The KANSAN Comments...
PAGE SIX
SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 1941.
GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE
by W. Rolland Maddox Assistant Professor of Political Science
Nowadays our attention as students and citizens inevitably is drawn to the international scene, the wars in Europe and Asia, and the progress of the national defense program. No one will deny the importance of these absorbing subjects nor their significance to the lives and fortunes of every one of us. Yet it is certainly not amiss to suggest that local government must receive a share of our interest, if "government of the people" is to be a reality.
The functions of local government are those which are most immediate to our everyday lives. The construction and maintenance of the street or road upon which we live, and which gives us access to our neighbors, our work, and our necessities is the responsibility of our city, county, or township.
Take City Services for Granted
Those of us who live in cities, depend upon the city for numerous daily services as a matter of course. When we want a drink of water we assume that what comes from the faucet will be clear, odorless, and free from diseaseproducing bacteria. Likewise, we look to the city for assurance that the cream in our breakfast coffee is free from the germs of tuberculosis and undulant fever. We expect that household and other wastes will be removed and properly disposed. We expect a police officer to come at our call, and the fire engines to race to our doors if they are needed. In short, for 24 hours a day, from the cradle to the grave we rely upon local government for essential services.
Even in circumstances of national emergency it must not be assumed that the essential services of local government can be curtailed in view of what may seem to be the larger problem. Since the development of these services has followed the demands of the people themselves, and the requirements of the circumstance in which they live, their continuance is not a matter of debate or question. The only question which can arise is whether the services will be performed satisfactorily and economically.
If the citizenry apathetically resigns the conduct of local government to 3,000 "courthouse gangs,"16,000 "city hall crowds," and 128,000 "school board cliques," we can only expect the deterioration of the services and the loss of effective and economical operation.
Subject to Direct Citizen Influence
Local government, because it operates in the primary social communities, is more directly subject to citizen influence than the more remote units of organization. The hope of maintaining and improving the standards of local government thus depend upon the effective citizen demand. If that demand ceases or is nonexistent, poor governmental performance is the inevitable result.
Beyond this there is the need to improve and remodel local government so that it can more effectively carry out its responsibilities. While the national government is working out procedures and organization to handle the problem of producing national defense facilities and materials, attention to readjusting local government to its present surroundings is equally urgent. While public demands upon these units
have multiplied in recent decades, the framework of organization and methods remains largely the same as when these units were created several generations ago. In a day when a two-cylinder automobile is a museum curiosity, county and city government commonly lumber along like ox-carts and covered wagons.
Some Units Out-Moded
Some of our present units, such as townships and small school districts are out-moded and should be eliminated. The problems of county government require an administrative structure which is integrated and coordinated, and suggests the election of fewer independent officers. City government in many communities likewise would benefit from "streamlining," and the adoption of more effective methods of administration.
All of these avenues offer opportunities for the college student and graduate regardless of his business or profession. If "government of the people" is to continue as a reality, active, intelligent participation and leadership of college-trained men and women in the political and governmental life of their home communities is urgent and necessary. The need is only intensified by the emergencies which confront us as a nation.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 38 Sunday, April 6, 1941 No. 122
Notices due at Chancellor's office at 3.p.m. on day before publication during the week, and at 11 a.m. on Saturday for Sunday issue.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ORGANIZATION: The Christian Science Organization will hold a regular meeting Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 in the Pine Room of the Union Building. All students, graduates, and faculty members are welcome—Betty Charles, secretary.
NOTICE TO ALL STUDENTS: Dr. E. T. Gibson will be available for personal conferences at Watkins Memorial Hospital on Tuesday afternoons from 2 to 5. Appointments should be made at the Watkins Memorial Hospital—Dr. R. I. Canuteson.
PSYCHOLOGY CLUB: The Psychology Club will meet tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 in Room 21, Frank Strong Hall, Mrs. Annabel Ferguson, director of State Foster Placement in Missouri, will speak on Foster Home Placement. Everyone is cordially invited.-Lois Schreiber, Secretary.
SYMPOSIUM: The Symposium will meet this evening at 7:30 o'clock in the Pine Room of the Memorial Union building. Mr. Hilden Gibson will start the discussion by giving a short talk on "Profits and Patriotism". All interested persons are invited to attend and participate.-J. I. Nelson, Chairman.
TEACHERS' APPOINTMENT BUREAU: All students who expect to use the services of the Teachers' Appointment Bureau in locating a teaching position for the fall of 1941 should complete their registration in the bureau immediately. Calls for teachers are now being received and the number of such calls will increase after the annual school meetings April 10 and 11.—H.E. Chandler, secretary, Teachers' Appointment Bureau.
Y. M.- Y. W. (FRESHMAN:) The Freshman Y.M.- Y.W. Commission will meet in Henley House, Tuesday at 4:30. A panel discussion on "Student Government in a Democracy" will be conducted with Dean Werner, Doris Twente, Russell Mosser and Bob McKay as speakers. All Freshmen are urged to attend—Thornton McClanahan.
Y. M. - Y. W. MEMBERS: The Y. W. C. A. and Y. M C A elections will be held Tuesday, in the basement of Frank Strong Hall. Polls open from 9 to 5 p.m.
- Jean Stouffer, President.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school week except on Friday and Saturday. Entered as second office of September 8, 2014. Official office at Lawrence, Kansas, under the act of March 3, 1879.
You Said It
The editor of the Kansan welcomes letters of opinion from students and faculty members to be published in the letters column. If the writer wishes, his name will be withheld, but the Kansan must have the names of all writers of letters—
To the Editor of the Kansan:
The workers in the Allis-Chalmers corporation are still out on strike. The general reaction on the Hill seems to be against the workers striking during this period of emergency.
I am sure that no fair-minded, well-read student will disagree with me in the statement that in general our press does not present labor's side fairly or accurately. They are, shall I say, a trifle biased to the advantage of capital; and it seems to be that by condemning the Allis-Chalmers strikers without knowing their side of the story, we violate the very essence of our position as students.
The aims of the workers are union security and higher wages. The management is trying to make a "patriotic issue" out of the strike, and of course is receiving the splendid cooperation of the press. But this subterfuge; this, as Johnson aptly put it, "lost refuge of scoundrels," has become a boomerang
Two Graduate Students Take Ph. D. Examinations
Preliminary examinations for the degree of doctor of philosophy in chemistry are being given today for two graduate students. The students, Russell Mellies, Wellington, and I. G. Stevenson, Parsons, are majors in Chemistry and minors in bacteriology.
These examinations are given twice a year by the members of the chemistry department-in the fall and spring.
to the corporation in Milwaukee. If, as the company says, the workers lare unpatriotic for demanding more wages, isn't the company also unpatriotic for not giving it to them? And it is clearly in a position to do so. With huge profits already insured by long-term government contracts, it can easily pay more money. For all its patriotism, the Allis-Chalmers corporation is not making machinery for the government for nothing. On the contrary, its profits have steadily soared during the past year, and are enormous, far in excess of peacetime profits.
Several weeks ago, the Office of Production Management offered a compromise settlement of the strike. The workers accepted it, but it was rejected by Allis-Chalmers. Allis-Chalmers is rich, strong, and powerful, and it has chosen to hold up national defense by not paying higher wages.
—AN IDEALIST who believes we should be careful lest we lose the democracy we are defending.
Extension Division Plans Two New Courses
Two new courses are being prepared by the extension division to be offered in their catalog this summer. One, The American People, is a five hour course in American history; the other is a three hour course in elementary Portuguese. A resident course in Portuguese was first started at the University this semester.
ROCK CHALK TALK
Happy was Bill Langworthy when he received a stag bid to the Pi Phi spring formal next weekend. Then he remembered that Clyde Bysom's band, in which he plunks bass fiddle, is slated to play at the party. It looks like Bill will spend the evening cutting in on his G string.
For inside information on the Gamma Phi province conference held here this weekend, see Jack Parker of Phi Psi fame. He and Mary Millson helped herd them in.
By HEIDI VIETS
They're telling this one on Jean Werner. The other day she was painting a poster to be used by the Lawrence "bundles for Britain" organization, of which her mother is chairman. A boy friend stopped to look over her shoulder.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm painting for bundles for Britain," said Jean
"Oh," he said. "Are they going to send pictures to England?"
Poco Frazier, instructor in architecture and design, says that his K.U. telephone number is cannibalistic. It is 181.
Dick Trubey's best friend is his pipe. Boys at the A.T.O. house swear that he never takes it out of his mouth—not even to take a shower. His bath technique is to hold head above water and keep puffing.
We wonder how he brushes his teeth.
At the Sig Ep house the other day Don Widner and Rockie Smith made a little bet on which could play the best original piano composition. Don played his ditty in fair fashion. Then Rockie started out in Chopinic style. Then the men upstairs began to complain, and two dogs strayed to the front door to croon to the classic strains.