Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 August 1938 — Page 10

Indianapolis ‘Times

ROY J. HOWARD LUDWELL DENNY MARE President Editor § Busineis. Manager "© Owned ‘and published Brice tn Marion Goun.daily (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times

rnd by carrier, 12 cents PubSHIng i 214 W. J . Maryland 8

§ week.

Mail subscription rates in Indiana, $3 a year; Q tsidé of Indiana, 65 ts & month.

Member of Utilted Press. Scripps = Howard Newspaper All {anée, NEA & Service, and Audit Bureau of Circulations,

- Give IAght and the Péople win Find, Their own Way

MONDAY, AUGUST" 15,. 1938

' WORTH CELEBRATING

Tue Federal social security program is a lusty three-year. infant, and its birthday is being celebrated amid much pulling and hauling by members of the American family “who disagree as to its future upbringing. One factor favors permitting the program to grow to maturity along the general course prescribed by the law, - and another advocates a radical alteration. The principal dispute revolves around the old-age insurance feature— whether to continue the system whereby employed persons and their employers pay taxes into a reserved account from ‘which each employee as he retires may claim his earne annuities—whether to do that, or abandon the insurance idea and require each generation of producers to support, the aged of that generation. This latter proposal is called a “pay as we go” plan. The former plan—that is, the one ‘now operating—might, so far as the individual contributors and expectant beneficiaries are concerned, be called " the “pay in advance” system. : Personally we incline to the pay-in-advance theory of _ the present system, thinking it better that each generation _. should save for its own old age, which is in accord with the “traditional American policy of self-insurance. But many - highly respected economists and political philosophers say ‘that the theory is not working out in practice—that this generation’ s contribution to old-age reserves is being squan- ~ dered in financing Government deficits, that the building up of huge reserves makes Government borrowing easier and thereby encourage more Government extravagance. And certain it is that long continuance of Government deficits can cause those annuities to have pitifully low purchasing power. A worker who knows that after he reaches "65 he will get a monthly insurance check of $30 or $60 can feel secure only if he also is reasonably sure how much the $30 or $60 will provide in food and clothes and shelter.

~ It iz well that these problems are being discussed, and . that Governmental and. independent committees are studying the pay-as-we-go and other proposed amendments to the Social Security Law. But the thing we wish to celebrate id the fact that there is no considerable faction in the American family today which advocates repeal of the law and abandonment of its objectives. Practically” all of the opposition to the present program is of constructive intent.

It is something to be proud of that in our country ' toddy there is no sizable reactionary demand that we turn back from a program which at the beginning of its fourth - year boasts more than 30, 000,000 men and women building ‘upinsurance against what in their old age, more than . 25,000,000 workers who have earned some credit toward insurance during temporary unemployment, and- ‘more than 2,350,000 needy peérsons—the aged, the halt, the blind, “and mothers of dependent children—already receiving © assistance. So we celebrate progress toward social security, and pay tribute to the two statesmen who for years fought to . bring such a program into being—Senator Robert Wagner of New York and Rep. David Lewis of Maryland.

“EXTREMELY SIMPLE”

EVEN foremen and supervisors on WPA projects at Camden, N. J., have been accused in connection with | - wholesale thefts of paving materials and equipment. They are said to have set themselves up, on the side, as independent contractors, building driveways and paving cellars for private citizens, using the stolen materials and doing the work with WPA labor, paid by the Government. It’s not surprising that, in an organization so huge and farflung as WPA, some employees should go wrong. The disturbing thing about this incident is the remark of Police Chief Colsey of Camden about how “extremely simple” it was for the foremen and supervisors to steal public property. | : They signed reqt isitions for the materials they wanted, charging them to real WPA projects. Then they sent WPA trucks to the city asphalt plant to get the materials and : pgetiver them to the private homes where they were used. orkmen were diverted from WPA projects by a similar dodge. The thefts occurred a year ago, were investigated for ‘months by WPA agents and G-men, and are only nbw being _exposed. It seems a fair inference that the WPA setup, - at least in Camden, imust have made theft easier and detection difficult. : : Of course, WP.

. as a whole is not to be condemned ‘because blunders and worse come to light here and there - in its operation. But an ggency spending billions of dollars - “of public money hag special need to be careful. It can’t afford to tolerate A sysiem under which it is “extremely simple” for its empl yees to go wrong.

PREJUDICE W( JRDS

HE National League of Women Voters has declared war on “prejudice words.” Miss Marguerite M. Wells, presi"dent, has asked the local leagues which are conducting schools to educate women in voting to combat the use of “words and phrases “designed to arouse emotion and dis“courage thinking.” ‘She lists a few: “Playing polities with human misery; Roosevelt recessiwn; regimentation; America’s Sixty Families; party purge. \sy - Dr. Glenn Frank had a longer list of “bromides” and “meaningless political labels” which he banned at his recent “summer school” for Republicans in Chicago. It included: “Liberal; conservative; radical; reactionary: totalltarian; alien; Communist; Fascist; regimentation (again); dictatorship.” Many more might be added. Political discussion would become more difficult if we all stopped talking in slogans, .catch-words and epithets. But, 5is0, it would be a great

: Y Ay, 3 cents a copy; delivewy.

deal more enlightening, t ;

Fair Enough

FERRER By Westbrook Pegler

Senator “Minton Shouldn't Forget

«, To Lie Without Fear of Penalty.

NT YORE, (Aug. 15 Sherman Minton, the New Deal Senatofrom Indiana, made a speech to the American Press Socifty, Baturday in defense of his, proposal - to. muzzle the “press ‘under a pretense of penalizing those who knowingly publish untruths, There was an interesting play abouf 20 yéars ago calling “Nothing But the Truth” which proved that it is impoésible for any human Being to avoid telling a deliberate lié in the course of a normal day’s inter-

course with his fellowmen. United States Senators |

were not specifically dealt with in the play, but were includéd by implication. However, the play could have digréssed to point out that the group of which Senator Minton is a member, the body of lawmakers ih this country, is, the only element in our socdiety that requires a special law to permit its members to lie without fear of any penalty. And it need not be pointed out, either, that thé members of this group have liberally availed themselves ‘of this privilege, often to the great es vhich innocent citizens and groups, in utterances théy knew to bé complete lies.

2 » 2 SUGGESTED,” Senator Minton said, in explanation of his attémpt to muzzle the press for opposition to the Reorganization Bill, “that to print a lie wilfully and knowingly should bé as great a crime as selling poison food or selling fake stocks.” There aré penalties already, however, for the wilful publication of false information in most eircumstances. But Senator Minton personally enjoys a right not only to tell lies on the floor but to publiSh them

in the Congressional Record, a document §0 meénda-

cious, scurrilous and slanderous that the press which he attacks for lying long ago learned to quote from i only with extreme caution lest culpable Hbel: “be one. Senator Minton and his colleagues in the legislative bodies, alone of all the American nation, are privileged to lie without restraint, and to: say that they do not overwork the privilege would be to print a lie wilfully and knowingly—a very serious offense in the Seénafor’s view.

DO not believe that the Constitution or those who framed it ever intended it to be used as a defense for the liar and slanderer,” said the statesman. And to this I would add, in very serious vein, that the theory of Congressional immunity was not intended for that purpose either. It was intended to give the statésman a: free tongue in the expression of views and information they believed to be true. To paraphrase Sénator Minton, “The Congressional immunity and those who framed it did not intend it to be uséd as a defénse for the liar and slanderer.”: but if he denies that it is habitually so used then he is flouting the very restraints which he would impose on publishers who knowingly trifle with the truth. And, now, if Senator Minton will suggest how he and his colleagues can bé punishéd for abuse of their parliamentary immunity, from the consequences of wilful lies and slander, he will point the way to enforcement of his proposal against the press.

Business ; | By John T. Flynn

Proposal to Aid Western Railroad Is but a Step in Right Direction.

NE ORK, Aug. 15.—An excellent example of “what's the ' matter with the railroads” is to be found ih a plan just proposed to make one of them well again. The sick railroad is the Denver & Rio Grande Western, which connects Denver, Puéblo and “Salt Lake City. It is one of those hopelessly sick roads. No man in his sense cdn say that it was made sick by Government interference. The problem of this road can be stated in a sentence or two. It owes $120,000,000 on existing or defaulted bonds and a good many more inillions on loans made from the RFC and others in unpaid interest on its bonds. Put simply, this road requires just to pay interest on .its 16ans around six million dollars a year. But last yéar its net revenue before paying interest was léss than two million dollars. There is outstanding $16,500,000 of preferred stock and $63,000,000 of common stock. Now it is this common stock which has causéd so much trouble in thé railroad world. The bonds, of course, éat up thie revenues in most of the sick roads. But it is the stock which prevents anyone from doing anything about it. .

One Element of Value in Stock

What is the common stock of the Denver & Rio Grande worth? It pays no dividends. No investor can earn a dollar by owning it. It is a safe guess that it never will pay dividends. But it has oné element of value. It exercises control over the road. And this is something which is worth a lot of money to certain people in the banking and railroad world. Therefore sound, intelligent reorganization of such a railroad is impossible since the bankers and promoters will move heaven and earth to save, hot the stock value, but the stock control. The first thing to recognize in a case like this is that the common stock. is worthless and should be wiped out. That is the substance of a proposal made to the Interstate Commerce. Commission by its examiner. At present the road is loaded with $1'70,000,000 of various kinds of secured debts, $16,000,000 of preferred and $62,000,000 of conimon stock. That is a capitalization and debt of $248,000,000. The examiner proposes that this capitalization be cut 40. per cent. The stock he proposes to wipe oui. The bondholders are to gét bonds, preferred and common stocks for their share.” That is in the right direction. But seemingly that is not enough. The fixed charges of the road even after the cut will be $2,276,000 in fixed interest and $1,235,000 in contingent interest. The road cannot earn that. While they are fixing it up, why not do it right?:

A Women's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

I WISH Emily Post or somebody would explain why it is considered bad form in any social group for a woman to talk about her children, but ultra smart to discuss the charming antics of her dog. When I think of how many times I've buttoned up my lips as I felt the urge to repeat the cute res marks the baby made yesterday, and what superhumnan strength I have used to refrain from bringing my wonderful children into the conversation: and when I further consider how often I have heard about other women’s dogs, a miniature Vesuvius boils in side me.

Wherever you go these days, it’s taken for granted

that the person who drags her infant into the con versation lacks social finesse.

“Wouldn't you think she'd have better serise?”

‘we whisper to one another behind her back. “And a

Smith graduate, too!” Without m the poor thing is set down in her crowd as an meld ihe ted bore, ahd by 85d by we stop asking her to the Party. In meantime what ititellectual subjects engage our attention once we have got rid of her? ‘ You know, We chatter about our maids, our jobs, our .automobiles, our bosses; our dogs, our bridge hands, our operations. ;

Run any feminine monolog down to its inspirati and you will find its subject matter is Lie inapire that vitally concetns or interests the talker. And what's wrong with that? Its the only sensible way conver sation worth listening to can be made.

I wouldn't give a plugged nickel for a woman who |

did so burst with joy over her new baby that she

wanted to broadcast its wonders to the world; and

because I regard children as the most beings on earth, I believe mo doings on oar thers should demand

The Law Allowing His Colleagues |

Ps After All Senator George May Be -

JA Better Georgian and Southerner Than His Distinguished Critic.

ETHANY BEACH, Del, Aug. 16—"And Joab sald to Amasa, art thou 1A health, my brother? And

_ Joab took Aihasa by the beard with the right hand

to kiss Him. But Ahlasa took no heed to the sword

gh was in Joab’s hand: So he smote him therewith

in the fifth rib and.shed out his bowels to the ground.” This happened before a crowd in a great political contest 3000 years ago because Joab, who was captain of the hosts, didn’t like Amasa’s “co-operation.” ‘Senator Qeorge, of Georgia got his in the fAfth rib, from the always voted for or didn't “really in’ his heart” believe

‘ih the taptain’s objectives:

Senator George voted for all Mr. Wallace or Mr. Hopkins ever requested—for NRA, TVA, SEC and the Wagner act. The President says he is a “géntleman and a scholar.” Yet the suggestion ii that he

"| didn't “redlly in Ki§ heart” believe.

What outward evidence supports this searching of fhumah hearts? Only that Senator George didn’t vote for court-packing and Federal reorganization by Presidential fab, or the Wages-and-Houfs Bill, 8 # BB TATED another way, the Senator was a good first New Dealer but not so hot for the third New Deal. He went along with the Democratic plate forms of 1932 and 1936 but not with the astonishing sequence of radical, semired, surprise proposals which appeared after the. second inauguration. If that is the Sehator’s attitude he has lots of company among

| ardent Rooseveltians of ’32 and '36—including this “writer.

The sharpest difference between the “first and third New Deal is that the first proposed to réach its objectives without changing our form of Gove ernment and the third (after the 1936 -élections): proposed to take it apart and put it togethef again. _ The . build-up for the Southern purge .is that the South must be rescued and that this requires Senators whose constituents are “directly Soncamen with Southern economics and. Southern social heeds Boiled down, it amounts to this: God. bless you

1 Walter. You vote insincerely and are not. représén

your :State or the South. We know this—nob because

|: you didn’t vote -their interest whenever you -éould—

‘| but because you voted not to puppeteer the Stpréme

“The Hoosier Forum

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

WANTS INVESTIGATION OF MILK BOARD By a Consumer ‘What happened to the suggestion that the Milk Control Board beé investigated? The Board seéms to be taking more abuse without doing anything about it than a public utility. According to one farmer's complaint I read recently, the farmer manages 9 certs a gallon for his milk after deducting hauling, contributions to the Board and such incidental expenses. The distributors say they can't continue to sell milk at 12 cénts per quart utiless the price to producers is reduced or price per quart to consumers is raised. The difference between 9 cents to producers and 48 cents to consumers is 39 cents. That difference is amazing. The farmer gets scarcely enough to cover his labor and investment; consumers pay far more than they should considéring the hard times and plentitude of the supply, and distributors say they can hardly make ends meet. Then just where does this 36 cents difference go? And just what are the true facts? . I wish someone would please advise how to go about demanding an investigation of the whole milk board setup. 2

8 2 2 LIKES ATTITUDE OF WHITEMAN'S FATHER By B. C.

- Fathers-go on forever. Wilberforce James Whiteman, 80, of Denver, Colo. visited New York the other day, and spoke briefly on mitisic during an interview with reporters. Mr. Whiteman has ‘been a teacher of music all his life. He has a son, Paul, of whom you may have heard. : hate jazz and swing music, ahd despisé crooning,” said Father Weisnod “There is no art in any of them.” Mr. Whitéman was very emphatic on this score. To make clear exactly how acute was his distaste for jazz he rélatéd that he had never allowed one note of it to be played in Denveér’s schools during the 40 years he had been music director of them. Such remarks occupied the first few minutes of the ihterview. The next quarter of an hour or so was given over to talk about Paul. “All| the same, I like Paul's manneér of playing new. things,” Mr. Whiteman began, and the conversation pro=

ceeded from Paul's achievements as | “

a small boy (“a born musician™) through his achievements as a youth to his achievements as a man.

“1| Eliot

(Times readers are invited ' to express théir 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.)

think my son, Paul, is a humdinger,” Mr. Whiteman concluded. The world might ve a little faster and: with considerably less friction if one geéneration—as a generation=could look on thé next with more of that mixfure of tolerance and pride that is a father’s. “I don’t approve of everything you're doing,” is to be expected. “But what you're doing you're sure doihg well,” ' is the exhilarating added remark a new generation Deeds to hear more often. :

SAYS JAPAN'S ARMIES RACE RIVER OF GOLD . By a Reader

One way to get an idea whether Japan will finally whip China is to follow the troop movements as reported in the daily papérs. Another way is to keép an eye on the gold movement. - Armies move to the accompaniment of ¢ guns. Gold moves quietly, like a thief in thé night, and only a few people bother to trace its course as recorded on the financial pagés. But in the end it can be the more important of the two. Not long ago John T. Flynn noted

BICYCLE BOYS By RUTH SKELTON By the, Dg is & path we love to

A shallow stream sings along its Upgrade we pump, downgrade we on iy path by the bridge! To its ou cool shade, in the heat We, boys ot of the neighborhood go “Follow _ th Fine “leader” We're off! To the “path ‘by the bridge!

DAILY THOUGHT

The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth

righteotisneéss shall be a sure re- | duce the green fee two days a week,

ward. —Proverbs 11:18. NE soweth and another reap-

eth” is a verity that applies | profit

to evil as well as good. —George

the heavy drain of gold Japan ‘has been suffering recently, and pointed out that in 15 months the country had been obliged to sénd $346,000,000 of gold to the United States. A little later a New York Times writer remarked that the figure had risén to $352,000,000: These figures can mean but one thing: that Japan is going broke at a rapid pace. The best estimates

have it that her gold reserve now is |-

no higher than $261,000,000. Her foreign markets are steadily dwindling; n.endously expefisive war in China forces her *3 keep on buying goods abroad=cotfon, oil, iron, munitions, and so on. ‘She can no longer pay for these goods with her own exports. The gold supply with which she can pay is fast vanishing. Which means, obviously, that Japan’s fate rests on the outcome of 8 race between her armies and her gold supply. “If the ‘armies can win

a complete and final victory before

bankruptcy arrives, well and good; if they eannhot, Japan faces utter ruin.

All of this, of course, 18 Japan's worry, not ours—except that it

emphasizes an important little fact |.

which we sometimes forget.

Despite all of the thimble-rigging

and phenagling which most great ‘governments have indulged in, in the field of econor:ics, it does seem tc be true that there are. a féw fundamental ecofiomic laws that in the long rufi have got to bé obéyed.” The oldest, simplest, and most-often-forgotten of them all would séém to be, simply, that if you spend beyond your income, and keep on doing it long enough, you wind up in a disaster.

sn» SOUTH GROVE GOLF COURSE

IMPROVEMENT SOUGHT By 1. T. South Grove Municipal Golf Course is down at the heels. The faifways are scarred. The greens are rough; several of them are indistinguishable f m the fairways until you are right upon them. I was surprised at the unkempt appearance of this course since I had played Pleasant Run recently ana had found it in excellent condition. Indianapolis has more municipal golf courses than most cities its size. The Park Board has, to my knowledge, had no drastic slash in its budget nor has it operated. the courses at a loss for some years. Bargain days, which used to re-

have beén eliminated this year. I assume this adds to the yearly

So why is South Grove down at the heels? >

LET'S EXPLORE YOUR MIND

By DR. ALBERT EDWARD WIGGAM-e

| write.” ‘| plenty of Jitasy No, they are in-

oe

iid for, as the great Thomas

THE ANSWER hinges on whether dad has a passion for music or a passion to be considéred | a musician. There's a world of | difference. A musician .is always] popular and receives applause. That's what dad really wanted.’ Unmusical people are nos vitally in.

terested in music. Many people say to me, “I've always wan = I say, “Then why haven't you written somethirg~you've had |

in seeing their names

terested ol in print. I of a girl who loved

aa 8

Rel then we bad bet |

fer give up the whole idea of

J Bintained, the function of . i8 to make people “conE Dole human needs” and

] them for ourselves and &

* that.

oe indicate that hypuofism 1s nob dependable.

Court and turn the:executive branch into; * Parson~ ally conducted ‘oligarchy, ;

Gay the South regal the. Wages-and-

Houifs - Bill. without - differentials * as . antiSouthern. = Voting against that, but: for NRA which applied differentials’ to wage-hour provisions, this Georgian has supportéd ‘every important Néw' Deal economié proposal and every measure for the South. Southern Democracy was reunited to thé Northern branch after the Civil’ War through the two-thirds rule for nomination of & Presidential candidate- to protect the South from exploitation by Notthérn political associates. “This : Administration - has" killed The antilynching- bill: was an attempt to Deénmiocratize the Northern Negro vote. Mr. Hopkins’ belated sudden election-year concern to scale.down wage differentials and increase Southern WPA. handlooks forward to Southérn Negro Democratic Sts locks It is a difficult and delicate subject—but maybe the Senator is a beiter Georgian and Southerner than his Qisenguished critic. :

It Seems: to Me

By: Heywood Broun

It's No Fin to Have an Audicnes ‘When You Haven't Anything to Say.

N= YORK, Aug. -15.—Several columnists of my acquaintance sigh because they cannot see how their master lines are received, because they cannot hear the nation chuckling over some inspired gag. "Their picturé of -an audience always includes a full house, which rises occasionally that its applause, may be better heard. : Only .an actor, or let's modify it a bit ‘and say

; one. with: stage experience, can know how punishing

the presence of an expectant audience can be when thé performer knows that he. has no good news to .bring to Ghent. 1 remember a matinee I once. played to an au‘fence of 20, which included nine small children. It was an occasion even more terrifying than the opening night. The nine. small children, seemingly . had read none of the reviews. and were ih née wise prepared or reconciled to hearing a mopolog which. was not so good. Even if the anecdotes had been of the fost seintillating it would have ‘been too little. Thesé tiny

"tots had other hopes. They had not come to. listen

to talking. They watched me wide-eyed and waited for tricks. The situation demanded that I should stand on my head or take two white rabbits from my sleeve. But I cannot stand on my head. Probe

anyhow, there were no rabbits.

Attack on Row 2

I directed my monolog at a Tittle frontier settle ment in the second row. Two of the children were here, but between them there sat a mature woman, It seemed to me that if I could project my moho= log to her the suffering of the children might'he. tem-. pered by a sort of vicarious enjoyment. °° - But Mumseéy dian’t laugh. In faet, she’ was’ an ‘even tougher audience than Buster and Johhny. Up to the end they remained hopeful. They beéliéved. that all the talk from the nian oh the stage was perhaps nothing more than the traditional growniup convention that a lot of conversation must p e all interesting and exciting events. ~ Mumsey gave up after the first five minus and turned inimical on me. And yet that I could endure. ‘The thing which made. be bleed infernally was the ‘patient trustfulness of Buster and Johnny. Even when I came to the ultimate anecdote and started to tiptoe off so as not to drown the applause, those two youngsters continued to look at me round-éyéd and hopeful. They thought that maybe I was just going away to get the rabbits. And, as a matter of fact, te only animal I was ready to welcome and éme ploy would have been a truculent asp to: end it all,

Watching Your Health

By Dr. Morris Fishbein

1734 there was born a man. named Mesiner, who is credited chiefly with being the discoverer of some

of the fundamental factors m what we How ‘Call ‘hyphotisnt. : . There are various views as. to What. the state of hypnosis actually represents, but the matter is constantly before the public. Durifig recent months hypnotism has had special interest because of its use: in. attempts to free women in childbirth from paif. : The" person who has besn hypnotized is’ amenable ‘to the suggestions of the "hypnotist. ‘The staté of

_ ably I couldn't get a rabbit in my Slesve or out, and,

Although attempts have been made to use hypno= tm 10 prevent o control pan during sureical operstions and ‘childbirth, most of the evidence fr thon ese

ptain of the hosts because he hadn't -

vy

-

EP nei IRE Simla deo rn AR 3 y

|

.

q