Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1917-05-23
RECOMMENDS DISBANDING BASE
BALL CLUBS AND INCREASED
FOOD PRODUCTION.
DISPATCHES FROM RALEIGH
Doings and Happenings That Mark
the Progress of North Carolina Peo-
pie, Gathered Around the State
Capital.


In an address "To All the People, of
North Carolina" Governor Beckett de-
clares that with the world war on I'VE
are face to face with famine and de-
clares that unless revolutionary eff
forts are put forth to increase the
food supply, the per capita amount on
hand by next Christmas will be less
than it has been for a thousand years.
The address follows:
To All the People of North Carolina:
The world wal is on and we are face
10 face with famine. Millions OF men
whose business in time OF peace 1t
was to produce are now called upon
% destroy. Unless drastic and revolu-
tionary efforts be made to increase our
food supply the per capita amount on
hand next Christmas will be less han
it has been for a thousand years.
The great Northwest advises us Of
fcially that it cannot next veal furn-
ish us the food we have heretofore
bought from it, but that its surplus
must be sent to feed the men who
llSll. LII IIlS Xix sonny wv "S wv
called upon to feed other nations, but
simply to take care of ourselves. We
are not required to go into all the
earth, but our work is o to Degln
and to 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. We have
abundant vacant lands. And we have
the people to cultivate these lands If
they have a mind to work.
| think the farmers are doing what
they can. The duty rests upon the
people in the towns and cities to utll-
ize 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 cent to people who will Guilt
yate them. The teams { | labor in
control of the cities mint we'll be
aiken from the present wOrk during
the month Of Nav and used in prepar-
ing vacant lands for Immediate CT
walton, The towns should also arrange
for the purchase by wholesale of con-
tainers for the use of canning clubs
and of fertilizers and distribute these
20 the people at prime cost. Public
funds could well be employed in this
way and it would be better for the
streets of a town to be unsWept TOR
Two weeks in May than for our pan
tries to be bare next winter.
I urge every man IN town 10 go into
he surrounding country and procure
from one to five acres or land and
plant it in corn, potatoes, peas and
beans and thus make sure provision
against want in his own family. DO
not expect your neighbor to do this,
but do it yourself. | earnestly urge
everv man in this state who has an
die acre to list it with the mayor OF
the nearest town as rent-free land for
anv person who will plant it in foo"
and feed crops.
All forms of idleness and waste of
lime should be discouraged. I love a
came of baseball, but it seems to me
that the summer Of 1917 is no time
FOR professional baseball, and I think
all professional leagues should be dis
landed. The man who is able to play
professional base ball ought to be
either in a trench or in a furrow. And
the "fans" and "fannies" who hold
down the ~bleachers can find recon
..J accommodation, ~, q oorr fold
Let the automobile JOY ride be given
I'D entirely. Surely this much of self
denial can be practiced by every mar
IN the state. If every man who owns
an automobile would cut his gasoline
hill half in two much would be saved
to meet the necessities of the people
and a vast quantity of gasoline would
he made available for the uses of war.
7 am advised that Mr.. Rockefeller
could in the face of this economy on
the part of the people still manage to
get along.
We should make a frolic of our ne
cessities and should force our fads
and fancies to furnish us food. AS
he children would say, let's all play
at farming this year.
Seriously, men and brethren, let us
shake off our fatuous c~omplacence and
give ourselves no rest until we know
that we and our loved ones are Sc
cure from the wolf whose gaunt spec
ter even now looms large against
the skyline. Let us work while it is
m Winter cometh.
T. w. BECKETT, Governor.
accepts Wilmington Cavalry Troop.