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4 THE CLINTON CHRONICLE Thoraday, March SO, 1M1 May The Congress Preserve Us A curious notion seems to be gaining ac ceptance from the American public irrespec tive of how they voted last fall that the Ken nedy program will not, after all, cost as , much as people were led to expect As that program now, emerges, we cannot see that there is much support of this ever- so-tempered optimism. It is more likely a case of having become insensible to the arithmetical significance of billions, and to being stunned by the galting-gun tempo of White House orders to Congress. Extension of unemployment insurance from 26 to 39 weeks, enlargement of social security promises, care for the aged under social security, medical facilities and train ing, assistance to distressed areas and aid to education will cost an estimated $5.2 billion the first year. Perhaps you can shrug off these first- year billions. But don’t forget these are des tined to be hardy perennials. We cannot now conceive of their total cost. What is before us is merely the token down-payment by which we can acquire these expensive and demoralizing habits for life—the life of the nation. These are in the pattern of such earlier deceptions as the income tax, which would never (they said) take more than three per cent of our earnings, but now abstracts from 20 to 91 per cent of our substance; the social security experiment that originally took one per cent of the first $3,000 of our pay from us and a similar amount from the boss, is now taking three per cent of the first $4,800 and by 1969 will reach four-and-a-half per cent for both worker and employer. And they will be as leech-like as the wartime “luxury” excises and the “temporary” boosts in the gasoline tax. We have mentioned but a handful of no less than 16 measures on President Ken nedy’s list of special priority, “must” legis lation. On other fronts — defense, housing, urban renewal, etc., the projected Kennedy spending increases thus far revealed are keeping pace with the warnings of observers at Los Angeles last July. And overall, the socialistic, paternalistic, Uncle-knows-best fixation is triumphantly emerging. Our elected representatives in Washing ton must call upon some hidden reserve of fortitude and patriotism with which to re sist the cynical blandishments of a collec tivist pied piper. Wrong Prescription In a recent month, new housing starts were below the number for the comparable month a year earlier. This, in the view of some people, was almost a disaster. The solu tion they demand is for the government to start pumping a lot of “cheap money” into the housing field before catastrophe ar rives. Well, there is evidence that the relatively modest decline in home building is simply the result of the fact that supply and de mand are pretty well in balance. The short age that was caused by war and the popula tion boom has been largely made up. This aside, the head-shaking over the housing situation is symptomatic of a much bigger illusion that seems to possess many of us. The illusion is that everything should grow all the time, with never a pause, much less a temporary set-back. Those who sup port that illusion suffer from shock when ever an economic indicator of any kind fails to soar higher and higher, month after month, year after year. And their prescrip tion, in all too many cases, is that govern ment should be the doctor. The fact is that there are limits to what any people can consume, whether it is hous es or groceries. Another fact is that national growth must be measured over a period of time—not on a day-by-day, item-by-item basis—and that if we trouble to do this we will see that the plusses in our economic system far outweigh any minuses. A third fact is that turning to government every time something or other slows a bit is a sure way to invite more inflation, ever heav ier taxes, and less freedom for all. The Reason Why The long-standing proposal to extend the federal wage-hour law to a large segment of the retail industry, which has been exempt ever since the law came into being in the depressed ’30’s, has met with a great deal of opposition. And that opposition may have led people to believe that retailers commonly pay wages below the existing federal stand ard of $1.00 an hour, or the proposed increase to $1.26. The American Retail Federation reports that, according to official tabulations, retail wages averaged $1-82 an hour last Septem ber. This is a higher wage than is paid in several industries now covered by the federal law. Gillespie, 111., News: “Public welfare is big business in the United States . •. The largest amount of aid is ^iven to dependent children. Three million of them received a billion dol lars in assistance last year. Deserting fathers and illegitimacy are at the root of this prob lem . . . Public welfare is big business and so is its administration . . . and the cost falls on those who pay the taxes.” Babson Discusses A Dangerous Industry ■«C«r W Babson Park, Mass., March 30—Unfortunate ly, the “cold war” is developing into a dangerous industry. Too many voters are directly or indi rectly making money on It. WHO LIKES THE COLD WAR? I am ashamed to say that many people are learning to like this “cold war.” Even labor de pends upon it for employment and employers feel it necessary for profits. They dreaded the “cold war” at first—but now are getting used to it and even depending on it. Surely if the cold war should suddenly stop, there would be a great increase in unemployment. This is feared not only by those now out of work, but also my employers who are benefiting from sub-contracts and forced sales. Talk with Dun & Bradstreet if you think I am overly fearful; or watch the “markdown” advertisements in the Sunday newspapers. Most of the active stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange are counting upon the “cold war” to continue. This is a dangerous limb upon which to depend. In vestment counselors warn that temporary market declines are to be expected as a “necessary correction or read justment,” but they continue to be fundamentally bullish and look for even higher prices after the “corrections” are completed. They may be right for a while; but the Law of Action and Reaction which Sir Isaac Newton enunciated back in. the 17th century still holds good. Even President Kennedy and his White House advisers see the dangerous paradox in the present situation of “getting used to the cold war." Sure ly, full employment depends now on continuation of the cold war. This is resulting in a new atti tude on the part of both conservatives and liberals. Republicans and Democrats. It has become as popular as cocktail parties. No one yet has had the courage to check it. WHAT ABOUT JOHN BIRCH? It now looks as though the only way to com bat the present contentment with the “cold war” —with its spiraling wage and upward price move ments—will be through the arbitrary “freesing” of both wages and prices. This is the first step toward making President Kennedy an economic dictator . . . which I expect to see. He is now preparing the ground for such a move by appoint ing so many of his family and intimate friends to important posts. Watch his future moves. Another movement to watch is the John Birch Society, which has “Americanism” of the DAR type as its watchword although it favors a semi dictatorship for the nation. It is named after John Birch, who was a Christian missionary in China and later fought with the Nationalist Chi nese in their war against the Japanese. Birch was promoted to captain and worked in the In telligence Division under General Cbennault. On August 25, IMS, Birch was killed by the Chinese Communitsts. The present national leader of the Society is a neighbor of mine, Robert Welch, of Belmont, Mass. Frankly, he is fighting for our return to a Republic and away from Democracy, which Mr. Kennedy probably also thinks is the only way to win the “cold war.” BUT DISTRESSED PROPERTY Surely distressed property is coming on the market some day, regardless of the forecasts being made by optimistic investment advisers. The saf est way to make profits is to render service. No investor can render service now by climbing to buy stocks, bonds, real estate, or commodities The way to render service is to store up cash now and be prepared to use when it is again in great demand. The first group to “feel the pinch” are the country banks. When borrowers fail to pay their notes, then we know the turn downward is com ing. The “Roaring Sixties” can roar from two causes—from enthusiasm or from panic. Anyone who has lived on a ranch with cattle, hogs, and other livestock has seeq his stock roar when frightened and look for a hole in the wall to get out through! I agree we are entering the “Roar ing Sixties.” but as to the reason for the “roar ing” perhaps many are now being fooled. Clinton Davidson This Week in Washington REGULATORY AGENCIES. The appointment of a White House “Overseer” for the several government regulatory agencies is an important and significant move toward correcting what has become an indefensible and in tolerable situation in Washington. James M. Landis, appointed by President Kennedy to head the newly created Office for the Over sight of Regulatory Agencies, is well qualified for the tough job he faces. He formerly served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Civil Aeronautics Board, and as dean of the Harvard Law School. But the really important thing is that for the first time in sev eral years there will be an au thority with power to review, and if necessary over-rule, arbitrary decisions by the semi-autono mous agencies. Over the past several years we have repeatedly called attention in this column to the urgent need for closer supervision of the reg ulatory agencies which almost daily make decisions affecting every user of transportation, ra dio and TV, electricity, airplanes, and other public utilities and ser vices. UNRESTRAINED POWER Since Presidential Assistant Sherman Adams was forced to resign because of a gift from in dustrialist Bernard Goldfine there has been no one either at the White House or in Congress who dared tell the agencies what they could and could not do. Anyone who thought they had been dealt with unfairly by any of the agencies had no one they could appeal to in the White House, and congressmen dared not intervene for fear of being charged with “lobbying for spec ial interests.” Although the regulatory agen cies were created by Congress and supposedly are directly re sponsible to Congress there has been very little actual supervision of their operations, and none whatsoever in several years by the Administrative branch of government. We have pointed out many times that the boards and. com missions frequently make judi cial decisions without all of the members being present to hear evidence and arguments in cases involving life or death of import ant companies and corporations. This is similar to a jury trial in which all of the jurors are not present. THE LANDIS REPORT Mr. Landis, in a special report prepared for the president prior to his appointment as Overseer, roundly criticises some proce dures of the regulatory agencies. The so-called regulatory agencies are the Federal Trade Commis sion, the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fed eral Communications Commis- Jomes F. Weathers Fountain Inn — James Frank Weathers, 75, native of Laurens County, died at his home in the Fairview community Saturday at 9:15 p. m. He had lived in the Fairview community for the past 40 years and was a fanner. He was a son of the late Warren Calvin Weath ers and Mrs. Ellen Tumblin Wea thers, and a member of Beulah Baptist Church. He was also a member of Woodmen of the World. Funeral services were conduct ed Monday at 3:00 p. m. at the Beulah Baptist Church by Rev. Wingard Berry and Rev. Dr. T. Layton Fraser. Burial was in the church cemetery. sion, the Civil Aeronautics Board, and the Federal Power Commis sion. In his report Mr. Landis em phasized that the regulatory agencies have become so bogged down in bureaucratic red tape that decisions often are delayed for months, and sometimes for years. The delays alone, he said, have cost consumers and the regulated industries millions of dollars. Another confirmation of our criticisms was made in a report by the House Legislative Over sight Subcommittee, - of which Rep. Oren Harris of Arkansas, is chairman, in which it charged the agencies with “using horse- and-buggy approaches to space age problems." That is one of the most apt descriptions we have seen as applied to some agency operations. Hurricane News Of The Week Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Scogin, Mitch and Mike were in Orange burg to see the Edisto Gardens Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Cope land and sons. Misses Sallie and Mary Frances Nabors, Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Bishop and family, and Roy Haupfear enjoyed a picnic ‘ dinner 'on Lake Green wood Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Odus Young and children attended the "Holiday on Ice" in Greenville last week. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Craven and David visited Mr. and Mrs. Francis Crowder in .Ninety Six. Mrs. Cleo Gastley of Fork Shoals spent Wednesday of last week with Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Gastley. Mrs. Bessie Oakley visited Mrs. Gastley recently. Mrs. Jayce Black and Mary Elizabeth of Joanna was supper guests of Mrs. Edward Craven on Wednesday, she also visited her aunt Mrs. William Gastley. Mrs. Tammy Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Lester Davis of Lydia, Mr. and Mrs. Yancy Eubanks of Buf falo, were Sunday visitors of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Young and family. Mrs. Ben Dickson of Cowpens is spending some time with her daughter Mrs. Charles Young and family. Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Neighbors and daughters visited Mrs. Neighbors sister Mrs. Hugh Pegram and family, also Mrs. Neighbors parents Mr. and Mrs. O. R. Willingham in Brevard, N. C. Mrs. Lila Neighbors is im proving at the home of her son Bobby Neighbors after a stay at Blalock Clinic. Miss Alice Neighbors of Greenville visited her mother Mrs. Lila Neighbors during the week end. Mr. and Mrs. Sam Bowden of Greenville visited Mrs. Lila Neighbors Sunday. Mrs. J. Willie Young is visit ing her daughter Mrs. Charlie Nantz and family in Morganton, N. C. On Sunday Mrs. Young attended the christening of her granddaughter Kathy Marie Nantz. Mr. and Mrs. Bootsie Caldwell and daughters attended the “Hol iday on Ice” in Greenville. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Johnson and Frank of the Fariview com munity visited Mr. and Mrs. Allen Young Sunday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Haupfear and Laurie, Dr. and Mrs. Mac Going were Sunday afternoon visitors of their daughter and sister Mrs. B. J. Lawerence and Steve in Greenville. Mrs. Law rence returned home for a sev eral weeks stay. Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Bartley were Sunday supper guests of Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Clegg in Greenwood . YOUNG ADULTS MEET The Young Adult Class of the Hurricane Baptist Church held their monthly meeting March 23rd at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dillard Young. Eleven members were present. Dillard Young gave the devotional. After the business session, fellowship and refreshments were enjoyed. local Legion Auxiliary Sponsor Representative For Palmetto State The 15th annual Palmetto Girls’ State will convene Monday, June 5, and will adjourn Sunday, June 11, after noon lunch. Palmetto Girls’ State will be held in Co lumbia, with housing in J. Marion Sims college, University of South Carolina. Palmetto Girls’ State is sponsored by the American Le gion Auxiliary, Department of South Carolina, of which the Copeland-Davidson Post No. 56 Auxiliary is a unit. Any girl in the junior class of a South Carolina accredited high school is eligible. It is this educa tional level which best suits the program. Each girl is expected to return to her high school for her senior year and to furnish leadership in her school, her church and her community. The final approval of the “citi zen” must be left to the local American Legion Auxiliary unit. Each unit is' urged to ask the assistance of the high school su perintendent, faculty and junior class in selecting candidates for Girls’ State citizenship. Following is a list of qualifications for citi zenship in the order of their im portance: 1. Leadership, 2. Char acter, 3. Courage, 4. Honesty, 5. Scholarship, 6. Cooperative ness, 7. Fitness. Girls’ State is not a camp or vacation for the underprivileged girl. Girls’ State 1 is not an award for scholastic attainment. Girts’ State is a prac- tical application of Americanism and good citizenship. The objective of Girls’ State is to educate our youth in the du ties, privileges, rights, and re sponsibilities of American Citi zenship.” Before coming to Girls ’State, if each citizen will Visit and discuss duties, qualifications, laws, etc., with: 1. City officials and city coun cil. 2. Court house and county offi cers. 3. Political meetings, caucuses or parties. - 4. Make a choice of offices for which to iffer herself In Girls State—then the program will be alive and sparkling and she will be a vital, happy part of it. The Constitution and the stat utes of the State of South Caro lina are the patterns from which the fundamental laws of Girfls* State have been developed. The local American Legion unit sponsors the local girls, and are asisted with the finances by dv- Ic, social and fraternal dubs. Mrs. R. Pope Chapman is presl- denth of the local unit. Mrs. P. M. Pitts is secretary. Homed "Soldier Of Month" SP-4 Horace G. Mann, of 206th Signal Co., Fort Gordon, Ga., received the honor of being nam ed "Soldier of the Month” for two months in succession, Feb ruary and March. He, was also promoted to his present rank dur ing March. He is the son of Mrs. Durward Murdock of Clinton. Sava for that downpaymaitt hare I Dobn’t TAXB MUCH to get started—m little me $6. Add to it regularly, and in no time at aD you’ll hare the downpayment on that bouae of your dreams. While you save, funds are earn ing a good return, are safe, and available. 4% • CITIZENS © FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION -> 220 W. MAIN ST. CLINTON, S. C. Member Federal Home Loan Bank Sys’em CLINTON, S. C„ THURSDAY, MARCH M, 1961 ill? (Clinton (Cljrnmtlr EtUMhked IMS July 4, IMS — WILLIAM WILSON HARRIS - Juee 13. IMS PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY Subscription Rate (Payable to Advance) Out-of-County One Year $3 00. Six Months $2 M Second Class Postage Paid at Otatoo, S. C. Ibo Chronicle seeks the caopw appreciate wise suggestions and M they are aot sf a defamatory natoj responsible for the views or opiate nttea of Ms subscribers and readers — the publisher will at aD times nOy advice. The Chronicle wfll publish letters of general interest when to. Anonymous mnuteattens wfll not be noticed This paper is not no of its cocroopsndoaU. ! 1 1 1 i i i AMERICAN PRESS i—OCUTMN Yssk. Detroit, TO EVERY HOUSEWIFE f0, ORCHID FOR THAT PROUD EASTER LOOKI GIVEN FRff OUR STORE during EASIER WEEK/ By Lawson Furniture Co. Year Southern Living Store b JOANNA We Are Pleased tfa jlnmunce Out jlffainimni as pefutesenialives jet KirK ^Sterling America's finest sterling by America’s Oldest Silversmiths It is our pleasure to oiler you o complete line of "America’s finest sterling, by America's oldest silversmiths"—Kirk Sterling. 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