Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 18, Indianapolis, Marion County, 1 June 1934 — Page 22

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Ita'PPS Give Light and the People Will Find Their Oien Way

FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1934

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE WITH the labor situation in a dozen industries from coast to coast boiling up to the danger point, congress appears indifferent. The only thing in sight which might possibly turn the threat of wholesale strife into orderly settlement is the Wagner bill, if amended in more reasonable and effective form. But the congressional leaders say it has little chance of passage, or even of adequate debate. The President is reported in favor, but he has done little so far to get action. And, of course, in the usual legislative jam at the end of a session the best c f bills always will die unless a determined leadership decrees otherwise. That leadership is lacking. The same politicians who may next month be shaking in their boots and demanding hysterical action such as the calling out of government troops, can’t be bothered with measures of prevention. There are a few exceptions. Senator Wagner is one of them. With heroic persistence he came up again yesterday with a series of proposed amendments. They would improve the bill, even though obviously they do not go nearly far enough. They would eliminate some of the tie-up between the proposed independent board and the secretary of labor, but not all. They do not touch certain of the basic faults of the bill; such as its proposed bipartisan rather than nonpartisan character, and its failure to put time limits on the adjudication process, which could easily degenerate into strikebreaking machinery. Probably the chief issue is the board’s jurisdiction. The bill in its present form would restrict the board to authority over a few specified unfair labor practices and determination of employe representation. Over the great range of labor disputes—such as hours, wages, working conditions and the like —the board would have no power. That is, it would be weaker than the existing temporary labor board created by executive order which has proved too weak. Senator Wagner's first amendment aims to restore general jurisdiction to the new board, as follows: “The board shall have the power to use and create agencies for the mediation or conciliation of labor disputes; provided that the board may decline to take cognizance of any labor dispute where there is another means of seflfement provided for by agreement, industrial code, or law which has not been utilized.’’ But the real difficulty arises when either capital or labor extremists refuse such offers of conciliation. It is therefore essential that the board have absolute compulsory power—not to abolish the constitutional rights of strike—but to compel hearings and investigation under subpena to determine facts and fix responsibility. Only then can public opinion exert its power for fair settlement, and only then will the government be equipped for intelligent action against culprits who defy just arbitration. A FAIR SOLUTION THE Stock Exchange bill compromise, which seems to have restored peace among the warring factions, is a fair solution. The final differences were not fundamental. The conflict w T as between personalities rather than principles. Out of many months of hard work, exhaustive investigations and hearings, intense debate, careful and irequent re-drafts and refinements, and through a dense cloud cf propaganda has come a prospective law which promises fair play to investors. Properly administered, this new law will mean that an investor can go into the markets with his eyes open, and with some assurance that his savings will not be siphoned into the pockets of behind-the-scenes thimbleriggers and pool operators. Os course it can not save a fool from his folly. Ferdinand Pecora, senate investigator who exposed the abuses of the securities markets, says: “Within a year stock exchanges and their members will give it their blessing, just as banks bestowed their blessing upon the federal reserve act, which they originally opposed.” The test of this proposed law will be in its administration. President Roosevelt has before him no more important appointments than the five positions on the new securities and exchange commission. The commission wifi both initiate control of stock markets and assume jurisdiction over the truth-in-securities law r . It therefore will have unprecedented authority over both the origin of and the trading in the investments of the people, which it must regulate in a w’ay to assure orderly financing of the nation’s industries. This responsibility can be intrusted safely only to commissioners who are at once familiar with the intricacies of finance and above suspicion of selfish motives or influence. The steadfastness of the President, throughout the bitter legislative battle, is proof that lie appreciates the importance of honest and competent administration. SIDELIGHT ON BUSINESS r 'pHE assertion of a federal trade commis- -*• sion investigator that Henry L. Doherty obtained control of the billion-dollar Cities Service Cos. with an investment of only $1,000,000 brings into light one of the strangest quirks of modern society—the divorce that can exist between ownership and management. Control of a great property, that is to say, can real in the hands of a man who actually owns only a very small fraction of the property. On the other hand, thousands of people can be owners without ever having any-

thing consequential to say about what shall be done with their property. This, of course, is not to say that any criticism attaches to men who buy control of a corporation without buying majority ovpiership. It simply illustrates the strange course that corporate development has taken in modern times. SOCIAL PROGRESS 'T'HE fact that modern civilization has two faces, one of which has been modeled with much more skill than the other, comes close to being the basic point of ail our troubles. These two faces are the material realm of science, invention, and technical progress, on the one side, and the social realm of human relations, emotions, and mass thinking, on the other. The former is very far advanced; the latter is a constant reminder that we are relatively only a few generations out of barbarism. A striking illustration of this was furnished not long ago by Dr. William E. Wickenden, president of the Case School of Applied Science. tt tt tt SUPPOSE, says Dr. Wickenden, that you translate the history of the human race, covering approximately a million years, into the terms of a man’s lifetime. Suppose that the in other words, is a man 50 years old. How long has the race been civilized? “In terms of personal adjustment rather than race adjustment,” he answers, “it is as if civilization had begun only nineteen days ago, as if a cumulative science went back only to midnight, and a habit of deliberate invention only to this morning, and the age of electric power had begun about the time we reached our offices this morning.” In other words, we have been out of the wilderness only a very short time, and our acquisition of those complex’ tools by which modern society is maintained dates back only an hour or so. That being the case, it is small wonder that we have not yet discovered how to extract the utmost in human values from the machines which our ingenuity has devised. We have done marvelously well at the job of inventing things, but we have made hardly any progress at the job of learning how to use them after we have them invented. That is why we have starvation in the midst of plenty; why we suffer because we have too much of everything, and not because we have too little. Our task now is to educate ourselves up to the level of our scientists and our technicians. Until we do so, their achievements will do us nearly as much harm as good. WHEN THE LAW SPEAKS HTHE language of the law can be a delight to the layman—when it isn’t a pain in the neck. In Italy a farpier let a pig stray into the road. A motorist swerved aside when the pig refused to move, and damaged his car. He sued the farmer for damages, holding the farmer responsible for the pig's acts. The case finally reached the supreme court, which rendered its decision as follows: “When the comportment of an animal, without going into the hypotheses of fault of force majeure, sets in motion elements which otherwise would have remained inert, and these elements in turn, through no fault of their own, but due to the animal's comportment, cause damage to be dons, the casual connection between the comportment of the animal, for which the law Jiolds the proprietor to be responsible, and the occurrence causing the damage, appears to be uninterrupted.” In other words—the owner of the pig was responsible, and had to pay. FRANKENSTEIN HPHE destruction of the Nantucket lightship by the White Star liner Olympic is a queer, back-handed testimonial to the perfect efficiency of modern mechanical means of aiding navigation. At the time of the accident the Olympic was following a radio beam sent out from the lightship—a tremendous aid to navigation in foggy weather. And in this case the beam worked all too well. The Olympic followed it with haii-line ac-' curacy—and, finahy, ran it down to its source and crushed the lightship from which it was originating. An accident of this type never could have occurred in the old days. It Is a striking, if painful, bit of evidence about the accuracy of our new machinery for keeping ocean-going ships on their course. ONE LOOPHOLE LESS 'T'HE customer of public utilities got a break out of passage by congress fef the Johnson bill closing federal courts to public utilities seeking injunctions against rate decisions of state utility commissions. This bill ends an old custom by which a utility frequently was able to whipsaw the luckless consumer for months on end. Utilities previously were able to go to law in either the state or federal courts, or both, when they wished to object to the state commission’s regulation. The customary procedure was to do both; in this way the litigation was drawn out to great lengths and the utility got an unreasonable advantage. Under the new law the utility must fight it out in the state courts. It is a piece of good luck for the ordinary citizen. Several Smith college girls had trouble getting into France. They shouldn’t have given themselves away with the French they learned in school. We expect to awaken any day now to learn that we’re being talked about as a possible Democratic candidate for the United States senatorial nomination. Why do the nudists pick on Indiana? You wouldn’t sAy it was because we were barren of good law enforcement officers, would you? Switzerland reveals a Communist plot within its borders. Neither will Japan nor Germany have anything to do with the disarmament conference. One night of poker, say medical scientists, may shorten your life by a year. And if a gun is handy, your life may be shortened altogether. ./'V

Liberal Viewpoint —BY DR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

THE New Jersey court of errors and appeals has handed down a labor decision- which may go far to remove from the state its enenviable reputation as a “feudal kingdom ’ ruled by industrialists and utilities. The employers and courts in New Jersey started out to operate under the NRA in characteristic fashion. There was an immediate challenge of Clause 7-A of the national industrial recovery act, which is supx>sed to guarantee labor the full right of organization without any coercion or intimidation from employers or the courts. One of the most interesting and representative cases was that involving Bruno Bellia and John Sala, organizers for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. Sala is also president of La Stampa Libera” the only Italian labor daily published in the United States. On July 24, 1933, the workers in the plant of the Eisner Company of Redbank, N. J., went on strike. Led by Bellia and Sala, they demanded union recognition, shorter hours and a minimum wage of sls a week. It was charged that at the time of the strike that labor and factory laws were violated flagrantly in the facto 1 : y and that many workers were receiving from $3 to $5 a week for a sixty-hour week. The strike went on the rocks quickly, for Vice-Chancellor Berry isued a blanket injunction restraining all forms of strike activity, including speaking to employes of the firm, carrying signs announcing there was a strike and picketing peacefully. tt tt tt BELLIA and Sala insisted upon taking Clause 7-A seriously and proceeded with peaceful picketing. Thereupon, they were arrested and sentenced to ninety days in jail. They began to serve their sentences on Feb. 26, 1934, after efforts to secure a reversal of sentence hUd failed. Vice-Chancellor Berry justified his refusal of a plea for leniency on the ground that Bellia and Sala gave no evidence of a feeling of penitence or regret with respect to their conduct; “During the whole course of the trial of the contempt proceedings, and after conviction, anti while these men were standing in front of me, prepared to receive their sentence, there was not the slightest word of apology, not the slightest indication of any regret on their part for what they had done.” ’ The two organizers, when interviewed at the Monmouth county jail, justified their seeming lack of repentence by contending that they had nothing to be sorry for. “When Chancellor Berry issued his injunction we thought it violated the NRA. “We said so in our meetings. We went out on the picket line carrying placards, calling for enforcement of the NRA. Os course, we have no regret for what we did. It was our right and our duty. What the court of errors and appeals ruled Friday, we said lasi summer. It will be strange, indeed, if Governor Moore does not order our release at once.” tt tt u IN the meantime, the New Jersey courts went on record still further in opposition to a liberal interpretation of Clause 7-a of the NRA. Vice-Chancellor Fallon issued a sweeping injunction against the American Federation of Silk Workers. This was carried to the New Jersev court of errors and appeals in order to test out the authoritative legal ruling on the meaning of the collective bargaining clause of the national recovery act. The court of errors and appeals handed down a decision invalidating Vice-Chancellor Fallon’s injunction and proclaiming in straightforward and logical terms that the collective bargaining clauses of the NRA guarantee labor the right to strike and to use peaceful methods to make the strike effective: The right to organize and bargain collectively connotes the right to strike. -The right to strike includes the right to use peaceable and lawful means to induce present employes and expectant employes to join the ranks. Picketing is lawful, if it does not have an immediate tendency to intimidation of the other party of the controversy.” Tins decision would seem to render logicallv Sala Sat ° ry th<3 lmmediate Please- of Bellia and More important than this, however, is the fact that the decision will enable New Jersev i°hL a , ke . aU honorabl e position among the states which recognize that there can be no recovery worthy of the ha me that does not reckon with the right of labor to a fair distribution of the sh?! a i mc ° me and to such activities as will make this result passible.

Capital Capers BY GEORGE ABELL

]Vf R - JOSEPHUS DANIELS, American amX bassador to Mexico, was a guest of President Roosevelt when he reviewed the United States fleet yesterday. J n his cust °mary black coat and embellished by a becoming Mexican tan, Daniels discussed the review with enthusiasm. “It’s funny,” he remarked. “In the old days when I was secretary of the navy, President Roosevelt was assistant secretary and used to call me ‘Chief’! Now, things are reversed” He laughed and continued: “The President still calls me ‘Chief’ sometimes. and I tell him he will have to let up on that,” tt tt u 'E'NVOY DANIELS was guest of honor at a big ■Ls buffet luncheon (forty-two guests) the other day, given by Dr. Leo Rowe, directorgeneral of the Pan-American Union. The meal was a plentiful affair distinguished by a menu consisting of lamb stew, rolls, muffins, tomato salad and Swiss cheese, iced tea, lemonade, strawberry tartlets and the famed bananas of Latin America. Among the guests: Rexford Tugwell, brain trust celebrity, wore a morning coat and striped trousers, sipped a glass of iced tea and hurried' away early to resume his interrupted work. Ambassador Roa of Mexico drew Daniels aside-for a few private words on Mexican conditions. Dr. James Brown Scott, secretary of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, thoughtfully scratched the top of his bald head and ate a green banana. Don Ricardo Tapia, star of the Mexican Davis cup team, came from Baltimore to attend. Last year Tapia’s flashing racket and quick foot work caused thrills among the feminine Contingent who watched the lean, wiry little Latin race across the tennis courts of the Chevy Chase Club. Assistant Secretary of State Francis B. Sayre, son-in-law of the late Woodrow Wilson, looked like the prototype of his celebrated father-in-law. The commissioner of Puerto Rico, Dr. Santiago Iglesias, accepted a cigar—even though it was rolled in Havana instead of Manila. Brigadier-General Juan Azcarate, military attache of the Mexican embassy., spoke on the subject of international peace to officials of the Carnegie endowment. tt n tt CHARLES REEDER, colored messenger at the state department, who used to be coachman to President Theodore Roosevelt, officiated as major-domo at the garden party given by Assistant Secretary of State Moore, in Fairfax, Va. •• Magnificent in evening dress, Charles expanded his mighty chest (he has the biggest chest expansion in the department) and sonorously announced the guests. Many he knew by name—for in his years of service, he has become acquainted with nearly every one in high official circles. “Charles is the best announcer I ever had," confided Judge Moore to some of his friends. He felt that such good work deserved reward. “So after it was all over,” explained Charles, “the secretary took me out to the kitchen and introduced me to the gals.”

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

(Timet readers are invited to express their views in these columns. Make your letters short, so all car. have a chance. Limit them to SSO words or less.J tt tt tt RESENTS CRITICISM OF BEER ‘JOINT’ By Another Reader. In answer to two recent articles publicizing so called beer “joints,” I would like to say that no operator in Indianapolis is making a more conscientious effort to run a business of this type on a higher plane than I am. The one where a waitress was knocked “cold” by a customer. A little investigation and consideration as to the facts in this ■ case on the part of those who are so ready with criticism would show that such incidents might sometimes be attributed to the efforts of the management to choose the customers to whom it will cater. I would like it known that this case does not cater to “stew bums.” Not one drop of liquor has been sold by this case since it has been under my management. I sincerely regret the fact that there are places which cater to these “bums” and for which we must take the blame for any misconduct on their part. # t tt SOUTH MERIDIAN TRAFFIC TROUBLES By Jimmy Cafouros. As time gbes on conditions change. And South Meridian street is not what it once was. It is now, as any observer can see, a heavily traveled thoroughfare. Accidents are numerous and are increasing. Recently a 6-year-old girl forfeited her life. There are no restricting semaphores to stem the tide of the traffic. A few puny and scattered motorcycle officers are trying to stop a broken levee with a 2-inch cork. Meridian street can hardly claim any fair sentiment from the neighbors throughout its length when maimed dogs and cats, shrieking, dying and dead, mark its course. Wrecked automobiles, pushed-down lamp posts, toppled telephone poles and glass and what not litter the street. HOPEFUL FOR BETTER TYPE OF MOVIES By Hiram I.ackey. Those who appreciate the Message Center’s letters having to do with the movies may be interested in learning more about the facts of this great industry. Sociologists of Ohio State university, over a considerable period of time, have made an extensive movie investigation. The accumulated data\now is available and a study will help to solve the problems involved in perfecting for a varied public want those finer qualities essential to the industry’s success. Forman’s book entitled “Our Mo-vie-Made Children” will be of help to all who are interested in children’s welfare. Growing children should spend most of their play time in the open air, instead of giving its major portion to the theater. Children should be acting upon things instead of being passive objects of acting. If we continue to brand as fanatics all who condemn the movies, it might be well for us to read a few editorials from periodicals of England, France, New Zealand, India, Russia and Japan. These will teach us to be more tolerant of the fanatics’ point of view. If the pictures from Christian America are considered by the Russians as being too degrading to be shown in their theaters, is a man a fanatic for entertaining a suspicion that there might be room for improvement of the influence which they wield upon their audiences? The problem is complex. But one fact is certain. If we form our opinions on ti*e subject without in-

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| Ti If , 1 ivholly disapprove of what you say and will ' J- lit/ JIVI V><t/IILv2JL defend to the death your right to say it — Voltaire.

IT’S AN ANNOYING HABIT

Wherein ‘Pan’- Is Heated for Policemen

By G. 1.. The NRA should do something for the much maligned, downtrodden, downcast, worried, brooding and bored, policemen. They fit each of these descriptions, because they look it. Their uniforms seem to be too small and tight or else their bodies are too big; their shoes seem to be too big or their feet too small. Because of their cares and sorrows they have to bear for the public, their limbs, by sheer weight, have become bowlegged or knockkneed. When they sit in the court house or on chairs at Fulton and

vestigating, we are, to say the least, guilty of erroneous mental procedure. Christians need not stand with their hands locked in that pose of helplessness characteristic of feeblemindedness. We still have our voice, pen, ballot and boycott. Our offorts can bring us more pictures of the quality of “Little Women” with their wonderful possibilities for good. tt n tt FAVORS COMMUNISM TO PREVENT WAR. By Charles Burton, To H. D. Kissenger: I suggest that you fish out your dust-covered dictionary if you have one, and see what a Communist is The Communist party is legal in the United States and I am one who will take my stand with any party that is against war. Os all the loathsome words which have been coined by man there is none which is associated with so much horror as the word war. Take your stand upon the plains of Waterloo or Bunker Hill with George Washington or upon the banks of the River Marne. From every acre of ground, from every rippling wave, there strikes your ears the echo of an everlasting curse which rises from the corpses of victims who were offered upon the altar of an injustice. Mr. Kissenger, was it not taught both in pulpit and in press that the last war in which we participated was one whose purpose was to end all wars, to make the world safe for the common man?

a a a the times policy AND POLITICS By W. G. Hess. Asa liberal and also as a Republican because of the fact I am not convinced by Professor Douglas’ thesis, I have a warm spot in my heart for many of the stands tha* you have taken, but your judgment in local situations is not always sound. A newspaper with any degree of integrity and honesty of purpose should desire honest and capable men nominated by both major parties. If both parties nominate such men, the public, of course, is secure against corrupt and inefficient men in the fall. It seems to me, therefore, that if any independent newspaper, which you profess to be, enters into the political situation, as you have with both feet (see issue of May 3), it should fairly present the contest between Mr. Denny and the Coffin-Armitage-Pritchard crowd. That Mr. Denny represents the decent element of the party in its fight to oust Coffin and Armitage from the leadership of the party, there can be no doubt. Mr. Denny is not only highly qualified and honest, but has the intestinal fortitude to be both at all times. It is simply ridiculous for any one to charge that Mr. Denny can or

Pine streets they sit on the edge only because of their uncomfortable conditions. They sometimes walk a whole block without taking the street car to sit down. They sometimes stand motionless in one spot, unless they are interrupted by sympathetic relatives or friends to chat a few moments. They alertly see and act on traffic violations by the drivers of small autos and in their alertness they overlook the fine cars and the pedestrians. They very likely are underpaid for all of this. Such a life! Let us try to do something about it.

will be bossed in any way—that is, it is ridiculous to any one who knows him or has taken the time to investigate him. Here is a real issue between unbossed and intelligent government and the government that Coffin and Armitage gave us before, namely the Duvall administration and “the invisible empire.” My opinion is that The Times really desires to see the Coffin-Pritchard-Armitage gang win so that all it will have to do this fall is to reach into the complete files that Boyd Gurley acquired soma years ago and ride Judge Kern into office, and perhaps Mr. Peters too, on the issue of Coffinism and the K. K. K. To further impeach your honesty of purpose, *it seems increditable that you should slate Ed Hart, the Coffin county chairman. tt tt a DECRIES STRESS ON “BOOK LEARNING” Fredrick O. Rusher. It seems that today, unless you are a high school graduate, you don’t stand much chance of getting employment. How many men of today between the ages of 25 and 35, have had the opportunity to receive such an education? Any number of men in business started from the ground up on a grade school education. The great trouble in hiring a man today is that he is not given a chance. I’ll venture to say I can go into most any business establishment, and with just a little coaching, at reduced salary to start, can prove my statement in a short while. Any man who is conscientious, and i has confidence in himself, can doj the same thing. A high school education is essential to every one, but why kick a person because he hasn't any? It’s a pity we can’t all go through life and be able to overcome any obstacle that comes in our way. It is great encouragement to a man to learn he must be highly educated to obtain employment. If the average company has a whole organization of educated employes, it must be a whiz-bang company. I am Just a poor boy trying to keep soul and body together. Just plain living. Nothing fancy. No fancy dressing, and just plain recreation. If I could just earn $lO a week, steady income, I could really live and save a little. But it’s too bad I am so unfortunate as not to - be highly educated. Well, men, you who are lucky to

Daily Thought

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.—'it. Luke, 6:28. CHRISTIANITY has made martyrdom sublime, and sorrow triumphant.—Chapin.

JUNE 1, 1934

be working, don’t sing the blues too much. When you are out ot work, your misery starts. Your go-to-church clothes will become your loafing clothes. One of these day3 I am going to have steady work. Education or no education. I am going to have a better living. I am going to save a little. You can’t keep a good man down. I am going to win out. No matter what anybody says, that is my goal. I hope every man, married or single, who has a job, will be able to keep it. I hope all the others find work, for life is misery without a steady income.

So They Say

I don’t see why people are so sensitive.—Senator Duncan U. Fletcher of Florida. If Dillinger isn’t caught pretty soon, we're going to have a crime wave that will swamp the country. You’re never going to catch him by the thumb print system.—MajorGeneral Smedley D. Butler. My idea of living is to sleep and read a good book.—Lucrezia Bori, famous singer. The lessons of this depression so far irfhicate that lasting recovery will come when the old normal processes are allowed to operate once more.—Colonel Leonard P. Ayres, economist. That I can be in love in Hollywood, I question.—Joan Crawford, awaiting divorce from Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Less than 1 per cent of the people could be considered lovers of good music.—Dr. Sigmund Spaeth, music critic. Australia's plan is based on the simple principle that before you obtain money you must earn it.— Archdale Parkhill, postmaster-gen-eral of Australia. I am not what is known in some circles as a rah-rah coach. —Coach Lou Little of Columbia. The British government is asleep; you can not meet black shirts and', brown shirts with nightshirts.—Sir ’ Herbert Samuel. With all my troubles, I am glad to be back in the country where I spent practically all my business career.—Samuel Insull. Japan is the principal protector of the stability and peace of eastern Asia.—Koki Hirota, Japanese foreign minister. How many families have we seen ru’ned by money which has taken away from the younger members the desire to labor and to achieve . and instead of being useful citizens, they -have become wasteful and sometimes profligate.—Dr. William Mayo, Rochester, Minn.

STORM

BY POLLY LOIS NORTON I pity those who are afraid of storms. It is not life to always have soft moods. With loveliness there has to be some anger, And earth is lovely in her arrant state. I love to walk when sullenly she rages, To see the trees bow down to kiss her face, To hear her arrogant voice in passion rumbling, To feel her tears—and see her smile again.