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About The Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 19??-1984 | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1937)
Thursday, May 13, 1937 THE HERMISTON HERALD, HERMISTON, OREGON. NEWS NOTES OF THE NORTHWEST National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart A Brief Summary of Events of Special Interest to Oregon, Washington and Idaho Communities. BOISE, Ida.—WPA crews, among Washington.—Congress lately has passed and President Roosevelt has . i just signed the (,oal W Guffey-Vinson coal Be Higher bill. It is, there fore, a law. And presently, as a result of the pas sage of this legislation, you and I and every other person who uses soft coal will be paying higher prices. The increase in price that will re sult, however, is not the only phase of the Guffey-Vinson law that seems to be open to criticism. There are many who believe that in passing the Guffey-Vinson bill (and it was done under the lash of administra tion leaders) our government has taken a step which is very close to, even actually a step toward, fas cism in America. It is an action so near to the policies of fascism in Italy that close students of the Mus solini plan say they can hardly dis cern any distinction. Let us see what the Guffey-Vinson law does. It permits all soft coal producers in the United States to organize as in a monopoly under government control. True, the gov ernment is supposed under the law to fix the price of soft coal but actu ally the law is going to work out so that the producers and the mine un ions will establish the prices, sub ject to the approval of a govern ment commission. It will work out this way because the law has actually legalized the right of the producers to agree on the prices they will charge by virtue of the fact that those prices are based on the production costs in regional areas. It is provided in the law that the United States shall be divided into 23 regions or sections. The United States coal commission is empow ered to prescribe the prices, both minimum and maximum, to which coal from each of these areas or re gions may be sold. In that man ner, the law guarantees that the soft coal producers shall gain an accept able rate on their investments. Since labor costs enter directly into pro duction costs—indeed, they consti tute a major factor—it becomes plain that whatever wages labor de mands and obtains influences the level of the production costs and the result is a change in the selling price to the consuming public. Thus, when John L. Lewis, presi dent of the United Mine Workers of America and head of the C. I. O., determines that the mine workers are not being paid sufficiently high wages, he demands an increase from the mine owners. The mine owners or producers, now that the Guffey-Vinson monopoly law has passed, simply submit the new costs to the coal commission and it has no alternative but to approve an in crease in the selling price. In conse quence, therefore, every bucketful of coal going into your stove and every shovelful that goes into the furnace of a home or the fire box of a factory carries an additional tax that has been legalized by law. So, we see the bulk of the coal in dustry pass from the field of free competition into the form of a mo nopoly under government control. If that can be described otherwise than as fascism, I am ignorant of what constitutes fascism. There remains the question whether the law promoted by Senator Guffey of Question Pennsylvania and Validity Repre sentative Vinson of Ken tucky is constitutional. It will be remembered that the Supreme court once threw out the original Guffey-Vinson law. It threw out that law because it held that the original legislation attempted to fix hours and wages for workers and that, in accordance with the unani mous decision of the court when it invalidated the NRA, was an illegal act by congress. The labor pro visions alone were discussed in the litigation at that time. But in the current Guffey-Vinson law, those ob jectionable factors have been omit ted. There is no way to discover whether the Supreme court will find the monopolistic practice authorized in the current legislation to be im proper except the hunch that such a declaration of policy by the con gress is not in conflict with the con stitution directly. 1 Some members of the congress opposed the Guffey-Vinson bill be cause they believed it to be uncon stitutional. There were so few of those, however, that the house of representatives debated the bill only a day and a half and the sen ate debated it only a few hours. Some sections of the soft coal in dustry objected to the bill but they , , j were quickly re- P ached signed to the in- by Lewie tangible fact that it would become a law because of the power that John L. Lewis wielded over congressional leadership. The chief reason for the division of sentiment among the coal producers was that there is a wide range of costs among the pro ducers. There are many mines which have low production costs and consequently they are able, or were able under open competition, to sell their multifarious operations last at lower prices than many of their year, treated more than 4000 acres competitors. There is another sec for plant disease and rid the state tion of the mining industry where of 4714 pests. production costs are high and in EUGENE, Ore.—Ralph S. Schomp consequence that section of the in dustry was barely able to scrape has announced his resignation as out a living return. Under the new director of educational activities at law, the high cost mines will be the University of Oregon, a post he assured of a reasonable return and has held since organization of the that means that the low cost mines department last year. will gain exorbitant profit. PORTLAND, Ore.—Approximately On the face of things, it would 2,526 Oregon wage earners or their seem that the low cost mines would estates are expeced to file claims be all for this law because of the during 1937 for lump-sum or death heavy returns they can make. Such, benefits with the Bureau of Federal however, is not the case. Thus mine Old-Age Benefits, James E. Peebles, owners pretty generally, would pre Portland Field Representative, has fer taking their chances in open announced. competition because they can make CLARK FORK, Ida.—A library, a larger profit through a heavy vol ume of sales at lower prices than sponsored by the WPA and NYA will under the new scheme whereby the be opened here soon. Mrs. Bessie high cost mines are bound to get L. Teague will be senior librarian, a share of the business. and Miss Mary Louise Clifford will Proponents of the law contend that be junior assistant. Coeur d’Alene there is an obligation to the owners has donated 150 books, and 200 will of the high cost mine or to the be received from a traveling library. workers they employ. But what, I SANDPOINT, Ida.—W. H. Heath, ask, is the user of coal going to do about it? What has he to say and engineer and supervisor of the city dock WPA project, said today that how can he say it? Again, sponsors of the legislation despite handicaps at the start they The explain that interests of the con were making fine progress. suming public are to be protected project calls for a combined dirt fill through the office of a consumers’ and piling structure dock 1390 feet council. That is, there is a govern In length at a total cost of $26,000. ment official who is supposed to look OROFINO, Ida.—The first lease after and protect your rights and mine against excessive prices. It for sheep grazing of the Clearwater may work out satisfactorily. I be Protective association area on Can lieve, however, that the odds are yon creek was signed last week by heavy against any of us receiving J. H. Dobbins of Enterprise, Ore. The association Is anticipating ap any benefits in this direction. proximately 50,000 head of sheep * * « A few days after President Roose this year. Several contracts await velt signed the Guffey-Vinson law, signatures. _ Attorney General SOUTH BEND, Wash.—Distribu htrike Cummings came tion of 360 pheasant eggs was be at Trusts forth with a letter ing made today by County Agent T. urging congress to R. Cole to 11 boys In two 4-H clubs revise and tighten the anti-trust law. at Mill Creek and South Bend. The He said that monopoly was grow eggs will be hatched and reared to ing in the United States and that ten weeks age and then turned over small businesses were being driven to the state game department for to the wall by the inroads of great liberation In Pacific county. masses of capital. KENNEWICK, Wash.—Most of There is evidence that capital is massing. We need not look any fur the land in the Kennewick highlands ther for proof of this than the Guf under the Kennewick Irrigation com fey-Vinson law itself which permits pany’s canal has been sold within capital to work together—the only the last two years, with the major hindrance being that which is sub ity of buyers immigrants from the The tendency is jected somewhat to the influence of drouth areas. organized labor under the Guffey- toward diversified farming on larger Vinson law. The result is exactly acreage, replacing the small-tract the same whether the massing of farm. capital takes place under private MONTESANO, Wash.—Examiners arrangement or under government supervision such as is legalized in will begin a tour of Grays Harbor county schools next week to conduct the Guffey-Vinson law. standardized tests In the first, sec This situation impresses me as ond, third and eighth grades, it is being a bit incongruous. It seems announced by Mrs. Adele Allen Oli to be a circumstance where the ver, county superintendent. Eighth administration is trying to run in two directions atroné and the same grade tests will be the basis for pro time. It is further exaggerated by motion to high school, replacing the the fact that the President lately old-time state eighth grade exam has spoken with emphasis about the inations. rapid increase in retail prices. Yet, DAVENPORT, Wash. — Gordon besides raising wages for labor, the Bonser recently had a narrow escape only tangible result that I can see from death when a “tree climber” under the Guffey-Vinson law is high woodsaw he was using on a tree er prices for all of us to pay. flew back, ripping his back badly. ' Surely, monopoly has a tendency | The youth walked half a mile along always to increase prices. It has ' after the accident before finding a been the chief subject of harrangue car to bring him to Davenport for against monopoly and the Attorney | medical treatment by Dr. J. H. Poyn General adverted to this fact in his ter. The wound required 28 stitch recent appeal for legislation to pre-1 es to close, but was not deep. vent monopoly. But why is it bad I for monopoly, privately arranged, to | NEWBERG, Ore.—A wedding ring force higher prices and good for j lost nearly 21 years has been re- monopoly, legalized by congress, urned to its owner because W. E. to force higher prices? Mulkey chose the right place to dig some fishworms. In 1916 Mrs. O. President Roosevelt has sent word J. McCoy, lost her wedding ring around through all government de- while working In her garden. A , partments to the few days ago Mulkey, a brother No Stock effect that no gov- of Mrs. Elnora Sickafoose, who Gambling ernment worker now owns the property, found may engage in the ring while digging bait In stock market speculation. He has the back-yard. The name of the told the civil service commission owner was engraved on the Inside that "among the matters to be con and the ring was promptly returned sidered” when passing upon an em to Mrs. McCoy, who Is still a resi ployee’s qualifications for retention or advancement, the commission dent of this city. may consider whether that em FUR BEARERS DECREASE ployee has engaged in speculation OLYMPIA, Wash.—Washington’s in securities or commodities. At first blush, this did seem to wild game and predatory animals are be a sound order. I have heard Increasing and Its fur-bearing ani much discussion of the matter, how mals growing fewer in number, a ever, that gives rise to other comparison of the 1935 and 1936 thoughts about it. I think there can game census reports of the U. S. be nothing more reprehensible than forest service reveals. With the ex for a public official or employee to ception of elk and black bear, all use the confidential information game animals showed Increases dur which he obtains officially as the ing 1936. basis for stock speculation. On the "Nose counting" showed an esti other hand, is it not questionable mated 8230 porcupine compared to whether a government should try 7700 in 1935. In the fur-bearing to tell any of its employees that class only skunks and racoons In they cannot invest their surplus creased. earnings in securities as a means of increasing their income? The FUTURE FARMERS ELECT President said that "bona fide in CORVALLIS, Ore.—James McAl vestments” are all right but the question for which I have not been later of Enterprise was elected presi able to find an answer is "how can dent of the Oregon Future Farmers it be determined whether the pur of America at the business session chase of a few shares of stock is of the annual convention here last speculation or bona fide invest week. Other officers elected were Robert ment?” That brings up of necessity the Lundy, Myrtle Point, vice-president; difficulties of enforcement. It also Howard Conner, Henlry, secretary; brings to the forefront a real dan Phil Heinoman, Amity, treasurer, ger. That danger is not as remote and Jack Koch, Salem, reporter. as It seems. I refer to the use of Instructors named to the executive power in the hands of the Chief Ex committee were Alfred Loy, Enter ecutive to take away individual lib prise; Ralph Morgan, Salem, and W. erty of action. S. Carpenter, Grants Pasa. • Western Newspaper Union. GEORGE VI AND ELIZABETH CROWNED Five Million Voices Cry, "God Save the King!” as Guns Boom Glad Tidings From Historic Tower of London. London, England.—“God save the King!” As the great guns of the Tow er of London boomed forth the news that the Archbishop of Canterbury had placed the weighty Crown of St. Edward, the Crown of England, upon the head of George VI, the cry came forth in a mighty swell from five million throats as from the throat of one man. This was the climax of the great est show on earth, a show for which E generous share of the throng which lined the six and one-half miles of the processional route had waited without moving from their places through the dampness of a London spring night and, indeed, through part of the preceding day. Those of the King's subjects who had not been able to afford $2 to $250 for a seat that would assure them a glimpse of their new mon arch on his proudest day began marking off space along the curb on the afternoon of May 11. Smart alecks who thought they could put off their vigil until sunrise of Cor onation Day were doomed to stretch their necks an inch or two in twelve hours of straining to see over sev eral rows of earlier arrivals. “A Quiet Empire.” It was a heavy day of work at the end of many back-breaking weeks of preparation for the 9,000 gentlemen and ladies of the peer age whose rank and purse entitled them to sit for an entire day in 10 to 25 pounds of clothing per capita, on a hard seat 19 inches wide with out ever moving. But it was a mag nificent show. "The Lord give you fruitful lands and healthful seasons,” said the archbishop in the benediction which followed the crowning of the King, “victorious fleets and armies, and a quiet Empire. . . ” No one in Britain could deny that in a time of world-wide unrest, a time of urgent necessity for im perial strength and unity, the politi cal expediency of "a quiet Em pire” prompted the government to make of this the most splendid cor onation in all history. The gov ernment expense in the crowning of George VI has been estimated to be double that in the coronation of his father 26 years ago; its backing of the dazzling pageantry required expenditures of $2,620,000 of pub lic funds, not counting an estimat ed $500,000 spent by the royal house hold in entertaining royal and for eign guests. In the vast coronation pageant the government hoped to lend new emphasis to that sentiment which is the real bond holding the empire together, and which is symbolized by the crown and the man who wears it. There is still an under current of dissatisfaction over the abdication of Edward VIII. The new King and Queen must be popular ized to the fullest possible extent. The coronation was an opportunity to accomplish this, and the govern ment could afford to let none of it slip past. The show and the crowd lived up go all advance billing. It was es timated that there were 300,000 vis itors who had to cross the ocean. All London’s 12,000 hotel rooms were sold out. Souvenir manufac turers and vendors did the expected land office business. The drink bill for toasting the new King was guessed at $10,000,000 Queen Goes First. Pomp and regal solemnity were byword of the day from the time the King and Queen boarded the coronation coach at Buckingham Palace in mid-morning. Eight mag nificent cream-colored horses drew the ancient four-ton vehicle down the streets it has traversed since 1761, when it was built for Queen Anne. In its heavily ornate gold and jewels it carried the spectators back through the pages of history to those days before the American colonies had revolted and prevented the British Empire from including the lion’s share of North America. The ancient coach, a tradition at coronations, bore the royal couple down the mall to the Abbey, where the Queen’s procession left the King to enter first, so that she could stand and wait for him by the chairs of state, or recognition chairs, in front of the royal box where the other members of the royal family were seated. Peers and peeresses were in their places before the central figures of the coronation drama arrived. And before them the real martyrs had assumed their positions. These were the eight newspaper photographers the government had permitted to be present. Abhoring the thought of flash bulbs marring the solemnity of such an occasion, but still anxious that pictures be taken, officials hit upon a solution. They provided camou flaged quarters for camera men in false pillars and other positions which blended into the background of the Abbey. Narrow slits in the walls of these refuges enabled the cameras to peer out at the spectacle. But the poor "photogs!” They had to be "set up” before anyone en tered the Abbey and maintain their — — wiy * n King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, officially crowned in one of history’s most spectacular and colorful coronations. cramped positions for eight or nine hours. They were not permitted to withdraw until everyone else had left. A general color scheme of blue and gold with rich, soft velvet hang ings made a brilliant background for the cast and for the spectators in their gorgeous uniforms and gowns. Peeresses wore robes of crimson velvet, trimmed in ermine, unless they happened to be of royal blood, in which event they were re quired to don the purple velvet of royalty. The court gowns worn un derneath were of white, cream, sil ver or gold. Fashion experts es timated that the most economical of them cost at least $1,200. Uni forms of the men started at about $600 and went up from there. History’s Greatest Gem Display This did not, of course, include the jewelry or the coronets. The cheapest coronet could hardly have been purchased for less than $100. The total of all the rings, bracelets, necklaces, etc., worn by the 9,000 present must have run into the mil lions, and was probably the most costly and magnificent display of £ ... The Crown of St. Edward, or Crown of England, made for Charles II in 1662 and worn, because of its excessive weight, for but a fleeting moment by George VI during the coronation ceremony. gems ever worn in one place at one time in the world’s history. Rank of the members of the no bility was indicated by the amount of ermine on the robes of the wom en and the length of their trains. A duchess was marked by four rows of ermine on her robe, and a train two yards long. A marchioness was permitted three and one-half rows of ermine and a one-and-three- fourths-yard train; a countess half a row less of ermine, half a yard less train; rank was further graded down at half a row and half a yard per classification. The head of the procession, which had included a great list of digni taries, the King's representatives and royal persons with their fam ilies from all over the world had been waiting at the west door of the Abbey, and as the royal coach approached, filed in to await their monarch. Following them came the chaplains, deans and officers of Westminster, then the archbishops with the Queen consort and the ladies and gentlemen of the court. Enter the King. Noblemen close behind bore the staff and the sceptre, with the cross and the golden spurs, and the three swords which signify mercy, tem poral justice and spiritual justice. These were the trappings of St. Ed ward, with which English kings are invested. Then came more dignitaries, and the King’s sceptre with the dove symbolic of mercy and equity; the King’s gold and diamond orb, sur mounted by the Christian cross ; the crown of St. Edward, the patent and the chalice and the Bible. Then entered George VI in the crimson robes of state, to join his Queen, and march through the choir and up the stairs to the theatre. Passing the thrones, they then kneeled at the faldstools before the recognition chairs to offer prayers. Next they proceeded about the Ab bey to all four sides before the view of the assemblage. The King went to his chair and once more faced each side of the Abbey as the Archbishop, in loud tones, an nounced him. After the regalia had been brought and placed by the dean of Westminster upon the altar, the Archbishop asked the King, accord ing to ritual, "Sire, is your Majesty willing to take the oath?” and the King answered, “I am willing.” He gave his oath to govern the peoples of the British Isles and the Empire according to their laws and cus toms; to maintain the profession of the Gospel and the Church of Eng land. After he had kissed the Bible and signed the oath, the King re peated and subscribed to the dec laration required by parliament and, with the assemblage, prepared for the communion service. Following this lengthy service, the King, having first removed thé cap and robes of state, ascended to the throne of St. Edward, the an cient chair which contains beneath its seat the historic Stone of Scone upon which the kings of Scotland sat as they were crowned a thousand years ago. After a silken pall had been put over the King, the Arch bishop anointed him upon the hands, breast and face with the holy oil, and he was ready to be pre sented with the spurs and the sword. King Receives His Crown. These given, George VI removed the pall and was clothed for the first time in the royal robe of purple. The orb and cross were brought from the altar by the Dean of West minster and placed in the King’s hands by the Archbishop. He was next invested with the ring and the sceptres. Then as the King bowed his head the Dean of Westminster brought the Crown of St. Edward, and the Archbishop, receiving it from him, held it but momentarily upon the head of the King (its weight is t er- rifle). This was the signal for the trump ets and the guns in the Tower of London, for the peers and peeresses to cry “God save the King!" and for the millions who, along the pro cessional line outside, had been waiting for that moment, to toss their hats in the air and cry like- wise, "God save the King!” The peers were now allowed to put on their coronets. There followed more religious ceremonies of great length and sol emnity, and then the coronation of the Queen, following which the peer esses cried, “God save the Queen!” and donned their coronets. Still more long hours of cere mony. Then, in the early evening the King's coach at last passed once more down the processional route, and the millions who had waited all day for the sight went home happy.
