North Carolina Newspapers

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.