Show WELFARE More Marc for Less Signing into law a bill to reorganize ize lie the federal government President President President Pres Pres- ident Truman offered a major pro pro- He wants a new department of welfare created with Its chief officer given full cabinet rank THE IDEA is not a completely new one It was heard frequently during the early days of the Roose- Roose era much oftener during the latter years of F. F D. D Rs R's regime I While t this hIs h I s proposition commanded commanded com corn chief attention of the nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's press the President offered six BIX other streamlining plans aimed at giving the better service service service ser ser- vice for less money These included Transfer of the US U.S. employment and unemployment compensation offices to the labor department PLACING of the two key defense agencies national security council council coun coun- cil dil and national security and resources resources re re- re- re sources board directly board directly in the Presidents President's office Tightening up administration of the post office department maritime mari marl i time commission and civil service commission Transfer of f the public roads administration to the commerce de de- de- de The President said the plans which followed closely several major recommendations of the Hoover commission on government reorganization tion will wilI not automatically automatically automatically cally produce efficiency and cut spending BUT HE SAID they open the thedoor thedoor thedoor door to improvements th that t will make the government more vigorous vigorous vigorous vigor vigor- ous and operate more smoothly at a lower cost over a period of time tim e. e No one expected any reduction in federal spending and the Presidents President's Presidents President's Presidents President's dents dent's conclusions might be construed construed construed con con- as a preliminary defense setup setup setup set set- up for continued federal outlay at atthe atthe atthe the present or an increased level despite the Hoover commission recommendations and the Presidents President's Presidents President's Presidents President's dents dent's own seven point manifesto VETERANS Get Good News I Veterans of World WorM War H n were p all set for a surprise bonanza I IThe The Veterans Veterans' administration announced announced announced an an- in Washington that cash refunds totaling 28 billion dollars will begin for them about next January Jan Jan- uary that uary-that that is for all GIs GI's who took out national service life insurance during the war These were estimated estimated estimated esti esti- mated to number some 16 million Under tinder the new payments announced announced announced an an- by the VA each ser ex an or his heirs would receive an average of from life lle insurance insurance ance dividends Described as a dividend the money Is to be repaid repaid repaid re re- re- re paid from two sources 1 An eight billion dollar surplus which developed from the fact tact that GI GL insurance premiums were based by law on a standard mortality mortality mortality mortal mortal- ity death rate table which turned out to be higher than needed 2 Earnings from the surplus In general it was explained every veteran who took out national service insurance and kept it in force at least three months will be eligible provided eligible provided the policies were not issued after January 1 1948 No refunds are to be made on polIcies policies pol pol- pol- pol ides issued after that date MEANWHILE government officials officials officials of of- saw in the insurance dividend dividend divi divi- payments a timely shot Inthe in inthe inthe the arm for business in 1950 which i I GERMANY Partial Accord The week four-week conference of the council of foreign ministers of the four major powers had ended with partial accord having been reached The western powers and Russia cleared away obstacles to an Austrian Austrian Austrian Aus Aus- trian independence treaty and agreed to try to get along a little better in Germany THE RUSSIANS however were in there pitching right up to the final moments of the parley The conference ended in a flurry of excitement as Russia sought unsuccessfully unsuccessfully unsuccessfully un un- un- un successfully to make a last minute change in the announcement of the meetings meeting's results The Reds had promised not to a blockade on Berlin in return for efforts to revive east- east west trade in Germany This was contained in a six-point six statement of principle by the Big Four to guide negotiations in Germany The Russians were supported in their million dollar claim on Austria for German assets and swung an uppercut at Yugoslavia's Marshal Tito by dropping their support of Yugoslavian claims on Austria These were the points which cleared the way for an Austrian Austrian Aus Aus- trian trea treaty ty which has been ordered ordered ordered or or- dered for presentation by September Septem Septem- ber l 1 DESPITE the improvement in west east-west relations growing out of the conference American spokesmen spokesmen spokes spokes- men were not optimistic in evaluating evaluating evaluating ting results US U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson had no immediate comment Work on the Austrian treaty however was termed a substantial step forward and of no little importance importance importance im im- im- im because it would free Austria and push Soviet troops farther back into eastern Europe It was felt that ground had been neither gained nor lost in Germany should serve to stimulate sales They recalled that the terminal- terminal leave payoff of some two billion dollars in 1947 provided a sizeable such stimulus for the nations nation's busi busi- I ness The plan to start the checks rolling rolling roll roll- ing in January brought vigorous criticism on Capitol Hill HilI as Representative Representative Keating Kealing R. R N. N Y demanded demanded de de- that congress set October 15 as the deadline He introduced a bill to hurry the dividend payments payments pay pay- ments to that date He declared that the government had overcharged overcharged overcharged over charged veterans on their l life e insurance insurance in in- insurance in- in and that the money should be refunded imm immediately not a year from now UNIVERSAL MAN Johann von yon Goethe From every state In the union and from many foreign lands distinguIshed distinguished dis dis- visitors are pouring Into the thc historic little frontier town of Aspen Colo Cob to pay honor to a man born years ago The Goethe Bicentennial ConvocatIon Convocation Convocation cation and Music Festival June July 27 16 Is presenting an imposing imposing ing lug roster of thinkers writers statesmen philosophers educators educator and musicians who will seek to reexamine rc re- re- re examine and interpret re-interpret the works and philosophy of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe the Universal Man as asIt asit asit it pertains to the atomic age HEADING the impressive list of ot lecturers is Albert Schweitzer of French Equatorial Africa phil Africa phil philosopher doctor musician theologian theologian theologian theo theo- logian acknowledged throughout the civilized world as the foremost modern disciple of Goethe The music festival running in conjunction with the convocation will feature compositions based on Goethe's w works o 0 r k s monumental music of equal stature to Goethe and music contemporary to him and known to have been inspirational inspiration al to him LABOR Bad Timing Was the postwar buggy ride o Q consumer demand and increasingly higher wages really over The Ford motor company thought so and said so CONFRONTED with a list of demands demands demands de de- de- de mands by the united automobile workers union the company made madea a significant counter Instead of pay raises and pension health and welfare plans as drafted by the union the company proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed to peg wages where they are for another 18 months Such action said the company would set a stabilization pattern for the entire national economy at this critical time THE UNION among other things had demanded that wages be I pegged to the cost of living Pointing out that the cost of living Is down and that the market for cars might drop up to 32 per cent after this year years 1 the company company declared declared de de- de- de dared flatly that it would reject any change In the work contract which would mean higher labor costs whether costs whether in the form of wage increases or pension or welfare funds THUS the issue was hastening to toa toa a showdown Could industry stand firm against another round of wage increases or would labor with its organized power so stifle industry that capitulation would be inevitable inevitable inevitable table RED HUNT Harvard Cool Harvard the nations nation's oldest university university university uni uni- was having nothing to do with any Communist There was a reason off dais said They felt that to do so might be a danger to the university's freedom freedom free free- freedom dom and to its academic integrity AND Harvard held American freedom is the schools school's true glory as it once told a man who tried to buy it for 10 million dol dol- dol- dol lars The Harvard policy in connection with Communist hunt Communist hunting hunt hunt- ing activities was put this way There will be no harassment of ot professors for engaging in open and legal meetings There will be no apparatus of ot inquiry and closer watch The harm done by the effort necessary to discover even a single clandestine party Communist member would outweigh any possible pos possible possible pos pos- sible benefit PROMISES Made for Housing House Republicans indicated the were tired of ot the federal housing wrangle So they promised they'd introduce a housing bill to substitute substitute tute for the administrations administration's pro pro- gram It was said to include a plan for privately-owned privately homes and some som some rent low-rent property In fact the substitute substitute substitute sub sub- measure would embody most of the administrations administration's slum slum- clearance ideas |