Sunday, July 30, 1939

FIVE EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: "Well, Peewee, it's the top of the ninth, there's one left, nobody on, and the count is 0-2 to the batter. Looks like it's about over for today for the Yanks. He's sweeping off the plate, probably for the last time. There's the beginning of the wind-up.

"Wait a minute, what's this? The umpire has taken off his mask and called time, seems to be leaving the plate to talk something over, heading toward the first-base ump. They seem to be motioning fast. They're going over to the pitcher. What do you make of that?"

"Well, you know what I think. Been saying it all afternoon. The pitcher seems to be doing too much grooming in the Brylcream before too many of those sinkers. Yep, look, there they go rubbing in his cap. Oh, this looks bad."

"Well, that's it, Peewee. Looks like we'll have a new pitcher come in to finish the inning. Could spell trouble because the dugout's as weak as a sow who just gave birth. That is, the bullpen. What'd I say? Just when we were about to count them out. Now this happens. A great speckled timeout for sure, this one is.

"Did you ever have a texas-leaguer thrown at you, Peewee?"

"You know I did, Dizz, right by me and between my knees a time or two--that is, over my head. You did say texas-leaguer? Not this time though. Saw it coming. Guess the umpire finally figured it out, too. Should have done it in the sixth. Didn't think that little arm could fan this many without a little slick in there."

"Alright, well sports fans, we'll take a little time-out of our own now for a word from the people at Gillette--or, wait a minute, maybe that next spot is Pabst Blue Ribbon--well, whatever it is, we'll come right back, while you have a shave and a beer on us, and see how this one ends..."

Senator Bailey's Vote Not Canceled Out For Once

The Senate's definite action on various amendments to the spending-lending bill found North Carolina's votes counting for once. Ordinarily, Senator Reynolds votes one way and Senator Bailey another. But Bob was excusably absent last week, and so Senator Bailey got in three good licks for economy.

He voted, both on the first and second (successful) time around, for Senator Byrd's motion to eliminate the half-billion expenditure for highways. He voted against the amendment to restore the prevailing wage policy in WPA--the revoking of which caused all those strikes against the Government.

And he will vote, we dare say, Senator Bailey will, against passage of the bill in whatever vestigial form it may come up for a vote. But Bob--well, we know from long experience how Bob would have voted and will continue to vote on anything involving expenditures. He's for it. He's the dad-gumest generous man you've ever met with other people's money.

It Spins Around Nuttily And Reverses The Inmates

The perplexities of Mr. Hull and Mr. Henry Wallace are not without their ironic and even comic aspects these days.

Both have been with the Roosevelt Administration from the beginning. But from the beginning also it has been plain that they were going in exactly opposite directions.

Mr. Hull, an old-fashioned Democrat believed profoundly that most of the international ills of this world, as well as our own domestic ills, were due to trade barriers--to such tariffs as the Republicans had been using to rifle the pockets of the citizens for years, and to such schemes as the "autarchy" of Hitler and Mussolini. So he busied himself with attempting to break down all such barriers and securing the free flow of goods and services everywhere, and thus bolster U. S. export trade.

Mr. Wallace, on the other hand, thought the thing to do was to concentrate on the domestic situation, to secure good prices for the farmer at home, and let export trade take care of itself as it might. To that end, all his agricultural programs were directed, and by so much success as he had, he mortified Mr. Hull.

But now look! This year Mr. Wallace has slumped over and embraced export subsidy--is out to export or bust. And Mr. Hull? Mr. Hull has just, however, justifiably kicked over a trade treaty with Japan, is "studying the advisability of increasing the countervailing duties against Japanese goods," and seems pretty clearly to be considering the idea of an embargo to stop all flow of goods between the United States and Japan--a trade barrier with a vengeance directed against our sixth best customer!

The only thing that remains fixed is that Henry and Cordell are still on opposite sides. Only, where Cordell once was, Henry now is, and where Henry was is now Cordell.

Good Officer Gives Way To Enterprising Successor

Chief Henry Moseley of the Rural Police, like former Chief Pittman, owes his demotion not to any failure to meet standards of integrity and loyalty. It simply happens that the job of running a police department requires exceptional executive and organizational ability. Some men have this quality; some don't.

It does not at all follow that a good officer will make a good chief, or that a chief who leaves something to be desired will make a good officer.

As to Chief Moseley's successor, the County Civil Service Board has made an exhausting and diligent canvas of the availables. It believes that in Detective Captain Stanhope Lineberry the best possible man has been found. Certainly Captain Lineberry has distinguished himself by an aptitude for police work and an absorbing interest in study and preparation for superior service, which now stands him in good stead.

In the department he takes over, he will find a rare opportunity for his talent and energy. With all due respect to former Chief Moseley and his predecessors, it has never had the advantage of a strong, trained guiding hand. Matter of fact, the department, though much improved in personnel, is still suffering from its days in politics, both as master and service. It will be Chief Lineberry's chief job to complete the tradition and to establish merit in service and character as the basic requirements of police officers

This Report Lives Well Up To Standards Established

It thundered over Charlotte at midnight, and the timid shivered in their beds. Mars, having flirted with the earth at a distance of a mere 36,000,000 miles, moved on away while solemn scientists argued about her canals, her ice cap, her green gown and her nice temperature of from 115 below zero at night to 65 above in the daytime. For the seven millionth time this Summer, as time ought really to be reckoned, the morning came up so hot it flattened you the moment you came out into the street, and the humidity kept on climbing.

At Mendota, in the Argentine, they had a slight earthquake. People laid it on Mars, and ran screaming into the streets.

In the Fulton Fishmarket at New York, workers split open a 20-pound halibut, found a beer bottle. Proving the Al Smith influence isn't dead yet, no doubt.

At York, Pa., Mrs. Cora O'Neil hunted for her cat under the moon, saw a funny form on her lawn, coaxed "Kitty, Kitty," grabbed it by the tail, let go. It was a visiting pole cat.

In Detroit a tavern named a cocktail, made of Burgundy and bitters, "The High Life," in honor of Governor "Lurid" Dickinson.

In Russia a gang of generals lost their decorations, still had their heads for the time being.

At Dunn, N.C., the proprietor of a Greek restaurant, told by a State sanitation inspector to use some "elbow grease" on his kitchen, went out looking for it at furniture and drug stores.

At Darlington, S. C., a black man committed burglary, stopped to comb his hair in the house of his unsuspecting host, left helpful strands of his wool in the comb.

The Senate rejected by a vote of 41 to 39 a bill to ban the further purchase of foreign silver, to be buried in the ground.

At Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love and the Boodle, Mr. Charles Dukes, chief rain-maker for the Improved Order of Red Men in those parts, put on his best rain-making ceremony to end a 27-day drought--confessed that he didn't think there was anything to the rain-making business. It rained.

At Boston, a lady industriously painted a section of sidewalk red, literally. "It makes the sidewalk look prettier," she explained. The cops sent her word to please stop. She said all right, she was through anyhow.

Ourselves, we continued to mop our brows and think about that 115 below zero on Mars in the nighttime and got hotter and hotter wishing it were possible to use yesterday's editorial page all over again for today.

Civil Service Commission Reinstates Two Officers

It should be recalled that when Judge Frank Sims made the report that set the city, and especially the City Hall area, on its ear, he said repeatedly that it was the system, not individuals, he was indicting. He mentioned no names, in a derogatory sense, but the City Council properly took notice of the gravity of the misbehavior charged to members of the Police Department and asked for particulars.

The particulars were forthcoming; and they were hot stuff. So capable a jurist as Judge Sims must have known, however, that the adverse evidence was shaky, that the witnesses for the prosecution were not persons of notably good character, and that there was a whale of a difference between showing ground for the charges and proving them.

As much was manifested yesterday in the trial session of the Civil Service Commission. Two officers were cleared, though by a divided vote in two instances, of the degradations ascribed to them, and as far as The News is concerned, it is delighted to welcome them back into full fellowship and standing. They have the comfort of knowing that this was one time when an acquittal was not long in overhauling an accusation, and they will of course be compensated for the time they spent under suspension.