Black Canyon Dam
Sirs:
Please permit me to correct a statement in May 22 issue: "From time out of memory the Colorado River canyon in which the Government today is building the world's biggest dam was called Boulder."
This canyon is today, and I believe for a good many years has been, known as Black Canyon. Boulder Canyon is a considerable distance up stream, and was abandoned as a dam site after the preliminary surveys. I would suggest, for the benefit of your Eastern readers and the Secretary of the Interior, that you publish a correction.
To the extent of my limited knowledge no attempt has ever been made to change the names of Wilson Dam, Cleveland Forest or Jefferson City. Democratic Washington may designate this great project by the misnomer "Boulder,'1 but to me, and I think many another Democrat, it shall continue to be known as Hoover Dam.
PAUL CLAYTON
San Fernando, Calif.
Sirs: . . . The original surveys were made with the intention of placing the dam in Boulder Canyon but the dam is actually being built in Black Canyon, a few miles below Boulder Canyon.
Less childish and more courteous would have been renaming the dam by the more accurate though less euphonious title of "Black Canyon Dam," as this would have implied some other reason besides politics for the change.
SAMUEL C. EASTMAN
Los Angeles, Calif.
Sirs:
You are certainly all wet in your "Back to Boulder" article May 22. . .
Mr. Hoover deserves much credit for the completion of the Seven-state compact which made the construction possible. . . .
ERNEST WALKER SAWYER
Executive Assistant to Secretary Wilbur in 1930 Los Angeles, Calif.
Sirs:
Because Boulder, Colorado had won "her place in the sun" as one of the most beautiful little cities in America (pop. 12,000) and because of the fact that for 75 years we have had a Boulder Canyon and for many years, a dam at the head of that canyon, 18 miles from the city, we protested the naming of the new city near the dam site in Nevada, "Boulder City.''
And now we note with regret the decision of the administration to change the name, "Hoover Dam" to the "Boulder Dam," thus still further adding to the confusion of names that has made it necessary for us to answer more than 5,000 letters concerning the "Boulder Dam." . . .
We have a "Roosevelt" National Forest adjoining our city's 6,000 acres of mountain park lands, and we are proud of both the forest and the name it bears.
Why not be magnanimous to a defeated President and merciful to an overworked Chamber of Commerce Secretary and let the name "Hoover Dam" stand?
EBEN G. FINE
Secretary
The Boulder Chamber of Commerce Boulder, Colo.
Mustached Daladier
Sirs:
TIME for May 29, p. 14, bottom of col. 3-- "His [Daladier's] first move in office was to antiquate newspaper files throughout the world by shaving his mustache. . . ."
Apparently TIME goes with the antiquarians. The cover of this issue shows a mustached Daladier.
LEONARD C. LEE JR.
New York City
Writing Sirs:
I think the article under TIME'S "Crime of the Week" May 22 [murder of Old Man Ridley] one of the most excellent pieces of writing I ever read.
MRS. W. W. LANDRUM
Russellville, Ky.
Balloonist Business Sirs:
In the current issue of TIME (May 29) under Aeronautics I was somewhat surprised at some of the statements. In the first place, if I stay on earth till June 6 I will have been here 63 years. I have been in the balloon business over 30 years. I have never filled a bag in ten minutes, and it takes more than $1.30 to inflate one of our bags. I have them from 60 ft. to 95 ft. The larger will carry two riders, usually a man and a woman. We have done all stunts mentioned and a great many others. Our "stove pipe" is a steel drum at least 24 in. in diameter. We frequently use an inflator. Also we seldom use poles any more. We use a gin pole in the inside till the bag is selfsupporting. We have put on a great many ascensions, playing large fairs and expositions. We played the Tennessee State Fair at Nashville three years ago. Have played in most States east of the Mississippi. Also some in the West and in Canada. Never had a serious accident except two drownings. These would not have happened had the riders not lost their belts-- one was a lady. In her case a boat was there and caught the 'chute which did not get wet. The other time the operator was so close to shore a farmer pulled the 'chute out with a fence rail-- a stick about 14 ft. long. I had a rider catch his 'chute on a cornice and swing into a lawyer's office window on the second floor, and the bag came down on the high tension wires which of course destroyed it and put several towns in darkness. I also had a lady rider come down on some high tension wires. Thought she might strike them so telephoned and had power shut off. She said it was "as easy as a spring bed.'' The city fireman rescued her from her high perch ... I wanted to correct the impression that the Bonettes are believed to be the only hot air balloonists now in the business. I arise to remark there are quite a few of us left. . . .
H. P. FRENCH
Muskegon, Mich.
Social Minded Cotton Executives
Sirs:
As a regular and enthusiastic subscriber of TIME I am a firm believer in the accuracy of its editorial content, but since its editors are human they may be expected to err--or to indulge their personal prejudices--occasionally.
The particular instance to which I have reference is the statement that the cotton textile industry is noted for (among other faults) "child labor," which appears in your May 22 issue, p. 49, "Cotton and Wages."
Through close personal contact with this industry and on the basis of 1930 census reports, I know that as far as Georgia cotton mills are concerned, the charge is incorrect and not supported by the facts.
According to the 1930 census reports of the U. S. Department of Commerce, there were a total of 404,777 children, 10 to 15 years of age in the State of Georgia, of whom 59,684 were reported gainfully employed as follows: Agriculture 47,795; Forestry and Fishing 68; Extraction of Minerals 44; Manufacturing and Mechanical Industries 4,627; Transportation and Communication 473; Trade 2,570; Public Service 22; Professional Service 260; Domestic and Personal Service 3,548; Clerical Occupations 277. Of the total number (4,627) employed in all manufacturing and mechanical industries, only 1,656 were employed in cotton mills. It is, therefore, a fact that the total number of children 10 to 15 years of age employed in Georgia cotton mills is only 41% of all the children that age in the State: is less than 3 % of the total number of children that age employed in all occupations in Georgia, and is less than 3.5 % of the total number of workers (48,292) of all ages employed in Georgia cotton mills. . . .
Moreover, Georgia has a Child Labor Law which prohibits the employment of any child under 14 years of age in any manufacturing establishment, and which requires all children 14 to 16 years of age so employed to have a permit from the county school superintendent certifying that certain educational and age requirements have been met. This law is well administered and strictly enforced by an efficient State Department of Commerce and Labor with the wholehearted co-operation of Georgia cotton mill executives. Thorough inspections of all manufacturing plants are made regularly and all work permits are carefully recorded and supervised.
I have always said that I would never clutter up TIME'S pages with a communication of my own, but in justice to Georgia's law-abiding, social-minded cotton mill executives, I think these facts should be published to prove that, at least our part of the cotton textile industry is not noted for child labor. . . . T. M. FORBES
Secretary
Cotton Manufacturers Ass'n. of Georgia Atlanta, Ga.
President Roosevelt, speaking to the nation on the state of its industries, said: ''It is probably true that 90% of the cotton manufacturers would agree tomorrow to eliminate starvation wages . . . stop long hours of employment . . . child labor."
For further news of the cotton textile industry, see p. 16.--ED.
Sodium Amytal to the Rescue
Sirs:
Just a few lines to show my appreciation for your timely information regarding the use of sodium amytal as an antidote for strychnine poison (TIME, March 13).
One day I reached my home in the country, and found my dog, a German police, pure bred, with marked symptoms of the strychnine poisoning. Convulsions, cyanotic tongue and gums, protruding eyes, sardonic smile.
My first thought in seeing such an advanced condition was to kill the creature out of its misery, but remembering TIME'S timely information, I immediately gave her 0.4 gramme of simple amytal orally and in ten minutes a faint improvement was noticed; then I diluted six more tablets in water and injected them hypo-dermically. Dog became drowsy, but convulsions did not cease until a total amount of 1.40 grammes was injected. Fell asleep.
It was curious that 24 hours later convulsions ensued again not so acute, and I treat this with a 0.20 gramme of sodium amytal diluted and injected hypodermically.
Dog recovered completely and three weeks later became the mother of a one-dog litter.
I give you this account in case it may be beneficial for somebody, knowing how susceptible these animals are to strychnine poison. . . .
RAFAEL CESTERO
San Juan, Porto Rico
Matrimony & Alimony (Cont'd)
Sirs:
May a mere woman (who has made her small pile) add a further word?
If matrimony is not a game of solitaire; if it is a contract between two live humans that in nine cases out of ten handicaps the woman's earning capacity more than the man's; and if through no fault on her part it has been wrecked; why, pray, after a fair day in court should an ex-husband who has "stepped out'' of matrimony be encouraged to step out of alimony and so on ad infinitum?
MRS. R. L. NACH
New York City
Sirs:
It seems your articles on matrimony & alimony (May 22, ct scq.) have caused a little excitement. My views are thus: if we women had our say we would be born men. If the men had to bring children on earth and raise them to be good citizens or otherwise, there would be less walking away from obligations.
Most women have been working outside of the home in the past few years, giving their menfolk more money for themselves. Now through the depression these women have been thrown out of work, so of course she is a parasite. The other type who has had a half a dozen children, doing housework, painting, paperhanging and all the jobs her husband should have been doing. Being tied down to a family does not include golfing, night life or pretty clothes. Johnnie or Lucy needs shoes or medicine. The man of today has an idea that a certain amount of money thrown at his family is the end of obligation. Let one cent be spent foolishly by the wife and, Amen.
The whole truth of the matter is our menfolk have gotten into bad company. They want divorce and then remarry and then want the moon. The menfolk better wake up. I for one will teach my children to have no children. Just be selfish like their father.
B. null
Berwyn, 111.
A Painted Cow Looks On. . . .
Sirs:
Reading in your issue of May 18 the article on Cuba, and not knowing who the author may be, I was surprised by the amount of information that he manifested. But . . . that article was absolutely wrong about the way in which General Armando Andre came to his end. . . . Had I been bumped off, last night, by a bomb which exploded near me, then the world would never have known the truth on this point.
Of seven who had the unrestricted privilege of entering the presence of President Machado at any moment of the day or night, I happen to be one of the two survivors; the other five having "cashed in" too soon! . . .
One morning, as was my daily custom, I went to the Palace and into the sleeping quarters of the President at 5:15 to waken him for his daily exercise, massage and bath; and told him that Armando Andre had been shot a few hours before by "sawed-off" shot guns, through an open window in a house opposite his home, as he was trying to get his latch-key into the keyhole, which was jambed full of cut-off tooth picks. Machado exclaimed "No! That can't be true! It is not possible! Did you see it?" I replied that 1 had not; but believed it was true. Then he jumped out of bed and ran to his private phone and called the Secretary of Government, Rojelio Zayas Byzan; and said "Rojelio, come to the Palace at once!--No, do not wait to shave or put on a collar or tie! Come immediately!" In less than 15 minutes Byzan entered. (He was one of the seven of us who were never held up by the Guard. Vasco Bello was another; but Carlos Miguel de Cespedes and Viriato Guttierez and others, were not of this favored few.) When Byzan came in he said "What is the matter, Gerhardo?" Machado answered, "Armando Andre was assassinated last night!" Byzan gasped out "No! Impossible! That can't be! Who told you?" The President said "Dr. Dick." Byzan asked me if I knew for sure. I said that I had neither seen him killed nor dead; but believed the report to be true. Then Byzan and the President threw their arms about each other's neck and wept aloud; like two forlorn babies. But after a moment, Byzan pushed Machado away from him, and pointing his finger at him, exclaimed, "Gerhardo, all the world will blame you for his death!" Machado replied
"I know they will: And GOD knows that I knew nothing about it. until Grant wakened me up and broke me the news of it:"
Now I am sure that you will like to publish this: because it is the TRUTH. And I know that Gerhardo Machado Morales had nothing to do with the assassination of General Armando Andre. I also know that all of my fellow Canadians would have considered Andre worthy of death, had they seen a filthy cartoon that he had adorned the front page of his Daily Paper. El Dia, with a few days before he was shot: which issue the Government suppressed, and very few saw or even heard of this evidence of his vile imaginations. . . .
But any man who writes up a wedding, as he did the day before he launched off into Eternity, should be destroyed as a fetid pestilence: Had the editor of La Scinana (probably the filthiest publication in the world, and. sad to say, is under the protection of the United States of America: through the influence of a very powerful American insurance company) had its editor, Carbo, Sergio Carbo, been similarly destroyed, several years ago, the moral tone of every last child in Cuba would have been spared the infamous pollution that Carbo has fouled its receptive mind with; so insidiously degrading and degenerate, that no wholesome minded man can have any conception of. La Scinana has polluted the National mind of Cuba, from her marble palaces to her most outlying and poverty stricken palm leaf hut. Still its Editor-in-Chief is allowed to live and pollute a Nation: under American protection For shame. While the flower of the young manhood of Cuba is willingly giving up its life in an apparently vain attempt to purify Cuba's national life! . . . . Machado, with good advisers, would have been one of the greatest of Presidents but with such men as Mascaro, Vasco Bello, Arsenic Ortix, Cartaya and others of the same type, as his most confidential councilors and advisers, the explanation may be easily seen: of what might otherwise seem quite incompatible'. For why should a 33rd degree Mason align himself with a 44th degree assassin of such insatiable cruelty as Ortiz bristles with and always manifests?
The students and the A. B. C. have set themselves to clean up Cuba of its many curses: such as lottery, universal gambling, brothels and dives, vile publications as Politico Comica and La Scinana, graft, politics that exploit Cuba for personal gain, regardless of public advantage. And they seek a system of liberal education, purity of the press, a wholesome young manhood and young womanhood of Cuba Libre, the total eradication of snobocracy, a nation-wide sense of honor, true and devoted,men and women. Then they will have gained Freedom, Liberty, Justice and Honor, as few nations yet possess the same. . . .
Probably in the whole world the students of no other University can compare with those of the students of the University of Havana who. without exception, are willing to die for the ideals of their Alma Mater: and hundreds of them have already sacrificed their lives upon her altars, while America looks on like a painted cow through a painted gate. . . .
DR. DICK GRANT
Professor of Physical Culture &
Director of Athletics Havana University Havana, Cuba
This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.