North Carolina Newspapers

// Cut A Cord Of Puipwood For Every Local Boy In Service** VOL. 26 SELMA, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1943. G. Ira Ford Talks On reace* at Kiwanis Meet NUMBER 46 Charlie J, Woodard Victim Of Suicide “Peace” was the subject of an ad dress delivered before the local Kiwanis club on last Thursday even ing by Mr. G. Ira Ford, tax super visor of Johnston county. The speak er was introduced by Kiwanian Bill Thad Woodard. H .H. Lowry was in charge of the program. The following are a few excerpts from the splendid address by Mr. Ford: “Down the long corridors of time as a usual procedure man’s interest has been as different as mankind it self. Some are interested in one thing and some in another varying with the aptitudes and inclinations of the individuals. The same is true to some extent of nations and genera tions of men. For example, Ameri cans would not necessarily have the same interest in all things with the Russians, Greeks, or Turks. Neither would the men of the 20th century have all things in common with the men of the first century. “The same great principle of life will hold good with individuals; one man has all of his interest and con cern turned in the direction of accum- mulating wealth, while another man strives just as consistantly to master the healing art of science. Some of the great minds of the country have been devoted to discovery and inven tion: others have lived only to master the difficult art of music. Even some of our citizens have devoted all their talents and time to statesmanship. “The same great principle of life rings true in the world of news. Some are intensely interested in one type of news, while for another, the same news holds no attraction at all. So there is not a line in the paper that nobody reads. For example, the news of Waterloo set the bells of all Eng land ringing and made Wellington immortal, but the same news broke Napoleon’s heart and chained him to a rock in the sea. “I know we live in a day when chaos and decay is widespread throughout the earth. The world is in a state of volcanic eruption. God’s good green acres have become a slaughter house of the races. The genius of the mind of man, together with our resources, have been turned into the channels of destruction. Nearly all of our families have been torn assunder by war. A Bataan; a Corregidor, a picture of decaying Americans on foreign soil is but an other reminder of the seriousness of the situation in which we find our selves. “Surrounded by such circumstances, I have elected to speak to you upon a subject that captures the imagina tion and interest of men everywhere. It is rich in its appeal to humanity throughout the world. Its appeal is just as strong to the men and women of the Axis nations as of the United nations. In fact, it belongs to the ages. It holds a fascination and charm for the peoples of all races, climes, and times. This subject is PEACE. What a word! It is a word as high in hopes as the aspirations of mankind, as wide in its scope of desire as the world itself, and as deep as the hungers of the human heart. “If we could travel over the wide spaces of. the earth tonight and in quire as to the one. great desire of the human family, I am sure it would be expressed in the one little word, PEACE. A word of only five letters and yet as big in its application as the needs of a bruised and broken world. “This subject of PEACE was sig nificant and wonderful enough for a heavenly .choir to sing its wonders to shepherds on the Judian hillsides nineteen centuries ago. It was so pregnant in its meaning as to call for the Benediction of God’s son in the sermon on the Mount in those immor tal words, “Blessed are the Peace makers.” Then pray tell me, gentle men, why will our leaders, in their littleness, their selfishness, and greed for power, continue to quibble about safeguarding world peace, while millions of the human family are slaughtered every generation? “What a pity and shame that our great Senate could not catch the vision of the world dreamer. Wood- row Wilson, at the close of the last war. Then statesmanship was crowd ed out, while cheap, selfish politics was enthroned. This generation will stand forever indicted by the history of man for such tragic and foolish blundering, but Providence has been most kind to the leaders of this gen eration in granting them another chance to rectify that wrong, to straighten out that mess, to remove that stain, cloud, and stigma from our country. “Can you even now think of the Munich Conference without a shud der? What a crime against society was there perpetrated. I know Mr. Chamberlain said, “We have saved PEACE for this generation.” Yet, he died amid the bursting bombs of those with whom he pretended to make and save the PEACE. “The news of the Moscow Confer ence in which our Mr. Hull, together with Mr. Eden and Molotov planned for security and peace of the world at the close of the war gives man kind another ray of light in an other wise dark and despairing world. Let’s bend our efforts and talents in the direction of making its measures and provisions work. Let’s hope that our statesmen will not become drunk with their own importance and power, while civilization is broken and lost at their feet. All of our spending, all of our inconveniences, all of our suffering and the dying of our sons on foreign soil, will have been in vain if we lose this opportunity to make a just and lasting PEACE. If we lose here, we lose everywhere, but if we succeed here we will have measured up grandly to the expecta tion of our armd forces and kept the faith with posterity. “We are going to win this war; make no mistake about that. I know victory is not here, but its rays of light and quiet can be discerned in the not too distant future. The'news from every battle front is good. Italy is already out, and we are going to make Tojo and his little yellow devils, together with Hitler’s Super men taste the bitter dregs of defeat on every battlefield. Our fine men of Bataan and Corregidor are going to be avenged. The conquered nations will once more take their rightful places among the nations of the earth and China will no longer be menaced by the domination of the Japanese War Lords. Yes, “the lights are com ing on again all over the world.” Let’s strive to keep them on forever. We can hear even now in the distance the sweet music of victory. Let’s en joy its fruits always in a peaceful world. Charlie J. Woodard, 65-year-old farmer, shot himself through the temple with a shotgun at his home on Princeton, Route 1, Monday night about 7:30. Death was instantaneous. His wife and other members of the family were in the house at the time. They said Woodard went into a bed room and fired the fatal shot. There was no note and the family was un able to explain the act. Dr. E. N. Booker county coroner, was notified immediately and he ruled that an inquest was .unnecessary. Funeral services were held Wednes day afternoon at 5 o’clock at the home and burial followed in the Woodard cemetery nearby. Elder Elijah Pearce of Princeton was in charge of the rites. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Vara Woodard: five sons, William, Richard and Alkie Woodard of Princeton, Route 1, Harvey Woodard of S41ma, Route 2, and Milton Woodard of Goldsboro; six daughters. Mrs. Her man Worley. Mrs. Marvin Pearce and Mrs. Ham Hill of Princeton, Route 1, Mrs. Jake Worley of Smithfield, Rt 1, Mrs. Ed Hill of Goldsboro, and Mrs. Herman Lynch of Clayton, Rt. 1; two brothers, John Woodard of Fremont and Azel Woodard of Princeton. Route 1; and four sisters Mrs. Henry Massey and Mrs. Fred Lynch of Princeton, Mrs. Jim Creech of Pine Level and Mrs. Norman Rackley of Durham. SCHOOL AHENDANCE DISCUSSED AT MASS AND CHILD DELINQUENCY MEHING TUESDAY NIGHT Rev. Geo. W. Blount Is Returned To Selma Selma Group Attends Anniversary Service “ ‘We build,’ what a slogan! How it brings out the finest within us! Let’s use our slogan, our ambition, and our emotions in the building of a finer, more peaceful, happy, and con tented world than mankind has ever known before. At the close of Mr. Ford’s address Mrs. D. M. Clemmons, club sponsor, sang “When The Lights Go On Again All Over the World,” accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Mildred Perkins Spencer. The club’s attendance prize, dona ted by Kiwanian M. L. Stancil, was awarded Kiwanian H. Bradley Pearce. New Puipwood Drive Starts On Armistice Day “Cut-a-Cord of Puipwood for Every Local Boy in Service” .... That is the theme of a new, in tensified campaign to be launched on Armistice Day in over 1,600 commun ities to put “over the top” the drive to fill the vital war and civilian needs for pulp paper. Each quota is based on the number of men in service in the section covered by the newspaper, but it is expected that the quota will be over-shot by a wide margin in many areas. The theme for the new campaign was inspired by Satis Simmons, pub lisher of the weekly Jackson Herald, Ripley, West Virginia, who used this theme with great success in his own local campaign during the past two months. In Jackson county over six cords for each local boy in the armed forces has been contracted for and more than the quota set by Mr. Sim mons has already been cut. A group of Selma citizens went to Goldsboro Sunday night to witness the special services at the Tabernacle church, given in commemoration of Dr. William Howard Carter’s 21st year in the ministry. The group in cluded Mayor B. A. Henry. David S. Ball, H. H. Lowry, S. M. Parker, and M. L. Stancil. The main program was broadcast over WGBR, which included an ad dress by H. H. Lowry, advertising manager of The Johnstonian-Sun, who paid a fine tribute to Dr. Carter on behalf of the people of Selma and Johnston county, the birthplace of Dr. Carter. Dr. Carter’s father, Mr. H. B. Car ter, was present and opened the meet ing with prayer. In introducing Mr. Lowry, Dr. Car ter said he was very happy to an nounce that it was the third such oc casion when Mr. Lowry had come to his rescue on behalf of the good people of his home town, for which he was exceedingly thankful. This popular minister also recognized the other visitors from Selma and ex pressed his delight at their presence on that occasion. He made special mention of the many courtesies shown him by the publisher of The John stonian-Sun. Dr. Carter was celebrating his 21st year in the ministry, having preached his first sermon when only 12 years of age; and while he is now only 33 years old, his able gospel sermons have attracted wide attention by ra dio and otherwise. He told us that Life Magazine had written him for pictures of himself, beginning with his first sermon at the age of 12. Three new Methodist preachers will come to Johnston county, as a result of the appointments made at the recent meeting of the North Carolina Conference in Rocky Mount. These are Rev. C. B. Culbreth, who goes to Benson to succeed the Rev. H. A. Chester, who served that charge for five years; the Rev. C. W. Barbee, who succeeds the Rev. P. O. Lee at Clayton; and the Rev. W. J. Watson, who goes to Princeton to succeed the Rev. N. C. Yearby, retired minister of this city, who supplied there in the emergency last year. Rev. Mr. Chester was transferred to Carthage and Mr. Lee to Stantonsburg. The Rev. J. T. Green returns to Pour Oaks; Rev. R. L. Hethcock to Ebenezer on the Ne-wton Grove cir cuit; Rev. G. W. Blount to Selma; Rev. B. H. Houston to Smithfield; and Rev. G. B. Starling to Kenly which 's a part of the Rocky Mount district. Other appointments of the Raleigh district, of which the Johnston chur- ^es are a part, are as follows: • H. I. Glass, district superintendent. Apex-Macedonia, J. W. Bradley; Bailey, D. A. Petty; Cary, E. M. Hall; Creedmoor, D. D. Trynham; Dunn, O. W. Dowd; Erwin, J. A. Mar tin; Pranklinton. S. E. Mercer; Pu- quay, E. D. Dodd; Garner, E. B. Cra ven; Granville, H. H. Cash; Henderson First Church, H. K. King; City Road, W. B. Gregory; Lillington, W. N. Vaughan; Louisburg, P. D. Hedden; Louisburg Circuit, J. C. Choffin; Mamers. J. R. Regan; Millbrook, H. B. Baum; Moncure, J. E. Sonen- berg; Oxford, C. P. Heath; Oxford Circuit, J. L. Smith; Raleigh, Eden- ton Street, A. J. Hobbs; Hayes-Bar- ton, R. L. Jerome, Jenkins Memorial, I. O. Hinson, Trinity, R. G. Dawson, Stem, W. B. Royals; Tar River, R. L. G. Edwards; Vance, O. W. Mat- thison; Zebulon-Wendell, C. E. Vale. School Enrollment And Attendance Takes Drop A comparison of the enrollment and attendance in the schools of John ston County during the first month of the current session with that of the first month of the 1942-43 school years reveals a drop in enrollment of 952 and in attendance of 1151. Stated otherwise, the enrollment for the first month of this year is only 94 per cent of the enrollment for the first month of last year. Likewise the attendance for this year is only 91 per cent of that of last year. This condition invites analysis of the situation. The following table is a breakdown of the facts. Number less than last Kepresentative Group of Local Citizens Recommend Provision Be Made To Secure All-Time Truant Officer For Johnston County To Enforce School At* tendance Law. year Total Enrollment 952 Total Attendance 1151 Enrollment, white High School 231 Elementary 419 Total 650 Enrollment, Negro High School 20 Elementary 282 Total 302 Attendance, white High School 267 Elementary 568 Total 835 Attendance, Negro High School 40 Elementary 276 Mr. and Mrs. Medlin Have 4 Sons In Service Robbers Fail To Get Bail Reduced Three Scotland Neck men charged with robbing Miss Ardella Evans of near Selma of approximately $5 000 Tuesday were unsuccessful in seeking release from the county jail under reduced bonds. The trio—William D. Ham, Ray mond D. Hardy and Thurman Hardy —have been held in default of $5 000 bonds and Judge Clawson Williams refused to lower the bail after hear ing evidence at a habeas corpus pro ceeding which consumed the Tuesday morning session of superior court. The three men were represented by Attorney E. G. Hobbs of Selma. Ham and the Hardys flatly deny they robbed Miss Evans of the huge sum on the night of October 1. The state charges that they entered the home of the woman, who is 77, and one took the money from her clothing while another held her around the waist. Hitler Admits Germany Cannot Reach U. S. A. London, Nov. 8.—Adolph Hitler admitted to Nazi party leaders gath ered at a Munich beer cellar celebra tion today that “we cannot reach America, but one State is in our reach and that we shall hold respon sible.” He evidently referred to Britain. In spite of the German retreat in Russia bordering on a decisive de feat, and despite Mediterranean the ater defeats suffered at the hands of the Allies, the German leader prom ised his old party colleagues that, whatever happens, “we shall master everything.” He said: “At the end there is victory wheth er those gentlemen from the other side may believe it or not. The hour of retaliation will come.” S-Sgt. Luther Medlin is spending 20 days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Henry Medlin, of Selma Route 2. Sgt. Medlin has seen serv ice in both the Pacific and Atlantic theatres. He spent two years in Panama and six months in Trinidad. He was in the latter place when war was declared against Japan. C .F. Medlin, another son who is in the Navy, now stationed in Norfolk, was a guest of his parents over the week end. Mr. and Mrs. Medlin have four sons in the service. The other sons. Henry E. and Dixon Lee Medlin, both first- class privates, are somewhere in Africa. The Selma 4-H Club Elects New Officers The 4-H Club in Selma held a meet ing on Tuesday, November 10th, at Selma High School. New officers were elected for the year as follows: President — Herbert Herring Vice-president — James Yelverton Sec.-Treas. — Gertrude Hudson Reporter — Dorothy Griffis Girl’s Song Leader — Mary Louise Jeffreys Boy’s Song Leader — Billy Creech The club is planning on a big suc cess this year. Mr. Clark and Miss Pearson, John ston county agents met with the group. , _ Mr. Gordy Retires From Hotel Business After having operated the Brick Hotel in Selma for more than twenty years, Mr. E. M. Gordy has sold his interest in same to Mr. D. L. Blake, of Raleigh. Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Benfield, of Raleigh will manage the hotel for Mr. Blake, having taken charge of same Monday morning. Mr. Blake operates a rooming house in Raleigh and will continue to reside in Raleigh. We extend a welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Benfield to our town and trust their stay in our midst will be pleas ant as well as profitable. The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Gordy regret that Mrs. Gordy’s con tinued illness at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Hunter Price, made it necessary for Mr. Gordy to retire from the hotel business which he carried on so faithfully throughout the years. Sow Gives Birth To Seventeen Pigs Raiford Creech, Selma, Route 1, who lives about three miles from Selma, has a Black Essick sow which gave birth to 17 pigs about two weeks ago, thirteen of which are reported to be still living. Mr. Creech raised 29 pigs from this sow last year. This is an unusual record and might be classed as a Victory Sow. Total 316 Attendance, in both the white and Negro High Schools, is only 87 per cent of what it was one year ago. This drop of 13 per cent is the great est drop shown at any point in the comparisons. Attendance in the ele mentary schools has dropped only 7 per cent in the white and 11 per cent in the Negro schools. Under normal conditions the attendance in the high schools, is much better than in the elementary schools. There are three individual schools which show an increase in enrollment over last year. The Clayton Negro school shows a gain of 9 in the high school and 18 in the elementary, or a total gain of 27. Archer Lodge shows a loss of 5 in the high school and a gain of 8 in the elementary, or a total net gain of 3. Wilson’s Mills has a loss of 8 in the high school and a gain of 9 in the elementary, or a net gain of 1. Archer I.odge was the only indi vidual school which had a gain in at tendance, which was 2 in the high school and 6 in the elementary, or a total of 8. In order that the comparisons would be exactly accurate, the eighth grade for both school years was com puted as a part of the elementary school. This falling off in enrollment and attendance is due largely to two main causes, the greater of which is the impact of the war, the other being the nine months term which caused schools to open two weeks earlier during the busy harvesting season. Usually the enrollment and attend ance in the high schools is far better than in the elementary grades. This year the reverse is true and is clear ly attributable mainly to the war. The war has brought about a condi tion which causes a physiological fac tor to enter the picture. There has always been a similarity in the atti tude of the public toward religion and in its attitude toward education. Just as an individual is more apt to be in a genuinely religious state of mind when he is afflicted with some great sorrow which has come upon him by events completely beyond his control, likewise the pdblic is never very deep ly intrested or concerned about edu cation when it is possible for every body to get employment at most any price he may ask. Then when the de pression and financial reverses come with attendant unemployment every one becomes immediately conscious that he should have been trained more and differently so as to enable him to adapt himself more success fully toward the earning of a liveli hood. At a representative meeting of tha civic, political and religious organiza tions of the Town of Selma, held in the town clerk’s office, in conjunction with the Board of Town Commission ers on Tuesday night, November 9, 1943, the matter of school attendance and child delinquency was given a free and open discussion. Among the local organizations rep resented were, the Methodist, Epis copal, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Free Will Baptist churches and The Church Of God; the Selma Kiwanis Club, the Senior Woman’s club, the American Legion, the Town Board, the County Board of Education, the County Board of Public Welfare, the Supt. and fac, ulty of the local school, the Police Department, and the local news paper. The meeting was called to order by Mayor B. A. Henry, who called on O. A. Tuttle, Superintendent of the local schools, to preside over the meeting. Mr. Tuttle related many of the problems confronting the schools with respect to school attendance, and asked for suggestions any one might have to offer that might help solve this most important problem. The question was raised by the president of the Senior Woman’s club as to the possibility of employing a full-time Truant Officer for the coun ty, who would be charged with the responsibility of enforcing the com pulsory attendance school law by prosecuting those who fail to con form therewith. This brought up the matter of fi nance, which enters into all such problems. A very informative talk was made by W. T. Woodard, Jr., Superintendent of the Johnston Coun ty Welfare Department, in which he stated that his office was unable to perform its full mission of looking after school delinquents due to the fact that his department had lost three case workers within the past eight months. It was then proposed by W. H. Call, chairman of the County Board of Education, that an effort be made to use some of the funds allocated to the Welfare Department in employ ing a full time Truant Officer for Johnston County for the remainder of this fiscal year. James Earp, chairman of the Coun ty Board of Public Welfare, expres sed the belief that such an arrange ment should be made during the i present emergency, provided nothing I therein shall prove a hindrance in any way to obtaining the usual ap propriation for the Welfare Depart ment, but whatever amount is ex pended out of the present allotment of Public Welfare funds for a Truant Officer shall be the unused part of such funds for the present fiscal year which ends June 30, 1944. Those present seemed to ^concur in the opinion that when the County Commissioners make up their budget for the next fiscal school year tha County Board of Education should place before them a request for a sufficient sum of money to provide a full-time Truant Officer for John ston County. The group went on record as favor ing the following resolutions: WHEREAS, The problem of non- attendance in the local schools has reached that stage where it is not only grave, but most alarming to local school authorities, and WHEREAS, There is no suitable provision for enforcing the compul sory attendance school law in Selma and Johnston County, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Johnston County Board of Commissioners be requested to pro vide suitable means for carrying out the present State compulsory school law, as they may deem wise and proper. Done this the 9th day of November, 1943. H. V. GASKILL, Chairman Resolutions Committee. DON’T FORGET That the stores in Selma close each evening, Monday through Fri day at 6 P. M., and on Saturdays at 9:30 P. M„ for the duration, •except the week before Christmas. This is done in order to conserve fueL EDITOR’S NOTE: If there are other localities in Johnston County where schools are having trouble in enforc ing the attendance school , law, we would suggest that the citizens get together and formulate some plan to stimulate better school attendance. If there is sufficient sentiment in the county to justify the employment of an all-time Truant Officer to enforce the school attendance law it should be made known to county authorities. 'ir