THE ALLIANCE HERALD. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1921
uflff AllUuirr lirruli.
BURR PRINTING CO., Owners
Entered nt the poftolTiee at Alliance, Neb., for
transmission thiouwh (he mails as second class
matter. Published Tuesdays and Friday.
GKOKC.iTTr RU U , J K. .Kditor
EDWIN M. lit' UK Business Manager
Official newspaper of the City of Alliance;
official newspaper of Box Butte County.
Owned anil published by The Burr Printing
Company, George L. Burr, Jr., President; F.dwin
M. Burr, Vice President.
KXPKNSIVi: ECONOMY
counties, the authorities' are talking about the fundless
check evil, but there isn't any such animal in Box Butte
county, although money is ecarcc and by all the laws of
human nature there should be more of such violations
lather than less.
Mr. Tash's remarks, however, have been made the basis
for an editorial and a sermon, and an argument has re
sulted on the actual existence of a hell. If our preacher
and, newspaper friend will pardon us, we will suggest
that there is no profit in such a discussion. It Is a matter
that cannot be settled on earth, and indications are that
the judgment day is not yet at hand. With countless
real problems demanding a so'ution, this sort of an argu
ment is as profitless as the ponderous expositions of the
monks in the middle apes, who debated fiercely such
burning issues as the number of angels who could dance
on the point of a needlo. If a man chooses to believe that
a hell of brimstone and sulphur exists, we have no quarrel
with him; nor do we seek words with the man who thinks
the only hell is in the pangs of an outraged conscience.
If a man wants to deny the existence of any hell, mental
or physical, we are satisfied. Heaven, for the average
newspaper man, is just a hope anyway.
The members of the Nebraska legislature, like the
oters who elected them to office, have strange ideas of
economy. One of these ideas concerns the matter of
salaries. In some way, legislators have the idea that chief
among their duties is that of swatting every bill that calls
for more money for any puMia servant, on the theory that
lie is now willing to work for the salary he is getting and
that he will have to be satisfied.
Since the opening of the present session, a number of
elf-appointed watchdogs of the state treasury 4iave been
maing the axe on every proposed increase in salary, irre
spective of the office -or the previous salary. The burden
f their song has been: "The farmer is getting only 80
cents a bushel for his corn it's no time to raise salaries."
This is a most short-sighted point of view. It's true
that times are hard, but the financial situation is conceded
to be only temporary. Two or three months from now,
conditions will be normal, but by that time, unfortunately,
the legislature will have adjourned and it will be too late
to take action. The legislators cannot be blamed, par
ticularly. They are not exceptional men if they were the
legislature would not appeal to them. They are just
ordinary people, and ordinary people are not expected to
see very far beyond the end of their noses.
One of these salary bills, in particular, deserves at
tention. The county judges' salary bill, House Roll 70,
should be passed without amendment and without delay.
It should be passed, if for no other reason, than that it
will do away with the abominable fee system, which has
en the curse of the lower courts for years.
At present, the law provides that a county judge in
counties of the size of Box Butte shall receive $1,800 per
year, provided the office takes in that much in fees. If
the fees do not amount to the $1,800, the judge's salary
is automatically lowered. It so happens that in this
county the fees for years have been several hundred
dollars in excess of that figure, but there are counties
la the state where the fees are not sufficient to tempt
food men to take the place. An ignorant official is ex
pensive, even If he donates his services free.
The proposed law, as drawn, provided for a salary of
$2,500 for judges in counties of 8,000 to 16,000. The
economy hounds of the legislature have reduced the
mount to $1,000 on their mistaken theory that they are
saving the farmers, whose corn is worth only 30 cents,
some $400 per judge.
The fact is that the increased salary of county judges
will not have to be paid by the. taxpayers at all. It will
mot add one cent to their burdens, save in a very few
counties. The county judge's office will take in sufficient
fees in most instances to more than pay their salaries.
The litigants, not the taxpayers, will pay the bill, and
fully half of these litigants are non-residents.
The county judge's office is one of the most important
in county government. An intell'gent and efficient judge
can save his taxpayers more than his salary by giving
such decisions as will reduce the number of appeals.
When a case is appealed, then the real drain on the tax
payers begins. There is hardly a county olfice where
ability is more essential. Judging by the salary paid,
Box Butte county is especially fortunate. There are
fewer appeals, and fewer mistakes in the judgments
rendered in Box Butte county than in any o:her in western
Nebraska. v
Few people realize how much authority a county judge
posses.-es, an.l how much he can help or hinder law en
forcement in the sentences he imposes. A weak judge,
fearful of pouh'r sentiment, can make the law enforce
ment agents a joke. A strong judge can make their work
effective.
By failing to provide for adequate salaries to county
judges, the legislature can work an injury to the entire
State. It's no excuse to say that other county officers will
want increases in salaries if the judges are granted an
increase, for time and again other officers have had their
salaries increased while the judges continued to draw
their same amount of fees. The county judge does an
enormous amount of work; he does it faithfully and well
nine out of ten cases never go as far as district court
and he is entitled to good pay for the work he does. If
legislators are unable to realize this, they aren't intelli
gent enough to be legislators.
SHX-STl'FF IN THi: MOVIKS
HEAVEN AM) HELL
Judge Tash has started something. In a talk before
the members of his church, he pleaded for more rigorous I
sermons, and declaring that there is jurit as much ground
for believing that a literal hell exists as there is ground
for belief in a literal heaven, urged that the preachers
throw a little fear of God into the hearts of their hearers
as well as love of . God. The judge, who spends a good
proportion of his time in dealing with offenders, knows
that fear of punishment is perhaps the greatest deterrent
ef crime.
Every point that was made by the judge was well
taken. The Bible speaks of both heaven and hell, and
there are no more reasons for believing in the one than
the other, and the Bible is the best evidence that either
exists. The last point, that fear of punishment is a pre
ventive of crime, has an illustration right in Box Butte
county. The first few months of last year, when money
was plentiful, there was an unprecedented number of "no
fund" checks issued. Case "after case came before the
county court, and Judge Tash, like every other judge,
didn't follow the strict provisions of the law. If a man
came before him charged with drawing a check when he
had no funds in the bank to cover it, professed regret and
made the shortage good, the matter was allowed to drop.
About six months ago, the judge turned over a new
leaf. He issued a printed warning that from that time on,
the law would be followed, and any man who wrote a
check when he had no funds on deposit to cover it, would
be held for trial ir- district court. Since that time there
have been just two cases of "no fund" checks. In other
Benjamin B. Hampton, the president of four motion
picture corporations, has written a most illuminating
article on "Too Much Sex Stuff in the Movies." He has
wisely written it for the Pictorial review, a woman's
magnz!ne, realizing that the womanhood of the nation
will be, in general, more responsive to his arguments.
He admits there are too many plays that emphasize sex,
that unscrupulous movie houses do not hesitate to adver
tise the situations that are the most risque, and that
something ought to be done about it.
In Nebraska, as in a few other states, those who have
realized the evil immediately have jumped to the conclu
sion that "a law should be passed" and so we have movie
censorship bills. Mr. Hampton argues that the censorship
theory is all wrong, and these are his reasons:
Everybody feels that something is wrong, seriously
wrong. We don't want to keep the children away from
the movies, but we know we must deal .with the situation
somehow.
I am afraid we must not put too much dependence on
governmen After all, government is merely a diluted,
delayed expression of public opinion. My suarirestion is
that we move directly to set at work the great power of
public opinion, instead of moving indirectly through the
tedious red tape of government.
In several states, government has alreadv created
boards of censors, and my investigations convince me that
censorship is dangerous, un-American, and ineffective,
Almost invariably the demand for censorship has been
started by earnest, sincere: straightforward folk who still
believe in old-time things like decency and morals and
ethics. Their efforts are promptly aided and abetted by
the politicians of the itching palm, who smell new jobs
and attractive perquisites. The history of the operation
of censorship in the states that have tried this form of
purification proves that the responsibilities and tempta
tions are too great for any political body.
There are other dangers in censorship, and to mv mind
one of the greatest is that hard, red-taped, political-palm
ed censorship might kill a new art. For such the "movies
are they are a genuine art and one unique in that it can
be understood by and appreciated by more people than
any other art in existence. Music, too, travels with the
movies, so that two great art forms are open to all classes
and all the masses at prices so low that every one can
have access to them.
We must not impede the splendid progress of this
great new power in civilization. We must not hamper it
by censorship that can not understand its needs, its aspira
tions, and its struggles.
Let us do all in our power to encourage motion-pictures,
with their beautiful theaters and their inspiring
music and let us also do the simple, easy, prompt thing
of telling the movie people what we approve of and what
we do not approve of. And whatever we do, let us not be
fanatical or narrow-minded. Let us remember that times
and customs change. Our children have their points of
view just as we had ours, and we can not coerce them by
trying to turn back the hands cf the clock.
Only a few years ago our own mothers thought it
wicked to drive to church in a motor-car! When we
shudder at the jazz-music of today, let us remember the
ragtime cake-walks which we loved so joyously, and at
which our parents looked v c'i questioning eyes. If saxa-
phone and drums have replaced harp and violin, don't be
tr'ghtened all changes can be turned into progress up
ward u we will approach the new things with open mind,
fcuch must be our attitude toward the movies. If you
and 1 are somewhat offended by a corpulent comedian
dashing a custard pie into the countenance of av colored
man, we must remember that in the vast audience of the
theaters many people, are being amused and laughter
lightens the day's burden. In brief, let us remember that
our taste may not coincide with the taste of the great ma
jority, and let us not try to force our taste on those whose
minds are not prepared to accept a standard equal to ours,
vve musi uisunguisn Between judgment and taste; we
must move carefully to eliminate that which is undoubted
ly dangerous to morals and to ethics, and in this we need
the co-ojieration of the men and the women who make pic
tures and exhibit them.
In my opinion the way to get better movies is to ac
tually register your preferences where they'll be most ap
preciated. That is at your local theater. Think of the
tremendous power wielded by the General Federation of
Women's Clubs! Just imagine what that organization of
millions of women could do to secure better movies. Why
not get all the women's clubs and similar organizations
interested? Let each member of each club pledge herself
to form an opinion of the desirability, or the reverse, of
at least one picture a week the opinion not to be formed
on hearsay evidence, but by seeing the picture herself.
Then, so the pledge would provide, she would either see
the theater-manager personally or write him a letter and
give her opinion of the picture. Also she would ask her
neighbors and friends to follow the same course.
You will soon learn that the picture people are willing
to co-operate with an earnest, intelligent, sincere, board-
minded movement to move the movies upward."
a heater-owners are extremely sensitive to expressions
of public opinion. The merchandise they offer for sale is
perishable that is to say, if public opinion does not ap
prove the picture shown at the Blank Theater this week,
the theater-owner feels the disapproval immediately in the
reduction of his box-office receipts, and he moves instantly
to secure a picture for next week that will increase his re
ceipts. You will find out, too, that the overwhelming majority
of directors and players are anxious to make none but
clean, fine, inspiring pictures that can be seen by every
member of the family. The men with millions of dollars
invested in the industry will be very quickly convinced
that the safety of their investments rests on the approval
of the fathers and mothers of twenty-five million young
sters. All that the movie men ask of club-women is that they
co-operate with the picture-exhibitors and producers in
creating a sound, broad public opinion that would insure
free development of the art along broad lines of good
judgment, unbiased by personal taste and political preferment.
LEGION STRONGLY FAVORS A
NEBRASKA ALIEN LAND LAW
Considerable opposition to house
ro'l 13.V. the alien land law, may be
expected to develop from the Nebras
ka American legion. The legion at
its last national convention endorsed
the stand tnken in regard to the Jap
anese question by California, stating
that "The American I-egion demands
immediate confirmation and legaliza
tion of the policy that foreign-born
Japanese shall be forever barred from
American citizenship," and that the
constitution le to amended that no
child born in the United States,
whose parents are ineligible to citizen
ship, may become a citizen. The pro
posed Nebraska alien land law is mod
eled on the California act.
According to Jesse G. Faes, vice
commander of the Lincoln legion post,
the Situation in Nebraska is serious
enough to demand immediate action,
such as is provided for in the proposed
bUI. "My opln on is that Nebraska
should not procrastinate as California
did, until the problem gets almost too
big to handle. It will be a whole lot
easier to settle the whole thing now
than to meet the piob'cm which is
bound to develop after the Japane.-e
have seen red a foot-hold. There are
now 70,l!)0 Japanese in California, an
increase of fi!) per cent in ten years.
Statist 'cs from other states show an
alarming increase of these unassimi
lable 'people. Thev pre coming into
our western counties in increasingly
large numbers, and I sincerely tru.-t
the leg'slature will recognize the grav
ity of the situation, and pass the alien
land bill as it is drawn."
The scientific gentleman who advo
cates varnishTng the soles of shoes to
make them wear longer apparently
hasn't been reading the late quota
tions on varnish.
GOOD PIANO FOR RENT IN
ALLIANCE
with privilege of buying at Fpecial
prices and having all rent paid apply
on purchase price. Must be willing to
rent at least six months. Uivc full
You'll be more than pleased
with the tender roasts beef, references in first letter
Dork or veal at The Sanitary, THE KNIGHT-CAMPBELL MUSIC
Meat Market.
22
COMPANY,
Denver, Colorado.
19-2S
Those German chemists who were ,
rocking the 1 oat with a process for ' They may camouflage sweet spirit
making diamonds have gone back to of nitre, Dut noDouy nas jet p at
something useful.
the market any castor oil cocktails.
The state legislature, after a couple of weeks delay,
has finally met in joint session and confirmed the six code (
secretaries reappointed by Governor McKelvie. Secretary ;
Stuhr was opposed more than any other candidate, but :
the well trained republican legislature fell into line docilely .
when the time came to vote. Aside from the fact that the
salaries are plenty large for the class of men, there's no
more objection against these appointees than could be
made against any political appointee, I
CIGARETTE
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Ill MEMORIAL 111
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I Salesman Vt
Money is Like a
Stream of Water
DID YOU ever stop to think of a stream
of water how it flows through your
city or past your home day after day and
year after year? But the moment a dam
is built and the water stopped or even
part of it the stream becomes a constantly
widening and deeping reservoir of power,
with all its significant possibilities of use
fulness. Saving money is like building a dam
across a stream. You can let your money
come and go, as water in a stream, or by
forethought you can stop some of the outgo
and pile up for yourself week by week or
month by month, the savings which in later
years will add to your independence, to
your ability to take advantage of new op
portunities, and to the comfort you can get
out of life.
There never was a time when it was so
well worth your while to save as now. The
dollars put away today will buy just that
much more when prices come down. Come
in and let us work out some plan to take
advantage of today's unusual opportunity
for saving.
5 INTEREST PAID ON ALL TIME DEPOSITS
First State Bank
ALLIANCE NEBRASKA