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THE ENTERPRISE
FOR VICTORY
IMTD STATES MI
BONOS-STAMPS
VOLUME XLV?NUMBER 87 ' William it on, Martin County, North Carolina, *Tuetday, November 3, 1942. ESTABLISHED 1899
Mileage Rationing
Program Goes into
Effect November 22
Tire Record Forms and Basic
Mileage Ration Applica
tions Available
Plant are going forward rapidly
for inaugurating the new mileage
rationing program on November 22,
according to information received
by the county rationing board here
this week.
Under the new plan tire and gas
oline rationing will be combined and
rubber will be made available to all
gasoline holders on the basis of the
gasoline ration issued. Forms for
keeping tire records and applications
for basic mileage ration book "A"
or "D" are now available at the sev
eral inspection stations in the coun
ly. The owner of any motor vehicle
Dther than those of a commercial
type is to get the form, fill it in com
pletely, including serial numbers of
tires to be retained, and mail or de
liver the application to the county
rationing board at Williamston on or
Before November 12th. The board
will then return the tire inspection
record to the applicant for him to
jse in having his tires inspected be
tween December 1 and January 31
ind reinspection every four months
tor holders of "A" cards and every
two months or after 5,000 miles have
seen driven, whichever occurs first,
tor holders of "B" and "C" books.
The forms for tire records and for
nakmg application for basic mileage
rations may be obtained at the fol
lowing inspection centers or from
lighway patrolmen: Jamesville: G.
M. Anderson and Wendell Hamilton;
Bear Grass, LeRoy Harrison; Wil
liamston, A. J. Manning, John Hen
ry Edwards, I. Jessup Harrison and
lohn Miller; Everetts, Will Bullock;
Robersonville, Jimmie Bullock, J. E.
Page, Walter Roberson and Louis
lohnson; Gold Point, Harry Rober
>on; Hassell, Robt. H. Salsbury; Ham
ilton, Frank Stokes and LeRoy Ever
!tt; Oak City, E. V. Smith and Jas.
V Rawls.
Details of the new plan are not
iefinitely known, but it is under
itood that the ration holder does not
lurrender the basic book he now
liolds. The main features in the new
plan provide the following;
A 35 mile-per-hour speed limit
will be observed.
Tires in excess of five per vehicle
must be sold to the designated gov
ernmental agency, by delivery to the
Railway Express Agency.
All "A", "B", and "C" ration hold
ers must submit a new application
for Basic Gasoline Ration, which
will show the serial numbers of the
tires returned.
All tires must be inspected per
iodically.
Commercial vehicles must have
Certificate of War Necessity from
ODT. Farmers should apply to Coun
ty Farm Transportation Committees
for necessary assistance in filing
these.
"A", "D", "C", and "D" coupons
must bear license number of vehicle
for which issued. Bulk and inven
tory coupons must bear name of
dealer, and fleet coupons the name
of the fleet. These identifications are
to be written on the coupon, by the
holder, before they are used. This
regulation is still indefinite, and no
effective date therefor has been de
termined.
Non-highway ration applications
are to be submitted in duplicate, in
order that a copy may be submitted
to the Revenue Department.
Eligibility for preferred mileage
has been clarified in the new regu
lations, with no provision for sales
men.
Applicants for Supplemental Ra
tions, who work in plants employ
ing 100 or more, will submit appli
cations to Transportation Commit
tees established in these plants.
Cars converted to trucks will re
quire Certificates of War Necessity.
Trailers will not require Certificates
of War Necessity.
Town Board Holds
Regular Meeting
Meeting in regular session here
last night, the town commsisioneri
banned the sale of fireworks, plan
ned a follow-up of anti-rat campaigr
and dismissed suggestions for alter
ing the parking system on the mair
street.
The session was a rather eventful
one even though the official minute)
carried only three entries. Littl<
comment was heard in connectior
with the fireworks nuisance, but th<
authorities were agreed that th<
drag-out system for shooting thi
works, that possibly a few days dur
ing the holiday season would offei
ample opportunity to sell and shoo
up the drotted things.
"Pied Piper" Carson will start i
two weeks drive on rats next wee)
at $79 per week. He is to furnish thi
poison.
"We think the present parking
system is all right," the authoritie
declared after hearing suggestion
that poaaibly parking on one side o
parallel parking on one side and 4
degree parking on the other wouli
relieve the dangerous situation ere
a ted by big trucks and army convoy
moving through the street
The possibility of a shake-up in th
police personnel was discussed i
executive session, but no official ac
at the 1
County Sells Delinquent Tax
List At Public Auction Here
The annual sale of the Martin
County delinquent tax list was held
at the courthouse door here at 12:30
p. m. yesterday afternoon. The pro
cedure followed the age-old custom,
but the sale was quite different from
many of those held in past years, ac
cording to Tax Collector M. Luther
Peel.
In the first place the delinquent
list, estimated at about 250, was the
smallest reported in nearly a quar
ter of a century. Secondly, there was
more interest shown in the sale than
since those days when Mr. D. G. Mat
thews would buy ten or twelve
thousand dollars worth of delinquent
accounts at a single auction. There
were several bidders at the sale yes
terday, but they limited their bids
to special tracts of land and in reali
ty there was no competition. In re
cent years the county bought every
delinquent account, and while it
bought in most of them offered for
sale yesterday it can be said "that
there were private bidders present
for the auction. Just prior to the tax
auction, the commissioners for the
M. D. Wilson estate sold about four
teen tracts of property, but that sale
did not delay the county tax auction
very long.
Less than $3,000 is due the coun
ty by the approximately 250 delin
quent property owners ,and a large
portion of that amount will be paid
before foreclosure proceedings are
instituted and any deeds are actual
ly passed. Collector Peel estimates
that the delinquent personal prop
erty accounts will run well under
$5,0Q0 for 1941. And that's a good
record when it is considered that he
started out with about 8,000 accounts
valued in excess of $200,000.
Call More County Men
For Service In Armv
ROUND-UP
A marked improvement in the
demeanor of local citizens is re
flected in the jail records for the
past week-end. After pushing
toward an all-time high a week
before, the number of persons
arrested and jailed dropped to
seven last week-end. Five col
ored and two white men were
taken in the week-end round-up
by local and county officers, the
victims being booked for pub
lic drunkenness. "Eliminate the
strong beverages and the offi
cers will have little to do," an
observer remarked.
For the first time in several
weeks, youths were not repre
sented in the usual week-end
round-up. Most of the "wob
blers" were in their fifties.
Real Estate Market
Holds To Unusually
High Figure Locally
Two I-arge Estates Offered at
Public Auction During
Past Few Days
While ranging considerably below
the boom figures recorded nearly a
quarter of a century ago, the local
real estate market is considered in
deed firm by observers attending
two auction sales at the courthouse
door here during the past few days.
Land that was known to have sold
for $400 within the past generation
sold during the recent auction for
$11,000, and a lot on the town's main
street, slightly removed from the
main business center, brought $15,
025.
Fairly large crowds were present
for both sales which were marked by
spirited bidding in some instances.
(Continued on page six)
Machinery Rationed
To County Farmers
Several Martin County farmers are
making ready for another season, the
war machinery rationing board hav
ing issued permits to half a dozen
persons during the past few days for
the purchase of new farm machin
ery.
Permits were issued by Board
Members J. F. Crisp, Mayo Hardisor
and Reuben S. Everett to the follow
ing:
Wm. M. Harrison, of Williamstor
RFD 2, for the purchase of a harrow
disc and tractor; Roy Sutton Ed
mondson, of RFD 1, Hobgood, for tht
purchase of a hay press; Jasper Ev
erett, of Robersonville, for a feed
grinder; and D. E. Bunting, of Oak
City; Frank Leathers,of RFD 1, Hob
good, and E. C. Edmondson .of Has
sell, for the purchase of hay balers.
APPLICATIONS
1
Application form* for con
sumer fuel oil allotments are
now available la the office of
the county rationing board, it
was announced today, a repre
sentative of the hoard explain
ing that no forma for making
applications for kerosene are yet
available. It la understood that
a regular' registration will be
hald on a date to be announced
for users of kerosene for cook
ing and lighting.
Consumers using fuel oil in
furnaces and heaters may get re
plication forms at tho ration
ing board office. They will then
and return the applications to
the beard.
No date for registering retail
ors of feel oils has yet r
Next Contingent Is
Second Largest To
Leave from County
Al I-nasi Twenty-five of Last
Contingent Accepted by
Army Doctors
The second largest group of color
ed draftees to be called for possible
military service from this county is
to report to an induction center the
early part of next week. Possibly
the group can be squeezed into two
busses Not so long ago three busses
were required to transport a group
of men to the induction center from
this county.
No official report has been receiv
ed, but according to information re
ceived here, at least 25 of the group
of colored men reporting to an army
induction center from this county
last week were accepted. For the
first time in months, the number of
rejections did not exceed 50 per cent
of the total. The 25 or more men of
the group accepted are now at home
on 14-day furloughs, but it is under
stood that those men accepted out
of the group next week will be giv
en only 7-day furloughs.
The names and addresses of those
colored men instructed to report to
the induction center the early part
of next week from the county are,
as follows:
Oliver Bevly Carter, Parmele.
Randolph Hudge Ormond, Wil
liamston.
Queen Moore, Dardens.
Leamon James, RFD I, Jamesville.
Geo. Ernest Whitchurst, RFD 1,
Robersonville.
Robert Lee, RFD 2, Williamston.
Rhoden Purvis, Williamston. Pur
vis reported for service and was re
jected some time ago.
Nathaniel Dunn, RFD 2, Rober
sonville and Hampton, Va. Dunn was
also called and rejected previously.
Roosevelt Stokes, Williamston.
Willie Purvis, RFD 1, Williamston.
James Coffield, Robersonville.
Percy Albert Peel, RFD 3, Wil
liamston.
John Henry Cabarrus, Jamesville.
James Arthur Grimes, Roberson
ville and Norfolk.
Joe Henry Spruill, RFD 3, Wil
liamston.
Whit Jones, Jr., Hamilton and Nor
folk.
William Samuel Mabry, William
(Continued on page six)
Sheriff Overtaken
By Real Bear Story
After much coaxing, Sheriff C. B.
Roebuck finally admitted during a
round-table discussion at the police
station last Sunday evening that he
did go bear hunting down in Wash
ington County a few days ago. He
even dressed up a little story, ex
plaining how a bear slipped up on
him and how he (the sheriff insist
ing the pronoun refers to the bear)
got away.
The sheriff's story: "I was sitting
on the fender and it started raining.
Taking my gun 1 moved to the car
door to get my rain coat. The door
was locked and I left my gun against
the car and walked around to the
other door and got into the car. Af
ter putting on the coat I got out of
the car and about that time I saw
the bear. No, I wisn't a bit fright
ened," the sheriff intimated as he
continued to tell how he tried to slip
around the back to the car to get his
gun and kill the bruin. "Apparently
the bear happened to look under the
car and saw my legs as I walked
around to get my gun. Before I could
get to the gun, the bear 'turned on
the fan' and went running down the
road."
No one doubted the sheriffs story
but it would have been mighty,
mighty easy for one to forget his gun,
Jump in the car, lock the door and
wait (or a bear to go away.
War As It Relates
To Home Front Is
Reviewed for Week
Rations in Thai Country Offer
Weekly Feast Compared
With Other Nations
?
The devastation of Europe by the
Nazi hordes, like a destructive flood,
begins to sap the foundations of the
"new order" that Hitler fias tried
in vain to erect. Typhus, scourge of
World War I, is on the increase in
Nazi-held territory and in the Bal
kans. The German army is unvacci
nated because of a reported mistake
?German scientists tried to produce
vaccines of superior quality, but fail
ed to achieve mass production. There
are reports, too, of decreased war
output by the Nazis' enslaved work
ers. Those in occupied lands?weak
ened by privations and sullenly re
sisting "cooperation"? also deliver
far less products of all kinds, includ
ing foods.
Except for potatoes, this year's
European harvest is below even last
year's abnormal crops, but the ef
fects of acute scarcities are less ap
parent to the Germans, who have
added to their larders the foods stol
en from their victims. By this means
the Nazis are able to provide an av
erage meat ration of 12 1-2 ounces
per week of the types of meats re
stricted in the U. S But in Norway,
although the official meat ration is
7.1 ounces, actual consumption is
far less on the average. In the Neth
erlands, the ration is fixed at 10.6
ounces, but a Hollander is lucky to
get one-third of that amount, and
for Belgians the allowance is only
4 9 ounces. Greece has no regular
meat distribution, the Poles are
starving Italians get from 3 1-2 to
5 1-2 ounces of meat, 1 1-2 ounces
of sausage.
Our Ration Is Weekly Feast
The average adult Briton's ration
of 31 ounces a week includes meat of
all kinds. He gets 70 per cent less
fish and a third less poultry than
before the war, and only one egg a
month Compared to meat allow
ances throughout Europe, our volun
tary share-the-meat ration of 2 1-2
pounds of "red meat" per person,
with no restrictions on liver, kid
neys and other "variety" meats, is
a weekly feast. ?
Ride sharing is a most important
part of the five-tire program for sav
ing tire rubber. No extra gasoline
rations will be issued to those who
claim the need for additional gaso
line to drive to work or for neces
sary business trips, unless they be
long to a car-sharing group, or can
prove that this is not possible and
no other means of transportation is
available. All members of group ride
clubs among war workers, however,
can get tires recapped, if recapping
is needed, and if their tires are be
yond recapping, they mayHiuy new
tires of reclaimed rubber. The num
ber of those who may Secure "pre
ferred" or extra-mileage rations
have been reduced, but among those
who still have mileage privileges are
farmers carrying products to market,
farm workers, commercial fishermen
and marine workers going to and
from their work, doctors, nurses, vet
erinaries and ministers engaged in
essential services away from their
homes. Everyone .however, will have
to give up for the duration all
thought of driving from one vacation
spot to another. The war is trimming
off all such luxuries
To Realize What 'Trimming' Means
When we start paying next year's
taxes, we'll begin to realize how far
the trimming process can go. The
Government's war expenditures will
run to about 55 billion dollars this
year, around 90 billion dollars in
1943. After deducting direct war
needs, there will be left over for our
use at home next year about 70 bil
lion dollars worth of goods and serv
ices. By the last quarter of 1943 we
will have only about three-quarters
of our normal supply of civilian
goods to buy and sell. In the scram
ble for scarce goods the small re
tailer is at a disadvantage compared
with larger stores. Faced with dwin
(Continued on page three)
Draft Takes Three
County School Men
After reaching out and taking
moat of the white men teachers in
thia county some months ago, the
draft is now digging after colored
school principals. The system is
yanking three men this week. A
fourth one was called but he failed
to pass the examination?physical,
of course.
John James, of Dardens, and Er
nest Owens, of Everetts, are leaving
Saturday with a Washington Coun
ty contingent, and Richard A Broad
nax, agriculture teacher in the Wil
liamston schools, was accepted last
week. He is to return to camp next
week.
Moat of the positions will be filled
with women teachers, one report
stating that there is no shortage of
colored female teachers. There is
some doubt if the agricultural de
partment in the local colored schools
will be kept open. Broadnax is teach
ing while on furlough ,but as far as
it could be learned his successor has
not been named.
Peanut Market Opens
Firm Here This Week
Condition Of Crop
Much Better Than
Was First Thought
Five Buying Companies Open
Warehouses To Offer
Strong Market
Reporting a few early sales the
latter part of last week, the local
peanut market established a firm
trend yesterday and today with
prices ranging up to seven and one
quarter cents for an estimated 3,500
bag turnover. Most of the sales were
figured at 7 cents a pound, but that
price was supported by a strong de
mand and in those cases where the
crop was in good condition the far
mers held out for the quarter-cent
premium.
The crop outlook, dampened by
heavy rains about three weeks ago,
has shown marked improvement,
and reliable estimates based on ac
tual harvesting operations place the
damage at hardly more than two
per cent. It was pointed out, howev
er, that many of the goobers are fall
ing off the vines. In those cases, the
hogs will salvage the loss to a great
extent. Farmers are not so certain
about the condition of the hay crop,
but many of them are going ahead
with the baling, exercising every pos
sible care to throw out that which
is damaged. "We may be baling 'col
ic' for our team, but we are finding
the hay much better than we had
hoped for,'' several farmers were
quoted as saying yesterday after
they started threshing operations.
The yield is holding up to first ex
pectations, as a whole, half dozen re
ports coming directly from the fields
where pickers were operating yes
terday stating that from sixteen to
twenty bags were being picked per
acre
Five buying companies are now
on the local market, and at no time
has there been keener competition.
Gurganus and Rogers (Roy Gurgan
us, C. Urbin and J. Rossel Rogers)
are opening for business in the old
Biggs warehouse on Railroad Street.
Other buyers are, the Williamston
Peanut Company, Manning and Gur
kin, Planters and W. E. Old. Govern
ment receiving stations will be main
tained by Leman Barnhill and Ed
ward Corey at the Farmers Ware
house lind by Manning and Gurkin
at the New Carolina.
Some confusion has already been
reported in connection with the mar
keting of the crop. At least one far
mer is said to have sold all his crop,
including his regular allotment and
oil plantings, to the edible trade.
There is no provision for a farmer to
sell both his allotment and oil pea
nuts to the cleaners. There was a
time when he could do that and pay
a penalty. But now it is unlawful for
him to deliver oil peanuts to the
cleaners. The farmer, in question,
sold both his allotment and oil pea
nuts to a cleaner and he found it
necessary to take back his oil pea
nuts and make ready to deliver them
to government receiving stations. A
price of about three and one-half
cent has been fixed for oil peanuts,
but efforts are still being made, it is
understood, to boost that figure. No
official report has been received in
that connection, and other than the
peanuts will not be sold for less than
three and one-half cents for certain
grades little is know about the ef
forts to increase the oil price.
(Continued on page six)
VP. H. Elliott Dies
In Ahoskic Hotel
Ahoskie, Oct. 30.?Funeral serv
ices were held at the Basnight Mem
orial Methodist Church here this
afternoon for W. H. "Big Bill" El
liott, 69, possibly one of the most
widely-known men in this section
of the State. He was an uncle of R
D. Elliott, Jr., of Williamston. The
Rev. A. L Thompson, pastor, offi
ciated; burial was in the family cem
etery at Small's Cross Roads in Cho
wan County.
Mr. Elliott was found dead in hi:
room at a local hotel Wednesday
morning, the victim of heart trou
ble from which he had suffered foi
some time.
Born in Chowan County on April
12, 1873, a son of the late Richard
Elliott and Mary Jane Goodwin El
liott, he gained his wide acquaint
ance through more than 30 years at
a traveling salesman, merchant and
one-time Republican leader in thil
section.
Mr. Elliott came to Ahoskie tc
make his home about nine years ago
Prior to that time he was presidenl
of Elliott-Cummings Company, Nor
folk wholesalers, and for many yean
before that he travelled this sectior
of the State for a Baltimore whole
sale house. He was a member of th<
Ahoskie Episcopal Church and a for
mer member of the Norfolk Masonii
lodge. At the time of his death hi
was in the insurance business am
made his home at the Garrett Hotel
He tried unsuccessfully to enter thi
Army less than a year ago.
COMMISSIONERS
There was little business on
the calendar and the Martin
County Commissioners in regu
lar session here yesterday did
hardly enough to talk about. At
tended by all the commission
ers, Messrs. R. L. Perry, chair
man. R. A. Haislip. C. D. Car
starphen. C. A. Roberson and
Joshua L. Coltrain, the meeting
handled routine business, drew
a jury for the December super
ior court and adjourned well be
fore lunch time.
Other than reviewing current
bills, the board relieved John W.
l.rggett. of Cross Roads, of pay
ment of taxes on IB acres of land
from which the timber had been
removed, and relieved several
soldiers of the payment of poll
tax.
U. S. Civil Service
Announces Opening
In Post Office Here
?
Applications Must Itc Filcil
Vb itli Commission by I Oth
of This Month
The United States Civil Service
Commission announced just recently
an open competitive examination for
postmaster in Williamston, the an
nouncement stating that all applica
tions must be on file with the Unit
ed States Civil Service Commission
at Washington, D. C . not later than
Tuesday, November 10th Applica
tion form No. 10, physical fitness
form 13 and instruction forms 2223
and 2358, giving information regard
ing requirements and other details
may be obtained from the local post
office or from the Civil Service Com
mission in Washington.
The examination will bo held in
Williamston oil a date to be announc
ed. and it is possible that appoint
ment and confirmation will not fol
low immediately. It is understood
the office here pays $2,700 annual
ly
Announcing the opening, the com
mission set forth the following qual
ifications of applicants, pointing out
that war veterans would lie given
preference only when documentary
service records are offered:
In order to be eligible for the ex
amination, an applicant must be
citizen of the United States, must
have actually resided within the de
livery of this post office, or within
the city or town in which the office
is located, for at least one year im
mediately preceding the date fixed
for close of receipt of applications,
must be in good physical condition,
and within the prescribed age limits
of 23 and 63 years. Both men and wo
(Continued on page six)
Current Tire Quota
For Trucks Reduced
Reduced for trucks, the currenl
tire quota for this county reflects 1
shift from the use of new to recap
ped tires for automobiles. It is now
fairly apparent that passenger cai
owners will make out with the work
ed-over tires or not at all. and thai
truck operators will have to tak<
better rare of their tires or quit op
erating. The number of new car tires
allotted the county this month was
inceased from five to six, but the
number of retreads was jumped from
24 to 162. The number of new truck
tires was decreased from 33 in Oc
tober to 17 this month.
A comparison of the October-No
vember allotments:
Auto Tires - Tubes
New Recaps Tube
October 5 24 17
November 6 162 24
Truck Tires - Tubes
New Recaps Tubes
October 33 40 37
November 17 30 24
CLOSED
The local tobacco market end
ed the 1942 season shortly before
noon today. Supervisor C. (I.
Rogers stating that It had been
one of the most successful in the
history of tobacco marketing
here. Official figures could not
be had immediately, bat tales
were right at seven and three
quarter million pounds.
Prices continued firm on the
market right up until the last
pound was sold, the beat types
selling right at $54 per hundred.
Prices for the inferior grades,
however, had not recovered
from the slump that struck
them a short time ago.
Even while the last tabaeeo
sales were being held, peanuts
started moving Into the ware
houses and considerable activity
will continue In the
for several msnlhs to <
United Forces Are
Making It Hot For
Japs In Solomons
lalk of a Shift from Russia
To Mediterranean Area
By Axis Is Heard
After battling on more or less
even terms with the Japs in the Sol
omons since the early part of August,
United States forces are gaining the
initiative in the fighting there and
are making it plenty hot for the yel
low scoundrels. While our losses have
been great and possibly even serious,
the enemy has suffered and suffer
ed badly. The first round of the big
Guadalcanal battle apparently was
ended last week, but the Americans
are not resting but are furcing the
enemy to retreat. When, if and how
the Japs will make another all-out
attack are unknown quantities, but
apparently they received enough
punishment for them to ponder over
for a time.
Jap supply lines have been
pounded, American submarines ac
counting for seven ships and damage
to three others, including a convert
ed aircraft carrier. Aided by dive
bombers and fighter planes, one band
of Marines gained two miles in the
land fighting west of the Guadalcanr
al air field on Sunday.
A late report states that strong re
inforcements have been moved onto
Guadalcanal Island
In a statement today. Secretary of
the Navy Frank Knox warned that
"we must not grow too optimistic
over the fighting in the South Pa
cific." adding that the Japs sti^l had
a formidable fleet and that it could
be expected to return. It was declar
ed. however, that the Allies were
massing the strongest fleet in his
tory and making ready to "slug it
out" with the enemy.
Tlie Navy man also declared that
Jap losses had been under-estimated,
that instead of sinking one Jap cruis
er and four destroyers on October
llth as it was first reported, the
American forces sunk three Jap
cuisers and five destroyers. Last
week about fourteen Jap warships
were either sunk or badly damaged,
the reports clearly indicating that the
Japs came out second best in the
first round of the Solomon fighting.
There was some talk of the Ger
mans shifting from the Russian front
and converging their forces in the
Mediterranean area It is fairly ap
parent that there has been a change
of policy in the battle of Stalingrad,
but the Germans are pushing harder
than ever toward the Grozny oil
fields and the main routes to Baku
and Trans-Caucasia. The Russians
are driving the Germans out of Stal
ingrad and the flanking movement
from the north is dealing the Ger
mans heavy blows. Preliminary
losses at ten million men killed or
wounded or otherwise rendered use
less to Hitler. The losses will more
than offset the birth in Germany for
ten or fifteen years, it was estimat
ed Supporting the report that Ger
many was shifting its scene of action
was the movement of two new di
visions into unoccupied France to
block possible flanking movements.
In New Guinea, the hard-hitting
Australians, aided by British and
American airmen, have captured Ko
koda, strong Jap position. The gain
places the Allied forces within easy
striking distance of important Jap
supply routes.
The British drive in Egypt is now
a flaming battle with hundreds of
British and American tanks hooked
in mortal combat on the hot desert
sands. Axis lines and mine fields
have been broken, and one report
stated that the Allies are working
with all their might to force an early
decision in the fighting there. Im
portant gains were made in Axis ter
(Continued on page six)
?
Small Vote Being
Cast in the County
A record low vote in ths county in
the current off-year election was cer
tain early this afternoon when hard
ly more than 100 persons had visited
two of the main polling places to
cast their ballots. At one o'clock, the
No. 1 precinct had only 29 recorded
votes and the other local precinct
was boasting of 71 ballots in its box.
Interest in the election, regarded by
many to be at the lowest point in a
generation, was lagging throughout
the county, and the total vote will
hardly pass the 1000 mark, some be
lieve.
Strong support, what little there
is, was directed to the democratic
ticket, but a strong opposition was
seen in the early voting for the two
proposed amendments to the con
stitution.
The polls close at 6:30 o'clock this
evening, but no move will be taken
to tabulate the results until the elec
tion officials canvass the vote in the
courthouse here Thursday morning.
While little interest is being shown
here, and admittedly there is little
about the election to create interest,
the voters in other sections, espec
ially in New York, Nebraska, Cali
fornia and a dozen or more states,
are having a "hot" time at the pells
today. The Republicans are making
marked gains in several states, but
the Democrats are still maintaiatag
they will still hold control at Con
gress when the count is completed.