Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 August 1944 — Page 14

‘he Indianapolis Times PAGE 14 Wednesday, August 30, 1944 .

MARK FERREE

WALTER LECKRONE ¢ Business Manager

Editor (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

ROY W. HOWARD President ©

Price in Marion County, 4 cents a copy; delivered by carrier, 18 cents a week.

Mail rates in Indi- - ana, $5 a year; adjoining states, 75 cents a month; others, $1 monthly.

RILEY 5551 Give Light end the People Will Find Their Own Woy *

THE BUDGET AND THE TAX RATE | UDGETS ARE bewildering things, as any household ac- ” countant can testify. Except for that rare, gifted individual who can weave in and out of columns of figures ‘without a compass or a headache, most ‘of us have trouble with our check stubs and regard a financial statement or an income tax form as something straight out of Einstein. So it is not surprising that the average citizen finds public finance a mystery. Like radio, it is something he accepts but does not understand. So if you are a bit baffled by the 1945 civil city budget adopted by the council Monday night, you are not alone. You probably skipped through, or gver, the budget story yesterday on your way back to Ernie Pyle. You read that

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

went abroad to take the heat off the soldiers’ resentment against strikes and slowdowns and the extortion of hundreds of millions of dollars from construction workers. They want those soldier votes for their candidate, They have another purpose, to soften up the soldiers for exploitation by the unions when they come back. :

'Choice of Thomas Is Most Significant’ THE CHOICE of Thomas as one of the mission-

selection, This man's union, the United Auto Workers, having nowadays about one million head within its corrals, 90 per cent of them either unwilling or uncomprehending captives, has a particularly bad record. It was the ‘union in the memorable AllisChalmers Communist shutdown near Milwaukee in the days of the Hitler-Stalin alliance, Again it was the union responsible for the North American Aviation blockade at Inglewood, Cal, which was broken only by troops of the regular army. Neither one was a membership strike. They were Communist insurrections. The object in both cases was to prevent the conversion of this nation’s industry from peace to war and thus to assure Britain's defeat, as she stood alone against the Nazis. The Communists planned the dissolution of the United States into a mobocracy, under external force from triumphant Nazis and internal Communist force. After that, Communist

the tax rate 1s to be the highest in history, and that sounds ominous. And vou wondered why. We did, and we have | looked into it. Here's what we found, and it's not as com- | plicated as it sounds in decimal points. | » » ” n 5 o ‘A CITY GOVERNMENT is much like a business, except that you, the citizens, are at the same time, both the stockholders and the customers. As the stockholders, you put in the money through taxes and as the customers you receive the product in municipal services—police and fire protection, safeguarding of health, sewage and garbage disposal, recreational facilities, and such conveniences as streets and sidewalks.

| rated us for not being able to send equipment to Rus-

The city of Indianapolis today is in the position of a business that has been conducted by a management primarily interested in holding costs down, regardless. To do that, it has allowed its plant to run down. Machinery needs to be replaced—as in the case of the equipment at the garbage disposal plant. The new machinery will cost money, but it will operate with greater efficiency. The stockholders will have to put up more money to buy that machinery, but they will be saved the expense and inconvenience of costly breakdowns — while the customers will get a better product. And that machinery would have to be bought some time, unless the company, intends to go out of business. Furthermore the management finds that the company has been niggardly with wages. Low salaries have brought cheap help, incapable of doing a good job. So it has determined to raise wages in order to be able to employ those whose training and ability fit them for their responsible positions, These raises are greater than normally would be required, because costs of living have gone up while the rate of pay has remained stationary. So the stockholders will have to put up additional money for payrolls, but the new help will do more work and better work. This, again, should improve the product and mean more satisfaction for the customers and eventual economy for the stockholders. : Finally, the volume of production has increased. To supply more customers, the company must produce more— and the total expense rises. But it would be a shortsighted corporation that would refuse to increase its output because its gross expense would be higher, even though the unit cost would be less and the net profit more. ” » s ® 8 ” - APPLY THESE FACTS to the city and you will understand the 1945 budget. Like the corporation, the city must replace equipment that has become obsolete and inefficient; it has streamlined its personnel policy to attract and reward competent help; it has adjusted pay schedules to conform with living costs, and it has faced the neces-

sity of providing municipal services to an increased popu- |

lation. This is going to cost more in taxes. But it will provide, we helieve, more service and better service, and at a lower unit cost. And since you, as a citizen, are both a stockholder and a customer you will find that the improved product you receive should be worth more than the expense. Any good businessman knows that it is necessary to spend money to save or to make more money, and the test of a city’s administration is not what the tax rate is but how much the taxpayer receives for each dollar he pays out.

On this basis, we believe that the 1945 budget for the civil city of Indianapolis makes sound sense.

PENNIES FOR THOUGHTS

IT SEEMS that the Pullman people have taken that coy circumlocution of the curious, “A penny for your thoughts,” and put it to work. Since March, 1941, they have paid out pennies to the total of $180,000 to their employees for thoughts on how Pullman cars might be wilt or operated more efiiciently. During that time they've received 96,545 suggestions and adopted 14,089. Probably we shall have to wait till after the war for most of those 14,089 boons to travelers. Until then we only hope that the Pullman employees managed to devise a noiseless, bumpless coupling process (at least in the dead of night) and also some sort of walkie-talkie arrangement by which the passenger with an upper may get in touch with the porter and procure the ladder, even when he has lingered in the club car past the porter's bedtime.

NORMALCY

WAR HAS QUIETLY taken away that comfortable feeling of the permanence and solidity of ordinary customs and events, Probably few people noted the feeling when it was present or consciously missed it when it went. We certainly hadn't until we read that New York fashion designers are already planning to go back to Paris, and that preparations are inderway for the world premiere of a Hollywood picture in France this winter. Suddenly it all came back to us. We knew how Noah must have It when the dove 1 A th the oliv SS

| the rap of loneliness. and separation for the women | whose husbands are still in this country.

: social life for herself by dating other men,

dictatorship was to come. The plan changed on June 22, 1941, when Hitler double-crossed his ally andthe war became, in the view of Mr. Thomas’ Communist colleagues, a crusade for freedom in which we were welcome to participate. The Communists even be-

sia in larger quantities, a failure which was largely their own doing.

‘Too Busy With More Urgent Matters’

THE SOLDIERS in France are too busy with more urgent matters to inform themselves that two of the more detestable Communist saboteurs involved in these two jobs have, ever since, enjoyed deferments in the draft on the ground that as professional unioneers they are essential to the war effort on the home front. It is doubtful that Thomas will remember to tell them that, or that he will explain the more spiritual aspect

aries to an angry fighting army is the most significant |.

of C. I. O. unionism as proprounded by his valued | colleague, one Posner, known as Thomas de Lorenzo, who said that if it came to a question of sacrificing | some advantage for Mr. Thomas’ union or sacrificing | the life of an American flier, he would let the flier | die. The question was one of deliberately retarded | production of fighting planes for the navy. And so. deep was the position occupied by Thomas and De | Lorenzo, under the political patronage of the .com-mander-in-chief, that even Frank Knox, then secretary of the navy kept silent. They were blasted out only when a subordinate in the navy department privately appeared to certain members of the press to publicize this sector of labor's gains under the New Deal. But it is incorrect to say that they were blasted out. The one called De Lorenzo got a vote of gonfidence from his subjects, who otherwise might have suffered from epidemic: broken-leg, and Brother Roosevelt's government, forced to offer some rebuke, chose the mildest possible way. He got 30 days and a $500 fine for giving false data on a government questionnaire, but nothing for the sabotage. He may never serve the 30 days and the union may pay the fine,

'Boldest Political Mission Yet'

THIS IS the boldest political mission yet sent to the troops. The President's own forays have the color, if not the exact odor, of legitimacy. Mrs. Roosevelt, after all, did go through the masquerade of wearing a Red Cross habit on her roundabout visit to her political protege, Joe Lash, on Guadalcanal. But the union politicians have no such excuse or disguise for a mission which is purely political. They go as advocates of the fourth term and of all Roosevelt's works and purposes, The immediate object was to deceive the troops by propaganda to which men so far from home and so preoccupied could not have the answers. “This strike talk is purely propaganda,” said one of them. : That there have been more than 10,000 strikes in war plants since Pearl Harbor is well known at home, but the troops can’t know that. And even we, at home, can’t know the whole truth, because the Roosevelt labor department keeps the statistics and, being an accomplice, naturally will not squeal and implicate itself, .

We The People

By Ruth Millett

THE YOUNG WOMAN, whose husband is still in this country, said: “I think war wives have a lot of nerve to try to keep up a social life with couples. After all, it is awkward when they entertain, with no man around to act as host. And it's worse when you have to invite them back, because who wants a lone woman at a party?” It would be hard to beat that attitude for downright selfishness, The wives who still have their men at home ought to® feel that the least they can do for the war wives of their community is to give them a little social life to break the monotony of being a “lone woman.” After all the men who go to war are fighting and some of them are dying for the men and women who are leading civilian lives. And their wives ate taking

No Help for Wives

THERE IS stil] another angle. The woman who thinks a war wife hasn't any business trying to stick with the crowd of married couples she and her hus*band joined in peace time would be the very first to criticize a war wife for making a different kind of

When it comes to dancing with soldiers at USO clubs and meeting trains with doughnuts and apples ~—women are right there. It is satisfying for a woman —of any age—to show her patriotism and her indebtedness to servicemen by doing something for the men themselves. . But when it comes to doing something for their wives it is often a different story. Yet most servicemen would probably have their morale boosted much more by knowing their wives were being looked after and remembered than by anything that could be done for them.

To The Poinf—-

JAPS WHO thought they would “dictate peace terms in the White House” must have got a little mixed up and landed in the doghouse, : LJ » -

TURKEY HAS 'WON an immortal place in the war—champicn shadow-boxer. - :

By John Knox in The Memphis Commercial-Appeal.

‘they won out.

The Hoosier Forum

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

“HOW ABOUT IT, LEGIONNAIRES?” By Pvt, Samuel J. Del Pizzo, Freeman Field . ng Thanks to Mr. Fredrick Miessen for his idea on reducing long-dis-tance phone prices for the serviceMr, Miessen wants from more parents. I suggest \rath-

letters where it belongs—in the of the American Legion. Let everyone interested in this matter write state headquarters and ask them to carry the fight to the phone company. This state, as the home state of the Legion, should be the first in setting the example. How about it, Legionnaires? I've asked his question before in the Forum and have not as yet received a reply: Can anyone tell me why servicemen must pay full prices at all three theaters in Columbus? O. K.,, Columbus, come in. = = 2 “I CAN GUESS

WHICH WILL WIN”

By the Rev. Charles 0. Carnes, Ellettsville From where I sit with the good temperance people of the nation, I see by The Times of Aug. 19 that a battle is taking place between the government and four of its leading distillers. . Prom where I sit I can safely guess which side will win the fight. I base my guess on previous battles fought by tne great liquor interests of our nation and how

Your paper referred to them as the “Big Four Liquor Monopoly.” That seems to be a good description of them. It seems that these liquor concerns have just about monopolized everything that will enable them to make more money. They have a stranglehold on our government, newspapers, drug stores, chain stores and every poor gullible liquor drinker's income. They have grown so powerful that they defy anyone to interfere with what they do. From where I sit I thought that the ‘men who control these great liquor concerns loved their government and gladly would be the very last to refuse to comply with its requirements—but maybe I don't

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Because of the volume received, letters should be limited to 250 words. Letters must be signed. Opinions set forth here are those of the writers, ™.and publication in no way implies agreement with those opinions by The Times. The Times assumes no responsi. bility for the return of manuscripts and cannot enter correspondence regarding them.),

the great liquor concern is the government’s baby. If it has become incorrigible and unmanageable, it is no one's fault but the government's which has fed and fattened it that it might get from it a bit of unholy revenue. So if it failed to discipline its offspring in bringing it up, it now has a fight on its hands. I am glad I had no part in the birth of the nation’s liquor baby or its growth. Certainly these liquor men who have made millions and are still hoarding so as to make more are setting fine examples for the G. I. Joes who are giving their all and who will find it difficult to stay out of breadlines after the war. These liquor concerns are like creeping things that fly. They light on their prey, suck its blood, and fly away. So let the fight go on. It's the best sideshow I have witnessed in a long time. I hope the government wins out, but I have my doubts. » - 8 “WHAT ABOUT

THE WORKERS?” By A. Warren Jacobson, 5838 Primrose ave. Completely adequate compensation for the armed forces in the post-war era is entirely fair and just. It is a vital economic necessity that every member of our armed forces be given every possible opportunity to forge ahead In the post-war era. Business leaders,

know all about them. At any rate,

legislative bodies and other orguni-

Side Glances—By Galbraith

THINGS HAVE turned around—the Nazis now ‘are full of flight instead of fight, ~~ °° . » a’

THE OBJECTION to some people losing

that they try to find It at the of

zations are hard at work trying to formulate a clear, concise and humane plan to care for those who will come back permanently injured and unsound. This is as it should be; there can be no other way. The United States of America must do everything possible for every member of the returning armed forces. : Let us now consider the worker. Is he to be forgotten? Is she not going to be remembered? A lost arm or limb is just as tragic to an industrial worker as it is to & member of the armed forces. Isn't blindness just as terrible to a worker as a member of the armed forces? So far, all that a permanently injured worker has received is a few weeks’ compensation plus a few hundred dollars settlement and in some states the compensation has been a disgrace to humanity. No one in high position seems to be particularly concerned about the future economic welfare of the worker who has had a terrible misfortune; remember, entire families are suffering. Most assuredly, the unfortunate of our armed forces and their families must receive every consideration. But is it not just as fair that every considera~ tion be given the unfortunate worker and his family? We are living in a demqcracy (thanks be to God) and everyone must be treated equally. Again and again, let us not forget in the years to come our armed forces that have returned to civilian life. But what about the workers? Let us remember them, too. » ” - “SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR HER EFFORTS” By J. I. G., 1102 N. Dlinois st. In writing this article, I will slightly deviate from politics and remarks that go with them and, for once in the Forum, say something good about someone. I refer to Miss Ruth Smith, musical director for the city of Indianapolis, who has worked so diligently this summer to bring to our citizens such beautiful music, consisting of bands, choruses, individual players and vocalists. These concerts given in. our public parks have provided entertainment to thousands without cost to them, and I, for one, have enjoyed them very much and wish to thank Miss Smith for many a pleasant evening. She is a talented musician and a grand person and should be thanked publicly by the city authorities for her untiring efforts. My sincere hope is that she will be able to carry on for many years to come for I can think of no better way of spending tax money than that of providing entertainment

for so many thousands of our citizenry, ;

» » ” “HE READILY ADMITS IT” By George Marion, Frankfort . We must conserve time, paper

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the greatest gift to humanity up to now.

cause he readily admits it himself. Let is therefore be content. I hate

DAILY THOUGHTS The getting of treasures by a

lying tongue is a vani ‘to

and printers’ ink. Consider this:

This can incite no argument be-

WASHINGTON, Aug.

On July 27 the company was ordered -to U. 8. district court on charges of violating,

pany’'s buying types of aircraft-grade logs needed in its war production. After a month's correspondence, OPA in Washington authorized the company to pay higher prices for this grade of logs. But this month the federal court enjoined the company from buying logs in Vermont above the original OPA ceiling prices, Thus two orders countermanding each other. : What to do? Well, the company closed down for a week to try to find out what the score was. To follow written OPA instructions would be in contempt of course. To follow the court order would be to stop work on over $250,000 worth of government orders foe aircralt-grade plywood. The story ends, in the company’s statement, with the manufacturers about ready to cancel the contracts and convert to lower-grade plywood for civilian uses, They had promised their employees work of some sort after seven days.

Working on Parts for B-29

THE FYLES & RICE CO. has been turning out material for army, navy and marine aircraft, including B-29 bombers, for PT boats and landing craft, for ship-to-shore communications and .radar. It is the only New England firm engaged in this type of manus facture. b : If this is an isolated case it is at best regrettable, But if this is an example of similar confusion in other places and other industries, then it is time for rapid rectification. If OPA can't do it, then what used to be called the Truman committee should take a look, It is time that the government found out whether, in its earnest effort to step up production of the tools of final victory, it has been barking up more than one tree.

Stubborn Hopes By Ludwell Denny |

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30.—How the Germans can keep up hope in their present hopeless position passes allied understanding. And yet there is little doubt from the arrogant attitude of Nazi combat prisoners—which is in sharp cone trast to the defeated attitude of captured labor battalions and ime pressed foreign troops—that much of the Nazi army still thinks it has a chance. The tenacity of its laste - ditch stands. substantiates this, Obviously part of this is due to the effectiveness of Hitler propaganda on a young generation of Gere

fanaticism doubtless is also a large factor. Believing they are a superior race, especially in the use of force, they cannot very well admit to themselves their mili. tary inferiority to the despised and “decadent democe racies” i Also there must be even more than the usual amount of wishful thinking, which afflicts any army and people in retreat. For to the Nazis of the crack German divisions the alternative to victory is no merely impersonal defeat of an army and a country, but the end of a Nazi career and the possibility of ine dividual liquidation. For them peace does not mean home and rest and security from physical danger, but being hunted down and punished for their crimes against once-conquered peoples and against non-Nazl Germans. Continuing the war for them may be a temporary escape from that nightmare they cannot face, perhaps a subconscious and easier form of sul. cide. :

Based on Weather, Secret Weapons

BUT HOWEVER warped mentally those young Nazi troops may be otherwise, they are not mad in the sense of having no military responsibility of capacity. They have made good soldiers, as our own officers and men testify. So, in addition to the sell delusion and wishful-thinking and escapism of which they are victims, there is also presumably some mili tary basis for their hope that this retreat on all fronts may not mean total defeat, A That military hope, such as.it is, seems to be based on the weather and on one or more secret weapons in production but not yet in use. Storms forced one postponement of D-day, then almost wrecked the allied landings and helped to

worst June weather in 40 years. Autumn storms will slow-down allied operation in getting supplies across the channel, in the advance of mud-slogging infane try and racing tank teams, and in the air where we have supremacy. Actually, if we get such ports as Brest and Le Havre within the next fortnight to supe plement our supply lines, the enemy probably will have lost so much ground and so many divisions that his capacity for a winter defense will be destroyed before the worst autumn storms.

V-I Has Not Retarded Eisenhower

AS FOR the secret weapons, V-1 robot has forced diversion of some allied air strength and converted Englishmen to very harsh peace terms for a defeated Germany; but it has not retarded Eisenhower, The best allied expert judgment is that the coming V-3 rocket bomb probably will do more damage than the V-1, but that it certainly cannot save the Nazi army. There are hints that the main secret weapon is a poison gas. But the allies are believed to be prepared adequately to take that and dish out more, if this is the game. Of course there is always the chance that the Nazis have some effective atomic death ray or other—one chance, perhaps, in 10,000, So, all in all, the allles are not much impressed with the Nazi hope against hope that “something

rescue,

So They Say— _ IP IN the future we are attacked by a powerful enemy, we may be sure that we will not be given the time to mobilize our industries and to extempo-

rize an army from the untrained youth of the nation. —Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, . £7 . * : THE CLEAR common sense duty of every union officer and member is to assist the employer by re garding the business as something of a co-operative

DURING THE WAR everyone as a patriotic duty

to help the war effort. After the war, the otive will not be so much in evidence,

nplacency?

; | By James Thrasher

mans who are suckers for that sort of thing. Their

bottle up Montgomery in Normandy for a month—the

will save them until General Winter can come to their

i

diers registe be asked to the employn renew work sign voucher lowance che: Veterans n Quitting suit without good tend free t might be re or declining work to wh : ferred by {I office. Bas Allowances length of ser riod being 9 has served or potentially el lowance. For of service, h weeks of allo weeks is the The allotm

SCHOOL

»

WITH

Indianapoli open Sept, § every classroc baugh, super schools, said |

ported 161,911 approximately sent to the pi

TAXI DR OVERCH

Taxi drivers safety board ¢ fee collections their cab dri

plans mapped board and city Safety Boar Remy said he | opinion on the “try” taxi offe vocation of tl controller, Renewed effo eab-charge in board conside two reports o One from A. | asserted that were charged Ft. Harrison tc other complain said he had be for a haul fron sylvania sts, to Alabama sts.

CHECK Of EQUIP

Safety Boar “Chambers toda prehensive sur ment equipme buildings by th Fire Underwrite to E. M. Sell Inspection bur i that t who will unde: tion “free of ¢ make recomme mental improve in carrying ther

HOPE HELI