The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 12

EDITORIALS Me IfTtilabclpfua Jlntjuircr SUNDAY MORNING. JULY 14. 11148 MARK SULLIVAN A Bill to Raise the Cost of Living Blame for Strike-Stalled Production May Be Key to Fall Election Puzzle of the original OPA regulations pending agreement on a new bill. The Senators stubbornly insisted on framing a substitute measure at once, leaving the country, meanwhile, in the vacuum of no controls. They were warned more than once that what they probably would obtain was a bill less satisfactory than the one previously rejected.

That is precisely what they have obtained and it is hardly conceivable that their latest product can escape another veto. What must be done, if the essential commodities are to be given any controls, is for the House to reject, before Mr. Truman has the chance, the miserable pretense at price control that is the Senate bill, and insist on a complete new start on adequate legislation. Every day minus controls makes the task more difficult of harnessing prices, as commodities are purchased at the higher rates made permissible by the absence of OPA regulations. To go through the time-consuming business of long-drawn-out conference com-' mittee debates, winding up with a bill sure to be vetoed, and with the whole subject thrown back on Congress' lap for a third try weeks from now, would only prolong and aggravate a situation already intolerable.

Meantime, to grant relief where it is most needed at once, Congress should adopt a sep-arate law reinstating OPA rent controls in those States not covered by regulations of their own. Such a provision is now contained in the Senate bill, but it won't mean a thing to harassed tenants threatened with eviction if the whole measure runs into another veto. The safest course, if Congress has any desire to prevent widespread distress to families paying rent on their living quarters, is immediate passage of a bill specifically restoring residential rents to the OPA scales. It is not a price control bill that the Senate has finally passed after 13 days of wrangling- over the ghost of the OPA. It is a bill guaranteed to raise the cost of living.

As a curb on inflation, as a protection against exploitation of the consumer, it is as fragile as tissue paper. The Senate has played a sorry trick upon the American people in concocting this worse than useless measure under the guise of a restored OTA. So far as this bill is concerned the OPA is still dead. It opens the way to the-sky-is-the-limit prices on virtually every necessity of everyday life, from meats, poultry, -eggs, butter, cheese, milk and other dairy products to flour, cotton seed, soy beans, livestock, poultry feed, petroleum products and tobacco. About the only foods left under ceilings are fruits and vegetables.

The bill has emerged from the Senate in a more threadbare and unsatisfactory form than its predecessor that was vetoed by President Truman. We are not merely back where we started on recovering price controls: we are miles behind where we started. The mess made by the Senate makes more evident Mr. Truman's recklessness in leaving the country with no controls of any kind, following his summary veto. Had he approved the first bill, pending later action to stiffen it, price restrictions would have been held in many fields.

All that the veto has done is to plunge the country into confusion, promote runaway prices and throv residential rent-payers to the wolves. The Senate's dismal failure shows, too, howr preferable it would have been to accept the House proposal for temporary reinstatement uU-f Mm? fell szT WASHINGTON, July 13. Next month will see the end of a year since termination of the war with Japan since, that is, what should have been the beginning of conversion of the country to peace-time production of goods. The anniversary will not be a happy one for President Truman. Political opponents, as well as non-partisan critics, will point out that at the end of a full year the country has not got back to full production of goods, that war-time scarcities continue.

They will point out that as the year came toward an end, Mr. Truman was fighting for continuation of price controls which had been adopted for the war-time emergency, and had been expected to end with it, or at least reasonably soon after. JUST BLAME Some of the blame put upon the President will be just. Some will depend for what justice it has which is not much on the common disposition to attribute to every President responsibility for the state of the times. In that, the only justice is a rough equity.

If Presidents and parties ask credit for good times, as they commonly do, they must accept blame for bad ones. That rule is. likely to apply to the coming Congressional campaign, the active opening of which will coincide with the end of the Truman Administration's first year of dealing with reconversion. This campaign, so far consisting of primaries for nominations, has been marked by one feature which puzzles political leaders. These had supposed that the widespread discontent wit what is.

would express itself by turning he "ins" out that i.s. by denying renomination to many Congressmen. ELECTION PUZZLE But just the opposite has happened. To a degree for which political observers do not recall a precedent, members of Congress seeking renomination in primaries have got it. The phenomenon Jias occurred in both parties.

To reconcile this with the presumption of widespread discontent, two theories go hand in hand. One is that voters, though they have made up their minds, are indifferent to expressing them until the November election comes, when it can count against the party in power. This theory seems borne out by the fact that, the vote in most primaries, and the public interest in them, has been comparatively small. The accompanying theory is that, along with the contest between parties goes one between the President and Congress as a whole. The inference is that Land or oea ANOTHER MIKE JACOBS' BATTLE OF THE CENTURY was not disposed as a fighting would have been.

For that matter war from the air with atomic hardly be limited to a single let go at what was apparently height. everything under it in a half-mile was sunk or heavily damaged, but serious damage up to a the bomb center. In addition, agree that personnel on the ships The Voice of the on ill a a a a. a a a. a.

demonstration of all sizes naval force an attack in bomjbs would bomb. This one a considerable Nevertheless, radius with lessening mile out from both boards in exposed out. It is Still of deadlv Tilnairm nn animala Need for for better clearly indicated. Letters should be brief, written on one side of the paper. The writer's name and address must be signed, not necessarily for publication.

The Inquirer reserves the right to condense. positions Would have been wiped too early to determine effects radiation for hours after the ex- nlnr-Pfl fin thp sVlinst a. aaj, v. a k. a.

i redesigning ship superstructures defense against atomic bombs is More important is the grim the first Bikini test has given THE ONLY WAY To the Editor of The Inquirer: Thousands of books have been published and endless talks have rotiin wrongs while the only way is found In these few words; Let us acknowl- edge our dependence on the Al- "wn.y. Keep me ien ommana- menu, say our prayers una go 10 church. Down through the sees those nations that have cast off dependence on the Almighty and tried other ways, brought on their own downfall. J. P.

N. Philadelphia, July 8. 'I TOLD YOU SO" According to a statement by Gen- eral George C. Kenny, the general of the fright fulness of another war and of the imperative need for international action to prevent one. voters side with Congress, and express this feeling by renominating present members.

Mistakes made by the Truman Administration, in its program for taking the country from war to peace and into full production of goods, are a matter of record, in some cases self-acknowledged. Tine program as laid down last August included immediate ending of some war-time controls, and promised early ending of more. The President whose personality and convictions ere rf -fleeted in that program of last August, was one who believed thoroughly in freedom of private enterprise. WAS IT INEVITABLE? It is a personal tragedy that writhin a few months, some controls abandoned in August were revived; that the hope of an early end to other controls was given that at the end of the year the President was in strife with Congress over demand by him for continuation of a control in thr important field of prices, so strong that Congress was reluctant to grant it. How much of what happened wa.s inevitable, and how much was the consequence of mistakes? One early mistake was glaring, and became a cause of others.

Last August and thereabouts, important members of the Administration predicted that the end of the war would be followed by serious unemployment. This prediction turned out to be fantastically wrong. BAD PREDICTIONS Based on the prediction of unemployment, the Administration promoted raises in wage rates. The theory wa.s that unemployment would reduce the country" purchasing power, hence brins business depression. To ofl.srt the decline in purchasing power, (which did not take placet the Administration proposed that the rate of wages for workers re- maining employed be raised.

This Administration policy encouraged labor leaders, who made demands for wage raises going far beyond what the Ad-minlstrat ion contemplated. These demands led to prolonged strikes. The strikes, paralyzing one industry after another, postponed disastrously the full production of goods. ROOT CAUSE This postponement of full production of goods is the root cause of most of the conditions from which the country suffers, and for which the Administration is blamed. Full production would have overcome scarcity of goods, would have checked increases in prices or brought about lower ones, would have made unlikely the struggle of the Administration for continuation of strong price control.

XV 24, as she grew tired. The tempera ture of the water varied from 63 degrees at the shore to 61 degree mid-Channel. Aboard one of tb tugs which accompanied Miss Eaerl friends played phonograph records and sang such favorites as, "Yes, We Have No Bananas," "Sidewalks of New York" and "Sweet Rosi "Grady," as a means of diversion for her during the long pull. TOM THUMB as there ever such a person in-real life as Tom Thumb or was he only a fictional character? a. r.

There really was such a person, in fact two, and possibly others. Charles S. Stratton, born at Bridgeport, Jan. 4, 1838, of normal parents, ceased to grow in heieht at seven months at which time he was 28 inches tall. For years he was featured by P.

T. Barnum as General Tom Thumb and always used that ss his professional name. When he died at Middleboro, July is. 1883. he had the distinction of hav ing been received by Queen Victori while visiting in England with Barnum.

Darius Abner Alden, bry-n at Me- attraction at 30 years of age and as such was known as Tom Thumb. With his high good humor and skill as a glass-blower he amused thousands. He died at the age of 84 on September 24. 1926, at his home in Los Angeles, Calif. BURIED IN BRIC-A-BRAC What the quotation about society buried in bric-a-brac? B.McC.

The quotation is contained in th final paragraph of Henry Van Dyk- e.ssay entitled. 'Christianity and Current, Literature," in his collection of essays entitled, "Ideals and Applications." "I want the books that help me out of the vacancy and despair of a frivolous mind, out of the tangle and confusion of a society that in Hollywood Fad Gone Sour It isn't likely that the doctor's warning against the fad of dark glasses for every occasion will do much good. Most of the younger set would rather go blind than deviate from the path laid down by the Hollywood glamor- fPPars to greatly annoyed oy served mankind -'o tnro "those who belittle the atom bomb until meu got to power. suppose, says he, we too much today nations are jeal-were to set up a chain reaction in ous of each otner and right now are the hydrogen in the air. The whole hilriinff nower blocs -eainst blocs What Do You Want to Kn Limited to matters of general interest.

Exclude advertising subjects. Sign name and address, though not for Publication. WHITEMARSH nourishment, which consisted of bit Can you give me a brief history of chicken, sugar blocks and later, of the Whitemarsh area in Mont- some pineapple. gomery county? G. F.

Sne maintained a stroke of 26 to UM1 1VU i The movie stars wear dark glasses, they say, to disguise themselves from their admiring public, the idea being that it is annoying to be hounded by great crowds of autograph hunters and bobby soxers. The small fry Hollywooder wears them, hoping i i- :4. i flQ t.O K1U peopi 111LU llllllivillg Jltr, iuu, muci lite from the multitudes. From these beginnings the fad has spread. Now the kid next door and across the street and some of the older folks, too.

find that they must hide their eves day and night from earth would be enveloped in a frac- uon oi a second. Is thus a threat? If not, how are we to interpret such an irresponsi- bie statement? The implication is, of course, that it would somehow punish the "scoffers" and serve them right. But we doubt that even the general would be around afterward to say, "I told you so." LEE BOBBINS Bridgeton, N. July 9. imitation To he lnuire' The attitudes of young children toward certain things are influenced by the parents or adults with whom they are most closely associated.

I have especially observed this fact recently in my two young chil- the horrid public. Only the psychologists in their peculiar way can explain why all this 1S so- Now comes Dr. Abeyta, of the Philadelphia The Atom Bomb: 'Terrifi The Evaluation Board preliminary reports on the Task Able test, at Bikini Atoll have, dispelled, completely, those somewhat nonchalant assumptions that the atomic bomb "isn't so much, after all," which spread around the world after July 1. Though by no means developing all the aspects of this terrible weapon the July 25 underwater test will help to do that it is now conclusively demonstrated what the explosion of one aerial bomb under restricted conditions can do over a fleet of naval vessels and that the bomb is a weapon of "terrific power on land or sea." Both the Joint Chiefs of Staffs Evaluation Board and that assigned by President Truman make it plain that even capital ships which apparently did not receive the full force of the blast suffered heavy superstructure darnagp that would have required major repairs in shipyards. The Bikini target array of some 70 vessels Sailor of the Air Retires In 1923 a young Navy lieutenant volunteered for the then obscure lighter-than-air service.

That service and Charles E. Rosen-dahl, who retires tomorrow as a Rear Admiral, have been virtually synonymous ever since. 1 Two years after he joined the dirigibles he was one of the seven in the crew that survived the crash of "the Shenandoah; when the ship split he managed to free-balloon the forward section and land it. The series of disasters that struck the lighter-than-air craft left Rosendahl as just about its sole advocate in this country. He never lost faith in the dirigible.

When the Navy stopped building the big ships, he kept hammering away with his pleas for the small, maneuverable blimps. His persistence paid off heavily. Under his direction 168 blimps were built during the war and operated on submarine patrol and convoy duty in the Atlantic and Pacific. Blimps escorted 89,000 surface vessels without loss of a single ship. Rosendahl tore himself away from his aircraft long enough for a tour of sea duty as commander of the cruiser Minneapolis, gaining the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism" during the South Pacific battle of Lunga Point.

But the success of the blimp fleet remains the great justification of his efforts, against great odds, to preserve the lighter-than-air service. Perhaps, in time, giant dirigibles again will travel the world airways, to confirm Rosendahl's undying belief in their dependability. Meanwhile, the Navy is losing a gallant sailor of the air, to whom we owe much for the safeguarding of our ships and men from the menace of the submarine because he refused to consign all lighter-than-air craft to the scrap-heap. Wfu IPftilabelpfua inquirer ESTABLISHED 129 M. L.

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THE INQUIRER'S PLATFORM To print the news accurately and fearlessly, but never to be content with merely printing the news; to strive always to uphold the principles of our American democracy, to war relentlessly against alien "isms." to fight intolerance, to be the friend and defender of those who are persecuted and oppressed; te demand equal justice for employer and employed, to work for he advancement of industry in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania: eo expose plitiral hypocrisy and corruption; to be just to he fair id above all to he unswervingly independent; to fight mn4 rever to cease fighting to maintain the sanctity of personal Ui-triy and tht invioiabilil' of human right. College of Osteopathy, with the tip that habit- People 20-CENT MILK To the k'ditor of The Inquirer: Nearly 18.000 men and women employes and thousands more Navy personnel have been paying 20 cents a quart or milk for several years. With milk subsidies removed and the new established price of this quality milk put at. 19 cent a quart, for this general area, somebody is off basp. Will the Yard workers and Navy personnel get a "retroactive milking" in or will these patronizing dealers cut the price of the.

milk delivered in the Naval Base? MILK LOVER Philadelphia, July 9. 'WHAT DID IT DO?" To the Editor of The Inquirer: I am a business man traveling in all parts of this country. First I would like to tell your good people that the sooner the OPA is done away with the sooner business will be back. to normal. Do they realize the vast amount of money a year that the OPA has cost? Can you tell me one good thing in all this time the OPA did? In the last war we had no long Hups of ppople trying to get bread or mpat.

I want no more laughing about the men selling apples at street corners. I know some of those fellows made from $10 to $25 a day and some more. It was honest work and we enjoyed the apples. You ask where are the apples? Black market. You can get anything if you have the almighty dollar.

WM. JONES Camden, N. July 8. NEW JERSEY OFFICE If a man is convicted of nsavtt and battery on his wif New Jersey, will this bar htm from holding public office? D. W.

Conviction of assault and battery does not, under New Jersey law. bar the guilty person thereafter from holding public office. ABSENT HUSBAND Can a wife secure a divorce in Pennsylvania if she does not know where her husband is? How long would such a case lake? READER Proceedings for divorce may be brought in Pennsylvania and the respondent served by newspaper publication where he can not be located. Such a case may take from six months to a year to complete. HABEAS CORPUS A man who iras not mentally unbalanced was placed in an insane asylum and failed to obtain a release by habeas corpus proceedings.

What ran be done? He has not violated any law. E. V. K. The function of habeas corpus proceedings is to determine whether a person has been properly confined in a mental institution.

If lha court did not release the man, the finding must have, been that he should remain in the institution. The only alternatives would be to take an appeal from the decision or to file a new habeas corpus proceeding based on additional facts. It is immaterial that the petitioner has not violated any law. Such mental illness as requires hospital care is the test to determine whether he should be Whitemarsh township covers that section of country once known to the Indians as Umbilicamense. The first grant there by William Penn was made to Major Jasper Farmar, of Cork.

Ireland, but he died as he was about to set out. for the New World. His widow and children, however, arrived in Philadelphia Nov. 10, 1685, aboard the "Bristol Merchant," to take possession, and the settlement which grew up on the Farmar tract was called Farmar's Town. A broad, level stretch of ground along the Wissahickon was known as the "wide marsh" which, in the course of time, grew into "Whitemarsh," the present name for the area.

St. Thomas Protestant Episcopal Church in Whitemarsh contains a Communion service given by Queen Anne. The church itself was started as a log chapel built in 1690 by Edward Farmar, one of the most noted men of his time in the province. During the Revolutionary War the church was occupied by American. then Hessian and finally British forces.

It is said that tombstones in the adjoining graveyard were used by soldiers for cooking ranges and for target practice. When the British entered Phila- ual wearing of such glasses so weakens the eyes that they eventually become necessary all the time. They should be worn only for short periods on the beaches or in strong lights as a protection. It would be a good thing if the doctor's warning were heeded. The trouble is that mostly those who will listen aren't the.

ones who need the advice. dren. Since the food shortages and rising prices have become acute. I encourage the children to eat all the Iooa Uley are given, inow James, who is lour and one-half years. delights in showing his little sister, how clean he leaves his plate and drinks all of his milk.

Then he asks Whv?" He explains. "Because food is hard to get and it costs a lot of money." MARY" LOU BROWN Hampton, July 10. BEST HOPE To the Editor of The Inquirer; The official report on the damage by the A bomb in Japan describes awful devastation. What terror men have wrought! The world is beautiful and has everything good messing around wnne their safety hangs precariously upon too-tender threads of under- The human race has become very smart but probably is yet too dumb to save itself. Surely the last best hope of all is in the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

Are we weaklings enough to suffer that also to be des'troyed? WEEKS Atlantic City, N. July 11. IS THIS A PREDICTION? To the Editor of The Inquirer: Obviously Owen J. Roberts will be the Republican nominee for Presi-dent of the United States. He will be elected.

MARK MASON Philadelphia, July 10. Other grounds for divorce in New Jereey are infidelity and two years' desertion. The particular facts should be submitted to an attorney for an opinion. CHILD'S SUPPORT In Illinois is a father who hax been divorced required to support a child until it is eighteen? Does this obligation restrict him from remarrying? A. R.

Under Illinois law a father i.s required to support a child in necessitous circumstances until it reaches the age of eighteen and he may be prosecuted if he fails to do so. This obligation does not restrict him from remarrying. On the other hand, his remarriage will not relieve him of his obligation to support the child. MISCEGENATION What States prohibit marriage hetileen white persons and Negroes? J. D.

Twenty-nine States prohibit such marriages and nineteen do not. Most Southern States and most States west of the Mississippi River prohibit marriage between a Negro and a white person. Most Northern States, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, do not prohibit such a marriage. CHECKING INHERITANCE a son believes he has inherited money from his father, how should he go about finding oat if it is true? A. A.

If the son can not obtain the necessary information from the other members of the immediate family he should retain an attorney in the city in which his father died who can investigate the matter for him. The People's Friend Questions of general interest where points of law may be involved are answered in (his column. No answers by mail. Finish Our Own Thruway Pennsylvanians, noting the ground-breaking in New York to start construction on that State's new $202,000,000 six-lane, no-toll Thruway, linking New York City with Lake Erie, are likely to wonder again why there is 1 1 delphia in September, 1777, General dina Ohio, also of normal par-George Washington withdrew to ents, was 42 Inches tall. A glass-Whitemarsh and resisted an attack blower by trade, he became a circus no move to extend rennsyivama own non- stop road, the Turnpike.

Our super-highway is a dead-ended affair. From.present terminus to terminus it is a fine express road. But it can never supply max- imum transportation service until it is ex- tended on the west to the Uhio line and on the east to Philadelphia. During the war it was reasonable enough to shelve plans for super-highway extension. Rut wartime excuses no longer hold.

If New York can embark on a 486-mile cross-State highway, Pennsylvania can certainly complete its express road. by General Howe there in Decern- ber, 1777. AMERICAN LEGION PARADE When will the American Legion Parade take place? R. DeW. Tentative plans indicate the American Legion Parade will be held on Saturday, August 24, starting from 21st and the Parkway at 1 P.

M. The line of march will be in the Parkway, around City Hall, south on Broad to Chestnut east on Chestnut to Independence Hall. GERTRUDE EDERLE'S SWIM Please print some details about Gertrude Ederle.s English Channel swim, the 20th anniversary of which will be marked in a few weeks. R. F.

A. PROSECUTED AFTER DISCHARGE a person was involved in on automobile accident and indicted and thereafter entered the military service, can he be prosecuted on discharge? Can he be sued for damages? Can his license be revoked? P. K. Military service will not render a person indicted immune from fur ther prosecution nor will it relieve him on his discharge from suit for damages or proceedings to revoke driver's license. An attorney valid defense to any or all of these charges.

LIENS AGAINST PROPERTY How can a person ascertain if there are liens outstanding against him? M. H. Liens against a property are matters of public record and recorded In City Hall. One interested in ascertaining whether there are any liens against his property might em- ploy a company specializing in such searches who will, on agreement, furnish a guaranteed search, extreme cruelty What constitutes extreme cruelty under the New Jersey divorce laws? What are other grounds for divorce in New Jersey? A. B.

Extreme cruelty has been defined in New Jersey as conduct which makes the other spouse reasonably apprehensive that his or her life or safety or health will be endangered by continuing to live with the offending spouse or which renders his or her life one of such extreme discomfort as to incapacitate him or her from discharging marital duties. Highway congestion between Harrisburg and this city is increasing, with present roads incapable of bearing the burden. A through highway, connecting with tbe Turnpike at its western end, is the answer. PUTTING IT BRIEFLY They may call it a "revived" OPA, but it still looks unconscious. Question now is whether the atomic bomb or the Soviet veto packs the harder punch.

Perhaps Mississippians just can't stand having Bilbo any closer to them than At 7.09 A. M. on the morning of buried in bric-a-brac, out of the Aug. 6, 1926, 19-year-old Gertrude meanness of unfeeling mockery and Eddie, of New York City, plunged the heaviness of incessant mirth, into the English Channel at Cape into a loftier and serener region. Gris Nez, France, and 14 hours 31 There, through the clean air of se-minutes later she made the shore of rious thought, I can learn to look England near Dover.

She had cov- soberly and bravely upon the min-ered a distance of 35 miles hampered gled misery and splendour of human by choppy waves, winds and a existence, and then go down with drenching late afternoon rain. The a more cheerful courage to play a young swimmer used the crawl al- man's part in the life which Christ most exclusively, treading water dur- has forever ennobled by His divine lng the intervals she paused to take presence.".