GUIDE OMAHA
The eye of a Master win “No Man wa, ever
do more work than his __ _ _ Glorious who was not
- March of Events City, ana Nat’l Lite Laborous."
Page Eight OMAHA. NEBRASKA. SATURDAY NOV. 18th. 1933
—--——---- -—-.--- ! ” — ■-—— -—_
THE OMAHA GUIDE
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| EDITORIAL |
STATE REGULATION AT ITS BEST
In an article in the Public Utilities
Fortnightly, William A. Prendrgast, for
mer chairman of the public sedvjce com
mission of New York, points out that the
state commissions are at the crossroads.
On the one hand they are subjected to
political prssure of an unsually strong
nature, due to the uncertainty of the
time, and on the other they are confront
ed by Federal incursions into fields
which formerly were exclusively in the
province of the state.
Mr. Prendergast makes two sug
gestions which he believes must be adop
ted if the utility commissions are to sur
vive and if regulation is to be honest, ef
fectve and in the public interest. The
first is that the commission should be
agencies independent of political inter
ference from any quarter, whether it be
governors, municipal governments or
civic organizations, and, secondly, that
they should establish a deflnit system of
determining a rate base and adhere to it.
The second suggestion is a matter
for economists and engineers to thrash
out. The first, which is much more vital,
is, in one sense, up to the public. If poli
tical pressure of one kind or another has
sometimes harmed and disrupted state
regulation, it is because the public has
permitted it to do so. High officals, par
ticularly in state government, have at
tempted to make the commission do cer
tain things — such as to reduce rates—
irrespective of legal or economic justi
fication. They have sought to make the
commissions an ally in their efforts to
manufacture votes and curry public fav
or. In brief, they have attempted—and,
according to Mr. Prendergast, not with
out success in some instances—to “polit
cize” state regulation of public service
institutions.
The commissions, like the courts,
must exist above and local considera
tions, above the machinery of political
manipulation, or they must eventually
cease to exist at all. This is a public mat
ter indeed — and a wise and awTakened
public has it in its powder to cure a condi
tion wilich may rapidly become unendur
able.
< GOVERNMENT SPEEDS HOME
. BUILDING
A recent announcement from Wash
ington is that Prsidential pressure has
been applied to expedite plans for re
opening banks, liberalizing credit and to
make possible the building of low-cost
homes.
Here is the prelude to a revival of
major dimensions in the construction in
dustry. For three or four years there has
been a virtual lack of residential build
ing. Accompanying it has been an ab
normally high rate of depreciation on
existing homes, due to poor maintenance.
And the result is that the nation is short
many thousands of homes.
The person who waits a few months
or a year before building and repairing,
is going to be confronted by a tremend
ous advance in costs. He’s going to pay
many dollars for what a few dollars will
buy now. That is true of every phase of
building—from the purchase of the land
the house is to stand on, to the finishing
of its walls. It is true of even minor re
pairs and additions—new roofs and
steps, repainting, modernizing and re
pairing heating plants, renovizng elec
trie wiring, and everything eke.
The “buy now” movement that is
underway at present is very different
from sporadic movements of the past
which adopted the same slogan. This one
is based on fact, not fancy—on the know
ledge that recovery is acutally under
way, that residential construction is a
tremendous influence in speeding it up,
apd that the era of bankrupt prices is de
finitely waning. Every citizen who can
should “get in at the bottom”—and the
opportunity won’t be present much lon
ger.
SILVER IN THE LIMELIGHT
Silver is going to be very much in
the headlines when Congress meets
again.
It’s going to be there for a number
of reasons — because world trade is still
lagging and many authorities believe
that higher silver prices must be achiev
ed before it can pick up; because talk of
inflation has caused still other author
ities to remark that some plan for silver
monetization might be a cure for cur
rency ills; because the nation loss mil
lions in purchasing power, taxes, etc.
The silver problem hasn’t yet re
ceived the official attention it deserves—
there’s been a great deal of talk, with a
minimum of action. And that attention
should be forthcoming as soon as pos
sible.
* >
RAILROADS ON THE UP-GRADE
The news that the Class 1 rialroads
• of the country had better financial ex
perience during the first three quarters
of 1933 than in the same period last year
will be received with pleasure by an in
terested public. As matter of fact, their
earnings were close to being 100 per cent
improved. However, there’s nothing to
wave flags about as yet— this year the
income was 1.2 per cent on their invest
ment, as comparer with .92 last year.
Small as their profits have been, the
1933 experience produces one very im
portant fact: The railroads are still our
basic transportation medium, and they
will remain so for a long time to come.
They are still carrying the great bulk of
heavy and long haul freight. They are
the only common carrier which complete
ly covers the country with its facilities,
and the only one which really pays its
own way, without benefits from the tax
payers.
, R is apparent that the railroads
can’t kep on forever without making a
reasonable return on their investment.
That return was specified at 5 per cent
in the Transportation Act—and, in spite
of unremitting efforts to achieve further
efficiency and advance economy of
operation, they have not been able to
earn it in a single year since the war. It’s
good to know that their position has im
proved—^-but the statistics speak for
themselves as to how much more must be
done^before they share in the prosperity
they do so much to create.
THE FIRE AT JONESVILLE
The other day there was a fire at
Jonesville. It started in the town’s prin
cipal industry, a factory employing sev
eral hundred persons. It wasn’t great in
dustry, . as industries go, but from the
standpoint of Jonesville’s hopes for pro
sperity and progress it was very import
ant indeed.
At first the fire didn’t seem especial
ly dangerous. The local fire department
w-as called and responded at once. But
the blaze began making better progress.
It found its way into a storeroom con
taining readily combustible materials
and roared into walls and floors and
stairways.
Even so, there was no great worry
felt. It wrasn t beyond control—if the fire
department had the essential facilities in
good working order. But that’s where
the tragedy came in. The engines were
old and inefficient. There was less hose
footage than there should have been,
with some rotted to where it could not
stand maximum water pressure.
The upshot wTas that Jonesville’s
factory wTas destroyed. It W'as covered by
insurance, of course—but the best insur
ance policy ever written can pay for but
a small part of the damage. Jobs were
lost-—and rates on other property had to
be increased. And Jonesville entered in
to the deepest depression of its history.
In this case, Jonesville is a mythical
town, and its factory a mythical factory.
But that little drama has been repeated
hundreds of times the past few years, in
many sections of the country. Fire de
partment appropriations have been cut_
engines allowed to deteriorate without
being repaired, or cheap new engines in
stead of those of standard, make have
been bought. And where cents were
saved, irreplacable dollars were destroy
ed.
WE CAN’T HAVE BOTH
The greatest obstacle business is
struggling against now is taxation. And
taxation, as a result, is the prinicpal
barrier in the way of achieving the fullest
success for the recovery plans that are
now in operation.
No business can spend money it has
not got. No business can put more men
on its pay rolls when it is having a hard
time bringing in enough revenue to meet
existing demands. No business can ex
pand with profitless balance sheets.
It’s a moot point as to how great an
influence taxation was in prolonging and
deepening depression. But it was, to say
the least, considerable. When the nation
al income touched the lowest point in de
cades, the cost of government loomed
like Everest out of the plains of Tibet.
To regain governmental economy, it
is not necessary to curtail or damage
necessary governmental functions—it
simply means that the waste, ineffi
ciency and duplication of effort that is
actually harmful to legitimate govern
—as in the post office dpartmentA which
is breaking even for the first time in
many years. But the work has barely
begun.
Reasonable taxation is the friend of
recovery, of employment and higher
wage scales, and individual and corpor
ate prosperity. That must not be for
gotten.
SPECTRES ON PARADE
One reason why there is less apprecia
tion than there should be of the horror
of our annual automobile death toll is
that the accidents happen far apart geo
graphically, and at intervals throughout
the entire years so that the total of a
single day in a single locality does not
mental work, must be eliminated. In
some cases a start has been made, and
the taxpayerr have been saved millions
particularly disturb us. Again, few mo
torists, comparatively speaking, see an
accident in which someone is killed or
seriously injured.
It would be well for the public to put
its imagination to work on this situation.
Here’s one way to do it. Suppose that
you, and all the millions of other car
owners, could be sated, in a tremendous
reviewing stand. Marching by slowly in
front of you are the 35,000 shrouded
spectres of persons who wre killed by
automobiles last year. To each shrouded
figure is clinging one or more bereaved
relativ. The parade would take many
hours to pass—a silent, marching line of
lives that had been destroyed because
some one was careless or reckless or in
competent.
The very unpleasantness of that il
lustration is what makes it valuable. The
fact that onty an infinitestimal propor
tion of the 35,000 victims are killed in
your community doesn’t make any diff
erence. Nor does the fact that only a
comparatively few deaths occur on a giv
en day. Remember that each year sees
hundreds of tragedies as horrible as
those of the Titanic or th Arkon — and
they are all unnecessary.
Think of that long, horrible parade.
And then decide what kind of a driver
you will strive to be in the future.
THE PAST AND THE FUTURE
The test of a financial institution, as
James Rodman, President of the Amer
ican Thrift Insurance Company, wrote
recently, is not the ability to meet its
obligations in normal times—but to do so
wiien times are abnormal and financial
conditions are without precedent. That
is the test the life insurance industry has
met the past three years, with an amaz
ingly small record of failures. During
those three years—1930, 1931, and 1932
—the industry paid to the public the vast
sum of $6,000,000,000. The magnitude of
this sum may be appreciated in the light
of the fact that the total income of the
farming industry in 1932 was less than
$5,000,000,000 — and close to 50,000,000
people are dependent on the farms for
their livelihood.
When the history of the depres
sion is finally written, the chapter that
deals with life insurance will be one of
the brightest. The stock market broke
wide open and high grade bonds drop
ped to unbelievably low? levels — yet al
most every insuranc policy wras met pre
cisely as the contract stipulated. Banks
failed, businesses wTent under, and thou
sands of persons had their savings swept
awaiy with the exception of their life in
surance investment, which wTas unim
paired. It’s impossible to detail in statis
tics the poverty and the want that life in
surance prevented during these years of
crisis—it is sufficient to say that, with
out it, the country might very well have
been swept by a panic without rival in
history.
THE PRICE OF LEADERSHIP,
WHAT?
By M. L. Harris
To the thinking Negro, who was at
the Auditorium last Tuesday night, to
hear the address of General Hugh John
son, on the N. R. A. the absence of at
least one representative of the 14,000
Negroes of Omaha on the stage was at
least very significant, if not disappiont
mg.
America is engaged in the greatest
war of her existence, not a militant war
as was th war of the colonies; War of the
Rebellion, Spanish-American, or the
World’s War, but a war it is just the
same fraught with more grave conse
quences and National danger than any
of the others. No man can see behind the
veil which separates us from the future,
and as that is true, no one can prophyesy
or _ conjure up in his mind the things
which confronts us as a nation, if the
struggle which is now being carried on
to save this country thru the medium of
the NR A. fails. The President is so intent
on putting over his recovery program,
that, all sectional, racial and partisan
lines are being, ignored.
Wen from every race pa^ty and vo
cation are being called in for conferences
and consulations. Only the one thing
matters. As it was the cry of the immor
tal Lincoln in the days of the rebellion,
“The union must be saved at any price,”
so it is today with our President.
Representatives from every race
and nation are being consulted that the
(President) may be informed as to the
needs and desires of each component
part of this great melting pot. Negroes
have not only been cnsulted, but have
been appointed to places of trust, that
they may advise the administration as to
the things by which the members of our
group may work out their temporal
salvation. As these are self evid
ent truths, why had the Negro no re
presentative on the platform at the aud
itorium Tuesday night? It cannot be
charged to prejudice, nor can it be said
that Omaha boasts of no Negroes who
are competent to represent US on such
an occasion. Why then was he not there ?
Saturday, November 11, the greatest All
American Day of modern times, there
was more people in line with 50,000
spectators applauding and looking on, a
day set aside to honor and commemorate
the dead, who fell on Frei^h soil and
others, wTho offere their lives as a loving
sacrifice to Old Glory, the symbol of
freedom to all who come writh her gates.
This day wras set aside that the black boy,
who fell fighting for his country should
receive the same honor as the white boy.
As this is true, why was there not one
Negro organization there to do them
honor? Why was not there one bugler to
Mow the last taps over the body of their
comrade? Why was there not one band
to give the last note over the grave of
the unknown soldier? Where are all the
exservice men in Omaha, who would not
honor their dead comrades? Was it lack
of leadership, or what?
GENERAL JOHNSON, THE N. R. A.
AND THE NEGRO
By M. L. Harris
Last Tuesday night at the Auditor
ium a great concourse of people as
sembled to receive from President Roose
velts man “Friday” General Hugh John
son, who has been delegated to lead us
out of the wilderness of doubt, despair
and disastor, first hand, report of his
stewardship. From the reception he was
accorded by those present, if there was
any doubts as to what the people thought
at least in Omaha, it was displayed at
that meeting.
We are fully persuaded the “wailing and
gnashing of teeth”, of such men as
Hearst, McCormich and Senator Dick
inson of Iowa, has not even disturbed or
dented the confidence of the people in the
President or his Recovery program. The
American people will not forget when
seven months ago, Mr. Koosevelt was in
ducted int office, Mr. Hearst and others
of that ilk was dumb “as a shepp led
to the slaughter”—nothing constructive
to offer and no suggestions to make. As
they had none to make then, the people
will have no confidence in what they
have to offer now.
There was a time the American
people could be hood-winked into lending
a listening ear to the voice of the de
stroyers of confidenc in such men as
Roosevelt, Johnson and Wallace, but that
time is past.
We are a reading thinking nation, will
not be stampede and herded as a drove
of cattle down the hillside of National
destruction. As Moses did in the days of
old, they are going to “stand still and
watch the salvation of the Lord” with
an undying faith and confidence in the
policies of President Roosevelt, if it
takes until March 1935.
FROM THE GOVERNOR OFFICE
FARWEL’ : FAR WELL STATE
BANK
Prior payments made during re
ceivership 10% .__ $7,990. 12
Court order of October 21, 1933
for further 10% . 7,990.12 ^
20% ._ ..$15,980.24 .
HOLDREGE: PHELPS COUNTY
BANK
Prior payments made during
receivership 10% . $25,207.67
Court order of October 14, 1933
for further 10% . 25,207.67
20%.$50,415.34
UPLAND: UPLAND BANKING
COMPANY
Prior payments made during
receivership 45% . $68,514.02
Court order of October 21, 1933
for further 10% . 15,225.42
*>5%.... ..$83,739.44
Dedicate The Restored
Lincoln Village’ in Illinois
CHICAGO November 15—(CNS)_
Headed by Governor Horner other
State officials and thousands of stu
dents and loves of Lincolnia the re
stored village of Old Salem Hlinois
where Abraham Lincoln at one time
lived was dedicated on Thursday
November 1 at New Salem State
Park near Petersburg Menard Coun
ty Illinois 187 miles from Chicago.. IU1
was at New Salem that Lincoln
courted Ann Rutledge his first love.
The ceremonies were in charge of
Robert Kingery acting director of
the State depatment of public works
and buildings who had directed the
restoration.
The preservation of scenes of Lin
coln’s young manhood is due to the
fact that William Randlph Hearst
has been a great admirer of the
Emancipator. In 1908 Mr. Hearst
purchased the 68 acres covering the
old village which was well on its way
to obliteration.
He presented the property to the
State of Illinois and in 1919 the leg
islature passed a bill accepting the
gift and turning it into a State park.
Since then 13 of the original log
cabins and buildings of Old Salem
have been restored following re
search over several years. The in
teriors have been equiped with furni
ture and utensils some of which wero
originally in the village. The others
are true to the period.
Awarded Fellowship to
Pursue Post- Graduate
Work in Dermatology
CHICAGO November 15 — (CNS)
—Dr.. Horace C.. Scott has just been
awarded a Fellowship by an Eastern
philanthropic board to enable him to
pursue post-graduate work in Der
■*v>nl-rtlrt/mr r* +• ikn TT*»iTrnor.i4-rr «4P CL.' ■
Associate Professor of Dermatology
Kuppenheicer Research Fund. Dr..
Scott who repently was appointed a
Junior Clinical Assistant in Der
matology at Provident Hospital is a
graduate of Howard University re^f
ceiving the B.. S.. degree in 1925 and
the M.. D.. degree in 1930.. He served
a year’s internship at Freedman’s
Hospital at Washington after the
completion of which he began the
practice of medicine and surgery in
Chicago.
Last week he was appointed a med
ical examiner for the Victory Mutual
Life Insurance Company of Chicago
being perhaps the youngest physi
cian to have been appointed to such
a responsible position by Victory
Life.
Dr.. Scott who is the son of Dr..
Emmett J.. Scott secretary of How
ard University has been associated
for the past two years with Dr.. Fred
C.. Cade prominent Southside physi
cian with offices at 83 E.. 35th St.
and resides with his brother-in-law
and sister Attorney andMrs Aaron
H- Payne at 3530 South Parkway.
VIRGINIA NEGROES CALLED TO
SERVE ON JURY
NORFOLK Va. November 15—(C
NS)—Two newspaper men were
among four Negroes summoned for
jury duty at the November term of
the Federal district court which con
vened November 6. While the prac
tice of calling Negroes for Federal
jury duty is not new here in has fall
en into disuse in recent years.
Of those summoned two were of
the staff of the Journal and Guide_
P- B-. Young editor and G.. J.. FlemT
mg one oi his employees. Both werf,
designated for grand jury duty. Mr.
Fleming however is now in New
York City city editor of the recently
established Daily Citizen.
ONE IN TEN JOBLESS SAYS
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE f
CHICAGO November 15—(CNS)_
National Urban League reports that
of the unemployed that tramp the
city streets one in every ten is a Ne
gro.