THE WEEKLY REVIEW
Published Weekly and “Devoted to the lnt»ests of the Colored Citixenry of Nebnwka."
VOLUME ONE LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JtJrSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1933. __NUMBER FIVE
The Entire Nation Is
Starving for Money i
BY P. A. Spain, Paris Texas
The following facta and most of the
expressions are taken from A. W Rick
er. editor of Farmers Onion Herald
of Wisconsin.
The eyes of an expectant agricul
ture are now turned on Washington
where the American congress is again
wrestling with the problems arising
out of the depression. The twelve
milium* of jobless men and women,
with their dependents, are also look
ing to Washington for relief.
Out in the country where the farm
er* live, there is no scarcity of food.
Farmers are eating three meals a day.
but they are not paying interest on
their debts, and in some sections thou
sands of them are deliberately ignor
ing their tax bills.
Recently the sheriff in a North
Dakota county tried to collect one
hundred thousand dollars of taxes
against various properties by selling
than from the court house steps.
Of the total tax titles offered for sale,
lljree dollars was all the money in the
county available for purchase. Tax
collections for the support of counties
are dwindling with each passing
month.
Millions of bushels of wheat are in
the granaries of the northwest, and
there are other millions of feed grains
which cannot be marketed because
the price offered will not pay the
freight to take it to market.
Chicago's policemen and teachers
received a Christmas check of one
month's salary, the first they had re
ceived in several months. Tax in
comes are drying up in every state
county and city in the union. The in
coming governor of Texas is reported
to have said, “Taxes must be reduced,
or the government will falL"
And now let us look at how this
situation Is beiiig handled. It is be
ing met by federal loans through the
reconstruction corporation. The na
tion’s private money bags are still
full of coin, but it is unsafe for the
owners of these money bags to make
loans to private business.
The farmer cannot borrow money
oecause two cent hogs, ten cent corn
and twenty-five cent wheat offer no
sound basis for security. The only
debtor now to be considered a safe
risk is the government itself.
The government has the first lien
on all property. The government
alone has power to reach into the
pocket of the citizen and take his
last dime, cr his last piece of tangi
ble property. So the money bags turn
to government as the only available
source of collecting interest.
The money bags loan to the finance
corporation, which is guaranteed by the
government. The finance corporation
then loans to the railroads. The rail
roads pay the interest on their bonds
and back the money goes to the pri
vate money bags.
The finance corporation loans to a
state and the state passes the money
on to a city. The city uses the mon
ey to feed, clothe and house the un
employed. The money thus employ
ed flows back to the private money
bags and is reloaned to the finance
corporation.
Thus the private money bags are
collecting interest and the people’s
government is going deeper into debt.
As debts increase, so will taxes, for
it is tax money which must be used
to repay the money bags' principal
and interest.
Now how long is this sort of pro
cedure going to be kept up? How long
will the people and thir congress ig
nore the fact that the sovereign gov
ernment itself has full constitutional
power to issue money, instead of bor
rowing it from the private , money
bags?
Money is, and must be provided to
the states and their cities with which
to house, feed and clothe their thir
ty millions of destitute men. women
and children, otherwise we will
have insurrection and hunger riots,
with soldiers patrolling the streets of
of our cities. Then why in the name
of common sense, does not the gov
ernment issue its own currency in
quantities sufficient to supply this
need?
Why Borrow?
Why should a sovereign government
borrow money from its private bank
ers, pay them interest, involve the
masses of people in a deeper debt,
when the power and authority to is
sue money is directly and explicitly
given to congress by our constitution?
The precise way to devalue a dollar
which has become too dear, is for the
government to start issuing govern
ment currency. The thing that is fun
damentally wrong about our situation,
is that the moneybags have control of
all our money. It gets into circulation
now in quantities only through govern
ment channels. Government, in the
eyes of the moneybags is the only safe
debtor
The nation is currency starved. If
the government would start the print
ing press, and commence to issue gov
ernment currency with which to pay
Grand Opening a
Great Success
Thank you, Lincoln, Omaha and
Falrbury, all of you good people, for
attending and making our opening a
grand success. We also take pleasure
In thanking the C. R I. & P. and it's
employes for their cooperation that
made the get together possible It
makes us feel truly grateful to have
had you take Interest In coming to see
our modem plant, of which we are
duly proud Our endeavors will be to
keep your confidence you have shown
In us by maintaining a high class ser
vice and quality.
Bar-be-que Wednesdays, Saturdays
and Sundays, Also on special occasions
or by request. Short orders any night.
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Church Notes
The Quinn Chapel Allen Christian
League will sponsor an Allen Day
program next Sunday, February 5th,
at 7:30 P. M. The public is urged to
attend. Miss Thompson, President
Services at Quinn Chapel were fair
ly well attended The pastor. Rev. O.
H Burbridge discoursed on "As a man
thinketh. so is , The evening top
ic was “Let your light so shine among
men that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which
is in Heaven.” Visitors present were,
Mr. H M. Carr, Yakima. Wash., Misses
Inez Cocklin and Mildred Williams,
and Messrs. William Ivy and Edwin
Rose.
Quinn Chapel Sunday School at the
usual hour. 9:30 A. M. Everyone is
cordially invited to come.
Mrs. M. Shelby, Supt.
The Rev. G. N. Jones of the Newman
Methodist Church will occupy the pul
pit of the Grace Methodist church
on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12th,
honoring the Negro Educative History.
Needless Legislation
It is almost time to wonder if pro
hibition has not had a great deal to
do with our present day difficulties.
Many of us were not willing to admit
that such was the case a short time
back but those who have made the
contention have much to support their i
argument just now, and their numbers
ure growing day by day.
It is rather silly that a supposedly
free people should be brought to a con
dition of near chaos by an organized
minority and held there by an even
weaker minority, but such is the case.
It would be wholly democratic to al- j
low each state to determine whether or
not it wants prohibition. Better still it
would have been had a national refer
endum been held to decide the issue,
so that the people might have been
given an unobstructed vote, but the pro
fessional reformers and highly organ
ized and prosperous bootleggers would
not have liked that.
Unfortunately, we fell into error
when we made too much haste in plac
ing the 18th amendment in the consti
tution. And so it is we must make haste
very slowly in getting rid of this un
popular law. Our constitution is looked
upcn as our most sacred document.
Certainly we. as a group, cannot be
too eager to run rough shod over the
constitution and its amendments, be
cause we hai’e a grave concern in two
of its amendments—the 14th and 15th
The prohibition situation has brot
us more grief and embarrassment than
any other measure in our national his
tory. One thing is certain: It has
pointed out to us the danger and fu
tility of passing unpopular laws.
Late News
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. White are
the proud parents of a fine baby boy
born Wednesday, Jan. 25th. They have
christened the baby Theodore. We wish
Mrs. White and baby best of health.
Mr. Harvey Washington suffered a
stroke Wednesday afternoon and is
very ill.
j all government expenses, the money in
| the possession of the moneybags would
; come out of the bank vaults so fast
j you could see it move.
Start to cheapening the dollar, and
I those who have the existing dollar
I would start to changing that money for
; goods, and do it "pronto.*’ A dollar
which is decreasing in purchasing
j power, comes out of its hiding place
i and goes into goods and property.
A Cheaper Dollar
I The moment congress adopts a pol
i icy of cheapening the dollar, the de
j pression will begin to disappear. This
writer does not believe that the farm
problem can be solved by any kind of
marketing bill which congress may
eventually pass We must get the value
of the dollar down and the value of
labor and commodities up.
The price of gold is too high and the
price of commodities too low. We can’t
borrow ourselves out of poverty. We
must lower the value of the dollar and
raise the value of human toll. I- can
not see this depression departing until
we begin precisely at the point which
will change the relationship between
money and the commodities.
N. A. A. C. P. Launches
Membership Drive
The N A A. C. P. met Sunday at tf* '
Neuman M E church. 13rd and 8
streets for the purpose of reorganisa
tion Several persons, many who were
previously not members, were present.
The meeting was opened by the pres
ident. William Woods, who has served
as the chief executive in this organi
zation with great success more than
any other individual He stressed the
good that such an organization with
the proper program could do in this
community. “The work done by the Na
tional Association this year and in
1932". declared Mr Woods, "merits un
limited praise
"Lack of finances and non-coopera
tion of many branches such as ours
were not sufficient factors to deter the i
officers and workers from making last
year the banner year for achieve
ments." he said.
He further stated that the local
branch should have but one object at
present and that to be to meet its as
signed quota of fifty dollars. The best
method of doing this would be to
launch a membership drive that would
net 80 one dollar memberships.
Short talks were made by Mrs. Anna
Hill, Mrs. Austin Curtis, the Rev. Mrs
Sarah McWilliams Mr M T. Woods,
and O. B. Evans
The secretary. Mr. Q B. Evans, read j
several communications from the New j
York office, all of which seemed to j
emphasise the fact that if the N. A. A, j
C. P. is to continue its fight for the .
race this year it must have the fin- ,
ancial support of every branch.
The time and place of the next meet- |
ing will be determined by the executive
committee which meets tonight at the
home of the president. Mrs. Austin
Carr was appointed a member of the
executive committee. Election of offi
cers will be held at the next meeting. j
University News
On Sunday afternoon, from three to
six o'clock. Alpha Theta Chapter of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority enter
tained at a tea at the home of Mrs.
Edmi ds. 2450 P St TYie occasion
the celebration of founders day. which
happened to be ihe twenty-fifth or i
silver anniversary of the founding of j
the organization.
The Sorority emblem hung over the j
doorway leading from the front room i
to the music room, to the right of this :
was a table on which was displayed
the charter of the local chapter the
official recognition of the chapter, as!
c. campus organization by the dean of
women. "Ivy Leaf's" (the national
Publication, i pictures and clippings j
and also two maps which show the >
growth in twenty-five years form the ;
first chapter, founded at Howard Uni- '
versity in 1908, to the forty-four grad
uate chapters and forty-nine under
graduate chapters in existence today
The decorations of the tea table j
were pink and green, the sorority eel- ,
ors. Mrs. James Dean and Mrs. Leon ;
Lily were at the table the first part
i of the afternoon and Mrs. Marie Cope
land and Mrs. America Marshall the
latter half The hostesses were Sar- j
ars Grayce Dorsey. Maladene Hill,
Charlotte Loving. Katherine Thomson
and Catherine Williams. Miss Beulah
CTaft and Miss Hilda Bernard, mem- ;
bers of the Ivy Leaf Club also acted
as hostesses and assisted with the serv
ing.
Musical numbers throughout the
afternoon were rendered by Mr. Pri
mus Wade, who sang "Somewhere A
Voice Ls Calling" and also by Mr. P.
! M. E Hill who gave two groups of
! three numbers. "Pale Moon.'* Kash
miri Song" and "The sunshine of Your
Smile.'* in the first group and For
gotten.” "A Brown Bird Singing" and
"Because" in the second.
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Pictures Classified
■ The critics of the movie world have
ccme forth with a list of the ten best
productions for the year 1932. and a
list of the ten worst for the same year
It is just too bad that we did not know
that these shows were so bad before we
spent our hard-earned money to see
them Maybe the producers will be a
little kinder this year and tell us in
advance when a picture is poor. Well,
anyway, here are the lists as they were
given out by the Judges from the Mo
tion Picture Producers Association.
The ten best: "Arrow-smith', "Broken
Lullaby”. "Scarface". "‘Bill of Divorce
ment". "Meadchen in Uniform", Trou
ble in Paradise", "Blessed Event", "The
Guardsmen", and “Strange Interlude."
The ten worst: "White Zombie".
“Blondie of the Follies", "Dancers In
the Dark ", -The Conquerors”, '13 Wo
men", “The Crash", "Scarlet Dawn”,
"Night Court", “The First Year", and
“Cook o' the Air."
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Mrs. Walter Seals was surprised by
a group of friends Saturday night, who
gave her a birthday surprise at her
home. 2808 Miamie Street, Omaha. Mr
and Mrs. M. E. Williams were guests
cf Mr. and Mrs Walter Seals over the
! week-end.
W. Robert Smalls
To Visit Lincoln
W Robert Smalls, evecuUve secretary
of the Kansas City, Muwwuri, Urban
League, will be a Lincoln visitor this
week-end Mr Smalls will arrive in
Lincoln Saturday morning from Be
atrice, where he will appear as the
principal speaker on a National Ne
gro educational Week Program Friday
night.
Mr Smalls, who has been doing Ur
ban League work for many years has
established himself as an outstanding
executive in this field. He comes to
Lincoln on an Invitation from Mr. M
T Woods, president of the Lincoln Ur
ban League
Mr Smalls is originally from the
east, having come west when he was
appointed executive secretary of the
St Paul-Minneapolis Uuban League
He Is serving his second year in Kan
sas City. This Is Mr Small's first visit
to Lincoln
■ ■ ■ -» .
Sports
Someone has asked the editor of this
column if he sere actually sincere in
his efforts to establish a sports column
for this paper, if so. where was the
source from which the local news was
to be derived This would infer that
there were flktfoy^ or girls, for that
matter, who wWP IzAerested in the
many branches sA sport Well, the mat
ter of fact is. this columnist knows that
the youth of this city, though restrict
ed to a large extent by his limited op
portunities that are offered him, does
try to make the best of the advantages
.that he possesses.
In our midst we have a young boxer
who is about as classy as any you will
find In these parts. He is none other
than "Bus” Jobe, whose right Is known
and feared by all the local boys in his
weight division.
There are three basket ball teams—
two professional and one amateur Tho
handicapped by places to practice and
a lack of good equipment, these boys
do play. The Hot Shots", captained
and managed by Vernon Layer, play in
nearby towns once or twice every week
-Last week they journeyed . Bruno .
Nebr.. and lost by a close margin Lon
nie Thomas. Hobart Layer. Bill Bums
Waller Gill. Don Talbert, and Romon
Valez are the other members of the
squad.
Last football season found Bill Burns
Robert Dorsey, and Lonme Thomas
rtarring on local amateur grid squad'
Thomas was chosen on every sports
writers “All City” elevens as end Wc
feel that he would have been an asset
to the Nebraska University team-hut
of course, his complexion forbade that
Already the boys who are interested
in the diamond sport are beginning »->
limber up their arms, according to
John Williams, who for many seasons
has played catcher and fielder on suc
cessful baseball teams that the colored
boys have sponsored.
Elwood Randall was the best quarter
miler that Lincoln high had last year
and we are looking for him to bring
home the jacon this year Walton from
Kansa. City is capable of making Ne
braska Universitie’s basket ball or track
team.
As the warm weather approaches we
can hear talk from men. women, boys
and girls about how good they expect
to develop in both golf and tennis
A number of us would like to swim,
but there is no place for us to even
learn hew. unless we go to some other
place, such as Omaha. Chicago, or St
Paul
_V_ - —
The Needy Benefit
Association
The Needy Benefit Association of
Texas. Nebraska and Iowa which was
I organized in Lincoln last November
will endeavor to enlarge Us member
ship in a drive which will start in the
next few days.
This organization offers an oppor
i tunity to members of the race for bus
iness training that few other organiza
tions of its kind do. An outstanding
proposition in which the members are
offered policies ranging from $75 to
$500 varying according to age limits.
Anyone between three months and
95 years old is eligible for member
ship In addition to the business phase
there is the fraternal aspect with all
of its advantages also included in the
program of the organization.
The Lincoln lodge is known as Cap
itol Lodge No. 4. The president is M. T,
Woods, and the secretary is T. T Me
> Williams
—-o
Mrs. Mamie Todd, who was paihlullv
burned last week, is much improved
. -o
Reinstatements in Comhusker Lodge
are coming in at an encouraging rate,
and before the membership drive is
over many old Comhuskers will be
back in the ranks of 579
Mr and Mrs Monroe Williams and
family were week-end visitors of their
daughter and family, Mrs J Walter
! Scott, Jr and family of Omaha
Janizaries 1 hreaten
Policies of Gov. Bryan 1
Force* of Reaction Invade Lincoln,
Seeking In Evade Reform in Taxa
tion and Salary Redaction.
By George W Kline
Represented by some of the most
adroit lobbyists of the state, opponents
of tax reform in Nebraska have set the
stage for an epic drama.
The policies of Governor Bryan are
to be assailed from one angle. At the
same time such doctrines as the mon»
arium. the income tax and drastic cut*
in fees and salaries are to be resisted.
In this strange union of forces re
publican reactionary joins conservative
democrat. Progressive republican takes
up the fight in support of democrat
ic apostle of reform. Partisan lines ere
vanishing It is a weird combat of the
disorganized Many against the skillful
defenders of big interests, the war
riors of the Few
With a deluge of bills Introduced.
Speaker O’Malley In the house has is
sued a call for action. In the senate
there is the same sparring for speedy
results: the air surcharged with fore
bodings: over all suspense, apprehen
sion.
Ten days will tell the story. Already
three of the newly elected state offi
cials show- weak spots In their newly
donned armor. Let the legislature day
iy overlong and an embittered populace
will voice Indignation throughout the I
state
The C onciliation Policy
Governor Bryan sought to avoid the
passage of a drastic moratorium hy hts
commission for debt conciliation Tax
Commissioner Smith is at the head of I
this body Prom various sections of the '
state come the reports that this idea I
is too conservative to afford relief. The
insistent demand is for legally enacted
moratorium
Everywhere there is a disposition on
the part of the progressives to embrace
new ideas. They seek to cut fees, re
duce salaries, shave down taxation
Then Uie pew ideas in taxation jtre. to
be given consideration
Opposing income tax and other re
forms are the Rodmans, the Stephen
sons, the reactionaries of the republi
can party, the men charged with lur
ing the O. O. P to its doom With them
une united the stalwarts of conservative
democracy, all eager to preserve the
special privileges of the past.
Interest rates are doomed to reduc
tion. It is good-bye for such little
juicy items as the Chicago exposition.
Educational institutions will get a
combing and a currying. The board of
control probably will escape being re
ferred to the people. The railway com
mission is pretty certain to run the
gauntlet of the ballot box.
From he committee emerges the
Muir bill to consolidate the office of
secretary of state with that of the au
ditor and abolish the land commis
sioner's cffice. Bryan wants the attor
ney general's office placed on the ap
pointive list.
There are bills jogging along to re
form the state fair board and to place
the game commission under the eantrjl
of the governor.
The Bryan Planks
Since there will be considerable dis
cussion about what Mr. Bryan prom
ised the people in the campaign, it
is well to review his platform. As
summarized from advertising during
the political fight last fall, the planks
are:
1 Repeal cf the intangible tax law.
2. Reduction of interest on delin
quent taxes from 12 to 8 per cent
3. Repeal of the deficiency judg
ment law.
4. Favors a state income tax to
equalize taxes between farmers and
the holders of untaxed intangible prop
erty.
5. Favors organizing to promote or
derly farm marketing.
6. Reduction of state tajces
7. Reduction in the valuation of
farm and home property for taxation
purposes.
8 Legislation to reduce and equal
ize taxes "so as to give the farmers
a break ”
In his message to the legislature. Mr.
Bryan urged the abolition of the rail
way commission and the doing away
with the office of attorney general
as an elective office He urged the
1 abolition of several bureaus and the
reformation of the fish and game de
partment.
Salary Bill Passes
The senate nas passed S. F. 52. the
, salary reduction bill for constitution
al officers. It bears tie emergency
clause and becomes effective as soon
as passed by the house and signed bv
the governor
The schedules are slightly higher
than the Muir bill in the house The
senate gave the governor and supreme
judges $5 000 and the state officers
$4,000. The railway commission was
put down to $3,000.
The state officers, judges of the su
preme court and all district judges are
under the temporary peak schedules
fixed by Uh* constitutional convention
The legislature ha* never revised these
salaries although authorised to fix sal
aries once In each eight year period
Lawyers, eager to protect Judicial
sa'anes, insisted that the old consti
tutional provision in the constitution
of lib was in effect and salaries could
not be increased or diminished during
an official's term of office After they
had made this argument they were
confronted with the fact that all these
officials gobbled up their salaries in
183d and 1031 at the increased rate for
the term for which they were elected.
Then, too, many farmers dug up from
their files copies of the "Address to
the People" circulated in 1930. promis
ing that the legislature could revise
schedules once in eight yean, said re
vision to be effective immediately. |C
Salary Cuts Proposed
In the final rush of bills in each
Ignine, salary cuts from everybody on
tbe state payroll was proposed. It
seemed that few deputies or subordi
nates escaped and these will be un
lucky when the committees make a
check.
, The house finance committee put
lh« advocates of an appropriation for
the Chicago exposition out of their
misery in short order. The request for
$40,000 was turned down Victor B
Smith of Omaha. Prank Eager, J. H
Agee and others appeared before the
committee. They won a unanimous
verdict in the negative.
Bock has a bill in the house to reor
ganise the state board of agriculture
McCarter has filed in the senate his
gross income tax bill. Cushing h' the
income tax advocate in the house.
Evening Classes
The University of Nebraska and the
Lincoln high school are again offering
classes of instruction along many dif
ferent lines of endeavor There is no
improvement as helpful to one as sell
improvement. Of course, no one Is ever
too old to learn, be It by books or
worldly experience, but our recom
mendation is that everyone should for
his own sake take advantage of every
opportunity that is offered him.
Do not forget the old adage: "Those
who Improve opportunity do not fight
Father Time."
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Lincoln High
School News
The Review has appciiitcd Mbs £- - -
estine Taylor, Junior student at the
Lincoln high school. Miss Taylor will
sponsor and edit each week this col
umn under the title of Lincoln High
School News.” Taylor contributes
her first article this week.
Lincoln High School News
Welcome Junior high school grad
uates Indeed. Margaret Lee. Hazel
Walker. Paul Beck. Fred .levels, and
Edwin 'I.ittle* Hammond, we con
gratulate you on your achievement.
We hope that daring your stay in Lin
coln High, you will exceed the records
you made In Junior High.
We marvel at an unusual situation
at the high school. There are an equal
number of Negro students eating at the
firrt and second lunch periods.
Alfred Ray has returned and is tak
ing a post-graduate course.
The Mines and Southmore Dramat
ic clubs try outs for places m the cast
have begun. The first meeting of both
clubs will be Friday, February 3rd.
We feel that our race is honored by
the selection of Miss Orvilla Banks as
one of the enLrtainers during both the
first and second lunch periods.
Miss Ernestine Taylor.
From Nebraska Cities
Beatrice
The S P. Girl Reserves will sponsor
a program Friday night at eight o'clock
at thr Y W C. A. building. The pur
pose ol the program is the celebration
of Negro Educational Week. Mr. Rob
ert Smalls, executive secretary of the
Kansas City Urban League, has been
selected as the principal speaker. Indi
viduals from Beatrice and Lincoln will
make up the rest of the program. Every
one is welcome. Miss Maybelle Scott
is the director of the S. P. Reserves.
Mr and Mrs. L. J. Gordon proved
themselves very congenial hosts when
they entertained a group of friends at
their beautiful home last Saturday
night. The following Lincolnites were
out of town guests: V.r. and Mrs. C. R.
Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hus
ton. Mr and Mrs. James Dean, and
Miss Alma Wiley.
Fremont
Rev Alfred Newton filled the pulpit
Sunday Rev Newton is from Beatrice.
Mr. Burt Newton and Mr, Gaitha
Pegg were visitors Sunday.
Mr Jack Herndon, with his guest.
Mr Pegg and Ml. Newton drove to
Omaha lust Sunday afternoon.
