.' 4 Lancaster Farming, Friday, Oct. 25, 1957 ||Hieasi:er -farming Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly Newspaper Established November 4, 1955 Published every Friday by OCTORARO NEWSPAPERS Quarryville, Pa. Phone STerling 6-2132 Lancaster Phone Express 4-3047 Alfred C. Alspach Robert E. Best ... Robert G. Campbell Robert J. Wiggins.. Subscription Rates; $2.00 Per Year Three Years $5.00; 51 Per Copy Entered as Second-Class matter at the''Post Office, Quarryville, Pa., under Act of March 3, 1879 Business Down Not Depressed THE TREND IN business activity is downward as com pared to the closing months of 1956. Leading the decline are automobiles, household appliances, metals, leather products, lumber, textiles, building activity, furniture and floor coverings. The total output of industry stood at an index of 147—1947 to 1949 equals 100—at the close of 1956. It’s now 145. The situation is not a matter of great concern, as the decline is likely to be moderate and relatively short in duration Prices and the cost of living continue to rise— as do wages and disposable personal incomes. Consumers have both money and credit and their desire to use them is reflected in increased retail sales. Business men are buying, too Total business sales in July - were $57.3 billion—up two, per cent from the previous month and up six per cent from a year ago. Business inventories at $90.9 billion were up slightly from the previous month and five per cent up from a year ago Employment is down about one per cent from a month ago and from the corresponding date in 1956.' This is largely due to students and housewives withdrawing from the labor force and the reduced activity in the auto mobile industry The decline in number of wage earners has been offset by increased rates of pay Hourly earnings averaged $2 07, five per cent above the previous August. Weekly earnings were $B2 59 —up four per cent from the previous year A "look at the entire economic situation leads to an attitude of cautious optimism Expenditures for modernizing plants are breaking all records this year although investments in new plants and equipment are below earlier estimates The urge to ex pand quickly has declined. Consumer needs are being met and there is little need for adding to inventories. The government is in an economy mood, but the effect will not become fully apparent for several months as unexpended appropriations will delay the effect of current budget reductions Present plans for state and local out lays are below proposed federal cuts. The question is, will private spending offset the de crease in government outlays? The answer depends upon mone> and credit policy both at home and abroad. Recent modifications of regulations governing fed eral housing loans have revived interest in residential con struction Starts under private financing in non-agricultural areas rose to an annual rate of 1,010,000 in August—the highest since December 1956. The reduction in minimum down payments has at tracted borrowers despite an increase in interest rates to five and one-half per cent Several industries are not operating at full capacity. Among them are steel running at 82 per cent, copper at 76 per cent, synthetic rubber at 77 per cent, man-made fibers at 78 per cent, and automobiles at 64 per cent These rates do not indicate depression as operations at less than full capacity are normal Full-scale activity would indicate the crest of a boom or urgent need for im mediate expansion These five industries represent part of the total investment in factories and machinery If investments in them are restricted to requirements for modernization, spending in other industries and for public improvements will have to be expanded to keep labor and construction equipment fully employed There are a few clouds on the economic horizon but they aie not stoim clouds The recent decline in business indicates that the boom, temporarily, is short of steam. Some shifts need to be made in the expansion program, both at home and abroad. People understand the functions of money, credit and exchange of goods and services better than ever be fore The economy needs a little adjustment, but a deep recession isn’t necessary and not likely to come in the near future. _ * STAFF Publisher Editor Advertising Director .Circulation Director BY JACK REICHARD 50 YEARS AGO (1907) During October, 1907, the post masters throughout the nation were required to weigh all out going and incoming mail matter under a special ruling issued by the department at Washington, D C . The order " required that all pieces of mail passing through the offices must be counted and designated whether of the first, second, or third class, and the number of stamps cancelled and the value thereof noted... Department officials explained the action was taken in an effort to ascertain to what extent pos tal privileges were being abused 'and to try and determine the rea son for the annual deficit in the postoffice department N. Y. TRUST CO. FAILURE HALTS SUSQUEHANNA RIVER DAM PROJECT With the failure of the Knicker bocker Trust Co of New York, hundreds of workmen employed on the construction of the big dam across the Susquehanna Riv er at McCall’s Ferry were laid off in October, 1907. The New York banking institution was the fK nancial agent of the river enter puse When the project was started the Knickerbocker Trust Co be came' the trustee of a $lO million mortgage raised for the work A spokesman for the McCall’s Ferry Dam Co stated the com "pany had $BOO,OOO to its q#edit when the trust company closed its doors BUMPER APPLE CROP IN 1907 Fifty years ago this month ap ple growers in Lancaster County were busy gathering the fruit of an unusual good crop. From an orchard owned by A. L Stively, near Collins, a car load of choice -fruit containing 928 bushels of apples was shipped to Bloomfield, lowa Previous tp the shipment to the west, Stively had shipped between 800 and 900 bushels of apples to Philadelphia. Elsewhere in southern Lancas ter during the 1907 apple picking season arms were broken. “Rosey” Ashby suftered a frac ture of an arm'while picking ap ples' from a tree on the Jackson property near Oak Shade. He was standing on a ladder with a sack of fruit suspended on his neck and shoulder, when the ladder turned, throwing him off to the ground on top of the sack filled with apples He was taken to a physician who set the fracture. Near Union, Claude Swisher, son of Mr and Mrs Frank Swish er, had the misfortune to break his arm half way between the wrist and elbow while hauling in a load of apples from the orchard on the Allen and Alex White farm In descending a hall one of the traces bioke, frightening the team of horses which plunged out of the harness Fisher, fearing the animals would get away, jumped from the wagon, fell and met with the misfortune A physician was summoned and set the arm. During the 1907 potato season one buyer paid New Jersey grow ers $52,000, another $61,000 and another $6,000, making a total of $179,000 paid out by the three buyers. Fifty years ago this week sev eral boys roaming a woods in the area near Tamaqua, Pa, found the Jbody of a man which had been later identified as David lloban, a miner of Coaldale, who had disappeared 14 months be lorc 25 Years Ago The National Bank at Manen ville, Pa . was robbed by five ban dits of $7,500 F. R Johnston, the cashier, his w.fe, daughter and -This Week* Farming friend, Fred Pickens, were bound in the Johnston apartments dur ing the night and ke\it captive'un til the time lock on the vault opened at 7 : 30 the following morning The’ bandits obtained the money, then cut the telephone wires and left in three automo biles 3 DEAD, SCORE WOUNDED FIRST DAY OF GUNNING Three persons were known dead and more than a score of others reported wounded at the close of first day of Pennsyl vania's small game season Nov. li 1932. Frank L Miller, 55, a Lemoyne butcher, suffered a heart attack while gunning in the Adams County near Gettysburg, dying al most instantly. Mrs. Daniel Kusher, 35, of Honey. Brook, was killed when the gun she was cleaning for her husband’s hunting trip was ac cidently discharged when the cloth she was using caught in the trigger Near New Bethlehem, Pa, a father who failed to see his 12- year-old son as he fired 1 at a rab bit, shot and killed the boy. Henry Ressler, 22, of Lititz, was wounded near his home. He was removed to a Lancaster hos pital. Lawrence Reider, of Middle town, suffered wounds of the face Background Scripture: I Corinthians I; 9 19-27, 10 ' Devotional Readme: Galatians 5: 13-25 Christian Freedom Lesson for October 27, LIFE would be simpler if it were all in clear black-and-white. There is no mistaking one for the other. Daylight and dark can't be confused But twilight is confused and confusing Theie are some ac tions, some ways of living, which are'evidently and undeniably good; there are others which ~ as plainly bad. (Quoting again fiom Billy Sun- “If a man day: staits arguing with you that stealing isn’t a sin, don’t argue with him search him!”) But there are many pioblems Dr. Foreman in living which can’t be solved by simple rule. There are many ac tions about which sincere Chus tians may differ, some saying Do, others saying Don’t. Twilight Zone In the twilight zone are many actions, or proposed actions, which are really unpiecedented The Bi ble says nothing about them, even the state’s legal code may not mention them. One day a woman threw a whiskey bottle at the door ol Englandls prime, minister. She was arrested and fined. But she said to the judge: “I’ll be back with another bottle. The govern ment is throwing hydrogen bombs, and throwing bottles is nothing near so wicked as that This is my piotest against the wickedness of the H-Bomb.” Well, it is cer tainly against the law to throw bottles. It’s not against the law to experiment with But many people would feel the wom an was right, no caiload of glass bottles can do a small part of the haim that one H-bomo can do. But it’s in the twilight zone More simple, peisonal matters are also in the twilight zone. Is it right or wiong for a Christian to attend the theater’ to read a book of fic tion’ to use tobacLo > to drink wine, beer, whisl am’ Chris- 1 » and chest, by stray shot from another hunter’s gun. The ident ity of the shooter was not deter mined. REV. GIPSY SMITH, EVANGELIST, AT LANCASTER, The Rev. Gipsy Smith, Jr., not ed evangelist 25 years ago, open ed a two week’s series of sennons in Lancaster’s St. Paul’s Reform ed Church in October, 1932 v The Rev. Gipsy Smith, Jr, was the son of the English evangelist of the same name, who made England to ring with joy and hope with his messages fol lowing World War I. Following a statement from Mr. Darmstetter, head of the Lancas ter County Welfare forces, m 1932, refuting the report of high salaries being paid to welfare of ficers and workers, W. F. McSpar rah, of Furniss, raised some ques tions McSparran state in a pub lished article given here in part “Mr Darmstetter in his refuta tions says there are no officials receiving over $4,000 a year He does not vouch-safe us' the infor mation Us to how many persons are drawing less than $4,000 a year in being overpaid in this work of sweet charity. , “It is quite time that we get down to foundamental brass tacks in this business of spending tax payers’ money I am riot alone in holding the opinion that there is not a man iTBr a woman in Lan caster City and County in a pub lic capacity that is worth a salary of $4,000 no one so valuable that he could not be replaced by some one to do the same work for $2,000, and be mighty glad to* get ri”. tlans are not unanimous In their verdicts. ~ Abusing Freedom We can get a good deal of light on at least part of the twilight zone, by, reading Paul, and the Gospels. Paul gives us i guiding line which can appeal only to Christians; but for Christians it is a strong directive. At Corinth, for example, there was. a peculiar sort- of question of meat that bail been offered to idols. In every Greek butcher shop there were cuts of beef, veal, lamb and so forth, just as in our super-markets, only course much less sanitary. When the 20th-century housekeeper goes shopping for a steak, she does not inquire how the cow died, Pie sumably it was killed by some one paid for doing such things,. But there is nothing religious about a slaughter-house. In Corinth, in the First Century, on. the contrary, the cow from whose d,ead body the steak was taken, very likely had died in a religious ceremony, killed in sacrifice on altars- daik with blood and black with fire and smoke After the ceremony in the temple, most of the dead animal would be taken and sold in the market-place . . . and so find its way to the tables of the ladies of Corinth. The problem was: Could a Chris tian eat steaks and chops from an imals slaughtered in heathen reli gious rites’ It was a twilight-zone question. Many Corinthians were saying, “Ceitamly I can eat with out sin. Idolatry is bad, but if a cow breathed her last in an idol’s temple, that' doesn’t infect the roast beef with sin!" Using Frttdom Wait a minute, Paul says in ef fect, when they ask him about this. You 'are free, to be sure. This particular twilight-zone thing is not a sin. Eating such meat is not an approval of Idolatry at all. But suppose some weaker brother knows what you are doing, and that you are approving idol-woiship’ Then what? Then the question is not any longer, Is this particular act right or wrong? The question for you is, What will be the effect on my brother if I do this thing I am free to do’ This brother may be weak, he may even be stupid: but Christ died for him. Are you going to drive back into sin this man for whom Christ died’ So it is with many twilight-zone acts today. You may be strong, and free, doing them will not hurt you at all But what about other people" I am never so free, if I am a Christian, that I have a right to abuse my freedom by leading some one else into what for him Is sin.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers