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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1941)
DAILY NEBRASKAN Tuesday, TTiTg, TgHl UN proportional representation Far sighted student leaders are proposing this spring rather drastic revisions In the campus electoral system, Involving on the one hand a redistribution of Council seats on the basis of the vote cast in each col lege, and on the other hand the Hare system of pro portional represenation which gives to each party seats in proportion to party strength. Which of these two proposed reforms will be incor porated into the Council constitution will depend upon the endorsement given the systems first by the Student Council itself and then by the students at the spring election. The college representation system will provide a moving scale adjusting the quota of Councilmen from each college yearly in proportion to the vote cast by that college. This will not change the make up of the Council appreciably and can be dismissed aa a desirable refinery to the present student election system. With the Hare system however the situation is some what different Here is proposed a revolutionary basis of representation, a basis which has always been the ulti mate goal of political reformers, and which is the only 100 percent democratic basis for electing men according to the strength of the parties they represent. Experimen tation carried on in New York City, In several smaller districts, and at several small colleges of which Nebras ka Wesleyan is representative, show the plan to be suc cessful when used within limits. But aa yet it has not penetrated into either national or state politics. And the reasons such penetration has not been made are practical consideration which Nebraska students must study be fore either endorsing or rejecting the plan. It will mean that there will not be a dominant po litical party in the Council. Perhaps this is wise, for the division between parties in the Council would then be the eame division as exists on the campus. But on the other hand, evenly divided chambers are usually weak chambers, for then a premium is placed upon politics. To get anything done, the majority party must constantly dicker with the opposition and quibble over relatively unimportant details. For the same rea son that a country in danger usually forms a bi-par-. tisan nationalist party, the Council may prove more ef fective with positive control in the hands of one or the other of the parties. The Hare system works best where the number of offices to be filled are few. For it involves listing choices in order of preference through a long list of candiates. Though this is not a serious administrative difficulty, it will involve reducing the membership on the Council by about a third. Chalked up In its favor however are arguments that possibly carry comparable weight While the administra tive details of it may need adjustment, and while it may increase political pressure within the council, it will give a far better basis for representation than there is on the Council now. The division by colleges which today is absolutely meaningless inasmuch as colleges differ in viewpoint on but a very few issues if any, will be replaced by a di vision according to viewpoint Representatives on the Council will actually represent something, and will fight for a platform that actually conflicts with the platform of the opposing parties. In this way much of the hypoc- party or college risy will be removed from the Council electoral system. And elections will probably on the whole be cleaner. For the incentive to pack the ballot boxes to win a particular post will disappear, since the opponent will get a seat on the basis of number of votes cast irregard less of whether the candidate received the most votes or not. In theory, If we profess to function democratically, no plan could be more ideal rractically there are some limitations. Whether or not the dream is worth the dan gers implicit with it is for the electors to decide. Whatever their decision however, the fact that these two plans for election reform were presented and con sidered speaks well for this year's campus leaders. Our heads are to the future and to a better system. With drivers like these some improved system is bound to follow. To learn . . . What they think Debates in the editorial columns several weeks ago brought the question of food to the small democracies to the front, and a discussion of the question before a student roundtable displayed an immense amount of student interest in the Hoover proposals. Following that roundtable, a number of participants expressed a desire to find out how the student body generally reacts to European relief plans. In response to these suggestions the DAILY will conduct a rather extensive straw vote April 9. The vote is not designed however, to prove one side or the other but merely to tap the attitude of the students on the question itself. With this end in view, wc urge those not already acquainted with the food situation in Europe, and the remedies that have been suggested, to study the prob lem before the polling d-.te, that their votes may repre sent a scholarly decision on the question. Beneath the Golden Dome by Art Rivin Commentorial from our reader Student comes to defense of lionized celebrities Dear editor: It seems to be a self-evident truth that when a celeb rity comes to town (as celebrities often do) the minute he hits the dais, he becomes an authority on everything from the amoeba to the latest fashion even though he be an artist Just because he happens to be a good artist is no reason that he is a genius of the rarest sort who is a walking encyclopedia, as well as actor and what not Inevitably, too, he is feted by all the sophisticates in town (if he happens to come up t their own particular set of standards). The afternoon tea is the favorite form of entertainment It is an occasion when everyone Is bored to death, most of all the celebrity, and nobody gets anything to eat People mill around indiscriminately, and parlor con versation of the most superficial kind is bandied about Half of those who attend don't really know why they are there and unsuccessfully mask their boredom. Those pouring, smile mechanically at the guests and other wan der around inquiring in sugary tones if you have been served. Intellectualized morons crowd around the man of the hour and ply him with countless questions while he sits with a sardonic grin on his face until he gets a chance to make his getaway, and retain a measure of self respect and sanity. LLOYD EN E KERSHAW. Assurance was given by the heads of both labor unions that construction of the Fort Crook bomber as sembly plant will not be delayed by strikes. Speaking at yesterday's advisory defense commission hearing, the C. I. O. and the A. F. of L. leaders declared that the pres ent contract makes labor disputes unnecessary. The various phases of Nebraska's part in national defense were discussed in the meeting. Considering consumer price levels a part of national defense, the commission contemplates a 'program by which the public might be informed of consumer market trends. Should the program be undertaken, the university would be asked to play a part Consumer market price for information would be aired over the agricultural extension radio program. W. H. Brockaw, head of the extension department was present at the conference and assured the group that his department would gladly handle the job. Longest discussion of the afternoon concerned the establishment of a state guard to replace the national guard now in national service. Pending in the legislature now is a bill, L. B. 368, which would set up a state guard. Adjutant General Henninger explained the set up of the new force. Through voluntary enlistment 1,000 officers and men between the ages of 18 and 45 would be secured. The state would have to supply the uniforms; the federal government furnishing the arms. The general believed that a minimum of $50,000 would be necessary to set up the machinery and buy the uniforms. The new military unit would perform the same sen-ices in case of emergency (floods, strikes, cyclones) as did the national guard and would pass out of ex istence when the national guard returned to the state. Tho defense council will pass a resolution asking the legislature for quick action on the state defense bllL By Chris Petersen THE WISE MOUSE AND THE HIRSUTE ADORNMENT This is the first in a series of selections making up a book written by this columnist "Of Mice, Men and Mincemeat" The book will be ready for the publishers this summer and provisions have already been made for rejection slips. Once upon a time there was a little gray mouse who lived in a hole In the wall. The wall belonged to the First Baptist Church, which made things seem a little tonier. Besides, the mouse was philosophical and had learned to be Contented with bis Lot But one day a asata V'V. ! B Orflal Behind the News X Total tvar in Jugoslavia The Balkans, historic battleground of Europe, once again is aflame with war. Hitler, meeting resistance for the first time in his efforts to incorporate all of southeastern Europe into the axis, hurled his nazl legions again Yugoslavia, the re sisting country, and Greece. Hitler's excuse for the aggression against Yugoslavia is the necessity for driving out of power "the Belgrade government of intrigue," and the excuse for the blow at Greece was the need for driving the British off the con tinent These excuses, of course, are based on the assump tion that the Germans have the right to dictate the poli cies of all European governments, and that while the British have no right on the continent, they (the Ger mans) may go wherever it plases them, and by what ever means they choose. That this country has no intention of accepting these views was made abundantly clear by Secretary Hull's denunciation of this further act of aggression, and by the President's promise to speed all possible United States aid to Greece and Yugoslavia. Forty-eight hours after the attack was launched there was no indication of its probable outcome. The Ger mans claim that they have penetrated 25 miles into Yugo slavia at some points, and that many important airports, railway centers, and bridges have been destroyed. They admit, however, that they are meeting with the fiercest resistance, and make it clear that they expect no such easy time as they had in Poland. Whatever the final outcome, the Yugoslavs and the Greeks are in for the bitterest, most devastating pound ing that Nazi total war can inflict Hitler in his proclamation of war declared, "We shall only lay down arms when this band of ruffians has been definitely and most emphatically eliminated . . ." Judging from Nazi activities in Poland this probably means complete extripatlon of all members of the gov ernment and as many citizens as is deemed convenient Further indication as to what the Balkan enemies of Nazi aggression may expect can be found in another quotation from the proclamation: "You will be humane only to those places where the enemy is humane toward you. When the enemy confronts you with utter brutality you will beat him back with the same weapon." Apparently the Germans have sufficient respect for the Yugoslav's fighting capacity so -that they have de cided to use all conceivable techniques against them. big black rat came to live in the Second Presbyterian Church next door. The rat was a dashing, well-to-do chap, who had Roquefort for dinner every day, and kept a mistress. The mouse, however, was not envious. Except pos sibly of the rat's whiskers which were long, glossy, and luxuriant His own were short, drab, and sparse. "I am not" he said to himself, "what you would call a vain mouse. I believe in the simple life, and I 'detest foppish ness. Yet I cannot but feel that a fine flourishing set of whiskers would give a mouse a certain well, dignified look, and add to his self-esteem. Perhaps . . .M So he rubbed cold cream on his upper lip every night but nothing ever happened. Tiien he tried saying, "Every day and in every way I am growing bushier and bushier,' but that didn't do the job either. Finally he bought some patent medicine that was guaranteed to grow hair on a billiard balL He tried it Hair gTew on the billiard ball but not his upper lip. And so this mouse, who was defeated at every turn, moved over the nearest Episcopal Church and started doing petit-point for Bundles to Britain. He is much happier now. Moral: A rolling stone gathers no mouse. The Daily Ncbraskan Official JSmpaprr of More Than 7fiOO StuienU FORTIETH YEAR. "i"ip,',,".R, rt Semester er S1.&4 far Ik College l" . Mailed. Slad eepy, ( ceale. Eatered aa aeeead-elaM utter at lb pesteffle to Liaeeln, Nebraska, ander Act at Ceacreea, r,!I i Vl "4 "''"I tare provided far la Sectiaa li5i?JillJgjL?i" !" Aalberlicd September X. lt. Offices TJalea Batldlnc Pay S-7ISL Nifbl J-lliS. Jearaal S-SSSt Member Akseciated Collegiate Frees, l4-41. jtewber Nebraska frees Aesoclallea, 1MS-41. 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