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The Johnstonian-Sun
A Weekly Newspaper Containing The News And Views Of Your Community And Surrounding Territory.
The Johnstonian-
Sun is dedicated
to the best interest
of Johnston coun
ty and its sixty
thousand people.
JRead the news and
advertisements in
its columns each
week.
VOL. 24.
SELMA, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1941
SINGLE COPY 5c
NUMBER 32
Dr. Lassiter to Resume
Practice Here Sept. 1
Tenders Resignation As Head of
Johnston County Health De
partment To Become Effective
September 1—Will Resume
Private Practice In Selma.
Dr. Will H. Lassiter, who was ap
pointed County Health Officer for
Johnston county and. move to Smith-
field a few months ago, has announc
ed his resignation to become effective
on September 1, 1941, and expects to
return to Selma for the private prac
tice of his profession about August
20. He will occupy the same office in
Selma in the Person-Vick building
in which he was formerly located. In
announcing his resignation, Dr. Las
siter said: “My resignation is not
prompted by any friction between the
local' county board of health or the
state board of health department. I
have discovered that I shall not be
satisfied in public health work and I
think it is to the interest of the cou-
ty and myself that I resign at this
time rather than have the county and
state bear the expense of giving me
the course of training that all health
officers are required to take.”
Dr. Lassiter made this unofficial an
nouncement pending the meeting of
the County Board of Health at an
early date, and as yet no intimation
has been made as to who will succeed
him as county health officer.
RESIGNS
Gov. Broughton Talks
To Defense Council
Governor Broughton was the chief
speaker at a Dutch luncheon given at
the Country Club near Smithfield
Wednesday at 1:16 (daylight saving
tim). James R. Pool, chairman of the
Johnston County Council of National
Defense, was toastmaster and intro
duced the governor.
Congressman Harold D. Cooley,
who was expected to be on hand and
address the Council, wired that he
would be unable to attend on account
of his duties at thiS' time in the
House.
Governor Broughton in his talk
congratulated Johnston county on its
handsome club house. He stated that
he had been all over North Carolina
and seen many club houses, but none
would surpass the one in Johnston
county.
Members of the Council from Sel
ma attending the dinner were Carl
Worley, David S. Ball and H. H.
Lowry.
Among the guests present was
“Uncle” Jack Ellis of Clayton, the
only living Confederate Veteran in
Johnston county. Mr. Ellis is 96 years
old. He was introduced by Chairman
Pool and got a big hand.
Johnston County Men
Leave For Fort Bragg
The following Johnston county
men were sent to Fort Bragg Wed
nesday morning by Selective Service
Draft Board No. 2 in Selma, for a
year’s induction in the army.
Douglas Clifton Stalling, Zebulon,
Route 1; Albert Festus Peedin, of
Princeton; Robert Austin Strickland,
Pine Level; Willie Arlon Cooper, of
Kenly, Route 2; William Henry Bass,
Selma, Route 2; Junie Euwen Wilkins,
Jr., Clayton; Grover Cedric Boyette,
Wendell, Route 1; Morgan Bugord
Morrison, Princeton, Route 1; Roland
Barefoot, Micro; William Joseph
Barber, Kenly, Route 1; Jody Eatman,
Princeton, Route 2; William Harvey
Thorne, Selma, Route 1; Carl Vance
Evans, Pine Level; Clarence Wallace,
Princeton, Route 1; James Dempsey
Braswell, Princeton; Carl Merritt,
Smithfield, Route 2.
Attends Funeral Of
Aunt In Roanoke
Rapids, Saturday
Mr. David S. Ball was called to
Roanoke Rapids Saturday morning on
account of the death of Mrs. Ball’s
aunt, Mrs. Emma Johnson, who died
suddenly at her home in that city
Friday afternoon at 6 o’clock. Mrs.
Johnson, who was 70 years of age,
was a sister of Mrs. H. L. Dearman,
mother of Mrs. Ball. Mrs. Ball, who
was visiting relatives in the western
part of the state at the time, was un
able to attend the funeral.
DR. W. H. LASSITER
Georgia Tobacco Prices
Higher Than Last Year
Valdosta, Ga.,—Bright leaf tobacco
prices continued strong in the Geor-
gia-Florida auction markets Wednes
day, with indications of even better
price averages than the 22-26 range
established in the first sales.
At Moultrie, sales supervisor C. E.
Isom pointed out the average of 22.35
cents established Tuesday when 519,-
002 pounds sold for $116,012.70 was a
gain of almost five cents a pound
over the opening day average of 17.69
in 1940.
Bulk of second day sales in Pel
ham were rnoving around 26 cents.
Warehouseman J. D. Rogers said, a
little better than the opening average
of 23, set on 251,094 pounds sold for
$67,695.17.
Robert Herring said so much leaf
was on hand at Tifton for opening
day that it would take two and a half
days to sell it all. There the price
range equalled the 23.26 of yesterday,
when 698,856 pounds sold for $162,-
675.98.
At Nashville, sales supervisor
Frank Park, Jr., reported a range up
to 36 cents, vdth most second day
baskets going around 27 cents. At
Baxley warehouseman Barnes report
ed the bulk of sales around 26, with
the top there Wednesday at 37 cents.
Basing their statement on early
trends. Department of Agriculture
marketing specialists reported this
year’s opening prices were much
higher for all grades compared with
last year.
E. D. Booker, specialist, stationed
at Adel, Ga., said prices ranged from
to $41 per 100 pounds. On early
sales, he added, leaf grades were
$4.75 to $9 a hundred higher than
last year, cutters, $7 to $9 higher,
and lugs and primings, $2 to $8.50.
A large volume of leaf, Booker said,
sold in the $15 to $28 range.
THREE PERSONS
HURT IN WRECK
AT BENSON
Three people were injured in an
automobile accident which occurred
in Benson Saturday afternoon.
The accident took place when an
automobile ran into the car driven by
Sergeant Bennie Franklin of Fort
Jackson, S. C., who with his family
wete en route-to Raleigh to spend the
week end with relatives of Mrs.
Franklin. Accompanying them to
Smithfield was Corporal Ralph Allen
of Fort Jackson, who was going to
visit his mother, Mrs. Emma Allen.
Corporal Allen was thrown .from
the car and knocked unconscious. He
had a bad cut on his right ear and
a bursted eardrum. After receiving
first aid treatment at a doctor’s office
in Smithfield, however, he was re
moved to the home of his mother,
Mrs. Emma Allen, where he was lat
ter reported as much improved.
Mrs. Franklin received cuts about
the head and internal injuries, and
her four-year-old daughter suffered a
broken thigh. Another child, a baby,
escaped unhurt. Sergeant Franklin re
ceived only slight injuries.
Sergeant Franklin was driving a
new automobile which he bought on
Thursday before. It was a complete
wreck.
Johnston County Wheat
Crop The Biggest Ever
May Now Have Edge On State
of California Which Stood At
Top of List Among States of
the Union With 52 Bushels
Per Acre At One Time.
BY M. L. STANCIL
When we studied geography some
45 or 50 years ago, we remember
reading about California being the
champion wheat producing state in
the Union as for the greatest number
of bushels grown to an acre of land,
wdth a record high of 52 bushels on
some of the acreage of that state. In
those days if a farmer realized 10 or
15 bushels of wheat to the acre in
North Carolina he thought he was
doing pretty well.
But if some of the reports going
the rounds are true (and we have no
reason to doubt them) there are far
mers in Johnston county who, in this
good year of 1941, have exceeded the
previous high record in California.
We were down at Four Oaks a few
days ago and visited the new flour
mill which was about ready to open
for business. The manager of this
mill told us that some farmers in that
vicinity had told him thej' had har
vested some wheat this year that
produced around 60 bushels per acre.
This seems hard to believe, but it
must be true.
We were talking to Mr. G. A. Earp
of the Brookhill Farms not long ago
and he told us that they had harvest
ed over 1,000 bushels of wheat from
30 acres of land. He said that when
that old combine machine went info
operation in their wheat field the
wheat poured from it so fast that it
took three or four strong Negro men
to load the sacks of wheat on a truck
and haul it to the storage room as
fast as the machine delivered it to
them.
Mrs. J. S. Stancil of the Rains
Cross Roads section told us some
time ago that she had three acres in
wheat this year and had realized over
100 bushels of wheat from the three
acres.
On our bus trip through Indiana
last summer we road with a man who
had just returned from North Caro
lina, and he told us that he had seen
some as fine wheat crops in Piedmont
North Carolina as he had ever seen
anywhere, and he said he was one of
Indiana’s real dirt farmers.
We hear much of the great “Bread
Basket of the West”, but if the farm-
mers of North Carolina -were to put
their time and attention to the pro
duction of wheat like they do to the
production of cotton and tobacco, it
would not be long until we would
hear about the “Bread Basket of the
East.”
Two Boys Drown
While Swimming
Rocky Mount, Aug. 4.—Water trag
edies claimed the lives of two youths
in this section during the week-end,
one drowming in Tar River in Nash
County and the other in Town Creek
in Edgecombe County.
The first occurred at 1:30 Sunday
afternoon in Town Creek, near Old
Sparta, when William Junior Ed
mondson of Old Sparta, drowned
while playing in the water with some
youthful companions. It was reported
that he was unable to swim.
The second water tragedy took
place about 2:30 Sunday afternoon in
Cooper’s Township, Nash County,
when William Nathaniel Carpenter,
13, son of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Car
penter, dived into a swimming hole
near Vaughn’s Chapel on Tar River,
came up crying for help, according to
several companions, and then disap
peared. The body was recovered late
Sunday afternoon.
Grandson Mr. and
Mrs. R. P. Oliver
Dies In Hospital
Milton Moore, twelve-year-old son
of Mrs. Cliff Holloway, of Clarksville,
Va., died Wednesday night at 9
o’clock in Duke Hospital following an
operation for appendicitis.
Surviving are his mother, his twin-
sister, Margaret, and another sister,
Mary Sue, of the Masonic Orphanage,
Oxford, and his grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. R. P. Oliver, of Selma.
Funeral services will be conducted
from the Orphanage in Oxford where
the boy had been in training for sev
eral years, conducted by the Rev. B.
F. Proctor, superintendent of the Or
phanage. Burial will take place in the
family cemetery near Reidsville.
Motorists of State To
Pay More Taxes On Gas
Tax Bill Jumps More Than Four
Million Dollars — North Caro
lina Ranks Seventh Among
States In Amount of Increase.
Higher taxation of motor fuel by
the federal government, plus greater
use of motor trucks and passenger
cars, brought a $4,300,000.00 increase
in the gasoline tax bill of North Car
olina highway users during the first
six months of 1941 as compared with
the first half of last year, S. Gilmer
Sparger, Secretary, North Carolina
Petroleum Industries Committee, of
Raleigh, said xoday.
“This big increase in the amount of
federal and state taxes on motor fuel
of 1941 results not only from the ex
tra 50 per cent federal tax on gaso
line for defense purposes, which be
came effective on July 1, 1940, but
also because of the greater use of mo
tor trucks and passenger cars in na
tional defense activities,” said Mr.
Sparger. “Throughout this and other
states trucks are carrying’ materials
which directly or indirectly are im
portant to our national defense. Such
reater activity of trucks is pushing
up materially the revenue from motor
fuel. Extensive use of passenger cars
is connection with national defense
activities, especially in getting work
ers to and frpm their jobs, also is an
important factor in the higher gaso
line tax collections. Some construc
tion workers from Wilmington now
employed at Camp Davis are daily
making the 62-mile round-trip by au
tomobile, while hundreds of men em
ployed at the shipyards are living in
trailers and using their cars to get
them to their jobs. New Bern, thirty
miles from Camp Davis, and Jackson
ville, fifteen miles away, are. both
contributing their quota of workers
to the construction of that Army
Camp.
“The two present federal taxes on
motor fuel are equivalent to an aver
age of 12 per cent of the retail price
the country over. When added to the
state taxes, the total tax burden now
carried by motor fuel is approxi
mately half of the retail price.”
Hit-and-Run Driver
Kills Smithfield Man
The dead body of Hilliary Waller
was found on the Selma-Smithfield
highway about 7:15 o’clock Sunday
morning, who is believed to have been
struck and instantly killed by a hit-
and-run driver several hours before
his body W’as found. His body was ly
ing eight or ten feet off the main
highway with a hole in the back of
his head; also his right leg badly
fractured and his left hip crushed. It
is believed he was struck by a ma
chine going at a rapid rate of speed,
and there seems to be no clue as to
who the guilty person is.
The deceased was a World War
veteran, who lived on the Buffalo
road near Smithfield. He was 43 years
of age and leaves a wife and six
children.
Funeral services were held Monday
afternoon at 3 o’clock at the Under
wood Funeral Home in Smithfield,
conducted by the Rev. C. L. Gillespie
of the Srhithfield Baptist church. In
terment was in the Oakland Heights
cemetery at Smithfield.
Two-Year-Old Child
Dies Strange Malady
James Carlton Norris, two years of
age, only child of Mr. and Mrs. Ches
ter Norris of Selma, died Friday af
ter an illness of only a few hours.
The child apparently was stricken
with the same mysterious malady
that had claimed the lives of three
other children born to Mr. and Mrs.
Norris in recent years. The disease
has never been diagnosed.
Funeral services were held on Sat
urday at 5 o’clock, daylight time, at
Barbour’s Chapel Advent Christian
church with the Rev. L. E. Godwin
in charge.
Surviving are his grandfather, Lar
kin Batten of Selma, Route 1, and
paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
W. G. Norris of Selma.
Kiwanis Club Now
Meets On D. S. T.
The hour for the meeting of the
Selma Kiwanis Club is now 7 o’clock
daylight saving time.
^Tarmers Day” Draws
Thousands to Smithfield
Tobacco Prices Pegged
By Agricultural Dept.
Average Price Not To Go Lower
Than 19.6 Cents A Pound For
1941 Crop, Which Exceeds
the 1940 Average.
The United States Agricultural De
partment announced Monday, just
on the eve of the opening of the
tobacco markets in Georgia, that due
to its stabilization program, prices
for the 1941 tobacco crop had ben set
at an average of not less than 19.6
cents a pound for this year’s crop.
This is 3.2 cents a pound above the
average price paid for the 1940 crop.
The purchases will be made
through export companies is the same
manner in which purchases were
made from the 1939 and 1940 crops.
The Commodity Credit Corporation
will furnish the money for such pur
chases, with the export companies
taking an option to buy the tobacco
not later than July 1, 1943, at prices
equalling costs of tobacco to the cor
poration, plus all charges, including
interest. The corporation will retain
the right, however, to cancel purchase
options.
Producers who wish to obtain loans
will be required to have their tobacco
graded, properly packed .in hogsheads
and placed in storage. Loans will be
payable on demand not later than
July 1, 1943.
To maintain prices at the desired
minimum, the government will pur
chase some tobacco for diversion into
export markets and make loans to
growers on some at rates equal to 85
per cent of parity.
The program will perrnit the diver
sion of 225,000,000 pounds from mar
ket channels through the government
purchase and loan operations.
Officials said they expected the
market prices to be such that few
growers would seek loans.
Commenting on the price stabiliza
tion program, J. B. Hutson, president
of the corporation, said that although
some improvement in domestic de
mand and exports was expected, the
flue-cured tobacco situation was
‘still less favorable than before the
beginning of the war” because large
quantities were being carried over
from previous crop years.
‘While flue-cured tobacco is being
shipped to Great Britain under the
lease-lend program,” Hutson said,
“shipping difficulties will hamper
trade generally, and total exports, will
doubtless remain low as long as the
war continues. In view of these cir
cumstances, the loan and purchase
program has ben- adopted to acquire
and hold in storage part of the 1941
production until conditions improve.”
Governor Broughton Speaks At
Smithfield’s Annual Farmers
Day Celebration—Mile Long
Parade Featured Moraing
Program—Many Prizes Are
Awarded.
CRIMINAL COURT TO
CONVENE MONDAY
The August term of Johnston
county criminal court is scheduled to
convene on Monday, August 11, with
the Hon. John J. Burney of Wilming
ton, presiding.
Among the outstanding cases on
the calendar for the week is that of
John Herbert Newkirk, young Negro
of Calypso, who is charged with the
murder of Albert Davis, colored, of
Princeton. Also scheduled for trial is
Snooks Miller,. Johnston county Ne
gro, who is charged with raping Ma
ry Sanders, ^an old colored inmate of
the county home.
Other cases to be tried will be of a
miscellaneous nature, such as larceny,
reckless and drunken driving, assault,
etc.
Mussolini’s Son
Killed When
Bomber Crashes
Rome — Captain Bruo Mussolini,
23, who abided by his father’s admo
nition to “live dangerously,” was
killed Thursday in the crash of a long
range bomber he was testing as com
mander of a detachment that was to
use the plane
He died at 10 a. m., near Pisa, and
four hours afterward the Rome radio
announced his “glorious death at a
post of combat.”
By MRS. FLOY LEACH
Smithfield, Aug. 6.—“There never;
was a war in which farmers did not.
play a large part,” declared Governor
J. M. Broughton as he addressed the
throng of visitors in Smithfield Wed
nesday at the Farmers’ Day celebra
tion.
The program began around 9:30
with the induction into office of rural
policemen and commissioners for the
day. After each'officer was presented
a key to the city, W. H. Stevenson,
chief of police pro-tem, made an an
nouncement over the loud speaker
that Smithfield men would be given
until 10:30 to don overalls, after
which time they were subject to ar
rest if found in “city” attire. One
man, Jim Wiggs, was later “arrested”
for this offense.
A parade, containing three bands,
the Henderson High School band, the
Kenly community band and the Wen
dell School band; many floats; 4-H
Club members; Boy Scouts, represen- '
tatives of various firms, reaching
nearly a mile, featured the morning
program prior to the Governor’s ad
dress.
Governor Broughton, who was in
troduced by R. P. Holding, president
of the First-Citizens Bank and Trust
Company and chairman of the board
of county commissioners for years,
spoke on the farm program of North
Carolina, stressing the important part
farmers have in the defense program,
the help the government is now giv
ing and will give farmers, and bene
fits to be derived from letting the
world know the excellence of our pro
ductions.
The speaker paid high tribute to '
President Roosevelt and added,
“Whatever my leader says is neces
sary for national defense, I’m willing
to do.”
Paul Fletcher, livestock specialist
(Continued on Last Page)
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
-By H. H. L. T T
The Farmall Tractor exhibit put on
by FLOYD C. PRICE & SON at
Smithfield on Farmers Day attract
ed more attention than any other ex
hibit—FLOYD C. PRICE, JR., and
BLAKE (FARMALL) PRICE spent
practically the entire day there dem
onstrating this popular tractor to
hundreds of Johnston County farm
ers—MAYOR HENRY and family
are back from an outing spent in the
mountains of Western North Caroli
na—the Mayor says they had a great
time—JOHN GEORGE and BERN
ARD LEE also spent several days
touring the .mountains last week—.
they spent one night at Mt. Airy, our
home town—COLE RAY looks good
in that Greyhound uniform—COLE is
driving one of the big Greyhound
buses—his run is between Raleigh
and Goldsboro—the aluminum coU
lected in Selma W’as taken to Smith-
field Monday and dumped in the pen
in front of the courthouse — Selma
sent as much as any other town in
the county—MASTER ROY JONES,
son of MR. and MRS. R. A. JONES,
won the isrize offered to the boy or
girl collecting the greatest number of
pieces—ROY turned in 208 pieces—
we haven’t heard of any youngster in
the county collecting more pieces
than ROY, so we wilt just call him
the champion aluminum collector of
Johnston county — DAVID BALL,
RALEIGH GRIFFIN and the writer
went over to RALEIGH’S farm a
few miles from town Monday—he has
some fine tobacco and corn—not all
bankers are good farmers—WALTER
PRICE becomes a Benedict tomorrow
(Friday)—for he is getting married
in the chapel at Duke University—
WALTER is one of Selma’s most
popular young men and we extend in.
advance our best wishes —■ PRESI
DENT OSCAR CREECH says we are
to have better games in the future in
the Eastern Carolina League — new
players have been secured for the va
rious clubs taking place of those leav
ing for military training—keep your
eyes oh the Cards.
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