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VOL. LIX. O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1939 No. 49.
THE NEBRASKA
SCENE
By the Lowell Service
Lincoln — Pioneer advocates of
the unicameral legislature are mak
ing a careful study of the per
sonnel and the results attained
in the present session. They will
check with their conclusions con
4cerning the 1937 session. So far,
the friends of the one-house system
maintain that the plan has not yet
been put into effect as projected
by its originators.
The true unicameral places re
sponsibility directly on the mem
bers, holds several short sessions,
and functions after the manner of
a board of directors. There is no
inner ring; no hidden machinery.
In the fall of 1934, the bicameral
ites were astounded at the sweep
ing victory for the Norris amend
ment. Immediately they set out
to preserve as many features of the
two-house legislature as possibly
could be retained.
Senator Norris declined to make
any suggestions. The legislature
of 1935 was strongly against the
unicameral. A great many of the
members elected to the bicameral
had opposed the amendment dur
ing the campaign. Committees in
* both the house and senate were
hostile, the house commilee par
ticularly so. The latter commit
tee set up a bill which retained
nearly all the two-house features.
This measure passed the house and
was defeated in the senate. Dur
ing the closing hours of the 1935
session, a conference committee
scrambled a hasty setup. The re
districting plan satisfied no one.
With positive leadership lacking
in 1937, the committee of the whole
was retained and the legislative
council created. The partisan ele
ments of the state government also
exerted an influence which uni
cameral advocates eyed with mis
givings.
So far, efforts to elect on a parti,
san ballot and increase the number
(of members have been rejected. At
the close of the present session, it
is believed that a campaign will be
made to improve the unicameral
and change it to conform to the
ideal of its proponents.
A study of the personnel of the
present session is proposed with
special attention to those who spon
sored self-serving and special leg
islation. A tabulation is being made
showing those most amenable to
the blandishments of the lobby.
As to the mechanics of legisla
tion, it is contended that the pres
ent system is entirely too cumber
some. The critics urge that re<i
tape be snipped, that the speaker
and others speed up the work and
that lobbying be proscribed. In
stead of one long session, it is
suggested that several short ones
be held during the biennium to
meet the demands of changing con
ditions.
The legislature has killed LB 17,
^ a bill to cut automobile towing
charges from $10.00 to $5.00. Ad
vocates of the measure argued
that Nebraska was losing out on
the towing business. Also
slaughtered was LB 183, to in
crease dental examination fees
from $25 tto $50. The solons ap
proved a bill to abolish the Uni
versity of Nebraska serum plant.
Two of the major complaints
against the governor and the legis
lature arise from delays in enact
ing a suitable old age assistance
plan and in clearing up the at
mosphere which surrounds the
insurance department.
The governor maintains that the
federal assistance authorities want
a setup controlled by some state
body such as the board of control.
► The legislature insists that the
county boards have something to
say concerning personnel. Weeks
have been spent in sparring. The
recent visit of Miss Jane Hoey of
the federal asistance bureau led
to conferences with the legislators.
In the meantime checks for the old
people are help up.
Definite reforms are promised
by Chairman A. L. Miller of the
committee investigating the insur
ance department. Legislation has
been outlined but it is indefinite in
form.
According to advices from New
York, eastern holding companies
that control private power con
cerns in Nebraska have endorsed
(Continued on page 4)
I
Bass Anglers Anxious
For Fishing Weather
Several of our local anglers are
getting anxious. The open season
for bass fishing closes on May 1,
and several of our local lovers of
the piscatorial sport are lamenting
the fact that they have not had an
opportunity to indulge in their fav
orite pastime. We predict that be
fore the first of the month that
Herb Hammond, Mike Horrisky,
Pat Donohoe and a few others will
be heading for the Cherry county
lakes to try their luck.
HOLT COUNTY 4-H
CLUBS TO ATTEND
ANNUAL MEET
Holt County will be well repre
sented at the annual 4-H Club Week
at the Nebraska college of agricul
ture in Lincoln, May 29 to June 2.
From here will go Carol Sum
merer, Ewing, Burinlgton trip win
ner and Roy Forbes, Amelia, Crete
Mills trip winner.
More than 300 of Nebraska’s out
standing farm boys and girls in
4-H club work and leaders will be
on the agricultural college campus
for the week whi:h is one of the
highlights of the entire year’s ac
tivities. Plans already are well
along for entertaining the youths
while they are on the campus.
Throughout the week, the 4-H
club members and local leaders will
enjoy educational and recreational
sessions. Several outstanding edu
cators are scheduled to address
them at general convocations.
There will be several banquets,
picnics, and the annual trip to
Omaha. In addition the 4-H club
bers and leaders will spend some
time each day in group discussion
talking over problems in which
they are vitally interested.
Forest Service Starts
Spring Planting
The Forest Service has started
the planting of 350 miles of shel
terbelts in the Neligh District this
Spring. The District includes Holt,
Antelope, Boone, Nance, and Mer
rick counties, also parts of Knox
and Wheeler.
The 350 men employed include
practically all WPA workers avail
able in the area. The men plant
by a unique method developed by
the branch of the Forest Service,
and attain surprising speed and
proficiency. Many of the planters
average over 1,000 trees a day, and
considerable rivalry Exists between
some of the fastest crews. Special
training and thorough inspection
by supervisory personnel assures
that each tree is planted correctly,
and excellent survival is attained
without watering or other special
care.
430,000 evergreens and over three
million other trees will be planted
in the District by May 10. These
would make a single row of trees
8 feet apart from New York to San
Francisco and a row from Canada
to the Gulf with enough left over
for four rows across Nebraska.
Under the shelterbelt program,
the Government furnishes and
plants the trees, and builds a fence
to exclude livestock; and the farm
er furnishes the fence material,
prepares the ground for planting
and cultivates the trees.
Erickson Fined Here
For Traffic Violation
Oscar Erickson, of Merriman,
was arrested on complaint of Pa
trolman Lawrence Russell, who al
leged that on April 6, 1939, he was
operating a car on the highways
in this county without the proper
license plates. On April 12 he pled
guilty and was fined $10.00 and
costs of $3.10.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to take this way to
thank the many friends who so
kindly helped to lift our great bur
den of sorrow by their comforting
words, their help, and beautiful
flowers.
Mr. and Mrs. Emmet Crabb
and Donna.
Mr. and Mrs. Dorance Crabb
, Mr. and Mrs. Verle Crabb.
STEFAN SAYS ALL RELIEF AGENCIES
TO UNDERGO RIGOROUS INVESTIGATION
Graft, Rackets and High Cost of Administration
Must Be Eliminated; Relief Agencies May
Continue for Another Generation.
Apparently congress has finished «
with emergency relief appropria- '
tions for the fiscal year, 1939. The 1
second supplemental relief appro
priation since Congress convened
in January has now passed both the
House and the Senate. It is in the 1
amount of $100,000,000. The pre
ceding supplemental appropriation
amounted to $725,000,000. Thus,
since January, 1939, $825,000,000
has been appropriated to supple
ment the regularly passed appro
priation to finance relief activities 1
through June 30, 1939. The regu
lar relief appropriation and the two
supplemental appropriations to
provide funds for expenditure for
emergency relief purposes during
the period extending from July 1,
1938, through June 30, 1939, ag
gregates in excess of $2,200,000,
000. Aggregate appropriations for
WPA since its inception are about
six billion dollars. It is contem
plated that a new appropriation in
an initial amount of between one
and one half and two billion dol
lars will need to be made for the
fiscal year beginning July 1, 1939.
The House of Representatives
has authorized and directed its
Committee on Appropriations to
make an investigation of emerg
ency relief administration. Per
sistent charges of rackets, politics
and maladministration of relief
funds produced the investigation.
One of the many charges aired
on the floor of the House, is that
in New York City, WPA has been
paying skilled wages at the rate of
$2.00 per hour and that hundreds
of these high wage scale WPA
workers were allowed to continue
assignments that paid them $200
and $250 per month, while thous
ands of other skilled workmen
could get no assignment at all.
Another charge made on the floor
is that the President appointed a
commission to have charge of all
government exhibits at the' New
York World’s Fair and the commis
sion has about completed its build
ing and most government agencies,
with the exception of WPA, have
cooperated in the arrangement of
exhibits. The charge of one mem
ber of the commission is that big
space was reserved for WPA but
only recently the commission learn
ed that WPA is starting the con
struction of a $300,000 building and
will run its own exhibit. The com
mission told Congress that it had
a building for WPA and its ex
hibits and that the $300,000 and
the money that will be spent for
running the exhibit could easily
be transferred to people who need
jobs.
There are rampant charges of
graft in Ohio, Pennsylvania and
New Mexico.
Charge followed charge until
both parties in the House demand
ed an investigation. Many know
that investigations of this type
produce a disappointingly small
amount of good, yet those who be
lieve that the relief question will
be with us for many years, feel
that the investigation of the var
ious complaints against the admin
istration may tighten the efficien
cy of the system and increase re
spect for the intent of Congress.
That intent is that needy unem
ployed men and women be given
jobs of some kind until they can
relocate themselves in regular pri
vate employment.
Most of the membership of the
Appropriations Committee are well
aware of the fact that Congress
has not been voting enough money
to give a job to all of the unem
ployed persons in our nation. The
real reason that the committee
sponsored $725,000,000 instead of
the $875,000,000 for supplemental
relief recently was that they
wanted more information from the
flew WPA boss, Colonel Harring
ton. This Army officer came back
to the committee and about con- i
lanced members that the $725,000,.
)00 was near exhaustion and that
in additional $150,000,000 was <
needed to run the business of re- '
ief until July 1, 1939. The $100,- :
300,000 figure in the bill was a
tompromise with the ultra-conser
rative members who demanded that
,he sum be cut t6 $60,000,000 with
•esultant forceful elimination of
mnecessarily expensive adminis
,ration. Some members told their
:olleagues they were going tto vote
'or the extra $100,000,000 because
;hey felt that the WPA chiefs had
aid off the poorest paid and most
leedy men and women, first, in
n-der to force Congress to accept
;he larger figure. The hearings
lisclosed that administration costs
ire too high and that though pre
vailing scales of wages met little
jbjectlon, it seemed neither neces
sary nor right for one class of
workers in one state to get $250
per month from WPA when men
like those in Nebraska could get
but $40 to $60 per month. The
prevailing wage idea came about
when union chiefs felt that if pre
vailing wages were not paid, it
would result in lowering wages of
ill classes of labor In private in
iustry.
Already there are many demands
for change in the# WPA set-up and
for the merging of some of its work
with the PWA. One recommenda
tion is that all emergency relief
money be expended by a single
igency and that regular account
ing be made to Congress. Regu
lar accounting has, heretofore, not
neen made. The principal demand
from all sides is that the expendi
ture of emergency relief funds be
so safeguarded as to eliminate ex
isting abuses and to increase the
net share of the appropriation that
actually reches the people in need
of relief. i*
Even members from New York
with somewht radical tendencies
admit that if orderly distribution
of relief is ever to come, discrimin
ation must be eliminated. One of
these members who is close to the
real radical groups admits that pol
iticians must discontinue the exploi
tation of human misery and cut
out the utilization of relief funds
in local petty graft. Members
who would otherwise vote enough
money to put every idle man and
woman to work, vigorously oppose
the alleged pull and rackets that
inevitablly are to be found in the
expenditure of any large sums of
public money.
A majority of the House mem
bership is not opposed to voting
some federal funds for relief. Most
of the conservatives feel that the
states must assume an increasing
share of the responsibility in the
job of giving relief to needy people.
There is a growing sentiment in
the House that private business can
UlKe up mucn Ui UIC suren. *11 uu
employment if given the opportun
ity, but these advocates admit
that private business cannot take
up all of the slack no matter how
much help private business gets
from the Federal treasury and else
where. Nobody in the House to
day will admit that expenditures
for relief should be cut off immedi
ately and that the Federal govern
ment should stop all relief assist
ance. The building of the new
forty thousand ton battleships at
a cost of about seventy million dol
lars, each, has taught members
to realize that the profits in the
building of these expensive battle
boats go to private industry and
while such building of armaments
means much for idle men and, at
the same time, helps in national
iefense, they realize that with all
jf the millions of subsidy for mer
chant marine; with all of the mil
lions of loans to private industry,
less than half of the unemployment
load can be eliminated.
These beliefs have been con
firmed by not only experts on relief
jut by many private business ex
perts.
A private report which is a sup
plement to the printed report on
ihe investigation of relief in the
city of Washington, indicates that
jy reorganization of the relief set
jp here, about a million dollars
•an be saved annually. This pri
vate report states that duplication,
favoritism, rackets nd petty graft
(Continued on page 4)
Elite Cafe Opened Here
Last Saturday Afternoon
The Elite Cafe was opened to the
public last Saturday afternoon, in
time for the evening meal. Mrs.
Sirek, the proprietor, says that she
was more than satisfied with the
large number of people they served
there on their opening day, over
200 people being served for dinner
and for lunch later in the evening.
The restaurant is neat and attrac
tive and promises to be an inviting
place for those dining out.
testingUw is
REPEALED BY
LEGISLATURE
Last week the legislature re
pealed the compulsory automobile
testing law by the passage of LB
No. 3 by a vote of 38 to 4. With
the repeal of this law many of the
municipalities of the state are left
with white elephants on their hands
as many of the cities installed test
ing apparatus and buildings to
house them at a cost of from $5,
000 to $10,000. The people of this
city who favored the installation
of a testing station by the city here
about eight months ago can now
see that the opposition to the plan
was not using hot wind in their op
position.
The Weather
We have had all kinds of weather
the past week. Last Saturday it
rained nearly all day a slow steady
drizzle that extended into Sunday
and gave us .70 hundredths of an
inch of moisture. The rain came
down so easily that it all went into
the ground and will be of immense
benefit to the small grain that has
been planted, to winter wheat and
rye and to pastures.
Monday it snowed nearly all day.
It was very wet and melted almost
as fast as it fell. While it was
not cold for a time it gave the ap
pearance of an old time blizzard.
The precipitation in the snowfall
amounted to .41 hundredths of an
inch, which gave us 1.11 inches of
moisture the past week. We had
a nice little rain this morning and
at this time 10:30 it is still cloudy
and looks as if we would have more
rain during the day. Following is
the weather report for each day for
the past week:
n Li M
April 13 .. 59 32
April 14 6G 41
April 15 _ 63 39 .63
April 16 . 45 39 .07
April 17 _ 45 31 .41
April 18 52 30
April 19 _ 70 28
April precipitation, 1.28 inches.
Total precipitation since January
1, 1939, 3.60 inches.
Failure to Spend $1.00
Nets Fine of $4.10
W. B. Herring, of Ainsworth,
was before the county court on com
plaint of Patrolman Russell who
alleged that he was driving a car
on the highways of this county on
April 8 without first having pro
cured a drivers license. He ap
peared on April 13 and was fined
$1.00 and costs, or a total of $4.10
O’Neill Woman’s Club
The O’Neill Woman’s Club met
Wednesday afternoon, April 19th,
at their club rooms.
The following officers were
elected for 1939-1940: Mrs. J. D.
Osenbaugh, president; Mrs. Mar
tin Penister, vice-president; Mrs.
Bennett Gillispie, secretary; Mrs.
C. E. Lundgren, treasurer; Mrs.
Harold Lindberg, auditor; Mrs.
George Miles, custodian.
The following program was
given:
Solo, “Brown Bird Singing’’ and
“Little Boy Blue," by Lois Jean
Robertson, accompanied on the
piano by Mrs. Pete Todson.
Book Review — “Joseph and His
Brothers" and “Young Joseph," by
Thomas Mann, by Mrs. Arthur
Cowperthwaite. This was a very
fine review.
Mr. and Mrs. George Coleman
drove to Norfolk Saturday on busi
ness.
CENTER UNION TO
CELEBRATE 34TH
ANNIVERSARY
The 34th anniversary of the Cen.
ter Union Sunday School will be
celebrated in special week-end ser
vices. The first service will be
Friday evening, April 28. Services
at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon
and 8 in the evening. All day ser
vices on Sunday. Special speakers
and basket dinner at noon. •
All are invited to share these
services.
C. J. Gajz Attends Storz
Convention at Omaha
Mrs. Mary McLeod and C. J.
Gatz left Sunday morning for
Omaha. Mrs. McLeod was return
ing to her home after spending the
past two months here visiting at
the homes of her daughters, Mrs.
C. J. Gatz and Mrs. Henry Lohaus,
and Mr. Gatz went to attend a
convention of Stortz distributors,
which meeting was to be held last
Monday at the Fontenelle hotel.
Sales and advertising plans for the
coming year will be discussed at
this meeting. Mr. Gatz returned
home Tuesday evening.
20TH WEDDING
ANNIVERSARY
IS CELEBRATED
Sunday, April 16th a large crowd
of relatives gathered at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Fora Knight in
honor of their 20th wedding anni
versary.
About 1:00 p.m. a very delicious
dinner was served after which the
gifts were showed. They received
a number of nice pieces of china
and cooking utensils. The after
noon was spent visiting and taking
pictures. In the evening a large
crowd of their friends and neigh
bors gathered for a card party,
there were four tables of cards and
at midnight lunch was served and
the prizes awarded. High score
prize was won by Harold Krug
man and Max Grenier.
WE APPOLIGIZE; THE LAMBS
WERE TRIPLETS; NOT TWINS
Fay Puckett, one of The Fron
tier’s old-time readers living
northeast of this city, writes to
inform us that we got his lamb
story sadly muddled last week.
So, to keep history straight, we
reprint the story as Mr. Puckett
says it should be:
“Your paper said four pair of
twins that should have been four
sets of triplets. It isn’t uncom
mon for a sheep to have twins,
triplets are uncommon, and four
sets out of a band of fourteen
ewes, is more than uncommon,
and for eleven of the twelve lambs
to live and run with their mother
is still more uncommon, and that
is because a ewe can only set the
table for two lambs, or only two
lambs can su.’k at the same time,
the third one must wait for the
second table, and unless the
mother ewe is giving lots of milk
and more than the first two lambs
to get to the table wants there
won’t be anything left and it be
comes a case of the ‘survival of
the fittest’ and the hungry lamb
will be kept pushed away from the
table until he weakens and dies.
“ To date, eleven lambs out of
twelve in four sets of triplets live
a> d run around with their mother
(w'v. Altogether we have iwenty
five lambs from thirteen ewes..”
We are afraid that if Mr. Wal
lace hears of this occurrance that
he will order the ewes killed off, as
they are increasing the sheep sup
ply too fast. He believes that a
scarcity of everything is the way
to end the depression.
Work Progressing On
New School Building
Work on the new school building
has been going on for the past
two weeks. The placing of the
footings are about completed and
work will probably start in earnest
on the building within the next
week.
Brown-McDonald Store
Gets New Assistant
Manager
Vincent Schoberg, who has been
employed by the Johnson Drug Co.
in this city for the past year, haa
accepted a position as assistant
manager of the Brown - McDonald
store in this city and will enter upon
his new duties on Monday, April
24th. Jack Grady, who was form
erly employed by the Golden Rule
Store, resigned to take a new posi
tion offered him in Denver. Colo.
easterTantata
GIVEN AT SPENCER
LAST SUNDAY
The Methodist choir of O’Neill
went to Spencer last Sunday even
ing and presented their Easter Can.
tata to a large and attentive aud
ience at the M. E. Church. Mrs.
Lawrence Russell is now leader of
this splendid choir. She held the
audience spell bound as she sang
the beautiful soprano solo in this
cantata. She has a wonderful voice
that appeals to all who hear her
sing. Mrs. Harold Lindburg sang
the alto solo which required a voice
with wide range in order to reach
both high and low tones. She sang
it in a very beautiful manner.
Charles Yarnell, who is going right
to the top in voice culture, sang
the bass solo in this cantata and de
serves to be complimented very
highly on the splendid way he pre
sented this fine solo. Donald
Bowen also showed fine quality in
the tenor solo parts he took and has
been urged to develop his talent as
a singer. The Methodist choir of
fers rare opportunity to the young
man or lady who desires to develop
as well as display their talents in
singing and invites anyone who
would like to do so, to join them.
Nebraska Accident Survey
Accidents Have Sharp Decrease
Accidents for the week ending
April 8, 1939 showed a sharp de
crease as to the total from three
hundred thirty to two hundred fif
ty-six. The list of injuries or
deaths showed a corresponding drop
going from two hundred sixty-four
for the week ending April 1, 1939
to one hundred ninety-nine for this
period. Deaths, however, stepped
up to sixteen from nine in the pre
vious record. The children’s situ
ation is little better with three chil
dren reported killed and thirty
three injured.
Automobile Mishaps Show Drop
Among the categories, Motor
Vehicle mishaps showed the larg
est decrease going from one hun
dred fourteen accidents to eighty
one and from one hundred twenty
eight casualties to sixty-six. A
salesman was fatally injured in a
collision west of Paxton and an
Omaha man died of injuries sus
tained in an automobile-street-car
crash. A woman sustained a dis
ability when she lost control of her
car south of Hastings. Two per
sons, a man and his wife, were dis
abled when blinding lights on a
truck forced them to drive off the
highway.
During the year 1938 blinding
lights on automobiles caused twen
ty-nine accidents in which fifty
six were injured and one was dis
abled. This last week, two per
sons were disabled from that cause.
It is only because of luck and very
careful driving that there are no
more casualties resulting from
these accidents. Cars are equipped
with light adjusters to be used
when approaching other cars, but
it can be said truthfully that only
three drivers out of five extend
that courtesy. Good driving abil
ity and mechanical efficiency in
cars are two very importnt re
quisites but the courtesy of the
road is also just as importanat and
often sadly neglected with dire con
sequences.
Out of thirty-seven collisions this
period thirty persons were injured
while four pedistrians were struck
by cars and injured. Skidding, tire
blowouts, and losing control of
automobiles each accounted for five
injuries while hitting an obstruc
tion, blinding lights, a railroad
crossing mishap, and a car-bicycle
(Continued on page 4)