. ? - i ... .n. .1
The Alamance Gleaner
V?J I.TXI ... .. ]
GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1945 No. 36
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Chart Economic Reform for Japs;
Back Vets' Rights to Old Jobs;
U.S. Acts to Settle Oil Strike
. Released by Western Newspaper Union
UUWW1 Hot*; When eplaleas are espresseS la these selamas. the; are these el
?Mil !? lews payer Ualea'e news aaalrele sad aet aecessarUy el this aewspaper.l
Oat ?a strike of elevator operators' union In New York, girls picket
Kmftn State building As a result of walkout, thousands of workers were
fssuad Is toil up lights of staircases to reach offices.
JAPAN:
Economic Checkup
lb Gen. Douglas MacArthur went
?k task at supervising the economic
reformation of Ja
fail cu a pai v ui uw
U. S. program to de
stroy Nippon's war
making potential
and promote wide
spread opportunity
in a nation formerly
dominated by four
great business
houses.
As MacArthur
bent to the task, the
pruspecis rose uiai
?at a I~aapi i '^e personal fortune
of Emperor Hiro
tsls would be divulged, revealing
Mb as ooe of the world's-weelthiest
pi mmi Though the Mikado's as
sets are known to only a select few,
Me imperial family maintains a
losr-story concrete building com
piste with staff on the palace
gi sills to keep its accounts.
Indicative of the vastness of Hiro
hato's holdings, the emperor pos
sesses stock in every Japanese
iall ipi im, since a bloc of shares
are allotted to the emperor by a
corporation upon organising. Of the
Ha.SM shares of the Bahk of Ja
pan. Hlrohito reputedly owns 140,000.
Besides the Mikado, the great
hirainess houses of Mitsubishi, Sumi
tomo. Yasuda and Mitsui possess the
greatest holdings in Japanese enter
prise. with their share estimated
a* over half the total.
Under the U. S. program, steps
will be favored for the dissolution
af these politically influential insti
tutkms with their grip over banking,
industry and commerce. Policies
will be pushed tor a wider distribu
tion of income and ownership of
productive and sales facilities, and
encouragement given for the devel
opment of democratic labor and
agricultural organizations.
In stripping Japan of its war
making potential, the U. S. will pro
hibit the operation of industries
adaptable to war production. As in
the case of Germany, manufacture
af aircraft is to be prohibited and
dipping is to be limited to immedi
ate trade needs. U. S. authorities
aim will supervise Japanese indus
trial research.
As MacArthur's staff undertook
aa accounting of Japanese assets as
tee first step in the implementation
af ecanotnic reform, the general or
dered Premier Higashi-Kuni's gov
ernment to institute immediate wage
and price controls and ration com
madtttea to head off extreme priva
te* among the country's 80,000,
Ute Japanese experts figuring it
Mil lake Ninrvwi from turn in five
fan to get back on its feet, they
?ngmd that the U. S. sell the coun
try tot million pounds of cotton with
hi toe next year in addition to SO roil
?aa poanrii of wool; 3 million tons of
?toe; S million tons of salt; 900 thou
aaad tans of sugar; 3 million barrels
of afl, sad 3 million tons of steel.
VOW:
Tm Curb Output
Dedsifeg commodity production
?sals should reflect consumer de
asaad rather than maximum abili- 1
to tar output. Secretary of Agricul
tore Ctortoa Anderson indicated that
toe government's IMS farm pro- I
gsa aaay call lor smaller harvests '
to^tosw afdacreased miliUry and |
to ssaUag his views known inn I
conference with farm bureau repre
sentatives in Washington, D. C., An
derson also raised the possibility o f
imposing marketing quotas to re
strict the heavy output of certain
crops.
At the same time, Secretary An
derson joined President Truman in
assuring the farm bureau men that
the government would back its com
mitment to support commodity
prices at not less than 90 per
cent of parity for two years after
the official end of the war.
VETS:
Job Rights
Clarifying the rehiring provision
of the selective service act, draft
officials declared that a returning
veteran has an absolute right to his
former position, or one of like
status,' even if it means the dis
charge of a worker with higher
seniority.
At the same time, the officials
stated tfiat no veteran would be re
in further lowering; the point
score for overseas duty, the army
revealed that enlisted men whose
credits or age, as of September 2,
1945, equal or ezeeed 36, or who
are 37 years old or 34 years old
with more than one year of serv
ice, will be exempt. Also exempt
are male officers with 48 points;
army doctors and dentists with 45
points or 46 years of age; vet
erinary and medical administra
tive officers with 36 points or 35
years of age; dietitians and phys
ical therapy aides with 18 points
or 30 years of age, and nurses
with 12 points or 36 years of age.
quired to take union membership in
regaining his old position, since the
law makes no provision for such
conditions as a basis for his re-em
ployment.
In handing down its ruling on vet
job rights, draft officials directly
Ciasnea wiln uie unions, wmcn nave
stood (or the rehiring of soldiers on
a seniority basis, but opposed their
re-employment in preference to oth
ers with longer working records at
affected plants.
LABOR:
Fuel Threat
Secretary Lewis Schwellenbach's
new streamlined labor department
received its first real test as federal
conciliators moved to bring about
settlement of the CIO oil workers'
demands for a 30 per cent wage in
crease before a growing strike threat
imperiled the nation's fuel supply.
Early negotiations were snagged
by the union's demand that discus
sions be held on an industry-wide
basis and the companies' equal in
sistence that agreements be effect
ed by individual refineries. In ask
ing a 30 per cent wage increase,
the oil workers reflected the general
CIO aim of maintaining wartime
"take-home" pay by bringing 40
hour-per-week wages up to the total
of the former Sl-hour week.
In other labor trouble, 00,000
northwest AFL lumber workers
struck to press demands for a 11.10
hourly minimum compared with the
present scale ranging upward from
70 cents, while 13,000 AFL elevator
operators and building service em
ployees paralyzed service fat over
1,000 New York skyscrapers by
walking out in protest of a War La
bor board grant of $30.06 for a 44
hour small instead el the $10.16 asked
tor 40 boon.
GERMANY:
Occupation Progresses
Following close on General Mao
Arthur's announcement that no more
than 200,000 troops would be needed
within the next year to occupy
Japan, it was revealed that U. S.
authorities hoped to trim the post
war force in Germany to less than
400,000 by next spring and reduce
it to skeletonal dimensions within a
few years.
Disclosure of occupation plans for
the shattered Reich coincided with
reports that the co-operative attitude
of the defeated Germans will permit
the early election of local govern
mental officials with balloting on a
county and state level following.
Meanwhile, the army revealed that
it was training hand-picked German
prisoners of war to aid in the ad
ministration and policing of occupied
territory. Selected after careful
screening, the PWs are taught Amer
ican and German history, the Eng
lish language and military govern
ment, and also are being accli
mated to democratic surroundings.
BIG FIVE:
ZVo Results
Failing of settlement of one im
portant problem, the Big Five coun
cil of foreisn ministers meetine in
London to map postwar Europe
moved for adjournment, with possi
bilities that the creation of peace
treaties with former axis satellites
may be directly negotiated between
the U. S., Britain and Russia.
The magnitude of the task of rec
onciling the conflicting interests of
the Allied powers in the European
theater was reflected in the difficulty
of disposing of pre-war Italian col
onies and strategic islands of the
Mediterranean; reshaping the Ital
ian-Yugoslav border; drawing up
peace treaties for the Russian dom
inated Balkans, agd internationali
zation of the vital waterways.
While the foreign ministers of the
Big Five were scheduled to reas
semble in November to receive the
recommendations of their deputies
on settlement of the thorny issues,
Russian opposition to French and
Chinese participation in the deliber
ations raised the possibility that di
rect negotiations between Washing
ton, D. C., London and Moscow may
be established as an alternative.
U. S. Gets New Auto
The most colorful mass produc
tionist of World War II, Henry
Kaiser announced arrangements for
his entrance into the low-priced
automobile field in league with the
Graham - Paige interests at the
sprawling Willow Run plant original
ly set up for manufacture of B-24s.
To effect the greatest efficiency
and economy, Graham - Paige will
also produce its medium-priced car
and line of tractors, farm imple
ments and rototiller along with the
new vehicle at Willow Run. Joseph
Joseph W. Frazer (left) and Henry
Kaiser.
W. Frazer. president of Graham
Paige, will act in the same offi
cial capacity in the new company
to be called the Kaiser-Frazer cor
poration, and Graham ? Paige will
share in a 250,000 purchase of stock
valued at $5,000,000 in the new firm.
Indicative of the cost of establish
ing a modern mass-production auto
mobile factory, Kaiser-Frazer will
invest $15,000,000 to be received
from total private and public stock
sales as follows: $2,000,000 for ma
chinery and equipment; $1,750,000
for tools, dies, jigs and fixtures; %lr
500,000 prepaid expenses; $1,750,000
deferred charges, and $8,028,800 for
general corporate purposes.
ATOMIC BOMB:
Future Ute
While congress worked up steam
over the future of the atomic bomb.
Pres. Harry S. Truman disclosed
that the lawmakers would be given
All responsibility for the control of
the devastating explosive.
Mr. Truman's decision to submit
the issue to congress came as Rep
resentative Arends (Rep., 111.) told
the house that he had learned that
an even more destructive missile
than the one which razed Hiroshima
had been developed. Calling upon
the government to establish a sci
entific board to devise a defensive
weapon against the atomic bomb,
Arends said one such explosive
could-kill millions of city-dwellers.
Meanwhile, Senator Downey
(Dem., Calif.) asked that the U. S.
turn over the atomic bomb to the
United Nations organization so that
general possession would lessen the
chances at Its military development
while at the same time encouraging
?dtptitkio to pttfufal un|(.
On the New York
Scenic Railway:
The loa? parade and the exciting
band music in the tierce rains and
winds north along Fifth Avenue ?
with hardly anyone among the pedes
trians brave enough to pause and i
watch. (What dope insisted upon 1
that parade, anyhow, in such pneu- t
monia weather?) . . . The knots of ?
nuts cluttering up Columbus Circle '
? exercising their Constitutional >
rights with double talk about the I
next war. . . . The blinking elec- t
tricks on the Broadway signs em- 1
bellished by the penmanship of the '
furiously falling rain. . . . The 90th
Street management's reply to frees- c
ing tenants: "No heat until October '
1st!" The Waldorf has it, however.
. . ? Miss Liberty, everyone's favor
ite pin-up gal, winking happy helloa
to shiploads of returning veterans,
who fought for her honor.
The cacophony of buses, taxis,
trolleys, cars (and women) as they
merge at 34th and Broadway in what
seems like an inextricable tangle
then miraculously emerge agfcin
without a fender dented ? a sym
phony of NYClatter. . . . The aroma
of oncoming autumn heralding the j
return 01 King f ootball ana ran-ran
coon coats?the signal that Ma Na
ture's getting set to wield her brush
with those magic browns, yellows
and reds. . . . Staten Island's shore
line still brimming with the imple
ments of war. . . . Newly inducted
soldiers, without war ribbons?look
ing like overgrown Boy Scouts.
Broadway, washing her face of
war paint, trimming her war
time hustle and bustle and set
ting her coiffure with the bright
est ef lights for the postwar
hoopla. . . . Faces and facades,
absent for too long, reappearing
with Joyous smiles, like exiles
who've been given a reprieve.
. . . The red, white and .htae? J
service flags new flecked here
and there with stars of gold?
grim reminders of those who
fought the good flght and won't
come back.... The be-medaled
private, cane in hand, strutting
dawn Vth, tilting Us MaeArthur
? corncob pipe at a Jauntily pre
carious angle.
The book stores along the Gayer
White Way advertising "Social
Dancing" instead of "How to Pre
pare for Your Army I. Q. Test" . . .
The 42nd St. Army A Navy stores
offering "Tailor-Made Sailor Suits"
at reduced prices. . . . Drug-stores
with signs shouting, "Yes, We Have
Bobby Pins." . . The honey-sweet
"Thank you" from the cutie behind
the ciggie counter at the Waldorf.
. The dance hall on 7th Ave.
where the GIs go to cut a rug on
Saturday nights. It is called "The
Midtown Youthopia." . . . The sub
ways, returning to their eerie dawn
patrolling ? half empty, looking
semi-nude without their early ay em
sleepy war workers.
The chatterers Is Bryant Parte- -
trying to figure out what's worth
arguing about. . . . The medieval
architecture of St. Patrick's, getting
Its modern face-lifting ? grudgingly '
yielding to the hordes of busy work
ers while kids feed the pigeons on
the steps. . . . The faded picture
of FDR almost hidden in the side
window of a downtown picture gal
lery. . . . The wisies who diller-dol
lared their war tigie moo on non
sense and frilliea^eyefng the Wise
Men who sunk theirs in bonds?and
are holding on to them. . . . The big,
new department store being dug
at 53rd and Vth, with a knot bole |
fence knee high. . . . Sign in the ,
window of a 72d Street eatery? ,
"Waiter Wanted ? Bring Refer- ,
cocas."
... ,
The eeteifal ribbon of light ,
whirling a read the neck ef the
Times BUg. waring all that
reed news to the Bieadway
gapers. . . . The Brooklyn Navy
Yard and Its half Brisked ships.
. . . The ene-araed a lads a
(user on IT1*UI*<T ma *oru wns
battle ribbon ee hi* gray lu
ael elrrle*. . . . The long Mac of
waat-addleti la (root of lit
Madison Arcane U. 8. Employ
Beat ? (Sec*. . . . The Bowery
Joyat offering a "Victory Bath"
aad shearer for a dime. ... A
retaraiag air force eaptaia be
lag greeted with a sticky
"heleoee, dahleeeeaaag" freas a
sab-deb la aa East rtfttoth sob
eeDar. . . ? The Tower ef Babel
that eeagregates la the M. Mer
ita tabby bad spills eat ea the
slliasl* . . . That "sttaattaae
sister ad ta the^Thaes el a
A . * r _ - .*
Home Building Resumed, but It Will Be a Year or More1 1
Before Most People Can Expect Their Dream House' |
Material Shortages
Delay Construction
On Any Large Scale
By W. WADSWORTH WOOD
Government restrictions on build
ng of private houses ends October
f. This comes as heartening news
o the IS million families who are
?id to be ready and anxious to
mild new homes. Now these people
ire wondering: Should we sell our
?resent home or give op our lease
a the hope of building right awayT
Vh?t plans can we safely and eon
Idently make right now?
This question raises several other
ines, which may be summarized
hus:
1. What will building COSTS
be, la comparison with those of
prewar years?
t. Will conventional materials
such as lumber, brick, etc., be
of poorer quality than prewar?
S. What are the new and dif
ferent features and materials so
widely discussed for coming
homes? Are those miracles in
terms of revolutionary heating,
streamlined kitchens, and push
button laundries yet available?
Here is the result of serious think
ng, first on the subject of costs,
ffhile the government unofficially
estimates that home building coots
lave increased one-third (requiring
>ne thus to pay $8,000 for a house
hat could be built for $6,000 before
he war)?these costs are really apt
to run- somewhat higher. It may
lake $0,000 to build that former
16,000 home. This is partly because
labor costs are steadily rising, and
ra per cent of the total building costs
ire airecuy or indirectly labor
costs!
Residents in some sections of the
country, such ss in the South, may
confidently expect lower prices due
to the fact that the less severe cli
mates permit the elimination at
basements, sub-floors, etc. Less ex
pensive insulation, also less expen
sive central heating plants, prove
ade<]uate.
Recent wide and authoritative
studies, such as the two-year survey
conducted by Small Homes Guide,
reveal very pointedly why this tact
is so important They show that
47.4 per cent of families now plan
ning to build, expect to spend from
M.000 to 16,000. Another large per
centage, 30.7 per cent, plan to build
in the 06,000 to $10,000 class, while
only about 6 per cent are planning
to build in the $10,000 and better
class.
If these families are to get full
value for their" money, the home
building industry must hasten to
t limine te the traditional "hammer
tod-saw" practices of "cut-St-and
try." Certain union practices and
antiquated building codes, too long
bold intact by local pressure groups,
must also be changed.
We are frequently asked: "When
can we be sure of being able to get
good quality building materials?"
To this, our best authorities quickly
tell us that most of the hard materi
als such as cement, sand, lime,
?tone, etc., are plentiful. Brick and
cement block vary with the regional
manpower picture. Good, dry lum
ber is scarce, and the precise local
tituation here should be carefully
checked with a reputable lumber
dealer in your community.
Someone else asks: "What are the
newest developments in construction
material that T can sspeci to get
within the next six months?" Our
reply indicates that water pi out ply
wood, plastic-finished wallboards,
fireproof asphalt shingles; light met
al framing, complete package units:
prindows, doors, boflt-in closets, cab
inets, fireplaces, win aU be avail
able. These new Jet slainueiila tot
low the trend towards saving ex
pensive site labor costs.
While the home building restric
tions are being lifted, as of October
19, the announcement carries with
it a six-point program that involves
several directives aimed at correct
ing the present situation. These will
seek to hasten production of scarce
building materials; will strengthen
inventory controls to prevent hoard
ing; will expand OPA price control
of building materials to prevent in
flationary pressure; control mort
gage practices; facilitate action by
industry groups and widely advise
on home values. In the directive,
great stress is put upon the rapid
expansion of the home building in
dustry as the greatest single add
ed source of jobs in our entire econ
omy, and the statement is made
that: "we also know that the present
housing shortage is bound to con
tinue for some time and that there
may be pressure to Increase the
price of new homes in response to
an active demand."
In the light of these facts, thou
sands will be asking such questions
as this: "Should I renew my pres
ent lease which' expires in six
months, or try to build a new home
right away?" Wise advice would ap
pear to be this: Renew for one year.
A year and a half is not too much
time for thoughtful planning and
careful working out of your family's
requirements?from site selection to
the details of built-in storage facil
ities. There are countless houses
that could have been good houses if
a few extra months had been used
for planning.
Still other thousands will be ask
ing: "Should I sell the home I
own now, rent (or several years and
then plan to build?" To such, wise
counsel would be: Hold your borne,
as rents will be high and there will
be no sudden drop In real estate
values. First, because of rebuilding
costs due to higher wage levels, and
second, the very sizable backlog of
demand that will require several
years to satisfy. Start planning your
new home now. It will likely take
you a whole year to get through all
the steps carefully. Selection of your
new lot, title insurance, getting your
ideas Into blueprints, working draw
ings and specifications; getting bids,
negotiating the financing?all this
takes time.
Being very specific, others will
ask: "All I can afford to spend is
M.000. I need three bedrooms. What
can I expect?" Our frank advice Is
this: Not too much, if your total
includes the cost of a lot. You had
better choose a compact story-and
a-half design, and than plan to fin
ish the two uppee story bedrooms
and bath at a later date.
la the matter of home equipment, I
" S ' ' . '* - ..4 * |
"" V . a. A- J
Stone and wood combine to make this attractive boose. The built-iw
farace it one of Its most appealing features. Contractors estiaaate Ht
could be constructed for about S9.0M, wblcb Is within the range about one
third of home builders are wfllluf to pap.
Electric rtifM, refrigerators with deep-freese compartments, sinks
with built-in dishwashers, cabinets of all sixes . . . everything will be
ready far the new kitchen early next year.
a flurry of question* always center*
around: "What's new?" For exam
ple: "Will air conditioning be cheap
er than before the war?" Wall, as
suming that you refer to summer
cooling combined with air filtration,
de-humidifying and circulation, the
answer is Yes. Several mass pro
duction manufacturers are bringing
out new, efficient units that can be
added later to any forced warm air]
heating system. Others ask: "Will
the new kitchen devices cost less or
more than before the war?" Of
course this refers to dishwasher,
garbage-disposal unit, range, refrig
erator. The latter two will cost a
little more but will be more efficient
Alert makers are planning to bring
costs down by combining units, such
as one which will wash both clothes
and dishes, by changing bowls and
substituting a rubber-covered wire
dish rack for the agitator.
A modern bathroom is a "must"
in nearly everyone's planning. The
important new development in bath
room ideas involves separating the
different fixtures to eliminate early,
morning congestion. Most favored
arrangement inclBdes separate
shower stall, an extra lavatory and
medicine cabinet. The new fixture
designs are more beautiful and have
lots at added conveniences. Kitch
ens have been brought into focus
with the modem "dreams" too.
Many manufacturers are offeiing
beautiful and complete package
kitchens that include an amazing
number of new items of convenience
and advanced, automatic labor-sav
ing equipment.
The gripes or "pet hates" con
cerning houses are going to be large
1. -li^i.-t^l ?l.aM.*L keMae .lew
ij ciuiiuitfvcu uuuu|u ucitci |
ning. There will be plenty of closet
space, tor Instance. The trend is
to larger rooms spread out on ana
floor; with larger windows and pre
vision for more outdoor living. Col
ors aril] be bright and cheerful, and
details of decoration will strike a
smart, peacetime motif.
"How about aB the promised post
war home gadgets?" you may be
asking. Well, you cairlook dor note
refrigerators with.' dees flaun com
partments; new deesiafedbnts in
automatic dishwashers atktwashing
machines.; ultra-effiaient vectitm
cleaners ? vastly improved appli
ances ready early next year.
"Will postwar developments com
pletely eliminate housekeeping . ?$
drudgery?" The answer is, "Al
most." For example, the precipi- "
tree takes dust out of. the air elec
trically. Most kitchen chorea, such
aa dishwashing, will be reduced to n
minimum by automatic controls.
Heating and cooling will be fully
automatic. New developments In
plastic wall and floor finishes, new
rugs and draperies?should help in
adding at least three hours moan
daily freedom to the clock of most
housewives. It Is indeed a great,
new streamlined peacetime era .
which we are about to enter!
Dodge Corp. Sorrey Shows
A Billion Dollar Backlog
Ready for Home Building
A huge volume at funds is readlt
Jot Investment fat iTtrlt iK'tien, so.
cording to the P. W. Dodge corpora,
tion, specialists in building statistical
In s recent announcement, Thomas
Hold en, president, stated that fT,
753,138,000 has definitely been alio,
ca ted to construction projects tat the
37 ststes cast of the Rocky moun
tains. Of this huge sum, *1,107,
000 has been set aside for reside*),
tial building.
lie. BkLimi commented that
"events since V-J Day have shown
that postwar construction revival ia
likely to move constdetaMy faster
than was anttdpatad some ?-*t
ago. The removal of controls has