PAGE EIGHT
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1950
Congressional Library Utopia For Borrowers
Washington—(U.P.)—An only slightly abashed public official dumped on the Library of Congress counter a book he had borrowed in 1934. The librarian who restored it to its place among 8,689,638 other volumes presumably had her own thoughts on the quality and speed of the official's reading.
However, she is said to have suppressed a polite yawn and then to have checked off the volume on records that had carried it year after year as "out on loan."
Public libraries fine readers who keep books out too long. The library of Congress, which lends to lawmakers and some government officials, just smiles at its slow readers and says "please."
After all, Congress owns the place.
"We almost never consider a book lost," said one library official. "We just call it overdue."
Daniel Webster went to Congress in 1813. Sometimes thereafter he lugged home the library's copy of the proceedings of the 1787 convention at which the constitution was drafted.
One of his heirs returned it about 10 years ago.
Webster was neither the first nor the last congressman to exceed the 30-day limit on borrowings and the record for tardiness. Most lawmakers pass librarian David Mearns, are “micticulous” about observing the “micticulous”
Mearns is reluctant to say much about those who aren't. It is a fact, however, that many a congressman's book shelf embraces one or more dust-covered volumes from the Library of Congress.
Politically prodding the delinquent readers is a duty that falls to Miss Elsie Rackstraw, chief of the loan division. Miss Rackstraw's friends are also classed as a diplomat. She doesn't have much time to be a librarian.
Every hour the library's truck groans out of the basement with a full load of books for the house and senate office buildings. On the way back, with a return load, it never is quite so full.
Like everybody else on Capitol Hill, library officials keep close watch on the election returns. Their interest is in those members who don't come back; maybe they are holding some books.
If so, the library generally gets them, when the departing members clean out their offices.
Now and then a Library of Congress book winds up in a bookseller's shop. The bookseller, Mearns says, "invariably" sends the book back. Every library book carries one on its cover or plate, but also identifying marks stamped into the flyleaf and the bottom of page 99.
From time to time there is talk about "educating" House and Senate members on the need for prompt returns. This probably won't come to the librarians figure.
The library last year lent 167,498 volumes. The question of delinquent borrowers is such a touchy one that in their annual report library officials don't even say how many of the loans came back.
Postoffice Knows Governor's Face
St. Paul, Minn.—(U.P.)—A picture of Gov. Luther Youngdahl pasted on the face of the envelope was the only address on a letter he received.
The picture had been clipped from a newspaper and the letter came from Mrs. Elizabeth N. Fischer, postmistress at Streeter, N.D.
She explained that her hobby is collecting personal letters and autographed photographs of persons in the news. She asked Governor Youngdahl for a letter and a picture to add to her collection, which includes replies from Herbert Hoover, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Sister Elizabeth Kenney.
YOUR EYES
Turney To Attend Counselor Meeting
Dr. A. H. Turney, director of the K. U. guidance bureau, will leave Saturday to attend a regional conference on counselor training and personnel work, being held at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, from Monday Jan. 16 through Friday, Jan. 20.
should be examined today. Call for appointment. Any lens or Prescription Duplicated.
Phone 425 1025 Mass.
Lawrence Optical Co.
Dr Turney will be accompanied by Mr. Ramon L. Charles, supervisor of the guidance service bureau of Topeka.
The conference will be held at the request of and in cooperation with the occupational information and guidance service office of education, and Federal Security agency. It will deal with the training of counselors for public schools. Persons attending will be counselor trainers or state directors. Twelve Middle west states will be represented.
University of Oklahoma basketball game, 7:30 p.m., Hoch auditorium.
Kansan Calendar of Coming Events
Saturday, Jan. 7 Sophomore dance, 9 p.m. to midnight, Union ballroom.
Fridav. Jan. 6
Paganini string quartet, 8 p.m.,
Strong hall auditorium.
tuesday, Jan. 11
KU. band concert, 8 p.m. Hoch auditorium.
Kansas City Philharmonic orchestra, 8:20 p.m. Hoch auditorium.
Monday. Jan. 16
Thursday, Jan. 19 Final examinations begin.
examinations begin Monday. Jan. 30
Enrollment begins for the spring semester.
Current Exhibits
Fur exhibit through Jan. 31, Museum of Natural History.
Each State County Has Student At KU
Douglas county leads the list with 790 students. Included on that list are residents of other counties who are now living at Sunflower or Sunnyside. Other counties high on the list are Wyandotte with 555, Shawnee with 409, Johnson with 405, and Sedgewick with 400.
Each of the 105 counties in Kansas is represented by at least one student at the University.
Hodgeman and Wichita counties have only one student enrolled in the University.
Read the Want Ads Daily.
Washington—(U.P.)-Latest surveys show American farm families regard sewing machines and radios as prime necessities, while central heating and college educations are looked on as luxuries.
High Education Judged Luxury
Those facts and others on rural home and community life were contained in a speech at the 27th annual agricultural conference in Washington by T. Wilson Longmore, social scientist.
Mr. Longmore discussed the inter-dependence of city and country folk and the rising level of living among farmers. He made long-range predictions on what farm families will buy in the future—based on data showing their present desire for certain items.
The scientist said statistics furnished by various federal agencies show that 83 per cent of farm families own radios, and 82 per cent own sewing machines. This high percentage of ownership indicates that those devices are classed as necessities by rural people, he said.
Mr. Longmore's next category was for semi-necessary items, so labeled because more than one-half of them families owned them. The latter group includes magazines, newspapers, electricity, automobiles, and self-heating irons.
Classed as "luxuries," along with central heating and college educations, were such things as power washing machines, electric refrigerators, elephones, cleaning water systems, dishwashers, cleaners, bathrooms and electric ranges.
Mr. Longmore said the data indicated that the level of living index was rising about 5 per cent each year, meaning that more and more people are in the items selected as being important in the American way of life.
He said if the present buying trends in rural areas continue, it is theoretically possible that all farms will have radios by 1952 and electricity by 1955. He added that present trends indicate all farm families will have all-weather roads accessible to them by 1957, and rural women will have all their babies in hospitals by 1953.
On the other hand, statistics reveal that telephones and running water can be installed on all farms between 1970 or 1980, Mr. Longmore said.
Mr. Longmore said figures show that rural and city economics are so intertwined that the farther a farmer lives from an urban area the lower his level of living is apt to be.
However, he predicted a gradual lifting of this level. He said the parity concept in bolstering agricultural prices "undoubtedly has been one of the great social inventions of our times designed to bring better levels of living to farm people."
Wilmington, N. C.—(U.P.)—One of the nation's oldest paper boys is no boy. A two-mile route in nearby Hampstead is carried by Jane Shingleton, 65. Miss Shingleton has carried the Wilmington Star-News on foot for two years, walking about two miles a day with her papers. She also helps deliver the mail, another five miles a day.
Paper Boy A Woman
It's Hunsingers
for:
- Towing Service
- Car Storage
- Motor Tune-up
HUNSINGER MOTORS
- Radiator Repair
922 Mass.
Ph.12
"I wish Worthal had his accordian here—He's never quite caught on to the piano keyboard."
Learn Square Dance Calling
Minneapolis, Minn. — (U.P.)—Christmas spirit on the University of Minnesota campus isn't confined to the holiday season. University students during the 1948-49 academic year contributed $34,117 to campus charity funds and gave 11,091 hours of work on 372 charitable projects.
Morgantown, W. Va. (U.P.) Square dance callers are being trained at West Virginia University. Students at Mountainair, the recreation center, have formed the square dance club to sponsor the events and to instruct its members in the art of calling dances.
$34,117 Given Charities
--If you discovered your formal (or tux) was not ready for the dance and it's only 3 days away!
You Would Be Scared Too - -
Sure, you'll worry about what can be done to have it ready, and yet finished with expert care.
But your eyes will light up when we tell you we can do it easily in 3 days --and there's no greater expert than our
Air-Steam Finish
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LAWRENCE LAUNDRY AND DRY CLEANERS
Call 383
1001 New Hamp.