North Carolina Newspapers

BMI BAT I?IIR I THE ENTERPRISE FOR VICTOR! MVTDSnfURM BONDS-STAMPS VOLUME XLV?NUMBER 88 WiUiamiton, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, November 6, 1942. ESTABLISHED 1899 Peanut Prices Hold Firm As Sales Show Big Gain In Volume More Than 20,000 Bags Mov ed This Week with Price at 7 to 7 1-4 Cents A slight advance in peanut prices was reported on the local market as sales gained in volume this week. The market was firm at 7 1-4 cents with a tew sales being recorded at 7 3-4 cents a pound. Unofficially, it was learned that one lot of the goo bers brought 7 1-2 cents. Most any kind of sound peanuts is bringing seven cents with the better-than average crops selling easily tor 7 1-4 cents. No accurate reports could be had, but it was estimated this morning that more than 20,000 bags of the goobers had already been moved on the local market from the current crop. After being delayed by heavy rains back in October, threshing op erations were started in full force the early part of this week, and the market opened with a bang a few hours later. With five buying firms in action, the local market hasn't seen such keen competition since the last war when prices went to 10 cents a pound. Even though the price has not reached that figure, it is fairly apparent that farmers are realizing more from their present sales than they did nearly a quarter of a cen tuy ago. TTiat the farmers apparently plan to move the crop in a hurry is quite evident. Many farmers are selling direct from the picker stands in the fields, and receiving warehouses are fairly crowded during certain per iods of the day in some instances. Arrangements have not yet been completed for receiving oil peanuts for the government, but instructions are expected within the next few days. A few lots have already been moved to the warehouses for stor age The quality of the crop is much better than many farmers had hoped for, but it is now certain that much of the hay crop is damaged. (Continued on pace *ix) ? Draw Jurymen For Court in December Eighteen men were drawn by the county commissioners in their reg ular November meeting for jury service during the one week ot su perior court convening on the sec ond Monday in December. With the grand jury working on a more or less permanent system, it was un necessary (or the commissioners to draw more than eighteen new men (or service. They will serve as petit jurors. Judge R. D. Dixon, substituting for Judge Clawson Williams, will pre side over the term. Judge Dixon is also scheduled to preside over the special term of the court convening November 23rd (or the trial of only civil cases during two weeks. Names of the men drawn for De cember jury service follow: Jamesville: L W. Ange. Williams: L. D. Hardison. Griffins: H. Vernon Hardison. Bear Grass: Raymond Lee. Williams ton: R. L. Carver, Nor man Bowen, J. O Manning, Ralph Taylor, Redden Tyre and Asa H. Crawfrod. Cross Roads: Roy Clark, James D. Riddick, V. R Peaks and S. W. Keel. Hamilton: D. E. Edmondson and K. B. Etheridge. Goose Nest: John Stalls and M. M. Mills. Record Small Vote Is Cast In County ? ? One of the smallest votes cast in an election in this county during recent years was recorded at the polls last Tuesday when 1,115 Democrats, in cluding four mugwumps, and >1 Re publicans participated in the listless voting. The total vote was more than 100 points below the low of four years ago, and less than a fourth of the vote cast two years ago. Hie 11 Republican votes came, three from JameeviUe, six from Williamston and nine from Robersonville. Gold Point, Poplar Point, Hamilton and Hasaell cast a slightly larger vote last Tuesday than was recorded in the off-year election four years ago. The vote reported in 1M, 1M0 and last Tuesday is reviewed by pre cincts, as follows: IMS IMS 1841 Jamasville M 418 M Williams 40 107 30 Griffins 100 381 87 Bear Grass _ 111 118 71 Williamston 1 144 578 111 Williamston a 0 614 m Cross Roads 78 147 41 Robersonville 175 748 153 Gold Point _ 41 118 48 Poplar Point 63 no 88 Hamilton ?1 lis . ?? H assail 51 118 43 Goose Nest _ 71 188 81 Totals 1144 4714 UM The Republicans cast IB at the year. The Williamston No 1 L vote for IN Is Included in the No 1 - BondSalesReachA New High Figure In County Last Month After lagging far below the as signed quotas during recent months, war bond sales pushed to a new high figure ?$65,848.00 ? in this county in October. No official quo ta was assigned the county for the past month, the county having fail ed to recognize fixed goals in prev ious periods, but it is taken for granted that the bond sales were considerably in excess of expecta tions. Whether the people of the county bought to the limit or bought as many bonds as they really were able to buy is another matter. It is quite disappointing when a people, blessed with a bountiful harvest and fair prices, invest less than $2.40 per capita as their part in financing the war and protecting their own hides. But even then the October report is so much better than those for the previous months that there are grounds for encouragement. Added encouragement comes from the local colored schools where the little tots are investing heavily, cmparatively speaking, in war stamps. No goal has been fixed there, but $40 worth of stamps were sold in a single day re cently. Roberspnville school chil dren are out to buy $2,500 in stamps and bonds this term. None of the oth er schools has reported any stamp or bond sales and it is not known if any promotion campaigns are un derway. Getting back to the bond sales in the county last month, the several in stitutions reported the following: Robersonville: Post Office, $5,756.24, and Guaranty Bank, $8,643.75; Jamesville Post Office, $400: Wil liamston: Post Office, $4,631.25; Guaranty Bank. $17,604.25; Branch Bank. $24,712.50. and the Martin County Building and Loan Associa tion, $2,100. FROZEN Recognising a serious situation surrounding the supply, the government has of November I frosen all farm machinery. Mr. J. F. Crisp, chairman of the Martin Comity I'SDA War Board, said yesterday. Sales will he prrmltted only after quotas can he set ap for the various leas net affect the sale of peanut pickers and re tailers, in seme instances, may sell small Hems or items requir ing very little steel in their will not ho pumlttil, homerst. until the perssanent rationing plan for all machinery is placed into ef fect. it eras explained. Motorists Will Have To Depend More and More On Used Tires Only Four Nfw Tim Allotted By the Martin County Rationing Board That the motorists will have to depend more and more on his old tires has been hinted from time to time, but the action of the rationing board in its regular session here yes terday clearly indicates that civilian traffic will move forward on old or recapped tires or not at all. Only four new tires were allotted to ap-1 plicanta by the board, the action leaving a goodly number of appli cations in the files for "later" con sideration. The four new tires were allotted to truck operators, as follows: J. S Whitman, Robersonville, one tire and tube for hauling piling. Rohereon Slaughter House, Wil liamston .two tires and two tubes for delivering meats. J. C. Norris and Co., Williamston, one tire and tube for making heat ing and plumbing repairs. Two recapped truck tires were is sued to Fenner Wallace of the Roy al Baking Company for making food deliveries. Recapped automobile tires were allotted as follows: Mancy Roberson, Williamston, two tires tor farm work. Paul T. Edmondson. RFD 1, Rob ersonville, four tires for farm. Mack Wynn, RFD J, Williamston, four tires to go to and from work. (Continued on pace *ix) Officer$ Capture Large Copper Still In County Raiding a short distance from Rob eraonville last Wednesday afternoon, Officers J. H. Roebuck and Roy Peel, assisted by Chief William Gray and Policeman Dennis Roberson, captur ed a 100-gallon capacity copper still and much equipment. The raiders poured out TOO gallons of molasses beer, wrecked twenty-five five-gal lon molasaea tin cans, two demi johns and a four-gallon stone jug. A cross cut saw and an axe were con fiscated. FUEL OIL Believe County Boy Is Still Alive After Being Reported Lost Wilmer Clover, Member of Ill-fated Lexington, Said To Be On Inland Wilmer Thomas Glover, 22-year old son of Farmer and Mrs. E. L. Glover, of near Oak City, is believ ed safe on a "friendly" island some where in the South Pacific after be ing reported missing following the Coral Sea battle more than six months age. The young man's par ents received a message from the Navy Department a few days ago, stating that their son was believed safe on an island. Few details could be had in connection with the en couraging news, but it is understood that a pilot on an American bomber from the Lexington saw young Glov er's plane when it was forced down in shallow water right near the is land. Apparently the island has no communication system, but it is pre sumed the youth and other mem bers of the crew are safe there. It was first reported that the young man was an aviation ord nanceman on the ship, but the later report would indicate that he was a gunner or bombardier on a bomb er from the Lexington. It is appar ent that the plane was in the air when the Lexington was attacked, that possibly the plane was forced down when its gas supply was ex hausted. It was difficult to under stand why the youth should be re ported missing if he had been on the (Continued on page six) ? Contest Develops For Township Job The lowly office of constable forg ed to the front to claim the spotlight in a listless election in the two lo cal precincts last Tuesday. A belated opposition and one that could hard ly be considered of a threatening na ture when four mugwumps bolted the regular ticket and opposed the candidacy of the Democratic party's regular nominee, Chas. R Moore for Williamston Township Constable. Moore swept the opposition of its feet and snowed it clean under 282 to four for all the others. While the regular candidate was polling 107 votes in Precinct No. 1, some one wrote in Gene Kimball's name for the lone opposition vote in that district. Over in No 2 the bal lots ran out before poll closing time, but even with that handicap the reg ular nominee polled 175 votes to one each for Bill Glover, Bill Spivey and Reginald Simpson. While it is pos sible that the independents furnish ed their own support, it is not at all likely that they did. Apparently the work was that of the pranksters. Constable Moore is subject to call to the Army soon, and it might be that law and order will demand the services of one of the other four in dependents. UNCLE SAM BATTLING TO UPHOLD America's Freedom THE 47TH WEEK OF THE WAR War Production Chairman Nelson reported overall munitions produc tion in September was seven per cent above August, with airplanes up to 10 per cent, ordnance up sev en per cent. Navy "and Army vessels up 22 per cent, and merchant ships up 10 per cent. The report stated that the WPB index of munitions production in creased 24 points in Sept. to 381? four times the production rate at the time of Pearl Harbor. The Treasury paid out $5,500 million for war pur poses. an increase of $300 million ov er August. This amounted to 40 per cent of all payments made in the Untied States for goods and services during the month. Mr. Nelson's report said four-en gined bombers rolled off assembly lines very nearly on schedule The output of heavy aircraft showed a marked increase over August, with the output of light, trainer-type planes held below August. Some new planes which came into produc tion recently made a much better than anticipated showing Propeller production continued a major prob lem. although enough propellers have been made thus far to fly all planes. While merchant ship production was 10 per cent above August, actual tonnage delivered was 34 per cent above August?1,009,000 deadweight Jem rompared with 753,000 in Att-J gust. This was 12 per cent above first of the month forecasts and approach ed closely the total production of merchant shipyards last year. Dur ing the month, 12 major combat ves sels were launched, the report stat ed Deliveries of major vessels were greater than forecast, but deliveries of other types were behind expecta tions. The Army Specialist Corps, which had inducted approximately 1,300 men was abolished, the War Depart ment announced, and all future com missions directly from civil life will be given in the Specialist Reserve until the men commssioned have completed a course of military train ing Then they will be commission ed in appropriate grades in the Army. Members of the Corps already in the service will be tendered com missions in the Army of the United States, if qualified. The change was made, the War De partment said, because it was found inadvisable "in the interest of effi ciency, unifoynity of operations, dis cipline and the avoidance of dupli cation of effort" to have two uni formed services. Applications now on file for the Specialist Corps will "continue to be available for con sideration for appointments in the army of the United States", the de I partment said. Under the new rules ' no person under 35, without prev ious commissioned service, will be appointed unless he has been class ified 4-E for physical disability. No person without previous commission ed service who is between 34 and 45 will be accepted if his classification Is 1-A or 2. Exceptions will be made to these rules only where there is "critical need" for the applicant's services. (Continued on page sis) Three A linen tee Volet Are Cast In County Tueulay ? Although possibly a dozen ballots were called for by members of the armed forces, only three absentee votes were cast in the county last Tuesday in the general election. Only two of the three ballots were cast by service men, Miss Eva Irene Peel, teacher in the Weldon schools, cast ing the third ballot. Richard Edward Grimes, now in Wisconsin ,and R. C. Stallings, Jr., until recently of Jamesville but now in the army somewhere, cast .absentee votes. Sev en or more colored servicemen call ed for ballots, but their votes were not received in time for the count. Soldier, Somewhere Out In The Pacific, Has Much To Say In Letter He Writes Back Home Writing from somewhere out in the Pacific, a Lee County aoldier, Worthy B. Murchison by name, had aomething to aay in the letter ad dreaaed to Bill Horner, editor of the Sanford Herald. The aame letter could have been addresaed to many of ua right here in Martin County. The letter followa: "Today in the 11 September iaaue of the Herald I obaerved that the aalea of war bonda in Lee County are quite a large amount below par for the month. Not only thia month but for the part alao. We have obaerved with amazement the lack of internet in the acrap metal and rubber drive* that our President haa sponsored. "What are you people on the main land thinking about? Do you not realize that American soldiers are being killsd every day, that this game is a matter of life and death? Now dent get ma wrong, wa are not afraid to die, far from it We are afraid of no man, men, nation, or combination of natlona, but are we to die for a bunch of slackards on the mainland who are not willing to put up even a half decent fight, for those who are not even willing to buy a few bonds, even with your large increase in wages, etc.? My God people what are you willing to do? Wake up! Wake up! "I am not writing this letter in our interest, but for you, for if you do not come from the ether, remem ber that there is a war going on, it will not be us that will suffer, for we will not be with you at the end, we will continue to work for you and by all that is Holy, we will recom mend you highly to St. Peter and ask that he deliver those of you on earth from so much suffering. "Now those in the combat zones do not need high powered enter Listless Election Held In County on Tuesday Only 1,137 Ballots Are Cast In All 13 Election Precincts Propoaetl Amendment* to the State Constitution Defeat ed by Small Marpin Democrats continued their stran gle hold on politics with a sweeping victory at the polls in all ot the thir teen Martin County election pre cincts last Tuesday. Despite the sweeping victory, the election was a listless one. The 1.137 ballots cast represent hardly a fourth of the county's voting power, and hundreds of those who visited the polls could offer no good reason for doing so oth er than to exercise the right of the ballot. They were interested in their candidates, to be sure .but the Dem ocrats saw little or no opposition and the few loyal Republicans recogniz ed hopelessness of their candidates, so why go to the polls and vote. Right many tickets were scratch ed, but most of them were voted without variation from one end to the other. Only four electors bolted, and apparently that was done more in fun than for anything else. The two proposed amendments to the State Constitution failed of pass age in this county by small mar gins, but their passage is fairly cer tain in the State. Sheriff C. B Roebuck led the euuuty ticket for snerilf with 1,109 votes. S. R. Biggs, for coroner, and L. Bruce Wynne, for clerk of the Martin County Superior Court, tied for second place in the count with 1,108 votes each. Other results on the county ticket follow: Hugh G. Horton, 1,104, and E. A. Daniel, 1, 063 for the State Senate; Clarence W Griffin, 1,089 for the State House of Representatives; Donnell Gilliam, 1,081 for district solicitor; J. C. Smith, 1,095 for county judge; R H Smith, 1,093 for county treasurer; A Corey, 1,095 for county surveyor, and for commissioners, C. Abram Roberson, 1,097; Joshua L. Coltrain, 1,092; C. D. Carstarphen, 1,093; Robt. Lee Perry, 1,093, and R A Haislip, 1,089. On the state-district ticket, Her bert C Bonner led with 1,092 votes, his opponent, J C MeekinA, Jr., scoring 16 in the contest for con gressman from the first district. Jo siah W Bailey polled 1,061 votes as against 21 for Sam J Marris in the race for the United States Senate. (Continued on page six) Truck Owners Must Have Certif icates Operators of trucks, busses and taxis must have their Certificates of War Necessity before applying to the local War Price and Rationing Board for their mileage rations, C. C Martin, chairman of the board, declared today. "The Certificates of War Neces sity, issued by the Office of Defense Transportation, form the basis for our issuance of transport rations to these commercial vehicles," said Mr. Martin. "When applicants come to the board they must bring with them these certificates, together with prop erly executed application for a mile age ration." Each war necessity certificate states the number of miles the ve hicle for which the certificate is issued will be allowed to travel dur ing a three-month period. The cer tificate also states the number of gallons of gasoline needed to cover this mileage. The OPA rationing board will de termine the amount of transport ra tions to be issued for the vehicle on the basis of the mileage allowed on the certificate. In no case is the i board permitted to allow more gas oline than is stipulated on the cer tificate. tainment, morale builders, (ait pro motions, ninety day wonders, but Just lend a helping hand, a little sweat and hard work for the cause and in that way we will know that you are one hundred per cent behind our efforts. If you will only do that, we will bring home the bacon. We promise." Editor Horner hastened to explain that his county is doing better now, that its people are working to make up the quotas, and more. Yes, Mar tin County's feeble bond-buying rec ord is being read by Martin Coun ty youths right on the firing line, and they, too, could write a letter similar to the one above. Martin County is now nearing its bond quo tas, but like Lee, it has a wide gap to fill before we can truthfully say we have kept faith wtih those of our boys who are serving on the far flung fronts of the world today. CERTIFICATE )| ^ / Complete details are not avail able, but if preliminary reports are to be accepted at their face value, a marked reduction in driving can be expected through out the nation ere long. One of the first certificates of war ne cessity applied for by a truck op erator in this county was receiv ed a day or two ago, and ac cording to the reports the United State Defense Transportation committee allowed the operator 6.000 miles of driving for the next twelve months or 600 miles a month. It is understood that the operator had driven his pick up truck as many as twelve or fifteen thousand miles during the past twelve months. Very few of the certfiictes have been received in this coun ty so far, but the truck, bus and taxi operators must have them or get off the road on November 15th or soon thereafter. Judge R. L Coburn Calls Eight Cases In Reeorders Court Court I* Still Working for the Observance of State Health Ijwh ? Judge R. L. Coburn, calling eight cases in the regular session of the Martin County Recorder's Court last Monday, again expressed his inter est in the observance of the State health laws when he sentenced an alleged violator to the roads for nine ty days. The court was in session only a short time, and there was a com paratively small number of specta tors present for the proceedings. Clinton Clark, charged with the theft of a suit of clothes from a cleaning and pressing establishment in Williamston, pleaded not guilty. Adjudged guilty, he was sentenced to the roads for a term of six months, the court suspending the sentence upon the payment of the case costs and on further condition that the de fendant be of good behavior and vi olate no criminal law for a period of two years. The case charging German A. Rol lins with drunken driving was con tinued until next Monday. Adjudged guilty of attempted lar ceny over his own plea of innocence, Harvey Gurkin was fined $35 and taxed with the case costs. The case charging Hal Chance with bastardy was continued until next Monday. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the costs in the case charging Paul Frank with operat ing a motor vehicle without an op erator's license. He pleaded guilty to the charge. Charged with operating a motor vehicle while his license was revok ed, Arthur Dail was fined $50 and taxed with the case costs. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the cost in the case charging William M. Cratt with driv ing a motor vehicle without an op erator's license. Pleading guilty in the case charg ing him wrth violating the health laws, John Henry Taylor was sen tenced to the roads for ninety days. The court suspended the road sen tence on condition that the defend ant pay the case costs and meet cer tain requirements of the county health department. Sanatorium Inmate Diet Suddenly Latt Friday Marie Gardner, young colored wo man and inmate of the Martin Coun ty T B. Sanatorium, died suddenly last Friday morning. The mother of three little children, the woman had been in the institution hardly more than ten days. She was said to have had a convulsion and died a few min utes later while undergoing treat ment in a local doctor's office. RAINFALL Following one of the driest seasons in several years, the skies loosened up last month to give this section Its heaviest Oc tober rainfall In ten years. Inci dentally, the rainfall in October was with one exception the heaviest for any month since August, 1940, when more than eleven inches were recorded. Re member that rain? Starting off gradually during the early part of the month, the rains reached a climax In vol ume on the 13th when 3.44 Inches were recorded. That heavy fall and intermittent rains during the next several days threatened the peanut crop in the section. Near ly five and three-quarters Inches or S.74, to be exact, fell last month, according to a report ffom the station en the Roanoke River here. Germans Are Routed In Africa By Hard Hitting Allied Army Major Nazi Defeat There Be lieved Opening of Seeond Front Against Hitler After fighting desperately a de fensive war for more than three years, the Allied Armies went into action two weeks ago and today Hit ler's Afrikan Korps has been all but wiped out in what may be the be ginning of a second front against the Axis murderers. The gains scored by the, British 8th Army cannot be ex aggerated. a ranking British general declared as stories, telling of the great and near-complete destruction of the German forces, started trickl ing in back home from the front in Egypt. General Rommel hasn't been wip ed out entirely, but the end for him is in sight. Approximately 50,000 of his men have been either' killed, wounded or taken prisoners during the past few days, late reports de claring that the prisoners are mov ing back from the front in a steady stream. I Last reports from the desert rout state that the Allies are pushing the I Germans back tow ard Libya, that the Axis have lost half their strength in both men and equipment, and that six Italian divisions are threat ened. The gravity of the German po sition along the coastal road in Egypt is reflected in the German action. Reports state that Rommel or the command, in an effort to save the |situation, is withdrawnig equipment, , leaving the Italians to shift for them 'selves, to die or to surrender. The I action is widening the breach be tween Rome and Berlin. While the victory in Africa to date is a major one, the outcome cannot be determined just yet. There is a 1 possibility that the German forces will withdraw and entrench them selves and prolong the contest. One (Continued on page six) Collector Settles For 1941 Tax Books Reporting direct to the county commissioners in a special meeting held here yesterday morning, Tax Collector M. Luther Peel settled for the 1941 tax accounts. Unpaid taxes on real estate totaled $2,790.58 and the insolvent list amounted to $6, 013.38 for 1941. The unpaid taxes on real estate are secured by tax liens on the property, and a fairly large amount of the insolvent list belongs to the hundreds of young men who have been called into the Army. Just how the soldiers' tax accounts will be handled is not definitely known, but it is fairly apparent that they will be relieved of the payment of poll taxes and no action will be tak en to foreclose or confiscate real or personal property as long as the men are in the service. Reporting on the 1940 collections, Mr. Peel showed that land sale ac counts for that year had been re duced to $2,858 11 and that only $2, 428 18 in personal taxes remained to be collected. Miss Mildred Hedrick, appointed temporary tax collector to handle the 1942 books until the regular col lector could, in accordance with law, settle for the 1941 accounts, has been relieved and the current year books are now in Mr. Peel's hands and he is being held responsible for them. Discussing no other business at the special meeting, the commission ers held only a short session. Since the settlement was effected yesterday, the collector reported ad ditional collections, reducing the to tal insolvent list to about $5,200. Record Mixed Vote On 2 Amendments The two proposed amendments to the State Constitution, one to con solidate the control of the schools under one board and the other to change the character of the solicitor lal districts, failed of passage in this county by narrow margins last Tuesday. More than a third of the voters participating in the regular election ignored the amendments, and many others voted after an in different fashion, more or less. The vote was mixed, four precincts favoring both amendments by vary ing majorities while the other nine recorded a varying opposition. The education amendment lost 404 to 47S, and the proposed solicitorial change failed 361 to 370. It is under stood that both of the amendments were carried in the State. Education Solicitorial For Vs. For Vs. Jamesville 43 33 29 17 Williams 8 11 11 7 Griffins 18 19 11 16 Bear Gras 8 50 13 44 Williamston 1 58 40 48 S3 Williams ton 2 118 04 108 41 Cross Roads ... 9 11 8 17 Robersonville _ 81 87 84 47 Gold Point ... 11 35 9 31 Poplar Point ... 10 35 r 33 Hamilton _ .... 38 11 84 1 Hesse 11 ... 4 18 i 18 Goose Nest ... M 51 IT IT Totals _ -404 478 Ml 370