Sacks

Sirs:

TIME--Vol. XI--No. 24--Territories--"The Pit". . . .

Those sacks that you see the natives carrying along the white, beautiful roads on Sunday morning contain, sometimes, cocks. . . . And, what about it? There is no doubt that you will find the same flask of bitter liquor, the knife, volleys of cheers and curses, and many other things in many another American sport. Cockfighting is one of their sports and they will stick to it, same as Americans stick to theirs.

I am a Porto Rican, proud of my country!

A. O. RIVERA

Lancaster, Pa.

"Drinking Man" ?

Sirs:

Is Governor Al. Smith a drinking man?

I maintain that he might occasionally take a drink but could not be classed as a drinking man.

CHAS. E. HEMPSTEAD

Cupples Company, Des Moines, la.

Candidate Smith, like many another U. S. statesman and politician, enjoys an occasional cocktail and highball, relishes a stein of cool Muenchener beer. Candidate Smith is no alcoholic, no inebriate. Neither secretaries nor friends can recall when overindulgence has forced him to shirk his official duties.' Unless all who drink are drinking men, TIME would not classify him as a drinking man.--ED.

Optometry

Sirs:

Shame on TIME! The idea of you allowing your columns to be used as a means of spreading propaganda for the medical profession to the detriment of other schools. It just goes to show that even TIME can be hoodwinked.

In your issue of June 18, under the caption Medicine you say "the irregular medical schools such as chiropractic, naturopathy, optometry (and others) are falling before the onslaught of legal medicine and legislation." Be fair TIME. Your correspondent neglected to inform you that in 1905 there were 153 medical schools in the U. S., while at present there are only 69 such schools. All professions have increased their requirements and the schools which could not meet the demand either had to consolidate with a stronger institution or else "pass out of the picture." During these years optometry has been building--true, a few of our "weak sister" schools have closed their doors, but during this same time we have established courses in Optometry at Columbia University (New York City), University of Rochester (Rochester, N. Y.), Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio), University of California (Berkeley, Calif.) and have many other institutions which confine their curricula to optometry exclusively.

Optometry is recognized as a separate profession from medicine in every state in the Union as well as in the District of Columbia. Separate Boards of Examiners in Optometry are appointed in the several states to administer the Optometry Laws.

Do you suppose, TIME, that any of your readers believe that Universities such as mentioned above would carry courses in Optometry, of four years duration, if, by placing a student in the medical school for the same length of time they could teach him to examine eyes more scientifically or more efficiently?

Inasmuch as any medical doctor immediately upon receipt of his license to practice medicine may, without any further training, practice Optometry (the science of examining eyes for refractive errors), it would be far nearer right had your correspondent said that oculists are trained at "irregular schools of optometry." Be fair TIME.

You are forgiven--you need not take my name from your subscription list (it is there and I want it to stay there). I realize that TIME has been imposed upon for propaganda purposes. But . . . TIME you do owe an apology to optometry.

C. H. KAUFMAN, O.D.

Ohio State Optometric Association, Cincinnati, Ohio.

"Bad Niggers"

Sirs:

TIME, June 11, under "Races" p. 13, you say Lee and Dave Blackman, Negroes, killed en route to Shreveport jail, "had done nothing but be born their brother's brother" and that, "the Parish people wanted more blood." You don't know what you are talking about and you are what decent Southern people call "nigger lovers." The Blackmans were bad niggers, bullies, bootleggers, makers of moonshine and thieves. Last year their father shot out the eyes of a little white boy. We live in harmony with our good niggers--strange ties of affection exist between the white gentry and the darkies. There had not been a lynching in Rapides Parish in twenty-five years, yet you call this "the customary thing." Be ashamed of your slander.

(MRS.) ANNETTE ARMAND STOLLE Alexandria, La.

Omission

Sirs:

Being a subscriber of TIME for the past year, I would like to give you some information which you carelessly overlooked.

In TIME, June 18, p. 22, you say that the

Chinese Minister to the U. S. received an honorary degree from Lafayette College--that may be so, but he is not the only one. Charles Henry Breed, Headmaster of Blair Academy, Blairstown, N. J. and many another, also received an honorary degree from the same place, and I wish you would correct your omission in the near future.

(Miss) E. G. TOLMAN TIME cannot list all honorary degrees; is glad to record here Headmaster Breed's.--ED.

Class-Ridden

Sirs:

In my morning's mail today I find This Class-Ridden Democracy and am prompted to send you just this line of recognition of what impresses me as a most unusual and decidedly original presentation of a very old question.

WARREN JACKSON

Managing Director Mississippi Coast Club, Gulfport, Miss.

This Class-Ridden Democracy, booklet about advertising, will be sent, on request, to any TiME-reader who is influential in placing advertising.--ED

Speaks Well

Sirs:

. . . May I say also that TIME helps solve a real problem for teachers of government. . . . I think that you are to be congratulated on the speed with which you cover political happenings, and get the account to your readers.

You will be interested in knowing from one of the teaching profession that many of the students who are introduced to TIME in this way, continue as regular subscribers. This speaks well for TIME, because students often acquire a dislike for things they are required to read.

W. BROOKES GRAVES

Professor of Political Science School of Commerce, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.

Index

Sirs:

I am a constant reader of TIME, the boss's copies, of course. Live in Detroit, not Manhattan. Good shows come to Detroit usually several months after the critics have passed on them in TIME. Haven't money to waste on not good shows, haven't time to go over old copies of TIME to find what TIME said several months ago. I might file clippings from the Theatre column, but:

The same principle applies, to a lesser extent for me, but a greater extent for others, perhaps, to all material in TIME so, why not a quarterly or semi-annual index to all material in TIME; not titles merely or subjects treated, but all important references. Then TIME would be an encyclopedia of current affairs, all references appearing together--corrections coupled with inaccuracies--up to date.

If TIME woods are not already filled with good indexers or would-be indexers, I offer to contract to do the job. But whether you accept or reject my idea I shan't cancel the boss's subscription, or discontinue reading TIME.

ANNA BENEDICT

Detroit, Mich.

To Reader Benedict has been mailed an index of Vol. X. TIME indices are published semiannually, are sent free to all subscribers who ask for them. Bound volumes of TIME (each containing six months' issues) can be purchased at $5 each. Empty binders (handsome) can be purchased at $3. Indices, bound volumes, binders are had at TIME'S Cleveland office. Address: Penton Bldg., Cleveland.--ED.