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"POOLER. VOU'VE 6R0WM BIGGER SINCE WE LEPT TW WWVTE HOUSE...UOPE GRANDPA DOES,TOO..." PC FIELDHOUSE Presbyterian College officials cur rently are drawing up plans for the proposed new fieldhouse. We hope they take a long-range view of the situation while considering seating capacity. The fieldhouse is to be financed on the basis of contributions from people in Laurens County. When the pro posal was presented to Laurens Coun- tians, PC officials said the proposed seating capacity was 4,000. Laurens County residents rose to the challenge and went over the $600,000 local goal. Now there reportedly is a move ment afoot to cut the seating capacity to 3,000. We feel this is an extremely short-sighted view and does not live up to the proposal which was support ed by local subscribers to the cam paign. S 'Bfiteyaar* from now, there will be high school gymnasiums in South Carolina which will seat 3,000. The new fieldhouse is supposed to last Presbyterian College for many years to come. We hope the college doesn’t short-change itself. We hope officials plan now for a seating ca pacity of at least 4,000. This area is growipg. Presbyteri an College is going to grow and the PC basketball program is going to im prove under Coach Herb Robinson. A 3,000-seat fieldhouse might satisfy the needs for the next couple of years but it will be inadequate within the next 10 years. THANK YOU. NEIGHBOR More than once in recent years we have taken exception to the comments of the foreign press in this space. Ac cordingly, it is a good feeling to salute a good neighbor for printing an edito rial which should please and refresh American taxpayers. The following is from the English-language News, the prominent and respected Mexican newspaper, of January 17. “Apparently there is no little world apprehension regarding Uncle Sam’s proposed 500 million dollar in crease in the military budget. “Unfortunately, there is to date no indication that Lenin’s goal of ulti mate world domination has been relax ed. Red aggression in Vietnam, the invasion of Czechslovakia, Russia’s pitting Arabs against Israel and its subversion undermining democratic governments all over the globe point to a likelihood that, were it not for Uncle Sam’s deterrent, armed imposi- sition would quickly shrink an other wise slowly-diminishing free world, or by now have already turned it into an aimed camp. “In the absence of a UN militarily capable, or even verbally willing, to back free nations in their fight to re main free, the only checkmate is U.S. determination. The UN, while all this effort to determine liberty goes on, can only single out and censure tiny Israel for its raid of retaliation on the Beirut airport. “It’s a good thing Uncle Sam is willing to remain strong. He has no designs against peoples’ sovereignty. Should his will weaken, not only South- ecutt Asia but Latin America and a host of other wide areas might fall prey to a stealthy Red predator. Should he drop his guard altogether, the predator might quickly become a juggernaut.” Friend and foe alike head a great deal of abuse upon Uncle Sam’s expen ditures of money and manpower to aid and protect nations which wish to re main free. We wish that more of the critics would reflect, as the News has done, on what the alternative would be if Uncle Sam did not stand as a deter rent to Communist encroachment. YOUNG BUSINESSWOMEN The Clinton Business and Pro fessional Woman’s Club is interested in recruiting more of the young busi ness and professional women of Clin- ton. The club currently has 21 mem bers. It sponsors several projects, in cluding a picnic park on the Whitmire Highway and annually sponsors some young people in attending Girls State or Boys State. In addition, the club is active in encouraging voter participa tion in elections and in stimulating more interest iii governmental affairs. Even so, the club feels it could be even more active with an infusion of enegertic young businesswomen. The club members believe the club has much to offer young women, particu larly in helping them better inform themselves about current events. They operate on the premise that if a busi ness or professional woman is well- informed, she is better prepared to follow her career. The aims and objectives of the club are: To elevate the standards for women in business and the profes sions ; to promote the interests of business and professional women; to bring about a spirit of cooperation among the business and professional women of the United States; to extend opportunities to business and profes sional women through education along lines of industrial, scientific and voca tional activities. 'Freedom Of Choice’ And President Nixon 2-C—THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., February 20, I960 He's Had It BY THURMAN SENSING Executive Vice President SOUTHERN STATES INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL One of the chief reasons that many AmerlcShs in all parts of the country voted for Richard M. Nixon last November is that they wanted the nation’s schools proceed with education and no longer be plagued with political demands. In other words, many citizens wanted the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to stop threatening massive re taliation against schools, to a- abandon unreasonable “guide lines," and to let local schools work out their problems in a common sense way. For great numbers of citizens who supported Mr. Nixon the common sense way in public ed ucation is embodied in “free dom of choice* school plans un der which parents decide which school their children will attend. Under such plans, no one is the victim of discrimination, but school systems are not put in. the absurd position of setting quo tas, each year addine a fixed num ber of students of a minority group. The law does not require “racial balance* in the schools, as HEW erroneously insisted in the last administration. It sim ply requires an absence of dis crimination, and “freedom of choice* is the ultimate in fair ness. During the election campaign, Mr. Nixon espoused “freedom of choice.’ He gave an interview on station WBTV in Charlotte last September in the course of which he said he favored this plan. “I wouldn’t want to see a federal agency punish a local community,* he said. In the same month, Candidate Nixon gave a more complete statement of his position, saying he believed the Supreme Court school decision of 1954 was cor rect, but adding: “On the other hand while that decision dealt with segragation, when you go beyond that and say that it is the responsibility of the federal government and the federal courts to, in effect, act as lo cal districts in determining how we carry that out, and then to use the power of the federal trea sury to withhold funds or give funds in order to carry it out, then I think we are going too far.’ The language used by Candidate Nixon was somewhat involved, but his meaning was clear; he favored “freedom of choice’ school plans. In view of this, many citizens undoubtedly were shocked when Mr. Nixon’s new Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Robert H. Finch, made a state ment recently in which he ex pressed opposition to “freedom of choice.* Mr. Finch said, in a funeral tribute to Atlanta publisher Ralph McGill: “I consider it neither legally nor morally defensible to ‘turn back the clock’ and to ac cept as public policy so-called ‘freedom of choice’ plans which do not bring about effective school desegregation.* This statement came shortly after Mr. Finch an nounced the planned cut-off of federal funds to five Southern school districts. It would be tragic if Mr. Nix on did not do something to change the position of Mr. Finch and HEW. One of the many troubles that confronted the Johnson ad ministration was a so-called “credibilty gap* on international affairs. Well, the Nixon admin istration may be in danger of developing a credibility gap of its own on the domestic front. The voters took Candidate Nix on at his word on "freedom of choice.* They placed their faith in his promise to uphold such school systems. If HEW now a- dopts a different policy, and re jects “freedom of choice," how can the public have any faith in the new administration’s pro- misses? Indeed Mr. Nixon, on the basis of his campaign state ments, has an obligation to uphold “freedom of choice.* The country also will be watch ing to see whether HEW acts in a fair manner in making a va riety of decisions regarding school matters. There has to be one federal policy for all parts of the country. If HEW goes along with decentralization and local control of schools in New York City (where “all black’ schools are demanded at the neighborhood level), it certainly can’t crack down on school dis tricts elsewhere for not integrat ing according to a fixed formula with built-in acceleration. Those who supported Mr. Nixon, on the assumption that he would introduce a measure of conservatism in government, also have cause for dismay as a result of his selection of Dr. James E. Allen, Jr., ofNew York, as the U.S. Commissioner of Edu cation. Dr. Allen is all for fed eral “guidelines" to schools that got the last administration in trouble. He also favors “busing" students in some cases, a prac tice which has resulted in nation wide opposition. Mr. Nixon will err seriously if he continues the school pol icies of the last administration. The American people are tired of the schools being used for so ciological experiments. They are aware that educational standards have suffered because of the in fusion of politics. If Mr. Nix on doesn’t allow the people what they want -- good education un adulterated by politics, he will feel a political backlash in the four years ahead. Questions, Answers About Income Tax (Editor’s note: This column of questions and answers on fed eral tax matters is provided by the local office of the U.S. In ternal Revenue Service and is published as a public service to taxpayers. The column an swers questions most frequent ly asked by taxpayers.) Q- My boss still hasn’t given me a W-2 statement. What should I do? A - Employers are required to issue withholding statements to their employees by January 31, so it would be advisable to ask your employer about it. Q - I received a package of es timated tax forms in the mail. Does that mean I have to fill one out and send it in? A - You do not have to file an estimated return for 1969 unless you meet the requirements as explained in the instructions that came with the estimated forms. Estimated tax forms have been to every taxpayer who filed an es timated return for 1968 as well as to those taxpayers who had a balance due of $40 or more when they filed their 1967 return. The forms are identified with the taxpayer’s name, address and so cial security number just as they appear in IRS files. If you are required to file an estimated return, be sure to use the forms sent you. It will assure that your estimated tax payments are properly cre dited to your account. Q - Can I deduct the assess ment I had to pay for a new sidewalk? A - No, the law generally does not permit deductions for assess ments for local benefits that tend to increase the value of your property. The amount of the assessment can be capital ized, however, and added to the basis of your property. intendent of Documents, U.S. Go vernment Printing Office, Wash ington, D. C. 20402. Ask for Publication 17. Q - What records should I keep on my 1968 return in case I’m audited? A - Keep whatever you need to substantiate the income and de ductions on your return. Can celled checks, paid bills, Forms W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement), and 1099 (U.S. Information Re turn for Calendar Year), bank books and similar records in ad dition to a copy of the return, will be helpful. Q - I’ve got a refund coming. Where should I send my return? A - Send it to your regional service center. An envelop ad dressed to the center was pro vided in all 1040 tax packages. If you don’t have an envelope, check the tax return instructions for the address of your IRS ser vice center. Q - Can I deduct premiums? my medicare Q - Where can 1 get a copy “Your Federal Income Tax?' of A - Yes, premiums for Med icare and other medical insur ance are deductible if you item ize expenses on your return. Don’t forget that medical in surance premiums are handled differently than other medical expenses. One half of these pre miums up to a maximum of $150 may be deducted without regard for the 3 percent limitation gen erally imposed on medical ex penses. Details on deducting medical insurance premiums and other medical expenses can be found in the 1040 instructions. Q - To help out my daughter, I took care of several of the mortgage payments on her new house. Can I deduct anything for this? A - No. The law does not al low you any deduction for taxes and interest paid for someone else, if you are not legally lia ble. If the mortgage was in A - This publication can be pur- your name, you may deduct the chased for 60 cents at local interest when you itemize your IRS offices or from the Super- deductions. Q- I am a widower. Does the fact that my nephew now makes his home with me allow me to file as head of household? A - If your nephew also quali fies as your dependent then you may be able to file as a head of household. Check your 1040 instructions for details. Q- Social Security tax was taken out of my pay on both jobs I had last year. Is there any way I can get part of this back? A- If more that $343.20 was withheld from your wages last year for Social Security taxes, then the excess Van be claimed as a credit on your income tax return. The amount of the cre dit should be entered on line 18, page 1 of the form 1040. Be sure to attach W-2 forms from both employers showing the amounts that been withheld. Q- How much can a self-employed person deduct for contributions to a retirement plan? A- A self-employed person can set aside up to 10 per cent of his earned income in an approved plan with a maximum of $2,500, and deduct this on his return. This is explained in Publication 560, “Retirement Plans for Self- Employed Individuals". Send a post card to your District office to obtain a free copy. Q- What taxes can I deduct on my return? A- You may deduct state and local income, sales, gasoline, personal property, and real ex- tate taxes. Deductions are not allowed for: Federal taxes, drivers licenses, state and local taxes on alco holic beverages, tobacco and cer tain miscellaneous taxes. Al so, the cost of auto tags are deductible only to the extent they are based on the value of your car. * * * --The lowest unconfirmed nor- northern hemisphere tempera ture is minus 108 degrees Fa- renheit at Oimekon, Siberia. STRICTLY FRESH If they ever film a night at a drive-in movie, they’ll never be able to show it at a drive-in movie. * * * If your child is gifted, be sure he says “thank you.” * * * It takes expert advice to learn how to live within our i n c o m e—and that’s ow the expert gets the money to live within HIS income. Our gabby neighbor never worked in a bank in her life, but she most cer tainly is a teller. * * * Can you recall when the expression was ‘‘blooming idiots” rather than “flower children 0 ” 5 A K The gentleman in the green eyeshade who proof reads this column some times has trouble with his spellign. ♦ * * Chances are, the fellow who gets ”E” for effort would be delighted to get a little “M”—for money. * * * Skis said to be some 4,000 years old have been found in Norway, but for truly old ones we invite you to the explore the rental items at our nonfavorite ski shoppe. It’s amazing: The gal who can’t carry her own compact when you take her somewhere is perfectly ca pable of wrestling a six- burner stove across the kitchen at cleaning time. * * * Copy the s i n g 1 e-minded industriousness of the bee, and someone will steal your honey while you’re work ing. Prospects For Industrial Prices A central theme in recent dis cussions of the business situa tion has been the continued sub stantial uptrend in industrial pri ces. Inflationary pressures pre dominate in the various sensi tive indices as well as in the Bureau of Labor’s Index of In dustrial Commodity Prices. Where we are - Industrial prices at wholesale as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statis tics are more than 10% above their 1957-59 base. Nearly one- third of this increase has oc curred within the past year. Be ginning in January 1968, moder ate price upturns gave way to more widespread and cumulative movements. Expanding demand for indus trial raw materials and products gave a heavier upward push to prices. Such pressure was, of course, materially increased in the case of items in short, or even narrow, supply. Added to these influences was the impact of higher taxes such as the 10% federal surcharge and the proli feration of state and local le vies. BURDEN OF RISING LABOR COSTS - But there was also pres sure stemming from the burden of rising labor costs. It is this latter force that has played a big role in recent advances in in dustrial prices. Time was when industrial prices included basic commodities and a moderate number of other items. To day industrial items include many more finished and semi-finished products. The result is that a growing number of these industrial items are much less affected by fluc tuations in the prices of their component raw materials than by changes — up or down — in unit manufacturing costs. In 1967, a number of important labor con tracts came up for negotiations, and their settlements were cost ly to management and consumers. 1968 agreements were even more costly and their inflationary In fluence will be felt for quite some time to come. NEAR-TERM OUTLOOK - We are convinced that industrial pri ces are more directly and more importantly influenced by trends in labor and other costs (in cluding taxes in. the totality of their impact) than by supply- demand ratios and/or trends in quotes for industrial raw mate rials. Accordingly, theBabson’s Reports Research Staff forecasts higher industrial prices between now and midyear and probably beyond that point Still heavier expenditures for defense — plus larger total out lays be federal, state, and lo cal governments combined — lie just ahead. These, together with advancing labor and transporta tion costs and expanding person al income will outweigh — for the time being at least — grow ing world supplies of raw mater ials and sharper competition from foreign producers of man ufactured items. However,' the near-term additional gains in in dustrial prices which we are pre dicting should be more moderate than those of 1968. WHAT TO DO - The slower pace of price increases will de rive more from forces already in motion as a result of past excesses in spending, etc., than from any massive new doses of inflationary fuel. Certainly, the Nixon Administration will try hard not to rock the boat Hence, our hope is that the federal gov ernment will now be more of a stabilizing influence on prices than otherwise, but it is going to be difficult to keep the lid on. Those readers who own indus trial enterprises or are active in industrial management would be well advised to pursue rather conservative inventory policies on balance, not because prices are likely to decline soon but because the cost of carrying in ventories is high and still ris ing. It just isn’t good business to buy too far ahead to beat the gun on price boosts if — because of high money rates — it’s going to cost you more than the difference to finance and stort the overlarge inventory pur chase.