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VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 27 . Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday. April 4. 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899
Commissioners In
Uneventful Meet
Here First Mondav
Hear Report on Operation
Of the Martin County
Home
An uneventful business calendar
was placed before the Martin Coun
ty commissioners in regular session
here yesterday, the board members
spending a leisurely few hours han
dling its routine duties and listen
ing to two or three small delegations
and a report on the operation of the
county home. An afternoon .n
was hardly necessary, but the board
members returned to their room to
ciegr the business calendar of a few
minor details and handle other bus
iness that possibly could have been
carried over into another session had'
there been a rush during the day
Rendering a neutral report and
one without recommendations. Dr
F. E. Wilson, head of the county |
health department, reviewed the
operation of the county home and
outlined approximate costs of con
verting it into a county hospital The
report which Dr. Wilson had been
requested to submit to the board,
was heard with much interest, and
although the authorities took no ac
tion it was apparent the four com
missioners present were very favor
ably impressed with the facts offer
-e* __
Appearing before the county au
thorities in a group, several citizens
interested in the advancement of
the Robersonville school asked thai
a $i,500 building appropriation and
$750 for equipment be made avail
able for the construction of an addi
tion to the Robersonville school to
house the new agriculture depart
ment there. The matter was discuss
ed, but action was deferred for fur
ther consideration at a later meet
ing.
The commissioners ordered a pub
lie meeting held on May 1 in the
commissioners' room in the court
house for a hearing in connection
with a bond order introduced the
sixth of last month authorizing $50,
000 road refunding bonds in Cross
Roads Township Plans are under
way to call in the old bonds and
dous road debt has proved quite a
problem to the taxpayers in Cross
Roads and the county authorities
are supporting a program for the re
tirement of the bonds over a 17
year period.
Several citizens asked the board
to petition the State Highway com
mission to re-route the road in Bear
Grass Township leading by the resi
dence of Calvin Aycrs so it would
run a straight course to the Peel
road leading to the Willie Gurgan
us residence.
All the commissioners were pres
ent for the meeting cvn.pi
sioner C. C. Fleming who was held
at home by one of the most prom
ising seasons on the Roanoke River
there in nearly a ijiifrtpr nf a cen
tury.
Choral Club Will
Present Program
???
The Williams ton Choral Club un
der the direction of Mrs. Louie Mar
tin, will present a cantata, John
Stainer's "Crucifixion", in the local
Methodist church Friday evening at
eight o'clock.
Many of the community's most
able singers have been practicing
their parts during the past several
weeks, and the Friday evening pro
gram is certain to feature the Easter
period song services here The pub
lie is cordially invited.
The names of those participating
follow:
*rx t. S Rhodes, Mrs J H
Smith, Mrs. E. F Wynne, Mrs John
Hardy, Miss Ruth Norton, Mrs. W.
K. Parker, Mrs T. S. Critcher, Mrs.
James Ward, Mrs. Arthur White,
Miss Rebecca Harrison, Miss Jerry
Humble, Dr R G. McAllister,
Messrs. H. L. Swain, Asa Crawford,
J H. Dixon, Don Johnson, L. B
Wynne, W. C. Manning, Charles
Leonard, George Peele, and Gordon
Bennett. Mrs. W. C. Manning will
be at the organ.
? #
Ordination Service To Be
Held At Dardens Church
Deacons and elders recently elect
ed by the Dardens Christian church
will be ordained at a special service
there Wednesday evening by Rev
C. C. Ware, of Wilson, assisted by
Rev. CsrlSna Bland, the pastor, Rev
J. M. Perry and J. D. Taylor. The
combined Dardens choir and the
Bear Grass trio will render special
music, and the Lord's Supper will be
observed.
Churches Active Following
Completion Religious Census
The Williamston Ministerial Asso
ciation recently completed a relig
ious census of the town as a feature
of a large church pnlistment pro
gram The results of the survey in
dicate that each one of the churches
has a large uncultivated and unen
listed constituency. A surprisingly
large number of people living in the
town still hold their church mem
bership elsewhere. It was observed
that the people who held no church
connections either in Williamston at
at other places were very pronounc
ed in their .denominational prefer -
ences.
The ministerial association meet
ing Monday united in extending an
invitation to all church members
whose membership is held out ot
town tu einull with the local church
of that denomination. The following
invitation was adopted by the
group:
"As the ministers in charge of the
local churches of Williamston we in
vite and urge those church mem
bers in oar midst whose membership
is held at other points to enroll in
the local church here and share
more vitality in our church life. We
need your cooperutiun and ye
a church home where you live. We
indicate Holy Week and especially
Easter Sunday as a mos} fitting time
to unite with the churchy
"We invite the large number who
hold membership in no church to
make Holy Week a time of fellow
ship with us in our special services.
Will you consider Easter Sunday as
pre-eminently a time for enlistment
with the church of your choice?"
"To all, we urge that Holy Week
and Easter Sunday be kept in a way
that shall bring an enrichment of
the larger Christian hope and an en
larging sense of loyalty to things
spiritual "
The invitation appeared over the
names of Reverends S A Maxwell.
Methodist. John L Goff, Christian;
James H Smith. Baptist; John W.
'Hardy, Episcopal, and Z. T Piep
fioff, Presbyterian.
Education Board lias
Reorganization Meet
I TO SPEAK HERE 1
Dr. Randolph Jones, Jr., Duke
hospital surgeon, will deliver an
address in the Woman's Club
hall here Thursday afternoon at
3:30 o'clock in connection with
the nation-wide movement for
the control of cancer.
This community is fortunate
in having such an able speaker
to appear on the program, and
a special invitation is extended
the women of the town and
community to hear him.
Debating Team
Loses Both Sides
Both affirmative and negative
debating teams of the Williamston
high school were defeated in the tri
angular debates held last Friday
morning. Arguing the query. Re
solved that the United States should
establish an alliance with Great Bri
tain, the affirmative team of Susie
Whitley and Gordon Manning debat
ed Washington high's negative team
of Murray Hamilton and Martha
Campbell, in Scotland Neck, the
negative team of Margaret Jones
and Virgil Ward debated the Scot
land Neck affirmative, Margaret
Kitchen and Ben Everett, in Wash
lngton. Rachel Jowdy and Norwood
Rohinshn, Washington affirmative,
met Eudora Helms and Billie Cher
ry, of Scotland Neck, in the Wil
liamston high school auditorium.
Washington high won the triangle
as a result of favorable decisions in
Williamston and Scotland Neck and
will participate in the final debates
for the Ay cock cup in Chapel Hill
on April 21
Local students returned to their
classes last Friday afternoon assur
ed that they had well represented
their school and community in the
contests. Their logic and delivery
resulted in a creditable showing in
both Scotland Neck and Washing
ton.
?
Tobacco Plants Growing
Rapidly In The County
Despite adverse weather condi
tions earlier in the season and blue
mold attacks in recent days, tobac
co plants are growing rapidly in the
county, .general leporls indicating
that there will be more than enough
plants to care for the needs, provid
ed, of course, nothing happens be
tween now and transplanting time
the latter part of this month.
Blue mold attacks have been re
ported in various parts of the coun
ty, but no serious damage has re
sulted. A report from Farmer Bud
Mobley in Cross Roads Township
states that he has controlled the
mold in his beds with an advertised
preparation.
"The preparation is costly, and 1
used it on one of two beds, and the
results were so satisfactory 1 am go
ing to use it on all my plants." Mr,
Mobley was quoted as saying. The
preparation cleared the mold from
the diseased plants and those plants
that were apparently dead showed
new hfe soon after the application,
it was learned.
Cold weather yesterday and to
day was inviting to the blue mold
and plant growth was slightly re
tarded.
Local Committees
Are Re-elected Lor
Another Two Years
New Board Member Sub
scribes To Oath of
Office Monday
Meeting in rcgulai session here
yesterday, the Martin County Board
of Education perfected its organiza
lion for another two years with only
one change in its board tnembeVship
and one change in its supervisory
committee membership. H. C Nor
man, former member of the board,
"and who was appointed by the leg
islature last week, subscribed to the
? I'llh iif office before Clerk nf Court
L B Wynne at 1(1 o'clock Monday
morning Mr Norman was appoint
ed for a four-year term. J 1) Wool
aid, whose term also expires in 1943,
was re-elected chairman of the
group The terms of Messrs E 11
Ange, J C. Eubanks and G C Urif
fin expire in 1941
Their organization "completed, the
members of the boaid received a
group of Oak City citizens who for
mally applied for the establishment
of a commercial department m then
school. Estimated to cost the county
approximately $300 a year, the de
purliiu.nt tms appt iAi d try TTe^*
board subject to the approval oi
Trtahe and-federai anrtlaH-rUes.
A comparatively large group of
Kobersonville citizens appeared be
lbre the meeting and asked an addi
lion to the school building there for
housing the recently granted agri
culture department. The request was
granted subject to the Martin Coun
ty commissioners and the Works
Progiess Administration It is esti
mated the proposed addition will
cost approximately $2,500 with an
extra sum of about $750 needed for
equipment.
With one exception the local
school committees were re-elected,
Mr. Herbert Johnson succeeding
Paul Johnson who had moved out
of the Gold Point district
Names of the local and supervis
ory committees follow, by districts:
No. 1 (Williamston): K H. Good
mon, C. B. Clark and R. L. Coburn.
No. 2 (Kobersonville): W 11.
Gray, Mayo Little, N C. Everett, J
M Dunn George W Taylor Pyt.r.
etts supervisory committee, L. A
Clark, Gordon Bailey, Hubert Roe
buck; Gold Point supervisory com
mittee, L. A. Croom, H. H. Roebuck,
Herbert Johnson.
No. 3 (Oak City): J A. Everett,
B M Worsley, Dr. E E. Pittman, T.
B. Slade, Eli Edmondson: Hamilton
supervisory committee, Asa John
son, W. J Beach, Jesse Everett; Has
sell supervisory committee, George
Ayers, E R. Edmondson, A. E. Pur
vis.
No 4 (Jamesville): C. C. Fleming,
F W. Holliday, Lester Davis.
No 5 (Farm Life): L. H Ruber
son, P E. Getsinger and Frank Lil
ley.
No. 6 (Bear Grass) tllrbin Rogers,
Wheeler Rogers and H D. Peel
James C. Manning was re-elected
superintendent y{ schools.
The local committees are schedul
ed to consider applications for teach
ers and make appointments prior to
the close of the school term the lat
ter part of this month,
^ illiuniston High
Music Students Win
Four Second Places
f~~~ : ?>? ?, ? I
Establish Unusual Record
in Music Contest At
Greenville
Wlii!* not wmmnj Hit- highest
honors in the district music contest
I in Greenville last Saturday, students
I of Williamston high school establish
i ed a rather unusual record by win
ning second place in each of the
j four events entered In the mixed
| chorus competition, the Williamston
| chorus of thirty-six voices was slv
ond to Winterville with a judge
! lating of three. The winner received
a two rating, while Aulander, with
la rating of three minus, was given
third place In the girls' chorus. Ay
I den was first with a rating of two
while Williamston was relegated to
second place with a rating of two
minus In the girls' trio. Kluabeth
I 1 inker, Marjorie Grey Dunn and
Katherme Manning ranked second
! to the Ayden trio. Again, Ayden was
lated two and Williamston two mi
nus Entering the soprano solo event
Mary Gwen Osborne won second
place with a two mimic rating while
the winner, an Ayden go I, was first
w nh a rating of two
Local students were compliment
?'d highly on both their singing ami
their stage appearance. The signifi
?anrr of Hie achievement inflected
in the rating of the local music or
ganuatioiis is revealed further by
the fact that in twenty events only
one group, the Greenville gnLs glee
t lub, was given a judge's latiug o!
one. In three events only the minus
sign separated the local lating from
thai of the winner.
Choral groups of the local high
school gave evidence to the fun
progress made in recent months un
del the callable direction of Mis,
Jones Miss Helen Scoggins, profes
sor of piano instruction at Flora
MacDonald College, came from Red
Spi*mgs to serve as piano aceumpan
ist for Williamston during the eon
test
Schools in tlic vocal and instru
mental competition ,.| i|? ip, , m lit,.
contest included Winterville, Ayden.
Aulander, Greenville, Farmville
""i1' "??lioth,?HoIh i sum 11 It?and
Williamston Greenville and Aulan
der won the largest numbci of first
places in the contest
In the instrumental events, E G
Wynne, Williamston youth, playing
a trombone solo, was awarded a two
rating and will participate in the
slate contest competing with the lai
grr schools in Class A
Plan Schedule For
Pre-Seliool Fliiiics
l)ui iii'r \?'\l MoiiIH
County Health DcpariroentJ
To Examine Next Term
Beginners
Pre-school clinics for the examin
ation of all children who will al
lend the white schools?mf Mai tin
county for tho first time will be
conducted by the health depart
ment during the month of April.
I'hese examinations are to include
every white child who is to begin
school in the fall. Those children
who will be six years of age not
later than the first of September,
1939, and intend to enter the first
! giade will be included. It is urgent
1 ly requested that parents accom
i pany their children so that results
I of the examinations can be explain
ed
A tentative schedule of these clin
ics is as follows:
Jamesvilie school, April 10, 9 a. m
Farm Life school, April 10, 1 p. m.
Williamston graded school, April
II, all day.
Bear Grass school, April 14, 9 a. m
Everetts school, Apr il 14, 1 p m.
Robersonville graded school. April
17, all day.
Hamilton school, April 18, 9 a. m.
Oak City school, April 18, 1 p m
Gold Point school, April 21, 9 a m.
Hassell school, April 21, 1 p m
Every child attending these clin
ics should have a written record of
all previous diseases suffered, and of
all immunizations previously given.
The examinations will include vis
ion, hearing, nutrition, posture,
bones and joints, Glands, eyes, teeth,
oral hygiene, throat and tonsils, na
sal passages, heart and skin and
scalp. No treatments will be given
except immunizations against small
pox iind_ diphtheria. EuIiuwiiik ihe
examinations and before entrance
into the school parents are requested
to take those children with defects
to their family physician for correc
tion.
Final Decision Expected in
Road Matter Here Thursday
' ? ? ? ?? ?
A final decision in the Farm Life
farm-to-market road is expected on
Thursday afternoon of this week!
when interested citizens are asked
to meet with?the Martin?County
commissioners and discuss the route
as proposed by the State Highway
Commission
Several complaints to the present
location of the proposed roads have j
already been filed. Those entering
protests will be heard, but it is utt
nerstood that the commissioners1
have only one alternative to act and
that is to approve the project just
engineers
The people along the proposed 1
quad are?w? favor of having it sur |
faced, but in a few instances the j
route as surveyd will exact a heavy !
toll on the part ol' seM'ial farmers
It has been unofficially reported
that the highway commission will1
ad her strictly to none clad rules
and will not .submit to the wishes of
those who are entering objections.
Ii is really an unfortunate situation,
and one that could be solved it lo
cal ollicials nail auihorny in act. It
is understood that unless the com
misaMmors approve the proposed
ioute immediately the money will
be used for the construction of roads
elsewhere, possibly outside the
county.
_ It could not be learned just what
action will follow if the commission
ers approve the route and injunc
turns are filed by property owners
It is not certain that the highway
authorities will resort to condcmna
Vum proceedings and take the ob
jections to the courts or .Whether
, they will abandon thy project
Quite a f<*w -interested citi/.ens arc
expected here for the meeting which |
is schduled to be held at 2 o'clock.!
but the highway commission will
not be represeti.ted, it was learned.
Legislature Adjourns
Term al Noon Todj^y
I ! led ion Kclorins
VikI Marriage Law
Feature Lisl l)a\>
???
Nuiety-Day Session Kails
Into the Routine
Class
The North Carolina General As }
sembly adjourned at noon today.,
marking the close of an uneventful.
| session and one that falls into the
l'outine class The session has been!
J marked by tin- absence- of high I
I pots, the observers being virtuall, J
agreed that little was accomplished
j and little damage was done
j In many ways the session ha j
been one of mockery, a session* that I
I steamrollered its way through with
j but one purpose, and that was to.
? htt lulu-'?Hie budget
High >pots m tin legislation ot
Ine past few days were the election j
"markers" bill for the primaries
only, marriage law and increases in!
some . late employees' salaries and!
j funds for agricultural research j
| The "niai Ucrs" bill, regarded as '
cue big joke but one that carried a
| certain amount of reform, prohibits
any person, except an election Offi
| cial to asMst any number of handi
: capped voters, il no other qualified
pel son is at the polls to act as a
marker
The drastic "marriage exuminu
lion law is now clicctive lollowing
the rati if ration oi the Hong Bellamy
measure requiring that persons must
submit to blood tests foi syphilis be
' lore they can irceive In c use to mar
ry
Dr. T W M liong, the Senatoi
from Halifax who sponsored the
i bill, said the lcquircinent, it kept
for 10 years, will reduce by 00 pei
1 cent the amopnt of syphilis in North i
Carolina There are now more than
400,000 cases, he said
i Unlike the pre-marital examina
j lion law which was on the statute
books for a decade until repealed in
I 1933, this new law carries teeth
| enough to enforce it, Dr. Long con
tends He pointed out that, first ol
all, the blood test must be made by
a laboratory approved by The State
Hoard of Health.
In the second place, he said, viola>
turns of the act are punishable by a
line of $50 or imprisonment of 30
days or both.
Although designed chiefly to pre
vent Spread of syphilis, flu b'1!
provides that the medical examina
Hon certificate; shall show freedom
from tuberculosis in contagious
stages, and that the applicant is not
an idiot, imbecile, mental defective
or subject to epileptic attacks
It provides that persons who come I
from outside North Carolina to be
married in this State do not have to
take the examination North Caro
linians who go outside the State to
be married must submit to the re
quired examination certificates!
w ithin a short period of tune.
Only exemptions granted persons
suffering from syphilis are:
if the report show# syphilis and
Both parties have been informed,
(Continued on page six)
Morning Services This
Week At Local-Chuich\
Services will be held each morn
ing -at ten o'clock during this week
at the Methodist church You are in
vited to attend.
EAKLY
I.eo (iardner, farmer in the
Angetown section of Jamesville
Township, is believed to have
established an all lime record
for the early transplanting of
tobacco plants when he trans
ferret! a few to his field last
Friday. Quite a few farmers in
years past have transplanted
their crops in early April, hut
as lar as it could he learned.
Farmer (iardner is the first to
start the work in March.
Only a lew plants were trans
planted by (iardner, * reports
stating that he decided to wait
two or three weeks before com
pleting the wink. During the
meantime, the farmer's plants
are certain to grow too large for
resetting and it is likely he will
have to turn to others loj- plants.
ScwTal Buildings
Destroyed l>\ l ire
A forest lire, sweeping-'over scv
eial bundii d ai res of lund in the
Wilts Siding '.section of Williams
Township, yi terday afternoon de
stroyed a home and several farm
building;- in its path Several othei
liorties were threatened, but, the own
el s saved tlu in by burning .mall
ate as ahead of the flic
The family ol tieoige Ly.'iis, vol
olid, lost tin n loin loom iioim .unl
a 11 its contents?The chlldu
m School and the falhci and mothei
were away win king VeMci Puggnm.
seeing the file healing ilowii on the
Lyons home, started thi n , hot turn
?fd hack as tf+e 1444:-- approached _hei
own home A smokehouse belonging
to Romulus lae was horned along
mill a li vv oil,. 1 mithmIdmg ill fhe
i.omninnilyr at 1 01 ding 1.0 incomplete]
reports received heit
Members of the t'CC camp all
Washington wa re railed and the tile
was said to have been hiought on
dc r control late yesterday
Fire, starting from a defectiveI
flue, destioyed the home of Mr. and I
Mrs. Fail Mei 1 ill on the old Ashley
Cromwell farm near'here Mrs Mer
ntt was preparing lunch when the*
lire started Seeing the fire from the
held where he was plowing, Mr.
Mei nit lushed there hut was only
able to save a lew articles Fstimat
ed at $4wo, the loss was not c overed |
by insurance
Two Injured In Wreck
Near Here On Saturday\
Mrs Margaret A Thompson and
her daughter were painfully hut not
si riously injured when their car
turned over 011 the Washington road
near here last Saturday afternoon.
Mrs Thompson was cut on the fore-1
head and several stitches were nec
essaiy to close the woUrid. Herl
daughter was bruised, but no bonesj
were broken
Their injuries treated here, the in-!
jured continued to their home in!
ilarnpton, Va., after spending Sat-'
urday night here at the Dunning
Motel. The car was wrecked, the
Owner abandoning it for a new one.
Apparently the car skidded and
turned over on the wet pavement
when the driver applied the brakes
No one was nurt and very little
damage resulted when the cars of
Walter Rogers, local colored man,
and of Rodney Fishel, York, Pa.,
man. crashed on Washington Street
the same afternoon.
Town Convention
J[ill Be Held On
Friday, \pril 1 ith
? ? ?
Commissioners^ in Regular
Evening
Called bv the local board of tuwn ?
commissioners in regular session
last evening, a convention for the
nomination of town officials for the
two-year term beginning July 1 will
be held in the courthouse Friday.
April 14, at 8 o'clock. The election
will follow on Tuesday, May 2. J. E.
Pope u.as appointed registrar and
R T. Griffin and J T. Price were
named judges of election. Registra
tion books for the election will be
I opened next Saturday ajid remain
1 upon s^i11if.biv?through?the
I 22nd of April.
After setting up the primary and
t lection machinery, the commission
ers in a comparatively short session
handled routine matters, the busi
ness calendar offering no puzzling
problems
11 M Bunas was offered the job
>1 listing property for town taxa
tion, the commissioners stipulating
a salary not to exceed $10U.
The installation of two lights on
East Academy Street was ordered,
the commissioners accepting the
monthly charge of two for each
light.
A llCW coai of palm will ue ap
plied to the inside and outside of
the municipal water towei
Repairs, including the placing of s
a car of crushed stone on the road
leading to the Standard Fertilizer
Company, were ordered
According to a report received by
the board at the meeting last night,
the filtering plant tor the municipal
.swimming pool will be ready for
shipment about the first of May
About two weeks will be required
for the installation work Plans are
going forward for the construction
of the bathhouses, and it is possi
ble that the pool will be ready for
use in early June.
Reporting on the status ol the
town's application for a $127,000
PWA loan and grant, Commission
/? G. H. Harrison explained that he
U lid town ."it I < 11 n e \ LI?U. Cobuin,
were not encouraged or discouraged
wlu ir they ^appeared before* Con
giessniun Lindsay VVarien and PWA
officials in Washington last week.
"We are still hopeful,.the application
will leceive favorable umsidera
-tidily Mr Harrison said
Stirred to action by the marked
disregard of traffic laWs when fire
alainis are sounded, members of the
Woman's Club appealed to the com
inissionci-? to take drastic action, if
neecsNary, in promoting the safety
all
The it solution passed by the club,
urging the adoption of an ordinance
??i ii I .inncarine oyy ib. Mfnainm
picKidcpt, Mr- Kvvlyn
1' Goodmon, follows:
"Whereas we almost had a fatal
? undent on the .-ducts in Williams
ton, occasioned by an autpmobiie
liu yele collision, it shall be required
ihat in the fliTufe all bicycles be re
quired to pull into the curb, the
sanip as all-other Vehicles, when the
tire alarm sounds ?-?-?? ?
"'Furthermore?, TTshall ber requir
?d thfit the'niembers of the fire de
partment in reporting to the fire
station, and in the operation of the
tin truck shall exercise due dili
gence and ( arc and refrain from ex
cessive speeding as a safeguard to
(Continued on page six)
Few Farmers Are
Attending Meets
???
The series of farm meetings now
muluiiiy in UH'"county are attract
mg very few farmers, according to
a report coming today from the of
I ice of the county agent
Representatives of the office are
leviewing the 1939 soil conservation
I piugiam and briefly outlining a .
land use planning program Farmers
are being urged to study the indi
vidual soil conservation sheets
showing the maximum payments
they are able to receive under the
soil program and the planting re
quirements.
The first of the meetings was held
in JamesviUe last Thursday, follow
ed by others at Robersonville, Fri
day, and Hassell last night. Less
than a dozen were in attendance
upon two of the meetings.
Meetings will be held during the
remainder of this week as follows:
Williams T mcoship, Tunagay; rtair
| City, Wednesday; Farm Life, Thurs
day: Willlamston, Friday. It la like
ly the series of meetings will be
brought to a close in Bear Grass and
Cross Roads during the early part
of next week.