THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME XL?NUMBER 5
Williamston, Martin County. North Carolina, Friday, January IS, 1937
ESTABLISHED 1899
SMALL INCREASE
IN ARRESTS MADE
DURING YEAR 19J6
Review Shows Crime Trend
""Continues- Upward Over
Period of Years
County officers had quite a busy
time last year and the year before
arresting and handling alleged vio
lators of the laws in this county, a
review of the records showing 565
arrests made in 1936 and 495 in 1935,
the sheriff's office making, on an
average, 1.5 arrests each day last
year, compared with 1.4 arrests daily
during the year 1935 The small in
crease in 1936 over 1935 in the num
ber of arrests remains about con
stant over a period of years, the
crime trend being continually up
ward. There was a slight let-up
during the depth of the depression,
but outside that period crime has
gradually increased, the later day in
fractions of the law apparently fall
ing into a more serious group than
was the case 5, 10 or 15 years ago.
During the past few years there
has been a marked increase in ar
rests among the white population,
and the records show that the num
ber of violations charged against
the white is not trailing those
(hfifgM atfainsl Ihe cbldfed t>ol>ula
tion to any great extent At the
present rate, violations by the white
population will outnumber the
crimes by members of the colored
race within a period of a very few
years.
Other than to ffidicate the in
creased trend, and that for a period
of years, the record of arrests as
taken from the jail books in the of
fice of Sheriff C. B. Roebuck mean
but little. The increased number of
arrests in 1936 over 1935 has a clos
er relation to financial conditions
probably than to any other one fac
tor. Just why there should be 10
more arrests for murder last year
than there were in 1935, a compar
ison of the times, conditions and
other factors will fail to disclose. A
stricter enforcement of the laws, all
laws, will probably account for the
greater number of arrests of drunks,
drunken drivers, and others.
The jail records for the past two
years prove probably only one thing,
and that is the sheriff's office has
one big job tracking down and ar
resting alleged law violators and
handling many of the details con
nected with the cases And in ad
dition to this work, there are taxes
to be collected, courts to be served,
civil papers to be served and num
erous other duties to be handled.
The records offer some interesting
facts as to the age groups facing
charges of alleged law violations.
Arrests, the records show, started
with youngsters just 9 years old and
continued all the way to an old col
ored man, 76 years old, who was
charged with murder. In~tfii group
from 9 years to and including those
16 years old there were 41 charges
of law violations in 1935 and 33 in
1936. Crime centered in the group
ranging from 17 to 25 years of age.
that classification accounting for
nearly one-third of the arrests, or
147 in 1935 and 165 in 1936. In the
next group, 25 to 32 years of age,
there were 126 arrests in 1935 and
169 last year. The group from 33
to 40 years was charged with 104
arrests in 1935 and 102 last year.
There were comparatively few ar
rests in the group with ages from
41 to 50 years, but this group, as
(Continued on the back page)
?
Farmers Report Meat Loss
Caused by Warm Weather
? I
Continued warm weather in this
section is causing considerable a
larm among many farmers who
killed their annual meat supplies
during the past few days. Reports
were received today stating that
several farmers had already lost
iheir meat, and that large numbers
of others were uneasy about theirs.
More than 100 blocks of ice were
bought from the local ice company
- yastarday and today -and placed by
those farmers in their
in an effort to save their meat
While forecasters were predicting
cooler weather tonight and tomor
row. the mercury was standing at
SO degrees early this afternoon
?
Schedule ol Services at
Baptist Church Sunday
Bible school, 9:48 a. m.
Morning worship, 11 a. m. Ser
mon subject "A Proposal tor Our
Church."
B. T. U.. 6:90.
Cvening worship. 7:90:
subject: "Comforted, Vested, Smit
ten."
Notice that the evening service
will be held.
Arrests?By Months, Races
The following tabulation allows the number of arrests made by
county officers in this county during 1935 and 1939, by and
the division among the white ami colored population. The table
?hows arrests only, and does not Indicate how many of those arrest
ed were convicted in the courts. 1935 MM
Col. White Tot. CoL White Tot.
lanuary
February
March
April ....
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
49
7
55
32
12
44
IS
11
29
29
12
41
22
It
32
27
17
44
25
t
33
17
14
31
21
9
29
20
It
39
12
15
27
46
16
62
23
2#
43
25
17
42
33
9
42
21
14
35
29
23
49
42
27
69
39
It
40
26
31
57
29
47
76
31
26
57
23
13
4t
25
29
53
314
191
495
341
224
565
BANK HOLIDAY
The local banks will observe
next Tuesday, January 19, Rob
ert E. Lee's Birthday, as a holi
diy. it wis tnnouniM By tut
management of the two institu
tions today. The day. while
ranked as a holiday through
out the South, is observed as
such only on a small scale in
this section. Other than the
banks, all business houses here
will be open as usual on that
day.
Barnes Resigns as
Assistant Agent;
To Go With AAA
L. T. Weeks Begins Work
Monday as Assistant To
Agent Brandon
Murphy L. Barnes, popular assist
ant county farm agent here for the
past year and a half, resigned that
post this week to accept a position
with the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration, United States De
partment of Agriculture, the resig
nation to become effective probably
some time next week, it was learn
ed today. The new position is rec
ognized as a valuable promotion for
Mr. Barnes, who will head educa
tional and compliance work in the
eastern section of the State, accord
ing to information received here.
Mr. Barnes will have his headquar
ters and continue to live here, it
was stated.
Mr. L. T Weeks, of Fuquay
Springs, has been named to succeed
Mr. Barnes as assistant to County
Agent Tom Brandon. Mr Weeks
was here this week looking for liv
ing quarters and will report for ac
tive work next Monday. Mr. Weeks,
who lost his parents last spring, will
bring his younger brother with him
arid be at home with Mrs W. E.
Warren on Haughton Street, and he
will move his wife and daughter
here just as soon as he can locate
living quarters. ?
Mr. Weeks was graduated with
honors from State College in Ra
leigh in 1934, and was vocational
agriculture teacher in the Hobgood
schools for a year and a half, or un
til his father died and resigned his
work there to return home and take
charge of the home farm. He en -
ters upon his new duties here high
ly recommended by State agricul
tural authorities
Meet Held Thursday
For WPA Teachers
Teachers in WPA adult schools in |
the eastern section held a district]
meeting in the courthouse here yea-|
terday, Mrs. Elizabeth C. Morris and.
Mr. Winston Riley, prominent fig-j
iiw lb tduit eaummiun wum. uf*
fering the teachers a course of in ]
struction in handling their clasa
A large number of teachers in the]
night schools were present from 8
of the II counties in the district-?j
Mrs. Morris, formerly a teacher in]
Columbia University, is now head
of adult education work in this]
state, and Mr. Riley, formerly head'
of adult education in the State of
Indiana, is now head of the work
in this district.
There are more than 1,000 adults
taking advantage of the instruction
offered by the night schools at the
present time. A splendid work has
been accomplished in Martin Coun
ty, but the five schools are now re
porting a snail attendance, it is un
derstood. I
Fire Loss Last Year
Heaviest Since 1929
Total Damage Was
$18,774 Against Only
$2,258 in Prior Year
Number of Calls Received
Three Under Record
For Previous Year
Williamston had its heaviest fire
loss in 1936 since the year 1929. a|
review of the local volunteer fire de 1
partment records shows A greater
portion of the $18,774 loss was cen^
tered in three fires?Culpepper Hard
ware Company store on the 10th of
last February, the Charles Mobley
home on April 20, and Suggs' gro
cery on the 16th of last November
During the past year, the local
firemen answered 33 calls, one out
side of town. On an average, 10 of
the company volunteers answered
each call, the number of calls being
the second largest on record.
The unusual feature in the re
port is the large personal property
or building contents loss, compared
with damage to buildings Personal
property losses were estimated at
$10,759, against $7,915 on buildings.
One false alarm was received dur
ing the period, pranksters celebrat
ing the Democratic election victory
on November?4?dragging out thei
fire-fighting apparatus. The volun
teers were greatly baffled and em
barrassed on November 19th, when
a call was received and they found
the truck battery run down. A
small building on Washington Street
hurned down while the company
members and volunteers tugged at
the balking machine As a whole
the fireman made a unique record
during the year, however.?About
one-fourth of the calls were receiv
ed during freezing weather, and the
work was handled under many
handicaps.
The following figures, taken from
the fire department records, show
the annual fire loss here since 1928
Year No. Calls
1929 24 $38,350
1930 24 2.421
1931 29 5,910
1932 25 2.850
1933 25 2,350
1934 17 600
1935 36 2,258
1936 33 18,774
213 $74,213
3I
Second Civil $uit Filed In
County Court This Wee*'
A suit for $750 was filed in the
office of Superior Court L B. Wynne
here this week by Ben Cross against
Norfolk Southern Bus Corporation.
The suit is the second filed in the
county so far this year, it was said
Cross, in his complaint, alleged
that a bos upwated by the defend
ant struck and wrecked his car near
Everetts the 25th of last November.
He is asking $250 property and $500
personal damages
The second ejectment paper of the
year was also filed this week in the
county, the sheriff's office serving a
similar paper a few days aeo.
Auto Tire and Accessory
Store To Open Here Soon
Leased by a firm in Rocky Mount,
the Staton store, nest to Clark's
Drug Store on Main Street here will
be occupied about the first of next
month by an automobile tire and
accessories store, it was unofficially
learned here this week. The fh
plans to open for business about the
middle of next month, it was leam
ed. Definite announcements are ex
pected ' shortly.
6 EATLNC PUCES
HERE CLOSED BY
STATE INSPECTOR
Operators Carried To Court
? For Alleged Violation
Of Sanitary Laws
Six hot-dog stands were closed
and ratings were given the two ho
tels and other cafes here this week
following an inspection by W. Mur
ray Linker, district sanitation sup
ervisor of the State Board of
Health. Operators of the six cafes
or hot-dog stands closed by the in
spector were carried to court. Jus
tice J. L. Hassell suspending $10'
fines upon payment of costs in each
case and under the condition that
the places remain closed until all
sanitary requirements are met Op
erators of Roomer's. Manning's.
Jones's. Gainer's. Ruffin's cafes and
the Starlight Inn. after going to
court, started making arrangements
to comply with the requirements in,
nearly every case. Laws controlling
sanitary standards for hotels and
cafes are said to have commanded
greater respect than at any previous
time, the several business operators
launching a program of changes 1m
mediately to boost their ratings be
fore another inspection is made
within the Mf\t ^
The George Reynolds Hotel, with
a rating of 93. led the list for ho
tels, and the Welcome Inn led the
list for cafes. The other principal
cafes here were not subject to clos
ing orders, and a few minor changes
will place them in the "A" class, it
was learned.
Really deplorable conditions were
found in the group ordered closed
by the sanitarian, Mr. Linker stat
ing unofficially that the only rating
he could give one establishment was
made possible by fresh air and sun
shine going througli the* building
Another operator of a hot dog stand
in the group, it was unofficially
learned, tried to explain that he did
not sell hot dogs, but did sell liquor
and that the sale of liquor, he
thought, did not come under State
Board of Health regulations
One of the cafes in the closed
group scored 17.5 points, which may
or may not be a record for the
state.
All cafes scoring under 70 points
are subject to be closed under state
health laws. Mr. Linker pointed out.
adding that a marked improvement
of sanitary conditions in eating
places here could be expected from
now on.
SERIES OF FARM
MEETINGS TO BE
HELD IN COUNTY
Will Be Similar To Educa
tional Meetings Held
Last Year
A series of farm educational meet
ings similar to those held last year
will be held in several communities
of this county next week, it was
learned from the office of the coun
ty agent today The county farm
and home agents and heads of oth
er agricultural agencies in the coun
ty will have parts on the program
which will offer a review of the var
ious departmental activities. The
meetings will be held at 7 o'clock in
the evenings.
Miss Lora E. Sleeper, home agent;
W^G. Stannll, of Rocky Mount, who
is with the National Farm Loan As
sociation; E. G. Greene, of Weldon.
who is president of the Production
Credit Association; F. H. Stephen
son, of the Martin County Fanners
Cooperative Exchange; D. G. Mod
fin, Rural Resettlement Administra
tion. and T. B. Brandon, county
agent, wil have parts on the pro
gram Farmers are being urged di
rectly to attend the meetings in
their respective communities. The
agencies are in a pnsilmn 'ft ft)? 1ft
loans, refinance farm indebtedness,
buy and sell farm products cooper
atively and advise about farm and
home prublohf.
The schedule of meetings is as fol
lows:
Oak City, Monday, January IS;
Hassell, Tuesday, January 1>; Farm
Life, Wednesday, January 30; Rob
eraonville, Thursday, January 31;
and Bear Gfass on Friday, January
22.
Local Boy Scouts To Hold
Meet at 7 This Evening
?*
A meeting of local Boy Scouts
will be held in the Baptist parson
age this evening at 7 o'clock. Rev
J. H. Smith and Professor Milton
Griffin, leaden of the
today There are about
18 members of the organization, a
all are urged to be present
Number County Farmers To
Attend Tobacco Short Course
Seven! Martin County farmers
are planning to attend the short
course (or loLaco growers at State
C nlUj. Raleigh, beginning?
Monday, accenting to information
coming from the office of the coun
ty agent here today. All tobacco
growers are invited to attend, and
hundreds are expected front the to
bacco-growing sections The total
cost of about $10 60. including board
and room, is considered very rea
sonable.
Recognized specialists of the
state and nation will have parts in
the program which is designed to
prove of much value to farmer*.
All phase* of tobacco culture and
marketing W ill br Jiactnaed by lead
. rs wto have devoted year* of study
to lie pcnimiiii. and these discus
sums wil be supplemented by actual
laboratory practice and demonstra
tions will be arranged, and a thor
ough levies of tobacco culture will
be made
Any farmer who wishes to attend
(rum this county is directed to get
in touch with the county agent, with
the possibility that transportation
facilities may be arranged for
groups
Legislature Gets Many
New Bills This Week
Budget Estimates
Show Iuereases in
Almost All Lines
Decrease for County Road
Maintenance Shown
In Proposed Budget
The second week of the 1937 North
Carolina General Assembly finds the
legislators swamped with bills and
perplexing problems and no definite
or even general solutions are in sight
just now Apparently the legi&la
ture is already entangled to the ex
tent that some believe it will be un
til next June or July freeing itself
Numerous bills of local import
ance have been introduced and many
passed, but none affecting this couri
ty has been introduced so far. Rep ,
resentative H. G. Horton explaining,
last week that he planned to spon
sor a measure to allow Martin Coun
ty to establish an all-time health
service if the public wanted the de
partment.
With bills having to do with so-.
rial security, crop control, transpor ]
tation of school children, child labor
amendment, and a few others al
ready in the hopper, oilier major
proposals were added to the list this
week. Laws have been proposed to
cliange date for holding primaries,
pi UV tde a Stale side rpfprwtrfnm nn |
liquor, prohibit the sale of fireworks,
to make kidnaping punishable by
death in this state, to put the state
into the business of distilling and
wholesaling liquor to wet voting
counties, to supply free textbooks to
elementary srhool pupils, to re
? stablish KKA minimum hours, to
lower automobile license costs again,
to authorize a $25 000.000 bond is
sue for the improvement of rural
roods and to consolidate control of
the public schools.
The budget estimates were re
leased this week, each department
calling lor an increase during the
1937 38 period While all depart
ment budgets ?all for increase1 i
funds, some of them requested ie&>
for certain items. During the cur
rent year. $6,078,597 was spent for j
the maintenance of county roads. th?-1
budget recommending only $5.800,-;
000 for the new year, or a reduction ]
of about $278,000 The budget rec
ommends $372,225 for the general!
assembly and judiciary, $1,995.775j
for executive and legislative depart
ments. $2.415.687 for educational in
stitutions: $2,071,554 for charitable j
aid correctional institutions. $3|fc
952.890 for State aid and oHija
tions this amount representing $24.
396.367 for schools, as compared with |
$20,223,211 for 1935 36, and 28.152,
309 for highway and public works, |
making a grand total of $70,178,171.
as compared with $68,876,577 in j
1935-36 There is no provision for |
social security, the budget commis
sion leaving the task of raising funds)
V> bninre that xtvkt with thr Irr
islature, it was pointed out.
The proposal of Representative
Ed R Hanford. of Alamance, for the
msnifartiiri and artiqlcarilr uf I up mi
by the state to counties which may
vote to establish liquor stores, was
Services Mi the Church
Of the Advent Sunfayl
W Ike Ural
Rev E F. Moaley. rector.
Second Sunday after Epiphany
Church school 141 a m
Morning prayer and aennon. U|
?o
?1
1
F?r and
sermon, a
?JAriy X
Sunday sdw
ol and pr?
?aching at
2 jo p . as.
PEANUT MARKET
light Mnmn TV autrt
?? slightly rain. to*, it was
at 4 1-2
with a top W S
a Irw days ag*.
iNYA Wk in This'
Section Is Reviewed
At Meet Held Here
Plans Being Formulated To
Extend Work Among
County Youths
Calling a meeting here last Wed i
r.esday evening of a number of rep
lesentatives from over the county.
Miss Elizabeth Huntley, district!
supervisor of the National Youth
Administration, with headquarters
in the Branch Bank building, and
| Mr PS Randotf. of Raleigh, re
viewed the work now being done by
line organization and asked sugges
tions for extending the activities a
ntong youths of this county
Outside- of a number in school, the
NYA is aiding 1? young people in
this county at the present time, it
was explained Miss Huntley briefly
reviewing the lewcial carts and sug
gesting to the representatives thai
they recommend to the district office
names of those youths between the
ages of IS and 25 years who are in
need of assistance and who are eii
kible to participate in the program
benefits
Tie NYA has handled a splendid
w?*ck among i-eedy youths of the
! state and nation, making possible
the attendance upon public school-;
[of thousands who were unable to
[finance their own way. Move atten
jtion is now being given those young
I people who are out of school in the
hope that they might be trained in
- ome desired vocation
Present plans calls for the ap
puintment of a committee to make
a study of the program as it affect
this county and its youth with the
possibility of extending NYA activ
ities among the young people
Farm Bureau Leaders To
Plead tor Control Plan
Headed by Film Bumu leaders
farmers (nan Use tobacco-growing
Kdna oi IV stale will appear be
lute a J--M ivcrtmg ??! tik- Iioum
and senate in Ralrrgh next Tuesday i
afternoon al 2J* o'clock and plead;
foe thr ps issge of a proposed ram
part law lor control of tobacco pro
Mr Henry S Evmtt. prestdenl,
of the Martin County Bureau will!
Schedule Sunday Services
At the Methodist Churcbl
Church school. MS a. m.
Morning anat. II o'clock
Epworth league. C 45 p as.
PLAN OPERATION
OF POULTRY CAR
IN FEW WEEKS
No Contract Yet Made, but
Several Dealers Likely
To Enter Bids
Plans are new being
for the operation of a series of poul
Itry cars in this county within the
next few Weeks. T. B Brandon.
| county agent, said this week. No
contracts have been made with poul
try dealers, but it is understood the
Farmers' Cooperative Exchange will
be on the market and possibly other
large poultry purchasers will enter
bids, it was pointed out.
Large poultry' surpluses are de
pressing the northern markets at
this time, but it is hoped that prices
will show added strength as the
mam shipping season gets under
way Last year farmers were paid
around 17 and 18 cents for their
poultry' a* the cooperative car op
erating tn this county. The west
ern markets were fro/en up at that
time, and shipments from this point,
it will be remembered, were mada
with difficulty during the cold wea
ther and while the roads were in
bad condition As soon as the wea
ther moderated out west, shipments
ta^an m puui into me mies of iflg
east, and carloads of poultry were
placed in storage, and the supply is
said to be holding down prices now
Late quotations place the price
average around 14 cents for colored
hens. Whether a rise in the price
can be expected later in the season
is a matter for speculation. Some
are of the opinion since meat price;
are so high that poultry should com
mand greater attention, but so far
the strong market for meat has not
affected the poultry market.
No estimate on the supply of poul
try in this section is available, but
generally believed that it is
no larger, if as large, than it was u
I year ago. Only a few farmers in
| this county have asked about coop
erative shipments, but it is Mr
Brandon's plan to operate a car
soon, the extent of its patronage to
determine a shipping schedule later
in the ??awn _ ______
ork Progressing on
New Farm Building
Work on the Martin County agri
cultural building next to the county
courthouse is progressing rapidly
and will possibly be ready for occu
pancy by the farm and home agents
and the several other agricultural
agencies by the first of March. The
structure has been closed m, and
plasterers will start work the early
part of next week it is planned
Construction work is ahead of sched
ule. and completion ot the building
work is expected before other sim
ilar projects are finished in several
near-by counties.
Ip an effort to give unskilled labor
'as much work as possible, the build
ers have lost much time, no doubt,
but the delayed' schedule \ as con
sidered advisable
Man Faces Charge For
Hunting Without License
Adjudged guilty of hunting wnh
out license. Thomas Hill, colored,
was given a 30-day jail sentence
suspended upon payment of cost and
purchase of license by Justice J. L?
llassell in his court here Wednes
day
George Joyner and Oscar James,
facing similar charges, were found
not guilty
River Falling Slowly At
This Point Report States
Fed by frequent rains throughout
the basin, the Roanoke, after reach
?n( a flood crest of 3 feet over its
banks last Sunday, was reported re
Ueding slowly today, the stream
| dropping uwly 2 f?4?so *?> lh
week No additional rise is expect
ed and the st ream will be within its
hanks about rctl Monday nr Ttrrs
day. it was predicted by the observ
er at the river here this morning
No record rainfall has been re
ported in this section, but during 12
ot the first 14 days of this
the weather station here has report
ed aumc precipitation.
O. G. Willard Purchases
Shoe Shop Partnership
Wheeler Manning, for
years part owner and operator ot
Wrllard's Shoe Shop here, recently
sold his interest in the business, sad
Mr O G. Willard is now aalr ap
lard moved here a few days aga to
take active charge of the shop am