Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1943 THE NEWBERRY SUN “MAKE IT DO” THE SPECTATOR Every one knows how mischevicus it is to have a neighbor who outbids everyone else for labor. If the farm ers agree on a dollar a hundred for picking cotton some neighbor will offer a dollar and a quarter. As soon as the general level of $1.25 is reach ed he goes to $1.50. He is not pay ing for labor according to any hu manitarian mobve of recompense; he is merely proceeding along selfish bnes. Some neighbor o' ght to raise the price overnight to S5.90 and be re-imbursed by the others. So farm ers know the miscuiet caused among us back in 1934 when farm labor was offered $2.40 a day by “The Relief”, as the faim-hands called the E. R. A. or the C. W. A. or P. W. A.—or what ever or whichever it was. In carrying relief to a community it is hardly good policy to upset the standards of the region. We know that this is an Adminis- Dation reared with a gold spoon and bathed in milk and honey; but the splendiferous outpouring of Ameri can taxmoney undoubtedly has done harm in the countries where we have been spending. Every country would have been delighted to have a per iod of full employment at the wages prevailing in those countries. What d : d our noble humanitarians do? They paid two or three times the usual wages and upset the scales in those countries. A Senator took a trip (at his own e-rmse) and here is whet he tells us, as I quote from the Congressional Record: “Labor wage rates in Latin-Anuri- can nations compared to the United States: “In the Dominican Republic the average labor wage is 70 cents. The United States project-rate in the Dominican Republic— “And there are several projects— is $3 to $5. “In Cuba the rate is $1.25. Ours is $4 to $6. “In Paraguay the rate is GO cents. On United States projects in that country the rate is $3 to $5. “In Brazil the rate is S1.80. Our rates in that country are $5 to 510. “In Bolivia the rats is 90 cents. Ours in that country is $6 to S8." I said that the Orard Spenders— the Golden Spenders—had paid two or three times as mcuh as prevail ing rates; I should have said much more than that. But take your pen cil and figure it for yourselves. Have we earned the gcod will of those people? What is your idea of that? Organized Business. In-v -porated, of South Carolina, adopted a resolu tion urging the Legislature to amen-1 the “Statute of Limitations” so as to outlaw suits for wages bevond one year. The recommendation was based on information that certain Wage-hour field men are stirring up claims for five years. It is almost impossible to keep up with a heavy payroll at the present day and revise it for five years back. Think of what that means to a concern with 5,000 employees. The wages have been paid; the taxes have bee npaid, the profit has been paid; or the loss has been sustained and accounted for. Now, after all this has been done, perhaps year after year, comes some unsettling influence requiring a complete and detailed study of every thing as of five years ago, and of each succeeding year. As I said before, no one wishes to deny to a man the full wages to which he is entitled; but the activi ties of legal ferrets should have some limitation a s to time. Whenever these claims arise within a current year, that presents great dfficulties, though comparatively easy to settle; but when they go back into discarded books, the life of the employer be comes a sort of foretaste of the mali gnant influences which prevail in the kingdom of darkness. Four states have already taken ac tion on this. In Ohio, the period is set at three years; in Georgia it is two years; in Alabama it is one year; in Florida it is one year; in the State of Oregon the perod has been cut to six months. South Carolina might well join the states which have imposed a limit of one year within which suits may brought for dfferences in wages be cause of Wage-Hour requirements. The Labor Unions have plenty of money. We used to hear that BIG BUSINESS was an octupus and doub ly dangerous because of its size. We have looked upon, a business with a hundred million dollars as very big business. Most of the business of the United States is done by enterprise which have less than $100,000. When we hear of some mammoth concern it stands out in the very magnitude of its operations, such as a dozen lead ing American enterprises. Probably we have not in South Carolina any corporation with as much as 25 mil lion dollars. What, then, shall we think of the might, power, and domin ion of the labor unions? They are most emphatically among the great enterprises of the day; but they wish to be uncontrolled, unregulated, irre sponsible. How big is the financial stake in Organized Labor? I do not know,- but I have on my table a statement from Washington that nine CIO Un ions alone had bought 7GO million dollars worth of war bonds up to Oc tober 1. the statement being authoriz ed bv the Treasury Department of the United States. How’s that for BIG BUSINESS? 7G0 million dollars in bonds! And my information is authentic for I have taken it from the official week- Iv publication of the CIO of Novem ber 29. » I told you some time back th^t CTO Had authorize'^ some millions sf dollars for “political edt’eation”, meaning to tell the voters what the CIO wants. We are dealing with one of the mighty forces of America.; not only have they the force of a united political front, but they can buy 760 million dollars worth of bonds! The question.’ is how much money has the CIO? And why shouldn’t such a big financial enterprise, this colossus among us, be put under the same gov ernmental regulation as the BIG BUSINESS enterprise? The world is not a Paradise, nor even a Garden of Eden. The good things of life have not been equally distributed; nor have the bad things, either. By the way, I’ve never heard any emphasis on that. Let me re peat it—the evils, the misfortunes, the sorrows, the afflictions, he mis ery, have not been equally distribut ed either. We must not try to re form the world in the twinkling of an eye. It is notable than the one great plan of the ages; the plan of the Di vine Planner calls for the regenera tion of the heart of the individual rather than for mass action. All oiir pretty schemes, founded in the super ficial wisdom of the moment, might well be studied in relation to the up ward struggle of the individual since the time of creation. Abraham, the great leader and businessman, was not an accident; he enjoyed the re wards of his ability and his integrity. If all his cattle had been distrhuted would the others have become Abra hams ? WOULD ERECT CHURCH AT STATE HOSPITAL Dr. C. F. Williams, superintendent, South Carolina State Hospital, has is sued an appeal to the public to con tribute funds for the erection of a church building on the hospital grounds. In a letter written to relatives and friends of patients Dr. Williams says; “For a number of years a full time chaplain has been employed by the hospital to minister to the spiritual needs of the patients, his minisry has grown thruout the years to the point where the chaplain, patients and employees feel the need for a church building on the grounds. Religious services are now held in an auditorium also used for dances, movies and entertainments. The at mosphere is not that of a church, a true place of worship. Furthermore, the exertion of climbing the stairs to the 3rd floor to this auditorium pre vents many patients, not physically well, from attending services. The Board of regents heartily ap prove the building of such a church, and it is felt that the citizens of the state should be given the privilege of contributing funds for its erec tion. Anygift , large or small, cash, war stamps or bonds, will be welcomed and should be sent tio the superinten dent of the hosnital. All funds will be deposited in the treasurer’s office tu tbe church building fund.