Vrgabond Editorials

By Jack Dionne

"We live and learn," says a modern sage; and then adds, "And it's nice to do both.',

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Some men spend years of their lives in college. Others just read College Humor, and get much the same result.

A lot of men who .,"uJ ,.* errlhuse about the effects of Iow pressure Jumbo's, floating power, silent seconds, adjustable shock-absorbers, and synthetic gin, are today getting quite a kick out of re-soled shoes and good old Java. Which isn't such a bad idea, either.

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Arise and give thanks ! One of the great basic industries of the country is definitely out of the swamp of dp- pression, and constantly improving. Oil ! And, since it is generally believed that the return to business health will be by sorne great industry emerging and gradually hauling the others along with it, this glow o,f health on the cheeks o{ the great oil industry brings hope and cheer.

And, while we're on an" ,"0:*,, let,s put the credit for this improvement where it belongs. It belongs to the Governors of the huge oil producing states of Texas and Oklahoma, who, whether it was legal or not, sent troops into the oil fields of their respective commonwealths when oil was down to ,five cents a barrel and being produced at a rate that the world could not possibly buy, and stopped the production of oil by force of arms. They saved the oil industry !

A great merchant is quoted as saying the other day that: "Past experience shows that new products which catch the popular fancy will sell regardless of business conditions." Sa fact ! They're doing it right now ! Lots of them ! Cellophane is just one of many. It is selling faster than if the country were booming. ***

Several years ago the Save-the-surface organization in their national paint advertising used this potent phrase: "Words, words, words; give us something more than words." Let's borrow that phrase and apply it to a SAvethe-Country Campaign, and send it to our rqrresentatives at Washington. It DOES look as though, in this time of peril, the average Congressman seeks only to discover what will help re-elect him. Saving the nation doesn't seem to register with a lot of them.

,The great corporations that are conducting national sales efforts at the present time are putting less emphasis on the need for "high pressure,,, and more on the necessity for hard work. General Electric is putting on a national refrigeration drive, and their campaign dernands that every salesman contacting the public must rnake TWENTY_ FIVE PERSONAL INTERVIEWS DAILY. Folks, 25 personal interviews a day by fifty thousand contact men representing the 25,000 retail lumber yards in this country would sell a world of building materialeven in these times. Ask General Electric! They know! *** rl !t rt

, The other day one of our so-called great American industrialists, Charles M. Schwab, celebrated his seventieth birthday, and some of his friends presanted him with a luxurious limousine. The crux of this story is that Schwab is quoted as saying to an assembled group of well-wishers: "I needed a new car, but in these times of depression I DIDN'T THINK I OUGHT To BUY oNE.,. And so this alleged wise man unthinkingly exposed the very state of mind that is making and continuing this depression. Here is a multi-millionaire who couldn't even spend a part of the interest on his wealth, thinking he should not Luy because there is a depression on. He'll never be a big man to me again. He stamped himself a mental midget when he made that remark.

"Vl/hat this country needs right now is ,Captains Courageous' to help us through this trouble," said an editorial writer the other day. When I reid that rernark of Charles Schwab it occurred to f,ne that it is something more than courage that our captains need; a wee bit of understanding might help some, too. With our captains of industry thinking in that fashio,n, is it any wonder the derpressiolr Iasts?

A banking friend tells me that there is actually a billion more dollars in cash and currency in existence in this coun- try today than there was three years ago. The slow circulation of money forced the Government to issue an additional billion. So, you see, it is NOT a money shortage we are bothered with. We've got more money today than ever in our history. ***

"Who's got all this money that everyone uscd to have (Continued on page 8)