PAGE FOUR
Tha) OREGON STATESMAN. Satan, Oregon, Tuesday Morning, January 22, 1948
tej&oti
From First Statesman, March 28, 1831
THE STATESMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHARLES A. SPRAGUE, Editor and Publisher j
Member of tht Associated Press
Tli Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for publication of all
news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this newspaper.
money in Salem's
stations and other
Our Interests Are Mutual
There is no use mincing words in saying that
there hase been a wrong approach, on the part
of all sides, in regard to the city-suburban con
troversy over the extension of municipal fire
protection and other facilities outside Salem's
boundaries. (';-
It is unfortunate, that a home just south of.
Salem had to burn down last Wednesday night
with city firemen within striking distance. But
it is more unfortunate that there has been, un
necessarily, a growing cleavage between Sa
lem and its immediate neighbors.)
. It is to be regretted that somej city officials
have- commented that those who, reside just
outside the city do so solely for the? purpose of
escaping city taxes. That is far from 100 per
cent true. Some of them need or want more
room than could be acquired within the mu
nicipality. Many were unable to find a suitable
residence within the city itself.
But it is just as much to be regretted that
many of these suburban neighbors have come
to regard the city as Uncle Shylock. Their stand
is ill-advised. The city for years has attempted
to draw in the confines of its public facilities,
to that they served only those who pay city
.taxes. And there was plenty of notice given
when the city council finally took action to
, limit fire protection to the city limits.
The mistakes have been, on the part of the
City, not in the desired end but in the com
ments which have surrounded their achieve
ment, and in the lack of a helping hand.
The mistakes, on the part of the suburban
residents, lie in the lethargy with which they
have grceted the city's justified announcements
of limitations. They should have formed their
own districts or joined the city.
The lemedy is made up of the same factors
that could have constituted the preventative
the city should go out of its way to have rep
resentatives meet with the suburban areas and
offer all aid and advice possible. Thejsuburban
iltes should eek the help of the city in charting
itheir course, and take some specific action.
I Salem's immediate neighbors spiend their
stores, restaurants, filling
businesses which pay city
taxes, and the city thereby shares both directly
and indirectly in thir prosperity. It could well
afford to recognize t!he city'3 problems and seek
its aid not just get their water all hot when
the city sits tight on a well-publicized decision
which was prefaced by plenty of sober con-
aidir;if iriri
It is worthy of comment, too, that many resi
dents of the city entrust their children to Mc
Kinley school which is outside the city limits
and therefore otitside its fire protection zone.
It is not a time j to cast stones. W.W.
"J '
Truman's Mt'ae
President Trutnan's message confirmed pro
phecies that he j would endeavor to bring the
budget into close balance. The estimated deficit
for the next fiscal year is less than $5,000,000,
000 which' will require no further borrowing
by the government. It can be cared for out of
treasury reserve. This should have a tonic ef
fect on confidence in government finance. It
marks the first Return to a near-balance of the
budget since 193i7. While spending continues at
fantastic rates it will be only a little over a
third of the wartime peak.
The president touched on the current indus
trial unrest, warning that it checks badly need
ed reconversion and threatens the whole econ
omy. What the country needs, Truman said, is
Jul! employment and increased production. He
described business as a public trust which must
adhere to national standards, and said that
labor as it grows in political and economic
power must assume increased responsibility. He
urged that disputes be settled by collective bar
gaining, without government compulsion.
He urged continuation" of price control legis
lation and its extension to j cover housing. He
said the country would neeji to have an army
of 2.000.000 men and thajt selective service
should be continued if voluntary enlistments
did not furnish sufficient soldiers.
The president reiterated his endorsement of
specific program of legislation: fact-finding
in industrial disputes, minimum wage,, fair em
tio I v ment practices, full employment,; unifica
tion of at my and navy administration.
The budget message was full of facts and
figures dealing with the nation's financial con
dition and prospects. Further tax reduction is
opposed at this time.
President Truman has given the congress
much material to work on. and the country
.much to meditate on during the months im
- mediately ahead. It looks as though his reitera
Ition will bring early and definite action, one
way or another, on the important measures
which he recommends.
; Bequest for Parrot
A ' spinster in Iondon has left $24,000, two
thirds of her estate, to the London zoo. The
monev is to be used to provide parrots in the
too with larger cages, tree trunks, swings and
baths, "where they can enjoy life with their
amusing ways " When one reads the haunting
stories of destitution among humans in Europe,
lack of clothing, of food, of shelter one shakes
his head over this news story. Undoubtedly
there are thousands of children in Europe who
wish they were parrots in the Ixindon zoo. as
fas as their physical well-being is concerned.
Then natural presumption is, though, that the
spinster in her life found more entertainment
and diversion from the parrots at the zoo,
fwith their amusing ways." than she did with
human beings, particularly those of the male
"ersuasion.
rri . 1 ww L
i nree i onauie nouses
We have heard of races for -house or apart
ment, of competition so keen Jit nearly came
to brawls, but now we have the spectacle jof
ponderous units of government engaging in
grave controversy over three (3) portable
houses. The houses, were part of the
government housing project at Richland, Wash.
The state of Oregon's board of higher educa-,
tion pounced on them as housing for veterans
at state colleges. It took a trip by Secretary
Byrne to Washington and numerous phone calls
with other agencies to get release of; thse
and other housing units for Oregon. But the
bureau of reclamation says it wants these
three houses for Grand Coulee, and has "nibs"
on thero because as a federal agency its claim
takes priority. To counter the reclamation bu
reau the board of higher education is appealing
to Senators Cordon and Morse who are to go
to Harold Ickes, boss of the reclamation bu
reau, to get the latter to release its claim on
the three portables. - i " f
Actually the houses were en route to Eugene
last week; have probably arrived; and may
be occupied now. Thus1 possession may be
worth nine points for Oregon in; the final show
down. If so much squabble occurs over three
portables what chance does a lone civilian have
to get a roof over his head j i
"X Marks the Spot" j
The Linn county authorities have a difficult
crime problem on their hands. They have a man
in jail who confesses he murdered another man,
and they have a material witness to the crime.
The body of the victim has been fished out Jof
Marys river in Benton county. But the author
ities are stymied in filing of murder charges
because they do not know where the crime oc
curred. Three men were in an automobile. One man
shot another and killed him. The car was driven
around in the valley and the body dumped ;in
Marys river. The witness said at first that the
shooting took place in Portland; the reputed
murdered says it didn't but is fuzzy on where
it did take place. j .
It is necessary to establish a spot for the
crime in order to know in which county to
bring the charge. Justice would get a bad
bump if the murderer should go free for lack
of proof of the location of the crime. The spot
is definitely X. an unknown quantity. f
This Tommy Manville marriage-divorce busi
ness is an affront to common decency. The
eighth wife has gone for the Reno cure after
28 days of marriage. She must: have been just
a gold-digger. As for Tommy, everyone knows
what the cure for him is.
Shortages are what we're longest on.
Interpreting
The Day's News,
By James D. White
' Associated Press Staff Writer :
SAN FRANCISCO. Jan. 21.-;P)-What do Japa
nese think about drunks, particularly drunks who
get violent? 3
This hasn't yet been brought out in the cables
that are coming in from Japan on the case of
the American soldier whom a court martial has
condemned to death for killing two Japanese jat
Nara following what was described to the court
martial as a drinking bout.;
v4
l. D. White
No doubt the first Japanese re
action will be that of any occupied
people who see a member of the
occupying force get out of hand
while under the influence of toe
much alcohol. T
Rut behind this will be the
rather contradictory attitude
which the Japanese have shown
in the past toward the things men
do when they are drunk.
Traditionally. Japanese teach
ings frowned upon 1 any form of
excess, but in recent years such:
teachings have been! ignored or p reverted in many
cases by a militaristic Japan. Still, the problem
of drunkness appears to be a relatively new one
in-Japan. t j j
The Japanese women's Christian temperance
union was formed 50 years ago, but according to
the Japan year book It concentrated on reducing
licenced prostitution and the geisha traffic. The
year book mentions no W.C.T-U. activity in regard
to alcohol. j
There was a prohibition league in Japan which
claimed 160.000 members. It worked 20 years to
get prohibition for minors through the imperial
diet, but the year book credits it with no other
success. i f
The customary drink in Japan j is sake, a light
wine made from rice and probably a little stronger
than a Rhine table wine. The Japanese drank it
at banquets and parties,: and only the wealthy could
afford to indulge, regularly.
A survey remains to be made, but its likely
that relatively few Japanese atrocities were com
mitted under the influence of alcohol, but much
more often under battle and victory psychology.;!
In the five years which I Spent behind Japanese
lines in China, the worst thing I heard of a
drunken soldier was the time one; staggered up to
an elderly British lady misiohary on Jan. 1, kissed
her on the cheek, saluted smartly,: and wished her
a happy New Year. j
No doubt much worse went on, but you never
saw any proof.
In explaining this particular cast, a Japanese
army officer stressed that Japanese law holds ; a
drunken person not responsibile I for his actions,
considering it a type of insanity, j
If his excuse is true, it would be interesting to
know what the Japanese people are saying today
about the American boy who allegedly stabbed two
Japanese to death in that quiet temple courtyard
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Waiting for the Reaction
Tho Literary
Guidepost
By W. G, ROGERS
WRITTEN BY THE WIND, ky Rob-
rrt Wlldar (Putnam's; It 7S.
Money lasts but blood runs
out . . . that is the idea behind
this story of the Whitfields: old
Andrew who built the tremend
ous tobacco fortune, his son's
Joseph and Cassius, the latter's
daughter Ann-Charlotte, son
Cary, son's wife Lillith, son's
friend Reese Benton.
There's some reflection, silght
ly lurid, of recent life in Amer
ica: impossibly rich heiress, high
times, vast amount of drinking,
illicit loving. Though you would
have missed the rounded, cred-.
ible characterizations and the
nice motivation provided by this
stimulating author, you could
have read some of this in news
paper headlines.f Wilder doesn't
point a moral, he tells a tale, yet
there is always the intriguing
suspicion that fact spices this
fiction. if
The Whitfield home is in a
place called Wlnton, N. C. With
the founder of the fortune laid
away in a mausoleum right out
side the front door, Cassius is
having to ruble bringing up ' his
boy and girl, who; somewhere
along the line have got spoiled;
with Cary it's liquor, with his
sister, sex. Cassius persuades a
penniless neighbor to turn over
to him his son Reese in the hope
that Reese, already Cary's chum,
can exercise the influence of
which Cassius is incapable.
The Whitfields are the odd
sticks; Reese's function is to fit
them together into some work
able, abiding relationship. He is
more than Cary's friend, for he
is responsible for him, but by
that very fact, less than a friend.
He is under obligations more ex
tensive and weighty than those
imposed by friendship. The stir
ring struggle getween his debt
to others and his debt to himself
gives this book life,
i There are very exciUng mo
ments on top of a general level
of excellent craftsmanship. Wild-,,
er is practised at filling his novel
out, providing it with body, sup
plying the background for pres
ent action with past action. He
writes conversation well, too.
You'll enjoy watching the money
flow and the blood thin out.
1 But while you Interest never
flags, you are not deeply moved.
News Behind the News
By PAUL MALLON
(Distribution by King Features Syndicate, Inc. Reproduction in whola
or in part strictly prohibited.)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21. I
wrote a column yesterday men
tioning incidentally how the un
ions, In their recent strike cam
paign, had built up the striking
power to atomic proportions.
The strikes they called-but not
simultaneously in telephones.
telegraph, rad
io, electricity,
truckage, eleva
tors, streetcars
and buses, dem
onstrated that a
few unions
could at any
time abliterate
commercial life
in the entire
country, with
out t o u c h ing Maiioa
the major industries like steel,
autosand meat packing.
Large cities could get little
food if the teamsters and han
dlers struck, no matter if the
meat packers and farmers were
working. The local movement of
all goods to store shelves would
stop. Lighting. heaUng and cook
ing in the nation's city homes
would stop with a strike of pow
er house workers.
Kills City's Business '
An elevator strike would kill
much of the city business, as
it did in New York. Without
buses and street cars, local trans
portation could be broken down.
Telephones, telegraph and radio
walkouts would furnish what
ever added impetus was needed
for a complete national collapse
in the processes of living.
This is what I meant by my
allusion to the new power of the
strike weapon. I am saying this
to editors and readers who asked
an explanation, some of whom
suggested I should go further
into the fundamentals of the
striking privilege, and its rela
tion to the era of grievances in
which we are trying, with im
pediments, to live.
Everyone Shows Right
When you' think about it, the
right to strike is a right every-
If this novel is not manufactured,
it is not, on the other hand, in
spired. "Written on the Wind" is
better than most, not quite a
match for the best.
GRIN AND BEAR IT
By Liclity
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(Continued From Page 1)
have to buy and njaintain and
pay taxes on their own rights-of-way.
q One argument the trucking in
terests have used is the loss due
to differing standards on trucks
in various states. They -eall ; Hnt
'Streamliners'
Will Cover All
Pacific Coast .
(Story also on page 1)
Daylight streamliners, "which
will enable tourL-ts to see some of
the most magnificent scenery to
be found anywhere, and at very
low fares," will be onthe Portland-San
Francisco run of the
Southern Pacific before the end
cf this year, it was disclosed Mon
day by A. T. Mercier, S.P. presi-
trade barriers those restrictions
which force cargoes of large
trucks to be unloaded at state
lines and reloaded in smaller
vehicles that are allowed to op-
"We have given our ideas for
these (Shasta Daylight) stream
liners to the designers of car
building companies and they are
now working out the technical de
er ate in the next state. There taiis and specifications," he ex
has been a movement among plained. "As soon a this informa
highway officials to standardize ; tion is available and bids can be
made, the orders will be placed."
4 1 11 -,. 41,4. I
ruption of commerce at state
lines might be avoided. Several
years ago these officials meet
ing at Reno established the
standards which they thought
were proper. This difficulty de
veloped, however; that while
trucklines were trying to bring
Full II. 14 rmrm '
The Shasta Daylights will be
postwar editions of Southern Pa
cific's famous Daylights on the
coast and valley runs between
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Each of the new trains will have
14 cars in addition to the Diesel-
"backward" states like Oregon electric power units, and besides
up to the so-called standard, the coaches, will include baggage
they were working at the same , caTf diner, kitchen car, coffee-
shop, tavern car and observation
parlor car. The diner-kitchen-
time in states where that stand
ard already was legal to get in
creases. It is easy to see that
this practice makes law-making
on trucks a game of leapfrog:
Jumping the states one at a time.
How will we get "standards" and
eliminate "trade barriers" if the
trucking interests themselves
persist in breaching the stand
ards, always by moving the tol
erances upward?
coffee shop will form a three-car
unit, with the kitchen in the cen
ter. !
' Exterior color scheme of the
j new streamliners willj be the red,
! orange and black f the San
Francisco-Los Angeles daylights,
! which the company believes will
' show to particularj advantage
against the contrasting greens of
one has. Work Is essentially only
a devotion of energy by the in
dividual. A man has a natural,
right to withdraw his energy
if he chooses. Employers have a
right to shut down their busi
nesses. Indeed, they have done
so in Argentina in a general bus
iness strike.
A Broadway columnist has
suggested we should all do the
same just withdraw our ener
gy, individually, as the unions
do.
But it is not natural for in
dividuals or businesses to want
to strike, both for the same rea
son. The individual must have
his paycheck to live. Businesses
must have receipts to sustain
themselves.
Instinct Is to Keep Going
Of course the individuals might
seek unemployment insurance,
and if all businesses went out
at the same time they might pro
tect themselves against new com
petition rising up and apply to
the government for funds to pay
the idling expenses (rent, watch
men, etc.).
Fundamentall y, however,
neither the individual nor busi
ness wants to strike. Their nat
ural instincts are to keep things
going.
The unions want to strike be
cause, they say, they have griev
ances. But where in the country
is there a person without griev
ances? I have them. You hava
them just grievances.
The grievances of individuals
and business are just as great
as the grievances of the unions
and I suspect much greater today
because of the unbalanced econ
omy the unions have built in
recent years.
Public Righto Paramount
What is simple justice in this
situation? I do not expect any
one to heed me, but I think I
can see what it is. The right of
the public is fundamentally para
mount. This is the natural right
of all the people to live, to earn,
to work;
Of this fundamental right,
there can be no impairment.
Common Justice requires this.
The people have a right to serv
ice from labor as well as from
business. No nation can sustain
Itself long otherwise.
Unions then, must find other
means of getting justice than by
strikes against the public inter
est. They easily can get it in
many ways, by judicial arbitra
tion and otherwise. They should
only have the right to- a j fair
trial like everyone else. They
cannot retain the power U stop
all living, restrained only by con
science, if any.
Would Force Vp Prices
The people do not and should
not give their government such
a power, They cannot, in reason,
be expected to give any special
group such a power over them.
With continued unrestraint this
power can lead only to active
strike use of it. with a break
down of the nation, or indirect
use through political pressures
to control the economics of the
nation forcing wages, prices and
costs ever higher and higher,
from year to year until the econ
omy cracks with inflation.
In either event, destruction is
the inevitable outcome of the
existence of the atomic propor
tions of the striking power.
Appraisers Conduct
Survey in Lincoln
f .... .j'
Three appraisers from the state
tax commission have beeo sent to
Lincoln county to conduct a sur-
I resent the charges f being an abstractionist In passing tested vey to be used as a basis for
- iegisUtiotti why, most ef the time I wasn't even heref new assessed valuations.
The established maximum i the Oregon landscape. The inte-
truck and trailer length allowed j rior color scheme arid exclusive
In Oregon is 50 feet and weight j fabrics, while not yet! worked out
54.000 pounds, lfnder the war- j jn detail, will reflect the colors
time permit thj length is in- and characteristics of the Oregon
creased to 60 feet and the weight scene.
to 68,000 pounds. Unless the law . Oregon Items Called Tor
is changed at the next session The dining car andjeoffee shop,
the old limits will be reestab- it was stated, will also be repre-
lished after July 1. 1947. My j sentative of Oregon ithrough' the
prediction is that cvci-Rsion to
the truck lines probably will be
made to make permanent the
wartime limits. Oregon high
ways have been improved to such
an extent and. will be further
improved so the larger vehicles
can be accommodated with rea
sonable safety to roads and
bridges and to other users of the
highways.
But the trucking interests
should set limits to their own
demands and not seek to give
fresh turns to the jackscrew at
every, session of the legislature.
If they are sincere in their de
sire for uniformity In interstate
items to be carried ori the menus.
Although details of the train de
sign, interior equipment and fur
nishings are not ready for an
nouncement at this tjime, it was
disclosed that new-type windows
are being planned to give passen
gers a wide-angle view, vertically
as well as horizontally. It was
also pointed out that when the
new trains start operating, South
ern Pacific Daylight streamliner
service will be available for al
most the entire length of the Pa
cific coast.
"We believe the streamlined
Cascades and Shasta Daylights
will not only be popular with the
commerce they will not create j people of the Pncific Nortljwest
further irregularity by pushing . but also with travelers frorh all
up the states with liberal toler- j over the world," Mercier saioj.
ances to still greater heights. Fine Scenery Cited
And if the legislature makes j "The daytime streamliners! witl
permanent the higher limits for ! enable tourists to see some oif the
truck operation it should impose most magnificent scenery tp be
higher taxes on commercial found anywhere, and at very low
trucking as was recommended fares.
by the interim committee which j "Southern Pacific started an
reported to the last legislature. ! extensive improvement program
That report showed that trucks t long before the war, which was
have not been paying I their full ! carried steadily forward even dur-
share of road costs (to say noth
ing of escaping most j taxes for
support of state and local gov
ernment). If they are tjo get fav
ors from the state they ought to
be willing to pay their i own way.
The
Safety Valve
LETTERS FROM STATESMAN
READERS !
"GREATER SALEM"
To the Editor:
I note under the picture on the
front page of Friday morning's
Statesman, of Mrs. Edmund son's
home burning, the city council
made the statement, ' to salve
their own conscience for sitting
by while a widow's borne burned,
that it is illegal for the fire de
partment to come outside of the
city. j
In America, who's sons fought
and died for Liberty and Justice,
it should not be illegal to live
according to the Golden Rule or
act the part of the Good Samar
itan. ': Salem's city council members
heed, to be educated, in the ideiils
(for which the son of sUlem citi
iens have died.
Salem's city council seems to
Wave inherited Hitler's ideals be
lieving everything outside the
city of Salem should be destroyed
if it does not become a part of
their Greater Salem.
Jay ; Morris,
Rt. 3, Box 517
ing the depression years," he con
tinued. "The war stopped all con
struction of passenger equipment.
We are now stepping ahead again
with plans for streamlining the
Cascades and putting the Shasta
Daylights into service. There will
be other improvements over our
system, which we expect to be
able to announce from time to
time in the near future."
Morse Files Again
For Representative
William B. Morse, Prineville,
Monday filed in the state depart-
fment for representative in the
legislature, 26th district. Crook
and Jefferson counties, at the re
publican primary election next
May. Morse is now serving his
first term in the house of representatives.
Abraham Lincoln obtained his
first eye glases the day before he
delivered his famous "Lost
Speech."
IMPORTANT DRIVE
To the Editor: I
I do not think the current
drive for cast-off clothing for
the children of European coun
tries is getting as much public
ity as it deserves. I took a bun
dle to town one day and no
one I asked even knew where
it should be delivered.!
It should be pointed' out that
a contribution to this drive
costs us nothing. We are merely
asked to give articles that we
Can no longer use and are lying
idle in our closets or attics.
' This drive seems to me much
more worthy than, the politics
and propaganda-ridden drives
for old tires, tin cans and alum
inum, etc.
Yours truly, I
Hugh V. Harris
Route 4, Salem.
C XT-
v
Charms
St Charm
Bracelets
Give her one ef
W- these charming
vy little pieces
47 of jewelry!
Large selection in either gold
or sterling silver.
Open As Account
el
i ZZT