On the Conemaugh division of the Pennsylvania Railroad a "roll of honor" has been instituted. It takes the place of the common practice of publishing information about the bad conduct of trainmen who have to be disciplined, which practice has been reversed, and instead there is now published a list of the names of the men who have performed their duties satisfactorily for a year without any occasion for censure. The new plan has worked so well that a bulletin announces that "the discipline found necessary to impose on train employees during January, 1915, as compared with January, 1914, shows a decrease of 73 per cent."

The all-round championship of the United States in gymnastic feats was won by Frank Kanis, a member of the Newark, New Jersey, Turn Verein, at the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco recently. A California gymnast won second place, while a Norwegian was third.

Some recent school-boy "howlers," as quoted by a New York teacher, are as follows: Q. What happened in 1492? A. "Discovery of America by the Spinach." Q. What happened in 1776? A. "Decoration of Independence." Q. What is a negative? A. "Two Legatives make an infirmative." Q. Who was Cæsar? A. "He was a king and went high up on a mountain."

"Little of all we value here sees the morn of its hundredth year." This, it seems, is especially true of business firms. Only one wholesale grocery house in America, it is believed, has retained the name of its founder for a century and always with a member of the family of the same name in the concern. This is the house of S. S. Pierce Co., of Boston, which a few days ago celebrated its hundredth anniversary by giving a banquet to its employees.

"Prologue Spoken at the Opening of the Theatre in Drury Lane." This is believed to be the only copy in existence; not even the British Museum has a duplicate of it.

A contribution to natural history comes to hand in a post-card photograph of "a two-mile auto bridge over Little Egg Harbor Bay," the roadway of which is for a long distance strewn with broken clam-shells. The post-card naturalist says: "The white things you see are clam-shells. The sea-gulls get clams from the flats and fly up high and drop them to break the shells so they can eat the clams. The bridgetender has to sweep them off every day, they cut the tires so."

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Under the category of "Some Film Horrors" the "Photoplay Magazine enumerates these enemies of the movie devotee's peace of mind: "The comedy your friend has seen;" "the girl who knows their [the performers'] private romances ;"" murder music;" "the man who climbs out during a noble deed;" "the professional seat-changer;" "films with a moral ;" "the outrageously long arm of coincidence."

The first "windjammer" to use the Panama Canal from the Pacific Ocean, according to a nautical journal, was the Springbank, a Norwegian four-master, which on March 4 was towed through the Canal in order to save time on her voyage. Though the Canal tolls amounted to some $2,700, the saving of eighty days in reaching her destination is said to have made the expenditure, in view of the high earnings of vessels at present, an economical one for her

owners.

New York City's belated snow-storm on Easter Saturday, a heavier snow-fall than any the city experienced during the entire winter of 1914-15, is estimated to have lessened the business of department, millinery, and florists' stores by over $1,000,000. In addition, the municipal authorities spent nearly $100,000 to remove this unseasonable snow from the streets so that church-goers and sightseers could get about comfortably on Easter Sunday, which fortunately was a bright spring day.

One of the more encouraging features of the war was the news that Przemysl might, after its capture, be spelled Peremysl; but a disturber of the peace that followed this announcement asks that Servia should be changed to Serbia, because the latter spelling is preferred by Servians. Are the old-fashioned forms to be further upset by changing Germany to its native Deutschland, Nuremberg to Nürnberg, Vienna to Wien, Rome to Roma, and so on? Are none of the old orthographic landmarks to remain as guide-posts in an era of destruction?

LYMAN ABBOTT, Editor-in-Chief

HAMILTON W. MABIE, Associate Editor

SENATOR BEVERIDGE ON THE WAR

Indiana, has to the battle

Ex-Senator Beveridge, of just come back from a visit fronts of the European war. At a dinner of the Sphinx Club, an association of influential business men of New York City, on Tuesday evening of last week, Mr. Beveridge, who was the speaker of the evening, gave a vivid account of some of his experiences and an interpretation of what he believes will be the effect of the war on future European history.

Mr. Beveridge has very marked skill as a public speaker and writer, and his narration of his physical and his psychological adventures was highly interesting. The physical horrors of the war he acknowledged beggar any collection of adjectives known to the English tongue. But it was not the horrors that impressed him ; it was the wonderful human qualities of precision, orderliness, loyalty, co-operation, self-sacrifice, and spiritual devotion among officers and men on both sides. It is impossible, he thinks, at this time to predict either the length or the outcome of the While both sides are confident, the ablest leaders of Germany and of the Allies are refraining from prediction. But, in his judgment, whichever side is victorious, there is one effect of the war that can be prophesied with reasonable certainty. His prophecy is that the progress of democracy and social justice will have an enormous impetus in Europe as a result of the conflict.

war.

He wished to avoid the use of the word Socialism in its partisan and political sense, but he expressed the belief that great steps had been taken in the direction of the socialization of government which can never be retraced. In Germany the Government under martial law has taken over practically all industry, is regulating prices, and is directing the employment of men in civil life as well as in the ranks of the army. This is so successful that it is likely to go on after peace has been attained.

England has passed what is known as the

comprehensive and potent act of Parliament enables the Government to take over the railways, the docks, private industrial factories, and actually to tell a private citizen what he shall do and what he shall not do in the form of industry. The same economic movement is observable in France. For generations civilized countries have recognized not only the right but the propriety of government direction of armies for the public safety in time of war. Europe has suddenly awakened to the fact that the same right and propriety may lie in government direction of industry for the public welfare in times of peace.

The

Mr. Beveridge believes that we do not yet realize in this country what the European war has done in a few weeks to develop and establish in practice the idea of co-operative industry under government direction. lesson which he draws is that America must also in the field of industry and commerce turn from the selfish, competitive individualism of the laissez-faire school of economics to co-operation and socialization, and to the belief that wealth is not an end but a means for intellectual and spiritual development, if we are not to be hopelessly left behind by Europe in the world's progress at the close of the war.

A MAYOR AND

HIS CONSTITUENTS

We do not think it an exaggeration to say that the Mayor of the city of New York holds an official position second only in importance to that of the President of the United States. This is not merely because he has very largely under his control the health, the education. the annual income, and the morals of nearly six million people, but also because his failures or successes in solving municipal problems set an example for every municipality in the United States. For this reason Mayor Mitchel's account of the first fifteen months of his administration is of National as well as local interest. He gave such an account last

week at a public dinner tendered to him and his colleagues by the "Fusion Committee of 107" which nominated him in 1913. It was a strong, clear, frank, and able speech, and marked him as a man of National caliber.

Mayor Mitchel discussed his appointments, the Police Department, the Health Department, the Street-Cleaning Department, the Dock Department, the Department of Correction, the Department of Charities, the financial and tax situation, as well as other phases of his administration. Space forbids us to go into the record in full. Two or three items of human interest, however, may be referred to.

Dr. Goldwater, the Health Commissioner, has established "an advisory council of one hundred and seventy-five representatives of science and of the business and social life of the city," with which he consults from time to time. The result of his work "is reflected in the lowered general death rate and lowest infant mortality rate of any city in the United States."

By inference the Mayor had a good word to say for the municipal operation of public utilities when he pointed out the fact that the Staten Island Ferry, owned and operated by the city, which in 1912 lost $189,000, made last year, the first of his administration, a profit of fifteen thousand dollars.

The only woman present at the dinner was the Commissioner of Corrrection, Miss Katherine B. Davis, and she was there, not as a guest, but as a responsible official of the city. The Mayor stated that by the application of Miss Davis's plans for the management of prisoners the Department may be made selfsupporting in the near future instead of costing the taxpayers nearly a million and a half dollars annually. This self-supporting system not only saves the taxpayer, but benefits the health, social efficiency, character, and happiness of the prisoners as well.

It was clear from the Mayor's address that he is as deeply interested in the social side of municipal government as in any other phase. He urgently advocated a small Board of Education and appealed for a greater power of home rule and a greater freedom from State legislative interference. He announced that fifty-four cities of the State have united in a federation to demand of the Constitutional Convention greater powers of selfgovernment for cities. He asked for the support of the citizens of New York, and said, we think rightly, that the greatest obstacle which good government has to strug

gle with is the apathy of the very people who need good government for their protection. and welfare. New York is in effect governed to-day on the commission and city manager plan, and it is working very well.

THE NEW HAVEN ROAD

Last week, in an address at Norwich, Connecticut, Mr. Howard Elliott, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad Company, gave the first official confirmation of the gratifying turn in that company's fortunes. For the latest month of record all except two of the many properties controlled by it showed an increase in net returns over 1914. This increase is being maintained, and Mr. Elliott expects that at the close of the fiscal year, June 30 next, the company will be shown to be fully earning its fixed charges. and to have a balance for the payment of debts and improvements.

Speaking of the physical valuation of railway property, Mr. Elliott declared his belief that, on any fair basis, there will be more than enough value found in the great terminals of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Company to offset the losses that may be sustained in selling certain of its properties under the decree of the Federal Court. It will be remembered that the Administration at Washington took the attitude that the company was acting contrary to law in holding the Boston and Maine and various trolley properties. Accordingly the company and the Department of Justice completed, in October last, an adjustment under which some of these properties were to be put in the hands of trustees for management and sale at the proper time.

In an effort to obtain a proper platform upon which to place the New Haven financial structure, the company has asked to have the laws of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts amended in certain particu

lars. Like other inter-State roads, so the New Haven has to deal with conflicting laws in different States; hence Mr. Elliott wishes that we had a Federal incorporation act for those railways the majority of whose business is inter-State. As he says, exclusive Federal jurisdiction over corporate affairs and affairs of finance would not interfere with the rights of the States in matters of local regulation; moreover, a simplification of relations so that they become only those

between the railway and one central Government agency as to corporate and financial questions would save much time and energy now used by officers in appearing before many different State organizations.

As the transportation business of the United States is next to agriculture in importance, in volume, and in its relation to the welfare of the whole country, it should, Mr. Elliott thinks, have a defender in the councils of the Cabinet. Hence he believes, as do some other railway authorities, that it would be well to have a Department of Transportation, with a Secretary of Transportation at the head of it, who should be a member of the Cabinet.

THE CHICAGO ELECTION

Chicago is wondering what sort of a Mayor the city is to have during the next four years in William Hale Thompson, elected to the office on April 6 by the record-breaking plurality of 147,977. The size of the plurality, taken in conjunction with the fact that National issues were freely injected into the campaign by the successful candidate, has caused the election to be regarded by many as an indication of Republican success in the Nation in 1916, and Mr. Thompson himself gives his election that interpretation. The brief account of the election in The Outlook last week may now be supplemented by information from a well-informed correspondent in Chicago.

The campaign preceding the election was remarkable in many ways. The two principal contestants were Thompson, the Republican nominee, and Robert M. Sweitzer, Democrat. The former had been a political associate and defender of William Lorimer, who was excluded from the United States Senate on the ground that corrupt means had been used to secure his election; the latter is a protégé of Roger Sullivan, gas magnate and leader of the Democratic machine.

Personalities and extraneous issues attracted more attention than did questions of municipal policy. The religious issue figured prominently. Sweitzer is a Roman Catholic, Thompson a Mason. Questions of nationality as related to the European war also were factors of importance. Sweitzer, as his name indicates, comes of a German-American father, although his mother is of Irish extraction and his personal affiliations are to a large degree Irish-American. At the close of the campaign a circular was distributed bearing the

pictures of Emperor William of Germany and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary. After reciting that Chicago has a larger German population than any other city in the world excepting Berlin and Vienna, the circular concludes: "Let us on next Tuesday, April 6, flash the message throughout the world that the second largest city in the United States has elected for its Mayor a German-American, Robert M. Sweitzer. It will be a wonderful encouragement to the friends of the German cause, and the most effective rebuke to the anti-German agitation throughout this country." Mr. Sweitzer's campaign managers disavowed responsibility for this circular, but it was distributed extensively by some one, and lost Sweitzer many votes, even among citizens of German ancestry.

Factional bitterness within the Democratic party also operated to the detriment of Sweitzer, whereas Republicans and former Progressives united at the finish in voting for Thompson, despite the disappointment immediately after the primaries over his nomination. Two of the successful candidates on the Republican ticket with ThompsonCharles N. Sergel for Treasurer and John Siman for City Clerk-were former Progressive party members. Many Democrats, especially followers of Mayor Harrison, refused to vote for Sweitzer because he was the Sullivan candidate. Whether properly or not, Thompson brought into the municipal campaign National issues, such as the tariff, prosperity, and the full dinner-pail, and undoubtedly made many votes by so doing. The "wet" and "dry" issue did not enter, as both Thompson and Sweitzer are men of extremely liberal views on matters relating to liquor and amusements.

Of the 670,000 votes cast in the election the women in Chicago cast over 240,000. In most respects the women's vote was divided among the candidates in about the same proportion as were those of the men. In one conspicuous instance, however, the women's vote insured the defeat of a notoriously unfit candidate for Alderman who would have been elected by the men's vote alone. The candidate was "Barney" Grogan, in the Eighteenth Ward, containing much lodging-house territory and many saloons.

THE NEW MAYOR

William Hale Thompson, the new Mayor, familiarly known as "Big Bill," is forty-six years old. His portrait appears on another

page. His grandfather came to Chicago in 1830, which was seven years before its incorporation as a city. The grandfather helped draft the first charter of Chicago, and was chief of the first volunteer fire department of the city. The new Mayor's father served in the Civil War. Ownership of land in the business center of Chicago was the foundation of the family fortune.

Mr. Thompson was born in Boston, but he was taken to Chicago in infancy. As a young man he was a cowboy in the West and made money in cattle deals on his own account. After the death of his father he returned to Chicago and devoted himself to managing his inherited property and to such other matters-chiefly in the line of recreation-as interested him. He has given much time to athletic activities of various kinds, especially water sports. He served one term as Alderman and another as member of the Board of Cook County Commissioners, in neither of which positions did he distinguish himself or invite criticism. "The new Mayor," writes our Chicago correspondent, "is a man of energy, courage, and good fellowship. He is headstrong rather than pliable. While he would not be expected to take orders from a boss, he will be much influenced by his friends. Chicago is awaiting with interest the appointments of the new Mayor as an indication of the kind of administration he is likely to give."

CHICAGO'S NON-PARTISAN
CITY COUNCIL

While Chicago's new Mayor is a partisan, the City Council, thirty-eight of whose seventy members were chosen April 6, is essentially a non-partisan body. The City Council of Chicago, as compared with the Mayor, is of more importance than the legislative body of any other American city except those having the commission or city manager form of government.

In choosing Aldermen the electors followed the recommendations of the Municipal Voters' League to a remarkable extent. Of the thirty-eight candidates elected, thirty had been indorsed by the League. The Republican landslide helped, as a majority of the candidates favored by the League were on the Republican ticket. But discrimination was shown by the election of Democratic or Socialist nominees in some wards that went heavily Republican for Mayor. Two Socialists were elected Alder

men, though the vote for the Socialist ticket as a whole was not large. One of the successful Socialists, John C. Kennedy, is a man of brilliant qualities, credited with being saner-minded than many other leaders of his party. He has been a teacher in Cornell University and in the University of Chicago, and has acted as an expert investigator on housing matters for the Chicago Association of Commerce. In Kennedy's ward Thompson's plurality over Sweitzer was 9,593. The Socialist candidate for Mayor polled only 2,247 votes in the ward, yet Kennedy secured 11,551 votes for Alderman, which was 4,000 more than the Republican nominee for Alderman received. It is clear that Kennedy's election was due mainly to independent rather than to Socialist party support. Alderman Merriam, Professor of Political Science in the University of Chicago, Republican nominee for Mayor four years ago, was re-elected by a large majority.

The new Council is a capable body, which will aid the Mayor if he seeks to give the city a good administration, but is likely to prove a powerful obstacle to moves subversive of the public welfare. The new Council will be organized on non-partisan lines, as has been the custom for a number of years.

THOMAS R. LOUNSBURY

American scholarship has lost one of its most distinguished men by the death of Thomas R. Lounsbury, Professor Emeritus of English in the Sheffield Scientific School, Yale University-a man who combined Old World thoroughness with New World freshness and humor.

No man was further removed from the dry-as-dust type than Dr. Lounsbury. He was as free in dealing with the forms of scholarship as if he were an untrained product of the soil. This breezy Americanism for a time stood in the way of a recognition of the solidity of his attainments. To a generation bred in the German idea that humor and literary quality are incongruous with scholarship, it seemed incredible that a scholarly writer could be as entertaining as Dr. Lounsbury. In time he overcame this prejudice, and for many years he has been secure in the recognition of the world as one of the foremost writers on Shakespearean subjects.

He was born in Ovid, New York, in the section through which classical names were scattered in the early days by a lover of