Evening star., 1941-06-07

a
cue from their President, what IS
to prevent the husbands and
fathers of this Nation from retiring
to the living room Of their homes
and proclaiming a household state
of emergency and grabbing all sorts
of extraordinary powers?
There could be no objections from
the family, because father would
only be doing in small way what
the President is doing on large
scale.
Take transportation. The Presi-
dent moved right in on the rail-
roads. airplanes, boats and buses.
Father could cut right in on the
family automobile. The children
could walk to school for a change
and papa could ride TO the Office
for a change. Father could COM
msndeer the car on lodge nights
instead of catching the streetcar
so junior could go to the junior
prom on all SIX cyllnderS.
Take the radio. The President
now has the right to take over any
and all radios whenever he sees
fit. Father, under the household
act, could march in and hear some
thing besides programs given over
to pistol shots, gangsters screams.
recipes for chocolate cakes and
complicated love serials. He could,
for the first time since he forked
over the initial payment for the
mahogany box in the corner, twist
its dials to suit himself.
Take priorities. The President
now has the right to say who gets
what first. What a boon for Dad
with this department under his
jurisdiction! Sister will do her
primping after he finishes with the
bathroom in the morning. Juniors
II or l8 so-called whiskers will have
to wait until a mans whiskers have
been cut of. Dads bath towel will
have priority over silk stockings on
the towel rack and shower curtain
rod. His few simple toilet requisites
won't be given 50th place behind
wave set, depilatories, deodorants,
bubble bath concoctions. bath salts.
mascara, orange sticks. eyebrow
pencils, bath powder, face powder,
powder puffs, rouge. eye shadow,
hand lotion. face lotion, fngernail
polish, toenail polish, tWeezers,
clippers, magpifying mirrors ana
endless little brushes. No, with his
new extraordinary powers Dads
things will be right where he can
find them.
Once firmly in charge OF priori-
ties Dads things will be left where
he left them. His golf clubs will
remain in the hall, his pipe in the
middle of the living room table, and
his book left open at the place where
he was reading it, and not tucked
neatly away where Jimmy, Charley,
Bridget and Mother will have to be
called to find it.
Take extension of credit. The
President now has charge of that
on national scale. and how the
heads of the families will love to
clamp down on that! No credit of
any kind can be established without
their own great seal of the house
hold. Dresses and hats won't be
worn out before they are paid for.
Little bargains won't be picked Up
with the vague hope of being able
to pay for them within the next six
months.
Take working hours. The Presi-
dent can suspend the eight-hour
rule on persons working on defense
projects. That will be a great help
to Father. He can keep Junior
moving the lawn even when the
baseball game is on, and keep him
moving until the sun goes down.
I am making my personal fireside
chat tonight from the top of the
stairs. I have chosen that particu-
lar spot not only because nv voice
carries so we'll from there, but be-
cause it affords two strategic ave-
nues of retreat
Distributed hv MrNanrht srnd,ra4n L.