The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, June 13, 1952 Page: 2 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 22 x 16 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Editorial Comment
THE SUPREME ISSUE
Some- people may think that the drive, to socialize the electric
industry is important only to the companies under attack. No at-
titude could be more wrong. In this issue, the interests of the
power companies themselves are strictly secondary. For social-
ized electricity is just one element in a struggle whose outcome
will determine whether we will remain a free people — or whether
we will become the pawns of an all-powerful state.
The late Carl D. Thompson was a leading socialist spokesman.
Many years ago he wrote: “The movement for public super-
power becomes the most vital phase of the public ownership move-
ment. The control of electric power . . . will obviously carry with
it the control of transportation, of mining and agriculture ... it
will also dominate and determine very largely the domestic life
of the people . . . The struggles, therefore, to secure the public
ownership and control of this strategic resource . . . may yet be-
come the supreme issue . . .of America and the world.”
Electric power directly touches every facet of our life, from
the home to the farm and the factory. A political monopoly of
electricity would give those in control of the government dictotor-
ial powers on almost unbelievable scale. Every town and region
would be at their mercy. States rights and tax resources would
be destroyed. Decisions on local questions would be made in
Washington — and we would have no choice but to obey.
That is the issue that underlies the electric power controversy.
--0-
FAIR FOR ALL!
Two national retailer groups have asked Congress to specify
that the Capehart pricing provision be applied to their business.
This provision, which takes the form of an amendment to the
Defense Producton Act, makes it mandatory that price ceilings
reflect the cost increases that have taken place since the Korean
War began. The retailers also asked that the Capehart rule be
changed to allow adjustments up to June 30 of this year instead of
July 26, 1951, as it now is.
The Price Stabilizer at once opposed these requests, and
stated that the rule applies only to manufacturing and not to
retailing. In this connection, incidentally, an emergency court of
appeals "i does not apply to sellers. The decision is
to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Regardless of the legal questions involved, the Price Stabilizer
argues, by inference at least, that retailers should be compelled
to absorb increases in the cost of running their businesses which
are entirely beyond their control. In a great many instances, this
would be an economic impossibility — retail margins are just
too narrow to permit such a course. As the spokesman for retailing
said in their plea to Congress, “small adjustments in prices are
enough to spell the difference between survival and destruction
for many retailers.’’ And the chances are that smaller stores,
with limited financial resources, would be hit hardest in the long
pull.
The Capehart amendment was passed by Congress as a necessary
safeguard for all business, and it must be applied to all.
Waste in government is even
a hot subject in Washington
these days. Yet some of the very
Congressmen who love to rise
on every possible occasion and
make the welkin ring on the sub-
ject are the most reluctant to
take definite action.
* * *
Despite a bi-
partisan com-% 1
mittee com- iJllllIl^ Y.J
posed equally >. U
of republicans
and democrats
supporting the
reforms in gov-
ernment pro-
cedures rec- .
ommended by b|J||
the Hoover EMml
Commission C. W. Harder ’
almost three years ago, progress
is being made slowly.
* * *
Right now, every attempt is
being made to get Congress to
pass pending bills that would
solve many of the government
employment problems. The cold,
unsupported facts indicate how
strongly reforms are needed.
* * *
There are two and a half mil-
lion Federal civilian employees,
or ten times more than there
were 20 years ago.
* * *
Thus, the government is the
biggest employer in the world,
yet the government is being
shown up as probably the poor-
est employer in the world.
* * *
To keep twq and half million
working, the government must
hire 800,000 people every year,
due to the 34% who leave gov-
ernment service because of dis-
satisfaction.
* • *
In fact, a major expenditure
of money, about 100 million dol-
lars per year, goes for salaries
of govemmdht workers who do
nothing else but handle person-
nel problems. In this field,, the
figures are fantastic and beyond
belief.
© National Federation of Independent Busln.u
It has been found that one
group of bureaus who jointly
have 1,800,000 workers also have
23,000 personnel workers, or one
for every 78 supposedly produc-
tive workers. In some bureaus it
has been found that there is a
ratio of one personnel worker
to every 38 employees.
* * *
The reasons are many and
varied. One of the principal
reasons for such wasteful con-
fusion is the fact that the gov-
ernment today uses 16,000 dif-
ferent skills, with many of these
skills only needed because gov-
ernment socialistic enterprises
compete with private business.
* * *
Of course, the confusion as to
what workers do that is so
great, that no one knows exact-
ly who is needed, or why. Neith-
er are there any adequate pro-
cedures set up to put the right
skill in the right job, or even
obtain proficiency at least some--
what comparable to that expect-
ed in private employment.
0 * *
For that reason, people today
are being urged to write Cong-
ressmen demanding action in
the Federal Personnel Recruit-
ment Bill as the first step toward
ending the confusion that is
costing taxpayers billions.
* * *
The bill is being fought bit-
terly by many bureaucrats,
largely for two reasons.
* * *
One is that the reorganization
of government hiring practices
as provided for in this bill would
reduce by a heavy percentage
the number of government work-
ers needed, and eliminate jobs
created as political rewards.
* * *
Another reason, is that in due
time, tills reform would clearly
indicate that government today
Is trying to do wastefhily jobs
that would be done for far less
money by private enterprise.
unfit to administer his own af-
fairs, sows seeds of dissension
between employer and employee
and conceals the hold which the
politicians have acquired on each
pay envelope.
These two evils must be era-
dicated, or there will be no
America as we now know it,
Miss Kellems says.
Yes, I heartily recommend this
book by Vivien Kellems. It is a
call to arms. “Toil, Taxes and
Trouble,” is published by E. P.
Dutton and Co. Inc., 300 Fourth
Avenue, New York. It sells for
$2.50 — a bargain, if there ever
was one.
LOCALS
the American Way
Mr. and Mrs. Robrt Duncan
and daughters attended the “Ice
Vogues of 52” at the Buccaneer
Stadium in Corpus Monday night.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Mueller
and daughters of Texas City are
ariving this week-end to spend
their vacation with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. John Dobie. They
expect to be here until June 30.
Mr. and Mrs. John Dobie went
to Pleasanton Wednesday to at-
tend the funeral of her brother-
in-law, P. B. Reed of Jleasanton.
By John C. Whits, Commissioner
Jupiter is said to have founded
the Olympics.
The mean diameter of the
earth is 7,920 miles.
Denmark is connected by land
only with Germany.
Camels have long eyelashes to
protect their eyecs agains blow-
ing sand.
How sweet is the sound of
praise if it does not come from
own tin horn -
AM ELECTRIC RANGE
„ fASTtK!
Until electricity came along, all cooking was done
substantially the same way this cannibal is doing it
—over a fire. Whether you build it outside or bring
it in the house, a fire is still a fire. It makes heat
and smoke.
Electricity makes heat, too... but no flame or
smoke. The heat can be perfectly controlled and
transferred directly to food in the cooking process
so there’s no waste.
That’s why electric cooking is fast. That’s also
why it’s cool, clean, and economical cooking.
Today, you’ll find automatic electric ranges in
thousands of South Texas kitchens, because home-
makers know it’s the modern, easy way to cook.
Ask your friends and neighbors who have electric
ranges to tell you why they like to cook electrically.
Fast electric cooking gets you
out of the kichen sooner. See
your appliance dealer for
modern electric range right away.
That Kellems “gal” has gone
and done it again. She has writ-
ten a book. “What Kellems ’gal’?
you ask. Who else but Miss Viv-
ien Kellems, manufacturer of
Stonington, Conn., who in 1948
refused any longer to withhold
taxes from her employees. Inci-
dentally, four years later she is
still pleading with the Federal
Government to indict her and
make a test case as to the consti-
tutionality of the withholding
tax law.
The book is intriguingly entitl-
ed, “Toil, Taxes and Trouble.”
In it Miss Kellems makes the
charge that the enactment of the
16th Amendment (Income Tax)
was a grave constitutional error
and she proves her case, at
least to my complete satisfaction.
Rupert Hughes, who needs no
introduction to the American
reading public, in his inimitable
style, has written an introduction
to the book. In it he says in part:
“Her (Miss Kellem’s) defiance
of the Withholding Tax Law was
based on a woman’s practical
common sense. She maintained
that she had no right to with-
hold from her employees the
tax the government deducted.
Then she put the government in
the ridiculous position of de-
manding that she be punished for
not paying in every week, other
people’s taxes, while still other
people paid their taxes only twice
a year. She jockeyed the gover-
nment into trying to punish her
for not paying it moneys which
it had already received Jlong
before.
“From such a position, so brav-
ely and unbudgeably ’upheld,
she has gone on to the high posi-
tion that the whole Income Tax
Law is un-American and should
be repealed.
“To those who still believe the
Income Tax Law serves a good
purpose; and to those who dis-
like but think its repeal impos-
sible, I commend the reading of
I picked the book up I found
it impossible to put it down.
Miss Kellems proves that the
Income Tax is destroying our
American way of life and that
the Withholding Tax violates the
Constitution guaranty against in-
voluntary servitude. She demon-
strates that the very principle of
taxing incomes is contrary to
the provision in Section 9, Arti-
cle I, of the Constitution which
readsj
“No capituation, or direct taxes,
shall be laid, unless in propor-
tion to the census or enumeration
herein before directed to be tak-
en.”
Miss Kellems asserts that the
Income Tax Amendment was
slipped bver the unwary Amer-
ican taxpayer & is an instrument
used by the followers of the
Marx-Engels doctrine which ad-
vocates the use of a progressive
tax to destroy the capitalistic
system.
As for the Whithholding Tax,
Miss Kellems charges that it
commanders every employer into
involuntary servitude, assumes
that every American worker is
this book ... I am convinced
that the reader of this book will
not only be sadder and wiser,
but will be captivated and thrill-
ed by it.
With Mr. Hughes’ estimate of
“Toil, Taxes and Trouble,” I
most heartily agree, because once
SOCIAL
PRINTING
SEE US FOR ALL KINDS
OF SOCIAL PRINTING
—Wedding Invitations
—Shower Invitations
—Visiting Cards
—Birth Announcements
—Informals
—Baby Cards
—Personalized Stationery
—Correspondence Cards
—Note Sheets
Mathis News
Farming and ranching gets
just a little more complicated
each year.
In these days of stepped-up
production, higher crop quotas,
advances in mechanized equip-
ment and changing economic
conditions, the farmer and ranch-
man has to keep constantly re-
adjusting his seasonal plans if
he is to operate at a profit. In
addition to keeping pace with
day-to-day developments, he has
to look ahead and anticipate fut-
ure conditions that may have a
bearing on his situation.
A crystal ball might be a big
help in this respect. But few, if
any, of us have this advantage,
then a little planned thinking
is the next best method.
One thing is certain this season.
Due to a mild winter, Texas may
face one of the worst insect in-
festations in the last 20 years.
And, of course, we must con-
stantly practice those conserva-
tion measures which will keep
our soil in top-notch shape.
A heavy volume of pesticides,
and fertilizer^ are expected to
be needed this year to support
the high-level farm output.
Farmers are urged to order their
supplies well ahead of the time
for applying these essential pro-
duction materials. A last minute
rush would tax industry’s ability
to fill orders and the channels
of transportation from factory
to farm.
Total requirements this year
for pesticides, include insecticid-
es,. fungicides and herbicides are
expected to run about - nine per,
cent higher than in 1950-51. On !
the whole, supplies should
to the demand and
erally are not greatly
from those of a year ago.
The United States Departmer
of Agriculture reveals that
plies of pesticides containir
copper and sulfur may not
sufficient to fill all demanc
but alternate materials will
generally available. Lead afser
ate supplies, critically short eaJ
lier in the year, are imprdvei]
Farmers should be able to
sufficient quanities of weed kill
ers such as 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T.
A general strong demand fa
fertilizers has put pressure
tho nation’s soil building su^
plies. Fertilizers on the whol
are slightly more plentifu? a]
though a little less phosphate
expected to be available ths
last year. Because of a high de
mand for ammonium nitrate an|
phosphates, those supplies will,
somewhate tight.
Potash will be fairly plent
ful.
Richard Ewell Is
Given Birthday Party
Mrs. Robert Ewell entertaipe^
Monday afternoon at a children’!
party honoring her son, Richarcj
on his fifth birthday anniversary^
The birthday cake was fro^tec
in white and decorated with pin!
roses and white candles. Favor!
for the small guests were hori
Guests were Mrs. Ben Abi
and son, Frank, of Woodsbo!
Mrs. Floyd Hall and daughtej
Joan and Eilene, of Wopdsbo{
Mrs. Bill Coffin and David, M^
W. G. Cabaniss and Bill
ueanne, Mrs. A. B. Holmes ai
Friday, June 13, 1952, Mathis, Tex. — MATHIS NEWS — Pagg
THE MATHIS NEWS
Published every Friday in Mathis, Texas
PUBLISHED BY THE GUTHRIE
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
»ffice at Mathis, San Patricio County, Texas, under the
Congress on March 3, 1879.
NOTE: Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing
reputation of any person, firm or corporation, which may
m The Mathis News will gladly be corrected as soon as it is
SIGN OF PROGRESS i
OUR GREATEST RESOURCES ARE OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN
fevlld m r * * tritfps YOU
Within the next few weeks
thousands of young men and
women will graduate from the
high schools, and from the
‘colleges and universities of
the Gulf South. In the hands
of these young people . . J
and others like them every-
' where , .. lies the future of
our great region and nation.
Our best wishes go with this
year’s graduates as they move
out into new fields of activity
to meet greater responsi-
bilities of citizenship and to
accept a share in the job of
trying to build a better world
for the future, f
UNITED GAS
SERVING THE
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Helm, Bobby. The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, June 13, 1952, newspaper, June 13, 1952; Mathis, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1039632/m1/2/: accessed July 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Mathis Public Library.