The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, June 01, 1967, Image 7
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The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, June 1, 1967—PAGE 7
ARMAGEDDON FOR EDUCATION
One of the scenes of “Preview of America”, a chapel program presented by the
8th grade classes at Junior High last Wednesday, was signing of the Declaration of
Independence. From left are Russell Garner, representing Thomas Jefferson; Ralph
Bryan, Benjamin Franklin; Joe Reames, Paul Revere; Skipper Mathis, Uncle Sam;
Frances Williamson, Miss America; Carolyn Chapman, Betsy Ross; and Kitty Crump
ton, assisting Betsy in making the Flag. (Sunphoto).
The war is now being waged
over control of public education
in the United States. The future
of public, grade school educa
tion hangs in the balance. This
is a war which cannot be either
won or lost in one battle, but
each and every skirmish has
the most serious implications on
the future course of events.
Historically, and constitution
ally, the complete control over
the educational processes of the
country resides in the hands of
the people of the states and
local communities. This tradi
tion has served our country
well.
INITIAL ASSAULT
The first assault upon the
tradition of local control of the
school systems occurred only
thirteen years ago with the Su
preme Court’s decision in
Brown v. Board of Education,
where sociological factors were
given precedence over legal
factors. In the short span of
intervening time, the inroads
upon the principle of local con
trol have accelerated rapidly.
CHIEF REASON
The chief reason for the rapid
erosion of local control was the
decision by the Executive and
the Congress to contribute fi
nancially to the operation of
the local school systems. The
controversy over general fed
eral aid to education raged over
a number of years and, aside
from the obvious constitutional
issue involved, the primary con
cern expressed was that the
federal government would at
tempt to exert control over the
local schools. These protests
were met with pious claims to
the contrary, and the bill was
even amended, supposedly to
prevent federal control. The
history of federal aid shows
that federal control follows the
federal dollar, however, and aid
to education has proved to be
no exception to the general
role. The genuinely held fears
of those who were concerned
about the integrity of the local
schools were simply over
whelmed and the popularly held
notion that the time had come
to “do something for educa
tion.”
It is becoming increasingly
apparent that the “something’
that was done for education was
to turn it over to the social
reformers and starry-eyed lib
erals who work their will from
Washington.
HOPE FOR FUTURE
A ray of hope flickered on
the scene this year when the
general aid to education bill
was up for renewal. Republi
cans in the House of Represen
tatives, bolstered by gains in
the last election, came forth
with a substitute proposal
which would continue the finan
cial assistance but eliminate
much of the control exerted
over local school districts by
the Office of Education. Their
proposal would have authorised
block grants to the state agen
cies for use as they saw fit.
In addition to effectively cur
tailing the powers of the Office
of Education, this plan would
have been much more fair to
the states in the distribution
formula. Under the Adminis
tration’s bill, which is supposed
ly geared to the number of
needy children in the district,
the wealthier states receive a
windfall because of their gen
erous to the point of extrava
gant welfare programs. For in
stance, few of the poorer states
can afford the expensive Aid-to-
Dependent-Children program,
and yet the number of children
receiving such aid in the school
district is one of the criteria
in the formula for distributing
federal funds. This works to the
advantage of the larger wealth
ier states and penalizes the
smaller, less affluent states. It
is a poor indicia of need.
Concessions were made by
the administration in order to
win support for their version of
the bill. They were largely
meaningless, however, including
sacrificing the chief enforcer of
the guidelines. It is the policy
which must be changed, and
not the men enforcing the pol
icy.
The war for control of the
local schools will continue and
will in all probability escalate.
Many pitched battles loom
ahead, and all the big guns on
both sides will be used.
Tarrer dies
in Florida
W. T. Tarrer, 72, formerly of
Columbia, died Tuesday at the
home of his sister, Mrs. Alma
T. Joy of Miami, Florida.
He was the son of the late
Keith and Emily Dean Tarrer
of Columbia.
Surviving are a sister; a half
sister, Mrs. F. N. Nesbitt Sr.,
of Columbia, and a half-broth
er, Walter C. Tarrer of New
berry.
Funeral services were held
Thursday in Miami with inter
ment there.
Ezbon Wicker
service held
Ezbon Livingston Wicker, 53,
died Wednesday morning at the
Mills Clinic in Prosperity. He
had been in declining health for
nine years.
He was born and reared ’’n
Newberry county, a son of the
late Henry Pierce and Audrey
Livingston Wicker. He was a
member of St. Phillips Luther
an church: a veteran of WW2;
and a former employee of
Whitten Village.
Mr. Wicker is survived by
his wife, Mrs. Eola Felker
Wicker, Newberry; three sis
ters, Mrs. Nelson King, Clin
ton; Mrs. H. C. Martin, Pros
perity; Mrs. H. C. Lindler, Cha
pin; one brother, Harold H.
Wicker, Newberry.
Funeral services were held
Thursday from his church with
Rev. C. L. Robinson conducting.
Interment was in the church
cemetery.
Active pallbearers were
Kenny Wicker, Henry Mantis,
Robert Wicker, George Sligh,
Henry Wicker and Steve Lind
ler. Honorary pallbearers were
members of the Church Council.
rites Sunday
Mrs. Sara Butler Norris, 85,
of Silverstreet, died Saturday
at the Newberry county Mem
orial hospital after a lingering
illness.
Mrs. Norris was born in this
county, the daughter of the late
John and Lucretia Longshore
Butler. Her husband was the
late W. A. Norris, She was a
member of West End Baptist
church.
She is survived by one
daughter, Mrs. Zula Brewing-
ton of Laurens; one step-dau
ghter, Mrs. Nell Mills of Clin
ton; two brothers, John Butler
of Silverstreet and James C.
Butler of Newberry.
Funeral services were held
Sunday at Whitaker Funeral
Home by Rev. Ralph E. Rhyne.
Burial was in Rosemont cem
etery.
Mrs. Cora Pitts
Mrs. Cora Grizzard Pitts, 82,
wife of the late J. W. Pitts,
died Sunday morning at the
Columbia hospital. She had
been ill for several months.
Mrs. Pitts was born in Geor
gia and was the daughter of
the late T. J. and Martha John
son Grizzard. She spent most
of her life in the Trinity sec
tion of the county, was a mem
ber of Trinity Methodist church
and the WSCS.
Mrs. Pitts is survived by one
son, James J. Pitts, Florence;
four daughters, Mrs. G. A.
Lindler, West Columbia; Miss
Vera Pitts, Newberry and
Easley, Mrs. M. B. Welch, N.
Charleston, and Miss Clara
Pitts, Newberry; one sister
Mrs. Ora L. Davenport, New
berry.
PROPERTY
TRANSFERS
Newberry No. 1
George H. Attaway to Geo.
T. Oxner and Jewel F. Oxner,
one lot and one building, on
Hillcrest Road $5.
W. Frank Smith and Thomas
D. Johnson to Eleanor D. John
son, one lot and one building
on Boundary street $5.
Mutual Builders, Inc. to
Winston C. Jones and Joyce A.
Jones, one lot and one building,
Harrington Heights $14,750.
Pauline W. Wooten, com
mittee for Annie Mae Pappas,
to Joseph H. Bishop, one lot
and one building on College St.
$6,250.
Andrena Rutherford to Mary
Alice Baker, one lot and one
building, 823 Taylor St. $5.
Newberry No. 1 Outside
E. E. Hite to M. R. Hite,
one lot, $5 love and affection.
M. W. Vaughn to E. E.
Hite, one lot $5.
Bush River No. 3
S. Downs Wright and Mamie
Newton Wright to Henry L.
Parr, 7.76 and 129 acres,
$402.50.
Little Mountain No. 6
H. M. Hentz to Leroy Hous-
eal and Daisy Houseal, .69
acre, $69.00.
Lloyd C. Allen and Nora G.
Allen to James W. Smith and
Dottie June Smith, two lots
and one building, $19,900.
Florence K. Wilson to Viv
ian W. Birts and Z. W. Birts,
three acres and three buildings
$5 love and affection and as
sumption of a mortgage.
Melvin H. Richardson to
Clifford A. Turner, one lot $10.
Local man's
sister dies
Mrs. Pearl Vaughn Sr., of
Simpsonville, wife of Lawrence
James Vaughn Sr., died in a
Greenville hospital Saturday
from injuries received in an
auto accident.
Survivors include a brother,
Edgar S. Sutherland of New
berry.
COUNTY BUILDING
PERMITS
George H. Attaway, Route 3,
five room brick-veneer dwell
ing, $13,750.
•V-.
Pictured above is one of the ballet classes of the Tommy Lybrand School of Dance
that will be performing Friady, June 2, 8 p.m. at the Newberry High School Audi
torium. The students are Lila Fischer, Deborah Graddick, Ann Hentz, Pat Shealy,
(student instructor), Sandra Wicker, and Cile Purcell. This group will be dancing the
ballet “Vivaldi”, choreography and instruction by Tommy Lybrand. No admission.
4.50 %
CURRENT DIVIDEND
Insurance of building and loan sav
ings accounts ceiling increased to
$15,000
We pay you to save at State Building and Loan . . . and
the pay is getting better all the time.
Th#
STATE
Building &
Loan Association
1117 Boyce Street
Newberry, S. C.
Dial 276-5660
Ralph B. Baker Pinckney N. Abrams
Louis C. Floyd Thomas H. Pope
R. Aubrey Harley
Mrs. Norris, 85,