North Carolina Newspapers

Page TWO THE PILOT—Southern Pines. North Carolina THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11. 1956 AN ANSWER TO QUESTION: 'WHAT^S THE USE OF VOTINGr ILOT Southern Pines North Carolina “In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep this a good paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to be an occasion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we will treat everybody alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. Town Hall Decision Made In Good Faith While we would have preferred another sort of building for the new town hall, we are not going to shed tears over the council’s decision to go ahead with the “contemporary” design. The people of Southern Pines elected the five council members to exercise their best judgment on all town affairs. The council studied the town hall problem with a persis tence and earnestness that appeared to us to go even beyond the call of duty—and they came up with a unanimous decision to ap prove a design that they are convinced will give Southern Pines the best building pos sible for the money to be spent. The council, it appears to us, is a pretty good cross section of the town. One of its members is among the town’s longest resi dents, who has been associated with the town’s development throughout most of its history. Youth is represented by two mem bers. An active and long-experienced busi nessman and a retired executive are also members of the council. All are notably level headed men. If ever a matter of municipal interest re ceived careful study by officials, the town hall proposal—its location, its design and its cost —got this attention from the Southern Pines council. Against this background, their final deci sion can in no way be seen as capricious or arbitrary, whether or not one likes the style of the building that was approved. During the public hearing on the town hall, persons who spoke on behalf of the contem porary design noted that such buildings, be cause of their efficiency and “livability,” win new friends as people use and work in them'. It may be that this will prove true in South ern Pines. Outlook For Resort Season Optimistic At this low point in the Sandhills industrial outlook, the prospect for the resort season is contrastingly optimistic. Amerotron’s departure from Aberdeen, closing of the Bishop plant here and the an ticipated departure of the USAF Ait Ground Operations School from the Highland Pines Inn combine into a gloomy picture, despite the efforts already begun by a capable com mittee to find new and suitable industries for this area. Yet there is plenty of good news in regard to the area’s oldest and what might be called most basic “industry”—the entertainment of visitors in the Fall, Winter and Spring. Success by the Chamber of Commerce in raising a $2,000 fund, to be matched evenly from the town treasury, means that Southern Pines will have the best advertising pro gram it has had in many years. All of this fund is not necessarily committed to resort advertising, as the council was careful to di rect that it can be used for any type of town promotion, but a large part of it will certain ly go toward advertising the community as a resort. ' In connection with the tourist business, we note with interest the extensive improvement program being undertaken by the Elks at the Southern Pines Country Club and golf course, which is owned by the lodge. Having tossed a few brickbats, in times past, at golfing fa cilities here, as compared to those at Pine- hurst, we are happy to commend the Elks for the work they are doing. All three Southern Pines courses will gain new friends with the coming Golf Carousel which appears to be headed for a new high level of participation under the vigorous sponsorship of the Jaycees. General outlook for the winter tourist trade is good. Americans are traveling as never be fore and whole new groups of people are playing golf, riding and taking time off for winter vacations, in addition to or instead of the traditional summer holidays. In a world of blatant and often ungracious commercialism. Southern Pines can, if it will, strengthen and enlarge its reputation for gen uine and sincere hospitality to visitors—an unpretentious and pleasant community. To this end, each of us is the town’s best host and ambassador. U. S. Should Take Lead In Bomb Test Ban Adlai Stevenson’s proposal to end H-bomb tests deals with an issue so far removed from general understanding that it may not play an important part in the Presidential cam paign, in the sense of influencing voters—^but it is an issue that the average man should not dismiss as lacking in personal importance. The H-bomb test issue is one on which The Pilot made its position clear more than two years ago, after the incident of the Japanese fishermen who were injured by radiation from a Pacific H-bomb test, as well as other devel opments at that time such as the fall of radio active ashes on Japan, presumably origina ting from a Russian bomb explosion some where in Siberia. The Pilot wrote in the Spring of 1954: “Must this thing go on? Why must there be further experiments. . . the bombs already in existence and already tried out are capable of doing their dreadful work with utmost thoroughness. Why is anything worse need ed?” Since then, a great deal of evidence has been presented that points to what the aver age man has suspected as a “hunch” all along: radiation from H-bombs is capable of inflicting terrible damage on mankind. More over, there is evidence that even “harmless” radiation—that is, less than a lethal or dis abling dose—shortens the life span. And in March of this year. Dr. Ralph Lapp, a leading nuclear physicist, told Congress that the “fall out” from a bombing will be far more of a disaster to the surviving population than any Civil Defense scheme is yet prepared for. Peace-time atomic reactors offer an addi tional radiation hazard. In short, the present rate of radiation production has overtaken scientific knowledge of its significance for the human body. Dr. Herman J. Muller, a world-famous biologist who won the Nobel prize in 1946, explored this point of view, with generally pessimistic conclusions, in an article in The Saturday Review last summer. President Eisenhower says that tests should continue until there are guarantees that all nations will end them. But why should not the United States take the lead? Also, it re mains a fact that all major nations except the United States have indicated willingness to take up the matter of bomb tests before the United Nations, separately from the ques tion of general disarmament, but the United States so far apparently has felt that th^ bomb tests should not be discussed except in conjunction with general disarmament talks. The State Department’s point of view on this matter was brought out in correspond ence with a Southern Pines resident, E. G. B. . Riley, over the past two years. Mr. Riley has conducted a vigorous crusade against the Small Town, Rural Folks Politically Powerful People in towns of less than 25,000 population and on farms hold a voting majority in 42 states, points out the magazine Town Journal. These small towns and rural sections—which Town Jour nal sums up with the term "Countryside"—are addressed in a recent article in the mag azine, titled "Why Towns Like Yours Can Win the Elec tion." Readers in this area, which is entirely small town and rural in character, will be interested in this concluding portion of Town Journal's analysis of the power of "Countryside" voters: Assuming, then, that voters in towns like yours will win the election (if they vote), just what kind of citizens are they? They’re more interestd than big city people. Some opinion poll sters say they get 30% greater re turns from towns and farms than from big cities. But that’s only one indication. Compare Countryside voters with those in Detroit. In a recent election, one polling place got the wrong ballots—candidates were those for another ward—^but not one of 203 voters noticed the dif ference! Judges found the mis take when they counted the bal lots. Could that happen in your town? ‘ Urban Apathy Well, cities are up against this apathy all the time. Says Dr. Arch Dotson of Cornell: “Urban ite and suburbanite are likely to have a sense of futility and frus tration about political participa tion.” They get lost in the big population turnover. Then there’s the problem of foreign immi grants (2% million since World War 2) who aren’t yet prepared to vote or take part in government. People in the small U.S. com munities don’t vote as a bloc on any issue. But shadings of opin ion make themselves felt. It’s natural for them to look at eco nomic issues differently from big city people. They are more likely to be homeowners than renters, self-employed than employees. Maybe they are less conditioned to Government controls. The lawmaker who represents a Countryside majority listens a little more carefully to them than to city pressure groups. The Coun tryside has a strong restraining influence within both political parties. Except for hot partisan issues. Countryside members of Congress usually take the side of caution. Relative Honesty What about the relative hones ty of town and city voters? WeR, Countryside people probably are no more honest than anyone else, but they can’t get away with as much. Just before the last election in Albany, N. Y. (pop. 140,000), local bankers suddenly ran out of $5 bills. Now a sizzling report from the State Attorney General tells why: “wholesale buying of votes. ... a staggering array of frauds.” The report notes that- “at least $80,000 in $5 bills” was paid to one party’s local officials just be fore the election. Would the Main Street grapevine permit party ma chine graft like this in your town? A big-city politician. Senator Richard L. Neuberger, of Port land, Ore., sums it up: “A city pol itician can be known as a grafter and still survive. In the Country? side, a legislator must be honest. He can get away with being too liberal or too reactionary, but mutterings of comiption are more than he can weather.” Facts of Power Those are the facts of political power out in the country: The towns and farrtis hold the edge in 42 states; 55% of all Americans live in communities of 25,000 or less. Next time one of your neigh bors asks, “What’s the use of vot ing?”, hand him this story! ‘‘Look Homeward, Angels” bomb tests, writing personal letters to the heads of state of the world’s major nations outlining his conviction, as a student of the effects of light, that the tests are destroying particles in the atmosphere that prevent transmission to the earth of deadly Cosmic and Gamma rays. The local man feels—and who is to say he is wrong?—that all life on earth is threatened by the continuation of nu clear explosions. The same Dr. Lapp who spoke so forcefully to Congress last Spring this week agreed with Stevenson that the tests should be stopped. He said that an end to the explosions must inevitably come and that he does not consider that ending them is a threat to national se curity. However remote we average citizens may feel from technical understanding of the nu clear explosion problem, we are, simply as, persons existing in the atomic age, committed to a life with the bombs and their frightful potentialities for human beings, no matter where we may live. The concern for human welfare that char acterizes the Democratic party and its candi date, Mr. Stevenson, is revealed in the pro posal to ban further atomic tests. Small Gifts Aid Party Moore County Democrats, like those in the other 2,299 counties of the nation, are pre paring for “Dollars for Democrats Day” which will be held October 16. Purpose of the door- to-door canvass on that day will be the rais ing of funds for the national campaign of Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver. If the record of contributions to the Demo cratic party so far this year is a basis of judgment, the Dollars for Democrats effort should meet with remarkable success. Small contributions to the National Com mittee—averaging around $5 each—number ed over 13,000 in the four weeks following the Democratic convention. ’This number is 21 times as many gilts as were received in the same period after the convention of 1952. A total of 30,000 individual oontributions have been sent to the national committee since the first of this year. Launching the Dollars for Democrats pro ject last month, Adlai Stevenson said that, “unlike the Republicans, the Democrats could not count on the special interests to buy a fair share of network time. So we m.ust turn to the people for help.” We look to thd October 16 drive to produce an unprecedented avalanche of small contri butions to the Democratic campaign and we feel sure the canvass will be well supported in Moore County. » » 0^ Scuid « « We're Not Even Joe Smith Does anybody get tired of looking at pictures of bigwigs shaking hands, shaking fists, standing on platforms, getting out of planes, getting on planes, riding in cars, standing on plat forms? Apparently a poetess felt tired, once. Here’s what Emily Dickin son wrote, perhaps after looking at some of those pictures: I'm nobody! Who axe you? Are you nobody, too? Then there's a pair of us— don't tell!" They'd banish us, you know. How dreary to be somebody! How public, like a frog To tell your name the live long day To an admiring bog! We’ll stay in the bog, thanks. Just letting everyone know in advance. Dogs Again Them as is bored with dogs duck this one: We caught a ride with Judy Leonard the other day and in the back was the cutest little scottie. Name: Miss Muffet. “Named after OUR Miss Muffet?” We said, with only a hint of a questionmark. “Well,” she said, with more than a hint of hesitation and then, quickly, “Of course, we THOUGHT of your Miss Muffet.” We relaxed, then, and listened about Miss Muffet Leonard. Seems the Leonards, when they bought their house on Mass achusetts Avenue, acquired a curious and unexplainable fea ture. The lowest panel of the door that goes down to the cellar is made of glass. (Maybe somebody wanted to be able to look and see if they’d left the light on?) Anyway, a ladycat and her kit tens live in the basement. Just took up residence and everybody pleased. Everybody except Miss M. L. She thinks little of cats. In fact, she aches to tear into little pieces every cat that ever walk ed the earth. As for cats living in her own house. . .1 She spotted them on arrival of the first kitten. Maybe before. And now the glass panel came into full use. Every spare mo ment of Miss M. L.’s time is spent with her nose pressed against the panel. And though Scotties are very busy people, that’s a lot of time. She sits there, trembling in every limb; unearthly noises: growls, nioans, squeals of an guish, issuing from her interior. Every so often, she can’t stand it any longer, and then what? She dashes outside, grabs hold of the nearest bush, or just about any thing handy, and shakes it, tears it up if she can. For the moment it IS the cat and all six kittens. As she shakes she shouts: “You horrible creature! You low- down sneaky feline! And all your low-down sneaky little felinea! I’m going to. . !” and then back she dances to gaze again at her longed-for, but so snugly, smugly safe, prey. The cat, it is said, is teaching her children the appropriate ges ture to make towards The Wom an On The Stairs. Better teach them how to scat, too, Kitty. They might need it some day. Never underestimate a Scot. Or a Miss Muffet. Now OUR Miss Muffet. . . but we’ll save that for another time. Say When, Mr. Att'y Gen. Recent ruling of the Att’y Gen. on Criminal Law as reported by the League of Municipalities: Singing in public is classed as disorderly conduct. HOWEVER, says the Att’y Gen., “Merely singing hymns while driving through town is not unlawful-un less accompanied by other acts which would constitute disorder ly conduct.” Such as driving 90 miles an hour, we presume. And since when has the sing ing of hymns been rated with that spindly adjective “merely”? Singing hymns “merely”? Fie on The Public Speaking Defends School of Design bitterness in last week’s letter in- To The Editor: 1. No one will dispute the ex pressed beauty of Southern Pines and its Library and Post Office. The- Post Office, being a government building, was allow ed about $20 a square foot. After calculating the desired square footage and the $100,000 for the proposed building allows about $3 per sq. ft. ($3 will buy one linear foot of good colonial cor nice.) What a lovely colonial building that will be! 2. Suggest writer check with school board and find how much the simulated colonial facade added to the cost of the new school buildings. I believe he will find the plan is contemporary architecture. 3. Wonder where the School of Design poop came from. Our State has enjoyed more good publicity and recognition from this school in the past five years than from any other source of its kind, and it now ranks in the top five schools of architecture in the U. S. Is this a case of every one out of step but Johnny? It is a difficult school, and one with a high mortality rate. The dicates the writer may be one of those who couldn’t make the grade. If that’s the case, he flunked early—^before he found what contemporary architecture is, its dependence on structure and the ability required to design a building that will be viewed throughout, and not hidden by a lot of plaster and cornices. 4. The most interesting point in this controversy is the failure of that self-appointed authority to note that the floor plan and per spective (referred to by editor as elevation) is not even of the same building. Nor have any of the town critics commented on this. Just how thoroughly are they analizing the proposal and how much of the objection is an opportunity to express their deep-seated prejudices? 5. I am in favor of a modified colonial facade on this new building, but object to the criti cism contemporary architecture is receiving from spokesmen with so little insight. ALSO INTERESTED Editor’s Note: Since this letter was written, the town council has voted to accept the contem porary design. you,. Mr. A’tty Gen. The best singing we have heard in our day, the heartiest, the noisiest, has been the singing of hymns. No, we didn’t say “the most disorderly,” but we’ve been at some hymn-sings with everybody shouting for his favorite to be — the next sung when the noise and the “acts” came pretty close to that. Not ALL Singing? Surely? Looking back on that, we are puzzled. Not to say indignant. How come singing in public should be classed as disorderly conduct? Surely the L. of M. must have left something out in their prissy note on this business. ^ 'Though once you launch into this singing matter it becomes tricky. Right away. Can you sing in a concert hall? Obviously you can. Or out on the street corner the school song when the band goes marching by? Obviously again. But if the band wasn’t marching by, or if it wasn’t the school song you were carrolling, -you couldn’t? Maybe the time is the impor tant thing. Maybe you could do it in the daytime but not in the night-time. But that sure rules out the young man, standing in the moonlight with his guit-tar. Too bad. The PILOT Published Every Thursday by ♦ THE PILOT, Incorporated Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 Katharine Boyd Editor C. Benedict Associate Editor Vance Derby News Editor Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr. C. G. Council Advertising Mary Scott New.ton Business Bessie Cameron Smith Society fP! Composing Room Lochamy McLean, Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Jasper Swearingen Thomas Mattocks. Subscription Rates: One Year $4. 6 mos. $2: 3 mos. $1 Entered at the PostOffice at South ern Pines, N. C., as second class mail matter Member National Editorial Assn. • and N. C. Press Assn.