News Behind
The News
By Paul Malloo '
Paul M&Uon
Washington, Nov. 6 Clever
est feature of Mr. Roosevelt'
fourth term campaign was the
extent to
m which it kept
the public
mind in the
past and away
from the pres
ent and future.
Mr. Hannegan
largely suc
ceeded in run
ning the presi
dent against
Hoover, Cool
idge and Hard
ing rather
than against Dewey. The debate
was centered, from the Demo
cratic standpoint, upon the iso
lationism of characters and situ
ations long dead, to the exclu
sion of the isolationism of the
present (refusal of Russia to go
Into the open air conference at
Chicago.)
Why, they even managed to
push the argument back into
the tariff. A great newspaper,
the New York Times, actually
made it a leading point of its an
nouncement for Roosevelt, on
the notion that the Republicans
were historically the high tariff
party. Shades of Smoot and
Fordney-McCumber were raised
like threatening witches. The
Dewey side in a high school de
bate in Pennsylvania had to call
-Republican headquarters and
ask what-in-the-world was the
Republican answer on the tariff
proposition. Headquarters did
not seem to know a . particularly
good answer.
Most people had not even
heard of it for 15 years or more
and the two platforms were
equally vague. Yet a great news
paper and an inestimable num
ber of people decided their vote
to some extent on this matter
which properly belonged among
the antiques alongside the ques
tion of how nasty the late Sena
tor Lodge was about a wholly
different league of nations prob
lem 25 years ago.
rTHB flimsy obsolescent rub-
blsh used in this campaign
may not be swept up on Wed
nesday, but just allowed to lay
where it fell, while the winner
turns his attention to current
events. The current truth on the
tariff is that it is the least Im
portant of all prevailing in
fluences upon foreign trade. It
wlil continue to be increasingly
inconsequential for many years
because it must.
When this war is over, the
most Important phase of the
matter will be that few nations
will have much money with
which to purchase our goods.
Furthermore, all the allied
world will be in inextricable
debt to us and cannot pay 'us.
The 'Roosevelt administration
has started to meet this problem
In a typical way.
Despite the fact that the debts
are already too high for re
payment, they propose to issue
more debt to foreign buyers.
" through continuing lend-lease.
and furthermore by increasing
the capital of the export-Import
bank from $500,000,000 to $5,
000,000,000 (congress is holding
this proposal up now.)
In short, this government
plans largely to take money
from the public treasury to pay
for foreign purchases of goods
from us, covering this transac
tion with the thin pretense of
lending what it knows cannot
be repaid.
There is one way nations
could repay us. There is a
sound way of promoting a last
ing foreign trade. This govern
ment will have to get around
to it one of these days either
when its treasury runs dry or
when it decides to stop playing
bankruptcy politics and faces
the modern facts of internation
al life non-politically.
.
THE situation calls for a man
aged trader trade by spe
cific negotiation, barter goods
for goods as well as goods for
gold, because that is the only
way most foreign nations can
trade with us. Does this mean
free trade? Of course not. Free
trade is Just as obsolete as tar
iffs. Conditions make it so.
This country does not want
cheap electrical bulbs made by
Japanese slave labor coming in
here. Before the war both
Japan and Germany were un
derselling American production
in our own market on a wide
scale of goods. .(Incidentally, the
A. F. of L. took the leadership
in the fights for all the high
Republican' tariffs. Abo Ameri
can agriculture does not want
competitive food products com
ing in here.)
This is one matter in which
centralized government con
trols are not only warranted
but necessary, without interfer
ing with individual freedom, be
cause foreign trade is just as
much a national matter as na
tional defense. It does not re
quire regimentation, but man
agement. More bad debts, more
spending, more giving-away or
more or less tariffs will not
solve the foreign trade problem
(our exporters to the contrary.
notwithstanding.) But a speci
fically managed program, in
which deals are made through
the government on a business
basis, might do the job.
It could take payment In the
noncompetitive raw materials
we need from foreign nations
while selling the surpluses we
do not need, thereby achieving
a balanced constantly expand
ing trade, which would be lim
ited only by our own ingenuity.
months ago when he came to thel
U. S. He wanted to know what
was the matter with the people
of Texas. He Isn't allowed in the
restaurants. He isn't allowed to
go out with "white" girls and
the boys of the town refuse to
speak to him. His brothers want
to know what they are fighting
this war for. He has three of
them overseas with the U. S.
army not to mention 1? cousins!
Well, what are they fighting
for? What can you or I say to
them? And what about the thou
sands of Negroes, Japanese and
Jewish people who are being dis
criminated against? Shall we tell
them they aren't fighting for
their own freedom just for the
freedom of us "Christian
whites?" Or perhaps It would be
better for us to DO something
to stop this discrimination if
we want to stop it.
Of course, probably most of
the people of the Rogue river
valley who wft read this will
say "well, that may be true of
the south and other, parts of the
U. S., but it certainly Isn't true
In OUR valley." Like hell It
isn't! In one year's time I have
seen anti-Semetism right here in
Medford grow from next to
nothing to alarming proportions.
And the proposals for liquidat
ing the citizens of Japanese an
cestry recently put forward by
the grange masters of the Pa
cific northwest might well have
come directly from Hitler him
self! We here in the peaceful
Rogue river valley face the prob
lem the same as all other sec
tions of the U. S. and we had
better do something now.
1 1 propose that a council on
inter-racial problems be organ
ized at once.
F. Cyril Sander.
Rt. 1, Box SOS, Medford.
Nov. 4.
Tucker Endorsed
To the editor: In publishing
the list of Republican candidates
In yesterday's Mali Tribune for
tomorrow's election the name of
William P. Tucker, candidate
for justice of the peace, Medford
district, was inadvertently omit
ted by the county Republican
committee. This statement is
made to assure the voters that
Mr. Tucker has the whole heart
ed endorsement of the Jackson
County Republican committee.
Ralph E. Koozer,
County Chairman.
Only 362 antelope were taken
in the 1943 season as compared
to 405 in 1942.
Severe Drought
Hits Australia
Sydney, Nov. 8 OJ.O The
Daily Mirror reported today that
great parts of eastern and south
ern Australia were being para
lyzed by what was rapidly, be
coming the worst and most
tragic drought of the century.
The newspaper, under a ban
ner "Famine Threatens Austra
lia," said that even widespread
rains would not bring relief to
New South Wales.
The Mirror said Australia's
RUTHt FRUR
1 drona in well IMM-1
tru at mint own usi
eoia-eloc.ea noaei
mnA Iron will .UftDl
tuirfar. uaunon: vni
only he oirAciea. ui
HI
Monday. Nov. 8, 1944
MEDFORD MAIL TWBUWB ITVB
wheat crop would be about one
third of normal this year and
fodder crops only about one
eighth of normal.
Three of Napoleon Bona
parte's brothers were kings.
Norway became Independent
from Sweden in 1906.
The Tamborlta la the national
dance of the Republic of Pan-
Be sure Iff
PURI CAN I SUGAR
Insist en
IN IIMNIU.PACXID CONTAIN.!
GH
sugar
A
SUUCAM
Communications
How About Race Prejudice
Here?
To the Editor: I have just
crossed the continent for the
sixth time in the last year and
a half and each time I have been
confused by the increasing evi
dence that while we are winning
the war abroad, we are very rap
idly losing it here at home! I am
speaking of the Increasing ac
ceptance, by masses of people, of
Hitler's idea of racial superior
ity. "
We are supposed to be fight
ing this war to rid the world of
not just Hitler, but of his ideas
as well.
I could recount hundreds of
examples of the worst sort of
racial discrimination I have wit
nessed in the past year, but my
latest will suffice here.
A few days ago I stopped at a
USO in Texas where I met Rob
ert Dominguez, a good-looking
15-year-old Mexican lad. He had
lived in Mexico City where he
was brought up with a "white"
girl of his own age until six
r. - SfT'X '
r f
For United Stales Senator
3UY CORDON
Vote 16X
For Your Own Interest
and for the
Best Interest of Oregon
General Election, Nov. 7, 1944
Keep Senator Cordon on the Job
Prl Adv. Cordon for Senator Committee
M.r.h.U Cern." Ex? Sec. Imperial Hotel. Portland
cgamanseal Lai&i? IBJunsnimess
IREGEr TTW EEAT BEUIPS
THE TIOTSEfJi BILL
The MEASURE THAT WOULD IMPOSE A 3 GROSS
TRANSACTION TAX ON ALL SALES AND WAGES
This Joint Statement
of the OREGON
STATE FEDERATION
OF LABOR and
the PORTLAND
CHAMBER of
COMMERCE . :
By the Chamber-Federation- Recognizing the
grave threat to the welfare of industrial workers
and business enterprise that is contained in the
proposed gross income tax constitutional
amendment .(Little Townsend Plan), organiza
tions representative of management and labor appeal to citi
zens who are members of their respective groups to study this
measure and cast their votes for the preservation of Oregon's
economic integrity. It is the firm belief of our organizations
that adoption of this measure would bring economic ruin to
the state.
. This proposed amendment, frozen into the constitution,
would levy Upon every dollar received by an individual, firm
or corporation, without the slightest regard for what portion
of income might be net earnings or profits. The individual
or the business firm would be compelled to pay the tax 12
times a year on all moneys received, even in a transaction
that represented a loss. Income would again be taxed when
spent, and in many cases would take a multiple tax for all
the preceding transactions through which an article or com
modity had passed.
. Applying the tax to every transaction taking place with- '
in the state would mean that an Oregon-made article would
take the tax several times between and including the sale of
the natural product and the final sale to the consumer. The '
consumer would be required to pay all the accumulated
taxes in the purchase price. The price of the product at re
tail would necessarily be so high that Oregon industry could ,
not survive, for the Oregon-made product could not compete
in price with a similar product made in another state, either '
for sale in Oregon or elsewhere.
The result would be that Oregon farm products, In their
natural state or after being processed, must take a high price
or the Oregon farmer must dispose of his product at a loss.
The wage-earner, in addition to bearing a wage reduc
tion through the payment of a tax on every dollar received,
would find that the product he produced could not be mar
keted because its price would be advanced to absorb the
multiplied taxes. The ultimate result would be that his job
would disappear.
The merchant, or other business concern, engaged in dis
tribution would be forced to discriminate against Oregon
products. Moreover, the inevitable reduction of the income
of the farmer and the wage-earner would drive the distribu
tive enterprise out of business because of the certain reduc
tion in business volume.
An understanding of this measure, we are sure, will re- '
suit in its rejection. Therefore, we urge that our respective
groups inform themselves, and exercise their rights of citizen
ship to protect the Welfare of the state.
BEFORE YOU
VOTE!
How much will the tax ralsa?
Based upon Oregon's itlattd
gross transactions of $5,G33,
000,000 a 3 tax would rata a
minimum of over $I68,GS3,GC0.
This is over three times the total
taxes of $54,516,000 collected b
Oregon from ALL sources for Hta
fiscal year 1 94243. v
Does the proposed Act eliminate .
any taxes?
No. ALL existing taxes cexHxss
In effect.
OREGON'S FUTURE and YOUR
FUTURE ARE AT STAKE
Don't Fail To
TOTE
w mm
Against the
"Little Townsend" Bill
TUESDAY, NOV. 7th
PAID ADV. CITIZENS' COMMITTEI OF JACKSON COUNTY B. I. HARDER, CHAIRMAN
71
T