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VOLUME 44 - NUMBER 3
A Voice in the Wilderness
The proposed changes in Brantley County’s
governmental setup has aroused much interest on the
part of our citizens. Some citizens approve the pro
posed changes, while others find points of disagree
ment.
Some axioms of government should be clear to
the people.
One, no system of government is any better than
the men elected to administer it.
Two, the people get as good government as they
are willing to demand and willing to work at the
job of being good citizens. Government, like water,
rises no higher than its source.
Three, if you elect honest men to public office,
they will be honest public officials. Politics do not
make men crooked, but crooked men elected to office
remain crooks and are thus given more opportunity
to exercise their crooked wiles.
Four, your governmental business, city, county,
state and national, is the most important business in
which you are a stockholder. You can elect officials
who will make a success of this, your big business,
or you can vote for candidates who will make an
unholy mess of it.
You can have five county commissioners, three
commissioners or only one commissioner and the
kind of government you get will depend on the kind
of men or man you put in the office.
The same rule applies to every department of
government, city, county, state and national.
You and I know that it is sometimes hard to
get good, conscientious men and women to seek
public office because they are not willing to corrupt
themselves and to corrupt the voters by buying votes
with money and liquor and special favors.
The weakness of our democracy is the weakness
of a large percent of the voters who are corruptible.
Corrupt politicians well know this weakness
and they are more than willing to exploit it for their
own personal gain and public power.
All a good citizen can do is just to keep trying
to elect honest and able people to public office.
A wise man has said, “The price of liberty is
eternal vigilance.” And it may be later than you
think. I continue to hope that we have not passed
the point of no return.
Minutes of The Brantley County
Board of Education January 12
The Brantley County Board
of Education met in regular
session Friday, Jan. 12, with all
members present.
In business transacted
Board Members:
Moved to hire a football
coach and industrial arts
teacher for the 1968-69 term.
Decided to grant a former
student a diploma on complet
tion of necessary courses from
an accredited source.
Moved to paint all acquired
war surplus vehicles a color
to indicate school property.
Agreed to offer the Negro
School Building to County
Commissioners for any county
departments.
Received bids of two school
buses and one body. The hich
bidder were as follows: 1955
model. Dennv Ray Smith;
1958 model, W. L. Thomas, Jr.;
1956 body, W. L. Thomas, Jr.;
The Superintendent reported
that the proposed plan offered
the h’^h school dron-outs to
attend the Waycross Vocation
al School w^s rejected by all
dron-out students.
Moved to give Sloan’ Hill
Church of God heaters for
Church use. (Adv.)
Your Home Newspaper
Reflects the History
Os Your County-
All supporters of Robert, Calvin, and
Clayton, Come on over and Vote for Layton.
Elect Layton Johns Sheriff of Brantley County.
By Carl Broome
Personals
The Satilla Baptist Church
will hold a Gospel Sing Fri
day night, Jan. 19, at 7:00 o’-
clock. Everyone is invited.
Patricia Eliza Carter of Ho
boken attained the dean’s list
at Georgia College, Milledge
ville, for he Fall quarter. The
list is attained for scholastic
achievement.
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Lewis
had as their dinner guests
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Lewis,
Mr. and Mrs. Newbern Lewis
and Paul, Mr. and Mrs. Ed
win' Sanders and family of
Way cross, Mrs. Ivey Johns
and children of Chulota, Fla.,
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Rowell
and family of Jacksonville,
Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Lee, and
Mrs. Eva James of Nahunta.
A basket lunch was served.
Mrs. Eula Roberson of Pat
terson visited relatives in
Brantley County during the
weekend.
VOTES WANTED
THjiartHer Paint
BRANTLEY ENTERPRISE
Brantley County — Land of Forest Products, Naval Stores, Tobacco, Livestock, Honey, Hunting, Fishing — and Progressive People.
» » «
* • •
» • »
Robert Johns
Asks Voters
To Elect Him
January 23, you will elect
some one to fill the unexpired
term of the late J. Walter
Crews, sheriff. You gave me a
vote of confidence January 9,
by 314 votes above my oppo
nents. I appreciate this confi
dence very much.
Now, I sincerely ask that you
go to the polls next Tuesday
and help me to make this an L
other victory. I have made
some promises to you and
when elected I shall carry
them out. I further promise
that I will give you a monthly
report on the cost of operating
the Sheriff’s office, the mile
age of patrolling the coun
ty roads, and arrest that have
been made.
I have served you 3 1/2
years as Deputy Sheriff and
with this experience, I feel
that I can honestly and im
partially serve you as Sheriff.
The duties of the Sheriff’s
office has been many. Superior
Court has been' in session and
my time has been limited. I
know that I will not have the
opportunity of seeing each of
you, but I trust that you will
accept this as my personal ap
peal for your vote and support
in electing me Sheriff.
Sincerly yours,
Robert W. Johns
Si mpl if iedMethod
For Claiming
Medicare Benefits
By O. L. Pope,
District Manager
When medicare first started
on July 1, 1966. there were
two ways for older people to
get their doctor bills paid
under the program. The first
called for the doctor’s agree
ing to claim the 80 percent
payment direct from medi
care, by filling out a very
simple one-nage application
form. The other required that
the beneficiary first pay the
bill and then annly for the
medicare pavment. with or
without the help of the doctor.
During the first year and a
half of medicare, about half of
the claims fnr doctor bills
were put in directly bv the
doctor, while the beneficiaries
had to apnlv. after paving the
bill, in about half the cases.
The system worked well
enough — but not without
hardship to those older people
who could rai«e the money to
pav the bill bv borrowing or
depriving themselves of neces
sities while waiting for the
medicare pavment to come in.
Now Congress has changed
all this to eliminate the ne
cessity for the beneficiary’s
paving the bill first, in cases
where the doctor decides not
to make the claim himself
Beginning January 1. 1968 all
the beneficiary needs is an
itemized bill — not an item
ized, receipted bill as in' the
past. Os course, the assign
ment-to-the-doctor method
is still the simpliest method for
all concerned.
The Brantiey Enterprise, Nahunta, Ga., Thursday, Jan. 18, 1968
Post Office at
Waynesville Is
Burglarized
Two men have been jailed
by acting sheriff Robert Johns
and charged with burglarizing
the Waynesville post office
Tuesday night.
The men are Howard Carter
of Route 3, Surrency, Ga., and
Costar J. Aregis of Palmetto
Trailer Court 30, Brunswick,
Ga., according to sheriff
Johns.
Only a small amount of sil
ver coins was taken from the
Waynesville post office, Johns
said.
CARD OF THANKS
We sincerly appreciate the
thoughtful assistance, expres
sions of sympathy and beauti
ful flowers during our be
reavement. We also thank the
Primitive Baptist Church
group who participated in the
funeral service. We are glad
that so many friends of long
standing could attend the fin
al rites.
The family of
J. Morris Highsmith.
Brantley Boys
Lose to Charlton
But Girls Win
The Charlton County boys put
four players in double figures
while defeating host Brantley
County Tuesday night, 78-69.
Brantley County won the girls’
game, 37-32.
Myra Fain paced the Brantley
girls’ win with 14 points. Evalyn
Wainwright notched 12 and
Minnette Sutton bucketed 11. Jo
anne Jackson was high for Charl
ton County with 21 markers.
Stanley Ross took scoring hon
ors for Charlton County with 27
tallies. Pete Mizell (18), Bill
Gowan (15) an Ronnie Bashlor
(10) aided the Crarlton County
attact. Mike Rowell (17),
James Harris (14), Clipper
Smith (14), Claude Dryden (12)
and Larry Allen (10) were high
for the losers.
Okefenoke REA
Pays Towns and
County Taxes
Okefenoke Rural Electric Mem
bership Corporation paid its 1967
ad valorem county and state taxes
in the amount of $20,826.00.
In addition the co-op paid $368.-
74 to towns which it serves.
Towns were also paid'51,574.58 in
rebates.
Brantley County was paid $5,-
567.44 state and county taxes. The
city of Nahunta was paid $339.82
taxes and $791.28 in rebates.
The Okefenoke Co-op serves
nine counties in South Georgia and
north Florida.
Booster Club to
Meet Thursday
Night Jan. 25
The Brantley County Boosters
Club will meet at the high school
Thursday night, Jan. 25, in their
regular monthly meeting.
John R. Bennett is president of
the club.
The purpose of the club is to
promote Brantley County High
School athletic program. The hour
of the meeting will be 7:30. Every
one is invited to attend.
Lollipop Playschool
Registration Feb. 1
LoHinon Playschool will ho'd
registration on February 1. with
c’asses beginning the following
day.
It is open for children from ages
four to school age. For further
information telephone Mrs. Joe
Sears 462-5520 or Mrs. Lavton
Johns 462-5519. We expect to have
a good year and are looking for
ward to enrolling your child.
(adv)
FIRST QUEENS — The first queens for the new
Brantley County High School were chosen during a
recent contest. At left is Miss Kathy Winn, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Winn, who was crowned
“Junior Miss Brantley County High” and at right is
Miss Martha Burdin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Wesley Burdin, crowned “Miss Brantley County
High.” (Photo by Jim Hendry.)
Live Oak 4-H Club
Met Thursday
The Nahunta Live Oak 4-H Club
met Thursday, Jan. 11.
Our president, Kay Smith call
ed the meeting to order. We said
the pledges to the flags. Diane
Wilson gave the devotional. De
nase O’Berry read the minutes of
the last meeting.
Mr. Loyd showed a film on
“White Tailed Deer’’ and gave us
our 4-H record books.
Rebecca Wainright, reporter
Unheated air may be used
for drying grain if the amount
of grain is small and there is
plenty of time, according to
specialists with the Univer
sity of Georgia Cooperative
Extension Service.
Bill Stuckey
In Washington
The unhappy plight of fann
ers is hardly news to those of
us who live in the Bth District
which is primarily an agricul
tural area. However, I would
like to devote this week’s col
umn to some statistics which
I think both farmers and city
dwellers will find interesting.
The farm parity ratio is low
er today than it was during the
terrible “Dust Bowl” depres
sion.
One of the major causes of
this situation 1 , I believe is that
the U. S. farmer has been the
victim of urban representa
tives’ demands of the “big pay
off” to city rioters. In 1934, the
parity rate was 75. Today, some
33 years later, the parity rate
stands at 73. Farm prices are
lower today than they were 20
years ago, and the cost of
what the farmer buys has in
creased by 35 percent.
And, recently the Depart
ment of Agriculture gave A
merican farmer words of fur
ther discouragement by stat
ing that net farm income will
be down another 10 per
cent in 1968.
While everybody seems to be
so concerned over the “sorry
plight” of the big citv dwel
lers, the farmer has been to
tally neglected. His disposable
nm-sonal income per capita
from farm sources is on
1v $1,165 as oppossed to
$2,620 per capita for
non-farm workers.
So. with more and more
people moving to the big cit’es,
result has been reappor
tionment and more representa
tion in Congress for those
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our heart
felt appreciation to our many
relatives, neighbors and friends
who so graciously assisted us
during the death of our loved
one, Arlie P. Griffin. We thank
you for the flowers, covered
dishes, contributions and every
word and act of kindness.
We are indeed grateful for the
kind and able services of our
funeral director, Mr. Guy Cham
bless, and our minister, Rev.
Eddie Dixon. We also thank the
members of Hickox Baptist
Church for their friendly coopera
tion. May God forever keep you
in his care.
The family of
Arlie P. Griffin.
people in the large cities. Con
sequently, there are fewer and
fewer members of Congress
representing the interest of
our farmers, and it is getting
more difficult to get legisla
tion passed that will benefit
our farmers.
As a result of this, during
the past seven years some 800,-
000 farmers have been legis
lated off the land. And, all of
this happened at a time when
the rest of the country’s e
conomy was enjoying steady
progress. The farmer has had
some hard times and according
to predictions from the Agri
culture Department, he is in
for even harder times.
Yet, while the farmer’s capi
ta income remains low, his costs
continue to rise. Since 1959,
farm machinery costs have
gone up 24 percent and labor
costs are up 35 percent. Addi
tionally, prices now paid to
farmers are two percent be
low those paid in 1947-49, ac
cording to the United States
Department of Agriculture.
Our farmers perform a crit
ical service to the people of
this nation, and every natton.
And. now that the big city leg
islation pay-offs have been
made for this year, maybe
Congress will take a look at
the needs of our farmers. And,
maybe we can get some legis
lation through Congress that
will help our Agricultural
areas.
I intend to continue to call
upon’ the Agriculture Dennrt
ment to use its many facilit’es
to aid our farmers in their
plight for economic survival.
OFFICIAL ORGAN BRANTLEY COUNTY AND CITY OF NAHUNTA
Proposed Laws Would
Change Brantley County
Governmental Structure
Residents Are
Warned Against
Flim Flam Men
Residents are warned to be
on guard against slim flam
artists.
A Camden County resident
was taken for $56 a few days
ago when l a person called on
her claiming he worked for
REA. He told her the meter
had to have shots every 10
years and it was time for her
to have the 10 year shots. He
proceeded to run a hose from
a drum on his truck to the
meter and pretended to be
doing something.
Then he told her it took 40
shots $1 each. He also told her
she was behind on her light
bill s2l. She only had $56 so
he took the $56 and told her
he would be back next week to
collect the other $5 and bring
her a receipt. He has not re
turned.
The next one though may
not use this same tactic. He
may claim to inspect wiring
and demand immediate repairs
but not actually make repairs.
These crooks sometimes
work in pairs. One engages the
homeowner in conversation
while the other searches for
valuables.
SENATOR DEAN REPORT
O A
THE LESSON OF THE LITTLE RED HEN
The familiar nursery tale of the Little Red Hen he ps us
understand what is happening to us today. Remember how the
Little Red Hen had a grain of wheat she wanted to plant n
order to have more wheat? Seeking someone to help her p. ..:t
and harvest the wheat, she asked the duck, the goose, the Cat
and the pig. They all refused to help her. But, when she baked
a loaf of bread that came from the wheat's harvest, all who had
refused to help her before came to help her enjoy it.
Today we have those who are working hard to pay th .'r
taxes. There are others, however, who do not pay taxes but Uy
to live off of those who do pay taxes.
Our government is like a giant tube of toothpaste- No more
can be squeezed out of the tube than was put into it- If squeezt d
empty, it becomes worthless.
The more demands for increased governmental services, the
more the tube is squeezed—and the government has to find a
way to refill the tube.
Since the government neither creates nor produces wealth,
it must replenish its supply by taking more form the taxpayers
in the form of taxes-
The only real cure for high taxes is for the government to
spend less. Government, however, will never control spending as
long as we send increased amounts of money to Atlanta or
Washington to be spent. It is like asking a fat man to lose
weight yet handing him another piece of pie at the same time.
Our dollar has cancer because we spend more in government
today than we collect in taxes. If you earn SIOO a week this
year, your income will be worth only $96 dollars- A SI,OOO dollars
you work hard to save will lose S4O dollars in its value- The U S
dollar lost 3 cents of its worth last year. It will lose 4 cents
of its worth this year.
The power to tax is the power to destroy- What we need in
this state and country is a Taxpayer’s Revolt and the Power Mot
to Tax-
The projected state money budget for 1968 in the legislature
calls for spending over $786 million dollars, but the projected tax
collection for 1968 will not be but $735 million dollars. This
means that if the budget is passed without cutting it, we will be
ssl million dollars in debt. This will bring on a tax increase.
Today 1 have introduced two Senate Resolutions to reduce
high taxes. Senate Resolution 147, if approved by the legislature
and the people, will provide that only propei’y owners will vote
on bond issues- The idea is: he who pays fur a b rd issue 's the
only one who can vote on the bond issue 1 do not bei.c. e anyone
would vote to increase their own taxes-
Senate Resolution 148. if approved by the ler-latere and
the people, will provide that home own us will no have to [ v
taxes on the first $4,000 dollars of their homes value The i-a
is to increase homestead exempt on from s2du.lt sto • , j
dollars.
1 cannot guarantee that these two res let’ >■" wI! n s
there are some organized groups in the st ,t< a :: n-1 th- n, i
guarantee however that 1 will fipht with .. file, of u.y b-.-.ng
to get them passed in the legislature
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE
AND TAX
Inside county S3.W
Outside county, in state $4.12
Outside state $4.00
Brantley County’s govern
mental structure would be con
siderably altered if proposed
bills are enacted by the Geor
gia legislation at the present
session.
Representative Steve Nim
mer plans to introduce three
bills affecting Brantley Coun
ty, according to legal adver
tisements being published in
the Enterprise.
One bill would put the Or
dinary, Clerk of Court and Tax
Commissioner on fixed
salaries.
A second bill would abolish
the office of County Treasur
er.
The third would reduce the
number of County Commis
sioners from five to three and
require that the commission
candidate run county-wide.
All these changes would be
come effective Jan. 1, 1969,
which is the beginning of the
next four-year term for coun
ty officials.
Two successive Grand Juries
in the past year have recom
mended that county officials
be put on salary and that the
chairman of the County Com
missioners run counity-wide.
The proposed law goes furth
er and provides that all com
missioners run county-wide
and that their number be re
duced from five to three.
Details of the proposed com
missioner districts are not
known. But it is understood
that a commissioner would
stand for election from each
of three districts but have to
run county-wide.
MH
r ■■•ri
