North Carolina Newspapers

Watch The Label On Your 1 Paper. As It Carries The Date Your Subscription Expires 1 'J rHE ENTERPRISE Advertiser* Will find Our Col umns A Latchkey To Over 1.(00 Homes Of Martin County. Sidelights On The Inaugural Program In Washington City Local People Report a Great Time During History Making Event A crowd numbering well into the hundreds of thousands according to some estimates, invaded Washing ton last week for the inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as Presi dent for the history-making third term- Described as the most impress ive and spectacular in all American history, the event will hardly have an equal, certainly not in this or immediate generations to come. The official?piugiain moved in strict accordance with schedule, Mr. Roose velt and Mr Wallace subscribing to the oaths of office at set times, the President highlighting the inaugura tion with a brief but timely and im pressive speech. It was on the sidelines that the oddities and freaks in the news were reported Several people barely es caped with their lives in the mad rush that converged on the route followed by the President in his ride from the White House to the Capitol. It was reported that 250 people re ceived first-aid treatment and that several were criically hurt in mis haps taking place near the scene of activities Most of those receiving first-aid treatment fainted, but sev eral were badly hurt in falls from trees and barrels and boxes. A young woman received a skull fracture for allegedly pushing for a place of vantage in the line of spectators. Special police from New York, Phila delphia and other cities were im ported to help keep order, but when the program got fully underway, at tention of the police was narrowed down to the task of keeping the parade lanes open The spectators then went to work and during a very short time they collected rubbish boxes, barrels and other material to help them better see the parade. More than 100 truckloads?112 to be exact?of rubbish were moved from the scene following the parades A small fire in the House side of the Capitol attracted little attention in competition with the inaugural program that morning. Seats of vantage sold as high as $25 in office windows, and those in the open sold for $2 and $4, shelter ed seats averaging around $6 each. The inaugural program was of ficially opened Sunday evening at formal dinners, planned for the Presidential electors and notables. Champagne was as free as water at one of the dinners which lasted as long as five hours and which attract ed movie stars, governors and rank ing officials from over the nation. Local people, a dozen or more, braving the cold to make the trip, were greatly impressed with the program which was marked by its military aspects and the serious problems of national defense The trek to the Capitol started be fore 8 a. m. It was the first rally point for spectators who did not have the good fortune of possessing reserved seats. By 10 a. m., 10,000 chilled spectators, carrying lunch tioxes bags, blankets and extra ov ercoats. milled about the> plaza be fore the east entrance of the Capitol where the inaugural platform was erected. . By noon the parade route near the (Continued on page six) Officer Inspects Draft Board Office e U-my Lieutenant Yamell was -hly complimentary in his Pral*j th. Martin County Draft Board ice following an inspection here ?dnesday. The records were found perfect order, and the work of the ard was found in perfect accord th the aims and purposes of the lective Service Act. No signs of voritism or irregularities were und in a check made to determine e order men are to report for serv e, the inspection officer declaring erything was in order _ I Members of the draft board includ e J. H. Ayers, Jesse Ward, Hay oodmon, Appeal Officer Wheeler [artin and Examining Physic"" hodes were present for the meeting hich was reduced to an informal iscussion of draft board problems Mowing a minute inspection of the 'rhe'draft board is reporting very ittle activity at the present tune, (ore than 800 questionnaires have ?en placed in the maiU, and it is 151 opinion Uf Hie board that suffi i!ent men have been classified to ill the quotas for the nonths The next call is expected m or about February 17 in this State, ' that the Martin County joard will get its official call not la ter than the 25th. Ordinarily ten days ire allowed to complete the quota luts. meaning that few if any men will leave this county during the month of February. The county's January quota will he completed next Monday when four colored men, Charlie Ben i - liams, of Williamston R.F.D. 1, John Stete. formerly of Williamston but now of 110 Green Street, Oreenvtlle, iianiel Williams and James Oliver ??wTboth of Williamston, leave camp. Solons Study New Budget Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi (left), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator James Byrnes of South Carolina, hairman of the Senate Audit and Control Committee, are shown in Washington studying the new 917,485,628,049 federal budget, which allots 910,811,314,600 to defense. Unemployment at New Low Point in County SHAW TO SPEAK Martin Cuunt.v farmer* will get their first peek into the agri cultural situation next Monday night at 7:30 o'clock when R. Flake Shaw. North Carolina Farm Bureau president and ranking State fanner and citi zen. addresses a meeting of the Martin Farm Bureau in the Agricultural building. All far mers are invited and urged to attend, and a special invitation is extended business and profes sional men. It is understood that proposed farm legislation, the agricultur al outlook and other matters of prime importance to this entire section will be discussed at the meeting. Increased Demand For Peanut Goods Reported Locally ft Suffolk I'kiiiniut! Climax To Nutioiiul lYamil Week Next TuetMlay While the heart <>f the peanut- ! producing company is taking little part in the event except for a few limited displays in local store win dows, National Peanut Week is commanding muck^attention In oth er sections of the country at this time. The importance of the move ment has been well demonstrated by an increased demand for cleaned goods, unofficial reports stating that additional orders have been filed with the cleaners for deliveries eith er in connection with or as a result of the nation-wide drive to up the consumption of the nutritional food. The peanut was displayed here in dime store windows yesterday in limited form, the merchants offer ing the goober in salted form or in appetizing candies. Not a single jar of peanut butter was seen in the displays, and not a single suggestion was offered that would credit the lowly goober with its importance in the chemical world. Possibly 300 or more products are derived from the peanut, out still ine general belief is that the peanut is something for excited fans to munch on during a baseball game or at the circus. While eastern North Carolina, the greatest peanut producing area in the country, sleeps peaceably through National Peanut Week, the town of Suffolk is planning a na tional festival in a big way. Prom the great peanut-consuming centers such as Chicago, the peanut will be acclaimed by millions. Since P. T. Barnum's circus gave it its first real national publicity many new products have been made from the peanut. In his laboratory at Tuskegee University, Dr. George (Continued on page six) CREEK FUNI) Interest in the embattled Greeka in Albania and the needy civilian! who back home are encouraging their warrior* on against the Wopx. showed a re vival here during the poet week end when increaaed donation* were made available for the re lief of the hard-preaaed people. This county, however, la lagging In its answer to the needy calls,, from aeroaa the aea. Donationa are acknowledged aa follow* Mr*. E. T. Walker J l.M Wheeler Gardner 5.M Enterpriae SM Previously Reported MM M7.M Need More Men For Carrying On Work In Defense Centers! More I Iiuii TIioiihuiiiI Men Hum- Relieved Applica tions in Office llcrc Carpenters at 90 cents an hour, labors at 40 cents an hour, sheet metal workers, helpers, and many other kinds of jobs now open at Hol ly Ridge and Fort Bragg, are causing numbers of local workers to leave this community for defense centers The Williamston Employment office has referred several hundred work < rs in the past few weeks, and there are still many jobs open. Manager C W. Bazemore. of the Williamston office, stated today that a great demand for workers at Hol ly Ridge, between New Bern and Wilmington, exists, and also at Fort Bragg, and that even unskilled work ers. white or colored, could get jobs at 40 cents an hour, and work up to 5(i hours a week. Each one must have his Social Security card or number, and get a special referral card from the State Employment, office before going Carpenters are still in demand, and can earn over $40 a week. The officials do not encourage workers to leave jobs if they are working regularly; but all unemployed peo ple of this section who can qualify for the jobs open, or those who wish to take any better jobs at the con struction jobs, than they have at home, have opportunity to work at present, according to orders open. Unemployment c o m p e risu t ion claims have fallen off in volume at the Williamston office, due to num bers of men going to work, and lo cal citizens in many sections report that they observe less unemploy ment now than in some time. An idea of the number of workers renewing applications for work and being referred to jobs lately, is ob tained by the fact that in the past few days, over a thousand men white and colored, have, renewed ap plications at the Williamston office service points. ? As unemployment reaches its low est point here in more than a decade. some obafi vUTS are now predicting an actual shortage of labor in most fields of endeavor. That the short age will even extend to the farms is expected by some. While a few large-scale farm operators are elim inating the tenant system this year in the county, the general trend is toward an Increase trrttre number of tenant contracts. Those who are de pending upon day workers point out that a shiftless tenant will ig nore his contract about as quickly as a day worker will quit his job. Army Calling For More Volunteers The war may end at the close of another summer, but the United States army, apparently taking no chances, is still falling for volun teers. Coming here tomorrow for a three-day stay, a mobile recruiting station unit will receive applications from men between the ages of 18 and 35. The applicants, it was stated, must be single, white, of good moral character and have no dependents and pass physical and mental exam inations. Any young man even if he is registered in the selective service draft may volunteer and select the branch of the service he wishes to serve in. Lake M Byers and Wilfred J. Cartwright, sergeants in charge of the recruiting unit, will offer any information to applicants in connec tion with the service. The unit will maintain headquarters at the post office while here. Strong Opposition Offered Program Of Aid To Britain On?>-tiiii?' Idol of thr IVoplf Hopes Neither Side VIill Win War The President's proposed program of aid to Britain..China and Greece as embodied in the lease-lend bill is meeting with a stiffening opposi tion before the House Foreign Af fairs Committee in Washington. While it is fairly certain that a pro gram of aid will be maintained, the committee hearings are bringing out some strange opinions from strange acting figures in American life. Charles A. Lindbergh, one-time idol of the people, stated yesterday that he hoped neither side would win the war. that he was strongly opposed to the lease-lend bill. On and on the daring flier went to attack the bill and criticise the United States even in the face of such count er evidence as offered by Messrs. Hull. Stimson, Knox and others who are acquainted with all the facts. Lindbergh publicly would overlook Germany's barbarian and dastardly acts and sue for peace while private ly he did not approve of all the things done by the barbarian crew. Hugh Johnson, self-appointed crit ic and an over-inflated gas hag of the first order, opposed the proposed bill at the hearing yesterday and de clared that the United States would be at war within thirty or ninety days. An end to the public hearings on thi' House of Representatives Bill 177fi is expected late tomorrow, ob severs stating that much fiddlin* is being done while Britain. Greece and China burn and while the fate of Democracy and all that Democracy stands for hangs 111 the balance. Mr. Lindbergh declares that Am erica's efforts are being wasted in the effort to help Britain He ad nuts that an invasion of South Am erica is possible and some think it is quite likely if Britain falls. But Lindbergh declares that the United States could turn hack an invasion attempt He has a slow-acting con gress to depend upon, hut he does not take into consideration the ap parent strength of Nazism already in these United States and in th republics to the South. Disgrunted when they learned that ranking Army and Naval officials would not be called before the com mutes, the Republicans walked out of a meeting this morning and refus ed to participate further in the hearings The hill will likely be de bated in the House next week. During the past few days virtual peace has been enjoyed by Faigland in the uir, hut things have been hap pening in Africa where Tobruk, strong Italian buse, was captured by British forces aided by General De Gaulle's free French forces. The drive continues in Africa, late dis patches stating that the British have advanced more than 100 miles be yond the captured buse. The Greeks, suffering heavy losses in Italian counter attacks, continue (Continued on page six) School Club Favors Nine Months' Term The Martin County Schoolmasters Club, an organization of men teach ers of the county, held the fourth meeting of the school year at Farm Life last night. Representatives of all county schools were present for the two-hour session. J. T. Uzzle, of Jamesville, president, presided over the jfroup which approved plans for entertaining all teachers in the county at an oyster roast in William-11 ston on February 13, and completed 1 arrangements for the holding of a county-wide basketball tournament in February. After a discussion led by Superintendent J. C. Manning, it was decided that a county-wide high school day should be held at Rober sonville in the spring. The program for this. day. will include the field events held last year and also liter ary, dramatic and musical events. Discussion of the North Carolina pageants begun at the first meeting Wire concluded when till- first week in April was set as the time for hold ing North Carolina pageants through out the schools of Martin County. Atfer discussing the proposed legis lation for a ninth month, the entire group went on record as favoring a ninth month of schooling for all the children of North Carolina. MB vmx Plan* are beinx formulated by Army officials for a second air maneuver in this section of the State during next month, accord ing to unofficial information reaching here today. Aircraft observers will be named and will be maked to handle a work aimilar to that in the 1931 man euvers. Complete details of the anti-aircraft net have not been revealed and it could not be learned whether a "black-out" would afaln be asked. The last maneuvers were In terrupted by unfavorable wea ther, but a few planes were al(hted over this county by the special observers. Preliminary Reports Point To Variation In Values Plaeed On Real Estate Bv Tax Assessors Work Progressing Slowly on Roanoke River Fill Project Commenting after making an in formal survey yesterday afternoon. Mayor John L. Hassell stated that in his opinion very poor progress was icing made in repairing and rebuild mg the Roanoke River fill damaged iy high waters Last August. Contracts for the construction of four bridges and widening and build mg higher the dirt fill were let last Dctober A slow start was entered m the records, and today, nearly three months after work was start ed, the fill project is hardly half completed and less than a dozen piling on a second bridge have been friven. The contracts called for the completion of the fill within 71 working days and the four bridges a-ere to be ready for use within 121 working days It has been pointed out that wea ther conditions have not been very favorable, but most observers are of the opinion that the work was al lowed to drag when the weather was favorable This week the fill von tractors shipped from the pinjcct a " big shovel, and yesterday only 14 trucks were dumping dirt on the fill. Few independent truck opera tors have remained on the job long er than a week or two at the time, and main machinery units have been in bad repair several days when weather conditions were favorable for a rush schedule There is a possibility of spring floods interrupting the work, but during the meantime business estab lishments geared to a normal flow of traffic continue to hang on, hop ing the route will be reopened to all traffic before the final curtain is drawn between them and a liveli hood. Postal Receipts Reach Record Figure Locally Postmaster Fowden Reports Increase In Business I^ast Year .. # Slump Sult-N For tli<- Period Are Sligtiilv Over 822,(KM! Murk Hounding out their first full cal endar year in their new home on East Main Street. Postmaster Les lie IV Fowden and his postal work i ts chalked up an all-time record for the sale of postage stamps in 1940. according to a review of the office activities released this week by As sistant Postmaster F. K. Wynne. Selling $22,010.11 worth of stamps, the office recorded an increase in its receipts of slightly more than $1,000 during the period over the 1939 fig ore which was an all-time record until the new figures were entered in the books. "It takes a lot of one-, two- and three-cent stamps to add up to that much money," the postmaster ex plained. Close behind the explana- j lion came the declaration that it re j quired a whale of a lot of work to ! handle the thousands of pieces of mail fed hack into the office with the stamps affixed. In the way of comment and uccepting little credit iiimself, the postmaster stated that he | was more than pleased with the bus ness bundled by the office during 1940. "We aren't in a defense center, and we have had no mushroom growth, hut our gain will command respect along with any of them," the postmaster said. "Our stamp sales point to a normal and steady growth, ind a substantial and steady growth s to be desired rather than that of the mushroom type," the postal of ficial added. There were comparatively dull misinejRr periods Ixrr the office dur ing the year, but in the main, the of fice?maintnined ti fairly steady gait' jntil the Christmas holiday season, [n one week just before Christmas, :he office handled more than 53,000 L-ards and letters, not to mention several thousand packages, pa pers and other postal items. These 'igures include out-going mails No ?ount record is kept on in-coming nails, but the office remembers one >f the rushes in its history. Comparative records show that Lhe office last year more than dou pled its business reported in 1932. A peak in the postal business was reached during the last quarter when (Continued on page six) Added Influenza (lases Re|>orted While the influenza epidemic gradually declining in thia lection, new Chars are being reported from day to day, and with unfavorable weather prevailing a second flare up is feared. There has been 0 gradual decline in the number of absences attribut able to influehra in the sehooli since last Friday, but there was u alight increaae today in the number of children detained at home, authori fiea said Only one or two deatha in the county have been directly traceable to influenza so far, but reports state that aeveral persons arc seriously ill following attacks. A moderate change for the better in the influenza situation is being reported over the state. <; \inin<; momkintim | The drive against infantile paralysis is gaining mnnieiituni as final plans are being drafted for the President's birthday ball here next Tuesday night, Dr. E. T. Walker, chairman of the movement in this county, said to day. Incomplete reports from the "March of Dimes" are described as encouraging, and the coin collectors will he retained in public places until February 10 for added contributions. Mrs. John L Oak lev i Passes At Her Home Near Rohersonville liiiri'ul Vk ill Takr Pluee in llic W illhiiiiHton (ienu'lerv lomorrou Mrs. Mattic Mallory Oakley, high ly respected county resident, died at her home near Rohersonville yes terday morning at 11:30 o'clock fol lowing a long period of declining health. The daughter of the late Sid ney and Lulu York Mallory, she was horn in Granville County 02 years ago. In early womanhood she was mar ried to John L Oakley who came to this county as a pioneer in tobacco culture. Tin- family made its home in the Williamston and Everetts communities for a number of years, Mrs. Oakley moving to Koberson ville to live some time after the death of her husband in 1918. She was a member of the Christian Church for a long number of years, und was held in high esteem by all who kriewdirr. Neighborly and kirtd, she was devoted to her family and nad many mends in her native and adopted communities She is survived by one daughter, Mrs W. I). Frazier, of Rocky Mount, and seven sons, A L. and W N. Oak ley, of the Rohersonville commun ity; T U., A C. and J U. Oakley, of Durham; H S. Oakley, of Union, N. J . and H C- Oakley ,nf William ston. She also leaves a sister, Mrs. G. L. Keel, of Everetts, and two bro thers, Will S. and J B Mallory, both of Oak City. I Funeral services will be conduct ed tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock in the Rohersonville Christ ian Church where she worshipped regularly during her residence in that community. Interment will fol low in the family plot in the ceme tery here FISIIIIN" AGAIN Calvin Ayeri, on. of Martin County'* three champion fisher men. i* back on the lake aftrr giving thr little fishes several months of rest. Readily admit ting that he had rather fish than rat or most anything rise for that matter, thr country fisher man ha* already arranged his work schedule to avoid a conflict with his fishing. It has bern said upon good au thority?his brother. State, of Everett*, to tell the truth, that Calvin had fished in Mattamus keet so murh, so long and so hard that he had actually worn holes in the water. But one thing Is certain and that is he generally brings hone the fish. Valla's On C.learetl Lund Vary As Much As $20.00 In County Semi-Official Warning I'oilit* ? T?. !*?? mi 11 , For AH I .ate l'r<i|x-rl\ I i-liuu Preliminary reports holding a semi-official rating arh pointing to a marked variation in property values as determined by some as sessors and compared with value;, in other townships. It was learned yesterday that the highest value placed on No. 1 land in one district was $37 .01 acre This value is said t?> compare with a value of $59 an acre assessed by a different board of assessors in another township. Commenting on the marked var iation. tax authorities and a repre sentative of the county board of com missioners stated that base values determined by the several boards of assessors would he studied and that values would be equalized either by i horizontal increase or by a blan ket reduction It is geneiulfy believ ed that each township has some land that should iKisaibly carry a corre sponding top value with land in the county, as a whote. location and oth er factors being considered In the particular township where the high est value for cleared laud was as st-ssed at the rate ?>f $37 per acre, the assessors have not yet completed then work, hut the report stated that the task Would likely be com plehd by the latter part of next week While the particular township apparently has no wide range in values, it is possible that its aver age will even exceed the average assessments in other townships It is significant, however, at this point h> note the unofficial plans of the county authorities as they were pointed out yesterday by County Tax Supervisor S. 11. Grimes. Ac cording of the tax head, the commis sinners will likely compare values by townships and effect equal list ings by ordering horizontal increases or decreases, as the case merits. Commenting on the work in the county, as a whole. Tax Supervisor Grimes is now fairly confident that the real estate assessment will show a gain of ten per cent or more. Only one township. Poplar Point, has been assessed in its entirety, but the fig tires have not been tabulated and the percentage variation in the new list as cothpared with the old one is not yel known. However, a gain is fairly certain there, according to a member of the board of assessors Land value:, thi ie are said to have averaged $3H per acre in the recent listing Hamilton's hoard of assessors lias almost completed its work, and the assessors are making progress in all of the other districts However, it is hardly likely that the work will I,?? completed in Williainston before the first week in or about the mid dle of February. In Jamesville Township, O. W Humilton was ap pointed to complete the listing of personal properties while R. C. Stall ings devoted his time with the oth (Continued on page tlx) Warehouse Firm -Declares Dividend Meeting in annual session here Wednesday afternoon, stockholders of the Roanoke Tobacco Warehouse Company declared a four per cent dividend, re-elected all of its old officers and discussed a general re pair plan for the properties on Wash ington Street Nearly 700 of the 1.100 shares of stock w? re represented at the meet u?g, hut the number of stockhcldern in attendance was small. Starting out with approximately 300. the company now has only about 125 stockholders, two or three of whom own large blocks of slock ^ Commenting on the company s investment features, President Hen ry D. Peel stated after the meeting that the property had paid dividend totalling nearly 150 per cent, that th,. new dividend is one per cent larger than the one declared a year ago. Officers of the company are, Hen ry D. Pool, president; S. C. Griffin, vice president, and John R- Peel, sccr.-tary and treasurer, arc, Joseph S Griffin. S. C. Onl fin. Henry D Pool, J C Gurlun, K B. Crawford und R. T. Griffin. An estimate on the coat for han dling needed repairs to the proper ties has been called for. but details of the plan* are not yet available. It is undeisUwd that extensive repairs will be made to the front of the largo building. The property was leaaed last yaar to S. C. Griffin for three years, but plans for its operation <hmn? the coming season have nfjt been off! cially announced.