iG
Lobb
Ihimks about
Prehistoric Lore.
EL RIO, TEXAS.—Accord-
ing to the scientists, who
have a great way of naming
earthly phenomena without in-
quiring into the wishes of the
phenomena, we are now living
in a terrestrial era known as
the Hollocene period.
This will be news to a lot of peo-
ple who rather suspected we were
living through a
stage which might
be called Chaos.
Still, it’s no won-
der that the word
hasn't got around
generally yet, be-
cause this present
era is quite a young
era as eras go. It's
merely a few mil-
lion years old,
which, to our true
geologist, is the
same is yesterday.
Irvin S. Cobb
his fingers—like that.
of its sarface phases, namely: Reg-
bulk nf the humorous text printed
in the average smart magazine of
today, and the even spicier lines
heard in smart modern
it, not the Holocene,
scv™e period?
+ * »
The Law's Long Arm.
HE long arm of the law—it's a
grand phrase, isn't it? So mouth-
cilizen's soul!
It conjures u, visions of unrelent-
hile punishment for the guilty.
( Je bunk!
lawyers; venal policemen; compla-
cent prosecutors;
or intimidated; the law's delays;
phan of the victim and thinks only
of the family of the killer; most
role,
These days, when 1 see a sen-
officer, 1 find myself saying to my-
self, “Chances are that fellow, lit-
erally or figuratively,
that decoration only temporarily.”
» ® »
The Passing Years.
prospect just as nearly every
dying year
appointment.
for a
except being measured
shroud?
several false starts, happy
were here again.
ing to remodel the Supreme court.
Senator Ashurst told us so, and
didn’t he know? He didn’t.
days
ed by Divine Providence, would im-
well in hand.
almshouse.
were expecting two suckers in ev-
ery pot.
was heard in the land-—ah, the bull-
bull!
car party again would be a going
cera, the question is, where?
And now, laden with future gifts,
comes 1938. How time flies! Why,
before you know it, Sistie will be old
enough to take a job with the radio
and Buzzie will be signing testimo-
nials.
. 9» »
Gambling Houses.
ONCE famous card-sharp—not
veformed, but retired—said to
me:
“Show me a professional gam-
bling house where the roulette
wheel isn't crooked, where any oth-
er mechanical device is on the
square, where the operatives from
ghe bosses on down won't skin a
customer—call him a sucker, if you
want to; the terms are interchange-
able—and I'll drop dead from shock,
because no such outfit ever existed
nor ever will, not so long as games
can be tricked, as all of them can,
and gamblers are out for the coin,
as they naturally are, and the hand
is quicker than the eye, which it is.”
“But how about the mathematical
percentage in favor of the bank-—
isn’t that enough?” I asked.
“How about the mathematical
percentage of crooked law-enforce-
ment officers who have to be
bribed?” he countered. ‘There's
never enough coming in to satisfy
those babies.”
IRVIN 8. COBB
Copyright.—~WNU Service.
INDUSTRY'S
PLATFORM
The committee examined
He was
enactments unconstitutional.
Industry Asks New Deal
MERICAN industry demands a
new deal for the new year. In
its “platform for 1938" it asks the
government to repeal “‘unfair’ la-
bor relations laws and “‘unduly bur-
densome’’ taxes which, it says,
threaten to reverse ‘‘a century's
trend of improved living
ards.”
The platform was submitted to
the National Association of Manu-
facturers by Charles R. Hook, presi-
dent of the American Rolling Mill
company and chairman of the N. A.
M.'s resolutions committee, and
was adopted by the more than 2,000
persons at the annual convention
in New York.
Asserting that ‘‘the onward march
of the American people can be re-
sumed and continued only if Ameri-
can industry produces more so that
all can have more,” the platform
declarations were grouped under
these headings:
No employer should be penalized
for failure to deal with any labor
organization organizing, supporting
or maintaining a strike for illegal
purposes, or by illegal means
among his employees;
Employment, promotion and re-
tention of employees on the basis
of merit with due regard for length
of service;
both employers and employees for
their commitments and their acts.
The platform condemned child la-
bor and urged the enactment of
federal legislation to support state
child labor laws. Enactment of
state legislation against sweatshops
also was urged.
To promote free domestic compe-
tition based on private initiative and
energy, the platform proposed limi-
tation of government regulation “‘to
the prevention of abuses inimical to
the public interest, freedom from
federal control of prices, wages and
hours,” fair taxes and “constantly
increasing research to produce new
and wanted products and new jobs.”
Encouragement of private initia-
tive; maintenance and extension of
sound industrial practices; equita-
ble employment relations through-
out industry; creation of new and
broader markets; constructive ef-
forts to alleviate depression effects:
sound government policies; co-oper-
ation with agriculture; peace.
mn
Japs Enter Nanking
APAN’S invading armies reached
Nanking and smashed their way
through several gates of the city's
wall. Their complete occupation of
the capital was imminent. The Chi-
nese put up a spirited defense in the
suburbs and nearby towns but it
was unavailing.
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
and his wife were reported to have
escaped in an airplane, which must
have been a great disappointment
to the Japanese, who are deter-
mined to capture Chiang,
sma
Diplomatic Changes
SEVERAL major changes in the
diplomatic service are scheduled
for the near future.
that William E.
It was learned
Dodd had resigned
as ambassador to
Germany and in
Washington it was
said that Hugh R.
Wilson, now assist-
ant secretary of
state, would be giv-
en the post in Ber-
lin. Dodd has found
his duties difficult
because of his ad-
mitted dislike of the
Nazi policies and
W. E. Dodd for some time has
been regarded as ‘‘persona non
grata" by the German government.
He was a professor of history in
the University of Chicago when ap-
pointed, and says he intends to re-
sume work on a history of the Old
South.
Robert W. Bingham of Louisville,
ambassador to Great Britain, also
has submitted his resignation, be-
cause of ill health. His successor,
it is believed, will be Joseph P. Ken-
nedy, now chairman of the federal
naritime commission and formerly
head of the SEC.
Mr. Bingh
to the United
treatment for ms:
kins hospital
State depar
back to
to pay his
recently returned
States to
x
undergo
% 7m} Vp imunrm}
icial calls of farev
we Woes
Profits Tax "Impossible"
EPEAL of
profits tax impos-
sible of equitable and effective” ap-
plication to the complex and varied
pattern of American
recommended in a report published
by the Brookings institution, based
on a study
the tax on 1,560 corporations.
Prepared by Dr. M.
drick of Cornell university,
operation with
tution, the was made from
data obtained from the results of
some 3,600 questionnaires sent out
by Senator Frederick Steiwer,
publican, of Oregon,
undist
“
the
as
$3108
suay
tax
tainable in the first year of its op-
eration.
the controversial
ii
J
U. S. Steel Readjustment
HE United States Steel corpora-
tion announced formation of a
new company-—United States Steel
Corporation of Delaware—to super-
vise a number of subsidiaries of the
parent corporation.
The new corporation, which will
come into existence January 1, will
be organized with nominal capital.
Benjamin F. Fairless will be presi-
dent of the company and all the cap-
ital stock is owned and held by the
United States Steel corporation of
New Jersey. Headquarters for the
management company will be at
Pittsburgh.
Myron C. Taylor,
the new corporation,
was the final move in the vast plan
of readjustment of the corporation.
Green Defies C. I. 0.
VIRTUALLY admitting that re-
cent peace negotiations between
the A. F. of L.. and the C. 1. O. were
a failure, President Green of the
federation in a speech in Buffalo
defied the lewis organization and
predicted that real violence between
the two rival labor bodies may en-
sue.
“Unless settlement is reached
soon,”’ Green declared, “the A. F. of
L. will arm its forces and turn them
loose against this raiding organiza-
tion.
“loots of people think the reason
a settlement can’t be reached is be-
cause some one has designs on dic-
tating the policy of the American la-
bor movement, and I sometimes
think this, too.
“He, or she, who launches a move-
ment which divides the house of la-
bor is an enemy of labor.”
Sixty members of the United Au-
tomobile Workers of America were
arrested when they defied an o-der
of Mayor John L. Carey of Dear-
born forbidding the distribution of
literature in a prohibited area at the
gates of the Ford Motor company.
ey
No Fraud by Mellon
"THREE months after his death
Andrew W. Mellon, famous in-
dustrialist of Pittsburgh, was exon-
erated of income tax fraud by unan-
imous decision of the United States
board of tax appeals. The board
threw out the fraud charges
brought by the administration
against the former head of the
Aluminum Company of America
and, an eight to seven ruling,
8 the government's claim for
additional taxes on Mellon's 1931 in-
sume from $3,075,000 to about $750,
Stormy Days in Capital |
» ETURNING from his fishing trip |
in Florida waters with an in- |
fected gum, President Roosevelt!
was confronted with a situation |
that was decidedly disconcerting. |
What has been called the Roosevelt |
depression was becoming still more |
depressed and congress seemingly
couldn't make up its mind what to!
do about it. The demand for tax |
revisions that would assist business |
out of the slump was insistent, and |
so was the necessity of balancing |
the budget. Passage of the four |
administration “must” measures |
appeared to be impossible during |
the extraordinary session. All of |
them were opposed by various blocs |
of the majority party as well as by |
the Republican minority. |
The senate’s farm bill seemed to |
have the best chance to get through, |
but it differed so radically from the
house measure that it was certain
a conference committee would have
to try to find a common ground.
Secretary Wallace was reported
dissatisfied with both senate and
house bills. One official close to
him said Wallace might urge Pres-
ident Roosevelt to veto any bill
finally enacted which approximated
either the senate or house measure.
Democrats were so badly split
over the wage-hour bill that hope of
passing it before the regular session
of congress was about abandoned.
Labor, too, was divided concerning
this measure, the A. F. of L. op-
posing it and the C. 1. O. advocating
its passage. The federation offered
its own version, calling for a flat 40
cents an hour minimum wage and a
40 hour maximum work week. The
house bill was finally rescued from
the rules committee by petition.
House Majority Leader Sam Ray-
burn, Democrat, Texas, went ahead
with plans to whip administration
support behind the house measure.
He said that fewer than 100 voles
would be cast against the bill in its
form but warned that
would make its
provi more rigid
the measure back to
imiliee and delay a
indefinitely.
angen
wos Wenn
Infantry Comes First
Ix WAR operations on land the in.
fantry is still the most important
of the service, says Gen.
Craig, chief of staff of the
; army, in his annual
report. Lessons
learned by skilled
observers of the civ-
il war in Spain and
the Chino-Japanese
war have modified
the American de-
fense program, but,
says the general, it
is still the infantry
that renders the de.
cision in the final
analysis. Airplanes
and tanks are valu
bs 4 ee
+ shunt
‘labor ot
branch
General
Malin Craig
they cannot bring about a decision
in land operations
Inventories of armament, motori-
zation, mechanization and equip
ment, in the light of the lessons
abroad, show several vital needs of
the first line forces, General Craig
declared. These include better
weapons to combat aircraft and
tanks, as well as more efficient guns
Lindberghs Come Back
FTER two years of self-
imposed exile in England, Col.
and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh re-
turned to the United States. Pre-
sumably they came over to spend
the holidays at the home of Mrs.
Lindbergh's mother, Mrs. Dwight
Morrow, in Englewood, N. J. Dis-
patches from London said the
colonel also had some business to
transact in America. He is asso-
ciated in an advisory capacity with
Pan-American Airways.
The landing of the Lindberghs at
New York was accomplished with
such secrecy that they almost es-
caped the notice of reporters and
news photographers. One of the
officers of the liner on which they
came said they planned to return to
England immediately after Christ.
mas.
ale
Edgerton Backs Water
ment of Henry W. Edgerton of |
Cornell university as associate jus-
tice of the District of Columbia
Court of Appeals was endangered
because it was thought from his writ-
ings that he did not believe in judicial
review. However, he appeared be-
fore the senate sub-committee, con-
sisting of Senators Borah, Burke and
Van Nuys and repudiated his previ-
ous utterances. Of the power of
courts to declare legislative enact-
ments unconstitutional he said:
“I regard it as not only thorough-
ly established as a legitimate part
of our constitutional system, but
which was intended by the great ma-
jority of the men who framed our
Constitution. I think it was properly
established by John Marshall and
I haven't the least criticism of any |
court for any declaration of the
validity of that part of our consti
tutional system.”
fn
Leviathan to Be Junked
J APAN made a bid for the Levia-
than, huge liner seized from QGer-
many in the World war, but the
United States Lines rejected it anc
sold the vessel to Metal Industries,
Ltd., of London for $800,000. It will
go to England under its own power
and will be junked.
The Leviathan cost ten millions to
build and the American govern-
ment spent more than eight millions
to recondition it; and also paid Ger
many $16,688,000 for its seizure.
I NATIONAL PRE
Washington. — Much has been
written and much more has been
. said concerning
Railroads
the complexities
Face Crisis of modern civiliza-
tion and modern
business. Many times have we
heard how closely agriculture is re-
lated to other industry; how general
en with every phase of our life.
There can be no doubt of this condi-
tion. No proof is required. Nor is it
necessary to argue that when one
section or segment of business is on
its sickbed, there is a resulting bad
reaction upon every other phase of
commerce and industry to a greater
or less extent.
With these fundamentals in mind,
it becomes obvious that probably
a national character in the last few
weeks is the appeal of the country’s
railroads for the right to increase
their rates by 15 per cent.
tails of their condition, as presented
in hearings before the interstate
commerce commission, show
they are under the rigid supervision
of the federal government, th
eral government is the doctor in
the case. They will live or die by
the command of
merce co
The
shows, for example, th:
4 4
ai
ni
the interstate com-
case they have presented
they
had to cut thousands UP
of workers off of the p
they
than
annuai p
nesses,
fourth
the n
ban property-—tha :
property is in the hands of
receivers
So, adverting to the observa
of the first paragraph of
cussion: a gigantic industry can not
run at a loss without
bad heart or partial
other industry.
b 34
ay:
nave been unable to
one
th
Wills
Higher rates
reason that none of us enjoys taking
any more money out of our pocket
than we must. Many lines of busi-
ness oppose rate increases
railroads because of th
will reduce their volume of sales
But it occurs to me that in consid-
on of a question of freight rates
harges railroads
ke, we ought to
as we do of
Our reta
sell at a }
subsist
on the
it
+ fear that
which the
other
grocer is not
; the druggist
uniess he makes a
wwever small it may be, nor
5 the farmer going to continue to
produce unless he gets a reasonable
return from his work. The only dif-
ference between these and the rail-
roads is that the railroads can not
raise their rates unless the inter-
ernmen
Further,
the part of
sons throughout the land to question
there is a tendency on
business.
as 1 have, the remark that “you
can't tell whether so-and-so’s busi-
ness is bad off or not
like white.”
look Indeed, while
hearings in this case, a man in a
the same observation as I have
quoted. My answer to him was in
substance that none of the railroad
officials would dare lie to the com-
mission, even if they were so in-
clined, because the commission has
management, of the carriers.
It might be added in this con-
nection that officials of the inter-
stand there is to be a request by
the interstate truck operators for an
increase in rates if and when the
rail lines are allowed higher rates.
competitors, the railroads, charge
I believe there is no better way to
. as presented to
Plight the commission,
of Carriers than to include
here some ex-
cially in the case by Dr. J. H. Par-
melee. He is director of the bu-
reau of economics of the Associa-
tion of American Railroads and, as
such, knows the details.
“Today,” Dr. Parmelee said, “the
carriers are reducing forces and are
curtailing their purchases of equip-
ment, materials and supplies. They
are forced to do this because of the
financial condition in which they find
themselves. This retrenchment has
*“The railroads in 1927 to 1930 in-
stalled more than twelve times as
many locomotives each year, nearly
five times as many freight cars, laid
nearly three times as many tons of
rails and laid nearly twice as many
cross ties as they averaged in the
depression years from 1831 to 1936.
“Capital expenditures for 1929 and
1930 averaged $863,164,000 a year.
During the depression years from
1931 to 1936, the average of capital
expenditures was only $206,813,000,
“Similarly, the trend of railway
purchases (of things they must use
in operation), of fuel, material and
supplies declined sharply during the
depression years and never has re-
turned to anything like normal.
Railway purchases in 1929 and 1930
amounted to $1,184,017,000 in each of
the two years. In the years
1931 to 1835, the average per
$550,000,000. In 1936,
this direction
(Figures
omplete but there
line because of
five
expenditu
up
f
ior
ar .
r 1837 are
has been another dec
necessary curtailment of buying.)"”
their
the commission
years had left
f Teserves.
receipts for
services
the sion
: oil
id, the rail
lv gett ng bv
y gettin IY,
» be-
on
required
amounts fc aying off parts of their
all they
3 was just
pay the people who work
uy the necessary fuel
upplies.
term wi! interest
their debts
enough to
ang gt
. * *
argument to the commission
costs, general ex-
penses, and the
dozen or so rail-
way presidents
fore the commission
Rising
Costs
stressed the fact that these expenses
f ntrol by the railroad
Dr. Parmelee figured
gher costs of fuel, sup-
wages and taxes had laid a
the railroads that is
is year by $664 788,000
it was in 1933. The companies
hope to get $567,287,000 of this sum
the 15 per cent increase in
ight rates, and the railroads of
the East are asking that passenger
fares be increased from 2 cents to
2% cents a mile, which they think
will bring in an additional $47,500,
000. this it is seen that the
carriers still will fall short of the
full amount needed, but their ar-
as 1 understand it, pro-
ithorities
that these }
is sufficient to keep them from go-
ing broke. If the new depression
there will be a
will enable them to make a
That is, a greater volume of
with the new rates will
burdens laid upon them. In this
connection, I looked up the effect
taxing act. Commission records
show the rail lines are paying $111.
000,000 in taxes annually under
these two levies alone, a burden the
companies did not have two or three
years ago.
So it is evident that the rail lines
are in a bad fix. They are con-
fronted on the one hand with mount-
ing costs of operation and on the
other by declining receipts from
the smaller volume of business. At
the same time, it seems to me, the
country has more than a passing
interest in their plight. This is so
because during the last two months,
for example, close to 60,000 railroad
employees have been laid off —out of
work, in the rail industry alone.
With the decline of purchasing of
supplies by the rail lines, other in-
dustry has suffered, has laid off
men.
Looking at the thing another way,
one might call attention to federal
appropriations for relief which have
been in excess of three billions a
year during the last several years.
The figures given above show that
the railway purchases—just one in-
dustry—have fallen off more than
500 millions, or about one-sixth of
the relief appropriations. If the ap-
propriations to aid all unemployed
are only six times as large as the
drop in railway expenditures, it is
easy to see what an influence is
wielded and why I have taken the
position that it is necessary to con-
sider the railways’ petition from the
standpoint of the country as a
whole. We, as citizens, have a bur-
den to carry whether it is done
through the railways or through
some other avenue. None of those
rail workers wants to be without a
job, I am sure.
© Western Newspaper Union,