Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Page 4 Editorially Speaking Vote With the November 6 general election just a few days away, it is important that Clinton (SC) employees be aware of two state-wide constitutional amendments which will appear on the ballot, both of which are critical to our community and industry. The most important amendment is Mmenameni i nis amenameni wouia permit a city after July 1, 1985 to exempt a new manufacturing company or an old manufacturing company within the city that builds an addition costing $50,000 or more from paying municipal property tax for not more than five years. Under the provisions of the proposed amendment, the bill does not afford industry Clinton Mills Registers ( More than 525 Clinton plants empli registration drive recently conductet According to Jim Switzer, coordin very pleased to have an opportunity tc Laurens County Courthouse. ^iiuiuii empiuyeea die eiieuuidgei each person seeking elected office i thing to be a registered voter; howe^ Par in A Participate ELECTION DAY FEVER! The Hoopla and the promises. Everybody gets excit But does everybody get involved? The very fibre of our free enterprise s uioilant riti7onr\y Tr\ nrntort ar?H nrocor w,5,,w"? MJ. . v y uiiw K.v^v*. tem, we must all get involved in the polit day of the year. Above all, we must vote for the candid views, and thereby help decide the dn takes in the years ahead. Every vote cou tunity we can't afford to pass up. And our responsibility doesn't end wi anything, that's when the responsibiliti it's City Hall, the State House, or Ca officials must continue to hear our vox Never assume that your elected offi answers. Never assume that you can't ct legislation. And never assume that the deaf to hear. Unfortunately, too many of us think v a kook or a wild-eyed rebel if we speak 01 % of people thought about the men who ga phia two hundred years ago. And they h< than we do. True, it's difficult to redirect nationa an individual influence on the course o But our national elected officials are res of voices. Yes any special favors or tax credits that cannot be obtained presently in counties throughout South Carolina. The amendment encourages industries to build and expand within municipal boundaries, instead of just the county. In addition, voters will decide the fate of another amendment, Amendment 4, com momy rererrea 10 as me lax ana spenamg limitation amendment. In simple terms, it requires that the General Assembly spend within its income. That is, the state's spending cannot exceed its income. When analyzed thoroughly, a "yes" vote on both amendments would serve in the best interest of each of us. Dver 525 Employees oyees took advantage of the voter i in the plants. ator of the drive, employees were ?register without having to visit the 1 to evaluate the qualifications of md study various issues. It's one ver, it's more important to vote. ticip mer b# Voting , the flag waving, And what about Ic :ed. Board of Education r ty council meeting? lystem demands a matters or supporte ve our unique sys- right position might ical process, every It's a lot easier to s whatever ills are cr< ates who share our were created in the rection the nation simply "assumed." ints! It's an oppor- Because we assun election day. ith election day. If But the fact is t es begin. Whether elected or not. Thi; rvifrvl LJ i 11 r\ Ir\ r\DAtiAr Kftftn rhinnnr JJIIUI i 11111 CICV.ICU i it?ci uccm ^nan^cv :es on the issues. never been revoked icials have all the Our free enterprii lange the course of supports it, do at ti bureaucracy is too We may get frustr? elected officials ant ve' 11 be considered may feel that taxes it. That's what a lot thered in Philadel- But with all its ap id a lot more to risk country is still rega the most personal t il affairs or to have There's only one if national destiny. tem. And that is for ponsive to a chorus process?every day Remember, your Letters to 1 Please extend our thanks and gratitude to those 110 employees at Lydia who rolled up b thier sleeves and donated blood during our a request. Clinton Mills has been actively involved in g the volunteer blood program for over five years now. I would like to take this opportun- e ity to personally thank everyone there whose tl loyal support has helped us meet the blood needs in our area hospitals, without fail, a during those five years. n You're the best! h Sincerely, Sharon A. Warday Director, Donor Resources New Import Rules Have Foreign textiles continue to take their toll in lost U.S. jobs, plant closings and cutbacks. Imports in June were worth $1 billion, the first time that level has been reached in a single month. On September 7, 1984, the government's new rules for cracking down on illegal imports went into effect. But there was a giant loophole; it allows goods purchased before August 3, 1984, and shipped before October 31, 1984, to be exempt from the new rules. We can expect another big surge in im >cal affiars? Have you ever attended a neeting? A village, town, city, orcounHave you ever spoken out on zoning td the tough issues even though the have been unpopular? >u udCK dnu crmcize guvernmeni mr Bated. But maybe that's how the ills first place. Because government itself ried our job was done when we voted on hat we are "government," all of us, ? basic tenet of our Constitution has I. It may have been forgotten, but it's se system, and the democracy which mes creak with inefficiencies, sited or angry at the inane actions of our J their surrounding bureaucracies. We are to high and benefits too low. _ A ? _ I I 1 -J ipdreru idiungb driu bnuriLummgb, uur rded throughout the world as offering reedom and opportunity, way to protect America's unique sysall of us to get involved in the political of the year. vote counts. Your voice counts more. the Editor I'm speechless! The three days of your lood drive was wonderful at Plants No. 1 nd 2. You are all, without a doubt, a wonderful roup of people. Please extend our thanks and gratitude to ach and every individual who helped make his week's blood drive a success. Without dedicated folks like all of you, we, t the Carolina-Georgia Blood Center could iot meet the needs of the patients in the 16 lospitals we serve. Sincerely, Jan S. Bruce Donor Resources Big Loophole ports as American buyers and foreign producers scramble to beat the extended deadline on enforcement of rules that have been on the books for years. The exemptions came about because retailers, importers and shipping interests? plus some foreign governments?protested the new rules. The regulations are designed to halt the illegal and widespread practice of "transshipment"?assembling garments in different countries to get around quota limits. Clinton Mills has been very active in letting elected officals know they want these illegal trade practices stopped?and this battle. Meanwhile, due mainly to the efforts of Rep. Butler Derrick (D-SC), the U.S. House passed a bill requiring textile products to be labeled with the country of origin. The U.S. Senate had already passed the bill. The law covers ads and catalogs as well as the goods themselves. This means textile products made in the United States will be identified as "Made in U.S.A.," so customers can find American products more easily. The bill takes effect in mid-December, 1984. * * * Everyone hears the phrase, "low-wage foreign producers" when the talk is about textile imports. But a recent study shows clearly just what kind of unfair advantage many exporting countries hold over our products. China's average labor cost is just 3 percent of America's. So are those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In Pakistan, labor costs only 6 percent of U.S. costs; in Brazil it's 11 percent and in Portugal it's 15 percent. The ratio in Hong Kong and Taiwan is 19 percent and in South Korea it's 22 percent. That means that for every dollar U.S. textile companies invest in their employees, these major foreign competitors invest less than a Quarter. Given that kind of cost advantage, plus government subsidies, it's no wonder our U.S. companies are under attack. The remarkable fact is our own people and plants are so productive they're still able to put up a terrific fight against those kinds of odds with very little government protection. vuiiuw rieaem At Bill Signing President Reagan signed into law September 1984 legislation that requires American textile and apparel products be conspicuously identified in labels and mail order catalogs. Among those attending the Rose Garden ceremony were Clinton Mills Chairman Mr. Robert M. Vance.