A RED CROSS MASS MEETING.
Will Be Held In Smithfield Opera
House Sunday Afternoon, June 24.
Patriotic Addresses and Songs Will
Eeature the Occasion. Smithfield
and Community Wants to Have a
I'art In the Raising of the Hun
dred Million Dollars Red Cross
Eund Asked Eor by the President.
Eour O'clock Is the Hour.
A Red Cross Mass Meeting will be
held in the Smithfield Opera House
Sunday afternoon, June 24, at four
o'clock, for the purpose of trying to
raise some funds for the great Red
Cross Society. An effort is being made
this week to raise $100,000,000 in the
United States. Raleigh and other
towns in the State are rallying to
the cause most liberally and Smith
field and Johnston County are also
expected to do their part.
An effort is being made to get Hon.
James H. Pou, of Raleigh, and Col.
John F. Bruton, of Wilson, to be
here and make addresses. There will
also be short talks by the home folks.
The several choirs of the town are
asked to attend and take part in all
the song service. It is to be a patriot
ic occasion and all the people of the
town and community are earnestly in
vited to be on hand.
The work is a great one and is as
important in times of war as the sur
geons and the soldiers. Thousands and
thousands of lives are saved for no
ble service through the ministra
tions of the Red Cross. Let the peo
ple of Smithfield and community for
miles around be on hand at the Opera
House Sunday afternoon, June 24. Re
member the hour is four o'clock.
In a great crisis like this all may
have a part. Some of our bravest and
best young uien will go to the front
and perhops give their life's blood for
their country. Others will give anoth
er kind of service. All cannot go to
France, but all can give some of their
means, it matters not how little, to
aid in the cause of world democracy.
GETTING READY FOR FALL.
Crops, Stock and Labor Survey of
Johnston County.
(By J. M. Johnson.)
The State Agricultural Extension
Service in co-operation with the U.
S. Department of Agriculture is
making a farm to farm survey cov
ering the acreage in the different
farm crops, the number of life stock
of different classes on the farm this
year as compared with last, and the
amount of labor now available and
the extra labor needed in harvesting
and housing crops.
On twenty-four farms visited
Monday and Tuesday the crop acre
age has increased from 3,105 for 1916
to 3,530 for 1917. The most significant
increase is in corn, of which crop the
average farm has nearly seven acres
more this year than last. There is an
increase of peas for seed of about
3% acres to the farm. Hay on most
farms does not show as large an acre
age now as one year ago, but on one
or two farms it has been increased
very greatly. Small grain shows a
fair increase, while cotton has in
creased slightly.
The big increase though is in
food and feed crops. With good sea
sons and fair cultivation the rest of
the year our farmers are going to
be much more independent of the
North and West than ever before.
71 ? ? 1 n>/? VI rvf oV?/\ttr
v? mitr najf ?iicagc uucs nut onw* ,
the desired increase at the present,
there is time and land yet available to
give this crop the largest acreage it
has ever had. An interesting obser
vation was made by the parties mak
ing the survey Monday when they vis
ited a farm a few miles south of
Raleigh. The farmer had two wagon
loads of baled hay, but his teams were
headed away from home. Inquiry
showed that on some 20 acres of
land hay was planted after wheat in
1916. The crop yielded slightly over
two tona to the acre ? and the surplus
about 20 tons after taking care of
the stock was being hauled to town
where ii had already been sold at
$25 per ton, cash. The cost bf making
the crop had not exceeded $15 per
acre or $7.50 per ton. It is needless
to say that this farmer is planting a
larger hay crop this year.
With the increase in acreage there
will be more labor needed this fall to
harv est and house the crops. The sur
i ve.v is covering this point.
It is the object to handle the labor
problem through the office of County
Demonstration Agent, Mr. Lacy John,
to whom farmers should apply for
blanks and instructions as to how to
fill them out and send them in, if
they want help in getting labor.
The survey is in charge of Mr.
J. M. Johnson of the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture who spent Wed
nesday in Smithfield. He has an office
at West Raleigh, from where survey
and labor supply matters are han
dled.
The survey will cover about two
hundred farms in Johnston County
and the same number in Wayne and
Wilson counties.
COAST LINE WANTS TO CURTAIL
The Company Has Filed a Petition
With the Corporation Commission
to Take Oft Several Trains.
The Atlantic Coast Line Tuesday
filed with the Corporation Commis
sion a petition for the curtailment of
its passenger service and the com
mission appointed June 26, Tuesday
of next week, for the hearing, siiys
W. T. Bost, writing from Raleigh to
the Greensboro News.
The Southern's application will be
heard in the morning and the Coast
Line's in the afternoon. The Coast
Line does not offer the "poor mouth"
in advancement of its claim. It puts
up 100 per cent patriotism and says
it is not driven to do this by reduced
revenues.
me puDiic generally ana your
commission are so well advised of the
necessity of some action along this
lino that we deem it unnecessary to
give these reasons in detail," the let
ter says. "The conditions brought
about by the European war caused an
unprecedented and abnormal increase
in traffic on American railways
which, in many cases, overtaxed their
capacity. This was the situation
when the United States declared war
and since then the necessity for co
operation is imperative. After careful
consideration of the subject, we have
endeavored to select and believe we
have selected the trains, the taking
off of which will create the least in
convenience to the public generally.
In arriving at this selection we have
not at all been influenced with the
idea of saving money, nor is there
any purpose to avoid our duty of well
and faithfully serving the public.
Our action is taken simply to save
man power, fuel and motive power
which would be applied to the trans
portation of the necessities of life
and the proper prosecution of the
war."
The trains to be taken off would be
Nos. 72 and 73, between Weldon and
Kinston; 56 and 57, between Ply
mouth and Tarboro; 90 and 91 be
tween Wilmington and Rocky Mount;
64 and 65 between New Bern and
Wilmington; 59 and 60, between Wil
mington and Fayetteville; 57 and 58,
between Wilmington and Chadbourn;
66 and 67, between Fayetteville and
Bennettsville, S. C.
The Coast Line's reduction is
hardly so sweeping as the Southern's
and covers less territory considerably.
No opposition to this has been heard
yet, though the Southern's plans are
to be sharply contested. The ship
pers and travelers of the western
section have indicated that they will
be down here in big numbers. Nev
ertheless, the government is backing
the Southern and the likelihood of
staying its hand isn't great.
Talton-Roberts.
Selma, June 20. ? On last Sunday
afternoon at the home of the bride in
Selma, Mr. Henry T. Talton and Miss
Lillian Roberts were married, the
ceremony being performed by Rev.
C. K. Proctor. The wedding was a
quiet one, only a few relatives and
friends being present. The marriage
took place at 2:30 and the happy
couple immediately boarded a west
bound train for a wedding tour to
Asheville and other Western North
Carolina points. The bride is the
lovely daughter of Mr. W. B. Rob
erts and has many friends whose best
wishes follow her on her voyage over
the matrimonial sea. Mr. Talton, who
is a brother of Mr. Ralph Talton, of
Smithfield, is a young man of ster
ling qualities who has been in the em
ploy of the Southern for the past sev
eral years.
Out of town guests who atended
the marriage were, Mr. and Mrs. B.
A. Turaage, of Wilson's Mills, and
Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Talton, of Smith
field.
MR. HOOVER WARNS SENATE.
The Speculators in America Made
Bread Higher Here Than in Bel
gium, England or Erance. We Must
Do Something to Save and C onserve
at This National Crisis.
There is one man in America who
is in dead earnest about the things
he is trying to do. That man is Her
bert C. Hoover, food administrator.
He appeared before a group of sen
ators in Washington Tuesday and
outlined his plans. The following is
a partial report of his outlines, as
it appeared iu the Baltimore Sun
Wednesday:
Four basic measures of food con
trol planned, Mr. Hoover said, were
export regulation, control of distri
bution, including speculation, mobili
zation of America's women and men
in a campaign for economy and
against waste, and participation of
the States in administration work.
Federal commissioners to control
wheat, sugar and a few other "prime
commodities" by regulation of pro
duction, storage, transportation and
sale also were contemplated, he said,
but instead of injuring farmers, as
some have claimed, these things
would benefit both producers and
consumers without* curtailment of
middlemen's normal and fair profits.
Asserting that the Allies' food sup
ply would be 40 per cent deficient
even with America's food surplus as
sisting, Mr. Hoover said the deficiency
must be made up by sacrificing
abroad and economy here. Saving of
6 cents a day per capita in this
country, he declared, would save $2,
000,000,000 while a 20 per cent sav
ing in flour would give 100,000,000
bushels more to the Allies.
In this connection he told the Sen
ators that speculators in flour alone
had taken $50,000,000 a month from
the American public during the last
five months.
"With righteous manufacture^
and distributors' prices," he said,
"the price of flour should not have
been over $9 a barrel. Yet it averages
$14. In the last five months $250,000,
000 has been exacted from the Ameri
can eonsumer in excess of normal
profits of manufacturers and distrib
utors."
Mr. Hoover said that with all
wheat imported, bread prices in Bel
gium were 60 per cent less than in
New York city, while those in Eng
land and France were 30 to 40 per
cent lower, with producers realizing
the same prices.
"We now have a high cost of liv
ing," he continued, "beyond the abil
ities of certain sections of the popula
tion to withstand and to secure prop
er nourishment from the wage levels.
Unless we can ameliorate this condi
tion, and unless we can prevent furth
er advances in pricer we niuct con
front further an entire rearrange
ment of the wage level with all the
hardships and social disturbances
which necessarily follow. We shr.ll in
this turmoil experience a large loss
in national efficiency at a time when
we can least afford to lose the ener
gies of a single man."
KENLY NEWS.
Kenly, June 20. ? The Annie Ben
son Wesley Class of the Methodist
church held its regular meeting Mon
day evening from 8:30 to 10 o'clock,
with Mrs. C. F. Darden, on Maxwel
ton Heights. The class was called to
order with Bible reading by the
President, Mrs. A. J. Broughton. Re
ports from the chairmeVi cf different
committees showed that the class is
doing splendid work. There being no
other business, a salad course was I
served by the hostess, assisted by j
Mrs. R. T. Fulghum.
Little Virginia Darden entertained
several of her little playmates Satur
day afternoon, in honor of her oth
birthday. After different james, ice
cream was served.
The Bright Jewels of the Methodist i
church will give a Missionary pro
gram and mite box opening, Monday
afternoon at 4 o'clock. All ladies and |
children are invited. This band is do- 1
ing excellent work under the leader- I
ship of Mrs. A. J. Broughton.
The ladies of the M. E. Missionary j
Society served a barbecue dinner at |
the Mayor's Office Thursday.
The awful question "What shall I
have for dinner?" is easily answered
if your shelves are full of home can
red products.
AT THE CAPITAL OF BANNER.
?
An I'ntimely Death Conies to Mr.
Herman Boon. Mr. Jim Byrd
Passes Away in Durham. Mr. Pas
chal Mel.amh Dies in Wilson llt>s
pital. Revenue Officers Take Still
In Pleasant Grove Township.
Other Items of Interest.
? "I
Benson, N. C. June 21st ? Mr. S. F.
Ivey, Deputy Sheriff, was a visitor
to Raleigh, yesterday on business.
Mr. Jim Jones a prosperous farmer
of Cleveland Township was a visit
or at Benson Monday on business.
Mrs. Frank Draughan of Clinton
recently spent several days at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Whitten
j ton.
Mr. and Mrs. George Holland, Mrs.
Chas. Johnson and Miss Leola Smith
went up to Smithfield Tuesday for a
short while.
Mr. J. P. Stell, of the Revenue
Department, is in the city for a few
days on matters connected with the
Federal Government.
Messrs. M. T. Britt, J. II. Rose and
J. M. Britt went up to Smithfield
Tuesday afternoon on business.
Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Smith, of
Dunn, were here Monday on a visit
to friends for a few hours.
Miss Julia Canaday returned this
morning from Aulander where she
has been for several days visiting
friends.
Mr. Cleon Austin, of near Clayton,
was here Tuesday on .business mat
ters for awhile.
Mrs. L. B. Pope and little son,
Busbee Pope ,of Dunn, were here for
a few days recently visiting rela
tives.
Miss Evelyn Boon returned yes
terday from a several weeks visit to
relatives in Elizabeth City and Nor
folk.
Sheriff W. II. Turlington, of Har
; uett County, was here on business
for a few hours Monday.
Miss Leola Smith, of Ilillsboro, has
been > bom?_ for the past few days
visiting relatives.
Mr. Ag^ie Godwin, of Coats, was
here on business Monday for some
time.
Miss Clara Young, of Smithfield,
was here Sunday visiting Miss Val
lie Hill. She returned home Mon
day.
Messrs. J. R. Barbour and J. Will
Moore were in Lillington Tuesday on
business.
Senator J. Rob Baggett, of Lil
lington, spent a few days here re
cently on business.
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Jackson, of
Sampson County, were here Sunday
at the home of Mrs. Martha Jack
son.
Mr. and Mrs. Britt went down to
Clinton Saturday afternoon and
spent Sunday there. Mrs. Giddens,
who has been spending some time
with her daughter, Mrs. Britt, re
turned home with them.
Mr. William Adams, of Four Oaks,
was a visitor to our city Sunday.
Miss Swannie Paschal went to her
home at Jonesboro Saturday and re
turned Sunday on a visit to relatives.
Messrs. Alonzo Lassitcr and Elmon
Lassiter and sister, Miss Estella Las
sitcr, were here Sunday visiting at
the home of their sister, Mrs. W. II.
Massengill.
Miss Pearl Hill is here on a visit to
her aunt, Mrs. J. T. Stanford.
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Lassiter and
children spent Sunday here at the
home of their daughter, Mrs. George
F. Moore.
Mr. J. Walter Myatt, of Cleveland
township, was a visitor to our city
Monday.
Mrs. Newit Alien, who was operat
ed on at Rex Hospital at Raleigh,
last week, is improving slowly and
will return home within a few days.
Mr. p.nd Mrs. Spence, of Buie's
Creek, are here this week at the
home of their daughter, Mrs. J. L.
Hall, spending the week.
Mrs. Eliza Raper, of Luccma, is
here for a few days visit to the home
of her daughter, Mrs. L. E. Stevens.
Mrs. Jane Liles, of Princeton, and
Mrs. Bundy, of Farmville, spent Fri
day night at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. J. W. Whittenton.
Mr. r.nd Mrs. J. W. Sanders, of
/
Pour Oaks, were here Sunday at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Moore.
Miss Annie Peacock, of Smithfield,
was here for a few dayr. recently on
a visit to relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Liles, of
Farmville, were here at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Benton, Friday.
Mr. R. C. Hockaday was married
last Sunday afternoon to Miss Lula
Johnson, a daughter of Mr. J. B. R.
Johnson. The marriage v.-,w a sur
prise to the many friends of the par
ties here as it was kept" very quiet
and very few knew it till after the
young couple were married. Mr.
Hockaday is a prominent young man
engaged in the mercantile business in
our town and the bride is the oldest
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. R.
Johnson, of Benson. They will make
Benson their home.
Mr. M. T. Britt, President of the
Farmers Commercial Bank, and his
little son, Deleon Britt, left yester
day for Wrightsville Beach to at
tend the Bankers Association.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee, of Clayton, are
here this week visiting at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Godwin.
Mr. Paschal McLamb, a son of
Mr. Willie McLamb, was taken to
the Wilson Hospital last Monday
and died there from a complication of
diseases and was brought back here
for burial Saturday afternoon. He
left surviving him a wife and two
children, his wife living a daughter
of Mrs. Mandy Morgan.
Mr. Jim Byrd, who moved to Dur
ham a few years ago, died there last
Friday and was brought here for
burial Saturday afternoon. He was a
son of Mr. John Byrd, of Harnett
County and was married and left a
wife and three children surviving
him.
Revenue officers Stell, Moore and
Flowers captured a large copper still
Tuesday afternoon in Pleasant Grove
township, it being a 60-gallon capac
ity outfit, with equipment complete.
Several gallons of beer and other
"greens" was also taken with the
still. The operators were not captur
ed although they were identified and
will be captured later. The still was
brought to Benson and destroyed.
Mr. Herman coon, aged about z7
years, died here at the home of his
father, Mr. J. II. Boon, after a short
illness yesterday afternoon, and will
be buried in the city cemetery this
afternoon. Mr. Herman Boon was a
bright young man, and has been a
registered druggist for the past sev
eral years engaged in business in
Elizabeth City, N. C., where he had
made friends in his chosen profes
sion. He leaves surviving a mother
and father and several brothers and
sisters to mourn his death. His health
had been good up till a few weeks
ago when he had to give up work and
take a rest, and he had been confined
to his bed for only a few days when
the end came. He was a member of
the Masonic Order and also an Elk.
The funeral services will be conduct
ed by the Masonic Order and the fu
neral will be preached by Rev. W.
H. Rollings of the Baptist Church
here, of which church the deceased
was a member.
Miss Florence Johnson left last
night for Peabody Conservatory of
Music, Baltimore, Md., where she will
take a special course in pipe organ
music. She will be away for several
weeks.
Mrs. J. W. Whittenton and sons,
Marshal and Ransom Whittenton,
left this morning for a few days vis
it to relatives in Raeford, N. C.
Deputy Marshal George Moore this
morning served a warrant on Bud
Spence, of Benson, charging him
with violation of Federal Statues for
bidding the use of abusive language
toward the President and language
tending to incite men to disobey the
Federal Registration Laws. The
hearing was set for Saturday before
United States Commissioner Young
of Dunn. Meantime a one thousand
dollar bond was required for his ap
pearance before the commissioner.
Notice of Meeting.
We are requested to publish the
following:
"There will be a meeting held at
Peacock's Cross Roads, Saturday,
June 23rd, at 3 o'clock in the after
noon, to explain the bond issue and
other business connected with the
extension of the Carolina Central
Railway from Lillington, N. C., by
Benson, N. C., and through the Mead
ow township and on to the eastern
coast at Swansboro, N. C.
"The bond issue has been misrep
resented throughout the township,
leading the people to believe the
bonds (if voted by them) would be
a total loss to the township. The
matter will be explained next Satur
day afternoon ct 3 o'clock at Pea
cock's Cross Roads. Let everybody
go to the meeting and hear ?He mat
ter explained."
TflK NEWS IN CLAYTON.
Ladies Organize Red Cross Society.
Seventh Anniversary of Kev. A. C.
Hamby of Clayton Baptist Church
Was Celebrated Last Sunday. Other
Items of Interest.
Clayton, June 20. ? Miss Alto Deb
nam, of Selma, is spending this
week here with her grandparents, Dr.
and Mrs. J. A. Griffin.
Mrs. Will H. McCullers is visiting
relatives in Franklin, Va.
Mrs. C. W. Carter has as her guest
her sister, Mrs. White, of New York.
Miss Alma Hall returned last Sat-'
urday from Fremont where she has
been visiting for some time.
Mrs. J. D. Gulley spent last Sat
urday in Selma with relatives.
Messrs. C. E. Kornegay, Ed. Creech,
Wilbur Perkins and Jurtius Peedin,
all of Selma, were in town for a few
hours last Sunday.
Messrs. Clifford Hamilton, Devan
Barbour, Roy Gulley and Dr. V. M.
Barnes spent last Sunday in Greens
boro.
Mr. Allen Smith, of Smithfield, was
in town on business Wednesday after
noon. y
Mr. Joe Whitaker, of Frariklinton,
spent a few hours here Sunday after
noon.
Miss Kittie Poole arrived Sunday
afternoon to spend the summer here
with her parents.
Mr. Walton, who has been here as
druggist for Pope and Stallings for
the past few months, left Monday
afternoon for his home in Raleigh.
This place will be filled by Mr. C. II.
Beddingfield, one of our town boys
who has just finished his course in
Pharmacy at Page's School of Phar
macy, Raleigh.
Mrs. Riley R. Gulley and Miss Ruby
Ellis are attending the summer school
at the State University.
Mrs. Bennett Nooe, Jr., and little
Mary Carter Nooe, are visiting
friends at Pi-ttsboro.
n m rr ... i it i fi. m. i
ivirs. riaruee norne leu luesuay
for Black Mountain where she will
spend several weeks visiting friends.
Mr. Frank Jones spent Tuesday in
Raleigh.
Mrs. L. M. Edgerton and Miss
Gladys Barbour spent Tuesday after
noon in Raleigh.
The many friends of Miss Pearl
Lowry, of Apex, were interested to
'earn that on June the twenty-sev
enth she will be married to Mr. Jo
seph Crowder of that place. Miss
Lowry has a host of friends here,
having lived here all her life until a
few years ago when her people moved
to Apex.
Last Sunday morning and night at
the Baptist church, the seventh an
niversary of our pastor, Rev. A. C.
Hamby, was celebrated. A special
program had been arranged consist
ing of good talks and good music,
which all present enjoyed.
The ladies of the town met in the
school auditorium Wednesday after
roon for the purpose of organizing
a Red Cross Society. Much good may
be done by this society and we hope
the members all prove faithful.
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.
Growth of Cotton Retarded on Ac
count of Cool Weather. Drought
In Louisiana.
Cool waather retarded the growth
of cotton in most central and eastern
sections of the region, and the crop
was further unfavorably affected in
the southeastern portion, says the
National Weather and Crop Bulletin
issued Wednesday by the United
States Department of Agriculture.
Dnought also obtained in Texas, but
the crop stood this condition well in
that State and made some growth;
the drought situation in Louisiana is
reported as serious. Decided improve
ment resulted in Tennessee. Fair
progres3 only was made in North Car
olina where warmer weather is need
ed. The early crop is fruiting north
ward to the lower Piedmont in South
Carolina; is blooming gen-rally and
forming bolls in Florida; forming
squares in Arkansas.
Rain in southeastern Lauisiana
and eastern Oklahoma benefited cot
ton. The crop is reported as small in
Georgia and Mississippi, and in fair
condition only in Alabama and South
Arkansas. This crop in Florida is
mostly promising. Boll weevil are
reported in some sections in the
South.
Canned berries are bird proof.