Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 223, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 January 1935 — Page 6

PAGE 6

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Give H'jht ml tii I‘eopl* Hill Finn Their Oi cn Wap

SATURDAY. JANUARY 26 1935

THE TOWNSEND PLAN THE Townsend plan, to retire all people past 60 on a S2OO monthly Federal dole of spending money raised through a sales tax on all transactions, is just what Frances Perkins, Secretary of Lebor, calls it, “a fantasy." It Is the most ambitious scheme yet advanced by the bootstrap school of inflationists. It is, in our opinion, economically unwise, psychologically unnatural and socially dangerous. But politically it can not be laughed off. The plan is before Congress in the McGroarty bill. This is backed by a bloc of more or less willing supporters. Its political threat lies in the fact that Dr. Townsend, a retired country physician, and his fellows have built up a national organization more vocal and insistent than any similar popular movement in recent years. They say they have Townsend clubs in every state and a petition signed by—well, they say by 25 million persons. What do these people want? Most of them want only what no self-respecting person should be denied, what no nation can afford to withhold from its aged citizens —the right to live and die decently. Belatedly, the Administration is trying to meet the cry of the old folk. The old-age security provisions of the pending WagrerLewis bill probably will be extended to include at once all needy persons past 65, and provide at least a total pensitu of S3O a month. In view of the heavy costs of unemployment and other emergency measures the government apparently can go no farther now. In As contributory plan this measure works in just the opposite way from the Townsend scheme. It builds on personal thrift, without which this nation can not prosper. Unless Congress takes the Roosevelt plan, or perhaps a liberalized edition of it, the threat of the Townsend plan will grow. NO HASTE-WASTE TjRESIDENT ROOSEVELT has announced *• that there will be no wholesale creation of boards similar to his No. 1 regional development authority in the Tennessee Valley. For the present, he is considering only the creation of unpaid boards in the Missouri and Columbia River areas to co-ordinate public works projects with a general plan for eventual valley developments. The Tennessee Valley Authority was created as a yardstick not only of electrical costs, for which it is well known, but of plans, methods and technique for regional development. It will require large continuing appropriations. Caution is necessary in expenditure of large sums for river developments. Much money could be wasted by hasty approval of the many projects proposed in Congress—some of them rather definitely resembling pork barrels. Careful selection of the most economic projects, to be developed along lines tested and approved in the nation’s TVA laboratory, can save money. But at the same time, haphazard expenditure of the four billion dollars in project for work relief can be wasteful if it uues not consider future watershed developments. Erosion and reforestation projects under this giant work-relief fund should be placed in relation to their future value in preventing silting of dams. Highways and grade crossing eliminations should not be sunk in basins where power, irrigation, navigation or flood control projects will eventually flood them. Large housing projects should not be undertaken to serve workers in industries obviously headed for decentralization. The wholesale creation of valley authorities may lead to waste. But failure to hasten planning of watersheds and to co-ordinate emergency works with general national resource plans, can be equally wasteful. THE FORGOTTEN CHILD HERBERT HOOVER reported to the 1930 Conference on Child Health and Protection that of the nation's 45.000.000 children at least 10.000.000 were -deficients.’’ Among these unfortunate youngsters 6.000.000 were improperly nourished. 382.000 tubercular, 500.000 dependent, 300.000 crippled. Since then, of course, the depression has done its worst. Confronted with such conditions, Congress and the states will do little enough for America’s under-privileged children if they adopt in full President Roosevelt’s maternal and child health program, and administer it quickly and capably. This program is included in the WagnerLewis bill. It appropriates $33,500,000 to help the states improve the health of mothers and children. This relatively mddest sum is spread four ways as follows: For aid to state mothers’ pension funds, $25,000 000. Forty-five states have mothers’ pensions, but in many the standards are pitifully merger. An estimated 200.000 families now on relief would be eligible for such pensions. Hence the rehabilitation of state and county pension systems is Just a better form of relief. For maternal and child health aid, $4 000,000. This would go to the states on a matching basis, except *BOO.OOO for depressed regions and $1,000,000 for demonstration and research. Our maternity death rate is the highest of 21 countries. Infant mortality also is needlessly high. Since Congress let the Sheppard-Town-er act die in 1929 only a third of the states have kept up its splendid work in saving mothers’ and babies’ lives. For the treatment of crippled children, particularly in rural sections, $3,000,000. Fos "protection and care of homeless, de*

pendent and neglected children, and children in danger of becoming delinquent," $1,500,000. Os this, $1,000,000 is to be distributed among the states. Such a program, of course, does not even begin to secure to American childhood its due in healthy bodies, happy surroundings and comfortable homes. It should be supplemented with ratification of the Child Labor Amendment, the rehabilitation of schools and recreational facilities, and various other reforms. But this program proves, at least, that after years of broken and unfulfilled promises the United States is beginning to remember its forgotten children. THE PRESIDENT LIKES IT CELEBRATION of President Roosevelt’s birthday on Jan. 30 as a means of raising new funds to fight infantile paralysis gives the American people a fine chance to combine pleasure with the advancement of a worthy cause. It is also a timely reminder that the “mankilling’’ routine of the White House does not, so far, seem to have made a dent in the good health enjoyed by our chief executive. Dr. Ross T. Mclntire, White House physician, is authority for the statement that the President is actually m better physical condition now than he was when he became President. The presidency is a terrific strain for any occupant of the office; its responsibilities have been multiplied vastly in recent years; but Franklin Roosevelt, far from wilting under the pressure, actually seems to enjoy it. Any doubts that any one might have entertained during the 1932 campaign as to his ability to stand up under the taxing White House routine must long since have vanished. LABOR TROUBLE AHEAD 'T'HE “labor front” in the United States was full of alarms and excursions last spring and summer. In one way or another most of the difficulties were finally smoothed over the textile strike was ended, and threatened strikes in the steel and auto industries did not take place—but It becomes increasingly evident that the settlement was to a large extent temporary rather than permanent. It is reported now that labor leaders are proposing an alliance among employes of five great industries—textiles, oil, steel, autos and tobacco. Sponsors of the move assert that employers in these industries are organized to fight unionization, and predict that the workers must be “mobilized to fight for their own interests.” All of which contains the possibilities of large-scale trouble. The Administration would be well advised to start now to work out some plan for a peaceable solution of all difficulties. PETTY NEW DEALERS THE Administration is in a fair way to win the prize for pettiness. Or maybe this condition merely seems worse than in other Administrations because t}ie purpose of the New Deal are so much higher. The latest quarrel between the chief of the Forestry Service of the Agriculture Department and Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior, is typical of the many domestic feuds which sap the Administration’s energies. The Justice Department, it is charged, has not co-operated with the National Labor Relations Board and NRA. There has been jealousy between the AAA and NRA on one side, and between NRA and the Labor Department and Federal Trade Commission on the other. George Peete, foreign trade adviser, fought first with Secretary Henry Wallace and fights now with Secretary Cordell Hull. And those trying to knife Donald Richberg, chief coordinator, are stepping on each other’s feet in the rush. Where the Moses case in New York falls in this array is not altogether clear, though the explanation may be simply a personal grudge at the White House. Without being too naive concerning the nature of the political game, admirers of the New Deal can still hope that the President will find ways to eliminate much of the pettiness which weakens his Administration. ANOTHER LINDBERGH TRIAL NOW it is reported that Col. Lindbergh is going to fly the Pacific just as soon as the Flemington trial is out of the way. Coming on the heels of the spectacular flights of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith and Amelia Earhart, this seems to make it fairly certain that we shall have one or more commercial air lines to the Orient in the not-distant future. Tentative plans call for a line linking California with Hawaii, the Philippines, and other eastern islands which fly the American flag, and extending on to the Asiatic mainland. A gigantic flying boat with a nonstop range of 3000 miles is now being tested in the Caribbean Sea. Much of the necessary field research has already been accomplished. Americans will not have the slightest doubt that Col. Lindbergh will accomplish anything he undertakes in the way of an ocean flight. And it would be highly fitting if it were his flight which should finally pave the way for regular, over-ocean commercial air lines. Former Senator Fess is wTiting a book upholding the two party system. Yet in Congress he was one of the foremost opponents of the second party. It’s wrong to organize an army against Huey Long. He considers that a compliment. Vitamin E has been discovered to determine whether it will be a boy or a girl. And we still have most of the alphabet to go. A Middlewest church staged a fan dance, but the performer was well covered with clothes. So there will be no more performances, American men are shy, says a French actress in the United States. You bet. Shy all the money they lost during the depression. Maybe Amelia Earhart, with her flying ability, and Professor Einstein, with his mathematical knowledge, can get together and invent a way to keep their hair under control. Ferdinand Pecora has become a New York state Supreme Court Justice, Wall Street is a little happier to report,

Liberal Viewpoint BY DR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

THE all-prevalent and almost hysterical discussion of the crime problem in the United States is in direct proportion to our lack of a well-planned and thoroughly organized program to combat it. We have the knowledge but we do not put it into use. Much of our present day criminal jurisprudence is mutually contradictory and works at cross purposes. Further, we fail to stick to any definite policy long enough to know what the result might turn out to be in the long run. The situation has been admirably summarized by one of our most enlightened and successful American judges, Joseph N. Ulman of Baltimore, who discusses “The Chaos in Criminal Justice” in the American Mercury: “The criminal law, and especially the mechanisms for the treatment of convicted offenders, have developed under the influence of social impulses varying from time to time both in nature and intensity; the result is a planless and often self-contradictory whole. “Eighteenth century insistence upon the rights of the individual has combined with Nineteenth Century sentimentality and Twentieth Century hardheadedness to produce rules of law under which a skilful criminal lawyer can block effective prosecution. “The police have invented the third-degree to break through the legal rules. In some states capaal punishment has been abolished; everywhere it seems to have fallen into disfavor, yet mobs of lynchers give effective expression to another social philosophy. “Judges impose sentences to long terms in prison; parole boards listen to the pleas of the sentimental or to the demands of politicians, and turn dangerous prisoners loose to prey upon society. tt tt tt “ttte justify imprisonment on the theory that W it is intended to reform the prisoner rather than to punish him; and then we put him on a Welfare Island to school him in depravity. “We talk about the deterrent effect of punishment; and in our newspapers and motion pictures we exhibit the criminal as a romantic figure. “It is thus easy to understand why criminology is still a step-child among the social sciences, and why the word penologist is used often as a term of reproach. “Today we ave in danger of gearing the machinery of criminal justice too high, of reconstructing the whole apparatus to the pattern required for its exceptional operation. “Tomorrow, by the same token, the pendulum may swing the other way and a too soft sentimentality may take the place of today’s harshness. Successive waves of legal theory and public sentiment have advanced and receded, leaving behind them what we please to call our system of criminal justice. “As might be expected, it is not a system but a hodgepodge. Meanwhile crime and criminality have grown to monstrous proportions.” The remedy for chaos in the field of criminology as well as in economics, is ob\ious a planned program, and Judge Ulman intelligently outlines what we must do to realize such. tt tt tt THE first step is to repudiate once and for all the preposterous present day corner stone of criminal justice, namely that we can arbitrarily fit a punishment to the crime. Rather, we must work upon the fundamental doctrine of seeking a treatment which will fit the individual criminal: “We forget that for every one dangerous gangster in our criminal courts we find there 10 or perhaps 20 social misfits, in need of (> help and guidance rather than of punishment.” Every field of knowledge that bears upon crime—medicine, psychology, social science, social work and the law—must contribute its quota, and there must be leaders with a sufficiently broad point of view so that they can fuse this varied knowledge and wisdom in such a manner as to avoid narrow mindedness or perpetual bias. Particularly must we make wider use of probation, which is far better adapted to the needs of the majority accused of crime than is the prison. , . And once we have formulated a comprehensive and rational program, we must stick to it long enough to give it a chance to work: “It is high time to attack the monster, not by high words or in a high temper, but with a high resolve to think, and study, and plan, before we act. When we do act, we must act fully and fearlessly, upon a foundation of complete knowledge, and free from bias and prejudice. Then and only then can we hope to create an effective system of criminal justice.”

Capital Capers BY GEORGE ABELL

HOW close is the Administration of President Roosevelt to Mayor La Guardia of New York? This query and many similarly related questions have been heard in Washington since the Manhattan Mayor’s recent visit, when he came down to attend the dinner given by Vice President Garner for the President. Secretary Ickes, asked if he would see Mayor La Guardia, had replied evasively: “I doubt it. I’ll be very busy.” Observer* of White House politics, however, were not easily discouraged. They waited, they watched, they were rewarded. Just before La Guardia left town, Marvin McIntyre, lean, ascetic-looking presidential secretary, was seen leaving the White House, apparently for an aimless stroll along 16th-st. But the observers were not fooled. They saw Marvin’s lean figure enter La Guardias hotel, noted recognition in the clerk's eye as he bowed and said; , _ “Mayor La Guardia? Certainly, Mr. Mclntyre!" a a a SECRETARY CLAUDE AUGUSTUS SWANSON of the Navy is noted as a raconteur. Here is the latest story with which he delights friends: _ “A politician.” says Secretary Swanson, “never makes a frank statement. When I was running for Governor of Virginia, do you suppose the people knew' whether I w'as wet or dry? Certainly not? , A .. “I have always contended that there were three great fence-sitters in history . . . .” Counting on his fingers, Swanson enumerates in sonorous tones: “One —Napoleon Bonaparte! “Two—Robert E. Lee! “Three—Claude Augustus Swanson! a a a A CERTAIN Cabinet officer (who shall remain anonymous) confided a personal problem a few days ago to Alice Longworth. Now, all Washington is helping him solve it. a a a YOUNG Dick Southgate, the protocol officer who wears braid on his sleeves and meets minor celebrities at Union Station, is back from Havana with a coat of tan and a polo coat. A few days ago, Dick’s telephone at the State Department jangled frantically. “Hello . . . Hello” said an agitated voice. “What can jve do for you,” inquired a polite assistant of Dick's. “I want Mr. Southgate to tell me how to seat my guests,” said the voice. Unfortunately, Mr. Southgate was not back In Washington, so the guests presumably were all seated in the wrong order to the chagrin of the anxious hostess. Reason for Dick's delay in returning: He stopped en route back to do some fishing off the Florida coast, lost three sailflsh which he says were “as big as that.” And what an armstretch Dick has—braid and all! Nick Tremark, new Brooklyn outfielder, owns a canary farm, so he shouldn’t mind it when those Flatbush fans give him the bird. By the way the airlines have been clipping time off their flying schedules, we may soon find it faster to send our telegrams by air.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

!t' - - . . •

f’T'V! TV/Trvnnnrfn /'"N . [/ wholly disapprove of v:hat you say and will 1 Ine lVleSSage

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns. Make your letters short, so all cat, have a chance. Limit them to 2JO words or less.) tt tt tt NEW TAX MEASURES WOULD AID AGED By P. E. Dettra. I wrote you about old-age pensions, but after your censor was through with it I was hardly able to recognize the letter. In fact the heart and soul of it was cut out. A bill is worthless unless there is some method of paying it. In fact that is the only thing wrong with the Townsend plan. The supporters do not have facts to back up their figures. With, only a 2 per cent sales tax they would find out that they could pay only one-fourth the amount they want to pay. But if the states, counties and citiesJwould align with the Federal government, they could pay SSO to each person, with a married couple getting SIOO a month. The following is what the censors cut out: Now the way for the state to get the money is to tax non-essentials. West Virginia has a $5 tax on 1cent slot machines for candy, peanuts, chewing gum, weighing machines, etc., and $12.50 on all slot machines handling more than pennies. This will give $1,000,000 or better. West Virginia also licensed the tobacco wholesalers and retailers. The wholesalers pay $250 a year and the retailer SSO a year. This would net the state about $4,000,000 or better. A license on soft drink manufacturers and other items *of this nature would aid. The money on beer and liquor could be put into this fund. It could be spent in no better way with the new tax and license, on strong drink. This should net the state $5,000,000. In all, this should net the state $12,000,000, enough to pay all over 60 years the sum of $25 a month. tt tt tt BELIEVES HUEY LONG IS SPEAKING ‘PLAIN WORDS’ By Andy J. Suttles. I see in The Times where Louisiana says bloodshed or liberty. I wonder what kind of liberty they want? The same kind they used to have? Liberty to sell the last bushel of wheat out of'the mouth of some poor widow with a family for something they owe and can not pay? I think Huey Long is' the first man who has ever come out in plain words and said he stood for justice and that every man, woman and child had the perfect right to live j and share the wealth of this great land of ours. I think the time is at hand when there will be a Moses who will lead the people out of their bondage. I will stand by Mr. Long until I fall. I am for a man that is for the common people. a tt tt NATIONAL WEALTH SHOULD BE TAPPED EVENLY By Frank McGee. Imagine our national set-up as a gigantic soup bowl. The production workers keep the bowl as well filled as our natural resources and productive machinery in use today enables them. When it comes to the distribution of our collective labor we find some are dipping out of the bowl with an over-sized ladle, some with an ordinary-sized ladle, some with a tablespoon and some with an ordinary teaspoon, some with a dessert spoon, some with a tablefork, and. the last six years

LET’S PUT UP A SIGN

Buying Power Is U. S. Need

By Joseph W. Helms. In an organized society it is economically and socially sound, and is doubtless best, for business and industry to accumulate the funds over the earning period, for the protection of old age. If we are to restore our economic balance and preserve the morale of a third of our population—something different from the charity dole must be done. President Roosevelt is endeavoring to ger. industry to create jobs for the millions now on relief, which would be the normal way out—but unless we wish to return to the old standard of pre-depres-sion days with overproduction and its evils, we must regulate and control production with the ability to buy and consume. Our real problem is largely one of proper adjustment of man power to a machine age. With our w T omen on an equality with men, we must face the fact that we have too many workers. There is no need for 42,500,000 workers in the machine ego. In conversation, a factory executive said, “The factories in our line can produce in two work days a week all the goods this country can consume.” In a wild scramble for gain, the human element, the only element

there are 'jveral millions who have j to do the best they can with a; toothpick. The:e is no evidence that the group of over-sized ladle wielders ever did anything except own. They never put anything in the bowl, but specialized in taking out. The useful production workers under this grading are the ones frantically striving to sustain life with the teaspon and toothpick. If it is argued that the large ladle group invested their capital, I make the statement that labor is prior to capital. A mountain of gold is of no avail as long it remains just a mountain of gold, but when labor is applied and the metal is used in the arts and sciences then and only then it has value. The wolves of Wall Street separate the great American sucker from his money. What we need is to be allowed to eat from the national bowl with approximately the same sized spoon and that all be required to put in the bowl before they can take out. tt tt tt YOUNGER GENERATION WOULD PROFIT UNDER PENSION PLAN By H. M. I think that the people who do not back the Townsend old-age pension plan are not trying to help this country to better times. That is they do not want to help the merchants, the young college graduates and most of all, the United States government. The people who do not back this plan are the people who do not i know anything about i*. It would create jobs for the younger generation and the old folks would be living happily again. People who go to these meetings are old and young, the old folk having in mind that some day soon he could have some new clothes to replace the old ones. If the young folk would back this plan it would be one of the greatest things that was ever done If the young people would get out and push it, it would be sure to

that matters, has largely been ignored. If our 10,671,000 workers who have no work, the millions who are working only part time, and the two million college and high school graduates each year are to have adequate incomes, all workers past 50 should be released from the competition of employment and placed on a pension basis, with sufficient pension to maintain the living standard. Many business organizations will not consider employes past 40, therefore the proposed age of 65 by President Roosevelt is too advanced to meet conditions, either from the viewpoint of those now employed who must pay into the fund, of the millions without work. Fully 80 per cent of those in need are under 65. In order to put the pension system into immediate operation the United States with state co-opera-tion should finance the plan until business could accumulate the fund. With every home and family stabilized with buying power either through a job, or pension, normal business would soon be assured. Write your United States Senators and your Representatives in Congress your views on this important subject while it is being considered.

pass. How in the world in any one ever going to live on sls a month? Why not make a change and put the Townsend plan through. I am for it. a a a HOSPITAL VETERANS PRESENT NEEDS OF HEROES By H. C. M. I have often wondered if any one ever visited the United States hospital at Marion, and if they did, they surely wouldn’t condemn the soldiers for anything they seek. I agree with Anne Knowlton that we are lucky to be back, but we didn’t come back the way we left. We aren’t healthy, nor our bodies whole. We are sadly used-up humans, nevertheless, we are thankful that we did come back. She speaks of seeing more than 1000 human wrecks, but not of the thousands and .thousands all over the country. If those of us who are able to yell for the bonus refuse to do any yelling, we would be turning against those comrades she was fortunate enough to meet. God grant that every one could shake their hands. We haven’t lost faith in them. The fight they so bravely led, we have taken up, and we will keep faith with them. To be able to think has often meant the difference between a Heaven or a Hell for these boys. I trust that every membe? of the Congress and the Senate gives a little thought to them. tt SPIRIT OF GIVING MUST BE ENFORCED By Z. Z. P. Not only city-wide, but nationwide, is the Townsend old-age revolving pension plan, for the thought of the world is coming to see that mankind must give and not hoard. A complete change of base must come to all, as the world is being “new born” on this subject, and the business of “getting” being shown up more and more as the “moth and run” thought which can not abide. The thought of the world Is being

JAN. 26, 1933

lifted from greed into some apprehension or the giving which is Christ-like, “Give and ye shall receive.” God’s will for His creation is characterized by affluence, abundance, completeness and man reflects the giving God, “Freely ye have received, freely give.” Giving as provided in the national plan proposed by Dr. F. E. Townsend must tend to expand the giving power of all. What part has fear, criticism, condemnation and false accusation in so great a movement as this? This law of giving acts upon the human experience by coming into the stream of reciprocal brotherhood where giving is reflected in giving back again. By such outlook, buying is lifted from greed and bargain hunting, and the desire to get something for nothing, into the desire to help another. a a a CHALK TALK BY TIMES ARTIST IS LAUDED. Mr*. R. H. Carpenter. The Parents-Teachers’ Association of School 77 wishes to thank you for the opportunity of hearing Mr. Berg’s entertaining chalk talk. We also wish to .ell Mr. Berg how much we appreciated his fascinating lecture at our school on Friday night, Jan. 4. Every one enjoyed the evening and we were sorry when his illustrated talk came to an end. Thank you for giving us the privilege.

So They Say

Within two or three months the public will find a decided change for the better in the kind of songs which the radio carries—Richard Himber, leader in new radio censorship move. Business needs men who understand government as much as government needs men who are sensitive to the sound needs of business. —Dean Wallace B. Donham of Harvard Business School. If in the future anybody strike* at the unity of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Rumania, catastrophe will surely come. —Dr. Eduard Benes, Czechoslovakian foreign minister.

Daily Thought

For a bishop must be blameless as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry; not given to w’ine, no striker, not g.ven to filthy lucre. —Titus, i:vii. WHILE our hearts are pure, our lives are happy and our peace is sure.—William Winter.

DELUSION

BY EDNA CUNNINGHAM I made an idol in my heart, And called it by your name; And as I looked upon my art. Love bound me round with chains. But idols all have feet of clay. And yours I had to see: You mocked the shrine f, made tot you And lo! you set me free.