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VOL. 37—NO. 47
TWENTY PAGES
SOUTHERN PINES. N. C.. THURSDAY. OCTOBER 11. 1956
TWENTY PAGES
PRICE TEN CENTS
'id’-
COMMITTEE MEETING MONDAY
Processing Of Area Industry Data
To Get Under Way; Plan Brochure
Mayors or delegates from every"^
community in Moore County have
been invited to a meeting here
Monday to start processing data
for a brochure that is being pre
pared in an attempt to lure more
industry into this area.
The invitations were made by
Mayor Voit Gilmore and John Os-
tram, who is chairman of a six-
man committee that has been as
sembling the data.
Meeting at radio station WEEB
at 5 p.m., the group will be joined
by A1 Grant of the Department of
Conservation and Development
and others interested in the move
ment. •
Ostram said this morning that
Williarr Burroughs, comptroller of
Amerotron Corp. in Aberdeen, has
extended the use of his staff to
help with technical material and
that he and others would be at the
meeting.
The committee has been work
ing for about three weeks assem
bling the data from various gov
ernment offices in Raleigh and
Washington, as well as Southern
Pines and Carthage. They have
reported to Ostram informally
that the picture for obtaining in
dustry is bright and that a bro
chure containing the necessary in
formation should be the first order
of business.
Grant had suggested such a pro
cedure when he visited here early
in September to help advise the
group as to the best and most ef
fective procedures to take.
A
M ”''
Request For Negro
Policeman Turned
Down By Council
Citing a fixed budget as some
thing that simply cannot be tam
pered ' with, the Southern Pines
Town Council once again turned
down a request for a Negro por
liceman to patrol in West South
ern Pines.
The action was taken at the
council’s regular monthly meet
ing at the library Tuesday night.
T. T. Morse, who has made
several requests for the addition
of a Negro to the police force,
said the problem in West South
ern Pines is becoming “acute”
and termed the employment of a
Negro policeman “a necessity if
we are to give real and full po
lice protection to the entire
town.”
He said the present police force
is doing an excellent job, calling
specific attention to West South
ern Pines, but said that a Ne
gro on the force would be of tre
mendous advantage in doing
some things that the force is not
presently equipped to do.
He cited the recent roundup of
52 bootleggers, the great majority
of them Negroes, as “inside” work
by Negro agents and said the
roundup would have been im
possible had it not been for such
(Continued on Page 5)
A PAUL KITCHIN
A. Paul Kitchin To
Address Democrats
A. Paul Kitchin, Democratic
nominee for Congress from the
8th North Carolina district, will
address a Democratic rally at
West End Monday.
Kitchin, who defeated C. B.
Deane of Rockingham in the May
primary, has been appearing at
a number of raillies throughout
the district and has scheduled a
talk at Aberdeen next Saturday,
October 20, to help wind up his
activities before the November
elections.
The rally at West End is one
of a series planned by the Moore
County Democratic Executive
Committee, headed by W. La
ment Brown of Southern Pines,
in an effort to get out a big Dem
ocratic vote November 6.
Brown said the rallies so far
have been “tremendously effec
tive” and noted with approval
that more people are attending
at each one. He said that Kitch-
in’s appearance at West End
would probably produce a full
house.
JohnPonzerN amed
Lti Governor Of
Dii^rict Kiwanis
John L. Ponzer of Southern
Pines, president of the Sand
hills Kiwanis Club, was elected
lieutenant governor of the
Fourth Division, Carolinas Dis
trict of Kiwanis International, at
the district’s annual convention
in Charleston, S. C., on Tuesday.
The division includes 11 clubs.
A report on the convention
was given at the Sandhills’ club’s
meeting on Wednesday by one of
its delegates, James D. Hobbs, of
Southern Pines. Others from the
local club attending were Dr. C.
C. McLean, Edward L. Kitchins
and Ponzer, of Southern Pines,
and Lawrence Johnson of Aber
deen.
In addition to honoring Pon
zer, the convention named
I Southern Pines as the site for the
I district organizational confer-
I ence which will bring the new
I District Governor, M. E. Gam
! brell of Hendersonville, other
district officers and the lieuten
ant governors of the ten divi
sions in the two Carolinas here
Nov. 15.
’»*
Amerotron Shutdown Pondered
As 75 Robbins Workers Let Go
Mill Employing
600 To Remain
»en, However
Bad management. Tax write-offs. Neglect of markets.
Those words have swirled around in many heads as Sandhills
people had a full week to study and try to analyze for them
selves the reasons for the shutdown of Amerotron Corpora-
tion’s plant in Aberdeen, a move that came suddenly and
Open. However threw some 500 people out of work.
^ Or was it just plain tough going in the textile business
Will the town of Robbins take' generally?
back its old name. That’s what I Whatever it was, most people in this area talked of little
Robbins people are wondering. ^Ise during the past few days. The shutdown, which Amero-
And Moore County people, ^ton officials have announced as only four or five weeks off,
j. 1. .-It ' ^Was ffOinjy aViaaH Mn+Viirttr ViQo
many of whom never reconciled ^
to the loss of the old name, are j Fired Without
wondering, too, in view of the!
Reason Amerotron
mi
in view
news out of Robbins this week.
The tricot mill, smallest seg-! ^
ment of the Robbins Amerotron Official Charges
J
'
plant, is scheduled for closing.
In confirming the fact to The
Pilot Frank R. Gramelsbach, in
charge of public relations for
Amerotron, Inc., stated that,
while no public announcement
had been made, “because this is
such a small part of the Amero
tron operations,” the employees
of the plant had been notified.
The work on hand will be
completed, said Mr. Gramels-
abch, “and then the mill will
closp.” He believed this would be
in about two weeks.
Seventy-five employees will
“Big Business” isn’t always
right.
Amerotron Corporation and
American Woolen, defendants in
an arbitration suit in which breach
of contract was pled, have been
ordered to pay the plaintiff $107,-
291 in damages, in an action that
has been terminated in New York.
Following is the notice detailing
the process, as published by the
.New York Daily News of Octo-
I ber 9.
“George Bienstock, former
Amerotron employee, filed a mo
tion in Supreme Court to confirm
h, ' i
HOMECOMING QUEEN isn’t a title that is easy to get. When
pretty Jo Anne Goodwin was crowned Friday night between
halves of the Southern Pines-Clayton football game, there was a
thunderous roar of approval from the audience. But, to prove
that the other three candidates had been well chosen, students
also gave them ovations. Here Arden Fobes, queen last year,
crowns Miss Goodwin after the judges had finally made their
selection. The new queen represented the junior class.
(Emerson Humphrey photo)
, ^ arbitration award in his favor
lose their jobs, m the closing of for $107,291 against Amerotron
the tricot operation, Mr. Gram-|corp. and,American Woolen Co.,
elsbach said. It is understood both of 1407 Broadway. Mr. Bien-
that.the former manager, Shel- stock asked for judgment for that
don Thomas, resigned in Sep- sum against both defendants, pur-
tember. Asked if any effort was suant to award,
being made to absorb the work- j “Papers state Mr. Bienstock is
ers into the rest of the plant, Mr.' a stylist and merchandiser of
Gramelsbach said it was believed men’s wear fabrics. He states he
that plans were being discussed entered into a five-year contract
C&D Board Invited To Meet Here In
1957: Presented With Local Orchids
Bach Program To
Be Presented By
Airborne Group
A chamber music ensemble
from the 82nd Airborne Division
band of Fort Bragg will present a
concert, “Bach Brandenburg Con
certos” at the Church of Wide Fel
lowship Wednesday night at 8:15.
Roger Gibbs, choir director at
the church, said the music en
semble would consist of organ, pi
ano, flute, violin and trumpet. He
said that no admission to the pro
gram would be charged but that
proceeds from donations would go
for the fund for a new organ in
the church.
Registration Books
Open Saturday For
General Elections
Registration for the general
elections in November wiU begin
Saturday and will continue for the
next two Saturdays, it was an
nounced this morning by Mrs.
Frank Kaylor, registrar in the
Southern Pines precinct.
Mrs. Kaylor has the books at
the fire station on New Hampshire
Avenue. Following the last day
of registration, October 27, the
next Saturday has been establish
ed as challenge day. The general
elections will be held Tuesday,
November 6.
State Democratic headquarters
and Republican officials in the
state have urged that as many
voters as is humanly possible
should register for the election.
Hundreds of young people,'they
reminded, have reached the age of
21 in the past few months, or will
be before the election, and are
thus eligible to register.
Eligible people who have lived
in the Southern Pines precinct for
30 days may register, and those
who have lived in the state for the
past year may also register and
vote.
The registration books are open
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Southern Pines got in its bid
for the semi-annual meeting of
the North Carolina State Depart
ment of Conservation and Devel
opment at a meeting in Winston-
Salem this week.
Mayor Voit Gilmore, accom
panied by a dellegation, attend
ed the C&D meeting with the
express purpose of inviting the
Republicans Meet,
Form Citizens For
Eisenhower Group
Republicans in Southern Pines
got together last Thursday night
and formally organized for this
year’s campaign to re-elect a Re
publican leadership in Washing
ton.
The group, calling itself “Citi
zens for Eisenhower,” named
Robert S. Ewing as chairman;
Mrs. Katherine N. McCoU co-
chairman; Mrs. M. Grover, secre
tary; and Mrs. Raye DeBerry
treasurer.
Harry Pethick was named to
head up the membership and
liason committee and George H.
Leonard, Jr., the finance com
mittee.
Temporary headquarters of the
group was the Southland Hotel.
But starting yesterday (Wednes
day) a mobile unit started oper
ation along Broad Street from 10
a. m. to 2 p. m. on weekdays, and
from 8 a. m. to 2 p. ra. on Satur
days.
The unit, officials of the group
said, would be made available
for use in other Moore County
communities requesting it.
Mrs., Andrew M. Jamison
heads a group manning the unit,
which is distributing campaign
buttons and literature, and is an-
iswering questions about regis
tration and voting procedmres.
by the townspeople of Robbins,
to bring in another project. This
could include, he thought, pur
chase of the machinery of the tri
cot plant, which will be placed
on sale when the mill closes.
Mr. Gramelsbach stated defin
itely that there was no thought of
any change or reduction in the
rest of the Robbins plant, where
some 600 are employed. It will
continue at full pitch with its
with American Woolen Sept. 17,
1954, providing for an annual sal
ary of $50,000, plus $10,000 ex
penses.
“Mr. Bienstock explained that
shortly after he entered the em
ployment of American Woolen,
that firm merged with Textron,
Inc., and Robbins Mills, Inc. The
consolidated corporation became
Amerotron, he charges.
“On Sept. 30, 1955, it is charged,
Mr. Bienstock was
output Of fancy filaments and/’V;, was discharged
synthetic goods, which now formi^'^hout cause by Robert L. Huf-
the major part of the whole Amerotron,
and Ely R. Calloway, an adminis
trative assistant. He points out
part
operation
in Moore
group to meet here in the fall of
1957. The department holds two
meetings a year, both in differ
ent towns in the state. It is con
sidered quite , an honor to host
the meetings and they generally
produce some spirited rivalry be
tween towns.
Miss Dorothy Swisher actom-
panied Gilmore to Winston-
Salena and presented each of the
members’ wives with .an orchid
provided by Carolina Orchids of
Southern Pines.
One that caused a great deal of
excitement was a new breed re
cently developed by Mrs. Hazel
Bridges, operator of the green
houses, which she has named the
“Martha Hodges” in honor of the
Governor’s wife. Mrs. Hodges
was reported thrilled and very
excited.
The group withheld any deci
sion on the meeting, which was
also bid for by three other towns
though they were not represent
ed, until the January meeting in
Raleigh.
Mayor Gilmore also extended
an invitation to each member to
play golf on the three courses
here as guests of the manage
ments.
major
Amerotron
County.
With the closing of the Aber
deen mill, the Robbins mill is the
sole Amerotron industry opera
ting in the county. Headquarters
of the firm still maintains offices
in Aberdeen.
that it was not until last March 1
that he was able to obtain his
present employment with Forst-
mann, Inc.
“Hearing on application to con
firm the awsird was set for Octo-
I ber 15.”
/
was going ahead. Nothing has
been forthcoming from mill offi
cials since the announcement was
made Monday of last week. Aber
deen officials, plainly worried but
a bit optimistic, too, at maybe get
ting a more stable industry to lo
cate there, have had little to say.
The management of Amerotron
said last week that the closing was
a planned operation to recover
losses and help the business, a
business, they said, that has help
ed this county.
Here’s how it looks to:
News and Observer
Jim Chaney, staff writer for the
Raleigh News and Observer, visit
ed the Sandhills earlier this week
collecting material for a series of
stories on the immediate and long
range effects of the shutdown. In
his articles he has pointed to bad
management and a neglect in de
veloping markets as the reasons
for the shutdown. His articles, ac
cording to many people, have been
“rough” but giving a true repre
sentation of the overall picture of
the textile operation in Aberdeen.
In an article this morning
Chaney said that William P. Saun
ders, who built the Aberdeen
plant when he controlled Robbins
Mills, may have pulled a “mon
strous boner” by putting up the
$2 million plus plant which appar
ently could not profitably be con
verted to some other type opera
tion.
And he said that Amerotron of
ficials have indicated “though un
intentionally, that (its manage
ment) was so blind as to buy a
plant which it could not use for
more than nine months and can
not convert.”
He traced the history of Aber
deen’s industrial economy and it
was notable that such economy
had been on the ups and downs
since it started.
(Continued on Page 5)
Book Consultant
To Address PTA
Miss Julia Teasley, reading con
sultant for Scott-Foresman Text
book Company, will speak to the
Southern Pines Parent-Teachers
Association Tuesday, October 23,
at 8 p.m. in Weaver auditorium.
In making the announcement
Dr. Charles Phillips, president of
the PTA, said that Miss Teasley
would explain the methods of
teaching reading in the schools of
today.
A writer of textbooks, Miss
Teasley has been particularly con
cerned with the reading aspect of
public school education.
All parents who have children
in primary grades, and others, of
course, are invited to the meeting.
EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Emmanuel Church To Observe 65th
Anniversary With Services Sunday
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
will celebrate its sixty-fifth anni
versary this Sunday when the
Right Rev. Edwin A. Penick, Bish
op of North Carolina, wiU conduct
the regular 11 a. m. service and
confirm a class of young people
and adults.
The church, which now has the
largest congregation in its history,
was started without the benefit of
a regular minister. The Rev.
Robert M. Thome became the first
minister in 1891. Since his minis
try, there have been six rectors
and possibly more.
In compiling a brief history of
the church this week, the Rev.
Martin Caldwell, who came to the
parish on Easter Day of this year.
discovered that parish registers
between 1905 and 1920 have been
destroyed.
Known rectors, however, are
Dr. John Hartley, 1921-1923; C. P.
Holbrook, 1924-1926; Alaric James
Drew, 1926-1930; Francis Craighill
Brown, 1930-1949; Charles ' van
Orden Covell, 1949-1955; and Mr.
Caldwell.
The present building was start
ed in 1924, the cornerstone was
laid in 1925, and the first services
held in 1926.
The official name of the church
then and now is the Sandhills Par
ish Church. It has one of the
largest parishes east of the Missis
sippi, covering a broad territory
(Continued on page 5)
Advertising Funds
Matched, Advisory
Conunittee Named
A five member committee to
administer a $4,500 promotion and
advertising budget for Southern
Pines was appointed by the Town
Council at its regular meeting
Tuesday night.
The committee, which wiU offi
cially be known as the Southern
Pines Advertising Advisory Com
mittee, was set up as an after-
math to the recent raising of
$2,000 by the hotel, business and
other professional interests in
Southern Pines as a matching
fund for $2,000 appropriated by
the Council last Spring.
On the committee are Harry
Pethick, representing the Council;
Robert Strousse, representing the
golf courses; J. T. “Red” Overton,
representing business interests in
town; Jerry Healy, representing
real estate dealers; and George
Pottle, representing the hotel
group.
Tom Cunningham, city manager,
was named an ex-officio member
of the committee.
The Council noted that an ap
propriation of $500 made each
year for promotion and advertis
ing would be added to the special
$2,000 appropriation, which was
made contingent on business in
terests in the town raising a simi
lar amoimt.
Pottle, owner-manager of the
Hollywood Hotel, said the various
oeople contacted had given will
ingly and were pleased with the
prospects of Southern Pines being
advertised and promoted as the
“Mid-South Resort.”
Pottle said it was hoped that the
committee could get an advertis
ing agency, or perhaps two, to
come to this area and help work
out an effective promotion cam
paign with the funds available.
He said it was probably too late
for any fall promotion but added
that now is the time to start plan
ning for the spring season.