The Kings Mountain Heiald
Established 1888
A weekly newspaper devoted to the promotion of the general welfare and published
for the enlightenment, entertainment and benefit of the citizens of Kings Mountain
and its vicinity, pub K shed every Thursday by the Herald Publishing House.
Entered as second class matter at the postoffiie at Kings Mountain, N. C., under Act
of Congress of March 3, 1673
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Martin Harmon Editor-Publisher
Charles T. Carpenter, Jr. Sports, Circulation, News
Mlas Elizabeth Stewart Society
MECHANICAL. DEPARTMENT
Eugene Matthews Horace Walker David Weathers Kan Weaver*
Charles Miller Paul Jackson ,
. ('Member of Armed Forces)
TELEPHONE NUMBERS ? 167 or 283
SUBSCRIPTION RATES PAYABLE IK ADVANCE
OWE YEAR? $250 SIX MONTHS ? $1.40 THREE MOUTHS? T5c
BY MAIL ANYWHERE
i
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
, i * ' -? ~ ??? ' ? \ ? " .' -V.' ? V ? * ? ? ? .*
Take heed to yourselves : If .thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive
him. 8t. Luke 17:3.
Pay Raise For Congress
Even some local Republicans are re
ported insensed at the report of a com
mission recommending increase of Con
gressional salaries to $27,500 per year,
as well as great increases for federal
judges at all levels.
Perhaps a raise is in order for some,
including' the Congressmen, but work
ing people who pay the bill and who
count raises in terms of five and ten
cents per hour would have taken more
kindly to suggestions of raises in the
$2,000 to $2,500 range.
Happily North Carolina's delegation
has responded sensibly, to the sugges
tions of pay increases.
Republican Charlie Jonas, from Lin
colnton, says it's no time to raise Con
gressional pay, with cuts being institut
ed in other government departments.
Democrat Woodrow Jones, from Ruth
erfordton, noted that he knew the Con
gressional salary when he ran for office
and that, if he didn't like it, he could
go home.
The Jonas remark Is a blast against
the old medieval doctrine of feasts for
the kings and crumbs for the poor. While
the fact of differentials in income and
living standards is an accepted one and
a logical one in many ways, the differ
ences are less extreme than they once
were. Both a Cadillac and a Chevrolet
will get the drivers to destination in
about the same safe driving time. And
the Chevrolet passenger won't be much
less comfortable than the Cadillac pas
senger.
The Congressmen who vote "yes" on
pay raise suggestions during 1954 are
likely to have rough sledding at future
elections. When factories are cutting
work weeks and instituting layoffs, it is
no time for pinched taxpayers to be rais
ing their hired hands.
Thrift Week
Currently being observed over the na
tion is National Thrift Week, which,
more solid citizens would say, is one of
the more important of the many
"weeks" vying for attention of the peo
ple and for the limited number of weeks
in a calendar year.
Banks, building and loan associations,
and other instututions majoring in the
business of encouraging savings, are
wiping the dust off the old truisms in
Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac
to remind present day men, women, boys
and girls, that "pennies make dollars",
that "a penny saved is a penny earned",
and others that have been handed down
through the years.'
Old Ben's dictum for continual thrift
has been pretty well practiced. Today,
personal savings in their various forms,
have reached record totals.
On the local level, the same story is
true, yet all of the lending institutions
are in position to handle still more sav
ings accounts.
If a person once becomes a saver he'll
never quit, it is said. As the total of sav
ings mounts, the respect for the amount
saved mounts, too.
Saving was good business for anyone
and everyone in colonial America, and
in giant, industrial America 248 years
after the birth of Ben Franklin, it's just
as good business today.
Ask your banker or building and loan
secretary about getting started on Thrift
Road.
Those citizens who haven't yet given
to the March of Dimes campaign should
at once. It requires many dimes to
reach $5,000 and that is Kings Moun
tain's part in the 1954 fund campaign
against polio. Success in developing an
anti-polio vaccine seems just around the
corner. Make today giving day to the
March of Dim?s.
Forward. March
After eight years and on the fourth
opportunity, the citizens of Kings Moun
tain have approved finally some public
improvements bond issues, and the ap
proximately two to one margin accord
ed each should leave no measure of
doubt that the citizens want the im
provements suggested.'
The election was conducted without
a great amount of fanfare, and with a
minimum of electioneering. Very few
people were out to defeat the election,
and, conversely, there weren't too many
people working diligently to obtain pas
sage. ?
Several conclusions can be drawn
from the election results. In addition to
the aforementioned desire on the part ?
of the populace for cleaning up a nasty
sewage disposal system, fear for the
adequacy of the city's water supply, and
the desire for some public swimming
pools and a city-sponsored tax-paid pro
gram, the voters also have accorded to
She AHminictrntion- in its first
major test after eight months in office,
a vote of confidence and approval.
One leading citizen, commenting on
the election, offered the opinion that the
bond issue as approved, though infinite
ly small compared to the many needs,
would be sufficient to contribute great
ly to the city's growth, certainly resi
dentially, and, quite probably, from the
industrial and commercial standpoints
as well.
The Herald congratulates the Bridges
Administration on its election day suc
cess last Saturday and commends the
majority of the voting populace for the
decision to make some long-needed in
vestments in public improvements.
There are two ways to get along in the
economic world. One way is by surcease
from spending. The other is by spending
money to make money. Kings Mountain
has surceased long enough; some think
too long. Meantime, however, the once
high city debt has been reduced to a
quite manageable figure and addition of
the $600,000 voted Saturday should in
no wise overstrain the city's economic
structure.
Folk who have not yet listed their pro
perty for 1954 taxes should attend to the
matter at once. Pre-penalty time is fast
running out. The motorist, incidental
ly, will get a pleasant surprise, for his
once-high auto value is now low on the
totem pole. This joy at thwarting the
taxman will be short-lived, of course, as
he ponders the kind of treatment he'll
get when the trading bug bites again.
It's still hard to have the cake and
munch it at the same time.
Our congratulations to Rufus Eugene
Fite, Dallas resident and Kings Moun
tain business citizen, who has been
elected master Of Gaston Lodge 263, A.
F. & A. M.
Annual report of the Lake Montonia
club, just distributed to stockholders,
indicates an active, prosperous year for
the thriving summer playground. The
club directorate continues to improve its
property annually, making membership
in the club grow constantly in desirabili
ty.
Our sympathies to the families of Gpl.
Billy Owen and Pfc. Ralph Whetstine,
both young men now presumed dead af
ter missing in action in Korea for three
years. V
10
YEARS AGO Items of news about King* Mountain area people and events
THIS WEEK taken from the 1943 files of the Kings Mountain Herald.
Kings Mountain's quota in the
Fourth War Loan campaign is
$375,000.00, according to J. R. Da
vis, chairman of the drive. Eigh
ty-five percent of all war bond
sales are made person-toperson
and special emphasis is being
made on the sale of "E" bonds.
Mr.v Davis said.
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Merchants Association voted
at their meeting recently at City
Hall to hold the annual banquet
next month, at which time newly
elected officer* will be installed.
Social And Personal
Mrs. Paul Mauney Was hostess
to Study Club members at. her
home Tuesday afternoon. Mrs.
Grady Patterson had charge of
the program.
LWut. and Mrs. C. C. "Bus"
Oattes of Dayton, Ohio, are visit
ing relatives here and in Boone,
N. C.
Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Crook have
returned from Fort Myers, Fla.,
where they visited their son,
T/Sgt. Cecil Crook. Mrs. Cecil
Crook arrived In Fort Myers from
Shelby Monday and will remain
in Florida! with hfcr husband.
Byron Keeter* returned home
yesterday from a business trip
to New York and Baltimore, Md.
MARTIN'S
MEDICINE
By Martin Samoa -
Ingredient ?: bite of netoa,
wisdom, humor, and comment.
Direction*: Take t oeekly, if
poeeible, but avoid
overdosage.
Htem lines up, necklines
down. ....
m-m
The supposedly staid Wall
Street Journal reports those
findings, among others, at the
Los Angeles style show last
?week, which bears out the
trend as established by Dior,
the French stylte expert, several
months ago. ?
m-m
At that time, many of the
American designers said they
weren't going along, and many
a famous person had a com
ment to make. But at the Los
Angeles event, rated the ste
cond-biggest style show next to
New York's upcoming one, the
Dior lead was followed.
m-m
This poses certain problems
in the womfen's clothing field,
but not as much as lowering
the hemline. There's an old
Saying, "ifs always possible to
trim off, but adding on Is diffi
cult, if not Impossible." There
will be plenty of hemline reno
vating on the dresses, coats,
and suits, now in wardrobes,
but that further plunge of thte
neckline appears impossible to
me, at least for some frocks,
which look like they're in the
middle of a high dive already.
m-m
All of the changes are part
of the general idea of clothing
manufacturers (and eagerly
joined in by auto makers, re
frigerator makers, TV set man
ufacturers and others) to keep
the buying public unhappy by
new gadgets, trends, fender
changes, etc. While the end
point again is an improved pro
duct, too, the main thing is
change.
m-m
What sells cars? The need
for transportation is Just part
of It. As much a selling force
as anything is tne pufClluse of
a new one by a neighbor.
Somehow the old bus begins to
look older, the shine less shiny,
and the gear mechanism less
trustworthy. A little feeling
like that, and, first thing a guy
knows, he's driving a new car
and in hock again, or deeper,
to the financin' fellows.
It's the same way with
clothfes (particularly for the
fairer sex who, unlike mapority
of men, regard clothes as an
Investment 1) before marriage,
for you know what, and 2) af
ter marriage, for a reasonable
substitute tor the water sof the
Fountain of Youth.)
m-m
The word from Los Angteles
is good (and bad) in another
important category, too. The
price trend, says the Wall
Street Disturber, is generally
down. This is pleasant news for
the retailer who has been
"squze" as old basteballer Diz
Dean would say. for the past
several seasons. The retailer
has found the manufacturer's
price high, and his service
somewhat shoddy. In other
words, If clothes were to arrive
thfey had to be ordered on a
very early basis. This season,
as hr once did, the manufacture
er is going to have to accept
some risk IX he is to obtain
sufficient volume to show a
profit. The first move has been
to slash price and up quality,
quality. .... : , .
Said the Journal: last year's
$4.75 orlon sweater will be
available this year for $3.75;
ther sportswear will be cheap
er, too; dresses and petticoat#,
also.
That is good news only in the
sense of getting moit; for the
dollar. Since women are avid
"sale" or "bargain" shoppers,
It is conceivable that the head
line over the particular story
"ladies spring togs will cost
Pop less", is a misnomer. But
mama probably will benefit
with a morte ample wardrobe.
Nylon is not the magic word
it once was, a local merchant
confided recently, which, of
course, Is obvious from the
standpoint of hose alone. Once,
II it were nylon, the price was
I*.
m-m
Colors being advertised - as
new include wild shrimp, coolie
blue. El Dorado gold, and pop
sicle green. v
In one store here recently a
ladles' suit salesman invited In
a lady from her car to model
his showings. She was quite
pretty and I askfed, "What
size?" She smiled sweetly and
replied, "12". I wanted to ask
whether she were working as
wUe or model, but I didn't have
the nerve. Anyway, the guy
was making sales, which was
the point, and the modeling
wasn't hurting any.
-"J '-"WLaJ-V: ' ' .
1 CROSSWORD + + + By A. C. Gordon 1
DOWN
2 ? United Ttm Society
MM
? ?fey-P _ ?
3 ? Wheat Grower*
(?bib.)
?-A|i
7 ? Popular canaii
flown
? ? Product* of luwd
>0? Put of verb "to bo"
ACROSS
1? YaOow I
ZIff*'
flower* do
1 J? To catch gam*
14? On an oca? voyage
17? Popular tree aource o t
lfr-JEuW <
JO? Lika
Il-Vtaccua ftp*! from
dUtfflatlon of wood
tt-Oid KogUah Maple
IS? A "couatn
!? ? Woody plant
It? Widemoutbed Jug
19 ? Fluid rock
33 ? Needy
Si ? Southern U.S. Mat*
(abb.)
Th* Want Ad
Section Fox TM> WmICi Completed
(?bb.)
Viewpoints of Other Editors
WISHFUL PROPHETS
We recall that some twenty
years and more ago people were
trying to bring about prosperity
by predicting prospterity. That did
not work very well. As a matter
of fact it got to the point where
prosperity prophecies were dis
t runted fn tho Mtan' that they
had an effect opposite to thai
intended.
We do not believe that predic
tions of a recession will bring a
bout a recession either. If people I
want to buy things and have the !
mt>ne> to buy them ? and there
are indications that thfey have
both the money and inclination
? then other people will make
and sell the things that people
want to buy. They will be so busy
at the task that they will not
even have time tt listen to the
impassioned oratory of economic
doom.
Nevertheless it is becoming
quite clear that there are some
people in this country to whom
a recession would be a not un
welcome development and who
are acting as people usually act
when the wish is father to *he
thought.
These are the gentlemen, and
ladfes also, who only a few short
years ago were cutting a wide
swath about Washington fixing
prices and allocating materials.
In between times they wrote ar?
tides and made speeches Inform
ing us that the free Economy was
as dead as the dodo and the coun
try could be thankful that there
were farseeing gentlemen around
who would consent to take us
over and save thfe people from
themselves.
It seems to us that' a great
many of the pessimistic opinions
that have gained some passing
notice come from those very
sources. Could it be that in their
rosy drteams these people see
themselves called back to Wash
ington to resume high titles in
new alphabetical agencies? Not
to keep the reader in suspense,
we think ft could be.
Closely allied to these gentle
men are some ? by no means all
?labor leaders Who miss being
in the positions of power which
they occupied a short time ago.
It Is Just possible that the loss
of power Is nnt unrelated to the
jaded view of tWs economic sit
uation which they are ready to
express at the drop of the hat.
Or If a hat Is not dropped, they
express the view anyway.
This1 newspaper does not pre
tend to know what thte future
holds for trade, btulness and in
dustry. Furthermore we do Mft
know anyone else who does know.
Some people c*n make bfttlif
guesses than others and bome
havte the knowledge to mftke edu
cated guesses. The views of such
people are worthwhile although
if they are right half the time,
their average is goed.
But we would like to point out
that In The New York Times of
January 12 there were 38 columns
of advertisements for help want
ed compared with three cohmm*
Of advertisements for situations
wanted. ? Wan Street Journal
BABttS GO MODERN
Most every day we hear a new .
Expression often labeled "mo
dern'*, but recently new names
were applied to dafiry bams ?
milking parlor and lounging
barn. Even most of our rural
homes are not so well provided.
The living room has replaced the |
okl-time parlor, and the loui
)u" ^ " U
INCREASED NUMBER
FIRES
No official proclamation de
clares this Fire Prevention Week,
but considering the increased
number of fires occuring in this
community of late, we feel that
this and every other wetek should
be dubbed fire prevention weeks.
A HiunUei uf\uslly fires have
caused heavy property damage
in and around Liberty in the past
several weeks. These frequent oc
curences would lead us to believe
that people aren't being as fire
preventive conscious as they
might be.
Oftentimes the causes of fires
arte unknown, but were the cause
known we believe it would be
evident that most are caused by
carelessness on the part of some
one. We believe that most could
have bfeen prevented with a little
careful consideration.
Every family should check
carefully Its source of heat in the
cold winter months; and the same
goes for people operating busi
ness establishments.
A definite fire hazard has been
created in downtown Liberty by
various persons burning trash in
the incinerator behind a group of
stores and next to Dependable
Hosiery Mills. When a strong
wind blows, sparks from this in
cinerator could ignite serious
fires - in any of the downtown
stoites.
This incinerator should be mo
dified so that it contains all
sparks for the fire, and those
persons using it should be in
structed to keep careful watch
over the fire when it has been
ignited.
Although this Is no official Fire
Prtevention Week, local citizens
might do well to consider ways
and means of preventing fires
the year round.
Let's cut down on the number
of disastrous fires In the commu
nity in 1954. ? Liberty Newa -
of our homes? but the faithful
old cow deserves a break, and no
doubt enjoys lounging around be
fore being hooked up to those
new fangled milking machines as
she enter* the "parlor".? CemUm
Enterprise.
Sat Flayexs
Here January 28
The S&ullnte Players will b$ at
the high school on January 28,
with the Junior C Vss sponsoring
their appearance.
In the afternoon at 1:30 they
will present "David Copperfield".
At 8 . p. m. they will present
"Have A Heart"
SUBSCRIBE TO THE HERALD
Carpeting
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*. ' " , ' ?- ^ ' . ' ' *' : * * .?fe . Vr^*. V'.*
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LUTZ FURNITURE COMPANY
605-7 North Morgan Street
SHELBY. N. C.