PAGE 2, KINGS MOUNTAIN MIRROR, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1972
Cetters Zo
Zhe Editor
Greed Increases
Perspective
bv Jav Ashle\
Well, Sure and Begorrah
tliere is someone out there in
newspaper land that reads my
column!
II you remember, last week’s
(laming commentary concer
ned my plight to get a family
doctor. So you can imagine
the feeling of apprehension I
experienced last Thursday
when Elaine announced, “Th
ere’s a call for you from the
Doctor’s office.’’
“Oh no,” I thought, “The
A.M.A. is going to sue for
group libel.” Very carefully
I picked up the receiver and
answered.
“Is thisMr. Ashley...theone
who wrote the column on doc
tors this week?” said the
voice.
“Yes it is.”
“Well, we read Ithereatthe
office.”
“I’m glad you read the pap
er.” was all I could say.
“Have you found a doctor
yet?”
Negative.
“This is Dr. Adams office
and he would like for you to
know that he will be glad to
care for you and your family.”
Well, I guess the only word
for the feeling is flabbergast
ed. Yes, instead of me finding
a doctor, one had found me.
Thank God for non-conform
ity. Luckily both Doctor and
secretary were jovial about
the whole situation. The only
thing that bothers .me is that
tliey mentioned something
about me paying double or
something like that
Further notes on the medi
cal field. I noticed in the pa
pers that researchers acci
dentally found that “pot” can
be used as a treatment for
patients with glaucoma. After
studying the effects of mari
juana on several willing hu
man guinea pigs at Berkely,
the scientists found that pres
sure on the eyes was reduced.
They then administered the
drug to a patient with the high
eye pressure, earmarking
glaucoma, and found this
pressure reduced several un
its. The only drawback at
present is bow to administer
the drug without having the
patient stagger around high!
Last Thursday I was shopping
at a store in Gastonia when
someone tapped me on the
shoulder. 11 was a deaf mute.
He handed me a card explain
ing his affliction and then just
stood there. It was obvious
he was seeking a handout so 1
decided to talk with him...in
sign language. 1 asked him
wliat he needed. He looked at
me oddly and with a gleam of
surprise and answered any
thing I could spare. 1 had no
money on me so 1 told him so
and added that I was sorry I
couldn’t help. He thanked me
and walked off. I later re
lated the story to Barbara and
displayed my signs for her.
It was then that she told me.
“He probably didn’t under
stand you.” “Why?” was my
Immediate response. “Wei-
1,” she answered, “Youspel-
led’WHAT’ W-H-S-T.”Give
me a break, it’s been a long
time.
LURIE’S OPINION
M<;«.
f'S
SI
Dear Editor:
Ever notice it? The greedy are getting-—greedy’er!
Seemingly since the federal government has been forwarding
funds to the state and local level everyone seems to be trying
to get on the Free Will Train. Now don’t get me wrong please!
I’m fur the state and local level being helpful, when help is need
ed, But for crying out loud! Where’s it going to stop? It would
and will be a tragedy if some one doesn’t wake up shortly. If the
trend continues. Kings Mountain, as well as many other towns
and cities will be solely owned by the federal government. And
those who are so Instrumental working to this end will have pack
ed their $$$ bags and will have flown the coop, leaving our cities
in a state of Indebtment or even bankrupted. So what is really
left is a federalization and centralization of power.
Property owners will have to sell their property at a meger
profit if any, who will later have to either rent or buy previous
property holdings at a greatt ; cost. This isn’t good logic much
less good horse sense. Neither is neither of the twain. Where
a city will not be able to continue its tax structure with the fed
eral government holding a lien, the city will be losing much of
the tax revenue-no taxed property.
Oh, well, perhaps I’ve just awaken from a bad dream. If so,
please. Doc, give me another shot to get the bad taste and thou
ght out of my mind.
E. H. Pearson
Expression Of Thanks
Dear Editor:
Finding the words which best express our feelings is difficult.
Only six months after the death of our mother, we have now had
to give up our father also. Our hearts are saddened and our lives
even more empty. We know that many others also feel a loss at
his passing, (or he had many friends. He appreciated his friends
and family and was able to still think of others, even during the
long weeks of Intense pain.
We wish to express our appreciation to the many friends, re
latives, acquaintances, and organizations who have meant so
much. We are grateful (or your friendship and for your kind
nesses to our father and to our family. You have expressed your
concern in so many different and unique ways, from monetary
gifts to gifts of one’s time and services. Each of these kindnes
ses is remembered and appreciated for the individual way in
which it was given. We appreciate, too, the many p'fayers which
have been made on behalf of our parents.
Sincerely,
Betty and Larry McDaniel
Shirley England
The War On Crime
in the last three years indictments of criminal syndicate
figures have increased by 63 per cent, according to John
Hushen, director of public information in the Department of
Justice.
This is a result, Hushen says, of President Nixon’s
specific instructions to the department—to wage an all-out
effort to loosen the grip organized crime has fastened on
many parts of the nation.
Henry Petersen, head of the Justice Department’s Crim
inal Division, recently agreed the federal government is
now winning its war against organized crime.
The beginning of the current major effort dates to 1954
and the effort got into high gear in 1961; the last three
years, however, have seen the peak in eighteen-year war,
Petersen says. The number of arrests of crime’s higher ups
is so high today the organization is certain to be depleted
if the same toll continues in future years.
The major new weapons in the war are grand juries’ power
to use court-authorized wiretap evidence, the new authority
to grant immunity to implicated individuals who testify and
the recently-received power of law officers to compel
witnesses to testify (despite the Fifth Amendment) if they
are guaranteed such testimony will not be used against
them.
The Nixon Administration’s concentration on law and
order has obviously produced results, which is heartening
to most Americans.
-m
>4.
o
T.MCNG NO MORE CHANCES
N. C. Home Speakership Battle Continues
A ‘Tove Story” Blossoms In N.C. Politics
KQ SYNDICATE
By JOHN KILGO
Eric Segal, the author of Love
Story, should have been at
Kinston last week. He would
have lapped it up.
The occasion was a barbe
cue, sponsored by Frank Ro
use on behalf of Republican
gubernatorial nominee Jim
Holshouser. I was unable to
attend because of a last min
ute conflict.
But I talked with Republicans
who went and they were Im
pressed with what happened.
Rouse, who did his best to help
Jim Gardner defeat Hols
houser In the primary, is now
working like a pack mule for
Holshouser.
The purjpose of the Kinston
rally was tobrlngalotolGar-
dner supporters together and
let them see first-hand that
Holshouser didn’t have horns
and carry a pitchfork.
One eastern Republican told
me: “A lot of us Gardner peo
ple were going to sit this thing
out in the fail. Rouse got us
down there and talked to us,
introduced Holshouser arou
nd, and you’d be surprised
what a difference it made.
Many of those Gardner people
went away from there pledged
to help Holshouser In the
fall.”
That was the plus in Rouse
retaining his post as chair
man. The Gardner people feel
like the Republican Party has
treated them as second class
citizens. Now they can look
at the top and see Rouse sit
ting up there as chairman, and
he’s one of the good ole boys.
It Is no secret that Rouse
has been busy the past three
weeks trying to org^ze Gar
dner supporters to get out
there in the bushes and go to
work (or Holshouser.
He has told some close asso
ciates that he has been more
successful than he figured he
would.
Rouse told me: “I’ve talked
' with some Gardner support
ers on Holshouser’s behalf
and I’m pleased with the re
sponse I’ve received.”
A lot of work remains to be
done because some sores
from the primary are still
slow to heal. But Eric Segal
would have loved that barbe
cue supper in Kinston.
The hearts and roses turn
about between Rouse and Hol
shouser makes us wonder if
a similar reconciliation can
be made between George Mc
Govern, the Democratic nom
inee for president, and the
octopus-llke labor organiza
tion.
George Meany has said a firm
no to McGovern. Yet, McGov
ern has begun his soft-sell to
ward the labor leader by say
ing Meany is really not a
meany. Individual labor gro
ups are beginning to make
their own choice.
Politics makes strange bed
fellows. Even when they re
fuse to go to bed in the begin
ning.
Democratic organization
meetings in North Carolina on
a national basis are slowly ta
king form. Our suspicion Is
the men who mould the tempo
are awaiting developments
from the Republican conven
tion.
The choice of Spiro Agnew
by Richard Nixon as his vice
president came with all the
fanfare of violin music at the
dinner hour. It wasn’t unex
pected; yet. It was announced
so softly It hardly created a
stir.
Mr. Nixon never makes a
move without the calculation
of a chess player. The Re
publican convention has the
earmarks of a Sunday school
class coming to order.
But don’t bet it won’t be with
out at least one firecracker.
The Nixon strategy demands
noise when it is least expec
ted. Examples were the trips
to Peking and Moscow.
There’s still a battle going
on for the Speakership of the
North Carolina House, with
both of the major contenders
claiming enough votes to win
when the legislature convenes
next January.
The candidates are Rep.
James E. Ramsey of Roxboro
and Rep. Dwight W. Quinn of
Kannapolis.
We talked with more than a
dozen Democratic members
of the House and the majority
of them said they felt Ramsey
would end up with the Speak
er’s position.
Rep. Quinn, however, isn’t
buying that talk.
“ It looks pretty good, ”
Quinn told me when I asked
him about his chances of be
ing elected Speaker. “Things
are definitely looking up.”
Quinn says he expects about
95 Democrats to take their
seats in the 120-member Tar
Heel House next year. He has
been working hard at drum
ming up support (or bis can
didacy (orSp^erandhetells
me:
“I can count enough votes to
win if they stay hitched."
Quinn says he’s been busy
with the Advisory Budget
Commission for the past three
weeks, but plans to do a lot of
campaigning for the Speaker -
ship in the days just ahead.
It was generally conceded
that Ramsey of Roxboro start
ed behind in the race for
Speaker but made great head
way midway through the last
session of the General As
sembly,
Ramsey looks for 92 to 95
Democrats in the House next
time and he told me in an in
terview: “It looks real good
for my candidacy. But I plan
to continue to work hard."
Ramsey has gone after the
S|)eaker’s post with vigor. He
has been in touch with House
members by phone, letter and
has visited them in person. He
plans to continue his trips a-
round the state to talk with
Democratic House members.
"The people who are com
mitted to me are strongly
committed," Ramsey said.
"They will be in my corner
with their votes. I’m sure of
that,”
Ramsey doesn’t want to blow
the matter out of proportion,
but be feels very confident that
he’s going to be the winner in
this race. Quinn, almost with
out queston, has been hurt to
some extent by the politics of
transition.
Several Democrats who were
to line up with Quinn have left
the House to be nominated for
the State Senate. They are Ken
Royal, Jack Rhyne, Harold
Hardison and McNeil Smith.
At least two others who were
going to vote for Quinn have
died, .and two more were de
feated in primaries this year.
Ramsey is to the point now
that he is formulating plans
that he would use from the
Speaker’s podium. He wants
to see the Democratic caucus
moved from the second week
in December to Nov. 17. In
other words, be would like to
see the House organized (ast
er this year than it was in
1971,
“It was two weeks before I
knew where my office was last
session,” Ramsey said. “It
was three weeks before the
House was really organized.
I would like to see us be or
ganized the first week in Ral
eigh so the legislature could
go to work immediately.”
Ramsey said if elected Spe
aker, he will do what he can
to see to it that the state’s
business is conducted in the
open.
Quinn and Ramsey are fight
ing lor the Speaker’s position
which is presently held by Phil
Godwin. Godwin toyed with
the Idea of running for lieu
tenant governor but ran for the
State Senate instead and won
nomination. Godwin does not
have opposition In the gener
al election.
'76
Reflections
hv Rodnev Dodson
Hilij:
!luRi£
"m
Being on a real movie set
was a new experience (or me,
and to think that it’s right here
in Kings Mountain makes it
even more exciting. If all the
doubters and fun makers had
driven out Watterson Street
behind Mountaineer Pharma
cy Monday morning, I’m sure
they would have been sur
prised, A full production crew
with trucks and cameras and
lighting equipment lined the
street in front of the small
brick building which is head
quarters for Four Fellows
Productions.
The building was being used
for some of the script’s jail
interior shots, and the crew
was placing lights and reflec
tors at strategic positions.
The film crew was from Stu
dio 1, out of Louisville, Ken
tucky, It took some time to
get all the equipment and
props into place before theac-
tors could run through their
lines, but the cameras finally
began to roll, everyone was
Instructed to be perfectly
quiet, and traffic was held up
on WattersonStreetduringthe
takes. Mike Muscat, a fine
young actor from Gastonia is
playing “the town idiot" in
this flick (not in reference to
any real person I’m sure), and
was dressed for the part wea
ring coveralls, t-shlrt, and
barefooted, with a ridiculous
hat to top it off. Now picture
him stationed at the end of the
street to turn away oncoming
cars.
One lady actually sped up
when he duted for her car to
stop her. Apparently she did
n’t want to ^e any chances
with the character..
Everyone was oggllng at the
pretty girls who were cast lor
parts in the movie, and some
one said they had never seen
so much traffic on that street.
Pete Floyd, one of the Four
Fellows, expressed his appr
eciation to the Mirror for our
support of their efforts from
the beginning. He acknowled
ged that we were publicizing
the movie and keeping the pu
blic informed when some ot
her people were laughing at
the idea. I appreciate his re
marks, and hasten to add that
no matter what the outcome of
this effort, nobody’s laughing
now. When a film crew trav
els KKX) miles with $100,000
worth of equipment, that’s no
joke.
The “let’s do something...
let’s make a movie" idea of
a small group of enterprising
and talented local people has
become a reality. I think this
is a living testimony of what
a little determination and hard
work cando. They deserve the
support of the townspeople.
I’m looking forward to the
premier showing.
By the way, one of the pro-
ductlon crew almost made off 91
with two of our prize employ
ees Monday morning. Becky
and Elaine were just cross
ing the street (or some chic
ken or something, and were
stopped by this guy asking di
rections to the film location.
Apparently noting their star
qualities, he asked them if
they’d ever considered a mo
vie career, and said be might
see them again sometime
I guess that’s the way stars
are made.
Washington Report
li\ t'on"i'«‘s>>nuin JaiiM'sT. lirttvliill
A Look At Tax Reform
In this political year, there
has been a great deal of talk
about the need for tax reform.
Charges have been made that
our present tax structure bv-
ors corporations over the in
dividual taxpayer and that rich
people are able to escape
taxes through a system of
“loopholes”'while low and
middle Income people are
bearing the brunt of the tax
burden.
There is no doubt that sign-
niflcand changes in the tax
structure should and will be
made. The present system is
far too complicated for the av
erage citizen to understand.
In addition, there are loop
holes which should be plug
ged to prevent abuses that now
exist.
But much of the debate about
the tax reform question has
been misleading and aimed
more at making political gains
than at providing practical and
fair suggestions for the re
form of our tax structure.
Before the Congress acts on
tax reform legislation, it
would be wise to study the is
sue more thoroughly and more
cautiously, out of the heat of
the political arena.
In both 1969 and 1971, leg
islation revising our tax laws
was enacted by the Congress.
While some have charged that
these two laws favor corpor
ations to the disadvantage of
individuals, the tacts do not
bear out this contention. The
U.S. Treasury Department of
ficials estimates show that the
combined effect of the 1969
and 1971 tax reform laws has
been as follows:
For the (our calender years
1969-1972, they wUl have-
increased corporate Income
taxes by $4.9 billion;—de
creased individual Income
taxes by $18.9 billion;--de
creased excise taxes onauto-
moblles and telephones, af
fecting mainly Individuals, by
$3.5 bUlion.
For the current calender
year 1972, they will have--
decreased corporate income
taxes by $0.4 bUIlon;—decre
ased individual income taxes
by $12.0 billion;--decreased
excise taxes by $2,6 billion.
These statistics demonstrate
that under the 1969 and 1971
tax changes, substantially all
reductions have gone to indi
viduals.
Attention has also been fo
cused on the fact that (or the
tax year 1970, 106 persons
with incomes in excess of
$200,000 paid no Income tax.
Some have argued that this
handful of cases shows that
the system is un&lr and that
th e rich do not pay taxes. A%l
However, It should be notedly]
that 15,200 taxpayers in this
Income category paid an av
erage Federal Income tax of
$177,000 each--a total of$2.7
billion. In addition, all of the
106 cases in which no taxes
were paid are under study by
the Internal Revenue Service
and (Inal settlement has not
been made.
A list of so - called “loop
holes ” has been cited as a
cause of inequity of the tax
burden and loss of revenues to
the Federal government. A
closer look, however, reveals
that many of these “loop
holes" are used by the aver
age, low and middle Income
citizen to lower his taxes
rather than being the exclus
ive prerogative of the rich.
For example, the Interest on
home mortgages is a “loop
hole" used by millions of
American homeowners. De
ductions for medical expens
es, children personal exemp
tions, and occupational costs
are all available to everyone
with any kind of taxable in
come. They were deliverately
written into the tax laws be
cause they serve legitimate
social or economic needs. J|\l
The Impact of these deduct- \
ions is far greater (or tax
payers in the low and middle
Income brackets than for
those with high Incomes. Any
decision to eliminate them
should be carefully thought
through and the effects on our
economy and social institu
tions should be considered.
It is clear that the subject
of tax reform is far from sim
ple. Wewlllbehearlngagreat
deal of rhetoric in this elect
ion year about this issue, and
many so - called “reform”
plans will be offered. Hope
fully, the next Congress can
weigh the merits of these var
ious proposals in a calmer and
more reasonable atmosphere.
'TKcnno'i
P. O. Box 345 — Phone (704) 739-3851
RODNEY DODSON
Editor & Co-Publisher
LEM R, LYNCH
Co-Publisher & Business Mgr.
JAY ASHLEY
News Editor
Published Each Wednesday
In Kings Mountain
By
Mirror Publishing Co.
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