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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1947)
Page Two THE BATTALION, College Station (Aggieland), Texas, Saturday, April 12, 1947: Pass in Review!... A. & M. is still a military college, despite all internal dis sension. Proof was available on the drill field Wednesday ^afternoon, as the corps marched by in review, followed by rumbling motor-artillery units and snorting tanks. As the white-helmeted Aggie band played and army training planes dived, something of the old “butterflies in the stomach” feeling returned to Aggies who have grown more accustom ed to the bellyache. The flags, the flashing sabers, the brown senior boots, were something out of a half-forgotten past, and a welcome momentary relief from the discordant present. And best of all, Col. Meloy has ordered five rams removed from every senior’s record, on the strength of the review! The Cadet Corps is on the way up again. Press Freedom... After three years of study, a special commission exam ining the present state and future prospects of the freedom of the press has made its findings. The study was financed by Time, Inc. ($200,000), and the Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. $15,000). Funds were disbursed through the University of Chi cago. Neither the donors, nor the university, had any con trol over or assumed any responsibility for the progress or conclusion of the commission’s inquiry. At the outset the commission determined to include with in its scope the major agencies of mass communication: the radio, newspapers, motion pictures, magazines, and books. (In the report “press” refers to all these media.) The 13-member commission confined itself in this study to the role of the agencies of mass communication in the edu cation of the people in public affairs. According to the committee, freedom of the press is in danger—mostly from the press itself. The report says that the danger to freedom of the press results from the economic structure of the press itself, partly from the industrial organization of modern society and partly “the failure of the directors of the press to recognize the press needs of a modern nation and to estimate and accept the responsibilities which those needs imposed upon them.” Some of the committee’s comment follow: “Our society needs an accurate truthful account of the day’s events. We need to know what goes on in our own lo cality, region and nation. We need reliable information about all other countries. We need to supply other countries with such information about ourselves. “We need a market place for the exchange of comment and criticism regarding public affairs. . . . “These needs are not being met. . . . “When we look at the press as a whole ... we must con clude that it is not meeting the needs of our society.”' ’ This failure of the press the commission terms the great est danger to its freedom. * * * “When an instrument of prime importance to all the people is available to a small minority of the people only, and when it is employed by that small minority in such a way as not to supply the people with the service they require, the freedom of the minority in the employment of that instru ment is in danger.” “The moral right of free public expression is not un conditional. Since the claim of the right is based on the duty of a man to the common good and to his thought, the ground of the claim disappears when this duty is ignored or rejected. In the absence of accepted moral duties there are no moral rights.” “To protect the press is no longer automatically to pro tect the citizens or the community. The freedom of the press can remain a right of those who publish only if it in corporates into itself the right of the citizen and the public interest.” Five requirements for freedom of the press are listed in the commission’s report: 1— A truthful, comprehensive and intelligent account of the day’s events in a context which gives them meaning. 2— A forum for the exchange of comment and criticism. 3— A means of projecting the opinions and attitudes of the groups in society to one another. 4— A method of presenting and clarifying the goals and values of the society. 5— A way of reaching every member of the society by the currents of information, thought and feeling which the press supplies. * * * The bias of owners gets a going over in the report as one of the major shortcomings of the press, along with de liberate distortion of news. “The agencies of mass communication are big business, and their owners are big businessmen.” American consum ers prior to the war paid mass communication establish ments $1 out of every $27 spent for all goods and services. Advertising by big business was listed as another link connecting big business and the press. Upper-bracket ownership and big-business character headed the list of the short-comings of today’s American newspapers, “with brilliant and honorable exceptions.” * * * In searching for possible solutions, the commission says that the press itself must “take on the community’s press objectives as its own objectives.” It holds that self-correc- tion is better than outside correction, “so long as self-cor rection holds out a reasonable and realistic hope, as distinct from lip service to piously framed paper codes.” The commission advances the opinion that “government may and should enter the field of press comment and news supply, not as displacing private enterprise, but as a supple mentary source.” The Ba it a l i on The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas and the City of College Station, is published tri-weekly and circulated on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons. Member Plssocided Gr>Ue6iate Press Entered as second-class matter at Post Office at College Station, (Aggieland), Texas, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870. Subscription rate 4.00 per school year. Advertising rates on request. Represented nationally by National Advertising Service, Inc., at New York City. Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Allen Self Vick Lindley .. Charles E. Murray J. K. B. Nelson David M. Seligman Paul Martin Corps Editor Veteran Editor —Tuesday Associate Editor Thursday Associate Editor .Saturday Associate Editor Sports Editor Larry Goodwyn, Andy Matula, Jack Goodloe, Dick Baker, Earl Grant Sports Writers Wendell McClure Advertising Manager Martin E. Crossly Circulation Manager Ferd B. English, Franklin Cleland, William Miller, Doyle Duncan, Ben Schrader, Wm. K. Colville, Walter Lowe, Jr., Lester B. Gray, Jr., Carl C. Krueger, Jr., Mack T. Nolen ..Reporters Sincere Investigation... It is apparent that the legislative committee investiga ting the A. & M. situation is sincere in its attempt to uncover the facts behind the outbreak of anti-administration feeling. With a lengthy list of subpoenaed witnesses waiting to testi fy, their job should continue for several more weeks, and hearings on the campus may become a virtual necessity. Senator Fred Harris, chairman of the committee, has completely reversed his pre-hearing opinion that the whole outburst is merely a question of “students sticking out their tongues at the teachers”. This reversal was occasioned by testimony, by VS A secretary Ed Fisher, recommending a change in the statutes in regard to appointment of directors, a change which would obviously demand action by the Legis lature. Very few facts of a pertinent nature have come to light in Austin. The primary conclusion which may be drawn from all the testimony is that the VSA has little, if any, real evidence of financial skullduggery on the part of the admin istration. That they have personal objections against the president and his aids is plainly seen. Whether this can be used as a basis for the president’s removal is a matter of conjecture, for personal objections never stand up as well as evidence of illegal operations. Another fact of note to arise is testimony confirming suspicions that outside influence played a part in the VSA demand for Gilchrist’s ouster. Former prexy Dr. T. O. Wal ton was named as the source for some of the “questions” asked at the VSA meeting which resulted in demands for the ouster of Gibb Gilchrist, his predecesor. Both Walton and “secret files” allegedly in his possession will be subpoenaed, according to Senator Harris. We repeat our assertion that only facts—startling facts —will impress the legislative committee and the people of Texas sufficiently that action will be taken to remove Presi dent Gilchrist. ‘AshestoAshes Dust to Dust!’ Houston Symphony Concert Well Received by Audience By Mack T. Nolen The Houston Symphony Orchestra presented a program of classical and semi-classical music in Guion Hall Wednes day night to an audience which applauded both the treat ment and the selection. Johann Strauss’ “Voices of Spring Waltz” opened the program. Rossini’s stirring “William Tell Overture,” which Conductor Ernst Hoffmann explained is definitely not a horse song, no matter what the Lone Ranger says, followed next. Miriam Formann, the wife of ex-Aggie, Jack Formann, appeared as soloist of the evening, singing the “Violetta Aria” from “La Traviata” and “Depuis Le Jour” from the opera “Louise.” The beautiful Mrs. Formann, in good voice though not spectacular, was returned for two encores, “One Kiss” and “Song of Songs.” Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the famous “V” for Victory Symphony which enjoyed widespread popularity during the war, was heard in its entirety fol lowing the intermission. The or chestra handled this well-known opus with excellent taste. Three encores were given by the orchestra in the uncomfortably warm auditorium. They were Bocharini’s lilting “Minuet, “Prom enade” by Anderson, and John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes,” which was played as well as it has ever been played. The audience begged for more, but the heated hall and a time-schedule prevented any further presentations. This performance will be the last appearance of the Houston Symphony at A&M with Ernst Hoffman conducting. Mr. Hoff mann has resigned from the dir ection of the group, effective at the end of the current season. Next season the podium will be filled by various guest conductors.. The Houston Symphony has grown under Mr. Hoffmann’s dir ection from a nondescript amateur- organization to a nationally known and respected symphony orchestra. To Mr. Hoffmann goes high credit for this accomplishment. His ab sence will be keenly felt. The size of the crowd at the con cert again proved conclusively that classical music is appreciated here at A&M. More of the same is in order. 97% of College Students Read School Paper College students across the na tion find their own school paper good reading as disclosed by the National Advertising Service. Nin ety-seven and two-tenths per cent of all college students read their school paper, ninety-one and four- tenths per cent read the school paper regularly, and seventy-six and two-tenths read the school pa pers from cover-to-cover. In a survey by the NAS, it was found that sixteen per cent of the total mentions were given to Life, ten percent to Reader’s Di gest, ten per cent to Time, and seven hundredths of one per cent was given to Saturday Evening Post. These were the four top rank ing magazines mentioned in the survey. The service also found that col lege students are independent in their choice of brands, make fre quent purchases of many products, and pay above the average prices. In the same survey it was found that the average college student listened to the radio for fifty-five minutes during the day and one hour and thirty-six minutes during the nighttime. The survey shows that only thirty two per cent of college radio sets are used during an average evening and only seven per cent are in use during the choice 8 to 10 block of time. The reason for this was found to be the dormitory and fraternity re strictions on the use of radios after 8 p. m. Man is of few days and full of trouble. He laboreth all the days of his youth to pay for gasoline chariot, and when at last the task is finished, lo! the thing is junk and he needeth another. He plant- eth cotton in the earth and tilleth it diligently, he and his servants and his asses, and when the harvest is gathered into barns, he oweth the landlord eight dollars and for ty cents more than thq crops is worth. He borrowth money from the lenders to buy pork and syrup and gasoline and the interest eateth up all that he hath. He begets sons and edhicateth them to smoke cigarettes and wear white collar, and lo! they have soft hands and neither labor- in the fields nor anywhere under the sun. The children of his loins are or nery and one of them beeometh a lawyer and another sticketh up a filling station and maketh whoo pee with the substance thereof. The wife of his bosom necketh with a stranger and when he re bukes her, lo! she shooteth him in the finale. He goeth forth in the morning on the road that leadeth to the city and a jitney smiteth him so that his ribs project through his epidermis. He drinketh on whoo pee juice to forget his sorrows and burneth the lining from his liver. All the days of his life he findeth no parking place and is tormented by traffic cops from his going forth until he cometh back. An enemy stealeth his car; phy sicians remove his inner parts and his teeth and his bank roll; his daughters showeth their legs to strangers; his arteries hardeneth in the evening of life and his heart busteth trying to keep the pace. Sorrow and bill colectors follow- eth him all the days of his life, and when he is gathered to his fathers the neighbors sayeth: How much did he leave? Lo! he hath left it at all. And his widow rejoiceth in a new coupe and maketh eyes at a young sheik that slicketh his hair and playeth a nifty game of bridge. Woe is man! From the day of his birth to the time when earth knoweth him no more, he laboreth for bread and catcheth the devil. Dust he was in the beginning and his name is mud. —ROBERT QUILLEN Finding Errors . . Treasury War ---Tax Evasion By H. W. Spencer Many U. S. money lovers are due for a big surprise with the compliments of the Treasury as its army of some 27,000 agents shall be giving the recently filed income tax returns extra-special study. This year more unreported in comes and unjustifiable deduc tions are expected than ever be fore. Last year’s Treasury’s crack down turned up 1% billion dollars in additional revenue. Agents are expected to do much better in the current purge against the bereaved U. S. taxpayer. This means that larger numbers of taxpayers will have to show that their expense accounts are not padded, that claimed dependents are allowed by law, that costs for expensive hob bies were not written off as busi ness losses, and that the whole story of their capital gains is shown in black and white by their tax returns. The Treasury’s task is so prod igious that only about 3 percent of the returns of all kinds filed this year will receive audit. Of these about half are expected to pro duce additional revenue — some from honest errors, some for out right evasion. ★ Those receiving the closest scru tiny will be, of course, the higher income returns. A $25,000 return has a 50-50 chance of being aud ited, while in the highest groups practically every return is checked. Thus, the Treasury hits hardest where there is the best chance for retrieving big money. In order to cope with the re dundant low income returns spot checks are made, particularly in questionable cases. In addition, special local tax drives are an nounced and crackdowns are made where evasion seems likely. This usually frightens many evaders in to appearing voluntarily to get right with the Treasury. These drives are concentrated primarily on the self-employed, since salaried workers have rela tively little opportunity to evade. Farmers, professional and busi nessmen, service traders (taxi drivers, tailors, plumbers, etc.), or wherever there are no accurate records on earnings and expenses or where cash is received directly serve as plumbs for Treasury agents. Evaders are also spotted by agents in checking big cash transactions and by their watch ing resort centers, gambling hous es and race tracks. It is also interesting to note that" the Treasury is adhering to one of Adam Smith’s canons for a good 1 tax; that is tax should be inexpen sive to collect. Since the present drive started in 1945 the Treasury has been able to collect $20 for ev ery $1 spent for tax enforcement. A TRU-ART FOR YOUR SWEETHEART plus ' TRU-ART TRU-ART WEDDING RINGS In selecting a wedding ring to be cherished for a lifetime our recom mendation is Tru-Art, long famous for its enduring quality, beauty and workmanship. Large selection with or without diamonds from 00.00. SANREY PARR BRYAN Commissary Open Mon-Wed-Fri 3 to 6 The Student Commissary is now open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 3 to 6 p.m. it was an nounced by Carey Clark, Jr., man ager. Located in the rear of 214 Houston St. by the side of Kyle Field, the new store recently be gan operation on a cost-plus ex pense basis to provide students, especially married ones, with cheaper foods. Carey lauds his es tablishment with “Lowest prices in the state of Texas!” Customers are asked to bring their own grocery containers be cause “the cost of paper sacks is so high that prices would have to be raised in order to furnish them with each purchase.” BOWLES - DAVIS FLYING SERVICE Timberlake Airport % Mi. N. of North Gate DALACE ■ pHObi h l- 3 879 BRYAN, TEXAS PREVIEW, SAT. NIGHT- ALSO SUN., MON., and TUESDAY LARAINE DAY — In — “THE LOCKET” WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY FRIDAY and SATURDAY FRED McMURRAY — In — “SUDDENLY lUS SPRING” Engineer - Educator Plans 1-Week Visit Col. Willard Chevalier, national ly-known engineering educator and speaker, will make his annual vis it to the campus April 14-21, it was announced today.- Engagements already arranged for Col. Chevalier, who is execu tive assistant to the president of McGraw-Hill Publishing company, New York, include talks before the College Station Kiwanis Club on April 15, to all engineering stu dents April 17, to students at Bry an Field Annex April 18, and to the engineering faculty April 21. dent Engineers Council April 18 A dinner-meeting with the Stu dent Council also has been sched uled. PAL HOLLOW GROUND BLADES ARE MADE IN U.S.A.. CANADA. BRITAIN AND SO: AWERICA.SOLD THE WORLD OVER Opens 1:00 p.m. Daily FRIDAY - SATURDAY DOUBLE FEATURE “AND THEN THERE WERE NONE” VINCE C0RDAY* BARNETT ) [A o JANE ELISHA W GREER • COOK, JR. _ ▼ Ptoducej Dy WILLIAM BERK£ SUNDAY and MONDAY ROSALIND RUSSELL ALEXANDER KNOX SISTER KENNY m DEAN JAGGER V PHILIP MERIVALE- BEULAH BONDI • CHARLES DINGLE Produced and Directed by DUDLEY NICHOLS • Screen Plair by Dudley Nichols. Alexander Knox and Mary McCarthy SATURDAY, April 12 7:15 p.m.—Stan Kenton Concert, Gnion Hall. 9:15 p.m.—Stan Kenton Dance, Sbisa Hall. SUNDAY, April 13 5:30 p.m.—Newman Club Initia tion and Dance, Chapel Basement. MONDAY, April 14 7:15 p.m.—Newman Club, Chap el Basement. 7:00 p.m.—Range & Forestery Club, Range & Forestry Dept., Ag. Eng. Bldg. Dr. V. A. Young, speak er. 7:15 p.m. — Collegiate Chapter FFA, Ag. Eng. Lecture Room. Mr. James, Extension Service, speaker, TUESDAY, April 15 5:30 p.m.—Landscape Arts Club picnic, Hensel Park. 7:30 p.m.—Kream & Kow Club meets in Creamery Lecture Room. eOTTLED UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE COCA-COLA COMPANY BY BRYAN COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO.