The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, November 27, 1937, Page 6

The Bismarck Tribune An Independent Newspaper THE STATE'S OLDEST NEWSPAPER (Established 1873) State, City and County Official Newspaper Published daily except Sunday by The Bismarck Tribune Company, Bis- iced N. D., and entered at the postoffice at Bismarck as second class mat! Mrs. Stella I. Mann President and Treasurer Kenneth W. Simons Archie O, Johnson Vice Pres. and Gen'L Manager Secretary and Editor Subscription Rates Payable in Advance Daily by carrier, per year Daily by mail per year (in Bismarck) Daily by mail per year (in state outside of Daily by mail outside of North Dakota Weekly by mail in state, per year . Weekly by mail outside of North Dak Weekly by mail in Canada, per year Member of Audit Bureau of Circulation Member of the Associated Press The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republica. tion of the news dispatches credited to tt or not otherwise credited in this Newspaper and also the local news of spontanevus origin published herein. All rights of republication of ali other matter herein are aiso reserved. End of Long Fight Among the really encouraging news items coming out of Washington recently is that relating to the peace pact between President Roosevelt and the public utilities. This fight has gone on for more than four years and it is important to the prosperity and progress of the nation that it be settled. Who is right and who is wrong is not so essential as that some definite agreement be reached and the contest halted. President Roosevelt opened his fight shortly after taking office and it has continued it with undiminished vigor ever since. He, apparently, believed that the utilities were mulcting the public both in their financial practices and in the cost of power. Hence the TVA, the proposed government yardstick, PWA support for municipal power plants, the holding company act and numerous other curbs and impositions upon the electric power industry. Some of the methods used by the government in its fight {were not pretty to behold, the apparent belief being that the fend justified the means. The utilities, on the other hand, were loath to give up privileges which they had grasped, largely because of the-in- ability of state commissions to deal with inter-state operations. They fought tooth and nail against even those reforms which fair and unbiased observers felt were justified by the recent history of the utility industry. The government wanted to wash them as white as snow tnd they refused even to change into a clean pair of overalls. And some of the methods used by the utilities in fighting the government weren't pretty either. Some firms spent millions of the stockholders’ money to keep control of the systems from being returned to the stockholders and to perpetuate the very practices which had brought them into public disrepute. Now, however, the outlook is brighter. Mr. Roosevelt evi- dently has come to the conclusion that the government is in- capable of running the power business. Fair regulation is one thing. Attempting to dictate every move of gigantic business concerns is another. : The utilities evidently have come to the conclusion that it was unwise for them to resist the public conscience, to which Mr. Roosevelt gave such vociferous expression. Both sides now suffer from bruises to such an extent that fair compromise seems possible. This is a good thing. It will give the utilities confidence to go ahead and do the building which they should have been doing all of these years. One firm alone now projects a construction program of $100,000,000 during the next two years. It will give investors and stockholders confidence. Better feeling all around will be the result. And this will lead to BETTER BUSINESS. ‘ Forced to Make Money One of the most curious facts of the current business situa- tion is the manner in which transportation agencies competing with the railroads are being forced into additional profits as a result of the trouble in which the railroads. find themselves. Indications are that pipe lines, intercoastal water carriers and truck lines will be forced to raise their rates to maintain the competitive status quo in the fight for business. They don’t need the additional revenue, most of them having been doing . well enough on the present basis, but if their rates remain at the present level while those of the railroads rise the effect will be to defeat the purpose of the railroad increases. More of the business will. go to the pipelines, ships, and the trucks and the railroads will get less than ever before. . If competition were to proceed unregulated there would be reason for the objection that, if the railroads cannot do an economic job they should be forced out of business. But the fact, of course, is that the railroads are under a primary handi- cap. Their operations are controlled by orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission and they are hedged about with all kinds of laws, few of which apply to their competitors. Thus they have ss o tied behind their back when the competitive battle 8 be It also is true that collapse of the railroads would constitute an insufferable blow to the financial structure of the nation and that great interior regions, such as these Great Plains, could not survive without rail service. The whole situation is rather a sad commentary on the effect of regulation on the railroads and the manner in which the cost of living is increased by the well-meant efforts of government agencies. Defueling Dictators The National Youth Administration has done a good deal to help young people who were cast adrift by the depression. Its value as a defense against the peril of dictatorship has gen- erally been overlooked; but that it plays a useful role in that regard is indicated by speeches at a recent regional conference os NYA supervisors in Cleveland. Dr. Henry M. Busch of Cleveland college pointed out thet tinemployed and dissatisfied youth constitute the most fertile field a would-be dictator can cultivate. If such a leader can take euch young people, give them uniforms and a program, promise them jobs and make them feel that they are part of a great] V*Tising space cause, his battle is half won. For youth, warns Dr. Busch, “will not sit around forever waiting for something to turn up.” It is by removing youth from the danger of this kind of exploitation that the National Youth Administration performs |%<2° one of its greatest services. . THE BISMARCK TRIBUNE, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1937 | Pretty Confusing in Europe Things Are Getting € Behind Scenes | Washington F. D. R. Toys With Idea of Govern- ment. Purchase of U. 8. Utility, * Control. By RODNEY DUTCHER (Tribune Washington Correspondent) Washington, Nov. 27.—On a recent day when many dispatches were re- porting that the President of the to placate business, Roosevelt was toy- ing with an idea which had little in common with such a trend of thought. Perhaps nothing more will be heard about this, but the idea was that for about $500,000,000, the . government could buy control of the public utility industry in the United States. By “condemning” common stocks of holding companies at present market values, certain of his experts had told Roosevelt, that sum could be made to purchase control of more than $13,- 000,000,000 of public utility value. And then the government could operate the electric power business to suit itself. The president furthermore seemed to think this bold move might be a good plan. But it may end in mere thi a would have to ap- prove it and Roosevelt has troubles enough. But the president's fondness for bold, spectacular moves has not been dampened by the fate of his court plain earlier this year. Steps Possibly scheme occurred to Roosevelt only as a threat to hold over public utility executives, who have complained that the public would not invest in public utility securites be- cause of New Deal power policies and who have ‘said they would go ahead with @ billion-dollar expansion pro- gram if the president would soften his attitude. At any rate, the fact that Roosevelt should even be thinking of such @ thing is significant in its indication of his present attitude in the face of & business recession and loud de- mands from business for leas reform. The president, according to some of his intimates, considers the present situation somewhat analagous to the one 100 years ago when Andrew Jack- son had his. historic battle with the Bank of the United States and Nich- olas Biddle promoted a panic to help the “money power” discredit Jackson with the people. Roosevelt recently read the new biography of Jackson by Marquis James. No Compromise The power front in the New Deal's battle with “economic royalists” is the ons on which Roosevelt never has weakened or compromised appreciably and is the one field in which there is legalized monopoly—whose possibili- ties of exploitation have been demon- strated in past years, The “power trust” and financial interests behind it are regarded by New Dealers as a spearhead in the attack on the New Deal. : ‘New Dealers have been looking for- ward to public purchase of large pri- vate power companies and insist that some companies are anxious to sell out in certain areas, but at “watered prices.” Roosevelt's recent remarks about “common ‘law” or “prudent invest- ment” valuations, in which the presi- dent, urged to say something nice to the utilities, heaved out with what amounted to a kick in the chin. Power Decisions Seon But the supreme court soon will have a lot to say about the power fight—and Roosevelt will have a lot more. to say about the supreme court if the decisions don’t come his way. The Duke Power ci PWA's right to award k local public power plants, is be argued before the court. The hold- ing company act, unanimously upheld by the circuit court of appeals in New York, will follow it. At Chattanooga nearly @ score power companies, rep- resented by 53 lawyers, are challeng- ing TVA’s constitutionality in a suit which is expected to be appealed di- rectly to the’supreme court at its pres- ent term. Each ‘side stands to win or lose a great deal in these decisions, which will be coming slong in the next few months, (Copyright, 1937, NEA Service, Inc.) —_—____________¢ | SOTHEY SAY | ———_—_._________¢ Despite possible over-emphasis on sports, it is certainly better to have American children learn to throw baseballs instead of bombs — Ford Prick, president of the National Base- ball League. It’s the dullest, most boring, most tradition-bound form ef so-called en- tertainment. that the over-burdened Cebutante has to bear.—Elsa Maxwell, commenting on the average college prom, a, at ei There. are times when she (# smart gir) (might cultivate a mild stupidity. Marthe’ Bledsce, 14, of . Raitburn, Ga., spelling champion of Georgia, and senior in Hie school. * progress.—Dr. Frederick Stock, Chicago STAPH ony condor, pe have ‘apent 10 years of my life This lends significance to|things PUUnETS THEY MAY EAT THE LACE CURTAINS ‘The first week of the extra session of congress, convened last Monday, is indicative of the change which has come over administration affairs. Ex- ecutive leadership, once so overwhelm- ingly given, sags. White House dicta- tion is noticeably absent. Congress is left largely to its own devices. The result has been a week of complete idleness and extreme futility. But there are worse things than that. Clearly, it is better for congress to do nothing at all than to do a lot of all wrong. If it can’t proceed in the right direction, it-is at least not harmful merely to sit and yam- mer. Certainly it is an improvement ‘upon the days when, under presiden- tial pressure, i, passed without reading vast, unsound proposals transmitted fiom the Brain Trust and abjectly accepted without correcting even the misspelled words. Even the president. is now anxious to retreat from some of these legislative monstrosities, such as the undistributed-profits tax driven through last year at top speed and which apparently today is without a single friend or defender. There are strange situation which exists Washington now. One is because the president: badly overreached himself last winter, made demands at which two reasons for the in | drafts. both congress and the country gagged. His program ended in humiliation for himself. It also ended the rubber- stamp period for congress. The other HORIZONTAL 1First of the Biblical patriarchs. 7 He was the -v— of the Hebrew race. 13 Implement. 14 Part of a wainscot. 16 Part of a shaft. 17 Poem. 18 Inclination. 19 Enormous. FIRM SIPIA LIElOMMEIM}p foto fole te) “GBQ G Anm NI GIN 42 Plerces, 46 Sash. named —. 53 Color. 54 Robbed. 56 Solitary. 57 Mud in rivers, 58 Heaps. 59To surteit, 60 His son ——. Aster thet wild golf match, Mysterious Montague has every right opel complaint thst he has been pinced in jeopersy twine, oe : sung Ft te adverts Ear tay oe the tops f , ave the tops in’ Hats, Pens Have ‘been hats, 61 Fish. 62 Ethical. Answer to Previous Pussie PIL IVIMO! UIT IHL IR ]OIC|K! \viARmO}R| STA 46 His wife was § Jreason is embodied in the economic |their conditions which have wrought a change in the temper of the people capital realizing that the Santa Claus game has played out; that national insolvency threatens; that unless the tax mistakes are corrected and confi- dence restored there is a bitter time ahead. The interesting thing was the extent to which the president—reluc- tantly it is true, but none the less piainly—shared this realization. Proof of this given in his mes- sage to congress, twenty-five per cent of which he devoted to stressing the business recession, which was not. among the reasons for convening con- gress in extraordinary session. Calling attention to the situation, the presi- dent said: “For the sake of the nation I hope for your early action,” but he made no specific recommendations, though congress, stirred by public opinion, is ready enough to follow in the direction of the tax modification ‘and economies to which he now points. Nor was the message accompanied by bills dealing with the four concrete proposals for which the call was made, although in the past the administra. tion has: always been ready with its Under the circumstances, it is not surprising that congress dawdles. |. | However, it is a little astonishing the seasion should start off with a filibus- ter. Filibusters are associated with the close of congressional sessions, not [~~ Biblical Patriarch | 15 Born. 20 His story is in a 21 Items. 23 Little lumps. 3 at and I. 29 Before. 30Cotton ett] felt IP} * 48 Genus of beets, 47 Single-edged knife, 49 Too: 50 To bellow. 51 Species of pier 52 Part of foot. 10 Eighth 54 Spain. 11 Otherwise. 55 Electrica) unit 12 Decays. 57 Tone B, Ok ae ae a @EEE ot at me part. 8 Ancient. 9 New star. ounce. opening. Their natural place is the end, where the inevitable legis- lative jam and the this stage of the The uormal order is reversed and the session becomes completely unpredict- able. Anything may happen. It is as unsafe to bet on what this congress will do as it was on what former Sen- ator Jonathan Bourne, of Oregon, ‘would do. Senator Bourne, it will be recalled, lwas one of the earlie: » senate a twenty-three hour record |est ‘which still stands unmatched as an individual performance. One evening, back about 1910, Senator Bourne was AST OF CHARACTERS RE pie trae te ig ALAN JEVFRY, here, AREY. ‘WENTWORTH, Jill's TACK "WENTWORTH, Jill's brother. SYLVIA SUTTON, off heiress, Your Personal Health By William Brady, M. D. Dr, Brady will answ ions pertaining to health b or diagnosis. Write letters briefly and invinie, Address br Bre ¥ care of The Tribune, All queries must be accompanied by « stam} addressed envelope. START THE FURNACE AND BEGIN COUGHING © The melancholy days are come, the driest of the year, for a large por- tion of the population. From now on, until the furnace fire is put out in the spring, the respiratory mucosa, the membrane lining nose, throat, sinuses, ear, bronchial passages and lungs will be under considerable strain, from the extreme aridity to which it is subject for the seven or eight months out of every year that most people spend in a climate drier than the desert of that’s one» book are still hitis, chronic sinusitis or any respiratory trouble vaguely designated “catarrhal” as already established (ignoring the cause), then we agree that uniform heating, an equable climate, an atmosphere not subject to extreme yariations is the most comfortable and the most healthful for the patient. Dr. Osler mentioned Egypt and Southern California as the most nearly - ideal climates for persons subject to winter cough. Alas, chronic bronchitis has been known to develop even in Southern California, Unfortunately, a good many of these semi-invalids who move to Southern California or go peal gael ig ti Ls Seen ea os the cold bogy that they still a large of loors even have heat on, and so te ft ip noe cold nor_dammpoess thet . not Dor dampness accounts for the greater f1 of, chronic-bronchitis in England. It is the greater amount of sunshine inthe” United States and Canada that explains why people in this country are less subject to chronic winter cough. England is considerably farther from the equator than the United States. The winter sunshine in England, what little penetrates the clouds and fog, contains much less ultraviolet than the winter sunshine in the United States and lower Canada. In England, Dr. Osler eovent palmouth a heggetrprtcet Chet the best climate for these patient one who can’ ern lornia for the winter, places in Florida have a fair amountiof sunshine. ay For those who can’t follow the sun, and for those who cannot absorb sunshine even when it is available—due to their fear of exposure—the next plement the det, as least 6000 or OOO uniia daly, Y should say" srccehont . as or uni shi the winter season. y a se Unless some air-conditioning provision is built in or installed in the house, it is important to see that @ reasonable amount of water is evaporated every day the furnace is on. Suggestions for humidifying the air will be rs mailed you if you provide astamped envelope bearing your address, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Webster Is Right Anent your spelling of iodine as “dodin,” no halogen ever went about is’ chemical literature in so undraped a fashion. It is indecent exposure to Parade iodine sans the “e”. (F. V. A.) ts so acid it kills the tree it grows on? (T. 8.) the Senator could not eat a full course! proposition and refused to take it. dinner in . Senator Bourne won the bet. Starting with the liqueurs} It is equally unsafe to bet on this ‘and nuts he ate his way straight back Having started the seasion to the soup and cocktails, not missing/in reverse with a filibuster, in a few a thing and including all the appro-|days it will eat its way back to the ‘Then Senator Bourne gp Bites ie sf s E a ae & 3 2 M®. WENTWORTH had been startled out of deep sleep it, might be “1 don't think ites: ls Ha tadee i Fe 9 77) i i B : f B : i i i wks i | 48 val e iH ry E y eg An iz, Fate i f I F é i rt Hi ‘ | F : ll + Ex i ry g | g li ee r gfe ri fF i bie by Fi I ‘ il ie 3 a : i é i i i rH | [ ft gif [ F | ii; ; a H if EE i | i i ae eeee + fy f il E ri i t t if ij HIE 3 i iW ti ih dl Hu Hy ut i; 1 Hf fs | g E ri t ae