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/ A V 10-T^E CHIgONIf3.E. Clinton, S. C., Noy. 9, 1967 -an HUH The Courthouse Proposal By DONNY WILDER Chronicle Editor •> Jf I were eligible to vote in the ad visory court house referendum, I’d vote against building the $2.9 million county coprt house. Since I haven’t been back in Laurens County long enough to register, I don t have a vote. But I do have an opinion. I Jiave studied the plans, the site and 1 have talked to many people about this proposal which will be voted on Tuesday in an advisory referendum. The plans and site are fine. In fact, it would be wonderful if the county could have such a court house as that propos ed. However, it’s quite a large bite for the county taxpayers to chew right now, and there are other ways of solving the problem, and there are other needs more pressing. If property taxes were more equal ized through a desperately needed proper ty re-evaluation and the tax burden wert more evenly distributed, it would cast an entirely different light on the situa tion. I feel equalization of taxes is a more pressing problem in the county than is a new court house. The New Court House Study Com- ( mitee, headed by R. L. Plaxico of Clin ton, did a fine job in drawing up plan* for a new court house. That was what AMERICAN LIFE IN YEAR 2000 BABSON PARK, MASS. — The year 200C no longer looms like an imaginary time in science fiction. In fact, most people 45 yean old or younger have a very good .chance ol still being active by the year 20C0, — and beyond. It’s only about 32 years distant, but the changes between now and then will be spectacular in a great many ways. WHAT WORKERS MAY EXPECT A new study of the year 2000, supported by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Corning Glass Works. Foundation, takes more than a casual view of what the work ers of the nation and their families can anticipate for the beginning of the next millenium. Many of the projections are worth contemplating, especially by those young enough to become socially and econ omically involved in what lies ahead when the 20th century gives way to the 21st. First off, family income is expected to be substantially higher, with enough people in the upper brackets to create a kind of •'gentleman’s class. . .those with sufficient means to lead a life of leisure. Even those \i?ho do work may be on the job only foui days a week, and for a lot shorter day. This will come as a shock to the businessman of today who is so high-pressure that h< doesn’t even take time off for vacations. But the study figures that by the year 2000 employees will be working 147 days a year getting 218 days off! TIME AND MONEY ' Disposable income will continue to be the key to the degree of one's prosperity and level of living standards. While we have seen tremendous advances in this factor ir recent years, far more solid gains are likely by the end of the century. Disposable income percapita by the year 2000 may range from $4,900 to $9,000. Import of this forecast is that the typical family is expected to be as well off then as the relatively high-income family is today. Filling up leisure time to advantage wil be a big problem, and youngsters will be encouraged to take up interests outside their career choices. Sports, music, theater, anc art will be widely pursued. It is even impliec that museums, theaters, and other cultura centers may be at such a premium that time will have to be rationed to make them avail able for all interested. (f CASH ON WAY OUT So much has been seen in the way of transferral from a cash retail economy to a credit-card system that the study’s projec tion in this line may not be so surprising. Housewives are likely to have pushbutton Houses making wide use of computers. De partment stores and supermarkets will ac- ejept the hojjsewifftls credit by com puter,-and the bank will pay her bills the same way. Women will make up a higher proportion of the labor force, particularly in view of the availability of innumerable pleasant part-time jobs. There will be big jumps in transportation, fpr beyond even the supersonic jet travel ^Iresdy on the horizpn..^ Flying platforms could be in use for loca£.trips, even for calls Ob neighbors. It may be easy to take a half-hour rocke^ trip to Europe. Travel wardrobes — as well as street, wear” VHH be largely made of paper, to be thrown away after a few wearings. This is already being tried outl but will be prevalent by then. LIFE SPAN 150 Wide immunization againgt more and more diseases will have lengthened the life span evgn further. Health programs and dietary controls will be workaday, plus the more frequent resort to artificial! or trans planted organs and automatic heart devices People could be living to the age of 150 by the year 2000, or very soon thereafter; and the population of the U. S. may well total 3)8 million persons. j;hey were charged with dqing. They wpre not; charged with trying to (deter mine what to do with the current court jiouse and otl^r county-owned office buildings. They also were not charged with the responshibility of selling their proposal to. the public. They have gone before the public at every opportunity to explain the proposal so that the public may be fully informed about it. They have encouraged a good voter turnout so that the county delegation can know the wishes of the people. Now it’s up to the people. If the proposal is defeated Tuesday, I would like to see the delegation insti tute a long-range program which was suggested recently by a young Clinton businessman in a private conversation. This involves the county purchasing the site for the proposed court house and then following a long-range program of .ounty office building construction on that site. The architects’ plan for the court house probably could be adapted to such a long-range construction project. It is imperative that the county find some way to protect its records. How ever, there must be some way this can je done without constructing a $2.9 mil- ion building. The county needs a more secure jail and sheriff’s office building. 3ut couldn’t this be built on the propos ed new court house site in a way that it .ould tie in eventually with a new court ouse? With an income tax and social se curity tax increase staring the taxpayer in the face, I believe this method would be more palatable for the people who foot the bill, the taxpayers. Important Highway Link Is Reality The official opening Friday of the four-lane highway between Clinton anr Laurens was a significant occasion ir the history of the county. The road provides the southern part of the county with easy access to the county seat. It will allow easier trade between the county’s major communi ties. Within the next decade, we probably will see that strip between the two towns fully developed with both housing and business. We hope it develops to thi enhancement of the county. Now that this significant link is a reality, we hope that highway official^ will take a close look at the development of the southern end of the county. The Clinton-Joanna road also is go ing to be a key one in the future of the county. The industrial park and Whit- cen Village both are growing and un- Joubtedly will continue to grow. Trade oetween Clinton and Joanna always has ~een good and. is getting even better as voth communities are prospering. Exactly what is needed in the de velopment of that road is a matter to be determined by highway experts However, we hope they are keeping an aye on it. Their Legacy "V/frai Ge Ygy ’W# Nfypr-Go Oyi Anymore’? . I Took You To 'Gone With The Wind* In 1961!" Mews’ mmir- Capitol News Report S.C. Solons' Support Doubtful On Anti-Poverty iwpwiiiiip mm Tax-Payer Looks At Proposed ■ New County Court House Complex Fighting in World War I ended at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. deaths in service had totalled 116,000 and thoughts of the more than four and a half million remaining participants turn ed to their fallen comrades. From the memorial observance of Armistice Day has come our Veterans Day which will be observed Saturday when the n^tiom honors its veterans of all wars and pays homage tp its war dead. More than ohe million American sol diers have died in all U. S. Wars. This- includes the 4,000 who died during the Anjerican Revolution and the more than 12,400 who have died in the Vietnam conflict. Jn World War II, 406,000 Americans were killed. Totaling all of this country’s war dead into a figure like “more than one million” is distasteful. It boils^ heroism, fear, tears, and shock down to a statis tic. You can’t show in a statistic the J tears and anguish of a mother or wile jr child. About the only way you can measure their sacrifice is to look at our free skies and the land which has not felt an in vader’s footprint in over one hundred years. We have been and are at war BY THE CHRONICLE’S Capitol News Bureau . COLUMBIA — It shouldn’t ake too much political arith- petic to figure out how South 'arolina solons should vote n the upcoming anti-poverty jfll battle if they still read he handwriting on the wall, labile anti-poverty programs .five nationally left much to jp desired, those operating in outh Carolina have, in the nain, been model examples >f community action, fed- irally funded, attacks on pov- "tv pockets and conditions. They have generally had ie support of the public of- icials, business and profes :ional people, educators, min sters, etc., and they have jeen working programs basic- dly designed to help the inder-educated and under employed help themselves. SOUTH CAROLINA’S shore it the poverty pie amounts to as of this past Au gust. In the broad scope of ts many programs all of the tate’s 45 counties are in- r olved and, according to the Yest estimates, well over ’55,000 persons have been cached, OEO officials at the state evel claim that public ac cptance has been so univer al that South Carolina is one )f the few states in the nation 0 have programs operating n every county. A survey of individual mem bers of county delegations showed that: more than two- thirds are consulted on pro gram planning; a great ma jority said that local admin- ’stration was either good or excellent; and more than 70 per cent recommended con tinuance at an expanded rate Yet in Washington, in the halls of Congress, the rafters "mg with oratory and com ment against the poverty programs and much of the comment comes from South Caroling congressmen. Rep. Albert Watson, R-SC is for abolishing the entire war on poverty. Rep. Bryan Dorn, D-SC, is not sure but thinks he might vote for the bill. Rep. Mendel Rivers ChtBiU* Be steadfast, immovable.-— ^Cor. 15:58.) ^ ‘When we are centered in Christ and established in our ^Chfrist identity, we are more than equal to changing con ditions in the outer. If we are r {hanging jobs, if we are mov- Hlg to a new home, if we are moving to a different city or epuntry, if we are changing schools — any such major change in our life calls fbr ad- D Tlv , ..^. justment to new circumstances, out the nation has not suffered phyti-T” ne * »°rrounding.. to dif- cpl attack and its people have lived in relative peace and freedom a long time. That’s what “more than one million” bought for us with Jheir lives. ferent personalities. At such times the realization of our Christ identity is most helpful. We are at peace with our selves ; we are happy where we M!t ■' D-SC, has no comment and neither does Rep. John L. McMillan, D-SC. Yet South Carolina has seven' 1 counties which are isted among the 182 poorest n the nation and they fall within the districts of Wat son, Dorn, McMillan and Rivers and in Rep. Tom Gettys’ Community Action Debris Burning Costs S. C. Many Acres COLUMBIA — Careless debris burning burned more woodland acres than any oth er single forest fire cause last year, when 4,988 wildfires burned 69,580 acres in South Carolina. More than a fourth of the fires and more than a third of the acres burned resulted from care- ’ess debris burning, accord ing to S. C. State Commis sion of Forestry records. ‘‘Following a few simple fire safety rules when burn ing trash can save your tim ber as well as your neigh bor’s” said Forester John R. Tiller. ‘‘Before dping anv burning, check on local, county, and stele fire laws. Twenty-nine South Carolina counties have burning notification or burn ing permit laws. ‘‘Burn trash only in clear ed areas well away from woods and grassy fields, or in containers such as a wire incinerator with a lid, or a steel drum with holes punch ed in the sides. The area should be cleared of all flam mable debris, such as leaves, pine straw, grass, and weeds. ‘‘Do not burn on windy days. Even a light breeze can spread sparks before the person tending the fire can stop them. ‘‘Burn only in the early morning and late afternoon when the air is damp. This keeps the fire from burning as hot as in dry air. ‘‘Fire tools, such as rakes, buckets of water, garden hose or shovels should be kept handy to control any flames which might escape. “Much loss can be prevent ed if each South Carolinian will do his part by observing outdoor fire safety rules,” said State Forester Tiller. Bryant Appointed Representative Everett T. Bryant of 600 Shands St, Clinton, has been appointed field representa tive for Woodmen of tbe World Life Insurance Society. The announcement was made by W.. Lewis Spear man, of Columbia, Woodmen state manager for • South Carolina. A native of Greenwood, Bryant received his educa tion in the Greenwood schools. He ii a member of Woodmen Camp 98. His hob bies are fishing and radio. (anti-poverty) agency which has been cited as a model in operations and accomplish mehts. Its director J. Lee Spratt of Rock Hill was just elevated to state coordinator of the OEO office. Ashmore, of the rich 4th district, said lawmakers want more state and local control and huge reductions in spend- ng. Otherwise he is non- eommital on his own poverty position. . On the 14th of November you are asked to vote “Yps” »r “No” on the construction if a new court house at the site selected by the Court House Study Committee. This is to be the first step to put^ ting into effect the recom mendations of this commit tee. If you vote “yes” it will be taken to mean that you "avor the $2,900,000 New Laurens County Court Hopse Complex proposed by the Committee to be financed by a bond issue extending' over a period of 20 years anc) that you favor an increase df 15 mills or a 10 per cei^t in crease in county taxes. Building costs are at a rec- >rd high. Interest rates also are at a record high. U. S. Treasury bonds "’are offered at a record yield of 5.42 per cent. New York City bonds are offered at a cost of 4.912 >er cent, tax exempt inter- jst. •• If Laurens County issues ;2,900,000 of bonds, the cost o Laurens County taxpayers vill probably be $5 million or nore, including the principal and interest to maturity. The multi-million dollars Tourt House is to include juarters for agricuture and aea’th which are already housed by relatively new )uild ngs, and which are completely adequate. What is 0 become of these buildings, and the old jail and he old Court House? Can they be sold to advan- age md the amount of the ;ale applied on new build- ng? If so, what offers have jeen made, if any? These luest ons have not been .bn- swered by the db'mrifittee qr the Laurens County delega tion. Note trend in the ax rate since 1956: Laurens County and City of 'Minton tax rate in Mills for oast several years: county City of Laurens Year Clinton Cpunty 1956 53 46 1957 53 53 1968 53 53 1959 53 60 1960 53 60 1961 53 74 1962 53 75 1966 53 76 1967 53 4 83 Let us examine critically the ip.atter of who pays this U»x whieji is to be increased to 98 mills on personal prop erty an4 real estate. Tbe automobile owner. He js ift the plass that is taxecj again and again, when he buys it, wfipn he is li censed tP use it and when he uses it. Now it is an increase in ownership tax. The home owner. Our county should encourage ev ery family (Negro and and Whitp) to own its own home. I ask you, “Are we encouraging home ownership w^ien we constantly add to the burden of ownership by the increase of taxes?” Our farms produce less be cause of higher costs. Our industries are facing smaller profits and high J er costs. Rents of buildings, houses, farms, would in crease. Everyone to some extent would be affected ad versely by this debt. Should we who can vote add to our troubles with still another tax increase? There are 13 homes and one apartment building in the block in which I live. Nine of these are owned by widows who have fixed incomes. Are we willing to put the tax on their homes so high that widows and others with fixed in comes may be forced to have their homes sold for taxes? Let us keep the credit and reputation of our county good, and not add an un reasonable debt to be paid over a period of years by an unreasonable tax. I am therefore voting against the debt and the tax increase. J. F. Jacobs MILLIONS of federal dol- ars are poured into all county programs each year and this represents money which, if it was not used in South Caro Una, would be spent else where. State OEO officials believe the money is being used visely. As examples they •ite: 52,399 children enrolled in summer Head Start pro grams; 20,728 adults in basic education courses; 808 fami- ies on welfare who are par- icipating in work experience >rograms; 7,125 high sthcol itudents who are able to re- nain in school through part- ime employment programs; 3,535 dropouts who have been ; i v e n additional education and work experience; 2,350 children now in a day care centers thus freeing their nothers for employment. For the most part, South ’arolina’s poverty programs lave been geared to the state’s industrial effort and looking toward the creation of a readily available labor )odl. Thus it has been a three- Yronged effort to educate and hen train and at the same ime make available job op portunities through industrial (rowth and expression. And t is a hand-in-glove affair; vithout an available work force there will be no new ndustry and without new industry there will be no job ipportunities. Without the Dixie bloc of votes the administration will find it near impossible to get the poverty bill passed. And, regardless of the hue and the cry. it would seem doubtful Soyth Carolina solons would ea^t a ballot which could not only hurt the state’s needy citizens but might also stymie its industrial efforts. Children’s Concert Successful The.Editor;. ^ ^ As I write this letter of ap- )reciation I feel sure that I express the feelings of many Laurens County residents who would like to say “thank you” to Mrs. Alan Cook, music consultant for pistrlct 53, schools of Laurens Couh- ty. The Children’s Concert presented by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra last Wednesday afternoon was a tremendous and significant step forward in developing an appreciation for music in our young people. The arrangements for such a concert are unbelievably tedious and time-consuming, | and Mrs. Cook, with Mrs. THE AMERICAN WAY o W A: V m His Best Friends Are AM TeMing Him Now CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1967 ®l)p (Clinton DONNY WILDER, Editor and Publisher Established 1906 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE CHJtQIfJCLE PUBLISHING COMPANY Subscription Rate (Payable in Advance) Out-of-County — One Year, $4.00; Six Months, $2.50 —Z — One Year, $5.00 Second Class Postage Paid at Clinton, S. C. POSTMASTER: Send Form 3579 to Clinton Chronicle, Clinton, S. C. MernOer: South Carolina Press Association, National Editorial Association 'j Wagner’s help, worked against seemingly unsur- mountable odds to see the project to its successful com- , . » pletion. We realize that many others contributed to the suc cess of the venture, but to these two go special credit for their determination and far-sightedness and sincere thanks for a job well-done! I, for one, would like to ex press the hope that similar programs may be held in the future and that those ini tiating such efforts may find enthusiastic cooperation awaiting them. Sincerely yours, Mrs. Marc Weersing AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION National Advertising Representative: New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia