Monday, August 3, 1959

Monday, August 3, 1969

One American Were Ashamed Of

Is This Another Friendship Cycle?

Is progress being made toward better understanding between the USSR and the United States by the increasing exchange of official and unofficial visitors between the two nations?

Most observers seem to be in agieement that the exchange of visitors which has taken'a sharp upswing in the past year, is reducing tension between the governments of the two nations. Perhaps of more importance is the fact that the exchange lends to give ordinary citizens of the two nations a new reference background for considering their attitude toward the other.

The exchange itself is hetpful, there can be no doubt, but we cannot escape the fact that official government attitudes here and in the Kremlin will have as much to do with the feeling of Soviet citizens toward Americans, and vice versa, as anything else. The official position of each of the governments in a large measure will determine rhe feeling of the individual citizen toward his counterpart in the other country.

Remember during the days of World War II when the typical American viewed the typical Russian as a close friend, a hard-working, freedom loving individual worthy of respect and friendship? American newspapers, magazines were full of official statements praising the Russian people; reports on conditions in Russia, what the Russian people were thinking and how much the Russians and the Americans had in

No. 1 Chauffeur Gives Up Pos

common.

Under the fire of a common enemy, there developed in the United States a close feeling for the man in the street in Russia. This conflict between communism and democracy, while not forgotten completely, was almost eclipsed by the official propaganda here and abroad that sought to bring the Russians and the Americans close together.

Following the war, the situation changed quickly and drastically. Suddenly Russians became not Russians, but Communists determined to impose their philosophy and tyrrany upon the whole world v v not only upon our friends abroad but upon us as well. The attitude of the American people toward Russia and its people changed. We assume in the Soviet Union the attitude toward Americans also changed just as quickly.

In the intervening years each has come to view the other as his greatest enemy, ready to pounce without provocation and without warning.

Now, at the behest of official actions in Washington and Moscow, the pendulum appears to be swinging the other way again. We are hearing how the Russian citizens appears friendly toward the American citizen. We are being told they are people confronted with many problems similar to those we face . . . and other problems as well. We are being told they are hard-.working, peace loving people just as we are.

The common interests of the people of the United States and the people of the Soviet Union are being played up, and the conflict between the opposing ideologies by which the two nations live again are being sidetracked?

Is genuine progress toward better understanding being made, or is this just another cycle that will reach the other extreme again in a relatively short time?

By LYNN NISBET

MANUAL The North Carolina Manual fwr 1959 contains the usual listing of State and local officials, biographic sketches of legislators and other VIP, and a mass of data on boards, commission, election returns, population. and other material. It is a veritable gold mine of factual information about the State. There is one omission, to which this column has called attention before. In the listing of county officers there is no mention of school administrative unit superintendts except for the county. There are 74 local units, independent of the county systems, several of which have more pupils and larger budgets than the counties In which they are located.

That omission does not seriously detract from the total value of the book, which is one of the -most popular official publications of the State. It is produced every two years by the office of the Secretary of State, each edition being independent of its predecessors.

Which brings to mind the need for a comi^ite summary of basic data in one volume. The Legislature of 1913 authorized such a compilation, and the 1913 Manual is a choice piece in public librariesand such private libraries as are fortunate enough to obtain it. It lists, members of the General Assembly and of the Congress, as well as other State officials, from beginning of State government in colonial days through the 1913 session.

Secretary of State Thad Eure has pointed out Uie need for another composite bringing the record up to date, for several years. He thought he had commitment for funds to do the job in 1957, but when the appro-priafions will was reported it did not contain money for this project.

THE GENERAL - Sgt. Harold Minges is leaving the wheel of the No. 1 State automobile for a desk job with the highway patrol. The transfer means a promotion in rank and a small increase in salary, but these factors did not influence the change. It was made necessary by continuing and recurring physical ailments, not regarded as really serious but bothersome in connection with duties incident to driving the Governors car.

There may be people who have driven more miles in the past 15 years than has Sgt, Minges. There is real doubt that any person has driven more different mes, since the late Governor Gregg Cherry hired the young man from Belmont to drive his private car during the primary and election campaigns in 1944. One of the earliest official acts of Governor Cherry was to name Minges as driver of the No. 1 car and put him in highway patrol uniform. Shortly thereafter the Governor

conferred on Minges the brevet title of "The General, a designation which he has retained ever since.

Through the campaigns of 1944 and the administrations of Governors Cherry, Scott, Umstead and Hodges, "The Generad has probably attended more school breakings, ground breakings, church picnics, political rallies, big and little celebrations of all kinds, than any other person in North Carolina. He has functioned as chauffeur, valet, messenger boy, confidential secretary and personal friend to each of his successive bosses. He probably has heard more, and talked less, about Inside operations of State government and politics than anybody else. He was bound to hear a lot, because passengers in the car he was driving have ranged all the way from a President of the Uaited States to inmates of State prison convicted of petty misdemeanors as weU as more serious crimes.

GOLD MINE Because of wartime gasoline rationing requirements during the first part of the Cherry administration, the General had to keep a log of all trips, where and why. The habit continued after such records were no longer required by law. He can tell you now everywhere No, 1 went'slnce January of 1945, and the reason for the trip. He also compiled scrap books, official and personal, of newspaper stories about activities of the Governors. The official books are in the archives. The personal scrap books and memoranda are carefully guarded at his home.

These personal notes constitute a vexitoble gold mine of unpublished history. There is also suspicion they may contain political dynamite. That is why they are so carefully guarded, because one of the characteristics of dynamite is that even experts find difficulty determining In advance which direction the explosive force might take.

The borderline between what Is public and what Is private with respect to this type of material is hard to distinguish. Big folks cabinet officers, admirals and generalshave gotten rich selling their memoris based on information obtained by reason of their public official positions, but which was not embodied in official reports.

"General Minges never sat in on high level policy conferences. But he was in position to hear a lot of off-record conversations. He was not deaf, and in the sense of capacity to understand what he heard he was not "dumbalthough he has been very dumb when It comes to repeating what he Iieard. He is being pressured now to talk and tell some of the things he knows-Presidently he is disposed to keep quiet. But ifor whenhe decides to talk he can tell a highly Interesting story.

Hawaiis Voters Show An Exemplary Turnout

By HAL BOYLE

Voters of the nations newest state, Hawaii, gave their fellow citizens of the older states something to think about when they went to the ,polls this week. And we dont mean the fact that they elected both Republican and Democrats to high offices.

The voters of Hawaii turned out in huge numbers . . . almost 90 per cent of the eligible voters going to the polls to cast their ballots in electing their first state officialSi Such a turnout of voters is far above that in most of the other 49 states and well above the national average for general elections.

To some degree we may attribute the enthusiasm for voting among Hawaiians to the fact that this was their first opportunity to exercise their voting privileges as residents of a state. Interest in electing the first state officials was naturally higher than it may be in later years. Nevertheless, the fact that only about 10 per cent of the eligible voters stayed away from the polls on election day should give other American citizens something to think about.

If the citizens of the newest state can turn out in such large numbers fr an election, why cant the older states, long accustomed to voting, make a better showing on election days? Is it that citizens of the older states just take for granted their right to cast a ballot without considering their obligation to go to the polls on election day?

Certainly the officials who will be responsible for handling the affairs-,of the State of Hawaii and the men who will represent that new state in Congress should not be more important to the Hawaiians than the officials of other states are to the voters in those various states. Perhaps the turnout of voters in Hawaii this week is just an indication of how clean a new broom can sweep sometimes. Perhaps the interest of Hawaiian citizens in voting will sag in the years ahead.

It is to be hoped, however, that the percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots in the Hawaiian election will stimulate other states to make a better showing when the general elections roll around in November 1960.

One thing for sure. In terms of the number of eligible voters who cast their ballots in the first state elections, Hawaiians have set a good example to be followed by citizens of other states as well as themselves.

Mail Full Of Ideas

NEW YORK {AP)-Things a columnist might never know if he didnt open his mail:

Some men thliik theyd enjoy polygamy, but polygamy has its price, as every male ostrich knows. The daddy ostrich has several wives, but they all lay their eggs in a single nest. Then stroll away, leaving papa the job of sitting on the eggs all alone until they hatch.

Do you ever feel like your mind is a prison? Small wonder. Your

brain has about 12 billion cells.

If you wife gets an invitation to be presented to the British Queen, be sure to tell her not to show up in a black dress. Black IS worn only as court mourning.

Women may not be able to hold their liquor as well as men, but they know how to handle it better. Only about one out of every 20 persons arrested for drunken driving wears a skirt.

Whales spend their lives in

Other Editors Saying... Exposing Waste

(Wilson Times)

Business

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Continues

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The Dsdly Reflector

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By RALPH ROBEY

The upward trend of busines.s is continuing on a broad front.

Gross national product, the monetary value of all goods and services produced, has been revised upward for the first quarter to $470 billion. The second quarter figure will be above $483.5 billion, which means It may pass $500 billion by the end of the* year, substantially more rapid improvement than had been anticipated.

Equally important, over-ail prices have been relatively stable. which means the rise tii gross national product is real oud not the result of price increases.

Record Production in June

The Federal Reserve Boaid Index of Production reached another all time high in June. The figure, 1955, means producUon was 55 per cent above the average of 1947-49. The recession low, April 1958, was 126. Every month since then has shown an increase, and while there are some spots and some industries which have not recovered, it is true that both durable and nondurable manufacturing are now at reqord high. Mineral production is a Uttle below its 1956-57 average.

Aggregate construction in June and lor the first six months of this year were boi up 15 percent from tbe same 1958 periods. It Is now at an annual rate of $35 billion compared with $49 billion last year. Private housing starts were slightly less than the seasonal normal between May and June, but nonresidential, including Industrial, rose more than normal,

Retail trade remains strong. In June it was 10 per cent abov a year earlier. New automobile sales increa.*:pd more than

usual In June, and there is reason to believe the early esti-might sell 5.5 iplikrtraomestically produced cars in 1959 is likely to be low.

Employment in June also established a new all time high 67,300,000. In manufacturing, the number of job holders rose 200,-000 to about 1614 million. Unemployment increased in June, as always, because students are unable to immediately find work. The percentage of the unemployed civilian labor force, however, remained unchanged from May4.9. In other words, the inprcase of unemployment was merely seasonal.

Inventories continue to rise. Recently the increase on an annual basis has been about $9 billion, the same dollar amount as the maximum rate of decrease last year

Investment in plant and equipment is on an upswing, and promises to remain so for many months.

Corporate profits still are increasing and, before taxes, probably will be at least $50 billion this year.

These are some of the broad indications of the recoverys continuation. There are some unfavorable developments.

The Consumer Price Index in June advanced to a new all timei high124.5 with 1947-49 as equal! to 11)0. The increase was largely caused by a hike in food prices. This is significant because, for a year, this index has been steady and the stability was the result of declining food prices off-setting rise, in other parts ot the tabulation. The immediate question, of course, is whether latest move Ls the start of ai inflationary development. -Ewan (Continued on Peg* 5)

L. H. Fountain, our second Congressional representative and chairman of the Government Operations committee makes some pertinent observations in a speech before the House committee on Agriculture.

After a comparison of the clumsy operations of CCC and ICA he deplores the "failure of responsible officials of the Department of Agriculture to appreciate t^e vah'9 of a and to take ordinary commoft sense piecaunuiis - .o

the taxpayers money.

How true, Mr. Fountain, this department and in every other department of the government. It is too bad that there just is not enfugh time for you to exnose the terrific waste that the Uxpayers have to shoulder.

Mr . Fountain gives many specific points to bear out his contention that there is little if any centralized control over the price review procedures. And he is talking about a department that deals in billions.

Our representative heartily endorses the principal of the law that provides needed food and fiber to friendly nations and at the same time helps to dispose of surplus agricultural products, that glut and depress the market.

But when the committee finds the Commodity Credit Corporation selling rice for S38 a ton and the ICA buying the same rice for $58 a ton to ship over seas, it is time to do something. And when the head of the CCC is asked whether there is any coordination between the two departments of government with respect to prices and he replies I dont know why there should be, that as lo)ig as an exporter buys the

commodity purchased from the CCC out of the country that is all we are Interested in.

All taxpayers will agree with Mr. Fountain when he says that he would like to see commercial exports expended and the role of government reduced. All business will agree with Mr. Fountain here.

He emphasizes that exports through the government that encourage trade with nations are to be fostered for that is the purpose of public law 480 that Mr. Fountain is advocating.

But he adds this important observation, that we should distinguish between exports that are essentially government-aided commercial shipments and exports which are essentially gifts to foreign countries. "

For it is easy to see the benefit to the economy from government assistance in developing commercial markets. And of course gifts to less fortunate nations are desirable. But he says That it would be difficult to justify unnecessary dollar expenditures to channel what are essentially gifts through private firms.

Keep up the good work Mr. Fountain. It is past time for a real look-see into government waste And the larger and more cumbersome the department, the greater the opportunity for waste. And the Department of Agriculture is one of the biggest spenders in government.

The fact is that there are so many departments in the department that it is impossible to keep up with each other. The present policy is to hire and spend. Spending with judgement is all right. But you are pointing out where spending is going on with little thoiight... as to costs or value received.

water but never drink the stuff. Naturalists say they get all the water they need "from their diet.

New York is still unchallenged as "the Skyscraper City. Of the 20 tallest buildings in America 41 or more stories high 17 are here.

Statistics show you are far more likely to get murdered than you u*e to live to be a centenarian. The U.S. Census of 1950 showed only 4,474 persons over 100 years old in a population of 150,697,361. But the FBI reported 7,210 murder cases in 1952.

Aint it the truth? "Everything in the modern home, says Grace Downs, "is controlled by switches todayexcept the children.

Speaking of switches, more American homes now have television sets than telephones or bathtubs. Some 42,400,000 U.S. families own one or more sets.

Some folks are sl fearful about taking airplane trips in bad weather. But studies how that most air collisions and near misses occur in clear weather when visibility is good.

In some religious sects in India the ears of children of both sexes are pierced as soon after birth as possible. It is a great disgrace if the child dies before this is done, and the infant is buried as an outcast.

Our quotable notables: "We rise to our greatest heights in someone elses crisis. playwright Moss Hart.

It is all right to be in favor of togetherness, but it can be carried too far. Consider the sardine.

Identical twins are always of the same sex. But twins who are not identical may be of different sexes. Theoretically they could even have separate fathers.

If youre tired of the city, you can still take to the woods and make a living. Crowded America still has 200,000 trappers.

Mountain climbing, like social climbing, is getting more expensive. The government of Nepal now charges $630 to anyone who wants to climb any mountain there over 26,000 feet tall.

Its safer to drive your car on week days. In 1958 more than 49 per cent of traffic injuries resulted from week-end accidents.

How far does the average person walk in his lifetime? About 65,000 miles, or 24 times the distance around the earth.

It was Francis Bacon who observed: "It is not what men eat, but what they digest, that Con inued On Page 5

Jroily

Of Crop SuDport

By ROGER BABSON

BABSON PARK, Mass., I am not surprised that my first survey of 1959 crop prospects indi-cates a total outturn second only to the huge 1958 record. This spotlights once again the folly of crop supports. These figures do 'mean thai farmers sloolt diversify more and not gamble on only one crop.

Barring serious damage to the spring wheat crop, I forecast that that the total outturn of wheat this year will be around 1,155,-000,000 bushels. This is down about 20 per cent from the record 1958 production, but 7 per cent above the. 1948-1957 average. Including the estimated July 1 carryover of about 1,285,000,000 bushels, supplies for 1959-1960 are more than double total average annual disappearance. Most of tho July 1 stocks were In government hands and will not glut the market. The 1959 crop will be supported at a national average rate of $1.81 a bushel. Thus bulwarked, wheat prices could average higher in the months ahead.

I expect the barley crop to be around 414,000.000 bushels12 per cent below the 1958 record high, but 30 per cent above average. With July 1 farm stocks the largest since 1943, total barley supplies should easily suffice for 1959-1960 requirements. A smaller acreage and poor yields have cut flaxseed prospects to about 27,-

600.000 bushels, down sharply from the 1958 outturn and 30 per cent below the ten-year average. There will be no dearth, however, forh ere also July 1 farm ever, for here also July 1 farm Prom the smallest acreage of oats for grain since 1892, farmers probably will harvest a crop of over 1.000,000,000 bushelsdown 29 per cent from 1958 and 23 per cent below average. Even so. I expect no shortage of oats this season, since July 1 farm stocks were at a record high of around

300.000.000 bushels. The rye crop may be down to about 21,400,000 bushels, a third less than last year, and 5 per cent below average. However, this years crop will suffice.

U.S. farmers apparently have great confidence in corn this year. The crop may hit a record high of 4.224,450,000 bushels, which would be 29 per cent above the ten-year average of 3,251,064,000 bushels. Despite heavy consumption this season, July 1 farm stocks were the third largest for the date. Somewhat less than half this big reserve was under CCC loan. Smaller output of other feed grains, plus siphoning of sizable supplies of corn into government loans and an expected heavy total disappearance in 1959-1960, may partly offset any corn pile-up.

Another large crop of dry edible beans is in prospect. Although the indicated outturn of 18,434,000 bags is 3 per cent smaller than the large 1958 crop, it is well above the 1948-1957 average of

16.804.000 bags. This crop, plus the carryover, will easily cover all needs in the 1959-1960 season. The rice crop also looks promising. with a U.S. outturn of over

50.000.000 bags (100 pounds each) expected, compared with the 1958 crop and a ten-year average of around 47,000,000 bags.

U.S. farmers planted 28 per cent more acreage to cotton this spring than last. Given the high per-acre yields of recent years, the cotton crop could be about

14.000.000 bales, compared with last years 11,512,000 bales and the ten-year average of 14,136,000 bales. U.S. consumption and exports in the 1959-1960 season may well exceed the 1959 crop. Therefore, the carryover a year hence should not differ materially from the estimated 8,800,000 bales this year. Only three years ago, the carryover amounted to 14,528,823 bales. Cotton pricea probably will ease during the peak of the marketing seasorrthis fall, but should strengthen thereafter.

After nearly a decade of annual acreage boosts. U.S. farmers this year cut planted acreage of soybeans 8 per cent under a year ago. Thus, the 1959 outturn could be down from alst years

574.000.000 bushels. Barring severe crop damage, the total 19.59 crop should easily suffice for all requirements. Farm stocks still are near a record high.

Sees Decline In Home Buildina

By EL.MER ROESSNER

Home building has been slowing down and will go into a sharp decline before the end of the year.

The reason: higher mortgage rates.

Spending for new dwellings rose slightly in June but the increase was far less than the normal seasonal rise. Figures for July are not yet complete, but they are expected to show the same pattern: a moderate increase, but even less than the expected seasonal upswing.

Mortgage rates have been advancing along with all other interest rates. Worse, families willing to pay higher rates are finding lenders.

Housing Securities, Inc., of New York, reports a "troublesome, uncertain market for mortgages. . .New York savings banks experiencing heavy withdrawals . . .Inflation talk forcing speculative fever: money going to

, stock market, mutual funds or being spent. . .Competing investments providing higher net yields ;. . .New Treasury 4'>4s may cau.se fiirthrr withdrawals, ,* .Unfonnd-

ed rumors of increase in FHA interest rate another upsetting factor,

LARGER DOWN PAYMENTS URGED

Meanwhile, the National Association of Real Elstate Boards is propagandizinit the Idea of larger down payments. In fact, in many cases families will have to make larger down payments to get any kind of mortgage. With rates for money high, lender are insisting that buyers pay for a larger equity. Otherwise, they may be tempted to default if interest rates should suddenly be forced down.

Real estate men fear a sharp drop In sales if buyers cant meet current money market terms.

Interest rates have increased one-quarter of 1 per cent in tlie last three months. James M. Udall. president of national association, reborted. "Shop for money as yqy would shop for a home, he advised buyers.

The August Fortune reports that demand fcg* private homes Ls .slowing i.iOwn because the nisft ^0 th** siibtirhs L The

sharpest rental boom since the 20s is underway, it says. But this new boom wont peak until the 60s, it says.

Meanwhile, the effects of the steel strike on incomes will exert another slowing effect on current home building.

Meanwhile, the effect.s of the steel strike on incomes will exert another slowing effect on current home building.

OTHER PREDICTIONS

Other look-aheads in business:

A rise in Intergst rates paid by banks and savings and loan associations, because they want to check that withdrawal trend noted above. . .a slowing down of the highway program unless Congress quickly makes more funds available, which it may not, . . higher-prices for fall .shoes because of leather and wage increases, .tighter consumer credit, because lenders, mindful of tho.se higher interest rates, are insisting that stores run fewer rlks.

Tighter business credit, too. for the , sanie reason, causing consurtanLs to urge businessmen to arrange now for financing

needed this fall and winter. . , still another rise in the cost of living, despite the fact that the steel strike is reducing buying . . ,a sharpening of the controversy over rear vs, front engines in smaller cars, as both kinds near the market. . .a big increase in feminine apparel sales, because it always happens when Parisian styles are as vigorously criticized as are this seasons. WERE JUST AS FREE AS RUSSIANS ARE

There w'as a wry smile on the Old Promoters face when he dropped in for his weekly time-killing visit. Even one of our cigars thrust into his mouth failed to change his expression.

Ive been thinking that the Russian and American people have more In common than either Khrushchev and Nixon .suspect," he said. Neither can own gold coin-s, except as collectors.

The British, French, Swiss. Germans and people over half the world can use gold coins and hold gold bars, but the Russians and the Americans cant There must be a moral somewhere.

Any comment. Mr. Aepr

t..