Indianapolis Times, Volume 43, Number 292, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 April 1932 — Page 4

PAGE 4

SCIENCE DOUBTS VALUE OF NEW DEADLYWEAPON Past Failures on Part of Inventors Add to Their Skepticism. Sv Seienee, Servire WASHINGTON. April 15. Claim of an invention of a deadly weapon of destruction giving the nation possessing it command of world military affairs, which congress now is considering, is viewed with skepticism in scientific circles. Extreme secrecy and broad claims ao not inspire the confidence of authorities in the world of science. If the resolution introduced’ to five exceptional consideration to this claimed invention of Lester P. Barlow of Stamford, Conn., should be passed, congress would not be following the path of recognized scien- . tifle endeavor or that of the patent system for protection of inventors and of the public. Scientists here recall that several years ago congress appointed a committee to investigate an invention said to extract free available power from the atmosphere. But the inventory Garabed T. Giragossian, failed to submit his apparatus to the committee. Gets Another Hearing Singularly, another resolution concerning an invention of Mr. Giragossian has been introduced into the house during the present session of congress. Another proposal for getting quantities of power cheaply, which failed to meet tests, is that of Lester J. Hendershot. It was reported widely in newspapers in the early part of 1928. Inventor Hendershot intended to get power from the electricity of the atmosphere. An apparatus which received widespread publicity about thirty years ago was the Keeley motor. It developed that the machine was a fake, power to run the motor being supplied as compressed air through a hollow tube concealed in the leg of a table on which the machine rested. Recognized scientists always welcome the consideration of new proposals, but they insist that full details be given and that claims be made for only that which has been accomplished in actual experiment. Asa rule, inventions announced with the secrecy and broad claims accorded the Barlow instrument of war, seldom become important. Former Flan Rejected Barlow’s claims for the new invention link it with an invention of a filing torpedo that he submitted to the navy department in 1917, It Is said that the device now being considered will destroy cities and forces of men a thousand or more miles from its operators. The 1917 suggestion was examined by the navy and declined. Barlow also is said to have submitted ideas for a submarine escape device. In reply to an inquiry, the army could rr l record of contact with the inventor. The name of Lester P. Barlow is not in the latest membership lists of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers or the Society of American Military Engineers. Neither is he recorded by the most recent Who's Who in America or by American Men of Science. RECORD ‘HIGHEST FIGHT’ Scot, Irish Windowashers Battle on Empire State's 87th Floor, By United Pres* NEW YORK, April 15.—Charles Campbell, Scot. and Patrick Dougherty, an Irishman, battled eighty-seven floors above Fifth avenue in the Empire State tower over which was the better window cleaner—the highest flght on record here. Campbell went to the hospital in an ambulance; Dougherty went to the station in the black maria, and was held in SIOO bail.

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DRIVE TO ABOLISH CHILD LABOR

Three Campaigns Are Under Way to Put End to Evil

What U thla rirheat of nation* tains to do about thr problem of child labor? The fotlowint article, the latt of a aerie* of three written for The Time*, tell* aboat the plan* of rartop* r*rer*aienl and private arenrlea for the eorreetlpp of prenent condition*. BY PAUL HARRISON, Nrt Service Writer THREE campaigns now are under way for abolition of child labor. One seeks ratification of the twentieth amendment, which would give congress the right to regulate the employment of persons less than 18 years old. Another Is driving toward more legislative restrictions in the various states. The third, mainly a measure of emergency unemployment relief, is trying to return to the schools as many as possible of the millions of children who either are completely idle or are working for wages. With the name of President Hoover heading the list, the individuals and organisations backing the fight comprise by far the most powerful group ever concerned with the young toilers of America. “What could be a better time to strike,” they ask, “than when there are millions of adult workers in distress for lack of jobs?” Also, for the first time, the movement finds itself without organized opposition and with a clearly defined program which can encounter none of the constitutional stumbling blocks which twice before have defeated it. O O tt AFTER more than a decade of agitation by various agencies —the National Child Labor committee was incorporated by act of congress in 1907—the first federal legislation was passed in 1916 and went into effect in 1917. It w’as intended to operate under the power of the government to control interstate commerce, and the bill prohibited the shipment of products in the manufacture of which children under 14 were employed. The law’ w’as in operation nine . months, but was declared unconstitutional by a 5-4 decision of the United States supreme court because of its indirect application. But congress seemed convinced that federal control of the problem w’as a public necessity. So a different plan soon was devised. The revenue act of 1919 imposed a tax upon the profits of all mines and manufacturing establishments employing children in violation of certain standards. This measure was in effect three years, but in 1922 it also w’as declared unconstitutional. Each President of the United States since the time of Roosevelt, W’ho established the children’s bureau of the department of labor, has favored child labor reform. Wilson. Harding and Coolidge all pointedly suggested that if the working children of this country are beyond federal protection now’, constitutional limitations should be extended to include them. nun SO in 1924 congress acted on a joint resolution giving congress the pow’er to limit, regulate and prohibit the labor of persons under 18 years of age. It passed the house by a vote of 297 to 69, and the senate by 67 to 23. This is the twentieth amendment, which to become operative, must be ratified by thirty-six states. Opposition to the amendment has been offered along several lines in the past. Some critics, al-

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There is not a single state in the Union that does not need to strengthen its law’s, its practices, or both, w’ith respect to child labor and education,” said Courtenay Dinwiddie, lower center, general secretary of the National Child Labor Committee. A young machine w’orker is pictured at upper left, and at right is a little toiler in home industry.

though professing sympathy with the measure’s intention, believe it unenforceable. Others say that it is an infringement on state’s rights; that labor conditions vary in different states and are not properly subject to a single standard of control. To date only six states have ratified the amendment—Arizona. Arkansas, California. Montana, Wisconsin and Colorado. In three states it has been ratified by one house only; in three states it never has been considered; in the remainder it has been rejected by adverse vote, postponement, or is being held in committee. Os the nine states w’hich w’ill hold legislative sessions this year, Massachusetts, New’ York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Virginia have programs for improvement of local conditions. Wisconsin’s special session in 1932 is expected to act on a bill restricting the hiring of minors as a. measure of temporary economic relief. nun IN addition to such government agencies as the children’s bureau and the White House conference on Child Health and Protection, several private organizations are prominently identified with the child labor movement. The national Child Labor committee, National League of Women Voters, Consumers’ League, National Federation of Women's Clubs, Congress of Parents and Teachers and the welfare division of the American Legion all are working for reform. The American Federation of Labor. vitally concerned w’ith the cheap competition of more than a million young workers, especially

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

is interested in securing ratification of the amendment. The President's Organization for Unemployment Relief is promoting a nation-wide back-to-school movement. When the complete 1930_ census figures are available, opponents of child labor will have fresh statistical ammunition w’ith w’hich to bombard backward states. There will be a call for a general upward revision of compulsory school age law’s. Miss Grace Abbott, chief of the children's bureau, has estimated that if these laws were brought up to a 15-year level all over the country, a quarter of a million children would be released from industry. Sociologists are prepared to say that child labor is a social irritant; that it creates bad feeling between employers and w’orking classes; that its abolition w’ould create a favorable effect on the unemployment situation far beyond the actual number involved. nun ECONOMISTS will tell how child labor acts as a depressant on adult wage scales, since immature minors and their elders are in direct competition in many industries, and especially w’hen business is slack. They will predict the tonic effect of increased spending pow’er of adults when children are forced out of industry. Although organized industry heretofore has been blamed for opposing legal regulation of child labor, in a. number of recent instances, employers themselves have taken the lead in reform. Indicative also of the changing attitude toward child labor of other progressive concerns is this

statement from the official organ of the National Association of Manufacturers: “Employers generally recognize that child labor is not profitable. They do not w’ant it. “Immature children are not capable of handling to advantage expensive and complicated machinery.” So directors of the present campaign expect to be hampered more by sheer inertia than by organized opposition. But economic arguments are expected to overcome public indifference. Father Gavisk Recovering Msgr. Francis H. Gavisk, chancellor of the Indianapolis diocese of the Roman Catholic church, is reported recovering from a severe bronchial cold at St, Vincent’s hospital.

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U. S. SCIENTIFIC WORK MENACED OY SENATE AX Bureaus Protest Another 10 Per Cent Appropriation Cut Will Be Serious. 8# Science Service WASHINGTON. April 15.—1f the senate insists upon the enforcement of its mandate to its appropriations committee, to reduce by 10 per cent the state, justice, commerce and labor appropriation bills as sent to the senate by the house, there will be serious curtailment of the scientific work of the government In many branches. This is apparent from a study of the memoranda sent to the secretaries of the department by the various bureau chiefs. For example in the radio division of the commerce department, W. D. Terrell, director, states that to accomplish an additional reduction of $59,000, it will be necessary to abolish twenty-three field positions, and close the field offices at Dallas, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; St. Paul, Minn., and Denver, Colo. Also the items of instruments, rent, supplies and travel wall have to be cut an extra $12,800. Aviation to Suffer Similarly writes Colonel Clarence M. Young, assistant secretary of commerce for aeronautics: “Should our appropriation for aircraft in commerce as passed by the house ($1,301,160) be further reduced by $130,000, it will necessitate decreasing personnel to an extent that seriously will jeopardize the safety of civil and commercial aircraft operations.” Forty employes will have to go, if this reduction is required, Colonel Young states. Reductions already made will make necessary the elimination of many airways caretakers and curtailment of maintenance operators, under the item of “air navigation facilities,” Colonel Young explains. The item as it now stands is $7,553,500. There will have to be suspension of 3,000 miles of airway lighting, j 1,300 miles of teletype weather re- ' porting circuits, eight radio com- j munication stations ana fourteen I radio range beacons. Around 286 ! employes, mainly radio operators and ■ airways keepers, would have to go. Census Bureau Slashed The bureau of the census says that its original estimate of a required $445,000 for collection and tabulation of statistics already has been reduced to $280,000 as a result of three cuts—one by the bureau of the budget, one by order of the secretary of commerce, and another by the house committee on appropria-

tions. Direcctor W. M. Steuart says he already has done away with all his temporary clerks, and is collecting all possible statistics by mail. In the bureau of standards, another 10 per cent reduction wrill mean the dropping of about 100 employes and much testing and other work done for government departments will have to be stopped. In the bureau of lighthouses, an adidtional 10 per cent cut would mean seventy lighthouse keepers throwm out of w’ork, 100 men on lightship*, and forty office, depot an .1 field employes. Many light stations would be closed. In the United States coast and geodetic survey. Captain R. S. Patton. director, says that any further curtailment in appropriations can be accomplished only “by discontinuing operations essential to the safety of lives and property at sea. If it is necessary to place lives in jeopardy in order to save money, it can be done by denying appro-

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-APRIL 15, 1932

prlations and thereby compelling us to lay up ships engaged in survey work.” The bureau of fisheries report says they already have been cut 20 per cent below 1932 appropriations and an additional $800,760 cut will mean closing fish cultural stations, and the abandonment of co-operative projects to maintain the supply of fish in the national forests and parks in conjunction with individual states. The patent office Is already seven months behind in its work, and can suffer no more curtailments in appropriations, without “disastrous results, which will be felt throughout the country.” Commissioner Thomas E. Robertson says. The bureau of mines says they already have suffered more curtailments than other bureaus, as the Douglas amendments, added on the floor, put their appropriations down $194,615 below the amount recommended by the house committee.

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