Christopher Columbus High School - Anchor Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

Page 9 text:

lo see exlenclecl inlo line posl-war periocl ancl expanclecl even lmeyonci wllal llne war llas enloreeci. ll seems lo me lllal we slloulcl relleel lllal cluring lime lorly years preeecling lllis war Illc consumer priees ol aulomolliles. radios, wasliing lllilClIillf'S. flillllillg. lools. and a lllousancl ollner eommoclilies eleereaseel, wllile llle qualily ol line goocls prociueecl ancl line wages ol lime worlcers wiio proclueecl lllem inereasecl. All lliis willloul priee liixings ancl eeilings. ancl lime vasl apparalus necessary lo enloree any elliorl on llie parl ol llie governmenl ol a eounlry as large ancl as complex as ours lo clireel. regulale. ancl eonlrol lime millions ol exellanges lllal oeeur claily among Ilie people ol our eounlry. xxillifll way are we going? iiilial is lime prolmlem el earl: ol us ami no one oi us may eseape llle elleels ol our answer. l musl say lo you lllal l liope you will resisl llle lencleney lo lel yourselves lie persuaclecl lllal any person or group ol people in a eenlral governmenl slmoulcl or can rio your llminlcing ami planning lor you. Ylillf' lurmoil ol lree men in a clemoeraey. engagecl in Ilie lnarml. ancl perllaps never emling. lasli ol lrying lo limi a lmalanee lxelween social regulalion ancl incliviflual lreeclom seems lo me lxeller lllan llle comparalive ease ol lile in a prison. in spile ol llle lavl lllal in prisons loocl. slleller. ancl elolliing are proviclecl lor all. lxlosl ol llle lllilllilllif lllal goes inlo a cleeision almoul lllis prolxlem is summed up lay an olmservalion lllal i lnearrl llle lale Governor Allrecl if. Smilll malqe some years ago in lllese worcls: You lcnow. we clonil xvanl a Dielalor over imere. Xve woulclnil wanl liim even ill ine was a goori one. ,louis Ni. l,0l'GllRAN. Prineipui 5

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TO THE GRADUATES OF JU E l945 lt seems quite clear that you boys and girls are going to spend the next twenty-five years in the middle of a iiveiy battle between two opposed attitudes which can be loosely but fairly described as the preservation-of-free-enterprise-in-a- capitaiistic-democracy viewpoint and the Federal-Government-management-of-a- planned-economy viewpoint. Each side has determined and intelligent adherents and is able to present a good deai of persuasive evidence. Of Tate we have been hearing much about the necessity for continuing production quotas and ceiling prices for an indefinite period after the termination of hostilities. At the same time we have increasing evidence of the development of black markets, and the newspapers inform us that in general each group of producers is diligently at work trying to persuade the Office of Price Administration that price fixings and price ceilings are very admirable indeed, for ali other fields of endeavor, but are about to produce disaster in their own. g There is a great deal of evidence for the conclusion that many, many individ- uals and powerful groups are trying to seize what they can for themselves with little regard for the effect of their actions on our economy as a whole. In brief, we are conducting two wars: abroad, one of arms, at home, one of ideas. inevitably we are confused because while trying to finish a war, We are trying to begin a return to peace, and this effort is complicated by the fact that we are trying to attain a baiance between governmental and individual activities. This effort to attain a balance is not at all easy. There are some things that we ieei pretty sure are legitimately government activities, such as, Hood control, carrying the mails, and fire prevention. There are other activities that we are pretty sure ought to be the endeavors of private enterprise, such as running a store, being a lawyer, or developing a business. There are many activities that we carry on in both iways, public and private, such as, education, supplying water to communities, building bridges. furnishing electric power, and providing medical attention. Also, when activities become very large, or when they are related to general welfare, We have a feeling that Government regulation and supervision are necessary, as in the case of railroads, and the marketing of stocks and bonds. and milk. Now, which way is our country going? Not, T believe. ali the way to a planned economy, nor back to the days of unrestricted freedom for urugged individualism. T believe and T hope we are going to continue with the difficult business of trying to find a sensible, woricabie balance. The necessities of this war have compelled us to accept an amount and a kind of regulation that many among us would iike 4 .

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Walter J. Degnan The years since you first entered Christopher Columhus High School--the ones than you perhaps thought would he endlessQhave passed in quiclc succession so that now each of you is to talce his place in the hroader world outside these com- paratively sheltering walls. Throughout the hitterest periods of man's sojourn on this earth, he has always looked to the youth oi the land lor a more successful solution ol the prohlems of manlcind. VVe're loolcing to you. VVhat is your contribution to an hadly shattered world to he? Are you going to exercise your duties as intelligent citizens? Are you determined to have a voice in the affairs of this nation'-a voice lllal will he determined hy an awareness oi the welfare oi all and not hy personal aggrandizement and selfish interests? Today your minds are clear, your vision unhlurred and your hearts are mindful Qi l needs and rights ol others. Your schooling in this great America of ours has helped malce you that way. The lruils ol your experiences are still to he har- vested and erica is dependent on this harvest. XVAI -TER J . DEGNAN Administrative Assistant wil J 1- ij, -- - ' K.. X s , -:ig D E M , ,. . '.' . , . g J