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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1935)
V.V.'.V.VAVi’AV.V/AIVWUWWW.'W/A’WW/JVWWW^W/WAF^mWW . . . EDITORIALS . . . - ■ " ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■• ■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ ■ ■£>■■ The Omaha Guide Published every Saturday at 2418-20 Giant St., Omaha, Neb. Phone WEbsler 1750 Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927 at the Post Office at Omaha, Neb., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. Terms of Subscription $2.00 per year. Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man must pre vail. These are the only principles which will stand the acid test of good citizenship in time of peace, war and death. ... .’gHE Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, March 3(bh, 1935 managements want to wave the whi.e Pag and sur render .heir economic position, that is their busi DIVIDE PRIZES EQUALLY IN LYNCHING ART EaHIBIT. New York, March za.—Judges of the pieces in in the recent art exhibit on lynching decided final ly to divide .he $15 in prize money donated by Mrs. Amy Spmgarn into five equal parts, with $15 going to Reginald Marsh, Harry Stcrnburg, Julius Bloch, Paul Cadmus and Wi.liam Mosby. Aiiangements arc being made to send the exhibit, cubed . An Art Commentary on Lynching,” on a tour which it is hoped will include several southern cities. N. A. A. C. P. TO FILE TEST SUIT FOR ARKANSAS CARiYlENi1 WOREEKS Litde Rock, Ark, March 28.—A vest case will be tiled here m a lew uays by attorneys' acting for tne National Association for the Advancement ol Colored People to recover back wages due colored aiul white workers of the Maid-Well Garment com puny a. Forrest City, Arkansas. the women were paid less than code wages for several weens and then ‘‘laid off indefinitely. It is to recover the lull amount due them for the weeks they worked under the code that suit is being brought. Lawyers retained by the N. A. A. C. P. are bcipio A. Jones veteran barrister wno handled the Arkansas not cases lor the N. A. A. C. P. fif teen years ago; J. K. Booker and J. A. 'Hibbler. Allidavi.s trom the workers w'ere secured dur ing the past two weeks by Johu P. Davis, secretary of the Joint Committee on National Recovery, who came to Arkansas as the agent of the N. A. A. C. P. Mr. Davis appeared Marcn 12 beiore the NRA re gional board m Balias, Tex aud alter presenting his data on the Maid-W ell Garment ease, the board ordered the Bme Eagle laken away from the factory and criminal prosecution begun against the owner, more than #a,OOU is involved in the back pay action. FRENCH MAGAZINE CARRIES ARTICLE ON NEAL LYNCHING. New York, March 28—A three page article on the lynching of Giaude Neal last October an Mari anna, Fionua, is carried in the February 2Uth is sue of Les Cahiers des Droits de lTiomme, a maga zine published in Paris, France. The author, Miss Magueiine Paz secured details from the N. A. A. C. 1'. and quotes a ueai oi the material m the N. A. A. C. P. pampli.eM “Tne Lynching of Claude Neal. The N. A. A. C. P. reports that it has received papers and magazines wnh accounts of the Neal lynching trom several European and South Ameri can Journals. PHILADELPHIA METHODISTS BACK ANTI LYNCH BILL. Philadelphia, Pa., March 28.—A resolution pas sed recently by the Social Service Commission of the Philadelphia annual conference of the M. E. church endorsed the Costigan-W agner anti-lynching bill in the following language: “We endorse the Costigan-W agner bid because lynching has become a menace to tlie nation, has besmirched the good name of America before the eyes of the world, and because it undermined the rudimentary foundations of organized society.” The Rev. Walter J. Leppert was ae.ive in se curing the endorsement. A CHALLENGE TO NEGROES. “In the United Stales as a whole during the five-year period, 1926-1930, more than eight times as many Negroes as white males were slain per unit of population and almost seven times as many Negro as white women. “ In 1920 the standardized rate for white males was 7.4 per 100,000 and in 1930 it was 7.7. The rate for white females also changed very little. Among Negroe males, however, the rate rose from 43.5 in 1920 to 58.9 in 1930 ,the highest point, 67, being reached in 1926. Among Negro women the rat# rose from 10.3 to 14.6 during the same years.” Such is the report on homicides in the United States made recently by Dr. Louis I.Dublin, chief statistician for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, in the March issue of the “Survey Graph ic.” The homicide rate for the country is 9.2 per 100,000. More than six times as many Negroes as whites are murdered. Most of the murderers of the Negroes are Negroes. This disgraceful record is a challenge to our group. When we are killing so many more of our people than are killed by lynching mobs each year, it is high time we did something about it. There are a few things that we can do immediate ly to stop this senseless taking of lives. We can in sit that the sale of dangerou weapons be restrictede; that Negroes accused of murdering Negroes be promptly arrested, tried and convicted and sentenc ed to as long terms as they would get for killing white people. Unless we do this we are tacitly ad » mitting that in our opinion the life of a Negro is not as valuable as that of a white person. There is a big job, too, for our ministers, our educators and our editors. Fortunately, an increas ingly large number are becoming aware of it. and working to halt this needless sacrifice on the alfar of passion and ignorance. AFTER FIVE YEARS OF DEPRESSION. The thirty-sixth annual statement issued by a representative, small life insurance company provid es some interesting facts as to the security, safety and solidity to the life insurance industry. this company has a reserve fund, required by law, of $15,695,000 to protect its outs.anding poli cies. 1. is obligated to pay, through monthly or an nual installments, ihe sum of $771,326 in death and disability claims. It has collected advance interest and premiums to.aling $144,000, which it has not yet earned, and taxes, bills payable, c aims in process of completi tion and miscellaneous expenses will take an addi tional $1,272,0000 This makes a total liabi.iiy of $17,883,000. Against .his liabilty, the company has unencum bered real estate valued at $3,884,000. It holds mortgage loans of $4,666,000, secured by first liens on real estate appraised at more .han $11,000,000. It has interest due on theese loans to the ex.ent of $217,000. I. has, in net premiums in process of col lection, and in loans on policies, $4,439,000. It owns high grade bonds and stocks wor.h $4,852,000 upon which interest now due totals $66,000. It has cash on hand to .he extent of $384,000, and miscellaneous! asse.s worth $142,000. As a result, the company’s secured assets total $18,573,000—$690,000 more than its liabili.ies to policyholders and creditors. Ii should be emphasized that this company is no different from hundreds of others which are equally sound and liquid. After five years of depression, life insurance can poin. to a record which any in dustry could be proud of. “THOU SHALT NOT KILL. ’ Last year the American people established one uunenviaoie record. More peopie were ikiled and injured m automobile accidents than ever before. The Travelers insurance Company has analyzed the record in a grapmc, iilus. rated booklet entitled “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” It shows ihat the fatality total was around 36,000—and the injury total near the million mark. It is a fact that automobile regis trations increased last year, as compared with 1933 —but they increased but 6 per cent ,as did gasoline consumption, while the death record soared 16 per cent. The main reason for that ghastly record is exces sive speed. Speed is not omy responsible lor the bulk of accidents—it also tends to make the conse quences of each accident more serious. A heavy foot on the accelerator is the best friend that the Dark Angel has. Last year, automobiles Struck 337,000 pedestri ans—and 16,U00 died. There were 381,000 accidents in which two cars collided—resulting in the death of 8,500 people. Four thousand were killed as the result of cars striking fixed objects—and 1,100 perished in accidents involving cars and trains a type of accident which is almost invariably the fault of the motorist. Drivers who speed in improper places, who drive on the wrong side of the road, who usurp the right of-way, who pass on hills and curves, who fail to give proper signals and who are otherwise, reckless, menace the life, health and property of every Ameri can citizen. Are we to continue to permit such drivers to make shambles of the public streets and highways? IS SELF PROTECTION A CRIME? — Commencing editorially on the political charge that the utilites have actively opposed government ownership of their propertiees, ihe Pomeroy, Ohio, Tribune says: “It is indeed difficult for the average man who thinks with an open mind and who is not so preju diced that he cannot give a subject fair and intelli gent thought, to get excited over such charges. As a matter of fact just why should not a company or firm, whether engaged in public utilities or grocery selling, be permitted to do everything possible so long as he nei her circumvents nor breaks laws, to keep from losing his business. “Is not a man entitled to the fruits of his labor? Is he to be shorn of his business without a chance to pro ect himelf simply because it happens to be a utilities business? Such action is comparable only to the unfair procedure taken by the government when prohibition was voted in the land, when mil lions of dollars of property were scrapped by such action without restitution being made to those who had their money invested in legal enterprises. Re gardless of one’s thoughts or sympathes, such things are not right nor equitable ,nor can any amount of argument make them so. “If and when the laws now in effect are proper ly enforced and honest officials see that competent engineers properly fix valuations for utilities and set rates accordingly there never will be any reason for governmental interference or ownership of uti lities. And if such actions are taken, the people will receive lower rates than they will get under govern mental operation with the grafting methods used in most political deals extended to the field of pub lic utilities. CONFIDENCE—THE MISSING ELEMENT. Twelve months ago the American people entered a New Expectation. They entered it with the pro found hope that it would witness industrial recove ry, that it would piove the success or failure of the governmental experiments that were inaugurat ed in 1934 that the great problems of unemploy ment, declining purchasing power, distressed agri culture, and uncertainty on the part of property owners, investors and industrial leaders would be, to at least some extent, solved. They hoped the year might be the turning point of the long period of depression—that it would show where we are going. The greatest experimental twelve months in the history of our nation has ended and another New 1 ear looms. During the past there has been prog ress in some directions—there has been retrogres sion in others. Some businesses have been stimulat ed, some have sunk deeper into lethargy. "Whether there has been any increase in regular employment is questionable. During the current winter close to 21,000,000 are being sustained by organized public relief. Reports from fact-gathering organizations show that those industries which sell perishable goods to the consumer—shoes, packaged foods, clothing, fuel and so on—are doing better than at any time since the depression. But the reports like wise show that our basic industries—those which employ the bulk of labor in normal times represents the greatest amount of invested capital, such as steel, railroads, electric utilities—are either static or are sinking back toward the abysmal levels of 1932. In some instances, of which the electric utili ies are a case in point, industries are doing a great er volume of business—but, due to higher taxes and egis ated increases in operating costs, are earning es» proiit, which results in growing hardships on millions of inves.ors who depend on earnings from savings for living expenses. The most difficult aspect of the recovery prob lem is this: ’there can be no recovery without vAiNt? lJJE.NLE, and as yet uncertainly, not confi dence, remains uppermost in the minds of millions. Ceopie who have money that would ordinarily be inves.ed in industrial undertakings, who would create jobs, buy supplies, build homes and stores and factories and develop farms, are frankly afraid. They are afraid that their capital will be taxed out of exis.ence, or regulated oui of existence, or con demned by legislative fiat, or destroyed by govern mental competition wi.h industries in which they might place it. This element of fear etxends down from the largest industries and affects the whole industrial struc.ure. The railroads and utilities, for example, face, on the one hand, the very definite problem of reduced business, rising taxes and diminishing earn ings, while on the other hand they are threatened with the potentiality of government ownership. Un der such conditions, who can be expec.ed to invest money freely and without fear, to develop industries and bring back payrolls to normal levels? Ihe security of banks, insurance companies and similar institutions is absolu ely dependent upon the security of basic American industries, in which their depositor’ and policyholder’s money is invest ed. Anything which s.rikes at the welfaree of basic industries s.rikes immediately at their welfare_ and therefore at the welfare of every person who has a dol ar in the bank or is .he owner of an in surance policy. To blame these conditions on a man, a party, or a group would be unjust. National distress natural ly breeds experiment—.he need of alleviation is so great that it seeuis as if anything were worth try ing. But a great responsibili y falls upon those given high publip office in such times—namely the responsibility of protesting our constitutional righ s and privileges. There can be no greater du.y, and no more necessary public task. If mistakes are made, ihey will be forgiven—but they should be corrected, not continued. There are signs that this is being done now— signs pointing to a reapproachment between politic al and industrial leaders. If .hese groups honestly seek to cooperate 10 iron out misunderstanding and differences, our nation will make real progress to ward recovery—we will regain the priceless ingredi ent of good times, CONFIDENCE. Let it once be known that investments will be encouraged and protec.ed by government, that the honest business has nothing to fear from political influences, that savings will be held inviolate by those trusted wi.h the management of our national affairs, that private proper.y rights will be held sacred, and the road to prosperity will stretch clearly ahead. There should be no despair on the part of the people. Our land is still fertile. Our industries are still grea.-. Our intellectual abilities have been increased by the ordeal of depression. Only that in tangible element—CONFIDENCE, based on the knowledge that our consti.utional deals will be maintained, not destroyed—is needed now. OF INTEREST TO NEWSPAPERS IN IOWA, NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA AND WYOMING. Washington, D. C.,—Commenting that “money is leniiful and reasonably easy to get,” Leonard N. Burch, President of the Federal Intermediate Cred it Bank of Omaha, today stated that all signs in dicate a continuation of existing low interest rates for farmers of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. lie directed attention to the favorable reception given recent issues of intermediate credit bank bonds as an indicator of a continued desirable re discount rate by the bank, making possible low in terest credit for farmer-borrowers. Declaring that this “stable, dependable source of credit has been a vital factor in livestock and crop production in the Eight district of the Farm Credit Adminisirtaion,” he pointed to the lending of more than $32,000,000 during 1934 to local live stock loan companies, production credit associations and agricultural credit corporations. “More than 30,000 farmers and stockmen are tapping this cheap money market created by the Federal intermediate credit banks,” said Mr. Burch, who came to Washington to attend a conference of Federal intci’mediate credit bank presidents. “And while the bank has been operating nearly 12 years, the impression still prevails in many quarters that it is lending government money. The funds loaned come from the public money markets on which our bonds are sold.” Establishment of production credit associations throughout the four states, he added, not only wid ened the scope of the intermediate credit bank, which discounts the paper of ihe production credit associations, but also gave the farmer a permanent source of short-term credit on the same basis en joyed by other lines of industry. Washington, D. C., March 28.—In less than a year the Midwest farmer has proved his ability as a businessman capable of operating his own credit factory, E. R. Heaton, President of the Production Credit Corporation of Omaha, declared at a con ference of Production Credit Corporation presidents here recently. For proof, he revealed that the 42 production credit associations in Iowa ,Nebraska, South Dako ta and Wyoming showed net earnings of $52,794 for their first nine months of opertaion. “It is a tribute to the business ability of our farmers that each association closed the year with earnings on its books,” said Mr. Heaton. “Supplying short-term credit at 5 per cent in terest, the associations have bridged a gap in the farmer’s financial needs. In the first nine months of operations the 42 associations leaned approxima tely $7,500,000 to farmers and stockmen in the four states, including about $900,000 in loans taken over by assignment from agricultural credit corpora tions. “As a result of their successful operation thus far, production credit associations are ready to serve the farmer’s seasonal needs in a still more effective way during the 1935 growing season,” added the corporation president. “We ask the farmers to do just one thing. That is to apply im mediately for whatever seed requirements or other credit he will need for production purposes. Then he can be sure he won’t be waiting for the money when he should be using it. “Cash loans funds have been set up in each as sociation to give the farmer immediate ,adequate credit through his local associtaion. By this pro eedure loans will be closed in a considerably shorter time than during last year.” THINGS ONE REMEMBERS Recently 1 talked to a district manager of one of the largest Drokerage houses m me country. He I commen.ed on the tear and uncertainty that politi cal investigations oi industries engender in the pub lic mind, as an examp.e, he brought up the most recently announced investigation—.hat oi the tele phone system. He said that shortly af.er the announcement, which brough'. a sharp drop in telephone stock, an! old couple whom lie knew, came into his office. Tne mau did oud gardening jobs while his wife tended a small mi k goat herd, iiuring a lifetime, ihey had saved $3,0uu whicti was invested in American Tele-1 phone & Telegraph stuck. They wanted to know what .o do. Tney learecl ior their savings and their dividends. What could the manager tell them? Little or nothing, tor when polities takes .he helm, business stability flies out oi the window. Savings can be legislated, regulated, inves.iga.ed i and taxed out of existence. W ho can tell the old couple what to do? MOBILE N. A. A. C. P. SEEKS TO INCREASE NUMBER OF VOTERS IN COuNT/. Mobile, Ala., March 28.—At an open forum mass meeting conducted by the Mobile branch of the N. A. A. C. P. a. Metropolitan A. M. E. church on last Sunday, plans were made to increase the number of qualified. Negro voters in Mobi e coun y. Sug gestions were offered by a number of persons of the large and en.husiastic audience as to what may be done to encourage colored people to register and qualify as voters. Plans are now being carefully devised to “round up” the exservice men who by vir.ue of service in the United Spates Army or Navy, are exempted from payment of poll tax; it is also planned to interest and educate young men and women reaching maturi.y as to the responsibi lity of citizenshp, and encourage them io regster; those who are above twenty-one and no. over thirty years of age will be assis.ed in paying back poll tax through a fund which it is hoped may be creat ed by giving a series of enter, ainments. A school of civil government will be conducted, and the color ed newspapers and ministers of the community have been requested to help arouse ci.izenship interest in the non-voter through their editorial columns and church services respectively. The N. A. A. C. P., is asking the full cooperation of all citizens in every way possible to make the effort a success. Several prominent white citizens have lauded the plan and have commended it as a progressive step in civic efforts. MASSACHUSETTS SENATE ASKS U. S. ANTI-LYNCHING LAW. Boston, Mass. March 28.—The slate Senate of Massachusetts has adopted resolutions calling upon Congress to enact legislation for the preven.ion of lynching and the punishment of the crime. At first the senate defeated the resolutions on a voice vote count of 13 to 15, but when Senator Thomas M. Burke demanded a roll-call ,ihey were adopted by a vote vote of 19 to 16. The switch in the vote is attributed to fear on the par of opponents of the resolutions that voters migh be aroused against ihem. A COMMUNIST CANARD. According to J. Moissaye Olgin, editor of “Fre iheit” New York Communist Yiddish daily, writ ing to “Pravada,” the Moscow Communist daily, on party grogress in America, Harlem is “inhabited by a backward, ignorant mass of 250,000 Negroes who live in hunger, poverty and disease.” “Thous ands of these Negroes now say Father Divine is our God, but James Ford is our poli.ical leader. Or ganization is being carried on in the churches.” If this were written in a sensational capitalist newspaper, it would occasion no surprise, but for some reason we had expdeted something better from the Communists. The capitalist press says that Harlem is the intellectual capital of the Negro world, while the capitalist census figures show that the literacy rate for Negroes in New York City is higher than for the white population. Most Americans, black or white, are poor, but it is doubtful if many, black or white, in New York are living in hunger, and surely a study of the mor tality and morbidity rates for Negroes will not re veal that they are “living in disease.” There is sickness and death in our midst, but the vast ma jority of Negroes are well in mind and body. Negroes are not so ignorant that they will not resent this Communist description of their life and activities in the largest colored community in the world. They will wonder how Communists expect to win the favor of colored people when they cir culate such obvious canards. And jusd how much truth is there in the report of Mr. Olgin that Negro (churches are being used by the Communists for or ganizational purposes?” LINCOLN STOOD FOR CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. _ A short time ago the nation observed Lincoln’s, Birthday. It would be a fine thing for the country if American citizens gave a little time to ponder ing the ideals and principles for which the martyred ■ President stood. Lincoln was the embodiment of true democracy. Xo man was ever more passionately devoted to liber ty ,to freedom, to destroying human bondage of; whatever kind. His was a loyalty to country that went beyond party, beyond partisan politics—and that would 'willingly make any sacrifice in order that the nation might endure, progress and prosper. Xo task was too great, no duty too exacting, if it j would help to preserve and maintain those endur-! ing principles laid down by the founders of the country in the United States Constitution. During four years of unparalleled national crisis. Lincoln was the rock that could not be swayed by mob sentiment, by fear, by the lust for power, by the desire for personal gain. Xo man ever possess ed a greater hatred for war—yet Lincoln went into the civil war deliberately, knowing that tragic as the waste of men and resources would be, it was essential to the preservation of the Union. Between 1860 and 1864 America stood at the crossroads—and Lincoln drove relentlessly forward on the course that meant the continuance of liberty, democracy, and Constitutional principles. The issues that surrounded Lincoln have passed, but the characteristics of the man remain, and will not he forogtten. In times like these when so called emergency measures threaten the very foun dations of our Constitutional government, it is well to remember Lincoln and his work. ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS Happening's That Aifcc the Dinner Pails Checks and Tax of Evey Individual. According to all signs, the Presi dential eamapign of lilbti is likely to make that of 1932—which was considered exceptiona ly bit.er-— look like a tea party. Issues arc forming, forces are appearing, that are entirely unprocendented in American polities. L seems inevitable that there will be a third party in the field —and it scorns equally inevitable that tha party will be of the ex treme left, h may be led by Huey Long, backed by Father Coughlin, and use as its appeal .he “Every Man a King” thesis. It may be led by a Townsend Plan advocate, promising prosperity for a 1 through govermental largesse to the aged. It may be led by some one who stands tor something we haven’t yet heard of. Few think that the third party candidate would win—the Elect oral College system of counting votes for the Presidency makes that practically impossible, as Roosevelt the-first dicovered, and as LaFollette the elder did after him. The third party’s impor - ance lies in what effect it will have on the vote obtained by the regular Republican and Demo cratic par y candidates — and therein is an opportunity for end less conjecture. Backers of the President pooh hooh the third party, say he is certain to win a sweeping victory in ’36 whether the movement ma terializes or not. Opponents of the President hold that .he third party would draw millions of votes that would otherwise go to Roosevelt, wou'd thus indirect ly cause the election of a con servative Republican, who would have the support of most busi ness men .together with tne party’s established following. It was that aspect of the ques tion which General Johnson spoke on in his amazing speech of a fort night ago. Whatever you think of the General’s views, you have to admit he has courage, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. In his speech ,he made a bitter attack on Long and Coughlin and afll they stood for. Then he turned and lashed the conservatives who might encourage them in order to draw support away from Roose velt and split the liberal-radical camp. General Johnson said that such political opportunism pushes the American democracy steadily toward ‘‘a lickiog or a dictator.” It is an interesting fact ,that fol lowing the speech, the General’s views were heartily endorsed in many substantial quarters—in cluding newspapers, public men and industrialists. A question of the hour, is How does Mr. Roosevelt’s strength compare to what it was a year ago? The answer, made by boil ing down the opinion of a legion of observers ,is that he is slipping —but that he still has the confi dence of the bulk of the voters. That, of course, doesn’t answer the question of how far he may slip—or have regained or added strong.h—by next year. That, in turn, is going to depend on the state of recovery. At the present lime, the re covery program has failed in vari ous important particulars—and, in addition, it has become confus ed with the reform program. 1'n employment soars. More people are on relief than ever. Industry is sitting still, and many leaders seem pessimistic. A belief is prev alent that the President’s pro gram has lost direction—that it is whirling around in circles, is going nowhere. It is that fact which supports the hopes of third party radicals —they feel that the people, if they see the failure of a more moderate program, will go for one that is really left wing. And the conservatives, strangely enough, base their hopes on exactly the same thing—they believe that a Roosevelt collapse would send voters scurrying back to the right, wing of economic thought, , What is right. Guess as much as you like—but don’t bet on it. o—o—o It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of the German re fusal to continue to keep within the arms stipulations of the Ver sailles treaty. It has been feared that she would do this ever since Hitler went in—and every nation hoped against hope that it would never happen. Under the Treaty, Germany’s army is limited to 100,000 men, and she is not allow ed to have much in the way of aircraft, artillery, tanks. Now she will quadruple her army, greatly extend compulsory mili tary training of citizens, and will build up her defensive and offen (Continued on Page 8)