The Rocky Mount Herald
VOLUME 4, NO. 17
"EXPECT LARGE
CROWD ATTEND
CTCERT HERE
Festival Of Negro Music To Be Pre
aented On Monday Night
' \
A 1 large crowd ig anticipated here
Monday night, April 26, for the pre
sentation of a Festival of Negro Mu
sic, a check up of the advance sale
of tickets showed here today.
The program is a Federal Music
Project and is under the direction
of Mrs. Nell Hunter, nationally
known Negro singer, and is spon
sored by the Civic Forum, a local
Negro organization.
Bhe tickets went on sale here Sat
urday, and an entire section of the
auditorium hag been reserved for
white patrons, and these tickets are
on sale at the Standard Drug Co.,
it was announced by those in charge
of the program. Members of the
chorus are also making a canvass
of the city in an effort to fill the
auditorium for one of the most cap
tivating musical programs ever to
be staged in this city by Negroes.
Proceedg are to go towards an ef
fort being spongored by- the For
um to erect a recreation center here
for Negro citizens, and from all in
dications, the project is meeting
with enthusiagtic approval.
The chorug hag been at work now
for several weeks, and is composed
of some of the best talent to be
found in the city from various mu
sical unitg. The program will be
made up from Negro spirituals and
folk songs. Mrs. Banter will also
appear on the program, it was an
nounced.
NIGHT SCHOOL
ELECTS ITS
OFFICIALS
fW. M. Wester Is Named President
Of Industrial Classes
W. M. Wester has been elected
president of the V. M. C. A. in
dustrial night school, Secretary J.
A. Harper of the Y. M. C. A. has
Other officers named were Charles
Marshburn, vice president, and Van
Williams, secretary and treasurer.
The night school, sponsored by
the Y. M. C. A. and supported large
ly by the state department of indus
trial education, meets Monday and
Thursday nights.
Its students include largely ACL
shop apprentices and the courses are
mechanical drawing, shop problems
and practice.
E. J. Haley, Jr., a graduate of
Georgia Tech, teaches the class and
1 William C. Stancil, plant engineer
at the ACL shops, is associate teach
er.
NEW OWNERS OF
HALIFAX PAPER
Scotland Neck Commonwealth Pur
chased By Local, Greensboro Men
Scotland Neck, April 20.—Sale of
the Scotland Neck Commonwealth,
fifty-five year old newspaper, and the
J. T. Madry Publishing company to
Robert B. Davis of Rocky Mount and
Tiric W. Rodgers of Greensboro has
been announced here by J. T. Ma
dry, publisher and editor of the pa
per for the past eight years. The
transfer became e£fjctlve«- Monday,
Mr. Madry stated, awT the new ow
ners will publish their first issua
on Friday.
Mr. Davis is a former banker and
realtor of Rocky Mount, having
been prominent in these activities in
Rocky Mount for the past 30 years.
During the past four years he has
K>een an executive of the Home Own
ers' Loan Corporation, having boen
district manager of office at Green
ville, and during the past six
mouths in charge of the corporation's
loan accounts in several counties,
with Rocky Mount as headquarters.
He resigned this position a few days
ago to enter upon the newspaper en
terprise here.
Mr. Rodgers has had 15 years ex
perience in newspaper work in North
Carolina, South Carolina and Dli
nois. He served four years on the
of the News and Courier, Char
leston, S. C., two years as night edi
tor /nd then two years as state
1 ' of The Associated
. at Raleigh, one year as city
editor and three years as editor of
the Greensboro Record, one year
as editorial writer of the Chicago
jDaily Times, one year as city edi
tor and one year as telegraph and
makeup editor of the Greensboro
Daily News. For the past three and
a half years he has been connected
in an executive capacity with the
Home Owners' Loan Corporation,
most of the time as district manager
at Raleigh and more recently as
loan service reviewer for Eastern
Carolina with headquarters at Greens
boro. He resigned this position ef
fective this week in order to re-en
ter newspaper work.
L. E. Hudson, of Craven County
has wired his home for electricity,
put in a water system, built a new
brooder house and painted his homo
and outbuildings with the income
from hig broiler project conducted
the past two years.
IN^WASSjKQTDN
UNITED STATES*SENATOR
._*##*** !
I
The intense Congressional interest \
in the President's court plan, sit- :
down strikes and other problems of
national concern, do not overshadow'
the fact that before the end of the
present session, members of Congress
must make a highly important deci
sion. That decision is whether Fed
eral expenditures shall be decreas
ed or whether they shall be main
tained at present or even higher lev
els and new taxes levied to pro
vide the necessary funds.
Before this article appears, or
shortly thereafter, a relief message
is expected from the President which
will undoubtedly clarify the bud
get and tax outlook. Strong pres
sure is being exerted for curtail
ment of relief expenditures. Equally
strong sentiment favors expending
relief, and there is no Bmall amount
of pressure for curtailment of Fed
eral expenditures in all lines. There
is virtually no sentiment for new
1 taxes.
The present indications are that
the President will fix relief funds
at the lowest possible amount con
sistent with the widespread nation
al needs. Thus, if the amount rec
ommended by the President is in
creased, it will be due to the pres
sure exerted upon members of Con
greßg by their constituents. In oth
er words, the choice of whether
the Government expense shall be
lowered or taxes increased is with
the American people.
Under the pressure of relief de
mands, it is an open secret that
"behind the scenes" consideration is I
being given to how new taxes may
be raised, should they be neces
sary. In some circles there is even
the suggestion of a general sales
tax, wliich has been bitterly opposed
in the past. In other circles there
are suggestions for higher excise
taxes. But all members of Congress
have clearly evidenced their desire
to do everything possible to make
new taxes unnecessary.
President Roosevelt has expressed
the hope that there will be no new
taxes, levied. Nevertheless, relief
needs continue heavy and attention
must be given to farm tenancy and
housing legislation. Ag I have said,
tax legislation seems imminent, and
new sources of revenue are being
studied.
Excise taxes now in effect, in
cluding the Federal gasoline tax, and
a score of other levies, are schedul
ed to expire on June 30. Recommen
dations have already been made
that they be reenacted for another.
temporary period, despite the ad-'
mitted unfairness of some of these
taxes. However, more optimistic
members of the National Legisla
ture cling to the hope that some
way will be found to bring down the
expenditures and break the log-jam
of legislation without raising the al
ready heavy tax burden now impos
ed on our citizens.
But with it all, the fact remains
that if our citizens generally de
mand large relief funds and other
Federal funds for new projects, they
must be prepared to pay the bill.
Thus, thte expenditure and tax
situation in Congress iB of serious
concern. This is true despite the
fact that many thoughtful persons
are beginning to realize that Gov
ernments as individuals must find
means of "living within the income."
Any other course brings a situation
that may be postponed indefinitely
by heavy borrowings and other Fed
eral financing but one which can
not be fully corrected until Federal
expenditures are no greater than the
taxes collected.
The President's anticipated relief
measure will, of course, be an
indication of the future on relief
and taxes. When it is made public,
it should be studied by every per
son concerned with the national
welfare. And individuals can do
much by frankly facing the situa
tion and realizing that the time has
come when, with recovery here and
greater improvement ahead, the Fed
eral Government must economize as
individuals have been forced to do
to place their affairs on a sound fis
cal basis. It is obvious that every
possible means will be utilized to
prevent wholesale tax legislation be
ing thrown into the already mud
dled Congressional situation.
Whether this effort will be suc
cessful will depend largely on the
developments in the next thirty
days.
o
CIVIL SERVICE
EXAMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
The United States Civil Service
Commission has announced open com
petitive examinations as follows:
Endocrinologist, $3,800 a year, Bu
reau of Dairy Industry.
Full information may be obtained
from the Secretary of the United
States Civil Service Board of Exami
ners at the post office or custom
house in any city which has a post
office of the first or socond class,
or from the United States Civil Ser
vice Commission, Washington, D. C.
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1937
SENATOR IS
SPEAKER AT
CHARTER NITE
Senator Robert R. Reynolds was
the principal speaker for the Junior
Chamber of Commerce charter night
banquet here at t>:3o o'clock Friday
night in tho_Ricks hotel.
Senator Reynolds' address, the
remarks of other distinguished
guests, and the ceremonies of char
ter presentation were broadcast ov
er radio station WEED from 7 to
9 o'clock Friday night.
Congressman Harold D. Cooley of
Nash County presented a charter to
the comparatively new Junior Cham
ber here, and President Dallas Al
ford, Jr., of the organization spoke
acceptance.
Secretary of State Thad Eure of
Raleigh and Congressman John H.
Kerr of Edgecombe county accepted
invitations to attend the banquet
and ceremonies.
Included in the guests for the char
ter night ceremonies were delegat
es from Junior Chambers in Nor
folk, Richmond, Winston-Salem,
Morehead City, Fayetteville and Hen
derson. Registration of visiting dele
gates at the Ricks hotel began at 1
o'clock Friday afternoon.
The guests of the Junior Cham
ber for the banquet were also in
vited to attend the Gallopade Ball
and Coronation at 10 o'clock Friday
night in the New Planters Ware
house.
Jasper L. Cummings was toast mas
ter for the banquet and charter
presentation program.
The banquet and charter night
program follows:
Invocation by Rev. Rev. R. Dwigat
Ware of the First Methodist church.
Address of welcome to delegates
and guests, Emory Adkins.
Response by Fred Dixon, presi
dent of the Raleigh Junior Chamber.
Entertainment, planned by Marion
Justice.
Introduction of Secretary of State
Eure by M. V. Barnhill, Jr.
Introduction of Congressman Kerr
by Garland McPlierson.
Presentation of charter by Con
gressman Cooley.
Acceptance speech by • President
Dallas Alford, Jr.
Introduction of Senator Reynolds
by J. R. Tanner.
Address by Senator Reynolds.
OUR 808 IS
J. C. SPEAKER
Senator Will Attend Charter Night
Ceremonies In Ricks Hotel Friday
Night
United States Senator Robert R.
Reynolds has accepted an invitation
to attend the charter night ceremon
ies of the Junior Chamber of Com
merce here Friday night, President
Dallas Alford announced today.
Secretary of State Thad Eure,
Congressman Harold D. Cooley of
Nash county and Congressman John
H. Kerr of Edgecombe had already
announced their intention to be pres
ent.
The presentation of a charter to
the comparatively new Junior Cham
ber here and the address of the
speaker of the evening will be broad
cast from the dining room of the
Ricks hotel, where the banquet meet
ing will be held, over radio sta
tion WEED.
Guests to the Charter Night pre
sentation, according to Chairman
Ben Arrington of the Charter Night
committee, will include representa
tives from Junior Chamber in Nor
folk, Richmond, Henderson, Raleigh,
Greensgoro, Winston-Salem, Feyette
ville, Charlotte and Morehead City.
o
E. Carolina Scouts
To Attend Jamboree
Wilson, April 17. —Eighty-nine
Boy Scouts from the East Carolina
Council will travel to Washington,
D. C., on June 30 to attend the Na
tional Scout Jamboree to be held
there June 30-July 9 this year,
Scout Executive John J. Sigwald
said today.
Registration for scouts who wish
ed to go to the Jamboree was clos
ed last night.
Scouts from Wilson, Rocky Mount,
Washington, Greenville, Scotland
Neck, Williamston, Winterville,
Ahoskie, Roanoke Rapids, Belhav
en, Tarboro, Winton, Windsor, New
Bern, Grimesland, Spring Hope and
Ayden have signed up to go to the
Jamboree.
Wilson led in registration for the
trip with 19 scouts while Roanoke
Rapids was second with 18.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN
Bill Griffin, secretary of the Ex
change Club, of Montgomery, Ala.,
says:
"The forgotten man is a plain
every-day citizen who does an hon
est day's work, meets his obliga
tions promptly, can be depended
upon in an emergency, has little
to say, never gets into trouble with
the police, never finds fault unless
a principal is at stake, stands hitch
ed, is self-supporting, self-starting,
self-sufficient, keeps going on his
momentum in good times, bad times
or indifferent times. About the on
ly time he's ever counted in is when
the census man comes around."
Notable Visitors From Britain
3 ' N
jjlgrj
488 y Hi
mpy
IHMi
mijj
dfti
yfi»v pit
: :
*w|j I^HrH
Sir Robert and Lady Craigie as they arrived from England on the
Queen Mary. They are here to visit Lady Craigie's mother in Savannah,
Ga. Sir Robert is British ambassador-designate to Japan.
Gallopade Parade
The last of the Gallopade parade has just passed the
window of the Herald's office and according to our way of
thinking is one of the prettiest parades that ever took
place in Rocky Mount, if not the prettiest. Eastern Caro
lina was well represented with bands from as far east as
Edenton and as far west as Duke University and North
Carolina University. The parade was more than two miles
long and lasted about an hour and a half, with the streets
being lined on both sides for at least a mile or nearly two
miles. It was indeed a beautiful spectacle.
JORDAN STREET UNDEKI'ASS MOWEY ALLOTTED
TO ELM CITY AND SMITHFIELD
The $200,000 allotted by the State Highway Commission
to Rocky Mount for the construction of the Jordan Street
Underpass, according to reliable information received,
has been withdrawn and re-allotted to the town of Elm
City for the construction of an overpass and to the town
of Smithfield. This money was not bond money, but an al
lotment from the Stffte Highway Commission to the City
of Rocky Mount for the particular purpose of building the
Jordan Street Underpass, without any financial liability to
the city, except the City of Rocky Mount is being called
upon now to pay for the damage incurred by the State High
way Commission and the contractor for the canceling
of the contract, in the neighborhood of about $2,000.
It has been suggested that this whole survey proposition
was gotten up by certain citizens as a means to kill the
Jordan Street Underpass when it would cost the City of
Rocky Mount nothing.
Mr. Elliot And The Survey
According to statement appearing in the afternoon pa
per that George Elliot, President of the Atlantic Coast
Line Railroad Company, did not object to Rocky Mount
making a railroad survey, on being asked if he objected;
I think that it is true that Mr. Elliot had held no ebjection
to Rocky Mount spending in the neighborhood of SIO,OOO,
to employ a so-called railroad expert.
Why should Mr. Elliot object? The citizens of Rocky
Mount are having this burden to bear rather than the
railroad. We feel sure that Mr. Elliot would never have
made such a contract for his Board to approve. The so
called Citizen's Committee and the committee from the
Board of Aldermen, came back from Wilmington with the
intimation through the press that Mr. Elliot gave them
a courteous reception and was practically censenting to
their procedure. His letter to the mayor of Rocky Mount
showed that his views were directly in reverse, for he
stated that even if Rocky Mount furnished the enormous
estimate of $3,600,000 that because of the serious cense
quences to the operation of the railroad line, he could not
afford to recommend it to the Board of Directors of the At
lantic Coast Line.
From what we are able to learn, the survey is still go
ing on. We read a statement of the press from the ex
pert that he was ready to give a report on the estimated
loss of time of individuals waiting for the train and the
number thereof; that he was now trying to decide the
momentous question of either going east or west, or to
continue north or south. In fact, he was very frank in
saying that the matter was extremely important since the
railroad had done much for the town and the town had
done much for the railroad. This, indeed, is a correct
and righteous conclusion, but we can't see why it took such
a marvelous expert to arrive at that conclusion. The city
has engineers, a Board of Aldermen, many of whom have
been on the Board for many, many years, and we feel
quite sure that any of these gentlemen were just as com
petent, even more so, to have carried out this survey,
and the city would not have dumped SIO,OOO in the waste
basket. The old saying is that "It is not good for a church
to be out of debt," and this sometimes is applied to poli
tical sub-divisions: cities, counties and etc., for when they
are out of debt and appear to have a surplus, somebody
will propose something that will not mean anything worth
while to anybody.
LOBBY FEES LEAN
According to returns filed by lobbyists in reporting ex
penses incurred by them for themselves and their clients,
the last General Assembly was so unanimous in its action
that many of the interests of the country did not employ as
many attorneys and lobbyists as they previously have done
during the legislatures and those who were employed are
not reporting mare than one quarter of the amount of
money heretofore received by them.
This is a condition that is hard to understand. Is the
legislature achieving their ends without the use of lobbyists
or have they become reconciled to what the legislature is
j doing and are willing to keep their hands off the enact-
I ment of laws? These are questions that the public will prob
i ably give some thought to.
1,025 NAMES
ON BOOKS NOW
Final registration of Edgecombe
county residents in Rocky Mount to
vote May 1 on the proposed $250,000
Edgecombe school bond issue to
talled 1,025, Superintendent R. M.
Wilson of th e city school has an
nounced.
Registration closed last Saturday
night. The election is separate from
the city election about the same
time.
Besides several other schools or!
school additions throughout Edge
combe county, the bond issue would
provide for a $31,000 enlargement of
the high school here and a new $60,-
000 Negro elementary school here,
both of which school authorities say
are badly needed.
BISHOP PENICK
VISITSJN CITY
Bishop Penick Confirms Class And
Preaches At Rocky Monnt And
Battleboro Churches
The Rt. Reverend Edwin A. Penick,
D. D. Bishop of the Episcopal Dio
cese of North Carolina, preached
at the 11 o'clock service of the
Church of the Good Shepherd on
Sunday, and administered the rite
of confirmation to a class of twen
ty-five. In the afternoon Bishop Pen
ick preached at a 3 o'clock service
held at St. John's church in Battle
boro.
At the local service the Rev. Fran
cis H. Craighill, rector of the
church, read the lesson for tlie
day and the vested choir of more
than forty voices presented special
music. Mrs. E. H. Austin was at
the organ and William W. Shaw di
rected and played the violin obliga
to for the beautiful offertory, "Mo
zart's "Gloria," Mrs. Austin used a
Festal prelude and for the proces
sional the hymn, "Oh, Saviour, Pre
cious Sueiour." For the recessional
Geibel's arrangement of "Stand Up
for Jesus" was presented.
Bishop Penick based his sermon on
the book of Jeremiah, taking his
text from the verse: "And ye shall
seek me and find me when ye shall
search for me with all your heart."
Bishop Penick voiced opinion that
mail's relationship to God is the most
vital concern ot his life. All men
desiro to revere God and to seek
Him out said the Bishop, yet many
become discouraged in the search.
The man of liberal views, leaning
toward the radical, goes through a
period of disquietude described by
the Bishop who compared man's life
to the spokes of a wheel running
both ways—inward and outward. So
long as the spokes are fixed by faith
in Jesus Christ that man will be
eternally strong, and will find the
way to God eventually, was the con
summation of the Bishop's able and
liberal discourse.
For the Bishop's visit to the lo
cal church the edifice was taxed to
its capacity, a number of worship
pers of other denominations being
included in the congregation who
heard him.
o
Governors Fight
Relief Reduction
Almost Solid Front Presented Against
Reducing Federal Program For
States
Chicago, April 19.—1n advance of
President Roosevelt's expected relief
message to Congress this week, state
governors presented ato almost solid
front today against reduction of the
federal program—if it meant plac
ing a greater burden on the states.
Their views, obtained by The As
sociated Press in a national survey,
showed sentiment strongly favoring
continuation of the Works Progress
Administration, the Civilian Conser
vation Corps and other federal em
ployment agencies on the present
$2,000,000,000 a year scale.
Only two governors—one a Demo
crat and the other a Republican—de
clared the time had come for the
states to lift the relief load from
the government's shoulders. Sever
al contended there should be a loos
ening, rather than a tightening, of
Washington purse strings.
Farmers in the Creedmoor section
of Granville County have about j
K.OOO bushels of cured No. 1 Nancy
Hall sweet potatoes that will be
marketed in cooperative carlot ship
ments this spring.
Every landowner in the Copeland
Community of Surry County ig co
operating to promote the building
of the new rural el:ectric line from
Siloam to the Copeland School.
NOTICE
Those desiring to subscribe to The Rocky Mount
Herald may do so by sending SI.OO with name and
address to The Rocky Mount Herald, Rocky Mount,
N. C.
Name -
Town State , Route No.
SI.OO PER YEAS
METHODISTS
HOLD DIST.
CONFERENCE
J. C. Braswell Named From This
City As Delegate To Conference
J. C. Braswell, local and confer
ence Methodist leader, was named
one of the twenty-five delegates to
the annual conference which will
meet at Edenton Street Methodist
church, Raleigh, this fall, in the
Rocky Mount District conference
which convened in Warrenton.
A stirring address by Bishop Paul
B. Kern, who spoke on the Bishop's
Crusade, featured the afternoon
meeting of the Warrenton confer
ence.
Besides the address of the bishop
and the election of annual confer
ence delegates, the conference was
featured by reports from the vari
ous pastors and churches in the
Rockv Mount area. First Methodist
church, this city, with Rev. R.
, Dwight Ware as pastor, reported the
| largest gain in membership of any
I church making a report.
At the evening service, Revs. Hen
ry Ruark and C. W. Goldston, ad
dressed the conference on "The
Emergency Peace Campaign."
Dr. J. M. Culbreth, presiding el
der, was in charge of the conference,
and under his leadership largo gains
were recorded from all over the dis
trict.
HASSELLSREA
LINE IS NOW
IN OPERATION
Recently Constructed REA Line Car
ries First Load Today
Tarboro, April 17. —The recently
constructed REA line from Tarboro
to Hassells, which runs through one
of the richest farming lands of Ed
gecombe county, was put in opera
tion today. The power, long de
layed because proper transformers
had not arrived, was cut in at noon.
Superintendent J. C. Martin of
the Tarboro municipally owner pow
er company, which is to supply the
current for the Hnssell division,
stated today that definitely the pow
er would be cut on for consump
tion all the way through on the line.
The town of Hassells has been
wired for some two weeks, and the
promised service has been delayed
due- to the transformer situation be
ing anything but what was ordered.
Tarboro has installed sulticient
turbine equipment to give the city
and the REA line more than an
abundance of cheap power. It is ex
pected that Tarboro's electrical plant
is good for ten years of normal ex
pansion in power.
Mayor Rawls Howard threw the
control switch in a ceremony lasting
a few minutes at the power plant.
o
Greenville Cuts
Electric Rates
Domestic Rate Cut Designed To
Save Consumers SIB,OOO Annually
Greenville, April 18.—The Green
ville Water and Light Commission
today announced a reduction in its
domestic rate which is designed to
save customers at least SIB,OOO an
nually. The reduction will take ef
fect on July 1, beginning of the
next fiscal year.
Decision to defer application of
the new rate until the end of this
fiscal year was reached because of
the fact the budget is already made
out and drawn up in line with rev
enue anticipated from the old rates.
The new rate applies to all cus
tomers included in the domestic
class. Rural customers will benefit
also, as well as those in Falkland,
Stokes, Bell Arthur, Ballard's Cross
roads and other commuities. Winter
ville and Ayden, which buy the elec
tricity wholesale and retail it to
their local customers, will not receive
the benefit, however.
A reduction in the commercial
rate is being worked out and will
be announced before the end of the
fiscal year, it was stated.
The reduction will make the local
rates as low as any in the State for
cities of similar size. Only Carolina
Power and Light and the Duke Pow
er companies now have rates lower
than those in effect here at present,
and the anticipated cut will put the
local rates on a basis with these
two big companies.
o t
Blue mold is attacking tobacco
plant beds throughout Wilson county
and in some cases the small plants
have been killed 100 percent, says
County Agent W. L. Adams.