ustxtxb_obs_1960_09_09_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

Price Backs Med Funds inters on Aged and doctors in. the report. The task before the conference, he said, was “to plan for meeting the basic needs of the aged today and tomorrow, not to fix the blame for shortcomings of the past and resent.” 2,600 Could Go Daniel then introduced John H. Winters, Commissioner of Public Welfare, as “the best known expert in this field in our state, and one of the finest public administrators in the entire nation.” Winters, a dark, balding veteran of 17 years’ welfare administration, spoke slowly from his own notes. “I have a great deal more interest in the aging population today than 20 years ago,” he said. The problem we are dealing with “is comparatively new,” he said, adding he had heard that “one-fourth of the people over 65 who have lived since Adam’s time are living now.” “Money is not the only answer to problems of the aging. Fear of illnessand fear of not being able to pay medical bills and having to become subjects of charitythis is the greatest fear of the aged. Medical care is the greatest single need, that and fear of having to have medical and hospital care.” Congress has just passed a medical program which would provide up to $12 a month per person on a matching three-one federalstate ratio, he said. He said he hoped the next legislature would provide the enabling legislation to put the program into effect. appointment of Houston businessman Robert Hervey chaiman of Citizens for Kennedy-Johnson in Texas, the Observer is not aware of it. Democrats of Texas Club leaders and Harris County chairman Woodrow Seals reportedly do not know and have not been contacted by Hervey. ‘ In Austin, Clyde Johnson, organization director for the state Democratic executive committee, said, “We have pleaded, begged, and done everything else” to get Kennedy bumper stickers, buttons, and literature from the national Kennedy headquarters, with “no luck.” The Observer has heard many complaints about an insufficiency of such Kennedy material. On the other hand, Republican forces are mailing out quantiities of such materials on Nixon to all expressing an interest, as well as sponsoring widely broadcast radio programs for Nixon and planning Texas saturation by TV for Nixon’s Dallas speech. National labor’s endorsement of Kennedy-Johnson confirmed the already-started efforts of Texas union leaders for the Democratic ticket. The AFL-CIO Weekly Disptch Sept. 3 in San Antonio bore the headline, “S.A. Labor Eager to Back Jack.” The Kennedy-Johnson Austin headquarters mailed out a biography on Kennedy and a comparison of the two national platforms on selected issues a comparison which puzzled some who wondered which party came off best from it. Gerald Mann, the state Kennedy campaign manager, opened the Dallas office with the Dallas cochairmen flanking him. In his speech he said, “Speaking to you as a businessman, in terms businessmen can understand, I tell you the Republican administration struck a blow to our economy and our national standing with bad management.” Judge Sarah THE TEXAS OBSERVER Page 2 September 9, ‘1960 “We have nursing homes, we have some good nursing homes.” It an old person has sufficient income he is able to pay for excellent care and facilities, he said. But he cited the problem of old people drawing old age assistance and nothing more and of nursing home operators who have to take their full assistance payments and still do not have enough to provide adequate care. The state licensing bureau in charge of inspecting nursing homes for basic standards has to “go along with conditions we shouldn’t tolerate in a civilized society,” he said. “We also need more homes.” Winters said there are 2600 patients in state mental hospitals “who could be released if we could find the doctors and nurses and facilities. for them elsewhere.” “A lot of these people just need a friend to talk with, to discuss their problems with.” He said a survey taken by the welfare department several years ago showed, “in instance after instance, that the person old people enjoy most, look forward to seeing most, is the welfare worker. “I think it’s a little sad,” he said, “that it’s .the person on the payroll who has to be depended on for friendship. “Better trained people in all agencies are needed,” he said. “It’s a big problem, and it’s getting larger.” He concluded by suggesting another conference, at some later date, to re-evaluate the problems in light of the present recommendations. Hughes said Kennedy’s personality draws people to him and believed his Texas visit will strike fire for the Democrats. About 200 Travis County Democrats from liberal to conservative and including formerly pro-Eisenhower county chairman Trueman O’Quinn met and planned the Kennedy-Johnson campaign here. Mike Levi is the country director, with O’Quinn and Mayor Tom Miller co-chairmen. Mann announced El Paso County co-chairmen Richard White, Frank Hunter, and Gabriel Navarette, while Richard T. Marshall organized Citizens for K-J in that county. Sen. Jarrard Secrest heads the Demos’ campaign in Bell County. The Republicans named W. R. Beaumier, editor, Lukin News, the Lufkin area Nixon chairman and Fred Patterson, business manager, Denton RecordChronicle, the Nixon chairman in Denton County. Sen. Johnson, passing through Austin to his ranch, said he has yet to find “one single state Democratic leader” in the South supporting Nixon. “It will be a hard campaign, but we will win,” he said. The New York Times stated the Democrats are in deep trouble in Texas. In other developments: Johnson visited ailing Nixon in a Washington hospital and said Nixon was “very helpful” with tips on how to run for vice president. . . . El Paso Times, Laredo Times, and Kilgore News Herald backed Nixon . . . Byron Skelton called Carr Collins’ “Texans for Nixon” group the “Nix-on Texas club.” . . . Connally announced the Dollars for Democrats drive Sept. 9-19 . . . A Nfgro bought a $50 ticket to a Sept. 17 testimonial in Abilene and Connally said he is welcome . . . Rep. Jim Wright, Fort Worth, said Texas going for Nixon would hurt the prestige of “the entire state” and noted Johnson would be in position to become president in 1968 if elected vice president. Subscriptions: Second Phase AUSTIN With working Observer support committees established in six Texas areas, and with results of the subscription drive in August satisfactory but not conclusive, more area meetings will be scheduled in population centers and university cities beginning next week. County-wide committees have so far been established in Fort Worth, Dallas, Denton, San Antonio, and Galveston, and one area committee, for northeast Texas, is also functioning. The new subscriptions received rose for the month of August almost 300 percent, and r6newals have been normal. However, committees are still needed in many areas; nor have efforts yet been launched independently in most of the small counties, the editor says. The system of patron subscription rates has yielded about $1,000 so far and as much again in pledges. The office has begun receiving new subscriptions designated “Library Matching Fund.” These are being entered into _a register as matching subscriptions for the 500 which a Dallas foundation has offered to buy for college and public libraries in Texas contingent on their being matched. Any new subscriptions sent to the Observer in response to the foundation’s offer can apply to the matching fund. They must be marked, “Library Matching Fund.” The most recent meeting of Observer ‘supporters was held in Texas City for Galveston County. About 35 or 40 friends of the Observer organized a committee and set to work selling subscriptions. Roy Engelke, Texas City attorney, presided and became chairman. Other members of the central Observer committee in Galveston County ‘are G. W. Yates, president of OCAW local 4-449, W. G. Cox, president, Galveston County Democracy Club, Leo Redden., and Bob Stewart. Stewart and Mike Curtis became area business representatives for the Observer. Yates is chairman of a union visiting committee to solicit ‘subscriptions. The Harris County meeting has tentatively been scheduled for Sept. 29. Two or three preliminary meetings have been held to prepare for the major Houston effort. The Travis County Legislative Conference ‘has resolved to support the Observer drive. An Austin-Travis County meeting will be held soon. Next week’s issue will carry times and places for forthcoming meetings. Observer supporters in areas where meetings have not yet been held are invited to contact OA 74-year-old Houston real estate salesman was indicted on a charge -of bribery. A field worker of the Texas Real Estate Cmsn. had charged that the salesman slipped $300 into his robe after pleading to be given a third test for a ‘broker’s license \(he had OState Securities Commission charges that Key Western Investment Co., Abilene, improperly marketed a stock offering were thrown out of court in an agreed judgment clearing Key Western. OReps. Bob Eckhardt, Hous ton, and Charles Hughes, Sherman, conducted a second public hearing on industrial safety in Houston. Jerry Holleman, state labor president, said Texas spends more money to eradicate fire ants than to protect plant workers and the public from job accidents. Quincy V. Tuma, chief safety engineer for Texaco, Inc., said most accidents are caused by human failures and a safety code, which he opposes, would set limits on safety performance. He suggested a separate agency to administer a code if it is enacted, and the two legislators embraced this idea. About 30 attended. O0. B. Ellis, director of the Texas Dept. of Corrections, told a state finance advisory commission sub-panel that Texas has 11,360 prisoners in quarters designed for 7,500. “It’s a most explosive situation. Unless we get some relief, there are going to be riots,” Ellis said. Clerks at Braniff Interna tional Airways in 50 cities will strike Sept. 26 over wages, working conditions, and the union shop, a spokesman said. OAfter delaying news of the integration of Houston lunchcounters a week, the Houston papers printedon back pagesrestrained notices of the event. Firms integrating were Grant, ‘Woolworth, Kress, Foley’s, Joske’s, Schulte-United, Henke & Pillot, Weingarten’s, and Walgreen’s. OThe Business Research Bu reau at the University of Texas reported the business index at its lowest point for 1960down 9% from June, also down 7% from July, 1959. “Texas Businessman,” SAN ANTONIO Negroes in San Antonio are continuing their month-long protest against alleged job discrimination at Handy-Andy stores here. Their picketing of a single Handy-Andy ,store seems to be the current phase of local desegregation pressure which has integrated schools, swimming pools and other municipal facilities, and lunch counters. Except for incidents at Joske’s, the large department store, lunchcounter desegregation occurred smoothly. Joske’s has now quietly integrated its lunch counters. Conferences between Negro leaders and Handy-Andy and H.E.B. store officials was followed by picketing ‘of a Handy-Andy store on San Antonio’s east side, where most of the Negroes live. G. J. Sutton, political leader on the east side and a member of the local executive board of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, said the NAACP Youth Council asked both stores to promote Negroes to positions as checkers and managers, which he said they had not previously held. H.E.B. did so, but the editor about seting them up. He plans to be on the road most of the last half of September and October to assist in the formation of the committees. the newsletter, pointed out that the index measurements for Tex as are “weighted heavily to oil.” Unemployment in Texas totaled 180,500 in July, 7,500 fewer than in June but 19,700 more than last year in July. The Texas Employment Cmsn. ‘attributed the joblessness to the growth of the state labor force and less work in farming. Employment was a record 3,530,200 this July. Egon Tausch, executive di rector of the Texas Council on Migrant Labor, outlined legis.lation for 1961 to protect migrant workers: require permits for the operation of labor camps, close the loophole in the child labor law letting 12-year-olds work in agriculture, tighten the school attendance law, license crew lead ers, and tighten up standards for trucks that transport the migrants. Tausch called the bills “moderate.” He said the migrants have been neglected because they are inarticulate and many are illiterate. A water engineer told the Levelland city council that measurements at six wells indicated a “rather alarming” fall of ?A to 40 feet in the water table therearound, with only about 100 or 120 feet of water sands left. At the present rate of massive irrigation, he said, the water would last about 20 years. Hearing on changing the trial place from Edinburg will be held Sept. 23 in the rape charge case against a 27-year-old Catholic priest. Defense attorney Fred Semaan said he will argue that Hidalgo County citizens have formed an opinion in the case; he wants another site, and not in the “Baptist Bible Belt.” The State Board of Educa tion this week advocated higher salaries for classroom teachers “to enable them at least to maintain living standards commensurate with the type of respectability in the community which their high calling and important responsibilities justify.” Handy-Andy did not and so was picketed, Sutton said. The protest is directed toward all Handy-Andy stores, Sutton added, but “we don’t have the forces to man all of them, so we are just picketing here.” Hubert Green Jr., legal counsel for Handy-Andy, says there is “no policy of discrimination at HandyAndy. We have hired over 100 Negroes.” Green said that compared with other commercial businesses, Handy-Andy / is “at the top” in lack of discrimination. “We deny the charges of discrimination. . . . We feel they \(the that we have hired valued Negro employees for years. . . . This is an act of discrimination against