\
Peanut Yield Record; Gross Farm Income Off
The 1970 gross farm income for Cho
wan County was lower by $29,784, than
in 1969, however, the gross was again
over $ 10-million.
Pete Thompson, county extension
chairman, stated the income was lower
this year because less vegetables were
planted, the corn blight, and govern
ment payments to farmers were less
by $140,000.
Tobacco, field corn, watermelon and
canteloupe sales were down in 1970 but
peanuts, cotton, sweet corn and soybean
sales were up.
Volume XXXVII—No. 7.
public -parade
Piedmont View
It has often been said that the way
Dare County goes in an election is a
pretty good sign of how the state as a
whole will vote. - But it is becoming in
creasingly more important to lend an
ear to the Piedmont voices, especially in
the legislative halls, since they have
the vote to back up their conversations.
It is, then, interesting to note one
Piedmont view on two topics of general
interest to those who meander along
the Public Parade and elsewhere.
When listening to the Piedmont, we
had rather hitch our hat on the deduc
tions of Jay Huskins in the Statesville
, Record and Landmark than anyone we
know. Writing recently in his Down
In Iredell column he wrote:
LOCAL OPTION TAX—One of the
most pressing matters before the Gen
eral Assembly—and one likely to be
disposed of at an early date—is the res
toration, in some way, of the one-cent
local sales tax.
The law under which 25 counties and
municipalities within them had been
collecting a one-cent additional sales
tax was struck down by the State Su
preme Court as being unconstUutipnal
tmd the collection ordered stopper
That brought several hundred people
from those areas to the State House
Thursday afternoon for a hearing be
fore then Joint Finance Committee on
identical house and senate bills design
ed to restore the tax as a local option.
These bills, which would be statewide
in effect, would provide that county
commissioners may, on their own mo
i tion, or by a vote of the people, levy a
* local one-cent sales and use tax.
If the commissioners decided to do it
by resolution, no election would be ne
cessary; but an election could be called
either on written request from the
board of commissioners or on petition
of 15 per cent of the qualified voters
in the county.
In event the tax was levied, either
by resolution or after an election, it
would be limited to those items subject
to the state’s three-cent sales tax and
the revenue could be used only “for
necessary purposes”.
A limit of $lO is set as the maximum
tax which could be collected on any
one sale; and no tax could be collected
on the sale of goods to be delivered in
another county.
Spokesmen from the Association of
County Commissioners, the League of
Municipalities and individual cities and
Continued on Page 4
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Rescue Squad in Spotlight Edenton-Chowan Rescue Squad is getting a new
unit and the squad’s latest piece of equipment was inspected Monday by U. S. Rep.
yPalter B. Jones of Farmville. Rep. Jones took time out Monday on a trip through
Edenton to inspect the new ambulance Chowan County recently purchased for the
rescue squad with federal matching funds* Murray Ashley, Civil Defense director
and squad training officer, explained the fully equipped ambulance to the congress*
Yield per acre for peanuts was good
i this year with 3,064 pounds for a total
of 18,748,506 pounds yielded bringing
a total of sales to $2,538,863.
There was 673,073 pounds of tobacco
sold bringing a total to farmers of
$483,892. * 5
The 448,000 bushels of soyb ° %
yielded brought sales of $1,299,200 6 §
2,186,000 pounds of cotton brought °. f 1
income up by $174,880. S
The sale of watermelons was ve 5
low in comparison to 1969. Only 96t £
000 watermelons were harvested wit %
THE CHOWAN HERALD
New Project
Is Discussed
A group of about 70 people from the
Albemarle, Pamlico and Gates Soil and
Water Conservation Districts met at the
Chowan Community Building Monday
night, to discuss the development of a
Resource Conservation and Development
Project for this designated region “R”.
This group consisted of Soil and
Water Conservation district supervisors,
county commissioners, members of
county planning boards, and heads of
various other county agencies from the
10-county area of Camden, Currituck,
Chowan, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyr
rell, Dare, Hyde, Washington and Gates.
Elmer Graham, assistant state conser
vationist with the Soil Conservation Ser
vice, explained how a RC&D Project can
help solve many of our problems, in our
urban, as well as our rural areas, such
as the use and management of our soil
and water resources, pollution, erosion,
flooding, and development of our po
tenials. He stated that development of
our historical potention would be mag
nificent in helping to bring people to
this area. It was also brought out that
a RGfcR Project would be- beneficial in
helping to bring a major highway
through Eastern North Carolina.
RC&D funds provide assistance in
designated areas covering a wide spec
trum of land and people. It is an ef
fort to help people help themselves.
Continued on Page 4
Promotions Made By Peoples Bank
Three staff members of Peoples Bank
& Trust Company in Edenton have been
promoted. They are: Woody R. Cope
land, Mrs. Betty S. Bunch, and Charlie
Thomas Peele.
The announcement of the recent pro
motions was made by W. H. Stanley,
president, following the bank’s annual
meeting of stockholders in Rocky
Mount.
Copeland has been promoted from
assistant cashier to cashier; Mrs. Bunch
from note teller to assistant cashier; and
Peele has been appointed assistant
cashier of the bank’s consumer credit
office here.
George W. Lewis is executive vice
president of the bank’s Edenton opera
tion which includes three offices. A
new main branch for Peoples is now
under construction at the corner of
North Broad and Church streets.
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, February 18, 1971
By PATRICIA ARNOLD
the price of $240,000 total.
Though the production of sweet corn
was limited, the price of $2 per crate,
consisting of five dozen ears, brought
sales up for the year. A total of 300,000
crates were sold bringing a price of
$600,000. This was a rise in price of
85 cents per crate over last year.
\ Livestock and livestock products net
% ed $2,278,344' with a breakdown show
• %ig: Hogs, $2,110,000; beef, $149,000;
£ o'.d sheep, $1,200.
<*. -
' ' 8
Making Headway Discussing plans for the Jaycee Memorial
Day Air Festival with Commander Billups E. Lodge of the Fifth
Naval District, Norfolk, Va., are, from left, Ray Midgett; Cmdr.
Lodge; E. C. Toppin, chairman of the committee; Wallace Evans;
and Wayne Conner. Cmdr. Lodge is to be the direct contact to all
Armed Forces departments for the Department of Defense.
Squad Seeks Volunteers
A Red Cross course for re-certifica
tion of members in Edenton-Chowan
Rescue Squad has been timed so new
members as well as those joining the
organization in Rocky Hock may take
advantage of Uw, expert training*—--
Murray Ashley, training officer for
the rescue squad, said Mrs. Bernadette
Johnson, a registered nurse, will teach
the course at Edenton Municipal Build
ing Tuesday and Thursday night of next
week. The course is sponsored by Col
lege of the Albemarle and the N. C.
Copeland joined Peoples Bank in 1968
and has served in various capacities in
cluding commercial note teller and field
adjuster. He is a graduate of Atlantic
Christian College and has completed
advanced courses in bank operations.
His varied list of civic activities include
first vice president, Edenton Jaycees;
treasurer, Chowan County Chapter,
March of Dimes and American Red
Cross; and membership on the AADA
industry committee.
He is married to the former Phyllis
Bunch and they have a son, Kevin. The
family attends Riverside Baptist Church
and are members of Chowan Golf &
Country Club.
Mrs. Bunch previously held the po
sitions of bookkeeper and paying and
receiving teller for the bank.
She is a graduate of Chowan High
Continued on Page 4
man who has assisted the area in many ways. In the picture at left, Capt Bob Rob
erson of the squad is shown at left with David Nixon and Earl Smith as they discuss
plans for a unit at Rocky Hock. Smith has agreed for the headquarters to be at his
store. A call has been issued for more volunteers to staff the base unit in Edenton.
Rep. Jones was highly complimentary of the fine service the volunteers are render
ing in the area.
Other gross incomes included: For
estry, $374,000; government payments,
$257,755; vegetable and fruits, $1,382,-
050; and poultry and poultry products,
$522,375.
Thompson stated he was satisfied
with the figures tabulated and feels they
are the most accurate set of figures
compiled to date.
He explained, “Sixty farmers from
across the county attended a meeting
called by the extension office and they
were questioned on the yield of each
product. From there we used figures
"j i fi
Single Copy 10 Cents
Department of Health and is for rescue
squad members and those interested in
joining the squad.
Classes will continue the following
week at Rocky Hock Community Center
in standard and advanced first aid.
Ashley said this is a 24-hour course.
Both courses are required for rescue
squad members.
Capt. Bob Roberson of Edenton-Cho
wan Rescue Squad issued a plea for
more physical support for the Edenton
unit. He pointed out that while mem
bership in the squad is low here, some
32 men have shown an interest in form
ing a unit at Rocky Hock. He said more
men are desperately needed for the lo
cal unit which will soon move into per
manent headquarters on West Water
Street.
“We are quite naturally proud of our
accomplishments over the past years,”
Capt. Roberson said of the volunteer
organization. “However, it continues to
be graphically demonstrated to us that
we are limited in what we can do by
the number of trained volunteers on our
active roll.”
Capt. Roberson pointed out that Mon
day the squad received three calls dur
ing a 30-minute duration. “To do what
has to be done, not to mention what we
would like to do in the way of provid
ing additional services, we must have
more trained personnel,” he said.
David Nixon has spearheaded the
Rocky Hock unit. Plans are already
underway to construct a headquarters
Continued on Page 4
compiled on a statewide basis and fig
ured the gross amount.”
He stated, “All counties are using
similar prices in order to bring all the
100 counties closer together so figures
will be more meaningful in their use
statewide.”
When it was possible ASCS records
on tobacco and peanuts were used.
Thompson commented that this year
there is more uniformity in reports
from each county than in years past.
He also stated that he hoped people
did not believe that all the money made
by the farmers they got to keep. He
stated approximately 75 per cent went
to expenses and only $2.5-million was
left for all the farmers in the county.
A comparison of prices netted in each
category for 1970 and 1969 shows:
Field Crops $ 5,191,885 $ 4,765,551
Livestock and
Livestock Products 2,278,344 2,193,870
Forestry 374,000 484,534
Govt. Pay’t. 257,755 397,518
Vegetables and
Fruit 1,482,050 1,382,225
Poultry and
Poultry Products,, 522,375 912,495
Total $10,106,409 $10,136,193
ASCS Report
Chowan County farmers in 1970 may
have posted the highest average oeanut
yield in North Carolina. The yield was
3,064 pounds per acre.
H. O. West, ASCS county executive
director, said the Chowan yield appears
to be some 300 pounds per acre more
than any county reporting to this point.
“I believe we have a state high yield,”
he stated Tuesday.
Chowan County ASCS this week re
leased its annual report and the in
crease in peanut yields was of signifi
cant interest, according to West. In
1959 the peanut yield averaged 1,703
pounds per acre and has increased
almost every year since. The county
average has been in excess of 2,000
pounds every year since 1962.
The 1970 figure is the first time the
county yield has gone above 3,000
pounds. In 1969 the record of 2,637
was established in Chowan.
Federal payments made through
ASCS'tftiring the year in six programs
ranged from a low of slOl in wood to
a high of $122,909 in feed grain.
Other payments included: agricultural
conservation, $24,748; cotton, $103,601;
wheat, $137; and cropland adjustment,
$6,216.
Hines Hospitalized
R. N. Hines, director of utilities in
Edenton, is confined to Chowan Hospital
after suffering a stroke at his home, 400
South Court Street, early Monday after
noon.
Hines was rushed to the hospital by
Edenton-Chowan Rescue Squad where
his condition was reported as being
critical.
At press time Wedrtesday, reports
were that the veteran municipal em
ployee and community leader was mak
ing progress toward recovery. It is not
known how long he will be hospitalized.
Meeting Is Held
Mrs. Joseph C. Mason of Winston-
Salem has been named chairman of a
nominating committee to select a new
chairman of Edenton Historical Corn-
Continued on Peg# 4