anaheim-gazette 1935-01-10

THE ANAHEIM GAZETTE HENRY KUCHEL, Editor and Publisher ESTABLISHED 1870 ISSUED EVERY THURSDAY SUBSCRIPTION PER YEAR $2.00 SIX MONTHS $1.00 Entered at the Anaheim, California Postoffice as second-class matter. THE BIG "IF" IN POLITICS What would happen— IF our brain trusters could think of ways to save money instead of spend it? IF our state officials really set themselves to eliminating our tremendous $100 million deficit instead of paying full attention to the hue and cry of vociferous minorities? IF our county board of supervisors could get up nerve enough to consolidate such departments as the university extension, the agriculture commissioner's office and the farm advisor's office into one unit, with only one head and very little clerical assistance? IF, in short, our politicians could get up enough plain, everyday courage and character to do what they know should be done instead of compromising to the losing end with the spenders; if these same politicians could suddenly forget what the voters might do to them and try to do something for the voters? The answers are simple. Practically all government costs would be cut one-third, our various political units would balance their budgets, and we wouldn't have to wince when we think of the homes and farms now being confiscated by taxation. This answer isn't hypothetical. North Carolina has shown the way to sane government. It has slashed costs by one third, cutting off the frills without in any way hurting the fundamental functions of the state. When Orange county, the state of California, the other 46 states and Uncle Sam himself follow North Carolina's example we can hail the day when common sense finally overcomes quack economics. their budgets, and we wouldn't have to wince when we think of the homes and farms now being confiscated by taxation. This answer isn't hypothetical. North Carolina has shown the way to sane government. It has slashed costs by one third, cutting off the frills without in any way hurting the fundamental functions of the state. When Orange county, the state of California, the other 46 states and Uncle Sam himself follow North Carolina's example we can hail the day when common sense finally overcomes quack economics. WISE COUNSEL Thomas A. Edison once said: "When the government goes into business it can always shift its losses to the taxpayers." WE'RE SUCCESSFUL AT SPENDING Two years ago America set about to spend itself rich. There is no secret about our success in spending. From the extravagance angle, there never was a period in the history of the world when so much money was spent on peace-time projects. In comparison, the spending efforts of other nations look puny. Representative Tinkham of Massachusetts, who hunts big game in Africa during vacations, took a little time to hunt big debts and found plenty of them. He discovered that Uncle Sam's public debt had increased 60 per cent since 1929, as compared with 2.6 per cent for Great Britain, 10.3 per cent for France, 38.8 per cent for Germany, and 23.6 per cent in Canada. This is a percentage of increase in public debt; actually Uncle Sam's expense bill would make most foreign countries' accounts look smaller than microbes on the biggest monkey in captivity. There is no question about our success in spending. But there is considerable doubt whether spending has brought back prosperity. Yet every man, woman and child in America will be called upon to pay $10 interest on Uncle Sam's debt every year for a good many years to come. REAL TRAGEDY "Drink," said the Irish preacher, "is the greatest curse of the country. It makes yer quarrel with yer neighbors. It makes yer shoot at yer landlord; and it makes yer miss him." NOBODY WANTS WAR: BUT— We sympathize wholeheartedly with every effort to prevent war. Nobody, except perhaps a very few ambitious military men, a little handful of political leaders who conceivably might intrench themselves in power by means of a successful war, and—perhaps—a few cold-blooded men who figure that war would put money in their pockets, wants this nation or any other nation to go to war. We do not believe that the profit motive has been as powerful in causing wars as some folk would have us understand. But we do not agree that we should make no preparation for war, merely because somebody might make a profit in selling guns, airplanes, poison gas and other war material to the Government. "Condense the govern-ment fortune for looks to gathered, and not all measures is no state munist me-The le-Associated 1. Pro-ment or o-officers be2. Set "to invest-the comm-foreign re3. Pro- among th4. Am-no person cating vi-naturalized 5. Prov-States be-the countr-deported f-to the sam-or origin." 6. Den-which is pr-cates, subvIt is in this im-port when the-regarded a-the U.S.c-ary. Its i-nion is one-American-have been-to overthr-order." Nobody, except perhaps a very few ambitious military men, a little handful of political leaders who conceivably might intrench themselves in power by means of a successful war, and—perhaps —a few cold-blooded men who figure that war would put money in their pockets, wants this nation or any other nation to go to war. We do not believe that the profit motive has been as powerful in causing wars as some folk would have us understand. But we do not agree that we should make no preparation for war, merely because somebody might make a profit in selling guns, airplanes, poison gas and other war material to the Government. "In time of peace prepare for war" is a saying as old as civilization itself. Human nature hasn't changed much, if any, in ten thousand years. One never knows when a spark may touch off the warlike spirit, and make the very folk who don't want war willing and eager to fight. Our nation isn't likely to pick a quarrel with any other. But unless we are prepared to defend ourselves, some other nation may try to pick a quarrel with us. The best insurance against war is the wide-spread knowledge that we are equipped to fight if necessary, in defense of our national rights. UNSOLVED MYSTERIES One thing we have always wondered is what becomes of the baseball umpires during the winter time. OUTLAW REDS, SAYS U. S. CHAMBER REPORT The tide of communist activities against the United States government is rising. Fortunately, however, the tide of resentment against such activities is rising too so that the American people, unless they are criminally lax, will not be caught napping. The latest powerful organization to propose the banning of "Soviet Communism" for advocacy of revolution by violence, is the United States chamber of commerce. This organization has just sent a report to the membership which asks for sincere consideration of the proposition at the chamber's next annual meeting. In part, the report says: "Today it is Soviet Communism—transplanted to the United States but still under Soviet domination — rather than anarchism that bears the torch of revolution by violence, and that is openly and defiantly proselytizing for the forcible overthrow of our present political and economic order. Those who advocate such a course in time of peace are as much enemies of the state as those who would weaken the nation in the time of war by seeking to discredit its constitution and form of government." ANAHEIM GAZETTE SCHOOL DAYS. RED HEADED WOMAN! FIFTY HIX! WHITE HORSE! THIRTY SEBBEN! FORTY THREE! EIGHTY ONE THE STAMPERS "Conduct which today stops short of actual warfare against the government solely because the time is thought not yet on." "Conduct which today stops short of actual warfare against the government solely because the time is thought not yet opportune for the violent overthrow of the government but which looks to such warfare as soon as sufficient strength has been gathered, should be put under effective restraint from the start and not allowed to develop to the point where the most rigorous measures and the most severe penalties would be needed. There is no statute making it an offense to be affiliated with the communist movement or to disseminate communist propaganda." The legislation recommended in that report, according to the Associated Press, is as follows: 1. Prohibit "advocacy of violent overthrow of federal government or of all forms of law, or advocacy of injury to federal officers because of their official character." 2. Set up a special agency within the department of justice "to investigate subversive activities, with particular reference to the communist party and its members and their domestic and foreign relationships." 3. Prohibit attempts "to incite disaffection or insubordination among the armed forces of the United States." 4. Amend the naturalization laws "to declare specifically that no person who believes in or is a member of an organization adcoating violent overthrow of the federal government should be naturalized." 5. Provide that "admission of an immigrant into the United States be conditional upon (1) a treaty obligation on the part of the country of his origin to take him back at any time if ordered deported from the United States, or (2) an individual certificate to the same effect issued by a responsible official of the country or origin." 6. Deny the use of the mails "to matter which advocates, or which is published or distributed by an organization which advocates, subversive doctrines." It is indeed a reassuring sign that the chamber has presented this important question for earnest consideration. The time was when the man who pointed out the dangers of communism was regarded as a crank. This, however, is no longer true. Certainly the U.S. chamber of commerce is neither an alarmist or visionary. Its interest in the matter is abundant proof that the question is one which ought to have the serious consideration of the American people. As the report well says, "Unfortunately we have been too lenient in dealing with propaganda intended forcibly to overthrow our American social, governmental and economic order." A GARDEN EASTWARD IN EDEN The first man had a brain over-arched by a skull of noble curvature, a tiny reproduction of the blue curve of the sky. It was this brain within this marvelous arch that pulled him up and gave him a sphere of vision unique in creation. The eagle could see farther in its flight; the ape had a wider radius when he climbed, but he, the man, and he alone, could look forward and outward and up. With some such vague but awe-inspiring strokes history sketches for us the portrait of our first ancestor and leaves him naked, unhonored, nameless. Genesis is much more definite. It gives us his name, Adam, and his dwelling place, "a garden eastward in Eden." And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We witness the creation of the first woman: And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called. Woman because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Of all the trees in the garden they might eat the fruit, except one only, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But lured on by the serpent, they did eat of the fruit of that. They were discovered and promptly punished. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. As for Adam and Eve, they were cast out of the garden. The ground was cursed with weeds and thistles; hard work and the sweat of their brows was to be their portion until they should return to the dust from which they came. So the Lord drove out the man! and he placed at the ast of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. WATCHFUL WAITING If they gave $200 a month to million men and women, it would two million clerks to keep tab on to see what became of all the man. And, oh, yes, after the law was paid before the 2-cent tax could work, who would in the meant pay the pension, and where would money come from. Huh. PUTTING THEIR FEET UNDER FAMILY TABLE Suppose the man and wife ove years got $200 each per month, so they had seven sons would they work. Well, well! The chance they would just stick around an nature take its course. TOCSINS OF ALARM A man who says he escaped from prison camp in Germany and can this country makes the statement that the Nazis are wooing three shifts a day making war mails for something or other. OVERLOOKING A SAFE BEES When military men warn me to lookout for war and make munitions airplanes, warships, gas masks what not, they are all mum on deadly effect of the gas wagon. DRAWING THE SPOTLIGHT Some of the big men of the republic party have been bold to say many of the new deals are unconventional, in that they destroy the international initiative. In other words, government is competing with private capital. That's class legislation. Constitution says this is a govern of the people—the people must rule government. NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN They take a car out of the room, sell it to you for a thousand smackers. You take it and around the block and you cannot it for half what you paid for it. THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON TALK CENTER SHIFTS Most of the talking done in Washington from now on, for a while, will be on Capitol Hill, rather than at the other end of Pennsylvania avenue, where the executive departments are bunched. There are two reasons for this. One is that the members of the new congress have a lot they want to say, and the other is that since Louis Howe, the President's real right hand man, has recovered his health sufficiently to take an active part in affairs, word has gone out to administration officials not to talk so much, without first finding out whether the White House approves what they want to say. How far that goes for Donald Richberg is another guess. Mr. Richberg, who at the moment is at least the President's left-hand man, spoke out in meeting the other day, warning General Johnson not to say nasty things about him and threatening to sue for libel the publishers of the general's new book and the magazine which intends to publish come chapter of it, if they print some of the aspersions upon Richberg which are said to be contained in the General's manuscript. Folks who have been saying that there was really no ill-feeling between the general and his successor at the head of NRA have discovered that they were wrong. This is only the first of the intra-administration personal hatreds and jealousies to break out into the open. There are plenty of others, and some may be alired soon. Carter Glass Speaks Up Up on Capitol Hill some of the most vigorous language is coming from Senator Carter Glass of Virginia. The senator is the foremost banking authority in congress. Away back in the Wilson administration he framed the federal reserve act and pushed it through. He is a good scraper and is always on the watch for anything he tions by several sets of evaminers each with a different point of view. That situation has been to some extent corrected, but the Viner committee went out into the field and talked direct to business men, and is convinced that an intermediate credit system for industry is essential, whether administered by the RFC or the federal reserve. Davis Questions Laws The statement by John W. Davis, who was once the democratic party's candidate for president, that much of the new Deal legislation is illegal and unconstitutional, is expected to put backbone into some of the Conservative democrats in congress. Some 200 cases in which the constitutionality of the New Deal is at issue are now before the courts. The recent conference of business leaders, in which the national association of Manufacturers and the Chamber of Commerce of the United States agreed on what they would like to see done in the way of amending the New Deal, may have results. At least it answers the challenge of the administration spokesmen: "Well, what do you propose?" The business leaders agreed that direct cash relief was preferable to "work relief." In that they are in opposition to the administration. They want reform measures subordinated to recovery measures. They would like to see the nation go very slowly in experimenting with unemployment and old age unemployment and old age insurance. But on the whole their attitude is far more "socially-minded" than the critics of business expected. Those who think they know the president's mind report that he is not out to attack private power companies, but only the financial system of holding companies which has resulted, he believes, in too high prices for electric current. On Federal Money OBSERVATIONS COMON, LET'S GO! can said, by jingo when you go days there are so many accidual you don't know if you'll come ave. And his girl friend ups he heck; you might stumble and your own home and break your KING UNDER THE LID the president turned the spotthose holding companies in all by the boys will have to begin some of the skimmed milk inall the cream. THE HOME FIRES BURNING on the rialto you can hear he say whenever one of those best corporations make more ever cent they chuck the increer the fence to one of its holdpanies. SPRUNG A LEAK said Hooey put a 5 cent tax on produced in his state to keep the procession; and then he hear a big oil concern said could move out and then ship a. And lots of their workmen are ranks of the unemployed. SING THE BULL'S EYE right to try this and that for you but you can't drive a bug into a round hole and if e a tummy ache it doesn't do to rub the medicine bottle on tomy under your suspenders. ATCHFUL WAITING I gave $200 a month to eight men and women, it would take on clerks to keep tab on them, that became of all the mazuma. yes, after the law was passed the 2-cent tax could get to who would in the meantime pension, and where would the time from. Huh. NG THEIR FEET UNDER FAMILY TABLE Carter Glass Speaks Up Up on Capitol Hill some of the most vigorous language is coming from Senator Carter Glass of Virginia. The senator is the foremost banking authority in congress. Away back in the Wilson administration he framed the federal reserve act and pushed it through. He is a good scrapper and is always on the watch for anything he dislikes in the banking policy of the administration. Senator Glass is out with a denunciation of the order of the federal reserve and federal deposit insurance corporation limiting interest banks may pay to 2½ percent. He asked administration officials where they found any law for that, and they admitted there wasn't any that would apply to state banks not members of the federal reserve. The fiery little senator from Virginia also took a crack at the recommendation of the so-called Viner committee's recommendation that the law authorizing federal reserve to make direct loans to industry should be repealed. "Give it a chance," says Senator Glass, in substance. The Viner report, named for Professor Jacob Viner of the University of Chicago, covers a lot more territory than that, however, and is regarded as furnishing full confirmation of the situation first pointed out in these dispatches, whereby banks are hamstrung by confusing orders from different authorities and subjected to examina- TODAY AND TOMORROW By FRANK PARKER STOCKBRIDGE TAXES I don't know of any community, county or state in which taxes have not gone up in the past two or three years. Certainly there is none in which taxes are not materially higher than they were ten years ago. I've just got my tax bills for 1934, and perhaps I'm unduly concerned; but I can't help coming back to the belief I have long cherished, that sooner or later we've got to abandon the tax on capital and find other and more equitable ways of raising money with which to run our various governments. The real estate property tax is a tax on capital. Nothing like it exists anywhere else in the world, so far as I am informed. It was adopted in America owner of his own business. The farmer is a capitalist, and subject to the risks that all capital is subject to. That isn't to say that he doesn't have plenty of trouble, but at the worst he is not in such imminent danger of starvation as the unemployed industrial worker. STAMPS I don't know how many kinds of Internal Revenue stamps there are, but it strikes me that the easiest and most painless way for any government to collect taxes is by making it illegal to sell anything that doesn't bear a Government stamp. I know that's merely another way of saying "sales tax," which is a phrase that always makes politicians see red. Nevertheless, some of our most important sources of MATCHFUL WAITING I gave $200 a month to eight men and women, it would take on clerks to keep tab on them, that became of all the mazuma. Yes, after the law was passed the 2-cent tax could get to who would in the meantime pension, and where would the time from Huh. THEIR FEET UNDER FAMILY TABLE He the man and wife over 60 $200 each per month, and if seven sons would the boys Well, well! The chances are old just stick around and let like its course. FOCSINS OF ALARM Who says he escaped from a ramp in Germany and came toentry makes the startling that the Nazis are workingits a day making war mater-something or other. LOOKING A SAFE BET military men warn the nation that for war and make munitions, warships, gas masks and they are all mum on the feet of the gas wagon. WING THE SPOTLIGHT Of the big men of the republic have been bold to say that the new deals are unconstitutional that they destroy the individ-ative. In other words, the court is competing with private That’s class legislation. The court says this is a government people—the people must rule the court. NEW UNDER THE SUN Make a car out of the sales it to you for a thousand You take it and drive the block and you cannot sell what you paid for it. The real estate property tax is a tax on capital. Nothing like it exists anywhere else in the world, so far as I am informed. It was adopted in America in the pioneer days when there wasn’t anything else, much, to tax except land. I like the English system much better. There property is taxed on the basis of what it earns—the income tax carried down to the income of everybody who owns a piece of property that is rented. Of course, there are other taxes, but they do not constitute a lien on real property. Property taxes can’t go much higher in most parts of the nation, without stirring up a revolt against the present system. INCOMES . . . the average The average income in the United States is said, by Henry Wallace in his new book, to be about or under $1,500 a year. That includes everybody who works for a living—except farmers. He figures that the average farm income has been cut down from about $1,300 a year to something like $500 a year. Of course, Mr. Wallace is talking about cash incomes. Out of his $1,500 a year the industrial worker has to pay for food and lodging. If he has $500 a or just plumb lucky. But the farmer, year left he is either a financial wizard out of his $500 cash income, has to pay taxes and, like as not, mortgage interest, to say nothing of insurance and other items he can't "work out," so it's about as broad as it is long. The fallacy, it seems to me, lies in comparing the farmer with the wageearner. The proper comparison is between the farmer and the business man, STAMPS . . . for all taxes I don’t know how many kinds of Internal Revenue stamps there are, but it strikes me that the easiest and most painless way for any government to collect taxes is by making illegal to sell anything that doesn’t bear a Government stamp. I know that’s merely another way of saying "sales tax," which is a phrase that always makes politicians see red. Nevertheless, some of our most important sources of revenue are from the sales taxes, already in force. There are revenue stamps on every bottle of liquor, every barrel of beer, every pack of playing cards, every pack of cigarettes or box of cigars. Shares of stock cannot be legally transferred without sticking revenue stamps on them. Everyone is familiar with the sales tax on gasoline. The only reason why stamp or sales taxes are not imposed upon flour, potatoes, shoes, hats and canned goods, is the fear of the politicians in power that the ordinary man would thus be forced to realize that he is paying taxes, and would vote the politicians who imposed them out of office. There isn't any other reason at all. REALITIES . . . are few Most of us live in a dream world, in which we think that there is some magic process, if only we could find it, which would make us happy and prosperous. When something unpleasant happens we are prone to attribute it to malicious fate, which can only be overcome by finding some new incantation which will work the right magic to set everything straight again. Few people are courageous enough to face realities. The realities of life are terrifying to those who have been brought up to believe that "somebody" is always going to look out for them. They are not at all frightful to the few (Continued on page 5)