PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1940
The Kansan Comments -the Vultee Aircraft workers strike which has slowed down rearmament. He would like a united, well controlled ,anti-Communist labor front to work with him in courting business.
EDITORIALS★
ELect or Appoint?
ONE of the bills which will come up before the state legislature in December is an amendment to the constitution to provide for an appointive state commissioner of education. The purpose of this amendment, supporters say, is to strengthen and reorganize the state department of education.
In a political camgaign educational problems and considerations presented by the candidates or the office of state superintendent are greatly overshadowed by political issues presented by candidates for the major offices. Good government requires that law-makers and policymaking officials should be elected by the people, but technical officials who administer professional services might better be chosen some other way.
The framers of the state constitution in 1861 provided for the biennial election, by popular vote, of a state superintendent of public instruction. We are still using this same method. Our educational system has grown, and changed, and the administration of it has become more technical. Many say that the state superintendent, elected by popular vote, can not satisfactorily meet the present conditions.
Constructive continuity of program and administration is difficult to obtain. Superintendents change with every political shift, and the short period of service discourages many well qualified men.
The appointment of a commissioner could be made in several ways. In Delaware, Arkansas, Maryland, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York the appointment is made by a state board of education. This has proved quite satisfactory. In other states the commissioner is appointed by a state board of regents, a lay board, and in others by the governor. Appointment by the governor could, of course, be used as another method of plotical control. In Massachusetts, however, Payson Smith who was appointed by the governor has successfully directed the school system for 20 years.
Efficient and strong leadership with a continuous permanent, effective educational policy is what Kansas wants. If educators agree that this can be obtained better under an appointive commissioner, than under an elective superintendent, let's make the change.
Labor Turns its Back to "Reds"
IN the decade just past, Communist courting reached its peak of popularity. The CIO used the Communist party organization to organize itself, and then contributed heavily to the Democratic campaigns fund in 1936. Madame Perkins played ball with the labor "reds", and the "liberal" Democratic faction held national power. In the recent election 21,900,000 people voted for capitalism. Roosevelt, an astute politician, reacted. A cabinet shake-up is imminent, but before this red routing has even started the President's views have been reflected at the CIO and AF of L conventions last week.
Roosevelt would like to avoid repetition of
At Atlantic City, John L. Lewis dropped the CIO reigns and warned his union to remain "united"—free from "closer cooperation" with the AF of L. Latest reports indicate that his plea will be heard. But if it is, it will be over the protest of Sidney Hillman, Labor coordinator of the rearmament program.
BOOKS★
LETTERS★
Sidney Hillman would like to free labor from the restraint of the Sherman Anti-Trust Law. If he could unite the CIO and AF of L in an alliance acceptable to the President, he might get what he wants and probably would cooperate with the administration. Rumors that he will be the next secretary of labor indicate Roosevelt's confidence in him.
At the same time, in New Orleans, the AF of L condemned "gangsterism" and resolved to cooperate with other unions. Hillman moved that the CIO work in closer accord with other unions.
The day Lewis resigned, the Roosevelt Supreme Court appointee, Justice Black, wrote the decision placing the Norris-LaGuardia Anti-Injection act above the Sherman Anti-Trust Law stating that Labor was free to picket third parties to labor disputes. This decision raised Hillman's prestige and curried his favor.
If Hillman can get the cooperation he wishes, Roosevelt may get the "red" purge he wishes within labor ranks. If the "reds" are purged, business may work with the administration with greater harmony.
This is Roosevelt's answer to Mr. Willkie's "loyal opposition"; either way, business can't lose.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Page of
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Lawrence, Kansas
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Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school year, later edited as second class paper; September 17, 1910, at the post office at Lawrence, Kansas, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 38 Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1940 No.51
PORTUGUESE: A course in Elementary Portuguese will be offered next semester, provided at least fifteen students indicate their interest in advance. Since it is necessary to prepare the second semester schedules by the end of this month, students are requested to leave their names in my office (115 Frank Strong Hall) before November 28. The course will be Portuguese 70, for three hours credit, and will be taught by Professor Osma. Prerequisite, ten hours of Spanish. Since the course is a junior-senior course, sophomores must petition if they want to take it.—W H. Shoemaker.
TAU SIGMA: There will not be a Tau Sigma meeting this evening—Carolyn Green.
SENIORS: Seniors graduating in February may now make appointments for physical examinations at Watkins Memorial Hospital.—Dr.R.I. Camuteson.
W. N.A.A. MEETING: W.N.A.A. Meeting in Women's Lounge of Memorial Union building this evening at 7:30 p.m. Attendance required.-Lillian Fisher, president
NOTICES
You Said It
The Kansan welcomes contributions to You Said It. All letters should be limited to 300 words or less, and the right to edit communications to this length is reserved by the editors. Letters must bear the name of the contributor, although the signature will be deleted upon request.
FREE PRESS?
To the Editor:
The DAILY KANSAN appeared Wednesday with write-ups and editorials against the afternoon and Saturday class ruling.
The DAILY KANSAN appeared Friday with a report of Dean Lawson's statements but with no further comments.
?????
Signed
Signed FREEMAN MEYER.
Thanksgiving Extras Are In The Family
To most of us, Thanksgiving means a dinner table with a dozen extra leaves, and about two dozen extra relatives.
But when Frank Vratil, freshman engineer, goes home for the Thanksgiving feed, the relatives at the family table won't be extra. Vratil belongs to one of the largest single-marriage families in the United States. And if the dinner gong sounded in the Vratil house it would muster 19 eaters.
The former Larned athlete is 20 years old, and a member of the freshman football squad. He works on a National Youth Administration job on Saturdays and washes supper dishes as his share of the work at Battenfeld hall.
The Vratil children all went to school, and during vacations six of the boys worked on the farm, and the other six worked at different places for wages. The 10-room house where the Vratils live kept the five girls at home to keep meals and rooms going. At the end of the summer vacation, all the earnings were pooled and distributed evenly.
In the past four years the Vratil family has become widely known, not only for its size and novel cooperative management, but for its athletic accomplishments. The brothers didn't form an acrobatic circus, but they did draw big crowds to baseball games where one team was composed of members of the family with a couple of cousins tossed in for good measure. This team won 75 out of 100 games in Western Kansas.
Frank and two brothers were members of the Larned high school football team last year. Frank was selected as backfull on the Southwest Valley league all-star team.
Vratil lives at Battenfeld, where the amount of food consumed starles the house mother. It doesn't startle Frank. He's used to food in huge quantities; last winter the Vratil family ate a hog every two weeks.
Frank fits in well with the Battenfeld cooperative life. He's been co-op all his life.
ROCK CHALK TALK
The other day Gamma Phi pledge Mary Milsom became a mother--in child care class. Always thoughtful, Phi Psi Jack Parker sent her flowers with best wishes to mother and imaginary child.
Mary immediately phoned the Phi Psi house and asked for, "Dr. Parker, please."
To her amazement pledge Frank Stuckey had his answer book handy, "Dr. Parker is out on a case, bringing a blesse devent into the world," he said.
Now Mary can hardly wait for Mother's Day.
Lloyd Hamilton modestly begs to disclaim all credit for the innovation of the "hour date," new social invention in which one man sneaks in with a coke and a batch of small talk to spend an hour in the parlor with fair lady before it is time for her regular date.
All credit goes to Walt Loudon, lawful author of the plot. But Hamilton did originate a new pint version, the "half-hour date."
Last Friday night a certain Alpha Delta Pi stepped out with a Sig Alph, then a Sigma Nu. Catch was that a fraternity brother of Date Number One saw her with both lads.
But, at least, she took them in alphabetical order.
Surprise of the day: At 8:15, temperature 34 degrees Fahrenheit, the man driving a snow plow in front of Hoch auditorium brushed the snow out of his eyes and chirped, "Hello! Nice morning!"
This weather makes it easier to believe that there are only 23 shopping days till Christmas.
Delta Chi President Ed Hall is slated for woman trouble in about two weeks. He has received a letter from a girl in Ann Arbor, Mich., saying that she has heard so much about him that when she comes through Lawrence on her way to California she want him to show her around the town.
That would be just dandy if Hall didn't go steady here. But since he does, he's worrying already.
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