The Rocky Mount Herald
VOLUME 4, NO. 5
IfrtfRAGRAPHS
Fop Busij Folks.
RUCK LAW N. G.
* jJkrmancnt injunction was given in
Vclrul Court a few days ago
i against the Sout hCarolina Law curb
ling the size and weight of trucks.
The Judge held that the law i» too
great a n obstruction to interstate
traffic. State lines are too narrow
to control highway traffic. Control
laws must be national.
EHKLNGHAUS TO RIDE
Even an Ex-Governor may still
have many friends. They proved it
the other day when more than a
hundred of them banded together to
buy Private Citizen J. C. B. Ehring
haus an automobile. They evident
ly thought it particularly fitting as
the former governor was losing his
job and the use of the state auto
at the same time. It came as a
most sincere gesture of appreciation
>io the man who has been in many
ways one of the state's most popu
lar chief executives.
HARDLY ANY SUN
pioudy weather with 36 days with
out sun brings the two months of
December and January close to the
record for sunless days. The record
was set i n 1891 when in February
and March 43 days were without
>:un.
OPENED AGAIN
In spite of lowering skies and
intermittent rain all the schools in
Wake County wer 6 open for busi
ness as usual ' Monday morning.
Four schools in the county, Cary,
Alt. Vernon, Swift Creek and Holly
Springs, wer e closed at least a part
of last week due to bad roads and
decrepit busses.
GERMAN MOSS TRIED
• Feat moss, eschanged for tobacco
by the Germans, who pay for
Nothing in the way of imports in
cash, is being tried out in Robe
son County this year on tobacco
beds. The moss is incorporated in
the soil before planting to hold
moisture. Check beds i n which saw
dust is used and in which nothing
is used are being planted to de
termine the value of the moss.
HOT WEATHER
, Just fiftv oue weelos from the
time Beaufort experienced a twelve
inch snow, the first of any size in
17 years, it experienced a January
(lay with a high temperature of 90.
Many are reported to have gone in
to the surf at Atlantic beach.
STATE MEDICAL SCHOOL
Dr. Ben J. Lawrence, of Raleigh,
Tag appointed chairman of a com
mittee to promote a stato-supported
four year medical school by Dr.
Strosnider, president of the North
Carolina Medical Assn. Banning of
the two year schools at Chapel Hill
and Wake Forest is expected this
year or next, and the effort is be
ing made to provide a school for
those students of limited means.
S. C. PLANS COMPACT
Flans were made this week in the
Houth Carolina capital for a to
bacco compact bill similar to the on e
now before the North Carolina leg
islature. Georgia is also expected to
act long this line.
HEAP MUCH MONEY
North Carolina crops brought in
to North Carolina farm
ers in 1936. This wa s nearly six mil
lion dollars mjore than the total
for 1935. Tobaeco however, lost in
vulu e to the tune of $12,000,000,
while cotton brought about six mil
lion dollars more than in 1936.
REDEDICATED
• Inaugurated for a second term,
after an election by an almost rec
ord majority, President Roosevelt on
January 20 pledged himself and ded
icated his second term to th e wel
fare of the people.
NO SALE
Xiamen County is not anxious to
get rid of the nearly three town
ships that her neigrbor, Lee, wants
to annex, and the County Connnis
itoners, meeting at Lillington, have
made plans to resist the transfer to
Lee of the townships for which
transfer is asked.
CATCHING #
Au.>x;\tion seems to bo catching
6owi:ViV Le e County. After arous
ing somo comment by proposing to
help herself to a part of Harnett,
Lee County now finds her two larg
est towns asking to consolidate.
Jonesboro has asked to be joined to
Nanford.
I'WIN CITY AMBITIOUS
Somebody must have told Rocky
Mount citizens that railroad revenues
are looking up. There has been a
Proposal that the A. C. L. tunnel
the entire town, doing away with
seve n or eight grade crossings. Tho
alternative to this is for the railroad
to move their tracks out of town.
BRIDE DIES
The body of Mrs. Hormau Wesi
moreland, 20 year old bride of near
I'Statesville was found in a sixty
[foot well. She had apparently died
froin a blow on tho head, but au
thorities have not determined wheth
er this was received when her head
struck the rock wall of the well
in an accidental fall, or whether
there has been foul play. There was
no water in her lungs.
I [MW6HINGTON J
fj . y
UNITED STATESVNATOR
It is customary, following the in
auguration of a President of the
United States for newspapermen and
radio commentators to seek out
members of Congress, Governors and
visiting dignitaries to ascertain
their views on the inaugural ad
dress. This year was no exception,
and press and radio have carried
to our 130,000,000 people comment
on the message of President Roose
velt. Any study of the address and
any analysis of the comment that
lias followed, reveals clearly that
the President's message caught the
tempo of the times.
It was a message of hope. It
was a well-phrased appeal to indn
vidual patriotism. It was a docu
ment that went far beyond politi
cal lines in its statesmanlike ex
pressions. It drew on the experi
ence o£ the last four years. It
frankly recognized the problems
ahead. Above all, it was brief
and to the point. And it will live
long in history as symbolic of the
fact that achievements are measur
ed ia deeds and not words. In that
respect alone it was a masterpiece.
When the last second-term inau
gural message was delivered by
Woodrow Wilson in 1917, just
twenty years ago, black war clouds
were easting their shadows ovtr
American shores. The tenseness of
our people was nnu-h in evidence. It
was a spirit of anxiety that is on
ly parallelled by the uncertainty
that existed when President Roose
velt took the oath of office in 19-
33. That memorable day of March
4, 1933 found the doors of banks
closing in the fac eof those who
closing in the face of those who:
Jobless and hungry, millions tramp- :
fed the streets and were face to
face with "no help wanted" signs
on stores and factories. Men who
were millionaires a short time be
fore were in breadlines.
That day of March 4," 1933 should
be in the minds of those who scan '
the inaugural message. Progress in I
solving and overcoming depression
problems must be reviewed only in:
the light of the benefits gained, not
by individuals, but by our people
as a unit during the last four yeats.
And by whatever political standards j
the last forty-eight months are con
sidered, the fact stands out that
the gains made by our people have |
been greater, far greater, than the'
losses. These gains—increased em
ployment, stocked warehouses, fac
tory production, higher price levels
and higher wages, stability in homes
that were under threat of mortgage
foreclosure—cannot be interpreted in
terms of monetary costs. No price
for them is too great.
Thus in the first inaugural address
ever delivered by a President of
the United States in January, Frank-.
lin Delano Roosevelt selected only
a comparatively few words to give
our people new hope on the basis:
of deeds done, and action pledged,'
rather than to recite empty rituals
and empty promises.
It recognized that a great cross
eection of our citizens demanded
action in 1933 and that action has
been given.
Unfortuuately, and I use the word
advisedly, the channels of propa-•
gaud a have become so wide that
'.nany of our people are confused
by issues that are really cleur when
carefully studied. One of these is
sues is the question of meeting
twentieth-century demands and
twentieth-century problems with a
constitution drafted one hundred and
fifty years ago.
And here let me hasten to say
that 1 know of no single Congres
sional colli ague of mine in the
Senate, House or executive branch (
of the Government who favors
abandoning the historical document
drafted by the founders of our
country. However, it was written in
an era when new frontiers beckoned
our people. It was a period when
fast transportation wag unknown und
undreamed of, except by those
whose imagination was challenged.
In drafting our Constitution, the
signers not only recognized that it.
must later be changed to meet new I
times and new conditions, but urged ,
that such changes be made. The re-1
suit is that the Constitution has
been changed by amendments, not
several times, but many times.
Nevertheless, we are today con-'
fronted with certain conditions. One I
of these is the fact that effective j
control and regulation of things I
that vitally affect our people lies!
beyond the powers of the states, j
The Roosevelt adminissration has at- j
tempted to meet these needs with,
Federal authority. Thus the admin
istration has been one of action, j
The real issue ahead is whether
the laws of the land will be writ
ten by the 435 members of the I
House of Representatives and the
ninety-six members of the Penate,,
who are elected periodically by tho .
people and supposedly in tune with !
the wants and degires of constitu- j
ents or whether tho authority to!
(Please turn to page four) I
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1937
i 3 Local Women
! Hurt In Crash
I
I Three Persons Injured Slightly In
Collision at Henry And Frank
lin Streets
I
I Three women employes of a local
silk mill were injured on their way
I to work when the car in which they
( were riding collided with another
at the corner of Henry and South
. Franklin streets.
j Mrs. Maggie Lee Bell, 30, of 1015
South Church street, was the driv
er of the car and accompanying her
j were Mrs. Nora Lee Andrews, 20 of
11021 South Church street, and Miss
1 Lorraine Ingram, 17 of 1016 South
. 1 Church.
,1 None of the three wome n were
: seriously injured.
I Jack Long, 437 Dexter street, was
the driver of the other car. He was
not injured.
| The car driven by Mrs. Bell was
going South on Franklin and Long's
machine was headed east on Henry
street. Following the collision, the
, car containing the women turned ov
. er several times.
Mrs. Bell sustained bruises of the
right leg and head. Mrs .Andrews re
. ceived lacerations of the skull, and
j abrasions, while Miss Ingram suffer
j ed contusions of the forehead and
| bruises about the body. Complete
' knowledge of the injuries was pend
ing the development of x-rays taken
; at a local hospital where the vic
tims are recovering.
I Officer George Williams of the city
police department investigated the ac
cident.
o
Superior Court
Starts In Nash
"Citizens" Take Charge Of Court
room When Judge Frizelle Is
Late Today
Nashville, January 25.—When it
eanie time for the Nash county su
perior court to convene here this
morning, Judge J. Paul Frizelle hal
not arrived at the court house, and,
! because he felt he was "consequen
-1 tia.l enougii in this community to do
such a thing," former Lieutenant
Governor Richard T. Fountain, ot"
Rocky Mount, climbed to the bench,
called the "house" to order and ap
pointed himself chairman of a meet
j ing to discuss "anything that may
!be talked about in polite society."
| Fountain called upon T. T. Thome,
former mayor of Rocky Mount and
• one-time senator from North Caro
lina's sixth district, to address tho
poor folks and the rich folks in tho
courtroom."
| After some hesitation, Thome arose
and announced that he would talk
to the "po' folks."
1 "The Bible," he said, "promises
the poor eternal life; whereas, the
Good Book promises the rich only
three-score-and-ten years."
In a more serious vein, the Rocky
. Mount man urged the spectators l
crowding the courtroom on the first!
day of court to write their repre
sentatives in the general assembly
at Raleigh and request their support
of the proposed socfal security leg
islation.
I "The federal government offers;
every old person in North Carolina
fifteen dollars a mouth provided the
I state government will match in
with a like sum," he said." We ought
,to get that bill passed. There is
1 plenty of opposition growing in Ra- ■
leigh, and every man should write
his representative and urge him to
support the bill."
| Among those present when the
court convened this morning was;
Representative Harold D. C'ooley of
thig city, member of congress from
the fourth North Carolina district.
Cooley arrived in Nashville this
morning from Washington to attend
to business matters here. H e went
to Raleigh this afternoon to discuss
matters of legislate importance
with the member of the general as-1
sembly. Tomorrow, he will return
to Nashville for a brief stay, after
which he will resume his duties in
Washington.
I The superior court is meeting here '
this week in a special term called
by Governor J. C. B. Ehringhaus
for the purpose of disposing of old
eases that have accumulated on tho 1
docket over a long period. This
week's session is devoted to the
trial of criminal cases only. The
docket is expected to be cleared by
Thursday, according to a statement
from the clerk's office.
[ Late this afternoon only two cas |
es had been called in superior
| court criminal session which began 1
today, it was reported from the of-J
fiee of the clerk of court.
o
L. G. Edwards Dies
| Near Rocky Mount
| Funeral services for L. G. Ed
wards, who died at his home on
the Nashville highway near here,
j was conducted from the home.
Burial following the services was
in the family plot hero,
j Mr. Edwardg was 83 years old, and
had been ill since suffering a stroko
!of paralysis Friday.
He was a member of the Primitive
i Baptist church at Nashville.
| Surviving aro two daughters, Mrs.
1,5.. L. Dozier of Rocky Mount and.
; Mrs. C. E. Bell of Rocky Mount route
I fine, and seven grandchildren.
I - •
Collects Dime Novels as Hobby
... j 'x^
Charles Bragin, a retired business man of Brooklyn, N. Y., collects
dime novels as a hobby. His collection, part of which he is shown
examining, is one of the most valuable in America. Recently he refused
$l,OOO for a collection of 191 copies of the Frank Reade Library. One
of the copies in his collection recently brought $425 at an auction sale.
Dare They Refuse To Act ?
Will the Legislature refuse to act in trying to improve
our election laws in North Carolina? Can the legislature
afford to sit easy in their seats in the face of the state
ment made by Maj. McLendon, chairman of the State Board
of Elections?
He disclosed a condition that many knew alreadq, but
probably the public generally did not know it. The legisla
ture cannot doubt the statement of Maj. McLendon, for
he was the one that sat in the gate and knew what was
going on. He stated that illegal workers drew from $5 to
$lOO per day in primary elections. His statement has not
been challenged or denied. This is just one of many charg
es made by him. The Absentee Ballot is a relic of the past
and cannot b defended the way it has been used in N. C.
" v TIMELY ADVICE
Governor Hoey in au'uiecsing the Sir Walter Cabinet,
which organization is composed of the wives of icegistoMir
and state officials, spoke upon the necessity of training
people to use their hands. He disclosed that the largest
class of people on the relief rolls is not the unlettered
and illiterate, but is the so-called educated white-col
lared class. This, indeed, is a very sad commentary
and probably this advice to these ladies of high station
was most timely, especially when he brings to light a con
dition which many of our people do not realize. So often
times, the unlettered and illiterate, before receiving any
aid, has to stand for hours at the door of the charity of
fice, exposing himself to the gaze and the elements to get
a sack of flour and a piece of fat-back; when the remun
eration to the other group is sent by ch§ck. This, of course,
makes the casual observer feel that these millions for re
lief are going to the poor illiterate, when, in truth and
fact, it is going to another group. The mind always
works more efficiently when the individual nas had some
practical training of the use of the hands. The advice of
our distinguished Governor is timely.
Band Equipment
Will Be Rented
Hooker Announces Plan To Give All
Pupils Opportunity To Get In
struments
With the intention of rebuilding
the instrumental department from
the ground up, H. Vernon Hooker,
director of instrumental music in
the city schools, has announced that
negotiations are under way to • es
tablish a rental s3'stem on insru
ments for Rocky Mount children
within the near future.
Since coming here in the fall of
1935 Hooker has reorganized the in
strumental department. Band and
orchestral classes are held every
day in the five graded schools and
the high school. Last year a junior
band and orchestra, each with an
enrollment of approximately forty
members, were formed from the be
ginning grade and junior high pu
pils. The high school band took
part in many civic parades and
functions and won state wide recog
nition by taking first place in the
North Carolina contest for class D
bands.
This year more pupils and instru
ments are needed, especially in the
grade schools. The new band and
orchestra group will be started im
mediately. Every child joining dur
ing the first few weeks of the sec
ond semester will have an oppor
tunity of winning a regular chair in
the new junior band.
Hdoker further stated that com
plete details of the proposed rental
system would be made public soon
as the plan was approved in detail
by R. M. Wilson, superintendent of
schools.
Newedd: "I wonder why it is we
can't sav> anything!"
Mrs. Newedd: "It's the neighbors,
diar; tiiey are always doing some
tiling we can't afford."
n
Relief Agent, "They tell me you
have a model husband."
Woman: "Yes—but lie ain't a
workiu' model. He's just a blue
print."
Robinson Enters
Mayoralty Race
Alderman And Mayor Pro Tem An
nounces Decision To Oppose May
or Coleman
With more than three months to
go before the democratic primary,
the Rocky Mount mayoralty was
turned into a double-barreled race
today with John Quiney Robinson,
mayor pro tein, alderman and rail
road man, seoking to oust Mayor
T. W- Coleman, who announced his
candidacy for re-election on Janu
ary 15.
Following this announcement, the
mayuralty, which often has been as
sumed by a man who disclosed his
candidacy a few weeks before the
democratic primary—April 30 this
year—threatened to witness one of
th d hottest campaigns on record as
the two men with a total of more
than 40 years of political experi
ence behind them became the first
to toss their battered hats into a
ring which may include one or two
more before the ballot boxes are op
ened.
Alderman Robinson, know,, famili
arly as "J. Q." i n railroad circles,
offered no criticism of the present
eity government as he made known
hia intention of running for mayor.
Instead he had praise for the way in
which the municipality has been
operated, but he said that his cam
paign slogan, "Pass th 0 honors
around to thoso in line," would
speak for itself.
| n
SAME OLD MCLENDON
j Showing that he has lost none of
that courage that made him such
a flue artillery officer in our late un
pleasantness with Germany Major L.
P. MeLendon stood before a hos
tile Executive Committee of leading
State Democrats the other day and
earnestly dvooated election law re
forms. As head of the State Board
of Elections the Major knows what
he is talking about, and his solemn
warning is making the leaders think.
Worst Flood In History
Sweeps Ohio
Flood Aid Funds
Pass $l7OO Here
As flood damage rose higher than
ever before in American history and
as the national flood relief chair
man appealed to Rocky Mount to
multiply the original quota by five,
contributions swelled the flood relief
fund here to $1,700.
Nashville donated $103.85 to the lo
cal fund, Spring Hope $6O and Cas
talia high school $15.44.
One instance was cited by the re
lief fund campaigners here as il
lustrating the whole-hearted gener
osity which has met their appeals in
The tragedy in the flooded areas
behalf of flood victims:
touched W. K. Reardon, but he said
he had no cash to contribute. He
did have a hog, though, and gave
that as his contribution. Selling the
hog, Red Cross fund campaigners
here added $16.10 to their flood
relief money.
On account of transportation prob
lems and tho large amount of cloth
ing Red Cross officials have on
hand, it is no longer necessary to
collect donations of clothing, Pres
ident H. Lynwood Elmore of the
Rocky Mount-Nash county Red Cross
chapter said.
Every cent of the contributions for
flood relief collected in the drive
here is sent directly to tho strick
en areas to fight the ravages of
floods, Mr. Elmore explained. No
part of the fund is retained by the
local Red Cross organization.
Contributions for flood relief may
be mailed to the postoffiee here ad
dressed simply, "Flood Relief," or
will be received at the Planters or
the Peoples banks, Radio Station
WEED, or the Evening Telegram of
fice.
Denson Reports
Weather Trends
Raleigh, Jan. 26.—Lee A. Denson,
in charge of the weather bureau,
here, warned today that "heavy to'
excessive rains" during the last 24
hours would cause the fifth material
rise in a month in the waters of
the Cape Fear, Neuse, Tar and low
er Roanoke rivers.
The Roanoke rise, however, will
come below Weldon from present in
dications, Denso n said, and will not
threaten the seven-mile dyke at Cal
edonia prison farms.
Oscar Pitts, acting penal division
director, said he thought danger of
the dam breaking from an 11-foot
flood in the Roanoke had passed
as the stream had dropped some
eight or nine feet. The dyke has
been patrolled day and night and
straightened with sandbags.
"It rained hard yesterday and lasr
night at Caledonia and a material
rise in the river there now would
doubtless brook the dvke," Pitts
said. "The dyke has been soaked
by rains and floods for a month and
the earth is g'tting very loose. We
hope there will not be another im
mediate flood at the farm."
Denson said the Neuse, already
slightly out of its banks, would rise
a little higher at Goldsboro and
Smitlifield and its flood would be
prolonged, while new rises and pos
sible floods would occur in the Cape
Fear and Tar rivers. '
At Williamston. where the Roa
noke has been in flood steadily
sine e January 7, the- water was 13.-
8 feet deep today and rising. Riv
er side oil terminals and lumber
yards under water but the town was
not threatened. A wind blowing wa
ter up the river and two inches
of rain forced the stream higher
than had been forecast.
State Employees
Desire "Relief**
(From Political Pinwheel in the
Raleigh Times)
Aside to the legislators: Some of
tho State employes have asked this
department to suggest that you use
your good offices to stop so much so
liciting of funds from their rather
measley pay checks by persons in
terested in tossing beau gestes in
the form of presents and what-nots
at various people more able to buy
what they need than the majority of
those employes making $62.50 or lit
tle more in working for the State.
NOTICE
Those desiring to subscribe to The Rocky Mount
Herald may do so by sending $l.OO with name and
address to The Rocky Mount Herald, Rocky Mounr,
N. C.
Name
Town State , Route No -
$l.OO PER YEAA
More Than 700,000 Homeless, 130
Known Dead, Property Damage Es
timated At $300,000,000 Aa Flooda
Overwhelm Entire Ohio Valley-
Flood waters extending for many
miles on each side ?f the river, cov
ering most of Cincinnati, Ohio, and
Louisville, Ky., wronght havoc in tto
middle west this week as the worst
flood in history dealt out death and
despair.
Bed Cross relief agencies, th»
United States Army, and all other
agencies available have been work
ing night and day in an effort
to save those in desperate danger,
and to afford urgently needed re
lief. Rehabilitation will take many
months after the waters have sub
sided.
The Red Cross is issuing
calls for donations to meet the stu
pendous cost of relief work on th®
scale necessary in the flood area.
I Mighty efforts and all man's in
genuity are being expended to try to
keep the Mississippi within its le
vees a s the flood waters from the
Ohio pass into the Father of Wa
ters.
The Ohio river had risen Tuesday
night to above the 56 foot state,
ten feet higher tha n there is any
record of its ever having risen. Tha
peak of th e flood was expected Wed
nesday.
State Auto Tag
Sales Boom Here
Sales Through Saturday Were One-
Fourth Greater Than Same Date
Last Year
Sales of state license tags for au
tomobiles were over one-fourth,
greater through Saturday than at the
same date last year, Mis s Myrtie
O. Cox has announced.
Miss Cox, manager of the Caroli
na Motor Club office at Church and
Thomas streets, lias conducted the
sale of state licenses for this terri
tory.
With 3.41 Jags .la."!.Si-ek sales
ar e continuing to piK* up, Miss Co*
said, though the volume naturally
dwindles each week as the year
grows older.
Through Saturday 10,350 licenao
tags for 1!)37 had been so!d at the
Carolina Motor club here—2,6lB
more than 7,73 a at the same date a
year ago.
I Nearly nine-tenths of the licenses
sold were for cars. Most of the
other tenth were for trucks, and the
remainder for trailers. The great
est sale of trailer licenses here
comes when growers start hauling
i tobacco to market in the fall, Miss
I Cox said. She did not recall sell
ing many licenses for house trailers.
All state automobile licenses are
handled at the Carolina Motor club
office exc-pt those for "For Hire*
vehicles and for motorcycles. Those
come directly from Raleigh.
Highways closed by floods and
other information about roads and
traveling is available at the Caroli
na Motor club office, Miss Cox said.
From Washington and Raleigh the
office receives every two weeks maps
showing detours and closed roads.
It also receives weekly reports of
road conditions and special reports
of unexpected changes due to con
struction, or emergency weather con
ditions.
Two Cows Are
Electrocuted
Tarboro, Jan. 26.—When Berry
Lewis, local dairyman, found two of
his finest cows dead on his barn
floor, he was puzzled as to the
cause.
But lie was not long finding out,
and the reason was quite a shock to
him. In fact, it was such a
shock that it sent him sprawling on
the barn floor.
In some way, the electrical wiring
had come into contact with the
sheet metal walls of the barn, and
when the cows brushed up against
them, the high voltage killed them.
Mr. Lewis discovered the cause of
his. cows death when he
against the wall to ponder over tbd
situation.
RAID TAVERN
Johnston County officers mad©
three raids last Wednesday. Flow
ers Tavern, operated by Hubert Ed
wards was raided, result 2(1 gallons
of liquor, Rat O'Neill's Filling Sta
tion yielded 12 gallons, while none
was found at Gurkin's Tavern, for
merly Oatch-Me-Eye.