University of South Carolina Libraries
i PAGE THE NEWBERRY SUN FRJDAY, APRIL 22, 1949 1218 College Street NEWBERRY, S. C. 0. F. Armfield Editor and Publisher PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937, at the Postoffice at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In S. C., $1.50 per year in advance outside S. C., $2.00 per year in advance. COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINGS BY SPECTATOR Does a train thrill you? Or are you one of those who have never ridden on a train? I sometimes stop on the high way to look at a fast passen ger train or a long freight. There are questions we ask about trains and railroading: how many miles of track are there on a given line? How many engines does the Com pany own? Everybody calls a locomotive an engine. How much does a coach cost? Well I have before me a very hand some booklet, a report from a railroad company to its stock holders. It is so handsomely presented that I suspect the ^•mariagement of adroit adver tising. But that would be en tirely proper, even desirable. Wtell, now, what about this railroad, which shall not be named? I repeat, the report is handsomely printed and in formatively presented. The Company had a good year in 1948, taking in more money than ever before, I think. It received as operat ing revenue $175,098,789. What ' did it do with that money? It cost 74.28% for ordinary opera tion. The stock of that Com pany can be bought for $13.00 a share, a total of $18,963,613 —10.8%. It is interesting to observe that the Company earned $5.00 per share of com mon stock, but could not pay it all out; it had to hold back. a part for development. It paid the stockholders $1.50 per! share, as compared with $7.72' pai ’ >. taxes per share. The t? |iector takes five times mor e per share than the own er whor" money is the hazard which makes the Company a reality. Because of the high taxes, people with money do not wish to buy stock. Each share of stock represents a value of $59.09, but the public is will ing to pay only $13.00 per share, and is not scrambling in a wild rush to buy at that figure, even. The Company is owned by 27,266 stockholders and employs 23.541 men and women. This railroad owns 2,229 miles of track. Maintenance, or upkeep, is very expensive. This Company spent nearly $73,000,000 in eight years to keep tracks, road bed, rolling stock and build ings in order. Not everything is peaches and cream for the railroads. Fuel and materials advanced 19% during 1948 and are now 100% above the prices of 1939. During 1948 it cost about $20,000,000 to maintain tracks, roadbeds and buildings. Tak ing some of the items of ex pense Jpy percentage, the main tenance of roadbed and build ings consumed 11.3% of rev enue; maintaining rolling stock 15.8%. The transportation cost was 40.6%. How much business was han dled? Nearly 48 million tons of freight and more than 8,- 000,000 passengers. The report shows that a train usually haul ed about 3,500 tons; and the haulage was for about 241 miles a car travelling about 56% miles per day. The average passenger travelled 29.37 miles. They get the facts boiled down, don’t they? Do the railroads really suffer -rom the high cost of living, or operating? A box car now costs $5,000, instead of $2,500 Flowers and Gifts for All Occasions CARTER’S Day Phone 719 — Nig-ht 6212 as it cost a few years ago. A 6,000 horsepower diesel-electric locomotive costs over $650,000 And there’s the rub, as Shakes peare says. If a locomotive cost $300,000 ten years ago, and the Company set aside $30,000 a year for 10 years to buy a new one, where is the Com pany, in what condition, when the new one costs $650,000— and more? This Company now owns, and has ordered, 153 Diesels. The Company has provided instantaneous four-way radio telephone communication be tween trains and stations. It is interesting to note that the Company is constructing 13 buildings for bunkrooms, rest room:. etc., to improve working conditions of the em ployees. Breaking down the- report here is vv’hat happens to the revenue dollar received by the Company! 43.3% for wages— 7.3% for supplies—7.0% for fuel—4.0% for depreciation of roadbed and equipment—10.8% for taxes—5.7% for Common stock dividends, improvements, retirement of debt, etc. How much money is invested in this railroad Company? $360,496,051. President Truman’s persist ence in demanding increased taxes reminds me of a man trying to explain something to a lady. It can’t be done—not by a mere man. After he ex hausts all the logic and the persuasiveness of his silver tongue , and builds up a case beyond all question, the lady asks the original question. Isn’t it so? Mr. Truman wants a four billion dollar increase and will still ask for it, though the whole world crash in utter failure. I’m not fully informed about th e Truman proposal to change the farm program, but the pro test of Mr. Agnew of Anderson deserves careful consideration. Some critics say that the pro posed new plan would give to the Government larger and stronger controls. That, I think, should be opposed, even if the opposition should destroy every form of Government aid. Our Nation is in the hands of a lot of bright people who spend days and nights planning for us. All this clearly carries with it Government regulation and bureaucratic controls which eventually may result in a de gree of Russianized manage ment that will maks us mere puppets of governing groups. Dollars and cents are valu able, but the liberty of the peo ple is more valuable. This Na tion would be a finer country on hog and hominy, with inde pendence, than on the richer foods and delicacies of pam pered palates, with a cringing dependence on the Government. We have been slow to un derstand that when we seek Government money for good projects, we let the Govern ment come into our Affairs, so that the principle of Govern ment aid becomes Government regulation and Government control. The proposal to increase the educational budget by four mil lion dollars may be the same as proposing to increase the fam ily spending by a considerable sum. One’s wife may do very well with a $50 suit and a $100 fur, until she finds that a neighbor has a $1000 fur. Then the trouble begins. But how is a $100 man to buy a thousand dollar fur? His wife may be the most beautiful and grace ful and gracious lady in the town, but the coldly efficient banker will not smile at over drafts for that reason. So, the price of the Easter bonnet and the Christmas fur may be de cided by one’s income Natur ally one solution would be to let the husband be a bit shab by so he may rejoice in the elegance of the wife; but even though the husband buy noth ing at all, and go about with shining suit and frayed cuffs, the family budget may not stand the strain of the new thousand-dollar fur—So then—! Perhaps the General Assem bly might solve its problems by deciding on the total which may be spent, then hewing to the line within that sum. ‘ Beyond a doubt our State has the Socialistic urge. We are in the early stages, but we are advancing rapidly. We ac cept as proper fields for Gov ernment activity many forms of public aid that are like bot tomless pits for the public mon ey. Just at the moment we want a hospital in every com munity. The physicians could build and operate small hos pitals, enlisting local capital. Taking our population as a whole, only a small percentage of the people go to hospitals; and those who pay can go a hundred miles as well as thir ty. If five per cent of the peo ple go to hospitals, about nine ty per cent go to stores. Shall we operate stores for the nine ty per cent? If we do, we be come like Communists. It would be profitable to do more sound basic thinking and less of the casual, unthinking acceptance of what some group advocates. “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” Paul, the Apostle, asks the question. Easter is just ahead of us. It celebrates an event of the most intimate concern to every one, for each one hopes to have an Easter in his life, when he, too, shall rise from the dead. Death is just a phase of life. We go from one existence to another, throwing off the body as no longer necessary, and en tering upon a new activity, a higher life. The Resurrection tells every soul that the grave is •just an incident in the stream of life, that “dust thou art, to dust returnest, was not spoken of the Soul.” In the sweetness of Tenny son we find the universal faith: “Thou wilt not leave us in the dust: Thou maddest man, he knows not why. He thinks he was not made to die; And thou hast made him: thou are just.” On all other questions we may have two opinions, or more: one this we can have but one: “As in Adam all die,” —that we know. Everywhere the graveyards stand mute wit nesses to fleeting glory, to end ed life among us; then, “Even so in Christ shall be made alive.” All the days lead to this— the triumph of Jesus and His promise of salvation—the most intimate and vital concern of every soul. The General Assembly of South Carolina has much to do, but it should take time to study the offer to operate the Santee-Cooper as a non-profit enterprise for the benefit of the State. This is not matter for small-time politics; it is proposal which the State should accept. The State would re ceive $1,800,000 more than it has received any year; and the counties could count on the same tax revenue from the Santee-Cooper that any private power company pays. All the illusion of great income to the State from the Santee-Cooper, as now operated, should be dissipated by the record; we do not receive any benefit of any sort from the Santee-Coop er comparable to the benefits received from the private pow er companies. Even if the San-, tee-Cooper could produce a re spectable public revenue it would be destroying existing companies which now pay in taxes $5,603,354.71 to the var ious agencies. We should study this as a matter of practical business and not delude ourselves with vague words and misty mean ing. Every political effort to block the offer made by the power companies will be made, but the State should not yield mildly and unprotestingly to political maneuvers: the State of South Carolina and the pow er business of the State are not the private possession of any one man, nor of any group. The people should demand pub lic hearings on the proposal. Either the Governor or some Committee Chairman should grant a hearing. Public services always tend to get out of hand, to grow overlarge, and to become, en trenched bureaucracies. Every public service renders some de gree of public benefit, but some public services might be dispensed with, and some others might be deeply cut. We multiply the obligation of the State, just as the service of the Federal Government has swollen enormously inefficient, extravagantly. Why must the State or the Nation or the Counties operate hospitals? Why not sell coal and groceries, shoes, gasoline? Why not operate millinery shops, sell fertilizer and seed? Why must any unit of govern ment operate power plants and hospitals rather than drug stores, beef markets and chic ken farms! Why do we plunge into somethings all the time? The position taken by Sena tors Maybank and Johnston is so eminently sensible that we wonder why even Mr. Truman does not see it. If prices are off ten percent we should trim the foreign aid at least ten per cent. There is neither patriot ism nor commonsense in in sisting on the original figure as though it were sacred in it- telf. Frankly I think much of our foreign aid is money was ted, because it has encouraged reliance on us, on the American taxpayers, rather than on themselves. If all the billions given by this country ar e still not enough then the method of our disbusements must have MAYER-FOLK ENGAGEMENT IS ANNOUNCED Of much interest is th e en gagement of Betty Dunn Mayer and Daniel Paul Folk, II, of Denmark and McCormick. Betty is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Lawson Ma yer, her mother being the for mer Sa^ph Buzhardt. She at tended the Newberry city been extremely bad; or the political policies have been mostly sadly inept and bungle- some. schools and is now a student at Newberry College. Paul is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Rudolph Folk of Denmark. His mother was the former Pauline Wells of Wa- chulla, Florida. He graduated from Denmark High School and entered Clemson college im mediately afterwards. Last year he attended Newberry College. The wedding will take place on May 13th. gw-M TOE most sensational l • NOW! WE BRING YOU U-SAN-O INSURED MOTHPROOFING AT NO EXTRA COST ^ It’s good news for you. Now you can get moth protection for your garments when you send them to us for our quality clean ing. No wonder it’s sensational news when this is an extra service at no extra cost! CALL US TODAY THIS SHIELD PROTECTS YOU SAVE TWENTY PER CENT ON CASH and CARRY Newberry Steam Laundry & Dry Cleaning (9. 934 MAIN STREET PHONE 310 THE BEST PLACE FOR Buick & Chevrolet Service is Davis Motor Company 1515-1517 Main Street It’s Here! Money on your Automobile, Furniture or Your Signature. $5.00 to $2,000.00 SPECIAL NOTE, AUTO DEALERS We will finance your sales, no strings attached, without recourse, no endorsements or re-purchase agreements necessary—plus attractive reserve paid date acceptance of deal. Phone 736-M. SERVICE FINANCE COMPANY 1506 Main St. Fish Money... Fishermen in Reykjavik, Greenland, use fresh- caught herring to pay for their movie seats. No matter from what source you derive your income, you get your money’s worth when you pur chase insurance from our agency. PURCELLS “YOUR PRIVATE BANKER” Phone 197 How to protect your child against Cancer. America's most dreaded disease Today, Cancer strikes in one of every two American families ... here's how you can give your child a better chance to live T oday’s children are marked as tomorrow’s victims, un less we speed our attack on man kind’s most dreaded killer. For every month saved in the even tual discovery of the cause and cure of Cancer will in turn save thousands of lives—among them, very possibly, someone near and dear to you. Cancer is an ever-present threat to your family—more so than many people realize. Cancer still strikes in one out of every two families, still kills one American out of every eight. Progress is being made Today, thanks to scientific re search, a diagnosis of Cancer is no longer a death warrant. Cer tain Canter cases are now being cured. This year one quarter ot all Cancer patients will be saved by surgery. X-ray or radium. But these encouraging facts do not mean our fight against Cancer is over. It has really only begun; How soon we find the cause and cure of Cancer depends on how soon and how much help comes not from one friend but from thousands. Cancer can strike anyone, but you can strike back GIVE TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY American Cancer Society, Inc Here’s my gift to help conquer Cancer MEDIUM-DUTY PANEL Mode! 3805—137-inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W. 6700 lb. Also available in light-duty Model 3105— 116-inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W. 4600 lb. MEDIUM-DUTY PICKUP Model 3604—125%-inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W, 5800 lb. Other models available: 3804—137-inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W, 6700 lb.; 3104—116-inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W. 4600 lb. TRANSPORTATION UNLIMITED! ■ There’s a Chevrolef truck for every job with capacities from 4,000 lbs. to 16,000 lbs. G.V.W.—from smart delivery units to massive heavy-duty models. UOHT-DUTY CANOPY EXPRESS Model 3107—116-inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W. 4600 lbs. Also available in Medium-Duty Model 3807 0 —137 - inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W. 6700 lb. Name— Address- JZone— City Just write ’'CANCER" on the envelope containing your contribution. It will be delivered to the American Cancer Society office in your State. — J The South Carolina National Bank Amerfca’s Biggest Sellers • • • Greatest Servers You’ll share the record-high regard that America holds for these Advance-Design Chevrolet trucks. YouTl share it the instant you drive them. For then and there you’ll discover the deep-down dur able quality, the outstanding performance and the rugged reliability that make them America’s UOHT-DUTY CARRYAU SUBURBAN Mod.l 3116—116-inch wfwW- has.. Maximum G.V.W. 4600 lb. FORWARD-CONTROl CHASSIS Model 3742—125%-inch Maximum G.V.W. 7000 lb. Also available In MotW 3942— i37-inch wheelbase. Maximum G.V.W. 10,000 W. Package Delivery fyp. Bodies suHoM. tor mount ing on the Forward-Control Chassis are supplied by many reputable manufacturers. favorites ... more Chevrolet Trucks in use than any other make. Drive them and see. Drive them and remember that only Chevrolet brings you this fullest measure of finest value together with the world’s greatest economy. For Chevrolet trucks alone have 3-WAY THRIFT—the triple economy of low-cost operation, low-cost up keep and the lowest list prices in the entire truck held! /CHEVROLET A CHEVROLET TRUCKS DAVIS MOTOR COMPANY 1517 Main St. Newberry, S.C. m : vfe