PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1943
Congress Fails To Remove Causes Of Most War Plant Absenteeism
At times it is difficult to determine whether or not Congress is even attempting to use the means within its power to obtain maximum strength for the war effort. For the last few weeks the cry has been resounding through the Congressional chambers that absenteeism in war industries be reduced, that men be forced to stay on the job, and that workers with an excessive number of absences from the production line be drafted.
But Congressmen, like Rep. Jed Johnson who shouted, "Unless this absenteeism and striking stops in these war industries, Congress is going to do something about it . . ," apparently are overlooking the facts of absenteeism in their effort to smear American labor.
Not more than 4,500,000 man-days in American industry were lost because of strikes:
The facts are these: In 1942,
At least 100 times this amount, 450,000,000 man-days, were lost because of illness and accidents;
Ten times as many man-days were lost because of illness and accidents than because of strikes and voluntary absenteeism combined.
About 35,000,000 man-days, less than one-tenth the number of man-days lost because of illness and accidents, were due to voluntary absenteeism;
From these figures it would seem that the logical way of reducing absenteeism would be to remove the biggest cause—illness and accident. Experts say that 90,000,000 man-days could be saved by the installation of simple health and safety measures. This would be a saving of 20 times the man-days lost because of strikes.
So Congress proceeds "to do something about it." The house appropriations committee declared that it was willing to spend;
For promotion of proper working conditions . . . nothing;
For the care of children of employed mothers . . . nothing;
For gearing education to wartime needs . . .
nothing;
For economic studies to bolster price control .. nothing;
For emergency maternity and infant care . . . nothing.
That this paradox—Congress howling for something to be done, but unwilling to provide the means—exists in our country during these days of war is shameful. For, while bickering and labor-baiting goes on in Congress, on fronts all over the world, sons of the American people are being forced to endure these "extra days" of fighting in a deadly hell.—E.E.K.
Blood Bank for Civilian Disasters Should Receive Student Donations
The University of Kansas hospitals are collecting a blood bank for use in civilian disasters, and thereby present a perfect opportunity for students at this University to give to a good cause.
This blood drive is separate from that of the Red Cross. The blood collected for this bank will be used for civilians, in cases of disaster
Just Wondering
If bill collectors are having any trouble with faculty members, who received only half of their salary check last pay day.
where large amounts of blood plasma will be needed in a hurry. It is as necessary that we keep those on the home front in fighting and working condition as it is our soldiers.
The procedure of giving a pint of your blood is an entirely painless one, and takes only a short time. Appointments can be made at Watkins Memorial Hospital. Every care is shown the applicant; lab tests determine whether there is sufficient iron in the blood to serve the purpose, or whether the individual's health is all right. Though there are no ill effects, hospital authorities prefer applicants who can spend from 35 to 50 minutes at the hospital, allowing time for rest after donating the blood.
Response on the campus has been classed as "fair" by hospital authorities, and the great majority of those who have donated have been women. Only a few men have volunteered. The authorities say they believe men who are going to be called to military service immediately should not volunteer, but can see no reason why other males remaining on the campus should not.
To date only about 50 pints of blood have been donated by University students, but over twice this amount should be easily obtained. Here is a way in which students can actively aid the war effort. Let's give.
"I don't know of any profession, except teaching, which boasts of its failures."—Dean Nels A. Benttson, University of Nebraska.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
NEWS STAFF
Editor-in-chief ... Maurice Barker
Editorial Associates ... Don Keown, Joy Miller,
Matt Heuertz, Jimm Gunn, Florence Brown
EDITORIAL STAFF
Managing Editor ... Virginia Tieman
Sunday Editor ... Joy Miller
Campus editors ... Alan Houghton, Jane
    Miner, Clara Lee Oxley
Sports editor ... J. Donald Keown
News Editor ... Florence Brown
Picture Editor ... James Gunn
Society Editor ... Phyllis Collier
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager ... Oliver Hughes
Advertising Manager ... Betty Lou Perkins
Assistant Advertising Manager .. Mary Eleanor Fry
Advertising Assistant ... Mary Morrill
Rock Chalk Talk
By JIMMY GUNN
Fan mail: Bob Barton, student announcer on KFKU, is currently known around the Phi Psi house as Uncle Robert of the soothing monotone, all because of a fan letter (conveniently written on a post card) from a woman who said his voice was so romantic and exciting he made even a dull program interesting. Barbara Kech, Gamma Phi, is suspected of being the fan.
$$
$$
Chief cook-and-bottle-washer: Chancellor Deane W, Malott and Mrs. Malott were guests of Kitchen 6 at Miller hall last week, the night of the fire. After dinner the Chancellor insisted upon washing the dishes. He proved to be quite efficient, even scoured black off pans that had been collecting for months. In an effort to make conversation, Mary Steele, who was drying the dishes, commented: "I think you missed your calling. You would have made a good dishwasher."
Verily, verily: Marines have been taking some kind of physical activity at Robinson four times a week for some time now. Not so long ago, there was a marine undressing in the locker room. He was new there and wasn't quite sure of himself. Two of his comrades, clad in gym suits, started to walk off towards the stairs.
"Where you goin'?" inquired the marine plaintively, waddling after them.
"Topside," said his comrades.
"Topside!" wailed the marine. "I can't go topside."
And he couldn't.
"I ain't got nothin' to wear."
And he didn't.
No Coffee, Cokes Profs Should Remember For Mid-Semesters
"Mid-semester grades are due the 12th, Friday. The exam will be Tuesday," a history professor announced last Thursday.
"So soon, my gosh, where has the time gone? Seems like it was just a month since I plowed through snow in zero weather to go up the Hill and enroll," we typical students moaned.
Enrollment was in January ter. That much was different, but now, as usual, when midsemesters are coming up students are unprepared. That Noreen Old Library!
That Nasty Old Library!
There's outside reading that hasn't been started, or, in a few cases, completed. And the professor faithfully promised a question based on the library reading. For some reason, we typical students couldn't find time to make it to the library. If we did find the time, we found one of the better students reading the book, and we didn't care to waste our time waiting.
Notebooks cause us students to chew as many nails as outside reading, "We warned you to keep them up. You aren't grade school children, in age anyway. You're supposed to have a sense of responsibility when you come to college," say you professors.
We do have a sense of responsibility, that's part of the trouble. We're responsible for the plans we make for the weekend, for the house treasury, and for the church party. And most of all, we're responsible for other classes. Some how, perhaps it's unintentional, the professors give the students the impression that 'their' classes are the only ones taught at the University, and that 'their' classes should be given first consideration. Then just before mid-semesters some of you professors assign 'some more material that we really should cover in this other book and another 20 pages in the next chapter'.
Quit Rushing Us!
The notebook comes due and we students know by simple arithmetic that we can't possibly accomplish all the professors have planned for us. Experience has taught us not to
instead of February this semes-
slight an instructor, obviously anyway. If we have to cut a class, we apologize and confess our deep interest in the course, and hope that we can take another course under the same instructor.
When a paper or assignment is late, the student is at fault. Nothing but a hospital excuse or death in the family will allow us to creep into the professor's good graces again, even then we aren't assured of our deserving grade. If the student is the type that blushes or stammerns easily, especially when explaining an absence, he is given a suspicious look by the instructor.
This semester, we students and professors should have an understanding. Candy bars, cokes, and coffee are not as plentiful as they were a semester ago. These refreshers and stimulators are necessities for quiz time, at least for the student. No doubt the professors use them too. For the good of all, midsemesters should be planned with the shortage of cokes, candy bars, and coffee in mind. If not, we'll have to use caffein tablets, and students shouldn't become addicted to dope.
Taxidermist From Dyche Is Working At Eudora
Klaus Abegg, taxidermist at Dyche museum, has resigned to work at the Sunflower Ordnance Works.
Mr. Klaus designed and mounted the prairie falcon, Cooper's hawk, sharp-shin hawk, red-tail hawk, the slate colored junco, the tree sparrow, the chickadee, and the robin bird exhibits on display at the museum.