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V.gabond Editorials
By Jack Dionne
The Texas legislature passed a resolution calling Governor Huey Long of Louisiana a liar, and the newspapers of the country made a big fuss about it. They needn't have. That was probably the gentlest name Huey has been called since he took personal charge of Louisiana. ***
And now President lloover has called a nation-wide conference in Washington in December to discuss home building and home ownership. He states that it wilt be the first of its kind in the history of this country. One thousand delegates frclm all the states will attend. If it has no other particular results the fact of the conference and the news reports of the meetings will put home owningr and horne building in the American mind very pointedly at that time.
't*rB
I note thatthe Chamber of Commerce of the United States is going to be represented. That will simplify matters. In line with some of the recent activities of the Chamber they will probably tell us just what sort of homes to build and what to build them out of. ff they would jusi add a little to tfiat and tell us where to get the money to do the building with, we might have something to thank themfor'
San Francisco is entitled to a big hand on her building activities. The good old conservative town on the Bay doesn't let a little thing like a financial depression get on her nerves and stop her from continuing her housing activities. So San Francisco has done more building this year than she did last, and continues to do so, calmly, conservatively, dispassionately. Only one other big city in the country-probably in the civilized world-can boast such a record. Boston is the other city. And she is some conservative, hersrelf. * :* *
Every day on every hand we witness the huge difference in men between the rapid expansionist and the cons€rvitive reserve builder. One uses his every ingenuity to spread out, make more, do more, sell more. The other sits tight, travels slowly, invests for immediate profit only, and builds up a reserve. When things are good, the former looks wise, and the latter looks like a foolish miser. But look at them today ! The expansionist up to his ears in trouble. The reservist sitting on top of the world because he possesses the only thing that seems to have any value today-CASH.
And the resolutions you hear from evcryone, on every hand ! Every man you meet utters the declaration-and it comes from the depths of his heart-that if he llves through this he will put his business and personal afrairs in such shape that he will never get into this fix again. So this thing will, in the long run, do a heap of good. Naturally many of us will forget our good resolutions of today. But a lot of us won't. And that very determination wilt be our saving grace.
Irl* rt** lr|*
For every one of us contributed his full share to create the condition in which we find ourselvcs. We bought things we didnt need, did things we couldn't afrord, used money we should have saved, and went on a general spree, figuring that our earning capacity of those other days would go on forever. Yes, we'll live, all right. Butwill we look the same?
The lady had been waiting anxiously for news of a closc relative whose life was in danger, and her old colored cook was all sympathy. Finally the wire came, and the cook brought it in. "Ileah 'tis, Missy", she said, "heah's de wiah you bin lookin' fo' an' Ah shuah hopes it brings encherishin' news". And THAT is the sort of news the lumber industry has been watching and waiting and pray- ing for. Some think it is like unto the Kingdom ot l{saysn-"3t hand". Wouldn't that be grand?
A wise man said the other day that when the tide swingr back it will not be lihened to the tide swinging back in ttte sea, coming in uniformly along the entire coast; but that rather itwiil come to certain industries first, the wholc thing depending on specific conditions, etc. The industry that feels it will swing upward, and in turn will pull other industries along with it. Those in the best position will swing back first. ***
For instance, it looks as though right now the oil industry, after tremendous depression, seems to be enjoying a lease of life, and a return toward better things. Artificial respiration has been applied to that industry, but the effects seem to be very beneficial. Perhaps the oil industry will catch the first breath of the prosperity breeze, and tug a lot of other industries along with it. +,t*
If repression of normal activities really develope dammed-up needs-and who can seriously doubt that this
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