TIJE PILOT-
lem Pines, l^rth Calina
The So\erl
ILOT
uthern Pines
North Carolina
IThe Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep this a good
■try to make a little money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to
use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we will
alike.” — James Boyd, May 23, 1941.
written, only two of Gover-
ord’s five by-line articles on
Irolina’s “depressing and press-
Aem of poverty have appeared—
Tis enough to get across his deep
. with an around-the-corner, out-
Ltruth that too many of us ignore.
Jjktent of economic deprivation in
[Carolina, as revealed by the Gov-
J with its accompanying, interlock-
Jfects in education, housing, mental
physical health, crime and other as-
of living, is shocking: more than
rd of the State’s families with an-
income of under $3,000; almost a'
fer with incomes of less than $^000;
11 per cent with less than $1,,000.
vaunted “prosperity” and “pro-
have a somewhat hollow ring
-against such a background. And clearly,
[until some new approach—much broad-
[er and much more intensive—is taken
Lbv all agencies working for better living,
3 “cycle of poverty” will continue, in
[letched progression, from generation to
fneration.
Vrhe Governor says we must face the
|hole problem in all its complexity and
.bring the efforts of all social-service
[agencies to bear on each individual trap-
A Great Effort Begins
ped in poverty to determine why he is
there and how he can become qualified
to take care of himself and his family.
The problem, of course, is national in
scope—but that is all the more reason
North Carolina should seize on an oppor
tunity to, as Governor Sanford puts it,
“show the way tq the rest of the nation.”
That, it seems, to us, would be an achive-
ment in which all of us can take pride.
We are pleased that the Governor chose
a series of newspaper articles to present
his-project to the people. Many persons
concerned with the State’s future are no
doubt clipping them, underlining import
ant points and keeping them for reference
as they ponder what part they can play
in the great effort that is now beginning.
The articles are strongly characteristic
of North Carolina’s common-sense, down-
to-earth attitude toward public affairs.
In fact we wonder whether there is any
other state in which a Governor could
communicate with his people quite so
simply, easily and effectively, in his own
words, not as if making pronouncements
from on high, but as as talking over the
breakfast coffee.
This, in itself, bodes well for the effort
ahead.
Interesting, Important Proposal
Journal makes, with the possibility of
Converting the Camp Mackall area to
an “industrial park” site for manufactur
ing plants or research facilities, and for
a regional airport, as suggested by the
Richmond County Journal (see reprinted
editorial on this page) is a most interest
ing proposal.
The Rockingham newspaper advances
numerous sound arguments for such a use
of that area which is blessed with ample
stream water, rail and highway connec
tions and large water and sewage disposal
systems that were left intact when nearly
all of the many Army buildings on the
site were razed a few years after the war.
The obvious and perhaps insurmount
able difficulty would be Army opposition.
Fort Bragg uses the area for maneuver
and training purposes, setting so high a
value on it that repeated efforts have
been made by the Army to link it direct
ly to Fort Bragg (the “corridor” plan).
At the times of those efforts. Fort Bragg
officials have stated that full and ex
tensive use of Camp Mackall was abso
lutely essential to proper training of the
battle-ready 82nd Airborne Division.
However, as we understaand it. Camp
Mackall is not a military reservation as
such, but was turned back to the State
of North Carolina after the war and the
Army has on it only a contract or agree
ment for maneuver and training rights.
The whole State would have a stake in
such a proposal as the Richmond County
developing something along the line of
the “Research Triangle” in an area that
would be free from the urban congestion
that is already becoming apparent in the
Raleigh - to - Charlotte “Piedmont Cres
cent.” And if the State, as we are given
to understand, is a major controlling
factor in the disposition of Camp Mackall,
it might well be that powerful forces
could be brought to bear on behalf of the
industrial park proposal.
Such a conversion of Camp Mackall
would be of tremendous value to the
Sandhills and Moore County. The recrea
tion potential of the Pinehurst-Southern
Pines area, along with its extensive and
superior medical facilities and attractive
housing sites, would add greatly to the
appeal of the Camp Mackall site to in
dustry. Also to be taken into considera
tion is the comprehensive community col
lege to be built in this area. Noted, too,
is this: the district to be served by the
third of the county school system’s $1
million-plus consolidated high schools
runs clear to the border of Camp Mackall
in the southeastern corner of the county.
The Journal’s appealing and sensible
proposal should be investigated with all
possible resources of the Moore - Rich
mond - Scotland - Hoke area—and the
resources of the State as well. This is a
big project and everybody concerned
should be loaded for bear.
Too Soon Started, Too Soon Ended
Christmas Starts early and ends early,
these days—the reverse of the way it
used to be in times long ago.
Driving through town in a neighboring
county, on the day after Thanksgiving,
we were greeted by whirling streamers
of tinsel strung overhead across the street
and loudspeakers blaring “Holy Night”
more than 30 days before that night was
to arrive. “Christmas” had begun—or at
least merchants wanted to get folks in
the mood for Christmas shopping. More
over, Yule trees and decorations often
now are pitched on the trash pile a day
or two after December 25. Starting a
month ahead, of the holiday, by then
aople have had enough.
page, in two old poems—one
[ 16th century and one from the
Evidence that Christmas at one
ched out about as long beyond
V) as it does now before.
pern, the greens are coming
Candlemas: February 2—feast
Mication of the Virgin Mary, a
known in this country, with
different significance, as
jDay. In the other poem, which
fd in full, the personification
says, “Here have I dwelt. . .
ftide to Candlemas . . .” Yet
the mood of both poems is just the local
mood this week: it’s all over now for
another year. (Though we doubt that
many housewives anticipate the sight of
goblins if every “least branch” of the
decorations is not cleaned up.)
As readers of this page over the years
may recall, we prefer a Christmas obser
vance that starts not too early and ex
tends not too long, but one that does
extend to Twelfth Night (January 6)
when the greens come down and the
Christmas tree is chopped up and the
whole business makes a marvelous con
flagration—a bright and lively ending to
the season of birth and new hope—in the
living room fireplace.
They lose much, it seems to us—those
persons who are exposed to their holiday
decorations largely in the hectic pre-
Christmas period and who then toss them
out just when people begin to have time
to settle back and contemplate them and
the Great Event they celebrate.
The “Twelve Days of Christmas”
should, for that long, extend the warmth,
joy and generosity of the holiday itself
and should be marked by friendly gather
ings, music, song and laughter.
After that, who cares if, perchance, a
“least branch” or two are missed and
hobgoblins appear?
^0 Old Poems For The New Year
XLEMAS
jnd so
toe;
NO|
NoW| hai
I apd
Here h|
Froii
kAndj
J AVE GOOJ
i[ay, notv
rd now Ij
vith me
fill Ca
)'AY
pod day.
/ay.
COMMUNIST HETHODS HAVEST'T WORKEl
Will Russia Modify Fiirm System
By JOSEPH C. HARSCH
In Christian Science Monitor
Nikita S. Khrushchev has set
off a wave of speculation around
the world by his candor in ad
mitting that the Soviet Union is
soriously short of grain and that
he intends not only to buy
Western grain to tide him
over the immediate shortage
but also to launch i a massive pro- -
gram for the production of chem
ical fertilizers in order to increase
the domestic food supply.
There are several implications
of the above. The first is that Mr.
Khrushchev himself has faced up
to the one most visible and nag
ging weakness in communism,
which is that to this day no Com
munist country has ever succeed
ed in raising its food production
by theoretical Communist meth
ods.
Incentive Works
Some Communist countries
have solved their food supply
problems in whole or in part by
going back to the incentive sys
tem in agriculture. Yugoslavia
and Poland are the main ex
amples.
Yugoslavia today has the high
est rate of economic expansion of
any Communist country and high
er than many Western countries.
The forward surge of the Yugo
slav economy dates from the
restoration of the farm lard to
the peasants. Removal of the col-
Nlective system permitted the
peasants to do what they vould
naturally do; produce all the food
the market will absorb.,
Poland is another case
return to private incentil
riculture has improved f4
duction.
• ........ . \, -
Moscow has been under I
ably reluctant to accept tht
of Yugoslav and Polieh e |
ence. It still does not provid
ficient incentive for those
ing on the farms. In addition!
iet patriotism resists the thil
that the greatest of the Slav s|
must learn a majer lesson
two of the small Shv states.
Massive Pngram
If Mr. Khrushebv does
ahead regardless o the polij
costs, he will fine himself
barked on a progrn so maj
that it will probaV absorJ
Soviet resources prdously a|
able for overseas lid and!
quire him to run upiajor cr|
with Western govements.
The years during/hich SJ
resources wer.o laviad on hi
industry, on armaints, and
foreign aid to pobal tarj
outside the Commmt bloc h|
all combined to big about
day of reckoning. Mr. KhruA-
chL is correct that Stahn expot-"^
ed grain and let the Soviet peoe)
starv.- Times have changed. Tltf
L no'longer a politically posseJ
solution. .
Shortage of food is the cn I
weakness in Communist -.f
What the orthodox Comnii^J
always put last now must bt
first. Food can be taken fr° J
iSoa' ■ ■
Camp Mackall ProposedFor
An editorial suggesting the
conversion’ of Camp Mackall
the former military reserva
tion that lies in Richmond
and Scotland Counties just
south of the meeting place of
the Moore, Hoke, Scotlan|d
and Richmond County lines—
appeared recently in the
Richmond County Journal,
daily newspaper at Rocking
ham, and is attracting wide
interest. The editorial sug
gests the conversion ctf the
Camp Mackall area—^which
was a huge military training
post in World War II—^to an
"industrial park" for the ac
commodation of industrial
plants and research facilities.
The Richmond County Jour
nal's suggestion, on which
further comment is made by
The Pilot' in an editorial on
this page, continued, in pari,
as follows;
Exactly what does Camp Mac
kall offer? The possibilities are
virtually limited only by imagin
ation.
For instance, there are mile-
long concrete runways capable of
landing all but A^very largest of
other, and by far e most im
portant, project: inotrial devel
opment.
Already mention are the
highways and popuiion concen
trations, both of wch are im
portant factors to dustry. To
crown the list, horver, is the
rail connection withhe property
by Seaboard. The Sboard main
line runs between Rhway US 1
and Camp Mackall, pviding un
limited rail, air and ghway con-
The Pulic
Speakig
airplanes. As,
collide servi
2nal airport,
ations of
y^e and
.a 20-
Vote Of Conficnce Jh
School Board Emuraging
To the Editor
It is most encouragit that the
Southern Pines SchoolBoard ha|
been given an ove-vhelminf
vote of confidence by hose mo^
interested in our siools—tl
parents of the childrd.
We are fortunate J3 have
school board wit I dedicatj
members who have:!
hours studying the jjsent ne^
and the future needipthe Sou|
ern Pines school
have consulted wit
pie and the best ki
ties, and their polij
ar.2 based oti the
people and a loni
be fati
lem. Til
_ an^
In aitthl
obvioi,