davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
A Thought For Today
Not So Revolutionary

The United Automobile Workers proposal to the Ford Motor Co., of company security against unauthorized work stoppages served emphasize among other things how far John L. Lewis has sayed from the comradeshp and even the attention of his old pals in the AFL and ClO.
 It evident that John l.. had been pretty much looked when Richard T. Leonard chet of the JAW negota tors said the of his programs publication that 1t would be nothing short of revolutionary It further evident after the surprise sprung when reporters who had consulted labor leaders aborconscous Detroit were able to tell the public that this unprecedented and per haps the most progressive step taken by union
 Everybody seemed to have forgotten in this burst of admirable enthusiasm that for than dozen the United Mine Workers and btumnous coal operators have carried substantially the same company security provisions in their contracts.
 Before the war these contracts differed from region region but all included penalties for unauthorized work stop pages And the recent master contracts which cover the UNIV jurisdiction in the btuminous mining industry have retained them.
 Under the UNIV system one or two-dolar fines are imposed miners participating in wildcat strike. The fine is collected by payroll deductions and is kept in separ ate bank account The whole procedure is on local scale Representatives of the miners the operators and the public make up committee which decides on the disposal Of funds collected in this way.
 Usually the money goes to local activities. In fact many locals and operators have written agreements which stipulae that the fines shall go charitable organizations Scout activities burial funds, etc.
 At the end of large wildcat strike in which the fines into six figures the company agreed to waive penalties But usually these fines levied matter of and question is raised The best available estimate total fines collected since the beginning of these agreements something more than S5OO,000.
 One newspaper called the JAW proposal to Ford "an a most roncad program stop unauthorized strikes, sit downs and sowdowns An examination of the similar pro- gams history in the mining industry doesn't quite bear out that prediction But generally agreed that 1t does deter and shorten wildcat strikes Such work stop pages all the time in the coal eds but they seldom last long attract more than local notice.
 Thus any company union which is thinking of asking granting fines for wildcat wakouts turn to the domain of the shaggy lone and apparently forgotten wolf of the UNIV and the plan in action And they safely that the plan works for neither Mr. Lewis the operators famous for submitting to real ancled ln equities without squawk.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18

Monroe Johnson, director Of the Office Of Defense Transportation Then the Petroleum Industry War Council asked Washington officialdom to join with oil industry officials in tucking the bib the stuffed shirt to honor William R. Boyd, Jr. for the great job he did chairman of the Petroleum h. dustry War Council.
 There probably will be other functions in ensu- ing weeks with the war just over this is the open season on testimonials. Besides which it's Christmas isn't it? Whats the harm of little public relations goodwill the side, and here's looking at you for l946.
 The gentlemen who get these testimonials usually deserve em, and what's said here is not to belittle their real achievements and services to their coun try The idea is simply to show of the lighter sides of what goes here
 Col Johnson got scroll at his dinner, for hav- ing discharged his task with ability, great in dustry and unfaing devotion to duty MT. Boyd fared little better In appreciation of his 'seess and successful service" he got inscribed silver waiter and portrait of himself. Well. the oil men are a little more prosperous than the rairoaderS. You'd never guess it. but the portrait was done in
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
A FRIENDLY RAILROAD
(The Christian Science Monitor,
 Dec. 15 Issue)

(1Ne CIlTlSCldll oClellCe MOIllIOAi
 Dec. 15 Issue)
 Just 100 years ago today as a biting wind swept down the Con- necticut Valley from Canada, chill ing crowd gathered around a pick and shovel crew in Windsor, Vermont, ground was broken and the Central Vermont Railway came into being.
 Thirty months later it's first To- conceive was named Abigail Adams" It was a wood burner, and had to stop every 30 miles or so while the whole crew helped wood up" Today, the Central Vermont boasts of it's 'Montrealer," train that links two great nations
 The Central Vermont means to thousands of people summer vaca- tion days among the Green Moun- tainS and winter sports on snowy slopes. To it's patrons it is friend ly railroad. Millions of famous, and obscure, men and women have ridden the plush" of the c. V Presidents, statesmen, members of the British royal family, prime min- isters, governors general, and am- bassadors have travelled the line.
 Complete rebuilding after the devastating flood of 1927 marked the beginning of new era for the Central Vermont. This thrust the road into modern "big time" oper- ations through close association with the Canadian National Railways. the contingent's longest railway system t.r
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18

have dreamed O. do8ng -speaklng their minds ab0u, ther bIass-hat oreTlords aith fu protection agasns disciplinary aciion. The House Committcc guaran- teec this protection and Pvt Marx a s7-year-olC cleyelanoer about 10 be discharged. made ihe most of st
 Justified or not. every barracks .laWyeg- would agree that Marks charges made beautiful oI reao- ing Playing the military chiefs with such names "Pentaeon boy scouts." "bemeoaled fouF-flnsheTs" and "arisiocraiic phonieS" ihe balc-pated e l. e. ciared: They want large Army to retain their ranks These brass hats don't like work IT they did they wouldn't be in the Army"
 Capitol newsman William Arbogasi later askeG of the major generals who listened To the iirade N Pvt Marks discharge would be held up and Il his explosive comments would fetch him blue dis charge"
 Hell. mo-" replied the general Wed have this committee on our heads il anything like that hap pened This boy Is due be dsrharged tomorrow and hell get honorable one-right time We're not geing 10 waste any time letting him out of the Army"
 The Friendly Sons of st. Patrick claim they have chalked up real progress in making Irishman out of President Truman.
 At a recent Sons banquet which Truman at tended t was brought out that his forebears were Irishmen named Tremane. So officials of the organ ization called at the White House the other day b offer Truman honorary membership.
 We have already voted you in at an executive meeting" James Colliflower president of the ciety announced. Wed be delighted to have you accept and attend our next St. Patrcks Day din- ner"
 Barring out-of-town business, Truman said he would be on hand for the dinner.
 T don't see any reason why shouldn't accept an honorary membership in the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, also" he added But do you think I qualify?"
 Certainly you qualify MT. President" spoke up Martin J. McNamara popular Washington attorney. George Washington was member He joined the society in Philadelphia after it organized in 1774 Unless I mistaken you would be the second Pres ident in history who became honorary member of the Friendly Sons"
 Truman replied that in that they could
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
Views of the Press

disease is deliberately contracted, and full responsibility for the con- sequences should be shouldered by the victims themselves.
 That view is losing ground. Since the public is receiving the benefit of millions of dollars of tax revenue from the liquor industry and is thus accepting money, indirectly, from the person who is drinking him. self into an alcoholic, the general public may fairly be asked to share part of the consequence of such ex- cessive drinking.
 Indicative of this public respons- ibility for alcoholics, Knickerbocker Hospital in New York City, the first general hospital to accept chronic inebriates as patients, has discharged its 50Oth patient. On being dismissed, the patients are directed to Alcoholics Anonymous, private organization of cured drinkers, for moral support in the effort to remain a total abStainer. Thus the old liquor evil is being fought on a level where not only the wide responsibility for the cause but also effective means to com bat the consequences can be put into operation It does not solve the liquor problem but it does help to clarify it's ramifications as in- volving the general public as well as particular individuals.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
By Peter Edson

oil Isn't that appropriate?
 All these affairs much alike, So it's good to describe another There 300 guests at Col. Johnsons little five-course collation. Dia- Newburg breast of capon farci chevalier on Smith field ham, salad with chutney dressing, baked Alaska And trimmnS.
 And what a surprise to find there most of the members of the Interstate Commerce Committees Of the Senate and House of Representatives What surprise, also to find there representatives of the Interstate Commerce Commission plus delgatons from the Civil Aeronautics Board, the Maritime Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Exchange Commission. Now what in the world could they be doing at railroad dinner?
 It must have been just business and government cooperating. It certainly beautiful tc But where labor?
 The speaker of the evening, in addition to Col Johnson, was Cong. A. L. Buwinkle of South Car olina. It is just incidental, of course, that Major Bulwinkle now has bill pending which would legal ize fixing and other agreements between petng carriers in all forms of transportation under the Interstate Commerce Act All this bill would dc law Of the Association of American Railroads has only academic interest ill that
 AS to what interest the oil men had i'll building ID little goodwill with government officials like Secretary of the Interior Harold IckeS, who of Boyds chief eulogizers there are only few sur mises to be made by evi-thinkng people.
 The tidelands oil case is up the Big Inch and Little Inch pipelines are to be disposed of there lot of surplus governent-owned tankers and re- neries and synthetic rubber plants to be disposed of and
 It certainly is nice to See 50 much good fellowship and brotherly love in evidence this jolly Christmas season
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
By DresC Pearson

count him ln and thanked hir visisors fer the com plment.
 He slanr sss ln the heaalinos. but tae man largely responsible for passage of Trumant Gov crnmrni Reorganization Bni wAs compiroileT Cen cfai Lindsay wagTen Tor ie ycars leading memoc os Congress
 No, only do both Republicans and Demoorsu tFust him but a was Wafrenx forlhrteht tetttmon1 bcsoTr the Senate and House conmitteet ihai brought Congress out of it etharEy. Warren Natccc ibs bln liks hen v1fh one chick sn curng iH prcg- res through CongTNzs
 Thrce othcfs also deserving crocii arc Jack corh- of Missouri wil Wilmington oi Mississippi, am Sen Abe Murdock of Utah Presicen; Truman friends say they wish thf team could handle mor oi h2 mcASuref
 Pew people FeAlszc how sweeping ihe new Re- organization Act A. It goes beyond anything efei e!Yea Roosevelt Resslt k that Truman e nov on veYy definite hot spot He told Congress hc could do the reorganization job A given authority. Con grcss has nov given bim the authority That author ity win expire April !. lsss what people arc nos watching Is whom Truman E1n get tO advise him If De turns the reorganization job over 70 political appeasers. the new Reorganization Act VII lay an esg.
 Harold stassen won Congressional friends laS week al off-the-record session of ilTs-teTm ana seoono-teTm Republican CongreSsnen. Alter speak ing briefly. he invited questions from congressmen.
 While he didn't reveal anything significant that be hadn't already said in public statements. mem bers came away with the rare feeling that StaSsen
 
 Fresh out Of his Navy uniform. StasSen called for a limited form Of unificaton of the Army and the Nayy-refeTTing particularly 10 procurement and the duplication Of airfields. At the time he insisted that "the U. S Navy is the best outfit in the world
 Asked about how he would advise handling the atom bomb, StaSsen declared that 1t is time for government to catch up with the scientists They are far ahead Of the politicians and public pol icy-makers must catch up with them if We to handle the terrifying things which they advise. for the best interest of the people"
 The United States and Russia must and get along together Stassen said The important thing which Americans and Russians must learn is that the people of both lands want peace" He added that he could understand how the Russians could be suspicious when our government opposes their inter national policies, yet has plan of its own.
 They can't see what direction we're going in, and so understand that they feel suspicious" he said.
 As he finished Sen William Stanfin of Kentucky, who succeeded Baseball Czar Happy Chandler re- marked: MT. Stassen, let me congratulate you your courage and your clarity"
 Note-Absent from the question period Rep. Charley LaFollette of Indiana. Once he charged by colleagues with leaking" to this cournnist. To avoid repetition of such charges LaFolette left early.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
PROGRESSIVE MERCHANTS
(Meriden Daily JournaD


 We heard a pretty compliment for Meriden stores the other day from a woman who has been shopping in them for years. Never" said this lady, have had the feeling up til now that it would be impossible to obtain better goods or see finer assortments in any other city than I could find right here at home
 This called for. little explaining, so we put the questions and got the answers Meriden stores, our in- formant declared, are now equal or superior to the stores of any shopping center in this state. In fact, would be hard to find better stores in New York City. Style, quality, value are all obtainable here. and the places of business are attractive and modern in every re- spect.
 One fact this woman emphasized, is the greatly improved appearance of our local stores. Sometimes in the past, SIle >Sdlu, IL IldU SccillSu CO her that, while excellent merchan- disc was offered here at favorable prices, Meriden merchants weren't paying enough attention to the manner in which goods were dis played But now, the little style touches which mean so much to women shoppers are visible here on all sides. In short, as this lady put it, our storekeepers here are on their toes
 We liked this testimony, and ac- cept it as authentic, because we have observed the same conditions. Meriden merchants are more prog ressive today that ever before. They are going places because they de- serve to, by reason of merchandise ing knowledge, effort and increased investment. If they keep up the present pace, they won't need to worry about the old bugaboo of out-of town trading. They'll turn the tables on the other towns by attracting more and more customers here, to the finest shopping center possessed by any city in this vicin- ity.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
No Excuse

The OPA has predicted that the black market four ish abundanty than because of the Armys vva of the set-asde technique laying claim 30 per cent of the countrys top-grade beef.
 One may wonder why the Army, which includes only about per cent of the nations population should sder necessary requston 30 per cent of the nations choice beef But that is why civilians should peat the selfish practices of recent months and shop ping for steaks at outrageous over-ceiling prices
 For thing, the Army order IS temporary expedi- en perhaps overcautous expedent to itself that it's will be we'll fed during the demobilzaton period For another the supply of pork is mounting And for third the threat of imitation is still real and constant
 Y Yet another is the fact that and ratonng proved concusivey that there is danger of civilian meat starvation We shall eat and eat we'll whether or not the Army sets aside almost third of the best beef And while eating well might reflect that gratitude and for the webeing of soldiers should extend through and beyond the period of their military service.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
By Bill Cunningham

of his commission and for duty with the Nazi pig boat fleet in this Hitler ignored the request
 In the eyes of the Army they focused at the time of my vSit that made him cold booded killer in World War l, and German who tried to join the Nazis and become cold blooded Killer in World War H. This regardless of what he'd professed before, since.
 Then there was the record of his family in this Of his five children, old enough to take part in the war three sons were soldiers in the Nazi Army tle elder daughter was married to member of the Volkssturm, the younger engaged to be married to member of Hitler's Medical Corps. Granted that possibly the couldn't help themselves that they were drafted and had to serve, this adding in the fathers attempt to volunteer from prison after all he had said against the head of the state, a solid family record of male service to the swastika and feminine allegiance through troth and marriage.
 Still Dr. Nemoller referred to himself as Hit ers personal enemy" He ddd it in these words, My wife in rather bad condition of health and nerves staying with friends in 8 small country home near Munich with two of our children. She is without any resources and has been so for nearly eight years, stricken with sorrow and anguish, longing to be united with her husband who was Hitler's own prisoner and personal enemy. :"
 All this written out by the man. himself, at the request that he explain exactly what his stu aon was, and what he'd like to do If given full per mission to do anything he wished. He was pretty vague about the latter part. Of course he'd been through lot, and he seemed pretty badly broken. But, nearly as he seemed able to express it. he wanted to get as much of his family as he could find together and get out of Germany into Switzer land.
 IueTe ue WOulu, 5Iu nt uilutIllHeU 1ake up contact with some of my former German church. friends in order to gain knowledge of the present situation and of developments that may have taken place during the time of my confinement principally in ecclesiastical affairs For this, at least one to two months needed. After that time if wished, necessary and possible could probably get in touch with my Protestant church friends abroad in Eng land, Holland and mostly in the USA. to contribute to the tasks am wished and could be needed for
 Whether it would be wise to let any sort of saint or martyr arise from the pyre of Germany, and es- pecialy to let loose in the outside world carrying the emotional dynamite of religion as part of his equipment was puzzle that had the Army stopped in the Niemoller case. The officers with whom talked were half expecting powerful pressure from civilian source, but they to hsvf pfesafed for while the pastor has been permitted to move around he's never yet left Germany in the weeks that have passed. What they decided about his guilt. haven't been able to learn.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
Asleep at the Switch

The army of investigators in Washington still try
 ing pin the blame somebody for failure of the United States Navy to go into action when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, December 2, 1941.
 1 Apparently the President of the United States, the Secretary State their representatives in Japan and elsewhere throughout the Pacific positive that the Jap would do just what they did do The testimony also prove that the United States Navy and the Army forces in Hawaii expected the Japs to make the attack
 We'll nobody stopped the Japs. When you sift that testimony down to the bottom the conclusion is that aot of people failed to good judgment And with lot of people in that "tate of mind" the whole situation to add up about follows: Honest is to be pitied not to be ridicued."
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
Limpid Prose

Returning servicemen have delightful surprise in for them The gentlemen in Washington who wrote the Revenue Act of 1945 have kindly defined for them tax attributable to presevice earned income which they permitted to pay in installments.
 The definition reads folows-so help us:
 The term tax attributable to pre-servce earned in come means the of the tax imposed by chapter for any year the tax that would have been imposed for such year there had been excluded the net for such year the of the earned income Gas such term defined in section 25 (a) W in force with respect to such year except that in computing such earned net income compensation for active service in such forces shall be disregarded)"
 Mulng that the veteran will probably understand why Uncle Elmer took rat poison about axpayng time back in "A (the year of the great forgveness).
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18

prior to HitlerS attempts to control it. Church attendance has increased as the defeated popu- lat1on tried to turn somewhere for hope and solace This represents a definite leadership, it pro- vides something to work with, they say.
 Tn the words of Bishop Sherrill, "The (German) church is in process of solving many difficult and complex problems such complete de-Nazification, erature and it's fellowship in the churches of other lands. The Christian church faces opportunity and responsibility in the situation confronting the Ger man church It must re-establish fellowship with the new church in Germany and strengthen the demo- cratic forces now leading that church.
 This interests me because I tried to cover the same ground while there, but without too much success. One reason undoubtedly because hadn't been sent by President Truman, but bigger one seemed to be because the United States Army had been unable to make up its mind. If 1t didn't have these German church leaders fenced in with actual censorship. it accomplished the end by making i practically impossible for reporter to find them
 I finally stumbled across the famed Pastor Nie- moler, practically my own and when went to headquarters to have the story made official, the Army, at least the part of it had to deal with on that particular subject broke down and actually put me in the spot of asking my advice. They simply didn't know how to enter the score on this most famous of all German preachers At that point they couldn't decide whether he the saint and the martyr the outside world had heard and believed, or whether he just another German killer whose profession chanced to be religion instead of science
 He had been German U-boat captain in World watery graves His great career as clergyman, and his defiance of Hitler came later and would have
 tended to wipe out the rest but for the fact that he suddenly and voluntarily revealed that from his centracn camp in 1H53, he had wri' Ssn personal letter to Hitler and had asked for the restoration
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
ALCOHOLICS AS PATIENTS
(Hartford Tines)

That alcoholism Is a disease has become generally recognized. But paying for the treatment which a curse costs, raises question In Connecticut, the liquor industry is being made to pay for the study and establishment of clinics.
 A new angle presents itself when alcoholics are treated as general hospital patients. The cost of such hospitals is paid in part by public gifts and government grants. There has been doubt in the past that the public should be shouldered with the cost of treating and curing al coholics because it was felt that this
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18

II Ine lIlIng IS OIBduI1eu CO- operatively on the pay-your- own way basis, it is usually on the up and up. If it's free to selected, invited guests, watch who picks up the check, who's there and what for.
 In recent days there have been two of these somebody else pays-as-you-go affairs, on the pretentious side.
 First the Association of Amer ican Railroads threw testi- monial dinner in honor of Col. J.