The Frontier
D. H. Cronin. Editor and Proprietor
Entered at the Postoflice at O’Neill,
Nebraska as Second Class Matter.
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scriber.
Economic Highlights
The NRA is at the crossroads.
That is the opinion of almost all
qualified Washington observers now.
It is likewise the opinion of many high
up in government. General Johnson
recently said that a reaction against
the blue eagle has set in, that it must
be met by a new readjustment.
There is a growing feeling on the
part of many business men that the
NRA is tending to delay, rather than
accelerate, the work of recovery.
They feel that it has laid down rules
of business procedure that are unnec
essary, unjust and inimical to industry.
That it has made its talons felt infields
that should be of no interest to govern
ment. When the blue eagle controlled
wages and working hours, and was of
social significance primarily, they were
with it; when it soared into the realms
of management and said what-was
what concerning routine matters, they
started flying the other way.
The attitude of business didn't
cause a great deal of concern on the
part of NRA officials. They thought
it was unavoidable that certain toes be
stepped on. Now, however, other gov
ernment bureaus, set up by the Pres
ident for the most part, are becoming
NRA’s severest critics. The Federal
Trade Commission, for example, has
protested against what it calls monop
olistic practices in the steel industry
—made possible by the steel code arid
the abrogation of the anti-trust laws.
The National Recovery Review Board
has reported back to the President
that the codes put small businesses]
at a disadvantage, give big business
all the breaks. The Consumer’s Ad
visary Board, which is a part of the
NRA set up, has made an exhaustive
report on the operation of the oil code,
says thut motorists are getting stuck
to the tune of hundreds of millions
a yeur as the rise in oil prices has
been out of line with wage increases
in the industry. And in the south,
where they fear that the NRA may be
used to destroy the wage differentials
that have always existed between
southern and northern workmen, they
are saying that Sherman’s march to
the sea wasn’t any more dangerous to
southern interests than is the NRA.
First result of all this was that Mr.
Roosevelt appointed u Cabinet commit
tee to study the way industry is using
its NRA-given price-setting power.
Early r ts indicate that price poli
cies of some 200 codes may be changed.
At the moment, if one big unit within
an industry reports a price for a pro
duct, all other units usually fall in line.
And the consumer is beginning to
growl.
In addition, there is growing criti
cism of General Johnson, his methods,
his organization, his assistants. A
high court test of NRA constitution
ality is coming soon. Its a crucial
situation, and it vitally affects all the
Roosevelt recovery policies, inasmuch
as NRA is the heart wThich keeps them
going.
Once again the question of silver
has jumped into the national spot
light.
The impetus behind the present drive
to force up the price of the metal is
the slowness with which farm prices
are rising. Farm spokesmen want
modified inflation, via the silver route,
in order to bring agricultural prices
up to what they say are necessary
levels. And persons connected with
the mining industry are naturally with
them.
In both House and Senate the silver
block is strong, and i» gaining new
strength. Most important silver pro
posal is the Dies bill, which has a
better than an even chance of passing
the Senate—it has already passed the
House. Under it, surplus farm pro
ducts would be sold abroad and pay
ment in silver would be accepted at
a premium above the prevailing world
price level. This silver would be used
as backing for new currency, at the
rate of $1.29 per ounce of silver,
which is twice it* present value. All
silver becomes government property,
as is gold. It would be bought from
its present owners at a price not less
than the highest world price for fine
spot silver on the day preceeding is
suance of the proclamation that the
bill had become the law of the land.
Then, beginning in 1935, the federal
government would buy Bilver in the
world market at the rate of 50,000,000
ounces a month, not stopping until one
of two things had been achieved—the
upping of the commodity price level
to the 1926 standard, or the establish
ment of a world market price of $1.29
per ounce for the metal.
Proponents of this and similar meas
ures say that higher prices for silver
will increase purchasing power, raise
commodity prices to the level which
the bulk of existing domestic debt was
incurred, and thus bring recovery.
Opponents say that it would make a
great and unecessary gift of money to
silver producers, would undermine con.
fidence in the dollar, and invite uncon
trolled inflation.
There is the issue now. Mr. Roose
velt has said little on silver, except
that he is opposed to anything as ex
treme as the Dies bill, and the belief
is that he is seeking a middle road
that will be reasonably satisfactorily
to all concerned.
All-America Bridge Champion
I
David Burnstine and Shepard Barclay
ANNOUNCEMENT of the "Big
Ten" In contract bridge for the past
year shows David Burnstine of New
York as the Champion of cham
pions. He heads the list of Collier’s
all-America team by a wide margin.
In the photograph be Is shown with
Shepard Barclay, bridge editor of
Collier's, who makes the official se
lections from the year's tournament
winners. Burnstine is the living an
swer to the question of whether
bridge can be learned from books.
He began studying bridge eleven
years ago, reading everything be
could find in the Boston Public Li*
brary. He started applying this
book-knowledge and has now com
pleted the greatest winning year in
the history of the game. He holds
a greater number of championships
than any other living player. He Is
34 years old and pronounces the last
syllable of his name "steen.'*
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
By Frank P. Litschert
One of the favorite arguments of the
free traders and those who desire to
promote foreign trade by reciprocal
agreements with foreign nations is
thut our tariff, and the tariff barriers
of other countries, have strangled our
foreign trade and resulted in the de
pression. The fact is that they have
gotten the cart before the horse. In
the United tSates our tariff has been
based on the cost of production at
home and abroad. In Europe tariff
barriers were raised as a result and
not as a cause of the depression.
It is generally known, although the
free traders like to minimize the fact,
that our foreign trade comprises less
than ten per cent of our total trade.
In other words, we sell more than ten
times as much to ourselves as we ship
abroad, even in normal times. Now if
the tariff has destroyed our foreign
trade, then why is it that our domestic
trade has declined in proportion ns
much, if not more, than our foreign
trade?
The fact is that our present tariff
law has had nothing to do with the
decline in our foreign trade. The de
cline resulted from the general de
pression, as did the decline in our
domestic trade. Even the party now
in power recognizes this. Although
the Smoot-Hawlcy tariff was de
nounced by the now-majority party in
the last campaign, it has not been re
pealed.
And, significant enough, uur foreign
trade is now increasing. It is increas
ing with the same tariff rates that we
had when our foreign trade was de
creasing. The reason it is growing
now is that business is picking up all
over the world. According to a report
recently issued by the United States
Chamber of Commerce, our domestic
exports last year were greater than
those of any other nation and our im
ports were greater than those of any
other nation excepting only Great
Britain. The majority of our import
and export domestic lines showed a
great improvement over the record of
the year previous. The year ltfS.'l, ac
cording to the report, marked the
tunring point in world trade, just as it
marked the turning point in our do
mestic trade and the domestic trade of
other leading nations. The report
continues:
"One of the encouraging features in
our 1933 export trade was in increased
sales abroad of American machinery
and, of iron, steel, copper and other
metal products. During 1933 we ex
ported more than 1,500,000 tons of
heavy iron und steel products, or more
than double the quantity exported in
1932; much less, however, than the
5-year average exports.
“Exports of foodstuffs, especially
manufactured foodstuffs, were main
tained in a number of cases above the
1932 figures. Despite restrictions of
one kind or another in some of our
best markets, exports of lard were ti
per cent above 1932 but 14 per cent
less than the 5-year average.
“Meat exports were 21 per cent larg.
er than in 1932,though below the 1928
1932 average quantities."
The gain in our trade cannot be laid
to the decline of the dollar, due to our
going off the gold standard. The theory
of the cheap money advocates is \hat
a declining dollar increases exports
but diminishes imports. The reason,
of course, offered is that other nation?
with their dearer money can buy more
of our goods, but that our importers
must pay more for what they buy
abroad since they must buy with
cheaper money.
But our increased trade cannot be
accounted for by the arguments of the
money theorists for the simple reason
that our imports have increased even
more than our exports. The Chamber
of Commerce report shows that while
67 per cent of our export lines showed
gains in 1933, 70 per cent of our im
port lines did likewise. It seems, there
fore, that our world trade is increas
ing for reasons other than tariff re
duction or cheap money. What is the
answer? It is simple. Our world
trade declined for four years because
business was bad all over the world.
It is increasing now because business
is getting better all over the world.
You don’t have to be a tariff authority
or a money expert to figure that out.
Random News Bits
A fine statute of William Jennings
Bryan was dedicated on the banks of
the Potomac river near Washington,
D. C., and a sparkling address was de
livered by President Roosevelt in which
he extolled the great commoner.
Governor C. W. Bryan, of Nebraska,
was an honored guest at the ceremony.
Mrs. George Korab, of West Point,
has been singing in the First Congre
gational church there since she was
nine years of age and now her record
is 56 years.
Scrapers, snow plows and shovels
were used in “rescuing” snow fencing
buried in sand by violent winds, not
only in Nebraska, but in several sur
rounding states.
THE CIRCUS
A fellah made the suggestion the
other day that this city construct a
huge water tower on the banks of the
Elkhorn, keep it full of river water
and lay master pipes to the four cor
ners of the city, giving residents the
privilege of paying for pipes to carry
this water to trees and gardens. His
idea is to conserve household and fire
water.
Some folks try for heaven,
Others buy and sell—
Some come eleven
Hot prospects lie in Yell.
Has anyone, anywhere, at anytime
thought to thank the millions, is it
20,000,000, of people of German blood
in the United States while the World
War was on for their perfect be
havior, in most cases, under very try
ing circumstances? It is the truth,
the five year olds of that number of
people, had they wished, could have
paralyized this country, burned every
railroad bridge, fired the country from
stem to stern, utterly destroyed it, but
to their credit they did not. A very
few foreign spies pulled a very few
tricks for their native land, that was
all. The Germans in this country,
well, they are the salt of this part of
the earth.
Son: “Mama, what’s field and track
meat?”
Mama: “Those who make tracks
in farmers fields, I guess.”
Here’s how one man started seven
breaks in a leg-bone to healing right
away: he found another man whose
leg had been broken eight times. The
seven break man says his leg was hallj
cured as soon as he heard of the other
fellow.
Detective found that stolon livestock
always is turned over to a fence.
Wall street must lead to Agony
avenue.
Among unusual experiences are two
related the other day by Walter Mc
Nichols. Walter told of a companion,
and of the two of being out north one
night when heavy clouds overhead that
were super-charged with energy about
to explode. In crossing two little can
yons it was noticed that in spitting, a
peculiar fire illuminated the saliva to
the astonishment of the men. Once
out of the canyons, the phenomenon
ceased. After walking through the
canyons it was noticed that was the
only places the illumination appeared.
The other oddity was noticed when
McNichols was working out at the
ranch of Patrick O’Connor, 10 miles
southwest of O’Neill, when the Han
ford plant here operated a steam en
gine. McNichols says the vibration
caused by that engine were sensed
by feeling and hearing at the ranch
mentioned whenever the engine was
in operation, 10 miles from it.
Dillinger’s father asking newspaper
folk the first thing and invariably, the
question: “Is John safe?” should be
answered right away. Yes John is
safe, but—.
The fellow who said “what one needs
doing this job is a strong back and a
weak mind” must have had both.
A colloquialism used here, and one
that often brings a smile to the strang
er, is when we say “over north” or
“over south.” Other places they say
“up north” or “down south” or “south
*
of here.” Small town folk back east
often say“well, guess I will go over
town.” That should be a poor way to
go up-town. So we are all alike, af
ter all.
Her tombstone told a story
The life of Bertha I. Kann,
In language brief, yet flowery,
“I was the wife of a man.”
Wife: “Do you like the big butch
er?”
Husband: “With all my heart and
stomach.”
Wife: “Why so?"
Husband: “Because I never saus
age such baloney in me life.”
Maw: “Why do girls want to take
sun baths at a colony?”
Paw: “The son shine there is hot
ter.”
Kid McFuddJe in a hudle
‘Cause he lost his cash,
Used his noodle in Yankee Doodle
And lives on a rich moustache.
“Tickets for the great concert, tick
ets, tickets, come on everybody; great
est thing this side of Baffin’s Bay.
That’s why we are yelling ‘tickets’ so
you cannot enjoy the acts in the big
top. This stuff here is child-play com
pared to the concert. Come one and
all, see Ponderous Petersen knock out
Huge Hunkadora. ”lf he should only
knock him out, and do it for keeps.
lilliafs Back of
The Telephone Company
that Serves you
F MMl ItMIt -I-'V _
i "— so that you ^
1 coa talk anywhere,\ \
* clearly, quickly and \ j
at the lowest pos
sible cost:•
r
Lift vour telephone receiver and you are in connection
with the Bell System a System that provides telephone service
through 25 companies in the United States, all interconnected
to form a nation-wide network.
The Northwestern Bell 1 elephone Company is one of these
companies. It operates in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North
Dakota mid South Dakota.
The parent company of the Bell System Is the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company. Its scientists, engineers
und other specialists constantly develop new and better tele
phone equipment to improve service and devise tietter ways of
liandiiiig telephone calls and of conducting the various phases
of the business.
Because this Company is a part of the Bell System it has
the use of all the improvements all the new methods and cuuip
ment that are perfected by the American Company Behind
your telephone is this national organisation -With national
resources for the development and improvement of telephone
service.
This Company's policy is to provide the best service at
the least cost to the public consistent with fair treatment of
employees and the financial safety of the busuica*
• i
NORTHWESTERN SELL TELEPHONE COMPANY
EXECUTOR’S
SALE
I will offer at public Bale on
Saturday, May 12, 1934
commencing at 2 o’clock P. M.,
all the household goods in the
residence of the late Mrs. C. K.
Ernst, consisting of:
Good range, heating stove,
electric washing machine, kitch
en cabinet, 2 tables, chairs, beds,
springs, mattresses, dressers,
glass cupboard, lawn mower,
hose, and other articles too num
erous to mention.
TERMS—CASH
JOHN ERNST, Executor
JAMES MOORE, Auctioneer
STANDARD OIL
will not be undersold
on VALUE *
# When you buy at Standard you can be sure of
this: You cannot buy the same quality elsewhere
for less. Whatever grade of motor oil or gaso
line you buy from us you can be certain it’s the
finest product available at its price. At all Stand
ard Stations you get price, quality and service.
1
"Standard quality plus our I
service means longer life \
for your car, pleasanter
driving for you."
I _J
3 FINE GASOLINES
STANDARD RED CROWN
C||P|rpC||P| Always the leader in
vUlklirUCL both quality and popu- - ,
larity—now let out another notch to provide more | S2 t
live power per gallon, more mileage and economy. JL \Jgal.
RELIANCE Zgrn* *'low: 171.
m
3 FINE MOTOR OILS
IS0 ~VIS “D The anti-sludge motor oil 25,,
POLARINE Popular as ever . . . . . 20,
RELIANCE Low priced but safe . . . 15;,.
STANDARD OIL SERVICE
at theta Standard Oil Daalart and Stations
STANDARD OIL SERVICE STATION
5th and Douglas, O’Neill