The Rocky Mount Herald
VOLUME 4, NO. 28
« PIONEER TENANT ROUGHS
IT IN THE NEW CITY HALL
First official inhabitant of the
city's brand new white-stoned-front
municipal building is George N.
Adams and his district social secur
office, at rooms 304 and 305 on
third floor.
Just getting settled after spend
-1 ing all day Monday moving from
the post office building and all day
yesterday patting his office equip
ment to order, Mr. Adams said today
he is really busy. With a flood of
social security account numbers and
employers' numbers to record and
assign he is at present the only
member of his office force, which
may eventually reach 10 or more.
However much work may syamp
the district social seeurtiy man, it
it unlikely that he will try to catch
up by working nights. The ritzy
modernistic lighting equipment in
his office does not work yet; they
will be hooked up by the end of the
week.
Not having a telephone bothers I
him too. The telephone cables have
just been ran into the building and
remain to be palled through the
conduits to the third floor. Mean
while Mr. Adams takes long distance
calls from Washington by trotting
three floors down a Are escape to
the Carolina Telephone Company's
office net door.
The best course through the maze
, of nearly 1 completed halls and the
crowds of construction crews for
persona seeking Mr. Adams 'office
is this: enter the only space at
the front of stairs (the elevator is
in but not yet in operation) and
from the top of the stairs walk
anight ahead.
The social security headquarters
hag six office rooms, four of them
now fall of furniture and two emp
ty. By July 15 the offices will be
practically done and fit for fem
inine habitation, Mr. Adama expects,
and if so the office will have a sec
retary then. -t
y The security office will be joined •
about August 1, by the city offices, t
the health department, the poliee de- j
partment and the court.
t FISHING IN
I CITY LAKE
FORBIDDEN
Fishing In City Lake Is Not Allow
ed; Police To Take Action
Fishing in the city lake is still
not permitted, Judge Ben H. Thom
as, a trustee of the lake, stated to
day. "
Qreat damage is being done, he
commented, by people who lately
have apparently thought they were
permitted to fish in the, lake. Be
sides taking hundreds of the fish,
many of them far below any legal
size limit, these self-permitted fish
ermen have ruined much of the
shrubbery and other growth culti
vated around the edges of the lake,
Judge Thomas said.
Although some while past a re
quest was made to the board of al
dermen and referred to the parks
and playgrounds' Committee to allow
fishing in the lake under strict re
gulations, the committee has never
given that permission and at pres
ent no one, Judge Thomas stated
emphatically, is allowed to fish
in the lake at any time.
As for a rumor that Judge Thom
as is issuing permits to fish in the
lake, he said that is absolutely false,
too.
o
Pick Permanent
Jurors In Wilson
Wilson, July 7.—Eighteen Wilson
county men were picked by the
county commissioners at their
monthly meeting yesterday as mem
bers of the first permanent Grand
Judy that the county has ever had.
The Grand jury was established
last year in a special act of the leg
islature.
Nine men were, appointed to serve
6 months and 9 others were appoint
ed to serve a year on the jury.
The six months jury is compris
ed of R. C. Owens, T. R. Glover,
W G. Barnes, Roy Gardner, R. D.
Gray, J. K. Lamm, A B. C. Lamm,
J. R Wiggins and J. W. Askew.
The 12 months jury is composed of
Grover Coleman, L. B. Honeycutt,
Clifton Evans, E. R. Oettinger, J.
D. Williamson, R. E. Craft, G. B.
Gardner, W. E. Gray and R. M. (
Bailey.
pjecrease Shown
id Farm Population
"
Agriculture department economists
at Washington, Thursday noted a
traditional sign of prosperity—a
decline in farm prosperity.
They Mud persons living on farms
at the start of this year totaled 31,-
729,000, a decrease of 80,000 from
January 1, 1936. It was the first
decline since 1929. '
During prosperous periods, they
explained, .wore young farm men
and women found jobs in cities and
towns and fewer persons returned
from urban centers to the country,
where they at least could find
food and shelter.
IN WASHINGTON
■ WHAT
IS'
TAKING
\ PLACE
BY
UNTTED STATE*SENATOR
As Thanksgiving Day has become
an occasion for thanks for indivi
dual benefits and ble sings, Inde
pendence Day has become a time
for stock-taking of national gains
and losses. Keeping in mind that it
was the men from the farms who
turned back the redcoats ,and gave
America its freedom, it seems pro
per now to consider the status of
the farmer today in our country's
march of progress. And to do so
clearly shows (hat while the econo
mic position of farmers generally
has been considerably improved, the
men and women /vpho till the soil
have not shared equally in the gen
eral advance «f our people.
This is becoming more and aero
evident to the members-of Congress
concerned with the welfare of rural
America, and is certain to mean a
general speeding up of legislation
designed to help the farmer. Pending
[ farm-tenancy legislation is a case in
I point. Other important measures may
be expected to have more attention
in the months ahead.
Striking figures with reference to
the .general farm situation were re
cently submitted to Congress, and
are worthy of the attention of those
concerned with the faqn problem.
To quote:
" The movement of population
from the farm to. the city indiaatgs
the decreasing attractiveness of farm
life. In the last 25 years, while the
Nations population grew nearly 40
per cent, and while the per cent of
the national land area included in
farms rose from 46.2 per cent to
55.4 per cent, the farm population
actually declined. In 1910 it was es
timated at slightly more than
32,000,000. In 1929 it had fallen to
30,257,000. In 3pite of the distress
in the cities during the depression,
the farm population in 1935 waa
only 31,800,000 —more than 200,000
less than the estimate in 1910. This
decline took place in spite of the
fact that the annual excess of births
over -deaths fcn the farm is from
400,000 to 500,000 "a year. According
to the Bureau of Agricultural econo
mics, there was a net migration of
6,296,000 persons from the faxm to
the city between 1920 and 1929.
Many families went back to the
land in an effort to raise at least
their own subsistence, the exodus
from the farm continued from 1930
to 1935 to such an extent that 984,-
000 more people left the farm than
went to it. The existence of aban
doned farms and the general shor
tage of labor on farms in cultiva
tion are witnesses to the fact that
although th eimprovement of farm
machinery may have diminished the
need for manpower, it is. not primar
ily responsible for this migration.
" The difficulty of success in far
ming in recent years has been pri
marily responsible. From 1850 to
1920 the average value per acre of
farm land and buildings steadily in
creased. Thereafter, however, it de
clined prcipitously. In 1910 it was
$39.60 per acre. In 1920, after the
wartime boom, it was $69.38. By
1925 it had fallen to $53.52, and by
1930 to $48.52. In 1935 it was $31.16
—appreciably less than in 1910. Not
only was the value per acre less but
the total value of farm land and buil
dings in 1935 was $32,858,000,000 as
compared with $34,801,000,000 in 19-
10. This decrease in the total value
of farm property- took place in spite
of the fact that during this period
the proportion of the national land
area devoted to faraming increased
by 9.2 percent. So far as the Com
mission is aware, no other mapor
national economic activity operates
today with a smaller capital than in
1920.
" Not only has the capital devoted
I to farming been partly eaten away,
but the farmer owns an ever-smaller
share of that capital. In 1900, 23.2
per cent of the total farm acreage
was operated by tenants. In 1925, the
figure had risen to 28.6 per cent and
in 1935 to 31.9 per cent. The number
of farm tenants grew by more than
200,000 between 1930 and 1935, and
stood at 2,865,000 on the latter date."
ATLANTIC FLYJERS
Two commercial flying boats made
the Atlantic crossing quickly Tues
day, to inaugurate a trans-atlantic
air service for passengers, mail and
express. With excitement or special
emotion, the flyers made - the cross
ing in record time, one flying east
from Botwood, Newfoundland, the
other west from Foynes, Ireland. The
19 ton British ship made the trip
in 15 hours 28 minutes, whil* the
, 22 ton American Clipper made the
i west-east crossing in 12 hours 29
minutes.
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1937
NASHVILLE
MAN HIT BY
AUTOMOBILE
J. D. Barnes, 73, Is Recovering From
Serious Injuries At Hospital Here
James Davis Barnes of Nashville,
73, was in a slightly improved con
dition today, attendants at a local
hospital reported, recovering from
injuries received when he was hit by
a car late last Saturday night on
a highway near Nashville.
Suffering from head and shoulder
injuries, Sir. Barnes "spent" a good
night" Wednesday, it was reported,
and was mor ecomfortable today
than he had been. His injuries were
considered serious, however, and doc
tors thought he probably received a
skull fracture.
He was admittedtto. f hospital here
at 1:15 o'clock SwftUy morning af
ter being hit by a ear driven by
Joe Strlddand Uf**N«shville route
one.
While 'walking' dn the highway he
wag struck by Strickland's car as it
was meeting another car, Strickland
explained.
HOLD NEGROES
IN FORGERY
CASE HERE
Judge Ben H. Thomas Hindi Three
Over To Nash Court On Check
, Forgery Charges
Richard Hodges, Hayes McCullen
and Henry C. Alford, local young
Negro men, were bound' over by
Judge Ben H .Thomas in police court
Tuesday morning to Nash county su
perior court on charges of forging
and issuing two Fruit Growers Ex
press Company checks.
Finding probable cause after a
preliminary hearing in police court,
Judge Thomas set bond at S3OO each.
The three defendants were sent to
Nash county jail in default of bond.
A. N. Armstrong, manager of the
Fruit Orowerg Express Company of
fice in South Rocky Mount, testified
that two weeks ago someone broke
into the office at night and stole
several checks from the company's
-clieokbook. He identified Hodges as
a former employe in the office.
W. E. Hollowell, owner of the
Coastal Service Station, identified Al
ford as the man for whom he cash
ed one of the forged checks, for the
amount of about $9.
L. P. Armstrong, an owner of
Armstrong-Douglas Negro drug store,
identified Alford as the man who at
tempted to cash one of the forged
«hecks in his drug store.
An employe at Broadway service
station testified {hat he cashed one
of the two forged checks for a Ne
gro man, but he said he did not re
member what he looked like. He said
McCullen was not the man.
, Officers testified that Alford ac
cused McCullen of issuing a check
and getting part of the money and
that both accused Hodges of writing
the checks. Neither man, officers
said, made a specific denial.
Charges of breaking, and entering,
and of larceny, against all three were
[ nol prossed.
CHARLES WILL
CLOSE JULY 10
TO REMODEL
The local stor e of Charles Stores
Company will bo closed during July
for alterations, Manager William
W. Johnson said. The store will be
remodeled and modernized to the ex
tent of several thousand dollars ac
cording to his statement.
The store will close, it was an
nounced, the night of July 10 for a
monih. Employes will have their va
cations while the store is closed.
Main feature of the reconstruc
tion will be a terrazo floor over the
entire area of the store. Mr. John
son stated. Fixtures will be remod
eled and rebuilt. Local help, he said,
will be employed for the reconstruc
tion.
Rev. O. N. Marshall
Has Sudden Stroke
Reported Resting Well Today After
Paralyttc Stroke Saturday
Rev. Oliver N. Marshall, pastor of
the Arlington Baptist church, was
resting well, members of his family
said, though still in a serious con
dition as result of a sudden stroke
of paralysis at 12 o'elock Saturday.
Mr. Marshall had lost the use-of
his right limbs, but druing periods
of intermittent consciousness he was
able to speak with difficulty. The
stroke Saturday was Entirely unax
peoted to members of lug family.
H 0 had apparently been in good
health for years.
CHOWAN 18 WET "
Chowan County joined tho wet,
ranks July 6, when an unofficial
vote showed 756 votes for stores and
575 against stores. Chowan makes
thirteen counties to vote under the
state-wide law, and is the sixth
county to go wet. Seven counties
have voted dry.
New Device for Undersea Work
HPw&j JIBb
On exhibition at the National Inventors' congress in New York is this
self-navigating diving device invented by Emil Kulik of Brooklyn. The
device resembles a deep-sea monster. Its principal feature is that a
man in it will be able to work for long periods of time without help from
the surface, owing to the oxygen tanks carried within. Most functions
that a diver is able to perform may be executed by two long inter
changeable arms that extend in front of the apparatus and which are
controlled from within the machine. The machine is 15 feet over
all It is widest fend highest near the front where the operator sits.
Thanks To The Dukes
Rocky Mount has recently organized a new baseball unit
that has been playinff on# a. week. The contest is between
the firemen and the policemen and there is getting to be
much friendly rivalry. The games take place in Duke's field
or park through the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Hardy Duke,
the owners. This same property was offered several years
back to the City of Rocky Mount free for park purposes, but
for some reason the Board in its discretion, certainly not its
wisdom, declined the offer. The property was afterwards
sold and was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Hardy Duke. We
want to express our gratification to them for allowing the
public to utilize this space for park purposes for which it
is so naturally adapted.
- FARMERS WANT A. A. A.
The North Carolina Farm Bureau staged a great meeting
in Greenville, Friday, the meeting being held in the large
auditorium of the East Carolina Teachers College. The
principal address was made by Mr. J. B> Hudson, who was
the director of the tobacco commodity under the TYiple "A".
He brought to the tobacco farmers of Eastern Carolina
splendid counsel and advice. Among the many other speak
ers were Judge Kerr and the President of the Farm Bureau.
There is no question that the farmers are more determin
ed than ever this year to protect themselves by organization.
They sat for three consecutive hours and listened to the
brilliant speeches without appearing to become the least
restless. They feel that the Government can protect them,
as it has protected them under the leadership of the great
President. The question is both economic and political, and
many think that the political is greater than the economic
side. They are supporting the proposed legislation that is
before Congress at this time.
REUBEN BLAND DENIED PENSION
We have just read in the Williamston Enterprise, where
our old friend and acquaintance, Reuben Bland of Martin
County, the father of thirty-four children (the twenty-sixth
being named Woodrow Wilson and 'receiving 1 his name-sake's
blessing) had made application to the Welfare Board for
the Old Age Pension and had been denied.
While we are not familiar with the circumstances or the
cause which denied Mr. Bland the pension, yet, we are bound
to admit that we are indeed sorry that Mr. Bland was not
able to be placed on the pension list. Probably he owns a
small amount of property, or perhaps the Board thought
that his many off-springs could support him, and it would
look so. However, the old saying runs that "one father can
take care of ten children, but ten children are never able to
take care of one father", and it might be so in his case. One
father could take care of thirty-four children and yet thirty
four children might not be able to take care of the father.
What with the numerous sons and daughters-in-law and the
numerous daughters and sons-in-law, while there may be
great tranquility, yet at times there may be great lack of
harimony. Solomon experienced the same condition with his
many wives.
Counties To Spend
Much On Welfare
Nash And Edgecombe Will Have To
Contribute *2,775 This Year
To the state program for social
security aid to the blind, involving
a total expenditure of about $340,-
000, Nash and Edgecombe counties
together will have to contribute $2,-
775 during this fiscal year, it has
been estimated by Dr. Roma S.
Cheek, executive secretary of the
state blind commission.
Of the $340,000 program in North
Carolina this year, the state will
pay about $85,180, he said, with the
counties all together paying the same
and the Federal government making
up the remaining $170,000.
The estimated amount to be oon
tributed by each of several nearby
counties is: Nash, $1,500; Edgecom
be, $1,275; Halifax, $1,000; Wilson,
$1,560; Martin, $750; Pitt, $950;
Wake, $3,000; Franklin, $885; and
Warren, $975.
0 , ■■■ - -
Tomato fruit worms have destroy
ed about half of w£at, apposed to
be a largo'cff'p of tomatoes in
Wayne County, reported A. S. KnoW
lea, assistant farm agent.
Retired Minister
Eighty Years Old
Many Friends Call To Offer Felici
tations On Birthday Of Rev. D.
H. Tuttle
The Rev. D. H. Tuttle, retired
Methodist minister celebrated his
80th birthday Tuesday. ' For ten
years since his retirement from the
active pastorate, he has lived here
and his presence in the town has
been a benediction.
Tuesday was open house at Mr.
Tuttle's and all day visitors call
ed to offer felicitations. He was
the recipient of numerous gifts from
many who hold him in high es
teem.
Two of his daughters, Mrs. L. L.
Sloop of Spencer and Mrs. L C. Mo
ser of Asheboro, were with him be
sides Mrs. W. Ryal Woodall who re
sides here. Mr. Sloop was also here
and Westcott Moser, his grandson.
■ o
TRIAL SET AGAIN
After remaining in jail six years,
and after having been sentenced to
death twice, the negroes in the fa
' mous Scottsboro case are again
scheduled to face a jury in the near
future.
LOCAL TOBACCO MARKET
TO OPEN THURSDAY, AUG. 26
SUPERVISORS
APPOINTED BY
STATE BOARD
Raleigh, July B.—lt has been an
nounced by the State Board of
Charities and Public Welfare that
field Social Work supervisors have
been appointed to care for the reg
ular routine duties of the Welfare
Department, as well as additional
work in connection with the Social
Security program, which went into
effect on July 1.
The supervisors, their addresses,
and the counties within their juris
diction are as f ollws:
Miss Elma H. Asheon, Raleigh-Dur
ham, Franklin, Orange, Wake.
Miss Victoria Bell, Asheville—Bun
combe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Hay
wood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon,
Madison, Polk, Swain, Transylvania.
Wade H. Cashion, Raleigh—Ala
mance, Caswell, Chatham, Edgecom
be, Granville, Harnett, Lee, Moore,
Nash, Person, Rockingham, Vance,
Warren.
Mrs. Cecil Clifford, Statesville—
Anson, Cabarrus, Davidson , Guil
ford, Mecklenburg, Montgomery,
Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Stanly,
Union.
H. D. Farrell, Raleigh (temporary
address) —Beaufort, Carteret, Cra
ven, Greene, Hyde, Johnston, Jones,
Lenoir, Pamlico, Pitt, Wkyne, Wil
son.
8. J. Hawkins, Wilmington—Bla
den, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumber
land, Duplin, Hoke, New Hanover,
Onslow, Pender, Robeson, Sampson,
Scotland.
G. M. Johnson, Shelby—Alexander,
Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland,
Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell,
Rutherford.
Miss Lessie Toler, North Wilkes
boro—Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Da
vie, Forsyth, Mitchell, Stokes, Surry,
Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, Yancey.
W. J. Wingate, Williamston—Ber
tie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck,
| Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford,
j Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank,
Perquimans, Tyrrell Washington.
ESTIMATE AID
EXPENSE FOR
NASH COUNTY
Raleigh, July 8. —Estimates com
piled by the State Board of Chari
ties and Public Welfare indicate
that North Carolina's new Social
Security program, which became op
erative on July 1, will require fed
eral, state and county expenditures
of approximately $5,896,452 a year.
This information >is contained in
budget estimates sent to the 100
counties of the state by the Division
of Public Assistance of the Welfare
Department, of which Natham H.
Yelton is director.
The computation shows that the
counties will spend, in round figures,
the sum of $879,294 a year for as
sistance to 26,270 needy aged, and
$495,333 for aid to 23,095 dependent
Children. The county cost for old
age assistance is one-fourth of the
total, indicating that total expendi
tures for that purpose will amount
to approximately $3,517,177, while
more than $1,485,999, based on the
counties paying one-third, will be
spent on underpriviledged children.
In addition to the two major
phases of the Social Security pro
gram, the sum of around $170,000
a year will be explained in behalf
of needy blind persons, and that
fund will be administered by the
North Carolina Commission for the
Blind, of which Dr. Roma S. Cheek
is director.
The figures compiled by the Wel
fare Department indicate that to
tal administrative costs, federal, state
and county, will amount to around
$893,275.
Guilford County led the list with
estimated expenditures of $47,250
for 1,050 needy aged, and $23,800
for 850 dependent children, while
Camden County trailed with ap
proximated costs of $2,010 for 50
needy aged and 45 dependent chil
dren.
Social Security payments in the
state are expected to get underway
wibhin the next few days.
MUST SHAVE QUICKER
Comm. of Labor L. Fletcher
announced Wednesday that barbers
will come under the maximum hour
law. They had sought exemption as
members of the learned professions,
but were denied this by the attor
ney general. He said they had to
be skilled but not learned.
"
NOTICE
Those desiring to subscribe to The Rocky Mount
Herald may do so by sending fl.oo with name and
address to The Rocky Mount Herald, Rocky Mount,
N. C.
\ ' ?
■! /
Name
Town State Route No.
SI.OO PER TEAB
Tobacco markets in Eastern Nortfc
Carolina will open for the 1937 sell
ing season on Thursday, August 2fl.
Dates for opening of the several
belts were fixed Friday by the To
bacco Association of the United
States in convention at Old Point
Comfort, Va.
The Georgia markets will atari
their season on July 29 and thf
South Carolina and Border Belt
markets, where much Johnston coon*
ty tobacco is sold each year before
the markets in this section open,
will begin selling on August 10,
more than two weeks earlier thaa
the opening here.
Middle Belt sales will begin J#
September 16, the Old Belt on Sep
tember 30 and the Virginia Dark
Belt on November 29.
A Thursday opening hero is aa
exception rather than a rule. East
ern Carolina markets usually open
on Tuesday.
The opening in the Eastern Caro
lina belt this year will be several
days earlier than the 1936 opening,
which fell on September 1, but not
as early as warehousemen had
wished for. Eastern Carolina ware
housemen had requested an earlier
opening as a means of halting the
tremendous flow of tobacco from this
section to the Border markets prior
to the opening here.
Despite the destruction of infant
plants by blue mold throughout the
tobacco belts, good news came from
the Tobacco Association's convention
concerning crop outlook. E. J. O'-
Brien, Louisville, Ky., man who Ml
re-elected president of the associa
tion, said tobacco production in the
Carolinas might exceed last year'e
poundage by 10 to IS per cent. He
declared the weather had been good
for growth, but he declined to
speculate on prices other than to
say that leaf quality appeared to be
above the average.
JUNE BIRTHS
LEAD DEATHS
Births in the city during Juno,
as announced by health department
officials ran about one and a half
per thousand inhabitants, not a sen
sa ional figure in any way.
Of tlus 35 births, slightly ovor
half (19) were white babies and
the remainder (16) were Negro ba
bies. Girls made a clean sweep in
both divisions —11 girls to eight
boys among the white babies and 11
girls to five boys among the Negro
babies.
Deaths numbered 31 during June,
15 of them white persons and 10
of them Negro. Of the 31 deaths bjr
coincidence, 15 of them were resi
dents and 16 of them non-residents.
The white deceased were seven
males, eight females: the Negro do
ceased were eight each.
Livestock Dealer ,
Sues On Account
Of Mules Death
Wilson, July 7.—Twenty-four mul
es, 19 of which became deathly sick
while 5 others died, were the ba
sis of a%54,000 damage suit filed in
Superior Court here yesterday
against the Atlantic Coast Line Rail
road brought by T. E. Dillon, of Wil
son, prominent eastern Carolina
livestock dealer.
In a three page complaint filed
here Dillon charges that the mules
were shipped from Illinois to Au
gusta, Ga., and thence to Wilson
and that on their arrival here they
all had influenza, pneumonia or
some other disease and that their
condition was due to the negligence
of the railroad. The complaint al
leges that five died afterwards as
a result of their trip while it took
several weeks to cure the others and
one was crippled so that it never
could work again.
JONES AND PERSON DRY
Jones and Person Counties voted
against, liquor control stores Mon
day, June 28. Both counties showed
a close vote, the vote in Jones being
579 dry votes and 444 wet. In Per
son, 1,113 voters were dry, while 1,»
091 were wet.
o
A hydraulic ram capable of del
ivering 30 gallons of water an hour
has been installed on the farm of A.
Q. Patterson in Alexander County.
It will supply the home, barn, and
a laying flock, of 400 birds.
o
E. R. Phillips, Randolph County
farmer, is convinced that the t«rra
ecs he had constructed onhis farm
last spring more than paid for them
selves during a recent heavy rain.