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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1946)
Oregon W Emerald MARGUERITE WITTWER-WRIGHT Editor GEORGE PEGG Business Manager BOB FRAZIER, MARILYN SAGE Associate Editors JACK L. BILLING& Managing Editor MARYANN THIELEN and walt McKinney Assistant Managing Editors HERB PENNY News Editor BOBOLEE BROPHY and BRUCE BISHOP Assistant News Editors JEANNE -SIMMONDS Women’s Editor PAT THOMPSON Executive Secretary JUNE GOETZE Assistant Women’s Editor BOBBIE FULMER Advertising Manager BERNIE HAMMERBECK Sports Editor BILL STRATTON, WALLY HUNTER Assistant Sports Editors ROGER TETLOW DON JONES Chief Night Editor Staff Photographer EDITORIAL BOARD Tom Kay, Byron Mayo, Bea King, Billie Johns Faculty Adviser—Dean George Turnbull Signed editorial features and columns in the Emerald reflect the opin ions of the writers. They do not necessarily represent the opinion of the (Editorial staff, the student body, or the University. Entered as second class matter at the postoffice, Eugene, Oregon. Thin Ice Thursday night’s Register-Guard carried a full-sized repro duction of an accusation recently telegraphed to Robert S. Far rell, candidate for reelection to the position of secretary of state. Signed by one Russell Hogan of Portland, the telegram de mands confirmation or denial of an accusation that Farrell, at the time of Pearl Harbor, took advantage of his official po sition to secure draft exemption. Further accusations venture that Farrell, having passed the physical examination, refused to accept a naval commission because he could reach no agreement with Governor Snell concerning his own successor to office. The published telegram closed with Hogan’s expression of the belief that the 135,000 Oregon men and womeri who served in the war were entitled to Farrell’s explanation. Although the reproduction was clearly indicated as a “paid .advertisement” it would take a great deal of legal assurance to convince us that the Guard or any other Oregon paper is not tiptoeing the fence between libel and fair comment by printing such an ad. Precedent has established the rule that newspapers are li able, no less than their advertisers and writers, for the publi cation of defamatory remarks. If the ad were challenged in this case, a three-cornered case might result—involving the advertiser, the agency and the newspaper. It is true that much campaign publicity has passed under the heading of "fair comment and criticism.” It is also true that persons in public offices, such as Farrell, are legally subject to criticism in the execution of their official duties. However, the phrase, “in the execution of their official duties” reveals the danger in this case. That an official’s action in regard to enlistment or non-enlistment in the armed forces can be considered as “execution of office” appears to us doubt ful. Yet there is no doubt that the advertised telegram is de famatory in itself. It the truth of the accusations is estab lished, the old “truth as a defense” maxim will apply. If not, there is a remote possibility that Mr. Baker and other Oregon publishers may find themselves with a libel suit on their hands. Whether established as libelous or not in the future, the advertisement is an out-and-out violation of the Oregon fair practices act, which states in part: "No publisher of a news paper , . . shall insert, either in its advertising or reading col umns, any paid matter which is designed or tends to aid, in jure, or defeat any candidate . . . unless . . . the name of the chairman or secretary, or the names of the other officers of the political or other organization inserting the same . . . ap pear in such advertisement in the nature of a signature.” The telegram reproduction in advertisement form was signed by the "Veterans Committee for Dave Epps” with no other signature than that of one Russell Hogan. There is no indication that Hogan is in any way officially connected with the organization as required in the above act. Technically, the Guard and other newspapers publishing this advertisement may prove to be in the clear . . . yet the ice looks very thin from where we stand. Townsend-Sponsored Old Age Pension Bill Discussed by Student (Nos. S14 and 315 on the Official Ballot) By DONALD H. COULTER Purpose: The bill is designed t(? provide a maxi mum pension of $100 per month for life to every citi zen of Oregon 60 years of age or over and to every physically disabled citizen over 18 years of age. Tax to Create “Oregon Pension Plan Fund”: Begin ning July 1947, a 3 per cent gross income tax is to be levied against all personal and business incomes taxable by the State of Oregon, this tax to be in ad dition to all other existing taxes. The term “gross income” includes all receipts from personal services, profits, sales, interest, or from any other source; and no expense whatsoever is deductible from amounts of income so received. The tax and resulting pension fund will be administered by the State Tax Commission. Exemptions from the 3 per cent.tax include: the first $100 of monthly income ($1200 an nually); money received as a deposit or rtust; the gross income from the non-profit activities of lodges, hospitals, churches, schools, business leagues, labor organizations etc. Tax Returns and Tax Payments: Tax returns and tax payments are to be made monthly to the State Tax Commission, and are due on the 10th day of the month next following the monthly period covered by the return. The act provides punishments by penaliz ing tax, fine, and imprisonment for evasion of the tax provisions of the act. In addition, the Tax Com mission is empowered to issue a warrant authorizing a sheriff's sale of real and personal property of a delinquent taxpayer to satisfy a tax remaining un paid for 30 days; sucn warrant tu uc un judgment docket in the county clerk’s office, and is to be given the same effect as a judgment entered in a court of law. Payment of Pension Benefits: After deducting necessary administrative expenses, the tax fund realized in the third preceding month will be equal ly divided among the duly qualified and participat ing pensioners. However, in no instance, will a pension recipient be entitled to more than $100 per month; and any excesses remaining in the monthly fund after payment of pensions will be transferred to the State School Support Fund. Eligibility for Pension: The following qualifica tions'govern eligibility for pension participation; (1) The pensioner must be a citizen of Oregon 60 years of age or over. (Or if over 18 years of age and suffering such permanent physical disability as to prevent earning a normal livelihood.) ^ (2) The pensioner must be a qualified resident of Oregon for five years preceding July 1, 1946. (Provi sion is made to adjust residential qualification where the five year standard is inapplicable.) (3) The pensioner must, have no source of income other than federal Social Security benefits, indus trial pensions, insurance payments, etc., previously earned. (4) The pensioner must agree to spend the entire proceeds of the pension within 30 days after its re ceipt. (5) The State Tax Commission is charged with the duty to determine eligibility of pensioners, such determination being subject to judicial review. About Yardsticks With religious emphasis week a thing* of the past it might be well now to do a little stock-taking, to examine our own minds in search of mental and ethical yardsticks. A program such as we had on the campus this week will probably not swell church attendance noticeably, and it will probably not, of itself, bring about a more widespread ob servance of the ten commandments. Its gfeat contribution will doubtless prove to have been a “shaking-up” of our minds, an implanting of the suggestion that we substitute Christ for Machiavelli. That "The world is too much with us late and soon” is an idea that may have occurred to many of us in the war years and in these crucial months since, but there has been no wide spread acceptance of a substitute for the Great God Expedi ency. More and more we have cast aside one yardstick while failing to pick up another. If religious emphasis week leaves a germ of thought in the direction of renewed ethical and moral concepts it will have achieved a noble goal. The Emerald advocates more campus programs of this type, and hopes other philosophical patterns may be examined from time to time—always with full freedom given “dissenters” to come and disagree as they did at the “Skeptics’ Hour” this week. A dose of skepticism is what differentiates a university from a mere knowledge mill. Religious emphasis week has proved itself on the campus and should become an annual feature of the intellectual side of our extra-curricular lives. Holcomb Well, the planless economists are having their field days now. They— mostly Republicans (Rep. Ells worth)—wanted the return to the economy of “everybody for him self.” They managed to scotch OP A. Meanwhile, the treasury depart ment states that Americans are cashing in their war bonds at an unprecedented rate. The reason is obvious. If you are a veteran uni versity student, e.g., your $65 check is worth only $44.85 as com pared to 1941 cost of living index. If you’re married, your $90 is really only $62.10! Labor is feeling the pinch, too, and is getting set for some more crippling strikes. And can anyone blame them? Mr. Ellsworth Harris Ellsworth has fought the OPA all the way. BUT, he did vote for the legislation to make it legal for prices to rise, which President Truman vetoed! He could just as well have voted for the last feeble, suicidal bill which is going rapidly out of circulation but he didn’t. Mr. Ellsworth is a staunch advo cate of freedom. He voted against the Patman housing bill, the hous ing stabilization bill in March, the veterans’ emergency housing act, so that veterans could be free—to compete with industry to see who would be housed first, the veterans or industry! Mr. Ellsworth believes in freedom. He voted to strike out the price ceil ings on old houses! Too much re striction! Good old freedom, such a kicking around it gets! The Republican rep resentative from the fourth district in Oregon voted against federal in terference with education—that is, against federal aid to states for school lunches!! And furthermore, Mr. Ellsworth demonstrated his absolute belief in complete freedom by voting against the cancer research bill sponsored ny uie auimmsuauuu, After all, even cancer has a few rights to life, liberty, and the pur suit of victims. Doesn’t it? Well, we shouldn’t be unfair; Re publican Ellsworth did vote for Democrat Truman’s sponsored bill on one notable occasion. The occasion ? The atrocious anti strike bill, which was later consid erably diluted by such as Senator Morse. Yes, on that occasion Ells But the Democratic administra tion generally wasn’t against labor. Ellsworth was though! He voted against the “Full Em ployment Bill”; voted in favor of the (anti) labor disputes act, and the Case labor bill. That’s the record. Dr. Louis A. Wood, Ellsworth’s opponent, needs only one qualification for office. He has it. What? A belief in action in favor of the consumer, the veteran, labor, and the farmer and the na tion as a whole, instead of the kind of consistent obstruction and nega tion which the incumbent Ellsworth so obviously favors. I fear there is no space left for comment by and concerning a mem ber of the FAI, Federation, Inter national, of Anarchists. Next time, perhaps. The copies of the Emerald that are placed in the Co-op are only for students who do not room in living organizations. mam Easier to apply than cake make-up I Stays on longer than powderl Can’t spill in your handbag I OOIS ON WITHOUT WATUI ^ . . . AND STAYSI Anti-Strike worth sided with Truman. NEW MAKE-UPI by POIND S RED CROSS DRUG 68 W. Broadway