Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Page Pour THE CLINTON CHRONICLE GJtfr (Slinton (C^romrlr EstobUihed 1H# WILSON W. HARRIS, Editor and PufcLsber HARRY C. LAYTON, Aaatetant 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 Poat Office at Clinton, S. C., under Act of Congrese March 3, 1879 The Chronicle seeks the cooperation of its subscribers and readers—the publisher will at all times appreciate wise suggestions and kindly advice. The Chronicle will publish letters of general interest when they axe 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, APRIL 28, 1955 Let's Hove The Facts After weeks of delay a nine-man investi gating committee has been named to inquire into the financial status of South Carolina’s kilowat monster, Santee-Cooper hydro-elec tric, uncontrolled project. The committee has been named by the governor, Lieut. Gov. and Speaker of the House in compliance with a resolution calling for the appointment of a special committee to probe the financial sta tus of the Authority. As to be expected, the committee is top-heavy with lawyers, six of its members being members of the legal pro fession. The group has the authority to em ploy such assistants as it finds necessary, the resolution establishing the committee carry ing a $10,000 appropriation for such purpos es. Its report is to be made to the legislature which will afford ample time to make a thor ough study of the Authority and if it does its duty, there will be no gesture or white-wash ing job done. It is generall reported that the Authority is experiencing financial difficulties. Gov. Byrnes in his farewell message to the legis lature suggested that a thorough-going inves tigation be made. He said fh that message that the Authority will run a deficit this year of from three-quarters of a million dollars up. This being a state-owned project, taxpay ers of the state have a right to know fully about its operation, whether the job is effi ciently or inefficiency being done, whether there is waste and extravagance. And cer tainly they want to know why it is not put under the direction and control of the Public Utilities Commission which has supervision over all privately-owned and heavy tax-paying utilities of the state. Is it receiving tax- exempt and other privileges that enables it to undersell private utilities? There is another question that should be an swered. Why is Senator Jefferies of Colleton county, who holds a seat in the Senate from his county, allowed to hold the dual position of general manager and legal advisor for the Authority. And certainly this information should be given the taxpayers—How much salary has Senator Jefferies drawn in legal fees and as general manager of Santee-Coop er since it has been in operation? The state ment has been made, and not defied or ques tioned—that no office holder in this state has ever drawn as much money from its tax- payers as this gentleman. Let the people truthfully be told what is the present and future financial picture of the Authority. Is there a business man in South Carolina who would invest a dollar of his money in a politically controlled and op erated project like Santee-Cooper, a law unto itself. The Authority that operates it still owes $29,000,000 to Uncle Sam and about $15,000,000 to Wall street t bankers, and the co-operative, are bankrupt. How’s that for solvency. Voccine Program To Be Voluntary Millions of people have been thrilled and encouraged wdth the recent announcement that Dr. Jonas Salk’s vaccine was up to 90 per cent effective against poliomyelitis. It is reported that from May through next November there may be immunizations avail able for 60 million children between birth and the age of 20, which it is hoped may eventually be done. The vital age groups 1-9, i-19 will be immutized so far as possible dur ing the preceding months until November. The hope of Dr. Salk and the National Foun dation for Infantile Paralysis is that the pro tection of the vaccine should be afforded to all. The tragedy is that all of them won’t get it. The Department of Health, Education and Welfore tells us it believes it has the answer. The committee will recommend the amount of vaccine to be sold to the pharmaceutical hous es in each state and at the time it is to be sold, depending upon when and how hard the state is hit by polk). Each state will decide for itself whether—and how much of the vaccine it will distribute free as part of its public health service and how much should be distributed by private physicians. The states and the doctors, and properly so, have promised to cooperate by giving priority to those age groups which are most susceptible to polio. The program will be made volun tary, with no attempt by government con trols over the vaccine’s distribution. The discovery as we said last week is “great news.” Millions of small children throughout the country, including this state, are receiving the inoculations with a fine co operation shown by physicians, schools, the Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, state and county health departments. Every safeguard must be made against black markets, fakers and racketeers to see that no abuse is made of the supply. The announcement that the vaccine will be available by August 1 to give all children under 10 years the necessary two free shots by the Foundation is also wonder ful news. The minds of millions of fathers and mothers will be relieved with the an nouncement that every child can be given the protection by this stipulated date. The National Polio Foundation, which is supply ing the vaccine to the first and second grad ers, will need around 11 million dollars to pay for the vaccine. Because the March of Dimes drive didn’t reach its goal last year, there is not yet full vaccine production. This should challenge and arouse every service club, va ried organizations, churches and individuals to provide contributions to protect the kids. We should all be thankful for the develop er of the immunizer, Dr. Salk a modest, un assuming, unselfish gentleman who w r ants no personal reward or gain. His ambition is the furtherance of the beneficial vaccine in his fight against the great crippler of little chil dren,* and to help in research work and re habilitation for those already stricken. Life is a continual struggle. We should live it in order that old age may not be a regret. Some folks are very familiar with distant states and counties who do not know what is going on in the back streets of their own home town. District Methodist Youth Revival For Area Churches The Maltese Cross Youth Sub- District will have a Youth Revival beginning Sunday, May 8. The sub-district is composed of the youth of the Methodist churches m and around Laurens, Clinton and Joanna. The services will be-« gin in Broad Street Methodist church and be held there on Sun day and Monday evenings May 8 and 9. Tuesday, May 10 and Wednes day, May 11 the services will be held in the First church. Laurens. The preacher for this revival will be the Rev. James A. Merchant of Greenville. He is the son of Rev. and Mrs. J. E Merchant of this city. He is an A.B. graduate of South Carolina University and a BL. graduate of Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Ga. He has a message for youth. He was for many years secretary of youth of the Rock HiH District. He has lead in many youth activ ities. One such was for many years on King’s Mountain when the youth of the Rock Hill District met there for week-end study re creation and fellowship. Often there were as many as 200 youth registered at these yearly confer ences. Different churches will have charge of the worship services each night. While this is to be a youth revival the adults and chil dren will be welcome. Especially Color Makes The News In Shirts Color plays the biggest part in the men’s shirt story for spring. Soft pastels are solidly entrench ed. The popularity of colored the young people are asked to re member the dates May 8-11 and plan to come. shirts to brighten the dark war drobe grows apace, and for spring there is an ever-widening spectrum. The success of pink and helio will continue into the warmer months. Cognac, poach, lime, mint green, rust, orange and bright blues are also very much in the picture. At the other ex treme, charcoals have been add J ed to dress shirts for ensemWing with the lighter summer coat. Though solid colors hold the spotlight, subdued and subtle pattern effects in fine stripes, candy stripes and fine checks figure importantly on the style scene. Collars will continue their trend to short points, with me dium spread. Dress shirts will be broadcloth, chambray or the new open weav es which are presented in both natural and man-made fibers, in cluding striped lenos and pa ter ns in fine Dacron batistes. Sport shirts run the gamut from white to black, with fiesta yellow, buacaynat rum colors, mint, orange and cognac bid ding for favor. Patterns will in clude novel designs, checks, stripes, plaids .dots and space figures. TAR Tar can be removed from the hands by rubbing _ with a slice of lemon or orange peel. The oils from the skin dissolve the tar so that it can be wiped off very easily. SAY- "I Saw It In THE CHRONICLE- NOW IN PROGRESS BUY! SAVE PLENTY! BABSON . . . Forecasts "Revolution Ahead In Farming" By ROGER W. BABSON Babson Park, Mass., April 28—The small, non progressive farmer is gradually being forced out of business. The trend is toward large mechan ized farms. I forecast that this trend will con tinue. The stubborn farmer simply cannot com pete, over the long term, with the low-cost, mass production methods of the modern mechanized farm. He has not sufficient land and will not buy the necessary equipment. Income Decline Hits Small Farmers Hardest Farm income has declined on average about 8 per cent since 1951. This decline has been felt by all farmers, but particularly by the smaller opera tors whose costs are high. Some have had to close up shop. Those in the Dust Bowl area were dealt another severe blow recently when Federal Crop Insurance was discontinued in certain sections. Withdrawal of this insurance will be f e 11 especially by the small marginal farmer. Banks which heretofore have been willing to make loans to mar ginal farmers with crop insur ance protection are now neither willing nor able to risk their depositors’ funds. Some day it may be possbile to predict and control the weather. This should be a great help to the farmer, but would apply only to production, not to demand. Government acreage control has helped the small farmer compete against his bigger brother to the extent that the large mechanized operator has been forced to restrict his output. This how ever, is only a stop-gap measure and is unfair to the mass-production farmer because he cannot make full use of his facilities. This reduces his efficiency and ups his costs. Some day median- j ized farmers will revolt against this artificial re- I striction in much the same manner as the dis count houses are currently overthrowing the Fair Trade Laws. Push-Button Farming Although the day of wholly-mfcchanized farms is still in the distant future, some amazing devices have been developed and are now in use. The farmer can now push a button to grind, mix, and serve feed to a barnful of cows. Pushing another button changes the feed formula and the machine serves the hogs; pushing a third button prepares and serves feed to the chickens. Talk about the big city automatic restaurants! Those who .have done chores on a farm will readily appreciate the time and back-breaking labor these machines save. I forecast that women will supersede men in running certain farms. Another valuable machine is the hay and grain dryer, which roughly corresponds to the house wife’s clothes dryer. The dryer makes the farmer less dependent on the weather and lets him har vest at his convenience. It reduces spoilage and gives him more value from his crop. In addition, there are machine^ for planting, spraying, and harvestng, plus countless practical gadgets that make farm work more pleasant and efficient. What Fanners Sons Should Do I forecast the future is bright for farmers who have well-located farms and will adopt the new equipment; but I fear the days of many stubborn, small marginal farmers are numbered. Fortun ately, the impact of mechanization will be grad ual, but this is a problem which should be r e c o g- nized and planned for now by the fanner and his children. Government should get together with industry and try to make this transition as easy as possible. Farm workers esp^ially should face up to the situation realistically. In industry, the man who finds work in his own line diminishing, turns toanother type of business. He frequently does much better in the new endeavor. In this connection, many small farmers and farm workers have nothing to lose. Most farm people have character, courage, and good health. They often have the advantage of being handy with tools. In planning and run ning their terms they have had valuable adminis trative and supervisory experience. What does this all mean? To me it means that one of the farmer’s sons or daughters might do well to adopt the new conditions and remain with the term; but the “hired men” with ambition had better get Jobs elsewhere. Employers may well use the “Help Wanted’’ advs in term areas as job opportunities arise. • A REPORT TO THE PUBLIC ON THE TELEPHONE STRIKE Southern Bell deeply appreciates the efforts made by the Governors to settle the telephone strike. We regret that we were not able to convince those who represented the Union that the Company’s proposal for increased wages, expanded arbitration, and other contract improvements is fair and liberal. It protects the interests of the public, the employees and the Company. We will continue our efforts to con vince the Union leaders of its benefits and advantages. We hope we will be suc cessful. 9 in the meantime, telephone service contin- , ues good. Over 30,000 telephone men and wom en are on the job. More are returning every day. We are handling our normal volume of long distance calls. Local service is 85 per cent dial- % operated, and in the other dtie* and towns where operators handle the calls, the service is genendly normal. Over the South, the messages aite gbfng through. ' J * This would not be possible without the great encour agement and cooperation given us by telephone users everywhere, and by the skill and spirit of folks on the job. To bbth groups go our warmest thanks. SOUTHERN BELL TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY > K Serving the South fok* 75 Years * / \ —