The Centre reporter. (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, July 27, 1939, Image 7

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WASHINGTON.—It is sometimes
possible, I believe, to find an ex-
cuse for violent action on the part of
a man who is hungry. Likewise,
that individual's desperation may be
explained when his children are
near starvation. It is a social con-
dition that perhaps merits sympa-
thetic understanding rather than
harsh treatment. When those indi-
viduals have had the specter of star-
vation removed by the generous
hand of government, however, it
strikes me that there can be no
justification for revolt against the
government or the people which
have been responsible for the chari-
ty. That is to say, neither the gov-
ernment nor the citizens can be
of any of us, nor does any one in-
dividual have a divine right to such
generosity.
Yet, there exists in this country
today an extraordinarily large num-
ber of persons who seem to feel the
government must bend its knees
to them. They have lately taken
the position—Ilargely misguided by
the lowest grade of leaders—that
they can dictate to their govern-
ment and their neighbors the terms
upon which they will receive gov-
ernment relief. They have gone so
far as to use the strike as a weapon
to force, to coerce, their govern-
ment into greater gifts to them, and
it is one of the most dangerous
trends to be noted on the horizon of
our country. It is traceable, of
course, to the utterly absurd relief
policies that have been practiced,
heretofore.
To go back a bit for a review, the
relief program enacted recently by
congress for the year that is now
starting specified that all WPA
workers must put in 130 hours per
month in order to get the maximum
government relief. It was included
by congress as a part of the law
upon recommendation by WPA
Commissioner F. C, Harrington, and
no right thinking persons can find
reason to disagree. The purpose is
most commendatory. The increase
in the hours of labor was designed
to weed out those who were receiv-
ing WPA checks who were satisfied
to go on without any thought of
ever obtaining a private job again.
There is that type, you know.
Congress Sought to Set Up
An Honest Distribution
The rules that expired June 30 had
made it possible for some workers
to receive the maximum pay in as
little as two weeks of work. Skilled
workers were being paid wages that
were equivalent to the rates in pri-
vate employment in the area where
they were. So, some workers stayed
on the job two weeks and had their
month's pay; others worked longer
and were paid much less. Congress,
therefore, tried to set up something
like an honest distribution and it
directed that everybody receiving
the WPA checks had to work 130
hours in order to receive the full
amount,
There were some other provisions,
too, that irked the WPA workers.
One of them, for instance, makes it
necessary for those who have been
on WPA relief jobs for 18 months,
to take a layoff of one month. That
was designed to give some other
unemployed person a chance to get
WPA relief.
The third big change from last
year and the earlier years of fed-
eral relief was a specification as to
wages. The legal language is too
complex for me to understand, thor-
oughly, but the intention is to make
the rates of WPA wages have some
relationship to the cost of living
where the unemployed are given
WPA jobs.
These things are in the law, this
time. In previous years, congress
had been unable to break the grip of
the professional relievers, like Har-
ry Hopkins and Aubrey Williams,
and the rates of pay and conditions
of work were determined largely by
such men. Mr. Williams will be re-
called as the man who said in a
speech to WPA workers they should
use their numerical strength politi-
cally and support only those offi-
cials who turned loose the most
money. Under the previous system,
the WPA workers could attack rules
and regulations laid down by indi-
viduals. But now Mr. Hopkins and
Mr. Williams are not in the picture,
and a hard-boiled army officer
heads up the WPA organization.
Strike Against Government
Is What Confronts Country
The condition that confronts the
country, therefore, is a strike
against the national government, be-
cause the elected representatives of
the people as a whole laid down the
rules, this time. Of course, thé Con-
#titution guarantees to all citizens
the right to petition congress. It
does not grant the right, however,
to use force or violence to change
the action of congress. The WPA
workers who went out on strike,
therefore, in my opinion, were right
close to the border line of a serious
offense against the government. It
is one thing to strike, as a union
against an employer; it is
be organized to. perpetuate govern-
ment charity and to use that union
in a violent fashion as has been done
in this instance,
And, speaking of unions, there are
two of them-—rival organizations—
among WPA workers.
States.
by David Lasscer and the second by
Lloyd Leith. I do not know the back-
came from
in life may be. Of this, howéver, I
in this world of ours ever work for
absolutely no pay.
how much these ‘‘leaders’’
from.
lieve that either one of them or the
work.
are emulating Our Lord to that ex-
tent is stretching my credulity too
far,
Why Is a Union Necessary
Among These Workers?
One might also inquire quite prop-
erly, I think, why it is necessary to
have a union among these workers.
I fail to see why they should spare
any of the meager funds that the
government gives them for living
purposes to be used by union lead-
ers. Those fellows cannot do any-
thing to make congress change its
mind. Oh! They can come to Wash-
ington — and they do — and issue
statements and shout threats before
congressional committees and see
their names in the newspapers, and
accomplish nothing. That is, they
get nowhere except that they are
able, to show the poor, wretched
souls on relief that their “leaders”
are great ‘‘fighters” in the cause.
While there never was a chance
of congress amending the law and
anyone with a grain of sense must
recognize it, these self-appointed,
self-annointed saviors of the WPA
workers did succeed in calling
something like 40,000 workers off of
their jobs in various parts of the
country. The result was that those
workers lost just that much money.
They also ran afoul of the Harring-
them did not realize was not a Hop-
kins or Williams chin. Colonel Har-
rington promptly issued orders that
those who stayed away five days
would be replaced, because there
| were thousands willing to work and
| had no jobs. Obviously, that brought
|a good many back to their jobs.
Some others, however, let their pas-
sion and unwise leadership of their
unions put them in a position of
cutting off their nose to spite their
| face.
It is to be noted, in passing, that
conditions now are somewhat differ-
{ ent than when the policies of the
| professional relievers were opera-
| tive throughout the country. There
| were numerous instances, it will be
| recalled, when Hopkins and Miss
| Perkins, secretary of labor, advised
that sit-down strikers should be fed
off of relief funds.
rectors and state charity leaders
Seems There Are Some Very
Stupid Local Labor Leaders
American Federation of Labor and
this picture.
organizations in behalf of the WPA
workers were “entirely local.” It
this be true, the explanation lies in
the fact that there must be some
very stupid local labor
Surely, with union labor's prestige
at its lowest ebb in many years, re-
spectable labor unions could hardly
expect to gain in public esteem by
participating in such ludicrous pro-
ceedings as a strike against the gov.
ernment of the United States,
Notwithstanding the gloomy
phases of the story told above, at-
tention should be drawn the mean.
while to the healthy aspect that can
be found upon examination of the
circumstance. Consider the courage
that congress showed in taking a
position which admits the existence
of certain parasitic elements. That
is to say, congress has taken a posi-
tive step toward placing relief on a
basis that will reduce waste, to some
extent. It has made some gains in
the direction of sweeping out a small
part—very small, it is true—of the
political influences that hitherto op
erated. And, more important than
the rest, the congress over Presi-
dent Roosevelt's oppositicn, has act-
ed to compel greater local responsi.
bility for use of public m A
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
®
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fifty-fifty proposition. Which
say that the midsummer collections
are made up of a goodly showing of
each.
There is no doubt as to the im-
portance of pastels especially
cleverly tailored daytime
gives them ‘class
discriminating women know
their fashions. Favor pastels
is expressed not only in silk crepes
and sheer woolens but a hue and
cry is resounding for smart linens
in delectable muted pinks
blues, rose shades,
greens and grays, ligh
enders and novelty shades as cy«
men, tulip shades and such
linens and linens au
also chic.
One reason for the big
that linens are making this season
who
for
la-
natural
ens carry a promise of
wrinkling and non-shrinking.
left see the attractive
resistant imported linen. It has one
of the very smart umbrella-tucked
skirts. A belt braided in matching
blue, fuchsia and yellow silk floss
The boutonniere is of self-linen and
straw.
The dress to the right in the back.
ground of this group is of a nubby
sheer, pure linen in a delectable
shell pink. Fitted waistline and
sleeves cleverly appliqued with con-
and strawberry linen are highspots
in its styling. Sunburst tucks at the
neckline, and unpressed pleats in
the skirt, are also significant de-
tails very dress with a jacket is
{: 's decree this which
season
which you carry or which
you wear according to pomp and cir-
cumstances.
Before leaving the linen theme,
just 8 word in regard to the smart
looking redingotes tailored of white
or natural linen which ladies of fash-
jon are wearing over their lingerie
frocks this summer. They are a
modern version of the one-time hon-
ored *‘linen duster.”
In regard to the silk prints that
are everywhere present, and which
are in friendly rivalry to smart
linens, there is a decided flair
among women who dress in the
of fashion for patternings
that run to neat checks, and
plaids and stripes with nothing less
than a stampede for dotted effects
As the mid-
check silks will come into play in
To the left in the foreground of
the illustration a fashionable miss
is wearing a smart frock for a day
under the sun in the country. The
dress is of blue silk with white
The collar piece is white,
It is of Scotch
with lace.
blouse is
The full floor
trimmed
white organza
ning fashion formula.
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
Play Suits Adopt
‘Little Girl’ Air
Some of the new play suits have
a little-girl air. A 1939 variation of
the popular shirt, shorts, skirt com-
bination is made of gay floral
striped cotton, and links a one-piece,
pufl-sieeved play suit and a detach-
able skirt hemmed with a frill.
Another, of ticking, is made up
of a square-necked puff sleeved
frock and shorts of the same ma-
terial.
Tennis fans are choosing more
dresses than shorts for play this
year, one of New York's smartest
shops reports. The smartest are
white pique rayon or linen, designed
with brief gored or plaited skirts
ending above the knee.
Enthusiasm Grows
For White Jersey
The practicality of white jersey,
the smart appearance, the adapt.
ability to sculptural draping and ex.
quisite tailoring has so impressed
designers they are expressing an
enthusiasm for it that knows no
bounds. Try out a costume of jer-
sey and see what it does for you.
It will slenderize you, it will be to
the touch the sort you “love %
wear.” The white rayon jersies es-
pecially come out after a tubbing
“white as snow" which is exactly
what every woman hopes for, even
longs for in her white costumes.
Diamond Earrings
Earrings, particularly diamond
and pearl ones, are becoming in
creasingly important as accents for
every costume.
New Hobby
Looms a new hobby on the hori
zon, It's handkerchief collecting.
Not just ordinary handkerchiefs, but
handkerchiefs that depict mem.
orable events in American history.
There is an interesting group of
four, just out, created Burmel,
designer of note. They include
Mark Twain's Mississippi, Covered
Wagon, Mount Vernon and the Land-
ing of the Pilgrims, printed in vivid
tableaux against floral bor-
ders. Landing of the Pilgrims is
8 carr charming
lector pictured.
AN BASTE |
N 5
NN BUDE
NY FASTENER BN
Back SEAM
: |
1
6 EAR MRS. SPEARS: I have
both of your books and they
certainly have been a help to me. |
I followed your directions in
Book 1 for making all of my slip |
covers, Recently 1 started a wall |
hanging of crewel work embroid-
ery that required many
that were new to me.
them all clearly di:
Book 2, and was cert
had it to turn to.
“1 am now ir ering
scat cusl I ;
childre * both breakfast and
their mid-day meal here. Can|
you suggest a material that will |
stand wear and that
in bright colors? G. B.” i
Striped material would
give good and both joy |
TP
Cd
etitrhe
stitches
Or
Con
awning
service
and the youngsters would enjoy
ing in this much used |
corner. Green and orange stripes
would be attractive, and this color
scheme could be repeated in
green curtains and orange paint |
for the inside of a cupboard. 1!
have suggested slide fasteners for |
removed easily for p
Notice about book prices: Book |
1-SEWING the Home Deco-
rator; and No. 2, Gifts, Novelties
and Embroideries, are now
cents each, both books for 2
cents. Readers who have not se-
cured their of these
books should send in their orders |
tely, as no more copies’
laundering.
for
or
two
will be available, when the pres.
ent supply is exhausted Your
choice of the QUILT LEAFLET il-
lustrating patchwork
stitches or the RAG RUG LEAP-
for both books for the present, but
the offer may be withdrawn at any
time, Leaf] are 6 cents each
when ordered separately,
Everyone should have
these
f 96 How to Sew articles
copies of
al
by Mrs.
that have not appeared in
paper. Send your order at
Des-
Ol
plaines St., Chicago, 1.
A Man’s Home
A comfortable house is a great
source of happiness. It ranks im-
GLASSES
AT GROCERS
There for the Feast
Wheresoever the carcass is,
together.
A GREAT BARGAIN
VESPER TEA
PURE ORANGE PEKOE
S50 Cups for 10 Cents
FE Lae
Future Reward
Think ease but work on.—
Herbert.
of
ONLY KELLOGG'S give
you the world-famous flavor
which has made these crisp,
golden-brown flakes the largest-
selling ready-to-eat cereal in the
world!
ONLY KELLOGG'S come
to you in the exclusive, new-type
inner wrap which protects fresh-
ness and flavor in 2a way mever
before possible!
Cope. 1939 by Kellogg Company
SAY KELLOGG'S BEFORE
YOU SAY CORN FLAKES
As You Design
Every man is the architect of
Heavy With Fruit
The boughs that bear most hang
lowest.
Noirs
3
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