FoUR r THE MICHIGAN DAILY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1946 'U' vs. Contractors LEST ANYONE become unduly anxious for the eight-million-dollar building pro- gram now under way on this campus and under attack by local contractors, their recent flare-up against the University should be explained and clarified. The substance of the disagreement, which first arose last April, is concerned with the importation of outside labor and the pay- ment of higher wages than local contract- ors are able to give their own workers, thus jeopardizing the veterans' housing program in Ann Arbor, they charge. They claim that by paying double time to skilled laborers for working Saturdays, the University is "forcing local home-building to the break- ing point," because, they say, no private contractor in Ann Arbor, "forced to pay 56 hours' wages for 48 hours' work," can profitably build a home under the Wyatt program's $10,000 ceiling. If the University does not maintain the 40-hour week, as was the agreement reached last spring regarding all construction ex- Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. NIGHT EDITOR: MAL ROEMER cept veterans' dormitories, local builders say they may be "priced out of business." The contractors claim to be taking a "long view" of the matter, pointing out that when this large University building program is completed they will have to rely on the normal amount of building in the city. On the other hand, the University policy declared by Vice-President Robert P. Briggs, claims that the 48-hour. week is necessary for completion of housing and classroom space as soon as possible and then Ann Ar- bor cannot supply all the labor needed on campus. He has pointed out that it is dif- ficult enough to obtain sufficient labor from outside points as well as from Ann Arbor at the present wage-hour scale. That the taxpayers' money, which the contractors charge the University with "squandering," might be saved by working a shorter week has been noted by Briggs, with a reminder, however, that no money would really be saved if it means that the buildings will not be ready by next fall. The main point of contention seems to be the relative importance of the local long-range housing and building program as compared to the immediate project con- cerned with providing educational facilities for returning veterans as soon as possible. -Natalie Bagrow State Revenue Gap STATE Legislature taxation committees are now working over the problem of filling the gap between the State's revenues and its operating costs, caused by the adop- tion of the sales tax diversion amendment and the veterans' bonus at the November 5 election. Estimated income for the next fiscal year is $225,000,000 and estimated costs are $296,000,000, leaving a gap of $71,000,000 to be filled, according to acting state budget director John A. Perkins. State Legislature taxation committees have agreed tentatively to obtain more rev- enue by taking the 10 per cent liquor tax, now bringing $12,000,000 a year to local units of government, for itself, and keeping the $2,500,000 in liquor license revenues now paid to local government for liquor en- forcement, according to Associated Press reports. Committee members have also agreed tentatively to turn special education pro- jects back to local government and take the townships' share of the severance tax for state purposes, according to the AP. Also under consideration is a proposal that the State take "two or three' mills of the present local property tax, with the possibility that the revenue *(approximately $23,000,000) be earmarked for payment of the bonus. It is claimed this will not in- crease property taxes except in townships which do not levy their full millage. A flat rate income tax of perhaps one per cent on every payroll is still under con- sideration along with a one-cent increase in the state gas tax, and placing all corpora- tions under the corporation tax, estimated to bring in another $8,000,000. Thus while local units of government have gained from the sales tax diversion amend- ment, at the same time they will undoubt- edly lose some of their present revenues to the State for the payment of the veterans' bonus, and the performance of other ser- vices which we have come to expect from our State government. -Shirley Frank Occupation ANY MORAL irregularities in the Ameri- can occupation forces of Germany and Japan are merely repetitions of the occur- rences in such armies down through his- tory since the occupation activities of Cae- sar's forces 19 centuries ago. This point is brought out in a recent magazine article on the subject of a Sen- ate War Investigating Committee probe into activities of American troops in these areas. Although the article by no means belittles the dangers arising from the "softening" effects of occupation life on American troops, it does point out that these dangers are nothing new under the sun. It is interesting to note that crime and brutality in the handling of civilians in occupation areas appears to be on the up- swing. Black-market activities and misuse of Army equipment are also prevalent, ac- cording to the article. In Germany, the rate of crime has been higher than in Japan, due to the fact that the latter country offers less opportunity for looting and theft. Fraternization is also less prevalent because of race differ- ences. It does not appear that these facts have been concealed, or that evils could be rem- edied by conducting an investigation. While such activities should not be condoned among our troops, the probe can do nothing more concrete than exhibit more clearly the fact that soldiers haven't changed much in the last 19 centuries. -Phyllis L. Kaye ON WORLD AFFAIRS: UN Crossroads By EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER LAKE SUCCESS - Last week the Atomic Bomb entered the august and garrulous gathering known as the United Nations Assembly. "Get him out! Suppress him!" cried the delegates. After long discussion it was evident even to the most obtuse champions of "great power supremacy" that in order to evict the bomb, the United Nations would have to evict the great-power veto. For the bomb threat cannot be averted if anyone, secretly or openly, is allowed to make or possess atomic bombs. To be sure that nobody is holding out, adequate interna- tional supervision is necessary. But to be adequate, such supervision must be free of veto. There was nothing new in this. In pre- senting the American scheme to the Atomic Energy Commission last June, Bernard Baruch made this point clear. Indeed, to this writer it has been certain since the days of Dumbarton Oaks and San Francisco when the UN Charter was born, that sooner or later the organization would have to choose between the veto and peace. A small-power attempt to get rid of the veto, a four-big-power effort to pre- serve the veto by limiting its use, a Soviet -insistence on keeping and extending the veto - these have dominated the present Assembly. , Last Saturday, Sir Hartley Shaweross, Britain's Nuremberg prosecutor, injected a new piece of reality. To the UN Assembly Political Committee he said bluntly: "I do not understand how, of all people, that the Soviet Government can suggest that rockets, bacteriological warfare, other, instruments of mass destruction, are not at once to be abolished, that vast armies with enormous quantities of long-range ar- tillery can be maintained but the atom. bomb must be prohibited, not merely as a weapon against civilians but against the vast armies, the cannon, the rocket launch- ing sites. "Obviously, these things must all go - and I mean go - together." This put the Soviet delegation squarely on the spot. For - as Sir Hartley put it -most people at Lake Success had become convinced that in launching its disarma- ment move, the Soviet Government was bent on a "combination propaganda drive and fishing expedition"! The Soviets wished to pose as the champion of peace through disarmament. They wished to learn what they could about the arma- ments of their possible adversaries while revealing as little as possible of their own. And quite evidently they wished, if possible, to eliminate the atomic weapon that they do not yet possess, while keeping tight hold on all the other sorts of weap- ons-huge ordinary armies, German-de- vised rockets, etc.- whiich they either possess now or expect to possess in the near future. To sum up: Far sooner than its self-satisfied archi- tects imagined, the United Nations has reached Great Cross-roads. One way leads to peace. It passes through disarmament and the transformation of the present or- ganization into limited world government with an effective and an equable system of world representation. The other way leads through a jungle of verbiage into a swamp of permanent futility from which the only exit is ulti- mate war. The choice is clear and urgent. For atom- ics will not wait. (Copyright 1946, Press Alliance, Tne) a . /Z-V , "Right now we're nursing him through a bad siege of social- consciousness." BILL MAULDIN Ambiguities ... To the Editor: MR. WARREN C. WHITE has protested publicly to the al- leged "unethical and highhanded" conduct of Mr. Andrew Baker in confiscating his football tickets. Certain ambiguitiesin Mr. White's letter have raised some questions in my mind which I feel I have a right to have answered in view of the public manner in which the issue has been raised. In short, I should like to know if Mrs. White did not use the tickets, whether anyone else did. It should be pointed out that one guilty of misuse of his tickets might well be "naively helpful," to use Mr. White's apt phrase, if he were honestly mistaken and did not know that such u s e was wrongful. In other words, I won- der whether Mr. White has not misconstrued the "contract of purchase" to which he was a par- ty when he purchased the. tickets on the representation that they were for his wife. Undoubtedly such representation was true. It is also true that one's wife is not required to attend the games. But it must be remembered that the football tickets are issued in place of the first seven coupons of the coupon book, which book constituted the contract. Letters to the Editor ... Cop.1946 by Unted FeaturesyndicateIn.e Tm. Reg. U. S. Pat. Off-All rights reserved DwAILY OFFICIAL' BULLETIN i . . - MAN TO MAN: Democratic Diddling By HAROLD L. ICKES IF ONLY for the way that it diddled the American housewife out of the sugar that was rightfullyhers, the Democratic Ad- ministration deserved the defeat that it received in the elections just past. Such great protagonists of the common people as Paul Porter and Chester Bowles, the head of OPA and his predecessor, have offered from time to time many reasons why there isn't enough sugar for mother to do her home canning, to turn out a batch of cookieshfor the children, or to bake a pie or cake now and then. They have cited the destruction of sugar producing facilities, the shortage of labor, the needs of ravished Europe, the shipping strike, freight car shortages, and so on ad nauseam. Now they will have the coal strike to fall back upon. True, all of these things have helped to create a sugar shortage. But it is also true that the shortage is not as great as these master minds would have one believe. The facts, according to OPA's own fig- ures, are: (1) This country this year is getting about 80 per cent of the sugar that it formerly got. (2) If the American housewife actually received 80 per cent of the sugar that she got in pre-war days, she would have more than 40 pounds of sugar a year for each niember of her family. (3) Actually, the American housewife- the poor consumer about whom Federal officials have wept so many bitter tears- is now getting less than 15 pounds of sugar a year for each member of her household. In short she is getting just 25 per cent of what she got before Messrs. Porter, Bowles, et al, began to sympathize with her. What has happened to the sugar that4 mother doesn't get any more makes a fas- cinating story which throws considerable light upon the ethics, the political morals, the economic thinking and the administra- tive skullduggery so prevalent in the ad- ministration of that great Missourian, Harry Truman. All of the sugar that the American house- wife should get but isn't getting, is being channeled by governmental decree into the hands of industrial and commercial users. Under the rationing rules and regulations, any established user of sugar gets at least half of the sugar that he got before the war, and there are all sorts of ways -by which he can get his allotment increased. Mr. Porter and the OPA see to it that these that just want sugar - must of course apply through the OPA, presumably an impartial governmental machine making its decisions upon the basis of need. How impartial it is may be gathered from the fact that one of the greatest industrial users of sugar in the country hired that noted economist, James A. Farley, former chairman of the Democratic party, to plead its case. Of course, Mr. Farley is not the only politico engaged in trying to wheedle sugar out of the OPA for a soft drink manufacturer. There are doz- ens of them. Nor is the manufacturer too much to blame for thinking that a politician is the best man to present his case. What else is he to conclude when the organization to which he must apply is headed by a political pen-pusher who used to write blurbs for the Democratic National Committee and whose immediate predecessor was running with all of his might for the job of governor of Connecticut? And who knows but that, in such circum- stances, an industrial user of sugar might be persuaded to fork over a bit of sugar for the Democratic National Committee? Stran- ger things have happened. Certainly the American housewife is not going to contribute any sugar of that sort. The chances are she hasn't got any. What the smart politicos who ran the OPA forgot was that, while she might not have any sugar, she had a vote. It would seem that she used it. (Copyright 1946, by the N.Y. Post Syndicate) I'D RATHER BE RIGHT: Fundamentals By SAMUEL GRAFTON THE more alarmed commentators are de- claiming as one man that we have to solve the labor problem in some fundament- al way. They are right, of course. But most of them seem to have litfle notion of how one goes about finding a "fundamental" sol- ution. Agood many play the game of warn- ing labor that its next naughtiness will be its last; that if there is one more unjustified strike, an enraged Congress will come slowly and menacingly out of its corner, weaying and slavering, and that it will bite labor in the neck, where the big vein lies. Since we are talking about fundamentals, let us be fundamental; and, actually, no law, however toothy, would be a fundament- al solution. Such action would merely raise the struggle to a higher level of bitterness, (Continued from Page 3) p.m. Fri., Dec. 6, Rm. 3201, Angell Hall. Dr. Tornheim will speak on the "Valuation Theory." Applied Mathematics meeting at 3:00 p.m., Dec. 4, Rm. 317 W. En- gineering. Prof. Coburn continues with his paper on "Supersonic Flow." Te at 2:30, Rm. 315, W. Engineering. Visitors are welcome. Biological Chemestry Seminar meet at 3:00 p.m., Fri., Dec. 6, Rm. 219, W. Medical Bldg. The subject to be discussed will be "Estrogen Hormones and Lipid Metabolism in-the Fowi." All interested are in- vited. Seminar on Special Functions meet at 10 o'clock today in Room 340, W. Engineering. Mr. Hansen will talk on Laguerre and Hermite Polynomials. Concerts Salvatorre Baccaloni, distin- guished basso buffo of the Metro- politan Opera Association, will be heard in the second extra con- cert Thursday night, December 5, at 8:30, in Hill Auditorium. Mr. Baccaloni has built a spe- cial program of opera and other numbers in the performance of which in the major opera houses of the world he- has attained the reputation of the outstanding basso buffo of the day. The public is requested to come sufficiently early as to be seat- ed on time, since doors will be closed during numbers. The University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Wayne Dunlap, conductor, will be heard at 8:30 this evening, Hill Audito- rium, assisted by Andrew B. White, baritone, and Nelson Hauenstein, flutist. The first half of the pro- gram will be devoted to the works of Brahms; the latter part will consist of compositions by Ross Lee Finney, Kent Kennan, and Cecil Effinger. The concert will be open to the general public without charge. Faculty Recital: William H. Stubbins, clarinetist and Mary McCall Stubbins, pianist, will pre- sent a program of three sonatas by Brahms, Saint-Saens, and Hindemith at 8:30 Friday evening, Dec. 6, Rackham Assembly Hall. The publi2 is invited. Exhibitions The Mueum of Art presents Prints by George Rouault, an Afri- can Negro Sculpture, in the gal- leries of A'umni Memorial Hall, Dec. 4-20: weekdays, except Mon- days, 10:03-12:00, and 2:00-5:00; Sundays 2 00-5:00. The public is invited. ThenCollege of Architecture and Design presents an exhibition of Advertising Art sponsored by the Art Directois Club of Detroit. The exhibition will be current from Nov. 26 to Dec. 8 in the Galleries of the Rackham School of Giaduate Studies. India Art Exhibition presented by Hindustan Association at Rack- ham Building on Friday and Saturday,Dec. 6 and 7, 4:00-10:00 p.m. All are invited. Events Today University Radio Programs Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., Station WKAR, 870 Kc. "What Prospec- tive Teachers Hope their Pupils Will Learn about Mental Hygiene," Harlan D. Koch, Professor of Edu- cation. 2:45 p.m., Station WKAR, 870 Kc. Woodwind Quintet. directed by Russell S. Howland; Nelson Hauensteia, flute; " Bernard Po- land, oboe; Earl Bates, clarinet; Charles Jaricich, horn; William Weichlein, basson. 3:30 p.mn, Station WPAG, 1050 Kc. Campus News. Meeting of the School Science Division at 7:45 tonight, Rackham Amphitheatre. Coffee will be served. Graduate History Club meeting at 8 o'clock tonight, main room of Clements Library. Prof. A.E.R. Boak will speak on "Recent Devel- opments in the Historiography of the Near East." Refreshments will be served, and all graduate his-, tory students are invited. Entrance will be by 'ihe rear door of the li- brary. Botanical Journal Club meet at 7:30 tonight, Rm. 1139, Natural Science iPdg. The following pa- pers will b reviewed: "Aerobiology in relation to plant disease," by Stakman and Christensen, re- viewed by ElaineDeBrine; "On fungal damage to sun-exposed cotton duck " by Zuck and Diehl, reviewed by Alma Dietz; "Types of defense reactions in plants," by Gaumann. reviewed by Martha Kotila. Refreshments will be served. Chairman, F. K. Sparrow. Romance Language Journal Club meeting at 4:15 today, East Conference Room, Rackham Bldg. Program: Prof. Nelson Eddy, "Menehdez y Pelayo, Pardo Bazan and Pereda--criticism " Prof. Newton Bement, "After the Sound and the Fury." Graduate students of the de- partment are cordially invited. AIME: The newly formed Stu- dent Chap or of the American In- stitute of Mining and Metallurgi- cal Engineers business meeting at 4:30 today. Seminar Room, E. En- gineering Bldg. Field Trip to the Ford Plant on Thursday, Jec. 5, in conjunction with the -A. I. Ch. E. Buses will leave from in front of the East Eng. Building at 12 noon. The fee is payable to Ed Lau. Michigan Wolverines meeting at 6:45 tcday, Union. Members note time change. AVC Weekly Record Hop, 2:30- 5:30 today, League Ballroom. Everyone is welcome. Patrons Committee of Soph Cabaret meeting at 7 o'clock tonight, League. See bulletin board in League main lobby for room number. Hindustan Association Members -'Ensian picture will be taken at 8:15 tonight, Room 316, Union. Delegates will be nominated for the forthcoming H.S.A.A. conven- tion. B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation: Choir rehearsal at 8 o'clock to- night. Anyone interested is in- vited. Coming Events Economics Club at 8:00 p.m. Mon., De 9, Rackham Amphi- theatre. "China's Postwar Prob- lems," by Dr. D. K. Lieu. Business Administration and Economics staff and graduate students in- vited. Association of U. of M. Scien- tists Discussion Group on Atomic Energy Cntrol meet at 7:15 p.m., Dec. 5, East Council Room, Rack- ham Bldg All interested are wel- come. Association of U. of M. Scien- .tists meet at 5:00 p.m., Sat., Dec. 7, Rackham Amphitheatre. Dr. Raymond L. Zwemer of the United States Department of State will speak on the subject, "Coopera- tion in Science for Peace." The public is invited. Foresters' Club meeting at 7:30 -p.m.,Thuis., Dec. 5, Room 2054, Natural Ecience Bldg. Refresh- ments. Soph Cabaret final dress re- hearsals, Thurs., Dec. 5, and Fri., Dec. 6, Lydia MVendelssohn Thea- tre. Members of cast and stage committees report at 6:45 p.m. and be in costume and ready by 7:15 p.m. Members will be ex- cused from Choral Union prac- tice by turning in their names at the office in Burton Tower. Late permission until 11:30 will be granted for the Thursday night rehearsal. J- Hop Publicity Committee meeting at 4:00'p.m. Thurs., Dec. 5, Union. The room will be post- ed on the Bulletin Board. Camp Counselors' Club meeting at 7:30 p.m., Thurs., Dec. 5, W.A. Bldg. Diszussion of "Types of Camps and Counsellor Opportuni- ties." All women students are in- vited. Annual Spanish Play tryouts at 4:00 p.m., Thurs. and Fri., Dec. 4 and 5, Room 408, Romance Lan- guage Bldg All Spanish students are invited. Westminster'yGuildyannual Christmas Party, Candy Cane Caper, on Saturday evening, Dec. 14. Underwriters' weekly Thursday luncheon at 12 o'clock, Russian Tea Room, League. It is clearly printed on the face of such books "Wives Ath- letic Coupon Book" and that it is "non-transferable." On the reverse side it states: "Void and Subject of Forfeiture if Present- ed by Other Than Original Owner." These statements are further elucidated on the inside of the front cover. They are in no way ambiguous. In view of the serious nature of Mr. White's charges and the sug- gestion that Mr. Baker's accounts require auditing, I think he ought to clarify his statements and tell us why his tickets were taken from him by Mr. Baker. -Richard McCormack '* * * Apology Offered ... To the Editor: j WOULD like to rescind my re- cent blast at the powers-that-be and the M-Club over the question of charging at the pep rally be- fore the Illinois game and the selling of programs at the foot- ball games. I have been forcefully reminded, to my chagrin, that the money from the admissions to the pep rally sent the band to the Ohio State game and the boys in the M-Club make but two cents per copy on the programs and have to help sweep up the stadium after the games. After watching the band sweat out those formations night after night at Ferry Field, I know they deserved that trip. Apologies to the band and to the M-Club. -Dean McClusky For Understanding .. . EDITOR'S NOTE: This letter was submitted in the form printed. Per- haps it is significant that the writer is a member of the Perspectives staff. To the Editor: i wish to answer a recent pro- test by a mr shaffer in regard to the distinguished presence of w h chamberlin at our university. mr shaffer should not by the way, strain the use of quotations in reference to a writer like mr chamberlin. i am sure mr cham- berlain meant them to have more innocent connotations than those given. surely mr shaffer would not dis- approve of the history depart- ments using a certainpointofview in their approach to further un- derstanding of the britishlabor- party. it 'is only fair for the his- tory department to get anyone- theyplease and it is difficult for any one man to represent his ex- perience from more than a single pointofview. perhaps mr shaffer doesnt approve of the validity of mr chamberins angle .. . im sure though that mr chamberlin knows best about that. i think is good that we get mr chamberlins attitude and experi- ences; they do much to fortify our own. mr shaffer harps on hitler too much. forget him. would mr shaffer desire that comrad stalin give a lecture for the history department? let us be reasonable, mr shaffer, above all! a university is a university and a man is a man, mr chamberlin is his own business and that of the history department and that of the englishlaborparty. or -cid orman EDITOR'S NOTE: No letter to the editor will be printed unless signed and written in good taste. Letters over 300 words in length will be shortened or omitted; in special in- stances, they will be printed, at the discretion of the editorial director. I C a 1 tx. t FtYt 'Batta Fifty-Seventh Year Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Publications. Editorial Staff Robert Goldman,....,Managing Editor Milton Freudenheim .Editorial Director Clayton Dickey..........,. City Editor Mary Brush............Associate Editor Ann Kutz ............Associate Editor Paul Ilarsha ..,........Assoiate 'Editor Clark Baker. .........Sports Editor Des Howarth -Associate Sports Editor Jack Martin ...Associate Sports 'ditor Joan Wilk..... ,...... ,Women's Editor Lynne Ford .Associate Women's Editor Business Staff Robert E. Potter ....Business Manager Evelyn Mills ....,..Asociate Business Manages Janet Cork Associate Business Maugci Telephone 23-24.1 BARNABY AL.' i A. ii -6 1 .L a. i