Evening star., 1946-10-18
Letters to The Star
Readers Agree in Approval
of Gimme Editorial
OF Gimme
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
1t was pleasure to come upon your
editorial concerning the gimme atti-
tude." 1T should have been boxed and
centered on the front page. There have
been a number of aspects Of the post
war, prediction situation that have left
a bad taste in the mouth Of this writer,
not the least Of which is the appalling
selflshness of small groups. We have
seen, only too clearly, how the very life
of cities, as New York and Pittsburgh,
can be threatened by striking unions
insisting not only on enough, but, quite
literally, on "too much" Just because
the other fellow has a hand in the
barrel we all want to elbow our way
In, afraid we won't get as much as the
next grabber. 1t requires no great effort
of the imagination to see our entire
country placed in the same jeopardy.
No one likes controls, least Of all
those who are impeded in their private
ambitions by the existence of control.
Yet surely we must be mature enough
to realize that such control exists for
reason--to support those who are not
so apt at grabbing, to insure more
equitable distribution of available pro-
duce AS you noted, impelled by war
emergency we accepted restraint more
or less cheerfully. And, despite the ter
rife strain under which our economy
labored in those years, the restraints
worked. Now, however, we want to be
rid of reins, even while giving evidence
in our own intractability that we are
still badly in need of imposed direction.
Perhaps most shameful of all Is the
political exploitation of the present
widespread dissatisfaction. Since the
mass of our populace does not intend
to recognize its own responsibility for
shortages, uneven distribution, climb
ing prices-all an outgrowth of the
gimme" of our major political
parties Is pampering our basic selfish-
ness, the Republicans saying: you'll
get more if you put us in office. because
We'll take off the restraints; the Demo-
Gratis saying: You'll do better to keep
us because all the difficulties are due to
Republican Chg Business) chicanery and
it will cease, as being hopeless, as soon
as you put us back in office" So, in
effect, we are told that it is party
policy that provides national well-being.
AS individuals we>can be as selfish, as
cut-throat, as childishly irresponsible,
as petulantly demanding as we wish,
and the successful political party will
evoke harmony and prosperity to bless
our ego-centered days. Economically,
while one side argues that because
prices are mounting wages follow, and
the other insists that rising prices are
only a normal result Of increased wages,
both offer to save us from imitation by
their diametrically opposed formulae.
No one is willing, apparently, to suggest
that maybe both prices and wages climb,
and shortages come about solely be-
cause the great American people are
finding that, as wartime calluses wear
off, they are afflicted with pestiferous
itchy palms.
1t should be remarked. too, that 1t
doesn't require law-breaking by ma
jority of the people to make legislation
unenforceable. AS long as any consid-
erable number of people insist on putting
their selfish interests above the laws of
the land, those laws will be of no effect.
DONALD TRUMBULL.
To the Editor Of The Star:
wish to congratulate you on the edi-
torial TOO Much Gimme"
1t is refreshing to have the editor Of
big city newspaper remind us from
time to time that our greed and selfish
ness "can serve only to demean and
weaken our Nation"
1t would be too much to say that I
agree with every one Of your editorials,
but the very large majority are of such
a high moral standard that they can
not help being an inspiration to every
true American.
HARVEY E. FENSTERMACHER.