Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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•• 5 •*♦> .HT - % *0 V. r'zm'T' State Tax Source Site For Sore Eyes Speaking at the Clinton Rotary Club meeting last week, State Sen. W. C. (Bill) Dobbins of Joanna predicted that there will be a state tax increase next year. A member of the powerful Senate Finance Commitee, Dobbins .said the increase will be needed to improve education. Lt. Gov. John West made the same prediction last week-end in an address. Current thinking in the General The ‘Work-In’ What this country needs is a "working man's” march on Washing ton. The draft card burners .the doves, the ‘'poor”, the welfare recipients who want more from the government and fewer restrictions—all of those groups have had or are having their innings in Washington. We've had sit-ins, lie- (l' > w n camp-ins. walk-ins by just about even loud minority in the coun- trv. But we haven't heard much from the hard-working majority. That ma* mritN is composed primarily of work* mg people who take their responeibiH- ties seriously, do an honest day’s work for an honest wage, pay their taxes and believe that, despite its weakneas- es. thm .-till ;s the greatest country in the world Trouble is. the ‘‘working man” is too busy supporting his family and hia government to take time off to loll around Washington for a few weeks and listen to speeches about what’s wrong with this country. He's staging a “work-in” but that nt-\cr gets him on national television or >n the front pages of newspapers or magazines. 197 Year* Overdue According to a ledger in the Na tional archives in Washington, D. C., the U. S. Treasury owes a man named John Ross the sum of 19,445 pounds, 11 shillings and 11 pence sterling, at 6 percent interest, until paid. That’* the sum he loaned the Continental Congress To finance the war afainst Mother England. The descendants of Ross have been waiting since 1781. In San Juan Capistrano, California, a great-grandmother and the oldest living heir of John Ross lives modestly and providently in a trailer park. Mr». William Horner is her name, and she could easily use the money. Her Con gressman is trying to get it for her. That would be Rep. James B. Utt, Re publican. who introduced a special bill in the 90th Congress which would have enabled the United States to pay up. But, the bill died because of the serious balance of payments deficit, or at least that was the best reason he could elicit from spokesmen for the House Judiciary Committee on Claims. So, Congressman Utt will resubmit the bill next January to the 91«t Congress. The family is not asking for pay ment of the 6 percent intereet which has been accumulating since 1775. Utt’s bill will call for an $86,000 settle ment of the claim, based on the then existing value of the pound—$4.44. The House Committee has never disputed the validity of the claim. It might be noted at this point that pa triot John Ross, a native of Scotland, who came to Philadelphia in 1763 was a personal friend of George Washing ton, and that he made personal contri butions of more than 20,000 pound* to the revolutionary cause. His will, dated December 31, 1800, reflects the unpaid debt, and some of his papers reveal efforts to collect the $86,000 be cause his “credit and poverty still suf fer." But there are clearly priorities in Washington. For example: according to the Agency for International Devel opment, the United States has distrib uted more than $122,358,600,000 in foreign aid since the end of World War II. To how many countries? At least 87. Mother England got more than $9 billion of that “aid” money. De Gaulle received even more, $9.4 bil lion. But Mrs. William Horner in her trailer? Sorry. The budget ie already in red, and $86,000 is out of the if ht now. Among other are 280 place settings of for the White House being _____ this month. Really, Mrs. ^ Horner, you'll just have to wait. AaMmbly apparently is that the in- creaae should come in the form of a one-cent sales tax increase. We agree that a tax increase prob ably will be needed and that more needs to be done for education. However, we question the assump tion that it should come in the form of a sales tax increase. When legislators are considering this matter, we hope that they will take an honest look at some other po tential tax sources — specifically li quor. beer, wine and tobaco. The one-cent sales tax increase would bring in an additional $40 mil lion. It could be that an additional tax on alcoholic beverages and tobac co would not bring in enough to cover th« amount needed, but it could help. We do not believe it is right to tax th« necessities while allowing those other items to go unscathed. Also, if the tax is added, we would like for it to be specifically earmarked for the purpose of education. Unless it is clearly designated, the original purpose of the tax increase often gets clouded with the passage of time. Teaching Thrift Our pre-teen children have always livsd In an affluent society. It’s diffi cult for them to associate with many things which should be of prime con cern—such as for example, the control and use of money and the value of sav ings. Every parent of college-age chil dren is singularly aware of the prob lem, since costs are up to the point whefe most colleges and universities say a student needs a minimum of $2.- 500.00 a year if he enrolls in a school away from his home town. Frequently we look askance at our children’s handling of their finances. In this day and age, five-cent candy bars are rare items. Movie admission prices are higher than when we were growing up, and the five-cent merry- go-round is a thing of the past. And in our discussions about money with the kids, we really ought to try to avoid that time-worn phrase, “Now when I was young . . For it’s a fact of life that th* bread- wJniier’s salary' has gone up, also, to ranges which would have been called unbelievable a generation ago. High finance has become an every day challenge in homes across Ameri ca. Most everyone has a budget for regular household expenses, for future needs, for health and insurance pro tection, and for the education of our children. But it has always been a problem as to how best to train our youngtsers in the fine art of saving. We’ve all tried, and have done the best we know how. But now, some skilled experts in fi nance are offering to help us teach the children thrift—and in a way which will be entertaining to them as well as educational. Thousands of Savings and Loan Associations across the United States are offering a free, four-color, 20-page comic book entitled ‘‘$avings Can Be Fund.” The books are available at all member Associations of The Savings and Loan Foundation, Inc. The mop pet members of your family may have their complimentary copy for the ask ing. It’s a fun book to read, easily un- dertsandable by any child over age •even. Our compliments to the business men who accept this kind of commun ity responsibility—and who knows the values of' thrift better than profes sional financial people? “$aving Can Be Fun” is not the total answer to good savings habits among our young people. But it’s a mighty good start in the right direction. Rejoice in tkat 4ey, and leap for joy—(Lake:2S). Ie Um brief course of this day, we can experience all of God's good that ws are will ing to accept. We can appreci ate the beauty that surrounds os and sing a song of thanks giving for it We know the joy of living, and we can be sure that God loves us. We turn quietly to God, and know the peace that comes from still ness and prayer. PAWS mfj r:; U'jcJ o ——# v . V kU . .Klfc-cr- UtKik OtmN Foreign Aid Started Half A Century Ago BABSON PARK, MASS - As economists and financial experts wrangle over the pros and cons of a national financial crisis which certainly demands prompt and decisive remedial action, Uncle Sam’s spending for foreign aid is being called more and more into question. HOW IT STARTED Foreign aid as we know it today had its beginnings nearly 23 years ago, shortly after World War II ended. But both the idea and the practice are much older than that, dating back a full half- century to World War I . . . with some $25 billion still owed us from loans made then to European countries to keep them solvent and insure for ourselves a heal thy postwar economy. Our grants to foreign nations during World War II amounted to $49 billion, and since then we have made additional loans and grants total ing $122 billion. Add to that some $90 billion in U.S. private invest ment abroad, and you have the staggering sum of 286 billion in American dollars that have been used to bolster foreign economies since 1917-18. During the past decade and a half the lion’s share has been going to underdeveloped nations, principally in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Consistently the idea has been to help make foreign economies more viable, more self-sustaining, so that world trade and our own prosperity and security might be enhanced. The dollar cost of this massive USSON'S II aid has been staggering. Many Americans, noting Uncle Sam’s lack of true allies among the world’s nations (nearly all of whom have received our bounty), feel that most of these funds have gone down the drain. They con tend. we’ve been duped and left holding the bag. To some extent these critics are right. Millions of dollars in foreign aid have been misspent. In too many instances, funds which could have been spent more advantageously have gone into armaments. Indeed, more than once we have armed rival neigh bor nations when we might better have worked to remove the causes of their rivalries, helping them make fuller, economic use of their resources. SECURITY AND PROSPERITY Costly as these mistakes have been, the broad goals of helping other nations to become more self-reliant, of providing for our own security, and of advancing our own prosperity have been at tained through the multiple and complex foreign - aid programs we have pursued. To be sure, we have not succeeded in outlawing war, and we have not managed to open Asia, Africa, and Latin America to full participation in a prosperous world economy. <V But we have brought some na tions, in Europe particularly, to "ALVJMS ROOM FOR OUe - MORE.,." 10—THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C„ May 23, 1968 Everyday Counselor | BY DR. HERBERT SPAUGH June, often called Bride’s Month is upon us. The man and woman who marry without marri age counseling from a compe tent authority as a minister, priest, or rabbi are much like a man or woman buying an auto mobile without taking driving in struction. Each year about this time we try to offer some marriage coun seling through this column. First, we offer our Ten Com mandments for a Happy Marl- age. Thousands of these have been published and distributed. 1 give them again below. 1. Thou shalt not marry in haste or thou mydst repent at leisure. 2. Thou shalt have a home of thine own, no matter how small. By your marriage you transfer your allegiance from your father’s house to your own. Keep it there and save trouble. 3. Thou shalt make a family budget and live up to it. 4. Thou shalt observe birthdays and anniversaries. They are the windows to a home. Continue courting and you will stay out of court. 5. Thou shalt practice thy re ligion at home. If it won’t work there, there is something wrong with the religion or with you. Find out. Look for the best in life - not the worst. Show appre ciation for the virtues of others and try to overlook the faults. 52,200 lives were forfeited on America’s highways In 1967, ac- cordiig to an annual survey. 6. Thou shalt watch the little [things - sharp words, annoying habits. One match will start a fire. 7. Thou shalt have a family altar. If you are too busy to read the Bible and pray dally, you are busier than the Lord ever in tended you to be. 8. Thou shalt serve the Lord in His Church. You would not live in a city without churches. If you want the benefits, be willing to share the responsibilities. 9. Thou shalt have suitable re creations with friends of thine own age and station. Keeping up with the Joneses makes trouble. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but all play and no work is just as bad. 10. Thou shalt regard thy child ren as among God’s greatest gifts. Have them and treat them as such. Finally, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.” My “Rules for a Happy Marri age* suitable for framing as a gift can be had by writing to The Everyday Counselor in care of this newspaper enclosing 25 cents to care for printing and postage. My little book, “Pathway to a Happy Marriage” in gift box can be secured by likewise writing to the Everyday Counse lor in care of this newspaper en closing $1.50. You may also order the book through your bookstore. the point where they no longer need our assistance. In Asia, we helped Free China to build a dy namic economy on the Island of Formosa with a standard of liv ing for that region second only to industrially powerful Japan. From 1962 through 1966, the annual growth rates of the 12 countries receiving the major share of development assistance have averaged close to 5%. Such progress has been a mighty fac tor in boosting our own Gross National Product and in increas ing the personal Incomes of the American people. PROTECTIONISM Today -- as we view with con cern the weakness of our dollar, the imbalance of our international payments, and the multitude of tensions in a world that is still badly fragmented --the temp tation to withdraw Into our shell, to revert to isolationism, Is great. But we learned to our sor row in the 1930’s that protec tionism does not protect and that isolationism begets stagnation. Cut federal government ex penditures, we surely must But across-the-board cuts in foreign aid we would make at our peril. Far better to set up priorities, after reviewing needs and goals. Then we could excise the tat from foreign aid without endangering the free world economies and up setting the precarious balance of international affairs. Republicans Force Democratic Changes BY THE CHRONICLE’S Capitol News Bureau COLUMBIA - The rise of the two-party system In South Car olina has often been described as the birth pangs of a new sys tem. No one knew the Democrats were going to suffer so much of the labor. In the beginning when the Democrat primary was the only ‘meaningful -election,” it drew many contenders for office. It was not unusual to see twenty or more men running for nine or ten seats. Then came the serious conten tion by Republicans. Democrats, facing changes from the growing Republican strength, had to do what they said they would never do . . . gather in the smoke filled-room to see how best to defeat the opponent. Democrats lived on a motto that strikes against the smoke- filled room: “elected, not selected.” The Democrat charge against the Republican method of naming nominees was based solely on their Democrat primary on the fabled second Tuesday in June when Democrats met in open con tention and the “best man” won. Republicans, budding but small, named nominees in con vention that they thought could best take on the Democrat. In the Goldwater sweep of South Carolina In 1964, Republi cans came into their own with some legislative hopes that be came realities in 1966. Then, still fretting under the Democrat charge of “selected, not elected,” Republicans tried this year to enter the world of the primary on their own. It did not work for a variety of difficulties for the fledglings. But a most peculiar thing was happfcitlhg among the Democrats. They had but one statewide race to concentrate on, incumbent U. S. Sen. Ernest F. Hoilings and Greenville attorney John Bolt Culbertson. Ordinarily stump meetings, the foundation of the Democrat Party, start anywhere up to three months before the second Tuesday in June. This year they started in May and will end almost hours before the primary itself. Culbertson charges that the changes in stump meetings was engineered by the State Demo crat hierarchy to prevent his get ting his message to the people in time. While there has been no par ticular rebuttal to his charge be yond statements regarding the thought that the people don’t care that much anymore, the fact re mains that the primary on the big level of a U.S. Senate race slipped to disrepute. Whether the Democrats put the primary down for a last moment thought is conjecture. But there is no conjecture about the fact that, hounded by Repub lican opposition, Democrats made the choice of drawing no blood in June. Young Widow Faces Many Legal Problems BY RICHARD GANTT Attorney Presbyterian College Every husband and wife with children, no matter how young, should have wills. Otherwise, un necessary legal problems can continue for years, especially •when children under 21 are in volved. For example, a young husband recently died without a will. Ac cording to South Carolina law, his property went one third to his wile and two thirds to his two children. After the estate was settled, his wife realized that she would have difficulty meeting the monthly mortgage (payments. The Some also needed some minor repairs. The lending institution was willing to redoes the monthly pay ment but to do so required the agreement of her children who were eight and 11. Because they were minors, they could not sign the mortgage. An extensive court proceeding was necessary to RICHARD GANTT authorize the guardian of the children to sign the mortgage for the children. The entire facts were presented to a Judge after numerous legal documents were prepared. At the hearing, the wife had to justify why she should be allowed a new mortgage. The mortgage was authorized but after it was executed, the wife was forced to report all of her financial proceedings to the probate Judge who had con trol of the monies received on behalf of her children. The point the story makes is simple. If you have minor child ren, you need a will.