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4 THE CLINTON CHRONICLE Thursday. November 13, 1958 The Voters in District 56 Want A New Hospital Voters in Laurens County went to the polls last Tuesday to express themselves on ques tions pertaining to hospital facilities. Those who were interested enough did so. Those who did not have enough interest in the mat ter did not vote. The l>aurens County legislative delegation arranged the referendum in order to get in formation on what the people of the county wanted. And we think enough information can be secured from a perusal of the returns to guide members of the delegation in enact ing any necessary legislation. First and foremost was the declaration of voters in District 56 that they want and are willing to pay for a new hospital in this area. More than 2.000 voters in the district partic- ipated in the referendum and they voted 1,842 for the proposal and only 211 against. That’s about as close to being unanimous as any referendum will get. At the same time, incomplete returns (with only a half dozen small boxes missing that would not change the vote materially) show about 1.989 Wfcre against building a new, more centrally located hospital to 706 for. Also. 1,838 voted against continuing opera tion of the present Laurens County Hospital to 669 for. The big majority in each instance was due to the heavy vote in District 56 against par- ticipation in either course—because the peo ple are overwhelmingly in favor of building their own hospital. We think that should be the determining factor to guide the course of the delegation in the matter of enacting legislation on the subject. “There Must Be A Change” People should wake up and demand that ('ongress stop its spending spree. That urgent need is emphasized by a mem ber of Congress itself — Representative Byrnes of Wisconsin. And he doesn’t feel he is fighting a lost cause. He says:. “I think there is always the hope that when people start to understand—and the people must be made to understand where we are — there will be a change in the attitude. There must be a change.. .. “And I am sure Congress will be respon sive to a feeling for economy on the part of the people. I have not given up the fight and I am still going to exert every effort I can to bring economy into our government." Congressman Byrnes’ statement of princi ple could not have come at a better time. It now looks as if the Federal deficit for this fiscal year will l»e at least $12 billion. The debt ceiling has l»een raised again—to $288 billion -and there is a definite possibility an other increase will la? Requested next year. The last Congress, like its predecessors, made huge appropriations for which there was lit tle if any justification. For instance, it voted to give the Atomic Energy Commission twice as mu* h money for the construction of atom ically-fueled electric projects as the adminis tration asked for. Congressman Byrnes said the plain hard truth in five words: “There must be a ■ hange ” John Stuart Mill, the great 19th century English philosopher and economist, wrote: “The worth of the state in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it; and a state which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instru ments in its hands even for beneficial pur- —Hill find that with small men no great 'hings ran be accomplished.” Am bridge, Fa., Daily Citizen: “The Mc Clellan committee’s disclosure of corruption in the Teamsters union has been more re- sporisible than anything else for strong pub lic sentiment in favor of corrective legisla tion As long as any such law enacted includes safeguards to protect the legitimate rights of organized labor, it will serve a useful pur pose. It remains true that the best outcome would be for unions to clean house them selves, and not expect the law to do it for them." Breese, Illinois, Journal: “Two natural re sources, more than any other, are basic to the national economy and to life itself. One of these is land. The other is water.” The exfremely light vote in the referen dum in other sections of the county showed either that it was agreeable to them if Dis trict 56 built its own hospital or that they didn’t have enough interest in the questions to be.resolved to vote at all. Referendums are not determined by those who stay away from the polls. People who disenfranchise themselves have no cause to gripe if votes of others set the course. Neith er should they yell “foul!” if they do not give the matter at hand enough thought in order to mark their ballots intelligently. We discussed the matter with a well-known and highly-regarded attorney in Laurens and asked him “What now?” He said simply that he expected the delegation to proceed with legislation creating a hospital district in 56 (without the Cross Hill area which voted against the proposal). ( That would mean, of course, that District 55 (plus the Cross Hill area) w r ould continue to operate the present Laurens County Hos pital (including projected plans for enlarging and revamping of the building and facilities) to serve that section of the county. We think decisiveness was a feature of the referendum last Tuesday—and that decisive ness was given by people who were interested enough to take the trouble.to vote. Babson Discusses Detroit’s Sacred Cow—Your Automobile En Route Home. Nov. 13—1 have been thinking on my homeward journey as to what will be the deciding factor with regard to 1959 prosperity Have concluded it will be the automobile. Do you really like the car you are driving, or are you completely fed up with the gaudy, hungry monster? In this inflated economy where dollars disappear all too quickly, do you really like to sacrifice gas mileage for all those horses un der the hood” Have you yet gotten used to cracking dour skull and bruising your knees every time you try to get in or out of a modem Detroit creation” How many sets of plugs and points, how many mufflers and automatic transmissions, has your garagemanl installed” Before I go further, let me say that the above questions are not mine. I am simply echoing countless numbers of car owners who have come within ear shot One irate owner of half a dozen cars of the same popular make, purchased during the last dozen years, recently responded as follows to a piece of company promotional literature expounding the joys of station i wagon living: After enumerating the many things that happened to his new car within the first fivej months of ownership, he said, in part, “My family has never had the money to take any of the fantastic trips outlined in your brochure All our money has gone into trying to keep our new car running . ." WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT BUYING CARS Detroit hat searched for all manner of reasons w hy recent models are not selling. I believe the; answer to its poor sales record is as glaringly obvious as the chrome on its current models: (1) Detroit de signers must be living in tall ivory towers, way up in the clouds What the> are producing is what they think people ought to want, not what they actually want (2); The consumer is fed up with shoddy materials tha* just don't hold up under normal driving conditions <3) Detroit workmanship, compared with what comes out of Europe, is generally slipshod and slapdash (4) The high cost of living demands a less expensive car to purchase, a more economical car to drive, and a car fashioned to house comfortably the taller bodies our well-fed civilisation produces A check of dealers in the New England area un covers the fact that one popular make of car has lost sale after sale to its tall customers oeeause those cus tomers feel so uncomfortable behind the wheel, and in certain models because they dislike riding with, their knees under their chins in the back seat This matter of failing to build cars to fit people is more ae-1 nous than you may think. I am sure that any reliable doctor of psychology worthy of his reputation will tell you that riding with your knees under your chin la a cause of fatigue, that this kind of potitioning restricts blood circulation, causes numbness and makes one's responses slower I am wondenng if a lot of riding in such a cramped fashion could ultimtaely cause cir culatory problems SMALL < AR.H A MI ST IN OCR ECONOMY Sure, U S car sales soared until most recent years, and for two very good reasons: (1) In post World War 11 Amenca the auto became a necessary moons of transportation to suburbia rather than a Sun day afternoon plaything (2) The only cars available in numbers until recently were American makes Therefore, as the population increased and suburbia developed, more and more American cars were sold Gradually, however, millions of new home owners have found that home ownership, while very much worthwhile, coats money. They have found, too, that their large families consume ever larger quantities of food: and that the older children get the more expen sive they become to clothe and educate. And father ys to balance the budget.and mother, looking for wa have begun to realize that it does not make economic sense for each of them to push a hungry gas buggy across the landscape. European manufacturers, with an insight into this problem which Detroit seems to lack (with the exception of one manufacturer), have come to the family’s rescue with reliable, economical, well-made, although not always comfortable, trans portation. I predict a rash of small cars from Amer ican manufacturers in the early sixties. To hasten that day write the president, sales manager, or marketing manager of the company that makes your car. Tdl him what you like and don’t like about your car. CLINTON, S. C„ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1958 dljp (Ultntnn QUirnnirlF Established 1H« July 4, 18S9 — WILLIAM WILSON HARRIS — June 13. 1955 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY^ Subscription Rate (Payable In Advance) One Year $3.00, Six Month* $2.00 En ert-d as Second C’ass Mail Matter at the Poat Office at Clinton. S. C-, under Act of Congress March 3, 1379 The Chronicle seeks the cooperation of It* subscribers and reader* the p-o-uber will at all times appreciate wise suggestion* and kindly advice The Chronicle will publisti .euers of general interest when they are not of a defamatory nature Anonmnou* corrmu/iicaLous will not be noticod This paper is not responsible for the view* qr opinion* of it* curroapondent* Metnor South Carolina Proa* AoMriation, National Editorial Association National Advertising Reproseotauve AMERICAN FRESH ASSOCIATION New York, Chicago. Detroit Phliadoiphu J| X Spoon-King Case (Continued from page 1) 20 days later in the VA hospital. The Jones woman said she called Bobby Spoon, whom she knew, af the taxi stand and asked him to pick her up in front of a Clinton theater where she had seen a movie. When Bobby Spoon arrivtd he asked her to accompanyi him to Morgan's Place where he said he had to pick up another fare. She said that after she and the others left the night spot and were returning to Clinton. Horace Spoon struck King in the face repeatedly despite King’s entreaties that he de sist. When they finally returned to the taxi stand, she testified that she heard someone say, “Let's take him behind the taxi stand and give him a real going over.” She said that she remained in the cab and did not see the actual beat ing behind the station, but she said she “heard the sound of licks” and moans and groans. She said she was so upset by the incident that she couldn’t sleep that night, and she called Clinton police ; the next morning to give her ver sion of the incident. ^ Another state's witness, William F. Bagwell, a Clinton Mill worker testified he was in the vicinity of the taxi stand at the time of the fracas, and that he saw Horace Spoon strike King and then he said he saw the elder Spoon emerge from the taxi stand and strike King “with something.” Howard Watkins, Laurens County VA service officer and the last state witness, testified that he had King committed to the psychiatric ward of the VA hospital after the beat ing. King himself had testified earlier that he is still a patient in the hospital but denied that he was in the psychiatric ward. He said he is on leave from the hospital in or der to be present in court. Bboby Spoon was the first witness for the defense, and his story was about the same as the others, ex cept that he testified he saw King swing a knife at Horace when the latter attempted to take a half pint bottle of liquor from him. He tes tified that hi* father did not join in the fight except to attempt to separate the two struggling men, pushing them apart. The “second woman” who had entered the cab at Morgan's Place was called next. She identified her self as Lib Burton, 21, of Clinton, but later she said she was married to a man named Lusk. She said that King was “cussing” in the back of the cab after they left Morgan’s Place and that Ho race slapped him twice when he refused to be quiet. She was still on the witness stand when court was recessed by Judge Thomas Patrick Bussey until 10:00 a. m., Wednesday. . woods EMi an shop Has a special appeal for those who Hke unusual ftifts for Christmas SUGGESTIONS: • Decorative Glass • Costume Jewelry I • • Baby Gifts • Bridge Items • Italian Cream ware • Fink and White Christmas Trees • Candles • Stangt Pottery • Georges Briard Mats and Cooking Ware Mrs. Mary L. Collins • 120 Woodlown Drive Phone Uurens 23596 (Behind Laurens County Hospital) \ For thermostatic temperature control with a touch of a finger. Set at heat desired; ChefMASTER CONTROL shuts off when temperature is reached. An Ideal Gift For Christmas Lawson Furniture Co. PHONE 3111 JOANNA, S. C. i Nwtftof Ctmrn n Nw hi wown Pith Im. fey h^rtun Mm The brand NEW 59 MERCURY shows you what NEW really means American* are looking at the new cars writh a new look in their eye*. They’re searching for the best combination of all the thing* that count in a car. The answer in 1959 comes from this completely new 20th Anniversary Mercury. SO NIW CLIAN-DYNAMIC STYLING Distinctive. Mercury has exc/usu* body design; it is the only car in its class that does not use a body shared by a low-priced car. RSLAX IN A NIW KIND OF COMFORT No car in its class has more usable room. For easier entrance, doors are wider than those of costliest cars. Up front—9 inches more knee room! The tunnel-hump in the floor HAS BEEN CUT IN HALF! The man in the middle doesn’t sit with his chin on his knees. And that lower hump makes room for thicker seat cushions. Fin. UVU.Y NIW Ft! FORMA NCI Not just high horsepower—although Mercury offers up to 345—but a new kind of response, quiet, obedient, effortless. INJOY NIW ICONOMJIS 2 out of 3 new-car buyers can afford Mercury. The big special is the Monterey with its new Economy Engine. You get top performance on regular (not premium) gas—it’s like "riding free” 10 miles out of every 100. Add it up and you get everything you want on wheels—the ’59 Mercury. We invite you to try this great car—at our showroom. NIW COMMIT NF MONTI That tunnel-hump youT find on other '59 can ia 50% smaller in Mercury. 3 full-aize riders can stretch out (including the man in the middle). •r •i Everything you want on wheels • NEW STYLING • NEW COMFORT- • NEW PERFORMANCE • NEW ECONOMY All beautifully combined In tha 20th Anniversary ■HCUfrS COUNTRY CRNBCRS-Unique hardtop styling. Retractable rear window. Fold-away 3rd seat that facet front. Concealed package compartment. FIRST WITH SIM-TO-SIM MfRS-They dear a 42% larger area—a 5-foot swath—including the crater section. Only Mercury has *l»i« aid to safer driving. MERCURY BUILT TO LEAD_BUIIT TO LAST ON DISPLAY TODAY AT YOUR DEALER'S—TOTALLY NEW FROM ROAD TO ROOF!