Newspaper Page Text
E good
VENIN VF
By Quimby Melton
“At least 18 persons were ac
cidentally killed over the week
end in Georgia,” read an early
Monday morning bulletin on the
UPI wire. Later reports proba
bly will show the total larger.
Os the 18 accidental deaths re
ported in this early morning
story four were victims of train
auto collisions, three being in
stantly killed and one, a 19-year
old University coed died from
injuries received earlier in the
week.
One victim burned to death in
his cabin; and two pedestrians,
a man and a woman, were kill
ed when they “walked in front
of an automobile.”
(In the Griffin Safety Patrol
area two persons were killed in
an automobile accident near
Forsyth. The accident occured
about 6:25 p.m.; and since the
weekend began officially at 6:00
p.m. they are included in the 18
deaths.)
- * —
Year after year the National
Safety Concil and other organ
izations interested in safe driv
ing have promulgated rules for
safety. But to a lot of people
these safety rules are not for
them. "It can’t happen to me”
many believe. Yet year after
year the total number of acci
dental deaths is increasing.” So
does the population and the num
ber of automobiles on the streets
and highways” one is quick to
retort. Yes but the rate of increa
se in accidental death is much
larger than the growth of popu
lation or the increased number
of cars on the go.
So someone has come up with
a new idea — “Maybe after all,
it’s not the fault of those who
drive automobiles, but the fault
of those who manufacture auto
mobiles. ... the cars are not
safe enough!” some have said.
So Congress has ordered the
makers of our automobiles to
build in more “safety features.”
Evidently there are some Con
gressmen who are of the opinion
the makers of automobiles are
more interested in making mo
ney than they are in the safety
of those who drive their cars.
This idea is both unfair and
ridiculous!
Year after year, company af
ter company, has made safety
improvements in their models.
They are as anxious as any
“merchant” that their “custom
ers” will be alive for years to
come, thus being “customers”
more than once.
But the smartest engineers
employed by the automotive
industry have not as yet come
up with any safety device that
will make any car absolutely
“fool proof.”
They have not discovered what
can be done to eliminate acci
dents caused by those drivers
who are “under the influence”—
it's up to the courts to solve
that problem;
They have been unable to put
a stop to people driving beyond
the speed that is safe under var
ious road conditions;
They can’t either explain,
or stop, people continuing to
“take a chance” on tires that
are so badly worn they are
apt to blow out any moment;
Despite warnings time and
time again there still are many
prone to “put off” having their
automobiles inspected and de
fects repaired; and one must
not forget that any machinery,
even the best built automobile
needs repairs from time to
time.
There are many other causes
of accidents that all the safety
planning will not eliminate. But
if the public, all the drivers, will
wake up and realize that a vast
majority of accidents are their
fault-not the fault of their car
nor of “the other fellow”, then
we can and will greatly reduce
the number of accidents and the
tremendous toll of life every
year.
Recently the Automobile Club
of Michigan, the state where
most automobiles are made, in
reporting on accidents summed
up the reason for most acci
dents thusly:
“Driver failure, due to bad
habits, and attitudes, alcohol,
ignorance, poor judgment, in
experience or a combination of
these underlies most accidents.”
So it's not the fault of the cars
—it’s your fault. Don’t kid your
self.
' - ' »• • *
-
b.. j| t «k * I? 1 ®?
(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Mileage Signs
State Highway Department engineer James E. Ste
wart shows one of the mileage signs which have been
erected on state highways in the Griffin area. The
signs will aid the highway department in the location
of maintenance areas and the State Patrol in locating
accidents. The signs are posted from county line to
county line. They are numbered from south to north
and west to east.
Traffic Tidal Wave
Problem In Jackson
From Jackson Progress Argus
Jackson Newspaper
A- tidal wave of traffic has en
gulfed Jackson and Butts Coun
ty within the past two weeks
since traffic from heavily travel
ed 1-75 is being channeled north
ward over U. S. 23 from Macon
and Forsyth.
The unprecedented volume of
traffic, estimated to be sever
al hundred cars an hour over
the Easter weekend, brought
near chaos to Jackson and
prompted a call by Jackson
Mayor C. B. Brown, Jr. to the
State Highway Department for
suggestions of relief from the
great number of cars which will
ostensibly increase until com
pletion of 1-75 about two to three
years hence.
Mayor Brown said this week
that he receives an average of
10-15 calls per day complaining
about the tie-up in traffic result
ing from the large number of
out of state cars heading home
ward.
To afford some relief Mayor
Brown and Police Chief Watson
Vaughn had all available mem
bers of the Jackson Police De
partment directing traffic man
ually at intersections from U.S.
23-Rt. 16 at the southeastern ed
ge of the city to the traffic light
at the intersection of West Third
and Oak.
Policemen were also stationed
at Third and Mulberry Streets
and at Covington Street. Late
Sunday (March 28) afternoon
U. S. 23 became so congested
that traffic was backed up from
the downtown area as far south
as the Fresh Air Barbecue st
and on Highway 42, a distance
of approximately three miles.
Perhaps the only persons smil
ing at the exodus of homeward
Carlisle Joins
Law Firm Here
John R. Carlisle, a native of
Griffin, today joined the law
firm of Christopher and Fut
ral.
He completed his work at the
Lumpkin School of Law at the
University of Georgia at the end
of the winter quarter and will re
ceive his law degree in June.
Carlisle is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ernest Carlisle, Jr., of
Griffin.
He is a Griffin High graduate
and he and ..is wife plan to
make their home in Griffin.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Partly cloudy and a
little cooler tonight and Tuesday.
LOCAL WEATHER — Maxi
mum today 85, minimum today
58, maximum Sunday 83, mini
mum Sunday 55. Sunrise Tues
day 6:26 a.m., sunset Tuesday
7:01 p.m.
DAILY NEWS
Established 1871
visitors are service station oper
ators and eating establishment
owners, all of whom report a
heavy increase in business.
This is particularly true of ser
vice stations located on the right
of U. S. 23 northward as few
of the tourists seem inclined to
puli out from the bumper to
bumper traffic to purchase gas
from stations on the left.
One Jackson service station
pwner remarked that he had
pumped gasoline until midnight
and that his business had in
creased three - fold. Another
operator said that his gas vol
ume per day had more than
doubled. Jackson restaurants, in
town, and on the highway, re
port booming business.
Local citizens, becoming more
accustomed to the heavy traf
fic, have learned to avoid Third
Street if at all possible during
rush hours vjhich occur mainly
late in the afternoon, being par
ticularly on the weekends.
Mayor Brown said the State
Highway Department pledged
to send a representative to
Jackson to view the traffic and
suggest alleviation of it if reme
dies are possible. Mayor Brown
commented that 95 percent of a
the cars are from out of the
state with Ohio, Michigan, Wis
consin, Illinois, Indiana and
Tennessee tags predominating.
I*l ■ *99RB■■■
< Ik
W =*■« •BUr’®Fi
e< I 'iflk> O
\ ■,
W vBBPf
...y w
9HL.
(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Sergeant Welcomed
Sgt. R. H. (Hamp) Holcombe (1) has assumed
command of the Griffin State Patrol. He succeeds
W. E. (Gene) Butler who was promoted to lieute
nant. Sgt. Holcombe, who comes to Griffin from
Rome, was greeted at the Griffin barracks by Cpl.
C. L. Taylor (r).
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Monday, April 3,1967
Maddox Opposed To
State School Plan
Lt. Gov. Smith
Also Against It
By DON PHILLIPS
United Press International
JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. (UPI)
— A proposal by the Associa
tion of County Commissioners
to abolish local support to edu
cation was criticized today by
Gov. Lester Maddox and Lt.
Gov. George T. Smith.
'•That’s not going to work,”
said Maddox when he arrived
here to address the commis
sioners. “The first thing you
know they will want to pass a
(David Elder, Spalding Coun
ty Commissioner, is attending
the Jekyll Island meeting to
represent the board of com
missioners here. He was ac
companied by Warden Floyd
Wilkerson.)
resolution asking Washington to
finance them (schools).”
Tne proposal would end local
support and have education fi
nances concentrated on the
state level.
“We want more local financ
ing,” the governor said, “so we
can have more local control.”
Smith, also here to address
the commissioners’ 53rd annual
meeting, said the proposal "vi
olates every concept of strong
local government.”
“Once you remove any local
interest or support in educa
tion,” he added, “you’re going
to lose something that is
vital to education. Unless we
strengthen local government In
stead of going to Atlanta and
Washington, we’re going to
weaken and destroy it.”
Country Parson
“Love is a screen which
hides folks’ imperfections
from each other.”
The association’s board of
managers has approved the res
olution which calls on the gov
ernor and legislature to make
a study on the matter. The full
convention was expected to ap
prove the proposal Tuesday.
The study would be aimed at
reducing local property taxes,
the main means of local support,
for education, and finding more
state money either through an
increased sales tax or the di
version of state funds from other
areas.
Dr. Bruce Schaefer of Toccoa,
outgoing president of the Asso
ciation, predicted the resolution
would pass.
“We’re still fighting the ad
valorem (property) tax,” he
said.
An official of the Association
said It was felt property taxes
were already too high in most
Georgia counties and that
abolishing the property tax as a
means for educational support
would give counties more room
to raise taxes if the local situa
tion demands.
The association lobbied during
the legislature for a plan to in
crease the state sales tax from
three to four per cent with most
of the money to go to schools
and local governments while at
the same time lowering property
'taxes. However, the legislature
refused to pass any tax mear
sures.
The convention was to hear
from several top state political
figures today, including Gov.
Lester Maddox and Lt. Gov.
George T. Smith. Sen. Herman
Talmadge is to address the con
vention Tuesday.
Former Gov. Carl Sanders is
to receive the Association’s
“Man of the Year” award for
“the way he handled state rela
tions with local governments
during his administration.”
Explosion Rocks
Turkish Embassy
WASHINGTON (UPI) —A
home-made bomb was exploded
outside of the Turkish Embassy
early today just hours before
the arrival in Washington of the
Turkish president, police said.
They said the explosion
occurred around 3:30 a.m. EST.
There was little damage as the
bomb went off about 40 feet
behind the embassy.
The incident occurred about
eight hours before Turkish
President Cevdet Sunay was
due to arrive in Washington on
a state visit.
Police confirmed the bombing
and said they found powder
burns in the street back of the
embassy. A police spokesman
Slow Starting Congress
Baek After Easter Recess
WASHINGTON (UPI) —The
slow-starting 90th Congress
returned from an Easter
vacation today hoping to mount
a stretch drive to carry it past
the draft, taxes, social security
and the finish line by Aug. 1.
With little but the ouster of
Adam Clayton Powell to show
for the first three months of the
session, many members felt the
Democratic leadership was
overly optimistic in predicting
that Congress would be heading
home in midsummer.
The first major bill before the
lawmakers was President John
son’s proposal >to restore the 7
per cent investment tax credit
for business and industry.
The House-passed version was
up for debate in the Senate
today. A fight was shaping up
over a “rider” which would set
aside the provision enacted last
year allowing taxpayers to
earmark $1 as a political
campaign contribution.
Vol. 95 No. 78
iKMIf wife
' t- '
-'•'""'■l ■'
hbh BEWy iilii
a I
r jptar
Xbß -
(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Two Injured In Wreck
Two Griffin men were injured this morning in an accident at High Falls road and
Georgia 155 east of Griffin. They were passengers in a foreign car that overturned.
Sammy D. Gaston of 622 Drewry avenue suffered broken ribs, a possible broken
foot and neck injuries. He was listed as driver of the car. Bobby McGraw of Route
One, Griffin, suffered a broken nose, facial lacerations, bruises and abrasions.
William E. Grant of Route One was listed as driver of a pickup truck involved.
Damage was estimated at $650.
declined to discuss the incident
further.
Man Drowns In
Jackson Lake
Robert Lee Smith, 33, of Ri
verdale, Ga., drowned in Jack
son Lake, near Jackson, Ga.,
late Sunday afternoon while
swimming.
Mr. Smith was a native of
Washington, ’"‘.C., and had re
sided in Riverdale only a f e w
months. He was employed by
Piedmont Air Lines.
Mr. Smith’s body is at Hais
ten Funeral Home in Griffin.
Funeral plans will be announ
ced.
Also awaiting Senate action
was the President’s request for
a resolution endorsing his
proposal to commit $1.5 billion
in aid to Latin America over
the next five years.
Not much action was expect
ed in the House this week. On
Wednesday members faced the
annual hassle over financing the
controversial House Committee
on Unamerican Activities.
The committee’s request for
operating funds was cut from
$400,000 to $350,000 this year,
but opponents plan to wage a
floor fight in an effort to abolish
the panel altogether.
Most of the important pieces
of legislation are still in the
hands of various committees.
These include:
Social Security: The House
Ways & Means committee has
been holding hearings for
several weeks on the adminis
tration’s proposal for an aver
age 20 per cent increase in
County Mergers
Said Years Away
By DON PHILLIPS
United Press International
JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. (UPI)
— The president of the Georgia
Association of County Commis
sioners said today he does not
see any consolidation of coun
ties in the near future although
there will be much consoli
dation of services across county
lines.
Dr. Bruce Schaefer of Toccoa
predicted, however, the taxpay
ers would demand consolidation
of some counties in the next 10
to 20 years.
The convention of the associ
ation was expected this week to
social security benefits.
Draft: The House Armed
Services Committee is expected
to start hearings in late April
on the administration’s request
to extend the draft act another
four years. Johnson has pro
posed to alleviate “inequities”
by drafting 19-year-olds first;
selecting draftees by a lottery;
restricting college deferments;
and ending most graduate
deferments.
Taxes: No hearings have been
scheduled yet on the President's
proposal of a 6 per cent
surcharge on personal and
corporate taxes to help finance
the Vietnam war.
Rights: A Senate judiciary
subcommittee is holding hear
ings on a proposal to eliminate
jury discrimination. No hear
ings scheduled, however, for
bills to outlaw housing discri
mination, or other items in the
civil rights package.
endorse the idea of consoli
dation of counties, and of cities
and counties, and to insist that
any consolidation be voluntary
at the local level.
“The taxpayers are going to
demand consolidation,” Schaefer
said. "Bat I don’t see any im
mediate consolidation of coun
ties. In fact, I don’t see any
prospects m the near future.”
Schaefer said he was personal
ly in favor of consolidation, but
emphasized it would have to be
carried cue on the local level
and not by the General Assem
bly or the Governor.
Schaefer said pressing money
needs had already forced con
solidation of services such as
sewage and water and predict
ed that trend would hold in the
future.
“There will be more consoli
dation of services. We all have
the same problems. We don’t
have enough money so we’ve
got to get together,” he said.
Schaefer also said there was
no need for all counties to con
solidate with neighbors.
“If a county is doing a good
job, we don’t want to do away
with it,” he said.
Schaefer also pointed out that
modern travel and communica
tions had eliminated the need
for so many counties in Geor
gia because it was now possible
to get to most county seats on
paved highways within a matter
of minutes.
“That’s what counties were
made up for, to get to the coun
ty seat in a day’s time,” he
said. “Today there is better
transportation and we can get
to other states in the same
time it used to take us to get
to the county seats.”