I
Editorial Opinions -
YOUR HOME NEWSPAPER’S editorials are the opinions of staff members. As such
they may be wrong. Whether you agree or disagree our columns, under “The People
Write” heading, are open for you to express your own opinion.
“...Male Students Must Have
A Proper Haireut...”
NORTHAMPTON IlMIS-NEWS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30. 1965
Adult Leaders For 4-H Needed
One local extension worker during
the course of making plans for celebra
tion of National 4-H Week this week
made the statement, “4-H is for every
one. Even though every single boy or
girl from 9 to 19 probably shouldn’t be
a member of 4-H, there are many more
not now members who could gain from
a 4-H educational experience, no matter
where they live.”
This point that 4-H is for all whether
they live on a farm or not is not too well
understood. Many people view 4-H as
primarily a rural organization. This
image is evidently hard to change, per
haps because people are more familiar
with 4-H as being a successful youth
organization for farm boys and girls.
However, 4-H membership is changing.
Today 4-H enrollment is 46 per cent farm,
32 per cent rural non-farm and 22 per
cent in densely populated areas.
Four-H offers several unique oppor
tunities that make it unlike any other
youth program. These opportunities
make 4-H Club work an ideal program
for any boy or girl. Some of these ad
vantages are *4-H projects open doors
to career possibilities, "“‘Democracy in
Action” concept of the local 4-H Club,
•constructive use of leisure time train
ing, *citizenship education and •conser
vation education.
The foundation of 4-H is project work
It IS true that some of the traditional
4-H projects like animals and crops are
suited only for farm youth. But there
is a long list of modern 4-H projects,
adapted to in-town living which enables
4-H to reach youth who need these edu
cational experiences. Some of the 4-H
projects that can be conducted in town
are: automotive, photography, news
writing, science of plants and soils (50
new exercises in the fantastic science
related to plants and soils), collection and
study of insects, career exploration, tree
identification, garden, flower growing,
home grounds beautification, clothing,
foods-nutrition, home management, home
improvement, money management,
crafts, electric and safety.
While it is undoubtedly possible to
find boys and girls to enroll in 4-H, one
of the major barriers to expansion is se
curing adult volunteer leaders. It must
be remembered that the space age brings
a "new culture” that poses new social
and psychological concern for us. Four-H
work can help youth find meaning and
identity in this changing world. More
adults are needed to lead 4-H clubs. You
could be the person needed to help or
ganize a 4-H club for boys and girls near
you. Those with a desire to work with
young people could choose few means
less rewarding than the 4-H program.
Now during 4-H week would be a good
time to find out from the County Exten
sion Office what openings for adult lead
ers are open.
New Directions In Civil Rights
A recent civil rights meeting of citi
zens from Northampton, Bertie and Hali
fax counties raises the question of
whether or not the state and national
leaders of some of these organizations
haven’t missed the significance of recent
legislation passed by the Congress.
Several of the speakers suggested that
in order to secure their rights Negroes
would have to risk the loss of Jobs and
property. In view of the simple remedies
at hand this seems an exaggerated view.
We dismiss it as being organizational
rhetoric and hope that the average Ne
gro is better informed than this appeal
would indicate,
iMai^v firmshav^accepted the federal '
i^rtwent- -that' hiring be without bias
and there is every indication that all na
tional firms, subject to economic re
prisals, have already begun to offer
jobs to qualified Negroes, Here is the
rub; there are more jobs available in
some fields than qualified Negroes to
fill them. After disposing of the known
fact that they are unqualified because
of past discrimination, we must inevita
bly get on with the problem of getting
Negroes qualified.
There is little in the way of a practi
cal remedy for older Negroes who have
not acquired a skill that will earn a
living, but there are immediate and
effective remedies for younger ones
who can be sent for trade training, en
rolled in literacy schools, encouraged to
persevere with adult education courses,
and enforcement of compulsory school
attendance for minors.
To see that they are properly rep
resented they can show the necessary
initiative to register and vote and to
prepare themselves to qualify to vote.
The truth is that in North Carolina the
Negro leadership has more trouble stir
ring up a voter drive than in filing
complaints. Legislators listen to votes
R-C Editors Say...
Solitude Is A Sedative
BySHELBY HOWELL
News Editor, Gates County Index
Gatesville
It’s no longer news that living
is becoming more complicated
each day and that the “rat race”
keeps claiming new victims of
nervous disorders. The surpris
ing thing is that the old yard
sticks used to gauge man’s am
bitions before the “complicated
years” began are still being used
today.
Example: If a person is told
he will be granted three wishes,
he would wish the same things
today that his father did a genera
tion before. The average person
might wish for (1) spiritual tran
quility, (2) money, (3) success
and position.
But I predict that the age-old
desires will be thrown aside in
preference to one small seem
ingly unimportant wish: a day
spent in complete solitude.
A yearly vacation has become
an American tradition for most
people, so why not set aside one
day of it during which there will
be no contact with human beings.
It’s the sedative we all need.
In the unlikely event that any
one is granted the wish, there
are rules to go by in order to
make the day a success.
(1) Lock your doots and advise
your friends of your intent.
(2) Ignore the telephone.
(3) Look uncivilized. (Wear
old sloppy clothing. Men mustn’t
shave. Women mustn’t apply
make-up.)
(4) Make sure your husband
or wife or children are safely
deposited somewhere else for
24 hours. See no one.
(5) Make a list of your worries
and spend one hour worrying.
(6) Don’t work.
(7) Read 100 pages ofTolstoy’s
“War and Peace” and then grab
the romantic adventure novel
with a clear conscience.
(8) Don’t watch television.
(9) Spend one hour on self-
analysis
(10) Make an improved list of
rules for next year's day spent
in solitude.
Sen. Som Says
Crime Is Domestic Problem
By SAM J. ERVIN
U. S. Senator
WASHINGTON — Second only
to concern about Viet Nam is
LOOKING
BACKWARD
Carlton Morris Writes-
Whot You Want—What You Need
Often Two Different Things
interesting items reiMinted
from old fUes
The Roanoke-Chowan Times
By MISS ESTHER CONNER
Editor Emeritus
ore rgadily than complamtgft 4
Tragedy 'if~ wcRila''3e for fhe
South and the Negro if he were to fail
to understand that he has many practical
remedies at hand to improve his lot and
instead he spent his time in disruptive
activities that only cause more resent
ment than understanding.
What is needed is an alert local Negro
leadership which can produce results
through established political and eco
nomic channels. The laws are on the
books, the majority of the people in the
Roanoke-Chowan area have the tol
erance, and the time is ripe.
For years we people of sorrow,
that is, we of the depression gen
eration, have looked on with awe
and wonder at space flights and
proposed trips to the moon. We
are unable to understand why we
must fling billions of dollars of
taxpayers’ money into .space
when we don’t know how to cure
a minor cold.
To us It looks like the newly
weds, who buy a TV or auto
while living with their parents
or in a rented room. We all re
member how things were before
the great society, and we’d sort
of like' to pay the grocery bill
before we go dancing. We’re
called conservatives.
On the other hand we’ve come
up with a generation who has
never known sorrow, and they’re
similar to the gambler on a win
ning streak. They’re anxious to
shoot the works; go for the whole
ball of wax, git while the gittin
is good, ‘&nd the* aevif take thb
hindermost, though they scarce
ly believe there’s a devil. They
are called liberals.
It is not my intentions to med
dle in politics or cast a slur on
anyone or any party for a man
has a right to his politics, his dog
and many cases, even his wife.
But between the boiling cauldron
of our present day population and
CLIFF BLUE
Anecdote Of A Misanthropist * ***""’*
Misguided, frustrated, bigots in bed
sheets.
If it were not for the acts of violence
that inevitably follow the Klan, the
silliness of grown men who do the hating
in circles at night in corn fields would be
funny.
An example of the sad mirth is the
story re-told recently by Harry Golden
in the Carolina Ixraeliie. The nationally
known Charlotte editor wrote:
“Sandburg has an anecdote about the
early 1920's when the Ku Klux Klan was
having one t)f its re-births.
"He tells about the fellow who started
a restaurant and put the sign out: ‘One-
hundred-per-cent American, nothing
less.' Across the street another restau-
ranteur put a sign out, ‘Two-hundred-
per-cent American.’
“The first fellow crossed the street
and said, ‘Look here, what are you trying
to do. what is the idea putting out that
sign, two-hundred-per-cent American’?’
The second man said, ‘You’re a Kluxer
and you hate only Negroes, Jews, and
Catholics. Me, I hate the whole darn
human race.’ “
Farmers Leave As Times Change
Recent House debate on the Admini
stration’s farm bill has served once mori-
to spotlight one of the most perplexing
problems on the nation’s agriculture
f,-ont—that posed by the marginal pro
ducer who can’t make the grade without
government help.
There was a lime when the small
family-type farm was a self-sustaining
operation which was virtually the back
bone of the agricultural economy and
produced much of the food and liber tor
the nation.
Such is not the case in those days of
mechanical harvest, where automation
has to a large degree replaced the hired
hand in large farm operations.
The little grower is barely hanging
on, eking out an existence in many cases
oJily through federal subsidies, price sup
ports and other income supplements.
That is particularly the case, as the
debate brought out graphically, in the
case of cotton, which used to be king on
the Dixie plantations but has gradually
moved to the wide-open West. Proof of
the change is in the annual loss of farm
. population by all Roanoke-Chowan coun
ties. Northampton County alone lost over
1.300 people from its farms during 1964
It may not be a popular theory, but
] America’s way of life has changed dra-
i matically over the years and the small
farmer’s place is unfortunately threat
ened today by the march of time and
events.
War Is Hell
Are American fliers killing their own
men in bombing raids over North Viet
nam?
Barracks near the surface-to-air mis
sile sites at Hanoi may contain Ameri
can and South Vietnamese prisoners of
war and a number of these units have
been destroyed in bombing missions.
On one hand, it would seem unlikely
that prisoners would be kept near mis
sile bases for security reasons, since pris
oners might escape with vital informa
tion.
The regime at Hanoi might, however,
surround its missile installations with
prisoners to protect them from air attack.
It is well known, by the way, that our
reluctance to bomb the Hanoi missile
sites is based, in part, on our tear of
killing Soviet technicians.
It would shock us to learn that Ameri
cans are unwittingly slaughtering Amer
icans and South Vietnamese allies. What
General William T. Sherman said a cen
tury ago is equally true today: War is
hell.
By CLIFF BLUE
YDC. . .Robert Huffman’s vic
tory in his race with A. J. Ste
phenson for State YDC president
was expected.
Huffman represented the liber
al elementofthepartyledbyTer-
ry Sanford whereas Stephenson
represented the conservative and
middle-of-the-road wing led by
Dr. Lake and Governor Moore.
For several years the Young
Democrats have been more rep
resentative of the liberal wing of
the party than otherwise. A vic
tory for Stephenson would have
been regard^ as an upset.
The YDC appears to be just as
split up as the senior party, but,
the Democrats seem to thrive
and grow on controversy.
A party without controversy
soon becomes a stagnant party
and is usually dominated by one
person. No one person dominates
the Democratic party in North
Carolina and it Is healthy that this
is the case.
REAPPORTIONMENT. . .Most
people will likely agree with
Governor Moore In his decision
to stand firm and fight the action
brought in Federal Court to re
apportion the North Carolina
General Assembly and the State’s
congressional districts.
We believe that NorthCarolina
has a good system of representa
tion in the House and Senate and
that It should not be upset.
However, we will be greatly
surprised if the Federal Court
does not order that the present
method be scuttled in view of the
Supreme Court’s “one person,
one vote” ruling.
Any redlstrlctfng Is expected
to effect the eighth congressional
district. Any re-districtlng will
probably whet the appetites of
some of the Democrats who are
now in the eighth where Jonas
appears well grounded to run.
But, instead of Jonas they might
have to run against an Incumbent
Democrat for the nomination!
Big question right now is: Will
the matter be settled in time to
effect the 1966 primaries and
elections? Legislators in the
sparsely populated counties will
be on pins and needles until the
issue is settled.
$300 MILLION BOND ISSUE...
There is one issue on which all
wings of the Democratic and Re
publican parties should be able
to unite; The $300 million dollar
Highway Bond Issue to be voted
on November 2.
In the Democratic primary
campaign Rich Preyer made the
bond issue one of the major
planks in his campaign. Moore
said he would have to study the
matter further, but after his
election he went all-out in behalf
of theproposal. If memory serves
us well we think that the issue
had the support of the Republi
cans as well as the Democrats in
the General Assembly.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE. . .
This week will see the opening
of one of the new comprehensive
community colleges in North
Carolina-the Sandhills Commun
ity College at Southern Pines,
which will hold its convocation on
Friday, October 1. The South
eastern Community College lo
cated in Columbus County has
just opened.
The Sandhills Community Col
lege will operate from 4 to 10
p.m. In the Southern Pines high
school and other nearby buildings
until it can get into itsnewbulld-
ings after Christmas. TheSouth-
eastern College is operatingfrom
a Chadbourn school building while
its new buildings are under con
struction.
With the coming of the com
prehensive community colleges
a new day dawns in education
beyond the high school in North
Carolina, opportunities almost
undreamed about 25 years ago,
RALPH MOODY. , .Ralph
Moody, Deputy Attorney General
is getting to be one of the State’s
best known officials through his
recent rulings pertaining to the
public schools and higher educa
tion. Moody specializes in the
field of education and has given
rulings pertaining to the Speaker
Ban and last week gave his opin
ion on the law as it might cover
Beatle hair cuts and also money
making activities carried on by
schools over the State.
our free wheeling politicians, 1
feel we’ve brought forth a gen
eration bound to miss a great deal
in this short game we call life.
I know very few will agree with
me for it is pointed out time and
£^aln that the present generation
has e v e r y t h i n g.*- It breaks my
heart to Say it, but they don’t
have an3fthlng.
They have material things,
such as clothes and cars, boats
and motors, beer and pretzels,
parties and rioting, dancing and
groaning that passes for singing,
and a million material things.
And there’s the rub. They have
so much In a material way, they
see no need for things of value.
Not all of course, but they run
into the millions across the
width and breadth of our land.
And as a youngster, 1 always
dreamed of running away to make
my fortune. And once I actually
attempted it. I remember I got a
ride into town with little difficul
ty, but after that things were not
so easy, Flnallyafarmerstopped
with an old rattletrap truck and
told me to climb on. It was then
1 suddenly realized 1 was launch
ing into the unknown, and I be
came frightened and lonely. We
rattled by the big box factory at
the edge of town with its tower
ing brick smokestack and I re
called how I could hear the mill
whistle all the way home if it
was a rainy day and the wind was
right. I wondered if I would ever
hear it again and my heart grew
heavy in my breast and I loved
Mama and Papa better than any
thing in the world and I was so
homesick I thought my heart was
broken and I had been away
from home only two or three
hours. I remember I watched
the tall old smokestack until it
was lost to view. When I turned
and looked ahead, the wind drove
the tears down my throat and I
tasted salt and wanted no more
fame or fortune.
When the kindly farmer turned
off the main road and stopped, he
told me I could walk a short dis
tance to a store where he was
sure I’d get a ride to the next
town. And out of politeness, I
waited until he rattled around a
curve out of sight. Then I headed
for home as hard as I could go.
I made it before bedtime.
We didn’t have much by pres
ent standards, but we had love.
In fact we taught it in our homes
and churches and get this, we
even taught it in our schools. My
parents were not above beating a
little of it into me when I needed
it. 1 still think they were two of
the greatest people who ever
lived. They gave me a reason to
live and a reason to die and taught
me to hope for life after death.
Nowadays, youngsters have no
reason to seek a fortune. They
have one handed to them with no
effort on their part. So they plan
trips to the moon Instead. But
I’ll wager this old gristmill that
if they ever get there the moon
won't look half as good as Mama
and Papa did the day I didn’t
run away. And nothing ever
smelled better than the ham she
was cooking.
I believe that was the day 1
learned that what you want and
what you need can often be two
different things.
October 9, 1924
The cotton ginning season
opened in Rich Square this year
on October 7, three weeks later
than last year and 25 days later
than In 1922. Only a few scatter
ing bales will be ginned this week.
Mr. D. T. Taylor, who operates
a public gin at Gumberry, be
gan ginning this year on October
6, with one bale. Last year at
same time he had ginned 530
bales.
Rev. Rufus Bradley, pastor of,.
Rich Square Methodist Church,
went'to Chapel Hill last Saturday
to officiate at the funeral of S. J.
Fore, who died at his home in
Roxobel last Friday.
The Roanoke River overflow
ed Its banks last week and was
said to be the largest freshet
since 1919. But little crops was
destroyed. Perhaps some cattle
in the lowland pastures were
lost. The overflow continued for
several days. Some damage was
done to the Pensacola Shipbuild
ing Company in washing away
sand and some of its lumber at
the Edwards Ferry Bridge.
The Parent-Teachers Asso
ciation of Severn delightfully en
tertained the faculty and the
school committee at a “tacky
party” Tuesday evening, Septem
ber 30, in the home of Mrs. J. J.
White.
W. F. Hunter is having a new
building erected on his lot ad
joining his store building and
when completed will open up a
meat market. This will make
the second market for Rich
Square, the other one being run
by Chappell & Shoulars.
Mr. and Mrs. V. D. Strickland
of Ahoskie spent Sunday here with
Mrs. Strickland’s relatives.
The old Weldon Fair that was
famous years ago, has been re
vived and will be held next week,
October 14 to 17.
October 16, 1930
If ye fulfill the royal law ac
cording to the Scripture, thou
Shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self, ye do well. - James 2:8.
At the November election three
amendments to the State Con
stitution will be submitted for
adoption or rejection, two of them
to create more offices and add
to the tax burden, and the other
of doubtful benefit. All three
should be rejected. At this time
nothing should be done to add to
of great financial depression
nothing should be done to add to
the already heavy load taxpayers
are carrying.
that expressed about growing
crime and violence. I consider
crime our most important do
mestic problem.
Here in Washington crime has
reached appalling proportions.
Almost any 24 hour period could
be designated as “crime day.”
Attacks by bandits on homes,
offices, banks, and their Innocent
citizens fill the newspapers. All
sections of the city are targets.
Yet, the situation is not con
fined to this city. FBI reports
show that serious crime Is
mounting at an alarming rate in
all areas of the country. While
we have pursued other domestic
goals, crime has become a na
tional disgrace.
Some change may be in the off
ing. A few days ago, the Attorney-
General launched the President's
new national crime commission
with the assurance that crime is
to get special attention. On July
22, 23, and 30, I conductedSenate
hearings on a special proposal to
aid law enforcement officials
throughout the country. The
measure, which has since passed
the House unanimously, calls for
training programs for local law
eqforcenietit personnel "and
projects to ImproileL anti-crlnrte" •
techniques. Federal grants-'.'bf''
$10 million annually for three
years would assist state and lo
cal enforcement agencies in a
national attack on the problem.
Senate action is expected soon.
This up-dating of police tech
niques and training is a step in
the right direction.
But the country should be aware
of the fact that better training
and improved law enforcement
techniques will not be enough to
combat crime. What is most
needed is a change in national
attitudes that have surrounded the
developing situation.
Many factors are responsible
for this spread of fear and ter
ror that is the talk of almost ev
ery dinner table conservation. Of
these, at least three deserve es
pecial attention as conditions
which have contributed to in
creased crime.
The first of these is the trans
ition from an essentially rural
America to an essentially urban
America. Family, community,
and religious ties that surround
ed the America of yesterday are
not as binding today. The sanctity
of home, and a good name re
ceive less emphasis than they
once did. Personal interest in
how each citizen fares in his
community has lessened with
mass migration to the big cities.
To a varying degree, mobility has
changed emphasis and thinking.
As a lawyer, 1 must confess
that many of our courts have al
lowed unwise sentimentality to
overcome reason in dealing with
criminals. As a result, police
are gravely handicapped in some
areas by court rulings which of
fer more protection to the crim
inal than to the law-abiding citi
zen.
In the final analysis, however,
the battle against crime really
will depend on how concerned
the average citizen gets about
this menace. Crime commis
sions, and Federal funds can aid,
but public indignation is the most
effective weapon.
The series of meetings with
the Seaboard Methodist Church
closed Sunday morning. Dr. Fitz
gerald, pastor of Rich Square
Methodist Church, did the
preaching during the week and
delivered some stirring mes
sages to appreciative audiences.
Rev. R. R. Grant is pastor of the
Seaboard church.
Worrell; and vice president, Joe
Smith. A. L. Vann is agriculture
instructor of Rich Square School.
The local chapter of the Fu
ture Farmers of America met
Friday, September 26, in the
Rich Square High School build
ing. The purpose of this meeting
was to organize. Officers were
elected. They are as follows:
President, Joseph Draper; sec
retary, Alton Wade; treasurer,
Everett Conwell; reporter, Bill
Destructive forest fires have
occurred In many partsofNorth-
ampton as well as in adjoining
counties during the past week,
causing great loss to growing
wood and timber trees. Fire
wardens and their deputies have
rendered valuable services In
controlling and extinguishing
these fires, especially in the vi
cinity of Rich Sqiare.
The Potecasl school closed
Friday for one week in order for
the children to pick cotton.
Rich Square High School foot
ball team defeated Weldon on the
local field Friday afternoon, Oc
tober lO.