THE MICHIGAN DAILY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1934
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EDITORIAL STAFF
MANAINGTelephone 4925
MANAGING EDITOR ... .....WILLIAM G. FERRIS
CITY EDITOR .........................JOHN HEALEY
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR............RALPH G. COULTER
SPORTS EDITOR................ARTHUR CARSTENS
WOMEN'S EDITOR .....................ELEANOR BLUM
NIGHT EDITORS: Paul J. Elliott, John J. Flaherty, Thomas'
E. Groehn, Thomas H. Kleene, David G. Macdonald,
John M. O'Connell, Robert S. Ruwitch, Arthur M. Taub.
SPORTS ASSISTANTS: Marjorie Western, Joel Newman,
Kenneth Parker, William Reed, Arthur Settle.
WOMEN'S ASSISTANTS: Barbara L. Bates, Dorothy Gies,
Florence Harper, Eleanor Johnson, Ruth Loebs, Jo-
sephine McLean, Margaret D. Phalan, Rosalie Resnick,
Jane Schneider, Marie Murphy.
REPORTERS: John H. Batdorff, Robert B. Brown, Richard
Clark, Clinton B. Conger, Sheldon M. Ellis, William H.
Fleming, Robert J. Freehling, Sherwin Gaines, Richard
Hershey, Ralph W. Hurd, Jack Mitchell, Fred W. Neal,
Melvin C. Oathout, Robert Pulver, Lloyd S. Reich, Mar-
shall Shulman, Donald Smith, Bernard Weissman, Jacob
C. Seidel, Bernard Levick, George Andros, Fred Buesser,
Robert Cummins, Fred DeLano, Robert J. Friedman,
Raymond Goodman, Morton Mann.
Dorothy Briscoe, Maryanna Chockly, Florence Davies,
Helen Diefendorf, Marian Donaldson, Elaine Goldberg,
Betty Goldstein, Olive Griffith, Harriet Hathaway, Ma-
rion Holden, Lois King, Selma Levin, Elizabeth Miller,
Melba Morrison, Elsie Pierce, Charlotte Reuger, Dorothy
Shappell, Molly Solomon, Dorothy Vale, Laura Wino-
grad, Jewel Wuerfel.
BUSINESS STAFF
Telephone 2-1214
BUSINESS MANAGER ............RUSSELL B. READ
CREDIT MANAGER.... .:....ROBERT S. WARD
WOMEN'S BUSINESS MANAGER........JANE BASSETT
DEPARTMENT MANAGERS: Local Advertising, John Og.
den; Service Department, Bernard Rosenthal; Contracts,
Joseph Rothbard; Accounts, Cameron Hall; Circulation1
and National Advertising, David Winkworth; Classified
Advertising and Publications, George Atherton.
BUSINESS ASSISTANTS: William Jackson, William
Barndt, Ted Wohlgemuith Lyman Bittman, Richard
Hardenbrook, John Park, F. Allen Upson, Willis Tom-
linson, Homer Lathrop, Tom Clarke, Gordon Cohn,
Merrell Jordan, Stanley Joffe.-
WOMEN'S ASSISTANTS: Mary Bursley Margaret Cowie,j
Marjorie Turner, Betty Cavender, Betty Greve, Helen
Shapland, Betty Simonds, Grace Snyder, Margaretta
Kohlig, Ruth Clarke, Edith Hamilton, Ruth Dicke,
Paula Joerger, Mary Lou Hooker, Jane Heath, Bernar-
dine Field, Betty Bowman,July Trosper.
NIGHT EDITOR: ARTHUR M. TAUB
Merit Points
And Merit ... .
T HE MERIT SYSTEM, whereby pref-
erence for leadership in women's
campus activities is given the woman with the
highest number of merit points, has replaced
the old caucusing and voting plan. Because initia-
tive rather than campus popularity is now the de-
termining factor in the distribution of positions,
the new system is undeniably an advance over the
old.
The pendulum, however, has swung too far. Since
activity points play such an important part in the
awarding of offices, only those activities which
make for executive ability, efficiency, and experi-
ence should be rewarded with the all-essential
points.
Unfortunately there are at prernt two very
different types of activity for which merit points
are given, but no attempt has been made to dis-
tinguish between them. Unless the wholesale dis-
tribution of merit points is stopped, women en-
tirely lacking in leadership but aspiring to become
campus big-shots will still be more eligible than the
worthier but less aggressive ones.
Merit points, for example, are given to all who
attend the freshman orientation lectures. Attend-
ance there may or may not indicate the possession
of desirable qualities. Group advisers may have
emphasized the fact that attendance is recorded in
the Dean's office. Perhaps a drab freshman hopes
to benefit from Professor Brumm's lecture on "Pur-
suit of Personality." Whether she does or whether
she doesn't, it is scarcely occasion for a merit
point.
Merit points will be awarded to each woman at-
tending the League Tea. Eating cake and drinking
tea at the League's expense may be very well, but it
is an idle test of a person's ability. The student
who puts her time on her studies is probably doing
more for herself and her class.
Certainly the Merit System is to be continued,
but a little discrimination in the bestowal of merit
points would be a wise thing. If the League wants
to recognize the student who gets out and does
things - the woman who works in the League
candy booth and attends teas and meetings, she
should be honored in a different way from the
student who holds a position requiring resource-
fulness and special abilities.
Two kinds of activity points, passive and active,
probably offer the best solution. The former would
be used to indicate the woman's interest in
Manufacturing
In Michigan...
PRELIMINARY FIGURES on the
1933 census of manufactures in
Michigan cities have just been issued by the census
bureau in Washington. So rapidly have political
events moved in the 20 months of the New Deal,
that the recently arrived at figures are so old as to
be of questionable value just at this time.
A first glance at comparable manufacturing
figures for 1931 and 1933 shows that total pay-
rolls and value of manufactured products were al-
most invariably lower in the latter year. This
was true of industrial cities throughout the State,
with the exception of the centers of the automobile
industry, for which no statistics are given. Nor
were any figures presented for 1932, generally be-
lieved to be about the worst depression year.
Grand Rapids, second city of the State, reported
an average of only 13,050 wage-earners in manu-
facturing, printing, and publishing in 1933 as
against 15,756 in 1931. Wages paid had dwindled
from $17,617,089 to $10,308,231. The value of prod-
ucts was lower in 1933 by more than $23,000,000.
The situation in the furniture city was typical
of almost every other city in the State, though not
all were in quite such bad shape. Of the 23 cities
reported, only little Ferndale in Oakland County,
Niles in the southwest corner of the State, and
Ironwood in the upper peninsula had larger pay-
rolls. In several other cases more workers earned
less total wages, despite minimum wage efforts of
the administration. But the majority of cities had
both less workers and less wages paid.
The figures, incidentally still subject to revision,
are disappointing if one is looking for an index of
the effect of New Deal and recovery efforts in
Michigan. That no results are apparent is probably
due in part to the character of the year 1933. It
was past the middle of the year before NRA and
other recovery efforts were put into effect, and bus-
iness uncertainty prevailed throughout. The pres-
ence of figures for Detroit, Flint, and Pontiac would
probably show more gains than any of those repre-
sented.
A year from now we may be able to tell atter
what NRA and other agencies have accomplished.
By that time what changes will have come to the
New Deal?
As Oethers See It
Abolition Of All Class Officers
A STUDENT SENATE COMMITTEE will investi-
gate, during the next week, the proposal that
either all class offices be abolished or class officers
be provided functions which will give them active
work to perform.
As matters stand now the officers do nothing of
any importance. Up until last year the sponsorship
of all class dances was under the control of the
elected class officers. That system was proved to be
impracticable. Under the present plan which was
put into operation last fall, the class honoraries
sponsor the respective proms.
If officers are elected once more this year, they
will be such only in name. We 'e no reason why
steps should be taken to provide functions for any
officer. Nor do we believe, that under the prevailing
circumstances, there is need for the Senate to con-
duct an election. Senate money, time, and trouble
are involved in the annual selection of class heads.
And that statement does not take into account
the friction which yearly arises between fraternity
groups on the campus.
We repeat then that when an organization such
as the Senate finds itself in a position where it
must create activities for officers, the need for
such officers no longer exists.
If the Senate does take pains to provide some-
thing tangible for class officers to perform, or con-
ducts an election of officers who will continue, as
in the past, to be mere figureheads, then we believe
that body will have succeeded in reaching a new
high in campus absurdity.
Supposedly members of the honoraries are the
outstanding men and 'women of their respective
classes. Certainly then the decision of who should
escort the queens to the different proms could
logically be placed in their hands.
-The Ohio State Lantern.
Soviet Educational Policy
A RECENT REVELATION of flagrantly demoral-
izing conditions in several colleges in the Soviet
Union and the subsequent remedy are very inter-
esting. An investigation by a special committee of
the Communist Party revealed in one college "a
lack of even elementary concern for the welfare of
the 2,000 students there."
Dormitories were found to be unsanitary, un-
repaired, and deficient in proper equipment. No
effort had been made to stimulate cultural life-
or sports. Another point that was stressed was
the lack of fiction in the library. One director of a
college was discharged because he showed no per-
sonal interest in the students.
As a general result of conditions there was drink-
ing and moral degeneration, with students failing
in their studies and thereby losing their state al-
lowances. The administrative director and dormi-
tory manager of one college have had specific
charges filed against them and they will soon be
brought to trial. Furthermore the Conimunist sec-
retary in the district in which the college is situated
was reprimanded and removed from office.
One cannot help contrasting the difference in
methods of dealing with similar cases in this coun-
try and Russia. Here the blame tends to be shoved
upon some unfortunate "goat" with the real slacker
ofttimes going free. In Russia not only are the im-
mediate people in charge taken to task but they
even have to stand trial. In addition the Commu-
CO LLEGIATE
OBSERVER
By BUD BERNARD
Today's column will be devoted to what our
contemporaries and readers think of the Collegiate
Observer and of Bud Bernard.
"When things get too tough for me around here
I'm thinking of moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan. A
columnist on that paper, Bud Bernard, reprints
some of the stuff from this colyum, but he realizes
that I must have some safe haven in my old age,
so he is careful not to credit the copied remarks
to this Daily."
-Columnist Oklahoma Daily.
Well there is .our credit line and what's
this story about the pot calling the kettle
black?t
"We credit the Michigan Daily Collegiate Ob-
server with tenacity. He evidently wants someday
to get a good joke in his column, using a refer-
ence from our school, but so far he has failed."
-Columnist, Indiana Daily Student.
Well at least I make an attempt to make my
column humorous. Thanks!
Here's a letter we received in today's mail:
"Listen here wise guy:
The next time I see you around I'm going to
punch your ugly face, see? You're making too
many cracks about my girl's sorority. I don't
know who you are, but I'm going to find out,
and when I do, you'd better make yourself
scarce.
Ed. Schmaltz."
What kind of a person could have a name like
Ed Schmaltz anyway? We have our suspicions. It
isn1't the charming ideas expressed in the letter we
resent so much as the fact that he called us ugly
... after all, he could have been polite about it.
Mr. Bud Bernard, Michigan's Collegiate Observer
reports the following incident. (Editor's Note: In
the following space was an item taken from this
column and for which he was polite enough -
more than we can say about some columnists - to
give us credit for).
Bud also writes Ann Arbor's lovelorn column
for The Daily."
-Cornell Daily Sun.
To think that someone has accused me of
falling that low. Column for the Lovelorn!
Bah!
"Dear Bud:
I notice that you are printing true stories about
the pranks and remarks about sorority girls. Why
have you left out the Thetas.. According to a
rushee they need plenty of publicity. Come on Bud,
give them a hand.
--Admirer of the Thetas."....
Well admirer, I'll welcome all contributions,
even about the Thetas.
* * *
"Dear Bud:
On behalf of myself and my roommate I want
you to know that we enjoy reading your column
every day. We read it every day during breakfast
and it gives us a laugh or two before we go to
classes. More power to you, Bud. and lots of luck."
-Two Co-eds, '37.
At last two readers. That's an increase of 100
per cent over last year.
Washigo
Off The Record
By SIGRID ARNE
A DISGUSTED SESSION was held at FERA
headquarters when they received the follow-
ing telegram from a field agent:
"Please send movie camera to take picture of me
at canning plant."
The department has cameras, but not to take
pictures of their agents. They considered recalling
the man.
An hour later came a correction on the telegram.
The "me at" should have been "meat."
The Capitol is going to have a unique restau-
rant in a four-masted schooner, fitted for
dancing and eating, and tied up to a dock in
the Potomac River.
a *
BY GRAPEVINE another story sifts back about
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt's trip to California.
She was parked in a filling station when a
stranger, seeing her New York license, stepped up
and asked. "Pardon me, but do you know the
Roosevelts?"
"Yes," smiled Mrs. Roosevelt, "I've known them
several years, and intimately."
"Do you like them?" asked the man.
"Rather," she replied.
GEORGE HARTNELL, who has just retired from
the government magnetic laboratory staff, says
his most anxious moments came 30 years ago when
the laboratory was built.
Not one piece of iron could go into the structure
as iron affects the sensitive magnets., The carpen-
ters were instructed.
"Then one got drunk and was fired," says Hart-
nell.
"Later the laboratory was finished, but the mag-
nets were not true. We investigated. The walls were
double, the three-foot space between filled with
saw dust.
"That drunk had dumped a whole keg of nails
in the saw-dust, and we fished for weeks to get all
the nails."
Ii
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