The Alamance Gleaner
VOL. LXXII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1946 No. 18
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Rail Strike Sets Back Nation;
Shape Big Navy for Security;
Auto Prices Mount With Costs
Released by Western Newspaper Onion.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Wkn eptaleas are repressed Is these eelassse. they are these el
(Westers Newspaper Uoies's sews asalyns asd set secessarily ef this newspaper.)
Despite undernourishment, these daughters of Chinese farmer in
famine-ridden Hunan province pull implement in rice paddy. Japs
killed their water buffalo and manpower has been depleted by war.
RAIL STRIKE:
Cripples Nation
The greatest railroad strike in
history laid a heavy hand on the na
tion from one end to the other, curb
ing traffic and stranding thousands,
imperilling the food supply and fur
ther disrupting industry and the
staggering reconversion program.
Though the government mobilized
plane, water and truck traffic, and
emergency crews ran some of the
trains, the walkout of 225,000 mem
bers of the Brotherhoods of Loco
motive Engineers and Railway
Trainmen over pay demands re
duced normal traffic to a trickle.
Freight shipments were reduced to
minimum of essential commodties
and only priority passengers were
provided facilities.
The stranding of thousands of
travelers throughout the nation af
forded the first dramatic effect of
the walkout. While many passen
gers frantically sought hotel accom
modations and others curled up on
benches in railroad terminals, many
railroads permitted travelers to re
main in cars on sidings.
In the midst of the paralysis, gov
ernment conciliators strove might
ily to end the walkout after the
brotherhood leaders had rejected
President Truman's compromise of
fer of 18Vi cents an hour and sug
gestion for further discussion of
work rules changes. In turning down
the presidential proposal, union
chieftains said that it was even less
favorable than a fact-finding board's
recommendations providing for a 16
cents an hour raise plus certain ad
justments in work rules resulting in
increased compensation.
The dramatic rail walkout over
shadowed developments in the soft
rnal f4icnAt? In
Secretary
Krng
9V?rt o nrnlnn
which the govern
ment strove to
reach an agree
ment with the Unit
ed Mine Worker
Chieftain John L.
Lewis for continued
operation of the
properties.
Following the
precedent set in
1943 when the U. S.
seized the mines to
oorl etnnnnan Onnrn.
? f' wvv.v
tary of the Interior Krug entered
into negotiations with Lewis for a
contract, consulting with the oper
ators over terms to be offered. It
was understood that the owners
were assured of price increases to
cover higher production costs re
sulting from concessions when prop
erties were returned to them under
the new contract.
The dispute over a health and
welfare fund found the government
favoring such a proposal under Joint
management rather than sole union
control as originally demanded by
Lewis.
FOREIGN POLICY:
Bi-Partisan Backing
Minority leader of the senate for
eign relations committee and chair
. man of the Republican senatorial
conference. Senator Vandenberg
(Rep., Mich.) pledged his support
of Secretary of State Byrnes'
campaign to win the peace by push
ing for recognition of U. S. princi
ples in treaty making.
While admitting the failure of the
Paris conference of foreign minis
ters, Vandenberg, who attended as
an adviser to the U. S. delegation,
declared the proceedings had solidi
fied American determination to
write a peace "for keeps" based on
justice and not vengeance. Though
based upon the moralities of the
Atlantic and San Francisco char
ters, the new foreign policy also
recognized the practical necessities
of postwar rehabilitation, he said.
Besides calling for the establish
ment of permanent governments to
assure resumption of normal activi
ties, Vandenberg said the U. S.
aimed to settle the Germanic prob
lem affecting all of continental Eu
rope. While advocating maximum
protection against future aggression,
he condemned repressive demili
tarization.
Touching upon the age-old prob
lenf of national minorities, Vanden
berg declared that the new U. S.
policy also favored their incorpora
tion into their native countries or oth
er suitable recognition to prevent
them from becoming sources of con
flict or expansion.
NAVY:
Taking No Chances
Calling for a navy adequate to
meet any emergency of the future,
the house appropriations committee
recommended congressional ap
proval of naval expenditures of over
414 billion dollars during the next
fiscal year ending June 30, 1947, for
fleet maintenance.
To be manned by 500,000 enlisted
men and 58,000 officers, the postwar
navy would include 4 battleships, 8
heavy cruisers, 21 light cruisers, 3
big aircraft carriers, 9 carriers, 10
escort carriers, 126 destroyers, 30
destroyer escorts and 80 subma
rines.
In addition, 2 battleships would be
held in reserve along with 5 heavy
cruisers, 5 light cruisers, 3 carriers,
1 light carrier, 22 destroyers and 4
destroyer escorts. A total of 632
other warships would be placed on
the inactive list.
Besides regular personnel, the
navy plans creation of an organized
reserve of 55,000 men and 3,000
officers. Backing up the regular
marine enlistment of 100,000 men
and 7,000 officers would be a re
serve of 60,000.
Recognizing the need for keeping
abreast of latest scientific advances
in postwar years, the committee
provided 250 million dollars for com
bined research and developments in
the 1947 fiscal period.
NEW CARS:
Boost Prices
Reflecting administration policy
of seeking to assure manufacturers
of fair profit returns by granting
increased prices to offset higher
production costs, OPA authorized a
boost of from 4 to 8 per cent in ceil
ings bn new automobiles.
Principal factor determining OPA
action was the $5 per ton increase
in the cost of steel, allowed by the
government to cover the indus
try's 18Vi cent an hour wage boost.
Higher costs of other "materials and
parts figured in the OPA grant, how
ever, with Packard and Studebaker
afforded relief for wage adjust
ments.
With OPA hinting of additional
price boosts to come, the latest in
creases averaged about (75 per car,
and ranged from til for Chevrolet!
to $167 for Lincolns. Because re
tailers' margins already have been
trimmed 4% per cent under prewar
levels, the public will pay the latest
price hike in full.
FAMINE RELIEF:
U. S. Share
Government expectations of ship
ping 400 million bushels of grain to
needy areas during the year ending
June 30 prompted the U. S.'s deputy
member of the combined Allied food
board to tell congress that "this
country need not feel ashamed of
the job that has been done" in aiding
the distressed.
Indirectly slapping at foreign crit
ics of the U. S. relief effort, D. A.
Fitzgerald pointed up the extent of
America's overseas contribution by
revealing that this country will have
a reserve of only eight-tenths of a
bushel of wheat per person at the
end of this crop season compared
with Canada's three bushels, Ar
gentina's'two, and Australia's one
and one-half.
In addition to shipments under the
relief program, the U. S. has fur
nished 72 per cent of the United
Nations Relief and Rehabilitation
funds and 83 per cent of the wheat
UNRRA has purchased, Fitzgerald
said.
While the grain trade expected an
extension of the government's bonus
payment for delivery of wheat, de
partment of agriculture officials de
clared there was no thought of car
rying over the premium except in
cases of farmers unable to make
immediate shipment because of
crowded elevators.
BIG BUSINESS:
Ford Balance Sheet
The Ford Motor company fell
from the ranks of billion dollar con
cerns in 1945 but still possessed over
800 million dollars in assets, a study
of the firm's annual balance sheet
filed with the Massachusetts tax
commissioner showed.
In the absence of yearly Ford dis
closures of sales and earnings, the
Massachusetts report constitutes
the only indication of the company's
financial position. The Ford family
holds the major bulk of the 3,452,900
shares of capital stock of $5 par
value.
A breakdown of the Ford assets
of $815,515,214 as of December 31,
1945, showed a cash account of $421,
712,270, including notes, receivables,
patent riglfts and trademarks; ma
chinery and equipment valued at
$188,267,325; real estate, $115,160,
512; inventory, $101,926,042, and re
serves, $22,720,090. Though under
the one billion dollar mark of 1944,
total assets increased approximate
ly 125 million over 1939.
Mother Love Wins Out
Feeling that she would be unable
to show her new-born baby to peo
ple because he was not "sweet and
pretty." Mrs. Marjorie Ashe at Chi
csgo, HI., left the infant behind and
vanished from Illinois Central hos
pital on the day she was to return
home. After her broken-hearted
husband, James, 27, took the gar
gling 10-day-old child home, Mrs,
Ashe was 'found wandering in a
daxed condition in the Union depot
in Burlington, Iowa. Quick to for
give, her husband lew to bring her
back and after they embraced each
other and enjoyed a good ery, ho
exclaimed: "Am I happy now! She's
been siek, bnt she's all right now.
And we both think we got the most
beautiful baby in the world!"
TEXAS HAIL:
Extensive Damage
A record number of insurance
claims piled up in Texas following
recent violent hail and wind storms
which swept through the state for
10 days and caused millions of dol
lars of damage to buildings and field
crops.
With the National Board of Un
derwriters setting up a special of
fice in San Antonio to handle the
mounting claims, insurance loss in
that city was set at about $2,500,000.
Hail-stones hitting San Antonio
ranged in size from golf balls to
large stones, measuring 0 to 15
inches in circumference. Wind ve
locity was reported at 82 miles
per hour.
Lumber yards averred that there
was not enough stock on hand to
repair the damaged roofs already
reported. In Fredericksburg, roofs
were so badly battered that MM
homes were made untenable. Crop
damage in East Texas alone eras
estimated at $1,000,000
News^k
By- PaulMallon^^
Released by Western Newspaper Unke.
FEEDING STARVING WOULD
TOO BIG A JOB FOR DS
WASHINGTON. ? The food cam
paign is running into ever-deepen
ing difficulties.
The sweeping publicity campaign
to induce Americans to save for the
hungry in the rest of the world
ceased the moment tf.e coal
strike became serious, but only
temporarily. There was no use con
sidering food saving when a fuel
tie-up and transportation curtail
ment threatened spoilage of in
definite proportions. But the tenor
of the campaign had made every
one believe that the problem of
alleviating world hunger was
simply dependent upon a resolution
by the American people to eat less.
Any objective investigation will
prove these following greater facts
to the contrary:
(A) No matter what our sav
ings, we will not be able to give
the world the bulk of foods we
have promised.
(B) We have moved so late
that we are not simply taking
food from our tables, but have
become involved In promises
which will cause a fast and
sharp decline in our own food
proaucuon.
<C) Foe this year, and pos
sibly two or three, we will yet
less meat, batter and ebeese
than in the war years of ra
tioning. Oar diets will be
chanced to cereals, vefetables
and (raits which should bo
available In sufficient quantities
to stave off hunger here.
The need of many sections of the
world for food has now been estab
lished beyond question, although
the earlier whooping-up campaign
contained much hokum about non
existent needs. An army news re
sume currently quotes Brigadier
General Fisher of our occupation
forces as saying the German farms
are the most prosperous in the
world today. Another similar re
port of equal authority says there
are no starving Bavarians. The
British ministry has announced suf
ficient stores of food in that nation
to meet rationing quotas in all
lines, even butter and cheese
which are practically non-existent
in "white" markets here.
WHERE SHORTAGES ARE
The European shortages are
largely in the Russian occupied
areas, plus Italy, Greece and some
parts of France. The two ships
diverted from England by head
man La Guardia of UNRRA, went
to Russian occupied rones. Yet the
need in actual hunger areas is real.
So is it also on the other side of
the world, in India, China and
the Philippines.
To meet these needs we have en
tered upon a complete upsetting of
our economy to the point of promot
ing further reduced production,
particularly of livestock, all forms
of animal foods, poultry, hogs,
sheep, dairy and beef cattle. Our
beef cattle population, which last
year numDered 83 million, baa run
below 80 million and is going down ;
fast. On a prewar ratio to popula
tion, we should have over 100 mil
lion beef cattle. The pig crop has
' been limited to 31 million, which is
about three-fourths of what could be
considered normal.
These curtailments were forced
because wheat and corn feed stocks
have been cut in order to send
them to the rest of the world. In
short, by sending feed abroad we
can do no more than produce three
fourths our usual number of pigs.
A government order denies chicken
I feed to any poultry raiser having
more than 80 per qgnt of the num
ber of chickens he had last year.
This will force a 20 per cent re
duction in poultry population.
, While there are no particular re
strictions on beef cattle feed, it
cannot be purchased, and unless
the farmer has corn, oats and hay,
he must sell his cattle. Similarly,
the government is promoting the
sale of bogs, at lighter weights than
usual?which will decrease produc
tion further.
FUTURE FULL OF TPS'
Where we go from here is a
problem of many "ifs." If we do
not undertake a world food export
program another year, we may re
store normal livestock supplies in
two or three years. Only poultry
and pigs can be restored in less
time, and pigs require about nine
months. If we have a good crop,
our own food situation will be no
worse than related above, but the
optimistic government expectations
on the wheat crop are already run
By EDWARD EMEMNE
WNU PuUrN.
??{"20LDI" The magic word wai
spoken. It was heard and re
peated. Gold in Colorado (or tha
taking. Nuggets as big as turkey
eggs all over the mountains. As the
story traveled, it was embellished
in retelling. Overnight in 1858,
"Pikes Peak or Bust" became the
nation's slogan.
Men o( every nationality, occu
pation and station in life joined the
Pikes Peak gold rush, one of the
great mass migrations in Ameri
ca's history. They swarmed into the
Colorado mountains, whooping it
up as they went. In their wake fol
lowed farmers to settle in the fer
tile valleys. From Texas, 'across
the open grasslands, were driven
herds of longhorn cattle.
Down south in Georgia, W. Green
nusseu neara Boom 11. ne organ* 2
ized a party of 30 or 40 miners and
set out for the Pikes Peak region,
hardly sleeping until he reached
the banks of the South Platte and
made camp. Within a month he had
been joined by 400 others and the
settlement was dignified by the
name Auraria, in honor of Russell's
town back in Georgia.
Thousands of others were on
their way. A year later General
Larimer crossed Cherry creek,
took possession of some cabins and
named the settlement Denver City,
in honor of Gen. James W. Denver,
governor of Kansas. (At that time,
Colorado?as yet unnamed?was a
part of Kansas territory). Wild
days followed on that 960-a ere
townsite. Thousands of excited peo
ple thronged the dusty streets.
Soon Denver was the Mecca of
the Mountains. A printing plant was
brought from Omaha, and the
Rocky Mountain News made its
debut (1859). Soon thereafter the
Herald was founded. The files of
those early-day newspapers tell a
story of lusty life in Denver, of
gambling, Indian scares and prom
ised riches for all men.
The Denver scene was re-enact
SUGAR BEET FACTORY ... At Brtffaton. Colorado la a leadiaf pro
ducer of aofar, made from near beeta.
ed a hundred timet. Boom towns
grew overnight at Cripple Creek,
Leadville, Central City, Creede and
scores of other places. Prospectors
clambered over the hills. Nuggets
were found. Rich veins of ore were
uncovered. There were million
aires created?Winfleld Scott Strat
um, H. A. W. Tabor (of "Silver Dol
lar" fame) and others. Men blus
tered, gambled, drank, fought and
died during the score of years that
followed.
But slowly the truth about Colo
rado emerged. The facta were not
all pleasant ones. The territory was
incredibly rich ? there was no
doubt of that. There were great
stores of silver and gold. There
were rich and fertile soils. There
were other resources ? lumber,
coal, building stone and a marvel
ous climate. There was deep snow
in the mountains, but there was
little rainfall on the plains. The
nuggets were soon picked up. The
"free" gold was gone and hard
rock mining had come to stay. Gold
and silver were buried deep in the
granite, defying quick wealth. Men
who had sought a soft and easy life
were confronted with stark reality.
Colorado was no Garden of Eden.
They would have to work?and work
hard?for whatever they got. And
they couldn't live on fresh air and
mountain scenery.
Colorado weighed each man
among them to find his worth.
There was work to be done, and it
took strong men to do it The weak
lings, the ne'er-do-wells, the mis
fits were eliminated. They depart
ed with a curse on their lips and
hatred in their hearts. Those with
courage, strength, hope and vision
stayed.
First, the miners set to work.
They did Dot know the extent at
mineral reserves la the Colorado
Rockies - and they still don't
O H I H Q 1 n g B 1AUA
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JOHN C. VIVIAN
Governor of Colorado
Got. John C. Vivian was bora
in Golden, Colo., not far from
Denver and state capital. He is
a graduate of the University of
Denver. His profession is law. He
served as lieutenant governor
from 193d to 1943.
know. Many veins have been mere
ly tapped and new onea are con
stantly being discovered. In spite
of all obstacles, Coloradoans have
dug and blasted three billion dol
lars' worth of precious and indus
trial metals from the granite ware
houses within its borders. More
than 250 minerals have been dis
covered within the state, between
33 and SO of them now being ex
tracted for market. Colorado is
first among the states in vanadium
and uranium, third in gold, fourth
in tungsten, ftfth in silver, sixth in
lead, seventh in cor?er and fif
teenth in zinc. It leads the world in
molybdenum production.
These Coloradoans probed and
blasted and swore, as they went
deeper and deeper into the gran
ite treasure chest. In 1882, A. M.
Cassedy drilled in a canyon near
Florence and struck oil, after
petroleum had been found bubbling
on the surface of Oil creek. They
found Colorado shales containing
enough recoverable oil to equal
present production for 30 years.
The recently opened Rangely oil
field on the western slope is the
most sensational find in years. Na
tural gas was discovered over a
wide area, and helium gas struck
in Las Animas county.
Beneath the surface of the good
earth they found coal, too ?
enough of it to last the nation for
700 years! Colorado ranks first
among the states in coal reserves,
most of them in the San Juan basin,
Moffat county, all along the Utah
border and extending under the
foothills on the eastern slope from
the Wyoming border to New Mex
ico.
The Colorado plaiasmen were
sifted, too, and the unfit were
blown out, starred out and sent
back home. Where there is life
there must be water ? every Col
oradoan knows that. Cowmen,
sheepmen, beet growers, truck gar
deners, fruit growers, hay ranch
ers and general farmers must have
water. They got it. They dug wells
deep in the ground. They con
structed dams in the canyons to
store the melted snow; they dug
canals and ditches; they irrigated
the rich, thirsty soil.
They homesteaded in the Great
American desert and they mad*
it bloom. The beet and potato in
dustry around Greeley, founded
by the old Union colony, is a
monument to pioneers in irrigation.
All along the South Platte basin,
from Denver and Fort Collins to
Sterling and Julesburg, is a mighty
agricultural empire. The Arkansas
river waters developed a famed val
ley that produces beets, melons,
fruit and garden truck for the na
tion. From Canon City through
Rocky Ford to Lamar and the Kan
sas line is another agricultural
wonder brought about by irriga
tion.
In between the rivers, the nco
irrigated farms and ranches now
produce wheat, corn, hay, beans,
potatoes and other crops. Thou
sands of head of sheep and cat
tle are grown and dairying is
statewide. The Western Slope, the
San Luis valley, and all mountain
ous areas below timberline are
havens for farms, ranches and or
chards. Snow-capped peaks often
look down on blossoms in the val
ley below.
With raw materials near at
hand, Coloradd progressed indus
trially too. Mills were built to proc
ess the ores. Steel plants grew upi
at Pueblo, the Pittsburgh of the
| : ~ - - - 1
Snow Matt Lake and Hatter
man Peak, near Glen nee*
Sprint..
Rockies. Colorado has foundries.,'
brick kilns, canning plants, sugar
factories, food processing plants,
creameries, cheese factories and
scores of other manufacturing
plants. Colorado's granite, marble,
limestone, sandstone and lavas are
known to builders the world around.'
Sawmills still Sourish near its great
forests.
Colorado clasped its riches tightf
ly to its bosom and said, "you cai^
have them ? if you deserve them.'*
The men and women of Colorado
accepted the challenge. They cotj
quered the mountains and plains.
They built cities and factories and
schools. They blasted highways out
of solid granite. They made it easw
for others to "Come Up to Coo*
Colorado," where the sublimity qd
the Rockies inspired Katharine Use
Bates to write "America the
Beautiful." ^ *