5’ ‘
Happy
New Year
LOT
Pf^ef
Vol. 54-No. 8
24 Pages
* Southern Pines, North Carolina Wednesday, December 26, 1973
24 Pages
Price 10 Cents
Schools Will Open Later
When DST Starts Jan. 6
WHEN A FELLOW NEEDS A FRIEND—Photographer Jan Buffkin caught this
woe-be gone look as she spotted this fellow waiting for a kind word.
Moore Has High Rank in State
In Property Tax Collections
Moore County has drawn a
commendation from Harland E.
Boyles, secretary of the Local
Government Commission, for
its high ranking in the collection
of ad valorem taxes as of last
June 30.
^ Moore ranked near the top in
I the State with 96.09 percent
collected, and with only $97,221
uncollected as of that date.
Mrs. Estelle Wicker, county
finance officer, said she was well
pleased with Moore County’s
showing.
The county is low, however, in
the amount of tax money
invested so as to draw interest,
with 66.38 percent of the funds in
investments. This, however, is
an increase over the 50.02
percent which was invested the
previous year.
Mrs. Wicker explained that one
of the reasons other counties
may have a higher percentage of
their funds invested in interest
drawing accounts is because of
bond issue money they have on
hand. Moore does not have any
Sales Tax on Increase
In November for Moore
Sales tax collections—one of
the best economic indicators
known—showed a tremendous
jump during November in Moore
County.
In a report his week from
Secretary J. Howard Coble of the
^ State Department of Revenue,
^ the Moore County one percent
local option sales tax collected
last month amounted to
$81,435.39.
Economic analysts say that the
sales tax is a good measure of the
state of the general economy
because it represents spending of
earnings.
Collections of the one percent
tax in neighboring counties
during November were as
follows:
Hoke, $16,756.58; Lee,
$73,532.03; Montgomery,
$27,015.17; Randolph, $99,399.18;
Richmond, $69,092.77.
Energy Crisis Detailed
I In Talk to Rotarians
BY NICHOLAS CHALTAS
“The population of the U.S.
represents 6 percent of the world
population but we use 35 percent
of the world’s energy. Our
economic growth, our advanced
technology and our high stand
ard of living are all the result of
our abundant, low cost energy.
But we are reaching the end of
this era of cheap, plentiful
energy.”
These remarks on the subject
of the energy crisis were voiced
by W.B. Grant, local executive of
the Carolina Power and Light
Company, at last Friday’s
luncheon meeting of the Southern
Pines Rotary Club held at the
Holiday Inn.
Grant buttressed his thesis
with solid statistics. “Where
does the energy that is used in
America come from?” he said.
Based on 1970 figures the
percentages are: Oil 45 percent,
gas 33 percent. Coal 18 percent.
Hydropower ^7 percent and
Nuclear.3 percent. Oil, our
largest at the moment source,
comes from domestic and for
eign sources, but about one-third
of our petroleum is imported and
by 1980 about 50 percent will
come from overseas. Grant
asked a rhetorical question.
“How did we run short so fast?”
His answer was that U.S. oil
consumption has been increasing
(Continued on Page 12-A)
THE
PILOT LIGHT
ERVIN—Sam Ervin had kept
’em guessing, and only one
candidate had announced that he
was going to run regardless of
what the Senator did. But even
then people were not so sure that
Henry Hall Wilson would stay in
the race if Sam Ervin had an
nounced he wanted another
term.
Now, as Bob Scott said, the
barn door is open, and the field
of candidates mi^t be a large
one.
Ervin’s decision not to seek
reelection was not altogether a
surprising one. Last year when
B. Everett Jordan, also in his 70s,
was defeated in the Democratic
primary by Nick Galifianakis,
with age an important factor in
the results, Ervin had revealed
himself to close associates as
being concerned about age
playing a part in the election.
l^en he decided to retire at
the end of his term in 1974 he
gave age as a reason for retiring,
plus the desire to end up his
years in his beloved Morganton.
It was not a fear of defeat,
because there doesn’t appear to
be much doubt but that if Sam
Ervin had wanted another term
in the U.S. Senate the voters of
North Carolina would have given
it to him.
CANDIDATES—Now the
Democratic primary in May
could be a crowded one for the
seat held by Ervin. Wilson has
been steadily gaining ground in
his campaign, and everybody
knew that Bob Morgan wanted to
be a Senator more than he
(Continued on Page 12-A)
bond money at this time. She
pointed out that all of the federal
revenue sharing funds are
drawing interest at this time.
Mrs. Wicker said that from
invested tax funds in 1972-73
Moore County received in inter
est a total of $51,325.
According to Boyles report,
most of the municipalities in
Moore also have a high ranking
in the collection of taxes. Among
those in the top state ranking is
SouUmfh Pines, with a 97.06
percent collection rate, and with
only $12,334 uncollected as of
June 30. Southern Pines also has
a high percentage—82.39 percent
—of its funds drawing interest.
This is an increase over the 67.72
percent of the previous year.
Other towns in the top rank
were:
Robbins, with 98.26 percent of
taxes collected and only $1,462
owed, and 78.15 percent of its
funds invested in interest-
(Continued on Page 12-A)
Near End
One of Southern Pines major
public works projects of the past
year, an extensive drainage
system, is all but complete.
Mildred McDonald, acting
town manager, said that all but
one block—on Page Street
between Maine and Vermont
Avenues—has been finished.
There was some delay, she said,
in obtaining materials, but that
she expects the project to be
completed within a few days.
Yarbrough
Is Named
see Dean
Dr. Raymond A. Stone
president of Sandhills Com
munity College, has announced
the appointment of Charles C.
Yarborough as Dean of Students
filling the vacancy created when
James C. Halstead was named
assistant to: the president a
month ago. He will assume his
duties the first of January.
Yarbrough, a native of
Cabarrus Gouty, has had an
impressive career in the fields of
education, counseling and
writing. His background includes
an associate degree from
Brevard College; a bachelor’s
degree in English and a master’s
in divinity from Duke Univer
sity; and the master’s degree in
counseling from the University
(Continued on Page 12-A)
Open Dec, 31
The Clerk of Court’s office does
not follow the same holiday
closing hours as the other offices
in the Moore County courthouse,
and it will be open on Dec. 31
while the others will be closed.
Clerk of Court Charles McLeod
said that since the Clerk’s office
is now under the State judiciary
that it follows the State schedule
for holiday observances.
Council
To Meet
Thursday
A special meeting of the
Southern Pines Town Council
will be held Thursday at 7 p.m.
for a hearing on two zoning
changes and other matters.
On the agenda are the
following:
Public hearing as advertised
on a proposed amendment to the
Zoning Ordinance to include
“upholstery shops” as a permit
ted use in Neighborhood Shop
ping District.
Public hearing as advertised
on a proposed amendment to the
Zoning Map to include in Office
and Professional District the
area along N.W. Broad St.
between Rhode Island and
Delaware Aves., to a depth of 200
feet.
Discussion of the report from
the N.C. Department of Natural
and Economic Resources on the
sewage treatment plant.
Consideration to offer for
tobacco allotment on town owned
property. (Doffermyre proper-
(Continued on Page 12-A)
RESCUED—Two persons were rescued from a house on Bennett Street by
Southern Pines firemen after they were overcome by smoke from a fire which
firemen believed started from a cigarette dropped in a chair. Robert McDonald is
shown being placed on a stretcher. He was carried to Moore Memorial Hospital
and later transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Fayetteville. His sister, Mrs.
Lillian Blue, was taken to Moore Memorial for treatment.—(Photo by Glenn M.
Sides)
Tax Law Changes Will Benefit
Robbery Many Persons in Moore County
Sheriff’s officers were investi
gating this week the armed
robbery Sunday night of La-
verne’s No. 3 food store on U.S.
15-501 near Eastwood.
Sheriff C.G. Wimberley said
that Jim Stephens was alone in
the store at the time when a
colored male wearing a stocking
mask and a toboggan came in
with a shotgun and demanded
money. The cash register was
emptied of about $190 and the
man fled. Bloodhounds were
brought to the scene, but no
arrests have been made.
The robber was described as
about 6 feet, one inch tall,
weighing 180 pounds and was
wearing blue denims at the time.
Moore County taxpayers this
week were urged by Mrs. Estelle
T. Wicker, tax supervisor, to
familiarize themselves with
changes made by the 1973 state
legislature in regulations con
cerning taxation of real estate
and personal property.
Some changes offer opportuni
ties for tax savings, while others
must be complied with in order to
avoid penalties, she explained.
One of these concerns taxation
of farmland under the new
“present use value.” Formerly
taxes on farmland were based
upon the true market value of the
land-which often meant its high
value for urban or industrial
development.
The new law is designed to
reduce taxes in cases where the
market value exceeds its value in
actual use. To qualify for special
assessment, land must be classi
fied as agricultural, horticultural
or forest land.
Furthermore, the land must
(Continued on Page 12-A)
Welfare Funds Run Out;
Board to Ask for More
Dost Elected to Term
On ASC Committee Here
John W. Bost, a well known
Moore County farmer, was
elected for a three year term to
the Moore County Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation
(ASC) Committee by the
delegates in the county con
vention held December 13, at the
Moore County ASCS Office.
The delegates also elected T.
L. Blue, Jr. and John A. SMith as
first and second alternates to the
committee.
The delegates are composed of
the chairman, vice-chairman
and regular member of the newly
elected community com
mitteemen from each com
munity in the county. There is
also a first and second alternate
elected to the community
committee to serve in the ab
sence of any of the three regular
members.
In other convention business
the delegates selected Earl
Martin to continue as chairman;
John W. Bost as vice-chairman
and Earl Harbour as regular
member of the county com
mittee.
County committeemen are
elected by the community
committeemen (delegates) to
serve staggered three year
terms so that ordinarily one
vacancy occurs each year. The
county committee alternates are
elected for one year terms.
(Continued on Page 12-A)
The Social Services Board of
Moore County meeting last week
voted to go before the county
commissioners at their first
meeting in January to seek
further funds to meet needs
arising in the change-over of the
General Assistance program on
Jan. 1.
Funds for only six months had
been budgeted in anticination of
the changeover to complete
federal funding of most pro-
Tag Delay
Mail orders for 1974 North
Carolina Automobile license tags
will be a little behind schedule
this season.
“Due to circumstances beyond
our control, we won’t be able to
fill mail orders and orders for
personalized and official tags as
fast as normal,” said Motor
Vehicles Commissioner Boyd
Miller. “We will be able to fill
(Continued on Page 12-A)
granas under Social Security.
However, Mrs. Walter B. Cole,
director of the Moore depart
ment, said there would be many
cases of hardship because of an
expected six months lapse period
in approval by Social Security.
Some persons may be turned
down by the review board and
will be coming back to the county
department for assistance, she
said.
The new general assistance
program “will have us spending
$51,000 of the $74,000 appropriat
ed for the domicilary residents in
rest homes at the present time.
This will leave only $13,000 for
(Continued on Page 12-A)
Index
Books, 2-B; Churches, 3-B;
Classified Ads, 9-11-B; Editor
ials, 1-B; Entertainment, 8-A;
Obituaries, 7-A; Pinehurst News,
5-6A; Sports, 9-A.
When Daylight Saving Time
goes into effect on January 6 the
Moore County schools will open a
half hour later than now in order
to save fuel and to avoid as much
as possible children waiting for
buses in the dark.
Approval of the change was
made last Thursday at a meeting
of the Board of Education, which
also adopted priorities in con
struction projects to be started
during the coming year.
The new schedule for opening
will start with Monday, Jan. 7,
when schools will open at 8:30
a.m.
They now open at various
times from 8 to 8:20 a.m., which
if followed under Daylight
Saving Time would mean child
ren would be arriving at the
school a full hour earlier than
they do now.
Supt. R.E. Lee said that this
would mean more lights would be
used as well as more fuel would
be used for heating buildings at
the coldest part of the day.
Lee said that the half hour
change would not critically
affect the schools fuel supply. “It
looks like we will be all right for
this year,” Lee said. One of the
reasons is that the school
administration started storing
heating oil in a large tank at the
administrative offices and also
bought a fuel truck which can be
used to transfer oil from one
school to another.
Lee said that the DST-dictated
time thange came after school
officials consulted with industry
leaders and others. Industry in
Moore will not change its
starting times for morning shifts.
In many cases both parents work
and some 250 school children had
been taken to the schools on or
before 7 a.m. There will be some
hardships, Lee said, but he felt
that this could be dealt with.
Many schools in the State are
(Continued on Page 12-A)
Station
To Remain
Open Here
The State Utilities Commission
turned down the request of
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad to
dispose of the Southern Pines
station, but permitted disposal of
stations at Vass, Cameron,
Hoffman, Pittsboro and Colon.
In a ruling released this week
the Commission also authorized
the railroad to put into effect its
mobile agency concept for
freight shipments, effective
within 30 days.
The date of Jan. 4 was given as
the deadline for the filing of
exceptions to the ruling, with the
effective date of Jan. 9 should
there be no acceptable excep-
(Continued on Page 12-A)
50 Persons Could Die
In Two-Holiday Period
The N.C. State Motor Qub has
estimated that 50 persons could
lose their lives in traffic ac
cidents on North Carolina high
ways during the Christmas and
New Year’s holiday periods.
“That is a lot of deaths,” motor
club president Thomas B.
Watkins said, “but it represents
a decrease from last year
because both holiday periods are
longer this year.”
A total of 49 persons died last
year during the two holidays,
both of which were counted
during 784iour spans. This year
each holiday’s death toll will be
counted during 102-hour periods.
The official Christmas
weekend runs from 6 p.m.
Friday, December 21, until
midnight December 25. New
Year’s runs from 6 p.m. Friday,
December 28, until midnight
January 1.
Watkins said he was optimistic
that there would be fewer
fatalities for several reasons.
“First, there should be less
traffic on the highways because
of the energy crisis and secondly,
cars will be traveling at a slower
rate of speed.” He said that
about half of last year’s ac
cidents were caused by excessive
speed.
He stated that the only
question mark is the weather. “If
the weather is good,” Watkins
commented, “we could have the
safest holidays in a long time.”
Official statistics, at this
writing, indicated that there
have t^en 101 less highways
traffic deaths this year than in
1972.
Watkins also cautioned
(Continued on Page 12-A)
FIVE INJURED—Five persons were hurt Sunday morning when two cars
collided at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Henly Street. Police reported
that a car driven by Sylvester Covington of Raeford, Rt. I, ran through a stop sign
and was hit in the side by a car driven by James Willie Mason of 795 West New
Hampshire Avenue. The Mason car then spun around and hit a utility pole.
Members of the Rescue Squad carried Evelyn Covington, James Covington, John
Woodbury, Oredia Woodbury and Tony Woodbury, who sustained a broken leg, to
Moore Memorial Hospital. Covington was charged by police with failure to yield
the right of way.—(Photo by Glenn M. Sides).