Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Dick's Cabinet Delegation's Appointments May Help Unify County Notification last week of the reor ganization of the Laurens County Planning and Development Board was good news. We commend the Laurens County Legislative Delegation for their ac tion. We had editorialized in these columns for such action and it might have seemed slow in coming. How ever, in all fairness, the delegation felt it had to let the dust settle from the recent elections. We are pleased with the make-up of the board. The delegation has se lected Mine outstanding members. Even more significant to us is that the five-member board includes three members from the Clinton-Jo- DRIVING UP THE COST “Automobile crashes in 1967 cost Americans $34 million a day—nearly half the daily cost of the Vietnam War . . .” The above is the opening sentence in the “Highway User Newsletter” just received, and it is staggering enough to make some drivers slow down a bit, we hope. We are entering one of the high-accident periods now. The holiday season always brings a high quota of heartache on the high way. People, separated from their families, take to the turnpike and parkway to spend the holidays with their relatives. Office parties add to the percentage of drivers who have taken on a few drinks. The party punchbowls serve up names of those who will not be home anymore. Each year at this time the statistics rise tragically. Many restaurants are offering free coffee to drivers, and police in many areas have set up roadside “sober” sta tions, but these are no match for the good judgment of the driver as to how much is enough. Many will lose their licenses; many will lose their lives, and many will be left to mourn. Several states have undertaken an all-out seat belt campaign in recent days, and some are putting teeth in it. In one state a trooper arrested a driver for not having his seat belt fas tened, and the court made it stick. The state’s seat belt law contained a phrase that the Delta were “installed for use,” and the judge opined that the driver was responsible for buck ling the belt while driving. Seat belts are part of your car by law now, and the trend is to make it the law that you must buckle them. That may be a bit Big Brotherish to many drivers, but other considerations may make the mandatory seat belt business more palatable. The reality is that the driver who doesn’t buckle up may find that he cannot collect full court damages if he is hurt in a collision—or, he may find that unable to collect fully from anna area. To us, t hat shows the delegation was not interested in “stacking” the board to favor the northern section of the county. The northern part of the county had the majority previously. We would ex pect that with the next appointments, the majority again w-ould rest with the northern section and later shift back to the south. If such a policy of alternate ma jorities were carried out on all appoint ments, it would do much to unify the county. In the past, residents of the southern section of the county have felt that various boards and commis sions were loaded in favor of the north. A common expression in this section is “They always 3-2 us.” We hope the delegation is setting a prece dent it will follow in the future. If so, they will realize more unified sup port throughout the county. The Laurens County Planning and Development Board is one of the most important organizations in the county. It is charged with promoting the ag ricultural, commercial and industrial development of the county. In the past, it has been primarily an industry-seeking group. We hope that in the future it will also concern itself with the planning necessary to make this county realize its tremen dous potential. We hope it will look into the possibilities of a countywide water system, rural fire protection and other needs which could form the foundation for orderly, well-planned growth. INCOME MINUS TAXES MINUS INFLATION Are you earning more and having less to spend? The figures indicate most of us are in that unhappy posi tion. A 1968 income of $14,282 is nec- esary if a married man with two chil dren is to have as much left for him self and family as he had from a $5,- 000 income in 1939, according to the National Industrial Conference Board. Current taxes, most of them deducted before he even sees his paycheck, de plete his earnings by $2,083. Infla tion gobbles up $7,258 — more than half of his wage s. He has only $4,941 left, which is precisely what he retained after taxes when he was making $5,000 a year. Alas, there is no more to the story. In 1939 the national debt was less than $46 billion; today, it exceeds $350 billion. The $309 per capita na tional debt in 1939 was only $1,236 for a family of four; but it now totals more than $7,000 for the same family. Thomas Jefferson believed that our nation had advanced beyond the notion that a father had to sell his child as a slave. On that premise, he Ui~ Tuition Equalization Plan Is Proposed For State A $585 “tuition equalization" grant to every South Carolina col lege student attending a non-state supported college in the State would make a low-cost college education available to many addi tional South Carolinians, and at the same time save South Caro lina taxpayers “vast sums’ of money, the South Carolina Col lege Council has declared. The Council, composed of 17 accredited colleges, set forth this proposal in a letter to Robert M. Vance, of Clints, Chairman, Commission of Higher Education for South Carolina. ■We believe that we should stress four recommendations at this time in the hope that the Commission of Higher Education will recommend their adoption to the General Assembly," said the letter which was signed by Tho mas K. Pope of Newberry, on behalf of the Council. A tuition equalization plan is imperative" and 'the most im- Such a plan would narrow the gap b?tween the student's cost of attending an independent college and the lower tuition at the state- supported colleges. The tuition equalization plan would make a low-cost college education available to many addi tional South Carolinians who are not now able to attend either state or private institutions, and it would save the state large sums for construction to meet the increased needs. It would also insure the con tinued strength and quality of South Carolina s independent col leges and obviate the possibility that some of them would have to close for lack of adequate sup port, thereby throwing a further burden upon the State of South Carolina, the letter continued. Besides pointing ut the ad vantages of the tuition equali zation plan, the C uncil urged --Establishment of an Au thority to approve the issuance of tax-exempt bonds by inde pendent educational institutions. education in South Carolina and to broaden the educational op portunities of all students. --Provision for practice tea cher training m the public schools without expense to the independ ent colleges. The tuition equalization plan would apply to all South Caro lina students residing in the State for at least two years prior to the grant in aid, and remaining as residents during the grant perk'd. The grants would be available to all resident South Carolina students carrying a minimum of 12 semester hours in the four undergraduate years at an independent c- liege. The Council recommended that the grants apply to education by any senior college inSouthCaro- lina approved for teacher train ing by the State Department of Education, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools or insti tutions actively seeking such accreditation; and any junior col leges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Se condary Schools, those actively seeking such accreditation or those accredited by any other ac crediting agency recognized and designated by the State Depart ment of Education. portant single step which could * taken in 1969 " the Cuuncil --A cooperative effort a- mong the state-supported and in dependent educational institu- 10 THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. (’.. December 19, 1968 ABOVE ALL CHRISTMAS 196« In a world whore tri|»> to the moon art* in tin* offing, where the xpohen word mav he tran>mitted instantly to every nook and rrannv of the earth, where jzenetie seienee i> unlocking the m\ , »teries of man's existence, the awesome -implicity of tin* Under the recommended plan, a qualified student attending a non-state-supported college in South Carolina would receive a grant equal to 60 percent of the per-student appropriation made by the state for full-time students on the main campuses of the five state-supported colleges--- Clemson, South Carolina State College, The Citadel, the Uni versity of South Carolina, and Winthrop. Since the state presently spends $973 annually to subsi dize each student attending a state-supported college, the 60 percent equalization grant would amount to $584. By thus “equalizing" the stu dent's cost of attending a state- supported or non-state-sup ported college, more students would be encouraged to attend the independent colleges, using their existing capacities. The independent colleges can presently accomodate 4,000 more students than are now at tending them. “We need not point out to your Commission the fact that forty percent of the present college en rollment is m the independent colleges of South Carolina. ‘Obviously, the schooling of forty percent of South Carolina's college population in the inde pendent colleges saves the state vast sums that would have to be appropriated both for operating the state colleges and for capital expenditures if the state were re quired to educate all South Caro linians in state-supported insti tutions," the letter pointed out. Besides spending$873per year per student for operating ex penses at state-supported col leges, the state must also pro vide the physical facilities for education, amounting to about $7,500 for each student. BY RICi ARD GANTT Attorney Presbyterian College At this time of year we should be more mindful of God’s laws, the Ten Commandments. It is the duty of all of us to know these commandments and live by them. If you live day-by -day without reference to this law, sweeping it out of mind, then you are blind and foolish. If a man fear God and keep 1 is commandments, he is a whole man. As is the case with all laws, the commandments are the result of a long trial extending over may centuries. Thou shall have no other gods before Me. The order of worship is to be spiritual, not material. The first one is the most im portant. It is the starting place. Unless we give priority in our lives to our allegiance to God, the other nine commandments are of no consequence. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image. This pro claims that the God we worship is not a God made of wood or metal, but a God who is invisi ble and eternal, whose majesty* we cannot conceive. Man must achieve a face-to-face relation ship with God. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. A man takes the name of God in vain when he does not use it in the way that God intended it should be used. In reality this law challenges the most funda mental quality of our lives; namely, our basic integrity and honesty. Are we truly taking God in earnest or just giving lip service 0 RICHARD GANTT get the Sabbath they forget God. Honor thy father and thy mo ther. Fere, the parent is viewed as being in the place of God to the child. A child does not have the capacity to understand God, therefore, his parents are the most important element in his life. The relationship established here will pave the way for the higher facts which will be re vealed in later years. If the par ents make God a part of their lives the children certainly will also. Thou shall not murder. God is the sovereignty over every life, a devine creation. We must eradi cate any anger or envy, malice or hatred because these are the seeds of violence. Thou shall not commit adul tery. Marriage is a lifelong re lationship. Certainly there will be ups and downs. A personal re lationship with God will prevent this from being a problem. Thou shall not steal. W’e all must live in a material world. A measure of possession is need ed for free, purposeful and or dered living. A person who steals is admitting that he cannot cope with life. This commandment for bids all forms of communism. Every man has a right to the peaceful enjoyment of what he has earned. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. This law recog nizes the need for the church with its spiritual discipline. This day is to reinforce our observance for the need for God. When men for- Thou shall not bear false wit ness against thy neighbor. What we say is just as important as what we do. Our words can be far more damaging than our acts. Christina!* stnrv semi!* a striking rontru>t to tin* root less spirit of today. ^ et, w ith all our man-made advanees. the spiritual leadership of Christ Jesus—ito message of hope and peaee—makes man's material aeeomplishments hut a pause in the passing parade of humanity. In the love and companionship of family and friends, let us ponder the Christ opirit and seek to reflect its inspiration in our daily lives, virile the phvsieal *ants of Jesus were limited, hi** compas sion and love for his fellow-man were houndless. Isn't then* a lesoon in the life of the .Man from Nazareth for no. too? Envy or jealousy are frequent motives. Cast the beam out of thine own eye, then thou shall see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye. «* *i Thou shall not covet. This does not refer to a specific act as many commandments do. The inner or motivating spirit of a man is important. This is a difficult law to obey as God so intended. Churches, cities, states, and nations covet what others have. The desire for that which cannot be lawfully pos sessed is distinctly forbidden. Be mindful of these laws dur ing Christmas and throughout the year. * * * A Christmas tree adds beauty and spirit to the happy holiday season, but proper care of the evergreen is important to avoid needless tragedy, cautions Li berty Mutual Insurance Com panies. A tree should be stored in water which is checked every day, especially if it is near a heating system. Two weeks is the maximum a tree should remain up. STRICTLY FRESH ~ ..li complain enough riBJOTTTbur job, “Somethinp* will be done—and you’ll then be free to look for a new one. * * * Our barber claims he earns his fee just looking for something to cut when we’re in the chair. * * * The office wolf is no fi nancial wizard, but he’s sure an expert on the stalk market. * * * People who doubt the reality of guardian angels haven't been missed by a motorist lately. * e * People who say they be lieve in free love have nev er had to pay the bills for a family. * * * Drug Stocks In Today’s Market 3 0INT OF VIEW WELLESLEY HILLS, MASS.,- As a group, the stocks of the leading drug companies present a mixed pucture. Many issues are selling near their all-time highs. But others such as Parke Davis, G. D. Searle, Syntex, Smith Kline L French, and Upjohn are priced substantially below their peaks of some years ago. On the whole, however, the group has fared rea sonably well, especially when considering the multitude of problems and pressures it has had to bear. THE ‘WHIPPING BOYS" During most of the present de cade the drug industry, which has been under the close scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administra tion, has been called on the car pet for high drug prices, mono polies, price fixing, patent In- frlgements, and other irregulari ties. Although the FDA has been leading the attacks against the in dustry, other government a- gencies and even Congressmen have also taken swings at the drug group. Without doubt, the phar maceutical producers have been the favorite ‘whipping boys’ of the 1960’s. r has resulted in a serious slow down in new drug introductions even though the industry’s re search expenditures have re mained very high. For example, in the first half of this year only 33 new drugs were approved by the FDA as compared with 48 in the 1967 first half. Further more, at midyear there were only 143 pending applications for offi cial approval of new drugs as compared with 189 the year ear lier. Due to the slowdown in new products, plus greatly increased competition, the drug industry’s profit margins in late years have been on the downtrend even though sales have continued to increase. A recent report from the Phar maceutical Association indicated that the average net income of the drug industry as a percentage of sales decreased again last year, to 10.1%. This compares with a n* n w. recorded in 19*6 been under fire often in recent years, there may be still fur ther roadblocks ahead for many companies. For the last few years the National Academy of Science has been studying thousands of prescription drugs to find out which ones are ineffective. Their report has not yet been made public; but, when it is, there are certain to be many prescription drugs now on the market that will have to be removed from sale. Under new federal legisla tion, medicines must be proven not only safe but also worth while. Naturally, all of the drug in dustry’s problems cannot be blamed on the FDA or other a- gencies that have been apply ing pressure. For example, some companies expanded too rapidly. Others fell victim to patent ex pirations, which allowed compe titors to move in. Still other firms were too dependent on a limited 4- /4 •vrV’O number of new products from re search in late yean has handi capped certain other drug com panies. FUTURE OUTLOOK . Over the short to intermedi ate term, it does not seem likely that most drug companies will make strong earnings progress. Over the long term, however, there would appear to be enough positive growth factors to assure continued gains. The best-per forming segments of the indus try will probably be hospital sup plies and medical electronics. However, the stocks of most of the companies prominent in these areas already reflect the bright future. Currently the stock of well-di versified Merck L Co. appears to be in a very favorable position for continued long-range gains. Its research efforts have been particularly successful in late years. As a "comeback” candi date, G. D. Searle would appear to rate a nod unless, of course, it is found that the‘pill’produces some currently unknown side ef fects. Searle is one of the lead ing prodneers of the ‘pill,” but also pronr'f--nt «.• medical The man at the weather bureau who predicts light snow obviously cleans his sidewalks with a snow blower. } ♦ * * You can always find it in the Yellow Pages, if some one will just clue you to how the darned things are indexed. * * t After attending one, a person understands why they hold company meet ings only annually. * * » Any child who knows the value of a penny is better at decimal fractions than most adults. * * » Morals don’t necessarily improve as one ages, but inaoility to misbehave cer tainly increases. • * # The most expensive in vestment possible for the voter-taxpayer is a cheap politician. Hatband’s Use Men’s hatbands had a defi nite use before hats were made in sizes. They acted as . it A1U. buckle down. uorselvea.” . drug Uiu