Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1938)
COMMENTS EDITORIAL PAGE OPINIONS j r _;____]■ THE OMAHA GUIDE Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Giant St. Omaha, Nebraska Phone WKbsier 1517 Entered as e iui Glass da ter .vl rc i i5, 1927. at t’r.e Post Office at « mai.a. Ne r., under Act <f Congress of March 8, 1879. " TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTS N 2 0 PER YEAR Rare prejudice must go. .he Fa'herhiod of God and th Broth »rhood if Mai mint irev 'il. These are the only princ'ples w’il w 'll stand the acid test of good. A 1 News Copy of Chruie’’ s - nd "’d r"'ni fattens most be in (ur <‘f f*p n't 1"'“r thm 5:00 p. m. Mond v for ctr- on sue. Ml Ad er tising Copy or Paid Ar :,!s " t ' tor th*n Wednesday noon, preceding (into > f issue, to imnre publication. __ EOITORFAI S Get Rid of This Depression Get rid of the capital gains tax -and we 11 get rid of one of the ' r.nc pal o stacks to the development of industry i nd the ieemypl*y ment of labor! So long as we kr: p u tex th t places puni tive financial penalties ag n t c p '.al inc* eases that are made from inv(*stin *ts, row endeavors and new business of all kinds, over and a >ove income taxes and all *thrr texe , capital will l ug ly keep in hiding. And the up tel gains tax does all of that. T! e man* who takes a chance and risks his m* riey in n me venture that provides jobs and i p; or'urit es must ab sorb the entire 1 ' i" t Ca ls but if i* suc cess the government takes an extortionate amount of his profits. That’s why s me of the ceuntry’s b'*st econo mists are calling the capital gains tax “Job Killer Number I" and why they are pointing out that it, has to bo repealed if we are to have the capital inve tment hut twill bring good times to the United Mates. Where Crime Doesn’t Pay The Washington Star recently observed that the Governing Committee of the New York . Stock Exchnge ‘‘is to-he commended for its de * cision to put into effect a mow rule requiring exehang- Lrokeigae firms to make available statements of their financial condition to any cust me ■ upon reom-st. To make this rule ef fective. Charles It. Gay, President of the Ex change. r e ounced that the Exchange is cooper ating with the Securities and Exchange Com mission in the- preparation of a ne'w and sim plified form ( f financial statement that can be easily understood by the ‘man on the street.’ It this rul • is adequately enforced, and there is every reason that it will be, the possibility that dishonest brokers might deceive their customers in the future will be largely eliminated.” There are crooks in every calling whether it be government, hanking, or the peanut trade. The Stock Exchange has mot been to them. jHut, out of regard for fact, it must be pointed out that the |H*rcenage of failures o Exchange members has been miraculously low—far low er, for example, than in the case of banks. And those brokers who have been derelict of the trust placed in the have been exposed and punished, mo matter how high their position, as soon as their manipulations came to light. The Whitney case in which only a few weeks passed between the Exchange's discovery of his em bezzlement and his commitment to a long term in Sing Sing, is dramatic proof of this. The Exchange’s new ruling requiring brokers to privitf? their customers understandable state ments of financial condition, is simply one of the many steps that have been voluntarily tak en to pLace security dealings on the highest conceivable ethical basis. The Rare Exception W hencver a brokerage firm connected with the New York Stock Exchange is suspended for insolvency, due to admittedly criminal acti vi ie», as in the Whitney case, an immense amount of publicity naturally follows But such occurrences are rare. As a matter of fact, the record of solvency of members of this Exchange is nothing short of astonishing, as a recently published summary comparing failures among Stock Exchange members, all U. S. banks national banks and commercials houses testifies. The figures on which the summary is based are taken from the records °f the Exhcange, Dun and Bradstreet, the Federal Reserve Board and the Controller of the Currency. Tn no year since 1901, have failures of the Exchange totaled 1 per cent of the membership even though the amount handled by these brok ers is irraluculaWy great. By contrast, in 13 years since 1901 failures of U. S. banks have PXPPpHorl 1 row row* • timial lank* ha e exceeded 1 per cent; and in 16 years, failurees of commercial house have exceedd 1 per cent. The worst year for hank failures since the turn of the centurv was 1933, when 14 90 per cent of all U. S. hanks and 15.65 per cent of all national banks closed because of insolvency. Tn that year Stock Exchange member failures to tal the microsopic percentage of ,07! And in the years 1935, 1936 and 1937, the percentage was precisely zero—there was not a single sus pension1 for insolvency. Wnai line <>i‘ nUainess can a.ch this recoid? The reason fur -,ucn a retold is the r-x naugt's almost incietlioly string-nt rUie.,, regulations ai*.i ethical standards which have been *n force for many years. Constant “poli i; g” oi mem bers firms by Exchange aceoui ants aid other experts is carried on to unearth and instantly ; a ilsh an and all iiregularities. Consequently there are few irregularities. -o— Contrary to Public interest As a result of two years of painstaking study unit re>ei.icn the ^>}-e„iu 1 Commi-tte -n taxa tion ol uie Twentieth Century Fund Teeom nitii is that all special taxes on chain stoies bo in niedi; Lely repealed." 'I he i went e«,ft Centuiy Fund tepreeents an impartial vi vv of the chain store tax problem, a.i it. leeon.mendatiorjB are based upon the grounds that such special taxes against chain st.ires aie "contrary to public interest.’ Thu Committee, in its report, declared: “The present taxes on chain stores, to say nothing of new onus, ted to raise the cost of living for tii. large number of people with small ncomes who depend oil efficient merchandising to get the most for their money." S] Tiul taxes on chain stores, in effect, dire t attacks on the consumer’s pocketbouk. And the f*>rt that such taxes arc usually inspired, not with an eye on public welfare so much as ! in an effort to destroy competition makes them doubly offensive Facts merchandising stand I aid; to a ? 1- ne that was undreamed of a few years ego, Co sequen ly w do-awake independents us well as chains have b nef ted, not to men tion the American pubi c which enjoys the highest standards of livi g the world has ever se n. The recommendation of the Twentieth Cen tuty Fun ' to iepeal all punitive «hain store tax law is simply practical common sense - ——o—— C unman Cause _ Agricultural marketing cooperatives and con sumers of farm products are intertested in a common cause. The purpose of such co-ops is to provide the consumer with a constant supply of products of established quality and purity, at a price which will bring the producer a de rent profit—and still be attractive to the buy er. --o— “It seems inconsistent for the government to prosecute oil companies and others on a charge of price-fixing and monopolistic control—while that same government is spending hundreds of millions in the Tennessee Valley in an effort to monopolize and control the price of electric current." The Daily Free-Lance, Henryetta, Oklahoma. Niggardly Rale Policy Further retrenchment in expendi1 ores bv the railroad industry may he expected in the near future—and there is also a strong possibily that it will become necesary for the lines to lower rate,s No one wants this to happen. For many years the relatively low volume of railroad spending has been a drag on the nation', and a further reduction will make the problem of attaining general economic recovery doubly difficult. But, in the light of existing condi tions, the raidroard no alternotive. The railroad asked the Interstate Commerce Commission for a 15 per cent freight )ate in crease. It is estimated tha tthis would have increased railroads revenues by $4.‘17,000,000 a year, which is no more than is necessary to compensate for increases in the price of ma erials and supplies, and in wages and taxes. The ICC granted a rate increase ranging from 6 to 10 per cent, with Certain important exceptions, such as soft coal, on which no in crease whatever will be allowed. According to J. J. Peley of the Assoiation of American Rail roads, the increase granted will everage little more than 5 per cent on the total volume of traffic, and will increase revenues by only $175,000,000 a year. This leaves the lines more than $250,000,000 per year short of the money needd to make up for the increases in operating expenees that have occured during the past six years. As Mr. Pelley said, “The decisio is de pressing not only to the railroads but to indus try as a whole and to general employmet.” So it seems unavoidable that teh nation will feel even ore severly the effets of a ruirrardly regulatory policy toward our greatest single industry. An inevitable consequence is a fur ther slumping of confidenre, and a still more clouded outlook for the future. Just Pass A Law And now the political doctors want to send power from the Bonneville dam, 500 miles up into Idaho. Of course the cost of transmitting this government-owned power is a secondary considerations, as well as the fact that Idaho already his great power development. In the past, long-distance transmission has added tremendously to the cost of power, but probably more brainy people can be found to do with the tax-exempt government power, what it has heeni impossible to do with power pro duced by private enterprise, which gives the public the electric service it enjoys today It is all rather bewildering to think how much smarter the promoters of the new regime of soeializaion of the power industry must he than he men wh pioneered and carried o the industry up to date The blessings that our people onn now look forward to from social izatin of the power industry under political management, should give them new courage to face life in the future Power caried 500 miles from Bonneville! What of it? Pass a law and forget the bills THE LOW DOWN —--from — HICKORY GROVE I was tal!i g to my neighbor the other day ani I say .■>. is sur. - a h t joke on tha.se iennessi-e I vl O W tl the!e we'net they was going to have all these tnew lights put i 1 by the Govt. And the outfit ru i ning the shebang it is gel ting in* trouhie mid looks! like another fiz-| zle and no light 1 But this d'.,.i « - • - he says, brother, you n'edm’t be s > amused about any joke on these Tennessee people; yu ar> the guy hat’s payin’ the bill. And I says. :s that so! I am not expecting to u.'-e their lights. And he says, if you would think beyond your nose ou would savvy. He says with Govt, taxes, it lon’t make any difference where • hey lose the money. Maybe you ! ve in Arkansas and they spend 'he money in Maine—it is all the same—everybody pays equal. Boy, th's neighbor knows things. And •hen he ••■ent to work and says "i ll don’t need to go tto tennes ee f->r a joke. Yours, wi'h the low-down, Jo Serra. Protest Against Poor Housing; Jim Crov New York, May 1 1 Aprotest against the inadequate and jim ••row housing arrangements for •olorerl New York high school boys, who were members of the track teams which competed in the us. “The only effective course for us to pursue is by way of the courthouse routs. This method of procedure w:ll require thousands of dollars. Our legal department has been handicapped more or less by reason of poor support and in sufficient funds, therefore I am going to lead the way and ask for others to follow. B"g:nning with the month of May, 1937, l am go ing ot pay into our legal deferas0 fund $5.00, each and every month, until this fight is over. “As chief executive, I pledge you my word that I will g ve every contributor a prompt receipt, and •it the end of each month I will furnish each contributor a list showing the name and 1 ication of fhe men who Contribute dto the legal defense fund during that particular month. “In the pa^t, white rail workers havev spend mill’ons of dollars in an effort to eliminate you and me from rail service. Why, then should not we be willing to spend a few thousand dollars in an hon est effort to protect our legal, vi vil ad seniority rights? If we are real men, we will do it without argument.” ‘I’lay Street1 Tried Washington, May 14 (ANP) — Fenton stree*-, Northeast, a thick ly settled minor street in one of the city’s most densely settled or congested neighborhoods, is re ceiving its first test as a “plav stree'.” From 3 until 0 oclock each afternoon;, it is closed to through traffic, and outdoor games are indulged in by the neighborhood children. Five other councils are interested in promot in'' this safe scheme of plav for children, the Central Neighbor hood Council being directly re sponsible for the opening up of Fenton street -o Church Ushers to Hold Convention Washington, I). C., May 14. (ANTP)—plans are being formu lated for the 19th annual convent ion of the National United Us hers’ association, to be held here July 26-30, at Vermont Avenue Baptist church Rev. C. T. Murray, pastor. Convention detail may be had be communicating with Ralph FI. Evans, general chairman com mittee on arragements, 1208 Ken yon Washington D. C. Cleveland Boy Fourth In Scholarship Test Cleveland. O., May 14 (ANTP— Adding further laurels to those al ready captured by students of Central high school here, Kenneth Clement, a Central students, and one of 00 students to take the competitive oxaminat;on for scho lar-hip at Western Reserve uni1 versify, was fourth from the top of the list, according to grades, to receive one of the 12 scholar ships offfered. Clement, despite the loss of an entire semester from school due to illness, will graduate with his class in June with an average of 95.7 per cent. Calvin s Digest By Fiovd J. Calvin O -ly column in the Negro P’ess listed by Ed tor ard Publisher) v ommencement Orations It will be .nteiest.ng to hear v, hat the commencement orators will tell college graduates this year. A year ago the depression seemed to be lifting, Lut now :t is I hack, full force, wdth opportunities I far ai t.und the corner for youth going out into the world. Perhaps the safest theme the . orators can take will be that it j always pays to Le optimistic; that j the darkest cloud has a silver lin ing; and that “even this will pass away.” However we be'ieve the most I practical thing the orators might tell the giaduutes is something of the art of holding money if they are lucky enough to earn any. It does mt take a “seer” to note that one great weakness of the Negro group is improvidence. This seems to be basic, for it is true of thoe who have had supeiior advan tages as wele as of those who may actually not know better. Recently, the New York Times ■tade a survey of Harlem retail tores arjJ from the published re •o: ts, the only figures which were ufficiently impressive for circula ion ve'-e the sales of “dollar hiskey.” A sad commentary. Of course Tnrlem has recently “b st face” o-i e<on nrc counts, but thi • ffluence in the “dollar whiskey” "lass is, to our mind, most dis heartening of all. We wih the commencement ora tors would warn young people wh will live in industrial centers and v'!"< from $12 to $30 a week, that they do not watch their pennies lhov will most likely find the pawn Vms getting $1.25 and up a week f " fumnshings from $5 t0 $8 a ! ' “ready cash;” they will find tier’"el yes m-irg three times the worth of clrtthb'g because they buy “on credit” (“easy payments’) and that they may eventually ge' married, ar>1 mortgage their fu ture for years to coe buying what they want but what they really do "Ot need. Many will be unable to live sound econnnrc lives because even though they may have a job fhev are weighed down bv debt. Tf our young people knew these "hings when they left school, am', ’s a con'enuence aoided some of here pitfal's, our gr up life wou'd he improved to a marked degree almost over night. Ui'r Newspapers The latest report on our News paper irom the Department of Commere gives hope for the con tinued growth if that industry. L fe lnsu.ance is in the lead as our e onomic bulwark, but the press, according to the report jus: issue ., Ih.is uvcsstmei ts raiigi ..g from $ iUO to $500,00; and 34 con cents own ecfuipme.t valued at nioie than $5,000. Ninety-e'g :t newspapers employ 1,0G4 persons and 70 papers have a combined average monthly pay ioil of $72,:’,40.95. Forty-nine news paper enterprises have invested $1.52:1,960 in equipment. Again, it is noted that 124 news paper reported a total circula tion of 1.206,787. “or 86,589 more than was reported in 1936 by 106 newspapers.” And 18:1 publications (newspapers and magazines) re ported combined average net cir culation per issue of 1,411.087. This is a very fine record for the pre-s. And we are glad to have a° compile'' of these statistics a for mer ed:tor, Charles E Hall whose ’"vc of the press causes him to ga ther uch basic data as will enabl '■I’ li hei's to gain a larger share of the advertising revenue of th nation’s business. I’oliti s It is reported that Republican Congressman Hamilton Fish of New York, speaking to Harlemite •eoentl told them that they are themselves to blame for the low •state of the Negro in nation;'1 nolitics. The Congressman, it i mid, asserted that the race should Fold the balance of power pol tie ■ 'ly in et'oiit seven state* an-1 should perforce, wield *» reme-d ous influence in the nation. It is not hard to see that the N° gro group, by astute leadership might seriously effect local an1 national elections in seven northern nri'1 middle western states. But it i another matter for the group t have the proper coursel and g’lid arce to make that power effec tive in t.heir racial behalw. Hardly any white man would counrtenanc" such a situation as a matter or right i>nd justice to the group T"hf>t r- one 0f thp tnain reason0 why such a possibility is highly •rv’orohahlo. Fishop Fountain in Va Augusta, On.. May H (ANP) — The Rt. Rev. W Uiam Alfred Foun tain, Bishop of the Sixth Episco pal district, of Georgia, accompan ied bv hig wife, arud sister-in-law. were in Augusta Sunday, April 24. Bishop Fountain preached morning and evening at Bethed A. M. E. church, Rev. J. Frank Ro gers, pastor at an Educational Rally. He preached at 3:00 p. m. at Ward Chapel AME church, Rev. G. Alfred Roberts, pastor. Large crowds greeted the Bishop at these services, which were held in the interest of Morris Brown college, in Atlanta, Ga„ of which Rev. W. A. Fountain, Jr., is pre | sident. -o Tolas Install Officers _____ Washington, D. C„ May 14 | (ANP)—The well appointed home 1 of Mrs. Cantolia Horn, 47 R St. Northwest, Washington, D. C. was (he scene of the installation of the new officers of Gamma Chapter of Iota Phi Lamba Sorority on Sunday afternoor, at four o’clock. Gamma is one of the two chapters of this widely reorganized business sorority in Washington ad has be come outanding for it,s consecutive work as well as for its social acti vit ies. The following officers were in stalled by Miss Harvey: Sara C. Plater, president; Jane .R. Bos field, vice president; Emmie L Floyd, recording secretary; Louise Jenkins, teasurerr; Bessie A. Rhyans, journalist; Vivian Brown, dean of pledgees. The announcement from the national office that the president of Gammo had been appointed Eastern Regional Directres was received by the group with great joy. Congratulatory remarks were “made bv the following guests: Miss Catherine (Boble, Alpha Chap ter, Chcago; Mrs. Olla Jenkins Omicron Chapter, New York City; and Miss Tola Smith, Washington The installation was terminated with a tasy repast. •-o—— New York, May 14—Picture postcards on sale in five and ten cent stores in the South, and par ticularly in South Carolina, drew' a protest from the Nationay As sociation for the advancement of Colored People this week to the officials of the F. W. Woolworth and the S. II. Kress chain stores. Orlsni’s Attucks CoiiikM Protest4’ Brooklyn. N. Y.. May 21 (ANP) —At a meeting Monday, of the Crispus Attucks held at the Carl in Avenue YMCA, George E. Wi becan, president of the council brought to the attention of the members of he vicious attack on our group uttered by Monsignor Belford, of the Catholic church lo cated on Clawson avenue and Put nam. A special committee was ap pointed to visit the Brooklyn Eagle office, lay the protest before the city editor and have them retract the statements made by Mdgr. Belford, who said hat the Negroes living along the Fulton street. L. line had depreciated realty values and that they should be restricted to a certain section of the country. He went on further to state that he could not hold meeting at night at. his church, because of the va grants in the district, mostly Ne groes. Wibecan referred to the Rev. Blackshear case and to stated that some of the best Negro citizens of the Catholic faith live in the district he mentions. And that his vituperations will hurt the cause of he Catholic faith in their efforts to bring Negroes into their faith. At a council held by the Ca tholic universities of St. John’s college and other instructions of of the Catholic faith. Wibecan was the incited guest and made men of Father Belford’s announcements about our group being the cause of the L are of the white race. Our group pay higher rental than the whites for less acenunoodation he said. Mrs. M. C. Lawton read a pre pared statement from the federa tion of women’s clubs, of which organization she is a member and past president, and scored Father Belford for his untiely remarks. The committee was composed of the following: .Rev Dr. iWUis of the Seventh Day Adventist church. Rev. Dr. Roy Proctor, Counsellor John M. Colean, Mr. and Mrs. Cae sar Btainbridge, Mrs. M. C. Law ton, William J. Ash, Associated Negro Press, N. Y. The committee was promised that the Eagle would print all that had taken place at the meeting. Zjenomie Highlights : <> quote a leading business nvi gazine, the threat if a world war ’"ill aflect almost cverytK ng that 3 done in Weshrgtoni from ! no on: Naval construction, m >• cho.nt marine, army expansion axes, Secretary Full’s re-pro a! raile prog:ant, perhaps even gov rnment reorganize t or* ” W>r__ past, present and future—is an m:n n* and ex^e dinglv active lement in American affairs today. Most obvious example of our •reoccupatirn w th the prrsne t of car is the navel budding program, he largest in our reac^-time his 'orv. Its proponents—-and there ire many—targue that our best guarantee of pence :s a ma ted fist econd to rnre. On he ether hand ’here are men of distinction and m^hont” who argue ”ith force ’h"t this nrogram ;s leed’rg us freight into war. Reason: Navy -pacification* today cull for fight :ng shins of tremendous cru’s ng : anges, and for supply vessels able * o make runs rf thousands of miles, provide the fleet w;th oil, J’ood. murit;ons and return to bases of the continental United Etates. How say the opponents of ‘he building nrogrpm, can =hins of ‘his tvne be iustifind ns e«ser* "al *onls of the national defense? Why ’o we rot build instoif) snydl fast hin.s with a rel"*ivr’v short cruis ing range, stiff :cieot in nunvb'r nd p«wer to defend our ”o«st.e _ r to fight in foreign waters? Is it nossible. they conclude that the nsnoken purpose behind the c«r •ent. pregram is the creation of a TT. R fleet eruparilv designed for ind capable of fighting in the Thina seas or the Mediterranean ? There >s no definite answer to *hese niiostjons now ' ut they are n 'icative of the cordusion that vists in the minds of the people. Even more important, perhaps, is he attitude of the Rtate Denart ppnt toward European trouble*— an attitude that has received a *ront, deal less interpretation than a subject of such moment deser ves. Apparently the clay is over wnen ippresentatives of great govern ments could sit down, argue dif "erences. arrive at agreements and go home, with all concerned know ing that the agreements will be kept, at least until some crisis ar rive which made one of the parti cipants feel that it was necessary sacrifice principle to expediency. The U. S. State Department at the present time doesn’t say it in so many words—but it obviously feels that words, treaties and pro mises of the belligerent powers— Germany, Japan and Italy-—can not be trusted. There are two con» crete examples of this to which are not widely known. A few months ago the Japanese govern ment intimated that it was again ready to discuss a treaty for the limitation of capital fighting ships —and the U. S. government of fered no encouragement. And for two years. Hitler has periodically proposed an agreement among the great powers to ameliorate some of the evils of war. such as tha unrestricted use of submarines and the ruthless bombing of civil ian centers—and again this gov ernment has turned a deaf ear to the suggestion. It is. of course, almost unthink able to blame the U. S govern ment for this attitude. The dicta tors who agreed to non-interven tion in the Spanish revolution have all but made a Franco victory cer tain by sending him apparently unlimited quanities of men, planes, cannons, and other essentials of war—and Japan, which now bur dened under a stagg°r'ng debt. Plight wish to slow down the world navel building race wa« th° Grst to violate the nrevmue naval building treatv. The States De partment’ attitude is simnlv an indication icf the difficulties of '■ari-viri'’' on diplomacv in a world where the old values have been so largely destroyed. One hv-nroduct of th:s is Secre torv Wuli’s nolicv of caution. Of ficially', we have rot recognized Ttalv’s oonouest of Alwasinia, nor former's sodden seizure of Aus tria. Wo have made protests atrainot those acts_but mostlv in v°i1ed and indirect terms. Our oro niinent nart in seeking to curb *he ravages and injustices of the dic tators. Y^t no one thinks that the feeling of this country is a rru tral one— 4 merican sentiment against the dictators is a’mo.st 100 ner cent strong Judging by yvhat evidence there is. the majority of Americans Were disapnointed at the failure of Eden and the adop tion bv England of the fhambor lain “peace at any price” foreign nolicv. Tt is rot a remote possibil ity that, this partisan sentiment will in the future be reflected in the government's attitude, and re sult in a more aggressive and pointed U. S. policy toward the totalitarian states. Whether that would make our participation in the next world war unavoidab’e is a topic that is being fiercely de bated by all manner of theorists— but it cannot be settled save in the infallible test-tube of Time.