PAGE TWO
PLATTSMOUTH SEMI - WEEKLY JOUHttAL
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1. 1931.
the (Plattsmeuth Journal
PUBLISHED SEMI-WEEKLY AT PLATTS1I0UTH, NEBRASKA
Entered at Postofflce, Plattsmouth, Neb., aa second-class mail matter
MRS. R. A. BATES, Publisher
Artists do funny things. A cartoon
recently published represents a big,
fat munitions manufacturer
among some bags of powder
ing a cigar. Oh me, oh my!
:o:
lying
smok-
"AS SURE AS TAXES"
There is an old saying "As sure as
taxes," and to all of us who are on
the assessor's roll who own a mod
est domicile railed "home" or more
ucscriDing a recent scene ui "ue pretentious investment properties,
Park, the New York Herald Tribune that phrase i3 understandable and
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN FIRST POSTAL ZONE
Subscribers living in Second Postal Zone, $2.50 per year. Beyond
600 miles, $3.00 rer year. Rate to Canada and foreign countries,
13.50 per year. All subscriptions are payable Btrictly in advance.
Doctors say Americans are living
tco fast and the traffic statistics in
dicate that they are dying the same
way.
:o:
One of the most overworked things
in the world is the average motor
car horn.
:o:
One of the prohibition heads m a
western state is named Martini. Of
course hes a dry Martini.
:o:
Life becomes more complicated
when a motorist has a suit with two
pairs of pants and only one driver's
license.
:o:
Wo seem never to learn that great
people are common people, that be
ing common people is what made
l hem great
ptopie.
:o:-
Tl:e courtly eovernor. Ritchie of
Maryland, is running this fall against
a gentleman named Nice. But one
can always turn to Louisiana for
mere rugged electioneering.
:o:
You can't fool the New York po
lice very long. After four days of
vain "grillwork" on Hauptmann for
information, they have decided that
he is of the mute type.
. :o:
Probably no man living has his
daily program outlined with more
regularity than the prince of Wales.
No wonder the poor chap looks worn
out and thorouj
;hly
-:o:-
disgusted.
It's about time for people to start
a private savings account; so after
Christmas, if they didn't receive what
they will be asking for from nowi
until December 25, they can buy it
anyway.
Jim Farley says the G. O. P. will
sink to its lowest state, in the next
senate, since tho administration of
Euchanan. Jim's opinion of Johnson,
Ncrris. La Follette, ct al., who are
the only Republicans he concedes a
chance, is apparently very low.
:o:
A pneumatic-tired m:lk wagon
drawn by a horse with rubber shoes,
recently tried out in New York City
by a large milk company, proved so
quiet it wrs necessary to equip the
vehicle with a horn to avoid traffic
accidents. The horn chosen simu
lates the "nioo-o-o" of a cow.
Chinese music sounds to us like
a major offense written in a minor
key.
:o:
Some of the best back seat drivers
received their education when Dad
took both hands off the steering
wheel to point out some object of
interest.
:o:
A gracious gesture of welcome
which Mr. Farley might make tc
Mr. Sinclair would be to issue a
stamp with a picture of "EPIC" on
it . There are so few stamp subjects
left.
. :o:
There is at least cne good thing
that may be said about the extreme
!iot and dry summer that has just
passed into history, and that is the
lawn mowers were" not very ex
tensively used.
:o:
Great Britain underwent a visi
tation of alphabetical agencies dur
ing the World War, but muddled
through. In fact, muddling through
is probably the only way there is to
get through a maze of alphabetical
bureaus.
:o:
It must be quite a thrill to be a
president or a governor of a state and
have an opportunity to push a button
which will throw a switch that will
flood the great grandstands with
light at some big fair. That's a boy
hood ambition worth striving for..
:o:
Several industries in California re
port improved business, but probably
not to that extent of nullifying the
Sinclair EPIC program, which isn't
supposed to start until the new state
administration goes in. No trick
would e meaner than for poverty to
fly out of California's window just
says, "Tho President wore a well-broken-in
pair of gray trousers." That
shows progress. When they're worn
out, the depression is ever.
:o:
The caddies are striking all over
the land a bright indication that
the ancient and royal game of golf
i3 coming out of the doldruni3 that
have plagued club directors with
nightmare these last four years.
:o:
In reply to inquiries as to what
Professor Tugwell is doing in Europe,
our information is that he is study
ing agricultural conditions, and that
he will master the situation just
about in time to return home shortly
after the November election.
:o:
New York is still dallying with
that idea of raising revenue by muni
cipal lottery. The difficulty is tc
decide whether it is worse to wheedle
the money out of taxpayers or tax it
from them by main force. In such an
ethical quandary, why not toss up a
quarter?
:o:
A Plattsmouth schoolboy was doing
his problems the other night, one of
which began, "A and B were partners
in the carpet and rug business." "My,
but there's an awful lot of hooey in
these arithmetics," commented the
lad. "Back here on this page, it says
A and B are in the lumber business.
:o:
Professor Piccard voices the opin-J'ear redemption period from date of
ion that even if a fellow could fly to J purchase, foreclosure may be started
Mars, he would have considerable ' and carried through to completion
difficulty getting back. Pretty sharp j within a course of a few months. On
thinking for an absent-minded pro-j the other hand, the time of foreclosure
fessor. Unfortunately, the Piccard i may be withheld as long as three ad-
full of meaning.
Taxes have a habit of becomin
duo and delinquent each year, and
(if not paid) of piling up rapidly
from year to year.
The Journal onice is Zjusy just now
preparing for publication next week
the delinquent tax list for Cass coun
ty, and we are pleased to note (al
though it means less revenue to a
printing office) that there is a mark
ed decrease in the number of farms
and town properties listed as delin
quent in the taxes. Especially is this
true here in Plattsmouth, where the
advertised number has been cut al
most in half.
There are a number c7 causes re
sponsible for this reduction. Among
them are the farm and home loan acts
of the "new deal" that are daily sav
ing the farms and homes of thousands
of people over the nation. When the
government loans money on a farm
or a town residence, it insists on a
clear tax record, and ii the borrower
can't comply, even loans him money
to pay his taxes. This aid has been
directly responsible for bringing in a
goodly number of large tax bills of
from rwo to eight or ten years stand
ing. Another contributing cause to the
lessened number of tax delinquencies
being published is the purchase of tax
certificates on properties three years
delinquent by the city. After a two-
Sec'y Wallace
Replies to Critics
of Government
Secretary cf Agriculture in Collier's
Weekly Raps Charge of "Gov
ernment in Business."
Secretary Wallace replies sharply
to those who object to "government
in business" in an article published
today in Collier's Weekly. The article
is taken from "New Frontiers," the
forthcoming book by the secretary
in which he expresses a political
philosophy designed to mark the di
viding line between liberal and con
servative voters. The volume is re
garded as the future hand-book of
the New Deal and is accepted by
those close to Secretary Wallace as
the admin istiation's answer to those
business men and industrialists who,
to use the secretary's words, seek a
return to "the lulsh days of free
boster capitalism."
"Big business men of the United
States who live in the great trading
and financial centcis like New York
and Chicago," writes the
secretary.
acumen seems to have leaked out be
fore, and kept him out of the brain
trust.
:o:
The speech of Maxim Litvinofi'
on the occasion of Russia's admis
sion into the League of Nations was
ditional years, permitting of greatest
lienency in the case of those who are
really trying to meet their tax bur
den. Back in the "good old days" when
nearly everyone paid taxes and the
published list of delinquencies made
little more than half a newspaper
such a one as might have been de
livered by the foreig i chancellor cf page (last year almost two full pages
any government, Fortunately, M. were taken up with it) it was eonsid
Litvinoff doesn't offend in that man-' ered little short of disgraceful to have
ner very often. But it's hardly to, one's property listed therein. With
be expected that he would perform-the changed economic conditions of
as entertainingly, now that he is a : the past few years, however, manv
Because Lpton fcinclair has looked m . member, as he used to when he was
a guest performer.
: o :
"are continually talking about the
dangers of governmental interference
with business. The smaller business
men of the United States in their
chambers of commerce and noon-day
luncheon clubs continually say that
there should be 'loss government in
business and more business in gov
ernment.' "As a matter of fact, certain busi
nesses have always been up to their
necks in government. This is es
pecially true of the central core of
the banking business and of those
businesses which from a world-competitive
point of view arc so ineffi
cient that they would dk without
tariff protection.
"The old-timers hold up their
hands in horror ;t the thought of
the door.
-:o:-
Reading so many conflicting state
ments of the Morro Castle disaster
should teach us at least one thing:
If ever we are on a burning vessel,
we must not become excited and jump
into the sea. It seems that the thing
to do is to stick around tl le scorch
ing decks and gather a connected
story of the whole affair, because
(if we live to tell the tale) such
data will likely come in handy dur
ing the following federal investigation!
Additional paving on O street this
fall or next spring is assured. Al- but in a different direction, for many
though contract was not let for this of his neighbors owe three, four and
work at Lincoln Thursday, due to un-: more years taxes.
satisfactory- bid?, It was announced j The city, in its recently formu
the job will he re-advertised. A few Irttd tax policy, does not consider the
more years will see the closing up of purchase of certificates on one and
the present 14-mile gravel gap. It has two-year delinquencies. It is only af-j ury ile bent every effort to tie the
been diminishing rapidly, but none : ter they have piled up three years, a gtronn. influential weilthv people in
each community to the new govern
ment. By using the powtr of the
government, he made it possible to
redeem certain debts and bonds at
par. This made most of the wealthy
individuals feel greatly indebted to
the central government. The Hamil
tonian theory was adopted by the Re
publican party after tho Civil War,
and expanded. More and more the
big banking houses assumed as a mat
ter of course that they and the gov
have seen their properties listed for
the first time. Today, the man who
owes but one or two years taxes is
still the exception and not the rule
government regulation or ownership
of business. It is a truism that any
startling new development is usually
the result of the extraordinary in
sight and hard v.crk of some one
man and of tho.:e who have been set
on fire by his example. It is to be
hoped, of ccr.rse, that the govern
ment will never do anything 10 dis
courage the ardor cr the insight of
those individuals who, wo trust, will
in tne future as t.iey nave m tne
past carry the banner of inventive
American business genius.
"Private control of government in
the United Slates began with Alex
ander Hamilton and has continued.
Hamilton sincerely believed that the
wealth and power of the United
States should be stro:igly centralized
in the hands of an aristocratic few.
As the first eSereiary of the Treas
too fast to suit the average motori.-t, certificate is bought, and as has been
"Could you ?is!p a pesr Qhi m
o 1954. n n rtti(- s.--
who is footing a good share of the repeatedly
bill with the payment of the 4
gasoline tax.
pointed out, a two year
five year maximum
:al a
cent ! minimum and
j wait may be indulged in before start
, j ing foreclosure. Even then a four to
six months further delay is necessary
while foreclosure suit is being carried
out. during all of which time the
owner may redeem his property by
payment of the taxes and interest.
When taxes become seven cr eight
years delinquent, statistics every-
fmj Ait I
where show they are never paid, andiernment were essentially as one on
it is then time to act to get the prop
ties into the hands of owners who
will pay, in order to save the various
taxing subdivisions from even great
er loss of tax revenue.
Much is said of taxes being too
high, but it must be remembered that
for every property net paying taxes,
its shtire cf the tax burden is shifted
to the rhoulders of those who do. So
it behooves every tax paying citizen
to evidence a keen interest in any
tcx-c ollection program for it will
bring down all taxes in direct propor
tion to the degree it succeeds in stop
ping the chisseling practices of those
who not only refuse to pay, but in
the ract have been making capital
c.:t of the practice, by getting back
their tax-delinquent properties after
the courts have wiped out large sums
of general and special improvement
taxes thereon, through devious means
c f "by-bidding" and like vicious prac
tices. It is this sort of thing the City
r.f Plattsmouth is primarily interest-
monetary and financial policies.
"If the full truth were ever known
about the way governmental influ
ence has been used by great corpor
ations, public indignation would
know no bounds. Nearly every presi
dent who has had anything to do
with tariff revisions has been im
pressed by the way in which gnat
businesses rally round in the hope of
securing governmental favors thru
the tariff in order V) help them pro
mote monopolies. The legalized j
thievery of the tariff is probably j
working more barn to the people of
the United States thm ail other forms) national interest
best to get hold of governmental pow
er for their own purposes. As these
interests begin to fight one another
more and more, it will become appar
ent that the old order is played out.
A new one with new rules must be
arranged.
"If we are not to go in for Com
munism or Fascism, it is most essen
tial that government learn to look
upon itself as a partner with busi
ness, labor, agriculture and consum
ers. For the sake of campaign funds
governments have all too often hand
ed out jobs and passed out favors.
"It i3 time for business to stop
speaking scornfully of government in
business and then go running to it
in private to see what it can get out
of the overnment.
"The situation is so serious that
government and business must loarn
to live together in a sensible way.
In working out the terms of this
partnership, it is important that not
only big business men who have al
ways made their voices heard in
Washington be consulted, but that
the small business men, laboring men,
farmers and consumers also be in on
the deal.
"The object is continually mov
ing but balanced state.
"European purchasing power foi
our surplus is sliattered. we sum
have great adjustments to make be
fore we can safely face that face.
Men of all classes realize the need
of readjustment. Many leaders in
government recognize it. But unfor
tunately we still have in government
and among business men many who
are most interested in the short-time
turns of the profit wheel.
"Some of these men know how to
trim their sails so suddenly that they
can profit just as well during a de
pression as during a time of boom.
They are ghouls fattening on human
disaster. Many of them keep their
wealth fluid so that they can shift it
rapidly from country to country. In
time of inflation they pass their
wealth rapidly into commodities.
They may have no lobbyists in Wash
ington but they keep in close touch
with governmental policies so they
can shift their wealth to the best ad
vantage. They talk about lower in
come taxes, less government in busi
ness, and less governmental bureau
cracy, but they have no fundamental
interest in the long-time prosperity
of the country.
"There are certain people living in
Washington who have learned to
make a. specialty out of what might
almost be called political blackmail
Come of them are representatives of
well organized associations. They
have been in Washington so long that
they call the congressmen bv their
first names. They are acquainted
with all the special cliques and know
how to start a flock of telegrams roll
ing upon Washington at the right
time. They can get close friends cn
the floor of the house or senate to
interpose an objection in committee
meetings or on the floor at a time
when it will caus: embarrassment.
"These lobbyists and legislative
representatives are usually very
pleasant and well-liked, but all too
often they have their minds fixed on
a special regional short-time objec
tive and they are often more ruth
less and unfair than the people who
employ them. They feel that they
must make a special showing of hav
ing done things in the interest of a
particular small group in order that
that small group will feel warranted
in continuing their salaries for the
following year.
"The alarming tiling In Washing
ton is not that there are so many
special pressure groups but that
there are so few people who are con
cerned solely with looking at. the pic
ture from a broad national angle.
Most congressmen und senators. It
teems, are of necessity special Head
ers lor a particular n gion. It Is
therefore up to the executive branch 1
cf the government to consider the!
Tills is difficult
Kin of Hauptmann
, . , '
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Declaring', "I don't believe my
brother did it", Mr3. Emma
Gloeckner, 42, of Los Angeles,
Cel., sister of Eruno P.ichard
Hauptmann, New York City car
penter arrested as a suspect in
the . Lindbergh kidnaping, i-J
shown, top. Her daughter, pretty
Mildred Gloeckner, a niece of
Hauptmann, i3 pictured be'ew.
regulations. Their significance lies
in the fact that by their manipula
tion it is possible to diiect, stimu
late, restrain and balance those
forces which have to do with pro
portioning the national income. All
governments which Lave advanced
beyond the pioneer stage find it nec
essary to promulgate such rules, in
lieu cf free competition. And in
promulgating them, a democracy
worthy of the name must be guided
by social justice and social charity
in other words, the greatest good
fcr the greatest number.
"Reliance upon such rules is not
the v.oy of Socialism, of Commun
ism, nor of al-seism. But neither is
it th3 way of the freebooter capital
ists with their devotion to unlimited
competition.
"Competition was limitid by sev
eral types of iu!es public and pri
vate long before the World War.
but to an increasing degree since
the World War. The vital question
is: In wlinjj behalf is the competi
tion being limited? lis the limita
tion making the rich richer and the
poe-r poorer? If t;o. there is danger
that the day may tome when the ex
treme left will jrdn hands with tho
cxtr?m right to bring about that
most dangerous of all forms of gov
ernment a corrupt oligarchy, main
taining itself in power by pandering
to the vices and prejudices of a bit
ter, materialistic, perennially unem
ployed multitude.
"It is necessary in a nrd'rn dem
ocracy to furnish the red and gnv. n
lights to guide the traffic but not to
supply drivers for every car on the
read. Reactionaries who hark back
to the lush days of freebooter rap
ed in checking not the mere taking
away of someone's home and confor
mity to the plan now being carried
tut is already producing results that
fully justify it.
As proof of this, just check the
published list next week in compari
son with last year.
:oi
Missouri river work continues on
an enlarged scale. And to the number
given direct employment, may be ad
ded the several hundred now working
in quarries that have sprung up all
over this part of the state, supplying
tho vast quantities of rock required
Jcr bUlast and the more intricate use
in reel: paving, an art by itself, that
requires skilled men to perform.
of robbery put together.
"Those smaller men who sit at
home attending quietly to their own
business and who never come near
Washington, either personally or
through the secretary of their asso
ciation, do not rer.lixe the extent to
which our situation has always been
one of private control of government.
Larger business nun and the paid
secretaries are continually trying to
change the rules. Hundreds of them
are on the job every day whether
congress is in session or not.
"When the codes were fixed up un
der NRA, business men came to
Washington by the thousands, most
of them hoping to get codes fixed bo
that their competitors would not
have an advantage. Many of them
hoped to get hold of governmental
power in order to put their competi
tors out of business. They wanted
the government to help them fix
prices and control production.
"Of course, business men are not
alone in this. In recent year farm
organizations and labor organiz
ations have also been doing their
itulism .ire really nnarchist: who
at times because many officials in!t!,nik traffic lights should be re
the executive branch owe their posi-; :r''!V((l M motorists end prdestrians
tions to reDicseiitationi; m:ub bv tar-: mignt illustrate the doctrine of the
par
ticular congressmen or senators at
the behest of special groups.
"The rise and fall of political pres
sure is something like the weather.
When economic conditions are bad
the political Hituatlon will be hot
and sultry. In boom time there Is
no thought of changing the funda
mental rules.
"The financial gods that we wor
shiped before the 1929 t-rnh have
the
secrc-
survival of the fittest."
Discussing radicalism.
tary has this to say:
"During the past ten or fifteen
years the Red devil has b en the out
standing favorite among business
men. The Red devil came from Rus
sia c;.d carries tho brand of Marx
ami Lenin. If anyone in government
r.rrvico says anything which business
men do not like they lnld up t!e Red
disappeared. They fell with the col-!rirvil t3 the people.
lapse of tho fantastic financial stiuc
'Snme business men and certain
lure they built out of the swapping . '0"R''cssmen nally belli ve In I lie Red
ot dollar.! mid paper certificates.. I ut " mi"1 rinsi Pf them use h
needed that experience ! cause they think this is an
truer gods tuid values! to ir,l,'p t!:c per, ph.. .-) that they will
whole-hearted IlfU R'lVt? rcl thought to boclal and
economic problems."
Perhaps we
so that the
may now receive our
allcgiatu e.
"Their Is nothing new or Ker.sa
tios.nl about the rule:) we should fol
low. iThcy ln;vo to do with such
things af the tariff, tho balance of
iutcrii.itiou.il payment. meret iiy
policy, iui'ridie,i. ttlou. prices and
production policies and railroad-rate
him be-
y w.-iy
R b said
temper;' ry
N.'ivin Park
nMy a i! no-,
Wil.i 1'ClrJs.t;;
their siiouldc
;d
the carpeiii'Jis building
nts I'm- tho scries in
t i. trri-, r,c cci'sldcr-
ly Il.-.nk Green berc
'uacii'.g rum n:r
s.
