Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 March 1938 — Page 10

The Indianapolis Times

(a SCRIPPS -HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

ROY W. HOWARD LUDWELL DENNY v MARK FERREE - President: Business Manager

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reau .of Circulations. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1938

EQUALIZING TAXES N 1819 the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that under the Constitution a state government could not fax the operations of the Federal Government and the Federal Government could not tax the operations of a state. BAR That decision, in itself, may have been just and proper. But it established what proved to be a very bad precedent.

For 119 years the high court hearkened back to that prece- | dent, and in case after case expanded and elaborated tax |

immunities. Even after adoption of the 16th Amendment, giving Congress power to tax incomes “from whatever source derived,” the Supreme Court. held fast to the precedent. It ruled that the Government could not tax the salaries of . state, county and municipal employees, or the interest on the bonds of state and local governments. It said the Government could not tax the profits which an oil company made drilling on state school lands. And, in reverse, it exempted Federal salaries and Federal bonds from state taxation. It held that a state could not tax the profits from oil leases of Indian lands, because Indians are wards of the Federal Government. Not until this year did the high court start examining _ the validity of that precedent. Recently, however, it ruled that Federal PWA contractors were subject to-state taxation, and that conservators and liquidators of state banks had to pay Federal income taxes. And yesterday it overruled the precedent in respect to profits from state school lands and from Indian lands. : Given time, this happy process of sound reasoning may bring the court around to concluding justly that all citizens and all incomes should be equal before all tax laws. We hope we live long enough to hear the court declare that, precedents notwithstanding, the Constitution is a charter of government and not one of privileges and immunities. We hope to see the day when even judges have to’ pay:the same taxes that ordinary citizens pay.

CHILDREN ’S BUREAU SERVICE

‘OME misconceptions about the Children’s Bureau of the ‘Indianapolis Orphans Home doubtless were cleared up for many when the Bureau yesterday held its first public annual meeting since it was organized 87 years ago. Too many still think of the Bureau as an orphan asylum, whereas the emphasis today is on placing children in:homes so they can-live in normal family groups. The trend toward actual home conditions and away from institutional care of children has been very marked. At one time children in the Orphans Home numbered 195. This figure now has reached a low of 65. Obviously those now in the institution can be'given better individual care than when the number was so large. Out of 549 children in the Bureau’s care last year, the average in the Orphans Home was only 73, the others being chiefly in foster homes. . Another little understood point is that most of the cases handled involve only temporary care, the children having a parent or parents to whom they eventually will return. Each year this phase of the work increases. © Better public acquaintance with the Children’s Bureau work should increase community co-operation in this splendid service.

BEFORE WE CHEER...

INE transcontinental self-liquidating superhighways © may be just what this country needs. At any rate, Senator Bulkley of Ohio, who thinks so, has introduced a bill to authorize them. * It would create a U. S. Highway Corp. which would issue two billion dollars worth of 60-year 3 per céht bonds as a starter. In five years as much as eight billion dollars ~ might be spent to build three highways across the country “from east to west and six others from north to south, each highway having from four to 12 paved traffic lanes on a right-of-way at least 300 feet wide. “Reasonable” tolls for use of the highways, according to Senator Bulkley, would pay all maintenance costs as well as interest and principal on- the bonds. ~ The Senator says his proposal would aid national defense, unemployment relief, business recovery and public : safety, and that President Roosevelt looks on it with favor. It is a big idea, to say the least, but before we join the cheering we should like to learn the answers to several questions, + What would be the effect on cities and communities left far off the routes of the superhighways? What would be

the effect on. the railroads, already in grave trouble because :

of. ‘automobile and truck competition? And if—because not enough people are willing to pay tolls, or because within 60 years airplanes or some new transportation medium may do to automobiles and trucks what they are doing to railroads, or because of any other development the superhighways should fail to pay for them- - selves—what would happen?

324 LOAFING LAWMAKERS : “HE House of Representatives is now debating the most ~ important piece of legislation which Congress will act on this year. ~~; It is the tax bill, and it involves drastic changes in the , principle and the method of collecting revenue from corporaions, which in turn will affect business planning for expansion, employment, etc,

Yesterday Rep: Treadiay proposed 4 an amendnient to

out altogether the undistributed profits tax and to subtute graduated levies: on corporate come. The amendent was defeated 78 1033, Our purpose in mentioning this here is not to argue

merits of the Treadway proposal pro or con, but merely |

remark the size of the vote by which the issue ‘was de 78 to 83. « Total of votes cast, 111. Total memberof the House of Representatives, 435. Congressmen enjoy an annual wage of $10,000, But Say of Whom don's seetn 10 fave Lime to attend iy chores, : Lo :

Why Morticians Continue to Thrive!—8y

‘GOOD HEAVENS! WHO LET THAT KITTEN WN HERE WITHTHE , BABY-1TS prROSAS! COVERE GERMS

y Gi oo

CAN Hes TAKE A CHANCE LIKE | - THAT- Boning. IN A DRART ALL

TCH ME PASS "THIS SLOW Poke!

“Now WAT

vit Le ho

SY,

THE IDEA= GOING OUT WITHOUT YOUR RUBBERSTHAT'S A FINE WAY TO GET SICK AND

RUN UP A LOT 9 DoF DOCTOR BILLS)!

Fair Enough

By Westbrook yan.

Movie People Live in Exaggerated Fear of Everyone With a Column or Radio Spot on Hollywood Gossip.

OS ANGELES, March 8—There is a phase of life in .Hollywood which is covered by a great,

superstitious taboo which is, nevertheless, one of |

the most interesting peculiarities of a strange community. I refer to the part which journalism plays in the moving picture business and to the ethics of this journalism, which ‘aie weird by comparison with the standard rules ds old-line newspapermen learned them. For many years, the actors, more especially the women stars, and the producers and publicity departments have stood in awe of Miss Luella O. Parsons, the moving picture columnist of Mr. Hearst’s newspapers. ‘The extent and force of her influence would seem to be vastly exaggerated, for there are dozens of other ‘ Hollywood columnists and commentators, and the judgment of a Hearst expert in a New York paper, for RAR example, would not be final with Mr. Pegler the public there. Miss Parsons also conducts a radio program in which the stars’ appear as guest artists and served one engagement in a movie drama—common practice among the movie specialists who do not hold with the rather fastidious rule of old-line journalists that a critic should have no profitable interest in the subject of his work. 2 8 . ANY movie commentators or columnists are stage-struck or mike-struck and soon come to regard themselves as actors or radio entertainers, inevitably on terms of professional rivalry with legitimate actors and radio artists on whose work they pass judgment in print. In many cases they have used their newspaper space for coy or blatant advertisement of their own movies or radio programs, or both, apparently without the slightest thought that such conduct might be questionable. At present the influence conceded to Miss Parsons appears to have been topped by that which is conceded to the Hollywood Reporter, a small and strictly professional trade paper with a class circulation. This paper carries personal advertisements by

actors, song writers, directors and the like, and, of

course, it requires the highest integrity to treat impartially in the editorial and critical matter those who have bought space and those who have not. Nevertheless, examples are cited of strong favorable criticism of nonadvertisers and unfavorable judgments on

clients of the advertising department.

» # t J HE same general ownership operates two expensive restaurants, in which the stars may entertain their guests, but the critical judgment appears to be independent of the restaurant business. If the stars and others in an unsteady and capricious business imagine that it is to their advantage to advertise

or patronize the restaurant, that is up to them. Movie people live in exaggerated and pathetic fear

‘of everyone with a column or a radio spot devoted to

Hollywood gossip, including some commentators whose

influence is negligible. To finish on an optimistic note, I may report: ‘that |

Sidney Skolsky, also of Hearst, appears to enjoy the best reputation for integrity and the - avoidance entangling social and Professional interests.

Business— By John

The Problem of Making the Mechanisms of the Capitalist System | Start Again Is First and Foremost a Problem of Starting Investment,

N= YORE, March 8~This is another installs ‘human beings. And they have the decision what they.

ment in an attempt to say what we ought to do to get our economic system going.

In a prior article I sought to emphasize that the.

first step is to settle on how the economic works. That is not-a small order., It has mahy parts. and there are serious problems connected with all of

“them. But unless the central, so ve be

mechanisms are working, the rest. will not called into play. Ls The central object of the economic system is to produce goods and distribute them. i aii more immediately practical way, it is to

enterprise spends money to I the goods. And it is this monty the

Sy

‘costs

The Hoosier Forum

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

PAYS TRIBUTE TO ROBERT P. SCRIPPS By Albert Anderson

A great light went out! A reader for years of The Indianapolis Times and an admirer of Scripps-Howard policies, I am profoundly grieved over the death of Robert P, Scripps. Truly it can .be said, father.” While the public as a whole learns very little of the “men behind the guns” the editors-ih-chief of newspapers—certainly they guide the destinies of the papers. . . . In this country: men such as Mr. Scripps have a wonderful mission to perform. He did not shirk his duties. What's more, one learns, after reading a Scripps-Howard

'| newspaper, that he believed in the

philosophy of live and let live. One is also aware that from the outset Mr. Scripps did not wish to super-

4 | impose his views on others—did not

wish to appear as a dictator. I wish this country and the world had more men of his caliber. . . . As a student of history and' one of those foreigners who have found the United States a mighty fine haven, I appeal to all "Americans to accept Mr. Scripp’s policies. All we need here are able leaders like him, who was willing to lead but not dictate,

t J EJ 2 SEES NEED FOR AMENDING LABOR RELATIONS ACT By L. S. Farmer

. Social security demands a healthy

body politic which continually functions for the legitimate needs of all people depending upon and deserving of its benefits. A healthy body politic rests upon a proper exercise of the only two: basic authorities available within organized soclety—arbitrary and democratic. Arbitrary authority is that exercised in conformity with the will of an individual or minority group, irrespective of whether it does or does not conform with the majority will. Arbitrary authority carries with it a social responsibility which demands that it be exercised in ccuaformity| with the well-being of all affected individuals, and a failure to observe such responsibility constitutes an abuse of that authority. Such abuse; enables individuals: and minority groups to profit at the expense of others; diverts social benefits from deserving to undeserving members

of society and is destructive to} | social health and security. ° : © Democratic authority is that exer-

cised in conformity with laws, rules, regulations and policies agreed upon by’ a majority of all defeated individuals or groups—and the only social instrument wherewith such laws, rules, regulations and peliciss | can be arrived at is through sont

of .| form. .of collective.

bargaining... is .the oHly means by which dis:

T. Flynn

| will do with the money.

“a worthy son of a worthy

i rock. —Matthew. 7:24, N actual life ever: every great entes-- b

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

agreeing groups “can effect compromises and arrive: at: peaceable working agreements. It is the only solid foundation upon which demo< cratic government can be constructed and the only antidote for abuse of arbitrary authority. The National Labor Relations Act makes provision for an extremely limited use of this ipstrument—in its present form, it is like the first crude blunderbuss which had to be improved and perfected before it became of widespread usefulness. Social health demands that the NLRB be amended and improved until every abuse of arbitrary authority has been destroyed. : 8 2 =» BUND ACTIVITIES

| ASSAILED

By C. V. Grosecloss

Perhaps 1 have-taken my history a little too seriously, but it seems to me there is a terrible inefficiency in our immigration laws and entively too much’ tolérance ‘on the

{part of our Government when it

permits such an organization as the German Nazi Bund in the United States, The leader of : ‘this organization refused to salute the American flag and swears allegiance ‘to Herr Hit-

SUN DOWN By ROBERT 0. LEVELL

Shadows of the evening sun . Gently lose their light of day, When the eve’n time has come, : Closing :in’ across the way. oly

When the birds" are homeward

boun Heard in echo where they By: When the. day has settled. dove; Deep into, a sunset sky. ;

Where the sun has faded ly i. . Sinking downward in the West . in the evening glow, -. . Filled with solitude and’ rect.

"DAILY THOUGHT

Therefore. whosoever heareth ‘these sayings of jnine, and. doeth ‘them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his hous upon

prise begins with and takes ‘its .

pit forward step in faith.

Solvegelr $

ASHINGTON, March 8.—1 want chance and break an old personal tradition. .I rarpo making a dogma

ler and his swastika—a direct insult to every principle of true

American ideals. Before we ap-|

propriate any more millions for

coastal defense, or wade too deeply | into the Far East, we should dump |

this whole dictator-loving lot back into Hitler's lap. * We have millions of loyal citizens who are fighting every day to be true Americans under the most trying circumstances. If there are any jobs in America, let our Americans have -them. : The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars are to be complimenied in their efforts to disband this organization and should be given the loyal support of everyone who considers himself an American. They, at least, haven't forgotten Flanders Fields. » 2 2 URGES DIFFERENT COURSE

AGAINST NAZIISM

‘By - Hiram Lackey

Referring to the refusal of Indianapolis - organizations to rent

‘halls to Nazi leaders, The Times de-

clares editorially: “This has nothing to do with the right of free

speech or assemblage, nor does it |

mean Indianapolis is intolerant of minorities, It simply shows a lack of Indianapolis sympathy with Nazi propaganda.” Action of Indianapolis property owners amounts to this: By economic force free speech or assem-

‘blage wes defeated. The best way

to defeat Naziism is to ‘meet it squarely, give it the light of day,

and correct our own intolerance and

injustice that breeds dictatorships. Except we reverse our course, we

shall all likewise lose our freedom

of speech. Under a dictatorship, the dictator is the most hopeless of slaves. Whoever thinks that Hitler himself is free i not Auiaisied with the facts ; ASKS STREETS ; BE WIDENED By Jack McCotter : ‘How about getting: some ‘of the

| streets in.the northeast part of the

City into shape? There is Rural St.,: narrow, inadequate ‘and the first street after Noble on which you | can get as far north as 25th St:

‘One ‘mile east of Rural is Sherman

Prive — another narrow, ' bumpy street. Why ‘not. widen both EL these and rin Rural St.on through

| to 38th St. at least? Sixteenth and

21st Sts. should be’ opened and widened to provide access tothe big 9 n country. in the northeast ‘part the city. | oa construction. including | hess and ‘other: streets throughout

[the city would provide lots of work “land “would “round: out the city in

better. shape: No wonder Indianapolis “has such: ‘an -odd ‘shape, widely built up to’. .the ‘north, but stretching. east only along. E; WashHagton St. ~ foal |

Hugh Johnson

A

Gen. Johnson

Says—

Letter - Protesting Reorganization Bil Is One of Many Indicating’ General Opposition to: the Plan...

r ASHINGTON, March 8—It is pretty leds around here that the Administration is going -

. to do nothing about this depression—let it ride. - The--

idea is that it has turned the corner, that it was just ° a slump anyway and i if you just let it alone it

will cure itself. The wages and - Yous bill is going to be permitted to lapse. The alibi will be that this is labor's own - fault Since the leaders of organized labor couldn’t or didn’t get together on any single plan. It doesn’t seem such a hot excuse, because it is largely un==° organized labor which would be ~ benefited by the bill and that is by. far the bulk of labor. Some, of the business big shots who came down here to’ consult and proffer help ‘have ” concluded that none is wanted: - They have been chilled out of the=" picture. It all seems very Hoo=" verish or reminiscent of the pres" Roosevelt policy of nothing doing. © In the meantime the Governs’ ment reorganization bill is going to be pushed. Here is a typical fan letter about this:. - “Why are all the columnists silent on the subject” of the or bill to reorganize our republic? Why do you not analyze it for us, urge us to protest it, Show. . us what it will lead Ww? ;

” 2 “WEL is this erkre brazen ‘bill being -- rushed through under a smoke ‘screen of war: alarms and discussions without proper public dis-- ’ .cussion and debate?” . You are perfectly correct, Pauline. It is a terrible: « bill—far worse than many realize. Unless I am:= greatly «mistaken in its intention, it divorces. Congress from- its constitutional right. and duty. to; legislate . our form of government and, by a very clever device, _ would ‘prevent that exercise for the future except by a iwo-thirds. But it is not true that I have not pounded the drum on this so long that I stopped for fear of being tedious. ° The “very clever device” is the provision giving the President power to shift and consolidate depart .ments if after any such proposal has been before ith +60: days Congress does not forbid it. That sounds sim= .ple but if Congress forbids it and the President vetoes’ the forbidding act, I believe it is true that Congress could make its forbidding stick only by repassing it over the veto with a two-thitds vote. Of course, it is .surely . true that Congress, against a Presidential . veto, .could retake its power thus granted only by a ° -iWouthirds vote. ; 4 #8 : 15! a dreadful thing and this particular fan. letter is only one of many indicating there is a “very* general opposition in the country to the reorganization plan as drawn. The atmosphere around this town is one of Cg ‘ishing “apathy just now. The idea seems to be to ‘drift past the elections. But if business takes com‘fort from that kind of “breathing spell” it ought to _have ‘its head examined. What hope there is for a "saner’set of policies resides in the Senate and in the possibility that either Democratic or Republican candidates who do not go hog-wild in their belief in fairfes, will prevail in the 1938 elections in sufficient ‘humbers to indicate a public awakening to the tragic ‘fantasy of the second Roosevelt ‘Administration.

penis to Heywood Broun—

‘Roosevelt Is the Best Newspaperman Who Has Ever Been President, ‘And His Ability Might Easily Cost Some Columnists Their Jobs.

to take a tic statement which is not

: ot spending is through lending.and 1

| oc into lending

to make'|

“If men save money they do not spend it. But, as

| savers, they may be unwilling to lend it to others who

Or Hey, Hay put en Ba ona the ‘stream ns.

will spend it on investment it in savings banks which will end it. out ‘who wish to build houses or erect; . Once the money is. saved the \jieal Way in Which it can te Tetyrnsd

8 8 nn » then lendiip and investment ‘ston; either "the savers or their institutions won’t lend or be‘eause producers won't borrow. vast amount, of

Savings, Bowever, are not the a Sgn he rest of tt

r ecaigse :

-wholly within the field of scientific research. All right? ‘Well, then, in my. opinion, Franklin Delano Roose--velt is the best newspaperman who has ever been the President of the ; United States. ‘Now, of course, I haven't seen all the Presidents. + Jefferson and Lincoln were beore my time, and Grant | :is only a dim memory. Warren Gamaliel Harding was himself an editor of sorts, ard Col. Roosevelt ran a

But I sll think Franklin cxoels in news sense. I

official record. "He can’t be heckled. That has long Been She cusiem, and 0 206 thie ErpUition seals sound

Even from a journalistic standpoint I tink it ni say, “Now, don’t try to equivocate or ride out on a wisecrack. Answer my question ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’ and let’s have no more stalling.” It isn’t done, but it has been tried during the life of the present Administration.