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LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
That's The Way It Is
A letter, appearing elsewhere on
this page today, very adequately ex
presses the feelings of those members
of the Louisburg College faculty in
volved in the damaging fire here last
Saturday. It is also a most outstand
ing document on the caliber of local
people.
It is in this light, that we wish to
bring it to your attention. Too often,
even those of us living here are too
fast in criticizing our own community.
It is in a time of crisis, when help is
most needed that this community
shines the brightest.
All of us are proud of our college
faculty for what they are doing for
our own and other young people com
ing here to school. We are equally
proud of them as citizens of this com
munity, whether they have lived here
for a long time or moved just recently.
The community responded not so
much because they were college
people but because they were com
munity people. They did so because
each knew that had things been re
versed, members of the college fa
culty would have done the same for
them and their neighbors.
That's the way it is here. That's
why so many of us cannot find it in
our hearts to leave.
And Now It's Measles
Most of us can remember well the
fear which prevailed each summer a
few years ago. Parents were afraid to
allow their youngsters to go swimming
or to a picture show. Avoid crowds,
we were told and each sneeze or fe
ver was cause for intense worry on
the part of a parent. Polio was a
most dangerous thing.
Today, hardly anyone ever thinks
of this dread disease. Science has
conquered it. Parents rest easy.
Children go about the business of
being themselves. How wonderfuf
it is.
The climax to the majority of worry
attributed to polio came on a series ? -
of Sunday afternoons here in the
county. The Medical Society held
clinics in a number of schools and
passed out serum coated sugar cubes.
Children and their parents came in
great numbers. The end was at last,
in sight.
Now there is another disease.
Measles. Not as fear invoking as
polio, but nevertheless a most serious
problem. Again the Medical Society
will offer a vaccine this Sunday in
many of the same schools. Parents
are urged to take their youngsters
ages 1 to 10 who have not had either
measles or the vaccine.
If Franklin citizens respond to this
campaign as they did to the polio
clinics, the end to measles will also
be in sight.
We can't see how anyone could do
less than visit these elinics this
Sunday. We owe it to our children.
NATIONAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
Pearson Says Rockefeller
Drew Pearson, one of the nation s
leading columnists, recently pre
dicted next summer's Republican
National Convention would nominate
Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New
York.
Pearson thus joins a growing
number of political experts who have
recently swung over to the opinion
that Rockefeller is the Republican
most likely to defeat President
Lyndon Johnson in 1988.
Rockefeller's boosters . feel he
would carry populous New York
State and the northeast over
whelmingly and that his demonstrated
administrative ability and experience,
and the image of sophistication so
admired in the late President Ken
nedy, make him the proper contrast
against the President.
Pearson's prediction is another of
signs appearing regularly now in
dicating the 1968 Republican con
vention is certain to be a hair
raiser, the more exciting of the two
major party conventions next year.
Classroom Grades
Columbia University recently an
nounced it would abolish class rank
ings in four of its undergraduate
schools. In other words, students
will either pass or fail and no grades
will be issued. Columbia is following
the lead of several other eastern
colleges in adopting this policy.
The Columbia action could be the
forerunner of a further step, a step
which would bring American colleges
and universities into harmony with
most European universities? ending
the requirement for classroomattend
ance. There are those who believe
students should develop the respon
sibility within themselves to attend
or not attend classes. Smarter stu
dents can in some instances suc
cessfully acquit themselves in
examination after minimum attend
ance under this system.
The traditional American concept
has been one of compulsory attend
ance and grading, and one of the
justifications for this system is the
fact that a larger percentage of
American youngsters attend colleges
and universities. In Europe most
university students have decided
upon their professions, are often
older and are the elite of the lower
schools academically.
Since this is not true in America,
where many attend college having
little idea of their future or choice
of a profession, and since social
activities at American colleges are
far more widespread and detracting,
and since students are often quite
young, it would seem the traditional
American concepts are still practical
and contain considerable merit.
The FranMin Times
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- WIDENING
Sharing
too often an INDIVIDUAL'S success is judged by his ac
cumulation of wealth ... the house he lives in; the amount
of money he has; the fact that he can boast of two auto
mobiles; or the expensive parties he gives, etc. But is this
the 'fruitage' that is spoken of in the Bible?
What better spiritual awareness could one have or
demonstrate as fruitage than for others to say; "He is
certainly a man of principle." . . . "He's kind, loving and
considerate." ... "I like the way he treats his help."
"He's a man of character and good-will." . . . "He's lots
of fun and good cheer." . . . "He's a real friend."
Here we have the real fruitage. Not so much his 'dollar'
vafte? but the spiritual qualities that shine forth in his
treatment and interest in others? his willingness to share
his cheer and joy? and to 'love his neighbor as himself.'
There is no mistaking such an individual ... his great
ness or his success. And the path he follows is open to all
who see their fruitage, not in 'dollars' but in the more sub
stantial things of Spirit. .
On Wake School Situation
BY JESSE HELMS
It is now apparent that Wake
County's School Superinten
dent Fred A. Smith Is held In a
degree of unanimous disaffec
tion by the members of the
elected school board to which
he has supposedly been an
swerable In connection with
the operation of his office.
As Mr. Smith undoubtedly
knows, this Is no condition
, ; created overnight or prompted
by Impulsive tempers. It Is,
as much as anything else, a
measurement of public frus
tration with respect to the
stormy trends of education
In America today.
The public Is fed up with
paying more and more only to
be told they're getting less
and less in educational quali
ty for their children. And
federal pressures, ever aim
ed at more Integration Instead
of better education, have
drenched the whole confused
pattern with resentment and
hostility. And from it all has
emerged, among many school
administrators, an attitude of
absolute dominion; they are
not to be questioned, much
less restrained, by the pub
lic which pays the bill, Elec
ted school boards, meanwhile,
have too often abdicated their
responsibility to make and set
policy; Instead, they have
meekly followed policies ad
vanced by sometimes cajol
ing, and often threatening, ad
ministrators who are not dl
News
Briefs
Survey
In a final surrey (or 1966;
the Agriculture Department
has estimated corn (or grain
production at 4,103,323 bush
els and wheat at 1,310,642,000
" bushels. Both crops were
grown under a department sta
bilisation program
Surprised
Bandits
Los Angeles?Alter locking
up the proprietors of a liquor
?tore, two youths rang up ?
sal* tor a customer using the
!no sale button which set off
a silent burglar alarm. Po
lice met them at the door as
they left with $880.
rectly accountable to the pub
lic.
It Is not (or us to say pre
cisely where Superintendent
Smith suffered his profession
al Dunkirk. Unquestionably
the man possesses ability. But
through the years he has be
come something of a mon
arch, as well. School board
members frankly say that he
has overplayed his hand: a
pair of deuces, in a showdown,
has never beat a full house.
If there Is a certain spark of
vitality left In this republic,
which some call a democracy,
it Is 'in the people's certain
ty to rebel once they have been
pushed over the line of their
endurance. Superintendent
Smith may correctly complain
that the rebellion In his sys
tem, or against it, was spark
ed by the dictatorial conduct
of bureaucrats beyond the Po
tomac. But he has not always
himself been persuasive that
he Is considerably less Na
poleonic in his own methods.
So when the winds began to
blow, his own house began to
collapse.
? There Is some who, in the
aftermath of all of this, will
cast dark glances at the peo
ple of Cary for their uprising
against Mr. Smith. But the
truth of the matter is that Cary
citizens were merely exercis
ing their right of free assem
bly and reasonable protest.
For once, it was a citizens'
group speaking its mind, hav
ing Its say? protesting a
school policy advanced by Mr.
Smith and accepted by his
school board without advance
study or serious question.
Weeks after the policy was a
d opted, a member of the school
board candidly confessed that
he voted for it without a full
explanation of its implica
tions.
So who will contend that the
people of Cary had recourse
other than to raise their voic
es in protest against not mere
ly an astonishingly drastic po
licy Itself, but the llke-lt-or
lump-lt manner In which it
was Instituted? It was a pub
lic outcry that cry it allied the
image which Fred Smith had
created for himself.
The lesson in all of this is
not one for Superintendent
Smith along to learn. Nor is
It one addressed merely to
school administrators, school
boards and school teachers.
Hopefully, It may serve as a
warning to all in public life '
who drift into a comfortable'
haze of personal onnlpotence
to the point of disregarding
the will of the people. _
For there Is, of course, a
breaking point, a point beyond
which the people will not be
pushed, one that cannot be
blunted by threats of sanc
tions, or by demands, or by
warnings of pretended disas
ter.
There may yet be a way, and
a reason, to salvage Fred
Smith's usefulness and exper
ience. This will largely de
pend upon him, and his own
willingness to accept the con
stitutional processes which
are supposed to dictate the op
eration; of the schools of this
county. It was never Intended
that Wake County endure a dic
tator of education. It is pos
sible that Mr. Smith never In
tended to be one. But whether
be goes or how long he stays,
the elected members of the
school board have a duty now
to take charge and keep con
trol?and surrender It again
neither to domination from
Washington nor to the whims of
any hired administrator. The
public schools in Wake County
have reached a fork In the
road. The public will be
watching with Interest which
direction they will travel.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Speed Takes Issue
Letter To The Editor
The mention, In your front
page news article, on April
IB, 1987, of discrimination In
the proposed salary for the
Franklin County Register of
Deeds, really tops It all. You
even tried further to get the
point across In an editorial,
In the same issue of your pa
per, which was also based on
lack of facts. Mr. Alex Wood,
the Register of Deeds, must
have been pleased with the
proposal. He wrote me a let
ter expressing his thanks for
the proposed raise for him
and the members of his staff
and thanked me for going by
his office to discuss the mat
ter with him.
The salary schedule was
prepared after being dis
cussed with the Board of
County Commissioners of
Franklin County, the County
governing body, and approved
unanimously by that body.
Further, the schedule was dis
cussed with each of the af
fected department heads to
obtain their views. None of
them appeared to feel that
there was discrimination in
the schedule.
Your cry of discrimination
because, under the proposed
bill, the Sheriff of Franklin
County would get $200.00 per
year more than the Register
of Deeds would have been un
justified if it were true. I was
attempting to consider the
sheriffs extra work and re
sponsibilities? seven days a
week, subject to call 24 hours
every day. The Register of
Deed;, Mr. Alex Wood, would
have received mora salary
from the County tax funds than
Sheriff Dement Just as he Is
now doing.
My proposed salary schedule
would have provided $6,400
annually for Sheriff Dement
and $6,200 for Mr. Alex Wood,
which In addition to the amount
paid Mr. Wood by the Board of
County Commissioners ($10.
00 for each meeting) for ser
ving as Clerk to the Board,
would have made his annual
salary between $100.00 and
$200.00 more than the salary
of the sheriff.
As you already know, all of
our County Departments are
Important. We have attempted
to do the best possible for
each of them In the light of the
amount of tax dollars avai
lable. Of course, we owe a
duty to all of the people of
Franklin County to see that
their tax dollars are spent
wisely. We think these pro
posed salaries compare fa
vorably with comparable po
sitions In business and In
secretarial positions In
Franklin County.
In order to correct the Im
pression of your article and
editorial concerning the sa
lary schedule, I hope that you
will give this letter the same
recognition as you did the
original story on the front
page of your newspaper.
Very truly yours,
James D. Speed
State Legislative Building
Raleigh, N. C.
Faculty Offers Thanks
Latter to the Editor:
The saying that emergencies
can reveal some of the best
qualities In human beings was
abundantly verified on the
Loulsburg College campus
Saturday afternoon, April 22.
Following a downpour of long
awaited rain, accompanied by
severe lightning strokes on the
campus, a visiting Chowan
College tennis player discov
ered smoke rising from the
faculty apartments. With the
prompt arrival of the Louls
burg Fire Department and the
Intrepid and efficient work of
the firemen, the fire was
brought under control within
the end of the building where
the lightning had struck and
with a minimum of damage to
personal belongings.
The purpose of this letter Is
to express something of the
deep appreciation of the
friendly, effective and faithful
attitude and aid during the fire
scare.
It is with deep humility and
appreciation that we, of the
faculty apartments, say
"thank you everyone for the
kindness shown to us during
our crisis." Such a heart
warming experience we can
never forget: the firemen and
their wonderful and efficient
work; the people of the com
munity with their offers of
open hearts and homes In
providing mealtime, nighttime
and all-day-time hospitality,
and for use of trucks In pro
viding transportation in mov
ing personal possessions. The
college students also came to
the rescue in giving such or
ganlzed help In moving out the
occupants' belongings and ot
tering to take care of the child
ren. There came numberless
and varied other evidences of
helpful attitudes, from the sal
vaging of a stack of discarded
newspapers by a little six year
old to the generous offer of
complimentary meals In the
college cafeteria by the direc
tor of Slater Food Service.
How far the damage went to
the building Is undetermined
at this writing, but how fat
the Image of overflowing
friendliness and helpfulness
by unnamed and unnumbered
citizens of Loulsburg and the
students of Loulsburg College
went Illustrated and recon
firms a Christian image of
brotherhood and concern of
which we can be Justly proud
and tor which we, the occu
pants of the faculty apartments
then, affirm our gratefulness
In words Inadequate to express
all, but words written with the
warmth of deep and abiding
sincerity. You reflected the
best In a community for which
we are thankful to be a part.
The remark of one of us can
be borrowed to help express
the feeling of all of us: "The
fire was almost worth the
event to experience the real
warmth and friendliness of
the people of Loulsburg."
Sincerely,
Shelton and Velma Brown
.. Zelda Coor
Ruth Merrltt
Rachael Modlln
Billy and Judy Parrlsh
Grady and TootsleSnyder.
'Utad to worry btfort I got tho Mfoty bolts."
ik J ?L,vr ?ri -oioo
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