Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1953)
EDITORIA L S Furses Fresh Flashes CHILDREN WARNED OF STRANGERS Police, hoping to alert youngsters to the danger which is involved in trusting strang ers, recently began distributing 450,000 illustrated pamphlets to Maryland school children. The pamphlets warned them not to do many things, each warning being ac companied by a picture. Among other things, the pamphlets ad vised the children not to take rides from persons they did not know; not to take money, candy or treats from strangers; not to accompany strangers when they need directions; and not to go with strangers who offered them a job with pay. In ad dition, the pamphlet warned the children not to play alone in alleys, or deserted buildings; not to let strangers touch themj and to take a friend along when they went to the playgrounds, movies, or stores. This latter bit of advice is certainly all-inclusive. While many of us find it hard to believe that all these precautions are necessary, the police in Maryland evi dently have concluded that they are. It is rather disappointing to realize that chil dren should not go alone to playgrounds, movies and stores, for instance. Certainly there is something wrong in a society where children have no more freedom from danger than is indicated by the rules passed out to school children in the State of Maryland. In addition, the pamphlet says these rules should also be followed by adults. Our comment would be that the rules apply to a greater extent in the larger cities. The smaller the town, or community, the less the chances are that children will not be safe violating the rules quoted above. Happily, in many of the smaller communties of America today, the natural friendliness which was typical of early America still prevails. THE BEST SELLERS We sometimes wonder what the aver age reader of best-seller novels expects to gain by reading the trash put out year after year. We would like to remind our read ers that, to be balanced, one must read something other than the usual trash, and sex, which is currently being peddled at a record rate. We have also noticed that, in addition to the vulgarity which characterizes so many best-sellers and which, no doubt, sells the books, many of them contain sub tle propaganda. The average sensation seeker, who appreciates a book in propor tion to its vulgarity, seldom realizes that propaganda might be included in today's novels. It is each citizen's duty to try to under stand the motivation behind books he reads, movies he sees, and behind other entertainment sources. For instance, movie stars can glamorize cocktails, smok ing and other things by portraying them as glamorous, normal ways of life. While the average American is more individualistic than the citizen of any other country, he is. nevertheless, often duped by the mass effect of such proganda. He is convinced that this or that is the thing to do and he conforms and follows the examples he has read of, or seen on the screen. Man's intelligence can be pretty accur ately measured by what he reads. Every individual should realize that when he be comes satisfied with his knowledge and stops educating himself, he is sure to go backward intellectually from that point on. It should also be kept in mind that only the intelligent are wise enough to continue t-D sflek knowledge and education. With this in mind, we suggest that those who gobble up all the spicy novels of the day make it a rule to read at least one factual, or mentally-stimulating book, for each three love novels. Anyone who will follow such a resolution wil improve his mind, eventually learn to enjoy non-fiction and gain for himself at least a chance of being weaned away from trash. THOUGHT FOR TODAY All wish to know, but none want to pay the price. -Juvenal The Plalfsmoufh Journal Official County and City Paper ESTABLISHED IN mi Twice Winner Ak-Sar-Ben Plaques for , "'OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE' 1949 1951 Presented Nebraska Press Association "GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD" in 1951 (Ranked Second In ClUes Over 1000 Population) Published Semi-Weekly, Mondays and Thursdays, at 410 Main Street. Plattsmouth. Cass County, ; Nebr. RONALD R. FURSE ....... . . Publisher HARRY J. CANE Editor FRANK H. SMITH .. News Reporter ALBERT EL BACK Advertising Mer. SOPHIA M. WOLEVER Society Editoi i irne&L 'MSioaarton A m n MATfOMU in , The fellow who remembers what he learned at his mother's knee was probably bent over it at the time. Even after changing its name to "Virus infection" doctors still can't cure the com mon cold. One reason we wrorry so much about the future is that we expect to spend the rest of our life in it. Flipper Fanny, our dainty little con tour twister, cut quite a figure here the other day. She sat down on a broken bot tle. An altar is a place where a bachelor loses control of himself. Right now the best way to keep up with the Joneses is to take it easy for awhile and you'll meet them coming back. The cost of living is always a problem: with inflation, you worry about the cost, and with deflation you worry about the living. - If you are married you have grounds for divorce. A Plattsmouth woman tells us she likes strong silent men they're such good listeners. Ticklers By George .A. w.aw.v.v Down Memory Lane v.v.v.v.vv.;, M YEARS AGO Miss Loren Hatchett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Hatchett, and Leonard W. Lutz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lutz, were united in marriage March 12 at the First Christian church . . . County Sheriff Homer Sylvester has declared a morator ium for motor vehicle owners for one month to enable vehicle owners to purchase new license plates at the lower rate as approved in a recent law ... A pig born recently, on the H. L. Gayer farm has two sets of ears, one inside the other . . . George Adams, Anna May Sandin and Greth Garnett were first place winners in the declamatory contest held here . . . Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Elliott are the parents of a daughter . . . Mrs. A. J. Trilety has been elected president of the Women's Auxiliary society of the Presbyterian church. Miss Florence Terryberry is first vice president and Mrs. Luke Wiles is second vice presi dent. 4A YEARS AGO IU Corbin Davis and Bob Marshall have been elected co-captains of the Kemper Military school basketball team . . . Pvt. Gerald Petre and Pvt. Ray F. Hamilton have completed Air Force courses at Gulf port Field, Miss. . . . Coach and Mrs. Merle Stewart are the parents of a son born March 13 . . . Mrs. William Woolcott and Mrs. E. G. Shellenbarger have been named delegates to the district Woman's club meeting to be held at Tecumseh. Alter nates are Mrs. W. L. Heinrich and Mrs. L. S. Devoe . . . Mrs. Mary Rea has been installed as Grand Regent of the Catholic Daughters of America at Plattsmouth. Mrs. Agnes Walling is vice regent. . "This new man is taking no chances Entered at the Post Office at PJattsmouth, Nebraska, as second class mail matter tn accordance with the Act of Congress of Marcb 3. 1$79. ... 1 1 - ' - - " SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $3.50 per year in Cass and adjoining counties. $4.00 per year elsewhere, in advance, by mall outside the city of Platts mouth. By carrier in Plattsmouth.- 20 cents f oj. two weeks. " : '':"," ' v The Washington Merry -Go-Round (Copyright, 1952, By the Bell Syndicate, Inc.) DREW PEARSON SAYS: DEFENSE CHIEF REVERSES SELF ON BUDGET CUTS; 40-PAGE CATALOG COSTS $87,000,000; SERVICES SABOTAGE $4,000,000,- 000 SAVING EFFORT. WASHINGTON Secretary of De fense Charles E. Wilson went into a com plete, though secret reverse last week. After telling a senate committee he could make no real cuts in the defense budget, he ordered the navy to cut by two billions, the air force by two billions, and the army by a quarter billion. Reason for the reversal was a deter mined desire on the part of Budget Direc tor Joe Dodge to chop expenses, plus reali zation that in the armed forces there's the greatest fat. . Here is some news which may help Dodcre and Wilson. . rtVpr a vear ago Feb. 4, 1952 th&; column -reported in detail how the army, navy, air force overlapped, dupli cated, and competed with each other in buying supplies. In such a relatively simple item as carpenter's squares, for instance, a carpenter's square for the quartermaster corps cost 65 cents, for the navy $2. for the army $1.90, for the signal corps $2.10, for the army engineers $1.48, for the air force $1.40. : Furthermore, even within the army it self, there is no standardization of carpen ter's squares, so that the army catalog "contained six separate specifications for squares the signal corns', ordnance's, transportation's, engineers', chemical war fare's, and quartermaster corps'. On ton of' this, air force has to have a seventh number, and the bare cost of re printing army catalogs to add the air force's 7th number is about $1,500,000." Last year also, a subcommit tee spearheaded by Congressman Carl Vinson of Georgia and Ed die Herbert of Louisiana per formed extensive research on armed services duplication, fi nally passed a law requiring the army, navy, air force to compile en? catalog from which they all would order instead of compet ing against each other through separate catalogs. That law was passed on July 1, 1952. Since then, the defense department has had 300 people working full time in Washington, plus 3,000 people working part time in the field to compile a joint armed services catalog. Finally, after spending $87,000,- 000, they have produced the first edition a catalog on "subsist- , ence" or food length, 40 pages! , In contrast, the complete pur chasing catalogs of the army, J navy, air force fill one room. so. at the rate of $37,000,000 for 40 pages, it will take billions to complete the entire catalog. Confidential Memo I As a result of this dilly-dallying. Acting Defense Secretary William Foster in the Truman administration sent a confiden tial memo to his Renublicarcsuc cessor on the day before Eisen hower took over. This column has obtained a copy of the con fidential memo, which reads: "You will recall that I touched briefly on the subject of the cataloging and standardization program and my concern a.s to its-effectiveness. Attached Is a copy of my memo to Mr. Sheri dan, defense management staff, recommending action I believe to be appropriate ..." Foster enclosed not only his recommendation for the use of outside civilian experts to cut army-navy duplication, but he also enclosed an amazing memo from Edward J. Sheridan in which the defense management director admitted complete fail ure by the armed forces to get together on a joint, standardized buying program. According to the confidential memo, the 40-page catalog for the purchase of food, referred to above, "does not include infor mation on each item needed for supply operations such as . . . size, weight, cubage ... This means that the subsistence cata log which covers the simplest catalog of items existing in the military supply system cannot i be used in supply operations." I In other words, after spending $87,000,000 of the taxpayers' money and eight months time, even the meagre 40 pages of standardized cataloging aren't worth using. "It would appear," continues the confidential memo, "That if this practice is followed for the remaining 73 groups of items to be cataloged, the intent of the congress will not be met and that a single cataloging system will not be developed. . I "Further the subsistence ' cata - lof?. first published in November t 1952, is already at the printer I for revision and inclusion of 300 additional items" which the boys forgot. "One million news items have entered the supply system since the Korean war started," the memo continued, "and represent a tremendous backlog of work. "The rate of new items coming into the system is greater than the rate of catalogine." confess es Mr. Sheridan. "This means that we have undoubtedly sDent needless time, money, and effort in cataloging items which were obsolete ..." When congress passed the law for standardized buying it was estimated that the elimination of competing army-navy ware houses, durjlicate warehousing personnel.' duplicate books, cata losner. etc., would save the tax payers four billions. Instead it has cost $87,000,000 evtra. Four billions is just about the amount . Budsret, Director Dodge has or I dered Secretary Wilson to prune. mi i x -l . . i.iiJ5 may oewie way 10 ao it. Note The navy , has ordered 14.5CO copies of the 40-page new catalosr on food, the army only 50 copies, the air force none: which indicates that the latter two don't intend to use the new ' catalog but w ill go their own wav. Mail Basr A. N., Washington 'Attorney General Brownell used a justice department truck license No. 4764 to move his personal effects from the Lee House to his new home. However, he explains that he left the arrangements to someone else, and found at the last minute they had sent a gov ernment truck. It being Wash ington's birthday he could not get a private truck, so paid the government for the use of its truck, also for the driver's time . . . Correction Undersecretary of State Bedell Smith informs me that I was in error in re porting that John Foster Dulles suspended Alfred H. Morton, head of the Voics of America in New York during the McCarthy investigation, only to reinstate him next "day. General Smith says that he, not Dulles, sus pended Morton. Glad to make this correction. However, if General Smith, a close friend of Anna Rosenberg, who knew how she was crucified by McCarthy and who knows McCarthy's un fair methods, can get as jittery as he showed himself in the morton incident, then the state department is really going to pieces . . . National Council of Churches, New York Con gressman Velde who wants to probe the churches was elected with the heavy financial sup port of the gambling and liquor fraternity around Peoria, consid ered one of the worst crime snots betw?een New Orleans and Chi cago . . . Navy Yard Worker, Philadelphia The Brazilian midshipmen who broueht radios. TV sets, and electric fans aboard the training-ship Duque De Caxias purchased them in Phila delphia stores. There is nothing illegal about takine these ar ticles out of the U. S. A. Tax Emancipation With taxpayers sweating out the income-tax Headline today, thev bureau of interml revenue received the foiirw'nT tearful take-off on the Gettysburg add ress: "One score and seventeen years ago our fathers brought forth upon this nation a new tax, con ceived in desperation and dedi cated to the proposition that all men are fair game. "Now we are engaged in a ereat mass of calculations, test ing whether that taxpayer or any taxpayer so confused and so impoverished can long endure. We are met on Form 1040. We have come to dedicate a large portion of our income to a final resting place with those men who here spend their lives that they may spend our money. It is altogether anguish and torture that we should do this, but in a legal sense we cannot evade, we cannot cheat, we cannot un derestimate this tax. The col lectors, clever and sly, who com puted here have eone far bevond our power to add and subtract. Our creditors will little note nor long remember what w e pay here but the bureau of internal reve nue can never forget what we report here. "It is for us taxpayers rather to be devoted here to the tax return which the government has thus far so nobly spent. It is that from these vanished dol lars we take increased devotion to the few remaining, that we here highly resolve that next year will not find us in a higher income bracket. "That this" taxpayer, under paid, shall figure out more de ductions and that taxation of the people, by congress, and for government shall not cause our solvency to perish from the earth." FATHER DRAFT Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Director of the Selective Service Board, announces that it mig'it be necessary to draft father in ei?ht to fourteen months t? maintain the armed forcr streneth of 3,600,000 men. Hi also declared that there was ? possibility of drafting women if the nation became faced with a fisrht for survival. Nebraska's state record white bass of 4 pounds. 4 ounces was caught bv Miss Barbara Mom bach of Grand Island last sum mer in McConaughy reservoir. KARR & SOCHOR Auditors & Accountants Audits Income Tax Service BooUkeepinr Systems Installed Ph. 6287 Donal Kuildins Legislative SIDELIGHTS.. by EERNIE CAMP Information Director Nebraska Farm Bnnau ' Federation The problems faced by the Nebraska legislature this session are basically problems which have been deferred from session to session since the close of World War II because often their solution has been unpleas ant for someone to face. Few citizens have shown a willingness to help the legisla ture seek and find answers. Rather, many who have tr-cuaht of themselves as leaders r t thought have preferred to de fend the status quo because they or some interest they represent ed might be inconvenienced by being called on to carry a share of the load in the event of change. Too often these leaders have blamed the legislature for the failure to find solutions to the problems of roads, schools and ; taxation, when actually the : blame for failure to solve these problems is closer home. The legislature is a convenient "whipping boy" because most Nebraskans have not wanted to assume responsibility for their own shortcomings. The legislature is expected to reflect the feelings of the people represented by the 43 men who make up its membership. The legislature has not had much understanding or appreciation of state problems to reflect be cause citizens themselves have lacked the courage to boldly face up to the problems of the state, expecting that the men they send to the legislature will acquire courage and boldness from some mysterious source. No one really quarrels with the basic fact that the answer to most of the problems of the state government is financial. The disagreement comes over means and methods and sources. The school and road prob lems cf Nebraska will not be adequately solved until the basic tax problems of the state are solved. The basic tax prob lem will not be solved. until Ne braskans generally agree that regardless of where it pinches the problem will be faced and resolved realistically and fairly Such an attitude on the part of citizens requires recognition that Constitutional changes may be necessary as well as changes in the basic thinking of many citizens and groups of the state, and particularly on the part of those who think of themselves as leaders. First among the needs would appear to be a decision as to the place of the property tax in financing government. When we as Nebraskans begin to ex amine the fairness of a tax system that puts the burden up on property and the use of pro perty, we are beginning to get at the roots of the problem. When we begin to think in terms of taking the state out of the prop erty tax field completely, leav ing that as a source of revenue for local subdivisions of govern ment, we are taking a realistic approach. Nebraska will not have equality of taxation until the citizens of the state begin to ask questions about the pres ent system and determine to seek answers. It might be well to acquire a little of the philosophy of "ren dering unto Caeser the things that are Caeser's.- Specifically, as only one example, in the case of highway revenues, steps might be taken to assure that the $C0 million a year paid by highway users is used for high way improvement and mainten ance and not diverted in sub stantial measure to other sub divisions of government. High way users taxes have been con sidered "fair game" for the raids of other divisions of government since their inception. Public of ficials by and large have thought of the automobile in terms of a luxury and have sought to make it bear tax loads at lux ury rates. Such thinking is er roneous; and highway users, al ready bearing a disproportion ate tax load, should nof.be ex pected to go on assuming new gasoline taxes and license tees while great amounts of their current tax payments are divert ed to uses other than road con struction and maintenance. School district reorganization becomes increasingly apparent as an avenue for eliminating at least part of the school finance problem. There are, however, other school problems which have been passed along from year to year or ignored. As an example, Nebraska is faced with the problem of financing a retirement system for its teach ers, an obligation assumed by the state in 1945, but which has not yet been put upon a funded basis, so that in a period of eight years, the state has fallen almost 15 million dollars behind In meeting its obligations to that program. The state's share of that obligation increases each year action is delayed. The solution of these and other problems is bound closely because road and school prob lems are part of a basic tax THE PLATTSMOUTH. kQK FOUR NEBRASKA. Monday, March 16, NEBIflV iLirfflYiwj SKA ! i mm ' it Mairii rift 1'f i, rpsijng and Upholstering ufeaned in Your Homo Call Pfotfsmouth 5044 h JAMES C OLSON, Suptrinttndtid TAT I ISTOatCm IOCIITI The overland freighting busi ness by which goods of all sorts were carried in wagons from the Missouri River steamDoai iariu ings to military posts out on the plains and mining camps in the mountains, was an im portant factor in the economy of Nebraska territory. This was particularly true in the grim days following, the Panic of 1857. Big freighting firms like Rus sell, Majors and Waddell bought thousands of head of stock and great quantities of corn, thus providing a market for hard pressed Nebraska farmers. In addition to selling to the big firms, many farmers and small business men went into freight ing for themselves. An early historian of Nebraska reported that almost every person who could muster a vehicle went in to the freighting business, with equipment ranging from one to three trains of six or eight yoke teams down, to a one-mule cart. Ifs in these small operations that you can see America's en terprising frontiersmen at their best. Many of these small opera tors were businessmen of im agination who were willing to take a chance and work hard to make it pay out and often they became big operators in the course of a few years. Somebody seemed willing to take a flyer with almost any kind of cargo, spurred on by the knowledge that there was a heavy demand for almost all types of goods in the mining camps and that the miners when they had the money were willing to pay premium prices. For example, in 1865 John Reed & Co., pioneer Nebraska City druggists, sent a wagon load of coal oil to Denver. They sold the oil for $7.00 a gallon and realized a net profit of $500 on the trio. During the winter months har dy souls would freight perish ades out to the mines. Whole wagon loads of eggs packed in oats went west from the Mis souri River towns. At the mines, the eggs would bring a dollar a dozen. Similarly, many farmers hauled butter, dressed hogs, sausages and lard to the moun tains during the winter months when work was slack at home. Another unusual cargo was a wagon load of apples hauled from eastern Nebraska to Den ver. They brought $20 a bushel. At another time, a couple of Germans who could not speak English hauled a wagon load of fresh ovsters westward from Omaha. They filled their wagon with cans or oysters, then pour ed water into the wagon bed, letting the whole freeze into a solid lump. West of Julesburg they were encountered selling oysters at $iu a ganun. Again, in 1863 an enterprising man drove a flock of 500 turkeys across the plains to Denver. They took a wagon load of shell ed corn along for feed, but the turkeys subsisted mainly on grasshoppers along the way. Subscribe to The Journal. problem which Nebraskans gen-! rWTfCTT erally have not been willing to were unwilling to assume res pcnsibiliiy tor finding a solu- j 'ion- i The problems of taxation are s legislative problems it is true, i but members of the legislature j can have no commence m lutions until they have the as suiance that citizens are "ready to assume responsibility. CRIPPLED XHILDR HE i 20th Annual Easter Seal Annanl March 5 April 5 Labor Plaits upply a moulh D 1st Pas! Month In line with seasonal the labor supply moved i from last month in the N ka City-Falls City-Plattsj area, according to Glenn area manager from Ne City. Increases were record! Otoe, Richardson and Jd counties with slight declii Cass and Nemaha countieg labor Supply for Cass cou listed at 77 men and 26 vi Some upturn in labor d should occur in the next 31 with construction work, a ing to Noble. ; Plattsmouth activity, i employment service oper are now carried on with i creased schedule of visit days each week, included I applications for work, twj sons were sent to job opl and two jobs were filled J ployers placed orders fd workers. In February, 181 itiuia weic mdue Willi ill ployment service at Platts reoraskas rabbit se opens again on April 1 ani tinues through ' the rem! of the year. Edwin T. McHu ATTORNEY Office in Corn Growe State Bank I Murdock Nebs When You Think SHOES Think of 10ST X-RAY FITTIN0 PRODUCTS PLUS SPARKLING NEW EQUIPMENT and Prompt Attention at Plattsmouth's Most Modern Service Station ED and BUD'S TIMAC SiitVlCi ChicarSe Road, AC( Your Cai Picked Ub and Deliver! or u DO 81 SOUTH mAM COVERING Linolsun, Pfssfic- AspMf Tiling - Flooring Carpcfbg ! Free Estimates Day or Night Office 5212 So. 24th St ' ln t' Call PLASTIC TILE 5c per tile and up VIYM, TILE AKPinrT IScper tile and up 6c per tile and)