/ Friday, May 28, 1937 SOUTHERN OREGON MINER Page 4 LIFE’S BYWAYS! - ------------------------ Southern Oregon Miner Published Every Friday at 1«? East Main Street ASHLAND, OREGON Entered as second-class matter February 15, 11(35, at the postonici' at Ashland, Oregon, under the act ot March 3, lb7t> Editor and Publisher Assistant Editor LEONARD N. HALL. JANE PRIME HALL PHONE ASHLAND 170 Subscription Rates, in Advance; One Year ........... $1 Six Months ------- - ~ 50c — **' J ' SMART LIKE A FOX TAIL FOR GETTING IN DEEPER! Perhaps Ashland will have no more graphic or dis­ appointing example of results of a young mind which fails to comprehend a true evaluation of good and bad than it has in the now languishing Elmer Haab, who stretched 15 days of jail confinement into five years because he didn’t figure things out right. Elmer, it will be remembered, was committed to the county jail for petty larceny and had but two weeks more to serve until he would have become a free youth again with an opportunity to adopt the pleasures and pursuits of his friends. But Elmer, either because of a misguided idea as to what was romantic and adventurous or because of a mental twist, thought it would be great fun to skip his trusteeship and give “them cops a chase.” Naturally, the youth was apprehended and recom­ mitted to jail, with a three-year prison sentence being are intended as reforms of a system that has lent added for breaking loose. Then, as Haab was being itself to bias and lop-sided jurisprudence. The Miner returned from circuit courtroom to the jail with two believes that Mr. President seeks to prevent a recur­ other prisoners, he broke and ran, this time to be free rence for all time of th* situation where five men nearly a week, during which time he robbed several can reverse the expressed will of the majority of American citizens and their representatives. stores and a residence. Haab was easily recaptured after he had thrown With this idea in mind, the president can hardly hacksaw blades onto roof of the jail and attempted be expected to drop his campaign for needed supreme to get word to a cellmate to use the blades to escape. court reform simply because one or two of his pet Arresting officers overlooked two hacksaw blades measures may have been smiled on for the moment secreted in Elmer’s necktie, and the lad sawed away The ambition of President Roosevelt is not to ap­ point supreme court justices, but to block the sover­ two bars from his cell before being observed. As a result of all his scheming “adventure,” Haab eign autocracy permitted under the present set-up now faces five years in the state penitentiary and which makes justices answerable to themselves only perhaps life, for there is much likelihood that his and not to the people they theoretically should serve term-lengthening escapades will continue. ★ ★ ★ Had Elmer sat tight and outwaited his first petty DON’T TAMPER WITH A SUCCESSFUL larceny sentence, he now would be free as the wind, able to josh with his friends, attend movies, go fish­ ORGANIZATION! ing and bask in the warm sunshine. Instead, he now is Should a recent war department order be carried confined in a small four-walled room with a bare cot. out. all reserve officers now serving in the Civilian a toilet and one small window, set high in the north Conservation Corps who have completed two or more wall. Soon he will be transported—in irons—to Salem years service would be relieved by December. where he will become a classmate in Oregon’s crime The smooth-working, efficient structure of the college. CCC would be remanned with green officers every Elmer Haab is dedicated, by his own choice, to a two years. On the surface, their rotation would appear life of progressive crime. Although he has not been to make the corps a fine training ground for officers physically dangerous, his each succeeding escapade as well as enrollees, but further investigation of the has entrenched him more deeply into lawlessness. So situation existing in the 3-C would indicate that noth­ far. the boy has been traveling a one-way road and ing could be further from the truth. has shown no inclination or desire to have it other­ It must be remembered that the conservation corps, wise. essentially, is a training ground for the enrollees who, His experience is a glaring example of what hap in many cases, were unemployed youths recruited from pens to young smarties who get mistaken ideas. Elmer large centers of population being given a chance to has made himself a public nuisance and is deserving learn how to use their hands and their minds. Theirs of no leniency in punishment. His mind does not work is a school which furnishes clothing, food, lodging, j to the benefit of society and Haab has earned his remuneration and instruction. scholarship to Salem with flying colors. The successful training and discipline of raw re ★ ★ ★ cruits gathered together from all parts of the country requires able and experienced leadership Already de­ VAN DEVANTER WAS NOT MR. ROOSEVELT’S veloped in reserve army officers whose several years OBJECTIVE! of experience in the CCC have been invaluable in With one supreme court justice retiring voluntarily building up the smooth-running, efficient machine and with New Deal legislation receiving much more that is the 3-C today. To replace all such leaders with liberal consideration by the Nine Old Men since Presi­ green reserves within a short time would create con­ dent Roosevelt advocated his retirement plan for jus­ fusion, lessen efficiency and subtract from training tices who have reached the age of 70 years, there is and educational advantages enrollees now enjoy. a loud and wailing howl being set up for Mr. Roosevelt Although enrollee membership is purposely and to drop his desired changes. rightly rotated in order to give more widespread bene­ “Why continue the battle, after objectives have fits to America’s young men, pursuing such a course been won?” query the critics. Why, Indeed! in filling key points of 3-C administration could have It appears to this department that some learned nothing j but undesirable results. contemporaries have forgotten that Mr. Roosevelt’s For example, in the Medford district, of the hun- “battle” is not being directed against any certain man ( dreds of reserve officers who have been on duty dur- in the supreme court but, rather, is aimed at flaws , in the system. The faults of the supreme court’s struc­ ture still remain, although one or two of the more ! reactionary members of the body may pull in their I necks or resign. Fundamentally, the Roosevelt-sponsored changes ing the last four years, at least 25 per cent have found the peculiar responsibilities of running a company too much for them. Another 50 per cent have been re­ lieved from time to time because they failed to meas­ ure up completely and their tours of duty were not extended. About 25 per cent have remained through thick and thin and have been worked into an organi­ zation which now is functioning smoothly and effi­ ciently. To dismiss these officers who have proven their mettle with the CCC not only would work an injustice to the officers themselves, but also would hinder work of the army in administering camps under their sup­ ervision. Key men who have fitted themselves into an executive pattern are not easily replaced. It is one thing to rotate CCC enrollee membership so that a greater niimbiT may receive the corps’ bene­ fits. but it is quite another thing to destroy stability of the organization which handles them by rotating tours of duty every two years ri'gardless of abilities and importance of the officers to the administrative organization which guides the tree troopers. Fl 1.1. GOSI'EI. TEMPLE Mr. mid Mr». Ralph .1. Itarvr, Paa torn Tlie Full Guapel temple, located on the Boulevard, extends to a hearty invitation to attend services which are a.i follow» Sunday school. I»:4ft a Morning worship, 11 a Young people's service, 0:30 p in Thursday. 7:30 p in , young peo pie’s service. Friday, 7:30 p m, prayer serv ice. Good music, good singing, and ti e old fashioned gospel You are I welcome KW0r h O u new ! LOTTA LUMBER SAYS "There in one thing that can get in a man's hair with out nuiking him mad, and that I h a pretty girl's fin- ger« " lint what about file»? They aren't »