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PAGE TWO THE NEWBERRY SUN THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1954 1218 Colkjre 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. Don’t Miss The Boat “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The Saddest are these: ‘It might have been/’’ This poignant quotation from Whittier’s poetry has a tragic application to the nationwide battle against can cer. In 1953, an estimated 73,000 American cancer victims were saved by modern treatment administered in the early stages of their illness. But the sad sequel is that another 73,000 died from cancer who might have been cured had they received prompt, effective treatment. The American Cancer Society, pioneers in the fight to conquer cancer, has geared its public educational campaign to the two-fold mission of telling Americans the most easily recognized cancer symptoms and of persuading every one to have a regular physical check-up. We believe that everyone should know r the seven common danger signals of cancer which the Society is stressing in its educational program. They are: 1. Any sore that does not heal. 2. A lump or thickening in the breast or elsewhere. 3. Unusual bleeding or discharge. 4. Any change in a wart or a mole. 5. Persistent indigestion or difficulty in swallowing. 6. Persistent hoarseness or cough. 7. Any change in normal bowel habits. Lest anyone feel that cancer is a remote threat to his or her life, let us remember that America’s number two killer will strike an estimated one in every five Americans at some time during their lives. Of every seven deaths last year, one was caused by cancer—the slayer that took a fatality toll in the United States in 1953 estimated at 227,000. This is the dark side of the picture. But remember that about half of those stricken by cancer could be saved through early diagnosis and effective treatment. Might have been cured is not much help to those who have lost a loved one. To strike out the might have been we must strike back at cancer and the best way to do it is to support the American Cancer Society. Its research pro grams—totaling more than $29,000,000 since 1946—already have meant much in years of life to many patients. And this brings us to the crux of this editorial message. The Society cannot carry on its three-fold program of public and professional education, service to patients and research without adequate funds. This month has been designated Cancer Control Month during which the Society conducts its annual fund-raising drive. When an ACS volunteer calls for your contribution to the cancer crusade, we hope that you will open your heart and your purse. And meanwhile, why not have that physical check-up you may have been postponing? COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINGS By SPECTATOR Did you know that Mr. B. M. Edwards, the eminent bank er, was once a railroad man? You may know, of course, that he is a director cf the Seaboard Air Line Rail Road, but we don’t usually think of directors as rail road men. Well, Mr. Edwards knows rail roads inside> and out because he started at the bottom and learned the hard way. Hear what Mr. Edwards told the Columbia Traffic Club: “Before I was 22 years old I was general manager of a short line railroad, 50 miles in length, performing all the duties with respect to the supervision and operation of that railroad, and I had the opportunity of seeing and, as a mat ter of fact, handling every kind of railroad business. I left the railroad service in 1918 and engaged in banking, which I have followed since.” I don’t know when and how Mr. Edwards acquired his mastery as a timber and land judge, but he can walk around a bit and estimate down to a penny, more or less, the value of timber on a thousand acre tract. I have enjoyed a close association with Mr. Edwards for some years and I have been greatly stimulated by that comradeship. I constantly marvel at his amazing fund of in formation and I appreciate him increasingly all the time. You will understand that I am standing aloof and apprais ing my very able friend in a dispassionate manner. That is why I do not say more. Now about that illuminating talk about railroads: “I hear quite frequently this, that and the other fellow say ‘why doesn’t the Railroad do thus and so?’ The answer is that in most instances there is nothing the Railroad can do. The short haul passenger business has gone from the Railroads, and it isn’t coming back. The Railroads cannot possibly compete with the individual mobile vehicle, or the bus which travels far and wide, rendering a service that cannot possibly be done by the Railroad. The air lines have taken over much of the long haul passenger business. When you take into consideration the element of saving of time, the Railroads cannot possibly combat the competition. The private automobile of course comes into the situation in a QUEEN FOR A DAY big way. So far as the truck lines are concerned, the rail roads do not have a chance in the world in competition with them regarding some of the services they are performing.’’ I’ve often wondered about those marvellous campaigns, in Virginia especially. Mr. Edwards sheds some light. Of course there is no disparagement of the fine generalship, nor of the soldierly qualities of our men. “Incidentally, I doubt if any of us Southerners have ever stopped to analyze the situation which existed in the War Between the States. The Confederate Army, which was greatly outnumbered by the Northern forces, and not fully equipped with the implements of war, successfully waged a bitter campaign of resistance to the overwhelming numbers of well equipped Northern troops. They were only able to do it because the South was so well provided with railroads at the time, which made it possible for quick movement of troops and war materials from one section to another to meet the invader from the North. Had it not been for our railroad facilities in the South, this War Between the States probably would have been brought to a conclusion in less than half the time it took for the Northern armies to over come the Confederacy.” Getting down to the railroads, let’s follow Mr. Edwards: “I would like to talk with you some about problems of the railroads, as I see them. First, railroads (and I mean the management of the railroads) have very little latitude or authority to operate their business. On a nationwide scope the are encircled b ythe Interstate Commerce Commission. I am not criticizing this Commission or any member there of, but Congress enacts laws which the Interstate Com merce Commission construes and puts into operation by regu lation, leaving very little opportunity and practically no dis cretion to the railroad management as to how they will op erate their business. They are not permitted to fix any rates or establish any charges without the approval of the Commission. They can do no financing by the sale of securit ies of any kind without permission. Then there are the State Railroad Commissions and/or Public Service Commissions which exercise authority and control over intrastate business. In fact, there is no business in America that is regulated and controlled as is the railroad. The federal government, as well as the state government, has exercised some jurisdiction and control over banking, but I am frank to tell you that if banking were tied down by laws, rules and regulations as are the railroads, I think we would have to go out of business.” Suppose a chain store or a factory had to get governmental authorization to close a plant that was irretrivably in the red. As you know, the railroads and the private power companies are so tied with official red tape (and taxes) that it surprises me that they can operate at all. Says Mr. Edwards: “I hold in my hand an advertisement from ‘Nation’s Business’ of April, 1954. It says ‘Suppose the Government forbade food chains to abandon unprofitable stores.’ You "yaks vPTHesmW iFHoPe-. Give!" know what would happen, if anything like that should take place. The price of your grocery bill would have to go up in order that the storekeeper could make enough money out of his other places of business to support the unprofitable operation; and you and I would have to pay the price. The storekeeper couldn’t afford to do it. He couldn’t take that loss; if he did, he would go broke and be out of business. Yet, they think the railroads can do it.” The real milk in the cocoanut is the cost of operating under present conditions. Let’s quote Mr. Edwards on that: “Another serious thing facing the railroads is the cost of doing business. That is why they have had to increase freight and passenger rates. The railroads not only have to stand the cost of increased wages to their employees, but when the steel worker gets a raise, or the coal miner gets a raise, or the people who are engaged in hundrds and hun- drds of other different kinds of business get increases, then the railroads have to pay a higher price for all the ma terials and supplies they purchase in connection with their operations. “Statistics tell us that on the average, passenger train engineers, who, in 1922 received annual compensation of $3,001, had been increased to $7,630 in 1952. Passenger firemen, who were receiving $2,216 in 1922, were increased to $6,728. Passenger train conductors, whose annual com pensation was $2,781, had increased to $6,744. Passenger train brakeman, who received $1,844, were raised to $5,- 592. Local freight brakemen and flagmen, who received $2,246, were increased to $6,118. Wages to roadway employees had increased at even a higher percentage. A roadway worker who received in 1922 a weekly compensation of $19.19, for slightly over an aver age of 48 hours per week, received in 1952, $63.70, working only 38.9 hours per week. My old group, the telegraphers, who in 1922 received $32.68 for an average of 53 hours per week, received in 1952, $82.77 for a work-week of 42.2 hours. “I don’t say that these wages are too high; I don’t say they are out of reason; but let me tell you something about all this stuff you hear about ‘feather-bedding.’ It seems to me that is where the real trouble exists. I am told that one rather large Railroad in the Southeast (it isn’t the Coast Line, the Seaboard or the Southern) during the month of February, 1954 employed ll4 passenger conductors. Dur ing the month they actually worked 15,994 hours on straight time. They received pay for 26,959 hours, being paid, in addition, overtime rates for 399 hours, also paid for con structive allowances, 740 hours; or a total of hours paid, 28,098, of which 399 hours were at time and half rates. They only worked a little over half that many hours, 15,994. “I understand this same condition exists in practically the entire transportation field, so far as engineers, fire men, flagmen and brakemen are concerned. You can there fore see that it isnt so much what it is costing the railroads, *. Holiday Notice! _ NEWBERRY 7 Federal Savings AND LOAN ASSOCIATION OP NEWBERRY will not be open for business % Monday, May 10 in observance of Southern Memorial Day JOHN F. CLARKSON President I / J. K. WILLINGHAM Sec.-Treas. for time actually worked; what Ls killing to the situation is that they are paying for so much time that no one works.” Friend, how long can a business thrive under such treat ment as that, now? “I understand there wa^s an incident on the Coast Line Railroad in this State. A roadway force working on a switch or something needed a small piece of casting or some ma- teriaL They called the storekeeper in Florence and told him to put it in a burlap bag, put it on the locomotive, and tell the fireman to throw it off to the work gang as the train passed by. He did it, and about a year later some Union official heard of the incident, filed a claim with the Railroad on be half of the fireman for an extra day’s pay for having per formed a service out of line with his regular duties. The engineer heard about it and also filed a claim. In the final analysis the Coast Line had to pay.” Mr. Edwards is not opposed to Labor; nor is he fighting Unions of Unionism; but he puts his finger on a tender spot: “I am not criticizing the Brotherhoods or the Railroad men, or the Railroad management; but I do want to tefl them that the public is paying for the service they get, as well as the service they are not getting; and in my opinion it behooves them to do something about it.” Well, now, after all, just consider this state of affairs: “Then the railroads have this terrible situation to face: Along comes the increase in price 6f all the materials and supplies they buy and consume, caused possibly by additional wage increases, or advances in other costs. And on top of that the Railroad employees come in and start negotiations, getting an increase in their wages—and in practically every instance retroactive for several months. All during that time the railroads are continuing to carry freight and pas sengers at the established rates. After these wage increases are put into effect there is a Lag of months and months that the railroads have to fight out with the Interstate Com merce Commission a plea for a rate increase to offset their additional cost and loss.” Are we treating the railroads as enemies? Rail Roads pay for their right-of-way; they pay taxes up and down. Do we want to enjoy lower rates, or more frequent service? How can we expect either? PHOTOSIIAPH tV RICHARD RCATTIf What we still don’t know about cancer —and one of the reasons why IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, OUF knowl edge of the nature of cancer, and how to treat it, has grown encour agingly. Ratients, who would have been considered hopeless cases even five years ago, today are being completely cured. And even those who apply for treatment too late can usually li#e longer— and less painfully—because of modern palliative treatment. All the same, there have been defeats as well as victories. We do not know—to take a single ex ample—why so many more men are now dying from cancer of the lung. In 1933—just twenty years ago—lung cancer killed 2,252 men; in 1953, some 18,500. That’s a great increase—which even our expanded population, and other, known factors, can’t possibly ac count for in full. Well, why haven’t we found more of the answers to cancer? Not only because cancer is an immensely complex problem: dif ficult to diagnose, and difficult to treat; challenging to the best re search minds. All that is true enough. But there is another reason: wt do not have enough money. Last year your gifts to the American Cancer Society were more generous than ever before. But they were not enough. You gave the Society almost twenty millions to fight a disease that—at present death rates— will kill twenty-three million liv ing Americans. Less than one dollar for each American destined to die from cancer. Much more is needed for research, for education, for serv ice to patients. Won’t you please do your part . . . now? Cancer Man’s crudest enemy Strike back— American Cancer Society gentlemen: I I Please send me free information on cancer. I I Enclosed is my contribution of $ to the cancer crusade. >•••••< City Stats Simply address the envelope: cancer c/o Postmaster, Name of Your Town OR OIVI TO YOUR UNIT OF THI AMIRICAN CANCER SOCIETY This Ad Sponsored by NEWBERRY CREAMERY Harrington St. Newberry