Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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v r > IX-' PAGE TWO •Utt 1218 College Street NEWBERRY. S. C. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY O. F. Armfield, Jr., Owner Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937 at the Postoffice at dewberry, 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 Is our citizenship too Expensive? Do we receive benefits that justify the taxes we pay? What do we pay? We must pay various indirect taxes to the Federal and State Governments; and we pay to the counties, school districts and to the towns. We pay a thousand and one taxes, as part of everything we buy, more or less. In the days of Governers Richard I Maning and Cole L. Blease we thought our taxes were high; and local taxes -pro perty taxes were so high the figures were confiscatory; we had levies of more than a hundred per cent -- County, State and Municipal. Fortunately that stupendous levy was assess ed against low valuations. Our corporations, however were somewhat victimized since their valuations were higher than ours. We have become accustomed to tax impositions of all kinds but who, in Governor John G. Richard’s time could imagine that South Carolina, poor little South Carolina, would pay in Federal taxes two hundred eighty three million four hundred and fifty five thousand dollars in one year’! Back in the days of Governor Blackwood, as I recall, the State Government cost less than twelve million dollars a year!! Because of that appalling cost The Farmers and Tax payers League came into being and upset the General Assembly. Twelve million!! The State now spends nearly a hundred and fifty million!! We receive something for the money, of course, such as excellent roads and imposing school buildings, but even that is much less than the $283,455,000 paid in Federal taxes!! As a matter of simple arithmetic, the citizens of South Carolina pay to the Federal Government considerably more than the cost of our State, County and Municipal govern ments combined. When we contemplate the spending by our National Gov ernment we pass beyond simple arithmetic and ride a spud- nik into astronomical mathematics, almost soaring into the calculations of the Atomic physicists. Of course we hold our hands out in supplication and re ceive from the Government $87,243,00’0. We pay $283,455,000 and receive $87,243,000. How’s that for a bar gain ? All our Scotch blood boils over. We are grievously over-taxed and our sources of wealth through investment are suffering, but we foolishly, child ishly, persist in the futility of throwing our billions away, naively fancying ourselves as making sure of our security!! We Americans are great people at home, but so inept in all our relations with foreigners. We are bumptious on the one hand and futile on the other. Even assuming that our leaders are honestly mistaken — and I do assume it — why are several hundred Congressmen so completely bamboozled?? “The nations of France and the United States have much in common. We have been allies in several wars since our founding. Freshmen helped us materially in our revolution A considerable part of our inspiration for liberty and a re publican government was received from French patriots. We are allies now. Since the end of the Second World War we have acknowledged the friendship and alliance of France in no small way by pouring some $1 billion into their eco nomy. And the billions of First World War! What has happened to France? Many expensive wars and loss of colonies, yes. But mainly this—for almost four de cades the French have quit looking to individual initiative and self-reliance and have been depending upon their gov ernment. More than that, they have not only been demand ing that their government furnish them more and more welfare state benefits, but they have refused to pay suffi cient taxes to pay for these benefits. As a result of this attitude, France has had a long record of continual budget deficits. Its debt has constantly grown. All this has resulted in such long and continued inflation as to almost destroy the value of their currency. The French franc which was worth 20c in our money in 1918 is worth one-quarter of one cent in 1958—and it is the same franc! In other words, a Frenchman who had the equivalent of a $5,000 savings account in the bank then, and left it there, would now have $52.50. One who bought an insurance policy then to provide his wife with $10,000 in the event of his death would now be providing her with $125.00. One who bought himself a pension policy then to give him a retire ment income now of $500.00 per month would instead get $6.25 per month. Small wonder that France is near bankruptcy. It would be a blow to us in many ways to see France fall, but what we are up against is the stark realization that should have oc curred to us long ago—and not only in connection with France—that we are wasting money trying to help those ^who will not help themselves. It might be pointed out, too, that it has not only been foolish to do this in the case of many so-called allies, but it THE NEWBERRY SUN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1968 "LOOK, FOLKS- '"©C* • has been othing less than criminal to do so in the case of avowed neutrals and enemies—especially when we borrow the money with which to do it. Right now the American taxpayers are being importuned by their leaders to borrow more money and increase their national debt to help the so cialist nation of Indian and the communist nations of Czech oslovakia and Poland. What a legacy to pass on to our child ren ! What is the solution for France? When the people in a free nation demand benefits from their government for which they are not willing to pay, when they will not take the necessary steps to discipline and govern themselves; then the only answer is a strong hand to make them do what they should do anyway. Nothing should be more distaste ful to a free people than dictatorship, and it is a dangerous risk to take, but under the circumstances, it is either take the risk or accept the totalitarianism of communism. It will be recognized that while the United States is not France by any means, yet in many ways we are following along the well-beaten path they have trod—in welfare state benefits, in continued deficits, in increasing debt and in inflation. It will take us longer, but the destination is the same—unless we change our direction. 99 The Fourth of July was a good occasion to think of those men who defied the powerful King of Great Britain. Poverty has its good side; the thirteen Colonies were poor and had very little to lose; those gallant men who adopted the D^*la- ration of Independence might have lost their heads, but today we have billions of dollars of wealth and we have the fears, the timidity and the paralysis that frequently come with riches. The spirit of 1776 is not here now, nor the resolution of 1812. Nor do we find the sacrificial pa triotism of 1860. We fear Russia and we placate all others; we scatter our money and our forces all over the earth presenting a vul nerable target for piece-meal devastation. One might quote the old poem: 111 fares the land, To hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates And men decay. That’s as I recall it. “Get that old tin-can off the road.” Did anyone ever say that to you ? Or did you say it about some rattle-trap wheez ing along the highway? i Well now, did vou know that new cars, shiny, sleek, fast- movers, have most of the wrecks? The esteemed Observer of Greenville, forthright and clear thinking weekly of my sturdy friend, D. W. Hiott, tells us —well, let’s quote the story: “In South Carolina last year traffic accidents took newer automobiles off the highways and into garages and junk yards at a faster rate than older cars, the State Highway De partment reveals. Contrary to popular belief that older vehicles cause more accidents, vehicle traffic accident figures for 1957, reveal that 9,802 vehicles one-year-old or less were wrecked, and 6,771 vehicles one-to-two-years-old were wrecked, the sec ond highest vehicle age group in number of accidents. Two hundred and fifty-one persons died in the crashes of these new and relatively new vehicles, the State Highway Department adds. Oddly enough, vehicles seven years old were involved in the third highest number of accidents, 5,949 during 1957. Four-year-old vehicles took fourth place, with 5,328 in volved in accidents, arid three-year-old vehicles took fifth place when 4,874 were involved in accidents. The survey notes that approximately 82 percent of all vehicles involved in 1957 traffic accidents in South Carolina were passenger cars. According to State Highway Department figures, 45,776 vehicles out of a total of 55,641 vehicles involved in acci dents were passenger cars. The biggest majority of all vehicles wrecked in South Carolina last year were registered in other states, 366 had no registration, and 111 were registered to government agencies.” I recall crossing the Savannah River in my new car, per haps with Buddy Lawson, looking for a couple of bananas- for dinner! Just behind me came a young buck with his girl. He shouted to me “Push that old junk out of my way.” As I saw the look of devotion on the girl’s face and the love- light in her eyes I said nothing, observing that she was thinking-“My hero!” Even so! /GOVERNMENT budget officials have their work cut out for them during the final four months of this year. September is the Budget Bureau’s deadline for sub mission of the individual agencies’ 1960 spending programs. The Bu reau will cull these figures until January, battling with the agen cies for economy, and then the pro posed new budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1960 will be submitted to the 86th Congress by the President. While all this is going on govern ment economists and Budget Bu reau officials will be keeping a weather eye on fiscal 1959 spend ing. Looking square into the pros pect of an estimated budget deficit of at least $12 billion for fiscal 1959, and the possibility of a widening gap between future federal income and outgo, some observers hint at inflation, higher wages and prices, and perhaps an increase in taxes. Others are sug gesting that perhaps fiscal 1959 will not reach authorized levels; if they are right, and business improvement boosts tax revenue in coming months, the deficit this fiscal year could be trimmed to $3 billion or $4 billion. Should this happen, it could set the pattern for continued economy, some ex perts point out. A deficit of less than $4 billion would be considered a victory for the budget officials. * * * When Congress adjourned last month, some important items were left in the “unfinished business” category. Outstanding, of course, is the issue of Hawaiian state hood. Congress next January will find this matter high on its list of things to do. Hawaiian statehood forces in the period between now and then will set the stage for what should be a successful effort to exploit the success achieved this year by Alaska. Labor reform, federal aid for schools, minerals subsidies, new housing, a banking code, limita tions on the courts, “fair trade,” prior notification of mergers, and . science scholarships will also pro vide Congress with material for debate and action. * * • Labor forces, smarting from bad publicity, will strongly seek passage of moderate legislation to fend off more serious attacks, while industry forces are certain to demand real reforms. Western states will want payment, in the form of minerals subsidies, for permitting the President’s liberal trade program to go through this year. The last session marked the first time in 10 years that Congress failed to enact new housing legis lation. But officials say the Hous ing & Finance Agency has more than enough money to complete its programs, and will have new requests to submit to Congress come January. DATE BAIT RECORD By Edward Earl Lee Cj ELDOM In her twenty-two years ^ had Helene Curtis wished to dispense with propriety. And now, awaiting her turn at the music counter, was another of those times. For she wondered why, if it were proper for a fellow to try and date a girl he liked, it. was considered improper to try and date a boy she felt sure was Mr. Eight But Helene always wound up conform ing to convention. Which was why, every payday for the past two months, she bought a record—one she neither cared for, nor needed. Because since Helene could not tell this handsome young clerk of her. adoration, she chose popu lar recording titles, hoping they would give him a hint Such as: YOU’RE MY IDEAL; I COULD GO FOR YOU; JUST YOU, JUST ME; etc. But thus far, her strate gy had failed. And now, once again he asked; ••May I help you?” Helene thought; “More than you ever dreamed.” However, she re plied; *Td like this record.” She started to pick up her rec ord, then stared—puzzled. “Is there something wrong?” he asked. “I ... I had selected a record. While getting out the money to pay for it I laid that record on top of these other recordings. Now, it’s gone!” He smiled. ’"That happens quite often. Customers rarely replace records in the same display racks after looking at them. Then some one comes along and picks up what someone else has discarded. “Oh, I see,” said Helene a trifle crest-fallen. “However, I can get you a simi lar record. What was the title?” Helene hesitated. She had se lected, I’M JUST CRAZY ABOUT YOU. It was one thing to hand him that title. It was something else, to say it So, she replied; “Chopin’s Waltz in C# Minor, Rachmaninoff at the piano.** She noticed a surprised expres sion flit across his face. Then he walked the length of the counter to get her selection. The clerk’s return interrupted her musings. “Do you wish to hear it?” “No, thanks. It’s only a replace ment. Fve just about worn the old one out. It’s one of my favorites.” His face expressed pleasure. *Tt’s one of my favorites, too.” He nodded, easing the record into a bag and handing it to her. ”1 like ’pops’ 'uly as a sort of musical dessert, For substantial fare, I prefer classical.** “That’s the second thing we have In common.” Taking her cur rency, he made change, saying: “Do you play any instrument?” “The piano.” “Three things In common are more than ^coincidental. It’s prac tically an acquaintanceship.” “Then . . . you’re a pianist . . . too?” “A student of that instrument would better describe me at present.” “That’s wonderful! When you become a celebrity, I shall attend your concerts. He laughed, returning her change. “Meanwhile, if you would care to hear me perform I have a guest ticket you can use for our school’s annual recital tomorrow evening.” “Oh, I’d love to be there!” He extracted a ticket from his wallet and handed it to her. ‘Tm sure you would. Miss . . .” “Curtis. Helene Curtis.” “I’m Francis Sheldon. And, if I want to keep this job I’d better get back to worlc” “Then, until tomorrow evening?” She nodded, glanced at the card, then added: “At eighty-thirty.” And as Helen left, what caused that warm, toasty feeling inside her was his parting words: “It’s a date.” -."A '« REV. ROBERT H. HARPER BATTLES ON THE GRIDIRON While we think of the wars that may ravage the world anew, bat tles on the gridiron have already begun. There will be claims by big teams, if they suffer defeat by smaller teams, that it is early in the season; there will be upsets of big teams because some small- teams have “pointed” for certain games, and there will be records broken. But soon after January the First, when all the bowl games have been decided, the colleges and universities will be down to their regular work. Let us hope that the lines in the paraphrase written by some col lege boy years ago: Lives of football men remind us That they write their names in blood. And, departing leave, behind them Half their faces in the mud,** may not be true of present war riors of the gridiron, thanks to better training and conditioning, more open play, and many safe guards. And we hope the brightest memory of this or that star may be the fair way In which ha played the came. The Roman amphitheater at Arles in southern France is still used for spectacles, with buB- fights a favorite attraction. SOLID SMILE . . . Yankee’s pitcher Bob Turley flashes a mmii* following his Stth mound victory of the season In a T-fl win over the Washington Sen ators. Here N’ There The trouble between and Iceland over fishing rights ap parently extended into the sports world. Iceland canceled an ama teur soccer match scheduled to be. played against an English team at Southend, near London . . . Soccer also made news In Mos cow, where Soviet * oooer Valentin Ivakin went cm a drink ing spree, fought with pottos, then claimed Immunity from ar rest, according to the ^ospapwr “Soviet Sport** . . . W. A. “Rock- Norman, a veteran athletic flginm who baa coached at all four Soots Carolina “Big Four** schools, has been named athletic director a$ Carlisle Military Academy, Bam berg, 8. C. Norman baa coached at Clemson, South Carolina, IJto* a^an and the Citadel . * • •Iho Minneapolis City Council approved I a ntne-milllon-doBar bond issue to enlarge Metropolitan Btadium l| order te attract the Washing ten Jens tore er another major leagnu baseball club ... For toe toto# time in bis career. New Ye«* Yankee Mickey Mantle has struck out 100 or more times. • SS/4/ ideas from other editors From The Independent, Fuqnsy Springs, N. C.: Victor Riesel, whose anti-rackets columns sub jected him to a blinding acid tit- tack a couple of years ago, has raised a disturbing question about the extent of the rackets system which allegedly controls organized crime in the United States. He re ports from Paris that the Mafia, the notorious “Blade Hand,” now is a U. S.-centered group which guides organized crime all over the world. ‘The United States,” Riesel has written from Paris, “is the world's greatest supplier of master crimi nals in multi-billion-dollar crime.” If the Mafia, or the syndicate, or whatever else one calls the the group of mob chieftains, does run organized crime in the United States, that is bad enough. If its bloody hands also are directed elsewhere in the world by those same mobsters, that is worse. If this is true, it gives a new dimen sion to the problem of dealing with organized crime. The question of its truth demands intensive inves tigation. Most criminal experts in the United States seem agreed that much of this nation’s crime is di rected by a few master criminals. The organization of this group re mains shadowy. Law enforcement officials in various parts of the country suffer toe handicap of having exact data on the abouts and activities of those who ' direct the syndicate,,and of xnanjrjv of their henchmen. This is not an insurmountable difficulty. There could be a n%*, tional crime information clearing! house which would. keep tabs obm known criminals and hamper thexai with constant surveillance. The need for such an information ceor ter is underscored by what Riesel has written about the international reach of U. S. crime lords. • • • From The CahddD Mountol* Star, Sangertiee, N. Y.: In year* past there has been a conviction, among many young people that “the bigger the city, the greatur, the opportunity.” Many young peo ple have in years past left and headed to “the city” because tit the feeling that there were greet er opporttmities for them if theV left the home down. While most people are interested in making money, end gaining prestige, and perhaps even e lib- tie famo, the most lasting things in life, toe things that mafte peo ple the happiest, usually comejn, the form of contributions to tttot A person can usually accompOalt more in his contribution to society by living in his home town than, by moving to some far off place. LIGHT IN THE SKY . . . Fireworks sparkle over Rome and a crowd watches. The display climaxed a festival in toe old “Traa- tevere” section of toe Italian capital. Up A ■ •->. V\tt FOR AND ABOUT TEENAGERS Do Teenagers 'Murder' The Language? By C. D. SmMi L istening to the words that 'some TV writers like to put into the lines of teenagers appear ing in their dramas and comedies, one might think that a new lan guage has been introduced with out the older generation knowing anything about it. One is also in clined to wonder what happened to some of the simple phrases like “thank you,” “please,” and “How do you do?” T*«nager» have a language of their own, it’s true. But iris not a complete language at it is oft pictured in books and on TV screens. They may use this language extensively within their own jiroup, but otherwise, they know how to use the English language and they use it when the occasion calls for it. There are exceptions, of course, but the average teenager known how to be courteous and mannerly and how to obeerve the rules of good behavior. Actually, if there were some way to make an effective count. the author believes a survey would disclose that a definite minority of the teenagers in thi* country seldom use words like “crazy, man,” “real cool” and ■ such. We must be realistic about it and say there is probably one : or more teenager in every town who talks this way, and, perhaps, talks this way all the time, but you’ll never find them by tote dozen in the average town. The sad part of it all is that many grownups who have no chil dren of their own, or who have no contact with teenagers in any way, accept the characterizations they read and see as typical of the teenage group as a whole. Teen agers are like adults in the re spect that some are good; some are bad; some are courteous, others are not. But just as in the adult world, it is impossible to select a particular teenager’s man ner of speech or deportment and say that it is “typical” It can bu said, but it will never be so . . . ahd anyone who has much to do with teenagers knows it well. If jr#« k»T« » (••maf* praMaai f* waat is Alscua, t aa •fcMrrattaa te make, a«4ren year letter te FC ABOUT TKENAOKBS, MAI WKBKLT MEWS! FRANKFORT, XT. ■ 5