Editorial on War Work, the County Poor House, Roads, Bathing Suit Regulations, 1918

From the editorial page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., July 18 1918, J.A. Sharpe, president.

The colored people of Lumberton are making a good record in war work. They have contributed over $500 to the Red Cross and many of them have purchased Liberty bonds and War Savings and Thrift stamps. Their leaders seem to be keenly alive to the opportunities and obligation to help win the war.

The war loan organization of the Treasury Department has issued a warning against scheming individuals who are attempting to persuade holders of Liberty bonds to exchange the Government securities for commercial stocks or Wall street securities. Owners of Liberty bonds are warned to deal only with reliable persons in transactions of any kind in which their bonds are concerned.

County Poor House

The grand jury which served last week is of the opinion that the home for Robeson’s unfortunate poor is still the “poor house,” despite the change authorized by the last Legislature to the more euphonious “home for the aged and infirm.” It recommends that the county commissioners look into the advisability of establishing a more adequate home. And there the matter will rest, we fear. We somehow have had the impression that the county commissioners have been looking into this matter for quite some time but have not found a solution for the knotty problem this institution seems to present. Maybe something will be done about it some time.

County Roads

The jury also called attention to two bad pieces of road which should be given attention at once, it says. There are citizens in Wishart township who could have told the jury about another road that has needed attention for the longest, but has had it not. The patience of the good people of Wishart has been worn threadbare.

The county road board deserves commendation for two decisions it reached at a recent special meeting: one to put the Lumberton-Bladenboro Road across the Big Swamp in passable condition; two, to make the necessary appropriation to secure $29,800 of Federal aid road money.

The road across the Big Swamp should have been put in good shape long ago, Its condition has been a disgrace to the county, and it has been allowed to remain impassable, to the serious inconvenience of a great many people, while the chain gang has been kept on other roads that did not need working near so badly and that could have waited. For its delay in this matter the board has been severely censured, but if it does a good job right away its former neglect will be forgotten.

In agreeing to comply with the conditions necessary to secure Federal aid road money, The Robesonian believes the board acted wisely. Under this plan $59,600 will be spent in the county during the next five years in building a highway under the supervision of the State Highway Commission, and the county will have to furnish only half the amount.

Bathing Regulations

Down in Wilmington they are going to fine bathers $10 unless they wear stockings and a regular bathing suit. But many a fair bather would be willing to pay that much for the privilege of wearing the sort of bathing suit she wishes.

And there be many of the male persuasion who would be willing to pay the fine of the fair bather for the privilege of sitting on the sand and risking one eye.