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1 EDITORIALS.®
I THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street,
Omaha, Nebraska
Phones: WKbster 1517 or 1518
Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927, at the Postoffice at
Omana. Neb., underAct of Congress of March 3, 1879.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR
Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brother
hood of Man must prevail. These are the only principles which will
aland the acid test of good.
All News Capy of Churches and all Organizations must be in our
sffice not later tnan 5:00 p. m. Monday for current issue. All Adver
tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wednesday noon, proceed
ing date of issue, to insure publication.
CIVIL SERVICE DISCRIMINATION
(From The Pittsburgh, Pa., Courier)
The action of the National Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People in calling Postmaster General Farley s
attention to evidences of growing discrimination against Ne
groes in civil service appointments to the postal service is to be
commended.
In many parts of the country there bus been a noticeable
tendency to pick white eligible^ from the three applicants re
ceiving tbe highest marks in tin* examination whether they I
are heading tin* list or not. This policy seems to be a growing ;
one, mpeeially in the South.
The Federal service has been one of the largest sources of j
income to Negroes for many decades uni should In* an increas
ing source in tin* future. We must make sure that discrimina
tion there is prevented by all means.
One reason, and perhaps the principal one, why discrimina
tion grows in tbe government service is because vve ourselves
fail to protest. Tbe great majority of Negroes are as complacent
as though complete equality of opportunity reigned supreme in
tbe T'nited Staten.
As long as we spend more for amusements than we do for
safeguarding our rights, we must expect increasing efforts to bar
us from tbe fruits of citizenship.
FIRE PREVENTION GOOD BUSINESS
If you have ever suffered from destruction of property by
fin*, you will know that nothing can fully repay you.
A fire insurance policy will rebuild a bouse. But it won't
bring back keepsakes and hundreds of irreplaceable articles
that most of us gather through the years—articled with little
intrinsic value. Nothing can. There are many thingd that dol
lars cannot buy.
Also, an insurance policy may replace a burned factory.
But it can't pay for lost work, destroyed opportunities, depleted
purchasing povvler. When workmen's incomes slop, the whole
(community feeds the ill effects. It may be necessary for them
-to subsist on charity or relief—at the expense of everyone. Store
keepers suffer, property-owners lode rent, savings are taken
from banks. And so it goes.
When property is consumed, it no longer pays taxies—and 1
the taxes paid by all other property must be increased to make '
up the deficiency. ''
Cases are on record where fire has destroyed a town’s prin
cipal industry—and the result was that community progress im- !
mediately came to an end and stultifecation set in.
Every wise homeowner and business owner carries insurance,
but if he is really wise, he will realize that his policy, no matter
how complete, can never completely pay for the results of a fire.
He will realHje that prevention is better than cure—and that
systematic fire prevention, carried on by every individual as
well ns by the authorities, is good business that keeps money in
all our pockets.
—
AN INDUSTRY REACHES MATURITY
The casualty insurance industry has reached maturity, as
James A. Bella, General Manager of the National Bureau of Cas
ulty and Surety Underwriters, recently pointed out—and its his
tory since the gay nineties mnrks one of the most dramatic and
interesting pages in the story of American industry.
In 1896, the total of casualty premiums in the entire coun
try amounted to only $17,288,000. In 1935 it came to the vast
sum of $990,000,000. Thus, in two generations the business has
grown by about 6,000 per cent.
One of the main contributory causes of the development of
the casualty industry was the invention of the automobile. In
1895 there were four cars registered in the nation. Today over
25,000,000 are registered. The first automobile liability insur"
ance policy was written in 1898, when 800 ears were registered
in the country. In 1929, the peak year, premiums paid for this
kind of insurance reached over $347,000,000. Thus a minor form
of liability insurance grew until it exceeded all other forms.
A great change has taken place in employer's liability in
surance—this kind of insurance has been superseded, in all ex
cept two states, by workmen's compensation insurance. The first
compensation laws were adopted in 1911, and by 1920, 41 other
states had followed suit. In 1929, compensation premiums total*
ed $295,000,000. There was a natural drop during the following
years, but by 1935 the total was back to $255,000,000.
Burglary' and robbery insurance have aLso grown rapidly—
due largely to high speed automobiles and good roads, which
have added to the mobility of criminal gangs.
So it goes, in almost every phase of the casualty and liabil
ity field. The industry is performing an invaluable public ser'
vice which grows increasngly important in our high speed busi
ness and economic life.
NAACP. OFFERS CHRISTMAS SEALS
One million Christinas seals designed by Richmond Marthe
the young colored artist-sculptor, will be offered for sale by
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple to raise revenue for its general work. 1936 seals are ready
for distibution and can be secured either from branches of the
association or from the national office at 69 Fifth Avenue. The
iscaLs are one cent each and come in books of 200 Any quantity,
large or small, may be purchased to help the cause along. The
association is urging the pablic to use these seals on letters,
paekag«*s, gifts, and greeting cards during the holiday season.
The sale will be in charge of Miss Jaunita K. Jackson of the na
tional office staff who has set a minimum goal of $5,000, repre
senting the sale of at least a half-million seals.
TIME FOR ACTION
It s time wc took taxation out of politics.
A national election is just over. It will he four more years
bcfofc we stage the great quadrennial show again. But in the
meantime, no matter who sits in the White House, no matter
who are members of the House and Senate, tax«-s are going to
hit us all.
Republicans pay taxes. Democrats pay taxes. So do Social
ists and Communists. And no political party has a clear record
on tax legislation. Spokesmen for all parties have long prom
ised tax reduction—and then, once they took office, proceeded
to raise taxes. Members of all parties have done their part to
fasten a leech-like bureaucracy upon us—and you can't have
bureaucratic government and efficient, economical government
at the same time.
During the campaign, we heard more promises of tax re
duction from all political quarters. Now the time for conversa
tion w past, and the time for action has arrived. Promises de
mand fullfillment—pledges cry out to be redeemed. Unless we
nro to be utterly crushed under a tax burden that is already sap
ping more than twenty per cent of the national income, the
American people must demand that statesmanship take the place
of politics, and that a sincere effort to really reduce the cost of
government be made.
FOUR VITAL QUESTIONS
The future of the railroad industry, said .J. J. Pelley, Pres
ident of the Association of American Italroads, hinges on the
answers to four basic questions:
1. Will railroad service continue to be essential to this coun
try!
2. Are the railroads improving their services and cutting
their unit eowtst
3. Have the ralroads, with a normal volume of business, the
inherent efficiency to operate on a profitable basis.
4. Will they receive equal treatment under our public trans
portation policies !
Answering the first question, it is obvious that the rail
roads, in spite of the growth of other carrers. are still the prin
cipal medium for quickly and certainly moving all manner of
?oods, under all conditions, to and from all points of the nation.
Other carriers supplement railroad service—but none supplants
it.
Their record gives an affirmative answer to the second ques
:ion. Year after year, the railroads have cut cost of operation,
rnproved service, and modernized equipment. Fifteen years ago,
m the average, the railroad cost of moving one ton of freight
>ne thousand miles was $10.78. In 1935, the average cost was
(iG.G3—a drop of 39 per cent.
The figures likewise say yes to the third question. Many
itatistics could be cited—and here is one striking fact: An in
tense of 1G.7 per cent in railroad gross revenues during the
first eight months of 193G as compared with 1935, was translat
ed into an increase of 30 per cent in net revenues, before pay
nent of taxes and rents.
As for the last question—that i« up to the government, which
is simply the voice of the people. The railroads are not treated
equitably now—and there is a constant threat that they will be
burdened with more u.meco. ^ary laws that will add to the ex
pense of opt rut ion without providing for compensating increases
in revenue. If government will create a fair and equitable trans
port policy, the rails will progress and spend hundreds of mil
lions of dollars for supplies and wages—to the benefit of us all.
WILL YOUR NAME BE NEXT?
The past summer was one of the worst on record in the
matter of automobile accidents and deaths.
And the most dangerous driving months are still to come—
the months of rain and ice, and few daylight hours.
Every season sees better, more scientifically designed high
way—and yiet accidents grow worse, both in number and sever
ity. Every year sees stronger, more easily controlled, and mechan
ically safer cars—yet the carnage grows.
It is true that a percentage of accidents can be attributed
directly to mechanical failure of automobiles, or to road con
ditions. This percentage marks but a very small part of the total
crashes. The human element is responsible, and alone responsi
ble, for the great majority of accidents, minor and major.
Worst menace of all is the driver who attempts to push the
throttle through the floor-board—who operates his car at exces
sive speeds. And excessive speed is a flexible term—there may
be a time when fifty is safe, and fifteen too fast.
There are drivers who pass on hills andeurves, who hog the
center line, who allow their car to wander to the wrong side of
the r< ad—and drivers who commit a thousand and one driving
errors that may save minute, and may also send themselves and
others into eternity.
You see many headlines like: “Five Killed When Cars Col
lide.*‘ You read the nams of the victims, go on to1 other arti
cles and fergot all about them. Next time you see such a head
line just reflect that your name, or the name of a friend or loved
one, may be in the next similar list of corpses. Then it won't be
so easy to forget.
-* **« ■» »..» ,» »,»,,» ■ >.,» 0, 0 ,0 m t t * '*■
| ALTA VESTA j
J A GIRL'S PROBLEMS |
t t
|| By Videtta Ish |
Dear Father: I enjoyed your let
ter and thank you for 't, but I am
coming now with some more gues
t'ons. I suppose I'll be a5king you
a thousand and one quest'ons be
fore this meeting closes. I’m begln
n'ng r'ght now. Hre are the "brain
teasers,” as we read in the papers.
What is an evangelist? People
talked about th's man as ‘f he were
some strange kind of person, but
to me he looks like any other man,
except he seems botherd all the
time and does not sm'le very often.
I wonder 'f all men called evangel
ists act that way?
You know, Daddy Dear, that I
always want to know things. Aunt
Cornel'a says I’m just like you 'n
that, for you always want to know
someth'ng about everyth'ng. So now
s'nce I'm into th's muddle about
getting relig'on you will have to
help me out. I know you will.
I'm just so sleepy- Daddy Dear,
that I’m going to let the other
quest'ons wait until next t'me. Aunt
Cornelia sends love. Please wr'te
soon.
Lovingly yours, Alta Vesta.
MAXIE MILLER
WRITES |
Maxie M'ller: I am 'n love with
a man that is a married man and
lam only 17. He says he w'll never
I've with his wife as man and w'fe
aga'n, and if I will run off with
h'm and live that way with him, he
w'll marry me as soon as he can
get his divorce. But I’m just a
little afra'd he won’t marry and
that he w'll leave me in the soup.
I’d like to have a home and some
one to take care of me and I am
almost tempted to do what he wants
me to do. Would you?—W'lla Mae.
W'lla Mae: You’d do a terrible
th'ng and a very foolish th'ng if you
go away with this man. You have
heard only one s'de; maybe it 's
all his fault; and if he’d dump one
woman he would dump another.
There's no assurance that he would
not decieve you and leave you.
There are so many loose ones and
you had better make select'on from
among them. Don’t do as this man
says, WUla Mae, or you w'll surely
regret it—and you w'll suffer, too.
—Maxie M'ller.
! PROVERBS |
t AND !
! PARABLES j
By A. B- Mann
(For the Literary Service Bureau)
__
THE BLACKSMITH’S
PHILOSOPHY
Years ago there was much force
'n the adage “Strike wh'le the iron
is hot;” but some one paraphrased,
“Strike and make the 'ron hot.”
However, the import of the say'ng
is that one should ut'lize the oppor
tunity while it rema'ns.
While fallacious is the conten
tion of “Once to every man,” and
that only once can he s'ze oppor
tunity, the fact rema'ns that any
given opportunity should be ut'l'z
ed. Thus the force of “Strike wh'le
the 'ron is hot.”
| MRS. SCHULYER SAYS !
By Mrs. Josephine Schulyei j
FOR THE CALVIN SERVICE
... - - . - - - - — ^___..__ .
A NEW AFRICAN NOVEL
V F Calverton, already well
known to Aframerican literary
c'reles by his constantly intelligent
and unprejudiced attitude on race,
has just published a novel about
Africa. “The Man Ins'de’’ (Charles
Scribners, N. Y C .) convinces me
that Mr. Calverton has been wast
'ng h's talents on cold polemics
This mystery novel of an American
scientist experimenting in hypno
tism among the Zulus Is packed
w'th thrilling ideas and moving
descriptions- Mr. Calverton has nev
er been to Africa so >t 's all the
more credit to him that he can
pa'nt scenes he has never actually
scene so v'vldly- He has probably
read every recent book on Africa
and his novel 's rich w'th a concen
tration of all the knowledge we
now have of Afr'ca. I feet that I
can speak with a l'ttie authority
for our house is full of books
on Afr'ca and African art- When
Mr Schuiyer returned from L'ber
la in 1931 I helped him go over
h's notes made wh'le In the jungle
and so far as I can see, Mr. Cal
verton has done an amaz'ng real
istic piece of work.
NOT ONLY A BOOK OF IDEAS
The most 'ntrigu'ng ideas are
developed in this novel- But unl'ke
most intellectual books, 't ls also
full of exotic descriptions. Taste the
lavor of these:
“Each tree was a separate oas's
iutting out of the earth l'ke new
poof against the sun "
“As he watched me Mayo's eyes
nto wh'ch h's whole face at the
moment receded, became two lumin
ous black beads bright as spun
?lass.
“Although the sun by that time
tad already begun to go down, 'ts
sheen still clung to the faces and
SERMONETTE
By Arthur B- Rhinow
His r'ght leg and foot were de
formed, but he wh'stled gaily
though softly, while most of the
other passengers 'n the subv^ay
train seemed to brood gloomily,
rhere was a time, no doubt, when
fie felt h's hand'ca^i keenly, but he
had dismissed 't from h's mind,
rertainly when I watched h'm.
It may be he had just had a
Peasant exper'ence or anticipated
i pleasure, for New Year’s Eve was
tear. If so, he scarcely merited con
gratulations. Fleeting moments of
?xh'larat‘on help us to forget, but
they do help us to overcome.
Perhaps he had bcome hardened to
his affliction. Some unfortunates
swallow the b'tter p'll, so to speak;
hey grin and bear it. By and by
they succeed, but as they grow
lard toward misfortune, they har
len themselves. They are no longer
is sens't've to the finer joys of
ife.
Different ent'rely 's the man who
•'ses above his sorrow by means
>f h's faith. He knows that if he is
lonest w th himself and his God,
lothing can happen to h m that will
lot turn 'nto a blessing, n God’s
>wn t'me- He 's greater than any
thing that can happen to h'm. For
iim there is no loss w‘thout a ga'n.
^nd only the Omnisc'ent One knows
vhat streams of heart heal'ng issue
from such lives and of the fa'thful.
Fhey are the strong ones of the
race.
JUST HUMANS bv gene carr
nr • * v m 3 a. i Mt £jfS£>jtnKt i
On the Threshold.
backs of the natives which glowed
w'th a bronze-black lustre. At mo
ments as my eyes swept across
th's vast sea of bodies it seemed
as if I were gaz'ng at an endless
array of shining m'rrors ”
PAIN AND HYPNOTISM
There has been much 'n the press
of late about the power hypnotism.
Just as many folk had imag'ned it
to be a superstit'on of the past,
science suddenly br'ngs it out and
adm'ts its reality, power and mys
tery. We do not yet know how 't
works, but we definitely know that
it does work
(Hypnotism 's now be'ng used in
some of our best hospitals to erase
the pains of ch'ldb'rth. It has been
highly develped in Sov'et Russ'a
for this purpose- Though 't 's dan
gerous weapon in the hands of the
unscrupulous (the reason It fell in
to d'spute), it is undoubtedly a sa
fer anesthet'c than gas or drugs,
whose physical effect on mother
and child Is now known to be un
desirable- Recently, the phys'cian
who first 'ntroduced T jv'l'ght Sleep
to Amer'ca declared he deeply re
gretted do'ng so. It was Intended,
he said, for special cases of very
nervous patients, unable to safely
bear the children without it- It has
been ind'scrlm'nately used for all
women regardless of whether they
c«uld have an unaided normal de
livery.
Many femin'sts Insisted on mak
'ng the taking of Twll'ght Sleep
part of their dr've for sexual equal
ity. I’ve always considered th's a
m'stake- Suffering at th's time
does healthy women no harm, if
anything 't enriches the'r charact
ers
it is not ror notnmg tnat an an
cient soc'eties made the voluntary
bear'ng pain a part of the business
of growing up. The ordeals at pu
berty, practiced by all ancient peo
ples, strengthened the character,
made folk firmer, more courageous
and responsible, enabled them to
stand steadfast ‘n tlmes of terrible
stress, The lack of character found
among industrialized people 's due
'n large part to their constant lack
of character found among industri
alized people 's due *n large part
to their constant c'rcumlocution of
pa'n through the continual tak'ng
of drags (aspirin, coca cola, coffee,
tea, cocoa, tobacco, alcohol, and a
few others), and their careful av'o
dance of all d'rect contact with na
ture- These ‘hot-housed’ folk have
thin spir'ts compared to jungle
people
THE POWER OF MAN
Mr. Calverton’s theme the Power
of Man in contrast to a book by
Joseph Conrad called the Power of
Darkness which was also la'd ‘n Afr
ica and considered one of the great
st tales ever written- Like Conrad,
Calverton employs the d'rect me
thod of tell'ng his story, through the
mouths of twice-removed charact
ers. But unl'ke Conrad, Calverton
has no prejud'ce, not the least lit
tle b't of the snobbery often detect
ed in Conrad’s work.
Mr. Calverton’s Jol' Coeur, an ex
iled Amer'can scientist, goes to the
jungle to experiment with theor'es
wh'ch so-called civilized society
will not permit h'm to develop- He
seeks to teach the logic and ration
alization of advanced Western sci
ence to the jungle folk (the Wh'te
nations have refused to accept the
revelations of this sc'ence and are
fall'ng into decay). He tells the
nat'ves: “Man has suffered because
he has placed his faith In the gods
'nstead of h'mself. When he learns
to place his faith In h'mself he w'll
become a God and all the earth w'll
bow down before h'm ”
t his was what Dostoevesky, the
great Russian novelist, bel'eved.
H's books probably did more to un
dermine religion in Russ'a than the
Commun'st party. The New Russia
has not so much destroyed God as
plucked Him from the sky and par
taken of Him 'n the Dostoevesky
manner- Perhaps the failure of
athe'sm as a movement In Amer'ca
was due to the negative form It
took. The Russ'ans believe they
have become gods, which is far
more satisfying to the ego.
Mr* Calverton understands the
mechan'sms of prejudice. “People
always discharge their most brutal
and ruthless emotions upon tha‘ ^
which <s not like themselves. They
are so d'ssatlsfied and disgusted
w'th themselves, that they can con
ceal that failure from themselves
only by by blaming it upon some
one else-”
There are also fantast'c and de
lightful illustrations by the colored
artist, Charles Alston. v.
