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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1944

CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

TEXT OF MAYOR F. H. LA GUARDIA'S SUNDAY BROADCAST TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK FROM HIS OFFICE AT CITY HALL, OCTOBER 8, 1944, BROADCAST OVER WNYC AT 1:00 P.M. FOLLOWS:


Patience and fortitude.

PULASKI DAY

Today a large number of our citizens of Polish ancestry are celebrating Pulaski Day. For many years this day was a sort of celebration in appreciation for what our Country has done for them and also to commemorate the great contribution of General Casimir Pulaski in our Revolutionary War. Pulaski was one of the great generals of that war and took part in the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Charleston. He was mortally wounded in Savannah. Today the parade in New York City, in which thousands of our fellow citizens of Polish descent will participate, is different. It is a sort of protest, and also a message that the American people have full understanding and sympathy with the people of Poland, that the war cannot be over until Poland is liberated. Today this march is sort of a protest, for lack of support given to the warriors, the defenders of Warsaw. But that will be remedied. They, the people of Poland, and the brave people of Warsaw, will not be forgotten. Poland again will be free! The mermaid again will smile!

It is my privilege to start this great and memorable parade of 1944. Attention, - forward march!


BUTTER AND OLEO

Last week I talked to you about the shortage of butter. There and still seems to be quite a shortage in the retail stores. I do not think that this shortage should last very long, for as I told you two weeks ago, I think, it was, the Government set-aside order has been greatly reduced since October 1st. It will continue to be reduced up until next spring. Last year the Government required 464,000,000 pounds of butter to be set aside for government uses, that is for the armed forces and lend-lease, and this year it will require only 285,000,000 pounds of butter. Last week we received about 200,000 pounds less than we received the previous week, and last year at this time the supply was much lower than it is now, so it ought to let up before long! But, and I want to suggest that you take advantage of oleomargarine. You know, it is very good, and you cannot tell the difference, really you can't. As you know, butter requires 20 points, and oleomargarine requires but 2 points; butter is selling at 52 cents a pound if you can get it, and oleo is selling at 17 to 27 cents a pound. So use oleo and I can assure
you that it is just as good.

I gave you the chemical contents of butter and oleo last week. If you use it as a spread, you can get the coloring in the store where you buy the oleo and you can mix it very easily. For cooking, I do not think that the coloring is necessary. It does not add anything to its nutritive value, so use oleomargarine and you will see that butter will be forthcoming real soon.


REGISTRATION WEEK

Well, this is a great year for us. In fact I think it is a great year of hope for the entire world, notwithstanding the fact that we are engaged in a World War. This year there is a presidential election, which will be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution as if there were no war going on. It is a great privilege to vote and it is also the duty of every citizen to vote. In our State you cannot vote unless you register. Registration commences tomorrow, Monday, October 9th at 5 P.M. and you may register up to 10:30 in the evening. It continues through Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the same time and ends on Saturday, October the 14th, the last day being from 7 o'clock in the morning to 10:30 at night. Now do not put it off until Saturday because it is a long day. Anything might happen Saturday and the first thing you know you will not have registered and you will feel embarrassed and you will have failed in your duty.

Here are the qualifications for voting in our State. You must be 21 years of age; a citizen of the United States; a resident of the State of New York for one year; a resident of the City of New York for 4 months, and a resident of your Election District for 30 days. The law has been changed as to the 4 months residence in the county heretofore required. The law now requires 4 months residence in the City. As you know, a great many people move around October from Manhattan to Queens, or Queens to Brooklyn, or Brooklyn to Queens, or Queens to the Bronx, - you see, i must get all these combinations in or some County will say, "Hey, you left us out, people are not moving out of our County, they are moving in," - and heretofore, if they did not live in the county or the borough for 4 months prior to election they could not vote. Now that has been changed. If you lived in New York City - and that is a big territory - for 4 months just prior to Election Day, you are qualified to vote. Therefore, I urge all qualified citizens to be sure and register. That means that we want to get out a full registration. It is very important this year, regardless of our own domestic interests.

Don't you see, we are setting an example to the whole world. Don't you see, people have been fighting for liberty, and people who have been oppressed, people who have been told that democracy is decadent, that democracy does not work, are watching what is going to happen, and we want to show them that democracy does work, we want to show them that men and women in a democracy and in our country do take an interest in the affairs of their government. Therefore, everyone is urged to register and vote.


ELECTION FRAUD PRECAUTIONS

It has already been announced that the Mayor and the Attorney General of the State have worked out an agreement whereby the Election Frauds Bureau of the Law Department of the State and the Police Department will cooperate to prevent election frauds. Detailed announcements will be made from time to time. We want all people who are entitled to vote to vote. Just once, you know, just once. Think of that.


WNYC ELECTION CAMPAIGN TALKS

Here is something that I think will be of interest. Commencing on October 16th at 9 o'clock WNYC will have a daily program on "Keeping the Record Straight". The two parties supporting the two major presidential candidates will enter a panel and each will have 15 minutes every day at 9 p.m. to "Keep the Record Straight". Of course, I do not know much about elections - I have been in a few - but very often things are said the day before which are not exactly quite true. Then you correct that, and you are given a little tiny bit of a correction some place in the third or fourth page of the newspapers. The purpose of this program is to "Keep the Record Straight". Distinguished representatives of the two major political parties will be on the panel. Each party has the right to select a specialist on any specialized subject that may unexpectedly arise. One speaker will represent each side every night end the parties will alternate on speaking first on the program. So starting October 15th, your City Station WNYC will present both sides in "Keeping the Record Straight" from authoritative sources.


INFLUX BUSINESS IN N.Y. CITY

Well, notwithstanding some knocks that we get from time to time - efforts to belittle our City - I am very happy to report continued progress. After the war we are going to have three more large manufacturing plants in our City. Our City Department of Commerce has informed me that the American Type Founders Company, famous suppliers of printing presses and type to the printing industry, now engaged 100% in war work, advises that they have established three of their manufacturing divisions in New York City. The Philharmonic Radio Corporation will return to the production of their high quality radio right after the war and manufacture here in our City. Their Remote Control Division, which is now serving the armed forces with electrical control apparatus, will continue to make this remote control apparatus for industry and peacetime purposes. What will be another plant in the City. The third is what is now the Navy Film Recorder. This device, known as the Recordograph, will be produced for a varioty of peacetime uses and I am very happy to make that announcement. We welcome those new activities here in our City. There are more coming in all of the time, too.


NEW YORK OFFICE, INC

You remember some time ago I told you about the great services of the New York Herald Tribune. In a series of editorials it pointed out that New York was the largest Management Center in the Country, and that the home, offices of many of the Nations largest industries are located here. Well, now, we have a new one, and this new project is called "New York Office, Inc." The idea grew out of this concentration of management in New York City. Small and medium sized firms located outside New York, which up to now have not felt they could afford maintaining a New York Staff, will be enabled to have the advantages of their own New York office with New York addresses and the facilities at a fraction of the cost of an individual office. Only firms of high standing and only one firm in each segment of competition will be accepted as clients. The New York Office, Inc. will be housed in a midtown office building accessible to transportation facilities. It will be staffed by experienced counsellors in accounting, labor relations, exporting and engineering, and such a staff as only the largest firms could employ. Any outside plant or factory that may be interested may obtain full and complete information by writing to the City Department of Commerce, 60 Broadway, New York City. If you did not got the address, write here to my office and I will see that you get the information.


BANK CREDIT GROUP FORMED

Here is some very encouraging news. I do not have all the details but they will be announced before very long. $100,000,000. bank credit group was organized last week by 34 banks of New York City to provide an additional source of bank credit for small and medium-sized business in the reconversion and post-war period. Formation of the group known an the "Bank Credit Group of New York City" was announced by Robert M. Manos, Chairman of the Post-War Small Business Credit Commission of the American Bankers Association, and a former president of the organization, who declared it to be the first such credit group to be organized under the Association's nation wide program.

Mr. Manos says: "In the reconversion and reemployment period small business will have many new credit problems; war industries converting to peacetime production, and business generally gearing its activities to new demands for goods and services. While most of the postwar credit demands will be met by individual banks, either directly or in cooperation with their correspondent banks, there may be instances where some banks may be unable to provide all the credit needed. The Bank Credit Group of New York City was organized to meet such situations. If the banks within the Second Federal Reserve District or in other parts of the country are not in a position, either directly or in cooperation with their correspondent banks, to meet the full credit requirements of their communities they may then turn to the Bank Credit Group of New York City or similar groups that are being organized throughout the country as a third source of bank credit. Businessmen of course will continue to deal directly with their own banks." That is very helpful, because the credit situation of small business and small plants may be very difficult after the war and we are interested. I want to take this opportunity to extend the congratulations of the City of New York to this new organization and to assure them of our full and complete cooperation.

You ask, why am I interested in new business and small plants? Well, it means business in New York City. What does business mean to New York City? It means jobs, it means that people can be employed, and we have need for a great deal of employment after the war. Therefore the City Administration is cooperating in every way in any way and at any time that we can do anything to assist business in our City.


NO FREEZING OF RECONVERSION

Incidentally - this is between you and me, see, I do not want any company to hoar this - do not pay any attention to that so-called McCarren Committee, nobody else does. Do you know what they said? They said they were going to freeze reconversion in eleven Northeastern States. It just does not make sense. How can they? I might as well say to the Senator, and I know Senator McCarren, that I am going to freeze silver mines in Nevada and bring them to New York. That would be silly, wouldn't it? It is just as silly to say that reconversion in 11 Northeastern States is going to be frozen. Well it just will not be frozen. Why? First, we have the demand here. Second, we have the facilities. Third, we have the trained, experienced labor hero. Fourth, we have the finances here. Fifth, we have contact with the entire world here in our import and export business. Sixth, we have the transportation facilities here and last but not least, we are still part of the Union, and therefore eleven states are not going to be discriminated against. So do not worry about that.


MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES

I have received many letters since my talk last week about mortgages. Just think, mortgages at 5 % and 5 1/2% in this day and age - 1944. I have not replied to your letters yet, but I will do so in a few days. That is something that will take a little time. We want to get all the information and we want to know all of the facts. Then I am going to start a drive to get these mortgages reduced. Five percent on a home in New York City is too much. Five and one-half percent is exorbitant. Six percent is scandalous. The banks that I was talking about just a moment ago are commercial Banks. They are all right. It is not that kind of a Bank that I am talking to now. Get me? I mean the Savings Banks. O.K. I will talk to you about that later.


JOHN S. PARKE SWEARING IN

Talking about New York homes, right after this broadcast I am going to swear in Mr. John S. Parke, as a Member of the New York City Housing Authority, Mr, Parke is an architect and engineer, and has had considerable experience in the building industry and is now the Superintendent of the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, I am very happy to be able to induce Mr. Parke to take this office as we have $126,000,000. worth of new low cost rent housing projects to start constructing right after the war.


FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

I have been asked to call your attention, that commencing tomorrow, October 9th, we will have Fire Prevention Week. Commissioner Walsh has requested me to call your attention to the fact that we had more fires last year than the year before, although the Fire Department was able to reduce the loss by several hundred thousand dollars. However, the loss by fire in our City last year was $9,000,000 and that is too much to lose. We can reduce that cost and we can reduce the number of fires.

Starting now, see that rubbish is not accumulating in your hall or in your closets or in the cellar. While on this subject, Pat Walsh said to me, "You just tell your wife you are going to check whether she is using any combustible cleaning fluids." I am sorry, Patty, she is not, and has not been using it for a great many years. If you have a combustible cleaning fluid in your home, do not use it any more, because you can obtain cleaning fluids that are not combustible. Also look out for all frayed electric wiring, whether on an iron, a toaster or wherever it may be. If you use kerosene, do not use it in an ordinary can, but get an approved safety can.

All of this week there will be a splendid Committee which will center its activities in instructions as to how to prevent fires. And Saturday, at 12 o'clock, we are going to have a grand rally here at City Hall when we will award prizes to children - school children who have written essays on how to prevent fires. You see, that is very important, because we want to keep our homes happy

(Orchestra plays "Sidewalks of New York".)


EULOGY TO AL SMITH

Do you hear that, it is "The Sidewalks of New York". As long as that tune will be played, it will have a new significance. It will bring to memory a great New Yorker, one of our City's most distinguished sons. We buried him yesterday. Smith is as part of New York City as the Battery, Broadway or the Brooklyn Bridge. He was proud of his City. He was loved all over the Country. We feel his loss. It does not seem to be the same without him. He typified not only our City, but he typified what was best in our Country - an example of the opportunity that our Country affords to all. He was a groat statesman, and rendered great services to our City and to his Country and State. He knew more about the structure of government than any man in our time. He had a liberal education in government, for he started very young as a clerk in one of the administrative offices of our City and went to the Assembly as a young man, and served for many years in the Assembly and became the Speaker of that Body. Later on, he was elected to the office of Sheriff of New York County. That was quite an office. It was sought by many for it was a very lucrative office. But Al Smith, when he entered that office, always bent on improving government, soon recommended the abolition of the fee system and he did abolish the fee system when he became Governor. Later on he served as President of the Board of Alderman. After he served there for two years he was elected to the high office of Governor of our State. I succeeded the Governor as President of the Board of Aldermen and finished his unexpired term. After he became Governor, he set the machinery of reform in motion. For years and years there had been discussion, and study and surveys about reforming our State Government. Governor Smith set to work to do it. And he did. He had around him very clever men and women. He knew how to assign duties. He knew how to gather information. He could get and retain every detail of any problem though involved and complicated, and no one could present it in a more simple and understanding way than he. He was recognized as a statesman and as a great authority on government. He was truly Presidential timber. And he was nominated to the high office of President of the United States. Al Smith was not defeated. Something that we hold dear, a great principle, was defeated that year - the right to worship God in accordance with one's own conscience. Bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and prejudice entered into that campaign. It must be said in all fairness to his opponent that he had nothing to do with that part of the campaign. It sprung up, unfortunately, in certain parts of our Country. Al Smith was defeated. Our Country is not proud of that performance. I do not think it will ever happen again.

It must be said, too, of Al Smith that he ran for office many times, and of course defeated many opponents. However, none of his opponents, in all of those years, ever entertained any bitterness toward Al. People just naturally loved him, because he was genuine, he was wholesome, he was good. Remember children what I told you last week, about released time for religious instruction, well, Al Smith did that. He loved his Country, he adored his God. He was an example of a good God-fearing American.

Al Smith will always be remembered by us as an example; he lived right, he was beloved by all, and of him it may truly be said:-

(At this time orchestra again plays "Sidewalks of New York")

"So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan, which moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and seethed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams."

(Thanatopsis: William Cullen Bryant)

New York is sadder today, Heaven is hazier.

Patience and Fortitude.