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lacksnn Trngress-^rgus
J. D. Jones Publisher
(1908-1955
Doyle Jones Jr. Editor and Publisher
(1955-1975)
MRS. MARTHA G. JONES PUBLISHER
VINCENT JONES EDITOR
Published every Thursday at 129 South Mulberry Street, Jackson,
Georgia 30233 by The Progress-Argus Printing Cos., Inc. Second Class
Postage paid at Jackson, Georgia 30233.
Address notice of undeliverable copies and other correspondence
to The Jackson Progress-Argus, P.O. Box 249, Jackson, Georgia 30233.
One Year, in Georgia $6.24
Six Months, in Georgia $3.91
Editorials
One , Two, Three , Four...
The cadence of the drill sergeant
as he counts out the rhythm step for
his platoon may be symbolic of the
new look on display this week in the
County courthouse.
For seldom, if ever, has the
County had so many newcomers
who are attempting to get our
residents in step towards the goals
of progress they envision for us.
And while most of the office
holders are still in the tenderfoot
class politically, considering the
vexing problems they have
inherited, they should become
seasoned veterans in record time.
As good soldiers and as good
citizens of a fine County, we should
The Fox and the Grapes
In one of Aesop’s fables, the
greedy fox, upon crossing a stream
on a log and seeing his reflection in
the water, dropped grapes held in
his mouth in hopes of getting even
more below.
One of the first trial balloons to
soar up on the hot air from the
pre-legislative conferences is the
proposal that the three cent
Georgia sales tax should be applied
to services as well as goods.
Specifically named were beauty
parlors, advertising, auto repairs,
etc. One would assume that it
would include all types of services,
being applied across the board in
the same manner as the tax now
applies to goods.
When consulted, the computer
coughed twice before sputtering
out 500 million. That is the
estimated tax take of the suggested
extension of Georgia’s three
percent sales tax law to cover the
performance of personal services.
Upon being so advised, the
legislators then proceeded to
swallow their grapes in anticipa
tion of the huge clusters of taxes
yet unplucked.
To which we say, as did Aesop,
beware of the grape not yet in the
mouth.
The lily was gilded, quite
naturally, by the traditional,
Advertising and the Lawyer
There is a bit of a paradox in
the efforts of some of the legal
associations to block the right of a
lawyer to advertise his services.
For, after all, aren’t these
substantially the same defenders of
the basic rights of all individuals?
How can they be consistent in
defending a man’s civil rights in
one instance and deny him his right
lo know in the next?
Roll back the clock 30 years or so
and you will find advertisements of
those offering legal, medical and
Advance Subscription Rates, Tax Included:
TELEPHONE 775-3107
OFFICIAL ORGAN
BUTTS COUNTY AND
CITY OF JACKSON
Ono Year. Out-of-State $7.28
Six Months. Out-of-State $4.16
all learn the cadence count as
quickly as possible and step off on
the right foot as we follow our
newly-elected leaders.
Butts County has few problems
that Butts Countians did not create
and, therefore, very few that
cannot be solved if we just adopt a
reasonable and more patient
attitude in searching for their
solution.
As we salute the new, let us not
forget the old. New faces offer new
outlooks but some of the old faces
will be sorely missed, as well as the
contributions they made to the
County’s welfare.
All together now, forward
march into a more glorious future.
over-worked promise of blessed
property tax relief.
Just let us collect this 500 million
and you will have relief from
property taxes like you never
dreamed of. Certainly, we would,
probably enough to buy a postage
stamp, if they don’t go up, to write
our protest of the whole infamous
scheme.
Georgia needs this extension of
the sales tax and the 500 millions it
would raise about as much as it
needs some of the legislators who
would have the gall to propose it.
The hare is often shot on his
bed on cold winter mornings. This
hair-brained scheme needs to be
shot down before it is even given
the courtesy of a legislative
hearing.
Governor Busbee is committed
to a policy of no tax increases
during his administration and,
granted a total loss of reasoning
powers on part of both Georgia
House and Senate, would probably
veto the bill even should it pass the
legislative test.
The fox and the grapes.
Something for nothing--the bait will
be held out for all Georgians.
Surely we will collectively have
sense enough to keep our mouths
shut and not swallow this
sugar-coated promise.
dental services. Roll it back to the
t urn of the century and you will find
advertisements listing specific
prices of dental service, extrac-
I ions, 50 cents, fillings, SI.OO, etc.
Whether the professions were
harmed by these public displays of
services being offered, we will
leave it to the Supreme Court
u hero it is now headed--to say.
But those of us v/ho deal in the
public's right to know have our own
opinion, whether they agree with
the Court’s or not.
The JACKSON PROCRESS-ARCUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1977
The Last
Straw
BY
VINCENT IONES
(hie of the advantages of an
editor returning after years
of absence is that he can
always reach down into the
barrel and use one of his old
columns, especially on holi
day weekends, or when he
sutlers an attack of laziness.
This one came from The Last
Straw column of January 10,
1957:
The often subtle influence
that popular music plays on
the behavior patterns of the
average family was demon
strated rather forcefully by
recent happenings in the
house where we live.
Our life-long companion,
impressed with the nicety of
the sentiments expressed in a
pop tune about Mutual
Admiration Society, or some
such, thought that a per
petual last-go-trade society
for two would be interesting.
Rather than break the
romantic spell cast by the
thought of her new role as
compliment catcher, we
went along with the idea.
Acting swiftly, we compli
mented her effusively on (1
her unsurpassed skill as a
cook. 2 the impeccable taste
she displays in her choice of
clothes. 3) her consummate
skill as a dancer and 4) the
expert manner in which she
handles the family car.
The last one pinched just a
little as it came out but she
failed to notice a trace of
insincerity in our voice, if
indeed there were any.
She came right back,
giving just as good as we
sent, and our ears burned as
she told us of 1 > our charming
table manners, 2) the firm,
but gentle, manner in which
we disciplined our sons, 3)
our superior skill as a writer,
and 4) the masterful manner
in which we handle the
family's meager money
supply.
For a long moment we
scanned the girl with keen
eyes but, if she were
insincere, she was too good
an actress to divulge it.
Later on, with spirits
buoyed by continuous coated
compliments, we decided to
stretch the game to deed
doing as well.
Determined to do some
thing nice for her man, our
girl Friday bent her back
with feminine persistence to
1 1 scrambling our ammuni
tion shelf hopelessly, 2)
tidying our desk that we had
just tidied and 3) giving to
the handyman our favorite
necktie in the process of
weeding out the old ones.
While these deeds of
kindness were being
wrought, and with no malice
aforethought, we were busily
engaged in doing something
extra nice for someone extra
nice, including 1) applying
the scratch remover to the
dining table, thereby widen
ing the scratch by half-an
inch.2) looking for the leak in
the attic and making one in
the ceiling the size of a shoe
and 3) buying her anew
lipstick that made her look
like a refuge from the
In-low-zero bathing society.
As you can well imagine,
these things could go on
indefinitely but, as all good
things, they must come to an
end. The word "mutual” was
deleted from the entire title
when we committed these
blunders 1 > turned the TV
dial while she was watching
Sid Ceasar. 2) questioned her
ability to park a 16-foot car in
a 12-foot space and 3)
dropped the hint that the fruit
cake might have been better
had it been removed from the
stove half-an-hour sooner.
She knocked the word
"admiration" out of the
window with gentle remind
ers that l) our columns have
been missing something of
late. 2 1 that she would like to
go dancing but could not
understand why we could
learn only one step and 3) she
didn’t understand why we
never killed anything when
we went hunting.
(ill. well, we still have the
"society" left. Which is
wonderful, as we had it long
before, and will have it long
after the pop song has
pooped.
A Stroll Down
Memory Lane j
News of 10 Years Ago
R. A. Jenkins, custodian
for the Central Georgia
Electric Membership Cor
poration, retired January Ist
after 23 years of service with
the local Co-op.
The ordination service for
Arthur L. (Bubber) Price
will be held Sunday afternoon
at the Pepper ton Baptist
Church. Mr. Price was
recently licensed to the
Baptist Ministry by the
Pepperton Baptist Church.
A Jackson horticulturist,
R. Shaw Fletcher, made the
claim that Georgia pecans
are comparable to western
grown nuts after returning
from the International Pecan
Show in El Paso, Texas.
Miss Carol Elizabeth
Adams, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Rufus Adams of
Jackson, and Benjamin Mc-
Caskill Garland, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Benjamin Byrd
Garland of Jackson, were
united in marriage at a
candlelight service Satur
day, December 17th, at the
Jackson Methodist Church.
David Ridgeway, Jr. has
been elected president of the
Butts County 4-H Club
Council for the coming year.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. Charlie J. Greer, 88.
News of 20 Years Ago
The Jackson Presbyterian
Church was presented the
charter for Cub Pack No. 80
at an impressive service
Sunday afternoon.
Dr. R. P. Harrison was
installed as president of the
Jackson Kiwanis Club on
New Year’s Day by Harry
Ball, lieutenant governor of
the 12th Kiwanis Division.
Butts County Sheriff V. H.
Ham has named Hugh Polk
of Jackson as his chief
deputy.
Mrs. Gladys Wilson an
nounced the sale of Jackson
Style and Beauty Shoppe to
Mrs. Patricia Polk.
Snow flurries fell on Butts
County before dawn Satur
day and were believed to be
the first of the season.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. Georgia Curry McKib
ben, 83; Mrs. J. W. Lee, 61;
Mrs. Rosa Franklin Bailey,
87; Robert Henry Wise, 65.
News of 30 Years Ago
Beer and wine licenses will
be granted in Butts County in
1947. This is the first time
that wine licenses have been
issued for sale locally.
Post 5374, Veterans of
Foreign Wars, is sponsoring
the appearance of the Grand
Ole Opry Gang at the
Jackson High School audi
torium Thursday evening.
C. T. Gibson, of C. T.
Gibson, Inc., distributed 47
gifts to children in Butts
County and 22 toys to
children in Pike County
during the Christmas holi
days.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Jolly
were hosts at several holiday
parties during Christmas
week.
Gen. Courtney H. Hodges,
who commanded the First
army in World War 11, was
honor guest at a quail dinner
given Monday by Mr. and
Mrs. Pliny Weaver. Other
guests were Bill Middleton,
of Atlanta, Smith Settle, Ray
Seiwert and R. J. Car
michael.
The marriage of Miss
Dorothy Lee McMichael and
Mr. William Albert Duke, Jr.
took place Wednesday after
noon at the Methodist
parsonage.
Deaths during the week:
Thomas Howard Greer, 4.
News of 40 Years Ago
C. C. Jinks, former chief of
police in Jackson, has been
named deputy by Sheriff G.
T. Thurston.
J. C. Newton, Butts County
treasurer, has been named
cashier and bookkepper of
the Georgia Department of
Agriculture.
Levi Ball left Saturday for
his home in New York City
following a visit with
relatives here.
Resuming their studies at
Georgia State College for
Women after the Christmas
break were Misses Johnsie
Settle, Helen and Sara
McMichael, Marion Nutt,
Elizabeth Sitton, Mary Lee
Burford, Cola Pope, Hilda
Whitaker, Annie Van Jones
and Glennis Thornton.
Specials at Rogers Food
Store; Octagon soap, 5 bars
for 11 cents, and pink salmon,
10 cents a can.
Deaths during the week:
Herbert Elton Moore, 1; T. J.
Byars. 70.
News of 50 Years Ago
A. E. Wright, of Orchard
Hill, has leased the Jackson
hatchery for the spring
season and will operate the
plant.
With 15 charter members,
an American Legion post
has been organized in Butts
County.
Butts County has ginned
6.076 bales of cotton prior to
December 13th, or 1,415 bales
more than the 1925 crop of
4.661 bales at the same time.
The 1925 crop was severely
damaged by a prolonged
drought.
Mrs. Bert Carmichael
entertained members of her
Sunday School class at the
Jackson Presbyterian
Church with a delightful
Christmas party. Miss Lollie
Carmichael and Miss Lena
White assisted Mrs. Car
michael.
Deaths during the week:
Harmon M. Edge, 75, of
Washington, D. C. Mr. Edge
was the first editor of a Butts
County paper, establishing
the Indian Springs Echo in
1873 at Indian Springs. He
later sold the paper to the
late Captain W. F. Smith,
who moved it to the camp
ground and changed the
name to the Middle Georgia
Argus. Later still the paper
was moved to Jackson.
BUMPER STICKERS
j MOVE OVER- MY WARRANTY
1- EXPIRED YESTERDAY
- BOOMER
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Contact neareat VA office
(check your phone book) or
a local veterans group.
~ By Mrs. Cindy Brown
1 resolve to quit talking to
my television set: I have a
bad habit of arguing with the
commericals, especially the
ones which make me jealous.
(Such as ovens which cook
supper in 30 minutes; spot
ads for removers which
promise to remove anything;
and ads with children who
are always spotlessly clean
and whose Mothers are
perfect likenesses of Farah
Faucett Majors.)
I resolve to diet - again. I
am so tired of looking like the
lady in the queen size
pantyhose commerical.
I resolve to never be put on
hold again. It seems like
everytime I make a phone
call, the party on the other
end promptly answers, but
then says, “Hold please”. If I
called the fire department,
I'd get put on hold, if I called
my sister I’d get put on hold.
I hate holding. Maybe I
should attach a recorder to
my phone - it could play all
the verses of “Found a
Peanut” before I said hello
each time.
A Year Of
Success At
ABC TV
By
Dale Whiten
The American Broadcast
ing Company (ABC) was
consistently making news in
1976. primarily for two
reasons the competing net
works will long remember.
First of all, ABC surprised
everyone but the viewers by
totally dominating the prime
time ratings, while the
perennial front-runner--
CBS-was shoved to the
bottom of the Nielsen charts.
But the big event at ABC
was the announcement that
Barbara Walters-who was
beginning to seem like a
fixture on the NBC Today
Show-had agreed to make
the move to ABC.
The first woman ever to
hold such a position, Barbara
Walters would co-anchor the
ABC Evening News with
Harry Reasoner. But the fact
attracting the most attention
was that the network would
pay her a staggering $1
million a year, more than
Cronkite, Chancellor, Brink
ley and even Reasoner get.
Since the announcement,
just about everything pos
sible (and printable) has
been said about Ms. Walters
and her abilities as a
professional journalist.
She has been attacked in
tho press by colleagues such
as Morley Safer (CBS) and
Frank Blair (former NBC
news announcer). She has
been referred to as a news
celebrity and “ABC’s million
dollar baby,” has been the
subject of editorials and
letters to the editor and has
been the butt of numerous
jokes.
Will the offensive never
end? I say let’s give Barbara
Walters a break.
Regardless of whether
ruth at random
By Ruth Bryant
AUTUMN LEAVES IN SPECTRUM
Hickory leaves of yellow hue
Catch the gleam of sparkling dew!
Oak leaves of red and tan and green
Spread variations on the scene!
Maple leaves of flaming red
Deck stems of crimson overhead!
Mimosa leaves have pointed spears
Where early gleaming light appears!
Sweet gum leaves of brown and green
Are catching sunbeams on the scene!
© 1976 by United Feature Syndicate. Inc
I resolve to never again say
“MY child will never do this
or that", ’cause everytime I
do my little darlin’s quickly
make me a storyteller! If I
were to say “My nine year
old child would never run
away from home”, he’d
probably have airline reser
vations within the hour!
I resolve to cancel my TV
Guide subscription or to buy
another TV set. If I want to
watch a program, my
husband’s favorite show is
always playing at the same
time on another channel or
else “The Million Dollar
Spider” is on UHF. I’m tired
of watching metallic heroes
and man-eating insects.
I resolve to quit breaking
my dental appointments and
to try and act like a big girl.
Perhaps I’ll try hypnosis,
prayer, witch doctors, Somi
nex. or something.
And last but not least, I
resolve to learn to cut my
children’s hair, learn to
cover the gray in my own and
to quit removing my hus
bands!
site’s snide and arrogant, she
is a true professional and a
top-notch news reporter
interview'er-announcer. And
while she may not be the
most objective person in
communications, she de
livers the news authoritative
ly. and even the subjectivity
in her reporting lends to the
news elements of involve
ment and interest neglected
by too many stereotyped
reporters.
Ms. Walters’ stories and
interviews have covered the
whole range of national and
international life. She has
talked with Presidents, Pre
sidents-elect, kings, dicta
tors, people in show business,
people on the street; and her
questions and comments
have sometimes been hard
hitting and poignant. But
there was always a degree of
sensitivity and intuition there
that many journalists simply
do not have.
Granted each report can
not be defended separately,
but generally the personality
and style of Ms. Walters are
not due the criticisms leveled
by disapproving (and per
haps resentful) fellow jour
nalists.
Selectivity among tele
vision news viewers is
probably not a deciding
factor in determining who
watches what, but to this
viewer Barbara Walters is a
welcome change and made
him aware that switching
channels for the national
news is not only refreshing
but also provides an oppor
tunity to compare the
following and competing
national newscast. And when
il ’s all been said and printed.
Barbara Walters-and ABC
News-compare extremely
well
Editor’s Quote Book
He who wishes to secure
the good of others has
already secured his own.
Confucius