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THE WEEKLY SERMON CORNER:

THE CASE AGAINST THE OPA:

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the AUBCRT HAND COMPANY. Incorporated F. MERVYN KENT. Editor PAUL SNYDER. Manaoar SUBSCRIPTION PRICE *2.00 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE

Redeeming the Time Maxon Bares “Inside Story”

By the Rev. Albert W. Lenz, S. Tr M., pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Cape May

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L REPRESSNTAT1VI

S WEST THIRTY-NINTH STREET.

Jhs Public Sp&akA, First tabulation of replies to questionnaires distributed by the City of Cape May to determine the traveling public’s sentiments about our present railroad schedule supports the contention of city officials that the existing schedule is inconvenient for most passengers. The tabulation showed that the majority of train passengers leaving Cape May prefer a train leaving at 7 a.ml instead of the present 6:00 and 6:39 a. m. trains, with a proposed train leaving at 9 a. m. as a close second. That, of course, is the position the city offiicials have taken. As long as Cape May can have only two morning trains to Philadelphia, one at least should be at a later hour for the convenience of those who are not required to reach Philadelphia before 9:00. Contending that it is a ridiculous duplication of service to have the only two morning trains leaving within 40 minutes of each other, city officials have repeatedly petitioned the railroad company for a revised

schedule.

Until now the answer they have received has always been the same. "We have arranged our schedule for the convenience of the majority of our passengers,” say the railroad officials. After repeated fruitless attempts to obtain more generally satisfactory service, city officials resorted to the questionnaire idea to determine once and for all the real desires of the public. Whether or not such evidence will have any effect ©n the current season’s schedules we do not know. Probably by the time the situation is surveyed and a decision made, the summer vacation season will be over, so there will be no necessity for change. At any rate, we hope the city commission will continue its campaign to obtain adequate rail service for Cape May, not only during the vacation season but in the winter as well. The volume of rail business between this city and Philadelphia is ample to justify better schedules and service, and it is reasonable to expect that condition to continue. ^ JGiep SsachaA (jl&an! Cape May’s once spotless beaches are another casualty of war. The strand which has always been kept reasonably clean, this season has been cluttered with trash and other debris, much to the chagrin of city officials and to the displeasure of Cape May visitors. There are two reasons for this condition: The most important is that with the present manpower shortage, it is physically impossible to keep the bathing beaches as clean as they usually were. There just aren’t enough people to do all the jobs that need to be done at this resort in mid-season. The beaches formerly were cleaned under a combination arrangement between the Beach Patrol and the city street cleaners. Now both departments are operating short-

handed.

But another reason for the condition—one which can be corrected^—is that some bathers insist on disregarding the comfort and pleasure of others and throw trash on the beach without so much as a thought about the trash containers which are placed

on the principal bathing beaches.

Newspapers which have been blown apart, paper napkins and' candy wTappers are the main causes of the cluttered condition. The debris which is brought ashore by the tides is much less in evidence than that which results from sheer carelessness on the part of

bathers.

Fully aware of the handicaps under which the city is operating this season, bathers should cooperate by doing their part in keeping the beaches as clean and pleasant as possible. In that way, it would lessen the burden of the already overburdened city forces and result in maintaining the beach conditions which have aet Cape May apart from the run-of-the-mill resorts for so many years. Here is another instance where the war demands cooperation from all of us . . .

Text: Ephesians 5:16-17-

therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days an- evil. Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what

the will of the Lord is.”

The apostle Paul addressed these words to his fellow-Christ-ians in Ephesus. Many had just recently entered upon a life of fellowanip with the Lord Jesus Christ, and the apostle was eager

we note a mixture of good and evil. The good must be preserved and enlarged; the jerfl removed and forgotten. We apply the lesson of going into dry dock. Ships must go into dry dock from time to time to have accumulated barnacles chipped off to make them more efficient. In the voyage of life people must go through a cleansing and an awakening pro-

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ofte* is recent months. The Star and Wave has editorially taken issue with the Office of Price Administration because of some of its irtiims sad regulations. We. Like many other newspapers, have charged that the OPA is muddling, that its theorist* are creating mare war-

** '■ ~ they are

OPA who believe that the Got-

and distribute all commoditie*. Can thus left wingers or new

better what God’s win is. We

Lnrisi, ana me »posue was eager - r , - - ^ « I-" ft" !_ h :

Pfops Jen Jhs (Oai&Jiwcup Hope for the ultimate federalization arid improvement of New Jersey’s inland waterway from Cape Mav to Manasquan was sounded last week when high ranking Army and Navy officers and representatives of the State Board of Commerce and Navigatipn were here on a tour of inspection. Commenting favorably on the Cape May, Canal and the inland waters immediatelyaurrounding this resort, members of the survey party Repressed the hope—and •aid they would recommend—federal control and maintenance for the rest of the inland waterway with improvements for the entire route ta. f^effitate small ■Dost travel. While the project would be valuable to the armed forces during the present war emergency by providing inside passage for small boats and barges, its greatest beneficial results would be felt after the war when, it is hoped, pleasure boating will resume its formerly important place in the 'scheme of things along the With the canal and a good inland waterway navel sing almost the entire coast of New Jersey, small boating in this area should hit a new peak and bring new to Cape May and the other New Je*ey

and grounded in the abiding and eternal principles of C^jistian faith and experience. TTtt' paganism from which they had emerged, in a transformation from darkness into light and from spiritual death into abundant life, was still very potent in their midst. Paul urged them to persevere in their efforts to “put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holineaa of truth.” Included in his admonitions are those words of counsel and challenge: “Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” James Moffatt translates the passage in this way: "Be strictly careful about the life you lead; act like sensible men, not thoughtless; make the very most of your time,

for these are evil days.',’

There is an evident contrast between the reckless folly of the pagan world and th spiritual fervor which should always characterize and identify the followers of Christ. The Christian life is shown to be one of regulation and integrity, since a constant effort is made to understand what God's will is. There is continual searching of the heart, the high resolve not to deviate in any respect from the law of duty and requirements of full discipleship. Those who are careful about life, in its moral, social, and spiritual 'spheres, are wise and sensible. They make a wise and sacred use of every opportunity to do good, with a zeal that time a choice possession. Paul calls this “redeeming the time,” making the most of one's opportunities. We have now reached the midway point of the year 1943. It is usually at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new year that we become tremendously aware of the significance of time. We do well, however, to heed the admonitions of Paul in all seasons of year, whenever we reach milestones of life, and launch out into new adventures and opportunities. When we ponder upon the value of time, we find ourselves among an innumerable company of people who are haunted, more or less painfully, by the feeling that the months arid years slip by, while they have, not been able to get their lives into proper working order. Success and failure, hope and disappointment, joy and sorrow, life and death, have been mingled together in the matrix of common experience. Over against the glories of life with abounding sunshine and countless blessings, we see the scars of life with dark clouds and undesired evils. Many opportunities which were given to us to be explored, were grasped and redeemed. Others slipped by. perhaps never to reappear. There were occasions for the renewal of noble resolutions, but depressing circumstances discouraged and disillusioned us. We may have longed for a second chance to redeem ourselves. We may not have wasted our substance in riotous living nor sold our moral and spiritual heritage for a mess of pottage, but we must confess that we have done things which we ought not to have done, and have left undone the things which we ought to have done. We did not take heed, we were not strictly careful about the life we were leading. We acted like thoughtless people. We did not make the most of oar opportunities, and thus redeem tne time. We may- have come to one of two conclusions: either life is ultimately »ain and unsatisfying, or life involves the forgetting of the past -and the launching out with a new surrender to God's will to validate the glorious promises of

today and tomorrow.

That we are living in evil days Deed not be demonstrated. The world is out of joint. Moral values are flouted and thrust into the discard. Those who profess to live under the Lordship and leadership of Christ woefully fail in their practice of vital religion, and thus discredit his program in the world. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. and all other things shall be added unto you.” “Labor not for the meat that periaheth, but for that Which endureth to eternal life.” "1 am crucified with Christ, hut it is no longer I that live, hut Christ liveth in me.” How do our lives fulfill these tremendous challenges? The times are evil, trerablous, tragic, because pf moral laxity and spiritual weakness, and the situation demands a deeper dedication and a fuller consecration on the part of Christiaiu, and through their evangelism a glorious harvest of Mints in Christ. A band of dedicated people can accomplish much more, in the redemption of “ times, than the mass of

Thank God for times of i

hind, and press forward to those things which are before; unto the prize of the high calling of God. We apply also the lesson of taking inventory'. At stated times a business firm takes stock, in order to make the most of material on hand, and to prepare for future needs and services. To be at its best life must hold its elements in proper proportion. Material things have their place, but when they are in such abundance that moral and spiritual values suffer,'it is necessary to take stock. The material must decrease, the spiritual increase, and life brought thus into true balance. Without the things Of the Spirit life is not under the

sway of God’s will.

There are many things that enter into an experience of redeeming the time. We have a glorious opportunity to consecrate leisure time for constructive purposes. We can support institutions and agencies of education, healing, character - building, benevolence. We can make study, travel, the arts, friendships, minister to a richer life. We can learn les‘sons of paramount worth in fellowship with the afflicted, the distressed, the disabled. If these people redeem the time by the compensations of life, we ought to be challenged to redeem the time in fruitful and enriching labors of love and service. Talents used for the highest ends of life cannot fail of increase. The relations we have with our brethren everywhere in the world must be those of Christian love and brotherhood. Like CJirist, we must go about, doing good. Have we been redeeming the time in these evil days, by making the very most of our opportunities to advance the things of the Kingdom of God: Are we strictly careful about life and its demands for wisdom and thoughtfulness? Does criticism of other people make us overlook our opportunities for doing good? Are we putting first things first? “Be not overcome of evil, but over-

come evil with good.”

POX GETS PRESENT VILLAS—George B. Fox, chief of the Villas Fire Company, who instructed classes of Lower Township fire reserves under the civilian defense program last winter, vat presented with a wallet Friday night as a token of appreciation from the Erma unit of the fire reserves. The presentation was made at the semi-monthly meeting of the Villas Fire Company. The Rev. ■S. F. Sliker, leader of the Erma group, made a brief address following the presentation.

The Navy sea bag. which is give* to every new recruit, contains clothing valued at $105.

deputy administrator of the OPA. Lou R. Maxon last week issued a statement in which he blasted the policies, methods and theories of the agency. The statement, coming ftom one of the OPA’s hend men, is virtually a pies of guilty to the innumerable charges of bungling, fumbling, muddling and the general criticisms which have

been leveled at the OPA. With the publication of his

statement as our final piece of

testimony, we rest our case . . . After several weeks of consid-

eration, I have decided that 1 cannot accept the position of general manager of OPA and have also reached the conclusion that I cannot continue to be associated with OPA in any capacity. I have resigned as of this

date.

OPA must not fail. Its collapse would send prices skyrocketing and bring mob scenes as housewives stampeded for the limited supplies of the essential goods that are now rationed. But if OPA fails, it will be because of its own internal weakness—confusion, indecision, compromise, miles of legalistic red tape, and the presence of theorists in policy-making positiona. The job of controlling prices and rationing scarce commodities under the tremendous stress of global war is vast enough without the infusion of any efforts to remake the American economy at the same time. OPA needs at once a drastic reorganization, a strong, clear direction, and a liberal transfusion of common horse sense. Only these steps can rebuild the morale of the agency, and provide the leadership which the thousands of volunteer workers for this agency so desperately need throughout the country. Until these §teps are taken, and until there is a willingness to simplify price control and rationing as far as is consistent with winning the war, there is nothing more that I can do in

OPA.

Months ago an extensive change in OPA personnel was promised. This promise has not been kept. Today the morale of the agency is at low ebb. The good men there are looking for other jobs. The theorists and the young lawyers will, of course, continue until forced out of the picture, because most of them are in better jobs than they could obtain in private life. I have been deeply disappointed in our failure to establish sound comprehensive policies and plans. In my estimation, there still is no realistic workable overall food program. Operation in this vital field has been strictly catch ss catch can, and OPA moves have often been directed by expediency rather than by any sound, long distance future plan-

ning.

There is a strong clique in

. they are actively at work in OPA. They ■ate* the war as a means furthering their reform rill continue to use in OPA ss s front for their efforts. If this group isn’t curbed, we are going to lose a good slice of the very freedom we are fighting for. I cannot subscribe to their obvious efforts to force radical and dangerous concepts on the public under the excuse of wartime needs. I cannot subscribe to the type of thinking that created the hosiery order, or that continues to drive for grade labeling or permits an agepey of the Government to openly declare that an independent merchant's store is an inefficient and costly place to patronize. Grade labeling, in my since rest estimation, presents the greatest threat to American industry and our way of life that ever existed, because it is without question the spearhead in a drive to eliminate brands, trade marks and eventually free enterprise. In OPA we have people who like to control just for control's sake. I can't subscribe to a policy of trying to apply price control to everything when all our efforts, energies and resources are needed to keep the basic cost of living items in hand. Our young lawyers have OPA so bound up in legalistic red tape that Houdini himself couldn't untangle it. I don't know how many hours they spent on the wording of their classic border on fruit cake, but it's six pages of fine print. They have managed to keep their fingers on the strings of OPA, and Congress might well consider legislation to force OPA to employ lawyers with s proved and lengthy record of ability before being permitted to help confuse the public via their OPA rulings. In my opinion, the best thing that could happen would be a forced cut in the legal staff of 50 per cent. In OPA there is a “hangover” in attitude and methods of another administrator which makes itself continually evident as an active destructive force. The heads of many of our vital departments are handicapped by a fundamental lack of practical experience. We have a large number of professors and theorists whose unworkable ideas have been conceived in the rarified atmosphere of the' classroom. Much of the confusion in OPA has been caused by a lack of understanding of the problems involved, in all their depth, and a complete unwillingness to seek or accept the advice and knowledge of men experienced in the fields affected. In OPA there is a marked distrust of business people. The professorial mind, in my estimation, is one of the most dangerous factors in our Government today. Instead of the broad view that is theoretically . promised, their thinking under the unaccustomed glow of authority takes

wing and soars through th* clouds unimpeded by facts sad unhindered by actuality. Fre had my fill of these slidentie boys. IVe famd thee* is bo give to their iaeliMfc, academic minds. They try to make a walled city out of OPA bocante there is no opizikm equal to their own mdeas it ti one of complete agreement or of greater daring in their world of dreams. They don't want the advice of people who are experienced. Their book-bound, dream-ribbed, classroom mind$ definitely have no doors or windows leading in. Labor has been promised a rollback of food prices. Yet with the exception of two articles, there is no money available for this roll-back, and today it is, in- my estimation, nothing more than an empty promise. OPA also suffers from the strange Washington belief that if you just wait long enough, everything solves itself. I’ve never seen such confidence in the healing power of time. It’s the old waiting game. Direct decisions are avoided. One compromise leads to another crisis and another compromise. The idea of OPA planning and executing any food program without utilizing to the fullest extent the knowledge and the complete cooperation of the food administrator’s people and agriculture is just plain nonsense. Yet that has been done in the past. We have had far too many vest pocket operations in OPA and experience and practical knowledge have often been a definite handicap to those who wish to help OPA; There is no question that OPA has consistently defied the Price Control Act in refusing to consult with the business affected except in a strictly window dressing manner. There is little attempt to observe or utilize the normal processes of business. It must be new and different and difficult or it isn't OPA I don't believe OPA should bs turned over to big business or little business or sny group or interests. However, OPA should welcome the experience and knowledge and cooperation of people who know the intricate problems of those affected by their orders. Industries should have a part in making the regulations they must live with. OPA has failed to taka full advantage of business experience and good sense in helping make their programs work. If a man owns an extra suit of clothes or if he has been a success in business—that shouldn’t bar him from service in OPA. And a college degree should not bs necessary. Only a country as great as ours could survive the bungling and impractical dreaming of OPA that has thrown much of the country's small business into confusion. OPA must not fail. It’s a vital agency that affects directly th* lives of everyone in the nation. It must be made to function and only a complete housecleaning will permit this. The record of the past proves beyond a doubt

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