ustxtxb_obs_1963_10_18_50_00015-00000_000.pdf

Observations “Their eyes are fixed on you, their hearts go out to you, and their hopes hang on your verdict.” Clarence Darrow Texas Society To Abolish Capital Punishment P. 0. Box 52222 Houston 52, Texas Annual Dues: $2.00 Contributing membership: $10.00 From brewing time IN TEXAS BEER IS A NATURAL Brewed slowly, by a centuries-old natural process, beer is Texas’ traditional beverage of moderation light, sparkling, delicious. And naturally, the Brewing Industry is proud of the millions of dollars it contributes to this state’s economy through wages, advertising, rentals, insurance, transportation and utilities. Money made in Texas, spent in Texas. In Texas, beer belongs, enjoy it. UNITED STATES BREWERS ASSOCIATION, INC. TEXAS DIVISION The State Espies a Crusade Five long years ago we informed our readers that the Baylor Literacy Center had determined that there were 800,000 adult illiterates in Texas \(“functional illitto educate them. Literacy programs in many Texas cities on a volunteer-worker basis, but such programs are fingers in the dike: In Bexar County alone, there are 22,500 persons over 25 who have had no schooling at all. Why does it take bureaucracy so long to get around to such a problem? The Texas Education Agency has now discovered, from its own study, that there are 672,000 Texans 25 or older who had, as of 1960, finished less than five years’ schooling. Last month, without comment, the State Board of Education approved a study of adult illiteracy in Texas. By 1970 we ought to get a program started, with luck. Boycotts and Thunderstorms Franklin Jones, who wrote the lead article in the East Texas issue, has sent us a copy of a letter he’s sent to Charles A. Fry, president of the First Federal Savings & Loan Assn. in Marshall, to wit : “Dear Charlie: “It has just come to my attention that MARTIN ELFANT Sun Life of Canada 1001 Century Building Houston, Texas CA 4-0686 SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW THE TEXAS OBSERVER 504 West 24th Street Austin 5, Texas Enclosed is $5.00 for a oneyear subscription to the Observer for : Name Address City, State This is a renewal. This is a new subscription. you have been passing around thermofax copies of the Sept. 6 Texas Observer. There was no need for you or First Federal to go to the expense of thermof axing the issue, we ,could have gotten copies from the Observer office, 504 W. 24th St., Austin, Texas, and may yet be able to do so at a cheaper rate than thermofaxes cost. “I am delighted that you are circulating this paper. Keep up the good work . . .” I would conjecture that Mr. Fry’s response was muffled. The East Texas issue elicited some favorable reactions. Readers may be more interested to hear what Dr. I. J. Lamothe, Jr., NAACP leader in Marshall, has to say about the progress of the Negroes’ movement there. He writes: “Our boycott of the Central East Texas Fair was better than 95% effective. On a night when usually from 10,000 to 15,000 people stay until 1:30 or 2 a.m., the place was closed at 10 p.m. because no one was there. A reliable source counted 21 Negroes present at the usual peak hour-9:30 p.m. “The Marshall News Mess reported a poor attendance due to inclement weather we had 0.03 inches of rain between 5 and 6 p.m.” On the other hand, Marybeth Vaughn of the Tyler Star \(which reprinted my wrote of the fair that “The weather has been beautiful . . . the crowds were tremendous.” October 18, 1963 15