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Page Two THE PILOT, Southern Pines, North Carolina Friday, “May 9, 1947. THE PILOT PUBUSHEO EACH FRIDAY BY THE PILOT. INCORPORATED SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA 1941 JAMES BOYD Publisher 1944 KATHARINE BOYD - - - EDITOR VALERIE NICHOLSON ASST. EDITOR DAN s. RAY - - General Manager BERT PREMO ... .ADVERTISING CHARLES MACAULEY . . CITY EDITOR MARY BAXTER . . SOCIETY EDITOR SUBSCRIPTION RATES ONE YEAR - $3.00 SIX MONTHS - $1.50 THREE MONTHS • .75 ENTERED AT THE POSTOFFICE AT SOU- THERN PINES, N. C., AS SECOND CLASS MAIL MATTER. THE TOWN ELECTION In congratulating the re-elect ed members of the Town Board, the Pilot welcomes back to office men who have served the town steadily for many years. The Board may well feel satisfaction in this evidence of approval of their government. However, while the town may be considered fortunate in poss essing such an able and willing group of public servants, there is no doubt that their re-election is indicative of a certain weak ness in our community. It is, for instance, slightly perturbing to think that all these years have produced only five men in whom the public feels confidence, and that, as one of the candidates stated, it had been almost im possible to find any one willing to run for Mayor. Granted that it is a thankless job and a diffi cult one, it does seem as if there should be more than one candi date available. It is never healthy to feel that certain people are indispensable: That it would be “dangerous”, as was stated to the Pilot, to turn over the town government to any one else. Why “dangerous”? And, “dangerous” to whom? Actually it was this “danger ous” note that sounded loudest with many Friday night, and the main reason for it was the system under which we elect our town officials. It is a system to favor the status quo, hands down, and as such it is undemocratic and not conducive to the best inter ests of the community. How did it work Friday night? Eighteen names were nominated for Commissioner and written on the big blackboard. They included several almost entirely unknown to many of the voters, a few fair ly well known, a few well known, and the five former members of the Board. These latter have been in the public eye for periods ranging from ten to twenty years. With no possible way of finding out anything before. the noniina- tions about the new men suggest ed, the crowd did the only sensi ble thing: nominated the ones they knew. This system is going to favor the status quo every time. We have been lucky that it has been a good one, for it is clear that such a system offers every facil ity for building up a machine, with all that could mean in the way of autocratic rule. It is equal ly clear that the chance for gett ing a good new man for office under this system is almost nil. The one new |man nominaSsd Friday was filling a vacancy caused by the "regrettable resign ation of Bynum Patterson. Possibly our town meeting, with election following in four days, was all right when we were a small village. For a town the size of Southern Pines, with the type of problems which confront us now, the general consensus of opinion is, as far as we have been able to learn, that our present electoral system is entirely inade quate. We should have an election run on normal lines. Candidates should be required to file in ad vance, and to make their views known to the public. Nomina tions should take place at least two weeks before election, with two or more candidates avail able for office. If that were done, changes could take place without bitterness and we would be far surer than we are now that the election^ represented the will of the majority of our people. EAST AND WEST Among many good words in hiji report from Moscow, Secretary Marshall s;aid the following: “We must not compromise on great principles in order to achieve agreement for agree ment’s sake. Also we must sin cerely try to understand the point of view of those with whom we differ." * No one will disagree with the secretary’s first sentence and while the defeatists and the Rus- sia-phobes maintain there is no use in trying to understand the. Soviets, to most Marshall’s second piece of advice will be very welcome. Even the die-hard Red-haters will perhaps admit that it is only intelligent to try to understand your enemy. We are up against difficult people when it comes to under standing, but we must not let that stop us. One point of which too little notice is taken, it would seem, is the fact that the Rus sians are a strongly Oriental peo ple. From that Oriental strain come two of the most difficult characteristics they have, charac teristics which are at the root of a great deal of the trouble. Orientals take no thought of time; they are never in a hurry: it is in their tradition to bargain for days over the most unimpor tant matter. Beside that is their indifference to human suffering and death. Put these two quali ties together and you see how they are affecting the present sit uation. The Russians are not in the least concerned that the long delay in negotiating the peace treaties is delaying the recon struction of Europe. To them it is far more importaht to argue out each little point and extract the last bit of advantage from it than it is that many people will die of starvation. Some have attributed the de laying tactics of the Russians en tirely to the fact that they be lieve time is on their side, that it will be to their advantage if things grow as chaotic as possible. Undoubtedly this is a factor, but it would seem far more likely that the main delay springs from their Oriental - indifference to time, on the one hand, and, on the other, to human misery. An glo Saxons ;are tempted to say “so much the worse for them” and take an attitude of stern cen sure. But if we take Secretory Marshall’s advice and sincerely try to undepstand the point of view of those with whom we dif fer, we are forced to take a more tolerant attitude, distasteful as that may be, and to admit that Russians are Orientals and Orien tals are like that. Two quotations complete the picture of the difference with which we and our Russian friends look at the present situ ation. When Stalin talked to Marshall •he referred to the Moscow con ference as “only the first skir mishes” and went on to say that differences had occurred in the past and, as a rule, “after people have exhausted themselves in dispute, they recogfiize the nec essity of compromise.” To which General Marshall countered with the statement that we cannot ignore the fact of time; recovery has been slower than lariticipated; disintegrating forces are becoming evident; “the patient,” he said, “is sinking while the doctor^ deliberate.” This seems to us as good an il lustration as any we could have of what we are up against. How ever, we must not forget thalt, in their minds, the Russians are up against something too. The coordination of the Orien tal and Aryan temperaments and traditions is the number one problem involved in the negotia tions which must somehow go on and lead to the peace for which all peoples are striving. MATERNAL HEALTH The Moore County Maternal Welfare committee, which will conduct a drive on Saturday to raise money for their work, is 11 years old. Organized by Eilizabeth Currie, the former Mrs. Wilbur Currie, as an attempt to lower the shock ingly high maternal death rate in the county, the committee en couraged the training and en gagement of la nurse by - the health department, the start of pre-natal and baby clinics all over the county, the training and strict licensing of midwives, and maternal health and child plan ning education. The results were startling. With dramatic suddenness the death rate dropped in five years to zero, remaining ever since at never more than three deaths of mothers, while the baby deaths became correspondingly less. Moore county moved out of its low status in the field of mater nal and baby health and became a model county, the usbject of articles in health magazines and talks by experts all over the state. The committee responsible for the start and carrying on of this work appeals to 'the public Sat urday for those funds necessary to keep this service at a high standiard of efficiency. While a regular branch of the health work in Moore county, the funds contributed by the public through their committee bring the service rendered into a special category; there is no doubt that the results attained would never have been possible without this extra help. The funds go to increase the travelling riadius of the nurse, to buy extra needed equipment, medicine, supplies, to pay for ex tra care when needed. Health has been called North Carolina’s Number One problem. It would seem that the number one problem of that over-all problem is the fundamental one of better health for mothers and babies. After all, our citizens have got to be born, first of all. If they are born unhealthy, if their mother;? die or are so weak ened by severe childbirth that they cannot care for them, their chances of growing up to be healthy citizens are poor to start with. Over and over again it was found that the young men turned down for physical reasons by the armed forces suffered from dis eases and injuries contracted at birth or from the illnesses and crippling that come from neglect in early childhood. Our state’s Good Health com mittee recognized the importance of this factor in the prominent place maternal and baby health is given on their program. Among those giving their sup port to such programs are sociol ogists and others interested in the welfare of our youth. For it has been found in thousands of cases of juvenile delinquency that a major factor in the unhappy, neg lected history of these children is the death at childbirth or ill ness and weakness of the mother. Moore county is etremely lucky to have had such a leader as Elizabeth Currie, with the vision to see what was needed and the-practical ability to bring it about. Our county has also been very fortunate in the choice of Mrs. Worth McLeod to head up this service. A third factor lies in the interest of the commit tee itself, while behind the whole thing land making it possible is the understanding and strong backing of the public. Our people have given this cause their eager support each year as, on the day before Mother’s Day, the committee is sued its appeal in the form of tags for sale on all the streets of the county’s towns. This Mater nal Welfare drive is one of many drives and appeals: it is perhaps the most strictly local one and at the same time perhaps the one whose implications lie the deep est. Nothing can be more funda mental than maternal health,' few things more necessary to the growth and progress of our coun try. . LOVELY LADY Coming away from Old Beth- esda Monday afternoon, one of the colored friends who had sung so beautifully at the grave of Mrs. Robert N. Page spoke: “That’s a good woman lying out there”, and the others echoed the words, “A good woman.” It was this writer’s privilege to see Mrs. Page several times while she was at the Moore Coun ty hospital. She was often in pain, the injured hip was slow to heal, and “bothersome”, she said. Often she would be sitting in a wheel chair by the window in the corri dor, an interesting book beside her, and, always, her Bible close at hand; often she was reading it. She would look up with the loveliest smile in the world in greeting. The loveliest in the world, and sometimes it seemed hardly, of this world it was so full of the things of the spirit. As she spoke of her husband and dear friends who had gone ahead, one felt that she hovered very close to the mystic border line, that for her the curtain was very thin and the Light beyond shone through. She was so good, so courageous in her long days and nights of pain, so lovely in her rare beauty, that sometimes people said, “Why . . . Why should such a person have to wait so long for her re lease? Why should she have to suffer?” “ ‘God moves in a mysterious way’ ”, she would have quoted at you, and shaken her head gra-vlely at such questionning. Perhaps the answer was not so far to seek. How mapy weary and discouraged souls pastod her chair to find themselves comfort ed and uplifted by her loveliness; how many talked to her and found their courage renewed by hers? How many, feeling the power of her unshaken faith, were uplifted and immeasurably reassured, enabled to look ahead with fortitude and hope? As she sat in her chair, with her aureole of snowy hair, frail, with the winsome delicacy of a Dresden china figurine, this great lady radiated a strength of char acter and depth of faith that touched all who passed that way. Perhaps that was the answer. UN-AMERICAN INQUIRIES While the Civil Liberties Union has supported the general power of Congressional inquiry as an aid to democratic liberties, it has been obliged on the record to op pose the Un-American Activities Committee. . . It has drafted no legislation in all its long history. Law enforcement is not its func tion; the Department of Justice is well qualified to deal with that. Exposure is its only role. Ex posure may often be a conrective in itself; but exposure in terms of a vague concept of what is American and what is not breeds confusion; prejudice and danger ous political irresponsibility. . . The principal effect of the com mittee’s probes has been the un- warrainted discrediting of gen uine liberals who have been earnestly and sincerely seeking needed reforms, particularly in the field of labor monopolies, and race relations. This has been ac complished by “smear” methods, innuendo, distortion, and other propaigandistic devices reminis cent of fascist techniques. Noth ing in recent years has been as un. American as the conduct of the hearings of the Congressional Committee on Un-Americanism. We cannot expect that in the present temper the committee will be abolished by Congress. Nor can we expect any restraint on it by legislation or resolution. But by constant protest against loose and baseless charges and unfair methods it may be possible to keep the inquiries within con fines where less damage than in the past will be done to demo cratic liberties. —Bulletin of the American Civil Liberties Union. DIVERSIFYING OUR CROPS (From The Stale) For the past twenty or thirty years the gospel of diveilsified farming has been preached in North Carolina, and apparently it has had very little effect. Whenever it has been practiced, farmers have found it to be prof itable. The trouble has been that it hasn’t »been practiced often enough. We are so situated—geograph ically—that we can raise almost any crop that is grown elsewhere in the nation. We can do dairy ing on ;an extensive scale and much more cheaply than can Wis consin, New York and other Northern state's. Fruit and vege tables of various kinds can be grown easily and profitably. And still, despite all this, the vast majority of our farmers in Eastern North Carolina stick to cotton and tobacco. They don’t know anything else. They seem to feel that a horrible calamity would befall them unless they devoted every bit of spare acre age to one or the other of these two crops—or both. Telling them about diversified farming has apparently accomplished very little good. And yet, whenever the price of either cotton or to bacco goes down as a result of lover-produotion, they raise a lerrible howl. One of these days, our farmers here in North Carolina are go ing to awaken to the true state of affairs, and when they do they are going to enjoy greater pros perity than they ever have done in the past. The best way to do so is to refrain from putting all their eggs jp- one basket. . . t*-Carl Goerch The Public Speaking TO THE LOCAL PRESS: As chairman of the so called “Dry Forces^” in Moore County, I feel that I should make a state ment as to our feeling in regard to the Bill introduced and passed in the recent session of our state legislature, by Senator Currie, permitting a vote against the registration on the question of A. B. C. Stores in Southern Pines and Pinehurst. I find in talking with people from the various sections of the County, that most of them have heard that a bill was passed but many of them are misinformed to the extent that they think that a straight out majority vote has been granted, which would mean that all qualified registered vot ers, who for any reason do not go to the polls and cast their vote or ballot against A. B. C. Stores in S'outhem Pines and Pinehurst, would be counted as favoring said A. B. C. Stores. An analysis will reveal that about 40 per cent of the election returns in the past, of the voters, as a general thing. Stay away from the polls. It is easily seen, therefore, in this bill as passed with the cooperation of Senator Currie, the A. B. C. in terests have all of the odds stacked in their favor. It is our feeling that we would be abusing the trust of the good people of Moore County, who have shown much interest in the matter, to urge the people of Moore County to petition for a vote on A.. B. C. Stores under this bill drawn up solely by A. B. C. interests. We prefer to ac cept Senator Currie’s suggestion made at the mass meeting held in the courthouse durfhg the recent session of the Legislature, to the effect that he was not interested in the people’s feeling about a vote on A. B. C. Stores at that time, but that they could ex press themselves at the time of the next primary.' I hope Senator Currie will be a candidate for nomination in the next primary, and I feel sure that he will re ceive the reply of the people as to their approval or disapproval of his recently passed bill about the A. B. C. Stores. , As indicated by the action of the, present leaders of the Demo cratic party ‘ organization in Moore County, or at least some of them, they fully support a liquor control (so called) through A. B. C. Stores. That is not the feeling of the rank and file of democrats in this County, and a lot of other Counties. We have had and still have some good men leading our party in Moore Coun ty, but their actions in recent years in maneuvering County politics, so as to protect and make strong by entrenchment, “A. B. C ism” upon its citizenry, has shown to us the power Which liquor can have over even good people. Some of our local politi cians are at present in the posi tion of a good man who started out by just taking a. social drink, but now finds that it has gotten such a hold upon him that it controls his every action. Because of the revenue received by the County from the sale of liquor, and the prelssure put on our local politicians by liquor interests, they have become slaves to liquor although they may be bone dry, personally. Senator Currie may claim that there is no such thing as an out and out lobbyist at the legislature in Raleigh, but I say that liquor interests have no need to employ a lobbyist when they have such staunch defenders of legalized liquor as Senator Currie, him- telf. The statement has been made publicly, that the Democratic Party is afraid of embarrassment at the hands of the Republicans in Moore County, if a vote is al lowed on the question of the con tinued operation of A. B. C. Stores. It is my considered opinion, that there will be far more embarrassment for the Demiocratic Party, if it is to con tinue to be controlled by the A. B. C. interests, than the Repub licans could ever give it. There has never been a time in the history of our country, when there was greater need for leaders, who are men of strong convictions. The people are eager for such a one to lead them. One who will give fair and Democrat ic consideration to the many prob- elms of grave import, that face the County, State and Federal Governments today. Many ser vice men away in the terrible struggle which ended only a few months ago, dreamed of things that would take place when and if they were lucky enough to get back home. If the returnees of this war and the last World War ane going to see the ideals for which they fought, and that they have in mind for themselves and their Country, fulfilled, they are going to have to continue to fight for them here aj; home. I call upon them to continue this fight and make sure that their com rades who did not come back, have not died in vain. We may not be able to legislate morals, but we do need miore men with strong moral convictions to do our legislating. J. B. McLEOD, Chairman. To The Pilot: Well, folks, next Simday is Mother’s Day. There is always a special glow at Christmas time and too at Eastertide - but Moth er’s Day seems just a bit extra special. I can remember (I think) when it was started not so many years back—more or less a scheme to sell flowers and candy —Now, I may be altogether wrong in putting it that way— but that’s the way it seemed at the time to the more cynical of the population who were in a position to know how some of these things are worked out. But no matter what the origin, the idea took and the fact that it took bold in the manner that it did goes to prove how thorough ly sound an idea it was to set aside a special day to honor iVIother. Our country’s greatness is built on the sturdy foundation of the American home and fa;mily - and Mother - we realize is the back bone of the American Home and Family. Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I have I ’owe to my. angel Mother, may blessings rest upon her dear head” and Sir Ed win Arnold wrote - “God can’t always be everywhere and so He invented Mothers”— So on this day that we have set aside to honor Mothers with gifts of flowers, of candies, and of other special remembrances we have complied at least with part of one of our Lord’s Com mandments. But though most of the gifts to Mothers may be material ones - the gifts that will count the most and linger forever in their hearts will be the shower of love they receive from their children. By mere words - no matter how carefully chosen or how deeply inspired we cannot honor our mothers sufficiently - but by the tender thoughitfulness that emanate from our hearts we can make them proud that they are honored with the name. Mother. Yes, Sunday is Mother’s Day— and some tribute should be made. More eloquent writers may -write more heart reaching words but my tribute is this—This is your day, dear Mother—to reap tlie harvest of love you have sown and to stand honored for the crowning glory of your woman hood. This is your day, dear lady - but let me share it with you^— let me return some of the love you have given me—let me be honored too because our country is honoring you— My Mother. Capt. L. R. Robinson U. S. Army Citizens Anonymous Open Letter to The Mayor-Elect Dear Mr. New-Mayor:— Congratulations, sir, on your election, and all good wishes. And remembering your words of welcome to critics ... here we go! Sir, you have disappointed me greatly. 'When you said, at the town caucus Friday: “What Sou thern Pines needs is a fine, big au ditorium,” it was a big blow to me. As you started to speak I got all het up. Because I though at last somebody was going to say: “What Southern Pines needs is a fine, big . . . GARBAGE TRUCK.” I don’t think your “auditorium” rang ,a bell at all with anybody. But if you had said ‘‘garbage truck” the applause would have raised the roof. Who cares about auditoriums, or even street building machin ery when the streets we have ^ are. filthy. . . I said FILTHY. . . with scattered garbage and over turned cans. We hope you will forget the auditorium in favor of the garbage truck. Not so glam orous, maybe, but an awful lot more useful. And after you’ve got the truck and got it running on a daily collection route, let’s go on and get some more necessities before we go all starry-eyed. Let’s get a decent, good-looking bus station, with proper sanitary facilities and waiting rooms, to be a credit to our town. Let’s get the things our school needs: a cafeteria, gym, manual training and home economics de partments. Let’s get a town swimming- pool. Anything else? Maybe that’s ^ enough for a start. “C. .A” REDUCED In line with the times All Boxed Stationery less 20% All Leather Goods Less 25% A Fine writing tablet 25 cts. now 19 cts. Genuine Plastic Playing Cards $7.50 pair now $5,25 Genuine Plastic Playing Cards $8.50 pair now $5.25 Crepe Paper back to 10 cts. per fold A LARGE TABLE FULL OF GOOD ENTERTAINING BOOKS AT HALF PRICE Book Shop Southern Pines, N. C. gtt«»i;»«;«wt:ttitt»m«mK«:mw:»;n»»tt8tHKt»K;»»»»Ht»«»»t»«a Announcing.... No Admission Charge Tues., Wed. and Thurs. i DINE AND DANCE SUPERLATIVE FOOD DOYLE TRIO F r iday-Saturday-Sunday Billage 3m |. SUPPER CLUB For Reservations Telephone 6632 or 8122 One-Fourth Mile South of Southern Pines ANTIQUES Glass China ALLIE Furniture Telephone 6452 McIntosh West Broad Street PHOTOGRAPHY Fine Portraits, News and Commercial. In Your Home 6r Studio EMERSON HUMPHREY R Telephone 7722 140 North Ridge St.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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May 9, 1947, edition 1
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