ustxtxb_obs_1965_04_16_50_00012-00000_000.pdf

Yarborough Writes on the Coalition Two weeks ago Sen. Ralph Yarborough wrote Franklin Jones, Sr., of Marshall that he had heard some “rumblings of rivalry, of defeatism, or quislingism for a few bonesbones with less meat on them than cabrito barbecue” in the Democratic Coalition. Yarborough continued, in a letter subsequently reprinted in the Texas AFLCIO Secretary’s Report: “I fear that all the good work of building this effective political instrument you and so many others put forth may be for naught if we do not pay attention to what is going. on in Texas now, and strengthen the Coalition. “It is imperative that the leaders and the various organizations dedicated to the welfare of the people stay in close and continuous communication. The immediate future for the progressive forces of democracy in Texas is brightif the wreckers and dividers are thwarted in their efforts to spread pessimism, distrust, defeatism, and disunion among our ranks. We will gain if we do not let the Texas corporate power structure divide us; because division and turncoatism are the only things that have defeated loyal Democrats in Texas since 1954. “Those who exploit the people and suppress the hopes for improvement of the people of Texas realize the dangers of their impending political defeat better than do many of our friends,” Yarborough said. “That’s why they are working so hard to bury our Democratic Coalition.” Jones has resigned as chairman of the Texas Organization of Liberal Democrats, which is one element in the Coalition. “Please help others continue the good work you so ably led,” Yarborough closed his letter to Jones. 0 Proration ‘PriceFixing’ goo Henry Luce’s Fortune Magazine charges in a current article what the Texas Observer reported in 1957, that the oil proration system is a price-fixing system for the oil industry and the Texas Railroad Cmsn. is its enforcer. Gilbert Burck contends in Fortune that the oil producing states some years ago “in effect set up an open-end, fair-share, producers’ price-fixing cartel.” James L. Sewell of Dallas, president of Texas Mid-Continent told the Houston Chronicle this charge “is a gross injustice and inaccuracy,” and Malcolm D. Abel of Midland, president of the Texas Independent Producers’ & Royalty Owners’ Assn. \(TIPRO, the Texas independents, many of them indebted to the said Burck’s story “is almost totally out of touch with reality.” V Criminal and civil anti-trust lawsuits have been filed by the U.S. in New Jersey this month against eight large oil companies charging them with fixing the prices of gasoline sold in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The companies: American Oil Co., marketing affiliate of Standard of Indiana; Atlantic; Cities Service Oil Corp. and Cities Service Co.: Gulf ; Humble, the marketing affiliate of Standard of New Jersey; Sinclair, and Socony Mobil. V With the collapse of the First State this month, Texas has the distinction of having had five of the 12 bank failures in the U.S. in the last two years. \(The other four in Texas were Marlin, Dell City, Wi. . . J. B. Coats, who resigned as assistant vice-president of the First National Bank of Pecos last August, has been charged in El Paso with embezzling $65,000 from his bank by forging notes under names of bank depositors. V Something ill may be brewing in the securities area in Texas. Unsubstantiated rumors have swept the House floor that House members are involved. Perhaps coincidentally, State Securities Board Chairman Maurice Bullock said last week that the board and Securities Cmsr. W. M. King were conferring with Bexar County D. A. James Barlow and members of Barlow’s staff in San Antonio “concerning alleged violations of the Texas Securities Act.” News from the Right The Internal Revenue Service, acced ing to demands from Sen. Neuberger and Rep. Patman, stripped H. L. Hunt’s Life Line of its tax exemption. In its ori 12 The Texas Observer el Life Line said its purpose was “to support an educational undertaking” and “the study and consideration of the art of living, social advancement, the science of government and agriculture.” I.R.S. says that now, Life Line’s principal activity is “the production of a daily radio program devoted to political commentary. This is a substantial change of activity from those on which the [tax-exempt] ruling was made.” Protesting, Hunt said, “We think it’s useful and beneficial to tell the American people that they are losing their liberties to socialism and communism.” Billy James Hargis’ Christian Crusade still has its tax exemption and its case has been “indefinitely postponed.” Hargis threatens to sue the NAACP, the National Council of Churches, and the Christian Century Foundation if his tax exemption is jerked. V The Houston Post reports that Birch membership in that city may have increased from 5,000 to 6,500 and that there are now five teen-age Birch chapters, at Bellaire, Jones, Lamar, Lee, and Spring Branch Memorial high schools, with a total of 100 to 150 members in them. V About 200 attended, and some booed, Nazi George Rockwell this month as he spoke two blocks from the Dallas assassination site, declaring, “We’re going to stop treason and race mixing even if it kills us or if we have to kill every one of them.” V Dallas Police Lt. George Butler is teaching about 20 women in the Dallas Women’s Gun Club the art of self-defense, Houston Post correspondent Maryann Shaver reported in a copyrighted story. She also quoted Butler that Jack Ruby is “the victim of a gigantic plot.” Texans Bug Out V The ostensibly all-Democrat Texas del egation in the U.S. House of Representatives provided nine of the no votes as the House approved the Johnson federal aid to education bill, 263-153, and nine of the no votes as the House passed medicare, 313-115. Voting against the school aid bill were Burleson, Casey, Dowdy, Fisher, Mahon, Pool, Roberts, Rogers, and Teague. \(Thompson did not vote; the others voted son, Cabell, Casey, Fisher, Mahon, Pickle, Poage, Pool, and Teague. \(The others votOn medicare, Pickle explained that Texas doesn’t need medicare since it has a Kerr-Mills program. Cabell said he wouldn’t vote for a plan that taxes the poor to give benefits to the rich. Dowdy and Rogers, who voted for medicare, offered no explanations of this conduct so uncharacteristic of them. Meanwhile, back in Texas, Gov. Connally proclaimed April 15-30 as “Texas 65” Week. “Texas 65” costs old people from $9 to $19 a month. Medicare as House-passed costs nothing for hospitalization \(social security payments are indoctor-bills program. V When the House, in March, refused to give U.S. Supreme Court justices a pay increase, the Texans voted two-to-one against the justices. Brooks, Gonzalez, Pickle o Pool, Thomas, Thompson, and Young voted for the increase; Wright and Purcell did not vote; all the others said no. V Cong. Gonzalez, San Antonio, rakes the National Guard for segregation, saying only 148 of the 15,852 Texas guards men are Negroes. The Guard in effect re plies that Negroes don’t volunteer, but can. . . . Cong. Pool is hot for a HUAC probe of the KKK and the Minutemen. The Dallas Times-Herald quotes him about them, “They claim to be conservative but all they 5252522525Z Political Intelligence