The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, August 17, 1936, Page 3

IMPORTANT ‘RS’ T0 DECIDE ATTITUDE © OF LABOR IN 4940 Handicap of Launching Work- ers Party May Prove Insu- { | perable, Says Price (By the Associated Press) ‘Talk of an independent labor party in 1940 is interesting, but there is a large dispute as to its importance. The “ifs” are many and imposing, ‘nd four years is a long time under present changing conditions, Much is certain to depend on what happens within the older parties with respect, to labor and What happens in the country generally with respect to re-| covery. If Mr. Roosevelt wins this year, if he recommends a successor in 1940, and if those labor leaders who now speak of a new party still feel as strongly disposed toward the Roose- velt policies as they now feel, where will there be standing room for an independent candidate? If Mr. Landon wins, if his policies as president are acceptable to the rank and file of labor, and if he finds himself engaged four years hence in @ desperate battle for re-election, will any substantial segment of the labor vote withdraw to experiment with a new venture of its own? If the depression ends, and 1940 finds the country in another era of ample employment opportunity and high wages, is labor likely to jump over! politically? Disorganization Handicap ‘These questionings could be pro- longed indefinitely without exhaust- ting all of the possible combinations of circumstance which might affect 1940. i *: There are, however, several aspects: of the case which do not involve con- jJecture. Certain solid facts are ines- capable. The first of these is that maximum results scarcely could be expected of a@ labor party unless labor were united behind it. Today labor is.any- thing but united. A very large pi centage is unorganized, and mani- festly out of sympathy with that per- centage which is organized. And the organized section is split in the bit- terest schism in its history. The Washington meeting. at which the idea of a 1940 independent party was most prominently projected was @ meeting of one part of the organized parts of labor. It was a conference of labor’s non-partisan league, which is pledged to the re-election of Presi- dent Roosevelt. Its leadership was' made up largely, but not entirely, of union officials who had just been sus- pended by the American Federation of Labor. While this meeting was in progress, another union official was taking charge of a labor committee designed to promote the candidacy of Gover- nor Landon, and officials of the fed- ération itself were reiterating an at- titude of neutrality. ‘ailed in Past Another solid fact is that no party, based on the interests of any single class—even when that class was united—has ever gone far or lived long. in American’ political Mistory. Sensing this, perhaps, most of the leaders at the Washington conference spoke of a “liberal” party, rather than. a “labor” party. But the inference was very plain that such a party would be organized in the interest of labor and would be dominated by labor. The distinction, as it was out- lined by the labor leaders themselves, was one of name rather than pur- Pose, If the definition were expanded, however, new uncertainties would raise. Is it to be supposed that a new “liberal” party, organized by labor, could enlist and dominate such exist- ing groups as the Farmer-Labor party, the LaFollette Progressive party, and the Lemke-Coughlin-Townsend Union party? Which leads up to perhaps the sol- idest fact of all: that the organiza- tion of an effective political party always has proved exceedingly diffi- cult under the most favorable of con- ditions, and always has failed when the elements involved were at logger- heads among themselves. i Theodore Roosevelt tried it and failed. The elder Robert M. LaFol- lette tried it and failed, even though he had the endorsement of the fed+ eration of labor. John L. Lewis and his colleagues are strong men, indeed, if they can try it and succeed. Nine Grade Crossing Applications Okayed Nine applications for construct grade crossing elimination projects in North Dakota have been approved by the state railroad board, Elmer Olson, secretary, announced Saturday. The projects, submitted by the state highway department, inclide four un- derpasses and five overhead struc- tures, : They are. underpasses under the Soo. line. tracks at Velva, the Great Northern railway tracks at. Stanley; the Great Northern at Grand Forks and the Soo line at Harvey; and over- head. projects over the tracks of the Great Northern at Pillsbury, Glen- field, and Hannaford, the Soo line at Carrington and the Midland Conti- nental railroad west of Spiritwood. Ninety-three per cent of the world’s 34,000,000 telephones are inter-con- nectable. authority to FOR SALE GROCERY STORE Good Location Write Tribune Ad No, 16383 F. D. R. Presidential Choice Among N.D. Farmers, Hunt Says Political Observer Finds Drouth-Stricken Pro- ducers Ready to Stick With New Deal, Lemke to Draw Equally From Two Parties: Into the politically pivotal midwest goes Correspondent Frazier Hunt on « reportorial tour of America, His first fask: 3 To listen to the pre-election sentiments of persons in all stations of life. His next task: To record these sentiments, accurately, impartially for readers of The Bismarck Tribune. “The result: A new series of six enlightening daily articles (beginning today) which should be in- teresting and stimulating even to partisan followers of either major party who may or may not agree with Hunt’s unbiased conclusions. By FRAZIER HUNT ie (Copyright, 1936, NEA Service, inc.) An intensive four weeks’ motor survey of politics and drouth in the great Mississippi valley heat bowl brings these conclusions: Throughout the small towns of the middle west there is a decided drift to Landon. In the industrial and larger cities Roosevelt still leads. From 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the farmers are for the administration. This is Sal tl true of those who benefited from AAA corn and hog and w! present soil conservation program. Lemk chance of: carrying any state. Father Coughlin’s influence has constantly weakened. Dr. Townsend wields a far greater power than either’Lemke or Cough- lin. He is especially strong in the middle west, but the majority of his true believers will follow him po- litically only to the extent of forc- ing their congressional nominees to pledge allegiance to the Townsend Plan. Double-Barreled Drouth In the four states of Ohio, Mich- igan, Indiana and Illinois more than 1,000,000 cdlored adults will cast their votes almost unanimously for Roose- velt. From western Pennsylvania and New York to the far reaches of Ne- braska and Kansas, Landon shows gains, but he has yet to “sell” him- self personally to the average voter. Most Republican votes will be more anti-Roosevelt than pro-Landon. Two reactions immediately result from the devastating drouth. First, in cities and towns the probable in- creased cost of living will reflect against Roosevelt. Second, in the stricken communities the quick re- sponse of the administration in plan- ning immedfate human relief, PWA work, feed loans, cattle purchases and long term soil conservation, dams and resettlement plans have largely re-won the farmer to Roosevelt's side. To a considerable extent this last has offset the very defiant small- town drift toward Landon. The two} together are the most significant new factors in this shifting political scene. Drouth Is Chief Topic Outside the cities, in this vast mid- dle west you hear little talked of ex- cept the drouth, og ‘The’ lean, weither-beaten: son of the soil droops in spirit as he con- templates the Tragedy of Dust. ‘The present drouth spreads over an even greater territory than the his- toric killer of 1934. Sweeping south and southeastward from the wheat fields and ranges of eastern Montana and Wyoming this murderous drouth swings diagonally across the middle west into the lands of the deep south. In many places the damage is worse than '34, In great portions of southwestern South Dakota—and in the pathetic “dust bowl” that clips off the con- verging corners of Kansas, oClorado, Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle— this “act of God” is the fifth consec- utive visitation of death and destruc- tion. The accumulated effect has left literally tens of thousands of fami- Hes helpless and penniless. Dakota Farmer's View Westward from the rich Red River valley of North Dakota I rode out be- yond Fargo into the land that has e will draw almost as many votes from Landon as from Roosevelt. Only in the Dakotas has Lemke even a remote eat payments, and from the lost hope. As far as the eye could reach were “still born” fields that should have been beautiful waving seas of yellow grain. Heat and lack of rain had turned them into seared brown acres—short straw—ghosts of wheat, oats and barley. Corn fields were but mocking phantoms. Pas- tures had no more sustenance than dusty billiard tables left behind in abandoned mining camps. Some 50 miles west of Fargo I stopped and talked to a farmer, driv- ing 15 head of cattle from parched fields to his barnyard. He was a tall wiry man, with fine, brown eyes that had a look of utter despair in them. “I own 480 acres here, and they are all paid for,” he told me. “I've got over 300 acres in grain this year, and Tl not get a bushel of oats or barley or corn, and out of 120 acres of wheat I hope I can get 200 bushels of seed grain for next year. If we don’t have rain pretty soon I won't even get that. My pastures are burned out, but I may have enough hay and straw from last year to carry through this little batch of cattle. I sold seven steers last week for $245. That'll be my to- tal income from my 480 acres of land and my year’s work.” I slowly swung the conversation around to politics. “I don’t mind tellin’ you I’m going to vote for Roosevelt,” he went on. “I’d say most of my neighbors around here will do the same thing. We think he done just about everything he could for us. Politicians been promising to do things for the farmers ever since I can remember, but. Roosevelt really done something for us... .. We'll vote for Lemke for congressman but not for president.” Where Lemke Scores From a score of different lips I heard substantially the same thing; they'd vote for Roosevelt for presi- cent and Lemke for congressman. Only one farmer whom I talked to was going to vote for Landon—and he added that he recognized that Roosevelt had done a good deal for the farmer but he didn’t like the ‘way money was being spent and re- lef handied. A hundred miles or so to the west- ward in the sections of the Dakotas where the failure has been complete, and debt has blanketed whole com- munities, there ‘is considerable sen- timent for Lemke for president. Human Side of Tragedy Even to an itinerant obseiver the true tragedy of a widespread drouth soon shifts from ruined fields to ruined men and women. At Fargo, Dean H. L. Walster, of the North Da- kota Agricultural college and one of HIS BRAKES AND STEERING GEAR WERE SAFE... asetoo bad hi; b © igh asmatplngrcnshop spasegar thrown out of control in spite of the fact that his brakes and steering gear were in perfect shape. Things might have been different, though, had his tires been able to stand up under today’s high speeds. ‘Take our tip. Don't you gamble on tires. Get a set of Goodrich Safety Silvertowns. Then you'll have the protection of the Life-Saver Golden Ply, a layer of special rubBer and full- floating cords scientifically treated to resist the blowout-causing heat gen- epeeds. By resisting this heat the Golden Ply' keeps rubber and fabric from epparating. It keepe blisters Hi if 5 F g ‘BUY THESE GOLDEN PLY SILVERTOWNS AT... tires weren't! from forming. And when you prevent the blister you prevent the high-speed blow-out. . NOTE: Goodrich Silvertowns ac- tually cost much less than other super- quality tires. Don’t delay. Come in West End Texaco Service Station the wisest and most imaginative ag- ricultural leaders in this country, painted @ part of the pathetic picture for me, “Twenty-five per cent of the land in farms in this whole state should never have had a foot of their grass turned over,” he explained. “A hun- dred thousand of our people are ing in country that was never meant for farming. Wind and water erosion and drouth, have beaten them down until today they are the victims of human erosion. Wind and water ero- sion are social problems, and until America is ready to pay farmers enough to enable them to keep their farms free from erosion, the whole! future of the race is endangered.” Dean Walster caught his breath and then went on: “It is easy enough to talk about moving people off the land, but there can be no general re- treat from any large section. Peo- ple are earth-bound—their roots go’ deep down into the soil. We have tp co-operate with climate, not fight it, We have to learn to get along with nature ... Then there is the terrific problem of debt. It’s a dead load around the necks of these poor peo- ple—an incubus with tentacles that reach into future generations. In this one state our farmers owe the federal government almost $250,000,- 000, and we'll have to have some- where between $50,000,000 and $100,- 000,000 more poured in this year. “Every man, women and child of, our 680,000 population will owe around $400 to the government alone. Five years of drouth and the accumulative effects of erosion have been the cause of most of this. It's the reason for our radical leanings. The radicalism of the prairies is bred from the prar- tes.” TOMORROW: Frasier Hunt will tell why Minnesota is doubt- ful but Wisconsin is for Roose- velt, U.S. Army to Enroll 18 Civil Engineers Information that 18 second Heute- nants are to be appointed from civil life to the U. 8. army engineering corps was received Monday at Fort Lincoln. Preliminary examinations will be held Oct. 15 and final exam- inations Nov. 16 at places nat yet designated. To qualify for appointments ap- plicants must be graduates of insti- tutions approved by the war de- partment. Applications for examina- THE BISMARCK: TRIBUNE. MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1936 STATE BOARD DENIES FREIGHT RATE RAISE Preparations Made to Oppose Similar Increases in ‘In- trastate Traffic ‘The state railroad board denied ap- Plication of railroads for increased tefrigeration charges in connection with intrastate carload movement Monday and announced preparations were being made to oppose similar in- creases on interstate traffic, ‘The railroads sought an increase of 25 cents per ton in the charge for cost of the ice and additional cost charges amounting to about $7.50 per car, J. C. Winter, state traffic expert said. Similar rates for application on in- terstate traffic were filed to become effective Sept. 10, but Winters said the state commission is preparing to ask the interstate commerce commis- sion to suspend the increased pro- posal, _ He explained that not only all car- load shipments of fruit and vege- tables moving into the state under refrigeration but also large ship- ments of butter, eggs, and poultry from North Dakota points in other states would be affected by the pro- posed rate increase. Valley City Resident, John Tracy, Is Dead Valley City, N. D., Aug. 17.—(®)— John Tracy, 67, former prominent Valley City banker and land owner, died hete Saturday night after a lin- illness. Born in \eethersfield, Conn., on February 10, 1869, he came to Barnes county in 1881. He became cashier of the First National bank at the age of 27 years at a time when the bank was the only bank in the county, and as- cended to the presidency in 1921. He retired from the banking business in 1920. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday afternoon. He leaves his widow, two sons, Neal and Frank of Valley City, and one daughter, Mrs. Almer Skrettin of Milwaukee, two sis- | ters and one brother. Violin strings are made from sheep | gut and the strings on the bows from tion should be made to the adjutant general at Washington, D. C. horsehair, while the wood of the bows comes from Brazil. North Dakota motorists have such a keen sense of humor that it is disconcerting to W, J. Brophy, heag of the highway de- partment’s pianning division. A month ago Brophy sent out thousands of cards asking motor- ists for information regarding the operation of their cars. The questionnaires contained return cards on which the motorist was expected to report his exact loca- tion, the make and model of his car, what use he makes of the roads and how many gallons of gasoline he consumes. A good many persons failed to report at all. Those who answer- ed frequently did so in facetious vein, the usual comment on gaso- line consumption being that it used “too much” or that the car could “pass anything but a fill- ing station.” As a result 35,000 additional cards are being mailed out and Brophy hopes the replies will con- tain more facts and fewer wise cracks. Motorists will do themselves a favor by answering, he said, since the location of roads, the type of construction, proposed license rates and other items of import- ance will be based on the infor- mation disclosed by the survey. It is possible, he said, that failure to give the information may re- sult in some sections being denied highway improvements to which the facts, if they were known, would entitle them. The project is being financed by the federal government and is @ cooperative venture with the state highway department in an effort to develop the information essential to a sound road program for this state. Through the survey the depart- ment hopes to ascertain if each county is receiving its proportion- ate share of the state gasoline tax revenue and where the traffic is concentrated and seasonal var- jations in the use of roads. STOP Whenever you need good gas or ofl, We're ready to serve Grand Service Station and Seventh St. Cracks Mark swers to Survey | Wise An Wards “MOVIE DIAL” Airline Radios 10-Tube $1 DOWN puts it in your living room! Console in the World $7 DOWN puts it in your living room Automatic _ two-s; 71° makes the peed tuning MOVIE DIAL a pleasure to use. The cathode-ray eye lets you SEE when you're perfectly tuned! World range, all wave! Auto- matic bass tone booster and volume control! Metal tubes! Adjustable high fidelity! 7-TUBE SET 6-TUBE SET Aienre: Be C. con- tubes, tuning 3595 eye. Battery ’ 795 ever sold! Finest Battery Wi ILLUMINATED MOVIE DIAL! All three wave bands! Automatic volume new alloy s-iven, BATTERY Kes" oe 5495 band power. » Built-in voltage High fidelity. er’ distance mer 26" All-wave A. C. man- tel, Automa- tic cont volume 1. 2295 McCoy Reports Steady Increase in Motor Vehicle Registra- tions This Year License tags were issued to 156,341 owners of motor vehicles in the first six months of 1936, or approximately 1,700 more than the number regis- tered in that period last year, L. H. McCoy, state motor vehicle registrar, announced Monday. . Reporting a steady increase in the number of licenses issued the last three years, McCoy predicted total Nationally Famous “Hawthome” Bicyclesrangein price from $18.85 to $47.95. Wards have 16 different bicycle models in many colors and sizes. The one you want Is sure to be here— priced at least $3 to $18 less...! LOOK AROUND-YOU WILL SEE MORE HAWTHORNE BIKES THAN ANY OTHER MAKE! Extra Equipped: Poy $3 Down ond Ride It Awoy 1937 Hawt ——— Duralium’s bright silvery fin- ish will never rust or wear off! 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