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NA^AL NEWSWVreR a^s"^^,o?v
ASSOCIATION
Published Etif) Thursday at Raeford. N.C. 2JJ76
119 W. Elwood Avenue
Subscription Rale* In Advance
Per Vear? SS.00 6 Month*? $4.25 3 Months? S2. 25
LOllS H. KOCLEMAN. JK Publisher
PALL DICKSON Editor
HENRY L. BLCfc Production Supervisor
BILL LINDAL' Associate Editor
MRS. PALL DICKSON Society Editor
SAM C.MORRIS Contributing Editor
Second Class Postage at Raeford, N.C.
(USPS JM-260)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25. 1982
Answers needed
The Hoke County commissioners ought to take time out to explain
why the county needs a rural area water system, which will take
about $800,000 of county money.
The explanation is due in view of the fact that the county Financial
priorities have been questioned by statements pointing to needs of
the county school system.
A column written by the county schools' superintendent: Raz
Autry. last month made pointed remarks concerning financing and
pointed to school building needs, specifically at J.W. Turlington
School. Autry also pointed to the fact that though a majority of Hoke
County's voters in 1975 approved issue of $1.25 million in bonds for
county school improvements, the school system received only
5325.000 through bond sales, and the county commissioners gave
S250.000 "to replace a portion of that amount if we agreed not to sell
more." The commissioners at the time was "fully committed." the
column adds, to using federal revenue-sharing funds to help finance
construction. The revenue-sharing money would replace the rest of
the unsold bonds.
The present board. Autry adds, has given "excuses": for
examples, interest rates are too high, and "the people" don't want
any more bonds sold.
A letter to the editor says in effect an area water system would
cause deferment for "twenty years or more ... the more fundamental
issue of school improvements."
In view of the Reagan government's deep reductions in federal aid
to public schools and their programs, and the state's position still
uncertain, the commissioners should explain to the public what the
priorities in county fund spending are based on. In the case of the
proposed area water system, the needs may be to replace the
dependence on wells with a more reliable water system; and to
provide more water for future industry, thus providing another sales
point lor attracting new industry.
In the public interest, the critical statements should be answered.
- BL
Campaign vandalism
James Peterkin. one of the two candidates for Hoke County sheriff
in this year's elections, reports many of his campaign posters have
been lorn down.
We're sure his opponent. Sheriff Dave Barrington. will try to stop
the vandalism. The sheriff doesn't need that kind of "support." and
that kind of "support" backfires anyway, bringing from outrage
votes the victim wouldn't receive ordinarily.
- BL
Remember Chile
From The N. Y. Times
Chile's military chiefs have evidently decided that the Reagan
Administration will cause them no trouble on human rights. On
Dec. 10. which Mr. Reagan had just joined in proclaiming as Human
Rights Day, they arrested at least seven dissidents, including three
officers of Chile's Human Rights Commission.
Last August, the junta showed comparable brazenness. Jaime
Castillo, the commission president, was banished immediately
following a visit to Chile by Jean Kirkpatrick. the United States
delegate to the United Nations. Mrs. Kirkpatrick was thus repaid for
her call for improved ties with Santiago. The more chile persists
in these jailings and expulsions, the more insulting the implied
judgment about Mr. Reagan's backbone. At the united Nations.
American delegates have persistently voted against any censure of
Chile on grounds that Latin America has been invidiously singled
out for censure.
But Latin democracies, in making the same point, abstain. And in
regional forums like the Organization of American States.
Washington has yet to utter a critical peep about Chile where a
return to civilian rule is not even promised before the end of the
decade.
To be sure, "quiet" diplomacy is supposed to produce reforms in
anti-Communist tyrannies like Chile. The arrests on Human Rights
Day show just what the silent approach trulv produces.
Buck-passing, not justice
A couple of separate, unrelated court cases constitute an
undesirable throw-back to an ancient practice used by some
American judges.
The practice is to suspend a sentence provided the culprit leaves
town (or county) by sundown.
In the recent cases, a woman many times convicted of prostitution
in a Florida county was given a suspended sentence provided she
leave the county.
In the other, a man who recently moved to Houston. Tex., from
Michigan, was given probation provided he leave Texas within 3()
days. He had been found guilty of carrying a gun at a rock concert.
In view of the fact that few convicted people would prefer jail to
leaving the community, the effect of these judges' actions is to dump
one community's problem on another.
That's not justice. That's just passing the buck.
?BL
[ It's a Small W orld
By Bill Lindau
The Charlotte Humane Society
says bringing in hawks is the only
solution left in the city's quest to
get rid of a bodacious swarm of
blackbirds in the city's plush Myers
Park section.
Before the city fathers bring in
any hawks to get rid of the
blackbirds, they better review the
experience of the Marine Corps
with a similar problem on Vieques
Island off the cost of Puerto Rico.
Seems Vieques, which is a
Marine training area, was overrun
with rates. So after rat poison and
other stuff tailed, somebody came
up with the idea of importing one of
rats' natural enemies -- snakes.
So the Marines imported some
snakes. Sure enough, the snakes
gobbled up everything that looked
like a rat on the island. While they
were doing this, the snakes multi
plied.
But after the rats were all gone,
they kept right on multiplying.
So pretty soon Vieques Marines
were up to their hips in snakes.
Well, after trying to gel rid of i he
surplus serpents unsuccessfully bv
various means, somebody re
membered Rikki Iikki Tavi of
Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle
Books." Rikki is small, bin lie's got
guts. It you got a cobra in your
yard, you can sic Rikki on it. and
that will take care of surplus
cobras, even if you think only one is
surplus. Rikki the mongoose is lust
about the only animal who has the
courage to attack a cobra.
So the Marines imported a
bunch of the little critters trom
India, where they are popular, or
somewhere, and put them to work,
even though one kind of snake the
island was shott of was cobra.
Sure enough, before they could
even start hunting a new pit to hiss
in. the snakes were gone.
Not only were the snakes gone,
but not long after the snakes
vanished, so did every frog and
other amphibious creature, except
Marines.
So. as of May I4hb. Vieques had
110 snakes or frogs or stuff like that.
But it had plenty of mongooses.
Somebody suggested they go back
to the drawing board and find a
critter which would get rid of the
mongooses.
But wiser heads prevailed, so 1
heard, and quickly rejected any
more of that "natural enemy *
technique. After all. you might
wind up being overrun with critters
a lot more bothersome than mon
gooses.
Then. too. the mongooses proved
very useful in another way. After
they ate all the spakes. they got rid
of the Marines' garbage, every day.
And besides being useful, they're
so darn cute.
* * *
1 made a guess about the plural
of mongoose. It might be mun
geese. But I'm toola/y to look it up
in the dictionary.
Like the guy who was bothered
with cobras in his back yard. A
friend told hint about the mon
goose. and where to get the little
beasts.
So he sat down and started
writing a letter to a mongi>ose
supply company in India.
"Dear Sir." he started. "Please
send me two mongeese."
That "mongeese" didn't look
right, so he tore up the letter and
tried again.
"Dear Sir." he wrote. "Please
send me two mongooses."
Well, .that "mongooses" didn't
look right either. So he lore up that
second letter and thought and
thought. Finally he came up with a
good solution.
faking another sheet of paper,
started a new letter.
"Dear Sir." he wrote. "Please
send me a mongoose.
"And. by the way. send me
another one."
* * *
Fhere was a mistake in the
column about Sewanee. In one
place, it came out "Sewage."
That's not what I meant at all.
Puppy Creek Philosopher
Dear editor:
There's a man working tor the
Internal Revenue Service in
Washington who can solve ilic na
tion's economic woes.
Some big stores brought him a
problem about the IRS rule that
says a store, when it winds up with
a lot of merchandise that won't
sell, can donate it to "needy in
fants" and deduct the full cost of
the stuff from its income tax.
But, they pointed out, stores fre
quently have un-sold merchandise
that won't fit an infant. For exam
ple, a batch of unpopular size 12
shoes or women's dresses that have
gone out of style.
No problem, the IRS man said
From now on an infant is anybody
not over 21 years of age. Fair
enough, the stores said.
That's the man we need to solve
our economic problems. As
everybody knows, the size of the
Federal deficit is a scary thing. But
if that IRS man can raise the age of
3 an infant, why can't he by the
same method lower the size of the
deficit, now calculated at S92
billion?
All he'd have to do is rub out
one little zero at the tailend . The
deficit then, instead of being
$92,000,000,000, would be
$9,200,000,000 and everybody
knows we could live with one no
bigger than that, a mere $9.2
billion In fact, he could round it
off to an even $9 billion, on the
grounds that decimal points always
have been confusing.
And there are other possibilities.
If he can rub out a zero, certainly
he can add one. For example, just
add a zero to a $1 bill and
automatically it becomes a $10 bill.
It wouldn't be necessary to print
jp a new batch. Just declare the $1
>nes now in circulations are
automatically upped to $10.
Doesn't the post office get by with
declaring a stamp with no price
printed on it is worth whatever it
iays it wants it to be. in the current
rase 20 cents?
Enclosed are three $1 bills
amounting to $30. Please renew
my subscription and mail me a
check for the difference.
Yours faithfully
I. A
CLIFF BLUE . . .
People & Issues
CARTER... Former President
Carter, when running for Presi
dent in 1976 led the people to
believe that if elected he would
balance the budget in the third or
fourth year of his administration.
He didn't and was defeated.
Unless President Reagan
changes his policies, he is very like
ly to follow in the foot steps of his
Southern Predecessor!
After reading the newspapers,
and particularly the financial sec
tions, one must admit that condi
tions have not improved in the past
12 months and more.
BALANCING THE BUDGET
... It is imperative that the Federal
budget be balanced in the not too
distant future if our government is
to remain a strong democracy and
a world leader.
This can be done by the Presi
dent calling upon the Congress to
join him in reducing government
salaries by 10 percent, of those
making S22.000 or more per year;
and those making less than $22,000
and more than $12,000 by 5 per
cent.
This would be an incentive for
State, County and municipal
governments to do the same thing.
Government in the United States
has become overly expensive, and
municipal, county and state is
following closely behind.
It will take a strong president
and a dedicated congress to follow
such a course. It will take a
"Franklin D. Roosevelt" to lead!
President Reagan could possibly
do it. It will not be a popular move
and might mean a "one term"
president.
HOLL!NGS...With more than
two years before the nominating
conventions, we predict that
Senator Hollings' name will be
presented to the 1986 Democratic
National Convention for nomina
tion for president. Remember: 1
don't predict that he will be
nominated, or not nominated, but
his budget proposal has much to
offer in the direction of a balanced
budget.
THAD EURE...A few days ago
1 chatted briefly with Secretary of
State Thad Eure. I asked him
about his running for re-election
and he replied, "I've never stop
ped running." Word conies pretty
straight to me that Thad will be op
posed by Betty Ann Knudson. 1
come primary time 1982. Mrs.
Knudson makes it clear that she
will be running for Secretary of
State and not against Mr. Eure.
HOME OWNERS.. .It used to
be that when a couple married, one
of the first things they began to
think about after the honeymoon
was over, was a home of their own
or maybe some years away.
The cost of homes and financing
today is out of the reach of many *
and no doubt but that they are
regarding "home ownership" as
little more than a passing dream.
Despite the bleak outlook, we
would advise young couples to
think toward "home ownership,"
yes, "Home owners make better
citizens," is an old phrase we have
often heard.
FEDERAL LANDS. ..We have
been reading right much in recent ^
days about Federal land and the ?
thought of the U.S. Government
selling the land and paiying off the
National debt.
We would be opposed to the sale
of the'land if there were any par
ticular use that it might be needed
for the good of the country.
Senator Charles Percy, Paula
Hawkins and others have introduc
ed legislation to authorize the
government to sell Federal lands
and pay off the nation's debt with 0
the funds received.
Certainly there is vast Federal
acreage in the west and in Alaska.
Whatever is no longer needed by
the Federal government, and one
suspects it's more than anyone
realizes, and whatever its value,
and one suspects it's considerable,
might well be auctioned off to help
pay off the nation's debt which has
reached the trillion mark! fc
Letter To The Editor
Editor. '///,? Nv\v.\-J,,iirinil
Pcrhaps it\ premature to be
h uhTh T ''![ ,h? sumn"-,r- hut
al t rf.nd CO,lc^c s,ud?'s
annfi -it V W oul tn,P'?'vnient
applications, considering attendini!
summer school. or think, nj. a&
visiting places of interest.
Ho^r 'hv y<Hinu P??Ple in
Hoke County are looking forward
those l!"1" n"r,h 3,1(1 sPcndill|>
.. . h*/y> erazv davs of sum
mer m New York. Newark. Balti
"u?re and Washington. not .o
hv? i".. ?r lounM aMrac,i,,ns b?< ?>
'"?? id the crowded "j-helto" tene
w'k a"d '?am ,hc streets.
hen I w;,s y rowing up. my
lam.lv ,o,ned the post-war mass
exodus Iron. New York City to a
^'jrbil purchased underX"^!
BM Ounn,, hc and Ws ^
wh eh / ',ad 3 Pr"Kram in
share. hm'OS l,ktf nii,,tf ??uld
Mian the jjreat outdoors" with
"iiderpru itemed city kids so thev
could escape the ghetto lor a week
or two d urine the summer
So wh> then would a teenager
brought up ... the country, even
under the poorest conditions, wan,
o Spend those hot summer days on
nic sieannn.u. congested streets ot
Northern cues where drugs and
day hie "" aCCt'p,cd Parl <>? every
lreshm,al Ct,"U'r' a '^year-old
N Y1'."- V,h"?!m up in Queens.
, ? " as seen her share o|
violence. Her brother-in-law ?as
She I ;" h'S aPar??'?<
, Sdld anyone can buy drugs
sm> on | list about anv street She
mm lives ... Kaelord with her
Miandmothu- and during vacat.ons
Nell York "
A sophomore. Jan.es Grace, will
<? staying ... Baltimore with his
n!i It 0 C?"sin a*ai" ,his sum
.. m ' V,nic ^'U>N" pull a
.tun on his cousin last year
h.r unately. they realized in time
'hat he was not the one they were
V'.Jar Sa'd P'" ai,d sPct'd are
easy I,, buy. and prostitutes are
avs waiting lor business. "We
Vol into a whole lo, o| tights
Almost every lin.e we we(.t out'
there wak a l.L.ht. " Thev went to .he
movies several times. Bruce Let
and other KunB Fu movie,' and
twice ended up in lights.
m,m.0"l5C Cn|OV Slav,n? in Balti
r,o w T rCa"V- bl" mv aunt
t".? Wjshin|{ton to work . so I
t as with my cousin "
Danny McPhaul and James
fchb"?h 'iVCd Brooklyn
. ,hc.v ?ere voung. James
witnessed the results ol a man " ho
and then tell Iron, "about
the fourth floor."
//, '? r/, St'CM z-,s Mf *,M,d "'"vies -
karat..' m'"' C and other
karate movies. We go abou, every
They bo. h like going i,, N.Y.
because there is "lots to do. Wo
hang around and maybe play ball.-'
What they don't like is having to be
home early. No. there aren't any
curfews. but "it you have on
expensive sneakers or clothes you
better be in before dark or someone
will grab 'em."
On Halloween "the hi dudes
beats up and takes the candy and
stuff from the little jokers."
None of these young people have
been inside of a museum, to the
Statue of Liberty or to any of the
government buildings in Washing
ton. James Pcguesc did go to the
/oo once, with his first grade class.
Naomi Johnson
Read Luke 6: 27-36
A widow came up to two of us
and offered us some money for i
relief work in Uganda. We knew *
that she had recently come from
that country and that her husband
had been brutally murdered there.
We had decided earlier that we
would not approach her for a gift.
The money she offered obviously
represented a considerable sacri
fice. and we were staggered as she
made her gift. We explained our
feeling to her. She replied. "It is i
true that I suffered severely in
Uganda, but God has been merci
ful in forgiving my sin and in
bringing me out of the country
alive. I w ant to show the same spirit
to those sufferers who are left in the
country." How active God was in
this woman's life!
Most of us find it hard to show
mercy to those whom we feel have
hurt us. Yet Jesus was merciful to
all those who treated Him badly,
even Peter, who denied ever having '
known Him. When we recall Jesus'
spirit, we can follow His example
and be merciful to those who injure
us.
PRAYER: God of forgiveness, we
rejoice in Thy mercy shown to us.
We especially thank I hee that it is
spontaneous and full. Help us to
show the same spirit to those who
need mercy from us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
By God's grace I can show mercy
today.
- copyright -THE UPPER ROOM
-Gordon Chil vers (England)
I LIKE CALLING
CAROLINA HOlfp
*