Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-05-25
GOVERNOR BECKETT
URGES ECONOMY
RECOMMENDS plSBANDlNG BASE
BALL CLUBS AND INCREASED
FOOD PRODUCTION.
DISPATCHES FROM RALEIGH
Doinss and Happenings That Mark
the Progress OF North Carolina PEG
pie, Gathered Around the State
Capital.
Raleigh.

Raleigh
In an address ITO All the People o
North Carolina, Governor Beckett de
clares that with the world war on "wt
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 or
hand by next Christmas will be less
than II has been for a thousand years
The address follows:
To All the People OF North Carolina
The world war is on and we are face
to face with famine. Millions of mer
whose business in time of peace il
was TO produce are now called upon
10 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 than
II has been for thousand years.
The great Northwest advises us OF
ticially that 1t cannot next year furn
sh us the food we have heretofore
bought from it, but that its surplus
must be sent to feed the men who
fight. In this emergency we are not
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 both to begin
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 10 work
think the farmers are doing what
they can. The duty rests upon the
people in the towns and cities 10 util.
ize their idle hours and idle men in
making food for themselves. Let the
cities and towns take steps to have
vacant lots plowed ard turned over
free OF rent TO people who will cult.
vate them The teams ! labor in
control OF the cities might well be
taken from the present work during
the month Of Nav 9nd used in prepar.
ing vacant lands for immediate or
walton The towns should also arrange
for the purchase hy wholesale OF con-
tanners for the use OF canning clubs
and Of fertilizers and distribute these
TO 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 for
two weeks in MAY than for our pan.
tries to be bare next winter.
urge every man IN town 10 go into
the 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
every man in this state who has an
idle acre to list II with the mayor OF
the nearest town as rent-free land for
any person who will plant II in foo
and feed crops
All forms OF idleness and waste OF
time should be discouraged love
game OF baseball but II seems to me
that the summer OF 1917 is no time
Tor professional baseball, and think
all professional leagues should be dis
banded. The man who is able TO play
base ball ought to be
either in a trench or in furrow. And
he fans" and "fannies" who hold
Town the bleachers can find recon-.
Dense and recreation in a corn field
Let the automobile Joy ride be given
ID entirely Surely this much Of self.
lenlal can be practiced by every man
n the state. II every man who owns
III dululuVNtlt Nhulu cut lliN khNbllllt
ill half in two much would be saved
. meet the necessities Of the people
md a vast quantity OF gasoline would
,e made available for the uses OF war.
am advised that Mr.. Rockefeller
ould In the face of this economy on
he part of the people still manage TO
get along
We should make frolic OF our ne
.essitles and should force our fads
md fancies to furnish us food. As
he children would say. let's all play
II farming this year.
Seriously. men and brethren. let us
hake off our fatuous complacence and
rive ourselves no rest until we know
hat we and our loved ones are Sc.
,ure from the wolf whose gaunt spec
er even now looms large against
he skyline. Let us work while II Is
summer Winter cometh.