PAGE FOtmTHE DAILY REFLECTOR, GREENVILLE. N. C

Thursday, March 17, 1960

Thursday, March 17, 1960

Filling A Need In Recreation Areas

A new playground in the astern part of Greenville to be added to the city's public recreation facilities is another progressive step by he city Recreation Commission to meet the needs of a growing, community.

The new playground area, located on East 14t1i Street, will bring to eight the number of park and playground areas owned and operated by the local Recreation Commission. When it is put to useprobably this summerit'will further expand the activities of the commission and it should also increase the number of youngsters and adults who are reached by local local recreation program.

In spite of the fact that Greenville's recreation program has not advanced as rapidly as some would like, the past 10 years has brought remarkable progress in this direction by the city. A decade ago the city had few recreation areas and its recreation program was in the formulative stages. The amount of money available from the city government for such activities was far below that which was being spent in other nearby communities of comparable size.

With the creation of the Recreation Commission, the picture in Greenville began to change. The need for a better orgnized recreation program was recognized by the citys governing board. Annual appropriations for recreation were gradually increased.

No Liberals Or

Conservatives

By LYNN NISBET

LABELSCandidates for high elective office are having some difficulty in classifying themselves with respect to conservative and liberal tendencies. The difficulties experienced by the candidates are minor when compared with the troubles the voters have in evaluating the real sentiments of the office seekers. Apparently none of the candidates for Governor is willing to accept the label of conservative or liberal, lest the one label offend some people who cherish tbe belief they belong to the other classifications.

There has been a good deal of comment about the statement made by Edwin L. Jones, head of a multi-million dollar construction firm, who is managing Terry SanicM-ds campaign in Mecklenburg county. Jones said he considered Sanford a conservative liberal,

When newsmen asked John Larkins about his politico-economic philosophy when he was first named chairman of the Senate appropriations committee in 1951, Larkins replied to the effect that he was no wild eyed hberal. That was the second legislature of the Scott administration, and some people regarded the Governor as too noeral. Yet the record will show Inal appropriations for so-called liberal government serviceseducation, health, welfare-made by the 1951 General Assembly were larger than ever before even more than Governor Scott had recommended.

Around and Just before the turn of the century William Jennings Bryan was advocating guarantee of bank deposits. Federal control over hours and wages of workers, and other policies later adopted by the most conservative element in the Republican party. But at the time Br>an was labeled a dangerous man. in very fact a wild-eyed and crazy liberal.

DEFINITIONS - The meaning of words change with conditions. When this writer was a boy Republicans in the Carolinas were called rascalsa term intended to be opprobious. Yet the dictionary defines the word as pertaining to roots, basal. or fundamental. While calling . homegrown Republicans radical, the same folks described the William McKinley and Mark Hanna national leadership as reactionary.

The liberal philosophy of Woodrow W'ilson, which frightened the Republicans almost half a century ago. Is not too conservative for Elsenhower and Nixon, In some respects the present administration is outdoing Franklin Roosevelt who busted more conservative Idols'than any president in history. And all In the name of conservatism.

When a candidate today calls himself conservative or liberal.

or even when he attempts to apply both labels, he may not be talking about the same thing many voters think the words mean. For that reason it is necessary for the candidate to amplify his statement and ^explain his philosophy. Getting his ideas before the people is one of the things which Aiake campaigns cost so much money. Without such information the citizens cannot vote intelligently.

In most. commonly accepted meaning, the liberal wants to move rapidly into new fields: the conservative wants to hold the line, or advance very cautiously. Since the liberal desires change, sometimes merely for its own sake, there is a narrow line between the political liberal and the reactionary. Carrying that thought one step further, the advocate of the status quo ante 1954 in school segregation, which means changing the current moderate approach, might be termed as much a liberal as the advocate of the opposite extreme.

TALKTalk is expensive, and not only in a U.S. Senate fllll-buster. Copies of the annual reports of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Southern Bell, have Ju.st come to your reporters desk,

AT&T in 1959 hsul income from operating revenue and other sources of more than seven and a half billion dollars. After paying operating expenses and taxes. the net Income was $i,-

148.769.000. That afforded dividends of $5.22 per share of stock. Taxes required $7.66 per share. AT&T served nearly 58 million telephones in 1959, of which 96 per cent are dial operated.

In North Carolina Southern Bell has 619,400 telephones. There are 5.607 employees, drawing salaries and wages in the aggregate amount of $26,-

523.000. Taxes paid amounted to $18,531,000.

Southern Bell operates about two-thirds of all telephones in North Carolina, but because of the character of communities served has more than two-thirds of total telephone revenue. American T & T processes all long distance calls iq and out of the state.

The wag who quipped that talk Is cheap obviously had not read these reports. When one company, although the biggest, collects seven and a half billion dollars for telephone talking, pays four billion in wages and one and two-thirds billion in taxes throughout the United States, talking becomes big business.

And in North Carolina a business that spent last year $28 million in Improving and expanding service, paid $26.5 million in wages and $18 5 million in taxes, must be recognized as a highly Important segment of the overall economy.

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Money became available for playgrounds, buildings, equipment and other capital outlay items. The number of facilities were increased and a program that could include adults as well as youngsters was developed.

The city's recreation program still has its shortcomings. The Commission still needs additional facilities and equipment to provide the city with a better recreation program. Even so, the progress which has been made is a credit to the Commission and to the city. Particularly during the summer months when the program reaches its peak, there are activities for youngsters of every age. And even during the winter months many activities are carried on that provide healthy, wholesome recreation for the people of Greenville.

Addition of the new playground area in the eastern section of the city will meet another need. And as the city continues to grow additional similar areas should be purchased in other sections of the city.

In terms of building better citizens and keeping down the delinquency rate among youngsters, Greenville's recreation program has been,a good investment for the city. Officials should see ihat the continued expansion of the program keeps pace with tw growth of the community. ^

Soon, No Coattails For Nixon To Ride

President Eisenhowers endorsement of Vice President Nixon for the GOP presidential nomination should have come as a surprise to no one.

The President has taken Mr. Nixon carefully under his wing since the two ran on the Republican ticket in 1952. He has sought to groom the vice president to move into the White House. He has given him responsibilities and opportunities that have seldom come the way of a number two man in the administration. More than that, President Eisenhower has undertaken to defend the vice president against all comers . within the Republican party as well as others.

It would have indeed been a surprise had not the President publicly acknowledged his endorsement of the vice president as the Republican nominee for president.

The announcement by the President further assures that the Republican national convention will be a drab affair with only one candidate in the running. Attention will focus on the effort of^the convention to boost Nixons prestige, for any other candidates who appear will be only so much scenery so far as the GOP nomination is concerned.

Following the conventionor perhaps before President Eisenhowers next step will be to endorse Mr. Nixon as the best of the presidential candidates offered by the Republicans and Democrats. The President's support of Mr. Nixon in the past has helped the vice president over a number of rough spots. His popularity has been closely tied to that of President Eisenhower.

In the November election, however, the situation will be different in that Mr. Nixon will be on the ticket and ^President Eisenhower will not. In spite of President Eisenhowers endorsements and speeches, the voters will be deciding between Nixon and the Democratic nominee; not between Eisenhower and the Democratic nominee.

That will give an accurate indication of the following Mr. Nixon has as an individual and as a presidential candidate. He will not be able to ride the Eisenhower coattail as has been the case in the past.

?ilibuster On 'DisarmamentEverv AmericP'ns Own Worst Enemy nOt

Merely

3ets

By DON SCHLIENZ

How Many This Census?

Were going to be Jiearlng and reading a lot about the 18ih Decennial Census o the U. S. to be held in April; so let's get O to an early start.

Most of our interest will be on North Carolina. Pitt County and cur home mununities.

Most people (99.9% of them?) a;e looking forward to a population growth in their home towns. Size means much to them. Maybe another forty years will see the pendulum swing the ether way and the majority will relish amall-town advantages.

The first census in 1790 gave North Carolina a populatlcm of 393,751 . . . and it has been growing ever since. The 1800 count showed the trend with a 21.4 per cent gain.

The census of 1880 gave North j?arolina its biggest population Jump t30.7 per cent for the decade) : and 1930 saw another sizeable 23.9 per cent growth over the preceding census.

That 1950 census gave the Old North State a population of 4.061.929, Of these souls, Pitt County claimed that year 63,789.

Back in 1790 Pitt could muster a count of only 8.375; and growth was slow. The .county didnt reach 12,000 people until

scmetime after the 1840 census.

Greenville, in 1850, had 1,893 citizens listed: then lost over a thousand residents by the time the 1860 census was held.

An even darker prospect was painted In 1870 when the census ihow'Cd the town had lost another 237 people in the decade and could muster only 601 residents. We picked up 311 citizens in time for 1880, and have been on the plus-side ever since.

The last census gave Oreen-ville 16,724 cftaens. an increase C 4.050 over, the 1940 count. Numerically speaking that was the towns biggest decade of growth, though we increased in s;ze by something over 3,000 people in each of two preceding dfecadesT l^ow we aome to the crux of the pitch:

What will*we show this year? Something like that brings out the pollster and graph-maker in me.

One long-time resident whose calculatlons included the hlghly-visibie home-building growth was the most conservative, put-liig it at between 18,000 and 19.-000. He reminded that a lot of people had moved out from what is now the business section and

Other Editors Saying... Where A Primary Course?

l.uilt homes elsewhere in town, partially compromising the impact of residential construction rn evidence of population growth.

Another, claiming inside Information, put the figure at 20.000. ,

One lile-long Oreenvilllte says its 22.000; but most of the Interviewed natives stayed closer to 20.000.

My hastily contrived chart recms to indicate that's as good as any; but if the rate of growth has matched the 1940-50 decade's 32 per cent, then we have 22.065 residents today.

'lime will tell.

Opinions !n Brief

Instead of individuals in the states contributing extra money to the federal government in order that the federal government may dole out educational handouts, wouldn't it be far better if the states themselves would collect tl.at same money and hand it back to the individual districts In the state? Philllp.s (Wisconsin) Bee,

By JAMES MARLOW

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Southern fight against a civil rights bill and the 10-nation disarmament talks which opened in Geneva Tuesday have one thing in common; a filibuster.

The disarmament talks are Just the latest in a series. Some of the people doing the talking at Geneva are new. But the spirit Is the same. The West and the Communist world got into a cat and * dog fight right at the start.

The West sent the Communists a copy of its disarmament plan Monday, on the eve of the opening, so they could examine it- They did. Valerian Zorin, the Soviet deputy foreign minister, opened the talks by denouncing the plan.

It can hardly be called new. Its a collection of previous Western proposals based on this central idea: that before there can be any real disarmament their must be a fool-proof inspection system to prevent cheating.

Premier Nikita Khrushchev presented the Communist plan last Sept. 18 when he was in the country and addressed the United Nations. He wanted disarmament In four years. The West offered no time limit.

But Khrushchev talked o dis

armament first and a control system next. The West wouldnt buy that. It isnt likely to buy it now. The Soviets have looked on the Wests proposed inspection system as a kind of spy network.

So this much l-s predictable;

1. The two sides will haggle, getting nowhere, at least until the end of the summit meeting which opens in Paris May 16.

2. Since there is great skepticism the summit will accomplish anything, the disarmament talks are hardly apt to pick up speed after the summit-

3. Judging from past performances. the two sides may still be talking a year from now.

Its important for both In the eyes of the rest of the worldnot to slam or appear to slam a door on disarmament altogether.

So what seems reasonable to exi>ect is a group of grown men haranguing one another days on end. with neither side really budging.

Perhaps the best thing that can be said for the disarmament talks at this point is that at least the West and the Communist world are sttlng down together, talking, which seems to be an Improvement on previous frozen-faced silence.

Charleatoa (W.Va.) Daily Mail

Prescribing the curriculum for the public schools Is a dangerous business for the outsider, and we are not about to try. All we want to do Is ask a question: Where do the young man and woman coming to maturity go to learn the rudiments of home finance and the domestic economy?

Chances are that they will someday buy their own home. Before they do, where can they find out something about the :nysterles of mortgage finance, the rules of thumb on home construction, liability insurance, escrow and other vague and frightening words?

Most of their working lives they will be dependent upon installment credit, or what the British call the never never. Where can they pick up a smattering of intelligence about its advantages and its perils?

Along the way they will be besieged with invitations to buy Insurance and flattered with opportunities to invest in stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Short of putting down their money to take a look, where can they get some primary instruction in the differencesand why?

Inescapably, they will pay taxes every step of the way. Before they get in over their heads, where can these young people learn something about property valuations, assessments. tax limitation, gross sales, social security? Oddly enough, no where in West Virginia is there a simple understandable introduction to the theory and practice of its tax system.

Through it all their politicians will promise these young people the moon on a platterall for the price of their voteand Uielr crabbed old editorial writers will warn them against the evils of Inflation. Where do they pick up the fundamentals for a reasoned choice?

Ours is a capitalist economy. It Is built upon and powered with money. Our schools speak a good deal of education for living, a concept, we have noted, which embraces considerable square dancing and a nodding acquaintance with the arts. But where do they get down to business on the uses of money in terms of the problems which confront everyone who grows up?

w

The rekl meaning and pur.-pose of socialisqij^ is the governmental operation of all commerce and industry and the reduction of life to pure materialism.Herbert Hoover.

Constitutional provisions prohibit a president from knocking single Items out of appropriation bills. Consequently, C<m-gress always lumps a lot of appropriations together and submits them as one bill, it usually contains .some undesirable or .selfish Item.s mixed In with the necessary . one?, The Federal government is fa^^bphind most state governments In this re.i-pect. The governors of some 39 states exercise item veto power. Corvallis (Ore.) Gazette-Tlmes.

Although we are sure that newspapers in the United States have considerably more freedom to say what they choose to say, it is also remarkably interesting to note that the pattern in Russia Is mere newspapers and broader circulation. This could be a healthy trend.Elmwood Park (111.) Herald.

Ouba under Pldel Castro is ihe only country in the world with government from a 'TV studio. Charleston News and Courier.

By GEORGE E. SOKOLSKT

The world is full of prophets, tipsters, pundits and soothsayers. They all know what is to happen. In general terms, it m possible to have some idea of what may happen. For Instance, we know that unleas we are destroyed by an H-bomb or a rocket, next November 8. an election will take place for a President of the United States and that there will be two major candidates and that one will be elected. Nobody has been nominated yet but there are already prophets who are ready to say who will be elected.

Bernard M. Baruch, who has done well for himself by being correct at the right time, said way back in 1955:

No one. not even the most experienced trader, economist or business man can predict with ceruinty the course of the stock market. Whether stocks rise or fall is determined by innumerable forces and elements, by economic conditions, the actions of governments, the state of Intemstional affairs, the emotions of people even the vagaries of the weather.'*

The prophets are really gamblers. They fail to take into account the Imponderables which are so Important politically. For instance. Castro' Is a nuisance beyond his metes in 1960 because It is an election year. There 1s no telling what such a man will do, particularly if he gets hold of a Mig. No present calculations about the November election can exclude Castro.

Bameh was talking about the stock market, the ups and downs of which rarely prove ani^ing. But the same is true of any isolated factors which in themselves may be startling but not conclusive. Sputnik scared a great many Americans livid. Some of them even began to study Russian, perhaps to be. able to say, "Good morning!* to their conqueror*. Actually, we liove done as well as the Rus-. slans have in this particular race It U not very important whether we or they are ahead. Sooner or later, every country will manufacture bombs, missiles. rockets and other means of devastation and then halt to realize that thus far. all these weapons exist and have not been used. Talk is still the principal weapon of diplomacy and war.

The signs of the times are hsu*d to discern. When President Elsenhower says that Latin American-Unjied S^tes rela-^ tions are at thcl,pe^. does he^ mean that they are abourto deteriorate? These figures of speech rarely apply to international relations. Certainly our relations with Latin Amerfc?a cannot be so good, lit be President has to rub tear-gas out of his eyes during a triumphal procession of friendship.

Or to put it another way, let us quote again from Baruchs 1955 statement:

This distinction between the thermometer and the fever is a crucial one. We face one kind of problem if the thermometer is not working properly'. But outward symptoms should not be nu-HUken caus^

The thermOfhrter should not b^.. blamed for reflecting all thiP uncertainties 6t-^ whictf*

IS neither at war Dor at peac^ or of the effects of the actions taken by different business managements or of the infla^ tionary policies which have been pursued for so long.'*

The times are uncertain and the results of policies are uncertain. Our government ought to speak honestly to our people and tell thn where we have msde the three or four mistakes that have got us into trouble. For we are in. irouble and Latin America is too important^,^' for us to pass by with the flip* > of a press agents lingers. we.^ are going through a classical inflationary period- which has been moving faster year by year since about 1948 and is DOW accelerated to a high speed.

One characteristic of the second stage of an inflation, that is. the stage when the capitalist begins to look for cover, is that there is a shift of investments in stocks to wild speculation in real estate. This always happens because when speculators regard themselves as too spread out, they try to cover by what they believe is a safer although leas spectacular investment. The third phase is when the very wise man deserts (Continued on page five)

"s Bankruptcy Now 'Acceptable?

Strength For Today

By EARL L. DOUGLASS GOD AND MAN TOGETHER

The curse of work!

Many people consider work a curse. Some of them have this idea because work was put upon man after his moral fall in the Garden of Eden- Many people regard work as Gods vengeance upon us for our disobedience and perversity.

But only those who superficially read the Bible come to such a conclusion. Those who carefully read its pages and peer deeply into the meaning of its teachings are sure that work is not a curse but a great blessing. It is Gods permission that we share with Him in the upbuilding of the world and the administration of its affairs.

God works and we work with Him. Slavish, burdensome, brutal work is Indeed a curse. But all work is not of that variety. Most "of the work in the world adds dignity and significance to our lives.

Let us be sure that the housewife Is engkged in Just as creative work as is the poet. The farmer is as creative in his endeavors as is the artist. Fine musicians constitute a class of very superior workers, but the results of their efforts are not more significant than are the efforts of the teacher, the businessman, the executive, or the minister. What Is required Is that we be faithful men and women devoted to Cod and wUliug to serve in His divine enterprises.

By ELMER ROESSNER The rise In personal bankruptcies is alarming many re-

In 1935, of the nations 70,(X)0 bankruptcies, 35 per cent were of wage earners.

In 1958, of 80.000 bankruptcies, 83 per cent were by wage earners. Losses to merchants were almost a half a billion dollars. Figures for 1959 have not been analyzed yet. The total is expected to be higher because of strikes and layoffs in the latter part of the year.

A definite threat exists that bankruptcy is becoming socially acceptable, declared David Blair, president of the National Retail Credit Association, CAUSE.S OF BANKRUPTCY There are three main causes of the rise In personal bankruptcies, as distinguished from corporation and other business failures. The>; are:

1. The great rise in credit and installment selling, which

Induces the unthinking to go into debt beyond their ability to work their way out.

2. Coupled with that, is the granting of credit without adequate investigation. Credit managers, in the race to swell credit sales, often neglect to accurately determine the applicants obligation to other merchants. An applicant with a weekly wage of $100 might seem like a good risk for credit requiring payments of $80 a month. But if those payments are in addition to a series of other payments, all credit payments may fall behind, eventually dropping to bankruptcy levels.

3. The declining sense of personal responsibility toward debts. This relates to the social acceptability Mr. Blair remarks on. Some unions and other organizations maintain family financial advisors. Often it is easier to recommend personal bankruptcy than a long struggle to pay one's way out.

Sometimes, there may be some

subconscious motivation. A counselor may look at a mans obligations and feel that merchants sales pre^ure were responsible for the trtahi plight and, therefore. his bankruptcy would serve them right.

Again, during a strike, a counselor may feel that bankruptcies will cause merchants to bring pressure on struck employers to end the dispute.

THE BATH Bankruptcies have a way of multiplying themselves. If enough customers go through bankruptcy, a store may fall.

I But they multiply In another way In a plant, a worker long worried may appear cheerful. I took a bankruptcy bath. he may explain to his fellows. Now I dont owe anybody any more. That may set many others off to the bankruptcy showers.

Mr. Blair, calling the Increase in bankruptcies by salaried workers staggering, wants new legislation to protect stores. However, stores have it within

their own power to reduce their losses.

They can:

1. Thoroughly oheok aredit ap-pllcatlongr to make 'ure the applicants arg nol ovtfxmrdcned , by commltmeats to other stores.

2. Investigate more deeply when applicants do not have substantial sguities in houses or autos.

3. Insist on larger down payments when there is danger of security becoming less than the balance due. Auto dealera lose little on personal bankruptcies because they sbiUy InsUt that. , the replevlned value of the car,, be more than the balance due.' Thus if payments are not paid, ^ the dealer can always foreclose on the car and get his balance due. But some furniture sellers by taking lo per cent down on a $2,000 purchase come close to inviting bankruptcies because in the early months of the contract, the recoverable value of furniture is usually less than the balance due.