The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, January 15, 1953, Image 1
7
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The Chronide
Strives To Be A Clean News
paper, Complete, Newsy
and Reliable
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(Pi? (EUnlntt Cljrnnirl?
If You Don't Read
The Chronicle
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Volume LIV
Clinton, S. C, Thursday, January 15, 1953
Number 3
=£=£
SALES TAX INCREASE SHOULD
GO TO SCHOOLS, SAYS WILSON
The “increase in sales tax reve
nue” should go to public schools
of the state, Senator Ralph T. Wil
son said in a statement as follows:
“Many people in South Carolina
believed that if the sales tax were
passed all of the funds from in
creased revenue would go to the
public school system. According
to figures from the State Auditor
as quoted by the South Carolina
Education Association such is not
rrue in practice.
“In 1949-1950 public schools re
ceived 37. per. cent of the state’s to
tal revenue. In 1951-1952 public
schools received only 35.4 per cent
of the total revenue of the state al
though the state received more
than thirty-seven million dollars
from the sales tax. During this
year the public school fund had
an increase of less than half the
revenue that came from the sales
tax. Many millions of dollars of
the state’s increased revenue from
the sales tax went to other state
functions.
“Because of the failure to use
all of the increased funds, from the
sales tax for schools, local and
county areas have been forced to
add levies in addition to sales tax
funds for paying teachers and for
administrative expense.
“I undestand from reliable sourc
es that the sales tax this year will
bring in over ten million dollars
more than the amount collected
last year. Should this increased
amount be used for paying teach
ers an adequate salary by the state,
then there would be no necessity
for local supplement for teachers’
salary and thus there could be re
moved most of the 27 mills levied
in Laurens county for schools of
the county.
“It is my belief that this in
crease in sales ax revenue should
go to public schools of the state
and I shall use all possible efforts
to that end. SHbuld I be success
ful in having this increased reve
nue from the sales tax go directly
from state to schools in each coun
ty, then I shall strive to have said
increase go direct to the counties
and then the delegation from each
county can direct it to the public
schools of the county or foy some
other purpose and thus reduce the
millage now on county property,
and thus cajry out the intent of
sales tax reVenqe, namely thgt it
would go for school purposes or
that it would make a reduction in
certain other taxes.
“If the state is to take away con
trol of the schools from local areas
and direct the school program,
then the state should pay the full
bill including adequate pay for
teachers and adminstrative ex
pense; but above all the state,
should not break faith with her
people by having them believe, as
a basis for pas&ubg the added tax,
that all the' increased revenue
would go for public schools.”
Wilder Heads '
March of Dimes
Campaign Now On
The annual “March of Dimes”
drive for funds to carry on work for
the National Foundation for Infan
tile Paralysis is now under way,
with iron lung collection boxes plac
ed in business establishments in the
dinance and named Miss Frances
Pinson as an assistant in the office
of clerk and treasurer.
The principal change in the license
city. ordinance was in the section licens-
R. Fr WildeFTs "chairman for " the Ing merchants. As the ordinance now
Council Reduces
Some License Fees
City council, meeting in a called
session Monday night, made some
revisions in the‘business license or-| show art income increase similar
Hotel Stockholders
Hold Annual Meet,
Good Report Given
The annnual stockholders meet
ing of the Clinton Community Ho
tel corporation was held Tuesday
night in the banquet room of the
hotel. A majority of the stock was
represented in person or by proxy.
The meeting was presided over
by R. L. Flaxico, chairman of the
board, with R. P. Hamer as secre
tary. The chairman gave an en
couraging report of the operation
and financial status of the hotel.
He stated that after considerable
delay and red tape the commit
ment from the Reconstruction Fi
nance Corporation was approved
several months ago, the money ad
vanced and the construction loans
made by three participating banks
paid in full. The loan is for $125,-
000 at the rate of 4 per cent per
annum, with payments due‘quar
terly to meet the loan payment,
interest, taxes and insurance. The
first payment was met as due in
December, and similar payments
will become due each quarter. All
indebtedness of the corporation has
been paid in full with the excep
tion of the RFC loan.
The stockholders were informed
that it requires an income of $1100
monthly to meet the principal and
interest on the loan. The report
revealed that the past eight months
has shown an increase of 41 per
cent in the corporation’s income
over the same months last year.
Each month the past year has
shown a substantial increase over
the previous year the report show
ed.
The treasurer reported a cash
balance on hand of $9,121 as of the
date of the meeting.
The directors expressed the be
lief that if the next eight months
Clinton area with the following co-
workers:
Mrs. John Spratt, mailing list.
Mrs. Eva Land, Clinton Mill com
munity.
Mrs lone Wallace, Lydia commu
nity.
E. M. Watt, Presbyterian college.
Wilmot Shealy, Florida St. school.
D. S. Templeton, Academy Street
school.
Miss Margaret Blakely, Providence
school.
Mr. Wilder stated that $7,000 was
received last year from the National
Foundation to help carry on the work
in the county. The Foundation is not
included in the Community Chest
recently set up because it would lose
its affiliation with the national or
ganization.
An appeal is being made for lib
eral and increased donations, since
thousands of children will be inocu
lated in an effort to determine if this
method is effective, which will re
sult in increased expenditures. The
drive will be completed at the end
of January.
Col. Lott Purchases
Farm Near City
Col. L D. Lott, and Mrs. Lott,
now on an overseas asignment in
Germany at division headquarters,
plan to return to Clinton and build
a home when his term of service
terminates. Mrs. Lott is a niece of
Mrs. J. Lloyd Adair. Their little
daughter, Kathy, is three years
old.
Col Lott has bought a 200-acre
farm near the city recently where
they expect to make their future
home.
reads it imposes a tax of $20.00 for
the first $10,000 in gross business
and 75 cents per $1,000 above that
figure.
Photographers and money-lending
agencies also came in for reductions.
Photographers are now assessed $20
annually on business up to $2,000,
and $30 if gross business exceeds
$2,000. Finance companies, lending
agencies or individuals who lend
money are assessed $75 per year.
License fees in these categories
were set at substantially higher fig
ures in the ordinance passed by city
council in December. Monday’s ses
sion of council was called by the
mayor to hear protests from anyone
dissatisfied with the fees set for their
business to operate in Clinton for
the coming year. About a dozen indi
viduals appeared and presented their
pleas to the mayor and aldermen.
At the meeting of council imme
diately following revisions were
made. #
Council also passed a resolution
authorizing the mayor to borrow up
to $50,000 if needed. However, it was
pointed out that no necessity for
borrowing is anticipated and that
the resolution was merely a techni
cality in connection with notes that
the city has outstanding and which
will be renewed. Mayor Terry stat
ed that the city has not had to bor
row any money for more than two
years.
Postal Receipts
Up $8,076.12
Clinton' postal receipts for 1952
exceeded 1951’s total by $8,076.12
according to Postmaster W. D.
Bailey's Bank
Entering Upon
Sixty-Seventh Year
M. S. Bailey & Son, Bankers, the
oldest bank in the county, and one
of the strong financial institutions
of* this section of the state, an
nounces the observance of their
67th anniversary in a statement ap
pearing in today’s paper.
Bailey’s BanK, as it is general-
Adair, ^jLjBercentage ‘increase °t|ly known, was established in 1886.
13.6 per cent. Its founder and president until his?
Receipts for the past year were. ^ath was s, Bailey, with his
$67,263.29, with the intake for the so^-the late W. J. Bailey as cash
to the past eight months, the hotel
would be operating dh a profitable
basis.
The present board of directors
was re-elected for another year by
the stockholders: R. L. Flaxico, C,
VT. Anderson, T. E. Addison, J. Ice
land Young, H. L. Eichelberger, R.
P. Hamer, D. O. Rhame, D A. Yar
borough, C. C. Giles, Robert M.
Vance, R. E. Wysor, III, P. S. Bail
ey, W. C. Baldwin, and W. W. Har
ris. J. B. Hart was elected as a
new member of the board.
At a subsequent meeting of the
directors R. L. Plaxico was re
elected president; P. S. Bailey,
vice-president; R. P. Hamer, secre
tary; W. C. Baldwin, treasurer.
G. W. Johnson,
Kinards Resident,
Passes At Hospital
George W. Johnson, 70, died last
Thursday afternoon at Joahna
Memorial hospital after being in
declining health for several years
and seriously ill for a week.
The funeral services were con
ducted Saturday afternoon from
the Sharon Methodist church at
Kinards by the Rev. James E. Kin-
ard, assisted by the Rev. James B.
Mitchell. Burial followed in the
church cemetery.
Mr. Johnson was a highly re
garded citizen of his community
where he lived a long and honor
able life. He followed his wife to
the grave only five days after her
passing, the services being held at
Sharon church on January 5.
Surivivors include three sons,
Ansel R. and Champ C., both of
Joanna; and Mayer L. Johnson of
Greenville; four daughters, Mrs.
Louise Lathrop of this city; Mrs.
Ruby Sharpe of Columbia; Mrs.
Nell Johnson Livingston of Gaff
ney; and Miss Mary Joyce John
son of Kinards; and two sisters,
Mrs. Emma Johnson Summer of
Chappells and Miss Eliza Johnson
of Chappells.
Son of Former
Clintonian In
Inaugural Parade
Brainard W. Gibson, Jr., whose
parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. W. Gibson,
live in New Zion, is enroute to
Washington, D. C., from Korea to
march with the inauguration color
detachment on January 20.
One of the 97 combat veterans
selected for the honor, he will carry
the colors of the 7th Infantry Di
vision’s 32nd Infantry Regiment.
He is a member of a division
which has fought in every sector of
the Korean peninsula. Elements of
the Tth were the only United States
forces to roach the Yula river.
The inauguration parade will be
a memorable experience in his com
bat-packed military career, Sgt.
Gibson said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he
said. 1 “It came as a big surprise
when I learned I was selected. A
lot of the boys were bucking for it.”
“My folks are all excited about it,
too,” he added.
The platoon sergeant wears the
Combat Infantryman Badge and
the UN and Korean Service Rib
bons. f
A 1947 graduate of Salem Central
high school, New Zion, Sgt. Gibson
graduated from the University of
South Carolina at Columbia in 1951.
He entered the army in August,
1951, and arrived in Korea last
May.
His mother was Miss Alliene Hipp,
of this city before marriage, a sis
ter of Mrs. W. C. Shealy, Mac B.
Hipp and Irby S. Hipp.
Bank of Clinton
Stockholders Hold
Annual Meeting
The annual stockholders meeting
of Bank of Clinton was held Tues
day afternoon in the bank offices
siding.
Bridges To Offer
Bill To Raise
Teachers'Pay
Representative Justin A. Bridges
of Laurens, a member and secre
tary of the county legislative dele
gation, has announced that soon af
ter the convening of the general as
sembly this week he expects to in
troduce his bill again to take the
surplus funds derived from the
three-mill sales tax and apply it
to additional state pay of the teach
ers.
Mr. Bridges said he introduced
a similar bill last year and it was
“bottled up” in committee and was
never brought to he floor of the
House for consideration
Under his bill, he said, the state
would pay an additional 20 per
cent on the pay of teachers salar
ies and thus relieve the local school
districts of part of their present
tax burdens.
Mr. Bridges said that he under
stood that there was a surplus of
$8,000,000 from the sales tax not ap
plied to schools last year and that
there will be an estimaed $10,000,-
000 or more his year.
The sales tax was pased for
school purposes,” he said, “and that
is where.it should go.”
Mr. Bridges said that he would
have gotten considerable support
for his bill last year if it had ever
reached the floor of the house and
that he believes it would get more
support this year. .
Credit Production
Stockholders To
Meet Here Jan. 24
The Clinton Production Credit
Association will hold its 19th an
nual meeting of stockholders here
Saturday, January 24, at 10:30 a.
^ . TT . . meeting has been forwarded by
President Hamer gave a state- Rex L an f on i j secretary-treasurer,
month of December 4argely ac-
counting* * ior the gain. The total
receipts for 1951 \yere $59,187.17.
Mrs. M. E. Browning
Observes 92nd Birthday
Monday, January 12, Mrs. M. &
Browning, one of the city’s oldest
and beloved residents, observed
her 92nd birthday.
Although no formal celebration
ier. At the death of the founder
W. J. Bailey was named as presi
dent and held the position until his
death in 1948. Following his death
a nephew, Robert M." Vance, be
came president and has headed the
bank since ( then.'
The statement shows capial stock
and surplus of $600,000, with undi
vided- profits of $197,297.28, and
total assets of $(7,314,204.01.
The bank has been owned and
was held it was a happy occasiorv *maTTzffeed by the well known Bailey
ivedi
for Mrs. Browning who received!
numerous gifts, flowers and con
gratulatory messages from her
many relatives and friends here
and elsewhere.
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NEW SUBSCRIBERS
HONOR ROLL
Where can you get so much for
so little as a year’s subscription to
THE'CHRONICLE? It will be a
“welcome letter” in your hume for
52 weeks. .
ment of the year’s operation and
thanked stockholders and directors
for their interest and support the
past year. ~ "
The financiad statement as of De
cember 31, showed assets of $1,-
758,476.86. The report was com
mended by several stockholders
and a motion passed expressing
commendation and appreciation to
the officers and employees. The
bank paid a 5 per cent dividend at
the end of the year as approved by
the board of directors and state
bank board. An addition was made
to the surplus fund. The state
ment shows capital and surplus, re
serves and undivided profits cf
$155,078.09.
The following directors were re
elected: John T. Young, chairman;
R. P. Hamer,’ T. E. Addison, F. M
Boland, S. G. Dillard, John W. Fin
ney, Sr„ J. P. Prather, W. W. Har
ris, T. H. Copeland, H. D. Henry,
and H. Y. McSween.
At a subsequent meeting of the
board the following officers were
reelected: President, R. P. ‘ Hamer,
vice-presidents, T. E. Addison and
John T. Young; cashier, H. Y. Mc
Sween; assistant cashier, Leaman
D. Jones; bookkeepers and stenog
raphers, Miss Margaret Holland,
Miss Katherine Dicus and Mrs.
Carolyn C. Barclift.
Clubs To Join For
Trophy Banquet
It is announced that the next
meeting of the Kiwanis club has
been changed from January 22 to
January 29 to participate in a joint
meeting to be held in the college
dining hall.
The change of meeing is made m
order that the club members may
attend the Jacobs blocking trophy
banquet at which tune trophies
will be awarded. William and
Hugh Jacobs have announced the
event begun by their late fathei.
Dr. W. P. Jacobs, is to be revived
to the members.
Five prizes of $5.00 each will be
election will also be held for one
director to succeed Lawrence F.
Davis, whose term has expired.
G. H. Aull, head of department.
Agricultural Economics, Clemson
college, will be the guest speaker
for the occasion and his message is
expected to be of interest and
benefit to all farmers and other in
terested citizens who attend.
Two County
School Projects
Passed By Board
Laurens County Board of Educa
tion approved a total of $186,551 in
expenditures for building and re
modeling projects at Hickory Tavern
and Gray Court-Owings schools at a
recent meeting.
The projects, recommended by
District 55 trustees, will be start
as soon as possible, J. Leroy Burn
county superiritendent of education
and chairman 6f the boartf, said.
The Hickory Tavern program, in
volving an outlay of $91,860, was
unanimously approved upon motion
of G. C. Roper, member of the board.
Joel Babb asked for the Gray Court-
Owings program, which amounts to
$94,691 and was passed unanimously
also.
- m. in the Florida Street school au
ditorium. A letter announcing the TOT 'the House and one -for tbe Sen-
LEGISLATIVE
SESSION COST
HALF MILLION '
Expense Probobly Run
$10,000 Day. New Ses
sion Faces Many
Problems.
Columbia, Jan. 14. — No matter
how thin you cut a legislative ses
sion, it’s still going to cost about half
a million dollars to run one each year
in South Carolina.
A new session that opened the 90th
General Assembly here Tuesday at
noon should be no exception, regard
less of how long it lasts.
For example last year the assem
bly met for 38 days and for the fis
cal year in which it met, it cost $497,-
466, or just a fraction under $500,-
000.
1950 Session 91 Days
Yet the 91-day session of 1950,
which you would expect to cost twice
as much because it was more than
twice as long, found the taxpayers
shelling out $616,372 for its support.
,The 1951 meeting lasted 71 legis
lative days* and the tab was $561,996.
The major effect of a long session
seems to be to reduce the daily cost.
This was $12,775 last year, $7,915
for the 71-day 1951 meeting, and $6,-
773 a legislative day for 1950’s 91
days of deliberations.
The biggest single item in any ’
year’s legislative bill is pay for leg
islative attaches of the House, Sen
ate, Council, and special services for
both houses.
This, including between-sessions
services that must, or certainly do,
operate the year around, usually
comes to about $200,000. This is ex
clusive of pay that is gathered, under
the heading of approved accounts.
Catch-All AccoanU
These “approved accounts''—one
ate—are catch-alls that only an ex
ploration team could accurately ex
cavate.
Suffice it to say that the accounts’
drawn for, but members must be 1 principal inclusions are (1) between- _
present to receive any prize. Xn]sessions pay for a numJSer STTegT?-
with local civic organizations in-
vited to join in the sponsorship ofj *; 0 ! 1 s t-onimunny. cenUT
the sports event. ' ° 3 ®‘
lative attaches, and (2) per diem, at
$10 a day of meetings, and mileage
for special committees of the legisla
ture that meet between sessions..
During the past three sessions,
these approved accounts totaled in
the Senate alone, $42,491 lajt y^a:,
$40,752 the year bfefpre,fand $43,46?
the year prior to that, in the House
were $28,432. $21,317 and $19,269,
respectively.
The salaries paid in the assem
bly, exclusive of members’ compen
sation, range from a few hundred
dollars for page (of which, inciden
tally, the Senate had 49 last year,
and has had as many as 72, to serve
its 46 members; while the 124 House
members struggle along on a dozen
to the $9,000 a year salaries drawn
by the clerk of the House and the
clerk of hte Senate).
Pay Sizeable Hem
Legislators! pay makes up a size
able item each session, at the rate of
$1,000 a legislator, plus extra com
pensation for the Senate president
and president pro tempore, and the
House speaker and speaker pro tem
pore.
Printing costs are substantial.
They were $60,730 last year, but
have run up in the $100,000 bracket
—as they did kn the 91-day session
of 1950.
Printing costs account for some of
the higher costs of longer sessions,
because there are more journals, cal
endars and bills handled.
Mileage and stationery for the
lawmakers vary aftnost exactly with
the session length, but make up a
relatively small portion of total
costs. The members get five cents a
mile for weekly round trips to {hen-
homes, the budget report shows. In
„ . . ...... the short session last year, milcas«
Candidates to receive in.t.at.on and s , ationc was In *.
will be inspected by the dLs rit , 91 .day meet,n*..u was $32 15 ,
deputy grand patron Ray Davkins, | The ptlcc 0 ^ ti , w
of Newberry inspecting officer. and Senate is tar from bet.
Preceding the inspection meeting
there w^ll be- a banquet at the Clin-
Annual Inspection
For Eastern Star
The annual inspection meeting of
the James B. Parrott chapter, Or
der of Eastern Star, will be held
Friday evening, Jan. 16, at 7:30 in
the Masonic Temple. All members
are invited to attend.
■at
family since it was founded, its
members being successfully en
gaged in banking and the textile
industry through the long period of
years.
Welcome and thanks to those on
our Honor Roll this week:
MRS. SARA JENKINS,
ROBY CHANDLER,
D. L. McGEE,
LEE HASKINS,
— '.- City, - -
JAMES KITCHENS,
HERBERT HURT,
J. C. GREGORY,
BO BROWN,
• HUBERT SNELGROVE,
MILLARD PHIPPS,
FRED BODIE,
Lydia.
J. L. BARTLEY,
Joanna.
Kiwanis Officers
Inducted Into Office
At the first meeting of the local
KiwaAis club for 1953 held last
Thursday evening, newly elected
officers were inducted into office
and committees named by Presi
dent J. C. Thomas for the coming
yean—— ——£——-
The club had as its guest for his
first visit, Lieut. Gov. Harold P.
Wheeler, recently elected as leader
for the 9th division the coming
year, and a member of the Gaff
ney club. Lt. Gov. Wheeler con
ducted the impressive installation
of the new officers and charged
them as to their duties in assum
ing office.
Shonds To Observe
82nd Birthday
ifelong and high-
?mg m pro
portion to membership. The charge
is about $2,000 a year lor each Hou •
member, bu; skits between $3,000
and $4,000 a year per senator.
The number of attaches, fr<
ters and page boys to * '
two bodies, ’
the annual
low
por-
IC I oi
w
•itv
sat-
H, Shands
ly respected resident of the
will observe his 82nd birthday
urday, January 17. Until his re-j _
tirement a number of years ago he r . . r\r
recordPCOUt Court Of
rum appruve
6 extra page
! year.
had a long and enviable
with the Seaboard Air Line Rail
way company ms.-thturJdK*ai_agenJL
The many friends of Mr. Shands
will unite in wishing for him marty
happy returns.
LEGION AUXILIARY TOR MEEJT
The American Legion Auxiliary
will meet Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the
Legion hut. The afternoon group
will meet at 4 o’clock and the eve
ning froup at 7:30.
Honor Be Held
At Lydia Church ;
The Laurens district Boy Sebuts
of America, court of honor will bv*
held at the Lydia Baptist church
Monday evening, January 19, at 7
o’clock. ^
Awards and merit badges for
scout honors will be given. The
public is invited to attend.
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