Indianapolis Times, Volume 42, Number 181, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 December 1930 — Page 4

PAGE 4

SCHI PBJ - H OW AMD

Justice Holmes Twenty-nine years ago today Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes took his seat on the United States supreme court. Since then he has been our greatest jurist. He represents the finest qualities in our tradition. By the profound reach of his intellect, by the sweep of his human sympathies, and by his fidelity to our waning constitutional liberties, he has fought the good fight for American rights. And because he usually has been in the minority on the high court, his service has been all the greater. Recently a volume of his outstanding decisions was published by the Vanguard Press under the title, "The Dissenting Opinions of Mr. Justice Holmes." Wc commend those decisions to our readers as the ideal course in Americanism . This Holmes anniversary is a fitting time to remind those who rule over us of those basic liberties so widely violated today. In the words of the justice: "If there Is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other, it is the principle of free thought—not free thought for those who agree with us, but freedom for the thought that we hate. "I think that we should adhere to that principle with regard to admission into, as well as to life within, the country.”—U. S. v. Schwimmer, excluded pacifist. "It is desirable that criminals should be detected, and to that end that all available evidence should be used. It also is desirable that the government should not itself foster and pay for other crimes, when they are the means by which the evidence is to be obtained. ‘"I think it is a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should play an ignoble part.”—Olmstead v. U. S., w T ire-tapping case. "There is nothing I more deprecate than the use of the fourteenth amendment beyond the absolute compulsion of its words to prevent the making of social experiments that an important part of the community desires . . . Even though the experiments may seem futile or even obnoxious to me and to those whose judgment I most respect.”—Truax V. Corrigan, sustaining Arizona anti-injunction law'. “It is not for this court to pronounce when prohibition is necessary to regulation, if it ever may be necessary to say that it is permissible as against st.ong drink, but not as against the product of ruined lives.” —Hammer V. Dagenhart, sustaining child labor law'. “I think that we should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expresssion of opinions that we loathe and believe to be fraught with death, unless they so imminently threaten immediate interference with the lawful and pressing purposes of the law that an immediate check is required to save the country.”—Abrams v. U. S., protesting conviction of five Russian-born "alien anarchists,” accused of sedition. * “The power of congress seems absolutely free from doubt. The 'end, to remove conditions leading to ill health, immorality, and the deterioration of the race, none would deny to be within the scope of constitutional legislation.”—Adkins v. Children s Hospital, sustaining law creating minimum wage board to fix standards in the District of Columbia. California Against the World The plain and inescapable import of the decision of the California supreme court in denying the pardon appeal of Warren K. Billings is a message to America. This message is “to hell with the rest of the United States; we will administer justice in the good old California way.” Wc do not think there is anything unfair or exaggerated in this version of the animus behind the decision. It is hardly necessary to review again the absence of any factual or logical basis for the decision. The proof that every Important witness against Mooney and Billings was a perjurer, a liar, or both; the petition of the living jurors in the Mooney case for a new' trial or pardon; the ardent work of the trial judge, Franklin Griffin, for anew trial or clemency, which has gone on for thirteen years; the reopening of the case last summer and the discovery of John MacDonald, which blew the top off any remaining scintilla of evidence which remained against the men; the admission of prosecutors, Cunha and Brennan, that they realized that they had no direct evidence against Mooney or Billings in 1916—a1l these are now part of historic record —they are an old story. To this we now may add the devastating comment of Associate Justice William H. Langdon, the ablest lawyer on the California high court, in commenting on the decision of his colleagues: “Considered either as an argument of an advocate or as a Judicial review of the evidence, the consolidated majority report is unsound and indefensible. . . . There is not now even the semblance of a case against him (Billings).” We recognize the fact that most of the judges bn the California supreme court have not established reputations as learned or brilliant lawyers. But we are not willing to concede that their intellects and logical sense are so low that they actually imagine they are administering Justice in the case of Mooney and Billings. Their decision was not a judicial decision. It was a political decision, like the Dred Scott and many other historic decisions of our courts. It was voice of dominant political and economic opinion in California. Further, one may concede that there are interested parties—great public utilities and other industrial organizations—that fear Mooney and Billings personally and want to keep them 'behind bars. But we are not willing so admit that this fear is sufficient to account for the decision of the court. It is plainly a defiance to the rest of the country and to the world. We wonder, however, if on calm second thought, California will want to take the economic risk which may be inherent in this stand. Will she care to take the chance of tempting many American lovers of fair play and justice to follow the precedent of their colonial forefathers, wheivthey decided upon non-intercourse with Britain? Do Californians really wish to lead many Americans to declare California products convict prbducts, on the ground that California has convicted herself of a worse crime than that with which Mooney and Billings are charged? We hardly believe it conceivable that California will want her friut to bear the blight of “California justice.” It is scarcely credible that she will Invite any large group to put a moral tan on California goods until justice is done to Mooney and Billings. California hardly can be sufficiently short-sighted to encourage any movement to brand California fruit with a design compounded of the likenesses of Mooney and Billings against the background of the grim gates of San Quentin and Folsom prisons. It would be amazing If California does not see that she Is likely to drive the liberalized laborers who have purchased her fruit to seek their supplies from Floruia growers in the future. More than half of de-

The Indianapolis Times tA SCRIPPB-HOWABO NKWSPAPKRI Owned and published dally (except Sunday) by Tbe Indianapolis Times Publishing Cos., 214-220 West Maryland Street, Indianapolis, Ind. Price In Marion County, 2 cent* a copy; elsewhere. 3 cents—delivered by carrier, 12 eents a week. BOYD GURLEY. ItOY W. HOWARD, FRANK G. MORRISON, Editor President Business Manager PHONE—Riley 0651 MONDAY. DEC. 8. 1930. Member of United Press. Scrlpps-lloward Newspaper Alliance. Newspaper Enterprise Association. Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.”

mand for her products then would flow southward into Dixie. We understand that this tendency already is beginning and that men disgusted with California's handling of the Mooney-Billings case are insisting upon Florida citrus fruits from their grocery stands and fruit dealers. We hardly can doubt that California will sit up and take notice-when she realizes how very seriously this stand of hers against elementary justice may affect her material interests, as well as her moral* reputation. One may hope that the fair-minded friends of California will realize the damage which her timid Governors and biased Judges have done to the state and that they will insist that this cloud of disgrace be lifted and forever dissipated. Certainly, California can not be angling for more unemployment in the present crisis and depression. The poor grape, melon, orange and lemon growers of California, whose prosperity is threatened by the action of the supreme court, just now are as helpless as those persons outside California who wish to see justice prevail. But if their profits fall, we may be sure that they will become politically articulate. And what can be the thoughts of those courageous liberal statesmen who from 1905 to 191? gave California a world-wide reputation as a far-sighted and progressive state? Government Finances The lederal deficit at the end of the current fiscal year will be much greater than the $180,000,000 estimated by President Hoover and Secretary Mellon, it develops. That figure did not include the emergency appropriation of $150,000,000 asked by the President for relief of unemployment, nor did it include the $150,000,000 which the federal farm board will require for the remainder of the year. Nor was allowance made for the $40,000,000 to $60,000,000 prospective appropriation for the relief of the areas which suffered in the drought. In addition, there undoubtedly will be deficiency bills and, all in all, the deficit may reach $400,000,000 or $500J)00,000. There is no assurance that revenues will amount to as much as Secretary Mellon has figured. Much will depend on the condition of business, to be revealed in income tax returns, and on customs receipts, which have shown a sharp decline and small indication of improving. It is natural that the administration should be concerned, and should be pleading for economy. Yet general expenditures at best will be a quarter billion greater than last year, without allowing for unusual expenditures mentioned above, if the President's own budget recommendations are followed. The situation can be met by the curtailment of public debt retirement, drawing on the general fund, and by other juggling of money and accounts. The general fund is a working emergency balance in the treasury, maintained to assure payments, containing usually from $250,000,000 upward. The treasury also can Issue short-time bonds against prospective receipts, paying them and then issuing more bonds—re-establishing the "floating debt” of war time. But facts finally must be faced and bills must be paid. The administration and congress might as well acknowledge the situation now, and make preparations to meet it. There is no reason for dodging it, for eventually the reckoning must be made. It is a foregone conclusion that the 1 per cent reduction in income tax applying to payments this year must be abandoned. Senator Borah would increase taxes by an additional 2 per cent. Perhaps he is right. If so, there is room for discussion as to where new levies should be imposed, if they are found necessary. But, in any event, the administration and its leaders in congress will do well to be candid. Experience in buoying up the bull market, pretending that the depression did not exist, and minimizing unemployment figures should have shown them the futility of dodging the inevitable. A South African scientist has discovered a method of making asbestos from citrus fruits. This probably means curtains for oranges. Little Old New York certainly was given a lot of credit when Wall Street made it a loan of a mere $60,000,000 the other day.

REASON BV

'T'HE arrest of these seventy-five customs agents stationed on the Canadian border, charged with having accepted bribes from rum runners, reminds us of a story told us the other day by a man who visited Canada last summer. St tt tt This man's party left Canada by automobile, and on reaching the border was halted by the American customs agent. He asked if they had any hooch and the members of the party said "no,” whereupon the customs agent went through their baggage and found it dry as a bone. tt St tt But he did concentrate his official attention upon two small pieces of wearing apparel, worn by the ladles, the same having been puchased in this country before the trip to Canada. The items were so trivial that the extended discussion about it bordered on the absurd. B b WHILE this rag chewing about the two small pieces of apparel was going on a large truck drove up from Canada, the same being garnished with a very impressive layer of saw dust. The customs officer looked up and asked the truck driver what he had and the driver said: "Saw’ dust!” "Drive on!” said the customs officer without question. B B U Well, the gentleman whose ladies had the apparel which troubled the customs officer finally convinced the defender of the republic that the stuff w r as bought in this country and he got into his car and drove south. ua* Some forty miles southward this gentleman overtook the truck loaded with "saw dust,” and the driver thereof was beating it as fast as he could in the general direction of the equator. Asa general thing "saw dust" is not carried that far. „ a a a OF course, we would not infer that the customs officer was bribed. There's something very’ convincing about a truck, as drivers of small cars have had occasion to observe now and then when meeting them on the highway, and then again \ here's an air of authority about sawdust that can not be denied^ aa£ But when wc read of the aitcst of the aforesaid seventy-five customs officers, charged with taking bribes from booze importers we couldn't help but wonder if the fellow who grew so excited about the wearing apparel, but immediately gave the glad hand to the truck load of "saw dust,” might be among the number. - \

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. Tracy SAYS:

Bad as Our Own Two-Party Syste.n May Be, European Conditions Show It Has Its Advantages. I LOUIS BARTHOU. once premier, and minister of something or other at least a dozen times, is trying to form anew French cabinet. Considerable doubt exists as to whether he can succeed, or as to whether he will last very long If he does. This is the nineteenth time a French cabinet has fallen since the war. -Too many parties is the trouble. France has no party big enough to set up an administration by itself. Formation of a cabinet is im-' possible without some kind of a combine. No sooner has such combine been formed than one or more of the parties to it get dissatisfied and bolt. Bad as our own twoparty system may be, it has obvious advantages. nun Dictatorships Popular ALLIED nations may have gained something of permanent value by winning the war, but little has happened yet to prove it. Though France may be prosperous, she is dangerously discontented. Though England may have show r n wonderful poise and self-control, she has failed to solve many of her economic and political problems. Right now a group of laborites, under the lead of Sir Oswald Mosely, not only is bolting the MacDonald program, but calling for a dictatorship. Dictatorship has grown surprisingly popular in a "world saved for democracy” and particularly with the so-called liberals. A freed Poland, reconstructed Italy and modernized Turkey are all bossed by some strong man and apparently glad of it, while the German republic is being run by presidential decrees. u n * We're in a Mess THE situation is but little less encouraging right here in America. The prosperity we enjoyed because of world-wide trouble suddenly has gone sour, and the worst part of it is w’e don’t know why, or what to do next. Some people console themselves with the idea that we can’t do much of anything and ought not to try, that it is just a bad spell of business wea her, such as is likely to occur most any time, and such will pass over soon. Others say that is all nonsense, that the-fault was wholly human, and that we must look to human remedies. They demand measures not only for immediate relief, but for the permanent revision of about everything in sight. n u a Cash for Veterans SECRETARY MELLON, who generally can be depended on to line up with the conservatives, says that while there might be some good arguments for giving the veterans cash in the place of the certificates they now hold, it would involve too great interference with our debt-reducing program. Furthermore, he says that it might be difficult to raise the necessary $3,400,000, and that it certainly would impose a burden on the taxpayers, which should be avoided. Senator Vandenberg suggests that we kill both birds with one stone by exchanging regular interest-bearing government bonds with the veterans for their certificates, which bear no interest, which will not mature for fifteen years, and which can not be sold, or borrowed on for anything like their face value at this time. BUB Due to War WHETHER it’s the confusion caused by an almost continuous falling of French cabinets, by Germany’s equally continuous demand for delay In reparation payments, by the unemployment situation in England, by the curious economic policy of Red Russia, or by the unexpected slump in our own country, you can trace the bulk of it to war. That is something we older folks not only should keep in mind, but teach our children. Civilization still is paying the price of its folly and will be for many years to come. Let us not hide the truth with monuments, military music, brass button parades and one-sided his-toi-ies, as we have in the past, but make some attempt to keep the record straight on both sides of the ledger and give posterity a chance to realize what war means.

■SjXSSSa* THE^ miv

ELI WHITNEY’S BIRTH Dec. 8 ON Dec. 8. 1765, Elj Whitney, an American inventor, famous for his invention of the cotton gin, was born at Westboro, Mass. Graduated from Yale in 1792, Whitney went to Georgia as a teacher, where he found he had a generous patron in the widpw of General Nathaniel Greene of Revolutionary fame, on whose estate he resided and studied law. While here, he was encouraged to display his inventive genius, and at the request of some neighbors of Mrs. Greene he attempted to devise a machine for separating the seed from the fiber of the cotton. After he had built such a machine from hand-made tools, it was stolen by thieves, who had broken into his workshop. Thus he was unable to get a patent for it. He then went to Connecticut to manufacture cotton gins, but litigation growing out of claims of imitators consumed his profits. Later, he established a firearms factory at Whitneyville, near New Haven, Conn., and maintained it with success. Whitney enjoyed but little material reward from the gin. which immediately proved one of the most imnortant inventions connected with cotton manufacture. Is there anything that will entirely remove the odor from a goat hide? Tanning is the only way to remove the odor. A slight odor will still remain even after the tanning process. Nothing will remove it entirely.

BOBBY 00NESTO TURN HIS QOLF SKILL TO EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES-newswn HOW DO you PARSE THAT LAST n L£*3> WORD? t>EE YER in thV HOW -n?ETRAP-?OWR N . / / ■mm. , a * ithmet,c *' cj / \ BWSHT MARS <SEME TUNNY MIGHT FOLLOW BOBBY'S LEAD ~ CUBE ROOT. BV CONDUCTING! A C LASB " IN ASTRONOMY f ,

DAILY HEALTH SERVICE Mother’s Diet Important for Baby

BY DR. MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hygeia, the Health Magazine. A WOMAN who is eating a sufficient diet will not produce more milk by overeating, hence it is inadvisable to give a nursing mother vast quantities of milk, malted milk, or any other food substance. If, however, the v niother is not taking an adequate diet, the amount of milk may be increased by giving her sufficient food. The amount of milk to meet the needs of the infant has a food value of from 500 to 1,000 calories. If the mother requires 2,400 calories for her own needs, it will be necessary for her to take at least 3,400 calories to take care of the additional needs of the infant. She also will require more fluid in order to carry the solid material. Onions and garlic may give a taste

IT SEEMS TO ME by ™od

THE supreme court of the state, of California has set up a contention which may be good technical law, but it is woefully unwise as public policy. The majority of the justices declare in effect that they can not recommend a pardon for Warren Billings because he has not been able to prove to their satisfaction that he is innocent beyond the remotest shadow of a doubt. The court takes occasion to point out that the recent hearing was not a new’ trial, with the usual presumption of innocence on the part of the accused. In other words, the high bench of California seems to have constituted itself into a compact group of devil’s advocates. The justices, with one exception, seemed to be intent upon doing the least possible to right an old wrong. It may be bad law, but it W’ould be good humanity to give at least an edge to men w’ho have been held so long in jail as a result of perjured testimony. B B B ‘Constitutional’ IN the letter to Governor Young the majority opinion stated that Billings had been fairly and constitutionally tried. This is reducing ordinary English phraseology to an absurdity. The court may say, if it so chooses, that the dry bones of legality were duly rattled in the courtroom where the two labor leaders were found guilty. But that is far from being a fair trial. How can a trial possibly be considered fair when it is openly admitted that most of the key witnesses were liars? Indeed, several of them have said as much. But the supreme court of California has chosen to decide that these particular witnesses were lying only when they said that they lied. It may be difficult to build a pardon upon the testimony of folk whose veracity is palpably unstable. But it ought to be impossible to found a conviction upon the say-so of such witnesses. B tt B Stubborn Bench THERE is a stubbornness in courts and a pigheadedness in judges. Particularly the little ones It takes a great deal of character for a man to change his .opinion, and this sort of openmihdedness seems to be wholly absent from the high bench in California. I heard Dudley Field Malone speak to a radical group about the Mooney-Billings case several months ago, and he said that his audience would find small confirmation for any theory that this harsh and unrepentant court thwarted the fight for pardon because its members were closely allied with "Big Business.’ 1 Maione said he had made a close study of the composition of the court and that to his surprise he found most of the members wholly without previous corporate affiliations. In fact, he said that several members of the California supreme court seemed to be without legal experience of any sort. Malone told his audience that few courts in all the country were made up of men

Live and Learn!

to the milk to w’hich infants may object. To get the necessary vitamins into the milk, the diet of the mother must contain milk, butter, eggs, two green vegetables and fresh fruit, preferably orange. Butter contains the vitamins A and D, and it is necessary that at least one ounce of good butter be taken daily. If this is not taken, it is necessary to give cod liver oil to make certain that vitamins A and D are received. The mother should take at least one quart of milk each day, which need not necessarily be in the form of liquid milk, but may be used as cocoa, ice cream, or custard. A pound of evaporated milk equals a quart of bottled milk. Eggs contain vitamin D and calcium. The green vegetables provide vitamins B and C, and mineral salts. The orange is rich in vitamin C.

so conspicuous as minor members of their profession. Not more than two or three had ever commanded a client of any consequence. B tt B Reliable Witness I’LL have to take Malone’s word for it, as it is not possible for me to check carefully upon his findings. But if a supreme court judge can leap to assumptions upon the testimony of feeble witnesses, a columnist should be allowed to do the same upon the word of a reliable one. There is much internal evidence to support Malone’s contention. Even conservative jurists are able to look at the large and human aspects of legal questions upon occasion. It is only the pettifogger who insists that he must close both eyes tight shut to all considerations of public policy. Let there be no doubt as to the evil consequences of the recent opinion handed down by the Cali-

People’s Voice

Editor Times—Why wouldn’t Indianapolis citizens be willing to pay more than the 7-cent street car fare if the service were improved? Os course, many of the opponents harp on the additional fare, but they probably are not street car riders. Let them stand on a corner during the cold winter weather and wait for a slow street car, and then let them hang by a strap on the way downtown—especially if the stove in the car doesn’t happen to be working. The additional 3 cents would well be paid, if everything were convenient and warm. Why are all the busses on north side and south side routes loaded to capacity throughout the day? Those patrons pay 19 cents a ride, and easily could ride street railway cars in event they wished to. We are living in a fast, but convenient, age. Service must be provided that will bring the patrons downtown in a hurry. The service must be of high standard and convenient nature. I believe the city at this time is in no financial condition to absorb the street railway company. The bonded indebtedness margin is very narrow, and it has been pointed out that even special legislation would not help the financial condition. This, too, seems absurd, when nearly every citizen is interested in lowering taxes instead of increasing them. Let the moneyed interests have a monopoly on the street car system, so better service can be provided—but the committee appointed by Mayor Reginald H. Sullivan to investigate the Insull proposals place plenty of legal safeguards in the contracts so that the city would not be hampered in event the transportation system is broken down within years to come. M. E. T. How old is John Masefield, tbe British poet laureate? He was bom in 1875. What are tbe fastest growing shade trees? Poplars, willows and aspen.

The mother makes up the rest of her diet, so :ar as the calories are concerned, by eating the food that she usually does. She can have meat once a day 'or three times a day, also potatoes, bread, cereals, and even hot cakes and sirup, provided that these things do not upset her digestion. She should have at least a quart cf water a day, always provided that the essential food substances, that is to say the milk, the green vegetables and the fruits, axe taken regularly in sufficient amounts. Mothers sometimes worry about the secretion in the milk of drugs which the mother may be required to take because of some condition. Few drugs taken by mouth are given cut in the milk In amounts sufficient to affect the infant. It always is well to make certain of this possibility by asking the physician responsible for care of the mother or the child.

Ideals and opinions expressed ip this column are those of one of America’s most Interesting writers and are presented without regard to their agreement or disagreement with the editorial attitude of this paper.—The Editor.

fornia supreme court. , It is practically impossible to find any close student of the case who believes that Mooney and Billings are guilty as charged. The judge who presided at the original trial says that the men were unfairly, even criminally, convicted. The chief prosecutor at the Billings trial is in favor of their release. Eight of the ten living Mooney jurors have pleaded for a pardon. Five of the chief witnesses against the prisoners have either confessed perjury or been proved to be liars. B tt B A Fair Trial? IN the face of this record, the supreme court of California sets up the feeblest sort of fiction when it says that Mooney and Billings had a fair and constitutional trial. I am not of the opinion that all courts are corrupt, but it will be extremely difficult from now on to argue effectively with any who say that in all too many cases judges are far more interested in preserving forms than in reaching truth. Surely no judicial procedure worthy of respect can rest merely on a faithful observance cf numbojumbo regulations. To say that the case was "constitutionally" tried is to attack the Constitution. Men are more than precedents, and truth should never be hemmed in by restrictive clauses. The issue of interest is not only to radicals and liberals. Conservatism should not mean and does not mean the preservation of perjury. California must purge itself of dishonor. (Cemvright. 1930. by The Times*

DOBBS There are many good things wj that can be said about a derby, but the best thing you can say about any DQBBS derby is, 'Vs a Dobbs/' DERBIES New blocks, new prosß portions, anew sense of with Silt nterior comfort, lightness and *lO smartness! L. Strauss and Company

.DEC. 8, 1930

SCIENCE —BY DAVID DIETZ—

Deposits of Sand Help to Indicate Age of Earth. THE sand-filled hour-glas* is the simplest clock. It also is the simplest method of estimating the age of the earth. So says Professor George Hevesy of the University of Freiberg, at present visiting lecturer at Cornell university. "If at any spot on the earth’s surface sand were deposited at a fixed rate since solidification of the earth, then the total amount of sand deposited by this geological hour-glass would indicate the age of the earth, if we could measure the rate of deposition and the volume of the sand," says Professor Hevesy. "Such geological hour-glasses actually exist. Rivers carry salts to the sea and, knowing the annual volume of salts carried down and the total ralt content of the oceans, we can deduce the length of time this process has been in action. This interval of time corresponds to the age of the earth's crust. "Even accumulations of sand itself are actually found in nature where rivers have brought sand, mud, and sludge down to the sea and deposited them at the river mouth. "A knowledge of the total thickness of the sediment and of the annual deposit therefore leads to a knowledge of the date of the beginning of the process." a B b Layers of Rock WE find in various parts of the earth, layers of rock known as sedimentary rocks. Their nature suggests that they were deposited in their present locations at times, when those locations had been flooded with shallow seas. into which rivers poured their loads of sediments. The thickness of these layers of rock furnishes data from which geologists can attempt to calculate the length of time it took for sufficient, sediment to be deposited to form them. Professor Arthur Holmes makes the following estimates for the maximum thickness of the sedimentary strata. He estimates the thickness of the strata deposited during the Cenozoic era, or the era of modern life as 24,000 meters. A meter is just a few inches over a yard, 39.38 inches. During the Mesozoic era, or age of reptiles, the deposit was 30,000 meters, according to Dr. Holmes. During the Paleozoic era, or era of ancient life, it was 61,000 meters. He estimates that there was a deposit of at least 60,000 meters prior to the beginning of the Paleozoic era. This makes a total of at least 175,000 meters. I “We can form a general idea of the rate at which these sediments have been deposited,” Professor Hevesy says. “To take an illustration used by Sir James Jeanes in his very stimulating volume, ‘The Universe Around Us,’ since Rameses II ruled in Egypt, more than 3,000 years ago, sediment has been deposited at Memphis at the rate of about one meter every 1,200 to 1,500 years.” tt St tt Rate of Deposit WITH geological strata deposited at an average rate of one meter every 3,000 years, the total 175,000 meters of strata listed by Professor Holmes would require more than 500,000,000 years for their deposition, Professor Hevesy says. At the much slower rate cf one foot in 4,000 years, which many geologists think is more' nearly right, the time would be about 2,100,000,000 years. Many geologists think that even this is a little fast, and prefer to put the age of the earth at about 3,000,000,000 years. "We are approaching the end of a geological period characterized by formation of hills and rising ! continents,” says Professor Hevesy. | "These conditions are favorable for transportation of matter to the sea, since the river gradients are steeper and the circulation of ground water more thorough. In the long geological ages of the past, when the sea flooded the present lands and mountain elevations consequently were appreciably; lower, exactly opposite considerations applied.” Asa result of this. Professor Hevesy believes that we can not accept the idea that the geological hour-glass has run with perfect regularity. Man has also accelerated the rate of deposit by cultivating the land, cutting down and uprooting forests, and otherwise interfering with natural processes, he says.

Daily Thought

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament—l Hosea 12:3. A man’s wisdom is his best friend; folly, his worst enemy.—Sir V/. Temple.