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VENIN VT
By Quimby Melton
“Ours is a sick society from
top to bottom,” the Rev. Lewis
E. Rhodes, Baptist minister
from Knoxville, Tenn., Wednes
-4 day told the closing session of
the Southern Baptist convention
meeting in the national capital.
And he challenged his church to
* “become involved” in curing the
“sick society”.
What he told fellow Baptists
should be told some members
of some churches of many de
nominations.
To become “involved” simply
« means to recognize the dangers
we face and “do something” to
correct conditions that have led
to a great nation’s becoming
4 divided into bitter groups, by
hatreds, greed, and selfishness.
What this Tennessee minister
said cannot be lightly brushed
• aside. A complacent church will
never be sufficient to the task
that confronts us; an indifferent
church will never do the work
» the Master wants it to do; an
, unconcerned church falls far
short of being the church that is
an asset to its community, its
' nation, and above all else to its
I God.
I During the years that follow
ed the wild days of the “roaring
twenties” there has been a ten
dency on the part of some
churches to become little less
, 4 than “societies” —a pleasant
place to meet one’s friends on
. Sunday, a place to go and create
an "image” of respectability; a
| * place for establishing “good pub
lic rlelations”; a place where
some may, like the Pharisees,
of old thank God “I’m not like
I other people.”
Few will deny that today the
church, as a whole, does not
I have the respect it should have,
| * and does not have the influence
for good that it once had.
And while some of the fault
J , can be laid at the feet of the min
ister, who is Inclined to “feed
pap” to his congregation, “be
cause that is what they want”;
■' 4 much more of the fault must be
| " laid on the shoulders of the
| members themselves. What the
church today needs is a lot of
| stock taking, a lot of straight
| • talk, a lot of returning to the
fundamental truths as taught in
the Bible itself.
F Good Evening is far from be
| Ing an ideal church member; he
has as many faults as others;
often he has been a “lazy” Chris-
I tian, preferring to “let George
‘ do it” rather than tackle a job
himself. But he believes with
all the sincerity he possess, that
i the time has come for the chur
» ch to wake up, realize its impo
tency, and get going about the
work of the Master.
A church may have beautiful
* buildings that rival the cathe
drals of old Europe, an able and
consecrated minister, well edu-
’ cated and well qualified to gu
’■ ide his people, may have a tr
ained choir that could match the
finest opera, organized activities
I for its youth, and all that, but
I * lack genuine love for God and
Jesus Christ, lack compassion
for the less fortunate, and be
come nothing more than a show
I , place.
One may be well dressed, well
fed, comfortably housed, have a
responsible job, be a “leader”
’ in his community; but as long
as there is a hungry person in
the community, as long as there
is a lonesome person in the
• community, as long as there are
people who do not know that God
is their Heavenly Father and
that Jesus Christ gave His pre-
4 cious life that they might be sa
ved, no genuine Christian can
consider that his work has been
finished and he can rest on his
laurels.
One should either admit, ack
nowledge and realize that there
are two great commandments
t —given by God Almighty Him
self, and reaffirmed by His
Blessed Resurrected and Glori
fied Son, “Love Thy God and
Thy Neighbor as Thyself” or
* stop claiming to be a follower of
the Eternal God.
What this Tennessee minister
« told a gathering of churchmen
belonging to a great denomina
tion, is a challenge to all who
claim to be followers of God Al-
A mighty.
Today, the Church faces Its
greatest challenge. Whether it
accepts this challenge and takes
its place as the true Represen-
• tative of God on earth depends
on the attitude of the individual
members.
Recreation Program Here
But Must Be Made Better
Griffin has an excellent recrea
tional program but it is going
to have to be expanded and im
proved to meet the needs of a
growing population.
That, in a nutshell, is the as
sessment of Charles Clegg who
is here to make a study of the
program.
Clegg is a member of the
University of Georgia’s special
services staff. He specializes in
their recreational facilities and
makes recommendations as to
what they will need for the fu
ture.
Griffin is destined to become
part of a giant metropolitan
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(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Griffin Recreation Department Director Grady Mc-
Calmon (1) and Charles C. Clegg of the University
of Georgia discuss long range plans for recreation
programs here.
Unfinished Building In
Atlanta Becomes Torch
PFC Kinasz
Killed In Viet
Army PFC Monte Clifford Ki
nasz of Griffin was killed in
Vietnam on March 25.
PFC Kinasz was serving with
the 25th Infantry Tank Divis
ion in Vietnam. He had been
stationed there since Oct. 20,
1967.
He grew up in Griffin and was
a graduate of Griffin High Sc
hool. He attended Georgia Sou
thwestern College in Americus.
His body is being returned to
the United States. Pittman-
Rawls Funeral Home will an
nounce arrangements.
Low Rent Units
Seen On Way
Prospects were good today that
90 to 100 low-rent housing units
will be built in the very near fu
ture.
City officials have discussed
preliminary plans with several
property owners, who are inter
ested in building low-rent units.
Hal Buckalew, building inspec
tor, expects construction to start
soon on several housing units.
A permit has been issued for
the construction of one three-fa
mily apartment. More local in
vestors are expected to apply
for building permits within the
next few weeks.
Officials have estimated that
100 new low-rent housing units
will be needed to care for fam
ilies who will be displaced in the
fight to rid the city of slum hous
ing.
The city has condemned 114
GRIFFIN
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872 Griffin, Ga., 30223, Thursday, March 28, 1968 Vol. 96 No. 75
area developing in all directions
from Atlanta, Clegg told the Gr
iffin Kiwanis Club Wednesday.
He said when the general ex
pansion north hits the mountains
of Georgia, the growth trend will
swing south and Griffin will be
in it.
Within the not too distant fu
ture, four of five people will live
in massive urban areas, he said.
Griffin and Spalding County will
have to plan its recreational fa
cilities to meet the changes, he
said.
He suggested that Ways must
be found to make use of school
grounds and equipment for re-
ATLANTA (UPI) — Brilliant
flames turned an unfinished
skyscraper into a torch over
midtown Atlanta early today,
spewing burning debris “that
exploded like hand grenades”
onto three other buildings,
including a hotel.
There were no injuries in the
general alarm blaze which
raced through the top four
floors of the 37-story Equitable
Life Assurance building shortly
before midnight Wednesday.
The building, in the very
heart of the downtown section,
was to be one of Atlanta’s
tallest buildings.
City Fire Inspector William
J. Wofford said the upper four
floors of the structure would
"probably" have to be taken
down because steel beams were
housing units. Some owners are
cooperating in the drive by
making necessary repairs to br
ing their property up to city st
andards.
However, officials feel that
Slum
War
part of the owners will tear down
many of the sub-standard hous
es rather than go to the expense
of repairing them.
“Many families will be displa
ced when these houses start
coming down,” Buckalew said.
creation. Clegg said it would be
a waste not to use the facilities
to their maximum. He said con
tract agreements with the sc
hool system might be one solu
tion.
Clegg said that land is going
to become more and more scar
ce and the city and county
should begin now to purchase
some for recreation. If it is not
done now, soon there will be
none to purchase for this pur
pose, Clegg said.
He said there should be parks
as well as organized activities.
The community will have to
landscape areas for such pro-
Space Pioneer
Gagarin Killed
In Training Jet
By HENRY SHAPIRO
MOSCOW (UPl)—Yuri Gaga
rin, history’s first spaceman
and Russia’s most popular hero,
died Wednesday in the crash of
a training plane when he tried
to restart its faltering engine
instead of bailing out over a
populated area, his friends
reported today.
The grinning, snub-nosed
spaceman who was first in the
hearts of Russians, will be
given a Red Square funeral, the
Kremlin announced. His death
struck Moscow a blow to the
heart and Muscovites wept in
the streets as workmen carried
his portrait toward the Kremlin.
Gagarift was killed with Col.
Vladimir Seregin, a fellow
member of the Soviet space
program. Friends said they took
off Wednesday afternoon from
Chkalovskoye airfield near
Zvezdny Gorodok (Star City), a
town built northeast of Moscow
specially to house Russia’s
cosmonauts.
weakened by the heat.
C. T. Ragsdale, first deputy
fire chief, said upper steel
beams “were against a terrific
amount of heat. Some of them
curled up.”
Ragsdale said no cause for
the fire had been established.
He said be understood that
welding operations had been
Continued on page 10
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Fair and warm Fri
day. Mild again tonight.
LOCAL WEATHER — Maxi
mum today 77, minimum today
54, maximum Wednesday 76,
minimum Wednesday 50, Sun
rise Friday 6:33 a.m., sunset
Friday 6:58 p.m.
City officials are pleased so
far with results of the war on
sub-standard housing.
Permits have been Issued for
the renovation of 18 of the 114
condemned housing units.
Plumbing permits have been
issued for the installation of 19
baths, 17 sewer tie-ins, and four
combination sewer and bath tie
ins.
In addition, building permits
have been issued for the con
struction of 12 baths, one kit
chen, repairs to one porch, and
six for general repairs.
Mr. Buckalew pointed out that
the listed permits do not repre
sent the total number issued
during the drive against sub-st
anding housing, but only reflects
those on the property that was
affected by the program.
grams, he said.
Clegg said that the recrea
tional program here should be
developed under one umbrella
for best results. The city and
county will have to work out co
operative programs to meet this,
he suggested.
Clegg pointed out that the co
unty residents make up 26 per
cent of the recreational pro
gram participation but the coun
ty pays two percent of the cost.
He commended the Griffin
American Business Club for de
veloping a new field at East Gr
iffin. He said that the present
facilities at the city park alrea-
It was to have been an
ordinary flight to maintain the
pilot proficiency of the stocky
Gagarin.
Lost Contact
“They flew 25 to 30 miles east
towards the town of Noginsk,
then lost contact with their
control tower,” the friends said.
Continued on page 10
Senate OKs More
Controls On
Textile Imports
WASHINGTON (UPI) —The
Senate Wednesday adopted a
measure for expanding textile
import controls as an amend
ment to the House-passed ex
cise tax bill. The vote was
55-31.
Sen. Ernest F. Boilings, D-
S. C., a freshman senator, won
a showdown over opposition of
the administration and the Re
publican leadership in getting
overhwelming support for his
textile “rider.”
The first vote on the Boilings
proposal came on a motion to
table it outright. Bollings won,
54-35.
The amendment would authori
ze the President to negotiate
quantitative import quotas for
woolens and synthetics with for
eign countries. The President
would have authority to seek
quotas that are eight higher or
lower than present import
levels.
The President has already
negotiated such quotas for cot
ton with 31 countries, under pre
ious laws.
If a country refuses to negoti
ate quotas for woolens or syn
thetics under the Bollings meas
ure, within 180 days after it
became law automatic satutory
quotas would apply.
These quotas would be the
average of imports between 1960
and 1966, with a provision for
increasing the quotas if domestic
consumption of the commodity
increases 5 per cent or more.
Tire Senate majority ignored
warnings of GOP Leader Ev
erett Dirksen and Sen. Philip
A. Bart, D-Mich., that “this is
not the time, this is not the
place,” to make any move tow
ard “protectionism” in interna
tional trade.
Country Parson
“It doesn’t impress me to
see somebody prove his
point by quoting the Bible
—unless he understands its
total message.”
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(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
TAG LINE: A few remained after announcement.
Tag Line Scattered When
Deadline Was Extended
Personnel in the Spalding Co
unty tag office were ready for
the last minute rush by people
to purchase their 1968 tags when
word came Wednesday that Gov.
Lester Maddox had extended
the deadline 20 days.
The deadline was extended be
cause of complaints from small
businessmen that they could not
pay their ad valorem taxes by
the deadline, Maddox said.
Extra personnel had been hir
ed to help handle the rush at the
Spalding County office. The
personnel will have to be held
for the 20 day extension, cost
ing the county several hundred
dollars, Tax Commissioner Ruby
Bill said.
“People who were waiting in
City Begins
Summer Paving
The city has started its pav
ing progrom for the summer.
Twelve projects have been
approved by the city commiss
ioners for the summer of 1968.
The city also hopes to resurface
South Ninth street before the
heavy summer traffic to the city
park begins.
City Manager Jack Langford
said: “We realize there are
many streets in the city of Grif
fin that are in bad condition and
need resurfacing. People have
petitioned the city to have these
streets paved and are paying
two-thirds of the cost in assess
ments to have them paved.”
All of the city's money for pav
ing will be spent on the new pro
jects.
Mr. Langford said the people
who live on the streets to be
paved this summer have been
without pavement for a long
time.
“We wish money were avail
able to take care of the paving
needs of most of the residents of
the city,” he said.
The city commissioners said
in a report several months ago
that the city is in a financial crl-
Said Fine
For Future
dy are crowded so that schedul
ing games has become a pro
blem.
Grady McCalmon, city recrea
tion director, is one of the most
able professionals in the state
and Griffin is fortunate to have
him, Clegg said.
He said that the survey of the
Griffin recreational program is
an easy one to do because it is
in excellent shape,. But he cau
tioned Griffinites about conmla
cency.
“You can say proudly that you
have one of the best recreation
al programs anywhere and say
you are number one but this will
line to get their tags began to
scatter slowly when the word
came that the 20-day extension
had been granted,” she said.
Many Griffinites had stood in
line for hours at the courthouse
earlier this week to get their
tags and pay advalorem taxes
before the April 1 deadline. Only
a few people were at the win
dows Wednesday afternoon and
a small number again this mor
ning.
“Our situation will be the same
as it was last year with the ex
tension of the deadline. We will
be late in getting started on the
tax digest and it will cause us
to be late in getting out tax
bills,” Mrs. Bill said.
sis and pointed out the resurfac
ing of streets as a critical need.
Mr. Langford said there is one
street in the city that will have
to be torn up completely, a new
base made and then paved. Be
said some places in the street
where it has been patched are
better than the places where
there is still some of the origi
nal paving.
One of the projects is ex
pected to relieve some of the
congestion on Meriwether street
in mornings and afternoons.
Beck street will be widened,
curbed and paved.
It connects South Ninth street
with Everee road.
Mr. Langford said it is hoped
that some of the industrial traf
fic will use the route to the
downtown area instead of Meri
wether street.
The 13 projects for the sum
mer will include:
Pearl street from Solomon st
reet to Cleveland.
Cleveland from Pearl street to
Cemetery road.
Portions of Wall and Friedman
streets.
North Second street from East
not remain so unless ou plan
for the future,” Clegg caution
ed.
When he completes the survey,
Clegg’s report will be turned
over to the city commissioners.
It will include his recommenda
tions on what needs to be done.
Clegg commended the city
commissioners on their support
of an excellent recreational pro
gram.
Otis Weaver, Jr., who works
with the city’s recreational ad
visory board, introduced the
speaker. Several of the board
members were guests for the Ki
wanis meeting.
Last year'Gov. Maddox exten
ded the deadline 30 days. He
said Wednesday that this will
be the last year that an exten
sion will be granted for purchas
ing tags and paying ad valorem
taxes.
A 1966 law forces auto owners
to pay the property tax at the
time license tags are purchased.
Mrs. Hill said that some peo-
I pie will wait until the last minu
.te to purchase their tags and
pay taxes.
Long lines formed at the court
house earlier this week as the
Monday deadline approached.
Some people stood in the line
for four to five hours to pur
chase their tags.
Tinsley street to the city limits.
June street from Melrose ave
nue to the North Expressway.
Leo street from East Solomon
street to Slaton alley.
East Wall street from Second
to Third street.
A section on Upland drive to
connect the present paving with
Ridge street.
Moody street from Lyndon ave
nue to Ellis road.
West Slaton alley from 13th
to 14th street.
Beck street from Everee road
to Pimiento avenue.
Seventeenth street from West
Taylor street to West Solomon
street.
Work already has begun on
some of the projects and some
have been completed. Curbing
is being constructed this week
on North Second street.
Mr. Langford stressed an “If"
on the resurfacing of South Nin
th street. He said It is In bad
condition and there is not too
much of the pavement left.
The city commissioners have
said that a bond issue may be
necessory to provide funds for
the resurfacing of some of the
city street*.