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1218 College Street NEWBERRY. S. C. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY 0. F. Armfield, Jr., Owner 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: $2.00 per year in ad vance; six months, $1.25. COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINGS By SPECTATOR We are a great people; at frequent intervals we repeat that so that we may take fresh courage, or may gird our selves afresh for the battle of life. Sometimes we have to put on the whole armor in order to stand invincible before the onslaughter of bad news. Well, what’s it all about ? Let’s see just where the shoe pinches. What do you think of a man who spends all his income and then mortgages all his lands, tenements and hereditaments, as the law says, in its state ly language. Mortgaging all his estate so that when he shuf fles off this mortal coil his children and grandchildren will have enormous debts to pay? Think of it: father had a hundred thousand dollars in the banks and thousands of acres of land. But the money is all gone and the lands groan under the weight of encumbrance. In other words, the whole estate is sunk in debt. Yet, verily, sunk without a trace. Is that a nice way to treat the sons and grandsons not forget ting the daughters, granddaughters and daughters-in-law? “Thou art the man,” as the prophet said to King David. In other words, we are the guilty ones; we are the people who squandered the money. Here is the story: ‘The Eisenhower administration on June 30, 1953, closed the books on 20 years of government fiscal management by the New Deal and the Fair Deal. During those 20 years the Federal Government spent 775 billion dollars, or 20 times the total amount of monetary gold and 10 times more than the total amount of money in circulation in the entire world. This is almost seven times the total government expendi tures for the entire first 145 years of the Repubic, although those 145 years embraced six wars including t)\e Civil War and World War I. The federal tax rate advanced approxi mately 1500 per cent in the 20 years and in the last fiscal year of the 20, tax collections were 2100 per cent higher than in 1933. Meantime the national debt rose from $22.5 billion to $266 billion. In the thirteen years since 1940 American taxpayers, through their government, have given away nearly $95 billion (nearly $100 billion includ ing the latest authorizations), or approximately $1800 for every American taxpayer. It is more than all the money in circulation in all the world, and more than twice as much as the total net value of all property, plant, and equipment owned by all American manufacturing concerns combined.” That 266 billion dollars is our legacy to the next genera tion. We leave them a debt so colossally great that we merely speak of it with no grasp of the immensity of it. The next generation will remember us well and will never be able to say that we did not leave something, though what we leave will break their backs. Our weekly newspapers are having much to say about some practices of recent years. Says The Lancaster News: “In 1913, when the federal tax on corporations was only one per cent, tax exemption of publicly owned business was not serious. Conditions are far different now. Federal tax rates on corporate income have risen to 52 per cent, plus a graduated excess profits tax which brings the over-all rate to as much as 82 per cent of net income. With rates that high, how long can private business compete with tax-ex empt socialized enterprise? In the case of electric power, tax exemption of public power projects could ultimately mean destruction of all tax- paying private enterprise in the field, an irreparable tax loss to the country, and a long step toward total state socialism. In the last fiscal year private power companies paid more than $750,000,000 in taxes to the federal government and almost $470,000,00 to state and local governments. Since federal projects now have one eighth of the country’s total generating capacity they should have paid $90,000,000 in taxes to the federal government and $60,000,000 to state and local government. They actually paid less than $5,000,000 to state and local governments. They actually paid less than $5,000,000 in lieu of takes to the state and local governments, and nothing to the federal government. There was a total tax loss of around $150,000,000 and the nation’s taxpayers pick ed up the check. ‘ It’s time to put. federal power on the tax rolls and stop cutting the ground from under a private industry which renders outstanding service and which is now spending bil lions for expansion to meet future needs.” And then The Enterprise of Mullins speaks out: “One of the big pencil manufacturers of the country could not see anything wrong with the Tennessee Valley Author ity. For one thing, he is an ardent fisherman, and when he looked at the beautiful • TVA lakes abounding in fish, he could see nothing behind them. At the same time, this gentleman professes to be a strong believer in the American free enterprise system—but he had never applied the TVA principle to this belief. When this failure was called to his attention and the principle was ap plied, the rosy glasses through which he had been viewing the TVA changed to quite a different hue. Suppose the Government set up an Authority to own, manage and operate its vast timber holdings throughout DEPTHS OF DESPAIR the nation. Suppose this Authority decided to go into the processing of timber, and incidental to this processing op eration decided to build a pencil factory. We would then have a situation quite parallel to that of the TVA and its electric power industry. This pencil factory would be built with money appropri ated by the Government and the Authority would pay no federal taxes, would pay only nomial local taxes, would have franking privileges for all its advertising by mail, free legal services and many other special privileges. How long could the private pencil manufacturer compete with this Pencil Authority ? Or, if this private pencil manu facturer had such privileges, how much could he under cut his competitors? The answers are very clear. Private enterprise cannot compete with socialized industry support ed by the taxes of the people. And we must realize that a socialist state is the end view of those who advocate government ownership and opera tion. There is no stopping point. Once the Socialist Camel gets his head into the tent of Free Enterprise, he will never be satisfied until he is all the way in—and we can be quite sure there is not room enough for both of them. The very definition of socialisfn is complete government ownership and operation, complete government control of prices and distribution. Socialism cannot stop at any par ticular point and justify its existence; it must press ahead for this ultimate goal. We have seen this fact exemplified in the activities of the TVA. The production of electricity was supposedly incidental to the main purpose of TVA; namely, flobd control and navigation. Being incidental, the people gave it no particular thought. But it wasn’t long before the tail began wagging the dog. All private power companies were driven out of business in the area; the government soon had a complete monopoly. And instead of being incidental, the electric power busi ness soon became the main business of the TVA. Under the present program we shall very soon see more than half the power produced by the TVA coming from steam plants, which have nothing to do with flood control and navigation, in the Tennessee Valley. The application of the TVA principle to the pencil manu facturing industry could be applied similarly to all industry. The result would be the same.” My friend, Commissioner McMillan of the State Highway Department has sent me some interesting statistics: “State Highway Department official records show that 113 or 20.7 per cent of South Carolina’s 544 traffic deaths reported for the first nine months of the year were pedest rians. January, February, March and September accounted for the largest numbers. Longer hours of darkness and the wearing of darker colored clothing are considered major causes of increased pedestrian fatalities during these months. Crossing between intersections and walking in the road way account for most pedestrian deaths and injuries. Last year, 54 per cent of the 163 persons killed on foot were crossing between intersections, and 15 per cent were walking in the roadway. To avoid becoming involved in an accident, the Highway Department offered these suggestions for pedestrians: 1. Walk on the left side of open highways so that you are facing traffic. 2. Wear something light which can be seen by drivers, or, better still, carry a light or even a white handkerchief in the hand, when walking at night. 3. Cross streets only at intersections, being sure that the light is in your favor if there is a traffic signal. 4. Watch out for motor vehicles, especially at night. Re member that you can see a vehicle much better than its driver can see you. * > 5. Caution children to avoid playing in the streets. Many small children are fatally injured while playing in streets or roadways every year. Drivers, too, have a definite responsibility in pedestrian protection. Look out for the child or adult walking. By careful driving, and guarding against the unexpected, their lives can be protected.” PRINTED TO ORDER SALESBOOKS We are agents for Moore Business Forms and have a complete line of Salesbooks, Garage Repair Shop Forms, Register Tickets and Order books. Call No. 1 for fast service. THE NEWBERRY SUN College St. Phone 1 , T HE Eisenhower administration received another blow in the battle with its biggest domestic problem — the farm-price pinch. The new blow was a report by the Agriculture Departr-ie.it that farm prices have skidded another 2 per cent. It drops th. farmer to the lowest rung he has occupied on the economic ladder since 1941. The situation is termed “grave” by GOP policy makers and espe cially those GOP candidates who must win their contests in 1954. All agree that something must be done or the Democratic party is going to swe^p through the farm belt in the 1954 elections. The re sult could well be that the country would have a Democratic controlled congress. The farm prices situation is this: During the past month cattle prices fell an average of 7 per cent a hun dred pounds. They stood at 71 per cent of parity. Prices paid out by farmers from mid-September to mid-October fell one-third of one per cent. But since the farmer’s prices fell even more, the net result was that he was less well off. Average farm prices stood at 91 per cent of parity on October 15, the lowest since May, 1947. That compared with 92 per cent of parity on September 15 and 99 per cent a year ago. The over-all farm-price picture on October 15 was about ,11% per cent below a year ago, while farmers’ costs were only out 3 per cent below the same ne last year. Meanwhile, the cattle Industry is unhappy with the results of the caravan of cattlemen, representing 30 states, that recently visited Sec retary of Agriculture Benson in Washington. Benson let it be known that he considers such a group a “pres sure’’ group and that he will re sist all pressure, political or oth erwise, against his announced pol icy. This policy is an adjustment of price-support programs to meet basic economic ai^d peacetime needs in the best interests of all American farmers. It is believed in Washington that this fight of the cattlemen for high rigid price-support for their indus try is not over and may be car ried \o the next session of con gress. It will be a “bad break’’ for the administration if the fight be comes a knock-down and drag- out affair. President Eisenhower is very con scious of the situation. This is evidenced by his recent statement that the drop in live-cattle prices has reached the bottom and they will now start to climb. He vigor ously defended his administra tion’s new farm program and said it will protect the interests of all Americans, including constuners. He rejected a suggestion that he call a special session of congress to deal with the general farm sit uation. He said it would not make sense because the administration will not have its program ready until January. From The Barnesbore Star, Barneisboro. Pennsylvania: One as pect of prayer that gets scant at tention from the teachers of re ligion may be summed up as “the serious risks to which prayer ex poses as,*’ states Frank HalHday Ferris In the November Reader’s Digest. Dr. Ferris is Pastor Emeri tus of the Fairmount Presbyterian Church. Cleveland Heights. Ohio. His article Is condensed from his book. “Standing Up to Life.** In prayer we risk, first, seeing ourselves as we are “In our deal ings with God we must come dean.** Dr Ferris writes “AD our subterfuges, the flimsy excuses we contrive to bide our tamer poverty from ourselves, must come down. We face the truth about ourselves when we ask God to take us as we are and make us as we ought to be This ts the prerequisite to moral progress—but It ts hard on our pride." • The second risk is the danger of becoming more like Christ In s world which worships the deity suc cess. Conceding that “there is noth ing reprehensible about success” / Dr Ferris points out that there are times in the life of every man when he must, choose between doing the advamageous thing or the right thing. Christ was faced by this ehoice at the outset of His career. His temptation was to use His unique persona) power to win worldly success A prayer for moral betterment is “no kidglove undertaking.” the au thor insists ‘One has to take hold of It with the rough hand of a man who is in earnest, who is un deterred by the prospect of blood, sweat and tears, for only so is moral victory won.** • • • From Hie Herington Advertiser- Times. Hertogton. Kansas: A good many people probably still believe that typical petal! merchants op erate on the “all the traffic will bear*’ philosophy and are always trying to jack up prices. That simply Isn't true—not be cause merchants are any more charitable than the rest of us. but because success in merchandising demands a very different attitude An official of a national retail ing association recently put the case this way: “As the purchas ing agents for the consumer the objective of America’s retailers is the satisfaction and comfort of the nation’s retail customers through the greatest possible distribution of the country’s productive capa city The successful accomplish ment of that objective depends on our ability to offer value for every dollar spent in our stores. When values are lowered, sales fall, production drops, purchasing pow er is retarded and o>ften brought to a complete halt ** ^WotcL INTELEIGRAM Check correct word- 1. Mt. Ararat is in (Armenia) (Israel). 2. The Indian Ocean is in the (Eastern) (West ern) hemisphere. 3. Fleas (do) (do not) have wings. 4. Scheduled air mail service was established in the U. S. in (1918) (1936). t 5. (Buchanan) (Polk) was Uie only bachelor President of the U. S. 6. The (American) (National) League won base ball’s 1950 All-Star game. 7. A clavier is a (musical instrument) (fish). 8. (Arizona) (Nevada) is called the Sunset State. 9. James Monroe was the (5th) (7th) U. S. Presi dent. 10. James Byrnes is a (stage star) (politician). Check your answers, scoring yourself 10 points for each correct choice. A score of 0-20 is poCr; 30-60, average; 70-80, superior; 90-100, very superior. . Decoded Intelligram dept* ►ttoj.—01 'MIS—6 ‘ ‘suozjjv—8 'juauirupuj tBDjsnpi—L iBuoije>i . —9 'ueueqonH—g *8161—> *t° u °G" — € ‘uaoisea—g ’Biuouuy I A great Company which serves the public has published an advertisement which says: “How our costs have gone up since 1940. Lead up 168% Poles up 136% Copper up 139% Cable up 105% Raw cotton 233% Buildings 106% Yet our service is up an average of only 16%. That is splendid. It is not a Power Co. The Power rates are lower than in 1940!! Q—How many of Uncle Sam’s nieces and nephews are on his payroH? A—^According to the Joint Committee on Reduction of Non-Essential - Federal Expenditures. 2.430,412 Americana were employed by the federal government as of Aug. 31, 1953. The Committee said this compared with 2,590.091 as 61 Aug. 31, 1952. The figures do not include many thousands of foreigner employed abroad. Q—Which President held the first regular press conferences? A—President Wilson, according to James E. PoUard’s “The Presidents and the Press.” Wilson arranged to see reporters in the White House twice a week because he believed in what he called “pitiless pub licity” for public business. President Eisenhower’s Oct. 21 press conference was his 17th since assuming office. Q—Can the President and Vice President be inhabitants of the same state? ' A—Yes, though there is a practical restriction on the possibility. Amend ment XII of the Constitution states: **1110 electors shall meet . . . and vote (for) President and Vice President, one of whom at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves.” No , party has ever nominated candidates for both offices who lived in , the same state. In the event of a clbse contest, one of the party’s candidates could fail of election because he would be denied the electoral vote of his own state. Q—Just how often ds Members of Congress miss roU-esll votes or foil to announce their positions on issues? A—Only about one time in ten. according to a Congressional Quarterly survey of the 160 roll-call votes of the first session. The “average” Member either voted or announced his position 91.3 per cent of the time. The “average” Member actually voted.—either “yea” or “nay”—on 87.4 per cent of all roll calls. TITHILE Wanda Wisniewski, 3907 Yolando Road, Baltimore, Mary- W i*"*, was an army nurse overseas during World War II. she had the gcpd fortune to be reunited with her two brothers who were also serving with the armed forces overseas. Four weeks later she had the terrible misfortune to lose one of her brothers; ten weeks later * she lost the other brother. The news of these two tragedies in such quick succession, stunned her. Never before had life dealt her such a blow! And now she didn’t know how to cope with it. She became bitter, despondent, and her grief was inconsolable. She worried, too. about her mother who was so many thousands of miles away, and whom she felt must be prostrate with grief. One day the Chaplain stopped by to see her. and noticing her bitterness asked her to pray, to pray for the grace of perfect resignation to God’s will That morning she went to the chapel and prayed. After leaving chapel she felt calm. It was then that she de- i cided that she was going to try to accept the inevitable. She said to herself that she must stop brooding. In order to do that she had to keep busy. So she got into uniform and reported on duty. That day yti/| every day thereafter she made sure that her days were crowded with plenty of work end other activities. It wasn’t easy at first. There were many times when she felt her self crying on the inside, but she made sure that she was always laugh ing on the outside. And it was then that she realized the true meaning of the line: "When you cry you cry alone. But when you laugh the whole world laughs with you.” CROSS - CHECK ; By Ray Trail A BRAM Cotters never dreamed he’d run into such a snag as this when he pulled his car into the filling station and told the at tendant to fill her up. Then, ac customed as he was to making his living by passing bad checks, he fumbled for his wallet and opened it in front of the red-headed boy. “G^e, I guess Til have to give you a check,” he said. “Can you cash one for fifty dollars?” “Well, sir,” the boy said as he scratched his head, "we don’t cash personal checks for strangers. Not unless you can get someone to vouch for you.” “Oh, it’s a good check. Salary check, from Carlson’s downtown.” "Yes sir, I know the store all right, but—” Cotters could see the small drug store on the comer opposite the filling station, its sign saying "WRIGHT’S PHARMACY”, and his thoughts leaped fast **I know Mr. Wright over there,” he said. "Oh, you do, sir?” the attend ant brightened up. "Well, sir, that’s better. I tell you what Why don’t you just go across to the store and tell Mr. Wright what the situation is, and have him wave to me if he knows you and if every thing is all right” ‘'Sure,” said Cotters as he looked at the phony check with the phony name. "By the way, what's your name?” he asked. "Andrews, sir. Jack Andrews.” he heard the boy say. He walked into the drug store and saw a man of about sixty put ting up stock behind the counter. "Hello,” he said to the man, "are you Mr. Wright?” “That’s me,” said the pharma cist. "What can I do for you?” "Well. I Just bought some gas from my friend Jack Andrews across the street, and I find that all I have with me is this check for fifty.” “Oh?” The pharmacist replied. "He said that if you’d just step to the door and wave at him. he’d wave back and let you know that everything is all right.” “Oh, all right,” said Doc. "Jack*# . a fine boy. Known him since he was four.” The pharmacist stepped to the door and waved a hand across to the red-headed boy, and through the window Cotters watched the boy wave back with a big sweep. Everything was all right. So Doc cashed the check and handed Cot ters five ten-dollar bills. "Thank you ever so much,” he said. On his way back to the car, he pulled out another check just like the one he had passed on the pharmacist. The attendant was smiling. "Sor ry to cause you so much trouble, sir, but now that I know every thing’s okay . . .” Cotters was careful to keep his back toward the drug store as he handed the boy the check. And a moment later the boy handed Mm $48.90. "Thanks a lot,” Cotters said. He climbed into the car and turned on the ignition. "What a sucker / trick that was!” he grinned. He pushed hard on the starter, and the engine spluttered. He pushed again. Then his feet fidgeted with both the starter and the accelerator. "You’D flood her that way, sir,” he said. "Maybe I’d better check the carburetor.” And' in a jiffy he had the hood up. "Should be okay now,” he said. But when Cotters tried again, the engine spluttered worse. "What’s the matter with the thing?” he stormed. Be more care ful” "I will be from now on.” an swered the boy as he looked up. to see the two poUcemen coming with Mr. Wright over to the car. "That’s the man.” said the pharmacist "Good thing Mrs. Leslie stopped in the store Just now. She works down at Carlsoh’s where this check was drawn, and she came by to pay her bilL When she pulled her pay envelop out ol her bag to give me cash. I got suspicious right then. She told me Carlson's never pays by checks. Sheet Metal Contractor—Heating—Air Conditioning CAROLINA METAL WORKS College Street Extension A. G. McCaughrin, Pres, ft Treas. Phono lift