The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-05-17
AND END.
ING AT JERUSALEMi

1NG AZ JERUSALEM
Governor Delivers Serious Address to '
the People of the State-Every Va
cant Lot Should be Planted in Food
Crops-Farmers Are Doing Their
Duty and it is Up to the Town Man
to Cut Out Frivolities and Grab a
Hoe
Realizing the seriousness of the
situation that confronts the people
OF North Carolina, Governor Beckett
has issued the following appeal to
the people Of the State:
ITO All the People Of North Caro-
lima:
"'The world war is on and we are
face to face with famine. Millions
of men whose business in time of
peace it was to produce are now call
ed upon to- destroy. Unless drastic
and revolutionary efforts be made to
increase our food supply per capita
amount on hand next Christmas will
be less than it has been for a thou
sand years.
''The great Northwest advises u.s.
officially that it cannot next year
! furnish us the food we have hereto
fore bought from it, but that it's sur
plus must be sent to feed the men
who fight. In this emergency wei
are not called upon to feed other ma
lions, but simply to take care of our
selves. We are not required to gol
into all the earth, but our work is
both to begin and end at Jerusalem.
/ "Much time has been lost, but there
| is still time left to provide against
the coming day Of want. We still
have six months of sunshine. And
We have the people to cultivate these
lands if they have a mind to work.
IT think the farmers are doing what
they can. The duty rests upon the
people in the towns and cities to util
lie their idle hours and idle men in
making food for themselves. Let the
cities and towns take steps to have
vacant lots plowed and turned over
free of rent to people who will cul-
tivate them. The teams and labor
might be taken from their present
work during the month of May and
used in preparing vacant lands for
immediate cultivation. The Eolwns
should also arrange for the purchase
of containers for the use of can
ming clubs and Of fertilizers and dis
!, tribute these to the people at prime
cost. Public funds ,couh we'll be
employed in this way and it would be
better for the streets of the town to
be upswept for two or three weeks in
May than for our pantries to be bare
next winter.
81 urge every man in town to GO
into the surrounding country and
procure from one to five acres OF
land and plant it in corn, potatoes
peas and beans and thus make sure
| provision against want in his owr
| family. Do not expect your nelghbo1
to do this, but do it yourself. ! ear
nestly urge every man in the State
who has an idle acre to list it with
the MAYOR of the nearest town as
| rent-free land for any person who
will plant it in food and feed crops
Gail forms Of idleness and waste
Of time should be discouraged | love
! a game of baseball, but it seems te
. me that tile Sumner Of 1917 IS nc
: time for professional baseball, and
!, think all professional leagues shoulo
be disbanded. The man who is able
to play professional baseball ought
to be either in a trench or in fur
row. And the "fans' and "fannies'
| who hold down the bleachers car
| find recompense and recreation II
| a conr field.
II sLet the automobile joy ride be
| given up entirely. Surely this much
of self-denial can be practiced b!
every man in the State. If ever!
| man who owns an automobile woult
| cut his gasoline bill half in two m.uci
would be saved to meet the neces
sites of the people and vast guam
titv of gasoline would be made avail
| able for the uses Of war. I am ad
| yised that Mr.. Rockefeller could il
| the face of this economy on the par
] of the people, still manage to ge
along. ;.
i. eve should make a frolic OF GU
necessities and should force our fad
! and fancits to furnish US food. A
the children would say, let's all pla
at farming this year. ;,
"Seriously, men and brethren, lie
US shake off our fatuous complacenc
and give our selves no rest until W
know that we and our loved one
are secure from the wolf whose guam
spectre even now looms large agalns
the skyline. Let us work while
is summer. Winter cometh.
i ~ ttT WI PTHK E1nT