Monday, February 12, 1962

A Reasonable Farm Price Program

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Im Disappointed in You, Abe

President Kennedys farm program recently presented to Congress bears out an assertion he made when campaigning in Eastern North Carolina some 17 months ago for the presidency.

He asserted then that he felt the government program for tobacco, with its rigid production controls and price supports offered a model after which most of the nations farm program could be patterned. That pattern is reflected today in the agricultural program now before Congress, and it is causing considerabl controversy in other sections of the nation even among farmers.

The President has proposed extension of marketing quotas for dairy farmers and he has offered wheat and "small grain growers the choice between price supports with production controls or no marketing controls and no price supports. In some quarters the program is being viewed as a drastically new concept so far as government control of agriculture is concerned. For those who are familiar

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7oll Roads Due 7o Be Discussec.

By LYNN NTSBET

TOLL ROADS Governor Sanford has said many times as a general rule he favors adherence to the traditional North Carolina of no toll roads or bridges. But he told his news conference this week that he welcomes full discussion of the issue by highway officials and others interested in improved transportiOion facilities. Maryland and Virginia have bidlt some very fine bridges and paid for them through the toll gate. At a recent meeting of the highway commission Commissioner Jim MacLamroc of Greensboro advocated tolls for some much needed roads. Commissioner Bill Honer of Sanford went further and said North Carolina has been a sucker n(^ to have (oil bridges and roads.

Definite proposals for toll charges have been made for contemplated roads along the Outer Banks and for bridges at several points in the east. It is argued that use of these facilities would be limited, certainly at first, and that cwi-struction at public expense might not be Justified. Currently the y State-owned trans-portaticm facility on which tolls are charged is the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocrao^e.

Governor Sanford suggested that tolls might be Justified on an east-west turnpike that would afford more a direct continuous route from our own Piedmont and the (Mo-Miss-Isslppi Valley and the ports. Such a direct fast route is a century old dream.

In the early 1840s there were a number of ventures for plank roads. Short secttwis f-^were built and operated, but none ever approached a cross-state route. In the 1850 decade came the idea and the first links of a railroad that would tie the coast with the west. The railroad (xnmpanies went through many tribulations and vicissitudes Iwt never achieved the goal of direct continuous service. That was more nearly accomplished last year when the Southern acquired control of the Atlantic & East Carolina between Goldsboro and More-head City.

INTERSTATE North Carolina has been allotted about 700 miles of the Interstate federal system of roads, but there is no connection from the west to any part of the state east of Durham. With all the interstate rcds and t hundreds of miles erf four-lane primary state highways affording free passage, it probably would be hard to sell tolls on a parallel line.

It is quite likely, however, that majority of the people In North Carolina will join the Governor in full discussion of all facets of the problem.

pri^n farm just west of Raleigh and adjoining lands erf Meredith College and the State Fairgrounds is being converted into a training school for youthful first offenders. That means there is something like 700 acres of land which has no "functional use for the State." The General Assembly authorized sale of at least a part of it to provide money for proposed improvements in the prison sy^m. The Governor clearly indicated la<^ of enthusiasm for the sale of any part of the land at this time. His studlM Include determination of whether the legislative act was permissive or mandatory.

Meantime a little hassle arose over announcement from the office of Frank Turner, State property manager, that Bruce Poole, a Raleigh realtor and close political associate of Governor Sanford, had been given exclusive right to market the property. As soon as that story was published the Governor opened up the deal to all real estate men in the area. And some folks are raising serious question whether a broker is needed.

PARK The Governor indicated he would like to preserve most of the open land in public ownership for park facilities. Tentative approaches have been made to the Dty of Raleigh with a view to woridng out a deal. Mo people agree that it would be little less than tragic to utilize any of this property for Industrial installations. The proximity of the Fairgrounds and the general topography of the area does not itself readily to residential subdivision, although there are some highly desirable sites fc^ big "estates" of five to ten acres.

CAMP POLK Governor Sanford told his latest news conference that be is having a thorough study made of the Camp Polk land situation. The

DRIVER TRAINING - The Governors CoordiniUing Committee on Traffic Safety has come through with its first report. This report deals with the granting of driver license to persons under 21. It cites the laws and experience in a number of other states. Minimum age limits range from 14 to 18. but in every instance those under 16 have to meet every strict driving tests and and are restricted to certain limited areas.

Driver training was emphasized and Governor Sanford indicated he favored course in driving in public school. However, he does not think these courses should be included in the regular curriculum for which academic credits may be given, or that the classes should be held during school hours. Admittedly there are problems. If school buses are to be held after school for those who want driver courses, what about the other kinds who want to get home. And with many pupils living 20 miles from the school house how can they attend vacation time classes.

The Daily Reflector

INCORPORATED

Published Every Afternoon Except Sunday Established 1882 DAVID JULIAN WHICHARD, Publisher

Entered at Post Office, Greenville, N. C.. as second ciaas mail matter.

#)

SUBSCRIPTION RATES By Carrier (In Towns) Week 30c

By Carrier (Motor Routes) Week 35c

BY MAIL, Payable In Advance

Greenville Post Office. Pitt County, Robersonvllle. Vanceboro Washington and Chocowlnlty.

Three Months ............................ f 3.75

Six Months .............................. 7.00

One Year ................................. 13.00

North Carolina (other than listed above)

Three Months .... $ 4.0

Six Months .......................... 7A

One Year ..... 14.00

Plus 3% N. C. Sales Tax All Other Outside North Carolina

Three IrfonUu ............................ $ 4.60

Six Months .............................. 8 00

One Year .............................. 16.00

MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Associated Press u exclusively entitled to use for publication sU news dispatches credited to It or not otherwise credited to this paper and also the local news published herein. All righU erf puMlcatimi of special dispatches here art also rMerved.

with the tobacco program, however, the concept is one which has been in use for decades.

Some of the critics of the Presidents new agricultural program have asserted that the government should not exercise such control over farm production, Reading bet^en the lines of some critical statements, one gets the impression that some farmers believe the govrnment should guarantee high prices for farm productions, and that along with these price suports the farmer should be allowed to produce as much of the crop as he desires. Such a program WDuld be folly indeed.

We believe that President Kennedy has offered a ijeasonable proposal so far as price supports and accompanying control on production of fajm commodities are concerned. The only practical alternative to this proposal, in our opinion, is to let the law of supply and demand apply its own restrictions in the free market place.

This latter alternative would bring about high production and falling prices which would drive many farmers into bankruptcy. It would bring back to agricultural areas the disasterous consequences of the depression years. And it might also result in an eventual lowering of production in

the nation to levels which would endanger the security and welfare of the nation.

President Kennedy has set forth the matter forthrightly in proposing his current farm program to Congress.

If producers of the various farm commodities expect the government to guarantee adequate prices for their production they should be willing to abide by the production controls which the government sets up along with those price supports. If the farmers choose instead the unrestricted right to produce as much of a commodity as they wish, they should expect to take their chances in the market place without the government underwTiting their losses.

Back To Tradition In

CANNOT STRENGTHEN THE WEAK By WEAKENING THE STRONG;

VOU CANNOT HELP THE WAGE EARNER BV PULLING DOWN THE WAGE PAVER; you CANNOT FURTHERmBROnttRHOOD OFMVAN 8Y encouraging class HATREb; you CANNOT HELPTHE POOR

W tMSCOURAONG THERICN; you CANNOT BUILD CHARACTER AND

COURAGE By TAKING AWAY MAN'S INITIATIVE AND INDEPENDENCE.*

A. Lincoln

R^^-Manhi

By GEORGE SOKOLSKY

Spook-Hunting Field Anti-Maixist Influence

Its a nice change of pace to read of a spook-hunter who takes a real interest in his work. Tends to get ones mind off taxes, H-bombs, parking tickets and overdue bills, you know.

Saturdays wire report told of Tony Cornell, Cambridge Universitys leading and hopeful investigator of the supernatural. Cornell uses such un-ghostly devices as stroboscope, infrared film and ultraviolet light in his work. But four attempts to intercept a jaywalking spirit on a winding country road near Huntingdon (England, that is) have met with no success.

The.report says a phantom lady has been seen, or is suspected to have been seen (this part is not at all clear) on the road and is considered a likely cause for several fatal auto accidents.

Now everybody knows a winding country road on a moonless night can be hazardous to a driver racing home from a late date or who has been socializing with another kind of spirits at Ye Olde Inne.

But whispers of a phantom lady add color as well as security to holders of beverage licenses at nearby pubs; and for the sake of all ghost-hunters (and pub patrons?) we prefer to think there is a ghost of a chance the phantom lady rumor holds more substance than spooks are w^ont to claim.

We all kiow^ England as a land of traditions; and even their ghosts are bound to have an extra aura of tradition which gives them something you find now'here else.

For that reason, Cornells failure should come as no surprise to ghostophiles . . . (no, dont bother to go to the dictionary).

This matter of tradition may explain why he may never go far in his wdsh to get a foot in the door of the abnormal.

Infrared image converter . . . stroboscope . . . light filters. Indeed! Hed do better with traclitional means, proven by time.

Seance, anyone?

Administration Waae Policies

Copyright, 1962, King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Many years ago, when I was very young, I read Peter Kropotkins "Memoirs of a Revolutionist. I also read other works of Prince Kropotkin and was deeply influenced by this Russian who was anti-Mapcist.

It is difficult for us to realize that the Russian Revolution, in all its forms, originated in the Russian aristocracy. Peasants and workers were not among the first opponents of autocracy. Some came into the various movements but the leading figures were aristocrats and intellectuals, often members of the Czars Court, who sought for an improvement of the life of the Russian people.

Peter Kropotkin was both an aristocrat and an intellectual.

Born in 1842 and dying In 1921, his life spanned a long and interesting period of change not only in Russia but throughout Europe. His memoirs, recently republished as a paperback Anchor Book, presents the background of the Revolution which now affects our lives. Many Russian revolutionists were anti-Marxist. It is important to us to understand this if we are to appreciate the force exercised by the Communists to take control of this country. Referring to Karl Marxs Das Kap-ital, which is the basis of Marxism and is too often not read. Kropotkin wrote:

"I read this book while still in St. Petersburg where it appeared in 1872. . .The pretentiousness of the book, together with its unscientific nature (the theory of value, for example.

Other E(ditors Saying... Telling And Selling

NA^NoNAL advertising REPRESENTATIVES Thomoa P. Clark' Co Inc., New York, Chicafo. Atlanta Member Audit Bureau of Clrculatioxr*

All advertising copy must be received at least one day before publtcaUon date.

By RALPH ROBEY

In the annual report of the President's Council of Economic Advisers there is the most definite statement for the determination of wages that has ever been issued by any portion of the federal administration.

This statement is as follows: "The general guide for nonin-flationary wage behavior is that the rate of increase in wage rates i including fringe benefits) in each industry be equal to the trend rate of over-all productivity increase."

The council does not maintain that every industry should give just thLs amount of wage in-crea.se each year. That would be impossible. But this is to be the average wage increa.se for the indu.stry a.s a whole. The variations would be ijecause. in relation to the labor supply, some wages alread.v may be relatively too high or too low. No details or indications are given as to which industries fall within either of these class-es.

At flnst glance this fonnula is rather apaling. However, when it is analyzed with care the idea is found to be thoroughly unsound. Here are some of the more important defects:

1. It as.sumes that there should be an increa.'^e of wages each year. This is a practice we have been following in general for a long time, and it would be pleasant if it could be continued. But in manv industries it is imperative that such annual lncrea.ses be stopped because it Ls necessary to have the maximum reduction of prices in order to widen markets and to meet foreign competition.

2. The determination of productivity or output per man-hour Is not something upon which even the experts in this field can''agree. The council it

self says "there are a number of conceptual problems in connection with productivity measurement w'hlch can give rise to differences in estimates of its rate of growth." Extraordinary efforts have been made to eliminate these differences, but little progress has been made and we still have wide variations among sincere students as to how rapidly productivity is increasing.

3. Multiple-year contracts are becoming more and more common in wage .settlements. Such contracts normally provide for a wage increase and change in fringe benefits for each year. To apply for formula of the council in such circumstances would nece.ssitate foreca.sting the increase in productivity for the nation as a whole for the life of the.se , contracts. That simply cannot be done with any hone of accuracy.

4. Not all companies in an industry can pay the same wage, or give the same increa.se when an adjustment is made. There have rept'ated efforts by

some union leaders to force such a nationwide equality of wages, and in a few instances substantial success has been attained But as long as there is a difference in the equipment, efficiency of management. nearness to markets, and so forth, theie must continue to be variations in the wage rates a.s between companle.s.

5. The rate of productivity lncrea.se is not the same year after year," ThLs Ls true regard-le.ss of how it Is measured. It is cu.stomary for the Increase to be relatively rapid as buslnes.s moves out of a recession. This is the result of more complete use of exLsting machines, of having held the more efficient workers, and .so on. Then, as the total of bu.slness contlnue.s to climb, productivity tends to ad-

(Continued on page five)

(Washington Daily News)

At a recent meeting of educational superintendents in Wa.shington, some discussion was made regarding public information given to the people in this matter of education.

Some superintendents feel hone.stly that the full story is not being told. We go along with those sentiments to a point. Much more could be told, and sometimes it is difficult to get educational officials to write articles for fear that some controversy might be stirred up, or for some other reasoif such as a lack of time.

To ask a teacher or a school official to write an educational article means that the teacher or official must work above and beyond the call of duty. Merely writing the article does not do the whole job. There are statistics often to get, information to study and compile, and often a great deal of time is spent in preparing and writing such an article.

Newspapers have not always done the job they should do either. But by and large this editor feels that it is not alone a caso of not telling the educational story but rather a case of not .selling It.

Somehow the educational stories do not have the dramatics, the appeal, and the reading intere.st 'w'e need to have U. get the public response needed at this time.

A story can be told over and over again, but if it does not impre.ss the readers suffi

ciently, then what has really been accomplished

Stories can tell over and over again of classroom shortages, teacher shortages, curricula needs, dLscipline troubles, and the like, but until the stories are told with sufficient depth to impress, then we are not doing the successful job of selling.

We agree that more could be told and more could be written. But as of now the biggest challenge, as we see it, is to do a better job of selling. When the people of North Carolina become sufficiently aware that educational needs are pressing, then the people will join whotehearted-ly in the effort to realize them. So long as people have the feeling that money is being wasted, that taxes are too high, and that well have educational opportunities automatically, then we have little hope of wholesale acceptance of the quality education program.

We must do a better job of selling. We must awaken the conscience of people all over North Carolina. We must make the people want to improve education enthusiastically not begrudgingly and with bitter resistance.

Attitudes must change, and when the people of North Carolina finally make up their minds that we must have certain facilities, they will come surely.

When w'o do a better job of selling, then atitudes will , change.

is not proven scientifically at all and must be taken on faith) and its abuse of scientific jargon I did not like at all. The excursions of Marx into the realm of quantitative expression and algebraic formula were ridiculous. They prove his complete Incompetence to think concretely quantitatively. I laughed a great deal with N. Tsinger (the astronomer) at the formulas of Marx which he so importantly wrote out, not even suspecting how ridiculous they would appear to mathematicians who are accustomed to the idea of units of measure. To express by formulas what a formula does not express Ls indeed ridiculous."

It is curious that in the 20th Century, Marxism has had such an appeal to the intellectuals and scientists of all countries. In the 19th Century, few intellectuals could accept Karl Marxs sociology or economics as scientific. In many respects, his doctrines were based upon primitive material available In the 1840s and 1850s in the British Museum. Some years ago, an attempt was made to restudy the material available to Marx and the task was unsatisfactory because Marx appeared on the scene too early. What he sought was not available,

Kropotkin, who came later, also worked In the British Museum, as did so many German and Russian revolutionists. Constitutionalism made a great appeal upon some revolutionists. They were particularly interested in the British Constitution, The truth was, however, that the Russians did not understand British Constitutionalism, an utterly alien form of government.

Kropotkin is often regarded as an anarchist. A study of his work discloses that what he sought was an expression of the will of the people. He joined the Chaikovsky (Trele which was a group of intellectuals who devoted themselves to an understanding of the social forces that would save the Russian people from autocracy. I^potkin found little hope in Constitutionalism. which gave the state authority over man.

In the struggle among various revolutionists, the Social Democrats prevailed. This gave Lenin his opportunity for leadership. During World War I. Kropotkin supported the Allied cause, but he was opposed to Allied intervention in Russian affairs. Of this, he said:

"I protest with all my strength against every kind of armed intervention of the Al-

(Continued on page five)

Crafts

3eing

Ignored

By ROGER BABSON

BABSON PARK, Mas8.->One of the paradoxes of recent years, and particularly during the last recession, has been the growing unfilled demand for specialists and highly skilled workers during^jUime of heavy unemployment. We dont have to look very far for the answer: There Is a large segment of the labor force having little or no basic economic education, and even more who have developed no special skills. Even In the deepest part of the recession, there were over 8,000 unfilled openings tn the heavy-hit Los Angeles area, with employers unable to find enough skilled or technically trained workers. ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND SPECIALISM I advise my readers to make their children and their grandchildren start training for special occupations early in the education game. This has been one my theme songs, and it becomes clearer every day that the time of the specialist is upon us. Industry Is still hard put even during a period of high unemployment to find enough trained craftsmen. For every 100 skilled men and women employed In industry today, there will be 125 needed by 1965, and 150 by 1975 partly in spite of and partly because of the spread of automar tion.

The Labor Department believes that this age of computer will create a tremendous increase in job openings for professional, office, and sales workers. In fact, it expects that industry will need some 8,400,-000 more workers In such branches between now and 1970. Many of these will be sought by skilled mechanical and con-'struction crafts, and many wUl be needed in the rapidly expanding office field. ,

NEW JOB PROBLEM Let me bring up a problem that already faces the employer and will become steadily more difficult over the years ahead. This involves the dizzying .pace at which changes in specialiation be<X)mes necessary in the mad race of research and development that leads automation ever onward. Some intelligent observers of the machine-to-run-machines revolution think that intensive specialization is basically unsound. What will happen, they ask, to a student trained to run a complex machine when that machine and his job suddenly become obsolete? This is something that is.going to happen numberless times in the years ahead. How am I to tell my readers the best way to face it?

Frankly, I think it is as simple as this: Insist upon broader education along the way for your dependents. In this way their discipline will be improved and their minds wl be made more responsive to a wider variety of good influences. Once an aspiring young man or woman learns how to think, It will be an easy thing to adapt as demand requires. Changes will not then loom as insurmountable barriers, but will be new and stimulating challenges. There will be a million-and-one such challenges in the coming years, and you will want your children educated in the way that will help them to meet these changes.

PRESENT SCHOOLS INADEQUATE While getting a broad education the arts should not be neglected. In fact, they should be encouraged with an eye to influencing a worker to think he is not busy at his job. Creative thinking is the great need. This is the only way we will lick Communism. Those who pooh-pooh time given to the study of literature, painting, theater, and music simply do not un(ierstand the richness and imagination which can be thus instilled Into a young person growing up in a highly materialistic world. Needless to say, sane religious education is of the utmost importance from the very earliest "learning" days of every child.

In closing, may I say that I have not abondoned my atM-tude toward the real need for specialization. But I think it Is essential to biase this upon a sound, broad education that will lay the groundwork for the de-(Continued on pwige five)

! Department Store Sales Figures

By ELMER ROESSNER

While total retail sales last year failed to top I960 highs, department store sales went on to a new record and were 2 per cent above 1960 marks. Federal Reserve figures show that ot the twelve Fed districts. San Francisco and Kansas City did best, with 3 per cent gains. The St. Louis district did worst, with a 1 per cent loss, and the Chicago district was even with a year ago. The other districts showed 1 or 2 per cent Increas-e.*;.

Of shopping areas, Albuquerque, N.M.. showed the largest gain almost atomic of 19 per cent. And those gains have been susti^ned into 1962. San Diego came next with a 16 per cent rise and it. too, has beep showing sustained . strength, gaining 48 per cent in the week ended Jan. 20, this year. Suburban Boston recorded a 13 per cent rise, although downtown Boston held even.

SURGES IN SALES Other shopping areas show

ing impressive gains, and the gains, were:

Sacramento, Calif., 12 per cent: Lincoln, Neb. 11; Omaha, 9; Cincinnati, 9; San Jose, Calif., 6; Miami, 6; Houston, 6; Akron, 5; Louisville, 5; Denver, 5; and Boston including suburban, downtown, Cambridge and Quincy. 6.

The most painful loss was sliowm by Oklahoma City, down 8 per cent. Downtown Cleveland showed a drop of 6 per cent, and Youngstown, Ohio, downtown Pittsburgh and El Paso each showed declines of 5 per cent.

All other shopping areas recorded losses p om 4 per cent to gains of 4 per cent. SIGNIFICANCE LIMITED

While the gains or losses are important, they are often the results of special local conditions rather than regional trends. The establishment of a new energy project can fatten sales in the nearest metropolitan area; the closing of a government plane facility can re

duce shopping nearby.

Sometimes, an economic misfortune in 1960 can make 1961 figures look rosier than they are, or a local boom in that year can make this years figures unimpressive.

Situations within an area can also effect the figures. For example, while the San Francls-co-Oakland area showed a gain of 3 per cent. San Francisco Itself showed no gain while Oakland, which is having some economic troubles, snowed a 4 per cent gain.

And Washington, D.C., showed a 4 per cent gain, downtown Waslngton showed a 1 per cent drop. You could consider a hundred theories to account for that.

Invention of the "saketlnl," a cocktail of two-third vodka and one-third sake.

"FAIR TRADE" RULING HITS TlE-lN SALES The New Jereey Supreme Court has taken another swipe at so-called fair-trade laws. It held that Gillette cotdd not insist on fixed pricesr for a number of its products while the same products were being sold in combinations at less than the total "fair trade" prices. It agreed with a lower court that when a manufacturer promotes a tie-in sale at reduced prices, he abandons fair tradeDmlnimum prices on each article.

HERES HOW TO MIX A SAKETINI

Vodka, a Russian drink, is now being made In Japan according to Connecticut formula, Heub-llen, of Hartford, has licensed Nlkka Distilling, of Osaka, to use its techniques and formulas.

One consequence has been the

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