* ?
II. S. Court Upholds School Plan
97th Year? Number 46
Louisburg, N. C., Thursday. July 28, 1966
(Ten Pages Today)
(Ten Cents)
NARROW rt.C. 56 HIGHWAY, LOUBBURG TO
FRANKI INTON
In Return On Gasoline Tax
< ?
County Losing Over $1 Million A Year
An Editorial
Many years ago, when slot machines were legal in
North Carolina, people fed the one-arm bandits mainly
because they expected to get something back. Of course,
all were not naive enough to believe they would get back
more than they put in, but the operators were smart
enough to allow the suckers to get some back. This
kept the suckers happy and it also kept the machine
working.
In light of this, let us take a look at the same prin
ciple applied to road funds in North Carolina, with parti
cular emphasis on Franklin County's place in this
scheme of things.
Although two state agencies informed us that no such
information was available, we have, through the coopera
tion of the eight Franklin County oil jobbers, managed
to arrive at some very interesting tax figures.
Not including gasoline purchased and tax paid by
out-of-county dealers doings business here and not in
eluding the one-quarter cent inspection tax or tax paid
on diesel fuel sold in the county, in ONE YEAR, 1965
FRANKLIN COUNTY DEALERS PAID INTO THE FED
ERAL AND STATE ROAD KITTIE, $1,261,591 00
What did we get back?
ONLY $149,364 97 OR 11K PER CENT OF WHAT WE
PAID.
We paid into the FEDERAL Highway fund, at four
cents per gallon, a total of $433,948.66.
How much in FEDERAL funds was allotted Franklin
County by the State Highway Commission? ONLY
$7,631 .90 OR LESS THAN 2 PER CENT OF WHAT WE
PAID.
Franklin County oil jobbers paid into the, STATE
Highway Fund, at seven cents per gallon, $827.642. 34.
How much in STATE Highway Funds was allotted
Franklin County by the Highway Commission? ZERO
DOLLARS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND ONLY $141,733 -
07 OR JUST OVER 17 f ERCENT POR ALL PURPOSES,
OF THAT WE PAID
Was 1965 a typical year? We believe so. The cotinty
had according to N C.( Motor Vehicles Dept. 9,311 re
gistered motor vehicles in 1965. the average for the
past ten years is 9,310. If we assume, with some justi
fication, that the same number of cars used the- same
amount of gas and therefore paid the same amount of tax
over the past ten-year period, Franklin County jobbers
sent in an almost unbelievable $12,615,910 to the state
and federal highway fund.
During this ten-year period, we were getting back, all
total, $1,673,158 58. Thi-s means that for the past ten
years (and perhaps longer), FRANKLIN HAS BEEN LOS
ING TO OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE A WHOPP
ING $10,942,752 OR OVER A MILLION DOLLARS EACH
YEAR.
Is there any wonder that Franklin is called a poor
County? We're being bled to death.
FOR EVERY 11 CENTS WE PAY IN, WE GET BACK
24 CENTS. THE SLOT MACHINE OPERATORS OFFER
A BETTER PERCENTAGE THAN THIS.
But, alas, as Alexander Pope once wrote, "Hope
springs eternal in the human breast." It is this hope to
which we cling: That the present Highway Commission,
having been shown the inexscusable mistreatment to
Franklin County by past Commissions will take imme
diate action to remedy the situation.
One can hardly see how the present administration
expects to gdin popularity from a people losing over a
million dollars each year by being ignored.
Tri-County Head Start Official Is Life Parolee
An Investigation by a Ra
leigh TV station has disclos
ed that a top official of the
Franklin - Vance - Warren
County Head Start and Neigh
Man Held
Here On
Forgery
A former Negro resident
of Loulsburg, now residing In
Front Royal, Va. Is lodged In
Franklin County Jail charged
with passing forged checks,
according to reports.
Ollle T. Dunston was stop
ped In Loulsburg as he at
tempted to leave after having
been asked for Identification
while trying to cash a check
for $125 at First Citizens Bank
t Trust Company here. Duns
ton was stopped by State Pa
trolman D. C. Day and was
turned over to local Louls
burg Police.
Officers and bank officials
were alerted to be on the
lookout for the alleged for
ger after cheeks had been
forged on two local accounts.
The 25-year-old Negro Is
being held under $2,000 bond,
awaiting trial.
borhood Youth Programs- Is
a parolee from two life sen
tences plus thirty years.
WRAL-TV newsmen Sam
Beard and Joel Lawhon re
ported on the station's Tues
day evening Dateline News
program that their Investiga
tion revealed Charles Alvln
Cheek, Warren County Negro,
reportedly "In charge" of the
anti-poverty programs forthe
three counties, had plead
guilty to "accessory before
the fact of first degree bur
glarly" and had also been
sentenced on three counts of
2nd degree burglarly Total
sentences" Included two life
sentences and two thirty-year
sentences, to run concurrent
ly, according to the Channel
5 report.
The federal government has
granted $143,343.00 for the
Head Start project and >44,
860.00 for the Neighborhood
Youth Corps to be administ
ered by Rev. G. E. Cheek,
retired Warren County
minister and his son, Charles
A. Cheek.
The younger Cheek was sen
tenced, according to the TV
report on July 9, 1851 and
eight year* later had the sen
tences commuted to 40 years /
On April 9, 1963 former Go
vernor Terry Sanford granted
Cheek a parole which runs un
til September. 196S. Under
Franklinton Stray Dog Drive On
Frankllnton Police Chief Leo
Edwards has Issued an an
nouncement on Ute forthcom
ing stray dog roundup In
Frankllnton. Edirards ' asked
thst anyone knowing of any
strays to notify his depart
ment. The text of the an
nouncement follows :
, "During the first week In
August, an ail out effort will
be made to rid the Town at
Frankllnton of dogs that are
not collared with Up-to-date
vaccination tag, town tag, and
listed on tax hook.
The Franklin County Dog
Warden will assist Id this
program along with a crew
of man who will travel the
strteU of Frankllnton cap
turing dogs that (all In th*
above catagory.
Tim* cannot be taken to
loeata ownara of dogs. The
ownara ara axpactad to com
ply with tha lawa governing
docs, and wa Intend to aar
claa tha authority wa have to
allmlnat* atraya and n*gl*ct
ad doc*.
We Intend to complct* this
program In OM w**k, there
fore, your a*al*tanc* In con
fining your dog during thla
tlma will halp ua to Identify
tha itraya."
I
the terms of the parole, Cheek
Is not to leave Warren County
under any conditions, said the
television report.
The non-profit corporation
called Recreation Council of
Memorial Recreation Forest,
la located about halfway bet
ween Loulsburg and Warren
ton, on V. S. 401, the report
stated.
Cheek, who la paid $850.00
per month for hit anti-poverty
work, was persuaded to take
the Job by officials of the
Economic Opportunity office,
accordlnf to the reports and
Harold Baylon of that office
la quoted by the WRAL-TV
report as saying that hla of
fice waa aware of Cheek's
prison record before he was
employed The Washington
official Is also quoted as hav
ing said he thought the aen
tences were "unduly hard"
and that Cheek had lived an
exemplary life since his
parole.
The Chief Parole officer of
Secondary
Road Work
Contracted
Franklin County Is to get
seven miles of bituminous
concrete surface to one of
Its Secondary highways, ac
cording to an announcement
by tbe K C. Highway Com
mlaalon Wednesday.
State Rural Road Number
U00 from Youngsvllle east
to N. C. M wUl receive the
Improvements .amounting to
>34,061.00. The Ledbetter
Brothers, Inc. firm of Rome,
G a. has been awarded the con
tract.
Other contract awards in the
Fifth Highway Division Includ
ed, Warren County, $74,867.
00. Wake County, $$0,7SS,00;
Durham County, $16,811.00;
Granville County, $44,181.90
and Person Oounty, $71,808
on one project and $88,717 on
? second.
North Carolina reportedlytold
WRAL-TV news that hi* office
had not been consulted before
the hiring of Cheek.
Cheek's father told the TV
newsmen that he did not know
how Washington got hla name,
but that he was Invited to go
to Washington- to see about
forming the organization
which sponsors the antl
poverty programs.
Cheek stated that he had
made request* Of the Warren
County Board of Commission
ers for them to form suet, an
organisation, but that no de
clslon was made. The young
er Check staled that around
300 children were participat
ing In the Head Start pro
gram, most of which were
? live years old. He explained
that the 300 was the limit
set by^U'ashlngton.
Last \ear, County Com
missioners from the three
counties at Franklin, Vance
and Warren formed a non
profit organization to ad
minister federal program*.
Com-nlttees were being nam
ed for the three counties at
last report.
Fountain To Speak
At Demo Dinner
State Democratic Chairman
L T. Valentine today announc
ed that Congreasman L. H.
Fountain of the Second Con
gressional District of North
Carolina, would make the ma
jor address at the annual
Vance-Ayeock Fund Raising
Dinner, which la to be held
on October 28, ISM In Aahe
Till*.
Valentin* said, "The Stat*
Democratic Executive Cbm
mltte* 1* rery pleased to an
nounce that Congreasman
Fountain has agreed to ad
Tractor Sets
Field Afire
The Frankllnton Fir* De
partment and County Forest
Serrlc* personnel extinguish
ed a tractor and field fir*
on th* Frank Shlnn farm east
of Frankllnton Wednesday
shortly after noon.
Reports said the tractor was
b*lng us*d to operate an ir
rigation pump and apparently
caught fir* from a gasoline
leak, spreading the flamee to
th* nearby field. Th* tractor
was s*r*r*ly damaged, It was
reported, before th* fireman
could extinguish th* bias*.
dress 1he Vfcnce-Aycock Din
ner. He la an outstanding
North Carolinian and has long
aerved tlx Democratic Party
of North Carolina with great
distinction. The Democratic
Party la fortunate In having
auch able man as Congress
man Fountain, and I feel that
It 1* certainly appropriate that
See FOUNTAIN page ?
Child Falls
i
From Car
Mary Lou Smith, aU-year
old daughter of Mr. and Mra.
Wilton Smith of Ford Circle,
Lou Is burg eacaped serious In
Jury when ahe fell from the
family car Wednesday after
noon while tier mother backed
out of the driveway of their
home.
Loulaburg Rescue Service
members answered the call
tor aid and reported the child
differed skin abrasions but
not serious injuries. She
was taken to Frank} In Me
morial Hospital Che mem
ber reported that Mrs. Smith
was fearful that she had run
over the child and that ahe
waa somewhat "ahaken" by
the experience.
I
D H. Sowars
Principal
Named At
Franklinton
(Frk. B.W.) Mr. Darwin
H. Sowars has been fleeted
to the position of Principal
at Franklinton rflgh School
(or the 1966-67 school term
Mr Sow?rs Is a native of
Thomasvllle, North Carolina,
where he craduated from high
school In 1952. He earned
a Ehrhelor of Science Degree
fro ih North 'Carolina State
University in 1SS0. He re
ceived his Master of Science
Degree from The College of
William and Mary In 1964.
Mr. Sowers has done post
graduate work at the Univer
sity of North Carolina at
Oreensboro which qualifies
him for the principal's certi
ficate.
Mr. Sowers has taught at
the Fairgrove Elementary
School In Thomasvllle, North
Carolina. He served as teach
er and football coach at Glenn
High School In KsrnersvlUe,
North Carolina. He has bes n
asslstsnt principal of Guilford
High School In Oreensboro
for Um past four years.
Mr. Sowers Is 32 years of
age He, his wife and thrse
children will be In Franklinton
during the latter part of Au
gust and he will assume his
duties on August 11, 1966.
I
Freedom Of Choice
Remains, New Request
Period Ordered
Judge Algernon I., Hutler of I . S. Ka stern District
Court in Raleigh issued an interim Order late Wednes
day in the Franklin County School suit, bringing to an
end, at least for the time being, the long discussed and
debated issues between the county Board of Education,
local Negro plainiiffs and the I . S. Department of Jus
tice. ? i
The Order upholds the Hoard's Freedom of Choice
plan of desegr^tion, but calls for a new request period
beginning August 1 through August lb for the some over
3,000 Negro students in the
county. Forme, letters and
a copy of the Interim Order
are being printed In prepar
ation lor mailing sometime
Friday or Saturday.
Board attorney Edward F.
Yarbo rough issued a state
ment early today la light ol the
ruling by the Federal Court,
expressing pleasure that the
county's free choice plan was
not struck down. Yarborough
and Raleigh attorney Irvln
Tucker represented the Board
of Education In the suit.
Attorney Pleased
Yarborough's statement
follows: am pleased that
Judge Butler's Order does not
strike down the Freedom of
Choice Plan In effect In Frank
lin County. His Order qflers
the people of the county an
opportunity to make Freedom
of Choice trulyeffectlve. Last
Spring, the Board of Educat
ion adopted Revised Guide
lines by the U. S. Depart
ment of Health, Education and
Welfare, and the require
ments of the Court Order
are largely the same contained
In those Guidelines, except for
the new choice period, the
Court Order does not, to arty
substantial degree, require
the Board of Education to do
anything more than It has been
attempting to do.
No Threats
"II the parents and students
will fully exercise their free
dom to make their decision
for school assignment, and
Intimidation or threats are
stopped, the Board of Educat
ion's Freedom of Choice Plan
will continue In Franklin
County! otherwise, the Board
of Education will be forced
by the Courts to go to Geo
graphic Zoning or some other
plan".
The Order states: "The
freedom of choice provided for
herein Is being conducted
under order of this court. Any
perosn or persons who Inter
person or persons who Inter
clslng or seeking <o exercise
rights hereunder will be dealt
with pursuant to federal law.
The Court retains full Juris- .
diction over this action for the
purposes of modifying this
degree In the Interest of
Justfce."
Faculty Ruling
In the matter of faculty de
segratlon, the Cburt ruled:
"That rape, color or nation
al origin jhall not be a factor
In the hiring or assignment
to schools or within schools
of teachers and other pro
fessional staff, \bcant teach
er positions in the future shall
be open to all applicants and
each filled by the best quali
fied applicant regardless of
net."
The Order also states that
"The Franklin County School
Beard shall encourage trans
fers by present members of
the faculty to schools within
the system In which pupils
are wholly or predominantly
of a race other than such
teacher's. The Franklin
County School Board (hall set
up and file with the Court on
or before Auguat 10, 1M8, de
finite objective standards for
the employment, assignment
and retention of teachers and
professional steff In a manner
rxjt Inconsistent with this or
der. . .
The Board of Education la
expected to meet Immediate
ly to study the ruling and to
Implement the order In the
county school system.
Depositions Continue
Meanwhile, depoaltlona are
?till beli* taken In closed door
sessions In the District Court
In Raleigh. A hoet of Jus
"I
tlce Department witnesses
have been quizzed for the
past three days with Schools
Superintendent Warren W.
Spilth and Board vice chair
man Clint Fuller due to be
heard today and Friday.
It was explained that the
depositions are being taken
In the event the case Is re
opened at a later date and such
testimony Is needed. It was
reported also, that both sides
had agreed not to appeal the
Interim Order.
The order does not require
the Franklin Board to force
a teacher to transfer to a
school different from the one
which was originally applied
for nor does it require a
percentage of mixed enroll
ment. On observer said the
Order simply calls for a true
free choice and does not re
quire anypertlcularnumberof
applicants. However, the HEW
Guidelines requires substan
tial progress In desegratlon
and the Court Order makes
these Guidelines a part of the
Order.
Six Justice Department at
torneys plus several other
aides, led by Chief attorney,
Mr. Schweb, Lavonne Cham
bers, Negro plaintiff's attor
ney from Charlotte and the
two Board attorneys debated
at length Monday and part of
Tuesday on a number of Is
sues. For sometime It was
believed that a consent Judge
ment might be forthcoming
with all agreeing to certain
provisions.
It became apparent as the
talks progressed that agree
ment could not be reached
and Judge Bitler Issued his
Interim Order. However, at
torneys were consulted
throughout the day Wednesday
as the order was being pre
pared and some discussions
were reported on certain
points, although these were
not made public.
John Hodgon, official of the
Department of Health, Edu
cation and Welfare In Wash
ington was on hand as an
observer for HEW and parti
cipated In some of the dis
cussions. Hodgon had visited
LoulsbGfg earlier on matters
pertaining ti the case
Several witness were dis
missed Tuesday by the Justice
Department attorneys, among
which were Franklin County
Sheriff Joseph W. Champion,
County Sanitation .Officer T.
H. Pearce, County Welfare
Director, Mrs. Jane M. York
See COURT page 6
Youngster OK
After Taking
Lighter Fluid
A two-year-old Rt. 2 Ze
bulon youngster was reported
recovering today, following
his accldently drinking some
charcoal lighter fluid at his
home Tuesday afternoon.
Tommy Williams, sonofMr.
and Mrs. Boyce Williams
was being rushed to Franklin
Memorial Hospital when their
automobile became overheat
ed and stopped near the Frank-,
lln Times office. Sgt. T. E.
Cooke of the State Highway
Patrol and State Trooper Gary
Kearney, stationed In Frank
lin County met near the Times
office at about the time the
Williams arrived. Sgt. Cooke
took the mother and child to
Franklin Memorial Hospital
and Trooper Kearney trans
ported the Ather.
It was reported that follow
ing the stomach pumping
treatment on the child, the
youngster appeared to be la
good condition. There was no
report on Just how the acci
dent occured.