davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1954-01-03

IT. from Representative Carl Curtis
Of Nebraska last week.
Mr.. Curtis, q member of the
House Ways and Means Committee
who has been conducting hearings
on Social Security, announced he
would seek changes in the law
which would:
D Immediately grant payments Of
at least $45 q month to all persons
IS and over, regardless Of need or
prior eligibility.G
Extend Social Security coverage
to-and extract Social Security
payments from-every employed
person in the country.
o Raise the maximum earned in
come of Social Security recipients
from 5000 a year to $1,000.
Tax all earnings (payroll and
non-payroll alike) 2 per cent up to
$500 a year.
Under the Curtis plan, the Social
Security trust fund would cease to
be an insurance reserve and would
become merely a cushion" for the
Government.
ClO Loshes Out
The Congress of Industrial Or
ganizations was quick to blow the
whistle. The Curtis plan, said
Joseph Curran, head of the CLOS
Social Security Committee, would
threaten the benefits now avail
able by raiding the trust fund and
ending all Federal grants to the
States for aged and dependent
children"
Representative Kean, Republi-
can, of New Jersey, another Ways
and Means Committee member,
predicted defeat for Mr.. Curtis
plan.
The increased cost of Social Sc
curity came about on New Years
Day when new payroll deduction
went into effect. Hereafter, work
ers will have withdrawn from their
pay envelopes 2 per cent of the
gross until $500 has been earned.
Until the end of last year, the de-
duction was w per cent. The new
maximum employe contribution is
$72, as against $54 under the old
plan. Employers are required to
match the employees share.
The Social Security hike coin
cided with a reduction (averaging
about 10 per cent? in individual
income taxes and the elimination
of the corporate excess profits tax
Of 80 per cent on certain business
earnings.
The effect of these changes in
tax schedules was unhealthy, po-
litically speaking. Instead of the
biggest proportionate reductions
going to the ''little fellow" the
lowest wage earners actually are
slated to get less take home pay
this year, while solid citizens with
five-f1gure incomes will net at
least $132 more than before. This
circumstance led many observers
to predict that the Social Security
rate will be rolled back to 11a per
cent and overpayments will be re-
bated-possibly just before election
time.
Evening star., 1954-01-03

THE UNITED STATES entered
4 1854 with its economic con-
dition somewhere between q boom
and a bust. No one was starry
eyed enough to suggest that the
times ahead would be a continue
ton Of the Korea-born boom. But
neither was any American expert
gloomy enough to predict q full
scale depression in the immediate
future.
What lay in store for the Nation
in 1854, it seemed, was something
more moderate something quite
definitely below the stratospheric
level Of 1858. The Presidents
advisers, putting the best face pos
sible on the matter, liked to call
it q rolling adjustment" Econo-
mists meeting In the Capital last
week looked at the days ahead
more In terms of an orthodox re-
cession." And other surveyors of
the national scene-like Senator
Paul Douglas of Illinois, himself
an outstanding economist-did not
bother to tack the adjective "ortho-
dox" on their predictions Of a
slump. Secretary Of Commerce
Weeks, in q year-end report, fore
east q good year, but admitted 1t
would not be as good as 1853.
The important thing for the
Nation, as 1854 began, was: How
bad win things get? The answer
seemed to be: Not bad enough to
become panicky about, but bad
enough to be felt.
Evening star., 1954-01-03

though pay raises may become
harder to get.
But IS the economic situation
tightens up, merchants probably
will work harder and offer more
for the customers dollar. This
would mean q decline In the cost
Of living, which would benefit the
man with steady income.
With the death last Friday night
of the excess profits tax. many in
dustries will find themselves able
to provide the same goods for less
money without cutting their net
profits after taxes below 1858
levels.
AS DR.. Hauge suggested, the
downturn in production may take
the form of a shorter work-week
for factory employees, rather than
outright firings. If this happens,
organized labor can be expected
to make an increased pitch for
a guaranteed annual wage, or for
some sort OF hourly wage increase
that win keep take-home pay near
where 1t was last year. These de-
mands may meet such employer
resistance as to bring about wave
Of strikes.
In all, the outlook for 1854 shows
some weak spots, but no cause for
undue alarm. It appears unlikely,
in any event, that the situation
will come to pass this year which
impelled the late President Calvin
Coolidge to remark:
when great many people are
unable to find work, unemployment
results"
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Strowsih the Wind

There were, at last reports,
slightly under LIS million unem-
ployed In the United States. Labor
experts say this is not far from full
employment, since some persons
are voluntarily unemployed and
others are, to some extent, un-
employable.
Economists see in the coming
recession an increase in unemploy-
ment to something around mil
lion. This is less than S per cent
of the labor force, a far cry from
the hard times of 1892 when nearly
l3 million persons in a labor force
OF so million-more than Is per
cent-were out Of work. As a
matter Of fact, 1t compares favor
ably with the not-so-bad year of
1949, when 81 million were jobless
in a civilian labor force Of 62.1
million.
The Brighter Side
Looking at the bright side Of the
picture instead Of the dark side,
it will mean that some so million
persons viii be workings many
as had jobs when the, Korean war
broke out and only about million
fewer than in 1852.
But there is no avoiding the fact
that the wind has been blowing.
Here are q few straws to show
which way:
The Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road last week furloughed about
II per cent Of its employes-som
00-following the lead Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad about q
week earlier.
w. w. Sebald, president of Armco
Steel Corp, predicted that the de-
mand for ingot steel In 1854 would
be about 100 million tons, about
II per cent below 1858.
Five major rubber companies at
Akron have laid of between 1000
and 5000 employees.
international Harvester, a leader
in the sensitive farm machinery
industry, announced the forth
coming layo6 of 400 men at its
3,300-man Louisville (Ky.) factory.
President Eisenhower spurred
his administration to throw some
defense spending into hard-hit
areas, many Of them In the North
east. His order brought down
wrath from Southern legislators,
who fear the move will mean q
loss Of some business for textile
makers In Dixie.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
The Effects

For the man who keeps his Job
through 1854 and the overwhelm-
Ing majority viii remain employed
things are not likely to be too
bad. In the first place, q slight
reduction in taxes for many mil
lions Of Americans came into effect
on New Years Day. A married man
with wife and two children
stands to save some tax money If
he earns more than s., ,568 this year.
It does not seem likely that con-
ditions WIN get to the stage where
pay cuts are the order q the day,
Evening star., 1954-01-03

Eisenhower had. taken a first-hand
look at fighting in Korea, took
firmer shape last week.
Mr.. Eisenhower's future elmer
cabinet" augmented by his future
chairman Of the Joint Chiefs OF
Staff, Arthur w. Radford, devel-
oped in those Pacific talks the con-.
cept Of hard-hitting, highly mo-
bile force based in the United
States and ready to put out big
fires as well as little ones wherever
the Communists might set them.
Evening star., 1954-01-03

from China and avenues of attack
into more important Laotian
territory.
First news reports from Indo-
China referred to the Wet Mini
columns advance into Laos as cut
ting OF South Indo- China from
North Indo- China. Actually, there
was nothing to cut off. Only one
north-south road-of little strate-
gic significance-had been open.
The French supply their northern
and southern bases in the Red
River Delta and around Saigon by
sea and air because land routes
have always been too difficult and
risky. Nor did the Wet Mini set
up any kind Of line across the Wet
Nam-Laos territory as they came.
II the French wanted pointlessly to
make the effort, they could have
pushed force through the rugged
territory at any time before or
after the Red advance.
Seont Threot TO ThoiIond
AS for the fear that the Commu-
mist drive to the Mekong River,
borderline between Laos and Thai
land, might spill over into Thai
land, there was no indication the
Wet Mini intended such q rash
move. As Admiral Radford re-
marked from Formosa, the In.
formed American feeling was that
the Reds would not be "that
foolish" He meant the Commu-
nists should know that the United
States would react violently.
Militarily then, the new Wet
Mini move was highly overrated.
Politically, however, Ho Chi
Mimi, who has been talking about
negotiating peace, was presented
with an undeserved New Years
present. He had built up q psy-
Geological bargaining position
from which it would be easier to
appeal to the French people, luke
warm about their Indo-C Chinese
sacrifices at best, and chary about
risking any more of beating If a
Korea-type standoff peace could
be negotiated.
Secretary Dulles tried to set the
record straight at his press con-
ference last Tuesday. He mini
mized the Importance of the new
thrust into Laos, while still en-
phasizing the gravity of the gen.
eral French position in Indo-
China.
BY the end of the week, events
seemed to be bearing out Secre-
tary Dulles appraisal of the mil
itary situation. There were adj
vance skirmishes around thsi
French-held plain at Diem Bien
Phu, pointing toward a big battle !,
there soon. H
AS the new year began, the
French still hoped to maintain the
basic advantage they had wrested
from the Wet Mimi by their new
mobile, aggressive tactics. So far
at least, the Communist rebels had
not shown enough strength to up
set the timetable for Franco-Viet
NameSe victory in the spring of
1856.
Evening star., 1954-01-03

United States) increased only
about 4 per cent In that period. At
the same time, the population In
creased about 6 per cent. The re-
suit was that each persons share
OF the gross national product ac-
tually was smaller In 1949 than 1t
had been in 1946. BY the same
token, each Americans disposable
income after taxes was smaller at
the close Of the period than at its
start. The years from l946-4o. In
other words, were static rather
than dynamic.
The years Of Korea, on the other
hand. were boom years. The gross
national product mushroomed by
nearly Is per cent while the popu-
lation increased less than 10 per
cent. The per capita share Of the
gross national product skyrock-
eted from $3.50 at the start OF
the period to $2,25O at the end OF
1858. As to disposable income,
each person had 500 more q year
to spend In 1853 than In 1s49.
(These figures are In 1852 dollass
so imitation Is not q factor.) Thest
were dynamic years.
It probably viii turn out that
when normalcy Is attained, 1t will
be something entirely different
from 1946-49. 1950-5S or anything
else the Nation ever has known.
Last week, the Nations top econ
omists predicted . slackening of
from the 1853 peak gross national
product Of $S67 billion to, some
thing like $S45 or $S55 billion In
1854, with this sort Of tapering
OF continuing for perhaps 10
months. Even II such o slippage
comes to pass, the country will
have . long way to slide before
it gets down to the 1946-49 level.
A gross national product Of $500
billion in 1864 disastrous slump
in any ones book-would still keep
the United States economy at the
pre-Korea standard. At q level
Of $3.50 billion Ito split the differ
ence between the lowest and high
est prevailing guesses) America
still will be q long way from de-
preston.
There Is one thing to take into
consideration, OF course. That is
the fact that when population
grows. gross national product must
grow and disposable income must
grow along with II. or the indi-
vidnal citizen SUFFERS. How badly
hs suffers depends on the length
and severity Of the recession.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Prisoners

The bewildering case of the re-
calcitrant POWs grew more con-
fuSing last week. On Monday
the Indian custodians repeated
their belief that many of the Ko-
reans and Chinese captured by the
United Nations were being forced
to refuse repatriation. This the
ory looked more plausible when
the Indians started what they
described as routine head count.
Among 1895 Chinese who filed by
Indian officers to give their
names and serial numbers, 1876 re-
quested repatriation. This repre-
sented about the same percentage
that had changed their minds
after full-dress explanations.
Enraged South Korean Foreign
Minister Pyun Yung Tai inmedi-
ately repeated an old Syngman
Rhee threat to come into the neu-
trail zone and free the Koreans
before the Indians thought up any
new monkeyshines.
ProdieoI's Return
Indias 1t. Gen. K. S. Thimayya
also had expressed the opinion
that the % Americans who had
chosen communism were not under
any compulsion. He had talked to
them privately and all they would
have had to do was ask him to take
them away. But on New Years
eve a second American, Corpl.
Claude ]. Bachelor, decided to
come back. He told American
Army officers that leaders in the
compound were armed with dag
gers to prevent any defections.
The Indians denied this.
The remaining unscreened Chi
nese and North Koreans still held
in the neutral zone are also to be
put through the routine head
count" as are 78 remaining South
Koreans, 81 Americans and one
Briton. So the shuttle of prisoners
caught in the vortex of Commu-
nist-free world psychological war
fare is likely to continue right
down to January %, the final day
of their confinement as set by the
armiStice terms.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Troop Withdrawal

The first problem was to disen-
gage the disproportionate amount
OF American troop strength pinned
down In Korea. Last July's armi-
stice set the stage. Last week end,
President Eisenhower started the
follow-through, announcing the
impending withdrawal Of two di-
visions from Korea. Later in the
week the Air Force reported it
would call home $4,000 men now
stationed overseas.
The President had said the pull
back In Korea would not weaken
U. N. forces there, because Of re-
cent improvements in weapons and
air power.
On Tuesday, Secretary Dulles
spelled out what the administra-
ton has In mind. He bluntly
warned Red China that she would
risk atomic devastation from the
air and blockade from the sea II
she moved either to reopen the
Korean war or to send troops into
Indo-China to help the Commu-
mist Wet Mimi.
lonsuogs Of the Atom
Obviously, the administration
was counting on American superb
.ority In atomic weapons to provide
time for building the home based
mobile striking force. At the same
time, the administration would be
cutting military expenses and
moving toward a balanced budget.
Neither the South Koreans nor
the Democrats took kindly to the
troop Withdrawals. They both
feared the same thing: The United
States might be taking a not
accurately-enough calculated risk
in reducing forces In Korea, with
hopes for developing a permanent
settlement fading by the day.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
End Of a Boom

The recession, or adjustment, or
whatever it turns out to be, had
been coming for a long time. Never
In the history of the United States
had so many people eaten so high
of the hog as In 1853. Part Of the
prosperity had come from the
normal expansion of q growing
economy. But much had come
from production of goods for de-
tense.
The defense build-up started to
slacken early last year. The brakes
were put on all the harder in mid
year, when the shooting phase of
the Korean war ended. And late
In 1853, when 1t looked increasingly
less likely that the shooting would
begin again, the showdown was
intensified.
BY last week, the situation had
become so well defined that Sena-
tor Douglas could cite statistics to
show that between the last week
In December, 1852, and the corre-
spending week in December, 1858,
auto production had declined IL
per cent: mail order sales had
slumped 16 per cent; carloadings
had decreased IL per cent; steel
operating rates had fallen from 103
per cent Of capacity to 81 per cent,
and business failures in the 1858
period were up so per cent ever
1852.
Houge's View
DR.. Gabriel Hauge, President
Eisenhower's economic aide, de-
bated the matter with Senator
Douglas on television. To DR..
Hauge the thing that was sneak
Ing up on America was not de-
preston or q recession, but simply
q rolling adjustment" from a
wartime economy to peacetime
one.
'It Is possible" DR.. Hauge said,
ITO look at every figure Senator
Douglas has given us and still feel
pretty good about the American
economy today and the American
economy in 1854"
Meanwhile, a bakers dozen of
learned societies got to work in
Washington to survey the national
economic scene. Headed by the
American Economic Association
and the American Statistical Asso-
citation, the groups promptly sand
bagged the administrators claim
Of a mere turn-back to normalcy.
On the other hand, the econo-
mists rejected the theory, fire.
quently expressed overseas, that
the United States is on the verge
Of a true and disastrous depression.
What they came up with was
prediction that the United States
would experience:
. A drop Of between $40 billion
and $40 billion In the gross ma
tional product.
. The second best year in the Ma
tons business history.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Labor

The President, suddenly in the
middle of the New York dock mess,
sidestepped his way out of the con-
troversy with some of the niftiest
footwork ever.
The situation arose in the wake
of rough-and-tumble National
Labor Relations Board election by
which longshoremen were to
choose between two international
Longshoremen's Associations"-,the
old lila which was ousted last year
from the American Federation of
Labor for corruption and gang
sterism, and the new ILA-AFL
which was set up to take its place.
The election seemed to favor the
old lila: 9,060 to 1858, with 1897
ballots challenged and about 5000
eligibles not voting.
The ILA-AFL filed D petition
with the NLRB for cancellation of
the election, charging that mob
violence had made it impossible
for workers to exercise free choice.
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New
York, a bitter foe of the old lila,
ordered a State-conducted inves-
tigation, and announced that the
inquiry's findings substantially
agreed with ILA-AFL charges. He
said the State would give the
NLRB details to support the
charge.
In an end-around play designed
to elude Mr.. Dewey, the old lila
called on President Eisenhower to
appoint "co-ordinator" to han
die the muddled dock situation. At
Augusta, Gen. Eisenhower issued
a statement through Press Secre-
tary Jim Hagerty leaving it up to
the NLRB to decide which union
should represent the workers.
Meanwhile, the President said,
dock workers should remain at
work and respect the law.
Said the ILA's executive vice pres
ident. "Packy" Connolly: We've
been hit with everything but the
atomic bomb"
RoiIFoods
Meanwhile, on another labor
front, the President acted to avert
for the time being, at least-a
national rail strike.
More than one million "non-
operating" railroad employees
(workers who do not directly op-
crate trains) had voted to strike
in support of fringe-benefit de-
mands. No strike date had been
set.
Acting under the Railway Labor
Act, Gen. Eisenhower set up an
emergency board to study the sit
uation and make recommended
tionS. His action had the effect
Of forestalling strike for 60 days.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Far East

T INES OF STRATEGY mapped
- a year ago aboard the U. S. s.
Helena, after then President-elect
Evening star., 1954-01-03

Social Security which will cost
insured workers up to $18 more
this year-was faced with either a
shot in the arm or q coup de grace
depending On how one looks at
The Key West citizen., 1954-11-06
DO -
use o silicon carbon
belt when bevelins gloss.
BELT SANDER ATTACHMENT

DON'T tighten the belt too
much, as this puts an unnecessary
strain on the motor and is similar
to driving your car with the emer-
gency brake on.
DON'T use circular or
semi-circular motion during the
sanding operation because this will
drag the belt off the rollers.
DON'T ignore excessive vi
bration. sure sign either of a
bent sander shaft or an improper
adjustment.
DON'T forget that, when
using a belt sander attachment
with interchangeable pressure
pads, the pressure applied by the
operator has no effect on the pres
sure applied to the work.
DON'T neglect this tool for
finishing metal and sanding plas-
tic. using aluminium oxide belts in
both cases.
The Key West citizen., 1954-11-06

he finally went to Miami to buy
them.
First Experience
This is the first time Pease has
ever built house before. He stat
ed that he has learned ii all while
building. With the exception of the
electric wiring, he is an amateur
in the construction business.
The $500 total cost includes
everything except his labor. The
home has Cuban tile floor, Jalousie
windows and doors, tile bath, all
inside doors are sliding type, a
heater fan and light fixture in the
bathroom, and built in cabinet and
dressers.
The living room has an open cell
ing Of juniperwood. The home is
constructed of concrete block and
has plaster walls inside. The roof
is the built-up type.
Pease by his own work is show
ing Key Westers that with a little
part time work for about . year,
they can build their own $14 900
home for only 5000 il they really
want q home.
Pease is an electronics engineer
with the Pennsylvania State Uni
versity working with the develop
ment sections Of the Navy.
The Key West citizen., 1954-11-06
New Look
Found At
Trade Winds

There's a new look at the Trade
Winds, on the corner of Duval and
Caroline, but diners will find the
same excellent cuisine featuring
Key West specialties as they have
Always enjoyed at the popular spot
Chef Bill DeLoaeh, beginning his
nth year at the Trade Winds pre-.
sides over the open charcoal grills
on the picturesque patio where pa
irons can watch their steaks and
chickens being broiled to their in.
dlvldual taste.
The new managers have rede.
corated and refurbished the inter
eSting building - reputed to have
been the home" of the heroine
of Thelma Strabel's Reap the Wild
Wind"
There's also a new decor in the
bar where Willy Martell is in
charge of mixing fine drinks.
Dinner is served from s to 10
every night and many guests stay
to hear Clinton Hayes in the cock
tail lounge.
Hayes was brought to Key West
from New York and was also a
popular radio entertainer in Phil
adelphia.
The guest at the Trade Winds
will find not only excellent food
and drinks but reasonable prices
- and an Incompatible atmos-
phere.
The Key West citizen., 1954-11-06
BUILDING PERMITS

J. Abreu, 706 Whitehead, drive
way, $l00.
r. Herce, Ills Packer, carport,
500.
Allan B. Cleare. 6o4 Whitehead,
paint and build fence, $500.
Tom Centers, 1924 Seminary,
porch. $l20.
Tom Centers, 1890 Seminary,
porch, $120.
J. G. Roberts, Jr., 321 Catherine!
roof, $500.
J. G. Roberts. Jr., 22s Truman,
addition, $500.
J. C. Roberts. Jr., sos Truman,
addition, $500.
Mrs. Gertrude Laubscher, 400
Eaton, repairs, $3.50.
The Key West citizen., 1954-11-06
ELECTRIC
TOOL
DOs-DONTs
BY Andrew c. long .

DO remember that the belt
sander attachment can be used
with either a portable electric drill
or a flexible shaft.
DO use light feather touch
when sanding, saving your muscle
and letting the belt do the job.
DO sand in straight back
and forth motion similar to a
plane.
DO chuck as tightly as pos
sible, as a loose rotating chuck
will cut the sander shaft, bend II
and eventually break it.
DO use the belt sander at
tachment for beveling glass, being
sure to use a silicon carbide belt.