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k WASHINGTON
By Walter Shead
WNVCmeMM
Mail From Home
WNU Washington Bateau
621 Uaiaa Trust Building.
(CONGRESSIONAL mail from
Home Towns of the country this
week was swamped with postcards
and letters favoring the pay increase
for postal employees, testifying to
the efficacy of the postal employees'
organization. Next came "gripes"
against the beleaguered OPA and
then there was a sprinkling of in
quiries concerning unemployment.
And that's important and leads to
the question, "What is being done
in your community to combat any
prospective unemployment?"
That there will be unemployment
of both men and women during these
next few months of cutbacks and re
conversion is certain. Workers will
be laid off in certain war industries.
In other industries work time will be
shifted back to the 40-hour week with
a resultant decrease in overall pay
of about 20 per cent.
It is estimated here, however, that
approximately a million and a half
jobs are readily available to these
unemployed from war plants, in the
small towns and rural communities 1
of the nation. Farmers could read
ily use another million workers on
the forms.
Four filling stations are short
a man or two. The cream sta
tion, the groceries, hardware
stores, service shops, the depart
ment and general stores, the five
and ten and the variety stores,
the banks, restaurants, the co
operatives, the lumber yards
and feed mills, the garages, the
drug stores and even the ice
cream parlors, and the taverns
. , . all these can use one or
more employees.
Some of these letters to the con
gressmen point out that business
men and others are loath to take on
additional help now for the reason
they expect war veterans home this
year who will apply for their old j
jobs. It is true that some million j
and a half veterans are to be re- ;
leased by the army this year. The
records show, however, that of those
veterans, totaling more than a mil- j
lion, who have been released up to
this time, less than 30 per cent have
applied for their old jobs. The ex
perience further shows, that in many
thousands of cases, these returning
veterans do not expect to go back
to work in their home towns. They
want to visit the folks, of course,
but they do not expect to settle
? down in the same old job and cir
cumstances they left before the war.
They plan different work in different
fields and in what they consider
greener pastures. They have grown,
their horizons broadened, and many
thousands will return to finish their
education under the provisions of the
G. I. BiU of Rights.
Some progressive towns have al
ready taken steps to publicize their
need for workers. The chamber of
commerce, or even service clubs,
such as Rotary, Kiwanis or Lions,
or in some instances committees
named by the mayor or town coun
cil have made careful surveys list
ing the needs of every business in
the town in the way of labor. Farm
organizations, or the county agent
have canvassed the farm territory
to determine the needs of the farm
Are for farm lahnr
In some cases these lists have been
filed with the nearest United States
Employment office with excellent re
sults. In other instances the local
paper has undertaken a campaign to
publicize the needs of the town. If
there is a local factory which has
been manufacturing a war product
and has been shut down or likely
, will be shut down even temporarily,
this survey could readily place the
workers in your own community. i
It is pointed out here that if every
small town and community in the
nation thus made known the labor j
it could immediately absorb, it
would not only be helpful to the mer
chants and business men in the town,
increase the purchasing power of
* the community, but it would help
take up the slack in unemployment
to the tune of some 2H million work
ers without any lost motion.
? ? ?
Discharge Plan.
If your boy, husband or father is
eligible for discharge tinder the 85
point rating, don't expect him home
too soon. It may take months to
move him from Europe or the Pa
cific.
And another thing, don't expect to
rush out and bijy a new automobile,
washing machine, radio, vacuum
cleaner or other household equip
ment within the next few weeks.
It will be the latter part of the year
before these things are on the mar
ket and probably after the first of
the year before they are available in
I any quantity. And in spite of the
announcement that 1942 prices will
prevail, don't expect to buy the same
quality you bought in 1942 at the 1942
price. It appears to this reporter
that the trend here is to relax price
controls to some extent, which
means upward, on all manufactured
articles. Materials for civilian
needs are still rcrrce and high and
labor wsges are almost bound to it
A SURPRISING number of let
ters have come to thia desk
asking about the deal wherein Mort
Cooper of the Cardinals was traded
to the Boston Braves.
Our only answer to these queries
is that baseball is strictly a business.
For example the Cooper brothers,
Mort and Walker,
Mort Cooper
Ci * !_
as a oattery,
would have been
cheap at $40,000
a year to t'he
Yankees or the
Giants, for two
examples. But
they happened to
belong to the
Cardinals, who
could afford no
such outlay with
the fan support
oi. ujuis gives its ball clubs. In the
way of attendance, St. Louis is only
a fair baseball city. It was none too
hot last season with two pennant
winners. The attendance figures
prove all this. It isn't a matter of
argument.
So when a pitcher sneb as Mort
Cooper comes along and happens to
be St. Louis property, he is oat of
luck. Affiliated with another club he
might get almost double the price
St. Louis can pay him.
Mort Cooper, however, used bad
judgment in the way he handled his
side of the argument. He should
never have left Billy South worth
stranded, without any warning. For
Southworth is a square shooter, who
is for his men.
ISot Very Smart
One of the main tangles in base
ball is that few club owners are
smart, and most ball players are in
the same fix. There is more than a
little smartness on the field in base
ball, but not much smartness off the
field. This includes the players and
the owners.
Ball players like to win. And yet
many good ones have to go to sure
second division or tail end teams,
where they get less money and are
usually overlooked. They get all the
worst of it. But if all the good ball
players went to New York, Detroit,
Brooklyn and the better paying
cities, there would be no big leagues
as the setup exists today.
There should be a new distribu
tion of baseball cities. There are cer
tain towns that can't handle two
big league teams. St. Louis is one.
Maybe Boston is another. Certainly
such cities as Los Angeles and Balti
more could do a far better job in
the way of supporting crowds. De
troit could handle two big league
clubs, but the American League
wants no National League competi
tion. It is all badly muddled.
? ? *
Those Early Days
A few days ago we ran into an
old pal, who at the age of 86, is
still as spry as two Mexican jump
ing beans. He is the sole survivor of
the old St. Louis Browns who won
four pennants in a row in 1885 to '88.
Arlie Latham, as an umpire, was
something on the order of Tim Hurst
and Silk O'Loughlin.
I asked Arlie a few days ago who
was the best ball player he worked
with in those earlier days.
"He was a kid named Ty Cobb,
playing with Augusta," Arlie said.
"He was always crowding the plate,
so I couldn't see it. He was always
ready to fight with everybody for his
rights, including the umpires and
the other ball players. He was only
17 or 18 years old. But he could
do everything ? hit, run, field and
win ball games. He'd lay down a
bunt and beat it out. He'd steal two
bases. Then he'd hit a triple ? and
try to steal home. To most of us
umpires, he was a pest. We didn't
have enough eyes to follow him.
That was the best minor league
team I ever saw ? Ty Cobb, Eddie
Cicotte, Nap Rucker, Ducky Holmes
?and a few more. And none of them
brought over $750. Cobb was one of
the cheaper sales?to Detroit."
This reminded me of the older
days in the South when I was called
on, as a young sportswriter in Nash
ville, to recommend a few south
ern leaguers. My four selections at
that time were Joe Jackson, with
New Orleans, Jake Daubert with
Nashville, Tris Speaker with Little
Rock and Nap Rucker with Augusta.
The Brooklyn club refused to pay
$5,000 for Joe Jackson, the greatest
natural hitter that ever lived.
The Cleveland club sent for Jake
Daubert?and turned him back be
cause he couldn't hit. He only led
the National League in hitting in
1913 and 1914, with Brooklyn ? one
of the best hitters the National
League has ever known. And Cleve
land needed a first baseman badly.
But Daubert couldn't hit.
'Crude,' but Great
Ab Powell said Nap Rucker was
too crude. That's what they said
about Rube Waddell, Shufflin' Phil
Douglass, Dizzy Dean, Bugs Ray
mond and Grover Cleveland Alexan
der. A trifle crude?I'll admit. But
I'd like to own a ball club with those
five pitchers. So would you. if you
knew anything about baseball.
Most of these were not heroic
characters. But when they stepped
into the box, a majority of the big
hitters of their day wanted to throw
their bats away.
Buttons Give Dramatic Accent
To Dresses, Bags, Belts* Gloves
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
i
DUTTON drama takes the spot
light in the summer showings of 1
America's leading designers. But- 1
tons of every size and description 1
are giving dramatic accent to the '
smartest hats, bags, belts and i
gloves in addition to providing i
glamour trimmings for every type 1
of dress from sports to formal eve- I
ning gowns. More highly important
news about buttons is that they have i
become the latest inspiration to cos- I
tume jewelry designers. <
This vogue for button decor on
simple wartime fashions offers a par- '
ticularly happy inspiration to home
dressmakers with a thrifty eye on
makeovers. With a wonderful array
of plastic buttons in jeweled, floral
and lacy effects available at the no
tion counters of local sewing cen
ters, along with a variety of decora
tive ceramic button styles and love
ly simulated metal buttons with
jeweled centers, it's easy for any
amateur to glamorize simple
clothes and accessories with button
magic.
You can get buttons from thumb
to oversized and bulky types and
you can get expert advice at sew
ing centers as to size, style and
color of buttons with relation to the
garment they will adorn, or the ac
cessory they are to dramatize. For
instance, a simple black bareback
dress with a modish white cape as
shown in the illustration (right) can
be given unusual distinction by add
ing a scalloped border of black
fabric to the cape fronts accenting
each scallop with a huge flower
shaped aqua plastic button. The
costume touch is achieved by using
buckles for the dress belt that match
the cape buttons.
The two-piece suit-dress of violet
featherweight flannel to the left
shows what an amateur teen-ager
:an do in glamorizing her simple
-lothes with button decor by talcing
tier cue from high-fashion. For
instance new chic is given to
tier classic felt beanie cap by scal
loping the edges and sewing plas
tic buttons on in pleasing array,
rhe accessorizing trick is repeated
in her matching drum-shaped hand
bag with buttons ranged around the
top and bottom cuffs. Billiard green
braid trimming outlines the collar
less bellhop jacket with weskit-like
Fronts. The heart-shaped pocket with
button-made ornament perched high
on either side of the front opening
and the bracelet length sleeves are
chic details.
Possibilities for giving button
Fillip to accessories are endless.
Note centered above in the group il
lustrated above how easily the popu
lar wide headband can be glorified
with diagonal rows of white but
tons, widely spaced across the sur
face of the band.
If you want to dress up a pair of
plain gloves, look for those irresist
ible ceramic buttons that are per
fect reproductions of fresh flowers
They can be anchored on the top of
the glove as shown at upper right
corner, in a twinkling with just a
few stitches. For a charming en
semble repeat the buttons on a vel
vet band worn about the throat.
One of the really smart ideas for
your velvet-banded snood is to stud
the mesh (shown circled below)
with tiny pink lacy buttons. You'll
And this idea plenty glamorous for
daytime or evening wear.
Buttons used in a jewelry way
present a most fascinating new
theme. They are fashioned into hat
pins, earrings, cuff links, fobs,
brooches, hair ornaments, necklaces
and bracelets. Tiny "flower buttons
can easily be transformed into ear
rings by pasting the fastener gadget
from an old pair to the backs of the
buttons.
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
Sty led for Summer
Meet one of fashion's prettiest pin
up summer girls. Here she is per
fectly styled in a summery all-white
ensemble save for a dash of color in
the contrast piping that finishes off
the short sleeves and breast pockets.
The idea of color accent on white is
one designers are interpreting in
many ways. Contrast piping is one
way of doing it as here shown; also
colorful embroidery on white is very '
much in evidence. The wide-brim
bat and the modish fishnet-trimmed
bag also make all-white their theme.
Lovely White Frocks
Of Organdy, Pique
Those pretty-pretty black sheers
and those gay and lovely print
frocks that every woman loves
have a rival this summer. It's the
simple white frock made of dainty
sheers, pique or eyeleted sheers.
These "simple whites" bring with
them all the romance and feminine
charm of the ycster years. There's
nothing prettier . for a young girl
than a youthfully styled white-upon
white shadow print organdy with
a subtle touch of exquisite lace here
and there. This is exactly what they
are showing this year for summer
dress-up wear. This seasons eye
leted white fabrics are too lovely
for words and they are made up
in most intriguing ways, minus fuss
or furbelows, for the beautiful ma
terial speaks for itself Eyeleted
pique vies with the eyeleted sheers.
Hand pa in ting on white organdy or
crepe is a feature being much 'ex
ploited. v
Flower Wreaths and Jabots
The many new ways of wearing
flowers introduced this season be
speak infinite glamour for the forth
coming "summer girl." This year
it is the flower wreath she will
wear on her pretty head, matched
with flowers at her throat arranged
in the new Jabot silhouette which is
perfectly charming.
Pan-American Colors
Vivid Pan-American colors enliven
smart sportswear fashions. A mid
riff play dress of black window pane
checks on blue cotton is trimmed
with a magenta cord at neckline and
sleeves. The magenta is repeated
on an embroidered hemline about
the skirt.
-
Pretty Mother and
Daughter Bonnets
A PRETTY sight on a hot sum
** mer's day?a young mother
and her pretty little daughter in
crisp ginghams and stiffly starched
matching white hats. Crochet
these gay bonnets in all-white or
pale pastel colored cotton yarn.
? ? ?
To obtain complete crocheting instruc
tions for the Mother and Daughter Dutch
Bonnets (Pattern No. 5675) send 16 cents
in coin, your name, address and the pat
tern number.
Due to an unusually large demand and
current war conditions, slightly more time
Is required in Oiling orders for a few ot
the moat papular pattern numbers.
Send your order to:
SEWING CIRCLE NEEDLEWORK
11M Sixth Are. New York. N. Y.
Enclose 16 cents tor Pattern
No
Address ,
uwrmmomam 1
freshJEyready Batteries ]|
"Sm, FUhl Lika thlsr ^*3^ ? p
Good KrWB-beah, dated "Ever- l\
eady N flaehlifht batteries are back! N. WflHlfM
The War Production Board haa ijflfl?'??'/ IMIIpP
author iaed production of tbaaa \ jdjU'/jl''' / 3! IXTSfU
powerful batteries for civilian use. \ if l?SW?
Oianrra are you 13 find them at ^
Be rare to look for the famoua
iateJme that amnrea a /mat hat- f^VT3 | j
teryretrytime...theaatgrwajrto I %fl 3 t? 3tV|\v
be certain at dependability and
lone life.
Tie tetau?d ?raf? wart "t?rmd," tiaiafemkm preiectt ef Neiieif Otea Ci?fumy. he.
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QJou/l fojunJjuf yb&d&u JJvuvt!
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Added Mileage,
Longer Wear,
Guaranteed Materials *
and Workmanship
'Plot
The Famous Firestone
DeLuxe Champion
Gear-Grip Tread Design
fi70
Other Sises
^ hipirfltthi) Leer
tread rubber ft reliable i> nei *1ry be
Painstaking cere plna ftctenuflc factory ?atlrted vttb leee when It la eo tftipeelrftil
methods ftaaure you the loeat recapping fob tbeae dayi to get the beet? Keeap at
f ' ' 1 money eaa bay. Only the hlgheet quality rtreeteoe and know yea have the beat I
Have Your Truck Tiros ?
RECAPPED ?
with tho Firestone *
Transport Troad Design *
An tdrmcad trud dtdfn ti?t maui rapartor traction, *
much loafor It la th? mm fum trod
ilalpi pontotoc mwnwtiTiiniial Track Tlrn.
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YOU GET THE SAME EXTRA VALUES
WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR TRACTOR TIRES
Ifff RETREADED THE FIRESTONE WAY *
?' 1 ? .. . - . . - ? ^
11 I