EDITORIALS, FEATURES ... THE NEWS—THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1961 SEC. II, PAGE 1 No valid arguments against bond issue What are the arguments against passage of the $61.6 million bond referendum next Tuesday? The News knows of no valid arguments. But the most effective way to attack the logic of those who oppose this much-needed capital improvements pro gram is to examine their arguments. To this, and most other public bond referendums there have been two basic points in opposition: (1) “We already owe too much money. If this work has got to be done it ought to be on a pay-as-you-go basis.” —North Carolina has a sizeable bonded debt, indeed, which it is paying on schedule and with no difficulty. The state also has an excellent bond credit rating? and con servative estimates show no tax increases as a result of the proposed new bonds. The needs are here and now—not two, five, or to years hence when pay-as-you-go funds might be accumulated. And, building costs continue to rise in a proportion that represents a greater cost than the interest on long-term bond loans._*' _. 11 on ballot... (2) “I am against some of the bond proposals.” There are 11 proposals on the ballot. If you must op pose some of them, do so. But do not vote against the en tire issue because of some individual projects you do not favor. ~~ And remember—every single project involved in this referendum has already undergone careful scrutiny by the Appropriations Committee of the General Assembly— Which itself has reduced certain projects already. It should not be necessary to point out the local bene fits to Orange CoUnty that are involved in these tremen dously important bond-contingent projects for the Univer sity. There is far more than a selfish interest involved for hometowners of Orange. Big— and favorable vote is in order here The News i< confident, that the statewide bond refereh dnm will pass by a good margin next Tuesday, and that reverv precinct in Orange County will favor the issues as they did two years ago. But we are concerned for the margin of support the Land of Orange will give the referendum proposals. The margin m-favor of similarly worthwhile issues has been better than i o to-one sometimes in the past. The local totals should stack up that way again. Unfortunately, though, Chapel Hill and Orange Coum ty folk are too omplacettt at times. We have a fairly pros perous country, and a generally comfortable lot. The Uni Note: Your own view, on the opinion. expressed above are invited. If you agree, disagree, or heve some additional insight on this matter you are invited to give the public the benefit of your thinking in a "lottor to the editor." Please limit these to 300 words. . < dittos; of (Grange Count? Pub!ished Everyl, Thursday By l THE NEWS INCORPORATED Hillsboro, N. C. Chapel Hill, N. C. Box 647 ' Box 749 Telephone 968-4444, Chapel Hill; 4191 Hillsboro Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Hillsboro, North Carolina, under the Act of March 3, 1879 F.DWTN J. HAMLIN .. .. .. Publisher ROLAND GIDUZ .. . Editor Hillsboro Office -„..a_ —I- N. Cburton St. Chapel Hill Office 3M E Main St., Carrbore SUBSCRIPTION RATES .. . S2JI0; one year, S-1.7S, s« roe. (iraidaN. C.); $3.00, one year, outside N. C. Still Man's Best Hopei -Walt Partymiller, York Gazette * Daily versity has fared pretty well to date. And the good fights for public improvements have been fairly well fought hereabouts. '• * ■ ■ . ~ .-;j- ________ Result has been that Orange supported bond referen dums. But the turnout at the polls has generally been one fourth or less of the total for general or primary elections Orange County owes it to itself to be disturbed and concerned to a degree that it will turn out a BIG vote as well as a favorable one.- ——1-— - 'The Age of Orange' is a good complement Orange County has borne a> far greater share in the de velopment of North Carolina "‘that its geography and pop ulation would give it on an average basis. This is skillfully shown and well-documented in “The Age of Orange,’’ Prof. Ruth Blackwelder’s newly-published history of the county from itsTouriding in 1752 until the Civil War. - By sub-title . lone—“Political and Intellectual Leader sliip in North Carolina,- 1752-186-1”—Prof. Blai kwelder’s work shows the richness of Orange County’s contributions in this formative era. . _ The book is dedicated to the memory of citizens of Orange County “who saw the changes that were needed in their county and state in the 18th and 19th centuries and who had the courage to work and achieve them.”' So “The Age of Orange” is of more than provincial in terest by its neatly-organized exhibition of this county’s gifts to the state through the many outstanding leaders it produced. ' Was biggest, most populous ... As the state’s largest county in population and size soon after its founding, Orange held regional pioneers in the public school and transportation movement in this state. It came to be a pivotal county in political struggles. The whittling away of 10 other counties from its borders, beginning in 1770,-took away Orange’s greatest potential in agricultural lands and industry. ' But it left the core county with men of vision who early made of it an educational center exclusive of the Uni versity. It is noted in “The Age of Orange,” for instance, that over half of the boys and girls in the County between ages five and 21 Were in local schools in i860—and further that more than 5b different schools and academies existed in the county during its first century of history. “The Age of Orange” is a tine complement to the bi centennial history of the County by UNC Profs. Lefler apd Wager in 1933. And the “Age” shows a heritage that Orange County has made to grow and prosper in the years since those covered by Prof. Blackwelder’s book. Merchants have a duty > . />. 1/ »\,. " ' on student complaints Of late there have been quite a number of UNC stu dent protests against Chapel Hill merchants. To our think ing these protests are not well founded, but that is not the point. Sure as an Army dogface is going to gripe, so are stu dents going to complain about local business practices and (Editorials contmued on Pane 3) Newsman's Notepad . , Incident gives a lab tryout of freedom, proves a point The Conference on Freedom and the First Amendment held in Chapel Hill last weekend pro vided an un-planned and in- • teresting laboratory test of that sacred liberty—freedom of speech. Around 150 personsabout equally divided between the ~ races—assembled for the meet ing. By a showing of hands at one point in the day-long pro gram around one-fourth of their number were ministers. Through the day they hammered away toward practical means of ap- . plying the guarantees of the first amendment. Their primary aims were abolition of the House Un American Activities Committee and its state satellites, and pro motion of civil rights, particular ly in elimination of racial discrimination. To the observer the group seemed a serious dedi cated lot with a zeal for its aims, whether one wholly agreed or not. True to tradition . . . But- true to the tradition of Chapel Hill, the occasion was not without its surprise con troversy. Col. Henry "Royall of Chapel Hill, in a letter printed in both local newspapers on the day before the conference last week, attacked the meeting and its sponsors, -terming the use of a local church for this purpose “anti-Christ.” As the sessons opened a young Hitfh Point public relations man dentfied as Arthur Lyon hand ed out pink mimeographed flyers linking the meeting to alleged Communist front groups. Mrs. Stephen Emery of Chapel Hill also passed out literature hostile to the snirit of the conference. Both orotests were nominally accented bv the delegates pres ent for the rally with .puzzled casualitv. THiring the afternoon CoL Tfovall and Mr. Lyon sat through the meeting as silent observers of the scene. Then, during a brain-storming open #orun» ob siM»*»esti*ms for safeguarding— first amendment freedoms the spontaneous -test occurred. visa Mary Gilson. Chanel Hill’s plain-sooken octogenarian NOTEPAD, Page 3)