North Carolina Newspapers

Page TWO THE PILOT—Southern Pines. North Carolina THURSDAY. MAY 10. 1956 ■LOT Southern Pines North Carolina “In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep t^ a good paper. We will try to make a littie money for all concerned. Where teere se^ to be an o^ Sion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we wiU treat everybody alike.”;—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. ‘Help Save Mothers’ Lives’ Many worthy causes come before the public every year. Each has its annual drive for funds, each its particular appeal. Of these, the great majority are national organizations, the local chapter carrying on its drive under national guidance and state supervision. < The Moore County Maternal Welfare Com mittee, which will hold its one-day drive this Saturday, is one of the few purely Moore Coun ty groups to make an appeal for funds. There is no national organization behind this project and the cause itself, while certainly of univer sal significance, is concentrated entirely on the local need: the health and welfare of mothers and babies in Moore County. The project was organized in 1935 to combat the fearfully high maternal deathrate in Moore County. Measures then adopted included the procurement and training of a special nurse to head the program of prenatal clinics and mid wife training inaugurated, at that time, by the Moore County Department of Public Health. Payments for hospital or home deliveries of needy patients were started, and committee members worked as volunteer clinic helpers or did motor corps duty, 'the leading physicians of the county cooperated, holding clinics and advising on precedure. Results were dramatic, the mortality rate starting to drop the first year. With the pioneer work accomplished, the committee has turned its energies towards help ing more needy mothers. The Elizabeth Woltz Currie maternity ward was established at Moore County Hospital and a free bed is main tained for needy emergency cases. Direct sup port of the health department program is car- rid on through a Nurse’s Fund available for supplementary medicines, milk and so on. Close touch is maintained with the work of the state eugenics board. This is the cause for which the annual tag day, coming this year on May 12, is held. Carried on by Moore County people, the funds received go to help Moore County people and its future people. In this troubled world, it sometimes seems that little can be done to help to make things better lor the coming generations. One certain thing, however, is to give the coming children a better start. That means a well baby and a healthy, happy mother. That means: expert care and follow-up and sometimes that means financial help. This is what the money supplies that comes from the sale of the tags that say: "Help Save Mothers’ lives.” The Editor Sticks Out a Neck We suppose recommendations from the edi tor’s desk are dangerous things to fool with. Folks may not like what you like; and, then, other folks may get fussed-up when you don’t give them a recommend, too. But when it’s young people and music and county-wide de lightfulness, too, then, seems to us, the case is something special. That was the how it was, as Andy Griffith says, with the recent glee club trials here, and, as everyone knows, that 'evening was one of the nicest evenings anyone could hope to enjoy. This “recommend” we are talking about is go ing to be just the same. Or maybe even more so because, besides the older young people tak ing part, and the more experienced ones, there will be the little ones, too. Contributing a com bination of sweetness and funniness and pant ing excitement—to see if they will get through their pieces, (and oh-my-how-loud-they-play- and-how breakneckfast and that-one-will-never- make-it!) that cannot be resisted. All this is about the Young Musicians’ Concert being put on by the Sandhills Music Association this Saturday night at the Pinehurst Country Club. Each of the county’s music teachers is contributing a performer, the one who has come through his or her individual trials with the flyingest colors. So, to start with,, these young people, large and small, are good. The teachers have surely followed their previous fine stand ards of choice of music so the music will be good. Adding to the local interest is the fact that there will be several students who started their music careers here and are now continuing at this college or that. As in the past, these col lege students will be contributing mature tal ents that have developed here and gone on to higher things. Interest in the county is always high to hear them play and learn how they have made out. “Good,” is generally the com ment here, too. In fact, much more than “good.” There is always a fine audience at this affair, people coming from all over Moore County and its edges to hear Moore County’s young people play or sing. That is another thing that makes the evening such a pleasant one. One, in fact, to rate a recommend with not a “maybe” to qualify it. Zoning: Controversial But Democratic Local government in our time has produced no type of legislation that is at once more bene ficial and more controversial than zoning. Such legislation is on the books in most pro gressive communities. Its constitutionality, so far as its basic purpose is concerned, has been established everywhere. In North Carolina its validity is based on a municipality’s right to legislate on behalf of the public health, welfare and safety. Refinements and specialized sections of zon ing laws are constantly being challenged in the courts; and out of this process 'is emerging, over the nation, a picture of how far towns can go in legally controlling the living arrangements of their citizens. Like insurance, zoning is something that the average citizen thinks little about unless he is called upon to use it, with relish, to protect his neighborhood from some undesirable develop ment—or unless he himself, ambitious to rmder- take some project, finds that his plans are in conflict with zoning regulations. Then hair tearing is likely to ensue. Zoning has been in the news lately in South ern Pines, as the Planning Board—which is the official body charged with formulating zoning recommendations tor the council—attempts to work out requirements in floor space to assure that houses in certain parts of town will not be built so much smaller than other houses in the neighborhood as to grossly clash with the im posing structures already there or to create by their presence a possible lowering of neighbor hood property values. While zoning sometimes seems more high handed and dictatorial than any other type of local legislation, the procedure for instituting and administering zoning is actually more open, free and democratic. At every stip of the way, it seems, there are public advertisements and public hearings. When a change in zoning stat us or a special dispensation in the laws is re quested, persons who own adjoining property are summoned to a hearing by registered letter. When zoning laws are concerned, everyone is given his chance to be heard about a matter that affects Ms property or his neighborhood. This admirable democratic method was ■well illustrated in recent hearings, council meetings and special consultation meetings, all publicly advertised or noted in advance in news stories, which had to do with proposed changes in zoning laws in “Residence I,” the Knollwood and W'eymouth areas. Persons who agreed and disagreed with the proposals had a chance to speak their pieces— along with experts on the Planning Board, council members and anybody else who wanted to get in his' two cents worth. Listening to all this debate at town hall, it seemed to us that parties on both sides of the argument were making mighty good points. In the course of it all, it was apparent that parties on both sides (those for and against tighter building restrictions in “Residence I”) had a deep affection for Southern Pines and wanted to see it develop and grow in a manner that would be both practical and pleasing. They differed, though, in how this was to be done. A compromise recommendation by the Plan ning Board resulted from the discussion: crea tion of a special zone for the very large house area of Knollwood and increase of square-foot area requirements from 1,200 to 1,500 in the rest of the Residence I district. And we don’t see why these changes shouldn’t be beneficial and acceptable to all concerned. Whatever the outcome, thpre is much satis faction in the fact that democratic procedures were followed throughout the controversy and that no one involved wanted to injure Southern Pines but rather was honestly attempting to see it develop as he, on whatever side of the argument, thought was best. Crains of Sand And No Shots Were Fixed The 'Hatfields and the McCoys ■famous nEimes from feuding days in the mountains—crossed paths in the Railway Express of fice here recently, but aU re mained cakn. F. P. Smith, local Express agent, explained that it was only the names that chanced to come into the office together: the name McCoy on one package ar riving and the name of Hatfield on two packages being sent out. A good item for The Pilot’s Be lieve It Or Not department, the agent thinks. • Remember? The New Yorker is a nice mag azine, but how we miss the Helen Hokinson ladies -with their whis- py hair and large figures and gently happy, or gently troubled, faces! Remember the cartoon showing one of those ladies on a train, holding up her- ticket timidly to the conductor and asking: “Conductor, please: is this tick et good for a hangover in Phila delphia?” And Now It's Cats From Marion MacNeille comes an intriguing story of a cat’s change of heart. Marion has two friends who live with her: an old dog, of long and devoted tenure, and a cat. Long but not devoted. At least not until. . . but we’re getting ahead of the story. The cat was one of those char acters Kipling wrote about: She “walked by herself and all places were alike to her.” Mostly she snatched a good breakfast, then with hardly a wave of a thankful tail, scooted out into the woods. She’d come in again for supper and a nice place to curl up for the night, but there was nary a sign that she appreciated any of her owner’s thoughtful ministrations. She took what there was to take and that was that. Independent? That’s putting it mildly. A while ago came fate in the form of a beguiling pup. Dr. Clif McLean, beguiled Marion into taking him and it didn’t take much beguiling. He was cute as they come and would he com pany for the older dog. As for the cat? She could lump it. Which is just what she did. The pup took one look at her and started roaring and charging like a lion. Pussy took out of there in double quick time. During the :m Carry On! TO GUIDE CANDIDATES, WORKERS. VOTERS Code Of Ethics For Campaigns In their state convention of f ations. The only ethical conduct September, 1951, the Young for a candidate faced with _such Democratic Clubs of North Caro lina adopted a “Code of Ethics for WISE WORDS FROM HARRY GOLDEN (CAROLINA ISRAELITE) WHEREIN IT IS EVIL TO BE A 'DO-GOODER' America is great and free, and Mr. Henry Luce is within his rights to write editorials on any subject he pleases to reach his vast audi ence of some fifteen million, but there is an undercurrent of propaganda which even Mr. Luce could not possibly call legitimate contro versy. The undercurrent is against “do-good ers.” Can you imagine a society reaching the point where being a “do-gooder” is, bad? “Do- gooder” means—one who does good. But then someone comes along and says to “do good” is to ‘''do bad.” He says “we do not mean to attack ‘doing good;’ we are only against “do-gooders’.” But what happens to the English language in the process? Recently at one of the $100 per plate Eisenhower dinners the chairman shouted to a closed television audience of about a half million Americans: “For twenty years we had nothing but ‘do-gooders’ in Washington, and now we have DOERS instead of ‘do-gooders.’ ” Henny-penny, run home and tell the King the sky is falling. next} few days, she hid under bushes, up trees, anywhere to get out (ft the way of that DOG. She went without breakfast or supper or nice nest to curl up in at night. Marion tried coax^g her in but she would have none of it. She became thin and haunted, and finally Marion could stand those famished, mournful eyes gazing out at her from sundry hiding places no longer. With a sigh she picked up the pup and carried him to the envious neighbor who had been hoping for him ever since he came. When she got back to the house an unaccustomed sight met her eyes. The cat was standing by the door. She came running to her as Marion came in, rubbing against her and purring. Marion fed her and expected her to take off again, but not at all. The cat jumped in her lap and nestled down for a nap, purring like a steam engine. When the old dog came in, later, the cat rushed up to him and kissed him, rubbing against him and licking his ears. And that’s the way it goes on. No beguiling pup is needed in that house. Or wanted. At least, not by the cat. Or Just Melted Butter? These days of heavenly aspara gus recall the story of the two French epicures who met to share the first picking of spring. As they sat relaxed over their apertifs. the host called in to his cook: “Eh bien, Josephine, you may prepare the asparagus. . . with sauce vinaigrette.” The guest was horrified: “But no, mon cher! Impossible! For asparagus nothing will do but the sauce hollandaise.” The host protested and then Political Campaigns”—a docu ment which the YDC then sub mitted “to the stewardship of '• newspapers and radio stations of North Carolina, to be used peri odically as an influence on public opinion in the maintenance of proper and ethical conduct by those cam,paigning for public of fice.” Approach of the May 26 Demo cratic primary offers a fitting opportunity for republication of this Code of Ethics. It last ap peared in The Pilot before the Democratic primary two years ago. This newspaper is proud to print it again for the considera- tipn of candidates, campaign workers and all voters. “No code of conduct or set rules for human behavior,” reads the introduction to the 1951 docu ment, “can be all-inclusive, nor does this code of ethics particu larize all political behavior which is unethical. This code is pre pared as a permanent reminder to candidates and to the voting public that honor and fairness in the method of obtaining public office are essential to the fulfil ment of our democratic institu tions, ^nd that an unprincipled, dishonest or unethical campaign er is unfit for public office.” Here is the full text of the code: I. IT SHALL BE DEEMED un ethical to use, or allow to be used, written or verbal, any statements or material against an opponent consisting of false hoods, half-truths, misleading statements designed to imply rather than inform, composite and misleading pictures, or dis tortions of fact in any manner or degree. If any charge against an opponent’s character Or motives must be made, it should be direct, specific and open, by the candi date in person. II. IT SHALL BE DEEMED un ethical to use or allow to be used, back-street tactics, or gossip, ru mor, or whispering campaigns which suggest anything detri mental about an opponent, or the opponent’s connections or associ- improper conduct on the part of any of his supporters, or anybody acting in his support, shall be to (1) openly dissasociate himself and discredit the rumor and the tactics, or (2) openly and direct ly make the charges or state ments being circulated by such improper tactics. III. A CANDIDATE is responsible for all campaign literature or ad- vertisem.ents published in his be half, and it shall be deemed un ethical for advertisements or cam paign literature to be issued ex cept over the name of the candi date, the name of one of his cam paign managers, or a committee appointed by him for such pur- nose. IV. IT SHALL BE DEEMED un ethical to make any appeal of any nature, in any degree, to ra cial, religious, or other prejudice. It shall be deemed unethical to stir up fear and distrust between the races, or to inject in any man ner or degree the question of race relations, since a discussion of race relations during a political campaign can serve no gopd pur pose. An appeal to prejudice is not an appeal to reason, is delib erately a design to mislead and confuse, and is directly contrary to the standards set by the great leaders of North Carolina since the turn of the century. This is not to be interpreted as a denial of the right to discuss di rect political issues which might involve race relations, and if any such issues are involved, in order to avoid the dangerous possibili ty of having prejudice inundate reason, it shall be deemed unethi cal to inject the issue other than The Public Speaking they had it back and forth. Final ly it was decided that the cook would make both sauces and half the asparagus would be served with one, half with the other. But the crisis had been too much for the guest. Suddenly, as the two friends sat waiting, he gave a groan and fell back, mor tally stricken. The host took one look at him and then, with tears streaming down his cheeks, rushed to the kitchen: “Josephine, Josephine!” he called. “AU the asparagus with the sauce vinaigrette now!” Praise For Operators To The Editor: I want to pay tribute to the 45 operators of the United Tele phone Company for their effi cient and courteous service. For three years, as desk and records clerk of the Town of Southern Pines Police Depart ment, I have had many occasions to note that they go beyond the call of duty to give good service. The United Telephone Com pany is most fortunate in having Mrs. Annie Medlin Hensley as chief operator aif(l the Misses Mary Jack Medlin and Violet McLeod as service assistants. They had been employed by the telephone company in Pinehurst before coming with the new com pany in Southern Pines a number of years ago.- To the company, and especially to Mrs. Hensley, I wish to express my thanks and appreciation for the wonderful service we receive. CORNELIA P. VANN The PILOT Published Every Thursday by THE PILOT, Incorporated Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 as follows: The candidate shaU publish his official statement, re garding such issue, consisting of (1) a clear, concise, open, specific charge as to any position he feels his opponent or opponents might have toward the issue pertaining to race relations; and (2)- a clear, concise, open specific statement of his own position. This will en able the voting public to have a full and fair picture of the issues involved, while avoiding the in jection of appeals to prejudice by whispers, innuendo, half-truths and falsehoods. , V. ELECTIONS must not be bought and sold, and any attempt to purchase influence or votes is unethical. Specifically the prac tice of paying any sum for votes, or any sum to any person for in fluence, is unethical. It shall be considered unethical to continue the practice of paying ward workers to transport voters be yond the actual cost of such transportation. The “putting out” of sums of money in every ward or precinct is expensive and en forces an evasion and violation of the statutes regulating cam paign expenditures. It places premium on money rather than the issues and the ability and character of the candidates. It should be stopped and it shall be deemed unethical for a candidate, or the supporter of any candi date, to expend, or allow to be expended, money in such a man ner. VI. FINALLY, no code of ethics is obligatory, and none has been universally adopted. A code of ethics is a guide for those who desire to conduct themselves properly. This code of ethics is a spotlight for the public in illumi nating improper and unethical political conduct, and is a sirriple reminder to all that principles of religion, honesty, common decen cy, and fair play should govern political campaigns. Katharine Boyd Editor C. Benedict News Editor Vance Derby Asst. News Editor Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr. C. G. Council Advertising Mary Scott Ne'wton Business Bessie Cameron Smith Society Composing Room Lochamy MeLean, Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Jasper Swearingen Thomas Mattocks. Subscription Rates: One Year $4. 6 mos. $2; 3 mos. $1 Entered at the Postoffice at South ern Pines, N. C., as second class mail matter Member National Editorial Assn and N. C. Press Assn. ’