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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1939)
THE OMAHA GUIDE Published Every Saturday at 2-118-20 Giant St. Omaha, Nebraska Phone WEbster 1517 Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927, at the Post Office at Omaha, Nebr., under Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. TERM^ OF SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR All News Copy of Chrurches and add Organi zations must be in our office not later than 6:00 p. m. Monday for curren issue. All Adver tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wednesday noon, proceeding date of issue, to insure publication. Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man must prevail. These are the m’y principles whil will stand the arid test of good. James H. Williams & James E. Seay—Linotype operators and Pressmen. Paul Barnett—Foreman. EDITORIALS Overheard At Womens Club The buzz oof talk quieted down and the secretary read a news item about a club in a neighboring town that had suc cessfully sponsored a Spring program to beautify their community and to make it safer. It was suggested that their own club start a similar campaign, and the motion was duly passed and a committee appointed. The committee called on the mayor gained his interest aind his promise to is sue a proclamation setting aside a defin ite week for the campaign to be pursued. Other members visited fire headquarters and found the chief eager to help. The Bey Scouts organization agreed to clean up a number of lots. Cooperation was obtained from the street cleaning depart ment, which consented to make special collections of accumations of rubbish. The committee visited the schools and the principals and teachers arranged to have the children take home suggestions for a ' Spring Clean-up in every house. Import ant cooperation was gained from the Chamber of Commerce, merchants and managers of industrial plants. At fire headquarters the convnittee learned that self-inspection blanks were available which could be used to bring all fire hazards to light. They found three types of blanks-for homes, for industrial plants and for mercantile establishments. These were obtained free from the Na tional Board of Fire Underwiters, eighty five John Street, New York City. Once started, everyone was surpris ed at the momentum gained by the Spring Clean-up Campaign. Net only was the city cleaned up and made spick and span, so that it was far safer both from the standpoint of sanitation and fire, but also a great deal of painting, re pairing and modernization was done. Some ramshackle and worthless build ings were torn down and the ground cleared. All in all, a vastly improved community resulted. It was more attrac tive in appearance and business was stimulated. _0O0 The People Wait It is not surprising that recent polls of public opinion show that the great ma jority of the citizens of this country are hepeful that the two major labor organi zations, the A. F. of L. and the CIO., will get together and reconcile their differenc es under some plan that is fair to both vertical and horizontal irnions. These polls likewise indicate that warfare be tween labor groups, as well as warfare between labor and management, what ever the cause and no matter who is at fault definitely retard economic recovery. The United States is plenty big enough to hold two big unions, living side by side in peace and amity. And it seems that the time has long passed when there should have been sensible revision of laws governing the relation of employer and employee. The National Labor Relations Act is a case in point. This act was un doubtedly inspired by honest and praise worthy motives--but, in actual practice, it has served to further foment, rather than reduce, labor difficulties. It has ac tually harmed the cause of honest union ism. hot helped it, by encouraging labor racketeering and excesses During this century, we have seen the passage of much good legislation de signed to prevent the greedy, rapacious and unconscionable employer from ex ploiting the worker. But two wrongs never yet made a right--and legislation which actually encourages extremes harms us all. We need balance in labor legislation--laws which will protect the rights of both parties, restrain each side from acts and policies which are opposed to the public interest, and actually bring peace. -0O0 COMMITTEE OF SIX REPORTS The most important third party con tribution yet made toward solving the railroad problem is found in the exhaustive thoroughly-documented reporrt of the committee of six which the President of the United States appointed to study the general transportation situation. It de serves the widest possible publicity. It recommends that the government adopt a definite national transportation policy providing for the fair, impartial re gulation of each antf every mode of trans portation. It recommends revision of the present rate-making rule, and the substitution of a new, flexible rule adequate to meet cur rent conditions, It recommends complete repeal of the so called long and short haul clause of the Transportation Act, an outmoded clause, which has been extremely damaging to the interests of shippers as well as the railroads. It recommends a fair and reasonable system of tolls for the commercial use of certain inland waterways, and the elim ination of the Inland Waterways Corpora tion Board,--a tax suppoted government undertaking which has proved to be an expensive white elephant. It recommends the creation, by Con gress, of a new and independent Trans portation Board, to be charged with the duty of investigating and reporting con cerning the relative economy and fitness of existing modes of transportation, the extent to which any are now subsidized, and to suggest needed further legislation. These are the high spots of this splen did, dispassionate report. And certainly they show how Congress can take quick, definite steps in bringing order out of the transportation chaos. The recommen dation that legislation be passed to really bring about equality of regulation of all carriers--rail, highway, pipeline, air, and water-is of vital significance. And so is the suggestion that our obsolete, depres sion-making rule governing rate-making for the railroads be revised. The enactment into law of some such program as this would do far more than save the railroads. It would lead to an im mense amount of spending, investment, employment and general industrial expan sion. It would heal one of the sorest spots in the whole economic picture. And, if it is to be effective, it must be done soon. -uuu Boss--You should have been here at nine oolock. Worker--Why, what happened. YOU <H0 YOUR BUNKER The semi-public character of banking and its historic vulnerability to popular sentiment and political attack, makes it imperative that understanding of and at tention to public attitudes and reac tions play a larger part in bank manage ment in the future than they Have in the past, says The American Bankers Asso ciation. Few borrowers ever like the man or up about bankers and banking, picturing the former as a rapacious crew of finan institution that lends them money. And in addition, a sort of grim legend has grown cial pirates, and the latter as an ice-cold institution which controls the pursestrings of the nation. As a result, it has always been easy for the unscrupulous politician in need of a vote-getting issue, to make political capital out of the exaggerated and fallacious attacks on our financial structure. The fact that banking has awakened to this and is taking steps to inform the public as to the fundomentals of its bus iness, marks a move in the right direct ion. It will, in the long run, serve to im prove banking service to the people. It will clear away misunderstanding that exists in millions minds. Banking lies at the heart of our economic system and it is time we learned a great deal more about it than we have in the past. -0O0 Housewife-1 sent my little boy for two pounds of plums and you only sent me a pound and a half. Something is wrong with your scales. Merchant_My scales are all right Ma dam. Have you weighed your little boy. * THE PBESIDEHT VISITS It is exceedingly fortunate that Tusk egee Institute and the Veterans Facility No. Ninety-one can have a visit from the President of the United States. Great val ue attaches to the fact that the Presi dential party had an opportunity to see some of the people and things of which they have often heard but could not see first hand. There is for us, as for others, a cer value in expedient pubilicity, and is the height of wisdom to get so powerful a per son as the President of the United States interested in what goes on at Tuskegee Institute. That instituion may suddenly become more useful in threatening times like these and it is good for the President to see for himself the institution which is near many important points of military interest and which has served signficant ly in such a capacity in the past. It is also of inestimable value that the President visited the Veterans Hospital. The patients there are the direct products of the world war, The hospital has the re putation for being efficiently handled. It will probably be necessary to establish similar institutions elsewhere in the fu ture, therefore it is well that the President was impressed with the efficiency exhib ited by the men of our group who are re sponsible for the conduct of this hospital. Good impressions in this way are valu able. BETWEEN the LINES by Gordon B* Hancoek for Associated Negro press TWO DANGEROUS SYMPTOMS JEALOUSY and INGRATITUDE When Caesar was struck down at the foot of Pompey’s statue, he beheld Brutus among his assassins and exclaim ed, Et tu Brute. Historians tells us that he fought most bravely until he saw the hand of Brutus uplifted against him and then he weakened and fell resigned and mor tally wounded. The treachery of a former friend broke his heart and morale. When a mans enemies become they of his house hold his undoing is only a matter of time and when a mans friends become his ene mies he becomes helpless at defense for they know his number. One of the things that gives sting to the dark deeds of an erstwhile friend is the element of ingratitude that we find in evitably there. That Isreal proved ungrat ful so often to the God that brought him out of Egypt with a strong and mighty hand, was as often the occasion of Divine anger. The ingratitude of the chosen peo ple often moved God to the verge of wrath. Ingratitude is a grievous sin. After many years of bitter experience and ser.ous study I am almost prepare# to lay before the Negro race its basestsm and one of the most dangerous symptoms of internal disorder. Ingratitude is the basest sin of my race. I speak thus after years and years of serious thought am the matter. The hand that is surest to strike us in the hand that we have heli along the slippery ways of life. The per son whom we have helped to rise is the surest to tread upon our finer feelings* This is not true in every case but the ex ceptions prove the rule most conclusive ly. - Negroes too often take every kindness shown them for granted and as some thing ordinary. I have seen too often uijr people befriended and have seen the be friended ones utterly indifferent towsifs the fortunes and feeTngs of those be friending them. Not only is this my exper ience but it is the experience of every per son with whom I talked on this matter. After thirty years of public life I spea* truthfully in saying that the few known times when the hand of injury was lifte# against me, was the hand of someone t had befriended. My own experiences is even as nothing as compared with hundreds of other ne gro benefactors with whom I have talcafL I talked the other day with a Southern white woman who put a Negro grfr through college and after ten years not a word has come from this girl. I know of a Negro family who out of sympathy game . a struggling Negro youth free board far four summers during his college career and the youth has not as much as sod a card of seasons greetings. In talking oner this matter with the late Maggie L. Wtf ker some years ago, she too felt that in gratitude was one of our besetting mas Moreover I have known her to befriend those who had been ungrateful to her and that is the reason she stands out before me as one of the greatest souls of histwy She deliberately put bread into the hand that had been uplifted against her. Ingra titude is a malignant disease that must be cured if we would not die. Then there is its twin, jealousy. Be groes are inordinately jeolous of one an other. We do not want to see others forge ahead. Who shall be greatest in the king dom of Negro affairs is a question that is ever pressing. Who shall sit on the rigid hand of popularity and become the cyn osure of all eyes and the object of all in tentions is ever a pressing question in tbe councils of the Negro race. In talking with a wealthy southern white woman some years ago I learned that one of her great problems was to keep down jealousies and bickerings among her dozen or more Negro servants. Said she, these men ami women are as loyal to me as they can be but it is becoming increasingly diffiadt for me to keep them at peace with one an other. They are jealous among themsefces to the extent that I am thinking about get ting white help. This is not only true among those wto work in the household of the white maa but among those of great degees. Degreed jealousy is one of the greatest threats to the future of the Negro race. While we are getting the white man told about his sins let us not overlook the jealousy aiut in gratitude that are threatening the tulme of our people. An ungrateful jealous peo ple cannot be great. --0O0 The patient in the shoe store bam tried to suit his stout customer. NeaiJjf everything in the shop had been brought down, but to no purpose. Still another pair of shoes was pro duced. Lady: No, I don’t like these. The§r tend to get wider as they get older. Clerk: Well Madam, didn’t your