Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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PAGE POUR 1218 College Street NEWBERRY, S. C. PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY By ARMFIELD BROTHERS Entered as second-class matter December 6. 1937, at the Postoffice at Newberry, South Carolina, under tile Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In S. C., 31.50 per year in advance outside S. C., $2.00 per year in advance. COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINGS By SPECTATOR ‘Spanish’ Potatoes Did your Irish Potatoes come from Spain? Those spuds so beloved of our service men, are no more “Irish” than the famliar Lima Bean is an outstanding product of Peru. If it were it would be Lima (Lee-ma, not Ly-ma). But since the great English horse race is the darby, not (der by), and they call it darby who are we to challenge it? We speak of the “varsity” team for University, because the British say Univarsity. So there we are. But how about the potatoes? Mr. J. Smith Boswell and his son John came to have me translate a ticket in Sp 4 nish. Mr. Boswell who is a merchant had found this ticket in a sack of potatoes. It starts with this: “Espana Servicio Nacional de Fitopato-logia Agricola.” That is a service of inspection in Spain. The certificate shows that the potatoes were shipped from Spain to Chelsea, Massachusetts; then to Charleston and Orange burg and on to Mr. Boswell. The certificate says that the potatoes were produced in Alava, Spain. The certificate of inspection was signed as follows: “Jose Trueba y Aguirre, “and his official title is: “Cargo official del inspector, Ingeniero Agronomo de Vizcaya, Jefe de la Jefotura Agronomica de Vizcaya.” If that doesn't kill your taste for Irish Potatoes from Spain, to be eaten in South Carolina, then hear it to the end. I failed to quote that the potatoes were put on the ship at Barcelona—Junqueras 16. And all this time we had enough potatoes to feed Spain and Portugal! Why did we import Irish Potatoes? One might think of a reason for the big Idaho potatoes, or Louisiana and Texas rice, but to import Irish potatoes, from Spain is worse than importing rice from Ecuador. I'm tempted to explain the Spanish official's name and title. You observe that he is Jose’ (Joseph) Trueba y Aguir re. His father’s name was Trueba and his mother was an Aguirre. The “y” is “and.” In my time in Peru Presi dent Leguia signed his name “A. B. Leguia y. s.” The “s” was for “Salcedo,” his mother’s name, family name. Our Spanish friend tells us that he holds the position of Inspector and that he holds the academic title of Agri cultural Engineer of Vizcaya, a city; and that he is Chief of the hekd office of field service or agriculture of Vizcaya. After all that, can you enjoy the potatoes more? The idea just occurs to me: Mr. Boswell and I should form a partnership and sell those potatoes at a premium. But shipping Irish potatoes from Spain to Massachusetts and then to Charleston!! In comparison, I should say that carrying coals to Newcastle, or a quarter of beef to Kansas City, or an Azalea to Charleston, would be quite under standable in comparision. However, since I have done this spade work perhaps my friend Eleazer will illumine the I subject. S. C. Energy Plentiful And Cheap ‘Electrical equipment purchased for. homes from 1940 to 1950 was in this order: radios, irons, refrigerators, clocks, washers, toasters, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers. American homes use four times as much electricity as they used twenty five years ago, twice as much as in 1940. Cost ol electricity has gone down 9 per cent below the 1935-1939 average, a bargain compared with other cost of living items that have gone up 86 per cent!” So says Pathfinder magazine. All that from The Pathfinder makes me furiously to think—as the Latins say. So I turned to J. Roy Jones’ annual report as the Commissioner of Agriculture of South Carolina. Commissioner Jones covers a lot of ground in his report, due, perhaps, in part to those handsome, alert and am bitious young men who have served in that office so cap ably for twenty five years. Hear Mr. Jones: “There is an abundance of electric power in South Caro lina where thirty-six generating stations are intercom nected with thousands of miles of high voltage transmis sion lines in such a way that electric power is available to practically any industry desiring to locate almost any the State. There are twenty-six hydro plants with a capacity o^ 674,695 kilowatts and seven steam plants with a capacity of 370,000 kilowatts. Included in the steam capacity is the 50,000 kilowatts addition to Plant Hagood which is ex pected to be in service before December. In addition a total of 560,000 kilowatts of additional steam generating capacity has been announced for construction in South Carolina in the near future. Included in this figure is the 80,000 kilowatt steam plant on which construction has been started by the South Carolina Public Service Author ity. (The 50,000 KW addition to Plant Hagood is in op eration). THE NEWBERRY SUN Another Panmunjoio? In spite of the rapidly increasing use of electric power in South Carolina, it is believed that there will always be sufficient electric power available for needs within the Sttae. The major portion of the electric power in South Caro lina is generated, transmitted, and distributed by ten (10) privately owned corporations that are now engaged in the business of furnishing eectric service to all customers with in reach of their electric facilities. These ten companies are under the jurisdiction of The Public Service Commis sion of South Carolina and that State agency regulates the service conditions, the extensions to existing facilities, and the rate of return that is allowed on the money in vested in rendering this public service. In addition to the ten companies owned by private in vestors, there are twenty-five (25) organizations in the State which are operating under special Acts of the Gen eral Assembly and these include the Santee-Cooper de velopment of the South Carolina Public Service Authority, the Greenwood Electric Power Commission’s system (Buz zard Roost), and twenty-three (23) organizations operat ing under our State Rural Electric Cooperatives Act. None of the electric cooperatives generate any electric power but are engaged in the business of buying under whole sale contracts and selling to the ultimate consumers in the rural districts. Sixteen Rural Electric Cooperatives operating in the lower part of the State have formed the Central Electric Power Cooperative and Central is now building transmis sion lines to bring Santee-Cooper or other low-cost elec tric power to the member cooperatives operating in twenty- seven counties. A contract between Central and the South Carolina Public Service Authority provides for the opera tion and maintenance of the transmission lines by Santee- Cooper, and sale of Santee-Cooper power to the member cooperatives. Electric power can be generated, transmitted, and dis tributed at a much cheaper price in large blocks than in small blocks, and the size of generators and generating sta tions has been steadily increasing. A recently announced plant will have four generators, any one of which will be larger than either the Pinopolis Plant of Santee-Cooper or the Lake Murray Plant of South Carolina Electric and Gas Company. Large generating units have contributed largely to the reduction in average cost of electric ser vice to the consumer, and this steadily decreasing cost has resulted in an increase in the average energy consumption during the last several years. The existing transmission facilities in South Carolina are interconnected with other facilities covering a large por tion of the eastern section of the United States and it is now possible to interconnect facilities throughout the South and East having a total capacity in excess of 12,000,000 kilo watts of electric power. In other words, it is now possible to handle almost any electric power load anywhere in South Carolina with either one or several of the electric plants in the area completely out of service. Electric rate structures continue to show improvement. The average rate paid by South Carolina residential con sumers for the year ending December, 1950, was less than 40% of the average rate paid by the same consumers in 1932. The average United States residential consumer ashington D espite the fact that the American fanner is supposed to be represented in Washington by at least four powerful farm organ izations which have some influence with the congress, the farmer ap peals to be the forgotten man, in sofar as this congress is concerned The American farmers are near ing a financial crisis and need strengthened farm price supports. At the same time, such farm or ganizations as the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the Nation al Grange, to a lesser extent, no longer represent the individual farm membership so much as they represent the thinking of the big business groups which have to do with farm crops and purchases. Despite the recent prediction by the department of agriculture of another record crop for 1952, a re port of the senate agriculture com mittee shows that farm debts have increased 100 per cent and farm net income will show a decrease under 1950. So far in 1952, farm prices have averaged three per cent lower than the average of all 1951, and all major purchased items are expected to add to a rise in production costs. • » • The bureau of agriculture eco nomics’ warning that real farm in come will be three to five per cent 'ower than in 1951, actually lower than in any year during the past 10 years, is based on a presumption of record crops and a total cash yield which may be slightly above the $32 billion of last year. How ever, farm production expense, which jumped 12 per cent last year, is still climbing, and price in creases for feed and fertilizer, dred labor, taxes, interest, rents and most other expenses will add to the total production cost. This reduction in farm net income in a period of predicted record crop pro duction is made in the face of an expected rise of at least three per eent in the total national income. Some recognition must be given to the national farmers union and the lone light it made against con gressional slashes in the agri cultural appropriation bill, and par ticularly against disastrous cuts in the agricultural conservation payments. The Farm Bureau held out for a cut from $250 million, as provided in the budget, to $100 million while the National Grange demanded a complete slash of the entire amount. During debate on this program, more than a dozen congressmen took the floor in op position to the two bigger farm or ganizations, something ususual in these times. In the face of the declining farm income, food prices are going up and the office of price administra tion says they are powerless to prevent it under the existing law and in the face of the Capehart amendment. As as matter of fact, grocers are not waiting for rulings, but are taking canned goods and other items off their shelves, not new purchases, and marking them up. OPS is helpless. But the farm ers are being given the blame for price increases when they are blameless. • • • At the start of this congress it appeared there was no hope at all for any improvement in price support laws. As a result of the operation of the Capehart amend ment which has made application ' of controls impossible, there may be a stronger price control act. Consurrier credit organizations, while admitting there are some 3,500,000 refrigerators and other millions of household appliances in inventories, are NOT content with the federal reserve board rulings lifting applications of regulations governing consumer credits, but favor holding on to the controls as a stand-by, if necessary, to clamp down again. These manufacturers and consumer credit organizations want all controls repealed. They are not satisfied with suspension, despite the fact they can’t sell re frigerators in inventory at present prices. • The question of why President Truman did not invoke or act under the Taffc-Hartley act has been highlighted in the steel argu ments. In the first place, the Pres ident sought to prevent a shut down of the steel mills. There is nothing in the Taft-Hartley act which would have prevented a shut down, and, as a matter of fact, invocation ' of this act would have of a cer tainty shut down the mills for at least two to three weeks. AUTHOR OF “HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIViNG" Defeating the Inferiority Gompfex QALVIN OSBORN, San Diego, Calif., entered Washington Mis sionary college in Washington, D.C., one of the most backward bashful students who ever crossed the campus. He had developed one of the worst cases of inferiority complex and self-conscious ness anyone could possible have. It began when he was just a lad. He was next to the youngest in a family of six children. His mental attitude caused him to de velop the habit of stuttering, and his older broth ers mocked and made fun of him. Finally he got to the point where he refused to talk before a group. All through high school he lived in that at mosphere of fear and worry. Why couldn’t he re cite like others? Why couldn’t he answer ques tions in classes without embarrassment? In his Spanish class he would be asked: “Senor Osborn, Que le’ccion tenemos para hoy? Que pa’gina?” (Mr. Osborn what lesson to do have we for to day? What page?) To that question and all other Carnegie questions, he would answer “No comprendo” (I don’t comprehend). He was afraid of his own voice. Even in col lege he would hide behind the one in front for fear he would be asked a question. And he wanted to enter the ministry! He knew what that meant! Public speaking and plenty of it. There was only one thing to do, so he made up his mind that every time he had an opportunity to speak in public he would. The director of the wood working shop at Washington Missionary college encouraged him. One morning he said, “What one man has done another can do.’’ Then Calvin Osborn said to himself, “Cal, if you have to let some of your studies go in order to give a talk, do it. Don’t worry about mistakes — everyone makes them.” Opportunities came and he accepted them. In the woods, in his room, walking down the street he practiced talking, and he overcame his fear by doing what he feared most. Today as pastor of a large church he no longer stutters; his worries and fears are gone. It is as easy for him to talk as it is to eat. and assessed, was not expended and was left with the FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1952 JUST PLAIN “GIMME” Too many people want too much from government. In stead of seeking opportunities, they seek an artificial se curity. They seem more afraid of life than death . . . Patrick Henry immortalized himself by saying, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Too many people today say only “Give me.”—Governor Byrnes. BOVINE MAMAS Amiable, ignorant, bovine women make much better mothers than neurotic college graduates, says Pearl Buck. > - - - WHAT’S IN A NAME? Some of the names given offspring today as a result of the scrambling of family handles is enough to handi cap any child for life. We only need to go to old nature herself for names with a real punch as witness a North Carolina negro woman with the coniferous designation of Evergreen Flowers. VJfM LIKE SAUERKRAUT, OR SPINACH ‘Corruption is awful hard to get people interested - in unless they can get some of it. You take a fellow who hasn’t received any corruption and its kinder like the fellow that has never drank any sauerkraut juice; he ain’t much interested in whether it’s good or bad.”—Wffl Rogers. ; i« MONGREL JALOPY An Evanston, HI. man told police they should have no trouble recognizing his missing car. As identifying speci fications he gave: 1949 Chevrolet body, mounted on a 1939 Studebaker chasis, with a 1949 Kaiser front bumper, a 1949 modified Chevrolet grill with a 1950 Studebaker six cylinder engine No. 565r239-039. CHURCHES SELL ROOFS Some impoverished British churches are selling their roofs to get out of debt, the Church of England Build ing Society reported recently. The roofs bring a high price "because they are made of scarce lead needed by industry and for Britian’s rearmament program. Eng lish indifference to religion and the needs of the church has grown to alarming proportions in recent years. Many blame State control of the church, but the real reason probably lies deeper than that. The English man is a pretty passive fellow; if religion will let him alone he will let it alone. . - A ■ ‘‘AS ■ THE OLD CLOCK ""V- Many of us who have a warm feeling for a faithful old clock will appreciate the following by Charles Frothing- ham written in 1894: Here I stand both day and night, "To tell the time with all my might. Do thou example take by me. And serve thy God as I serve thee. I am old and worn as my face appears, For I have walked on time for a hundred years Many have fallen since my race begun. Many will fall ere my race is run. I have buried the world with its hopes and fears In my lone, long march of a hundred years. FISHING NOTE If you want a good, inexpensive guide for fishing conditions, get a few common gold fish and put them in a bowl large enough for them to move around. If you will observe the gold fish carefuUy you will notice that at certain hours of the day they will be more active than at other times. If you have a barometer you will find that the gold fish will be most active when there is a sharp rise in baremetic pressure. Al so, careful observation will reveal that the goldfish are more active early in the morning and just before sun down. They will swim around more and usuaUy are feeding near the surface. Try to find time to fish when the goldfish are active and again on one of those days when they don’t seem to move at alL Make a careful note of the strikes you receive and you’U find that you get approximately 80 per cent more strikes or catch more fish when your goldfish are active.—Anderson. Independent purchases electric energy at a rate of about 20% more than» that paid by the average South Carolina consumer. When it is considered that the rates of the several Federally- financed organizations such as the Tennessee Valley Authority are included in the national average, it will be seen that the rates charged the South Carolina consumer are reasonable. The average South Carolina residential consumer uses 38% more energy than the national average consumer and yet the South Carolina average annual bill is but 15% greater than the national average bill. The total accumulated electric savings to customers in South Carolina since the formation of the Electrical Utilit ies Division in April, 1932, through December, 1950, are $66,402,253 and this was done on a total of $1,250,333, ap propriated by the General Asgfembly through this 19-year period and assessed the operating electrical utilities regu lated by this Commission. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1951, a total of $46,889.50 of the amount appropriated State Treasury. There are now 37,905 miles of rural electric distribution lines in South Carolina serving 218,961 rural customers. The Federally-financed ‘REA’ rural electric system with 24,555 miles serving 95,232 customers have by far the larger mileage in rural lines. The other publicly-owned systems (Municipalities, Greenwood County, The South Carolina Public Service Authority) have 1,652 miles and 19,552 customers and the privately-owned companies have 11,698 miles of lines serving 104,187 customers.” We know about the mammoth plant of the South Caro lina Generating Company over in Aiken County, on the banks of the Savannah River, the greatest power plant of the South probably. Industries ask at once about power, water and labor. We have all three. Charleston will soon be able to offer unlimited fresh water for industrial use. And so old South Carolina forges ahead. DEFLATING A LASSIE Hugh Park tells this one in his column in the Atlanta Journal: “Air line people are laughing over this one: A lady re portedly wearing a popular type of new falsies which are inflated, embarked on a flight aboard a plane that had a nonpressurized cabin. “As the ship climbed,* the outside air pressure grew less and of course this allowed the air inside the falsies to expand. They became larger and larger, while pass engers watched in speechless fascination, until they reach ed truly impressive proportions. “Everyone waited, without a murmur, for them to ex plode. Instead the Jady calmly arose and with a dowager carriage bore herself down the aisle to the women’s lounge. In a few minutes she returned quite flat” I !