Swarthmorean 1932 March 18

              Vol. IV,    No. 11
Swarthmore, Pa., March 18, 1932
$2.50 Per Year
FIRE DAMAGES
M. E. CHURCH
Annual Easter Egg
Hunt Next Saturday
Entire Structure Threatened As
• Flames Gain
Headway
$4,000  DAMAGE  ESTIMATED
LONG ILLNESS
BRINGS DEATH
What threatened to be the most dis-
asterous Swarthmore fire since the burning of the Yale avenue school building
was prevented last Friday morning by
the prompt work of the local fire company at the Methodist Church on Park
avenue. Damage estimated at $4,000 was
done in the children's department of the
Sunday school, the basement, and the
ceiling of the Sunday school room.
The fire was discovered at 7 A. M. by
Mrs. Lloyd P. Stevens, wife of Rev.
Stevens, the pastor of the church, whose
home is just east of the church building.
Mrs. Stevens immediately phoned in an
alarm but the fire was already well
underway and when the apparatus- arrived members of the church who were
at the scene expressed their opinion that
the entire building was doomed.
A short circuit in the electrical wiring
of the building is thought to have caused
the blaze which spread from one corner
of the Sunday school room up the wall
and was making headway into the rafters
when discovered. By the time firemen
arrived, smoke was seeping out from
beneath the eves and the flames were just
beginning to gain momentum behind the
stairway in the wooden tower of the old
building.
Water used by the firemen did considerable damage in the old part of the
building. Three sections of the boiler
which heats the building were damaged
by the cold water and the manifold of the
oil burner was also damaged. The central
switch box for the wiring of the church
was damaged and will have to be replaced. The ceilings of several rooms
will liave to be teplastcrcd on account of
water, and water also ruined the flooring
in the old building.
No services were held in the building
last Sunday but repair work is.expected
to begin within the next few days so that
the church will be ready for occupancy
on Easter. This Sunday the regular
morning services will be held at the
Woman's Clubhouse. The Sunday school
and the evening services will not be held.
The officers and members of the
church wish to publicly express their
appreciation to the Swarthmore Fire and
Protection company for their prompt and
efficient* services at the fire which occurred at the church.
"We feel that without their prompt
assistance, the handsome church edifice
would have burned to the ground," declares Charles A. Smith, president of the
Board of Trustees.
The Queen Esther play will be postponed until further notice.
 • » m
Live bunnies, baby chicks and Easier
toys, will be given away again this year
in The Swortlwtorean's Second Annual Mrs. Charles Parker Dies. "Was
Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for next Saturday morning. The prizes will be on
display in the window of The Swarthmorean next week...
Last year more than three hundred
children took part in the hunt which was
held on the College campus. This year
the hunt will be held at a different place
Charter Member of Presbyterian Church
WAS     AN     OLD     RESIDENT
On Wednesday morning, March 16th,
Clara  Branson   Parker  passed  into  the
which  will be announced  at  11  o'clock Hfe of the Spirit.
Council Delays Again on
Setting Borough Tax Rate
TAKE STEP TO
CUT SCHOOL TAXES
next  Saturday morning  from  the west
entrance to Borough Hall.
Full details of the contest will be announced in next Friday's Swarthmorean
but it may bc said at this time that twice
as many eggs will be hidden this year as
last so that each child will have a chance
to get several. Just how the prize winning eggs will be identified will be announced next week although a new and
improved system over last year will be
used so that even the youngest child will
know when he finds an egg that entitles
him to a bunny, a chicken, or an Easter
toy.
The contest will be restricted to children ten years of age or under. Grownups are invited to come and observe thc
fun and assist ye editor in keeping three
hundred youngsters in tow.
■^ •»	
TRINITY DEDICATES
MEMORIAL WINDOW
The Albert Hill Memorial Window at
Trinity Church was dedicated last Sunday afternoon at 4:00 o'clock by The
Very Rev. James M. Collins, rector of
the Church of the Atonement, and Dean
of the Convocation of West Philadelphia. The Dedicatory prayer was made
by The Rev. George E. Nichols, D.D.,
of the First Baptist Church, of Philadelphia.
Eighteen members of the Color Guard
of the Sons of the Revolution, of which
Mr. Hill was a member, attended under
command of Col, Clarenr*- P-Franklin,
and participated in the Service.
The window, of three-lancet type, is
twenty-five feet in height and depicts
scenes from the life of Christ from the
Baptism' to the Resurrection. It was
designed and executed by Henry Lee
Willett, of Philadelphia and is the gift
of Mrs. Albert Hill and William M.
Irish, president of the Sun Oil Company,
of which Mr. Hill was Treasurer.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker have been identified with the life of Swarthmore for
many years. They were Charter Members of the Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Parker was one of the early
members of the Woman's Club and one
of the original members of the Sixteen
Luncheon Club, giving generously of her
strength and enthusiasm in every responsibility which came to her.
Besides her husband, Charles Parker,
she leaves a daughter, Helen Parker
Hardcastle of Westfield, N. J.; Ellis
Branson Parker of Swarthmore, and her
mother, Mrs. Jane Bishop Branson of
Chicago. Services will be held on Friday, March 18th, at 2 p. m. at Oliver
Bair's 1820 Chestnut St. Philadelphia,
Pa.   Interment will be private.
Everyone who knew Mrs. Parker will
always remember her charming personality, her contagious smile, her numberless kindnesses to her neighbors and
friends and her deep appreciation of the
thoughtfulness of others toward her.
During the last few years, only her
intimate friends could know how brave
and fea'rless she has been and how wonderfully she has been sustained by her
husband and children—a treasured memory for those who have seen their courage and devotion, the life of faith which
they have demonstrated.
"They are not dead who live     ,
In hearts they leave behind—
For those whom they have blessed
They live a life again
And shall live through the years
The Swarthmore school board mindful
of the protests against a threatened borough tax increase last Thursday night
took the first step towards cutting the
school budget for next year.
This step consisted of suspending for
the time being the ruling that the salaries
of  teachers who have served a certain
length of time should be increased each
year.    No teachers' salaries will  be  in-
Police   Force   Cut   From
To Four To  Cut
Expenses
Five
The borough tax rate for 1932 was still
undecided following a long discussion of
this year's budget at last night's council
meeting.
The absence of Councilmen J. Archer
Turner and Joseph S. Bates as well as
Burgess Wm. R. Landis whose advice on
... n     .  ..      t.  „       ., certain police matters was desired, caused
creased this year Dr. Arthur E  Bassett, ^ fi J(       ^^ Qn the rate       ^
president of the board announced follow- de,     d .,    next   Thursd      even;
ing  the  meeting.    This  will  mean  the J •
saving of several thousand dollars on
next year's budget. The contract of
Frank R. Morey, supervising principal,
has also been renewed with no increase in
salary.
This action in regard to Mr. Morey
was taken with his approval in spite of
an understanding that following his initial contract made when he first came
here, his salary was to be increased. Mr.
Morey stated that conditions being as
they are he would not think of asking for
an increase.
Last year the school tax was cut one-
half mill, for 1931 the tax cut was one
mill, and in the 1929 budget, one half
mill was cut.
—        •+.* —
JUNIOR SECTION
TEA TOMORROW
Successful  Bridge  Party
COUNTY WOMEN VOTERS
TO BE GUESTS HERE
On Tuesday, March 22nd, at 2 p. m. at
.the Woman's Clubhouse, at the invitation
of the Swarthmore League of Women
Voters, the Delawa1^"County League will
join with the local'.League in presenting
the program. .".
Mrs. William A. Osgood, of Philadelphia, Chairman of the Pennsylvania
League's committee on Women in Industry, will lead the discussion on "Woman,
her Place and her Problems in the Modern Industrial World." A number of
women, representing the different local
Leagues throughout the County will present various phases of the subject.
Tea will be served and a reception for
the visitors will follow the meeting. The
hour of assembling has been fixed at two
p. m. so that the visiting eounty women
may be able to remain for the social tea
hour.
All interested are cordially invited to
attend.
~ internal "Life, "iWgftW
Each day more beautiful."
Contributed—
*   *   *
In the death of Mrs. Charles Parker
Swarthmore has lost a highly esteemed
and much beloved resident.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker were among the
early residents here, and were prominent
in all activities for the welfare of the
Borough and to such people Swarthmore
owes a great debt. Their home on Princeton avenue, where they lived for many
years, was always open to their friends,
The third of the successful series of of whom they had many,
benefit bridge parties for its members and It is a difficult task to think of Swarth-
their guests, being conducted by the Jun- niore without Clara Parker, for, though
ior Section of the Woman's Club, will be she was ill for a long time, she never lost
held at the Clubhouse Tuesday evening, interest in the town, or in her friends, or
March 22nd, at 8:15 o'clock. in whatever was going on which might
The charge is 25c for each person, and be of benefit to Swarthmore, and her
an effort is being made to have each outlook upon life was always bright and
member get up a separate table. These optimistic, a reflection of her own nature,
bridge parties are proving a splendid wayj She was an ideal wife and mother, an
to earn money for the assistance of the ideal neighbor and a loving friend,
needy family the Juniors are helping. J To us, her friends and neighbors, she
..„*..«, | ^ag meant much to us, she has left beauti-
Mr.   and   Mrs.   Harry   Cookman   and ful memories, and thus we shall hold her
Miss Mary Cookman, of College avenue, always in loving memory, knowing that
Saturday afternoon, March 19, the
Woman's Club is to be the scene of a
festive St. Patrick's Day Tea, which the
Junior section of the Woman' sClub is
giving in honor of the members of the
Senior Club.
Tea will be served from 3:30 until
5 o'clock, and all the Senior members are
most cordially invited.
Junior Committee.    She will be assisted
by the following sub-committees:
Decorating: Mrs. Richard Ammerman,
chairman, Mrs. Wm Sherwood, and Don
Price.
Food:  Mrs. Henry Mock, Miss Mae
Keech, Mrs. Albert N. Garrett, Jr., Mrs
Copeland Palmer, Miss Pauline Wagner,
Miss Muriel Mann, Mrs. Harlan Jessup
and Mrs. Robert E. Sharpies.
Music: Miss Catherine Hershey and
Miss Barbara Turner.
and   Mrs.   Edgar  Reynolds,  of   Swarth
more avenue, have returned from Southern Pines, N. C.
"She is not dead,
She is just away".
Eleanor S.
Perry.
Hygiene Examination Papers
Show Up College Freshman
♦ » m
MISSIONARY DINNER
POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
The Woman's Foreign Missionary dinner that was to have been held in the
Methodist Church on Wednesday, March
23 has. been postponed. In. its place the
regular monthly meeting will be held at
the home.of Mrs. William Earle Kistler
on Tuesday evening, March 22nd at 8
o'clock. Miss Emilie Loveless a coworker with- Miss Gwendolyn Narbeth in
Constantine, North Africa, will be present and address the meeting. .The. Calico
Mite Bags will be returned at that-time.
Men are also welcome. -'       '-'-
For many years one of the least interesting courses of study required of
freshmen men and women at Swarthmore College is said to have been that of
Hygiene. A few weeks ago, open rebellion made its appearance in the form
of letters to the College newspaper, The
Phoenix, pointing out that the course
was too elementary and represented only
a waste of time for those required to take
it.
In replying to this accusation Dorothy
L. Ashton, lecturer in Hygiene, scores
mightly in the discussion by including in
a letter to The Phoenix excerpts from
some of the more noteworthy examination papers of the Freshmen women.
"These answers were made by students
who have had lectures with free discussion for a semester and have also referred to a text book," says Mrs. Ashton.
Q. Give the points of a good shoe.
A. A good shoe should not difform the
foot. ,t
It should have a straight line.
It should have a flat line on the inside
of the foot.
Q. Describe briefly the lungs.
A. There are two lungs that completely
fill the upper part of the diaphram.
The trachea is a tube behind the oeso
phagul.
The lungs are two oval-shaped things
on either side of the heart.
The lungs might well be compared to
two inflated tubes.
The lungs are connected with the
respiratory system.
The lungs are a pair of rather smallish
looking organs situated in the rightish
side of the body.
Q. Name three constituents of the
blood and give their functions.
A. Plazums are a liquid which makes
it possible for the blood to flow.
Someone wrote, "Artificial immunity
means ways of birth control." There
were two references to "soar throat".
One rather embracing answer to the
question, "In what part of the alimentary
tract does the chief absorption take
place?" ran thus, "The chief^absorption
takes place in the stomach. The substance it wants it keeps, but the rest continues on its downward journey down
through the kidney or bladder."
Mrs.   Ashton  concludes  her  reply  to
critics of the course by stating that en-
. tVance  examinations  might  be  used  to
weed  out  those   for  whom  the  course
would be mere repetition.
LEGION DRIVE FOR
JOBS WELL BEGUN
The Legion's block plan to afford em
ployment to those neecHtig and desiring
it is being carried out this week, and the
results should be available for our next
issue.
The   canvas sing   of   Swarthmore's
householders  is  over fifty per cent ac
complished   and   the   Legion  desires   to
thank the  other  Swarthmore Organiza
tions  for their whole-hearted and active
support of the plan.
The question has arisen as to the period of time covered by the pledges. This
is tentatively placed at four months, but
it is hoped that many householders will
continue the benefits as long as possible
or until the need becomes less acute.
Should there be any householders who
cannot supply work under this plan, but
when a special meeting will be held.
As council adjourned last night the following facts stood out in the budget situation :
There is no way to cut the' mill and a
half increase demanded by the sinking
fund in 1932.
The half mill library tax approved by
the voters last year must be provided.
The general tax can be cut one mill by
cutting salaries and making general reductions in department budgets. This will
mean a one mill increase-i"-the total
tax rate or a rate o{ 'rTmill/i for 1932.    -
The general tax rate can be cut two
mills by Omitting the $5,000 in the highway 'department for resurfacing. This
would keep the total borough tax rate the
same as last year.
Last night council took definite steps
towards making savings which will decrease the general tax one mill. When
balanced against the 1 % mill increase for
the sinking fund and the half mill library
tax, this will necessitate only a one mill
increase in the total tax rate. Next
Thursday night's meeting will require a
decision as to whether or not the resurfacing item is to be omitted or maintained, representing as it does a single mil!
tax in either direction,
r.- Is^citttingL -ap?.r .-ri-u-nc- of" diffwer:*.
departments last night to the extent of
one mill, one of the most important decisions was to cut the police force from
five to four men. This change together
with several other items totaled a saving
in the Public Safety Department appropriation of $1572.67 as against the
previous total of that department.
Only in the instance of the three colored workmen who take care of the borough streets and sewers were salary cuts
definitely decided. Possibilities of a ten
per cent cut in the police captain's salary,
a five per cent cut in patrolmen's salaries,
a 10% cut in borough secretary and the borough stenographer's salaries, and a cut in the solicitor's fee from
$1000 to $800, were discussed at length
but were postponed for final decision next
week. Some members of council felt
that if any salaries are cut, all should be
cut. Others felt that the borough patrolmen are receiving low enough wages
now and that only the captain should be
cut. Others felt that the present salary
of the borough secretary was not too
high regardless of conditions.
In order to make up for the decrease
in the number of policemen on the force,
council went on record as desiring that
only one man should be on duty during
the day and that he should spend all of
his time outside the police office. Detail
work within the office such as answering
the telephone etc. is to be done by the
borough  secretary or  his   stenographer.
wish  to participate in the idea or pur-  _,. -   -
pose of the plan, they can signify their. ™* ",5.t_Jf>rce of  three men W,U be
desire to afford the equivalent asked  in
the pledges by contributing 30 cents a
week to the Community Health Center,
where the money will be used to provide
employment. Such contributions should
be sent to Mrs. Ellwood B. Chapman,
Treasurer.
As previously stated an effort will be
made to assign a worker to certain geographical areas, so that the same worker
will report to the same group of homes
each month. Fifty-five such areas have
been outlined and we hope to keep 55
workers busy for enough days each
week to enable them to live.
■*♦»
BAND IS GUEST
AT HIGH SCHOOL
Today the Darby Band will be entertained at the high school. They will play
in the senior assembly at one o'clock.
This promises to be a treat and is being
looked forward to by the student body.
The band will be served in the school
cafeteria,   before 'the   programe;    even
musicians eat you know.
♦—»     .—   ■
Mrs. H. R. Faringer, or Harvard avenue, recently entertained at luncheon and
bridge.   •
kept the same.
T. E. Hessenbruch, chairman of the
Sewer committee, saw the appropriation
of his committee cut from $4940, the last
previous figure, to $1640. The Public
Property committee gave up $300 which
had been budgeted for the new tool
houses and store room on Dartmouth
avenue.
In going over the Public Saftey budget,
Councilman Lewis, chairman of that
committee, recommended that the extra
telephone recently installed in the borough council room should be taken out
and also that the elaborate telephone signal system added to the police "department
equipment last year should be removed.
In the Highway department, the three
borough workmen who kept the streets
clean etc. received a cut in wages of
from 50c an hour to 40c an hour. Action
on the $5000 in the budget for street resurfacing was delayed until the special
meeting.
The items discussed under the accounts' committee included an appropriation of $1000 for extra services of the
solicitor. This was eliminated. Salary
cuts of the borough secretary, solicitor,
and the borough secretary's stenographer
were discussed but action was deferred
until the next meeting.
-*.-«