INK SLINGS.
—Eddie Cantor says that the
trouble with the country is not
over production, but ‘over predic-
tion.” And Eddie is everlastingly
rightt From the moment natural
economic laws stuck a pin in infla-
tion, which our Republican friends |
were pointing to with pride as the
kind of prosperity they brought by
applying their principles to govern-
ment, their spell-binders have been
bobbing up everywhere with pre-
dictions that good times are just
around the corner.
Eighteen months ago, when the
old boot straps just wouldn't lift
the business world an inch higher
and thousands and thousands who
wouldn't believe that stocks that go
up are sure to come down were left
holding the bag the bottom fell out
of everything.
Immediately the predictions began. |
The let-up was seasonal. It was
only a temporary period of re-ad.
justment. There was nothing fun-
damentally wrong and in a few
months the country would be on its
merry way of living beyond ite
means again.
The few months The
predictions were not fulfilled. Con-
ditions grew worse. Bread lines
began forming and President Hoov-
er began appointing commissions.
We don't know how many millions
there are in the bread lines, but
certainly they can't be longer than
all the commissions that the Presi-
dent and the Governors of the States
have appointed would be if they
stood up side by side. However
long the two lines would be, if put
together, they have not been long
enough to reach the spot that was
“just around the corner” eighteen
months ago.
The buckles on millions of belts
have been pulled up several holes
since then and sane thinkers, whe Under the Dawes agreement the buy in the cheapest market and sell radiant hope of Pinchot.
are not concerned as to who will be
elected president in 1932, are unan- |
imous in the belief that new holes
will have to be made in the belts be- |
fore next spring, if the masses have |
any pants left to be held up by
then. |
The outlook for the winter is
dreary indeed for all but the d- |
ns who can exist on the i
e of predictions and
sions.
Pinchot wants to spend millions on
roads—and have an extra session of
the Legislature. That's his es
for the trouble and his ‘“ballyhoo’
for the control of the Pennsylvania
delegation to the next national con-
vention, which he hopes will nomi-
nate him for Vice President.
Hoover wants to spend millions on
public works. He wants the world
to believe that his Department of
LALO ahd Ibdusicy i telling the
nearly
in the country as there seems to be.
He wants us to hope that some
commission he might ap t will |
get somewhere, instead
around in a circle. The President
is a great engineer, but the fog is
too dense for his compass and he's
teco dense to fly blind.
We don't often agree with our
United States Senator, “Davy”
Reed, of Pittsburgh, but we are with |
him on his recently expressed idea
that the calling of extra sessions of
Congress and tures is as
great a folly as predictions and com-
missions. e thinks the problem of
Sating for the unemployed dur-
ing the coming winter is a local one.
30 do we.
Every dollar the Federal govern-
ment spends, every dollar Governor
Pinchot authorizes for new roads or
more secretaries for his wife comes
ut of pocket and ours. Some
are ies to think they
jon't, but they do.
Imposts on foreign made goods,
axes on domestic luxuries and in-
omes are what keep the federal
rnment going. ou ig in- |
y, your share of it, when
you smoke a cigarette or buy a
Eve Ww: or Harris
surg does you pay for. In 1912
sour share of the of govern-
end of predictions
Let Bellefonte and
We're against million dollar bon.
ises to heads of corporations that en-
oy the benefits of tariff taxes we
ay. We're against five thousand
lollar men—getting fifty thousand
Ne're against the Hoovers and the
inchots spending our money in an |
'mergency when we could spend it |
vith less cost and more equitably. |
If needs be we will gladly pay ‘til |
t hurts—and still pay after it does
—to help those who might be in
eed in efonte this winter. But
ve rebel at money on com- |
aissions and needless public under-
akings in which probably not forty |
er cent of what we pay reaches
Bese whom it is supposed to bene-
|
|
i
i
i
|
i
i
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONR,
—Pupils in Butler county schools will
only with paddles of soft
| pina not more than a fourth of an inch
thick in the future, and the principal
| will be a witness to the punishment.
| —The Sheldon Manufacturing company,
at Elkland, Tioga county, has received a
big order for tent stakes from the United
States government which will keep the
plant running at full time during the
next year. A force of a hundred men
will be employed on the work, “a
VOL. 76.
The Wiggin committee, one of the
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
| violation of that pledge and the ex-
prises, has sadly dissappointed ex- tion at Washington has paid tardy
pectations. It was created for the but just tribute to the law of sup-
purpose of discovering and disclos- ply and demand. In a foolish effort
ing the cause of the world-wide to stabilize the price of coffee the
economic depression, especially in its government of Brazil has acquired
relation to Germany's financial dif- a considerable quantity of that prod-
ficulties. In its report, made public uct of the soil. With an equally ab-
a few days ago, it is stated that the surd purpose of fixing the price of
distress “has been greatly aggravat- wheat the government of the United
ed by imposing annual payment of States has accumulated a vast quan-
large sums by debtor to creditor tity of that cereal. In both cases the
countries, while at the same time expectation of those responsible has
putting obstacles in the way of the been disappointed. In each the prin-
free movement of goods.” ciples of economic law have been
This is a direct and deserved ar- grossly violated and the result has
raignment of the Grundy tariff leg- been immense financiai loss. The
islation of the last Congress. The huckstering enterprise is an insane
Versailles peace treaty imposed up- scheme to minimize the damage.
on Germany what was admitted at In the natural course of commerce
the time to be an onerous burden. the surplusses of one section
But it was confidently believed then are absorbed by the necessities of
and is still believed that with a fair another. The soil of one section
opportunity for the development of being especially adapted to a cer- term at least, in the White House in railroads—high taxation, high operat-
commerce, it could be courageously tain necessary product it is cul-
met and successfully discharged by tivated cheaply and abundantly for
“payments in kind,” which is to say exchange for other products of oth-
in the products of the mills, mines, er sections which enjoy the same fa-
| factories and soil of Germany, in- | cility in the production of other nec-
tensely cultivated and wisely mark- essaries of life.
eted.
| The fundamental
principle of political economy is to
obligations were promptly met fora in the dearest. The exchanges in
considerable period of time. There this natural manner, not by govern-
was some complaint of mismanage- ments but by individuals, is the es-
ment on the part of German author- sence of wise commerce and prosper-
ities that caused “hard sledding” ous trading and the pathway to pros-
now and then and the Young plan, perity. It represents the highest
which afforded some relief, was sub- type of industrial and commercial
stituted for the Dawes agreement. endeavor.
Under these changed conditions the But the present administration in
commis- process of liquidation was moving Washington pursues the opposite | portunity.
| forward hopefully, if not confidently, course. In the first place, by the nominal ineptitude has createdacon- t, assist them with a blanket rate-
toward achievement until the Grundy adoption of an atrocious system of dition for Pinchot and his versatile rise?
tariff law was enacted and approved tariff taxation it closed the markets
by President Hoover against the of the world to the products of our
| protest of a thousand famous econ- soil and factories and then by way
omists. (of indemnity to the victims under-
William McKinley was elected took to fix prices at a paying level
President in 1896 as the result of a by operations in the speculative
false promise made by Senator Sher- markets. Brazil had previously
man that in the event of his election proved the fallacy of that method
there would be no tariff legislation. and it is eminently fit that both of-
: fenders against
deal in the hope
er at the expense of the producers
and consumers at both ends of the
line. It expresses the logical result
of administrative stupidity.
MA
o thi iischievot
He fir ition to that m ]
legislation was the panic of 1897.
Hoover solemnly promised that in
the event of his election the only
tariff legislation would be to give
agriculture equality with manufac-
ture. The Grundy law was the
—If China is going to buy wheat
in this country why not draw on
this year's surplus instead of reliev-
ing the Farm Board ofits white
elephant ?
isting depression the consequence.
——The late President Cleveland
gained popularity and public favor
business principle | An - is working
saving oth- his Detroit speech
'ed that credit for achievement might
. | hesitation.”
by “the enemies he had made” and
sometimes history repeats itself.
Playing Politics With Human Misery
If ever a man ‘played politics with
human misery” Herbert Hoover is
absorbed in that sinister employ-
ment now. During the last session
of Congress he antagonized every
practical device for the alleviation of
human suffering because he imagin-
be ascribed to some one other than
himself, and the paralytic economic
depression was aggravated and pro-
longed because of his attitude on the
subject. The prompt adoption of
Senator Robinson's relief plan would
have saved much of the human suf-
fering incident to the drought, and
the approval of Senator Wagner's
measure for providing employment
would have averted distress in all
sections of the country.
Senator Caraway, of Arkansas, in
an interview published the other day,
calls to mind the use to
which Hoover and the Republican
National committee are trying to
put the moratorium decision. He
says “it is notorious that President
Hoove came to his moratorium de-
cision with extreme reluctance and
It is equally well
known that eminent Democratic econ-
omists and industrialists had urged
the course on him for weeks, and
that despite this pressure and that
of statesmen of his own party, he
delayed until the action came almost
too late to avert a world catas.
trophe. Even then he did not act
until he obtained the assurance of
numerous Democratic legislators
that they would support the plan.”
The Arkansas Senator, usually
nimble-minded and alert, is accurate
as far as he goes. But he missed
the principal point with respect to
the motivation. The advice of
Democratic and Republican states-
men failed of its purpose until Wall
Street interests admonished him that
the $17,000,000,006 of American cap-
ital invested in foreign securities
was in jeopardy. That appeal touch-
ed his capitalistic heart and he act-
ed, not to save Germany but to save
Wall Street. So far as Herbert
Hoover is concerned Germany “might
go hang”. But the capitalists who
had contributed profligately to the
Republican slush fund in 1928 had to
be taken care of and he literally
hustled to the rescue.
to Abolish the Farm
Board.
Senator Dave Reed, of Pittsburgh,
is preparing a bill to abolish the
Farm Board. This is “the unkindest
cut of all.” The Farm Board isthe
pet creation of the engineering mind
and Senator Reed has been the
“guide, philosopher and friend” of
its author. Its purpose was to fool
the farmers of the Middle West.
They seemed to be a stupid bunch,
ready to fall for any kind of a gold
brick decorated with the G. O. P.
brand. The half, billion dollar ap-
propriation looked like an unexpect-
ed bequest of large proportions.
Senator Reed supported it as an ex-
pedient to save the Hoover face.
But it has disappointed him as well
as the farmers.
The Farm Board has achieved
some results. It lifted Mrs. Mabel
Willebrandt out of the snug office of
assistant Attorney General and plac-
ed her in the more lucrative employ-
ment of booze . The Farm
Board advanced $4,000,000 to a Cali-
fornia corporation with which she
had become affiliated to make and
sell wine under the sanction of the
government and the shelter of a
fictitious name. That was worth-
while to Mabel but not satisfactory
to Senator Reed, who has since de-
nounced it as ‘“‘the most pernicious
example of misdirected paternalism
in the whole government structure.”
Not because he is opposed to wine
but for some other reason.
Still we are constrained to regis.
ter approval of Senaor Reed's pur-
pose to abolish the Board. It may
be too bad for Mrs. Willebrandt,
whose corporation is applying for
another donation, this time for $3,-
500,000, and disappointing to others
who have been benefited by its ex-
pensive operations in wheat and
cotton price fixing. But it is an
uneconomical experiment of doubtful
legality and the sooner such hazard-
ous policies are discontinued the bet-
ter. No man of business experience
and understanding would have even
suggested it as an expedient to
benefit the farmers of the country
and only boobs could have been fool-
ed by it.
Senator Reed
——When Senator Reed turns
against President Hoover's most
cherished schemes it is time for
Herbert to feel lonesome.
BELLEFONTE, PA., AUGUST 28S, 1931.
| Cause of the Economic Depression. Administration Stupidity Exemplitied Significance of Pinchot’s Activity. Railroad, Motor Truck,
| In securing a stall in the market
administration's fact-finding enter- house of the world the administra- nomination of Herbert Hoover
|
i
i
| practically certain the recent activi-
| ties of Governor Pinchot are incom-
| prehensible. In such matters Mr.
| Pinchot has always been cautious
'and calculating. Since his defeat
by Boies Penrose for Senator, sever-
{al years ago, he has refrained from
| entering into a political contest un-
|less there happened to be a serious
{rift in the organization and a trifle
| more than an even chance for suc-
| cess. Last year he kept out of the
| fight until conditions justified con-|
fidence of victory. In 1926 he held
(out until the contest between Vare
|and Pepper had developed an irrec-
|oncilable breach in the organization.
| Gifford Pinchot is an astute poli-
| tician and measures public sentiment
| with rare accuracy. His capable
{and red-headed wife has long cher-
ished an ambition to reside, for a
i
| Washington. But for a time the |
| prospects of achievement were ex-
| ceedingly unpropitious. Herbert
Hoover had apparently acquired
title to a second term and by 1936
| the infirmities of age would inter-
| vene to disappoint even the most
Nothing
less than grave and frequently re-|
| peated blunders on the part of Mr
Hoover could change the conditions.
|All the elements were combined in|
{hig favor. Party patronage and
| corporation necessities make a po- |
tent force.
| But the keen mind of Gifford Pin- |
| chot seems to bave discerned an op-
Herbert Hoover's phe-
| as’ well as vigilant consort is skill- |
| fully doing the rest. His attitude |
‘on the subject of utility corpora
tions first challenged popular atten- |
tion and the stupidity of Mr. Hoov- |
er in prolonging rather than abating
the economic depression has
i
—Mrs. Edith B. DeWitt is a candi-
date for nomination on the Demo-
cratic ticket for Prothonotary of Ly-
coming county. If service to one's
party is the yardstick by which
Lycoming Democrats measure the
merits of those upon whom they
confer their honors Mrs. DeWitt will
be given a place on their ticket.
And if Lycoming county wants to
become noted for having an efficient
and the most gracious and charming
Prothonotary in Pennsylvania it will
elect Mrs. DeWitt.
——QOur friends, the Republican
politicians and press, are worrying
too much about the Democratic
candidate for President next year.
The Democratic National convention
will select a fit man and he will be
elected.
———— A ————————
——That feature of the Wicker-
sham report which estimates thata
majority of the crimes are commit-
ted by natives is a hard knock on
the 100-percenters.
——Pinchot’'s appeal to the Le-
gionnaires assumes a surprising as-
pect when compared with his silence
while the Liberty bond drives were
in progress.
——1It seems to be broken banks
and other forms of insolvency that
are multiplying instead of autos, as
promised by Hoover in campaign
speeches.
——It appears that Lindbergh's
vacation is a matter of business as
well as pleasure, and he carries the
best wishes of the world in both
purposes.
———— A MP —
If President Hoover had ap-
proved the Senator Wagner bill of
the last session there would be no
necessity for the Gifford commission
now.
———Hoover has again “passed the
buck,” this time to Walter S. Gif-
ford. Herbert may not be artful
but he is certainly a successful dodg-
er.
AAR A————
——The Lindberghs are forging
their way around the world with
characteristic caution. Lindy lived
in Missouri and has to be shown.
——Secretary Stimson denies so
many things that subsequently prove
to be true that he is liable to be
classed as a prevaricator,
——————
~The President is unalterably
opposed to “government in business,”
but doesn't mind establishing a na-
tional huckster’s stand.
In view of the fact that the re- |
NO. 34.
{
From the Philadelphia Record.
js| The fight over the freight rate in- nearby farmers.
—After 100 men, led by State police,
| had searched for her 10 hours, 3-year-old
| Frances Hinkle was found at 2 o'clock
| Monday morning asleep under a tree In
{the woods near Elysburg. The girl
— wandered away from a clambake on the
| Misceravage farm. A posse was organ-
| ized to search for her, and as darkness
'came on pitch torches were supplied by
Frances was found by
| Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska.
|spring from loss of traffic—more
grease Rupa by the & toads ati her father, Joseph Hinkle, of Mt. Carmel.
presentation of a pell- | _ j,qge Miles I. Potter is seriously ill
tion from six Middle Western States ;, 5. pr, Joseph L. Potter hospital, at
asking that the plea be dismissed jfigdleburg, and is not expected to be
because of failure to make a case. able to resume his campaign for the
The petitioners’ contention is thal gpesublican nomination for re-election to
|a financial emergency for the rail- , second term as Judge of the Courts of
|roads is not sufficient ground fora pnjon and Snyder counties. Judge Pot-
| boost of the whole rate structure. ter was admitted to the hospital August
The challenge comes from repre- 13 for a badly infected hand. He wrote
sentatives of the railway regulatory from the hospital today: *I had expect-
commissions of the farming States .q to get around to see all the voters,
of North and South Dakota, Iowa, but I fear very much that this cannot
be done.”
It is asserted that the proposed _ cy.ying tobacco for chickens, Is the
‘rate increase would complete the , _ ogion of State College experts, ac-
ruin of the Western farmer. cording to associate judge Charles Dunn,
The Washington representative of ; cjinton county, and Otto Olson, gov-
the National Grange asserts thatthe .., nent expert, who are growing rustica
carriers’ trouble is due not to loW ,;,5.cco0 on a government experimental
rates but to loss of traffic. .
| plot at the judge's farm near Lock Ha-
And that assertion goes to the .., powdered rustica, one pound for
heart of the problem. every hundred of feed, is the recommen-
Whole columns could easily be 4.:ion because of the high nicotine con-
written about the troubles the ont. The manager of Douglas Faire
Banks’ ranch, near Sante Fe, N. M., has
asked for rustica seed, Olson says.
—Thirty one cars stolen since May 8
the record of Vicent Waleskey, 16;
Joseph Kushna, 17; Joseph Dzoncizk, 15,
ing costs, etc.
And an equal number of columns
could be filled with fact and argu-
ment about the farmers’ troubles.
Agriculture is a basic and indis-
and Samuel Shinko, 15, of Hazleton,
pensable industry. who have confessed. The police have
Transportation is essential to busi- recovered all but two of the machines
ness.
stolen since May 8. Police magistrate
The deadlock would be loosened if ; "4° bigebrand found that under
the farmers could prove that asser- ...—,..'n, should hold the lads under
tion, that the roads’ difficulties an aggregate of $310,000 bail to face
terms of 310 years in jail and fines of
sharply, from competition by Other g 55.) He retused the responsibility
carriers: motor truck and bus lines. | ordered them taken before the Lu-
The Joy he on is: IC oy ene county court.
it TIO ai Ay —A bull broke away from the Pennsyl-
trol of competing methods of trans- | vania Railroad yards in Pittsburgh, on
portation, such as motor truck lines, | Tuesday, charged into the train shed,
| delayed the Cincinnati limited and tore
inland waterways and pipe lines, or | "5,004 of lawns before it was kill-
(ed by a police radio scout car. A po-
liceman was gored when officers attempt-
peopl nger ed to drive the animal from the tunnel
ST he favor emo lo | which runs under the city to the Pan-
OROPDY: governmental regula- handle tracks. The limited was detain-
: {ed because passengers were warned not
oh that guatanises tue pubic falr | board or leave the train, while red-
| caps, police and trainmen tried to drive
| the animal out of the station.
| -—A golden eagle was shot and kill-
led by a farmer near Tarentum after a
futile effort to carry away a large shep-
dog. The eagle, a rare bird, drop-
ped the
And the ruling fact in the back-
Paying For Our Railroad Policy.
From the Altoona Tribune.
The “Sie” faced by
out more
takes in and still keep going ed down after a chicken, The farmer
At present the United States 8 shot the bird with the chicken in its
served by 426,000 miles of claws. The eagle, protected in this
track—23.6 miles for each 10, Of | State, was turned over to Ralph A. Lip-
our population, as 4.2 @S hart, of the State Game Commissidn. It
for the world, and 69 miles of track had a wing spread of nearly 73 inches.
for each thousand square miles Of The bird will be used for educational
territory as against 16 for the world purposes by the State Game Commission.
» hie i by Avg SE —Fiftesn men ahd women, patrons of
| the Mountain View Inn, near Shamokin,
servi 1,250,000
Toisas He lt Ae carriers | Were robbed of 31000 in jewelry and “ash
0
pay to their employees $300,000
taxes.
our princi
no other form of
of banks,
other institutions which
ed largely in rail securities.
depend on the rails.
ato licy. Hence the
No chr freight rates.
will be nothing com
cial and economic rig
follow railroad bankruptcy.
Season for Traveling
From the Nation's Business.
This is the season for traveling.
Up and down the country
cheerful vacationers, seeking
experiences, new scenes. They travel
by train, steamship, ai
or private automobile.
’
*
conveniences and greater
erated air; wide, paved
permi
with safety; emergency
fl
hazard out of Jing.
ot of today's trans-
Compare the
Trail. Compare the smooth-
riding train which Artist Edgar F.
Wittmack pictures on our cover
with the trundling covered wagon.
Then imagine, if you can, how the
hundred years from now. Will he fly?
will he drive an automobile whose
motor is run by power from the air
as your radio picks up sound waves?
Will he ride in hauled by
electric locomotives capable of 150
miles an hour? We don't know.
But we do know that transporta-
tion 100 years from now will show
as great an advance as Artist Witt-
mack’s train shows over the covered
ie abe than treseen
brought about this tremen-
dous advance are still at work. Those
forces are the public will for im.
provement and the will of business
to give the public what it wants.
in Monday morning by five gunmen,
wages, as well as paying $40.000 in
The importance of the railroads
cannot be exaggerated. They are)
transport agent—and
transportation is
in sight to supplant them. They
are directly related to the stability
insurance companies and
have invest. | moned, but found no clues,
jobs and livelihood of many millions
of Americans, directly or indirectly, and beat Vincent Ohearn, night clerk at
No farmer or manufacturer wants the safe while the fuse sputtered.
to pay 15 per cent more for trans-
his t the few ex- their minds and cut
dollars it will cost under the permitting him to take refuge in a side
new rate standard, if it is allowed, room while the safe was blown. The
to the 80- thieves escaped in an automobile. High-
that would way patrolmen at Pottsville,
stream | ter, on Sunday.
new
bus,
route
is smoothed for them. They travel
in comfort. Hotels offer them more
service
than ever before; trains with refrig-
highways
t them to drive at high speed
landing
fields and modern airports take the
continental traveler with that of our
forebears who labored along the
entered the isolated roadhouse and forc-
led everyone to lie face downward on the
floor as they made a systematic search.
O. Deleidi, proprietor, threw a roll of
several hundred dollars behind him on
the floor. Several women patrons had
hysterics and required medical treatment.
| The holdup men cut wires leading from a
| public telephone, but overlooked a phone
lin the kitchen. State police were sum-
—Two men early on Tuesdag held up
the Reading Railroad station at Ash-
At present many lines are paying land and blew open the depot safe to
out more money than they can take steal $350. They beat Ohearn almost
in, following low profits for ten unconscious when he told them he did
under a drastic tax and regu-
applica- office safe.
‘not know the combination of the
Finally they fixed a charge
;of nitro-glycerine and tied Ohearn to
In
|the nick of time the gangsters, changed
Ohearn's bonds,
Tamaqua
and Shamokin stopped every car leaving
the region for hours after the holdup in
a vain search.
| —Battering their way through a bath-
| room door, two policemen prevented a
| man from suicide in his home at Lancas-
i Jonas Gregg, 48, was
(found sprawled across the bathrodm
| floor with his head near an open gas
jet, He was revived by policemen Paul
Wiker and Myron Boettner. When Gregg
had almost recovered from the effects of
the gas, he attacked Wiker who was
watching him while Boettner was throw-
ing open the windows of the Gregg home.
Wiker suffered severe bruises of the
face. Ghegg was subdued and taken to
St. Joseph's hospital, and from there to
the police station where he was slated
on a drunkenness and disorderly conduct
charge. From his cell, Gregg threaten-
er to try suicide again. Lack of funds
was given by Gregg as the reason for
his suicide attempt.
—Hunger and thirst endured for near-
ly three days while he lay trapped un-
der a stove in his home caused the
death, on Monday, of Howard Frederick,
traveler will cross the continent & ,: gchwenkville, Pa. Such was the
opinion of doctors who had attended
Frederick since he had been hauled out
from beneath the stove Sunday by a
neighbor, William Redcliffe. They de-
cided the bruises on his face and head
had been caused by his desperate efforts
to free himself from the grip of the stove
grate. The Injuries would not have
caused death, the doctor: said. Author-
ities, however, were mystified as to the
manner in which Frederick had gotten
under the stove and managed to trap
himself. The man lived alone and had
been out of work. Redcliffe broke into
his home when he became alarmed be-
cause Frederick had not removed news-
papers from his doorstep.