The Alamance Gleaner
- ?- V
TfMBKBl
VOL. LXXII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1947 Na 61
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
GOP Brandishes Payroll Axe;
Move to Regulate Labor Unions;
Marshall Steps Into No. 2 Spot
Ralaaaed by W?it?ra Newspaper Union
miTOB'8 NOTE: Whea eplnleas art eiiriNil la theae ttlimu, tkn are these eff
WeaUra Newspaper Ualea's news aaalyste aa4 set aeeesearlly ef this aewspaper.)
With money comparatively
plentiful and goods scarce,
the back door black market
thrives in Italy. With head
covered to hide identity, Il
legal operator weighs spa
ghetti straws on hand scale.
Open-monthed child stands
by, holding can of scarce
milk.
CONGRESS:
Sharpen Payroll Axe
Economy - minded GOP house
members, axe in hand, were eying
the big federal payroll in their an
nounced drive to scale U. S. ex
penditures 12 billion dollars below
the budget of 41 billion dollars.
Declaring that there is hardly a
government department that does
not have twice as many "employees
as needed,- Representative Taber
(Rep., N. Y.), chairman of the
house appropriations committee, as
serted that 1,000,000 workers could
be chopped off the payroll of 2,300,
?M without seriously impairing
services. Not more than 900,000 em
ployees ip all are needed, Taber
said.
"We are going to cut down govern
ment expenditures to a point where
the budget can be balanced, a pay
ment made on the national debt,
and we will still have room to re
duce taxes,", Taber snorted.
Labor Reforms
Sen. Joe Ball (Rep., Minn.)
end Rep. George Case (Rep., S. D.)
pushed labor reform in early ses
sions of the 80th congress. Ball
proposing sweeping measures for
corrective legislation.
First, Ball called for prohibition
at secondary boycotts and making
labor organizations liable for violat
hig contracts.
Then, he introduced legislation to
ban all union and closed shop
agreements and maintenance of
membership contracts.
Finally, Ball proposed to decen
tralize collective bargaining to pre
sent the tieup of an entire industry
through general negotiations.
The new Case bill introduced in
be house permits issuance of in
Junctions to prevent strikes impair
ing the public welfare; forbids un
ions to coerce employees, seize prop
erty In disputes, withdraw essential
maintenance workers, or order walk
outs with majority approval of mem
bers; and makes union liable for
damages resulting from breach of
contract. The bill also grants the
states authority to ban the closed
shop.
ITALY:
Seeks Aid
Leaving a hungry and discon
tented populace behind him, Pre
mier Alcide de Gasperi hurried to
Washington, D. C., to seek substan
tial financial assistance from the
U. S. to prevent political and eco
nomic chaoa in Italy.
Negotiations centered around a
billion dollar loan first discussed
between Italian and U. S. officials
at the time of the Paris peace con
ference. Italy would not be permit
lad to apply the proceeds against
Its reparations bill of $380,000,000
bat would use the funds for food,
raw material and industrial equip
A substantial loan would help
Italy rebuild its once lucrative tour
ist trade. Italy's "biggest industry"
before the war, the trade is severe
ly crippled because of the destruc
tion of hotels end their requisition
tag for housing, lack oi transport
sad an unfavorable art-benge rata.
_ *
I
BRITAIN:
Land Control
Proceeding along the path of In
creasing control of property to as
sure its widest possible use for pub
lic benefit, the Labor government of
Britain moved to regulate the sale
and use of real estate.
Under the town and country plan
ning bill introduced in parliament
and headet} for passage despite con-'
servatiye opposition, the govern
ment would compel the sale of un
developed but prospectively valuable
real estate at existing prices. Only
in cases of hardship would prices
above the prevailing market value
be paid.
In addition, the government would
control the use or reconversion of
property to prevent industrial blight,
preserve the countryside around cit
ies and provide recreation grounds,
and allow room "for breathing" in
overcrowded areas. The govern
ment also would regulate the post
ing of billboards.
STATE DEPARTMENT:
Happy Day
"There are two happy days a man
has in public life," former Sec
retary Byrnes told British Ambas
sador Kerr. "There is the day a
man is elected to office. Then there
is the day he quits."
January 7, 1947, therefore was a
happy day for the dapper little South
Carolinian when he
stepped down from
his high post in the
Truman adminis
tration. It was a
happy day, too ?
under the Byrnes'
standard ? for Gen
eral of the Army
Marshall who was
named to succeed
??????.
But as Byrnes Byrnes
implied, M a r
shall's cheer was destined to be
short-lived as he tbok over direc
tion of the nation's international af
fairs. Byrnes had a tough time tus
sling with the Russians over com
pletion of peace treaties for the
axis satellites and Marshall faced
the even tougher job of framing
pacts for Germany and Austria.
Although friendly with Russian
leaders, Marshall is no admirer
of Communism or
^UIUIIIUUIBl IOLUV.3.
Just before being
named to office, he
blasted Chinese
Reds far risking the
welfare of their
country to obtain
power and re
sorting to untruth*
to tar the U. S.
Cnm? nkt*ru*ra
Marshall al?? read Mar"
shall's appointment
an effort by President Truman to
build the general up as his succes
sor In 1948. Should Marshall make
a name (or himself in the state de
partment, his work there plus his
prestige as the No. 1 military chief
in World War n would give the
Democrats a strong candidate to off
set dissatisfaction with the Truman
gime in the reconversion period.
COLLEGE FOOTBALLt
House Cleaning
College football is headed for ?
long needed houseclfaning as a re
? suit of action taken by the National
Collegiate Athletic association at
its annual meeting In New York.
The tremendous growth of the
game and the phenomenal increase
in betting on contests as a result
of widespread interest Anally led
the collegiate officials to control
the sport and avoid discredit
through threatened scandal.
Starting rather late ? after the
growth in popularity of the game,
the organization of alumni and the
erection of gigantic stadia ? the
N.C.A.A. moved to curb recruiting
of athletes, extension of jhady
financial assistance to players and
competition with violators of the
new rules. The curbs are to be in
corporated in the N.C.A.A. consti
tution, to which 252 colleges sub
scribe.
At the same time, the N.C.A.A.
adopted a six point resolution aimed
at the gambling evil. Besides ask
ing for strict enforcement of anti
gambling laws, the resolution called
upon newspapers to refrain from
printing odds on games, and coaches
and athletic directors were request
ed not to make pre-game predic
tions.
Used Car Prices Off
Gone are the days of sky-high
prices for used automobiles, a
nation-wide survey has dis
closed.
With buyers no longer dis
posed to pay almost anything
for cars, prices have dropped
from 10 to 30 per cent, with
dealers expecting further de
clines. One big dealer in the
East expected a drop of from
20 to <0 per cent within 30 to
90 days.
Boston recorded the biggest
price decline of fsom 10 to 30
per cent. New York, Philadel
phia and Denver followed with
25 per cent; Atlanta, 15 to IS
per cent; Chicago, 15 per cent,
and Los Angeles, 10 per cent,
with heavier cars more.
SENATE:
Dixie Sees Red
When Senator Bilbo's bitter per
sonal enemy, James O. Eastland,
also of Mississippi, rose in the sen
ate to denounce the move to unseat
his unpopular colleague, he was ex
pressing the apprehension of every
southern senator lest the move set
a precedent against conservative
members from Dixie.
Although Bilbo was temporarily
barred because of an investigat
ing committee's charge that he had
accepted favors from war contrac
tors, the real impetus to the move
was furnished by liberal groups
opposed to Bilhd because of his
Aght against the fair employment
practices act and poll tax, and his
encouragement of discrimination
against Negro voters.
While Bilbo was the immediate
target because of his nationwide
reputation, the issue touched south
ern senators from all "white su
premacy" states. Charging that lib
eral pressure groups were working
for Bilbo's debarment, Senator El
lender (Dem., La.) cried: "Topple
him off and And out what is going
to happen to others who share his
views and courage."
ECONOMICS:
President Reports
In the Arst annual economic re
port issued by the President under
the employment act of 1946, Mr.
Truman set forth the principles for
a prosperous America. Drawn by
a three man council of economic
advisers, the report called for con
tinuance of the traditional free en
terprise system supplemented by
constructive government assistance
where necessary.
Long-range recommendations
include maximum ase of labor
and productive facilities, pre
vention of economic ?actuations,
cooperation la international
trade and finance, and promo
tion of welfare, health and se
curity.
Beeaase of their immediate
bearing, the short-range rec
ommendations were of greater
interest. The report asked for
the maintenance ef present tax
rates to provide for substantial
retirement ef the national debt;
lowering of prices wherever pos
sible to increase consumption;
moderation sf labor demands
to bead off additional price
risee; increase In the minimum
wage above 49 cents an bear,
and extension sf the fair labor
standards act to workers now
excluded.
Mr. Truman also asked for ex
tension of rent control beyond next
June. Decontrol would result in Im
mediate rent Increases, which
would materially impair purchas
ing power, he said.
W+ ? # >
Man About Town:
Memo* at a Midnlgbter: Insiders
hear next pear's flying time from i
Y. to Miami will be 200 minute*, j
? . . Many of the show get* are '?
worried silly that their name* will r
be dragged into the Alvin Pari* foot- ,
ball bribe scandal because they were
Pari*' dates. Pari* hasn't had so ^
much publicity since French post- '
cards.-. . . John Murray Anderson's *
chums hear he is experimenting ?
with the Russian "youth" serum. He ?
Is in his 60/. . . . Bing will make (
close to a million dollars out of his
platters this year, not including his |
many other chores. . . . Rodgers & .
Hammerstein are taking no risk f
with their gold mine, "Annie Get ,
Your Gun." They are paying Mary ,
Jane Walsh the highest wage yet i
for an understudy?just to stand by |
in the wings. $730 per week. ... ,
Top loss to Moss Hart (whose apt. ,
was burgled) was the gold ciggie ,
case signed by the cast of "Wid|ed ,
Victory." , j
Broadway BalUd: (By Don '
Wahn): I do not blame the
yonng for being siek. ... Of
giving alms to beggars of the I
past. . . . Why should tbey turn I
to watch a shabby triek? ... i
Why should they eare If terror 11
Joined the east? ... We had our I
roses, redolent of spring. ... 11
We?had our nights of revelry I
and mirth We had the soft- I
est, loveliest songs to sing. ...
We had the shining rapture of i
the earth. . . . Tea, It is gone
and shortly we will go. . . . The i
golden girls, the roses and the
wine. . . . And newer lads will i
And the nights aglow?with all I
the misty magic that was mine. <
. . . And when they And that i
love and beauty die I hope I
they leave ? mere gracefully
than I. I
The Broadway Lights: J. Du- <
rante, X. Cugat and the dice tables i
were the reasofi the new Ftamlfigd (
(Las Vegas) attracted 18,000 patrons I
in the first three days Mid town ,
hotels had their worst week in Ave 1
years. One had 870 empty rooms, <
another 820 and another 300. ... \
Buddy Kaye made so much coin out ?
of the ditty, "Till the End of Time,"
that he is among the producers of
the new Jerome Robbing show
"Look, Ma. I'm Dancing." ... A
short titled "The Last Bomb" comes
across with atomic impact, particu
larly one episode wherein the cam- ,
era slowly moves through the rows J
of graves at Iwo Jima. After, view- 1
lng that, you'H' cherish every mo
ment of peace like It was the last f
minute of your life.
Broadway Stery: The meat J
valuable song copyright In the J
world Is "White Christmas." ...
It was published la 1M2 and J
sold ever one million copies dor- '
lng its first four months On
some days H sold over M,MA '
espies. . , . Each year (slnee)
it was purchased by tte.MS pee- j
pie. . . . The recordings totaled
Are million records?two nHii^
of which were Blag's version ap
to this year. . . . Dccea says ,
this year It out-sold any of the ,
previous seasons-over IMAM i
platters. . . . Bat this is why It ,
b the mast valuable copyright ,
... A copyright lasts M years. <
... It has ever M years te go? ,
and selling at the rate It b goiag ,
?yaa can Imagine how much j
richer the tax department will ,
I?t. ,
The Story Tellers: The Latest edi- J
tion of Who's Who reveab that the
American general who has won the i
most decorations (10) is Brig. Gen. ,
Edgar K. Hume. This is the first
time we ever came across Ms name, i
. . . Joff Keate'a cartoon chuckler <
has been widely reprinted in the di- .
gests. A child specialist U giving ,
advice to a mother: "You'll have to
handle This child carefully; remem- I
ber you're dealing-with a sensitive, ?
higb-strung little stinker." . . . The ,
Minnesota state prison's newspaper <
(edited by a convict) ran this edi- ,
torially: "Those caught stealing
items from the papers will be
dropped from our list of contribu
tors. Stealing from another's writ
tags is one of the lowest bite of thiev
ery I"
Washington newsmen enjoy
spinning this one: A group of
them one* accompanied FDK to
n shew. Tbey thanked a secret
eenbe man fee providing them
srith excellent seats.
"Don't mention it," the secret
servicer retorted. "Just notice
?he seating arrangement. You'll
Abscess no one can take a shot
at the Ft without hitting 1
eae as two reporters first!" I'
EDISON CENTENNIAL
Early Efforts Backfired but
Lessons Brought Lasting Fame
wnu features.
During his lifetime Thomas
V. Edison found time to root
iround in about everybody's
>ackyard, doping out a gadget
>r a machine or a formula that
vould help his neighbor. He
vas crammed with ideas about
nany things, some of which, as
everybody knows, brought him
enduring fame. There were
tome, however, that his 84 years
lid not give him time to perfect.
As the 100th anniversary of his
>irth, on February 11, 1847, ap
>roaches, there are probably very
ew people who know that Edison
rnce won a patent on a "flying ma
:hine." Back in 1910, he doped out
in idea on a helicopter, in which
*e'd he thought the future of avi
ition lay. On another occasion he
vas granted a patent on a method
>f preserving fruit, and when he
lied he was working on a formula
for extraction of rubber from the
lowly goldenrod.
'Wizard' Was Human.
Edison once even worked on an
Insecticide, and this experience
shows a human side that belies any
suggestion that he had a "magic
thumb" in the inventive business.
He was just coming into fame as
the "Wizard of Menlo Park" when
he was approached by a neighbor
ing farmer whose principal crop
was threatened with destruction by
an invasion of potato bugs. The
fear was 1878, Tom was 31, and he
already had to his credit such in
ventions as the phonograph and a
score of telegraph patents. The
farmer allowed as how an up-and
coming young inventor ought to be (
able to And a way to kill off the (
potato bugs.
Accepting the challenge, although 1
ie knew relatively nothing about I
?ugs and plants, Edison collected a
juart bottle full of potato bugs and
let forth to compound a lethal po- <
lion."Testing every chemical in his t
aboratory, he hit upon bisulphide j
Jf carbon as a sure-flre potato bug ,
tiller. Jubilantly, he and the farm- t
sr sprinkled the infested potato ,
vines and waited to tabulate the re- >
lults. |
The tags died like Ales-tat 1
so did the potato vines; and Edl- t
m had to pay the farmer $M8
damages for, as be pat It, "not i
experimenting property."
He never again made the mis- i
ake of not experimenting enough, t
Consequently, some of Ms inventions c
ook him yearn to perfect, and be- t
cause of his patience the world has c
>ecome a much tatter place in
vhlch to live. His invention of the ,
electric light made necessary a sys- .
em of electrical distribution which ,
irought not only light but also ,
cores of electrical gadgets to the ,
arm home as well as city resi- >
lence. His phonograph put the best i
nusic into the home, end his numer- i
wis other inventions, including the <
notion picture, made life easier, ,
nore comfortable and entertaining. |
Worked Tee Well. 1
There was one other of Edison's *
creations which backfired, but H 1
vasn't because he hadn't perfected '
t; this one, on the contrary, 1
vorked too wen. At one time he '
ras working as night telegraph op- '
irator in the Grand Truck railroad 1
itation at Stratford Junction, Can- '
ida. One of the requirements of the 1
ob was thst Edison, then 17, must '
check in on the wire every half J
lour by sending the signal 8 in '
dorse code to the train dispatcher
it a nearby station.
Edison deplored this arrangement
>ecause it prevented him from
catching up on the sleep he wasn't
letting during the daytime, which
le spent in study and experiments
ion. So he rigged up a device for
lutomatically sending out the slg
isl 6. He hooked up the instru
ment to the office clock so that ev
ery 30 minutes the signal went out 1
>ver the wire, thus reassuring the
lispatcher that Edison was on the
10b whereas, in fact, he was sound i
?sleep. ,
Tais rase was successful <
until cm sight the train die- <
pateber tried vainly to eeutact I
Ediaau aa the wire durtag cue
of his catnaps. Alarmed by the
weapeet that the Stratford June- j
"on telegraph athee was uu- ,
manned, the dispatcher made ,
his way to Edison's odea aa a
handcar. Ha arrived Just la time I
to dad Edlsea Manfully sleep- i
lug while the yeaag Inreater's
machine ehedleatiy defied and- ,
dashed the prescribed signal.
The next d ly Edison started 1
looking for another job, but the cs. i
per1 ment pros td of incalculable 1
value because it started Mm aa a i
Two highlights la Thomas A. Edi
ion'1 imuiBi career are shown la
heie pictures. Top, Edisoa Is shown
lemonstratinf his tost phonograph
it the White Boose on April It, ltTt.
aw?, the Inventor is shown oper
tting an early and crude model el
Us first motion picture machine.
train of thought that led to te|
to the invention of a ftock ticker
tnd an automatic telegraph,
o the phonograph mi later to the
notion picture camera.
Earns First Money.
With the idea planted in his mind
>f constructing telegraph ?PPy*~!
hat would automatically send and
ecord mesaagea, Ediaon invented
ind patented an improved atock
icker. It waa ao much better than
he crude tickera which antedated
lis that a telegraph company paid
lira $40,000 for it?the first money
Sdison ever received for an inven
ion.
With the $40,000 Ediaon estab
iahed a shop in Newark, N. J., m
070. and began the manufacture "
itock tickera. He was J3, end for
he first time in his Ufe he had
?rough money to experiment with
he hundred and one ideas that
-oursed through his agile mind.
One of a score of telegraphic pat,
ints he took out as a result of his
?xperimenU In Newark was on an
lutomatic telegraph, which could
lend and record messages on a
itrip of paper tape at a rate far
>eyond the speed POMible to sewi
ng and receiving by hand. In ?*?
ng to improve his first automatic
elegraph. Edison experimented
rith a machine employing a turn
able covered with a paper disc.
Perforations in the paper due sent
mt dots and dashes when the tam
able was routed. One day. how
?ver, the turntable wss operstad
it an excessive speed and. Instead
,f dots and dashes, the result seas
i musical hum. Edison was quick
o sense the possibilities of Ws die
;overy, and on July W,
n.de the following entryinooecX
he 1,500 notebooks he filled with
icientiflc data snd reports before
ita death at $4 on October 1$. 1931
"Jest tried experiment with a
dliphrapn hiTtag u emboesea
Mint and held against paraftn
paper moving rapidly. The
sneaking vibrations are tademt
ed nicety and there Is ne donbt
that I shall be able to store op
f-a reproduce automatically at
any fstars time the human
voice perfectly."
Less than a month later he did
ust that.
first Movie Was Tahh.'
Ten years later, in MW. M**
let out, as he later commented, to
lo for the eye what the phonograph
lid for the ear." The resultwas
he birth of what today ^
he most gtamorous
world?the motion picture industry.
Thus it was that the germ of an
dea which took root in ?
?nlnd when he was * J
rraph operator ultimately led to in
dention of the stock ticker, the au
tomatic telegraph, the phonograph
ind the motion picture camera.
Edtaon probably is best remero
bered as the inventor of the met
practical incandescent lamp. The
lamp was a handy wmW oC
schlevement seised upon by tha pub
lie, but actually it constituted anty
, y..li portion fld Wo work in the
Held of electric lighting and power
distribution.
Fran 1K>, when he itulwi
his first patent far an alsiMtnl
tj energised rath* machine, M
tO Us death a yean later. M
sen created 1JBI patentable ta
rsntine ? by. tar the greatest
Catted thteThSai /
The wide raage ad hte ainn
pUehnenta Is a tea sat an
iaitrahte.
The carbon transmitter that made v
Alexander Graham BelTs tslr plane
a commercial anrreas eras am Edh
aon invention, and tor many years
the names at batk Bdl end Edha
appeared en telephone instruments.
This same transmitter later was
adapted to radio and art sad aa the
first broadcasting microphone.
Perfects Telegraphy.
Edison patented a system ad teleg
raphy through space sis year* he
fore Guglielroo Marconi made the
instrument that earned him the title
of "Father od Wireless Teleg
raphy."
Edison invented, built and oper
ated the first electric railroad In
America. Some od Wa patents
caused revolutionary changes le the
cement industry, and as early an
1908 he was building cement houaas
with prefabricated molds
He invented an electric autoenw
bile, a helicopter, a method od mak
ing plate glass. He patented a
method of preserving fresh fruits
and vegetables in glaas containers;
he devised a marhtei, called the
micro-tasimeter, for measuring
minute heat tractions and another,
the odoroscope. for registering the
presence at odors however slight.
Indefatigable Washer.
Before introduction ad the type
writer, Edison invented en electric
pen which cut stencils ad hendwrib
ing so that ens letter could be re
produced in illimitable niisnllllea
Its modern counterpart la tha
mimeograph machine.
atlsaj. some ed great in
portance sad seats, Mha hte brib
ing dell, hardly asrshu nov
elties, easss sat ad FUsaa'a
He rued the fact that tha day con
tained only 24 hours, because It did
not give him enough time to da
everything he wanted to do. Hla te
vorita motto ? and one which ha
displayed prominently en tha walla
of his laboratory and offices?area a
quotation which said; "There is an
expedient to which a mam will not
resort to avoid the serious labor ad
thinking."
Although Edison lived to be H, he
continued to put In long hour* ad
study end work right up until a few
weeks before his death. Wham
friends eluded him about not re
tiring to a life od ease, his reply;
was that "There'll be plenty od time
to* think about teUihig when I
reach 100."
Tom Fill?i has "reached IMF
and he has "retired." but hte mam
ory Uvea on to a thousand creations
that have benefitted mankind
"V
1