Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene register-guard. (Eugene, Or.) 1930-1983 | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1931)
Page EigEf EDITORIAL PAGE OF THE REGISTER-GUARD June AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER (Published every evening: and Sunday) EDITOR AND PUBLISHER - - Alton IT. Baker MANAGING EDITOR - - - - William XI. Tugman NEWS SERVICE, Associated Press, United Press MEMBER Audit Bureau of Circulation The Begister-Guard'i policy i the complete aud Impartial publication in it news pages of all nows and statements on news. On this page, the editors of The Register-Guard offer their opinions on events of the day and matters of importance to the commun ity endeavoring to be candid but fair, and. helpful in the development of constructive community policy. A NEWSPAPER IS A CITIZEN OF ITS COMMUNITY POLITICS AND THE HOME TTT7HAT are the political aspects of the situation " that has arisen with regard to placing the Northwest National Soldiers' Home? This !e a question which a good many alert news writers In the state are asking, and it Is a legitimate question, although, In our opinion, not nearly so Important as It might aeem. Congressman Hawley and Senator McNary, both close friends of President Hoover, were largely instrumental in getting an appropriation for a home in the Northwest. It was unquestionably a tribute to Congressman Hawley when the veterans' hoard voted to put the home "somewhere in Oregon, south of Portland and west of the Cascades," in Hawley's district to he perfectly plain. But then it develops that a good many members of the veterans' board are reluctant to place the home In Roseburg. despite the fact that both Hawley and McNary are firmly pledged to that town. Eugene Is brought Into consideration. Com plications are foreseen. Eugene has friends. Rose burg has friends. The problem of satisfying the veterans of eleven states who may some day live In the home becomes an overshadowing issue. There Is talk that unless all Oregon can agree on the particular town for the home, the board may move the whole thing up Into the state of Washington, penalize Hawley, defy Hoover by jeopardizing one of his staunchest friends. This Is all poppycock. This board, composed of high rank ing officers of the army and navy. Isn't Interested in. politics and it isn't Interested in doling out political punishment to anybody. They have voted to locate the home somewhere In Oregon, mainly because Oregon has a good cli mate and because It has a central location. That much is decided and the rest depends entirely on' what they think best for the men they will Bend to spend their declining years In the home. In the pressure of the moment. Congressman Hawley made the statement that if Eugene would only withdraw Its offer of a site, the state could be united for Roseburg and that would end the whole thing. Would that end it? Ws do not believe the board would reverse its decision to locate In Oregon, hut would there be anything so likely to drive the board to another state as for the whole state of Oregon to Insist on one site and one site only, regardlens of Its desirability for the veterans? Is It not the wlBe thing for the state of Oregon to take the position that the hoard should be free to hunt but the best location in Oregon for Us men? Roseburg has made a courageous fight. The state Including Eugene will applaud if she wins. But it Isn't what Roseburg wants or Eugene wants or what our congressmen want, but what the vet erans need that must decide the thing. Eugene Is not asking Congressman Hawley or Senator McNary to recede one Inch from their committments to their Roseburg friends. Political consequences? Rubbish! We respect their stand. As all the details of the problem come to light the one thing that stands out Is that this will not he Oregon's home, nor Eugene's home, nor Rose burg's home, nor a congressman's home, hut a home for veterans. The men responsible to the veterans are entitled to a free hand. THE BOARD'S PROBLEM TJAVING decided at Its last meeting on the xi allocation of major functions at the University of Oregon and Oregon State College, the board of higher education meets at Portland Monday to thrash out the still difficult problem of allocating funds for the various Institutions. How to take the equivalent of Jl.181.000 (the amount held up by the referendum petitions) out of the schools In IS months without shattering their morale and ef ficiency Is a real problem. Tentatively the hoard has required the schools to draw up two budget plans. One plan Is based on a cut of $1,181,000 divided between the Univer sity and the College on a four-ninths and five ninths basis. This would imply practlcnlly no cut at the normal schools. The other plan calls for dividing a $1,000,000 cut on the same basis, and presumes the elimination of one normal school, presumably the one at La Grande. The ratio of four-ninths cut for the University ($449,000) and five-ninths for the College ($560,0001 represents the old ratio for dividing funds outside of those used to match oulRlde money for special work. It Is to be hoped that the board will NOT perpetuate this purely abrltrnry method of dividing funds which has always put the University at a tremendous disadvantage despite the fart that It carries iut as heavy enrollment as the College. In the present crisis, especially, it Is imperative that funds be divided scientifically In proportion to actual enrollment and actual cost of major course work. It Is eminently unfair to the tax payers who send their children to the University to divide funds on any other basis. In fart, when you look at the actual figures, you get a clearer Idea of the necessity for such division. There will be only 2.20n.327 of state tar monies to be divided between the schools In 1931 as compared with $3,010,601 In 19.10. The medical school appropriation and the research ap propriations which were Included In the $1,181,000 extra appropriation have been wiped out. The money available for all schools Is lower than In any year since 1925. There Is really only one safe plan. Finance major courses In the various schools first. Finance service courses and "luxury courses" out of what Is left. If there Isn't anything left cut them out. This would mean that Oregon State's major work in agriculture and engineering and domestic science would "be well taken care of. It would moan that the University's major work In business and law and medicine and the liberal arts would ha taken care of. Both schools would lose only the "trim mings." That would do the least hurt. ' But the board Is going to have another job when this Is done. It's the big Job of setting edu cation straight with the public. Higher education has been the "goat." Get these figures on the causes of tax increases In Oregon since 1921. Elementary schools and high schools have Increased the tax load 42 per cent; towns and cities, 25 per cent; roads and highways, 19.4 per cent; ports, 7.1 per cent. Higher education has added only 5.7 per cent to the tax load since 1921. And the Uni versity of Oregon has added less than any other unit despite the tact that it nearly doubled its enrollment. The University was getting $897,539 state money In 1921; it was getting only $986,062 in 1930. Its increase since 1921 was ONLY SEVEN-TENTHS OF ONE PER CENT. . ONLY 563 VOTED Can It Make the Grade? fKLY 563 people voted In Eugene's school election last Monday, a possible six per cent of the eligible voters in the school district. There are several ways of looking at the thing. You can say complacently that the lack of interest shows gen eral satisfaction with the way school affairs are being run. We believe this to be quite true. People generally have great confidence In the hoard and In Superintendent Goold. 'But then, why shouldn't they all show it by voting? Of course the apathy In school elections here and elsewhere Is only a little more pronounced than the apathy in all elections. Even in a presi dential election a 50 per cent vote is considered pretty good. What's wrong with the American people that they don't take more Interest In their government? Are we so prosperous that we can be expected to turn out and vote only when we get really scared or hungry? You'd think most everybody was that way now to hear the com plaint of taxes and expenses. Do we have too many elections In this country? Is the average busy citizen bored with the duty of trying to elect all kinds of officials from presi dent to dogcatcher and with trying to decide all kinds of legislative Issues from dog taxes to- pro hibition? Would we save money and get a more ex pressive result if we crowded all elections Into the same election day, and if we spaced all elective offices so that we had to vote only at an Interval of years? It isn't so long since the reformers Induced us to separate national elections from local elections so that Issues would not be confused. Is the county better oft with the voting- in the hands of the few people who can scare up enough pep to go to the polls? Would It be wise to limit the voting privileges to those who could pass certain Intelligence tests or property tests? Is our government so good that we can't he bothered worrying about it, or is It so rotten that most of us have decided that it's useless to worry about it? What will be the result If we ever bang up against a crisis that will bring out all the voters who haven't expressed' themselves for years? We leave It to our able correspondents to write something specific on the question. Now that the rain has stopped It looks like the fish might be biting on the McKenzle. We hope nobody calls an election till we return. BETTER HOMES MOVEMENT SOME of the biggest lumber mills In the Wil lamette valley are facing indefinite shutdowns after July 1, pending a pickup In the price of lum ber, and that Is tough news, but it may not be as tough as It looks. As the big Boulder Dam Job. over In Navada progresses we are bound to get some of the benefits. The new lumber rates to California are bound to have a restorative effect. But the thing which the lumber industry needs more than anything else Is a genuine, nation-wide better homes movement. There are symptoms that such a movement Is In the offing. It is history that money tied up In savings accounts at low interost usually finds its way into home building. Never was home building as cheap. President Hoover In his Indianapolis speech last week turned thought in the direction of home building by calling attention to the fact that better housing Is" Just one of the many necessities in his proposed 20-year program of national develop ment. It would shock those who think we are a civilized nation to know how many millions in the Industrial centers don't know what a home looks like. What can we do to accelerate such a movement and to stimulate the use of lumber In It? Why not call for some building and rebuilding right here in the Northwest, and use lumber when we do it? Why not get cranky about such matters as trying to sell us strawberries and raspberries in paper composition baskets? What has become of developing more lumber byproducts, furnishings and fixtures? What about the plans to establish permanent wood products exhibits on the highway near the city's gates? Lumber is through, mourn the pessimists. Bosh! Iron Isn't through because aluminum has replaced It for cooking pots. Lumbering may be dis organized, demoralized, despondent. It Is paying dearly for a lot of its youthful sins, but we might begin to give it a helping hand by inquiring what we've done to it in tax rates. Lumber Is basic, and human beings will be needing it as long as we can raise a stick. DAD'S DAY! YES! QL'NDAY, we are Informed, Is Dad's Day, of flelnlly, which means that If Dad has the price lo advance the money he niny get a new necklie or a pair of sorks. Dear Old Dad! It's nice to be a dnd, but as Mi'Giirk says, why emphasize the fact? Our suggestion for Pad's Day Is that the old man get a section of white meat Instead of just the wing or neck. And Dad will probably be quite content If the folks will Just kindly tell him "where he put his hat," and If Maw remembers to sharpen the carving knife, and If Brother will hang the hammer In the tool chest Instead of on the back fence. If Sis wants to do something, she can darn the golf socks. Well, even though the weather in Oregon hasn't been entirely what we would have ordered, we can look upon the reports of the annual heat wave In the Middle West and shake hands all around. There Is considerable talk of a moratorium on all war debts to help various nations out of the depression. There have been a good many Individ ual moratoriums but the bankruptcy courts not be ing operated by diplomats have never learned to ute the more dlgulfied name. WHAT SOME THINKERS THINK Compiled by CLAY E. PALMER Pastor of First Congregational Church JIRBY PAGE, editor of "The World Tomorrow," sent out a question aire to all the ministers in the lead injr Protestant denominations and re ceived replies from 1H.37-. as fol lows: 6(i per cent favored America enterinjr the League of Nations im mediately; S3 per cent are anoint military traininK in our public hijrh schools, colleges and universities; SO per cent favor a substantial reduction in armaments even if the V. S. is compelled to take the initiative and make a proportionately greater re duction than other nations; 62 per cent do not favor our government in tervening in a military way to pro tect the lives and property of Amer ican citizens in other lands but pro tective efforts should bo confined to pacific means; 62 per cent believe that the churches of America should now go on record as refusing to sanc tion or support any future war; 54 per cent said they were personally prepared to state that it was their present purpose not to sanction any future war. Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdlok, Amer ica's greatest liberal preacher: "My deep conviction is that the greatest single rival Christianity has on earth today is a narrow, militaristic na tionalism. ... For if this dogma of militaristic nationalism wins the field, the consequence is inevitable that ever and again this nation will con script its Christians, nnd that nation will conscript its Christians, and the two nations will hurl their Christians at. each others throats, und those Christians will sink each others ships, starve each others children, slaughter each other's women, poison each other with gas, and slny each other with pestilence. Can any man suppose that there is any such thing as ac commodation or compromise between the dogma of nationalistic militarism and the spirit of Christ?" A. Maude Royden. greatest woman preacher in Anglo-Saxon world, an English woman: "I think from what I have seen of the work of the church es in America that they COULD stop war. J am not certain that they WOULD. I do not think they realize how difficult it is to stand firm when all the rest of the world is going mad. It. is so difficult that is almost im possible. One begins to think with Pascal that 'madness is so common with mankind that not to be mad is a kind of madness.' It takes a tre mendous spiritual disciple to keep one untouched by the psychological condition of the great mass of the people." Bruce Barton, author and publicist: "In all the earlier ages war was a natural and comparatively harmless outlet for the adventurous energies of youth. The Thirty Year war was carried on in Europe for a whole gen eration, yet not many people knew about it. . . . Washington marched and shot at the British for seven years. But he never had in the army at any one time as many young men as you will find at a World Series baseball game. . . . Another war would wipe out more people in a day than the Revolution killed in seven years. It wnnlri devnstntft whole nations and probably wreck civilization. It would be a moral crime. Lloyd George, ex-premier of Eng land: "The churches were to blame for the last war not monarch, rul ers militarists, but the churches. Had nil the churches cried 'halt,' the nw f nl murder could not have gone on." Field Marshall Hnlfl, probahly Eng land's best known soldier: "The gos pel of Christ is the world's only social hope and the sole promise of world peace." 0 0 Clay E. Palmer: "What an awful dilemma confronts the modern Chris tian? If his first loyalty is to Christ, then he is called an enemy of his country. If his first loyalty is to the stnte then he is held responsible for war, which is group murder, and will destroy civilization.' ADVENTURES WITH BOOKS By ROY LESLIE SMITH By ROY LESLIE SMITH THE CRAFT OF THE CRITIC, by S. Stephenson Smith. Thomas Y. trowel. o.. . l. ,.i. IT is the distinction of a member of the faculty of the University of Oregon to produce a work which is a refreshing oasis in the wilderness of modern books. Its modest title does not give a prophecy of its riches. It discusses in a luminous way the technique of reviewing. An amntpur in that art is not unaware- of the humor of tho situation when he nt tpmpts.a review of the book on re viewing by a master of the subject, One must however express his grat itude Tor this valuable work, written in a pleasant sparkling style. Every one who loves books is or should bo a literary critic. Professor Smith pives the necessary back c round for the criticism and enjoyment of litera ture. He has provided a "Hedeker for contemporary literature nnd the gayer arts.' There is also a remarkable survey-and appraisement of many authors and phases of ancient as well as modern literature. Certainly one appreciates a guide in this "realm of cold" so sure, sincere and genial as the author. An excellent example of bis critic inn is a chapter dealing with the new biography under the striking title. "The Art of Framing Lies," He sums up the complaint, that, the intimate biocraphy of the day suffers from n decay of reticence: it. shows not the man himself but the man as seen through the biographer's tempera ment; H indulges in too much infer ence; it tli rows into undue emphasis the unusual, the bizarre and the pic turesque in a man's life. Yet it. has performed two great services. It, has done away with Victorian false del icacy and has destroyed the credit of the two volume lives whioh no one will ever read again. The author does not plead for suppression of lapses and weaknesses in a man's life, only let them be presented in proper perspective. Une exclaims with delight at the ; happy trenchent phrases which greet j one from almost every page, such as j "ghouIi?h writers.' "macaroni com- pound." "splenetic enw." In a cr- j tain work The unwary reader ab sorbs great learning by nrraosis. "The champion muddle-mind," "The divine Tightness of touch when heart senses aud mind are suddenlv fused bv the imaginative reason." "Arcur ary is the morality of the intellect," "The swelling cadences of Deep River come from deeper springs of life than the tawdry stucco words of the Rosary." Our justification fnr passing on these gm is th fohnc th-.v ni a un people rend book review s w ho mm never purchase the book and should be rewarded by something worthwhile from the author himself. . WHAT I OWE MY FATHER. Sidney Strong, editor. Heury Holt & Co., N. Y. $1.50. Three women and eleven men, all of them leaders in American affairs, make an accounting of their debts to their fathers. Not biological and fin ancial debts, to he sure, but those less tangible debts growing out of associa tion aud example. Certainly nothing is more Impor tant than the family. These fourteen characters pay their debt of gratitude lo thrir homes and especially to their fathers. Much light is thrown not only on their fathers but on them selves. Thendnre Roosevelt, great in many ways, shone as a father. His son. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.. portrays him as a great "pal" of his children. No pressing duties of the presidency were allow ed to stand between him and his time and association given his children. We can better understand Harry Emerson Fosdick, Rabbi S, S. Wise, when their fathers are portrayed. The" reader of these tributes will be led to do some evaluating of his own relation to his father or, it may be. to bis children, American boys will be curious to know what the boys of yesterday thought of their fathers. Full Fashioned Pure Silk Ladles' Hose Sllk-to-Top, Regulir $1.50 NOW 89c BUSTER BROWN SHOE STORE CHARLET'S FOR LUGGAGE SUMMER SCHOOL June July August Shorthand Typewriting Bookkeeping Enroll Monday Eugene Business College Phone 666 Miner Building Roger W. Babson's advice to boys is to go to their fathers for advice on every opportunity. Tracy Strong, editor of "The World's Youth" while in Switzerland, was cabled for fifty word message of the kind of the fathers the boys of the world were demanding. His an swer is a triumph. "Universal re quirements, food, shelter, counsel. National racial demands vary: Japan, authority and courtesy; India, pas sion for spiritual ideals; China, to be worthy of worship; British, fair play; Russian, willingness to try untried things; Slavic, patient idealism: Latin, culture: African, humor, pathos; North American, democratic comrade ship; the.ie combined characteristics approach perfection. Christ reveals the brotherhood of suffering love." MAIL BAG WHO IS WHO? CUGENE, Ore. tTo the Editor) Mnho favors laws prohibiting bauk robbery? Not buk robbers of course, but tho bankers. Who are in favor of the law pro hibiting train robbery? The railroad companies, to be Bure, for what train robber is not opposed to such a law? Who is in favor of the law pro hibiting the sale of tainted meat? The law abiding people who are buying meat for their families. Not the men who have tainted meat to sell. Who are opposed to the sale of cigarettes to children? Not the cigar ette salesmen, but the parents who love their children. Who are in favor of the law pro hibiting the sale of intoxicating liq uors as a beverage? We all kpow that it is the lawabidtng sober upright men nnd women of our nil ion who have the welfare of our boys and girls at heart. So now let us examine ounelws and see why and where we stand. By request of REV. N. WOOD. THANKS THOMPSON PUGENE, Ore. (To the Editor) Please convey to Mr. Thompson via the mail bag a few flowers of congratulations, on his able answer to Mr. Simon relative to the futility of expecting an indulgent deity to nullify the law of cause and effect in order to satisfy the petitioner. Quoting from Mr. Bryan's well known ser mon on immortality: "If the divine father who gives to the rose whose withered blossoms scent the autumn air the sweet assurance of another springtime would he deny that right to the soul of man when the frost of winter comes." Perhaps not but for the deity to set aside his laws to satisfy certain folk regardless of the balance would mean chaos in a world that has a reputation for cosmic law and order. There are certain ecclesiastical digni taries it is true that are presumed to have special influence and Biblical history gives us the well known case of the sun, moon, and stars being held up while a lot of innocent women and children were being slaughtered but there are a lot of people that are like the Scotchman, they 'hae their doots." Truly yours for truth W. H. LEE. NO PRIZES! CAN FRANCISCO, CaL (To the Editor) We are advised by our clients, Liggett & Myers Tobacco company, that a rumor has become prevalent throughout the country to the effect that certain numbers found on packages of various brands of cig arettes, including their own CHES TERFIELD Cigarettes, entitles the finders to prizes ranging all the way from nominal sums to automobiles, and checks for several thousand dol lars. Our clients are greatly disturb ed at the thought of having their customers misled and imposed upon by the circulation of such rumors, and at the. idea of their ultimate disap pointment in finding them untrue after having collected packages in search of winning numbers. Of course, to a thinking person, the idea is ridiculous. To begin with such a scheme would constitute a lot tery and consequently be illegal. Such numbers, or letters as do appenr on cigarette packages are put there merely for the manufacturers' iden tification purposes. Communication with any of the large cigarette man ufacturers wDl readily verify this fact. But when Barnum commented upon the gullibility of the American peo ple, he evidently knew only the half of it or else our susceptibility to ho- 21,1931. cum and bunk hai ., many fold since h"C!d " of people old und'youSj Pwtwl female, imbecile and i.??,1' rushing to cigar stores, bSW"i tltieS Of F Flt.. . ' , U1 ixa tearing them to piece, jn il'm m.sii; Bj-mooi. Dealers iiv1 and manufacturers are b"5iUi'. letters, 'phone calls, and teJEJ some seeking a eki. . .i'fnv. word, some inquiring the a?" of the prize, and other, cS?1" have dug their way to g'lde Tt"" h in the bottom of a cigar,? :, J H' and demanding their ni 'l' good business for the teleS.1' " names and the telegraph it may also be good fo -afl business while it lasts-but th nt,M math of . disillusioned pub& be- so good. c ""f H At any rate our clients f.,i , in some manner the mihli should be set at rest, and nirt. activity diverted from "at 5 J"'-"1 prospect holes in cigarette i.?" to pursuits more gainful Th tion of the public mind be L function of the newspaper Zl that you will be glad to corrt hallucination through your "e S1 umns. and bring to an enfl n. i hysteria which has EiS'i?.1" ulace. If we might suggest tf.1? nation affords an oppnrtutfhr only of performing a service , 5 public and to the manufacture?. J cigarettes, but of concoction i I. amusing satire on American credS Whatever you can do to t S Hie nimnr will t, il? ss -. uiMueL-iatea Br onr. selves and our cl ems ' Very truly vours NEWF.U,.rrarTT m.,.- RPPITAI Dl .,.,- cial). Wilda and Bo'bbv Hik-s iS and daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Hich will be presented in a piano rwiui Saturday evening. June 20. at Mdlot ran and Washburne auditorium w Reuben Charlyle Gnffreierre. Tb.il program will be entirelv f, ory. MAK KEXSHAW roruien.v hi ice .none! tieauty gfc is now at Bob-s Beauty Shop. Ph. sjj Garden Seeds Second planting of many vegetables should be made now, following the rain. We have a complete list for your selection. EARWIG BAIT Ant-Tox : Fly-Tox : Snayl-Tox Eid your home of these pests. VIG0R0- A Complete Garden Fertilizer 10c, 60c, $2.00, $3.75, $6.00 T"N.iTHE PARPEN STORE ' PHONE 1950 J 2o facilities we provide , , , this is the second of a series of statements explaining the services of our various departments. O TRUST DEPARTMENT Acts as Administrator of Estates. Accepts Will for Filing- without Ch&rg. Acts as Executor Under Wills. Acts as Trustee Under Will or Deei. Handles Escrows. Acts as Guardian of Property of Minors Acts ss Guardian of Property of In competents. , Acts as Depository for Property Placed in Escrow. , Acts as Trustee Under Mortgage or Indenture Securing Issue of Bonds. . Furnishes Information without pbligi-tlon. THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL BANR OF EUGENE EUGENE LOAM A SAVINGS BANK v.
