Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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J FOUR THE NEWBERRY FRIDAY, .MARCH 15, 1940 1218 College Street Newberry, S. C. O. F. ARMFIELD Editor and Publisher One Year $1.00 Published Every Friday Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937, at the post office at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of March 3, 1879. URGES RETURN TO LAND FOR PROSPERITY A return to the land and a lot of hard work, coupled with the self-re liance and independent spirit of the founding fathers of this country, is the formula needed to put the nation back on its feet, in the o-pinion of Ro ger W. Babson, business analysist. Citing the case of an Arkansas man who lost his job in the depres sion but chose to take his family to a small farm and work himself out of his predicament instead of relying on government aid, Mr. Babson con cludes that “personal initiative was what made this country great, and only personal initiative will solve its present problems.” The story of the Arkansan is re miniscent of early American days. With nothing but his health and energy and a boundless faith in him self, he took his family to a small farm, worked for $1 a day, raised most of his food, saved money from the first day, and, when opportunity came, rented a cheap vacant store, and successfully operated it by keep ing it open when other merchants were closed. Mr. Babson believes, however, that this retum to the land must be at the initiative of the individuals who want to make their own way. Re settlement projects, such as tried by the government, set people down with fine homes, modem conveniences— and an insurmountable debt. MAKES DEPORTATION EN FORCEMENT A JOKE Dean James M. Landis of the Har vard Law School has been criticized by many editorial writers for his re cent decision refusing to deport Geo. Bridges, Pacific coast labor leader who was charged with being a Com munist. Bridges is an Australian and has never become a naturalized American citizen. The consensus of opinion seems to be that Dean Landis has written many thousands of words and has failed to say a great deal. In a let ter to the editor published in the New York Herald-Tribune, the words of Jeremy Bentham, great utilitarian philosopher and crusader for law re form, are recalled. He said: “The law is the science of being method ically ignorant of what everybody knows.” It is alleged Bridges has long been allied with the Communist party in America, if not actually a member. The latest decision absolves him of communistic tendencies and in the opinion of many enforcers makes a joke of the enforcement of the de portation law. WHITE HOUSE POLICE STAFF A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Fritz G. Lanham of Texas in Febru ary to increase the permanent staff of White House policemen to its pre sent temporary status. The bill would increase the staff by one additional sergeant and 29 additional privates. These men are now detailed to the White House by the metropolitan police department of Washington. If the measure is passed, it will bring the permanent staff to one captain, two lieutenants, four sergeants and 73 privates. No wonder government costs so much! Spectator The annual.convention of the South Carolina Federation of Commerce, Agriculture, and Industry was held in the Columbia hotel yesterday (March 6, 1940), J. K. Breedin, presiding. It was a record-breaking meeting in several particulars, notably for its brevity, the whole meeting from the first word to the adjournment was two or three minutes less than an hour. The presiding officer at the outset stated that he would present matters and that only those receiving unanimous assent would be submitted to the General Assembly. Every man stood up to express his opposition to any new tax. There was an equal demonstration against any sales tax or any diversion of highway revenue. The convention recommended that the General Assembly reduce its items so that the Appropriation bill should not exceed twelve million dol lars. It further- recommended that if tre difference between the twelve million dollars and the revenue of the State should not be sufficient to take care of the deficit arising from the decision of the Supreme Court against diversion that the difference should be financed by short term notes to be paid entirely from the ordinary revenues of the State from the existing taxes. It adopted another resolution a- gainst the passage of any deficiency bill and again went on record against any new tax. Mr. Breedin submitted to the con vention that some leaders of the Gen eral Assembly had asked for speci fic items which should be reduced. The convention by a standing vote recommended that the appropriation for the Welfare Department should be limited to one million dollars. There was considerable debate over some of the matter's submitted, led by business men and farmers from Laurens, Aiken, Charleston, Rich land, Barnwell, Allendale, Orange burg, Darlington, Anderson, Saluda, Greenwood, Clarendon, and Spartan burg. At the conclusion the convention elected J. K. Breedin, President; H. H. Morgan, Treasurer; re-elected the old directors and added to the board George H. Bailes of Anderson, R. E. Henry of Greenville, J. R. Westmore land of Pacolet and C. Norwood Hastie of Charleston, who was also made Chairman of the Finance Com mittee. The convention elected Mr. Breedin its spokesman before the Senate, the House and Governor. Mr. Breedin with the whole conven tion went to ■‘he State House and presented the recommendations to the Senate and Governor, the House having adjourned.. The State of South Carolina may be likened today to a fond and indul gent man whose sons and daughters have persuaded him to buy many use ful things without due regard for the day of reckoning. The State is not seriously afflicted, nor is its good credit open to challenge, but the trend is disquieting and, like a man who values his credit, the State must look over the bills and decide what course to pursue. One of the most astonishing things to me is the attitude of many men in public life toward public commit ments and public debts. At bottom the well-governed state, town or county must apply the same rules of finance which are in daily practice by individuals in their prvate busi ness. The reason why public com mitments are entered into more eas ily than private commitments is be cause the State or other taxing pow er covers up its failure and hides its extravagances by more taxes. If you and I could only do that! What a load it would remove from us! Fancy a man of family buying a new car, or new piano, taking a long trip, and getting involved in- many new expenditures ten or fifteen per cent above his income. What a de lightful time he would have levying a new tax on his employer to cover the deficit! And the fact that son or daughter was expanding her ac tivities would not make it any eas ier for father to find the money. At any rate, if father got himself into a jam he would try to extricate him self by getting back within his means in order not to injure his credit rat ing. That is what South Carolina is facing today. Shall South Carolina impose ad ditional taxes; or shall she reduce her appropriations ? What is the condi tion of the State? Frist, her credit is good; she pays her debts. Second, the State has a sober, sound and commonsense citizenship which is not reckless. There is no commonwealth in the American union with a finer body of men and women. Of course we also have some of every other element; but there runs a strong, broad current of sound practical sense in South Carolina which can be aroused and which, when aroused, sweeps aside the vaporing of mere politicians and reaserts the funda mentals derived from their sturdy fathers. What is the financial condition of the State in dollars and cents? When Governor Maybank assumed office he found the State facing a deficit of one million, one hundred and seventy-one thousand dollars. That was financed with annual notes, the last coming due in five years. As a matter of practical government there was no excuse for that deficit. No emergency worthy of the name justifies it. As a matter of public credit, however, a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year was no em barrassment. The first Legislature serving with Governor Maybank, however, appropriated about two million dollars more than the expect ed revenue. That was poor financ ing from any point of view. Instead of acting like a Spartan father and putting his house in order, the most ingenious minds decided to take highway revenues to stop the gap. That precipitated one of the most vigorous legislative battles in our legislative experience. The young Governor, fresh from a spectacular campaign, found himself at odds with the Senate and with many citizens who believe that the highway reve nues are a trust fund to be used for a single purpose. They pointed out that gasoline may be bought for fourteen cents, but sells for twenty- one cents, the seven cents represent ing a fifty per cent tax on a necess- ary commodity and that this extraor- dinary and exhorbitant tax could be justified only on the ground that it was for a service of direct benefit to those who paid the tax and would justify itself by the economies of up keep and operation. A deadlock en sued and was broken after a long fight by a compromise; the Highway Department should contribute out right about five hundred thousand dollars and should issue about a mil lion and a half dollars in bonds the proceeds of which should be paid to the State treasurer to complete a contribution of two million dollars to the general fund of the State. And now comes the decision of the State Supreme Court declaring this pro jected diversion of highway funds unonstitutional. The State then is faced by a deficit of two millions on the current budget. Fortunately the revenues of the State exceeded ex pectations by three hundred and eighty thousand dollars. That brings the deficit down to one million, six hundred and twenty thousand dol lars. That’s where we are today on the current budget which runs until the 30th. of June. In the autumn months the State Budget Commission held meetings to determine what the State would need for the next fiscal year. It finally prepared a report and recommended a total of $13,648,387, about a mil lion two hundred thousand dollars more than the budget now in opera tion. What compelling necessity motivated that I do not know, except the general tendency of all public services to grow or swell. However, when' the Ways and Means Commit tee of the House prepared the an nual appropriation bill it amounted to $12,900,293 and was submitted to the House. The House itself added $235,000, making a total of $13,135,- 792, and sent the bill to the Senate. The Housd itself, then, exceeded the present budget by $700,000. The Finance Committee surprised every body, including the Senate, by bring- ing in a bill for $13,050,899, or $85,- 000 less than the total House bill. Everybody knew that there was a dark-skinned native in the woodpile, but couldn’t see him. When the bill reached the floor of the. Senate, however, the venerable Chairman of the Finance Cmomittee stated on the floor that the bill had been rushed through in order to steal a march on the House. There stood the bill m the Senate. The first big increase was for one hundred thousand dollars addition for school transportation. Many little increases were noted, an( i seven hundred and nienty five thousand dollars as an addition to the Welfare appropriation, making the total for that department about two million and a half dollars, and making the total of the appropriation bill before the Senate $14,125,922, not including another little school matttr of $275,- 000 which must be added. Where do we stand today The Senate bill is about one million one hundred thousand dollars more than the most optimistic estimates or re venue. So the Legislature must find new revenue to take care of the de ficit arising from the Court’s decision, as well as the deficit resulting from the bill now before the Free Con ference Committee of the Senate andi House. That, with sundry other items, means that the reseach is for about three million dollar's of new revenue. Throughout the State—and also in both House and Senate—there is a strong demand that the General as sembly balance the budget by reduc ing appropriations, instead of by hunting for new revenue. Shall we have a Sales tax? Or any new tax? That is the topic of conversation. There are many citizens who be lieve that the Generau Assembly is suffering needlessly with headache. They think the problem might be solved by the old-fashioned expedient of living within one’s means. QUEEN’S NIGHT To Select A Young Lady From Newberry County To Attend the South Carolina Azalea Festival CHARLESTON, S. C See a Host of Pretty Girls on the Stage . . . Enjoy a Good Picture ... Help Select Newberry’s Representative. HELP YOUR FAVORITE GIRL-HERFS HOW: Just come to the Opera House Tuesday night and at the regular admission price you will be given a ballot which you may cast for your favorite lady . . . The method of selection is fair and honest . . . The expression of the ENTIRE audience as to the girl entitled to this trip to America*s most historical city for one whole week. A WEEK’S TRIP WITH ALL EXPENSES PAID .... Live Sumptously at one of Charleston’s Tourist Hotels . . . Music by the Nation’s best Orchestras Trips to Beauty Spots and Scenes of Historic Interest.... Fun and Entertainment Every Minute of Five Days . .. Jammed and Packed with Something Thrilling To Do. OPERA HOUSE Tuesday March 19,8:15 p. m.