Straw Hats Sirs:

This story--under Miscellany--will, I believe, prove of interest to your readers.

FRANCIS W. CLINTON

New York City

The story, no Miscellany, is as follows:

''The custom of discarding straw hats on September 15 is not a new one. It originated forty years ago.

"In those days horses were outfitted with straw hats to protect them from the sun. In the Brooklyn firehouses on September 15, the fire gong would ring and, with great formality, the horses' straw hats would be destroyed.

"The hatters of that time took up the notion, erected gongs outside their stores, and established the fifteenth as the date when no he-man would continue to wear his straw hat."

To Subscriber Francis Wright Clinton, President of the Danbury Hat Co., thanks and $3.--ED.

Advertising, Circulation

Sirs:

Here's one letter you won't publish. . . .

In writing of the incomparable HELENA SPRINGER GREEN RASKOB (4 names--count 'em--and how you fellows fawn before wealth) you neglected to state that this prominent member of the nouveau riche is the wife of a man, who after growing rich under Republican regimes and policies, deserted his party SOLELY FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS. His talk about prohibition is THE BUNK. He obeyed his master the pope, in the same way that "Everything" Al would obey that master.

This man Raskob had more to do with injecting the subject of religion into the campaign than anyone else and I have heard him called some pretty hard names. You however, in view of some big advertising contracts that you already may have, have evidently singled him out for unlimited esteem.

But in order to get and hold these contracts, you might at some future date, have to show increasing circulation, and it will be this writer's delight to keep said circulation below normal. I have spent my last 15-c- for TIME.

The rumor (more or less verified here) is that the interests behind Smith stand ready to spend $100,000,000 to elect him by foul means or fair, but it is not believed that that amount of money can buy the self respect and conscience of America. It's a dirty business they're engaged in and I regret to see a magazine I once admired collaborating with men determined to buy the Presidency of my country.

R. J. WILSON

San Francisco, Calif.

In Minneapolis Sirs:

Being one of the original subscribers to TIME and knowing your interest in the unusual, I thought that you would be interested in an unusual, and interesting type of building that is being erected at the present time at Minneapolis, Minnesota and for which we are the Architects and Engineers.

This building which is 32 stories in height is being erected for the W. B. Foshay Company who own and operate electric power utilities.

The idea for the building was conceived by Mr. W. B. Foshay, who has taken his inspiration from the Washington Monument at Washington, D. C. The building, which is a tower, rising from a two-story base, is 447 feet and three inches in height above the street. It is 81 by 87 feet at the base and 59 by 65 feet at the top. It is as far as we know the only commercial building in the World that has sloping sides and where the set back occurs at the second floor placing the building proper away from street noises, dirt and confusion. . . .

W. H. TUSLER

Magney and Tusler, Inc. Minneapolis, Minn.

Gypsies Smith

Sirs:

I have before me copy of the newsmagazine for July 2, 1928. On page 25 you have published a slanderous story and coupled my name with it, which is absolutely false. I can only conclude that you are thinking of one Pat Smith of Bridgeport, Conn., who has had the audacity to use my name and of whom I know nothing except what the newspapers report. There is absolutely no connection between him and my family, and so far as I know he is not a Gipsy.

Can you imagine the pain you have caused me, my wife and the members of my family and the multitudes of my friends all over the world with this base story of my divorce. I must ask you, Sir to contradict and apologize for the statements you have made in a very prominent place in the Newsmagazine in your next issue and to send me a copy containing the apology and explanation to the following address: 6908 North Ashland Ave., Chicago, Ill., c/o Mr. Eddie Young, who is my secretary and where I expect to arrive at the end of August, for I sail from Southampton on the Olympic on Aug. 22. I am asking for a reasonable and a just explanation and apology, and I cannot but think you have any other desire than to give me a square deal. If this is done promptly I will be satisfied, if not I shall seek redress in another way.

GIPSY RODNEY SMITH.

Cambridge, England.

TIME'S lamentable confusion of the British and the Bridgeport Smiths was called to the attention of TIME-readers by President Henry Sloane Coffin of Union Theological Seminary in the July 16 issue. TIME then said and now gladly repeats:

TIME deeply regrets its error, proffers herewith apology to famed original Gypsy Smith, whose real name is Rodney Smith and who said: "Jesus Christ was the greatest gentleman the world ever knew."--ED.

Afraid ?

Sirs:

I am following with keen interest the many letters from your subscribers asking why Billy Sunday has not held a revival in New York since 1917.

From what other TIME readers say and from Billy's own letter to you (TIME, Sept. 3), I am almost certain that he is afraid of "flopping" if he should again try to hold a revival in any big city, let alone New York.

Just look at the funny towns he mentions in his schedule:

New Liverpool, Ohio Corpus Christi, Tex. Madisonville, Ky.

And then he adds, "from there to Sterling, Colorado or New Rochelle, N. Y." Why that "or"? Billy ought to know whether he is really heading for New Rochelle (within 17 miles of New York City) or for a place 2,000 miles west.

If he isn't afraid, let him come out of the tall ragweed and hay belt. I myself will go out to New Rochelle to hear him but not to Colorado! JOHN B. BENNETT

New York, N. Y.

Hogs

Sirs:

While I was laid up with a fractured limb, my time was quite valueless, and shortly after having told my wife the story of the Northern salesman telling the Southern "cracker" that if he fed his hogs corn they would fatten up in one-half the time, to which the cracker had rejoined, "Aw, what's time to a hog," I happened to ask my wife "what time it was" she replied, "aw what's TIME to you."

W. J. PARKS

Chicago, Ill.

Secret

Sirs:

In your issue Aug. 27 page 16 you give Josef Stalin's correct name as "Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili." Will you, if you can, please give the secret of the pronunciation of his name? D. H. JOHNSON

Cleveland, Ohio

The secret: Josef Vis-sar-ee-o'-nuh-vich Zoo-gaash-vee'-lee.--ED.

Electoral College

Sirs:

Would like to make a request which I think would interest a great number of people, that is an explanation of the Electoral College and how it functions.

Trusting that this request is not out of order, in view of the fact that the coming election will be a rather hard fought battle for Electoral Votes by both parties.

Is it possible for the Electoral Votes of a State to be split?

F. A. FISHER

Detroit, Mich.

Let Subscriber Fisher see p. 7.--ED.

Weiss, Wies, Wise

Sirs:

Page 27 of TIME, Aug. 20 reports that Myron Weiss was married to Luba Wies by Rabbi Wise. Is this one of Mayor Walker's "wise-cracks?" Granting that TIME has these names spelled correctly, I submit the Rabbi is the wisest of the three Wises. He got paid for his share of the performance.

BOB LYLE

Biloxi, Miss.

Famed Rabbi Wise exacts no marriage fee.--ED.