Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, S. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1937 * ★ * * * IN REVIEW by fijUva/uL UJ. Pi Western Newspaper Union. Chief Justice Hughes Chie. Justice Hughes Opposes Court Plan C HIEF JUSTICE CHARLES E. HUGHES created something of a sensation by sending to the senate judiciary committee a letter declar ing that an increase in the number of Su preme court jus tices, as proposed by President Roose velt, “would not pro mote the efficiency of the court.” He added: “It is believed that it would impair that efficiency so long as the court acts as a unit. “There would be more judges to hear, more judges to confer, more judges to discuss, more judges to be con vinced and to decide. The present number of justices is thought to be large enough so far as the prompt, adequate and efficient conduct of the work of the court is concerned.” Mr. Hughes said his letter was approved by Justices Van Devanter and Brandeis. He made it clear that he was commenting on an in crease from the standpoint of ef ficiency and “apart from any ques tion of policy,” which he said, “I do not discuss.” Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana, Democrat, was the first opposition witness called before the committee, and he set forth his views forcibly and at length. Be fore entering the committee room he said he believed the adminis tration would eventually accept a compromise plan. He advocates a constitutional amendment, permit ting congress, by two-thirds ma jority, to override Supreme court in validation of acts of congress, pro vided a national election had in tervened between invalidation and overriding. “The administration will compro mise, don’t worry,” Wheeler said. “They can’t get more than thirty- five senate voces for the President’s , plan. Public opinion, which swerved toward them for a while, is now swinging heavily against them.” “Edward S. Corwin, professor of constitutional law at Princeton, was heard by the senate committee in support of the President’s bill and he got along very nicely until Sen ator Burke, leader of the opposition, called his attention to a speech the professor made a year ago and a book he wrote 25 years ago, in both of which he expressed views quite different from those he seemingly now holds. Then Senator Tom Con- nally took a hand in the questioning: “Now you say the court is biased. You want to add six new justices who will be biased in the other di rection, don’t you?” Professor Corwin evaded a direct answer for some time, but Senator Conn ally demanded to know whether he did not support the President’s plan for this purpose. “Well, that is one of the reasons,” the witness said. The American Federation of La bor, like its opponent, the C. I. O., has favored the President’s court plan, though rather mildly, but President William Green, when he appeared before the senate commit tee, was even les*s emphatic in his approval of it. He denied that the court as now constituted “has as sumed dictatorial power or that its members have not the mental ca pacity or the necessary learning.” Governor Mnrphy Detroit Is Threatened With General Strike D ECAUSE the Detroit police, di- rected by Mayor Frank Couzens and Police Commissioner Pickert put an end to a number of the smaller s i t d o w n strikes in that city by raiding and ar resting the strikers, Homer Martin, president of the United Automobile Workers, threatened to call a general strike in all the auto plants there except those of General Motors. “I don’t believe Mr. Martin would be so unwise as to call out on gen eral strike men who have just been through six years of suffering due to depression and loss of work,” Mayor Couzens said. 1 “It would be unfortunate for him to do so.” The mayor added that the police would continue to evict strikers from plants and stores held by oth ers than employees at the places. The eight Chrysler plants were still held by the sitdowners, and everyone was waiting anxiously for Gov. Frank Murphy to determine what action the state government would take to enforce the law. Evic tion and arrest of the strikers had been ordered by Circuit Judge Campbell, whose order to get out was defied by the workers, but the sheriff said he couldn’t act further until he was given a sufficient force of deputies. Governor Murphy had declared that constituted authority must be obeyed, but he explained his failure to act promptly by saying that “blind adherence to a legalistic phil osophy will surely lead to eventual frustration of the democratic ideal of true freedom.” The committee named by the gov ernor to devise ways of disposing of future labor disputes was busy formulating legislation; and Mr. Murphy held frequent consultations with James F. Dewey, federal con ciliator. Also he was in communi* cation with Washington. mzMm Sen.Robinson Sitdown Strikes Debated by the Senate CENATORS indulged in an indig- ^ nant debate concerning the sit- down strike and there were de mands for a congressional investi- gation of this new weapon of labor. Majority Leader Joe Robinson said: “Manifestly the sit- down strike is un lawful. It is not within the rights of any individual or group of individuals to seize or retain possession of prop erty to the exclusion of the employer for the purpose of enforcing demands against the employer.” However, he added, it was diffi cult for the federal government to do anything in the matter until the Supreme court has passed on the validity of the Wagner-Connery labor relations act. Senator Van Nuys of Indiana, Democrat, and others protested against this seeming effort to place on the Supreme court the blame for the epidemic of sitdown strikes. Senator Johnson of California gave a “general warning” that the | sit-down strike is the most ominous thing in our national life today, bad for the government and in the long run worse for labor. The Democratic senate whip, Sen ator James Hamilton Lewis of Illi- | nois, vehemently criticized sit-down tactics of labor and demanded in vestigation by congress. “Is the United States a government?” Lew is asked. “Every form of com merce is being tom apart under the name of controversy between employer and employee, leading to the danger of national riots.” Irvin S. Cobb Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart’s Flight Stopped by Crack-Up A MELIA EARHART’S globe-en- circling flight ended, for the present, at Honolulu when she cracked up her $80,000 “laboratory plane” at the take off for Howland is land. By quick thinking and action she saved her life and those of Capt. Harry Manning and Fred J. Noonan, her navigators, but the plane was so badly damaged that it had to be shipped back to the Los Angeles factory for repairs. The daring aviatrix sailed immediately for San Francis co, asserting that she would resume the flight as soon as possible. As the big plane rushed down the runway for the take-off it swayed badly, the right tire burst and the ship went out of control. The left undercarriage buckled and the left wing slashed into the ground. The ship then spun to the right, crashed • down on its right wing, and the right motor snapped off the right wheel. Miss Earhart quickly cut the igni tion switches, so there was no fire, and no one was injured. The first leg of the flight, from Oakland to Honolulu, had been made successfully and in record time, but an inspection revealed that the propeller bearings of the plane were almost dry when she landed. A motor expert there said Miss Earhart might have been forced down between Honolulu and Howland island had this not been discovered. Treasury Objects to the Railway Pension Plan '‘T'HE new railway pension plan A agreed upon by railroad man agement and labor doesn’t meet with the approval of the Treasury department, which says its taxes on employers and employees are too low to meet pension outlays. If the income fails to level up with outgo, say treasury officials, the differ ence would come out of general gov ernment funds. It was predicted in Washington that President Roose velt might intervene to settle the dispute. Under the voluntary plan, taxes starting at 2:5 per cent on both employers’ payrolls and employees' wages would increase gradually tc- 3.5 per cent on each in 1949. The management-labor understanding provides that both would back the plan in congress. It would supersede the 1935 retirement legislation row under court attack by the roads. in M 3hjmJzd about “Benefit” Promises. S ANTA MONICA, CALIF.— Maybe “benefits’* are being overdone—indeed, some are rackets wearing the mask of charity—but even so, if a good trouper has promised to show up, you’d think he would prove he’s a good trouper by showing up. There have been cases out here when there were listed enough notables to make a whole constellation of stars, but what resulted was a milky way of amateurs and unknowns. Those last-minute alibis for non- appearance are not always true ones. The real facts may be: A night club cutup has been unexpect edly taken sober and so isn’t funny. A darling of the screen thinks he did enough when he al lowed the use of his name, so he spends the evening congen ially posing for pro file photographs. An actor is busy trying to decide whether he’ll sell his yacht and buy a racing stable or sell his racing stable and buy a yacht. An actress suddenly remembers she has an engagement over the Arizona line to be married some more. Staying at home to post up the diary used to be an excuse, but dairy-keeping is now out—oh, abso lutely! • • • Talking Fish. DROP. ISAAC GINSBURG of the * United States bureau of fisheries solemnly vows he has heard those tiny aquatic creatures known as sea horses communicating with one another by speech and he suspects other species do the same thing. Undoubtedly so. I can confirm this discovery by a story Drury Underwood used to repeat. Drury said a gentleman ordered whitefish in a Chicago restaurant. When the portion arrived the patron sniffed at it and then, in a confidential un dertone, began talking, seemingly to himself. The waiter ranged up. “Anything wrong, sir?” he in quired. “Oh, no,” said the patron, “I was just talking to the fish.” “Talking?” “Certainly. I said to him: ‘Well, how’re tricks out in Lake Michi gan?” And he said: T wouldn’t know. It’s been so long since I left there I can’t remember anything about it.’ ” • • • The Race to Arms. ITALY sees Britain’s bet of $7,500,- 000,000 to be spent on war de fense during the next five years, and raises it by decreeing militariza tion of all classes between the ages of eighteen and fifty-five, which means a trained fighting force of 8,000,000 ready for immediate mobi lization, adding as a side wager the promise of “total sacrifice, if required, of civil necessities. . . for attainment of maximum. . . mili tary needs.” This means, of course, that France and Germany and Russia must chip in with taller stacks than before, and thus the merry game goes on until some nation, in des peration, calls some other nation’s bluff and all go down together in a welter of blood and bankruptcy and stark brutality. The world has been 5,000 years patching together the covering called civilization, but experience shows that this sorry garment may be rent to tatters in an hour. • • • Maniacs and Motors. r\ ISPATCHES tell of a slaying automobile which chased a cit izen clear up on the sidewalk and nailed him. This is a plain breach of the ethics governing our most popular national pastime—that of mowing down the innocent by stander. Among our outstanding motor ma niacs it has already been agreed that once a foot passenger reaches the pavement, he is out of bounds and cannot be put back in play un til somebody shoves him into the roadway again. Otherwise the pe destrian class would speedily be ex terminated, whereas its members are valuable for target practice when an operator is building up to the point where he is qualified to sideswipe a car full of women and children while going seventy miles an hour, or meet a fast train on equal terms at a grade cross ing. By all means let us clarify the rules so that the sport of destroying human life on the highroads shall not suffer through the overzeal of amateur homicides. Remember our proud boast that we lead all the world in traffic horrors. IRVIN S. COBB. ®—WNU Servic«. National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart Nattonaf Press Building: Washington, D. C. Washington.—Immediately after the armistice in 1918, the country was suddenly awakened to the fact that living costs were extraordinari- . ly high. It was a Living condition that Coats struck close home to e v e r y o n e. It was a condition that developed an un usual emotion. There followed, nat urally, a wave that engulfed hun dreds of thousands of people who felt that they were being subjected to high prices that were unjustified. Most people will remember how “H. C. L.” became an expression as common and one that figured in as many puns and jokes and wise cracks as the alphabetical agencies common now to the New Deal. It was a type of propaganda that came along spontaneously because the condition affected so many people. The reason I have recalled that circumstance is because we are again headed straight into another era of “H. C. L.” We have not reached the top of living costs by any means. It takes more than a fortune teller or crystal gazer to predict what is going to happen in the way of increased commodity prices. Suffice it to say, however, that a “vicious cycle” has started whirling and in the midst of the situ ation stands a very confused con sumer, representative of all of the people in the United States. There undoubtedly will be an in crease in the propaganda concern ing living costs again. Indeed, there already is a rather far-flung propa ganda which results from the in creased cost of living but it is di rected rather on a slant and not pointed accurately into the heart of the condition now confronting us. Undoubtedly a great many people have not thought of the frequent and recurring attacks on business and business practices as having any thing to do with the increased liv ing costs. But the truth is that this type of propaganda springs directly from the sporadic cries that are coming from many localities about the higher prices—complaints that the dollar does not go very far in buying food across the grocery counter. * It seems to me that it is time for some calm thinking about this situa tion. It seems to me further that public officials everywhere ought to be honest enough to analyze the situ ation and tell the public what the real causes are. If this is not done, there again will be undoubtedly a perfect deluge of propaganda in pro test against high living costs and the bulk of the people who suffer from these increased costs will not know the reason any more than they un derstood the reasons that brought about a counterpart of the present outlook back in 1918 and 1919. • • * In any examination of an eco nomic condition, one must dig con- • siderably below becking ^e surface to find the Cause the factors that have operated to bring about the results visible to the eye. Such is certainly the case in the present situation. One can not fairly say that the present boom ing prices in food have just hap pened. In truth, things never hap pen; they are brought about. They have been brought about in the pres ent circumstance by factors that date back to 1933 and include nu merous governmental policies that have been initiated since that time. The trained economist will de scribe present conditions as due to inflation—which indeed they are. But inflation is such an all-inclusive term that the real story lies hidden. In an effort to spur and encour age production and aid recovery, President Roosevelt devalued the dollar. He reduced its gold value. During 1933 and 1934 there came numerous pieces of legislation in cluding the NRA and the AAA, each designed to foster increased prices and to build up the level of wages for industrial workers. Subsequently, President Roosevelt sponsored legislation which had as its end and aim federal control of wages for workers. This legislation sought to give the federal govern ment power to force business in terests to recognize labor unions and to accept labor union scales of pay—all to the end that labor should be paid a greater percentage of the returns received by business. • • • There came also legislation de signed to increase the price of sil- _ ver and the United 1 hen Came Stc*es Treasury Strikes was directed by this law to buy millions of ounces of silver and to use that silver in our currency. In the meantime and recurring almost constantly the New Deal adminis tration, from President Roosevelt on down, maintained a barrage of at tacks on business interests seek ing wider employment of labor at increased wages. Coupled with these attacks was violent criticism of banks and bankers. They were charged with being an obstacle to recovery because they were not lending money. It did not matter to the critics that no one wanted to borrow money; the criticisms were continued because loans simply were not being made and no exami nation of the reason why loans were not being made ever was under taken. Next in the chain of events and still continuing came labor troubles. The New Deal avowedly was on the side of labor and against employers. Strikes followed in increasing num bers. The results of this combination of factors and circumstances now are showing. Considered from any angle, one can not fail to see why they constitute a cycle of events that lead to higher prices. When the dollar was cheaper by devaluation, more dollars were re quired to feed a family than had been required before. Workers felt this sting. They demanded moie dollars in pay for their work. Pres sure from the New Deal administra tion together with labor’s use of the strike weapon forced business to pay higher wages. But, business must live. It can not live unless it gets back its costs of production. Agriculture can not subsist unless it receives a reason able price for its production. Nei ther agriculture nor industry will go ahead unless there is a reward in the shape of a profit. Conse quently, neither agriculture nor in dustry is going to absorb these in creased costs alone. The natural and the only way it has to get back those expenditures is by charging higher prices to the buyers of those products. Thus, we have the com plete cycle—and the consumer, as usual, is the goat. The consumer pays and if that consumer be not in a position to enforce a higher return for the services he renders, he is caught between the upper and nether millstones. It appears that the consumer is fast getting himself into the grip of that vise. * • • \ In connection with this increasing price level, and the dangers inher- ent in the general Credit situation, I think Eccles credit ought to be given to President Eccles, of the Federal Reserve board of governors, for the bold statement he made a few days ago. Mr. Eccles warned the country very frankly what the dangers are in a situation where labor continues to clamor for a greater share of the profits of commerce and industry and where labor’s leadership seeks to take advantage of the inability of employers to protect themselves. The Eccles statement took occa sion to link labor’s position with the general money market and the ef fect labor’s position is having on the country as a whole. He re ferred to the demands of some la bor leaders for a working week of 30 hours and while not completely discarding that theory, he gave the very definite impression that shorter hours do not constitute a solution for our present problem. “Increased wages and shorter hours,” said Mr. Eccles, “when they limit or actually reduce production are not at this time in the interest of the public in general or in the real interest of the workers them selves. When wage increases are passed along to the public, and par ticularly when industries take ad vantage of any existing situation to increase prices far beyond in creased labor costs, such action is shortsighted and an indefensible policy from every standpoint. “Wage increases and shorter hours are justified and wholly de sirable when they result from in creasing production per capita and represent a better distribution of the profits of industry. When they retard and restrict production and cause price inflation, they result in throwing the buying power of the various groups in the entire econ omy out of balance, working a par ticular hardship upon agriculture, the unorganized workers, the recipi ents of fixed incomes and all con sumers. “The upward spiral of wages and prices into inflationary price levels can be as disastrous as the down ward spiral of deflation. If such conditions develop, the government should intervene in the public inter est by taking such action as is nec essary to corect the abuses. “The remedy for a price inflation when the country has unused man power, natural resources and capi tal, is through more, not less pro duction, through an orderly, bal anced use of these three funda mental factors and not by creating a needless, artificial shortage of any one of them.” Thus we have brought into bold relief a criticism of the final factor entering into the present increasing price level. I refer to the artificial shortage in food products that re sulted from the ridiculous crop con trol program that was accomplished through AAA. We are now paying the price for the destruction of 6,000,000 little pigs. I said at the beginning of this discussion that a calm examination of the factors involved was neces sary now if it ever were necessary in history. © Western Newspaper Union. A thin syrup of sugar and water flavored with almond essence i* good to sweeten fruit cup. Your doughnuts will have that different flavor if one half stick of bark of cinnamon and four whole cloves are added to the fat used in frying them. * • * When the frying pan has got slightly burnt, drop a raw peeled potato into the pan for a few minutes. Then remove it, and all traces of burning will have dis appeared. • • • Date Kisses — Thirty stoned dates, one cup almonds, white one egg, one cup powdered sugar. Chop dates; blanch almonds and cut into long strips. Beat egg very stiff, add sugar, date* and al monds. Drop in buttered tins with teaspoon and bake in quick oven. • • • Filling for a sponge cake is made by creaming three ounces of fresh butter and six ounces of sifted icing sugar, adding two ounces of chopped pineapple and a little pineapple syrup. • * • If sirup for hotcakes is heated before serving it brings out the flavor of the sirup and does not chill the hotcakes. WNU Service. Keep your body free of accumulat ed waste, take Dr. Pierce’s Pleas ant Pellets. 60 Pellets 30 cents. Adv. Idler a Rogue Rich or poor, powerful or weak, every citizen idle is a rogue.— Rousseau. fbrWateniHEAD For speedy and effective action Dr. Peery’s “Dead Shot” has no equal. One dose only will clean out worms. 60c. All druggists. ^ Dead Shot for WORMS vermirug<? Wrights Pill Co.. 100 Gold Street. N. V. City Knows the Value He who knows most grieves most for wasted time.—Dante. Coleman heating I ron LIGHTS INSTANTLY-N0 WAITING Here’s the iron that will ‘smooth your way on ironing day". It will save your strength ...help you do better ironing easier and quickcor at less cost. A Real Instant Lighting Iron ... no heating with matches... no waiting. The evenly-heated double pointed base irons garments with fewer strokes. Large glass-smooth bate elides easier. Ironingtime is reduced one-third. Heats itself ... use it anywhere. Economical, too... costs only Vif an hour to operate. See your local hardware dealer. FREE Folder — Illustrating and tailing all about this wonderful iron. Send postcard. fBSIfl THE COLEMAN LAMP AND STOVE CO. Dept.WU319.Wichita, Kant.; Chicago, UL; Philadelphia, Pa.; Los Angeles, Calif. A Special Offer of Well Rooted Palmetto Trees 2 Ft. Pslmettocs 3 for $1.CO —Postpaid 3 Ft. Palmettoes SI.M each —3 for S3.C0 4 Ft. Palmettoea SI.50 each—3 for ?3.00 6 Ft. Palmettoea S2.00 each —3 for $5.00 3,4,6 Ft. Pclmettoesablpped cxprcaapald. Special Prices on larger ordora PALMETTO NURSERY P. O. Box 47 - Policy Beach, S. C. The Burden It is easier to dodge responsibil ity than it is to dodge the result. GOOD RELIEF of constipation by a GOOD LAXATIVE Many folks get such refreshing relief by taking Black-Draught for constipation that they prefer it to other laxatives and urge their friends to try It. Black-Draught is made of the leaves and roots of plants. It does not disturb digestion but stimu lates the lower bowel so that con stipation is relieved. BLACK-DRAUGHT purely vegetable laxative S3 'A recognized Remedy for Rheumatic end Neuritis juft'erer*. A perfect 6!cod Purifier Mc!<es then Clood Rich end Heelthy. Ruilcfs Strength and Vigor. Always Effective . . Why suffer? ATmt.'