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Show THE Thursday, December 9, 1937 TIMES-NEW- S. NEPIII. UTAH PAGE THREE The Old Town Crier Summons Us To Help Spread Christmas Cheer Natidrul Totic Interpreted by William Bruckart National Pra Building Waablngtoa, ' J Washington. Congress has been doing a deal of talking about help- ing business to get Much Talk, on it feet, but it not No Action h complished much. The houss ways and means committee, it is true, is making some headway and a number of senators, including the powerful Senator Harrison of Mississippi, ara asserting the necessity for a reversal of fed-- eral policy. But, again, there is much more talk than action, and in the meantime the country'! business is sliding lower and lower. The difficulty In the present situation and the thing that probably has been more responsible for the business slump than anything else is that business heretofore has been vimable to tell what the federal eov- . L3rnment is coins: to do. It has be- r come evident already that wiw a somewhat changed atmosphere In congress, there are many business men who are more hopeful than a month ago. Business men, big and little, are quick to note that there are senators and representatives who think the time has arrived for business to receive some consideration. And it ought to be added that unless business does get some consideration, this current depression is going to be as bad as the last one. The federal government must give attention to the agricultural problem and it must fit that job into some consideration of the other half of American life, namely, the commerce and industry outside of agricultural life. It will be recalled that during the first two years of President Roosevelt's administration there was a flock of laws passed that were of great value to the country. Many of them were of a temporary character and were enacted on that basis. That would have been fine if the administration had stopped there. But it did not The roamthinkers who ing herd of were scattered far and wide in federal jobs had to have their innings. At least they thought they had to have a turn at bat. All of their pet theories had to be tried out. The result: many laws that were purely experimental, dangerous, damaging and a burden to business. With many millions of others, I expected at that time to see these queer looking laws shaken down. corrected, or repealed where it was found necessary. That has not happened. Again, the result: the counthe smallest try's businessat from a cross roads or a general store garage or a gasoline station to the greatest corporation, like General Motors or Pennsylvania railroad. has had to suffer under the heavy heel of the national government. The reason that congress is show ing signs of a movement that will revise the tax structure is because out businesses these smaller through the country have now got their fill of government red tape, complex reports, visits of investi gators, new tax forms and levies, or what have you. Those people are making themselves heard here in Washington. So if congress takes some action looking to a fair deal for business, just as it is quite determined to do something for agriculture, I enter tain no doubt about the response it will get from the business inter ests. As far as business has made itself felt, it is apparently asking only to be treated equitably with labor. Every one knows that the last three or four sessions of con gress have been frightened to death every time a labor leader showed up on capital hilt The reward given congress was the C. I. O. sitdown strikes, violence and a general mess. The condition has left a good ly number of senators and representatives a bad taste in their .mouths. rS 1 There is plenty of dirty linen in the business closet It has a hard wash day ahead to restore it to the Messing in Business respect of the bulk of the' people. Business has been smug. It has thought too little, in many instances, of its obligations to the public at large But surely there is a point beyond which federal punishment ought not go since there is a responsibility also in the other direction. Unless business gets a reasonable chance to stand on its own feet, how is workers and it going to reduce the relief rolls? Every individual wants to earn some money. He wants a return for his labor. He dreams some day of a retirement, a lay off when be can watch the world go by. I can see no reason why the federal government should not encourage, rather than discourage, such a thing. It is the conviction of a very great many, an increasing dumber of people that the federal government is messing too much into business. But aside from that phase. There are a number of things happening that are difficult to understand. At a time when business is sliding off like a snowball going down hill, the President step out and orflers an D. C. Investigation by the federal trade commission Into "high prices." The Inquiry, of course, la directed at monopoly, I have no doubt at all that there will be a blast from some government official pretty soon In which "big business" again will be told it l crushing the "little fellow" and that the public U suffering from the high prices maintained by "trust" There may be even a President'! fireside chat because voice penetrates everywhere. At a time, too, when the prices of bonds and shares of corporation stock are sinking like they have double pneumonia, out bursts Chairman Douglas of the securities and small exchange commission with cargo of dynamite about crooked dealings underneath the stock exchanges of the country. Fortunate ly for the hundreds of thousands of small investors, the stock exchange quotations did not fall much further as a result of Mr. Douglas' learned remarks. The prices already had fallen below the knees. But the Douglas statement certainly gave no confidence to those who were be ginning to believe that congress would try to undo some of the wrongs previously done. Just about the same time and dur ing frequent appeals from the sen ators and representatives that the tax laws bad to be overhauled, the President sent a report to congress. It was a report by the New York Power authority, charging the power Interests with some weird misdoings. I happen to know some of the folks on the staff of the power authority and I feel that they know just about as much about the power problem as I do which is to say they are pretty dumb about the situation. Of course, those alleged economists have brilliant Ideas about reforming America, and I am dumb about that too. Further: While this power au thority report was being emblazoned upon the front pages of newspapers. President Roosevelt was holding long conferences with' Wendell Wilkie and Fred Carlisle, who personalize the "power trust" if there be a Dower trust Mr. Roosevelt was talking with those men in an effort to get the large power interests to go ahead with construction and expansion pro grams to provide work for unem ployed. Picturesque Character of Old Colonial Days, Who Once Went from Home to Home to Shout Out the News, Warn of Danger and Protect the Householder, Appears on This Year's Christmas Seal to Enlist Us in the Fight Against the Deadly "White Plague." C Western Newspaper Union. THE three-cornere- echoing in the stillness of the night made known he was there to protect them. "In his other hand he carried a strong staff, a d lighted lanthorn and a hourglass by which he told the time. He called out the hours throughout the night and at break of day he would cry, "A fair morning and all's well." Vocal Advertisers. In the Boston town records for 1638 is a notice of the custom of crying lost animals: "a stray sow that had been taken in the corne, and often Cryed" but without success in finding its owner. In New England the town crier was paid to make announcements and only those licensed by the selectmen could cry without paying fines. Twopence was paid the "cryer" for each announcement made in the meeting house and sixpence for those "up and down the street." "Child lost! Four years old. She wore a blue and white calico dress," and other announcements were made by these town criers in New England. They did not combine their duties with those of the night watchmen. In 1635 Boston appointed a night watch d two-barr- " 'Past one of the clock and a cold, frosty, windy morning.' " Some criers waxed poetic and shouted their messages in verse. One of these, as given in "Old Street Cries of London," by Oscar E. Norman, was: "List good people alll Past ten brass-boun- ed ' The political strategy of blaming on "big business" everything worked well for a Different time, just as the Picture cld demagoguery "Wall Street" used to inflame thousands when a politician orated and slapped his legs with widely swinging arms. But the picture is different now. The attack on business has become a mill stone on business and it has crushed little as well as big and since there are so many more smaller ones than there are trusts and monopolies, members of con gress are hearing about it from men whom they went to school with at home. But what is to be done? Let congress repeal about five hundred laws that force business to pay more for the privilege of doing business than it gets out of its whole volume; reduce or revise the direct taxes and bring the thousand and one items of tax out In the open so the people can see and know what they are paying; cut out forty or fifty of the silly experiments that were worked up by the coterie of individuals who are constantly feeding Mr. Roose d and cockeyed velt schemes for spending money and thereby reduce the federal expenses these and many more of honest purpose can be done. If they are done, business again can employ workers and as it employs workers, they come off the relief rolls, and as they get wages, they buy. This means profits and profits mean tax receipts by the treasuries of state and nation. To show how some of these taxes come about, I am told that Herman Oliphant, general counsel to the secretary of the treasury, promoted the ridiculous tax on undistributed profits of corporations to declare dividends of all of their earnings and he was for it It did just that But when the corporations had distributed everything to their shareholders and their volume of business fell off, they had no money left to tide them over until business picked up again. Hence, some of them are on the verge of bankruptcy. I do not know where Mr. Oliphant got the idea, or how be sold it to Mr. Roosevelt. I do not know of any business connection that Mr. Oliphant ever had with any important corporation. It is important however, to note that Mr. Oliphant has made no move whatsoever to defend this brain child that turned out to be such ao., unwanted baby, (And while writing about Mr. Oliphant it may be noted that until Secretary Morgenthau came onto the scene, there was never any need for a general counsel to the secre- In 1912 jolly old Santa Claus first appeared on the seal. His portrait was in the center and placed in the four corners of the seal were Red Crosses with the words "Merry Christmas" above and "Happy New Year" below. The 1913 seal was an oblong with a center panel showing All of which is by way of calling your attention to the fact that this year's Christmas seal depicts a jolly and colorful town crier, garbed in his caped cloak of blue, hat, woolly muffler and warm mittens, ringing a bell and carrying an lantern to light him on his way. And because it was a part of the town crier's duty to "warn of dangers aad protect the householders," that cross on the seal is to remind you of one of the greatest dangers which threatens this nation of ours. So this town crier, in addition to calling upon you to help spread Christmas cheer, is also summoning you to aid in the war on the deadly "white plague." The appearance of the town crier on this year's Christmas Seal adds another picturesque reminder of the olden days to the symbolism of Christmas. The 1 '4 o'clock the houre I call. Now say your prayers and take your rest With conscience clear and sins confessed. I bid you all good night! Good night!" The town crier is still an Britain." The account went on to say how Town Crier George Chapman broke all precedent by donning ordinary clothes instead of his regular crier's uniform to run through the streets calling "Volunteers are urgently needed at the river banks!" In this country the town of Provincetown on Cape Cod, Mass., still has its town crier, one Amos Kubik. He made his first appearance at the time of the tercentenary in 1933 when in a new uniform with spangles, wide belt, large buckles, and black hat he walked down the street ringing his big brass bell and booming out the news of the day. Children and grown-up-s trailed him down the street to hear this sort of an announcement: "Hear ye! Hear ye! The first whale seen in Provincetown for 20 years is on exhibition today behind Matheson's store. Come and see the monster of the j s half-bake- tary of the treasury.) C Western Newspaper Union. - a When Nantucket, Mass., a few years ago staged a pageant recalling its past glories as the center of the whaling industry on the Atlantic coast, one of the characters of the olden days for the occasion was the town crier, played by A. F. Musgrave, who is shown in the picture above. "frorn sunset, an hour after the beating of the drumbe." When any lights were observed after ten o'clock, the constables, or night watchmen, were "to inquire discreetly if there was any excuse warranting the noise." They must especially check dancing, drinking, or sineins. and nHmon- ish the revellers for disturbing the public peace. During this period there were also two bellmen who went about to call out the hours of the night and other interesting information. Poetic Criers. The bellman came to New England from England and we have mention of .him in the "Diary of or rattle watch. He bamuei Johnson" by BoswelL He was thus named because of the writes, "I staid up till the belllarge klopper or rattle he carried man came by with his bell, just end whirled loudly at each door. under my window, as I was writ The shrill cracking sound re- - ing this very line, and cried, . ," in- stitution in England, as witness a recent story in a New York news paper telling how the town crier ran through the streets of the ancient village of Haddenham ring ing his bell and summoning "all able bodied men to report on the river bank to aid in combating flood waters which threaten to overwhelm 100 square miles of the richest farm land in Great about earliest settlers in America brought from their homelands this custom of having a bell ringer, town crier or night watchman. When the Dutch settlers came to New Amsterdam about the middle of the Seventeenth century, they brought with them the custom of ringing the curfew from the church belfry at eight o'clock. This was the signal for all hausfraus to cover their fires with ashes. Then all the family retired. Cozy and warm in their huge feather beds they had every feeling of safety, for each night through the lanes of the town (now New York city) boldly marched the sturdy "klopper-mann- 'Cleopatra's Fan" Quilt Is the Choice herself once used fans as graceful as these that adorn this striking quilt. You need but three materials to bring out the contrast of this rich design one that will beautify any room. Know the Cleopatra palm-lea- f ilar but with the legend "American Red Cross 1908" displayed upon it. In 1909 and 1910 the wording on the seals was the same but the Red Cross, now placed in the center, was larger. The 1911 seal was characterized by the first appearance of a pic turea enowy landscape with a lighted house in the background and pine trees on each side of it. By ELMO SCOTT WATSON old town crier is In the land once During the next three weeks he will make his appearance in every state in the Union and from now until Christmas he will be seen in every city, town and hamlet of our country. Time was when the old town crier was one of the most familiar figures of the American scene as he went from house to house with ringing bell and lusty voice to shout out the news of the day, warn of dangers and thus protect the householders in his village. But this year he will come right into your home, bringing with him the news that Christmas is almost here and calling upon you to help spread holiday cheer throughout the land. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the sale of Christmas Seals in the United States, and the appearance of the old town crier is an interesting addition to its pictorial development. The first one, issued in 1907 by the Delaware chapter of the Ameri can Red Cross, was simple in de sign, a small Red Cross at the top with leaves of holly surround ing the words "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year." The next year the seal was sim deep! Bring the children for a lesson in zoology. Ten cents admission." This town crier came to New York in 1935 and newspaper accounts stated that "Amos is the only town crier extant and he takes his role seriously. He will cry up anything but wants it written out in advance. His present method is to begin all announcements with three loud 'Hark ye's,' each preceded by two clangs on his dinner bell . . . He has learned to refer to himself as a better medium than newspapers, because of something he calls 'instant effect.' Amos is a far cry from the dignified bellman of former days." Origin of Curfew Law. The curfew, or covering bell because it meant all fires should be covered, was of Norman origin and has been rung in various states in the Union. In 1880 Omaha, Neb., passed a curfew law for children under fifteen years of age, and over 3,000 other cities and towns had this law during the latter part of the Nineteenth century. In several places curfew still is rung. Chicago revived the law in 1926 for ten o'clock, but many ridiculous difficulties arose because that was the era of the very short skirts and ladies well over fifteen were Santa Claus driving his reindeer across a snowy landscape. "HapYear" was dropped py New from the wording, leaving only "American Red Cross" and "Merry Christmas," but on each side of the seal were depicted poinsettias, the first time these Christmas flowers had appeared. The 1914, 1915 and 1916 seals went back to the square design and all of them bore pictures of Santa Claus, with "Happy New Year" restored to the wording. The 1917 seal showed a Christmas tree bearing a white shield on which was displayed the Red Cross. The 1918 seal, as though celebrating the end of the war, displayed Liberty, with a shield and an upraised torch. During all this time the Red Cross and the National Tuberculosis association had in selling the seals. But in 1919 the Red Cross turned the work over to the tuberculosis association and on the seal in that year (with Santa Claus restored as the principal figure) there appeared for the first time the double-barre- d cross of the other organization. It also carried the words "Health and a Happy New Year." In 1920 the seal showed Santa Claus carrying on his shoulders a chubby little child who was upholding the double-barre- d with the words "Merry cross, Christ- and "Healthy New Year." The 1921 seal was similar in its theme Santa Claus with his protecting arms around a little boy and a little girl. Next year the mas" seal showed a mother holding her with the simple inscription, "For health" and "1922." In 1923 Santa Claus came back on the seal, Tiis kindly face peering out from the flames in a fireplace before which sat a little child C... v i Pattern 1579. grand thrill ple 0 pillow. of - piecing these sim- inch blocks for quilt or Pattern 1579 contains complete, simple instructions for cutting, sewing and finishing, together with yardage chart, diagram of quilt to help arrange the blocks for single and double bed size, and a diagram of block which serves as a guide for placing the patches and suggests contrasting materials. Send IS cents in stamps or coins (coins preferred) for this pattern to The Sewing Circle, Needlecraft Dept., 82 Eighth Ave., New York, N. Y. Please write your name, address and pattern number plainly. Increased Use of Soap Between 1919 and 1929 advertising increased the per capita soap consumption in the United States 50 per cent. The per capita consumption in the United States is 24 pounds a year, and in Europe it is 4 pounds. WOMEN WHO HOLD THEIR MEN NEVER LET THEM KNOW matter how NO much your aches and your nerve scream, your husband, because ha la only a man, can never understand why you are so hard to Uva with one week in every month. Too often the honeymoon exby the nagging press is wrecked wife. The tongue of a three-quart- er yriao woman never lets her husband know by outward sign that she is victim of periodic pain. For three generations one woman baa told another how to go "smiling through" with Lydia JS. Pink-ham- 's Vegetable Compound. It helps Nature tone up the system, thus lessening the discomforts from the functional disorders which women must endure in the three ordeals of life: 1. Turning from girlhood to womanhood. 3. Preparing for motherhood. 8. Apage." proaching "middle wife; Don't be a three-quart- er take LYDIA E. PINKHAM'3 VEGETABLE COMPOUND and G "Smiling Through." Read to Consider Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and dis- course, but to weigh and sider. Bacon. A Modern New England Town Crier The legend on it was child. con- sum 1923." Christmas, "Merry "Health Christmas, 1924," read the next year's seal, which showed a child upholding a torch and holding a shield bearing the double-barre- d cross. The 1925 seal displayed two burning candles against a background of and the holly and mistletoe words, Good "Merry Christmas and Health." The next year three musicians, garbed in an INSIST cient costumes, sang of "Merry Christmas." The 1927 seal was another oblong with Santa Claus WNU W riding in his sleigh, bringing "Christmas Greetings and Good 1928 seal showed a Health"; the double-barred cross ship with the displayed on its sails and labeled "Christmas greetings." The 1929 seal again showed a figure in ancient costume, this time ringing a bell for "Health Greetings." Santa Claus was mistaken for youngsters much back on the 1930 seal carrying a to the amusement of the latter Christmas tree on his shoulder and the chagrin of the policemen. and calling out "Merry Christand "Health to All." The But there were no policemen mas" next year's was an oblong showthose in early days no clocks an English coach and four; and no newspapers. The town ing 1932 shewed two little children crier was all three in some com- singing a Christmas carol; and munities. And he was a most 1933 displayed some lads of respected and necessary citizen. the olden time dragging in the It is pleasant, therefore, to re- Yule log. The 1934 seal honored call thi3 honored officer of our one of the pioneers in the fight forefathers. In buying and using against tuberculosis, Dr. Edwin our Christmas Seals on holiday Trudeau, by reproducing a picletters and packages we may ture of his famous "Little Red" know that this friendly town cri- cottage in the Adirondacks where er was chosen for its subject to he won his way back to health. our The 1935 seal showed a girl in symbolize protection of costume posting a homes from tuberculosis. The house in the background on the letter in a mail box and last seal stands for all homes, and year's seal brought Santa Claus the sturdy old town crier is ring- back on the scene, albeit a very ing in health for 1938. modernistic Saint Nick. ON GENUINE t, NUJOL vm, Butw 1m. 4937 Were you ever alone in a strange city? If you were you know the true value of this newspaper Alone in a strange city. It is pretty dull. Even the newspapers don't seem to print many of the things that interest you. Headline stories are all right, but there is something lacking. That something is local news. For all good newspapers are edited especially for their local readers. News of your friends and neighbors is needed along with that of far off places. That is why a newspaper in a strange city is so uninteresting. And that is why this newspaper is so important to you. NOW is a good time to get to , . . KNOW YOUR NEWSPAPER |