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Show rage SATURDAY, TIIE JOURNAL 2 SCANNING THE WEEK'S SEPTEMBER 8, i931 THE READER'S DATE BOOK' NEWS -- of Main Street and the World National Home Week Outlines Progress in Home Construction Reds Preach Hate Theme at German Youth Festival; Average Income Up THE HATE THEME rhe world press gave more space to the ear German youth festival, during which Red leaders preached a theme o: hate of western democracy to 2,000,000 German youths, than any other single event in recent history. The demonstration reached its clima with half a million Soviet-zon- e boys and girls swearing loyalty to Stalin From the Communist viewpoint, the festival was one of the most success ful propaganda stunts in Red history. But from the viewpoint of the average boy and girl in the homt towns of America, viewing the event from afar, the mass hysteria hac such a flavor of Nazism it was nauseating. To the American youngster of high school and college age a football game is of more interest thar staged political parades and the wild speeches of fanatics. American youngsters, however, could not miss the hate theme preached by Red leaders. It was evident in every speech and at ever;i moment during the rally. For the first time many American boys anc girls realized there can be only one ending to this' build-u- p the eventua clash of the free world and Communism. There was one bright spot in the whole affair. A few of the thousands of Communist youths slipped into the western zone of Berlin for a first hand look at the horrible conditions preached by their leaders. Whal they found was surprising and revealing. These few learned the truth and may carry it behind the iron curtain to their families and friends. st National Home Week will be observed September inclusive. The event, in which the home building industry puts its products and achievements on parade, is sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders. Civic celebrations, exhibits of building methods and construction projects, exhibit homes, parades, lectures, special newspaper displays, radio presentations and other activities are scheduled for many home towns across the nation. ministration statistics show National Home Week has someof the clearly that coast-to-coa- 9-- four-fift- ROCKS ON ROXANNE . . . New York model Roxanne wears $3 million worth of jewels from collection of Harry Winston: tiara, $1 million, Hope diamond, $12 million; star of the east, $450,000; marquis diamond, $250,000. YOUR INCOME According to the department of commerce the income for each man, woman and child in the United States average last year was $1,436, a gain of $116, or 9 per cent over 1949. The average home-townehowever, had no reason to feel happy about the report. The cost of living increased 6.5 per cent during the same period and the rise in the tax burden cut down the net gain. The total income to individuals over the nation was a record $217, 000,000,000, a gain of 11 per cent over 1949. The department said average incomes ranged from $698 in Mississippi to $1,909 in Delaware and $1,986 in the District of Columbia. r, DISAGREEMENT The senate armed services and foreign relations committees last week issued a statement saying that the group woulc make no report on the eight-wee- k MacArthur hearing. The committee said that formal evidence of disagreement in the senate on far east policy might have bad effect on the Korean-truc- e negotiations and signing of the peace treaty with Japan next month. That statement had hardly been made public knowledge when eight senators, members of those committees, issued their own conclusions drawn from the long hearings, calling the Truman administrations far east policy a catastrophic failure. They declared that it represents the most desolate failure in the history of our foreign policy. These eight senators have made it clear that there Is disagreement in the senate. It would seem, therefore, the conclusions of the full committee can no longer be withheld for reasons given and should be made public immediately. There is little likelihood that it will be, however. Contrary to what these eight senators may say, there is a feeling in Washington these men put their political ambitions above the welfare of their country as expressed by the full committees vote to withhold its report for the present. OBNOXIOUS PARAGON J. Trumans . . . C. Harrington (above), nominee for judge, is opposed by Sen. Douglas (111.) on old formula he Is personally obnoxious. But, says Douglas, he is good family man, religious, and competent judge. thing for everybody on Main Street and in the local For community. the public there is first hand, interesting i n f o r mation about new homes. How well designed, well constructed, attractive h o u ses are produced and supplied to homeseeking families. For the community as a whole this is an opportunity for a worthwhile celebration invoking pride in civic growth. The week offers the industry opportunity to show what it has accomplished and a chance to show its product under ideal show case conditions. All segments share in the demonstration dealers, realtors, banks, savings and loan associations, utilities, suppliers, lumber dealers, retail and wholesale institutions and many others. In other words, many of the business men that make up Main Street. For the local newspaper it is the time to tell the story of housing, to give their readers information on a subject high on their list of interests. Many local newspapers across the nation will take the opportunity to produce outstanding special Home Week editions or sections. Since the end of World War II, the nations private home builders have built approximately 5,000,000 new homes and apartments. The five million families that moved into these new dwellings if they are the American average of 3.6 persons each are enough to amount to 18,000,000 people. Actually, the blueprint hammer-and-safraternity in the period since the war produced enough houses to make a huge metropolis twice the size of New York, five times the size of Chicago, and nine times the size of Philadelphia, Detroit or Los Angeles. Not only were the houses and apartments provided, but a whole network of utilities, sewer lines, gas mains, water lines, telephone spic-and-sp- RUSSIAN PROTEST; There is new evidence that trade reprisals against the iron curtain countries for their actions are beginning to hurt. The latest evidence comes from no less an authority than the Kremlin itself. In a note delivered to the state department, the Soviet bluntly accused the U. S. of aggravating serious tension between the two countries by canceling the 1937 American-Sovie- t trade pact. Congress ordered the canceling of trade concessions to iron curtain countries early in the year. While the cancellation will not bar Soviet goods from this country, it will increase tariffs on them and make it harder for them to compete in the U. S. market. The Russians would like to continue their campaign of distortion and abuse against the United States, but at the same time enjoy trade an w anti-Americ- concessions offered friendly nations. The Soviet Union is finding, ever, it cant have its cake and eat it too. 1C how- Jd ARMY NEEDS The nations needs m manpower for this fiscal year June 30 to June 30 was made known last week. It gives the young men in the nation an idea of what the future holds in store for them. Selective, service announced it expected to draft 300,000 men during the year an average of 25,000 a month. There have also been reports the army may need 430,000 alone to fill gaps caused by discharges. Some 550,000 men were called up by draft boards between last September and June 30. The defense department already has asked for 35,000 men in August, 34,000 in September and 41,000 in October. WEST POIN- T- The first of the 90 cadets involved in West Points cribbing scandal left the academy last week. Others will be sent home this week and in the near future. Five days after receiving their orders the men must report to their draft boards. They must either register for the draft or if already registered, advise their boards of a change of status. Meanwhile, President Truman has ordered a full investigation of the athletic systems at both West Point and Annapolis to determine if the service academies are overemphasizing football and other sports. TRUCE TALKS Conflicting reports continue concerning the possibilities of success in the Korean truce talks. One day there are that progress is being made, the next that the talks are near reports collapse. At the moment there seems to be little reason to expect a settlement. Red China is reported to have said: If the American side stubbornly adheres to its unreasonable demand for plunder and rejects the just and reasonable proposal of our side, an agreement will be impossible. In other words, the Communists are unwilling to compromise on an armistice line. The Allies have indicated they will compromise, but will not accept the 38th parallel. Meanwhile, the Reds have increased their, propaganda campaign with a peoples funeral for a soldier reportedly killed by Allied troops in the Kaesong neutral zone. It begins to look like the build-u- p for a break in the truce talks. JOHN D. MARRIES . . . John D. Rockefeller, Jr., one of the worlds wealthiest men, was married to Mrs. Martha Baird Allen at the brides Providence, R. I., home. Her late husband was classmate of Rockefellers at Brown University. W& M0DEL HOME WELCOME :Qk. and power lines, streets, highways and sidewalks were provided. The period shattered all previous concepts of building. The importance of all this building to the home town is also shown by a little contemplation of all the jobs it represents for plain work-ercraftsmen and others on the construction jobs, and for the other millions who supplied and transported the materials for the enormous burst of building. Other industries have shared as well. Add the thousands of miles of new carpets, the trainloads of new furniture and the tons of furnaces, refrigerators, sinks, washing machines and other equipment in new Symington, new administrator of homes and youve got some of the the RFC, tells senate banking com- economic picture. mittee of reforms he has instituted The people who are buying in lending agency. He says 99.9 and building these homes and per cent of the organization consists of thus providing this employment honest, conscientious, are the home-towneof the capable country. Americans. Federal Housing Ad s, rs hs families buying homes today earn less than $5,000 a year. And with nearly a million new homes going up every year, the National Association of Home Builders points out, that means that 80 per cent of all the housing produced is taken by average American wage earners. Surprisingly enough, the largest group of home purchasers are in the lower-incom- e brackets. Nearly a quarter (23.2 per cent) of all home buying families are in the annual income $3,000 to $3,500 group. Twenty-on- e per cent of the families buying homes earn from $3,500 to $4,000; 12.7 per cent earn $4,000 to $4,500, and 10.3 per cent earn between $4,500 and $5,000. Slightly over 19 per cent of the 0 purchasers are in the $5,000 to class. Families with income of $10,-00- and over amount to only cent of all home purchases. per In other words, it is the average middle-incom- e American family who is getting the new homes being produced. And about 60 per cent of all American families own their own homes. Although construction costs have gone up, new homes cost less today In relation to earnings and income than ever before. According to department of commerce figures, the $5,000 house of 1940 now costs $9,950, which shows a 99 per cent increase in cost of residential con$10,000 1.1 struction. At the same time, the $9,950 house is much more easily afforded. In 1940, the manufacturing worker and the home town employee, earned $25.20 a week. It took him 238 weeks to buy the $5,000 house. In 1950, more than 11 million manufacturing workers earned an average of $56.20 a week. It takes them only 177 work weeks to buy the $9,850 house. In the building trades In 1940, the worker earned $31.70 a week on the average. Today he earns $70.27 a week. The house that cost him 157 work weeks in 1940 today costs only 131 work weeks. Average income for everybody (per capita income after taxes) has gone up more than 127 per cent since 1940, according to department of commerce figures. This compared with the 99 per cent increase in construction costs, shows more than a 28 per cent advantage for all buyers generally in buying todays house. The first National Home Week was staged in 1948, at the suggestion of the American Builder, a trade magazine. It has rapidly built up into a major observance, with several million persons visiting display houses and studying demonstrations of modern building practices. The builders were joined by manufacturers, banks and financing institutions, building suppliers and oihers in the industry. (Released by WNU Features.) |