The Levelland Daily Sun News (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 204, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 16, 1955 Page: 1 of 6
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It® Levelland Daily Sun News
‘'WITHOUT OR WITH OFFENSE TO FRIENDS OR FOES WE SKETCH YOUR WORLD EXACTLY AS IT GOES" — Byron
VOLUME XIVf NO. 204
PRICE DAILY 5c, SUNDAY 10c
LEVELLAND, TEXAS
Associated Press (AP)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1955
Resident Taken to Task for Signing Petition
Businessman Tells
Of Court Meeting
Editorial Comment
WHAT IS THE ISSUE?
By ORLIN BREWER
Johnny Pierce — the boy Level-
land residents adopted — has been
visiting here during the past week
from Abilene Boys Ranch.
A bright-eyed youngster with an
interest in aviation hopes of col-
lege study later on, with an aero-
nautical engineering degree in
mind, Johnny has been visiting
with some of his friends through-
out the city.
Judge Paul A. Williams called
the other day and made arrange-
ments for Johnny to visit with us.
oOo
Johnny told us about a visit
with Wyatt Hanks in DaUas
and his progress at Abilene.
Hanks, Levelland residents
will remember. Is a former
Jnycee, who had a great deal
of interest In Johnny. Johnny
calls him his “buddy.”
Johnny left our office to visit
with W. J. O’Connor and Tom
Upshaw, as well as a number
of other folks who have been
close friends of Johnny in the
past.
He had planned to visit the
Jaycees at their regular noon
luncheon meeting Monday, but
because of a misunderstanding,
failed to do so. He understood
the meeting was at night.
oOo
The people who have known
Johnny best in the past tell us
that his progress is good, although
personal problems which he has to
face sometimes makes him rest-
less at the ranch.
He’s convinced, however, that he
needs to finish his schooling and
consequently is making plans to
be back at Abilene in time to start
school. ■ •
He says he’ll visit with the Lev-
elland Jaycees next Monday if he’s
still in Levelland at that time.
oOo
We’re sure a great many
people will be Interested to
know that county commission-
ers hav* made provisions In
next year’s budget for estab-
lishment of a county juvenile
department.
The court has set aside a
total of S3,600 for salary, S600
for travel, S100 for office sup-
plies, $50 for other expenses,
making a total of $4,600 allot-
ted to this department. .
A large number of people
have become convinced that
there Is a definite need for a
juvenile officer In the county.
You will remember that a spe-
cial committee, headed by
Harry Mann, has recommend-
ed hiring of such an officer.
We had planned additional
Interpretive stories on the
county budget, but our plans
now Include publication of the
entire budget. If it can be ar-
ranged, prior to any stories.
oOo
Readers of the Levelland Daily
Sun News can be looking forward
to an unusual, completely differ-
ent feature within the next few
days.
The series is thought-provoking
and could cause a little soul
.searching.
We’ll say this much. We used
some of the information in one of
the features for a toastmasters
speech a few weeks back and it
was good enough for us to win the
Toastmasters Cup.
That means the material had to
be plenty good.
Pre-school Clinic
Held at Sundown
SUNDOWN (Spl) — Thirty-one
children of pre-school age turned
out last week for a pre-school cli-
nic sponsored by the Sundown
Parent-Teachers Association.
Mrs. Thad Henderson was chair-
man of the project and was assist-
ed at the clinic by several volun-
teer P-TA workers.
Children were given examina-
tions by Dr. O. L. Wright and the
majority of them received either
small pox, diptheria, or whooping
cough innocualtions, administered
by county health nurse. Mrs. Jack
Carothers. Mrs. Cardlhers was as-
sisted by secretarial clerk for the
local health unit, Mrs. J. W. Ev-
ans. •
The only issue involved in Hockley County’s current salary dispute
is whether members of the commissioners court stepped out of line in
ordering the salary increases they did and whether these increases are
unreasonable, putting personal interest of the commissioners and other
county officials above the interest of the taxpayers of Hockley County.
Some members of the commissioners court would have you believe
that other issues are involved.
Some of them have demonstrated the ability to talk for hours as
to whether the Levelland Daily Sun News has written anything com-
plimentary about them, or whether the Levelland Daily Sun News has
been biased in its reporting about the salary dispute, or whether the
Levelland Daily Sun News has reported both sides of the salary increase
situation.
The fact of the matter is that some members of the court, if they
could talk fast enough, would like to convince you that the Levelland
Daily Sun News is responsible for the whole mess.
Lerellond Daily Sun News; Not on Trial
We would like to remind the commissioners court that the Levelland
Daily Sun News is not on trial.
•Here are some things which are not an issue in the current dispute:
Whether the Levelland Daily Sun News has ever written anything
complimentary about members of the county commissioners court is not
an issue.
The judge of Hockley County tan talk at lengths on this subject.
He says that the Levelland Daily Sun News has never published any-
thing designed to show the court or its members in good light.
We could remind the judge that the job of coverage on the juvenile
delinquency problem — his pet project — has been at least passably
done in the columns of the Daily Sun News. Hockley County Profiles
presenting two members of the commissioners court in a favorable light
have been published. We even allowed to be printed in the columns of
this newspaper the opinion that the current judge of Hockley County was
Levelland’s outstanding citizen. The judge was invited early in the year
to be a Profile subject. He postponed this.
•But we reiterate, this is not an issue.
Whether the Levelland Daily Sun News has written everything Hock-
ley County officials feel should have been written or in the manner they
feel it should be written is not an issue.
The newspaper has been taken to task because it failed to print that
the county judge went down state to a conference on juvenile delinquen-
cy.
The newspaper, or members of Its staff, have been taken to task for
“burying” information on the number of miles of paving within the
county in a story devoted primarily to the current city paving project.
The newspaper has been taken to task for failing, after recording for
the public that arrangements have been made to put county funds on
time deposit, that a second quantity of money has now been placed on
time deposit in a local bank. f * ’.
These are not issues. :jL. * x . > -- V ■ .
The newspaper has been criticized for what has been called failure
to present "both sides” of the question. Yet some members of courl
have repeatedly refused to talk for publication, although some of their
“off-the-record” statements would have made headlines.
Some of these statements would have provoked more and sterner
criticism. Other officials have promised statements "within a few days.
This again is not an issue.
Whether Forrest Weimhold paid his taxes on Aug. 9 is not an issue.
The fact that the county judge and county commissioners did illegally
hold up payments due Weimhold Enterprises is not the issue.
Checks totalling $546.84 dated from June 13, 1955 to Aug. 8, 1955,
were finally delivered for payment on Monday, Aug. 15 only after several
demands that payments be made.
But this is not the issue.
Only Issue is Justification of Increases
The only issue is whether salary increases up to $3,100 during 1955
for top-bracket officials are unreasonable, out of line, and in the best
interest of the people of Hockley County.
Restricted to this topic alone, members of the court don’t have much
to say. One member of the court, willing to stand on his own legs and to
abide by public opinion, agrees that the salary increases are out of line.
The other members of the court have only this justification for out-
landish salary increases: County finances are in pretty good shape and
they can get the increase they ask under the law.
Is this justification enough?
8T. MICHAEL'S RECTORY —
The newly-constructed St. Mich-
ael's Catholic Church rectory Is
shown here shortly after its com-
5K1G11*
pletlon. Open house was held
from 2 until 5 p.m. Sunday for
the public to visit the $8,000
building, the first Catholic
Church rectory in Levelland. The
Rev. Richard MacLellan moved
into the rectory last week. In
the background is St. Michael’s.
WEIMHOLD’S PERSONAL TAX PAYMENT BROUGHT UP
Judge, Commissioner Lambast
Daily SunNewsinAntonPaper
(EDITOR’S NOTE — The
following story Is reprinted
verbatum from the Anton
News. Anton Editor Afton
Richards stated In an editor’s
note that he was trying to pre-
sent a fair news story, Yon be
the judge. Present salary of
the officials Involved was not
given. The January Increase
was not mentioned. Compari-
son with other counties, such
as Hale, Lubbock, Lamb and
Terry Counties, was not giv-
en. Neither the Dolly Sim
News nor Forrest Weimhold
have used the wdrd “enraged”
In connection with the hike, bi-”i
cause It does not properly-dt-
scribe the situation, The read-
er may also Judge whether
Wrlmhold’s taxes have any
bearing on the amount of the
salary increased asked by the
court.)
Wouldn't it bo wonderful if some-
one invented a lawn that sheds
once a week!
Report Meeting Set
For Chamber Drive
Chamber of Commerce member-
ship workers Tuesday made plans
for their first report meeting of a
week-long drive at 10 a.m. Wednes-
day in the midst of reports that
their campaign for new members
is going better this year than usual.
The drive got underway Monday
with a kickoff breakfast in the Cal
Boykin hotel.
The campaign is headed by Dave
Collins, president of the Levelland
State Bank, and a group of volun-
teer worker* who are calling on lo-
cal businessmen during the week.
The men are armed with docu-
ments telling the need for chamber
support and an adequate budget to
back up an outstanding program of
work.
In the meantime, four men who
are either present or past officials
of the chamber, were asked Tues-
day to comment on the chamber
and drive.
Collins, who heads the campaign,
says:
‘I just don’t think you can value
the chamber of commerce. It’s
something we’ve got to have. . .1
think a town that can't afford a
chamber of commerce might as
well close up and quit.
As to the chamber budget, Col-
lins says he thinks the cost is
“pretty cheap” when balanced a-
gainst the program of work out-
lined for the coming year.
Lee Jackson, president of the
chamber, says of a chamber of
commerce, “There's no progressive
community that doesn’t have one.
It’s a must to have a chamber of
commerce if we’re going to pro-
gress like we should.
He said that the success of the
entire program hinges on the drive
and efforts to get the chamber’s
program of work adequately fin-
anced. He says It has been inade-
quately taken care of financially in
the past.
Howard Vaughan, another past
president, says "According to my
idea, when a group of men get
their heads together, they can do
almost anything. It takes an or-
(Continued on page four)
sible for them to draw a raise,
and he saw nothing out of line,
ot unreasonable in the new pro-
gram. He explained, that if you
want a man to make a good hand,
you must pay him a reasonable
wage. He said the county indebt-
edness was very low, the valua-
tions high, and the county could
well afford these raises without
either raising the valuations 'or
the tax rate.
A prominent Levelland business-
man revealed Monday that he
was taken to task Saturday by
members of the county commis-
sioner's court because he had sign-
ed a petition asking commissioners
to reconsider their proposed sala-
ry increases.
The businessman was sought out
through the initiative of the Level-
land Daily Sun News and ques-
tioned about the incident. He asked
that his name not be used publicly.
The businessman said he was in
his downtown office Saturday when
Commissioner Bryan Hulse of
precinct four, which includes An-
ton, said, that when the matter
came to a vote, he voted for it.
Relative to the stand taken by the
Levelland papers, Hulse said,
"Well, you can-say this. It has
caused the owner of the Levelland
paper to pay his taxes.”
Late Wednesday, Judge Williams
said further to the News, that R
(Continued on page four)
Storm Warnings Put Up
Hurricane Threatens
Coast of Carolinas
In a recent meeting of the Hock-
ley County Commissioners Court,
they, by a unanimous vote, passed
an order raising the salaries of all
publicly elected officials.
The salaries under the new
schedule would be as follows: ac-
cording to figures quoted the Anton
News: County Attorney. County
Judge. Tax Collector. County Clerk
District Clerk, and Sheriff all
would draw $8,500.00 each. The
County Treasurer $5,800.00 and the
County Commissioners each $7.-
800.00 plus expense accounts. This
would require approximately an
additional $25,000.00 per year to
pay these raises, it has been stat-
ed.
County Judge Paul A. Williams
told the News Tuesday that these
raises were in accordance with
state laws governing salaries, and
he felt they were in line with the
population of the county, and the
county’s ability to pay.
Forrest Weimhold, publisher of
the Levelland newspapers, the Her-
ald and the Sun News, told the An-
ton News Tuesday, that the people
were “enraged” over the ’unrea-
sonableness” of these new raises,
and he felt it was the duty of the
newspaper to take a stand on such
matters: that he felt the court was
trying to cram this matter down
the people’s throat, whether they
wanted it or not, and that he had
rolled up his sleeves for a battle.
Copies of the Tuesday edition of
the Daily Sun News were mailed
all over the county, in which the
issue w’as aired, and the paper
took a strong editorial stand a-
gainst the raises. And especially
criticized the fact that minutes of
the meeting in which the raises
were voted, were not recorded or
made public, even 10 days after
the meeting, was held.
Regarding the publicity given the
matter in the Levelland papers,
Judge Williams was very critical,
because, he said the paper em-
ployed "biased reporting” and
gave only part of the facts.
Williams said that he and the
other members of the court felt
that these new salaries were just
and in line with salaries drawn by
people in private business, in sim-
ilar type of work. And that the
Texas legislature had made it pos-
CHARLESTON, S.C. UV-Diane,
her hurricane winds spinning at
115 miles an hour, moved relent-
lessly toward the mainland today.
She was the second hurricane in
the same area in less than a week.
Carolina and Georgia coastal
areas waited anxiously as the fur-
ious storm, fourth hurricane of the
season, edged ever closer. The day
brought a drop in her forward
movement from 15 to 8 to 10 miles
an hour, but the strength of her
winds was undiminished.
At 8 a.m., she was 300 miles
east-southeast of Charleston.
A Weather Bureau storm bulletin
issued at 8:20 a.m., said: "Move
ment at this slower speed and a
change of course would bring the
center to upper South Carolina or
.the North Carolina coast late to-
night or Wednesday morning.”
, Throughout the night, Diane had
remained on a west-northwest
(more west than north) course,
but forecasters said the reduced
forward speed might cause her to
turn toward the .north. Such a di-
rection change would place the
North Carolina coast, swept last
week by Hurricane Connie, in ex-
treme jeopardy.
Diane’s worst threat appeared
to be to beach areas. Tides were
forecast at some points as much
as nine feet above normal.
Marines joined highway crews,
civilian volunteers and convicts to-
day in a feverish attempt to throw
up sand breakwaters along North
Carolina's beaches. Connie’s high
tides washed away many of the
dunes which protect beach build-
ings.
“It scares me to death to think
what would happen if another
storm struck,” said North Caro-
lina’s Gov. Luther Hodges after a
600-mile flight over the stricken
area.
Only last Oct. 15 Hurricane
Hazel burst in upon the land at
the North Carolina-South Carolina
border and swept northward all the
way to Canada, killing 177 persons
and doing an estimated 114 billion
dollars worth of damage. Last
week’s Connie was less severe. But
her damage ran into the tens of
millions and her death toll was
42. No one died, however, in the
well-warned beach areas.
One result of Diane s approach
was to postpone plans for a full-
in of Adm. Arleigh A. Burke as
chief of naval operations. “Hte cere-
mony was to have been held
aboard the aircraft carrier Ticon-
deroga at Norfolk, Va. Under the
revision the swearing-in will be to-
morrow at the U. S. Naval Acad-
emy at Annapolis, Md.
Reports from South Carolina
beaches said that little prepara-
tion was needed for the blow.
Vacationers went for early morn-
ing dips in the surf at Myrtle
Beach beneath a warm sun and
blue skies. Civilian defense spokes-
men said last week’s rehearsal for
Connie had prepared that area for
any eventuality.
“Vacancy” signs appeared at
most of the beach inns and motor
courts, but town officials said there
had been no general evacuation,
as such. They said there simply
were few incoming tourists to re-
place those who departed after
completing vacations.
The Charleston Weather Bureau
said heavy rains would visit the
entire coastal area tonight. The
(Continued on page four)
But Denies He
•
Actually Took
Bribery Money
SAN ANTONIO (^-Former Tex-
Giles today pleaded guilty to two
counts that he had agreed to accept
a bribe.
But he said he was innocent of
a third count—of actually receiv-
ing a $35,000 bribe.
The state waived prosecution of
this third count and. Giles was
expected to be sentenced later
today.
•He is already under a three year
sentence tor theft in another case
involving the state’s 100 million
dollar veterans land program he
formerly administered.
Giles’ plea of guilty came after
two motions to dismiss and quash
the Indictment were overruled.
The state called a few witnesses
to build a case to substantiate the
charges against Giles.
This was described as a legal
formality only.
The testimony was heard by
Dist. Judge M. D. Jones only.
There was no jury, since Jones
accepted Giles’ plea pf guilty.
Fred Semaan, one of Giles’ de-
fense attorneys, said he doubted if
the defense would put on any wit-
nesses in this formality testimony.
Giles was tense and drawn when
he entered the plea of guilty.
It came as somewhat of a sur-
prise to the packed courtroom.
There were tears in the eyes of
Rogan Giles as his father entered
the guilty plea.
Giles Said he had no comment
to make now, but indicated he
might have something to say later
today.
The defense waived the three
day waiting period and indicated
it would accept an immediate sen-
tence.
Giles is under numerous indict-
ments in connection with alleged
fraudulent sales under the land
program.
He has been free on bond and
his prison sentence is on appeal.
The indictments in this case
charged that Giles agreed to ac-
cept and did accept a bribe from
C. V. Wynn and Arthur McKenzie,
two San Antonio land promoters,
in exchange for helping them make
(Continued on page four)
a county commissioner, visibly up-
set, came in.
He quoted the commissioner as
saying, “I’m mad and I'm hurt.”
He said the commissioner told
him that he was disappointed that
he had signed a petition without
first coming to him or members
of the court to discuss the issue.
The buinessman said he was ac-
cused of ’deliberately” heading a
petition being circulated, asking the
court to rescind its order for sal-
ary increases for eleven county
elective officials.
The businessman told the Daily
Sun News that he had not headed
the petition deliberately: that it
was quite by chance his name head
ed the list but he reiterated that
he would "sign petitions all day”
even after a long session with the
court in which he heard commis-
sioners views.
He said that he felt denying a
man the right to petition was de-
priving him of one of his basic
privileges.
The businessman related that he
asked the commissioner to calm
down if he were to dicuss the mat-
ter of salary increases with him.
Then the businessman said the
commissioner asked him if he
would talk to the whole court,
something which he agreed to do.
He said he was closeted with the
court about two hours Saturday
morning, discussing the salary is-
sue.
He said that the court presented
its case, but that he also manag-
ed to get his own message across.
He said members of the
spent much of the time talking
bout "biased” reporting of the .
elland Daily Sun News and failure
of the newspaper to report what
they described as both sides of the
issue.
He said he told member* of the
court that if they thought Forrest
Weimhold (Publisher of the Level-
land Daily Sun News) was the only
person opposing them on the issue,
they were very badly mistaken.
The meeting at which the busi-
nessman appeared was the same
session in which Levelland Jaycees
also obtained promises from the
judge and various members of the
court to appear on a special radio
program airing the salary hike is-
sue.
The program is scheduled tor
Tuesday, Aug. 23.
To be entitled, “The Jaycees Re-
port,” the program will consist of f
a panel of county residents and
members of the court.
Judge Paul A. Williams said
Monday that charity cases were
the only other business taken up at
the session and that no minutes
would be recorded.
court
Daily Comics Missing
Comic strips scheduled to ap-
pear in today’s Levelland Daily
Sun News, along with those fct
the next two weeks, have been
inadvertently misplaced or lost.
Regular comics will be miss-
ing from the paper until dup-
licates can be shipped from
Associated Press in New York.
Indians Inflamed Oxer Bloodshed
Angry Mobs Riot Through Bombay
By B. 8. V. RAO
BOMBAY, India Ofi — Inflamed
over yesterday's bloodshed in Por-
tuguese India, frenzied mobs of
Indians rioted through Bombay to-
day. They hoisted the Indian flag
over the Portuguese consulate,
forced newspapers, shops and busi-
ness houses to close, and surround-
ed government buildings.
Demonstrators shouted "Nehru
— leave Delhi and lead us to Goa!"
as they stoned the consulate and
smashed its windows. The consu-
late personnel had been evacuated
earlier.
Police opened fire on the mob,
wounding three demonstrators.
Several bus and streetcar conduc-
tors were hurt in attacks on their
vehicles as the mob enforced a
general strike throughout the city.
Beginning at dawn, more than
150.000 Indians marched past the
consulate screaming demands for
military action against tl)e three
small Portuguese territories north
and south of Bombay. Guards
dress ceremony for the swearing there yesterday killed an undeter-
mined number of "nonviolent” In-
dian marchers demanding the ces-
sion of the areas to India.
In New Delhi. Prime Minister
Nehru told the Indian Parliament
that his government would not be
“provoked” by the killings into
military action against Portugal.
He said he would continue to seek
the transfer of Portuguese India,
the last foreign territory in the
country, by peaceful’ means.
Shops were also closed through-
out New Delhi by a 24-hour pro-
test strike.
Nehru said latest information
from the Bombay state govern-
ment put the toll in the march into
the Portuguese colonies at 15 dead
and 28 wounded but he said the
casualties might have been
greater. He reported some 800
demonstrators were still in Goa
and Diu, two of the settlements,
and said there was no information
on what had happened to them.
(In Lisbon, the Portuguese For-
eign (Ministry said an unknown
number of Indians had been killed
and wounded yesterday. It said
“the Portuguese authorities were
obliged to meet violence with vio-
lence. . . The responsibility for this
bloodshed rests entirely upon the
persons who encouraged, permitted
and abetted the invasion.”
(The Portuguese communiqque
said the Indian demonstrators were
expelled, "although a few individ-
uals may still lurk in less acces- ,
sible areas.” The communique^
added: "The Portuguese govemf
ment formally protests to the govt
ernment of India against the ser-
ious violations of sovereignty per-
pretated.")
Today's Question
What characteristic do you
like most about your husband?
For the opinions of your
neighbors and friends, turn to
page 2 for today’s Dally bun
News Telephone Quiz.
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Brewer, Orlin. The Levelland Daily Sun News (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 204, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 16, 1955, newspaper, August 16, 1955; Levelland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1117774/m1/1/: accessed July 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting South Plains College.