Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 June 1937 — Page 16

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

ROY W. HOWARD LUDWELL DENNY MARK FERREE President Editor Business Manager

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

. THURSDAY, JUNE, 10, 1937

DETOUR

UR foreign editor, William .Philip Simms, found that

Premier Blum of France and | Dictator Mussolini of Italy were seeing eye-to-eye with respect to certain dangers in Europe’s rearmament race. i Both agreed that Europe has a very unruly bear by the tail, that hanging on means destruction for all, and that Jetting go likewise will be risky and will have to be accom- . plished carefully and gradually. But, as was to be expected, they had different ideas

\ about the easing-off process. | In Rome two weeks ago Signor Mussolini suggested to Mr. Simms that President Roosevelt should step in. and | call an arms-limitation conference. In Paris yesterday | Monsieur Blum told Mr. Simms that he thought European nations could take the start themselves—by each nation announcing to all others just exactly how much farther it | intends to go in arms building, and then scrupulously stay- | ing within its self-imposed limit. | It is encouraging to learn that two men in such key positions recognize the necessity of getting together. And | as our foreign editor goes from capital to capital we doubt | not that he will find other leaders of like mind. We can only hope that they agree as to method, before it is too late. In all this, we believe, the proper role of the United States is that of a friendly but aloof neutral. If the time comes when all European powers see eye-to-eye on the need to detour off their road to war, then surely the United States will be ready to lend a neighborly hand. But so long as treasuries are being emptied, credit strained, living standards driven downward and peaceful commerce blocked in a mad race to prepare for war—so long as that dangerous drift continues, we repeat, the only side | for the United States to be on is this side of the Atlantic.

- GROWTH OF STATE PARKS NDIANA takes particular interest in| the annual meeting of the National Conference on State Parks today at Swarthmore. One reason is that Col. Richard Lieber, often called the father of Indiana state parks, is conference president. Another is pride in our excellent State park

system. State parks over the country have been growing into ani important recreational factor in recent years. Federal grants and CCC camps have helped develop new acreage. Indiana, with nearly a million State park visitors last year, is an outstanding example of how inexpensive mass recreation is being provided in open dreas of natural beauty. The goal outlined by Col. Lieber is, “a more beautiful and more orderly appearing country,” with “acquisition of ¥ additional land and water areas suitable for recreation, {cr the study of natural history, for the preservation of wild life, and for historical monuments . . . until there shall be public parks, forests and preserves within easy access of all the citizens of every state.”

MR, MORGAN’S AFTERTHOUGHT : Y LSTERDAY we said some rather rough things about ~ the cynicism of J. P. Morgan's tax-evasion statement “anybody is justified in doing anything so long as the law doesn’t say it’s wrong”—and then added: “We hope that Mr. Morgan gives afterthought, employs hindsight, vonders the full meaning of -what he said, and with some lourish withdraws that remark from the record.” : Today we are glad to give space to and commend Mr. Morgan's “afterthought”: “My interview on shipboard with newspapermen last Monday took place before I had seen President Roosevelt's message on income tax evasion, with Secretary Morgenthau’s letter. : “l am surprised at the interpretation that some people seem to have put on my offhand remarks, for I certiinly have no sympathy with tax dodging or tax evasion and had no thought of defending such practices. “What 1 feel strongly is that when a taxpayer has complied with all the terms of the law, he should not be held up to obloquy for not having paid more than he owed.” With that, we have no quarrel.

LABOR FIGHTS LABOR | E who have long supported organized labor would be ; false friends if we failed to warn groups of workers . against the consequences of illegal and irresponsible action. : Such action in several quarters recently has greatly flamaged labor’s cause with the public—the tearing up of railroad tracks by striking Ohio steelmen, the use of weapons by Chicago pickets, intimidation by mass picketing, a sit-down strike in a Baltimore” Fisher body plant that threw 1000 workmen in a neighboring plant out of work. Worst” of all was the power shutdown in Michigan ‘which plunged the city of Flint into darkness and made ‘idle some 60,000 other workers who were not parties to the strikers’ quarrel with the power company—that unsocial “act being perpetrated in defiance of a strike settlement Which had been reached at Washington. It brought a warning from the C. I. O. chief, John L. Lewis, and a curt order to “get those lights back on,” ‘irom labor’s friend, Governor Murphy of Michigan. Such an act as that does not strengthen the young and growing forces of industrial unionism. It seriously weakens them. ; > The breaking of agreements is quickly seized upon to ‘give weight to the arguments of bitter-ender employers Like Tom Girdler, head of Republic Steel, that contracts "with the union are useless scraps of paper. In final analysis public opinion decides a labor con‘troversy., The immediate effect of illegal and irresponsible , acts is to alienate that greatest of all forces. + Continuance of such tactics as those we have enumerat- ,. (1 is the surest way for unionism to gmat suicide,

| | | |

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES °

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1937

nD gr. L ip

froma SS

i! i

se Who Live in Darkness—By Kirby

PLACES IN WHICH TO LIVE

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

'Income Tax' Paid’ in Form of Union Dues Proves Politicians: Underestimate People's Ability to Pay, Writer Says.

EW YORK, June 10.—Ohe great income tax generally overlooked is that collected by labor unions from a class of citizens, most of whom are considered to be too humble for the official attention of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. True, there is some clamor for a “widening of the tax base,” but even in the improbable event of its being enlarged to catch a few brackets which are now beneath the interest of

the Treasury, the profits will not be very substantial. But below these brackets and all the way down the line of occupations embraced in unions, even to the poorest, the income tax exists in practice, though under another name, proving that politicians and statesmen underestimate the people’s ability to pay. Unions keep their own books and no politician would dare suggest that they be examined at a public investigation. Yet it is interesting to speculate on the volume of money which the unions collect from a great section of the nation which the Government has spared the dues of citizenship. That these revenues constitute an income tax levied by private interests cannot be doubted. The members pay dues based on their rate of pay, which is the principle of the official income’ tax, and in addition, many of them are subject to high fees. failing the payment of which they may be prevented from earning a living. The initiation fee may be $50 or $500. Surely if any agency has the right to collect substantial sums from workmen as an -entrance fee in the pursuit of happiness, the Government should come first. ba % nn -8 T will be argued that dues and assessments levied on the earnings of a group whom Congress hasn't the heart to tax are voluntary contributions. That contention is not consistent with the check-off system. If union members were enthusiastic contributors to labor organizations it would not be necessary to deduct the money at the pay-office.

Some labor leaders have admitted that collections are unreliable when left to the willingness and conscience of the members. Moreover, it is quite possible for 49 per cent of a union membership to be unwilling about union income taxes even if you ignore the possibility that individual extortion may be practiced by some leaders who acquire power to give or withhold jobs with threats of expulsion. The well-to-do must meet the Government on different basis, but the official policy is lenience toward the humble toiler who then discovers himself accountable to a private authority with the power to inflict dreadful suffering on his family for failure to pay.

Mr. Pegler

2 8

HE Government exempts him out of decent re- . gard for his economic weakness, but then turns him over to a tax collector with no such qualms who may not even do him the honor of explaining from time to time what becomes of the money. It is not only the employers who have trouble with labor leaders. There are many union members who are members against their will, but unprotected from terrorism, physical and economic, because no statesman will come to their aid for fear of being called an enemy of labor.

HEARD IN CONGRESS—

Rep. Maverick (D. Tex.)—I voted for the antilynching bill. I am a Southerner. I still hate abolitionists. I have never read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and I would shoot anybody who would play “Marching Through Georgia” in my presence. (Laughter) But I voted for the antilynching bill. I have not received any letters of criticism. The answer is the South opposes lynching as much as any other portion .of America. ” ”n ” ) Rep. Fish (R. N. Y)—If the sound recommendations of Herbert Hoover had not been sabotaged by a Democratic majority in 1930 there would be confidence in the country today, labor would be employed, and you would know in which direction you were going.

The Hoosier Forum

1 wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

LAUDS GOVERNOR FOR WELFARE SPEECH By LeRoy 8. Moore, Bedford

Everyone who admires and despises hypocrisy will rejoice at thc stand taken by Governor Townsend while speaking at the Indiana Welfare dinner held in con. nection with the National Conference of Social Work Not one to be intimidated by a group of professional welfare workcrs, the Governor cracked back with great vigor and proved once and for all that these professionals from the East are not the political dynamite they would have us believe. The Governor went out on a limb and invited them to do the -sawing. They didn’t have enough teeth in their saws to even bend the bough. The Governor declared he “believed our forefathers debated to no end the proposition of whether it was better to have a Government run by an oligarchy of trained perpetual officeholders or by the rabble of a democracy which would learn by its own mistakes.”

Education Held Factor

He then pointed out,that “likewise a government run forever by an unrecallable society of officeholders soon would be no democ-

racy.” Right! But it is not as debatable today as it was in those days, for in this age the common class, the middle class, and the high class are al much better educated than our forefathers. The common class as a whole is much better educated today than any other class in the time of our forefathers and much better equipped to handle employment such as welfare work, chief requisite of which is common sense, tolerance, and the ability to see the other fellow’s side.

Who then would .object to the common, everyday person thus equipped holding posts in a public welfare department? None but the professional social worker, the G. O. P. and. those who have an ax to grind. There are those who can’t understand just what the meant when he said, “Caring for our unfortunates is too sacred a trust for any brand of politics to be permitted.” And here they seem to scent a mystery and are of the mind that the Governor did an about-face.

Simile Is Used

For one, this writer will wager that Mr. Chute of the National Probation Association didn’t have any doubt as to the meaning of the statement. ‘But for the enlightenment of G, M. Showalter, who couldn’t quite grasp it, perhaps we had better elucidate with one simple simile. Governor Townsend meant that Mr. Chute and his cohorts were as partisan as a nonpartisan voters’ league. Used to having other officials bend the knee in surrender, and shocked that our Governor should have the temerity to retaliate, Mr. Chute returned to New York looking as if a jack-in-the-box had been popped at him, £ 2 =n URGES MORE CARE BY MOTORISTS

By Bruce Catton

The extent to which simple carelessness causes traffic accidents is illustrated by a recent bulletin from the Association of American Rail-

roads, which points out that fatali- |

ties from grade crossing accidents are going up. In most cases, probably, a grade crossing accident is due principally to the motorist’s carelessness. But this bulletin contains added proof of that theory by showing that in

79 per cent of last year’s grade

General Hugh Johnson Says—

Strategists Having Fine Time Preparing Legislation for Rush Season, Writer Believes; Wages and Hours Bill Seen Most Fun.

ASHINGTON, June 10.—Franklyn Waltman, who is doing a two-fisted job of columning for the Washington Post, has observed that just as the wilting summer heat begins to take the tucker out of the legislators, suddenly a flock of complex legislation partially remaking Federal’ Government comes up with White House instructions to expedite. “Can it be,” asks Mr. Waltman, “that there is a hidden reason for holding back on such proposals and then unloading them on Congress late in the session? Is the purpose deliberately to create confusion so that neither the legislators nor the country will know too much about what the New Deal is doing?” Those who seem to be preparing these bills and finagling. them through Congress are having a fine time—with their tongues thrust so far in their cheeks that it looks like an epidemic of mumps.

” ” ”

'TRATEGY that affords most amusement to drafters of these measures is the Wages and Hours Bill. Tae joke is that, while | proclaiming it a repudiation of NRA, they know it ks NRA ten-times intensified. -

The strategy is to smear NRA at and then commend this bill as its antithesis.

Th difference, the; assert, is let ind .

courage

‘not get out of the way.

Governor |.

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Make your letter short, so all can have a chance. Letters must be signed, but names will be withheld on request.)

crossing accidents the speed of the train involved was less than 40 miles an hour. In other words, the auto in such accidents is not struck down by a thunderbolt which ccmes on the driver so fast that the driver canIn practically four-fifths of the accidents, the train is moving at a moderate speed. ? It is almost impossible to escape the conclusion that just a little care on the motorists’ part would do away with nearly all of these disasters, ; ” ” ” CONTENDS PROGRESSIVISM 1S PEOPLE'S DEMAND By Onlooker Senator Wagner on a Democratic New Deal ticket and Senator La Follette on a Republican New Teal ticket—who can think of a better combination for a Presidential campaign in 1940? The only thing that can prevent’ such a contest in 1940 is that the people will have as little voice as usual in choosing the candidates. The big business reactionaries still have control of the machinery for nomination in both parties. But in the last few elections the people most = certainly have expressed mandate for progressivism and one can’t help speculating as to what would happen if the people were allowed to nominate their own. candidates. At any rate, the progressiveness of the candidates in 1940 will be a good indication of just how much democracy there is in the two old parties. a 7 = DENOUNCES KILLING OF STEEL STRIKERS By William Lemon Bix defenseless men were killed in the recent Chicago steel strikes. Their only offense against society was asking for a living wage and union recognition. : ‘ Those who perpetrated this outrage are using the old skeleton of communism for an excuse. and there probably weren't a dozen Communists in the entire crowd. But, as in Russia, oppression is the nmiother of communism, and this crack-brain theory thrives on the publicity. of such outrages as this

SATURDAY NIGHT

By JOSEPHINE DUKE MOTLEY

A light is dancing round a sign; Here men are drinking beer and wine. The streets are filled to overflow With swarms of people on! the go. You ask, “Where?” Do you think they know? On human faces, wild laughs play. Somehow in all this,.rush and fray, The world must after all be gay. Or is it just a drab old place, Pretending gay to save its face?

DAILY THOUGHT

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was. the king's wrath pacified. —Esther 7:10,

AN is unjust, but God is just; and finally justice triumphs.— Longfellow.

one. The late Tsar of Russia and his constituents placed property rights above human rights, sowing the seeds of communism in fertile soil. Communism is as oppressive as capitalism when it holds the balance of power. Governor Murphy, of Michigan, settled his strikes with sane and peaceful negotiations and the same methods could have been used successfully in Chicago. ; The right of labor to organize has been recognized and is within. the law. Industrial slavery and poverty which thrived under previous administrations is outlawed. John L. Lewis, with our President behind him, will bring us out of the fog created by the greed of Republi-:an-protected capitalists.

” ” ” CLAIMS BRITAIN, FRANCE INTERESTED IN SPAIN By Bull Mooser, Crawfordsville The Times is correct in citing that the Spanish affair is not a civil war at all, but rather an international war. It is also right in

pointing out that Germany and

Italy are fighting on Spanish soil with the hope of gaining control of the richest mineral resources of Spain. But The Times doesn’t tell the rest of the truth. The ‘rest of the truth is that England and France. are just &s interested in Spain’s natural resources &s are Germany and Italy. Bilbao and the Basque country is one of the world’s richest districts for iron ore. British capital has developed this country and made of it a bee-hive of industry.” The British industrialists have gained title to the rich deposits and have monopolized the trade of the territory. Britain looks upon this territory as British and is as interested in seeing that neither a Spanish Sotialist government nor Germany takes it away from her. Hence, the activity of Britain when the rebels and Germans began crowding down on Bilbao. : Barcelona, in southern Spain, is another center of ore deposits and a bee-hive of industry such as is Bilbao, in northen Spain. Here we find British and French capitalists have united to gain control of resources and industry—and Italy is looking on greedily. Hence, what we are really seeing in Spain is a struggle between imperialist Britain and. France, trying to hold the monopolies they have gained, and Fascist Germany and Italy are trying to gain these monopolies in order to promote their programs of Fascist economic self-sufficiency. : : This great international struggle to gain the privilege of exploiting Spain completely submerges the small civil war that is going on between the two factions in Spain. The sympathy of Russians and Americans for the peasants struggling for freedom is not important. 2 » -n CONGRATULATES SHAW ON RACE VICTORY By William L. Owens, Malad, Ida.

I have just finished listening to the most interesting radio report of the 500-mile Memorial Day race, the 25th anniversary of automcbile racing in Indiana. Being a former citizen of Indiana and of dear old Indianapolis, I find it a great pleasure to extend my heartiest congratulations to Wilbur Shaw. for his wonderful victory Memorial Day, a victory that will go down in history as one of the closest ever run. I am glad I am from the state of Indiana, a state of winners, and we send you all our congratulations for another victory without any fatal accident.

The Washington Merry-Go-Round

Washington

By Raymond Clapper

American Medical Association

Lauded for Starting Search for

Way to Spread Medical Benefits,

VV ASHINGTON, June 10.—When impatient, selfish forces are colliding violent ly and impeding the effort of democracy to improve the life of the average man, it is like a breath of fresh air in a choking room

to have the American Medical Association, in its Atlantic City convention, undertake of its own initiative a search for ways to spread the benefits of modern medical science more thoroughly over the population. This is a significant change of direction, for until now the medical profession has stood tenaciously against any changes in the tra= ditional system of private practice where those who could pay the price got service and the others sought charity or went without attention. : Prolonged unemployment has mace the problem acute. With 6,000,000 or 8,000,000 out of work, 3 : and with millions of others barely providing their own subsistence, Mr. Clapper vast numbers of those who need medical attention obviously cannot afford it. . The problem was evident even before the depression. Ten years ago the late Dr. William H. Welch of Johns Hopkins said: : “The health field has a woefully ineffective distribution service, as compared with its marvelously ef fective production service in the laboratories of the world. We know how to do a lot of things which we don’t do, or do on a wretchedly small scale.” One of the great things that Herbert Hoover did while President was to promote the historic study

of “Recent Social Treads,” a monumental examinas~ °

tion of American life. On the question of health, this report stated: “One important reason why existing knowledge and equipment are not fully utilized is that medicine, in the midst of a highly organized economic world, remains fundamentally individualistic. Medicine today is essentially an unorganized professional service.” : tJ ” ” EALTH is as fundamental as. education and access to it ought to be as universal as access to education. Once education was obtained only by those who could afford to pay..for private schooling. It was once on the same basis that medicine still is. Now .the medical profession is looking toward some means of spreading its ministrations more effectively. “Medical care,” said Dr. Charles Gordon Heyd, A. M. A. president, in his opening address, “is a problem not alien to the purpose of government, for the health of its citizens must be the paramount concern of the state.”

Physicians do not want this problem to be man=

handled by politicians and therefore wisely initiate a movement in the hope that it can be directed by those who know something about the subject. The association’s resolution proposes a study of the prob-

lem to find a program “under which the delivery of

a high-quality medical care to the American people can be evolved under conditions within the framework of the adopted policy of the American Medical Association.” : : aon = : 3 REVENTIVE medicine has gone far with Gove ernment aid. Smallpox once was a ‘common plague. How mahy peopie do you know who have had smallpox? Between 1800 and 1879 this country had a yellow fever epidemic every year except two. Dr. Parran of the Public Health Service is now lead-

.ing a spectacular campaign against venereal discase,

Yet preventive disease alone is not sufficient. Cura=tive medicine is equally essential. The Public Health Service studied 12,217 cases of illness in Hagerstown, ‘Md, a few years ago and found that one-third of the cases, not including colds and miner ailments, received no medical attention.

Yet in many communities we have an excess of physicians and nurses. or .at least more than can make a good living, and at the same time a study in Kentucky showed that 31 counties in 1930 were undersupplied with physicians. This condition probably could be duplicated in many regions. Additional doctors would starve in many such places because the people cannot afford enough medical service to enable them to live, Physicians recognize that there is enough medical work to be done to keep all of them busy and more too. The probleni is to finance it. That Government assistance will be needed is probable. Just what form that should take. and how it can be provided without jeoparding medical standards, is the problem which the American Medical Association is undertaking to study. y

Senator Byrd Pays Apple Pickers 9-Cent-an-Hour 'Going Wage% Diplomatic Changes Are Stalled Because Incumbents Won't Quit Posts.

every opportunity,

fix wages while here the Government will do it. No industry fixed wages under NRA—the wage scales derived authority from the President’s action. Mr. Lubin and Mr. Henderson's testimony did a lot to confute the previous smearing of NRA’s efforts on wages, hours and employment. Without considering how the result was reached, they showed that ‘the effect cf NRA was to achieve the results aimed at in this bill—the 40-hour week. Mr. Lubin also blew up the charge that industry raised prices to offset increased wages and shortened hours, by showing that NRA remained stable two years.

” ” =

Ir L. LEWIS has made one of the criticisms o¥ this column has insisted upon—that, unlike NRA, this is not just a minimum-hours and minimumwages bill. Under the guise of a floor-and-ceiling act, it is a complete Federal wage-fixing bill. The trouble with these tactics is that they are too strategical. There is a story going around the Capitol that the President himself drafted: this bill ‘as he likes to see laws drafted—about three pages of simple

direct English—but that wouldn’t do for the strat-

gists. They had to put false whiskers and bl cheaters on it and dress it up emale garme

prices levelled off and

ASHINGTON, June 10.—Senator Byrd of Virginia came to the White House the other day to denounce Shenandoah Homesteads, a Resettlement project near his home which he claims is a “sinful waste.” : : On the other hand, the Agriculture Department, which now controls resettlement, says money must be spent in order to lift the level of farm wages and farm income. Therefore at Shenandoah it pays higher than prevailing wages. The President listened to Mr. Byrd for a moment. Knowing that the Senator from Virginia was one of the biggest apple growers in the East, he said: Ls! “Harry, how much do you pay your apple-pickers?” “I pay them the going wage ” replied Senator Byrd. “Yes, but how much?” insisted Mr. Roosevelt. Mr. Byrd hesitated. Finally he said: “Nine cents

an hour.” : 2 _ The President laughed heartily and said: “There you are, Harry. That explains everything.” ; Howe RC Ra Eg a

EVERAL:

This is the predicament of Joe Davis. Techni-« cally he is Ambassador to Russia. But he has been selected confidentially as Ambassador to Germany as soon as the incumbent, William E. Dodd, resigns. Ambassador Dodd, however, seems inclined to re= main in Berlin. Meanwhile Joe has to continue visite ing abroad or go back to Moscow, where he has done a good job. Russians hope he will stay. sn =» : = N similar predicament is Hugh Gibson, Ambassador to Brazil, selected confidentially as U. S. Ambassa= dor to Belgium. But the present Ambassador to Belgium, Dave Hennen Morris, doesn’t intend to res sign, it is reported here. So Mr. Gibson has been vacationing at the tax

‘payers’ expense. - Meanwhile Jefferson Caffery, Ama

bassador to Cuba, has been appointed to Brazil but

can't take the post because Mr. Gibson will not ofs - ficially vacate xf as

ler, Wright, Minister to been appofiited to take MY. Caf,