GOODWIN S WEEKLY 5 19
1 Ilk a . ., SHH
I' mE SPECTA TOR j 1 I
", I "- I II IiA-T was rather
' III m, C Si a rosy report
11 m V 11 taat CommIs
11 -i II sionor Jensen
llll i ; ; i Jq made to the
,1 -- . - -jjj Rotary club re
s p o c t in g his
achievements in the way of war econ
omies. So far we seem to have
saved $12,000 worth of milk bottles,
i . and the salvage effected through the
$fc adoption of the one-dellvery-a-day sys-
. tern is said to approximate $40,000,
' "pC and then there is supposed to be a
K $y thousand and one other economies,
N the sum total of which simply stag-
. gers the imagination.
I All of which is a splendid showing
. j on paper. I have no disposition to
question Mr. Jensen's figures, but he
should have been more specific In his
report and told who got the benefits
accruing therefrom. It may be that
we have saved $12,000 for somebody
in the handling of milk alone; how-
s ever, the ultimate consumer has got
: j, ( nothing to show for his pains in prac-
r 7t ticing economy except a substantial
raise in the cost of milk. Likewise
V '" with the new delivery system; the
U - people have stood for the change with
f ,' - - rare good grace and have made it
j, . possible to economize to the tune of
; $40,000 in this one item alone, and yet
where have they benefited one cent's
worth?
I would not be misconstrued as say
, ing one word against these war-time
economies that we are all expected to
practice; it's up to us to cut out the
waste in every manner possible; the
more milk bottles we can save the
better, even in time of peace. But
the point is this: if we have made
l" . this saving, why aren't we allowed to
r I share in it? Our economy program,
' if it amounts to anything at all, ought
at least provide that those who make
possible the saving should realize
something more than hot air in re
turn for their sacrifices.
If the Economy Commissioner wants
x ' V t0 mako a nlt wIth the community he
fZ should make public the names of
m those who -have been the benoficiaries
t of our economies, and then take
r ' prompt steps to equalize all such bon-
' ofits hereafter.
'v .
WHILE on this subject, it is in or
der, perhaps, to say a word
concerning what happened at the
" Young Men's Republican club blow
out a week ago. Strange, isn't it, that
nothing was said about it in the daily
papers? It couldn't have been an
t( oversight, for I hp opened to be there
myself and sa certain newspaper
men joining In the upplause men
who had made a solemn pledge to the
public to print the news. But not
withstanding all this, a sensational
story was squelched. I hope some
I
ii
day to be in position to print a page
of news each week that the dailies
fail or are afraid to publish.
But to get back on the track. My
old friend James H. Anderson got "all
het up" while addressing his fellow
Republicans and said some very un
complimentary things about Commis
sioner Jensen and his associates.
When "Uncle Jimmy" gets into action
the sparks usually fly in all directions,
and he surely was at his best the
other night. I found myself agreeing
with him in the main, but his per
sonal attack was a little far fetched.
Just because a man happened to be
born in Germany is no sign that his
heart isn't right, even though his head
does seem to need a litttle fixing at
times. We are too prone to, holler
"Hun'' at every fellow we don't like
these days and it's a dangerous prac
tice. As for "Eddie". Schmidt, I would be
willing to stake my life on his loyalty
any time. Of course Eddie is a Dem
ocrat, and he plays the game up to the
handle all the time, and it is reported
that he holds a few more jobs than
the law allows, but even so, there is
nobody that can make me believe that
he is giving any aid or comfort to the
Kaiser. Friend Anderson's admoni
tion that it is up to us to "put Ameri
cans on guard," sounds well; how
over, it contains an ugly inference
that has a tendency to twist the facts.
Moreover, it is poor politics. Repub
licans will have to rise to a higher
plane than that if they hope to gain
the ear of the people.
AFTER one year of "bono dry" pro
hibition one must confess that it
isn't such a thirsty proposition after
all, provided you can rustle the price.
Looking back over the past twelve
month, it does seem as though the
blue-ribboners overpainted the picture
somewhat. And yet Dan Shields in
forms us that the law has been "an
unqualified success." Well, I suppose
that Dan wouldn't be a Democrat if
he wasn't disposed to indulge in ex
travagant utterances once in a while.
But I was particularly interested in
what Chief White has to say. Parley
keeps the score card and is in position
to know what he is talking about. Ac
cording to his records, the average
number of arrests have decreased
about GO per cent during the past
year, all of which is credited to pro
hibition. Accepting the chief's figures
without question, one is forced to
wonder then why it is costing as much,
If not more, to police the city now than
It did in the old booze days. Surely,
if it is not half as much bother to
keep the peace now as it was former
ly, then why not hooverize a little on
the department payroll?
Meanwhile, we have yet to hear
from the sheriff's office. I suppose
that they, too, have kept a score carjk
and it would bo interesting to learn
all they know about the workings of
the "bone dry" law. It may be that
their arrests have likewise dropped
down to just about half of their for
mer average, but it seems to require
a materially augmented force of depu
ties to even accomplish this. I am not
discussing the general advantages of
prohibition. As far as I am personally
concerned, I must admit that I have
found, what many others have found,
that the practice of prohibition isn't
half as bad as the prospect, and it
suits me first rate; however, we ought
to make sure to reap every possible
advantage.'
HAD I been able to anticipate the
final action that the firemen
would take in the matter of their
threatened resignation a week ago,
the chances are that I would not have
been so pointed in my remarks. But
they seemed to be adamant in their
attitude at the time; they threatened
to walk off the job in spite of hell and
high water unless their every demand
was granted; and so there was noth
ing to do but judge them in such light
at that particular time.
What happened to induce the men
to reverse their decision and remain
on the job is a matter of opinion. The
important thing to note is that wise
counsels prevailed before it was too
late and the men decided tc stand by
the ship, even If things weren't alto
gether to their liking, which is to their
credit, and I have no hesitation in
saying so, notwithstanding my spirit
ed criticism of last week.
JOHN Q. Crltchlow was telling me
the other day of two war mothers,
whose names I do not care to repeat.
The one was rejoicing mother fash
ion over the fact that her boy had
been transferred to the quartermas
ter's department, in which service he
doesn't have to run much risk.
The other's boy had been on the fir
ing line in France and had been se
verely gassed. His mother was hop
ing that her boy had sufficiently re
covered so that he could again assume
his place in the ranks and take part
in the glorious battle now raging.
Which prompted John Q. to rather
hurriedly sketch the following appeal
ing sentiments:
Better that wo die in battle
Than remain at homo like knaves;
Better that wo rot in trenches
Than to live like abject slaves;
Better that our boys be prey
For German scavengers at sea
Than that anywhere on earth
A child be born a slave to bo;
Better that our women perish,
H '1
With their pure, unsullied name, 1 fl
Than bo stained by German kulture I 'H
And subjected to its shame; I H
Better that the sun cease shining H H
Better still, perpetual night 1 H
Than to shine on German victory Bfl
And be ruled by IRIGHT IS MIGHT. frH
H
A YOUNG man who used to write H
dramatic criticism for the Trib- H
une and now represents our worthy !
and estimable neighbor In France re- !
ports from the front that 'radical mis- H
takes have been made and are being
jnado . in training the United States ' 'H
Army,'" says the New York World, I
adding: "We were quite sure that H
soon or late somebody would discover
that Pershing and our West Point of- 1
fleers had made a mess of it, but can ,M
we be certain that everything will be '
perfect when we substitute the plan of f M
the Tribune's young man for the plan J H
of Pershing and the General Staff?" t H
Army and Navy Magazine. , H
THE SECOND LIEUTENANT
HE'S younger than the most of us !H
far younger than the Top, Jl
And, bein! young, he's full of pep and 11
keeps us on the hop; 'H
He hasn't been in long enough to sour jH
on the game; H
He's tickled as a kid with it that's H
why we bless his name! ' H
He puts us through all sorts of stunts H
to liven up the drill, H
He laughs when he turns corners H
sharp and takes a muddy spill; H
It's up and in it all the time he H
never seems to tire, H
And doesn't know what duckin' means H
in face of Fritzy's fire!
He always calls us "fellows" never ' H
pulls the line, "My men"; H
He likes to think he's one of us; and, H
back in billets, when l'
He has to make inspections, he'll sit jH
down and chin a while, H
And as to all this "Yes, sir" stuff, M
"O, can it!" That's his style, H
At shows he plays his uke for us, and H
sings his college glees, H
And If there's a piano, wow! He sure H
can pound the keys! H
On hikes he always starts a song, or H
sends along a laugh H
And those are things, you darn well J
know, that help us stand the fil
I never cared for college guys when H
I was in the States; ;H
I though they were a messy lot, a iH
bunch of underweights; lfl
But if our Lieut's a sample, why, I've iH
go- to change my mind- ijl
He'r ' the sand, the bean and go to !H
'I us through the grind!" 'H
From The Stars and Stripes. H
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