Indianapolis Times, Volume 43, Number 6, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 May 1931 — Page 4

PAGE 4

Sen l s>n S- HOW

The Whitewash A jury at Bloomington was unable to agree on the gust or innocence of a contractor tried on a charge of bribing an employe of the state highway department. A number of the jurors were convinced of his guilt beyond all reasonable doubt. Presumably he will be tried again. More important is the fact that after the indictment had been filed against him the same highway commission whose employe, it was charged, had been bribed, gave very large contracts to the same man. The office of the attorney-general charged that the highway department had whitewashed its own department. The head of the conservation department declared that unless there was an acquittal he would refuse to sign a contract with the man under charges. That is an entirely different attitude from that of the highway department, which apparently believes that until a corruptionist is in the penitentiary it will keep on doing business with him. The Governor could, of course, remedy the situation by cleaning house in the highway commission itself. Or could he do it? Or, rather, dare to do it? Propaganda Bombing The war department’s long prepared flight In bombing propaganda is on. Moving eastward from the Ohio valley states, the 672 planes will conduct war games over Atlantic coast cities the last of this week. Thus the administration defies the demands of economy and of international good-will by a costly military demonstration. Protests from national guard officials, public bodies, peace organizations and newspapers have been ignored so far—except in the case of night maneuvers over New York City. The latter have been called off, not because of public protest, but for military reasons, according to the secretary of war. Why the war department should be so eager to show that it considers itself above and beyond influence by public opinion is not clear. But the administration may be doing the army air corps more harm than good by this circus. Os the American people's Interest in aviation, and of their willingness to spend money for army aviation, there is plenty of proof. That popular support, however, is being turned into suspicion and opposition by these provocative maneuvers and the attendant blatant propaganda. Propaganda articles stating that the war games show the present air force too small to defend the country, and suggesting greater preparedness, are apt to result in Jess rather than more military appropriations. As m the case of the New York night bombing spectacle, unrestrained military propaganda has a way of defeating its purpose. That was what happened when the war department some years ago tried to fasten an annual mobilization day upon the nation; the publlic coldshouldered mobilization day out of existence. Anri if the w’ar department continues to overreach itself in this army air circus, there probably will not, be another Millionaires’ Memories George P. Baker, who died the world's third richest man, cams apologetically to ths witness stand once during the famous Pujo investigation of the “money trust” and explained that in telling of his investments and holding he had forgotten a million dollars completely. The congressmen who heard him gasped. Baker probably never did understand their amazement that such a sum of money could be overlooked, nor why he came to be known as “the man who forgot a million.” There are a considerable number of men in the United States now who probably could be as casual about millions and as capable of forgetting them. The last income tax statistics disclosed that 504 persons have annual Incomes of more than a million dollars a year and thirty-six have incomes of more than five million dollars a year. Yet with more than they can use or give away or keep track of and remember, some of these men resist income taxes and inheritance taxes that would lift heavy burdens from men who never can forget as much as a ten-dollar bill. Some of them fight high wage scales and unemployment insurance that would keep the country prosperous and its citizens well and content. Some of them forget the dreadful significance of 6,000,000 unemployed men as easily as they forget a million dollars. Some forget, if they ever knew, the desperation that comes' with hunger. An Intelligent Judge The Wisconsin supreme court has rejected the demand of a utilities company which, in effect, asked permission to censor in advance the contents of the Milwaukee Weekly Post. The opinion will surprise no one The astonishing thing is the audacity of a corporation in thus challenging one of the major mandates of the Constitution The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company filed its strange suit after the newspaper had begun a campaign for lower car fares. On the ground that the campaign was interfering with the company’s property rights, the court was asked to forbid publication of further articles. A mere apprehension of future injury does not warrant an injunction, the judge said He might have gone further, by way of obiter dictum: Even if the newspaper’s campaign already had cost tire trolleys business, the remedy lay not in censorship, but in overtures to win back lost patronage. Backyard Gardens The backyard or vacant lot truck garden is going to be an important method of relieving the wants of the unemployed this summer. Fred C. Croxton, vice-chairman of the President’s emergency committee for employment, points out that there has been a huge increase in vegetable gardens in the United 6tats this summer, and says that many part-time or laid-off workers will use them to proride themselves with food. A number of business concerns which own idle land, such as railroad and mining companies, have encouraged workers whom they have had to lay off to raise vegetables on tracts of company land. In

The Indianapolis Times < A SCKIPPS-HOWABD NEWSPAPER) Owned and published dally (except Sunday) bv The Indianapolis Times Publishing Cos.. 214-220 West Maryland Street. Indianapolis. Ind. Price in Marion County. 2 cents a copy: elsewhere. S -cents— delirered by carrier, 12 cents a week. BOYD GURLEY'. ROY W HOWARD. FRANK G. MORRISON. Editor Fresident Buainers Manager PHONE—liTi' v Vi'l MONDAY. MAY 18, 1911. Member of United Press, S^rlpps-Howard Newspaper Alliance. Newspaper Enterprise Association Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Give Light and the People*Will Find Their Own Way.”

many cities relief committees and civic organizations have taken up the work. And, of course, the jobless man who has & backyard of his own is turning truck gardener without any. prompting. AI! of this will not, of course, replace organized relief distribution. But it will help the situation very materially. Federal Paternalism A tendency in government, regarded by many as dangerous, is claiming the attention of those interested in public affairs. It is the gradual development of federal paternalism with a consequent lessening of power of the states. It is a medieval Idea, detrimental to both national and state governments. Already it has been proposed that the federal government collect most of the taxes and return part of them to the several states. Only recently the federal authorities have stepped into the Chicago picture, to punish gangsters who have laughed at city and state officials. There are pleadings for federal aid in this or that. The idea of a strong central government is sound. But if it becomes so strong that it destroys the initiative and self-reliance of the states, there is danger ahead. Calvin Coolidge warned of the tendency seven years ago. He who doesn’t clean up his own backyard isn’t likely to care much about how the public street looks. So is it with the states. A Public Utility Praised When a public utility wins praise from the federal trade commission, that is news; so be it recorded that the Cleveland Electric Utility Company has been found by a trade commission examiner “closely to approach that which may be expected of a public utility,” to keep clear, unpadded records, to charge low rates and make a profitable return on them, to maintain “exceptionally good relations” with the Ohio public utility commission. The manner in which this happy accord has been reached is interesting. Cleveland, it seems, has a municipal electric system. It isn’t a large system. It has less than a sixth as many customers as the private company. But seventeen years ago the municipal system fixed its maximum rate at 3 cents a kilowatt hour, and ever since then the private company has had to meet this rate or show the reason why. There could be no more striking example than this of the advantages wihch may accrue from wise public participation in the utility business. Certainly the Cleveland company has no complaint. It made a net profit last year of more than 8 per cent on its fixed capital. It is part of a holding company group that reports, “with considerable satisfaction,” on business achievements during 1930, in spite of the general depression. For the last eleven years it has had no litigation or trouble over rates. It is at peace with the state utility commission, and the federal trade commission smiles upon it. Sir James Jeans predicts the world will end in a million million years. Which should give plenty of leeway to the experts who are predicting that prosperity is just around the comer. Prisoners at Sing Sing are asking for more reading matter. With the intention, perhaps, of forming an illiterary society. If Smediey Butler tours Europe this summer, as it is reported, he probably will omit Italy. There is an old expression which says, “See Naples and Die.” Then there’s the fellow who thought he’d invest 15 cents in Life and Liberty for the pursuit of happiness. 1 These writers who begin sentences with a small letter seem to be the strongest advocates of capital punishment. Alfonso, it is revealed, declined an offer to talk over the radio before his abdication. He since has taken the air. however. Every customer, says the office sage, has the right of weigh.

REASON

PRINCE TAKAMATSU and Princess Kikuko of Japan were greatly disappointed on seeing Niagara Falls, all of which must be very mortifying to Niagara Falls. Let us hope it will not lead to strained relations between the countries. u tt tt It must have been a trying moment for Manager Hornsby of the Chicago Cubs the other day when ha ordered Pitcher Malone to pass Catcher Hogan cf the New York Giants, filling the bases in order to get at Pitcher Fitzsimmons, who then proceeded to knock a heme run. a tt tt WE derived particular joy from the Fitzsimmons accomplishment because he happens to be our namesake. He wasn't named after us because we never had amounted to much as a pitcher. In fact our station on the diamond, ■was at shortstop. We taught Manager Johnnie Corriden of the Indianapolis team all he knows. a a a It is distressing, of course, to read that thieves yanked a SIOO,OOO necklace of pearls from the neck of a New York society lady, but-it might have been a whole lot worse. Somebody might have stolen a kid’s dog a a a During the present depression it isn’t safe to go out cn the street, wearing SIOO,OOO worth of jewelry. We haven’t done it for a year or so. * a a WE are glad to see that Queen Helene of Rumania has enough horse radish in her system to stand pat and refuse to go b3ck and live with King Carol who gave her the gate and ran away with another lady. ' - If we were picking the next king to lose his royal peacock feather, we would select Carol. a a a We see that our old friend Bugs Baer, the New York humorist, just has married an ex-Follies girl. We wish him joy, but there always is a great risk in taking on such an old-fashioned person. She’s likely to refuse to go any place and insist on staying at home to make a match of mush and knit some sox or cut out some carpet rags. a a a THE Reno divorce court still is doing a great business. It won't be long until they move the picture plants from Hollywood to Reno, for the trend of modern business is to bring the raw material and the factory together. a a a We congratulate this Chicago girl who Just ha*; married a prince. We used to have one long years ago and he was wonderful." He was a fox terrier.

FREDERICK B 1 LANDIS

TEE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. Tracy SAYS:

There Never Was an Issue Too Big for Men to Solve If They Went at It in the Right Way. BRIAND and Curtius having agreed not to discuss the Aus-tro-German customs union, the latter gets around the point by delivering a lengthy speech on customs unions in general. Interpreting this as a mere trick, and scared of what the folks back home might say if he failed to reply, Briana tells what he thinks of the Austro-German customs union in particular. Only the Russian delegate is pleased. Whether any one is afraid of the Austro-German customs union, every one is afraid that France and Germany will talk themseleves into a row. There never was an issue too big for men to solve if they went at it in the right way. By the same token, there never was one too small to cause trouble if they went at it the wrong way. use A Puzzle in Wheat DELEGATES representing ten wheat - producing countries meet in London to see if something can not be done to stablize that commodity. Howard Ferguson, Canadian high commisisoner in England, who appears to be leading the move, has no faith in reduction of acreage. His theory is to apportion the amount of wheat each country shall export. Whether Russia will agree, and if so, ,on wheat terms, is the all-im-portant question. - Before the war, Russia was exporting from one-fourth to onethird of all the wheat in international trade. During the war, and for several years thereafter, she exported none, while Canada, Argentina and the United States greatly increased their production. If export wheat is to be prorated, on what basis would Russia’s quota be fixed? 0 0 0 Stabilization Must Come Alfred smith of the union Trusv. Company, Cleveland, hits the nail cn the head when he says that continued price deflation will affect wages. The idea that we can go right on buying things cheaper and still get the same old pay check is ridiculous. Undoubtedly, certain lines, of business .have been making an unreasonably large profit and carrying an unnecessarily large overhead, but the margin is thinner than most people realize. Asa general proposition, commodity prices must be stabilized or there will be a general shrinkage all along the line. Bankers, business men, and even the government itself can not do much toward price stabilization without .the public’s help. Most of our great industries have made honest efforts to maintain the wage scale, not so much from humanitarian motives as from good sense. The buying power or the public depends on what it gets for its work. Vice versa, what it gets for its work depends on the general price , level. • Up to the Public- • WHEN you get right down to brass tacks, the public determines about every situation, Attorney-General Mitchell says that the federal government can't handle the racket unless the states he’sp. He might have gone a good -deal further. States can’t handle it unless cities help, nor can the federal government, states, and cities combined handle it unless the public helps. Chicago’s financial mess shows what the public can accomplish merely by refusing to play its part. Only about a third of the taxes for 1929 have been collected, while those for 1930 have not been “spread.” The city treasury not only It empty, but must take care of about $300,000,000 in anticipation warrants. Theoretically, delinquent taxpayers are exposed to a penalty of 1 per cent each month and to forced sale of their property after acer- , tain length of time. From a practical standpoint, however, the proposition of selling two thirds of Chicago at auction is unthinkable. 0 0 0 Tough on Dry Agents SPEAKING of the racket and public attitude, dry agents just have been warned not to drink.more “seized liquor” than is required for evidence. “Recently, 2S a result of discoveries made by the special inspection division,” says the bulletin which contains this warning, “it was found that certain agents not only had appropriated seized beer for their own use, but also had permitted others to do likewise. As a consequence, three agents have been separated from the service,” Even bootleggers should see the righteousness of such a policy.

BqApHpfTHeT

CALL TO ARMS May 18 ON May 18, 1917, President Wilson issued a proclamation of the conscription law creating a national army of the United States. The document explained in detail the machinery of conscription and the procedure by which it would be carried out. He said in the proclamation: “The whole nation must be a team, in which each man shall play the part for which he is best fitted. To this end, congress has provided that the nation shall be organized for war by selection; that each man shall be classified for service in the place to which it best shall serve the general good to call him. . . .... ‘ The significance of this can not be overstated. It is anew thing in our history and a landmark in our progress. “It is anew manner of accepting and vitalizing our duty to give ourselves with thoughtful devotion to the common purpose of us all. "It is in no sense a conscription of the unwilling: It is, rather, a selection from a nation which has volunteered in. mass.”

Vytf Vm* "'H'K f j i '" —&&*>*&*

Modern Life Conducive to Overweight

BY DR. MORRIS FISHEEIN Editor. Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hygeia, the Health Magazine. OVERWEIGHT is within certain limitation believed to be relatively desirable during the period of childhood and growth, and conceived to be a liability after middle age. In a consideration of food intake and overweight, Dr. Alonzo E. Taylor is inclined to believe that the economic changes that have taken place in our modern civilization conduce to a national overweight. The body weight ‘at any time represents a balance between the amount of food taken in and the amount used up either for the

IT SEEMS TO ME

BISHOP MANNING is celebrating a triple anniversary. He is 65 years old, forty years in the ministry, and ten years he - has 7 been bishop of New York. Several editorial commentators have extended felicitations to the Episcopal prelate. A favorite device is to say that whether or not you agree with Bishop Manning’s views on life, you must applaud his militancy and his sincerity. With that I do not agree at all. The fact that a man is stalwart for causes in which you do not believe hardly should serve to endear him. Too great a stress is put upon this word “sincerity.” It is used as an excuse for bad writing, bad painting, and bad sociology. Asa matter of fact, most people of the world are sincere. I don’t remember having met more than a handful of thoroughly insincere ones in’ my life. And even some of them might qualify, since they were sincere in their insincerity. • ~ 000 ‘An Inward Grace f IT seems to me that . Dr. Manning has done about as much as any local cleric to stifle religious feeling. Granted the honesty of his motives, his interests have been in material things. In a world beset by depression and unemployment he still speeds the building of a huge cathedral. He has immolated himself in the brick

Times Readers Voice Their Views

Editor Times—Swat the fly now and do less swatting later on. The ■way to stem a fire is to do it before it makes much headway. The same applies to the pesky fly proposition. These last warm days we have had have brought out the large flies, which are to be the progenitors of the miiliors of these pests that will annoy and kill us during the coming summer months. Kill them now, with all the vehemence at your command. • It is not sufficient to bar the pesky fly “buggers’* from the house and office—the main thing is to kill them. Grab yourself a hand full of fly swatters and get busy. I firmly believe that if every man, woman and child were as devoted to ridding the nation of these filthy creatures as I am that it would not be but a matter cf another year until we would be in a “flyless paradise.” GLEN GABHART. Editor Times —Prosecutor Wilson dismissed charges against some boys, including the Governor's son, for shooting and killing a man. The prosecutor termed it “inexcusable homicide.” To me it was one of those brutal unnecessary killings. If you search the files of juvenile court, you will find a case of a south side boy who was playing with a small rifle and accidentally killed, not a man, but a mule, that was in a nearby barn. The parents of this boy were charged with child neglect and severely reprimanded. That boy was sent to the Indiana boys’ school. This boy was net a Governor’s son. Oh, no, he was very poor, unable to hire an attorney. The judge had no trouble in finding a law to send him to the reform school. Wilson said he was unable to find this law. Maybe it applies to mules, net men. TIMES READER

Quick, Watson, the Needle!

■DAILY HEALTH SERVICE

production of heat or energy in the form of exercise. Due to the coming of the machines, including the motor car and the machines in -industry, people do less work than they ever did. In the home there are dish washers, vacuum cleaners, electric irons, oil heaters, electric light, running water, food mixers and cutters, and innumerable other devices for saving the energy of the housewife. Hence people require less caloric energy than they ever required in relationship to the amount of work they do. Furthermore, few people now are engaged in occupations which expose them to cold, so that the food required to keep the average person warm gradually is being reduced.

and mortar of religion and left outside its essence,Upon a score of points,-some of them minor, Bishop Maturing has stood like a rock.. And this rock has been unlike those famed in the Old Testament, for no amount of battering upon its surface has produced the semblance of life-giving water. He is to my mind a bylaw bishop. Rules, regulations, the executive powers of his position largely have concerned him. Even within his own denomination, the good bishop has earned on a score of fights. He has had small respect for the autonomy of any congregation or the rights of individual clergymen. Free discussion has hardly prospered in the term of his authority. It is true, of course, that Bishop Manning holds office in a church built upon definite articles of faith. It is hardly fair to criticise such a priest for holding to the letter of theological dogma. But in all too many cases the quarrel has arisen over points which scarcely could be called religious in their nature. For instance, there is nothing in the canons of the church to prevent Episcopal clergymen from listening to a talk by Judge Ben Lindsey, no matter how much they may disagree with him. There is a power and driving force within the man, and probably he will get his cathedral finished in

l Editor Times—Recently your paj per conducted a contest on “Should ! Wives Work?” It is not my desire to enter this controversy, but permit me a little space for the follow- , ing: I am an unemployed ex-service man. The cause is due directly to my service during the war. My work ; depends on seniority. Had I re- ! mained at home those two and a half years, I would have had that much more seniority and conse- , quently would be working now. A few months ago the gas company and also the Big Four Railway Company discharged married | women whose husbands were emi ployed and who were making sufficient salary to maintain homes j comfortably. This was done to give I work to unemployed married men. These companies did a wise thing and deserve thanks for their action. However, of what use is such action when these selfsame women are employed by other companies? In the case I wish to mention, 1 the Big Four discharged one woman whose husband also was employed by the same company. She 1 was not out of work long, as she was given employment in the tax department at the courthouse. I ask is this fair to any ex-service ! man, or in fact, to any unem- | ployed married man? We pay taxes. No wonder you find men lined up j in front of factories, willing to work for 25 and 30 cents an hour. No wonder men steal. No wonder such married wom- : en can afford fur coats and other i luxuries, while many unemployed married men are wondering where the next meal is coming from. I feel that the merchants, business leaders and citizenry should demand at once that all city, county and state offices be depleted of married women whose husbands are earning sufficient to keep them.

Finally, food is more appetizing and easier to eat than ever before. It is abundantly available to the majority of people. There are but few restraining factors on overweight. Physicians concerned with tlie matter know that propaganda issued by life insurance companies and style play a large part. Dr. Taylor makes the wdse conclusion, to which praticaliy all observers will agree, that style has a greater influence than any advice based on sound argument or sound scientific evidence. Exercise accomplishes little. There is only one exercise that accomplishes much—the alibity to shake the head from right to left when a second helping is offered.

HEYWOOD B 1 BROUN

time. And there it will stand upon a high place.. But without anew sanctification, it will not stand as a monument to God,‘but merely an edifice brought about through the activities of a clerical go-getter. 0 0 0 Breakfasts I HAVE been interested in the letter department of the Catholic newspaper, the Tablet, for a number of readers have written in to protest against the character of the speaking at communion breakfasts within the last few weeks. The public, both within and outside the Catholic church, hardly could fail to note the fact that in rapid succession Mr. McCue, Mayor Walker, Judge Corrigan and others have spoken. It has been an unbroken line of men defending the present administration against attack. When politics are argued along denominational lines, the whole body of political thought becomes confused and muddled. It seems to me that Catholic organizations would do well to grant a hearing at communion breakfasts to some speakers who might be able to present some of the broader aspects of the case against the existing political order. And if that is not done I think it would be far wiser to keep politics away from communion breakfasts entirely. (Copyright. 1931. by The Times)

That alone would put many men to work and put a stop to two pay envelopes going into seme houses, while other homes have nothing coming in. It wculd be a good idea for the unemployed married men to organize to force this issue to a conclusion. After the married women were put out of the political offices, it would then be easy to have business men and manufacturers do the same. The Big Four and the gas company have shown the way. UNEMPLOYED EX-SERVICE MAN.

Those Pests With the warm days of spring ar.d the hot days of summer, the ✓ household pest war is on. Our Washington bureau has ready for you a packet of five bulletins, giving authoritative information on combating pests that will enable any housewife to “take steps” to free the house of their annoyance and dangers The titles of the bulletins are: . 1. Exterminating Ants. 3. Cockroaches. 2. Getting Rid of Bedbugs. Moths and Their Control 5. Exterminating Rats. A packet containing these fire bulletins will be sent to any reader. Fill out the coupon below and mail as directed. CLIP COUPON HERE - ■ Dept. 129, Washington Bureau, The Indianapolis Times, 1322 New York Avenue, Washington, D. C.: I warft the packet of five bulletins on Household Pests, and inclose herewith 15 cents in coin, or loose, uncanceled United States postage stamps, to cover return postage ar.d handling costs Name St and No City State I am a reader of The Indianapolis Times. (Code No.)

Idea’s and opinions expressed in 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.

.MAY 18,1931

SCIENCE

BY DAVID DIETZ

Great Names of Electricity Are Perpetuated in Names Given Electrical Measurements. THE great names of the history of electricity are more familiar to the public than It realizes. Forthe common terms associated with electricity celebrate the names of the electrical pioneers Anyone who pays an electric light bill is familiar with the terms “watt” and “kilowatt. ” And of course every one knows the terms “volt” and "ampere.” Radio fans also are familiar with ‘farad.’* “microfarad,” “ohm” and “henry." The volt, a unit of electric pressure, was named after Count Ailessandro Volta. Italian phvsicist. who lived frem 1745 to 1827. Volta made the first electric battery and for that reason in the early days such batteries were known as “Voltaic batteries.” The ampere, unit of current strength, is named after the French electrician, Ar.dre Marie Ampere, who lived from 1775 to 1836. The watt, unit of electric power. Is named after James Watt, the Scottish inventor, who lived from.'1736 to 1819. A kilowatt is, of course, a thousand watts. A watt, by the way, is the power developed by a current of one ampere under a pressure of one volt. The ohm, unit of resistance, is named after George Simon Ohm, the German electrician, who lived from 1737 to 1854. 9 0 0 About Ohm's Law OHM developed a formula,, knownas Ohm’s law, which points out the relationship between the electrical pressure, current and resistance in any electrical circuit, Th law is the starting point of all elec* trical calculations. It states that the pressure in volts is equal to the current In amperes multiplied by the resistance in ohms. The farad, Unit of electrical capacity, is named after Michael Faraday, the great English chemist and physicist, who lived from 1791 to 1867. The henry, unit of electrical inductance, gets its name from a great American scientist, Joseph. Henry, who lived from 1797 to 1878, and for many years was secretary of the Smithsonian institution of Washington. The story of modem electricity really starts at about the year 1600. Prior to that date mankind knew little, if anything, more about the subject than had been known asearly as 600 B. C. Men knew that amber, Wnen. rubbed, exhibited the power to at-” tract light objects to iself. They were also familiar with the lode-r stone or natural magnet, and with, the' compass needle. 1 Dr. William Gilbert of London,' 1 who lived from 1540 to 1603 and became the physician of Queen Elizabeth, made many importantcontributions to electrical science. He showed that the property of amber was not unique, but was oossessed also by glass, sulphur, resin and a number of other subjects. In 1600 Gilbert published a monumental work titled “De Magnete.” 0 0 0 Earth Is Magnet y\R. GILBERT, despite the demands of court life, seems to have found time for many experiments. He differentiated between electrical and magnetic attraction and was the first to explain the functioning of the Compass needle on the theory that the earth itself was a huge magnet. The next name worthy of mention is one little known today, that of Otto Von Guericke, a burgomaster of Magdeburg in Prussian Saxony. Von Guericke constructed the first frictional electric machine. It : consisted of a globe of sulphur' mounted upon an axis so as to revolve. When a cloth was pressed against the revolving globe, the resulting friction generated static electricity and sparks could be drawn from theglobe. On a dry day, you can repeat an experiment somewhat like Von Guericke’s without any machineryat all. Just walk along a soft carpet cr rug, dragging your feet. • i The friction will generate enoughstatic electricity to enable you toproduce a good-sized spark if you extend your finger , toward a metal door knob or other metal objeit. Incidentally, you will find that the spark is associated with a slight electrical shock. Other experimenters following Von Guericke, carried out experiments similar to his. The next great step came In 1745with the Invention of the' Leyden' jar. History is not quite clear as to; who its inventor was. The Leyden jar, in its perfected form, was a glass jar coated inside and out with metal foil. It was the; forerunner of all the condensers used in radio sets and in other electrical devices. The importance of the Leyden Jar’was that it would store un riectriciiywhich subsequently could be withdrawn in the form of a spark from the coating of foil.