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THE DALLAS POST, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1938
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More Than A A Com ity Instituti : |
“Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of pre " A Newspaperes me Fer ; THE POST'S CIVIC PROGRAM
speech or of Press” — The Constitution of the United States. 1 A modern conirete hidhway leading fiom Diallo: snd con
The Dallas Post is a youthful, liberal, aggressive weekly, dedica- The Dallas Post i necting with the Sullivan Trail at Tunkhannock.
- ted to the highest ideals of the journalistic tradition and concerned Established 1889 } 2. A greater development of community consciousness among
primarily with the development of the rich rural-suburban area about i residents of Dallas, Trucksville, Shavertown, and Fernbrook.
Dallas. It strives constantly to be more than a newspaper, a com- £ 3. Centralization of local fire protection.
munity institution. A Liberal, Independent Newspaper Published Every Friday E 4. Sanitary sewage systems for local towns.
Morning At The Dallas Post Plant, Lehman Avenue, i 5. A centralized police force.
Subscription, $2.00 per Year, payable in advance. Subscrib- Dallas, Penna., By The Dallas Post, Inc. i 6. A consolidated high school eventually, and better co-oper-
ers who send us changes of address are requested to include both i ation between those that now exist.
pe nd 2d edie with the notice of change. Advertising HOWARD W. RISLEY ooo Conetal Manager : Z i on il Dun from local school affairs.
fales.on rues HOWELL EB. BEES, coueconseimisssumissmmsiinmes Managing Editor © Waits
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EDITORIALS
Wanted: A Streamlined Name
There must be a better way to designate the territory
about Dallas than by calling it “The Back Mountain Re-
gion”, a label which has become so threadbare, and which
is so unjust, that it is due to be scrapped.
A hundred years ago, when the towns in Wyoming Val-
ley were scarcely bigger than Dallas is now it may have
been excusable to refer to the sparsely-settled territory
back of Kingston mountain in such unflattering manner,
and probably no one objected. But it is scarcely an apt tag
in 1938.
Several years ago we asked readers to submit sugges-
tions for a new name. The best, we thought, came from
Gene Lazarus, who proposed “Lake Suburban Region”. We
used that for some time, but abandoned it under pressure
~ when readers protested that it was wrong to name this
section for a lake which was on the fringe, instead of in the
‘middle, of the area. Readers in Trucksville and Shaver-
~ town, in particular, objected, asking for a more general des-
ignation, not so lop-sided. So we fell again into the habit
of calling it “the Back Mountain Region”, a label which
other newspapers also find too convenient.
There must be a better name, one which will more ac-
curately fit the rich, growing, progressive rural-suburban
area about Dallas, one which will summon a mental picture
of a sunny residential territory with good roads, fine
schools and well-kept lawns, instead of a backwoods com-
munity populated by hill-billies. It should retain enough
of the old to be recognized immediately, but it should be
new enough to crystallize the changing spirit here.
We're open to suggestions. Let’s have a sort of town
meeting right here in the editorial column and select a
‘short, meaningful name which will present us in a little
more modern light to strangers. Give us a good name, and
we’ll promise to kick out old “Back Mountain Region”.
A Better Foreign Policy
Jean Jacques Rousseau, prophet of democracy, said in
1761 that the imperfections of government are due less to
their constitutions than to their foreign relations, an ob-
servation which might be studied by our own State De-
partment.
After 150 years it might be suspected that this country
would have formulated a consistent foreign policy but the
confusion existing during the European crisis indicates
that we are still without anything that can accurately be
called a foreign policy.
Our foreign relations are a strange hodge-podge. On one
hand we demand that other nations observe the Monroe
~ Doctrine and limit their activities in our hemisphere; on
the other hand we insist upon The Open Door for us in
China. We pretend to isolate ourselves from conflicts be-
yond our borders, yet we have sent our army or navy to
fight on other shores five time in the last 150 years. We
are again half-in, half-out of a European squabble which
“we helped to foster by withdrawing from a movement we
helped to initiate 20 years ago.
George Washington's ideal of isolation has never worked
for us. Upon that evidence, let us resolve now to establish
a new policy of intelligent co-operation with the other
great nations in an effort to restore order to the world.
Who'll Take The Lead?
It isn’t too late for some alert, civic-minded organiza-
tion to give the youngsters of Dallas a rip-snorting Hallo-
we’en celebration.
A great many communities—among them our neigh-
bor, Shickshinny—have learned that it is wiser to direct
Hallowe’en hilarity into supervised channels than to per-
mit; it to run wild. Shickshinny has a Hallowe'en costume
parade which has become a community event. It is such
an enjoyable affair for adults, as well as for young folks,
that it attracts many visitors into town for the occasion.
Providing an opportunity for the youngsters to work
off a perfectly understandable excitement would be much
more intelligent than punishing them for falling into Hal-
lowe’en temptation which few of us old-timers could resist.
utlook Good
Business news remains good in this country. Stock
prices have been going up again, following a series of
breaks caused by war scares. The annalists look for con-
tinued, gradual improvement for the balance of the year
at least.
All industry, with no major exceptions, seems to be im-
proving. Orders are up and inventories down. Basic indus-
tries are operating on accelerated production schedules.
So far as anyone knows, the President has no legisla-
tive bombshells in mind to present to the next Congress,
and this is a highly encouraging factor to business.
Business O
Moth balls and bathing suits are
easier for the average person to keep
track of than figures.
In the spring a fur coat is put in
moth balls and hung in the closet.
At the same time the bathing suit
is taken from the closet and made
ready for use. That is all quite sim-
ple.
But it is different with figures. Ex-
perts would say statistics. But it
matters not. Whichever word is
used the problem is the same.
All of which means this. About
the time the bathing suit is to be put
‘away for winter, government and
private figures became available on
what was going on during the sum-
mer. It is the same way with the
moth ball season.
Recently the Labor Department
announced employment figures for
August. (The late announcemerit is
no reflection on the department. No-
body can hurry the collection of
either private or government figures.)
These August figures showed that
employment in non-agricultural oc-
cupations had increased 320,000.
That is far from taking care of the
millions unemployed. But the trend
is'in the right direction at last.
Many economists think this up-
ward trend has developed none too
soon, They reason that jobs just must
be found. Government spending can-
not continue forever. At the close
of September the national debt was
roughly 38.5 billions of dollars. This
is within 6.5 billions of the limit
Congress has placed on the national
debt.
The legislators have enacted a law
prohibiting a public debt in excess
of 45 billions. Public opinion is likely
to roar against any increase in that
amount—say to 80 billion as some
propose. All of which makes it more
important than ever that voters be
sure to know how the candidates they
will vote for in November view this
situation.
——
The Nobel Peace Prize will be
awarded this year, as usual. The
judges may be perplexed. Carefully,
at the outset they can eliminate the
statesmen of two continents, Europe
and Asia. America, however, has a
real candidate—that is, of course, if
the judges place a broad interpreta
tion upon the rules governing the
award.
He is Senator Joseph C. OMa-
honey of Wyoming, Chairman of the
National Economic (Monopoly)
Study. He is trying to clear up the
misunderstandings between govern-
ment and business. Business men
were much pleased with the Sena-
tor’s statement that he would seek
to have representatives of industry
invited to sit with the Economic
Committee during prospective hear-
ings “so that industry will have first
hand access to every fact we de-
velop
ongressman Dies, of Texas, who,
Washington Parade
as head of a House committee has
been developing information about
the activity of foreign Isms in the
United States, now proposes to or-
ganize a League of Americanism. Of
the twelve-point program he has out
lined for the League, point No. 2 is
much talked of today. It is a vital
part of the American form of gov-
ernment. Dies sets it forth as fol
lows:
“To oppose every effort to under-
mine or weaken our system of checks
and balances and the maintenance of
the three independent departments of
the Government.”
The Texas Legislator should have
added these words . . . the Legisla-
tive, the Executive and the Judicial.
The fundamental difference between
the American form of representative
government and the dictatorships of
Europe lies in these words. No dic
tator can operate unless he has a’
rubber stamp legislative body and a
controlled judiciary . . . And the man
all other men are looking for is the
one who suggested that all husbands
should pay their wives a salary of
$1,000.00 a year.
RY
HERE AND THERE . . . With-
out a smile, the War Department has
lifted its ban against love birds on
army transport ships. The ban was
placed to stop the spread of parrot
fever . . . The WPA seems to be run-
ning out of public buildings and high-
ways and bridges to build, It has set
reliefers to counting salmon climbing
ladders on the Bonneville dam . .
Press Club definition of the Euro-
pean “peace” treaty: “You take a
‘piece’ and I'll take a ‘piece.’ ”
“How can business and enterprise
get ahead when big loads of gov-
ernment red tape and bureaucratic
restriction block the road to Prog-
ress? By easing the unconscionable
burden of taxes and by ending the
constant interference of unfair and
unreasonable regulations, we can
restore’ confidence, produce more
employment, and place Pennsylva-
nia again in its proper place in the
productive life of the nation.”
The Mail Bag
Editor:
Is not this time your opportunity?
Can you not now change your valued
weekly to a valuable daily? Cut out
all foolishness and unnecessary news
and give us the news of the day as
you may be able to get it.
This thought has been in my mind
for some little time and after calling
on a neighbor yesterday, who said
her husband misses the newspapers so
much, and they do not get any news
of the strike or doings in Wilkes-
Barre over the radio, I decided to
pass this thought and wish on to you.
Nothing could please me more at the
present time than to see the Dallas
Post come out a clean, independent
daily, with no liquor or cigarette ads.
I believe it would meet a ready res
ponse from the public.
Yours for success,
Lorena G. Swartz
Dallas R. D. 4
Editor:
I believe you have violated your
custom of giving credit where credit
is due by neglecting to pay tribute
to the Democratic leaders in this sec
tion who have done such a fine job
against terrific odds.
It was not to be expected that the
Democratic committeemen would sur-
pass the Republican registration,
which has been far in the lead for
many years, but I think it is won-
derful that the men and women who
are following Mr. Roosevelt to a new
life have built up such a fine organ-
ization in Dallas and its vicinity.
We are still behind, but this elec-
tion will give us another boost, and
I am sure the day will come when
Dallas will again be Democratic, as
it was when our fathers and grand-
fathers were staunch supporters of
the party of Jefferson.
R.B. D
Lehman
NEWS ITEM:
National Debt Reaches New All
Time High, and Still Going Up.
City Symphony
By Edna Blez
I have just finished reading a new
book, “Fanny Kemble, A Passionate
Victorian”. Fanny Kemble was an
English actress who came to this
country at the height of her career
on the English stage. She married a
young Philadelphian who not only
possessed extensive local holdings but
owned great plantations in Georgia as
well. The book is really worth reading
but it isn’t about the book I want to
tell you.
* *
Fanny Kemble’s husband divorced
her and even though he proved to be
a very poor husband, and she was
quite justified in her attitude, people
felt that the failure was hers and the
fact that she was divorced put her in
a class by herself. I suppose if she
had married again things would have
been perfectly alright but back in
1838 Fanny Kemble was a social out-
cast—that is with people who were
not her real friends.
* »*
As I read the book I became more
and more provoked with the narrow-
mindedness of Fanny Kemble’s gen-
eration and I couldn’t help but feel
that the feeling about the book hasn't
changed very much since 1938.
It matters very little what the
real cause of a divorce might be
a divorced woman is as much an out-
cast today as she was back in the days
before the civil war!
You might be amazed at such a
statement and want to tell me that I
don’t know what I am talking about
—that we are living in 1938 and
people are divorced every day in the
week and no one thinks anything
about it. But stop and think for a
minute. Think of some woman you
know who is divorced and hasn't seen
fit to marry again. Perhaps she was
a member of your particular group
of friends before she was divorced.
Do you still include her in your
gatherings and parties? Is she in-
vited to dinner when the rest of the
group is invited? Do you include
her as much as you used to when she
came with her husband?
After a woman is divorced there
isn’t the same place for her in the
community. She isn’t in the inner
circle any longer! She is more or less
on the outside looking in. She has be-
come a woman on her own again.
She is a woman without a husband
and to most women a woman without
a husband is an object of pity or per
haps she is to be feared!
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This is 1938, but a divorced wo-
man is not very much different than
she was when Fanny Kemble had her
battle to fight. Women can be very
cruel and it might not be intentional
but a divorced woman is soon put in
her place! A woman who has lost her
husband—good or bad though he
might be—is an object of pity. To
many small minds a husband is a pass-
port to success and a divirce is an ad-
mission of defeat—a defeat which
must be paid for in more ways than
one. A’ divorced woman is made to
feel that she must be publicly spank-
ed for making a failure of her marri-
age. Does anyone publicly spank the
husband?
Fanny Kemble several generations
ago was faced with the same difficult
problems so many women find facing
them today. But Fanny Kemble was
a courageous woman and cared little
about the pettishness and cruelty of
other women. But there are many
women today who find themselves
suddenly alone in a strangely changed
world. I suppose we really aren't as
modern as we think we are nor as
broadmined as we give ourselves
credit for. Divorce today is just as
difficult as it was for a lovely lady
back in 1838 who managed to live
quite successfully to the ripe old age
of eighty-three without a husband!
THE LOW DOWN FROM
HICKORY GROVE,
.You will need to get up early
if you plan on getting ahead of
those goober-grabbers and sand-
hillers down yonder around At-
lanta and in Carolina, etc. But
if you have been lucky enough
to know some of these people, I
do not need to tell you anything
more about them.
But for folks who have not
been south and kinda have an
idea that they are maybe a little
slow down they are barking up
the wrong tree.
What I got in mind is how
they been taking the bit in their
teeth, and figuring out for their
ownself what they want or don't
want—and then they vote.
And if you have been sorta
scared the country is going to
pot you can toke one squint
southward—and relax.
And if Wash. has been
hounding you town to do this or
that, like building more swim-
ming pools or power houses, or
something which you do not
need any more than a cat needs
a coupla tails, you do not have
to shiver and shake and be scar-
ed stiff any more,
Cotton Ed and Mr. George,
they have clarified the air.
Yours, with the low down,
JO SERRA
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