The "let your hair down" column

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: The "let your hair down" column
Language: English
Source: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (Issue No.5) May 1948
Year: 1948
Rights
Fulltext: May, 1948 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 183 The - - “LET YOUR HAIR DOWN” ; _ — Column A BUSINESS man who was a close friend of the late President Ma nuel Roxas, told us after the President’s death that the latter had asked him on three different occasions to check, unofficially, on statements made editorially in this Journal, and that each time he has reported to the President that the statements made were correct. A letter from a new subscriber, Goh Hock Siew, of the Ban Hin Lee Bank, Ltd., Penang, Straits Set tlements, who has now ordered that his copies of the Journal be sent by air-mail, read in part as follows: “I have perused your January and Feb ruary issues and these are expertly compiled to cover all trades and industries and I have scarcely come across such a comprehensive Journal relating to commerce. With my compliments. . .” We thank Banker Goh for his ap preciative words, though we must say that we do not, alas, cover all trades and industries, even those of the Philippines. We haven’t been able to get column editors for a number of important industries and trades, and we hereby invite any interested person who would consider editing a column which he sees is missing, to get into touch with the editor. The Krivenko case is arousing considerable question in the United States, as is indicated in the following letter received from the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (New York): “I have read in the Manila Bulletin at various times articles concerning the ruling of the Supreme Court of the Philippines in the Krivenko case which bars aliens from acquiring residential lands in the Philip pines. E. E. ELSER, INC. GENERAL AGENTS for ATLAS ASSURANCE CO. LTD.—THE EMPLOYERS * LIABILITY ASSURANCE CORP. LTD. CONTINENTAL INSURANCE CO. OF NEW YORK — ORIENT INSURANCE CO. THE INSURANCE CO. OF NORTH AMERICA 404 Ayala Bldg., Manila Phone 2-77-58 Cable Address: “ELSINC” “I have been asked by one of our Direc tors to place this item on our agenda for dis cussion at the next Directors Meeting, and I have no information on which to base a report. “Would you mind informing me by airmail whether or not this ruling applies to Amer icans, both individuals and corporations, and specifically state whether American nationals can purchase lands, for residential and/or commercial purposes. If Americans are pro hibited from doing so, a copy of the ruling would be appreciated, but may be forwarded at your convenience. “Yours very truly, “J. F. Daye Secretary." THE editor sometime ago re ceived a brief letter from Mrs. Mark L. Ireland, wife of Colnel Ireland, U. S. Army. When in the Philippines some years before the war, Mrs. Ireland wrote a very interesting series of articles for the Philippine Magazine on the history of the old Spanish fortifications of the Walled City of Manila, illustrated with numerous maps and photographs. Now she asks: "Has anyone taken any photographs of the destruction of the Wallfed City? Who could write the last chapter?” It would be very much worthwhile if someone who takes an interest in the general sub ject would undertake to write a de scription of just what parts of the fine old walls, gates, bastions, and ravelins have been destroyed and what parts remain standing. Mrs. Ireland wrote also: “Since Colonel Ireland retired from his War Production service with General Mo tors, — in Flint, Michigan, we have been dividing our time between Michigan and Virginia. . . The past summer I made a grand tour of museums and art galleries in a determined search for material to use for a writing project on the subject of Moro deco rative art. I now have the necessary data, •TRUCKS •PICKUPS •TRAILERS •HEAVY LIFTS Available Daily Telephone 2-79-35 Mr. Barrett Mr. Schedler LUZON BROKERAGE COMPANY 184 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL May, 1948 DISPLAY LYON STEEL SHELVING ¥ F. H. STEVENS & CO., INC. Behind the Barbed ’Wire El Hogar Filipino Bldg, / NEW MANILA SUBDIVISION ENRICH U’R OWN LIFE . . . . And that you can do if you make the life of your family interest ing . . . Start building your own home among well-kept homes ... on high lots . . . about 10minutes ride from Pla za Goiti. MAGDALENA ESTATE, INC. 217-221 Consolidated Investments Building Plaza Goiti, Manila UNIVERSITY & ESPANA SUBDIVISION with photographs and drawings, to do a fairly good job of tracing origins. I have made a serious study of it and feel that I really have blazed a trail in art research. Will tell you more when I have gotten fur ther along. I have used the articles and il lustrations you gave me and have found much more besides. Could you find out if the album of student art compiled by Prof. Gilbert Perez for the Treasure-Island Fair in San Francisco, 19 .9, was salvaged? If so, is it in the United States or Manila? If it is available for study, whom could I write to obtain photographs or copies of designs? My address is 108 Villa Road, Hilton Village, Virginia, U.S.A.” A t the risk of boring the readers of ■ * "\his sprightly column, we repro duce another missive from the edi tor’s calumnious “Admirer”: * “ Wha-sa-matter, pal? Have you run foul of your board of directors? Don’t you agree with them any more, or they with you? Must make it hard for you. Such a pity! I draw this happy conclusion because of that article of yours on the Krivenko case, which I saw in the Manila Chronicle. I would have thought you would have had that in the Journal which you so nobly edit. But no. Your devoted readers who did not happen to see that article in the Chronicle, missed it. But what’s the difference? For once, I find myself agreeing with a board of direc tors, probably not for the same reasons. Not that I think so much of the Constitution or of our Supreme Court, but I do have a feeling about the land, though like millions of others I don’t own a square inch of it. If I had my way, I would dispossess not only all foreigners but all the present possessors. I would have the land owned in common, everything owned in common. My own contribution, you might suppose, would be negligible, and that would be true, I am proud to say. I have nothing but my brains which I employ most pleasantly in reading every thing I can get hold of and in writing anony mous letters, like this one. My muscle I employ in pounding a typewriter for a capitalist. I admit I am chained. Why don’t you try to find out who I am so you can get me fired? Instead, you only print some of the stuff I send you, trying to get under that thick hide of yours. May be you think I am a fool, eh,—ridiculous, will convict myself? Maybe I am half-baked, as you have more than once intimated. Maybe I of Well, the editor can assure this wellwisher that he hasn’t had the slightest EVERETT STEAMSHIP CORPORATION GENERAL AGENTS AMERICAN MAIL LINE To and From Portland Seattle Vancouver Tacoma PACIFIC TRANSPORT LINES To and From California Philippines FERN LINE To and From North Atlantic Ports Gulf Ports Philippines EVERETT ORIENT LINE Serving the Orient PHIL. STEAM NAVIGATION CO. Serving the Philippine Islands 223 Dasmarinas St., Manila Tel-Overseas | Tel. Interisland 2-63-82 Tel. Executive 2-97-38 You talk to the KEY MEN of Philippine BUSINESS ★ When you advertise in the AMERICAN CHAMBER of i COMMERCE JOURNAL May, 1948 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 185 misunderstanding with the members of the board of the Chamber. He did write the article on the Krivenko case for the Journal, but several board members thought that it might arouse some resentment and judged it better not to publish it in the Jour nal. The final decision was entirely up to the responsible members of the board, the editor felt, because the Journal is the organ of the Chamber and its policies and contents are right ly determined by them. It is not the editor’s personal organ. The directors had no objection to the editor seeking publication of the article in another medium. Naturally, they do not control his personal opinions. As a matter of fact, it was not that anyone differed with the editor as to his state ments, but only as to the advisa bility of publication in the Journal. As for the other ideas of “Admirer”, we are already doing all we can, through the columns of the Journal, to set such “thinkers” as he is right. “Admirer” is interesting as a speci men of a much-confused young man. More “common sense” and a better integrated course of reading might help him. Meanwhile, he may rest assured that the editor hasn’t the slightest desire to further identify him or to seek a closer acquaintance. T_Tere’s a letter from an ambitious ^office boy who wants to start a business of his own, and how! “Dear Mr. Editor, “I don’t see why you print that Admirer’s letters. He seems to hate you and I don’t know why. What can you have done to him? My boss takes the Journal and I read it after he gets through with it. I ask his per mission, of course, and he permits. He sees I earnestly want to improve myself. I have to put them back in the file, though, so I can’t keep them. I’d like to ask you whether you could not send me a copy free every month, but I won’t because then I would have to give my name and address and I want to ask you to answer a question for me without anyone (except me) knowing who asked it. “I — the unknown —ask this: Why does our government allow all sorts of new shops, kiosks, and so forth to be built in some of the public plazas in the walled city near where I work? The papers and government officials are talking all the time about squat ters, but here are some very fancy squatters and no one apparently has said them neigh [sic]. What I want to know is, — if they can, why shouldn’t I pick out a nice lot for my self and start up some sort of business of my own? If I only had a little money, dear Mr. Editor. Couldn’t you ask Mr. Hall and Mr. Ewing to be a little more plain in their co lumns and tell their readers just what stock to buy? Then, maybe, I and my friends could buy some stock between us and get money enough to become entrepreneurs. We could take a piece of land, near Malacafian, where plenty of important people go and put up a nice stall to sell sandwiches and soft-drinks. My sister is willing to be the sales-girl. We could put all our money in the building and in the stock-in-trade. The land would be THAT WEARS LONGER THAN PREWAR TIRES! Long-wearing tread—Its wider, flatter tread gives greater protection against skidding. 35% Stronger ... The new tire has more and better cords, which give a tire body that is stronger, wears longer. Over 16,800,000 miles of tests under all conditions helped prove the new tire wears longer than prewar tires. BFGoodrieh FIRST IN RUBBER 186 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL May, 1948 RADIOTYPE YOUR MESSAGES S/wan//de &/ede “Wa <&/ed< ” For GLOBE MESSENGER Tel. 2-95-17 — 2-97-91 GLOBE WIRELESS LTD. Main Office Sixth Floor China Bank Bldg. Branch Office Lobby, Filipinas Bldg. Plaza Moraga free. I know, Mr. Editor, that you are always ready to do what you can to help a young man get along. So please talk to Mr. Hall & Mr. Ewing, and also advise, in your next column, whether it would be all right for us to pick out a site for a small business near one of the Malacafian Gates. I am not letting anyone know the exact spot we have in mind. Could they do anything to us? There are plenty of very poor huts right on Aviles Street within a block of the Malacafian grounds. “X” We regret to say that we can’t advise young “X” and his sister to put up a refreshment stand near a Malacafian gate without permis sion and we are pretty sure that per mission would not be granted if they asked it. There isn’t much use in asking Messrs. Hall and Ewing to do what "X” asks because we are sure those two gentlemen are doing the best they can as it is. We have a practical suggestion for "X”, how ever. Let him do a little “field work” and try to find out from the squatters he mentions, themselves, how they came to settle where they did. The Journal might pay “X” a little something if he would pass the in formation on to us. We take the liberty to commend the Evening News on its trenchant edi torial, “Arbitrary and Immoral”, in its May 10 issue, on the subject of government control over the sale of streptomycin, “the wonder medicine for tuberculosis”, from which the De partment of Health made a reputed profit of P400.000. The editorial stated in part: “The streptomycin incident gives cause for disillusionment with the Government. The people have reason to doubt the good sense of the Government when it makes a huge profit in a business operation involving a medicine much in demand but beyond the buying power of many, if not most, of the needy. . . A revision of the Government’s policy with regard to the control of prime necessities, including drugs and medicines, should be effected with a view to keeping any official or semi-official entity from seizing on a public need as a means of raking in money.” YALE TRACTOR Whether your hauls are in the plant, from building-to-building, in storage yards or on receiving and shipping docks, the dependable Yale Electric Tractor "delivers the goods" in a hurry —and saves you money. Let us show ; ju how. THE EDWARD J. NELL COMPANY 1450 Arlegui Street Tel. 2-70-15 toots THAT KEEP INDUSTRY ON THE MOVE . . . MADE BY SUBSCRIBE TO THE JOURNAL and keep your files complete C. F. SHARP & COMPANY, INC. STEAMSHIP OPERATORS — AGENTS SHIP BROKERS GENERAL ORIENTAL AGENTS: WATERMAN STEAMSHIP CORPORATION Mobile, Alabama THE IVARAN LINES — FAR EAST SERVICE (Holter-Sorensen — Oslo, Norway) General Agents for: PACIFIC ORIENT EXPRESS LINE (DITLEV-SIMONSEN LINES) Norway (TRANSATLANTIC STEAMSHIP CO., LTD.) 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pages: 183-186