SAT., JUNE 27,1931
TCSCAT.
From working out a monthly budget to determining
a savings or investment strategy, newly weds are faced
with some important decisions regarding financial
aecurity. While some of the money matters may take
time to decide, immediate attention -
to pthers can smooth the transition F
from single to married life. f
Deciding whether to have joint
savings andor checking accounts, . IIT
and name changes on such things V " JT
the matters which can be handled
soon after the wedding.
Many of the name changes on
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woman. However, there are many PanThompaon
matters that can be decided jointly. Your banker can
help you with some of the more important ones. '
If a couple decides to keep separate savings and
Postage Rate Increase
By Lonnie L. Johnson
Director, National Mail Handlers Union
The United States Postal Service has a confusing
identify it is slowly being revamped to behave more
and more like a good business on one hand and is yet
upholding its ideal as a "service" on the other. The in
crease of first-class postage from 15 to 18 cents, effec
tive since March 22, 1981, necessitates the devaluation
of the Postal Service's exact status.,.
The public deserves to know where its tax dollars arc
going and why a non-profit service organization of the
federal government has joined the mainstream of spiral
ing prices everywhere.
The USPS, an independent part of the government's
executive branch, was established to replace the cabinet
level Post Office Department in the Postal Reorganiza
tion Act of 1970. The old Post Office Department had
never climbed out of its deficit, and the Postal Service
was designed to do better, this is where the government,
gives its quasi-independent service the appearance of a
business.
While expecting the USPS to function with a smaller
deficit in the international market and as a service in the
national one, it simultaneously refuses to relinquish
support and not only lessens federal subsidies but
allocates them in areas that increase the likelihood of
the deficit remaining at status quo.
The USPS is a huge, complex organization with
30,000 post offices around the country and 650,000
employees handling approximately 100 billion pieces of
mail per year. It is the Service's designated duty to
deliver mail efficiently, keep prices affordable, and pro
tect the rights of privacy.
Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution
grants Congress the power lo insure that this model exist
for us as a reality. Yet the Administration is slowly
decreasing the Service's federal subsidies for public ser
vice and cutting borrowing in half. Almost $1 billion of
foregone revenue remains in the Postal Service's expen
diture. Even with a total income of $19.1 billion in 1980, it
still spent thai much in lower rates and free services for
13,000 non-profit organizations and charities.
The pertinent question is then this: if taxpayer dollars
arc used for Congressional reimbursement of such a
large bite of the Postal Service's income, and President
By Dan Thompson
WHEN YOU MARRY
checking accounts, the wife simply has to telj, her
banker her new name and address, sign a new signa
ture card and order new checks. The same steps are
necessary to switch from a single to a joint account.
A man may want his wife to have use of his bank
credit card, or vice versa. There are several ways to
do this. You may want your spouse to be able to use
the credit card although your name remains on the
card and you retain sole responsibility for the
charges. In this case, your banker .will arrange for
you to get a second card. If you and your spouse want
to share the account responsibility, a joint credit
card application will need to be filed. V
The traestion of beneficiaries also needaJa be
reviewed. If something happens to either one of
you, whom do' vou want to receive the money you
Happiness Through health
) Back Pain Cure Finally Appears On Horizon
By Otto McClarrin
THERE'S GOOD NEWS for back pain sufferers.
The testing of the drug Chymopapain is proceeding on
schedule, and the first results of tests in various parts of
the country are encouraging. :
, SOME KEY FACTS: Chymopapain is not a cure-all
for back pains: It is an enzyme that is injected info the
back to dissolve the substance, or disc, that has escaped
from between the vertebrae and is exerting pressure on
nerves, causing severe pain.
A back (Operation, or laminectomy, achieves the same
result through invasive surgery. A laminectomy is
serious, major surgery and is extremely expensive. The
injection process is much simpler and cheaper.
Chymopapain was used on 17,000 patients several
years ago with good results. But the Food and Drug Ad
ministration (FDA) withdrew ipproval of the drug
because of controversy over a testing process.
According to writer Jack Mabley, the FDA has ap
proved double blind testing and Dr. William F. Hejna,
professor of orthopedics and senior vice president of
Rush University, has confirmed that injections began in
May in Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital.
Dr. Hejna said that about sixty patients have received
injections in tests at five other sites around the nation.
Early results, he said, "are very encouraging. . . .We're
quite optimistic." .
In a double blind test, half the patients receive a
harmless placebo and half receive Chymopapain. This
procedure was altered for the Chymopapain test,
however, to overcome a major fault of double blind
tests. If after six weeks, the patient has not received
relief, the code will be broken to determine whether he
received the placebo or the drug. If the patient received
the placebo, he may return to the hospital and receive
Chymopapain.
Double blind test results will go to the FDA in
Washington. Assuming that they are favorable, much
broader clinical testing could begin at the various sites
throughout the country as early as September.
These tests may involve as many as fifty orthopedic
surgeons and neurosurgeons administering Chymopa
pain to about 3,000 patients in each state selected for ,
testing.
That study will last about a year, .with doctors and
hospitals keeping detailed records ort the patients. If the"
results are favorable, the FDA presumably will approve
the drug for general use.
The potential for alleviating pain and reducing-health '
care costswith the general use of Chymopapain is enor
mous. According to insurers, back pain is the most cost
ly physical ailment in terms of medical bills and time
lost from work.
Much of it is caused by ruptured discs for which, ap
proximately 200,000 laminectomies are performed in
the United States each year. A conservative estimate of
the average cost in doctors' and hospital bills and time
lost from work is $20,000. That comes to $4 billion a
year.
General use of Chymopapain would cut that cost by
half or two-thirds. The procedure is much less painful,
and recovery time is weeks shorter.
Baxter Travcnol Laboratories made the Chymopa
pain in the 17,000 earlier cases and provides it in
Canada, where it has been in general use for years. Bax
ter Travcnol also, is conducting a Chvmonanain test with
have worked for? Things to consider include your
savings certificates, insurance policies, pension or -retirement
plans, and will or estate plan, r , ;
you may want your spouse to share your safe i
deposit box. That can be arranged by signing a-,
deputy card, which will authorize access to the safe :
deposit box for both of you. t ,
Under North Carolina law, you have 60 days after; -
you marry to change the name on your driver ;
. license. Although getting your name changed on it '
is extremely important, there are other concerns . .
which also require your attention: social security .-..
and personnel records, automobile loans, insurance t:
policies, college alumni records and telephone list- -ing.
Credit bureaus use social security numbers for -,
identification, but notifying them of a name charge.:
helps keep your file up-to-date, . .
Dan Thompson, abankerforovertuytari,uaPertonalBanitr
. at the RobertonviUe office of Wachovia Bank and Trust Company. '..
FDA approval. The same 'drug manufactured by Smith;
Laboratories of Chicago is called Chymopapain. Baxter: '
Travenol calls its drug disease. But the active ingredient
in both is chymopapain, according to Dr. Hejna. The
main ingredient in Chymopapain is from the ordinary
papaya plant the stuff you use to tenderize meat.
The success rate in the 1 7,000 earlier cases was, and in.
Canada is, minimally 70. Dr. Carl Sutton of Mon-i
treal, who has treated hundreds of Americans, reports"
907 success.
Letter to the Edit t:
When reading your article, "NBIPP State Conven
tion Said of 'Extreme Urgency", I was appalled at the
assertion that a National Black Independent Party is'
needed because of the "twin evils of the Congressional
Club and the inhumane advocacy of Senator Jesse
Helms."
A Black Independent Party is needed because the
traditional two party system has traditionally created a
Black leadership for the Black masses a leadership
that spends all of its time trying to please Whites instead
of strengthening and building upon those Black institu
tions that existed prior to the trick of integration.
It is not Jesse Helms or the Congressional Club who
teach young Blacks to buy White instead of buying
Black. It is not Jesse Helms or the Congressional Club
who preach that a Black school is inferior to a White
school because it has no White students or White staff.
It is not Jesse Helms or the Congressional Club who tell
our Black youth that being written about by (or working
for) a White newspaper is better than being written
about by (or working for) a Black newspaper.
No, Jesse Helms and Congressional Club are not any
more our enemy than any other White or White group
in America. Unfortunately, we become our worst enemy
when we strive to be White instead of loving and ap
preciating our glorious heritage.
Hopefully, instead of concentrating on Whites at the
Convention, Blacks will concentrate on how we can gel
Negroes to become Black.
i Louis A. be Freitas
Bras
By Joe Black
Ft wo! jki irn' btu
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As many of you know, I have been
doing "By The Way" for more than a
decade, and during that time, I have dis
cussed many topics. Some of them did
more than provoke; they aroused anger.
And when I look back, I think" that some
of my topics were before their t ime.
For example, in the early 1970's,
I urged the youthful Black athletes
not to "prostitute" their bodies by
going to college and concentrating on
sports rather than gaining a qual
ity education.
And now, here we are in thel980's
when it should be the best of times for
our young Brack athletes. But it's not.
The smaller institutions have always
offered scholarships, but now the major
colleges and universities are seeking the
talent of these athletes. And that's when
it becomes the worst of times because the
lure of television exposure and their
names in headlines causes them to lose
their capacity to think. They must re
member that college represents two
opportunities a quality education that
will make them competitive in today's
labor market and a possible contract
with a professional team. It's sad to say,
too many of them concentrate on seek
ing the sports contract. And when the
fickle finger of fate points to someone
else to receive the "pro" contract, too
often the young Black athlete is left dis
appointed, frustrated, and uneducated.
So encourage our youths to dream
about stars, but at the same time, re
mind them that school is for
learning, also.
JbetShck
Vice President
The Greyhound Corporation
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