A weekly newspaper devoted to the promotion of the general welfare and published
for the enlightmenit, entertainment and benefit of the citizens of Kings Mountain
and its vicinity, published every Thursday by the Herald Publishing House,
Entered as second class matter at the postoffice at Kings Mountain, N. C., under Act
of Congress of March 3, 1873.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Martin Harmon ... Editor-Publisher
David Baity ......... Advertising Salesman and Bookkeeper
Miss Elizabeth Stewart..Circulation Manager and Society Editor
Neale Patrick . Sports Editor
MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
Eugene Matthews Wade Hartsoe, Jr.
Paul Jackson Monte Hunter Allen Myers
TELEPHONE NUMBER __ 739-5441
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TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
In my distress, I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. Psalm 120:1.
School Bonds
Shelby school district, with its high
school plant fact, and with a bulge in
the tax valuation which appears to be
making these citizens pay more than
their share of taxes on the per capita
formula whereby school tax monies are
divided, is seemingly unsympathetic
with re-entering county-wide school
building financing.
There are many, many different an
gles to this problem, relative payments
of the several districts, question of whe
ther a county-wide issue could be pass
ed, Shelby’s feeling that with a portion
of their debt re-paid they’d be getting
the short end of the horn on a per cap
ita division.
The county district is in the worse
bind. It has its Number 3 school some
what out on the limb in the plan to build
two super high schools such as Shelby
now has and Kings Mountain intends to
attain. The county district also has the
question of whether its citizens would
support a two-plus million bond issue.
While it is easy to understand the
Bookkeeping report that Shelby district
W'ould be paying more on the per capita
divison formula, there may be a larger
question involved. Education is a gen
eric function of county government, just
as in North Carolina, and there is some
suggestion that Shelby, county seat and
hub of the Cleveland wheel, is also the
economic center of the county, with
merchants benefitting from county-wide
trade with industry’s machines manned
by citizens from all parts of Cleveland,
not to mention others.
Shelby has taken the position it
should be re-imbursed for its bond prin
cipal payments before accepting a per
capita division of school construction
bond money, if Shelby is to penalize it
self financially on helping the county
continue to shoulder the education bur
den.
It is less easy to see this plea, than to
agree that Shelby may be re-buying a
three-year interest bill it has already
paid, not to mention the expenses of
bond attorneys and election expense it
shouldered alone.
Supt. Malcolm Brown, of the Shelby
district, says frankly he doubts the
county-wide program can be “sold” to
Shelby citizens.
Conversely, the county is the basic
home unit of government in North Car
olina’s scheme of operation, with cities
junior thereto as children of the state.
Cities are much more limited in the
scope of their governmental functions
than are counties. For example, cities
are not permitted to expend tax funds
for public welfare or for schools.
Long-term, if Shelby can see its way
fit, it would be wise for these citizens
to do perhaps more than their part to
provide better education county-wide.
In turn, it seems logical for the Earl
area to marry the Shelby school district
as quickly as possible.
Kings Mountain district is nicely bal
anced from the standpoint of both geo
graphy and its tax valuation-pupil ratio.
In turn, Kings Mountain school officials
support the county-wide financing meth
od in an effort to prevent the county
schools from withering on the vine of
less efficient and efficacious schooling.
/ --
According to the tentatively adopted
city budget, previously commented up
on, the city is planning to continue its
prior policy of tight operations, pay
ment of bonded indebtedness without
making new long-term debt, and invest
ment of as much of its i-evenues in long
term improvements as possible.
How much had traffic increased dur
ing the time U. S. 29 by-passed Kings
Mountain and had to be closed tempor
arily for further construction? These
figures are likely available from the
State Highway department, but just a
bout anybody along the King-Battle
ground route could answer “plenty”.
The through traffic gave Kings Moun
tain the appearance of a bustling metro
polis, rather than a North Carolina com
munity of 8,008 souls.
Taint Working
There is a considerable amount of dis
appointment with the way the honor
system parking is working in Kings
Mountain, recreation commission and
city officials report.
When the system was installed sev
eral years ago, it seemed to be working
quite well. Folk over-parking, over-joy
ed at the invitation to pay a small coin
for the privilege in lieu of a dollar, hon
ored the invitation. Initially, the Mer
chants association staked the arrange
ment in cooperation with the police de
partment.
Later the city commission agreed to
devote the proceeds to recreational pur
poses and the recreation commission
took over the management.
Slowly, the system has deteriorated to
the point, City Clerk Joe McDaniel es
timates, that some 60 percent of over
parking motorists honor the invitation
for a dime contribution, while 40 percent
don’t.
T aint right in principle, and it isn’t
doing the hard-pressed recreation com
mission treasury any service either.
Some thinking among city officials
is beginning to develope that some form
of force is going to nave to be restored
and there is some favor of the Monroe
and Shelby systems.
In these communities, the over-park
ing victim receives a ticket which, if
paid into a conveniently located deposit
box (on the meter stands) within 24
hours costs a quarter. If the “customer”
waits longer he must pay a dollar, with
in seven days. If he fails to pay within
seven days, he’s hailed into court.
Right-thinking citizens of the com
munity will be sorry to learn of the un
willingness of some to pay their small
share of the freight. However, they will
also agree that government being gen
eric, the deal should be equal for every
one.
Meantime, upping of the basic fee to
a quarter would provide some needed
cash for the recreation program.
Business and Trade
The world of business and trade is
fascinating for those involved therein,
but it is fast-moving, fast-changing and
anyone in management must have auto
matic drive and high horsepower to
keep up.
Items:
1) The steel industry is considering
plans to establish foreign subsidiaries,
as many companies in other fields have
done.
2) Prosperous West Germany pinches
itself in amazement at the progress
made since World War II by chasing the
aim of broad-spread material goods, ra
ther than the mis-guided patriotic
themes which led them to defeat in two
world fights.
3) Hong Kong is the outlet of Red
China’s cheap textiles which are flood
ing the American market, says Gover
nor Sanford from Hawaii.
These are just a few.
Meantime, the minimum wage is ris
ing in this nation which is fine in all but
one direction, the increased pressure it
will apply on United States business for
trade abroad, where wage rates are low,
lower and lowest, and where modern
production methods are in some instan
ces as good or better than those of the
United States.
It would appear Mr. Curran, Mr. Rue
ther and other labor leaders could well
do their members and the nation a ben
efit by concentrating on increasing
wage scales in Japan, India, and other
nations to make trading and traffic
more possible.
West Germany’s experience is intri
guing, indicating that better distribu
tion of the world’s goods might be the
best deterrent to world-wide holocaust
in spite of the conflicting political ideal
ogies of capitalism, communism, colo
nialism, monarchy, and dictatorship.
Congratulations to Miss Helen Logan,
newly elected district deputy grand ma
tron, Order of Eastern Star, and to Mrs.
Lena W. McGill, appointed after an in
terim absence to the board of trustees
of Erskine college, where she had pre
viously served with distinction.
MARTIN'S
MEDICINE
By Marlia Homon
Ingredients: bite of MM,
wisdom, humor, and comment.
Directions: Take weekly, if
possible, but avoid
overdosage.
Interest costs money as just
about anyone age 21 (some
younger) can ascribe.
m-m
> Of course, it is a justifiable
expense, in payment for thie use
of cash which one needs and
does not have at the moment.
mm
The banker (who collects the
interest) will agree that it is
most justifiable when the loan
funds are being used to buy
production goods for the pro
duction of income or for re
salable inventory which will
also produce income.
mm
Another instance is when
funds are absolutely necessary
to avoid the foreclosure ham
mer. A Gastonia friend was re
lating a tale some years ago
about a fellow he'd known who
was on the verge of bankrupt
cy.. .Cash was required by due
date or his whole holdings were
gone. He boarded a train for
Richmond and returned with
several thousand dollars which
enabled him to stay judgment
day sufficiently to work out of
Ms financial bind, t
m-m
An interested friend inquir
ed, "How much interest dad you
have to pay?” The reply was
“twenty percent”. The friend
ejaculated, “You couldn’t af
ford to pay that much.” But
the businessman returned, “I
couldn’t afford NOT to pay it!’”
m-m
Government agencies have
become this nation’s biggest in
terest payers and a sizeable
amount of tax revenue is used
to pay interest on the many
various types of bonds issued
for road-building, school build
ing, various and sundry pur- j
poses. The federal government
pays interest in the billions and j
it is a sizeable percentage of j
the $80-billion-plus budget.
m-m
Last June 30 North Caro
lina’s 100 counties owed $260
millions in long-term debt and
North Carolina’s cities and
towns owed $284 millions. In
terest figures weren’t available
in the particular source of in
formation, but would figure
probably to an average of four
percent.
m-m
The City of Kings Mountain
in the coming year will dent
its bonded indebtedness (gen
eral bonds and gas system rev
enue bonds) by $40,000, a little
better than four percent of the
total debt of $960,000. But the
interest tab is $30,000. It’s
something like taking four
steps forward and three back
wards.
m-m
Needless to say, many proj
ects are highly necessary and
great expenditures must be
handled via long-term financ
ing.
m-m
However, it’s a round-about
way of saying that many folk
feel that the so-called frills of
government Should be handled
by public subscription rather
than by tax funds.
i Public recreation programs
are one phase of government
which the state Supreme Court
has ruled a proper function of
city government, though not a
necessary one like water and
sewer service.
m-m
The Kiwante Club launched a
project to provide some type of
field house at city stadium, but
it appears that toe cost of the
project will delay momentarily
its fruition. Meantime, discus
sions are taking place among
city and school officials and
other civic clubs concerning toe
possibility of joint action to
1) improve city stadium in maj
or degree or 2) build another,
the matter to be determined on
cost, feasibility, and the many
other factors involved.
m-m
The history of the stadium is
that it started as a late-depres
sion WPA project, didn’t get
completed before WPA went by
the boards as World War II
began.
m-m
One Kiwanian’s reason for
supporting the shower room
project: "I used to play foot
ball and the players sure need
a bathroom at half -time.''
Shopping Around By Rolfc
■ '" .. 1 i
Fate sure dealt her a cruel blow! She finally saved
enough to finish paying for his albums—and
now she’s crazy about someone else!"
Viewpoints of Other Editors
COUNTYWIDE
FINANCING HITS SNAG
It is difficult to see how the
Shelby School Board could logi
cally agree to a consolidation ol
all school debts with the county
and Kings Mountain systems un
der present circumstances.
Such a move, according to fi
gures presented by the county
auditor, would financially penal
ize taxpayers in the Shelby dis
trict in greater measure than in
would benefit them.
The reasons are complicated,
but obvious to persons acquaint
ed with the present method of
dividing school funds among the
various systems.
When taxable caluation is con
sidered, the Shelby district has
about 35 percent, the new Kings
Mountain district, including the
Bethware-Grover area, has about
25 percent, and the county sys
tem the remaining 40 percent.
In other words, Shelby district
citizens pay 35 per cent of coun
tywide levies, Kings Mountain
district residents 25 per cent and
county residents about 40 per
cent. However, the money collec
ted is not returned to the districts
in that proportion, but rather on
a per capita division.
In that division, Shelby receiv
es 26.26 per cent, Kings Mountain
24.48 per cent and the county
49.26 per cent.
That’s the first reason a coun
tywide joining of debt would be
a burden to the Shelby area.
THE SECOND REASON—and
it’s related to the first — results
from the fact that that the Shel
by district presently is carrying
a district debt of about $1 174
million and has a district levy
of 35 cents per $100 valuation to
retire it.
School officials say the levy
next year may be reduced to 32
cents and, by 1963, might go
down to about 29 cents.
On the other hand, if a county
wide consolidation of debt were
approved and the suggtsttd $4 1/2
million bond issue passed, Shelby
residents would face a levy of
about 40 cents, some 11 cents
higher than they will pay if they
keep the district debt.
Also, the countywide debt
would probably be for 20 years.
This would mean Shelby resi
dents would be paying for 23
years, since their bond issue is
already a year old and would be
three years old by the time a
countywlde issue was sold.
County fiscal authorities also
point out that the county would
not materially benefit from the
joining of the debt, since the
county system can already bor
row sufficient funds at a levy of
about 40 cents. Kings Mountain
district residents would have to
pay perhaps as much as 49 cents
per $100 to get the funds they
need separately, or some nine
cents more than under a county
wide levy.
THERE WOULD be some ben
efit accruing to Shelby from a
countywide consolidation oi
school debt. First, in case of e
mergency, the credit standing of
the entire county could be plac
ed at the disposal of the city
system.
Secondly, since the total debt
would be much larger, a bigger
portion would be retired each
year, allowing county commis
sioners to authorize new bonds in
larger amounts without new elec
tions. (State regulations provide
that new bonds can be issued
without new authorization in the
same amount that bonds are re
tired in a previous year
Offhand, however, it appears
that the benefits for Shelly do
not nearly balance the penalties
inherent in a joining of the debt.
It is likely that Shelby residents,
apprised of the facts, would vote
a resounding “no” to a bond e
lection that might raise their
school levy toy 11 cents without
attendant capital gain.
Thus, the Shelby board under
standably leans to retaining the
district debt rather than penaliz
ing its patrons and risking the
defeat of a bond election held
A TREE GROWS
IN THE BRONX
While a tree is growing in the
Bronx, the United Nations in
whose honor it was recently plan
ted will, like the tree, be inching
outward and upward, recoiling
in cold-war- blasts, flourishing
or waning as it is nourished by
the affections of mankind or stif
led by power politics. Planting
of the tree — a small pine—took
place in the presence of student
representatives and members of
the Parents Association of Junior
High School 141 in the famoUS
New York borough.
An American delegate to one
of the UN’s councils addressed
the students and parents. Just as
the tree could not be expected to
bear apples, he said, “-so the UN
could not be expected to settle
problems over which it had no
jurisdiction.”
This is a useful reminder of
the UN’s formal limitations. But
in these days it must also appear
as a sort of measuring stick. A
gainst this gauge the impulses
for growth, as natural as sap
rising, are seen more clearly.
The most obvious aspect of
this growth shows in the number
of new members brought into the
UN in the wake of national in
dependence for erstwhile colonial
peoples.
Western influence which once
rested partly on command of
blocs of votes. But their presence
has resulted — specifically in the
Congo crisis — in setbacks for
Soviet designs. These embarrass
ments have caused Premier Khr
ushchev to try to place a new
veto over the administration and
execution of UN decisions.
Ever since the UN was found
ed there have been demands in
one quarter or another for Char
ter revision. In specific tests,
however, the Charter proves to
be often an unexpectedly flexi
ble instrument — itself a sort of
tree among whose branches the
fresh air of decency and the wind
of necessary change move audi
bly and visibly.
At such times the public as a
whole does learn a little some
thing more about the UN than it
knew before. But What is needed
in addition to this is the same
steady interest in the UN that the
planter of a tree takes in its
growth.
Crisis impels sudden, intense
attention to the UN’s problems
and opportunities. A tree grow
ing in a Bronx schoolyard sym
bolizes a calm, affectionate and
enduring interest which the UN
needs even more — The Christian
Science Monitor.
Primarily for the benefit of the
ootnrty and Kings (Mountain sys
tems. .
A more equitable debt arrange
ment will have to be worked out
if the financing of all schools in
Cleveland County is to be con
solidated. — Shelby Daily Star.
tears ago
THIS WEEK
Items of news about King'.
Mountain area people ana
events taken from the 1951
files of the Kings Mountain
Herald.
A large segment of Kings;
Mountain citizens cease work j
Friday for a week-long July 4th j
holiday.
The city board of commission
ers, in their Thursday night spe
cial session, authorized a con
| tract with M. I. Miller, Greens
boro electrical engineer, to map
the city’s electrical distribution
system.
Social and Personal
The Margrace Woman’s cftub
met on Friday night with Mrs.
C. W. Falls, president, presiding.
Mrs. Eton Blanton entertained
the Duplicate Bridge club at her
home Monday afternoon.
Mrs. J. A. Nelsler was hostess
| this week to the Tuesday After
noon Bridge club, , , , , ,
This Weekend—Come
Take A Nice Drive To The One Place Where
The Whole Family Can Have Fun
RECREATION PARK
ASHEVILLE (N. C.) PLAYGROUND
AMUSEMENTS GALORE
Open Seven Days a Week Through Labor Day
6:22 - 29
C. E. WARUCK INSURANCE AGENCY
PHONE 739-3611 203 W. MOUNTAIN
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N. C.
HARRISFUNERALHOME
—Ambulance Service—
Kings Mountain, N. C.
Phone 739-2591
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