Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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10—THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., Sept. 19, 1%8 CITY FINANCES In continuing Clinton’s tax levy at 68 mills, City Council last week con tinued what is becoming a tradition. The city has not had a tax increase in 19 years. It is true that the 53-roill levy will bring in a great deal more than it did 19 years ago, because of increased property valuation. The city collected $03,974 in taxes for the fiscal year ending August 31, 1960. The city collected $146,894 for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31 1968. This shows how the city’s tax revenue has grown just on the basis of in creased property valuation while the tax rate remained unchanged. However, the needs of the city also are growing and sometime in the not- to$>-distant future council is going to J have to face up to these needs. During the years that council has j continued to hold the line at 63 mills, ; the city has been looking to other | sources, such as Utility Department j revenues, to make up the difference • Jt&tween tax revenues and increasing costs of city services. The Utility Department has not ‘.•been left with enough money to stay i ahead of the growth rate. As a result, the city soon may be j faced with a bond issue to bring its icity water, sewer and electrical ser- : vices up to date. If the bond issue is • approved, there will be interest costs. : Had the city been realistic about its j costs and revenues through the years • this interest cost could have been j avoided. • City water, sewer and electrical •services must be kept up to date. may mean that tax increases will • be necessary along the way but it’s : better business to take care of the j needs as they arise than it is to let : them pile up and then go into debt j to finance them. THE CHOICE \ If you lived in Czechoslovakia, > would you risk stavine on in the coun- j try, or would you risk trying to get ;oi*.t? That’s a question that each American should ask himself and .-thereupon take a thoughtful, seclud- '.ed hour to ponder. The terrible truth {is that thousands of Czech citizens are * Imaking that fateful decisio: even as lyou read these lines. Czechoslovakia has roughly the •same area as New York State. And 'almost as many people are crowded in- •to the country—something more than '14,000,000. In Moscow, the press is ^trumpeting that there are 40,000 ene mies of the USSR in Czechoslovakia w Who must be liquidated. Some weeks ago there were 2,000 ^Czechs who signed an appeal to the ^government to stand firm in the face 5of "Soviet pressures. ! Those 2,000 are marked men and ^vomen. Prudence demands that they {flee, if possible. But who are the bther 38,000 marked for extinction, or jjail? Who knows. Moscow doesn’t jdream figures or spout generalities {when its army marches. Kremlin- jwatchers believe that the Secret Police Wwe methodically compiled lists of in dividuals in Czechoslovakia who are considered “untrustworty” enough to warrant arrest and that the Soviet press is reflecting the number of names on the list. Perhaps you have been struck by the fact that you’ve seen no photo graphs of the hundreds of Czech refu gees who have made their way through the Iron Curtain, to refugee camps in Austria and elsewhere. Know why ? Because the refugees are afraid to be photographed. Each has loved ones still inside the Czech bor der. The Soviets are in process of im posing the most repressive kind of police state in Czechoslovakia. But that takes time; a bureaucracy doesn’t get built overnight. And so there is yet time for some to flee. Would you try it? Or would you send out the children, and hope that they could find a new freedom in a new world? You could take with you only what you could carry. What would you take? REMEMBER THE SURTAX One can only marvel at the seem ing serenity with which the Congress countenances the contempt of the bu reaucrats in Washington. The arro gance of the bureaucrat was never more pointed than in the closing weeks of the government’s fiscal year which ended on June 30. At that date fed eral agencies had on the payroll a total of 3,026,376 persons. That, according to Congressman George Mahon, Chair man of the Joint Committee on Re duction of Federal Expenditures, was “the highest federal civilian employ ment level since November, 1946.” But an even more stunning figure is the 96,350 employees that were add ed to the federal employment rolls in the course of just one month. Even as Congress was demanding cutbacks in federal spending, acceding to Admin istration demands to increase taxes, and reviewing budget requests for hours on end, the bureaucrats were packing the payroll. The Transporta tion Department, for example, added 2,959 and the Veteran’s Administra tion recruited 3,604 persons. The Winchester, Virginia, Evening Star took note of the bureaucracy’s re sponse to demands for economy by the Congress. Here is what it said: “Coming at a time when federal officials supposedly were concentrat ing on holding the line on spending, one can only imagine what the record might have shown if budgetary con sideration had played no part in the federal government’s hiring plans. “Or was it in anticipation of a clampdown by Congress on hiring in the new fical year that the federal agencies loaded their payrolls in the declining weeks of fiscal 1968? What ever the excuse, the national adminis tration is not evidencing capability in administering its own house. “Aside from the fact such misman agement provides ample ammunition for the political opposition, it is a sad finale to an administration which has run up the largest peacetme deficit in history.” Hats And Helmets In The Ring... "Well, I Think Nixon's Rubbin' It In - All His Talk About Th' 'Forgotten People'!" Starting New Business WELLESLEY HILLS, MASS. - Despite the fact that our free enterprise system is fettered by heavier taxes and more govern ment regulations than ever be fore, interest in starting new businesses still runs high. Last year, new business incorpora tions in the United States totaled 206,000 plus. Add to these the number of unincorporated new businesses started and you reach a formidable figure. VETERANS BEWARE Many returning servicemen are seriously exploring the possibilities of going into busi ness for themselves. They seek advice from friends and rela tives, from former teachers, and sometimes from businessmen in their home communities. Less frequently do they address their queries to those in the best position to counsel them: Bankers, chamber of commerce officials, and business analysts. scout for them. As a rule of thumb, beware of paying as much as ten times the average annual net earnings after taxes for a going business. Aim to pay closer to five times annual net, and then only if you are satisfied as to. location, competition, and the general character and condi tion of the business. LOCATING LIKELY BUSINESSES Anyone seriously bent on buy ing an existing business should go about it systematically. First, read your own local newspapers thoroughly -- news, editorials, and advertisements. Then learn about conditions and opportuni ties in other cities in which you might like to locate by study ing their newspapers just as carefully. Follow this up by personal con tact with chambers of commerce, bankers, lawyers, and public offi cials of the community. Other things being equal, it would probably be wiser to buy a good business in a small or medium-size community than in a large city. But don’t be in too much of a hurry. Search pa tiently, and try to improve your cash position while waiting. SENATOft| ■STRO HURMOND Reports PEOPLE PLANNING A RIOT Last March, the Senate ac cepted the Thurmond Anti-Riot amendment to the 1968 Civil Rights Act. This statute says that anyone who crosses a State line to incite, organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on, a riot is subject to a fine of not more than $10,000, imprisonment for not more than five years, or both. Despite the fact that riots have become so commonplace that they no longer make front page news, no one has been con victed under the act. The lack of convictions is not surprising, since the U. S. Justice Depart ment has not even sought any indictments under the provisions of the law. This Administration is apparently trying to maintain the fiction that all riots spring unassisted from so-called local grievances. FICTION REVEALED This fiction has been put severely to the test by the recent disturbances in Chicago. Thou sands of agitators converged upon that city with the an nounced intention of inducing violence and interfering with the electoral process of our nation. Doubtless many of them were misguided youths sincere in their convictions. However, sincerity is no excuse for criminal con duct and Congress has made it a crime to cross State lines to in cite a riot. The fact is that their inten tions were spread across the press of this nation. They went to Chicago, and proof of their presence is that they were ar rested in Chicago. It would ap pear that many of the revolu tionaries arrested in Chicago meet the necessary tests for prosecution under the Federal law. No longer is it an academic case whether such offenders ought to be prosecuted. It is not just the organized disorders in Chicago that are at stake. Last week, one of the chief activists, Jerry Rubin, leader of the so- called “Yippies,” vowed that the riots would continue until the inauguration of the next Presi dent on January 20. “We will see to it that there will be no elec tion without the national guard,” Rubin said. He promised that there would be larger-scale dis ruptions on high-school and col lege campuses, culminating in a mass rally in Washington, D. C. on Inauguration Day. These statements must be viewed in the light of the fact that it was Rubin who announced the plan to invade Chicago as long ago as November, 1967. LAW VIOLATED We must conclude that the law apparently has been violated in connection with the Chicago episode, and that the leaders have announced that they will continue to violate it in the future. The situation is critical if our free electoral processes are to survive. It is up to the Justice Department to take im mediate action. In recent years, the Justice Department has been among those who have promoted back ward steps in law enforcement, coddling the criminal, and dis regarding the essential need of the citizens to have law and order as the basis of justice. The attitude of permissiveness has undermined the fabric of society, so that today young men and women feel perfectly free to disregard laws which displease them or interfere with their goals. Clearly, the Thurmond Anti- Riot amendment must be en forced if our citizens hope to en joy the most fundamental privi leges of citizenship. We must recall the recent warning of J. Edgar Hoover concerning these revolutionaries. He said: “This comparatively small group of ar rogant, hard-core militants have contempt for the majority and our democratic processes. They regard themselves as the nucleus of an elite dictatorial ruling class of the future. These ex tremists openly avow that their aim is to overthrow the existing order.” Mr. Hoover’s warning is timely, and is already being borne out by current develop ments. The best time to stop a riot is when the plotters are in the midst of their planning. (Not pr*p«r«d or printed at government expense) Everyday Counselor IT SHOULDN’T BE A SOLO ACT! Opportunities still abound in the United States, but a good deal more than hard work is needed to take advantage of them. Veterans and others desiring to enter business as proprietors must be adequately financed, know well the field in which they plan to operate, and be prepared psychologically as well as fi nancially to endure disappoint ments and setbacks (includ ing bankruptcy). There is no easy road to success, and the busi ness mortality rate is heavy. START-UP COSTS Most business counselors cau tion against returning veterans starting new businesses immed iately, even in cases where they appear well financed and well acquainted with the field. One obvious reason is that most re turning servicemen have been away from civilian pursuits for two, three, or more years and are out of touch with what is going on businesswise in the na tion or even in their own com munities. They need time to get their feet on the ground and to think their plans through. Also, many of them have had no prior business experience. But perhaps the biggest stumb ling block is the high start-up cost in most businesses. Even with all other signals •go 1 ', in dividuals starting businesses to day soon discover how quickly these costs can eat ig) what seem ed initially to be ample capi tal funds. BUYING EXISTING BUSINESSES Broadly speaking, even the well-heeled veteran who is ap parently able to finance a new business venture without taking on an unrealistically heavy debt burden would do better to spend two years at a school of busi ness administration or as an em ployee in his chosen line. And then be might be smarter to buy an existing business at a rea sonable price than to start one from scratch. Every year, successful though small family businesses are put up for sale because of the re tirement or death of their own ers. Often survivors need to get their money out fast to pay death taxes or satisfy other obliga tions. Hence bargains are by no means rare, though you must WEEK OF SEPT. 23, 1943 The Womens Christian Tem perance Union will meet with Mrs. R. W. Johnson Monday afternoon at 4:00. Mr. and Mrs. John Sobey Glo ver of Sao Paulo, Brazil, an nounce the birth of a daughter, Elizabeth Sobey, Sept 13. Mrs. Glover is the former Miss Fran cis Spratt, daughter at Mr. and Mrs. John Spratt of this city. Mrs. Perry M. Moore and son, Ronnie, spent the past week in Woodruff with her mother, Mrs. H. C. Schumacher. Mr. and Mrs. Colie Campbell visited Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Camp bell in Lyman Sunday. John Fulmer of Newberry, spent Sunday with his cousin, Cla rence Fulmer and Mrs. Fulmer. Pvt Irby Ferguson of Camp Stewart, Ga., spent the weekend with Mrs. Ferguson and other re latives. * * * “Success is just around the corner—only sometimes a long block.” BY DR. HERBERT SPAUGH Some people will climb a tree to put off doing a thing until tomorrow when they can stay on the ground and do it today and now. I am not one of those. I vividly recall circumstances some years ago when I received a call as police chaplain to come to a local hospital as soon as possible, that a police officer was there as a patient and want ed to see me. Perhaps I could have thought up an excuse to postpone the visit, but I didn’t. I reported to the supervising nurse on the floor on which the officer was a patient and asked for details before I went to his room. This is always advisable, as people usually go to the hos pital to receive treatment and get well and not to entertain friends. I was told that the patient had suffered a heart attack, but was responding to treatment and it was all right for me to go in. Entering I found him cheerful and apparently comfortable. A mem ber of his family was with him. He told me that he wanted to make his Christian profession of faith and be baptized in the Church. I inquired as to his wife’s re ligious affiliation and suggested that he wait until he returned home and join the same denom ination as his wife. He diclined firmly and said that he wanted to be baptized by me at once. I said I would do so. Then I asked him several questions about his spiritual atti tudes and his desire to accept Christ as his Saviour. His an swers were forthright and sin cere. I left the room, went to the desk of the head nurse, explained what I wanted to do, asked for a bowl and water to use for the baptism. This was supplied. I asked that a nurse accompany me back into the room. She did. After again asking him a few questions concerning his Chris tian faith, I baptized him and laid my hands igxm him in the baptismal prayer, invoking God’s forgiveness and blessings through Jesus Christ As the conclusion of this little service, I sat down by the pa tient and asked him a flew ques- ■ Hons for my baptismal records. Suddenly he gasped, had another heart attack, and stopped breath ing. The nurse quickly came to him and then returned to the floor, bringing in the patient’s doctor who happened to be there at the time. But the officer was dead. Apparently this officer had a premonition of what might be ahead of him, or at least he re cognized the possibility. I learn ed later that he had one or two light heart attacks prior to this experience. You can be certain that I was grateful that I acted immedi ately upon his request, rather than delaying the call until I had finished some work which I had immediately before me. Some times it is a good idea to drop what you are doing to answer a call. Lately I’ve had some re grettable experiences when there was delay. As I have only part- time secretarial help, sometimes I put a letter on my dictating machine and it will be several days before it comes out. In two cases I recall before the letter could be typed and mailed, the ope to whom I was writing had passed on Into another life. “Do it now” is still a good motto in my book. That “If you have been warned not to take any wooden nick els, you misrht like to know that a lumberman has now figured out that the lumber in today’s wooden nickel is worth seven cents.”—Gunder Berg, The Cavalier (N. Dak.) Chronicle. “You can always tell a new employee, but whether he’ll pay attention is something else again.”—Mather C. Wassis, Park County (Colo.) and Fair- play Flume. “Sponge cake is a pastry made of all borrowed ingredi ents.”—Brice Van Horn, Fill more (Calif.) Herald.