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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1950)
I ■ : At Mid-Century* A Look Back Standing four days past the mid point of the Twentieth Century, we pause a moment to look back before looking ahead. YVe look back to see where we and this country have been in our lifetimes, and maybe from that we can better fell where we are going. At A&M we find two generations—the generation whose minds were greatly in fluenced in a war they helped fight, and the generation whose minds have develop- Vl ed and are developing without any konw- ,ledge of war other than newspaper ac counts and newsreel shots 6f it. In both generations, a parallel ^>f thinking is be ing struck, and withm a few years their separate ways^of thought will merge into "one.- ‘i Where have we been? How far back does our memory go, a decade? Even a decade past our memory grows hazy on most points and few experiments remain ' yfykl. . • • And even if our.: memory reaches fur- " ther into the past, does it go beyond v 1933 when the Democrats gained power? Can we, then, say we remember any political movement other than one Democratically inspired and Democratically led?-The TVA’s, AAA’S, WPA’s, WAA's, PMA’s— ill the alphabetical agencies that forebode even stronger governmental paternalism and control have fused themselves in our way of thinking about government and ,the wayMfhis nation should be run. The automobile, airplane, radio, tele phone and the many services they and allied equipment render are a part of the only United States that we have ever f known. ' ' We have gotten used the atom bomb. And we cannot remember a world which there has not been war somewhere, tb sleeping with wars that; either threai involved this nation. How, then, can our spond to talk of “the Were “thq good old days year before, five years What of the clamor curity? Our hearts still the desire for individu; terprise, but our grad of employment with es tions—security, not bui selves. Is this weakm actually generations re good old days”? last year, the ago, ten? When? we hear for se- have a bestige of and free en- seek positions blished corpora- esses for them- , or is it being smart? To work eight hours j a day five days a week and then go home! to enjoy life and the family and a regular, definite salary, is that better than struggling long hours and on ^n uncertain income in a business of your own? “American Telephone and Telegraph doesn’t sound very exciting,” commented an American college graduate not long ago, “but there’ll always be an AT&T.” If th| pioneering frontiers of America —geographical and industrial—have been reached, then perhaps tlje natural steps to follow are more goods produced by mush rooming and cannibalistic corporations and more Iservices rendered by also mush rooming- and octopus-like governmental bureaus. That is the road which brings us to the year 1950. To what worlds will that road lead us beyond this mid-century point ? Lists of Those Who Voted “Right” If you are a laborite, the CIO and the AFL will give you a list of members of the 81st Congress telling you whether each member voted “right” or “wrong” for labor. . On the CIO box score, 14 senators and 111 representatives voted “right” by labor fin 1949); three senators and 28 repre sentatives consistently voted “wrong.” According to the AFL, 20 senators and 116 representatives went the “right” way for labor, five Senators and 62 representa tives didn’t play ball for labor’s interests. . -.The lists are by no means “black lists”, Qr “Wrong” . information to let laborites know who jtheir friends are. Conversely, anti-labor ites can use the list as instruc tion on who their friends are. Whether the labor vote has yet be come stro ig enough in this country to give the “kiss of defeat” to congressmen who don’t top up to the labpr union pressure we’ll not know until after the fall elections this ypar. Should labor’s voice be reflec ted so strongly at the balloting booths that they can “make” or “break” candi dates tpisi country will be much farther down, thje road to the total welfare state than we lowimagine. j i I . - • Besides Doughnuts and Co|fee, Ne ^ A Red Cross man, not bound by Air Force red tape and hush-hush except through official channels, told reporters in Tokyo the other day that reconnais sance planes—believed to be Russian— operate at will over Okinawa and even take sneak peeks of the Ryuku Islands (in the Japanese chain of islands). Ft - ■- 1 Air Force officers said they were not Tit liberty to comment on the Red Cross man’s claims. In the past the Air Force has denied such charges which have leaked out through unofficial sources. i ws by the Red Cross We welcome the Red Cross man’s forthrightness in telling newsmen of this condition which should bring some sort of Ait Force reply. Whether true or not, the effect, is fundamentally American in that the citizen speaks his piece, and has no fear of suppression ! py military auth- orities. We think it is a goo<jl;idea for civilians to be around some of opr military opera tions that aren’t top secret. Otherwise, we would never know what Was going on un less the news passed careful screening by military Censors. The Battalion "Soldier', Statesman, Knightly Gentleman” Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444) or at the edito lloodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at th|C Office, Room 209, Goodwin Hall. I, The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechai City of College Station,' Texas, is published five times a week, and cii irHrinv afternoon, except during holidays and. examination periods, is published tri-weekly on Monday. Wednesday and Friday. J5i Advertising rates furnished on request.- Coll jlated tarings Subscription The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and lutm news o ed herein. Rights of republication of all other matter herein ari also il office. Room 201, Stuudent Activities sge of Texas and the every Monday through the summer The Bat- rate 34.30 per school ation <f all news dispatches spontimeous origin publiah- —erved. Entered •» »«eond-<:U«» matter at Post Office at Collese Station. Texas, under the Act of Consrsaa of March S, 1870. Member of The Associated Press Hop ream ted vertialn* Sendee Chicaeo. Lob *atkxiallr h? National Ad- Ine., at New York Citr. Slnsrtaa, and San Franeieeo. PTT.T. mr.T.mGSLEY. C. C. MUNROE- Clayton Salph. Lawla Burton, Otto Kuaaa John Whitmore Charles Klrkham ._. • j-• • t' . Acting Manactnc Editor . wvr - .Editorial Boars Cnairmaa George Chariton. Dean Read. 1 Clayton Salpl!* ••it• • • • Emil Bunjea Jr. Dan Davia. Curtb Edwards, J. ,C. Valla. Herscbel Kitts, Henry Lae our, B. F. Koland. Jerry Zuber . . . , • • • Newa Writeds Brad Hotmaa. Bill Hite., Hardy Rom. Joe Trevino • - ■. ^5?*° ® n * r *’ r * T * v Kvnneth Marak. Emmett Trent, Jack Brandt. Jack Stansbury Cartoowats Jim Beed 5 . . • Morgue Manager V ' Omrm Coalttl Chock W.'T'co-ivi John Tap] Bob Alien. Frank Ban Brittain A. W. Fredricl Bill Po ion. ; lie. Roger Coelett. I pley. John Whitmore Harold Gann. Frank, aa^aaaeSeaeew y • a ck. Don Garrett; He Hagens . - . . Jim Hay. P Howard —.1 Hoover, Bob ?ietsch. John Stunt] Co-Editors ....Feature Editor •Sports Co-editon tj«b Price, Maaitiap, Feature Writers Sports Writers rbert Gibb,. i dv e rtiaing^ Repreaen taUvaa BUI . . Circulation Amfartanta Letters To The Editor (AU letters ta the editor which are college and which do not contain obscene HERE’E THE REASON WHY Editor, The Battalion: After reading Chuck Laakso’s letter in The Batt on the 19th, I would like to speak a few kind words fpr the local girls; that is, those who work foT the College, since I cannot speak for the Bryan girls. Wc are somewhat in the same shoes ah women school teachers. You can’t win. If you arc friend ly and speak to everyone, you are a flirt. If you try to maintain a little reserve, you arc a snob. 1 Again, I speak for myself," Itab. I have been here for oyer two years and only once during that time has any student ever walked up to me and introduced himself or even had a mutual friend to in troduce us. I have never intentionally “snubbed” anyone who has made any effort to be friendly. As a mat ter of fact, I have often started out walking to- my office from the North Gate and made a special ef fort to speak to each and every one I meet. Ordinarily, about half of them return the gesture. After a few days of that you begin to feel as if perhaps you are pushing your self on them.' If we have appeared unfriendly 1950 Farm Prices Going Downward By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Agriculture's wartime and postwar boom in prices virtually came to an end in 1949. Nevertheless, farmers as a whole still were prosperous—even highly so when judged by the relatively unfavorable standards of the '30s when producers were plagued by depressed prices, low incomes and unmarketable surpluses. Yet the year 1949 saw' agricul ture lose a price advantage it had enjoyed since late in 1941, the be ginning of the war-inspired boom for farm products. Application of the legal stan dard — parity — for measuring farm prices shows quite clearly what lias happened to agricul ture. Parity prices are those which, according to law, the farmer must get In order to be able to buy his fair share of non-farm goods and services. In the decade before the war, farm prices averaged far below the parity standard. In other words, the farmer was at a price disadvantage in dealing with oth ers. i i j But outbreak of the war in Eur ope and this country’s eventual entry into the conflict sent farm prices skyrocketing. They reached a record peak.of 33 per cent above parity in October, 1946. In other words, agriculture enjoyed a 33 per cent price advantage over oth ers, judged by the parity measur ing stick. This big jump in farm prices was accompanied by a similar increase in farm income. But farm prices started easing off late in 1946 as world shortages began to lessen and as domestic production, no longer checked by limited labor supplies and machin ery. climbed to new heights. A It per cent decline in prices in 1949, added to decreases in the two previous years, pulled farm prices down to parity. Thus, agriculture no longer en joyed a price advantage. The year 3 950 is likely to see farm prices drop below the parity level, thus again putting the farm er at a buying disadvantage. Gov ernment farm economists predict agriculture prices in 1950 will av erage about 10 per cent below the. 1949 average. Naturally the lower prices have reflected in a reduced farm income. The agriculture department esti mates farmers’ net income — the amount .left after paying produc tion expenses—at about 514,000,- 000,000 for 1949 com] record of $18,000,1 The department also predicts that net farm income in 1950 will drift down to $12,000,000,000. Despite the reduction in In come. farm buying power still in high In comparison with the om pared with the t,000,000 in 1947. 30’s, when returns dropped be low $4,000,000,000. The differ ence Is not as great as it might seem by comparison of the fig ures, however, because a dollar ’ in the ’30s would buy more than today’s dollar. Farm prices have dropped more than have food prices. The rea son for this is the fact that the cost of transporting, processing and distributing food has tended to remain at peak levels. In fact, freight rates have increased. Like wise. wages in many processing industries have increased. Agriculture finds itself in about the best financial position it has occupied since the early twenties. The agriculture department esti mates agriculture's assets at about $125,000,000,000. This is two per cent above a year ago and more than two and a third tipies the prewar figure for -1940- The big incomes of the war and postwar years enabled farmers to reduce a heavy burden of debt accumulated during the difficult years of the thirties. As a conse- ’ quence. they are in better posi- ’ tion to weatljer a period of reduced prices than if their debts remained high. This does not mean to say, however, that fanners face no' financial problems. The pros pect of a smaller income in 1950 indicates that they will have to he more careful in their sepnd- ing They will tend to buy some what fewer automobiles, trac tors, other machinery and house hold furnishings. They face also problems o f changing production patterns. Weakening foreign demands has led the government to call upon producers to grow less cotton, wheat, peanuts, tobacco, and rice next year. Likewise the threat of costly surpluses of such domestically used crops as com, potatoes, flaxseed, soybeans, and other grains has led also to government pleas for re-, duced volume of them. The government is urging that land taken out of. these crops be put into grass, pasture and forage crops for feeding meat and dairy animals. Hence, the situation points to the possibility of further expansion in the livestock industry, and indir ectly in industries which process and sell livestock products. The government hopes that much of this expansion will take place in the south, a region heretofore largely devoted to a cotton-econ omy. Official Notice All pi grill': a! Ur ation major* who ex pect to trAduate In June or during the Summer please check your degree Man with m before Saturday, January 7. C. W. Landias Physical Education Dept. ■■HMMiMsnMMMHHMHMaHianaHBnusiiWNi •f: • i Signed by a student or employee of the ' libelous material will be publWMd. Per sons wishing to hove their names withheld from publication may request such action and these names will not, without the consent of the writer, be divulged to any persona other than the editors.) to you, it is not our intentions. Won’t you please telfvus where to draw the line? I’hylis Skhwarz FIRE HAZARD Editor, The Battalion: It has been brought to the at tention of the Fort Worth A&M College Mother’s Club that fires have been, made near the Aggie Shelter House South of Fort Worth on the Waco highway. Wc \^ould like to ask all stu dents using the Aggie Shelter House to be very watchful about fires. We realize that the shelter isn’t warm, but it does provide some shelter from tjhe weather. Replacing i the shelter if it were destroyed 'would be {diHi cu ^ "“t only from expense of rebuilding, but permission to rebuild might be refused. Would you please put a notice in the Battalion so all Aggies may know about this? Sincerely yours, j Mrs. George Tinslar Corresponding Secretary Fart Worth A&M Mother’s Club. •‘T ' T •• r i- From Where I Sit omwnereism * • • :■ - H '—H - -:#• ! . i - Jacques A bram Concert Set For Thursday Night 1Y HERMAN C. GOLLOB ever since. / J.; , but as soloist with tl Jacques Abram ive Texan Jacques by music' critics and as one of NaUve bailed by alike as one 'of the world’s"fore most young pianists, will appear in Guion Thursday night at eight as Town Hall’s third attraction of the year. if" T . ’ Abram strated off on a road to becoming a concert pianist'when he was only five. A visit to his grandmothers home at /Lufk&i, Texas, introduce 1 Jaques to the piano for the first time, and the two have been inseparable friends ‘Man of the Ye Is Judge Medin have extension pedals put on his was ten, Jacques wali awarded a scholarship to the Curtis Insti- rn 'i,'™ I™ In 1838, after a situdy at the Julliard Graduate School, which he attended on fellowship, Jacques won first pri*e of the annual Federation of Music (Mum’eoatMV and the Schubert Memorial Award formal de- pp r- Soon after, he made h(s By Associated Press NEW YORK—Judge Harold R. Medina, who presided at the year long trial of 11 top U.S. Commun ists, was ‘‘Man of the Year” for 1949. He has been so named by vote of Associated Press newspa per editors. ; The court j drama started Jan. 17 and did not end until all defend ants were sentenced Oct. 21, De fense attorneys helped make head lines by their disruptive tactics. They kept the court in an uproar day after day, refused to h e«d warnings from the bench and, jin the end, won Jail sentences fpr contempt. Judge Medina won headlines early in the trial for his pdtienjee in dealing with the lawyers. But In one hectic session he had to call a recess and retire to h) S chambers for a ftw minutes to calm his nerves. It was not patience alone that got attention for the judge, ft was also his firmness In Insist ing that no one, defendant or attorney, would be permitted tb benefit from disorder. Warn ings .wan followed by action. Inappropriate testimony was cut off. Side remarks were strick en from the record. Before the trial, Medina had not been widely known. When he came to the federal bench ip 1947 he gave up a $100,000-a-year prac tice for the $15,000 job. He was known as a lawyer’s lawyer and had written 15 books on federal law. j- ;j. ,, j When (he editors voted for the leading men in Special categories, they found that President Harry S. Truman was first in politics; Dean AcheSon, U. S. secretary of state, led in foreign affairs; Philip Mur ray was top man in labor; Henry Ford II in industry: Vannevar Bush, president Of Camegiej Insti tution, wrs the leader in science. In literature, Thomas Merton,: h trappist monk and author of two best-selling books, was chosen. Ez io Pinza, opera basso turned musi cal comedy star, got the nodi in eh- tertainmeat, i .] As head of the Democratic party. President Truman watch ed it shew new strength la the 1949 .elections. He had to deal wrttJs; no spectacular political problem* during the year. But he did face some turbulent dis putes between factions. Many observers noted that the Presi dent “sat on the Hd” without major political disruptions. 1 * ‘ • * ' ACHESON promoted more frankness in dealing with Russia during the yean Sharp comments on matters in the Russian sphere and on (he cold war were com mon. i He took office as secretary of state in; January. The Berlin blockade ended In May. The year also saw the Atlantic treaty com pleted w;ith European countries and later i Congress voted arms aid for Europe. MURRAY won his vote as head the CIO and the steel In steel he led the strike that won company-paid pensions for the meh. In the CIO Murray led the ouster of left wing unions. He also started a drive to replace them with groups farther to the right. This year the Scotland-borm for- mer miner was again of the CIO, which he has led since PALACE Br^an 2’8$79 Thursday thru Saturday “Doctor and the Girl” —with— GLEN FORD j Friday Prevue 11 P.M. “Mrs. Mite” QUEEN w SPECl Saturday BOB MOPE “The GrJ Lover” ied head _ Va o a 1 1940, .:P -Jl FORD was forced to shut down his plants briefly during the year when the union struck because it said the company had speeded up assembly lines. But when time came to talk over a new contxact, Ford became the first bijf »mp|oy- er to agree to a company-paid pension plan. It was a similar plan that was won by the steel workers after a strike. BUSH remained, in 1949, one of the nation’s leading spokesmen for science. He has been head of Car negie since 1938 and has tried to make it an agency to help coordi nate U. 8. scientific work. Trained as an electrical engineer, he is also an inventor. He -Writes on scientific subjects fnd his speeches gql'iwide attention. MERTON has written two best selling books and many poems. The first best seller was “The Seven Storey Mountain.” The latest, "Waters of Siloe,” came out in Oc tober. Merton writes about his faith and tells in simple language of experiences which led him to become a monk. He Ursa in a Kentucky monastery. !, |_u- PINZA has been popu opera singer in the unit since he wept to the Mi Opera Company in switched to musical coUt.^, the opening of "South;; Pacific,’’ April 7, 1949. Here hi*! found a new audience and more but as soloist with the Philadel phia Orchestra under Eugene Cjr- irfandy in Philadelphia’s Academy of Mpsic and then in New York’s Thfen followed appearancea wjth the New York Philharmonic-Sym phony, the NBC Symphony, C^S Symphonjy, and St. Louis, Chicago, and Houston Symphony Orches tras.; I Abram’s brilliant Car terrup called he siei year*. Up presented Hall whicl MOT taq - in 1942 when] he wps to service in the arhiy, whdro he sierved for three and a half ton his return in il948, he a recital in Carnegie 1 which proved one of the mdst gratifying musical - events of the entire season. . J. / After his Carnegie Hall program, Abram made a natioivwidd touriof this country, CanadaL and an ex tensile tour in the summer of 1947 of Central and South! America. ; er his American tour this ; current season, which will include appearances af. Carnegie Hull and a nation-wide: broadcast with (lie New York Philharmonic dymphoiiy, Abriim will leave on 4 t°ur of Europe and a return tour of South America. j. r* j That one last fling before knuck ling down to the inexorable grind ■of finals will be provided by Spike Jones and his>City Slickers when they bring their 1950 edition of the Muaijcal Depreciation Rcvije ito Guio|i Hall, Thursday, January 19, for two performances, one at fliiG p. m., the other at 9. ^.[1 Noted for their brash; and Isiis- tcroijs song parodies, the Jones ntion includes Doodles 1 Want For Christmas Is (dy Two Froht'Teeth'D Weaver, Geoijge Rockj. lovely Helen Ginyeo, Sir Frederick Gas, Freddie and Dick Morgan, Dr. Horatio Q. Bifd- bath, the Slickerettcs, and an En tire company of forty-four. ] Students will be given prefer ence on seats, as tickets to (he two [performances will he sold;to students only at the Student Ac tivities office this week before (ic ing released for general sales n*xt week. Priced at $2.50, $1.80, mid $1.25, the ducats represent the low est tarrif collected for [ the soiig- and-laugh-packed Jones 1 revue ‘ in all hi* appearances in ij'exas. gregntion (’’All ‘ ‘ {ja/ripu j '■ ■ ‘ • TODAY THRU SATURDAY +- FEATURE STARTS — 1 (00-7 £0-4 ;40-6:20-8 H'O-IO :00 FIRST RUN 1 '■).»> | vj 1 ,