davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
A Thought for Today
Passing of a Curmudgeon

What in the world has come over that
Did curmudgeon, Honest Harold Ickes,
Who probably holds more jobs than any
body in Washington except President
Roosevelt, and who is in serious danger
Of losing his hard-won prestige as the
most deteSted man in Washington?
(Some say he never was better than sec
ond in the Potomac Unpopularity Con-
test, but we, for our part, don't consider
Harry Hopkins in the running at all.
There was a time when nobody liked
Ickes, the federal official, though Harold
the Man had his defenders You could
have found bets that Harold was honest
enough to concede that even he didn't
really care much for Secretary Ickes.
Now, all of sudden, he has become popu-
lar. The petroleum industry - and you
should ought to of heard what they used
to say about him! - is reported to con-
slider Administrator Ickes quite the nuts
and don't overlook "the", because we
mean they really admire him. and say
even when he isn't around to hear-that
if they were ele9ting public official to
guide their deStinies Ickes would win
almost unopposed.
Time was when you couldn't have en-
ticed Honest Harold into the same hotel
with conservative politicians Now he
is asking the opinions of conservatives in
his Puerto Rican duchy, and is said,
though we don't swear it is so, to be TAX
ing advice from them. He tried to get
control over all federal funds and person
mel in Puerto Rico, and twice asked each
member of the Senate Territories Com
mittee to permit $25 900 relief fund
to be administered by his department.
When that didn't work he dropped the
matter, and his representatives told the
committee that eve don't insist on the
amendment (giving Ickes control over
the Dough-" Can you imagine that -
from the old curmudgeon?
We could mention other similar devel-
opments concerning the rabid reformer
who used always to be good as whipping
boy when things otherwise were dull.
What can have happened? Is it only
coincidence that the change took place
Just as Honest Harold was publishing his
Autobiography of a Curmudgeon? Can
it be that this man, who has been sim
cerely admired for his honesty and fine
intensions, now has discovered an inner
yearning to be loved for his sweet reason
ableness and gentle kindness? We hope
so. We could like Harold, if he were will
ing.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
Star Boarders

Under the leadership of Wisconsin,
there is growing movement in states OF
the union against encroachments OF Fed
eral bureaus which usurp state functions
and destroy taxable assets within the
states. The development of the Federal
governments great socialized power au-
thorities, now well established in every
section of the country, is bringing to
head this issue of centralized Federal con-
troll over local affairs. These vast bu-
reaucratic business agencies of govern
ment enjoy the privilege of doing bust
ness without assuming the cost OF gov
eminent which other industry must bear.
They pay no Federal income tax. They
pay no state income taxes They pay no
state property tax. They pay no taxes
to maintain. roads, schools or other func-
tons of local government Some of them
make contributions" in lieu of local tax
es, but not on any basis of equality with
other taxpayers. They do not come I'M
der the jurisdiction Of state regulatory
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

being utterly unworthy of consider
alton, while those who have a few
virtues are often highly overesti-
mated and pronounced paragons OF
virtue. 1t is we'll for us to remember
that all of us have lot of bad in
us which has to be lived down, and
that there is probably not a person
on the face of the earth who does
not have considerable capacity for
good, if 1t could only be brought out
into the open and utilized.
Reputation is a hard taskmaster.
The evil we do lives after us; the
good, as Shakespeare remarked. is
oft inferred in our bones On the
other hand, if we are widely admir-
ed, we find it extremely hard to
live up to that good estimate which
people have of use. We have to
watch our tempers, guard our utter
anceS, and see to it that we give
people considerable justicatfiion for
continuing their good opinion Of us.
1t is hard to live down a bad repu-
tation, but 1t is equally hard to live
up to good reputation.
All of which, of course, Is as II
should be. For we are here in the
world to grow; not to slide along
easily and have a nice time.
AL Rights decentralization News
paper Syndicate
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

bodies as 10 rates or matters affecting all
other endeavors. Their main allegiance
is to centralized authority in Washington,
rather than to localities wherein they
maintain their operations, derive their
revenue and destroy taxable assets by
discouraging or preventing private power
developments.
These subsidized government agencies
surround themselves with privileges and
exemptions which make them masters
rather than servants of the communities
they invade. Could you, Mr.. Butcher,
Mr.. Baker, or Mr. Candlestick Maker
long expect to meet a competitor who
was financed with public funds which
your taxes helped provide, who was ex-
empt from the taxes which you must pay,
and who was not subject to the multi
tudinous state and Federal laws under
which you are required to operate?
Why should privileged, official author
tiles" be allowed to drive any private en-
terprise out of business in the United
States? And why do they fight tooth
and nail against submitting to laws and
taxes which apply to all other business?
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
Share the Taxi

Pennsylvania now has made official
what is being done, voluntarily, in most
places Taxicab operators are required
to pick up any passengers who want to
go in the same general direction the
original passenger is going. This saves
gasoline rubber and manpoWer, and pro-
vides better service.
And Pennsylvania has provided against
the greatest abuse in the Share-the-Taxi
system. In most places cab drivers col
lect full fare, from the starting point
from each passenger, even though the
price is supposed to be on per trip basis
rather than by the person. In Washing
ton, D. c., the fare is 80 cents for one or
more passengers going from the railroad
station to a midtown hotel, yet drivers
now collect 30 cents per passenger. In
New Orleans the same is true, except that
there the zone price is so cents. This
abuse is general.
Pennsylvania now requires that driv-
ers collect the normal fare from the first
passenger, and thereafter only the addi-
tional mileage from each successive pas
senger. This ruling should be made
universal.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
Current Comment

1t is through social and political
institutions that ideas are made to
march. Unless the idea of interna-
tional collaboration Is embodied In
political institutions 1t will remain
polite platitude.
President Harold w. Dodds OF
Princeton University.
There is now SO much American
news in Swedish newspapers that
the German Foreign Office, I am
happy to report. has formally &C
cused the Swedish press of lack
of objectivity."
Associate Owl Director Mil
ton S. Eisenhower.
We want no more depression. We
want work; we want to be able to
buy decent food, clothing and homes
to live in; we want security in ILL
ness and old age; we want our chill
dren educated; and We want at
least some of the luxuries that SCI
ence and machinery have paraded
before our eyes-an automobile, a
radio, household conveniences.
Evans Clark. executive direc-
tor Twnetieth Century Fund.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
Settlements by Renegotiations

The Government is spending billions OF
dollars on war production, and it is also
getting back amazing sums OF money
from the contractors. That's how rene
gotiations" of contracts operate. The
War and Navy Departments and the Ma
rhine Commission recently reported re-
funds and recoverieS from these contracts
amounting to $3.50, 100000. When these
contracts were made the Government and
the contractors were obliged to depend
upon estimates. Speed was one of the re-
quirements and procurement of material
was none too certain. Contracts had to
be made in hurry and these undertak-
ings involved the manufacture of new
products from new materials, with newly
developed tools and facilities.
The contracts for war products are
generally on a fixed price basis. In order
to protect both the Government and the
agreed that all contracts are subject to
cancellation. This plan has proved to be
fair to the Government and the contrac-
tors. Adjustments of these contracts
during one year represented $685., l2O, OOO
of actual refunds by contractors and 81
583, 900 reductions in contract prices.
A statement issued on behalf of two
Government Departments and the MARI
time Commission explains that maximum
output is essential in the production OF
war materials, and that the system has
worked so satisfactorily that there has
been very little waste Of money, manpoW-
er, or natural resources The decision TO
enact renegotiation legislation was based
largely on experience of World War l.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

Board, plus Ickes, and Justice
Byrnes, to thresh out the entire
question. 1t was a seething Ses-
sion. Dean Wayne Morse, of the
University of Oregon, public mem
Der of the Board, got off some
hot barbs at Ickes. Chairman
Davis was more restrained.
Ickes, in reply, described the
WLB's action as illegal and I'M
constitutional, especially when
they had served notice on the OPP
orators and miners that they could
not reach an agreement between
themselves but could only negoti-
ate before the WLB.
The President sided with his
Secretary of the Interior. But
by this time, the strike already
was in progress. Roosevelt had
been put in one of the most diff
ficult roles of his long career by
a labor union which he had
helped more than any other
President in history.
ZOO NEWS
The monkeys have victory gar
den at the Washington Zoo. Di-
rector william M. Mann is grow
ing sweet potatoes to take the
place of bananas in the monkeys
diet. Bananas are scarce, and
sweet potatoes cost 20 cents a
pound. SO he grows them
Congress has been asked to in
crease the Zoo appropriation to
meet increased food costs
There's some relief in the fact
that OPA has placed 12-cents-
a-pound ceiling, on more meat for
the lions The mammals get
80 bushels of free vegetables every
day when the Zoo truck makes the
rounds of grocery stores to collect
wilted lettuce and other vegetable
trimmings otherwise thrown away.
The Zoo has a special eX-
hibit for visiting President Bar
clap of Liberia - Liberian pigmy
hippo, Matilda" and her son,
"Gumdrop.' born on the day the
Yanks invaded North Africa.
"Heine," the black rhinoceros, is
Just recovering from touch OF
pneumonia. Treatment was sulfa
sulfa drugs and a nasal spray E.
Unique among Washington air
raid shelters is. the one in the
basement of the lion house called
Daniels Den. It's for people, not
the lions. But who would want
to take refuge under lion cages
while they are being bombed from
above?
Copyright, 1943, by United
Feature Syndicate, Inc)
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

Many get into the army, or the navy
for that matter, who are not suited to the
work demanded of them. They do the
best they can, however. Sometimes they
are weeded out, or put at work that suits
them 1t is difficult task to assign all
to the best place for them or for the
branch they are serving A colonel in
the athletic branch of the war depart
ments said recently: "There are lots OF
lives being lost in the Army because OF
the accumulation of fatigue and the lack
of endurance and strength. Agility can
not be developed ir the short training
the Army gives. 1t must be developer
during the formative years of school,
This we more than realize today. And we
can feel assured that training for youth
will be accentuated in school in the years
to come, especially military training
which will help the boy immeasureably
whether we are at war or at peace.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

coal operators all too anxious to
use the coal crisis as a means of
discrediting the Presidents pro-
labor policy.
Most important chapter in the
story begins on Sunday, May 2, at
which time the President gave
Secretary of the Interior Ickes
control Of the mines. On that day
John L. Lewis, at his own request
came to see Ickes.
Ickes secured from Lewis Is
day truce and also agreed to help
in the negotiations to bring the
miners and mine operators to-
gether.
But" added Ickes explicitly,
anything that is done must be
okayed by the War Labor Board.
They are in charge Of this wage
dispute"
WLB GETS EXPERIMENTAL
Mex day, the first bit of tenn
permanent flared forth. 1t came
after John l.. Lewis had told the
press that the miners were nego-
tiating "in cooperation" with Ickes.
Immediately the War Labor Board
hit the ceiling, ran to the White
House, claimed that Ickes had
usurped their jurisdiction and that
the miners could not negotiate
with Ickes.
To placate the War Labor Board
Secretary Ickes called press con-
ference and made public state
ment that he had nothing to do
with wage negotiations, this be-
ing up to the Board.
So the dispute dragged on.
John l.. Lewis, who hates Roose-
welt, sat down with the ROOse-
velt-bating mine operators. The
operators had none of their top
notch men present, but were rep
resented by second string law
yers, who, when a proposal was
made, had to go out of the room
and phone their principals.
Spokesman for the southern
operators was ex-senator Ed
Burke, of Nebraska, who opposed
the President bitterly on almost
everything while in the Senate,
and has continued to oppose him
since
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
AIR POWER IN CHINA
New York Times

New York TimeS)
The battles around Ichang we're
not like any other battle ever fought
in China. Tor the first time the
Chinese armies had air support
both from their flyers and our own.
The result is heartening. The en-
envy is still retreating and the Jap
anese threat to Chungking seems
ended for the Summer.
The tide ocrned when "a large
number of American bombers, es-
corted by a squadron of Chinese
fighters, attacked the Ichang air
field. They scattered ten tons Of
bombs on the runways, and &C
counted for Chirty-one enemy in
terceptor planes. Flying forays
against marching columns and river
barges loaded with Grated enemy
planes proved equally effective.
Some $4,000 Japanese troops, &C
customed to fight under an UNI
brella of their own planes and de-
prived of this protection, decided to
reverse their march on the Chinese
capital. Compared with the multi
tudinous beat of wings over Europe
these actions in the air seem like
mere skirmishes. But they fore
shadow a profound change in the
Far East.
1t is a reasonably safe assump-
tior that Japanese hasn't enough
planes to meet enemy air pressure
on the fringes of her new empire
and keep many in China. too. Hith-
erto she has needed only a COM
paratively small number OF second
rate craft for the latter purpose
since the Chinese had none. Now
the Chinese are beginning to get
planes, and General Chennault's
American wing is becoming more OF
a real force. The combined Allied
air strength In China Is stin suffi-
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

In talking to fifty congressman, Fred
H. Sexauer, president of the DairymenS
League Cooperative Association, said
that as meat, butter and cheese are
rationed, the public turns to substitute
foods, including milk. "The choice OF
substitute foods is narrowing daily. The
danger that milk may be added to the
ration list is real. A food crisis is upon
us, yet the government is concerned IN
regard to paying the farmers a price sui
ficient to encourage them to produce 10
the utmost. Prices should be controlleo'
but not discourage production"
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
PORTAL-TO-PORTAL
ARGUMENT

ARGUMENT
BY this time the miners had
been given a guaranteed siX-day
week, some concessions on the up
keep of their tools, and we're ar
guing about portal-to-portal pay.
But nobody could agree how long
the men were under ground, SO
they wouldn determine portal
to-portal pay. Finally Ickes pro-
posed:
"None Of you seem to know
just what portable portal means,
so why not appoint a commits
sion of three to decide it - one
miner, one operator and one
neutral? Then we can keep on
mining coal and when portal
to-portal pay is decided, the
miners can get the benefit of
interim pay"
John L. Lewis accepted this In
principle, but proposed that the
interim pay, until the final de-
cision was made, should be $3.50 a
day. O'Neill, however, proposed
interim pay of 80 cents.
This was at about 6 p. m. Mon
day, May 81. Ickes had to leave
for a radio broadcast, and came
back at 8 p. m. to find the con-
ference still deadlocked. ONeill
had raised the ante to 81 day
interim pay until final portal-to-
portal pay was decided. But
Lewis would not bulge. He still
stood out for S1.5O.
1t was at this point that nego-
tiations broke down. The truce
expired at midnight that night,
and next day the miners were not
at their pits.
COMPLAINT TO ROOSEVELT
Next day also, the War Labor
Board heard about Ickes' last
minute intervention. And they
hit the ceiling. This time they
cent g. letter to the President
threatening to resign if the Sec
rotary of the Interior interviewed
again.
Meanwhile, Ickes sent a letter
to the President giving his views
of the War Labor Board. Hon
est Harold. famous for his vitup-
Grafton, poured more of ii into
that letter than almost any
other he has written. He ac-
cused the WLB of being more
interested in its own prestige
than in preventing the most
serious strike of the war.
1t was at this point that the
President last week called in all
the members of the War Labor
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
Your Health
By DR.. William Brady

Signed letters pertaining 70 per-
sonaI health and hygiene, not to
disease, diagnosis Of treatment,
will be answered by DR.. Brady II
a stamped self-addressed envelope
is enclosed. Letters should be brief
and written in ink. No reply can
be made to queries not conform
ing to instructions. Address DR..
william Brady, National News
paper Service, 800 West Madison
Street, Chicago, Ill.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
THESE JUNE DAYS
New York Times

Continued warm" On a day
when all the devils of heat and
humidity were dancing theri wild
est corroboree, such was the oracle
of our local weather gods. So in
Gilbert Land philosophic observer
might ask a sufferer from lingering
and humorous punishment if the
oil was warm enough. But let's not
be exasperated; that would only
make matters worse. And we reverse
our watchers and seers who from
the topless towers of Manhattan
send their understatements to their
underworld. 1t may not be generally
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
Selected Poem
DOING CHORES FOR A NEIGHBOR

Harry Elmore Hurd in the New York TimesD
l slid the great barn door and stood
Inhaling doors, sweet and good.
Ned, the shaggy Workhorse, neighed
And stamped as though he were afraid
The cattle turned their limpid eyes
And looked at me with mute surprise.
1 clambered up the sloping bay
And forked down piles of fragrant hay.
l fed and watered each dumb beast
And was, to them serving priest.
Their crunching was a sort of prayer
Inarticulate on the air.
They could not know that who stood
1nl1aling odors, sweet and good
Was many, many miles from there,
Where /, farmlad, free from care,
Climbed to heaven through NOTED light
And watched the swallows darting fight.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
. NATIONAL
SPOTLIGHT
Repercussions
From Recent
Rubber Strikes
BY PETER EDISON
Waterbury Democrat Washington
Correspondent

1t is recognized doctrine and prac-
tice of organized labor to make
gains while business is good. En-
ployers can't be expected to shell out
while business is in the red or dan
gerously near to it. But when bust
ness is in the black then is the
time to ask for increases with every
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
Views Of The Press

Gent only to hold the line and to
stiffen the defense. But more Amer
lean planes are on the way, and the
Battle for Ichang shows what can
happen when they get there.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

from it, the worse
we seem to get in
volved in it. On
the other hand,
living up to a good
reputation is no
easy job either.
Public opinion is
often inaccurate.
T h G people who
have done some
thing wrong are
usually complete
Nv condemned as
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

The boys and girls who have been &C.
customed to lift to school in the family
car and journeys to and from parks and
swimming pools and so on during the
summer months are going to find it hard
going this summer. They will have TO
fall back on the good old custom of stay
ing and playing in their own back yard.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

known that in summer they occupy
refrigerator penthouses. Why
shouldn't they be calm?
And they are not to blame. June,
dear June, innocent June, has 8
double personality. She is subject to
fits. She is not responsible for her
conduct in these. The books on
weather are the clinical records OF
June's performances in this line
From June, 8 to June IL, 1877, Cali
fornian high temperatures ran from
SO at San Diego to ia at Yums
and 122 at Spring Valley. On Juns
IT, 1859, the thermometer at SAP
Francisco Is said to have risen from
IT to 1873. At San Diego 1t stood at
100.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

e X p ectation OF
getting results
a n d keeping
them. That has
happened in ev-
cry major in
dustry dur l n 6
this war period
in steel, autos,
aircraft or what
have you. 1t is
happening right
now in coal. 1t
stands a good
chance of hap
pening in rail-
roads.
In the case of
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
STRENGTH
FOR THE DAY
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND BAD
BY EARL l.. DOUGLASS ID. d.

1CEI q I n TIOIV-OOOD zKIND DID
Some men spend their lives try
ing to live down a reputation, and
other men wear themselves out try
ing to live up to reputation. A
bad reputation is like sticky fly
paper-the more we try to get away
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08

Copyright, 1943, by United
Feature Syndicate, Inc.)
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-08
ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION

For years have been hammer
ing away here on the technique Of
artificial respiration, life and
death matter which, believe, has
been too casually and too carelessely
taught to hundreds of thousands Of
people, and it seems I have aroused
indignation on the part Of the vice
Evening star., 1943-11-18
because your foes powder
makes your skin look
a little older?

DERHAPS you've been loyal for
L long time to the face powder
you use. But is that face powder loyal
to you? Are you sure it doesn't let
you down at the critical 2-foot line?
Just how flattering is your face
powder when mans eyes are closer
How old does it say you are?
Does it make your skin look young.
fresh and inviting? Or does it whis-
per, "Look-here around the eyes,
around the nose-I'm older-than she
says! I'm quite bit older!'
Surely you don't want him to think
you are lying about your age, just
because your face powders traitor!
Join the millions who use the powder
that's as Aattering in a closeup as
from a distance = Lady Esther Face
Powder! The powder that makes
your skin look younger, not older!