Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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f all;? Clinton (Ehrontrl? Established 1900 WILSON W HARRIS, Editor and Publisher .... HARRY C. LAYTON, Assistant PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY Subscription Rate (Payable in Advance) One Year $2.50, Six Months $1.50 Entered as Second Class Mail Matter at the Post Office at Clinton, S. C., under Act of Congress - March 3, 1879 The Chronicle seeks the cooperation of its subscribers and readers—the publisher will a.t ail times appreciate wise suggestions and kindly advice. The Chronicle will publish letters of general interest when they are not of a, defamatory nature Anonymous communications will not be noticed This paper is not responsible for the views or opinions of its correspondents. Member: South Carolina Press Association, National Editorial Association National Advertising Representative: AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION — New York, Chicago, Detroit. Philadelphia CLINTON, S. C.. THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1954 Competition Gets Keener We are in a highly competitive period just now, both as regards towns and cities and businesses, large or small. The alert, intelligent business man ought to under stand this fact and does. The times are slipping fast into history when all a mer chant had to do was get hold of the mer chandise and the customers would fight over who would get it. That-was the situ ation all during the war years when we have enjoyed an unprecedented prosper ity created by the Korean war. That day is gone. Now that we are getting back on a basis which is good for the country in the long end—competition in everything is getting keener all the time. This means that merchants and salesmen in small towns who earn their livelihood will have to get on the ball to hold their friends and neighbors. They will have to give the same sendee, the same bargains, and do the same job of selling as their big .city cousins. This is what leaders in the business world have been saying for months now at industry conventions and elsewhere. There must be a better selling job it is generally admitted all along the line. The inevi table fact is this—a strong buyers’ market is with us—and retailing, if progressive, must fully recognize this fact. Taxes Must Come Down Taxes in all fields, city, school, state, and nation are too high as everyone knows s who must contribute a large share of his ■ earnings in meeting the ekhorbitant tax bill. The first place to Start was in Wash ington, and then demand that the curtail ing reaches down to the small community. In Washington a good start has been Tnacte after the Roosevelt-Trufnan regime had broken all records of all time in spend- ‘ ing taxpayers’ money. The order of the day has been spending, extravagance, Wasting, creating deficits and increasing the national debt. The first seven months of the fiscal year the federal government spent $1,600,000,000 less than in the com parable period a year before. This we say is a start in the right direction, all taxpay ers will welcome. It is the only direction that can save us from eventual national bankruptcy. The work that has started to get us out of such a financial “mess” should be greatly accelerated. More tax cuts are essential all along the line to give individuals relief, and busi ness an opportunity to expand without so large a part of profits going to federal and state governments. There are millions of young people ambitious to better them- . selves, but they cannot long endure as such under the restrictive taxes which they inherited. -If ours is to remain a land of opportunity the tax load must be light ened, opportunities broadened. And ev ery American citizen, regardless of party affiliation, should pledge himself to sup port the government’s present efforts to reduce costs—even though we may feel a temporary pang in our pockets. Right -here'is where the character, courage and patriotism of the American people will be thoroughly tested. ligations made in recent years affecting several government agences, the evidence stands out boldly that too much discretion allowed administrators can expose them to great pressure and temptations, often resulting in graft and fleecings. There must be air-tight positive, legislation that cannot be side tracked or evaded for indi viduals or groups who are on the inside. The FHA was not originally designed to remove all risk from the contractor or builder and yet what is being revealed is that many experienced contractors were smart enough to cut the corners and cut their actual costs far below the FHA esti mates, with these savings added to the profit on the mortgage. In other words the government not only furnished the money free to the mortgagor but in many instances gave him a bonus for coming and taking the money away. , Evidence still being revealed, shows that the government allegedly has been fleeced out of more than seventy-five mil lion dollars and home-owners out of mil lions more. And builders have been made to pay for much shoddy work. As we have said before, when politicians and bureau crats are given almost unlimited sums of taxpayers’ money to spend, influence ped dling will soon work its way on the inside, and too often graft and corrupton show their powerful heads. That is exactly what has been happening. The housing program for individuals and financing companies has proven the reality of this danger. 1 Housing Scandals Multiply The more digging in is made of the Federal Housing Administration, the more is seen the actions of that ftody~Tiaverir bad odor in many instances, with evidence of graft, corruption, inside favoritism, and manipulating as shrewd as what transpir ed in the Reconstruction Finance Corpora tion, the old 5 per centers and influence peddlers and in the Revenue Bureau and Justice Department itself. In the mortgage insurance programs the definition of “cost’’ and the definition of “value’’ was responsible for the abuses since they created a loophole and made it easy for builders to take advantage of them. Why was this loophole never re moved? Why was the inquiry called for by a senator never undertaken until three years later, by either Congress or Adminis tration? W’hy were the senate’s attempts to really tighten up the law watered down by the House? These are still unanswer ed questions and most likely will remain so. Why have multiplied abuses under the home improvement provisions apparently continued with no effort to check them. It goes to show that a law, loosely but faulty drawn, with regulations intended to be equally ^applicable to everyone, can result in more waste of public funds than could outright favoritism and fraud. The answer is simple. But in numerous hives* ClHtlpp«rVtMm- Q THI up>l» HOP* HASHVH.ll TINNISSII THE. WORLD S MOST WIDELY USED DEVOTIONAL GUIDE Stir up th« gift of God. which is in the*. (II Tim othy 1:6.) Road II Timothy 1:1-7. It is one thing to rejoice in the wonderful heritage handed down to us. It is quite another thing to do and dare so worthily of the past that influence which we make on today s environment becomes itself a heritage which our children’s children will look back upon. Can you hear them saying to their children, “Those ancestors we had back in 1954 were stout-hearted people. TTiey gave expression to a way of life which makes it easier for us to know the truth, to enjoy the beautiful, to walk in the path of honor”? Yes, it is very important for the Timothys of our day to have mothers like Eunice and grandmothers like Lois. Real joy in wor ship is realized when each new generation takes the unfeigned faith of their ancestors, and rekindles it into a new fire of light and love and loyalty for the generations yet to come. PRAYER May w* be faithful to our Christian heritage, our Father. May it bud and blouom anew in our genera tion. to the end that a rich harvaet of golden fruit may be gathered tomorrow. In the nam^ of the Saviour who teaches us to pray. “Our Father who are in heaven . . . Amen." ^ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Today’s deeds are more important than the memor ies of yesterday. Charles A Pierce, Banker (California) he will commit a crime The federation’s views were contained in its annual report, presented by David Rosentein, president, at a pre-conference session of the organization’s 38th annual meeting. The federation said car thefts by youth have “multiplied dra matically.” The organization blames this on the increasing importanree youth finds in hav ing an automobile for dqtes, “if only for a few hours.” “Vandalism and general dis regard for property rights have 1 increased remarkedly. The pre vailing attitude atrtong young people seems to be that one* should not get caught To be ap prehended is a mark of ineptness and lack of skill,” the report said. It said city children are more apt to fall into crime and offer ed the following statistics of 1953 crimes committed by teen-agers: In New York City there were 3,060 crimes per 100,000 popula tion; in Manhattan alone there were 5,882; in cities over 250,000 population there were 2,058; in those with populations of 100,000 to 250,000 there were 1,944. In cities with 50,000-100,000 popula tions the rate was 1,620, in those of 25,000 to 50,000. • l BALER TWINE SPECIAL 40 Lb. Per Case Unconditionally guaranteed to be as good or better than any twine you have ever used. Special Price - $9.95 Case FARMER’S FEED and SEED STORE PHONE 1025 WE 1X3 ALL KINDS OF PRINTING—EXCEPT BAD CHRONICLE PUB. CO. Call 74 BABSON ... V Business Conditions Looking Up By ROGER W. BABSON Babson Park, Mass, May 13—Last December in this column I predicted we would NOT have a sharp drop in business during 1954. So far this has not taken place, although there has been a temporary period of unemployment. The ques tion is: What will be the pattern of business from here on? This 1 will discuss in a few weeks when I make my extended Forecast for the last six months. How Bad Are Conditions? Because some of my critics were overly pessi mistic for the first quarter and business conditions failed to bolster their attitude, they have now be come pessimistic about the second half. I think they are still wrong! Sure, retail sales have drop ped some in a number of lines since the first of the year. Automobile sales for most companies have been poor. Steel production has slowed to about 70 per cent of capacity, but is still almost 30' per cent better than that of 1940 or 1946. The squeeze has been on, too, for the marginal farm er, with the trend to larger farms, greater mech anization, and fewer farm hands. Last year’s 5 per cent drop in farm income caught the farm machinery manufacturer off balance. I anticipate this condition will continue well into 1954. The levellling-off in business activity which figures such as these represent will be reflected in the business of railroads. During this second quarter our railroads are anticipating about a 27 per cent decline in automotive shipments, a 17 per cent decline in steel loadings, and an approximate 8 per cent decline in coal and coke carloadings. On the other hand, some increase is expected in transporting such things as fruits, frozen foods, cotton, and cement. So, I forecast that total car- loadings this quarter will reflect a drop of only about 8 per cent over the second quarter of last year. Reasons for Optimism There are, in fact, some substantial reasons for optimism. For nearly a /ear now we have been working down the unsold goods on our shelves and in our warehouses. People are still in a good position to buy; they have the money. Did you know that personal income rose to about $285 bil lions by the end of 1953, compared With around $2teo billions at the end of 1952? During this same period, salaries increased more than 2 per cent so that our living standards and savings reached the highest point in history. Further, our banks have both cash and‘gov ernment securities in an amount eqiial to about 60 per cent pf deposits, and the easy-money policy which encourages business is back with us. The construction industry keeps booming. For ex ample, the Commerce Department reports that new construction expenditures for the first quar ter of 1954 were the highest in our entire nation al history. A number of manufacturers polled in dicate that March, 1954, was either the second or third best in the history of their companies. The Unamploymcnl Question There has been too much loose talk about un employment I am especially concerned by the way in which unemployment data have been pre sented by many magazines and newspapers. This could have an adverse psychological effect up6h business which is not warrented. Granted, across the country there have been more instances of lo cal labor surpluses. No one likes to see anybody out of work. But the picture is not nearly so alarming as some analysts would have us believe. I believe the best way of presenting unemploy ment figures is on a per capita or percentage bas is. To illustrate: In 1828 the population was 120,- 501,000. The unemployed totaled 2,935,000. Therefore, t^e per cent of unemployment per capita was only 2.4. In 1938 the population had increased to 129,825,000 and unemployment to 10,390,000. The per capita unemployment, there fore, was then 8 per cent Now take 1954. Our Banquet Ends Year For PC Robed Choir The Presbyterian college rob ed choir brought the 1953-54 sea son of 42 concerts to a close Thursday evening with its an nual banquet held in Judd din- ing hall. Dr. Edouard Patte, director, announced the appointment of the section leaders and minor oficers at the banquet. The new section leaders are: Greg Elam, first tenor; Stan Johnson, second tenor; Eddie Rayfield, first bass, and Jack Ed munds, second bass. The other officers appointed are: Drayton Cooper, chief of readers; Charles Joyner, chair man of the secular program; and Bill Dantzler, chaplain. Bob Reynolds will serve as new organist to succeed Samuel Workman. The proposed plans for next year, it was announced, will in clude a fall tour to southern Georgia and northern Florida, and a spring tour to the Missis sippi valley. _ . _ * Dr Patte stated tjiat the choir has more requeots 'Than can be met before late 1955 Jones Leads Group . / In Historical Talk At the annual meeting of the South Carolina Historical Asso ciation held at Wofford college, Dr. Newton Jones, professor of History at Presbyterian college, led a discussion on a paper writ ten by Miss Margaret DeChamps, professor of history at Agnes Scott college. The paper dealt with the theme of anti-slavery sentiment among Presbyterian clergymen in upper South Carolina. The subject covered the period from the 1790’s until the Civil War. _ Small Cities Reported Better For Children New York, May 8—Big city children get into more trouble with the law than their country cousins, a group of social work ers reported. > Statistics of the National Fed eration of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers said the smaller the city a child lives in the smaller the chance there is Mountville Gin & Seed Cleaners With this year, H*i ret M mnch from planted aa paaritle By havtnr you cotton teed . . . DELINTED, RECLEANED, TREATED AH Seed Tested for Germination ALL WORK GUARANTEED Day 528 — Phone — Night 876 JOHN M. SIMMONS Mountville, 8. C. +■ \ George W. Bagwell Candidate For .Alderman-Ward 5 A resident of Clinton for many years, and in business in the city (owner of CKnton Clean ers on East Carolina Ave.) I have the interests of the city and its problems at heart and will work to maintain the affairs of the city on a high plane. A Vote For Bagwell Is A Vote For Progress THURSDAY! FRIDAY! SATURDAY! YOUR CHANCE FOR SAVINGS GALORE m L ciVS. present population numbers roughly 160,000,000. Even with a high estimate of 4,000,000 un employed the per capita percent age figure would equal only 2.5, or about the same as in the .boom year of 1928! Be careful how you let the prophets of doom lead you astray. Business con ditions are good, and with your help they are going to be even better in the months to come. FOR ATHLETE'S FOOT USE A KERATOLYTIC BECAUSE— IT SLOUGHS OFF the tainted eat er skin to expoue buried fungi and kills it on contact. Get this strong, keratolytie fungicide, * T-4-L, at any drug store. If not pleased IN ONE HOUR, you 40c back. Now at McGee’s Drug Store., 29-4c WRESTLING MAIN EVENT Southern Heavyweight Champion Match • This Match Sanctioned By the National Wrestling Alliance MR. MOTO vs. FRED BLASSIE Bert 2 Out Of 3 Falto 60 Min. Time Limit Feferee Cyclone Copley —SEMI-FINAL— STEVE GOH vs. VE FIRPO ZAYBYSKO 1 Fall 45 Min. Time Limit —AND— DON LEE vs. CHARUE KEENE 1 Fall SO Min. SATURDAY MAY 15 — 8 P. M. Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium ARENA f\ NYLON MESH WEAVE SPORT SHIRTS 2.00 For summer comfort, for real cool shirting, these ny lon leno fabrics can’t be beaten. So light in weight, you practically won’t know you are. wearing a shirt. Penney’s has them in blue, grey, tan, green, gold and white. Try one. You’ll love PENNEY’S OWN NATION-WIDE Muslin SHEETS 1.59 81x99” Make your beds up with Nation-Wides and your sheet dollars will go a long way! 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White, pink. 82 to 44. LOW PRICED COTTON PLISSE SPORT SHIRTS 1.00 Easy-to-wash cotton phase shirts need no ironing! They’re lightweight, and cod, styled with spread col lar, one pocket, short sleeves. Can be worn in or out. White, pastels. 2-18. BIG MAC 8 OZ. DENIM JEANS Sizes 6-16 Penney built to endure the toughest treatment. Roomy action-fit in 8-ounce san forized*, blued e n i m. Orange stitched, riveted and tacked. Heavy duty zipper and four big pockets.* LACE EDGED COTTON PLISSE Slips for Girls 66c A whooping big value at an incredibly tiny price! Imag ine! just 66c for a plisse slip. Cotton phase—so cool to wear in summer, such a cinch to care for because you just wash it.