ustxtxb_obs_1956_12_05_50_00008-00000_000.pdf

pads Various State Agencies MANSFIELD Ominous quiet reigned in Mansfield following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling which upheld the appeals court order that Negro students must be admitted to the local high school. Despite the directive of the highest court in the land, the Negro students continued riding the bus to attend a Negro school in Fort Worth, where they were transferred for enrollment by the Mansfield school board. The Supreme Court refused an appeal brought by school board president 0. C. Rawdon that the appeal court decision calling for immediate admission of Negro students be reversed. The decision was that Negroes have the right to attend the Mansfield High School on the same basis as white students; refusal of the school board to admit them was a violation of the law; the district court should order the school board forever restrained from refusing admission to Negroes on the basis of race; and the district court should retain jurisdiction of the case and “promptly, fully, and effectively carry out this mandate.” L. Clifford Davis, Negro attorney from Fort Worth, who filed I MANSFIELD WAITS I Policy Challenge To Lyndon Grows 0 For the second time in a week, Austin firemen ar rived in time to douse flames set by an. arsonist attempting to burn down 0. Henry’s “Honeymoon Cottage.” In a less sensational move to eliminate the old house from the more elite neighborhood, an attorney filed suit to bar the memorial’s establishment. A shivering, shaking mass of teenage girls began lining up at dawn in 25-degree Fort Worth weather to be sure they would have seats for the opening of Elvis Presley’s movie, “Love Me Tender,” at 9:30 a.m. OFaith-healer Jack Coe of Dallas, who got in trouble in Florida to telling a three-year-old polio victim to discard his leg braces, became critically ill from polio. THE TEXAS OBSERVER ge 8 Dec. 5, 1956 AUSTIN, State Auditor C. H. Cavness disclosed in his annual report to Governor Shivers that he has recommended various improvements in the procedures and operations of more than 20 state boards, agencies, departments, and institutions. The 74-page report also lists some 20 state units for which his audits found that books, records, and accounts were excellently or adequately maintained. Cavness reported that “generally speaking, the records of the Liquidating Division of the Board of Insurance Commissioners have not been in a satisfactory condition from an accounting standpoint.” The State Board of Morticians, according to Cavness, had not complied with the laws that an inventory of property be filed With the comptroller and that the Board of Control is to negotiate contracts for rental of office space by all state agencies. “We recommend that the board take the action necessary to have all licensed embalmers and funeral directors register with the county clerks of their respective counties as required …” Cavness reported. The auditor offered these other comments: Wichita Falls State Hospital “We recommended that subsidiary records be established and properly maintained for the control of linen and bedding and small tools and utensils in use as required by the board’s instructions.” San Antonio State Hospital “Our observation over a period of years is that a working trust This was just before the D.N.C. executive committee met. Meanwhile, the ADA World, publication of the liberal Americans for Democratic Action, has charged Johnson lost Texas to Eisenhower. “Johnson had complete charge in Texas,” it said. The work he did for Stevenson was ineffective. It asked why Johnson passed over those who helped the party in Texas in 1952 in selecting local campaign chairmen and leaders this year who had displayed so little enthusiasm for Stevenson or , his party; and why no discernible effort was made to counteract the defection of Negroes from the Democrats. ADA World particularly cited Dallas. “After several unsuccessful efforts to find some prominent businessman or lawyer w h o campaign, one Pat Coon was chosen,” the publication said. “Thereafter Coon spent only one day at his office in the Dallas Stevenson Kefauver campaign headquarters. His one burst of activity came when he decided to have some Stevenson car stickers printed, only to discover it was then too late! “He wound up the campaign with a $1,000 surplus, although he could make no money available for ‘lost time pay’ to recruit workers to bring out the vote on election day.” The Dallas News asked editorially how the ADA explained -. ‘venson’s loss of 40 other states. quately or excellently maintained were the Texas Prison System and its education and recreation fund, the Battleship Texas Cornmission, Lower Colorado River Authority, Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Terrell Slate Hospital, Texas Turnpike Authority, East Texas Tuberculosis Hospital, Legion Branch of the San Antonio Tuberculosis H o spit a 1, Texas Blind, Deaf and Orphan Home, State Highway Department, Mc OSeven children and two men received anti rabies shots and 25 animals were under observation at Odessa and Midland after a dog and cat were proved to be rabid. OCecil Culver Sr., president of the State National Bank of Groom, called a public meeting of bank depositors to announce a $5,500 shortage of bank funds, and the fact his 31-year-old son is missing and had been charged with t h e embezzlement. The father said he had replaced the shortage. Honey-lovin’ Lamar County skunks have got County Ag ent Erwin Glew perplexed. He says the smart skunks anger the bees by scratching on the hives. When the bees, with bits of honey clinging to them, rush out, the skunks catch them by the mouth the actual entry of the on the accounts. dling these accounts in should be expected to use procedure.” Texas Surplus Property Agency”During the period covered by our audit there was a general lack of approval by authorized persons of expense items prior to payment, also some check vouchers were not adequately supported. We made recommendations regarding these deficiencies and were told our suggestions would be followed.” San Jacinto River Authority “Our audit disclosed that a total of $1,56’9.93 have been collected on accounts receivable but not deposited in the bank or credited to accounts of the customers. A shortage in the petty cash fund amounting to $66.10 has also developed.” Youth Development Council “We found the accounting records of the council not to be good and we assisted the chief accountant in compiling journal vouchers, which have put his general ledger into correct balance.” Cotton Research Committee of Texas”We found that many items of personal property which have been acquired by the committee as grants from industry, etc., have not been reported to the comptroller’s inventory division.” State Board of Barber Examiners”We again called the board’s attention to the fact that the Barber Examiners Fund is rapidly diminishing and suggested that they give thought to , their needs and consider increasing revenue and, where possible, decreasing expense of operations.” Texas National Guard Armory Board”The employees of the board are not bonded. … Consideration should be given to bonding all responsibilities employees of the board, although the records are good.” General Land Office “The present accounting personnel of the General Land Office seems well qualified for these respective positions, but it appears to us that certain sections of the accounting division are somewhat understaffed.” Texas State Board of Medical Examiners “We noted that sometimes travel expense vouchers were issued more often than monthly. This practice is not consistent with rules and regulations covering travel by state employees.” Bureau of Labor Statistics”.. the bureau could be more nearly self-sustaining.” Texas State Parks Board”We recommend that the Legislature consider appropriating funds forthe employment of someone to serve as internal auditor to work in the field on the various park concessions’ operations. This person would make unannounced visits to the parks to take inventory of concession merchandise, count and reconcile cash, and perform other tests and checks of the parks’ operations.” Gainesville State School for Girls”We suggested that the Youth Development Council require the school to make an effort to comply with the laws that provide for collection of fees for the support and maintenance of non-indigent students. No such fees were collected during the period under audit. Waco State Home”In our last two reports we have suggested that more effort be made to comply with the laws governing the collection of fees for care and maintenance of children whose parents are non-indigent. There has been no improvement, however, in these collections.” One state operation singled out for commendation was the Moody State School for Cerebral Palsied Children at Galveston. Cavness reported: “It appears to us that the school is accomplishing a great deal with the children entrusted to its care, and the employees seem to have good qualifications and understanding for their work.” Among the units where books, records, and accounts were ade 0 State Prison Manager 0. B. Ellis announced that guard Earl D. Jackson, 39, had been caught “bootlegging” inside the penitentiary and was also sus pected of peddling barbiturates. “These incidents should not reflect on others in the prison system, who are honest and hardworking,” Ellis added. O T e x a n s, according to the Methodist Board of Temperance publication called “Clip Sheet,” are drinking more than they used to. Fifteen years ago each Texan consumed about one gallon of absolute alcohol per year in beer, whiskey, or wine. Today Texans are consuming 1.61 gallons each. 0 Freedom Par t y Chairman Robert Leo of San Diego said Attorney General-elect Will Wilson will be urged by petition to provide legal assistance for litigation resulting f r o m Duval County investigations. Houston police wound up the football season by closing “the biggest book in Houston,” and papers seized indicated the two operators arrested had been booking bets totaling as much as $100,000 a week. the suit in behalf of three Negro students, said that no new attempt will be made to enroll the students immediately. He said, “more study will be given the situation before any action.” After the ruling, Rawdon predicted that the reaction of Mansfield citizens “would be about the same as before if the Negro students tried to enroll.” He said “it looks kind of bad but the ruling won’t change the attitude of the town.” Superintendent R. L. Huffman said if “Negroes come to enroll we’ll have to enroll them. There’s nothing else we can do.” But none have shown up during the entire controversy. They were kept away during the September enrollment period when a crowd of more than 100 white men ganged around the school, hanged several effigies, roughed a minister who tried to argue with them, and threatened to commit other violence. Constable T o m Beard said “there’s a possibility that the crowd would take the Negroes and policemen and all if Negroes try to enroll … The majority contend its not going to happen … These people like the Negroes all right but they like them in their place.” Knight State Tuberculosis Host pital, Adjutant General’s Department, Austin State School Farm Colony, Road Bond Board, Judiciary Sections of the Comptroller’s Department, Rusk State Hospital, State Board of Voca 1 tonal Nursing Examiners, Board of Hairdressers and Cosmetologists, Gatesville State School for Boys, and the Board of Texas St a t e Hospitals and Special Schools. ful. “They chew the bees until the honey is gone, then spit them out. We’ve found piles of the dead bees just outside the hives,” he explained. 0 U. S. Representative Wright Patman of Texarkana charged the interest rate increase on FHA home mortgages to five percent is “just a plain case of extortion.” He said the rate raise will mean less, not more, housing and was designed to pressure Congress into authorizing a similar increase in interest rates on GI home loans. 0 J. G. Powers of Tyler, presi dent of the Texas Home Builders, said at his group’s annual convention in Houston that the “tight money” situation has ruined many smaller home builders and warned delegates not to expect too much from the FHA interest rate increase. “This will help we feel sure. But let us remember that the VA rate is still where it was…. I do not see how the VA can hold out against a raise to five percent,” he said. 0 Judge Harold R. Medina, the federal judge who presided at the trial of America’s eleven top communists, said in Houston: “I’d rather see every communist get off scot-free than give up a single one of our guarantees under the Bill of Rights. The Constitution says a man has a right to keep his mouth shut. I can’t see what’s so bad about that.” fund of $5,000 in. any of these institutions is sufficient. At Sept. 30, 1955, the trust fund balance here was $56,425. Of this only $30,000 was invested as authorized. An additional $20,000 could be safely invested, and this would increase the income for the Patients’ benefit fund.” Kerrville State Home “We recommend that a more positive control of cash receipts be instituted and that more care be exercised in preparing cash vouchers and journal vouchers, in entering them in the journals, and in reconciling subsidiary , ledgers with the controls at the end of each month.” Austin State Schools “The fiscal records had not been maintained as accurately as they were during the preceding year. This was also true of the inventory records.” Contingent Expense Committee of the House of Representatives “Our audit developed an average of $1,580 in supplies which