Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 April 1937 — Page 11

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FROM INDIANA

ERNIE PYLE

EW YORK, April 12.—I've known a lot of ocean fliers, but the only one I ever knew before he flew the ocean was Dick Merrill. We have been friends since his night air-mail days of the late twenties. ‘Three times in the past year Dick Merrill has been big in the public spotlight: L Fe ‘flew the Ellsworth rescue plane from Kansas City to the Strait of Magellan in five days, one : of the greatest flights evér made. 2. He flew Crooner Harry Richman to London and back last fall. 3. He rammed his fully loaded air liner into a Pennsylvania mountainside one black night last winter and didn’t kill a passenger. Dick has 10 new teeth since I saw him last. They replaced the ones knocked out in that Pennsylvania' crash. | You can’t - tell thém from real ones, and he says he’s used to them now. He had the surprise of his life in that Pennsylvania crash. He thought he was 2500 feet over Newark Airport when the trees started flying at him like shrapnel. ~ When the plane finally stopped, Dick started limping arcund it. It was an awful wreck. There they were on a mountainside, the wind was blowing 40 miles an hour, snow and sleet were coming down, and there ‘was Dick, half his teeth gone, head split open, face swollen like a monkey's, ankle broken, liinping around and saying out loud: “This can’t happen to me. This has never happened; this just can’t happen to me. I'll wake up in a minute.” But it had happened all right. = -4 t-4

Richman Gave Him Ring N addition to his new teeth Dick has a new overccat. Harry Richman bought it for him in London. It’s made from the hair of the Vicuna, a rare South American animal, and it’s the softest stuff you ever felt. It would cost $500 in this country. And he has a star ruby ring that Richman gave him, too. Dick and Richman are friendly, despite their quarrel when Richman spoiled their hemeward flight by dumping gas in midocean, forcing them to land in Newfoundland. Dick says that famous North Atlantic weather has been overrated. He says there isn’t a pilot on Eastern airlines whe couldn’t fly the ocean as easily as he flies to Miami. Dick has the ocean-flying fever. He'll probably hop the pond a couple of times this summer. He has offers to fly pictures back from the Coronation, and he’s trying to get-a fast ship for the New York-Paris race this fall. : : . Dick is now the most famous pilot on Eastern Airlines. People are always calling the jairport and wanting to travel on his run between New York and Miami.

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He's Broadway Celebrity . HE: is a reg ar Broadwayite now, known in every night club and famous eating house in New York. He likes the night life. I don’t know why, for he has never taken a drink or smoked a cigaret. Dick always used to kid himself about not being able to get a wife. So when we saw him almost the first thing he said was: “Well, I'm still trying, but I can’t seem to get anybody.” But his present girl is Bernice Claire, the stage and radio singer. She’s mighty nice, ahd I think they kinda like each other.

Mrs.Rooseveli's Day By ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

ASHINGTON, Saturday—The Girl Scout dinner in New York Friday night was a delightful occasion. I enjoyed very miich having a chance to talk with Mrs. Frederick H. Brooke, who presided. Sir Gerald Campbell, the English Consul General in New York, made a most witty speech. You laughed so much you were apt to forget, until afterward when you thought it over, how much of real importance had been said. Like all Englishmen with university training, he has read much. There is no question that if you are going to do much speaking a classical

Mr. Pyle

in illustrating aptly whatever you wish to say. Mrs. Harper Sibley and| I did our best which could not, however, touch the gentleman on this occa= sion, though I imagine our actual experience with Girl Scouts is wider and more personal than his. I dashed back to my apartment, changed my clothes and reached the midnight train a little after midnight. As it does not actually pull out until 12:40, I was undressed before we left the station and ready to be rocked to [sleep by the motion of the train. Back in the White House by 7:30 this morning. I have decided to" write this column of Saturday instead of Sunday for, after an extremely busy morning, I am about to start on a motor trip. I have no idea where I shall be tonight and am not very sure where I shall be tomororw. It would be rather sad to find myself out of reach of any kind of telegraph office, so, for the sake of safety, I am leaving this behind. On Monday I will make it a point to be somewhere in touch with a wire 50 I can fell you:rwhere I have alighted. While in New York on Jriday, I dashed into a toy shop and picked out several things I thought a little girl might find amusing while she was obliged to stay in bed. I went in to see Sara this morning with the package under my arm, the first time I have paid her a visit since she was taken ill with appendicitis. : She informed me she felt quite well and could turn on the side where she had had the operation. What a grand thing it is to be young and not anticipate all the ills and discomforts that ordinarily go with appendicitis. A child only suffers the actual pain after an_ operation; it|is spared the mental torment which precedes it.

PUBLIC LIBRARY PRESENTS— HROUGH a magic simplicity of style Elizabeth Goudge leads the receptive reader into a modern fairy story, A CITY OF BELLS (Coward-McCann). The locale is an enchanting cathedral town in England, although the scene shifts dreamily once in a while to a smoky sprawl in thg far distance, which is London. Looking down on the lovely walled gardens of the close are the grey towers of the cathedral, where an orderly “Cranford” kind of life flows on, varied only occasionally by a voice or figure from the “lower orders.” There are grandfather, a canon, naive and roly-poly and very old in years anc wisdom, and two adorable children, Henrietta, pink-smocked, more than-half elf, and an attractive, inquisitive

boy. : J : Down near the market place, next to the Green

little green door, where our hero keeps a bookshop. He loves the heroine, who is an actress in London. Most important in the story is a mysterious poet who disappears early in the narrative. All of these characters and others and the town itself combine to ‘produce an atmosphere so quaint and lovely: and real that one longs 0 seek it out and lose oneself in its quiet.

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TALE of the cotton industry in thes bustling, en-’ terprising city of Manchester, England, from the last of the Victorian era to the present, is told in the new novel, SAND CASTLE, by Janet Beith (Stokes). David and Alan Stewart came down from the peace and quiet of their native Scotch highlands to the noise and confusion of the big city, to make their living in the cotton mills. The story tells how David was overcome by the city and: found release with honor by fighting and dying in the Boer War;. and how Alan carried on, through the days of prosperity and the four tragic years of the World War, to the postwar depression days, when the ideals and the ways of the world had changed so much that he was bewildered; and the famous cofton trade of

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The Indianapolis Tim

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Second Section

1

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1937

Entered as Second-Class Matter Indianapolis,

at Postoffice,

STORMS OVER THE INDIANA COURT

(Last of a Series)

IN the drafty Indiana Supreme Court chambers five Justices in the last six years have ruled on a changing

social order.

They have found the 10 per cent garnishee law and antipicketing city ordinances unconstitutional. They have upheld sweeping changes—the gross income and intangibles taxes and the Milk Control Law. In the words of Chief Justice George L. Tremain, the Indiana Supreme Court has “witnessed a decided change mn public opinion, legislative acts and judicial construc-

tion.”

Three of the justices, Michael L. Fansler, Curtis Roll and Mr. Tremain, were trial lawyers before they came to the high bench. Justice James P. Hughes was a Circuit

Court judge for more than a score of years. Justice Walter E. Treanor was a

law professor.

Justice Fansler is known to lawyers as a strict constructionist, while Justice Treanor believes in interpreting the law according to the social philosophy of the times: Justices Treanor and Tremain are regarded as the most liberal members of the bench. Justice Treanor, like the late Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the United States Supreme Court, is most

widely known for his vigorous dis-

sents. i The position of the Indiana Supreme Court in| the “three-horse team” of judicial, legislative and administrative branches of government was defined by Justice Tremain in a recent opinion.

” 3” ” “YT is.the duty of the Legislature,” Justice .Tremain ruled, “to declare what the law shall be. It is the duty of the Court to declare what the law is or has been.

In other words, to declare what the law is or has been is a judi‘cial power; to declare what the law shall be is a legislative power. These are the fundamental principles- of government.” In another opinion, Justice Treanor severely criticized the Superior Court of Lake County for interference with police powers. He said: “It is for them (law enforcement officials) to decide whether . plaintiffs are violating any criminal law of the State. This discretionary power is too vital to the interest of public order to be subjected to restraint by the courts. | “This power is possessed and exercised as a part of the independent co-ordinte power of the executive branch of the State Government and for that reason is not subject to interference by the judicial branch of the Government.” . ” 2 2 ERHAPS for the first time in the history of the Court, the high tribunal has cleared the docket of old cases. Now, there are only 33 cases ready for determination pending on the docket.

There are no transfers undetermined. ; The justices, with an estimated average age of 56, are hard workers, coming to work as early as 7 and 8 o’cleck in the morning. They work two. weeks in their chambers looking up the law and writing opinions. The third week they are in conference. Although the justices are elected by the voters, the present justices have not actively participated in political campaigns while on the bench. The Court’s ruling on the garnishee law, relieving debtors from mandatory payment, is regarded as one of the most important in the last six years. Justice Tremain ruled: “The Constitution extends protection to the debtor at least equal to the protection it extends to the creditor. The creditor extends credit to the debtor veluntarily and in anticipation of profit to himself. He could withhold credit. It happens that in many cases that debt is extended upon the moral risk and in the belief that the profit to be realized justified the credit.” 2 2 ” ‘WO of Justice Treanor’s most widely-known dissents deal with the Teachers’ Tenure Law. He opposed the majority ruling upholding the dismissal of a Lake County teacher because she married, stating, “In my opinion the legal power of a school board is limited to taking action which directly concerns the educational function of that part of the State system of public schools which is under its jurisdiction. “Since the Teachers’ Tenure Act expressly takes away the power of local boards to cancel indefinite contracts of permanent teachers except for certain specifically enumerated causes. v. . I believe that it is not within the power of such board to cancel a contract except for one or more of the causes specifically enumerated, or for some other cause which affects the ability of the teacher to make his proper contribution to the educational function of the school system.” Under the majority ruling, Justice Treanor said, “It will become Increasingly difficult, if not impos-

sible, for a teacher to retain a tenure position by relying solely . upon professional qualifications ~-gnd personal competency.” 2 " ” ISSENTING from the majority opinion ‘removing township teachers from tenure, Justice Treanor wrote: “It would be unreasonable for this Court to assume that public-health, morals, safety or even the indefinite general welfare is promoted by eliminating township school corporations and their taechers from the tenure policy in view of the retention of that policy by the General Assembly for city school corporations and town school corporations.” . Justice Treanor entered a vigorous dissent against the majority ruling that the city of Huntington had lost the right to operate a municipal utility due to nonuse of the permit granted in 1914. The dissents of the past often become the majority opinions of today, and in January, 1935, the Indiana Supreme Court overruled precedent in the important In Re Todd Case. Previous Supreme Courts, as far back as 1873, had ruled that a majority of votes cast at an election was necessary for the passage of an amendment to the State Constitution. : The Court in 1935 ruled that

an amendment could be passed

ROOSEVELT MAY CALL

TO STUDY TAX CO-ORDINATION

PARLEY

By E. R. R.

CONFERENCE of Federal, state and local officials to revise and co-ordinate the tax system of . the three levels of government may be called by President Roosevelt after adjournment of the present session of Congress. Such a conference was tentatively scheduled by the President for 1936 but failed to materialize. . Roosevelt has repeatedly expressed concern over the growth of conflicts between Federal and state tax systems. In a speech to the United States Conference of Mayors, in November, 1935, he said: “Taxes have grown up like Topsy in this country . Virtually since the beginning of the World War the general tax situation in the United States has become not only more complicated but has called for revision. We haven’t had a revision and I think the time is coming . . when all of us can get together and sit around a table and work out a better system of taxation, sthte, municipal and Federal. Late this winter we are going to ask yon to come down and talk about that subject around a table.” Since the President's speech in 1935, Federal-state tax conflicts have been increased through the addition of new and higher taxes by ‘state legislatures—hard-driven to find money for relief, social security and other costs. In the last three months, Alabama has imposed liquor and sales taxes, North Carolina has levied a gift tax, Wyoming has enacted a ‘“use” tax to implement its sales tax, Georgia has revised its income and tobacco tax systems, and a number of other states have extended expiring sales taxes. A resolution requesting the President to call a tax revision conference was offered in Congress, Jan. 14, by Senator King (D. Utah). On the floor of the House, March 19, Rep. Everett M. Dirksen (R. Ill.) urged “definite action” to eliminate tax conflicts and to end the “race between the Federal and state sovereignties for new taxes” to finance expanding governmental functions. # » & NTIL the present century, the revenue sources of Federal and state . governments were largely separated, and tax conflicts were practically unknown. The Federal Government depended largely on customs duties and a few excises, while property taxes supplied most of the revenues needed by the states. Breakdown of the traditional separation of Federal and state tax sources coincided with the expansion of governmental regulation over economic enterprise shortly before the turn of

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the century. In 1909, a Federal tax on corporation income was imposed, and two years later Wisconsin levied a similar tax.

The prewar years witnessed a trend toward diversification of the tax sources of both Federal and state governments, and during the war this trend was intensified. The result was a rapid growth in tax conflicts, as both jurisdictions imposed levies on the same sources— incomes, estates and inheritances, liquor, tobacco, and other subjects. After the war, both the Federal Government and the states continued to levy upon a much wider range of subjects than before. During the depression, as in wartime, the trend toward tax diversification was intensified. A study made public by the Treasury Department last November showed that, since 1930, about two-thirds of all state tax revenues have been derived from sources taxed also by the Federal Government. These same

- sources—individual and corporation

incomes, estates and inheritances, wholesale and retail sales, gasoline, motor vehicles, liquor and tobacco— provide nearly three-fourths of Federal tax revenues.

Tax conflicts are of less consequence to the Federal Government than to the states and localities, because of Washington's superior tactical position for levying and collecting taxes. Since its jurisdiction covers the entire country, and it is not prohibited from taxing interstate commerce, the Federal Government is able to impose its levies at the most strategic points.

“As a result of this situation,” the

1935 report of the research staff of the Interstate Commission on Conflicting Taxation pointed out, “the states| are placed in the position of having to take what the Federal Government leaves. State and local finances are made subordinate to the exigencies of Federal finance, although the states and their subdivisions still carry on the bulk of

‘the peace-time activities of Govern-

ment.” “ 2 2

TATE revenues suffer not only because of the lack of co-ordina-tion with the Federal tax system but also because of interstate tax competition. According to the report of the Interstate Commission: “A state which ventures to depart too. widely from the general pattern of taxation set by its neighbors invites wholesale tax avoidance and evasion and runs the risk of seeing valuable taxable assets drained away. Most subjects of taxation other than real estate possess some degree of mobility; and, until a limit is placed

‘on interstate tax competition, a

Ni

few recalcitrant or self-seeking states will be able to impede the progress of needed tax reforms.” Fundamentally, the growth of tax conflicts arises from ‘the fact that while the Federal Government is capable of administering most types of taxes more effectively than state or local governments, it is the states and localities which are called upon to perform the largest. share of governmental functions and which stand in greatest need of tax revenues to finance these activities. State and local governments are forced to levy types of taxes which they are not fitted to administer fairly and efficiently, with *the result that high administrative costs, bootlegging and other forms of tax evasion needlessly increase the burden on individual taxpayers.

Four principal methods by which Federal-state and interstate tax conflicts might be minimized and tax systems, co-ordi-nated have been advanced. Two _ of these methods — intergovernmental agreements for the enactment of uniform and reciprocal legislation, and Federal credits to be applied against taxes paid to states—have already been utilized in the field of death taxes and have proved successful in eliminating specific evils. It is generally conceded, however, that there usefulness is limited. . Some use also has been made of the other two proposed methods— segregation of tax sources, under which certain types of taxes would be assigned exclusively to the Federal Government and other types exclusively to the states, and centralized administration of all taxes which the central government can levy and collect most efficiently. Both plans have been used to coordinate state and local tax systems. President Roosevelt has indicated that he favors the segregation of tax sources. Leading tax authori- | ties believe, however, that this method would create unsuperable difficulties, since ,a division of tax bases according to the criterion of administrative efficiency would not. necessarily satisfy the financial needs of the three levels of government. Under a plan of centralized administration—the most radical

“proposal—-the Federal Government

might either: (1) asume some of the functions now carried on by the states; (2) distribute revenues to the states through grants-in-aid on the basis of need; (3) share tax receipts with the states on the basis of the amount, collected; or (4) allow the states to add supplements to Federal taxes, such supplements to be collected by the Federal Government

“Justice Treanor dissents”—-the Indiana Supreme Court counterpart of the late Justice Oliver Wen-

along with its own levies and zreturned to.the. states, Eis

Ew

F ar-Reaching Decisions on Changing Order Made in Recent Years

if a majority of votes on the amendment were favorable. n " ”" USTICE FANSLER dissented. He said: “The importance of stable and settled rules of law is *generally recognized, = and strong respect for precedent has become a part of our legal system.” There is no abrupt division of opinion in the Indiana Supreme Court with a rigid dividing line

. dell Holmes is shown on the right. He’s Justice Walter E. Treanor, Justice Michael Fansler is left.

between liberals and conserva=tives. On most cases, the Court stands united. The justices generally eat together at noon. Often they may be seen in the corridors of the State House discussing current problems. Justice Tremain says one of the most importafit duties of his office is keeping abreast of the constantly changing world. “I feel that if I do not learnsomething new every day I am not living,” he said. ;

Failure of Price-Fixing

Pacts Explained by Flynn

By JOHN T. FYLNN Times Special Writer

EW YORK, April 12—The most persisting of all illusions is that fond hope of producers of all sorts of things that they can fix prices by agreement and keep them fixed. In London now are the representatives of 23 nations trying once more to put the price of sugar up and keep it up. The last time this was attempted was in Paris in 1931. I was present at that conference and covered it for

an - American magazine. That was an ambitious plan—the Chadbourne plan—but it went the way of all the others.

This business of agreements to fix |

prices is not new. The Chilean nitrate producers tried one in 1884. The Germans had an agreement on potash as early as our Civil War. The Germans and Dutch had a quinine agreement in 1896. Back in the Twenties there were many. The Brazilian Government managed its famous and ill-fated valorization scheme for coffee. There was the equally famous and ill-fated rubber agreement in the British Straits Settlements under the Stevenson act. We had a copper agreement under the Webb-Pomerene act. There were many others. But always they went through the same history. ” ” ” HEY usually put prices up. That is their objective. Under the Brazilian valorization scheme coffee went from 12.9 cents a pound to 21.3 cents. But too much coffee was produced in other places not affected by the scheme. The scheme collapsed and coffee went to 9 cents. Rubber went from 14 to 46.7 cents and then collapsed to 9.154 cents. This new attempt to make an in-

ternational agreement on sugar is

interesting because it includes all the producing nations. But that too is not new. That is what was tried in 1931. Because of the present offort to save a disorganized industry by international agree-

ment, perhaps the nature and fate of that 1931 agreement may be interesting. ! The chief trouble was in Cuba. She produced far too much. Her surplus was crushing her. But most of the other countries also had a surplus. Each country agreed to segregate its surplus—take it off the market. The surplus was put into the possession of an export corporation to be marketed in an orderly manner every five years. ” ” 2 1 each country was given an export quota. Now this method has been used in other agreements. But always the trouble came when for a while the agree-

ment was ‘lived up to and demand

increased in the presence of artificial scarcity. Then the price rose. As prices rose many producers were encouraged to step up production and other countries began to develop their own supplies. Soon the market would be flooded with the controlled commodity and the price would: collapse. To guard against that, the 1931 sugar agree-. ment provided that as prices rose, the surplus might be released onto the market and there was also an automatic schedule under which each country’s export quota was increased every time prices went up half a cent. : But this agreement failed like all the others. As soon as prices rose a little, -America immediately increased production. She increased production by almost as much as Cuba’s was cut down and the whole agreement went up in smoke. Now once mcre the sugar producers meet to try their hand at another agreement. America, which does not produce as much sugar as she needs, and which has a sugar tariff to encourage more domestic production, -is now taking part in the conference to limit production here.

CRANE LIFTS 270 TONS

a —Science Service Photo

Giant hoisting crane used at construction of Wheeler Dam at TVA can lift 270 tons. It is one of the largest of its kind in the world and

_ | was used to place huge parts in the hydro-electric

1 i

equipment.

I* man played horse with him on his knee.

PAGE 11

Ind.

ur Town

TODAY I want to come clean and admit

that my boyhood had its defects, too. At any rate; it’s time to admit that the old-time lecturers brought to Indianapolis when I was a boy weren't any better than those we hear today. Indeed, I doubt whether they were as good. . The biggest flop among them, I remember, was John Habberton, the British-bred author of “Helen's

Babies,” a book that held us spell- . bound at the time. Mr. Habberton appeared in person in the old Plymouth Churéh and I distinctly recall that it was the worst 90 minutes of torture I ever had to put up with. Mr. Habberton read his delightful stuff so wretchedly that I came home thoroughly disgusted, not only with him, but with everything connected with the British Empire. It wasn’t the right attitude to take—not® toward England, anyway—because when Hoosier-bred Maurice Thompson showed up (in Tomlinson Hall, this time), he was, if anything, almost. as bad as Mr. Habberton. I was all set for Mr. Thompson, I remember, and expected him to say a lot about archery, and maybe Indians, too, but he never got around to it. I haven't the least idea what he talked about, but whatever it was, it wasn’t what I went to hear. , Henry M. Stanley wasn’t so hot, either. Of course, I didn’t expect Mr. Stanley to be as good as his beok, but I certainly expected him to be better than he was. And it didn’t help matters much to see him dressed up in a hoiled shirt and a swallow-tail suit, I guess Mr. Stanley lacked showmanship.

# 8 8 Ingersoll a Santa Claus

T was that way with all the rest, too. I expected to find Robert G. Ingersoll the fire-eater he was advertised to be, but he turned out to be a smoothshaven Santa Claus. Mr. Ingersoll had every chance to confirm his great reputation in my presence, be= cause I remember that somebody interrupted his lec= ture with what looked like a nasty question. It was a wonderful opportunity for Mr. Ingersoll to wipe up the floor with his opponent, but he passed it up just as if nothing had happened. To tell the truth, none of the oldtimers seized their opportunities, unless, perhance, it was Conan Doyle. Thank goodness, Mr. Doyle was different. He was a man about:30 years old when he came to lecture at Plymouth Church, and I distinctly recall that he had us eating out of his hand the moment he appeared on the platform. Of colirse, that was a long time; before the goblins got him.

” ” » Got Off to Good Start

E began his lecture, I remember, by telling how his mother took him, a 4-year-old lad, to call on William Makepeace Thackery, and how the old He dolled it up with a lot of fancy detail—at any rate, a lot for a 4-year-old kid to remember—and ended up with his mother’s observation that her little boy had sat in th lap of literature. : I'd like to see a modern author begin his lecture with as good a start as that.

A Woman's View

By MRS. WALTER FERGUSON

UT of Oklahoma comes another novel which has raised the hair on native scalps and started a great clacking of tongues. “Madness in the Heart” (Little, Brown & Co.), by young Edward Donahoe, creates a different sort of madness in Ponca City and its environs, where the story is laid. Anyone familiar with the locality and life in its heyday there cannot deny that the picture is realistic. TS be sure, the characters Mr. Donahoe writes about are not Oklahomans. They are adventurers from thesEast, seekers after buried treasure who came in droves at the first smell of crude oil and, being able to muster Eastern capital, have developed the magnificent oil industry. Always aliens to real Okla homa, always concerned chiefly with money and always exploiting for the adventure of exploitation; they have given much color and romance to our great Middle West, even though they have also taken out of it enormous stores of natural wealth. Without the Timothy Wilsons and the Marcus Sigourneys, Oklahoma would not have offered such a rare opportunity for those who ever seek for their typewriters new material through which they can expose the waywardness of man and his aptitude for destroying that which he has taken such pains to build. But to all who know and love the state, Oklahoma itself is not in them. The true history of its making goes back to those long-ago days when the weary Cherokees saw under its skies the end of their tragic trail of tears; when the proud Choctaws rebuilt their homes after the pattern of those they had left behind in old Mississippi; when the bold Comanches galloped across its western plains hunting the buffalo in happy ignorance of the white man’s duplicity. ‘The Wilsons, the Sigourneys, the Grays, madcap gambling men who built our fantastic prairie centers, have no marks of the real West about them. They are interlopers. The true Oklahoman, about whom we hope Mr. Donahoe will one day writecsa great book, lived them precariously upon the homestead where he had starved through winter cold and sume mer drought. His descendants, in spite of aliens and looters, will presérve the real history of their state, its essence and its heart, and here they will remain long after the oil derricks have departed.

"Your Health

By DR. MORRIS FISHBEIN

% Editor American Medical Assn. Journal NEUMONIA is thought generally to be one disease. Actually, however, the term embraces & group of diseases due to different causes, but all hav= ing, as their main symptom inflammation of the lung tissue. The most common cause of pneumonia is a germ called the pneumococcus, but the disease may also be caused by various streptococci and by other organisms, including even the typhoid germ. One form of pneumonia was called by Sir William Osler the “friend of the aged,” because it so | fre=quently is the final disease in old people. Today pneumonia is the most common and fatal of all acute infections. The figures available are not altogether accurate, since the many varieties of pneu=monia are not distinguished suitably in death reports. Indeed, it does not seem possible to say whether pneumonia is increasing or declining. Yet the condition is so prominent that campaigns against pneu= monia now are being undertaken in many states, and the problem is being given special consideration by the United States Public Health Service. : About 127 of every 100,000 people in the United States die each year of pneumonia. The disease attacks more men than women, and at all ages, being more dangerous; however, to the young and the old. One of the most significant facts about pneumonia is the wide variety of pneumococcus germs. Many different types of the germ are recognized. The incidence of these germs differs in various portions of the United States. It is believed that types 1 and 2 cause about 65 per cent of the pneumonia in the United States; type 3 causes a lesser percentage and the group known as type 4 has itself been subdivided into 29 different types. The recognition of these types is important because successful use of special pneumonia serums depends on definite identification of the kind of germ involved. : In many severe cases of pneumonia, if opportunity or time is not available for using the typing test, physicians sometimes use the type 1 antipneumonia

Mr. Scherrer

of this type.

serum, because of the high percentage of infections