Opinions
Farmers looking at new rules
By W.B. Jenkins
N.C. Farm Bureau Federation
Larry Jones, extension professor
of Ag Economics at the University
of Kentucky says that farmers who
will be farming in the year 2000
will be those who understand and
play by the new rules of the game
that have been introduced since
1979.
It will be those farmers who
manage with a focus on sound
financial management ... those
that use records to stress efficiency
rather than volume and those that
develop a sound marketing pro
gram. More specifically, it will be
farmers who emphasize controlling
the cost of production ... main
taining excellent records ... and
locking in profits with advance
marketing techniques.
Professor Jo;ies says the odds
are that agriculture will endure
several more years of lean times
but the longer-run outlook is
brighter than the current environ
ment would suggest.
He also stated it would be
unrealistic to think that we'll
return to the U.S. agriculture of
the 70's. It is expected that
farmland values will stabilize and
interest rates will remain higher
than the rate of inflation. Exports
will grow at a slower pace and
agriculture will continue to be at
the mercy of international political
and economic events.
It's good for farmers to think
about the long-term outlook for
agriculture, but we also have to
realize that many farmers are look
ing at the short-term challenge of
getting through 1985 and 1986.
Characters make life richer
Characters who made America
folklore rich and rewarding have
played a great part in my life. One
of the greatest characters I have
known was David Jones, affec
tionately known as Tom Dooley.
He lived in my part of the county
and became my boyhood hero.
During World War II, Tom was
finally inducted in the Army after
two rejections.
The first time he reported for in
duction he was rejected because of
reasons not clear to him. When
someone suggested it might be
because of his I.Q. Tom became
very indignant and said, "that is a
lie, I can see as good as anybody."
A few months later the Army
got desperate and decided they had
a place for him. His father was the
proudest man in the county. He
went from place to place bragging
about Tom's roll in fighting the
war. When someone asked Mr.
Jones who was Tom fighting, he
replied the Japs. Not being able to
restrain his bragging, he boasted
that his boy had killed 25 Jap
fighters. One of his listeners
wanted to know where he was
fighting. Sticking out his chest fur
ther, he replied Fort Bragg.
Finally Tom's training was over
at Fort Bragg, and the unit was to
complete training in Virginia. It
was necessary to take a ferry across
the James River to get to the train
ing site. Being totally unfamiliar
with ferrys, Tom was convinced he
was being shipped overseas. Near
panic because he couldn't possibly
imagine going overseas without a
rifle, Dooley finally reached the
sergeant in charge of his platoon
and demanded a gun to defend
himself. His superior was so flab
bergasted and mad with Tom's ig
Looking On
Raz A utry
norance that he put him in hand
cuffs and locked him in the
stockade when they reached the
training site.
Declaring him dangerous to the
war effort, the Army discharged
him and sent him home. The elder
Mr. Dooley spread the word that
Tom had been a prisoner of war
and was discharged because of
shattered nerves.
Not all the characters 1 have
known were as intelligent as Tom,
some of them have been downright
ignorant. One of the more intellec
tual characters was Jack Hogan.
Three daughters were the pride
of Jack's life. He spent a great deal
of his time boasting about their
beauty and charm. All three were
married, however, in conversation
he never mentioned his sons-in
law.
When 1 got to know him better,
I asked him about his in-laws. He
said he had always told his
daughters to look up, and they did.
They looked up three as sorry as
they could find and married them.
Jack walked every place he
went. My curiosity being greater
than a cat's, forced me to ask him
why he didn't have a car. He
related this story:
Buying a new oldsmobile was
the culmination of his life. Driving
to the city of Roanoke Rapids was
a must. This city was the shopping
center for the community of
Gaston.
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All went well until Jack stopped
at Penny's and parked beside a
Mrs. Williams who was known far
and wide as the worst driver in the
east. Before Jack realized he had
parked beside the human wrecker
it was too late. They came out of
the store at the same time.
Hogan insisted Mrs. Williams
leave first. She would have none of
it. Finally, realizing she was not
going to leave, he backed into the
street. Mrs. Williams got in her car
immediately and back into Jack's
door before he could put his car in
drive.
Apologizing for the accident and
assuring him she would cover all
damages, in turn Jack assured her
it was alright and not to worry. It
was important he get away from
her.
Roanoke Rapids is two small
cities with a residential area in be
tween.
Hogan was stopped at a light at
the upper part of town when he
noticed through his rear view
mirror Mrs. Williams ap
proaching. Thinking she was go
ing to stop, he relaxed. She plowed
into the rear of his new car.
Perplexed and near tears, she once
again assured him the car would be
taken care of.
Jack left the scene faster than a
fox leaves a hound. Continuing to
follow his escape route, a
disheartened man with a rumpled
new car headed home. As he turn
ed into the street on the way
downtown, you guessed it, he met
Mrs. Williams. She hit him head
on. Once again she bounded out of
the car and started to utter the ex
pected, Jack stopped her in her
tracks. He said, "Mrs. Williams, it
is all my fault, any man who would
be stupid enough to drive when
you are on the street should get his
car torn up."
Jack pulled his car home, gave
up his operator's license and
started walking every place he
needed to go.
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