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HARNETT COUNTY
•• r
CONSTRUCTIVE... H«nk«lt'a Otoly Coimigift^t NcwsiMipwr ,.. PROGRESSIVE
Voi. XXX—No. 28
$2.00 PER YEAR—Sc A COPY
LaSlitifton» N. C* Tkuraday, July 8, 1848
*Tf It Poncanw HanMtt, IPs in THE NEW8P
Hail and Wind Storms Rip
Crops in Sections of Harnett
OVERftY ACTION
AGAINST PARKER
IS DISMISSED
Executives See Little Chance
TOTAL LOSS IN
SOME SECTIONS
OF HARNETT CO.
8KVKKK RAINSTOUM IS ACCOM-
PAME1> »Y HEAVY WINDS THAT
TOPPLED TREES AND DROVE
HAII. WITH UNUSUAL FORCE
The sultry atmosphere on Sunday
afternoon brought into Harnett coun
ty one of its severest hailstorms in
history. In areas where the egg sized
missiles of ice struck, residents af-
flimed that they had never seen the
Intensity and force of any ^previous
storm compared with it.
The mid-afternoon storm brought
much rain to most of the' county,
and a welcome relief from the 'torrid
July weather. The hail fell in patefies
In northern and central Harnett,
with heaviest loss reported from the
Buie’s Creek section.
There the ‘hail slashed through
the to'bacco and corn fields to ren
der most of them as total losses, and
many thousands of dollors were lost
to farmers as a result. The crops
' had been In excellent condition prior
to the storm.
The area most injured lies 'be-
ttreen Angler and Buie’s Creek near
the Pleasant Union Christian Church.
It did not reach the main highway.
No, 210, south of Angler, but con
tinued toward Johnston and Wake
counties.
Near the Matthews Pond area, the
fields literally lay in ribbons, slashed
and (beaten by the ice and rain. Wind
toppled trees in the fields, and across
the rural roads, completeV 'blocking
traffic until removed. Fruit trees
were stripped of their fruit, and
leaves scattered on the ground.
The Cleveland Butts farm near
Matthews Pond seemed most dam
aged. although every farm over a
wide area had 'been ivlslted by the
storm.
One tobacco leaf from ft nearby
farm showed thirteen hall ibrnises on
the stock, which moans thirteen
breaks should the wind or some ob
ject move the leaf. The leaf was In-
filtered with large and .small holes.
Re,ports from the Ephesus church
section on the Johnsonvllle Road,
and Harnett Station near Bunnlevel,
were that the storm had done exten
sive damage to crops there. Some
fields in this section were reported
stripped. However, it will take time
to determine the full impact of Sun
day’s storm in the county, 'but even
with the initial observation the dol
lar loss Is tremendous. •
ffiCRETARY..• Charles P. BraBsen,
assistant secretary of agrioul-
tare since 1944, was nonlnated
fay President Truasn to tiucceed
Clinton P. Anderson as secre
tary of agricol tnre. Atiderson
resigned the cabinet post to
ran for the U.S. senate froa
New Hoxico.
TAX PAYMENTS
REMAIN LOWER
THAN LAST YEAR
REPORT OF’ COLLECTOR HAR-
RINOTON FOR JUNE SHOWS
$42,350.48 STILL ON BOOKS;
01.1 PER CENT OP LEVY
PAID
Comparison of tax payments
through the month of Juno, this year
and last year, show that only 91.1
per cent of the levy has been paid,
whereas 93.4 per cent had 'been paid
to the same date last year.
The collector still has on his books
$42,'3'56.48 of the li9'47 levy which
amounted to $476,240.44.
The collector’s report sliows re
ceipts from all sources as follows:
Current taxes $2,145.28; delin
quent taxes $6'8'5.6B: real estate
'titles' $512.00—making a total of
$3,340.93.
Other revenue: General county $3,-
645,68; school fund $l'6,25o.'88; old
age fund $6,793.50; aid to depend
ent children $3‘,27'3'.75; child feed
ing program $4,179,24; veteran
farmers training $21,985.82; veteran
education fund $384.97—making a
total of $56,518.84.
A number of property owners have
paid their 1948 taxes in advance in
order to take advantage of the dls- ]
count aMowdd 'by law.
Fourth Was Quiet
Not a poiicracker, nor a yell,
nor any other unu.snal noise was
heard around here on the great
national holiday, July 4th.
Only here and there could any
one be found working. One of the
“here.s” wa-s at The News office.
Rome of the “thores” were at the
renrthonae.
Superior Court was off celebrat
ing, but county officials and em
ployees were on the Job, having
taken the Saturday before as holi
day.
Bigge.st procedure was In the
Commissioners’ room where the
County Board wrestled with the
budget and ran tlurough the usual
routine of "first Monday” busi
ness. The Executives called it
quits, at noon, to meet again
July 26.
Streets wore mostly deserted.
and the evidence .seemed to indi
cate that most local
“gone somewhere.”
folks had
GOP Candidates
Governor Thomas E. DeWey of
New York and Governor' Earl War
ren of California, GOP^ candidates
for President and Vice-President re
spectively, talk about what may hap
pen—and what they fully expect to
happen.
RAMBEAU HOME
IN CHALYBEATE
BURNS SUNDAY
COUNTY BLKOnONS BOARD
huLKS .lT HAfil NO AUTHORITY
TO HEAR protest AGAINST
result O*' PRIMARY
For Substantial Tax Cut
«
Citizens of Tomorrow
VIRGINIA .lOYOE AND SHIRLEY
.JEAN PERISH; F'UNERALS ARE
LARGELY ATTENDED WHIIJK
ENTIRE COMMUNITY MOURNS
Fire nucl confusion aroused t\}e
village of Chalybeate Springs on
Sunday morning about 1:00 o'clock,
and neighbors found the residence
of Bernice Rani'beau, a short dis
tance from Highway'15A, a seething
mass of flames. ,
The large 10-rooui house, one of
the village’s finest, went to the
ground as a complete loss, -but it also
claimed In Its destruction the lives
of two young women, Virginia Joyce
Rambeau, 21, and Shirley Jean Ram-
beau, 12. The father was horribly
burned and remains a guarded pa
tient in the Rex Hospital at Raleigh,
Charles Rambeau, 26, a Sdnlor at
Wake Forest College, suffered from
burns, but was not hospitalized,
Mrs. Rambeau and two other chil
dren were not at .home when the
tragedy occurred -but were spending
the night with relatives in Angler.
The ivictlms of the fire were rush
ed by friends to Dr. W. S. Cozart
of Puquay Springs, who treated
them, and hurried .them to the 'hos
pital. The girls lived but a short
time after their admittance.
The cause of the fire remains a
mystery, either it started from the
kitchen stove or from defective wires
In the 'building. The mother could
offer no eaiplanation for the origin.
Witnesses who arrived early on
the scene stated that the Rambeau
family were outside the burning
structure for some time, but decided
to re-enter. Once inside they were
almost hopelessly trapped, and were
‘unaible to leave until aided.
Hundred^' attended the double fu-
(ContlnlaeV one .pftgft eight) '
On Presbyterian Hour
Retv. John R. Richardson, pastor
of the Second Presbyterian Church of
Spartanburg, S. C., will be the speak
er on the Presbyterian Hour Sunday
morning, July l.r, at 8:S0 a. ra. He
will apeak on “To the Sin of the
World" and may 'be heard over sta
tion WPTF.
Lillinsrton Chemist Has
Remedied Paint Odors
Leonard Williams, former Lllling-
ton resident, has originated a chemi
cal In his California laboratory
which promises to 'be a great aid to
those who suffer from common phy-
..sical ailments 'while painting or 'being
in the area of freshly painted things.
Mr. Williams calls his product,
’’Paint-Gay", and it comes In liquid
form to be mixed with any paint for
application. The 'Product is In con
stant use. in Hollywood where scenes
are being painted or repainted so
frequently. The Idea for tho de
odorizer came to Mr. Williams, who
is the son of Mr. J. D. Williams of
Llllington, while spending several
months in a cast in a California
hospital following a severe navy ac
cident.
Twenty-eigbt‘A Day
The Motor Vehicle Inspection
Department loaded their portable
insi>ecting outfit Saturday miom-
ing and journeyed toward the big
tobacco warehouse in Clinton for
their next trial with North Caro
lina car owner.s. Only 287 cars
passed tlirongit the lane in Llll-
ington from June 22 until July
2nd.. One hundred-fifty of these
were given tho blue seal, and 1S7
wore turned down. Of the 187
turned down, 18 never got back on
the lane. The Department aver
aged over 60 i>er day the last
time hero, so that the ten days of
, active InsiHMstion passed slowly tor
tike inspecting crew. Supervisor
Lucas could offer no .solution for
tho slow pace but the shrug of.his
shoulders when asked, “why the
ownei.. are not coming along,”
may have meant an unploasatkt
> idea.
In an action brought by .'Vllison L.
Ovovby of Angier before the Har
nett ■ County Board of Elections to
have Howard E. Parker of Erwin
disqualified as, the county’s Repre
sentative and to have himself (Over
by) declared the winner in the re
cent prinvary, Elections Board
unanimously ruled that it had no au
thority now to take such action nor
to hear evidence In the case.
The sessloH pf the Board was
iield last Thursday morning in the
Commissioners’ l^om in the court
house, and when Its decisiou was ar
rived at, the 'Board granted the mo
tion of Neill Salmon and Neill Ross,
attorneys for Parker, that the action
bo dismissed.
After the ruling and dismissal,
however, Judge Franklin T. Dupree,
Republican member of the Board,
expressed himself as agreeable to a
hearing of whatever evidence L. L.
Levinson of- iBenson, attorney for
Overby, might desire to present. But
after some argument, the Board sat
tight on its ruling that It had no
Jurisdiction, and that settled the mat
ter so far as the Board was con
cerned.
Levinson gave^ notice of appeal to
County Seeit Has Four
Thriving Auto Agencies
There are four agencies for na
tionally known makes of cars and
trucks in Lillington at present, and
tlie possibility of a fifth firm is ex
pected soon. All of tho agencies are
doing a good business but tliey haVo
been hampered by tho lack of new-
enr deliverance. This may loosen lup
some in the future.
A glance through the ’business sec
tion shows the B & S Motor Company
has moved into theli' , spacious
new 'brick garage on the Raleigh
Highway. Tho combination garage
and showroom is to be one of tho
largest in the immediate area.
The B & S Company is owned by
Billy .Byrd and John Button', and
staffed with expert mechanics. They
are dealers for Pontiac cars.
The Dodge agency is Ideated with
the S W Motor Company. Larger
shipments of Dodge cars and trucks,
as well as Plymouth cars, are to ar
rive at the business place,^ so The
News has It from Mr. A. W, Wood,
joint ipartner with Jim Sawyer In
the enterprise.
Only recently Mr, Wood bought
out the partnership of Mr. M. C.
Collins who is retiring from the firm.
Lewis Super Service Company on
Main Street 'handles the Willys car
and truck line. The Universal Jeep
Is displayed by thq company; the
facilities of the walr-.born vehicle be
ing almost without end. Frank Lewis
and N, P. Lewis operate the firm. .
The Ford Agency is the Northam-
Motor Company. This large South
Main Street garage ^and showroom
was recipient of the '1-949 Ford re
cently, and many local people avail
ed themselves of tho occasion to see
Just how far Ford had departed from
tho traditional lines of the last
decade.
The sleek .new -machines were the
oijjects of considerable praise, and
may have invoked envy- from those
still pushing older models along the
highways.
No definite agency for- Ohevrolets
has been set up in 'hustling Liningtoq
but reports are out |hat news of this
dervelopment will soon be sprung.
In addition to the four manufac
turers’ authorized agencies, 'Lllllng-
toh 'has an “open market" sales
place, the Sexton Auto Sales, which
makes a specialty of buying and sell
ing new and sued cars of all makes.
the State Board of Elections.
There was dbnslderaible* argument
based on the queltlon whether- the
Board had power to review the re
sults of the election, since it had al
ready declared Parker the nominee
following the second primary June
26, and had indeed on April 17 con
sidered the matter of allowing Parkr
er to file his candidacy.
It was pointed out 'by Messrs.' Sal
mon and Ross- that since Parker had
been allowed to file, 'he had paid ^e
fee which was accepted 'W the Board,
and he had been allowed to run as a
candidate for Representative in both
the first and; second primaries, the
Board 'had no pomr to review the re
sults now sin^e Fkrk||;,had. been the*
‘WtnntTT'ws' -show^ by -Tssirthr of
election.
It was evident from remarks
mem'bers of the Board that Its mem
bers were also Inclined to that view,
b:it Attorney Levinson argued that
he only desired that the Board hear
the facts.
Dougald McRae, mem'ber of the
Election Board, moved that the pro
test of Overby bo dismissed. His mo
tion failed to get a second until Judge
Dupree explained his position in the
matter and his desire to act in as
fair manner as possible toward both
Mr. Overby and Mr. Parker.
Chairman H. C. Strickland of the
Board gave as his opinion that the
•Board did not actually have authori
ty to go into the hearing of the pro
test at this time, and that opinion
‘hurried the session to a close.
When tho Board passed the motion
of Mr. McRae, Mr. 'Levinsop gave
notice of appeal to'the State Board.
He was armed, he said, with sufflci-
enl evidence f to show that Parker
was not a qualified candidate.
Ground 'upon which the complain
ant, Overby, lodged the protest 'was
that Parker, even though he filed
his candidacy by using the legal
form provided 'by law, was not in
fact a Democrat.
Story of the -party affiliation angle
to the case is:
Parker’s name ihad -been found
on registration books with party de
signation Republican, Parker claim
ed to the Election Board that he had
not registered by giving hie party
affiliation as Republican; that he
stood by his declaration when he
filed his candidacy on April 17 that
ho would support the nominee in the
Democratic primary.
It was upon that declaration that
tho Elections Board allowed Parker
to file 'his candidacy. His name was
(Continued one page eight)
COMMISSIONERS
PASS TENTATIVE
BUDGET MONDAY
(AUDITOR CARSON'S FIGURES
CALIj FOR $8814112.00 FROM
.41J.. SOURCES, PART OF
WHICH IS STATE AID
The Board of Commissioners Mon-
Top Row; Daughter of Mr. and Mfs. Mack McDonald, Lillington;
IjaVada, age 15 months, 'daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dannie McNeill,
Lillington R-3; Charles, age 5 months, son of Mr. end 'Mrs. ‘‘Charles
C. Ray, Lillington R-3. Bottom Row; Kay Franoes,„age 11 months,,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Smith, Lillington R-3; Martha, age,
4 year, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edison Quick, 'Lillington; 'Patricia,'
age 2 years, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. -Robert Yow, LiUlngton.
day took the step necessary before a
tax rate can be fixed for the fiscal
year 1948-49. A tentative budget was
adopted. -It calls (or $8'$‘r,81l.06,
from all sources. Part of this comes
PROTESTIS
REGISTERED
IN SERVICE CUT
DUNN DEI^ATION TEUjS COM
MISSIONERS DUNN AREA HAS
AT LEAST HALF OF VETS
AND WANTS SERVICE
DKFIANOB .. . . Wmam S.
Iwsd enbe U. 8. OsswpiMi$l
MW «bfa senato — - —
tr the meessM faeoMsM-lew:
else Imllliirt tiAl 'Aihsirleisis Cam
'Mi' -egiilMi
fC Wir, ’
-Ralph Dowd. Ralph Wade, Dunn
postmaster, end D. C. Stephenson,
mem'bershlp chairman of the Dunn
Post American Legion, appeared be
fore the 'Board of County Commis
sioners Monday morning to protest
against the cut recently inaugurated
in veterans service in the Dunn area.
They pointed out that Inasmuch as
that area 'had at least 60 .per cent
ahAuttt'-'''iiiiysr'-4is
much time dFrotad' to 'vetanoui ser-
vica there as .the upper portion of
the county enjoys.
Their protest brought questions
from members of the Board, and it
was only a -matter of minutes till.the
inevitable happened—a -matter which
has been brewing almost since the
Inauguration of veterans sSrvlce in
Harnett county.
It will be recalled that Harnett
was. among the first counties to set
up a veterans service bureau. This
came about even ‘before the State
established the service.
, The keen point at issue was not
alone the enrtailed service of the
Veterans Officer, L. >B. McLean, in
the Dunn area, which service was re
cently cut to two 'days a week.'
Joined with that Issue w-as .the
statement by Mr. Dowd that Harnett
is one of the only four counties in
the State maintaining a service of
ficer department -which has not been
approved by the State Veterans
Service Commission.
Then it was made known to the
Commissioners that If the State Vet
erans Service Commission approves
the officer appointed 'by the county,
the State will pay half of his salary.
Members of the Board expressed sur
prise at this information, stating
they had never heard of it before.
Board -members then expressed
themselves as desirous of having .the
Harnett office approved so .that the
com'pensatlon could 'be Toceived. The
(Continued one 'page eight)
MIIUTT WITH DISABlUTr . . .
Physlosl faudieaps oan be ever-
o«BS» as sa omlny oswageens per-
ssns hava pre*^ Henry J. Weig-l
man ef- Cloere^ W., born wlthonti
armi, la hw et them. Be deoMedl
ha muM use’ his meutti for. soma^'
thing -besides talldng and eating.!
Thus, be became an artist.
47 MARRIAGES
LAST QUARTER
Register of Deeds Issued 47 Licences
For Which County Received $18»
In AprU-May-June
Mrs. Inez Harrington, Register , of
Deeds, did very well in her sales lot
marriage licenses during the months
of April, May and Juno Her report
to the Board of Oommtasloners I'or
the quarter showed that slie'sold |47
lloenses at $4 each, making total re
ceipts from the source 1188.
Report on sale of marrlge Ucemms
Is made at the end of each quarter
now, instead of the old custom 'of
reporting monthly.
The Register also received $S64.|90
for recording legal instruments.
There were 6 army discharges re
corded for which there was no fe».
14 Years Of Service
After 14 years on the anxlUaiy
police force in Lilllngfam, the little
brown day that was polloemiui VL
F. Nipper’s ootwtant companion'on
his rounds is dead. 8he was struck
and killed by a motorist entering
w local gas station. **BrownJe,*'
as she was called, had served fattl)-
fully and well, sad died In the line
of duty—while patrolling the beiit
with her superior.
from the State in the form of funds
for Poor and Health, Old Age Assist
ance, and Aid to Dependent Children.
Auditor Herbert Carson furnished
tbe figures tor the tentative budget
with the caution to the Board that
he was figuring on the basis of $1.17
tax rate.
“And to 'be perfectly frank with
you," said Auditor Carson to the
Board. “1 am fearful of even that."
He was referring to the fact that
it represented a cut of 8 cents from
the 1947-48 tax rate, which, he saH,
almost ran the county “in the hole."
Reminded that the recent re-kp-
pralsal of property In the county
'placed an additional 18,000,000 on
the tax books for assessment. Audi
tor Carson replied that the replMlng
of |75,00‘0' in the current budget to
complete the new Buie’s Creek school
building took all but about 114,000
of the revenue which the extra |$,-
000,-000 values -would raise.
Then there were other matters to
consider, too. Auditor Carson •brouidit
in a comparative statement, of ap
propriations and expendUnres tor the
various departmental agencies, and
nearly everyone of them had bean
aver-expended.
“It we fall to -hew closely to this
tentative budget during 1948-41. we
will go ‘in the red’ as certain as the
world," admonlehiM the Auditor.
Auditor Carson further pointed out
that daring the past tour yeam or
longer a tax rate too low to provide
for emergency eximndltues had been
adopted; and “now-we'find that with
the ever-increasing costs we have
over-spent our appropriations.” That
will undoubtedly -be the case during
the present fiscal year If the tax
rate Is set too low.
Auditor Carson expressed the
opinion that, although he would like
mighty 'well to see the tax rate reduc
ed materially, he really thought it
would ba^wlBe, from a standpoint of
good business Judgment, to let the
tax rate for 1948-49 stand as It was
In l'9'47-48—unless, of course, some
thing can be chipped from tho hud-
got.
After the Board adopted the ten
tative budget, it was ordered filed
In the office of Register of Deeds
and published so that tbe taxpayers
could see for thomsslves how mneh
money the county requires thmu to
pay tor the various appropriations
for the new fiscal year.'
The Commissioners have not fixed
tbe tax rata, but are allowing pro-
paymants to be made on that 'basis.
If the rate is lowered, all who pay
In advance -will receive a retuq^.
It was thought at first, and It was
generally talked among members of
tbe Board, that tbe 1948-49 tax rate
could be cut to |1.64 or at least to
$1.15. But that hope seems to bave
gone glimmering in view of the 6on-
stderable demands as shown by the
(Continued one page eight)
1948 Tax Rate Will Be Sad
Disappointment to Very Many
The 1948 tax rate in tHamett
county Is going to prove a sad dis
appointment to many property own
ers. Most taxpayers will be looking
ai;ound for someone to 'blame It on.
That’s natural. ‘But they will not
need to do much looking around.
The County CommlBBloners ■kill prob
ably assume the full blame. In fact,
they did that very thing, la effect.
In their regular session here Monday.
When Auditor Herbert Carson put
the^flgures l^efors the Board, calling,
for increased approprlationa to meet
an enlarged budget, it was clearly
seen that the ' 8 million dollars in
taxable values places' on Die books by
Series Johnson and his oorps of
property re-anpraisers would yield
only a few thousand''dollars more
than eover the added cost ot^Ahe new
Bttls's 'Greek sdkool bnlldlng.
It will be iwmerabered .that when
the Board of SducaDon received bids
for the Buie's '6rsek 'building it was
fedhd that the'' bids iwn |74,'MHI
higher than ths cost first estimated.
The BddGattoh Board went to the
OommUMtununi and askisdi that the
over-oost'of 't78,l#9 he placed in the
1948-49 budget. The Commissioners
agreed. That action, the Commission
ers now') say, was a mistake. It
should have been taken out of t)ie
balance of tfae $750,000 bond issue
bonds, they said Aonday.
When Tax Supervisor 'Berios John
son reported to the Blxecutlves that
he had ad Jed 8 mlUtons to the coun
ty’s taxahles, it was freely assumiid
that the 1'9’48 tax rate could be c'lt
from 20 to d-O cents. -Now it is foutid
that it can -be reduced only 8 cents.
That’s where the disappointment 'to
taxpayers will come.
- But there’s still' another angle.
Auditor Carson explained to the
Board Monday that for the past fottr
years or more the -county had becn
levylag a rate so low that no funds
were -left to take care of emergencies
$nd' -the ever-increasing costs of
operation. Now> therefore. The trea
sury finds itself running almnt in
the “rod,"
Unless some 'unforeseen develo]>-
ment causes costs to come down.
Auditor Carson’s suggestion that it
will be better not to cut the rate tit
all may ^o9s to be SMIO advlco.
Ike Sasrs No
•President Dwight Blseahower of
Columbia Unlveralty g«ve his am-
phatic answer to his unwanted
boosters Mondsy when be flatly 'said
“No” to theme who wanted btm' to
become a candidate on the Bemt)-
cratlc ttdket fot ViuMdent of this
United States.
•J
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