S o u th ern Oregon News Review’, Thursday, Ju n e 2, 1949
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GOOD OR BAD, TELEVISION . . .
Video-the Great, Irresistible Force
IN W ASHINGTON
. . . HAS FASCINATION FOR MILLIONS
By H. I. PHILLIPS
---------------------------------------
books, papers and even the racing night" sum up the total exchange
results.
of words.
Television is developing a race of
-----* -----
----- * -----
sitters—a vast. Immovable popula
The
old
man
doesn't go down
The
decline
in
conversation
at
tion of living-room squatters, as it
to the store for the papers or a
were. In all areas of the country house parties in television belts
cigar. Mom cuts the cinema.
where video has come into play, has become alarming. Guests hard
It isn't because television is all
great masses of people are ’'set- ly speak to one another or to the
sheer entertainment. In fact,
tin"' glued around the set, absorbed hostess. Whole evenings are spent
it has been rather trying, often
and silent, neglecting small talks. in which "come in" and “good
downright annoying. Video Is
still in the baby stage. It
doesn't look like an extra smart
kid. Hut there Is such a diver
sity of attractions on so many
programs over so many chan
nels that there la a fascination
for millions in It. good or bad.
-----* -----
r
«
So many more thrillers, playlets,
vaudeville sketches, hockey games,
‘OUR prayers have comforted me, friend,
fights, wrestling bouts, debates,
Through many a day;
6 concerts, newsreels, soap operas,
comedians, tragedians, a c t o r s ,
W hen Strength has failed me, then I know
dancers, scientists, clowns and pup
pets come zooming into the old
That you will pray;
homestead that the audience at
least gets action. The reactions are
W hen any hurt becomes too great
curious. We know one addict who
For me to bear,
says. "It's so bad that it's absorb
ing." Another demands, with more
I feel it ease, remembering
enthusiasm, "Show me another
Your power in prayec.
medium through which I can get
a hockey game, a ski tournament,
A )
a forum, a circus, a Broadway
"I shall pray for you each day,” you said
show, a couple of westerns, a book
"My voice shall lift
review and a carload of miscel
laneous entertainers and celebri
In your behalf. . . . ” O friend o f mine,
ties without getting out of my
chair!"
There is no gift
-----&
Though you should search the wide world through
We have even discovered a fel
That can compare
I low who finds some commercials
attractive on television. He hated
W ith the precious, shining, white weight t , ' .
commercials on the radio, but a
O f your prayer!
'
close-up photograph of a mince pie,
a layer cake, a stack of wheaties,
a bubbling glass of beer or a gal
"Pray one for another,” we are told.
whipping up a dinner on a cooking
program intrigues him. He gets
I, too, shall pray
sore if a plate of frankfurters and
For you, and for each troubled heart
beans doesn’t screen well or if a
display of gelatins is out of focus.
In need today.
His chief interest in all products
seems to be their degree of screen
clarity.
-----* -----
Men and women who could
LIVING-ROOM SQUAT
PRAYER
POWER
'4
— Grace Noll Crowell
take their regular radio or let
It alone have been known to go
nuts over television. The busi
ness of operating the various
dials to bring in the entertain
ment gives them the feeling of
being producers, stage direc
tors, dramatic coaches, vaude
ville kibitzers and movie pro
moters. They are never satis
fied. They are always monkey
ing with the dials, trying to
achieve the perfect show.
-----* -----
The American public is getting
more and more amusement-mad
and it looks as if books, magazines
and newspapers may have to go all
out for showmanship. Man'a house
used to be his castle; it is now his
fight arena, his ball park, his
theater, his concert hall, his infor
mation bureau and his personal
clambake.
-----* -----
The answer to "Shall we go out
somewhere tonight" is "Why?"
People used to leave the apartment
to kill boredom and seek some di
version. They now accomplish the
same objectives with an "aerial
stack" and a "booster."
-----* -----
Hurry up with the dinner, moml
There's a prize fight, a wrestling
show, six musical revues, a tour
of the nighteries, four westerns,
a travelogue, a newsreel, four mys
tery dramas, 18 newscasts, a rodeo,
a mardi gras and a sailfish tourna
ment on the video tonight!
This n* That
Armout and Co. omitted its pre
ferred dividend, saying meat prices
have fallen 20 to 30 per cent . . .
Steaks and chops are now worth
little more, in fact, than their
weight in gold.
• • •
Those Ford cars are of new de
sign. but the strike comes in the
same old shape at both ends and
in any color so long as it's dark
blue.
The
Fiction
By
NO REGRETS
Richard H. Wilkinson
Corner
BY IN E Z GERHARD
ANESSA BROWN typifies every
thing that a young actress
ought to be. Very pretty, with
chestnut hair and blue eyes, she
has managed, at 20, to complete
her college course and make pic
tures at the same time. Asked how
it happened that she was chosen
for the maid of the all-star cast
of Paramount’s "The Heiress,”
she laughed and said she’d been
V
,
Vb.'SES&k BROWN
teaching William Wyler’s daughter
to swim; after testing older ac
tresses he realized that Vanessa
was right for the role, her ninth.
You’ve heard her on the air—she
toured Alaska with “Vox Pop,” has
appeared on the Screen Guild and
other important shows. She writes,
too; has sold three stories to a
newspaper syndicate.
Joan Fontaine in “Bed of Roses”
will be back at RKO for the first
time since she starred in “From
This Day Forward” in 1945.
A
modern drama, it stars her as an
iron-willed girl with an insatiable
desire to have her own way.
Friends who knew her and Olivia
de Haviland in their school-girl
days say the beautiful Joan her
self always had a way of getting
what she wanted.
John M iljan deserted films
two years ago to devote his
time to his avocado ranch at
Vista, Calif., but could not re
sist the role of "M r. Howard"
in “ Mrs. M ike,” the Dick Pow
ell-Evelyn Keyes starrer being
produced for United Artists.
Five of filmland’s glamour girls
recognize a voice that has made
love to them when they tune in
M utual’s
"Scattergood
Baines."
Wendell
Holmes,
who
p la y s
"Scattergood," has played the ro
man?'«’ lead opposite Joan Fon
taine, Dorothy McGuire, Veronica
Lake, Claire Trevor and Madeleine
Carroll. H e’s also tops at im per
sonating Winston Churchill on the
air.
A L E R IA ’S A F F A IR with Eliot
had proved extremely
gratifying. After all, Eliot was the
most handsome and the most glam
orous man at Newfane Lake, and
| the confession of his love had rath
er flattered her vanity. But the
duration had been brief.
Two
months, to be exact. She had smiled
a little wistfully the night she
handed back his ring.
" It ’s been swell fun, Eliot, but it
can’t last. The feeling’s all on the
surface. It isn't real.”
“Not real?" He stared at her, un
believing. "Good Lord, Val—" But
she
interrupted
him with a ges
ture of finality.
“I t ’s no use, Eliot.
You’re
far
too
glamorous
and
handsome to fall in love. I tried
hard, but it didn’t work.” She
patted his hand maternally. "Sum
m er romances are fun, and this
has been the best ever. No regrets."
A hurt look came into his eyes,
to be replaced an instant later by
exaggerated indifference. He tossed
the ring, caught it, pocketed it. “O.
K., sister. I guess I can stand it.”
His eyes held that smug, “it's-your-
funeral” look that so fitted his role.
She felt released, free again. When
Doug Metcalf asked her to attend
the Country Club ball with him she
accepted without qualms of con
science. Doug was big and homely.
“Thought there was no harm in
asking,” he grinned. “You won’t
find me as spectacular as Eliot.”
He looked at her curiously,
seemed on the point of asking
a question and thought better of
it. She knew that he, like every
one else, was wondering if her
heart was broken. Well, let them
find out for themselves. Their
pity annoyed her. Who was this
Eliot Harvey, a god or some
thing?
The night of the ball, dancing
with Doug Metcalf, she saw Eliot
floating by with Sheelah Jackson.
He was looking down into her up
turned face, oblivious to everything
else. Valeria felt a little pang, and,
impatient at herself, gave her at
tention to Doug. Doug was watching
her and there was worship in his
eyes. •
V Harvey
HE W AS'DANCING
a
dreamy
S waltz with Doug when Eliot cut
in. Surprised, she found herself in
his arms scarcely
before his
fam iliar features became recogniz
able.
"Well, well, well. Look who’s
here! How's the Don Juan of New
fane?”
"Val, let’s go out and get a
punch.” His tone was almost harsh.
Valeria hesitated. "All right,”
she said. " I could use something
like that. It ’s been a destructive
evening. I ’m worn out.”
They moved
into the alcove
where the drinks were being serv
ed. He led her beyond and through
French doors that opened onto the
terrace. The place was crowded,
but they found a vacant bench be
hind some shrubbery, and Valeria
sat down. It was good to sit. Eliot
bent over her.
“Listen, Val, I can't stand it!
I ’ve been crazy ever since you gave
me back the ring. I ’m going mad!
You’ve got to come back to m e!”
Amazed, she stared up at
him. His eyes were burning
coals. He stood there stripped
of his pride and dignity, no
longer the confident Don Juan,
the breaker of women’s hearts.
"Eliot, you’re drunk!"
" I ’m not! Val, don’t you see I ’m
not! Don’t you see how much I
love you!” He dropped down be
side her, and suddenly his head was
against her breast. He wept.
Val was frightened and bewild
ered. So all his indifference, his
casual acceptance of her decision
to break their engagement, his in
terest in Sheelah Jackson—it had
all been pretense!
A sham! A
mask! An attempt to maintain his
Don Juan standing, to nourish his
pride and vanity and conceit.
She stood up, suddenly contempt-
ous, ashamed of her own doubts,
disgusted with his weakness. She
looked down at him, without pity or
compassion or regret, turned away
and went eagerly back to find de
pendable Doug.
Discovery of Iron
Iron—according to legend—was
discovered by primitive man in
campfire embers or in meteorites
Iron tools were used in construct
ing the Pyramids about 3000 B. C.
The ancients produced iron in fires
built on the windward side of banks,
or in pits or rock furnaces, using
bellows.
SSWDHD PUZZLE
ACROSS
50. Otherwise
DOWN
1. Part of a
1. Body of
check
water
5. An aro
2. Levers used
matic spice
for turning
9. Irish Free
rudders
State
3. Incite
10. A king of
4. Kidney
Norway
shaped,
11. Seaweed
edible seeds
12. Habit
5. Cut, as
13. Furnished
grass
temporarily
6. Together
15. Negative
7. Light boat
reply
8. Newt
16. Spawn of
14. A slow-
fish
moving
18. Propose
boat
tentatively
22. River
(Spain)
24. Board of
Ordnance
(abbr.)
25. Biblical city
26. Plaster
of Paris
28. Kind of
dance
31. Roman
pound
32. Perform
34. Make hot
35. Native of
Nevada
39. Eltter vetch
40. Jewish
month
41. Benevolent
43. Like a wing
45. A brown,
bitter nut
(var.)
47. Attractive
(colloq.)
48. Back of the
foot
49. Note
16. One of
King Lear's
daughters
17. Fat
19. Obtained
20. Sweeten
21. Jogs
23. Bone
(anat.)
27. Strange
29. Exclama
tion
30. Sewing
instruments
33. Tree
36. Price
37. Subside
38. Wall
recess
n r
4 New
Series
of Puzzles
to Test
Your Wits
42. Christmas
song
43. Tree
44. Color
46. Malt
beverage
ftH liH
SMSAO. WMU ( • » • » e e n S M l
People Ran Conjresi
|
Richer
Harvest
By
MKIIAEL TIFF
finch would hav«
S A USUAL TH IN G folks out 111
M elissa
fainted from »hock If Joe Sut
A the home towns and rural com ton
had told her she was a pretty
munities of our country ure ahead
of congress and the politicians here
in Washington In their thinking on
what is good for, or what Is best
for our country in the matter of
national legislation.
As a rule the measures before
congress are merely translations
of the thought and action of the
people themselves. And Washing
ton is simply the m irror which re
flects the will of a majority of the
people.
There Is a definite trend here
In Washington however, which
your Home Town Reporter is
not attempting to interpret. I
ant going to ask for an Inter
pretation from the grassroots
on thia trend which leads to the
question—"Are we moving to
ward a socialistic national gov
ernment in thia country?” So
If you will, please write me a
letter giving me your thoughts
on the question.
Perhaps I am too close to the for
est to see the trees, but my mail Is
flooded every day with publicity,
brochures, pamphlets a n d just
plain propaganda seeking to brand
every liberal piece of legislation
before congress as ' ’socialistic."
• • •
All Are Branded
The housing and slum clearance
bill, federal aid to education bill,
the bill for compulsory health In
surance, expansion of social secu
rity laws, the various proposals to
create river valley authorities, any
bill which would provide for n fed
eral grant-in-aid to the states, the
Brannan agricultural program and
numerous other measures . . . all
have been branded as definitely
socialistic in nature by one or more
of the large organizations which
maintain lobbies here to influence
legislation.
Even our farm cooperatives have
been branded with the socialistic
label. It has come to the point that
every so-called liberal piece of
legislation which comes before con
gress is being measured by the
socialist yardstick. Of course there
are as many definitions for the
word "liberal" as there are writ
ers. but as this reporter views it,
liberal legislation is any measure
which has for its objective the elim
ination of any inequalities or tribu
lations of any great mass of the
people through federal help In
money or regulatory control.
• • •
Socialism Defined
girl or even smiled at her. His pa,
Jake, did that right along, which
was fair enough.
Hut Joe did like her cooking.
Otherwise she’d have gone away be
fore this; but today was definitely
her last day as housekee|>er for Jake
Sutton and his son, Joe. Melissa
hoped she had taken at least a part
of the place Joe’a ma had left some
alx years ago when she had passed
beyond. She knew that Joe lived
with the memory of his ma; acted
as though she were in the next
room. Melissa had never lost the
Idea of being an Intruder.
" /’as leaving today,” announced Me-
liiu . Jo» kept moving toward lb»
door. "I'm leaving today,” Melilla re
pealed. Jo» stopped, »nd ib» could
i»» bit great fingers clench.
Melissa went back to the pump
and sink. She began washing the
dishes.
At the
same time she
remembered that
this was her last
day. Three years
ago she had start
ed In this house of the Sutton»—Jake
Sutton and that son of his, Joe. She
had nothing agulnst Jake because
Jake had the sense to look at her as
If she was a human being. But that
Joe—he was a born woman-hater If
ever she saw one. Then ,she con
sidered — wiping the damp towel
over the plates—that Joe had lost
his ma.
She watched Jake come In for a
packet of carrot seeds. Juke didn't
glance at her as he rummaged In
the seed pile.
"Reckon as how Joe an* that Blos
som Appenzellcr gonna be hitched
come this fall," Jake announced
quietly.
Joe wouldn't marry any girl, not
even Blossom with her fancy ways,
Melissu thought. And. as for herself,
she had stood about all she could. If
Joe hadn't noticed her for three long
years he sure wasn't going to
change overnight.
I _ I ER suitcase was packed and
*■ * she sat down on It to close It
tight. Then she wondered what Joe
was doing. She could see him
through the window plain as day.
She had to admit that he looked
mighty like a man as he wheeled
that tractor round the field. He'd
make any girl a providing husband.
So Jake thought Blossom Appen-
zeller was for Joe. Maybe Blossom
would have liked to nab Joe but Joe
had no eye for painted-up Ups and
chalked-up eyes
That blue dress on her suited her
blue eyes. Melissa stood straight up
In front of the dresser glass. Her
hand halted midway to her face
powder box. She was looking at
Joe’s ma, an old photo encased in a
frame of gilded wood. For the first
time, though she had seen that pic
ture every day, Melissa could see
why Joe remained aloof from girls;
how could any girl ^ome up to Joe's
ma?
On her way down, carrying the
suitcase, she wanted to cry but sob-
The dictionary says socialism Is
a reconstruction of society on the
basis of cooperation of labor and
community of property; or govern
ment control of economic activities
so that competition will give way to
cooperation and the rewards of
labor be equally apportioned. That
is the orthodox Marx brand of
socialism, but the modern or gar
den variety of socialism appears to
be content with a more adequate
distribution of wealth through so
cial reforms by political agencies.
They want nationalization of such
resources as railroads, mines and
other properities, but do not advo
cate abolition of the profit system
nor the right to own private prop
erty.
• • •
Although anyway you view It
socialism does not fit into the
American system of free competi
tion and individual freedoms, the
question arises-does any reform ad
vocated by the Socialist party be
come socialistic in fact? For in
stance as far back as 1908 the
Socialist party platform advocated
conservation and development of
natural resources; scientific re
forestation; storage of flood waters
and utilization of water power; es
tablishment of minimum
wage
scales; five and one-half-day week;
old age pensions and survivors in
surance; a graduated income tax;
equal suffrage; direct primary;
vocational education; a separate
labor department and conservation
of public health and establishment
of an independent health bureau.
Melissa was awfully small; a
These reforms are in the law today. speck of dust blown here by the
Are they socialistic?
wind.
Address Given
bing eased that sickening feeling of
This reporter believes, however, departure. As she came out Into the
that a measuring stick should be afternoon sunshine she could see
whether or not, you as a citizen Jake looking at her from the chicken
have lost or may lose your individ yard.
"Joel” Jake shouted.
"Ain’t
ual freedoms guaranteed you by
the constitution and the bill of you goin’ to say good-by to Me
rights; whether controls by the gov lissa?” And then she saw Joe stop
ernment to keep employment on 1 the tractor and turn to stare at her.
Melissa felt another lump In her
the farms and factories up and
prices down are socialistic; wheth throat as Joe stood near her, like a
er taxation plays such a role in great pine tree. She was awfully
your economy as to become un small; she was a speck of dust that
had been blown here by the wind
bearably oppressive.
and now was being blown away.
So let’s hear what the folks in the
home town think on this subject:
"Why don't you look at me," he
Is the government moving towards said, very low, and hit voice came
socialism? Write me, if you w i l l - from a distance. She looked up and
address, Walter A. Shead, • care winced because he was aloof, "1
Western Newspaper Union, 1057 wasn't certain,’’ he said, "but now I
National Press Bldg., Washington know. It's lb» way you kept house.
Ma bad a blue dress like that. You're
4, D. C.
like her."
• • •
He took the suitcase from her.
As late as 1936 the Socialist par
ty platform advocated a public Without knowing it, she walked at
health program for adequate medi his side, back to the house. The sun
cal aid financed by taxation; a was hot on the fields, a white butter
30-hour week; creation of a federal fly floated toward the cabbage
marketing agency for purchase and patch, and Joe's arm felt good
around her waist.
marketing of agricultural goods.
Released by WNU Features.