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Show BRISBANE' THIS WEEK F. D. R. Walked Around It For Free American Wine Little Ladies, Far Apart Mr. Benkert, supposed to understand under-stand money, called before the House Banking and Currency Committee, Com-mittee, said things to relieve your mind if you worry about your dollars. Gold has been a curse to us, says Mr. Benkert. The nation has been a victim for one hundred years of shifting prices for metal. Congress "has failed miserably in its constitutional consti-tutional obligation to regulate the vaiue of money." That regulation Is attended to now, says Mr. Benkert, and it's all nonsense to talk about "stabilization "stabiliza-tion of the dollar in relation to the English pound." An ancient fortress on a rock could not be taken by the greatest generals, many cried, all failed. Then one general looked at the rock, paid no attention to it, walked around it, came back on the other side and the fortress surrendered. The "gold basis" bugaboo appears to have been the modern impregnable impreg-nable fortress, and Roosevelt the general that ' marched around it. and came up, triumphant, on the other side. Wine growers in California, Ohio, New York and elsewhere will be interested to know that Vincent Astor of New York, who has a good deal to say about American passenger lines, wants American ships to provide American wines free to passengers, as French and Italian lines provide, free of charge, French and Italian wines to their passengers. Steamship managers say it couldn't be done because French lines can buy good French wines for fifteen cents a quart and less. American high prices, taxes, etc., make it impossible. Our enterprising government miiht enable American ships to distribute American wines, twelve miles out, without paying anything except to the grower of the grapes and maker of the wine. Consider the account of alimony needs, presented to the judge by a little lady who needs a divorce, in Los Angeles, because her husband is oh, so cruel, or something. Sum total needed, while the divorce is pending, sixteen hundred and fifty-one fifty-one dollars a month, $100 for entertainment, enter-tainment, food $200, dresses $500, then rent, automobile "miscellaneous" "miscellane-ous" $100 a month , and finally "mad, forty dollars a month." The maid in the words of the British ruler in India must be amazed at her own moderation. She also is a little lady, seen through democratic eyes. She has two arms, two legs, one body to be dressed, likes "entertainment." And all this she must get for $40 a month, as against $1,561 for the other little lady. That would puzzle puz-zle the angels, or Stalin. In her next incarnation, the maid must get herself a cruel American husband. The United States is gathering Information In-formation about silver, who has it, who is hoarding it, why It was bought, why it is hoarded. You remember what happened when you hoarded gold, if you did. You had to give it to the government govern-ment at the old price, and then watched it go up fifteen dollars an ounce. Perhaps you will see something some-thing like that in silver. One hundred hun-dred million ounces of it are said to be held in this country for speculative specu-lative purposes. Do you wonder that the old conservative con-servative banker says "pinch me, somebody. Am I Simpklns, the banker, or Alice in Wonderland?" Of one thing you may be sure: this is a good time for the man who can think quickly and clearly, act promptly. He will have plenty of dollars, of some kind, when the dust settles. Not even a "new era" can keep intelligence from rising to the top, whatever top it selects. The old Irish woman says to her grandchildren, in Sean O'Faolain's "A Nest of Simple Folk," which you would like, "there's a score of ways for making money, bu- no way like saving it." The patriotic thing just now is to spend, but save a little also. The foolish virgin, with no oil was wise, compared with the American, Amer-ican, with no money, watching op portunity pass by. Before- long, there will be a stream of opportunities. oppor-tunities. Germany has decided that Jews must not be disturbed, or ill-treated when they are "engaged in trade." Somebody in Germany must have discovered what happened to Spain and Portugal when the Jews were driven out and Spanish and Portu guese trade died, while Holland, ' i welcoming Jews, began a century ; of unprecedented commercial pros-' pros-' perity. j Hungary, which hates Com- ' munism as muc as the oldest. 1 most conservative banker In Amer- j lea bates it, has recognized the : Russian government. Cc). 1931, by King Features Syndicate, Inc.) |
