a VTHE MiClIGAN DAILY
C,14r ALtd ,tan uu &tt
Washington Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT S. ALLEN
GRIN AND BEAR IT
By Lichty
ches in charge of research on post-
war problems.
wall
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Editorial Staff
Emile Gele . . . . . . Managing Editor
Alvin Dann . . . .Editorial Director
David Lachenbruch . . . . City Editor
Jay McCormick . . .Associate Editor
Gerald E. Burns . . . . . Associate Editor
Hal Wilson . . . . . Sports Editor
Janet Hooker . . . . . Women's Editor
Grace Miller . . Assstant Women's Editor
Virginia Mitchell . . . Exeange Editor
Business Staff
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NIGHT EDITOR: ROBERT MANTHO
The editorials published in The Michigan
Daily are written by members of The Daily
staff and represent the views of the writers
only.
NAM's Sales Tax
Labeled Unjust
C ONGRESSIONAL outbursts about
the tax program stick to funda-
mentals as water sticks to a duck's back.
And whether our Representatives and Sena-
tors realize it or not, the hard fact remains that
all wartime tax proposals must be considered in
the light of four basic objectives if they are to
be considered realistically and in line with the
nation's best interests.
These objectives are:
1. Provision of every cent needed to wage total
war.
2. Destruction of the inflation spiral.
3. Distribution of the economic burden effi-
ciently and fairly.
4. Smooth transition to the post-war economy.
To the discredit of both Congress and the
press, a great deal of favorable publicity has
been given to the sales-tax "solution" proposed
by the National Association of Manufacturers.
Conceivably, the NAM plan, which would in
effect reduce the already-low corporate tax
schedules and substitute for them a general
eight percent sales tax, would contribute heavily
to financing the war effort. Further, because it
would cut so deeply into the consumption of the
low-income groups, it might check and possibly
halt the inflation spiral.
But of vital importance is the fact that the
NAM plan would incur the people's anger, for
it would in no way operate to distribute the
taxation burden either efficiently or equitably.
Possibly the fear of a Treasury official that
"the increase in price resulting from a sales tax
may be larger than the tax itself," is exagger-
ated, but does the NAM dare deny:
1. That the sales tax hits rich and poor alike
and thus violates the just principle of "ability to
pay?" Randolph Paul, tax adviser to Secretary
Morgenthau, points out than an over-all retail
sales tax would take one percent of a $500 annual
income, while taking only .59 percent of the
$2,000-$2,500 level, .49 percent of the $4,000-
$5,000 level and a mere .27 percent of $10,000
and over.
2. That the NAM has little justification for
asking an eight percent sales tax and lower
corporation taxes when we consider the recent
report of the Federal Reserve Board? It showed
that 629 of the largest industrial corporations
earned net profits, after taxation, of $1,465,-
000,000 in 1939; $1,818,000,000 in 1940 and
$2,181,000,000 in 1941-an increase of 50 percent.
To prove NAM's eagerness to cooperate with
the war effort and the Treasury's plan based
on "ability to pay," spokesman J. Cheever Cow-
din said: "The Treasury plan would create a
danger of slackened war production."
Does the NAM dare deny that a nation striv-
ing to defeat the forces of Fascism cannot let
the special interests of pressure groups
threaten national unity and the very ideals of
justice for which we are fighting?
When victory is won, the United States must
be in the strongest possible position to translate
that victory into a healthy post-war society.
And an economic system laden with inequality,
such as would result from the NAM plan, would
help nullify the gains that free men died for,
and would rencpr ternseitaiont n efficient
WASHINGTON-Inside fact about the cur-'
rent quarrel over inflation and the farm bill is
that sage old Bernie Baruch long ago warned
the President, Leon Henderson and the inner cir-
The Reply Chiur]i'sh
by TOUCHSTONE
FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS the detec-
tive story has kept cropping up in conversa-
tions here and there. First it was The Turn of
the Screw, Henry James' chiller, which I read,
and people told me about so much that I didn't
see so much as a single face at the window, and
slept like a babe the rest of the night after I
read it. Then I got talking to a writer who said
he'd like to write one some time and have all the
clues point to one man, and at the end of the
book have him guilty. Also the matter of puzzle
interest came under some discussion. Appar-
ently there are some people who absolutely never
know who dunnit until, as the inimitable Joseph
Walker puts it, "the magistrate settles back in
an easy chair and says 'I have gathered all of
you here tonight because you are in some way
connected with the murder of Johnathan (Har-
old, Count, Joseph) Marlborough. In this room,
apprehensive, but attempting to conceal his
guilt, sits the murderer!' "
Then night before last it was Nero Wolfe,
solving tetanus in about forty thousand words,
and yesterday, office talk about the latest torch
killing, which is very gruesome stuff indeed, and
must go unsolved for the nonce. So, bowing to
the inevitable, I shall now discourse briefly on
the detective story in its ideal form.
THE DETECTIVE STORY-not to be confused
with the horror or fantastic story about which
I have already written-appears in several stock
forms. These are, the country estate murder,
with a character list including one parson, one
magistrate, several week-end guests at the
manor, a constable for comic effect, and the
detective named Anthony; next is the big city,
3r sophisticated murder, which emphasizes infor-
mational value and good living, and centers
around a dilettante who raises orchids-you will
note the lingering effect of Nero Wolfe here-
or collects first editions, or likes women, or in
the more famous of these efforts, plays the vio-
lin, and has a man who writes and admires, usu-
ally a literate doctor, to chronicle events, a police
sergeant, an inspector who is usually not such a
bad egg though misguided, several millionaires,
and a cad playboy who did not kill the victim
though it often appears so, and a houseboy who
has been with Vance, Queen, Wolfe, for years,
and makes the best Hungarian goulash in the
world.
THEN, and here is my favorite of all the lot,
there is the killer diller chiller, usually located
along the waterfront of London or New York,
with luxuriously appointed suites in the attics of
apparently, deserted warehouses, fogs on the
Thames, and sinister orientals. The killings are
numerous, but the tortures are the more interest-
ing, and the Circassian slave girl. Few are those
who can really do this sort of thing. There seems
always to be the impulse to make a great work of
the detective story, to lend it plausibility, or sig-
nificance of some sort, but where, as in the case
of Sax Rohmer or the late Edgar Wallace, all
pretense is abandoned, the results are far above
the elaborate machinations of the realistic
school. There are other variations on these
themes-including the increasingly popular lady
detectives as found in the work of that up and
comer, Mary Roberts Rinehart, or Leslie Ford;
they are all right too. Charles Lamb made the
original crack about the best puns being the
worst ones, and to his idea, I can only add a same
here, Charley. Let's take this up at a subsequent
meeting. So long until soon.
"iron ration"-the primary necessities of life-
to all. Whatever the plan agreed upon, corpora-
tion taxes should not be cut, because in addition
to the resulting inequality, new inducement will
be offered to private investment. This is exactly
the opposite condition needed in a wartime
economy.
Even if a sales tax is imposed-against the
will and better judgment of the people-there is
still- no sound reason for lowering the corpora-
tion tax. Better than a sales tax, though still not
satisfactory, is the proposal for an increased,
social security tax. This would at least offer
something in return.
Competent students of the problem stand
firmly convinced that the United States can
accomplish all four fundamental objectives
speedily by adopdiflg a plan which would do
these things, painful though they may appear:
1. Sharply increase and spread both corpora-
tion and personal income taxes, making them
much more progressive in character.
2. Establish thoroughgoing price, wage andl
rent control.
3. Greatly expand the purchase of defense
bonds through a comprehensive system of forced
savings.
4. Create an effective and complete rationing
system.
This program would pay for the war because
the government would adjust the tax intake to
the amount required.
Inflatibn would die when these drastic eco-
nomic controls are applied.
Progressive taxation would distribute the bur-
den efficiently and fairly. Rationing would allot
cle that they could not stop inflation if they put
the brake only on prices.
"Price-fixing is like a four-legged chair," Ba-
ruch warned them. "It won't stand on two legs
or even three."
There is no use regulating consumer prices, he
said, unless you also regulate profits, also wages,
also farm prices. If one of them gets out of hand,
the others will too.
Baruch, who was head of the War Industries
Board in the last war, has been harping on this
point for months. He urged Congress more than
a year ago to adopt a very high excess profits
tax to take away all the war profits from indus-
try; and at the same time he urged the President
to clamp down on wages as well as prices.
The President actually got a little irritated at
Baruch's pounding away on this theme. Today,
however, chief resentment of the farm belt is
not so much against Roosevelt's urging that
farm prices be kept down, but over the fact that
labor's income has skyrocketed while the
farmer's hasn't. Furthermore, the farmer com-
plains that he has to pay a lot more for his labor
-when he can get it at all-but he can't increase
his farm prices proportionately.
What's Wrong With !ousing?
Congressional investigators probing into de-
fense housing conditions the other day ran
across some interesting data regarding Charles
F. Palmer, ex-coordinator of Defense Housing.
They discovered that in 1935 Palmer had al-
most been asked to resign from a local housing
project in Atlanta, Ga., because he split archi-
tects' and real estate commissions of $60,000.
Palmer was not then employed by the Govern-
ment, and the split commissions were to com-
pensate him for work he had done in promoting
a low-cost housing project, later completed by
the Public Works Administration.
However, the PWA Division of Investigation,
after probing the matter, "recommended that
the Housing Division exercise caution to see that
split commissions do not prevail on any housing
project in the future."
Also, A. R. Clas, Director of PWA housing,
reported as follows regarding Palmer:
"The report does not disclose any dishonesty
on Mr. Palmer's part . . . but it has cast a doubt
in my mind of Mr. Palmer's unselfish interest in
the projects, and thus I am not sure of his mo-.
tives in urging local control of the management.
"I have felt for some time that the Commit-
tee (in Atlanta) as a result of Mr. Palmer's
activities has been making no effort to reconcile
the difficulties between the city and the Govern-
ment, but rather using the objections as a club
to induce the Government to turn over such
profits to it . . . I do not believe it is desirable
to ask for Mr. Palmer's resignation at this time,
although I feel the committee would function
better without him."
Most significant fact is that despite this, the
reorganized Public Works Administration actu-
ally promoted Palmer to the vitally important
job of Defense Housing Coordinator where he
has served until recently. Finally, however, he
was eased out of the housing picture by a trip
to inspect housing in England.
"Mom's saving sugar, Pop's fussing over his tires, sis is hoarding
her silk stockings-everybody in the family's doing war work
but me!"
DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN
L
TTCRS
TO TED EDITOR
Minneapolis Sedition Trials
To the Editor:
A BLOT upon the record of democracy in
America is the conviction and sentencing to
prison of eighteen militant labor leaders in
Minneapolis on the charge of advocating the
overthrow of the government by armed revolu-
tion.
This matter is well covered by Dale Kramer in
the current issue of Harpers magazine on "The
Dunne Boys of Minneapolis."
The Dunne brothers are probably the best
known of the militant labor leaders in the Amer-
ican northwest. They have been active in the
trade union and political activities in that area
since the first World War. But the climax of
their activity was reached in 1934 and the years
following when they successfully organized the
truck drivers of Minneapolis into an industrial
union, and by intensive campaigning in eleven
Midwestern states brought over two hundred
thousand drivers into their union.
BUT DAN TOBIN, old time president of the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters,
whose salary was raised from $20,000 to $30,000
per year, did not wart ''radicals" in the Union,,
and wanted it split up into smaller crafts instead
of being unified on the industrial basis. Anti-
cipating expulsion of the Dunne boys by the
bureaucracy, the teamsters left Tobin's A. F. of L.
for the C.I.O. early in 1941. But this left Tobin
with no union. Having been labor chairman of
the Democratic National Committee in the last
three Presidential capipaigns--he then appealed
to Roosevelt to investigate the matter, particu-
larly as the Dunne brothers were leaders of the
"radical" Socialist Workers Party-a party fol-
lowing the political line of Leon Trotsky, Rus-
sian revolutionist, who was assassinated in 1940
in Mexico City, and which criticizes the war as
being essentially an imperialistic conflict.
The Dunne brothers, while not denying their
belief in the desirability of a working class revo-
lution in the United States, claim that the re-
sultant FBI investigation, the trial and convic-
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1942
VOL. LII. No. 122
Publication in the Daily Official
Bulletin i' constructive notie to all
members, of the Unversty
Notices
Persons on the University payroll
may hereafter, until further notice,
purchase defense savings bonds
through deductions from salary pay-
ments. These deductions must be in
amounts of $3.75 or multiples there-
of. The University will on request
make such deductions and hold them
until they amount to $18.75 or the
multiple thereof named by the pur-
chaser. When such accumulation is
reached, the University will purchase
the proper defense bond (Series E,
ten-year appreciation bond) which
will be delivered to the purchaser
either directly or through one of the I
local banks. The installment arrange-
ment herein described makes it pos-
sible for anyone to carry out with the
least possible effort on his or her
part the patriotic purpose of sup-
porting the Government during the
war by the purchase of defense
bonds. Blanks authorizing the pay-
roll deductions may be had at the
Cashier's Office, South Wing of
University Hall, the Cashier's Office
on floor one at the University Hos-
pital, or at the office of the Super-
intendent of Buildings and Grounds.
The orders for deductions from
payroll herein provided for may be
cancelled at any time at the discre-
tion of the signer thereof, in which
case any accumulations not suffi-
cient for the purchase of a bond will
be returned.
Shirley W. Smith
Freshmen in the College of Litera-
ture, Science, and the Arts may ob-
tain their five-week progress reports
in the Academic Counselors' Office,
Room 108 Masor Hall, from 8 to 12
a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. according
to the following schedule:
Surnames beginning P through Z,
Thursday, March 19.
Surnames beginning A through O,
Friday, March 20.
Arthur Van Duren, Chairman,
Academic Counselors
Prospective Applicants for the Com-
bined Curricula: Students of the Col-
lege of Literature, Science and the
Arts wishing to apply for admission
to one of the combined curricula for
September 1942 should fill out ap-
plications for such admission as soon
as possible in Room 1210 Angell Hall.
The final date for application is Ap-
ril 20, 1942, but early application
is advisable. Pre-medical students
should please note that application
for admission to the Medical School
s not application for admission to
th e Combined Curricuum. A separate
application should be made out for
the consideration of the Committee
on Combined Curricula.
Edward 1. Kraus
Faculty of the Department of
Physical Education and Athletics:
A meeting of the Faculty of the De-
partment of Physical Education and
Athletics will be held Friday eve-
ning, March 20, at 7:30 in the Wo-
men's Athletic Building, Palmer
Field.
It. O. Crisler, Chairman
Fellowship in Religion: The Mar-
garet Kraus Ramsdell Fellowship en-
ables one Michigan student to pursue
graduate study in Religion. Secure
application blanks at Rackham
School of Graduate Study.
be obtained in Room 15, Barbourt
Gymnasium, Tuesday and Thurs-
day, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Academic Notices
Students, College of Literature, r
Science, and the Arts: Courses drop-s
ped after Saturday, March 21, by
students other than freshmen will ben
recorded with the grade of E. Fresh-
men (students with less than 24 hours
of credit) may drop courses withoutt
penalty through the eighth week.t
Exceptions to these regulations may
be made only because of extraor-
dinary circumstances, such as serious
or long-continued illness.
E. A. Walter
School of Education Students,
other thag freshmen: Courses drop-
ped after Saturday, March 21, will
be recorded with the grade of E, ex-
cept under extraordinary circum-
stances. No course is considered offi-
cially dropped unless it has been re-6
ported in the office of the Registrar,
Room 4 University Hall.
Anthropology 162 will not meet to-t
day.c
Anthropology 101 will not meet to-
day yM. Titiev
Kothe-Hildner Sophomore compe-
tition to be held Thursday, March 26,
2:00-4:00 p.m. in Room 301 U.H. 1
Bronson-Thomas Prize Competitiont
will be held on Monday, March 23,
2:00-5:00 p.m. in Room 203 U.H.
Physical Education for Women:
Registration for the outdoor seasonE
will be held in Barbour Gymnasium1
on: Friday, March 20, 8:00 to 12:00 (
and 1:00 to 5:00; Saturday, March
21, 8:00 to 12:00.
Concerts
Carillon Programs: The bell cham-
ber of the. Burton Memorial Tower
will be open to visitors interested in
observing the playing of the carillon
from 12 noon to 12:15 p.m. daily1
through Friday of this week, ata
which time Professor Percival Price,
University Carillonneur, will present
an informal program. r
Exhibitions
Exhibition: An Introduction to
Architecture. An elaborate educa-
tional exhibition produced by the
Ann Arbor Art Association in collab-
oration with the College of Architec-
ture and Design. This exhibition is
intended to give the layman a better
understanding of the meaning of
architecture, to demonstrate the
modern techniques of museum dis-
play of visual materials as instru-
ments of education, and for its ap-
peal to those interested in art. The
Rackham Galleries, from March 19
through April 1. Open daily, 2-5 and
7-10 except Sundays. The public is
cordially invited.
Lectures
Pierre Van Paassen, foreign corres-
pondent and novelist, lectures tonight
at Hill Auditorium at 8:15. This lee-
ture is sponsored by the Michigan
Alumnae Club of Ann Arbor. Pro-
ceeds will go to the Student War
Emergency Fund. Tickets will be on
sale at the box office today from
10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Dr. Margaret Mead will give two
lectures on "Marriage in War Time"
Thursday and Friday afternoons at
4:15 p.m. in the Rackham Lecture
Hall. Students having tickets to the
Marriai Reat insm Seris will h nad-
Events Today
The Society of Automotive Engin-
eers will meet tonight at 7:45 in the
Michigan Union. Mr. Joseph Gech-
elin, Technical Editor of the Chilton
Publications, will present an illus-
trated lecture, "The Future of the
Automobile and War Production."
All engineers are invited.
La Sociedad Hispanica will present
Mr. Hartweg as the next lecturer to-
day at 4:15 p.m. in Room D, Alumni
MWemorial Hall. He will speak on
"Mexico Meridional."
Attention Speech Societies: Delta
Sigma Rho, Sigma Rho Tau, Alpha
Nu, Zeta Phi Eta and Athena invite
you to hear Professor Howard Erh-
mann speak on "The Causes of the
Present War" tonight at 9:00 in the
Kalamazoo Room of the League.
American Institute of Electrical
Engineers will meet tonight at 8:00
in the Union. Major Renner of the
Military Science Department . will
speak on "Ordnance in the Army."
Refreshments.
Varsity Glee Club: Important re-
hearsal tonight at 7:30. Those who
have flashlights are asked to bring
them to rehearsal.
Graduate Coffee Hour today, 4:30-
6:00 p~m in the Rackham School. All
faculty members and graduate stu-
dents are welcome.
Michigan Sailing Club will have a
business meeting this evening at 7:45
in room 318 of the Union. All mem-
bers please attend.
The Seminar on Th Bases of a
Just and Durable Peace will be led
by Mr. Bradford Abernethy, who is
in charge of research on that subject
for the Federal Council of Churches
tonight at 7:30 in Lane Hall.
Orientation Advisors:'All men stu-
dents interested in serving as ori-
entation advisers next fall report to
room 304 of the Union between 3:00
and 5:00 p.m. today.
La Sociedad Hispanica will not
meet this evening.
JGP Make-up committee meeting
today at 5:00 at the League. At-
tendance is compulsory.
Coming Events
Women of the University Faculty:
The dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. on
Friday, March 20, at the Michigan
Union. Reservations must be sent
to Dr. Alvalyn E. Woodward before
Thursday noon.
German Table for Faculty Mem-
bers will meet Monday at 12:10 p.m.
in the Founders' Room Michigan Un-
ion. Members of all departments are
cordially invited. There will be a
brief talk on "Mathematische Para-
doxien," by Mr. G. Y. Rainich.
French Round Table, International
Center, will meet on Friday, March
20, at 8:00 p.m. in Room 23. Dr.
George Kiss will lead the discussion.
His topic will be "The Far North."
Anyone able to carry on a conversa-
tion in French is welcome to attend.
The Suomi Club will have a skat-
ing party Saturday afternoon, March
21, at the Coliseum. Members de-
siring to go as a group, please meet
at 2:15 p.m. at the International
Center. The regular meeting of the
Suomi Club will be held Saturday
evening at 8:00 in the International
Center.
Michigan Outing Club will have a
breakfast horseback ride Sunday
morning. The group will leave from
Hill Auditorium promptly at 9:00.
Fee for ride and breakfast. All stu-
dents are welcome but reservations
must be made before Friday by call-
ing either Dan Saulson (9818) or Lib-
by Mahlman (2-2539). Only persons
making reservations in advance may
attend.
Public Uealth Students: A party for
the students in the School of Public
Health will be held on Saturday eve-
ning, March 21, at 8:30 in the As-
sembly Hall, third floor, of the Rack-
ham Building. There will be games
and dancing, and all students are
urged to be present.
Graduate Square Dance, sponsored
by the Council and Outing Club, on
Saturday night, 9:00-12:00, in the
Outing Club Room of the Rackham
Building. All graduate students wel-
come. Instruction. Refreshments.
The Disciples Guild will have open
house at the Guild House, following
the lecture at Rackham Hall, on
Friday night from 9:30 to 12:00
o'clock.
Mendelssohn's Oratorio "Elijah"
will be presented by the Senior Choir
of the First Methodist Church on
Palm Sunday evening, March 29, at
8:00 in the Sanctuary. Soloists:
Bonnie Ruth Van Deursen, Soprano;
Beatrice Brody Larsen, Contralto;
Avery Crew, Tenor; Mark Bills, Bari-
tone; and Beatrice Nesbitt Ruthven,
Soprano. Mary Porter Gwnn is or-
ganist, and Professor Hardin Van
Deursen of the School of Music is
Director. The public is invited.
:I