Aound |
/he House t
Cact! plants grown in the house
should be given air and light. To
water set pots In a pan of water
and do not remove until soil has be
come moist.
• • •
Apply paint remover with a brush.
When paint begins to curl remove »
with a putty knife. Remover takes
time and cannot be hurried.
* * *
Water should never be poured on
burning fat. It will spread the blaze.
Flour will extinguish the blaze.
* * *
If hot paraffin is poured over
paint left unused in a can it will not
harden.
* * •
Tips of canned asparagus may be
removed whole if the bottom instead
of the top of can is opened.
* * •
When poaching eggs let water
come to a full rolling boil, drop eggs
into it, turn out gas and eggs will
finish poaching in the boiling water.
* * •
To clean artificial fruit dip it in white
soap suds several times, then rinse
in clear water to which a few drops
of ammonia has been added.
* • •
For roasting pork 20 to 2o minutes
to the pound is required. Pork
should never be roasted in a quick
oven.
* * *
To tighten springs in curtain roll
ers, hold roller firmly, put end of
! spring between tines of fork and
1 turn until spring is tight.
© Associated Newspapers.—WNU Service.
Spray Blown 70 Miles
Spindrift, or sea spray, has been
blown in gales over incredibly long
distances. During a recent storm in
England, it drenched and covered
w-ith salt a house 70 miles from the
coast.—Collier's Weekly.
“I have won over 300
awards for bakinf and A
hare used many brands of
baklnt powder. I row iso
Clabber Girt, eiciesively.”
Mrs. M. E. RyRerson
IndianaStote Fair Whiner
EEGgp)
| WHAT PRICE LOSS
rv\\\R\KV / / V M
“What did father say when you
told him you were going to take me
away from him?”
“He seemed to feel his loss keenly
at first, but 1 squared things with a
good cigar.”
There’* the Alarm 1 |
White—How’s your insomnia?
Black—Terrible. I can’t even sleep
when it's time to get up.—Answers
Magazine.
(