Indianapolis Times, Volume 45, Number 236, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 February 1934 — Page 4

PAGE 4

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E *•>## - Oh* him *>i People Will Their Oven Woe

SATURDAY. PEB 10. 1934. MI ST REFORM THEMSELVES ‘"E'OUR out of five have it.” This slogan may he applied with some Justice to the personnel of the newly appointed tearher training survey committee for the Indiana state schools. The “it" in this case means “educationitis,” our own word, meaning intensive training in teaching teachers to teach. Purpose of the survey, as announced by the state superintendents, is to determine tc what extent this business of educating educators has gotten out of bounds. It has been charged that the curriculum in the two state normal schools and also at Purdue and Indiana universities has become cluttered up with “nonsense courses” in educational technique. When Floyd I McMurray, new state superintendent, decided to learn the truth about the matter the survey committee idea was used. Personnel of the survey committee was selected by the teacher-training committee of the state board of education. These selections were approved by the full board. Out of the seven named, four are "professional educationists,” and at least one has been instrumental in inaugurating the courses which are causing the problem. This is Dean Henry L. Smith of the Indiana university school of education. When effort was made to reduce teacher training hours required for a high school teacher’s certificate, Dean Smith was first in the field to defend the present setup. He sent circular letters to members of his educational fraternity to rally support for the status quo. The nineteen-hour requirement still remains, despite the piea of some 250 professors in various colleges of the state to reduce it to twelve. They would shift the time from teaching to teach to learning something about the subject taught. Other “educationists” on the survey committee are President Ralph N. Tirey of Indi- * ana State teachers* college. Terre Haute; Dr. George L. Brandenburg, head of the Purdue department of education, and Dr. Earl Bowman, director of student teaching at Oe Pauw. Mr. Tirey, until last month, was superintendent of the Bloomington schools and taught summer school classes In school administration at Indiana university under Dean Smith. Criticism already has arisen regarding the committee on the grounds that the ’no nonsense” viewpoint is not represented sufficiently. The question now arises, will the committee be courageous enough to admit errors, if they are its own? Will it recommend reducing courses in tecnique to bare essentials, thus giving time for prospective teachers to learn something to teach?

TRUE PATRIOTISM "POLITICAL graft could not exist if no one would pay to receive special privileges from corrupt public officials. Big business has frequently yielded to temptation to place a big order with some governmental department. That is why the conduct of the MarmonHerrington Company in the present scandal over war department truck contracts is so refreshing. The story runs that a couple of smooth gentlemen offered to have truck specifications rigged so that the Marmon concern could place a big truck order. A motor car company can not afford to turn down big orders in these days. But did the Marmon officers talk business with these alleged fixers? They dIJ not. Instead they went to Washington and talked to the department of Justice. Indianapolis well may be proud of these men: Colonel A. W. Herrington, president of Marmon: Daniel C Glossbrenner and Bert Dingley. Colonel Herrington and Mr. Glossbrenner are veterans and members of the reserve corps. Mr. Dingley could not sene in the World war because of physical disability, but he had an important part in the development of the Liberty motor. These three gentlemen had too much respect for the United States army, for good government and for their own business integrity to become involved in a shady deal. They acted the part of true patriots even though it cost them money to do so. We feel certain that the financial loss only will be temporary. Men with such a high sense of public duty and honor must be producing a mighty fine product in their factoryone which the public at large will be quick to recognize and purchase. THE STOCK MARKET BILL nnHE stoc* exchange regulation bill, which this newspaper and others have been demanding. at last has been introduced by the administration. Detailed study of this measure may reveal defects, and certainly later experience will produce future amendments. But our initial impression of the bill is that It is an excellent compromise between the hands-off school and the strait-jacket advocates. The administration's original intention of delaying this legislation until next session was an obvious mistake, which is now happily to be corrected. With the experience of the unregulated boomlet of last summer, and subsequent stock rigging, fresh in our minds—not to mention the prospects of another boon, this spring—it is essential that the law be put on the statute books promptly. Under ordinary circumstances it might be wise to await completion of the senate's banking and stock market investigation, which probably will require

another year, but this emergency calls for emergency legislation. Two different approaches were suggested. One was for congress to pass detailed legislation outlawing improper practices, and leave It to regular law agencies to enforce. The other was to give a special federal agency wide discretionary power to fix and enforce regulatory measures. The latter approach was suggested last week by the President’s committee of experts. At that time we expressed the opinion that the advantages of the two methods could be combined; that the law specifically should outlaw clear leaving border line cases to the federal trade commission with wide discretionary power. In general, this line has been followed in the administration bill introduced yesterday. Thus, while pools and certain forms of manipulation are outlawed by the bill, other devices such as short selling and specialists’ activities are to be controlled by the commission’s regulations. On the difficult subject of margins there would be a flexible standard with loans up to 80 per cent of the lowest price of the security during the preceding three years or up to 40 per cent of the current market price, with further discretionary power in the hands of the commission. This illustrates the effort of the administration authors of the bill to make it as flexible as possible to meet regulatory requirements of the most erratic business in the world. On the enforcement side there is the very important provision that those injured by violators of the law may recover civil damages. Throughout the bill the obvious purpose is to comply with what the President described in his special message as “regulation by the federal government of the operations of exchanges ... for the protection of investors, for the safeguarding of values, and so far as may be possible for the elimination of unnecessary, unwise and destructive speculation.” In the congressional debates and public discussion the thing to remember is that the law not only will touch those who trade on the stock exchange, but every citizen of the United States; Wall Street for better or worse influences all business, all prices and the livelihood of every one of us. That is sufficient justification for putting teeth in this law.

NO MORE BREADLINES 'T'HE senate movement to add $2,000,000,000 -*• or some such substantial sum to the house appropriation of $450,000,000 for carrying the civil works administration through next winter will be backed by an overwhelming majority of the American people. The United States conference of mayors estimates that, even considering the expected spring business pickup, farm planting and long-range public works, without CWA there would be 9,000.000 to 10,000,000 people jobless this summer. The government must carry its 3,400,000 dependent families on relief and its army of 4.000,000 CWA workers until public works and private industry take up the slack. These workers can not be demobilized suddenly on May 1, much less on April 1. We can criticize some aspects of CWA, the haphazard nature of some of its projects, the scattered evidences of politics, incompetence and graft, the relative planlessness of the whole adventure. But these are, after all, insignificant compared with the wholesale salvage of human beings it has wrought. And the defects in large measure can be remedied in the projects to come. Some critics look upon CWA as a gigantic dole that is being poured into an economic rat hole. These fail to count its tremendous dividends in human welfare, happier homes, improved cities and countrysides, and in revived business activity. Every dollar paid to a CWA worker goes immediately into circulation, buying things. If it is a dole for the worker it also is a dole for business. When congress leaves Washington it should leave behind an authorization for ample funds to carry the CWA over until its return next January. If congress provides a niggardly sum it may condemn millions of Americans to the bread lines and hurt business.

STREETS OF PARIS THE streets of Paris, most beautiful and romantic to look at in all of Europe, are the home of a mob —a mob whose tradition goes back for centuries, a mob which has changed dynasties, altered the destinies of nations and changed the course of world history. This mob dates ’way back to the middle ages, when factions of rival claimants to royal power scuffled and fought along the muddy alleys by the Seine. It has been repressed over and over again, so that people have forgotten it, and a visitor to the most civilized city in the world - ’ never dreams of its existence. But it is always there, dark below the surface, ready to break loose when its hour comes. A little thing can bring it up. In 1789 the French government was unable to balance its budget. Out of the ensuing deliberations came confusion, and in the confusion the tocsin was sounded: and the mob swept up from nowhere, to tear down the Bastille, roll a king’s head in the dirt, turn raw democracy loose on a startled world, set off a ferment that is still working—and to subside, finally, only before Napoleons famous whiff of grapeshot. It rose again in 1830. and again in 1848, and again in 1871. It has fought with paving stones and pikes, with clubs and with rifles. It has ruled all of France and it has set Europe to shuddering. Because of it the guillotine has clanked, and soldiers have killed one another in Spain and Italy and on the plains before Moscow. Forever repressed. It is forever arising anew. In the broad Place de la Concorde, where the mob of 1934 battled the troops. Louis XVI lost his head—and Danton, and Marie Antoinette, and Charlotte Cordav, and many another. And as the barricades went up the other day, and all of France rocked with turmoil. the specter of the unaccountable once more leered at Europe. The mob of Paris was up again! A professor suggests anew capital for the United States, to be a city midway on the Mississippi. But whai good would it do the people, as soon as all the congressmen find out about It? Two duelists in France shot at each other three times and missed both ways. That’s why the latest revolt in France woh’t amount to much.

AIRMAIL GOES THROUGH XT THEN anything is as rotten as the an mail * * subsidy business the remedy is to dump it down the sewer. That is what President Roosevelt has done. It required courage. Patronage and congressional feelings are involved. The biggest financial interests in the country are involved. But the President has done the job that had to be done. For awhile it was hoped that only a. few companies were mixed up in the obrious favoritism, and the alleged collusion or fraud. But as the revelations continued it appeared that many if not most of the lines wore infected. The administration had to move in a wide fronf. It was necessary not only to restore honest dealings in government contracts and clean out an essential public service. It also was necessary for the administration to restore public confidence. The scandals flowing out of Washington during the last fortnight have been injuring the morale of the country at a very critical time. Drastic administration action on profiteering by aviation and ship companies with army and navy contracts, and even worse practices by army motor contractors, also is needed to steady the public’s nerves. In announcing cancellation of all domestic air mail contracts the President has ordered the postmaster-general to operate necessary routes with army pilots', planes, equipment and fields. Even as a temporary measure, in some cases this may run for five years. Whether the government later will revert to the private subsidy system under stricter federal regulation, or will extend this temporary method into permanent government operation, is a question on which the administration is open-minded. If the investigations reveal more muck in the private operation system and if experience shows that government opei~'.ion is successful, there will be no public incentive to return to the now discredited subsidy system. EATING AND WORKING TJEOPLE who have to work for a living—which, in one way or another, includes just about all of us—will be interested in the recent statement of Dr. N. I. Krasnogowski, famous Russian physician, that the human brain needs to loaf for about an hour after one eats a meal. To be sure, most people who have enjoyed the feeling of mental lassitude that follows a good dinner always have suspected this. But the Russian doctor made laboratory tests to prove this point. i Nerve reactions are definitely slower after one has eaten, and usually about one hour elapses before they attain normal speed again. And the worker profitably might take heed of this fact when he goes to lunch. If the brain loafs after a meal, it logically follows that it loafs more after a heavy meal than after a light one. The wage-earner who does anything resembling brain work will find his efficiency badly impaired if he stuffs a big feed into himself every day at the noon hour.

Liberal Viewpoint —By DR. HARRY ELMER KARNES -----

ONE should extend hearty congratulations to former Secretary Ogden Mills for his enlightenment and cfcmrage in recommending a modification of the high protective tariff in his speech at Topeka recently.' Among other things he said: “I prefer to turn my attention to the possibilities, among others, of recovering lost markets and to the stimulation of increased consumption not only through the restoration of purchasing power at home, but through the promotion of a greater prosperity and a higher standard of living the world over. “Granted that the difficulties are enormous and that much time and patience will be required, this is even more true of the self-con-tainment program. “We will have to abandon the present policy of isolation and intense nationalism and to some extent modify recent tariff practices.” We will give Mr. Mills the benefit of the doubt and assume that this represents his real belief. If so, our regard for political campaign as a means of public education is not increased by this fact. Mr. Mills opened the campaign for the reelection of Mr. Hoover by a speech at Faneuil Hall in Boston on July 11, 1932. At this time he talked a different language. Vigorously assailing Mr. Roosevelt’s proposals for liberalizing the tariff, he said: “I don’t know any subject in American political life that is responsible for more buncombe than the tariff controversy. Let this be said in favor of the Republican party: It has stood steadfastly and still stands by the protective principle, and can without violation of policy apply this principle to natural resources.” It is also interesting in this connection to remember the speech of Mr. Mills’ chief in the autumn of 1932 when he predicted that blades of grass would rear their ugly heads through the pavements of New York City if we tinkered with the sacred principles of protection and national self-sufficiency. a a tt NEITHER the personality nor the policies of Samuel Insull have ever charmed me. But it is certainly not in the interest of the clarification of public thought to make him out a unique scoundrel or to let him serve as the goat for the evil financial manipulations of the electric utilities during the last generation. My. Insull was as ruthless as any last one of the utility kings. He built his paper pyramids recklessly. He was arrogant and uncharitable to competitors and lesser concerns. He had no hesitation in corrupting politics to gain protection for his utility interests. He played his part in the prostitution. of the government of Chicago. He extorted high rates from the masses who used his electric current. Thousands of unsuspecting investors were ruined through putting their money into an enterprise which Mr. Insull assured them was as impregnable as Gibraltar. I once interviewed him personally on the utility question and found him characteristically willing to disseminate the grossest misinformation about the character of the electric utility industry and the menace of public ownership. NEVERTHELESS, if we want to get ahead in any large way in this field, we must remember that it is a whole industry and a system of finance which was and is at fault. Asa business man or a personality, Mr. Insull was not a whit more irresponsible or arrogant than many an eastern utility magnate who is not a fugitive abroad, but still remains a respected pniar of American economic society. The reason for Mr. Insull's collapse was not that he was worse than the rest of these, but that he was brave or foolish enough not to play alcng with Wall street and the eastern utility interests. Therefore, they set out to get him, and were able to do so because of vast loans which he had contracted during the prosperous age and fell due in the lean years. Insull was not able to duplicate Henrv Ford's feat by defying Wall Street and raising his own funds. Those who were ruined bv the Insull collapse have to thank not Insull alone, but, even more, the Wall Street bankers and utility interests who forced him to the wall, wholly regardless of the thousands of small investors inevitably impoverished by their procedure.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns. Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Limit them to foo words or less.) a a a BOTH SIDES GIVEN TO MALLORY PLANT ATTACK By an Employee and Observer. The President said “Any organization that can not pay a living wage has no right to exist in our national life.” When the NRA went into effect, P. R. Mallory Company adopted the toy code for their whole plant. The bulk of their business is in manufacturing electrical appliances, etc. They also published in The Times how they had increased their force and raised wages. This was in effect but a short while, but long enough to make people think P. R Mallory Company had conformed to all the rules of the NRA. # In one department where all work is on production basis some piecework rates have been cut one-half of the original price. In a number of cases it is impossible to make 30 cents an hour, if by any chance you are making a decent rate, the time study men slip up behind and time the job, then cut it, without you ever knowing the difference. Places like this have a tendency to lower the standard of living to nothing short of grim poverty and squalor. If the employes lived according to their wages they would all have shacks on White river. Instead of a helpful force in our industrial life it is a negative force pulling against progress, depressing the standard of living, destructive to the contentment and well being of our social life. Times are changing rapidly now, and the period is not far off when industrial organizations as un-Amer-ican as P. R. Mallory's will be reckoned with and I want to be in the front ranks when that day is here.

Editor’s Note—The P. R. Mallory Company says it is operating under the electrical code and has not been operating under the toy code recently, due to slack business in toy lines. The minimum of the electrical code is 32 cents an hour with fast workers able to make 40 cents an hour. Some departments are working thirty-six hours a week and some as few as fifteen hours. The company says that on new items manufactured that sometimes a piece-work rate is set and then cut later when it is found that it can be done more quickly. Tire company says regardless of this that every piece-worker is assured 32 cents an hour for experienced workers and 26 cents as a minmum for beginners. If the worker falls below, because of slowness, the company must make up the difference in wages. This has been done, company officials said.

TROUBLE AHEAD, SAY CITY ASTROLOGERS By W. Glen Henson and Chris Micoloff. An eclipse of the sun occurs on Feb. 13, in the twenty-fourth degree of the zodiacal sign, Aquarius. The eclipse falls in a section of the astrological chart, as drawn up for the United States, which rules the army, navy and air forces. Therefore, we can well expect these factors of national defense to come into the public’s eye during the current month, particularly between the 10th and 20th. Considering that the eclipse is in! a favorable position relative to the other planets of the solar system we would judge that congress mighi appropriate added revenue for extra equipment for the national defense. Alan Leo, capable English astrologer, states in his book on Mundane Astrology, that when an eclipse falls in this era of the heavens, it causes high winds and

| f: | .V. I £ ’MB I M

The Message Center

SIDESHOW ON THE CAMPUS

Forget the G. 0. P., Mr. Mills

Ogden Mills’ recent criticism of the administration’s and our President’s efforts to attain economic recovery may be what can be called constructive criticism and, while perhaps it may not do any harm, it seems to the writer Mr. Wills would have done better had he not given this kind of bunk to the public. What does Mr. Wills suggest Mr. Hoover would have done had he been re-elected President? Haul down the sails, no doubt, sit tight, and let the old ship of state run on the rocks, and only those who had the money to buy a life preserver possibly could survive, while thirteen million of us

destructive storms; upsets in legislative bodies; foreign flairs cause trouble; disturbed or changed relations between the nations. Danger of extreme aggression of nations toward each other as the result of quarrels relating to treaties or alliances. From our own observation we judge that labor strikes are liable to occur this month. Some scandal involving high governmental officials will arise. Also the death of some prominent official in the government will cause the public considerable excitement. Roosevelt will make considerable progress toward the stabilization of the dollar. Air accidents will occur. Congress will be upset generally. We might lose some member of congress in an air accident. The stock market is due for another period of sensational activity. The miners will benefit through legislation. But above all other issues the dollar still holds the spotlight. The eclipse falls in opposition to the great fixed star, Regulus, significator qf rulers having great power. This is not a very good position for dictators so watch Hitler's moves at this period. In all probability he is due for some considerable set-backs, at home and abroad. Roosevelt will come into the spotlight again with some radically new form of economic stabilization. Some attempt to supress the press is likely to be presented to congress. There will be danger of more earthquakes and explosions in various parts of the world. The key- j word of the month is disruption. I

A Woman’s Viewpoint MRS WALTER FERGUSON . r-

TODAY we hear from a young woman who seems to possess a fair share of common sense. “I consider myself a representative American girl,” she writes, “no better and certainly no worse than the average. I’ve a college education, some experience in business and with all that am fond of dabbling about in the kitchen. I know very well I could run a home efficiently, and that, while I would probably not shine, I would not be a discredit to any social group. I never have deluded myself into thinking I could find a superman, but I had hoped to meet boys who had a reasonable amount of intelligence and some sense of justice. I'm just about to give up in despair. “At times, I have made friends with one who seemed far above the ordinary, with what I thought were superior mental qualifications, but almost invariably these men were so fearfully conceited that a girl has to pose as a nitwit if she hopes to retain their interest. a a a “T SOON discovered that the A brainy ones would brook, no

[I wholly disapprove of what you say and will 1 defend to the death your right to say it — Voltaire. J

could drown. Prosperity would be just around the corner. Many things prevent our entire population from pulling together in a united effort to put America back on its feet, crime, selfishness, lack of ethics in business, and last but not the least of a long list are the dyed-in-the-wool politicians. If Mr. Mills could forget about the Republican party for a year or two and, as an American citizen, give his aid to another great American, instead of criticising Mr. Roosevelt and the administration, he would look much better in the public eye, and, at the same time, serve his country in its war against the depression.

STANDARDIZATION OF MONEY IS URGED By T. M. Squawky. Since it has perhaps become necessary to readjust the value of the gold money of the United States, according to the market value of gold bullion (at least gold money should be valued according to the market value of gold bullion) what a pity that all the countries of the world can not be persuaded to enter Into an agreement for the world standardization of gold money at this time at the market value of gold bullion. Perhaps world gold coins could be standardized by using one-ounce gold coins as the smallest coin, on up to the number of ounce practicable for coins, regulating world silver coins in the same way, one ounce silver coins up to the number of ounces silver coin would be practicable for money. World money long has been needed. The traveler from other lands would find it very fine if he could travel with the knowledge that his coins were just the same value in Japan as in Antarctica; in the United States as in Russia. It long has been an impediment to travel, commerce and world peace for each country to coin money not according to a standard set for world money, but by its own national standard. If each country could be persuaded to use ounce and up silver ] and gold coins, regulating the value t according to the world market on gold and siver, then one could travel j

feminine competition. The big, strong, handsome fellows do nothing but maul and manhandle you. They evidently think that every girl who has a date with them is prepared to go to any lengths to keep in their good graces. With me. that type is definitely out. “Now we come to quite the largest group of all—the dumbbells. They aren’t interested in anything except their ora little jobs. They don’t care for books or music or art. Their highest ambition is to belong to a good golf lub, drink a lot, and make a pile of money. The prospect of living out one’s life with one of them, and of bearing his children, is too appalling. “I confess myself completely discouraged. For intellectual companionship i have had to select girls and women, and as for physical mating, I suppose I shall have to give that up since I refuse to give my body, if I can not give my heart and spirit. I know that thousands of educated girls are in my predicament, Mrs. Ferguson. What does the future hold for us?” When the young men of America face the question, a good many of our problems will disappear.

FEB. 10. 1934

with more ease and peace of mind. Gold and silver would perhaps be found to have a higher market value in some countries than others, but this need not be a serious drawback. If one presented an ounce of gold coin it would buy just whatever its market value happened to be in that locality. In traveling from one part of the United States to another, one will find the same thing. A silver dollar will buy very little in some places, while in others it will buy a whole lot. This is a condition that will perhaps always prevail, for the simple fact that in some places there is great scarcity, in others great plenty. But the ounce up gold coins and the ounce up silver coins would perhaps be the only way other countries would accept a gold and silver standard. You simply could not expect England to want dollars and us to want pounds, Mexico to want dollars or the United States to want pesos as standard coins. a u tt DIFFICULTIES OF SINGLE MEN ARE OUTLINED By W. H. H. I would like to express my thoughts on the employment. I am a reader of The Times and a former carrier of the paper. A single man has not one chance in this world. He must have experience for employment, and how in the world can a person have experience unless he has a chance? Employers do not have enough forethought to realize this. This is the very reason we have so much crime, just because a single man does not have a chance to earn a living honestly, isn’t this right? I have walked the streets of Indianapolis for two weeks hunting work. If we single men would walk the streets nude, we would be arrested, and that is about where we stand now. Why? just because of the absent-minded people who say the single fellow does not need work. They mast be experienced or have some pull to get work, or starve to death. The trustee of the township will not help a single fellow, yet we sleep away on the streets, or in friends’ homes, and go hungry three-fourths, of the time. The only way for a single fellow to get work is to get married, buthow can we get the money to get married? I hope you -have enough nerve to publish this.

First Snow-Fall by HARRIETT SCOTT OLINICK I walked at night through silent streets With snowflakes falling swiftly down ; Lighting on my face and hair. Pressing beauty on the town. Their touch was gentle, light, and deft. They made my shoulders silver, damp. They formed a misty pale halo About each gold street-lamp. The sky was purple, sharp with stars. Still peace was mine; the world was white. Somehow I knew without a doubt That God walked, too, that night. | Daily Thought And Jacobs went near unto Isaac, his father; and he felt him and said, the voice is the same as Jacob’s voice but the hands 'are the .rands of Esau.—Genesis, 27:22. THERE is no better sign of a brave mind than a hard hand.— Shakespeare,