EDITORIALS CRAB DERBY: MEANEST CRITTERS • • The word is out from Raleigh that the 1962 Crab Derby will be held at Long Beach August 25-26 with 12 coas tal counties eligible to enter the fastest and meanest of their fighting critters. Winner of the Long Beach tiff will go on to Crisfield, Md. September 1 if he cares to mix with speedsters in the Na tional Crab Derby. This is good news for Southeastern North Carolina. They grow just as orn ery hereabouts as are to be found any where on the Tar Heel coast, and it could be that the Brunswick critter may show his contestants from up the sounds and bays a thing or two about racing sideways. But a reminder to Mr. Wade Lucas, publicity man of the Department of Conservation and Development who originated the idea early last year. The maiden race was held at Morehead City last July and the handling of both crabs and crowds was a demonstration of the worst. Numbers of contestants were barely visible and spectators over ran ropes to crowd around the l’acing ramp obscuring the view of most of those who had come to see a crab derby for the first time. “So this is a crab derby, phooey,” was the genaral com ment. Of course the crab didn’t give a hap py claw about being the center of at traction. lie wasn’t going anywhere in particular. He just wanted to get away from it all like his shorts-clad audience. FISHING: BUILT-IN HAZARDS Don’t let an accident spoil the fun of fishing. Fishing is one of the nation’s favorite outdoor spoits. It offers relax ation, mild exercise and a welcome change from the everyday routine. But, as every fisherman knows, there are several built-in hazards to fishing that bear watching. “Sidewinders” (fishermen who swing their arms in a wide arc on the cast) are responsible for many of the hook accidents, says Today’s Health, the magazine of the American Medical As sociation. If you are a sidewinder, be sure your field is clear of other fisher men before casting. In removing a hook from a fish, hold the fish under the gills so only its body not its head, can flop and wiggle. Try ing to grab a slippery fish and remove the hook at the same time is an easy way to get hooked. Lures and hooks left lying on the floor of a boat or on the dock are in viting trouble. Never try to pull a hook out if one becomes imbedded beneath the skin. Your physician will snip off the back end of the hook and push it through the wound. If necessary he will administer antibiotics and tetanus tox oid. Save your muscles from strain by avoiding excessive rowing or exercise. Protect yourself from sunburn and heat prostration. NO TIME TO CUT GUARD If it were practical to do so, a poll of sentiment would probably show uni versal agreement with the resolution of the Governors conference endorsing re tention of the National Guard at cur rent strength of 400,000 men. While it is true that the Guard does not possess the state of readiness as that of regular divisions, the potential is there and, given a few weeks for in tensive preparations and training, Na tional Guardsmen would be ready to carry their colors with the best. Air power and all of the other ad vancements in warfare may supplement but they will not eliminate the need for the foot soldier. It is this kind of basic strength on which the present and fu ture security of the country depends. No dollar is so well spent as the money invested in a live, 1'eady to fight Nati onal Guard. To reduce its roster or merge existing units would, in our opinion, be a disservipe to our well be ing as a nation. Somewhere in our memory is a recol lection that the 30th Infantry Division, a National Guard Division, was adjud ged the most efficient division in Eur ope, during World War II. At the war’s onset, they were more or less civilian soldiers but they proved their worth when the call came. INCOME TAX SURPLUS The anticipated $37 million surplus for the State’s fiscal year ending June 30 is thought provoking. Already, ac counts show that the fiscal year closed with a $27 million surplus and another $10 million is expected in a carry-over of money allocated last year but not spent. Final figures on that have not been completed. The Revenue Department says the big bulk of the $27 million came from income taxes. Sales tax collections ran more or less as expected. So how do we account for the in crease in income tax collections? The answer is pretty evident. State with holding income tax law. Employment five years ago was as high if not higher than it has been since the withholding law was enacted. Yet, there was no word in those years about income tax collections being the major factor in a surplus of tax collections. There is only one conclusion: The law is bringing more taxpayers into the fold and, again, more are paying their propor tionate share against earnings. REMEMBER OUR ELDER CITIZENS Does it takes a special “Week” to re mind people that they should honor our elder citizens with the respect their maturity of years deserves? It does in too many instances. Age and accumula ted wisdom is often taken for granted and more often completely ignored. We are just too busy with trivial matters to remember our old people. So for just one week, anyway, the week of July 15-21, those over 65 in North C arolina will be paid extra re cognition. There are over 335,000 in the State in this age group and the period has been designated as the time to The State Port Pilot Published Every Wednesday Southport, N, C. JAMES M. HARPER, JR. ........ Editor Entered as second-class matter April 20, 192b at the Post Office at Southport, if. O., and other Post Offices, under the Act of March 3. 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Brunswick and Adjoining Counties and Service Men . $2.00 per yea? Six Months . $1.50 Elsewhere in United States — $3.00 Per Year;—-6 Months _ $2.00 think about their problems, needs, and how we can make their declining years happy and comfortable. A big bowl of flowers, a new rocker, perhaps a new pair of gaiters, would be thoughtful gifts. But while material things will bring satisfaction, they fall short of what is needed most. The real problem is loneliness. In this special week, and in all other weeks, let our aging folk know we are thinking about them. Write a letter, pay a visit and offer but not impose your help when the opportunity pre sents itself. Failure to remember is the bitterest fate of all among those in their final years. NONE GO WEST Soviet Premier Khruschev told his people just recently that butter was go ing up to $1.80 per pound and meat would be increased 30 per cent. Then lie added that wages would not be in creased to meet the higher prices and that any who “do not wish to un derstand, should be called to order.” The scarcity of food, as the price spiral indicates' is just one of many reasons why starving Chinest are seek ing to espace from their homeland to the scuth and not to the north and west into Russia. If Communism will not sus tin them at home they see no hops of improvement in the Soviet Republic. Time and Tide Continued From Page One.) the local branch of Waccamaw Bank & Trust Co., assisted the FBI in the capture of a man attempting to cash worthless creeks. Bill Keziah had set the record straight on what amberjack in North Carolina was the largest. The listed North Carolina record was a 51%-pounder caught at Morehead City. Seven years before a 62-pound amberjack was taken by Louis J. Baisch of Louisville, Kentucky, while fishing in Southport aboard the Sea Girl. An explanation of how Shallotte got its name was given, and : a Raleigh woman thought it was brought over from England. A strong shrimping fleet was operating out of Southport. There were 130 shrimp boats in port according to Dallas Piggott, local Seafood Dealer. The highest total was a few years ago when there were over 200 boats in Southport. Ten years ago this week preparations were being made for the dredging of the channel to Sunny Point Army Terminal -involving the movement of 18 million cubic yards of material. This was the first stey in the construction of the modern terminal. Bluefish were biting for the party boats out of Southport. The shrimp catches were improving daily with catches during the past, week ranging from 15 to 32 bushels per boat. The mayor of Southport, Thomas B. Carr, had died in Duke Hospital; a furniture store was opened in Southport; and a baby show was to be held the following week. Five years ago this week a picture of Frying Pan Lightship appeared on the front page. It is located about 30 miles off Cape Fear and marks the end of Frying Pan Shoals. Big catches of dolphin were made from the local party boats during the past week. A six foot sailfish was caught by Leon Capal of Troy. The border belt tobacco market was to open the following week; daylight savings time would not be used in Southport: and the dairymen of Brunswick county formed a new organization. Letter To The Editor Southport, N. C. July 7, 1962 Editor, State Port Pilot, Southport, N. C. Dear Sir: In behalf of the committee who worked so faithfully in the re cent promotion of the flag pro gram, I would like through the medium of your, fine paper to express our thanks to the many people of Southport and Long Beach who bought and displayed flags during the national holiday. The enthusiastic response we re ceived proves that patriotism for our country is st ll foremost in the hearts of most of us. Our present supply of flags has been exhausted, but we will have others available for persons de siring to purchase them within a few days. It gives us a wonderful feeling to see so many flags waving in our town. Lets keep up the good American custom and en courage others to participate. Mrs. C. R. Stanland, President, American Legion Auxiliary. DIRECTIONS FOR Continued From Page 1 and nondescript grades thereof for the five sales days was to reduce the impact of the experi ment on foreign users of U. S, flue-cured tobacco. Normally, onh a fractional percentage of these [grades is exported. Foreign cus tomers of U. S. flue-cured tobacco have advised the Department of their deep concern about addi tional sales of untied tobacco, par ticularly of the grades that they purchase. The decision to limit price sup port to only untied lugs, including primings and nondescript grades thereof, and to withhold price sup port to tied tobacco until the sixth day, was to discourage growers from offering flue-cured tobacco for sale in tied form dur ing the first five sale days. All segments of the tobacco industry have advised the department that the sale of flue-cured tobacco in tied and untied form on the same market on the same day would complicate the movement of the tobacco from the market through the processing facilities. ARMY TRAINING (Continued From Page One) Capt. Paul F. Todd, 1st Lt. Rob ert M. Delahunt, 1st Lt. Paul D. Surdam, 1st Lt. Charles S. Mc Guire, 2nd Lt. Edward J. Kear ney, SP-4 Donald A. Surrette, PFC Sheldon R. Shapiro. CONFERENCE ON Continued From Page 1 seph O. Stroud, secretary of the Church Music Department of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. COMMITTEE WILL Continued From Page 1 Evergreen; Edward L. William son, Whiteville; Addison Hewlett, Jr., Masonboro Sound; John H. Kirkum, Masonboro Sound; Mur dock Dunn, Wilmington; Mrs. Marvin Rawls, Willard; Mis. Em pie Sidbury, Hampstead; D. N. Lucas, Burgaw. SEEK IMPROVED Continued From Page 1 they have asked for services which are not now being made available. This latter group includes a drive-in window at the bank, night depository, installment loan department, and private office room for transaction of personal banking business. i^s a result of local unrest with regard to banking facilities in Southport, contact has been made with another banking firm which CITY TENTATIVE Continued Prom ■page 1 bonded indebtedness of the city. Spokesmen for the city said this week that a relatively small part of the cost of operation of city government is derived from taxes on real estate and personal property. They point out that pro fits from the sale of electric pow er and water are the principal sources of income for the city and one official stated that if it were not for these returns it would be necessary to levy a tax has expressed an interest in this area. This financial institution has requested certain research and statistical information which they win use to evaluate the potential business here, and city officals have taken responsibility to help obtain this information. Officials of the waccamaw Bank and Trust Co. have agreed that there is need for larger and more modem banking facilities at Southport, but no concrete steps have been taken thus far to bring about improvement in the situa tion. Garden Time What is meant by pre-sprouting sweet potato seed stock ? This is a new. practice, which was begun in I960, and is being adapted by more growers each year. It is estimated that pre sprouting can save the grower from $40 to $50 per acre. It in creases early sprout production and saves money by reducing the amount of seed stock needed to produce the necessary plants for field setting. How is it accomplished ? By giving the seed stock to be bedded ideal curing conditions for a period of 30 days prier to bed ding. This treatment is especially desirable for slow sprouting va rieties such as Centennial, Nug get and Gold Rush. Porto Rico is an exception because this variety requires only 20 days of pre treatment. What are considered to be ideal curing conditions ? The emphasis here is placed on ideal conditions consist of raising the temperature in the curing house to 85 de grees and maintaining a relative humidity of 90 per cent, during the period of pre-treatment. This is the same procedure that was followed when the potatoes were cured in the fall after harvesting. What happens is this. After the potatoes are cured in the fall, primarily to heal cuts, they are put to sleep (reducing the res piration rate) by lowering the temperature in the house to 55 degrees. They are held at this temperature until time for pre sprouting (30 days before bedding time). This wakes them up. If ideal conditions are not main tained, it may take longer to induce sprouting. For example: If the curing house is not tight enough you may be only able to maintain a humility of 70 per cent rather than 90 per cent. All of this brings into sharp focus the importance of con structing curing and storage houses in which ideal conditions can be maintained. Considering the importance- of the sweet potato in North Caro lina and the South, organization of growers and the emphasis be ing placed upon processing, we should anticipate marked improve ment in the handling, curing and 1 storing of this crop. We must look forward to the. time when curing houses are con structed and equipped to provide rate of $4.00 to provide services now being rendered. The proposed budget is avail able for inspection by any inter- j. ested tax payer of the City of j Southport and is at the city hall, j Not Exactly News On Friday we attended one day of the summer convention of the North Carolina Press Association, in session at Morehead City, and as usual when on a trip of this kind, we were looking around for good ideas that we can put in practice here. For one thing, we think that if they have built a port at Morehead City— and they have- then the day will come when a bigger and better facility will be constructed here . . . Anofher conclusion is that with the continued addition to motel facilities in this area, soon we will be able to accommodate a convention of this size. We will, that is, if we have a dining room facility large enough for a crowd of from three hundred to four hundred people . . . And one thing more: We visited the Spooners Creek Harbor develop ment, an ultra-modern marina. We could well use one of those in this area—and we have the location for it, right here in town. We find that a remarkably large number of press people recall with great pleasure the time Southport people played host to a luncheon meeting here, and mary of them expressed a desire to return for another meeting here. It would be one of the finest pieces of advertising we could ever do to have this group meet at Southport . . . Most unsual pet to show up around here lately is Romie the pelican, latest addition to the wildlife entourage at the Robin’s Nest. Dan Harrelson has had him on parade down town on two occasions, and he has made at least one trip (see pix) to Oak Island Golf Club. Home folks who saw the Miss North Carolina Pageant on tele vision Saturday night were mighty proud of Cheyrl Rogers, and the votes from this precinct would have been for her . . . Bob Spence, professional at Oak Island Golf Club, says that there are several youngsters around here who will turn out to be good golfers. A lot of the younger set have taken up the game. . . We hear that Semi Mintz may be on the coaching staff at New Han over High next year as head tennis coach and assistant in bas ketball. Both of his grandmothers live in Brunswick county. When Mrs. Gilliam Homstein felt a boat crunch against her right elbow Sunday her first thought was “Oh, no, not my paint ing arm”! Later examination revealed that her injury was pain ful, not serious—and she was greatly relieved .. . There’s a new store getting ready to open at Shallotte. More about that next week. “Geronimo,” starring Chuck Conners,” is the weekend show at Holiday Drive-In . . . Here in Southport "That Touch Of Mink,” starring Cary Grant, will be playing on these same dates . . . Lew Hardee is back in town, and already there are rumors of a new amateur theatrical production. ideal conditions with automatic controls for both temperature and humidity. Your county agent can provide you with Information Leaflet No. 104 which gives, in greater de tail, the procedure to follow when pre-sprouting seed stock. CITY HAS NEW Continued From Page 1 It also has less than a 2-minute recovery on a 6-hour continuous pumping rest. The new well and house have seen provided at a cost to the ;ity of approximately $2,500. It s located at the site of the old Southport baseball diamond on property purchased from G. W. McGlamery. Tins is the second well drilled by the city in recent years. The last was in Franklin Park. The third well now in use is situated at the old power station and City Manager C. t>. Pickerrell said Monday that plans are being made to reclaim a fourth well, this one also situated at the old power station. Pickerrell said that during the summer months the daily con sumption of water in Southport is 125,000 gallons per day. In the winter time the daily consumption is about 100,000 gallons, he said. Annual Dividend Rate Now Compounded Quarterly IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! The savings habits you develop early can have a lot of influence upon your future, for it is important to save some part of every pay check. Our purpose is to encourage savings, as this is the foundation When and where you set up your first Savings Account is import ant and we hope you will make use of our facilities. rv" " Southport Savings & Loan Assn. ■ W. P. Jorgensen, Sect.-Treas. SOUTHPORT, N. C.