Page TWO
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 lor 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 wi
treat everybody alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. —=z==:==:===
Revive The Council of Social Agencies
Some years ago an organization existed in
this town that functioned excellently and
usefully. It was unfortunately given up and
this was not because it wasn’t doing a good
' job but because, as too often happens in such
affairs, its original purpose was lost sight of.
We refer to the former Council of Social
Agencies. This organization ought to be re
vived.
Now wait a minute. This is not a sugges
tion to add another organization, doing an
other set of jobs, to the trillions that already
weigh down the social structure; on the con
trary, this is something that can reduce and
simplify and make more effective work that
is already being done.
The former council was made up of repre
sentatives—one apiece—from every agency
doing welfare work, or charity, as it used to
be cahed, in this area. The Elks were repre
sented, the VPW, the Rotarians, the March of
Dimes people, the Red Cross,, and so on. All
the churches joined in the effort. All
these organizations delegated a member to
be on the council. The group met only every
two months, or perhaps it was every four
months. It did no welfare work itself and in
augurated none: its sole purpose was to act
as a rlearing-house. By means of discussion
and comparison of lists, as problems were
laid before the council, and close cooperation
with the county departments of health and
welfare, overlapping of efforts was avoided,
specific information wa^ exchanged and, most
important, it was possible to make doubly
sure that no one who needed help was over
looked.
Since the council was abandoned, it has be
come only too clear that the overlapping and
‘too much to too few” situation is again with
us. This past Christmas contributed its share
of the inevitable confusions that must arise
when there is no coordination between people
and agencies working to the same purpose.
It seems that several families received bas
ket? or toys from several people or organiza
tions, wiiile at least a few families received
none. In the same vein of duplication, it
would seem, were the two Christmas parties
given by two separate clubs.
A singje case taken from last, year’s Wel
fare Department records illustrates again the
confusion and even v/aste that comes from
uncoordinated efforts. A family of young
children, plunged suddenly into tragedy, was
so deluged with clothes and food by several
indfpendently operating agencies and indivi
duals that they had to bee boxes and bureaus
from the neighbors in order to have a place
to pul them. Later the tragic drama was for
gotten, the food was eaten up, and the clothes
had long ceased cximing. But the children
were still there and they had kept right on
growing. The family, and the Welfare Depart
ment that helped them, through the taxes
paid by the people, needed extra help just as
much as ever.
There is nothing so fine as such outpour
ings of generosity in times of trouble; there
is nothing better than Christmas giving to
those v/ho otherwise would receive nothing
at that time of brotherly love. The power of
good of such efforts is immeasurable: “it
hlesseth him that gives and him that takes.”
The suggestion to reactivate the Council of
Social Agencies is made with the sole purpose
of making more effective this spirit of com
munity goodwill.
Ku Klux Keep Their Hair-But Only
Warwhoops and burning crosses—toma
hawks and white bedsheets—what a party
that was Saturday night down near Lumber-
ton! A
You would have imagined that even the
KKK would have thought twice before inva
ding the territory around Pembroke, capital
of North Carolina’s proud Indian citizens.
Bedsheets and dunce-caps are their truly ap
propriate costume, for the foolishness and im
pudent stupidity of this organization is be
yond guess.
The Kian gathered Saturday night and so
did the Indians, justifiably incensed over what
they rightly considered intolerable interfer
ence with their individual affairs. ’The Kleig
lights were turned on, the hooded speakers
got set, the curiosity-seekers, of whom many
came doubtless anticipating that the fur
would fly, parked their cars and ringed the
enclosure. And then, with a preliminary busi
ness-like clicking-off of safety catches, all the
Six Nations broke loose.
They shot out the lights, they peppered the
cars, they took potshot^, aimed just high
enough and no higher. Over fleeing white-
sheeted forms. And, as the Pathfinder would
have told it: ‘the night was made hideous
with warwhoops.”
Of course, we don’t approve of violence.
We’re agin “vigilantes” and “Citizens Com
mittees” and “posses” and “taking the law
into your own hands.” We’re glad nobody got
hurt Saturday night; .we’re glad no scalps
were taken. Still and all, it must have been
pretty fine fun to see the sheeted ones taking
out over the countryside.
Let’s hope the spirits of Crazy Horse, Ger-
onimo. Sitting Bull and the other great war
riors of old looked down from their Happy
Hunting Grounds and took heart.
Some Thoughts On World Censorship
(Fromi The New York Times)
A year ago this month the Associated Press,
after one of its regular surveys, reported that
there had been’ a “sharp increase in censor
ship” during 1956. A similar report made pub
lic yesterday revealed, as this newspaper
summarized it that “censorship seems to have
gained ground in 1957.” This news is bad
news. It is not true that what people don’t
know won’t hurt them. What they don’t know
does hurt them. Censors intend it to hurt
them. Governments that are proud of them
selves don’t have to bury their mistakes in
the deep grave of silence.
Even in Russia censorship has its ups and
downs. During the Moscow World Youth Fes
tival. as it was imaginatively entitled, the
censor let the bars down. When the world
youths had gone home or proceeded to Com
munist China, censorship was restored. Other
Communist countries follow the Moscow pat
tern with some variations.
Some non-Communist countries control the
press in one way or another for their own
purposes. Spanish and Portuguese newspapers
are censored. Foreign correspondents in both
countries file what they like but may be
caled on the carpet if what they like is not
what the Governments concerned like. Tur
key, y/hich seemed to be groping toward a
more democratic way of life, imprisons or
fines her own journalists, although no foreign
correspondents have been assailed in this way.
Egypt and Israel, about as diametrically op
posite as two countries can be, each impose
censorship for military and other reasons. 'The
press of Communist China, North Korea and
North Vietnam is under strong Communist
control. In.Latin America, Cuba and Venezu
ela represent a type of censorship that is in
tended to bolster the government in power.
Virtually any country that maintains de
fense forces and equipment nlust censor infor
mation that could he helpful to a possible
enemy. Our own Government does this and
in genaral newspapers respect the reasons,
'riiere is danger, however, that some facts
may be suppressed not because they may
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1955
Stamp Of Disapproval
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NCEA MAGAZINE CITES FACTS, FIGURES
Quoted Editorial Called Unfair
help a conjectural enemy but because they
might reveal the incompetence of men in of
fice. We need a constant vigilance at home.
. The test of freedom of the press is not of
course wholly one of freedom to criticize.
Finally, we cannot too often remind ourselves
that freedom of the press is not intended for
the convenience of those who publish news
papers, control radio or television stations or
in other ways disseminate news and ideas.
Freedom of the press is for the public, the
whole public, and it is inextricably connected
with all the other freedoms.
What’s The Matter?
One of the shocking facts that has been
given wide publicity during the current
March of Dirr.es is that only half the eligible
persons in North Carolina have taken Salk
vaccine for the prevention of paralytic polio.
This very fact is used as a basis of appeal by
the March of Dimes, as it is obvious that if
only half the persons who could have the vac
cine get it, a certain number of the unvacci
nated vnll probably contract polio. This statis
tic alone is nroof of the point that the Na
tional Foundation for Infantile Parlysis is a
long way from the end of its mission.
It may be that some persons are still fright
ened by that bad serum incident that so trag-
icallj' and unfortunately took place just as
the Salk vaccination program be^an on a
large scale. But the milions of healthy chil
dren and others who have had the vaccine
are living proof that it can be given safely.
And the record of vaccinated persons over
the last two polio seasons shows that the im
munization is rem.arkably effective.
Such gross neglect of this life-saving tech
nique must mean that something is wrong
somewhere: the information, the understand
ing about the vaccine and its use just haven’t
been reaching people.
^’erhaps the powerful messsage of this
year’s March of Dimes will convince or inform
many v/ho have been ignorant or apathetic
hertofore.
Three weeks ago. The Pilot re
printed on this page an editorial
from the Raleigh News and Ob
server, titled “Know-how Made
Sorry Substitute for Know Why,”
which quoted Dr. W. H. Cart
wright of Duke University as
placing much of the blame for
our educational failures on pro
fessional educators. ’The editorial
went on to say that teachers
“have to learn so much about how
to teach that they have little
time in which to acquire know
ledge to teach.”
In rebuttal, the January issue
of “North Carolina Education,”
which is the magazine published
by the North Carolina Education
Association, prints another edi
torial pointing out numerous fig
ures about courses and teacher
requirements.
Discussed Here
Both the News and Observer
editorial and the answer to it
were discussed by Dr. A. C.
Dawson at the January meeting
of the Southern Pines Parent-
Teacher Association, Dr. Dawson
agreeing with the NCEA maga
zine that the first editorial had
not been fair or factually correct.
Following is the "North Caro
lina Education” editorial:
Reprinted elsewhere in this is
sue of the journal is an editorial
from one of our favorite newspa
pers. The paper is the Raleigh
News and Observer. . . We make
hold to take issue with many of
its statements, hoping that we
shall be able to disagree without
being disagreeable.
Not In Context
The editorial disappoints us. In
our honest opinion it was hastily
conceived and hurriedly execu
ted. It lacks the light of the
whole truth, and uses state
ments, lifted from their context,
as a bludgeon to clear the way
for a reckless and irresponsible
attack upon teacher-education,
teacher-education institutions,
and the graduates of such institu
tions.
The editorial quotes from an
address delivered by Dr. William
H. Cartwright, head of the De
partment of Education, Duke
University. We have be
fore us the entire speech, and
we know, therefore, that the
quotes are unfairly lifted from
their context. ’They are, however,
accurately quoted. In our opin
ion Dr. Cartwright himself is
guilty of using ambiguous gener
alities when he should have em
ployed a specific bill of particu
lars.
Sentences Quoted
to educational technicians
rather than broadly educated
teachers. They have required
teachers to learn so much
about how to teach that they
have little time in which to
acquire knowledge to teach.
Techniques have been para-
mounted above learning. . .
.'-.chools (are) staffed from the
beginning with people who
have studied ‘education’ and
know or care about very lit
tle else.”
Now, what are the facts? North
Carolina requires a minimum to
tal of 120 semester hours of cred
it for college graduation—or 40
three-semester-hour courses, each
pursued for a period of one sem
ester. Of these 120 hours only 18
can be described as “education”
courses, according to the state
requirement—six courses of the
40 courses. Of these 18 hours, six
are spent in a study of the school
as a social and educational insti
tution; six consist of courses in
psychology; and six in the tech
niques of teaching.
Requirements
The State requires an elemen
tary teacher to h^ve 44 hours of
contents courses. These 44 hours
consist of 12 hours of English,
six of American history, two of
governnfent, six of geography,
six of art, six of music, and six
of health and physical education.
The remaining 58 semester hours,
so far as the state is concerned,
are elective hours.
For the high school teacher
preparing to teach English the
State requires the same number
of hours in professional courses—
18 hours—and a minimum of 30
semester hours in English—or ten
tliree-hour courses. Thus 72
hours, or 24 courses, are elective
courses.
How can it be said, then, that
the requirements are such as to
prevent a prospective teacher
from acquiring knowledge to
teach? How can it be said that
“techniques have been para-
mounted above learning?” How
can it be said that our schools
are staffed “from the beginning
with people who have studied
‘education’ and know or care
about very little else?”
Courses Listed
We have before us the catalog
of a well-known teacher-educa
tion institution. A teacher of
English and graduate of this col
lege will have taken the follow
ing specific courses in English,
in addition to courses in modern
language, biology, mathematics,
physical education, psychology,
and the social studies; one full
year of English Grammar and
Composition, one full year of a
sui-vey of English Literature, one
full year of a survey of Ameri
can Literature, one course in
Advanced Composition, two
courses in Contemporary Litera
ture, and one course in each of
the following: Shakespeare’s
Comedies, Shakespeare’s ’Trage
dies, Advanced English Gram
mar, the Fundamentals of
Speech, and Public Speaking.
The evidence here presented
leads this editor to conclude, that
the editorial in one of our fav
orite papers was, for sure, hasti
ly conceived and hurriedly exe
cuted!
The Public Speaking
Grains of Sand
By WALLACE IRWIN
(Guest Colunmisi)
When my little Cocker spaniel
WHS small as dogs can be, she
needed a midget dog house just
to grow up in. To save both time
and money, I took the advice of
a Setauket neighbor and sent to
a firm, whose name I’ll fake as
the Greater Peoria Portable &
Adjustable House Company, and
explained that I wished a small
kennel for a pup which, grow as
she might, could never get to be
more than 15 inches long. Esti
mate the cost, please and oblige.
Time elapsed, and the dog be
gan to grow so fast that I wasn’t
sure she’d go into anything
smaller than a packing case, but
still ijo answer from the Greater
Peoria Ajustable; until one soft
summer morning came a sizeable
envelope postmarked Peoria, and
this is what the faultless typing
declared: ,
“Dear Sir: We are highly grat
ified to receive your courteous
inquiry as of Feb. 12, and in re
sponse we enclose plans and
specifications of a late design
v/hich, we feel sure, will fit your
purpose. The drawing-room is 38
by 24, finished in Florentine
style weathered oak. The dining
room is Tudor of approximately
the same size and the finish is
Colonial (Mercy on us!) The bath
is complete with sunken tub,
needle shower and electric mas
sage as are 4 baths on the sec
ond floor. There are 11 bedrooms,
all .smartly decorated, or done to
suit the owner’s individual taste.
We are sure you’ll enjoy the 40
ft. swimming ppol.
“For pantry, kitchen and wine
cellar, see Pamphlet D, enclosed
with color scheme supplement”
. . . And so on in a' folder
capable of holding 2 Chicago tel
ephone directories. A modest lit
tle letter at the end completed a
row of figures with the state
ment, “$47,000, without altera
tions. (Possibly you will be in
terested in our Florentine garden
with decorative cypress hedge.)^’
Reading, I made appropriate re
marks, while homeless Surprise
barked appreciatively as I bed
ded her in a slightly used whis
key barrel; then I roughly calcu
lated the amount of U. S. postage
the G. P. P. &* A. had wasted
through the dreamy error of
some offics bobby-soxer who had
imagined that I was ordering a
Beverley Kills country residence
instead of a very little dog house
for a very little dog. . .
And that gets me gi/adually
around to what I’m driving at.
Every day, except Sunday, the
postman brings us pounds of
waste basket fodder. Page after
page of highly illustrated ma
terial coaxing you to buy what
you don’t want, and never asked
about. Our railroads are getting
curvature of the spine carrying
what you never asked for and
the bill is on you.
Everybody’s asking Congress
to do something about some
thing, and here’s my contribu-
tior to Bedlam. Why not make it
more expensive to send adver
tising matter through the mail?
Get out an advertising stamp
tax, or some other form of legal
persecution. Give the 'morning
mail a strict treatment for girth
control. Then, maybe, if you had
written asking about something
you really want to buy, or know
about, you’d get something
sounding like an answer.
One of Teddy Roosevelt’s par
ables: “And the skipper said to
thi unruly mate, ‘All I want to
hear out of you, Mr. Scroggins, is
perfect silence, and dumed little
o’ that.’ ”
And my apologies to Sears
Roebuck & Co. whose catalogue
is our family oracle.
The following sentences
taken from the editorial:
are
“They (the pedagogues)
have turned the schools over
Better Quarters Needed
For USES Representatives
To The Editor:
It is my opinion that the atten
tion of the Town Council, indivi
dually or en masse, should be
immediately called to th^ “visit
ing” headquarters of the North
Carolina Unemployment Insur
ance Commission. The crying
need for desirable working quar
ters cannot be ignored or escap
ed. A visit On any Thursday
morning, between 10:00 and
12:00, will be sufficient proof of
this fact. It appears that little
appreciation is being shown for
the services of these USES rep
resentatives who trek over here
from Sanford every Thursday to
accommodate the local persons
qualified for unemployment in
surance. It is a deplorable situa
tion.
If the town cannot rally and
improve this situation, then it is
a disgrace to the community. Do
you suppose the town realizes
hew much money is kept in cir
culation due to the unemploy
ment checks received weekly? I
doubt it. It would be interesting
to compute this.
This letter is sent to you in the
hope you will print it and some
interested persons will come
forth with a few suggestions. It
would seefh there are a number
of available vacant spaces which
might be available. I understand
plans are being made for offices
for these workers to have space
in the new town hall. But we
should not need to wait so long
to correct this situation.
If my services can be used to
work out this problem, they are
available, gratis. -
Very Sincerely,
(Miss) NELL C. WILLIS
Southern Pines
The PILOT
Published Every Thursday by
THE PILOT, Incorporated
Southern Pines, North Carolina
1941—JAMES BOYD—1944
Katharine Boyd
Editor
C. Benedict j Associate Editor
Vance Derby News Editor
Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr.
C. G. Council Advertising
Mary Scott Newton Business
Bessie Cameron Smith,..... Society
Composing Room
Lochamy McLean, Dixie B. Ray,
Michael Valen, Jasper Swearingen
Thomas Mattocks.
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Entered at the Postoffice at South
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mail matter
Member National Editorial Assn,
and N. C. Press Assn,