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THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C. Washington Dipestv Throttling of Small Business Can Kill Democratic System By BAUKHAGE ' Newt Analyst and Commentator WASHINGTON.—Over in England, where the majority, voted to accept socialism because they felt the 400-year-old “capitalistic experiment” had been a failure, they are finding that you can’t vote yourself into a prosperity any more than you can vote yourself into morality. There are still a lot of Britons who think they have been voted out of the frying pan into the fire. Prime Minister Clement Attlee, in a re cent report to the Labor party, admitted that conversion into socialist democracy was a long hard task, longer than they had imagined. “We are engaged in a great ven ture,” AtUee said, “We are trying to build up a great, free, socialist democracy." He warned that a so ciety changed by u n d e m o c ratic methods is. apt to lose the “habits of democracy.” I suppose he meant by that that so cialism had to come by evolu tion, which is an ancient axiom of the more conser vative socialists. Communists say it can come only by revolution. Attlee also said that socialism was a way of life—not an economic theory. That will be questiond by some people. He added that social ism demanded a higher standard of citizenship than does capitalism. Some people wiU quarrel with that too. Many will say that it isn’t that capitalism doesn’t demand a higher standard of citizenship, but simply that capitalism (or any other known system, for that mat ter) doesn’t always get it. Capitalism fails, when it does fail, not because there is any thing wrong with free enterprise or competition, but because some times the standard of morality or standard of citizenship if yon will, running the system, bogs down. Then free enterprise is shackled and competition destroyed. The anti-trust laws were passed to punish people who tried to check free enterprise by killing compe tition. Those laws wouldn’t be needed, government intervention wouldn’t be needed, if the standard of mor ality, of citizenship, were high enough among the people who con trol enterprise. Long before the war, and increasingly so when shortages began to appear later, big business began crowding small business out of exigence. Because of war conditions and the powerful influence of big busi ness, the small buyer couldn’t com pete. He wasn’t able to get the raw materials. Small business is the keystone of capitalism. According to the Com mittee on Economic Development, 98 per cent of the business units In this country employ 50 people or less. Those “business units” of course aren’t limited to manufac turing firms—they include the road side hotdog stand, the one-woman hand laundry, the tea room, and the country store as well as the busi ness men producing manufactured items on a small scale. If this 98 per cent of a capi talistic country’s business isn’t prosperous, capitalism can’t suc ceed. In fact you can’t have capitalism when big industrial groups monopolize business any more than you can have it when the state monopolizes business. What is happening to small busi ness today? It can’t compete. Big business is making big profits, pay ing big wages (regardless of whether the take-home pay of the workers is equal to cover high prices or not). Small business can’t nfford to pay the big wages, and the small town merchant is not mak ing sales and profits because the consumers in his company haven’t the money to spend. A recent issue of the Kiplinger magazine made a survey of condi tions in small towns as reported in a thousand letters from small busi nessmen, teachers, preachers, doc tors, lawyers, housewives, working men and working women in those towns. The net of the survey was that there was a definite letdown in business after January of this year, and that the people sur veyed believed that there is a further letdown In prospect. There is evidence of reduced con suming power which is the first sign of a depression. A sign that the wealth of the nation is getting out of the buyers’ hands. Now that’s a pretty gloomy pic ture and not wholly subscribed to by commerce department people here. They will tell you that busi ness everywhere, large and small, showed a tendency to level off after January of this year, that there was a definite weakening in the first quarter of the year. But they be lieve that was a temporary trend, that it’s over now, that business will reverse itself, and that the general trend is now upward again. They make no differentiation be tween large and small businesses in their prognostications and studies, and they feel that the trend for all business now is up. But listen to what the people sur veyed by Kiplinger say: A food wholesaler in Iowa: “Bread sales are extremely high, also flour sales are good and the sale of rolled oats is good, as people apparently are filling up on these nutritious foods in preference to more expensive items.” A baker in Ohio: “We are selling fewer cakes and pies.” Women are doing more sewing at home, with clothing prices so high. An Illinois businessman said: “The local high school decided to have a night school on sewing. The first registration was 135 women.” Young woman in Wisconsin: “I’m not the only working girl in this community who doesn’t have the new look.” Illinois farmwoman: “We planned to buy some new furniture, but the price is too high. I am making slipcovers.” Even electrical items, dreamed of by housewives as an after-the-war necessity, are not selling welL Said an Iowa dealer: “The edge is defi nitely off on hard goods, such as refrigerators, washers, radios, stoves, etc. Prices too high.” A traveling salesman covering the small towns finds the going tough: “I cover New York state and I am working twice as hard for half the business.” Many little signs of hard times were reported by Kiplinger’s sur vey. Examples: A Texas housewife: “I am feed ing tramps for the first time since before the war.” A deacon: “Collections are off at our church.” A loan company man: “More borrowing from small loan com panies.” A village cobbler: “My shoe repair business is good.” As the Kiplinger magazine puts it: “The folks in the small towns are harder up. Their incomes haven’t gone up as much as the prices they pay.” In other words, according to the survey, the wealth is getting out of the hands of the consumer. And whether this survey or the com merce department’s optimistic pre diction are more nearly correct, (congress abolished the small busi ness section), this much at least can be said: You can redistribute the wealth by the socialistic intervention of government. That kills capitalism. Or you can redistribute it by per mitting full and free competition- competition on the part of the pro ducers of raw materials, competi tion on the part of labor, (an ex pensive item), competition on the part of processors. Industrial or labor monopoly, as I said before, will kill capitalism in the end as effectively as the Communist with his little red hatchet. • • • Even Russians Get Re-oriented This item was passed along to me by a friend. A high officer in one of the armies which fought against Russia was visiting this country, and told this story: Recently in Berlin, he was enter taining a high Russian officer sta tioned there. It was a farewell party as the Russian and his wife had been ordered to return to Mos cow. The host remarked that it was nice that the Russian could take his wife back from the rigors of occupation life in Germany. The Russian had dined well, and perhaps was indiscreet. Anyway, he confessed that he was anything but pleased; that he was dreading the period he and his wife must pass in the “camp.” Then he explained that every Russian, before he was allowed to return to the Soviet Union, had to pass through a re-education center, and be indoctrinated with Just what he should say to his friends and relatives. I repeat this item because it comes to me in a direct, intimate manner; not a part of any or ganized propaganda. • • • It’s as hard to reach an agree ment with 16 lawyers haggling over every word in a labor controversy as it is to get into heaven with 16 theologians haggling over how many angels can stand on the head of a pin. • • • Good pastures save grain, says department of agriculture. Yes, and around about foreclosing time, good grain will save pastures. • ’I MO DEAL...After Got, Thomas E.i Dewey of New York (left) end Oov. Earl Warren of California (right) had finished a con*-. Terence In Sacrwaento, Calif*» It was apparent that they had nede no agrees:act on a coali tion of forces. Warren told newsmen that he definitely Is • GOP candidate for president and la not Interested in the vice-presidency.' SECRETARY... Charles F. Brannan, assistant secretary of agricul ture since 1944, was nominated by President Truman to succeed Clinton P. Anderson as secre tary of agriculture. Anderson resigned the cabinet post to run for the U. S. senate froa New Mexico. / ALMOST NOTHING... Some dogs are very small and this one is a supreme example. It Is a new born male chihuahua whose aotber Is named Nada, the Spanish word for ’nothing.' This pup. of course. Is next to nothing. STIli, PITCHING...The diamond’s loss Is a gain for the politi cal arena--8onetlmes. Lefty Grove, former major league hurler, appeared as a Repub lican delegate from Allegheny county, Md., at the Republican state convent Ion In Baltimore.) AIRCRAFT CARRIER,HOLDS OPEN HOUSE...One of the nice thlnga about living in the United States Is that you don’t have to join the navy in order^to find out what a warship looks like. Some times the ships'have visiting days and you can go and look as a civilian. For Instance, the aircraft carrier Talley Porge, which began Its mo^ld cruise at San Diego, Calif., on October 9, 1947, stopped offhand held* open house in New York’s North river. Six, thousand curious natlYes visited the ship, ■ *-*■ • - ’ . v T ■ TRtMAN AND ISRAEL’S CHIEF...Dr. Chaim Welzmann, famed Russian- born chemist and president of the newly crested state of Israel, i Is shown as he presented President Trunan with a Torah* fol lowing s 30-nlnute conference at the White House. The Torah con tained the first five books of the Old Testament, hand-written on parchment and enclosed In a velvet case with the Star of Da vid on the outside. MEDITATION IN RESTING PLACE OP HEROES...No one can tell what thoughts run through the head of this lime woman as she sits Ini silent meditation among the graves In Arlington national ceme-j tery. She nay be paying her own personal tribute to all the war victims rfio sleep there, or she may be offering a prayer for a particular loved one. Whatever the reason. It is enough to say that she did not forget, even though Morld War II already has become distant In time and memory. UNCONVINCED... Despite over whelming scientific opinion to the contrary, Adolph Grauer Of Miami, Fla., believes the moon does not rotate on Its axis as It revolves around the berth. He made this device—I s lunetsrlum—to preve his point,/ CARE TO DO AS THIS ROMAN DOES?...Arced with nothing more formid able than a friendly smile, Capt. Roman Proske, proprietor of m Miami, Fla.,' tiger farm peers happily Into the gaping and well- armed maw ef a Bengal tiger as he puts the animal through its paces. The handshake seems to be friendly enough, although the tiger shows a trace of ungraciousness in offering his left ps« Instead of the right one./ Old-Age Pensions A t a SECRET POWWOW with congressional Democratic lead ers President Truman was told there was little chance of congress ap proving any of his proposals to in crease old-age pensions. However, the leaders advised that the peo ple were entitled to a frank report on how old-age insurance benefits— on which millions of Americans de pend for retirement security—have lagged behind higher wages and living costs. That was why Tru man decided to send his message to congress anyway. Michigan’s aggressive represen tative, John Dingell, an original champion of the social security law, summed it up bluntly: “Unless pensions are increased in ratio to higher wages, higher taxes and higher living costs, counties that have sold their poorhouses for the aged will have to re-establish them.” Dingell said it would be “actu- arlaliy sound” to increase pen sions because of increased reve nues from payroll taxes. He added: “Sixty million people are employed now, more than we ever dreamed of when we changed the law in 1939. We thonght then that we wouldn’t have that many employed until 1980.” “I want to cover as many people as practically possible,” comment ed the President. Biggest problem, observed Fed eral Security Administrator Oscar Ewing,, is providing protection for casual workers, such as domestic servants and farmhands. “We might try the stamp system they use in England,” suggested Ewing. “I doubt that it would work here,” remarked Mr. Truman. “It’s a nuisance to employers, difficult to administer and such casual em ployees frequency build up less credits for contributory pensions than they could get in an old-age assistance dole.” • • • Whit* House Visitors THE PRESIDENT HAS RE SORTED to new strategy in han dling White House callers. For some time, Washington ob servers were amazed at the num ber of visitors President Truman saw daily. But now the calling list has tapered off. The official list released every morning shows only a handful of visitors. What most people don’t know, however, is that there are five separate entrances to the White House, and in recent weeks Mr. Truman has been fooling the press. While regular White House correspondents wait in the lobby of the executive offices watching for presidential visitors, various private callers slip in other doors. Sometimes as many as 25 will flow into Mr. Truman’s office unnoticed. They come in through various side doors, some times even the distant east wing, ’ and then are spirited around the back through the rose garden and in to the President. Some old senatorial friends also drop around to see Mr. Truman at breakfast. Others come in after breakfast, but before the press arrives. Ed Flynn has been in twice lately, unnoticed. Former Judge Sam Rosenman is again a White House regular using the east gate, as is George Allen, the old court jester. Another new favorite Truman rendezvous is the presidential yacht, the Williamsburg, where he holds stag poker parties with old buddies, sometimes sleeping on board and walking back to the White House early in the morning before most people go to work. • * * Western Water Shortage THE STORY OF A MODERN RUSH to California, more signifi cant than the ’49 gold rush, was laid before President Truman the other day with a warning that the state soon will not have enough water to go around. Calling at the White House, Congressmen Dick Welch, Re publican, and Frank Havenner, Democrat, both of San Francisco, described how the East was mi grating to the West at the rate of 1,000 newcomers a day. This tremendous Influx has cost California millions of barrels of precious water from her danger ously dwindling reservoirs. Yet 73.770.000 acre-feet of fiVsh water from San Joaquin and Sac ramento rivers empty into San Francisco bay each year. The con gressmen urged the President per sonally to look into this problem on his trip to California and recom mend what can be done to save the water. Mr. Truman pulled out maps of the bay region which he already had been studying, and assured the congressmen that he previously had intended to give the matter his personal attention. “There shouldn't be a shortage of water in that area,” he agreed, “with water running wild into the bay.” ‘NEW LOOK' REVOLT Must the women of America dress to look part awning, part inverted tepee and part fashion slave? The question is being Ased, and by the women themselves. From what this department hears the women's dress designers at last have suc ceeded in making the female worm turn, or nearly so. The current modes are not doing the gals any good pictorially and they know it • Those long, loose, bell-bottom skirts not only make it difficult for a woman to look thin; they make it impossible for a thin one not to look fat. And nnless the girls are Just talking to hear themselves talk, a revolt against resembling a wigwam with a head and neck is on. Any dress shop will tell you the women are mad clear through. “I am not a Mexican ballerina, a half opened umbrella or a poster for a colonial ball” insisted the missus the other day. “And I resent a conspiracy to make me look like a combination of all three, I have lived on lettuce and other rabbit food for a year to get fairly slender, and look what the garment industry does!" * “Yon women have yourselves to blame,” we said. “Your slavish surrender to whatever some er ratic style ozars decree has been uninterrupted down through the years. Why don’t yon turn and kick them in the teeth by a simple refusal to toe the line? Your wardrobe is full of the recently outlawed models. This is a time for sense, thrift, and . . .’’ * “There you go on that thrift stuff again! I am discussing styles, not •conomics. And I am not against smart changes in modes. What makes me boil Is the abrupt switch from clothes in which a woman could look pretty good, if over 16, to those 1948 get-ups which make almost any woman look as if she was understudying a free balloon.” — * — “I am with you, my sweet,” we insisted. “The 1948 modes do for a woman what sailor pants do for a man.” “In the past a woman could al ways take something from her left over dresses in a pinch like this and weather the tide, but you can't make a 1947 dress look like a forty- eighter unless it is for New Orleans, Mardi Gras purposes,” she replied sadly. “I have seen some women who, wearing the new look thing could enter a Mardi Gras as a decorated float,” we said. • “Don’t look at me,” snapped the missus. “The simple truth is that few outside of this year’* high school classes can blossom forth in modern fashion without resembling Whistler’s Mother or Barbara Fritchie both wrongslde up and very unhappy.” . She put on her hat and started for the door. “Where are you going?” we asked. “To the United Nations! The matter belongs on their agenda. And what’s more no candidate for president gets my vote who doesn't come out with planks to compel dress designers to register, take an oath they are not malicious, swear they are not undercover agents for Old Mother Hubbard and stop rack eteering in feminine vanity.” THE DOVE I can’t make peace with any men, . Except through Mr. Wallace, (Hen); To each approach my stare is blank— But not to Mr. Wallace (Hank); It’s fanny how I give the gate To all except ONE CANDI DATE; Ah, I am sweet and short of malice— But only via Henry Wallace! The Country Editor Says: Quent Parker hat switched from regular to high test gas and is con sidering a cash offer to appear in a magazine advertisement as a gaso line user of distinction. Tootsie Benham’s new 1948 bathing costume arrived yesterday in a regular sized envelope. • • • An appendix operation was the theme of a musical suit* played at Hunter college the other night. The score, obviously, took a lot of cutting. • "Muted strings symbolized the pa tient’s concerns,” says an explana tion of the composition. “Wood winds and brasses depicted the ac tions of the surgeons. Classical tonal patterns described the fanta sies at the patient under anesthe sia.” Police Break Up Gang War Of High School Students OAKLAND, CALIF.—Police broke up a gang fight involving 350 pupils of Frick and Elmhurst junior high schools by nabbing the leaders —• and these weapons: Two sawed off baseball bats, four two-fcot lengths of pipe, one bicycle pedal fashioned into brass knuckles, one butcher knife and a dozen small metal bars. The trouble started after a hair p-Jling by two girls at an all-girl track meet Roulette System Collapses, Collegians Quit "Forever" LAS VEGAS. NEV.—The two college men who thought they had a sure fire system for beat ing the roulette wheels gave up gambling “forever.” “You can’t win,” they said. A $200 loss in 24 hours at roulette convinced them. The pair, Albert Hibbs, Chilli- cothe, Ohio, and Roy Walford, San Diego, Calif., both 23, made their system pay $12,000 in Reno. Their first attempt at Las Vegas won $300. But they lost $800 in their last two. Hibbs and Walford decided to get a boat for a Caribbean cruise. .JL CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT TRAVEL CHERRY GROVE BEACH, Ocean Drivt, 8 C. Reservations available: “Jolly Rofers’* Apts., modern — hot water. Pew weeks In June, July, Aug.. Sept., hall rates. Mrs. D. 8. Altman. LAKE LURE—Cabin on water front, run ning water, electric range, refrigerator, fur nished, $42.00 week. Reply Box 1290, Spar tanburg, S. C. Vacation Time Is Here Come To GRANT'S BEACH COTTAGES A APT& COMPLETELY FURNISHED 2095 S. Atlantic Ave. DAYTONA BEACH. FLA. Directly on the Ocean MISCELLANEOUS ~ WE BUY, SELL HANDICRAFT, ODDITIES. Anything on Commission. Write what you have. UPNICKE, 612 McAllister St., WAU KEGAN, ILLINOIS. AMAZING NEW “DRY” SHOE POLISHER. Replaces Messy Pastes and liquids! Say “goodbye” to Cans, Bottles, dirty rag* soiled hands! Send name, address for ON APPROVAL NO RISK OFFER. KRI8TKB SHOE POLISHERS, KINGMAN 2, ARIZ. 30 PER CENT DDT emulsion concentrate. $9.00 per dozen quarts, plus express. Cleve land Chemical Co., Grover, North Carolina. BOAT KITS and Assembled Boats; 11% ft. WELDWOOD Plywood EasUy assembled SEABOARD CARPORTABLE Motor Row boat. sloes and bottom. Wt. 100 lbs. KIT: $55.00. ASSEMBLED BOAT: $75.00. Write for literature, or ask yov? dealer. SEABOARD BOATS. P. O. Box 806, Charles ton, South Carolina. POPCORN, Peanut, Candy Floss, Snow Ball Machines. New and used. Bought and sold. CfiUNK-E-NUT, Philadelphia 6, Pa. ALCOHOLICS NO hospitalization. No nausea, nq. vomiting. Practically painless. Eliminates craving. QUICK RELIEF PROM HANGOVERS. 3 CONN ALLY BLDG.. Atlanta, Ga. MA. 0775. HELP WANTED—MEN PLASTERERS A LATHERS WANTED—Must be good mechanics and apply 150 to 176 yards per day. Highest wages paid. Lots of steady work. Will repay hue transportation for those who are satisfactory. For full par ticulars write to Milton Cousens & Co., 3210 Joy Road, Detroit 6, Michigan. Give fnll particulars about yourself. PERSONAL Asthma Permanent Relief Cause known and can be removed. Perma nent relief in high percentage of cases. At lanta Asthma Clinic. No. 3 Connally Bldg., Atlanta. Ga. Phone MA. 9775. HAY, GRAIN & FEED NEW CROP OATS A WHEAT—moving now. Truck or Car Lots, FOB or Delivered. Bruco Harter, Fairfax, South Carolina. DOGS, CATS, PETS, ETC. AIREDALE PUPPIES Black and Tan. Big Bone Type. Registered and Guaranteed. Virginia Airedale Kennels, Radford, Va. clothing; furs, etc BUY shirts, pants, shoes, underwear, etc., 15% to 25% less by mail. Send for our FREE catalog TODAY. TARHEEL TRADING CO., P. O. Box 1789, High Point, N. C. BUSINESS & INVEST. OPPOR. BUSINESS PARTNER wanted. For sale, 1-3 of G. P. Brown & Company for $10,000 or 45% for $13,500. Reason for selling is poor health of partner. We do all types of re pair work, including iplnting, decorating, carpentry work, sign installation, and main tenance upkeep for two large oil companies In both Carolines. Buyer may work with company as secretary and treasurer if he wishes and if qualified. The business Is 16 years old and are at present doing approxi mately $200,000 worth of business annually, of which 24% is profit. Our inventory is $29,000. Phone 4-4420, or write G. F. Brown & Company, 2601 Rozzells Ferry Road, Char lotte, North Carolina, for appointment. FRANCHISE—Wanted for some reliable elec trical appliances, such as, stoves, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc. Write or call Bryant-Wyatt Hardware Co., Pacolet, 8. O. FOR SALE—Premium candies and premiums enamel ware, etc., on consignment cash or terms. Phone 4-3372 or 1418 W. Trade St., Charlotte. N. C. HELP WANTED—WOMEN LADIES—FREE NYLONS One pair $2.00 nylons free as an In troductory offer with the purchase of each Black Balerina skirt. All sizes. No. C.O.D. EARN HIGH COMMISSIONS Being an agent for the DUCHESS FASHIONS 0 P. O. Box 12 Bronx 56, N.Y. FARMS AND RANCHES CANADIAN FARMS—WrlU as for FREE IN FORMATION on farm aettlement epporUmitiee. Fertile solli. Reaiooably priced. R. C. Loiwortb, Canadian Pacific Railway, Ualon Station, it Paul. Minn. WNU—7 24-48