Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE NEWBERRY SUN. NEWBERRY. S. C imm—m SCANNING THE WEEK'S NEWS of Main Street and the World Threat of Inflation Increases As Price Index Hits a New High INFLATION THREAT—With the government’s report that the con- aumers’ price index rose to a record level last month, the dangers of inflation took first place in the week’s news. The bureau of labor statistics reported the index figure went from 185.2 to 185.5. This means the retail prices of goods and services bought by moderate-income families averaged 85.5 per cent higher than the average between 1935 and 1939. This is 9 per cent above the level before the Korean war. It also means that more than 3,000,000 workers who have cost-of- living escalator clauses in their contracts will receive automatic raises of approximately 1 cent per hour. Industry member of the wage stabilization board, who recently ap proved escalator clauses in union con tracts, warned when the new index figures were announced that the ar rangement is not based on sound eco nomic principles. "Putting all work ers, manufacturers, farmers and merchants on escalation may easily prove the first step to national bank ruptcy,” the group warned. The average home towner seems to have the feeling that runaway in flation is dangerously near. If each group in the nation’s economy con tinues trying to get ahead of every other, then the economic situation may explode into a mad race that can lead to ruin. Gen. James A. Van Fleet reports Food and rent P rices are credited 17N forces will be able to withstand Pushing the index figure* to the nny new Communist attack. He said new high. Food prices averaged 12.1 a new Red offensive would "play per cent higher than in June, 1950, 1 ■WNi*!' * A Beautiful Shoot •into our firepower. If we can get 'them out into the open, we would have a beautifsd shoot." just before the Korean war. There are indications of further increases. Large dealers are reported demand ing boosts of 1 to 6 cents an item for well known brands of flour, breakfast cereals, canned fruit and vegeta bles, vinegar, mayonnaise and spaghetti. PRICE CONTROLS—While the average home towner views the price picture with increasing fear. President Truman asked congress for three major changes in the new price controls law. The President asked repeal of: (1) The provision requiring that price ceilings reflect rises in business costs that have occurred since Korea, i("An economic booby trap,” Truman called it.); (2) The amendment jgivihg wholesalers and retailers their customary percentage markups; J(8) The amendment banning the OPS livestock-slaughter quotas, under which each slaughterer was told how many animals he could handle. No one can predict how congress will react to the President’s re- <|uest8, but the average small town American, whatever his political views and his beliefs concerning the cause of higher prices, wants something done about it. He realizes the nation is in as much danger :today from its internal economic picture as from external enemies; he feels it is time for personal interests and politics to take a back seat to the nation’s welfare. WESTERN POLITICS—Democratic party representatives from 15 midwest states, as far east as Ohio and as far west as Wyoming, the great farm belt that came to President Truman’s rescue in 1948, met at French Lick, Ind., to discuss possibilities for 1952. Their conclusions were startling to the average home towner. Briefly, they concluded that President Truman will be a candidate for reelection and that he can defeat Sen. Robert Taft. Should Gen. Elsenhower seek the office he could have had in 1948, then Mr. Truman’s chances would not be so good. As a basis for these startling conclusions, the democratic leaders believe the President would get a large farm vote as he did in 1948 be cause farm prices have been high during his administration. A continued high level of domestic prosperity without inflation would also add to his chances, they concluded. They also pointed out that Truman was denied New York’s 47 elec- ■v toral votes by the candidacy of Henry A. Wallace and those of four southern states by the Dixiecrats. This is unlikely in the 1952 campaign. The big question, of course, is Gen. Eisenhower. The general is a midwestemer, and it would not be difficult to sell a national hero to the people in the home towns. THE NEW FEAR—The latest news from Korea would indicate the Chinese Communists are beset with a new fear, that of world condemna tion for breaking off the Kaesong peace talks. It is the only reasonable conclusion since the Reds announced the talks can continue if the Allies will admit a plane tried to murder the Communist delegates by dropping explosive bombs and Jellied gasoline near their quarters. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, who previously rejected their charge as a fake and a fraud, is unlikely to accede to their demand. Ridgway has informed the Reds that their neutrality-violation charges are noth ing more than malicious lies, deliberately manufactured for propaganda effect and unworthy of reply. As long as both parties maintain this attitude there is little hope for a resumption of talks. And even if they should be resumed, other inci dents will be manufactured by the Reds to further their propaganda aims. Peace in Korea will not be restored until one side or the other is thoroughly and completely defeated. JAPANESE TREATY—On Tuesday 34 nations gathered at San Fran cisco to sign the proposed peace treaty with Japan. Russia is repre sented, but no one expects her to sign the document which is sponsored by the United States. To the contrary, she will do everything in her power to wreck the treaty negotiations and eventually will present her own versions of a pact. The big news as the conference opened was India’s boycott of the meeting. That country’s denunciation of the treaty was in direct line with Moscow propaganda and will have many repercussions in this na tion’s foreign aid program. It may lead to a tougher U.S. policy toward India and a reduction in aid given her in recent months. It may also mean that a number of other countries will suffer as a direct result of India’s stand. From now until the conference closes, the people in the home towns of the country can expect a flood of Soviet propaganda against the treaty. In fact, one of the greatest propaganda slanders the wor!'* has ever seen is about to begin. Eva Peron, wife of President Jttan Peron of Argentina, often called the most powerful woman in the world, has been nominated to be her hus band’s running mate as Vice-President in the November 11 elections. The election is only a formality under Argentines dictatorship. She would be the first woman in history to bold such a high office in the Americas. THIS IS CHINA Peiping Demands Life Data on Everyone The Communists in China have demanded a combination confession and autobiography for millions of persons in the country whom the Reds find necessary to re-educate In the new attitudes of Chinese com munism. It is a complete record and repudiation of the past life of the individuals concerned. The document serves as a do mestic passport that must be pro duced whenever the possessor seeks a new job, wants to move from one part of the country to another, or from some other reason, comes un der official scrutiny. The person under examination may have made money on the stock market or gone to a U.S. university. Whatever it is, these must be con fessed and branded as bad and wrong. Youth Rally I HAVE just spent an evening be hind the Iron Curtain. It’s not hard to do here in Berlin where no guards patrol the line between the Russian and American sectors and where, if you flash a White House press card and look reasonably im portant, you can attend even the most exclusive of the Communist youth shows. Berlin tonight is a city of vivid dramatic contrast—miles of bunt ing and flags everywhere, flags of every nation but particularly and ironically the flags of peace. Sand wiched in between almost every na tional flag is the blue and white em blem of peace. Standing out against the gaunt bomb-gutted ruins of Berlin, they made a gen uine appeal to the tired population which never wants to see war again. Across from the Kaiser’s once- ornate palace which the Russians tore down and removed piece by piece, a great platform stood in front of the bomb-battered museum. The inside was an empty shell but outside a Russian ballet; a girl in Georgian^ costume, and Finnish folk dancers all performed. It was Russia’s youth exhibition and yoq, had to admit it was good. Light ing, acoustics and staging were all perfect; the music excellent and the dancing superb. I couldn’t tell what the girl in the Georgian cos tume said when she sang a ballad dedicated to Stalin and I don’t think many of the German Com munists could, either. But they liked her voice and applauded just the same. Rally No Flop To read the headlines in Amer ican newspapers you got the im pression that the Berlin youth rally was a flop. It wasn’t. No rally which brings 2,000,000 youngsters together from all parts of the world Is a flop and it’s no use kidding ourselves. The state department, with a meagre budget, did a rniraculous Job of attracting a quarter of a mil lion German youths into the wes tern sector, giving them food, lit erature and a sight of the vastly better living standards on our side of the Iron Curtain. But when the rally was only half over, orders came to close up certain youth depots. The food was costing $12 per day at one center and the State Department’s budget was exhaust ed. Congressmen Taber of New York, Clevenger of Ohio and other economizers had'pinched too many pennies and a great opportunity was thus snuffed out. However, three-quarters of a million other youngsters never entered West Berlin. They braved the straw spread out in schoolrooms for them at night, put up with the poor Communist food and attended ballyhoo pro grams, all for the sake of Com munism. Ami, Go Home! If you arrived early enough and flashed a White House press card, a U. S. military pass or even a Dis trict of Columbia police pass, an American could get into the most popular and packed performance of all—the North Korean. Seeing the Korean show gave some idea of the propaganda barrage this youth congress was subjected to. The highlight of their performance was a dance operetta in which a Korean mother, her child killed by Amer icans, is the heroine. The scene which really brought down the house was that in which she throws three grenades into an American camp. Three Americans then tear her clothes half off and take turns beating her while she takes from her blouse the flag of the Peoples Republic. Then, just as the Amer icans tie her to a tree preparing to shcot her, a shot rings out and Korean guerrillas come to her res cue. The heroine then shoots an American officer at point-blank range. At this point, the audience goes wild; there is 20 minutes of applause; the Korean actors get curtain call after curtain call and Russian ladies rush up to embrace the embarrassed but happy Korean orchestra leader. The audience then leaves, chanting "Ami, Go Home!”—the slogan of derision for Americans thrown at us from the Adriatic to the Bal tic. This is a sample of the propa ganda drilled in on the youths at the rally and there’s no use in kid/ ding ourselves about its effect. • • • West Point Firings The cheating of the 90 cadets at West Point was played up in the European press. The man in the street didn’t pay much attention to it. But among top-level Europeans and the many Americans over here, there was considerable reaction. As one American, now able to get a long-range view of his own country, it seems to me that we have experienced a dangerous moral lapse in recent years. Tl PAVE IT WITH FLOWERS . . . The inhabitants of the little ItaUan town of Gensano pave their main street with flowers for the town’s Corpus Domini celebration. The young girls collect the thousands of tons of flowers used while back in the town boys and old men prepare the flowers and the reeds for the floral carpet. Other crews engage in the actual artistic creation—first making chalk designs on the street and then placing flowers in line with the marks. LOVELY FIGUREHEAD , . . Movie star Virginia Mayo poses for famed sculptor Yucca Salamunich as he designs a figurehead for a schooner which is to be built in the near future in Norway. The age-old custom of Installing feminine figures on the bows of ships is believed about due for a revival in the 20th century. The builder of the ship asked Sculptor 'Salamunich to select the most beautiful Hollywood woman for a model. PRELUDE TO ATOM SUB . . . Third of a new class of fast attack sub marines now being built, the USS Trout takes to the water at Groton, Conn. The navy announced the award of a contract for its first atomio- powered sub which would be capable of speeds up to 60 knots an hour. The Trout was sponsored by the widow of Lt. Comm. Albert Clark, USN, who was commanding officer of the earlier Trout when she was lost in action off the China coast in 1944. TWO TURTLES . . . Here are two automobiles which are in a race from Chicago to New York, 1100 miles. The two cars have been com pletely rebuilt by the men who race them. In the cars are Jack Brause, 76 (left), who will pilot the 1913 Stanley Steamer, and Rube DeLaunty, 70 (right), who will drive the 1911 Stoddard-Dayton. These fellows 50 years ago argued about the relative merits of the internal combustion engine and the steam engine as driving power. FINDS SHEBA’S CITY . . . Wen dell-Phillips, archeologist. Concord, Calif., is back in New York aftet leading expedition to Arabia. He is responsible for finding the city and home of the Queen of Sheba. He’ll return to Arabia soon after a stay in America. TELLS ATTEMPTED PAYOFF • . . James Bishop (above). Tea- neck, N.J., told senate crime prob ers Longie Zwillman, bootlegger king of prohibition days, had of fered Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor $3 million and was turned down. ASSASSIN . . . This wild-eyed man, photographed in prison at Teheran, is Khalil Tahamasebi, assassin of former Iran Prime Minister All Razmara. He is now awaiting trial for the crime, showing no re morse for the cold-blooded slaying of Razmara. MAGNETIC HEART . . . Larry Hudetz, 13, Chicago, holds sewing needle removed from his heart re cently. This was second needle taken from Larry’s heart. In 1949 a needle pierced his chest while he was rolling about in bed. SHARES CAKE . . . Bernard Baruch, observing his 81st birth day, visited patients at the Insti tute of Physical Medicine, New York City, and shared his cake with little polio and cerebral palsy children. NEW OPPORTUNITIES Town Develops Plan to Attract New Industries HOOSICK FALLS, N. Y.—This village of less than 5,000 inhabit ants has developed a plan for get ting * new industries which has worked so successfully that other communities in New York and even in other states are studying it as a pattern. Recently Hoosick Falls folks gathered at a new plant built at a cost of $134,000 with community- raised funds, and celebrated the opening of their newest industry— the B. and M. Shoe Company. Hie civic holiday celebrated not only the "landing” of a new in dustry—a task to which the local businessmen’s committee pledged itself—but the fact that an answer has been found to at least part of the problem which has been both ering the town’s leaders for many months. What sent the Hoosick Falls com mittee into action was the realiza tion that while they have a fairly prosperous community, industrial growth was at a standstill, and not enough jobs were being created to provide employment opportunities for the youth of the town. After they left school, instead of staying in the home town, youngsters were going off to neighboring towns and cities to seek their fortunes. Newspaper Shows Way The all-out effort to secure a plant for the village was led by a series of front page editorials in the weekly newspaper, Hoosick Falls Standard Press, calling at tention to the need for a new in dustry in the town. The editorials struck a responsive note among the business leaders, and there was soon formed a committee for in dustry, composed of 12 of the lead ing businessmen. This committee’s views were reflected in articles which appeared continuously in the newspaper, and towns-people affec tionately attached the name "the twelve apostles” to them. As one of the first moves, the committee consulted the New York state department of commerce. The department worked closely with the group in negotiating for a prospective industry and advis ing the committee. $134,000 Raised A mass meeting called after the drive was started brought out a crowd of 1,000 and $41,600 was rais ed that night for the building fund. An industrial corporation, which erected the new plant, was formed and stock sold at $50 a share par value to 637 individuals. The ^cor poration, a non-profit concern, pro poses to return the fluids to the subscribers in the next 12 or 13 years. In all, funds were raised to build a~ $134,000 plant. The B. and M. Shoe Company, located in Brooklyn, was seeking an up-state location and negotiated for the plant It was agreed that title of the building would remain in the community corporation until monthly rentals amorized the cost of the property. Ground was broken for the plant a few hours after the negotiations between the committee and shoe company were completed. The plant was completed and ready for occupancy in less than three months. Machinery was installed and the plant had a gala opening. The community feels that a new era has arrived. The committee reports they are finding their work has paid off and a community spirit has been aroused which promises bright days ahead. They are cer tain also that other communities can do as well if they will try. Town Saves Cash; Keeps Elections Farther Apart WALKERVILLE, Mont. — The 1,629 inhabitants of Walkerville, a suburb of Butte, skipped an elec tion this year. It was not the first time. There have been just three town elections in the last 30 years. The money the community saved, about $1,100, has been earmarked for a new fire alarm system badly needed by the old mining commu nity. The community’s system of gov ernment dates back to 1921 when Walkerville became the nation’s first town to pass an election "be cause it would just be a waste of the taxpayers’ money. There was one primary candidate for each job that year. Since an election would settle nothing, the town t council decided to skip it. Petitions were circulated and the residents agreed. There still was no opposition at general election time. To round out the experiment, re tiring aldermen declared their seats vacant and reappointed them selves. As the years went by the plan developed. When a mayor resigned or died, the council simply elevated its president to the job and chose a new alderman. It was eighteen years before Walkerville had another election The next mayor died in office and the council appointed another. The present mayor was elected in 1941 and again in 1947. Since then he has served without election. Now, candidates don’t file unless there is opposition. Incumbents automatically retain their offices. * THE Touin pepoprep IN WASHINGTON WALTLR SNEAD. WKU Correspond*-, Rejects Farm Groups T HE action of the executive coun cil of the American Federation of Labor breaking off "diplomatic relations” with the two big farm organizations, the Farm Bureau and the National Grange, may have deep and lasting repercus sions on both farm and labor leg islation. The AFL said that labor organi zations could no longer appease^ these two farm organizations be cause they had "swung to the side of reaction.” "In fact on economic issues of vital concern to the national wel fare it has become difficult,” the AFL statement said, "to discern any major difference between the policy of the American Farm Bu reau Federation and the National Grange on the one hand, and that of the National Association of Man ufacturers and the United States Chamber of Commerce on the other.” I I And the statement added that farm workers are not in accord with the policies of these farm fed erations. The grange* said today is . no time to start a civil war be tween segments of the economy and the farm bureau answe AFL by saying its polic been democratically d e v e 1 o ] through county and state or tions. This column has often out how the farm and labor o: rations often appear to work cross-purposes when their should >e identicaL We have quoted imeh men as Senator of Vermont, and other a stalwarts as declaring against policy of "divide and conquer” tered by some segments of bi and industry. Unfortunately, it appears that there is considerable truth In the charges made by the labor organizations. There are in Washington several very effec tive propaganda o: maintained by big . guide the thinking of in almost every phase of activ ity. And it also is unfortunat that the top leaders of both grange and the farm bureau at frequent intervals with rc tatives of these propaganda cies and their big business spon sors. represen. Do Good Policies It is also true that officers and directors of these propaganda agen cies in Washington are made up of representatives of both the farm organizations and big business, some of the directorates reading like a list of "Who’s Who” in bus iness, industry and agriculture. Their policies are "do good policies” for the alleged benefit of the farmer, but the propa ganda has been so effective that here of late, as the AFL says, "it has become difficult to dis cern any major difference be tween the policy of the Amer ican Farm Bureau Federation and the National Grange on the one hand, and the National As sociation of Manufacturers and the U. S. Chamber of Com merce on the other.” A Prediction It may very well be that the policy of these two business organizations is the policy which farme r s throughout the country wish to fol low. But if they do follow them, one fine morning the farmers will wakeup and find that once more they are on their own, without a support price, without a parity price and with government clear "out of the agricultural business”; they will again be in the hands of their friends, the commodity ex changes, with only that old moth- eaten law of supply and demand to bulwark them against these same friends. • » » Farmers in Better Shape The only difference, the farmers will find, is that it will take them longer to go broke than it did in the 20s and the 30s, for during the past 10 or 15 years they have paid off all or most of the farm mort gage, their land is in better shape due to conservation practices, they have been able to buy and pay for more and better machinery and equipment, most have new cars, all the conveniences of their city cousins, including electricity and all the modern trimmings. So they will have better and more collat eral for more and bigger mort gages than they got in the 20s and 30s. • • • s Loans Available The banks and insurance com panies also have more surplus money than they know what to do with so the farmer need not worry on that score, they will grab up his mortgage. But we just wonder if the operator of the family sized farm throughout this country real ly is in accord with the announced policies of the farm organizations. With the possible exception of food, the farmer is the same kind of a consumer as city '^Iks.