The^Tl ew& - journal
national newspaper
mnahim
!~T~H NMA SVSTAININC
n ? MEMCI - 1976
Q?to?ina\
RRES S
ASSOCIATION
Published Ewj Thunda; at Raeford, N.C. 28376
1 19 W. Etwood Avenue
Subscription Rales In Advance
P?r Year ? S8.00 6 Moo tin - 54.25 3 Month. - S2.25
PAUL DICKSON Publisher? Editor
SAM C- MORRIS General Manager
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
MARTY VEGA
Second Class Postage at Ratford. N.C.
Reporter
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9. 1976
Let's vole FOR someone Tues.
*
Next Tuesday, Sept. 14, is second primary day in North Carolina,
and that includes Hoke County, where there are a couple of contests
also. While there are several runoff races on the state level, there is
not the knock-down battle for the Democratic nomination for
governor which we often have.
Leading the statewide races is that for the Democratic nomination
for lieutenant governor, and this one does set a precedent in that for
the first time ever the leader in the first primary was a black man. He
is Howard Lee, former mayor of Chapel Hill, and he is being
opposed by Jimmy Green, Elizabethtown man who served as speaker
of the last General Assembly.
Henry Bridges, North Carolina's auditor since 1948, is being
opposed by Lillian Woo, who has achieved statewide identity in the
past few years by her activities in the field of seeking better treatment
for consumers of mass produced goods and services.
Jessie Rae Scott, wife of former Governor Robert Scott, was high
in the race for commissioner of labor in the first primary, and is
being opposed by John Brooks, who ran second statewide but was
heavy winner in Hoke County on Aug. 17.
In the Republican runoff David Flaherty, leader first time, is
being opposed by Coy Privette, president of the State Baptist
Convention and most notable for his leadership of the successful
battle against legalized liquor by the drink in North Carolina. There
were 82 Republican votes cast in Hoke County in the August 17
primary.
While these state races don't have the red-hot aspect of some in
the past, charges of sorts against some of the candidates are
beginning to pop up as the day approaches.
The real dirt, racism and worse that we have seen in North
Carolina, does not appear to be present this time, however, and we
should be grateful. We should not, though, use the lack of
something to vote against as an excuse for not voting. The kids are in
school, now, and the spots haven't started running, and it's our
state, so we might as well get there next Tuesday and vote for
someone.
On the county side, the situation is more unusual in that we have
two local races, and all are seeking the offices for the first time.
For county commissioner. Neil W. McPhatter was nominated in
the first primary, being high in a field of five. For the other
nomination Charlie Pendergrass, who ran second, is being opposed
by Daniel DeVane, who is third. Pendergrass is a farmer of the
western part of the county and DeVane is a Raeford merchant and
auctioneer.
The other Hoke County race is for the office of register of Deeds
and finds Delia Maynor, who ran far ahead in a field of six in the
first primary, being opposed by Frances W. Greene, who finished
second. Maynor has worked for some time as an assistant in the
register of deeds' office, while Greene's employment has been with
the Raeford Chamber of Commerce and auto license agency.
As in the state races, there has been little dirt thrown here in the
county, and most consider all candidates to be acceptable. The fact
is though, that the winners will represent and serve us all. and it does
seem that more than the 47 per cent who voted August 17 could find
the time and energy -- and sense of responsibility -- to get to the
voting place and take a minute to express ourselves next Tuesday.
Let's do it. Our county and state deserve this much of us.
i
'Shake well before using'
The Christian Science Monitor
by Marty Vega
Riders Make Decision
(Part II) While the group of riders
out on the western trail milled
around at the bend in the road,
(not at the crest of the hill as was
detailed in last week's chapter),
discussing whether to continue
their journey over the alien looking
freshly paved road, lamps were
being lit in the settlers' homes back
in the village of LaGrange. (The
settlement of Loch Lommond had
been abandoned and the colony
moved northward over the rugged
route to be closer to Ft. Thunder
clap. more convenient for guerilla
action when it came time for the
invasion and takeover of the fort)
As the lamps were glowing and
supper cooking in the kitchens, the
talk turned to the usual matters.
How the crops looked, that bridle
on the mare needed stitching,
another sack of flour would have to
be fetched, what was or TV that
night.
But in one home the conversation
turned to a matter which had been
in the daily gazette for some time
now. the matter of merging the
telephone exchanges between the
two sillages of Raeford and Fay
etteville. and with Ft. Thunder
clap. too.
For it seemed to some that one of
the real issues was becoming
clouded to those most concerned,
just as clouded as the sun in a
summer sky of thunderheads, or as
clouded as the glasses as they come
out of the dishwasher.
For the villagers who lived near
to the phone company's central
station, they paid only a little more
than five crowns a month, yet the
pioneers who moved away from the
village to the outer reaches of the
county, like tiny settlements like
Dundarrach. paid eight or nine
crowns a month for the same
service.
"Why is this be?", cried one.
"Do ye say it is fair?"
It seemed there was nothing that
could be done, as the phone
Browsing in the files
of The News-Journal
25 years ago
Thursday, September 6, 1951
Robert Gatlin, chairman of the
county board of education, said
yesterday that he felt that the
people of this county whose chil
dren will be busting out of the
seams of some of the schools
(particularly Raeford Graded) to
day were entitled to know why the
buildings for which they voted
5280,000 had not been built.
? * *
Flora Macdonald College an
ticipated a great year with all of its
domitories filled to capacity.
* * *
The Raeford Kiwanis club
elected its 1952 officers at the
club's regular weekly meeting last
Thursday night, and Marion H.
Gatlin was elected president.
? * ?
Sheriff Hodgin and Deputies
Wright and Meeks went into
QuewhifTle township Saturday and
found a 500 ? gallon whiskey still
and destroyed it.
i
From Poole's Medley:
Children know right from wrong,
but they do not want someone to
direct who is not in authority. My
little brothers refused to be
obedient to me.
? * #
Battery A. 130th AAA Battalion
North Carolina National Guard.
Raeford and Hoke County's unit,
rolled into Raeford from Fort
McClellan, Alabama, at about 6:15
last Sunday afternoon, the first of
their incampments they have
managed to return from in the
daytime in several years.
* ? ?
J. Irvin Hubbard, manager of
Collins Department Store here for
several years, and lately manager of
Collins in Lake City. S.C., will
again manage the local store. Thad
Lowder, temporary manager, said
this week.
15 years ago
Thanday, September 7, 1961
The County Commissioners,
meeting Tuesday in the "Court
house Annex" (Board of Education
Building), ordered the Hoke
/
County Board of Elections to call
special election for Tuesday.
November 7, at which time Hoke
voters will decide whether or not to
authorize a library tax levy of not
more than five certs.
? ? *
On Sunday members of the
Gatlin family gathered at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Neil Senter for a
picnic to honor Mrs. B.R. Gatlin.
Mrs. Gatlin was 94 yesterday.
? * *
The old Jubilee costumes are
being dusted off again in many
Hoke homes, this time for a fashion
show in Fayetteville set for tonight
(Thursday) at 8 p.m. at a Fay
etteville department store.
? * ?
Duncan Lacy McNeill, son of
Mr. and Mrs. William L. McNeill
of Raeford. has enlisted in the
United States Navy.
* * *
While neighboring Robeson
County took it on the chin with
eight traffic fatalities over the
holiday weekend, Hoke "lucked it
out" with only two routine acci
dents.
companies limited replied that the
farther one is from the central
station, the more equipment it
takes to amplify a voice over the
greater distance of the lines. And
so. faced with that explanation, it
became clear that the settlers in
Dundarrach were paying the cost of
amplifying the voice of a villager
who called, whether they wanted to
hear it or not. there being some
pesty callers. ?
What came out of all this
discussion? The group agreed that
this idea could produce additional
revenue which cities and villages
everywhere needed as the people
who lived farther from the water
plant could therefore be charged
more monthly for their water than a
person living on the same block as
the water plant, as they could claim
the water had to travel over a
GREATER DISTANCE
THROUGH THE LINES.
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Dear Editor:
According to an article I read in
a newspaper last night, the govern
ment is going to build the biggest
windmill in the history of mankind,
with blades spanning 200 feet on a
tower 140 feet high, to see how
much electricity we can get from
the wind. It'll cost 7 million dollars
and. if the wind doesn't die too
often, is supposed to generate
enough electricity for 500 homes.
I have give this considerable
thought and have run into a few
stumbling blocks. For instance, the
interest on 7 million dollars at 7 per
cent is $490,000 a year, which
comes to $980 per home if the
windmill supplies 500, before any
charge for electricity is added on."
Whatever your electric bill is now,
just add that on to the $980. This of
course does not include incidental
maintenance costs for the rig, such
as axle grease to keep the giant mill
from squeaking and thus avoiding
a noise-pollution lawsuit by the
environmentalists. And also it
doesn't allow anything for the
repayment of the 7 million dollars,
although with government loans
that's sometimes not necessary.
But I was just thinking, the
average windmill with an 8-foot
blade span like ranchers use to
pump water costs about $1,000. I
don't know how much electricity
one would generate, but say you
tripled its size. That ought to
produce enough electricity for one
home, if you live in a windy part of
the country. So say one electricity
generating windmill per home cost
$3,000. For 7 million dollars you
could get 2,300 such windmills,
taking care of 2,300 homes.
So let's say the wind is the
answer to the energy problem.
Right now I want to announce that
I have filed a claim in Washington
for sole ownership of all the wind
that blows in this country. The
company will be known as General
Wind. Incorporated, and while I
have no notion a meter can be
developed to measure the amount
of wind blowing through a wind
mill's blades, there certainly is one
you can put on the other side to
measure the amount of electricity
coming out.
Stock in this company will be
limited to people who have well
established reputations as blow
hards. The board of directors will
consist mostly of Congressmen.
Yours faithfully,
J. A.
Letters To The Editor
Dear Sir:
In an editorial carried in the
August 26. 1976 edition of the
News Journal, the miestion of how
long will the sheriff have to face
investigation was asked. 1 don't
know , but 1 can suggest a few areas
to be investigated First, is the
attention not paid to maintaining
the peace in minority neighbor
hoods. Knifings, beatings and
O.K. Corral type shootouts occur
wholesale with the bare minimum
of action taken by the sheriffs
department. The attitude that "the
only good Indian is a dead Indian"
is still alive, well and prescribed to
by the sheriff s department, and
every weekend the bad Indians are
making good ones.
Second, the sheriff s personal
conduct toward Indians need in
vestigation. On the night of the
open hearing held before the Board
of County Commissioners, the
Sheriff showed pure, unadulterated
contempt for the Indian Citizens
assembled to hear his answer to my
charges. When his turn came to
speak, he pranced in, whipped out
his statement, snorted his nose and
said he cam to address the Board of
County Commissioners and no one
else. This attitude reflects the
Richard Nixon attitude that the
sheriff considers himself superior to
Indians and that he does not have
to account to the people he is
supposed to serve and who pays his
salary. He finished his statement,
pirouted and said over his shoulder
that he was now going home to his
wife and children. He feels that
other good Indians are those who
vote for him on election day. and
those who kill each other, steal and
generally terrorize law abiding
Indians. They pay little for their
crimes and are soon released to ply
their trades again. Cat-houses, juke
joints, and bootleggers flourish in
minority neighborhoods. What
legal reasons can the Sheriff give
for the continuance of this
situation? If the sheriff s depart
ment is notified about a dis
trubance. Indian citizens are told
the department can do nothing.
Would he do something if the
disturbances occured in his
neighborhood?
Third, the integrity of the
sheriffs word needs investigation.
He stated that he would resign if
any citizen other than me asked
him to resign. A petition with many
names was presented, but the
sheriff still clings to his job. He
further stated that he would not
seek office again. Is he a man of his
word?
Now for the judge. What ruling
other than the one handed down
did anyone expect in this citadel of
plantation politics, especially from
a judge who had stated before the
trial that Barrington was one of the
three best sheriffs in North Caro
lina? If Pou Baily were Indian (God
forbid), if he lived in Hoke County,
if he experienced the neglect of just
law enforcement as an Indian, he
could not still hold the same
opinion of the sherifT s department.
Pou Bailey's attack on me for ?
bringing charges against Barring
ton for his admitted wrongdoing
was typical of what Indians expect
from Southern judges. Charges
brought by a thousand Indians
would not have been sufficient to
remove the sherifT from office.
As for being vindictive, this too is
a typical characterization of
minorities who seek justice or bring
charges against public officials.
We've endured hundereds of years
of such negatives. It still goes on;
we still endure. However, we
seldom bring charges and almost
never get justice. In Hoke County,
where is justice? Is it reserved only
for former sheriff's daughters?
Sincerely.
Elisha Dial
EDITOR S NOTE-The writer of
the above letter served as deputy
sheriff in Hoke County until
discharged by Sheriff David M.
Barrington in January of 1976.
Dear Sir;
Why should Mr. Autry have not
fired Mr. W. Ronnie Branch who is
out on Bail for Stealing Tobacco.
This is not to mention what happen
last year with the stolen tractor that
he bought.
My concern is that if he is given
permission to continue to work with
our children in Hoke County, what
type of influence will this have on
them. I personally don't want my
children to be taught by this type of
a person. Had this been an Indian
or a Black teacher they would have
been fired last year when the
tractor deal came up. No they
continue to let him teach our
children. The FBI and the SBI is in
on this investigation maybe all the
facts will come to the light. Most of
the people didn't even know about
the tractor. This was a cover up by
our so called politicans in this
County.
Sincerely.
J.J. Jones
EDITOR S NOTE - W. Ronnie
Branch, assistant principal of
Scurlock Elementary School east of
Raeford. was among six persons
charged in connection with the >
theft ofS35.000 worth of tobacco in
Robeson County recently. He was
to be on leave of absence from his
teaching duties until a hearing on *
the chi:~?j, to be held in Lum
berton on Wednesday of this week.
People & Issues *
SUNSET LAWS -- In recent
weeks we have been hearing right
much about "sunset" laws. In the
recent Tar Heel gubernatorial
primary, George Wood advocated
"Sunset" laws. "Sunset" laws
would terminate practically all
spending programs every five years,
unless renewed by Congress or a
State Legislature.
This would give the State
Legislature or Congress the op
portunity to discard out - dated and
useless bureaucracy which had
served its day and purpose. Senator
Muskie of Maine has expressed the
belief that "sunset" laws which he
calls, "most radical," will pass
because it offers a "neutral process
to focus our energies on the
important task of making govern
ment more productive. This is an
undertaking in which every one of
us ?? liberals and conservatives
alike -- has a vital stake," says the
Maine senator.
MARYLAND -- The state of
Maryland refused a S60.000 grant
from the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare for a
consumer education program be
cause costs of completing forms
would have approximated 75 per
cent of the grant, Reports the
Commission of Paperwork!
TOBACCO OBSERVER -- The
Tobacco Observer is a brand new
publication just off the press with
an introduction by former Con
gressman Horace R. Kornegay of
Greensboro who is president of The
Tobacco Institute. "Our new
publication will, in newspaper
style, report on government ac
tivities, research results, industry
activities, and other public events
of interest to those whose liveli
hoods are in some way associated
with tobacco," says Mr. Kornegay.
Paul Knopick is editor of the 12 -
page tabloid printed on book
paper. The mailing address of the
new publication is: 1776 K. Street,
Northwest, Washington, D.C.
20006.
TWO WEEKS - South Carolina
held its first primary on Tuesday,
August 31 , two weeks after the Tar
Heel primary, but in two weeks
time it will hold its second primary
on Tuesday, September 14 -? the
same day as the North Carolina
second primary. If South Carolina
can do it in two weeks -? why can't
North Carolina.
TOO MUCH AND TOO
LITTLE! -? Recently in this column
I discussed the acute problems that
arises when we have too much rain
and then the problems that beset us
when a dry spell comes along. With
this in mind I was interested to
receive a letter from Frank H.
Jeter, Jr., public relations officer
for the Soil Conservation Service of
the USDA from which I quote:
"I was very pleased to read your
comments, in your column the first
week in September, on paving,
development, runoff and flooding.
You are absolutely right in saying
that such activities do cause more
flooding; it's not raining more than
it used to, you do read more about
flooding in various parts of the
country -- and the floods are often
caused by the conditions you
mentioned. By conservative esti
mate, we believe that 200 acres of
rural land -- forest, pasture, row
crops and the like -- are converted
to 'urbanization' each day here in
North Carolina. Since you are so
widely read across North Carolina,
I appreciate your bringing at
tention to an important matter."
LAW AGENCY -- We were
interested to note that the House
and Senate in Washington have
voted to put the Law Enforcement
Assistance Administration on trial
by voting to give it another year to
show if it can do something about
crime by spending federal dollars.
The Judiciary Committee report on
the bill said: "The committee has
found no evidence that the program ?
has helped to reduce crime or
isolated specific programs that
reveal why the crime rate increases
and provide guidance on what to do
to reduce it. '
The House last week voted 324 to
See CLIFF BLUE, page 1 3