SEQUIN By that power of the human mind which marks off periods in the march of time, and calls this particular moment of eternity the Year" people make resolutions for conduct and goals during the new year. Drawing up a list of New Year's resolutions is usually an exercise In futility, even when reforms in personal habits are proposed with the best intentions. Preparing then annual budget and promising to live within it la of a favorite resolution. But carrying out the budget plan is task that often rests along the roadside. A newspaper man spends his time with the people, gathers their thoughts and often aids in translating them into action.
Here In Texas, and especially in Guadalupe County and Seguin are so many issues which seemingly could be settled by men of, welfare, good will and good sense working together for the general For example, here are some public problems that could be settled with seemingly little effort. At any rate, this gives us an idea of what many Seguinites would like to see accomplished in the "bear future: When DWIs (Drunk While Driving) are hauled into court, the public would demand, and the judges heed, that those convicted of drunken driving be punished and not merely given a slap on the wrist. That public officials, exercise more frugality and efficiency in handling the business and cultural affairs of their respective areas. That public bodies not only within the county, but throughout Texas obey the spirit as well as the letter of the state's openhearings law and conduct the public's business in public, That racists, white, brown and black would stop to consider the effect that their demagogery has on our city, state and nation, That public officials, including City Officials, County Commissioners, and School Trustees, take a long serious look at public spending and cut out the inefficient and superfluous, thereby giving the average taxpayer a break. That drug pushers, especially those selling to youngsters, would be subject to the death penalty.
it would be carried out. That the Texas Legislature would clean its own nest of those convicted of fraud and misuse of public power, and that the public would turn out of office those legislators who failed to act, That public schools would again be institutions for education and not social laboratories, where merely mixing the races, rather than teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, is the goal. That the Texas Constitution could be revised to bring state government into the 20th century, That the utilization of the $694,638.33 brought into the Seguin city treasury by the city's sales tax be reported by the City Council to the taxpayers. the Chamber of Commerce get together an action committee of TOP businessmen to work toward a much needed community center to meet the needs of our growing city. That the hundreds of loyal members of the Guadalupe Agricultural and Livestock Fair be encouraged in their vision of a larger Fair appealing particularly to young folks as well as the traditional farm family interests which have carried the Fair so successfully for the last half century.
That the spirit of the hundreds of citizens who gave time, talent hard manual labor to the building and furnishing of our Boys' Club be continued in additional ventures to bring credit and prestige to our city, There appears to be a legislative fight ahead for the financing of Texas schools. The federal court decision in San Antonio that the Texas system of school financing is unconstitutional has set off predictions that presage a legislative battle royal in 1973. Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, for instance, has said the ruling might cost the state $1 billion more over the biennium.
And Senator Barbara Jordon of Houston has predicted the ruling will mean Cont'd Page 2 FIGNT BIRTH DEFECTS GIVE TO THE MARCH OF A three-judged federal court In San Antonio stunned Texas public officials with a Christmas Eve decision that the state's system of financing public schools Is unconstitutional, The ruling, which Lt. Gov, Ben Barnes called one of the most-far-reaching in recent history, triggered a round of new studies and re-directed attention to prior studies of alternative finance formulas, To make education "4a function of the local property tax base" violates constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the laws, the three judges held. Parents and children of Edgewood Independent School District (Bexar County) filed the suit on July 30, 1968, Allowing each district to set property taxes to raise a portion of instructional costs discriminatas against poor districts with low property values and frequently high minority group ulations, the court contended. Judges gave state legislators two years to work out a new system, If lawmakers fail, they warned, the court such further steps as may be necessary to implement both the purpose and the spirit of this order." Some observers feared the rul. ing would undermine local control of school districts, Atty.
Gen. Crawford Martin asked the court to clarify whether the decision meant districts could not continue to pay off their bonds from property taxes, Gov. Preston Smith said it would be premature to speculate on ultimate effect of the ruling on taxes and educational programs, Some predicted state corporate and personal income up a new state cost load estimated to range at least as high as $500 million a biennium, Smith called tor a team effort by state officials and agencles, local school authorities courts to reach a satisfactory solution. Phe Senate CommitGazette AnEMIa The The GUADALUTE GAZETTE If. deAl 1 1972, C.
3 40 WELL, LETS GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD' by Boykin General HIGHLIGHTS AND SIDELIGHTS From your STATE CAPITOL tee on Occupational Education next year. immediately took up the pro- Governor said he is considerblem, Texas Research League al- Ing naming an education task ready Is studying the foundation force which will cooperate with school program, and plans to of- other study groups, fer some choices by the end of Cont'd Page 2 License notices due If you own one or more of the more than seven-and-a-half million motor vehicles in Texas, some important mail is coming your way, The first of 7.5 million renewal applications from the Motor Vehicle Division of the Texas Highway Department were patched from the Post Office's facilities in Dallas on Friday, December 31, Owners of motor vehicles should be receiving the renewal applications for obtaining 1972 Texas license plates early in January. The actual motor vehicle registration "season" at county tax offices does not begin until February 1, However, vehicle owners may go ahead and order their license plates by mail immediately. All that is required is to send the entire renewal application, the registration fee and $1 for each vehicle to be registered to the local county tax office, License plates will be returned by mail after registration begins formally on February 1. Vehicle owners should allow at least 30 days for processing and delivery, The application should be sent to the local county tax office not to the Texas Highway Department.
License plates can be obtained in person at county tax offices and designated sub-stations beginning on February 1, In any case, registration will go faster if the owner leaves the three-part form intact and does not separate any of the three parts. Complete, easy-to-follow instructions are contained on the form and on the envelope. Deadline for displaying 1972 license plates is midnight, April 1. Letters to The Editor Seguin Gazette 1100 Camp Seguin, Texas 78155 Dear Mr. Taylor The boys of the Seguin Boys' Club, the Board of Directors and myself would like to thank you and your staff for your support in the past, Because of you and people like you, it is possible for the boys of Seguin to have a Boys' Club and I to stay away from the moral dangers of the street.
We wish you success and happiness in the New Year of 1972. Sincerely Yours William Medley Executive Director Dear Sir: This is to serve as a letter of commendation for a business enterprise your community can well be proud of. Having just returned from out of state to reside in Houston, our family recently decided to take a day trip to San Antonio. About 10 miles from the city on returning to Houston, our small auto sustained a Ical failure rendering it inoperable. After much difficulty we finally made contact with Mr.
Jack Reece, President, Reece Motor Company, Seguin, just as he was closing his place of business for the weekend. With his immediate and invaluable assistance, Mr. Reece personally arranged our getting bus transportation for the trip home; moreover, he had our Toyota towed to Seguin for the necessary warranty repairs which were made by his agency, In connection with the latter, the service rendered by Mr. Gus Bohnet, also of Reece Motor Company, in keeping us closely advised as to time of work pletion and related matters proved to be of great benefit in relieving our anxiety. In short, a job well done was, indeed, performed.
trust your paper will see fit to publish this letter. In this day of skepticism and cynicism the citizens of Seguin should be informed about businessmen THE SEQUIN GAZETTE JANUARY 0. 1972 SEC. 2, PO. 1 Tact Politics under gun in critical election year Big Politics have been taking a ton- gue lashing throughout the country in And indeed the country is in trouble recent months, with the most vocal when we see such shotgun attacks against plays coming from students, their in- our entire political system.
Such atstructors and the more liberal poll- tacks are increasing, and even being inticiana, cluded as portions of planks some pollFor example, some 60 days ago in a ticians hope will be used as their own story headlined throughout the country, stairway to high office, a chairman of the National Convention It appears then that 1972 may well be of Young Democrats was quoted as say- the most crucial year for all of us, from ings the banks of the Guadalupe here in Seguin The country can no longer tolerate extending throughout the political flim-flam, payoffs and Will the majority of voters be swept rascality. away in a tide of emotion that could place "The vast influence of money in poli- the country in the hands of radical eletics is the dirty little secret that every- ments? one knows. Mostly the money flows in Will the office-seekers themselves be the form of campaign contributions able to offset the adverse type of billing from business, from unions, from all our 1972 electiona are facing? the friends who have received the favors, Will the average voter give it much "When the political campaign begins, thought, one way or another? the money raisers go down the list of It is our hope that people in Seguin friends to pay off the favors the archi- and everywhere else will take the time tect who received a commission for the and trouble to study the facts from as new customs house, the bank that bene- many sources as possible. And then fitted heavily from government deposits, we hope to see them expressing themthe insurance company that profits from Relves in public meetings, in personal a huge policy, the wealthy developer conversations with candidates and, ultiwho was tapped for the urban renewal mately, at the ballot box. program, the industry that received a We hope we don't see them falling for tax break involving the linc of the political profiteer.
And He added: we certainly pray we don't see them being "(Everyone) is baffled as to how an swept into a stream of emotionalism individual can cope with the invisible and electing American critics who are processes that govern his life," and then using some of the oldest tools in the concluded by issuing a warning that "'we history of our nation's politics to gain cannot tolerate the dominance of court- public office. house politics, the shady deal and the We'd really be in trouble if this hapcrass payoff. Our country is in deep pened. Platform Plank? Illogical pollution bill The time has come to consider "economic reality" in dealing with environmental problems, The 180-page Sen. Muskie bill to attain zero pollution, which was passed overwhelmingly by the Senate, should be rejected by the House.
The proposed law calls for a flat ban on di8charges into rivers and lakes whether or not they actually degrade the recelving waters, This is neither logical nor practical, It is not logical because almost all communities would become lawbreakers, Secretary of Commerce Stans has said: "Witness the fact that hundreds, perhaps thousands of American pour millions of tons of untreated sewage into the waters every day. By contrast, almost across the board, American industries have launched vastly complex efforts to help clean up the air, water and landscape of the coun- try." The present legislation is not practical because the cost of attaining zero pollution would be astronomical and divert billions of dollars from worthy objectives such as schools and better housing. Russell Train, chairman of the President's Council on Environmental Quality, has estimated the cost by 1981 to be but was accused of "intimidation" for saying so, It is doubtful that the nation needs 180 pages of new law on any subject, but legislation which completely ignores the social and economic costs to be borne by the American people is clearly undesirable, Realistic practical progress in pollution control can be achieved by carrying out programs based on a balanced consideration of both a better environment and other desirable objectives. Guest Editorial Ad battle growing such as Mr. Reece and his associates who show and give an extra dimension of concern and service in helping others and who, as a result, are beneficial to the entire community for obvious reasons.
Sincerely yours, D.M, Sears Dear Editor: It is Interesting to note that both Moscow and Peking have sent extra large shipments of war material to North Korea in the past 12 months, Interesting because the Soviet Union and Red China were on opposite sides during the recent Pakistan war. The determining factor is whether a Communist country is involved. When that is the case, Peking and Moscow invariably work together against the free world, The idea that we can drive a we-ge between them, as long as Communist govemments rule both countries, is a delusion. North Korea has been placed entirely on a war footing, and South Korea is getting very converned about it, In the face of our withdrawing from Vietnam, Seoul wants us to issue a cur. rent statement committing ourselves to the defense of South Korea, There are those in Congress who seem to think we can avold war bydisavowing any commitment to help defend anybody, but that is not the case.
Remember how the Korean War started? Secretary of State Acheson declared that South Korea was snot within our defense perlmeter" and the war was on. To think you get peace by letting the aggressor know ahead of tine that he can get away with aggression is the worst delusion of all, Strength, not only in preparedness but in intention, is the only road to peace, It always has been the only road, Cordially, Herbert Philbrick U.S. Press Assn. With the passing of the Christmas holidays one of the biggest seasons of the year for advertising has drawn to a close. The aftermath will be a discussion of advertising, not only by business houses around the country, but by the federal government.
Since the government has placed regulations on advertising, there has been a growing battle between consumers and businessmen, On the one side, the consumer wants protection to insure that every purchase lives up to all expectations. The businessman, on the other hand, wishes no infringement on his right to advertise any and all his wares. It is very unusual, however, to have an executive in the upper echelon of advertising take a -road attitude. In a speech to the National Office Products Association. Edward B.
Wilson, 11, executive vice president and head of J. Walter Thompson's Chicago office, outlined his views as follows; "There is a rising tide of consumerism which is essentially good but too often reported in an overgeneralized and out-of-proportion way. Honest soulsearching leads me to conclude there are, indeed, excesses in advertising and these need regulation, I also believe current government efforts, however well-intentioned. are not sufficiently -informed nor selective to do what they seek to do. "The machinery for tough self-regulation within the advertising industry, although late in coming, is now established, and it ought to be given a chance to work.
When you add up the merits and demerits, I am proud of the overwhelming good that advertising does for the economy and for the society." Mr. Wilson explained that an advertisem*nt cannot make people buy against their wills, It cannot induce repeated purchases of inferior products. It cannot prolong the life of a product that has Cont'd Page 2 1 Sequin's Oaly NOME Controlled- HOME Printed Newspaper The Seguin TAN We Salute The Seguin Gazette staff with A New Year. Specials to Mary Starnes, and Paul Thanks for being Guests Dec. Daley.
your 10, bless you and your work. God First St. James School..
