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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1937)
SEEN and HEAR) around the v NATIONAL CAPITAL! By Carter Field j FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT Washington.—Public utility execu tives would do well to consider what has happened, is happening, and probably will happen to the San Francisco bay ferries. It might in duce them to exercise a little fore sight instead of waiting for hind sight to prove they are right—as suming that they are. Because the trouble about waiting for that demonstration—still assuming they are right—is that they will be in the position of the motorist who in sisted on exercising his rights under traffic regulations: "He was right, dead right, as he drove along. But he's just as dead as if he’d been wrong.” Out in San Francisco the ferries, naturally, suffered a huge loss of business when the new bridges were opened up. To recoup some, they obtained permission to reduce their rates. So they made the one-way rate for a car 30 cents instead ot 50 cents, and the round trip 50 cents. Whereas the bridges charge 50 cents toll each way, except for a slight reduction for commuters. As a result, the ferries are doing a land office business hauling auto mobiles, and the bridge revenues are not what they should be. So the six counties that guarantee the bridge, which means that they have to make up any deficit in paying op erating charges and interest on the bonds, are alarmed. They are appealing to the state railroad commission to reopen the case. What they want, of course, is to force the ferries to charge just as much as the bridges. Boiled down, if they get what they want the fer ric: might as well go out of busi ness. Just Imagine Now let's go back a few years— in other words, use hindsight—and imagine a situation. Let’s sup pose that when the bridge was first ^proposed the ferry owners had re duced rates sharply, instead of first waiting in the vain hope that the bridges would never be built, and then seen the inevitable hap pen. Obviously, a ferry cannot compete with a bridge, once a bridge is built. If the bridge man agement is permitted, it can make any rates it pleases, drive the fer ries out of business, and then raise its rates again. It costs the bridge management virtually nothing, save a little wear and tear on the paving, for traffic to pass over it. The main cost is interest on the investment, and that goes on, whether there is any traffic or not. The case is strikingly similar to a government hydroelectric proj ect The project may be uneco nomic, but once the dam is built and tne power plant installed the current must be produced. The mere fact that it loses money, that it costs the taxpayers money, is beside the point. It is, not to make a pun, water over the dam. So the competing privately owned utilities lose money, the taxpayers lose mon ey, and nobody guins, not even the consumer, because the utilities could, had they used foresight in stead of hindsight, have supplied the consumer at just as low rates. As abundantly demonstrated by the San Francisco ferries. If those ferries had reduced rates back before the bridges were au thorized, it would have been neces sary, in all computations as to whether construction of such bridges was economically sound, to figure tolls on the basis of ferry rates. This sort of figuring was done, but it was done on the basis of a 50 cent ferry charge, hence a 50-cent toll on the bridge. On that basis calculations were made showing that the bridges would pay. Had those calculations been made on a 30-cent straight toll, 50-cent round trip, which the ferries are now charging, the bridges might never have been built. No Hope of Speed Crop control and wages and hours regulation legislation, to enact which congress was called in extra session, do not promise very rapid action. Very little doubt exists that both will be enacted, but every indi cation is also that congress will make haste slowly, and in rather exaggerated fashion. The one contingency that might result in beating the wages and hours bill is that the American Fed eration of Labor and the Committee for Industrial Organization should both decide openly to knife it. Some think that the A F. of L. could do it all alone, but no one here in touch with the situation doubts that both could do it. Nor does any one doubt that they would kill it if they dared! Neither of the organizations likes it even a little bit. That resolution adopted t>y the A. F. of L. bristles with op position to the original plan, and while it was disavowed by leaders in the discussion that the same ob jections lay against the present form, the opposition is there. Why else, it might be asked, would an organization as politically mind ed as the A. F. of L. devote suffi cient time to put through a resolu tion castigating something which had already been changed as a re sult of the pleading of its own presi dent, William Green? Why not just discuss any objection which still re mains? The answer is simple. Those re sponsible for that resolution, in that curious form, were seeking to build up public opinion against the wages and hours bill, almost regardless of details. So they hit it hardest on what they considered its more vun erable points, despite the fact that those points had been eliminated in the last session. Wanted No Change There is the possibility, of course, that there was a slightly different purpose—that the desire was really to prevent the bill’s being changed again into something resembling its original and. to union labor, ob jectionable form. As a matter of fact, the bitterest opponents of the bill, the folks who so effectually sidetracked it last ses sion, holding it in the house rules committee after every one had as sumed it would pass, are hoping to change the bill substantially. And some of the changes that these potent gentlemen want to make would again add some of the fea tures that William Green managed to get stricken out. As a matter of fact, the opposition of little southern sawmills and other small plants did not really reach the burning point last session until after Green’s federation influence had accomplished these changes. The effect of the so-called Green changes was to restrict the juris diction of the board, or whatever the governing body that enforces the wage and hour regulation may be called, to compelling the 40-hour maximum and the 40-cent-an-hour minimum. They would leave all disputes involving conditions better for labor than these particular limi tations to be settled by collective bargaining. Boost Income Tax Income taxes on $5,000 to $50,000 stipends will be sharply boosted by congress In revising the tax law to get the additional money the Treasury needs, unless there should be some totally unexpected upset. Levies on corporation net incomes will also be boosted. Corporations are now paying 15 per cent of their net incomes to the federal govern ment. in addition to the undistribut ed earnings tax—which, of course, they do not pay if they distribute all their earnings to stockholders. There will be a strong effort to lower exemptions and hike levies on incomes below $5,000, both of which are advocated, and have been for several years, by Senator Rob ert M. La Foliette of Wisconsin. There is a possibility of boosting the tax on incomes below $5,000, but the chance of reducing the present exemptions is practically nil. As a matter of fact, this is one of the few points on which La Fol iette and the New Deal differ. La Foliette wants those with the small er incomes to pay taxes for two rea sons. He wants them to know about taxes, and he knows that to get as much money as he thinks the fed eral government should have it is necessary to go lower. It just so happens that no one has ever con tradicted the statement made by Alfred M. Landon during the last campaign, that if the government took every dollar of every income in the country from $5,000 upwards it would pay only a fraction of what the government is now spend ing. Very few people in the country believe this. It sounds too fantas tic. But it happens to be true and La Foliette, though never quoting it, knows it and acts on it. Not on Program * Taxes were not included in the an nounced program for congress. But since the announcement of the pro gram the budget figures have been worked out. It has developed that the deficit for this fiscal year will be much larger than was anticipat ed. It is now certain that the debt of the government, on which interest must be paid, will be increased this fiscal year by at least $750,000,000. This is much smaller than has been the case in the last five years, but there is no assurance at the mo ment that this is the final figure. The only sure thing is that it will not be less than that. On top of this the Treasury knows now that a heavy shrinking of rev enue will be revealed in the income tax returns of March 15, next, both corporation earnings will be small er, it is forecast, than for 1936, due not so much to diminished business, for this is comparatively slight, as to increased costs—wage boosts, higher commodity costs, etc. And it is net earnings on which corpora tion income taxes are computed. Individual incomes from divi dends, as compared with the re turns of last March, will be way down in consequence. But on top of this individual incomes will be down because there will be nothing like the profits resulting from security sales. C BeU Syndicate.—WNU Service. In the AZORES Loading Azores Beef for Portugal. Tourists Find Many Interesting Things in the Azores Islands Prepared by National Geographic Societ: Washington, D. C.—WNU Service. IT IS an interesting trip to visit the seven islands of the Azores, northwest of Sao Miguel. Sailing at 9 in the evening, you anchor at dawn in the little harbor of Angra do Heroismo, on the island of Tcrceira. This at tractive, historic old town, hemmed in by green hills, nestles at the head of an oval bay. From (ho first, Torroira (third Island to be discovered) has been the home of explorers and war riors. In 1474 half of the island was given by the crown to Joao Vaz Corte-Real as a reward for his voy age to Terra Nova dos Bncalhaus (New Land of Codfish: Newfound land). He was the first European except the Vikings, so the Portu guese affirm, to set foot on New World soil. You see the house Corte-Real built and the church where he lies. In the same church is the tomb of Paulo da Gama, sec ond in command on the first voyage to India, who fell ill on the way home and was put ashore here, while his brother, Vasco, sailed on to Lisbon to receive the highest honors his king could bestow. Other brave mariners sailed from Terceira to the Far West, one of whom is credited in Portuguese an nals with the discovery of Labrador. Although some historians question the voyages of the father, two sons of Corte-Real, Gaspar and Miguel, are known to have sailed from An gra do Heroismo, but they did not return. In the town hall you are shown a sealed box presented to the city by Prof. Edmund D. Dclabarre, of Brown university, who some years ago deciphered, on a rock by a Massachusetts river, a worn in scription which he translated: “Miguel Corte-Real, by the grace of God, chief here of the Indians, 1511.” The box in the town hall contains soil from a spot near this rock. It is quite possible that Chris topher Columbus, while on a visit to his brother-in-law, governor of Graciosa, the island next door to Terceira, profited by tales told him by early Azorian voyagers who had sailed west and returned. Islanders Were Good Fighters. In the Sixteenth century, men of Terceira put up a splendid fight against the invading Spaniards. When their stronghold fell, Philip II made it his bulwark against British sea rovers. Angra received the handle “do Heroismo” to its name when, a century ago, it sent troops to Por tugal to win battles for Dom Pedro IV (who was Dom Pedro I, emper or of Brazil) against his brother, Dom Miguel. In the massive fortress built by Philip II, political prisoners are now held. During the World war Ger man residents of Portugal were brought here. The leading export from the Azores to the United States is em broidery of the Madeira type, made by the women of Tereeira. This is the only island of the Azores where bullfights are held. These are in the Portuguese fash ion—no bulls killed and fine horse manship displayed. In Angra do Heroismo is one of the Azorian meteorological stations. These stations are the watchdog; of the mid-Atlantic, warning ships of approaching storms, sending word to craft on the distant coast of Morocco of the coming of the houle, that strange wave which rises between Iceland and the Azores and sweeps across the ocean. After motoring to the landing field for airplanes on a plateau four miles from the city, and to Praia da Vitoria, across the island, with one of the finest natural harbors in the Azores, you sail on. Gracicsa from the sea is not as attractive as its neighbors, but does its part agriculturally in spite of shortage of water, producing wine, cereals, and cattle. The Azorian donkeys are bred here. In the bot tom of its rock-strewn crater is a large cave with a fresh-water lake. Albert, prince of Monaco, who did much scientific work in the seas of these,northern islands, describes it as “a unique miracle of Nature.” Sao Jorge is beautiful and wood ed; its pastures are famous in the archipelago. In the port of Vila das Velas there is a statue to the memory of a native of the island who ‘‘struck oil” in California and left money for the sick and poor of his boyhood home. Pico’s Wines and Cattle. Pico, whose imposing volcanic peak rises 7,821 feet above the sea, is poorly watered and raises its vines in an unusual way. In rifts in the old lava flow, lupine is placed to decompose, and in this im provised soil the young vines are planted. Pico wine is stronger in alcoholic content than other Azorian wines. The men of Pico ar.e famous whal ers. There are lookouts on the hill tops, and when the call, “Baleia! Baleia!” rings out, the specially built boats are swiftly launched, towed nowadays by a motorboat, and off they go to chase the giant of the deep. Harpoons, thrown by hand, are used, and spears when the exhausted whale is at last brought alongside—a combat requiring cour age and skill. It is interesting%o watch the load ing of cattle at Caes do Pico, future beefsteaks for Lisbon. At all of the Azorian ports you anchor offshore. The cattle are rowed out in barges, 10 or 12 to a barge. A broad sling is placed under an animal, a rope tied fore and aft to prevent kicking, and, by means of a cable from the ship securely hooked to the sling, the creature is hoisted aboard most humanely. The conical mountain of Pico, the glory of the Azores, is best seen from the island of Fayal, separated from Pico by a channel about four miles wide. In winter it wears a mantle of snow. You see it pearly gray, with a girdle of floating clouds; clear and blue, sharply out lined against the sky; glowing rose, fading to mauve and deepest purple against a star-spangled background —a never-to-be-forgotten sight. No other volcanic peak appears so sea girt and isolated as this queen of the North Atlantic. Cable Station at Ilorta. Horta, on the island of Fayal, is a town well known to Americans in the days of New England windjam mers and whalers. It is the seat of the oceanic cable stations. In one building six companies—British, German, Italian, French and two American—are housed. They trans mit, through many systems of chan nels, messages to stations in North America, Europe, and South Africa, and, by interconnection, to every part of the world. Four staffs do the work of relaying. In the cen ter of the building is a four-way window through which messages, mainly in code, are passed. Thus, should Jones and Jenks of New York cable to their Rome represen tative. the message, received by one of the two American com panies, is handed through the win dow and a moment later is being received in Italy. It is a night's sail from Fayal to the jagged rock of Corvo, a single extinct vol.cano which thrusts only its head above the sea. Corvo’s 700 hardy sons and daugh ters, whose home is lashed in winter by the sea in its fury, are isolated for weeks at a time, even from their only near neighbors on the is land of Flores, 12 miles away. In spite of hard work and exposure, they are a sturdy lot, living a sim ple. contented life. Flores is the most beautiful of all the islands. Water is so plentiful that streams cascade inte the sea. The hedges of blue hydrangeas, the floral wonder of the Azores, are at their best from July to September on nearly all the islands, glowing to a height of 10 to 20 feet. In Flores trails are actually cut through tunnels of these sky-blue blossoms. Masses of golden broom drape the cliffs. The island is with out roads, but one is soon to be con I structed. I I Species of Candidates. SANTA MONICA, CALIF.— It takes all kinds of candi dates to make up this world. Maybe that's why the world seems so overcrowded. There’s the candidate who belongs to all the secret orders; if he l$ft on ms emblems, he’d catch cold; knows every grand hailing sign there is; hasn’t missed a lodge brother’s fu neral in years; can hardly wait for the next one to die. No campaign complete without him. Candidate special izing in the hearty handshake, the neck Irvin S. Cobb embrace, the shoul der-slap, the bear-hug, the gift of remembering every voter by his first name, and the affectionate inquiry regarding the wife and kiddies. When he kisses a baby, it sounds like somebody taking off a pair of wet overshoes. Usually has a weath erbeaten wife needing a new hat. Strutty candidate who’s constantly leading an imaginary parade of 50,000 faithful followers. Loves to poke his chest away out and then follows it majestically down the street. A common or standardized species. Biblical Wisdom. IN THE Book of Nahum, Chapter II, I came upon this verse: “The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways; they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.” Those Old Testament prophets certainly peered a long way into the future. Because I traveled by night through a main thoroughfare leading from Los Angeles to the sea and vice versa, and I knew what Nahum was describing. But not even an inspired seer of the Bible could imagine a record of traffic mortality so ghastly as the one we’ve already compiled in this year of grace 1937 A. D. (automo bile destruction)—or a people so speed-mad. ' • * • How to Fight Japs. WHENEVER we have a Jap anese war scare, I think of Uncle Lum Whittemore, back in west Kentucky, who loved to dis pense wisdom as he hitched one practiced instep on a brass rail and with his free hand fought the resi dent flies for the tidbit of free lunch which he held in his grip. One day a fellow asked Uncle Lum, who had served gallantly in the Southern Confederacy until a very hard rainstorm came up, what he’d do if the yellow peril boys in vaded America. "I’d hunt me a hollow tree in the deep woods,” he said. “Yes, son, the owls would have to fetch me my mail. I been readin’ up on them Japs. They’re fatalists.” “What’s a fatalist?” demanded someone. “Near ez I kin make out,” stated the veteran, “a fatalist is a party that thinks you’re doin’ him a deep pussonal favor when you kill him.” * • • Hollywood Fashions. SOME envious style expert says Hollywood fashions are too gar ish. If he’s talking about Hollywood males, I say they’re just garish enough.' If they were any more garish than they are, visitors would have to wear blinders, and if they were any less garish, Italian sunsets would stand a chance in the com petition. And I want the champion ship to stay in America. Billy Gaxton picks out something suitable for a vest to be worn to a fancy dress party and then has a whole suit made out of it. Bob i Montgomery’s ties are the kind that I buy in moments of weakness and then keep in a bureau drawer be cause I’m not so brave as Bob is; and also I keep the drawer closed because I can’t stand those sudden dazzling glares. And Bing Crosby is either color-blind or thinks every body else is. But his crooning is mighty soothing. And so it goes— red, pink, green, purple, orange, sky-blue and here and there a dash of lavender. Our local boys gladden the land scape with the sort of clothes I’d wear, too—only my wife won't let me. Stop, look, listen! That's our | sartorial motto, and these jealous designers back east can kindly go jump in a dye-pot. IRVIN S. COBB. ®—WNU Service. San Marino Legend says San Marino, on the eastern shore of upper Italy, was founded in the Fourth century by St. Marinus of Dalmatia. Its total area is 38 square miles. Its known history begins in 805 A. D. By the Tenth century San Marino had launched its republic. The Monte- j feltro family and the papacy pro tected it. Once it was captured by Caesar Borgia, but soon regained freedom. Napoleon recognized its independence. Garibaldi, great Ital lian patriot, fled to San Marino on his first retreat and there disbanded his army. Fashion's Triple-Threat 1997 1353 1357 LJ ERE’S something new in the ■* way of triple-threats, Milady: This trio of smart contestants in the thrilling game of Sew-Your Own! With all three in your ward robe you’ll know stadium style, classroom coquetry, and sorority chic. Best of all, you won’t spend a king’s ransom nor a “long stretch” in their making, thanks to the economy and simplicity of these modern Sew-Your-Owns! Sorority Chic. Sorority chic begins and ends in the boudoirs on the third floor. This highly tasteful smock (above left) is a sorority requirement of the first order? You may choose either the short length to work in or the long length to be lazy in. Use percale, gingham or silk print. Classroom Coquetry. What if your knowledge of bugs or battles, or what have you, is limited? You can count on a cer tain coquettish smile and a cer tain smooth-lined frock (above center) to take you through any inquisition. It will put the stamp of approval on your appearance indelibly. Try your version in dull crepe or sheer wool. Stadium Style. Big moments come fast and furious when you’re rooting for dear old Alma Mater, but you have to look the part to be one with that glamour and fun. Sew Your-Own suggests its newest spectator dress just for this pur pose—that you may look the part, feel the part and be on the win ning side, no matter when or where the competition takes place. The Patterns. Pattern 1997 is designed in sizes 14 to 20; 32 to 44 bust. Size 16 requires 3% yards of 35-inch mate rial. In full length Vk yards (short sleeves). Pattern 1353 is designed in sizes 36 to 52. Size 38 requires 4% yards of 39-inch material. Pattern 1357 is designed for sizes *Tavoilte IQecipe of the Week Succotash is excellent to use in filling stuffed peppers and in mak ing souffles and scalloped dishes, but this time the suggestion is especially for succotash chowder. If you have not tried it, do so and you will find yourself well repaid for the time and energy spent. Succotash Chowder. 3 slices bacon 1 No. 2 can succotash 2 onions Salt and pepper 2 potatoes 2 cups medium white sauce 3 carrots Chopped parsley Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Chop the onion, dice the potatoes and carrots and add to the bacon fat, and fry until the onion is a light brown. Add the succotash and about a cupful of water. Cover the pan and simmer until the potatoes and car rots are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Meantime, make the medium white sauce and add it to the cooked vegetable mixture. Al low the mixture to heat through thoroughly to blend the flavors. Serve hot with a sprinkling of chopped parsley over the top. This is hearty. If you prefer a thinner chowder, add extra milk. MARJORIE H. BLACK. 12 to 20 (30 to 40 bust). Size 14 requires 2Vfe yards of 54-inch ma terial. Send your order to The Sewing Circle Pattern Dept., Room 1020, 211 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, 111. Price of patterns, 15 cents (in coins) each. New Pattern Book. Send 15 cents for the Barbara Bell Fall and Winter Pattern Book. Make yourself attractive, practical and becoming clothes, selecting designs from Barbara Bell well planned, easy-to-make patterns. © Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service GET READY FOR WINTER DRIVING No section of our population is more dependent upon the automo bile as a means of transportation than the residents of the smaller communities and rural districts. Yet each Fall, many car own ers cause themselves a great deal of trouble and expense by neglect ing one or all of the simple yet necessary steps to assure proper operation of the car in Winter weather. A minimum Winter protection program should cover: 1. Complete change to correct grade of lubricants for motor, transmission and differential. 2. Motor tuned up, including ad justing of carburetor, valves, distributor, sparkplugs, genera tor and all electrical equipment. 3. Drain and flush cooling system. Refill with suitable anti-freeze solution. Selection of motor oil and greases for Winter driving is par ticularly important. You must select an oil which will permit easy starting, that will lubricate the motor throughout the entire driving range of speeds and will continue to do so for a reasonable mileage. For many years Quaker State Winter Oils and Greases have been recognized as the highest quality and most generally satis factory Winter lubricants on the market. Through Quaker State’s highly developed methods and equipment it is possible to produce a motor oil which will have a satisfying body over the 400-degree range of temperature it will meet. That is, when the motor temperature is way below zero, the oil will still be fluid enough to allow the motor to turn easily and also to flow freely to all the bearings. Yet this same oil has enough body to stand up and to give the motor proper lubrication when the temperature inside the cylinder wall reaches 400J and over. As with any other product you buy, you get what you ‘pay for. An oil of Quaker State quality is necessarily expensive to make. This does not mean, however, that Quaker State is more expensive to use. Being pure, concentrated lubrication, it stands up longer in service. It gives more miles per quart and at the same time gives the bearing surfaces safer protec tion. You will want to step into the car, even when the mercury is hiding in the bulb and press the starter with every expectation that the motor will start off with its usual Summer zest. This sure starting, plus motor protection, is only pos sible by preparedness.—Adv. m 'a mmm m m a ■ There are two classes of news IY»f IM TUC Pk§ C I in these columns every week: I J 111 »llt |*J 3* flU * (l) Interesting stork- about events ® ^ ^0 • all over the world; and (2) the ad vertisements. Yes, the advertise ments are news, and in many ways the most important of all, because they affect you more directly and personally than any other. • • A new and better method of refrigeration is devised—and you learn about it through advertisements. Improvements are added to automobiles which matte them safer than ever—again advertisements carry the story. Styles change in clothing—and advertisements rush the news to your doorstep. A manufacturer fiuds a way to lower the price on his products—he advertises to tell you about the savings. • You'll find that it pays to follow this news every week. Reading the advertise ments is the sure way to keep abreast of the world ... to learn of new comforts and conveniences ... to get full money’s worth for et«ery dollar you spend.