Southern Oregon Miner, Thursday, January 25,1945 SOUTHERN OREGON MINER I*ublUbed Every Thursday at 187 Main Street, Ashland, Oregon Carryl H. & Marion C. Wines, Editors-Publishers Entered aa second-claaa mail matter In the post office at Ash­ land, Oregon, February 15, 1935, under the act of Congress of March 3. 187». Inflation in the United States Paul Mallon, well known columnist from Washington had some interesting observations in his column in the daily papers last week. The subject of his talk was on inflation, that bugaboo that the OPA and other gov­ ernmental agencies have been throwing at us for so many months. Now the OPA has stated time and again that “they have held hte line” in the matter of prices, by putting a ceiling on most commodities and services and point with pride that prices have not risen much in the past year or so. That is true, they haven’t, but what the consumer gets for the same money has very decid­ edly declined, w’hich in our way of thinking is the same thing as a rise in price. Just a few samples can be made. Perhaps a pair of shoes don’t cost any more than a year ago, but the buyer certainly gets a darned poor pair of shoes for the same money. Many other items of cloth­ ing are the same, a cheapening of the article, but no lowering of price. Many of the services are the sameway no lessening of price b u ta cheaper service to those w ho buy it. There are many, many in s ta n ts and examples of these, far too many to list here. In the case of manufactured goods, local distributors, of course are nat to blame. The manufacturer gets the blame in that case, and in the cases of the services, one cannot blame them either. Their costs have risen, yet their prices are held down, by a ceiling ,and the only waythey can stay in business is to furnish less for the same money. ★ ★ ★ Be Is Ever So Humble “ ‘The right of ownership is more important than ownership is more important than ownersip itself!”’ “True enough!” says W. J. Blake, owner of the Put­ nam County, Newr York, Republican. “Yet how import­ ant is ownership—something tangible and of benefit to the family! Give me a family—or, even, anly an indi­ vidual—whose fixed objective is a home, a house and some land of their own, and I will then see reason to hope for the future of the family. Better a nation of such families than one of any other dominating form of prosperity. ‘Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.’ Millions who live in rented quarters— houses, hall rooms, and what not—are an unstabilizing force in our national life. The cry is—or should be— more home ownership and less hoboism in the Ameri­ ca nways of living. To that end let press, pulpit and the schools of our beloved land raise a united voice.” ★ it it Behind the Glamour The Post Office Has a Surplus! We observed an interesting item this week in the news out of Washington to the effect that the Post Of­ fice Department had a surplus of funds for the year 1944, amounting to something like 47 million dollars, the first surplus in 24 years. In this time of huge, as­ tronomical federal expenditure and deficits, the post office surplus is indeed a miracle. When on considers the huge amount of federal franked mail that pours through the post office, the surplus even comes as a greater surprise. It is indeed welcome to the taxpayers, who have been in the habit of putting up huge sums for the post office for many years. The post office department, when formed by Benja min Franklin in the very early days of our country, was never intended to be a money-making institution, as wt remember our history. The leaders of the country start ed the service to the citizens of this nation, as a service and not as a profit-taking company. Most of the yean since that time it has operated in the red, and mone; appropriated from the treasury to make up the deficits It is encouraging to note that it paid its own way ir 1944. * * * The Wallace Flare-Up throughout the world than by virtue of being enguged in es­ showing their children how hat­ sential work. One such program is the Radio red is responsible for the great trugedies of today, as well as be­ I Technician course, which offers u ing the greatest menace to the chance to enter the Nuvy ut the i advanced rating of seaman, first world of tomorrow. class, and to learn the science of u electronics and its use in rudar. This is a ten-month course, the I equivalent of two years of college engineering. To quulify for this | schooling the applicant must Applications for the position of have a background of high school Production Servic e Special i s t i mathematics and should have (lumber), for the War Production studied ut least one of the follow­ Board, Idaho. Montana, Oregon, ing subjects: physics, shop prac­ and Washington, with headquar­ tice. electricity or elementary ra­ ters at Portland, Oregon, are be­ dio. The other program for which ing sought by the United States Civil Service Commission, Eric draft-age men ertn apply is the Weren, Local Secretary, announc­ Senbee re enlistment program. The famous construction battal­ ed today. The salary for this position is ions of the Navy need help in u $4428 a year, iricluding overtime variety of trades, especially in construction and longshore work compensation. There is no written test and no Petty officer ratings are available to men who can quulify techni­ maximum age lim it Complete informati o n a n d cally and physically and who are forms for applying may be obtain not in a deferred status. ed from Mr. Weren, at Ashland Post Office, or from first or se­ cond-class post offices. Applica­ tions will be accepted until the close of business on January 22, 1945. Applications are not desired from persons engaged on war work unless the position applied for requires the use of higher skills than the worker is using in his present employment. A Certi­ ficate of Availubility from former employer or from the U. S. Em­ ployment Service may be requir­ ed before appointment. Opportunities in the Navy for Older Men Washington is all stirred up right now, over the nom­ ination of Henry A. Wallace to the very important post of Secretary of Commerce, and to us, rightfully so. The president was candid enough, and to us very honest, when he stated that the nomination was in payment of the heroic service the said Wallace made during the past presidential campaign, or being a good "party Man”. But that does not excuse his woeful lack of business Civil Service Seeks MMXXXXXXXXXXXMXXXXXXXXX» experience and some of his down right inefficiency in Lumber Specialist the handling of some of the posts he has been in. The With selective service classifi­ Insurance cations being changed in many position to which Mr. Wallace has been nominated, car districts, inquiries regarding op­ ries right now, one of the largest loads of any of the portunities for draft age men in ‘you can depend on’ governmental branches. Perhaps the biggest single the Navy have been pouring into Medford Jiavy recruiting sta­ work carried on under the Department of Commerce is the • Automobile tion, announces Herb. Crain, re­ the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, with its loans cruiter in charge. • Fire and work running into the billions. There are numerous The Navy representatives em­ • Life phasizes that men of draft age other lines of government endeavor under this depart­ cannot enlist in the Navy, but he • Health-Accident ment too, diverse in their scope from RFC work as day points out that the Navy has two is from dark. The position is one that takes a lot of programs for which these men Burns Agency can . volunteer, through their brains to handle. ON THE PLAZA draft boards, if they are techni­ Apparently the outgoing Commerce Secretary, Jesse cally and physically qualified anu