The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, April 29, 1949, Image 4
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PAGE FOUR
THE NEWBERRY SUN
tm
1218 College Street
NEWBERRY, S. C.
0. F. Arm field
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., f 1.50 per year
in advance outside S. C., $2.00 per year in advance.
COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINGS
BY SPECTATOR
Men are probably better than
they were in the Middle Ages;
they may be better than the
heroes of a century ago but
the world is not ready for the
millennium yet; not by quite a
wide margin. Ex-President
Hoover tells us that the mili
tary services of the nation have
so grossly padded their re
quests for money that great
savings could be made through
strict superivision and account
ing. Ex-Secretary of War Pat
terson agrees with Mr. Hoover
and says that the war cost
some billions unnecessarily.
These men are not guessing;
nor are they merely talking;
they know what they are talk
ing about.
Usually we say that what
we need is to bring business,
men into the Government ser
vice. Businessmen might be
helpful, but a little horse-
sense and common honesty
would help even more. Inci
dentally, it is said that the
modern driver operates at a
greater risk than his grandfa
ther because the grandfather’s
horse was a steadying factor
in travel.
Let us hear what Mr. Hoov
er and Mr. Patterson said: “The
air force requests an appropri
ation to build nine hundred
and ten family houses in Alas
ka at a cost of $58,350 each.”
Just off-hand, those houses
would be quite attractive. Al
lowing for heavy additional
overhead, a $58,000 houses in
dicates “a person of some con
sequence,” as we used to hear.
Beyond a doubt a man who
builds a $58,000 house has his
troubles now—and lots of con
sequences. In this case, the
American taxpayer would have
the burden NOW and THEN the
consequences.
Mr. Hoover brings out an
other interesting item: the
army asked for $100,000 each
to modernize 102 M-26 tanks,
which it has not. That, is a
small matter—102 times $100,-
is about ten million, two hun
dred thousand dollars. If the
army had the 102 M-26’s the
price might seem high, but
since the army has not those
tanks why limit the moderni
zation to a mere $100,000 each?
When the imagination “gives to
airy nothing a local habitation
and a name,” as Shakespeare
ascribes to the poets, there
need be no limit. There may
be poets in the Army; I had
not thought of that. At any
rate, in spending the taxpay
ers’ hard-earned dollars let us
insist on some degree of reality.
Some brass hat sent in a re
quest for $30 000,000 for 135-
millimeter howitzers for the
National Guard. Then a math
ematical wizard added up the
figures and found that the to
tal should be $9,000,000, not
$30,000,000! On such small de
tails do we thrive.
Some one in Congress is
quoted as saying: “Congress
allocates billions without ac
curate knowledge as to why
they are necessary and what
they are being used for." Who
checks the expenditures of the
public services? A check is
needed not merely by paper re
cords, but are the weapons and
goods actually delivered?
I investigated a public ser
vice in a foreign country a
long time ago and found all
the books in order. It required
a long check of the actual sup
plies to prove that that Gov
ernment was receiving twenty
five to forty per cent less than
it paid for.
Sometimes I wonder if an
actual check would be useful.
Of course we must be wide
awake. There is such a prac
tice as checking in a manner
to protect friends, as well as
the prestige of the service.
Some of the buying for the
Government would be just as
efficient if left to the wisdom
and technical proficiency of a
school boy. And I suggest ser
iously that a woman buyer
would be much more expert
than the common run of men.
Naturally one hesitates to ask
the ladies to sample gun pow
der or play with bombs. Still,
the average man understands
that a woman is quite capable
of throwing a bomb!!
The Army requested $108,-
290,859 for “tropical worsted
uniforms.” That would buy
“838,000 uniforms at $129 a
piece.” Quite nifty for the
boys, isn’t it? Im sorry to
spoil this, but thd newspaper
man who transmits this must
be an ex-brass-hat himself, for
his arithmetic is weak. As I
find it, the $108,290,859 will
buy 839,464—and a fraction—
tropical worsted uniforms at
$129 each—almost 1500 more,
including the fraction. But
the fraction being only 3-129
must be a bit of cloth for a
patch. This cloth is for the
enlisted men only.
And the Army wants $213,-
519,000 for stockpiling uniforms
and personal equipment, for
getting all about the goods ac
cumulated for eight million
men awhile back.
Naturally we know what
happened: the army sells a
lot of stuff at a song, gives
away a lot, abandons a lot.
then buy more! Every great
service of our Government is
in some degree an overgrown,
swollen and bunglesome aggre
gation of ineptitude and ex
travagance. The Government
cuts down on the postal em
ployees and the income tax
service, but in some other ser
vices it doesn’t scatter, but
dumps the taxpayers’ money.
I’m emphasizing the taxpayer:
men and women pay taxes;
they work for the money that
is wasted.
It is easy to take a shot at
the wastefulness of our crown
ing bureaucracy in Washington,
but how do we fare nearer
home? Are we getting full
value for all the money spent
in th e schools and other State
services? Strangely enough,
the schools are still a local in
stitution, though largely sup
ported by the State.
Some of our people fancy
themselves such devoted ad
herents of the schools that they
shudder at the thought cf any
word of criticism, as though
it were blasphemy. Look about
you: ask yourself if we are
spending money wisely and
productively all the time.
Any public service costing
millions of dollars should be
constantly under a strict public
scrutiny. Everybody knows
that a competent teacher is be
yond all price. How many such
teachers have we WOiat is
necessary to protect such teach
ers in a life-long service of
high consecration? That is
fundamental. Any great busi
ness enterprise is built on a
trained and experienced per
sonnel. At bottom, we need
to foster such a personnel, but
it may be necessary to elimi
nate some sideshows in order
to build us the main show, the
principal operation.
Our first educational need is
teachers. All emphasis needs
to be placed there. We over
do so-called supervision. A
competent teacher needs no su
pervision; an incompetent teach
er should not be in the class
room.
We are not suffering for
want of buildings and equip
ment in the same degree that
we may be afflicted with mis
fits. The supreme need is for
men and women of personality.
Mere book knowledge will not
avail, unless it be made effec
tive in class. It used to be
said that the ‘Model T’ deliver
ed all its power to the wheels,
and pulled through sand and
mud, when cars of more power
stalled. Well in life the power
that counts is the power you
can use. A teacher or pro
fessor may be as wise as Sol
omon, as learned as Aristotle,
as eloquent as Demosthenes, as
world - minded as Shakespear,
but he is of small service if
he can’t set somebody on fire
or. at least, pedantically drill
something useful. Merely being
the learned Doctor X isn’t
worth much in teaching. Of
course if it be worth large
sums just to gaze on that fur
rowed brow, and wonder at
the depths of his learning, we
might strike a bargain by re
producing him in bronze.
We need the delivered power.
Let’s lighten this a bit. For
some reason I’m thinking of
the time in Northern Peru
when my Secretary Mr. Santo-
llala, and I started on a trip
of inspection from Lambayeque
to Talara, including Pimentel,
Palta and Piura. We took a
ship at Pimentel for Paita-
an American ship of some
beauty and luxury. Arriving
at Paita the ship did not dock,
but anchored a mile or two
The South Carolina
National Bank
i
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CONDITION
APRIL 11,1949
ASSETS
Cash and Due from Banks $ 45,842,602.85
U. 3. Government Bonds 65,201,130.74
State and Municipal Bonds 528,644.35
Fed. Land Bank Bonds and Fed. Int. Credit Bank Debs._ 1,820,787.47
Federal Reserve Bank Stock 127,500.00
Loans and Discounts 35,257,503.76
Commodity Credit Corporation Certificates 3,665,994.55
Banking Houses (11) $ 507,375.00
Less Depreciation 105,769.00 401,606.00
Furniture and Fixtures 247,364.22
Other Real Estate 1.00
Other Assets 126,263.72
$153,219,398.66
LIABILITIES
Capital — Common $ 2,000,000.00
Surplus 2,250,000.00
Undivided Profits 1,272,630.06
Reserve — Contingencies • 750,000.00
Reserves — For Taxes .etc 815,217.04
Deposits 146,131,551.56
$153,219,398.66
OFFICES AT:
ANDERSON
BELTON
CHARLESTON
CHERAW
COLUMBIA
DILLON
FLORENCE
FORT JACKSON
GEORGETOWN
GREENVILLE
LEESVILLE
NAVY YARD
NEWBERRY
PICKENS
ST. MATTHEWS
SENECA
SUMTER
out. Fleteros scrambled aboard
and offered to take passengers
and baggage ashore in launches.
One official of the Government
was so attentive that he danc
ed attendance on us day and
night. I was at that time the
Director Regional de Ensenan-
za del Norto (if you care) and
my jurisdiction was from Lima
to Ecuador and from the Pa
cific to Brazil. I had to in
vite the attentive fellow to
have meals with us. So I
sent the Secretary to inform
the hotel manager that Senor
X was my guest. The Secre
tary returned and told me in
the nicest school book English
‘The Gerent (manager) says
very well, because Senor X
has not the custom to pay his
debts.” I’ve met many peo
ple who haven’t that custom.
Nice way to put it, though. He
wasn’t dishonest; he wasn’t a
deadbeat; he wasn’t a sponge;
he just had not the custom to
pay his debts. You may recall
that when a subject of his Bri
tannic Majesty says “It isn’t
done,” you have heard an over
whelming reason for not doing
what you have in mind. As
in my case, when I wanted to
order ice-tea in London, I was
urged to refrain because “it
just isn’t done.” Tne Span
iard can be just as conclusive
when he says “No es costum-
bre”—it is not the custom.
With that, they squelch your
impulses.
On that trip I was given a
Panama hat, as it is called.
It was made by an Indian
woman all th e weaving being
done under water. No Peru
vian gentleman would wear a
Panama hat; they preferred
felt hats and derbies and straw.
I once urged President Leguia
to wear a Panama so as to
make it the style.
Wthen I arrived in Piura the
Governor (Prefect) sent his ad
jutant to welcome me. The
next day I went to pay a cour
tesy call on the Prefect. Being
near Ecuador, quite a garrison
was there and the military
feature was very pronounced.
My Secretary told the sentinel
that I was so-and-so, in his
best manner, but it was all
lost on the plain Indian sol
dier. He stood rigidly at at
tention and said “Est a’ bien,”
but made no move to let us
pass. In every day English it
was as though he said “Well,
whatfs that to me?” We were
rescued by the adjutant who
was on the look-out.
Several times I’ve had a let
down but never more decisive
ly than by that Indian.
Talara is an oil town. T was
the guest of the American oil
interests, with rooms in their
guest house and meals in the
Club.
How to get away from Tala
ra was the problem. As luck
would have it, the trim little
cruiser launch at the Oil Com
pany was leaving at noon
next day for Pimentel to bring
back sugar. As there were
only two cabins I sat all day
and all night in an easy chair
on deck, a sea -sick man had
one cabin and a very sea-sick
woman had the other. And
they stayed sick.
Arriving at Pimental we
turned around and wallowed
in the Pacific, nearly every
body losing interest in life.
The Captain could not put us
ashore without permission of
the Captain of the Port—who
was away. F.nally, when
flesh and blood couldn’t stand
any more—and parts of us,
not flesii and blood, rebelled
openly, persistently and vio
lently, I persuaded the Captain
to send my Secretary ashore
and he brought back a permit
for us to land. The sick man
and the sick woman were very
grateful to me. They were
sick, mark you—sea-sick—hop
ing to die but compelled to
live. Try it just once, to
broaden your experience.
FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1949
TWO NEWBERRY MEN
ENLIST IN RESERVES
Herman A. Mack, 618 Weight
street, and Virgil D. Gillion.
529 Crosson street, enlisted in
the U. S. Army Enlisted Re
serve Corps, last week accord
ing to an announcement made
today by M-Sgt Claude Blank
enship, NCO in charge of the
local U. S. Army and U. S.
Air Force Recruiting Station,
1221 Nance street.
Lt. Col. David Keisler, NG,
Instructor,- executed the oath
of enlistment for both reserve-
ists. Both men were enlisted
in grade 5.
Any veteran can enlists in
the reserves right here in New
berry. Advantages are: Inactive
duty pay; active duty training
in form of Regular Army
schools, and other type of ac
tive duty open only to re-
reserveists; Correspondence
Courses and opportunities for
promotion to higher grades.
Any pay you receive as an En
listed reserveist will be that
of the pay grade you hold in
the reserve corps. Remember,
too, the stronger the reserves
maintained by the United
States the less likelihood of
any of us having to fight an
other war to protect our coun
try—the greatest in the world.
Price Alone Is Not The Answer!
Dollar Days
- APRIL 29 - 30
m
■
WE GLADLY JOIN IN NEWBERRY’S
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
with merchandise in abundance and desirability. You want value, and that means
quality always, and such value as we nowoffer you in items throughout the store.
In ready-to-wear you want Fit, Style and Good Materials, with these garments of
fered at REDUCED PRICES go every service, such as alterations, delivery, etc., |
just as you get at regular prices. Now we list a few.
lAny{ Items You Are Interested In Ask About. They Will Probably be Reduced.
SUITS
Gabardine, faille and woolen crepes
1-3 and 1-2 OFF
MILLINERY
All spring Hats and many Summer hats
GREATLY reduced
EVENING DRESSES
GREATLY REDUCED
SKIRTS
Now offered for DOLLAR DAYS at
ONE-HALF OFF
BED SPREADS
About 35 full size woven Bed Spreads. Special for
Dollar Days
$2.95 EACH
ONE TABLE WOMEN’S
HANDBAGS
DOLLAR DAY PRICE
$1.00
One Lot Printed and Solid Color
SPUN RAYONS
ONE - HALF PRICE
For Dollar Days
BATH TOWELS
Large size Cannon and Dundee, value 59c to 79c.
FOR DOLLAR DAYS
2 FOR $1.00
20 per cent DISCOUNT
ON ALL
HANDBAGS
FOR DOLLAR DAYS
ABC SAFE-T-TONE
PRINTS AND PLAIDS
Our regular 79c values, good selection of Patterns
DOLLAR DAY PRICE
1 • 59c yd.
DRESSES
For women and children, in rayon crepes, cottons
20 to 50 iper cent OFF
$1.19 Printed CHIFFON VOILE
; Dollar Day Price
95c YARD
20 per cent DISCOUNT
on all Cotton and Rayon Curtains. Tailored
and frilled.
One Big Table Women’s
UNDERWEAR
Including Slips, Gowns, Pajamas, Panties
FOR DOLLAR DAYS
ONE - HALF PRICE
Galy and Lord Ginghams
CHECKS and PLAIDS
DOLLAR DAY PRICE
95c YARD
FOR DOLLAR DAYS
20 per cent DISCOUNT
On All
NOVELTY LINENS
$1.19 Genuine
Powderpuff Muslin
SPECIAL FOR DOLLAR DAYS
95c YARD
One Table of
GINGHAM CHECKS
Rayon Prints, Curtain Materials, Etc.
29c YARD
One Lot of About 25 Women’s
UMBRELLAS
FOR DOLLAR DAYS
ONE - HALF PRICE
20 per cent DISCOUNT
on our regular lines of Gowns, Pajamas and Slips
FOR DOLLAR DAYS
Carpenter’s
NEWBERRY