ustxtxb_obs_1968_08_23_50_00013-00000_000.pdf

supply. To meet requirements the council found it necessary to have detailed maps of the water and sewer lines prepared. The water superintendent, an Anglo, was asked to provide the maps. At first he agreed, then he resigned, telling Pfeifer he did not wish to work with the new government. The superintendent’s $45-aweek assistant, Gregorio Martinez, drew up the maps, tracing the utility lines by memory. In the fall of 1967 Pfeifer took a leave of absence to attend the University of Texas at El Paso. Councilman Winston Bott, an Action party leader, was named acting city secretary. Who would succeed Bott on the council became a heated issue. A number of Action party foes, mostly Anglos, formed a group called Area Citizens and prepared a list of candidates for the council vacancy. At a council meeting Area Citizens spokesmen said they believed the council’s make-up should “reflect the fact that we have Anglo-Americans living in Mathis, too.” Action party councilmen turned to one of their own, party worker Simon Galvan, to replace Bott. Three fires have inflamed the local political dialogue since the Action party took power. The first, in April, 1966, caused the destruction of a private home in the town’s newest housing subdivision; the second, in the fall of 1967, struck one of the area’s wealthiest farming families, Anglos, who suffered the loss of a building used for hay storage; the third, just before last Christmas, destroyed a lumber yard and building supply store owned by an Anglo. All three fires caused talk among local Anglos alleging arson on the part of Mexican-Americans. No such charges were taken to court. T HIS SPRING the hold that the Action party had won in 1965 and improved in the 1966 and 1967 elections was broken, partly because of factionalism developing within party ranks. Action party candidates faced opposition from two leading members of the Area Citizens group and from two Mexican-Americans whom Action party leaders considered sympathetic to the Anglos. As the campaign developed, the local weekly newspaper expressed clearly its preference for the Anglo-led challengers, giving them far more space in news columns, not pub -lishing fully Action party replies to issues raised by the Area Citizens, and finally endorsing the challengers. On election day the lines of voters were particularly long. Pfeifer says many potential voters gave up waiting and went home. During the day the sheriff and Texas Rangers stood outside the city hall polling place, a fact that discouraged some Action party supporters from voting, according to a party member. The party lost three of the four seats and, thus, relinquished control of the fivemember council. At first it appeared that the party had held control by losing just two of the seats. But after the election the challengers filed a suit in county court, alleging irregularities. In a recount tally mistakes were discovered, meaning Councilman Galvin had not, as first reported, been reelected. Charles Neal, his opponent, was ruled the winner by four votes. The loss of control by the Action party is generally believed here to have been caused by two primary factors. First, three referenda were on the ballot. Pfeifer believes this discouraged many Action party people from voting, they being, Pfeifer says, unwilling to decide questions August 23, 1968 13 Doesn’t this make sense? It is the fear of losing the wage earner’s earning power for a year or longer which presents a threat to every Union family. Just as it is impossible co insure an existing fire, it is impossible to insure an existing illness or injury at the time of occurrence! Insurance must be placed before the catastrophe before the lockout of “living death.” We invite your consideration of the policy contract clauses of the American Income Life Insurance Company, the company with the policy with the arbitration clause for Union Labor! Our credentials? Our employees are organized and represented by Local 277 of The Office and Employees International Union of the AFL-CIO. And we like it! AMERIOAN INCOME LIFE l inAtoemee Executive Offices, P. 0. Box 208, Waco, BERNARD RAPOPORT President Texas 4