PAGE TWO
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1938
2
Comment
The Walrus Has His Day
It has occurred to us to wonder if our readers may not sometimes become wearied by the constant discussion to current problems? Yes, we know they are important, but yesterday we read of the foreign situation, and all the speculations on the special session of the legislature which will convene tomorrow. Tomorrow we shall probably reverse the order to read again of the special session of the legislature and the foreign situation.
However, there do come timese in our lives when, perhaps, we should heed the advice of our old friend;
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to
been, or many others.
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax; of cal-
fur.
Now we are well aware of the intention Carrol had in mind when he created this well-known character, but we have always fancied the Walrus as a whimsical, philosophically-minded creature. It may be that we, as readers often will, have almost re-created him in our minds.
His conversation with the Carpenter has always seemed so amusing, but then we must remember, it occurred in the days before labor controversies with all their many torts and retorts. If the famous pair were alive today the Carpenter would undoubtedly hold a membership card in some union affiliated with C.I.O. or the A.F. of L., and the Walrus? Well, he would be able to sit with his friend only upon some uncompleted construction work where, and as carpenters are remuted by the newspapers to sit.
We are agreed the Walrus was philosophically inclined! Good! for who could believe he would waste a beautiful day on the seashore in such fruitful conversation if it were not so?
Furthermore, when he discussed shoes, we are to believe he was interested in price, sale, and production charts? Would he muse on ships in terms of armaments? Not at all. Rather, he would refer to the comfortable personality that develops in old shoes—if he kept them on—or lament bitterly on the diabolical conventions that force one to go shoel—if he took them off.
It is wholly incompatible with our conception of the Walrus that we should behold him discourancing on over-production and crop control of cabbages. Instead of that, he would probably refer to them in relation with culinary terms: "Boiled? umm . . . no, buttered?" or consider them gastronomically: "How soon after eating may one safely take bicarbonate of soda?"
Kings, we are sure, would be jolly old gentlemen with pipes, and bowls enjoyed with orchestral accompaniment. The Walrus never knew fire-eating, smoke-breathing dictators any more than we know kings.
And so, readers, for just one day we sue to your Sunday good-nature, plead a lackadaisical fancy, and indicate this page to the Walrus.
The world today is not really a kindly place in which to live—nor has it ever been. Man has not risen through divine circumstance so much as through his own tenacity and pugnancy. When he ceases to fight, the world ceremoniously throws dirt in his face; unconsciously and anctuously weeps for a moment; and promptly forgets him. It is better so.
The Groundhog Says--
Do You Believe?
We often speak of "animal instinct" which reminds us, last Wednesday was grounddog day, which in turn, reminds us of the indispensable part this little animal has played in the annual spring weather forecast for years beyond recall.
Of course, many may snicker at the idea of placing any reliability in the ability of this small creature to forecast accurately the weather, but then we actually find a "doubling Thomas" in the Bible, so such persons needn't feel original in their crass iconoclasm.
Nor need the groundhog feel his is the only reputation which suffers at the hands of these cynics—we would refer him, of course, to Messrs. Hamrick and Flora. And these men have at hand, the assistance of every instrument modern science has devised to aid them in their observations, besides which they keep elaborate charts of atmospheric pressures and conditions from pole to pole.
His critics may think the groundhog comes for a breath of fresh air; that his alleged ability is the product of superstitions fancy or accident; or that his only use is to the Sunday editor as "feature material," but we know that there are millions who believe in him, and as evidence of the confidence he still retains, we would pose this pertinent question: Who received the more space and publicity in Wednesday's newspapers, Mr. Hamrick or Mr. Groundhog?
Whereupon we take this occasion to warn you, readers, his weather forecast for the next six weeks is: "Continued cold and cloudy with strong winds veering in from the north or northwest; prepare for general winter weather."
And to you doubters who would change from your "winter underwear" in this first false
spring, we offer this aphorism as a reminder. "The way of the cynic is hard." (We think that is the way it goes.)
Campus Opinion
'Preparedness' Rides Again
Editor, Daily News
There is an old saying about the pot calling the kettle black. Of course, the contributor to Friday's Campus Opinion, signing himself "Preparedness," is scarcely of stature comparable to the Japanese nation. I am inclined to think this chip spreads right around in front of his eyes.
"Preparedness" refers briefly to that undoubtable authority, the Kansas City Star, and becomes fighting mad. It appears that he has come upon a tale of Japanese planning to be drawn about the streets in "rickshaw" manned by sweating, enslaved British and Americans, "Preparedness" burns with indignation. How come, asks he, that the two biggest nations in the world will take that rot? He implies that British and American forces should steam over immediately and have swept the Japanese islands as bare as the ill-titled ill in the show "Hurricane," return to read the triumphant announcement in the papers:
"The Jameson (such as are left) are still full-
mer," said Senator John M. McCain, Americans are still riding. "Democracy wine again."
The letter of "Preparedness" was very interesting, though I still think it was written by some really intelligent person bent on pulling the legs of such internal-minded bodies as I. Of particular note is the hispanic origin of this group, a only friend, and that Russia has at last left off bickering with Japan, Germany, and Italy and is lining up with them against the United States. If this is true, then "Preparedness" is right in his piquancy, for, as is known to everyone who reads H. G. Wallace's work any international enterprise "circumvent Russian". Amused.
Official University Bulletin
Notices due at Chancellery, Office at 3 p.m., preceding regular publication days and 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 25th.
Vol. 35 Sunday February 6,1928 No.88
--less which they paid for their enjoyment were collected by the book store. But the author's reward for his share in the business was simply the royalty on the single copy sold to the library. If the book was originally priced at $2, his average royalty amounted to 24 cents. In other words, 30 people read this one copy of his book, said 'Thank you very much,' and paid him a total of 24 cents'"
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ORGANIZATION: The regular weekly meeting will be held Tuesday afternoon in room C. Myers厅. All students and faculty interested are invited to attend - Keith Davis, president.
CREATIVE LEISURE COMMISSION. The Creative Leisure Commission will have a stamp meeting at 3 o'clock this afternoon at Henley house. Students will attend their collections.-Ruth Fengel, Charles Yeomans.
FRESHMAN VACANCY ON RELAYS COMMITT-
TION - A freshman student wishing to become canadian should attend the KU athletic office on or before Feb. 12, 1988, in care of James Gillies,
M E. 64, MECHIANICAL LABORATORY: All students enrolled in the M.E. 64, MECHIANICAL Laboratory, see the bulletin on this website or your as-signed laboratory website. Please click on this matter early this week — Arthur Whithey.
NEW ADDRESSES FOR DIRECTORY SUPPLEE MEN
NEW ADDRESSES with changes to their
mestra must reach the new addresses to the Reg
istrar's office at once so that the corrections may ap-
pear in the directory supplement. - George O. Foster
PHI DELTA KAPPA: Phi Delta Kappa will meet Training School, Rev. J. Lee does will discuss the program at Antioch College. The meeting will adjourn in time for the Lecture Course number in the auditorium.
W. S.G.A. The W.S.C.A. meeting will be postponed until Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock because of the A.A.U.W. banquet on Tuesday evening—Doris Stock- well, President.
University Daily Kansan
Official Student Paper of
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
APRIL 2015
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BUSINESS MANAGER F. QUENTIN BROWN
The conscientious writer of modern fiction is fast facing the predicament of the poor horse
Which reminded us of the story about the farmer who, in an effort to economize, began gradually to mix an increase percentage of sawdust with the oats he fed his horse. You will remember that everything proceeded splendidly until the horse unaccountably died of malnutrition.
"The depression was responsible for a great many good things." I heard a man say to the other day, "We learned how little we could get on materially, and how important we were to the literature and the arts were.
Of course one may argue that the author makes enough anyway; that with the publishers, movies and radio clamoring for his wares, he can scarcely be affected by the few readers who "mooch" on him to the extent of reading his work from the dine library shelf.
After all, an author earns his bread and butter with royalties. And royalties are paid purely on a basis of the number of copies of his book that are sold. That is what the average reader, who rents from the corner library in the firm belief that he is doing the author a great service merely by reading his books, fails to realize.
"Take, for instance, these circulat-
ing, ten-cent libraries. Instead of plunking down two buckles when you want a good book to read, all you have to do is pop into the corner drug store, stationery store, news stand, or department store, lay down a magazine, buy a copy of your favorite author. What a goddam they must be to modern writers."
Licensing Offered As Remedy For Ten-Cent Library Pirates
Entered as second-class matter, September 17, 1910, at the post office at Lawrence, Kan.
By Kenny Lewis
But such pleasant fancies hardly agree with the grim, cold facts. True, there are the Margaret Mitchells and the Kathleen Norrises of the profession, who may clear more than $75,000 a year by utilizing all these sources, but about 87 per cent of our authors averaged something less than $2,300 even in such a boom year as 1929, according to the Author's Guild. Where are they now? Selling insurance, doing publicity, or writing for the pulps, probably. Of course all this cannot be blamed on the corner library. One may even contend that those books the author owned the books at all if they had to buy them. Perhaps some of them wouldn't; but let's look at the way it works out now.
I quote Edward Weeks, long an editor of the Atlantic monthly press, from his excellent monthly book "This Trade of Writing":
"The books placed in the 10 cent library are expected to—and do—maintain an average of 20 rentals. That is to say, 20 households, or about one-fifth of each book in that library before it is finally sold or withdrawn.
Welcome Students
We're glad to see you book for
the spring semester
Try Our
Special Plate Lunch
25c
No matter how badly your shoes are worn, we'll repair them to give months more of wear!
Shoes Last Longer When Repaired the Modern Way!
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ELECTRIC
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1017 Mass. Phone 686
Mr. Weeks further estimates that some 40 per cent of the book-fiction printed in the United States is absorbed by these circulating libraries. Hence, by simple arithmetic you have 8,000 readers for every 1,000 copies from which the author of the book receives his just royalty. Surely it is safe to say that least one-fourth of those readers, or some 2,000 of them, would buy the book if that was the only way they could obtain it. And this alone would double the writer's proceeds.
Join The Crowd
at the
There evolves the question: What are we going to do about it? The best solution it seems, is to license them. Peter Freuchen, the famous Danish author, led a campaign in his country for licensing those books sold to the libraries for lending purposes. By assessing a 50 cent charge in addition to the purchase price of all books going into such libraries, the author would perhaps be given permission to use his work. Books so licensed would be furnished with a small stamp placed on the inside cover, stating "This book is licensed for rental purposes," or words to that effect.
BLUE MILL
Although the Danish movement failed because Denmark's socialist government threatened to take away the authors' pensions for this evidence of trade unionism, there is no reason why it might not work in the United States. Anyway, it's worth a try.
The HUMAN ADVENTURE
Mrs. Stover's VALENTINE Candies Exclusively at THE MIDWAY CAFE 1031 Mass.
RIDE THE BUS
For Safe, Economical Transportation
K. U. ROUTE (20 minute service)
Leave 8th and Mass., south of Crown Drug Store, go west on 8th street to Michigan, south on Mississippi to Campus Drive, west to Chi Omega school, back east to Fowler Shops, turns back west on 16th to Illinois, south on Illinois to 18th, east on 18th to Louisiana, north on Louisiana to 17th, east on 17th to Tennessee, north on Massachusetts to 11th to Missouri, Massachusetts, and north on Massachusetts to 8th street.
The Rapid Transit Co.
1818 Massachusetts
Let these prices take you off the fence and put you
in clover.
If you are on the fence . . . do this:
"I'll buy a suit in February" --- or "I'll wait until Easter."
Come dow nto 821 Mass. Street and if you can't sell yourself without any talk from us . . . if the prices and the patterns don't clinch the sale . . . then we'll pass the time of day with you and you can pass up the idea altogether.
Suits at $17 - $22 - $29
O'coats $16:50 - $22 - $29
A Grand Slam In Shoes
Just Arrived — A Complete New Stock of Smart Shoes for Spring.
Roseberry Coff - Royal Blue - Navy Blue - Multi Color Blue
Brown - Multi Color Brown - Black
837-39 Mass.
Knickerbockers are now sold exclusively at the Royal