davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
Heod-On Toward Trouble

Two facts are clear In the back
ground OF the current deadlock between
the railroad industry and five Of its
major operating unions One Is that the
Nation cannot afford a countrywide
strike, as threatened by the labor
brotherhoodS, in this vital segment of
its transport system. The other Is that
the railroads, most Of them already in
serious financial trouble, cannot afford
to 60 on indefinitely paying for work
not needed or even not done-the real
issue in the deadlock.
The story is an old one, depressingly
so. For years the carriers have been
trying to work their way out of a jungle
of make-work (featherbedding) rules
that are adding an estimated $500 mil
lion to their yearly costs. Some date
back nearly a half-century when rail-
roading-its equipment, operating re-
quirements and safety needs-were
vastly different than they are today.
The most costly and controversial are
those covering firemen on coal-burning
locomotives, long since displaced by
dieSel-fueled engines that require no
Shovels and strong backs to produce
their power.
When contract freezing the work.
rules ran out in 1859, the roads pro-
posed their up-dating the
elimination Of nearly 10000 Jobs for
firemen with no fires to tend. In due
time, Presidential Commission was
named to study the problem and the
public members Of this body early this
year recommended a compromise for
mula by which $1,000 of the affected
older employees would be retained until
death or retirement and $4,000 of
shorter service would be released with
three years severance pay. The carriers
accepted the proposal, at least as basis
for further negotiation, but the unions
rejected 1t Internationally. There was
no show Of administration pressure on
behalf Of the commissions recommen-
dalton, and when the roads announced
they would implement the proposals on
August Is the unions sought court in
junction against such action and
threatened to strike If the carriers car
ried out the plan. The industry's answer
was to 60 back to its original intent to
eliminate the entire 10000 unproductive
Jobs next week.
Presumably, President Kennedy will
now turn to setting up another fact
finding panel under the Railway Labor
Act-thereby averting a strike for an
additional sixty days. All well and good,
but actually there are no new facts to
find and small chance that q new board
will produce a formula more reasonable
than the one already at hand. There
is comparably small chance that the
operating unions, belligerently uncom-
promising from the beginning, will ac-
cept anything except their own rule
or-ruin insistence upon maintaining the
status quo. If this is the case, the Presi-
dent should ask Congress for emergency
legislation authorizing compulsory arbi-
tration. No strike, for reasons so out
rageous as perpetuating this, classic
example of featherbedding, should be
tolerated.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
One Mans Creed

There could be no greater tribute
to Herbert Hoover than the continuing
increase in popular respect and affec-
ton for him as the years roll by. He is
88 today. But he Is not an "old" man.
He keeps busy with his correspondence
and his personal writing. He looks back
without rancor, despite the political
"hatchet job" that was done on him In
1882. And he looks to the future with
the hope and sturdy optimism of one
who has seen much of life, good and
bad, without losing faith in the essential
decency Of mankind.
We were particularly struck by one
Of Mr.. Hoovers comments In an inter-
view in recent issue Of The Saturday
Evening Post.
Life was not easy for our 31st Pres
ident. He was six years old when his
father, a blacksmith, died. Four years
later his mother passed on. But by the
time he was Is, Herbert Hoover was
self-supporting. He worked his way
through college and was q man Of in
dependent means while still relatively
young. 1t was hard struggle, and he
has never forgotten it.
During all Of his years Of Govern
ment service in many posts, Mr.. Hoover
never accepted any compensation for
himself. Often he paid his own ex-
penses. And in positions in which, under
law, he had to be paid, the checks were
donated to one or another charity. The
Post interviewer asked him about this,
and Mr.. Hoover, pausing q moment,
replied: why should take pay for
what I have done? was a boy with
nothing, and this magnificent country
Of ours gave me my education and my
opportunity. After had made my COM
petence - fortunately rather early in
life-I wanted in turn to do something
for my country. It's that simple. Be-
sides, didn't need the money"
This, then, Is one mans creed
honestly and simply stated. There is
a worthwhile message in 1t, however,
for the poor boy of today who thinks
the struggle to success is too hard. 1t
couldn't possibly be any harder than
the struggle which lay ahead for boy
named Herbert Hoover 70 years ago.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
'HiqhwuY Setback

1OuT eolCOTldl' HIGHWAY
Setback" sounds like high
wayman propaganda rather
than unbiased observation.
Who says all the projects
Of the District highway pro-
gram are inevitable? This
is the big lie technique which
the highway builders and
their lobbyists have used for
years to lull citizens into &C.
Quiescing to an unneeded, I'M
coordinated. disruptive. ex-
penSive highway. Divide and
conquer! Get them squab-
bling about where it should
go rather than whether or
not 1t should be built at all.
The amazing thing about
1t is that your editorial staff
has fallen hook, line and
sinker for the same red her
ringl You ask the question,
What is going to happen,
for example, If the Three Sis
tiers Bridge Is not built?"
Well, Glover-Archbold Park
and Spout Run Parkway will
have q chance Of survival, the
Potomac Palisades will not
be ruined, the citizens in both
North Arlington and North
west Washington will be
much less unhappy, Route
266 and Route Sc in Arling-
ton County probably won't
be built, and the taxpayers
will save about 500 million!
You also ask. us Route Sc,
when completed in Virginia,
going to stop at the rivers
edge?" Well. II the District
doesn't get its 100000 for
initial construction Of Three
Sisters Bridge, there is con-
siderable doubt that Route
66 will come in beyond the
beltway, which Is the logical
place for 1t to terminate.
After all, the proposal for
Three Sisters Bridge was
dreamed up to enable the
whole freeway network to
qualify for 90-10 interstate
funds-not because another
truck route is needed through
Arlington County, Thus it
would seem that your edi-
torial staff has the cart be-
fore the horse-there won't
be any Route SO in Arlington
County II the Government
doesn't get committed to the
whole network by approval
Of Q seemingly innocent
100000 for construction Of
the bridge.
II this is not the reason
the Highway Department has
asked for this money now,
will you please have your en-
terprising reporters find out
what is? Note that none Of
the money appropriated for
planning had been touched
when Arlington County Board
Member Lowrey testified on
July 10 before the Senate
Subcommittee on Appropria-
tions for the District of Co.
lumbia. Why begin construc-
ton before plans have been
made-or is this normal?
r. w. Curtis,
Executive Vice President, Ar
lingtonians for Preserva-
ton Of the Palisades.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
For Our Welfare

The District Commissioners have
given the only possible answer to the
shocking revelations Of waste, mis-
management and cheating in the public
welfare program-they must clean up
the mess and establish an efficient
operation as quickly as possible.
Until that day, many must share
embarrassment in the almost unbe-
lievable state Of affairs uncovered by
Senator Robert Byrd's investigation. 1t
was he who, undeterred by loud cries
Of protest from some quarters, bored
into the tangle and unearthed mounds
of damning evidence.
Mr.. Tobriner has promised that the
Commissioners will lose no time in re-
organizing the Welfare Department
Senator Byrd'S careful questioning OF
welfare officials identified many Of the
trouble spots. Most obvious is the need
for a stronger, independent investigative
staff with little toughness mixed with
welfare compassion. There Is a crying
need for assurance, before he gets in
the bread line, that each relief client is
entitled to be helped. Once they are
on the rolls, clients should be fire.
quently checked to see If need still
exists
There also obviously Is need for
freeing social workers from cumbersome
paper work, and many other improve
ments at the case worker level Most
necessary, however, is a complete re-
vision Of the archaic manual now in use.
If the Commissioners need outside
help, they should find a man highly
qualified for the job. In any event,
they have assurances from Senator Byrd
that he will cooperate to the fullest
In any reasonable requests to make this
department the finest in the Nation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10

point at which there were
substantial indications that
the best interests Of the
country were not being
served. Is there any record
of filibuster, or even Jealous
inquiry into this phase Of the
communications satellite pro-
gram by the (selectively)
rampaging Senator from
Oregon?
Does Senator Morse pro-
pose that AT&T turn over to
some as yet unnamed. but
properly liberal" public
functionary, the fruits Of its
research? Or does the Sem
ator propose that the Gov
eminent pour q few more
billions down the rathole of
Government attempts to
achieve in the future what
AT&T has achieved now? Is
1t the Senator's purpose to
construct or obstruct? Per-
haps it is the Senator's belief
that the noise he generates in
his attempts to obscure an
issue Me obviously does not
understand will create q
smokescreen to which the
voters Of Oregon will dedi-
cate their ballots this fall. He
is extraordinarily fortunate
that the mechanics Of the
currently DRIFTING Telstar
system do not permit the
voters Of Oregon direct OBJ
servation Of the manner in
which the Senator from Ore
gon has wasted the precious
time Of their National Gov
eminent.
l., T., DOstert, Jr,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
THE PASSING SCENE
Romney Survives Test Admirably
BY WILLIAM S. VIII

The curiously hard prob
lem for the whole top Re-
publican field Of 1864 presi-
dental possibilities may be
stated In q single sentence.
Each must show he can sur
vive the mere present before
he can even begin to post his
name as q true aspirant for
the big prize of the future.
Each must prove that he
can walk before he can
claim that he can run. Each
must meet and win the harsh
trial heats Of 1862 before he
can offer himself for the
great. payoff race Of 1864.
Each, in q word, has got
to establish that he is mas
ter in the house of his own
State before he can even be-
gin to talk of being the
elected master of the United
States Of America.
Within this context Of the
hard realities, all can as yet
move forward only in small,
creeping steps. Circumstance
has now enabled George
Romney, the former automo-
bile industrialist, to be the
first Of the three main 1854
"poSsibleS" to pass the first
small but vital hurdle on the
long, long road to the top.
This Mr.. Romney has done
by well out-distancing his
Democratic rival for the
Michigan governorship, the
incumbent Democratic Gov.
John Swanson, in Michigan's
party primaries. His 4 to 3
edge in vote-pulling over Gov.
Swanson in this popularity
contest" does not, Of course,
necessarily imply his election
as Governor In November.
Proves Drawing Power
It means at the very least.
however, that he has given
very clear evidence that the
name Of this amateur in poll
tics has q real and wholly
discernible and hereafter
undeniable general drawing
power. A famous anecdote
tells Of q Briton who. when
asked what he had done dur
ing the great war, replied
with honest pride: "Sir. I
survived" Mr.. Romney can
fairly say Of the first battle
in q long war not only that
he has survived but that he
has survived most impress
sively, and most usefully
to the future Of George
Romney.
This is the prudent way Of
looking at the Michigan re-
suit. For II 1t be true that
one swallow does not make Q
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10

summer. 1t Is surely true that
one summer primary does
not make Q Governor or Q
future President. AL the
same. caution can be over
done. And the Michigan Re-
publicans, and the Republic
cans generally, are by no
means foolish in their re-
joicing at what Mr.. ROM
ney has thus far done In
Michigan.
His RepubIicanisEn Healthy
He has shown that Repub-
licanism-or at any rate his
kind of Republicanism-is in
q most healthy condition In
so key q State as Michigan.
This is the very State where
so long the excessively Glib
eral" Democratic Party Of
such as Mennen williams
and Walter Reuther Of the
CLIO has orbited triuI1-
phantly out into the wild pink
yonder from the launching
pads formed Of the trained
legions of labor political &C
ton committees.
(For the benefit Of the
literal-minded, there Is no
slightest suggestion here that
williams, Reuther and COM
pany are not thoroughly good
Americans. There Is only q
panied suggestion that mum
dane things like budget fare
i'll in their enthusiastically
reformist hands,
And Mr.. Romney has also
gained q certain subtle but
real psychological edge, by
the very fact that he has
survived so clearly in his first
test, over Richard Nixon and
Nelson Rockefeller.
Though Mr.. Nixon won his
primary in California, 1t was
by no such happy margin.
And he is now bitterly en-
gagged in Q general election
campaign with the incumbent
Democratic Gov. Pat Brown.
amid wide indications that
he is underdog. Gov. Rookie
Teller, who Is up for re-elec-
ton in New York, Is as yet
to 60 to bat this year in any
important way, though his
denomination is, Of course,
foregone.
1t would be quite absurd
to say that in these early
days Mr.. Romney had sur
passed these two comparative
veterans in the real race.
that for the Presidency in
1864. But it is entirely sound
to say that in this first go
round he has made them sit
UP and take more than due
notice.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
Answers to Questions
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE

@. When did American
railroads first use snow
plows?-C. T.
A. In or about 1926. The As
ISOLATION of American Rail-
roads says that the first
snowplow ever employed on
an American railroad was
built for the Granite Railway
Of Quincy, Mass. about 1925.
Two pieces of plank, placed
before the car to form a point
at the center. were drawn
along the rails by horses.
Few efforts were made In
that period to keep tracks
clear Of snow. and traffic
was often suspended during
winter months. The first
successful snowplow was built
In 1885 for the Utica e.
Schenectady Railroad In
New York.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10

I am sure that even Mr..
Mauldin did not appreciate
the true irony of his cartoon.
Morse Code" which ap-
peared in The Star on
August 6.
The Government has, in O
period Of approximately four
years. spent with the con-
sent Of at least the majority
of the Senate) between 500
million and 5000 million Cthe
exact figures are clothed in
obscurity - which rhymes
with security in an effort to
develop a communications
satellite - Project Advent.
The justification for these
expenditures was q pressing
military need for q COM
munications system with
wider capabilities than were
currently available. or fore
seeable by expansion Of con-
ventional communica-
tions techniques.
The Advent program has
recently undergone q "redi-
rection" (reorientation, re-
vision, etc. as q result Of
the fact that. after this rath-
er large expenditure. the
Government found itself far
ther from the attainment Of
its detectives than it had
been before the program
started. In short. very little
Of the intended system was
working, even on the ground.
Under such circumstances
the Government wisely de-
cided against an attempt to
launch into orbit the fruits Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10

ANONYMOUS (2Oth CEN
TURY) by Leonardo Ricci.
Translated from the Italian
by Elisabeth Mann Borgese
254 PIP. George Braziller. So
II you sit down to design q
building or q community you
must, Of course. be technical
ly competent. Your struc-
lures are required to stand
UP and they may not be more
than moderately offensive to
the most insensitive.
But there Is more to 1t
than that. The distinguished
italian architect Leonardo
Ricci puts 1t very simply. ITO
construct q building" he
writes, means to make peo-
pie live in one way rather
than in another" And he
asks, what criteria viii you
follow7"
A simple question. But q
real and comprehensive an
swer consists Of o complete
philosophy Of life and o COM
plete world view.
Anonymous (20th Gen.
tury)" Is Mr.. Ricci's attempt
to explain his ideas. He does
not have answers to the all
inclusive questions. but he
has q position.
1t is not easy to grasp.
my own TGison d'etre," he
says, a.. Is somewhere along
the existentialist line: but
from existentialist it has be-
come plain existential. To
put 1t succinctly: lam happy
to be alive and I know
Meaning Is intrinsic, with
in the things themselves. You
don't approach these things
any longer with that mask
on your face, made Of a priori
judgments which divide us.
At last you really touch
things. It Is not a metaphys-
ical world, nor is it q phys
ical world. Not the world Of
the mystic. nor that of the
savage. Things exist in them
selves, as such. Set in rela-
tionship with other things,
they gain new meanings.
This. alone Is life.
Myth, absurdity and tradi-
tional dualisms are dead. But
IF man today Is alone land
this Is his natural condition. +,
1t is useless to create cities.
-. But man was not made to
live alone. Hence we must
find our city -"
THE TITLE of the book
derives from the idea that
"a new relationship Is about
to materialize on this earth,
o new relationship between
subject and object which will
finally cancel this subject
object dualism and create
that kind of existential re-
lation between two realities,
the reality Of the stone (for
example) and the reality of
man: the relationship, ]
should like to call it, of
Anonymous Goth Century,
Anonymous at last, not be-
cause it is without name;
but because, even though
having Q name, 1t is unimpor-
tant.
"The # is no longer I and
the others It has be-
come We"
Mr.. Ricci's purpose Is not
to explore the intellectual an
cestors of his ideas nor even
to work out more than a few
Of the general conclusions to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
A BOOK FOR TODAY
An Architect Projects His Ideas
By DONALD MINTZ

which they lead. No, these
ideas, this view Of humanity
and the universe, must be
translated into buildings and
town plans.
How this is to be done is
not clear. 1t Is impossible to
comprehend, except in the
dim m est way. what Mr..
Ricci's "Earth-City" will look
and feel like.
Mr.. Ricci Is probably not
sure himself. He says that
he has seen some Of the de-
tails Of this vision. He has
not built 1t. which consider
ing the nature Of the people
who commission architec-
tural plans, is not strange.
He hopes that in the course
Of time. he and others will
actually construct Earth
City"
And so much Of this re-
mains very vague. One senses
meaning Cor. alternatively.
quickly becomes disguste6
but one knows very little.
YET THERE are some ut
terly hard sections. There
are straightforward criti-
cisms Of some Of the most
famous work Of Wright, lie
Corbusier and Mics van der
Robe. From these, one sees
that whatever he may call
himself. Mr.. Ricci Is q hui
manitarian in the highest
sense Of the word.
No pictures Of his build
ings are included. But unless
he has been guilty Of Flo
mentary treason or q grave
technical error, he has never
sealed people in glass en-
velopes Of wildly fluctuating
temperature or compressed
them into low-ceilinged, ar
officially illuminated cubby-
holes which are very cheap
and efficient providing one
does not take into account
their effect on the human
mind.
Anonymous Goth Gen.
tury)" is an informal dis
course. 1t makes its points
now in slang. now in q
heightened prose that is al
most blank verse. The trans
lator, Elisabeth Mann Bor-
gese, has made 1t sound ike
the conversation Of q for
eigner with q perfect COM
mand Of American, whose
speech is seasoned with O
slight accent and an occa-
sional family odd word or
construction. Nothing could
better suit the book.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
The Big PoyoH

Senator Magnuson Of Washington
must have been reading the mind of
Senator Byrd of Virginia when he
sounded off against the prolific char
acter of our ever expanding Govern
ment. The vigilant Virginian's protec-
tive attitude toward the public purse is
by no means a new story.
So when Senator Magnuson de-
clared that two Federal employees pop
up every time one retires, Senator Byrd
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10

the research and develop
ment it had nurtured.
AT&T recently launched,
on boosters and with facili-
ties for which they had paid
the Government, a commune
cations satellite that worked.
and, at this date, is still
working. According to pub
lished statements, they in
vested approximately $50
million Of corporate earn
ings into the research and
development necessary to
create the Telstar.
The anomaly of the posi-
ton so piously (and lengthi-
ly) defended by Senator
Morse is this: the existing
rocket capability (for which
the Government has spent
billions) was developed out
Of a need independent Of, and
indeed, in disregard for. the
propulsion requirements Of
communications satellite Sys-
tens; If private industry Is
able to turn the fringe ben
efits" of the armament race
to more efficient use than
the Government, shall the
Nation Cor the world be
denied these benefits because
Of Senator Morse's misguided
dedication to the belief that,
in the words Of Mauldin, IF
it works. the Government
owns it,?
Considerations beyond the
comprehension Of the writer
led to the decision by the
Government to continue the
Advent program for APP
proximately a year Cat SUD-
stantial cost beyond that
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-10
Welfare Waste

Your editorial in support
Of Senator Byrd Of West
Virginia on the national
scandal known as public vel
fare was most appreciated.
1t was the caliber Of editorial
which once appeared in every
issue Of The Star. Senator
Byrd and The Star have said
things which must eventually
be said. The very high per-
centage of those on welfare
rolls who are not even
eligible does not tell the
whole story by any means.
however. A further high per-
centage doubtleSsly would
shun any attempt at self
support as long as such hand
outs are available. Abraham
Lincoln once said. you can
not strengthen the weak by
weakening the strong" The
liberals of both parties who
depend on this national
scandal for election do not
find any currency In this
quotation although they are
greatly attracted to many
other quotations Of the great
emancipation both in and out
Of context. Also, the hard
working and self-reliant
lower income citizens, many
Of whom have to borrow
money on which interest Is
paid merely to pay the
mounting costs Of Federal
and State taxes, may even
tually decide that this nom
sense has been endured long
enough, and that II no help
Is forthcoming from the
parties or the politicians we
have, perhaps we need others.
The greater issue Is, Of
course, that many liberals of
both parties not only tolerate
such o travesty but actually
develop and promote it as q
means Of political perpetual
ton. No more accurate ba-
rometer of the low state Of
political morality exists. No
greater indication Of the
Grass indifference Of the pub
lie officers to the real well
fare Of the Nation Is possible.
Yet such welfare programs
will continue to be pictured
as progressive. humanitarian
and American in the best
tradition. Such programs in
reality damage both giver
and receiver, subsidize lazi-
ness, penalize industry and
are in fact the most un-
American thing around. lib
erals to the contrary.
Owen Allen Keen.