I
*
y 4
\
%
New Bem*s pride in its eariy
smoke eaters is much in evi
dence at our local F remen's
Museum.
However, Salem's fire de
partment, dating back to 1803,
has us topped in one regpect.
Not pnly able bodied men but
women and older boys and girls
went into action with specific
duties when a blaze broke out,
in the old days.
It may surprise you, as it did
us, to learn ttiat the sale of
motorcycles and scooters in
the United States during 196&
Increased one thousand percent*
over 1964. Theboomiscontlnu--
Ing Hiis year.
If we were to ask you to tell
us the two last names that
pear most frequently in New
Bern's telephone directory,
you would say Smith and Jones
and be correct. There are 105
numbers listed under Jones,
and 91 under Smith.
But what about the third most
frequent name? It is doubtful
that one New Bemlan in a hun
dred could guess it offhand.
Certainly we wouldn’t have
picked Williams, but check and '
you'll find 83 of them listed.
you'll discover the Moores
Inlou^ place with 57, the Gas
kins in fifth with 56, and the
Whites ip' sixth with 55. The
Dkvls clan has 52 phones in
the New Bern-directory, •the*'^
Taylors 45, the Dixons 43, the
Edwards 40, the Ipocks 39, the
Browns 31, and the Millers and
Fulchers 3C.
Writing in Nation'sBusiness,
Alden H. Sypher, retired editor
and life-long journalist, says
that "Government by feat
is causing bands of silence
to fall across the land.
"Noise still rises from
bearded buildings of dissension,
but in increasing numbers the
more responsible, mature and
hl^ly qualified people are with
drawing from public discus
sion.”
This hi^y respected former
editor adds that this inclination
toward silence is "restricting
the exchange of ideas that could
result in honest consensus. It is
the product of fear—the fear of
a vastly increased central au
thority with tremendous power
and little restraint in its use.
"The fear of farmers whose
livelihood is largely controlled
in Washington and whose pro
duct prices have been affected
by stockpile manipulations.
"Of businessmen who have
seen contrdls become effective
not by law, nor uniform pat
terns, but by unbearable pres
sures of central power and au
thority.
"Of educators whohave seen
sudden withdrawal of federal
funds for failure to conform—
and Just as sudden replacement
of the funds through intervention
not by educators, but by polit
ical figures.
"Of city leaders who see in
die anti-poverty war new polit
ical allgnmento that may be
directed or at least greatly In
fluenced by Washing^.
"Of little people who rest
uneasily under the benevolence
of power they have seen un-
leai^ed, over which they have no
control.”
And, says die Oregon Voter,
"beyond the self-imposed si
lence and fear of economic rep
ercussions, there lies the his
torically proven danger of be-
The New BERN
'^WWIIKLY
5^ Ferc?^ «
(Continued on page 8)
NEXT BEST THING—Much as we would like to, we
can’t bring you snow in July to cool your perspiring
brow, but we can print this photo of Centenary
Methodist church taken a number of years ago and
leave the rest to your imagination. As you see, there
was plenty of the white stuff blanketing New Bern,
and at the moment you were no doubt wishing for a
sultry day in July. If this doesn’t do the trick, turn
to our back page and you’ll find more of the same.
Having been in New York City on July 3, when the
temperature was pushing 107, we’ve made a resolu
tion not to complain no matter how hot it gets in the
old home town. Bearded beatniks and mop-top rock
and rollers resembled half drowned rats as they toted
all that excess foliage along Broadway.