Page Twelve
THE JEWISH NEWS
Local Brevities
Simon Snetzer has been
named a member of the nation-
al executive committee of the
1944 campaign for the United
Jewish Appeal for Refugees,
Overseas Needs and Palestine,
for a quota of $32,000,000.
•
•
*
Cardozo Club will install new
officers at a meeting at 1 p. m.
on Sunday at the Workmen's
Educational Center, 11535 Lin-
wood: Max E. Hecker, chair-
man of the entertainment corn-
mitee, announces that an inter-
esting pr o g r am has been
arranged to feature the installa-
tion of the following: Charles
Makie, president; Sam Rudin,
vice-president; Harry H. Sha-
piro, recording secretary; Joe
Shapiro, treasurer; Gilbert Mil-
ler, sergeant-at-arms; Herman
Blair, Hy Kinizter and Sam
Rudin, Trustees. For further
information call Secretary Sha-
piro, 2983 Monterey.
* * *
In the local
Metropolitan
Scout Council some 2,000 Scouts
in about 87 different troops
have been commissioned by the
government as Dispatch Bear-
ers for the Office of War Infor-
mation. Their job is to distribute
22.000 different posters twice
each month to stores and busi-
n.ess offices.
* * *
Suwalker Independent Pro-
gressive Association will hold its
10th annual banquet at 7 p. m.
on Sunday, at the Bnai Moshe,
Dexter and Lawrence.
* * *
Dr. J. M. Goldsmith, Detroit
dentist, has given his 10th pint
of blood :9 the American Red
Crois Blood Donor Station since
Pearl Harbor.
* * *
Lamya Sarmast, native of Per-
sia, world traveler and linguist,
is particularly well equipped to
discuss "Persia-Fact and Fable"
for the Detroit Town Hall, at
the Cass theater, on Friday
morning, February 25, at 11
* * *
Emanuel List, basso; Kurt
Baum, tenor; and Hertha Glaz,
contralto, will have the leading
roles in the "Rosencavalier",
which will be broadcast by the
Metropolitan Opera on the radio
this Saturday afternoon. The
music department of the. Jewish
Community Center brought
these three artists for their first
performance in Detroit within
the last two years.
*
*
Philomathic Debating Club
held its annual stag social at
Assembly Hall Feb. 5 Mem-
bers and alumni assisted in
making the event a highly in-
teresting one.
* * *
Lawrence W. Crohn addressed
the meeting of Poale Zion-Zeire
Zion Branch 2 on Feb. 12 at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Kut-
nick. A campaign is now on for
new members. Those interested
are asked to call Mr. Kutnick,
TO. 6-8931, or the secretary, A.
Freedman," 2987 Clements.
* * *
Former Bialostok residents
were informed this week that
the Bialostoker Home for the
Aged in New York has launched
a $100,000 hospital fund drive
for expansion of its hospital fa-
cilities. Contributions are being
accepted by Bialostoker Home
for Aged at 228 E. Broadway,
New York 2, N. Y.
• * *
Sklar Family Club met at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Sol Gold-
man of Richton Ave. Alvin Gold-
man is the latest member of the
family to join the armed forces.
He reported for duty Feb. 17.
* * *
Lavy M. Becker, former edu-
cational director of the Jewish
Community Center of Detroit,
whose latest position was as USO
Regional Supervisor for New
England, representing the USO
and Jewish Welfare Board, .has
been named executive director of
the Y. M. H. A. in Montreal,
Canada.
* * *
Mortimer Adler, University of
Chicago professor whose stim-
ulating a n d original thinking
has made him one of America's
topmost leaders in education,
will be the Detroit Town Hall
speaker in the Fisher Theater
Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 11 a. in.
In his subject, "Reading: How,
What and Why," he will touch
particularly on those books
which touch on our wartime
thinking.
* * •*
Rabbi Jacob M. Brown, execu-
tive director of the Michigan
Synagogue Conference, is one of
the sponsors of the Institute on
Race Relations, consisting of six
Monday evening forums which
will commence on Feb. 26 at
Cass Technical High School, it
is announced by Prof. John J.
Shepard, president of Civil
Rights , Federation. Albert E.
Kahn, author of "Sabotage,"
will speak on March 27 on "Or-
ganized Hate: The Fifth Column
in America."
Ann Arbor Bnai Brith
Good Will Fete Feb. 22
Ann Arbor Bnai Brith Lodge
will observe Brotherhood Week
with a public meeting on Wash-
ington's Birthday, Tuesday eve-
ning, at the Bnai Brith Hillel
Foundation.
A Round Table discussion will
feature the evening's program.
The speakers will include Rev.
Chester Loucks, pastor of the
First Baptist Church, president
of the Ann Arbor .Community
Fund; Frank McPhillips, pastor
of the St. Mary's Chapel, Catholic
student chapel of the University
of Michigan; and Rabbi J. S.
Friday February 18, 1944
Sperka of Bnai David Synagogue
of Detroit.
Rabbi Jehudah M. Cohen, di-
rector of the Hillel Foundation,
will serve as moderator.
Entertainment will be pro-
vided by the. Dunbar Sextet, a
Negro choral group of the Dun-
bar Community Center. Mrs. Vir-
ginia Ellis, director of the sextet,
will be accompanist.
Henry „Morris, president of the
lodge, and Samuel Bothman, past
president, will preside over the
meeting. A social hour and re-
freshments will follow.
Buy War Bonds!
Public Library Adds
More Yiddish Books
Miss Catharine Haughey, head
("7 the public relations division of
the Detroit Public Library, an-
nounced this week that the
Downtown Library, at 121
Gratiot Ave., has added a large
number of Yiddish books to its
Foreign Language Department.
Among the books included are
translations from the works of
Vice-President Wallace and
volumes by Jacob Beller, Sholem
Asch, Bialostotsky, Moladowsky,
Niger, Charney, Brenner, Wein-
per, Opatoshu and scores of
others.
Why Detroit Edison Will Contest
THE NEW UTILITY TAX
TO OUR CUSTOMERS:
There has recently been levied by the City of Detroit a new tax of 20 per cent on
gross revenues of The Detroit Edison Company, already the largest taxpayer to the City
of Detroit. We shall contest the validity of this tax in the courts, and we feel that our
customers should know why.
We are taking this step not because of a ny 'desire to be uncooperative or to engage in
a prolonged, delaying legal action, but because the proposed tax works a serious and unjustified
economic injury to our Company. We want as _ prompt a decision as the courts can
properly give. We cannot safely pay the great sums of money involved (more than
$10,000,000 annually) in advance of a court decision establishing the validity of this new
utility tax because, if the ordinance is later found to be invalid, there would be no way to
recover the funds already paid.
The effect on us is not simply to shift tax money from the Federal Government to the
City—IF THAT WERE THE CASE WE WOULD BE ONLY A NEUTRAL STAKEHOLDER.
Actually the ordinance requires p‘ayment to the City of 20 cents out of every dollar of
gross revenue, or more than $10,000,000 ann ually. While payment of this City tax would
reduce our Federal Income Taxes by about $8, 000,000, it would result in an additional total
tax burden on the Company of about $2,000,000 annually.
The war has not increased our net income. Our business is greater but, as in the case
of many other businesses, Federal taxes have been sharply increased for the proper purpose
of financing a large part of the war cost on a pay-as-you-go basis. The result is that our
1943 net income is $1,900,000 less than in 1940. The proposed utility tax would cut it
$2,000,000 more. This $2,000,000 represents nearly one - quarter of our total net income
for 1943.
For the City to so materially cut the Co mpany's earning level contradicts the Michigan
law permitting a utility to earn a reasonable return on money invested in its property. This
fax is too radical in its method and result. A tax of this kind would hurt Detroit and be a
diversion of Federal taxes in wartime.
In view of these facts, and since the ordinance singles out our Company and one other
to carry the entire burden of this tax, we feel compelled to challenge its validity.
As to our rates:
Last July the Michigan Public Service Commission, after
thorough study of our rates, said:
"We find that rates for electrical servile by The Detroit
Edison Company are reasonable rates."
Our rates for residence service are now the lowest in the
Company's history—half as much as in the last war.
THE DETROIT EDISON COMPANY