The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1943-04-29
AN OBJECT LESSON IN FREE COMMENT

Last week, we had considerable to say about the need fol
a free press in the United States. This week, we saw here in
Montana an example of how the right of free comment works
and gets results.
A few weeks ago, Tom D. Caverly resigned an executive post
in the salvage division at Helena to go back to his first love
editing a newspaper. Tom published this explanation of why
he quit:
Like a good many of our friends, you probably wonder
why we quit a good government job to run a small town
newspaper. We're always frank. We got to a place where
we were ashamed of ourselves to take the money, and So
helpus-Hannah, if a few more of the boys who are on the
payroll don't have their conscience bothering them before
long, we're mistaken.
1--WE haven't as yet got as many people on the federal
payroll as are in the armed services, but at the rate they
have been putting them on, without a recruiting campaign,
when that drive starts, the army, navy and marines will
have to look to their laurels. We've been connected with
and had a part in organizing two of the largest federal
branches in the state. Every man on these programs is a
fine felow-but, to our way of thinking and from our ex-
perience, we know that no wel-organized private industry,
no matter whether they were in the big money or not, would
have half, yes, a third the number of employees that have
been put on the federal payroll in this state"
The first of this week came an announcement from Helena
that follows: William E. Rae, state chairman of the war pro-
duction boards salvage division, announced today he had been
informed from Washington, D. c., that reductions in staff per-
sonnet will be made in all five states of the ninth area to effect
economies in the salvage work" 1t added, the change was being
made sin order that a more efficient organization can be es-
tabEshed."
We'd say that Toms editorial brought quick and salutary
results. You can count on the fingers of your hands the number
of nations remaining in the world where he would be allowed
to print such an editorial.
There's a bit more to the story. Last fall, over the protests
of Mr.. Rae and Mr.. Caverly, the WPB hired a number of adj
dftional experts, or something of the sort, to help conduct the
salvage campaign in Montana. Both Mr.. Rae and Mr.. Caverly,
as state leaders, told WPB there was no need for additional
employees, but their judgment was overridden and more names
were added to the federal payroll. We have also been informed
reliably that people were added to the state OPA staff in the
rooop on-po Iooo,,eo 10000 4 "a: j 81
The local administrators had nothing to say about it.
We read last week that there are enough government EN-
pcyes of draft age to provide Sc divisions of men for military
service. We now have more people on the civilian federal pay
roll than are employed in manufacturing in the United States.
We believe Tom Caverly touched up a situation that was
in need of the light of publicity. BY his comment, he won the
intense dislike of some bureaucrats. But he did the country a
service. Need we say any more about the need for a free press? i