Page Two
PENN STATE COLLEGIAN
Successor to The Free Lance, established 1887
Pobllshed•eeml,,ettly during the College year, except on holidaYa,
by atudents The Pennsylvania State College, In the intereat of the
Collect., the students, faculty, alumni. and
Applied for entry as secant! loos 'natter at the State College Poet
°Mee, State College, Pa.
HARRY 11. HENDERSON JR. '36 WILLIAM IL SKIRTILE '36
Editor Business Manager
DONALD P. SANDERS '36 ROLAND W. OI3ERHOLTZER 1G
/dunning Editor Circulation Manager
W. BERNARD FRP.UNSCH '36 WILLIAM B. HECKMAN '36
Snorts Editor Advertising Manager
VANCE 0. PACKARD '36 PHILIP C. EVANS '36
Assistant Editor Local Advertising Manager
30101 E. MILLER JR. '36 ' LEONARD T. STEEP '36
Assistant Managing Editor Credit Manager
CHARLES M. SCHWARTZ JR. '36 L. MARYBEL CONABEE '36
Assistan' Sports Editor Women's Editor
WILLIAM P. McDOWELL 16 RUTH E. KOEHLER '36
News Editor Women's Managing Editor
JOHN K. BARNES JR. '36 A. FRANCES TURNER '36
News Editor Women's News Editor
Manning Editor This Issue
Netts Editor This Issue
Friday, November 15, 1935
WAIT A MINUTE
What, with our campaign to clean up the athletic
situation and to continue to retail sale of beer here turn
ing out so successfully, we have come to be looked upon,
by at least a few, as.the champion of the underdog. The
first two campaigns were prompted and fought almost
entirely upon our own initiative.
Of late, however, there has been a hue and cry
come from the student body, asking the COLLEGIAN to
support a boycott on the local theatres in demand for
lower prices and better pictures.
The COLLEGIAN believes that this can be settled by
more peaceful means than a boycott, and for that rea
son the editor and the business manager of this paper
are making a special trip today to the Pittsburgh offices
of the Wa•ner Brothers in an attempt to effect such an
arrangement.
It is not a case of "timid soulry" or weak-knees
upon the part of the COLLEGIAN in not carrying out the
students' demands for a boycott, but a realization of the
fact that there may be factors about the theatre business
which are not clear to us at present.
Almost every letter written asked that this method
be tried, and the COLLEGIAN believes that it may be just
as effective as a boycott and will lack the hysteria of
that method of attack.
DEAR OLD TRIBUNAL,
WE LOVE YOU
It seems that the COLLEGIAN has been making the
Tribunal the target of a bit of vicious propaganda.
Yes, sir, that's what the Tribunal says in a letter
which may be found on this very page.
Frankly, gentle readers, we were amazed and a bit
upset to find out just why the COLLEGIAN was lambast
ing Tribunal. It really had never occurred to us but
the Tribunal with quick and sure foresight had it all
figured out.
Yes, sir, we're going to make a drive at the end of
the year to abolish freshman customs.
Isn't it awful the way these insidious COLLEGIAN
men just spend hours and hundreds of inches of space
plotting and working away to break down the prestige
of Tribunal so that at the end of the year they may
viciously try to wipe out one of Penn State's grand old
traditions.
Seriously, the whole damn business is too petty and
trivial.
What does the Tribunal think we are? It really cut
us to the quick when we rend that it had all been fig
ured out that we were building up 'a campaign to end
And after all our work in attacking the athletic
policy and the beer question, to think that someone would
accuse us of going after freshman customs next.
It just makes us feel like quitting.
The COLLEGIAN is in favor of a certain amount of
freshman customs, believing them to be a great help in
acquainting the freshmen with their fellow classmates
and in teaching them how things are run by student
government.
However, whenever the Tribunal oversteps the
bounds of what the COLLEGIAN considers good sense
in executing its duties, the COLLEGIAN will criticize it.
And it won't matter a bit whether L. G. Almighty
or J. Briggs Pruitt says it's all right, if the COLLE
GIAN feels that it isn't, it will criticize, and criticize
severely.
We're pretty much ashamed of wasting all this
space on the Tribunal when there's a war going on in
Ethiopia.
SAFETY PLEASE
Pleading guilty to charges of violating the motor ve
hicle code before Burgess Wilbur F. Leitzell Wednes
day night ten students paid tines and costs ranging
from $27.50 to $7.50 and one student paid fines and
costs ranging from $27.50 to $7.50 and one student will
spend his Thanksgiving vacation in jail. The charges on
which the students were arrested included operating a
car and permitting a person to hang on the running
board, hanging on the side of a car, and chasing fire
engines.
These fines are very stiff, in fact they are much too
stiff. But it must be made clear to the student body that
Burgess •Leitzell did everything in his power to reduce
these fines but because the violations were of a state
statute he could not reduce the fine already set by the
commonwealth. He even searched through his ordinanc
es in a vain hope that he might discover a local ordin
ance which might cover the offenses committed.
But because the state vehicle code says in very def
inite terms that any violation of the motor code must
be tried as such and shall not in any case be tried un
der any local ordinance, Burgess Leitzell's attempt
along these lines failed.
The COLLEGIAN' and the boys fined are very grateful
to Burgess 'Alin.ll for what he did in attempting to get
them off with smaller fines. It shows that ho is not as
bad as he has been painted.
This should be ample proof to the other students here
of the seriousness of the hanging on running boards,.
and chasing fire engines to fires. The danger of students
hanging on running boards cannot be over-emphasized.
At the Northwestern University last year a student was
killed when he fell from the running board of a car.
The University immediately banned all cars from the
campus..
That will happen here just as soon as there is a fa
tal accident. There has already been ono accident in
which the student narrowly escaped death. The COLLE
GIAN does not wish to see anyone killed nor does it
want the use of cars by students banned altogether.
Let's ovoid this possible future by obeying the law.
Plight
One of the three freshmen who was excused by
Tribunal the other night for lack of evidence had to
break a (late to go to his trial
+ + +
While Rome Burns:
When the fire finally broke out upstairs in the ho
tel Wednesday night, the waitresses and cooks on duty
in the Corner stuck it out until the place filled with
smoke and water started dripping front the ceiling.
The crowd gathered fast. Firemen hacked down
walls. People screamed.
Dot all the while, in the Corner, could be seen one
lone figure. The smoke was thick, so not many of the
crowd could discern that it was Jimmy (Nero) Du
gan who was standing there at the cashier's counter
and that he was eating a plate of oysters.
__W. Robert Orubb '37
_._Philip S. Reimler '97
Press Agentry
We like the calm note in the publicity sent out
from Villanova's publicity department after the Wild
cats' upset by the Lions last Saturday. One of the
sentences read:
"Crushed by the Penn State steam roller last
Saturday, the Villanova Wildcats spent Saturday
afternoon in meditation."
So that's what it was—meditation?
And another choice sentence said
. . . It is also the opinion of many observers
that Villanova is about five touchdowns better than
Penn State." •
Aw, g'wan . . .
LINES ON ONE KAPPA, GINNA SWART BY
NAME, BEING A COMMENTARY ON HER
: PERSONAL APPEARANCE AS WELL AS
ON THE IMPRESSION SHE EXUDES.
Incongruity Note:
The recent anti-War meeting was held in, of all
places, Schwab auditorium, while the armory boys
boomed out a twenty-one gun salute.
ADVICE TO MISS ELEANOR GOLDSMITH
People who burn
Get another turn.
About Town and Campus:
Mildred Porker '39, a Fairmount hall gal, is in
love. She tells her friends about it. She tells erfect
strangers about it. Apparently the only person in the
place she hasn't told so far is The Maniac, friend of
all. The object of her affections is Danny Greenblat,
Phi Ep senior. And she plans to marry him within
a year. "That's all I need," she says modestly. She
visited his home in McKeesport over the Pitt week
end. While there she dicovered that Danny is in
love with a home town gal. Tough, Mildred. If there's
anything we can do to help you, feel free to call on us.
We heard some item about Ethel Cohen today,
but we can't, for the life of us, remember it now. If
she'll just call the office, we'll be only too happy to
run it next time.
• Push of the week—Med Conabee-Hugh Morrow,
flash leg man of the Centre Daily Times .. . Why don't
his friends tell Robert Gray Morgan '37? He must
have at least one friend, doesn't he? ... We're sorry
to see that our candidate . for Harvest Queen got only
sixty-seven votes. But Herntie Hunt is bucolic, too.
She'll probably be all right . . .
Did you read what Woody Douthett said in his
letter about the nasty, nasty Maniac? . . .
'Business as IJsuar
at the CORNER
Unusual
+
THANKS
to the Alpha Fire Company,
Harry HenderSon, Jules Vernik,
Jim Dugan and other friends,
the fire in our building last
night had no serious effects,
and we will be open for
business "as usual" today.
OLD MANIA
MEM
=NM
But snutic
MEM
-THE MANIAC
nth: PENN STATE COLLEGIAN
To the Eaitor
Would you grant an ancient a few
inches of space In your letter column
in which to mourn the passing of the
good old days? Time was when for
thirty cents we could go to Mr.
Baum's theater and see a first-run
feature and several good "shorts" al
most any night 'in the week. If by
accident he received a low-grade
"short," I have known him to take it
off the program after the first...matinee
showing. In those days first Penns
ylvania runs Were almost a weekly
cacurrence; and national premieres
were not uncomnion. When vaude
ville acts were presented, the price
was seldom raised. In 1928 we heard
Paul Whiteman and saw a good movie
for only fifty cents. And remember,
Mr. Editor, in 108 fifty cents was
not the formidable sum that it is to
day.
But to what deplorable levels of
"entertainment" have we fallen in this
latter day! Where Mr. Baum spent
a respectable part of his time trying
to entertain: State. college movie-go
ers; the Warner boys devote them
selves completely- to the none-too
gentle art of profit snatching. The
average movie shown here during the
past year has been of a low- caliber
rarely seen in State College before
the Messrs. Warner came to town.
And while we're on that subject, why
is it that we are deluged with so many
Warner Brothers and Cosmopolitan
pictures? Might it.be that their own
low-grade quickies net them a pret
tier penny than most of the MGM pic
tures that we have to go out of town
to see? And have you noticed how
they have been adding Moult to injull
by showing all the cheap propaganda
films Mr. Hearst and Gaumont Brit
ish have ever turned out? Might it
be that propaganda is cheaper, and
therefore more piofitable to the War.
ner boys; or ao they agree with Mr.
Hearst that all men of more than av
erage intelligence are .Reds; and all
• colleges hotbeds of sedition?
Now ordinarily, Mr. Editor, I do
not concern myself with the money
making antics of such gentry as War
ner .Brothers; but in this isolated
town they happen to be the sole source
of moves. Not liking the brand of
"enteriainment"., they offer, I could
stay at home or I could go to Belle
fonte to see the movies; but I prefer
to see them in State College. Since
we once saw good movies here, why
should we not have them again? Big
ger shots than the Warner boys have
lost money through a buyer's strike.
And now, Mr. Editor, I can see the
manager of the local theatres rushing
to you with his' explanations. First,
he will say that he only has an audi
ence for nine months out of each year,
and therefore, the admission price
must cover the htsses of the dead
months. But' if you refer to the 1935-
36 College Catalog, you will discover
that between September 13, 1934, and.
September-12, 1935, (a typical year),
this College was in Session all but
about four weeks.. Moreover, during;
inter-session and post-session the Ag
hill people bring about three thousand
movie-going farm kids into town.
Other departments! are: constantly
holding conventions and conferences
during the summer months. Even in
August there is a town population of
HORSEBACK RIDING •
SPECIAL TICKETS ON EASY TERMS
$1 an hour, or 6-hour ticket for $5
13-hour ticket for $lO
FREE INSTRUCTIONS—MAKE RESERVATIONS
CAMPUS SADDLE SCHOOL
Rear of Hotel and Theatre—Phone 9655—Open Day and Night
Letter Box
about five thousand people who would
attend movies if they were worth look
ing at. So that's one gag that won't
work.
Undaunted, our good manager will
'explain that his movies are obtained
on a block -booking system. In other
words, he has to accept the good with
the bad. Any student will join me in
asking, "What 'happened to the good
pictures?"
It seems strange that our local Mr.
Baum should have been able to buy
consistently good pictures on the
block-booking system, while the
mighty Warner Brothers have been
so consistently unfortunate in their
bookings. When the manager springs
that one on you, ask him how much
cheaper poor pictures are than good
ones, and above all, ask him when we
are to see some of the good ones that
he has purchased during the past two
years.
.But I guess I'm out of tune with
the times, Mr. Editor. In my day if
anyone would have tried to take us
For fifty-seven cents to see Zasu Pitts
and Ina Hutton, we / would-have reg
istered indignation of a most right
sous sort. And I know damned well ,
there would have been mutiny if we
had been subjected to some of the ,
plain, unmitigated n tripe now offered
nightly for our entertainment. What's
the matter with you sissy boys of - the
ydungeb generation? Do you have so
much money that you don't mind
throwing it away or are you afraid
that you'll hurt the Warner Brothers'
feelings by kicking up a good old-fa
shioned movie boycott that would end
only when we were consistently get
ting good pictures at an admission
price of twenty-five cents for mati
ness and thirty cents for evening
;haws? That's still higher than most
neighboring towns charge; so the
Warner boys might just as well pay
the tax for us.
If the manager doesn't believe that
a boycott is possible, let him consult
Mr. Baum, who has been through the
mill.
-GRANDPA
To the Editor:
In defense of the Student Tribunal,
I should like to make clear a few
plain simple truths which have been
misconstrued recently by • what I
think is propaganda. Of late, the
Tribunal has been lambasted continu
ously, and by comparing facts, it may
prove to have been done unjustly.
First: the beer episode.
The story is - true. No member of
the Tribunal will deny it.
The Tribunal was wrong and such
a sentence should never have been
given. No defense was offered. The
members of the Tribunal erred (as
other groups of human beings so often
do). Because of this mistak:e'• the
Tribunal naturally should have been
scolded so that such a thing could not
happen again.
Enough for this' beer business. The
Tribunal made a mistake. However,
the members did endeavor to correct
it by returning the full cost of the
beer to the freshman.
Second: the card sent to Fred
Young.
The COLLEGIAN printed the contents
of a card addressed to Fred Young,
Tribunal secretary, in which he was
called down for. being seen with a
freshman not in his customary ap
parel. There were other statements
on the card saying how lenient the
Tribunal has been with freshmen this
year. I doubt the truth in thii last
statement, for it is a fact that pro
portionally, at least, more freshmen
have been punished this year for vio
lations of customs than ever before
in my, three years here. When the
COLLEGIAN was asked why this UR ,
truth was printed, the reply was that
it was not a'libel on the part of the
paper for all was said was that Fred
Young received the card. That was
the only statement which the COL
LEGIAN had made. If the technical
point . of view is wanted, the COLLE
GIAN still is guilty of libel, for Fred
Young never received such a card.
The card was intercepted at the
Student Union desk and its contents
were printed in the next issue of the
COLLEGIAN. Who would be so bold OS
to tamper with the U. S. Mail? The
true facts are 'here. Let the reader
draw his own conclusions.
More about the card: the freshman ICI
seen with Young had just arrived in
town after being home. Perhaps that I
will explain why he was. not wearing
customs.
On Tuesday, November 5, a fresh
man • was paddled at the 'Tribunal .
meeting. The COLLEGIAN again scold=
ed the Tribunal, saying it was un
constitutional. J. Briggs Pruitt '36,
senior - class president, informed me
of this fact at the beginning of the
. . . neither have we
VOU have-made great
r progress in the; pest• 10 years.
I Let's see some of the things the Bell:System has been
doing in that time. ' • - •
Since 1925,. we've cut the ,nverage time 'for • complet.
ing •Long Distance eonneetiona - lioni7Va minutes:
Made the service more MUM;
• our Wires:are:now in'eable:iFe'Ne
increased the teierthone's•ine :
.. about. 80%—you- can now reach:,
• nearly ,
.51,000,000. telePliones;':*
•
o, every snarter.oti globe:
.
The next 'lo . ..Year
bring equally; important advarie9s.
That is one:'cif the 'eVerrireseliM;
'thrills in telephone work!
BELL TELEPHONE
Friday, November 15, 1955
year, biit he also added that if thd
freshman was given an option it was
entirely legal. I feel certain 'that the
Student Board will confirm this state
ment.
The fieshrnan involired was offered
an option. He . did not .have to take
the paddling. That is as the code asks.
The Tribunal was mocked in the
last issue of the COLLEGIAN for ask
ing the, freshmen their thoughts con
cernindits editorial about the Bezdek
policy. A statement of true fact
would have revealed that the CoLLE
GIAN's own business manager, .who
was permitted to attend that meeting
by courtesy of the Tribunal members,
was most active in that investigation.
Indeed, he had' a great interest along
that line. Not only that, but he was
also inquisitive to 'know what one
freshman . thought of William Ran
dolph Hearst; another matter which
has great bearing on the enforcement
of customs, I suppose.
The only reason that I can see. for
the,CommAN's attitude toward Trib
unal is that they intend to, make a
drive for the abolishment of customs
at the end-of the year.
j myself, - (fcrnotthink customs are
a,wonderful•thipg. - It is my job to
see`that'they . are enforced se we have
am sure.l could:do a much better
job_ with` the , heli'of the COLLEGIAN,
instead' of its hindrance.
WOODY , DOLITHETT '36
Tribunal President
SYSTEM