The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, May 02, 1968, Image 16
Fine Arts Festival
Could Be Big Weekend
Clinton’s Fine Arts Festival is an
event around which a major local
promotion can be built.
Last weekend’s festival was well-
received and involved both young
and old in art. music and dance. The
festival should remain dedicated pri
marily to local talent However, with
proper promotion, it could also be an
event which would invite visitors
from all over the state.
Rock Hill has a promotion which
has the unlikely name of “Come-See-
Me-Weekend." The idea is simple.
Folks in Rock Hill invite friends
and relatives to come to their city on
a specified weekend. That weekend,
the city’s municipal Glencairn Gar
dens are at their peak. The residents
fix up their yards. There are con
certs and shows for entertainment.
The event has grown each year. This
year, it attracted an estimated
aO.OOO people to Rock Hill.
Planned Poverty
When Will Rogers, who was
proud of his Indian blood, was asked
by a haughty dowager, whether his
ancestors came over bn the May
flower, he replied: “Th«y met the
boat.”
Since Rogers uttered those words
the plight of his people has been
deteriorating steadily and rapidly.
However, we don't recall that any of
our most lachrymose pundits have
shed any tears for them. Of course,
there are only about 300,000 Indian
votes in the natoinal elections, and
that may explain the oversight.
The Association on American In
dian Affairs in New York City re
ports the following statistical aver
ages for our Indian population:
Schooling, 5 years; life span, 42
years; family income, $1,500; un
employment, 45 per cent. Tom
Tiede, an NEA newsman, recently
described the Navajo Reservation as
the nation’s largest ghetto: 25,000
square miles of privation; 18 million
acres of despair; 100,000 faces of
poverty; a median income for a fam
ily of five of $580 a year,
“It is a sad fact that this coun
try’s greatest landowners have be
come the nation’s smallest minority,
the poorest and least educated.”
With those words, Wendell Chine
welcomed delegates from all over
the country to the National Congress
of American Indians in Portland,
Oregon, last October. A Mescalero
Apache, Chine called for legislation
to improve Indian education, em
ployment, fishing rights, hunting
housing and sanitation for the In
dians.
It seems not to have come to the
attention of the Supreme Court that
the Interior Department is spending
millions each year to build segrega
ted schools for the Indians, while
tons of money are being spent in
metropolitan areas to bus children
to integrated schools. But the school
ing program hasn’t been what you’d
call a model of success. Only three
of ten Navajo adults can read or
w r rite English.
Secretary of the Interior, Stewart
L. Udall, testified recently that the
American Indians comprise “the
most poverty stricken group in this
country.” He was asking for more
money for his department.
Unhappily, this whole sorrowful
tale is an accounting of the steward
ship of the planners in Washington
over the span of almost a century,
and as good a reason as we can think
of for resisting Big Brotherism every
waking moment of our lives.
The Spring Arts Festival gives
Clinton the basis for a similar pro
motion. It's a beautiful time of the
year in Clinton. Throw in outdoor
concerts, art exhibits, photography
and crafts displays, and barbershop
quartets and you have the makings
of a fine weekend you would like to
share with someone from another
town.
The Clinton Music Club, with the
cooperation of Presbyterian College,
initiated the festival last year. We
commend them for their effort and
we would like to see it lead to even
bigger and better things in the fu
ture. _
The Farmer
And Inflation
This is the busiest time of year
for the farmer. In some areas, one
can see tractors in the fields around
the clock. A reporter noted last
week that on a 45-mile nighttime
drive through central Illinois he
spotted lights in 17 fields as tractors
plowed their lonely way across the
landscape.
The elements put pressure on the
farmer, but they are as nothing com
pared with the pressure of in
flation. For years now the farmer
has found it impossible to get more
for what he raises, and he has work
ed harder to compensate for the low
prices by being more efficient, by
increasing production. But for most
farmers it has been a losing battle.
Everything that the farmer has to
buy has gone up in price—farm
help, equipment, repair parts and
repairmen, doctors, lawyers, and
processed foods. And prices for farm
produce haven’t kept pace with up
ward costs. No business in the coun
try has been hurt as badly by in
flation as the farm operator. In the
past six years the prices farmers
have to pay have gone up 14 per
cent. The prices they get have gone
up something like 5 percent, and
commodities have not done that
well.
A manufacturer adds increased
costs to his product and the buyer
pays more. Labor unions have nego
tiated contracts tied to the “cost of
living” and pay scales escalate
when the cost of living goes up.
Not so the farmer. Taxes and in
terest rates have inflated skyward
in recent years along with the cost
of living and the cost of farming.
The toll that inflation has taken on
the farms across the country is per
haps best evidenced by the fact that
farmers have gone nearly $20 billion
deeper in debt in the past six years.
It seems to us that the most
important thing that any farmer can
do today is to take half-an-hour be
fore going to the fields to write his
Congressman and his Senators to in
sist that the federal government stop
the spending spree, and stop print
ing paper money, and recognize
that inflation is destroying the agri
cultural economy of the country.
Only a few weeks ago the House
passed a bill providing that the exe
cutive branch may issue $5 billion in
treasury notes and “sell” them to
the Federal Reserve bank. This is
nothing more than printing press
money.
It may be that some businesses,
and workers can survive more in
flation. But America’s farmers can’t,
and they had better serve notice on
Washington in no uncertain terms
between now and November.
What Are They Hiding?
This is probably the only time
in your whole lifetime that you’ll
read an editorial comment in this
space about men’s fashions. The
reason is that this is the only time
we’ve had anything really inform
ative to say about men’s fashions.
The rage this year, according to
the slick magazines, is a jacket for
the male which is known as the
“Nehru” jacket. Axitualjy, it was
introduced as the “Mao” jacket,
but the creators quickly realized
that the Red dictator wasn’t exact
ly the most potpular guy in this
country and all the advertising
campaigns were cancelled, and the
Mao jacket became the Nehru jac
ket. But it’s the same jacket, and
it’s described as something that
came west out of the east.
That’s not quite the whole story,
and here is how we know. The late
Rodney Gilbert used to delight in
telling the story of a visit to Pek
ing a few weeks before the deatb.
of the venerated Dr. Sun Yat-sen,
the famed founder of the Republic
of China. Mr. Gilbert had gone
there specifically to interview Dr.
Sun, an old friend of a quarter-cen
tury at least. And when he entered
the hotel suite, he was taken aback
to see Dr. Sun wearing what is now
described as the Nehru jacket.
“What in the world are you
wearing, Dr. Sun?.” Rodney asked
in some amazement. “You look
like one of the bellhops in the lob
by downstairs.”
Dr. Sun immediately unlatched
the fastener at t h e throat of the
jacket and opened it. “But Rodney,
observe. No shirt. It saves laun
dry.”
That comes to mind when one
of those Nehru jacket-clad fashion
plates appears on TV these‘days.
We can’t help but wonder — didn’t
he have a clean shirt to wear?
"Those Guys Miss You, Lyndon, No Kiddin'..."
1G THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., May 2 l%x
Greatest Need:
Love, Attention
s-/
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cmu* we**-
The SS Joker
MSOII’S
return from it.
BASIC INEQUITIES
BABSON PARK, MASS.
Since it became operative more
than 30 years ago, the social
security system has grown like
all get out. Most of us take it
pretty much for granted. We are
encouraged and elated whenever
Congress sees fit to increase
benefits, and we grumble only I Right now, the average young
half-heartedly when Congress worker could buy -- from a
votes a boost in the social private insurer -- a combination
security tax. life - insurance - and - retire
ment policy that would provide
him a much better return than
he will get from his social se
curity. Hence, compulsory social
security as we have it today
is unfair. We and our employers
combined should have the choice
NOT INSURANCE
Perhaps we would be more
deeply concerned for its future
(and ours!) if we knew that social
security is not really retire
ment insurance. Right now social of
security is obligated to pay out
some $400 billion. However, its
reserve is scarcely more than
5^c of that amount!
What, then, has happened to
your social security tax pay
ments? The answer is quite
simple: These payments are
channeled into the U. S. Treasury,
along with other tax money, and
used as Uncle Sam sees fit.
Hence your future social security
benefits are not being financed
by your tax payments of today.
That money is being paid out to
older Americans already drawing
benefits.
DIMINISHING RETURN
Both minimum and maximum
benefits under social security
have been increased a number of
times. Of course, more people
are receiving more dollars from
the system than ever before. But
the return relative to social se
curity taxes paid is still dis
appointing.
making payments for social
security either to Uncle Sam or
to an insurance company.
Another inequity in the present
system which cries to heaven for
correction is the inhumane, anti
social ruling which forces a post-
65 worker to forego his full bene
fits until he reaches 72 if he
earns more than $1680 per year
in wages. Yet, retirees who have
income from sources other than
employment are not similary
penalized.
The real joker in social
security is the lack of a suffi
cient reserve to assure payment
of benefits over the longer term
When the system was established,
it was confidently expected that
a steadily increasing population
would provide an ever greater
number of taxpayers. It was also
expected that constantly ex
panding productivity would pro
vide these workers with more
dollars to pay into social se
curity.
Though their benefits may have
been small compared with those
available today, workers whore-
tired during the early years of the
program have actually collected
many times their contribution.
But as the program has embraced
more people, tax payments to
support it have outpaced the
But earlier plans for ever more
taxpayers and perpetual pro
ductivity advances seem to be
going awry. In recent years, the
nation’s birth rate has plunged
. . . a new low last year. Ever
mounting cost-push inflation has
been curbing America’s vauntei
productivity gains. Projectini
these adverse trends -- am
there’s no reason not to -- we
shall run smack into a situation
shortly after the year 2000 that
may ring the death knell for social
security. For, by that time, the
war babies of the 1940’s will be
the retirees. Their numbers will
be legion. But the taxpayers who
will have to support them will
be small in mass, relative to a
then huge army of pensioners.
Will the youthful taxpayers rebel
at carrying the heavy burden for
those over 65?
Woodruff Road
Projects Set
Award of a $235,715 contract
for 42 miles of highway resur
facing in Greenville, Spartanburg
and Laurens counties has been
announced by the State Highway
Department.
This contract was awarded to
Sloan Construction Company, Inc.
of Greenville on the basis of
a low bid, according to Chief
Highway Commissioner Silas N.
Pearman. Three bids were en
tered ranging as high as$259,535.
Included in this project are
12.7 miles of S. C. Route 418
from Woodruff to Fountain Inn;
12.9 miles of S. C. Route 101
from Interstate Route 85 to U. S.
221 in Woodruff; Six miles on
S. C. 146 from U.S. 221 in Woodruff
southeasterly to Interstate Route
26; five miles of streets in
Woodruff; 2.80 miles of streets
in Spartanburg; one mile of
streets inChesnee; and 1.46 miles
on sections of streets on the cam
pus of the S. C. School for the
Deaf and Blind at Cedar Springs.
BY DR. HERBERT SPAUGH
Slowly we are commencing to
learn the tremendous power of
| deep spiritual love. Nowhere has
its power been more evident than
in the treating of the mentally
and emotionally ill, not only in
private institutions, but also in
'our great state hospitals. Some
time ago I was visiting the chap
lain of the Dorothea Dix Hospital
in Raleigh, N. C. I asked him
what was the greatest single need
of all the patients. Quick as a
flash he replied, “Love and atten
tion.’ Then he told how many of
the patients there for years often
were without a visit or even a
letter from relatives.
The Saturday Evening Post of
April 6, 1968, has a most in
formative article, “Inside the
Insane Asylum* by Harold !!.
Martin. It is well written and
gives evidence of careful re
search. He interviewed John
Moskovites, a male nurse of
Boston State Hospital, described
by the doctors there as the ideal
: hospital employee - a man with
a “healing touch that transcends
all medicalandpsychiatric know
ledge .’He was so successful there
that the Army Medical Corps
commissioned him a lieutenant
and sent him out to Tokyo to
practice his healing art in the
military hospitals where Amer
ican troops are being treated for
psychiatric trauma suffered in
Vietman. Moskovites took the
author on a tour of the grounds
past several large three story
buildings with iron - barred
windows.
“They’ve been empty for
months now,’ said Moskovites,
nodding toward the two largest.
“But just a few years ago it
was bedlam - a wild confusion
of people yelling and shouting and
running around naked.
“A whole lot of things brought
about the change. Drugs, in the
first place. But mainly, I think,
A LOT OF TENDER LOVING
CARE. That’s trite, I know. But
I went over to Harvard and Rad-
cliffe and Tufts and Northwestern
and did some talking, and man
aged to get a lot of good kids
to come in here and help us as
volunteers. When I was out at
Menninger’s working with
turberi children, Dr. Karl used
to tell us, ‘Love cures people-
both the ones who give it and
the ones who receive it.’ I think
that’s what happened here.”
The college - volunteer pr -
gram was commenced in 1954.
Today student volunteers work as
attendants in more than 100 hos
pitals and halfway houses around
the country. Moskovites gave his
eager young helpers full credit.
In less than five years the pop
ulation in the old chronic wards
under his supervision dropp.ai
from 2,000 to less than 200,
as the volunteer prepared them t
go out to foster homes, nursinc
home, or even to their own homo
“We did it just by giving even
patient something to do that he
could do. We led him along step
iy step.*
When will we learn. Read St.
Paul’s 13th chapter of I Corin
thians. Read it again. Then prac
tice it.
Wish I’d Said
That
‘'Whatever the world may be
coming to, it’s evidently not
coming to its senses.” Olin
Miller, The ( Cresson-GalIit-
zen) Mainliner & (Portage.
Penna i Dispatch.
“One advantage of a large
vocabulary: it lets you insult
the other fellow and get out of
range before he realizes it.”
Wm. Chaffee, The Walnut
(Iowa) Bureau.
:U IO
“It’s said we’re approach
ing a moneyless society. Some
of us are already there.”
“Instant Debt”
...the other name for“Instant Credit”
r'
'P
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THE HIGH ROAD, PLEASE!
'CMSTRucftyr'
labor /
\NEG0T/ATJOfjSj
Rees
SELF-SUFFICIENCY — In
criticizing the President’s bud
get message on federal spend
ing, Rep. John P. Saylor (R.-
Penna.) said, “The federal
government should promote
self-sufficiency, not destroy it.
Rather than build attractive
avenues of access to a subsi
dized subsistence, the federal
government should show the
way to personal independence
and its ultimate reward even
though the course may appear
difficult and challenging. In es
sence, the federal government
should present government
welfare as a temporary expedi
ency, not glorify it as a perma
nent institution.”
V
The over-use of credit cards and the false feeling of
affluence they create can make you a prisoner of your
own finances. A savings account with us will help you
meet your obligations and enjoy the future.
Citizens Federal
«.
SAYINGS AND LOAN 4^
ASSOCIATION 3
203 South Broad Street
CLINTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
A Sound Savings Plan
If you wve «• much in th# n«xt fiftMn y««ri at
you did in th* p*»t fift**n y*#r$, will fh*r* b«
adequate funds for old ag«?
If not . . . I*t < s talk over a plan which will work
witliout fail!
REPRESENTATIVES
SIDNEY HARTZOG—833-2333
FRANK LYDA—833-1784
REPRESENTATIVES
FRED BRAGG—833-1663
JACOBS BLDG 833-0950
OLIN FURR—833-0066