davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
HOUSING ISN'T IMPORTANT ENOUGH

There's only one reason why the nation isn't humming with home
building. It's because the powers that control our economic activities
don't think that housing people is OF sufficient importance
We have said before that the reason is that the owners of capital
aren't able to provide homes for workers at a profit. But it's all the
same thing, since profits are the only thing that make anything i'm
portant under the system we tolerate in America.
We could build homes-1ots Of them. It's just as easy and much
cheaper to build houses as it is to build tanks and keep millions of
workers in uniform to shoot the people into submission. But it was con
sidered important to supply the means Of war-after the government
gave the green light to the profitecrs.
We believe we know why profits are important and people aren't
It's because people are taken al the value they place upon themselves
and because they appraHe themselves too cheaply.
ed, that millions Of workers were out Of work and slowly starving.
ready, the earth was just as productive as ever. But the important
thmg-namcly, the ability Of private owners to make money by per-
mitting people to create and consume the things everybody needed
was missing. So the unimportant workers were fed on flour paste and
"surpluses,' and worked at useless tasks just to keep them out Of
mischief
It would be just as easy to have overnmentsponsore house
building as government sponsored leaf raking. But just as in the
depression, the pOWersthat-be are waiting-Waitng for the time to
come when somebody a make money out of home building.
Well, that's what the American people have asked for. They can't
want to grow food to eat, fashion clothing to wear, build houses to live
in and use laborsaVing machinery to produce security and leisure. If
the people would have thought those things important they'd have
voted for Socialism long ago.
But up to now the majority of us Americans arc willing to wait
and Want-untl somebody comes along with a plan to do something
FOR us and WITH us, as FDR did back in 1893. Housing isn't important
because workers aren't important. Workers aren't important because
they vote to remain unimportant. What a perfect setup for a totalta-
rln dictator!-ReadingL Labor Advocate.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
SARNOFF LOOKS
INTO n FUTURE

David Sarnoff, who for 40 years
has been one of the biggest names
in radio, assumed the role of pro-
phet at a dinner in New York.
There is a scientific possibility
he said, that man is about to dis
owe a way to control the wealth
err; mail may be delivered by
radio; we will have radio sets
which will enable one individual
to communicate with another any
where; deserts will be transformed
into gardens through the diversion
of ocean currents, thus increasing
the rainfall and modifying the eli
mate; atomic energy will aid ire
mendously in combating disease,
and television will soon operate on
a worldwide basis.
Sarnoff concluded with this
striking sentence: "In war science
dares the impossible; it must con
tinue to dare the impossible in
peace, if a fuller life is to per-
meate society. Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
The Crime Of Our Day

America has in the past, and will continue in the future, to feed the
world-but America apparently is unable to feed itself.
Lines of housewives, waiting to buy what little meat is available
today, are lines of abject shame and disgrace, lessons to Russia and
Germany and Argentina and other countries, that our highly Wanted
democracy apparently is a failure. IVY
And what of President Harry S. COr nothing) Truman?
Truman tells is he couldn't order beef cattle seized for shipment to
market with adequate compensation to the farmers. But Truman DID
order seizure of the railroads, and ships and coal mines when strikes
threatened.
Is it less important that Americans eat than that they ride or N
gage in commerce or burn coal? Is it less vital to seize striking cattle
mines of the nation.
Truman has been asleep O the job. Truman has let the nation
down, and the strike of cattle growers continues while the cattle
growers laugh att the inadequacy of American laws which would com
pei them to sell their merchandise at legitimate prices SO that we
may eat.
Miners r. idle due to meat shortage - shortages in the packing
houses and in butcher shops-but certainly no shortages on the range
where millions of heads of cattle are growing fat while the cattle grow
ers wait their opportunity to wrest exorbitant profits from the purses of
the nations workers. ~#
1t is regrettable that the English language provides no adequate
words to properly describe the despicable, men who foment such a
deplorable condition in the land of milk and honey-the land of plenty
- the land called upon to rescue starving millions of other nations
from famine-The Progressive Miner.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
'Phony' Stocks Stick
To Bankers Hands

You don't operate on Wall
Street, so you probably don't
know what is meant by sticky
standby. Well, here it is: Invest
ment bankers guarantee to sell a
block of stock or bonds. In order
to make money, they must main
tain the price" until the paper"
has been unloaoed on investors.
After that the investors are on
their own, and if they lose their
shirts, it is not the fault of the
investment bankers.
Sometimes the fish refuse to
bite and the bankers face a loss.
Then the issue sticks" to their
hands.
Some people thought such prac-
tees ended when the Securities
and Exchage Commission was
created, but apparently that Com
mission has lost its punch" for,
according to the best Wall Street
authorities, 46 investment bankers
united recently to dispose of a
block of securities of question
able value.
They anticipated little trouble.
The stock market was booming
and the ''suckers' were rushing
to invest.
Then came the collapse. The As
bankers couldn't sell the, securities
they had underWritten-the paper
had become "sticky"-and so they
had to throw the stuff on the mar
ket.
Now mark what happened. So
long as the bankers could hold on,
they were unloading at par. When
they put the paper on a free mar
ket," this particular issue dropped
to so, representing a loss of 40
per cent.
What's the moral to the tale?
Well, apparently Wall Street is
just as crooked as it ever was; the
Securities and Exchange Commits
sion is asleep at the SWITCH" and
wise Americans, who have a little
money, will put it in government
bonds. The interest will be small
but the principal will be safe
Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
THEN CAME UNCLE SANS
AUDITORS, IN JULY, 1916:

"Mismanagement in the worlds
largest corporation, The Recon
struction Finance Corporation, was
revealed in a recent report to Con-
gress by Lindsay c. Warren, Comp
troller General. Established as a
federal agency to loan money to
private profit business during Hoo
ver's presidency, RFC h S dis
pensed ST billion in govt money.
During most of its life it was run
by Jesse H. Jones, whom his con-
sentative friends have lauded as
"a super businessman
"RFC has no set of books, the
report revealed, to show how much
of the ST billion has been loaned
to each of the private
corporations which got the money,
nor what was done with the $500
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
Profit Business Gods Have Feet of Clay

million loaned to three RFC war
time subsidiaries.
1T is impossible to find out,
Warren reported, how much of the
billions Of dollars which RFC
loaned to another subsidiary--the
Defense Plants Corporation--was
handed to each Of $500 companies.
"In general, it is impossible to
ascertain what profits have been
made or losses incurred by RFC
or its subsidiaries :" Warren
continued.
Wonder if YOUR Senator and
Representative were among those
who gave Banker J esse this
enormous power, without a
qualm?"-The Cooperative Build
Gr.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
MAY, 1941 READERS DIGEST
ON JESSE JONES:

Jesse Jones sits on top Of the
biggest heap of financial power in
the country. He knows the inside
of every important financial stu
alton and has a hand in most of
them. The money trust of the
old days never knew such control
as this tough siX-foot Texan han
dies with the confident ease of a
country banker. AS head of the
Federal Loan Agency, Jones con
trolls the RFC Reconstruction FL
nance Co~rporation), the Export
Import Bank, the Federal Housing
Administration, the Hole d
many other powerful government
finance agencies. In addition he is
Sec'y of Commerce, a job once con-
sidered a fulltime occupation by ar
able executive named Hoover
Jones handles billions, yet his in
tegrity and judgment are so sounc
that Congress-, without a qualm
allows this enormous power to resi-
in his hands"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
LindIey's Strange RuIinq
Refuses to Jail Big Chain-Store Magnates; Holds Their
Crimes Are Not Related TO Moral Turpitude'

Judge Walter c. Lindley, appointed to the Federal bench by Presi-
dent Harding, found the huge AtEatic & Pacific chain store corporation
guilty of "conspiring' to monopolize food, of bludgeoning retailers who
short changing them.
Judge Lndley sentenced the A. & P, some of its subsidiary COM
panies, and Is of its top officials to fines totaHng S175,0OO which is
practically nothing compared to their monopoly profits.
Under the antitrust laws, Lindley could have sent the officials to
Jail for a year. Even that would seem a light punishment. People have
been shot for offenses far less serious than manipulating the country's
food supply in wartime.
Lindey, however. imposed no prison sentences. Attempting to
explain why, he made this astonishing statement:
1T would serve n o useful purpose to enter a sentence of inprison-
ment. Violation (f the antitrust laws is IN economic offense, not
related to the moral turpitude of the offender
In other words, it is not immoral for Big Business to boost it's
profits by monopoGzing the peoples food and cheating customers
while the sons of those customers ART battling in ffontline trenches to
preserve democracy!
incidentally, the learned judge seeks to nullify what is perhaps the
most important part of the ntitrust law. Congress said offenders might
be fined and imprisoned. The judge pushes the prison end out the
window.
tons continue flouing the antitrust laws. Even if convicted, they get
off with fines which don't make a dent in their monopoly profits, and
nobody goes to jail-Labor
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16

their riches, follows. Led by Met
ropolitan Lies STU billion, the
first six of these have assets of
SIS billion or over, the first IA So
billion or over, and the rest 81
billion or over.
Metropolitan Life, Bell Tele-
phone, Prudential, Bank of Am
erica, Mt & SA, Chase National
Bank, National City Bank, N. Y,
Equitable Life, New York Life,
Guaranty Trust Co., N. Y, Stand
ard Oil On. j., Manufacturers
Trust Co., Cont. Ill. Natl. Bank,
Pennsylvania Railroad, First Natl.
Bank, Chicago, Central Hanover
Bank, U. S. Steel, Northwestern
Mutual Life, John Hancock Mutual
Life, Mutual Life ms, N. Y, Bank
ers Trust Co., Security-First Natl.
Bank, L. A, New York Central
Railroad, Southern Pacific, General
Motors, First National Bank, Bos-
ton, Union Pacific Railroad, TRAY
elers Insurance Co, Chemical Bank
& Trust, E. N. Y, Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, Northwest BANGOR
poration, Consolidated Edison, Natl
Bank of Detroit, Irving Trust Co.
Bank of the Manhattan, Atchison
Topeka & Santa Fe Ry., DUPONT
Commonwealth & Southern, Aetna
life Insurance, Marine Midland
Corp, Cleveland Trust, Secony.
Vacuum, Penn Mutual Life, anc
Mutual Benefit Life.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
BRAZILIAN WORKERS

The new Brazilian constitution
gives workers part of the profits
they help create. They have won
the 8-hour day, a weekly day of
rest and annual vacations.
Sounds as though Brazilian
workers are making progress
BUT-until Brazil permits these
workers to organize into trade I'M
ions of their choosing and
permits them to determine their
own demands in keeping with
changing condition n, Brazilian
workers have won empty victories.
The ban on trade unions still
holds in that South American
country, and Brazil is still far
behind without workmen's COM
pensation, social security or hospit-
alization benefits. Time may cure
these ills. At least it is hoped so.
The Progressive Miner.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
PEACE ON EARTH

We are such peace-loving peo-
pie that our budget for 1947 in
cludes SIS, sos, 600, 900 for national
defense. That is out of a total
budget of $41, $50, OOO, 900. (The
total budget for 1889 was $8,707,-
900 900 Of which $1,206, 900, 600
was for defense.) To the defense
budget might well be added the
81, 1853, 600, 900 for international fl
nancing, as this will be used for
the same essential purposes. Com
pared with these offerings to Mars,
note the appropriations for essen
tial peace-time purposes:
For Social security, relief, re-
tirement, 81 ,252, OOO, 900. For civil
ian housing, $202, OOO, 900.
For general public works pro-
grams 1887, 0O0, 900. please note
these latter little items are mill
ions-the former for war are bill
ions.)
An economy that cannot use its
productive capacity for its well-be-
ing has to use its capacity for its
destruction. Why not get rid of it?
Industrial Worker.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
a LIE EXPOSED

Contrary to all the current pro-
paganda, higher prices do n
necessarily have to follow higher
wages.
Wages are only a minor part of
manufacturing costs, the CLIO Eco
nohic Outlook points out. While
labor costs vary from industry to
industry, government figures show
they average only rs per cent of
all costs in manufacturing.
A 10 per cent wage increase,
therefore, would raise total produc-
ton costs by only ~one-fourth, and
a proportionate price increase
would not be 10 per cent but 212
per cent.
But the whole history of Amer
lean mass production industry
shows that higher wages can be,
and have been, offset repeatedly
by increased efficiency, better
worker morale and similar factors,
without the need for price in
creaSes.
In fact the Outlook cites ex-
amples of companies paying high
Ell wages and yet producing at
lower cost than exactly compar-
able concerns whose workers re-
ceive much lower wages.
The present initiation is not due
to higher wages but to the greedy
insistence of profiteers on unjusti-
fled and totally disproportionate
price increases.-CIO News.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
No Meat, But Packers Profits Still Zoom

having a terrible time getting a little meat the profits of the big packers
will compare faVoraby" with 1915 and may surpass that lucious year.
The journal" offers three explanations. AT the top of the list is
elimination of excess profits taxes" Congress is responsible for that.
Our lawmakers didn't reduce the income tax of the man who
works, but it cleared the way for profiteers to pile up their gains, even
if they didn't produce as much beef and other things as the people
desired.
These pleasant prospects are not confined to the packers. The
Southeastern Greyhound Lines has applied to the L c. c. for permission
to declare a 100 per cent stock dividend.
n Greyhound accumulated such a monumental surplus during
the war that in December, 1914, it announced a 100 per cent stock
dividend, which increased the number of outstanding shares from 271,-
400 to 542,8l8. Now it proposes to double the latter figure.
Thus stockholders will have four times as many shares as they had
Two years ago, and they haven't invested an additional cent.
This is all very startling and somewhat disturbing, but have you
read a word of criticism in any newspaper? What would happen to a
labor union which propose. to increase its members wages 800 per cent
in less than two yearS?-LabOr.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
B Billion Dollar Firms own
Fourth Of u. S. at War End

WASHINGTON Concentration
of wealth and power in the US.
has mounted to a point where 43
corporations, each with over a bill
lion dollars in assets, now own
more than one-fourth of the total
wealth of US, as represented by
total assets of all industrial con
Germs, banks and insurance com
panieS, reveals a tally by the
United Press. The 43 firms have
total assets Of more than 1O1 bill
lion dollars.
Total assets of all industrial COLI
Germs in the U. S. grew from 1919
billion in 1889 to an estimated S4OO
billion today. The billion-dollar
corporations have gained most rap
idly since Dec. 81, 1914, when their
assets totaled S97 billion.
Organized
Six of the ruling billion dollar
corporations were among the list
OF IL giant corporations that were
listed by a Senate committee in
1889 to have set up a special or
g~anlzation to fight labor union
ism, protective and social security
legislation, and higher wages. They
were the American Telephone &
Telegraph, dupont, General Motors
Irving Trust, Standard Oil anc
US. Steel.
Metropolitan Leads
The entire list of the millionaire
corporations, given in the order O
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
SAYS OLD KING COAL
LOSE HIS R Q

odd King Coal seems in fair
way to be pushed off his throne by
an ambitious youngster-oil.
THE Wall Street Journal has
been looking into the matter and
reports that h o m e IRE being
equipped for the use of oil heat
as rapidly as manufacturers can
turn out the equipment.
Another serious competitor for
coal is gas, but it is not as formid-
able as oil.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16

in the Southern States. The prin-
cipal point is that the South is
being organized.
Organized labor needs a much
greater proportion of G labor
population in unions, and both
AFL and CIO r rendering a real
service to trade unionism by en-
tering the final anti-union stand in
the nation in the Southern States.
We wish both Well!-The Pro-
gressive Miner.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16
OUR SOUTHERN BROTHERS

1t makes little difference wheth-
err AFL or CLIO wins most of the
workers in the present dual drive
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-16

He who purposely cheats his
friend would cheat his God. =
Lavater.
Evening star., 1946-05-19
T1Vins Engaged y
To We'd Same Dap

The twin daughters of Mr.. and
Mrs. Arthur T. Leonard Of Bethesda
will become brides the same day.
The parents of Miss Jean Claire
Leonard and Miss Kathleen Ann
Leonard announce their engage
ments today to Mr.. Ormand Redding
Calvin and Mr.. william Bernard
Muldoon, respectively. Mr.. Calvin is
the son Of the late Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles Broe Calvin of New York
City and Mr.. Muldoon is the son
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas P. Null
doom OF New Bedford, Mass. The
double wedding will take place Au-
gust 3 at the Church of Our Lady
OF Lourdes in Bethesda.
The Leonard twins graduated
from Bethesda Chevy Chase High
School in the class of 1912 and were
graduated last June from George
town University School of Nursing.
Mr.. Calvin served four years over
seas with the Army Air Forces, and
Is now at Georgetown University
School Of Foreign Service, from
which he will graduate in June.
Mr.. Muldoon has been in the
Navy Viz and is now a senior at
the school of dentistry at George
town University.
Evening star., 1946-05-19

J. Rohland and the late Mr.. Roh-
land, took place last evening in
Calvary Methodist Church, the Rev.
Orris G. Robinson officiating. A
reception followed in the home of
the brides parents.
Given in marriage by her father,
the bride wore an ivory satin gown
and veil Of illusion draped from a
coronet of orange blossoms. She
carried a bouquet of white rosez
with an orchid center.
Mrs. j. Eugene Kaufman was
matron of honor for her sister, wear
ing pink net and lace gown, and
Mrs. William Hollenbeck and Miss
Margaret C. Mead, the other at
tendants, wore blue net and lace
All carried spring bouquets.
Mr.. Frank o. Rohland was best
man for his brother and the guests
were seated by Messrs. Adolph p.
Volkman, J. Eugene Kaufman,
Frank A. Robey and William w.
Evans.
Following a honeymoon in New
York and Ocean Grove, N. j., the
couple will reside in Washington.
Evening star., 1946-05-19
Miss Wells Wed
To Mr.. Pavne

Grace Methodist Church in Cal
thersburg was the scene of the we'd
ding yesterday of Miss Margaret
Vivian Wells, daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Gordon T. Wells, and Mr..
Vernon Day Payne, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Clarence Payne of Kensington
The Rev. Karl Newell oficiated at
the ceremony and a wedding supper
at the Anchorage in Sandy Spring
followed.
The bride, who was given in mar
rlage by her father, wore a gown of
satin with fitted bodice, full skirt
and long train of mousseline. Her
illusion veil was of finger tip length
held with orange blossoms. She
carried a shower bouquet of point
roses and baby's breath.
Mrs. Edmund Robertson was her
sisters matron of honor, wearing a
gown of shell pink taffeta and net
made on the same lines as the bridal
gown, and she carried a shower bou-
quet of spring flowers. The brides
maids were Mrs. Frank Hoadley of
Boston and Miss Mary Wells, an
other sister of the bride. They were
costumed in aqua, the same style
as the matron of honor. Little
Miss Joan Dare Ward, niece of the
bride, was flower girl and wore an
old-fashioned styled gown of pink
net with aqua velvet trimming. She
carried miniature shower bouquet
of sweetheart roses.
Mr.. Harvey Payne of Arlington,
Va, was best man for his brother.
The ushers were Mr.. William Payne,
Mr.. Clarence Payne, Mr.. Robert
Evening star., 1946-05-19
|Gala CarnipaL
Will Feature
Taxi Dancers

"A dime a dance" will be the key
note Of popular feature of the
Have Fun Benefit Carnival, to be
held Saturday evening, June 8, at
Wolf Trap Farm, home OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Jouett Shouse in Virginia. A
group OF the most attractive girls
in Capital society will serve as dance
partners for the small sum of 10
cents, and "the Wolves of Wolf
Trap" a group of popular men about
town, will donate their services as
dance partners for a similar amount,
Prominent in the group of girls
who will be taxi dancers are Joan
Exnicios, Marilyn Hymes, Elaine LIE
Fere, Francine Whitten, Jessie Hos
kinson, Sherry Parker, Pat Proch-
mix, Ann Heard. Mary Wright, Leila
Dickey, Marye Thomas, Marion
Norris, Laura May Norris Louise
Hamilton and Caroline Steinman.
New members of the committee,
from whom tickets for the carnival
may be purchased before the sup
ply Is exhausted, are Mrs. Charles
H. Maddox. Mrs. Noel Trentham.
Mrs. Michael Wright, Mrs. Douglas
Hatch, Mrs. Wallach Merriam, Miss
Marion Norris, Mrs. Jay Hayden.
Miss Julienne Cahill, Mrs. David l..
Wickens, Mrs. Thomas Cajigas, Mrs.
H. Chapman Rose, Mrs. Edward
Treglown and Miss Caroline Stein
mann.
Among those who already have
secured their tickets are the Neither
lands Ambassador and Nine. Lou
don, the Secretary of Agriculture
and Mrs. Clinton Anderson, the I'm
dersecretary of War and Mrs. Ken
meth C. Royal, the Solicitor Gen.
eral and Mrs. Howard McGrath,
Senator Arthur Capper, Commodore
and Mrs. John H. Magruder. Col.
and Mrs. L. Corrin Strong, Mai. and
Mrs. E. Brooke Lee, Mr.. and Mrs.
F. Moran McConihe, Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Vanderlip, jr.; Mr.. and Mrs.
James L. Houghteling, DR.. and Mrs.
Breckenridge Bayne, Mr. and Mrs.
George Boncesco, Mrs. Robert Jack
son, Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, Miss
Carolyn Nash, Mrs. Arthur A. Fow-
ter, Mrs. Etdridge Jordan, Mai. Gen.
Hou and Maj. Ralph Foster.
Evening star., 1946-05-19
In Ne1V Homes

Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Rich, whose
marriage took place recently, have
returned from their wedding trip
and are in their apartment at
Townly Courts.
Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel S. Kauf-
man, with their young son and
daughter, now are in their new
home on Rittenhouse street.
Mr.. and Mrs. Sidney Lautenberg,
who resided in New York, now are
making their home in Washington.
Evening star., 1946-05-19

Payne, all brothers. of the groom
and Mr.. Harvey Via.
The young couple will take a
motor trip through the South before
returning to their apartment at the
Montgomery Arms, Silver Spring.