The Johnstonian-Sun
Allies Have Lost 391
Ships Since January
Navy Department Announces
More Sinkings and One Ship
Damaged—25 Lives Lost In
Caribbean.
Four more United States vessels,
two of them carrying passengers,
have been torpedoed and sunk by
axis submarines in the Atlantic and
Caribbean with a loss of 25 lives, the
Navy Department disclosed Wednes
day.
Brazilian dispatches said that a 7,-
093-ton British merchant vessel, the
Cortona, had been .torpedoed off the
Brazilian coast, but did not disclose
whether it was sunk.
A total of 391 vessels have been
sunk in the western Atlantic area
since mid-January, according to an
unofficial United Press compilation.
Nine men were lost and 51 injured
when a medium-sized American ship
carrying 281 passengers and crew
was sunk in the Atlantic about two
weeks ago; eight died during or af
ter a submarine attack on a large
British merchant vessel several hun
dred miles at sea in the north Atlan
tic more than two weeks ago; four
navy gunners and three crewmen
died on a medium-sized U. S. mer
chant vessel torpedoed in the Carib
bean on July 1, and one man was lost
when a medium-sized Norwegian car
go vessel was sunk May 17 in the At
lantic off the north coast of South
At an east coast port where 77 crew
members and 20 passengers were
brought after they were picked up at
sea by a Norwegian vessel, Capt.
Maurice Andrews of the large British
vessel said three men were killed
when a torpedo struck, two others
died in getting the boats away, and
two died in the lifeboats.
At an east coast port, 48 crew
members of the American ship said
that it sank four minutes after tor
pedoes struck its port side. Chief Of
ficer Leon Francis Hart said the ship
sank so rapidly that some of the men
merely stepped over the side into the
sea. Others said that from 75 to 100
survivors hung on to floating wreck
age until a United States naval ves
sel, whose commander was praised
by Hart for “courage and efficiency,”
picked up the men.
Other survivors escaped in a half-
dozen lifeboats and five lifecrafts.
Applicants For Gas
Must Fill Out Forms
County-Wide Style
Show In Smithfield
Candidate For SherM
Edna Ruth Parker of Meadow
Township Is Winner—Twelve
4-H Girls Participate In Show,
Congress Modifies
War Draft Regulations
Due to lack of sufficient help, the
Johnston County Gas Rationing Board
has made a new ruling with respect
to handling applications for supple^
mental allotments, as well as for
peokle seeking rationing books for
trucks and other vehicles. They ex.
plain their position as follows:
“The rationing board has found it
necessary to adopt the following-
policy with reference to the rationing
of additional gasoline for holders of
A cards and for the rationing of all
trucks, pick-ups, tractors and i
highway equipment.
“Owing to the limited number of
paid employees in the service of the
rationing board and due to the fact
that volunteer workers have already
given nine days without pay to ease
the situation in addition to the initial
registration conducted at the school
houses, he board finds itself compell
ed to require all applications in the
future to be properly filled out by
the person making the application.
“Proper blanks can be secured at all
times from the rationing board in the
courthouse. For the further con
venience of the public, blanks can be
secured from L. G. Pope in Kenly,
Turner Vinson in Clayton, the post of
fice in Benson and the post office in
Princeton. Arrangements can be made
to have blanks in other centers if re
quested.
“Arrangements will be made for
the board to be in session on Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday, July 16, 17
and 18 in the courtroom in the court
house, to receive and pass on all ap
plications properly made out and
ready to be presented.
“The board will give precedence at
this three-day session to the registra
tion of trucks and non-highway traf
fic rather than passing on additional
gasoline for A books which can wait
a week or two without inconvenienc
ing the holders of A books. Those
making application for ration books
for trucks, and pickups must present
their pocket registration card and the
black number of the five dollar stamp.
“The board wishes to call attention
to all applicants for additional gaso
line who have failed to mail their
pocket cards with their application
that it will be necessary to have their
pocket cards before additional gaso
line can be allotted.”
In a county-wide style show held
at the American Legion Hut in Smith-
field last Friday night, Edna Ruth
Parker, Meadow township 4-H club
girl, was declared winner, and will
have the honor of representing John
ston county in a style show at State
College, Raleigh, on October 3rd
There were tw-elve 4-H club girls
who modeled dresses they had made,
as follows: Doris Mitchiner and Mar
jorie Whitley, Wilson’s Mills; Edith
Lee and Ruby Mae Munden, Four
Oaks; Doris Braswell, Pine Level;
Dorothy Lambert, Princeton; Mary
Ann Robeson, Cleveland; Edna Earl
Johnson and Edna Ruth Parker, Mea
dow; Kathleen Starling-, Selma; Hazel
Johnson, Smithfield; Vara Wright,
Corinth-Holder.
The judges were Mrs. John Harris
of Raleigh, Mrs. T. J. Lassiter, Jr.,
and Miss Virginia Puckett, of Smith-
field.
The style show was held in connec
tion with a meeting of the county 4-H
council, presided over by George
Johnson, Four Oaks club member.
John Harris from State College gave
an illustrated lecture on landscaping
at this meeting;
Explosion
Be Heard
Claims Will
by Congress
General County Tax
Rate Raised 3 Cents
Johns.ton county drafts boards are
in receipt of new instructions with
respect to certain modifications in the
draft law by Congress, which sepa
rates registrants four distinct cate
gories, as follows:
CATEGORY ONE — Single men
-with no dependents.
CATEGORY TWO — Single men
with dependents.
CATEGORY THREE — Married
men who do not have children but
who maintain a bona fide relationship
in their homes with their -wives, pro-
-vided marriage took place prior to
December 8, 1941, and at a time when
selection was not imminent.
CATEGORY FOUR — Registrants
who with their wives and children, or
with their children alone, maintain a
bona fide family relationship in their
homes, provided marriage took place
prior to December 8, 1941, and at a
time when selection was not immi
nent.
Local boards have been advised
that they should fill their July and
subsequent calls in accordance with
this policy, if possible. But the boards
have also been advised that the na
tional interest requires that all calls
to meet the manpower requirements
of the armed forces must be filled on
schedule. If any local board does not
have a sufficient number of single 1-A
men available to fill its call, it has
been authorized to depart from the
general rule of priority and use mar
ried men who ordinarily might be ex
pected to be in category 3, if such de
parture is necessary to meet said re
quirements.
C. Lester Stancil
Dies From Operation
The commissioners of Johnston
county, in studying the county bud
get for the next fiscal year, did some
lowering of school taxes when Super
intendent H. B. Marrow submitted a
budget which had been approved by
the county board of education, show
ing it was possible to lower the
school rate from 65 cents to 62 cents.
This budget was approved by the
county commissioners without ma
terial alterations. ^
But when it came to the general
county fund, the present rate which
is $1.37 on the $100 valuation, the
commissioners took a glance back
ward at the school budget they had
just approved at a saving of 3 cents
on the $100, and decided that they
could raise this to $1.40 on the $100
and the people would take it good-
naturedly, so it was done on this wise:
School levy—Reduced from 65 j
cents to 62 cents on the $100 valua
tion.
Debt Service—Approved at same
rate as last year, which is 36 cents
on the $100 valuation.
General Fund—Raised from $1.37
to $1.40 on the $100 valuation.
Total county levy—remains un
changed at $1.38 on the $100 valua
tion.
The above picture is that of Luby
D. Mitchell of Princeton, Republican
candidate for sheriff of Johnston
county. Elsewhere in this issue of
The Johnstonian-Sun will be found
Mr. Mitchell’s announcement of his
candidacy, and his pledge to the peo
ple, should he be elected in Novem
ber. Look it up and read it.
Mrs. Walker To
Interview NYA
Applicants Here
At Selma Mayor’s Office
Every Friday, 1 to 3 P. M.
Manager Holt Lake
Dies Suddenly Thursday
Funeral Services Were Held
From Thanksgiving Church
Friday — Was Brother of N.
M. Brannan, of Selma.
Claude Lester (Pete) Brannan, 42,
died suddenly at his home at Holt’s
Lake at 12:45 on Thursday of last
week.
Funeral services were held at the
Thanksgiving church, eight miles
north of Selma, at 5 o’clock Friday
afternoon, with .the Rev. Mr. Free
man, pastor, conducting. Burial fol
lowed in the church cemetery.
Mr. Brannan was manager of Holt’s
Lake.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Nellie
Battles Bran-nan'—ttvop- sons, Willie
Lester Brannan and James Wyatt
Brannan; four brothers, J. L. Bran
nan, of Clayton, route 2; W. M.
Brannan, of Dunn; N. M. Brannan, of
Selma, and Olar Brannan, of Hope
well, Va., and one sister, Mrs. Ada
Sandlin, of Wilmington.
Mrs. Elise M. Walker, area
youth interviewer for NYA,
will be in Selma each Friday
from 1 to 3 p. m. to confer
with young men and women
relative to training for war
production work. She may be
found at the Mayor’s office.
Certain resident centers in
the state have been retained
for training in radio, machine
shop, sheet metal and weld
ing. Young people from 17 to
24, .white and colored, inter
ested in training in any of
these lines are invited to con
fer with Mrs. Walker.
The centers at Durham and
Raleigh train white boys; the
one at Greenville, white girls;
one in Rocky Mount, Negro
boys; and one in Fayetteville,
Negro girls.
All of the courses last three
months, during which the ex
penses of the trainees are
paid, and in addition the
trainees receive $12 a month.
A high school education is
required for those who take
the course in radio.
Claims Filed Totaling $278,046.-
39 — Committee Asks For Re
ceipted Bills Where Repairs
Had Been Made — Congress
Has Sole Authority To Pass
On Claims.
No Federal Grader
For Smithfield Market
The Red Cross Home
Nursing Class Meets
The Red Cross Home Nursing Class
held their first meeting Wednesday
night, July 15th, at 8:00 o’clock. The
Selma Woman’s club building was
used as the place of meeting.
Mrs. Linwood Moyor is very effi
ciently teaching the class. There is
room for a few more to join the class.
Come to our next meeting Friday
night at same place and same hour.
Angler.—C. Lester Stancil, 49, of
Angler, Route 1, died at Mary Eliza
beth Hospital in Raleigh Wednesday
at 4:00 a. m., following an operation
on Saturday.
Funeral services will be held Thurs
day (today) at 6:00 p. m., with Elder
T. Floyd Adams of Willow Springs
family cemetery near the home.
. Mr. Stancil was the son of the late
Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Stancil. He was
married to Miss Pearl 'Ellen in 1925.
Surviving are his wife; five sons,
Thomas Judd, Ray, Carl, Russell, and
Robert Stancil; three daughters, Ma
ry Rose, Doris and Frances Stancil;
two sisters, Misses Florence and Ella
Stancil, all of Angler, Route 1.
Weather Conditions
Curtail Tobacco Crop
Four Oaks School
Building Unroofed
Scrap Rubber Drive
Brings Good Results
The 26-day special drive in John
ston county for scrap rubber proved
quite satisfactory, there being 165,-
519 pounds of scrap rubber collected
during the period ending July 10.
During this 25-day period there was
collected through filling stations and
other channels in the entire nation a
total of something like 400,000 tons.
While this is a lot of rubber, when
we consider the great number of war
industries turning out war material
24 hours per day, one can easily see
that it takes lots of rubber and other
materials.
Liquor Still Taken
Near Four Oaks
INCOME
Cash income from American farm
marketings in May, totaling $988,-
000,000, was only slightly higher
than April receipts but 32 per cent
mors than in May of last year.
Deputy Sheriff Dock S. Strickland,
assisted by Jailer G. C. Uzzle and As
sistant Jailer Will Barbour captured
a 75-gallon copper still Saturday af
ternoon near Four Oaks, and a war
rant was issued for the arrest of
Melvin Barbour whose case was doc
keted for trial in Recorder’s Court
this week. The copper still was con
fiscated by the oficers, but no one was
at the still at the time. A half-gallon
of whisky was also confiscated.
Nearly 60 per cent of Bolivia’s rich
tin deposits are controlled by
man.
one
County Agent M. A. Morgan made
an estimate on June I that Johnston
county farmers would produce a 27-
million-pound crop of tobacco this
year, but due to more recent weather
conditions Mr. Morgan has revised his
figures downward, and his latest es
timate places the prospective pound
age at around 23 million pounds.
While in some sections of the county
weather conditions have been almost
ideal and a bumper crop is anticipated,
in other sections heavy rains have
damaged crops, while in still other
sections crops have suffered severely
for lack of enough rain.
The county agent’s earlier estimate
placed the average production per
acre at 1,000 pounds, and with an
acreage of 27,000 acres planted in to
bacco would produce 27 million
pounds. His latest estimate, however,
places the prospective poundage per
acre at 850 pounds per acre.
County Auditor Gets
Leave of Absence
County Auditor Jerry L. George
has been granted a leave of absence
for 30 days, effective Monday, July
13.
George, it will be remembered lost
the nomination for re-election in the
May Primary, and his term of office
expires December 1, and it is presum
ed that Mr. George is taking some
time off in order to make sure he
has a job when his term of office ex
pires.
John A .Wallace, who is Chief
Deputy to Auditor George, has been
named acting auditor by the county
commissioners during George’s ab
sence.
LEND-LEASE
More than 5,178,000,000 pounds of,
American farm products had been de
livered to representatives of the
United Nations for Lend-Lease ship
ment up to June 1.
Thirty-six per cent of all U. S.
IndiaM live in Oklahnma.
A windstorm of almost tornadic
proportions swooped down on Four
Oaks on Wednesday afternoon of last
week, ripping the roof from the cen
tral section of the new school build
ing for white people. The storm was
accompanied by a heavy downpour of
rain which drenched the interior of
the building embracing 12 class
rooms, and leaving the basement
covered in water three inches deep,
according to H. B. Marrow, superin
tendent of schools, who estimated that
it would cost $800 to repair the
building enough to make it usable
again. But, said Mr. Marrow, this is
the minimum cost. To replace the
roof and repair the walls and class
rooms as they should be, it will re
quire upwards of $2,000.
The same storm that damaged the
Four Oaks school building is credited
with playing a part in wrecking the
large bomber plane which crashed
and burned near Wilson’s Mills, re
sulting in the death of the entire
personel of seven men in the plane.
JOHN N. WIGGS ON
RATIONING BOARD
John N. Wiggs, Selma merchant,
has been appointed to fill the vacancy
caused by the resignation of Lewis
Keene of Four Oaks. Mr. Wiggs is a
successful merchant and will effect
ually take the place of Mr. Keene.
Furloughs For
Inductees
Federal inspection service -is. not.
expected to be inaugurated on the
Smithfield tobacco market this year,
according to an announcement re
leased by the department of agricul
ture.
The department announced the in
spection service would be extended to
nine additional flue-cured markets
this year in Georgia,South Carolina
and North Carolina.
The markets are Baxley, Hazel-
hurst, Tifton, Vidalia and Waycross,
in Georgia, opening July 28; Mullins,
South Carolina, opening August 6;
Wilson and Ahoskie, North Carolina,
opening August 25, and Winston-Sa
lem, North Carolina, opening Octo
ber 1.
In a referendum held in May, about
70 per cent of the eligible growers
participating approved the free and
mandatory inspection service on the
49 flue-cured markets not already
covered by such service. Smithfield
was included among those 49 markets.
However, the service will be extended
to only nine markets because of the
dpartment’s inability to obtain quali
fied inspectors.
Officials said the service would be
extended to the other 40 markets as
soon as inspectors could be obtained,
but they expressed doubt that it
would be this year. The inspection
service will be available on the 26
southern flue-cured markets which it
had last year.
If Congress recognizes total claims,
the explosion of a munitions truck
near Selma last March 7 will cost the
federal government $278,046,39. That
is the figure to be submitted by
Governor Broughton for consideration
by Congress in paying property
damages, personal injury and death
claims growing out of the blast that
killed seven people and wrecked num
erous buildings in the vicinity.
A committee of Charles Ross, State
Highway attorney; R. P. Holding of
Smithfield, and W. H. Call of Selma
heard the claims and has completed
recommendations, which will be sub
mitted to the Governor and then to
Congress.
The committee did not attempt to
hold official hearings to pass upon
the damages claimed. It asked for re
ceipted bills where repairs had been
made or estimates of damage where
the property owners were not in posi
tion to restore their belongings. The
aggregate of these claims varied little
from the final recommendations,
which were slightly lower. Congress
has sole authority to pass upon the
claims.
Eighteen claims for personal in
jury or death totaled $177,903,56, in
cluding one for $50,000, one for $25,-
000, three for $20,000 and two for
$10,000. A total of 159 property
claims totaled $94,059.59 and ranged
from as little as $6.85 to as much as
$26,446.35. 'There were 16 claims- of
insurance companies under subroga
tion agreements for losses paid. Those
totaled $6,083.24. There will be one
$726.50 claim' from a Georgia man
whose truck was damaged.
Among the buildings destroyed
were Talton Hotel, Gurkin’s Tavern
and Luke Capp’s service station, all
of which were located near the in
tersection of US 70 and US 301, the
spot at which a car collided with the
munitions truck, set it afire and re
sulted in the blast.
County Home Keeper
Tenders Resignation
The past policy of granting-
furloughs to inducted men
upon recommendations made
by their local board was dis
continued on June 30, 1942.
Since July 1, 1942, every in
ducted man is granted a four
teen day furlough at the in
duction station unless he pre
fers not to be furloughed. The
new procedure provides for
the transfer of men so fur
loughed to the Enlisted Re
serve Corps immediately fol
lowing induction and the is
suance of orders recalling
them to active service at the
■end of the fourteen day
period. The Army will furnish
transportation, lodging and
meals for such Reservists tc^
W. J. Alford has tendered his re
signation to the Johnston county
board of commissioners, as keeper of
the County Home, stating that he
preferred to make the effective date
July. 15, but would stay on until
August 1, if necessary. In accepting
his resignation, the commissioners
asked Mr. Alford not to relinquish
his duties at the home until August
1st.
The commissioners are asking that
applicants for keeper of the county
home be submitted prior to July 20th
meeting of the board.
The county home job poys $1,200
a year, and in addition to his salary
he and his family are given living
quarters and food supplies without
cost.
Receives Promotion
A letter just received by Mrs. Jesse
James of Selma from her son, Jesse,
Jr., somewhere in the Pacific, dated
June 28, tells her that he was recently
promoted to the grade of Technician
Corporal. He also graduated from
Motor School and received a non-com
missioned officer’s diploma for 1st,
2nd, and 3rd Echlon work.
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
By H. H. L. —■ I '
Former Selma Boy
Receives Promotion
and from the cities where;
their local boards are located.
William Harvey -rhorne of the
677th School Squadron, Gunter Field,
Alabama was recently promoted to
the grade of Corporal. The announce
ment was made by his Commanding
Officer, Col. Aubury Hornsby. Gun
ter Field is a Basic Flying School of
the Southeastern Air Force Training
Center where American and British
Cadets win their wings.
The United States marine corps
was- formed by the continental con
gress on November, 10, 1775.
HUB BROWN, manager of the
Economy Furniture Company, is re
ported to be quite an orator—HUB
was called on to introduce the Tobac
co Tags, famous radio stars, at the
Pine Level high school auditorium
last night—after the introduction
HUB made a fine talk on “Boy Scout
Work”—the Tags appeared under the
auspices of the Boy Scouts of Pine
Level and presented an entertainment
that was .thoroughly enjoyed by the
large audience—ALVIN KORNEGAY
Scoutmaster of the Pine Level
troop—the Tobacco Tags have play
ed to the largest crowds ever gather
ed in the south for a hillbilly show—■
MILDRED PERKINS SPENCER was
seen “walking” to work this (Thurs
day) morning—MILDRED recently
purchased a new bicycle and while
learning to ride same was thrown to
the ground, receiving slight injuries—
“as soon as I get over this soreness,”
she said, “I’m going to try it again”—
HARRY and BILLY OLIVER, sons
of MR. and MRS. RICHARD P. OL
IVER, were born on St. Valentine’s
DAY and at the same hour, and they
are not twins, either—just t\vo years
difference in their ages—HARRY
works for his dad in the grocery
store, while BILLY holds a position
with the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company—both are very
popular with the younger set in Sel
ma—that crape myrtle tree on the
lawn at the Merchants Hotel here is
attracting more attention than any
thing around these parts—it is a solid
mass of bloom, bright red in color—
MRS. ANNIE BARHAM, owner of
the Merchants Hotel, says this tree
was planted many years ago and has
never failed to produce an abundance
of bloom—CHARLES FULGHUM,
ROBERT LEE DENNING, DICKIE
BROADWELL and LONNIE A.
GRANT, JR., are leaving Sunday for
a stay at Camp Tuacarora, near
Goldsboro.
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