The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-06-01
In the German Manner
These DaysSSy' e 9a l3.i E. soIo2:u

saw something the other day
that in itself was trivial, yet, 10 me
II seems OF outstanding import.
anee because there are too many
officials connected with all sorts OF
federal. state and municipal Of
fees browbeating our citizens and
II Is about time to protest against
it-and what is more important,
TO do something about il.
On Saturday, | WAS strolling in
Riverside Park here in New York
with a fellow journalist when we
noticed a commotion. Instructive
ly we walked to the spot. There
were two men in civilian dress.
without hats. who apparently were
ordered by their superiors 10 hang
around a spot in the rallied off part
OF the park 10 arrest citizens who
ignored a sign. Keep off : Some
do and some don't and If the city
wants to station a man there TO
tell folks to keep of, that is all
right with me. But what these
cops without uniforms were doing
was to lie. folks go on the grass
and then tc hand them a summons
which does neither the people
nor the grass any good, an electric
eye and a recording repeating,
please, Keep OF the Grass.
would be more effective.
In this particular instance the
citizens even denied that they had
actually stepped on the grass. They
were handed summonses for a
state Of mind. And when the wom-
an protested, the policeman in
multi. disguised as a civilian, accus-
ed her OF abusing him. Since when
is 1t abuse II a taxpayer asks a
policeman for his authority to make
an arrest? And several of us sug
gested that IL there are not enough
police to keep down adult and juve-
nile delinquency. how is it pos
sible TO station these excitable po-
licemen in a public park to keep
citizens off the grass? There
seems to be a false sense of pro-
portion and two much bossiness
in all this what with all the real
worries and griefs we suffer these
days. I'm sure that a Boy Scout
could protect that tract of grass
with more intelligence and less
harshness. and with less OF that
pushing around.
And that reminds me OF an OPA
case up near Stamford. Connect
cut. which represents the same
general type OF the substitution OF
pushing around for common sense.
A family sold their home and NOV.
ed elsewhere and they had to get
rid OF some articles including
refrigerator They advertised the
items for sale in a local newspa-
per. One item was a General Elec-
trio Refrigerator. in good condi-
ton, purchased in 1880 for $3.50.
They had between 60 and 70 tele-
phone calls concerning this re-
frigerator and sold it to a man for,
as they tell me. $3.50. The OPA
heard OF the sale and went after
them on the ground that the cell
ing price on such a refrigerator is
1880 But they could not afford
to Sell II for $3.50 and the man who
bought 1t needed a refrigerator
and was willing to pay. Now, the
seller is in trouble and unless the
buyer will accept refund of
s13O.50. the OPA will crack down
on the seller.
Precisely. what sense does this
make? Suppose you or | were to
find ourselves forced by circum-
stances to get rid OF our homes
and we had to sell off quickly
perhaps to use the money to re-
establish homes elsewhere, would
we have to send for an OPA agent
t. put a ceiling price on every
chair and table. pot and pan In
the house? And suppose we could
not afford TO sell at these prices,
would we have to forego the oDpor'
tunity OF re-esta blishing ourselves
in a new place? Or would it be
more to the national interest to use
gasoline and rubber tires to ship re.