m
e ^YlewA - journal
national newspaper
Ca/io&Mi
m USTMMM PRESS
-tin ASSOCIATION
Published Every Ihursday at Raeford, N. C. 28376
119 W. El wood Avenue
Subscription Rates In Advance
Per Year 55.00 6 Months - $2.75 3 Months - SI.50
PAUL DICKSON Publisher-Editor
SAM C MORRIS General Manager
LAURIE TELFAIR Associate Editor
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
MARTY VEGA Reporter
Second Class Postage at Raelord. N. C.
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1975
by Laurie Telfair
As We See It
It seems strange tor a white, self-styled liberal to be criticizing a
black-operated program. And concerning segregation, yet!
Yet since its beginning in mid-February, the federally funded
nutrition program for senior citizens has apparently operated for the
most part as a segregated program.
This is probably not due to any overt \ct on the part of those who
run the program. It is not very likely that anything has been done to
exclude participation by whites, and, to a lesser extent, by Indians.
Rather, the problem appears to lie in things not done. In talking with
officials, from Lumberton to Raeford, there seemed to be a great deal
of "well, she did this" or "this was supposed to be done before 1 came
with the program" or "I was going to contact so and so but I couldn't
get up with her."
Little follow through was apparent in taking to the persons and
agencies supposedly contacted for help.
A further problem lies in the location of the lunch program. Officials
say the only available place was the Masonic lodge hall on North Main,
a traditionally black meeting place.
It undoubtedly will take some encouragement to overcome possible
reluctance of whites who might be interested in taking part in the
program to attend at a location that in years past was exclusively black.
This sort of positive recruiting is not new, however, in federal
programs and is, in fact, quite commonplace.
In numerous other programs, it has been required, by quota systems
and other methods, to make sure that the minority race was
represented.
Perhaps that is what makes this whole situation strange. Usually
whites are not the minority.
One might argue that the place is there and the meals are being
served and that there has been extensive publicity about the program.
Thus, if only one race is taking advantage of the program, it must be
because the others don't choose to do so.
If this is, indeed, the case, then, fine. It would be ludicrous to beat
the street to make up some ridiculous quota - although this would not
be foreign to federal programs.
But if there are senior citizens who would like to eat lunch there and
feel they can't because they might not be welcome, then that is an
entirely different matter. It would seem that the burden should be on
the program administrators to make sure that every effort is made to
assure all persons of all races that the program is for them.
*********
The Department of Justice?poetic justice, at any rate. Last week's
paper carried a story about a dog training course to begin in Raeford.
The trainer, tine writer of the news story and the writer of this column
are all the same person.
The story was incorrect.
Browsing in the files
of The News-Journal
25 years ago
Thursday. March 30, 1950
Lacy F. Clark, Raeford posrmasier,
said this week that the post office
department had definitely approved
Raeford for local city postal delivery.
J.H. Blue this week accepted the
chairmanship of the Annual Easter drive
by the Raeford Shrine club for the
benefit of crippled children and adults.
W.H. Fann, plant manager for the
local plant of Robbins Mills. Inc. said
yesterday that some of the machinery
had been set up at the plant and that
limited production had been started in
connection with an employed training
program.
The Flora Macdonald Glee Club of
sixty voices will be heard Sunday
evening in a sacred concert at the
Raeford Presbyterian Church.
The Raeford board of commissioners
mei lasl Friday afternoon at the town
hall to pass on a request for the opening
of a sirect from the county garage on
N.C. 211 south to U.S. 15-A at the
Raeford Super Market. Action on the
matter was deferred.
From Poole's Medley:
Sherman's Army of Pennsylvania
Cermans entered the town of
Fayetteville in March 1865. They
burned a good pattern of the city.
Clyde Upchurch, Jr., county
chairman for the annual fund drive of
the American Red Cross, said yesterday
that the county had raised
approximately S1000 of the S1750 goal.
15 years ago
Thursday, March 31, 1960
The 1060 Census of Population and
Housing, the nation's 18th decennial
nose count, gets underway on Friday
morning, April I, with 160,000 census
takers starting their rounds which will
take them to every dwelling unit in the
United States.
This proves I Ike you $6.6 bHon more than he does'
by Marty Vega
Mail Here Piles Up Again
m
The mail has been piling up again,
along with the empty Coke bottles and
overflowing ashtrays. Apparently some
readers have confused this columnist
with Dear Ahby, Jack Anderson, liwell
Gibbons, or somebody else who has the
time or inclination to give personal
replies to readers' questions.
As we have stated many times before,
we regret we are unable to send personal
replies, even if a stamped, sell-addressed
envelope is enclosed. If you send me
one. all I will do is peel off the stamp
witlt my long fingernail and use it to
mail my car payment in. So. only letters
of general interest are published.
DKAR MARTY: Arc you aware of
the reports of the latest consumer fraud,
selling phony porcupine eggs to tourists
and other unsuspecting out-of-towners?
I certainly am. and while we haven't
been able to determine how widespread
tins practice is, I and my associates are
closely investigating it at this very time
Our preliminary investigation reveals
most of the victims are Northeners.
primarily big city dwellers, whose only
desire was to take home a souvenir from
North Carolina.
Unscrupulous operators have been
passing off these porcupine eggs as the
genuine article, when in reality, they arc
obvious facsimiles. My advice, if you
have been approached, is before
entering into any agreement to
purchase, go to your public library and
thoroughly familiarize yourself with
what an authentic porcupine egg
resembles. Don't be gullible and believe
what die salesman tells you. Do business
with only reputable porcupine egg
dealers.
Frankly, this dim flam has been so
successful laigcly because it is very
difficult for the average person to
distinguish between a fake porcupine
egg and the real thing, and the
perpetrators have capitalized on this.
If you really want a souvenir, it's a
safe bet to stick Willi the scented candle
stores in Pinehurst, or pick up a cheap
bedspread or some towels along l-?>5. If
you want a REAI. souvenir to impress
your friends, buy a carton of cigarets
for SI.85. This will astound almost
anyone north of die Mason-Dixon line.
Personally, Iroin a humanitarian
point of view, 1 think it is very cruel to
take away the eggs from the mother
porcupine for purposes of sheer
commercialization. Of course, legitimate
porcupine breeders have always
demonstrated a strong sense of social
responsibility. It's these crooks who
must be exposed lor what they are.
DEAR MARTY: I understand you
are quite a becrhound, so what is your
position on the proposal pending before
the ABC board to distribute Coors (the
famous Colorado beer) here?
You came to the right person with
this. Any straight thinking citizen who
likes good beer will be making plans to
attend the big upcoming demonstration
we are going to hold in front of the
Charlotte ABC offices in the near
future.
If you don't already own an
'America's I ine Elgin Beer' sweatshirt,
wiite to any college bookstore in
Colorado. Wyoming, or New Mexico
right away so you can lie sure to have it
in time for the big rally. We don't want
to be burdened with placards and crude,
heavy signs to carry, so order youi
sweatshirt now so as to identify yourself
as pro?Coors. If you are already
committed to the ERA. tax reform,
abortion, repeal of sales tax, cancel
everything and join us in this battle.
This is far more important to the basic
fiber of life hcie.
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Hear editor:
I have been reading articles in the
newspapers and magazines about how
school kids aren't learning as much as
they used to - that is. about scholastic
things, not some other things. On those
other things they may be ahead of most
of us.
But on scholastics, over the past 12
years the average grade on the
Scholastic Aptitude Test high school
graduates take before entering college
has dropped 38 points, based on tests ot
one million students, so you can see if
anybody in Raeford made a low grade
he's not by himself, the situation
prevails all over the nation for high
school graduates entering college. There
are no entrance requirements for
Congress.
This decline in students' knowledge
has a lot of people worried and there's
considerable clamor to do something
about it. Some want to go back to basic
teaching, some want to get better
teachers, some better school boards, and
some just wring their hands. Nobody
apparently has though of getting better
students.
But I think I have the solution.
There is a private school in New York
whose sole purpose is to teach
politicians and leaders of industry and
business how to answer questions on
television. Well, it's not exactly how to
answer questions, it's how to dodge
them without getting flustered or
stepping on anybody's toes.
For example, you ask any candidate
now running for the nomination for
President In 1976 if he'd accept say
George Wallace or George Meany or
Ralph Nader as a running mate and if he
has been trained properly it'll take htm
live minutes to discuss the democratic
process and how far in the future 1476
is and what the country needs to do is
unite and this nation is big enough for
all shades of opinion and what's the
next question.
Or if the question is about something
he doesn't know anything about, hell
say "it'd be inappropriate for me to go
into that."
Or ask say an oil executive if he
thinks a 100 per cent increase in profits
by his company during the oil embargo
last year wasn't a little high and if he's
been to that school he'll give you a
string of statistics so long that by the
time he's through everybody has
forgotten what the question was and is
sorry it was asked.
Listen to "Meet The Press" or "Face
The Nation" and see if you don't think
they should he re-named "Dodge The
?Question" and "Two-Face The Nation."
I'll tell you. a man's got to go to a
mighty good school to answer a
question about Viet Nam by discussing
the Alaska pipe line, or one about what
he'd do if he were President by
deploring unemployment.
I've often thought reporters ought to
stop asking people on television oral
questions, they ought to just submit a
true-or-false written exam and read off
the answers. Anyway, if that school in
New York can attain such success with
public Figures, it might be interesting to
see it have a go at public education. I've
never seen a school so efficient in
reaching its goals.
Yours faithfully.
J.A.
CI il Kt1' BLUE ? ? ?
People & Issues
ONE THOUGHT - Most everybody,
if pressed hard could come up with a
suggestion as to how to solve the
economic situation in which thousands
are without jobs. A few months ago we
suggested that in trades where many
people are employed like the
automobile manufacturers, that the
hourly wage earners take a 10 percent
temporary reduction in wages with the
understanding that the salaried
employees, who earn higher wages, take
a 20% reduction, with the
manufacturers passing the reductions on
to lowering the price of the automobiles
which would start the wheels of
industry turning much faster again.
Well, it looks like CP&L followed this
suggestion (although they hardly took
the cue from this column) but there has
been no groundswell toward the idea.
Now here is another thought along
the same line. Say an automobile
manufacturer has 10,000 employees but
finds it necessary to lay off a fifth of
the number, or 2,000 employees.
Instead of putting two thousand out on
the unemployment and food stamp
rolls, why not all just work four
eight-hour days instead of five? We
know there would be some
complications, but any way we solve
this economic downdrift is going to
cause some sacrifice and bell-tightning.
Would it not be better for all to sacrifice
a little than for some to sacrifice much?
The Good Book says: Do unto others
as you would have others do unto you.
And too, we saw a headline in the paper
saying: "Recession Losing Punch."
Working together in a spirit of
neighborliness, we believe the great
masses of our people could pull us
'through without throwing the rope to
dear old debt-ridden Uncle Sam for too
much involvement!
GUBERNATORIAL - We keep
hearing names mentioned for governor
or some other top office, latest being
Dr. William Friday, UNC president and
House Speaker Jim Green. Friday, who
in a difficult situation, has done an
outstanding job, has frequently been
mentioned in the past as a possible
gubernatorial candidate. House Speaker
Green, who is now serving his eighth
term in the State House appears to be
doing a good job. While he has been
mentioned tor governor we suspect a
race for the lieutenant governor would
be more to his liking. In a recent
column mentioning possible candidates
for lieutenant governor we have been
reminded that we did not list Waverly F.
Akins, FuquayVarina businessman and
former chairman of the Wake County
Board of Commissioners, who we
understand is an almost sure candidate
for the job.
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY - Last
week this column was devoted to the
presidential primary as it relates to
North Carolina. Last week the House
voted by a lop-sided majority to take
from the people their right to vote in a
presidential primary their sentiments for
their party's nominee.
With the sentiment which we have
observed in favor of the presidential
primary, we do not believe any serious
candidate for governor or lieut.
governor will advocate repeal of this
coveted privilege by the great masses of
people.
It is hard to believe that the State
Senate will follow the House in voting
to take from the people this great
privilege simply because they might be
afraid that George Wallace might carry
the state in 1976 as he did in 1972. In
1972 the presidential primary proved
more popular than did the races for
governor or United States senator with
the participation in the presidential
primary exceeding the gubernatorial
vote by more than 10.000.
GOVERNMENT -- Speaking at a
Chamber of Commerce meeting in
Erwin a night last week Secretary of
State Thad Fure said that government
was the most important thing to an
American, outside religion.
KISSINGER -- Senator Jesse Helms
has called for the resignation of
Secretary of State Kissinger. Jesse is
making a sound and conscientious
senator and by the same token we
believe Henry Kissinger has tried as hard
as anyone to bring about peace, and has
done as much as anyone else could have
done. No doubt but that Henry has
made some errors, but who hasn't? We
will give him an "A" for effort and hope
that we may continue to have his
services for peace.
Raleigh Report
Tax Bite Is 10 Per Cent
By Rep. David R. PameU
If the income all of us in North
Carolina received in 1973 were divided
equally, we would all have had income
of $4,282 for every person. Statisticians
call it per capita income.
If all the state and local taxes paid
were divided equally, each of us would
have paid $425.32.
On a per capita basis - each man,
woman, and child - we paid just under
10 per cent (9.9 per cent) of our income
in state and local taxes in 1973.
Our state consitution places upon the
legislature fiscal responsibility by
forbidding deficit financing. In other
words, if we can't pay, we don't get.
That means tight money situations,
like we have in this recession year,
require us to look at spending even
more closely.
We are considering budget requests
very carefully this session.
All of us would like to have more
money, and we can give some mighty
convincing justifications why we should
have it. State government agencies are
no different. Hut someone has to decide
where to draw the line. I am one of
those "someones."
We don't want to hamper essential
services, but particularly this year, we
are questioning how essential a service is
before we finance it.
Because of the uncertainty of the
economy this year, we are having to
wail for more reliable revenue estimates
before we make firm budget decisions.
It may be late May before we can get
a revenue picture clear enough to base
solid budget decisions on.
The time to consider tax cuts is when
we have a firm idea of revenue.
The state budget, like the family
budget, needs a cushion to handle
unforeseen matters requiring extra
money. It is desirable for. state
government to have a certain amount of
flexibility to effectively cope with
changing circumstances. A budget
cu^iion allows this flexibility.
At the beginning of the 1974-75
fiscal year on July I, 1974, we had a
cushion of more than $180 million.
Our estimated curfiion to begin the
1975-76 fiscal year on July 1,1975 will
be just over $IOOmillion.
In the southeastern states, our state
government's fiscal position isamong
the strongest. Some slates acAs the
nation are running deficits. Lefl than
half are reporting estimated'' credit
balances. ?
A recent estimate by the
Employment .Security Commission of
North Carolina placed unemployment in
the state at 10.4 per cent of the work
force.
County rates ranged from a low 4.9
per cent unemployment in Wake
County to a high of 30.8 per cent in
Warren County.
Hoke County's unemployment rate
was listed as 14.1 per cent.
Letter To
The Editor
Dear Editor:
Has anyone noticed that 7,000 beer
cans are missing from the roadsides of
Hoke County? Students from two
Social Studies classes at South Hoke
School collected aluminum cans for two
weeks. Thirty - two children
participated in this "clean-up"
campaign, hauling in a total of 343
pounds. I am proud of their hard work,
and hope they will set an example for
other citizens in this area.
We would like to thank Mr. Bill
Johnson, who loaded and carried the
cans in his truck to Lumberton. where
they were sold to the Reynolds
Aluminum Recycling Company. He gave
a lot of his time to help make our
project successful.
Sincerely,
Donna Miller
(Teacher - South Hoke)
Stories Behind Words
by William S. Penfield
Cataract
The Greeks called a waterfall
"kataraktes," meaning something that
rushed down.
When gates that slid vertically were
installed in the walls of a city, they wer#
called "kataraktes" -- because they were
dropped down, blocking,the entrance of
an enemy force.
"Kataraktes" became "cataracta" in
Latin and "cataract" in English.
An eye condition in which a film
obstructs vision was likened to a sliding
door that obstructed a gateway. The eye
condition, therefore, was called a
"cataract."
Budget
The word "budget" - The estimated
cost of operation for a given time -
originally meant a tittle bag.
The Latin word for bag was "bulga,"
which passed into French as "bouge."
"Bougette", was the diminuitive form
meaning little bag. Money was canted in
Utile bags, henoe "bougette" acquired
the meaning of purse.