USA > Indiana > Lake County > The First Hundred Years (1938) > Part 37
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July 1936
Monday's papers are full of auto accidents and the papers are making an awful effort to stop the slaughter and blaming it on every thing but the real cause. George Seldes has written a book called "Freedom of the Press" wherein he tells how the press is sold "body and breeches" to the advertising big in- terests. He says they are owned and controlled by the powers of advertising-Bad medicine, The Public Utilities, Oil, Big Business-they all pay big sums of money for advertising with the understanding that they are not to print anything that would be detrimental to their interests and at times should have favorable articles in the interest of their business. It is known at the time that Mayor Youkey of Crown Point had his fight with the public utilities he had to go to outside papers to get things printed in his interest.
WORTH CONSIDERING
There is talk abroad in the land, especially with the auto- mobile clubs, for less tax on gasoline and auto license. It is the fairest tax we ever had, for we are getting what we are pay- ing for-good roads. That is what all auto drivers want. We are getting good roads in abundance so let's give the State Highway Commission more to do to spend the vast amount of money that they are getting. Right now our county council is being asked for over $100,000 to build bridges in the county. Give the State Commission the whole road business. Let them build all the bridges and keep up all the county roads; they have the machinery and the engineering force. We will then be cutting out a lot of county expense and we believe it can be done cheaper and better than it is now done. There is talk of con- solidating in townships and counties and we believe here is a good place to begin.
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DO NEWSPAPERS GIVE US THE TRUTH OR IS IT PROPAGANDA ?
If you spend your time reading newspapers for information have you not the right to expect facts-the truth of what they are conveying to you? You have a right to expect it. But in a majority of cases you are getting a lot of propaganda-paid for by selfish, devilish interests whose only interest is to fool the public so that they can make big money out of it.
According to a book written by George Seldes called, "Free- dom of the Press"-and I believe he is telling the truth and knows what he is talking about-for example here is what he says about the press in war time: (This was brought out by a congressional investigation in February, 1917.)
"In March, 1915, the J. P. Morgan interests, the steel, ship- building and powder interests and the subsidiary organizations got together twelve men high up in the newspaper world and employed them to select the most influential newspapers in the United States and a sufficient number of them to control gen- erally the policy of the daily press of the United States. Those twelve men worked the problem out by selecting 179 newspapers, and then began, by an elimination process, to retain only those necessary for the purpose of controlling the general policy of the daily press throughout the country. They found it was only necessary to purchase the policy, national and international, of these papers. An agreement was reached: The policy of the papers were bought, to be paid for by the month; an editor was furnished for each paper to properly supervise and edit in- formation regarding the question of preparedness, militarism, financial policies and other things of national and international nature considered vital in the interests of the purchasers."
The contract is in existence at the present time and it ac- counts for the news columns of the daily papers of the country being filled with all sorts of preparedness arguments and mis- representations of the present condition of the United States, army and navy, and the possibility and probability of the United States being attacked by foreign foes.
This policy includes the suppression of everything in opposi- tion to the wishes of the interests served.
The effectiveness of this scheme has been exclusively dem- onstrated by the character of the stuff carried by the daily press since March 1915. They have resorted to anything necessary to commercialize public sentiment and to stand by congress in making extravagant and wasteful appropriations under the false pretense that it is necessary. This stock argument is that it is "Patriotism." They are playing on every prejudice and pas- sion of the American people. What fools we mortals are!
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MORE ABOUT THE FARM
Editor : Will you allow me to take some exceptions to your editorial in last week's Calumet Weekly News on "The Real Farm Tragedy"? We will take the article and comment as we proceed. "The Farmer today gets no more for his products and is forced to spend more to live." Not only to live but when he buys his farm machinery from the protected industries and made by organized labor he has to pay double for that.
"Many of the markets at home and abroad have been lost to him by the manipulation of the New Dealers." The Ameri- can farmer's market was not lost by the manipulations of the New Dealers, it was lost principally by the Republican party's high protective tariff which caused the foreign countries to re- taliate against us-shutting out our foreign markets right after the World War.
"The real tragedy of the American farmer is his failure to remain in his world . ... He was the only member of society who could subsist at home without regard for the economic laws which applied to all others." What do you mean? That the farmer should go back to weaving his own cloth, spinning the yarn and knitting his socks and mittens? The farmer is a big buyer and what would the other fellows who are now making those things which the farmers formerly made do? Are you going to stop the wheels of progress and go back one hundred years when you were children in a small city? The town people kept a cow and some pigs in order to have their own milk and raise their meat. But it was better that the cows and pigs be kept out in the country and that the farmer exchange this product for the other fellow's product. It was better if it could have been done fairly.
"But today the farmer has abandoned his homespun character and has attempted to become a part of the business and industrial world in which he does not fit." Good heavens ! Mr. Editor, you do not mean to think that the farmer is not part of the business and industrial world "in which he does not fit"? He is the biggest part of the business and industrial world of this United States. There is more work, capital and brains employed in this farm business than in any other line of business of this country. I would like to know why we do not fit. The farmer in the last ten years has furnished the bulk of the progressive ideas, and if Alf Landon is elected presi- dent you can give the farmers credit for it. This whole new movement of the Republican party sprung from the "Grass Roots."
"He has abandoned his real character in an attempt to
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become an important factor in a new world." He is not attempt- ing to become an important factor. He is now, and always has been. He was the fellow who always raised an abundance of products to supply home demands and sold enough abroad to bring a big balance of trade in our favor. This furnished capital to start up other industries. Whenever the farmers' products went on the market money came out of its hiding and business was good.
"Unfortunately the farmer has sacrificed most of his in- dependence. He has sent his boys to agricultural college, etc." Does education sacrifice one's independence? The farmers are getting educated and they are not like the peasants of Europe. They know what is right and just and they are going to have it. I do not know of any farmers that "plowed up the kitchen garden and tore down the chicken coops." They are work- ing a darned sight more in the gardens than city people who might have a garden. There is not one-tenth as many farmers going to the movies as there are city people, although they have just as good a right to do it. As to burning up the roads with autos, they are all doing it and the farmer has just as good a right as anybody. You can't have progress and have every- body enjoying it but the farmer and he sit back and remain stationary. If the world moves the farmer is going to move with it.
There is not so much difference as you seem to believe. Human nature is about the same whether it is in the country or city and it takes the new blood from the country entering into the business of the city to keep it going. Another thing if you, Editor, had your way all the young people would leave the farms, and when the old ones died off what would you do then ?
Instead of denying the farmer the comforts and luxuries of the present time, let's all go to work and produce and put the product on the market as cheaply as the farmer does. Then all will have a plenty-and we will have prosperity. But don't ask the farmer to withdraw from the world of business. It would be hard on you.
AUTO ACCIDENTS
Down in New York state they are making a thorough in- vestigation of auto accidents. There has been 79,592 in which 2,917 people were killed and 101,870 were injured. With all their investigation they find the drunken driver is the greatest menace. We all know that, but tell me why Hammond and about every other berg, who are making a desperate effort to lessen auto accidents, do not mention the drunken driver.
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FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
What a wonderful thing this "Freedom of the Press" is that they can print what they want to especially if it is paid for by good advertisers who pay good money to "bamboosel" the public. On one page of the Chicago Tribune are two articles. One an advertisement showing the freedom of the press, "Lucky for you it is a light smoke for your throat's sake. It pays to guard your throat against irritation, against coughs. Reach for a Lucky," "It's toasted." Yes, and all that rot is humbug.
On top of another page is a big heading, "Not whiskey, but lack of food is drinker's peril." The article goes on to say, "The trouble is they take a drink or two before breakfast and then do not feel hungry so they do not eat. There were 75 alcoholic patients with whiskey paralysis which affects the arms and legs, several had insanity, delusions, loss of memory, and confusion of thinking. They were cured by giving them some good whole- some food such as eggs, milk, beefsteak, orange juice, etc."
The treatment took from two weeks to four months. It seems that if you eat plenty of nutritious food with the whiskey it won't paralyze you so bad. But if we can understand English it has not made out its case that whiskey is of any particular benefit to human system. But it has shown that good whole- some food is so good as to overcome the bad effects of whiskey. And if drinking whiskey destroys the appetite for good food and whiskey without good food causes paralysis and insanity ; any but a fool would quit drinking whiskey. But our big papers have "freedom of the press" and if they are paid enough they will publish those things.
THE FARM PROBLEM IS THE TARIFF PROBLEM
It must be somewhat of a surprise to some of those fellows that did not consider the farmer was worth considering, when the republican party years ago was so much interested in pro- moting the interests of American industry, agriculture was never considered until trade relations got out of balance and brought on the panic. Some days ago the Chicago Tribune had a cartoon representing a banquet of business men, bankers, manufacturers, labor, industry and middlemen. And the poor farmer was bringing on the food and he says, "I furnish it all." That was before-now the farmer is seated at the table and Mr. Landon and Mr. Roosevelt are waiting on the farmer. Mr. Landon says, "I can highly recommend this." Mr. Roosevelt with a big arm- ful says, "Won't you try some of this?" Nothing is too good for him now. He can have anything he wants; and from all -382-
the offerings he is getting he should be able to pick out some- thing that would be of permanent benefit. The Democratie tripple A is only a makeshift trying to make a right out of two wrongs. The farm question is the tariff question and it seems the American people are bound to have a protective tariff and the tariff does not protect the farmer, when we have a surplus -and we generally have and will have in the future when we have a favorable season. So something has got to be done to keep that surplus from breaking down the home price so that the price of the farm products is corresponding to the price of other products. We do not want control of supply for that is dangerous. We want control of price. Of all the schemes put up yet the MeNary-Haugen bill was the most just and reasonable and it was passed twice by a non-partisan vote in Congress only to be twice vetoed by a Republican president.
The big fight at the Kansas City Republican convention in 1928 by the farmers was for Lowden and the MeNary-Haugen bill. The farmers lost both the plank and Lowden. Then some of the leading farmers went to the Democratic convention at Houston where they promised them what they wanted. But it was another thing to get the idea into law as the House turned the bill down. When Roosevelt was a candidate for president he agreed to what the farmers wanted but when the brain trust got in their work they gave them the triple A which was not what the best thought of men like George N. Peek and ex-gov- ernor Lowden wanted. The last national Farm Bureau meeting went on record as favoring the AAA as a permanent policy. Peek and Lowden are two of the best informed men in the interest of Agriculture we have here in the United States. Lowden is advising with them and they both are supporting Landon and Landon was the choice of the farm belt and is governor of a farm State so my best judgment tells me to support Landon in the interest of the farmer as well as the general interest of this United States.
"BACK TO THE LAND"
Henry Ford of auto fame has been advocating "Back to the Land." Workmen in the city factories should get out in the country and have an acre or more of land to build their home on and have a garden and some hens to lay the eggs for the family and if they had enough land let them keep a cow for the family milk. The president's wife has been promoting some- thing of the kind. The idea is generally in the air. They find an apartment in a flat is very fine and comfortable when wages are good and plenty of money; but when the mills close down
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and no job is to be had they begin to turn their eyes to mother earth-where all good things come from-for a place where they can exist, even if it is only an acre of ground and a small home. The five day week and the six hour day in the factory will give the workmen plenty of time to fix up their home, grow their vegetables, and have a flower garden in the front yard which would be much better to thus use their spare time than what most of them do about town. At least that seems to be the idea of V. A. Place, real estate agent at Crown Point, and a bunch of business men at Gary, who have secured a big tract of land east of Merrillville on the Lincoln highway and are divid- ing it up into acre tracts or more as people want. Mr. Place seems to have the lead so far, as he has sold a good many tracts. Some houses are built and more are under construction. The Gary people call theirs "The Green Acres." The tract lies east of Mr. Place's on both sides of the Lincoln highway and extends south to the new Lincoln highway and the second cross road east of Merrillville, running north and south, divides their tract. So they have road frontage galore. They are making some sales, but not so many buildings are up. They are just getting it under way. Have an office built and are anxious to do business.
They have enough land to make a large town if they can induce people to settle on it. Even if they do give them an acre or two apiece. At first blush we would think Ross Town- ship was getting showers of blessings, attracting so many people here, but these families are going to have children to educate and the children are going to out-balance the wealth or taxable property that these people bring into the township. Therefore will it be a benefit or a detriment to have this increase of popula- tion with their small amount of taxable property? Merrillville's increased population from the mills of Gary and Independence hill, who are mill workers, have increased our school popula- tion so much that we have had to increase our school accommo- dations and right now we are crowded and have got to build more. And if Mr. Place and "Green Acres" bring in a lot more children without bringing in a corresponding amount of taxable property where will we be at? We think Ross Town- ship had better be in favor of the Farm Bureau proposition of a lump sum collected by the state for educational purposes and distributed to the different schools according to the amount of scholars. That should give each child in the State an equal op- portunity for an education whether they lived in the city or country or whether they lived in northern Indiana or southern Indiana. Then if Gary wanted to send their children to Ross township to be educated they would help pay for it.
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WHY THE LANDSLIDE FOR ROOSEVELT?
There must be some reason for the big vote cast for Presi- dent Roosevelt. The one big reason is everything is going bet- ter than when he took office-whether or not his administration should have the credit for it. Farm prices are better and many farmers give Roosevelt credit for it. Labor as a whole feels the president is trying to do the right thing by them so he had many friends, and his opposition did not seem to cut as big a swath as was expected. Al Smith, Father Coughlin, etc., etc., did not deliver the vote when it came to a show down. But one of the main reasons goes a way back.
Labor and the farmers have been with the Republican party supporting protection and prosperity. Protect our manu- facturers from the competition of Europe and they would give labor high wages and make a home market for the farmer's crops at a high price. Vote for protection and prosperity. "A full dinner pail." "Don't have to compete with the pauper Labor of Europe." You make us rich and we will divide with the rest of you. What was the results? A few got immensely rich. "The great wealth of the country got into the hands of a few." It was protection and prosperity for the few at the expense of the many. Instead of keeping business on an even keel making it possible for the different interests to trade with one another every thing got out of balance and we busted wide open with the machine in a wreck and stuck in the mud. About that time we had an election and they did not like the kind of "prosperity" we were having and so they selected a different manager who went to work with energy and determination to get things going again. He was a real boss and told them what to do and they did it at his command. One thing was to furnish plenty of grease to apply on this broken down machine and they have applied it on every crank and bearing until they got her going on second and the captain who has just lately been re- hired for what he has done says he will soon have her running on high. Through the twelve years of Harding's, Coolidge's and Hoover's administrations they lived on the reputation of the G. O. P. and we had the Tea Pot dome in Harding's term and both Coolidge and Hoover vetoed the McNary-Hougen bill after it had passed Congress by a big majority. Coolidge saying it was unconstitutional because it was class legislation. For the same reason the protective tariff was unconstitutional. Any- thing a certain class wanted was constitutional but what the other fellows wanted was not. And the other fellow (The farmers and labor) could not see where they were getting the great blessing out of this "protection" so they are voting for Roosevelt.
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WHEN WILL SELFISHNESS END ?
People formerly went out in the world and went to work at something. When they thought they could do better at some- thing else they went to work at that. Each was a guide unto themselves and each worked out their own salvation and stood on his own feet. Now it is organization, co-operation and de- termination to scheme for betterment for each separate interest whether or not it is fair and just for the people as a whole. In the first place "Big Business" went before Congress and got laws passed giving them the advantage over the rest of the people. Labor, seeing they were making immense fortunes de- manded more wages. That caused the price of manufactured products to be high in price and then the farmer wanted more for his product. Right now, today, this condition of things seem to be worse than usual. Only the big interests seem to be taking to cover and wondering what will come next. They have acted the hog and grabbed off too much and labor has found its power in the vote and begin to realize its strength and they are going to demand about all that they can think of for labor and we wonder if they won't be going beyond reason and common sense. We have talked about the tyranny of capital, but deliver us from the tyranny of labor, if they mass their power and use it.
Our idea is with the mass of ignorant voters and the crime record of many of the leaders of the labor organizations. We have reason to doubt their capacity for honest constructive business that will bring good results in this country.
The seaman's strike is on, tying up trade and commerce and causing the loss of millions of dollars to innocent people that have no connection with the strike. We have the walkout strike, the sit-down strike, the lay-down strike, the folded arm strike and several other kind of strikes. Even the corn huskers went on a strike-they were paid 7 cents a bushel for husking corn and they wanted 8 cents. The farmer bought a corn husking machine and told the strikers he did not need them. Last week the National American Farm Bureau met at Pasadena, California, and they propose to use every effort found necessary to maintain price levels of farm products in line with the American standard of wages and living to assure agriculture its rightful share of nation- al income. Here we go, up, up, up! Workers demand that they be kept up with the rest. When is it going to end? Probably when we get it built up high enough it will all fall in a heap and have another what they call a "Depression."
It could be named very properly, the fool's mistakes. Nature has so blessed this country with wealth of lands and mines that
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it will stand lots of abuse by the people that live in it, but there must be a limit to their "damphoolishness" and show a little common sense or we can wreck the best country on earth.
WHERE ARE WE GOING FROM HERE?
If I were president of the United States, governor of a state or mayor of a city, my first determination would be to protect life and property and give everyone an equal chance in the race of life. That would mean that no big corporation could bulldoze the workmen nor could the workmen bulldoze the cor- porations.
We should have law and order and when our government cannot sustain that, we have a government of mobs. The Le- gion demanded the bonus and they got it by bulldozing Congress. The hungry march on the capital-take possession and say they are going to stay there until they get what they want.
At the South Bend Bendix plant they sat down-going to stay there until they get what they want.
At the Midland Steel Products plant in Detroit is another "set down" strike. They have taken in food and bedding and are going to stay there. 1200 of them are running things to suit themselves and intend to continue until they get their demands satisfied.
Dock workers and seamen are on a strike holding up com- merce and traffic. We will let no one starve but we will let everybody strike. Is this government or mob rule?
I say this government cannot be run for long that way. We must have law and order. If we do not have it in the long run it will be harder on the working-man than anybody else. Con- ditions in more ways than one are getting bad and still the mass of American people don't seem to care. Full grown men and women will meet in their organizations and twaddle around about something that does not amount to much and let the country go on the rocks. We talk about the good qualities of our fore-fathers. Had they had no more courage and deter- mination than we have we would have been there long ago.
December 1936 POLITICS
The curse of good, honest, just government is rotten politics. The cause of rotten politics is the lazy, cowardly, indifferent attitude of the so-called good citizen.
If the so-called good citizen thinks this statement is wrong, prove it through the pages of the Calumet Weekly News.
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