The Butler County press. [volume], November 10, 1939, Image 2

About The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946

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Entered at the Postoffice at Hamilton
Ohio, as Second-Class Mail Matter
Issued Weekly at 326 Market Street
Telephone 1296 Hamilton, Ohio
Endorsed by the Trades and Labor
Council of Hamilton, Ohio
Endorsed by the Middletown Trades
and Labor Council of Middletown, O
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1939.
WATCH PRICES!
The outlook for prices is vital to
union members, as soaring prices
could easily more than offset wage
gains resulting from business and in
dustrial improvement.
"A rapid rise in prices of food and
other necessaries could cancel work
ers' increasing income and keep buy
ing power at its present low level,
the American Federation of Labor
points out, in urging union members
to watch prices and report any undue
increase to federation headquarters.
The federation declares there has
apparently been price profiteering in
some of the recent price increases and
says that by price profiteering it
means "raising prices more than
enough to cover legitimate costs."
Then the federation goes on to say
that union members can perform an
important service by reporting any
undue price increases in goods they
buy and by emphasizing that there is
no reason for runaway prices, which
this paper pointed out some weeks
ago.
"There is no shortage of food in the
United States, and supplies of prac
tically all important staples are
ample," the federation says. "Except
in cases where prices are below pro
duction costs, there can be no excuse
for large increases.
o
WAR WON'T SOLVE
UNEMPLOYMENT
W. P. A. Commissioner F. C. Har
rington warns that many Americans
still are expecting too much from the
European war, especially in the mat
ter of new employment. The Amer
ican Federation of Labor sounds the
same warning in its current survey
of business.
"I do not wish to minimize any
possibilities of increased private em
ployment from any source," Com
missioner Harrington said recently at
Chicago. "In the last two months
employment has increased more than
half a million.
Red Jacket
Coal
Anthracite
Pocahontas
Semet-Solvay Coke
Ambulance Service
Phone 35
r~~~
Benefits of labor organization, once
enjoyed, are not forgotten by the
workers, though the organization it
self may have vanished. The Nazis
are learning this fact, to their grief
and anger.
COMMENT ON WORLD EVENTS
The International Transport Work
ers' Federation reports that drastic
wage cuts, speed-up of work and other
exploitation of labor under the Hitler
regime, especially since the war be
gan, are making the German workers
remember keenly the comparatively
good conditions won by the trade
unions in former years. The Nazis
are well aware of the workers' mood
and the Berlin "Treuhander der Ar
beit" warns sternly against the work
ers "remembering former trade union
ist methods and imagining they can
turn the scarcity of labor to account
and exact the highest possible wages.'"
But the flood of Nazi measure hos
tile to the workers is helping to ere
ate a popular front of despair and
misery, the Transport Workers' Fed
eration says. It adds:
"In the struggle for their daily
bread the Nazi workers, the cham
pions of liberty, the friends of peace
are united in one front. Open re
sistance is not yet feasible but they
still have one weapon: for a low
wage, slow work they will only just
do precisely what they must but no
more. And every bit of work left
undone is one obstacle more to Hit
ler's war of plunder,"
Premier Molotoff of Russia, in
blandly referring to treaties forced
"But I should like to point out th
the total number of workers for whom
new jobs have been provided by this
war-time boom still falls short of the
number of workers who were dis
missed from W. P. A. employment this
summer under the new 18-month
clause."
THEY EVOLVE INTO DIPLOMATS
"Do you know what happens to
little boys who tell lies?" asks mother
of her young hopeful.
"Yes, mother, they travel for half
fare," answers young hopeful, accord
ing to a story not so new.
Young hopefuls might also have
answered with truth that little boys
who tell lies grow up to be diplomats,
with the most accomplished entering
the diplomatic services of Nazi Ger
many, Fascist Italy and Soviet Rus
sia.
WHAT NEXT?
Subdividing offices and partitioning
shops and factories become a simple,
low-cost operation with new movable
partition walls of asbestos-cement
composition. Connectors are said to
make dismantling and relocation as
simple as original erection. The walls
are only one and three-quarters inch
thick but possess a high degree of
resistance to noise and fire.
WISDOM
The critics of democracy have the
easiest of tasks in demonstrating its
inefficiency. But there is something
even more important than efl^riency
and expediency, namely, justice. And
democracy is the only social order
that is admissible, because it is the
only one consistent with justice. The
moral consideration is supreme.'
Robert Briffault.
WHOLESALE BUSINESS JUMPS
The Department of Commerce an
nounces that reports from 2,922
wholesale firms located in all sec
tions of the country show a gain of
16V2 per cent in sales for September
as compared with September, 1938,
Schwenn Coal Company
W. H. STEPHAN, Prep.
COAL AND COKE
Fifth arid Hi*h Streets PHONE 23
Robert G.Taylor Mortuary
Formerly
THE C. W. GATH CO.
Funeral Directors
Chairs and Tables Rented
17 So. Street
THE BUTLER COUNTY PRESS
on the little Baltic nations as "mu
tual assistance pacts/' set a new rec
ord for gall.
The treaties, as all the world knows,
make Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
virtual Soviet protectorates.
Yet Molotoff has the nerve to ex
press wonderment that Finland should
be unwilling to accept a similar
treaty."
The Finns have the same suspicion
of Soviet Russia that the hen has of
the fox, when Sir Reynard comes
proferring "protection" and profess
ing undying affection for all the hen
tribe.
After seeing what Russia did to
the Baltic nations, Finland would be
stupid indeed if it welcomed Russian
demands with open arms
In an editorial headed "Expert,"
the Washington Daily News points
out that we have just lost a real ex
pert on neutrality. It says:
"Tolbert Hatfield of Ransom, Ky.,
saw a lot of feuding in his time. He
was a young man in the 1880's, when
the famous Hatfield-McCoy 'border
war' broke out. A first cousin of
'Devil Anse' Hatfield, he lost many a
kinsman in the fighting. But some
how Tolbert Hatfield managed to re
main on peaceful terms with both
sides, and he died in his bed the other
day at the age of 89.
"We're sorry he's gone, for he
seems to have been one of this coun
try's real experts on neutrality under
difficult circumstances."
HOUSING CENSUS
SHOULD PROVIDE
NEW PROGRAM
Survey, to Start in April, Will Em
brace Every State—Should Be of
Value to Building Industry.
Washington, D. C. (ILNS). The
first nation-wide census on housing
next year will throw a revealing light
on "how the other half lives," the
United States Housing Authority be
lieves.
The results of the survey should be
of immense value to the entire build
ing industry, too, in that it will pro
vide a wealth of information to guide
the construction of better homes at
lower cost, asserted Nathan Strauss,
administrator of the Housing Au
thority, which agency took the lead
in urging legislation for the census.
The survey, which will start next
April and will embrace every state,
the District of Columbia, Hawaii,
Alaska, Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands, will be made in conjunction
with the 1940 census of population.
Among the fundamental facts which
it is expected the survey will bring
to light are the following:
Total number of dwellings under
the American flag, types and style
of structures,.essential household fa
cilities (i. e. plumbing, cooking, re
frigeration, etc.), age, condition and
state of repair, amount of overcrowd
ing and doubling-up of families, the
monetary values of homes occupied by
owners, the rentals charged for leased
dwellings, present mortgage status of
dwelling properties, the costs of home
financing.
Hailing the housing census as a
most important and much needed
contribution to the better housing
movement in this country, Straus
urged co-operation in it by the public
generally and particularly by all or
ganized groups interested in housing
Much Data Now Lacking
"The forthcoming United States
census of housing," he said, "should
unquestionably provide basic data
vital to the planning of an effective
national housing program for all the
various income groups of our popula
tion. When the census findings are
compiled and published, they should
Btand as a challenge as well as a
chance for private capital and gov
ernment to co-operate in producing
better homes at lowest cost.
"Better homes can be built at lower
costs only when investors, construct
ors and producers of construction ma
t„erials have authoritative and com
prehensive information concerning the
exact type of housing required in defi
nite localities. With this data on a
nation-wide scale they can plan ef
fectively and economically on a na
tion-wide scale, Such data is not
available today. Virtually all that is
known is that students of the subject
estimate that about one-third of the
approximately 35,000,000 families in
this country live in structures that
are unsafe or unsanitary,"
Junior Order Bazaar
The Junior Order United American
.Mechanics will sponsor a turkey ba
zaar, November 18, 20 and 21, in their
hall, 442 South Second Street, The
bazaar is for the benefit of the Or
pHans' Home, Tiffin, Ohio.
With Ten Million Unemployed Seek
ing Jobs, Workers Are Urged to
Resist Every Attempt of Employers
to Destroy the Forty-Hour Weefc
and Impose Longer Hours.
(By A. P. of It. Weekly News Service)
Washington, D. C.—Firm opposi
tion to the determination of certain
employers, despite a jobless army
numbering ten million, to break up
the 40-hour week and require those
already employed to accept longer
hours was expressed by the Ameri
can Federation of Labor in a state
ment on the unemployment situation.
WARMING ISSUED BY A. F. OF L.
AGAINST LENGTHENED WORK WEES
Emphasizing the tendency among
employers in previous periods of ris
ing business to impose longer hours,
the federation announced its deter
mination "that increasing production
shall be permitted to put the unem
ployed to work in private industry and
eliminate the need for relief."
"Early September reports from
trade unions show employment at a
higher level than at any time since
the fall of 1937," the A. F. of L.
statement said. "Trade union figures
from 24 industrial cities show only
9.6 per cent of the membership out
of work in the first part of September
this year as compared with 14 per
cent in September, 1938.
Importance of Employment
Gains Stressed
"Union members are almost as
fully employed as they were in the
fall of 1937 when 9.3 per cent were
out of work in September.
"Workers in general, however, have
not fared so well, for according to
out estimates the total number un
employed in the United States is still
close to 10,000,000 which compares
with less than 7,500,000 in September,
1937.
"Our unemployment estimates, based
on government figures, show 10,
308,000 unemployed in July, 1939,
10,139,000 in August.
"In September, unemployment has
probably been slightly below 10,000,
000, This preliminary estimate is
based on our trade union reports, and
production figures, which show rapid
increases in production since the first
of the month.
Forty-Hour Week
Must Be Maintained
"For the nation's economic welfare,
these gains in employment are of
first importance. For unemployment,
like an industrial sickness, has un
dermined our economic health for ten
years. Suddenly now, with business
activity advancing 13 per cent from
mid- August to mid- September and
prospects for further increases ahead
we see some hope of finding jobs in
private industry to replace W. P. A
"This hope depends, however, on
preventing Increases in work hours.
VITAL STATISTICS
OFFICIALS TO AID
Washington, D. C. (ILNS).—Regis
trars of vital statistics in six states
have agreed to assume immediately
the responsibility of notifying the
Social Security Board of the death
of any person to whom a social si
curity account number has been is
sued, the board announces. The six
states are New Hampshire, Minne
sota, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Mi^
sissippi, and Florida,
The board expects similar action
will be taken by the registrars in all
other states early in 1940. It stated
that it believed the co-operative ac
tion of the registrars would facilitate
prompt payment of benefits to sur
viving members of an insured work
er's family.
Amendments to the Social Security
Act provide not only for the payment
of retirement insurance to industrial
and commercial wage earners but
under certain conditions, to his widow
and children also. The board said
that before the benefits provided for
survivors can be determined and paid
it must, of course, have legal proof
of the death of the insured worker
The plan now being put into effect
the board stated, has the approval of
the state public-health officers. It
provides for the immediate transmit
t#l the board of a modified death
certificate whicfr wjll be entitled
"Proof of Death." This wi}l show the
fpll name of the deceased worker, the
place of death, and his social security
account number.
W, Pf A. NEGRO WORKERS JAILED
New Orleans (IJjNS). Twenty
nine negro workers employed on
night shift of the W, P, A. have bepn
arrested charged with obtaining un
employment relief while they were
obtaining work from the W. P. A. The
state of Louisiana pays an out-of
work benefit to those who cannot se
cure employment. The negroes con
eluded they were just as good as the
white folks who were holding two and
sometimes three jobs with the state
and city governments. Their only
mistake was that they were caught.
The forty-hour week is now estab
lished by union agreement over a wide
area of American industry. This
hour schedule must be maintained. It
is unthinkable that employers who
have any conception of their respon
sibility for the general economic wel
fare would ask their workers to ac
cept longer work hours while there
are still 10,000,000 unemployed. While
such things have happened in times
of rising business, labor is deter
mined that this shall not happen to
day. We are determined that in
creasing production shall be permit
ted to put the unemployed to work
in private industry and eliminate the
need for relief.
W. P. A. Workers should Be
Transferred to Private Industry
Thus far, employment gains in the
last year have been no more than
enough to offset the cuts in W. P. A.
oils. In the year ending August,
1939, 1,200,000 have been dropped
from W. P. A. and 1,100,000 have
been added to the payrolls of private
industry, leaving 1,800,000 still on
W. P. A. on August 30, 1939.
"To get these W. P. A. workers
back to work in private industry and
to re-employ those who have no work
of any kind—this is our first task as
production rises. Labor is confident
that far-sighted employers will recog
nize their responsibility.
"The tragedy of Europe has dislo
cated the world's commerce. It can
not be permitted to dislocate the or
derly adjustments achieved in Amer
ican industry."
APPEAL RULING IN
DONNELLY CASE
St. Louis (ILNS).—Counsel for the
International Ladies' Garment Work
ers' Union has filed an appeal in the
U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals from
a court order of U. S. District Judge
Andrew Miller forbidding them from
interfering with the company union
of the Donnelly Garment Company, or
its customers.
The file contained a 3,630-page rec
ord of proceedings in the case, which
has been in the courts since July 6
1937.
The Donnelly Company, a Kansas
City dress-making concern, obtained
a temporary restraining order against
the union in 1937, in the court of
U. S. District Judge Merrill E. Otis
in Kansas City. The union carried
its appeal to the Supreme Court,
which refused to consider it on
grounds of no jurisdiction.
In June, 1938, Judge Caskie Collet
granted a motion to reopen the case
then disqualified himself. Judge
Miller, of North Dakota, handed down
a permanent restraining order early
this year.
It was this order which hus just
been appealed to the Circuit Court
of Appeals,
Man is the only animal we know
that can be skinned more than once,
GALLS SEAL SALE COMMITTEE
Middletown, Ohio.—Plans for the
annual Christmas Seal di'ive, sched
uled to begin Thanksgiving Day, was
outlined by Mrs. R. E. Sebald, chair
man, at a meeting Tuesday night in
the Civic Association auditorium.
Funds are used to combat tubercu
losis both in the city and county.
HAYS NEW HEAD OF
BOYS' REFORMATORY
Columbus, Ohio.—Harold L. Hays,
for nine years superintendent of the
Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans'
Home at Xenia, will become superin
tendent of the Boys' Industrial School
at Lancaster, Assistant Welfare Di
rector Herbert L. Mooney said.
JOB DISCRIMINATION FOR AGE
I contend that a person in his forties
is at the peak of his capabilities. It
is unfortunate that he should be de
nied employment by the government
or by private enterprise simply be
cause he has reached that age.—Sen
ator James M. Mead of New York.
GEO. KAPPEL
Practical all-around tailor, would like
to be favored with your patronage, for
Repairing, Altering, Cleaning, Press
ing, Removing Wearshine and Re
lining. 162 N. Street. Will call for.
Give estimates and deliver.
Mdthersills
'imN i tIAftlOK RCMIDY
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heTRAVEL NAUSEA
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it is, you never know when
a sleepless night is coming.
Why not be prepared?
DR. MILES
Effervescent Nervine Tablets
help to relieve tense nerves
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Stop in at the drug store to
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Try Dr. Miles Nervine Tab
lets for Nervousness, Sleep
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TAILORED TO FIT
Small Package 35*
Large Package 75* W-lSjf
The large package is -v
more economicaL ~-vv
es
udiii
Edgar K. Wagner
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
Each personal loan we grant
y.I«•»iij
Is
made to order for the borrowet.
Your needs, your income and
your wishes determine the
amount of the loan and the
terms of repayment.
Anyone who can meet our re
quirements can borrow here, oi|
basis that will exactly fit his o?
her personal circumstances. r.a«]
anything be fairer?
Personal Borrowing Need Not Be Costly
THE
SAVINGS BANK & TRUST CO
•HAMILTON OHIO'
THE BANK OP HELPFUL SERVICE
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation