March 2, 1944
Our Army and Navy Boys
Word has come that James McNeill, son of Mrs. Eleanor Howard McNeill and the late Lock McNeill, is missing in action. He was serving as a radio man on a bomber, and stationed in England. His wife, the former Miss Georgia Sharp, is in California.
Mrs. Abbie McPaters, who now lives at Campbelltown, has received word that her son, Private Oliver McPaters, was slightly wounded while in action somewhere in Italy on the 27th day of January 1944.
Mr. and Mrs. Forrest C. Griffin, of Dunmore, have received word that their son, Private Everette Griffin, had been slightly injured in action in Italy on January 30.
Sergeant Houston E. Simmons, stationed at Fort Custer, Michigan, has been awarded the soldier’s Good Conduct Medal… To win this award a soldier must have for a period of at least one year proven by his exemplary conduct and devotion to duty that he is an outstanding soldier.
Soldier Leslie Gehauf, of the Air Corps, serving somewhere in England, has been promoted to Staff Sergeant.
Melvin Dale Hollandsworth, F 3-c, of the Navy, spent a few days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Hollandsworth.
Sgt. John Gilreath and Mrs. Gilreath (formerly Geraldine Jackson), of Macon, Ga., were weekend visitors of the latter’s mother, Mrs. Bell Jackson. Sgt. Gilreath is a photographer.
Faith Diller, Storekeeper 3rd Class, stationed at the Navy yard, Washington, D.C. spent the weekend with her parents, Mrs. And Mrs. Edgar Wooddell.
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The following men who have previously qualified for Army Service were called for active duty by the Local Board: William Horace Crawford, Slaty Fork; Harold Eugene Hulbert, Mill Point; James W. McGraw, Marlinton; Basil Clair Sharp, Hillsboro; Delmar Willard Dilley, Huntersville.
The following who previously qualified for Navy Service were called for active duty: Arthur L. White, Cass; Clyde H. Kershner, Spice; Loren Paul Anderson, Sr., Hillsboro; William Miles Evans, Marlinton; June A. Buzzard, Huntersville; Wilson William Definbaugh, Marlinton; Robert Clayton Reynolds, Marlinton; Frank Marion Eary, Cass; John Paul Arbogast, Durbin; Garland Page Galford, Marlinton; William Dickson Workman, Hillsboro; Ralph Coolidge Rader, Bartow.
CONGRESS
Considerable tempest of the proverbial tea pot variety in Congress last week. To begin with, some time back the President asked for ten billion dollars in new taxes to pay for the war. The idea was to pay as we go as far as we can; to pay war taxes out of swollen income growing out of war time profits; to keep down prices from inflated values; to play fair with the men who are actually fighting the war by not passing on to them to pay in peace time no more of the war debt than possible.
Congress pettifogged around, under the misguidance of birds largely responsible for the present headache of an income tax law. They passed a two billion dollar tax bill instead of the ten billion dollar one requested by the President, and the fifteen billion dollar one suggested by Mr. Wilkie.
The President very properly exercised his constitutional power and vetoed the bill. In returning it, he told Congress a plenty. Among other things, he said the bill was not tax for the needy but relief for the greedy.
Because the President in returning the bill to Congress did not assume an apologetic, not to say, fawning, attitude, but spoke out in the meeting, Congress went up in the air. Merits and demerits of the makeshift bill were not discussed – they said their honor had been questioned. Majority head man, Senator Barkley, of Kentucky, got hysterical and made a speech; he cussed and quit. They said he was resigning; I says people can only resign when things are shipshape. Otherwise, they just quit.
Very properly Barkley’s resignation was accepted unanimously by his fellow party members. With equal propriety, he was elected by unanimous vote to fill the vacancy created.
The issue being drawn on the entirely human right of Congress to continue to act foolish, when it is so minded to do, the veto was overridden in both houses by many more votes than the necessary two-thirds. You know the old saying about the power to destroy, tax measures must start in the House of Representatives, where the membership must go before the people every two years, to answer for their stewardship. As further safeguard, the bill passed must have the approval of the President before it becomes law. As additional safeguard, presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress…
Wisehamers (sp) pretend to see all manner of signs and wonders and portents in this Congress getting all tangled up in its devious lines and blowing the lid off in defense of its dignity and honor. I can not see it that way. I have noticed in family fights that, after the declaring and hollering stage is passed, the loudest ones get meekly down to business…
PERSONAL NOTES
Mrs. Sarah Loving was called to Washington, D. C. by the illness of her niece.
Our semi-invalid, Mrs. Agnes Natis, is visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Homer Stewart. She always has a smiling face and a cheery word for everyone.
Mrs. Hattie Cashwell had a birthday dinner February 20, honoring her son, Ernest.
DIED
Mrs. Gertie Elizabeth Gum, wife of Dyer Gum, widely know Lucketts farmer and business man, passed away in her home Monday night, February 14, 1944… She was 71 years old. She was a member of the Leesburg Methodist Church…
Mrs. Gum was, prior to her marriage, Miss Gertie Elizabeth Yeager, of Bartow, a daughter of the late Peter Yeager and Mary Margaret Bible, of that place. She was the last survivor of her family.
Interment was in Union Cemetery, Leesburg.