Swarthmorean 1932 July 15

              Swarthmore College Library
/arthmore, Pa.
VoL IV,   No, 28
Swarthmore, Pa., July 15, 1932
$2.50 Per Year
ONE PER CENT OF
TAXES UNCOLLECTED
Borough Tax Collector asks Exoneration for 150 Persons;
School Board Refuses
Don't Shoot—
COUNTY      RECORD      GOOD
Although Swarthmore's record for
collection of taxes is said to be foremost in the county, the school board
and borough council have refused to
grant the exonerations asked by Mrs.
Clara L. Taylor, tax collector, and a
final effort to collect from some of the
delinquents is now being made.
Of the approximately three thousand
tax bills sent out by Mrs. Taylor for
1931, ISO were not paid by July 1.
Having done everything possible to
collect these taxes, Mrs. Taylor turned
the list over to the county, boro, and
school board, and asked that those persons be exonerated as indigents or for
having moved out of town, etc.
The county immediately granted this
request and approved the entire list of
exonerations. Mrs. Taylor was told that
her list of exonerations which was less
than 1 per cent, of the total, represented the smallest percentage of taxes unpaid of any district in this county.
Some tax collectors asked for exonerations on as high as twenty-five percent,
of their total list while the next highest
collector to Mrs. Taylor asked exonerations for five percent, of his list.
The school board and borough council, however, feel that even one per
cent, of delinquents is too high and are
refusing complete exoneration. The
school board at their June meeting approved only 49 of the 150 names for
exoneration. They declared that the
others were as much obliged to pay
their taxes as hundreds of people who
had already done so.
—_TJie Stateu-SchooL-jcode requires that
all taxes must be paid by July 1 or
exoneration granted. This would mean
that the local tax collector will either
have to collect the taxes owed by the
100 persons not exonerated or pay them
herself.
The Borough code does not require
that taxes be paid or exonerations
granted so promptly and the list of
exonerated delinquents has not yet
been returned to the tax collector.
Tax bills for 1932 will be sent out
early in August. Although the bills are
supposed to be sent out before August
1, the dissention over the increase in
county taxes has held up the printing
of the bills and the tax collectors' books
and new bills have not yet been returned
from Media according to Mrs. Taylor.
Frank Gettz, the borough tax assessor,
has been continuing his round of
Swarthmore properties the past week.
Since he does most of his work in the
evening he asks that people refrain
from taking a shot at him or calling
the police when they see someone
prowling around their next door
neighbor's vacant house.
»>»
GREAT INTEREST IN
APPR0ACH1NGMATCH
Game  of  Bowls  Between  Lord
Borwick and Dr. Bassett Has
Entire Borough Agog
BASSETT    INSPIRES    VERSE
Mosquitos and Noisy Milkmen Making
Life Miserable for Swarthmoreans
Further activity on the bowling green
north of Whittier House indicates that
Dr. Arthur Bassett will win the preliminary match over his brother Herbert Bassett for the honor of meeting
Lord Ashly Borwick of Scotland in a
championship when the Lord visits
Swarthmore as Dr. Bassett's guest early
in August.
Since the announcement of the approaching visit of Lord Borwick in last
week's Swarthmorean, interest in the
big sporting and society event hfcs
grown and Dr. Bassett says that with
the permission of the College, a slight
charge of admission to see the match
will be made and the proceeds turned
over to the local Employment Bureau.
During the past few days a number
of Dr. Bassett's friends have decided
to purchase a silver trophy to be given
to the winner as the champion bowler
of Swarthmore and Brawnbray. Brawn-
bray is the name of the Lord's estate
in Northern Scotland.
So enthusiastic has become one of
Dr. Bassett's rooters that he wrote the
following poem:
Sir Arthur Meets the  Lord
•m • •
NEW FIREPLACE IN
GIRL SCOUT CABIN
The stone fireplace given by Mrs.
Leonard C. Ashton for the Girl Scout
cabin on the borough property along
Cresson lane, has been completed, and
a greatly improved cabin will greet the
girls when they return for their first
meeting this fall.
The great stone fireplace is built in
the rear wall of the building just opposite the main entrance. It is large enough and so well placed that the entire
room may be kept sufficiently warm
during all but the most severe winter
weather.
The opening of the fireplace is five
feet wide and three feet high. There
is a heavy stone mantlepiece four feet
six inches from the floor and the stone
chimney is built up to the ceiling. Beautiful stone from the Atwater Kent quarries, which supplied stone for the Clothier Memorial, was used. The fireplace
was designed by W. G. McNees of
Media.
Another improvement for the cabin
recently completed was the installation
of a sink for washing dishes. It was
necessary to pipe the water quite a
distance.
A stone walk from the front door
directly to a new entrance on Cresson
lane will be built of rock left over from
the fireplace. This Saturday Mrs. Elliott Richardson, who is chairman of
the cabin committee, is anxious to have
some men help apply a second coat of
Paint to the rear wall of the building.
Anyone willing to volunteer is asked to
call Mrs. Richardson. A few bench
tables for the building will be welcomed.
His name is Arthur Bassett,
A valiant man to see,
Of lofty stance and bulging arm,
A champion bowler he.
At English Bowls he shineth,
An opponent did he pick,
A Scottish Lord of great renown,
Lord Ashly Borwick.
Each, champion of his homesward,
Both bowlers without peer,
They will meet in mortal combat,
On the Greens of Whittier.
His friends all know that Arthur,
Will meet and beat the Lord,
They are chipping in to buy the cup,
Which will prove a just reward.
R.E.S.G.
I
Dr. Bassett says that he will announce
his manager and appoint a local manager for Lord Borwick next week.
Swarthmore this week has been in the
hands of the enemy—the enemy being
mosquitos, Japanese beetles and oppressive heat.
Those trained in the art of asthetic
dancing saw their skill put to practical
use for it has beesn impossible to stand
on the lawn after sundown without going
through all manner of antics in an effort
to avoid the pests.
This year's mosquitos have no regard
for the prominence of those they attack. President of Borough Council,
Leonard C. Ashton, admits that he is not
immune and if passing an ordinance
would do any good, a special meeting ol
borough council be called forthwith.
However the situation is now being
studied by the Tree Committee which
was created for just such emergencies
and no doubt something will be done in
the near future. In the meantime, Mr.
Ashton suggests that as few empty tin
cans as possible be allowed to stand about
and collect rainwater.
There is no denying that the mosquitos
are most unreasonable this year since
they are functioning with 100 per cent
efficiency in spite of the dry weather.
As if the mosquitos were not enough,
the editor who lives beyond the confines
of tlie borough and must get these facts
from his deputies, is informed that
Swarthmore's early morning milkmen
are unusually noisy this summer. As far
as can be learned there is no borough
ordinance prohibiting the throwing from
second-story windows of solid articles
with intent to do aforesaid noisy milkmen bodily injury.
May the readers of The Swarthmorean
however, take solace in the editor's observation that the only thing worse than
living in the city and being awakened by
a noisy milkman is living in the country
and listening to the neighbor's cow bewailing the loss of her calf all night.
To remedy the evil of the noisy milkman our only suggestion is that borough
council amend the milk ordinance and require that all milk be delivered in hot
water bottles or similar containers.
With the depression by day, the mosquitos by night, and the noisy milkmen
at dawn, is it any wonder that half of
Swarthmore has  fled to the mountains
and the seashore?
INTEREST SUSTAINED
IN PLAYGROUND
Excellent attendance is reported at the
Summer Playground, Shop and Domestic Science classes, being held this summer at the College avenue building. Mr.
Benjamin Cooke reports that forty boys
are working at the shop every day while
the class in sewing and domestic science
under Miss Cherry averages about
thirty. Outside on the tennis courts and
the baseball diamond, Bill Lee, who is in
charge reports that more than a hundred
boys and girls are in regular attendance.
The playground established a record
for attendance last Friday when 117 persons took part in the activities.
The tennis tournament is progressing
nicely with Rose Mitchell, Elizabeth Hessenbruch, Thomas Clay and Evelyn
Morgan still in the contest. Most interest this year centers around tennis at the
playground but baseball and volley ball
are open for those desiring to take part.
Peters-Bretz
Miss Merle Bretz, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. George A. Bretz of South
Princeton avenue became the bride of
Mr. Kermit Peters, son of Mr. and Mrs.
A. J. Peters of Parkside, Chester, at a
wedding Monday afternoon at the home
of the bride's parents.
The bride was attended by Miss Marguerite Ruth, bridesmaid, and the
groom's attendant was Mr. Charles
Ringler. The guests included Miss Pauline Guelter, Miss Anna Alfonto, Mrs.
William Ruth, Mrs. William Haggerty,
Mrs. Bella Bretz, Miss Mary Bretz,
Miss Ethel Hammell, Miss Alary Davis,
Miss Mary Snyder, Mrs. Joseph Mc-
Guigan and Miss Marie Besold.
Letter from Dr* Terman Tells of
Progress of' WestwardUHo" Tour
MAIN LINE BANS
REAL ESTATE SIGNS
WOODEN BIRD
HAS SEX APPEAL
Stories   of   Birds   and   Animals
Only News of Hot Week
in Swarthmore
"MICKEY"  GOES  TO   MAINE
On Board the "WESTWARD HO"
Waterloo, Iowa
Friday, July 8, 1932.
Dear Friends,—
To date this is our greatest day of the
adventure! It is a day of "Waxing"
spirits. They were high on Monday,
July 4, the day we set sail, but by night
the Pennsylvania mountains had begun
to test the strength of the young "greyhound" and the lateness of arrival at
the crossing of the Ohio river (East
Liverpool), the hour being twelve, made
a sleepy crowd the next day. The excitement of seeing at Akron the creation
of the great sister dirigible to the "Akron", helped us somewhat to forget the
weakened motor, and its effect in the retardation of our western progress. The
doubled lure of the "World's greatest
Auto Plant" at Detroit on the third
morning out, started that day fairly well.
But the weakened motor forced an eight-
hour-late landing at Chicago that night,
and as a result it went to the hospital. A
one o'clock-to-bed at Chicago Scout
Camp Harrison that night, coupled with
the gloomy retort the next morning that
the doctor's operation on the engine
could not be completed before three in
the afternoon caused   sleepy  spirits   to
"wane". Though sleep on the bus in motion from Chicago to Freeport, 111. between five and eleven o'clock, during
which the convalescent only covered
about one hundred miles, brought back a
little new merriment, but everything went
to the rocks when the "sputter and spurt-
er" of the "21 Greyhound" said in unmistakable terms that she did not care to
run farther. But a threat at Chicago by
the director of the adventure, coupled
with the strong and faithful backing of.
our vigilant driver brought six hours of
pleasant sleep and rest in Reed's Park,
Freeport, 111. to a sudden close with the
5:00 A. M. appearance of a great, new
thirty-two passenger Greyhound to replace the cripple.
This, our fifth day out therefore was
ushered in with a shout and hurrah, with
a hurry and flurry of rolling bedding,
with the rush of transferring supplies
from the old to the new, and with an
early get-a-way from Freeport wreathed
in smiles. A short stop after 60 miles,
for ten quarts of milk and our morning
quota of oranges; a later morning stop
for showers and a real swim—(our first
one)—in a real community swimming
pool at Earl'sville, Iowa; the best meal
(Continued on Page  Two)
A few weeks ago Borough Council
discussed the advisability of allowing
only one real estate sign on a single
house or property and limiting the size
of all "for sale" and "for rent" signs. A
conference of all real estate dealers in
town was called by Wm. Sproui Lewis
chairman of the public safety committee,
and the consensus of opinion was that
such restrictions would be beneficial to
all dealers as well as to the community.
At the next meeting of council, however, Borough Solicitor Clarence G.
Myers stated that should council enact
such an ordinance it would have no
authority to enforce it so the matter was
dropped.
Reports from the Main Line section in
Montgomery County indicate that the
real estate dealers of Lower Merion,
Radnor and Haverford Townships arc
making new "sign" rulings to be enforced by their own organization. Just
how the dealer who violates the rule
will be punished is not stated but if a
plan banning all real estate signs can be
worked out in other places certainly the
signs could be restricted in some way
here.
In the Main Line section the action of
the realtors came as a result of the demands of civic associations and clubs
rather than something of their own
choice. If borough council feels unable
to make the restrictions, the real estate
men themselves should take the step and
public opinion should be brought to bear
sufficiently to see that they do so at once.
More than a score of the leading
brokers in suburban real estate in the
Philadelphia section attended the meeting. William H. Wilson, president of
William H. Wilson & Co., was applauded when he said:
"Sooner or later practically the whole
world motors down Lancaster avenue.
Ugly signs give a poor impression of this
area. I would go further than removing
the for sale and for rent signs, however.
I would eliminate all the ugly signs."
Mr. Fuller, in opening the meeting, related an instance where a property owner
on the Main Line, who did not put up
any signs, recently sold his holdings at
$1000 an acre more than the price asked
for neighboring properties.
The speaker indicated that a false im
pression of the value and desirability of
Main Line property was conveyed by the
multiplicity of signs and pointed to one
place on which eight were displayed.
The action of the suburban brokers
committee announced at the meeting was
authorized in a resolution adopted at a
meeting earlier in the week in the Philadelphia. Real Estate Board quarters. It
was referred to as "probably the most
drastic ever taken by a business group
to eliminate business signs."
• • m
WOMEN'S LEAGUE
TO HOLD FETE
Birds and animals as well as people
figure in this week's news of Swarthmore.
Everyone will be glad to hear that
"Mickey," the indescribable little curly
haired cross between a spaniel and a
poodle who can stand on his hind legs
and beg for candy longer than any
other dog in town, is leaving for Maine
today with his owners Mr. and Mrs.
Thos. K. Brown, Jr., of Dickinson avenue.
"Mickey's" absence will be noted by
many people for nearly every morning
he follows someone to the railroad station and has a regular round of stores
and friends where he begs candy. This
winter 'Mickey" suffered with rheumatism. Whether his trip to Maine will
help or whether he will have to go slow
on candy this fall remains to be seen.
It is said that "Mickey" is so accus-
timed to following a certain resident of
Yale avenue to Bretz's Newstand for a
lollypop in the morning that last winter
when his benefactor was taken ill
"Mickey" called for his lollypop alone
and his friend found 15c for lollypops
on his newspaper bill when he recovered.
Usually "Mickey" eats so much
around the business district that he is
too lazy to walk home and waits around
until he finds a parked car that hails
from his neighborhood. He thereupon
perches on the running board and waits
to be driven back to the vicinity of Yale
and Dickinson avenue in time for his
noon day round of backdoors in that
part of town.
* *   *
Mrs. ' Charles DeHart Brower of
Guernsey road, made famous last winter
by The Swarthmorean, as the happiest
woman in Swarthmore, tells a bird story
which is verified by friends who were
present.
On North Chester road near the Keystone Automobile Club Memorial lives
Arthur Richardson who has great skill
at cutting out and painting wooden
birds which look very life-like. A few
weeks ago Mrs. Brower placed one of
Mr. Richardson's wooden birds which
appeared to be a male cardinal upon
her clothes line reel.
While entertaining friends the other
evening, she reports that a female cardinal alighted near the clothes reel and
began chirping to what she thought was
a handsome young male just come to
the neighborhood.
The scornful silence of this newcomer
so riled the pretty wooer that she was
soon screeching at the top of her lungs
and hopping about with such animation
that another female was attracted to
the scene. In a moment they were
joined by a third and the three haughty
ladies expressed their contempt for the
unresponsive male in scoldings which
could be heard from all parts of the
lawn. The commotion kept up for ten
minutes until finally the three females
flew away leaving the wooden beauty
unruffled and supreme.
Mrs. Brower points out that certainly
we have a second Michael Angelo in
our midst for while that artist painted
grapes so realistically that the birds
picked at them, our own fellow Swarthmorean makes and paints birds so realistically that they have sex appeal.
* *   *
Another bird story comes indirectly
from Mrs. A. B. Chapin who says that
a few weeks ago when blackbirds and
starlings were digging Japanese Beetle
grubs out of the ground, she saw sparrows occasionally swoop down and grab
the grub from its hiding place discovered by the starling before that bird
had a chance to devour its find.
A Lawn Fete sponsored by the Women's International League is to be held
Saturday, July 23rd, from 3-10 p. m., at
"The Briars", the home of Mrs. Lucy
Biddle Lewis, 504 South Lansdowne
Avenue,  Lansdowne,  Pennsylvania.
Swimming, bridge, garden shuffleboard,
quoits, and bowls will offer plenty of
amusement for grown-ups, with games
and pony rides for the children.
■»»♦■
2nd Golf Tourney
The second summer golf tournament
of the Men's Bble class of the Presbyterian Church will be held next Thursday afternoon at the Springhaven Club.
Play will begin promptly at 3 o'clock,
♦ »»
Breaks Wrist
Mrs. Helen Hall, of Park avenue
broke her left wrist in two places last
Friday at her summer home on the
Brandywine at Northbrook.