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_ The Alamance Gleaner 1 yoL LXX GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1944 No. 22 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS U. S. Navy Blasts Japans Fleet But Enemy Refuses Showdown; Allies Push Forward in Europe ___________ Released by Western Newspaper Union. (EDITOR'S NOTE: When ?pinions are expressed in these eelnnsns, they are these ?( Western Newspaper Union's news analysis and net necessarily ef this newspaper.) .f , -? Jl. T *1 ?*? 4$4? .f* NsVS. r ^ AUSTRALIA \ Pacific?Circle indicates scene of bif naral battle In wbich U. S. fleet clashed with strong Jap forces. EUROPE: Last Stand As U. S. Doughboys closed on the big French port of Cherbourg at the tip of the Cotentin peninsula about 75 miles from Britain, desperate German defenders acting on Field Marshal von Rundstedt's orders to resist to the last man, put up a bloody last-ditch fight, demolishing the harbor facilities to prevent their immediate use when the town fell. As the Yanks pressed in on Cher bourg, other Allied forces along the 100-mile-wide beachhead continued to probe deeper inland, meeting up with stiff Nazi counterattacks de signed to curtail their advances. Fleets of Allied bombers roared over the battle area, hitting at Nazi strong points and aiming at enemy reenforcements moving up to the front. Ramps in the Calais region from which the Germans were launching their rocket bombs for at tacks against southern England and London, remained under heavy fire of Allied aircraft. Other Fronts On other European fronts, the Russians reportedly launched a large-scple offensive against the Germans' big bulge on the north end of the 1,200-mile eastern battle line, while Allied troops chased the Nazis up the Italian peninsula to prepared positions guarding the northern plains. Using strong tank and infantry forces, the Reds reportedly struck at German forces massed to retain the Nazis' last great foothold on Rus sian territory, even while they were continuing their drive through tiny, tottering Finland from the southwest and east. Not only would the direc tion of the new big offensive point Red armies toward Warsaw and Berlin, but it would also serve to whittle down a potential Nazi spring board for an encirclement attack against Russian forces to the south. In Italy, Allied forces moved ahead after eliminating pockets of stubborn German rear-guards, put ting up a desperate delaying action to permit the bulk of the Nazi forces to retire behind the new defense line. BILL OF RIGHTS: For GIs Estimated to cost from 3 to 6 bil lion dollars, congress passed and the President signed the so-called "bill of rights" for vets of World War II, designed to avoid the hardships suf fered by soldiers of World War I upon their demobilization. Under the "bill of rights," vets will be entitled to an unemployment compensation of $20 a week for 52 weeks during the first two years after the war, if unable to find suit able work. Also available will be at least one year of schooling for vets whose education was interrupted by the war, with the government providing $500 for tuition and $50 ? monthly for subsistence, plus $25 for dependents. For vets seeking to buy or repair larms or homes or establish smell businesses, the government will guarantee 50 per cent of the loan up to a maximum of $2,000, with interest at 4 per cent and the amount repayable in 20 years. The veterans' administration also is authorized to spend one-half billion to provide hospital facilities for the care of returning servicemen. PACIFIC: Japs Run Out Venturing forth from its home waters, Japan's boasted imperial Beet sailed within proximity of the U. S.'s mighty Fifth naval force but dodged a show down fight after U. S. planes sent one enemy aircraft carrier and three of his tankers to the bottom of the sea between the Mari anas and Philippine islands. Plowing boldly into the foe's home ir+ TT R tnorina onH ground troops in their assault on Saipan island in the inner ring of the Jape' defense system, the Fifth naval force under command of Adm. Raymond Spruance offered a brave challenge to the enemy fleet close to its major bases, but the Nips broke off the engagement after suffering loss of 373 planes besides the four ships in two days of con tinuing action. Meanwhile, U. S. ground forces met bitter opposition on Saipan, about 1,500 miles from the Japa nese homeland, as they fought to ex tend their hold on the central sec tor of the island. OP A: Vote Extension By agreeing to allow revisions in ceilings of major textile items to reflect parity prices on cotton, sen ate and house conferences paved the way for extension of OPA to June, 1945. The nation's farm bloc scor^i another victory in the act's pro vision that the President take all lawful action to assure parity on cotton, corn, wheat, rice and tobacco. Whittling down a maze of amend ments to the act, the conferees did provide for some changes in OPA, including: 1. Filing of protests against OPA regulations; 2. Adjustment of rent ceilings where thsy are higher or lower than the prevailing standards, or if land lords' costs or taxes have increased substantially; 3. Permission for retailers to carry higher priced goods la certain lines than they did In the prewar period. FOOD: Postwar Stocks In order to avoid the glut of 1919, the government's surplus stocks of foods will be released through nor mal trade channels after the war, M. Lee Marshall, War Food ad ministration director of distribution, revealed. Although original vendors would be given the opportunity to repur chase food stocks, WFA will only ac cept fair bids and sell in areas where particular types of commodi ties are scarce, Marshall said. With the termination of the war in Europe and the shipments of food overseas, there will be no need for the stockpiling of commodities, Mar shall said. Coupled with military re serves, present food stocks should provide a large part of the needs of liberated people, who will have to eat while being rehabilitated. WMM Adm. Sproance o?otprc fn cunnr CONGRESS: Spends Less For the first time since the war broke out, congressional appropri ations will (all below the 100 bil lion dollar mark (or the fiscal year starting July 1. Because o( the completion o( capi tal outlays and the large stockpile o( war materials, Chairman Cannon (Mo.) ot the house appropriations committee estimated provision o( 06 billion dollars (or the impending IX months, including approximately 5(4 billion dollars (or such items as financing the national debt. Following Pearl Harbor, con gress appropriated 147 billion dol lars, and then supplied 114 bil lion dollars (or the next year. De claring congressional appropriations "definitely have passed the hump," Chairman Cannon said they would continue on the down-grade, re gardless o( war developments. AGKIUULTUKE: Release Trucks To help in the harvest of this year's big wheat crop, surplus used army trucks will be made available to farmers and haulers through the medium of county AAA offices. Because of the limited supply of trucks, however, only a small per centage in proportion to actual de mand will be available, and the ve hicles will be allotted only on the basis of the most critical need. After certification of an applica tion by the AAA, dealers will then purchase the trucks from the U. S. treasury's regional procurement of fice at an appraised price, and sell to the farmer or hauler at or below OPA ceilings. SURPLUS GOODS: Overseas Disposal Treated as a valuable national as set, U. S. surplus goods overseas should be disposed of in foreign countries with the aim of realizing the highest possible profit, a busi ness advisory committee estab lished by the government said. Although keeping one eye cocked on postwar trade, the committee ad vocated the disposal of surplus in dustrial equipment, observing that the sooner the devastated countries can be restored to production, the sooner they will cease to be candi dates for relief. In cases of low bids for surplus materials, sales might be made on the condition that the foreign pur chasers will buy other new equip ment from this country, the com mittee counselled. RECONVERSION: Conflicting Plans The question of whether policy on the reconversion of industry from a war to a peacetime basis snouia aiiow cer tain manufacturers to resume civilian output while com petitors are still en gaged in war work, reportedly has di vided the War Pro duction board into two camps, with W P B Chairman Donald Nelson favoring the proce dure and W P B Vice- Chairman Charles Wilson op posing it. In recently relax ing restrictions on use of materials for civilian produc tion in areas with labor surpluses. Nelson declared that the withholding of civilian production until all com panies might return to such work would result in regimentation of industry for a prolonged period. On the other hand, Wilson re portedly contends that manufac turers allowed to resume civilian pro duction before others would enjoy a jump in the market on war con tractors, who would virtually be penalized for their efficiency in ful filling government orders. WHISKY: May Ban Corn Although distiller*' facilities have been released from the production of industrial alcohol for war pur poses during August, the prospect arose that they would be unable to use corn in the manufacture of whisky during the month because of the War Food administration's opposition in view of the tight feed situation. Because of this opposition, distil lers msy be compelled to use wheat, rye and possibly Carribean molasses, it was reported, with re strictions even on wheat. With farmers already having turned in close to 69,000,000 bushels of com to the government for processing uses despite the tight feed situation existing, the WFA promised that none of the grain would be diverted to alcohoL Donald Nelson Charles Wilson Things I Never Knew About the White House: Truly a product of the melting pot la the White House . . . Charles Pierre L'Enfant, a Frenchman, chose the site . . . James Hoban, a Dublin Irishman, designed and built it . . . Whites and Negroes repre senting 11 different countries had a hand in its construction. It cost the gov't just $50, the price of a gold medal, to have the White House designed . . . Congress spon sored a national contest for the de sign. Hoban won it . . . The prize was either the $50 medal or $500 in cash. Hoban patriotically chose the medal ... In his 42 years of subse quent work in Washington. Hoban never designed another building. No one today can tell where the cornerstone of the White House is placed. Successive layers of white paint, from which the mansion gets its name, have effectively concealed it from sight and knowledge . . . Part of the money for building it came from lotteries. George Washington, who helped supervise the construction of the White House until the week of his death, always referred to it as the Federal Palace or Mansion . . . With typical modesty, which should be a lesson to some of the politicians of our day, he never called tha city of Washington by that name ... To him, whether in public or private, Washington was always the Federal City. The sit-down strike Is neither new nor novel ... It was tried way back in 1800 by the crews working on the White House. They were ordered to move out of the shacks on the White House grounds in which many lived with their families, so these unsight ly structures could be razed . . , They refused because they had no where to move and staged the first sitdown strike in protest. Diplomats now consider Wash ington the prize post ... It wasn't so in the old days. Wash ington and particularly the site of the White House were con sidered so unhealthy the British gov't decreed Its representatives should be awarded additional pay for serving there ... It did not Seeome the White House of ficially until Theodore Roosevelt moved in. He ordered that sim ple name engraved on his official letterheads after K had been al most completely rebuilt. The White Stale staff hat never been known to betray an important lecret . . . Woodrew Wilson, whose lite is being dram atised on the screen by Darryl F. Zannek under the title, "Wil son," inadvertently made known his decision to declare war en Germany to at least two mem bers of the White House staff, but not a word leaked out In ad vance of the oilleial declaration . . . Some members of the staff also knew of his plans to wed Edith Boiling Gait well in ad vance of the event bnt kept the secret well. Gruff old Andrew Carnegie during his lifetime saw to it that the White House had plenty of Scotch, no mat ter who was President . . . He'd order it in kegs from Scotland and have it sent directly to Washington and the Chief Executive with his compliments . . . President Wilson, however, refused to accept the Scotch, and Carnegie discontinued the practice. Andrew Jackson, for sentimental reasons, turned the White House around by putting the formal en trance on the north side, facing Pennsylvania Avenue. He wanted to save his good friend, E. P. Blair, some stepe. Blair had built his house on the opposite side of the avenue to be near the President, and Jackson reciprocated by putting the entrance that much closer for his boon friend. The busiest phone In the White Boose is net the President's ... The chief nsher gets 01007 more calls becaose of the ioaomerahle duties and fonrtioos which fall to htm . . . Petty pilfertngs are higher at the White House than In any other efleial building la the world ... Individual* high to pobHe Ufa have been known to ftleh halves, spoeas aad forks for senreolrs . . . Lesser fry win grab anything for the same par pens, even to snipping off tassels from draperies er catting eat pieces ef tapestry from chairs. Benefits of Social Security Could Be Extended to Farm Owners and Their Employees, Officials Say !l All Difficulties of Administration Can Be Smoothed Out Wages today are high, and jobs plentiful, and there is a ready market for all farm prod uce and manufactured goods. Most people probably realize, however, that the present pros perity is a result of the war, and that a downturn is almost cer tain to come with peace. There may be no depression, at least not for several years, but the present very high level of activ ity is not likely to be main tained. But in any case, there comes a time in everyone's life when he has to slow down. Whatever stage the business cycle is In, these who are unable to work get no income. Everyone who has to make his own living must be somewhat concerned about the future. A very large group of wage and salary earners have found a partial answer to these troublesome ques tions. They are the workers in pri vate industry and commerce, those in so-called "covered" employment, to whom the old-age and survivors insurance program of the Social Security act applies. These workers are building up rights to monthly insurance payments when they grow old and retire, and for their fami lies, when death comes to the bread winner. Others, not so fortunate, look upon the group that has social lnsur Young and strong, this Maryland farmer shouldn't need retirement beneflt payments for many years? unless sickness or an aeeldent should Incapacitate him. But the time will come when he will be too old to work. Daring his good years, he should hare a chance to accu mulate a retirement fund through Social Security. His family too, should be protected under the sur vivor's beneflt provisions. Under present provisions, however, the farm family is ezdiuded from the system. ance protection somewhat enviously. The Social Security board receives many letters from the self-employed ?professional people, small busi ness men, gas station operators, restaurant keepers, operators of cleaning and pressing shops, of beauty parlors, and so on, wanting to know why they can't get old-age protection. They pay premiums for their employees' Insurance, but themselves cannot build up rights to benefits. "Why this discrimina tion?" they ask. "We have no mors security than our employees." Few From Farmers. Very seldom among these letters from the self-employed is there one from a farmer. Yet fanners have fully as much reason to seek social insurance protection as others of the selfemployed. The notion that farmers are an independent 'and self-sustaining group is no longer true. It is a hangover from earlier times, when most farms were self sufficient. Today farmers are much more vulnerable. They have to buy mora and sell more; operating costs are higher, and falling prices often mean serious losses. Then too, sections differ as to agricultural prosperity. North and south, west and middle-west are "widely unlike, while in each there aro plenty of spots that present a quite different picture from the rest. In IMP, the last year before the "war boom," nearly one-half of the farm operators in the country had a gross annual money income yield (allowing for food consumed by the farm family) of less than $600; two thirds had less than 11,000, and flp per cent had under $2,M0. It is difficult for farm owners to save much out of these small cash incomes. Even a farmer with an average net income of M.000 a year finds it hard to put much aside for old age or misfortune. The constant demands for maintenance of fer tility, repairs, buying machinery and livestock, and so on, all re quire cash, and there is often little left at the year's end to build up a retirement fund. Often, when the farm operator has to quit work, his family is in difficult straits, and may have to depend on public aid or charity. The tenant farmer and the farm laborer generally are In worse cir cumstances than the man who owns his land, once they have to quit working. "With little or no savings, the tenant and the farm hand who cannot earn anything are soon hard up indeed. They and their families suffer humiliation and want. War Changes Things. The war, of course, has made a great difference in the farmers' situ ation. The incomes of many are double, in some cases treble, what they were before. But the war?and perhaps our present prosperity?is temporary. Farm people were left out of the social insurance program not be cause they were thought to be al ready secure. The reason for ex cluding them was that in 1935 the program was new and the adminis trative hurdles looked very high. But now the Social Security board is convinced that old-age and sur vivors insurance can be adminis tered for farm people simply, at low cost, and without being unduly troublesome to them. What would it mean to farm operators and farm hands to have this insurance? It would mean the same protection it means already to those who are under the system. A couple of examples will illustrate the protection old-age and survivors insurance offers. Back in 1934, when Harry J. was nearly 60, he got himself a job with a construction company. After eight years, he wanted to stop working and retire to his small place in the country. He hadn't felt he could do so, however, because he wasn't sure he could earn a living from farm ing his few acres. Upon inquiry he found that his monthly retirement payment would be about $27, since he had earned an average of $100 a month. His wife, who was also past 65, would get half that much; so that would make the family income over $40 every month, sufficient for their needs. Widow Got fit a Month. Mr. C. wai a newspaper linotype machine operator and had alwaya earned high wages. He hoped to give all five children a good education. The two elder ones were attending the university. Suddenly Mr. C. got pneumonia and died within a week. The widow was left with three children still at school and no in come save what Mary and Jean could earn by leaving school and taking jobs. She went to the Social Security field office, thinking that perhaps there would be a small lump sum going to her, probably no more than a couple of hundred dollars. She was amazed to learn that she was entitled to monthly payments for herself and the three younger children! She received A mki western termer smllea with satisfaction at be reads the flfares on a check received for his prodnce. Agrtcnltaral income is new two to three times the 1M* level, hot this happy situation won't last, econo mists warm. Unless this middle aged man is fortnnate, however, his as rings will dwindle away, and he win bee eld age wtthont seenrtty. about $79 a month under the old-age and survivors Insurance program I Mrs. C. is one of 765,000 persona workers past 65, their aged wives, widows, and children and depend ent parents?who today are receiv ing monthly payments on account of old-age and survivors insurance. To date the system has paid out nearly half a billion dollars. The mechanics of old-age and sur vivors insurance are simple. Every pay day every worker in a covered job pays, under present rates, 1 per cent of his wages as a premium on his old-age and survivors insurance. This is deducted from his pay by his employer, who pays an equal sum. Four times a year the em ployer sends both contributions in to the federal government. Together with the money he sends e report of the amount of wagea paid the worker, to be duly entered in his social security account in Balti more, Ud. On the basis of these wage records, the insurance bene fits are figured. Farmers Could he Protected. Could the system be applied to farm people? Farmers are scattered over a very wide area. Could the premiums be collected without the costs of administration mounting un duly high, considering the small amounts paid in? And how would farmers figure out what their pre miums ought to be, seeing that lots of them don't keep any books? The Social Security board is con fident that the extension of the old age and survivors insurapes system to farm people is now feasible. Ways have been devised to overcome the difficulties. As a basis for determining farm ers' social insurance premiums, the reports they are already making to the' government for income tax and other purposes can be used. For the farmer who is not required to file income tax returns, would figure his income on the basis of the estimated "market value of his services." In doing this he could guide himself by the wages received by his highest paid farm hand. If be employs no labor, the monthly wage rate for farm labor in his locality would serve. Farmers could pay their pre miums at times most convenient for themselves. Some might And it con venient to pay a lump sum annually, and others might prefer to pay in four annual quarterly installments. Low-income farmers could pay their premiums in social insurance stamps if they chose. They would buy these currently and put them in a social security stamp book which could be turned in from time to time as payment toward their premiums. Collections Through Stamps. For farm help, the stamp method might be best, the board thinks. The farmer could buy social insurance stamps from any post office or rural letter carrier, and insert them in the stamp books furnished him by his workers when he paid their wages. Half the coat of the stamps would be deducted from the work er's wages as his social security pre mium. When the worker's book was full, or at tha end of its period of validity, he would bring or mail it to any office of the board ao that it could be added to his record. With the stamp system the "small" farmer would find it unnec essary to keep books or file reports about the wages of his paid help. On the large farm the stamp method could be used for temporary or casual workers not carried on the regular pay roll. Wages paid in the form of room and board and the like might be included in the work er's total wage, and the value set on them could be based on data gathered and published from time to time by the department of agri culture. Farm people have every claim to be included under the old-age and aurvivora insurance program. Their claim la all the stronger because many of them are already partly under the system. In the wintertime, of in other off-seasons for farm work, many farm people work Id Industry and pay premiums on so da! insurance. In a lifetime, their payments amount to substantial sums. And yet very few people ever get benefits because they don't work in covered employment long enough or often enough to qualify for the monthly payments. The inclusion ot farm people under the program would at once both rectify the in justice to these workers and plug a big gap in the social security program. J Muj men are able to work area to old are, like tbla atardy Florida farmer. He kneora, aevertheleaa, that he will hare to qnit to a few years, or maybe mach aeeaer. If he could anticipate a refuiar dew ad Social Security cheek* be ceald face the future with meek torn c oncer*.
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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July 6, 1944, edition 1
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