North Carolina Newspapers

44th Series of Stock in Building and Loan Association Will Go on Sale Saturday; March 4th Advertiser* Will Find Our Col umn! a Latchkey to over 1,600 j Homes of Martin County, i THE ENTERPRISE Watch the Label on Your Paper, As It Carries the Data Your Subscription Expires. VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 18 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, March 3, 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899 County Court Sets A Record For The Month of February Only Two Cases Are Called By Judge H. O. Peel in Short Session The Martin County recorder's court established a new record on Monday of this week when it hand led only two cases and adjourned a few minutes after Judge H. O. Peel convened the regular session. It was the first time in the month of Feb ruary since the court was created about twenty years ago that so few esses were placed on the docket for trial. It was just one of those times that few cases were scheduled for consideration in the court, and the short docket does not necessarily mean that crime is taking a gener al holiday in the county. Several crimes have taken place in recent days in the county, but the trials of the defendants were delayed pend ing certain developments. In other instances, the cases have been book ed for trial in the higher courts. There is a decreased activity in the crime world, however, reports coming from the various justices of the peace in the county stating that few cases have been placed before them in recent days. Once or twice, the court has had as few as two or three cases, and there has been only one case on the docket, but such small dockets arc generally the rule in the mid-sum mer and not in fall, winter or spring months. Last Monday, the court nolprossed with leave the case charging James Asa Griffin with an assault with a deadly weapon, it appearing to the judge that the prosecution was will ing to give the defendant another chance. It was alleged that the de fendant, possessing a combination walking stick, dagger and cigar lighter, separated the deadly wea pon and the stick and started to at tack a member of his family. No great damage was done. When there are no more than two cases on the court docket, alleged liquor law violations can be depend ed upon to share a place before the tribunal. This time Ben Tyner was charged with violating the liquor laws. He pleaded guilty and the court sentenced him to the roads for sixty days, the sentence to begin at th# direction of the court at any time within the next two years. Increased Peanut Acreage In Texas Forecast For 1939 Early reports from Texas indicate that peanut farmers now intend to plant more heavily than they did last year. A. B. Harless, Federal-State Mar ket News Representative at the State Department of Agriculture, an nounced yesterday that peanut far mers in the Southern part of the Lone Star State are not only get ting their seed peanuts ready but have started to plant in a small way. Quoting reports of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Harless said that peanuts planted now in Texas can be dug in July and if the fanners desire another planting can be made in the same ground with every assurance that it will mature. Although the rotation of two peanut planting in the same ground in the same year' is rarely followed it is practiced enough so that growers know that it is a pos sibility. Meanwhile, in Eastern North Car olina farmers' stock peanuts have been moving slowly. Best Jumbos will still command 3 3-4 to 4 cents per pound at country points and best bunch nearly as much. Most peanuts which are now moving are shelling stock and as such sell at a very wide price range. Heavy shell ing stock from which a good propor tion of extra large can be made will bring the grower 3 1-2 cents per pound, but light weight shelling stock containing mostly ones and twc l may bring only 2 1-2 cents per pound. Inflicts Bad Injury To His Foot With An Axe Wednaaday afternoon, Mr. Jesse Roberaon, white tenant, on Mrs Mamie E. Roberson's farm about two miles north of Bear Grass, painfully but not seriously cut his foot, di rectly under the ankle with an axe. He was treated by Dr. V. E. Brown and returned to his horna. V . ,?L ?. iai Now Estimated That Martin Farmers Will Get $175,000 - Martin County farmrrt-wfao com plied with the farm control and soil conservation payments last year now have something to look forward to, according to unofficial informa tion received here this week. Several weeks ago it was unoffi cially estimated that the farmers of this county would receive around $150,000 in soil conservation pay ments. Yesterday, County Agent T. B. Brandon stated that it was now estimated that the payments will approximately if not pass $175,000 These figures are not official, the agent explained, but it is a settled fact that the payments will be lar gpr this year than ever before under the soil program. "We don't know," the agent an swered whan?askad how long would be before the checks would be made available to the farmers, The office is hopeful the checks will start coming within the next two or three weeks. Last year the farmers of this county received approximately $125,000 in soil conservation pay ments, the county agent pointing out that a return to the control pro gram last year effected an increase in the soil payments now falling due. With few exceptions, all applica tions for the soil conservation pay county agent's office and forward ed to Raleigh for approval. Propose Bill to Extend District School Terms DAMAGED I / Excessive rains in this section during the past week or more, are said to have damaged tobac co plant beds generally in the county, but there has been no talk so far of an expected plant shortage. There have been times when farmers would let excess ive rainfall worry them, but most of them questioned since the snow yesterday were not alarmed at all, and merely said that they believed there would still be enough plants to go around if half or even three fourths of the beds were wash ed completely away. Considerable damage has re sulted to plants following re peated rains In a number of counties in the belt. Mr. Levi Hardison Dies At His Home in Williams Township Funeral Services Are Held There Yesterday Afternoon e Levi Hardison, well-known citi zen of Williams Township, died at his home there Wednesday after noon at 12:30 o'clock following an illness of only a few hours' dura tion?At-wnrlr-in-hris-wnudstied;?ttiF" aged farmer suffered a stroke an hour or two before, and never re gained consciousness. Mr. Hardison was taken ill several months ago, but regained his health to the ex tent that he was able to be up and attend to his farm duties. He was here just a few days ago attending to business matters, and was thought to have been in fairly good health when he was taken gravely ill sud denly Wednesday morning The son of the late Clawton and Marina Beasley Hardison, he was born in this county 78 years ago. Mr. Hardison, well liked by a large cir cle of friends throughout this sec tion, lived a quiet, peaceable and un pretentious life. The finer things in life, as fine things are defined in this modern age, were never his, but his life was not empty. He found pleasure in the simplier things in life, in doing the'little things. His advantages were not many, but his witticisms would match those of the trained scholar. Mr. Hardison re minded one of the old frontiersman who never shirked a task because it was hard and trying. He worked on his litUe farm, slightly removed from man's beaten path, and there eked a living from the soil for him self and his family, paying without complaint the taxes assessed against him. His walk through life was humble, but even then he contribut ed his part to society, and even in his advanced years he strived with feeble hands to maintain his inde pendence and meet his obligations. His wife, Mrs. Fannie Hardison, died some years ago, and he leaves four sons, Alexander Hardison, of Rocky Mount; Belmar and Horsley Hardison, of Williamston and Kelly Hardison, of Bertie County; and three daughters, Mrs. Roland Moore, Mrs. Geneva Williams and Miss Ber tha Hardison, all of this county. Funeral services were conducted at the home yesterday afternoon by Rev. W. B. Harrington, county Bap tist minister. Interment was in the Rob+rton ctptUry, mat Um Claud ius Roberson home, in Griffins Township. Action Is Awaiting Recommendations Bv County Boards Proposal Subject to the Ap proval of Voters in Districts Sponsored by the local school committee and others interested in the advancement of education in general', a bill is being proposed "relative to local supplements in the administrative unit or in school districts in Martin County, it was unofficially learned here this week Briefly stated, the proposed hill is the first step toward increasing th length of the school term from eight to nine months and supporting the added month by local taxation. The bill empowers the authorities To call a Special election, leaving the final action in connection with ex tending the term or holding it to eight months up to a vote of the people. If the bill is passed by the legislature, a petition carrying the names of 25 citizens will virtually mean that the county commission ers will call a special election. It is understood, however, that the measure is applicable to individual districts, meaning that one or more school districts can have the ex tended term even if other districts do not ask for an election According to unofficial reports, the spunsuis?of I lie proposed bill will appear before the county jx>m miasioners at their session next Mon day and ask support for the meas ure. No action is likely in the legis lature unless favorable recommen dations are made by the county au thorities, it was learned. The body of the proposed bill, ap plicable only to Martin County school districts, separately, follows: The county board of education in the county administrative unit, with the approval of the tax levying au thorities in the county and the State school commission, in order to op erate the schools of a higher stan dard than that provided By state support in the administrative unit or in any school district within the county administrative unit, but in no event to provide for a term of more than one hundred eighty days, may supplement the funds from the state or county allotments available to said administrative unit and or dis trict- Provided, that before making any levy for supplementing said . allotments, an election shall be held in said administrative unit or dis trict to determine whether there shall be levied a tax to provide said supplemental funds, and to deter mine the maximum rate which may be levied therefor. Upon the request of the county board of education 111 the county administrative unit the tax levying authorities of such unit shall provide for an election to be held under laws governing such elections as set forth in Art. XXIII XXIV, and XXVI of chapter nine ty-five of the Consolidated Statutes of North Carolina, volume three: Provided, that the rate voted shall remain the maximum until revoked or changed by another election. ? Rev. Wade Johnson Will Preach At Jamesville Using as his theme, "Christian Security," Rev. Wade Johnson will preach in the Jamesville Methodist church Sunday morning at 10 o'clock . 1 o'clock. The public is invited to I beer him. Place 15 Cases On Calendar For Trial In Superior Court ??? Only one Day Allotted For Trial of Criminal Actions $ Meeting last week-end, the Mar tin County Bar association placed 45 cases on the civil calendar for con sideration by Judge Everett C. Thompson in the superior court con vening the week of March 20. The first cases on the calendar are scheduled to be heard the second day of the session, the bar group al lotting only one day, Monday, March 30. for clearing the ciiininal docket. Judge Thompson, Elizabeth City man, comes to this county for his first time as a presiding jurist. There are no rases of marked pub lic interest on the calendar for the coming session, and the publiz is not expected to give the court hard ly more than passing attention af ter the first day or two. The following cases appeal on the civil calendar released Wednesday morning by the County Bar Tuesday, March 21- l.itu'sley v. James, Davis vs. Hill, Hyman versus Williams, Harrison agairtst Price, Harrison Co. v. Price. Wednesday, March 22 - Everett v. Matthews, Matthews v. Bell, Ferti lizer Co vs. Jordan, Grimes et al v. Close et al, Fertilizer Co. vs Gal loway, Jones versus Morgan, Staton v. Skinner, Carstarphen against Per ry, W G. Clark v. Close, Andrews v. Whitehurst, Fertilizer Co against (Continued on page six) Bethel Wants Two Jackson Men For Station Robbery T. F. Jackson Is Sorry He Fired Upon Jailer Roy Peel Arrested late last Saturday night for the alleged theft of about 250 pounds of choice meat from Farmei L. H. Matthews in Hobersonville Township, T. F. and Solen K. Jack son are now wanted in Pitt County for the alleged robbery of a Bethel filling station the early part of last month. Formal charges have not been filed and if and when they are, the two men will likely continue in the Martin County jail to face the meat-stealing charges here first "We plan to carry the Jacksons in to the courts of this county first, and tltt'M turn t lit'in i>\n?r f?. tin* Pitt nil thorities later," Sheriff Roebuck said yesterday. ?? ~ Damaging evidence against the two Jacksons, T. F., 27, and Solen, 22, was uncovered last Wednesday when officers, armed with a search warrant, searched the Jackson plan tation and found a small quantity of cigarettes, cigars and candy and a guitar hidden under a pile of old scrap tobacco in an out building Having nothing to say about the meat stealing and the Bethel filling station robbery charges, T. F. Jack son has expressed in a strong way his regrets for the attempt made on Deputy Roy Peel' life last Saturday night. He explained that he never would have shot had he known U was Roy Peel. "To tell the truth, I had rather fired on my own daddy than you Roy," Jackson was quoted as saying Receiving good treatment the times he has been in jail,, Jack son is said to think a great deal of the deputy and jailer. Without learn ing what his son said, the elder Jackson was quoted as saying that if any one had been shot last Sat urday night he would rather seen his son shot than Roy Peel. Finish Swimming Pool For Children While there is doubt if the big municipal swimming pool here will be completed in time for use this coming summer," it is certain that the little tots of the town and com-1 munity will have a place to splash in during the hot days that are not so far off, notwithstanding the snow that fell yesterday. The baby pool at the recreation center on Watts Street was com pleted this week and is ready for use. Measuring 16 by 30 feet, the pool with a depth varying from 18 Inches to two and one-half feet, will hold around 1,600 gallons of water. The baby pool is constructed separ ate from a filtering unit, and Its wa ter will have to be changed every I two or three daya. Introduce Road Refund Bill In the Legislature Yesterday ... A bill,?authorising the?appoint ment of a commissioner to study th<* claims of several counties to money expended for the construction of highways, was introduced in the State Senate yesterday. The bill was introduced by sev en senators, A B Corey of Pitt, A. B Palmer of Cabarrus, Fred I. Sut ton of Lenoir, J. H. Separk of Gas ton, Chester A. Cogburn of Hay wood. Jack Joyner of Iredell and W. A. Graham of Iredell It would j authorize the governor to appoint a commissioner to study the situa tion, check over all information compiled by previous legislative commissions, rather additional in formation and report to the gover-1 nor by December 1, 1940. The commissioner would bei charged with the duty of determin ing whether the claims are meriti-l ous and which should be paid. Hej would be paid a pet dirivi alluwcd by the governor and would be al lowed clerk hire, but the total ex penses could not exceed $2,000 Only last fall the State Highway and Public Works Commission de nied completely claims from 81 counties, totalling $52,881,059.98 It based its decision on findings of the 1935 legislative commission and on a review made by the Highway com mission. 'The old commission appointed by J. C B Ehnnghau. then governor, apparently sought out every claim for everything in an effort to belit tle the meritorious claims Martin County is asking a refund of ap proxinmtely $400,000, and it is pos sible that it is entitled to throe fourths that amount The people sincerely believe that the county is entitled to a refund, and they are willing to let disinterested party study and determine the amount. \uthorities To Set Up l ax Listing Machinery Commissioners ^ iJI | Name Supervisor Of Taxat ion on Monday Board To Recommend Ap-j pointment of List-takers At Regular Meeting Machinery for building the coun ty's 1939 tax structure will be set up by the board of commissioners in regular session here next Monday when a supervisor of taxation is ap pointed and applications for list takers in the various" townships are considered Work toward setting up the 1939 tax structure for the coun ly is getting underway while collec tions for 1938 are less than half completed. Several applications for the posi tions of list-takers have been receiv ed, but it could not be learned whe ther there were new applicants on the list. Up until yesterday no for mal application for the position of county tax supervisor had been filed in the office of the county commis sioners Asked this week if he had filed his application to silcceed him self us county supervisor, S. II. Grimes explained that he had not, but that he would accept the up piiliilMU'iU if llir niiiiinissmn ors tendered "it to him. No revaluation of property as a whole will be made this year, and tax listing will be just a matter of following the old figures in most cases. There will be the matter of good judgment and discretion, of course, but no changes are in or der unless there have been improve ments made to any property or un less property has been torn down or damaged by fire or wind New pro perty will be valued in proportion to other listings. While the county commissioners appoint a tax supervisor, they are not empowered to appoint the sever al list-takers. The tax supervisor, whose job it is to make the ap I ointments, is, more or less, bound by recommendations made by the commissioners. The names of the several town ship list-takers last year are: O W Hamilton, Jamesville Township; L. J. Hardison. Williams Township; Geo. C, Griffin,-Griffins Township. A. B Ayers, Bear Grass Township; H. M. Burras, Williamston Town ship; G.. G Bailey, Cross Roads Township; H. S. Everett, Roberson ville Township; L. G. Taylor, Pop Hamilton Township; J A Rawls, Goose Nest Township. Following their appointment by the tax supervisor, the ten list-tak ers are to meet on or not later than the third Monday in this month and establish a guide of values that list ings might be equalized as near as possible throughout the county. The board of commissioners often meet with the tax supervisor and the list takers and study the tax schedule before listing gets underway as of April 1. Other than formulating plans for handling the listing of property for taxation, the commissioners have very little business scheduled for their consideration at their regular meeting next Monday. "The board will draw jurymen for the special term of April superior court and in spect current bills," J. Sam Getsin ger, clerk to the body, said today. | JOINT MEETING v Member* of the local Senior and Junior Woman'* flubs will meet in a Joint session in the club hall here next Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock when the proxram will center around a public health address bv a well known authority. The subject planned for the meetinic was described as a very important one, and full repre sentations from both the organ iaations is urged by the officers. Aged Resident Dies At Home In dross 1 Road s on Tlnirsd av Funeral Services This Af ternoon for Mrs. Mar garet Stalls Mrs. Margaret Stalls, aged resi dent of Cross Roads and highly re spected county citi/on, died at the home of her daughtei there yester day morning following an illness of short duration Pneumonia was giv en as the immediate cause of her death. Just a few months short of ?a years 01 age, mi.x S>lallM was tak en ill about a Year ago hilt rernvfr ed from that illness and enjoyed fairly good health until about ten days ago when she fell and broke her hip. Si nee thut time she wat confined to her bed, tlie end coming gradually. Mrs. Stalls was born in this coun ty, the daughter of the late David and Cynthia Biggs Gurganus In early womanhood she was married to David W. Stalls who died a long number of years ago. She was the last member of tier immediate fam <ly As a child of only five years of age when the Civil War broke out and as a young girl during the re construction period, Mrs Stalls ex perienced the hardships of the per iod. The years of hardship experienc ed as a child during the Civil War and as a young girl during the re construction days, created in her a spirit of humanitarism, and even in to olfl age she nursed the sick and cared for the afflicted. She was wel corned into the homes of her com munity at all times, and was greatly beloved by all who knew her. Dur ing the past seven years she had been a devout member of the Pres byterian church holding member ship at Roberson'i Chapel. Only one daughter, Mrs. J. R. Keel, survives. She also leaves four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Funeral services are being con ducted this afternoon at 2:30 at Rob erson's Chapel by Rev. Z. T. Piep hoff, local minister, assisted by Rev. J.- M. Perry, of Robersonville. In terment will follow in the Stalls cemetery, near the home, in Crots Roads Township. Vatican Secretary New Head Catholic Church Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, Vatican Secretary of State, waa named yes terday to succeed Pope Pius XI, who He was chosen on the third bal lot .. . State Health Work Threatened Bv Cut In Appropriations Martin Officials Appeal to Legislators This Week Members of the North Carolina Public Health Association from sev enty-six counties, in a special meet ing held in Raleigh this week, view ed with grave concern the danger to North Carolina's- public health program presented by the cut in appropriations recommended by the appropriations committee of the leg islature In the face of j|p imw.v..... during? the past two years in counties serv ed by full-time local health organ izations from fifty-one to seventy six counties, the joint appropriations committee of the legislature has recommended an appropriation which will make available $95,000 per year less for health work in North Carolina than is being spent during the present year In a resolution, the health officers declared: "This cut means either that the health program of the state will suf fer a tragic retrenchment, or that the counties and cities will have to increase their appropriations to make up the deficit. Should any or all of the twenty-four counties which do not have full-time health service apply for their proportionate part of available funds, the amount which Will Be cut from each of the seventy-six counties now being serv ed will be proportionately greater "The association, realized that ad ditinmil fund, in wnu>.i ? the?? 000 are absolutely essential to take care of any of the twenty-four unor ganized counties that should become interested m the establishment of minimum public health services. We urgently request that funds in addi tion to $95,000 be made available by the legislature to take care of the normal growth in providing health service to these twenty-four coun ties and that the legislature earmark any funds in addition to the $95,000 "In view of the tremendous in crease in interest and support for the public health program during recent years, the association does not believe the people of the state are willing to go backward " Recognizing the valuable work ac complished by public health author ities during the past year, the Mar tin County Board of Commissioners this week passed a resolution urging the legislators to restore the $95,0UU to fhe budget and not cripple the public health activities in thus and other counties. " Joseph T. Haislip Retires As Mail (Carrier In ( omitv Starting cut with a horse and bug gy on January 2, 1906, Mr Joseph T Haislip rounded out more than thrirty-lhree years of faithful ser vice as rural letter carrier out of the llassell office last Tuesday when he retired. After traveling about 110,000 miles in a horse and buggy, Mr Haislip went modern and bought an auto mobile, but frequently in winter months he had to go back to the old horse and buggy to extend the ser vices to his patrons. No record of the hardships experienced and the number of horses and buggies and automobiles bought is available, but a record of untiring and faithful ser vice is firmly established in the minds?of thosy?old patniiis?who watched the government servant pass their way each day year after year. Centered in a small area around Hassell and Hamilton, the accumu lated, travel during the more than 33 years Mr. Haislip was on the job equalled ten round-the-world tripe. Bringing to a close his lung rec ord of service, Mr. Haislip declares he enjoyed serving the government and his patrons during the long years, and he retires at the age of 65 with the respect of the postal au thorities and the gratitude of his friends and former patrons. Those whom he served and his other friends wish for him many years of health and happiness in his retire ment. In accordance with a department ruling, the Hassell route is being consolidated with the one at Oak City, effecting a saving slightly in excess of $1,000. The combined route is about 51 miles long and is served in its entirety by Mr. Wilbur Wors ley, who has served the patrons in the Oak City area for a number of yearn.