Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1949)
Tdoe Plwtsimoj Jodojirja-il UNITED PKKSS AND NWNS SERVICE SECTION TWO CASS COUNTY'S XEWSpaper THE PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL Thursday, December 15. 1949 PAGE ONE Furse's Fresh Flashes rr r TIS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND rr s The Plattsmouth Journal K.STATII.ISHKD IN 1SS1 I Mi lil i.s!if-l scrni-wpfklv, Mnndavs an1 Thurs liivs. :it -1 u :-4 1 :. Main Mif-et, I'lattsmouth, C'a.is nititv. -Wlir.'iyka. RONALD R. FURSE Publisher FRANK II. SMITH Editor BERNARD A. WOOD Advertising Mgr. O. C. Osterholm, Plant Superintendent Helen E. Heinrich, News Editor mCBRASKR y irn association t NATIONAL EDITORIAL AssoctAnam SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $3.50 per year In Cass and adjoining counties, $4.00 per year elsewhere, in advance, by mail outside the city of Plattsmouth. By carrier in Platts mouth, 15 cents for two weeks. KntT-'l .-it tli IVistrif Cn-e t I 'hi t sinoi 1 1 h. Ni-lir.i'ka :is - unit i l.i m;iil mailer In :" -nil J;i ttff with tl.tr Ait of Cni;r-.-8 of .March A THOUGHT FOR TODAY 'leisure oiu! pain arc the only sprinc., of price of pain. (Iconic Pcttic EDITORIALS SILLY FRARS ABOUT FARM SUBSIDIES A subsidy is a subsidy, whether it Is paid to the operators of steamships, air lines or farms. Consequently, it is passing strange that many Americans fear a government pay ment to farmers will destroy their charac ter and self-reliance but have no qualms about the character and self-reliance of those who run the steamships, air lines and other businesses which receive financial favors from the government. Farmers, in connection with the money they receive, as a result of federal legis lation, should not overlook the fact that this is a subsidy regardless of the manner in which it is paid. Manufacturers who sell their goods on a protected market, due to the tariff, receive a similar subsidy. So far as we have observed, no promi nent business man has expressed any fear in public lest the tariff subsidy destroy the character and self-reliance of manufac turers. Since the tariff subsidy has been operating for many decades, without arous ing the consternation of those who look out for the character of other people, it seems logiral to suggest that a subsidy to farmers might operate successfully with out impairing the moral fiber of agricul turists. It is even open to argument that a sub sidy to farmers, paid out as an act of equity offset the subsidy to manufacturers, mitrht serve to improve the character and self-reliance of the farmers. There is noth ing like a little more income to bolster the independence that is an evidence of a rising amount of self-reliance. ORGANIZATIONS PRESUME TOO MUCH The organized farmers of the world arc alarmed at the "disturbing indications" of an "apparent unreadiness" of governments to undertake measures in the international food field, declares H. II. Hannam. presi dent of the International Federation of Agriculture Producers. We do not know anything about the organization which Mr. Hannam presumes to term an international group of pro ducers, but we have been under the impres sion that the farmers of the United States are, to say the least, not organized. Ye suspect that the so-called I. F. A. P. is something like a great many other or ganizations, set up by interested person? who presume to represent everybody in the classification described without ac tually representing anybody besides them selves and their associates. -c -K A CONGRESSMAN FACES A CELL The trial of Representative J. Parnell Thomas of New Jersey, charged with pay roll padding and receiving kick-backs from fictitious employes, was ended when the solon entered a plea of nolo contendre and threw himself on the mercy of the court. The case against Mr." Thomas devel oped when his secretary, after many years service, was replaced by a younger woman. She went to the Department of Justice, and revealed what had been going on. The evidence showed that she received no money from the scheme and her attorney contended that she acted under the "com pulsion" of the congressman. The charges against her were dismissed by the judge. It seems from the evidence in the case that Congressman Thomas had his secre tary issue payroll checks to her niece and her maid. These were then endorsed, de posited in her account and, subsequently transferred to Mr. Thomas' account in checks for exact or similar amounts which Married women wear wedding rings t- distinguish them from single girls. Mar ried men wear worried looks. - Met a fellow coming down the street the other early morning wearing a barnd. Asked him if he was a poker player. lie replied, "No, I'm not. But, I met a bunch of fellows last night who were." We never worry very much about what the preacher says in his Sunday sermon. It's a mighty poor speech if he doesn't hit us somewhere. A local father spent an evening here recently explaining to his small son the "facts of life." He then asked him if Ik had any questions. "Yes. daddy," the son replied, "there's something I've to know for a long time. How make bricks?" A Plattsmouth woman says she figure they live about eight blocks to town and 10 blocks to home as her husband always walks straighter goin' to town thai when comin' back. Flipper Fanny, our dainty little contour twister, thinks it's a shame they are send ing all those nice Marines to Japan and asks, "What will they do there?" I guess she ain't ever been out with a Marine. Our hotel manager didn't find any towels in a guest's suitcase, but he found a maid in his grip. wanted do they F HEY, MOM- CAM 1 WAve fAORE. CASH- ? GoTt4 9EWD U-MC Pay a wtacrifc ms. wr basket Bo, VA w rrvr k. - r I WULYAAkrtJWlLl.YA? WA 0 apparently were immediately written. The Thomas case will probably have u salutary effect in Washington. While no other charges have been preferred against other members of congress, there have been reports, from year to year, that vari ous members of the legislative bodies have practiced the "kick-back" system, either through placing non-workers on the pay rolls or requiring workers to give back a part of their check each month. DOWN MEMORY LANE 20 YEARS AGO The "Union" publication of Carnegie, Pa., carried a review of the book, "Tra dition and the Church," by Father Ceorgo Agius, D. D. J. C. D. . . . Henry Klinger and John T. Porter, with their hound 'dogs, captured several racoons along the Mis souri river near Gochenour's island . . . Charles Hartford, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Hartford, was called to position of superintendent of the Maizewood Insula tion Board Company of Dubuque, Iowa . . . Employees of the mechanical department of the local Burlington shops responded to appeal sent out by the city welfare and as sociated charities to aid in securing funds for care of defective children of the com munity, raising $100 for this fund . . . High school orchestra, under the direction of B. E. Woodward, gave a fine concert at the high school building . . . (Copyright, 1949, By the Bell Syndicate, Inc.) DREW PEARSON SAYS: SNYDER AND ECCLES ARE ASKED TO CEASE THEIR "PUBLIC SQUABBLING;" ECCLES WANTS TO DISCOURAGE DUMPING GOV ERNMENT BONDS: SNYDER SAYS CONGRESS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INFLATION TRENDS. WASHINGTON. The inflation row between Secretary of the Treasury Snyder and Federal Reserve Dynamo Marriner Eccles attracted headlines a few days ago. But when the two men met behind the closed doors of a senate committee, the final results of the feud were hushed up. It was Snyder who, perhaps knowing he would be no match for the shrewd and experienced Eccles, insisted on a closed -door meeting. However, here is what hap pened. Present at the senate session was Tom McCabe, popular, easygoing federal re serve chairman who agrees with Snyder on most things, and who pleaded with both Eccles and Snyder to cease their "public squabbling" because of repercussions on business and the stock market. Eccles shot back that stock-market re action to his dispute with Snyder was far outweighed by the future economic and financial welfare of the nation. It would be better to have a showdown now, public or otherwise, he said, rather than wait un til inflation hits us. "The press has made this a personal dispute between Secretary Snyder and my self, but it's not that at all," Eccles de clared. "It's a question of deep, funda mental policy that affects the future wel fare of every man, woman and child in the United States. The federal reserve system cannot adequately carry out its obligation -MB wry ! HARRY ije . WAKE Pff SAiw yoo uwld MfeLP' t wt ik TUese CJristmac Cards m AL.-KEAW, AnK !M WORN OUTfl SEiJDlMJ GAKW To EW-VAWY-HIS-MU.1E AMPuaBuS-lKfESS CfcOWiES IS JUST A, fOHC OF SkOhY,AnP A- vWfe Of MOEY t'U PBC9AFLY POU&W SOME FCUC? 1 ?4WLD SENAeR., AMP SfcVNP A LOT To VECVLE. sfAV NtKJT GIVE A TKKl MYvtoW ortPeR. , I'M So TiMEP , AAMTVJEO- I'E got fo -OAVE A J"CAWr AAAIL MV CARPS FOR. CTVC-A- A-UAl-F CBsm AtfY MORS. 1 I I m - I IIIMIfi ) rr -TTTTTT I mTl 5o oooo ooo V ! ' to control inflationary trends while the treasury continues to borrow at fixed, low interest charges." GOVERNMENT BONDS DUMPED The interest rate (now aver aging about 2.2 per cent on long and short-term government se curities) should be somewhat higher, Eccles contended, to dis courage dumping of government bonds by banks, insurance com panies and other big purchasers. Also, it should be more flexible, lie argued, so the federal reserve board could use it as a lever to prevent either an overexpansion or a tightening of bank credit. Interest rates on government securities naturally influence the rates on commercial loans, Ec cles pointed out, and therefore the quantity of such credit which the reserve system is ex pected to control. "Well, the treasury has obli gations, also," argued Snyder. "Let the interest rate go up on government bonds and there will be a howl from farmers and other groups, who will then have to pay higher financing charges on private loans and mortgages." Turning to Senator Douglas of Illinois, chairman of the meeting, Snyder remarked that congress was chiefly responsible for inflation trends. "Inflation originates in the congress," he commented, tart ly. "If congress votes to ap propriate great sums of money and then doesn't increase taxes to balance this spending, you are making inflation. You can't build up big deficits with out taking risks." ROBBING PETER The treasury chief added that the low interest the government was paying on its bond issues represented that much of a sav ing to the taxpayer and helped to balance the budget. However, Eccles shot back that it did noth ing of the kind, but was a rob bing Peter-to-pay-Paul policy 1 that actually cost the taxpayers : more in the long run. Low interest rates on govem- ment bonds often lead to dump j ing by big investors, who prefer ; to reinvest their money in less i secure, but more profitable com mercial loans, he explained. Since the federal reserve sys tem is required by law to buy up the bonds dumped on the open market, this further in creases national bank reserves against which more inflationary money is then issued. The amount of money the treasury is saving now by its fixed, low interest rates, is only a pittance compared with the future cost of inflation if Sny der continues his present policy, Eccles warned. MERRY-GO-ROUND George Craig, first World War II vet to command the American Legion, had four years active combat service, and is really fighting in peace for the demo cratic ideals we had in war . . . Courageous Congressman Andy Biemiller of Wisconsin deserves credit for taking Judge Arm strong's "bonus-fox bigotry" foundation off of the govern ment's tax-exempt list . . . U. S. Ambassador James Clement Dunn, now in Rome, is angling for the highly prized post of ambassador to the court of St. James . . . Sen. Pat McCarran now thinks he is almost as im portant as the president. When McCarran returned to Washing ton last week, the entire staff of the senate judiciary committee was lined up waiting to greet him like a returning potentate . . . Avra M. Warren, now Amer ican ambassador to Finland, will be the next U. S. envoy to Pak istan . . . The navy has just de veloped the world's most pow erful airplane engine. It will but fly even the fastest Russian jet ... A long-suppressed feud between Secretary of Defense Johnson and Atomic Energy Chairman David Lilienthal is about to break into the open . . . The real estate lobby has a new device for killing rent con trols. It is fixing up a list of vacant apartments in over crowded Washington exclusively for congressmen who want to rent just to show there's no housing shortage. AIRLINE LOBBYIST You've got to hand it to Pan American Airways for being ver satile when it comes to lobbying. All during the 80th Republican congress they depended on GOP Senator Brewster of Maine and Sam Pryor, former GOP com mitteeman from Connecticut, to do their lobbying. In fact, only one Democrat, Carroll Cone, was on their lobbying payroll, and prior to November 1948 he was expected to exit after the elec tions. Immediately after the elec tions, however, Carroll Cone, Democrat, went up in value to Pan American, and he may now become a vice president. But in addition, Clark Clifford, soon to leave the White House for the law-lobbying business, will become the brightest star in Pan Am's lobbying army. Note Pan American has ju".t put across a neat piece of lobby ing with the civil aeronautics board, by which it gets one foot in the door on the route to Rome. This route belongs to TWA. But Pan Am used the ex cuse of carrying holy year Pil grims, and CAB gave it a spe cial route to Rome. It will be interesting to see whether the route is surrendered after holy year is over. 1 MSKA NEB A classified Ad in the Journal costs as little as 35c. v JAKES C OLSON, Superintendent STATS HISTOBICAL OCIXTY The "PX," or post exchange, ' remembered and usually fond ly by all veterans, is by no means a recent development. It - had its pioneer equivalent in the sutler's store, an integral part of every frontier military post. As the Army took on the task of protecting settlers, traders and travelers on the far-flung frontier, it became necessary to establish military posts far from the edge of civilization. Fort Atkinson, Nebraska's first mili tary establishment, was so lo cated; and later Nebraska posis such as Forts Kearny and Mc Pherson, were similarly situated. Life at these frontier posts was monotonous at best, and in many cases it would have been unbearable without the service of the sutler, who brought to the men stationed at lonely outposts comforts and luxuries which the government failed to provide certain items of food and cloth ing, as well as tobacco, whiskey, and trinkets. . As Dr. Edgar E. Wesley, of the University of Minnesota, an his torian of the military frontier in Nebraska and the West, has put it: "A cruel or exacting com-! mander could be tolerated; hard service was accepted as an in-1 evitable part of life; but an un-1 accommodating or inefficient sutler was a real calamity." Little wonder, then, that the sutler's activities were carefully regulated, to make sure he func tioned for the benefit of the gar li :on as well as himself. The sutler was a civilian, b;:' was given military status mid--vay between enlisted ar.d com missioned personnel, with no du ties. His appointment came from the military authorities and he could be discharged at any time. Each post had only one sutler. In return for the monopoly he enjoyed, the sutler paid a cer tain amount each month, de pending upon the size of the- gar rison, into a post fund, usa foi the benefit of the soldiers :jnd their families. Post schools and THE NAVY STILL has a chip on its shoulder. An almost brazen mockery was seen in the round of parties for Adm. Louis E. Denfeld. fired from hi post as naval chief of staff by Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews. Opkuoa in Washington is that Admiral Denfeld and his rnies, whether they are right r wrs-nf in their stand on na tional defense, certainly did not have a leg to stand on in refasiar to obey orders from their ciTilian superior o r obeying with thumb in cheek and spreading tbeir refusal on record before congress. The Constitution provides for civilian control of military forces. with the President as the commander-in-chief. And it was, in effect, the President giving orders, hen his second in command. Secre tary Matthews, gave Admiral Den feld his orders orders which the admiral protested before congress. No military organization can command respect without dis cipline. An analagous situation Would be This: If Admiral Denfeld ordered the captain of the battle ship Massachusetts to report to Pearl Ilaibor for maneuvers and the captain demurri-d ;'!-.d de clared that strategically ho should report to Guam, not Po:..l !': :'.:or. that the good cf the iu r i-v manded the presence (T t ' : sachusetts ti Guam. And ! iv- murrcd and protested u: i i '. admiral, a little red faced, v. v- .'. demand he obey his ordtrr. .;-x the captain, still protesting, world complainingly obey, but would carry his grievance to a congres sional committee. Admiral Denfeld would be the first to demand court mar tial of the captain for such tactics. No one has questioned Admiral Denfeld's patriotism nor his sin cerity, but observers hrre now are questioning his attitude, even for the new post which he has bet: offered, and which at this writing he has not accepted Th question of national defense is determined by the top men in all branches of the service. All problems arc worked out in the war college, and close to 200 technicians and experts in the military -establishment take part in these decisions. After a program is drawn ud it libraries were maintained out of this fund. The sutler's prices were fixed by the military authorities, who also determined what goods he was required to keep on hand. A Council of Administration us ually was set up for this purpose. Frequently, sutler and council were at loggerheads over prices to be charged. Occasionally, when the council was slow to act, an enterprising sutler would have an entire shipment of goods sold before a price had been fixed. Sutler's were allowed to ex tend credit to soldiers at the post, but only in an amount up to half of a month's pay. In or der to assure himself of pay- goes to the chiefs of staff where it is studied before a decision is ' reached in conjunction with the ( secretaries of the army, navy and air force and the secretary of na tional defense. Every one has his say. but once a dec ision is defi-! nitely made and the secretary f defense has given his approval and the orders are issued, then as military men the admirals ai.d tlie generais are expected to go aioi.g wholeheartedly. If they do not, as Admiral Denfeld refused to do. then the civilian heads of the military establishment have no alter native but to oust the admiral from his post. That should be the last of it. But apparently the Navy is still aggrieved. Despite the fact that the new Anderson-Gore farm bill boasts farm support prices some 6 per cent, farm income will be off, as compared with other years, in 19M). Some experts figure that farm purchasing power will be down as much as 15 per cent next year, and that the loss of purchas ing power will be felt in purchase of farm machinery and other dur able goods. Farmers have caught up on farm machinery needs the past few years of high income, as well as on reductions of farm debts. So if there is a drop in farm income, the farmer is in hotter shape than ever before to absorb the cut. Some insist that "a use of the continued demand .'.id increnscd cunsumi tion. the :..i !i,cr v. ill fare abo. t as well iH.M year as this, in sjiito of sur- .t' which appear in the i fling. li.r-n,ji;y years some n, en. bets of c.!:re:s have taken the posi tion t.u t lite large appropriations made f .r si-'f-liquidating projects in the fields of reclamation, hydro electric p-vcr dams, irrigation and for l-r.n p:irpt sos, f,r which the govcrnn : : i5 repaid at in terest, should r. '. bo classed in the budget ;;ovcrrment ex-. pense. Thcio m m bcrs maintain that these funds, aii of which are repaid to the fed it 1 treasury, should be put ii.t a revolving fund. j The point is, if these appropria-, tions were taken out if the federal' budget, it would not take much figuring for the congress next year to balance the budget with out a tax increase and end liic so called deficit suendins:. ment, the sutler was allowed to take a place at the pay table and deduct amounts due him from the soldiers' pay. In most instances, the sutler ship was a desirable thing, and many profited greatly from the position. Yet, there were many risks involved, and the average sutler probably earned his profit in service to the troops. Patronize Journal Ailverstisers. Fouchek-Garnett LAWYERS Bonded Abstracters a brain btijipfr 1. A legal will may be signed (a) on any day except Sunday, (b) on any day except Sunday or a legal holiday, (e) on any day, including Sunday or a legal holiday, (d) only on a legal holiday. 2. The Hatch act forbade (a) pernicious political activity Wy federal employees, (b) hiring of Communist as school teachers, (c) requiring federal employees to swear loyalty to the V. S. 3. The V. S. government gold bullion depository is at Ft. Knox. Ky. Where is the national silver vault? (a) Fort Knox, Ky.. (b) New York City. c) West Point. d Annapolis. Md. 4. Ice cream was invented by (a) the Eskimos, (b) Hie Ital ians, (c) the Americans, (d) the Russians. 5. The president of the United States holding office for the shortest time was?(a U.S. Grant, (b) William Henry Harrison. ANSWERS 1. (c) Ob aay y. Inrlatfinf Sday r a legal bIia'aT. 2. (a) Pernieiaas aaliilral activity T federal malajeca. S. (c) Wt Paint. 4. () Tn ltaliaaa. aa far hack aa Nara'e ttai, . (a) William Henry Uarriaen, aa omIi aflar Inaaf aratian. - Crossword Puzzle HORIZONTAL 1 Man' nlckaama 4 Vartical pole B Ta endure It Girl's nam 1.1 Batter tubeutute 14 Arabian a port 15 Agreement 17 Heavy metal 18 Pauafe IS Amotinli to altocether 31 Ta decorate JS Prefix: half S4 Farewell iLatini S3 Governed 28 Yale 30 Number 31 Anglo-Saxon money 32 Delivered 34 Prince of Afghanistan 35 Part of the M Footprint 37 Require 40 Persian title 41 Son of Jacob 42 To hint 44 Wife af Geraint 47 Futile 48 Te court 48 To pgnt difficulty B0 "Jane . . . by Bronte SI Cofnizanco F P I I Is i 1 1 in Tj rs ; n 1 1 n 17-73 pTp" lf LLJ 3 K h U n n 4t 4i 43 44 I4i 4T"" - 4t 7s 4? iZ n with VERTICAL 1 Thui 2 Fust 3 Lutelike instrument 4 Feeble-minded parson 9' Winglike Dry, aa wine T ahook S Eurooean sea Project 10 To distribute 11 Finishes 16 Ripped 20 Portent 21 To affirm confidently 22 Valley 23 Submerge 23 Scornful 26 Indian weapon 27 . . . the Red 2 To venture 30 Withered 33 To sever 34 Famous murderer 3 Yeur I poetic) 37 Ball of thread 38 California rockfiak 39 Greedy 40 To move slightly 43 Negative vo:e 44 Pedal dig.t 43 Vast t Answer to LAST WEEK'S Puzzle; IA jPlAlnlSlTl I If j A Y P jO 1 R X JS H I R iS ? L F W JB E LL A M SjA R 0 D " N 0 WJ IS T K A T " ? Ji K TP D ?. 5 k M D R A LL L A "2 i. L E S A U M D jUllcT U 3? pTa" 3IHT T?a 1p 5Tri A L I M0 HJaIl" IP MWJ I UlRlolslzl FTim