Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1918 — Page 3

PRICE CONTROL NOTHING NEW

Oriental raw* Forbade Sellin* Over or Under Standard Fricej Ancient Bankin* and Bnaineaa Method* Same a* Our*

By S. W. STRAUS

(Pnatant New Ywkud CtaoCsßnter)

(Copyright, 1917, We.tern Newspaper Union.) We consider ourselves very much advanced in our control of food prices. It might do us some good to look back 'a littie and. see what the ancient Orientals did in this regard thousands of. ago. The Brahmanlc and Rabbinical laws ifully equal the measures we have (adopted. For example, besides seeing that not too much was charged for food or other articles, the former law [provided a penalty for selling under a standard price. Rabbinical law limited storekeepers’ profits to 16 2-3 per cent.

Economic history —the story of banking and business —Indicates that some of our so-called, “modern tutions” are in reality as old as the 'hills. Some economists claim that the ’“division of labor”—that is, the specializing by one individual in a single operation in manufacturing —is something comparatively new and did not exist.to any extent prior to the eighteenth century. But against this we have the statement made by someone that caste in India is “division of labor gone to seed.” • And the socialist’s dream of an ideal state is also nothing new. Plato once proposed an elaborate plan for a new state. He figured It out very carefully and decided to limit the population to 5,040. If the number of inhabitants ran over that amount colonies were to be established; if below, prizes were to be offered to stimulate its increase. Another suggestion of Plato’s was that the children were tq.be the property of the state and common to all. In' Sparta everyone ate at a copimon table. No payments of money were required and the products of all were shared by everyone. Further, in Greece factories of considerable size existed. Some employed hundreds of workmen. A factory would be devoted to the exclusive production of one article, such as a tunic. Most of the labor was performed by slaves. Even the most humble citizens of Athens had nt least one slave. They were sent to the river to drink

Government Financing of Past

Present War Taxes Stlld in Comparison; Nations 'at War Must Make Sacrifices

By S. W. STRAUS

(Prominent New York and Ciucago Banker)

(Copyright, Western Newspaper Union.; To you who are hit by the new war tax legislation read the following and cease grumbling: , By Sydney Smith, an Englishman (in 1815). “The school boy whips his taxed top; the beardless youth manages his taxed horse, with a taxed bridle, on a taxed road; and the dying Englishman, pouring his medicine which has paid 7 per pent in a spoon that has paid 20 per cent, makes his will on an £8 stamp and expires in the arms of an apothecary who has paid a license of £IOO for the privilege of putting him to death. Hta whole property is then imnlediately taxed up 10 per cent. Besides the probate, large fees are demanded for burying him in 4he chancel. His virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble, and he will then be gathered to his fathers to be -taxed no more.” In England at that time there were taxes levied on lands, houses, horses, carriages and windows. There was also an income'tax. During the seventeenth century England was as rabid in its .policy of tariff production as it is now in favor of free trade. In ancient Athens taxes were very high. So zealous were the Athenians in the collection of revenues, that a public debtor could, ten days after a \ Judgment was obtained, be condemned and banished forever from public affairs. The children and grandchildren then became responsible. Slaves were employed to take care of private accounts, because if the government suspected that a citizen was not making , a truthful statement to the tax authorities, the slaves could be tortured, to give evidence of their master’s affairs. Athen’s'extensive taxes were largely due to the immense officialdom. Enormous numbers of public officials were dependent upon the government. There were public -physicians, artists, professors. The Athenians were very fond of holding great banquets and festivals, the expenses of which were paid out of the public purse. As religious gatherings as many as three hundred cattle would be sacrificed and distributed to the people. A public speaker would be paid for his efforts In oratory, and the people paid for listening. Today, the problem of raising money Zfor government expenditures occupies the time of some of the keenest financial brains qf the country. We are now participating in the greatest war qf history. We are fighting side by side with nations which are years ahead

with the horses and were branded on the forehead. ■ Contracts in Athens were bound tn two ways. One method was the informal handshake and the other was the formal contract where something was pledged. At one time men pledgee themselves, but this was, stopped under the laws of Solon. , , Were the Athenians familiar with apartment houses? It seems so. Witness the following statement by a wellknown French economist: “People built for speculation a sort of inn, the apartments of which, were let to whom politics or commerce attracted to Athens, and who had no right of citizenship there.” Rentals In Athens amounted to about per cent of the capital invested in the property.

In the claim of Germany that she has secured control of the seas through the destruction of shipping, by submarines, we ljuve a parallel case in the history .or Rome. The Romans were never fond of going to sea and had a peculiar horror of commerce. In. Carthage they destroyed 500 vessels. Augustus, who brought victory in a naval battle at Actium, greatly feared water. It was through their wholesale destruction of ships that the Romans gained control of the sea. Ancient Rome faced the same problem, we do in the congestion of cities and neglect of agriculture. Virgil lamented this tendency and contrasted the artificialities of city life arid the simple pleasures of rural living.

Rome, too, had “big business.” Tike great bulk of her commercial and financial affairs, were in the hands of . the “Equites,” or Roman knights. The entire industrial fabric was dependent on them. Roman “big business,” just like that of today, was not immune from attack. It was constantly being assailed and accused of graft. The Romans even used checks about the same as we do today.

Today we boast of our world ifalrs. But Europe, during medieval times, was not unfamiliar with fairs fully equal to ours. They were really an economic necessity, as people were attracted from far and near, and exchange of products from every part of the- world was facilitated. The largest fairs were held at in Russia, Leipzig, in Germany, and Stourbridge, England. An English fair at St. z Giles covered, an area of seven miles and lasted sixteen days. Even in this day who has heard of a bank with 9,000 branches? Suob an institution existed in medieval times in the Knights Templar. They conducted a general banking business and maintained 9,000 branches.

of us in military preparations. We are facing an enemy whose military establishment has been so highly developed that it brought on the war. To carry on our part successfully and bring the war to a speedy conclusion, billions have been and will be spent. The aggregate total of the two Liberty logins has defied our Comprehension. Yet this amount, in proportion to our wealth and resources, does not equal the burden placed upon us in the previous wars.

In the Revolutionary war the Continental congress was forced to depend upon credit bills and requisitions drawn against the colonies. Our first interior war loan was made in 1775? It amounted to about $30,000. A year later a second loan of $5,000,000 was authorized, but only $3,787,000 was subscribed. Then paper money was issued and by the end of 1779 congress had authorized $200,000,000. An equal amount was paid by the various states. Continental bills of credit depreciated 99 per cent in value. Robert Morris came to the assistance of the government and by his great ability financed the war. He even made personal loans.

In the Civil war the financial difficulties were also great. The country was suffering from a business depres- 1 sion when hostilities began. One of the first efforts to raise capital was an issue of $150,009,000 of legal tender notes, and a bond issue of $500,000,000. The bonds bore interest at 6 per cent and were issued in popular denominations of from SSO up. As In the Revolutionary war, a financial gonitis appeared Tn th<i. person of Jay Cooke, who was extremely active in making the loan a success. He advertised extensively and employed 2,850 agents. The same year congress issued another $150,000,000 in treasury notes. In all, the aggregate amount of government loans during the Civil war was $2,600,700,000. About 6 per cent was paid on most of the loan. Certainly, we are now in an infinitely better position to finance the present war. Where the interest rate was 6 per cent on the first Civil war loan thq initial rate on the first Liberty loan was 3% per cent. Our wealth is many times greater in proportion to the population than in 1861. We can afford to, and will, push this war vigorously to a successful conclusion. Any strong nation that hopes to endure strong cannot shirk Its duty.

All Aglow.

“Now they say the'brain is radioactive.” “Um.” _ • “And emits a faint glow.” “I don’t know about the brain, but I’ve seen the nose do-that.”

A Bargain.

“Does your wife care anything for baseball?” “She never did until one flay she learned they were going to play two games for one admission.” Thrift is the exercise of the will, the development of character, the daily practice of sensible living. . ..

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

VEST IS FEATURE

Seen in Smart Dresses, Indicating Style Trend for Spring. Advance Models Show Straight-Line Simplicity I* Likely to Be Keynote of Next Season's Apparel. Clever little vests are features of a great many of the smartest dresses now shown, especially the latest numbers that indicate to some extent the style trend for spring. It is Interesting also to note that advance spring models that have as yet made their appearance lean' strongly to straight-line effects. Some sort of belt qr girdle is often noted; but the waistline is merely indicated, not defined, and straightline sfmplicity promises to be the keynote of next season’s apparel. _ The sketch illustrates a good-looking little utility dress that might be developed now and worn throughout the winter and coming spring. With navy blue serge as the fabric for the dress proper, white satin or white broadcloth may be used for the vest and girdle, .with narrow black soutache braid criss-crossing the girdle. The wide girdle extends only across the front of the dress, two and a half inch wide bands of the fabric, braided to

One-Piece Frock With Vest.

match the front, continuing around the back of the bodice. The long shoulder is a feature of this frock, and, as will be noted, the sleeves are long and close-fitting. The little one-piece slipover frocks have 'won what seems to be a permanent place for themselves in the feminine fancy, and their popularity is certainly merited. This frock might be attractively developed in velveteen, in any preferred dark shade, with trimming of white or light-color satin or faille silk. A dregs of this type may be made by the home dressmaker without much difficulty; but one point that must be borne in mind is that excellent workmanship must be Embodied in the development of these very simple garments, if the desired smartness is to be realized.

SIMPLICITY IN NEW MODES

Smart Frock of Today Need Not Be as Costly as That of a Season When Elaborate Trimming Was Used. There’s no denying that the narrow underskirt with long tunic of some kind Is more generally becoming than the full flaring skirt qver was; and it is largely owing to this fact that women are, on the whole, looking rather better dressed than usual. The modishness of dark and .quiet colors contributes to this happy result and the absence of fussy trimming is still another factor. The clothes of this season are, even at their costliest, likely to be In accordance with the unwritten laws of good tfiste and many a woman who hasn’t sufficient good taste of her own to like elegant simplicity, will submit to it if it is, the mode, says a fashion writer in the New York Sun. Of course, one can put a great deal of money into the quality of materials, but, despite the high prices of materials the smart frock today need not be so costly as the ftpck of a season when elaborate trimming that called for the time and effort of skilled labor was the keynote of fashion. Glven attractive material and the ability to cut and drape it according to the prevailing mode —one should be able \o achieve a successful frock for a very reasonable Sum.

HAND TUCKING ON BLOUSES

More Elaborate Model*, Imported From Paris, Show Marked Tendency Toward Coflarle** Style. The subject of blouses is one which arouses perennial interest in the minds of the feminine portion of humanity, and the recent Importations of French blouses are enough to arouse the enthusiasm of even the merest man, declares a New York fashion letter. The great majority'of them, even the more elaborate models, are developed In fine voile, handkerchief linen and batiste.

There are, of course, a number of designs in Georgette, crepe de chine and chiffon. ( On the whole, less lace and button trimming is being used on the blouses this season than last; hand embroidery is largely supplanting these. Hand tucking is being extensively featured this fall with fery good effect, especially on fine white linen blouses designed for wear under a suit., - The more elaborate models show a marked tendency toward the new collarless style. In some instances the absence of the collar is covered by the introduction of a hemstitched yoke, in others there is a small collar hung from the shoulder seams. Some of the more extreme styles show sleeves of the full bishop variety, which are gathered in to a very tight cuff at the wrist Sports blouses have rather tight sleeves, with deep cuffs reaching almost to the elbow in some cases. Speaking of sports blouses, a great many novelty materials are being pressed into service in their making. Wash satin in all the popular pastel shades perhaps leads the list, the dark taffetas in brilliant stripes are a close second.

COLOR LIKED IN NECKWEAR

Surplice, Shawl and Tuxedo Shapes are Favorites Although. Sailor Type Has Not Been Discarded. - V’ # A bit of color is liked in the neckwear as well as in the new’handkerchiefs. Indeed, it may be said that several of the mouchoirs can easily be matched up in color-, if not in fabric, with the new collars and cuffs. The .neckwear sometimes comes in net, fine lawn, batiste or organdie and the edging is done in colored net fine--ly plaited. Frequently there is no other ornamentation. The surplice, shawl and Tuxedo shapes are prime favorites, although they have not made the sailor type passe by any means. The latter is liked for young girls and for children and frequently it is used to impart a note of youth to frocks of silk or satin. s Because it has been found more and more difficult to get fine embroideries the prospects are very promising for a vogue of lace of the better sort. For many years lace has been less fashionable than embroidery, particularly in neckwear development. Therefore, there is more good lace to be had and some of it will now be used up for the adornment of smart dresses and blouses. This lace use has reference to varieties other than filet and venice, which have been popular for some time.

LONG TRAIN REAPPEARS.

The long train which had practically disappeared from evening gowns but a short time ago is back. Noticeable,, too, in this charming black satin gown' Is the deep square-cut back and the bodice effect It is trimmed in indo structible tulle with bands of embroidered net in gold and oriental colors.

NOTES ON DRESS.

The is featured on many of the new evening frocks and in many afternoon gowns the deep V line Is filled in with a little square tucker of muslin or white satin. Checked velvets are much in vogue for smart suits and the results otn tained with them are most gratifying. A rather small check made up with diagonal lines gives an interesting effect V* Many of the effects in new frocks are one-sided. Especially is the onesided tunic much featured in serge and satin combination frocks. A French model in black satin shows jaunty bows of this material at the turned-back cuffs that terminate the elbow-length sleeves. Two yards'seems to be the favorite width decreed by the masters and makers of fashion for winter skirts.

That Changing Waistline.

Designers of dresses for children have regularly every season disagreements as to waistline placing, with the result that no 'one rule holds sway. High, low and medium waists are shown, and each has its adherents. It may also -be noted, in passing, that the straight coat dresses developed for grownups are reproduced m miniature for girls of six years and up with very good results. •.

JAFFA the DORT of JERUSALEM

AFTER being In the undisputed control of the Moslems for 673 years, Jerusalem once again has come into the possession of the Christians, the Crescent has fallen and the Cross has replaced it. The decisive event of this “ninth crusade,” made by the British forces under General Allenby, was the capture of Jaffa, the chief port of Palestine. Jaffa, which is also written Yafa and Joppa, and which is supposed to have been named the city beautiful, as its Hebrew name implies, has a history so ancient that its foundation and its early history are entirely lost In the mistd of the past, writes Joseph Jackson in the Philadelphia Public Ledger. It is linked with the legends of Homer, with the commerce of the Phoenicians, with the mythology of the Greeks as well as with the story of the New and Old Testaments. Lying so close to Jerusalem, and for many years the real port of entry to that inland city, It has in recent years established a very modern reputation for business, which has nothing to do with its storied past. Even the country In which the old city is situated has had its name changed many times. The Greeks long before the time of Christ alluded to it as Ethiopia, later it was Canaan, and finally Palestine. It has been ruled by Phoenicians, by Greeks, by Egyptian Pharaohs, by Assyrian kings, by the Romans, the Saracens, the Jews, the Arab caliphs and the Turks, to say nothing of the tdmporary occupation by Christian emperors from Germany, France and England.

The city of Jaffa has been besieged and taken by every newcomer for the last forty centuries who has made the attempt on Jerusalem, but despite the fact that it often has been the scene of hostilities and that more than once its block-paved streets have run with human blood, and that once, at least, it was almost destroyed by an earthquake, the town never has ceased to be beautiful, with its hills surrounding itr to the southwest covered with fruit trees, and with its own quaint stone buildings, churches and mosques. Was Held by the Pharaohs. The Pharaohs of Egypt for a time included this ancient land in their empire, during the reigns of Thothmes HI and Amenhotep, say from about 1600 to 1400 B. C., although the Egyptian occupation seems to have lasted for quite three centuries. > On the porch on the great temple at Karnak there has been discovered references to the town of Ja-pu, and elsewhere in the land of Egypt there is a reference to Ya-pu, both being interpreted to mean Jaffa. It appears to have been the Promised Land of biblical times, and when this was distributed under Joshua, the country bordering the Mediterranean, in which Jaffa lies, was awaraded to the tribe of Dan. But the territory continued in the possession of the Philistines until the reign of David, when the Israelites came into their own.

During the time of Solomon, Jaffa played an important part, for it was there that the precious woods and metals which were brought from afar to make his temple the wonder of the world were unloaded from the puny Vessels that plied the Mediterranean. All of the materials that, were brought from afar entered Palestine at Jaffa and were transported overland to the hills on which the Holy City lies, where his great edifice was erected. When the Ten Tribes revolted Jaffa regained its independence, which had been denied it for centuries, but this freedom was scarcely enjoyed before Rammanlcar HI, the king of Assyria, fell upon it and once more it felt the yoke of foreign authority. If It'Were renowned for no other event, Jaffa must always be famed as the port from which Jonah sailed when he tried to hide from the Lord and attempted to neglect the Lord’s business. The town was once fired by the Boman governor of Syria, and its destruction, invited by the insurrection of the Jews, caused many of the latter to resort to thievery,'piracy and brigandage. More than 8,000 of them had been put to the sword,- and the remainder became outlaws.

Mecca fbr Pilgrims. Vespasian put a stop to this sort of thing by attacking -a band of the thieves, and massacring more than 4,000 of them. Then he built a fort and around this a new- city sprang up. Later for the first time Jaffa became

Jaffa From the Sea.

virtually a Christian city. It had been pagan and Jewish by turns, but now it was raised to a bishopric. Fidus was thq bishop, and he was present at the Synod of Lydda in 415 and at the Council of Ephesus in 431. It now became a place for pilgrims from Europe. For centuries they arrived and made their way to the Holy City. Many of them landed at Ces- , area, further up the coast, but the biblical traditions of Jaffa caused almost all of them to visit its picturesque walls. In the seventh century of our era the Arabs invaded the country and then began the reign of the Saracens and Turks, which has continued, with occasional periods of other occupation, until the present day. In all of the ejpht Crusades, which began in the eleventh century and continued Intermittently for 800 years, Jaffa was a prominent figure in the accounts. The Crusades were begun under the missidnary work of Peter the Hermit, a French monk, who, having visited Jerusalem, found that the pilgrims were unjustly treated by being taxed highly for admission to the city of their dreams, and that they were otherwise unjustly treated by the government

It was customary for most of the Crusaders to land at Acre, which, while further away from Jerusalem, seemed to offer a more direct route and a safer landing for the ships and galleys which brought the Knights Templar and Hospitallers. Jaffa became the advanced base for most of the operations against the Saracens and later the Turks at Jerusalem. Taken by Napoleon. Napoleon in his Egyptian campaign took the city of Jaffa, and it was there that it was declared that he left his soldiers to die of the plague, but he had his eye on posterity and had a picture painted depicting him in the convent of the Armenians going sympathetically among his stricken soldiers, whom his enemies declared he poisoned when he was about to leave. Mehemet All took the town in 1832, and the Arabs were evicted by the Turks, who took the town eight years later, although in the meantime it had been laid partly waste by an earthquake in 1838. The guide books will tell the modem pilgrim that he may still see the ruins of the house of Simon the tanner, now covered by a mosqque, and the pious may make the journey to that part of the town where the worthy Tabitha was raised by St. Peter. He may read on a signboard, “Tabitha’s Quarter,” but the exact spot where her house stood has hot been transmitted to this time. From a small town of about 10,000 population, the completion of the railroad to Jerusalem about twenty years ago caused the city to become important enough to boast of more than three times that number of inhabitants. The treacherous character of the entrance by sea to the town is likely to stand in the way of its future greatness, but as one of the oldest cities in the world it must always have a fascination for the curious.

"Is it possibly for a person to say something that will be a lie if it is true?” - ' : “Yes. If a liar should say 1 never told the truth In my lite,* it would be a He if Lt was true.** “How so?” £ ' ' “Because that statement would be one Instance of his telling the truth, and thus It would be false on the face of it And if he should say the exact opposite, that would of course be a lie, too. But leave that supposition out of the question, for it may confuse you. Just remember this—that if a fellow says he never told the truth, he must be lying.” “But if he’s lying, .then he’s telling the truth, because statement would merely be another lie. So his record wouldn’t be broken ter alk” “Yes, that’s true, too. You see, that proves that It’s impossible—:” “Shut up! Don’t tell me any mere about it—rm going to worry all day as it is!” —Exchange.

“How do you manage to get so much work done with all the conversation going on?” asked a' neighbor. “I stick right to my knitting, ** «»>. piled the kind old lady.

Another Puzzle.

Her Reply.