TUe <*Ylew6 - journal
QmdSuuz
PRESS
S S OC I ATI ON
Publlihed Ever; Thuradat at Racford, N.C. 28376
119 W. Elwood Avenue
Subscription Raltt In Advance
Per Year ? M.OO 6 Month. - M.25 3 Montha - S2.25
PAUL DICKSON PubUiher- Editor
SAMC. MORRIS General Manager
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
MARTY VEGA
SUZANNE APLIN
Reporter
Reporter
Second Class Postage at Racford. N.C.
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1977
Snags on energy
First came the Arab oil embargo of 1973-1974, forcing Americans
to line up at the gas pumps. Then came the "deep freeze' of this past
winter, forcing a reallocation of natural gas and fuel oil. What, one
wonders, will it take to educate the American public ? and
Congress ? to the seriousness of the energy problem? Polls show
that the majority of citizens do not even know that the U.S. is an
importer of oil.
Yet the cold, hard facts should shatter the nation's complacency.
Not only do oil imports now comprise almost 50 percent of the
available petroleum supply. They are growing, and more and more
they are shifting to Arab sources, making the United States
increasingly vulnerable to an embargo or production cutback.
Canada is phasing out its exports to the U.S. and other non-Arab
supplies either are operating at top capacity or have begun to reduce
their exports also. Of the more than 9 million barrels of petroleum
imported daily in the first quarter of 1977, over 3 million came from
Arab members of OPEC, and the Arab share is growing.
In the face of such figures ? not to mention forecasts showing
that demand for oil will begin to outstrip supply in the 1980s ? 'it is
hard to understand why a sense of urgency still has not gripped the
country. President Carter himself has downgraded the crisis aspect
of the situation and not followed up on his energy program forcefully
after his initial clarion call for action. It is not surprising the public
remains unconvinced an energy problem exists.
The lawmakers in Congress, meanwhile, who need no convincing,
nonetheless have taken some steps that weaken the administration's
comprehensive plan, which was not all that strong to begin with. In
committee the standby gasoline tax appears to be dropped altogether
(out of fear of voter wrath). The rebate for the purchase of higher -
mileage cars has been rejected (out of inability to figure out what to
do about foreign cars). Fortunately, the proposed graduated tax to
discourage the purchase of "gas guzzlers" has won support, but its
implementation has been delayed a year and more than half the 1979
models the President would have liked to tax will be exempted.
As for the much-talked-about Department of Energy, this. too. is
less than Mr. Carter sought. Congress will make it possible to scoop
into one department all the separate commissions and agencies
dealing with the energy question. But there is unwillingness to give
the new department authority to regulate natural gas, oil and bulk
electricity prices. While valid argument exists for not giving the
secretary of such a department too much power, he at least should
have an input into price decisions. Hence it is hoped that the Senate
version of the bill, which would establish a three-member
commission to set prices subject to the secretary's recommendations
and presidential veto, prevails.
The congressional opposition to the Carter program does not of
course mean that Congress will not or cannot come up with its own
tough energy program. Senate majority leader Robert Byrd says the
President has suffered setbacks because his program contains bad
ideas and vague plans (and because the White House has failed to
lobby effectively for what it wants). And Senator Henry Jackson
suggests Congress will redo the Carter plan to accomplish through
strong new laws what the President seeks to do with taxes and
rebates. Splendid ? if this means a better program.
In any case, as Congress works piecemeal on various aspects of the
energy package. President Carter has an educational task before
him. We already see glimmers of an administration countereffort to
enjoin Congress to treat the Carter plan more seriously. But the
legislators may not feel under pressure to pass rigorous laws until it
is perceived that the public will go along. Mr. Carter must therefore
persuade the man-in-the-street of the facts.
The problem is that there is simply no evidence to the naked eye
that a shortage of fuel looms. Everyone has adjusted to higher fuel
prices and, as long as supplies are abundant (as they are now),
consumption continues to grow. When the President himself
backs off from exhorting Americans to change their way of life, the
incentive to conserve is all the more ephemeral.
One thing seems clear. Unless the President dispels the public's
ignorance about energy and marshals its support, the nation will
make progress by inches rather than the needed seven-league strides.
Mr. Carter made a good beginning on the energy front. He needs to
keep the momentum going. - The Christian Science Monitor
Hedged bet
"Is Gambling Making Your Life Unhappy?" That question has
now been posted in. of all places. New York City's offtrack betting
parlors. Customers who answer "Yes" are directed to dial the
number of the National Council on Compulsive Gambling. Those
who call are invited to attend meetings of Gamblers Anonymous. It
is all very much like those New Year's Eve messages from whisky
merchants urging merrymakers to drink in moderation and drive
with care. We doubt that such gestures can restrain the intemperate,
but they obviously soothe the civic and commercial conscience.
Warnings about gambling by an enterprise that exists to encourage
gambling create the kind of anomaly that keeps an open society
spinning. ?The New York. Times
4
Friendly handshake
| by Marty Vega
The Cat In The Hat
Ken McNeill, who is an
acknowledged fashion leader and
trend setter, has introduced a new
style of hat which is quickly
becoming a fad. The parasol hat.
Some ignorant types who have
seen this new hat call it the
umbrella hat, but it's really not. It
has no handle so any fool can see it
can't be an umbrella hat.
This latest rage is an imported
design, we understand, and can't
currently be bought locally. Ken
confided he bought his Hat at the
beach.
Acutally, there are only two of
these hats in existence here in
Raeford. McNeill has got one and
this writer has the other. The hats
are almost identical, except one is
used and the other is almost -
brand new. The second one was
tried on only.
Like all avant garde fashion, the
parosol hat is something you have
to practice with. It doesn't go with
casual attire, the look just isn't
right. It should be worn only to
formal occasions.
Above all, never, never wear the
hat as (a) a sunburn preventive (b)
a pigeon protective guard or (c) a
rain repellant. To do so would be
utterly tacky and an admission of
your total lack of fashion con
sciousness.
And. above all else, remember --
Do not attempt to walk through
any narrow passageways while
wearing The Hat. Do not attempt
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Dear editor:
You've seen commercials for new
cars on television. First the brand
new car comes on. preferably with a
movie star at the wheel or at least
leaning against the hood, some
times even singing if you want to
call it that. Finally the price flashes
on the screen: Only S5.000, or some
such figure. But if you'll look close
enough and fast enough you'll see
in small lexers: Excluding taxes,
license, transportation and dealer
prep.
That's the way the Alaska pipe
line was swung, only the pipeline
people beat the car people about 50
to 1 in using small type.
When the pipeline was launched,
the builders estimated it'd cost 900
million dollars. When it was fin
ished, the cost had soared to over
700 billion dollars.
In other words, it cost over 700
times more than they'd figured.
This just shows what teaching kids
New Math will do. We'd better get
back to basics.
Changing the subject. I haven't
read this anywhere but I believe
science is approaching a major
crisis. I mean, it may be running
out of something to do.
In recent years scientists have
found so many, things that're
harmful to human life, like sac
charin. sword fish. tuna, tobacco,
sugar, asbestus. lead, roach pow
der, dandelions, baby pajamas,
and a lot of other things I've lost
track of. that before long they're
going to run out of something they
can discover is dangerous. And if
you can't discover something that's
dangerous, how're you eoing to get
your name in the paper? And if you
can't get your name in the paper,
how're you going to get a govern
ment grant to hunt up something
else that's dangerous.
Yours faithfully.
J. A.
I
to drink any beer, except through
the use of a straw, while wearing
The Hat. Do not approach any
stranger and ask for directions
while wearing The Hat.
If you're wondering how this
writer was lucky enough to acquire
one of these rare hats, the answer is
McNeill made a gift of it.
If you're wondering why one of
the first official acts of the new
Democratic party chairman was to
give a new hat to a Republican,
well, it beats the hell out of me, too.
Now that county commissioners
are going to be getting more pay,
the public will probably demand
more work out of them. No more
tabling of important matters, no
more decisions put off, etc. Im
mediate results will be expected.
Monday night, the commission
ers discussed action on massage
parlors, garbage pickup and a
mental health clinic, yet failed to
take positive action on any of these
three matters, preferring to put
them off until another meeting.
This unnecessary delay could be
very wasteful, some citizens might
feel, and a solution could have been
reached Monday night.
The commissioners could have
disposed of the whole business by
establishing a combination mas
sage parlor - mental health clinic -
wasted disposal site where citizens
could conveniently take advantage
of all these services at one central
point.
And, if there was extra room at
the place, the commissioners might
want to set up offices for them
selves, too, so they can get
unwanted advice, get rubbed the
wrong way and hear some garbage
all at the same time. Just like the
taxpayers do.
Letter To
The Editor
Dear Editor,
In reference to your article in
The News- Journal, dated June 16,
1977, concerning the recommended
salaries for the tax listing super
visor and the tax collector, the
county commissioners gave the
poorest reason for rejecting the
recommendation that could be
used. The reason for cutting the
recommended salary of one and
raising the salary of the other is so
that they both would receive the
same salary as one is a woman and
the other is a man.
The reason to me is saying that
the tax collector is getting a raise,
not for the outstanding job she is
doing or the responsibility that her
job carries, but only because she is
a woman.
On the other hand, the tax listing
supervisor is being penalized, not
because he is doing a poor job, but
because he is a man.
I think it is time that all public
officials be paid for the responsi
bility and performance that they
do, regardless of whether they are
male or female, black or white or
any other reason.
Thanks,
Ralph Plummet
?HP?
?UTOUllUTBUr
Ill
In the mythology of ancient
Greece, there was a huge monster
called the Hydra which was exceed
ingly difficult to deal with because
it had several heads, and if one of
the heads were cut off, two
appeared in its place. Hercules was
given the task of killing it, and he
did so by getting a friend to bum
the stump as he cut off each head,
preventing any more heads from
appearing.
What this has to do with the
Federal Government is that the
paperwork created by the various
federal agencies is a great deal like
the Hydra. You stop it in one place
and it appears in greater volume in
another. Let me give you an
example of what I am talking
about.
In late 1975, my office began to
get numerous complaints about the
Real Estate Procedures Act (RES
PA), which was creating enough
paperwork and delay in the sale of
homes to frustrate both the buyer
and the seller.
Everybody was talking about
reviving the housing industry to
help us out of the recession we were
going through in 1975, but govern
ment red tape and paperwork
caused by some parts of RESPA
were acting as a real hindrance to
that goal. Nobody, including home
builders, real estate agents, lending
institution and those wanting to
buy or sell a house, was happy with
what was going on under RESPA.
I co-sponsored a bill to repeal the
worst sections and it was passed by
the Congress. Everybody connected
with the housing industry seemed
happy that we had gotten rid of all
that paperwork and red tape.
But Washington feeds on paper
in the shape of government forms
to be filled out, and if you stop it in
one place, it will break loose in
another.
Report
To The
People
?
by Senator Robert Morgan
So when the Housing Bill of 1977
came to the floor of the Senate, it
brought demands for more paper
work. One provision would require
that federal agencies that supervise
financial institutions make an on
going assessment as to whether an
institution is meeting the credit
needs of its primary savings deposit
area.
This would require an endless
amount of paperwork on the part of
lenders, at great expense; and the
cost, of course, would eventually be
borne by the consumer.
This despite the fact that there
are already regulations to cover this
and that supervisory agencies are
watching very closely to see that the
credit needs of communities are
being met.
Lending institutions from all
over the country have protested this
section of the bill as useless
duplication, and I co-sponsored an*
amendment to strike out this
section. Although this was defeated
by a vote of 40 to 31 in the Senate. 1
was able to help get the sponsors of
the proposal to agree to a year's *
delay in implementing it. and 1
plan to fight to see that this delay
becomes a reality.
This whole matter, however,
from RESPA in 1975 to the
Omnibus Housing Act of 1977,
shows Washington's preoccupation
with paperwork, although 1 am
sure that every member of Congress
is getting hundreds of complaints
from harassed businessmen, just as
I am.
It's a lot like the mythical Hydra.
Cut it off in one place and it will
appear in another.
But the only remedy 1 can see is
to keep on chopping.
CLIFF BLUE . . .
People & Issues
CONGRESSMAN HEFNER?...
Democrats are scurrying around
hoping to find and center on a
candidate who can defeat Jesse
Helms for the United States Senate
in 1978. Many of the Democrats
who would like to oust Helms are
not satisfied that either of those
being mentioned can win over Jesse
who was elected with the help of
dissident Democrats in 1972. They
seem to realize that you seldom
hear criticism of Helms by the
Democrats who helped elect him in
1972, and this is what disturbs the
"party regulars."
Nine are being mentioned as
ossible candidates, although
ardly half are expected to file
when decision day arrives, they
being, Hugh Cannon, a prominent
member of the Terry Sanford
administration; State Senator Law
rence Davis of Winston-Salem,
Attorney General Rufus Edmisten,
Superior Court Judge Sam J. Ervin
III, former Congressman Nick
Galifianakis. who lost out to Helms
in 1972; Luther H. Hodges, Jr.,
State Senator McNeill Smith of
Greensboro, Dave McKnight of
Fayetteville and Lt. Governor Jim
my Green.
Now, we have heard of another
possibility -- Congressman Bill
Hefner of the Eighth Congressional
District. Hefner, of Cabarrus
County, is now serving his second
term in Congress, having defeated
incumbent Congressman Earl B.
Ruth in 1974 in a landslide victory,
carrying every county in the district
except Yadkin by a total district
vote of 61,591 to 46,500 for Ruth.
In 1976, it is pointed out that
Hefner carried every county in the
district which comprises Anson,
Cabarrus, Davie, Montgomery,
Moore, Richmond, Rowan, Scot
land, Stanly, Union and Yadkin. It
has also been pointed out that
Hefner led all Democrats on the
State ticket including Hunt and
Green in the 8th district.
Hefner is an unusual campaign
er. In fact, his campaign rallies are
more like old-fashion gospel song
services which appeal to many who
otherwise take little interest in
political campaigns. We are told
that when the subject was first
mentioned Hefner was very cool
towards the idea, but we under
stand that now he may be warming
up a tiny bit.
CONSUMER PROTECTION...
We believe in good. solM "consum
er protection" but .like many
' others, we are a little fearful of the
new Consumer Protection Agency
being proposed by President Carter
and a number of the congressmen.
North Carolina has a good consum
er protection law administered by
the Attorney General's depart
ment. There is just so much that
can be done to protect the consum
ers, who most of all need to be
schooled and educated in consumer
protection. What many are most
afraid of is that if the Consumer
Agency is set up it will grow like
"topsy" into a hugh bureaucracy
similar to the welfare department.
ELECTRIC CARS. ..Will the lit
tle electric autos be able to help out
in the program to serve gasoline? It
would certainly seem that with
gasoline prices likely to rise, that
the electric cars might well become
more popular for short trips of less
than M) miles, for the housewife to
use on local shopping trips and for
the students who ride to school and
for close-in driving in particular.
BENSON SING. ..The 57th State
Annual Singing Convention will be
held in Benson June 24-25-26. The
sing is conducted in the Benson
City Park, which consists of one
block shaded by oak trees. Located
in the center of the park is the
elevated stage on which the singers
perform. TJie admission is free and
the public is invited.
1 shall always remember one
Benson Sing which took place
several years ago. I was invited to
be one of the judges and I got the
date mixed up and went ahead of
the sing. That Sunday I noticed
people in cars continually riding up
and down the street. The cars were
so close together that it was hard to
get across the street. With nothing
to do, having arrived a week early, I
dropped in at the Benson news
paper office where a fellow publish
er happend to be in his office. I
inquired about the up and down
auto parade and was told it was a
customary pasttime on Sunday
afternoons in Benson.
A week later, I went back and
enjoyed the sing very much.
For A Brighter Future
BUY U.S.
BONDS TODAY' ~
JgjQlLfmOU SAVWKS HAM*