Page EIGHT THE PII^OT—Southern Pines. North Carolina THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 7, 1957 What Kind of Job Does ‘The Welfare’ Do? (Continued from page 1) grants, to which, in most cases, county, state, and the federal government contribute and which make up the great propor tion of welfare funds dispensed through the county agency. In a following article, the ex tent of funds and detailed proce dure of administration will be described. Aand then, probably, some readers will groan at the amount of “the taxpayers’ money being thrown away.” And an other group of readers w^ll shake their heads and wonder:- “How can dire poverty and human mis ery ever be licked if that is all a county department of public welfare has to work with.” But even so it is probable that both . groups will end by agreeing that those in charge of dispensing these funds make them go as far as they possibly can. But that’s a later article. Now you’re driving along out into the country and the day is sunny— thank goodness—and you are finding out about this alphabeti cal abracadabra. The Three Funds The Welfare Dpartment has three main funds to draw on: ADC, APTD, and OAA. 'They start with the children. ADC means “Aid to Depend ent Children.” This fund goes from babyhood up to 18 if the child remains in school that long, to 16 if he quits school. It can be used for needy children who have one absent, (dead, desert ed, etc.) parent or one who is dis abled. APTD. These letters stand for "Aid to the Permanently and To tally Disabled.” APTD grants go to people who can no longer continue earning a living and have no other source of income, or a source insuffici ent to keep them going. ’They need not be disabled in the actu al sense of that word: that is, a woman could do a little house work, a man could do a little gar dening. They are mostly people who have serious heart condi tions, high blood pressure, dia betes, disability from injuries, or mental defects, people who can not work who have nobody to help them, and whose savings, if any, have been used up. The age bracket is 18 to 65. The last category, OAA or Old Age Assistance, takes care of those 65 and over. Now that you have all this fairly straight in your head, you relax, but it isn’t long before your driver points ahead to a little, dingy-white house just off the road: “Here’s our first case,” she says. And she slows down while she gives you a few details. “Two people live in this house,” she says, “both getting help un der APTD. The mother, Nell, has very high blood pressure and has a hard time taking care of her son, Harold. Harold is in his early thirties. As a result of in juries suffered in the place where he used to work, he is partly crippled and mentally deficient. It seems that Nell and her hus band were divorced a good many years ago and he married again. He lives in Greensboro, has an other family, and contributes nothing to the care of his son. Nell has been sick again and last month her rent was raised. She appUed to the Welfare Depart ment for an increase for her APTD grant. |p%v yisSts She is on a budget that has been worked out with her by the case worker. These budgets foUow closely the requirements set by the state with so much for food, so much for clothes, rent, etc. graduated according to plan. Any increase in the grant or de- viation from the rule can only be made through application to the state office. This visit to Nell and Harold is the first one made in six months and it is doubtful if the worker can get ^ this way before another Because months passes. Moore Coimty department is so understaffed, visits average two a year for such cases, urfess there is an emergency. -^en neighbors will send word, as a rule, and somebody tries to go. As we went from case to case, that day, this neighbors gained more and mor significance. For all and fancy ways, neighborlmess stiU exists. It was heartening to see how much kindness there is and often the poorer the people the kinder they seem to be. Nell’s little house was bare and tidy. It had four rooms. She told us about the raise in rent. “We paid him $10 a month for 7 years,,” Nell says. “But now he’s raised it to $20.” She states the fact simply, without resentment. “Everythi^s going up,” she says, “it’s just one more The light bill, too, has gone up. “All the folks around has been doubled,” says Nell, and then goes on to tell of the new pills she has to take since the last hem orrhage and how much they cost —“and I paid out our last money, $24, to the hospital when Har old had to go. We’re plumb out.” Nell is a big, good-natured- looking woman with a very high color. ’There is a sturdy look in her eyes but a look of puzzlement, too. She keeps say ing: “I just cain’t see how. . .’ and her voice trails off. "Is Thai High?" “What is the doctor treating you for?” Nell turns her head your way: “Anything I have,” she says simply, and adds, gruesomely, that when she had the last nose hemorrhage, the nurse “she said if I didn’t of had it and bled like that, I’d of busted the top of my head right off.” Her blood pres sure was “200 and somethin’—is that high up?” Nobody answered that and the worker asked if she could do any work at all. “Worked a while last summer,” she says, “helped Mf. X with his tobacco: made $25.” Harold has to take medicine, too: “takes a pill three times a day and each one cost 23 cents, they said.” But Nell protests quickly, in case we misunder stand, “they’re dping him good. They’re good pills. I’d give up anything to keep up his medi cine.” They have a few chickens and a little garden last year: “but the ground’s hard. Nobody got a mule around here. Just have to dig up.” She sighs. As you sit there, you observe the case worker’s eye straying to the car parked outside the win dow, as your eyes have been straying pretty often to the ’TV set. Nell apparently noticed both glances. “I’m paying for the car,” she says, “it’s a ’51 Chewy. Seems I HAVE to have it. Have to carry Harold to the doctor for his check-ups and I have to go for shots. Wouldn’t dare to be with out, way out here and him sick.” As for the TV, Nell was quick to state, “I didn’t buy it. His father’s people give it to Harold and he sure does get a pleasure watching.” Later you ask the worker whether this uncle who gave the TV set has been approached for more important assistance. She shakes her head: “I don’t know. I’ll find out. But I kind of doubt if he’d do any thing like real help. ’The divorce was thirty years ago and his brother has re-married. 'The uncle might give the boy some thing like this but probably wouTBn’t be much interested in helping Jier with home ex penses.” On Down The Road The time has come to say good bye to Nell and her problems. The case worker has been over them with her pretty thorough ly. The budget has been checked: “I figure it’s about a $100 a a month,” says Nell. But when the case worker comments that because, as she claimed, he mis treated her, she took the baby and came home. A while later the husband and another man ap peared, “acted friendly and so cn,” but ended up by grabbing up the baby and taking off. She and her mother had made the futile trip north to try to get the baby back. And The Baby Suffers, Maybe “So the baby’s being pulled around by each of you?” the wofker said. The girl nodded her bent head. “He said he’d pay for the baby if I had her, but now his mother wants her. They have money.” “He wants the baby so’s he can get her to come back,” put in the mother. “This seems pretty hard on the baby,” the welfare worker said. “If they have money and his mother will take care of her, maybe. . .” 'Ihe mother interrupted: “She wants her baby. And he said he’d pay. . The worker wrote down all the facts and advised them to see the lawyer they had already been to. “Better let things alone for a bit,” she suggesteds. “The baby’s all right up there and things may work out.” This case, she explains, as we Calendar of Events Feb. 10 Carolines Golf Assn. Tourney, Pine Needles C. C., Southern Pines. Feb. 12 Silver Foils, Mixed Foursomes, Pinehurst C. C. Feb. 14 Pinehurst Forum, Quentin Keynes, noted photogra- phem with pictures of Africa. Feb. 16 Tin Whistles Club 53rd Anniversary Flag Tourna ment, Pinehurst C. C. Feb. 16 Annual Hunter Trials, Moore County Hounds, Southern Pines Hunt Ball, Southern Pines C. C. Feb. 17 Informal Horse Show, Pinehurst. Feb. 19 Silver Foils Annual Team Match, Pinehurst C. C. Feb. 21 Caravan Theatre, Opening Performance, Pinehurst. Feb. 18 Sandhills Music Association program. Little Sing ers of Paris, Weaver Auditorium. Feb. 22 Washington’s Birthday Ball, Pinehurst. Feb. 28 Pinehurst Forum, Vera Appleton and Michael Field, duo-pianists. March 1-5 Seniors’ 4-Ball Tourney, Pinehurst. March 2 ...Youth Talent Show, Weaver Auditorium, Southern Pines. March 7 Sandhills Music Association, Alden String Quartet, Weaver Auditorium. March 8-12 Spring Field Trials, Hoffman. March 23 Stoneybrook Steeplechase, Southern Pines. Parents Of Polio Patient Volunteer To Lead Campaign Mr. and Mrs. H. N. (BiU) Scott of Carthage, whose 10-year-old drove on our way, is what is call- j daughter, Bonnie Jean, had polio ed a “service” case. There is no jn the epidemic of 1948, have vol- need or reqquest for funds. It unteered to head the March of came to the Welfare Department Dimes drive in Carthage, it was through the courts for supervi-j announced this week by J. Frank Sion of the welfare department, McCaskill of Pinehurst, couAy which has the responsibility of, chairman. * following the case and trying to Lacking a.leader in Carthage $37 is listed as the budgeted j worker found there was another amount for food and clothes, you claughter of the old man living in aren’t surprised when Nell, with the original school home and a sort of chuckle, comments “we ^persuaded him to try to get hold don’t get no clothes out of it!”*of her and get her to.take “any- As you drive on, the case' way the oldest ones.” worker says that she plans to He heaved a sigh. “1 hope,” he recommend a raise in Nell’s said,” I HOPE. . .” and then grant to take care of the raise in broke out into a fierce and tragic rent. It will take, around three denunciation of “all this drinkin weeks, probably, for the request and carryin’ on. Brought my chil- to clear the state office. She be- lun up right, and here they go. lieves it will probably be allow- I, .” he waved a crutch hopeless- €d. When you wonder how Nell,]y. And nearly hit a dodging will make out until she knows. help m solvmg a pret y difficult I ^ow but sadly, not unusual situation. ^ In this case, the way is compli^ i assisting the cated by the aUeged bad record collecting funds. Bon- of the young mother. ,^nie Jean wears braces and uses In this connection, you fmd j^j ^t have lost her yourself impressed, as you were g^^^^ said, if it had not to be more than once during the ^imes assist- day, by the research work done by the field workers. Neighbors,* unofficial reports are consulted, doctors, employers. ^ Moore County campaign conferred with everything done contributed to fill in the background of the|_^^.jj ^2,000 short of cases and to verify the people j own statements of their troubles. ^ The next two cases were color ed families. One, ADC, the other APTD. Both seemed to be as close to the edge .of positive ex tinction from poverty as it would be possible to get. The cabins were full of holes, smoke-filled. One was very clean, the other was too dark inside to see much. One old man, on crutches, with only one leg, almost entirely blind, had just had “dumped down on- him,” as he expressed it, six young grandsons, the chil dren of his daughter who had ]ust been sent to jail for drunk enness. They were swarming around him, as we talked, and the old fellow was about frantic. They were nice-looking young sters, clean, seemed well-enough behaved, too, but oh how lively! “Why aren’t they in school?” “Well, Mamie she just brung ’em and dumped ’em. Ain’t had lime yet to do nothing.” It turned out they had gone to a school where Mamie lived in one end of the county so they’d either have to be transferred to another near the grandfather’s home or else go back. The case INDUSTRY (Continued from page 1) Other members are: from-Aber deen, W. L. Batchelor, Ralph Leach and Dr. E. M. Medlin; Cam eron, ,Hubert Nickens; Carthage, A. L. Barnes and Jack Williams; Pinebluff, E. H. Mills; Pinehurst, Albert 'Tufts and W. A. Bur roughs; Robbins, James F. Steed; Southern Pines, Robert S. Ewing, Norris Hodgkins, Jr., Joe Monte- santi, Jr., John L. Ponzer, Harry K. Smyth and Jack Younts; Vass, A. G. Edwards; West End, Paul VonCsinon; and from the County Board of Agriculture, Richard Matthews, who was recently ap pointed to the group. tehe says proably the landlord will give her extra time. He knows she is dependent on the county. Next, we drove in and parked in front of a small wayside store. An older woman stood behind the counter and near her was a pretty young girl. She was deli cately built, with a small face, clear pearly skin, huge dark eyes, soft .reddish hair. Her cupid’s bow lips were drooped in a sul len expression. She looked very tired. “And she is,” said her mother. “Just got back this morning, we did, after going up after the baby. .And had to come back without her.” “Back from New York?” They nodded. This case, the^welfare worker bad told, was a sad and a diffi cult one. The girl is only 14, “be 15 in March,” she told us quick ly. She was listed for delinquen cy to appear in juvenile court, last year but failed to show up. It turned out she had rim away to get married to one of the sol diers with whom she was alleg edly mixed up. The baby came. They lived with his people; then. grandson. The old man gets Aid For The Blind funds, which are handled by a special case worker for the blind whom Moore County shares with two other counties “He says there isn’t any food. . what can we do?” you can’t help but put in. . There is another series of ques tions and answers. It develops the old grandfather could get food from the store, “where trades,” he says, “he always helps me when I need it, and then I pays him back. He knows 111 pay,” he proudly adds. So, on our way back out the lutty sandy road, we stop by the store to make doubly sure that the needs of the old man and his chicks, who have come home there to roost a while, will be looked after, during the emer gency. Was this another case for the non-existent general fimd? It seemed so, and with a ven geance. The thought of that crip pled, half-blind old man coping with six young boys, even with the help of a daughter who was there nights, was a fearsome one. The next case had similar over-and-under tones, and the next and the next. A delicate woman, whose husband, a tenant farmer had died suddenly, leav ing her with their epileptic daughter to care for; a youngish woman, the sole support of sev eral children, was obliged be cause of the illness of one of them to quit work a few days before the mill where she was working, closed, depriving her, thus, of the chance to get unemployment in surance; and so it went: bad luck, bad health, old age. . . you could trace every case to one or the other cause. As we thought over the day’s list, we came to the conclusion that none of these people were, really, the ‘‘worth- Ises” type. A couple might have been shiftless to start with, a young worker, (who was NOT, it should be noted, accepted as a welfare case) was probably a poor manager; the girl in the wayside store looked like past trouble and more to come, but again, her case did not entail any use of welfare funds. Yet we were certain this was simply a sampling of the usual run of the mill welfare cases: they were all grouped in one locality and they were of every variety. There’s more to be said on this subject and a fuller explanation of how and where and when funds are used: of how people get on the welfare rolls and how they get off and why. This is a big subject, and certainly an im portant one. How a people takes care of its unfortunate is a pretty good indication of how progres sive and intelligent, not to say kind-hearted, a community is. And so you ride back homey thinking, thinking. And thinking on to the second installment in next week’s issue... Native of Vass Dies In Harnett Funeral services were held at Kipling Wednesday for Erwin B. Cameron, 52, who died Tuesday at his home in that community. Burial was in Harnett Memorial Park near LiUinfgton. Son of the late Hughie C. and Maggie McKay Cameron, he was born and grew up at Vass, later moving with his family to Olivia. He owned and operated the Cam eron lumber plant at Kipling. He was a brother of James A. (Bob) Cameron of Lakeview. Surviving are his wife, the for mer Magoline McDaniel; three daughters, Mrs. R. D. May of San ford, Polly and^Judy Cameron, of the home; four brothers, H. C., Jr., of Fayetteville, James A. of Lake- view, Carl Cameron of Olivia, Max Franklin Cameron of Green ville; two sisters, Mrs. G. M. Gra- hame of Goldston and Mrs. Jerry Tempest of Oilivia and Myrtle Beach, S. C., and two grandsohs. Mrs. Tempest, who with her family had been in Rome, Italy, for some time, flew home. COMMITTEES (Continued from Page 1) Chamber of Commerce secretary. Membership—Joe Scott, Earl Hubbard, Mrs. Lou Culbreth. Special Events—Joe Montesan- ti. Bob Strouse. Liaison with Junior Chamber of Commerce—A1 FoUey, Joe Scott, Earl Hubbard. Representatives on town adver tising committee—George Pottle, James Hartshome. Representative on U. S. No. 1 Highway committee — W. B. (Chick) Holliday. Chairman, office operations — James Hartshome. Members of the Chamber’s In dustrial Committee were designat ed as representatives to the Coun ty Industrial Committee. Promotion Urged In discussing plans for the com ing year, Mr. Hubbard said: That the Chamber should pro mote industry on a county-wide basis by supporting the county committee for industrial promo tion. That Southern Pines should promote its real estate by making this a leading residential town’. That, through the cooperation of merchants and sales people, as well as service stations and all persons dealing with the public. Southern Pines can be made known as a friendly town in which to live. It was felt that the Chamber could work directly with various types of businesses to'discuss how this can be done. The directors expressed appre ciation for the Air-Ground School sign which was given to the Chamber by Brig. Gen. Daniel W. Jenkins. "The sign, formerly at the corner of Massachusetts Ave. and May! St., is made in the co lonial form of the town city limits signs and will be repainted and used for directional purposes at a location not yet decided. Opinions on Wednesday clos ings will be sought from mer chants by Miss Wiley and Mrs. Culbreth and the Chamber will make a recommendation at the next meeting. George Pottle told of the fine response to town advertising. In quiries brought by the ads are an swered with a form letter and al so with one of the new brochures and sheets listing accommodations available here. Requests for addi tional information- are answered by Mrs. Fobes at the Chamber of fice. Pullets should be for chicken pox with fowl pox vaccine between the ages of eight and 14 weeks, or when GEORGE ROSS (Continued from page 1) tion to take the money or not take it. It might be, he said, that it could be refunded to taxpayers by local units by crediting adva- loren taxes against intangible taxes. Best of all, he said, would be for the tax to be abolished. But short of that, some way should be found to ease its application— especially in a resort area like the Sandhills. Gordon Cameron of Pinehurst, board chairman, said that as far as Moore County is concerned, he thinks the county could get along without the tax. “As for other counties—^Hoke, for instance—it would be a hard job to get them to agree,” he said. No action was taken by the board as to the suggestion. Road Request The commissioners voted to re quest the State Highway De partment to recondition the Southern Pines- Carthage road (Route 22) from the intersection with 15-501 to intersection of Route 2 (Midland Road, in South ern Pines). An unusual and interesting special request was made in the petition: that, if possible, the old “spring by the side of the road” cn the north end of Chandler Hill be retained as a memorial to Fred Underwood who devel oped it many years ago as a place where travelers were accustomed to' stop and quench their thirst. Warden Reports Hardy Barber, dog waren, re ported that in January 47 dogs had been vaccinated, 34 stray dogs were picked up, and 42 dogs had been destroyed. Berkley School Work Jere McKeithen of Aberdeen, member of the county board of education, appeared before the commissioners, accompanied by H. Lee TTiomas, county schools superintendent, to ask that the county approve an appropriation of $21,009 to the Aberdeen school district, so that work can pro ceed on a cafeteria and six class rooms, to be built in one build ing at the Berkley school, Aber deen. The request was granted, with the agreement that the county board of education would include this sum as an item in its 1957- 58 budget for the fiscal year be ginning in July, as school funds for the current year have been appropriated. Mr. McKeithen explained that $85,795 of state money allotted to the Aberdeen project would not be available unless the local money was assured. He said that the lowest bid on the job was $117,000 and that the cost ha(J been pared to $106,805.60 by cut ting out certain features of the building from the plans. Need for j the building is desperate, he re ported, as the school now has 17 teachers and only 12 classrooms. If work is begun soon, he said, the building will be ready for use by September 1. Need More Room Walter Fields, manager of Agricultural Stabilization Con servation office, appeared to ask assignment o^more space for the agency’s work, especially at cer tain periods when many farmers have to be interviewed and other business of the office is pressing. He was told that the agency could make use of the grand jury room, provided that equipment and supplies were not left in the room permanently and that it was kept in good condition for use by the grand jury when needed. The ASC office is one that will be moved to the newly au thorized agriculture building. This building came under discus sion Monday when the board au thorized Commissioner Currie to proceed with having a survey made at the Carthage lot on which it is to be located. JURY REPORT (Continued from Page 1) can be ascertained this agree ment has never been carried out. Place OK To Start With At the start, the clinics held in the building were well-attended by both white and colored. At that time only the Health De partment was involved. 'Volun teer aids were in regular attend ance to assist the nurse and doc tor, and the Red Cross Motor noir Woman’s Club, a few years ago, set up a loan closet there and kept it filled with do nations of clothing for the use of needy people. During the years, the old building fell into worse and worse repair. ’Wbrkers were car rying on under the most diffi cult conditionsr*‘New health de partment policies and discourage ment of volunteer assistance changed the character of that phase of the clinic’s work. At tendance dropped, private physi cians withdrew. Something that !ha4 been, to start with, very much a part of the Southern Pines community became isolated, for gotten by the town. Improvement Overdue As far as county upkeep show ed, it had long been forgotten by' the county. It is doubtful if eith er of the boards of health or welfare had, until a year or two ago, ever visited the place. But then, new appointments to the board of welfare brought re newed interest in the Southern Pines clinic problem. This, en couraged by the efforts of staff workers, stirred action to look for another suitable building. Need for this was clearly evi dent. Not only was the old build ing a disgrace and a danger, as described in the recent report of the Grand Jury, but, because of its location, it was not serving its purpose of providing free health and welfare service to the people of Southern Pines who might need it. Today, and for several years, only the people living in the neighborhood, with a few colored people coming in from outlying hamlets, use the clinic. Just about all the people on the East side of town go elsewhere or do not go at all. The location of the building js largely respon sible, for it is on a back street, hard to find, and a long way from the center of town. Most people who would have to hire a car to go either can’t afford it (and few welfare cases can) or else they go to Carthage or Aber deen, where the clinics are held in suitable quarters in good con dition. Others prefer to pay the fee of a private physician for this county service which, as citizens, they pay for and which is their right, if they so desire. Two years ago, as Ve noted, there was a move, by members of the board of public welfare and local folks, with the commission er for this district lending en couragement, to try to find an other home for the clinic. A small building was found that would be available, but too small to take care of all clinic patients. It was therefore suggested that it be used for people on the East side of town and that tlje present clinic be transferred to another available building, also small, in "West Southern Pines. This pro posal met with immediate oppo sition from Carthage. It was against the policy of the county to have two clinics in one town, it was stated; furthermore the two understaffed departments could not handle two clinics. There the whole thing stuck. The commissioners are adamant against opening a second clinic in Southern Pines and, to date, no building large enough and centrally located, convenient to both sides of town, has been found. In all this matter, the town of Southern Pines has remained purely aloof. Some years ago, under the former regime, a few repairs were made, but when the council and former manager were approached on this subject last year, their answer was a def inite; “Not a chance.” Perhaps it was to dramatize this attitude that the former manager made what was prob ably his first and last move re garding the clinic building. Last faU, finding that the town was paying $1 a month for electricity in the building, he decided that a day clinic didn’t need lights and had the current shut off. ’Without notice to the health department. So, when the staff arrived and started to set up their sterilizers and so on, nothing happend. The patients had to wait while the CP&L was contacted and the line reinstalled. This time at county expense. So there is electricity again; though the floor may be unsafe, the roof leaky, the paint coming off,, the wind whistling through the walls. (Contrary to the Grand Jury’s report, the build ing does boast a backdoor.) And The size of the grinder used for grinding feed dobs not ap-1 placed on the range, says T. B. preciably affect the power cost Morris, Extension poultry spe- Corps brought patients from a distance. The place, while not in any way ^ well-equipped, and there are devoted workers trying lacking heat except from, small .to do a good job. vaccinated! stoves, was well-kept and reason-1 Southern Pines, the ably adequate. The maternal | largest town in the county, welfare clinics were served by'should have to put up with such for grinding a specific quantity of grain, says E. S. Coates, ex tension agricultural engineer at North Carolina State College. cialist at State College. ’Vaccinate with live vaccines at least one month before production starts, he warns. local physicians charging a nom inal fee paid jpintly by the coun ty and the volunteer committee. In 1941, with the start of ra tioning, the Welfare Department established a consulting service in the building and the a state of affairs. -KLB SUBSCRIBE TO THE PILOT MOORE COUNTY'S LEADINa Ju- NEWS WEEKLY.