Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Sun 1218 College Street NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA O. F. ARMFIELD Editor and Publisher Published Every Friday In The Year Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937, at tht postoffiee at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. MESSAGE TO REMEMBER Not many weeks ago Americans were preparing to celebrate the de feat of Germany. The celebration threatened to become a disruptive orgy. Concern over the situation caused employees of the Boston ^nd Maine Railroad to pledge support of the war effort after V-Dcy in a message that should not be forgoten, although at present victory in Europe seems farther away than it did last summer. The message says: “We don’t know when V-Day over Germany will be . . . but when it does come, we . . . know how we’re going to ‘celebrate.’ “On V-Day we’ll be working—full time, full sped. There aren’t going to be any 'parties. Our men aren’t going to spike the switches and get together for any whoopee! There won’t be any empty desks in our of fice, or freight trains standing idle in our yards. We ask you not to ride our trains that day to go celebrating. “Most of us will go to church. We shall thank God, and pray for speedy victory over Japan. We urge you to do the same. “Probably it isn’t any of our busi ness what you do on V-Day. But complete victory is everybody’s busi ness. The time you might be tempt ed to take off from your job puts every one of us that many hours away from the victorious end. The uproarious spirits you might bring to partying would fall pretty flat when you bumped into Bob Jones, or Mrs. Smith ,or any one of a million i other Americans with boys in the Pacific. “We . . . make this plea now, so you’ll have plenty of time to think it over. And we make it in the so ber conviction that only on the day of total victory, and not before, can any of us afford to let down.” The emergencies of war have not diminished. Better than any one else the President should know that they have been magnified. Is it not time, therefore, for the White House itself to move in re sponse to the more critical situa tions that have developed both on the war and the home fronts? When Governor Dewey was con testing for the Presidency in the re cent national campaign he iterated and reiterated in the course of his public addresses that it was then “time for a change” in the nation’s leadership. The American people finally voted in that election as if they did not agree with Governor Dewey They placed Mr. Roosevelt back in the White House mainly because of two convictions: First, that it would be unwise for the nation “to change horses in the middle of the stream”, and second, because they felt that Mr. Roosevelt’s experience would serve the nation in better stead in the making of peace than any new hand which might be given this responsibility. History, both immediate and re mote, can only write the final verdict as to whether or not it was “time to make a change” in the Presidency in 1944. But one need not wait for even another moment to decide that it is time for Mr. Roosevelt to make a change from his apparent will ingness to procrastinate in this very vital matter. It is time for him to quit being smug and indecisive and complacent about issues that will not wait for indifferent official policies It is time for Mr. Roosevelt “to make a change” to initiative, forth rightness and dynamic aggressive ness. The whole war effort as well as the prospects of a worthwhile peace are critically suffering for the lack of this kind of leadership on the part of the President of the United States, SPECTATOR EMPLOYMENT .OFFICE FINDS JOBS FOR MANY *“ “TIME FOR A CHANGE” (From The Charlotte Observer) Justice Byrnes, Director of War Mobilization, insists that this coun try must be put upon a “work-or- fight” basis for everybody. It is his wise view that whatever may be lacking today in legislation that will provide the nation with this policy should be the immediate concern of the new Congress. Justice Byrnes means business. And he wants a law that also means business, one that will stop the shirk ing and slackerism that is now so widely prevailing, one that will put the nation’s available man and wo man power into the war effort by compulsion if persuasion fails. Of course this means, in a virtual sense, CONSCRIPTION OF ALL CI VILIANS to meet the demands of war. But what’s wrong with that? Asked what he thought about it, President Roosevelt said that he agrees “in general principles” with the ideas of Mr. Byrnes. In what respect then does Mr. Roosevelt disagree? Why for two years or more has he resisted the urgings of the War De partment and his own Man-Power authorities for a national service act to apply to civilians of all catego ries? Why does he now say that he only agrees in principle with this idea? WHY DOES HE NOT AGREE WITH IT IN FACT AND BY ACT? There were 84 workers hired thru the Newberry U. S. Employment ser- vice during December, Mrs. Sudie C. Wicker, Manager, has announced. Of the 84 workers placed 44 were women and two were veterans. Also in December 524 people came to the office for other servile. In addition 66 statements of availability were issued and service was rendered for 44 veterans. 36 claims under the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act be ing filed for them through the of fice during the month. For the year 1944 over 8,427 per. sons came to the office, 1,224 of them being placed in jobs. Of those placed on jobs during the year 43 were veterans. The local office is making an hon est effort, according to Mrs. Wicker, to do a good job in the community and all workers who become unem ployed are requested to come to the office before seeking employment from other sources. It is to a work ers advantage to come to the office first as time and effort will be saved by so doing. All persons now employed on essential production in the Newberry area are urged to stay on the job and make every produc tion minute count. The 1945 Legislature—what will it do, or try to do ? Is there any prob lem of grave importance which presses for solution? Or would the State be best served by a short, routine session of nothing but an un increased State budget and County Supply bills? The great agitation about the re moval of the University may be largely a publicity stunt in order to arouse Columbia to contribute to old Carolina; or it may be a dream of grandiose proportions, based largely on the idea that a University is a collection of buildings. A university is, above all, a group of great teachers who inspire men to think and investigate for themselves. All the buildings and other equipment will not make up for the lack of in spiring scholarship and investigate habit, though several instructors of university stature may accomplish gfreat results with relatively meager equipment. The greatest contributions to science, the fundamental or basic ideas, have been made by thinkers or scientists working with less equip ment than our university has. We may have to choose between instruc. tors and buildings. This is no re. flection on our University; perhaps we pay too little, or we overwork the professors with classroom drudg ery. The point I make is that we should be more concerned for real university quality than for spacious and imposing buildings. We South Carolinians have brick school houses and underpaid teachers in every community. When we be came aroused to educational needs we tore down or abandoned frame buildings and constructed nice brick buildings, but continued the under paid teacher. Of course some teach ers were overpaid all the time; but we didn’t make teaching an attrac tive profession; the best and the most incompetent usually received the same pay. In recent years the matter of pay for the teachers has come to the front, and our Legislature has pro vided liberally, though still paying all more or less alike. More recent ly stjll a plan has been promoted to classify the teachers and to adjust salaries to classifications. While the examinations seemed a weird impro visation, the idea was probably sound and the examinations may have had certain trends more diplomatic than scholastic. However, the start was propitious. Coming back to the University: It was thrown at us, just following an agitation in Charleston for a great hospital for the Medical College; then the suggestion that the Medi cal College be moved to Columbia, The successful practice of medicine depends on the variety of ills which the student has observed A treated. A hospital offers more opportunities for that in a short time than would a private practice of many years. Besides, the student is guided by the experience and skill of successful practitioners. The University, if given a thou sand acres of floor space would be exactly the same institution, less the inspiration of a site full of rich memories, Jiallowed traditions and in spiring achievement. If space is profitably used to promote other services of recognized value. The University itself, for example, may be supporting courses and programs of ?mall or doubtful value, while more or less starving others of mark ed utility or service. I do not aay this is true, but I suggest that it is worth study. The same applies to our public schools, our welfare a nd all our institutional work. Time affects the value of public service, as it does everything else. Our Sheriffs no longer wear cocked hats and swords in court. We South Carolin ians have the intelligence a nd the patriotism to survey all phases of our public affairs in order to adjust them to our needs. In our private life we study our needs, though we seem disposed to venerate barnacles in public. SENATOR SMITH LEFT HOME fcific^Mills 6 ?^’ ^ ^ ^ Pa ' TO HIS WIDOW | Being a Baptist myself, let me turn to our Methodist Bishopville, Jan. 5—Probation of the will of the late Senator Ellison D. Smith, South Carolinian who set a record for length of service in the United States Senate, showed here today the Senator’s plantation home and personal property at Lynchburg had been left to his widow, while the remainder of his estate was to be divided equally among his four children. brethren for opinion: Would you move Wofford? Would it be the same if removed from the scene of the illustrious Carlisle, the inspiring Snyder, the lovable Clinkscales and the staunch DuPre? No; nor would Carolina. .Wuui JUiJ Price Fixing By GEORGE S BENSON Presid«m of Hording College Searcy Arkansas nr LANCASHIRE is the name of a county in England studded with many milling towns, some large, some small. Liverpool, once the world’s leading cotton market is in Lancashire. In fact, the very word Lancashire, from long us age in the colorful language of tradespeople, has come to mean the English cotton textile indus try, just as Detroit means auto- , mobile manufacturing to us l - . ' Lancashire used to be prosper ous. Her mills are small in con trast to what Americans think about when they speak of a cot ton mill, but they long provided work and income for thousands of thrifty people, until something went wrong Now Lancashire is having her troubles and is just beginning to learn w!;*t they are At the bottom of them is govern ment price fixing Becking SOME time ago the Reasons British cotton textile industry sent an in vestigating committee to the United States The committee had three facts in hand 111 American mills were turning out better cotton cloth than the Eng lish mills. (2) American cloth was selling everywhere for less than the British could afford to accept, and (3) American mill workers were twice as well paid as the English workers- k. V’ * f While better goods at lower prices were taking England's market, that used to be world wide, Lancashire’s labor prob lems grew worse England' mills turned out material per man hour than America's hig many-process mills. I8v, to 67% leas The workers of England were doing many thinp by hand that Ameri cana do with machinery to gain speed and volume. ' . Machine IN AMERICA a small Economy number of workers su pervise the operation of a large number of machines, spinning, weaving and finishing, all in one big factory In Britain cotton - is spun in one factory, woven in another and finished in a third Lancashire producers of cotton cloth buy and sell endlessly among themselves Each operator does his part and ships his unfin ished work to some other mill ‘‘One point in Lancashire’s problem.” says the London Times, "is the harsh necessity for some of the most inefficient firms to be eliminated “ The government fix es prices and ignores incompe tence so poor operators can make a profit fn other words. John Bull bolds an umbrella over a frozen price structure that would melt down to an honest level under the warm sunlight of competition Competition sharpen.- tht wjts American business men knuw that continuous operation is cheaper than batch work, know there is more to tie earned with hig vol ume. low prices and small mar- k'Us than by big profits on a few sales They know volume produc tion requires good equipment which, in turn, helps workers do toms grew •pecialty •"<! earn more. Fixed cotton We have the question agrain: What can the Legislature do to promote the welfare of the State ? If we liken our State to a great cotton plantation we must conclude that we have been so enthusiastic over the cotton pickers that we overlooked the cotton-farmer himself. This Legis lature, and our recent Legislatures, have not been factional; there is, and has been, a desire to be helpful. Sometimes politics or self-interest, or profeeriosAl prejudices have crept in -^and will creep in—but even a pre judice may be overcome. In a broad, general sense we prob ably agree—all of us—that we wish »n develop and to prosper. AJ1 of us are agreed, probably, that this will best be brought about by creating work so that more people may find employment, in noftnal time. That calls for additional or expanded industries and other enter prises. We know that all this requires an outlay of money—a capital invest ment. All of us understand that men invest their money because they hope to profit from the "Tq-vestment. We ourselves, in our small way, don’t want to risk our savings unless we see a profit. We need not quibble about enact ing new laws or repealing old laws; weean get together on a general ob jective and take whatever measures may be desired to make this State more attractive than other States to use the language of the streets, we have the job to sell South Caro lina to the world, so that outaide -apital may come in and inside capi- -al may come out. This is not the worst State by any means but we must be better than the others m order to set up an at traction greater than theirs. Low tax rates and a favorable at- titude are real attractions; so are cordial and friendly people. Most big concerns don’t ask favors; but they would like a fair spirit on the part of the public. We might study our State, County and Municipal budgets so as to avoid waste, unnecessary or unfruitful ex penditures and programs. Some- times the money spent on programs of small usefulness could be The mail has brought me a Christ mas card from Beverly Y. Palmer and a copy of Rimba Post, an army newspaper, published “Somewhere in Netherlands East Indies.” This pa per has come from Gil Kerwin, well remembered regional circulation man of The Columbia Record. Both Ser geant Palmer and Mr. Kerwin are handsome friends and popular. They ■were very, special friends of mine as civilians, and I’m thrilled because they remember me. Sergeant Palmer’s address t shall not publish because the handsome and charming Sergeant hasn’t time to bother with a ton of mail. Let it be sufficient ior George Steelman and Jack White to carry the good news to every community between Columbia and Greenville that our friend Palmer is “all' right.” As to my friend Kerwin, I not only pass the word to Georgetown, An drews, Kingstree, Lake City, Olanta, Turbeville, Sumter, Manning, Alcolu, Shaw Field—and other parts—but think it timely to inform him that the coons A possums, and all other “critturs” are now as thousands for number, since he is too far away to bring in a haul every night—as he used to do. I was very closely associated with those two fine gentlemen. I rode to Columbia with Gil three or four days a wek. Sometimes, after a night shining coons from the trees, he started late. But he was an ad justable driver. Whether early or late in leaving, he arrived in Colum bia on time. In his days of extreme youth he is said to have thought a car would not stay in balance under seventy five; but he learned after wards that a steady speed of sixty five will get you there, if you don’t drive cross-legged in the traffic. I wonder how Gil spent Christmas without Bucky’s electric train to play with. Somewhere out there in the Neth erlands East Indies is another sol dier, Harry Drayton, from Sumter. His little boy has been playing ball with me, and with that ball, an army rifle, an army tertt and a steel hel- t]2£ii hg fggls Oiat the war is right here. How many miles have I ridden with Beverly Palmer, the genteel, courteous, efficient and attentive friend of my bi-weekly trips to Greenville and return! We cherish the hope that our boys will come back; and let us hope that they will find their country all that they have thought of it. To make our country a good place—and to keep it so—is something you and I should do. The seizure of several stores of Montgomery Ward should make Americans do a bit of thinking. We have become impatient with Consti tutional restraints, and indifferent to principles, but either we want a dic tatorship or we a re too indifferent of basic rights to deserve a free gov ernment. Montgomery Ward is just a big retailer and not a war indus try. The President has again com. mitted a grave offense against Con stitutional government, and the thoughtful people of America should condemn it unsparingly a nd remem ber it. They should take immediate action by telling their Representa tives and Senators in Congress; our Legislature also should re-affirm the principle of Constitutional liberty and memorialize the Congress to de fine clearly the President’s preroga tive—as the Constitution provides. We need not overlook the fact tha* the President is playing politics by playing hand-in-glove with Labor politicians. All this twaddle by the Attorney General and the War Labor Board is just an effort to cloak Presidential politics with respecta bility. .COTTON AM*!— IN 1790 THE COTTON CROP OF THE U.S. WAS ABOUT 9,000 SALES; BUTIN IgO*, EIGHT YEARS AFTER. THE COTTON GIN WAS PATENTEE} THE CROP HAP REACHED 100,000 BALES / THE OPENING OF OUR Repair Shop - located in our newly remodeled farm machinery store (formerly our mule barn), on Thompson street, next to wagon lot. WE WILL REPAIR and over haul all makes of Tractors and other farm machinery. James Werts, Head Mechanic Johnson-McCrackin Company South Carolina National Bank CONDENSED STATEMENT DECEMBER 30, OF CONDITION 1944 more ASSETS Cash and Due from Banks « 56 331 5 7001 U. S. Government Bonds 49,'888!849.34 State and Municipal Bonds 719,875.28 Federal Reserve Bank Stock 9 I [950.00 Loans and Discounts 20,71 3* 184 78 Banking Houses (II) 5037875.00 Less: Reserve for Depreciation 88,670.00 415,205.00 Furniture and Fixtures 108,439.25 Other Real Estate j qq Other Assets ~ 279,207! 15 • $128,548,231.81 LIABILITIES Capital — Common $ 1,320,000.00 Capital — Preferred 845,000.00 Surplus 1,000,000.00 Undivided Profits 537,987.18 Reserve-Retirement Preferred Stock 1 435,080.00 Reserve-Contingencies 250,000.00 Reserve-for Taxes, Etc. 204,964.84 Deposit* 123,955,199.79 $128,548,231.81 OFFICES AT Anderson, Belton, v^narleston, Cheraw, Columbia, Dillon, Florence Fort Jackson, Georgetown, Greenville, Leesville, Navy Yard, Newberry Pickens, Port of Embarkation, St. Matthews, Seneca, Sumter.