The Enterprise
Published Every Tuesday and Friday by the
ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING CO.
WIUJAMSTON. NORTH CAROLINA.
W. C. MANNING
Editor ? lNtllit
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(Strictly Cash In Advance)
IN MARTIN COUNTY
One year . $100
Six months 1.25
OUTSIDE MARTIN COUNTY
One year $100
Six months 100
No Subscription Received Under ? Months
Advertising Rate Card Furnished Upon Request
Entered at the post office in Williamston, N.
C.. as second-class matter under the act of Con
gress of March 3, 1879.
Address all communications to The Enterprise
and not individual members of the firm.
Tuesday, December 8, 1942.
In the Name of the War Effort
Many things have been allowed to flourish
in the name of the war effort that never should
have been allowed, but a news dispatch sent
out by one of the big press associations offers a
climax to the whole rotten business. It tells
about a race track association holding an an
nual meeting, how after discussing transporta
tion problems racing's contribution to the war
effort was reviewed.
We never could see much use for horse rac
ing in peace time, but that is beside the point.
In peace time it was just a matter of the gambl
ers eating up the suckers and carrying on a
traffic that offered little and cost a great deal.
In war time thousands have and apparently still
are burning up precious gasoline and wearing
down tires traveling to and from the tracks.
Many others travel to the tracks in crowded
trains, occupying seats that could have well been
reserved for weary travelers, including service
men and others in the discharge of legitimate
duties. Others are asked to forego anxious mes
sages to loved ones, and yet the racing news is
flashed across the nation on crowded wires.
There's a man power shortage and yet many
are employed in the racing business and tens of
thousands find time to spend a day or two ever
so often following the races.
The race track is possibly contributing to the
war effort, but the claim would apear to be
unfounded because it is just like so many oth
er events and businesses really detracting from
the war program.
If this war is to be won and won by us, the
race track has got to be closed along with other
sporting events and big-time places. But strange
as it may seem, the fellow who would chain the
common laboring man to a machine six and sev
en days a week is the guy who would hold open
the race track, the ball park, the stadium and
other amusement places.
If we would recognize the seriousness of our
plight just now, little time would be lost in de
ciding what is necessary and what isn't neces
sary to the war program. Our whims and fan
cies are given priorities over country and war.
Recognize Work of Draft Board
The work of the Martin County Draft Board
was appropriately recognized at a dinner spon
sored by the John Walton Hassell Post of the
American Legion in the hut last Friday evening.
Few men have done more on the home front
and received less than the draft board official,
and it was indeed timely and quite fitting for
their efforts to be recognized as a public gath
ering. Despite the heaping criticism, most of
which and possibly all, is without foundation,
the draft board in this county has done an able
job. The nature of their work makes it difficult
for the board members to please everyone, and
in some cases they are criticised and condemn
ed if they do and condemned and criticised if
they don't. The meeting recently cleared up
many misunderstandings, and following frank
discussions the assembly dismissed all doubt as
to the fair and square methods employed in
calling young men to war, if any such doubt
ever existed.
In all the meetings of the board in this coun
ty, its activities have been carried on in a real
democratic fashion. While every plea, claim or
statement was treated confidentially, the treat
ment of the facts has been open. Nothing was
left between the covers and executive sessions
were held only to protect the interests of the in
dividual. Explanations have never been refus
ed in support of this or that decision. The board
members, Messrs. R. H. Goodmon, chairman;
J. H. Ayers and Dr. Jesse Ward, have welcomed
suggestions, and they have been appreciative
of the interest shown in their work, especially
were they appreciative when that interest pro
moted a fair and equitable handling of the reg
istrant's case.
Close observation of the board's work shows
that names and positions, relationships and
friendships have not entered into the delibera
tions. Politics and some pressure, while treat
ed with courtesy, have not entered the draft
board picture in this county. The order numbers,
drawn from the fish bowl in Washington, have
been recognized as the basic foundation for ad
ministering the draft. Facts have been accept
ed at their face value, and claims and appeals
have received every consideration. Individual
likes and dislikes, while receiving sympathetic
audiences, have not been allowed to enter the
picture, and efforts to "beat" the draft have been
condemned and followed by appropriate action.
The draft law possibly hasn't been adminis
tered to the likes of all the people, but one thing
is certain and that is in this county it has been
administered in accordance with rules and reg
ulations from Washington and after a fair and
square manner. And without pay, but in the
service of their county.
A Onesided Picture
There are many commentators on the air,
and strange as it may seem, nearly every one
of them is sponsored by some big corporation.
The common masses have about as little rep
resentation on the air as an overalled coal
miner would have at a king's banquet. Offer
ing a little news and weak comment, too many
of the commentators "plug" for privilege as
their sole purpose for being on the air.
One commentator, dead set against the work
ing man, harps continually on the 40-hour
week. He would solve the manpower shortage
by holding the common laborer to his job sev
en days a week. He talks about the 40-hour
week and leaves the impression that no man is
allowed to work a minute over 40 hours each
week. Just recently the commentator, it was
said, told about a visit to a plant where the men
were working 56 hours each week and how
much progress they were making. What the
commentator intended was to attack the 40
hour week; it was not his purpose to admit that
some men are working 56 hours a week. He has
never said that only a few industries hold to the
forty-hour week, that the average work week
is about as near 50 hours as it is 40 hours, that
long hours are still maintained in many plants.
He cries about the need for increased produc
tion, but what he apparently wants is a return
to sweatshop conditions. He says that farmers
work from sunrise to sunset, but he never men
tions the burden borne by the farmers. It nev
er occurs to him that farmers almost work them
selves to death; that's all right with him.
And what does this particular commentator
do himself. It was suggested possibly by his cor
porate financiers that he broadcast an extra
period each week. He threw his hands up, and
said the strain would be too great for him. Just
to add fifteen minutes to his work schedule
would break him. And yet he is the same guy
who would add ten, yes, fifteen hours to the
common worker's schedule.
It would appear that too many commentators
are hiding behind the tragic news to "plug"
for their sponsors and special privilege, to con
demn the masses and to maintain the old sys
tem of unreasonable profits for the few at the
expense of the poverty-stricken masses. And,
yet, the people are gullible enough to eat it up
and like it.
U.S.
7%c PRESENT
a FUTURE
It's the gift of the year?fop ten
year* from now! It'* the gift you
buy today to give u* Victory to
morrow, and to help give the
world liberty forever! Yon can
not buy a better gift?or give a
more wonderful expression of
Christmas sentiments. We are
proud to sell War Bonds ? for
your Yuletide giving, and all
through the year.
Branch Banking
and Trust Co.
ITS A BIG HILL AND A LONG WINTER
//a"
War As It Relates
To Home Front Is
Reviewed for Week
(Continued from page one)
and a half today. The terrific con
gestion in travel over Thanksgiving j
showed the absolute necessity of cut
ting down travel during the Christ
mas holidays. To ease the situation,
Army furloughs between December
12 and January 12 will be granted to
no more than ten per cent of the en
listed strength of any camp. If sol
diers and their families are to be de
prived of holiday reunions, it is ob
viously the duty of civilians to cut
out all unnecessary travel, both local
and long distance.
Travel saving ties directly with
mileage saving where transporta
tion rolls on rubber. A^peed sur
vey conducted in states where gaso
line has been rationed and where ra
tioning was not yet in effect has
shown that in the rationed areas 23
per cent of the motorists were driv
ing more than 40 miles an hour on
rural highways, while in the unra
tioned sections 31 per cent were still
indifferent to rubber saving. It is
plain, therefore, that we could not
safely trust to voluntary measures
to conserve our precious rubber
stockpile, now being reduced at the
rate of 29,000 tons a month.
Farmers, Truckers May Appeal
The whole purpoes of gasoline ra
tioning is to keep as many autos on
the road as possible. No operators of
trucks or other commercial vehicles
will be put out of business by these
regulations, for if they are unable
to carry on their necessary work on
the ration allowed, they can take
their case before the local represen
tatives of the Office of Defense
lar situation may appeal to their
county agents or to their county war
board.
Rationing plays a greater and
greater part in the life of the home
front as wartime shortage increase.
Fuel oil rations in the 30 rationed
states will remain unchanged during
the second heating period of five
weeks, the fuel coupons for this per
iod are numbered "2" and have the
same value as those marked "1".
Coffee drinkers who failed to get
their War Ration Book One must file
an application with their local War
Price and Rationing Board by De
cember 15, in order to purchase cof
fee, and that date is the last date on
which Ration Stamp No. 9 may be
used to buy sugar. Book One is nec
essary not only for securing coffee
now, but must be presented to local
boards around the first of the year
in order to receive War Ration Book
Two.
To Use Book 2 in New System
Ration Book Two will be used to
secure goods under a new system I
Fruits Vegetables
LARGEST STOCK IN TOWN
We Carry Every Kind of Fruit
Or Vegetable in Season.
OUR PRICES ARE LOWER
Williamston Fruit Store
Front Roanoke Chev. Co. Williamston, N. C.
known as the "point system," which
is a program for rationing a group
of related or similar commodities
that can be substituted for one an
other in actual use. Point rationing
will not replace straight rationing
of sugar, gasoline and coffee, but
will bo used for certain new ration-,
ing programs, such as meat ration
ing. Under this system a low point
value will be given to a plentiful
commodity, and a high value to one
that is scarcer than usual. Each in
dividual may "spend" his points to
buy any of the items in the point
rationed group in any way he likes,
but when he has "spent" or consum
ed, the products represented by his
points for the month, he cannot^buy
any of these itesm until the next
month (or ration period) begins. In
this way a scarce product will be
kept from vanishing from the mar
ket, and at the same time the con
sumer may exercise a variety of
choice in purchases.
We'll get no more whipping cream
or other heavy cream for the dura
tion, and men's and boys' shirts are
going to lose two or three inches in
length . . . Prices have been fixed
for women's silk hose and for cot
ton seamless bags, used in packag
ing seeds . . . Cattle hides, goat, kid
and calf skins used in garment leath
er have been reserved for military
and Lend-Lease use . . . Children
who work regularly on farms are
eligible to purchase new bicycles to
ride to school, and so are those who
live in urban communities and ride
to farms where they perform use
Cover Crops Hold More
Promise Than in the Past
Cover crops, especially rye and
oats, hold more promise in Martin
County this year than for the past
two or three years, reports John L
Eagles, assistant (arm agent.
Quality Of Peanuts In
Martin Varying Widely
??
Although peanut yields in Martin
County are fair this year, the qual
ity is varying widely and the hay is
poor because of excessive rains, says
John I. Eagles, assistant farm agent.
ful work . . . The American Legion
is conducted an intensive campaign
in the Northeastern and Middlewest
ern sections of the country to get
more jalopies to auto graveyards,
now depleted of scrap cars.
ADMINISTRATRIX'S NOTICE
Having this day qualified as ad
ministratrix of the estate of the late
John L. Rodgerson, deceased of Mar
tin County, this is to notify all per
sons holding claims against the said
estate to present them to the under
signed in Robersonville, N. C., for
payment on or before December 7,
1943, or this notice will be pleaded
in bar of their recovery. All persons
indebted to said estate will please
make immediate payment.
This December 7, 1942.
MRS. CLINTON HOUSE.
Administratrix.
Robersonville, N. C. d8-6t
FARMERS:
WE ARE AGENTS FOR
Armours
Big Crop
Fertilizers
Those of you who hoii"hl Armours
J cS
in Williamstoii last season, come in
lo SEE US NOW ahotil your require
ments for the eomiii" year.
O J
Martin Supply Co.
WIELIAMSTON, N. C.
CAVY, D
YOU KNOW
NOTH/N??
Perhaps you have asked a Trailways employee re
cently for Information or a courtesy and were not
quite satisfied with what you got. Perhaps you didn't
get that neighborly Trailways smile in return, or per
haps the employee didn't really know the answer to
your problem. Maybe you have felt a sudden change
in the attitude of your Trailways Company. This
change is quite unavoidable.
Business as usual has become impossible under the
steadily increasing demands of America's war pro
gram. Many of us have gone to war. This means
bringing in someone with no experience and trying
to train them in a short period under great difficulty
to do a job others have been doing for years.
This is impossible. These employees are new, but
they are good people with a sincere desire to serve
you well. Today, since bus traffic is up 80 per cent
over last year, their job Is harder to learn than had
they started to work in normal times. Soon they will
learn and toon they will be well qualified, friendly
Trailwayt employees In the meantime you can reit
assured they want to help you to do, as comfortably
as possible, all the travel that Is absolutely neces
sary.
You can help by taking as few trips as possible and
those In the middle of the week when traffic Is not
so heavy. Carry little or no baggage, get your infor
mation and tickets in advance.
?Him **"" '
YoMSSillJS
CAROLINA
TRAUMA VS